Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

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University Health in San Antonio to Pause COVID-19 Vaccinations Ahead of New Formula Rollout – Hoodline

July 28, 2024

In light of the impending rollout of an updated COVID-19 vaccine formula, University Health is set to temporarily halt the dispensation of the current vaccines at their pharmacies. The pause will start the last day of July and aims to smoothly transition to the updated 2024-2025 vaccine anticipated this coming fall. University Health spokeswoman Andrea Wazir stated, "Beginning July 31, University Health pharmacies will temporarily pause administering the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine," as reported by the San Antonio Report. Wazir explained that the pause is primarily due to depleting vaccine inventory levels.

The update in the vaccine schedule coincides with an increase in COVID-19 cases in Bexar County, yet it poses a dilemma for those considering vaccination now or waiting for the new formula. University Health's Dr. Jason Bowling advised that immediate protection is recommended, particularly for those at a higher risk of severe COVID infection, stating, "The updated vaccine is going to be around pretty soon. I think most people are going to hold tight and get the updated vaccine when it comes out," according to an interview with the San Antonio Report. Current guidelines suggest waiting up to three months post the last booster before getting the updated vaccine.

Regardless of the temporary pause, Metro Health confirmed it would continue to offer the COVID-19 vaccines in its supply until advised otherwise by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The readiness for the strategic vaccine shift embodies efforts to combat the mutating virus better, with new strains such as the KP.3 and KP.2 variants dubbed "FLiRT" owing to their mutations on the rise. Public health experts are advocating for the updated shots for everyone aged six months and older, reinforcing the importance of staying ahead of the virus's evolutions.

As the free vaccination programs for underserved communities are poised potentially to be impacted with the CDC's Bridge Access Program concluding in August, the availability of the updated COVID vaccines is set to remain intact for such populations. University Health and Metro Health assure that vaccines through the Vaccines for Children and Adult Safety Net programs will be provided the vaccines at no charge to uninsured and CareLink patients. As for those currently tackling a bout of COVID, mild to moderate symptoms can be managed with over-the-counter medications, while others might qualify for more advanced treatments like Paxlovid or intravenous infusions of Remdesivir and Molnupiravir, which are available through assistance programs, as stated by the San Antonio Report.

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University Health in San Antonio to Pause COVID-19 Vaccinations Ahead of New Formula Rollout - Hoodline

Navy SEALs, Other Service Members Get Relief Through Settlement Agreement on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate – The Texan

July 28, 2024

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Navy SEALs, Other Service Members Get Relief Through Settlement Agreement on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate - The Texan

Navy personnel denied religious accommodations from COVID-19 vaccine reach settlement – Washington Examiner

July 28, 2024

The Navy has agreed to a settlement with a group of current and former service members who were denied religious exemptions from the coronavirus vaccine.

First Liberty Institute and Hacker Stephens LLP, which is representing 4,300 sailors and Navy SEALs in the case, announced the settlement on Wednesday.

As a part of the settlement agreement, the Navy agrees to re-review the personnel records of all Class Members to ensure that the U.S. Navy has permanently removed records indicating administrative separation processing or proceedings, formal counseling, and non-judicial punishment actions taken against the Class Member solely on the basis of non-compliance with the COVID-19 Mandate and adverse information related to non-compliance with the COVID-19 Mandate, according to a release from First Liberty Institute.

The Navy has also agreed to post a statement affirming its respect for religious service members, provide more training for commanders who review these requests, and pay $1.5 million in attorneys fees.

This has been a long and difficult journey, but the Navy SEALs never gave up, Danielle Runyan, chairwoman of the Military Practice Group and senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said.We are thrilled that those members of the Navy who were guided by their conscience and steadfast in their faith will not be penalized in their Navy careers.

The case centers on the militarys mandate to get the coronavirus vaccine, which was ultimately rescinded, though not before thousands of U.S. service members were discharged due to their refusal to get the vaccination. A majority of the service members who sought religious exemptions were denied, which prompted several legal challenges, including the one settled on Wednesday.

The suit, initially filed in November 2021, began with 35 Navy SEALs, and the firm ultimately expanded the case into a class action on behalf of about 4,300 Navy SEALs and sailors.

Runyan told the Washington Examiner that the case could set a precedent for future situations regarding religious freedom.

