Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

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A young person waits to receive a Covid-19 vaccination jab at Twickenham rugby stadium in London, England. File Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- An independent British advisory committee on immunization announced Monday a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot will be available in the spring for people aged 75 and over.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization advised in a statement an additional spring booster dose for people who are "the most vulnerable," including people aged 75 and older, elder care home residents and people aged 12 and older who are immunocompromised.

This will be the fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose older people in Britain have been offered and the fifth vaccine shot offered to people with a severely weakened immune system.

The committee advised receiving the extra spring dose around six months after their last dose.

The JCVI added in the statement that vaccine immunity "declines over time," and many in the older population received their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine in September or October.

Eligible adults will be offered either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while eligible people under 18 will be offered only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to the statement.

"Last year's booster vaccination program has so far provided excellent protection against severe COVID-19," Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of COVID-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said in the statement.

"To maintain high levels of protection for the most vulnerable individuals in the population, an extra spring dose of vaccine is advised ahead of an expected autumn booster program later this year," Lim said.

The announcement comes on the same day that Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to lift COVID-19 restrictions in a new plan, citing lower daily case numbers since their peak of 273,526 new cases on Jan. 4.

According to Johnson's plan, contact tracing will end and the legal requirement for those who test positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate will end on Thursday, although people are still advised to self-isolate.

The government will release updated guidance in April that will lay out "ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others," Johnson added.

A day earlier Queen Elizabeth II, 95, who received three vaccine shots tested positive for COVID-19 and has been experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms."

The country reported 38,409 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and 15 more deaths within 28 days of a COVID-19 positive test, compared to 25,696 new cases and 74 deaths reported on Sunday.

Eighty-five percent of the country's population has been fully vaccinated and 66.1% has received a booster or third dose, the government data showed.

"Thanks to our COVID vaccine rollout we're now the freest country in Europe," British Health Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted Monday.

Read the original:

Britain to roll out 4th COVID-19 vaccine shot for people 75 and older - UPI News

What's the difference between the Comirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines?

Comirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech are actually the same vaccine. Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a vaccine, it's known by the company that created it (Pfizer). Once the FDA granted approval, Pfizer chose a brand name for the vaccine (Comirnaty).

In November 2021, Pfizer released an updated formula of the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine. The update allows providers to administer the vaccine without using a diluent. Providers can still use any remaining vials of the formulation for people 12 years and older. Children 5 to 11 years old may only get the pediatric formula of the vaccine.

For full approval, the FDA evaluates data over a longer period of time than for an emergency use authorization. For the vaccine to be given full approval, the data must show a high level of safety, effectiveness, and quality control in vaccine production. The purpose of emergency use authorization is to ensure that people can get lifesaving vaccines prior to a longer-term analysis of data. However, EUA still requires a very thorough review of clinical datajust over a shorter period of time.

Three vaccines are authorized for emergency use or fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These vaccines are currently offered in Washington state.

The COVID-19 vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize the coronavirus. When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies (fighter cells) that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected with the virus. You get protection against the disease without having to get sick.

When enough people in the community can fight off the coronavirus, it has nowhere to go. This means we can stop the spread quicker and get a little closer to ending this pandemic.

This short video explains how COVID vaccines are made.

A messenger RNA, or mRNA vaccine is a new type of vaccine. mRNA vaccines teach your cells how to make a harmless piece of the spike protein. The spike protein is what you see on the surface of the coronavirus. Your immune system sees that the protein doesn't belong there and your body will start to build an immune response and make antibodies. This is similar to what happens when we naturally get a COVID-19 infection. Once it does its job, the mRNA quickly breaks down and the body clears it away in a few days.

Although we have used mRNA for other types of medical and veterinary care in the past, creating vaccines using this method is a huge leap forward in science and may mean future vaccines can be created more easily.

You may read more about how mRNA vaccines work on CDC's website, or watch this video from Dr. Paul Offit at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

This type of vaccine uses a weakened version of a different virus (the vector) that gives your cells instructions. The vector enters a cell and uses the cell's machinery to create a harmless piece of the COVID-19 spike protein. The cell displays the spike protein on its surface, and your immune system sees that it doesn't belong there. Your immune system will start to make antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. Your body learns how to protect you against future infection with COVID-19, without you having to get sick.

Like other routine vaccines, the most common side effects are a sore arm, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain.

These symptoms are a sign that the vaccine is working. In the Pfizer and Moderna trials, these side effects occurred most often within two days of getting the vaccine, and lasted about a day. Side effects were more common after the second dose (of the initial two-dose series) than the first dose. In the Johnson & Johnson clinical trials, side effects lasted an average of one to two days.

For all three vaccines, people over age 55 were less likely to report side effects than younger people.

Clinical trials found that approximately:

You may see some rumors about untrue side effects online or on social media. Make sure any time you see a claim about a side effect that you check the source of that claim. This video can teach you more about how to figure out if a claim online is true or not.

The ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines are pretty typical for vaccines. They contain the active ingredient of mRNA or modified adenovirus along with other ingredients like fats, salts, and sugars that protect the active ingredient, help it work better in the body, and protect the vaccine during storage and transport.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines do not contain human cells (including fetal cells), the COVID-19 virus, latex, preservatives, or any animal by-products including pork products or gelatin. The vaccines are not grown in eggs and do not contain any egg products.

