Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Some healthcare workers at Ascension St. John said they're looking for new jobs after they said they were not allowed to opt out of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In July, Ascension said it would require all employees get a vaccine by November or people would lose their jobs.

Many nurses and healthcare workers contacted News on 6, saying their exemption requests were denied and they feel they have no choice but to leave.

"I love helping people," said Rachael Parker. "I'm a people advocate."

That's why Parker went into nursing nearly 30 years ago. She was an ICU nurse for several years and most recently the stroke coordinator at Ascension Saint John.

"COVID is bad, I've been a patient myself," she said.

Ascension told all employees they must be fully vaccinated by November 12.

Parker said she has had two terrible reactions to vaccines in the past including kidney failure, so she requested a medical exemption.

"I have health issues that make me question taking the vaccine," she said. "I'm not negating it for anyone else."

Parker said it was denied, so she had no option but to quit.

"I had a lot of Ascension employees reach out to me," said Jeremy Strang.

Strang said he's also worked in healthcare for 30 years and helped many nurses request faith-based exemptions for the vaccine.

"I've done faith-based exceptions for 15 years from the flu vaccine," he said.

Several St. John nurses said their religious requests were denied and the company's response was they would cause "undue hardship to the organization" and "increased risk."

These nurses said it's a slap in the face after a year and a half on the frontlines and said patients are the ones who will truly suffer.

"This vaccine is never going to be a one size fits all," Parker said.

Ascension and Ascension St. John didn't respond to a media request before 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Oklahoma's Attorney General said Thursday there is no rule currently in place that requires employers to mandate the vaccine. He said if a federal rule does go into place, his office will ask for an injunction.

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Some Oklahoma Healthcare Workers Quit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate - News On 6

Oct 14, 2021 5:54 PM EDT

ABC NEWS More booster shots could be on the way. An FDA advisory committee voted on Modernas booster dose Thursday.

ABCs Reena Roy has the latest.

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Could more COVID-19 vaccine boosters be on their way? - Abccolumbia.com

Federal employees are now required to be fully vaccinated.

Federal and local vaccine mandates are slated to kick in shortly across the US. Los Angeles, for example, approved its strictest COVID-19 vaccination mandate yet, which will require people age 12 and older to be fully vaccinated before entering public indoor places, starting Nov. 4. While a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel is probably not near, in California, a judgeordered vaccine mandatesfor prison guards and staff. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says all students, elementary through high school, will berequired to get the shotonce it's fully approved for those age groups. (Currently, Pfizer's full approval extends to those 16 years and older.)

So far, the mandates are working as more people are getting vaccinated. For example, meat processor Tyson Foods now has a 91% vaccination rate among its employees. New York teachers have reached a 96% vaccination rate. But there's also opposition from some groups: A New York state mandate that all health care workers be vaccinated, with no religious exemptions, has sparked multiple legal challenges andfear of staffing shortages. Some students have reportedly withdrawn from college due to the mandates.

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President Joe Biden is seeking to put pressure on about 80 million more Americans to get vaccinated. Roughly1 in 500 people in the US have diedfrom COVID-19, and vaccination rates have slowed despite the uptick indelta variantcases. Meanwhile, more than 98%of people hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis between June and August this year were unvaccinated.

We'll explain who's required to get COVID-19 vaccines under the new administration plan. If you're already fully vaccinated and waiting to get a booster shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee has recommended one for those at high risk. Also, here's the latest on retrieving your vaccination card if you lost itand vaccines for kids.

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Announcing "a new plan to require more Americans to be vaccinated to combat those blocking public health," Biden rolled out his administration's Path Out of the Pandemic program, which aims to increase the vaccination rate by requiring shots across public and private sectors. Roughly 80 million Americans who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine have not been vaccinated. And as of July, 99% of COVID deaths were among the unvaccinated, who also make up 97% of hospitalizations.

Here's who's required to be vaccinated under the plan:

The strategyalso calls on state officials to make vaccinations mandatory for teachers and school staff. And the president called on entertainment venues to require proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter their facilities. The administration is also upping fines for those who fail to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses.

Since the White House announced new federalCOVID-19 vaccinemandates affecting roughly two-thirds of the US workforce, or up to 100 million people, it'sreceived backlashfrom congressional Republicans, as well as state and local officials.

Republican governors are threatening to fight the administration's new policies. Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the senior Republican on the House of Representatives committee overseeing health policy, said Biden "is using fear, control and mandates." The Republican National Committee has vowed to sue the Biden administration over the vaccine mandate.

