Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine turns one, so here's what to watch in the future

It's the one year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine, so what's next for researchers? Here are some things to watch for the vaccine's future.

Staff Video, USA TODAY

As hundreds of thousands of Americans test positive for COVID-19 each day, public health officials are encouraging booster shots to prevent the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant.

But online, some still doubt the safety of the coronavirus vaccines.

"1 million COVID-vaccine injuries now reported on CDC's database," reads a Jan. 3 headline from WorldNetDaily, a website that has previously published false claims about COVID-19.

The article accumulated about 1,500 interactions on Facebook within two days, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool. Politicians like Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have also promoted the claim on social media.

Fact check: COVID-19, election misinformation dominated social media in 2021

WorldNetDaily's article references genuine reports in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. But that doesn't mean serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects are widespread.

"One cannot assume that these reports are things caused by the vaccine,"Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email.

USA TODAY reached out to WorldNetDaily for comment.

As USA TODAY has previously reported, reports in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, commonly known as VAERS, are not proofof widespread serious side effects or death due to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Public health agencies use VAERS as a national early warning system to detect potential safety problems with approved vaccines. Anyone from doctors and nurses to parents and patients can submit a report of an adverse event following vaccination to the database.

VAERS reports are unverified, and the CDC says on its website that the database "is not designed to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event."If public health officials detect a reporting pattern, they conduct follow-up studies to determine whether a vaccine was to blame.

Fact check: The COVID-19 pandemic is not a hoax

"I can get a COVID vaccine and my dog gets hit by a car I can make that report and it will show up in the database," Salmon said."It does not mean that my getting a COVID vaccine caused my dog to get hit by a car."

Still, anti-vaccine advocates have previously used unconfirmed VAERS reports to make unfounded claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.The WorldNetDaily article is the latest example of that trend.

"TheVaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, known as VAERS, reports that as of Dec. 24, there were 21,002 COVID vaccine deaths and 110,609 hospitalizations along with a total of 1,000,227 COVID vaccine adverse events," the article reads.

As evidence, WorldNetDaily cites OpenVAERS, a website that "posts publicly available CDC/FDA data of injuries reported post-vaccination." A USA TODAY analysis of VAERS data confirmsthose numbers, which include adverse event reports for all COVID-19 vaccines in any location worldwide.

However, there are nearly 300,000 fewerresults when searching for adverse events reported inthe U.S. and its territories.

"As of December 24, 2021, there were 709,085 reports of adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in VAERS," Martha Sharan, a CDC spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email.

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But again, those reports alone are not proof of "COVID-vaccine injuries" or "COVID vaccine deaths," as WorldNetDaily claims.

The CDC says on its website that "serious adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare but may occur." The agency has"not detected any unusual or unexpected patterns for deaths following immunization" that would indicate the COVID-19 vaccines are to blame, Sharan said.

The exception is Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, which has beenlinked tonine confirmed deaths due tothrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome.The CDC recommendsshots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for people 18 and older.

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that1 million "COVID-vaccine injuries"are reported in a CDC database. As of Dec. 24, there were more than 700,000 reports of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination in the VAERS database. But since those reports are unverified, they are not proof of vaccine injuries or deaths. The CDC says serious adverse events related to the COVID-19 vaccines are rare.

Thank you for supporting our journalism.You cansubscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

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Fact check: Reports of adverse events due to COVID-19 vaccines are unverified - USA TODAY

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has spread around the world at a rapid pace since it was first discovered in southern Africa in November but there is still a great deal we do not know about it.

More data is needed to determine its precise characteristics and how it responds to our existing coronavirus vaccines, but what seems beyond doubt is that it is more transmissible than any previous strains we have encountered over the course of the pandemic so far, including the Alpha and Delta variants.

Omicron has been detected in at least 110 countries to date, with the likes of the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea reimposing lockdown measures to slow its spread.

The UK has continued to experience extremely high levels of Covid infections across the festive period, with total daily cases in England rocketing to a pandemic high of 218,724 on 4 January, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

One aspect of the Omicron variant that has become clear over the last few weeks is how it differs from the original Covid strain.

While the World Health Organisation estimated that symptoms took anywhere between two days to two weeks to materialise in cases of people infected with the first coronavirus strain, the Omicron variant is thought to incubate much faster, closer to three to five days.

