Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

The 50th episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast brings the laughs and hot takes.

For starters, the co-hosts exchange opinions on the nearly 40 percent of Marines who have declined the COVID vaccination.

I am annoyed across the spectrum, says co-host Jeff Daly, a Marine veteran. I know that they got stuck so many times and have no idea what was going in their body. Now, all of a sudden, because this thing has been politicized (they question) what's in it and think Bill Gates is chipping us. It drives me crazy. To be honest, I think its really ridiculous.

Co-host Mark Seavey, who like Daly is vaccinated, jumps in to defend the Marines who refuse the protective shots. Seavey makes the point that some Marines may be denying the shots to avoid suffering the fevers or other issues after getting the shot.

We haven't made it mandatory for them yet and there's a longstanding tradition that you never volunteer for anything in the military, he said.

The group also discusses a story about a Navy officer in Japan who penned a letter referring to his enlisted neighbors as deviants and perverts.

You wont want to miss Seaveys reaction to what caused the officers action.

Join Seavey, Daly and Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado as the co-hosts examine these and other stories of interest to the veterans and military community in this weeks episode of the Tango Alpha Lima podcast.Download and listen to the new episode on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or view it on YouTube. You can find every episode on the podcast webpage for this weeks Tango Alpha Lima, as well as links to all the previous episodes.

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Should US troops get the COVID-19 vaccine? | The American Legion - The American Legion

WASHINGTON (AP) Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government announced Sunday, marking another milestone in the nations largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves.

Almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

The U.S. cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

The countrys vaccination rate, at 61.6 doses administered per 100 people, currently falls behind Israel, which leads among countries with at least 5 million people with a rate of 119.2. The U.S. also trails the United Arab Emirates, Chile and the United Kingdom, which is vaccinating at a rate of 62 doses per 100 people, according to Our World in Data, an online research site.

The vaccine campaign offered hope in places like Nashville, Tennessee, where the Music City Center bustled Sunday with vaccine seekers. High demand for appointment-only shots at the convention center has leveled off enough that walk-ins will be welcome starting this week.

Amanda Grimsley, who received her second shot, said shes ready to see her 96-year-old grandmother, who lives in Alabama and has been nervous about getting the vaccine after having a bad reaction to a flu shot.

Its a little emotional. I havent been able to see my grandmother in a year and a half almost, said Grimsley, 35. And thats the longest my entire family has ever gone without seeing her. And well be seeing her in mid-May now.

The states with the highest vaccination rates have a history of voting Democratic and supporting President Joe Biden in the 2020 election: New Hampshire at the top, with 71.1%, followed by New Mexico, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, CDC data show.

The demand has not been the same in many areas of Tennessee particularly, rural ones.

Tennessee sits in the bottom four states for rates of adults getting at least one shot, at 40.8%. Its trailed only by Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi three other Southern states that lean Republican and voted for Donald Trump last fall.

Vaccination rates do not always align with how states vote. But polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has shown trends that link political leanings and attitudes about the vaccines and other issues related to the pandemic, which has killed more than 566,000 people in the U.S.

A poll conducted in late March found that 36% of Republicans said they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated, compared with 12% of Democrats. Similarly, a third of rural Americans said they were leaning against getting shots, while fewer than a fourth of people living in cities and suburbs shared that hesitancy.

Overall, willingness to get vaccinated has risen, polling shows.

In January, 67% of adult Americans were willing to get vaccinated or had already received at least one shot. The figure has climbed to 75%, according to the latest AP-NORC poll.

Nationwide, 24% of Black Americans and 22% of Hispanic Americans say they will probably or definitely not get vaccinated, down from 41% and 34% in January, respectively. Among white Americans, 26% now say they will not get vaccinated. In January, that number was 31%.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said the goal is to get community figures, from athletes to clergy, to encourage vaccinations, particularly as the seven-day national average of cases remains over 60,000 new infections per day.

What we are doing is were trying to get, by a community core, trusted messages that anyone would feel comfortable with listening to, whether youre a Republican, a Democrat, an independent or whomever you are, that youre comfortable, Fauci said Sunday on ABCs This Week.

Fauci also indicated Sunday that the government will likely move to resume use of Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine this week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings after reports of some very rare blood clot cases.

In a series of news show interviews, Fauci said he expects a decision when advisers to the CDC meet Friday to discuss the pause in J&Js single-dose vaccine.

I would be very surprised if we dont have a resumption in some form by Friday, he said. I dont really anticipate that theyre going to want it stretch it out a bit longer.

Fauci, who is President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser, said he believed federal regulators could bring the shots back with limits based on age or gender, or with a blanket warning, so the vaccine is administered in a way a little bit different than we were before the pause.

The J&J vaccine was thrown into limbo after the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said last week that they needed more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot and if so, how big the risk is.

The reports are rare six cases out of more than 7 million U.S. inoculations with the J&J vaccine. The clots were found in women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died.

Authorities stressed that they have found no sign of clot problems with the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. from Moderna and Pfizer.

___

Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee.

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Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot - The Associated Press

Vaccine, drugs, hospital care: If you're injured receiving any of these 'countermeasures for COVID-19, theres a program that says it can help.

ATLANTA They're almost like an epileptic seizure, except I'm completely alert, said Kristi Simmonds, who started battling tremors several days after receiving her first COVID-19 vaccine injection.

Roger Loiselle struggles to lift his right arm.

The pain was ridiculous. To even get something to drink, I had to hold my wrists with the other hand, he explained.

Loiselle also believes his injury is vaccine related. But for him, it was how the shot was given, an injury known as SIRVA, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration. SIRVA is most commonly associated with the flu shot and can range from muscle weakness and pain, to a torn rotator cuff if not diagnosed properly.

When they did the first one, I thought to myself, OK, that seemed pretty high. It was more up into the shoulder area, Loiselle said.

