(WXYZ) Metro Detroit and Michigan are continuing to encourage people to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccination rates are slowing down in the area.
At TCF Center, vaccine demand was through the roof, but now we're at a point where most adults in metro Detroit who want a vaccine have gotten one, and without a real change in public perception of the shot, changing the current pace will be a tall order.
The population thats left is the population thats really just very very resistant to trying to get this," DMC Vice President of Academic Affairs Patricia Wilkerson-Uddyback said.
She thinks it's going to be a long summer and fall, trying to convince people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
You know what I keep hearing is, it was just developed too soon. I just dont trust it. Ill just wait," she said. "I think that that waiting is really going to continue to have us all dealing with this virus for a long time to come.
Doses administered in Michigan have steadily declined since mid-April, going from more than 668,000 doses the week of April 10 to just more than 409,000 doses last week.
The counties leading the way with the highest percentage vaccinated are Up North. Leelanau County is at 68.7% vaccinated; Grand Traverse County with just more than 62% and Emmet County with just more than 61%.
Then, Washtenaw County and Oakland County are just under 60% vaccinated.
The areas lagging include the City of Detroit, with just more than 31% vaccinated, Cass County with 33% vaccinated, and Hillsdale County with just more than 35%.
This has to be all hands on deck. And I know were not going to reach everyone. I get that, but Im not going to stop trying. Because this really is about our economy. This really is about our individual health. Its about our families, the strength of our state," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on MSNBC last night.
This week, the state confirmed it did not order its full vaccine allocation due to the dip in demand.
Still though, President Joe Biden is setting a goal of 70% of American adults having at least one dose and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by July 4.
The longer we go without having a larger percentage of our people vaccinated, were going to see more variants develop," Wilkerson-Uddyback said.
The state health department is targeting those who are homebound or more likely to want a shot in their own neighborhood or church, so it's focusing vaccine efforts toward those areas and moving away from vaccination sites like TCF.
Last week, Whitmer unveiled a four-step plan to lifting COVID-19 restrictions, which starts when 55% of Michiganders have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Two weeks after that, in-person work will be allowed to resume at all businesses.
Two weeks after 60% of people are vaccinated - 4,858,150 residents
Two weeks after 65% of people are vaccinated - 5,262,996 residents
Two weeks after 70% of people are vaccinated - 5,667,842 residents
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Austin, Texas - Austin FC and APH are asking fans to #TakeTheShotATX. The public can expect to see social media content and PSAs from Austin FC players encouraging those who have not received their COVID-19 vaccine to do so to protect our friends, family, and community.
We hope the additional messaging and education can expand the outreach to demographics who may have not considered getting the shot, said Dr. Mark Escott, Interim Health Authority for Austin-Travis County. The vaccine is now available across our community free of charge and it is time to encourage those who are on the fence to take the shot for themselves, for their family, and for this community.
We are pleased to partner with Austin Public Health to amplify the important message of getting vaccinated, commented Andy Loughnane, Austin FC President. Austin FC players and coaching staff stand united in this important community initiative.
Our Soccer Operations team and first team roster acknowledges the importance of being vaccinated and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get vaccinated, commented Josh Wolff, Austin FC Head Coach. Its now time to do our part to amplify such an important message to our community and encourage Austinites to get vaccinated.
We are honored to be able to play a role in sharing this message to our community, commented Alex Ring, Austin FC Club Captain. As players that represent Austin, we have a duty to this city, and we are pleased to encourage Austinites to take advantage of the resources made available by Austin Public Health.
I've been incredibly proud of Austin FC, both on and off the field, said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. Thank you for helping Austin Public Health encourage vaccine in our community. Austin leads Texas in low COVID mortality rates and high vaccine distribution rates. This is an entire community effort and we are determined to win. Show your Austin FC spirit;take the shot.
In addition to COVID-19 vaccine awareness, the partnership with Austin FC will include messaging on the 3Ws (Wear a mask, Wash hands, Watch your distance). PSAs are set to premiere in early-May on @AustinFC onTwitter,InstagramandFacebook.
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About Austin Public Health
Austin Public Healthis the health department for the City of Austin and Travis Coun ty. Austin Public Health works to prevent disease, promote health and protect the well-being of all by monitoring and preventing infectious diseases and environmental threats and educating about the benefits of preventative behaviors to avoid chronic diseases and improve health outcomes.
About Austin FC
Austin FC joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as the Leagues 27th club in January 2019. Austin FC will officially begin play in the new, 100% privately financed, $260 million, state-of-the-art Q2 Stadium in June 2021.
Austin FC operates the Austin FC Academy, the fully funded developmental academy representing the highest level of competition for elite youth soccer players in Central Texas, while serving as the exclusive developmental pathway to MLS for the regions most talented young players.
