Eight large cats at the St. Louis Zoo recently tested positive for the coronavirus, the first reported outbreak among animals at the Forest Park attraction.
Zookeepers tested all animals in the Big Cat Country habitat after a few developed runny noses. Like humans, several tested positive but didnt have any symptoms. Other cats have upper respiratory infections. Caretakers are treating their symptoms, zoo officials said.
Zoo officials expect the lions, jaguars, leopards, tiger and puma to make a full recovery.
Zoo Health Director Sathya Chinnadurai attributes the cats positive prognosis to their COVID-19 vaccinations, which the cats received earlier this fall.
Very similar to people, the vaccinated cats seem to do a much better job of mounting the immune response and fighting off the infection, he said. So in this case all those cats had had at least one vaccine for the coronavirus."
Its likely the cats caught the virus from an asymptomatic human carrier. Its not unheard of for animals at the zoo to catch viruses from humans theyre in close contact with, Chinnadurai said.
Zoo employees can test animals with nasal swabs similar to those used in humans, he said. But that requires animal handlers to first tranquilize the cats. Instead, caretakers test the animals feces to figure out if theyve caught the coronavirus.
If the cats hadnt been vaccinated, they would have been much sicker or could have died, Chinnadurai said. Nationwide, several animals that caught the coronavirus before animal vaccinations became available became seriously sick with respiratory symptoms.
The first cases seen in zoos were actually in tigers and since then, tigers, snow leopards, lions have all been reported, Chinnadurai said. Big cats seem to be more susceptible to the disease than other species.
Thats why big cats, along with other carnivorous mammals including hyenas and apes, were the first in line to get the vaccine in October, he said. Vets and scientists talk to other zoos around the country to keep track of what animals are catching the coronavirus and use the information to guide which animals could benefit from the shot.
Scientists have tested other animals at the zoo, but it appears the outbreak has not spread beyond the cats.
At the zoo were incredibly fortunate that theyve been able to work with the animal health team to get so many of our animals vaccinated," Chinnadurai said. Thats helped us immensely.
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @petit_smudge
The variant is spreading in parts of Europe, leaving few clues as to what it will do next.
Experts are watching and waiting. Could it gain a foothold in New Jersey and the rest of the country?
Delta plus is the descendant of the highly contagious delta strain, which emerged in India in late 2020 and arrived in the U.S. in March. It has since become the predominant variant in the Garden State and across the globe.
Experts emphasize that delta plus poses only a low risk to New Jersey, as the strain has been found in just eight states so far (the Garden State is not among them). But the variant has been gaining traction in the United Kingdom, as COVID-19 cases once again surge in Europe.
Anything that happens in the U.K., we want to watch really closely, said Dr. David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Europe, after all, has reliably been the canary in the coal mine for the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. What has happened there has typically followed here.
But much about delta plus remains a mystery, with limited data coming from the U.K. Experts are unsure what to expect in the coming months.
Whether or not this is going to be one of the more common variants, whether its going to lead in transmission and in (the) number of cases we really arent there yet to know, said Stephanie Silvera, an infectious disease expert and professor at Montclair State University. But the health agencies, again, both the U.S. and internationally, are trying to look at whats happening and how it behaves.
Delta plus is causing a rise in cases in the U.K. It could be more transmissible than the original delta strain which is already highly contagious but there is still some debate. Experts say it doesnt seem to be causing a higher rate of hospitalization or death, and that COVID-19 vaccines appear to be effective against it.
In New Jersey, daily COVID-19 case statistics continue to drop. People are gathering, shedding masks. Life is starting to return to normal, thanks to high vaccination rates. The fear among health officials is a variant will come along and render vaccines less effective. The impact would be severe, likely causing a spike in infections, breakthrough cases, and in a near-worst case scenario, another lockdown.
Whats going to be really interesting coming out of England: Are they seeing more and more reinfections or breakthrough infections? Cennimo said. That is something that I would want to closely monitor. Because at that point, now were concerned.
In the U.K., delta plus accounts for 11% of new COVID-19 infections, according to health officials. And again, coronavirus activity in the U.K. has proven to be an early warning system for the U.S. The alpha variant (B.1.1.7 aka the U.K. variant) emerged in Southeast England in September 2020 and quickly took the country by storm. It wasnt long before it gained a foothold in the U.S., becoming the dominant strain by spring. That is, until the original delta variant emerged and supplanted it.