Both could qualify for Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). Its a long, clunky name for a federal program that reimburses medical costs and lost wages for injuries associated with a treatment offered during a national emergency.

In this case, that emergency is COVID-19.

What the data says

The CICP was first used in 2009 with H1N1. About 90 million people received that vaccine. COVID-19 has easily surpassed that number.

Doctor Vito Caserta helped create the CICP and served as director until his retirement. He says the program isnt just about vaccine, but also injuries from the drugs or ventilators used as treatment.

If they get put on a ventilator and somebody set the settings a little too high and then they have a pneumothorax where the lung collapses and all these complications, well, then maybe they have a claim, Dr. Caserta explained.

But critics warn its not that easy.

Since the program started a decade ago, 701 claims have been filed. Only six percent approved. Thats just 39 cases, most for injuries associated with the H1N1 vaccine. Three were connected to the smallpox vaccine.

There is no historical data posted publicly on when claims were filed and for what, just a monthly data snapshot.

11Alive's investigative team, The Reveal, started tracking those posts in June 2020. Since then, 255 new claims have been filed. None have been approved. 45 claims have been denied, some likely from before the pandemic. 210 claims are still pending medical review.

The way Congress wrote the law that created the program, the evidence needs to be compelling and compelling is a high level of evidence, Dr. Caserta said.

The Reveal has tried for seven months to get information on the types of injuries alleged, and why so many claims were denied. Were still waiting.

There is so little transparency to it, you know, I think you've put your finger on one of the major problems of this coronavirus vaccine injury compensation program, it is tremendously secretive, said Peter Meyers, a retiredGeorge Washington University Law Schoolprofessor.

Meyers made his own public records requests and did receive several responses, offering insight into the first 48 COVID-19 related claims filed. About half of the claims involve the vaccine. Nine relate to the use of a ventilator. Among the top injuries claimed allergic reactions and death.

Meyers says the real story in the data is how few claims have been submitted.

If the Biden administration wants to get the trust of the American people to counter this hesitancy among millions of Americans to getting vaccinated, you would think that they would adopt an open and more forthcoming perspective, Meyers said.

Some of the claims seem absurd on their surface - like a shoulder injury from putting on a face mask, or even attempted murder.

That's OK, because, you know, it may turn out that wearing a mask causes psychiatric issues in certain people and so it may be a valid claim. Put in your request for benefits, Caserta explained.

Dr. Caserta says people shouldnt be alarmed by the number of cases waiting on medical review. He expects that number to grow as the people processing the claims wait to see what the science shows as possible outcomes.

There's a lag for the science. It takes time. You know, even with the H1N1, it took time for us to develop the science that Guillain-Barre was truly a result, sometimes rarely of that vaccine," Dr. Caserta said.

But without more transparency, Meyers says the program is fundamentally flawed. Claimants never get a hearing, theres no compensation for pain and suffering, or reimbursement if you hire an attorney to help with the forms.

According to the data obtained by The Reveal, of the 39 claims approved, only 29 had expenses eligible for reimbursement. The most common injury in those cases, was Guillain-Barre syndrome. The other injuries to receive compensation were anaphylaxis, shoulder pain, bursitis and one death.

Meyers says clearly, some people need an attorney to assist. Of the initial COVID-19 claims, the CICP couldnt determine what countermeasure caused the alleged injury in nearly 20% of the cases.

No lawyer would ever file a petition that was so obscure and so, you know, unintelligible that the agency cannot even figure out what is it, the vaccine or what are you complaining about, Meyers said.

Where do you go from here?

There is another injury program that will pay pain and suffering related to complications from vaccine, but right now the products being manufactured by Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson are not part of it.

Dr. Caserta says for the COVID-19 vaccine to be put into the VICP, as it's called, the vaccine currently being administered under an emergency use authorization would have to be approved for routine administration in children. Caserta says thats two layers of authorization that will take months, if not years.

Still, some say theyre holding out, hoping the process will move faster. If youre one of them, the CICP warns you only have one year from the date of your injury to file a claim and the CICP is the only program that will consider claims related to COVID-19 injuries beyond vaccine.

Simmonds knows severe reactions are rare and it's unclear, outside of timing, how doctors will prove her seizures are related to the vaccine. But while science does the research, she believes the government must be passionate about helping those potentially injured.

It should be a simple, you know, cut and dry issue, Simmonds said.

She hasnt been able to return to work since getting the vaccine in late January. She says her only income is the money raised through a GoFundMe set up by her sister.

She has yet to file a claim with the CICP; neither has Loiselle. He says his arm is slowly starting to feel better.

I have complete, you know, range of motion with my left. On my right (arm) it's totally different. I mean, it's pulling in my neck, my shoulder down my arm. But at least I'm able to do things," Loiselle said.

Despite his injury, Loiselle did go back for his second shot and says that dose was uneventful. He says he never lost confidence in the vaccine itself.

We figured to go overseas, we're going to have to have some proof that we've been vaccinated. We were eager to do it, Loiselle explained.

But Loiselle does question how eager the government will be to stand by those injured trying to get through this pandemic.

The Reveal is an investigative show exposing inequality, injustice, and ineptitude created by people in power throughout Georgia and across the country.

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A first look at injury claims associated with COVID-19 treatments. On the list, attempted murder - 11Alive.com WXIA

WASHINGTON (AP) Prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center can begin getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as Monday, a senior defense official told The Associated Press, months after a plan to inoculate them was scuttled over outrage that many Americans werent eligible to receive the shots.

The new timing coincides with President Joe Bidens deadline for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines. Beginning Monday, anyone older than 18 in the country qualifies to sign up and get in a virtual line to be vaccinated.

The defense official said all 40 men held at the Navy base in Cuba will be offered the vaccination to comply with legal requirements regarding the treatment of prisoners and to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Strict quarantine procedures had already sharply curtailed activities at the base and halted legal proceedings for prisoners facing war crime trials, including the men charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.

