Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

NAVARRE, Ohio (WJW) Two days after employees were given their first round of COVID-19 vaccinations, the Fairless Local School District canceled classes, attributing it to many developing side effects and becoming ill.

School employees across Ohio started getting their first round of the COVID-19 vaccinations, including Massillon City Schools and Medina County Schools on Friday, Akron Public Schools over the weekend, in addition to Tuslaw Local Schools in Massillon, Plain Local Schools in Canton and Fairless Local Schools in Navarre on Saturday.

In most cases, as much as 80 percent of the eligible employees are accepting the vaccinations. Medina County schools canceled classes on Friday to allow employees to all be vaccinated on the same day. Other districts are choosing to have their mass vaccinations over the weekends so as not to interfere with classes.

Public health officials in the counties where the vaccinations are taking place call the clinics a massive undertaking, but are pleased with how they are going. They are also not surprised that a number of the people who are getting the vaccinations are reporting side effects, calling that perfectly normal for any vaccine.

Im very encouraged. We want to make sure that all of our school personnel are safe, and we want to try to help protect them so it is very very encouraging for us. said Dr. Maureen Ahmann, medical director for the Stark County Health Department.

Ahmann said she was aware that Fairless Local Schools canceled classes on Monday, but was not familiar with the number of employees reporting illness related to the vaccines.

As far as specifically the call-off numbers in Fairless, I havent spoken to them, but I am not surprised if people are having some of the reactions like that to the vaccine. In fact, its kind of good news because we know they are responding, Ahmann said.

Sometimes we see it after the first dose, sometimes we see it after the second dose. I had my second dose last week and had a 103 fever the next day. Although I would much rather have a 103 fever for 24 hours than COVID-19 for two weeks, she said.

Administrators of the Fairless Local School District did not respond to Fox 8 attempts to reach them on Monday.

Plain Local Schools and Tuslaw Schools, also in Stark County, had their vaccinations on Saturday and held classes as usual on Monday.

In a report published in December, the FDA said of 38,000 participants in a test class for the Pfizer vaccine, 84.1 percent reported injection site reactions, such as redness or tenderness at the injection site. About 63 percent reported experiencing fatigue, 55 percent reported headaches, 38 percent reported muscle pain, 32 percent reported chills, 24 percent experienced joint pain and 14 percent reported fever.

The FDA report concluded, The frequency of serious adverse events was low ( less than 0.5 percent) but were more frequent after dose two than after dose 1.

Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said she is aware of some school districts considering using a calamity day following the second dose of the vaccine for employees, but she was not aware of any districts in Summit County that have canceled classes following the first dose.

We vaccinated our vaccinators and I can tell you that some have reacted. Some havent. Some have felt bad for a day, some had a headache, some body aches some fatigue and then we had a couple who felt really rotten for a couple days. So it doesnt really know, but I tell you that it is no reason to not take a vaccine, Skoda said.

For Ahmann, it would not be surprising that the normal effects of the vaccine might impact the ability of a smaller school district, like Fairless, to hold classes.

I dont know the situation today in Fairless, but that makes total sense and I do know that it has been hard for all school districts to get substitutes, you know, teachers, bus driver substitutes. Its very hard because we are in the middle of a pandemic so if they do have some you are right it would make it very difficult, Ahmann said.

Both Ahmann and Skoda said the fact that Fairless canceled school on Monday should not persuade those who are considering a COVID-19 vaccine to change their minds.

We are really close to it. We know all of the cases, we know the people who have unfortunately passed on, but I have to tell you that illness that I have seen people have is nowhere near the destruction that COVID has caused, Skoda said

Feeling uncomfortable and having a headache is nowhere near what COVID can do to you and if you are fortunate enough in this vaccine shortage, to be able to have a vaccine offered to you, you should take it and put up with whatever side effects you have.

People who are vaccine hesitant are going to be vaccine hesitant no matter what happens, and so we are trying to help people who want help who really want to take the vaccine, Ahmann said.

As far as people using that as an excuse not to get the vaccine, thats their choice. No one is forcing anyone to get the vaccine. Thats not happening so if their choice is they are not going to take it, thats their health, thats their choice, but we are going to give it to as many people as want it.

Continue reading here:

Northeast Ohio school district cancels class over COVID-19 vaccine reactions - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

Under intense demand, seniors ages 80 and older in the Portland area who went online booked every COVID-19 vaccination appointment available to them in the approximately first two and a half hours they were eligible on Monday.

It was the first day Gov. Kate Brown allowed this eldest group of Oregonians to start scheduling vaccinations across Oregon -- and those who were internet savvy or had relatives who could help them seized the chance after 10 months of the pandemic that has hit their age group the hardest.

