Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

In addition, to provide additional protection, to minimize the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, and to maximize the resilience of health-care provision, countries should:

"The updated interim recommendations on vaccination strategy come as cases continue to rise across the European Region," noted Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. "Most countries have either removed or decreased public healthrn measures such as mask mandates, and the summer travel season is upon us, with increased social mixing, within and between countries."

Dr Kluge continued, "Vaccinating everyone who is eligible with the recommended number of primary doses and the first booster dose must remain a priority across the European Region. But a second booster shot should also be provided to the immunocompromised,rn and be considered for other vulnerable people, to reduce the risk of severe disease and the resulting burden on health systems. As we go about our daily lives, we must remember that this virus is still with us and its still dangerous. Enjoyrn the summer, but do so safely, and take a second booster shot if you are eligible."

The full conclusions and recommendations of the ad hoc ETAGE meeting are available online in the document Interim recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination in autumn 2022 for the WHO European Region.

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Expert advisory group recommends COVID-19 vaccination strategy for the autumn season - World Health Organization

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation (CIVIE) program have been established by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support countries health ministries and related organizations in planning, implementing, and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination programs.

A team of CDC scientists has recently published an article in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases to discuss the role of the CDC in the management of COVID-19 vaccination programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has burdened the global healthcare system. Several vaccines have been developed globally to break the chain of infection and control the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an emergency use listing (EUL) and policy recommendations for these vaccines. A total of 10 COVID-19 vaccines have been included in the EUL.

COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a global initiative to accelerate the development of vaccines and ensure equitable global distribution of vaccines. A total of 145 countries are participating in COVAX, with the US government being the largest contributor.

The CIVIE program has been established by the US CDC to work with the countries ministries of health to support the planning, execution, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination programs. A total of 55 countries have been supported by CIVIE, which includes 27% of the global population.

CIVIE has set 7 priority areas, including vaccine policy development, program planning, vaccine confidence and demand, data management and use, workforce development, vaccine safety, and evaluation.

The global-level implementation of COVID-19 vaccines has faced many challenges. The major challenge was the intra- and inter-country delivery and distribution of vaccines.

During the initial phase of vaccination campaigns, there was a significant imbalance between vaccine production and supply and vaccine demand. In addition, there were other factor, including inequitable vaccine distribution, multidose vaccination regimen, lack of evidence for some vaccines, manpower shortage, exhausted healthcare system, inadequate vaccine safety monitoring process, and spread of misinformation, which collectively made the initial vaccine rollout challenging.

Despite initial hurdles, the global COVID-19 vaccination program has provided an immense opportunity to manage the growth of the pandemic and restore the global healthcare and economic systems.

The support provided by CIVIE to the countries health ministries has offered many benefits, including partnership strengthening and new collaboration establishment. In addition, evidence collected from clinical trials and real-world setups has significantly helped improve immunization systems.

These improvements could provide long-term benefits, including developing a novel vaccination platform, strengthening national vaccination programs, establishing new strategies to counteract future public health emergencies, and introducing non-COVID vaccines that were put on hold during the pandemic.

Many lessons were learned from the vaccination programs implemented during the large outbreak of Ebola virus in 2014 2016 in West Africa. These programs faced similar challenges as the COVID-19 vaccination programs, including lack of production and supply and inequitable distribution and access to the vaccines.

Since the Ebola outbreak mainly occurred in rural areas, identifying traditional healers and community healthcare workers has been difficult. This challenge highlighted the need for robust microplanning and the development of a healthcare worker registry to ensure effective immunization.

Ebola vaccination programs highlighted the importance of public communication in developing trust and willingness for vaccination. These experiences helped CIVIE develop effective strategies to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.

For the expansion of seasonal influenza vaccination programs in low-to-middle income countries, CDC initiated the Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Introduction (PIVI) with the Task Force for Global Health (TFGH) and WHO in 2013. This combined initiative immensely helped develop invaluable skills, including policy development, microplanning, communication, and staff training, which in turn accelerated the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MACV) was developed to prevent meningitis epidemics in Africa. The lessons learned from MACV programs include strategies to rapidly launch mass vaccination campaigns in low-resource setups, introducing public communication services, and developing sustainable vaccination programs.

