A new Cleveland Clinic-led study has identified mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimers disease-like dementia. The findings, published in Alzheimers Research & Therapy, indicate an overlap between COVID-19 and brain changes common in Alzheimers, and may help inform risk management and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19-associated cognitive impairment.
Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D.
Reports of neurological complications in COVID-19 patients and long-hauler patients whose symptoms persist after the infection clears are becoming more common, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) may have lasting effects on brain function. However, it is not yet well understood how the virus leads to neurological issues.
While some studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infects brain cells directly, others found no evidence of the virus in the brain, says Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D., assistant staff in Cleveland Clinics Genomic Medicine Institute and lead author on the study. Identifying how COVID-19 and neurological problems are linked will be critical for developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies to address the surge in neurocognitive impairments that we expect to see in the near future.
In the study, the researchers harnessed artificial intelligence using existing datasets of patients with Alzheimers and COVID-19. They measured the proximity between SARS-CoV-2 host genes/proteins and those associated with several neurological diseases where closer proximity suggests related or shared disease pathways. The researchers also analyzed the genetic factors that enabled SARS-COV-2 to infect brain tissues and cells.
While researchers found little evidence that the virus targets the brain directly, they discovered close network relationships between the virus and genes/proteins associated with several neurological diseases, most notably Alzheimers, pointing to pathways by which COVID-19 could lead to Alzheimers disease-like dementia. To explore this further, they investigated potential associations between COVID-19 and neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury, which are both hallmarks of Alzheimers.
We discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly altered Alzheimers markers implicated in brain inflammation and that certain viral entry factors are highly expressed in cells in the blood-brain barrier, explained Dr. Cheng. These findings indicate that the virus may impact several genes or pathways involved in neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury, which could lead to Alzehimers disease-like cognitive impairment.
The researchers also found that individuals with the allele APOE E4/E4, the greatest genetic risk factor for Alzheimers, had decreased expression of antiviral defense genes, which could make these patients more susceptible to COVID-19.
Ultimately, we hope to have paved the way for research that leads to testable and measurable biomarkers that can identify patients at the highest risk for neurological complications with COVID-19, said Dr. Cheng.
Dr. Cheng and his team are now working to identify actionable biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for COVID-19-associated neurological issues in COVID long-haulers using cutting-edge network medicine and artificial intelligence technologies.
Yadi Zhou, Ph.D.; Jielin Xu, Ph.D., and Yuan Hou, Ph.D., are co-first authors on the study. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and Cleveland Clinics VeloSano Pilot Program.
The WestVirginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of June 11, 2021, there have been 2,936,873 total confirmatory laboratory resultsreceived for COVID-19, with 162,939 total cases and 2,849 deaths.
Manytypes of electronic respiratory lab results are submitted to DHHRs Bureau forPublic Health on a regular basis. With a continuing effort to be transparent, afull historic review of the total confirmatory laboratory results received todate was conducted to specifically screen out the non-COVID-related lab resultssubmitted, resulting in the overall number of lab results received on the COVIDdashboard decreasing by 29,531. Please note this does not affect the number oftotal COVID cases, only the total number of lab results received.
DHHRhas confirmed the death of a64-year old male from Marshall County. As we send our condolences tothis family, keep in mind that vaccines save lives, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHRCabinet Secretary. I urge you to choose the COVID vaccine for yourself and foryour children age 12 and older.
CASES PERCOUNTY: Barbour(1,511), Berkeley (12,775), Boone (2,167), Braxton (998), Brooke (2,241),Cabell (8,848), Calhoun (378), Clay (542), Doddridge (632), Fayette (3,536),Gilmer (875), Grant (1,305), Greenbrier (2,875), Hampshire (1,915), Hancock(2,837), Hardy (1,562), Harrison (6,118), Jackson (2,223), Jefferson (4,767), Kanawha(15,420), Lewis (1,274), Lincoln (1,577), Logan (3,263), Marion (4,618),Marshall (3,531), Mason (2,042), McDowell (1,610), Mercer (5,100), Mineral(2,969), Mingo (2,714), Monongalia (9,377), Monroe (1,197), Morgan (1,223),Nicholas (1,883), Ohio (4,303), Pendleton (723), Pleasants (959), Pocahontas(681), Preston (2,951), Putnam (5,304), Raleigh (7,012), Randolph (2,828),Ritchie (754), Roane (653), Summers (856), Taylor (1,266), Tucker (545), Tyler(738), Upshur (1,952), Wayne (3,181), Webster (543), Wetzel (1,382), Wirt(454), Wood (7,918), Wyoming (2,033).
