Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 245 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.97 million. More than 6.92 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
Some border cities in northeastern China have started to tighten COVID-19 measures after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, that's affecting a number of areas.
Australia has eased its COVID-19-related travel advice for several countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada as it prepares to reopen its borders next week.
Merck has signed an agreement with the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool that will allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of its experimental oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment.
Novavax has announced it has completed the real-time submission of an application for the authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the United Kingdom.
New daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in Poland have risen to their highest levels since April, with 8,361 reported yesterday.
Sweden will start to offer COVID-19 booster shots to people aged 65 or older, as well as many care workers, the government said yesterday. It plans to gradually extend third jabs to most Swedes.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.
Image: Our World in Data
COVID-19 appears to be retreating across most of North, Central and South America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported yesterday. Last week, the continent's death and case figures were the lowest in over a year, the organization said.
Many of the larger Caribbean islands are seeing downward trends, including Cuba, the site of a major months-long COVID-19 outbreak. However, Paraguay saw a doubling of coronavirus cases in the last week and Belize a sharp jump in COVID-related deaths, the PAHO said in a briefing.
"We have reason to be optimistic, but we must remain vigilant," PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa said.
Each of our Top 50 social enterprise last mile responders and multi-stakeholder initiatives is working across four priority areas of need: Prevention and protection; COVID-19 treatment and relief; inclusive vaccine access; and securing livelihoods. The list was curated jointly with regional hosts Catalyst 2030s NASE and Aavishkaar Group. Their profiles can be found on www.wef.ch/lastmiletop50india.
Top Last Mile Partnership Initiatives to collaborate with:
Singapore is looking into an 'unusual surge' of 5,324 new COVID-19 infections, its health ministry has announced. It's the highest such figure since the start of the pandemic.
"The infection numbers are unusually high today, mostly due to many COVID-positive cases detected by the testing laboratories within a few hours in the afternoon," the health ministry said in a statement.
"The Ministry of Health is looking into this unusual surge in cases within a relatively short window, and closely monitoring the trends for the next few days," it added in Wednesday's statement.
Intensive care utilization rate is nearly 80%, and last week the country extended some social curbs for around a month to tackle a rise in cases and ease pressure on the health system.
Written by
Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Recent data indicatethat new coronavirus infections in the United States have plunged nearly sixtypercent since the September spike that was brought on by the highly contagious Delta variant.
However, there are still several states that are struggling to handle rising cases, especially as colder weather brings more people indoors and may make viral transmission much easier. The complacency that comes with improved data combined with the still high numbers of unvaccinated Americans could, in fact, help start a deadly fifth wave of the virus, according to Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
Just remember that sixty-five million Americans who could be vaccinated right now are not. That is more than enough human wood for this coronavirus forest fire to burn. So, well see when the case numbers come down with this surge, just as we have with the previous surges, Osterholm noted in a recent interview on Minnesota Public Radio.
And you may recall last spring that I thought the darkest days of the pandemic were ahead of us. And we were facing that June period when everybody said, Oh, its done. Weve got vaccines, hardly any casesand then look what happened. Well, that's going to happen again because you have places like New York City, L.A., and other large metropolitan areas with lots of people. I cant say this enough times: If you are not vaccinated, this virus will find you. And you will know a COVID-19-related outcome. We could see again major activity. (It could be this) winter, next spring, I dont know when but its not done. It is not done. The one thing that will help us get it done is to get vaccinated, he continued.
Osterholm is also a strong proponent of booster shots, saying that they are absolutely a part of the future. When you think about what weve done with these vaccines over the course of the last eighteen to twenty months these vaccines are really incredible, but theyre not perfect.
COVID Becoming Endemic?
As to whether COVID-19 will eventually become endemic like the seasonal flu, Osterholm stated that he believes that will happen [but] I dont know when.
Every morning I get up I scrape those five inches of crusted mud off my crystal ball. And every day, it seems cloudier and cloudier. If we see a major change and variant, and they do something different than theyre doing now, that could surely cloud the picture of: When does it just become like flu? Like every year, we have some cases, we may have some moderate increase in cases, Osterholm added.
