Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Customers at Seattle-area restaurants, gyms and other indoor venues will soon be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 under a new county health order issued Thursday.

The order, which goes into effect Oct. 25, mandates that indoor restaurants and bars with the capacity to seat at least 12 people require all customers 12 years of age and older to provide proof of vaccination prior to entry.

The requirements also apply to indoor entertainment and recreational venues, including movie theaters, museums and sports arenas in Seattles King County.

County Health Officer JeffDuchin also noted in the order that starting Oct. 25, outdoor venues with 500 or more people must require attendees to provide proof of vaccination, with restaurants and bars with a seating capacity of less than 12 required to put a vaccine mandate in place starting Dec. 6.

Duchinnoted that in lieu of a vaccine card, customers and patrons may also present documentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours, or a negative rapid test administered by a testing provider on site at the event site.

The order defines fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as 14 days past an individuals final dose of a Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine.

Duchinsaid the order will remain in effect for at least six months, adding, I strongly recommend that employers and event organizers require vaccination for the workers and volunteers at the events and establishments covered by this order.

The mandate is similar to ones recently issued by citiessuch as New York and San Francisco for indoor events and activities as local governments aim to boost economic activity while also encourage more vaccinations amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

According to data from the countrys health department, nearly 74 percent of the areas total population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 68 percent fully vaccinated.

In an effort to boost vaccination rates, the Washington state government has implemented inoculation requirements for state employees, school workers and health care workers.

Under Washington Gov. Jay InsleeJay Robert InsleeSeattle area to require COVID-19 vaccine to enter indoor venues Washington state troopers, firefighters sue over vaccine mandate Washington state enacting mask mandate for large outdoor events MOREs (D) mandate, all state employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 or risk being blocked from working.

The measure has prompted pushback from some public employees, dozens of whom filed a lawsuit against Inslee last week, arguing that the mandate was an abuse of power and violated the states constitution.

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Seattle area to require COVID-19 vaccine to enter indoor venues | TheHill - The Hill

People who are unvaccinated will need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours if they want to dine indoors in King County.

SEATTLE Anyone dining inside a King County bar or restaurant, attending an indoor event or outdoor event with more than 500 people must be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 25, according to a new order passed down by Public Health Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Duchin.

Duchin was joined by King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and several business and health leaders at the press conference Thursday afternoon.

County officials decided the order was necessary in order to lighten the load on area hospitals that are seeing some of the highest rates of COVID-19 admissions ever, Duchin said. Deaths are also on the rise, as documented on the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

One King County resident is hospitalized for COVID-19 every hour, and one King County resident dies from COVID-19 every eight hours, according to county data.

Paired with King County's 85% vaccination rate, officials said they preferred the vaccination order over bringing back capacity restrictions.

For people who are unvaccinated or people who don't have proof of vaccination, they will need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72-hours to comply with the order. Officials said they delayed the effective date of the order so those who have not yet had the opportunity to get vaccinated can complete their vaccination series.

Vaccination requirements don't apply to outdoor dining, take-out customers or places that aren't primarily used as restaurants, like grocery stores. The requirements do apply to performance venues and gyms. Small restaurants with the capacity for less than 12 people will have until Dec. 6 to make the change.

A CDC COVID-19 vaccine card or a photo of one, a printed certificate or QR code from MyIRMobile.com, documentation from a medical record or a vaccine provider, or a vaccine verification app approved by the Washington State Department of Health are all considered proof of vaccination.

According to a report from the University of Washington's Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), King County's COVID-19 outbreak is expected to worsen over the next six months. Without the vaccine verification requirement, the county could see an additional 300,000 new infections in King County, 8,000 additional hospitalizations and up to 1,000 or more additional deaths.

IHME estimated the verification requirement could prevent between 17,900 and 75,900 infections, between 421 and 1,760 hospitalizations and between 63 and 257 deaths.

CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association Cassie Sauer thanked King County officials for passing down the order, saying "We think it's so visionary, and so looking into the future and making sure our hospitals are protected."

Sauer said hospitals are having to delay necessary care for many patients, including care for cancerous tumors, spine surgery, colostomy reversal and other procedures.

"It's a very serious situation," Sauer said. "We're ringed by states right now that have gone into crisis standards of care. Crisis standards is rationing care, it's choosing who lives and dies based on the amount of resources you have. We want to do everything we can in this state to not have that happen, this should not be happening in America today with a pandemic you can see coming, and is preventable."