Recent analysis from the UK Health Security Agency suggests that the window between infection and infectiousness may be shorter for the Omicron variant than the Delta variant, UK health secretary Sajid Javid told MPs on 6 December.

That would explain why it has spread so swiftly and successfully, as the shortness of its incubation period gives sufferers a shorter window between suspecting they have contracted the virus and experiencing a flare-up, making it less likely a positive test result will be recorded in time to warn others, enter isolation and prevent the contagion being passed on.

A shorter incubation period makes a virus much, much, much harder to control, Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, warned The Atlantic recently.

Another characteristic of Omicron that makes it potentially harder to detect than other strains is that its symptoms differ somewhat from the three primary indicators we have learned to be on the lookout for: coughs, fever and any loss of sense of taste or smell.

Early warning signs for the new variant, by contrast, include a scratchy throat, lower back pain, a runny or blocked nose, a headache, muscle pains and fatigue, sneezing and night sweats.

The current evidence from Omicron cases analysed in Britain is that patients will recover within five days to a week on average, although some of the symptoms like coughing and fatigue may linger for longer.

Shortness of breath has also been reported in more severe cases, which has been seen to last for as long as 13 days after.

Covid sufferers are, typically, thought to be infectious to others from around two days before their first symptoms start to materialise and for around 10 days after.

If you believe you have symptoms of either Omicron or the still-dominant Delta variant, the current NHS advice is to get a PCR test as soon as possible and to self-isolate at home to protect others.

Our best hope against Omicron at present collectively is to take up the offer of a vaccine booster jab, which has now been rolled out to all adults in the UK, as studies have shown that three shots are likely to offer a far greater degree of immunity against the new strain that just two.

But, as Mr Javid told the BBCs final Andrew Marr Show, there are no guarantees in this pandemic, so the public are also advised to adhere to the restrictions currently in place including mask-wearing in public spaces, abandon unnecessary social commitments this winter and exercise extreme caution.

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How long is Omicrons incubation period? How it differs from Delta and other Covid variants - The Independent

Scientists say that the IHU variant contains 46 mutations, which makes it even more resistant to vaccines. It has not been spotted in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.

A new variant of coronavirus named IHU - has been identified by researchers in France amid the rapid spread of the Omicron strain across the globe. The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, suggests that the new virus strain has more mutations than the Omicron variant.

Omicron is still new and a lot of research has been going on across the world to understand its behaviour and capacity to infect. So far, 32 mutations have been identified in Omicron, which is believed to be more resistant to existing vaccines.

But now, this new strain of lineage B.1.640.2 contains 46 mutations.

The IHU was discovered in France on December 10, and since then, the scientists there have been conducting research on it.

Here is a list of things known about the new IHU variant so far:

Its presence was first detected by experts at the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille.

It has been linked to travel to Cameroon, a country in Africa. Omicron was also discovered in southern part of Africa on November 24 and rapidly took the world in its grip.

At least 12 cases of the new IHU variant were reported near Marseilles in France early in December. They are believed to be linked to the index case who returned from Cameroon. The research began after the discovery of the cluster.

According to a paper posted on medRxiv, the genomes were obtained by next-generation sequencing with Oxford Nanopore Technologies on GridION instruments. It further said that the mutations have caused 14 amino acid substitutions and 9 amino acid deletions - which are located in the spike protein.

The B.1.640.2 has not been spotted in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Covid-19: 5 big things to know about the new IHU variant - Hindustan Times

A 54-year-old public-school science teacher on Long Island was arrested on New Years Eve after being accused of giving a teenager an injection of what appeared to be Covid-19 vaccine without his parents consent, the Nassau County police said.

The police said that the teacher, Laura Parker Russo, administered a shot of what appeared to be a coronavirus vaccine to 17-year-old boy in her house in Sea Cliff, N.Y. The youth later went home and told his mother, who called the police and said she had not authorized the vaccination.

Ms. Russo was charged with unauthorized practice of a profession, the police said. She has been removed from her classroom in the Herricks Public Schools system in New Hyde Park and reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation, schools officials said in a statement. A school website, which has been taken down, said Ms. Russo teaches at Herricks High School.

Ms. Russo did not respond immediately to an email sent by The New York Times. She was released after her arrest and is scheduled to appear in criminal court on Jan. 21, the police said. Unauthorized practice of a profession is a felony under the state education law that carries a penalty of up to four years in prison.

The majority of states, including New York, require parental consent for minors to receive Covid vaccinations. Some parents have prevented their children from getting inoculated for various reasons, including concerns about possible side effects and safety.

