Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

In May 2021, nearly all, 98% to 99% of the covid deaths, were among the unvaccinated. Recent data shows those who are unvaccinated are 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19 as compared to the vaccinated.

Dr. Manoj Jain| Guest Columnist

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Christine Tannous, Memphis Commercial Appeal

Have you ever wondered what you can do to save one life?

The answer is simple. Help get 300 to 500 people vaccinated.

How did I come to this conclusion? As an infectious disease doctor I am still seeing people die from Covid in the hospital. As an epidemiologist I can see upstream as to where and why they are coming and how we can prevent it.

So here is a back of an envelope calculation. In Tennessee, so far, we have had 2 million reported cases and over 20,000 deaths. So, for every 100 reported cases, one COVID-19 death occurs.

However, we know that all infections that occur are not reported. In fact, for every reported case there are 3 or 5 or higher number of infections. So, likely we have 300 infections or more in the community, leading to 100 reported cases which leads to 6 people being hospitalized and 1 person dying from COVID-19.

In May 2021, nearly all, 98% to 99% of the covid deaths, were among the unvaccinated. Recent data shows those who are unvaccinated are 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19 as compared to the vaccinated. In essence, we are experiencing an Omicron hospitalization and death epidemic of the unvaccinated.

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I am seeing this on the ground as an infectious disease doctor. I saw a 40 year old man, unvaccinated, infected with COVID-19 with no underlying health problems in the ICU struggling to breath. I did my research on the vaccine, I was just looking at the wrong websites. I wish I had gotten vaccinated. He said. He was lucky and lived to go home.

Another 44 year old, unvaccinated, Covid positive patient is on the ventilator for over a month and another passed away leaving behind three young children and his wife. There are many more like them. Each day in US nearly 1,600 unvaccinated people are dying from Covid.

So, if we want to save a life, we need to go upstream from the ICU beds, upstream from the hospitalizations, upstream from those who get COVID-19 infection to reach those in the community who are not vaccinated. We need to find them and help them understand the dire consequences of a poorly informed decision of not getting vaccinated.

They are our friends, family, neighbors, work colleagues, church members and fellow human beings. Being unvaccinated with the highly transmissible Omicron variant is a grave danger in the present circumstances.

Yet, if you convince 300 people to get vaccinated you are not just saving one life but averting 6 hospital admissions due to COVID-19. These admission take up hospital beds and health personnel resources leaving others without a hospital room for admission. A teenager with concussion may not get an ICU bed, a middle aged woman with abdominal pain and an inflammation in the appendix does not have a ready room to go to.

An elderly man with a heart attack and heart catheterization showing multiple blockages does not have an ICU bed post-op so surgery is delayed. Or a patient with uncontrolled diabetes has a foot ulcer which he neglects due to a busy emergency room and now the leg has turned gangrene and requires amputation.

The pandemic and the rapid spread of Omicron may not be preventable in the number of cases but our response with vaccination can prevent severe illness and death. One in every 388 people in America has died of COVID-19. Now, we need to reach out to others. So go and convince 300 unvaccinated people to get vaccinated and save one life.

They dont know it now, but they will thank you later.

Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease physician in Memphis, is also a member of the City of Memphis-Shelby County Joint COVID Task Force.

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A year after COVID-19 vaccines came to U.S., they're still our best hope to end pandemic | Opinion - Commercial Appeal

The Army's COVID vaccine aims to protect against multiple viruses in one shot.

The highly contagious omicron variantand resultant huge spike in COVID-19 cases have many experts talking about yearly boosters or variant-specific vaccines. But what if there were a universal coronavirus vaccine that protected against omicron and all new COVID-19 variants? Several institutes and universities are researching "pan-coronavirus" vaccines, but it's the US Army who's made the biggest news so far with effective data in early trials.

In December, the US Army announced that its pan-coronavirus vaccine, the spike ferritin nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine (aka SpFN) had completed Phase 1 of human trials with positive results. Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of infectious diseases at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and co-inventor of SpFN, toldDefense One, "We're testing our vaccine against all the different variants, including omicron," the straincausing breakthrough infectionseven in people who have received booster shots.

SpFN still needs to undergo Phase 2 and 3 human trials, though, to test its efficacy and safety in comparison to current treatments, Modjarrad said.

We'll share what we know about pan-coronavirus vaccines and the Army's COVID-19 vaccine, including how it works and when it could become available.

