Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

May 2, 2022 A method for delivering genetic material to the body is being tested as a way to repair damaged heart muscle after a heart attack. The ground-breaking research was presented at Frontiers in CardioVascular Biomedicine 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

The COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines use lipid nanoparticles (tiny fat droplets) to deliver mRNA to the bodys cells. This mRNA instructs the cells to manufacture a dummy spike protein on their surface to mimic the protein on the virus causing COVID-19. The body then mounts an immune response by creating antibodies which can be used if the individual becomes infected with the virus.

A similar method for mRNA delivery was used in the current study. However, instead of aiming for an immune response, the researchers ultimate goal is to instruct the hearts cells to repair themselves after a heart attack.

This preliminary study was conducted to determine whether mRNA could be successfully delivered to the heart muscle in lipid nanoparticles. The researchers injected different formulations into the left ventricular wall of mouse hearts during open chest surgery under general anaesthesia. Twenty-four hours after administration, the mice were sacrificed and the location of mRNA translation was examined.

The researchers found that mRNA successfully reached the heart cells 24 hours after injection. However, despite injection into the heart, the highest levels of mRNA translation were found in cells of the liver and spleen.

Study author Dr. Clara Labonia of the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands said: High expression was expected in the liver, since it metabolises the lipid nanoparticles. Nonetheless, it was encouraging to see that there was mRNA translation in the heart tissue which means that lipid nanoparticles could work as delivery systems for mRNA therapy.

She concluded: The next step of this research is to test more formulations and choose the one which most efficiently targets the heart tissue. We will then assess whether delivery of mRNA to mice with ischaemic hearts (resembling a heart attack) has any therapeutic effect.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Technique Shows Promise for Heart Disease - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

For many of those who are vaccinated or were previously infected, learning of a close contact with the disease is less frightening than frustrating.

Testing is more and more normal. Masks are less and less visible.

There is an uptick in cases in the US and hospitalizations are up 10% since last week. Hopefully the rate of deaths continues to fall.

Most Americans have had Covid-19

The data comes from an ongoing study of blood samples sent to commercial laboratories across the US.

At the beginning of December, an estimated 34% of Americans had antibodies, which suggests the Omicron variant infected a quarter of the population.

We can assume Covid-19 will surge back

During an appearance on CBS News on Sunday, Birx pointed to a new rise in Covid-19 cases in South Africa.

"Each of these surges are about four to six months apart. That tells me that natural immunity wanes enough in the general population after four to six months -- that a significant surge is going to occur again," Birx said.

Public health officials need to prepare the public, she said, and make sure everyone knows that immunity, from infection or vaccination, wanes over time.

You have to go beyond 'fully vaccinated' to be 'up to date'

Even as public health officials push most people to get booster shots months after vaccination, they have not updated the definition of "fully vaccinated" to include a booster.

While more than three-quarters of the country has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, less than one-third has received a booster.

For this reason, officials have moved away from that term -- "fully vaccinated" -- and instead encourage people to stay "up to date," which means getting a booster when eligible.

The most durable immunity comes for people who are up to date on their vaccines and have been previously infected.

Many doctors still say to stay up to date on vaccines as they are authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration.

"We still need to push forward getting those vaccines done to give the highest level of protection we possibly can," Dr. Anand Swaminathan, an emergency medicine physician, said on CNN over the weekend.

He argued that we still don't know a lot about the disease and that cases of long Covid are worth trying to avoid.

What exactly is long Covid?

Her case of long Covid pushed her into an early retirement and to move closer to family -- and 20 months later, she still has debilitating symptoms.

Howard also talked to Nick Guthe, whose wife, Heidi Ferrer, died by suicide after long Covid made life excruciating.

It's misunderstood and hard to diagnose, but symptoms can drag on for months.

Transitioning to what?

In the same report, McPhillips noted the US is transitioning from the pandemic phase of the Covid-19 era, but there's disagreement on what the US is transitioning to.

She wrote: The rise of the BA.2 subvariant and the general unpredictability of the coronavirus leave the future of the pandemic -- and the resources needed to fight it -- largely unknown.

"Things are not stable right now," said William Hanage, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Even if I don't reckon we are going to see [another] large surge, weekly reporting means that if I am wrong, we would learn about it later and so be able to do less about it."

