Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

DUSHANBE, March 14, 2022 The Government of Tajikistan and the World Bank signed a US$25 million grant agreement as additional financing to the Tajikistan Emergency COVID-19 Project, which has been supporting Tajikistans efforts to respond to the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020. These additional resources will support the procurement and provision of vaccines against COVID-19. The agreement was signed by the Minister of Finance of Tajikistan Faiziddin Qahhorzoda and World Bank Country Manager Ozan Sevimli.

I am very pleased that with World Bank support, we will be able to help the people of Tajikistan access safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 and stay healthy and protected, said Ozan Sevimli, World Bank Country Manager to Tajikistan. This is especially critical as the country paves its way towards a more resilient and sustainable post-pandemic recovery and economic growth.

Currently about 53 percent of Tajikistans population has received a single dose of the vaccine and 48 percent have received two doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated. The additional financing will help Tajikistan close its COVID-19 vaccine gap and meet the recently expanded national target of vaccinating all citizen above 12 years of age.

The additional financing will also cover the cost of vaccine delivery, distribution within Tajikistan, the cost of key consumables (needles, syringes, safety boxes), expansion of the electronic vaccine and COVID-19 testing registration system, as well as the printing of vaccine certificates. It will also help procure COVID-19 tests, additional PPE, and supplies such as medications and consumables for hospitals for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, the authorities will be able to expand their communication activities to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation related to the pandemic.

The original Tajikistan Emergency COVID-19 Project, with a total financing of $11.3 million, was approved in April 2020, and in February 2021 the World Bank approved additional $21.2 million for the project. These resources have helped strengthen Intensive Care Units in 10 hospitals across the country through equipment, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and small rehabilitation works. Necessary investments were made to improve oxygen supply in 15 hospitals across Tajikistan to help severely ill COVID-19 and other patients to receive life-saving oxygen therapy. As part of the project, a one-time emergency cash assistance was provided to over 214,500 poor households across the country to mitigate the impacts of food price shocks caused by the pandemic. In addition, 650,400 doses of the Moderna vaccines, procured through COVAX, were delivered in early 2022 and important investments were made to prepare Tajikistan for the broader vaccine rollout. The project also provided one-time emergency support to fill a budget gap for procuring vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) for children. The project continues to provide critical support to strengthen national capacity on COVID-19 communication and public outreach, with 50 journalists and over 490 community volunteers trained so far.

Currently, the World Bank is financing 25 projects in Tajikistan totaling at $1.39 billion. Since 1996, the World Bank has provided over $2.44 billion in IDA grants, highly concessional credits, and trust funds for Tajikistan. The World Bank is committed to continuing its support as the country strives to improve the lives and meet the aspirations of its young and growing population.

World Bank Group Response to COVID-19

The World Bank Group is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries strengthen their pandemic response, increase disease surveillance, improve public health interventions, and help the private sector continue to operate and sustain jobs. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank Group has committed over $157 billion to fight the impacts of the pandemic, the fastest and largest crisis response in its history. The financing is helping more than 100 countries strengthen pandemic preparedness, protect the poor and jobs, and jump start a climate-friendly recovery.

PRESS RELEASE NO: 2022/ECA/68

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Additional Financing of $25 Million to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Tajikistan with World Bank Support [EN/RU] - Tajikistan - ReliefWeb

Scientists and healthcare officials have developed several pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For example, wearing facemasks has been one of the most effective non-pharmaceutical measures that have been adopted globally to prevent the further spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and protect individuals from contracting COVID-19.

Study: Maintaining face mask use before and after achieving different COVID-19 vaccination coverage levels: a modelling study. Image Credit: Mr. Tempter / Shutterstock.com

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, most people wore facemasks in the United States. However, researchers observed that this practice relaxed since the spring of 2021, even though the vaccination rates were below that which has been projected to attain herd-immunity thresholds.

In mid-May 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that vaccinated individuals were not required to wear facemasks when they were indoors in public places like restaurants. This prompted both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to stop wearing facemasks, which was quickly followed by a significant rise in COVID-19 cases due to the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants.

This surge in COVID-19 cases quickly caused local officials to reinstate facemask requirements in Los Angeles County, California, and Washington D.C. Although various studies have shown that facemasks effectively prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the use of facemasks in 2021 remained lower than it was in 2020.