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The role of the CDC in the management of COVID-19 vaccination programs - News-Medical.Net

July 13, 2022 - (Tarrant County) Tarrant County Public Health hosts numerous pop-up COVID-19 clinics across Tarrant County each week in partnership with public and private organizations listed below. Each site has the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and at times the Johnson & Johnson.Infants 6 months and older are eligible for the vaccination. Parents need to bring proof of the childs age and their own ID for the vaccination. Booster vaccinations are available at all of the vaccination locations.

TCPH would like to bring a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to businesses, churches and organizations in the community who are interested in hosting a pop-up clinic. Its easy and free to host a clinic.In addition to the vaccination opportunities below, the cities of Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Hurst, and Tarrant County College have also added opportunities for vaccinations. To find a local vaccine site, the County created a vaccine finder page:VaxUpTC website.

Pop-Up COVID-19 locations:

Greater Saint Stephen First Church Monday, July 18: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.3728 E. Berry St. Fort Worth, TX 76105

The ConnectCommunity CrossroadsTuesday, July 19: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.1516 Hemphill St. Fort Worth, TX 76104

Tarrant County Public Health CIinics:

Northwest Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.3800 Adam Grubb RoadLake Worth, TX 76135

Bagsby-Williams Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.3212 Miller Ave.Fort Worth, TX 76119

Southeast Public Health CenterMonday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.536 W Randol MillArlington TX, 76011

Main Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.1101 S. Main StreetFort Worth, TX 76104

Southwest Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.6551 Granbury RoadFort Worth, TX 76133

Watauga Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.6601 Watauga RoadWatauga, TX 76148

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COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for the Week of July 16 - Tarrant County

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 [1]. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared this rapidly spreading illness a global pandemic [2].

The worldwide spread of the virus and its rapid increase in mortality necessitated the expeditious development of a novel vaccine. Early December 2020 marked the beginning of the first mass vaccination program [3]. There are 10 COVID-19 vaccines approved for use by the WHO. These include Oxford-AstraZeneca (AstraZeneca), Johnson and Johnsons Janssen (J&J), Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer), Sinopharm, Sinovac, COVAXIN, Covovax, Nuvaxovid, and CanSino [4]. Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J have been approved for emergency use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently recommending the primary vaccine series for those aged six months and older and, if eligible, boosters for those five years and older [5].

As of June 17, 2022, the CDConline COVID tracker reported that 78.1% of the United States population had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 66.8% are considered fully vaccinated. Additionally, 47.2% of those considered fully vaccinated have been administered the first booster dose [5]. While the primary vaccine and boosters aredeemed safe and effective, increased reports of adverse events are inevitable with the execution of mass vaccination.

Clinical and radiologic evidence of transient reactive lymph node enlargement secondary to the COVID-19 vaccinations is well documented in the literature [6-8]. Clinical signs of lymphadenopathy (LAP) following COVID-19 vaccination have been noted to includelymph node swelling and tenderness ipsilateral to the site of injection [9]. Meanwhile, radiologic evidence of LAP following COVID-19 vaccination, observed on various imaging modalities, have been noted to includediffuse and cortical lymph node thickening [10]. The presence of LAPraises the question if this is due to ones immune system reacting to the vaccine versusan underlying malignant process, infection, autoimmune condition, or medication. This article aims to synthesize the available data on COVID-19 vaccine-associated LAP in breast imaging recipients and to reduce the use of unneeded imaging and invasive procedures in these patients.

Selection Criteria and Search Strategies

A comprehensive literature search was performed by three authors(RTA, JR, JD) using scientific databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Search strings included COVID-19 AND vaccine AND lymphadenopathy AND mammogramOR "mammography" OR breast imaging OR breast MRI. No MeSH terms were utilized. The following study designs were included in our final review: retrospective, case series, and case reports. Pre-existing literature reviews and systematic reviews were excluded. All articles were reviewed for relevancy by reading the title and abstract. After removing duplicate articles, we included data from 26 studies relevant to our topic. We included retrospective observational studies, case series, and case reports published in English. Many of these articles included patients with breast imaging such as mammography (MMG), breast ultrasounds (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). The table inAppendices comprises a list of articles used in this report and briefly describes each.

