Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

New York, NY, March 11, 2022 Two years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic and more than one year since the world began vaccinating against the disease, people living in the world's worst crisis zones are left behind, warns the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

While more than 60% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, that number drops to just 10% for low-income countries. Countries on the IRC's 2022 Emergency Watchlist are being left even further behind with Democratic Republic of Congo (0.8%), Haiti (1%), Yemen (2%), and South Sudan (4%) seeing some of the lowest vaccination rates in the world---while several rich countries have given booster shots to more than half of their populations. With 96 million USD, the equivalent of just 0.006% of the US healthcare budget and 0.04% of the UK's health budget, the IRC could provide COVID-19 vaccines to almost 16 million people living in the areas we work in --- including in the world's worst crisis zones.[1] Yet, NGOs like the IRC are currently left on the sidelines, not receiving the necessary funding to be significantly engaged in the delivery effort.

David Miliband, President and CEO at the International Rescue Committee, said:

"The global response to COVID-19 is yet another example of System Failure. We continue to miss vaccine coverage targets to our peril with the Omicron variant a direct result of our delay. We have failed to distribute sufficient vaccine doses to lower income countries and we have failed to invest in the health systems needed to deliver shots into arms as soon as they become available.

The inadequacy of our global response, particularly in terms of collective leadership and resource allocation, has never been more apparent or more dangerous. As a member of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, I argued for the need to elevate pandemic threats to the highest levels of government. This is the context for our proposal for a Global Health Threats Council (GHTC) to ensure coordination, accountability, and appropriate resources for pandemic preparedness and response. This leader-level Council would not only maintain political momentum of the highest order in preparing for and fighting pandemics, it would also oversee a new financing stream --- a multilateral Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) --- to fill significant gaps in resources."

To effectively deliver and administer COVID-19 vaccines to populations affected by conflict and humanitarian crises, the IRC calls for:

1. Mobilizing more resources for delivery costs. The $1.5 billion request from the Gavi COVAX Advanced Market Commitment --- the financial mechanism that aims to ensure the world's lowest-income countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines --- does not account for full delivery costs in humanitarian contexts, and more funding is urgently needed to move doses from ports into the arms of the world's most vulnerable populations. Using the IASC standard of $3.00 per dose to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in humanitarian settings, the IRC has estimated that $96 million is needed to deliver vaccines to nearly 16 million people they serve across 30 countries. With approximately 60-80 million people living in non-government controlled areas, this sum is just a fraction of the total delivery costs required to vaccinate 70% of each country's population in 2022.

2. Increasing funding for frontline organizations. Community organizations and local and international NGOs have the reach to deliver vaccine services where governments cannot. These frontline groups need to have faster and easier access to global funding and vaccines to effectively support delivery in the hardest to reach contexts.

The IRC additionally calls for the establishment of a Global Health Threats Council at the leadership level of government. The Threats Council would be able to mobilize a whole-of-government approach, maintain political commitment, drive adequate financing, and prepare and coordinate a global response to defend against future outbreaks and pandemics.

[1]The IRC has estimated, using the IASC's standard of $3.00 per dose to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine in humanitarian contexts, that $96 million is needed to deliver and administer vaccines to nearly 16 million people in IRC's target population --- individuals over the age of 15 and/or are high risk in the IRC's health catchment areas --- across 30 countries.

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Two years into Covid-19 pandemic, less than 10% of people living in crisis are vaccinated; just $96 million- less than 1% of the health budgets of the...

Are we out of the woods yet? This latest blog fromA Kansas Twist discusses what remains of COVID-19 policy nationally and in Kansas. Previous blog posts tracking coronavirus-related policiesfrom2020-2021 can be found at these links:A Kansas Twist Reopening Plans for Kansas Countiesand A Kansas Twist Following the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Kansas.

As we step into spring after weathering two waves of increased COVID-19 cases due to theDelta and Omicron variants there are no countywide or statewide restrictions in place in Kansasas of March 3. Several school districts are discussing whether to maintain or remove school measures through the remainder of the school year in light of the recent guidance issued by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and theAmerican Academy of Pediatricson how communities can approach COVID-19 mitigation measures. While state and county restrictions have been pulled back, legislators, health care providers and researchers have continued taking actions in response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic.

