Want to get a COVID-19 shot? Grand Forks Public Health has scheduled for this week seven of its roving vaccination clinics in town, plus one in Manvel and another in Thompson.
The clinics are designed to offer a COVID-19 vaccine within half a mile of 95% of Grand Forks city residents. There, public health nurses or health department partners are set to administer one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines or one of two needed doses of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Anyone who is 12 years of age or older is eligible for a vaccine.
Public health staff have urged residents to get a vaccine for months, and a recent uptick in COVID-19 metrics has underscored their effort.
Now is the time to take action to protect yourself and others and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Vaccination remains the best precaution to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19, a Monday news release said. Getting the vaccine protects a person from getting the disease and prevents them from getting very sick if they do get COVID-19.
Grand Forks Public Health staff hope to see at least 60% of Grand Forks County residents receive the vaccine. That threshold could mean that the county has reached herd immunity from the coronavirus, but some studies indicate that, especially with the rising prevalence of the more-contagious delta variant of the disease, the real threshold could be much higher.
As of Sunday, Aug. 15, data compiled by the health department indicates that 31,588 county residents have been fully vaccinated. Thats about 43.2% of Grand Forks County residents, a figure that declined slightly since last week because public health administrators incorporated newly released 2020 Census data that indicates about 4,000 additional people live in the county.
MUNCIE, Ind. In need of a COVID-19 test or vaccine? The Indiana State Department of Health will offer both at the Muncie Fieldhouse, with no appointment necessary, Aug. 16-18.
The events will runnoon-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdayat the Fieldhouse,525 N. Walnut Street.
According to the Delaware County Health Department's Facebook page, the events will be held outside in a drive-thru fashion for bothCOVID-19 testing and vaccination.
For testing, rapid antigen and PCR testswill both be available, and for vaccines, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available. A Pfizer vaccine will require a second dose scheduled for a later date, while Johnson & Johnson is single dose.
MORE:As COVID-19 hospitalizations go up and vaccination rates lag, doctors worry
Theevent will bemanaged by the Indiana Department of Health with assistance from the Indiana National Guard.
While no appointments are necessary, anyone 18 or younger must have a parent present. Pfizer vaccines are currently the only type of vaccine to be approved for ages 12 and older. Johnson & Johnson is only for individuals 18 and older.
Information: ourshot.in.gov.
Charlotte Stefanski is a reporterat The Star Press. Contact herat 765-283-5543, cstefanski@muncie.gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CharStefanski.
JAMM AQUINO / MAY 22
Hawaii Pacific Health said mobile vaccine clinics scheduled this week on Oahu and Kauai will also offer third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals.
Hawaii Pacific Health said mobile vaccine clinics scheduled this week on Oahu and Kauai will also offer third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals.
Additionally, starting today, the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Childrens COVID-19 vaccine clinic will expand its clinic hours to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
The following vaccine clinic locations offer first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals ages 12 and older, and will now offer third doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals:
OAHU
>> Aiea High School: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. today
>> Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays
>> Moanalua High School: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday
>> Hawaii Pacific University at Aloha Tower Marketplace: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday
>> Farrington High School: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday
>> Kailua High School: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday
KAUAI
>> Wilcox Medical Center: 12-4 p.m. Wednesday
>> Kapaa Neighborhood Center: 12-3 p.m. Thursday (walk-ins only)
>> Lihue Neighborhood Center: 12-3 p.m. Friday (walk-ins only)
>> Wainiha Country Market: 12-3 p.m. Saturday (walk-ins only)
Appointments are encouraged for locations on Oahu, but walk-ins are also accepted. To schedule an appointment, visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine.
Garland Public Health is providing COVID-19 vaccines at a back-to-school rally on Aug. 28.
The Garland ISD event, named the "2021 Health Fair and Back-to-School Rally," will be held at Homer B. Johnson Stadium from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Located at 1209 E. Centerville Road, the drive-thru-event is free and open to the public.
According to the city of Garland, 92.4% of reported cases in Garland were unvaccinated and 96.4% of hospitalizations were unvaccinated in July.