Recently, researchers have addressed some important questions regarding the use of facemasks, such as whether facemasks should be worn in public indoor locations like grocery stores and public transportation, and for how long this practice should be maintained.

In this context, scientists in a recent The Lancet Public Health study simulated different scenarios using facemasks through a computational Monte Carlo simulation model representing the population of the U.S. and SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Moreover, the researchers performed simulations to compare different scenarios, which included predictions of the outcomes for individuals who wore a facemask and those who did not use a facemask until the target vaccination coverage of 70-90% of the population was achieved.

The current study underscored that COVID-19 vaccination alone is not enough to manage the pandemic. Multiple interventions were required to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, death, and suffering.

As each intervention including the frequent use of sanitizers, face masks, and social restrictions is associated with different limitations, a combinational effect of multiple interventions could positively enhance their impact and combat the pandemic.

The authors provided strong evidence that showed the use of facemasks is an effective and cost-effective method to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study also revealed that facemasks must be used continuously, even after reaching specific vaccination coverage levels to attain herd immunity.

Continual use of facemasks is important, as virus transmission does not immediately cease on reaching vaccination threshold levels. In fact, facemasks appear to provide additional prevention until transmission gradually recedes after two to ten weeks.

The decline of vaccine effectiveness as a result of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning of immune responses induced by vaccination or natural infection have increased the value of wearing facemasks.

The researchers note that it is not realistic to presume that all individuals with COVID-19 would remain isolated for the full duration of their infected phase. This is because many people do not get tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, asymptomatically infected individuals might transmit infection unintentionally, or some patients might be tempted not to remain isolated throughout the infected phase. This situation further emphasizes the importance of using facemasks to control the pandemic.

The authors recommend that all individuals continue to wear facemasks, irrespective of their age group or profession. When face mask effectiveness was increased by 10%, a relative reduction of 1720% of COVID-19 cases was observed. Additionally, a significant reduction in the number of hospitalizations and deaths due to SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported.

Although the current model is based in the U.S., these findings can resemble similar scenarios in other countries. Furthermore, all models represent a simplified version of real-life conditions and cannot account for every possible outcome.

In the event that there is a shortage of effective facemasks, such as N95 masks, wearing a regular cloth mask is better than not wearing one, as individuals with COVID-19 are less likely to spread the disease when they use facemasks. Taken together, the researchers suggest the continual wearing of facemasks for two to ten weeks beyond achieving specific vaccination coverages to reduce residual SAR-CoV-2 transmission.

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Modeling study assesses the effectiveness facemasks before and after COVID-19 vaccination - News-Medical.Net

CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohios COVID vaccination campaign like much of the United States has dramatically slowed in recent months. However, the state hit a milestone this past week. About 70% of Ohioans older than 12 years old have at least one vaccine shot.

That figure stood at 70.1%, as of Saturday. When factoring in Ohioans ages 5-11, the figure is 66%, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That is a 0.3% and 0.2% increase week-over-week, respectively.

The vaccination news is just one more bright spot in Ohio, as its other relevant COVID-19 numbers like cases and hospitalizations keep dropping.

The number of reported coronavirus cases in Ohio in the last seven days continues to shrink, down more than 2,000 week-over-week. As of Saturday, that number is 4,380, compared to 6,504 on March 5. Put another way, the figure is a decrease of 32.7% from last weeks total. The seven-day average of cases has subsequently dropped, from 929 to 626. That average hasnt been that low since late July 2021.

The nine consecutive weeks of falling case numbers mean the 21-day average also keeps falling, down to 933 from 1,347 on March 5. The last time the 21-day average of cases was lower than 1,000 was early August 2021.

Additionally, daily COVID hospitalizations in the state keep sliding. Week-over-week, the count was lower on Saturday (631) than it was on March 5 (843); thats a decrease of 212 patients.

The daily patient count for those being treated for COVID-19 in the ICU also steadily dropped over the past week. It was lower Saturday (120) than it was on the prior Saturday (172). Thats a difference of 52.

According to the Ohio Hospital Association, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is down 22% over the past seven days; down 60% in the last 21 days and down 90% in the past 60 days. As for COVID-19 ICU admissions, the figure is down 21% over the last seven days; down 64% in the past 21 days and down 90% in the last 60 days.

