VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health will host a free COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, September 7.
According to a press release, the clinic will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the New Light Full Gospel Baptist Church, located at 5549 Indian River Road.
All vaccines and boosters will be available at the clinic. Those who are between the ages of 5 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
A second booster has now been recommended for certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine at least four months ago.
Appointments for the clinic are encouraged, however walk-ins will be accepted.
Visit the links below to schedule your appointment time:
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccines for COVID-19 page.
Cruise lines have begun to get rid of their COVID-19 vaccine requirement that they have mandated over the past 15 months since cruises have restarted.
MSC Cruises As of September 1, 2022, MSC Cruises no longer requires U.S. citizens to be vaccinated. MSC currently offers cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas from Florida. View Best Prices on MSC
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line was the first major cruise line to announce the elimination of a COVID-19 vaccine requirement. This new policy goes into effect today, September 3, 2022. View Best Prices on NCL
Royal Caribbean Starting on September 5, 2022, guests who are not vaccinated will be able to sail on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, the worlds largest cruise line. View Best Prices on Royal Caribbean
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Carnival Cruise Line For cruises that depart on or after September 6, 2022, Carnival Cruise Line will allow all guests to once again sail on their Fun Ships. View Best Prices on Carnival
Princess Cruises Effective for cruises that depart from the U.S., United Kingdom, and Europe on or after September 6, 2022, vaccination will no longer be required. View Best Prices on Princess
Celebrity Cruises Starting on Monday, September 5, 2022, all guests will be able to sail on Celebrity cruise ships, even if not vaccinated. View Best Prices on Celebrity
Holland America Line Starting on September 6, 2022, travelers can cruise on Holland America cruise ships regardless of vaccination status. View Best Prices on Holland America
Margaritaville at Sea The cruise line that offers two night cruises to the Bahamas will eliminate the vaccine requirement on September 5, 2022.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises Starting today, September 3, 2022, Regent has opened up their sailings to everyone. View Best Prices on Regent
Oceania Cruises Starting today, September 3, 2022, Oceania has opened up their sailings to everyone. View Best Prices on Oceania
Virgin Voyages Virgin Voyages, the adults only cruise line sailing from Miami, allows 10% of their guests to sail unvaccinated. View Best Prices on Virgin
Azamara Azamara will remove their vaccine requirement on December 1, 2022. View Best Prices on Azamara
SeaDream Yacht Club SeaDream has eliminated the vaccine requirement on all sailings effective August 30, 2022.
Seabourn Starting with sailings that depart on or after September 6, 2022, guests will no longer be required to be vaccinated.
To see the complete health protocols for each cruise line, visit the cruise lines website or contact your local travel professional.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of September 2, 2022, there are currently 3,362 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been three deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,294 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 97-year old female from Cabell County, a 57-year old male from McDowell County, and a 91-year old female from Hancock County.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. I encourage West Virginians to take protective measures for themselves and their families by receiving a COVID vaccine and booster.
CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (33), Berkeley (236), Boone (85), Braxton (12), Brooke (35), Cabell (141), Calhoun (15), Clay (13), Doddridge (10), Fayette (113), Gilmer (17), Grant (28), Greenbrier (78), Hampshire (32), Hancock (34), Hardy (82), Harrison (125), Jackson (29), Jefferson (97), Kanawha (245), Lewis (36), Lincoln (57), Logan (73), Marion (107), Marshall (49), Mason (71), McDowell (37), Mercer (185), Mineral (75), Mingo (30), Monongalia (149), Monroe (44), Morgan (12), Nicholas (61), Ohio (55), Pendleton (18), Pleasants (13), Pocahontas (9), Preston (27), Putnam (87), Raleigh (136), Randolph (54), Ritchie (9), Roane (35), Summers (10), Taylor (17), Tucker (15), Tyler (22), Upshur (88), Wayne (50), Webster (10), Wetzel (52), Wirt (6), Wood (162), Wyoming (42). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.
West Virginians ages 6 months and older are recommended to get vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. Those 5 years and older should receive a booster shot when due. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over who are 4 months or greater from their first booster are recommended, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.