For more, learn about free at-home COVID tests, why you shouldn't "just get COVID over with," mixing and matching booster shots, and the difference between N95, KN95, and KF94 masks.

White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci recently touted the importance of a universal vaccine to protect against all COVID variants. In aninterview with NBC, Fauci said a universal COVID vaccine "would mean that the initial vaccination would cover all of these little variants, so you wouldn't have to worry."

"We want a pan-coronavirus vaccine so that you have it on the shelf to respond to the next viral pandemic," Fauci said. "Ultimately, you want to get a vaccine that covers everything."

Fauci's organization, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, committed big to that goal in fall 2021, awarding $36.3 million to three academic organizations -- Duke University, University of Wisconsin, and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital -- to develop and research pan-coronavirus vaccines. CalTech also has announced good early results for its universal "mosaic nanoparticle" vaccine.

The three COVID-19 vaccines authorized right now for use in the US take two approaches to preventing infection: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA to build up immunity, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a harmless rhinovirus to train the body's immune system to respond to COVID.

The Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine, or SpFN, takes a third approach, using a harmless portion of the COVID-19 virus to spur the body's defenses against COVID.

SpFN also has less restrictive storage and handling requirements than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, allowing it to be used in a wider variety of situations. It can be stored between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit for up to six months and at room temperature for up to one month, according to military scientists. Pfizer's vaccine requires an ultracold freezer (between minus 112 and minus 76 degrees F) for shipment and storage and is onlystable for 31 days when stored in a refrigerator.

The Army's vaccine has been tested with two shots, 28 days apart, and also with a third shot after six months.

The vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson all target the specific virus -- SARS-CoV-2 -- that causes COVID-19. But Army scientists designed their vaccine to protect against future strains of COVID as well as other coronaviruses.

The Army's SpFN vaccine is shaped like a soccer ball with 24 faces. Scientists can attach the spikes of multiple coronavirus strains to each of the different faces, allowing them to customize the vaccine for any new COVID variants that arise.

"The accelerating emergence of human coronaviruses throughout the past two decades and the rise of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including most recently omicron, underscore the continued need for next-generation preemptive vaccines that confer broad protection against coronavirus diseases," Modjarrad said in a December statement. "Our strategy has been to develop a 'pan-coronavirus' vaccine technology that could potentially offer safe, effective and durable protection against multiple coronavirus strains and species."

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No date has been set. SpFN successfully completed animal testing and wrapped Phase 1 of human trials in December, but it must still complete Phases 2 and 3 of human testing, when its safety and efficacy is compared to current vaccine options.

Normally, completing all three phases can take up to five years, but the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic is speeding up the process. The Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, for example, were tested, reviewed and authorized by the Food and Drug Administration over the course of one year.

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After data from the Phase 1 human trials is collected, analyzed and published, Phase 2 and 3 trials will begin. There is very little information so far on when or how those trials will proceed or if the phases will overlap.

To follow the progress of the Army vaccine trials, visit the SpFN COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker provided by the US Army Medical Research and Development Command.

For more on COVID-19, here's what we know about how the CDC defines being fully vaccinated, how to store your vaccine card on your phone, and what we still don't know about the virus after two years.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Army leads the race for a 'universal COVID vaccine' that could end coronavirus pandemics - CNET

Surviving a previous infection provided better protection than vaccination against Covid-19 during the Delta wave, federal health authorities said, citing research showing that both the shots and recovery from the virus provided significant defense.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that data from 1.1 million Covid-19 cases in California and New York last year showed people who were unvaccinated and hadnt previously contracted Covid-19 faced a far greater risk than both people who had gotten the shots and people who had been infected.

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Prior Covid-19 Infection Offered Better Protection Than Vaccination During Delta Wave - The Wall Street Journal

Last fall, Apple rolled out the ability to store verifiable COVID-19 vaccination information in the Apple Health and Wallet applications. Since then, adoption among healthcare providers and health technology infrastructure companies has been slow but is finally starting to pick up.

Head below for more details on how to store your COVID-19 vaccine records in Apple Health and Apple Wallet.

Right off the bat, its incredibly important to note that the usefulness of the suggestions below is going to vary wildly based on a number of different factors. This includes things like the country and state in which you received your COVID-19 vaccination, which companys shot you received, your specific healthcare provider, and more.

