Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

(CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 12, 2022) Vaccination offers long-lasting protection from the worst outcomes of COVID-19, according to a new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The emergence of the delta and omicron variants has raised questions about whether breakthrough infections are caused by waning immunity or by the more transmissible variants.

Results of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that declining immunity over time is primarily responsible for breakthrough infections, but vaccines maintained protection from hospitalization and severe disease nine months after getting the first shot.

The primary takeaway message from our study is that unvaccinated people should get vaccinated right away, said lead study author Danyu Lin, PhD, Dennis Gillings Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. The results of our study also underscore the importance of booster shots, especially for older adults.

The study, which is a collaboration between the UNC-Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, examined data on COVID-19 vaccination history and health outcomes for 10.6 million North Carolina residents between December 2020 and September 2021.

The study results were used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the use of booster shots.

This is an excellent example of the wonderful research partnership between the Gillings School and NCDHHS, who are working together to generate the evidence base needed to keep our communities safe, said Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition and associate dean for research at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

This data included outcomes from COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant. However, data from this study were collected before the discovery of the omicron variant.

By applying a novel methodology to the rich surveillance data, we were able to provide precise and comprehensive characterization of the effectiveness over a nine-month period for the three vaccines employed in the U.S., Lin said.

Unlike previous studies, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness in reducing the current risks of COVID-19, hospitalization and death as a function of time elapsed since the first dose, Lin continued. This information is critically important in determining the need for and the optimal timing of booster vaccination.

The study found that effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines in reducing the risk of COVID-19 reached a peak of about 95% at two months after the first dose and then gradually declined. At seven months, the Pfizer vaccine dropped to 67% effectiveness, compared to the Moderna vaccine, which maintained 80% effectiveness.

Among early recipients of the two mRNA vaccines, effectiveness dropped dramatically from mid-June to mid-July, when the delta variant was surging.

Effectiveness for the Johnson & Johnson adenovirus vaccine was 75% at one month after injection and fell to 60% after five months.

All three vaccines were effective at keeping people out of the hospital due to severe COVID-19. Effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine reached a peak of 96% at two months and remained around 90% at seven months; effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine reached a peak of 97% at two months and remained at 94% at seven months. Effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine reached a peak of 86% at two months and was higher than 80% through six months.

For all three vaccines, effectiveness against death was higher than that of hospitalization.

Because the majority of the vaccines in the U.S. were administered more than seven months ago and only a small percentage of the population has received boosters, waning immunity is likely contributing to the breakthrough infections with the omicron variant, Lin said.

Everyone age 5 and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Those ages 18 and up should get a booster shot. Visit the NC DHHS website to find a vaccination clinic near you.

The research was led by Lin with major contributions from Yu Gu, doctoral student in biostatistics and Donglin Zeng, PhD, professor of biostatistics. NCDHHS epidemiologists BradfordWheeler, HayleyYoung, Shadia KhanSunny, andZackMoore participated in the research. Shannon Holloway from the North Carolina State Department of Statistics also contributed.

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Study shows COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protection - UNC News : UNC News - UNC News

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) A mobile vaccine clinic is being held at the Jewish Community Center in Springfield Thursday afternoon.

The Behavioral Health Network mobile clinic will be administering Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines or boosters and the flu shot from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. located at 1160 Dickinson Street in Springfield.

Those who receive a vaccine or booster at the clinic will be given two free guest passes to the Jewish Community Center to enjoy the fitness facility, pool, spa services, and more. Children who receive the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine will be given two free passes to the Holyoke Childrens Museum. Bumpys Natural & Organic Foods in Springfield is also issuing goody bags.

Were grateful that the Springfield JCC can play a role in helping to keep our community safe, said Deb Krivoy, Chief Operating Officer of the J. With this mobile vaccination clinic, we continue to prioritize the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve.

Staff at the Jewish Community Center are mandated to be vaccinated including teacher protocols for rapid-testing in its Early Learning Center.

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Free giveaways to those who receive COVID-19 vaccine in Springfield - WWLP.com

Wrestling personality Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Gene Bollea) joins the likes of Novak Djokovic and Kyrie Irving in saying that they are not vaccinated against COVID-19, and the WWE legend did not hold back in his mistrust of the vaccine.

