Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Health authorities are trying to determine whether heart inflammation that can occur along with many types of infections could also be a rare side effect in teens and young adults after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

An article on seven U.S. teen boys in several states, published online Friday in Pediatrics, is among the latest reports of heart inflammation discovered after COVID-19 vaccination, though a link to the vaccine has not been proven.

The boys, aged 14 to 19, received Pfizer shots in April or May and developed chest pain within a few days. Heart imaging tests showed a type of heart muscle inflammation called myocarditis.

None were critically ill. All were healthy enough to be sent home after two to six days in the hospital and are doing doing pretty well, said Dr. Preeti Jaggi, an Emory University infectious disease specialist who co-authored the report.

She said more follow-up is needed to determine how the seven fare but that its likely the heart changes were temporary.

Only one of the seven boys in the Pediatrics report had evidence of a possible previous COVID-19 infection and doctors determined none of them had a rare inflammatory condition linked with the coronavirus.

The cases echo reports from Israel in young men diagnosed after receiving Pfizer PFE, +0.46% shots.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors last month that it was monitoring a small number of reports of heart inflammation in teens and young adults after the mRNA vaccines, the kind made by Pfizer and Moderna MRNA, +5.56%.

The CDC hasnt determined if theres really a link to the shots, and continues to urge that everyone 12 and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, which is far riskier than the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is available to those as young as 12; the Moderna shot remains cleared only for adult use.

This kind of heart inflammation can be caused by a variety of infections, including a bout of COVID-19, as well as certain medications and there have been rare reports following other types of vaccinations.

Authorities will have to tease out whether cases following COVID-19 vaccination are occurring more often than that expected background rate.

For now, the CDC says most patients were male, reported symptoms after the second dose, and their symptoms rapidly improved.

I think were in the waiting period where we need to see whether this is cause-and-effect or not, said John Grabenstein of the Immunization Action Coalition, a former director of the Defense Departments immunization program.

A Pediatrics editorial noted that among U.S. children under age 18, there have been over 4 million COVID-19 cases, more than 15,000 hospitalizations and at least 300 deaths.

It said the heart inflammation cases warrant more investigation but added that the benefits of vaccination against this deadly and highly transmissible disease clearly far outweigh any potential risks.

Editorial co-author Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, head of an American Academy of Pediatrics infectious diseases committee, is involved in Pfizer vaccine studies, including a COVID-19 vaccine study in children.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Heart inflammation probed as possible rare side effect of COVID-19 vaccine for teens - MarketWatch

Francis Collins:

You know, I think it was a confusing time back then, Judy.

First, let me say I do think we need to get answers here. An investigation is very much needed.

What was happening, though, back in February and March of 2020 were, a number of different theories were being floated. One that was particularly prominent was the idea that this vaccine I mean sorry this virus was actually engineered intentionally, that it was a product of bioweapon manufacture.

That, when you looked at the actual letters of the code of this virus, was not tenable. And there's a paper published about that in "Nature Medicine" by Kristian Andersen and others that I got very engaged in reviewing.

So, unfortunately, that particular conspiracy didn't seem supportable. And so the idea that it was, on the other hand, a lab accident, where they were studying this virus, which maybe did occur in nature, but it got loose in the lab, that theory didn't get nearly as much attention perhaps as it should have.

I will tell you, it was always on my mind. I know it was on Tony Fauci's mind. But none of us ran to the microphone to say, we need to worry about the fact this could have been a lab leak.

It at the present time, we have no more data or less data to support that. Suddenly, it's emerged in a lot of people's minds as, oh, that's the leading explanation.

I don't know how to say that. I still think a natural origin is the most likely explanation of how SARS-CoV-2 came to be.

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Addressing concerns about getting the COVID-19 vaccine - PBS NewsHour

Leigh Appleby, the CSCU spokesperson, told The Courant Friday in a statement that the system is strongly considering a vaccine requirement and is undertaking a review, with input from faculty, staff, and students, to examine the most effective ways to ensure all members of our communities are vaccinated against COVID-19 before stepping on campus for the fall semester.

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UConn will require COVID-19 vaccines for students when they return to campus for the fall semester - Hartford Courant

A vial labelled "Johnson&Johnson coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine" is seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said on Friday that it has been in talks with Taiwan about providing its COVID-19 vaccine to the island since last year.

"Johnson & Johnson has been in confidential discussions with the Taiwan Government regarding supply of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine since last year," it said in an emailed statement to Reuters, without giving details.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Johnson & Johnson talking to Taiwan about providing COVID-19 vaccine - Reuters

Editor's note: Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, MPH, contributed to this post.

When the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine joined the ranks of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech two-dose vaccines, many Indigenous Peoples were excited about its potential.

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have the highest COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in the US. And given that 46% of adult Natives lack access to a vehicle, a single-dose vaccine looked like an especially appealing option to protect Indigenous communities. Yet even before the recent pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine raised concerns about safety that have since been resolved, its effectiveness for AI/AN peoples was in the spotlight.