Unfortunately, this is par for the course when it comes to healthcare technology in the United States and other countries. After all, theres a reason that the only widely supported system in the United States is the paper vaccination card you receive when you get your first shot.

Before you proceed with this guide, your first step should be to visit your healthcare providers website or application to figure out how to find your COVID-19 vaccination records. Once you have that information, proceed with one of the options below.

Some healthcare providers are providing patients with a QR code upon receiving their COVID-19 vaccination and booster. This is perhaps the most straightforward and easy method by which you can add your records to Apple Health and Apple Wallet. The process works like this:

Another approach being taken by some healthcare providers is giving patients a downloadable health record that contains your COVID-19 vaccination information. Heres how to add this data to your Apple Wallet and Apple Health applications:

If youve already connected your healthcare provider with Apple Health, your vaccination record should already be located in the Apple Health app. You can find a full list of institutions that support health records integration on Apples website right here.

Once youve added your health record data to Apple Health, tap Browse in the bottom right corner of the Health app, then look for the Immunizations section and find your COVID-19 vaccination. Then, you should see an Add to Wallet option.

Personally, it took me a few tries to get this feature working properly. I ultimately had to download proof of my vaccination from my healthcare providers own application, then add it to the Apple Health and Apple Wallet applications that way.

As for your COVID-19 booster, if you received your booster from the same provider as your initial vaccination, you can repeat the same process to add that booster to Apple Health and Apple Wallet. I received by booster from a different provider, and unfortunately I have not been able to figure out how to add that booster to Apple Health.

Another interesting feature that I havent tried yet is sharing verifiable health records from the Health app. Apple explains that you can choose to share health records with third-party apps when an approved app requests access to this information.

For example, if you have to show proof of vaccination to attend an event, that events application might be able to pull your information from the Health app to verify your vaccination. One app that many places are using for this information is Clear, which you can learn more about here.

Ideally, this is a feature that we hope to see Apple and healthcare providers continue to expand upon over the coming months. For now, as long as youre able to connect all (or most) of the necessary pieces, it should be pretty easy to get your COVID-19 vaccine information into Apple Health and Apple Wallet.

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How to add your COVID-19 vaccine records to Apple Health and Wallet on your iPhone - 9to5Mac

A recent study used surveillance data for the entire population of North Carolina to evaluate the durability of protection provided by the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

This large observational study showed that all vaccines provided a high degree of protection against hospitalizations and death at least 6 months after vaccination.

However, there was a gradual decline in the ability of these vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection following 1-2 months after vaccination, with the lowest level of protection observed in individuals receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The studys first author Dr. Dan-Yu Lin, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Medical News Today, Many decisions in the United States about COVID-19 vaccination and boosters were based on data from other countries, particularly Israeli data on the Pfizer vaccine.

Our study provides a precise and comprehensive characterization of the effectiveness of the three vaccines employed in the U.S. To my knowledge, this is the largest study on vaccine effectiveness, covering more than 10 million people.

The study appears in the journal New England Journal of Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency approval for the use of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 between December 2020 and February 2021.

They based the authorization of these vaccines on short-term safety and efficacy data from clinical trials. However, they did not know how long the protection afforded by the three approved COVID-19 vaccines would last.

Moreover, the rise in the number of vaccinated people developing COVID-19 a few months after immunization and the emergence of the Delta variant led to concerns about the durability of protection provided by these vaccines.

Multiple studies have since evaluated the long-term efficiency of these vaccines. These studies have reported a decline in protection a few months after receiving the last dose of the vaccine. However, this period also coincided with the emergence of the Delta variant.

Thus, whether this decline in efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines was due to waning immunity, the emergence of new variants, or both was unclear.

The objective of the present study was to characterize further the durability of protection provided by the three FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Previous studies have evaluated the effectiveness of vaccines by estimating the cumulative or overall incidence of breakthrough infections over 1-3 months after vaccination. Dr. Lin noted that Unlike other studies, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness in reducing the current risk of disease as a continuous function of time elapsed since vaccination, as opposed to cumulative incidence over a broad time interval.

To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of these vaccines, the researchers used data collected by the North Carolina COVID-19 Surveillance System and COVID-19 vaccine management system between December 2020 and September 8, 2021.

The North Carolina Covid-19 Surveillance System collects data on the number of COVID-19 cases and clinical outcomes for COVID-19 positive individuals for the entire population of North Carolina. On the other hand, the COVID-19 vaccine management system is an online repository of vaccination history.

