Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Dear DU Community,

New student orientation and classes have started bringing students, faculty and staff together on campus to launch another academic quarter. Our first fall weekend with cooler temperatures has arrived, filling the air with scents of pumpkin spice and beautiful Colorado sunsets. Fall also heralds the season for flu shots which, this year, coincides with the release of the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster.

Flu Vaccine Clinics

As in the pasttwo years, the University will require theinfluenza (flu)vaccinefor all students, faculty and staff living, learning or working on campus.Youmustreceive and upload proof of yourinfluenzavaccination to yourMyHealth portalor have an approved exemptionno later thanDec. 15, 2022.

Human Resources and Inclusive Community (HRIC) and the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) are teaming up once again to offer the flu vaccine free of charge to all students, faculty and staff. Flu shot clinics will be held in or around the Community Commons beginning in October and continuing in November. A schedule of the clinic dates will be posted on DUs new Public Health website soon.

New Public Health Website Launched

DUsPublic Health websitehaslaunched, replacingDUs COVID-19 website.Along withtheflu clinicschedule, the public healthwebsitehighlights the Universitys public health initiatives,offers links to resources, andincludespublic health protocols,communications,andtheCOVID-19dashboardandalert levels.

Update on COVID-19Booster

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends thenew bivalent COVID-19 boostersfor individuals age 12 and over (Pfizer) and age 18 and over (Moderna). HCC is offering COVID bivalent booster shotsstarting 09/30/22 and then the first Friday by appointment only through your myhealth account. We have also partnered with Safeway to bring bivalent booster clinics to DU in October and November for all students, faculty, and staff. Individuals must make an appointment through your myhealth account to receive a booster shot at these clinics. Due to the limited availability of the updated boosters, we understand that DU community members who are subject to the vaccination requirement may need additional time to remain up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. Thus, we are continuing to follow theCDC guidelines, allowing those individuals until December 15th to meet the requirement of being up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations by uploading proof of vaccination or having an approved exemption.

Exemption Forms

As a reminder,at this time,DU offersexemptionsto the COVID-19 vaccination requirement based onmedical,religiousand philosophicalgrounds.See the HCC website for instructions on uploading your vaccinationdocumentationor seeking an exemptionforinfluenzaandthebivalentCOVID-19boostervaccines.

Thank you foryour continuedattentionto the University protocolsas we work topromote the health and well-being of ourcommunityandminimizethe impactcaused by COVID-19and the flu.If you have any questions,please emailpublichealth@du.edu.

Sincerely,

Eric Hartman

Executive Director, Enterprise Risk Management

Therese Mashak

Public Health Project Manager, Enterprise Risk Management

Excerpt from:

Flu Vaccine and COVID-19 Booster Update - University of Denver Newsroom

SAN DIEGO (KGTV)Health officials are encouraging people to double up and get the new flu shot and a COVID-19 booster at the same time.

COVID-19 infections are expected to spike- and experts are also forecasting more flu cases this season.

"We are seeing cases already. There have been cases of the flu where people end up in the hospital and in the intensive care units already so we're already seeing it. That is a sign that- we're hoping we don't get this twindemic that people are already talking about," said Dr. William Tseng, assistant chief of staff at Kaiser Permanente.

Dr. Tseng said while some say the covid-19 pandemic is over - it's not for our vulnerable communities and encourages getting vaccinated for both covid-19 and the flu.

He suggests the quadrivalent flu vaccine for those 65 and older. Appointments are available for both at pharmacies around the county. One of the biggest questions people are asking is is it safe to get both the covid-19 vaccine and flu shot at the same time?

"Yes, you can! We've looked at the studies. It is safe to get at the same time and a lot of our vulnerable population have been getting it at the same time already," said Dr. Tseng.

He said that the side effects of getting both vaccines at the same time are nothing more than the typical aches and fevers that mean the body is doing its job.

"It's getting your body ready to fight off any of the infections either from covid or from the flu. You're building basically heat-seeking missiles to as soon as they show up a target that area and destroy that virus," said Dr. Tseng.

Dr. Tseng said while we know there is still a possibility of getting sick after getting vaccinated it still prevents death.

"These two are powerful tools that we have to prevent you from dying unnecessarily," he said.

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Is it safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot at the same time? - ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV

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Travelling to Canada? COVID-19 vaccination may not be necessary | Mint - Mint

On todays episode of The Confluence: We talk about the widening availability of COVID-19 vaccines that target certain variants of the virus; and a conversation with an organizer and speaker for the second annual Eradicate Hate Summit, which is convening nearly 300 experts in Pittsburgh to talk about solutions to a rise in hate crimes and hateful rhetoric.

Todays guests include: Dr. Amesh Adalja, infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Laura Ellsworth, partner-in-charge of global community service initiatives at Jones Day and co-chair of the summit, and Julie Platt, board chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.

