Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Reluctance or refusal to get jabbed against COVID-19 infection (vaccine hesitancy), may be linked to traumatic events in childhood, such as neglect, domestic violence or substance misuse in the family home, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

Vaccine hesitancy was 3 times higher among people who had experienced 4 or more types of trauma as a child than it was among those who hadn't experienced any, the findings show.

Childhood adversity is strongly linked to poor mental health. And some studies have suggested that mistreatment as a child may undermine subsequent trust, including in health and other public services.

To explore this further, the researchers wanted to find out whether childhood trauma might be linked to current levels of trust in health systems information; support for, and compliance with, COVID-19 restrictions; and intention to get vaccinated against the infection.

They drew on the responses to a nationally representative telephone survey of adults living in Wales between December 2020 and March 2021, a period during which restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection were in force.

Out of an initial 6763 people contacted, the responses of 2285 who met all the eligibility criteria and who had answered all the questions were included in the final analysis.

The survey asked about 9 types of childhood trauma before the age of 18: physical, verbal, and sexual abuse; parental separation; exposure to domestic violence; and living with a household member with mental illness, alcohol and/or drug misuse, or who was in prison.

And it collected personal details and experiences of long term health conditions, levels of trust in health service information on COVID-19, and attitudes towards COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination.

Around half (52%) of the respondents said that they hadn't experienced any childhood trauma. But around 1 in 5 said they had experienced 1 type; around 1 in 6 (17%) reported 2-3; and 1 in 10 (10%) reported 4 or more.

Respondents who expressed little or no trust in NHS COVID-19 information and who felt government restrictions were very unfair were more likely to favor the immediate ending of regulations on social distancing and mandatory face coverings.

And they were more likely to say they had flouted the regulations occasionally and to profess reluctance or refusal to get jabbed.

For example, four out of 10 of those reporting low levels of trust in NHS COVID-19 information also reported vaccine hesitancy, compared with just 6% of those who did trust this source of information.

And a similar proportion of those who didn't really trust NHS COVID-19 information admitted to flouting the regulations occasionally, compared with around 1 in 4 of those who did trust this source.

Increasing numbers of childhood traumas were independently associated with low levels of trust in NHS COVID-19 information, feeling that government restrictions were unfair, and wanting mandatory face coverings to be ditched.

Support for jettisoning mandatory face coverings was 4 times as high among those who had experienced 4 or more types of childhood trauma as it was among those who said they hadn't experienced any. Younger age, male gender, and no history of long term conditions were also significantly associated with this stance.

Experience of 4 or more types of childhood trauma was also associated with a desire to end social distancing.

The likelihood of admitting to flouting COVID-19 restrictions occasionally rose in tandem with the childhood trauma count.

It was around twice as high among those who had experienced 4 or more types of trauma as it was among those who hadn't experienced any38% vs 21%---after accounting for associations with sociodemographic factors and previous COVID-19 infection or a history of long term conditions.

Vaccine hesitancy was also 3 times higher among those with a childhood trauma count of 4 or more and higher in younger age groups.

Based on all their findings, the researchers estimated the likely rates of vaccine hesitancy according to childhood trauma and age: these ranged from around 3.5% among those aged 70 and above with no experience of childhood adversity, to 38% among 18-29-year-olds who had experienced 4 or more types of childhood trauma.

This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause. And the researchers acknowledge several caveats to their findings.

Although in line with telephone surveys, the response rate was only around 36%, and the findings relied on personal recall. Women were also overrepresented, while the numbers of people from ethnic minority backgrounds were underrepresented.

But the researchers point out that people who have experienced childhood trauma are "known to have greater health risks across the life-course. Results here suggest such individuals may have more difficulty with compliance with public health control measures and consequently require additional support."

This is important not only for the current pandemic but for other public health emergencies arising in the future, they suggest.

"A better understanding of how to increase their trust in health systems and compliance with health guidance is urgently required. Without consideration of how best to engage such individuals, some risk being effectively excluded from population health interventions, remaining at higher risks of infection and posing a potential transmission risk to others."

Source:

Journal reference:

Bellis, M.A., et al. (2022) Associations between adverse childhood experiences, attitudes towards COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine hesitancy: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053915.