The researchers found that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were most effective at preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection 2 months after the first dose, before gradually declining.

At 2 months after vaccination, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 94.5% and 95.9% effective at preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively. The effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines subsequently declined to 66.6% and 80.3% after 7 months, respectively.

The greater effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine (100 microgram [mcg] per dose) could be due to the higher levels of mRNA present in each dose than the Pfizer vaccine (30 mcg per dose).

The single-dose Johnson and Johnson reached peak effectiveness of 74.8% 1 month after vaccination, which gradually reduced to 54.4% after 5 months.

These changes in the effectiveness of the three vaccines did not differ with sex, race, and ethnicity. However, the vaccine effectiveness was lower in individuals over the age of 64 years than in the younger population.

The researchers also compared the patterns of changes in vaccine effectiveness over time in individuals who received their vaccinations at different dates after the vaccines became available in December 2020.

The researchers found that these patterns of change in vaccine effectiveness over time were similar in individuals, regardless of when they received the vaccine. This similarity in patterns of changes in vaccine effectiveness suggests that there was a decline in immunity conferred by the vaccines, regardless of the emergence of the Delta variant.

Furthermore, in individuals who received their first dose of the mRNA vaccines before March 2021, the emergence of the Delta virus was associated with a further 10% and 15% decline in the effectiveness of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively.

These data suggest a natural waning of the immunity the vaccines confer and a decline in immunity due to the emergence of the Delta variant.

The researchers then analyzed the effectiveness of the three vaccines in preventing hospitalizations and mortality.

Although more than 800,000 people in North Carolina reported COVID-19 during the study period between December 2020 and September 2021, the researchers only had access to hospitalization and survival data on 40% and 60% of these COVID-19 cases, respectively.

Analyzing these data, the researchers found that all three vaccines, especially the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, provided high levels of protection against hospitalization and death at least 6 months after vaccination.

The Pfizer vaccine was 88.7% and 90.5% effective at preventing hospitalization and death, respectively, due to COVID-19 at 7 months after vaccination. Similarly, the Moderna vaccine had an effectiveness of over 94% against hospitalizations (94.1%) and death (95.5%) at the end of 7 months after the first dose.

At 6 months following vaccination, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 80% effective in preventing hospitalizations and 70% effective in protecting against death.

Similar to the effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infections, the efficacy of all three vaccines in preventing severe illness was lower in individuals aged 65 years and older.

Describing the implications of the study, Dr. Lin said, First, all three vaccines are durably effective against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death. Thus, unvaccinated people should get vaccinated right away.

Second, the Pfizer vaccine is less durable than the Moderna vaccine, so the Pfizer vaccine recipients should get boosters sooner than the Moderna vaccine recipients.

Third, older adults have lower vaccine effectiveness and higher risks of hospitalization and death than younger people, so there is a greater urgency for older adults to get booster shots.

Fourth, the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starts to decline after 1 month, so perhaps the Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients should be administered a second dose after 1 month; if a second dose needs to be taken soon after the first one, there is no practical advantage of taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Finally, because the majority of the vaccinees in the U.S. were vaccinated more than 7 months ago and only a small percentage of the population has received boosters, waning immunity is likely contributing to the breakthrough infections with the Omicron variant. Thus, vaccination and boosting is our best hope against the Omicron variant or any new variants that may arise in the future, added Dr. Lin.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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mRNA vaccines offer lasting protection against severe COVID-19 - Medical News Today

Did your county make the list?

by: Gabby Urenda, Stacker.com

FILE Pharmacist Kenni Clark prepares a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at City of Lawrences The Center, which serves seniors, families and the community, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Lawrence, Mass. U.S. regulators, on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, are shortening the time that people who received Modernas COVID-19 vaccine have to wait for a booster to five months rather than six. The Moderna vaccine is open to Americans 18 and older.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN/Stacker) With COVID-19 cases surging in Oregon due to the omicron variant, health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated and get boosted.

With the help of Stacker.com, KOIN 6 News compiled a list of counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the state.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and COVID Act Now, counties are ranked by the highest vaccination rate as of Jan. 13, 2022. Due to inconsistencies in reporting, some counties do not have vaccination data available.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, 81.8% of people ages 18 and older living in Oregon have initiated COVID-19 vaccination and have received at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday, Jan. 19. 74.5% have completed their primary series, or have received one dose of Johnson & Johnson, two doses of Moderna or two doses of Pfizer vaccines.