Areport from the CDCon Sept. 17 shows that unvaccinated people were over 10 times more likely to become hospitalized or die from COVID-19, according to data from April through July: "Getting vaccinated protects against severe illness from COVID-19, including the delta variant."

Some companies that fall under the new vaccine mandate are facing challenges and questions about compliance and implementation of the policy, according to the Wall Street Journal. For example, businesses have to figure out who will be responsible for covering the cost of testing unvaccinated employees and whether they can authorize exemptions.

Several companies have announced plans for mandatory vaccinations, including airlines, cruise lines, concert halls, health care facilities and restaurants. Some of the requirements may include mask and testing guidelines, and some may only apply to employees traveling internationally, working in the office or having face-to-face interactions with customers. If any of these apply to you, check with your employer for more details.

Here are some of the companies that have announced vaccination requirements for employees:

In August, the Pentagon said that all 1.3 million active-duty service members will need to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The directive covers all active-duty members of the Armed Forces or in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard. The Department of Defense will make Pfizer shots accessible on military installations around the world. Service members who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines will still be considered fully vaccinated. There are some exemptions, including one for religious reasons, but theyaren't granted frequently.

In response to several cities requiring law enforcement officers to get vaccinated, police associations have come out openly against vaccine mandates. In Oregon, for example, police and firefighter associations are suing to block a state-level vaccine requirement.

Right now, members of the military are already required to get at least nine other vaccines -- up to 17 total vaccines -- depending on where they're deployed.

Several states, including California and New York, require state employees to be vaccinated. Additionally, several cities, like New York City and San Francisco, require proof of vaccination for inside dining, gyms and other indoor activities. Starting Thursday, Oct. 7, Los Angeles County will require proof of vaccination to enter indoor bars, nightclubs, breweries and wineries. This could eventually be extended to all public indoor places for everyone eligible to get the vaccine.

Nine states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have vaccination requirements for staff in K-12 schools.

More than 400 colleges and universitiesare also requiring vaccines for students who plan to take in-person classes.

Some cities require proof of vaccination to participate in indoor activities.

A federal vaccine mandate is not new. In 1977, for example, the federal government began an initiative to vaccinate up to 90% of the nation's children against seven diseases:

All 50 states require specific vaccines for students, with exemptions varying from state to state. Most school requirements follow the CDC's vaccine schedule for children.

At least 20 states with Republican governors, including Arkansas, Florida and Texas, prohibit proof-of-vaccination requirements. That means businesses, schools and local government institutions can't enforce a vaccine mandate. (The same goes for requiring face masks.) The prohibitions went into effect through either legislation or executive orders.

The latest came from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who on Monday issued an executive order banning all state entities, including private employers, from enforcing vaccine mandates.

Some governors are trying to prevent private employers, as well as the state, from requiring vaccines, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. Some are also trying to prevent the use ofvaccine passports, which show proof that you've been vaccinated against COVID-19.

For more information, here's what to know aboutbreakthrough infectionsamong the fully vaccinated. Also, here's what we know about thedelta plus variant.

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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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COVID-19 vaccine mandate: Here's the latest on who's required to have proof of vaccination - CNET

COVID-19 vaccine information for you

This is your centralized resource where youll find specific information for providers, health plans, state Medicaid programs, and Childrens Health Insurance Programs. Well regularly update our resources as more informations available.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Policies & Guidance | CMS

INDIANAPOLIS Data from the Indiana Department of Health shows a mostly steady decline in first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Data from the Indiana Department of Health shows during the delta surge, first- and second-dose vaccinations peaked at a 7-day average of more than 12,000 per day in late August.

As of Friday, that number has dropped by half to a 7-day average of 6,080 first- and second-dose vaccinations a day.

Several Indiana vaccine providers say theyve seen the decline firsthand.

We are getting some that are coming in for their first and second dose, but the majority are the boosters, said Tracy Anderson, COVID-19 vaccine clinics manager for Community Health Network. I would say 80% at least are booster.

Anderson said her team is focused on reaching more students by running vaccine clinics at schools.

We wanted to make sure that population had the opportunity to get vaccinated, and its not always easy for those parents to get to clinics, she said.

Other providers are also working to make the vaccine available in more places.

I just got off a call with community outreach getting into some of our high-risk community settings and offering vaccines there, said Mary Kay Foster, special pathogens program manager for IU Health.