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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy may be associated with traumatic events in childhood - News-Medical.Net

02 February 2022

Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer

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Updated: 2.1.2022

Original Post Date: 1.26.2022

Executive Order No. 283, requires workers incertain health care settings, identified below, and employees athigh-risk congregate settings to be fully vaccinated againstCOVID-19, including a booster shot, or have their employmentterminated. Those workers will no longer be able to opt to undergoweekly testing instead of vaccination.

Health care facility covered employees, who are unvaccinated,and are subject to the Biden Administration's vaccine mandate(the CMS portion that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court) andwork in health care settings had until January 27,2022, to receive their first dose of the primary series ofa vaccine and until February 28, 2022, to submitproof that they are up-to-date with their vaccination. According tothe state, which includes "having completed their primaryseries and any booster shots for which they are eligible."Similarly, covered workers, who are not subject to theBiden Administration's vaccine mandate, and work in health caresettings identified below, or in high-risk congregate settings haveuntil February 16, 2022, to receive the first doseof the primary series of a vaccine and submit proof of vaccinationcompletion by March 30, 2022.

Importantly, Executive Order No. 283 provides thataccommodations must be provided to employees who request andreceive an exemption because of a disability, medical condition, orsincerely held religious belief. If an employee doesreceive such exemption, they must submit to weekly or twice weeklytesting in accordance with Executive Order No. 252.

Takeaway: Employers under the covered settingswill have to move quickly to comply with the executive order.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Employment Law Update: New Jersey Executive Order To Require COVID-19 Vaccination & Booster For Workers In Certain Health Care Settings And...

Pandemic response generates thousands of tons of COVID waste 3:55 a.m.

By Bloomberg News

The response to the pandemic has produced tens of thousands of tons of extra medical waste, challenging disposal systems and threatening human health and the environment, according to a World Health Organization report.

To get a sense of the scope of the problem, the WHO examined the fate of 87,000 metric tons of personal protective equipment, such as rubber gloves and masks, that were shipped around the world through a United Nations emergency initiative between March 2020 and November 2021. Most of that equipment ended up as waste, the UN agency said.

The initiative also shipped 140 million testing kits, generating 2,600 tons of non-infectious waste that was mostly plastic, and 731,000 liters of chemical waste. The billions of vaccine doses that have been administered globally have produced 144,000 tons of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles, and safety boxes, the WHO said.

The overall issue is likely to be much worse, because the WHO estimates dont take products into account that were procured outside its emergency initiative, nor littering by the public of disposable masks.

About a third of healthcare facilities arent equipped to deal with existing waste loads, the WHO said. Overwhelmed waste systems, especially in lower-income nations, mean that health-care workers face the risk of needle injuries and burns, as well as exposure to pathogenic microorganisms, the WHO said. People residing near poorly managed landfills and waste disposal sites are at risk of contaminated air and poor water quality.

With new Omicron variant youre more likely to catch COVID again 1:35 a.m.

By Bloomberg News

New studies are emerging that suggest the latest version of the highly-infectious omicron variant is transmitting even faster than the original, and mild cases of the first may not offer much protection against future infections.

The findings cast doubt on hopes that the wave of omicron thats sweeping the world may help hasten the end of the pandemic. Calls for governments to treat Covid-19 as endemic like influenza are rising globally as people grow tired of pandemic restrictions, vaccines become more accessible and deaths remain relatively low.

All-out effort to keep Biden COVID-free; no normal yet 12:33 a.m.

By The Associated Press

When President Joe Biden met with U.S. governors at the White House on Monday, he was the only one given a glass of water lest anyone else remove their mask to take a drink.

The president was seated more than 10 feet from everyone, including Vice President Kamala Harris and members of his Cabinet.

A White House staffer who was wearing a surgical mask when Biden entered the room was quickly handed an N95 version.

Fever? Sore throat? They just check no. 12:27 a.m.

By The New York Times

Every morning, Ashley, a mother of two on Long Island in New York, has to navigate an ethical minefield: Her childrens schools send out a health questionnaire for COVID-19.

The daily attestation, as it is known, asks people to volunteer information about their health: Fever of 100 or above? Sore Throat? In the past 14 days, have you knowingly been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

Answer in the negative, and entry is granted. Answer in a way that suggests you or a family member may be sick, and youre banned. And herein lies the problem: The forms are on the honor system.