38.5% have received a booster of any COVID-19 vaccine in addition to completing their primary series.

The United States as of Jan. 14 reached 846,638 COVID-19-related deaths and 64.1 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 62.8% of the entire U.S. population is fully vaccinated, and 37.5% have received booster doses.

Below, youll find the top 10 counties in Oregon with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate.

For a full list, click here.

Editors Note:KOIN 6 News edited this story originally published on stacker.com to include only 10 locations on the list, extract specific words and add more words as necessary. This article has been re-published pursuant to aCC BY-NC 4.0 License.

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10 Oregon counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate - KOIN.com

Researchersbegan testing a new COVID-19 vaccine patch this month that they hope will provide long-lasting protection against the virus.

On Wednesday, researchers said the PepGNP-Covid19 vaccine is in an early-study phase, as the technology is much different than the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines, Reuters reported.

Instead of producing an antibody response, the vaccine patch focuses on cellular immunity by targeting T-cells that could eliminate the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading in the body.

The vaccine works by putting a patch with microneedles on a person then taking it off.

"With this new vaccine that generates this cellular immunity we hope to have a longer period of protection ... we don't know yet, but it could be one year, two years, three years," professor Blaise Genton, head of the study, told Reuters.

The vaccine was developed by Emergex Vaccines Holding Ltd., and the trial will be conducted through Unisant medical research center in Lausanne, Switzerland, along with a local hospital.

The trial includes 26 candidates who will receive two patches of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the second one being slightly stronger. The people will then be tracked for six months, Reuters noted.

The first trial for the vaccine began on Jan. 10. Emergex announced the development of the new vaccine back in November.

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Researchers testing COVID-19 vaccine patch | TheHill - The Hill

Amid a COVID-19 surge fueled by the omicron variant, hospitals and health systems in Florida must navigate conflicting positions at federal and state levels when it comes to vaccination mandates.

On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court upheld the CMS mandate for COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare facilities, setting aside challenges that blocked enforcement of the mandate in 24 states. This means CMS may implement andenforce the rule in every state but Texas, where a preliminary injunction remains in place. The rule requires healthcare facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to establish a policy ensuring eligible workers are fully vaccinated, with exemptions allowed based on religious beliefs or recognized medical conditions.

On the same day of the Supreme Court decision, the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the statewill not enforce the federal mandate. Mr. DeSantis also signed a law Nov. 18 designed to counter mandates. The Florida legislation prohibits vaccination mandates for private employers unless also providing various exemptions, which include medical or religious concerns; pregnancy or anticipated future pregnancy; and past COVID-19 infection.The legislation also imposes a fine of up to $50,000 per employee violation.

A spokesperson for Mr. DeSantis said the state's prohibition on vaccine mandates "remains in effect for all industries, [and] we will be evaluating next steps for enforcement in the coming days," according to a statement shared with ABC affiliate WFTS.

Meanwhile, Florida hospitals must navigate conflicting state and federal positions.

Mary Mayhew, Florida Hospital Association president and CEO, toldNPR hospitals "don't want to be caught between the state government and the federal government," and they are working on addressing the situation.

"You can't be in compliance with both based upon the breadth of exemptions that exist within the state law," she said. "So, hospitals are working very closely with their staff, first of all, to encourage them to get vaccinated, but then to identify where there are exemptions that fit within the Medicare rule. Where we become potentially at odds with the state requirement is if an employee fails to fit."

Hospitals and health systems in Florida told Becker's via written statements Jan. 18 and 19 that they are working on compliance.

Orlando Health said the health system "continues to review the guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare organizations and will take appropriate steps. As a healthcare organization, we continue to strongly encourage vaccinations for all team members and physicians at Orlando Health."

Altamonte Springs-based AdventHealth emphasized the health system's support of vaccines.

"As part of our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our team members, patients and communities, we strongly encourage all of our team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine," the health system's statement said.

As of Jan. 18, about 96 percent of AdventHealth employees were in compliance with the CMS vaccination mandate.

The health system plans to "be in compliance with the legal requirements and continue to monitor developments impacting its enforcement," according to the organization's statement.

Jacksonville-based Baptist Health said the organization also continues to keep tabs on the evolving law and regulatory guidance regarding vaccination requirements.