Data Collection

Data extraction was completed independently by three authors (RTA, JR, JD).These studies examined characteristics such as age, prior history of breast cancer, malignant findings, and adenopathy location in addition to variables such as imaging type, vaccination type, days since the last COVID-19 vaccination, and whether patients received the first or second dose of the vaccine.

In our literature review, 26 published (11 retrospective studies, eight case reports, and seven case series) articles were included (Tables 1; table in the Appendices). An analysis of these articles can be seen in Table 1.

LAP reports will likely increase as the COVID-19 vaccine reaches a broader patient population.With increasing vaccination rates, side effects from vaccination are expected to become more noticeable, and thus more likely to be reported. The purpose of this literature review was to summarize the available data related to LAP after receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is essential to consider time variation, the number of vaccinations received, and personal patient characteristics when LAP is reported on breast imaging.

LAP Characteristics

Across the 26 studies reviewed, a total of 5,162 patients received at least onedose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 1,906 patients (36.92%) showing signs of post-vaccination LAP [7,11-35]. Axillary LAP was seen across all studies, while supraclavicular, intramammary, and subpectoral LAPwas also noted, though less frequently [7,17,29,32]. LAP was found through various imaging modalities, including MMG, US, MRI, and PET/CT, with and without fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracing.

Timing

Studies that reported the number of days since the last COVID-19 vaccination showed that LAP typically occurs within a month after vaccination. Considering the close timing after vaccine administration, LAP found on breast imaging after COVID-19 vaccination may not merit an aggressive workup. A thorough history and last vaccination date should therefore be taken before an aggressive workup is initiated. A retrospective case series by Robinson et al. found that patients who had received a COVID-19 vaccination within 90 days had a higher incidence of axillary adenopathy present on MMG [19]. The study identified 23 out of 750 cases of axillary adenopathy (3%), much higher than the 0.02-0.04% rate of adenopathy reported in normal MMG, particularly in the first two weeks following vaccination. Additionally, no instances of axillary adenopathy were identified in those who were observed 28 days post-vaccination [19].

Vaccine Type

While vaccinations against HIN1 Influenza, tuberculosis (TB), smallpox, measles, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are associated with regional LAP to varying degrees, post-vaccination LAP is an infrequent adverse effect in the aforementioned vaccinations [9,36-38]. Meanwhile, this effect has been observed with higher frequency in SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine recipients [39].The two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, were the first mRNA vaccines to be granted authorization by the FDA. Most vaccinations work by using a killed or weakened version of a pathogen to trigger the immune system to recognize and respond to it in the future.Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines work differently by using genetically engineered mRNA instead of part of an actual bacteria or virus. When mRNA is introduced into the body, it is displayed on antigen-presenting cellsand then travels to regional axillary lymph nodes and initiates a large T- and B-cell response for the development of cellular and humoral immunity. As a result, the mRNA vaccination, unlike previous protein-based vaccinations, elicits a more robust immune response within lymph node germinal centers during antigen presentation [10]. The mRNA vaccinations, Moderna and Pfizer, were the two most frequently administered in the studies included in our review. Studies in which patients were administered AstraZeneca, a viral vector vaccine, and J&J, an adenovector vaccine, wereless frequently mentioned.

Patient Characteristics

In this literature review, it appears that thewomen with adenopathy were predominantly between 30 years and 60 years of age. According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), it is recommended for women 50-74 years old to get MMG every two years [40]. Do clinical professionals have an obligation to pursue aggressive workups if women receive MMG that reveals LAP in the setting of recent vaccination? Before the pandemic, women with LAP on breast imaging were recommended for further evaluation. However, vaccine-associated LAP should be considered to avoid unnecessary workup in this patient population.

Conservative Approach

In our literature review, 21 studies investigated whether patients with LAP following COVID-19 vaccination showed evidence of new malignant findings. As a whole,new malignancy findings were rarely reported. These 21 studies identified 1,172 patients with LAP, 28 of whom (2.4%) showed new malignancies on imaging. More specifically, in Horvat et al., among 104 patients with LAP and COVID-19 vaccinations, only three were newly diagnosed with breast cancer [26]. In the study by Cohen et al., 17 out of 332 women had a new breast cancer diagnosis [32]. A majority of the patients undergoing aggressive workup (e.g., biopsy) in these studies did not have evidence of malignancy. Follow-up US is less invasive than other imaging modalities and also did not reveal evidence of malignancy in most cases.Despite being less invasive, ultrasound is, however, less sensitive than biopsy for diagnosing malignancy. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that false negatives can occur.

