Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best action to help hospitals handle the present onslaught of COVID-19 cases, stressing staff and overwhelming medical centers, healthcare leaders said.

The only way were going to get through this is through vaccination, through immunization. Were not going to treat our way through this, Dr. Peter Hahn, president and CEO of University of Michigan Health-West in Wyoming, said at a recent press conference.

He and others were discussing the present coronavirus wave and its affect on hospitals struggling with staffing shortages and forced to make hour-to-hour decisions on what patients most need care.

RELATED: Michigan just keeping our heads above water with COVID surge, officials urge vaccinations

Units are full -- 10 state hospitals were reporting 100% capacity as of Thursday and overall, facilities were operating at 86%. Surgeries and other services are being delayed. Hahn said UM Health-West had to cancel or postpone more than 70 procedures in a recent two-week period.

One day this week, Sparrow Hospital in Lansing had 42 patients waiting in the emergency department for a bed, Chief Nursing Officer Amy Brown said.

The state set a record this week for the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. It topped a previous mark set in the spring of 2020.

RELATED: Michigan sets pandemic record for COVID hospitalizations; stretched staffs feel defeated, disheartened

Nearly 22% of people in inpatient beds were COVID-19 positive. This number has been increasing for about 20 straight weeks. No other state or territory is reporting higher inpatient bed utilization, according to a recent state report.

The percentage of COVID-19 patients in hospitals statewide is higher than during the spring surge and the peak in December 2020, when the vaccine rollout first began.

The vaccines have been shown to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, even if they dont always ward off infection.

In September, an unvaccinated person had 14 times the risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to someone fully vaccinated, according to a look from April to Oct. 2 at national age standardized rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths presented in the latest Michigan COVID Response Data and Modeling Update.

In late November, 76% of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated and the percentage of those in intensive care or on ventilators jumped to nearly 90%, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported on Dec. 2.

From January to November, 13% of hospitalizations were of people fully vaccinated in Michigan.

Because Michigan residents 65 and older are inoculated at much higher rates than younger age groups, hospital leaders say patients now might be 40 to 60. During earlier waves, they were 70 to 80.

Theyre unvaccinated and theyre younger. And that just brings a different complexity with it, when youre talking about end-of-life care for younger people as opposed to the elderly, Brown said.

About 56% of eligible Michigan residents are fully vaccinated in Michigan. Week to week, the rate increases little; even with the Nov. 2 authorization of vaccines for children 5 to 11, the number of people who have been at least partially vaccinated jumped only about 5% in November, and in some areas of the state, such as the southern-most counties, the percentage is well below 50%. Michigans rate lags the national average.

I want to highlight the communities with low vaccine uptake are vulnerable to further increases in COVID-19 cases, worse outcomes. That means more severe cases, more people in the ICU more deaths and more strain on health systems. And we simply cannot take this right now, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the states chief medical executive, said during a press conference Friday.

Michigan leaders do not have plans to enact any orders or mandates to control spread. They are instead urging personal responsibility.

I think that we can all agree were ready to be done with this pandemic, Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel said. But this pandemic is not over. It is going to take all of us, and this is a critical moment.

Consider where best to go for care, wash hands, wear masks

People also can help hospital staffs by going to an urgent or fast care center if possible, instead of an emergency department, Brown said.

This does not mean ignore an emergency. Hospital leaders said those who most need help are receiving it.

I think we can say that were still providing high-quality care to our patients. We really stay focused on what care were delivering and motivating our teams. And theyre self-motivated, said Shari Schult, vice president of operations at McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey.

Schult and others reminded people of safety measures pushed from the very beginning: Wear masks, distance from others and practice good hand hygiene.

Theyre crucial now. They have proven to work. They take minimal time, said Dr. Paolo Marciano, chief medical officer, at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn.

Give workers some grace, leaders say.

I think just continuing keeping the healthcare workers in their thoughts as we go into the holidays and, you know, were going to be here to care for the community, Brown said.

The Michigan Health and Hospital Association has asked the public to do the following:

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Vaccination is only way out, leaders say, and urge shots to help ease stress on hospital system - MLive.com

Some studies suggest that the protection offered by currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines against contracting a SARS-CoV-2 infection and developing severe disease starts to wane after a few months.

Some experts suggest that this decline in immunity against SARS-CoV-2 may have contributed to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the United States and Europe.

However, COVID-19 vaccines continue to confer a reasonably high degree of protection against severe disease and death at least 6 months after vaccination.