Efficacy is the measure of how well a vaccine protects against illness under the ideal conditions of a scientific study. In March, a physician wrote an opinion challenging the efficacy of this vaccine in protecting Indigenous recipients. This appeared in Indian Country Today, the most prominent Indigenous-centered news source in the US.

After analyzing data from the FDA briefing document on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the author claimed that the risk of getting COVID-19 after being vaccinated was over two times higher in Indigenous people compared with people from all other racial groups. He strongly encouraged Natives to choose the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines instead.

A group of Indigenous health scholars including Abigail Echo Hawk, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, penned a response in Indian Country Today. They expressed confidence in the efficacy of all three available vaccines, and encouraged Native people to take the first one available to them.

The chief medical officer of the Indian Health Services (IHS), Dr. Michael Toedt, also disagreed. No data support the claim that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is less effective for Natives, he stated.

Even in large, well-powered studies, its not possible to interpret results for small subgroups, such as people over age 75 or racial subgroups represented only in small numbers as participants in a trial. And in fact, the FDA report also makes this point. Subgroup results are provided for completeness, although their interpretability is limited.

So, how well does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine protect AI/AN peoples from COVID-19? Lets tease apart the available numbers.

In the trial, about 19,300 participants received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Only 1,628 of those participants were Indigenous. Just 95 were AI/AN from US tribes (the rest were from Latin American countries). Only 18 of all the Indigenous participants got COVID 19 after being vaccinated and just one of them was AI/AN from the US. Not a single hospitalization or death occurred among the Indigenous participants. Its worth adding that no genetic or scientific factors explain why this vaccine would offer less protection against COVID-19 for AI/ANs compared with all other racial groups.

What about the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines? No cases of COVID-19 were recorded among AI/AN study participants who received these vaccines: thats zero out of 107 (Moderna) and 104 (Pfizer/BioNTech).

All three vaccines were rigorously studied in tens of thousands of clinical trial volunteer participants. Given the reassuring results of those studies, the FDA deemed them safe and effective in protecting people from hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 infection. By late April, more than 230 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been given to people across the US.

Some people have no side effects after getting the vaccine. Others have common, temporary side effects, such as pain at the injection site, muscle aches, fever, and feeling tired.

Two extremely rare side effects have been noted:

Because COVID-19 is a danger to every racial and ethnic group, free and accessible vaccination is important for everyone. American Indian and Alaskan Native communities face some of the highest rates of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, making COVID-19 deadlier to them. They are exposed to pollution, have less access to health care, are less wealthy, live without clean water, and experience food insecurity at levels greater than non-Indigenous people. As a result of centuries of neglect, many Native Americans also have well-earned mistrust of the US medical system.

This is a time when trust could save lives. Claims that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine fails to protect Native Americans may needlessly work against community trust. Currently, no evidence shows that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is less effective or less safe for AI/AN communities than the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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COVID-19 vaccines: Safe and effective for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities - Harvard Health

More than 1.5 million Utahns have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine  Salt Lake Tribune

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More than 1.5 million Utahns have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine - Salt Lake Tribune

The European Union is pushing back hard against U.S.-backed calls to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, preparing a rival plan that officials said would better safeguard drug companies patents and look for other ways to boost supplies for developing countries.

As the gap between vaccine haves and have-nots has widened, Washington and China have endorsed a proposal by developing countries at the World Trade Organization to suspend patent protections for the immunizations.

Brussels alternative plan would liftexport restrictions on vaccines and their raw materials, expand manufacturing capacity around the world, and make it easier for countries to use existing rules to override patents in some cases, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The EUs stance makes a quick deal on the waiver proposal less likely, and could sink it altogether, trade experts say.

EU officials said they would present the proposal at the WTO next week, when members are also set to debate the waiver. They argue that removing patents wont do much to help increase production in the short term and would remove incentives for pharmaceutical companies to do further work, such as updating vaccines for virus mutations.

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Europe Pushes Alternative to Waiving Patents on Covid-19 Vaccines - The Wall Street Journal

Even if you end up putting your COVID-19 vaccination card through the wash, fret not you can still access your records.

With more than half of all Californians at least partially vaccinated, that means millions of those little easy-to-lose papers are floating around.

What if you lose yours? There are a couple of ways to access your records if you were vaccinated in L.A. County.

Healthvana, an online medical data resource, has teamed with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to provide a digitized version of your COVID-19 vaccination record that you can access from any internet-connected device and take with you wherever you go.

IPhone users can download the record to their Apple Wallet.

If you were vaccinated in Los Angeles County, you should be contacted by Healthvana via text or email. (To reassure users worried about scams, the Department of Public Healths website has details about what the message should say.)

It may take a few weeks after your vaccination for Healthvana to get in touch with you, said Chief Executive Ramin Bastani, since the platform is aggregating data from hundreds of vaccination sites across the county.

If you dont want to wait, you can contact Healthvana directly and get your data within a few days.

Note that this is not a vaccine passport a concept that has been much discussed over the past few months. Healthvanas records are just for you. The digital record includes only the date and location where you were vaccinated, and not personal information like your birthdate, meaning it cant be considered a valid legal form of identification.