As of Saturday, 1-in-29 patients hospitalized in Ohio is COVID-positive, the Ohio Hospital Associations data shows, and 1-in-25 ICU patients is COVID-positive.

The weekly reported COVID death count has not consistently fallen, like case and hospitalization figures have. However, in the past four weeks, only one week has seen a report of higher than 1,000.

This week, 392 COVID-19 deaths were reported in Ohio. In the prior four weeks, the count was 438, 1,087, 488 and 788, respectively.

Its worth noting that the death figures often lag for weeks or even months. Ohio reports COVID-19 deaths twice per week, on Tuesday and Fridays.

Starting Monday, the Ohio Department of Health will stop updating its COVID-19 dashboard daily and instead post weekly updates each Thursday. The head of the health department, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said last week that officials will continue to monitor the numbers, as well as coronavirus in sewage which can indicate if a spike is coming and could increase reporting if cases or hospitalizations increase.

Read more on cleveland.com:

Most of Ohio goes green on new CDC COVID-19 map; meaning no mask recommendations

Northeast Ohio enjoys second mild flu season in row; COVID-19 measures also slow spread of flu

Gratitude is a daily ritual: Greater Clevelanders reflect on COVID pandemics silver linings after 2 years

Continued here:

Coronavirus vaccination rate tops 70% for Ohioans ages 12 and up as COVID cases, hospitalizations continue to - cleveland.com

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of March 14, 2022, there are currently 1,244 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 10 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,559* deaths attributed to COVID-19.

*A previously reported death during December 2020 of a 47-year old female from Kanawha County was determined to not be a COVID-19 associated death. Removing this death reduces the cumulative death count by one.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 58-year old female from Cabell County, an 81-year old female from Monongalia County, a 61-year old male from Preston County, an 89-year old male from Lewis County, a 60-year old male from Cabell County, a 78-year old male from Cabell County, an 82-year old female from Lewis County, an 87-year old female from Lewis County, a 79-year old male from Taylor County, and a 90-year old male from Monongalia County.

With a heavy heart, we share this solemn news of more lives lost to this pandemic, and extend our sympathies to the families affected, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Please schedule your COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot today to prevent further loss of life.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (9), Berkeley (49), Boone (8), Braxton (16), Brooke (15), Cabell (45), Calhoun (12), Clay (4), Doddridge (1), Fayette (46), Gilmer (5), Grant (6), Greenbrier (32), Hampshire (8), Hancock (8), Hardy (4), Harrison (47), Jackson (10), Jefferson (20), Kanawha (65), Lewis (2), Lincoln (11), Logan (13), Marion (66), Marshall (44), Mason (25), McDowell (35), Mercer (60), Mineral (7), Mingo (21), Monongalia (63), Monroe (8), Morgan (2), Nicholas (22), Ohio (10), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (3), Pocahontas (4), Preston (28), Putnam (34), Raleigh (156), Randolph (9), Ritchie (10), Roane (7), Summers (13), Taylor (13), Tucker (5), Tyler (5), Upshur (26), Wayne (9), Webster (25), Wetzel (20), Wirt (0), Wood (48), Wyoming (28). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Booster shots are also available for those 12 and older. To learn more about the vaccine, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Mason, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler/Wetzel, Upshur, Wayne, and Wood counties.

Barbour County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Community Market, 107 South Main Street (across the street from Walgreens), Philippi, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVBBC)

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Berkeley County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Airborne Church, 172 Creative Place, Martinsburg, WV

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Shenandoah Community Health, 99 Tavern Road, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Boone County

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Boone County Health Department, 213 Kenmore Drive, Danville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Braxton County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Braxton County Memorial Hospital (parking lot), 100 Hoylman Drive, Gassaway, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=Braxton)

Cabell County

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Marshall University Campus (parking lot), 1801 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department (parking lot), 703 Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Clay County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department (parking lot), 452 Main Street, Clay, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVClayCounty)

Fayette County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Fayette County Health Department, 5495 Maple Lane, Fayetteville, WV

Gilmer County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Minnie Hamilton Health System (parking lot), 921 Mineral Road, Glenville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMHCT11)

Greenbrier County

9:30 AM - 3:00 PM, State Fair of WV, 891 Maplewood Avenue, Lewisburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVGBC)

Hampshire County

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hampshire Memorial Hospital, 363 Sunrise Boulevard, Romney, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Hancock County

