Costumed people at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on Nov. 20 for a three-day anime convention. It had begun the day before.Credit...Kena Betancur/Agence France-Presse Getty Images
About 15 people who attended an anime convention in New York last month with a Minnesota man who later was found to have the Omicron variant have also tested positive for the coronavirus, the man has told health officials in his state. It is uncertain whether any of those cases involved the Omicron variant.
The man said that his friends a group of about 30 people had come from all over the country for the event, which ran Nov. 19-21. About half of them also later tested positive for the virus, he told the officials.
In a sign that the convention could have infected more than the Minnesota group, Gov. Ned Lamont reported late Saturday that Connecticuts first case, a man in his 60s, seemed to originate from a relative of the infected man who had recently attended the anime convention. Additional family members were being tested, and both the man and his relative were fully vaccinated and experiencing only mild symptoms.
The Minnesota man, officials said, was fully vaccinated and had gotten a booster just weeks before the convention. He has recovered from mild symptoms that began shortly after the convention ended, and has provided names and contact information of several in his group to health officials. Since the friends live in other states, their names were forwarded to those states health departments. Details of their cases are not known.
The Minnesota mans case was among the first reports of Omicron in the United States, and it presented a worrisome possibility for health officials: Might the anime convention, which drew tens of thousands of people to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for three days, have been a vector for spreading the new variant, which scientists fear may be able to spread more quickly than any other variant?
After learning that the man had attended a large convention in New York, Kathy Como-Sabetti, manager of the Covid epidemiology section for the Minnesota Department of Public Health, said: I kind of went, Wow, well, this changes our story.
At the Anime NYC conference, focused around a popular animation style that originated in Japan, attendees were fairly compliant about wearing masks, the man told officials. But some rooms were very crowded, at capacity, with crowds standing shoulder to shoulder, he said.
Convention attendees were required to provide proof that they had received at least one vaccine shot and they had to wear masks, according to the convention website. The rules allowed entry immediately after a first dose. People are seen as having full vaccination protection two weeks after a second dose of a two-dose vaccine.
Time will tell how large it becomes, Ms. Como-Sabetti said. Its hard to say that it is a super spreader. Certainly were concerned about that.
Officials cautioned that much remains unknown: The man and his friends could have been infected in other venues at restaurants, hotels or other locations during their trips, or at another time.
Still, the prospect of a cluster of cases raised new questions about the nations virus detection capabilities and the limits of its contact-tracing efforts, which have been disparate and limited since the start of the pandemic.
Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that he was concerned about the contact-tracing ability of health departments across the country, given their strained resources and the publics general lack of cooperation with investigators. Also worrisome, he said, is the small number of cases that are being tested for the Omicron variant.
Very quickly were going to see a number of Omicron cases around the country in many locations, just as weve seen in Minnesota, he said.
After Minnesota officials learned that the convention attendee had the Omicron variant, they informed the New York City Health Department. City health officials said that they had begun sending text messages and emails to tens of thousands of the anime conventions attendees, urging them to get tested.
Dr. Ted Long, who oversees the citys contact tracing program, said that he was aware of five positive cases so far among New York City residents who attended the anime convention. But he said it was not yet known if those people had been infected by Omicron or Delta, nor was the convention known to be the site where they had gotten sick.
We havent found evidence of widespread transmission at the convention, Adam Shrier, a spokesman for New York Citys contact tracing program, Test and Trace Corps, wrote in an email.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assisting the Minnesota and New York City health departments in tracking any cases, a spokeswoman said.
Infectious disease specialists said that the first Omicron case to be linked to the anime convention was likely identified in Minnesota because that states health department has a robust genomic sequencing system, and not necessarily because the patient was the original index case.
Organizers of the convention stressed that it was uncertain where the man had contracted the virus.
He was just one person who was at our event, said Kelly Comboni, president of LeftField Media, which organized the convention. There have been no other mass cases reported from our event, and we are now way past two weeks since the conventions end.
Governor Ned Lamont confirmed that a fully vaccinated man marks Connecticut's first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
State officials said the man, who is in his 60s, is from Hartford County. Sequencing performed at the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory confirmed the presence of the variant.
Governor Ned Lamont confirmed that a fully vaccinated man marks Connecticut's first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
The man developed mild symptoms on Nov. 27. An at-home Covid-19 test was positive two days later and a molecular test also came back positive on Dec. 1, according to Lamont.
