Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

Instead of waiting for state or federal funding, King County leadership wants to move forward with a $7 million plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.

KING COUNTY, Wash. King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a plan Friday to spend $7 million to set up high-volume COVID-19 community vaccination sites and mobile units as the next phase of vaccinations begin.

Constantine said he is working with King County Council to direct the funds.

The sites and mobile teams will serve those eligible for the vaccine under the state's plan.

Washington is currently in Phase 1A of the vaccine plan. This phase includes at-risk health care workers, first responders and long-term care facility residents and staff. Over half a million people are included in the first phase of Washington's plan.

Phase 1B will likely not go into effect until after January. There will be four tiers of prioritization of vaccinating Washingtonians, the first of which includespeople age 70 or older and people 50 or older living in multi-generational households.

The sites, according to King County Executive Dow Constantine, will be similar to the COVID-19 testing sites. They will be "vital" for people who do not have regular healthcare.

According to information from the county, two vaccination centers will be created, most likely in south King County. The south end of the county has higher incidence of COVID-19 along with other health disparities, according to the county.

The funding will come out of King County's budget. Constantine said they are "not waiting around" for the typical negotiations and contracts. However, he said the county expects to be reimbursed by the state and federal government.

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Mass COVID-19 vaccination sites and mobile units planned for King County - KING5.com

(WBNG) -- The plans for the first coronavirus vaccination clinic in Tioga County are underway.

County health officials say the clinic is available to all people who are in the phase 1A priority population as state mandated, including EMS personnel, those in the health and medical field, and those administering the COVID vaccine.

Health officials say the first 100 people who get to the site will be vaccinated.

The clinic will be held Wednesday, Jan. 13 at the Owego UHS Primary Care Clinic, located at 42 West Main Street in Owego.

The county says it has partnered with UHS to distribute the vaccines, saying UHS nurses will also be administering vaccinations.

Health officials point out it is not their decision as to who gets vaccinated first. Kylie Holochak, Senior Public Health Educator said, "I think that's a really important point to make because we do get a lot of phone calls from people who think their turn should be coming soon. Unfortunately, we do not set these guidelines; this is coming from the governor's office."

All 100 spots at this first clinic have already been claimed, but officials say they plan to hold more clinics like this one in the future.

Officials say Proof of eligibility will be required at the clinic and appointments will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Information will be released once plans for future clinics are finalized

To register for the next clinic, click here.

Follow this link:

Tioga County to hold first COVID-19 vaccination clinic - WBNG-TV

January 6, 2021

Wright County residents are being warned to be on the lookout for telephone and email scams dealing with the COVID-19 vaccine. Instances throughout the state and the country have been reported of emails or phone callers claiming to be able to get vaccines to residents for a price.

Many of these emails and calls purport to be representing health or government agencies and ask recipients for private information, including credit card numbers. No government or health agency contacts people requesting electronic payment for a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you receive such an email or call, you are urged to report the incident to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office at the following website address: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Complaint.asp.

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Wright County Residents Warned To Be On The Lookout For Corona Virus Vaccine Scams - Patch.com

It depends on your job, age, health, and exposure risk. If you arent a health-care worker or nursing home resident, you arent yet eligible and youll have to wait for more clarity from government officials. When the states receive enough vaccine doses to open up the next phase of vaccinations, there will be more information available for people who are eligible about how to sign up for a shot. Right now, health officials are saying vaccination of health-care workers could be largely complete by early to mid-February, though theres no guarantee.

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First case of new coronavirus variant detected in Pa. as elementary schools urged to bring students back to th - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The coronavirus is mutating

There are concerns about how fast the new Covid-19 vaccines can be distributed and reach enough of the public at large to begin to allow life to return to normal. Best estimates are three to six months. It also depends on other factors.

The coronavirus is mutating and there are now several variants cropping up both in the U.S. and around the world. Some of them do not seem to increase the infection rates of the virus, but several of them apparently do, such as one raging currently in the United Kingdom prompting a six-week shut down. And then theres another highly infection Covid-19 virus in South Africa.

The danger of mutations or variants is two-fold: Will the mutations cause the virus to spread more quickly. That is, become much more infectious, overwhelm the medical system more than they have already, and with more infected, we can expect the death rate to increase, perhaps significantly. The other alternative, and much less desirable is whether the virus becomes even more lethal than it already is, which is to say, making people have more severe symptoms and cause even more deaths.

There are ways being discussed now by our public health authorities here in the U.S. on how to get the vaccine to the public more quickly. Even if the variants are different, the evidence so far is that the immunity afforded by the current vaccines will still work on the variants found so far.

Graphic shows a diagram of the COVID-19 virus.