Pfizer expected to ask FDA to authorize vaccine for children under 5 10:28 p.m.

By The New York Times

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are expected as soon as Tuesday to ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a coronavirus vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years old as a two-dose regimen while they continue to research how well three doses work.

Federal regulators are eager to review the data in hopes of authorizing shots for young children on an emergency basis as early as the end of February, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions. If Pfizer waited for data on a three-dose regimen, the data would not be submitted until late March and the vaccine might not be authorized for that age group until late spring, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.

Coronavirus sidelines dockworkers, adding to supply backlog 8:58 p.m.

By The New York Times

More longshoremen on the West Coast contracted the coronavirus in the past month than in all of last year, putting additional pressure on backed-up ports struggling to keep up with the flow of imports, according to the Pacific Maritime Association.

At least 1,850 longshoremen had the coronavirus in January, surpassing the 1,624 cases recorded in all of 2021, the maritime group said.

Its a heavy impact, said James McKenna, president of the group, which negotiates labor agreements for 70 companies at 29 West Coast ports.

The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which account for around 40% of U.S. imports, were particularly hard hit. The cases there accounted for about 80% of the 1,850 infections reported as of Thursday, McKenna said Friday.

The startling high number comes as 90 container ships off the San Pedro Bay coast, a record number, were waiting to come into port in Los Angeles and Long Beach, as of Friday. The dockworker absences are helping exacerbate a monthslong bottleneck. Before the pandemic, you wouldnt have any ships waiting; theyd come in and come out, McKenna said.

Other cities balk at following Bostons proof-of-vaccination mandate 6:27 p.m.

By Anissa Gardizy, Globe Staff

When Mayor Michelle Wu announced in December that she would put in place a proof-of-vaccination mandate for Boston restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues, officials from several other Massachusetts cities stood with her in a show of support.

Im so grateful to have regional mayors and municipal health officials here, city councilors, state representatives, Wu said during a City Hall event, because fighting this pandemic will require shared action and partnership.

But her call for unity has produced mixed results.

Could the new subvariant, BA. 2., slow our exit from the Omicron surge? 5:40 p.m.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

While the Omicron surge appears to be waning in some regions of the United States, some experts are cautioning that progress against the coronavirus could be hindered by the arrival of a highly contagious new Omicron subvariant, BA.2.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former director of the US Food and Drug Administration, said Sunday that pandemic numbers were coming down, and coming down quite sharply in parts of the Northeast, Florida, the mid-Atlantic, but said you might see, as this new strain starts to pick up, you might see that we start to slow down in that decline.

Gottlieb said on CBS-TVs Face the Nation that the decline will happen nonetheless and he didnt expect a huge wave of infection.

Mass. reports 12,127 coronavirus cases; 83 deaths reported on Friday 5:30 p.m.

By Globe Staff

In its first COVID-19 data report since Friday, Massachusetts on Monday reported 12,127 new confirmed coronavirus cases and said 36,849 vaccinations, including booster shots, had been administered. The Department of Public Health also said 83 new confirmed deaths were reported on Friday.

The state also reported that 2,202 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19. The seven-day percent positivity was 7.43 percent.

Mandate to vaccinate New Orleans schoolchildren kicking in 4:05 p.m.

By The Associated Press

As school systems across the US struggle to keep classrooms open amid the pandemic, New Orleans is set to become the nations first major district to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 and up, though state regulations will allow parents to opt out easily.

Ahead of Tuesdays deadline, many schools in the city have been holding vaccination events, including one at KIPP Believe school.

One by one, dozens of children presented their signed permission slips, pushed up the sleeves of their pale yellow school uniform shirts and often wincing, but rarely with tears received a shot. Then they got candy.

New poll finds 70 percent of respondents say its time to accept COVID is here to stay and get on with our lives 3:19 p.m.

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

Nearly two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large majority of Americans surveyed in a new poll said they agree that its time to accept that the virus is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives though the results reflected a sharp partisan divide.

Seventy percent of people surveyed in the University of Monmouth poll released Monday said its time to accept the virus is part of life, though Republicans and Democrats differed starkly in their response. Eighty-nine percent of respondents who identified as Republicans agreed with the statement, while 47 percent of those who identified as Democrats agreed.

COVID-stricken Trudeau slams truckers protest behavior 3:09 p.m.