Delays may be experienced with the reportingof information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillancecontinues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those testedin a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state asan individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Boone County inthis report. Please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.
West Virginians 12 years and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Tolearn more about the vaccine, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov orcall 1-833-734-0965. West Virginians ages 12 and older who have had at leastone dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can register for the Do it forBabydog: Save a life, Change your life vaccine sweepstakes byvisitingdoitforbabydog.wv.gov.
Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available todayin Barbour, Berkeley, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mineral,Monongalia, Morgan, Putnam, and Wayne counties.
Barbour County
9:00 AM 11:00 AM, Barbour County HealthDepartment, 109 Wabash Avenue, Philippi, WV
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer FireDepartment, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV
BerkeleyCounty10:00 AM 5:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV10:00 AM 5:00 PM, Ambrose Park, 25404 Mall Drive, Martinsburg, WV
Grant County
11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Viking Memorial FieldParking Lot, 157-109 Rig Street, Petersburg, WV (optionalpre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
JeffersonCounty
10:00 AM 6:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 HollywoodDrive, Charles Town, WV
12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Shepherd University Wellness CenterParking Lot, 164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV
LincolnCounty
9:00AM 3:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration:https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Logan County
12:00 PM 5:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building,100 Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV
Marshall County
11:00 AM 5:00 PM, Cameron City Building, 44Main Street, Cameron, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
MineralCounty
10:00AM 6:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive,Keyser, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Monongalia County
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, WVU Recreation Center,Lower Level, 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV
Morgan County
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Health WarMemorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV
PutnamCounty
9:00AM 4:00 PM, Liberty Square, 613 Putnam Village, Hurricane, WV (optionalpre-registration: bit.ly/pchd-covid)
WayneCounty
10:00AM 2:00 PM, Wayne Community Center, 11580 Rt. 152, Wayne, WV
Foradditional free COVID-19 testing opportunities across the state, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.
What you need to know about getting vaccinated against COVID-19
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine:
If most people are vaccinated, the virus cant spread as easily. This also protects people who cant get vaccinated.
Thefluvaccine should not be administered at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine.It is recommended that you wait at least 14 days after you receive the COVID-19 vaccine to get the flu vaccine.
The same applies if you have a flu vaccine first, you should wait at least 14 days before being vaccinated against COVID-19.
For more information visit the Australian Government Department of Health website .
The Australian Government has provided the following information to help people who are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prepare for their first appointment.
Bothvaccines that have been approved by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine, require two doses.
After you receive the COVID-19 vaccine you may experience some side effects. These are usually minor, expected side effects similar to what can occur with other vaccines.After your first dose, you will be asked to wait at the vaccination sitefor at least 15 minutes to make sure you feel okay.
At your first appointment you will get the first dose of the vaccine. After your first appointment you will be able to book for your second dose. After each appointment its important to continue to practice COVIDSafe behaviours.
For more information about what happens after your first appointment and possible side effects,visit the Australian Government Department of Health website .
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has made anyone age 12 and older eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. When you submit your age, youll be taken to our online scheduler to select an appointment date.*
Age will be be used to determine which vaccine(s) you are eligible for.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) is further investigated the reported cases of myocarditis ... [+] and pericarditis in people who have received the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. (Photo by TAMI CHAPPELL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants to get at the heart of this matter.
