Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Hall of Famer Hank Aaron was vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Morehouse School of Medicine health clinic in Atlanta on Tuesday. Aaron, 86, hopes that his willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will inspire Black Americans to do the same,he told The Associated Press.

"I don't have any qualms about it at all, you know," Aaron said. "I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this. ... It's just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country."

According to The Associated Press, a December survey showed 40 percent of Black people said they would not get the coronavirus vaccine. Aaron received the first of two doses of the Moderna vaccine alongside his wife, Billye, former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan.

Aaron ended his 23-year MLB career with 755 home runs and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1982. After retirement, Aaron held various positions within the Atlanta Braves -- the team he spent 21 seasons with -- front office.

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Hank Aaron, 86, receives COVID-19 vaccine and hopes to inspire other Black Americans to do the same - CBS Sports

Gov. Kate Brown said Monday that the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations across the state soon will ramp up quickly.

In a written statement, Brown addressed widespread public discontent over news that close to 75% of vaccines delivered to the state have yet to make it into the arms of Oregonians.

Oregon, like most of the country, is not moving fast enough, Brown said in a news release. All states are grappling with the same logistical challenges, and while we are making steady progress, we must move even more quickly when every vaccination has the potential to save someones life.

Today, I directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to achieve the benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations administered in Oregon per day by the end of the next two weeks, Brown continued. That will put us on track to deploy every vaccine we have in our hands each week.

Brown shared no details about how the state will achieve 12,000 vaccinations per day -- for instance, whether it would offer trained staff to hospitals and health systems that are administering the vaccines or if it will open its own vaccination clinics. Brown said only that public health officials will work with healthcare providers and pharmacies to streamline the distribution process.

This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I have directed OHA to partner as widely as possible to ensure we are using all available resources to ramp up Oregons vaccinations rapidly, Brown said.

For the past week, hospitals and health systems across the state have inoculated about 3,500 Oregonians per a day -- and the pace has only slowed over the past week. Some providers cited the holidays as one reason for a delay in administering vaccinations.

But earlier in the month, burgeoning problems were apparent. The state became the 49th in the nation to start vaccinating healthcare workers on Dec. 16 -- a full two days after the first shipments of the vaccines arrived in Oregon.

In the weeks since, criticism has only intensified as it has become clear that the bulk of vaccines delivered to hospitals and health systems across the state are still sitting unused in industrial refrigerators and freezers. According to a Bloomberg ranking of states, as of Monday Oregon ranked 37th lowest in the percentage of vaccines -- 25% -- that had made it into the arms of healthcare workers, nursing home residents and some firefighters and prisons staff. Those groups have been designated as the first to receive the two-dose regimens of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

As of Monday, the state said it had inoculated 51,275 residents, even though according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 202,200 doses have been delivered. The state said 190,200 doses have been delivered, but thats the same number the state had been reporting for the past four days.

A few states -- including Maine, Connecticut, Tennessee and North Dakota -- have used more than 50% of their doses. South Dakota leads the nation with more than 60% of its vaccine shipments used. Washington stood at 24% of its available vaccines administered.

Oregon State Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, issued a scathing statement Monday criticizing Brown and Democratic colleagues for the slow vaccination rollout.

It is unfathomable that Oregon is in the bottom ten amongst states across the nation in COVID-19 vaccination distribution, Smith said, citing a ranking from this past weekend. Oregon has since risen in the rankings as a few other states worsened.

Smith claimed that lack of resources and funding have been used as excuses.

Lives are being lost, many hang in the balance and Oregonians deserve a state government that has a clear and reliable plan for a systematic vaccine rollout, Smith said. These plans exist and I urge Gov. Brown and House Majority Leader (Barbara) Smith Warner (D-Portland) to immediately prioritize the lives of our fellow Oregonians.

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

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

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Gov. Kate Brown promises swifter COVID-19 vaccination rate amid criticism that 75% of vaccines are sitting id - OregonLive

For Immediate Release: January 04, 2021 Statement From:

Statement Author

Leadership Role

Commissioner of Food and Drugs - Food and Drug Administration

Leadership Role

Director - Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)

Two different mRNA vaccines have now shown remarkable effectiveness of about 95% in preventing COVID-19 infection in adults. As the first round of vaccine recipients become eligible to receive their second dose, we want to remind the public about the importance of receiving COVID-19 vaccines according to how theyve been authorized by the FDA in order to safely receive the level of protection observed in the large randomized trials supporting their effectiveness.