The highly contagious Delta variantdominated through the summer and fall of 2021. However, at the end of 2021 and through the beginning of 2022, the highly contagious (but less lethal) Omicron variant dominated. KDHE reported 12,462new cases on January 18, 2022, at the peak of the surge. During those recent waves, at least two Kansas counties Wyandotte and Douglas had mask mandates in place. Wyandotte Countys mask mandate became effective on August 6, 2021, and with several extensions was set to expire on January 6, 2022. However, the mask mandate was rescinded on December 16, 2021. Douglas Countys 2022 mask mandate became effective on January 7 and remained in force until March 2.

While cases soared and few county restrictions were in place, health care facilities throughout the state were sounding the alarm of their struggle to respond under staffing shortages. On January 6, 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed a State of Disaster Emergency Proclamation and issued two Executive Orders (EO 22-01 and EO 22-02) to provide the states hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities with temporary measures to address their staffing shortages. With the EOs set to expire on Friday, January 21, the Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2477 to codify the provisions of Governor Kellys executive orders (EOs) and it was signed into law on January 21, effective immediately.

With the emergence of the new variants, there was a rise in vaccine breakthrough infections, which is when a fully vaccinated person is infected.Studies on COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death rates have found vaccine effectiveness decreased during this time but continued to protect against severe outcomes such as hospitalizations and deaths. Nationwide, two-thirds of the population (or 69.1 percent of those eligible age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated as of February 28, 2022. Nearly 6 in 10 (57.2 percent) eligible Kansanshad completed aCOVID-19 vaccineseriesand were fully vaccinated as of February 28, 2022.On October 29, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11. Four days later it was endorsed by the CDC. In addition, eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine booster was expanded to all individuals over age 18 on November 19, 2021, and to individuals age 12 and older on January 5, 2022.The definition of 'fully vaccinated,' according to the CDC, means a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series of COVID-19 vaccine.

Recently, on February 25, the CDC issued an interim COVID-19 immunization schedule, which changed the timing between vaccination doses for some people age 12 to 64, and especially males age 12 to 39 who may benefit from getting their second COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose eight weeks after receiving their first dose. This change was based onstudiesin adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and adults, which found the small risk of myocarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be reduced, and peak antibody responses and vaccine effectiveness may be increased, with an interval longer than the initial recommendation offour weeks. The studies showed no additional benefit beyond eight weeks, however.

In the face of another surge in COVID-19 cases, some states took action around COVID-19 vaccine mandates and passports. As of February 23, 2022, Hawaii has implemented a COVID-19 proof of vaccination mandate, 22 states (including Kansas) have banned such mandates, and at least 13 states (not Kansas) have a digital app available for vaccine verification. On May 26, 2021, Governor Kelly signed Senate Bill (SB) 159 the omnibus appropriations bill which added a section prohibiting state agencies from issuing a COVID-19 vaccination passport in Fiscal Years 2021-2022 to any individual without such individual's consent or requiring an individual to use a COVID-19 vaccination passport within the state for any purpose.

Some states also took action around requirements for certain workers to be vaccinated or comply with mask and COVID-19 testing requirements.As of February 23, 2022, at least two states Montana and Tennessee have banned vaccine mandates and/or private employer mandates and at least nine states (including Kansas) have set limitations or exemptions for vaccine mandates. On November 22, 2021, Kansas lawmakers passed Special Session HB 2001, which requires employers who impose COVID-19 vaccine requirements to allow medical and religious exemptions; authorizes employees to file complaints with the Secretary of Labor for violations of the law; authorizes district courts to impose civil penalties; and allows employees who are discharged or suspended in violation of the law or decline to work if required to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine requirement to be eligible for unemployment benefits.

At least 27 states (including Kansas) also have filed lawsuits challenging federal vaccine requirements for federal contractors, employers with 100+ employees and certified Medicare/Medicaid providers. Based on the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on the rule on January 13, 2022, CMS released updated guidancefor 24 states (including Kansas) which expects full compliance from providers by March 15, 2022. On February 23, 2022, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt asked federal courts to reopen litigation challenging the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers.