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Hancock County Health Department, 100 North Court Street, New Cumberland, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)

Jefferson County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Lewis County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, City Parking Lot, 95 West Second Street, Weston, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavLewis1)

Lincoln County

9:00 AM - 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 (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Tracy Vickers Community Center, 68 Boise Street, Chapmanville, WV

Marion County

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Dunbar School Foundation, 101 High Street, Fairmont, WV

Mason County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Krodel Park, 1186 Charleston Road, Point Pleasant, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavCOUNTY12)

Mineral County

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Potomac State College, Church McKee Art Center, 101 Fort Avenue, Keyser, WV

Mingo County

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Matewan Volunteer Fire Department, 306 McCoy Street, Matewan, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMGC)

Monongalia County

7:00 AM - 9:00 AM, WVU Recreation Center (lower level), 2001 Rec Center Drive, Morgantown, WV

Monroe County

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Appalachian Christian Center, 2812 Seneca Trail South, Peterstown, WV

Morgan County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, The Blue (of First United Methodist Church), 440 Fearnow Road, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavMorgan1)

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Ohio County

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Ohio Valley Medical Center (back parking lot at the top of 22nd Street), 2000 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)

Putnam County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Putnam County Health Department (behind Liberty Square), 316 Putnam Village Drive, Hurricane, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Raleigh County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department, 1602 Harper Road, Beckley, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=MavBeckleyRaleigh)

Randolph County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Randolph-Elkins Health Department (parking lot), 32 Randolph Avenue, Elkins, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVRDC)

Ritchie County

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional, 135 South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV

Taylor County

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Grafton-Taylor Health Department, 718 West Main Street (parking lot at Operations Trailer), Grafton, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Tyler/Wetzel Counties

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Wetzel-Tyler Health Department, 425 South Fourth Avenue, Paden City, WV

Upshur County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Buckhannon Fire Department (parking lot), 22 South Florida Street, Buckhannon, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVUSC)

Wayne County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Wood County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Vienna Baptist Church, 3401 Grand Central Avenue, Vienna, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavWood1)

Please check with the testing site, DHHRs social media pages and the COVID-19 website https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for any last minute cancellations, and to find other free testing opportunities across West Virginia.

Link:

COVID-19 Daily Update 3-14-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

OSWEGO COUNTY The Oswego County Health Department continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines for county residents and is integrating the service into weekly vaccination clinics.

Since early last year, Oswego County Health Department staff have held vaccination clinics at sites in every corner of the county to make the COVID-19 vaccine easily accessible for residents. Those efforts have resulted in nearly 23,000 shots administered by Oswego County Health Department staff.

Through collaborations with state and community partners, more than 70,000 one- or two-dose vaccine regimens have been completed and more than 40,000 of those individuals have received booster or third dose vaccinations.

With a majority of the county vaccinated, health staff are transitioning to include the COVID-19 vaccine as part of weekly vaccine clinics offered at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic in Oswego. Anyone seeking the COVID-19 vaccine, or other general immunizations, should call the Oswego County Health Department at 315-349-3547 or schedule a COVID-19 vaccine online.

To view a list of upcoming clinics and schedule an appointment, go to health.oswegocounty.com/vaccines and scroll down to the calendar to click on the date and dose needed.

The following upcoming clinics are scheduled:

Tuesday, March 15

12:30-3:30 p.m. Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego

Wednesday, March 16

3:30-5:30 p.m. Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego

Tuesday, March 22

12:30-3:30 p.m. Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego

Wednesday, March 23

3:30-5:30 p.m. H. Douglas Barclay Courthouse, 1 Broad St., Pulaski

Saturday, March 26

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. SUNY Oswego Marano Campus Center, 55 Rudolph Road, Oswego

Tuesday, March 29

12:30-3:30 p.m. Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego

Wednesday, March 30

3:30-5:30 p.m. Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego

At-home COVID-19 test kits will be distributed to individuals who are vaccinated at upcoming clinics. Test kits will be distributed while supplies last.

Face masks are required at all health care settings regulated by the state Department of Health, including the Oswego County Health Department and any vaccination site.

For more information, go to the Oswego County Health Departments COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 or call the COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330.

Residents should contact their medical providers directly for personal medical advice related to COVID-19 vaccinations, booster shots or treatments.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response, and reporting.