But that is not what its doing now. I think we forget about the fact of just what damage this virus has done with over the seven hundred thousand deaths that have occurredone out of every five hundred Americans has died from this virus. Thats amazing when we look at the fact that there are now over a hundred forty thousand kids in this country who have been orphaned, or whose sole caregiver has died, because of COVID-19, he concluded.
Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.
Image: Reuters.
Threemore Mainers have died while health officials on Friday reported another 630coronavirus cases across the state.
Fridays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 103,671,according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats up from 103,041 on Thursday.
Of those, 74,003have been confirmed positive, while 29,668were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.
Three men in their 80s and 70s from Androscoggin and Oxford counties have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,163.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 6,488. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats up from 6,409 on Thursday.
The new case rate statewide Friday was 4.71 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 774.59.
Maines seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 470.6, up from 462.3 the day before, up from 457.1 a week ago and down from 556.3 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases have been recorded in women and more deaths in men.
So far, 2,784 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 198 are currently hospitalized, with 78 in critical care and 38 on a ventilator. Overall, 39 out of 336 critical care beds and 205 out of 305 ventilators are available.
The total statewide hospitalization rate on Friday was 20.80 patients per 10,000 residents.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (10,898), Aroostook (3,999), Cumberland (22,078), Franklin (2,363), Hancock (2,851), Kennebec (9,873), Knox (2,044), Lincoln (1,829), Oxford (5,211), Penobscot (12,270), Piscataquis (1,331), Sagadahoc (2,013), Somerset (4,474), Waldo (2,479), Washington (1,907) and York (18,050) counties. Information an where an additional case was reported wasnt immediately available.
An additional 5,291 vaccine doses were administered in the previous 24 hours. As of Friday, 927,843 Mainers are fully vaccinated, or about 78.3 percent of eligible Mainers, according to the Maine CDC.
As of Friday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 45,831,492 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 743,448 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
More articles from the BDN
Sixmore Mainers have died while health officials on Thursday reported another 572coronavirus cases across the state.
Thursdays report brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Maine to 103,041,according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats up from 102,469 on Wednesday.
Of those, 73,567have been confirmed positive, while 29,474were classified as probable cases, the Maine CDC reported.
A resident of Cumberland County, a resident of Franklin County, a resident of Hancock County, a resident of Penobscot County, a resident of Piscataquis County and a resident of York County have succumbed to the virus, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,160.
Three were women and three were men all in their 80s or older, according to Maine CDC spokesperson Robert Long.
The number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in the past 14 days statewide is 6,409. This is an estimation of the current number of active cases in the state, as the Maine CDC is no longer tracking recoveries for all patients. Thats down from 6,636 on Wednesday.
The new case rate statewide Thursday was 4.27 cases per 10,000 residents, and the total case rate statewide was 769.88.
Maines seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is 462.4, up from 460.1 the day before, down from 489.6 a week ago and down from 520.7 a month ago. That average peaked on Jan. 14 at 625.3.
The most cases have been detected in Mainers younger than 20, while Mainers over 80 years old make up the majority of deaths. More cases have been recorded in women and more deaths in men.
So far, 2,773 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of those, 206 are currently hospitalized, with 80 in critical care and 33 on a ventilator. Overall, 46 out of 334 critical care beds and 213 out of 305 ventilators are available.
The total statewide hospitalization rate on Thursday was 20.72 patients per 10,000 residents.
Cases have been reported in Androscoggin (10,837), Aroostook (3,958), Cumberland (22,015), Franklin (2,324), Hancock (2,828), Kennebec (9,810), Knox (2,022), Lincoln (1,819), Oxford (5,157), Penobscot (12,204), Piscataquis (1,324), Sagadahoc (1,998), Somerset (4,409), Waldo (2,474), Washington (1,889) and York (17,970) counties. Information about where an additional three cases were reported wasnt immediately available.