For the U.S. and New Jersey, delta plus remains only a concern, but with the potential to develop into a major threat. State health officials recently reassured the public that the Garden State is currently at little risk.
We havent really seen (delta plus) at all in New Jersey, much less in the United States, state epidemiologist Christina Tan said Monday at Gov. Phil Murphys weekly coronavirus briefing.
Obviously, the CDC continues to monitor the variant activity, she added. But for now, (it) does not seem to be an issue quite yet, but it is being monitored.
Just because the variant is spreading in the U.K. doesnt guarantee that itll end up gaining traction here. But as society continues to open up including Americas borders it could present a vulnerability, especially as the nation heads into the winter and the holiday season.
The other aspect thats playing against us is the opening of the borders, said Dr. Reynold Panettieri, vice chancellor for translational medicine and science at Rutgers University. As Canada opens, and as were seeing more of an influx from Europe because international flights are going to be picking up, especially around the holidays, a vaccine card may not tell the whole tale.
But its possible delta plus turns out to be a dud, like other variants. It happened with eta, iota and kappa all strains of concern that never gained traction.
We thought that they might have the potential to become the dominant strain, Silvera said, and then they never reached more than 3% of the population. And so they petered out.
Will the same hold for delta plus? Experts will be watching England closely.
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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.
DENVER (KDVR) Colorado has become one of the biggest hotspots for COVID-19 in the country, despite a high vaccination rate. Transmission is so high, the Denver Broncos are now asking fans to wear masks inside Empower Field at Mile High.
As Gov. Jared Polis pushes for boosters for every Colorado adult through executive action, hes also asking the federal government to fortify hospital staff to help with a shortage of beds.
As of Thursday, 1,466 Coloradans are in the hospital with COVID-19, a record-high in 2021. Bed capacity continues to be a concern, with only 570 acute care beds and 72 intensive care unit beds available as of Thursday.
Eight out of 10 Coloradans in the hospital with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, according to state data. One in 48 Coloradans are contagious with the virus.
The governor has a five-point plan to increase hospital capacity, as available beds are at a pandemic low:
Staffing shortages continue to drive the lack of hospital beds in Colorado.
Weve seen national estimates that as many as one in five in health care has left over the course of the pandemic, said Cara Welch with the Colorado Hospital Association.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 1.69% of employees in the states healthcare system have been fired or have quit due to vaccine mandates.
Polis and State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy gave a briefing on the latest COVID-19 challenges Colorado is facing. You can watch the briefing on FOX31 NOW in the player above.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (StudyFinds.org) Long COVID or the lingering side-effects from a coronavirus infection often leaves patients with dozens of symptoms, including extreme fatigue. Now, a new study finds women who become COVID long haulers may never be able to exercise at the same pace again.
Some women have reported developing heart rate irregularities after their COVID-19 infection, impacting exertion and recovery from physical activity, according to a team from Indiana University Bloomington.
Persistent heart and lung problems in women with long COVID-19 can result in shortness of breath or joint and muscle aches. Researchers say men with COVID-19 appear to experiencemore severe symptomsand larger mortality rates, but this is the first time that scientists have found evidence women are struggling moreafterinfection.
Previous studies have shown that women are outnumbering men 3-to-1 in seeking treatment forpersistent symptomsfollowing a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
In the new study, the team compared women walking for six minutes, tracking how long it took for their hearts to return to baseline. Prior to the walk test, researchers measured each participantsresting heart rate, blood pressure, the amount of oxygen in the blood, and ratings-of-perceived shortness of breath following at least 10 minutes of rest sitting down.
The women then had to walk as far as possible during the test, without any other encouragement. Immediately following the test, the team again assessed post-exercise heart rate, oxygen in the blood, ratings-of-perceived shortness of breath, and ratings-of-perceived exertion.
Women who had a history of major lung disease, heart disease, or smoking tobacco products within the last six months did not take part in the experiment.
As a result of these findings, study authors believe womenexperiencing long COVIDshould receive a targeted rehabilitation program from their doctors, which focuses on building back lung performance. This is especially important forpost-menopausal patients, as the researchers say these women have a higher rate of restrictive lung abnormalities as they age.
Given the greater prevalence of age-related physical disability in women, as compared to men, our findings show that a targeted rehab program might be especially useful to women and other groups affected by persistent COVID-19 symptoms thus promoting recovery and minimizing susceptibility for deteriorating physical condition, study author Dr. Stephen Carter says in amedia release.
The research is published in the journalExperimental Physiology.
President Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccinations in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Ten states are filing a lawsuit over the administration's rule requiring health care workers to be vaccinated. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
President Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccinations in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Ten states are filing a lawsuit over the administration's rule requiring health care workers to be vaccinated.
A group of 10 states has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and its requirement that health care workers in the U.S. to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the mandate is "unconstitutional and unlawful."
Led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, the 10 states say the mandatory nationwide vaccine requirement will lead to shortages of health care workers and could threaten the jobs of "millions of health care workers" who risked their lives during the beginning stages of the pandemic.
In addition to Missouri and Nebraska, attorneys general from Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire also joined the lawsuit.
"Unfortunately, with this latest mandate from the Biden Administration, last year's healthcare heroes are turning into this year's unemployed. Requiring healthcare workers to get a vaccination or face termination is unconstitutional and unlawful, and could exacerbate healthcare staffing shortages to the point of collapse, especially in Missouri's rural areas," Schmitt said in a news release.
He says his office has been challenging the Biden administration's "illegal edicts" and this is the latest.
"This case illustrates why the police power over compulsory vaccination has always been the province of and still properly belongs to the States," the attorneys general argued in their lawsuit.
The 58-page lawsuit argues the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services vaccine mandate is intruding on states' police power, saying it's a violation of several acts and rights, including the Administrative Procedures Act, the Social Security Act, the Tenth Amendment and federalism.
"By ignoring the facts on the ground and unreasonably dismissing concerns about workforce shortages, the CMS vaccine mandate jeopardizes the healthcare interests of rural Americans," the lawsuit says.
In September, President Biden unveiled a series of steps to combat the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, announcing that 17 million health care workers at hospitals and elsewhere that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding would have to be vaccinated.
Last week, CMS issued an interim final rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers in most settings such as hospitals and health systems that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The new requirements, which went into effect Nov. 5, will apply to approximately 76,000 providers.
Officials with the Ohio Department of Health are giving the latest update on COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. WATCH LIVE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE. Heath director Bruce Vanderhoff, along with other state and local health officials, will be providing the latest information on coronavirus and vaccinations. With large family gatherings happening in just weeks, COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11 are giving parents more peace of mind."We really wanted to get our kids vaccinated coming up before the holidays just having everybody together we just feel safer, especially because of elderly people we have in our family," parent Jessica Martin said.Martin and her kids are looking forward to the holiday season they didn't get to experience last year. They didn't have any big celebrations since vaccine rollout was just beginning for adults.This year, Food and Drug Administration approval for 5 to 11-year-old's was exactly what martin was hoping for."We were really excited about it! All the adults in our family have been vaccinated so far, so this was kind of the last step that we needed to feel like we can have a safe holiday gathering," Martin said.So far in the United States, more than 900,000 doses have been given to the 5 to 11 age group.In Ohio, about 34,000 kids 5 to 11 have started the vaccination process."I think you're safest when you're going to be around other people who are also fully vaccinated," pediatrician with Pediatric Associates of Mount Carmel, Chris Peltier said.Peltier said many kids won't be fully vaccinated by Thanksgiving or the start of Hanukkah, so wearing a mask is probably safest until both shots are given.By Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day, though, the process will be completed for those who've already gotten their first dose.For those who want to be fully vaccinated by Christmas Day, these are the last dates to start being vaccinated:For the Pfizer vaccine, available for adults and children 5 and older, Nov. 20.For the Moderna vaccine: Nov. 13.For the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine: Dec. 11.Peltier says it won't be hard to get your hands on one for your child."You know people were struggling to try to get the vaccine that's not the case with this dosage there is plenty of supply," Peltier said.
Officials with the Ohio Department of Health are giving the latest update on COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old.
WATCH LIVE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE.
Heath director Bruce Vanderhoff, along with other state and local health officials, will be providing the latest information on coronavirus and vaccinations.
With large family gatherings happening in just weeks, COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11 are giving parents more peace of mind.
"We really wanted to get our kids vaccinated coming up before the holidays just having everybody together we just feel safer, especially because of elderly people we have in our family," parent Jessica Martin said.
Martin and her kids are looking forward to the holiday season they didn't get to experience last year. They didn't have any big celebrations since vaccine rollout was just beginning for adults.
This year, Food and Drug Administration approval for 5 to 11-year-old's was exactly what martin was hoping for.
"We were really excited about it! All the adults in our family have been vaccinated so far, so this was kind of the last step that we needed to feel like we can have a safe holiday gathering," Martin said.