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Weve never had a class action situation against the military in the history of the military, and here we are. And because of that, the case law that we achieved, if people need to pursue relief in defense of their religious liberty rights going forward, they can rely on this, she said.

A Navy spokesperson directed the Washington Examiner to the Department of Justice.

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Navy personnel denied religious accommodations from COVID-19 vaccine reach settlement - Washington Examiner

Scientists Say This Lowers Your Risk of Long COVID by 72% – Prevention Magazine

July 24, 2024

The

Thats the main takeaway from a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, researchers analyzed medical records of nearly 450,000 people from the Department of Veterans Affairs health system who had COVID-19 diagnosed between March 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2022. Those patients were compared with around 4.7 million people who werent diagnosed with COVID-19 during the same time.

The researchers found that the lowest rates of long COVID (3.5%) were in people who were vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the people who were unvaccinated, 7.8% developed long COVID.

The study covered the original COVID-19 strain, along with Delta and Omicron strains. (The variants circulating nowlike LB.1 and FLiRT variants are off-shoots of the Omicron strain.) The rates of long COVID dropped over time, regardless of whether people were vaccinated, but the researchers said that was likely due to a combination of changes in the virus and other factors. Overall, the researchers found that the vaccine was responsible for nearly 72% of the drop in cases.

Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Its important to point out that the vaccine wasnt perfect at preventing long COVIDsome people who were vaccinated still developed long COVID, and some people with minor cases of COVID-19 went on to develop long COVID. But the vaccine did seem to be a major factor in lowering peoples risk of developing long COVID.

So, whats behind this? Doctors break it down.

Doctors have long recommended the COVID-19 vaccine to help lower the risk of developing long COVID, but data on how effective this is has been mixed.

In 2022, the United Kingdoms Health Security Agency released a scientific review of 15 studies and found that while most of the studies found that vaccinated people who contracted COVID-19 were less likely than their unvaccinated counterparts to develop long COVID, a few studies didnt find that the vaccine made a difference.

Why might the vaccine help? There are a few potential reasons. One is that the vaccine helps to lower the risk of developing severe illness, and severe illness is linked with a greater risk of having long COVID.

Current findings indicate that it has to do with the creation of chronic inflammation, says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Having COVID-19 can cause a strong inflammatory response, especially if you have a severe case, he says. If the vaccine tamps down on that inflammatory response, the risk of long COVID is also reduced, Dr. Schaffner says.

Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees. Vaccination induces ones immune system to mount a robust response against the virus, he says. The immune response may be the major factor in how the virus interacts with the host and a better immune response may preclude the development of long COVID in some manner.

But scientists still dont really know what the cause of long COVID is, Dr. Schaffner says.

Unfortunately, some people follow the recommendations to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and still end up developing long COVID. Vaccines lower the risk of long COVIDthey dont completely eliminate it, leading to the conclusion that other factors are involved, Dr. Adalja says.

Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, agrees. Vaccination decreases the likelihood of long COVID, but its not perfect, he says. You still have a chance of developing long COVID.

Its all about lowering your risk of long COVID, Dr. Schaffner says. Were not dealing with perfection here, he says. Were dealing with reducing the risk.

Doctors recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine to lower your risk of developing long COVID. Stay up to date with your vaccines, Dr. Schaffner says.

But vaccination levels in the U.S. havent been great lately. The most recent vaccine update became available in the fall of 2023, but less than a third of Americans got it. Were doing poorly with having people get the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Russo says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended that all Americans six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine in the fall when it becomes available, whether theyve been vaccinated against the virus in the past or not. Doctors say thats important, both to protect against severe disease and to lower your risk of developing long COVID, regardless of whether youre considered high risk for severe disease or not. We still dont really understand which individuals are eventually going to develop long COVID, Dr. Russo explains.

As of now, there are no specific treatments for long COVID. It is important to realize that long COVID is an umbrella term and not a specific disease process, Dr. Adalja says. For treatment to be successful, it will be necessary to actually untangle all the different things that are grouped under this umbrella. There may be different treatments for different types.

If you suspect that you have long COVID or have been diagnosed with the condition, Dr. Schaffner recommends trying to be seen at a specialized long COVID clinic. There, doctors who regularly treat patients with the condition should be able to offer a tailored approach to your treatment based on the latest research and what theyve seen be effective for patients.