The process differs from county to county, but in the Portland area, the states vaccination information website -- https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov -- began allowing seniors to start booking appointments at 9 a.m. Monday. By 11:35 a.m., all appointments at the Oregon Convention Center and Portland International Airports red economy parking lot for the next week -- through Tuesday, Feb. 16 -- were taken.

But as of 2 p.m., about 700 vaccination slots still were available for those who use 211 to secure appointments, said Debbie Karman, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente. But some people who called 211 reported hours-long waits or getting hung up on by the automated system.

Its unclear when new appointments will open up. The Oregonian/OregonLive is seeking clarification from local health providers. The two mass vaccination sites are inoculating residents of Portland area residents, with the airport site designated for people in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues.

The governor and state public health officials have asked older residents for patience because theres not enough vaccine to immediately inoculate all of them. Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said last week that it could be early May before 75% of seniors ages 65 and older who wish to be vaccinated will be with two doses.

Allen said he also estimates thats about when 75% of other groups that the governor already has made eligible will have been fully vaccinated. Those groups include early learning and K-12 school employees, health care workers in Phase 1a and jail and prison inmates.

The governor has been heavily criticized by seniors for postponing their vaccination eligibility dates by weeks, while allowing daycare, preschool and K-12 employees access to the vaccines starting Jan. 25 statewide.

Mondays vaccination scheduling process was peppered with a few surprises for seniors. For one, although seniors could book their appointments Monday, no vaccinations were actually going to take place Monday, at least in the Portland area. Most appointments started Wednesday.

Some readers who contacted The Oregonian/OregonLive Monday morning also reported having trouble booking an appointment. Because of a public information campaign that reached few, many seniors or those booking for them were unaware that appointments could only be scheduled after 9 a.m. Many also discovered on their own that they had to visit the states vaccination information website https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov/ before clicking on its Lets get started button and gaining access to appointments through its chat tool -- but only for residents of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties.

Also unknown to many, staff answering the lines at 211 could schedule appointments for Portland area residents. But seniors or their loved ones advocating for them reported being put on hold for two or more hours. Others were abruptly disconnected. A pre-recorded message said 211 was experiencing extremely high call volumes.

Those who secure first-dose appointments will be scheduled for second doses at the time of their first vaccinations, said Karman, the Kaiser Permanente spokeswoman.

In all this week, 20,000 first doses have been designated for seniors 80 and older statewide. About 5,500 doses are going to seniors in the Portland area.

Eligibility will expand to younger age groups in the following weeks: 75 and older starting Feb. 15, 70 and older starting Feb. 22 and 65 and older starting March 1.

Allen, the Oregon Health Authoritys director, said the state might open up eligibility to people with underlying conditions and some essential workers in early April. Allen speculated that it could be July when the general population of healthy adults in Oregon get access to the vaccines.

Allen said that timeline could be shortened if vaccines such as Johnson & Johnsons receive emergency use authorization and doses start arriving in Oregon this spring.

Check back on OregonLive.com later. This story will be updated.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

See more here:

All COVID-19 vaccination appointments for seniors were snapped up online in first 2.5 hours in Portland - OregonLive

by: Ryan Newton, KSN News

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The Sedgwick County Health Department is currently offering COVID-19 vaccinations to healthcare-associated workers and anyone 75 or older. Only Sedgwick County residents are eligible to receive the vaccine through the health department.

If you are a Sedgwick County resident, click here for thevaccine schedule.

Appointments will not be opened unless vaccine is available. Please arrive at your vaccine appointment no more than 15 minutes early and plan to allow at least 45 minutes for the vaccine appointment. Based on staffing, average wait times for appointments range from 60 to 90 minutes.

If you are unable to schedule an appointment online, and as appointments are available, please dial (316) 660-1029 to schedule an appointment over the phone. The call center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you live outside of Sedgwick County, you can locate vaccine information via theKDHE Find My Vaccine tool.

Kansas recently entered Phase 2 of itsvaccine rollout, which includes people 65 and older, high-contact critical workers and people living in congregate settings. However, individual counties can, as Sedgwick County has done, prioritize different groups for vaccination as they wait for more doses to become available. Phase 3, which officials expect to enter in March, will include other critical workers and people aged 16-64 with severe medical issues

Continue reading here:

Sedgwick County Health Department now offering COVID-19 vaccines to anyone 75 years or older - KSN-TV

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Active cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota are at 2,308, according to data reported by theSouth Dakota Department of Health.

According to the latest update, 54 new total coronavirus cases were announced bringing the states total case count to 109,283, up from Sunday (109,229). Total recovered cases are now at 105,116, up from Sunday (105,104).

View post:

COVID-19 vaccine expanded to those 75 and older in South Dakota - KELOLAND.com

Sailors assigned to the Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, began receiving the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccination on Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan on Feb. 2.

