Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Surviving a previous infection provided better protection than vaccination against Covid-19 during the Delta wave, federal health authorities said, citing research showing that both the shots and recovery from the virus provided significant defense.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that data from 1.1 million Covid-19 cases in California and New York last year showed people who were unvaccinated and hadnt previously contracted Covid-19 faced a far greater risk than both people who had gotten the shots and people who had been infected.

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Prior Covid-19 Infection Offered Better Protection Than Vaccination During Delta Wave - The Wall Street Journal

Last fall, Apple rolled out the ability to store verifiable COVID-19 vaccination information in the Apple Health and Wallet applications. Since then, adoption among healthcare providers and health technology infrastructure companies has been slow but is finally starting to pick up.

Head below for more details on how to store your COVID-19 vaccine records in Apple Health and Apple Wallet.

Right off the bat, its incredibly important to note that the usefulness of the suggestions below is going to vary wildly based on a number of different factors. This includes things like the country and state in which you received your COVID-19 vaccination, which companys shot you received, your specific healthcare provider, and more.

Unfortunately, this is par for the course when it comes to healthcare technology in the United States and other countries. After all, theres a reason that the only widely supported system in the United States is the paper vaccination card you receive when you get your first shot.

Before you proceed with this guide, your first step should be to visit your healthcare providers website or application to figure out how to find your COVID-19 vaccination records. Once you have that information, proceed with one of the options below.

Some healthcare providers are providing patients with a QR code upon receiving their COVID-19 vaccination and booster. This is perhaps the most straightforward and easy method by which you can add your records to Apple Health and Apple Wallet. The process works like this:

Another approach being taken by some healthcare providers is giving patients a downloadable health record that contains your COVID-19 vaccination information. Heres how to add this data to your Apple Wallet and Apple Health applications:

If youve already connected your healthcare provider with Apple Health, your vaccination record should already be located in the Apple Health app. You can find a full list of institutions that support health records integration on Apples website right here.

Once youve added your health record data to Apple Health, tap Browse in the bottom right corner of the Health app, then look for the Immunizations section and find your COVID-19 vaccination. Then, you should see an Add to Wallet option.

Personally, it took me a few tries to get this feature working properly. I ultimately had to download proof of my vaccination from my healthcare providers own application, then add it to the Apple Health and Apple Wallet applications that way.

As for your COVID-19 booster, if you received your booster from the same provider as your initial vaccination, you can repeat the same process to add that booster to Apple Health and Apple Wallet. I received by booster from a different provider, and unfortunately I have not been able to figure out how to add that booster to Apple Health.

Another interesting feature that I havent tried yet is sharing verifiable health records from the Health app. Apple explains that you can choose to share health records with third-party apps when an approved app requests access to this information.

For example, if you have to show proof of vaccination to attend an event, that events application might be able to pull your information from the Health app to verify your vaccination. One app that many places are using for this information is Clear, which you can learn more about here.

Ideally, this is a feature that we hope to see Apple and healthcare providers continue to expand upon over the coming months. For now, as long as youre able to connect all (or most) of the necessary pieces, it should be pretty easy to get your COVID-19 vaccine information into Apple Health and Apple Wallet.

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How to add your COVID-19 vaccine records to Apple Health and Wallet on your iPhone - 9to5Mac

A recent study used surveillance data for the entire population of North Carolina to evaluate the durability of protection provided by the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

This large observational study showed that all vaccines provided a high degree of protection against hospitalizations and death at least 6 months after vaccination.

However, there was a gradual decline in the ability of these vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection following 1-2 months after vaccination, with the lowest level of protection observed in individuals receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The studys first author Dr. Dan-Yu Lin, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Medical News Today, Many decisions in the United States about COVID-19 vaccination and boosters were based on data from other countries, particularly Israeli data on the Pfizer vaccine.

Our study provides a precise and comprehensive characterization of the effectiveness of the three vaccines employed in the U.S. To my knowledge, this is the largest study on vaccine effectiveness, covering more than 10 million people.

The study appears in the journal New England Journal of Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval for the use of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 between December 2020 and February 2021.

They based the authorization of these vaccines on short-term safety and efficacy data from clinical trials. However, they did not know how long the protection afforded by the three approved COVID-19 vaccines would last.

Moreover, the rise in the number of vaccinated people developing COVID-19 a few months after immunization and the emergence of the Delta variant led to concerns about the durability of protection provided by these vaccines.

Multiple studies have since evaluated the long-term efficiency of these vaccines. These studies have reported a decline in protection a few months after receiving the last dose of the vaccine. However, this period also coincided with the emergence of the Delta variant.