So far in the United States, more than 900,000 doses have been given to the 5 to 11 age group.
In Ohio, about 34,000 kids 5 to 11 have started the vaccination process.
"I think you're safest when you're going to be around other people who are also fully vaccinated," pediatrician with Pediatric Associates of Mount Carmel, Chris Peltier said.
Peltier said many kids won't be fully vaccinated by Thanksgiving or the start of Hanukkah, so wearing a mask is probably safest until both shots are given.
By Christmas and New Year's Eve and Day, though, the process will be completed for those who've already gotten their first dose.
For those who want to be fully vaccinated by Christmas Day, these are the last dates to start being vaccinated:
For the Pfizer vaccine, available for adults and children 5 and older, Nov. 20.
For the Moderna vaccine: Nov. 13.
For the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine: Dec. 11.
Peltier says it won't be hard to get your hands on one for your child.
"You know people were struggling to try to get the vaccine that's not the case with this dosage there is plenty of supply," Peltier said.
After getting a COVID-19 shot at school earlier this week, 7-year-old Etta Bastian has some advice for other Utah children.
I would tell them that they should get the shot and they should really be brave about it, Etta, a first grader at Hillsdale Elementary School in West Valley City, said. Although she admitted being nervous beforehand, it just felt like a little pinch on my arm.
While Etta said she doesnt talk much about COVID-19, she said she worries about people getting sick and dying.
The shot is worth it to feel protected against the virus and help others, she said.
I knew I was going to be safer for a while, Etta said, and able to do what she has missed most during the pandemic, to get in an airplane and travel to see my family. Now, Etta is looking forward to a Christmas trip to see her mothers relatives in Houston, after unexpectedly losing her father earlier this year to a non-COVID-19 illness.
It was a very easy decision, Cortney Bastian said of getting Etta vaccinated. Shes a brave little girl and she wanted to do her part. We both felt like it was the right thing to do. We have confidence enough in science to know this is something more beneficial than harmful.
Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final approval last week for children 5 to 11 years old to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with two pediatric doses of Pfizer vaccine three weeks apart, nearly 5% of Utahns in that age group have already gotten the first of two shots, according to the Utah Department of Health.
While the smaller doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine theyre one-third the dose given to those 12 and older were available in some places in Utah last week, the shots are continuing to roll out to local health departments, pharmacies and doctors offices.
Utahs numbers look good so far to Dr. Andrew Pavia, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at University of Utah Health and director of hospital epidemiology at Intermountain Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City.
It is a really great start. In just one week, with still fairly limited places where people can get their kids vaccinated, weve vaccinated 17,000 children or almost 5% of the eligible kids, Pavia said, calling it great news that the vaccine is being embraced enthusiastically.
But it comes as coronavirus cases in young children are hitting record levels.
There are now an average of nearly 59 cases a day for every 100,000 Utah children 5 to 10 years old, based on a seven-day rolling average calculated by the state health department. Thats compared to a rolling seven-day average of 56.6 cases a day per 100,000 children that age at the peak of the pandemic last winter.
School-age children accounted for about one-fifth of the states 1,531 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, including 172 who are 5 to 10 years olds. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 600 Utahns 14 or younger have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and two young people from Salt Lake County have died.
We thought we would never see anything worse, Pavia said, than the darkest days of last January.
Younger children are being hit much, much harder by the delta variant of the virus because its so easily transmitted, the doctor said, and colder weather means theyre spending more time indoors. An even bigger factor, Pavia said, is that Utah schools no longer require masks.
Most of the blame, I think, has to be laid at the fact that we did an excellent job last year at making schools safe with masking and distancing and testing. And we have abandoned most of those practices in many but not all of our schools, he said, after the Utah Legislature made it difficult for such mandates to be imposed.
Jennifer Whipple, who teaches first grade at Eastwood Elementary School in Salt Lake City, said it was important to her as both a parent and an educator to get her daughters, Abbie, 10, and Norah, 6, vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.
As a teacher, I felt it was important for me to have my kids get it so that they have a level of protection when they were at school, Whipple said, as well as helping to ensure they dont unknowingly spread the virus to their teachers and classmates.
Kids are carriers and dont always know it. I feel like having them vaccinated kind of helps slow the spread, she said, since children can be more likely to have the virus without showing symptoms. Its hard for their parents to keep them at home if they dont know that theyre sick.