To locate COVID-19 testing near you, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.
Over 1,000 reports of adverse events have been lodged with U.S. authorities following COVID-19 vaccination in children aged 5 and younger.
As of Aug. 21, 998 non-serious reports have been entered into theVaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for children 4 or younger who received a Pfizer vaccine and children 5 or younger who received a Moderna vaccine, Dr. TomShimabukuro said on Sept. 1.
Shimabukuro is a researcher with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs VAERS with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Most of the adverse event reports have been for outcomes designated non-serious, or events that did not include death, a life-threatening illness, hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization, permanent disability, congenital anomaly, or birth defect.
Of the 1,017 total reported events, 19 were designated serious, with 9 for children who received a Moderna vaccine and 10 for children who received a Pfizer vaccine.
The serious events were not detailed.
Those details should not have been left out of the information released to ACIP and the public,Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, told The Epoch Times in an email.
Shimabukuro was presenting the data (pdf) to theAdvisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine guidance.
The most commonly reported events after receipt of Pfizers vaccine were errors in dosing, such as an incorrect dose being administered. Fever, rash, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea were also commonly reported. The most commonly reported events after receipt of Modernas vaccine were fever, rash, vomiting, and hives.
The number of reports represented 0.06 percent of the doses administered to children aged 5 or younger, who only became eligible for a vaccine in mid-June.
Shimabukuro said the data from VAERS and other systems did not reveal any new safety concerns.
Anybody can make reports to VAERS, but making a false report subjects a person to a criminal charge. Health care professionals are required to report adverse events for the vaccines under emergency use authorization. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are under emergency use authorization for young children.
However, research has found that the number of reports submitted to VAERS is an undercount of the actual number of adverse events.
Even though not every adverse event reported to VAERS is causally related to vaccination, it is also true that one CDC funded study estimated that less than one percent of vaccine adverse events that occur are reported to VAERS, Fisher said.
No cases of heart inflammation have been reported following COVID-19 vaccination in the young children.
Myocarditis and pericarditis, forms of heart inflammation, were also not detected in the original clinical trials. Studies have since conclusively linked them to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
The reported rates of myocarditis after dose 2 of a primary series are elevated for males aged 5 to 49 and for females aged 12 to 29. The highest reported rate is 78.7 per million second doses administered, for males between 16 and 17 years old.
The reported rates remain elevated for males 12 to 29 after a booster dose, Shimabukuro said. The rates do not remain elevated for females of any age after a booster dose, according to the VAERS data.
The CDC has verified 131 of themyocarditis case reports among people aged 5 and up after booster shots.
Data from another surveillance system run by the CDC, the Vaccine Safety Datalink, showed a safety signal for a first booster for myocarditis and pericarditis after a first booster. The Pfizer vaccine caused 61.7 excess heart inflammation events for males aged 12 to 15 and 189 excess events for males aged 16 and 17. The vaccines caused 30.9 excess events for males aged 18 to 39.
The rates were higher for both males and females aged 16 and 17 after a booster of Pfizers shot, though the higher rates were not statistically significant because of the low number of events, Shimabukuro said.
Avian Influenza Virus Activity Continues in California
Photo credit: CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Krysta Rogers
As the Eurasian strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 continues to impact wild and domestic birds across the state, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) wildlife disease specialists are reminding the public of steps they can take to help reduce the spread of infection. To date HPAI H5N1 has been detected in 34 wild birds from 13 counties including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Mendocino, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Yolo. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has also reported detections of HPAI H5N1 in domestic birds in Butte, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Fresno and Tuolumne counties.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious among birds, and domestic birds such as chickens are especially vulnerable. The strain of Eurasian HPAI H5N1 currently in circulation in the U.S. and Canada has been causing illness and death in a higher diversity of wild bird species than during previous avian influenza outbreaks. In particular, waterfowl, other waterbirds, raptor predators and avian scavengers such as vultures and gulls have been affected. Unfortunately, infection in these species is nearly always fatal, and no vaccines or treatments are available.