We have been following the discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses, extending the length of time between doses, changing the dose (half-dose), or mixing and matching vaccines in order to immunize more people against COVID-19. These are all reasonable questions to consider and evaluate in clinical trials. However, at this time, suggesting changes to the FDA-authorized dosing or schedules of these vaccines is premature and not rooted solidly in the available evidence. Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration, we run a significant risk of placing public health at risk, undermining the historic vaccination efforts to protect the population from COVID-19.

The available data continue to support the use of two specified doses of each authorized vaccine at specified intervals. For the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the interval is 21 days between the first and second dose. And for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the interval is 28 days between the first and second dose.

What we have seen is that the data in the firms submissions regarding the first dose is commonly being misinterpreted. In the phase 3 trials, 98% of participants in the Pfizer-BioNTech trial and 92% of participants in the Moderna trial received two doses of the vaccine at either a three- or four-week interval, respectively. Those participants who did not receive two vaccine doses at either a three-or four-week interval were generally only followed for a short period of time, such that we cannot conclude anything definitive about the depth or duration of protection after a single dose of vaccine from the single dose percentages reported by the companies.

Using a single dose regimen and/or administering less than the dose studied in the clinical trials without understanding the nature of the depth and duration of protection that it provides is concerning, as there is some indication that the depth of the immune response is associated with the duration of protection provided. If people do not truly know how protective a vaccine is, there is the potential for harm because they may assume that they are fully protected when they are not, and accordingly, alter their behavior to take unnecessary risks.

We know that some of these discussions about changing the dosing schedule or dose are based on a belief that changing the dose or dosing schedule can help get more vaccine to the public faster. However, making such changes that are not supported by adequate scientific evidence may ultimately be counterproductive to public health.

We have committed time and time again to make decisions based on data and science. Until vaccine manufacturers have data and science supporting a change, we continue to strongly recommend that health care providers follow the FDA-authorized dosing schedule for each COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

###

01/04/2021

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FDA Statement on Following the Authorized Dosing Schedules for COVID-19 Vaccines - FDA.gov

Some Connecticut healthcare workers who received their COVID-19 vaccine a few weeks ago received their second dose Monday.

Officials from Hartford HealthCare began to administer the second and final dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccineto the first group of frontline health care workers Monday.

The state is focused on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and by the end of this week, thousands of nursing home residents are expected to receive their first dose.

Health care workers and residents and staff of nursing homes are in the first group in Connecticut to receive the vaccination.

Keith Grant, senior system director of infection prevention atHartford HealthCare, was among the the first people in the state to get the vaccine.

"I've had no side effects," Grant said on Monday at a news conference. He said the majority of the people who have received the vaccine had had some discomfort at the injection site that subsides within 24 to 48 hours.

Hartford HealthCare officials said they have vaccinated more than 13,000 people so far and expect the speed of distribution to continue to increase.

An advisory group is expected to recommend to Gov. Ned Lamont this week which Connecticut residents should receive the next round of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dr. Deidre Gifford, the acting public health commissioner, said the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions immunization advisory committees recommendation that frontline essential workers and people over the age of 75 be included in phase 1B will be the foundation for Connecticuts plan.

They may opt to make some additions to that group. But I dont want to speculate on what theyre going to advise until after theyve met, said Gifford, who expects Lamont will have the recommendations by Thursday. The group is scheduled to meet Tuesday.

State officials previously said they expected critical workers, those living in other congregate settings, adults over age 65 and high-risk people under age 65 would be eligible for vaccination in the phases between January and May, but the list had not yet been finalized.

LX, or Local X stands, for the exponential possibilities of storytelling in our communities.

Lamont said last week that he is pleased so far with the pace of vaccinations in Connecticut, despite reports of a slow rollout in other parts of the country.

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CT Healthcare Workers Get Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine - NBC Connecticut

CLEVELAND After what Gov. Mike DeWine characterized last week as a slow start to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across Ohio, the inoculation effort has started to pick up steam, according to state vaccination data. In less than a week, the number of Ohioans to receive the vaccine has more than doubled to just over 162,000.

ODH

Although the total number of people vaccinated still accounts for only a small part of the population, the progress reflects a positive turning point in the creation of the infrastructure needed to keep the largest vaccination effort in state and US history moving. The vaccination progress made on the state level is also mirrored on the local level, said Dr. Dan Simon of University Hospitals.