By Bloomberg News

Justin Trudeau denounced abusive behavior and racist imagery at a protest against vaccine mandates that saw lines of big-rig trucks blockade the downtown core of Canadas capital.

The Liberal prime minister, speaking Monday from an Ottawa-area cottage where he is isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, also used weekend antics by members of the protest convoy to criticize his Conservative political opponents.

Over the past few days, Canadians were shocked and -- frankly -- disgusted by the behavior displayed by some people protesting in our nations capital, Trudeau said at a virtual news conference.

UK plans to scrap mandatory COVID vaccines for health workers 2:30 p.m.

By Bloomberg News

Mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19 for frontline National Health Service and social care workers in England are set to be scrapped, the UK government announced, after warnings the measure would fuel chronic staff shortages.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Parliament on Monday a two-week consultation would be launched on reversing the controversial policy, after the intrinsically less severe Omicron variant eclipsed the predecessor delta strain, changing the balance of risks.

While vaccination remains our very best line of defense against COVID-19, I believe it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as condition of deployment through statute, Javid told lawmakers.

Europes economy shows resilience to a surge in coronavirus infections 1:09 p.m.

By The New York Times

The eurozones economy proved its ability to withstand the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and persistent supply chain disruptions late last year, despite a split in the region that saw faster growth in France, Spain and Italy than in Europes traditional economic engine, Germany.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, grew 0.3 percent in the final quarter of 2021 compared with the previous three-month period, Eurostat, Europes statistics agency, reported Monday. That is a slower pace than in previous quarters of 2021, but proof that the continents economy was learning to handle the pandemic.

The fact that GDP still continued to grow is a sign of strength for the economy, Bert Colijn, an economist with ING, said in a research note.

Moderna announces full US approval for its COVID-19 vaccine 12:30 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Moderna announced Monday that US health regulators granted full approval to its COVID-19 vaccine, a shot thats been given to tens of millions of Americans since its emergency authorization over a year ago.

The action by the Food and Drug Administration means the agency has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review of Modernas shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines.

The decision was bolstered by real-world evidence from the more than 200 million doses administered in the US since the FDA cleared the shot in December 2020. The FDA granted full approval of Pfizers vaccine last August.

New England lags behind as employees flee COVID-facing jobs 11:43 a.m.

By The Washington Post

The network of hospitals, prestigious universities and prep schools that has propelled New Englands regional economic growth for decades is dragging the recovery in its labor market and fueling historically high unemployment.

After decades sustaining a jobless rate below that of the country as a whole, New England now stands above the US average. Its rate was 5 percent in November, the most recent month for which historical comparisons can be made, against 4.2 percent for the national figure.

Roughly a third of the decline in payrolls in Massachusetts -- the regions economic engine -- and Rhode Island is accounted for by slumps in the health and education services industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the US as a whole, that ratio is just 20 percent.

Canadian prime minister tests positive for COVID-19 11:03 a.m.

By The Associated Press

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he has tested positive for COVID-19, but is ``feeling fine and will continue working remotely. The announcement came in a tweet in which he urged everyone to ``please get vaccinated and get boosted.

Trudeau said on Thursday that he was going into isolation for five days after finding out the previous evening he had been in contact with someone who tested positive. He told The Canadian Press on Friday that person was one of his three children. Trudeau previously isolated at home in the early months of the pandemic after his wife tested positive.

Canada has one of the worlds highest rates of vaccination against the coronavirus shots which are primarily designed to keep those who become infected from falling seriously ill. The announcement followed a weekend of protests in Canadas capital, Ottawa, against vaccine mandates, masks and lockdowns. Some demonstrators travelled in truck convoys and parked on the streets around Parliament Hill, blocking traffic.

Spotify shares advance after addressing controversy over Joe Rogan 10:16 a.m.

By Bloomberg News

Spotify Technology climbed after the streaming service said it would would add a content advisory to podcasts that address COVID-19, seeking to quash an uproar over Joe Rogans program. Facing mounting pressure from users and musicians over the accuracy of virus information being spread by the platforms most popular podcaster, Spotify published its existing rules governing content. Rogan, meanwhile, pledged that he would present more balanced, better-researched programming on the coronavirus.