Thus, whether this decline in efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines was due to waning immunity, the emergence of new variants, or both was unclear.

The objective of the present study was to characterize further the durability of protection provided by the three FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Previous studies have evaluated the effectiveness of vaccines by estimating the cumulative or overall incidence of breakthrough infections over 1-3 months after vaccination. Dr. Lin noted that Unlike other studies, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness in reducing the current risk of disease as a continuous function of time elapsed since vaccination, as opposed to cumulative incidence over a broad time interval.

To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines, the researchers used data collected by the North Carolina COVID-19 Surveillance System and COVID-19 vaccine management system between December 2020 and September 8, 2021.

The North Carolina Covid-19 Surveillance System collects data on the number of COVID-19 cases and clinical outcomes for COVID-19 positive individuals for the entire population of North Carolina. On the other hand, the COVID-19 vaccine management system is an online repository of vaccination history.

The researchers found that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were most effective at preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection 2 months after the first dose, before gradually declining.

At 2 months after vaccination, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 94.5% and 95.9% effective at preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively. The effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines subsequently declined to 66.6% and 80.3% after 7 months, respectively.

The greater effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine (100 microgram [mcg] per dose) could be due to the higher levels of mRNA present in each dose than the Pfizer vaccine (30 mcg per dose).

The single-dose Johnson and Johnson reached peak effectiveness of 74.8% 1 month after vaccination, which gradually reduced to 54.4% after 5 months.

These changes in the effectiveness of the three vaccines did not differ with sex, race, and ethnicity. However, the vaccine effectiveness was lower in individuals over the age of 64 years than in the younger population.

The researchers also compared the patterns of changes in vaccine effectiveness over time in individuals who received their vaccinations at different dates after the vaccines became available in December 2020.

The researchers found that these patterns of change in vaccine effectiveness over time were similar in individuals, regardless of when they received the vaccine. This similarity in patterns of changes in vaccine effectiveness suggests that there was a decline in immunity conferred by the vaccines, regardless of the emergence of the Delta variant.

Furthermore, in individuals who received their first dose of the mRNA vaccines before March 2021, the emergence of the Delta virus was associated with a further 10% and 15% decline in the effectiveness of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively.

These data suggest a natural waning of the immunity the vaccines confer and a decline in immunity due to the emergence of the Delta variant.

The researchers then analyzed the effectiveness of the three vaccines in preventing hospitalizations and mortality.

Although more than 800,000 people in North Carolina reported COVID-19 during the study period between December 2020 and September 2021, the researchers only had access to hospitalization and survival data on 40% and 60% of these COVID-19 cases, respectively.

Analyzing these data, the researchers found that all three vaccines, especially the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, provided high levels of protection against hospitalization and death at least 6 months after vaccination.

The Pfizer vaccine was 88.7% and 90.5% effective at preventing hospitalization and death, respectively, due to COVID-19 at 7 months after vaccination. Similarly, the Moderna vaccine had an effectiveness of over 94% against hospitalizations (94.1%) and death (95.5%) at the end of 7 months after the first dose.

At 6 months following vaccination, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 80% effective in preventing hospitalizations and 70% effective in protecting against death.

Similar to the effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infections, the efficacy of all three vaccines in preventing severe illness was lower in individuals aged 65 years and older.

Describing the implications of the study, Dr. Lin said, First, all three vaccines are durably effective against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. Thus, unvaccinated people should get vaccinated right away.

Second, the Pfizer vaccine is less durable than the Moderna vaccine, so the Pfizer vaccine recipients should get boosters sooner than the Moderna vaccine recipients.

Third, older adults have lower vaccine effectiveness and higher risks of hospitalization and death than younger people, so there is a greater urgency for older adults to get booster shots.

Fourth, the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starts to decline after 1 month, so perhaps the Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients should be administered a second dose after 1 month; if a second dose needs to be taken soon after the first one, there is no practical advantage of taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Finally, because the majority of the vaccinees in the U.S. were vaccinated more than 7 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. Thus, vaccination and boosting is our best hope against the Omicron variant or any new variants that may arise in the future, added Dr. Lin.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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mRNA vaccines offer lasting protection against severe COVID-19 - Medical News Today

Did your county make the list?

by: Gabby Urenda, Stacker.com

FILE Pharmacist Kenni Clark prepares a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at City of Lawrences The Center, which serves seniors, families and the community, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Lawrence, Mass. U.S. regulators, on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, are shortening the time that people who received Modernas COVID-19 vaccine have to wait for a booster to five months rather than six. The Moderna vaccine is open to Americans 18 and older.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN/Stacker) With COVID-19 cases surging in Oregon due to the omicron variant, health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated and get boosted.