As of Jan. 19, more than 99 percent of Baptist Health employees had met the COVID-19 vaccination or exemption requirement.

Additionally, "we recently extended the date for compliance by 30 days to allow time for our team members to submit exemptions utilizing the new state of Florida approved exemption forms, which we are currently honoring," the health system said.

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How Florida hospitals are juggling plans over COVID-19 vaccination mandates - Becker's Hospital Review

Immigrant Food+, located just a few steps from the White House in the Planet Word museum, specializes in fusion cuisine. They take their inspiration not only from the great American melting pot, but also from DC's own vibrant diversity. Immigrant Food+ is also incredibly proud that two of the people who helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine are immigrants:researcher Katalin Karik'sprofile inThe New York Timesnotes that she comes from Hungary, while BioNTech co-founder zlem Treci is a German-born Turk (via NYT).

According to Washingtonian, the brunch offered by Immigrant Food+ over a recent mid-January weekend consisted of a number of "injectables" meant to honor the vaccine and those whose efforts have made it so widely available. The menu featured croquettes that came with pipettes of feta cream, blue cheese burgers complete with ketchup-filled syringes, and tiramisu churros with chocolate syringes.NBC4 also showed a cocktail that, upon receiving a shot of lemon juice, changed color from blue to purple. The restaurateurs intended the brunch to be a way to "celebrate science ... in a non-political, non-polarized way," and part of the proceeds went to support a local charity. The cause Immigrant Food+ chose to support was, appropriately enough, Mary's Center, an organization that provides vaccination services to DC's under-served and immigrant communities.

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How This DC Restaurant Is Honoring The COVID-19 Vaccine - Mashed

New Hampshire is opening two more walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites this week and has plans to open more, Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday.A new location has opened in Stratham, and a site will open Friday in Concord, Sununu said. There are already five state-run walk-in locations open.>> Latest COVID-19 impact coverage from WMURThe governor said other locations will open next week in Manchester, Nashua and Salem, and a location in Keene should open by the end of the month.Vaccination rates have been mostly flat in New Hampshire since the summer, but Sununu said vaccines remain the best tool available to fight the pandemic.>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important informationWhile the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads more easily than previous variants, research has shown that those fully up-to-date on vaccinations, including booster shots, are much more protected against hospitalization and death.New Hampshire is also working to increase the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests. Sununu said he's planning to ask lawmakers for $10 million to buy at-home tests that will then be distributed by the state.Granite Staters have been able to request at-home tests from the state twice, and the federal government launched its own site to request free tests Tuesday. Sununu said the at-home tests have been tough to find, and there's no guarantee that New Hampshire will be able to immediately locate enough tests to distribute.Sununu praised the federal site and urged people to order their tests. He said at-home tests are increasingly valuable to let people know when they have the virus and when they can return to work or school."The earlier you know, the faster you know, the easier it is to take preventative measures," he said.This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information comes in. ** Town-by-town: COVID-19 case data | Vaccination data **--

New Hampshire is opening two more walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites this week and has plans to open more, Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday.

A new location has opened in Stratham, and a site will open Friday in Concord, Sununu said. There are already five state-run walk-in locations open.

>> Latest COVID-19 impact coverage from WMUR

The governor said other locations will open next week in Manchester, Nashua and Salem, and a location in Keene should open by the end of the month.

Vaccination rates have been mostly flat in New Hampshire since the summer, but Sununu said vaccines remain the best tool available to fight the pandemic.

>> COVID-19 in New Hampshire: Important information

While the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads more easily than previous variants, research has shown that those fully up-to-date on vaccinations, including booster shots, are much more protected against hospitalization and death.

New Hampshire is also working to increase the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests. Sununu said he's planning to ask lawmakers for $10 million to buy at-home tests that will then be distributed by the state.

Granite Staters have been able to request at-home tests from the state twice, and the federal government launched its own site to request free tests Tuesday. Sununu said the at-home tests have been tough to find, and there's no guarantee that New Hampshire will be able to immediately locate enough tests to distribute.

Sununu praised the federal site and urged people to order their tests. He said at-home tests are increasingly valuable to let people know when they have the virus and when they can return to work or school.

"The earlier you know, the faster you know, the easier it is to take preventative measures," he said.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information comes in.

** Town-by-town: COVID-19 case data | Vaccination data **

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More walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites opening this week in New Hampshire - WMUR Manchester