Obviously, we dont want an outbreak of COVID on a remote island with the challenges that would present, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the effort ahead of an official announcement.

The announcement in January that the military intended to offer the vaccine to prisoners sparked intense criticism, particularly among Republicans in Congress, at a time when COVID-19 vaccines were just being rolled out to troops and civilians at Guantanamo and were not widely available in the United States.

Several Republican members of Congress backed legislation that would have blocked Guantanamo prisoners from receiving the vaccine until all Americans had the opportunity to receive it.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the decision on Twitter. President Biden told us he would have a plan to defeat the virus on day 1, the California Republican said on Jan. 30. He just never told us that it would be to give the vaccine to terrorists before most Americans.

Though the decision to vaccinate the prisoners may still prove controversial, a key difference now is that the vaccine is now available to anyone over 18, both on the base and throughout the U.S. Half of all adults in the country have received at least one dose of the shot.

At Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 56% of the total population of about 5,700 people, a mix of military personnel, contractors and dependents, has been vaccinated, and the shot is available to any adult who wants it, said Dawn Grimes, a public affairs officer for the base hospital.

There are about 1,500 people assigned to the task force that runs the detention center on the base. There have been no known cases of COVID-19 among them, nor among any of the prisoners.

Medical personnel have already discussed the vaccine with the prisoners. The military does not plan to disclose how many ultimately choose to accept it, the official said, citing medical privacy regulations.

The Biden administration announced in April that it could conduct a full review of detention center operations with the goal of eventually closing the facility, which opened in January 2002 to hold people suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks.

At its peak in 2003, the detention center at the Navy base on the southeast tip of Cuba held nearly 680 prisoners, and it drew widespread condemnation over the treatment of the men held there, most without charges.

Closing it has proved a challenge because the U.S. has sought to continue holding and prosecute some prisoners, but Congress has prevented the transfer of anyone held there to facilities inside the country for any reason.

Those still being held there include Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who, along with four others, faces trial on charges that include murder and terrorism over the Sept. 11 attacks. The long-stalled case remains in the pretrial stage, and no hearings have been held in more than a year because of the pandemic.

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Guantanamo prisoners will now be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine - MarketWatch

More than 567,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and there are currently over 3 million reported deaths worldwide, Johns Hopkins University data shows. However, there is also encouraging news. On Sunday, the CDC reported more than 50% of Americans above the age of 18 have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.Recent reports show that demand for a COVID-19 vaccine is decreasing in parts of the United States. Experts estimate 70% - 85% of the United States will need to be immune to the virus to suppress the spread.For those who are vaccine hesitant, what are some common myths about the vaccines, and how can each of us work to address these misconceptions?CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, weighed in on how everyone can debunk myths, ease concerns and spread accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines.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CNN: Why is it important for everyone to know what myths are circulating about coronavirus vaccines?Dr. Leana Wen: One of the key principles in public health is that the messenger is often more important than the message. You are the most trusted messenger to someone. It could be your parents, your work colleagues or your friends. Getting people vaccinated is our best hope of ending this pandemic, and we need everyone's help to convince people to do so.Another principle of public health is to meet people where they are. That means seeking to understand why someone may have hesitancy about the coronavirus vaccine. How you approach someone is going to be completely different if they are concerned about whether the vaccine is safe versus if they don't believe coronavirus is real. Listening to someone's concerns and then addressing them, with compassion and empathy, is crucial.There are common myths I often hear from my patients, but there are things that each of us can say if someone around us expresses these myths.CNN: Let's talk about vaccine safety. There must be a lot of myths around that.Wen: A common myth is that getting the coronavirus vaccine will give you coronavirus. I hear this every year when it comes to the flu vaccine, too: Often, patients will say they don't want to get the flu vaccine because they think they'll get the flu from it.Neither is true. If someone is concerned about this, you can say that none of the coronavirus vaccines being tested in the U.S. contains live virus. So it's not possible to get coronavirus from the coronavirus vaccine.Another set of myths is around the mRNA platform that is used for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. I've heard people worry about whether the vaccine will somehow affect their genetic code and alter their genes.This is not true. It's helpful to explain what the mRNA technology is. The term "mRNA" stands for messenger RNA, which is a portion of the genetic code that teaches cells how to make a protein. The protein that's made by the mRNA then activates an immune response, teaching our bodies how to respond to coronavirus if we come into contact with it in the future.What's very important to understand is what the mRNA does not do: It never enters the nucleus of people's cells, which is where our DNA is contained. That means the vaccine does not interact with people's DNA at all, and therefore will not alter our genetic code.CNN: The mRNA technology is a new technology. Many have concerns that it's too new and that it was developed too fast.Wen: There are two points here and two ways to address this concern. First, the mRNA technology has actually been in development for well over a decade. Second, I think it's critical to explain that no shortcuts were taken in the scientific research or approval processes. Yes, scientists did develop the vaccines in record time. But that's because the entire global scientific community went to work. They didn't start from scratch; after SARS and MERS outbreaks, a lot of work already went into starting the vaccine development.The U.S. government and other governments invested a lot of money in the research. Every phase of the clinical research was followed as it is for other vaccines, with tens of thousands of volunteers in the clinical trials. External committees of independent scientists vetted the data and there were no shortcuts taken in vaccine authorization.CNN: What about allergic reactions? Isn't there also a myth that these vaccines provoke too many allergic reactions and are therefore not safe?Wen: It is true that there have been some reports of allergic reactions to the vaccines. Allergic reactions can occur to virtually any medical product. In the ER, we treat allergic reactions to food and medications all the time. They are much easier to treat than COVID-19.At the moment, it's not clear as to why these very rare allergic reactions are happening. That's why everyone getting the COVID-19 vaccine is required to stay around for 15 minutes after receiving it. And if you have a history of severe allergic reactions, you might be required to wait 30 minutes. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, it can be treated with an EpiPen.The remote possibility of a rare allergic reaction is no reason not to receive the vaccine. The very real and substantial benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the highly uncommon (and treatable) risks of allergic reactions. Those with food and medication allergies can still get the vaccine. The only reason you shouldn't get the vaccine is if you have a specific known reaction to a component of the vaccine itself.CNN: Here's another myth we don't know how long the vaccine provides immunity, so there is no point in taking it.Wen: This is where acknowledging that the myth comes from a place of some truth is a good starting point. It is true that we don't know how long the immunity from the vaccine will last. Studies thus far suggest that it should last at least for several months, but we don't know whether immune protection from the vaccine wanes over time. It's also possible that enough mutations might arise that new vaccines need to be configured, and people who received the vaccine already may need a booster shot as is the case with a tetanus shot. It may be that coronavirus vaccine becomes something that you have to get every year, like the flu vaccine.But just because you may need to get the vaccine again at some point again doesn't mean you shouldn't get it the first time. Think about the flu vaccine: Just because you have to get it every year doesn't mean you should never get it at all. CNN: What about young and healthy people saying that it's only those who are elderly or with underlying medical conditions who should get the vaccine?Wen: We want everyone to get the vaccine.Here's why. First, even those who are young and healthy may contract coronavirus and become very ill. It's less common, but deaths do occur in this population, too. Second, we need to strive for herd immunity through vaccination. That's the level at which the virus will substantially slow, and hopefully even stop, its spread. Public health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have estimated that we need about 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated to reach that point.The sooner we get people vaccinated, the earlier we can all return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy and end the devastation of this disease. And that requires not only the elderly and more vulnerable, but all of us getting the vaccine.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CNN: I'm sure you've encountered folks who think they can stop wearing a mask after they get the vaccine.Wen: Our understanding right now is that the COVID-19 vaccine prevents someone from getting ill, and the vaccine also guards against severe illness that results in hospitalization and deaths. That's really important. But we don't know whether the vaccine prevents someone from being a carrier of coronavirus who could infect others. Also, the vaccine appears to be 95% effective, which is amazing, but it's not 100%.That's why people still have to use caution even after they are vaccinated. At some point, though, as we approach herd immunity through vaccination, we will be able to do away with masks. In the meantime, think of vaccines as a tool that doesn't replace other tools but is essential to saving lives.You can also find information regarding common COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, it is OK for you to get the vaccine if you plan on having children one day. "There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines," the CDC's website states.John Hopkins Medicine and Mayo Health Clinic System address getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you previously contracted the virus."People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before," Johns Hopkins Medicine website reads.The Mayo Clinic Health System provides similar information, saying, it is not currently known, "if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. This is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this."Hearst Television contributed to this report.