The California Immunization Registry, a state-run program, allows anyone vaccinated in California to access their vaccination records digitally.

Two to three weeks after you receive your final COVID-19 vaccine dose, your data will be available through CAIR. Once you complete the request form, it can take another 14 days for records to become available.

There is no option to replace your original card, but CAIR can provide a new physical copy of your records.

Its still a good idea to keep your physical vaccination card safe, even if you have a digital version.

Free lamination services have been offered at office-supply stores, but experts dont recommend it. If you want to keep your card safe, put it in a plastic holder like an ID card sleeve instead.

You can take a digital version with you anywhere, but its probably best to leave the physical copy at home. Just like you dont carry your birth certificate everywhere, leave the card at home in a safe place.

For more information on how you can digitally access your COVID-19 vaccination records, go to the L.A. County public health website, Healthvana or the California Immunization Registry.

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How to access Healthvana, other COVID-19 vaccination records - Los Angeles Times

(WXYZ) There's a major push both nationally and locally to get 70% of Americans vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 4.

On the national front, President Joe Biden said his administration is ramping up efforts by keeping some sites open 24 hours on Fridays, and arranging for daycare centers to offer free childcare for parents getting vaccinated.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, vaccinations appear to be at a standstill. The state's vaccination tracker hasn't moved from 59.1% of residents over the age of 16 with at least one dose.

Now, several cities are looking to increase vaccinations with incentives.

In Royal Oak, if you get the vaccine, you also get Royal Oak Downtown Dollars, a $10 voucher you can redeem at certain businesses.

"This is for everyone and anyone," Carrie O'Neill, the co-owner of The Rock on Third, said. "We hope that all our customers take advantage of it."

In downtown Royal Oak, you can get a shot at a clinic at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market on Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and then get the gift card.

Corporations are also chipping in to get the U.S. to reach its vaccine goal.

Kroger is in the process of giving away five $1 million prizes and free groceries for a year. DoorDash is offering $2 million in gift cards for vaccine recipients. If you like beer, Anheuser-Busch plans to offer the biggest beer giveaway ever, and Krispy Kreme is giving away $1.5 million for free.

When it comes to a lottery incentive in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that Michigan law precludes her office from offering lottery incentives like what we've seen in Ohio, but they are looking to see if there are other ways to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.

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Michigan looking at vaccine incentives to increase COVID-19 vaccination rate - WXYZ

Health experts are urging people who have already had COVID-19 to get vaccinated.

Their recommendation comes after Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who contracted COVID-19 in March 2020, stated he does not plan on getting vaccinated against the disease.

Until they show me evidence that people who have already had the infection are dying in large numbers or being hospitalized or getting very sick, I just made my own personal decision that Im not getting vaccinated because Ive already had the disease and I have natural immunity, he told a WABC radio show in New York.

That statement goes against the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which advises that people should be vaccinated regardless of whether they have already had COVID-19.

Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible although rare that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again, the CDC guidance states.

Dr. Julie Parsonnet, an expert in adult infectious diseases at Stanford University in California, says Pauls comments suggest a lack of understanding about the immune system.

I think its a bad message and I think it reflects a lack of understanding of how immunity works. Usually the first exposure to an infection is sort of like a taste test. Your immune system sees it and it responds, but it doesnt build up very strong memory responses and you dont have the circulating cells that allow you to respond very quickly to infection, Parsonnet told Healthline.

We know that some people who have COVID dont mount an immune response at all. We also know that some people get reinfected and that some people who have gotten reinfected have gotten quite sick. Yes, he (Senator Paul) will have some immunity, but there is good data that you will have better immunity if you get a vaccine, she added.

Dr. William Schaffner is an expert in infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He says the recommendation for people who have already had COVID-19 to still get vaccinated is based on two factors.

The first is that the antibody levels after vaccination are much higher than the antibody levels after natural infection. And higher antibody levels are usually associated with a longer duration of protection, Schaffner told Healthline.

The second is, to use Tony Faucis word, higher antibody levels provide a greater cushion of protection against some of the variants. Obviously, those are not sufficient reasons for Dr. Paul, he added.

President Joe Biden has announced a goal of having 70 percent of adults in the United States vaccinated with at least one shot by July 4.

But that leaves almost a third of the population unvaccinated, meaning the coronavirus could still have a chance to mutate.

Parsonnet says comments like those from Paul are damaging. She argues there needs to be a more united approach against COVID-19.

When I think about COVID-19, I think we are actually fighting a war, she said. We have a global war. Its sort of like that movie Independence Day when the aliens land on Earth. Well, the aliens have landed and theres this virus that is killing off people, and the worst thing you can do when there is an enemy that youre all fighting is for you to shoot each other.

We need to think about this in a much more were in this together way and lets figure out how we pull together to fight the enemy, Parsonnet said. The enemy is not the Democrats and its not the Republicans. The enemys a virus and we need to deal with it.

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Why You Need to Get Vaccinated Even If You've Had COVID-19 - Healthline