The evidence of waning protection against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 led health agencies in the U.S. and Europe to authorize the use of boosters for older individuals and those at higher risk of developing COVID-19 earlier this year.

The recent rise in COVID-19 cases has prompted public health agencies in the U.S. and some European countries to expand the eligibility for booster shots to all individuals over the age of 18 years.

Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allow individuals to choose a different vaccine for their booster shot than the one they received for their initial two doses.

Such a mix-and-match approach to vaccination, otherwise known as heterologous dosing, may be advantageous over a homologous schedule, which involves the use of the same vaccine for the prime and the boost.

Previous studies that used heterologous dosing for the initial two doses suggested that this approach may provide greater protection against a SARS-CoV-2 infection than a homologous schedule.

Data on the inflammatory side effects and immune protection offered by different heterologous and homologous COVID-19 prime-boost vaccine schedules are necessary to make policy decisions about the choice and dose of the booster vaccine.

A recent randomized clinical trial called COV-Boost assessed the safety of and immune response generated by heterologous and homologous booster schedules in individuals who received two initial doses of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The study found that both schedules were effective in boosting immune response at 28 days after the booster shot and produced well-tolerated side effects.

The study appears in the journal The Lancet.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines deliver the genetic information that encodes for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to human cells, enabling them to produce this protein.

The production of the coronavirus spike protein by cells in the human body generates an immune response involving antibodies and T cells.

Neutralizing antibodies produced by B cells, which are a type of white blood cell, bind to the virus to disrupt its ability to infect human cells. Some studies have suggested that neutralizing antibody levels tend to predict the degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The levels of neutralizing antibodies against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 tend to wane a few months after the second dose of the vaccine.

Moreover, vaccinated individuals tend to produce lower levels of neutralizing antibodies against variants of concerns, such as the Delta variant. These variants of concern can also escape neutralization by antibodies in vaccinated individuals.

In other words, the decline in the neutralizing antibody response may result in limited protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Vaccination also results in the generation of memory immune cells that persist despite the decline in neutralizing antibodies. These memory cells form the second line of defense and prevent severe disease after the infection has occurred.

The presence of memory T cells, which are another type of white blood cell, can help launch a rapid T cell response after infection. T cells help eliminate infected cells to prevent the spread of the infection.

So, early activation of T cells due to vaccination plays a critical role in preventing severe COVID-19 and death.

Unlike the relatively drastic decline in neutralizing antibodies, the T cell response remains mostly intact.

Studies have suggested that COVID-19 boosters can help enhance immunity against the Delta variant and prevent breakthrough infections.

The recent study examined the effects of seven different COVID-19 vaccines as booster shots on the immune response at 28 days in individuals immunized with two doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The researchers assessed the changes in antibody levels at 28 days to estimate the protective effects conferred by these booster vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The clinical trial also assessed the T cell response and inflammatory adverse effects caused by these experimental booster shots.

The vaccines the researchers tested in the study were:

Lead study author Dr. Saul Faust, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, says: The side effect data show all seven vaccines are safe to use as third doses, with acceptable levels of inflammatory side effects like injection site pain, muscle soreness, [and] fatigue.

[While] all boosted spike protein immunogenicity after two doses of AstraZeneca, only AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Janssen, and Curevac did so after two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, he adds.

Dr. James Shepherd, Ph.D. a professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, who was not involved in the study spoke to Medical News Today about the findings. He told us:

The COV-Boost results from the U.K. are reassuring but not surprising. The broad ability of vaccines to boost each other in a heterologous prime-boost strategy, measured mainly by antibody increases as a surrogate for real-world immunity, would be expected.

Most of the vaccines use the same antigen, the spike protein, as an immune stimulus and can therefore boost each other, he explained. This gives public health programs reassurance that booster campaigns can focus on delivering whatever shot is available into the arm rather than the more complicated distribution and delivery of matching booster shots, added Dr. Shepherd.

The recent study involved 2,878 participants who were recruited at 18 study sites in the U.K.

The participants were at least 30 years of age and had received two doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. These individuals had received their second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least 10 or 12 weeks, respectively, before receiving their third booster shot.

The participants received any one of the seven vaccines listed above as the third dose during the study.

The researchers split the participants into younger and older age groups during the data analysis. The younger group consisted of participants aged 3069 years, and the second group included individuals aged 70 years and older.

The team also assessed the safety of and immune response generated by using half-doses of the Valneva, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Novavax vaccines. A control group received a dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

The researchers asked the participants to maintain a daily electronic diary to track any adverse effects. They further assessed the safety of the vaccine booster shots during the subsequent visits at the trial site.