I think we have really picked up a head of steam now. We will exhaust our first vaccine allocation by Thursday, Dr. Simon said. We will have vaccinated over 14,000 healthcare workers by Thursday.

The state of Ohio received and shipped a total of 341,000 first doses of the Moderna vaccine and nearly 10,000 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Ohio has also recently shipped nearly 10,000 doses of the second round of the Pfizer vaccine. The remaining 170,000 vaccines the state has distributed have been designated as part of the long term care program.

Last week, Gov. DeWine implored health departments and hospital systems to increase the rate at which people are vaccinated, stressing that it was their moral imperative' to move as quickly as possible.

We call it around here go slow to go fast. You want a deliberate method that gets the glitches out before you open the doors, Dr. Simon said. It's like that saying, measure twice, cut once. If you are careful upfront and you get it right, you can really power through. Today, well do 1,800 (vaccinations) across the health system.

Health leaders across the state and nation have stressed that the initial rollout of the vaccine is one of the largest logistical endeavors in recent memory. In addition to shipping and storing the vaccines, which require special refrigeration considerations, the logistics involved in distributing the doses rely simply on having the vaccine available, Dr. Simon said.

The critical thing from a health system standpoint is vaccine delivery. You cant schedule appointments its a logistical nightmare to just cancel them if you dont have the vaccines on hand, Dr. Simon said. Having vaccine in hand is the critical piece right now. The disappointing issue is vaccinating 20 million people by Dec. 31st just didnt happen because there werent 20 million doses.

The actual vaccination process also includes a 15-minute observation period for people with no history of allergic reactions. A 30-minute observation period is required for those with histories of severe allergic reaction.

In a virtual press briefing on New Years Eve, Cuyahoga County Health Commissioner Terry Allan stressed that the initial rollout of the vaccination effort will come with some bumps in the road, but the agency has grown accustomed to working with its partners. As of Monday, more than 18,000 people have been vaccinated, according to state data. The CCBH received its allotment of 4,000 Moderna vaccines just before Christmas.

Weve never done this type of pandemic response for vaccination. Its been 100 years, Allan said. Were learning and building as we go along. Its going to require patience from all of us.

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Data shows Ohio's COVID-19 vaccination rollout beginning to pick up steam - News 5 Cleveland

COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina: DHEC gives update on how distribution is going

43,227 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given to people in phase 1A as of Monday