The governor's office said a family member traveled to New York City between Nov. 17 and 22 to attend the Anime NYC 2021 convention held at the Javits Center. The family member developed symptoms and took an at-home test which came back positive on Nov. 23. Their symptoms have since been resolved, officials said.
Gov. Ned Lamont said because of vaccinations, there is less of a need for COVID-19 restrictions or mandates as cases climb in the state.
Both the man and family member that tested positive for the virus are fully vaccinated, according to the governor.
Other family members are undergoing coronavirus testing.
As Ive been saying for the last several days, given the speed that this new variant has been spreading around the world and its positive identification in several states, we presumed it was already in our state and the information we received from the lab today confirms that fact, Lamont said in a statement.
This likely is not the only case of the variant in the state. That being said, I must urge everyone in Connecticut not to panic. While we are still learning more about this variant, our health providers are continuing to do their best to protect everyone. We have life-saving tools like vaccines and boosters available to fight this pandemic including the Delta and Omicron variants and I urge everyone to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and everyone around them," he continued.
As long as there are people unprotected from the coronavirus, we are going to see variants like the new Omicron strain of COVID-19, says NBC medical correspondent Dr. John Torres.
The state Department of Public Health is urging residents to get vaccinated if they haven't already. Booster shot clinics are also open throughout the state.
Given the number of states that have identified Omicron to date, it was only a matter of time before we identified it here in Connecticut as well. Although Omicron appears to be more infectious than the Delta variant, both affected individuals have had mild symptoms to date. It is reassuring as their immunity seems to be helping them fight off this infection," Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said in a statement.
The omicron variant is raising global concern.
Theomicron variantof COVID-19 has now been confirmed in at least 16 US states and is "likely to rise," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Sunday on This Week. Although the delta variant of COVID makes up 99.9% of US cases, Walensky said, omicron is spreading quickly. A leading European health agency predicts omicron could become the dominant COVID strain in months (more below.)
There have been more than 5.2 million reported deathsworldwide due to COVID-19.
In the US, President Joe Biden is doubling down on urging vaccines and booster shots until more information becomes available. Experts caution it could be two or three weeks before we know exactly how contagious omicron is and if it can cause more severe illness than other mutations of the virus.
So far, the COVID-19 vaccines have proved to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death, with people who are unvaccinated being more than10 times more likely to be hospitalized if infected. Vaccine-makers are optimistic the current vaccines authorized for use in the US will provide a degree of protection against omicron, too.
Here are eight important things to know about omicron today. For more on COVID boosters, here's a trick to easily get an appointment and free ride. Here's how you'll soon get a COVID test kit for free and details on mixing and matching vaccines.
Now playing: Watch this: What to do if you lose your vaccination card, and how...
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Omicron could become the most common COVID variant in months, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
"Mathematical modelling [sic] indicates that the Omicron VOC is expected to cause over half of all SARS-CoV-2 infections in the EU/EEA within the next few months" due to early understandings of the omicron variant's high transmissibility between people, the center said in aDec. 2 brief.
Scientists studying the omicron variant in South Africa, where it was first reported to the World Health Organization, have said it's spreadingmore than twice as fast as the delta variant. But what isn't yet known is the spread is hastened because the mutations make it easier to spread among people, if vaccines are less effective against this strain or for some other reason. Thestudy cited by the New York Times has not yet been published or peer-reviewed.
First, it was Minnesota, then California and now Hawaii, New York and points in between. The US and other countries were already bracing for an increased caseload as colder weather and holiday revelry drove more people indoors together. Now, concerns over a winter surge of the dominant delta variant join concerns about omicron's spread.
COVID latches onto cells using a spike protein in its structure. Omicron has more mutations than the delta variant, which is considered at least twice as contagious as previous strains. While it isn't clear yet if omicron is more or less contagious than delta, the presence of those mutations is one cause of concern.
That may be one reason countries around the world have banned travel from some countries in southern Africa and increased travel restrictions that include a negative COVID test 24 hours before travel, regardless of vaccination status.
Scientists are testing whether omicron could cause breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated and reinfections for those who have antibodies from a prior COVID-19 infection. It may take two to three weeks before enough test data reveals how effective the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are in protecting against the omicron mutation. Scientists are hopeful, however, that the current vaccines will continue to protect against the new variant.