The side effects observed after the booster dose were generally acceptable with all vaccines. Injection site pain, headache, and fatigue were the most common side effects.

The inflammatory adverse effects were more pronounced with certain vaccines. For instance, the Johnson & Johnson booster produced moderate-to-severe side effects in individuals under the age of 70 years who were primed with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Furthermore, the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna booster shots produced high levels of side effects in younger individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine prime. The Moderna booster also produced side effects in both young and older adults primed with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The researchers collected blood samples from the participants 28 days following their booster shot to assess the levels of antibodies against the spike protein.

They also conducted assays to assess the levels of neutralizing antibodies and the T cell response. These assays measured the immune response against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants.

Among the participants who received two initial doses of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, all of the experimental booster vaccines produced higher antibody levels against the spike protein at 28 days than the control group. The only exception was the Valneva vaccine, which did not increase antibody levels in individuals primed with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The researchers observed similar results with the booster vaccines for the increase in neutralizing antibodies against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the variants of concern.

The neutralizing antibodies levels against the Delta variant were slightly lower than they were for the wild-type coronavirus. Moreover, the neutralizing antibodies levels against the Delta variant and the wild-type coronavirus were correlated.

The study authors note that these results support the approach of using vaccines designed against the wild-type coronavirus, despite the emergence of new variants.

Participants who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine prime showed an increase in the T cell response after receiving a booster with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In contrast, individuals who received all three doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca did not show an increase in T cell response compared with the control group.

Moreover, the Valneva vaccine which uses inactivated whole virus did not increase T cell response in individuals primed with two doses of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots produced the highest increase in the immune response. However, the study used the full dose (100 micrograms of mRNA) of the Moderna vaccine instead of the CDC-approved half-dose. This is because the study took place in June, which was before the authorization of the use of the vaccine for booster shots.

In sum, these results suggest considerable variation in the immune response and inflammatory side effects produced by different vaccine boosters. These results will allow public health agencies and policymakers to make recommendations for booster vaccination programs after taking the side effect profile, availability of vaccines, and susceptibility to COVID-19 into consideration.

The study included individuals who received either a half-dose or a full dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as their booster shot. The increase in immune response generated by both the half-dose and the full dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shot was similar in individuals primed with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Furthermore, people who received the half-dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a booster had a slightly better side effect profile. This may suggest that a half-dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may be sufficient to produce the desired boost in immunity.

Besides potentially reducing side effects, the use of a half-dose of the vaccine as a booster shot may allow the vaccine to reach more people around the globe.

The emergence of the Omicron variant has led experts and the CDC to urge all individuals to get the booster shot. The spike protein of the Omicron variant has a large number of mutations, potentially allowing it to escape from neutralizing antibodies. This raises questions about the effectiveness of currently authorized vaccines and boosters.

Dr. Duane Wesemann, Ph.D., a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, told MNT: In light of Omicron and the continued threat of other emerging variants, magnitude of response may matter a lot more. Current vaccines are related in that they present to the immune system the pre-variant version of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. If Omicron has substantial immune evasion features as feared, more robust immunity to this pre-variant spike would likely be necessary for adequate protection.

It is clear that neutralizing antibodies correlate strongly with protective efficacy. That said, it is very likely that T cells play a role as well, which would be less affected by Omicron, so T cell immunity will likely still be induced, but how much protection [this can] provide in the setting of severely weakened antibody response is not clear, he added.

In summary, Antibody magnitude may matter more in light of more immune evasive variants such as (potentially, well see soon) Omicron, said Dr. Wesemann.

The study was conducted at multiple sites and did not include participants receiving the half-dose and full dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the same site. The researchers note that they could not draw a statistical comparison between the two Pfizer-BioNTech groups, making it impossible to draw any direct conclusions.

The authors also note that the study included only individuals aged 30 years and older, with a majority of participants being white. For this reason, their findings may not apply to the entire population.

Lastly, the team assessed the immune response at 28 days after the booster shot, and the results do not indicate long-term protection. The study design of the clinical trial includes the collection of blood samples at 84 and 365 days to assess the long-term immune protection offered by the booster shots.

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

Continued here:

Are all COVID-19 vaccine boosters safe and effective? - Medical News Today

KALAMAZOO, MI -- In an effort to encourage students and their families to get vaccinated, Kalamazoo Public Schools is offering a chance to win $50 gift cards to those who start and complete the vaccination process in the coming months.