Management and Recommendations

In response to the original guidelines suggested by the Society of Breast Imaging, a large, multidisciplinary team of experts at three of the leading tertiary cancer centers in the United States have come forward with recommendations regarding radiographic imaging and post-vaccination imaging LAP. Their recommendations included the following: whenever possible, cancer-related imaging and screening should be performed before vaccination. As mortality rates due to infection are more significant than the reduction in mortality rates seen from screening, they suggested that patients being screened for cancer who are at increased risk or patients with a known history of cancer should not delay vaccination due to scheduled imaging, as these patients are at higher risk for serious COVID-19 infection and complications. In line with the recommendations by the Society of Breast Imaging in 2021, they suggested that screening MMGshould either be scheduled before a patients first dose or four to six weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. In addition, the team recommended extending this interval to six weeks after the final vaccination dose, stating that it is common for LAP to remain detectable on imaging at four weeks. Imaging should not be delayed in an acute situation [41].

If a patienthas cancer or has a known history of cancer, all vaccinations should be administered contralateralto the affected side, in the same location on the arm [32]. Whenever new-onset LAP follows vaccination, Becker et al. recommend observation for six weeks before a thorough diagnostic workup and consider US follow-up if there is a history of cancer. A tissue biopsy should be performed only if there is a concern for metastatic nodal cancer, where prompt identification and treatment are required [41].

Since their initial recommendations in the winter of 2021, the Society of Breast Imaging updated its guidelines as of February 2022 for managing and screening individuals with post-vaccination LAP. It is no longer recommended to delay screening MMG for four to six weeks after the COVID-19 vaccination. A Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 1 was previously assigned to patients with unilateral axillary LAP on screening MMG with a recent history of COVID-19 vaccination. The latest guidelines recommend categorizing these patients as BI-RADS category 2 (benign), requiring further routine screening. If given a BI-RADS category 3 (probably benign), previous recommendations suggested a follow-up interval of four to twelve weeks. As post-vaccine LAP may persist for a prolonged period, the guidelines now suggest a follow-up interval of longer than twelve weeks. Patients with persistent axillary LAP were previously considered for biopsy. According to the Society of Breast Imaging, patients with improved axillary LAP should be assigned a BI-RADS category 2, or if the condition remains unchanged, a BI-RADS category 3, which will warrant continued follow-up at six months. A lymph node biopsy should only be considered if adenopathy increases [42].

It is essential to consider tissue sampling and prompt diagnostic evaluation in patients with LAP and associated breast parenchymal abnormalities. This refined approach may prevent delays in diagnosis and treatment for patients with malignancy masked by symptoms from vaccination. A review by Hao et al.highlights an instance in which a patient with ipsilateral LAP and associated breast parenchymal change (breast edema) seen on MMG twelve days post-vaccination was found to have a metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma on biopsy [43]. Hence, clinical judgment and consideration of associated symptoms are essential when determining whether to perform breast imaging.

Limitations

The study's design must be viewed in light of some limitations. A significant limitation is the insufficient sample size for a meaningful statistical analysis. Most of the literature available are case reports and case series. Therefore, we recognize that their findings lack generalization. Furthermore, the minimal cohort studies we found target different variables. This manuscript places all the available literature to date in one article for easy readability. Considerations for future studies with potential for generalizability may include prospective observational studies following patients with post-COVID-19 vaccine LAP over time.

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COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Lymphadenopathy in Breast Imaging Recipients: A Review of Literature - Cureus

While many Covid-19 restrictions are being, or have already been, relaxed nation-wide, vulnerable people like those living with cancer may be concerned about going back out into the world, especially with so many questions remaining about the virus. If you have cancer, you have a higher risk of developing severe Covid, but it can be hard to follow how many boosters to get, what kind of precautions to keep up, and beyond when it comes to the virus.