Getting the shots gives her peace of mind about her own children being at school, Whipple said.
My children have worn their masks, even though theres not a mask mandate, she said. I feel a little bit more at ease to say, OK, once youre fully vaccinated we can lighten up a little bit. They can feel a little more comfortable and less worried about all of that stuff. I feel like the less worried they have to be about these things, the more they can enjoy life.
Two days after getting their shots at another area elementary school that offered vaccinations sooner than Eastwood, both Abbie and Norah said they felt fine after having sore arms where they got the shot. Norah, her mother said, is like most children her age who doesnt like getting any shots.
I think I felt, I dont know, like kind of happy that I got it because again, its not very much fun having to wear masks, Abbie said. But I also did it to be a better influence on my little sister, and also to protect my dad, who recently had surgery.
Getting the vaccine makes you feel safer, knowing that theres less chance that you could get really sick and have to go to a hospital, the 10-year-old said. I was pretty excited to get it, but I still had that one like gut feeling, like is there going to be any side effects. But after I got it, I felt pretty good.
The shot also seemed like a grown-up thing, she said.
Knowing like almost every other grown-up has it that wants to get it. ... I felt like it was pretty cool I could be included in that, Abbie said, adding that most of her friends are also getting vaccinated and looking forward to when they can hang out more without masks and stuff like that.
It takes two weeks after the second pediatric dose for children to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, so starting the shots now means they can be fully protected before Christmas, Pavia said. Even a first dose can provide children some protection for Thanksgiving, Pavia said, advising parents not to wait.
A lot of people say, I dont want to go first. I want to see how it goes, which is a very understandable feeling. I think now, with a million children vaccinated in the U.S., youre not going to be the first, he said. With the benefits of getting your family protected by Christmas, now is the time to go ahead.
Doctors feel confident recommending the vaccine because of the success of the clinical trials, where no serious side effects were reported. The smaller dose for children should improve the safety of the shots, Pavia said, although it remains to be seen if there are any side effects, expected to occur at a rate of about one in a million.
For the most part, the doctor said children are tolerating the vaccine better than teenagers and young adults, experiencing fewer fever, chills, muscle aches and headaches, likely due to receiving a smaller dose. Sore arms, however, are common, he said, and tiredness, chills and fever will happen to some.
Jesus Rubio, of West Valley City, said he and his wife, Velia, were initially hesitant about vaccinating Derek, 10, and Delilah, 6, but roused them off the couch Saturday to get them to a vaccination clinic. Rubio said what changed their minds was his wifes experience with COVID-19 patients as a critical care technician in a hospital intensive care unit.
She saw everything going on, people passing away. She was like, I dont want that to happen to us, Rubio said. He said they explained to their children, You dont want to get your grandma and grandpa sick, do you? Their answer was no but at first they were kind of scared.
But both children got the shots after their father dismissed the misinformation about the vaccines theyd picked up on social media. Derek had a mild headache and Delilah, a sore arm after being vaccinated, but both were fine the next day, Rubio said.
They got on board. Theyre just better off. We dont have to worry about them being sick or getting somebody else sick, he said. The children will continue to wear masks at school and in crowds, Rubio said, but hopefully change by the end of the year.
I know its a hassle for them, but theyre understanding it now. They see the outcome of being vaccinated, Rubio said, adding hed like to see more Utahns making the same choice. Lets get this thing rolling. The more people that get it, the better off we are.
Hundreds of Bell County children received a free COVID-19 vaccine this week, according to the Killeen Independent School District.
KISD hosted its first vaccination opportunity Thursday for children 5 years and older. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children 5 through 11 years of age on Oct. 29.
The joint effort to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to the Bell County community was largely successful resulting in the vaccination of 266 (5 to 11 years old) children on the first day, Killeen ISD spokeswoman Taina Maya said in a news release Friday.
Of 429 total vaccinations, Maya said 266 of those were children ages 5 to 11 years old. More than 120 people ages 18 and older received a COVID-19 booster shot Thursday, KISD said.
Twenty-five people aged 12-17 received either their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the district.
Killeens weekly vaccine clinics are now handled by a partnership with the Killeen Independent School District, which replaced the previous program that was held at the Killeen Special Events Center.
For the next eight weeks, the former Nolan Middle School, 505 E. Jasper Drive in Killeen, will host two-day vaccine and testing clinics for any person 5 years and older, including booster shots for approved individuals.
Vaccinations will be provided as walk-in opportunities only, no appointment necessary, Maya said in a news release Tuesday.