An additional 4,063 vaccine doses were administered in the previous 24 hours. As of Thursday, 920,850 Mainers are fully vaccinated, or about 77.76 percent of eligible Mainers, according to the Maine CDC.
As of Thursday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 45,715,410 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 741,501 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
More articles from the BDN
A Montgomery County vaccinator prepares a COVID-19 vaccine syringe at the county clinic on Montgomery College's Germantown campus on March 31, 2021. The Pfizer vaccine could soon be available for 5- to 11-year-old residents countywide
This story was updated at 9:10 p.m. Oct. 28, 2021, to correct the status of emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine.
With the Food and Drug Administrations considering emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, Montgomery County officials are preparing for the vaccine rollout to that age group.
Leaders from the countys Department of Health and Human Services and others have offered some details about how the rollout would work.
Parents throughout the community have expressed interest in having their children receive a vaccine, improving their protection against the coronavirus.
Here are some answers to common questions:
When will the Pfizer vaccine be available for 5- to 11-year-olds?
An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children ages 5 to 11. The FDA is expected to act soon.
County officials have said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to approve use of the Pfizer vaccine before the federal government can distribute it to states nationwide. Sean ODonnell, the public health emergency manager for the countys Department of Health and Human Services, told reporters on Oct. 25 that it could occur by the first or second week of November.
My understanding is that the CDC will be meeting to review the FDA recommendations, the first week of November, ODonnell said. And were hoping that therell be authorization very soon after that. So were preparing for potentially the first weekend in November, but it could be the second weekend in November.
How many doses of vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds could Montgomery County get?
James Bridgers, the countys acting health officer, told reporters on Wednesday that the county hopes to receive about 40,000 doses in the first wave it would receive.
Of those, 13,200 doses will go to the countys Department of Health and Human Services, and 26,700 doses will go to hospitals, pediatricians and other health care settings.
The notion is to get more doses in our primary care providers, our pediatric sites, because they are trusted in all sites, Bridgers said. Pediatricians and clinicians are trained to administer doses to school age or younger individuals.
Will demand outpace supply, as was seen during initial waves of vaccine distribution earlier this year?
County officials have said that based on U.S. census estimates, about 95,000 to 105,000 residents countywide are 5 to 11 years old and would be eligible, once the Pfizer vaccine is approved by the FDA and the CDC.
Some, including County Council members, have asked whether initial demand will outpace supply, especially in the first weeks of the rollout.
Bridgers told reporters on Wednesday that it is difficult to say, but it will become clear during the first three weeks of distribution. It is good that officials currently have more supply of vaccine countywide, versus the initial rollout late last year and in January, he said.
County Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz said during the councils meeting Tuesday that he anticipates high demand locally. But he added that people will likely try to find vaccine wherever they can find the doses.
He urged patience as the initial rollout occurs.
I think we need to make sure to underscore to our public, to level-set expectations, that for the first few weeks, there will be more demand than there is supply, Albornoz said.
Where will the vaccine be administered?
County officials have said they are aiming to use an equitable approach for distributing and administering their doses, focusing on areas of the county most affected by coronavirus infections.
Its unclear how many vaccine doses will go to pediatricians versus hospitals and other health care settings, but county officials said Tuesday that there are more than 200 pediatricians countywide, and more than 70% have requested doses.
Also, there are more than 200 local sites scattered at pharmacies, urgent care facilities, hospitals and other public health settings that plan to distribute vaccines.
Department of Health and Human Services officials said the county will distribute and administer its doses at certain clusters, or areas with higher case rates and locations more greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The county hopes to be open weekdays at the following sites:
They also hope to administer vaccines the first weekend they are available at the following schools:
ODonnell said middle schools typically have more parking than elementary schools, and more accessibility internally.
Residents are asked to contact their primary care provider or pediatricians for more information, or stay tuned to county information channels for when vaccinations begin.
What is the difference in dosages between the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds and other populations?