The order follows a similar one requiring proof of vaccination to dine indoors in Jefferson and Clallam counties, passed down in early September. Several venues around Seattle and King County have also already passed down COVID-19 vaccination requirements, including Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park and Climate Pledge Arena.

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King County to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms and events starting Oct. 25 - KING5.com

Across the globe, 5.86 billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered, and 29.91 million shots are given on a daily basis. The COVID-19 vaccines rollout has proven a crucial tool in our fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We are starting to see life return to varying forms of "normal" as an increasing number of people are immunized in different regions of the world. Importantly, the more people that receive their vaccine, the more real-time data we are gathering on the side effects that the different authorized vaccines can have both common and rare.One side effect that has been reported to the Yellow Card scheme and that was not studied in the vaccine clinical trials is changes to the menstrual cycle. Increasing calls for this phenomenon to be explored further led to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dedicating $1.67 million of funding to this area of unmet need.

Victoria Male, lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, recently published an editorial in the British Medical Journal addressing the "plausible link" between COVID-19 vaccines and menstrual cycle changes. In the piece, she wrote that a key lesson from the vaccine rollout is that the effects of medical interventions on menstruation should not be an afterthought in future research.

Technology Networks interviewed Dr. Male to learn more about the plausible link and what kind of research she would like to see in this space. Dr. Male also discussed why a lack of conversation surrounding menstruation may lead individuals to conceal information in this context.

Molly Campbell (MC): Why might an immune response, such as that which is triggered by vaccination, influence the menstrual cycle?Victoria Male (VM): I should make it clear that we dont know for sure that this is happening yet, but we can imagine at least two biologically plausible mechanisms. One is that a perturbation to the immune system, such as occurs after vaccination or infection, could affect sex hormones and that this in turn will affect the menstrual cycle. The other is that the immune cells that help control the build-up and break down of the lining of the uterus could be affected by the general activation of the immune response, and this could in turn affect the timing and heaviness of bleeding.

MC: There is no evidence that suggests that COVID-19 vaccines adversely impact fertility. Can you expand on some of this evidence?VM: There are two situations in which we have compared pregnancy rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. One was in the clinical trials, in which accidental pregnancies occurred at the same rate in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Following the general rollout of the vaccines, we also have comparisons of vaccinated and unvaccinated IVF patients and again theres no difference in pregnancy rate, or any measure of fertility.

MC: Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with menstrual changes. Can you talk more about these changes?VM: One study looked at around 30,000 Japanese teenagers. In this group, those who had had the HPV vaccine were more likely to report heavy or irregular periods than those who had not. In this study, the participants knew whether they had received the vaccine or not indeed, had chosen whether to receive it so it is not as good evidence as we would get in a proper trial. But nonetheless, it is suggestive.

MC: Why is the way in which the Yellow Card data is collected making it difficult to form firm conclusions?VM: At the time I wrote the article, there were 30,000 reports of changes to periods following vaccination to the Yellow Card reporting scheme, but what we really want to do is compare the rates at which people experience these changes following vaccination to the rates at which they would normally experience them and see if there is a difference. Yellow Card does not collect all the data we would need to calculate the rates even in people who are vaccinated, let alone those who are unvaccinated.

Thats not to say I think Yellow Card is a bad scheme by the way. It is very good at doing what it was designed to do detecting severe adverse events that rarely happen in unvaccinated people.

MC: What impact might the reported changes have on vaccine hesitancy and how can we look to combat this?VM: It is important to say that most people who have noticed a change find their period goes back to normal very quickly, and that research shows that theres no impact of vaccination on fertility. These are the two main concerns that come up. But you can understand that people might be worried by this and thats why I think it is important to do this research. Then, we will definitively be able to say either no, theres no difference or yes, this is a side effect like fever or fatigue that happens to X percent of people, so you shouldnt worry if it happens to you.

MC: What research would you like to see conducted into menstrual changes following COVID-19 vaccination?VM: We really need approaches that measure the chance that you will have say a late period in any given cycle, and then compare that rate to the rate of late periods following vaccination. One way of doing this is to recruit people before they get their vaccine and ask them to track their cycles before and after vaccination. A higher-tech way is to take advantage of the data that exists already from menstrual cycle tracking apps although the difficulty there is that you then have to add a function that allows people to log their vaccines to the app.

