Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

CLEVELAND -- According to data from the Kaiser Foundation, Black people made up 12% of Ohios total population and 13% of total COVID-19 cases but as of March 29, had only received 7% of vaccinations.

This is an issue, as Black and Hispanic people are about three times more likely than white people nationally to become hospitalized due to COVID, and about two times more likely to die from it. When minorities are more at risk for deadly outcomes, equality does not equate to equity.

COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans should have been heavily targeted toward these populations from the beginning, and they were not. However, due to recent efforts like the federal mass vaccination site at Cleveland State Universitys Wolstein Center, numbers are beginning to reflect our population. Nearly 17% of Black people in Ohio have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine hesitancy is a concern. In the United States, many Black people rightfully have deep-rooted feelings of mistrust with the health care system, reflecting historical atrocities, such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. Truthfully, disparities today, including the alarming number of Black women dying related to pregnancy and childbirth complications, show that we dont have to take a trip down memory lane to remind ourselves that this mistrust is valid, and warranted.

I spoke with Dr. Emmitt Jolly, chair-elect of the Case Western Reserve University Department of Biology, and an alum of Tuskegee University, about these problems.

Dr. Jolly said: We cant let the issues of our past limit the success of our future. Unfortunately, most of what people in Cleveland know about Tuskegee University is its connection to the syphilis testing. But as a student there, I refused to let those dark days of the past limit my present chances to get a top-notch education and to achieve a successful career studying infectious diseases. Be aware of the past, but take all the steps you can to protect yourself and your friends and family today.

In fact, we have found that vaccine hesitancy is not the root problem -- lack of access and misinformation are. A study last fall found that 41% of Black adults knew little to nothing about how vaccines are created, and 30% knew little to nothing about how they actually work.

A step in the right direction would be providing more education on herd immunity and how, similar to the historic election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, we cant achieve it without Black people. A recent article by Debra Furr-Holden, associate dean for public health integration at Michigan State University, lays it out clearly: For herd immunity to serve as a layer of protection for the United States, at least 70% of the population must get vaccinated. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 60% of the population is white; therefore, even if every white person in the United States received the vaccine, minority buy-in is absolutely necessary for the country to regain some kind of normalcy.

So, with all this in mind, as a Black woman, who works on vaccine development for infectious diseases and closely with the actual SARS-CoV-2 virus as part of my work, I decided to get the vaccine because of the facts: The fact that I am at risk of contracting the virus and of having poorer outcomes because of my race and health care access. The fact that I have seen too many people who look like me afflicted by this virus. And the fact that, by getting this vaccine, Im doing my part to return to normalcy.

Do Black Americans have a reason to be hesitant due to our countrys current infrastructure? Of course. But those odds stacked against us, the ones producing health disparities, make it that much more imperative that we protect ourselves. And that health care professionals and officials put in the work to ensure we have access to the resources.

Kyla Johnson is studying for a masters in public health degree at Case Western Reserve University and is a technician in the Flow Cytometry Core, which provides analysis and sorting of cells.

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Closing the gap - why I got the COVID-19 vaccine: Kyla Johnson - cleveland.com

Crew sets up chairs before starting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Minnesota Vikings' TCO Performance Center in Eagan. (FOX 9)

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - All COVID-19 vaccinations scheduled to take place Wednesdayat the Minnesota Vikings practice facility in Eagan are being postponed after the center suffered weather damage, according to an official with state emergency operations center.

Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center had been serving as a temporary, state-runcommunity COVID-19 vaccination site.

State and Vikings officials confirmed to FOX 9TCO will not be used this week as planned for the vaccination clinic due to the weather damage. Currently, only the appointments scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed. The appointments later in the week remain scheduled as the state searches to find a new site to hold the clinic.

"The state is working around the clock to identify an alternate location and will contact impacted patients directly to provide an opportunity to reschedule their appointments as soon as possible," read a statement in part.

Tuesday night, Minnesotans started receiving text messages notifying them that their vaccination appointment at TCO would be postponed dueto "weather-related damage requiring repairs at the vaccination site".

Monday night, thunderstorms moved through the Twin Cities metro area.

The rest is here:

COVID-19 vaccine appointments at TCO postponed due to weather damage - FOX 9

Posted: Apr 6, 2021 / 04:00 PM HST / Updated: Apr 6, 2021 / 04:00 PM HST

HONOLULU (KHON2) For those who misplaced their COVID-19 vaccination card, the Hawaii Department of Health says dont panic, theres a way to get a duplicate.