Hogan was a huge name in American wrestling during the 1980s and 1990s, making a name for himself in the ring for his big personality and eye-catching style. He has recently told his fans that he is not in favour of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We may not need the vaccine," Hogan told his Facebook following.

"Betty White [aged 99] and Sidney Poitier [aged 94] were also vaccinated. They are falling like flies, but the authorities will not tell us that."

His comments come after he suggested that the recent death of actor Bob Saget was linked to the actor's vaccination status.

Many did not anticipate Hogan to share his thoughts on such a topic due to the fact that he has recently been in the news after being tipped for a possible return to the ring in the near future.

The 68-year-old did little to play down these rumours of a return to the WWE, insisting that fans should never predict what might happen.

"Fans should listen because you never know what to expect," Hogan said about the rumours.

"I don't even know what to expect."

All the news surrounding his possible return to the WWE will excite fans who have grown up watching Hogan on the screen.

His career in professional wrestling began in 1977 but he gained fame after signing for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1983, which is now known as the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Hogan was inducted to the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021 for his contributions to wrestling over the years.

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WWE legend Hulk Hogan claims that COVID-19 vaccine can kill you: They are falling like flies - MARCA.com

Novavax CEO Stanley Erck says the company is in the process of manufacturing 'quite a bit of doses and getting them out' and notes that the vaccine will be 'very effective' against the omicron strain.

Bill Gates, who donated $1.75 billion to COVID-19 vaccine development and fighting the pandemic, said this week that while the currently available vaccines prevent severe illness and death, they aren't durable enough and should be better at preventing infection.

The Microsoft founder, whose net worth Forbes pegs at $135.9 billion, made the comments in a Twitter discussion with Devi Sridhar, the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Medical School.

"The vaccines we have prevent severe disease and death very well but they are missing two key things," Gates said to a question about what would make the biggest difference in ending the pandemic.

"First they still allow infections ('breakthrough') and the duration appears to be limited. We need vaccines that prevent re-infection and have many years of duration."

Bill Gates speaks during the Global Investment Summit at the Science Museum on October 19, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A recent University of Copenhagen study found that the rapid spread of the omicron variant, which is now responsible for 98.3% of new cases in the United States, according to the CDC, is likely due to its ability to better evade immunity offered by vaccines and prior infection than previous variants.

PFIZER SAYS OMICRON-SPECIFIC VACCINE TO BE READY BY MARCH

Gates noted that omicron will challenge health systems as it becomes the dominant strain in other countries around the world, but might allow health officials to start treating COVID-19 the same way they track endemic viruses like influenza.

"Once Omicron goes through a country then the rest of the year should see far fewer cases so Covid can be treated more like seasonal flu," Gates said Tuesday.

An employee draws up a syringe with the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease at vaccination bus in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Germany battles rising numbers of coronavirus infections. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez urged European leaders this week to start treating COVID-19 as an endemic virus instead of a pandemic, saying that health officials in Spain will soon start tracking it the same way they do the flu.

GATES-FRENCH GATES GIFT OF $15B TOPS 2021 BIGGEST DONATION LIST

Nadhim Zahawi, the former British minister for vaccine deployment and current education secretary, told Sky News on Sunday that he hopes the United Kingdom "will be one of the first major economies to demonstrate to the world how you transition from pandemic to endemic."

Vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are ready to be injected to medical staff on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Gates gave a prescient Ted Talk in 2015 warning about the threat of a pandemic, saying that if "anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, its most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war."

His philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, donated $1.75 billion to fighting the pandemic and developing COVID-19 vaccines.

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About two-thirds of the U.S. population older than 5 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 79.2% have received at least one dose, according to CDC data. Of those who are fully vaccinated over the age of 18, 39.8% have received a booster dose.

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Bill Gates says COVID-19 vaccines are 'missing two key things' - Fox Business

These days, it's much easier to contract the coronavirus as thehighly contagious Omicron variant spreadsworldwide. As people face this current reality, it's important to note that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alsorecently changed its guidelinesaround isolation and quarantine. Many have questions about what to do if they or a family member ends up catching Covid-19.

CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, who is an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, answers some key questions.

CNN: What if everybody in your family tests positive? Do they need to isolate from one another?