"We think it's likely that people will have substantial protection against severe disease caused by omicron," said Ugur Sahin, co-founder of BioNTech,said uring an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.BioNTech worked with Pfizerto create one of the vaccines authorized in the US.
Still, the fact that omicron has rapidly mutated and spread has rung at least one alarm bell.
"The emergence of the highly mutated omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, leader of the World Health Organization,said on Nov. 29.
Most PCR tests to identify the presence of COVID-19 in the body are free (COVID tests for international travel are the main exception). So it's good news that the existing nasal swab test has been found to detect the omicron variant -- a blood test or other procedure so far is unnecessary.
"Fortunately for us, the PCRs that we mostly use would pick up this very unusual variant that has a real large constellation of mutations," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor, said in a Nov. 29 press briefing.
Drugmakers are exploring if the current vaccines are effective against the new variant.
Most PCR tests to identify the presence of COVID-19 in the body are free (COVID tests for international travel are the main exception). So it's good news that the existing nasal swab test has been found to detect the omicron variant -- a blood test or other procedure so far is unnecessary.
"Fortunately for us, the PCRs that we mostly use would pick up this very unusual variant that has a real large constellation of mutations," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor, said Nov. 29 in apress briefing.
Moderna: Moderna's Chief Medical Officer Paul Burtontold the BBChis company has hundreds of people examining the effectiveness of its current vaccine and booster with the variant. Moderna is also testing a COVID-19 vaccine that could protect against several mutated strains of the coronavirus looking at an omicron-specific booster vaccine. Burton said if Moderna needs to make a new vaccine modified for the variant, it could be available early in 2022.
Pfizer: A Pfizer spokesperson said the company is "constantly conducting surveillance efforts focused on monitoring for emerging variants that potentially escape protection from our vaccine."
The spokesperson said Pfizer could develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days.
Johnson & Johnson: Johnson & Johnsonsaidit's working with scientists in South Africa and around the world to evaluate the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against the omicron variant and has begun work on a new vaccine designed for omicron, if needed.
On Thursday, Biden announced a plan to help protect the US against the omicron variant this winter. It includes, among other things:
The World Health Organization assigns Greek letters to key COVID variants to help the public easily remember and pronounce the different mutations of the virus. When first announced, search interest in the Greek letters "omicron" and "omega" climbed as people looked for information on the new variant. So far we've heard the new omicron variant pronounced by global health leaders asOH-me-cron, OH-mih-cronandOH-my-cron(some of this boils down toancient Greek).
For additional COVID guidance, here's what to know about new travel restrictions, how to store your vaccine card on your phone and what to do if you lose your vaccine card.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Pererenan, Bali Before the pandemic, Dicky, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, earned up to $20 a day hawking shell craft jewellery to tourists on the crowded beaches of Balis southwest coast.
But nearly two months after Indonesia reopened its doors to visitors from China and 18 other countries, the international tourists Dicky once relied upon for sales are still few and far between.
I came here at eight in the morning and have been walking up and down the beach all day. I try, try and try but I have not sold a single piece all day, he told Al Jazeera as a blindingly beautiful blood-red sun set over the Indian Ocean at Pererenan Beach last weekend. I dont understand why more tourists arent coming now that Bali is open again.
Dicky is not the only person on the island perplexed about the fact that not a single international flight has landed in Bali since the international airport reopened on October 14. The islands COVID-19 metrics just about the lowest recorded since the start of the pandemic only add to the conundrum.
According to Indonesias National Board for Disaster Management, the seven-day average for new positive cases in Bali now stands at 11, the seven-day average for deaths is just one while the seven-day positivity rate for individuals tested is 0.17 percent well below WHOs minimum threshold of 1 percent for territories it classifies as having the virus under control. Vaccine numbers are also well above the world average of 42.7 percent, with more than 77 percent of all adults fully vaccinated in Bali, according to Indonesias Ministry of Health.
But six weeks after the country reopened, only 153 people around the world had applied for tourist visas, according to Indonesias Directorate General of Immigration.
The low level of interest reflects a survey by the International Air Transport Association that showed 84 percent of people have no interest in holidaying at destinations that require quarantine, and Indonesia imposes a mandatory hotel quarantine that was recently extended in response to the Omicron variant.