"We're not over the pandemic. Don't let anybody get the misinterpretation that the pandemic is over, but what we are in is a different phase of the pandemic," Fauci said. "A phase that's a transition phase, hopefully headed toward more of a control where you can actually get back to some form of normality without total disruption of society, economically, socially, school-wise, etc."

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Most Americans have now had Covid-19 -- but experts are predicting the next surge - CNN

April 28, 2022 - (Tarrant County) Tarrant County Public Health hosts numerous pop-up COVID-19 clinics across Tarrant County each week in partnership with public and private organizations listed below. Each site has the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and at times the Johnson & Johnson. Children five and older are eligible for the vaccination. Parents need to bring proof of the childs age and their own ID for the vaccination. Booster vaccinations are available at all of the vaccination locations.

TCPH would like to bring a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to businesses, churches and organizations in the community who are interested in hosting a pop-up clinic. Its easy and free to host a clinic.In addition to the vaccination opportunities below, the cities of Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Hurst, and Tarrant County College have also added opportunities for vaccinations. To find a local vaccine site, the County created a vaccine finder page:VaxUpTC website.

Pop-Up COVID-19 locations:

African American Health ExpoSaturday, Apr. 30: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.2864 Mississippi Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76104

Arlington Public LibrarySaturday, Apr. 30: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.1817 New York Ave.Arlington, TX 76010

Greater Saint Stephen First ChurchMonday, May 2: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.3728 East Berry St. Fort Worth, TX 76105

Eagle Crest Villa (Drive-thru)Tuesday, May 3: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.113 Denver Trail Azle, TX 76020

Vaxmobile Our Lady of GuadalupeThursday, May 5: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.4100 Blue Mound Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76106

Tarrant County Public Health CIinics:

Northwest Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.3800 Adam Grubb RoadLake Worth, TX 76135

Bagsby-Williams Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.3212 Miller Ave.Fort Worth, TX 76119

Southeast Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:9 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to6p.m.536 W Randol MillArlington TX, 76011

Main Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 6 p.m.1101 S. Main StreetFort Worth, TX 76104

Southwest Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.6551 Granbury RoadFort Worth, TX 76133

Watauga Public Health CenterMonday to Friday:8 a.m. to 12 p.m.and1 to 5 p.m.6601 Watauga RoadWatauga, TX 76148

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COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for the Week of Apr. 30 - Tarrantcounty.com

Some social media accounts have been blaming Covid-19 vaccines for the outbreak of acute hepatitis ... [+] across 12 countries. (Photo: Getty)

A mysterious hepatitis outbreak has already affected at least 169 children across 12 countries, as I covered for Forbes on April 26. Its mysterious because its cause has yet to be clearly established. But take a wild guess as to what some on social media have been trying to blame for the outbreak. Heres a hint: its something that does not turn you into a gigantic magnet and does not make keys stick to your forehead. Yes, anonymous social media accounts have been trying to link the hepatitis outbreak that has left at least one child dead and 17 requiring liver transplants to, drum roll please, Covid-19 vaccines. And some of these accounts along with a website called The Expos have been citing two studies, claiming that they serve as evidence.

For example, heres a tweet from an account that calls itself the Donald J. Trump Tracker:

From Twitter

Now its not clear who the Deputy of Minister is and whether its similar to the Vice of President of an organization or the Assistant of Secretary of a government body. But when you claim that someone said something at least provide the persons real name or a link to the source. You may be tracking Trump but others need to track from where you are getting your information.

Plus, theres one itty bitty problem with blaming Covid-19 vaccines for the hepatitis outbreak. A World Health Organization (WHO) report from April 23 clearly stated that Hypotheses related to side effects from the Covid-19 vaccines are currently not supported as the vast majority of affected children did not receive Covid-19 vaccination. So how exactly can a child get hepatitis from a Covid-19 vaccine when that child hasnt even gotten a Covid-19 vaccine? That would be like blaming Madonna for making you late to work when you havent even met Madonna.