Wen:If everyone has Covid-19, they do not need to isolate from each other. That's because it's highly unlikely that they have different strains of coronavirus; they probably all got the same strain from one another, and they aren't going to reinfect each other so quickly. The entire family, of course, should be isolating from other people.

CNN: How long should someone be in isolation?

Wen:The CDC's new guidelines essentially shorten the isolation period from 10 days to five days, with an additional five days wearing a mask. This means that you should stay fully isolated for the first five days. After that, you can go out to work, to the grocery and so forth but you should wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask when out in public. Don't go to settings where you will be maskless, such as restaurants.

When it comes to people in the same family, this guidance means you really shouldn't have meals together or have other casual, maskless encounters with uninfected members of your family in the 10-day period. If families are in two pods, the two shouldn't mix for 10 days inside their house.

CNN: If someone had symptoms on Monday, got tested on Wednesday and then got results back on Friday, when does the five-day clock start?

Wen:Monday. The five-day clock starts when someone first starts getting symptoms. If someone is tested and they are asymptomatic but have a positive result, the five-day clock starts when they first got the test. If you are unsure for example, if you are feeling a little rundown Sunday but don't really have full symptoms until Tuesday use the date that you are certain of the symptoms.

Remember that the count starts at day zero. Day one is the first full 24 hours after the onset of symptoms or after the positive test.

Read more answers to key questions here.

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Live updates: Supreme Court Covid-19 vaccine rule and the latest on the Omicron variant - CNN

HUHS will host COVID vaccine and booster clinics in winter 2022. Dates and locations for the coming weeks will be announced soon. Vaccine and booster appointments will be open to all students, staff, faculty, researchers, and HUHS patients.

For now, please use the resources below if seeking a booster shot in Massachusetts or outside Massachusetts.

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COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster Information - Covid-19 Information

COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 241,000 lives in the United States and prevented more than 1 million virus-related hospitalizations in the first six months of the country's inoculation program, according to a new research model.

A research letter, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Network Open, found coronavirus vaccinations also prevented more than 14 million COVID-19 cases from mid-December 2020 when the US COVID-19 vaccine campaign first kicked off to June 30, 2021.

"Our analytical model suggested that the US COVID-19 vaccination program was associated with a reduction in the total hospitalizations and deaths by nearly half during the first 6 months of 2021," the researchers from Yale, the University of Maryland, and the York University in Toronto, Canada, wrote.

The researchers added that COVID-19 vaccinations "prevented a wave" of cases driven by Alpha, the coronavirus variant first detected in the UK, "that would have occurred in April 2021 without vaccination."

"As new variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge, a renewed commitment to vaccine access, particularly among underserved groups and in counties with low vaccination coverage, will be crucial to preventing avoidable COVID-19 cases and bringing the pandemic to a close," the researchers said in the letter.

Limitations to the model, according to the researchers, "included the use of reported cases for fitting," meaning unreported cases of COVID-19 couldn't be factored into the model.

Researchers also said they didn't consider the effect of immunity waning "after vaccination or recovery within the study time frame."

The published research comes as new COVID-19 cases in the US and worldwide continue to shatter recordsdue to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Hospitalizations reached a new record high in the US this week, and ICU beds in hospitals across the country are more than 80% full, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 208 million people in the US or 62.6 percent of the total population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US has recorded more than 835,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to the CDC.

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COVID-19 vaccines saved more than 240,000 lives in US: research - Business Insider

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Hesitancy isnt the only barrier to getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but the hurdles in Utahs Latino communities are higher than most.

Nearly 10 months after Utah officials began distributing vaccines to the public, health experts say a combination of factors contribute to why Utah Latinos lag behind other ethnic groups when it comes to vaccination rates, including Spanish-language misinformation online and lack of accessibility to shots.

Latinos account for nearly 14% of the state population, but make up about 18% of the states reported COVID-19 cases, figures from the Utah Department of Health show. Yet Latinos are less likely than other ethnic groups to be fully vaccinated.

Overall, Latinos account for 11.4% of the states vaccinated population. About 50% of Latinos in Utah are fully vaccinated, state data shows. Compared to 53% of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, 55.3% of Blacks, 58.9% of non-Hispanic whites, 64.2% of American Indians/Alaska Natives, and 70.1% of Asian Americans who are fully vaccinated, Latinos trail behind.