With the help of Stacker.com, KOIN 6 News compiled a list of counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the state.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and COVID Act Now, counties are ranked by the highest vaccination rate as of Jan. 13, 2022. Due to inconsistencies in reporting, some counties do not have vaccination data available.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, 81.8% of people ages 18 and older living in Oregon have initiated COVID-19 vaccination and have received at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday, Jan. 19. 74.5% have completed their primary series, or have received one dose of Johnson & Johnson, two doses of Moderna or two doses of Pfizer vaccines.

38.5% have received a booster of any COVID-19 vaccine in addition to completing their primary series.

The United States as of Jan. 14 reached 846,638 COVID-19-related deaths and 64.1 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 62.8% of the entire U.S. population is fully vaccinated, and 37.5% have received booster doses.

Below, youll find the top 10 counties in Oregon with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate.

For a full list, click here.

Editors Note:KOIN 6 News edited this story originally published on stacker.com to include only 10 locations on the list, extract specific words and add more words as necessary. This article has been re-published pursuant to aCC BY-NC 4.0 License.

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10 Oregon counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate - KOIN.com

Researchersbegan testing a new COVID-19 vaccine patch this month that they hope will provide long-lasting protection against the virus.

On Wednesday, researchers said the PepGNP-Covid19 vaccine is in an early-study phase, as the technology is much different than the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines, Reuters reported.

Instead of producing an antibody response, the vaccine patch focuses on cellular immunity by targeting T-cells that could eliminate the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading in the body.

The vaccine works by putting a patch with microneedles on a person then taking it off.

"With this new vaccine that generates this cellular immunity we hope to have a longer period of protection ... we don't know yet, but it could be one year, two years, three years," professor Blaise Genton, head of the study, told Reuters.

The vaccine was developed by Emergex Vaccines Holding Ltd., and the trial will be conducted through Unisant medical research center in Lausanne, Switzerland, along with a local hospital.

The trial includes 26 candidates who will receive two patches of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the second one being slightly stronger. The people will then be tracked for six months, Reuters noted.

The first trial for the vaccine began on Jan. 10. Emergex announced the development of the new vaccine back in November.

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Researchers testing COVID-19 vaccine patch | TheHill - The Hill

Amid a COVID-19 surge fueled by the omicron variant, hospitals and health systems in Florida must navigate conflicting positions at federal and state levels when it comes to vaccination mandates.

On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court upheld the CMS mandate for COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare facilities, setting aside challenges that blocked enforcement of the mandate in 24 states. This means CMS may implement andenforce the rule in every state but Texas, where a preliminary injunction remains in place. The rule requires healthcare facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to establish a policy ensuring eligible workers are fully vaccinated, with exemptions allowed based on religious beliefs or recognized medical conditions.

On the same day of the Supreme Court decision, the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the statewill not enforce the federal mandate. Mr. DeSantis also signed a law Nov. 18 designed to counter mandates. The Florida legislation prohibits vaccination mandates for private employers unless also providing various exemptions, which include medical or religious concerns; pregnancy or anticipated future pregnancy; and past COVID-19 infection.The legislation also imposes a fine of up to $50,000 per employee violation.

A spokesperson for Mr. DeSantis said the state's prohibition on vaccine mandates "remains in effect for all industries, [and] we will be evaluating next steps for enforcement in the coming days," according to a statement shared with ABC affiliate WFTS.

Meanwhile, Florida hospitals must navigate conflicting state and federal positions.

Mary Mayhew, Florida Hospital Association president and CEO, toldNPR hospitals "don't want to be caught between the state government and the federal government," and they are working on addressing the situation.

"You can't be in compliance with both based upon the breadth of exemptions that exist within the state law," she said. "So, hospitals are working very closely with their staff, first of all, to encourage them to get vaccinated, but then to identify where there are exemptions that fit within the Medicare rule. Where we become potentially at odds with the state requirement is if an employee fails to fit."

Hospitals and health systems in Florida told Becker's via written statements Jan. 18 and 19 that they are working on compliance.

Orlando Health said the health system "continues to review the guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare organizations and will take appropriate steps. As a healthcare organization, we continue to strongly encourage vaccinations for all team members and physicians at Orlando Health."

Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth emphasized the health system's support of vaccines.