The shares rose 5.8 percent at 9:41 a.m. Monday in New York. That chipped away at the 12 percent decline that Spotify registered last week, wiping out almost $4 billion from the companys market value. Rock icon Neil Young had pulled his music from the service to protest Rogan, who has hosted several outspoken skeptics of COVID-19 vaccines. Joni Mitchell followed Youngs lead as did other musicians.

Spotify created rules governing acceptable content on its service years ago and built a hub with coronavirus information early in the pandemic, but hadnt made them public until Sunday. Rogan thanked his listeners and Spotify and apologized for the controversy. If Ive p----ed you off, Im sorry, he said in an Instagram video over the weekend. He said he would try harder to get people with differing opinions on right afterward and do my best to make sure I have researched these topics.

Potential scammers imitate free COVID test websites 10:09 a.m.

By Bloomberg News

As a new government website went live in January to offer free COVID-19 test kits, a rash of new domain names were registered. Some had remarkably similar URLs, or were nearly the same but slightly misspelled.

Cybersecurity experts said the goal was likely the same for all of them: bogus domain names that can be used for phishing attacks and other scams.

Suspected fraudsters have registered more than 600 suspicious domain registrations since Jan. 15, around the time Biden administration announced details about a program in which the US Postal Service would deliver COVID-19 tests to Americans homes, email security firm Proofpoint Inc. told Bloomberg News. The look-alike URLs are often meant to trick COVID-weary Americans into thinking they are signing up for a free nasal swab, when in fact they might be handing personal data over to a cybercrime syndicate, cybersecurity experts said.

UK partygate report criticizes failures of leadership 9:54 a.m.

By Bloomberg News

A major report into allegations of rule-breaking gatherings in Downing Street has found failures of leadership and judgment at the top of Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government.

At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time, senior civil servant Sue Gray said in her long-awaited report, released on Monday. While a parallel police investigation means Gray was asked to exclude her conclusions on the most damaging allegations against Johnson and his team, the release of her report still represents a moment of political peril for the prime minister. Hes due to speak in the House of Commons later on Monday to address the findings and will later also talk to Tory MPs.

Johnson is trying to draw a line under the steady drip-drip of allegations, dubbed Partygate by the UK media. Theyve undermined his leadership in recent months, leading some lawmakers within his own ruling Conservatives to talk openly about toppling the prime minister and causing his party to plunge in the polls. Gray since December has been investigating reports of more than a dozen apparently rule-breaking events at Johnsons office and in other government departments in 2020 and 2021, at a time when gatherings were banned as part of restrictions to tackle COVID-19. She was preparing to release her report last week before Londons Metropolitan Police said they were opening their own investigation into the most serious allegations. The police on Friday issued a statement saying theyd asked Gray to only make minimal reference to the events theyre investigating.

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Live updates: The latest COVID-19 news in Boston, Mass., New England, and beyond - The Boston Globe

By MATTHEW PERRONE

WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. health regulators on Monday granted full approval to Modernas COVID-19 vaccine, a shot thats already been given to tens of millions of Americans since its emergency authorization over a year ago.

The action by the Food and Drug Administration means the agency has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review of Modernas shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines.

The decision was bolstered by real-world evidence from the more than 200 million doses administered in the U.S. since the FDA cleared the shot in December 2020. The FDA granted full approval of Pfizers vaccine last August.

Public health advocates initially hoped the regulatory distinction would boost public confidence in the shots. But there was no discernable bump in vaccinations after the Pfizer approval, which was heavily promoted by President Joe Biden and other federal officials. Still, regulators said Monday they hoped the extra endorsement would encourage more people to get vaccinated.

More than 211 million Americans, or 63% of the total population, are fully vaccinated. About 86 million people have gotten a booster dose. Vaccinations peaked last spring at more than 3 million per day, and now average less than 750,000 per day. The pace of vaccinations briefly spiked following news of the omicron variant in December but has since slowed again.

The FDA reviewed months of additional follow-up data submitted by Moderna to confirm the vaccines effectiveness against COVID-19. The FDA also analyzed and kept watch for serious side effects that have proved to be very rare. The vaccine includes a warning about a rare type of heart inflammation that mostly occurs in young men following the second dose. Most cases are mild and resolve quickly.

Additionally, FDA reviewed the companys manufacturing process and facilities.