We have guarded optimism about the future of long COVID treatment, Dr. Schaffner says. Most people with long COVID get better. They do it rather slowly, but they usually do get better.

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a masters degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.

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Scientists Say This Lowers Your Risk of Long COVID by 72% - Prevention Magazine

Vulnerable Quebecers told to get COVID-19 vaccine this fall – Montreal Gazette

July 24, 2024

Quebecs immunization committee is once again recommending that certain vulnerable groups get vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall.

The recommendations, published Monday for Quebecs Health Ministry as well as health-care institutions, come as the province experiences a summer wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The committee recommends boosters for the same groups as it did last year:

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For other groups, such as healthy young adults, one dose could be offered, the recommendations read. However, the (immunization committee) considers that the benefits of such a dose will be minor, given the very low risk of complications from COVID-19 in this population.

It noted that hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are most common among elderly people and those with chronic illnesses.

The provinces positivity rate for COVID-19 tests stands at 16.3 per cent, up from a low of 2.1 per cent in early April, according to the Institut national de sant publique du Qubec. During the week of July 14, the latest week for which data is available, 790 Quebecers tested positive for the virus. Quebec also reported a total of 820 hospitalizations with and for COVID-19 as of July 16, up from a low of 428 such hospitalizations in April.

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The uptick is being driven largely by the KP.3 sub-variant, which is now predominant in Quebec.

For the fall campaign, the immunization committee is recommending Quebec wait for a vaccine adapted to the strains in circulation. It also says the province should not recommend mRNA vaccines over the protein-based Nuvaxovid vaccine, saying both could be offered based on whichever is best suited to variants in circulation at the time.

The committee pointed out that vaccines targeting the XBB.1.5 variant are the most up-to-date, but noted that one targeted to circulating strains should be authorized in time for the fall campaign.

Novavax said earlier this month that it is developing a vaccine that would protect against KP.3 in Canada in time for the fall.

The committee added that primary analyses show the XBB.1.5 vaccine given out during the fall 2023 campaign for those over 60 resulted in that group being 43 per cent more protected compared to those who only received a booster of the monovalent or bivalent vaccine during the fall 2022 campaign.

It suggested an interval of six months from the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine or a confirmed infection, with a minimum interval of three months.

This flexibility aims to facilitate vaccination in fall 2024 and allow a targeted person to receive a dose during this campaign even if they were vaccinated late during the previous campaign, the recommendations read. It is not intended to allow the offering of a dose of vaccine every three months. A targeted person should receive no more than two booster doses in a 12-month period.

The committee also suggested that Quebec offer COVID-19 boosters at the same time as flu vaccines.

It added that recommendations for the fall will be revised if necessary ahead of time or during the campaign as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

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Vulnerable Quebecers told to get COVID-19 vaccine this fall - Montreal Gazette

Pensacola furniture store ordered to pay $110K to former manager who refused COVID vaccine – Pensacola News Journal

July 24, 2024

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Pensacola furniture store ordered to pay $110K to former manager who refused COVID vaccine - Pensacola News Journal

Unexpected T-cell reactions to adenoviral COVID-19 vaccines discovered – News-Medical.Net

July 24, 2024

Researchers from the University of Liverpool's Centre for Drug Safety Science have identified unpredicted T-cell immune responses to the adenoviral (Oxford/AstraZeneca and Janssen) COVID-19 vaccines, but not to the mRNA vaccines.

Using blood samples from healthy participants collected ten years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore before any of the COVID-19 vaccines were developed, the researchers investigated how immune cells in blood including cells called T lymphocytes, which are important in mounting immune responses to viruses and bacteria responded to the different vaccine types.

The study showed that between 90-95% of participants who donated blood samples unexpectedly produced strong T-cell responses following exposure to the adenoviral vaccines in a laboratory setting.

The AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 vaccine, now no longer in use, was developed from the chimpanzee adenovirus because previous studies had shown a low frequency of antibodies (also called low seroprevalence) which reacted against this virus. This low frequency would therefore help in developing a protective immune response to the COVID-19 virus. The same rationale was used in the development of the Janssen Ad26.COV2-S COVID-19 vaccine. Both vaccines were shown to be efficacious against the virus in randomized controlled trials, and the AZ vaccine has been administered to more than 3 billion people globally.