Scientists say the vaccines are known to be safe for children 5 and older, and they urge vaccinating them because children can both spread the virus to others and become seriously ill themselves. The spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant has led to an increase in pediatric hospitalizations.

And because broad immunity cannot be reached unless minors are vaccinated, federal and state officials hope that more parents will vaccinate their children, especially as many students return to school.

Daily reports of new coronavirus cases have quadrupled in Nassau County over the past two weeks, according to The New York Timess tracker. Hospitalizations in the county have risen 47 percent in that time.

Seventy-six percent of Nassau County residents are vaccinated, according to The Timess tracker, and the rate for 12- to 17-year-olds is only slightly lower, at 72 percent, according to state data.

There is no statewide Covid vaccine mandate for schoolchildren in New York. But some private schools require vaccination, and New York City requires it for certain sports and extracurricular activities.

In September, Los Angeles became the first school district to mandate vaccines for children 12 and older, with a deadline of Jan. 10, but those plans have since been delayed. The Washington, D.C., Council has voted to mandate vaccines for students 16 and older starting March 1.

This is a major source of tension between what is important for public health and what is important in terms of individual liberties and parental autonomy, said Denis Nash, an epidemiologist at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.

Schools require other vaccines for enrollment, like vaccination against measles.

Thats the big question: Does Covid-19 fall into the same category as some of these other vaccine preventable diseases that we do require for school entry, or does it not? Dr. Nash said.

James C. McKinley Jr. contributed reporting.

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Teacher Arrested After Injecting Minor With What Appeared to Be a Covid-19 Vaccine - The New York Times

As the very infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 surges around the country, you need to know what kind of tests to take to protect yourself and your community.

Emily Landon, infectious disease expert and executive medical director for infection prevention and control at University of Chicago Medicine, answers common questions about COVID-19 tests.

These include when to get a COVID-19 test, what kind you should use, what to do if you cant get one at all, and why its still important to get vaccinated and boosted.

Q: When should I get a COVID-19 test?

Isolate and get a COVID-19 test if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if theyre mild and even if youre fully vaccinated and/or boosted. Symptoms may include sniffles, congestion or a cough, and might resemble a mild cold, especially in fully vaccinated and boosted people.

Even if you have minor symptoms, you are still contagious. People who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised may still get severe disease. Stay isolated if you have any symptoms, even if you cannot quickly get a COVID-19 test.

Q: How are rapid antigen tests different from PCR tests? Is one better than another?

Rapid antigen tests, which you can buy in most pharmacies, are great in specific circumstances and less good in others. Rapid antigen tests detect COVID-19 when people have a higher amount of virus particles in their system and are more contagious. But a negative antigen test doesnt necessarily mean you arent contagious. If someone has COVID-19, but hasnt yet reached the tests threshold of viral particles, they may still test negative with an antigen test but positive on a PCR test. Thats why I tell people they should trust a positive antigen test, but be more skeptical about a negative one.

PCR tests, which are still mostly done at hospitals and other testing facilities rather than at home, are far more sensitive than antigen tests. Theyre able to detect smaller quantities of the virus and detect them sooner (and for more time) than antigen tests.

While theyre considered the gold standard for a COVID-19 diagnosis, PCR tests are unnecessary for those who have already tested positive on an antigen test. Thats important to know as wait times for PCR tests grow due to increased demand.

In short: any positive test counts as a positive, but a negative antigen test needs to be confirmed with a PCR test.

Q: When should I use an at-home test?

A rapid, at-home antigen test is a useful tool to have in your COVID-19 arsenal. But you need to know when and how to use these tests.

If you have symptoms:

If you have COVID-19 symptoms and test positive on an at-home test, you have COVID-19. You dont need to get another test to confirm the results.

But if you have symptoms and you test negative, you should not rule out COVID-19 just yet. In this case, we recommend getting a more sensitive PCR test. If you cant get in for a PCR test quickly, its recommended to repeat the antigen test the following day, being sure to isolate until you get your PCR test and results. If you cant get a PCR test at all, isolate for 10 days.

If you dont have symptoms:

For those without COVID-19 symptoms, using these tests before a gathering will reduce (but not eliminate) the risk that someone attending has COVID-19. Remember: antigen test results can change quickly, and a negative result is really only trustworthy for eight to 12 hours.