Garland Public Health partnered with Garland ISD and the NAACP to provide COVID-19 vaccines at the event.
Anyone can get the COVID-19 vaccine without an appointment at a Garland clinic at 206 Carver Drive between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
(KXAN) Misinformation alert: A video thats currently circulating social media claims the spike proteins contained in COVID-19 vaccines kill or damage your bodys cells but medical experts say theres no evidence to support the statement.
That video from a Canadian talk radio show purports to reveal that spike proteins in the vaccines break down cells, allowing the proteins bind and infect the vaccinated. Some such claims are even made by Dr. Robert Malone, the self-proclaimed inventor of mRNA technology (more on that later).
But recent fact-checks by experts, published by The Poynter Institutes PolitiFact, Reuters, and the Associated Press dismantle the videos claims.
The video interview relies heavily on claims made by Canadian viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle, who claimed COVID-19 vaccines produce toxins that can travel to the brain. In his often-cited quote, Bridle said, We made a big mistake. We didnt realize it until now, we thought the spike protein was a great target antigen. But countless researchers dispute this.
The biggest strike against the claim is simple: None of the vaccines currently authorized in the U.S. (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) even contain live COVID-19 or its spike proteins. Instead, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) to tell the body how to attack spike proteins by creating small amounts afterward. Medical researchers and doctors say these amounts are nearly insignificant and not unlike other existing vaccines.
Another of Bridles claims is that the vaccines and the proteins experts agree they dont have can travel from the shoulder and to other areas of the body, causing damage.
Dr. Adam Ratner, pediatric infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Health, explained to AP: What was said in the radio show was completely inaccurate the amounts [of spike proteins] that are made after the mRNA is injected are very small and it almost exclusively stays locally. It is nowhere near the amount he was talking about.
Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains: Our immune systems recognize that the protein doesnt belong there and begin building an immune response and making antibodies, like what happens in natural infection against COVID-19. At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to protect against future infection.
A Facebook search for spike proteins and toxic retrieved hundreds and hundreds of variations on the videos claims, including others advancing the theory, claiming the spike proteins are a bioweapon. That video has over 51,000 views.
Several photos of a Nature Neuroscience study are widely shared on Facebook and other platforms feature a fake title of the study, The S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 crosses the bloodbrain barrier in mice, and instead is doctored to read, Spike as Toxin. The mice study from December 2020 is real, but found that proteins from the virus not the vaccine could enter the brain of mice injected with SARS-CoV-2.
The studys lead author, Dr. William A. Banks, concluded that this could possibly add more context as to why COVID-19 patients have trouble breathing, saying that the virus not the vaccine likely enters respiratory centers in the brain. Banks also explained to the peer-reviewed Psychiatric Times that protein entry could also explain why some recovered COVID-19 patients experience brain fog.
Based on recent data, researchers are increasingly understanding how COVID-19 infection affects the brain though some more recent findings suggest it can be more difficult for the virus to access the brain than previously thought.
On YouTube, the debunked spike protein video currently has about 3.5 million views. Facebook has flagged several postings of the video and labeled it as misinformation. Meanwhile, postings parroting its claims proliferate. One such Facebook post reads:
THE FDA WAS ALERTED MONTHS AGO THAT THE SPIKE PROTEIN IN THE COVID VACCINES ARE CYTOTOXIC. CYTOTOXIC: TOXIC TO CELLS. THE FDA DID NOTHING AND STILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONTINUE BEING INJECTED WITH A CYTOTOXIC SUBSTANCE. FACT CHECK THAT!!!
This above claim is in reference to Malone saying he sent manuscripts to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about spike protein threat. The FDA says it determined his claim didnt have enough proof to back it up.
As for Malone, while he was certainly instrumental in mRNA tech development, research shows he did not exactly act alone in the research. In an August 12 article for The Atlantic, author Tom Bartlett lays out some less-known elements of Malones backstory, including allegations from fellow mRNA research icon Katalin Karik that Malone threatened her via email after she received notoriety for her work in helping produce the COVID-19 vaccine.