KPS students, staff and their families who receive both doses of the vaccine between the dates of Dec. 10 and Feb. 1 could win a $50 Visa gift card. The incentive was made possible by a grant from the United Way, according to a promotional flyer provided by the district.

To enter the drawing, families should provide proof of vaccination to the district by emailing morinjl@kalamazoopublicschools.org.

While students and their families can get vaccinated anywhere to be eligible for the gift cards, the district is hosting two of its own vaccination clinics in January. KPS partnered with OptiMed to host the clinics at Hillside Middle School, 1941 Alamo Ave. The two clinics are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, and Saturday, Jan. 28.

The Pfizer vaccine for children age 5 years old and up and the flu vaccine will both be available at the clinic. Families should preregister to get their vaccine online at covid19kzoo.as.me/kps.

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Kalamazoo families could win $50 for receiving their COVID-19 vaccine - MLive.com

One of the many misinformed claims about COVID-19 vaccination is that it will weaken a persons immune system and make them more susceptible to other viruses.

Heres an example from The Expos, which highlights a video of a doctor going over the negative effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. The headline said:

"Mayo Clinic-trained doctor says COVID-19 vaccines suppress the immune system, making people more prone to HIV, shingles and herpes."

The video features Dr. Ryan Cole, an Idaho-based derma-pathologist whose expertise is in skin disorders. It was taken from a longer interview Cole gave to anti-vaccination group Health Freedom Idaho where he spoke out against the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination mandates.

In the video, Cole claims the impact the vaccine has on the body is "almost a reverse HIV," where theres a drop in a person's T cell count. T cells are part of the bodys immune response, and they kill certain cells like cancer cells and virus-infected cells.

Cole claimed he has seen a rise among vaccinated people developing different illnesses because of this lower T cell count, including herpes, shingles and human papillomavirus. He also claims to have seen a 20 times increase in people older than 50 developing a type of skin rash called molluscum contagiosum.

"Thats innocuous, but what it tells me is the immune status of these individuals who have gotten the shot," Cole says. "Were literally weakening the immune system of these individuals."

The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

We reached out to Cole to see if he could provide evidence that shows a direct link between the illnesses he listed in the video and the COVID-19 vaccines, but did not receive a response.

PolitiFact looked into similar claims about the vaccines impact on a person's health, but have found no evidence getting a shot would weaken the immune system.

The science doesnt back Coles claim that the vaccines cause a lower T cell count.

Studies published in scientific journals like Immunity and Science Immunology have found the vaccines actually boost a persons T cell response, especially if they havent been infected with COVID-19 prior to their vaccination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also found that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 doesnt weaken the bodys immune response, it increases.

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told PolitiFact that the idea the vaccines would weaken a persons immune system isnt supported by the available clinical trial data.

"This wasn't observed in any of the phase 3 trials, where complete blood counts were obtained," he said.

Our ruling

A doctor claimed getting vaccinated against COVID-19 would weaken a persons immune system and make them more susceptible to other illnesses.

Studies into the efficacy of the vaccines have found that they actually strengthen a persons immunity. There has been no evidence that links a weakened immune system to the COVID-19 vaccines.

We rate this claim False.

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No, getting the COVID-19 vaccine won't weaken your immune system - PolitiFact

In the short time since the emergence of Omicron, the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant, many questions have arisen. Is it more transmissible, how bad are the symptoms, and most importantly, will the vaccines protect against it? Until more data are available, there are no firm answers, but many are optimistic that vaccines offer at least some protection. Medical News Today investigated the current hypotheses.

The rapid development of vaccines gave hope that the COVID-19 pandemic might soon be under control. In many countries, as the vaccines were rolled out, the virus abated. Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 reduced in countries with widespread vaccine coverage.

Then came the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. This new variant of concern, whose scientific name is B.1.1.529, was first identified in South Africa, though it may have originated in Europe, according to data from the Netherlands.

Omicron is now spreading in several countries. A study, which was conducted in South Africa and released last week but has yet to be peer reviewed, suggests that Omicron can evade immune defenses, leading to reinfection in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

These findings add to concerns that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in most countries may not be effective against the Omicron variant.

Vaccine manufacturers are cautiously optimistic. Oxford University, which developed a vaccine with AstraZeneca, has stated: Despite the appearance of new variants over the past year, vaccines have continued to provide very high levels of protection against severe disease, and there is no evidence so far that Omicron is any different. However, we have the necessary tools and processes in place for rapid development of an updated COVID-19 vaccine if it should be necessary.