The district does not require staff or students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Friday morning, there were 31 active reported cases of COVID-19 among 23 students and 8 staff members, according to KISDs online dashboard.
The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the following days:
All minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, KISD said.
Additionally, KISD offers free rapid COVID-19 tests for school-aged children, employees and campus visitors from 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. at individual school campuses on school days, KISD said.
KISD remains dedicated to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and is grateful for the staff at City of Killeen, Bell County, Bell County Public Health District and the Texas Military Department for their commitment to the health and safety of the community, Maya said.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah As more places require proof of COVID-19 vaccines, more apps are providing ways for you to put digital vaccine records on your smartphone.
In Utah, New Jersey, and Minnesota people can use the Docket app to look up their vaccination records from their local health department.
Under the COVID-19 vaccine section, there is now a QR code, which can be tapped to open a larger version.
Docket
This QR code or SMART Health Card is provided by SMART Health IT and can be used to verify someone's COVID-19 vaccine status anywhere where it is required.
Docket
The app itself doesn't provide an option for you to add it to the Wallet App on iPhones, but there is a way to get it on there with a little workaround.
All you have to do is scan a screenshot or a paper copy of the SMART Health Card with the camera app and tap the link and it will open the SMART Health Card in the Wallet app and ask you if you would like to add it.
Apple
Once it's added to the Wallet app on an iPhone you can pull it up and present it to any venue that requires proof that you're fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Apple
SMART Health Cards contain just the information required to display your vaccination history and the choice to share your card is up to you.
In most cases, that means your legal name and date of birth and your clinical information (vaccination type, date, and location).
They should not contain your phone number, address, government-issued identifier, or any other health information.
Apple added support for verifiable COVID-19 vaccination records with the launch of iOS 15 in September 2021.
DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently replied to a question regarding vaccination among health care workers by saying they are ethically obligated to get the vaccine in order not to infect their patients. But isnt it true that the vaccinated are getting COVID and also infecting others? It is protection for the vaccinated, but its not protection for those around them. -- S.C.
ANSWER: You are mistaken that the vaccine does not protect others. While it is true that there can be breakthrough infections among the vaccinated, the risk of an infection is much lower among vaccinated than unvaccinated. Consequently, the risk of spreading the disease is much lower. People who have had a breakthrough infection are infectious for a shorter period than unvaccinated people and have less infectious virus overall. It is the unvaccinated who are continuing this pandemic, and if everyone (or even nearly everyone) were vaccinated with currently available vaccines, there would be no more pandemic.
Many people say that since the vaccine isnt 100% effective, they wont take it. No medical treatment is 100% effective. Even a partially effective vaccine is beneficial, and the currently available vaccines are all very effective.
Another excuse is that mandatory vaccines are an infringement on a persons freedom. This is true. No freedoms are absolute. Other peoples freedoms must be considered. Vaccinations have been mandated by public schools for many years. Personal freedoms must be balanced by the responsibility to protect others. Vaccine mandates have been repeatedly found to be legal during a public health emergency. Requiring health care workers, who are at particularly high risk for infecting others, to be vaccinated makes medical and scientific sense.
DEAR DR. ROACH: After I was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, I started to donate blood when my hemoglobin level was elevated. I go every two months to donate a pint of blood. So far, so good. My regular doctor and hematologist are happy with the result. Are there any vitamins I should take? -- P.P.F.
ANSWER: In polycythemia vera, the bone marrow makes too much red blood cells. It is a myeloproliferative neoplasm, which is a type of blood cancer.
P. vera may cause many complications, but the most common is either abnormal blood clotting or bleeding, but it can also transform to a more aggressive blood cancer, such as leukemia. Aspirin is almost always used to reduce abnormal blood clotting in people with P. vera. In more advanced cases, chemotherapy drugs, such as hydroxyurea, are used to control blood production.
Phlebotomy, the therapeutic removal of blood, is a mainstay of people with early or mild P. vera. Historically, phlebotomy was used to treat many diseases, but today it is the standard treatment only in hereditary hemochromatosis and polycythemia vera. The potential that abnormal bone marrow cells will be present in the blood means its never transfused into another person.
You might think that minerals like iron would be useful in people with P. vera, but iron supplements are not given, because low iron levels help control the excess blood production. Similarly, vitamin B12 and folic acid, necessary for red blood cell production, also may stimulate blood cell production. They should not be taken except under express orders from your hematologist.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
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