In other words, you shouldnt rely on a negative test in the morning if you want to get together in the evening with friends or family. Make sure everyone whos attending an event uses an at-home test as close as possible to the time theyre gathering and understands that a negative test doesnt guarantee safety or completely prevent exposure.

If youve had a known COVID-19 exposure, no test is going to make it safe for you to gather unmasked with high-risk individuals. Stay home.

Q: How do I interpret at-home tests?

If youre taking an at-home COVID-19 test, consider any positive result to mean you have COVID-19. You dont need to confirm with a PCR test. (Even if its an extremely faint line, you should consider yourself infected and isolate.) If youre unclear about what your test result says, isolate and repeat the test in six to 12 hours. Youll likely see a clearer line on the test strip next time.

Dont forget: a negative at-home test is only reliable for eight to 12 hours and still doesnt guarantee youre COVID-free. You should get a PCR test if you have symptoms.

Q: What should I do if I cant get a COVID-19 test?

Given the widespread transmission of the Omicron variant, if you have symptoms, you should assume you are infected with COVID-19, regardless of your vaccination status. Isolate for the amount of time thats recommended by the health department.

Q: What should I do if Ive been exposed?

If youve been exposed, but have no symptoms and you are fully vaccinated and boosted, you dont need to quarantine. But you should get a test on Day 4, 5, or 6 following your exposure. (For example, if you were exposed on Monday, you should get tested on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.) If you develop symptoms, assume youre infected and begin isolation.

If youve been exposed and are vaccinated but not boosted, you need to quarantine for five days after an exposure and wear masks for another five days after that. You are still at high risk of infection, especially from the quickly spreading Omicron variant. You should wear a mask around other people, and get tested four to six days after the exposure and anytime you develop symptoms. Avoid gatherings and do your best to limit contact with people who are immunocompromised or who are unvaccinated.

If youve been exposed, have no symptoms, but are NOT vaccinated, stay home and quarantine for five days. Youll need to wear a mask for another five days after that.

Q: Im vaccinated and boosted. Why did I still get COVID-19?

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are hugely valuable. In addition to providing protection from the virus, vaccines and boosters reduce the chances of serious illness, hospitalization and death. But people can still get infected when theyre fully vaccinated and boosted. This may be because the vaccines protection has decreased over time or because a new variant (like the Omicron variant) is better at getting around the vaccines protective properties.

COVID-19 infections in fully vaccinated people are called breakthrough infections, which usually result in milder symptoms versus infections in the unvaccinated. Your bodys memory B cells and T cells, which developed after your vaccine, respond quickly to stop the infection and prevent severe damage. Immunocompromised people may not have strong B cell- and T cell-immunity even after vaccination, so they remain at higher risk. If you are immunocompromised and have a breakthrough infection, you should contact your doctor even if you only have mild symptoms.

Unvaccinated people dont have existing antibodies or memory B cells or T cells waiting to fight off COVID-19, so they have to start their immune response from scratch if they become infected. Infections typically cause more damage to their organs and tissues, which can lead to complications like having low oxygen levels, as well as problems with the lungs, kidney and heart. Unvaccinated individuals are also much more likely to need intensive care support or have lingering symptoms known as long COVID-19.

Q: If I have a breakthrough infection after my COVID-19 vaccine, will I still be contagious for the same amount of time?

Theres a good amount of evidence showing most fully vaccinated and boosted people with breakthrough infections are both less contagious, and contagious for a shorter time. Theyre also more likely to get mild infections.

Q: Can I report my positive at-home test results to public health officials?

At-home antigen test results are not typically reported to public health agencies, nor are they usually included in official case tallies. This means statistics are significantly under-reported. In some communities, local health departments are setting up portals for people to self-report at-home results, but youll need to check to see whats available in your area.

The most important thing to do is stay home and isolate. If you have certain health conditions especially if youre immunocompromised contact your doctor ASAP so they are aware of your diagnosis.

Q: When can I get the new medicine thats received emergency use authorization to fight or prevent COVID-19?

The good news is that new antiviral medication and a preventative monoclonal antibody treatment have received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Theyll be very important resources for doctors and high-risk patients. Even so, these treatments will be extremely limited at first. They will first be distributed by public health agencies and will only be available to the highest-risk patients.

If you are a transplant recipient, have a primary immunodeficiency, take immunosuppressive medication, or are undergoing active chemotherapy, and you test positive for COVID-19, you should contact your doctor right away to see if any of these treatments are available to you.