This new finding of strong T cell responses in pre-pandemic blood samples is therefore unexpected and suggests that there is widespread cross-reactivity between the adenoviruses used in the vaccines and the adenoviruses that naturally circulate at high levels in the human population.

Study researchers note that consequences of this for the efficacy of the two vaccines is unclear and therefore further work is required to understand the mechanism of this cross-reactivity, and more carefully evaluate the prevalence of antibodies and T cells to circulating adenoviruses in people from different parts of the world.

This study was part of the Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) Consortium, supported in late 2021 by the National Institute for Health Research and backed by government funding from the Vaccine Taskforce to understand the reasons why there were rare instances of blood clotting with low platelets in some people who received the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines.

Chief Investigator of the TTS Consortium, Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, said: "The unexpected finding of pre-existing T cell reactivity towards the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines may have implications for why some people rarely developed TTS with these vaccines. There is now emerging data which shows that natural infection with adenoviruses, in the absence of COVID-19 vaccine administration, can also lead to the syndrome of blood clotting associated with low platelets."

Any adverse events linked to the T-cell responses identified in this study would have been experienced in the short period of time following vaccination, so these findings are not a cause for concern for those previously vaccinated with Oxford/Astrazeneca, say the researchers.

Lead researcher on the project, Dr Joshua Gardner, from the Centre for Drug Safety Science within the University's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics said: ''The findings of our study highlight the need to better understand the immune cross-reactivity of T cells between naturally circulating adenoviruses and those adenoviruses employed in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. This may have implications for both the efficacy and safety of future vaccines, not only for COVID, but also for other infectious diseases".

Source:

Journal reference:

Gardner, J., et al. (2024). Identification of cross reactive T cell responses in adenovirus based COVID 19 vaccines.npj Vaccines. doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00895-z.

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Unexpected T-cell reactions to adenoviral COVID-19 vaccines discovered - News-Medical.Net

The status and influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with COPD – Nature.com

July 24, 2024

Basic characteristics of the survey respondents and factors affecting the COVID-19 vaccination rate

The KMO value was 0.942 and the Bartletts sphericity test value was significant (P<0.001), indicating high validity. The Cronbachs alpha was 0.889, indicating high reliability. The total number of individuals that participated was 1936; however, 38 individuals were excluded because they did not meet the diagnostic criteria for COPD. Altogether, 1898 questionnaires were completed, of which 24 were regarded as invalid, and finally 1,874 valid questionnaires were obtained (validity rate of 98.74%). The age of the patients was mostly 5565-years (n=564, 30.10%); the height was mostly 160170cm (n=721, 38.47%); the weight was mostly 5060kg (n=596, 31.80%); the patients were mostly male, accounting for 56.78% (n=1064); patients in junior high school accounted for the largest proportion (n=649, 34.63%); and married patients accounted for the majority of patients (n=1290, 68.84%). Most patients needed care (n=1476, 78.76%), while unattended patients accounted for only 21.24% (n=398). Cumulatively, 77.16% (n=1446) of the patients were covered by rural cooperative or urban medical insurance, 19.69% (n=369) were self-financed for medical care, and 3.15% (n=59) were covered by public medical care. Most of the families had per capita monthly incomes of 3,0005,000 yuan (n=900, 48.03%), and 36.87% (n=691) of the patients had a history of allergy. A history of smoking was present in 52.56% of the patients (n=985), with the majority having a smoking history of 1020years (n=252, 25.58%), and smoked 510 cigarettes per day (n=322, 32.69%). Univariate analysis revealed that age (P<0.001), marital status (P<0.001), monthly income (P<0.001), habitual residence (P<0.001), household income (P=0.007), history of allergy (P<0.001), smoking status (P<0.001), years of smoking (P<0.001), and number of cigarettes smoked per day (P<0.001) were the key factors affecting COVID-19 vaccination rate. Details are presented in Table 1.