New COVID-19 boosters will target the original virus and new variants(0:00 - 8:36)

Earlier this month, the CDC recommended an updated COVID-19 booster shot, called the bivalent vaccine. It was formulated to better target newer variants of the virus. As the weather gets colder and seasonal illnesses return, what can we expect from the updated booster as we head into a new season?

It better reformulates the material in the vaccine to target BA.4 and BA.5, so that when your antibodies are formed against this new vaccine, they form against BA.4 and BA.5 versus the original version of this virus, says Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

There is no efficacy data for the new vaccines because they werent tested in humans, but data from mice show the antibody levels are predicted to be protective, says Adalja.

As COVID-19 becomes a seasonal disease, Adalja says the main concern is that hospitals are able to manage the flow of severely affected patients.

We've got to get less focus on cases and just really celebrate the fact that this is now an outpatient illness, says Adalja.

The second Eradicate Hate Summit is convening this week in Pittsburgh(8:48 - 22:30)

In 2021, the Anti-Defamation League tracked a 34% increase in antisemitic attacks, compared to 2020. Other attacks tied to extremism also increased last year.

A global summit is convening in Pittsburgh this week with nearly 300 experts and others motivated to reduce, and perhaps eliminate completely, incidents tied to hate.

Last year, we were very deliberately broad. We went very broad so everyone could see the full landscape, says Laura Ellsworth, co-chair of the summer and partner-in-charge of global community service initiatives at Jones Day. This year, we're going deep, so we have seven tracks that are focused on specific issues of particular interest, which include things like [the] rise of hate among young people.

Julie Platt, board chair of the Jewish Federations of North America and will be giving a keynote at the conference.

What I hope will go forward from this summit is partnerships that grow and that see it and that identify it, says Platt. If we can address it as partners, understanding that hate, sadly, has a lot of recipients, and if we can join together to look at what causes it and how we might address it, won't that be better for all of us?

The summit begins today and ends Wednesday.

The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESAs daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.

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New COVID-19 vaccine will help reduce infection from specific variants - 90.5 WESA

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Protect yourself and others with flu and COVID-19 vaccines - Virginia Tech Daily

A pharmacist administers the newest COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic for seniors at the Southwest Senior Center earlier this month in Chicago. E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption

A pharmacist administers the newest COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic for seniors at the Southwest Senior Center earlier this month in Chicago.

President Biden's declaration that "the pandemic is over" could complicate the administration's effort to battle COVID-19, public health experts say.

Biden made the remarks in a Sunday broadcast of 60 Minutes. "We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over," he said. "If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing."

The president's comments come as public health officials are trying to convince Americans to get a new booster shot, and as the White House has worked unsuccessfully for months to convince Congress to provide more than $22 billion in new funding for the COVID-19 response. Since Sunday night, Republicans have already used his words to question vaccine mandates that are still in place for the nation's military and other federally funded programs.

At the same time, nearly 400 Americans are dying each day of COVID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Multiple public health experts called Biden's remarks "unfortunate."

"When you have the president of the U.S. saying the pandemic is over, why would people line up for their boosters? Why would Congress allocate additional funding for these other strategies and tools?" said Dr. Celine Gounder, an epidemiologist and senior fellow with the Kaiser Family Foundation. "I am profoundly disappointed. I think this is a real lack of leadership."

The White House is currently fighting an uphill battle in Congress to secure $22.4 billion in emergency COVID-19 funding to support vaccinations, testing and further research. Some Republican support is needed in the Senate to secure the funding, which the administration has been seeking since the spring. It has been hard to come by as some GOP lawmakers argue that there is still unspent money from earlier COVID-19 funding measures that can be used.

In announcing the funding request earlier this month, an official told reporters on a briefing call that there is not currently "enough funding to get through a surge in the fall." The administration has already stopped the program to send free test kits to Americans because of a lack of funds.

The president's words could undercut the effort to get this money further.

Republicans are already using the statement to question the justification for ongoing pandemic measures, including the military's vaccine requirement and mandates for vaccines and masks in federally funded Head Start education programs.

"Biden admitted last night that the COVID pandemic is over. In other words, there is no 'ongoing emergency' to justify his proposal for student loan handouts," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

Some public health experts agreed with Biden's characterization of a "change" in the pandemic. "It is a reasonable thing to do as we collectively move on from this emergency footing that we've been on for the last couple of years, and try to navigate a new normal," said Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF's Department of Medicine. "It's an appropriate way of thinking about the threat as it stands today."

Acknowledging the shift shouldn't stand in the way of funds for COVID-related efforts, said Dr. Tom Frieden, who led the CDC during the Obama administration.

"We don't have a pandemic of Alzheimer's disease or influenza or heart disease. But Congress still needs to fund programs to address those problems," he said.