Help reduce the spread of HPAI:
The Centers for Disease Control considers the transmission risk of avian influenza to people to be low, but as a general precaution recommends limiting contact with wild birds and sick or dead poultry. If there is a need to dispose of a dead bird, wear impermeable gloves or a plastic bag turned inside-out to collect the remains into a plastic garbage bag, which may then be placed in the regular trash collection. Afterwards, wash hands with soap and water and change clothing before having contact with domestic poultry or pet birds. If assistance or guidance is needed with the disposal of dead birds on private property, contact your county environmental health department or animal services for options available in your area.
For more information on HPAI H5N1, check out CDFWs informational flyer addressing frequently asked questions and links to additional resources. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains the official list of HPAI H5N1 detections on its website. For guidance on keeping domestic birds healthy, please visit the CDFA and USDA websites.
For guidance on orphaned or injured live wild birds, please contact your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center prior to collecting the animal. Be advised that some wildlife rehabilitation centers may have restrictions on the wildlife species they will admit.
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Media Contacts:Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120
This is an official CDC HEALTH ADVISORY
***Missouri healthcare providers in the City of St. Louis please contact the City of St. Louis Department of Health or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at 573-751-6113 or 800-392-0272 (24/7) with questions regarding this CDC Health Advisory, to report a case of influenza in a patient with recent exposure to swine, or to request additional subtype-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of influenza isolates at the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory.***
SummaryThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to provide updates on recent variantinfluenza virus infections and summarize CDCs recommendations for identification, treatment, and prevention of variant influenza virus infection for the summer and fall of 2022.
BackgroundFive cases of human infection with influenza viruses that usually spread only in pigs, also known as variant influenza virus infections, were reported to CDC in August 2022. These cases include three infections with influenza A(H3N2) variant (A(H3N2)v) virus and two infections with influenza A(H1N2)v virus. These cases were identified in West Virginia (3), Oregon (1), and Ohio (1). Four of the five cases reported exposure to pigs or attendance at an agricultural fair prior to illness, and one reported no contact with pigs or attendance at an agricultural fair prior to illness. Clinical characteristics of these cases have been similar to those of seasonal influenza infections and have included fever, cough, pharyngitis, myalgia, and headache. No hospitalizations or deaths have occurred among these five cases, and all patients are recovering or have recovered from their illnesses. To date, no person-to person spread associated with the five recent variant influenza virus infections has been identified.
Early identification and investigation of variant influenza virus infections are important to determine whether the virus is spreading efficiently among people. Rapid detection and characterization of novel influenza A viruses and efforts to reduce transmission to other people remain important components of national efforts to prevent the emergence of new viruses that could have pandemic potential. To accomplish this, testing for influenza viruses and monitoring for novel influenza A virus infections, including variant influenza virus infection, should continue year-round.
Individuals, especially those at increased risk of influenza complications, can take public health measures to limit their risk of infection (e.g., limiting exposure to infected animals). Clinicians are encouraged to consider variant influenza virus infection as a possible diagnosis when evaluating patients with acute respiratory illnesses and exposure to pigs or agricultural fairs prior to illness.
Since 2005, 504 variant influenza virus infections (of different influenza A virus subtypes) have been identified in the United States; most of these infections have been associated with exposure to pigs or attendance at an agricultural fair prior to illness onset. Agricultural fairs occur across the United States each year, primarily during the summer and early fall. Many fairs have swine barns, where pigs from different geographic locations come in close contact with each other and with people. These venues may allow influenza viruses to spread among pigs and between pigs and people. Infected pigs may spread influenza viruses even if they are not symptomatic (e.g., coughing or sneezing).
CDC anticipates that state health departments may identify more cases of infection with variant influenza viruses in 2022 as the agricultural fair season continues. Testing for variant influenza viruses should focus primarily on persons with exposures known to be associated with variant influenza virus infection (e.g., agricultural fair attendance or workers in the swine industry). Novel influenza A virus infections, which include those caused by variant influenza viruses, are notifiable conditions in the United States, and all confirmed cases should be reported to CDC within 24 hours.
Recommendations for Clinicians
Recommendations for Public Health Departments and Laboratorians
Recommendations for the Public
For More Information
Influenza viruses that circulate in swine are called swine influenza viruses when isolated from swine but are called variant viruses when isolated from humans.