Right now, our Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is telling everyone to NOT modify COVID-19 vaccine dose schedule or dosage, either by extending the time between the first and second shot, or by halving the two doses. Another idea being floated is to allow the mixing of the vaccines, i.e., starting first with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and then for the second shot, using whichever is available. Both vaccines supposedly use the same methodology of using mRNA to develop their vaccines.

The UK is getting ready to try some of these strategies because the virus is really out of control in that country and completely overwhelming their national health care systems. They are dealing with the higher infectious version of the coronavirus right now and they are going bonkers trying to keep it under control.

Graphic shows a diagram of the COVID-19 virus.

The real concern with delaying a second dose is that a single shot might only give minimal or partial immunity. The second shot is supposed to make sure the patient gets the highest level of protection possible. Again, our FDA is opposed to this idea at this time, as they are for the idea of giving only half doses until clinical trials can be conducted.

There is added concern, as seen in the United Kingdom, that the number of variants of the Covid-19 virus are multiplying. The biggest concern is the several of the new variants are proving more infectious than the previous one.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and stick around. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces.

Multiple COVID-19 variants are circulating globally

Multiple COVID-19 variants are circulating globally. In the United Kingdom (UK), a new variant has emerged with an unusually large number of mutations. This variant seems to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. Currently, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death. This variant was first detected in September 2020 and is now highly prevalent in London and southeast England. It has since been detected in numerous countries around the world, including the United States and Canada.

In South Africa, another variant has emerged independently of the variant detected in the UK. This variant, originally detected in early October, shares some mutations with the variant detected in the UK. There have been cases caused by this variant outside of South Africa. This variant seems to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. Currently, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.

And yet another variant recently emerged in Nigeria. CDC also is monitoring this strain but, at this time, there is no evidence to indicate this variant is causing more severe illness or increased spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Currently, the health authorities feel that, even with the variants coming forth, that the existing vaccines will continue to provide some protection and that they can modify the vaccines to counter any new variants.

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Covid-19 Variants Present Increased Infection Risks | Healthy Authorities say, "Not to worry." - Sierra Wave

DENVER (CBS4) Gov. Jared Polis laid out the plan on Wednesday for getting more people the COVID-19 vaccine. He says its vitally important to ending the pandemic.

These next months are going to be a race against the virus. In order to win, we need to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate as many people as possible, especially those that are most at risk, he said.

Figuring out how and when people can get vaccinated hasnt necessarily been easy. It has been a confusing and frustrating process for many.

Wednesday, public health officials broke down the next step of the distribution plan.

Were prioritizing Coloradans age 70 and up, a group that sadly accounts for 78% of COVID-19 deaths, said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the Executive Director of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

If you are in that group, getting a shot could be tricky. If you live in a long term care facility, the federal government will be giving you a vaccine through partnerships with drug stores.

For everyone else, there isnt a single place to go get a vaccine and you cant just walk into a doctors office to get one.

Hospitals and other health systems pharmacies and community clinics and local public health agencies will be administering vaccines, Hunsaker Ryan says. This may be by appointment or drive through clinic. If youre in this age group. We encourage you to call your health care provider for further instructions.

State officials announced they are working with major hospitals statewide to get online portals going where eligible people can sign up for a vaccine.

I really expected most of the hospital capacity in the state will be on online portal systems in the next week or so, said Gov. Polis.

In addition, UCHealth and Denver Health will be contacting their patients soon who are eligible to set up appointments. The State hopes this phase will be done by March and then will begin the next phase.

We will begin vaccinating essential workers like teachers, says Hunsaker Ryan.

For more information about Colorados vaccination plan you can visit covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.

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Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine: Polis Lays Out Distribution Plan - CBS Denver

For the first time, select members of the public will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as county health departments move into Phase 1B vaccine distribution.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The beginning of the Phase 1B coronavirus vaccine distribution marks the first time any member of the public has been eligible to receive the vaccine. Phase 1A, which began in December, was limited to health care workers treating COVID-19 patients and the staff and residents of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes.

Each county will move from Phase 1A to Phase 1B independently in this county-by-county rollout. Factors contributing to the progress of phases including the available supply of the vaccine and the progress through the previous phase. The process for making reservations will vary by county and not all counties have announced plans publicly yet.

Everyone will need to receive two doses of the coronavirus vaccine in order for it to be effective.

County-by-county coronavirus vaccine distribution status

When and how to reserve appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine for counties in North Carolina and South Carolina near Charlotte.

Alexander County

Anson County

Ashe County

Avery County

Burke County

Cabarrus County

Caldwell County

Catawba County

Chester County

Chesterfield County

Cleveland County

Gaston County

Iredell County

Lancaster County

Lincoln County

Mecklenburg County, including the City of Charlotte

For the county, appointments can be booked on mecknc.gov/COVID-19 or https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/83g1hcpv/. Phone appointments may be made by calling 980-314-9400 and selecting Option 3 beginning at 8 a.m. If you leave a message, they will attempt to return your call within 24-48 business hours.