[Hawaiis Breaking NewsDownload the FREE KHON2 app foriOSorAndroid]

Contact the vaccination provider who gave you the shot in the arm, said Brooks Baehr, the spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Health. Theyre going to ask you to show up with an ID in hand so they can verify who you are. They will look up your record and they will issue a duplicate card.

Theres also another way to prove COVID-19 vaccination records.

When you signed up in VAMS, you got a password and you were able to log in. Should you lose your card or even if you just want another record of having received the vaccination, you can go back into VAMS, use your password to login. Then, you are able to print up a certificate of vaccination.

A certificate of vaccination will look like a document versus a smaller card. Not everyone who received a vaccine, received a VAMS login. It depends on where the shot was given.

The DOH says, the certificate also may not operate the same as the COVID-19 vaccination card in the future.

We dont know exactly how thats going to play into any access to air travel, events and venues in the future. However, its good to have that card, because there is talks of that being used. So you definitely want to hang on to it. I have also heard no talk whatsoever about this certificate of vaccination being used in the same fashion.

To safeguard COVID-19 vaccine cards, the DOH recommends taking a photo of both sides of the card, placing it in a plastic sleeve, and dont share photos of the card online.

The DOH also adds that laminating the vaccine cards is okay as long as its after the second dose of the COVID-19 shot is given.

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Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? Heres what you need to know - KHON2

A new COVID-19 vaccination site will open Wednesday on Elgin's east side.

The new site, at Elgin's Eastside Recreational Center, is a collaboration between Kane County, Cook County and the city of Elgin. It will operate six days per week, though exact days and hours are still being determined.

Kane County Board Chairman Corinne Pierog said in a news release that the site "will provide access to Cook and Kane counties' underserved communities."

The site, located at 1080 East Chicago Street in Elgin, is the third in Kane County and uses a recreation center that had been closed during the pandemic. Pierog said in the news release that the cross-county vaccination partnership is the first of its kind in Illinois.

"The city is proud to host a vaccination site in Elgin and support all of the counties' efforts to help get as many Elgin residents vaccinated as quickly as possible, especially our underserved population that will benefit from this site's ideal location," said Elgin Mayor David Kaptain.

The site will offer free COVID-19 vaccines to all eligible Illinoisans. Beginning Monday, all individuals above age 16 will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Registration is required at the new Elgin location and residents can check for appointments by going to http://www.kanevax.org or by calling 855-4- KaneVax.

The vaccination site will be in partnership with the state of Illinois, which will provide National Guard resources. The City of Elgin will manage the site.

"This site creates more access to vaccine for our residents and will provide greater reach for us to help vulnerable populations that have been more impacted by COVID, including our African American and LatinX populations," said Kathy Fosser, interim executive director at the Kane County Health Department. "Our strategy to protect all of our residents utilizes these mass vax sites, partnerships with other clinical partners and mobile teams."

Read this article:

New COVID-19 vaccination site coming Wednesday to Elgin - Daily Herald

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) A major local health care provider is expanding vaccination appointments earlier than expected.

Starting Tuesday, UC Davis Health is letting anyone 16 and older to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

Its a shot in the arm when it comes to protecting people against the coronavirus.

It went pretty smooth, said Alan Cooperman, who made his appointment online. They are very organized, very efficient, so its nice to finally get this thing going.

Thousands have already taken advantage of UC Davis program.

On Monday, just over 900 people had signed up. By Tuesday, that number had more than doubled.

First dose; I feel wonderful, said Moira McCleary.

It was a sense of relief for McCleary and her husband, who are both ready to travel out of state to see their daughter.

Ive been a nurse for 40 years, so I know what this is all about, McCleary said. People really need to take it seriously.

UC Davis says both current patients and non-patients can receive the shot.

Within a couple hours, there was a line out the door. But Cooperman says it took just minutes.

They are very organized, Cooperman said. I asked some questions and they were very reassuring.

The decision was an easy one for him and many others.

Id rather get the shot and have the risk of side effects than to worry about getting COVID and have to deal with that, Cooperman said.

Those who got vaccinated on Tuesday received an appointment for their second dose.

Patients can head to this webpage to sign up for an appointment, while non-patients can go to this webpage.