Q: Do COVID-19 booster shots offer added protection against the Omicron variant?

A: Boosters offer the best protection from catching Covid, but they arent perfect. Scientists are still gathering data on the effectiveness of vaccines against Omicron, but existing data show people who are vaccinated and boosted have additional protection and are less likely to be hospitalized than those who are unvaccinated. Read more about booster shots and third doses here: What to know about booster shots and third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Adapted from an article published by UChicago Medicine.

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When should I use a rapid COVID test, and how accurate are they? - UChicago News

Covid news live: Testing rules to be relaxed amid staff shortages as NHS forced to delay surgeries  The Independent

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Covid news live: Testing rules to be relaxed amid staff shortages as NHS forced to delay surgeries - The Independent

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CORONA VIRUS WATCH | The Herald

Getting the vaccineWhy should I get vaccinated?

For those in the ASU community, ASU Health ServicesandEmployee Healthhave COVID-19 vaccines, third doses and boosters available.

Students can make appointments by going to theASU Health Portal; ASU Health Services has the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines available.

ASU employees can make appointments throughEmployee Health; Employee Health has the Moderna vaccine only.

All COVID-19 vaccines are widely available across pharmacies, supermarkets and medical providers. To find a convenient location near you to get a COVID-19 vaccine dose or booster, please visitvaccines.gov/searchorazdhs.gov/FindVaccine. You can also call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Refer to theCDCorFDAfor the most current information on the COVID-19 vaccine dose, and booster details and timing; all university employees are eligible for the COVID-19 booster.

For the most part, yes (see below forexceptions). The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionrecommendthat everyone be offered thevaccine, regardless of whether they have been infected. It is unclear how long natural immunity lasts after someone recovers from an infection.

There isguidanceon exceptionsfrom the CDC on the following:

Those with known current COVID-19 infection:Vaccination should be deferred until the person has recovered from the acute illness (if the person had symptoms) and criteria have been met for them to discontinue isolation. This recommendation applies to people who develop a COVID-19 infection before receiving any vaccine doses, as well as those who develop an infection after the first dose but before receipt of the second one.

Those with known COVID-19 exposure:Vaccination is unlikely to be effective in preventing disease after an exposure because the median incubation period of COVID-19 is four to five days, it is unlikely that the first dose of the vaccine would provide an adequate immune response within the incubation period for effective post-exposure prophylaxis (that is, vaccination to prevent the development of COVID-19). People in the community or outpatient setting who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing health care personnel and other persons during the vaccination visit.

Those who have received passive antibody therapy(that is, who have received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma from individuals who have recovered from an infection): Based on the estimated half-life of such therapies as well as evidence suggesting that reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection, vaccination should be deferred for at least 90 days, as a precautionary measure until additional information becomes available, to avoid potential interference of the antibody therapy with vaccine-induced immune responses. This recommendation applies to people who receive passive antibody therapy before receiving any vaccine doses as well as those who receive passive antibody therapy after the first dose but before the second dose, in which case the second dose should be deferred for at least 90 days following receipt of the antibody therapy.

There is no recommended minimum interval between other antibody therapies not specific to COVID-19 treatment (e.g., intravenous immunoglobulin, RhoGAM) and vaccination.

No. Please stay home and reschedule when you are well. Its important to protect the health of the distribution-site staff, as well as other people receiving the vaccine.

No. Your second vaccination needs to be the same vaccine brand as your first (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech).

You will need to be observed for 30 minutes after your vaccine dose, rather than the standard 15 minutes.

Consult with your health care provider. If you are on blood thinners, you will need to wait 30 minutes under observation at the vaccination site after receiving your vaccine.

Consult with your OB/GYN and/or pediatrician before receiving any COVID-19 vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free to everyone living in the United States. You do not need to have health insurance. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen.

No. If you have health insurance, you will be asked to enter your information during the vaccine registration.

Yes time to take the vaccine is considered working time. Employees should try to take it during working hours. Time away from work should be coordinated with and approved by the supervisor with as much notice as possible.

Time should be recorded as regular working time for hourly employees even if it is taken on a weekend and results in overtime. FFCRA pay codes should not be used to account for time to take a vaccine.

For assistance with time reporting questions, contact OHR Partners.

There is no upper age limit for any of the vaccines.

As of November 2021, the Pfizer vaccine has received emergency-use authorization for children as young as 5. The lower age limit for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnsons vaccines is 18.