For many people who currently have or previously had cancer, current guidelines can be confusing. Should you be getting each vaccine booster? Are masks still a must in all public places? What about available treatments if you do get Covid-19? We consulted experts to come up answers to these important questions when it comes to cancer and Covid-19.

Hematologist/oncologist Dr. Thomas Martin explains why blood cancer patients may be more at risk for severe Covid-19.

There are also certain cancer treatments that may make people more vulnerable to Covid infections, even if they are vaccinated. These include patients who:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over 6 months old get the Covid vaccine and that includes most people with cancer and those who were previously treated for the disease. People with an increased risk of developing severe Covid, including cancer patients, should also get booster shots. While it is recommended that all members of the public get one booster shot, those with an increased risk should get two.

Whatever you get, either [Pfizer or Moderna], we encourage people to get their two extra boosters, Dr. John Greene, chair of Moffitt Cancer Centers Infectious Disease Program, tells SurvivorNet.

You may have heard that some people should get a third booster shot, but Dr. Greene explains that this is not needed in most cases.

As far as a third booster, thats very rare and it depends on what their immune system is doing, he explains. Dr. Greene adds that if a patient is interested in getting another booster shot (with the Pfizer and Moderna shots, that would be five shots in total), they can request that, but its not common.

As we all know, there have already been several variants of Covid-19 and immunocompromised people may be worried how safe they are from new strains, even with the vaccine.

The new omicron strains are rapidly mutating and becoming less and less covered by the current vaccine, so the companies are vigorously working on trying to get a new vaccine that covers all the new emerging variants, Dr. Greene explains. The might be out in six months to a year, but until then, we work with what we have.

There are a few situations where a doctor may recommend that a patient with cancer wait to get a vaccine or booster. One of those situations is when a patient has already had a recent Covid infection.

Many of our patients are getting infected with the new variant, Dr. Greene says. And that immunity will give them protection from reinfection for at least 90 days. So after the 90 days are up, they can get a booster.

Another situation is when a patients immune system has been so severely affected by treatment that it would simply not be beneficial to get them the vaccine Because their chance of mounting an immune response is zero to 20 percent, Dr. Greene says. An example Dr. Greene gave was Rituxan (rituximab), which is a monoclonal antibody used to treat some blood cancers. Because this drugs knocks out immune producing cells, it would not make sense to try to mount an immune response to Covid while patients are taking the drug.

If a person with cancer gets sick with a Covid infection, there are a few different treatment approaches doctors can take. Which approach your doctor goes with, and whether Covid treatment is required at all, will depend on several factors.

Drugs that may be used to treat Covid include:

These drugs cannot be given to all patients, and Paxlovid in particular has the potential for interaction with other drugs.

The other drugs are quite safe for most people, except theres a few exceptions for people with severe liver or kidney issues, Dr. Greene says.

When it comes to going about their everyday lives, cancer patients should continue to use caution but also keep in mind that we are in a much different place than we were in spring of 2020.

For now, the National Cancer Institute still recommends people with an increased risk from Covid continue to follow guidelines like:

Cancer patients are one of the safest groups of all [when it comes to Covid precautions], Dr. Greene says. The vast majority of them are ultra-safe no matter what, so theyre going to be pretty strict about not going to crowded areas and if they do, to wear a mask and wash hands frequently and be as distant as possible.

Dr. Greene also pointed out that despite case numbers, current Omicron is a less severe variant than Delta was. Still, its a good idea to continue being cautious as the virus continues to linger.

The CDC also has a tool that lets you check the level of Covid in your community and adjust your Covid precautions as needed.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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What Cancer Patients Need to Know About the Covid-19 Vaccine & Treatment in Summer 2022 - SurvivorNet

CNN

Once again, Covid-19 seems to be everywhere. If you feel caught off-guard, you arent alone.

After the Omicron tidal wave washed over the United States in January and the smaller rise in cases in the spring caused by the BA.2 subvariant, it might have seemed like the coronavirus could be ignored for a while. After all, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in December that nearly all Americans had been vaccinated or have antibodies from a past infection. Surely all that immunity bought some breathing room.

But suddenly, many people who had recovered from Covid-19 as recently as March or April found themselves exhausted, coughing and staring at two red lines on a rapid test. How could this be happening again and so soon?