County officials have said the new Pfizer vaccine will be labeled differently, in different bottles than vaccine doses for other age groups.
NPR reported that the doses for 5- to 11-year-olds will contain one-third of the active ingredient compared to adult doses. Once children receive their first dose, they will wait 21 days or more to receive their second dose.
Dr. William Gruber, senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development at Pfizer, said during the FDA meeting earlier this week that the dosage was picked to strike the right balance between limiting potential side effects and strong immunity.
Pfizer data submitted to the FDA showed its vaccine appeared to be more than 90% effective against symptomatic COVID-19, according to the main clinical trial.
When might Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines be available for 5- to 11-year-olds?
It is tough to say. Both companies have to go through the same regulatory processes that the Pfizer vaccine went through, clearing hurdles at the FDA and CDC. Neither has gotten approval from either.
Health officials have said they hope that Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are available for 5- to 11-year-olds by the end of 2021, but that depends on clinical trials and how quickly each company moves through the regulatory process.
Can parents pre-register with the county to get their children the vaccine?
No, according to Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Service.
Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@bethesdamagazine.com
Spc. Steven Blackburn administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Oliva Chapman, 13, at Fort Polk, La., on July 24, 2021. The military is stocking up on Pfizers pediatric COVID-19 vaccine in preparation for pending approval to use it for children ages 5 to 11. (Jean Graves/Regional Health Command Central)
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds could be available to U.S. military families in Europe next month, pending emergency use authorization of the shots for younger children.
Army medical facilities in Europe have ordered more than 10,000 doses of the vaccine, but Pfizer wont ship the shots until authorization is granted, said Gino Mattorano, a spokesman for Regional Health Command Europe.
Once that happens, all Army medical treatment facilities in Europe should receive their orders within 7 to 10 business days, he said.
Mattorano said the vaccine supply for the other services in Europe comes from the same source, so he would expect other installations to receive their orders for doses around the same time. Ramstein Air Base officials said they would work with the Army on administering the vaccine to kids in their community.
Navy officials in Italy were not immediately available for comment Thursday.
A panel of independent advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for younger kids. It concluded that the shot is safe and 90.7% effective in preventing symptomatic coronavirus infections.
The FDA is expected to issue a decision on emergency use authorization soon. If authorized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would issue its own recommendations and guidelines on administering the vaccine.
The Army plans to coordinate vaccination events for kids with Department of Defense Education Activity schools, Mattorano said. Inoculations will also be available by appointment.
Air Force families in the Kaiserslautern military community will be able to get the shot at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center if necessary, he said.
Its possible for children to get the flu and coronavirus vaccine at the same time, Mattorano said. U.S. military bases in Europe are conducting flu vaccination clinics for beneficiaries four years and older. Younger patients are required to make an appointment for the shot.
Efforts to roll out the vaccine to younger kids come amid an uptick in coronavirus cases at a school on Ramstein Air Base, part of the largest overseas military community. Ramstein Middle School transitioned to remote instruction this week after reporting a cluster of new infections on Sunday.
Base officials at Ramstein said this week it was Air Force policy not to disclose case numbers. Despite that, some Air Force bases, particularly in Japan, regularly do so.
On Thursday, the 86th Medical Group announced on its Facebook page that PCR and antigen testing would be available on Friday and Monday due to a recent increase in COVID-19 cases. The base medical clinic had planned to be closed on those days.
The COVID-19 spike is occurring in family units and not connected to any particular date or event, base officials said in a statement.
Ramstein Intermediate School, meanwhile, reported two confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, prompting parent-teacher conferences scheduled for Thursday and Friday to be virtual instead.
Parent-teacher conferences scheduled for Friday at Ramstein High School will also be virtual, school officials said.
A look at some of the top headlines trending online today around the world including the latest on negotiations in Washington, President Bidens trip to Europe, coronavirus updates and much more.