Yes. ASU does not have access to ADHS records regarding who received the vaccine. To assist in our efforts to manage COVID-19 vaccinations in the ASU community, we are asking those individuals who have been vaccinated touploadtheir vaccination records; the information is kept secure. Employees, including student employees, can do so here; all other students can do so through the Health Portal.

International students can get the vaccine while in the U.S., and it is recommended that they get the vaccine as soon as they are able to.

No. They should bring verification of vaccination with them so that the vaccination site knows which shot they need. You cannot mix vaccine brands, however. ASU cannot guarantee that if someone gets a certain vaccine elsewhere that the same brand will be available here.

The U.S. will only distribute vaccines that have been approved as effective and have received emergency-use designation. Other countries may be using the same or different vaccines, as there are numerous available globally.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is covered in a crown, or corona, of spike proteins that give coronaviruses their name. The viruses use these spike proteins like keys to get into human cells.

The vaccines train our immune systems to recognize these spike proteins and prepare to defend against them.

There are currently two types of COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. adenovirus and messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Both types use the viruss genetic instructions for building spike proteins to provoke an immune response.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine contains a common virus called an adenovirus. The virus has been reprogrammed so that it cant replicate or make you sick. Instead, it carries DNA with instructions for the coronaviruss spike protein.

When your cells absorb the adenovirus, they copy the instructions for the spike protein into messenger RNA molecules. The cells use this mRNA like a blueprint to start building spike proteins. The spike proteins make their way to the outside of the cell, where your immune system recognizes them as intruders and mobilizes an immune response.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines work in a similar way, but they skip the adenovirus step. Instead of having your cells build the mRNA from DNA, these vaccines give you the mRNA directly.

In both types of vaccines, the genetic instructions are destroyed after use, like a self-destructing Mission Impossible message. However, the antibodies created by your immune system remain. If youre exposed to the coronavirus in the future, your body will recognize the spike protein trying to invade your cells and deploy antibodies in defense.

They are working extremely well.

The intended benefit of the vaccines was to prevent serious illness and death. They are excellent at doing that, says Josh LaBaer, MD, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at ASU.

Although the delta variant is causing more breakthrough infections among vaccinated people than before, the vaccines are still protecting against severe illness. In Arizona, for example, unvaccinated people make up 99.5% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 99.7% of deaths.

Far and away, all three vaccines are doing an excellent job at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Thats true everywhere, not just in Arizona, LaBaer says.

Common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, and pain and swelling at the injection site.But those side effects are short-lived and not cause for concern.

That's a great sign. Symptoms show that your body is creating an immune response to COVID, saysHeather Ross, a clinical assistant professor in ASUs Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and School for the Future of Innovation in Society. She participated in the Moderna vaccine clinical trial in summer 2020.

After the first dose, my arm was pretty sore and I had a headache, but not anything serious. After my second dose, about eight hours after the shot I had a fever, I felt super tired and pretty grumpy for about 30 hours. And then I was fine, she says.

I do tell people, vaccination symptoms are a hell of a lot better than getting sick with COVID. I have students, healthy young people, who are still getting short of breath when they try to exert themselves, months after recovering. It can be really, really disabling. Weve seen people getting strokes after the fact from having COVID. It's really scary stuff.

There have been some extremely rare, more severe side effects from the vaccines. These include allergic reactions, blood clots after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents/young adults after the mRNA vaccines.Get up-to-date information about reported side effects here.

It is important to remember that your risk of catching and dying from COVID-19 is far higher than the risk of any of these side effects.

Consult with your doctor before receiving your second dose.

Yes, employees who have side effects can use sick leave.

No. There are no known long-term effects from the COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S.

More than 356 million doses have been given under the most intense safety monitoring in our countrys history. Anyone can report reactions through theVaccine Adverse Events Reporting System. The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies investigate these reports thoroughly. They have not found any long-term problems caused by the COVID-19 vaccines.

This matches what we know about vaccines in general.

The overwhelming majority of vaccine side effects show up within two months, saysAnna Muldoon, who holds a masters degree in public health and is a PhD student in the School for the Future of Innovation and Society. People don't get weird effects from a vaccine 10 years later. The body doesn't work like that.

I don't worry so much about long-term negative consequences, because we know they are really nonexistent in vaccines. And there's no reason to believe that this vaccine is going to be different from any others, adds Bertram Jacobs, a professor of virology with the School of Life Sciences and a researcher in the Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy.