Even with a short quarantine, no one will come to Bali, said Udayana University Professor I Gusti Ngurah Mahardika, the islands most senior virologist.
Confusing, complex, constantly changing, and sometimes contradictory government messaging and immigration policy is also keeping international tourists away.
Thailand has reintroduced free visas-on-arrivals for tourists, but those who want to visit Indonesia must apply for visas at foreign embassies or consulates and need a travel agency to act as guarantor. And they must show proof of booked accommodation for the entire length of their stay in Indonesia a surefire way to quench the wanderlust of any intrepid traveller.
There is no clear statement from the government of what it is trying to achieve, a process for getting there, or simple guidelines for would-be tourists, wrote Bali-based statistician Jackie Pomeroy on her popular Bali Covid-19 Update Facebook page.
And in a blow to the domestic tourism sector that saw up to 20,000 Indonesians fly to the island daily in November, restrictions have been reintroduced for the period of December 24 to January 2.
Beach clubs, restaurants and nightclubs cannot host Christmas events or celebrate New Years Eve, while voices on social media fear all leisure travel in Indonesia will be banned during the peak holiday period.
A little less than a month ago, Professor Gusti advised Indonesia to drop quarantine altogether for fully vaccinated international travellers who test negative before departure and on arrival. But that was before the WHO identified Omicron as a variant of concern, tossing a radioactive wrench into the long-awaited reboot of the global travel industry.
On November 28, Indonesia, echoing measures by the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, banned non-resident arrivals from South Africa or any of eight other African countries. It also banned travellers from Hong Kong, which has reported its fourth case of the Omicron variant. Yet it did not ban travellers from the UK, where 246 cases of the variant had been reported as of Sunday the kind of knee-jerk policy UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as travel apartheid.
Indonesia also extended quarantine for arrivals from all other countries from three to seven days. Less than a week later, it was extended again, this time to 10, the longest quarantine period Indonesia has seen since the start of the pandemic. The strict new rule forced Garuda, the countrys national air carrier, to axe its first planned international flight to Bali in 20 months from Haneda Airport in Japan on December 5. Subsequent weekly flights have also been removed from the airlines website.
The developments have put a dampener on Balis hopes of reviving tourism this year, which accounted for an estimated 60 percent of economic activity before the pandemic. The islands gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by just less than three percent in the third quarter, having contracted nearly 10 percent in 2020.
Indonesias national GDP increased 3.5 percent in the same period, making Bali the hardest-hit Indonesian province by the pandemic from an economic perspective for two years in a row.
The global tourism monster that once fed Bali will probably not rebound to 2019 levels until 2024, according to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company that made the prediction in June based on various scenarios that examined the effect of virus containment.
Observers in Bali feel the same way.
History has shown that Bali is very resilient to disaster but the island will take another year or two to recover, said Mark Ching, a director of the Tamora Group, a prominent property developer on the island. Its not just opening borders. People need to feel safe before they travel again.
Unvaccinated people are over 11 times as likely to die from COVID as vaccinated individuals,recent datafrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. At last winters peak, when the vaccines were just rolling out, an average of 3,400 people were dying of the illness each day. Now that average, while still alarming, hovers around 1,000.
And though the vaccines are not 100 percent effective at preventing infections, having a significant share of the population vaccinated will help to keep case counts from surging out of control, experts predict. Unvaccinated individuals are roughly six times as likely to test positive for COVID as their vaccinated peers. Whats more, people who arevaccinatedand do contract COVID are less likely to spread it to others, studies show.
Last November, the U.S. was seeing about 160,000 new infections each day; now, were counting about 80,000, which is still very high, but you're not seeing that exponential growth that we saw last year, Madad said.
Last year, everybody was at risk, said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the University of Texas Health School of Public Health. This year, you can protect yourself.
Another factor that could make this winter less lethal than last: advancements in the treatment of COVID-19.
Two drugmakers, Merck and Pfizer, have requested emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for antiviral pills that they say can greatly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in people who are infected with the virus.
If authorized, the pills will be the first at-home treatment designed to keep the disease from progressing. Currentlyavailable treatmentsmust be administered in a health care facility.
If you have COVID-19 and especially if you have aweakened immune systemor are otherwise at risk these are a game-changer, Dowdy said. However, when it comes to preventing an infection in the first place, vaccines are far and away our best tool and will remain that way, he added.