Check back for more information as we continue to monitor response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.

Originally posted here:

A Kansas Twist COVID-19: Are We Out of the Woods Yet? (March 11, 2022) Kansas Health Institute - Kansas Health Institute

Tens of thousands of vaccinated people at least have caught COVID-19 in the Bay Area over the past few months, thanks to the highly infectious omicron variant, which infects vaccinated people much more easily than earlier strains.

That means tens of thousands of people are now protected by the double-whammy of vaccination and recent infection, which confers the much-vaunted natural immunity. Their bodies are teeming with a new hit of antibodies, many of them better-tailored to the omicron variant than the ones formed in response to immunization. They also have a new cohort of immune cells that recognize not only the virus's spike protein, which was used to make the vaccine, but other parts of the virus not included in vaccines. Scientists call this one-two punch hybrid immunity.

So will you be better protected when the next round of COVID-19 hits the scene? The short answer is yes.

"You have COVID immunity superpowers," said Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF's department of medicine. "At least for several months, you are as protected as can be, and can feel very comfortable not wearing a mask pretty much everywhere."

UCSF infectious diseases expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong agreed, explaining that natural infection trains your immune system "with a wider view of the enemy, and so its weapons get more precise."

RELATED STORY: Should you still wear a mask? We asked UCSF's Dr. Bob Wachter

Long term, the biggest boost from hybrid immunity will likely be seen in prevention of severe disease. When your body hasnt seen the virus for a couple of months, it stops wasting energy churning out unnecessary antibodies. That means the next time youre exposed to COVID-19, it might successfully camp out in some of your cells for a little while. But antibodies arent your only protection. Your immune cells have a long memory, and once they spot infection, theyll start pumping out new antibodies and jumping on cells the virus invades.

One last thing to note: Dont be too worried by cold symptoms small miseries like sore throat, runny nose and fever arent caused by COVID-19, but by your immune system springing into action and making your body an inhospitable place for the virus. You might feel terrible, but thats likely to be the worst of it.

You can certainly become reinfected after about 6 months if we are talking about the same variants, and earlier than 6 months if we get a new variant circulating that looks really different from the past ones, Chin-Hong said. But if you have hybrid immunity and are not severely immunocompromised, you will likely have protection from serious disease for more than a year if not several years.

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Vaccinated and had COVID? You have immunity 'superpowers,' experts say - SF Gate

Have questions or concerns?

If you have any questions or need help, information or advice about COVID-19, self-isolation and more, you can call the national health line on 0800 358 5453 (for international SIMs +64 9 358 5453).

It is free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be able to talk with a member of the National Telehealth Service with access to interpreters.

If you have an upcoming appointment or elective surgery at any MidCentral DHB facility, and youre not sure if you should attend, please call the Palmerston North Hospital switchboard on 06 356 9169 and ask to be put through to the area your appointment is in.

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COVID-19 MidCentral District Health Board

The COVID-19 vaccine is an important measure to help protect you, your family and the community.

You can attend a metropolitan vaccination community clinic or regional vaccination clinic, participating GP or GP respiratory clinics, pharmacies or Aboriginal Medical Services.

You are encouraged to make a booking to secure a convenient time in the metropolitan clinics. People with a booking will be prioritised to receive vaccine close to their booking time. Please note that currently bookings are essential for the 5-11 years COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the metropolitan area.

For metropolitan and regional state-run COVID-19 vaccination community clinics you can either:

If you need help getting vaccinated please complete this form (external site) or call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450

Find out about the vaccination rollout, getting the vaccine, safety, efficacy and booking your vaccination appointment online via VaccinateWA.

Further information on COVID-19 vaccine safety, possible side effects and how to report any side effects.

Last reviewed: 01-03-2022

This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not imply endorsement and is not intended to replace advice from your healthcare professional. Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.