On the other hand, COVID-19 is known to have serious, long-term health risks.

Between 15% to 60% of people have long-term side effects of the virus, even people who had mild or asymptomatic infections, says Josh LaBaer, MD, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at ASU. Brain fog, memory problems, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal problems these are showing up more and more. We now know in no uncertain terms that this virus gets into the brain.

If youre worried about long-term side effects, theres much more case for having them from the virus than from the vaccine. Its naive to assume that when you get over the virus youre done with it, he adds.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines contain messenger RNA (mRNA), lipids and saline solutions. The single active ingredient mRNA is contained within a protective bubble of lipids. The saline solutions in the two vaccines are used commonly in medications and vaccines and serve to keep the pH and salt levels of the mixture close to those in the human body. Both vaccines are essentially genetic material wrapped in a bubble of fat suspended in salt water.

The full ingredients of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are: messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), four lipids: SM-102; polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol (DMG); cholesterol; 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC); and the saline solutions comprised of tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose.

The full ingredients of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are: messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), four lipids: (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate); 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide; 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol; and a saline solution of potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine contains a modified adenovirus with coronavirus DNA, as well as various stabilizers, alcohol for sterilization, an anticoagulant, an emulsifier to hold the ingredients together and salt.

The full ingredients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are: recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26 expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, citric acid monohydrate, trisodium citrate dihydrate, ethanol, 2-hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (HBCD), polysorbate-80 and sodium chloride.

Polyethylene glycol, or PEG, is a petroleum-derived compound thats found in everything from medicine and food to cosmetics and industrial products. PEG is in both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, where its used as a stabilizing agent for the mRNA.

Its used in the vaccines to make sure the active component doesn't fall apart, dry up, degrade or become unusable until it gets delivered to the body, says Biodesign Institute Executive Director Josh LaBaer. Its used in all kinds of substances that we take all the time. Generally speaking, the vast majority of people have no problem with polyethylene glycol, but there are individuals that have allergic reactions to PEG.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not contain PEG, but it does contain polysorbate. A small number of people are allergic to polysorbate.

If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, check theCDC guidelinesto see if you should receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

No. The flu shot does not protect against COVID-19.

Health experts urge people to get their annual flu shot in addition to the COVID-19 vaccine. Especially with so many hospitals at capacity, it's best to do everything possible to prevent either illness.

Its possible. Breakthrough infections cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated people are rare. However, there has been an increase in breakthrough infections from the delta variant. Delta is now the dominant form of the virus in the U.S.

First, no vaccine is perfect. We know that some percent of people dont mount as strong an immune response, says Josh LaBaer, MD, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at ASU.

However, there is another reason why the delta variant may be causing more breakthrough infections.

One of the characteristics of delta is that it is better at elbowing all the other variants out of the way, LaBaer says.

It does this by reproducing very quickly at the beginning of an infection possibly 1,000 times faster than other variants. This early period is also when people are most contagious.

Vaccines produce antibodies that fight the virus. Over time, the antibodies decrease, but our immune systems also have memory B cells that remember how to make them. When memory B cells are exposed to the virus, they start making more antibodies, but this can take a few days.

There is some evidence that people with breakthrough delta infections have high levels of virus at the start, before their B cells kick in and get the virus under control. That may be why vaccinated people tend to have mild cases their memory B cells churn out antibodies before the infection gets out of control. But they could be contagious before this happens.

No.

While the vaccines contain genetic material (mRNA), they have no effect on our DNA. These messenger RNA vaccines, or mRNA, simply deliver instructions to our immune cells to make a single protein from the coronavirus. Once the protein is created, those instructions are broken down and the protein piece is displayed on the surface of a cell. Our immune systems recognize that it doesnt belong and make antibodies in defense, mirroring the natural immune response to an infection.

The mRNA does not remain in the body. Its disposed of once it delivers its instructions and does not impact our DNA.

It is unknown if the COVID-19 vaccines will protect against new strains of SARS-CoV-2. Preliminary research suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will provide protection against the more infectious strain first detected in the United Kingdom.

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines prompt the body to create antibodies tailored to the viruss spike protein, and new strains of the coronavirus are exhibiting changes to that region.

Scientists dont think those changes will be enough to prevent the vaccine from working. What we might see, though, is instead of being 95% effective, maybe the vaccines are 80% effective or 70% effective against the new strains, says Bertram Jacobs, a professor of virology with ASUs School of Life Sciences and a researcher in the Biodesign Institute's Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy.