The culprit this time is yet another Omicron offshoot, BA.5. It has three key mutations in its spike protein that make it both better at infecting our cells and more adept at slipping past our immune defenses.

In just over two months, BA.5 outcompeted its predecessors to become the dominant cause of Covid-19 in the United States. Last week, this subvariant caused almost 2 out of every 3 new Covid-19 infections in this country, according to the latest data from the CDC.

Lab studies of antibodies from the blood of people whove been vaccinated or recovered from recent Covid-19 infections have looked at how well they stand up to BA.5, and this subvariant can outmaneuver them. So people whove had Covid as recently as winter or even spring may again be vulnerable to the virus.

We do not know about the clinical severity of BA.4 and BA.5 in comparison to our other Omicron subvariants, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House Covid-19 Response Team briefing Tuesday. But we do know it to be more transmissible and more immune-evading. People with prior infection, even with BA.1 and BA.2, are likely still at risk for BA.4 or BA.5.

The result is that were getting sick in droves. As Americans have switched to more rapid at-home tests, official case counts currently hovering around 110,000 new infections a day reflect just a fraction of the true disease burden.

We estimate that for every reported case there are 7 unreported, Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, wrote in an email.

Other experts think the wave could be as much as 10 times higher than whats being reported now.

Were looking at probably close to a million new cases a day, Dr. Peter Hotez said Monday on CNN. This is a full-on BA.5 wave that were experiencing this summer. Its actually looking worse in the Southern states, just like 2020, just like 2021, said Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

That puts us in the range of cases reported during the first Omicron wave, in January. Remember when it seemed like everyone everywhere got sick at the same time? Thats the situation in the United States again.

It may not seem like a very big deal, because vaccines and better treatments have dramatically cut the risk of death from Covid-19. Still, about 300 to 350 people are dying on average each day from Covid-19, enough to fill a large passenger jet.

That is unacceptable. Its too high, Dr. Ashish Jha, coordinator for the White House Covid-19 Response Team, said at Tuesdays briefing.

Daily hospitalizations are also climbing in the United States. The fraction of patients needing intensive care is up by about 23% over the past two weeks. And other countries are experiencing BA.5 waves, too.

I am concerned that cases of Covid-19 continue to rise, putting further pressure on stretched health systems and health workers. I am also concerned about the increasing trend of deaths, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, at a news briefing Tuesday after the agencys decision to maintain its emergency declaration for Covid-19.

The pandemic, he said, is nowhere near over.

There are also more insidious health risks to consider. A recent preprint study that compared the health of people whod been infected one or more times with Covid-19 found that the risk of new and sometimes lasting health problems rose with each subsequent infection, suggesting that reinfections are not necessarily benign.

Although vaccination reduces the risk of getting long Covid, a certain percentage of people have lasting symptoms after a breakthrough infection.

Thats another reason why high numbers of Covid-19 cases are a big deal: Because the virus is still spreading wildly, it has every opportunity to mutate to make even fitter and more infectious versions of itself. Its doing this faster than we can change our vaccines, leaving us stuck in the Covid-rinse-repeat period of the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pleaded with Americans to use all available tools to stop the spread of the virus, including masking, ventilation and social distancing.

We need to keep the levels of virus to the lowest possible level, and that is our best defense. If a virus is not very robustly replicating and spreading, it gives it less of a chance of a mutation, which gives it less of a chance of the evolving of another variant, Fauci said in a news briefing.

In fact, this is already happening.

Even as the US comes to terms with BA.5, variant hunters around the world are closely watching another Omicron descendant, BA.2.75. Its been detected in about 10 countries, including the United States, and seems to be growing quickly in India.

BA.2.75 has nine changes in its spike region that distinguish it from BA.2 and about 11 changes compared with BA.5, according to Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London.

Several of the mutations in BA.2.75 are in a region of the spike protein known to be an important place for antibodies to bind to stop the virus, said Ulrich Elling, a scientist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences who monitors coronavirus variants for that country.

Theres little information to go on: Its still not known, for example, how BA.2.75 may compete against BA.5 or whether it causes more severe illness. But experts say it has all the hallmarks of a variant that could go global.