Karik asserts that Malones ownership of the title of inventor of mRNA tech is overinflated, saying hundreds of scientists contributed more to mRNA vaccines than he did. Over the years, and especially through the pandemic, hes become increasingly polarizing among his peers, with many noting his seeming hunger for the spotlight, personal grievances, and/or sensationalist views.
Malone, who insists he is not antivaccinations, denies he meant his statements to Karik as a threat. Associated Press reached out to Bridle but did not hear back.
While conspiracy theories and false claims will continue to replicate across the internet, there are several actions readers can take to stop it.
Cornell University Library has an entire section of resources in its Fake News, Propaganda, and Disinformation: Learning to Critically Evaluate Media Sources, which offers a wealth of material to consider.
The university explains that one of the first items to check is the URL. Is it unusual? URLs ending with .com.co or l-o arent likely to be legitimate news sites. How good does the site look? Evaluate whether the website youre looking at appears professional. Additionally, any real news article will list its sources.
Finally, you can easily verify stories by scouring the many trusted fact-checking websites, including PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, Snopes, and the Fact Check from Duke Reporters Lab.
Jiffy Lube Live will soon require concert-goers to show proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received a negative test, effective with events on or after Oct. 4, said a spokesperson for Live Nation Entertainment, the concert venues parent company.
The western Prince William County venue has several concerts scheduled later in October,including Dierks Bentley on Oct. 9 and Jason Aldean on Oct. 16.
Performers and Live Nation employees also will be required to be vaccinated or show proof of negative tests, the spokesperson said.
Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows, and as of October 4th we will be following the model we developed for Lollapalooza and requiring this for artists, fans and employees at Live Nation venues and festivals everywhere possible in the U.S., Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, said in a statement.
The new rules will go into effective where permitted by law, the companys spokesperson added.
The new rules come as COVID-19 cases surge across the country prompting other large entertainment venues across the Washington area, including the Kennedy Center, Fords Theatre, Echostage, the Anthem, Lincoln Theatre and the 9:30 Club in D.C., as well as the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland, to also require vaccination or a negative test.
Ticket holders are being alerted directly with the details pertaining to their show, said Live Nations spokesperson. And the best place for fans to find out the latest requirements for their show beyond that email is on the venues website.
CVS and Walgreen's are accepting appointments and Methodist Hospital has the vaccine for people who are qualified.
HOUSTON Houston Methodist has started giving COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to those who qualify. Anyone who does qualify can make an appointment and no prescription is needed.
CVS and Walgreens also said they're accepting appointments for the booster shot.
Federal health officials have been actively looking at whether extra shots for the vaccinated may be needed. They've been reviewing case numbers in the U.S. almost daily as well as the situation in other countries such as Israel, where preliminary studies suggest the vaccines protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January.
Israel has been offering a coronavirus booster to people over 60 who were already vaccinated more than five months ago.
Moderna President Stephen Hoge said seeing some breakthrough infections emerge among the vaccinated within six months has been surprising, even if most symptoms so far have not been life-threatening. I think that suggests we are going to need booster vaccines to get through the winter, he said.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said people with weakened immune systemscan get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge.
Currently, about 60% of the U.S. population has gotten at least one dose and nearly 51% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio. Areas with low vaccination rates have been particularly hit hard with infections, such as Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Mississippi.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) All guests looking to attend shows at the NorVA will be required to bring something more than their ticket proof or vaccination or a negative PCR COVID-19 test.
NorVAs parent company, AEG Presents, said online that they will implement this policy at their venues nationwide by October 1.
We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status, said Jay Marciano, COO of AEG and Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents. Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but its the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but Im confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing whats best for artists, fans, and live event workers.
Fully vaccinated guests can show proof of vaccination by showing a physical copy of a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a digital copy of such card or such other proof as is permitted locally.
Those guests who are not fully vaccinated will be required to show a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to attending an event. Children under the age of 12 will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test.