Updated: 4:44 PM EST Jan 4, 2021

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TURNOUTS. WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW. >> WE BEGIN WITH OUR CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE. MORE COVID-19 TESTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE COMING BACK POSITIVE. OFFICIALS SAY MORE PEOPLE ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH THE VIRUS IN SOUTH CAROLINA NOW THAN AT ANY POINT IN THE PANDEMIC. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE REPORTING 3,492 NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN THIS STATE. TODAY'S REPORT ALSO INCLUDES 15 CONFIRMED COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED TO OVER 5,000 PEOPLE. DHEC TELLS US THERE NOW HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF NEARLY 300,000 CASES ACROSS THE STATE. OFFICIALS SAY OVER 10,000 TEST RESULTS WERE REPORTED YESTERDAY. AND THE PERCENT OF POSITIVE CASES WAS OVER 33%. >> STEP UP BY STEPPING BACK. THAT'S THE MESSAGE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS THIS AFTERNOON. PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. BRANNON TRAXLER SAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO BE PATIENT, WAIT THEIR RETURN FOR THE VACCINE. OUR NIGEL ROBERTSON JOINS US WITH THE LATEST ON ALL THIS. NIGEL: TODAY, THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF S.C. DHEC UPDATED THE MEDIA OF HOW THE VACCINE ROLLOUT IS GOING IN THE PALMETTO STATE. AS OF TODAY, THE STATE HAS ADMINISTERED 43,227 DOSES OF THE VACCINE. ON TOP OF THAT, 38% OF THE VACCINE HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED IN PHASE 1A. THIS IS NOT SITTING WELL WITH SOME LEADERS IN THE STATE. THE GOVERNOR HAS CALLED ON DHEC TO START PROVIDING UPDATES AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. TODAY, STATE SENATOR NIKKI SETZLER TWEETED THIS. THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS NOT MOVING QUICKLY ENOUGH. WE NEED DHEC TO STEP UP AND MOVE FASTER IN HELPING SAVE LIVES. HE WENT ON TO SAY FOR THE INTERIM PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR OF DHEC ON TELL THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO REMAIN PATIENT WHILE THEIR LOVED ONES AND NEIGHBORS ARE DYING IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. TODAY, INTERIM DIRECTOR BRANNON TRAXLER SAYS THEY WANT TO DO MORE. >> CURRENTLY, OUR UTILIZATION RATE, PERCENTAGE OF VACCINE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED FOR PFIZER IS 38%. AND WE HAVE THE MOST KNOWLEDGE OF THE PFIZER NUMBERS BECAUSE THE MODERNA IS GOING TO THE LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP. CERTAINLY, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE AS CLOSE TO 100% UTILIZATION AS POSSIBLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. NIGEL: DR. TRAXLER SAYS THE QUICKEST WAY TO MOVE THE VACCINE ALONG IS FOR MORE PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD. SHE SAYS THAT WILL FREE UP MEDICAL PERSONNEL ALLOWING THEM TO HELP WITH THE VACCINE ROLLOUT. MORE ON ALL OF THIS COMING UP IN 5:00 AND 6:00. >> THANK YOU, SOUTH CAROLINA SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS MOLLY SPEARMAN ANNOUNCES SHE HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. SUPERINTENDENT SPEARMAN SAYS SHE WAS TESTED ON DECEMBER 31ST. SHE SELF-QUARANTINED AFTER BEING IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT TO HER HUSBAND AND HER SON WHO HAD BOTH TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. SUPERINTENDENT SPEARMAN ADDED SHE INTENDS TO WORK FROM HOME AND TAKE PART IN MEETINGS VIRTUALLY WHILE SHE REMAINS IN QUARANTINE. >> HERE'S A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN NORTH CAROLINA. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE REPORTING OVER 5100 NEW CASES. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL SINCE MARCH OF LAST YEAR TO MORE THAN 570,000 CASES. THERE HAVE BEEN NEARLY 7,000 VIRUS RELATED DEATHS IN THE STATE AND HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE HIT ANOTHER NEW RECORD. STATEWIDE, MORE THAN 3600 PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOSPITAL. OF THOSE, 783 PATIENTS ARE IN THE I.C.U. AS OF TODAY, NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY 63,571 PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THE FIRST DOSE OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE. THAT NUMBER INCLUDES HEALTH CARE WORKERS FIGHTING THE VIRUS AND LONG TERM CARE STAFF AND RESIDENTS. THE VACCINATION TOTALS WILL BE UPDATED TOMORROW. >> GEORGIA IS REPORTING MORE THAN 591,000 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN THE STATE. THEY'RE ALSO REPORTING SEVEN ADDITIONAL DEATHS OF PEOPLE WITH THE VIRUS BRINGING THE TOTAL NOW TO OVE

COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina: DHEC gives update on how distribution is going

43,227 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given to people in phase 1A as of Monday

Updated: 4:44 PM EST Jan 4, 2021

"Step up by stepping back" was the message from South Carolina health officials on Monday. During a Monday news conference, Department of Health and Environmental Control interim public health director Dr. Brannon Traxler said they are asking people to be patient and wait their turn for the vaccine. COVID Vaccine FAQ's Traxler said the state is receiving its first shipment (16,575 doses) of the second round doses this week. These doses are for people who already received their first dose 21 days ago. She said as of Monday the state has administered 43,227 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people in phase 1A. Traxler said the state is anticipating it will move into phase 1B "sometime in February."Traxler was asked why there was a delay in getting the vaccine to folks. She explained the ultra-cold storage of the vaccine provided complexities. Traxler also said it simply takes a few weeks to get into a rhythm but anticipates that will happen soon. She said the phase that includes the general public should begin in late spring and continue into the summer.When asked when people will be notified that it is their turn for the vaccine, Traxler said to wait on a notification. The information will be updated on the DHEC website as well as with the media. Traxler stressed that while you are waiting for the vaccine it is important to wash hands, wear a mask and social distance. "We can't stress enough how essential it is for each one of us to continue to practice those daily and even hourly precautions that help protect everyone," Traxler said. January 4, 2021: Latest data from DHEC New Confirmed Cases (click on link to see specific cases by county) : 3,492Total Confirmed Cases: 299,685New Probable Cases: 18Total Probable Cases: 25,787New Confirmed Deaths (click on the link to see specific deaths by county) : 15Total Confirmed Deaths: 5,056New Probable Deaths: 1Total Probable Deaths: 428Individual Test Results: 10,481Percent Positive: 33.3%Total Tests: 3,797,802Hospitalization update here

"Step up by stepping back" was the message from South Carolina health officials on Monday.