The Group of Seven foreign ministers pledged on Wednesday to work with industry to expand the production of affordable COVID-19 vaccines, but stopped short of calling for a waiver of intellectual property rights of the pharma firms.
"We commit to working with industry to facilitate expanded manufacturing at scale of affordable COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and their component parts," the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement after a meeting in London.
The ministers said the work would include "promoting partnerships between companies, and encouraging voluntary licensing and tech transfer agreements on mutually agreed terms".
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Travel agencies in Thailand are selling coronavirus "vaccine tours" to the United States, as some wealthy Thais grow impatient awaiting mass inoculations that are still a month away amid the country's biggest outbreak so far.
The tours reflect global differences in vaccinations, with the United States and Britain making swift immunisation gains, but many lower income nations - and increasingly their well-off citizens - are still working to secure doses.
Bangkok tour operator, Unithai Trip, has packages from 75,000 baht to 200,000 baht ($2,400 to $6,400) for trips to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, with prices dependent on the time gap between doses.
"Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) is one jab, but 90% of inquires want Pfizer (PFE.N)," which needs about 20 days between the first and second doses, the agency's owner, Rachphol Yamsaeng, told Reuters.
He said a group was tentatively scheduled to leave next week.
My Journey Travel is offering a 10-day trip to San Francisco for a Johnson & Johnson shot and said it has received hundreds of calls in three days.
The vaccine tours could be a boon for Thailand's tourism agencies after travel collapsed during the pandemic.
"All tour agencies are suffering now," said Rachapol, whose agency is also offering similar trips to Serbia. "Whatever we can do, we have to try to do it."
A spokesman at the U.S. embassy in Bangkok declined to immediately comment, but the U.S. State Department's website lists medical tourism as a valid reason to visit.
The United States is not the only destination offered to Thais. Another agency, Udachi, advertised a 23-day "VACCation in Russia" to receive the Sputnik V vaccine for up to 210,000 baht ($6,700).
Thailand's main vaccination drive is set to begin in June with locally-produced AstraZeneca (AZN.L) shots.
Its latest outbreak has accounted for more than half of its total 74,900 infections and 318 fatalities.
Thailand's tourism ministry warned on Wednesday that customers should carefully examine vaccination packages after the foreign ministry said U.S. regulations may vary by state.
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Healthcare volunteer Melissa Lowry prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at a regional vaccination site, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Wakefield, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) A mobile vaccination clinic is bringing vaccines to residents in Holyoke, aiming to administer approximately 120 vaccinations per day beginning on Thursday.
The Mobile Vax is led by both Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to reach and vaccinate more people against COVID-19, particularly in black and brown communities and non-English speaking populations. The clinic is being supported by Holyoke Health, which will also administer the vaccines.
Residents interested can attend the clinic on May 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Veterans Memorial Parklocated at 536 Dwight Street in Holyoke.
The Latino Equity Fund offers vaccine access to these communities to help overcome vaccine hesitancy through multiplepublic-private collaborations, including Latinx-owned businesses ASG and DPV Transportation.
The mobile vaccination clinics encourage those seeking vaccination to have an appointment since walk-ins will only be accommodated based on vaccine availability. This clinic is supported by Last Mile Vaccine Delivery a new public and private partnership service that aims to accelerate vaccine distribution.
Federal, state and local officials say theyve begun to change their approach, including plans to get more doses to primary doctors, reach out to homebound residents and partner more with community-based groups. And theyve begun touting incentives such as free hair cuts and concerts, in Chicago, and sport-shooting targets at a downstate Department of Natural Resources complex.
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On Friday, White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci had a vital message for Americans who have gotten their first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer coronavirus vaccine: Don't skip your second shot.
About 8% of people nationwide who have received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine have not returned for their second dose, Fauci said Friday. That's normal compared to what health experts have seen with other multidose vaccines. But skipping a second dose will not be as effective in preventing the spread and providing the complete protection needed against the virus that has killed more than 576,000 people in the U.S. and more than 49,000 people in Texas.
"Bottom line of my message: Get vaccinated. And if you're having a two-dose regimen, make sure you get that second dose, too," Fauci said.
A lower percentage of people vaccinated in Texas are skipping their second dose relative to the rest of the country. As of April 25, about 5% or 570,399 of Texans who had received the first dose were 43 days or more past due for their second dose, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Health experts say fears of side effects, an inability to take time off of work or incorrectly thinking that a single dose is enough all might be contributing factors to why some are skipping their second dose.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 64% effective at preventing hospitalizations in the elderly after the first dose. But they are 94% effective after two doses.
"Everything is showing us that you need two doses to get good protection against the virus," said Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas and a member of the state medical association's COVID-19 task force.
Carlo said another issue some Texans had earlier this year was finding a second dose, as the number of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine surpassed the number of vaccines available. However, he said, that's no longer an issue.