The public can be assured that this vaccine was approved in keeping with the FDAs rigorous scientific standards, said Dr. Peter Marks, FDAs top vaccine regulator, in a statement.

With full approval, Moderna will now market the vaccine under the brand name, Spikevax. It is the first FDA-approved product for the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company.

In the U.S., Moderna is used only by adults, for initial vaccination and as a half-dose booster. The company said last fall that FDA had delayed deciding whether to clear the shots for 12- to 17-year-olds as it examined the heart inflammation risk.

Johnson & Johnson has not yet applied for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Also Monday, Novavax Inc. formally requested FDA authorization of a different type of COVID-19 vaccine, in hopes of becoming the fourth U.S. option.

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AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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US gives full approval to Modernas COVID-19 vaccine - Troy Record

Sadly, we are seeing the rates of hospitalizations increasing for children 0 to 4, children who are not yet currently eligible for Covid-19 vaccination, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters this month. She said the high rate of transmission of the Omicron variant was likely to blame.

The F.D.A. and C.D.C. are both expected to convene committees of outside vaccine advisers before a decision on whether to clear the shots. That will give independent experts a chance to discuss the data the companies have gathered. Most senior federal health officials are strongly behind the strategy, two officials said, but they want the outside experts to weigh in.

Kathrin Jansen, Pfizers head of vaccine research, said in December that the company would seek F.D.A. clearance for three doses for young children, a strategy that she said would allow for a consistent three-dose vaccine approach for all ages. The company switched its plan because the F.D.A. was pressing for more urgent action, two people said. If authorized, young children will receive their second dose three weeks after the first, and a third dose two months after that.

The C.D.C. now considers three doses of the vaccine to be an up-to-date regimen for those eligible for extra shots, including those 12 and up. Regulators have authorized booster doses given five months after second injections. Children as young as 5 who have weakened immune systems are also eligible for extra shots.

The deliberations in the coming weeks could affect how quickly parents get their youngest children vaccinated. The pace of vaccination for Americas 28 million children between 5 and 11 remains even lower than health experts had feared. Roughly 30 percent of children in that age group have received at least one dose, according to C.D.C. data.

The reasons more young children have not gotten shots vary. Some parents are put off by misinformation about the vaccine; others do not believe the virus is enough of a threat to vaccinate their children. Some simply have not yet found the time to take their children in for shots, health officials report.

The C.D.C. released research in late December that showed very few reports of serious problems among children 5 to 11 who had received Pfizer-BioNTech shots. Another study of hundreds of pediatric hospitalizations in six cities last summer, released by the agency, found that nearly all of the children who became seriously ill had not been fully vaccinated.

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Pfizer to Ask FDA to Authorize Covid-19 Vaccine for Children Under 5 - The New York Times

You can view vaccination providers in Maricopa County on the map below by the type of vaccine offered or location near you. You also can search by a location name or area near you. Below the map, you will find a text-based chart that includes a full listing of the same vaccine locations and registration links.

COVID-19 vaccination, including booster doses, is available at no charge, regardless of insurance or citizenship status. You should not be billed for vaccine or vaccine administration. For information on vaccine eligibility, safety information, and other topics, please see our COVID-19 Facts and FAQs.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Locations | Maricopa County, AZ

COVID-19 vaccine: what are we doing and what should we do?  The Lancet

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COVID-19 vaccine: what are we doing and what should we do? - The Lancet

Overcoming significant challenges, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities enacted a swift, innovative, inclusive, and community-driven approach to rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination, and theres a lot to be learned from their methods. A perspective penned by two University of New Mexico faculty members and recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine explains the effectiveness of Indigenous communities response.

In the vaccination process weve seen what happens when communities are empowered to lead and exert their own perspectives in terms of how they respond to crisis, explained Raymond Foxworth, visiting scholar in the UNM Department of Political Science. Weve seen some great things in terms of vaccination programs in Indigenous communities.

Foxworth teamed up with Gabriel Sanchez (political science faculty and director of the UNM Center for Social Policy) and co-authors from the University of North Dakota, Yale University, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Miami to write the perspective. Foxworth and Sanchez hope their collective scholarship can help Native communities sustain their high vaccination rates during the continued and collective battle against COVID-19.