In the survey, more than half of the patients were diagnosed with COPD for the first time (n=1114, 59.45%), and for patients who had been diagnosed with COPD before, the duration of illness was mostly <5years (n=321, 42.24%); nearly half of the patients indicated that they did not have much knowledge regarding COPD (n=963, 51.39%), and 40.00% (n=937) had 12 acute exacerbations of the disease in the past year, while half of the patients were not hospitalized for acute exacerbation (n=852, 45.46%); nearly one-third of the patients did not use medication for COPD regularly (n=554, 29.56%). We recommended treatments based on established guidelines for patients who did not receive regular treatment. 33.62% of the patients (n=630) and 15.64% of the patients (n=293) underwent home oxygen therapy and used non-invasive ventilation machines, respectively; more than half of the patients considered their current health status fair (n=1051, 56.08%). After comparisons, we established whether COPD was diagnosed for the first time (P=0.002), duration of COPD (P<0.001), number of acute exacerbations of COPD in the last year (P<0.001), number of hospitalizations for acute exacerbations in the last year (P<0.001), comorbidities with other systemic diseases (P<0.001), the severity of the current disease, including the degree of dyspnea (P<0.001), degree of cough (P=0.048), degree of expectoration (P<0.001), degree of wheezing (P<0.001), home activities influenced by COPD (P<0.001), ability to go outside (P<0.001), sleep quality (P=0.005), energy level (P<0.001), and current physical condition (P<0.001), regularity of medication (P<0.001), home oxygen therapy (P<0.001), and application of non-invasive ventilation machines (P<0.001) were factors that significantly different in the COVID-19 vaccination rate. The details are presented in Table 2.

Most patients had not been injected with the relevant vaccines (n=936, 49.95%), and among those who had been injected with the relevant vaccines, the influenza vaccine had been administered to the highest number of patients (n=688, 36.71%). The results of the univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the COVID-19 vaccination rate based on whether other vaccines had been injected and whether an adverse reaction had occurred after the injection of other vaccines (both P<0.001). The details are presented in Table 3. Approximately a third of the patients experienced adverse reactions after vaccination (n=281; 29.18%). The most frequent adverse reaction was malaise (n=203, 72.24%) followed by digestive tract symptoms (n=197, 70.11%). The adverse reactions of influenza, pneumonia, or herpes zoster vaccines in patients with COPD are shown in Fig.1.

Adverse reactions of influenza, pneumonia, or herpes zoster vaccines in patients with COPD. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The vast majority of the patients were currently inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine (n=1473, 78.60%); among them, 50.31% (n=741) had received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 42.50% (n=626) had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and only 7.20% (n=106) had received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine (Fig.2A,B). The reason for vaccination was self-selected as the need for disease prevention (n=1050, 70.47%). Fear of causing exacerbation or recurrence of the disease of COPD (n=113, 45.75%) was foremost among the reasons for not having received the COVID-19 vaccine yet. Only 33.14% (n=629) of the patients were worried about the exacerbation of COPD after vaccination prior to receiving the vaccine, and the most common concern was adverse reactions after vaccination (n=900, 47.42%). Most patients had no concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccine (n=921, 48.52%). The reasons for this are summarized in Table 4.

Status of COVID-19 vaccine in patients with COPD and the number of doses. (A) Status of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with COPD; (B) Number of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with COPD. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

Nearly half of the patients consulted medical staff regarding COVID-19 vaccination (n=913, 48.72%). Most patients who consulted medical staff received answers (n=634, 69.44%), while only a few patients found the consultation method inconvenient or very inconvenient (n=171, 18.73%). Medical staff recommended the COVID-19 vaccine to most patients (n=1270, 67.77%). The vast majority of patients with COPD had not yet contracted COVID-19 pneumonia (n=1730, 92.32%). More than half of the patients were concerned about contracting COVID-19 (n=1039, 55.44%), and 87.09% (n=1584) believed that the vaccine could prevent COVID-19 infection, and 86.88% believed that the current COVID-19 vaccine was very safe (n=538, 28.71%) or safe (n=1094, 58.38%). The results demonstrated statistically significant differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates among those who had been infected with COVID-19 (P<0.001), those who were concerned about contracting COVID-19 (P=0.001), those who believed that vaccines could prevent COVID-19 (P<0.001), their views on current vaccine safety (P<0.001), whether they received answers after consulting medical staff about COVID-19 vaccination (P=0.001), and whether medical staff recommended COVID-19 vaccination (P<0.001). The attitudes of the respondents toward the COVID-19 vaccine and the factors affecting the COVID-19 vaccination rate are presented in Table 5.