See this Q&A; webpage from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for more information about ingredients. You can also find the full ingredients lists in the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson fact sheets.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was created using the same technology as many other vaccines. It does not contain parts of fetuses or fetal cells. One piece of the vaccine is made in lab-grown copies of cells that originally came from elective abortions that took place over 35 years ago. Since then, the cell lines for these vaccines have been maintained in the lab and no further sources of fetal cells are used to make these vaccines. This might be new information for some people. However, vaccines for chickenpox, rubella and hepatitis A are made in the same way.

This is a myth circulated online by non-scientific sources. There is no evidence that any vaccine affects fertility, including COVID-19 vaccines.

The vaccine is safe and effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are pregnant, lactating, or planning to get pregnant. See Coronavirus (COVID-19), Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding: A Message for Patients for more information. You can also see our FAQ on vaccines and pregnancy.

See the FDA COVID-19 Vaccines webpage for facts about the vaccines. Once additional vaccines are authorized, the FDA will share their information as well.

An EUA allows the FDA to make a product available during a declared state of emergency before it has a full license. Any EUA granted by the FDA is further vetted by the Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, as part of the Western States Pact.

On October 27, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Washington joined other western states to review the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines once authorized by the FDA. This workgroup will provide another layer of scrutiny and expert review to this process.

The Scientific Safety Review Workgroup includes Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and California. Inslee announced Washington's representatives to the workgroup on Nov. 9.

The panel includes experts appointed by all member states, and nationally recognized scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. When the FDA authorizes a vaccine for emergency use, the panel reviews all publicly available data concurrently with federal reviews, and presents a report as soon as possible. This process took place for the three vaccines we currently have available in Washington state, and will happen for all COVID-19 vaccines that are granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the future. Review usually takes about 1 to 2 days and is completed before the first vaccine shipment arrives in Washington, so it does not delay the process.

Read the findings of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup:

COVID-19 vaccination commonly comes with side effects, such as sore muscles or a fever. If you have symptoms after getting the vaccine, you may wonder if it's safe to work or go about your tasks safely. Employers may wonder if it's safe for a staff member to return to in-person work. It can take 1-2 weeks after your second shot before you are fully protected so you could still come down with COVID-19 if you are exposed before then. It's also important to remember that each person's immune system works a little differently and the vaccine won't work for approximately 1 in 2,500 people who are vaccinated.

This chart (PDF) helps you understand if you are reacting to the vaccine or if you might need to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate. If you have symptoms in the middle category, you may wish to seek medical care or to wait and see. If your symptoms go away in a day or two, it may have been just a vaccine reaction. If they continue or you feel like you should, seek medical advice. If there's a possibility you have COVID-19 or were exposed, please stay away from others as a precaution.

The vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, to a previous dose of an mRNA or viral vector vaccine, or to any ingredient of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna, or Johnson & JohnsonJanssen COVID-19 vaccines.

People who have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies may still be able to receive the vaccine. However, providers should do a risk assessment and counsel them about potential risks. If the patient decides to get the vaccine, the provider should observe them for 30 minutes to monitor for any immediate reactions.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that providers observe all other patients for at least 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to monitor for an allergic reaction. See ACIP's interim clinical considerations for mRNA vaccines for more information.

It's normal to have some side effects after getting the vaccine. This can be a sign that the vaccine is working. If you experience a medical emergency after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you get sick after getting the vaccine, you should report the adverse event to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). An adverse event is any health problem or side effect that happens after a vaccination.

For more information about VAERS, see "What is VAERS?" below.

VAERS is an early warning system led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS can help detect problems that may be related to a vaccine.

Anyone (health care provider, patient, caregiver) can report possible adverse reactions to VAERS.

There are limits to the system. A VAERS report does not mean the vaccine caused the reaction or outcome. It only means that the vaccination happened first.

VAERS is set up to help scientists notice trends or reasons they should investigate a possible problem. It is not a list of verified outcomes of vaccination.

When you make a report to VAERS, you help the CDC and the FDA identify possible health concerns and make sure vaccines are safe. If any issues arise, they will take action and notify health care providers about potential issues.

Viruses mutate (change) as they spread from person to person. A variant' is a mutated strain of virus. Some variants disappear over time and some continue to spread in communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies the virus variants that are concerning. Currently, several variants are concerning because they spread quickly and more easily, causing more COVID-19 infections.

Getting vaccinated helps slow the spread of the virus, and keeps variant strains in check. It also gives you strong protection against hospitalization and death for all known virus variants.

Some vaccinated people may still get infected with a variant strain, but research shows they tend to experience mild symptoms. It's important to get all recommended doses so you have maximum protection against variants.

Vaccination is the best way to protect you, your loved ones, and your community. High vaccination coverage will reduce the spread of the virus and help prevent new virus variants from emerging.

Visit our pages on the COVID-19 variants and vaccine breakthrough for more information.

Death is not the only risk from having COVID-19. Many people who get COVID-19 only have mild symptoms. However, the virus is extremely unpredictable, and we know some COVID-19 variants are more likely to make you really sick. Some people can get very sick or die from COVID-19, even young people with no chronic health conditions. Others, known as COVID long-haulers may get symptoms that last for months and affect their quality of life. We also don't know yet all the long-term effects of COVID-19 since it's a new virus. Getting vaccinated is our best protection against the virus. Even if you're young and healthy, you should get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Yes, even if you get vaccinated, you're required to wear a mask in public indoor settings. Find more information on our Masks and Face Coverings FAQ page. We also recommend you wash your hands often, stay six feet apart, and limit gatherings.