Novant Health says they are notifying eligible patients through their MyChart account. Those patients will be prompted to schedule an appointment. Those who do not have access to MyChart, who did not receive the notification, or have additional questions, may call 855-648-2248 for scheduling assistance.

Atrium Health appointments can be booked online through MyAtriumHealth.

Mecklenburg County vaccines will be administered at the Bojangles' Coliseum BOplex, please use the entrance on Briar Creek Road. Briar Creek Road is exit 244 on East Independence Blvd. For close parking, please use sections 10-15 in the parking lot.

Rowan County

Stanly County

Union County

Watauga County

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Where to receive your coronavirus vaccine in the Carolinas - WCNC.com

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) -- Elizabeth City State University officials say they've partnered with Sentara Albemarle Regional Medical Center and Albemarle Regional Health Services to provide ultra-low temperature freezers for COVID-19 vaccine storage.

The vaccine requires negative 112-degree Fahrenheit freezers to properly store the vials before use, according to ECSU dean of the School of Science, Aviation, Health and Technology, Dr. Kuldeep Rawat.

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Local firefighters receive first round of coronavirus vaccinations - WAVY.com

Youngstown City Health District asks people who qualify for Phase 1B to fill out a form on its website so the department can continue to plan for the next phase of vaccinations.

YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown City Health District is expected to administer 500 Moderna coronavirus vaccinations by the end of this week to people who qualify for Phase 1A.

Health Commissioner Erin Bishop said over five days, about 350 vaccinations have been administered to Youngstown Fire Department firefighters, Americal Medical Response EMS employees and residents and staff of congregate settings, such as rehab facilitiesand mental health centers.

Phase 1A includes healthcare workers and personnel, EMS responders, people with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders and residents and staff at congregate living facilities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals and Ohio veterans homes.

A lot of the group homes we are tackling this week [and] our schedule is filling up for next week, Bishop said.

The health department will vaccinate residents and caregivers in these congregate care facilitiesthis week:

ByFriday, about 500 of the 800 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine the health department received will be administered.

Last week, the health department vaccinated about 120people including Gateways to Better Living residents and staff. Bishop said the health department will continue vaccinating group homes and recovery housing next week.

The health department is working on plans for Phase 1B vaccinations, Bishop said.

Phase 1B is focused on vaccinating Ohioans who are age 65 and older and people living with severe congenital, developmental or early-onset medical disorders. The phase also includes adults working in schools so students can return in-person by March 1.

Youngstown City Schools returned from winter breakMonday and will continue with remote learninguntil plans are made for vaccine distribution for teachers in the school district.

CEO Justin Jennings said the school district wont make anyone get the vaccine if they dont want it. There will eventually be plans for teachers to get the vaccine if they want it so schools can return in-person.

Jennings said there have not been conversations about Phase 1B with the health department and the school district yet.

Youngstown City Health District asks people who qualify for Phase 1B to fill out the coronavirusvaccination form on itswebsite.

Bishop said the form will help the health department plan for the right amount of staff and vaccinations for the next phase. When the health department can start vaccinating Phase 1B, people who filled out the form will be contacted to schedule an appointment at a vaccination clinic.

We're asking people to sign up so that when we're ready to go, we have this list, Bishop said.

Bishop said the department is also asking people who are registered nurses to volunteer their time to help administer vaccines. Youngstown City Health District only has two nurses on staff.

Additional nurses will also help when people have to return for their second dose of the vaccination after 28 days, Bishop said.

"So we are hoping that anyone wants to donate some time and be a part of public health history and vaccinations, they could contact the health department," Bishop said.

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Youngstown City Health District will administer 500 COVID-19 vaccines this week - Mahoning Matters

Bird flu has been reported among wild geese in Himachal Pradesh, crows in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and ducks in Kerala. In Haryana, around one lakh poultry birds have died mysteriously in the last few days.

Avian influenza or bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza Type A viruses, which generally affects poultry birds such as chickens and turkeys. There are many strains of the virus; some of them are mild and may merely cause a dip in egg production or other mild symptoms among chickens, while others are severe and lethal.

Here are a few contacts that might come in handy for you in emergency situations:

COVID-19 related queries / emergencies / clarifications: 104 (toll free); +91-80-4684-8600/6669-2000 | Find your nearest fever clinic and testing Covid-19 facility here | Home Quarantine-related queries: Telegram messenger/WhatsApp - +91 97777 77684, Voice call - 080 45451111 | BBMP control room: 080-22221188 | In case of power disruptions, contact BESCOM: 1912. If the water supply is hit in your area, contact BWSSB: 1916

Karnataka Bengaluru Coronavirus January 6 Highlights

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Karnataka Bengaluru Live updates: Karnataka to conduct Covid vaccination dry-run on January 8 in 263 places - The Indian Express