More than 567,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and there are currently over 3 million reported deaths worldwide, Johns Hopkins University data shows.

However, there is also encouraging news. On Sunday, the CDC reported more than 50% of Americans above the age of 18 have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Recent reports show that demand for a COVID-19 vaccine is decreasing in parts of the United States. Experts estimate 70% - 85% of the United States will need to be immune to the virus to suppress the spread.

For those who are vaccine hesitant, what are some common myths about the vaccines, and how can each of us work to address these misconceptions?

CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, weighed in on how everyone can debunk myths, ease concerns and spread accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines.

CNN: Why is it important for everyone to know what myths are circulating about coronavirus vaccines?

Dr. Leana Wen: One of the key principles in public health is that the messenger is often more important than the message. You are the most trusted messenger to someone. It could be your parents, your work colleagues or your friends. Getting people vaccinated is our best hope of ending this pandemic, and we need everyone's help to convince people to do so.

Another principle of public health is to meet people where they are. That means seeking to understand why someone may have hesitancy about the coronavirus vaccine. How you approach someone is going to be completely different if they are concerned about whether the vaccine is safe versus if they don't believe coronavirus is real. Listening to someone's concerns and then addressing them, with compassion and empathy, is crucial.

There are common myths I often hear from my patients, but there are things that each of us can say if someone around us expresses these myths.

CNN: Let's talk about vaccine safety. There must be a lot of myths around that.

Wen: A common myth is that getting the coronavirus vaccine will give you coronavirus. I hear this every year when it comes to the flu vaccine, too: Often, patients will say they don't want to get the flu vaccine because they think they'll get the flu from it.

Neither is true. If someone is concerned about this, you can say that none of the coronavirus vaccines being tested in the U.S. contains live virus. So it's not possible to get coronavirus from the coronavirus vaccine.

Another set of myths is around the mRNA platform that is used for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. I've heard people worry about whether the vaccine will somehow affect their genetic code and alter their genes.

This is not true. It's helpful to explain what the mRNA technology is. The term "mRNA" stands for messenger RNA, which is a portion of the genetic code that teaches cells how to make a protein. The protein that's made by the mRNA then activates an immune response, teaching our bodies how to respond to coronavirus if we come into contact with it in the future.

What's very important to understand is what the mRNA does not do: It never enters the nucleus of people's cells, which is where our DNA is contained. That means the vaccine does not interact with people's DNA at all, and therefore will not alter our genetic code.

CNN: The mRNA technology is a new technology. Many have concerns that it's too new and that it was developed too fast.

Wen: There are two points here and two ways to address this concern. First, the mRNA technology has actually been in development for well over a decade. Second, I think it's critical to explain that no shortcuts were taken in the scientific research or approval processes. Yes, scientists did develop the vaccines in record time. But that's because the entire global scientific community went to work. They didn't start from scratch; after SARS and MERS outbreaks, a lot of work already went into starting the vaccine development.

The U.S. government and other governments invested a lot of money in the research. Every phase of the clinical research was followed as it is for other vaccines, with tens of thousands of volunteers in the clinical trials. External committees of independent scientists vetted the data and there were no shortcuts taken in vaccine authorization.