Pfizer also sought to allay fears in a statement: Pfizer and BioNTech are remaining vigilant and constantly conducting surveillance efforts focused on monitoring for emerging variants that potentially escape protection from our vaccine. We are beginning to run neutralization tests on the new Omicron variant of concern and expect to have initial data in the coming weeks.

In the event that a variant emerges that escapes protection of our vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to develop and produce a tailor-made vaccine against that variant in approximately 100 days, subject to regulatory approval, the Pfizer spokesperson added.

Tim Spector, a professor of genetic immunology at Kings College London and scientific co-founder of ZOE, which boasts the worlds largest COVID-19 study, commented in an interview with MNT:

The vaccines are highly likely to be effective against severity, and modestly against infection with Omicron.

This view was echoed by Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of the molecular microbiology and immunology department at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who told us: I believe that current vaccines will provide some protection against Omicron. I am optimistic that the vaccinated will have some protection against Omicron and that this protection will continue to reduce symptoms and mortality in those affected.

The chief worry is that the Omicron variant has more than 50 mutations, 30 of which are in the spike protein, the area that vaccines target.

Experts have expressed concern that the antibodies generated by vaccination will therefore not match the spike proteins of the Omicron variant, reducing the levels of immunity provided.

However, it appears that high levels of neutralizing antibodies, produced after three vaccine doses, provide protection from severe symptoms following infection with the Omicron variant.

It is not only the spike protein that stimulates the immune response, as Dr. Casadevall pointed out:

Even though there are large changes in the structure of the spike protein between Omicron and the virus used to design the vaccine, much of it remains the same, and these common areas should elicit immune responses to Omicron.

Dr. Arturo Casadevall

Vaccines also stimulate other parts of the immune response. This results in the production of T cells, which play an important role in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections and are less affected by spike mutations.

Both Prof. Spector and Dr. Casadevall stressed that vaccination is the best way to avoid getting seriously ill from COVID-19 regardless of the variant.

This will hit the unvaccinated more, emphasized Prof. Spector.

Studies from Israel and the United Kingdom suggest that booster campaigns are decreasing the viruss reproduction and associated hospitalizations.

Increasing vaccination should slow the pandemic, even in the face of the new variant.

Dr. Casadevall remains optimistic about the protection from current vaccines: I believe that when it comes to this coronavirus, some immunity is better than no immunity. The vaccinated will have some protection against Omicron, and this protection will continue to reduce symptoms and mortality in those affected.

Vaccination not only prevents serious illness and death. As Prof. Spector added: Evidence from Delta [variant outbreaks] says the vaccine helps prevent long COVID. I think this will be the case with Omicron [as well].

He continued: Delta is still affecting 1 in 60 [people] in the U.K., and Omicron will spread very fast. People need to act sensibly.

Dr. Casadevall reiterated this message: Vaccines continue to be our best bet against Omicron, and people should be vaccinated and boosted.

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

Read this article:

Can COVID-19 vaccines protect against the Omicron variant? - Medical News Today

Left unmentioned in Doughty's opinion was that the doctor's views on the vaccines are so outside the mainstream that the health care system that once employed him sought a temporary restraining order because it claimed the doctor was improperly associating himself with it.

The invocation of a well-known vaccine skeptic is just one example of how federal judges have played down the seriousness of the pandemic while playing up supposed uncertainties about the effectiveness of vaccines.

They've done so in an onslaught of courts orders across the country -- all issued by Republican-appointed judges, and several by former President Donald Trump -- that have frozen nationwide all three major vaccine mandates that the Biden administration sought to implement as fears about the Delta variant collided with winter flu season.

The cases themselves generally raise legal issues distinct from the federal government's scientific conclusions. But in many of the cases, doubts about the seriousness of the coronavirus and whether vaccines are effective in limiting its spread have seeped into the opinions, as the judges have taken it upon themselves to explain why their scientific assessments should trump those of government scientists.

The trend cuts against centuries of American law that instruct judges to "be deferential to elected officials and the scientific experts who advise them on matters of public health emergency response," said Lindsay Wiley, a public health law professor at the American University Washington College of Law.

"[A]s the state of emergency has dragged on and the response has become extremely politicized, some judges have become more confident in their own ability to weigh the scientific evidence," Wiley told CNN in an email, "even to the point of rejecting widespread scientific consensus and cherry-picking testimony from doctors whose expertise is of questionable relevance and whose views are clearly on the fringe."