As I first covered for Forbes in late April, there have been reports of people developing myocarditis or pericarditis after receiving doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Leah Campbell and Robert Hart have since given updates for Forbes on such reports including a case series of seven teenage boys in the U.S. developing chest pain and heart inflammation within days of receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 shot.
Now this isnt a dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria type of situation that Peter Venkman, PhD of something, described in the movie Ghostbusters. Far from it. These reports of myocarditis and pericarditis still have been quite rare. And just because something happens after vaccination doesnt necessarily mean its caused by the vaccination. For example, if a watermelon fell on your head after you got vaccinated, its unlikely that attacks by large fruit should be included as a possible vaccine side effect.
Nevertheless, the CDC is taking a closer look, and rightfully so. The CDC has to take all possible serious side effects seriously. This will include discussing the matter at an upcoming June 18 meeting of the ACIP. In this case, ACIP is not short for Air Conditioning Improvement Program, which would be odd, but instead stands for Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is comprised of external experts who advise the CDC on vaccine matters.
A police officer receives his COVID-19 vaccination at Gillette Staium's vaccination site. (Photo by ... [+] Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
As I have described before for Forbes, your myocardium is a term for your heart muscles because myo stands for muscle and cardium stands for heart. Your pericardium is the thin membranous sac that surrounds your heart. The suffix -itis stands for being inflamed. Therefore, myocarditis means that your heart muscles are inflamed. Pericarditis means that your sac is inflamed, the sac around your heart that is.
Typically, you dont want any parts of your heart to be inflamed, unless it is just some kind of metaphor for love. Inflammation can interfere with your hearts ability to pump blood to the rest of your body and lead to abnormal heart rhythms as well. While milder cases can resolve without longer-lasting problems, such conditions could lead to more severe, long-lasting, and even life-threatening consequences. So myocarditis or pericarditis shouldnt be like a mild case of indigestion. You shouldnt say during a date, oh, its nothing. Just my myocarditis acting up. What do you want to do after weve finished this pile of oysters?
In June 10 presentation to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee, Tom Shimabukuro, MD, MPH Deputy Director of the CDC's Immunization Safety Office, summarized reports of these conditions from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as of the end of May. Maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the VAERS allows anyone to enter a report of a problem after getting a vaccine, any vaccine. Note that this vaccine safety system accepts all reports from anyone. So in theory, you could report that you became a pink unicorn after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Thats why all reports ultimately need to be reviewed and vetted by medical experts before being taken seriously. For example, youd have to prove that you are indeed a pink unicorn and that there isnt some other obvious reason for your transformation.
As of May 31, 2021, the VAERS had 789 reported cases of myocarditis or pericarditis in people after theyve received doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Most (573) of these reports were from after the second dose. The median times to first noticing symptoms was three days after the first dose and two doses after the second dose, meaning that half of the time symptoms started within a few days of vaccination. Although there were reports of symptoms starting as far as 33 days after the first dose and 80 days after the second dose.
Over half (475) of the 789 reported cases have been among those 30 years and younger. However, so far, only 226 of the 475 cases have met the CDC working case definition, meaning that they indeed seemed to be legitimate cases of myocarditis or pericarditis after the vaccination event. Most (81%) of these cases have had a documented full recovery. The rest either have ongoing symptoms or currently lack follow-up information to determine whats happened.
Of course, this still doesnt mean that all 226 cases were caused by the vaccines. But the 226 is higher than the number of cases that youd expect among this age group if you just account for other possible causes of myocarditis and pericarditis. As Paul A. Offit, MD, the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and a Professor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, explained in the following video, a number of different viruses can cause myocarditis and many of these tend to circulate during the Spring:
In fact, one of the viruses that could cause myocarditis or pericarditis is the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Keep in mind that 226 cases would still make such events very rare since over 4.85 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and over 4.03 million doses of the Moderna vaccine had already been administered by May 29. Using your abacus and finger and toes to make the appropriate calculates would yield rates of about 2.8 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis per one million first doses administered and 16.1 cases per million second doses administered. Again this is like beef cooked at 120 to 130 F, still quite rare.