The COVID-19 vaccines administered to patients with COPD include CoronaVac, Sinopharm/BIBP (Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.), Sinopharm/WIBP (Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd), CanSinoBio, Zhifei Longcom, KCONECAVAC, and IMBCAMS. In total, 1473 patients with COPD received one dose, 1367 patients with COPD received two doses, and 741 patients with COPD received three doses. The most commonly administered vaccines for the first dose in patients with COPD were CoronaVac (n=551, 37.41%) and Sinopharm/BIBP (n=507, 34.42%). The most commonly administered vaccines for the second dose in patients with COPD were CoronaVac (n=507, 37.09%) and Sinopharm/BIBP (n=441, 32.26%). The most commonly administered vaccines for the third dose in patients with COPD were CoronaVac (n=276, 37.25%) and Sinopharm/BIBP (n=242, 32.66%) (Fig.3).

Brands and number of COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with COPD. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

Only a small number of patients experienced adverse reactions after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: 18.94% (n=279), 16.39% (n=224), and 12.55% (n=93) after the first, second, and third doses, respectively. Most adverse reactions occurred within 48h of injection for the first (n=171, 61.29%) and second doses (n=129, 57.59%), whereas adverse reactions occurred primarily within 24h after the third vaccination (n=27, 29.03%) (Fig.4). Adverse reactions were similar for all three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with very few systemic adverse reactions. The most adverse reactions were weakness or muscle soreness in 74.91% (n=209) and 71.33% (n=199) for the first injection and 59.82% (n=134) and 67.41% (n=151) for the second injection. The adverse reactions after the third injection more often manifested as muscle soreness or redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site in 54.84% (n=51) and 53.76% (n=50) patients (Fig.5).

Occurrence of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccine in patients with COPD. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

Adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccine in patients with COPD. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

Using COVID-19 vaccination as the dependent variable, all statistically significant indicators in the univariate analysis were included as independent variables. To eliminate possible associations between the variables, a multicollinearity diagnosis was performed before including them in the multivariate analysis. Our results indicated that tolerance was greater than 0.1, and the variance inflation factor was less than 5. There was no significant collinearity among the factors. Stepwise regression was adopted in the multivariate analysis and the collinearity of the variables was further restricted. The results of multivariate logistic regression analyses (Table 6) revealed that the factors that influenced COVID-19 vaccination were: age being 7585years (OR=1.822, 95% CI 1.0233.246) (P=0.042) and >85years (OR=2.609, 95% CI 1.0016.802) (P=0.050), 34 times of acute exacerbations in the last year (OR=1.693, 95% CI 1.2222.555) (P=0.012), comorbid cardiovascular system diseases (such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure) (OR=1.544, 95% CI 1.1852.010) (P=0.001), and comorbid endocrine system diseases (such as diabetes and osteoporosis) (OR=1.762, 95% CI 1.3272.339) (P<0.001), not taking regular medication for COPD (OR=1.357, 95% CI 1.0321.784) (P=0.029), application of non-invasive ventilation machines (OR=1.469, 95% CI 1.0632.029) (P=0.020), perceiving current health condition as deteriorating (OR=1.863, 95% CI 1.2032.886) (P=0.005), perceived current COVID-19 vaccine as unsafe (OR=2.813, 95% CI 1.8544.269) (P<0.001) and very unsafe (OR=2.215, 95% CI 1.0224.802) (P=0.044), medical staff did not provide a clear answer as to whether they recommended COVID-19 vaccination (OR=1.664, 95% CI 1.2422.229) (P=0.001), medical staff did not recommend the COVID-19 vaccine (OR=3.695, 95% CI 2.4495.575) (P<0.001), fear of adverse reactions after vaccination (OR=1.575, 95% CI 1.11962.074) (P=0.001), and exacerbation of COPD (OR=1.811, 95% CI 1.37762.382) (P<0.001).

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The status and influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with COPD - Nature.com

Furniture retailer ordered to pay $110K to manager who refused COVID vaccine – Furniture Today

July 24, 2024

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Arkansas-based furniture retailer Hanks Furniture has agreed to pay $110,000 to a former manager the company fired for refusing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

The lawsuit, brought forward by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the District Court for Northern Florida in late 2023, alleged Hanks Fine Furniture, which operates 18 stores across four states, fired the assistant manager of its Pensacola, Fla., store after she refused to take the COVID vaccine. She cited her religious beliefs as the reason for her refusal.