Biden meets Pope Francis at start of Europe tour (CNN)
Bidens Build Back Better bill: What made it in and what was stripped out (NBC News)
How $2 Trillion in Tax Increases in Bidens Bill Target Companies and the Rich (NY Times)
Treasury Secretary Yellen says spending bills will be anti-inflationary, lowering important costs (CNBC)
US in talks to compensate families separated at border (AP)
Your heating bills are likely to rise this winter due to supply, weather (cleveland.com)
COVID vaccines for kids arent as clear-cut as for adults: 5 factors for parents to consider (USA Today)
Has the Virus Infected Huge Numbers of Younger Children? (NY Times)
Democrats plans for public health funding fall far short of what experts say is necessary (Vox)
Citigroup to require U.S. employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 (CBS)
DeSantis Announces Lawsuit Against Biden Administration Over Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate (NBC Miami)
Facebook rebrands as Meta to emphasize metaverse vision (AP)
Brett Favre repays $600,000 in welfare funds he accepted for speeches he never gave (NPR)
Major storm to bring heavy rain, high winds and serious tidal flooding to D.C. area Friday (Washington Post)
Outages persist after noreaster batters New England (AP)
Ralph Lauren unveils Team USAs closing ceremony outfits for Beijing Olympics (Today)
Its been more than 10 months since the first COVID-19 vaccines became available in the United States. Almost 53% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against the virus and, despite two spikes in cases and hospitalizations this year the first during the winter months and the second triggered by the highly contagious delta variant during the summer the vaccination effort has been pivotal in mitigating the pandemic.
However, the protection the vaccine offers goes down with time, and medical experts have recommended a supplemental dose after two to six months, commonly referred to as a booster shot. And as the vaccines first-year anniversary approaches, questions have started to emerge about who can get another round of protection and when.
So far, 1.3 million Texans have received a booster shot, and although the inoculated may feel some loyalty toward the COVID-19 vaccine they first received the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine recent FDA authorization has allowed for some mixing and matching when it comes to booster shots.
The logistics around when and who can get a booster shot can be tricky, but dont worry heres what Texans need to know.
A booster shot is a supplementary dose of a vaccine administered some time after the initial series of shots that enhances protection against an infection, said Saroj Rai, a senior scientific advisor at the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Whatever the primary series of a vaccine is, with due time the protection from that vaccine wanes off so you give a booster to maximize the protection that one can get from a vaccination, Rai said.
A COVID-19 booster shot can raise antibody levels about five times higher than a persons previous peak, said Benjamin Neuman, chief virologist at Texas A&M Universitys Global Health Research Complex, whos researched coronaviruses for more than 20 years.
On Oct. 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated eligibility for booster shots for adults, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsing new recommendations for booster shots the following day.
Based on their recommendations, anyone whos 18 years and older who has already received the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine is eligible to receive the Johnson & Johnson booster shot.
The Pfizer and Moderna booster shots, however, are limited to certain groups.
The FDA says adults who have received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine also known as mRNA vaccines are eligible to receive a Pfizer or Moderna booster if:
That last point can apply to those who are 18 and older and live in long-term care settings or work in high-risk settings such as first responders, health care workers and education staff.
Eligible people who have received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are allowed to get a booster shot at least six months after completing their initial two-shot vaccination series.
Eligible people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can get a booster shot at least two months after they first got vaccinated.
Its OK to mix and match vaccine booster shots. The FDA recently amended its emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines to allow eligible people to do so.
Following a primary vaccination whether they received the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine eligible populations can receive a booster shot from any of the three vaccines.
Just remember: who can get a booster shot and when depends on which vaccine you initially got.
People may choose to consult their health care provider to help make a decision, but the CDC has not made preferential recommendations on any combinations, Rai said. All three vaccines are effective as boosters.
Yes. Side effects from a booster shot can be similar to those that people get after receiving their initial vaccination series, according to the CDC.
Fatigue seems to be a very common [thing] that we saw in dose one, dose two and we're seeing that in the booster dose as well, so nothing that we have not experienced, Rai said.
Pain in the injection site is another common side effect, but the CDC said most side effects were mild to moderate, and severe side effects are rare.