Foster said she believes health care providers need to educate patients about the potential consequences of COVID if theyre not vaccinated.

What that hospital bill is going to be like, she said. I dont think people realize how expensive the care for COVID truly is.

Data from the state health department shows 56.4% of eligible Hoosiers are fully vaccinated.

On Friday, Gov. Eric Holcomb acknowledged it will take time to convince some Hoosiers to get the shot.

Well continue to lean into making sure that those resources are readily accessible, easy to access, and we try to be as persuasive as we can, Holcomb said.

Health officials urge people who have questions about the vaccine to speak with their doctor.

The Indiana Department of Health has not posted data on booster shots to the vaccine dashboard yet, but officials hope to get make that information available soon, according to a spokesperson.

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Indiana sees decline in first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccinations - Fox 59

Rome Central Rome was gripped with violence this weekend as thousands of protesters marched against the toughest new vaccine mandates in the world. All Italians will soon be required to show a coronavirus "Green Pass," proving either vaccination, recovery in the past six months, or a negative COVID-19 test from the past 48 hours to enter their workplaces.

What started off as a restless but peaceful demonstration against the looming measure in Rome's Piazza del Popolo ended up sparking a tinderbox when an offshoot of protesters stormed the headquarters of CGIL, Italy's oldest and biggest labor union.

When they marched toward the prime minister's office, police responded with water cannon and tear gas. Dozens of police officers were hurt in the melee.

In a bizarre twist, the unrest created a security incident for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was in Rome for a meeting with foreign leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Pope Francis. She was attending Mass at St. Patrick's Church and scheduled to give a reading when the chaos outside moved Italian government officials to remove the speaker and her husband from the premises.

Loud chants of "liberta'" (freedom) echoed throughout the Eternal City. Freedom, the protesters demanded, from the national vaccine mandate scheduled to go into effect on October 15.

The Green Pass has been required in Italy since August for anyone wishing to dine indoors, use long-distance trains or almost any form of leisure activity. But the new restrictions go further than any other country in the world, and some workers face suspension without pay if they fail to comply.

"I consider this to be criminal and cowardly blackmail by our highest institutions," said Maria Ballarin, a retiree who joined the march.

"There will finally be a revolution in Italy," said another protester, Carolina, who works in the fashion industry. "We won't go to work."

Some of the protesters accused of violence have been identified as card-carrying members of a neo-fascist political group. Roberto Fiore, the leader of the extreme-right group Forza Nuova, was among 12 people arrested. Forza Nuova remained unapologetic after the rioting.

"The popular revolution will not stop, with or without us, until the Green Pass is definitively withdrawn," the group said in a statement. "Saturday was a watershed between the old and the new. The people decided to raise the level of the clash."

Some Italian lawmakers are calling for such groups to be dismantled, recalling the 20-year fascist rule of dictator Benito Mussolini, who took over Italy's government almost 100 years go.

"The events... take us back to the darkest and most dramatic moments of our history and they are an extremely serious and unacceptable attack on democracy," said Valeria Fedeli, a Senator for the center-left Democratic Party.

Police said they had identified about 600 people who took part in the violence after studying video.

Despite the outrage of some over the national vaccine mandates, however, it's a minority opinion in Italy, where 80% of residents over the age of 12 are already fully vaccinated a government target that was reached on Saturday, the same day as the protests.

Only about 66% of over-12s in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated.

Polls show that most Italians believe the new rules will help ensure the hell of last year when the country literally ran out of space to bury its dead never happens again.

Italy has registered 131,274 deaths linked to COVID-19 since February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth-highest in the world.

Hospitalizations have been steadily declining since early summer.

Chris Livesay is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in Rome.

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Italy's toughest-in-the-world COVID-19 vaccine mandate sparks violent protests - CBS News

TAMPA, Fla. There are a lot of people who have been doing it. Theyve been mixing the doses, said Dr. Jill Roberts, Associate Professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

Doctors say people have been getting different kinds of COIVD-19 vaccine shots.

The biggest concern of course is that we never studied that and so theres no indication that if you get the Moderna shot, youre going to boost what Pfizer already did. And so essentially instead of acting like a booster, it acts like a different shot. Almost as if you got vaccinated by something different, said Roberts.

At this point, Pfizer is the only vaccine thats been given emergency use authorization to allow certain booster doses.

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Experts say thats why some people whove gotten Johnson & Johnson or Moderna shots have chosen to also get a Pfizer booster.