So then what about the two so-called studies that some have been throwing around? For example, take a look at the following tweet that used a fire emoji and offered a post on the The Expos:

From Twitter

Well, the so-called Pizer study references in this tweet is actually something published in Current Issues in Molecular Biology on February 25, 2022, well before the WHO had announced the hepatitis outbreak. All this study showed is that when human liver cells in a test tube is exposed to the components of the Pfizer Covid-19 mRNA vaccine, the liver cells do take up the vaccine components fairly rapidly. Of course, unless you happen to be a giant test tube, this doesnt necessarily mean that when you get the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, all of the vaccine components will immediately go to your liver. And just because the vaccine components can enter liver cells doesnt suggest Covid-19 vaccines have been to blame for the hepatitis outbreak. For example, you can show that having 50 marmots in you bed can keep you up all night, especially if you have to play parcheesi with them. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that marmots are to blame for the lack of sleep that Americans have been getting in general.

Then there was this other new study offered by a tweet from yet another anonymous social media account and another post on The Expos:

From Twitter

This so-called study is actually not a formal study but instead a case report published in the Journal of Hepatology on April 21, 2022. The case report described what happened to a 52-year-old male in Germany who developed acute hepatitis two to three weeks after he had gotten the Pfizer Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Samples of his liver did show evidence of inflammation as well as presence of T cells. T cells, otherwise known as T lymphocyte, are white blood cells that serve various immune protection functions for your body. The presence of T cells did strongly suggest that the mans liver inflammation may have been due to his immune systems response to vaccination against Covid-19. Doctors felt that these findings were compatible with a probable autoimmune hepatitis and treated him with oral budesonide and eventually steroids combined with ursodeoxycholic acid. Eventually, within eight weeks, the mans liver enzyme levels returned to normal.

So, yes, this case was evidence that acute hepatitis could potentially be a side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Again, though, a key distinction is that this was a case report and not a study. It showed what happened to a single man (in this case, single as in number and not marital status) after getting vaccinated. A case report cant tell you how common or how likely an event may be. For example, last month I covered for Forbes a case report of a woman who ended up having a glass tumbler lodged in her bladder for four years. Such a rare event doesnt necessarily mean that you should never ever use a glass tumbler again or that you should run screaming anytime anyone tries to pour you a drink. Similarly, a case report or even several reports of acute hepatitis after Covid-19 vaccination shouldnt be reason alone to avoid Covid-19 vaccines. So far, theres no evidence that acute hepatitis is anything more than a potential very rare side effect.

Moreover, all cases of acute hepatitis are not the same. Acute hepatitis is a very broad term for sudden onset inflammation of the liver. The man in the case report survived his bout with acute hepatitis apparently without any permanent damage. This was nowhere near the damage seen among some of the kids being afflicted by the ongoing hepatitis outbreak.

At this point the leading culprit behind the hepatitis outbreak is the type 41 adenovirus, possibly in combination with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), as I described for Forbes previously. Now there are many different types of adenoviruses. While some types are more likely to cause common cold symptoms or respiratory issues, adenovirus type 41 typically spreads via the fecal-oral route (which is a nice way of saying poop-to-mouth). It commonly affects your gut, resulting in gastroenteritis.

The Covid-19 vaccines use different types of adenoviruses with the Astra-Zeneca one using a chimpanzee adenovirus and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine using a Type 26 adenovirus. In both cases, the adenovirus is inactivated so that it cant cause disease. Nevertheless, some anonymous social media accounts have seized upon the whole adenovirus thing, claiming that it is evidence that the adenovirus-based AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines are linked to the hepatitis outbreak:

From Twitter

Again, such claims overlook the itty bitty problem that most of the children being affected by the hepatitis outbreak did not get the Covid-19 vaccines, whether the vaccines are adenovirus-based or not. This fact would make it difficult for any claims about the Covid-19 vaccines being involved to stick like keys on a forehead.

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Do 2 Studies Suggest Hepatitis Linked To Covid-19 Vaccines? Heres What They Really Say - Forbes

#50. Cayuga County

- Population that is fully vaccinated: 59.3% (45,388 fully vaccinated)--- 22.8% lower vaccination rate than New York- Cumulative deaths per 100k: 196 (150 total deaths)--- 43.7% less deaths per 100k residents than New York- Cumulative cases per 100k: 22,200 (17,000 total cases)--- 15.8% less cases per 100k residents than New York

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Counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in New York - Alton Telegraph

Amazon will no longer grant up to seven days of paid time off (PTO) for workers sick with COVID-19, the company announced in an internal memo obtained by The Verge (via CNBC). Starting Monday, Amazon will offer up to five days of unpaid, excused leave, with the option for workers to use the paid sick time theyve accrued.