MC: You state that an important lesson here is that the effects of medical interventions on menstruation should not be an afterthought in medical research. Why do you think this has been an afterthought in this case?VM: In the trials, information was solicited about events that were expected but not serious, such as fever and fatigue, or serious. Since changes to the menstrual cycle didnt fit in either of these categories, it wasnt solicited and most people wont volunteer information about their periods unless specifically asked. This is partly because we dont talk about our periods as much as maybe we should. This lack of discussion not only means that people didnt volunteer information, it also means that people designing trials dont necessarily have this in the forefront of their minds.

Victoria Male was speaking to Molly Campbell, Science Writer for Technology Networks.

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Why We Need To Investigate Menstrual Changes After COVID-19 Vaccination - Technology Networks

On a recent muggy Sunday evening, four Detroiters decided it was time to hang out again downtown.

Khadeeja Abdulrafee, Aminah Doukoure, Santonio Williams and Steven Pharker, who had been friends for years,believed it would be a great day to party in the streets becauseeveryone was off workthe next day,Labor Day. While they walked up alongsideGreektown Casino, thepackall smiles, laughter and chatting while drinking alcohol disguised in traveling cupsseemed to have a lot in common.

That is,except one thing: the COVID-19 vaccine.

I feel like you're compromising your body itself with getting the vaccine, Williams, 29, said to the group. You never had that vaccine before now so whatever they are putting in thatmedicine has never entered your body."

Pharker, 30, who is vaccinated,replied to Williams: So you dont think its safe?

No,I do not, Williams and Abdulrafee said inunison.

Despite widespread efforts to vaccinate Detroiters against the coronavirus, young people remain divided over the issue among even close friends, keeping the city far behind its goal.

More than 43% of eligible Detroit residentshave received at leastone vaccinedose, but that figure trailssurrounding suburban counties and the state as a whole by significant margins.The citys older population those between ages65 and74 has the best performance, with nearly 70%notching their first dose. So it's much younger people, especially those in their teens and 20s, who have fallen far behind,keeping the city's overall progress depressed, city records show.

We want to reach 70% of community immunity and we just arent there yet,said Denise Fair, chief health officer of the Detroit Health Department.

There are about 106,000 out of 639,111 residents in the city who are in their 20s.Less than one out of every five of them have been vaccinated. The ages 12 through 15 setis bringing up the rear with the lowest vaccination rate,though vaccines were only authorized for the younger group in May.

Fear is keeping some like 29-year-old Abdulrafee from the vaccine, saying they don't trust the long-term side effects.

"In the long run, I think something is going to happen to people who took the vaccine, said Abdulrafee, who works as a postal carrier. "Unless my job forces me to get it, I'm not getting it.Keeping my job to support my family is the only way that I would be willing to put myself at risk and take this vaccine."

Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate who served as the city's health director,said despite the anxiety among some about the new vaccine, the underlying sciencehas a long history.

I remember reading about it when I was in medical school. You think about the hundreds of millions of people whove been vaccinated. Weve been closely watching the side-effect profile. These are probably some of the best vaccines that are understood right now, El-Sayed said.

Part of the challenge may be that the city government itself doesn't have a vaccine mandate.About 9,000 people work for the city and are not currently required to be vaccinated, according to John Roach, spokesperson for the mayor's office. But they are required to be tested every other week.

Another hurdle for public officials is convincing a generation once largely immune from the worst of COVID-19 that they are now at greater risk.

About 18 months ago, younger people were not getting COVID. It was the older generation, Fair said. Younger people felt they were invincible because they are healthy, they dont have as many chronic diseases. We are intentional about meeting them where they are and that, yes they too can get COVID."

More: Vaccinating Michigan: Tracking the progress of the state's COVID-19 vaccine rollout

More: Getting vaccinated is an act of revolution for Black Americans | Opinion

More: A distrust, based on history, keeping many Black Detroiters from getting COVID-19 vaccine

Fair also wants to highlight the experience of other youngpeople like 18-year-old Jordan Banks. In an interview, Banks said she, unlike many other people her age, chose to get vaccinated because she knows all too well that COVID-19 is real regardless of how old you are.

"I actually caught COVID last December" said Banks."I was in the house for a whole week and I could not do anything. I was scared and.... I didn't receive a sense of calmness until I recovered from it."