The COVID-19 vaccines work well, but they are not 100% effective. Some people may get COVID-19 even if they've been vaccinated. With the rise of more transmissible variants, it's important that all people take precautions such as wearing masks to reduce transmission of the virus.

Some people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get four doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Being immunocompromised means having a weakened immune system. This puts you in a high-risk group more likely than people with normal immune systems to contract COVID-19 and get severely ill from COVID-19. It also means that your body may not absorb the COVID-19 vaccine fully, requiring an additional dose for maximum protection.

You qualify for four total doses of COVID-19 vaccine if:

The CDC recommends that some people age 5 and older who are moderately or severely immune compromised and who got an mRNA vaccine as their primary series receive an additional (third) primary dose 28 days after their second dose. This is a total of three doses for the primary series. Five months after the primary series is completed, if you are at least age 12 you should get a booster dose for added protection.

Children ages 5-11 who are immune compromised should get an additional (third) primary dose of Pfizer vaccine, but do not qualify for a booster at this time. Children in this age range may not receive any vaccine other than Pfizer.

Immune compromised people who received Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine as their primary series should not receive an additional primary dose. They should follow the standard recommendation and receive a booster dose 2 months after their primary dose of Johnson & Johnson.

If you or your physician have any questions, please review the CDC guidelines for immunocompromised people or visit the DOH website. You may provide the link to this page or to the CDC's recommendations to your physician.

Go here to read the rest:

How Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Work? - Washington State Department of Health

The Houston Health Department is announcing the schedule for sites offering freeCOVID-19 vaccinations and testingduring the week of February 21, 2022. Over a dozensites offering vaccinations and more than 30 testing sites are on the schedule for the week.

Vaccination and testing at health department-affiliated sites does not requireproof of residency, citizenship, or insurance.

Site locations, schedules, and appointment information isavailable atHoustonHealth.orgor by calling 832-393-4220.

Fixed Vaccination Sites

The departments new vaccination incentive programwill award 12 people $1,000 gift cards and provide $50 gift cards to hundreds of additional people.

People who get their first dose or booster shot at eligible health department vaccination sites between January 29 and March 10, 2022, will be entered into drawings for $1,000 gift cards. Two $1,000 winners will be selected everyFridaythroughMarch11for a total of 12 winners over six weeks.

Any dose of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available at the departments fixed sites, located at:

Health center and multi-service center vaccination sites close at 11:30 a.m. on the secondWednesday of the month.

Pop-up Vaccination Sites

The department and its partner agencies will offer Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations at a pop-up sitelocatedat:

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for ages 18 and up and Pfizer is authorized for ages 5and up.

In-Home Vaccination

Free in-home COVID-19 vaccination is available to qualifying older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans.

People may call 832-393-4301 to about qualify for the program.

Testing Sites

The department and its partner agencies offer dozens of free COVID-19 testing sites across the city.

A list of testing sites and schedules isavailable at HoustonHealth.orgor by calling 832-393-4220.

The CDC recommends people who have symptoms and most people who hadclose contact(within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone with confirmed COVID-19 be tested for COVID-19 infection.

Vaccination and testing site schedules may shift during the week to meet community need. Find the latest information at HoustonHealth.orgor by calling 832-393-4220.

Follow this link:

Free COVID-19 vaccinations and testing available at dozens of Houston Health Department-affiliated sites week of February 21, 2022 City of Houston |...

What's the difference between the Comirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines?

Comirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech are actually the same vaccine. Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a vaccine, it's known by the company that created it (Pfizer). Once the FDA granted approval, Pfizer chose a brand name for the vaccine (Comirnaty).

In November 2021, Pfizer released an updated formula of the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine. The update allows providers to administer the vaccine without using a diluent. Providers can still use any remaining vials of the formulation for people 12 years and older. Children 5 to 11 years old may only get the pediatric formula of the vaccine.

For full approval, the FDA evaluates data over a longer period of time than for an emergency use authorization. For the vaccine to be given full approval, the data must show a high level of safety, effectiveness, and quality control in vaccine production. The purpose of emergency use authorization is to ensure that people can get lifesaving vaccines prior to a longer-term analysis of data. However, EUA still requires a very thorough review of clinical datajust over a shorter period of time.

Three vaccines are authorized for emergency use or fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These vaccines are currently offered in Washington state.

The COVID-19 vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize the coronavirus. When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies (fighter cells) that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected with the virus. You get protection against the disease without having to get sick.

When enough people in the community can fight off the coronavirus, it has nowhere to go. This means we can stop the spread quicker and get a little closer to ending this pandemic.

This short video explains how COVID vaccines are made.

A messenger RNA, or mRNA vaccine is a new type of vaccine. mRNA vaccines teach your cells how to make a harmless piece of the spike protein. The spike protein is what you see on the surface of the coronavirus. Your immune system sees that the protein doesn't belong there and your body will start to build an immune response and make antibodies. This is similar to what happens when we naturally get a COVID-19 infection. Once it does its job, the mRNA quickly breaks down and the body clears it away in a few days.

Although we have used mRNA for other types of medical and veterinary care in the past, creating vaccines using this method is a huge leap forward in science and may mean future vaccines can be created more easily.

You may read more about how mRNA vaccines work on CDC's website, or watch this video from Dr. Paul Offit at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

This type of vaccine uses a weakened version of a different virus (the vector) that gives your cells instructions. The vector enters a cell and uses the cell's machinery to create a harmless piece of the COVID-19 spike protein. The cell displays the spike protein on its surface, and your immune system sees that it doesn't belong there. Your immune system will start to make antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. Your body learns how to protect you against future infection with COVID-19, without you having to get sick.