The coronavirus will still have some advantages this winter. Cold weather pushes people indoors, where germs, including the one that causes COVID-19, spread more easily. Some states in the Northeast, even those with high vaccination rates, are already seeing a spike in COVID cases, Troisi pointed out.
Add to that the fact that virus transmission, driven mostly by the extremely contagiousdelta variant, is still high throughout most of the U.S., which means there's more chances of you coming in contact with the virus and being exposed to it, Madad said. Plus with the holidays on the horizon, more people will take to the rails, roads and skies to visit friends and family, giving the virus even more opportunities to circulate.
If you're unvaccinated, you should worry, Madad said, pointing to the relentless delta variant, which sent cases soaring this summer. The data and the science are clear: You are at really high risk for getting exposed to the virus and potentially having severe outcomes.
If youre fully vaccinated, the sky is not falling down; you're still well protected, she added. However, abooster shot, if you are eligible, can add even more protection. So can wearing a mask in indoor public settings.
The bottom line is, cases are increasing and it's a time to continue to be vigilant, Madad said.
When will all these COVID crests flatten out for good? Thats a little harder to predict, the experts say, and the virus has surprised us again and again, most recently with the emergence of the omicron variant. But the pandemic as we know it will likely shift when we gain more control over the outbreak, said Anthony Fauci, M.D., the nations top infectious disease expert, in a recent news briefing.
We dont know really what that number is, but we will know it when we get there, he said. It certainly is far, far lower than 80,000 new infections per day, and its far, far lower than 1,000 deaths per day and tens of thousands of hospitalizations.
In the meantime, seasonal waves will likely persist, Dowdy said, adding that we could see them for many years, if not for our lifetimes. But as we build up immunity to the virus, COVID will likely get milder over time, he said, which is why getting vaccines into the arms of as many people as possible is so important.
The world may never look like it did before the pandemic, and we may still be in for a winter surge in cases this year. But from a COVID-19 perspective, there are many reasons to believe that things will be much better in 2022 than they have been for us these past two years, Dowdy said.
AdventHealth recently announced an update to its COVID-19 vaccinationrequirements for employees.
The healthcare organization announced on Thursday, Dec. 2, itplans to suspendthe COVID-19 vaccine mandate that was previously in place for employees.
AdventHealth hadpreviously sent a letter to employeessaying they had until Monday, Dec. 6, to get their first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, and until Jan. 4 to receive the second dose of the two-shot vaccines.
The suspension of the employee vaccine requirements comes shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantissigned a bill to prevent private employers from enforcing vaccine mandates, among other legislation.
Although recent court decisions resulted in the healthcare organization'sreconsideration of a vaccine mandate, AdventHealth saidit still strongly encourages team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Based on scientific evidence and what we see in our hospitals every day, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing both the risk of becoming infected and the level of harm in the case of a breakthrough infection, AdventHealth said in astatement. As part of our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our team members, patients and communities, we strongly encourage all of our team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
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A free Pfizer Vaccine Clinic for kids age 5-11 is happening this Saturday, December 4, at Riverbend Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is safe and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Register your child at juneau.org/vaccine, call 907-586-6000, or simply walk in. This is the City and Borough of Juneaus last pediatric vaccine clinic of the year.
The Riverbend clinic will offer first and second doses. If your kid needs a first dose, register atjuneau.org/vaccineor 907-586-6000. If youve already registered your child for their second dose, theres no need to register again. If you havent though, do make an appointment atjuneau.org/vaccineor 907-586-6000. The Riverbend clinic will also accommodate walk-ins.
If your child is getting their second dose, dont forget to bring their vaccine card.
Please note the following:
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children from thisCDC webpageor thisAlaska Health and Social Services information sheet.
Again, here are the details:
WHAT: Vaccine clinic for all Juneau kids age 5-11WHEN: Saturday, December 4, 10 a.m. 1 p.m.WHERE: Riverbend Elementary School, 2901 Riverside DriveHOW: Register your child at juneau.org/vaccine, call 907-586-6000, or simply walk in
The clinic is organized by CBJ in partnership with Juneau Public Health Center, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau School District, local pediatricians, and other community organizations.
For more information, call 586-6000 or emailCOVIDquestions@juneau.org.