Greater serenity for Banks came inApril when she got her Pfizervaccine.

"The real relief came when they created the vaccine and I got it just for that," she said."And after the shot, I was relieved to be able to go out and do what I needed to do and feel some sense of protection."

Fair said the city expanded drive-through options to catch all young people where they are at churches, bars, restaurants, parksand even their homes.More than 1,500 appointments forvaccinations have already been made. Anyone can make an appointment by calling 313-230-0505.

"We knocked on over 300,000doors in the community, letting Detroiters know about the importance of the vaccineand where to get it," Fair said.

The city is attempting to reach younger crowds where they spend a lot of their time. The health department launched a social media campaign available either through TikTok or Instagram Reel where locals can create educational videos about the vaccine and staying safe from COVID-19 through a song, dance, skit, interview or any othercreative form. The winner will be featured on a billboard. Entries are limited to ages 13-29 and must include"#LetsGetReal" in the video and caption and tag @Dethealth.

We definitely see the strengths of the social media aspect of it," said Roshanak Mehdipanah, assistant professor of public health and urban researcher at the University of Michigan. "I think with COVID, TikTok has taken off to a whole different level so anything to try to get people motivated, to try to get people informed about it, thats really helpful.

Mehdipanah added that it's important to havecommunity members going out to these homes and having a conversation with individuals, and giving people an opportunity to ask questions.

However, more needs to be done. El-Sayed said theres a level ofinvincibility among the younger crowd that can behard to overcome.Whileincentives have been effectiveto boost numbers,he said,the effect eventually wears off.

"Mandates we've seen are probably the most important and valuable thing. While we have had real mandates at the level of businesses and employees, we havent seen much consumer-oriented vaccine mandates," El-Sayed said.

To boost vaccinations, El-Sayed highlightedFrance's mandates, which involvedtightening pandemic restrictions by requiring vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests to enter businesses or events. Doing so led to 800,000 shots in a day.

He added that with a newmandatefrom President Joe Biden targetinglarge employers, "I think theres going to be a lot of smaller businesses following suit because theres a precedent."

Biden also proposed that employers offer paid time off for employees to get vaccinated, which El-Sayed applauded as a difference-maker.

ForTiba Robinson, a 46-year-old city employee who avoided the vaccine until recently, getting the shotdidn't feel like achoice.

I had to get vaccinated because my job demanded it," said Robinson, who is also a Detroit influencer and event promoter,

It was like, 'do I want to keep my job and continue living my comfortable lifestyle?'"Robinson said, while celebrating his 20-year anniversary of #HushSignatureSundays at Floods Bar & Grille in Detroit. It was basically either I get vaccinated or I have to take a COVID test every Monday to keep my job. And who wants to keep getting that swab up their nose?

More:Bidens COVID-19 vaccine mandate could have a major impact on Michigan workplaces

More: COVID-19 vaccine clinics in metro Detroit use churches, radio to reach minorities

More: Your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, answered

Vicki Kovariis leadingthe city's effort to dispatchcanvassers armed witheducational postcards and text messagesintothe crowdswho may beuncertain about the vaccine.

"We're really trying to get people to feel more comfortable," Kovari said in an interview. "Thats our main target right now, people who are just not sure."

ForAntoinette White on the city's east side, the effort may not make a difference.

"Every day, I turn on the news and I'm constantly hearing something about this vaccine," said White, 33. "Like, over time, it loses its effectiveness and you'll need another dose and even if you are vaccinated, the person may still get sickor after being vaccinated, someone suddenly passed away.

"Why would I go put this in my body?How is this vaccine more beneficial to me than whatever I have been doing within the last year and a half?"

But more information may convince Abdulrafee, who goes by the name KD FYA as a Detroit rap artist, into a change of heart.

She said she hasn'treceived any literature about the vaccine from the city,nor has anyone knocked on the door of her west-side home. However, she said it is possible more educationcould sway her into getting the vaccine if she believed the information to be "credible."

That's part of the reason Kovari's goal is to educate residents through individual appointments and greater access to the vaccine. The biggest challenge canvassers faceis with the younger crowd and theirlack of urgency, Kovari said.

Of the people who haveresponded to neighborhood canvassers, more than one third say theyhave already been vaccinated or have an appointmentto do so.Of the remaining majority,about40% said theyare uncertainabout what course they will take.