Like other routine vaccines, the most common side effects are a sore arm, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain.

These symptoms are a sign that the vaccine is working. In the Pfizer and Moderna trials, these side effects occurred most often within two days of getting the vaccine, and lasted about a day. Side effects were more common after the second dose (of the initial two-dose series) than the first dose. In the Johnson & Johnson clinical trials, side effects lasted an average of one to two days.

For all three vaccines, people over age 55 were less likely to report side effects than younger people.

Clinical trials found that approximately:

You may see some rumors about untrue side effects online or on social media. Make sure any time you see a claim about a side effect that you check the source of that claim. This video can teach you more about how to figure out if a claim online is true or not.

The ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines are pretty typical for vaccines. They contain the active ingredient of mRNA or modified adenovirus along with other ingredients like fats, salts, and sugars that protect the active ingredient, help it work better in the body, and protect the vaccine during storage and transport.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines do not contain human cells (including fetal cells), the COVID-19 virus, latex, preservatives, or any animal by-products including pork products or gelatin. The vaccines are not grown in eggs and do not contain any egg products.

See this Q&A; webpage from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for more information about ingredients. You can also find the full ingredients lists in the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson fact sheets.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was created using the same technology as many other vaccines. It does not contain parts of fetuses or fetal cells. One piece of the vaccine is made in lab-grown copies of cells that originally came from elective abortions that took place over 35 years ago. Since then, the cell lines for these vaccines have been maintained in the lab and no further sources of fetal cells are used to make these vaccines. This might be new information for some people. However, vaccines for chickenpox, rubella and hepatitis A are made in the same way.

This is a myth circulated online by non-scientific sources. There is no evidence that any vaccine affects fertility, including COVID-19 vaccines.

The vaccine is safe and effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are pregnant, lactating, or planning to get pregnant. See Coronavirus (COVID-19), Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding: A Message for Patients for more information. You can also see our FAQ on vaccines and pregnancy.

See the FDA COVID-19 Vaccines webpage for facts about the vaccines. Once additional vaccines are authorized, the FDA will share their information as well.

An EUA allows the FDA to make a product available during a declared state of emergency before it has a full license. Any EUA granted by the FDA is further vetted by the Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, as part of the Western States Pact.

On October 27, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Washington joined other western states to review the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines once authorized by the FDA. This workgroup will provide another layer of scrutiny and expert review to this process.

The Scientific Safety Review Workgroup includes Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and California. Inslee announced Washington's representatives to the workgroup on Nov. 9.

The panel includes experts appointed by all member states, and nationally recognized scientists with expertise in immunization and public health. When the FDA authorizes a vaccine for emergency use, the panel reviews all publicly available data concurrently with federal reviews, and presents a report as soon as possible. This process took place for the three vaccines we currently have available in Washington state, and will happen for all COVID-19 vaccines that are granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the future. Review usually takes about 1 to 2 days and is completed before the first vaccine shipment arrives in Washington, so it does not delay the process.

Read the findings of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup:

COVID-19 vaccination commonly comes with side effects, such as sore muscles or a fever. If you have symptoms after getting the vaccine, you may wonder if it's safe to work or go about your tasks safely. Employers may wonder if it's safe for a staff member to return to in-person work. It can take 1-2 weeks after your second shot before you are fully protected so you could still come down with COVID-19 if you are exposed before then. It's also important to remember that each person's immune system works a little differently and the vaccine won't work for approximately 1 in 2,500 people who are vaccinated.

This chart (PDF) helps you understand if you are reacting to the vaccine or if you might need to get tested for COVID-19 and isolate. If you have symptoms in the middle category, you may wish to seek medical care or to wait and see. If your symptoms go away in a day or two, it may have been just a vaccine reaction. If they continue or you feel like you should, seek medical advice. If there's a possibility you have COVID-19 or were exposed, please stay away from others as a precaution.

The vaccine should not be given to people with a known history of severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, to a previous dose of an mRNA or viral vector vaccine, or to any ingredient of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna, or Johnson & JohnsonJanssen COVID-19 vaccines.

People who have had a severe allergic reaction to other vaccines or injectable therapies may still be able to receive the vaccine. However, providers should do a risk assessment and counsel them about potential risks. If the patient decides to get the vaccine, the provider should observe them for 30 minutes to monitor for any immediate reactions.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that providers observe all other patients for at least 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to monitor for an allergic reaction. See ACIP's interim clinical considerations for mRNA vaccines for more information.

It's normal to have some side effects after getting the vaccine. This can be a sign that the vaccine is working. If you experience a medical emergency after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you get sick after getting the vaccine, you should report the adverse event to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). An adverse event is any health problem or side effect that happens after a vaccination.

For more information about VAERS, see "What is VAERS?" below.

VAERS is an early warning system led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS can help detect problems that may be related to a vaccine.

Anyone (health care provider, patient, caregiver) can report possible adverse reactions to VAERS.

There are limits to the system. A VAERS report does not mean the vaccine caused the reaction or outcome. It only means that the vaccination happened first.

VAERS is set up to help scientists notice trends or reasons they should investigate a possible problem. It is not a list of verified outcomes of vaccination.

When you make a report to VAERS, you help the CDC and the FDA identify possible health concerns and make sure vaccines are safe. If any issues arise, they will take action and notify health care providers about potential issues.