Continued here:

COVID-19 vaccine - healthywa.wa.gov.au

1. DCHD COVID-19 vaccine clinics through March 26  fox42kptm.com
2. E-News | WVU postponing March 16 pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Mountainlair  WVU ENews
3. Piedmont Health District offering two COVID-19 vaccine clinics -  CBS19 News
4. UNCW to Host COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Clinics March 14 and 25  UNCW News
5. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for the Week of Mar. 12  Tarrantcounty.com
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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DCHD COVID-19 vaccine clinics through March 26 - fox42kptm.com

JERUSALEM, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine boosts antibodies five-fold a week after the shot is administered, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday, citing preliminary findings of an Israeli study.

"A week into the fourth dose, we know to a higher degree of certainty that the fourth dose is safe," Bennett said at Sheba Medical Center, which is giving second booster shots in a trial among its staff amid a nationwide surge in Omicron variant infections.

"The second piece of news: We know that a week after administration of a fourth dose, we see a five-fold increase in the number of antibodies in the vaccinated person," he told reporters.

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"This most likely means a significant increase against infection and ... hospitalisation and (severe) symptoms," Bennett said in English.

Israel has played a leading role in studying the effects of COVID-19 vaccines, as the fastest country to roll out two-dose inoculations to a wide population a year ago and one of the first to give third shots as boosters.

It is now administering fourth doses to people over 60, health workers and immunocompromised patients.

The World Health Organization has said more people worldwide should be vaccinated with first doses before others receive boosters.

Launched on Dec. 27, the Sheba trial administered a fourth dose of the Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) vaccine to 150 medical personnel whose level of antibodies had dropped greatly since they received their third doses four to five months ago.

A separate group is set to receive Moderna's vaccine for their fourth dose this week, Sheba said.

The mild side effects some participants have so far reported have not differed from those reported following a third dose. They include pain, fever and headaches, the hospital said.

Since the heavily mutated Omicron variant was first detected in November, WHO data shows it has spread quickly and emerged in at least 128 countries. Case numbers have surged to all-time records, but hospitalisation and death rates are largely lower than at other phases in the pandemic.

In Israel, daily infections have increased by more than 10 times over the past month. Severe illness has also climbed but at a far slower pace, according to Health Ministry data.

Around 60% of the country's 9.4 million population are fully vaccinated.

Some research has indicated that even if Omicron escapes antibodies, a key part of the immune system's second line of defence - its T-cells - are still highly effective at recognising and attacking the variant, preventing most infections from progressing to critical illness.

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Reporting by Jeffrey HellerEditing by Peter Graff and Catherine Evans

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose boosts antibodies five-fold ...

Key Findings

This months KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor explored how the recent omicron surge impacted the economic stability of U.S. families and workers. Four in ten workers (42%) say they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a COVID-19 related concern or sickness. This includes one in four workers (26%) who say they had to miss work to quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure, one in five who missed work because they tested positive for COVID-19, and one in eight (13%) who missed work because their place of employment was closed or reduced hours due to COVID-19 concerns. Additionally, three in ten parents (28%) say they had to miss work in the past three months because they had to stay home with a child who had to quarantine, or their childs school went virtual due to COVID-19 concerns.

Lower-income workers are more likely than those with higher incomes to report missing work in the past three months due to COVID-related concerns, particularly when it comes to workplace closures. Six in ten workers with household incomes less than $40,000 report missing work for COVID concerns during the past three months, compared to less than four in ten of higher income workers. In particular, one-third of lower-income workers (35%) say they missed work because their workplace was closed or had reduced hours, compared to fewer than one in ten among workers with higher incomes. Half of Hispanic workers (47%) say they have had to miss work in the past three months due to COVID-19-related issues as did four in ten White workers (42%) and more than one-third (35%) of Black workers.

Among the 42% of workers who had to miss work due to COVID-19 concerns or sickness, six in ten (62%) say missing work had a major impact or minor impact on their familys stress level and four in ten (44%) say it has impacted their familys finances. About one in five say missing work had a major impact on the level of stress in their family (22%) or on their familys finances (19%).