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COVID-19 Vaccine to be Offered at Weekly County Vaccination Clinics - Oswego County

Lilongwe, 11 March 2022One year ago today, Malawi launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign with vaccine doses it received from the COVAX Facility.

To date, 1,955,495 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and an estimated 4.4% of the total population has been fully vaccinated. Efforts are underway to increase vaccine uptake to reach a wider proportion of the population.

Since the first shipments, the country has now received a total of 4,469,720 million COVID-19 vaccine doses; 55% (2,459,820 doses) of these from COVAX, 16% (706,800 doses) from the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVATT), and 29% (1,303,100 doses) from bilateral deals and donations. Starting with one vaccine type Astrazeneca Malawi is now offering COVID-19 vaccination with three vaccines Astrazeneca, Janssen, and Pfizer

Malawi rolled out the COVID-19 vaccine in a phased approach, starting with health care workers and other priority groups which included, immigration officers, National Defense Forces, prison warders, prisoners, teachers, those 60 years old and above, and people with underlying health conditions. However, the vaccine roll-out was challenged at several levels, resulting in low uptake.

According to World Health Organization social listening survey, there was vaccine hesitancy due to misinformation, disinformation, and lack of general knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccines. Malawi also faced vaccine supply chain challenges, including a delay in vaccine supply, which resulted in COVID-19 vaccine stockout at the peak of the third wave - this setback was a missed opportunity to increase the number of vaccinated population. Malawi also experienced health system pressures to deliver multiple vaccine types, some with very short shelf-lives, while ensuring that health workers were trained on each vaccine specificities, and that vaccines were delivered within their lifetime

Despite the challenges, the Ministry of Health with support from partners such as GAVI, UNICEF, the World Bank and WHO, has made great efforts to increase the vaccine uptake through expanding vaccination sites, ensuring effective use of available stocks, pacing delivery of new vaccine stocks, mobilizing communities and addressing doubts and misinformation, training health workers, and providing additional support for low-performing districts to increase vaccine uptake said Dr Janet Kayita, Acting WHO Representative in Malawi. WHO congratulates Malawi on this important milestone, and will continue to support the government and its partners to achieve its goals.

In Oct. 2021, a joint Ministry of Health (MoH) and WHO-led partner multi-agency mission comprising of WHO, UNICEF, JSI and Gavi examined the root causes for the slow COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Malawi and recommended strategies both supply and demand-side - to scale up the uptake.

To increase vaccine demand, the country has deployed different vaccine delivery strategies. Besides having fixed vaccination sites, the country has also adopted periodic mobile, outreach and door to door vaccination campaigns.

In November, 2021, Malawi government with support from UNICEF and technical support from WHO, launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Express Program to reach all parts of the country including the remotest of the rural locations where community settlements are high. Following the vaccine express program, the country registered an increase in uptake of vaccines by 61%.

In a sub-set of low-performing districts with a high burden of COVID-19, WHO with UNICEF and health partners are supporting the Ministry of Health to enhance support supervision and enhance demand for the COVID-19 vaccine. Through WHO technical and financial support, the Ministry of Health conducts community engagement initiatives that target village health committees, traditional and religious leaders. The aim of the engagements is to orient the key community influencers on COVID-19 vaccine messages that highlight health benefits of the vaccine. The orientation also aims at addressing misinformation, myths and misconceptions surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines.

WHO continues to support the country to scale up COVID-19 vaccine uptake, which will protect against severe forms of disease, hospitalization and the emergence of variants. WHO is also support efforts to step up surveillance, genome sequencing capacity, and increase testing to facilitate early detection and response to clusters of cases. Support for efforts to adhere to public health and social measures is also continuing

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Malawi marks one year of COVID-19 vaccination, 828, 080 people receive full dose - WHO | Regional Office for Africa

JOHANNESBURG, March 9 (Reuters) - South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare (APNJ.J) will start supplying its branded COVID-19 vaccine to African nations by June, its chief executive told Reuters on Wednesday, after the drugmaker reported a 37% rise in profit for the half-year to Dec. 31.

Its shares were up 5% by 1315 GMT, outpacing a 0.6% rise in the broader market index (.JALSH).

Aspen said on Tuesday it had struck a deal with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) to package, sell and distribute the American group's COVID vaccines under the Aspenovax brand in Africa. read more

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The agreement paves the way for Aspen to supply the COVID-19 vaccine across Africa, which has by far the lowest vaccination rate in the world.