CNN: What about allergic reactions? Isn't there also a myth that these vaccines provoke too many allergic reactions and are therefore not safe?

Wen: It is true that there have been some reports of allergic reactions to the vaccines. Allergic reactions can occur to virtually any medical product. In the ER, we treat allergic reactions to food and medications all the time. They are much easier to treat than COVID-19.

At the moment, it's not clear as to why these very rare allergic reactions are happening. That's why everyone getting the COVID-19 vaccine is required to stay around for 15 minutes after receiving it. And if you have a history of severe allergic reactions, you might be required to wait 30 minutes. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, it can be treated with an EpiPen.

The remote possibility of a rare allergic reaction is no reason not to receive the vaccine. The very real and substantial benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the highly uncommon (and treatable) risks of allergic reactions. Those with food and medication allergies can still get the vaccine. The only reason you shouldn't get the vaccine is if you have a specific known reaction to a component of the vaccine itself.

CNN: Here's another myth we don't know how long the vaccine provides immunity, so there is no point in taking it.

Wen: This is where acknowledging that the myth comes from a place of some truth is a good starting point. It is true that we don't know how long the immunity from the vaccine will last. Studies thus far suggest that it should last at least for several months, but we don't know whether immune protection from the vaccine wanes over time. It's also possible that enough mutations might arise that new vaccines need to be configured, and people who received the vaccine already may need a booster shot as is the case with a tetanus shot. It may be that coronavirus vaccine becomes something that you have to get every year, like the flu vaccine.

But just because you may need to get the vaccine again at some point again doesn't mean you shouldn't get it the first time. Think about the flu vaccine: Just because you have to get it every year doesn't mean you should never get it at all.

CNN: What about young and healthy people saying that it's only those who are elderly or with underlying medical conditions who should get the vaccine?

Wen: We want everyone to get the vaccine.

Here's why. First, even those who are young and healthy may contract coronavirus and become very ill. It's less common, but deaths do occur in this population, too. Second, we need to strive for herd immunity through vaccination. That's the level at which the virus will substantially slow, and hopefully even stop, its spread. Public health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have estimated that we need about 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated to reach that point.

The sooner we get people vaccinated, the earlier we can all return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy and end the devastation of this disease. And that requires not only the elderly and more vulnerable, but all of us getting the vaccine.

CNN: I'm sure you've encountered folks who think they can stop wearing a mask after they get the vaccine.

Wen: Our understanding right now is that the COVID-19 vaccine prevents someone from getting ill, and the vaccine also guards against severe illness that results in hospitalization and deaths. That's really important. But we don't know whether the vaccine prevents someone from being a carrier of coronavirus who could infect others. Also, the vaccine appears to be 95% effective, which is amazing, but it's not 100%.

That's why people still have to use caution even after they are vaccinated. At some point, though, as we approach herd immunity through vaccination, we will be able to do away with masks. In the meantime, think of vaccines as a tool that doesn't replace other tools but is essential to saving lives.

You can also find information regarding common COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, it is OK for you to get the vaccine if you plan on having children one day.

"There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines," the CDC's website states.

John Hopkins Medicine and Mayo Health Clinic System address getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you previously contracted the virus.

"People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before," Johns Hopkins Medicine website reads.

The Mayo Clinic Health System provides similar information, saying, it is not currently known, "if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. This is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this."

Hearst Television contributed to this report.

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Myths about the COVID-19 vaccine explained - WLWT Cincinnati

As of Monday,COVID-19 vaccines are available to every American over 16 who wants a shot, but a panel of experts convened by USA TODAY remains deeply concerned about the people who say vaccines aren't needed.

Anxiety about getting a shot is normal, expected and can be resolved with education and role models, several panelists said.

"People who have questions deserve to have those questions answered. Thatsfair and thats on us," saidDr.Gregory Poland,director of theMayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

What he and others worry about arethose who deny the importance of vaccination and try to convince others to forgo it.

Vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been shown to be effective preventing upward of 90% of infections, both in clinical trials and real-world studies. And they've been shown to be safe, delivered to more than 125 million Americans.

"You would have trouble finding a better vaccine," saidDr. Paul Offit,director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Once a month for nearly a year, USA TODAY has examined the development and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines with an expert panel whosespecialties rangefrom virology to logistics.

We asked members to create an imaginary clock, starting at midnight, when the virus first came to public attention and ending at noon when anyone who wanted a shot could get one.

Last June, the first month of our coverage, panelists put the time at4 a.m., and estimates advanced by a fullhour most months.

Although it's still a challenge to work the computerized registration system in many states, theoreticallyhigh noon has been reached, and vaccines are available to most everyone.

We had expected to rollthe clock back at least once, as vaccine development and rollout stumbled.Though it took 11 months to advance eight hours, we never went backward, a testamentto the massive resources devoted to creating the vaccines in record time.

This month, the message from the 15 panelists was clear: Vaccines are safe, effective and a triumph of scienceessential for ending the pandemic and restoring the U.S. economy. The big challenge is getting enough people to take them.

COVID-19 hasclaimedmore than 567,000 livesin the USA and sickened millions more, yet fears remain among too many Americans about the tinysafety riskthat comes with all vaccines.

"The threat is right in front of our noses, and we look past it to worry about an overblown and theoretical risk that hasn't been supported after tens of millions of vaccinations," said Dr. Otto Yang, an infectious disease specialist at the Geffen School of Medicine at the UCLA.

In 2018, vaccine hesitancy was listed as one of the Top 10 global health threatsby the World Health Organization.

People still seem to think pathogens aren't a problem unless they're personally affected.

I hear people say things like, We didnt take it seriously until my brother died of it, and after seeing what he went through, then we changed our mind,Poland said. That means a whole lot of people have to die to convince people.

Some panelists expressed optimism that most can be convinced to get vaccinated, to protect themselves and others.