Its still complicated to get (vaccine) appointments online, said Dr. Jose Rodriguez, associate vice president for equity diversity and inclusion for University of Utah Health.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Covid vaccinations provided by the Salt Lake County Health Department at the Rancho Market parking lot on Redwood Road, on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

In order to close that gap, Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said its vital to meet Utahns where theyre at.

What I really think is a barrier for people is just access, Romero said. You know, making sure that we have access to the right locations for people and working with their work schedules.

About 1 in 4 of Latinos in Utah do not have health insurance, a barrier that makes it more difficult to receive preventative care or have access to a doctor and accurate health information. The uninsured rate is also often lower for undocumented immigrants.

Access to services is definitely one issue, said Edwin Espinel, a Spanish-speaking public information officer at the Utah Department of Health.

For many Latino workers getting a vaccine means taking time off work or missing out on the a days worth of wages, according to Espinel. Transportation to a vaccine site can also be a barrier, he added.

Its why the state agencies partnered with Rancho Markets, a Utah chain of grocery stores catered toward Latino shoppers, across the state to conduct vaccine clinics in their parking lots, according to Claudia Loayza, communications and community engagement coordinator for the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs.

Something that weve consistently made kind of our goal and mantra is to meet people where they are, Loayza said. There are nurses on site and health workers on site that can help answer questions, and translators (and) interpreters that can help make sure that community members have their questions answered and that they feel informed in making their decisions.

Since launching in May, the vaccine clinics, also referred to as Fiesta Clinics at Rancho Markets have helped vaccinate over 1,000 people. The vaccine events have been celebratory in nature in order to make them less intimidating, mirroring vaccine clinics in Mexico City that have featured music, dancing and masked wrestlers. Some pop-up clinics have also included incentives like gift cards for groceries.

At the clinics, no questions are asked about a persons insurance or immigration status, according to Loayza.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kristopher Batty administers a Covid vaccination to Sabina Lowe at Rancho Market parking lot on Redwood Road, on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

Loayza added that the Utah Department of Multicultural Affairs has partnered with Spanish-media outlets and the Utah Department of Health to spread the word about clinics and accurate information about vaccines.

Through United Way of Salt Lake City, Espinel said some Utahns can call 211 to request a free Lyft ride to a vaccine appointment. The Utah Transit Authority is also providing free rides for people traveling to vaccine appointments until June 30, 2022.

A report by civil rights group Avaaz reported that Spanish-speaking users on Facebook, now known as Meta, may be at greater risk of misinformation exposure on the platform amid the pandemic.

Researchers found that the social media platform had not issued warnings on 70% of Spanish-language content considered misinformation, compared to 29% of its English-language misinformation. One example was a Spanish-language social media post that instructed users to gargle water, salt and vinegar in order to get rid of the virus. The post did not include a warning about misinformation and was shared over 30,000 times on Facebook.

Romero believes that misinformation online can hold people back from getting vaccinated.

Theres just so many resources where people get their information and a lot of people dont do fact checks because they dont have time, Romero said. So sometimes they go by word of mouth, or sometimes they go off of an article somebody sent them.

Convincing loved ones to get their shots is an issue the U.s Rodriguez has experience first hand.

For several months, Rodriguez said he tried to convince his father and mother to get incolulated without any success. The doctor said when his 83-year-old father eventually contracted the virus in August, he was hospitalized. Rodriguez rushed to Florida, but by the time he arrived his father struggled to breathe and died later that day.

The worst thing that has ever happened to me was watch my father die of suffocation, he said. I wouldnt wish this on anybody. It was horrifying and painful.

Rodriguez said his fathers death finally convinced his mother to roll up her sleeve.

The state has also translated its official COVID-19 website into Spanish, and it is frequently updated with the most current information, according to Espinel.

But still its coming from the government and sometimes individuals in our communities may not be trusting of the government because of historical issues, he said.

In the early- to mid-1900s, thousands of men and women in the U.S. were forcibly sterilized under eugenics laws, many were disproportionately low-income, people of color.

And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement received scrutiny in 2020 after it was reported by The New York Times that women allegedly received involuntary hysterectomies while detained at an immigration detention facility in Georgia.

Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Nine-year-old Gloria Trivino gets a Covid vaccination at Raccho Market parking lot, on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

That history, according to Rodriguez, is not forgotten among communities of color.