"But in the last month, the city saw an uptick inappointments after schools required vaccinations," Kovari added.

Tristan Taylor, 28, an organizer with the protest group Detroit Will Breathe, said he encourages people in his age rangeto get the vaccine like he did.

Taylor believes it's a "combination of uncertainty and distrust of the science behind it."

Taylor said specificallyfor the younger group, they feel that they're being used more just to stop the spread of the virus withno concern for what can happen to them if they take the vaccine.

Abdulrafee, who had COVID-19 with onlymilder symptoms, said she is just going to trust God who may have brought the disease to the world for a purpose.She'll also take her chances without the vaccine, despite growing entreaties from city officials about the dangers to her age group.

"Some people are going to get the virus and some aren't and I just pray that neither myself or anyone in my family gets it," she said. "And I just keep moving on with my life because this virus is not going to scare me into doing stuff to my body where I don't really know what is going to happen to me."

Text your ZIP code to 438829.Youll receive an immediate response with a list of vaccination sites in your area, a number you can call if you need more help, and information on how you might get a free ride to the location using Uber or Lyft.

Search for vaccine locations by ZIP code.https://www.vaccines.gov/search/.

The Detroit Free Press is conductinga surveyas part of this project on vaccine hesitancy. This survey will take less than 2 minutes to complete. It is anonymous unless you choose otherwise; sharing your email address is optional.

Contact Dana Afana: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DanaAfana

Contact Jasmin Barmore:jmbarmore@freepress.com. Follow her onInstagram or Twitter at @bjasminmarie.

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Detroit remains far behind in reaching vaccination goal. One problem? Young people. - Detroit Free Press

Singapore Airlines flight crew members walk along the transit hall of the Changi International Airport in Singapore on September 3, 2021.Photo: Roslan Rahman/AFP (Getty Images)

Countries around the world are racing to get their populations vaccinated, with 30% of the globe now protected against serious disease and death from covid-19. But some countries are doing better than others since Gizmodo last checked back in July.

Sadly, the U.S. has slipped from 18th place to 40th, with many wealthy countries getting vaccines in arms much faster than America over the past few months. The U.S. covid-19 vaccination rate currently sits at a stubbornly low 54.44%.

The list below shows the percentage of each countrys population thats been vaccinated, based on data from Johns Hopkins University. Weve also included each countrys population numbers for perspective, though the best vaccination rates in the world arent necessarily dominated by small countries anymore. China, for example, has vaccinated over 69% of its population of 1.4 billion people, well above the U.S., which has a population of just 328 million people.

But smaller countries also saw significant gains, including Singapore, population 5.7 million, which did an exceptional job over the past couple of months, going from 21st in the world to third best vaccination rate on the planet. Singapore now has over 79% of its population now vaccinated and its opening up its economy in significant ways.

As the New York Times points out in an article over the weekend, the U.S. now ranks among the lowest vaccination rates for wealthy countries. Some wealthy countries like Australia are still struggling, with just 33.79% of its population vaccinated, but thats way up from 12.18% back in late July. Japan is another rich country that has struggled with its vaccine rollout, currently ranking below the U.S. at only 49.96% fully vaccinated.

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Americas relatively low vaccination rate is having devastating effects for everybody, with a surge in new cases and hospitalizations the country hasnt seen since 2020. The U.S. is averaging over 145,000 new cases each day and 1,648 new deaths.

The pandemic isnt going to end until every country achieves vaccination rates like the countries at the top of this list. But right now, thats looking increasingly difficult in countries like the U.S., where covid-19 vaccination has become weaponized as a political issue by the likes of Fox News and far-right wing politicians.

According to the most recent polling among registered voters by Civiqs, 91% of Democrats have been vaccinated for covid-19 with another 4% of Democrats who say they plan to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, just 53% of Republicans have been vaccinated, with an additional 2% saying they plant to get vaccinated. According to the same poll, 38% of Republicans say they have no plans to get vaccinated against covid-19.

Get vaccinated today if you havent already, no matter where you are in the world. Its the least you can do to help get us out of this pandemic. The covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective, despite whatever craven nonsense is being spouted today on Fox News. You dont even need to get vaccinated for anyone else. Get vaccinated for yourself and dramatically decrease your chance of serious disease and death from covid-19. Itll be the best selfish decision you make all year.