"I am amazed by how effective these vaccines are in real-world studies," saidDr.Monica Gandhi,an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, "and am over the moon that we are so lucky to have these vaccines."

"Nothing succeeds like success," said Dr.Kelly Moore,deputy director of the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition.

Despitehitches, the vaccine development and rollout have been incredibleaccomplishments.

The first vaccines were developed and completed large clinicaltrials less than a year after the SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified. Massive amounts of federal funding under the Trump administration assured that large-scalemanufacturing wouldn't lag too far.

Under the Biden administration, distribution of the vaccines stepped up substantially, along with production, and more than 3 million Americans roughly 1% of the total population get vaccinated every day.

The success increases the stakes for getting the majority of the population vaccinated, Moore said.

"If we fail at that, its a failure of willrather than a failure of science," she said. "And we will have no one to blame for but ourselves."

'We arent at the finish line,' Biden says COVID is dangerous despite vaccine rollout

Despite the vaccine rollout, Biden sends warning that coronavirus is still dangerous.

Associated Press, USA TODAY

The biggest setbacks in vaccinationshave come in recent weeks in safety and production issues aroundthe Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was authorized for use in the USA on Feb. 27, and the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which hasn't applied for authorization herebut is used around the world.

Because the Biden administration bought enoughof the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, supply by midsummer should cover every American adult who wants a shot, with more remainingfor younger teens and children, who aren't yet eligible.

Even if J&J and AstraZeneca are never usedhere, a fifth vaccine, from Novavax, may win authorization.

Vaccines won't be the total solution mask-wearingand avoiding crowds also matter, Yang said. Too often during the pandemic, leaders have stepped back from these measures when they should have encouraged people to keep going.

"As soon as numbers fall, they start relaxing containment measures," Yangsaid, comparing it to firefighters leaving the scene of a fire as soon as they begin to gain control. "When the flames are low, that is the time to redouble and intensify efforts, because that is when you have a chance to put out the fire."

Because it's too hard to control the virus with behaviors, vaccines have become the only way to stop this crisis, panelists said.

"Solving for vaccine hesitancy will be absolutely critical to ending this pandemic and revitalizing local economies across the country," saidDr.Michelle McMurry-Heath,president and CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization, a trade group.

They offeredsome creative ideas for encouraging more people to get vaccinated.

Pamela Bjorkman,a structural biologist at the California Institute of Technology, harkened back to the days of the polio vaccine rollout, when role models were publicly vaccinated to encourage peopleto get their shots.

"The Elviseffect," as she called it,"resulted in a lot more people getting poliovirus vaccinations." Elvis Presley famously got the polio vaccine on television before performing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1956.

"We need a series of Elvises to promote vaccination for COVID-19 protection," Bjorkman said.

University of Missouri law professor Sam Halabi would like to see more well-known figures, such asLALaker LeBron James,get publicly vaccinated.

Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and their first ladies all werepart of a television advertising campaign to get vaccinated. Former President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump werevaccinated but less publicly.

Communicationexpert Peter Pitts sees a role foreach vaccinated person to "sell" the idea of vaccination to others.

"While targeted public relations and advertising campaigns are important, what will really move the needle (both literally and figuratively) are neighbors talking with friends, neighbors and relatives about their positive experiences and the feeling of freedom" after vaccination, said Pitts, president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

"Peer pressure is a potent tool in the battle against vaccine skepticism," he said.

Yang agreed that personal connections will be key, because too few Americans put their trust in experts or the news media.

"They need to hear the information from someone they personally know and believe," Yang said. "Politics and disinformation have so polluted the public psyche that many people just won't believe anything from even the most reputable sources, or worse yet, believe disinformation based on their political alignment."

People need to be reminded that when they get vaccinated, they help not just themselvesbut people who can't get full protection because they're immunocompromised, have allergies to the shots or are particularly frail,Offit said.

He recalled when California lawmakers were trying to decide whether to allow parents to exempt their kids from routine childhood vaccinations. The tide turned in favor of vaccination when a5-year-old boy named Luke, who couldn't get shots because he was being treated for leukemia, got up in front of the state Legislature.

Standing on a stool to reach the microphone, he said, What about me? I depend on you to protect me,Offit remembered.

"Ultimately, the real carrot is watching vaccinated people get back to their normal lives over time," saidVivian Riefberg,professor of practice at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, "and the real stick might unfortunately be with continued sickness and unnecessary death."

For our final question to panelists, we asked what surprised them the most about thevaccine development and distribution.

Most cited the speed by which effective vaccines have been made widely available.

"I am astonished, but not surprised, by the global scientific brilliance and collaborative spirit that has produced a profusion of useful vaccines," said Arti Rai,law professor and health law expert at Duke University Law School."Most surprising to me has been the ability of the U.S. public health care system, challenged as it is in so many ways, to do a reasonablejob on the delivery end."

"I am amazed to see how effective the vaccine has been in preventing hospitalization and death," said Prakash Nagarkatti, vice president for research at theUniversity of South Carolina.

"Without the vaccines, we would be thinking not just about wave four but also waves five, six, etc.,right now," Riefberg said.

She praised the public-private collaboration that gotthe vaccines produced in record time, as well as the effective use of government funding to support vaccine developmentand rescue the economy.

"Imagine if there were no vaccines and outright economic collapse," she said. "This time last year, that was a distinct possibility."

On the negative side of the ledger, several panelists expressed dismay about the fragmentation of the health care system, particularly under the Trump administration, in which every state operated on its ownunderlittle direction from Washington.

"I was surprised how ill-prepared we were for this in general," said Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. "Many lives could have been saved if we had responded properly from the beginning."

Dr. William Schaffner,a professor and infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, said he was discouraged that it took so long to roll out vaccines at the local level."Also, how much variation in vaccination prioritization occurred among the states," he said.