One company which is specifically focusing on getting Covid-19 vaccines to low-income nations is Lund-based biotech Ziccum which has developed a technology to air-dry existing vaccines and convert them into powder forms which do not need to be stored or transported at cold temperatures. Ziccum are currently collaborating with Janssen whose first generation Covid-19 vaccine was approved in February 2021 to study whether it will be possible to create dry powder forms of one of Janssen's vaccine platforms. In the near future, this may be utilised to try and improve the vaccine situation across the African continent. Ziccum's CEO Gran Conradson told the BBC that talks are underway about using their technology in Rwanda, where less than 20% of the population are fully vaccinated.
"We have been invited to Rwanda to see what we can do," says Conradson. "There's been a lot of initiatives in Africa at the moment. We've had so many contacts from the African CDC, African Development Bank, the African vaccine manufacturers, there's a whole bunch of initiatives."
Even if some of the second generation vaccines never make it to market for Covid-19, the vast investments in research and accelerating manufacturing processes, may yet bring major health benefits in the realms of other diseases. Vaxart are also looking to create vaccine-based pills for flu and norovirus, while CureVac and GSK are aiming to produce a jab which vaccinates against coronaviruses and influenza at the same time.
California-based biotech Gritstone have recently launched a Phase I clinical trial in Manchester, using a method known as self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), a newer form of the mRNA technology. Initially designed for use against cancer, saRNA produces copies of itself once inside the body's cells, meaning that you can induce the same response as an mRNA vaccine, but with a dose that is 50 or 100 times smaller, making the vaccine cheaper and easier to make.
Andrew Allen, president, chief executive and co-founder of Gritstone, says that the vaccine's technology, which aims to stimulate more durable, long lasting T cell responses against areas of Covid-19 which are conserved between coronaviruses, and so found in all viruses in this family, could also be utilised to help develop universal vaccines against other viruses such as the flu. It could even help accelerate its existing work on cancer vaccines, which uses biopsies to try and predict different targets for the immune system to attack, as the tumour evolves.
But one of the biggest legacies of this new wealth of vaccine research could be in making the world far more prepared for future coronavirus outbreaks, something many scientists believe is inevitable based on trends over the past two decades.
"We've had three coronavirus outbreaks in the last 20 years," says Allen. "We had Sars in 2002 Mers in 2012, and then Covid-19. I think we can all agree that there will be another coronavirus outbreak, and we need to be ready for it. We need to be better prepared than we were last time."
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Get vaccinated before the holidays at Oshkosh's popup COVID-19 vaccine clinic Fox11online.com
These sweeties are getting their shots! Ciara, Chrissy Teigen and more celebrity parents have taken their kids to get their COVID-19 vaccines amid the pandemic.
The Grammy winner was at the White House promoting vaccinations for 5 to 11-year-olds in November 2021 when her son, Win, crashed the event. The little one crawled around the podium as she spoke. While the toddler has not received his dose due to his age and CDC recommendations, the 1, 2 Step singers other son, Future, has been vaccinated.
He walked in excited a little nervous, but he was excited because a lot of his classmates had already gotten vaccinated, so it was really cool to be on that journey with him, the songwriter said of the experience at the time. Being a mom and seeing it through his eyes was amazing as well. I think the ultimate goal is to end this thing and for us all to feel a bit more safe and have an added layer of protection.
The dancer shares her eldest son with her ex-fianc, Future. Ciara welcomed Win in July 2020 with her husband, Russell Wilson, following their daughter Siennas April 2017 birth.
The following month, Teigen shared sweet shots of her and John Legends daughter, Luna, after her own vaccine appointment.
Second shot queen, the Cravings author captioned the December 2021 social media upload of Luna grinning with an ice cream cone in one hand and a face mask in the other. Go big girl go big girl go.
Legend shared his own vaccine experience in April 2021, telling USA Today that the shot gave him a greater optimism and relief.
The EGOT winner went on to say, Im just excited that the vaccine has proven to be effective and to be safe, and that were on our way to opening back up more and more people get vaccinated. If youre getting vaccinated preventing yourself from getting the virus, preventing yourself from giving the virus to any of your relatives and loved ones, and getting the nation back closer to opening up slowly its a small price to pay.
He and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model are also the parents of son Miles, born in May 2018, who is currently too young to get the vaccine, per CDC guidelines.
Keep scrolling to see more celebrities whose kids have received the vaccine, from Matthew McConaughey to Jennifer Garner.