Overall, about one in ten workers say that they had to miss work due to COVID-related concerns in the past three months, and that missing work had a major impact on their familys stress or finances. Individuals living in households with lower incomes are more likely to report that missing work had a major negative impact on their family. One-fourth of workers in households with incomes less than $40,000 report missing work for COVID-concerns and say that this had a major impact on their familys finances or the level of stress in their family, compared to less than one in ten in households with higher levels of income. One in five Hispanic adults (18%) report loss of work that had a major negative impact, as do about one in eight Black adults and one in ten White adults.

One way to protect employees health and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces is for employers to offer their employees paid time off. About half of workers (52%) say their employer provides paid time off if they get sick from COVID-19 while less than half report receiving paid time off if they need to quarantine (44%), or to stay home with a child (35%) who cant attend school or daycare because of COVID-related concerns. Slightly more than one-third of all employees say their employer offers paid time off to get vaccinated or boosted (37%) or to recover from vaccine side effects (36%).

While half of all workers report paid time off if they are sick from COVID-19, getting time off to recover from COVID is less common among those in households with lower incomes. One-third (32%) of workers in households with incomes below $40,000 report getting paid time off if they get sick from COVID-19 compared to more than half (57%) of those earning $40,000 or more. Similarly, three in ten (28%) lower-income workers report having paid time off if they need to quarantine following a COVID-19 exposure compared to half of higher-income workers. About one-third of lower-income workers report being unaware if they receive paid time off in either of these instances.

Among those who report missing work due to COVID-19 concerns or sickness in the last three months, less than half report that their employer offers paid time off if they get sick from COVID-19 (48%), if they need to quarantine because of a COVID-19 exposure (42%), or if their child has to stay home from school or daycare (27%).

A notable share of workers, especially among lower-income households, say they have gone to work amidst COVID-19 concerns because they couldnt afford to miss work. One in ten workers (11%) say they have gone to work when they had COVID-19 symptoms or had been exposed to the virus because they couldnt afford to take the time off, rising to about three in ten among those in lower-income households (those earning less than $40,000 annually). Fifteen percent of workers whose employer does not offer paid time if they get sick from COVID-19 say they have gone into work when they had COVID-19 symptoms or had been exposed because they couldnt afford to take the time off (compared to six percent of those whose employer offers paid time off).

Additionally, five percent of employed parents say they have sent their child to school or daycare when they had COVID-19 symptoms or had been exposed to the virus because they couldnt take the time off work.

Many workers also report being exposed to coronavirus at work with one-third of those who tested positive or had to quarantine saying their exposure happened at their workplace. Half (52%) say their exposure occurred outside of work while an additional 15% are unsure where they were exposed to coronavirus.

Overall, about three in ten U.S. adults say their household has had difficulty paying bills over the past three months, during the latest wave of coronavirus cases with the omicron surge. This includes one in five (17%) who say they have fallen behind in paying credit cards or other bills, and about one in ten who say they have had problems paying for food (13%), medical bills (12%), affording health insurance (11%), or have fallen behind in their rent or mortgage payments (9%).

The share of households who experienced economic impacts during the omicron surge is somewhat lower than the level measured at other points during the pandemic (July 2020 and February 2021) when there was a large number of cases of the virus in the U.S. but before there were vaccines widely available.

While the share of U.S. adults who reported difficulty paying bills or expenses wasnt as widespread as seen during previous coronavirus waves, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as those with lower levels of income, are still reporting difficulty at higher rates.

Nearly half of Black adults (48%) and one-third of Hispanic adults (34%) report difficulty paying such bills, compared to a smaller share of White adults (22%). In addition, about half (47%) of those with household incomes less than $40,000 annually say they have had problems affording at least one of these expenses during the past 3 months, roughly four times the rate among those in families with incomes of at least $90,000 a year (12%).

Link:

KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: The Pandemic's Toll on Workers and Family Finances During the Omicron Surge - Kaiser Family Foundation

Doctors with the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics are speaking out against recent COVID-19 vaccine guidance from the Florida Department of Health and state surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo. The recommendation says healthy children may be better off not getting the shots.

State health officials say kids ages five to 17 with underlying conditions are the "best candidates" for COVID vaccines but they argue other kids have little to no risk of developing severe illness.