That slow start turned into a breakneck paceand will hopefully serve as a role model for fixing other problems, several panelists said.

"It creates confidence in government capacity to deliver at scale quickly," said Prashant Yadav, a medical supply chain expert andsenior fellow at the Center for Global Development. "Lets hope this confidence is contagious to other fields if we have been able to do it in public health, can we also do it for health care more comprehensively?"

Several panelists pointed out that the virus highlightedchallengesin America's health care system and the need to prioritize global health.

"While this is not a surprise, the pandemic has laid bare the stark inequities in health care/society that need to be addressed," Riefberg said.

She and others said they were shockedbythe widespread rejection of science and the politicization of basic health measures such as mask-wearing, vaccines and vaccine passports to prove inoculation.

Riefberg said she's disappointedthat therearen't many good treatments to fight COVID-19. "After a year and about 1,000 clinical trials, all we have is remdesivir (maybe), monoclonal antibodies (less effective by the day because ofvariants)and steroids," she said.

Panelists said their concerns couldn't dim their overall enthusiasm about the vaccines and thepotential they have to make a real difference in the pandemic saving lives and allowing people to bounce back from the incredibly difficult past year

"The resiliency of the average American is astounding," Pitts said.

USA TODAY asked scientists, researchers and other expertshow far they think the vaccine development effort has progressed since Jan. 1, 2020 when the virus was firstrecognized. Fifteenresponded this month. We are grateful for the time they have devoted to this project.

Pamela Bjorkman,structural biologist at the California Institute of Technology

Dr.Monica Gandhi,an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco

Sam Halabi,professor of law, University of Missouri; scholar at the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University

Florian Krammer,virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City

Dr.Michelle McMurry-Heath,president and CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Dr.Kelly Moore,deputy director of the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition; former member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

Prakash Nagarkatti,immunologist and vice president for research, University of South Carolina

Dr. Paul Offit,director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphiaand a professor of Vaccinology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Peter Pitts,president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interestand a former FDA Associate Commissioner for External Relations

Dr.Gregory Poland,director, Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, and editor-in-chief, Vaccine

Arti Rai,law professor and health law expert at Duke University Law School

Vivian Riefberg,professor of practice at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, director emeritus and senior adviser withMcKinseyanda board member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, PBSand Signify Health, a company working totransformhow care is paid for and deliveredat home

Dr. William Schaffner,a professor and infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee

Prashant Yadav,senior fellow, Center for Global Development, medical supply chain expert

Dr.Otto Yang,professor of medicine and associate chief of infectious disease at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com and Elizabeth Weise at eweise@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

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America reaches milestone with COVID-19 vaccine widely available to those who want it, but hesitancy still casts a shadow - USA TODAY

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Its now easier than ever to get a COVID-19 shot.

Theres plenty of vaccine available, and in some cases you can get one on the spot.

During the final week of March, 52,000 South Dakotans received the vaccine.

Last week that number dropped to just 34,000.

Avera family physician Dr. Chad Thury says when COVID vaccinations first started, we had a lack of vaccine and a lot of people wanting it.

Now, he says theres plenty of vaccine, but less demand than what was anticipated at this time.

Angela Furness got the COVID-19 vaccine so she can have more protection against the virus.

So when they came out with the vaccine I felt it was the best thing to do, Angela Furness said.

The Sioux Falls woman had no concerns about getting the shot.

However, there is some vaccine hesitancy among others for a variety of reasons.

There are some people that are just never going to get vaccinated and I dont think were going to, unfortunately, be able to convince them, but I think theres some that just have some hesitancy, maybe need to be educated a little more on some of the concerns they have, Avera family physician Dr. Chad Thury said.

Thury says COVID-19 vaccines are extremely safe.

Theres certainly risk and benefit when it comes to anything we do, and vaccines are the same. If you look at severe complications from vaccines, extremely low. Is it a possibility? Yes, but once again, extremely, extremely low as far as any type of severe, adverse reaction, Thury said.

He says, if youre on the fence, get vaccinated.

If you have questions, get facts from your primary doctor.

If we want to get back to normal and kind of do normal activities then we really need to continue to vaccinate more people and get closer to that herd immunity, Thury said.

While Furness will continue taking COVID safety precautions, she feels relieved that she has both doses of the shot now.

I feel a little bit better, a little bit more safer, Furness said.

Dr. Thury also pointed out some people who think of themselves as healthier may be allowing others to get the vaccine first, but he says now is the time to get vaccinated.

He also says a vaccine concern he hears a lot about is fertility.

He says theres no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility.

Read more from the original source:

Doctors message for those waiting to get the COVID-19 vaccine - KELOLAND.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Many colleges and universities are preparing for the fall semester.

For some, that includes making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory.

Action News Jaxs Alicia Tarancon spoke with some universities and colleges in our area.

While a COVID-19 vaccine isnt required at University of North Florida, Florida State College of Jacksonville or Jacksonville University, it is strongly recommended to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

>>More on the COVID-19 vaccine

JU is going back to a full-capacity campus, meaning that in-person classes, clubs and sports will all be in full swing come this fall.

Layla Thompson told me its one of the reasons shes fully vaccinated.

Since I am a nursing student, I go to clinicals and help out in the hospitals. So its definitely a great extra protection while being in the hospital. I think everybody should go and get it so we can try to get everything back to as normal as possible, Thompson said.

But not every student says they feel at ease about getting a vaccine.

Recent polls show that about a quarter those between the ages of 18 to 24 years old said they would not get the vaccine.

Im just a little skeptical because I just dont know much about it yet. Im sure with more information coming out Ill get a little more educated or enlightened, but for now Im just holding off, Katelyn Hearn said.

UNF and FSCJ have been holding vaccination clinics on campus.

FSCJ is partnering with the Florida Department of Health so that students and faculty can have easy access to the vaccine if they want to get it.