Masks will not be mandatory, however, they are encouraged.
Get the free WAVY News App, available for download in the App Store and Google Play, to stay up to date with all your local news, weather and sports, live newscasts and other live events.
The number of U.S. workers choosing to be vaccinated plateaued earlier this summer. As a result, employers, many of which hoped to return employees to the workplace in early fall, were left to debate whether to require employees to get vaccinated or to merely strongly encourage vaccination. Although many mandatory vaccination policies may pass legal scrutiny, they may nonetheless raise cultural tensions and raise the risk of losing employees in an already tight labor market.
For these and other reasons, many employers have delayed implementation of mandatory vaccination policies and instead have attempted to incentivize their employees to get vaccinated. For example, employers have offered paid time off, gift cards, cash, and other financial incentives to motivate their employees to get more fully vaccinated. The results of these efforts appeared to have been effective initially, but vaccination rates have stalled as of late. Moreover, once the Delta variant began driving up infection rates and hospitalizations, employers started looking for other ways to boost vaccination rates among their employees. In particular, employers may be wonderingif the carrot had not driven up the vaccination rates among employees, would the stick work?
In response, some employers have started adding health coverage surcharges for unvaccinated employees as a way to increase vaccination rates. A vaccination surcharge of $20 to $50 per month would be in the same range as the surcharge some employers impose on smokers. While surcharges are intended to motivate employees to get vaccinated, they also address the issues employers may experience when employees become ill with COVID-19. As President Joe Biden noted in a recent speech, long-term COVID-19related medical issues can sometimes rise to the level of a disability.
Employers that are considering whether to implement a surcharge may want to first examine their workplace cultures. Employers may want to determine whether such a measurewhich some employees might view as punitivecould cause employees to quit, and thus whether in the balance of issues, that is an acceptable outcome.
Employers may also want to look at the context in which the stick would be applied. If it is a matter of an added cost to a health care premium, which applies only to those unvaccinated employees who are enrolled in the companys health plan, the program would be covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) wellness rules. Employers considering such a move may want to be mindful of the HIPAA limits on financial incentives and provide a reasonable alternative standard for employees who cannot get vaccinated due to an adverse health status factor.
If an employer, instead, considers reducing or deducting from employees pay (which are two distinct approaches) instead of imposing additional charges on employee health plans, the majority of states would not allow such deductions. Employers considering these approaches may want to carefully review the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they would intend to implement them.
As the Delta variant continues to spread, employers hoping to avoid implementing mandatory vaccinations will likely continue to examine ways to encourage as many employees as possible to get vaccinated. If these programs fail to move the needle sufficiently, more employers may find the mandatory route attractive.
UPMC will host a covid-19 vaccine clinic in Millvale on Friday, followed by a series of clinics across the area next week.
Vaccine appointments will be available to people ages 12 and older during the event at the Boys & Girls Club, 100 Howard St., Millvale.
The clinic is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m.
UPMC Public Relations Manager Stephanie Stanley said the events are a continued effort to bring covid-19 vaccines into communities, and distribute them where people feel comfortable.
Other clinics scheduled across the area include:
- 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the 7th Annual Oakland Ramp Crawl, Schenley Plaza Oval Tent, 4100 Forbes Ave.
- 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 at McKeesport Family Center, 339 Fifth Ave.
- Noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 28 at Enon Baptist Church, 110 Erin Street, Pittsburgh.
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 28 at URNOT4GOT10 Community Outreach, Unity Baptist Church, 531 Jones Ave., North Braddock.
- 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 29 at Kingdom Light Ministries International, 6378 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh.
Since vaccine clinics first opened to all Pennsylvanians in April, 682,802 people in Allegheny County have received two vaccine doses and 68,012 people have received one dose, according to data from the state Department of Health.
Anyone seeking an appointment is asked to register but walk-ins are accepted.
For more, visit Vaccine.UPMC.com or call 844-876-2822.
Tawnya Panizzi is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tawnya at 724-226-7726, tpanizzi@triblive.com or via Twitter .