Texas is seeing its first dip in vaccine demand and a surplus in supplies since the states vaccinations began last winter, leading local and state officials to brainstorm ways to get people to their regional vaccination hub. Strategies have included trucks driving through small rural towns with LED signs, a $1.5 million TV and digital ad campaign and even possibly offering bobblehead or gift card incentives.
Since skipping second doses isn't unique to any part of Texas, both state and local officials are trying to spread the word of the second dose's importance, said DSHS spokesperson Douglas Loveday.
"DSHS has launched new TV, radio and digital ads about these important issues, but we're not the only ones carrying the message," Loveday said in an email. "The governor posted a new video ... on his Twitter account about the importance of getting a second vaccine dose, and our region and local partners continue to message about getting fully vaccinated."
Loveday said the second vaccine dose is also essential in preventing the creation and spread of new COVID-19 variants a mutation of the original virus.
While new variants have not yet been identified as deadlier than the original coronavirus strain, according to the CDC, they can be more contagious. This can lead to more cases, more hospitalizations and, potentially, more deaths.
Dr. Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist with UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, said the first dose primes your immune system. The second dose cements the protection.
"The first dose of the vaccine may protect you from the original virus, but there are variants out there," Troisi said. "Because your immune response isn't as strong without your second dose, variants can replicate and spread. The second dose lowers the odds of that happening."
Health experts say Texans who have missed an appointment for a second dose shouldn't worry about having to start the process over again. While getting the second dose should happen within two to six weeks after the first one and not any sooner than that it's always better to get it late than never. If someone has missed their appointment for their second vaccine dose, they can contact their vaccine distributor to reschedule their appointment.
"There isn't going to be any shaming if you get the vaccine months later," said Dr. Diana Cervantes, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. "I know people might be hesitant if they missed their second dose. But it's never too late."
Disclosure: The University of North Texas and UTHealth School of Public Health have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
New Jersey residents who are in need of transportation to get the coronavirus vaccine no longer have to worry.
NJ Transit is providing complementary rides to and from vaccination sites across the state in an effort to inoculate as many residents as possible against COVID-19, officials said Tuesday.
"Transportation should not be a barrier for anyone wishing to protect themselves from COVID-19,"New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said.
The Vaxride program will allow for roughly 11,000 New Jersey residents to receive up to two free round-trip tickets on NJ Transit to a COVID-19 vaccination site of their choosing.
The free round-trip tickets can be used to get to and from both public and private COVID-19 vaccination locations, including local pharmacies and New Jersey's six mega-sites. The fares will only be valid for intra-state bus travel and at New Jersey train stations.
The complimentary tickets are primarily offered through the NJ Transit mobile app. Customers need to enter the promo code "Vaxride" in order to redeem the offer for two free round-trip tickets.
The offer is a one-time use code which will expire after 60 days. Tickets cannot exceed more than $20 in value, so any costs that go above that threshold will need to be covered by the rider.
Residents without smartphones may obtain their free round-trip tickets by visiting one of NJ Transit's customer service offices or by contacting the public transportation system's customer service hotline and receiving the tickets via the mail within 7-10 days.
Customer service can be reached at 973-275-5555. NJ Transit has a number of customer service branchesacross the state, including at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden.
Access Link customers may also obtain the free fares by mentioning the program when making reservations over the phone.
A map of COVID-19 vaccination sites in close proximity to NJ Transit train, bus and light rail service can be found on the transportation system's website.
The free tickets are being provided through a partnership with two New Jersey-based corporations, Novartis and Catalent. Novartis has committed $120,000 to the initiative, while Catalent has pitched in $12,000.
NJ Transit's free round-trip ticket program is the latest effort taken by the state to help vaccinate as many residents as possible.
All six of the state's COVID-19 vaccination mega-sites are offering walk-in appointments during specific time slots every day to residents ages 16 and older. Three of the six mega-sites can be found in South Jersey at the Atlantic City Convention Center, Rowan College of South Jersey and the Moorestown Mall.
An initiative aimed at religious communities called "Grateful for the Shot" provides vaccines following the conclusion of religious services.
Additionally, residents who get their first COVID-19 vaccine doses in May will be eligible for a free beer at select breweries across New Jersey. To receive their free beers, residents must present their vaccinations cards as proof at any of the 13 participating breweries.
The state said that it will also ramp up its in-person, email and phone communication in order to connect with residents who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Over 3.31 million residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the state. More than 7.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered to New Jersey residents.
The state is about 70% of the way to its goal of having 4.7 million adults fully vaccinated by the end of June.
Pfizer (PFE) CEO Albert Bourla said during the company's earnings call Tuesday that efforts to provide India with doses of its coronavirus vaccine are ongoing, but that it's up to the Indian government to bypass a policy requiring local trials before it can be authorized for use there.