Continued here:

UC Davis Health Sees Big Response From Opening Up COVID-19 Vaccines To Everyone 16 And Up - Good Day Sacramento

Editors note: A recording of the conversation is embedded below.

Every week, STAT+ subscribers get access to exclusive conversations with biotech, pharma, and health tech leaders. This week, STAT senior infectious disease writer Helen Branswell will be joined by John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Childrens Hospital. They will be discussing Brownsteins involvement in the VaccineFinder project, best practices in finding vaccine appointments, and of course be taking your questions live.

Unlock this article by subscribing to STAT+ and enjoy your first 30 days free!

STAT+ is STAT's premium subscription service for in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis.Our award-winning team covers news on Wall Street, policy developments in Washington, early science breakthroughs and clinical trial results, and health care disruption in Silicon Valley and beyond.

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A conversation on how to find that elusive Covid-19 vaccine - STAT - STAT

WICHITA, Kan (KSNW) The COVID-19 vaccine is now coming to some peoples homes. A Wichita man became one of the first people to get the shot in his bedroom Tuesday.

Due to several health issues, David Bayouths father is unable to leave his house without the use of an ambulance making it nearly impossible for him to get the COVID-19 vaccine. On Tuesday he became the first person Home Health & Hospice of Kansas was able to vaccinate in the comfort of his own home.

Bayouth said he got the news his father would be vaccinated Tuesday morning. Very excited to get through the entire process and breathe a sigh of relief, he said. Its a chain reaction within the whole family and to be about to have protection one your most vulnerable makes a big difference in all of our lives.

Sedgwick County manager Tom Stolz said currently the county is not able to administer in-home vaccines. Home Health & Hospice of Kansas applied for federal approval and this week and started vaccinating clients at home.

We have quite a few people waiting Im actually going out to do some more today (Tuesday) and as they come in we do it for our patients and family members, said Ronisha Easter, a hospice nurse.

Easter said they have about 30 people waiting to be vaccinated at home. He is the first one and it feels good to be able to come out and provide the family with the comfort on knowing he is vaccinated, said Easter.

I dont want to be special, I want everybody to be able to get this opportunity, said Bayouth.

Right now Home Health and Hospice of Kansas is vaccinating their clients, but if you or a loved one you know is homebound and wants the vaccine, they said to call them and they will see what they can do.

David Bayouth has also created a website to help those who are homebound have information for mobile vaccine options you can find that by clicking here

Read more from the original source:

Sedgwick County man first to receive COVID-19 vaccine in his home - KSN-TV

CINCINNATI Walnut Hills High School junior Melanie Mitchell made an Instagram post a few weeks ago encouraging her friends to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Mitchell, a member of the Walnut Hills cheer team, was happy to receive feedback and questions. And her peers could trust her knowledge.

That's because she was one of the first teenagers in Ohio to receive the Pfizer vaccine as a clinical trial participant at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in November 2020.

"We're all just really excited," Mitchell said. "I think teenagers are seeing a glimpse of hope of returning to normalcy safely."

WCPO

The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for use on those ages 16 and up, while both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for use on those ages 18 and older, according to the Ohio Department of Health. COVID-19 vaccines are not mandatory, and consent of a parent or guardian is required for those ages 16 and 17 to be vaccinated.

RELATED: Sign for our new high school sports newsletterJoin the Cincinnati area high school sports Facebook group

Though there is no specific guidance related to vaccination of student-athletes, Dr. Robert Frenck, director of the Gamble Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children's, said vaccines will provide more opportunities to have normalcy in sports and other activities for teenagers.

"I don't think people should be real worried about it," he said. "My take-home message would be all of the vaccines that have the EUA (emergency use authorization) right now have exceeded our hopes as far as for efficacy. We were hoping to get a vaccine that would prevent 70% of hospitalizations. We are getting vaccines that are 90% to 95%, which is phenomenal."

WCPO contacted a dozen Greater Cincinnati athletic directors about the vaccines and heard perspectives from several families of student-athletes via its Cincinnati area high school sports Facebook group.

Mitchell's absence from a cheer team practice last fall due to the clinical trial was unusual, so she informed her teammates about her voluntary participation in the trial, which will last two years.

"A lot of people were shocked, and that's when I sort of had to explain, because that's when I realized there is a lot of misconception around vaccines," Mitchell said.