Nonetheless, the 5th Circuit said it "remains unclear that COVID19however tragic and devastating the pandemic has beenposes the kind of grave danger" contemplated by the relevant law -- rhetoric that has since by mimicked by other courts that have blocked various mandates.

The court didn't need to strike that tone in order to reach the outcome that it did, according to Wendy Parmet, a law professor who's the director of Northeastern University's Center for Health Policy and Law, adding that there were other legal issues in the case on which the circuit could have hung its decision to block the mandate.

"The language as a whole expresses -- I think -- a skepticism of the severity of the pandemic and whether this is a problem that's really of urgency," she said, adding that the linguistic approach was that of "Covid minimalization."

"It's approaching a stance that feels like the court is adopting the language and the rhetoric of the culture wars as opposed to the 'this is a lawyerly, boring administrative law decision,' '' she said.

'Misreading' assessments from government scientists

The line about came in a section of the regulatory filing where the agency was explaining why it couldn't fully quantify the impact of the rule as it was estimating the policy's costs and benefits. The regulatory filing had spent several paragraphs laying out evidence that the vaccine does decrease transmission risk. The agency stressed that by preventing people from being infected with Covid in the first place, the vaccines reduced the amount of transmission.

University of California-Hastings College of Law Professor Dorit Reiss said it was "highly disingenuous" and "misleading" for Schelp to use the regulatory language the way he did.

"The CMS said clearly, the vaccines decreased transmission and harm, then added, we don't know exactly how much. That's basically what the language is saying," Reiss told CNN.

The dissenter, Trump appointee Judge Barbara Lagoa, included in a footnote a mention of the new Omicron variant, which had not been discussed in the case.

Claiming that the new variant was "potentially able to avoid the protection provided by the currently available COVID-19 vaccines" she said that Omicron's emergence showed how the supposed "uncertainties" about the vaccine's effectiveness cut against the public interests of keeping the mandate in place.

The two judges in the appellate panel's majority -- both Democratic appointees-- called Lagoa out for "speculation" and for her failure to cite anything in support of the assertion.

'Problematic' use of claims well outside the mainstream

Biden's mandates have been challenged under administrative laws that allow courts to examine an agency's procedure in rolling out the challenged policies.

However, according to Georgetown University health law professor Lawrence Gostin, standard administrative law principles call for the courts to "give deference to the agency's facts and interpretation of its powers."

The courts in the federal mandate cases have "merely substituted their opinions for those of career agency scientists," Gostin told CNN in an email. "That is not following the rule of law or precedent."

Reiss said it was especially an issue that the courts weren't giving deference to the agencies at the early stage that these cases are in, before they have been fully litigated.

"Basically, the court is saying, 'The agency is an expert. The agency has experts. But we believe these experts instead,' even though they haven't been interrogated in court," Reiss said.

The Justice Department, for instance, did not have a chance to interrogate the doctor whose assertions about vaccines were cited by Doughty as he blocked the health care worker mandate nationwide.

Doughty summed up that in the viewpoint of the doctor, Peter McCollough, "COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission of the disease among the vaccinated or mixed vaccinated/unvaccinated populations, and that mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for hospitals do not increase safety for employees or hospital patients."

Doughty -- a federal judge in Louisiana who was appointed by Trump -- cited those false assertions as a reason that it made "no sense" for the agency's policy to mandate vaccines without other alternatives.

In its filings, the Justice Department had said the evidence "overwhelmingly" pointed to the conclusion "that health care staff vaccination is highly effective in preventing transmission among health care workers, and from the workers to patients."

"Studies have also shown that vaccinated people with breakthrough infections may be less infectious than unvaccinated individuals with primary infections, resulting in fewer opportunities for transmission," the administration had told the court.

"Dr. McCullough has promoted things that can be fairly described as anti-vaccine misinformation. And he does so in the quoted passages in this case as well," Reiss, the UC-Hastings law professor, told CNN. She said it was "highly problematic" that the judge was drawing from his declaration in the case.

"This is just one clear example of deeply flawed legal reasoning," Gostin told CNN. "It's absurd to [give] weight to a given doctor's opinion, especially when that opinion is so at odds with both agency scientists as well as the clear consensus of scientific opinion, including CDC recommendations."

Read more:

Trump-appointed judges question role of vaccines in fight against Covid as they block mandates - CNN

The Department of Defense (DoD), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, has launched a program to provide COVID-19 vaccines to service members, retirees, and their families.