This includes persons with certain underlying chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or neurological conditions, pregnant people, and persons 5 years and younger and 65 years and older, or who have weakened immune systems.
It has been suggested the flu season may be worse than the previous two years, when people were still largely adopting preventative measures to avoid Covid-19 and social distancing and mask wearing may have kept many flu cases at bay.
The European arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is too early to predict whether the UK could face a bad flu season but said health systems need to be ready.
It also predicted a surge in Covid-19 cases as it urged at-risk groups to ensure they have had a second booster shot.
With autumn and winter approaching, we anticipate a surge in (Covid-19) cases with or without a resurgence of seasonal influenza in Europe, said WHOs regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge.
He added: People stabilised their lives without actually stabilising the pandemic.
Asked whether the southern hemispheres flu season could predict the UK and Europes impending flu season, Dr Catherine Smallwood, WHO Europes senior emergency officer, told a press briefing: We cant speak with any certainty because each region and each country has its own specificities, but we have looked quite closely at the flu season in the southern hemisphere.
Looking at countries such as Australia, where they saw quite early and a sharp increase in influenza in the season that did contribute some pressures, also in Latin America, we saw some pressures on health systems.
She added: But we dont know whats going to come.
What we do know is that its likely that the preventive measures that have really kept seasonal flu at bay wont be in place in the same way that they were in 2020 and 2021.
So there will likely be an interplay between the different viruses.
Global public health continues to be threatened by zoonotic and pandemic influenza.The virus has a high mutation rate, owing to its interspecies transmissibility and adaptability. The influenza A virus has diverse avian and animal origins with several viral subtypes; those in aquatic birds differ in neuraminidase (N1-N9) and hemagglutinin (H1 H16).
Subtypes H6 and H9 of the influenza A virus infect game birds like pheasants, quails, and domestic chickens. H9N2 viruses containing acquired neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) genes generate H5N1, H5N6, H10N8, and H7N9 viruses that may infect poultry and thereby threaten another zoonotic outbreak and onset of a pandemic.
A recent virological study published in theEmerging Infectious Diseases journal identified the novel influenza A virus (H3N8) in live poultry in Hong Kong, genetically similar to the zoonotic H3N8 viruses reported in mainland China with its origin akin to H5N1, H5N6, H10N8, and H7N9 viruses. In addition, a risk assessment approach has been described to estimate the effects of human age stratified immunity in a population.
Study: Novel Zoonotic Avian Influenza Virus A(H3N8) Virus in Chicken, Hong Kong, China. Image Credit:krugloff/ Shutterstock
The study entailed virologic surveillance between December 2021 and March 2022. Influenza A(H3N8) virus was identified in samples collected from four farms (A-D) in the study duration. All four farms were serologically positive for past H3N8 infections. Consequently, the caretakers were advised to disinfect their farms thoroughly and strengthen their biosecurity measures. Follow-up testing was conducted in May 2022 and again at the end of June 2022; all four farms tested negative for the influenza A(H3N8) virus.
Between January and June 2022, many swab samples of drinking water from poultry cages, defeathering machines, fecal droppings, and chopping boards were sampled from stalls and markets. One swab specimen from a defeathering machine and one chopping board from two different live poultry markets were H3N8 positive. DNA barcoding determined that the virus detected in the swab specimens originated from domestic chickens.
Full-genome phylogenetic analysis of the isolated influenza A (H3N8) viruses revealed a close relationship between H3N8 viruses isolated from farms and poultry markets and an H3N8 viral strain implicated in the zoonotic outbreak in mainland China. The polymerase acidic, nonstructural protein, NA, polymerase basic 1 and 2, and M gene segments were identical to the G57 sublineage of the H9N2 virus found in mainland China. The sequences of the HA gene were derived from the Eurasian avian H3 lineage, which is found in wild birds and ducks.