Amazon initially offered 14 days of PTO at the start of the pandemic, but later shaved one week off this policy in line with the Center for Disease Controls (CDC) updated guidance. The company now says workers with confirmed COVID-19 cases can submit a request for paid time off per its standard sick leave policy, regardless of vaccination status. It will also stop giving workers excused time off when waiting for their COVID-19 test results, citing the wide availability of rapid tests.

Amazon is adjusting some of its other COVID-19 policies as well. Its discontinuing its vaccine incentive program that paid workers $40 for every COVID-19 vaccine dose they received, and will no longer notify entire workplaces of positive COVID-19 cases unless required by law. Amazon has made continued to make adjustments to its policy over the course of the pandemic and ended mask requirements for both vaccinated and unvaccinated warehouse workers in February.

The sustained easing of the pandemic, ongoing availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, and updated guidance from public health authorities, all signal we can continue to safely adjust to our pre-COVID policies, Amazons notice reads. We are monitoring conditions closely and will continue to adjust our response as appropriate.

Amazon announced its updated policies just a day after the LDJ5 Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York ended its union election. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is set to tally up those votes on Monday, and if the warehouse votes to unionize, it will become the second Amazon warehouse to do so. Last month, a nearby Staten Island warehouse voted to unionize with the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) in a historic win for workers.

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Amazon ends its PTO policy for workers with COVID-19 - The Verge

The vaccine deployment in December 2020 signaled a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of May 2021, 40% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated. But as vaccination rates lagged over the summer, new surges of COVID-19 came, including Delta in the summer of 2021, and now the Omicron variant, which comprises the majority of cases in the U.S.

The United States as of Apr. 29 reached 993,465 COVID-19-related deaths and nearly 81.3 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 66.1% of the population is fully vaccinated, and 45.8% of vaccinated people have received booster doses.

Stacker compiled a list of the counties with highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Montana using data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Covid Act Now. Counties are ranked by the highest vaccination rate as of Apr. 28, 2022. Due to inconsistencies in reporting, some counties do not have vaccination data available. Keep reading to see whether your county ranks among the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in your state.

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Counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in Montana - Fairfield Sun Times

Novak Djokovic will be allowed to defend his Wimbledon title after organisers at the All England Club said players will not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to compete at the tournament.

Djokovic was barred from playing at the Australian Open in January because of his unvaccinated status, which also prevented him from playing tournaments in the United States last month.

But All England Club CEO Sally Bolton announced that unvaccinated players can compete at Wimbledon, and they will not need to quarantine on arrival ahead of the tournament, which begins June 27.

"The requirements set up do not include mandatory vaccination," Bolton said at a news conference on Tuesday. "It will not be a condition of entry for the championships this year."

Players will also be allowed to book their own accommodations, rather than staying together in the same hotel, as they did in 2021.

Djokovic will also compete at the French Open at Roland Garros as he looks to win his 21st Grand Slam to draw level with Rafael Nadal.

Attention will then turn to the grass-court season, where Djokovic will be competing for what he hopes will be his seventh Wimbledon title.

Organisers also said that banning Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships was the only viable option under the guidance provided by the British government.

The AELTC took the decision in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours.

AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt said the government guidance did not allow players to compete at the tournament based on their rankings and there were two available options: declining entries, or allowing entries but only with specific written declarations from individual players.

"We believe we have made the most responsible decision possible in the circumstances," Hewitt told reporters, adding that they are in regular discussions with the ATP and the WTA.

"And that within the framework of the governance position, there's no viable alternative to the decision we have taken in this truly exceptional and tragic situation."

The move marks the first time players have been banned on the grounds of nationality since the years immediately following World War II, when German and Japanese players were excluded.

Wimbledon is also the first tennis tournament to ban individual competitors from the two countries; among those banned are men's world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia and women's world No. 4 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

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Novak Djokovic set to defend Wimbledon title; COVID-19 vaccination not mandatory - ESPN

Oregon COVID-19 cases are up, severity is down - OPB

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Its been one month since masks came off in most public spaces in Oregon and things are going exactly as expected, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority.

We are now seeing cases start to increase and hospitalizations start to increase, he said. This was predictable. In fact, that was predicted by our modeler, Dr. Peter Graven at [Oregon Health & Science University.]