Still, though, this situation merits further investigation. Again, myocarditis or pericaditis are not just dust yourself off and walk it off conditions. If you have symptoms of either condition such as chest pain, rapid or abnormal heart rhythms, shortness of breath, or swelling of your legs, ankles and feet, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Of course, these should be unexplained symptoms. So momentary heart palpitations after seeing BTS or a bowl of mac-n-cheese may not count.
For the upcoming ACIP meeting, you do have the opportunity to submit written comments by June 18, 2021, or submit a request to make an oral comment at the meeting no later than 11:59 p.m., EST, on June 16, 2021. Of course, just because you submit a request doesnt mean that you be allotted the up to three minutes to speak at the meeting. The CDC will have to determine how many of the requests are legitimate versus the how do I order a hamburger or keys seem to stick to my head after vaccination, what are you going to do about it comments that are unverifiable and not related to the topic at hand. Of the requests that seem to fall within the scope of the meeting, CDC will conduct a lottery to determine who will be able to speak. After all, time will be limited.
At this point, just because the CDC is investigating these cases doesnt mean that you should not get vaccinated. Again myocarditis and pericarditis have been rare occurrences. No one has established cause and effect yet. It remains to be seen whether there were other possible reasons behind the myocarditis and pericarditis cases.
Nevertheless, once again, the CDC and FDA must take all potential serious adverse events seriously. Otherwise, the risk is losing the publics trust. The CDC and FDA must continue to be extra cautious. Some people or bots have continued to push the narrative that Covid-19 vaccines have not been fully tested and that somehow safety checks were skipped before rolling out the vaccines. The best way to combat misinformation or disinformation is to be transparent about any vaccine-related decisions and to fully investigate any real concerns. Like the Titanic, the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines in 2020 hit some major icebergs. President Donald Trumps administration did not take the proper steps needed to better ready the public for the Covid-19 vaccines. Thus, the current administration will need to compensate for those early missteps. That includes doing what can be done so that your heart will go on after getting the Covid-19 vaccines.
A Texas hospital systems mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees can stand after a federal judge on Saturday dismissed a closely watched lawsuit from workers refusing to get the shot.
The hospital systems policies were not coercion against staff, Hughes said. They were a choice the hospital system made to keep staff, patients, and their families safer.
The 117 suing workers, including plaintiff Jennifer Bridges, a nurse for almost seven years at the hospital system, had their own choices to make, the judge said. Bridges and other plaintiffs had every right to accept or refuse the vaccine. If she refuses, she will simply need to work somewhere else, the decision said.
Hughes wrote that employers could impose consequences for noncompliance on all sorts of rules, far beyond vaccination.
If a worker refuses an assignment, changed office, earlier start time, or other directive, he may be properly fired. Every employment includes limits on the workers behavior in exchange for his remuneration. That is all part of the bargain.
Suspended workers could be fired if they are still not vaccinated following a two-week unpaid suspension, said court papers filed ahead of the ruling.
Houston Methodist said it was pleased and reassured by the judges ruling. We can now put this behind us and continue our focus on unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation, Dr. Marc Boom, the president and CEO of the hospital system with approximately 26,000 employees, said in a statement.
But Jared Woodfill, the lawyer for the suing workers, vowed to appeal the case all the way up to the Supreme Court. This is just one battle in a larger war to protect the rights of employees All of my clients continue to be committed to fighting this unjust policy.
Woodfill said many of his clients contracted COVID-19 while treating patients during the pandemic. As a thank you for their service and sacrifice, Methodist Hospital awards them a pink slip and sentences them to bankruptcy, he said.
There are a handful of other pending lawsuits where workers are challenging their employers COVID-19 vaccination politics. But observers have said the Houston Methodist case was moving the quickest to a decision on a topic filled with open legal questions and charged emotions.
Houston Methodist is forcing its employees to be human guinea pigs as a condition for continued employment, the lawsuit alleged. Hughes singled out the human guinea pig phrase and said the workers lawsuit was written in a press release style.