RELATED: Florida's new COVID vaccine guidance for "healthy" kids 5-17

It's true that children aren't nearly as likely to go to the hospital or die from COVID as adults. But Dr. Mobeen Rathore, professor and associate chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Floridas College of Medicine in Jacksonville, said he and other physicians have still treated children for COVID who were otherwise healthy.

We see these sick children who don't need to be that sick if they would have gotten the vaccine, he said. And you know, tell that to a parent whose child is in the ICU or is very ill or intubated or very sick, Oh, you know, most children don't really get very sick with this, and see the reaction you get.

I think that's really sad that we feel that its ok for some children to get sick, get hospitalized and die of this disease, when we could clearly prevent that.

The state also points to a recent study from New York that found the Pfizer vaccine's effectiveness reduced dramatically in children in just a couple months amid the omicron surge. That variant proved to evade vaccines more successfully than others in all age groups.

Kids younger than 12 receive doses that are a third of the size of doses that teens and adults get, and authors of the study suspect that could have contributed to the sharp decline in effectiveness at preventing infection.

But they found the shots still were successful at protecting kids against severe disease. Thats why they continue to recommend vaccination (read "Conclusions and Relevance" section of report).

Rathore said state officials fail to acknowledge that in their guidance.

You know they have picked and choosed (sic) some stuff but ignored others, he said.

Health News Florida asked the department of health why it would use a study that concluded all kids should get vaccinated to defend its guidance.

Spokesman Jeremy T. Redfern replied, The researchers conclusions are their assessment of the data. The Surgeon General disagrees."

"Disagreements on conclusions are normal during the scientific process, and it is what helps science progress," he went on. Remember: Dr. Ladapo is a physician, but he is also a research scientist. He spends a lot of time reviewing the relevant scientific literature.

Rathore said Ladapo's interpretation of the data from that study concerns him.

The question is do we increase the dose of the vaccine, do we increase the schedule, meaning give more vaccine shots the answer is not to stop giving the vaccine, he said.

Ladapos guidance cautions the risks from COVID vaccines may outweigh the benefits for kids without underlying conditions. He focuses on myocarditis, which occurs when the heart muscle becomes inflamed. Some symptoms include chest pain and irregular heartbeat.

The state points to a study that found more cases of myocarditis occurred after COVID vaccination than expected, especially in adolescent males. But Rathore said state officials don't put things in perspective.

You know millions and millions of doses of this vaccine have been given and myocarditis has not come out as a major issue, he said. I won't say it doesn't happen, it does, but I think any risk the vaccine may pose because of myocarditis is so small compared to the benefit the vaccine provides.

That study found 1,626 cases that met the definition of myocarditis among more than 192.4 million people vaccinated. That's .0008%.

Researchers also provided context (read 'Discussion' section of report), saying young men are more likely to get myocarditis in general, and that symptoms in people who got it after getting vaccinated resolved faster than in typical myocarditis, which is usually caused by viral infection.

The Centers for Disease Control points out people are much more likely to get myocarditis from COVID infection.

A report published last September recorded about 150 cases of myocarditis per 100,000 COVID-19 patients, and found COVID patients risk for developing the condition was about 16 times higher than non-COVID patients.

Rathore said the virus can also cause other rare but serious complications in kids, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome or long COVID.

He is urging all kids ages five and older to get vaccinated.

You know, the health of our children and all of our citizens is paramount and vaccines are really the best tool, if you will, in our toolkit, Rathore said.

Another tool is natural immunity to the virus. State health officials say a large number of kids already have built up protection against COVID, citing the CDCs seroprevalence survey that uses antibodies present in blood samples to estimate how much of the population has had the virus.

Rathore said existing immunity is important to protect the community, but is not enough to end the pandemic long-term.

As with vaccine-acquired protection, data shows natural immunity to COVID wanes over time. Since scientists don't expect the virus to go away anytime soon, families have a choice moving forward: get their kids a shot to boost that immunity, or risk them getting sick again.

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Pediatrician pushes back against Florida's new COVID-19 vaccine guidance for kids - WUSF News

COVID-19 vaccination challenge: what have we learned from the Brazilian process?  The Lancet

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COVID-19 vaccination challenge: what have we learned from the Brazilian process? - The Lancet