"The first question that everyone asked me was what were my symptoms and did I get COVID-19. And I didn't have any symptoms besides a sore arm for about three days, and I always continue with saying that this shot cannot give you COVID-19."

Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Dr. Frenck said if adolescents get side effects after vaccination, they typically would occur within 24 hours and last a day or two.

"Some soreness at the site (of the vaccination) and maybe some redness, headache and fatigue -- those are the most common things," he said. "So if somebody has a big meet coming up or a big game or something, I'd probably not vaccinate them the day or two before that."

Greg Weber and his wife, Nicci, said the decision for their son to receive the vaccine in a few weeks wasn't complicated. Tommy Weber is a 16-year-old sophomore who runs cross country and track at Elder High School.

"What we've put these kids through for this past year -- I can't imagine being these kids and having so much taken away from them," Greg Weber said. "I want to be able to give them their high school experience back because they missed a lot."

Greg Weber said he is diabetic and considered high risk. Moreover, the family wants to be able to visit grandparents and open doors for Tommy beyond sports.

"It's for the best interest of our family to be vaccinated," Greg Weber said. "The more of us that can be vaccinated, it would keep any strains from potentially reaching us and I don't want to get sick. Regardless of how any of us feel and how anybody feels about the politics of any of this, for the greater good it's something that we've chosen and we thought is in the best interest of us."

Provided

Tommy Weber hopes to attend a military academy in the future and might participate in a summer camp at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also has a scheduled group retreat in Wyoming.

"In order for him to do some things, he may have to have this vaccine and he may have to show proof," Greg Weber said. "So instead of it being forced down his throat from a third party, we're going to just make the decision for him and say, 'Bud, you're getting it.'"

Chris Woodard and his wife, Betty, have two teenage daughters who participated in high school sports at Summit Country Day.

Senior Bryana Woodard is committed to play basketball at Oberlin next school year; she played volleyball and basketball in high school. Senior Aniya Woodard plays soccer.

Jaden, their elder brother, is a junior at The Ohio State University. Chris Woodard said his son is considered high risk after receiving a heart transplant while a freshman at Summit.

Jaden contracted COVID-19 twice while in college and was even hospitalized at one point, Chris Woodard said.

"We just made a decision that the best thing weighing it out for them was to get the vaccine to hopefully minimize the risk -- not just for him but also for them," Chris Woodard said. "We feel like to give them a bit more freedom."

Bryana Woodard said last week she was looking forward to receiving the vaccine.

"Volleyball season -- we never had any games that we were allowed fans," she said. "We were allowed two parents at most on senior night so that was hard. And then going into basketball it was just always you get two tickets, so it's our senior year and no one can come watch us -- kind of frustrating. And then family wise obviously my brother, he's high risk, so when he got it that kind of shook our whole world. And so doing this would help prevent the spread and that's what we need."

See the original post here:

'Teenagers are seeing a glimpse of hope' with beginning of COVID-19 vaccinations - WCPO

Questions of equity, access, and privacy demand answers before a vaccine passport will work.

As COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, a growing number of corporations and countries have begun to consider requiring vaccine passportsproof of vaccination for entryacting on the belief that those who have been vaccinated should be given some level of priority in living a normal life again. Although this system sounds promising in theory, numerous legal, ethical, and operational questions must be resolved before making vaccine passports a routine aspect of travel.

The appeal of a vaccine record verification system is compelling at least in theory as it could quickly and verifiably check a persons vaccination status. The digital vaccine passport would be accessed using a smartphone application that links the users COVID-19 vaccination record to a QR code displayed on the device. In fact, the Biden Administration has already requested government agencies assess the feasibility of an electronic system that links coronavirus vaccine certifications to other vaccination documents.

If designed appropriately, a digital vaccine passport system could confer all the advantages of paper vaccination records plus benefits of technological efficiency and ease of use. Creating this system would require data sharing by health care providers, methods for verifying vaccine records, and regulation of how entities may request proof of vaccination. Employers may also mandate vaccination if, as part of their employment qualification standard, it is a requirement that an individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of individuals in the workplace and the employer demonstrates this threat cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation without vaccination. Employers may request proof of vaccination under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so long as employees are not asked to answer pre-vaccination screening questions that may inadvertently disclose their sensitive health information.

To avoid accusations of discrimination, governments would need a strong enough justification in protecting public health to exclude unvaccinated Americans from particular places or activities.