While diminished efficacy is a concern, Jacobs says both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines can be quickly adapted to protect against emerging strains.

It is worth noting that even though the vaccines have not yet been formally tested on the variants, they are still proving effective when measured in geographical areas that have high rates of variants, adds Biodesign Institute Executive Director Josh LaBaer, pointing to the Johnson & Johnson clinical trial in South Africa.

In the trial, 92% of sequenced cases were the more infectious South African variant of the virus, though the vaccine proved effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 73% of the time at 14 days and 82% at 28 days.

My guess is that the vaccines are going to be effective for a long time, says LaBaer. I'm hopeful, because this is not like the flu virus, which constantly changes its look and its antigens. This virus doesn't change that fast, and the vaccines seem to be pretty broadly effective.

After the vaccine

Continued safety protocols

Yes, if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone who tested positive. Vaccination is not a golden ticket to never worry about the coronavirus again. The risk of infection is reduced, but not eliminated. And until a greater proportion of the population is vaccinated, testing is a way of making sure people aren't asymptomatically carrying the virus.

Biodesign Institute Executive Director Josh LaBaer, who has been vaccinated, gets tested when the situation calls for it.

If I'm going to be near somebody who hasn't been vaccinated or I travel, or Im heading to an in-person meeting, I'll get tested, he says.

ASU offers free, saliva-based PCR testing on all campuses and throughout Arizona.Find a free COVID-19 test near you.

Its important to continue to get tested. If youve recently received a COVID-19 vaccine, this will not affect your COVID saliva test result. You will still receive an accurate test result.

The saliva test measures the virus itself its genetic material, its RNA and does not have anything to do with the immune system. So nothing about the vaccination would affect that kind of test. If someone is currently infected with virus, whether or not they have been vaccinated, ASU's saliva test will work.

Because the virus changed.

The delta variant is now the main form of the coronavirus in the U.S. It behaves differently than the original virus. Delta is infecting more vaccinated people, and there is evidence that those people can spread the virus.

Vaccinated people are not likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, even from the delta variant. But if they spread the virus to someone who isnt vaccinated, that person could become very sick or die. Vaccinated people should wear masks around others to avoid passing along the virus.

Public health experts change their guidance when situations change, or when we learn new information. During a crisis like a pandemic, people need information quickly about a threat we dont fully understand. We should expect that guidance will change as we learn more and should be prepared to check reliable sources of information regularly.

Getting vaccinated helps us reach herd immunity, which refers to when most of a population is immune to a disease either through vaccination or previous infection. It provides indirect protection to those who arent immune. The percentage of immune people in a population needed to reach herd immunity varies for different diseases and is unknown for COVID-19.

In addition, it is not currently known if the vaccine eliminates asymptomatic infection and transmission. That means those close to you who get vaccinated might still be able to pass along the coronavirus to you, even if it doesn't affect them.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Information Welcome to Iowa's COVID-19 Vaccine information page! The Iowa Department of Public Health is coordinating the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort in Iowa. To find a provider near you, click here. COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Dashboard COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Information COVID-19 Vaccine Data Downloads Additional Information For more information about the ...

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The vaccination requirement allows for students and employees to seek an exemption based on medical or religious grounds, as defined below:

Medical Exemption: due to a medical (including mental health) condition for which an approved vaccine presents a significant risk of a serious adverse reaction. Any medical exemption must be verified by a certified or licensed healthcare professional and submitted to the university.

Religious Exemption: due to either (i) a persons sincerely held religious belief, observance, or practice, which includes any traditionally recognized religion, or (ii) beliefs, observances, or practices which an individual sincerely holds and that occupy a place of importance in that individuals life, comparable to that of traditionally recognized religions. Anyone seeking a religious exemption must provide a statement to the university that describes the applicable religious or other comparable belief that is the basis for their exemption.

Guest students: (those not in an admitted status with the university and enrolled through Extension and International Programs) must be immunized and document Covid-19 vaccine status to participate in any in-person or hybrid courses or activities.There are no exemptions for this constituency. However, guest students may opt out of documenting Covid-19 vaccine status to participate in fully online courses and activities by being required to attest they will not access any CSUF facilities, activities, or instruction in person.

Visit the Request for Vaccination Exemption webpage for more information on obtaining an exemption.

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