"We will be in a position to supply 35 million vaccine doses per month by June," CEO Stephen Saad said, adding that a part of that will still be contracted to J&J.

He said Aspenovax would lead to a "material jump" in its revenues and profits from next year starting July 2022.

In November 2020 J&J contracted Aspen to package the COVID-19 vaccine components into final vials, a process called fill and finish, and supply it back to J&J. Under the terms of the deal, Aspen is currently supplying 20 million doses per month to J&J.

Saad said the company would still only package the vaccine and will not produce the drug substance, which many South African health experts have said would be the next step for Aspen under its partnership with J&J.

"I think we want to see where the volumes go sustainably. If the volumes peak for a year or two and then go away, then I don't want to invest in something that has no demand in future," he said.

The company is increasing its vaccine capacity from roughly 450 million doses now to 750 million by February 2023. This could also be used to service cancer treatments or insulin which would give the company "broad access to emerging markets", he said.

($1 = 15.1579 rand)

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Reporting by Promit Mukherjee; Editing by Louise Heavens and Jan Harvey

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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S.Africa's Aspen to supply its own branded COVID-19 vaccine by June - Reuters

Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.

It's now known that tinnitus may be an unexpected side effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, and there is an urgent need to understand the precise mechanisms and best treatment for vaccine-associated tinnitus, researchers say.

As of mid-September 2021, 12,247 cases of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, following COVID-19 vaccination have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Despite several cases of tinnitus being reported following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, the precise pathophysiology is still not clear," write Syed Hassan Ahmed, third-year MBBS student, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan, and co-authors.

The researchers review what is known and unknown about SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated tinnitus in an article published online February 11 in Annals of Medicine and Surgery.

The researchers say cross-reactivity between anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and otologic antigens is one possibility, based on the mechanisms behind other COVID-19 vaccine-induced disorders and the phenomenon of molecular mimicry.

"The heptapeptide resemblance between coronavirus spike glycoprotein and numerous human proteins further supports molecular mimicry as a potential mechanism behind such vaccine-induced disorders," they write.

Anti-spike antibodies may react with antigens anywhere along the auditory pathway and fuel an inflammatory reaction, they point out.

"Therefore, understanding the phenomenon of cross-reactivity and molecular mimicry may be helpful in postulating potential treatment behind not only tinnitus but also the rare events of vaccination associated hearing loss and other otologic manifestations," the authors say.

Genetic predispositions and associated conditions may also play a significant role in determining whether an individual develops vaccine-induced tinnitus.

Stress and anxiety following COVID vaccination may also play a role, inasmuch as anxiety-related adverse events following vaccination have been reported. Vaccine-related anxiety as a potential cause of tinnitus developing after vaccination needs to be explored, they write.

How best to manage COVID vaccine-associated tinnitus also remains unclear, but it starts with a well-established diagnosis, the authors say.

A well-focused and detailed history and examination are essential, with particular emphasis placed on preexisting health conditions, specifically, autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto thyroiditis; otologic conditions, such as sensorineural hearing loss; glaucoma; and psychological well-being. According to the review, patients often present with a history of one or more of these disorders.

"However, any such association has not yet been established and requires further investigation to be concluded as potential risk factors for vaccine-induced tinnitus," they caution.

Routine cranial nerve examination, otoscopy, Weber test, and Rinne test, which are used for tinnitus diagnosis in general, may be helpful for confirmation of vaccine-associated tinnitus.

Owing to the significant association between tinnitus and hearing impairment, audiology should also performed, the authors say.

Although treatments for non-vaccine-induced tinnitus vary significantly, corticosteroids are the top treatment choice for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced tinnitus reported in the literature.

Trials ofother drug and nondrug interventions that may uniquely help with vaccine-associated tinnitus are urgently needed, the authors say.

Summing up, the reviewers say, "Although the incidence of COVID-19 vaccine-associated tinnitus is rare, there is an overwhelming need to discern the precise pathophysiology and clinical management as a better understanding of adverse events may help in encountering vaccine hesitancy and hence fostering the COVID-19 global vaccination program.

"Despite the incidence of adverse events, the benefits of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in reducing hospitalization and deaths continue to outweigh the rare ramifications," they conclude.