Correction: The population of the United Kingdom was originally listed as 56.6 million. Its actually 66.6 million. Gizmodo regrets the error.

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50 Countries With the Best Covid-19 Vaccination Rates in the World - Gizmodo

As the number of COVID-19 infections continue to rise, despite readily available vaccines, venues in the entertainment business are once again fearing for the future of their businesses. Indoor gathering spaces for dozens or hundreds of people remain a high risk for spreading the virus.

And so many of those entertainment venues in Pennsylvania are starting to set COVID-19 safety requirements that are even more stringent than those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Chief among them is requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test, prior to entry.

For Todd Fogdall, president and CEO of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York, the decision came from an effort to determine what do we need to do to move our business forward, during this time of great unknown and uncertainty, for both their employees and their customers.

It was a number of things, Fodgall said. It was observing the onset of the Delta variant and the impact of that, and our continual conversations that weve been having. What do we need to be doing for our staff, our artists, our audience members? And at the same time, we have had artists approaching us and saying, This is what we are going to require for us to do the show in your venue.

Singer Ben Folds, for example, had been scheduled to perform at the Appell Center in August, but is one of many artists who now requires all audience members to show proof of vaccination. Fogdall estimates that at least one in four touring artists coming to the Appell Center are asking for the same.

In recent weeks, vaccine requirements were also put in place by artists such as Jason Isbell, who performed in Harrisburg as part of Harrisburg Universitys summer concert series, and acts including Maroon 5 and the Jonas Brothers for their concerts at the Hersheypark Stadium.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, which operates the Hersheypark Stadium, Giant Center and Hershey Theatre, doesnt have a policy requiring guests to be vaccinated or to have a negative test. But a Hershey entertainment spokesperson said the company would work with each touring show to abide by their policies if they want to require guests to be vaccinated or tested.

More and more venues are making vaccine requirements their blanket policy.

More than 30 theaters in Philadelphia this week said visitors must now show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. New York Citys Broadway theaters, which reopened this week, all now require proof of vaccination.

Major concert promotion companies Live Nation and AEG Presents ask the same of audiences at their venues or festivals. And the same steps are being taken nationwide, from Minnesota to Arizona.

Fogdall said the concert with Ben Folds was able to be rescheduled to a date after the company was ready to require vaccines for every show. That policy went into place on Sept. 15.

That was definitely a big eye opener for us, he said. And if we do not institute these kinds of policies, theyre going to be canceled, or events are going to have to be rescheduled. And we in the performing arts business, and our audiences, are very tired of events being rescheduled. Its not a very sound business model.

Harrisburgs three theater companies Theatre Harrisburg, Open Stage and Gamut Theatre have all instituted their own vaccine requirements for patrons. So too has the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.

We wanted to ensure that we were doing everything we could, to do our part in helping stop the spread of COVID-19, said Alison Reed Fry, director of marketing and administration at Theatre Harrisburg. And so in looking at Broadway, as well as other local theatre groups and the community overall, we thought it was the right move to help protect everyone.

Fry added that as a community theater, the board and staff of Theatre Harrisburg felt that we have to make sure that were actually protecting the community.

The same vaccine requirements apply to the staff and volunteers at both Theatre Harrisburg and the Appell Center.

Some exceptions exist at nearly all venues usually, for those too young to get the vaccine, or for those with suppressed immune systems. A negative COVID-19 test is generally the alternative offered those people. And at nearly all indoor venues, some version of a mask requirement remains, either for the unvaccinated or for the entire audience, except when eating or drinking.

As with all COVID-19 mitigation measures, the issue is likely to remain divisive along partisan political lines. But thus far, Fry said, the Theatre Harrisburg audience has largely responded to the new rules with relief. Those in favor of the vaccine requirement have thus far outnumbered those who oppose it.

Ive got a lot of resounding positive feedback from the community, thanking us for protecting everyone, she said. Very little negative feedback at all. Truly, it was a very positive reinforcement to why we made this decision.

At the Appell Center, Fogdall said that its pretty much been a wash in terms of positive and negative response.

While a small number now refuse to attend and have demanded refunds, an equal number have specified that the new requirements have convinced them to buy tickets when they werent sure before.

When we first announced this, there were definitely vocal members of our patronage who were not happy about the policy, Fogdall said. We have also heard positive comments and very supportive comments. People say, Well, this gives me a lot more confidence in attending, and spending two hours sitting 500 to 1,000 other people. So weve we very much have heard both.