Viruses mutate (change) as they spread from person to person. A variant' is a mutated strain of virus. Some variants disappear over time and some continue to spread in communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies the virus variants that are concerning. Currently, several variants are concerning because they spread quickly and more easily, causing more COVID-19 infections.

Getting vaccinated helps slow the spread of the virus, and keeps variant strains in check. It also gives you strong protection against hospitalization and death for all known virus variants.

Some vaccinated people may still get infected with a variant strain, but research shows they tend to experience mild symptoms. It's important to get all recommended doses so you have maximum protection against variants.

Vaccination is the best way to protect you, your loved ones, and your community. High vaccination coverage will reduce the spread of the virus and help prevent new virus variants from emerging.

Visit our pages on the COVID-19 variants and vaccine breakthrough for more information.

Death is not the only risk from having COVID-19. Many people who get COVID-19 only have mild symptoms. However, the virus is extremely unpredictable, and we know some COVID-19 variants are more likely to make you really sick. Some people can get very sick or die from COVID-19, even young people with no chronic health conditions. Others, known as COVID long-haulers may get symptoms that last for months and affect their quality of life. We also don't know yet all the long-term effects of COVID-19 since it's a new virus. Getting vaccinated is our best protection against the virus. Even if you're young and healthy, you should get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Yes, even if you get vaccinated, you're required to wear a mask in public indoor settings. Find more information on our Masks and Face Coverings FAQ page. We also recommend you wash your hands often, stay six feet apart, and limit gatherings.

The COVID-19 vaccines work well, but they are not 100% effective. Some people may get COVID-19 even if they've been vaccinated. With the rise of more transmissible variants, it's important that all people take precautions such as wearing masks to reduce transmission of the virus.

Some people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should get four doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Being immunocompromised means having a weakened immune system. This puts you in a high-risk group more likely than people with normal immune systems to contract COVID-19 and get severely ill from COVID-19. It also means that your body may not absorb the COVID-19 vaccine fully, requiring an additional dose for maximum protection.

You qualify for four total doses of COVID-19 vaccine if:

The CDC recommends that some people age 5 and older who are moderately or severely immune compromised and who got an mRNA vaccine as their primary series receive an additional (third) primary dose 28 days after their second dose. This is a total of three doses for the primary series. Five months after the primary series is completed, if you are at least age 12 you should get a booster dose for added protection.

Children ages 5-11 who are immune compromised should get an additional (third) primary dose of Pfizer vaccine, but do not qualify for a booster at this time. Children in this age range may not receive any vaccine other than Pfizer.

Immune compromised people who received Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine as their primary series should not receive an additional primary dose. They should follow the standard recommendation and receive a booster dose 2 months after their primary dose of Johnson & Johnson.

If you or your physician have any questions, please review the CDC guidelines for immunocompromised people or visit the DOH website. You may provide the link to this page or to the CDC's recommendations to your physician.

Read the rest here:

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness - Washington State Department of Health

Background

The Collaborative, launched in February 2021, helps implement effective and equitable vaccine access strategies that centers the voices of people and communities most impacted by COVID-19.

DOH made an intentional choice to create a structure that allows all interested partners the option to participate on an on-going basis. This structure is based on the concept of collaboration, where a group of people work together around a shared project or mission.

The Collaborative ensures an equity and social justice lens is incorporated in DOH's vaccine planning and implementation efforts.

To ensure effective outreach and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine to all communities, DOH is intentionally centering the voices, feedback, recommendations and requests of communities and sectors disproportionally impacted. Communities disproportionally impacted include:

The Collaborative is guided by the direction of Collaborative Thought Partners. Collaborative Thought Partners are Collaborative members who take a more formal, active and represented role within the Collaborative to ensure it is community co-led, centers the communities and sectors that have been most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, addresses equitable vaccine distribution and access, and advances pandemic recovery efforts.

Here is the original post:

COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Collaborative - Washington State Department of Health

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Will U.S. residents need a fourth shot of a COVID-19 vaccine?

With a surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus subsiding around the country, questions continue to swirl about the future of the pandemic in the United States.

While cases and hospitalizations are down, deaths remain high, exceeding past pandemic peaks.

FAUCI SAYS FUTURE REQUIREMENT FOR ADDITIONAL COVID-19 BOOSTERS BEING MONITORED

White House and public health leaders have said that they are cautiously optimistic about current trends and planning for a return to normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently considering revising its guidance on masking.

To date, data from the agency shows 92.6 million Americans have received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and 214.6 million are fully vaccinated.

While the Biden administration has called on the U.S. to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, health experts continue to worry about impending variants of concern and that booster rates are too low given that the vaccination's efficacy wanes over time about after four months.

Children 12-15 years old receive a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut on January 6, 2022. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The CDC says COVID-19 vaccine booster shots provide 90% protection against hospitalization.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told PBS last week that while there is "substantial waning" for symptomatically recognizable disease, for severe disease at four to five months there is still about a 78% overall protection rate against hospitalization.

He said that number is "pretty good," which is why the CDC is instructing those who are immune-comprised to get their fourth shot now but that those who are in the general population of immunocompetent people are "pretty good" as the CDC works to follow the durability of that protection.

MASK MANDATES TO BE LIFTED IN NEW MEXICO, WASHINGTON

"If it goes down over the next couple of months, then they will modify the recommendation of when and who should get now the fourth shot. But, in general, for the population level, 78% is pretty good. It likely will go down sometime. We don't know for sure. We're hoping it'll hold tight up there," he said. "But, if it does go down, I think you can expect some modification of the recommendation."