Phylogenetic analysis of influenza A(H3N8) viruses isolated from chicken farms, live poultry markets, and the Mai Po Wetlands, Hong Kong, China (bold). A) Hemagglutinin gene segment; B) neuraminidase gene segment; C) polymerase basic 2 gene segments. Strains were analyzed with other relevant virus sequence data available in public databases (accession numbers in Appendix Table). Trees were generated by using IQ-tree (https://www.iqtree.org) with the general time reversible plus gamma model. Bootstrap values>80% are shown. Scale bars indicate estimated genetic distances.
NA gene sequence of H3N8 in poultry A was from the North American lineage. On the other hand, the N8 NA sequence detected by DNA barcoding of a virus from a fecal specimen in Hong Kong in 2018 was derived from Northern pintail duck orAnas acuta.
Two H3N8 viruses from fecal dropping samples from Hong Kong were related to the Northern shoveler duck orAnus clypeata;these strains were unrelated to chicken H3N8 in all gene segments. A similarity was found between the N8 gene segment sequence and the H3N8 virus from other aquatic birds in mainland China. Except for the N8 NA gene segment, no other gene segments detected in poultry Influenza A(H3N8) virus were from the wild bird H3N8 virus from Hong Kong.
Referencing was carried out of HI titers with the World Health Organization (WHO) antiserum to A/Switzerland/8060/2017 against A/chicken/MKT-AB13cp/2020 H3N8 virus and on comparing with the A/Switzerland/8060/2017 homologous virus. Limited antigenic cross-reactivity was noted among the novel avian influenza A(H3N8) virus and the seasonal human H3N2 viruses.
The overall seroprevalence was insignificant in human serum samples stratified by age. In contrast, high seroprevalence in the same serum samples was observed in a recent seasonal influenza A (H3N8) virus in humans.
Herd immunity is an important parameter when assessing any pandemic threat of zoonotic origin.
According to the study, the influenza (AH3N8) virus has been detected among poultry in Hong Kong. This virus might pose a serious zoonotic and pandemic threat. Therefore, it is recommended that poultry surveillance for this virus be enhanced, a comprehensive risk assessment be conducted, and pandemic seed vaccine strains be prepared if necessary.
(Precision Vaccinations)
According to the latest U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, the 2022-2023 influenza viruses have yet to arrive in the USA.
While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round, the exact timing and duration of flu seasons vary. Influenza activity often increases in October, with peakactivitybetween December and February, says the CDC.
In the CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, published on September 2, 2022, the results of 10,805 influenza tests performed by public health laboratories nationwide identified only 40positive specimens.
Nationwide during week #34, about 1.8% of patient visits were due to respiratory illness that included fever plus a cough or sore throat, also referred to as Influenza-like Illness (ILI).
The CDC says multiple respiratory viruses are co-circulating, and the relative contribution of influenza virus infection to ILI varies by location.
Moreover, theNational Center for Health StatisticsMortality Surveillance data available on September 1, 2022, about 9.2% of the deaths that occurred during week #34were due to pneumonia, influenza, and/or COVID-19 (PIC).
Among the 2,117 PIC deaths reported last week, 1,120 had COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate, 898 had pneumonia listed,and just eight listed influenza.
This data indicates that current PIC mortality is due primarily to COVID-19 and pneumonia, but not influenza.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishedInfluenza Update N 426, which concluded, 'In the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere, overall influenza activity appeared to decrease during this reporting period.'
The WHO stated, 'Various measures implemented by the Member States to reduce SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus transmission have likely played a role in reducing influenza virus transmission.'
Given the apparent lull in influenza activity, a common question is 'when should people get their annual flu shot?
The good news is over 100 million vaccinesfor the 2022-2023 flu season have already arrived in the USA.
The CDC confirmed on August 23, 2022, 'The best way to reduce your risk from seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is for most people sixmonths and older toget vaccinated yearly.'
September and October are generally good times to get vaccinated for most people who need only one dose for the season.
While ideally, it's recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October, it's essential to know that vaccination after October can still protect during the peak of flu season, says the CDC.
As with every vaccination, the best immunization decisions are made between a person and their doctors, nurse, or pharmacists.
Additional flu shot news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/Flu.
Note: These CDC and WHO data are preliminary and may change as more data are received and processed.
PrecisionVaccinations publishes fact-checked, research-based vaccine news curated for mobile readership.