Critics say the creation of a vaccine passport system could lead to a two-tiered society, exacerbating inequalities between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. Right now vaccines are not equally accessible to all. Many states report, for example, that wealthier and whiter populations are getting vaccinated at much higher rates than low-income communities and people of color. Furthermore, systemic inequities in health care access pre-Covid have no doubt fueled vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic, particularly among certain ethnic and religious groups, minority communities, and people with disabilities. Requiring digital vaccination passports for entry to public and private places of business is likely to heighten these inequities.

The digital technologies powering such passports also raise privacy concerns. First, vaccination programs would require a substantial collection of health data. According to a 2019 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only an estimated 60 percent of all adults 19-years-old and over participate in online immunization information systems. Broader utilization of such systems would be essential for facilitating the data sharing required to make vaccine passports effective. Second, any application must be interoperable, meaning it must work with multiple systems across organizational and technical boundaries. Also, unlike the yellow fever vaccination cards developed by the government, digital vaccine passports are largely being designed by tech companies and non-profits.

Whenever health information connected to an identifiable individual is stored, developers will need to develop safeguards for ensuring the security of that data. These safeguards include collecting only the minimum data necessary to render the app functional, storing data for as little time as possible, promptly deleting data after functional use, and avoiding any undisclosed third-party tracking.

Some researchers suggest that a vaccination passport could exist without sharing any personally identifiable or health information using new privacy-preserving techniques and encryption. But with non-governmental actors in control of the data, ensuring strong internal controls and safeguards becomes essential.

Emerging survey results from studies probing public acceptance of immunity or vaccination passports in the U.S. and U.K. yield mixed results. One study found that 48 percent of Americans favor private certificates compared to nearly 43 percent who support government passports, showing a slight preference for private administration over government administration. In another ongoing study of 3,500 respondents across seven European countries, researchers found that approximately 60 percent would support carrying immunity passports for themselves. Older respondents were generally more favorable, and those with lower perceived risks of being infected as well as greater trust in the government were positively associated with support for immunity passports.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an interim position on vaccine passports, the Royal Society has proposed criteria to evaluate their use. Essentially, a passport should meet the benchmarks for COVID-19 immunity, with certification being linked to actual protection or limited transmission of the virus. The certification should also accommodate the differences in vaccine efficacy, as well as their efficacy against the variants that currently exist.

But until rigorous evidence demonstrates how effectively vaccines prevent transmission and for how long, there is a limit to how useful any vaccine passport can be for public healthespecially if approved vaccines prove less protective against emerging variants. The study also recommends that passports be internationally standardized, possibly linked to the WHOs Smart Vaccination Certificate. The study outlines other recommendations including ensuring that vaccine passports do not violate ethical standards or discrimination laws.

Reliable and accessible proof of vaccine-induced protection from COVID-19 could speed travel and economic reopening, but obstacles to wide-scale adoption of a vaccine passport system, as well as privacy and equity concerns, are so formidable that such a system seems premature.

Tony Yang is a professor and the executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University.

Vasiliki Rahimzadeh is a postdoctoral fellow with the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University.

More:

A Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Passport System Is Still Premature - The Regulatory Review

State Farm Stadium pauses 24-hour operations

The largest COVID-19 vaccination site in the state is moving to overnight hours to beat the heat.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - New hours begin at the largest COVID-19 vaccination site in the state as State Farm Stadium is shifting to evening hours just as temperatures start to sizzle.

The vaccinations must go on, even on Easter Sunday.

"Just get the vaccination. Get it done."

New hours at State Farm Stadium near Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue are relieving vaccine goers and volunteers from the extreme heat.

"Melting. Way too hot.. too dangerous."

Starting April 4, the Arizona Health Department said they're pausing the 24 hour state-run sites and vaccines will be available during overnight hours from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

"It's much better. It's much cooler now and for the vaccine, we're waiting for the second dose to make us feel more secure because it's stressful not having it."

MORE:How to sign up and schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment

AZDHS says they are evaluating indoor options in the West Valley to account for daytime vaccinations but that total dose numbers shouldn't be greatly affected.

"I love it. Everything was well organized. Everything is going so fast. I'm so happy to be here."

Volunteers are still needed at vaccination sites. For locations, head tohandsonphoenix.org/vaccinatestate48.

In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:

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State Farm Stadium's COVID-19 vaccination site in Glendale shifts to overnight hours to beat the heat - FOX 10 News Phoenix