"As part of our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our team members, patients and communities, we strongly encourage all of our team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine," the health system's statement said.

As of Jan. 18, about 96 percent of AdventHealth employees were in compliance with the CMS vaccination mandate.

The health system plans to "be in compliance with the legal requirements and continue to monitor developments impacting its enforcement," according to the organization's statement.

Jacksonville-based Baptist Health said the organization also continues to keep tabs on the evolving law and regulatory guidance regarding vaccination requirements.

As of Jan. 19, more than 99 percent of Baptist Health employees had met the COVID-19 vaccination or exemption requirement.

Additionally, "we recently extended the date for compliance by 30 days to allow time for our team members to submit exemptions utilizing the new state of Florida approved exemption forms, which we are currently honoring," the health system said.

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How Florida hospitals are juggling plans over COVID-19 vaccination mandates - Becker's Hospital Review

Immigrant Food+, located just a few steps from the White House in the Planet Word museum, specializes in fusion cuisine. They take their inspiration not only from the great American melting pot, but also from DC's own vibrant diversity. Immigrant Food+ is also incredibly proud that two of the people who helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine are immigrants:researcher Katalin Karik'sprofile inThe New York Timesnotes that she comes from Hungary, while BioNTech co-founder zlem Treci is a German-born Turk (via NYT).

According to Washingtonian, the brunch offered by Immigrant Food+ over a recent mid-January weekend consisted of a number of "injectables" meant to honor the vaccine and those whose efforts have made it so widely available. The menu featured croquettes that came with pipettes of feta cream, blue cheese burgers complete with ketchup-filled syringes, and tiramisu churros with chocolate syringes.NBC4 also showed a cocktail that, upon receiving a shot of lemon juice, changed color from blue to purple. The restaurateurs intended the brunch to be a way to "celebrate science ... in a non-political, non-polarized way," and part of the proceeds went to support a local charity. The cause Immigrant Food+ chose to support was, appropriately enough, Mary's Center, an organization that provides vaccination services to DC's under-served and immigrant communities.

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How This DC Restaurant Is Honoring The COVID-19 Vaccine - Mashed

New Hampshire is opening two more walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites this week and has plans to open more, Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday.A new location has opened in Stratham, and a site will open Friday in Concord, Sununu said. There are already five state-run walk-in locations open.>> Latest COVID-19 impact coverage from WMURThe governor said other locations will open next week in Manchester, Nashua and Salem, and a location in Keene should open by the end of the month.Vaccination rates have been mostly flat in New Hampshire since the summer, but Sununu said vaccines remain the best tool available to fight the pandemic.>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important informationWhile the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads more easily than previous variants, research has shown that those fully up-to-date on vaccinations, including booster shots, are much more protected against hospitalization and death.New Hampshire is also working to increase the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests. Sununu said he's planning to ask lawmakers for $10 million to buy at-home tests that will then be distributed by the state.Granite Staters have been able to request at-home tests from the state twice, and the federal government launched its own site to request free tests Tuesday. Sununu said the at-home tests have been tough to find, and there's no guarantee that New Hampshire will be able to immediately locate enough tests to distribute.Sununu praised the federal site and urged people to order their tests. He said at-home tests are increasingly valuable to let people know when they have the virus and when they can return to work or school."The earlier you know, the faster you know, the easier it is to take preventative measures," he said.This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information comes in. ** Town-by-town: COVID-19 case data | Vaccination data **--

New Hampshire is opening two more walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites this week and has plans to open more, Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday.

A new location has opened in Stratham, and a site will open Friday in Concord, Sununu said. There are already five state-run walk-in locations open.

>> Latest COVID-19 impact coverage from WMUR

The governor said other locations will open next week in Manchester, Nashua and Salem, and a location in Keene should open by the end of the month.

Vaccination rates have been mostly flat in New Hampshire since the summer, but Sununu said vaccines remain the best tool available to fight the pandemic.

>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information

While the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads more easily than previous variants, research has shown that those fully up-to-date on vaccinations, including booster shots, are much more protected against hospitalization and death.

New Hampshire is also working to increase the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests. Sununu said he's planning to ask lawmakers for $10 million to buy at-home tests that will then be distributed by the state.

Granite Staters have been able to request at-home tests from the state twice, and the federal government launched its own site to request free tests Tuesday. Sununu said the at-home tests have been tough to find, and there's no guarantee that New Hampshire will be able to immediately locate enough tests to distribute.

Sununu praised the federal site and urged people to order their tests. He said at-home tests are increasingly valuable to let people know when they have the virus and when they can return to work or school.