"India wanted to do additional studies" in order to approve the vaccine, but Pfizer "was not ready to allocate resources" that were tied up in studying other aspects of the vaccine, such as efficacy for children and pregnant women, as well as booster shots, Bourla said.
We are hopeful they will change this policy about conducting local trials," he added.
In the meantime, the company has pledged $70 million worth of medicines, including an anti-blood clot medication, as India continues to report more than 350,000 cases and 3,000 deaths every day.
The company announced it will increase vaccine production capacity to 3 billion doses for 2022, and is still taking in commitments for this year. Pfizer estimates its 2021 capacity is 2.5 billion doses, of which 1.6 billion have already been committed.
By comparison, competitor Moderna (MRNA) has capped out its production for the year, targeting about 1 billion doses. The two are the only mRNA vaccines being used against the coronavirus.
Global efforts for other platforms have hit a snag, as both AstraZeneca (AZN) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) suffered backlash for rare blood clots from their vaccines, and in AstraZeneca's case, the crisis in India has hampered global distribution.
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest vaccine maker in the world, has been pressured by the Indian government to circulate more doses domestically. It was central to global distribution efforts through the COVAX facility, the philanthropic joint venture that includes the World Health Organization.
Now, Pfizer is sharing doses through the facility, which targets 92 of the world's low and middle income countries.
Story continues
"I think the Indian government, which tries very hard and is very careful with the health of their people, will eventually approve the vaccine based on the data we have submitted across the world. We are not ready to devote resources right now to study" the vaccine in a general population, Bourla told Yahoo Finance Tuesday.
FILE - In this May 3, 2021, file photo, a man walks carrying a refilled cylinder as family members of COVID-19 patients wait in queue to refill their oxygen cylinders at Mayapuri area in New Delhi, India. COVID-19 infections and deaths are mounting with alarming speed in India with no end in sight to the crisis. People are dying because of shortages of bottled oxygen and hospital beds or because they couldnt get a COVID-19 test. (AP Photo/Ishant Chauhan, File)
Pfizer is focusing on variant-specific boosters and trials in children, which should all yield results in the second half of 2021. In addition, the company is working on a formula that allows longer stability at more normal refrigerator temperatures. Among approved vaccines, Pfizer's is the most needy, requiring ultra-cold temperatures for shipment and storage. This has made it harder for remote areas of the world to gain access and why companies like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson were seen as vital to curbing the global pandemic.
India also has its domestic vaccine, from Bharat Biotech, in the mix. But those and the AstraZeneca doses from SII are still not enough. Pfizer was the first company to apply for emergency use authorization in India, and dropped the application in February after a discussion with regulators focused on the local trial policy.
"I hope that all of this will be resolved, and we will start sending doses of our vaccine to India," Bourla said.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci is calling it: mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can provide people with better protection against new viral variants than a prior coronavirus infection alone can.
During a White House COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Fauci pointed to several new studies, which, when taken together, suggest that the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna provide great immune protection against newly circulating viral variants.
According to the data, the vaccines bump up any natural protection people may have had from prior infection substantially.
"Vaccines, actually, at least with regard to SARS-CoV-2 [the coronavirus] can do better than nature," Fauci, America's leading infectious disease expert, said. "Vaccination in people previously infected significantly boosts the immune response."
Two of the studies that Fauci referenced during the briefing have been peer-reviewed, meaning other independent scientists have given them a thumbs up, while two others are still awaiting peer approval. But they all tell a very similar story.
One study found that people who'd had two doses of an mRNA coronavirus vaccine (either Pfizer's or Moderna's) had antibody titer levels "up to 10 times" that of a natural infection, Fauci said, suggesting those vaccines give people's bodies more fighting power against viral variants than a prior illness can.
"You had interesting increased protection against the variants of concern," Fauci said.
Another small study showed that previously infected people who got vaccinated were exceptionally well protected against three of the five major variants of concern: the P1 variant, first identified in Brazil, the B.1.1.7 variant from the UK which is now dominant in the US, and the B.1.351 variant, first found in South Africa.
But that's not all. In another study that Fauci mentioned, people who'd been previously infected with COVID also displayed better T-cell immunity after a single dose of Pfizer's mRNA vaccine. (T cells can help make infections milder, if people do ever get reinfected.)
"Now, remember these are only laboratory data, have not been proven in the clinic," Fauci said, pointing out that the new studies are based on blood tests, so it's hard to know exactly how everything would play out with real-world infections and variants. "But they are really very interesting, and things that we need to follow up on," he added.
The final study Fauci cited suggested that people who have recovered from a prior COVID-19 infection who then get vaccinated may receive great broadband protection, not just against concerning viral variants, but also against other coronaviruses, like SARS, from their COVID-19 vaccination. That's a virus-fighting power that people who've been infected but not vaccinated don't get.
"Vaccines are highly efficacious," Fauci concluded. "They are better than the traditional response you get from natural infection."