The second round of shots follows Ronald Reagan's initial vaccinations, which started on Jan. 7. The vaccines are provided to Sailors as soon as the shipments are received, with subsequent doses coming incrementally over the next several months.

Navy Lt. Joe Vahaly, ship's nurse and the on-site lead for Ronald Reagan's vaccine distribution, emphasized how finishing the vaccinations for the crew is a milestone for the ship.

"Much like other 'series' vaccines, the initial vaccine will only immunize you up to 80%," Vahaly said. "It's the booster shot the second vaccination that takes you up to 95% immunity. This vaccine teaches your body how to fight [COVID-19], and the second shot helps in that fight."

The reactions to the second vaccination can be more severe than the initial shot, with common symptoms like fatigue, slight swelling at the injection sight or a mild fever. The similarity of these symptoms to COVID-19 create a logistical obstacle for the Ronald Reagan medical team.

"We estimate around 80% of those who received the second dose will have [COVID-related] symptoms afterwards, compared to the 55% accompanying the first shot," Vahaly said. "[Vaccine reactions] do mirror COVID-19 symptoms, so what you would call an 'influenza-like-illness' response is what you could experience with the vaccine. To mitigate this [calling away a medical response], we're going to be talking with symptomatic individuals remotely, talking through when they got the vaccine, if any of the symptoms are different than a regular flu or cold, or if the symptoms persist more than 48 hours."

Navy Seaman Matthew Rolen received the second vaccination Feb. 3 and emphasized the importance of receiving the second vaccine.

"I'm glad for the second shot because I'm hoping to see the results of our steps, maybe see if it will change the way we move forward," Rolen said. "On a personal note, I've had people back home pass away because of COVID-19. Some families have gotten it, and they've gone through some issues because of it. I might be young and healthy, but I might spread it to my grandparents or my uncle, and that's on me. I recommend everyone get it."

Navy Chief Petty Officer Fransisco Barrera also received the second vaccination Feb. 3 and explained why the vaccine was important to him and how COVID-19 has affected him.

"I tell people 'you don't really get it, until it happens to you,'" Barrera said. "You're not going to feel it until it happens to you, and you're going to feel it. That's when I felt it, when I had my uncle die of COVID-19 a few months back. We might not see the [impact of the] vaccination right away, but we have to trust the scientists and everyone who has devoted their lives to make this vaccine happen. Every day we live and serve, we're making history, and right now, everyone here [getting the shot] is making history."

The vaccination efforts by Ronald Reagan have also extended to the Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka waterfront as a whole, with other ships and crews being vaccinated by Ronald Reagan's medical team.

"We've been vaccinating not just the ship, but the entire waterfront and we're happy to do so," Vahaly said. "We've even vaccinated some 'bubble ships,' [meaning Navy ships currently COVID-19 free for operational purposes.] This means we don our protective suits, N-95 masks and face shields and have personnel from clean 'bubble ships' come through, receive their vaccine, and return to the ship while staying COVID-19 free."

As members of the crew receive the vaccine, masks and physical distancing continue to be necessary until the vaccine is proven to provide long-term protection. Global and national public health authorities are expected to continue to recommend wearing masks and practicing physical distancing, for everyone, until the risk of COVID-19 is substantially reduced.

"It's great being able to look at the medical world right now, during [the COVID-19 pandemic], and be able to say we vaccinated a majority of the crew," Vahaly said. "There are more people on this ship than in my hometown. It's absolutely amazing, and we did it all in a few weeks."

Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The ship returned to Yokosuka in November 2020 following a six-month deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

Read more:

USS Ronald Reagan Begins 2nd Round of COVID-19 Vaccinations - Department of Defense

I am so proud to be a part of a powerful private sector partnership that is going to have an immediate impact on the community, region and state we all love so much, said Nephron CEO Lou Kennedy. When I called Keller Kissam from Dominion, he did not hesitate to embrace the opportunity to provide anything they could to help. Partnerships like this are going to make our entire nation stronger on the other side of the pandemic.

More here:

Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic opens in West Columbia - WIS10

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has entered an agreement with the city health department to take the lead on administering COVID-19 vaccines to school teachers, principals and staff beginning at the end of February.

The city announced the partnership on Monday, clarifying that it will cover all district, charter, parochial and independent schools in the city. Officials previously confirmed that educators who live outside Philadelphia but work in city schools will be eligible to receive vaccines from the city.

By the end of the month, the initiative will get underway at a number of locations and will expand to pop-up events at school buildings throughout the city. Operational details for the program are still being developed.

"As we near the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, getting children back into classrooms throughout the city is vitally important to their future," Mayor Jim Kenney said. "So I am absolutely thrilled to see Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia stepping up in a major way for our children."