Speaking at the White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing, the president's chief medical adviser said that the potential future requirement for "an additional boost or a fourth shot for mRNA or a third shot for J&J is being very carefully monitored in real time."

"And, recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves," he pledged.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Dr. Peter Marks told The New York Times that scientists "simply dont have enough data to know that its a good thing to do."

The best time for an additional shot could come in the fall, he explained to the publication on Thursday.

"Barring any surprises from new variants, maybe the best thing is to think about our booster strategy in conjunction with the influenza vaccine next fall, and get as many people as possible boosted then," he said.

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Currently, the CDC recommends booster shots for everyone 12 years and older, five months after getting two doses of the mRNA vaccines or two months after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Vaccines remain the best way to protect against COVID-19 and everyone five years and older is now eligible to receive a vaccine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More here:

A fourth COVID vaccine shot: Will it be necessary? - Fox News

This weeks promise of $100 for people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 hasnt brought big crowds to Philadelphias clinics, at least not yet.

The first clinic where people could collect the gift, the Salvation Army at 55th and Market Streets Friday afternoon, drew only about a dozen takers in its first two hours.

Its the first day of it, said Matt Rankin, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, who hoped news coverage would increase interest in the cash offer.

People are eligible for the $100 gift after receiving two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at one of the participating city health clinics. Someone who has already had one dose could get their second and receive the money within days.

Citywide, about 74% of people 12 and older are fully vaccinated. In that same age group, 90% have received at least one dose, meaning there are plenty of people who may be particularly open to a cash incentive to finish their vaccinations, Rankin said.

That was the case for Keith Walker, 39, who got his first Pfizer dose about a month ago. Hed intended to get his second dose eventually, he said, but the money motivated him.

It actually gave me a little boost to come out and get it, he said.

He is out of work, he said, and expected to use the money for necessities.

READ MORE: Philly ends its vaccine mandate for indoor dining, citing declining cases and need to ease burden on businesses

Full vaccination is overwhelmingly effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19 infections. Unvaccinated adults are 16 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated, the CDC reported. Recent studies have also shown that those who develop a breakthrough case after being vaccinated also have a lower risk of developing long COVID symptoms.

A $200,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding the cash incentives, enough to lure 20,000 people, Rankin said. The grant does not allow the money to be used for people receiving booster shots, and city workers are not eligible. Right now there are 10 locations scheduled for the shots-plus-incentive, but that list could grow, Rankin said. The sites and dates are listed on the city health departments website.

The next is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Global Leadership Academy, at 4601 W. Girard Ave.

People can receive their money in days by downloading an app administered by a contractor, Usio, a San Antonio, Texas, company. Or they can provide an address and have the money mailed within two weeks.

A woman at the clinic Friday, Tasha Mack, was there to get a booster shot, and was disappointed to learn she couldnt get the bonus. She got her third dose anyway.

I start a new job on Monday, she said. I thought, Good, I can use that to get money to put gas in the car.

A sweepstakes offer of up to $50,000 for people who got vaccinated in summer 2021 only briefly bumped up the pace of vaccinations in Philadelphia. Rankin acknowledged it has become harder to persuade holdouts to take the shot.

READ MORE: Dangling the chance to win cash prizes does not boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, Penn study finds

We know there is a population of people who are just not going to get it, he said. Then there are people on the fringe, in the gray area, who, maybe they need $100, that might get them to do it.

The city had been planning to have a cash incentive for vaccination since last fall, Rankin said, but managing the logistical and legal questions delayed the initiative. Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole announced the offer Wednesday as she introduced a new COVID safety strategy for the city that ended the vaccine mandate for indoor dining.

The indoor mask mandate in the city could also end in a matter of weeks, if current COVID-19 trends continue.

It was coincidence that the start of the money offer and the end of the vaccine mandate were announced at the same time, Rankin said, but he acknowledged that mandates have helped boost vaccination rates. The health department saw vaccinations increase after policies required health-care workers and city employees to be vaccinated, he said.

The vaccination requirement for indoor dining was one of the reasons Walker, of Northeast Philadelphia, got his first shot, he said.

Philadelphians have complicated reasons behind their vaccination decisions. Charles Smith, 47, works long hours in food service, and has had trouble finding a place where he could get a shot without an appointment after work.

He caught COVID-19 at the beginning of the year, and, though he recovered, he became very ill. He is also looking for a new job and was concerned being unvaccinated would make him unemployable at some places. Both his infection and job hunt encouraged him to get his first shot. He took Friday off from work to get his car registered, and though news coverage of the money offer informed him of the clinic, the cash wasnt the reason he came.

I wanted to do it anyway, he said. It was one of those days you wake up and say, let me get everything done today.

Read the rest here:

Philly is offering $100 to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Now it just needs willing residents. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

High school junior Nicolas Montero stays busy. He runs track, works night and weekend shifts at Burger King, and keeps on top of his schoolwork at Neshaminy High School in Bucks County.

But Nicolas' packed schedule is also strategic: It's a way to stay out of the house.

Nicolas and his parents are separated by a widening political and cultural rift: His parents are a part of a small but vocal minority who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations and have refused to let him get the shots.

"The thing about these beliefs is that they alternate by the day," said Nicolas, who is 16. "It's not one solid thing that they're going with, so it's just really baseless. It's like one thing they see on Facebook, and then they completely believe it."