The research had no specific funding. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Ann Med Surg. Published online February 11, 2022. Full text

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'Overwhelming' Need to Study COVID Vaccine-Associated Tinnitus - Medscape

New York, NY, March 11, 2022 Two years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic and more than one year since the world began vaccinating against the disease, people living in the world's worst crisis zones are left behind, warns the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

While more than 60% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, that number drops to just 10% for low-income countries. Countries on the IRC's 2022 Emergency Watchlist are being left even further behind with Democratic Republic of Congo (0.8%), Haiti (1%), Yemen (2%), and South Sudan (4%) seeing some of the lowest vaccination rates in the world---while several rich countries have given booster shots to more than half of their populations. With 96 million USD, the equivalent of just 0.006% of the US healthcare budget and 0.04% of the UK's health budget, the IRC could provide COVID-19 vaccines to almost 16 million people living in the areas we work in --- including in the world's worst crisis zones.[1] Yet, NGOs like the IRC are currently left on the sidelines, not receiving the necessary funding to be significantly engaged in the delivery effort.

David Miliband, President and CEO at the International Rescue Committee, said:

"The global response to COVID-19 is yet another example of System Failure. We continue to miss vaccine coverage targets to our peril with the Omicron variant a direct result of our delay. We have failed to distribute sufficient vaccine doses to lower income countries and we have failed to invest in the health systems needed to deliver shots into arms as soon as they become available.

The inadequacy of our global response, particularly in terms of collective leadership and resource allocation, has never been more apparent or more dangerous. As a member of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, I argued for the need to elevate pandemic threats to the highest levels of government. This is the context for our proposal for a Global Health Threats Council (GHTC) to ensure coordination, accountability, and appropriate resources for pandemic preparedness and response. This leader-level Council would not only maintain political momentum of the highest order in preparing for and fighting pandemics, it would also oversee a new financing stream --- a multilateral Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) --- to fill significant gaps in resources."

To effectively deliver and administer COVID-19 vaccines to populations affected by conflict and humanitarian crises, the IRC calls for:

1. Mobilizing more resources for delivery costs. The $1.5 billion request from the Gavi COVAX Advanced Market Commitment --- the financial mechanism that aims to ensure the world's lowest-income countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines --- does not account for full delivery costs in humanitarian contexts, and more funding is urgently needed to move doses from ports into the arms of the world's most vulnerable populations. Using the IASC standard of $3.00 per dose to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in humanitarian settings, the IRC has estimated that $96 million is needed to deliver vaccines to nearly 16 million people they serve across 30 countries. With approximately 60-80 million people living in non-government controlled areas, this sum is just a fraction of the total delivery costs required to vaccinate 70% of each country's population in 2022.

2. Increasing funding for frontline organizations. Community organizations and local and international NGOs have the reach to deliver vaccine services where governments cannot. These frontline groups need to have faster and easier access to global funding and vaccines to effectively support delivery in the hardest to reach contexts.

The IRC additionally calls for the establishment of a Global Health Threats Council at the leadership level of government. The Threats Council would be able to mobilize a whole-of-government approach, maintain political commitment, drive adequate financing, and prepare and coordinate a global response to defend against future outbreaks and pandemics.

[1]The IRC has estimated, using the IASC's standard of $3.00 per dose to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in humanitarian contexts, that $96 million is needed to deliver and administer vaccines to nearly 16 million people in IRC's target population --- individuals over the age of 15 and/or are high risk in the IRC's health catchment areas --- across 30 countries.

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Two years into Covid-19 pandemic, less than 10% of people living in crisis are vaccinated; just $96 million- less than 1% of the health budgets of the...

Are we out of the woods yet? This latest blog fromA Kansas Twist discusses what remains of COVID-19 policy nationally and in Kansas. Previous blog posts tracking coronavirus-related policiesfrom2020-2021 can be found at these links:A Kansas Twist Reopening Plans for Kansas Countiesand A Kansas Twist Following the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Kansas.

As we step into spring after weathering two waves of increased COVID-19 cases due to theDelta and Omicron variants there are no countywide or statewide restrictions in place in Kansasas of March 3. Several school districts are discussing whether to maintain or remove school measures through the remainder of the school year in light of the recent guidance issued by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and theAmerican Academy of Pediatricson how communities can approach COVID-19 mitigation measures. While state and county restrictions have been pulled back, legislators, health care providers and researchers have continued taking actions in response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic.