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley previously has said sign-ups for vaccines will be handled by schools, which will be consulted by the health department about how to inform employees of vaccination opportunities.

The upcoming vaccine program comes amid a standoff between members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and the School District of Philadelphia, which is preparing for about 9,000 students in pre-K through second grade to begin in-person instructio non a hybrid schedule on Feb. 22.

In preparation for this, teachers and staff involved in those grades had been scheduled to return to their classrooms on Monday. But after the teachers union raised questions about the safety to return to some schools, due the ventilationin some buildings, the union instructed teachers not report to their buildings on Monday.

Kenney intervened on Sunday, saying that the 2,000 teacherswill not be required to return to schoolpending a decision by an independent arbitrator looking at the district's safety plan and the union's concerns.

The city school district has conducted classes remotely since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, but about 9,000 students are expected to start a hybrid learning model later this month.

"While I fully support Dr. Hite's plan to have students back in classrooms the week of February 22, this vaccination program will go a long way to easing the concerns that teachers have expressed," Kenney said. "It is imperative that our children get back to in-person learning, and every Philadelphian should be thankful that CHOP is able to offer its resources and expertise for this crucial effort."

The city and CHOP also will be working with early child care providers, including pre-K providers, to sign up staff for vaccinations.

Ron Keren, CHOP's senior vice president and chief medical officer at CHOP, said "We are committed to serving the needs of those in our community, especially children and those who care for their growth and development on a daily basis."

Philadelphia's vaccination efforts remain limited by the unavailability of doses in the city. The health department is in Phase 1B of its vaccination plan, which includes teachers and school staff in addition to other groups of front line workers, people over 75 and people with high-risk medical conditions.

Read this article:

CHOP partners with Philly to get city teachers the COVID-19 vaccine - PhillyVoice.com

WCNC Charlotte learned there are no reports of COVID-19 among the vast majority of people whove received both doses in the Carolinas.

TEGA CAY, S.C. There are promising results about COVID-19 vaccine protection in the Carolinas.

WCNC Charlotte learned there are no reports of COVID-19 among the vast majority of people whove received both doses. There is a good sample of people whove had the two vaccines; tens of thousands in each state of the Carolinas. So far, there is only one known infection, according to state officials.

Sally Pardue said the pandemic would sometimes keep her up at night until she received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

I have not lost any sleep over it, Pardue, a resident at the Wellmore of Tega Cay senior living community, said. I'm just glad I've had both of them and I feel doubly safe.

Pardue and Betty Boone are among dozens of residents and staff to receive their second vaccines at the Wellmore of Tega Cay.

I'm glad we're protected, Boone said.

Now, new data shows the initial impacts of vaccine protection across the Carolinas. In South Carolina, nearly 100,000 people have received both doses, according to state data. Theres not a single report of someone getting COVID 19 post-vaccination, according to South Carolina Emergency Management.

It builds confidence that what was tested is actually working in real life as well, David Dunn, the executive director of the Wellmore of Tega Cay, said.

There were similar results in North Carolina where state data shows more than 300,000 people have received the two vaccines. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said they work closely with local health departments to investigate reports of COVID-19 after the vaccination process has been completed.

However, NCDHHS tells WCNC Charlotte theyve only identified one case where someone was infected after receiving both vaccines, and that person had mild illness without hospitalization needed.

Scientists said the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines may give better immunity against the virus than natural infection.

I do think there's evidence at least for those two vaccines of inducing perhaps better immunity than natural infection, E. John Wherry, an immunology expert from the University of Pennsylvania, said.

I hope soon we will be able to go out in the community and do things we were used to doing, I need to get my taxes done, Boone said as she laughed.

The CDC said it typically takes a few weeks to build immunity after the vaccination, so its possible to become infected with COVID-19 just before or just after getting the shot.

View post:

No reports of COVID-19 infection post-vaccination in SC, one mild case in NC - WCNC.com

The petition, addressed to Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, praises the prioritization of some teachers but says that by excluding higher education employees, our state is endangering students and creating a clear public health hazard. Since March, many professors, graduate students, building service employees, food workers, librarians and security guards have worked at campuses in person, the unions say.

See the original post:

2 groups of teachers, 2 different COVID-19 vaccine schedules: College instructors question why they should wait longer for shots than Illinois K-12...

Overall we really havent seen too many quote-unquote side effects, said Dr. Rachael Kermis, a family medicine physician at Baton Rouge General. Generally my patients are coming in and theyre having some low-grade fever and sometimes theyll get a little bit of a cough but nothing where were seeing some bad autoimmune muscle issues from it. I havent seen any seizures or anyone getting Covid from it.

Read more here:

No, the COVID-19 vaccines will not give you COVID, doctors urge you to get vaccine - WAFB