The impasse eventually led to an act of quiet defiance: Nicolas traveled to Philadelphia, where a little-known regulation permits children 11 and older to be vaccinated without parental consent.

Not all states require parental consent for vaccination. In Oregon, teens 15 and up can consent to their own medical care, including inoculations. Rhode Island and South Carolina allow 16-year-olds to get COVID-19 vaccinations on their own. In Delaware, you need to be only 12 to get vaccines related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

That's the case as well in California, for those 12 or older who would like to get vaccines for STIs. But now California state lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow those minors to consent to all Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines, including the COVID vaccines.

In Alabama, the law tightened during the pandemic. Though the age of consent for all other medical care is 14, a new law says Alabama youths under 19 need parental consent for COVID vaccines.

A November 2021 KFF poll found that 30% of parents with 12- to 17-year-olds said they will definitely not get their children vaccinated. In light of this, two National Institutes of Health scholars wrote a piece in The New England Journal of Medicine advocating for states to expand their statutes to include COVID vaccines as a medical treatment to which minors can consent.

Nicolas said he thinks most of his parents' beliefs about the vaccine come from social media.

"I try to explain to them that the vaccines are safe. They're effective," Nicolas said. "I try to explain that we know people that have been vaccinated, even our own family members who've been vaccinated for months and experienced no side effects. But nothing seems to get through to them."

Nicolas' parents did not respond to multiple attempts by WHYY News to speak to them for this article.

Though he found a way to change his own situation, Nicolas worried about teens who can't travel to a place where the laws are different. "I know that this is something that teenagers all across the country are experiencing right now," Nicolas said.

So he penned an op-ed in his high school paper, The Playwickian, advocating for the age of consent for vaccines in Pennsylvania to be lowered to 14.

Last summer, after school let out, he didn't need to be in the suburbs to go to class, so he asked his aunts if he could visit them in Philadelphia.

"He gets to roam the city, get the city life. He loves that," said Nicolas' aunt Brittany Kissling, who lives in Philly's Port Richmond neighborhood. "The kid did not want to leave."

A week turned into the entire summer.

While Nicolas was staying in Philadelphia, bouncing between his two aunts' houses, his friends were getting their first COVID shots. He was worried he might get sick. Worse, he was concerned he might transmit a coronavirus infection to his elderly grandmother.

"My abuela, she's completely vaccinated, boosted and everything," said Nicolas. But he said he was still worried he could transmit a breakthrough infection.

So he started doing some research. And he found the handful of states that allow teens to get vaccines without parental consent.

To his surprise, Nicolas discovered that a bill to change the law in Pennsylvania had been introduced in the state House of Representatives. If the measure were to become law, it would mean that anyone 14 and older could give informed consent to be vaccinated for any vaccine recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

As his research deepened, he learned that not only was it possible for minors to get vaccinated without parental consent in other states, it was legal in Philadelphia.

In 2007, the city's Board of Health passed a regulation that allows any minor who's at least 11 to get vaccinated without a parent, provided the young person can give informed consent.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said the regulation is designed to remove any additional barriers to vaccination.

"It can be very difficult, especially for lower-income parents, to get time off work to go to those appointments," Bettigole said. "These are low-risk interventions. It just makes it easier for parents and families to be able to make sure their kids are vaccinated."

The regulation took effect the year after the FDA approved a three-shot regimen of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for young people, recommended in the years before they become sexually active.

It is common for states and municipalities to create specific legislation for minors with the aim of increasing access to vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted infections, said Brian Dean Abramson, an author and adjunct professor of vaccine law at Florida International University College of Law.

"The rationale behind this was that you may have children who are being abused and don't want their parents necessarily to be informed of the fact they're seeking medical interventions for that, or children who may be sexually active and are afraid that their parents will react very negatively to that if they seek some kind of medical treatment," Abramson said.

In turn, said Abramson, those policies have laid the groundwork for children to get vaccinated in the event of a disagreement like the one between Nicolas and his parents.

Nicolas was thrilled to learn of Philadelphia's regulation. One summer afternoon while his aunt was at work, Nicolas found a Philadelphia pop-up clinic offering vaccines. He was anxious on his bus ride there not about needles or side effects, but that his parents would somehow catch him and prevent him from getting his second shot.

He knew his aunts would support his being vaccinated both of them had been, and Kissling manages a pediatrics office. But he was worried that if his aunts knew, word would get back to his parents. So, he didn't tell them ahead of time.

He returned to Bucks County for the start of the school year and arranged for a weekend visit in early September to see his aunts and grandmother again. He planned the trip just in time for his second dose.

"I did feel really liberated when I got my second shot," Nicolas said. "I felt like I was protected."

After that second shot, Nicolas told his aunts he had gotten vaccinated; they were amazed.

"He was so proud," recalled Kissling. "He had his card, and we were like, 'Wait, when did this happen? How did this happen?'"

Just before Thanksgiving, Nicolas' parents found out. They reacted the way Nicolas and his aunts worried they would: Kissling said Nicolas' mother accused her sisters of influencing him and of being neglectful enough to allow him to get vaccinated. The tension has grown to the point where Nicolas says he can't even speak to his parents.

Kissling said her family rarely discussed politics until recently. Now, she said, it's hard for the whole family to spend time together. She has left in the middle of dinners to drive home to Philadelphia because the discussion got so heated. She's not expecting a resolution anytime soon her family is one that's more likely to sweep conflict under the rug than resolve it, she said.