Though lawsuit devoted most of its attention to the argument that the COVID-19 vaccines were allegedly experimental and dangerous, the judge said that claim was false and it was also irrelevant to the litigation.
The hospital has defended its policies, saying mandatory employee vaccination was critical for patient and worker safety. The policy included exemptions on religious and medical grounds.
As of Saturday, 53.9% of Americas adult population were fully vaccinated and 64.3% received at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suing workers noted the Pfizer PFE, -1.30% -BioNTech BNTX, -0.53% vaccine, as well as the Moderna MRNA, +0.85% and Johnson & Johnson JNJ, -1.27% vaccine are publicly available because the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to the drugs.
In the eyes of the workers, the statute on this type of FDA authorization said workers had the right to refuse taking the vaccine.
The workers had it wrong because those particular provisions didnt give them an opening to sue, Hughes said. Besides, Hughes noted, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said employers can require vaccination.
On June 4, Hughes said he would not block Houston Methodist from imposing a June 7 deadline for vaccination.
In a decision at the time, Hughes wrote the plaintiffs were not just jeopardizing their own health; they are jeopardizing the health of doctors, nurses, support staff, patients, and their families.
Johnson & Johnson coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is seen at the OSU Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. March 2, 2021. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse
Germany's health ministry said Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) must deliver 6.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Germany in July to make up for a shortfall expected in June after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) told the company to dispose of millions of doses because of contamination concerns.
"This is regrettable because each dose counts," a ministry spokesman said on Sunday in response to an enquiry by Reuters. "We therefore expect from J&J that this amount is delivered in July as quickly as possible."
Without disclosing or confirming the number of vaccine doses affected, the FDA said in a news release that it had authorised two batches of the vaccine for use, that several other batches were not suitable for use and that others were being evaluated. read more
A media report citing sources familiar with the matter had said 60 million J&J doses must be discarded, and two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that about 10 million doses had been cleared by the agency.
The delivery gap hits Germany hard.
J&J had been due to deliver 10.1 million doses of its one-shot vaccine in the second quarter, the ministry said.
The ministry spokesman said that Germany will receive 50.3 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) vaccine in the second quarter, Moderna (MRNA.O) would ship 6.4 million and AstraZeneca (AZN.L) 12.4 million, all fulfilling their supply commitments.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
When Karen Letourneau saw her mother in April for the first time in more than a year, she did not expect it would be the last time.
Three weeks earlier, Letourneaus mother, Patricia Caron of Lewiston, had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The day they met, Caron felt symptoms of what she thought was a cold. But when Letourneau, who lives in Wales and was partially vaccinated then, found herself experiencing COVID-19 symptoms a few days later, she asked her mother to get tested.
Caron got a rapid coronavirus test. It came back positive. She ended up in the hospital and died of COVID-19 complications a few weeks later, her daughter said, becoming one of eight fully vaccinated Mainers to succumb to the disease.
These so-called breakthrough infections are rare, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah said last week. The state has identified 426 cases of the virus in fully vaccinated people, accounting for about 1 of every 1,600 vaccinated people in Maine. By comparison, more than 15,000 Mainers, or 1 out of every 88 people, have tested positive for the virus in the past two months alone.
Those numbers fit with scientific studies showing the vaccines used in the U.S. are more than 90 percent effective. But the deaths are tragedies for families who assumed vaccines would eliminate COVID-19 risk and raise concerns among people with compromised immune systems and their loved ones.
Health officials still emphasize that vaccinations are still the best way to stop the spread of the virus and prevent severe disease and are optimistic that Maines high overall vaccination rate will continue to reduce transmission, including breakthrough cases.
The initial data suggest breakthrough cases in Maine are more common in older individuals and people with underlying health conditions, Shah said. Almost all are not serious. About half of vaccinated people who tested positive for COVID-19 were not experiencing symptoms when contacted by a case investigator, according to the Maine CDC. Only 19 have been hospitalized.
Importantly, breakthrough cases have not been associated with one COVID-19 vaccine more than others, Shah said, nor have they been linked to particular variants. He said people who tested positive for the virus after being vaccinated were exposed in a variety of ways.