Thereality is Native communities continued to be resilient, practice their customs and traditions, and see the value of community. Those are great assets that theyve been able to leverage in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Raymond Foxworth, UNM visiting scholar

According to the CDC, COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on some racial and ethnic minorities, including AI/AN communities. Health disparities are leading to higher rates of COVID-19 related hospitalization and death among Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and AI/AN, making it even more important that these communities be prioritized for vaccination. Foxworth lamented that, unfortunately, ignoring health inequities is par for the course when it comes to how Native communities have been historically treated.

The history of colonization has conditioned a response from Native communities and that response has always been about community survival, survival of Indigenous languages, world views sovereignty and land rights, Foxworth reflected.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Foxworth explained, is another iteration of that process of colonialism, another attempt at making make Native communities vulnerable in a systemic and institutional way, through policy and neglect. Much like many states and communities, Indigenous communities received little to no coordinated support from the Federal government at the onset of the pandemic, further deepening this historic divide.

Raymond Foxworth, visiting scholar in the UNM Department of Political Science

But the reality is Native communities continued to be resilient, practice their customs and traditions, and see the value of community, he said. Those are great assets that theyve been able to leverage in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With limited response from the Federal government, especially during the first months of the pandemic, Native communities acted quickly on their own shutting down borders and limiting access to their sovereign lands. They were early adopters of mask wearing and kept mandates in place longer than neighboring non-Native communities. They enacted strict practices and were innovative in thinking about policy response and ways to keep their communities safe.

Then vaccines became available, and by September 2021, vaccination rates among non-Hispanic AI/ANs were about 14 percent higher than rates among non-Hispanic White persons for first-dose vaccination and 8 percent higher for full vaccination.

Higher-than-average vaccination rates in AI/AN populations have been corroborated by state and county data.

What we saw in Native communities in terms of the push for vaccinations was a networked response by various kinds of institutions in communities including health centers, non-profits, and other community-based organizations, Foxworth said. It was a vibrant ecosystem of response, which has always existed in Native communities, from my perspective.

COVID-19 messaging focused on protecting elders, knowledge-holders, and Native linguists was particularly effective. It struck a deep chord in the communities who are built on the importance of caring for and protecting their history passed from generation to generation.

Losing elders, Native language speakers and those holding valuable cultural knowledge was a huge blow. Historically theres been a targeted policy effort to suppress Indigenous knowledge systems, Foxworth explained. And Native communities understood that if we dont take steps to protect elders and perpetuate our knowledge systems, then were going to experience even greater losses from this pandemic.

Indigenous societies consistently value one another and their most vulnerable. Its a perspective and historical pattern that has certainly benefitted them and brought a sturdy foundation during the chaotic COVID-19 pandemic.

Most Native communities always have had structures and practices to keep each other safe and to help one another. So, to me its not surprising that wed see this kind of response from Indian Country because it has been the innate fabric of Indigenous communities and societies. In this context we see it in full display in terms of the level care and compassion taking place in communities while mobilizing those traditional values, Foxworth concluded.

There is not yet enough data to understand if similar trends will be present in booster vaccine messaging. But Foxworth says when he and other researchers are eagerly awaiting those numbers.

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How Indigenous communities are leading the way in COVID-19 vaccination rates - UNM Newsroom

NEW YORK (AP) The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant.

Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week.

Also, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are more likely to see the initial vaccinations rather than a booster as essential.

Its clear that the booster effort is falling short, said Jason Schwartz, a vaccine policy expert at Yale University.

Overall, the U.S. vaccination campaign has been sluggish. More than 13 months after it began, just 63% of Americans, or 210 million people, are fully vaccinated with the initial rounds of shots. Mandates that could raise those numbers have been hobbled by legal challenges.

Vaccination numbers are stagnant in states such as Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi and Alabama, which have been hovering below 50%.

In Wyoming, 44% are fully vaccinated, up just slightly from 41% in September. To boost numbers, the state has been running TV ads with health care workers giving grim accounts of unvaccinated people struggling with COVID-19.

Certainly we would like to see higher rates. But it would be wrong for anyone to think that the rates we have are due to lack of effort, Wyoming Health Department spokeswoman Kim Deti said Tuesday.

And in neighboring Idaho, which also has one of the countrys lowest vaccination rates, the number of people getting their first vaccine dose has remained under 1,000 almost every day this year and the number getting booster shots is also declining. Still, officials say they wont give up.