Those things have a long life in cultural lore and so theres mistrust that health systems have earned by mistreating patients, he said. Mistrust lingers.

Furthermore, researchers say a Trump-era policy known as the public charge rule has dissuaded Latino communities from receiving medical attention in fear that it will impact their pathway to citizenship. The policy sought to disqualify immigrants who used social programs like Medicaid from obtaining legal residency in the U.S., according to the Latino Politics & Policy Initiative at UCLA. Despite President Joe Biden overturning the policy last year, its chilling effects are still felt today.

About 94,000 undocumented immigrants live in Utah, the Pew Research Center estimates. The majority of the states undocumented residents are from Mexico.

Our family members, our friends, our community needs to know that we care about them, Rodriguez said. Thats why we talk about vaccines. Thats why we wear masks when were around them and thats why were not shaking hands and were keeping physical distance because we want to protect each other. The time will come when we dont need to, but unfortunately that day isnt today.

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Utah Latinos trail other groups in COVID-19 vaccine rates. Here's why. - Salt Lake Tribune

January 11, 2022Media Contact: Linda Scarborough, linda.scarborough@vdh.virginia.gov

Pittsylvania-Danville Health District to Host Two Additional COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in January

DANVILLE, Va. The Virginia Department of Healths Pittsylvania-Danville Health District is encouraging everyone to remain healthy during the new year by getting their COVID-19 vaccination or booster. To help this effort, Pittsylvania-Danville Health District is hosting vaccination clinics at two area elementary schools this month.

Vaccines are highly effective against severe illness and can reduce the risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Getting everyone ages 5 years and older vaccinated can protect families and communities, said Director of Pittsylvania-Danville and Southside Health Districts Scott J. Spillmann, MD, MPH.

The clinics will offer first, second, additional primary and booster doses at no cost to the public. The Moderna vaccine and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson are available for anyone 18 and older. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for anyone 5 years and older. A parent or guardian must accompany anyone under 18. The clinics will be held:

Saturday, January 22 9 to 11 a.m. Schoolfield Elementary School, 1400 West Main St., Danville

Saturday, January 29 9 to 11 a.m. Gibson Elementary School, 1215 Industrial Ave., Danville

Register in advance at vase.vdh.virginia.gov/. If you have any trouble registering or need additional assistance, call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1). English- and Spanish-speaking operators are available. Translation services also are available in more than 100 languages.

Appointments are highly recommended, but walk-ins are also welcome. Those with an appointment should plan to arrive no earlier than 20 minutes prior to the appointment time.

The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to the experience of getting routine vaccines. Parents can check out these tips on talking to their child about what to expect. For more about vaccinating children and teens, parents can visit the CDC website.

The Pfizer BioNTech booster vaccine can be obtained by anyone16 and older at least five months from the date of their second mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine or at least two months from the date of their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The Moderna or Johnson & Johnson booster vaccine can be obtained by anyone18 and olderat least five months from the date of their second mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine or at least two months from the date of their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Individuals who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster dose may choose which vaccine product they would like to receive as a booster. For those individuals that choose a different product than their primary series, VDH urges you to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider who can assist you in making the best decision for your own situation.

If you are coming for your second, third or booster dose, please bring your vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine you received in previous doses.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, its safety and answers to frequently asked questions at VDHs website and CDCs website.

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Pittsylvania-Danville Health District to Host Two Additional COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics in January - Newsroom - Virginia Department of Health

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - The Chesapeake Health Department will be hosting COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics this week, starting Tuesday January 11.

These clinics come as cases continue to rise in Virginia after the holidays and tests are particularly hard to find locally. The vaccine clinic is also available, encouraging people who have not yet gotten it to do so or those who need a booster to get theirs.

The Chesapeake Health Department is offering a COVID-19 testing only clinic Wednesday, January 12 from 1-6 p.m., and Friday January 14 from 9-2 p.m.

The department is also offering a COVID-19 vaccine clinic January 11 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and this clinic will happen every Tuesday unless otherwise noted.

All of these clinics happen at the Dominion Commons, 648 Grassfield Parkway, Suite 9.

These clinics also come after Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency during a press conference on Monday. The state of emergency is to help ease hospitals and staffing as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. It relaxes some regulations, allowing them to address concerns over the number of beds they have and staffing shortages.

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