Technically, no. In August, the CDC recommended that individuals with moderately to severely compromised immune systems who have received their initial vaccine series also receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The authorization was there so these individuals will have another dose to give them enough antibody production to come to a level [thats similar to] the rest of us with a primary series, Rai said.
After receiving the initial vaccine series and the additional dose, the CDC recommends people with moderately and severely compromised immune systems to receive their booster shot according to the timelines suggested above.
Vaccines are widely available in the state of Texas and can be received at a variety of places such as local pharmacies, public health clinics and hospitals.
The CDC has also made available a national vaccine finder, where people can locate available COVID-19 vaccines in their area.
Rai suggests that people looking for a booster shot bring proof of their initial vaccination to their appointment. Documentation such as your vaccine card can be helpful to health care providers because it states what COVID-19 vaccine you initially received and the date you got it.
It's unclear. The CDC has not released a timeline for when more people like those between the ages of 12 and 17 will become eligible for booster shots.
Neuman and Rai said vaccine availability at this moment isnt necessarily something to worry about.
We're in a weird situation where there's a vaccine surplus, and yet we're under-vaccinated, Neuman said.
Both said the state is in a good place when it comes to the number of vaccines that are available to the general public.
We are in a different time than we were earlier in the year, Rai said. There are many easily accessible outlets for any of these three vaccines.
Got other questions about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots? Let us know at community@texastribune.org
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/29/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shots/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.
Posted: Oct 29, 2021 / 04:37 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 29, 2021 / 05:17 PM EDT
Indianapolis Early next week, the CDC is poised to recommend Pfizers vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds. Indiana officials say the state will receive enough of an initial supply to vaccinate a third of children ages 5 to 11.
What questions do you have ahead of the rollout of vaccines for children. Is there something you want to ask as your family decides if your children will get vaccinated? Fill out the submission form below.
If you have any questions on the states plan to rollout the vaccine, you can send those in as well.
You can also text your questions to 317-632-5900.
Covid-19 vaccines in use today have to be stored at cold temperatures, but a patch covered in tiny plastic spikes coated in a vaccine could provide an alternative
By Alice Klein
The square vaccine skin patch sits inside an applicator
David Muller/University of Queensland
A skin patch for administering covid-19 vaccines gives greater immune protection than traditional injections, according to a study in mice. The patch can be stored at room temperature and be self-administered, making it suitable for use in places that lack cold storage facilities and medical staff.
Although covid-19 vaccines are now widely available in many countries, they have to be transported and stored at cold temperatures. We wanted to come up with an alternative that would be stable long enough to go that last mile, especially in resource-limited settings, says David Muller at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Muller and his colleagues have spent years developing a skin patch that can deliver influenza, polio, dengue and other vaccines without requiring needles or cold storage. They wondered if the same technology could be used for covid-19 vaccines.
The centimetre-wide skin patch is dotted with 5000 tiny plastic spikes, each a quarter of a millimetre long and coated with dried vaccine that is more stable than liquid forms. The patch is applied with an applicator that painlessly presses the vaccine into the upper layer of the skin.
Vaccines delivered this way tend to elicit stronger immune responses because the skin is full of immune cells, says Muller. For example, when the flu vaccine is administered via this skin patch, a sixth of the normal dose can be used because it produces a stronger response.
The researchers tested the skin patch with a covid-19 vaccine candidate called HexaPro, developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, which is still being tested in clinical trials but is more heat stable and cheaper to make than existing vaccines.
Mice treated with the patch developed more coronavirus antibodies than those injected with the vaccine and were completely protected from getting sick, even with a single dose.
The HexaPro vaccine was stable for at least one month in the skin patch when stored at 25C and for one week at 40C.
A trial of the covid-19 vaccine skin patch in people will begin next year. If it is approved, it could be used to deliver booster doses and potentially to protect against new virus strains, since it is easy to adapt HexaPro to different variants, says Muller.
Journal reference: Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj8065
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