If youre concerned, if you really think that you need to have that booster shot, you want to boost the right thing, said Roberts.

One problem with that is, there are no safety or efficacy data on mixing doses.

I cant tell you it worked if you actually did that, said Roberts.

Doctors say people are also getting extra doses of their Johnson & Johnson or Modern shots, even though booster shots for those vaccines havent been authorized yet.

A lot of us in the age group that were talking about right now werent even vaccinated until April or May. So were not at that eight months time period anyway. So again you need to wait eight months before you get that booster shot so you might as well wait to see what happens with Moderna and J&J, said Roberts.

How is all of this happening? There was some initial confusion over who could get a booster. Also, experts say because COVID-19 vaccines are available all over, you can get a shot without submitting any medical paperwork.

So that person who is going to give you the shot or authorize that shot has no idea what your previous dose was or which shot you got before, said Roberts.

Doctors strongly advise against doing this.

It also prevents researchers from accurately tracking vaccine data.

Really it kind of creates a problem for monitoring and so we know from the clinical trial the boost looks fine. But until we get out it to thousands and thousands and thousands of people we dont have a full data set, said Roberts.

The FDA Advisory Committee is meeting this week to discuss expanding emergency use authorization to include more booster doses.

Theyll talk about Moderna on October 14 and Johnson & Johnson on October 15.

Always what I would say to anybody if you dont know what you should do, call your primary care physician and ask. Tell them what your history is. Tell that which shots you have or have not been given and ask them whats my next step, said Roberts.

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Doctors warn against mixing different types of COIVD-19 vaccine shots - ABC Action News

Americans are getting their COVID-19 vaccinations at a higher rate, according to newly updated figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The seven-day moving average pace of first doses accelerated for the first time in months, climbing for six consecutive days at the end of September.

The moving average showed 235,061 Americans started new COVID-19 vaccinations on September 25. That average climbed for six consecutive days to peak at 252,223 on September 30. Aside from single-day fluctuations, federal vaccination trends of first doses have mostly slowed since early August.

Overall, 76% of Americans eligible for a shot of COVID-19 vaccine have received at least one dose, and 66% are fully vaccinated.

This uptick comes as the Biden administration has been touting its efforts to promote vaccination requirements in the workplace, in hopes of strong-arming remaining holdouts into getting vaccinated.

"Folks, vaccination requirements work, and there's nothing new about them," President Biden said Thursday in Illinois, praising companies that have put vaccination mandates in place. "They've been around for decades. We've been living with these requirements throughout our lives."

The White House released a report this week crediting requirements imposed by organizations and companies with "significant progress" in raising vaccination rates, as well as an array of economic benefits.

The administration recently asked several large companies that do business with the federal government to impose vaccine mandates, including airlines. A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said the agency plans to issue emergency regulations requiring vaccinations in nursing homes and hospitals "in mid-to-late October." Mr. Biden said an emergency rule from the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration that would require vaccinations at large companies is expected "shortly."

"In total, this Labor Department vaccination requirement will cover 100 million Americans, about two-thirds of all the people who work in America," the president said.

The recent acceleration in first doses has unfolded unevenly across the U.S. CDC data show half of states averaging around the same or a slower pace of first doses compared to the week prior.

Massachusetts, which this week became the second state to reach 90% of adult residents with at least one dose, has seen the fourth largest percentage increase in these vaccinations. First doses in Hawaii, the first to reach 90%, have mostly slowed in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, vaccinations among children have dropped nationwide, according to a weekly analysis by the American Academy of Pediatrics. First-dose vaccinations at the end of September slowed to "the lowest number since vaccines were available."

The surge in first doses came as many Americans flocked to receive booster shots. Since August 13, when the government authorized additional doses for some who are immunocompromised, 5,305,113 have received a booster shot of Pfizer's vaccine.

Pennsylvania is the most populous state to post a double-digit percentage increase in first doses.

"Pennsylvanians continue to step up to get vaccinated every day, and we are proud of our continued progress," Maggi Barton, deputy press secretary for Pennsylvania's health department, said in an email.

First doses in Pennsylvania have surged from below 9,000 daily on September 23 to over 15,000 earlier this month. Only New Hampshire has posted a larger percentage increase in first doses. Barton credited Pennsylvania's work "to educate and address vaccine hesitancy" with the uptick.

CBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic.