"The earlier you know, the faster you know, the easier it is to take preventative measures," he said.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information comes in.

** Town-by-town: COVID-19 case data | Vaccination data **

--

Read more from the original source:

More walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites opening this week in New Hampshire - WMUR Manchester

One of the consequences of former communist-era persecution in Romania is a lack of public trust in today's governance, which is hampering the country's fight against Covid-19.

New Year, new beginnings, but not for Romania. After the holiday season, the number of Covid-19 cases in this Balkan country has doubled. In November last year, it had the world's highest per capita Covid-19 death rate. Still, the country continues to be the EU's second least vaccinated state: just 40 percent of the population has been vaccinated.

Furthermore, Romania's fight against the pandemic is further problematised by another issue, namely conspiracy theories. A book titled "Covid, The Lie of The Century", distributed by self-published Romanian author Marius Mioc, asserts: "This is not a real pandemic, but hysteria, and it is driven by politics and the want to make money."

Such outlandish assertions, combined with latent mistrust of the Romanian public towards government-run institutions, have undermined the campaign for vaccination. Some rumours circulated describing convalescents as "paid actors pretending to be intubated patients".

Speaking to TRT World, Dr Octavian Jurma, former advisor to Romania's Health Ministry, said that the main reason behind the epidemic of conspiracy theories is the prevalence of a deep-seated mindset anchored in the communist era.

At that time, he added, the regime institutionalised lies and deception, and people became accustomed to the truth not being expected from the authorities. Thus, people resorted to alternative explanations and underground rumours. As a result, "underground news" became deeply rooted in the Romanian social psyche.

Meanwhile, local media's commercial needs pushing them to exaggerate news and deploy clickbait strategies have seen them regularly give airtime to all kinds of unfounded claims. This is mainly done to generate more advertisement revenue.

Some national TV shows allowed anti-vaxxers to spread their fallacies under the guise of presenting balanced opinions. These factors have mainstreamed fake news. Moreover, as Jurma notes, some questionable policies and practices by the authorities have been the straw that broke the camel's back, paving the way for the grim health situation that Romania faces today.

"Hospitals kill people, not Covid-19"

Among the most concerning beliefs being circulated, says Jurma, is the assertion that "hospitals kill people, not Covid-19", or "I brought him fine yesterday, and now they are telling me she/he is dead". These kinds of flawed statements undermine the integrity of medical personnel and health institutions. At the same time, the fake news becomes amplified when even people whose relatives died from Covid-19 deny the pandemic.

Furthermore, the proliferation of arguments by non-specialised social media users, such as "natural immunity is better, or "vaccines make no difference", or that vaccines spread the infection, is immensely counterproductive. As highlighted by Jurma, this proves that vaccination campaigns need to be accompanied by equally strong education campaigns that educate people about the pros and cons of every step.

Due to the lack of demand for vaccines, Romania started to get rid of stocks. Last year, the government decided to donate 450,000 shots to South Korea. Additionally, the authorities sold 1.17 million doses of excess vaccines to Denmark. On Twitter, Micheal Martin, Ireland's prime minister, announced that his government completed a deal to secure 700,000 vaccines from Romania.

As the pandemic's fifth wave is on the verge of occurring, the spread of fake news has intensified. The "this is just the flu" argument has gained a new life. Some people say: "I will wait for the Omicron vaccine." Others consider the Omicron variant a natural vaccine that will end the pandemic.

A healthcare system hanging by a thread

With that in mind, hospitals are under immense pressure. When the Delta variant hit the country in October and November, Romania saw its worst days since the pandemic. The morgues of the hospitals were at full capacity. Bodies in plastic bags were lying in the hallway of the University Emergency Hospital in Bucharest.

All intensive care beds in the country were occupied at the end of October. Then, more critical patients were transferred to Poland and Hungary. In November, a German air force plane landed in Romania to take patients and treat them in German hospitals.

Romania has the lowest health spending among the EU countries, and only one state hospital has been built since the end of Communism. In a 2015 nightclub fire, 64 people lost their lives. However, only 27 of them died due to the fire. Hospital infections killed the rest. In 2018 Romania was amongst the EU countries with the highest preventable and treatable mortality rates.

Since November 2020, Romania has had three deadly hospital fires, in which 31 people died. The same year a bribery scandal over Covid-19 masks contract broke out. On top of this, the recent Global Corruption Barometer reports that Romania, alongside Bulgaria, has the highest bribery rates in the healthcare system.