It spread to many different countries already, so we know that it has some sort of staying power, said Shishi Luo, associate director of bioinformatics and infectious disease for Helix Labs, which decodes virus samples for the CDC and other clients.

Because of that, and because of changes in the region of the virus that our antibodies look for to shut it down, we sort of know ahead of time that this one will cause some trouble, Luo said.

Based on what we know now, she expects that this subvariant could drive a fall Covid-19 wave in the United States.

In the meantime, Jha said, people should get boosters that are available to them to keep their immunity as strong as possible. US health officials emphasized that people who are boosted now will still be able to get an updated shot this fall that includes the BA.4 and BA.5 strains.

Jha specifically urged Americans who are 50 and older, if youve not gotten a vaccine shot this year, go get one now. It could save your life, he said.

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Why the Omicron offshoot BA.5 is a big deal - CNN

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White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci conceded that COVID-19 vaccines do not protect "overly well" against infection Tuesday on "Your World."

VACCINATED PATIENTS WITH BLOOD CANCERS ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF BREAKTHROUGH COVID THAN OTHER CANCERS, STUDY SAYS

DR. FAUCI: One of the things that's clear from the data [is] that even though vaccines - because of the high degree of transmissibility of this virus - don't protect overly well, as it were, against infection, they protect quite well against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. And I believe that's the reason, Neil, why at my age, being vaccinated and boosted, even though it didn't protect me against infection, I feel confident that it made a major role in protecting me from progressing to severe disease. And that's very likely why I had a relatively mild course. So my message to people who seem confused because people who are vaccinated get infected - the answer is if you weren't vaccinated, the likelihood [is] you would have had [a] more severe course than you did have when you were vaccinated.

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Fauci admits that COVID-19 vaccines do not protect 'overly well' against infection - Fox News

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of July 14, 2022, there are currently 2,889 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There were no deaths reported to DHHR over the last 24 hours, and total deaths remain at 7,099 attributed to COVID-19.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (17), Berkeley (149), Boone (51), Braxton (14), Brooke (12), Cabell (141), Calhoun (8), Clay (10), Doddridge (11), Fayette (93), Gilmer (13), Grant (17), Greenbrier (53), Hampshire (30), Hancock (40), Hardy (35), Harrison (130), Jackson (36), Jefferson (80), Kanawha (307), Lewis (22), Lincoln (30), Logan (62), Marion (110), Marshall (50), Mason (46), McDowell (56), Mercer (145), Mineral (30), Mingo (43), Monongalia (123), Monroe (22), Morgan (12), Nicholas (46), Ohio (56), Pendleton (4), Pleasants (14), Pocahontas (11), Preston (33), Putnam (106), Raleigh (179), Randolph (24), Ritchie (9), Roane (30), Summers (20), Taylor (25), Tucker (4), Tyler (9), Upshur (48), Wayne (43), Webster (17), Wetzel (18), Wirt (3), Wood (137), Wyoming (55). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

West Virginians ages 6 months and older are recommended to get vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19. Those 5 years and older should receive a booster shot when due. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over who are 4 months or greater from their first booster are recommended, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

To locate COVID-19 testing near you, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 7-14-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

In a recent study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, researchers explored intent and belief in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in the Netherlands.

The COVID-19 vaccines have played an indispensable role in curbing the infections and mortality caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the efficacy of the vaccines is majorly dependent on the high and equal distribution of vaccine uptake in a population.

In the present study, the researchers employed mental models to explore the beliefs underlying and intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination.

The team conducted a survey between 12 March and 22 March 2021 when 1.5 million out of 17.5 million Netherlands residents were either partly or fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 infections. The online survey was sent to 6810 individuals aged 18 years and above. The sample chosen for the survey was deemed as representative of the general Dutch population according to demographic characteristics.

Vaccination intention was assessed as follows. All the participants who were not vaccinated despite receiving an invitation for COVID-19 vaccination were asked Do you want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus? while the respondents who reported that they did not receive an invitation for COVID-19 vaccination were questioned If you are invited for a COVID-19 vaccination, do you then want to get vaccinated? The participants were required to answer the questions on a 5-point Likert scale wherein the points indicated 1. Certainly not; 2. Probably not; 3. Dont know; 4 Probably yes; 5. Certainly yes.