The highly contagious Delta variantdominated through the summer and fall of 2021. However, at the end of 2021 and through the beginning of 2022, the highly contagious (but less lethal) Omicron variant dominated. KDHE reported 12,462new cases on January 18, 2022, at the peak of the surge. During those recent waves, at least two Kansas counties Wyandotte and Douglas had mask mandates in place. Wyandotte Countys mask mandate became effective on August 6, 2021, and with several extensions was set to expire on January 6, 2022. However, the mask mandate was rescinded on December 16, 2021. Douglas Countys 2022 mask mandate became effective on January 7 and remained in force until March 2.

While cases soared and few county restrictions were in place, health care facilities throughout the state were sounding the alarm of their struggle to respond under staffing shortages. On January 6, 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed a State of Disaster Emergency Proclamation and issued two Executive Orders (EO 22-01 and EO 22-02) to provide the states hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities with temporary measures to address their staffing shortages. With the EOs set to expire on Friday, January 21, the Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2477 to codify the provisions of Governor Kellys executive orders (EOs) and it was signed into law on January 21, effective immediately.

With the emergence of the new variants, there was a rise in vaccine breakthrough infections, which is when a fully vaccinated person is infected.Studies on COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death rates have found vaccine effectiveness decreased during this time but continued to protect against severe outcomes such as hospitalizations and deaths. Nationwide, two-thirds of the population (or 69.1 percent of those eligible age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated as of February 28, 2022. Nearly 6 in 10 (57.2 percent) eligible Kansanshad completed aCOVID-19 vaccineseriesand were fully vaccinated as of February 28, 2022.On October 29, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11. Four days later it was endorsed by the CDC. In addition, eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine booster was expanded to all individuals over age 18 on November 19, 2021, and to individuals age 12 and older on January 5, 2022.The definition of 'fully vaccinated,' according to the CDC, means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series of COVID-19 vaccine.

Recently, on February 25, the CDC issued an interim COVID-19 immunization schedule, which changed the timing between vaccination doses for some people age 12 to 64, and especially males age 12 to 39 who may benefit from getting their second COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose eight weeks after receiving their first dose. This change was based onstudiesin adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and adults, which found the small risk of myocarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be reduced, and peak antibody responses and vaccine effectiveness may be increased, with an interval longer than the initial recommendation offour weeks. The studies showed no additional benefit beyond eight weeks, however.

In the face of another surge in COVID-19 cases, some states took action around COVID-19 vaccine mandates and passports. As of February 23, 2022, Hawaii has implemented a COVID-19 proof of vaccination mandate, 22 states (including Kansas) have banned such mandates, and at least 13 states (not Kansas) have a digital app available for vaccine verification. On May 26, 2021, Governor Kelly signed Senate Bill (SB) 159 the omnibus appropriations bill which added a section prohibiting state agencies from issuing a COVID-19 vaccination passport in Fiscal Years 2021-2022 to any individual without such individual's consent or requiring an individual to use a COVID-19 vaccination passport within the state for any purpose.

Some states also took action around requirements for certain workers to be vaccinated or comply with mask and COVID-19 testing requirements.As of February 23, 2022, at least two states Montana and Tennessee have banned vaccine mandates and/or private employer mandates and at least nine states (including Kansas) have set limitations or exemptions for vaccine mandates. On November 22, 2021, Kansas lawmakers passed Special Session HB 2001, which requires employers who impose COVID-19 vaccine requirements to allow medical and religious exemptions; authorizes employees to file complaints with the Secretary of Labor for violations of the law; authorizes district courts to impose civil penalties; and allows employees who are discharged or suspended in violation of the law or decline to work if required to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine requirement to be eligible for unemployment benefits.

At least 27 states (including Kansas) also have filed lawsuits challenging federal vaccine requirements for federal contractors, employers with 100+ employees and certified Medicare/Medicaid providers. Based on the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on the rule on January 13, 2022, CMS released updated guidancefor 24 states (including Kansas) which expects full compliance from providers by March 15, 2022. On February 23, 2022, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt asked federal courts to reopen litigation challenging the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

Check back for more information as we continue to monitor response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.

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A Kansas Twist COVID-19: Are We Out of the Woods Yet? (March 11, 2022) Kansas Health Institute - Kansas Health Institute