[QUICK LINKS: How to make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment in the Jacksonville area]

I think itll bring us back to campus faster, which will be good, said FSCJ student Raymond Davis.

University leaders say their students are ready to return after missing out on the college experience.

With the vaccine, with the positivity rate in the community and on our campus, that well be able to return to a fully engaged campus, said Kristie Gover, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Jacksonville University.

See more here:

COVID-19 Vaccine: College and university leaders encourage getting vaccinated before fall semester - ActionNewsJax.com

The appointments are available at the Wonderland of the Americas COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

SAN ANTONIO University Health said Monday the organization still has appointments available this week.

The appointments are available at the Wonderland of the Americas COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

To look for predictability of time to be vaccinated, sign up at WeCanDoItSA.com,the organization said.

Or, you can simply walk in and receive your vaccine that way, according to University Health.

The Wonderland center provides the vaccinations Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. The location features free convenient parking and is on several VIA bus routes.

All adults are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas. If you are 16 and 17 years old, you must bring a parent or guardian to your appointment.

Below is the latest overall vaccine progress for Bexar County and Texas:

Across Bexar County, more than 987,000 vaccine doses have been administered, as of April 15.

Click this linkfor more options for COVID-19 vaccine appointments and a list of COVID-19 symptoms and COVID-19 testing locations.

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University Health has COVID-19 vaccine appointments available this week - KENS5.com

It seems like each day theres more bad news about coronavirus variants.

There are headlines claiming the variants are becoming deadlier, and stories warning that some variants could escape the vaccines, imprisoning us in a never-ending pandemic. With every step forward like how millions of Americans are being vaccinated daily it feels as though the variants send us two steps back.

A growing number of infectious disease experts are now saying the variant narrative has spiraled out of control. Yes, there are several variants circulating, and its true that some appear to be more transmissible. Yes, we need to continue wearing masks and protecting ourselves and others until we get closer to herd immunity. But theres no definite evidence that any of the variants are more virulent, and there is currently no reason to think the variants will render our vaccines completely useless, infectious disease experts say.

Our immune systems are extremely complex, and even if some parts of the immune system dont respond as robustly to the variants after vaccination, its not going to give up on us that easily.

The COVID vaccines help you produce antibodies and they trigger another immune response that also fights the virus.

Much of the research regarding immunity against COVID-19 (which can be achieved either through vaccination or natural infection) has looked at antibodies. These little fighters go after the coronavirus and prevent it from binding to cells in our body and creating an infection. Some lab studies have found that antibodies dont do as good of a job fighting variants, which has raised fears that the vaccines might not be able to keep us safe.

But antibodies dont tell the full story. When people say antibody levels dip and therefore protection against COVID-19 disappears this is totally wrong, said Jay Levy, a virologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

The immune system is very complex, and in addition to antibodies, theres a whole other aspect, known as the cell-mediated immune response, thats just as important, if not more. This part helps create something called T-cells, which are crucial to preventing infections. The COVID-19 vaccines dont just generate antibodies; they also prompt your immune system to produce T-cells.

T-cells are the main line of defense against the virus, said Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist with UCSF. T-cells can identify many different parts of the coronavirus (some studies say up to 52 parts) and get rid of any cells that are carrying the virus. The cell-mediated immune response can also help our systems produce new antibodies if need be. Mutations or not, T-cells will still be able to detect the virus and jump into action. Your immune response is very complex, very robust, and very in-breadth against multiple parts of the virus, Gandhi said.

So, why arent we all talking about how awesome T-cells are? Theyre really hard to measure, Gandhi said, whereas measuring antibodies involves a simple blood test. But researchers have looked at the cell-mediated immune response in people who were either vaccinated or had COVID-19, and the findings are exciting.

For one thing, all of the vaccine clinical trials found that participants produced strong T-cell responses after vaccination, according to Gandhi. Theres also evidence that the variants probably arent going to have a very meaningful effect on the immunity we get from being fully vaccinated. Two recent studies found the T-cell response was unaffected by variants, and another paper found that while some antibodies diminished against variants, our T-cell response held up just fine.

When it comes to COVID-19, a robust T-cell response is the difference between a mild infection and serious disease, research shows. The cells cant always prevent an infection, but they may be able to clear it out quickly so you dont get badly sick. If you get vaccinated, you dont need to worry about getting infected or if you do [get infected], that you will have any serious illness, Levy said.

Your immune response is very complex, very robust, and very in-breadth against multiple parts of the virus.

- Monica Gandhi, infectious disease specialist, University of California, San Francisco

How long will these T-cells last?

From the looks of it, even if antibody levels wane over time, T-cells are probably going to keep us protected against variants for a while, especially when it comes to severe disease, according to Gandhi.

The coronavirus would have to change pretty dramatically to totally escape recognition from the cellular immune response and render our vaccines useless. The cellular immune response seems to be a little more diverse, or a little more inclusive, so it can pick up small, little changes that a variant might have and still handle it, Levy said.

The cell-mediated immune response can also have a lengthy memory. Researchers have evaluated the blood of people who had the SARS coronavirus in 2003, and found their T-cell immunity has persisted for up to 17 years. The T-cell response has similarly held up in people whove been vaccinated against measles for 34 years and counting.

COVID-19 is a little over a year old, but early evidence suggests our T-cells will last, though its unclear exactly how long. Some experts say we may need booster shots eventually, and scientists are already working on those. But given the durability of our cellular immunity, many infectious disease experts think boosters, at least in the near future, will be unnecessary.

Researchers will continue studying how components of the immune system antibodies, T-cells and everything in between deal with the coronavirus over time, but we know the immune system is robust and durable when it comes to fighting viruses.

So, if youre vaccinated, the next time you read a chilling headline about a variant, take a breath and think of the T-cells. Know that the T-cells work against the variants and you are OK, Gandhi said.

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.

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COVID-19 Variants: Here's How The Vaccines Still Protect You - HuffPost