Despite the rising cases, which are due largely to the lifting of the mask mandate and the increased transmissibility of the now dominant BA.2 omicron subvariant, Cieslak said Im very optimistic that were not going to see the kind of surges in hospitalized patients that we saw with omicron and delta.

His primary reason for that optimism is that immunity is currently very high. Seventy-six percent of Oregonians are fully vaccinated, according to the Oregon Health Authority, and many who are not, including young children, have already been infected, whether they know it or not, Cieslak said. About 75% of children had contracted COVID-19 as of February 2022, according to a study by the CDC that collected blood samples from tens of thousands of people to test for antibodies. The rate was nearly the same for children younger than 12 and those aged 12 to 17. (More than half, 58%, of all people tested had antibodies indicating prior infection.)

Wesley DeCastro wears a button and sticker after his vaccination at a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine clinic held at Clackamas Town Center in November 2021 in Happy Valley, Ore. The clinic was offered by the Clackamas Countys Department of Public Health and offered Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children ages 5 through 11 years old.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

Since children younger than five have been hospitalized at such low rates despite their high exposure level, Cieslak said he would be paying close attention to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions discussions about the recently submitted vaccine performance data for this age group.

Theyre going to need to look at disease rates. Theyre going to need to look at protection and theyre going to need to make some estimates about how long does that protection last, he said. Is it really going to be worthwhile for young children to get vaccinated? Whats their likelihood of ending up in the hospital with COVID-19? Especially given that many of them have already been infected and have at least some immunity from that prior infection.

The other reason for Cieslaks optimism, is that while omicron is more contagious, its decidedly less severe. That holds true for both the original omicron variant and the BA.2 subvariant, which now account for 100% of the COVID-19 cases in Oregon, according to state data.

It seems to be more like a really bad cold, said Dr. Melinda Muller, the associate chief medical officer at Legacy Health, a statewide hospital network. Not to downplay it, but I think the vaccines are working and doing what theyre supposed to do and helping us even if you get it youre not going to get super sick.

Muller said shes had a lot of patients, including many who have avoided contracting it so far by doing everything right, come down with the disease in recent weeks. Theyre getting it but theyre not getting really really sick, she said of her vaccinated patients who have carefully followed masking and distancing recommendations and yet are getting sick now anyway.

Vaccinated adults are especially likely to have mild symptoms if they catch COVID-19 these days. Fever, sore throat and fatigue remain common, but Muller said she has seen fewer of these patients present with shortness of breath, debilitating fatigue, or other more severe symptoms.

Definitely talk to your doctor, like if you have diabetes or some other illness, such as an underlying lung condition, said Muller, but even people who have that dont seem to be getting too much sicker.

Muller is still wearing a mask in the grocery store and plans to don one for an upcoming flight, but said she is loosening up in other areas of her life, like going out to eat.

I think were starting to come into some kind of equilibrium, Muller said, noting that its still unclear if there will be a few more surges soon or if there will be a yearly surge pattern, like with the flu. But it has been almost three years, she pointed out, the same length of time it took the 1918 flu pandemic to run its course.

I think were getting close to this is just going to be part of life, she said. We just dont know to what degree a part of life it is yet.

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The press conference was the state health agency's first COVID briefing since early March and comes after a federal court ruling rescinding mask requirements on planes, trains and buses.

While the number of COVID-19 cases increase, authorities say they expected a jump and are not concerned.

Vaccinations and residual immunity are among the reasons, President Biden's chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, as the number of deaths drop and hospitalizations rise only slightly.

Tags:Health, COVID-19

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Oregon COVID-19 cases are up, severity is down - Oregon Public Broadcasting

COVID-19 vaccinations in New Mexico picked up a bit more over the last month, despite the recent uptick in new cases.

More than 84,000 New Mexico adults have received COVID-19 vaccine doses over the previous four weeks, per the state Department of Healths website. Thats an increase of more than 65 percent from the prior month, when just over 29,000 doses were administered.

As of Tuesday, 84.1 percent of Sandoval County adults have completed their primary vaccination series. 82 percent of Bernalillo County adults have completed their primary vaccination series.

Statewide, 80 percent of adults have completed their primary vaccination series. For children ages 12 to 17, 61.9 percent of that age group has completed their primary vaccination series. For children ages five to 11, 32.5 percent of that age group has completed their primary vaccination series.

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COVID-19 vaccinations ramping up in NM; 84K adults received doses the last 4 weeks - Rio Rancho Observer