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New COVID-19 vaccinations accelerated for first time in months, amid increase in vaccine mandates - CBS News

A petition to mandate coronavirus vaccines for all eligible students and staff in Virginia schools has accumulated nearly 6,000 comments online setting a record for the Virginia Department of Healths typically sleepy regulatory process.

The request was submitted last month as a public petition to the Virginia Board of Health. Under state law, any resident can ask an agency to craft new regulations, according to Joseph Hilbert, VDHs deputy commissioner for governmental and regulatory affairs.

But amid ongoing debates over requiring COVID-19 immunizations for students both in Virginia and across the country the public petition process presents a unique way for concerned parents to make their case. The Virginia Department of Health must consider the request, even as state leaders appear reluctant to broach the issue.

Gov. Ralph Northam has so far been hesitant to implement a statewide requirement, saying its a decision that would have to be passed by the General Assembly. James Lane, the states superintendent of public instruction, shares the same view. So far, California remains the only state to mandate the vaccines for all K-12 students, both in public and private schools.

Were in the process now of determining whether were going to grant this petition, Hilbert said. Honestly, we dont get a whole lot of them. And this one is a record-setter as far as the comments weve received.

The request was filed on Sept. 1, and the period for public comment ends Oct. 17. After that, the Virginia Department of Health has 90 days to issue a decision on whether or not to accept it a process that involves reviewing all 5,992 comments (most strongly in opposition to a potential requirement) currently submitted online.

At this point, Id be willing to bet that well probably get many, many more, Hilbert said. If the department granted the petition, it would kick off the process of crafting new regulations and determining how to implement the requirements statewide,

The petition specifically calls for the department to mandate COVID-19 vaccines both for all eligible students and for all eligible school employees, with only medical exemptions permitted. The petitioner, listed as Kristen Calleja, wrote that her 10th-grade daughter and all other kids have sacrificed much over the past 18 months. But with the school year already disrupted by infections and quarantines, she wrote, vaccine requirements are one of the only ways to ensure safe attendance.

My daughter and all other students should have a right to be able to attend school without being unnecessarily put at risk by other students and teachers who refuse to be vaccinated, Calleja said. The irrational minority should not be dictating the public health policy for Virginia or the schools. Attempts to reach Calleja for comment were unsuccessful.

Petitioning for the state to change its school immunization requirements through regulations, rather than legislation, is largely unprecedented. A 2020 law that updated Virginias school immunization requirements did include language allowing the Board of Health to fast-track changes or additions to the schedule. But its still not entirely clear whether the department can require COVID-19 vaccines for students without approval by the state legislature.

Theres a lot of overlap in the child immunization requirements between whats in the code and whats in our regulations, Hilbert said. But we would definitely work closely with the administration in making a determination on this petition.

Northams spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, pointed out that additions to Virginias immunization code have historically been decided by the General Assembly.

Governor Northam thinks thats appropriate, she said. We are still a long way from that point, as you know, since the COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been approved for children 5-12. Right now the governor is focused on our upcoming major effort to vaccinate children once FDA approves it for emergency use.

Children 12 and older are currently eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and the company asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize the shots for 5- to 11-year-olds on Thursday. That raises the possibility theyll become available for younger children within the next few weeks.

Children appear less vulnerable than adults to severe cases of COVID-19, but the rise of the delta variant led to an increase in childhood cases and hospitalizations. As a result, public health experts widely recommend vaccinating children to curb the spread of disease and reduce the risk of more serious infections.

Vaccinating adults is also one of the best ways of protecting children from the disease.

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Petition asks the Virginia Department of Health to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in schools - Virginia Mercury

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Kansans are still showing up in big numbers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment shared this breakdown of COVID shots given since Friday morning:

Of Kansans who are eligible to get vaccinated, 62.07% have at least one dose of vaccine in them, and 55.48% are finished with the vaccine series.

The KDHE updates the states coronavirus data at the same time it updates the vaccine data.

It says 15 more Kansas deaths have been linked to COVID-19, bringing the states death toll to 6,142. It also reports 75 new COVID-19 hospitalizations since Friday. The KDHE does not track recoveries.

Over the weekend, 1,699 Kansans tested positive for the coronavirus, while 3,696 tested negative. Of those who tested positive, 28 have the COVID-19 delta variant.

Kansas and Oklahoma county coronavirus cases updated Oct. 11, 2021Kansas delta variant cases updated Oct. 11, 2021Sources:Kansas Department of Health and EnvironmentOklahoma State Department of Health

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Almost 25,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses given to Kansans over the weekend - KSN-TV