Oddly enough, on the epidemiological map of Europe, published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), while Europe is all covered in red, Romania is the only country that has green regions. Here comes the argument: "We have the lowest vaccination rate, but they have the highest number of cases; clearly vaccination is useless." However, as Jurma underlines, Romania has the lowest testing per million inhabitants in Europe.

"Omicron is less severe than Delta"

According to Jurma, Omicron will seriously hit the country. The consequences will be greater since many believe that Omicron is less severe than Delta. Last week, the number of infected increased and a worrying fluctuation in the vaccination rates has occurred.

On November 8, stricter measures were imposed. Still, a Covid pass plan for workers is blocked in Parliament. On the other hand, the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) - the only regulator for the audiovisual sector in Romania tried to impose fines on the outlets that spread vaccine disinformation. However, the CNA has struggled to monitor and stop the fake news. A month ago, anti-Covid-19 pass protesters tried to break into the parliament, protesting against the aforementioned passes.

Jurma predicts that even if Omicron sends 50 percent fewer people to the hospital than Delta, Romania will still have a record number of hospitalisations, ICU admissions, and death rates compared to the EU. This situation means that the fifth wave will hit Romania even harder than in October.

Overall, a bleak picture emerges. The combination of deeply entrenched distrust towards the authorities, powerful fake news in traction, and a crumbling healthcare system, could well represent one of Romania's worst health crises in centuries. Meanwhile, the preparation against this probability is weak. People still hope for the best. However, hope is not a strategy.

Source: TRT World

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Conspiracy theories hamper Romania Covid-19 vaccination drive - TRT World

Vaccines are a vital tool for mitigating illness from many infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and shingles.

The COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from becoming ill and lower your risk of serious illness or hospitalization.

For example, recent data from the United Kingdom has found that, compared to unvaccinated individuals, the risk of hospitalization with the Omicron variant is 65 percent and 81 percent lower in people whove had 2 doses and 3 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively.

The shingles vaccine protects you from shingles and can also prevent postherpetic neuralgia, a common complication of shingles that can cause long-term pain. Compared to 2019, shingles vaccinations dropped by 89 percent early in the pandemic, although rates began climbing again later in 2020.

You may wonder how much time needs to pass between getting your shingles and COVID-19 vaccines. Keep reading as we explore the answer to this question and others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults ages 50 and older receive 2 doses of the shingles vaccine, Shingrix. The doses are separated by 2 to 6 months.

Its important to get the shingles vaccine, even if you:

Shingrix is highly effective at protecting you from shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. According to the CDC, Shingrix is 90 percent effective at preventing these conditions after 2 doses. This protection remains high for at least 4 years.

You shouldnt receive the shingles vaccine if:

Having a mild illness like a cold isnt a reason to not get your shingles vaccine.

However, if you have a moderate to severe illness or a fever of 101.3 or higher, you should recover before getting your shingles vaccine.

The CDC guidelines state that the COVID-19 vaccine may be given without regard to the timing of other vaccines.

This means you dont have to wait to receive your COVID-19 and shingles vaccinations.

In fact, you can get your COVID-19 vaccine and shingles vaccine at the same time. If you choose to do this, make sure to receive your injections at two different sites.

Most side effects of the shingles vaccine are mild and typically last only 2 to 3 days.

One of the most common side effects of the shingles vaccine is an injection site reaction. This can include redness, swelling, or soreness where you got your shot.

Other side effects can include:

The most common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine include:

Side effects felt throughout your body are typically more common after receiving the second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Like the shingles vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine side effects typically last only a couple of days.

When COVID-19 and flu circulate at the same time, it has the potential to cause many people to become ill and overburden the healthcare system. As such, its essential to receive both COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

Its safe to receive your COVID-19 and flu vaccine at the same time.

Though were still learning more about giving the COVID-19 vaccine with other vaccines, a November 2021 study found no safety concerns when the COVID-19 and flu vaccine were given at the same time. Also, participants produced expected antibody responses to both vaccines.

The CDC recommends that all people ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine can help prevent illness and reduce the risk of serious flu-related complications in vulnerable individuals, such as:

Its important to get the COVID-19 and shingles vaccines when youre eligible. These vaccines can protect you from two illnesses that could potentially cause severe complications.

You dont have to wait between getting the COVID-19 vaccine and others, such as the shingles or flu vaccines.

Your doctor can answer any questions or concerns you may have about the timing of your COVID-19 and shingles vaccinations.

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Shingles Vaccine and COVID-19 Vaccine Timing - Healthline