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More Pa. theaters, concert venues require COVID-19 vaccines to get in: The right move to help protect everyo - PennLive

Sanford Health is offering several options to get the seasonal influenza (flu) vaccination. Patients will have the option to also get the COVID-19 vaccination at the same time.

Find a flu shot: Immunization clinics, events and appointments at Sanford Health

Drive-thru vaccination events will be offered to adults and children at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, on Saturday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to noon. Appointments are needed to control the flow of traffic. Patients must make an appointment by going to My Sanford Chart or by calling 1-877-701-0779. There will be multiple lanes for vehicles and those walking, biking or using public transportation.

Sanford will also host an indoor vaccination event at the Fargodome on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. Patients must make an appointment by going to My Sanford Chart or by calling 1-877-701-0779.

The nasal mist flu vaccine will not be available at the blitzes.

Sanford Southpointe Clinic, 2400 32ndAve. S., Fargo, is hosting a vaccination event for adults and children on Saturday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 30, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Patients must make an appointment by going to My Sanford Chart or by calling 1-877-701-0779.

Flu vaccinations are now available at all Fargo metro Sanford primary care clinics by appointment only. In addition, all Sanford specialty care clinics are also offering vaccinations this year. Patients will be offered the flu vaccine during any regular Sanford visit. Patients must make an appointment by going to My Sanford Chart or by calling 1-877-701-0779.

The nasal mist flu vaccine will not be available at the vaccination events.

COVID-19 vaccines will also be available the same time as the flu vaccinations. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for individuals 12 years of age and older. The second dose of the vaccine should be received 21 days after the first dose. Patients will be asked to wear face masks and follow social distancing guidelines. If you dont have a face mask, Sanford will provide one for you.

For more information on how to get a flu shot, visit sanfordhealth.org/flu.

Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccination annually to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or transmitting it to others. Certain groups are at higher risk and are strongly recommended to receive the vaccination:

To prevent transmission to high-risk populations, vaccination is also recommended for:

Posted In Coronavirus, Fargo, Flu, Immunizations, News

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Sanford Health offers flu and COVID-19 vaccinations - Sanford Health News

One of the biggest questions heading into the 2021-22 NBA season was if the league would require players to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and on Tuesday we got our answer. The league will not require vaccinations for players, according to Baxter Holmes and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The National Basketball Players Association has reportedly refused to budge from its stance against mandatory shots for players.

While players won't be required to get vaccinated, a vast majority already have been. Around 85 percent of the league's players are vaccinated, a league spokesman said recently, via the New York Times. Unvaccinated players will be subject to a much stricter set of health and safety protocols compared to their vaccinated peers. The league won't test fully-vaccinated players regularly this season,per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Earlier this month, the league told teams that new local COVID-19 requirements in New York and San Francisco regarding vaccine requirements will be enforced for members of the teams in those cities -- Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks -- including players, unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption, per ESPN.

Unlike the players, NBA referees are required to be fully vaccinated for the upcoming season. Regarding referees, the league released the following statement:

The NBA announced today that it has reached an agreement with the National Basketball Referees Association requiring vaccinations for all referees working NBA games during the 2021-22 season.

The agreement specifies that all referees must be fully vaccinated unless they have a religious or medical exemption. The referees have also agreed to take any recommended boosters. Any referee who does not get vaccinated and is not exempt will be ineligible to work games.

In addition to referees, the league is requiring all team and arena personnel who regularly interact with players and referees to be vaccinated,per The Athletic's Shams Charania. That includes coaches, front-office members, medical and equipment staff, player development, team and arena security, social media team members, PR employees and those who work at the scorer's table.

It also includes any personnel who will work near the court, like broadcasters and photographers. Back-of-house team and arena operations will also be required to be vaccinated. The deadline for team personnel to be fully vaccinated is Oct. 1,per ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.

With a majority of the players and virtually all team and arena personnel vaccinated, the league is clearly hoping that it won't have to postpone nearly as many games as it did a season ago.

More:

COVID-19 vaccine will not be required for NBA players ahead of new season, per report - CBS Sports

In my work as a primary care physician assistant, I regularly advocate to all patients that they get the COVID-19 vaccine. One question I am regularly asked: The C19 vaccine was rushed, how do I know its safe?