Because vaccines work by stimulating an immune response, they can be less effective for those with weakened immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients or chemotherapy patients, said Dr. James Jarvis, who leads Northern Light Healths COVID-19 response.
Jarvis emphasized, however, that vaccines are still incredibly helpful for immunocompromised people, who also tend to be at greater risk for severe COVID-19.
If I told you that you had a 90 percent chance if you came down with COVID-19 that you would be severely ill if you were unvaccinated, but you only have a 50 percent chance if you are vaccinated, then vaccines make a huge difference for you, he said. So it is important for people to remember that even if your immune response is less than what it is for the general population, its still better than not being vaccinated at all.
From a public health perspective, Jarvis noted that there is increasingly strong evidence that vaccines limit spread of the virus. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released last week found vaccinated health care workers who contracted COVID-19 carried lower viral loads and shed less virus, making them less likely to transmit it to others.
That suggests widespread vaccine uptake can still reduce breakthrough cases in immunocompromised people by making them less likely to be exposed to the virus in the first place. Maine has started to see the effects of high vaccination rates on transmission in the past month, with cases and hospitalizations declining rapidly. Sixty-four percent of Mainers have now received at least one vaccine dose, according to federal data.
Letourneau, whose mother died from the virus despite being vaccinated, said she wishes there was more information available about breakthrough cases. If she had known more, she said, she would have taken more precautions despite her mothers vaccination status and been more insistent that she seek testing and treatment when she first had symptoms.
Caron was previously undergoing pulmonary testing due to shortness of breath and took an immune-suppressing medication to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Letourneau said. She wonders if that could have led the vaccine to work less effectively. But she is also frustrated by discourse about breakthrough cases, saying people were too often dismissive of potential risks for older people and those with pre-existing conditions.
It almost gets mentioned as an aside, like the people who this happens to are the elderly and the immunocompromised, so its like they dont matter as much, she said. But they do matter.
More articles from the BDN
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) The Erie County Department of Health is holding three COVID-19 vaccine clinics at restaurants on Elmwood Avenue, offering a free mimosa if you get the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The health department is holding these three clinics between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the following locations
Our Shot and Chaser events received national and international recognition in May, with breweries signing on to help us in our vaccination outreach in innovative ways, said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. "With each event, we are adding to the numbers of people in our community who are protected against COVID-19. Now, with Doses and Mimosas, we have another creative way to reach Erie County residents, and capitalize on the foot traffic and visitors to this section of Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.
The health department says these appointments will accept walk-ins, but it is recommended that you make an appointment in advance.
You can make an appointment by calling (716) 858-2929 or by clicking here.
An Indonesian city is bringing COVID-19 vaccines to its people with a growing fleet of inoculation buses, as the country faces a spike in infections after a major religious festival.
Authorities in Pekanbaru on the island of Sumatra have doubled to 10 the number of buses in its vaccination programme, since launching it on June 1, following a favourable response from the public, who are happy with the convenience.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 270 million people, is bracing for a peak in coronavirus infections after the Eid al-Fitr festival last month that saw millions travel to visit family and friends.
"I hope this programme will keep continuing until all the people in this town get fully vaccinated," said Delvi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, after getting a vaccine shot on the bus.
"It is closer and easier than the vaccination centre."
The government of Pekanbaru, capital of Riau province, says the buses have administered 12,000 doses of China's Sinovac vaccine and are giving more than 1,000 shots a day. Authorities say they plan to increase the number of buses but have not said by how many.
Despite the interest in the bus project, authorities say they must fight misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations.
"We saw some people had doubts about getting vaccinated because of fake news," said district chief Said Ahmad Zamzami.
"We inform them not to believe that and this vaccine is good for our immune system. People are also more convinced now because myself, as the head of the district, also participated," he said before getting his shot.
Indonesia plans to vaccinate 181.5 million people by next year. Only 11.57 million Indonesians have received two shots of the vaccines in use there: Sinovac, China's Sinopharm, or the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