I dont like to use the word resigned, said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator of the Idaho Division of Public Health. I think we just need to keep saying it over and over again, how important it is.

At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont is a national leader in the percentage of people who have been fully vaccinated and received a booster shot. About 60% of the population over 18 has gotten a booster. But its not enough, said Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine.

Id love to see that percentage much closer to 90%, Levine said.

The U.S. and many other nations have been urging adults to get boosters because the vaccines protection can wane. Also, research has shown that while the vaccines have proved less effective against omicron, boosters can rev up the bodys defenses against the threat.

As for why an estimated 86 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated and are eligible for a booster have not yet gotten one, Schwartz said public confusion is one important reason.

I think the evidence is now overwhelming that the booster is not simply an optional supplement, but it is a foundational part of protection, he said. But clearly that message has been lost.

The need for all Americans to get boosters initially was debated by scientists, and at first the government recommended only that certain groups of people, such as senior citizens, get additional doses. The arrival of omicron, and additional evidence about falling immunity, showed more clearly a widespread need for boosters.

But the message has been lost in the sea of changing recommendations and guidance, Schwartz said.

The AP-NORC Center poll found that 59% of Americans think it is essential that they receive a vaccine to fully participate in public life without feeling at risk of COVID-19 infection. Only 47% say the same about a booster shot.

Keller Anne Ruble, 32, of Denver, received her two doses of the Moderna vaccine but hasnt gotten her booster. She said she had a bad reaction to the second dose and was in bed for four days with a fever and flu-like symptoms.

I believe in the power of vaccines, and I know thats going to protect me, said Ruble, the owner of a greeting card sending service. But the vaccine just knocked me out completely and freaked me out about getting the booster.

She said she does plan to get the booster in the next few weeks and in the meantime wears an N95 mask and tries to stay home.

I just dont want to get COVID in general, she said. It does scare me.

Blake Hassler, 26, of Nashville, Tennessee, said he doesnt plan to get the booster. He received Pfizers two doses last year after having a mild case of COVID-19 in 2020. He said he considers himself to be in a low-risk category.

At this point, we need to focus on prevention of serious illness at the onset of symptoms rather than creating a new shot every six weeks and more divisive mandates, he said.

___

AP writers Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado; Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.

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COVID-19 vaccine booster drive is faltering in the US - Associated Press

Dealing with COVID-19: How to live with the virus

As new variant continue to spread across the U.S., we talk with doctors about how to live with the virus now and in the future.

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it still strongly encourages workers to get vaccinated.

In early November, OSHA announced a vaccine-or-test mandate for companies with at least 100 employees. The rule __ which would have impacted more than 80 million U.S. workers __ was originally set to go into effect on Jan. 4.

But numerous states and business groups challenged the rule in court. On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court halted the plan. In a 6-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority concluded that OSHA had overstepped its authority.

"OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress," the court's majority wrote. "Indeed, although Congress has enacted significant legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has declined to enact any measure similar to what OSHA has promulgated here."

A man poses while attending an event protesting vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions in Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2022. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The justices left in place a vaccine mandate for health care providers who receive federal Medicare or Medicaid funding. That rule affects 10.4 million workers.

U.S. corporations have been split over whether to mandate employee vaccinations. United Airlines began requiring vaccines in August; the company says 99% of its workers have been vaccinated or have requested medical or religious exemptions. Tyson Foods, which also announced a mandate in August, says 96% of its workers were vaccinated by a Nov. 1 deadline.

But other big businesses, including Starbucks and General Electric, scrapped previously announced vaccine mandates for their employees after the Supreme Court's ruling.

Protesters carry banners as thousands gather near Lincoln Memorial to stage a protest against vaccine mandates on January 23, 2022. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

RELATED: FDA restricts use of certain monoclonal antibody treatments that don't work against omicron

OSHA indicated that the rule could return in some form. While it is no longer an enforceable standard, it remains a proposed rule, OSHA said. For now, the agency said it will prioritize the health care mandate.

David Michaels, an epidemiologist and former OSHA administrator who now teaches at The George Washington University, said the agency could consider a new rule that would include other measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces, such as requiring face masks, distancing, and better ventilation systems.

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Biden administration officially withdraws COVID-19 vaccine rule - FOX 13 Tampa Bay