"Now, there's a divide," said Kissling. "It's sad because, at the end of the day, family should be family."

To cope with the tension at home, Nicolas has doubled down on his extracurriculars: He's learning to pole-vault for the track team. He joined the school paper, on top of taking part in environmental and language clubs.

Each evening after school, he lays claim to one of the private rooms at the public library, where he spreads out his books across a small desk and diligently does his homework. Recently, he was working on a paper about the history of U.S. involvement in Puerto Rico, where his grandmother is from. He was thumbing through a thick book on the Puerto Rican independence movement, marked with dozens of sticky notes every few pages.

"When I started reading this book, like almost every single page, my mouth is just wide open," Nicolas said. "Like, I couldn't believe that these things happened to my people."

He hopes to visit the island one day, and his grandmother is teaching him to cook Puerto Rican dishes in the meantime. They can now spend time together without him worrying as much that he might infect her.

Nicolas has ambitions to go to college in Washington, D.C. From there, he said, he wants to go to law school.

Kissling said she's inspired by her nephew's independence. But she knows he's still a kid who needs support and guidance. That's why she tries to stay in touch with him every day: texting, joking, asking him what he wanted for Christmas. (She expected AirPods or Amazon gift cards. Instead, he sent her a wish list of more history books about Puerto Rico.)

"He plays it off with a smile, and he laughs about it, and he said, 'Aunt Britt, it's just giving me more motivation to do what I need to do and get where I want to get,'" Kissling said of her nephew's fraught relationship with his parents. "But, deep down, I know it has to affect him. I'm 34. It would affect me."

This story is part of a partnership betweenWHYY,NPRand KHN.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

This story can be republished for free (details).

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Teen traveled to Philly to get vaccinated against his parents' wishes - PhillyVoice.com

2022-02-18

It has now been 61 weeks since the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine were sent out to states, kicking off the largest vaccination campaign in human history. As of February 17, 684,648,105 doses of the vaccine have been sent out across the country equivalent to 208.6% of the U.S. population.

While the initial distribution of the vaccine took longer than federal projections had indicated, in recent months the U.S. has made great leaps in the worldwide race to administer vaccinations and some states are faring far better than others. Under the current system, led by the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sends states limited shipments of the vaccine as well as funding and tasks them with distributing the vaccine in accordance with relatively loose federal guidelines.

Each state has developed its own rollout plan, prioritizing different age groups and classes of essential workers. The mix of policies and logistical challenges across the country has led to wide variations across states in both the percentage of vaccines that have been administered and the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated.

In Maryland, 76.7% of allocated vaccines have been administered to residents as of February 17, lower than the national average of 80.2% and the 13th smallest share of all states.

The administered doses amount to 188.9% of the state population, greater than the 167.2% national figure and the ninth largest share of all states.

While a majority of Americans remain unvaccinated due to a lack of supply, there are some who have no plans to receive a vaccine at all. According to a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, 64.4% of U.S. adults 18 and over who have not yet received the vaccine will either probably not or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccine in the future. In Maryland, 57.3% of adults who have not yet received the vaccine report that they will probably not or definitely not get a vaccine in the future, the seventh smallest share of any state. The most common reason cited for not wanting a vaccine is that they were planning to wait and see if it is safe. Other commonly cited reasons include being concerned about possible side effects, not trusting COVID-19 vaccines, and not knowing if the vaccine will work.

To determine how states are doing with the vaccine rollout, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States were ranked based on the number of vaccines administered within a state as a percentage of the number of vaccines distributed to that state by the federal government as of February 17. Data on confirmed COVID-19 cases as of February 17 came from various state and local health departments and were adjusted for population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey. Data on the percentage of adults who probably or definitely will not get a COVID-19 vaccine and their reasons for not getting one came from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, conducted from December 29, 2021 to January 10, 2022.

Read more:

COVID-19: Over 14.8 Million Vaccines Have Been Distributed To Maryland. This Is How Many The State Has Actually Given Out - Patch.com

DECATUR, Ga. Due to decreased vaccination volume, the DeKalb County Board of Health will close the vaccination site located at the Doraville MARTA station on Sat., Feb. 19. COVID-19 vaccinations will continue to be available at all DeKalb County Board of Health centers and at mobile unit stops.

Everyone aged five years and older is eligible for COVID vaccination, and booster doses of COVID vaccine are recommended for individuals 12 and older. Vaccines are free and do not require insurance. A complete list of health centers and mobile unit stops can be found by visitingdekalbhealth.net. To find additional vaccination providers in DeKalb County and throughout Georgia, visithttps://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

Additionally, the COVID-19 testing site located at Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in East Atlanta will shift to a three days per week schedule beginning Mon., Feb. 21.

Updated hours for the Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church COVID-19 testing site are as follows:

Appointments and registration forCOVID-19 testingare required and available online. To ensure testing resources are available for individuals who have pre-registered for testing on their scheduled date and time, pre-registrations will be verified to ensure that the appointment date matches the actual day. Individuals scheduled for a future date will be asked to return on their scheduled day. COVID-19 testing is free and open to all individuals who wish to be tested. A drivers license or identification card is not required.

For more information and answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 testing, including testing sites throughout metro Atlanta and Georgia, visitdph.georgia.gov/covidtestingor call 888-357-0169.

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Doraville MARTA COVID-19 Vaccination Site to Close, Greater Piney Grove COVID-19 Testing Site to Reduce Days and Hours - DeKalb County Board of Health