The Biden administration's public health leaders have sometimes struggled at times to present a clear, unified message about COVID-19. His administration has at times been criticized for a lack of communication or issuing guidance that seemingly conflicts with available data.

Now, the president's remarks have thrown another wrench into the mix at a crucial moment.

The administration has just rolled out a new bivalent booster shot designed to target the omicron subvariants that have dominated caseloads in the country in recent months, and the agency is working to convince Americans to go out and get it. (Since the CDC recommended the shot earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of Americans have received it.)

But health officials have long struggled to convince Americans to get their shots. Only 68% of Americans completed their original vaccine course, and fewer than half of those have gotten any booster shot.

Most troubling are booster rates for people over 65, said Jennifer Nuzzo, the director of Brown University's Pandemic Center. Data from the CDC show that while the vast majority of older Americans got the original vaccines, far fewer only about a quarter have also taken the two original boosters.

"If we do nothing else to reduce the number of deaths from COVID, we need to make sure that people who are at the greatest risk of severe illness and death and that's people over the age of 65 that they get their booster," Nuzzo said. "I don't want to inadvertently send the signal that that's not something they need to do anymore."

She and other public health experts pointed to the winter, when a surge of new cases is likely as cold weather pushes socialization indoors, and holidays prompt people to travel to visit family and friends. A winter wave of cases will require tests, vaccines and other efforts to combat COVID, they said.

"I would say, let's not declare the pandemic over," said Dr. Carlos Del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University. "Let's say that we're in a very good place, and we need to continue working hard in order to stay in that good place."

NPR's Arnie Seipel contributed reporting.

Read more:

Biden's claim that the 'pandemic is over' could make COVID harder to fight : Shots - Health News - NPR

Only about 20% of Israeli children between the ages of five and 11 have received a COVID-19 vaccine to date, according to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health.

A new study of more than 1,800 Israeli parents, conducted by researchers from Bar-Ilan University's Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and its affiliate hospital the Galilee Medical Center, pinpoints some of the reasons that explain the low vaccination rate among this age group.

The study, recently published in the journal Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, was conducted in November 2021, two weeks ahead of the vaccine rollout in Israel for children aged five to 11. Among the key findings that emerged: less than half (43.6%) of parents of children in this population said they were planning to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

A key finding among those who said they would vaccinate was that parents' top priority was not to protect their children against COVID-19 (55.9%), but to allow them to return to school and everyday life (89%) and to assure financial resilience (77.9%). Moreover, parents who indicated that they would not vaccinate were more concerned about the safety of vaccines (53.1%) than the danger COVID-19 posed to children (37.9%).

"Many parents don't want to vaccinate their children because they don't believe COVID-19 causes severe illness," says Dr. Amiel Dror, of Bar-Ilan University's Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and the Galilee Medical Center, who led the study. "This data can assist health authorities in shaping educational and communication campaigns for vaccines to show parents, among other things, that COVID-19 can be dangerous to anyone," added Dror, who collaborated with Prof. Michael Edelstein, of the Bar-Ilan Azrieli Faculty. Medical student Niko Morozov, from Tel Aviv University, contributed to collecting and analyzing the data.

In the survey of parents, one section included information about socio-demographic characteristics including age, gender, area of residence, household composition, number of children, parental education, parental COVID-19 vaccination status, and self-reported side effects from the vaccine (major, mild, or no symptoms), and a question on intention to vaccinate their child(ren) against COVID-19. In the second section, responders indicated why they were or were not intending to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

The survey found that parents who had not been vaccinated themselves were less likely (13.1%) to vaccinate their children than those who received three (61.8%), two (48.2%) or one (32%) dose of the vaccine. Parents who had side effects after being vaccinated were less likely (57.8%) to vaccinate their children than those who were vaccinated and experienced major (19.6%) or minor (51.1%) side effects.

Female parents and parents above the age of 35 were more likely to vaccinate than male parents and parents aged 35 and younger (47% vs. 40%).

The availability of the vaccine for use in children aged five to 11 is not a guarantee that parents will inoculate their kids. "Our findings suggest that, for COVID-19, the traditional perception of vaccination benefits such as protection against severe illness has been superseded by indirect benefits such as returning to regular societal life and education institutions, as well as assuring financial resilience for the family," the authors of the study wrote. "While this finding is not surprising considering the severe disruption to normal life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not clear whether this perception of the societal utility of vaccines will continue to impact the perception of other vaccines beyond the pandemic."

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

Reasons underlying the intention to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19: A cross-sectional study of parents in Israel, November 2021

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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In Israel, COVID vaccines have been offered to five-to 11-year-olds for nearly a year, so why are so few vaccinated? - EurekAlert

SINGAPORE: Two adults were each given a full vial of the undiluted Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Hougang, with one needing hospitalisation after experiencing headache and increased heart rate, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Sep 20).