I think medicine in general struggles to explain complex subjects in a media environment where only sound bites are heard and only a few characters are read. Nuance and long explanations are difficult. So I want to be clear with my patients in my community: The COVID-19 vaccines are incredibly SAFE and are incredibly EFFECTIVE. If you have not gotten vaccinated yet, do not wait, GO GET VACCINATED.

Importantly, no steps in the approval or safety testing of these COVID vaccinations were skipped. Some steps were done at the same time in order to speed up the rigorous testing required. But none were skipped.

But Nick, most vaccines take years in order to be approved, how could these vaccines have been done so much faster?

When completing vaccine safety trials there are three limiting steps:

But with COVID-19 the entire world came together to research these vaccines as fast as safely possible: the governments of the world pooled resources, experts shared knowledge, and the incredible number of sick people and volunteers allowed vaccine trials to pro-ceed as quick as possible.

I always try to make the point that when exploring the safety of mRNA vaccines its important to separate the vaccine platform from the vaccine code. The platform is the HOW vaccines teach our immune systems to recognize and destroy a pathogen. The vaccine code is the WHAT we are teaching the body to fight the particular pathogen. These mRNA vaccine platforms have been around since the 1990s and are proven safe and effective (no, they cannot change your DNA, alter your fertility, or make you shed COVID proteins). We have mountains of research that this vaccine platform is safe.

Now, I appreciate that people are careful about what they put in their bodies. Truth be told I wish more people were more careful about what they consumed. My goal with this letter is to encourage people to think about these vaccines as a safe, simple, and effective way to reduce the chance of severe COVID or death. These vaccines are composed of a small snippet of RNA (the code a simple chain of sugar molecules), fat particles (ie polyethylene glycol a relative of Miralax), and buffers (ie sodium acetate found in IV fluids). These are all safe molecules.

A good analogy: Imagine there is a thug wandering around town threatening to beat you up. We take a picture of that thug. We show that picture to you, to your friends and family, and to law enforcement. We tell them: If this guy shows up, call the police. That way when the thug shows up at your door you, your friends and neighbors and the police are prepared to identify him and arrested him.

It is the same for the mRNA vaccine. The vaccines provide a blueprint to your immune system on how to make, recognize, and ultimately destroy the attack protein used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the coronavirus). You cannot get COVID-19 from the mRNA vaccine, but there is a great chance that if you later encounter the SARS-CoV-2 virus your bodys immune system will be prepared to recognize and destroy it.

In one year medical research went from design to trial to safe vaccine distribution a process very similar to influenza vaccine production. Again, this mRNA platform is the HOW we teach your bodys immune system to recognize and destroy the coronavirus. This platform has been around for 30-plus years and has been proven safe and effective. The code is the particular information and is what was tested thoroughly in 2020.

I want to say to my community again, clearly, with no hesitation or wavering: The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and are effective. They will help keep you from getting severe COVID, they will help keep you out of the hospital if you get COVID, and they will help reduce your chances of getting sick in the first place. If you have not gotten vaccinated, I urge you to get vaccinated now.

Nick Lawyer is a Physician Assistant and Provider Informaticist at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. He is also the Public Health Officer for Sanders County.

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COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe and Effective - Flathead Beacon

Gov. Steve Sisolak on Tuesday signed an emergency regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination by Nov. 1 for a number of state employees. The requirement applies to those working with vulnerable populations in state-operated, licensed health care settings or state-operated detention facilities.

Affected individuals are those working in institutions that include Lakes Crossing Center, Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Dini Townsend Hospital, and the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities in Reno and Sparks.

The Nevada Board of Health voted on Friday in favor of the requirement. Their decision came during an emergency meeting held one day after President Joe Biden ordered new federal vaccine requirements including for federal health care workers, federal employees and contractors.

I am grateful to the Board of Health for passing an emergency regulation to require State staff who work with vulnerable populations in certain settings provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations by November 1, Governor Sisolak said. I also want to thank the Medical Advisory Team for providing this policy recommendation and for the staff at DPBH for developing the proposal heard at the meeting.

The emergency regulation is effective for 120 days and must go through a public review process to be made permanent.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free, safe and effective. They are available at a number of locations throughout the state. Find a vaccine clinic online at NVCOVIDFighter.org.

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Governor Sisolak signs emergency regulation related to COVID-19 vaccine - ThisisReno