Federal court records indicate the settlement was reached Monday. Besides the payout, the company must adhere to a three-year decree, which requires it to adopt and implement a written policy assuring employees it will interpret religious accommodation requests broadly based on EEOC guidance and will accommodate religious beliefs that do not put an undue burden on the company. Also, managers and employees are to receive updated training about religious accommodation and anti-discrimination provisions.

HFI will reasonably accommodate employee and prospective employee religious beliefs during all hiring, discipline and promotion activities as well as when engaging in any activity affecting any other terms and conditions of employment according to the requirements of Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), wrote Judge Casey Rodgers. HFI is permanently enjoined from discriminating against any employee on the basis of religion in violation of Title VII.

Rodgers also said that Hanks cannot require any proof that an employees or applicants objection to any requirement be an official tenet or endorsed teaching of the religious belief.

Hanks has not responded to requests for comment as of this articles publication. At the time the lawsuit was filed, Hanks denied any and all wrongdoing.

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Furniture retailer ordered to pay $110K to manager who refused COVID vaccine - Furniture Today

COVID-19 cases surge this summer across North Texas. What we know about new variants – KERA News

July 24, 2024

This summer is not only bringing the heat but a wave of new COVID-19 infections across Tarrant County.

Dr. Razaq Badamosi, chief quality officer with JPS Health Network, said COVID-19 cases were expected to increase in Tarrant County during the summer and they did.

As of July 13, only 2.69% of documented emergency department visits have been associated with COVID-19 in Tarrant County. But the percentage was more than double the number in early June, when COVID-19 accounted for 1.03% of emergency room visits, according to Tarrant County Public Health.

We have actually seen an increase this summer, but fortunately most of the cases we are seeing are quite mild and most have been managed at outpatient locations, he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the number of COVID-19 infections is growing or likely growing in 42 states, declining or likely declining in zero states, and stable or uncertain in six states. Some states are unreported. The latest data shows Texas current status as growing.

Even with the rising number of documented cases across Tarrant County, the virus is not as prominent as in previous summers, said Badamosi. Tarrant Countyexperienced a COVID-19 spike in the middle of August 2023, when 1,152 new cases were reported in a months span.

Like many other viruses, the coronavirus has evolved and formed into new variants. Experts are linking the most recent COVID-19 cases to the most prominent variants in the state: FLiRT.

The FLiRT variants are subvariants of omicron and accounted for the majority of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. at the beginning of July. FLiRT is made up of a family of variants, including KP.2, JN.1.7 and others starting with KP or JN, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Health experts dont know where the variants emerged, but they were first detected in wastewater by the CDC, according to Yale Medicine.

Like other COVID variants, symptoms remain the same for FLiRT: changes in taste and smell, congestion, dry cough, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, runny nose and sore throat.

Health experts urge residents to practice good hygiene to keep themselves and others healthy as the summer continues. Badamosi recommends those age 6 months or older receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

It is recommended that people who have a weakened immune system receive a booster vaccine.

Even though no vaccine currently targets FLiRT, the updated COVID-19 vaccine made available in the fall of 2023 still offers protection against new variants. The latest vaccine is expected to become available in the fall, said Badamosi.

If you are in urgent need of a booster, click here to see where you can receive a free vaccine in Tarrant County.

Tarrant County Public Health will be hosting back-to-school immunizations until the end of August. Click here to find an event near you.

Badamosi encourages residents to cover sneezes or coughs, avoid close contact with those who are sick, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and get plenty of rest.

With school back in session next month, it is important that children who are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms be kept at home. If you are unsure whether your child is experiencing signs of COVID-19 or other illnesses, it is recommended you contact your childs pediatrician.

Badamosi said he understands that some people have become annoyed hearing about COVID-19, but he urges people to stay-up-to-date on the virus.

A lot of people have the luxury of really being tired of (COVID-19), but there are some of us in a society that are not as fortunate, he said. Some are immunocompromised; theyre getting chemotherapy or have chronic health conditions. This is still life-threatening for them. Its really very important for us to still comply with local health guidelines.

David Moreno is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or viaTwitter.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policyhere.

This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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COVID-19 cases surge this summer across North Texas. What we know about new variants - KERA News

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