Responding to CNAs queries, the ministry said that it was alerted to the incident on Monday, which took place at a clinic under the ProHealth Medical Group on Sep 15.

One was hospitalised after experiencing headache and increased heart rate and has since been discharged. The other patient did not report any adverse reaction, said MOH.

MOH said that it takes a serious view of this incident and is carrying out a thorough investigation.

The clinic and doctor who administered the vaccine have been suspended from the National Vaccination Programme until further notice, the ministry added.

After dilution, vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine contain six doses of 0.3ml of vaccine, according to Singapore's Health Sciences Authority.

Speaking to Mediacorp's Channel 8 News,Mr Lim Tau Chiew, 57, said he had experienced headache and increased heart rate.

"I felt the side of my body cramping up, even to the point I felt my pulse quickening and my heart beat was increasing," said Mr Lim.

"I called my daughter for help and we waited for the ambulance to send me to the hospital."

According to Channel 8 News, the doctor involved is a locum and comes in twice a month. She has been working at the clinic for around two years.

CNA has contacted the clinic for more information.

In a separate incident last year, MOH said it was conducting a "thorough investigation" after a 103-year-old woman was erroneously given a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The woman was admitted to Changi General Hospital for pneumonia and hyponatremia, and was subsequently also diagnosed to have suffered a stroke. She died the following month.

Last year, an employee at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) was wrongly administered the equivalent of five doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine due to a human error.

Senior doctors were alerted immediately and the staff was assessed and found to be well, with no adverse reaction or side effects, SNEC had said.

Continue reading here:

Two adults given undiluted COVID-19 vaccine at Hougang clinic, one discharged after hospitalisation: MOH - CNA

New Omicron-specific boosters will be offered at family-friendly event

BOSTONSeptember 14, 2022This Saturday, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is hosting B Healthy Back-to-School, a free COVID-19 vaccination event taking place at White Stadium from 11am to 3pm. This event is part of BPHCs efforts to encourage pediatric vaccination, support a safe and healthy school year, and improve equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will be available for all attendees ages 6-months and older during the event. Those who get vaccinated are eligible to receive a $75 gift card, regardless of their age. Free food, music, and games will also be available at the event, and BPHC will be giving away backpacks to students and families for the new school year.

With more residents spending time indoors for school and cooler temperatures approaching, increasing vaccination for COVID-19 andamong our infants and children is a proven and effective strategy for supporting the health and safety of Bostons students and families. Although Bostons COVID-19 community risk is low according to the CDC, BPHC is closely monitoring Bostons COVID-19 wastewater levels, which have increased by 76.4% over the past two weeks. The rate is now 650 COVID-19 RNA copies per mL and this increase suggests there may be acorresponding rise in cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks (data through September 8).

While the citys overall vaccination rate is high (74.8% of residents are fully vaccinated), uptake among Boston infants and children under 12-years old is low and concerning racial inequities in vaccine uptake persist.

COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effectively protects children from severe illness, complications, and hospitalization caused by COVID-19, said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. We understand that parents may still have reservations about getting their children vaccinated, so this event offers them the opportunity to askquestions and get information from trusted health care professionals.

We are delighted to be partnering with the BPHC to vaccinate the City of Bostons young residents, said Rachel Wilson, CIC Health President. This family-centered event aims to make it fun and easy for families in our community to learn about the vaccine, get vaccinated, and decreasethe spread of COVID-19 among school-age children, teachers, and staff returning to the classroom.

The new bivalent boosters for COVID-19 from Pfizer and Moderna, approved by the FDA on September 1 will be available during Saturdays clinic.The new booster provides protection againstthe original COVID-19 strain and the newer Omicron variants. Currently, bivalent boosters are only approved for individuals 12 years and older, that have completed their primary series with one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines and it has been at least 2 months since their last primary or booster dose.Children ages 5-11 years old who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will continue to receive the existing, approved monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster dose. Regardless of age, the CDC recommends that everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by getting all primary series doses and boosters for their age group.

The B Healthy Back-to-School vaccination event will take place on Saturday, September 17 from 11am to 3pm at White Stadium, 450 Walnut Ave, Boston MA 02130. It is being hosted by the Boston Public Health Commission in partnership with the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Schools, First Ladies & Women Faith Based Leaders of Boston, the Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition, and CIC Health. For more information about the event, go to boston.gov/bphc-back-to-school.

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Background:

Pediatric vaccination and booster rates as of September 5:

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Boston Public Health Commission Hosting Back-to-School COVID-19 Vaccination Event - Boston.gov

Want the new COVID-19 vaccine booster? No problem, unless its got to be Moderna  The Mercury News

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Want the new COVID-19 vaccine booster? No problem, unless its got to be Moderna - The Mercury News