The beliefs pertaining to COVID-19 and vaccination were assessed by identifying major elements present in the mental models underlying the vaccination intentions. The beliefs were analyzed with the question: We would like to know what you think about the coronavirus/vaccination against the coronavirus. For each statement, indicate to what extent it aligns with what you think. I think . This question was followed by a total of 25 statements which were scored based on the 5-point Likert scale which could be classified into seven elements of mental modes of a person: (1) beliefs related to COVID-19 risk to oneself and ones loved ones, (2) safety of COVID-19 vaccination, (3) effectiveness of vaccination, (4) social benefits related to the vaccination, (5) alternatives to vaccination, (6) social norms associated with vaccination behavior, and (7) accessibility of vaccination.

The team also assessed the extent to which the beliefs were responsible for the variation in vaccination intentions and identified the specific beliefs that determined vaccination intentions. This was achieved by performing a regression analysis using Random Forest (RF), a machine learning method that facilitated regression and classification according to an ensemble of decision trees.

A total of four types of outputs were taken into account after the RF analysis: (1) variable importance ranking (VIR) which ranked control and independent variables, (2) particle dependence which indicated the extent and the direction of association between the dependent and independent variables, (3) cumulative variance explained which represented the variance after the addition of an independent variable to the VIR, and (4) total variance explained.

The study results showed that 62.5% of the unvaccinated participants answered that they would certainly receive COVID-19 vaccination and 17.8% reported that they would probably want to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. However, 7.1% of the participants reported that they did not know yet if they would get vaccinated, 5.9% would probably not want to receive the vaccine, while 6.8% revealed that they certainly would not get vaccinated against COVID-19. The team noted that the average response with respect to vaccination intention was 4.2.

Statistical analysis showed that all 25 beliefs were substantially associated with vaccination intentions. Correlations between COVID-19 vaccination and the related beliefs regarding COVID-19 had moderate to strong associations between different risk perception beliefs related to COVID-19. Moreover, the team observed strong associations between COVID-19 vaccination and beliefs related to the safety of COVID-19 vaccination.

Furthermore, 27.7% of the participants indicated that they did not believe that the adverse effects associated with the COVID-19 vaccination were well-researched while 28.3% opined that the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too quickly. With respect to vaccine effectiveness, while the participants believed that the vaccines would effectively protect them against COVID-19, they were unsure if the vaccine would be effective only for a short duration.

Overall, the study findings showed that beliefs associated with COVID-19 explained the wide variation in COVID-19 vaccination intentions.

See more here:

How does the belief that vaccination will end the COVID-19 pandemic relate to vaccination intent? - News-Medical.Net

OLD LYME Ledge Light Health District hosts a COVID-19 vaccine clinic today, Monday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lymes Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Rd. in Old Lyme.

Only the Moderna vaccine will be available at this clinic for individuals 18 years or olderwho need a 1st or 2nd dose or are eligible for a 1st or 2nd booster dose. This clinic is free and open to the public. No appointment, insurance, or ID is necessary. Bring your CDC vaccination card if you have one.

The following groups are eligible for a 1stbooster shot at this clinic:

The following groups are eligible for a 2ndbooster shot at this clinic:

CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccine, and that everyone ages 5 years and older also receive a booster.

Another COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held on Wednesday, July 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ledyard Senior Center, 12 Van Tassel Drive, Gales Ferry.

For a complete list of community clinics including those where vaccinations are available for people younger than 18, please visithttps://llhd.org/coronavirus-covid-19-situation/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-find-a-vaccination/

Community members and businesses are urged to access up-to-date information regarding the pandemic from reputable sources, including the Ledge Light Health District website (www.LLHD.org), Facebook (@LedgeLightHD), Twitter (@LedgeLightHD), and Instagram (@LedgeLightHD).

Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) serves as the local health department for East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington and Waterford, Connecticut. As a health district, formed under Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-241, LLHD is a special unit of government, allowing member municipalities to provide comprehensive public health services to residents in a more efficient manner by consolidating the services within one organization.

Read more from the original source:

Free COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic to be Held at Lymes' Senior Center TODAY; No Appointment, ID, Insurance Required - lymeline.com