All eligible and authorized TRICARE beneficiaries can make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, as available, at a DoD vaccination site.

The availability of the vaccine may vary by location. Eligible TRICARE beneficiaries can make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at a military hospital, clinic, or vaccination site. This includes US Family Health Plan (USFHP) enrollees. Visit the COVID-19 DoD Vaccine Appointments page to see DoD vaccination locations and what appointment tools each location is using.

You can also get the COVID-19 vaccine at:

The vaccine itself is offered at no cost, but there may be a cost based on your plan for an office visit or if you require follow-on care.

According to the CDC, a COVID-19 vaccine is an important tool in stopping the pandemic. It may be an effective way to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19. And it may help keep you from getting seriously ill if you do catch the virus. Compared to other variants, the Delta variant is more transmissible. Because of its highly transmissible nature, unvaccinated individuals are more likely to have severe disease and be hospitalized. >>Learn more

Who should get the vaccine?

The CDC and the DoD recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for all people 5 years and older.

Getting vaccinated also protects the health of the people around youespecially those who are atincreased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

What can I do now?

It's still important to follow CDC guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This includes:

The more steps you and your family can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the safer you'll be.

What can I do after I'm fully vaccinated?

As more people get vaccinated, you'll be able to visit friends and family safely. The CDC has issued new information about the kinds of activities you can do after you're fully vaccinated.

Are there risks?

The vaccines may cause side effects in some people, like sore muscles, feeling tired, or mild fever. For most people, these side effects will last no more than a day or two. Having these side effects doesn't mean you have COVID-19. If you have questions about how you're feeling after your shot, contact your provider or call the MHS Nurse Advice Line. It's rare, but if you have a severe allergic reaction, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency roomThe hospital department that provides emergency services to patients who need immediate medical attention.. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccines:

What should I do after receiving my first vaccine dose?

If you've already received your COVID-19 vaccine, you can sign up for v-safe. V-safe is a smart-phone based tool developed by the CDC, that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.Through v-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one.

Be Ready and Informed

Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, but experts don't know how long this protection lasts. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.

Researchers develop vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat diseases in stages. In Phase 1 Trials, researchers test an experimental drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time. In Phase 2 Trials, the experimental drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if its effective and to further evaluate its safety. In Phase 3 Trials, the experimental study drug or treatment is given to very large groups of people. Researchers confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the experimental drug or treatment to be used safely. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires manufacturers to submit their raw data for review. The FDA collects ad reviews safety, immune response, and efficacy data from the trial stages before it authorizes vaccines for use and distribution.

All members of the Active and Reserve Components, including the National Guard, are required to get the COVID-19 vaccine along with the list of other vaccines already required as part of individual medical readiness requirements. Each service will determine its own timeline for this requirement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, heart conditions, among several others, are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Please talk to your doctor to see if you may qualify to receive the vaccine. Learn more about conditions that may increase your risk for severe illness.

COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. However, if you are currently infected with COVID-19, you should wait to get vaccinated until after your illness has resolved and after you meet the criteria to discontinue isolation.

You may receive a questionnaire via email asking about your COVID-19 vaccine status. This is a valid survey from the DOD, which was also approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with the control number of 0720-0069.

You received this email because we dont have a record of your vaccination status. Responding to the questionnaire will help us shape how we support future vaccine logistics.

Please help us plan for future COVID-19 vaccine needs by responding to the survey within 3 days of receiving it.

The CDC recommends the pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5-11. If you are unsure if the vaccine is right for your children, talk to your provider and make them aware any medical conditions, including reactions to previous vaccines.

>>Learn more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:

>>Learn more.

The Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is administered as a 2-dose series, 21-days apart. Each dose contains 10mg of the vaccine, which is one third the adult dose.

If your child has a history of a severe allergic reaction to a component of the vaccine, talk to your provider to determine if it is safe to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 pediatric vaccine.

Parents currently have the option to vaccinate their children age 5-11. Should you decide for your child not to receive it, it wont change your childs standard medical care.

For children 5 to 11 years old, the CDC recommends a pediatric dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, no other COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for this age group.

Yes. There is no difference between the adult and child vaccine card. When your child gets the first dose, you will get a vaccination card. This will include the date of initial dose as well as the date for the second date. Remember to bring the card when your child returns.

You may be able to use an online scheduling tool to book your COVID-19 vaccine appointment at a DoD vaccination site.

>>Learn more.

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Home | TRICARE

Online scheduling is available in North Conway, NH and Norway, ME.

School-based clinics are the most convenient way to vaccinate children aged 5-11. Learn More.

No appointments are required at our walk-in vaccination locations.

See the rest here:

Home | MaineHealth COVID-19 Vaccination Assistant

SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. The Shelby County Health Department released a list of COVID-19 vaccination sites and hours for the week of Dec. 6-12.

Vaccinations are free at the following community vaccination sites:

Pipkin Building, 940 Early Maxwell Blvd.

Dates: Tuesday, December 7 Friday, December 10

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Closed Saturday, December 11, 2021

Ages 12 and older only.

Germantown Baptist Church, 9450 Poplar Ave.

Dates: Tuesday, December 7 and Friday December 10 only

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Ages 12 and older only.

Shelby County Health Department Immunization Clinic, 814 Jefferson Ave.

Dates: Monday Friday each week. Closed on Shelby County Government holidays

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ages 5 and older.

The following community pop-up events are also open to the public this week:

Stay Well Memphis Community Health Fair and Vaccine Event

Location: St. Paul Baptist Church, 2124 E. Holmes Road

Date: Saturday, December 11, 2021

Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pfizer vaccine only.

Ages 5 and older.

COVID-19 Walk-in Vaccination Event

Location: New Direction Christian Church, 6120 Winchester Rd.

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2021

Hours: 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Ages 5 and older.

All children under age 18 must be accompanied by an parent or guardian and must have proof of the childs age, SCHD said.

Birth certificates or vaccination records are accepted.

COVID-19 vaccinations are also widely available at pharmacies and other vaccination sites all over Shelby County. Go to https://www.vaccines.gov/ and enter your zip code to find vaccination sites near you.

For more information about the Health Departments COVID-19 response, visit Shelby.community.

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Heres a list of COVID-19 vaccine sites, pop-up events available this week in Shelby County - FOX13 Memphis

As cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise across the U.S., public health officials have one main question: Are the current COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer effective against the new variant?

For now, no one truly knows the answer. However, the CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer, as well as scientists from Johnson & Johnson, have all weighed in on the topic. Some say a new vaccine is inevitable, as Omicron can mutate too many different ways; others say they need more data to be sure.

Here's a roundup of what top leaders from vaccine makers have said about their fight against Omicron.

Moderna president Dr. Stephen Hoge said there's a good chance current vaccines won't hold up as well against the Omicron variant.

"I think that there's a real risk that we're going to see a decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccines," Hoge told ABC News on Sunday. "What I don't know is how substantial that is."

Hoge's comment mirrors what company CEO Stphane Bancel said last week:There's "going to be a material drop" in effectiveness against Omicron, he stated.

It would take three months for Moderna to produce a vaccine specifically for Omicron, Moderna's chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Burton, said last week.

CEO Alex Gorsky has been relatively quiet about Omicron and how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stacks up against the new variant.

Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of research and development for the company, said Omicron's presence shows that drugmakers must continue testing and monitoring COVID-19's mutations. J&J is currently testing its vaccine against Omicron, Mammen said.

"In parallel, we have begun work to design and develop a new vaccine against Omicron and will rapidly progress it into clinical studies if needed," Mammen said in astatement.

The company hasn't revealed a timeline for producing an Omicron-specific vaccine.

Pfizer has a vaccine shot it created alongside German biotech firm BioNTech, and scientists are currently testing the injection against Omicron. Pfizer is also developingan antiviral pill.

CEO Albert Bourlatold CNBC last week he was confident the pill would hold up to Omicron. Pfizer has said its pill called Paxlovid halts the virus from spreading in a person's body by deploying a new compound that can bind to an enzyme of the virus, blocking it from replicating inside infected cells.

Pfizer said last week it couldproduce an Omicron-tailored vaccinein "approximately 100 days," subject to regulatory approval.

CEO Pascal Soriot hasn't said much publicly about the new variant or if the company will need to develop a new vaccine against it.

The British drug manufacturer partnered with Oxford University to create its current vaccination, which is being used widely across the U.K. but is not approved for use in the U.S.

Existing coronavirus vaccinations, no matter who produced them, likely won't perform well against Omicron, said Oxford professor Sarah Gilbert, who helped create AstraZeneca's current jab.

"Until we know more, we should be cautious, and take steps to slow down the spread of this new variant," she told the BBC on Monday.

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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Will existing COVID-19 vaccines work against the Omicron variant? CEOs and scientists weigh in - CBS News