During a Monday news conference, Department of Health and Environmental Control interim public health director Dr. Brannon Traxler said they are asking people to be patient and wait their turn for the vaccine.

COVID Vaccine FAQ's

Traxler said the state is receiving its first shipment (16,575 doses) of the second round doses this week. These doses are for people who already received their first dose 21 days ago.

She said as of Monday the state has administered 43,227 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people in phase 1A.

Traxler said the state is anticipating it will move into phase 1B "sometime in February."

Traxler was asked why there was a delay in getting the vaccine to folks. She explained the ultra-cold storage of the vaccine provided complexities. Traxler also said it simply takes a few weeks to get into a rhythm but anticipates that will happen soon.

She said the phase that includes the general public should begin in late spring and continue into the summer.

When asked when people will be notified that it is their turn for the vaccine, Traxler said to wait on a notification. The information will be updated on the DHEC website as well as with the media.

Traxler stressed that while you are waiting for the vaccine it is important to wash hands, wear a mask and social distance.

"We can't stress enough how essential it is for each one of us to continue to practice those daily and even hourly precautions that help protect everyone," Traxler said.

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COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina: DHEC gives update on how distribution is going - WYFF4 Greenville

In advance of public vaccination, a quick and accurate COVID-19 antibody test will help determine the presence of neutralizing antibodies, the molecules that aid in protection against the virus.

In advance of public vaccination, a quick and accurate COVID-19 antibody test will help determine the presence of neutralizing antibodies, the molecules that aid in protection against the virus.As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to the public, immunity monitoring will play an important role in determining whether the vaccine is effective for an individual, and for how long. Benjamin Larimer, Ph.D., researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has developed a technology with potential use as an in-home antibody test.

Larimers diagnostic test is an accurate and reliable method for determining whether individuals are protected against COVID-19. The technology identifies neutralizing antibodies those that block the virus from infecting cells. Emerging research suggests neutralizing antibodies offer the best protection against the virus.

The most widely used antibody tests today do not specifically identify neutralizing antibodies. Currently, these neutralizing antibodies can only be measured at a high level of accuracy using complicated and time-consuming laboratory tests not available to the general public.

According to Larimer, existing antibody tests use a broad approach to locating antibodies, which attach to very small and distinct pieces of the virus. Current tests can mistake antibodies for other viruses, such as the common cold, for COVID-19 antibodies, leading to possible false-positive results.

To create the new test, Larimer began breaking down the COVID-19 virus into small pieces to identify the exact locations where antibodies attached to the virus. The results were better than Larimers team anticipated, with the test detecting 20 percent more positive cases than the current gold-standard clinical antibody test. The ability to specifically recognize even small amounts of antibodies accurately is an important achievement, according to Larimer.

The goal of every vaccine is to get the body to produce antibodies, which serve as a first line of defense against the virus, said Larimer, an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Radiology Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research. Tests that specifically detect these antibodies can be used to measure whether a vaccine works, and possibly predict how long its protection will last.

Benjamin Larimer, Ph.D.Immunity to COVID-19 is not anticipated to last forever, and immunity monitoring could continue for several years, even after widespread administration of a vaccine.

Clinical trials indicated that COVID-19 vaccines may be remarkably successful; however, even 95 percent effectiveness will leave millions of Americans unprotected. Antibody testing helps determine efficacy and should help indicate whether a person is protected against the virus.

Larimer hopes to transition his teams technology to an inexpensive and easy-to-use test that will provide in-home immunity monitoring for the general public.

P3 Diagnostics, LLC, was formed in 2020 by Larimer and co-founders Joe Gay and Chris Paule. The startup serves to foster the business development of technology created under the direction of Larimer and the Larimer Lab.

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UAB researcher develops technology to aid COVID-19 vaccine immunity monitoring - The Mix

When 66-year-old cardiologist Jean-Jacques Monsuez slipped one arm out of his blue-and-white checked shirt and offered it to a nurse holding a syringe filled with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, he was doing what many in the world plan to do as soon as they have the chance.

Just not in France.

This may be the land of Louis Pasteur, the scientist renowned for discovering the principles of vaccination. But it is also one of the most reluctant nations in the world to get the COVID-19 shot, leading to the lowest uptake so far of any developed country to start inoculating its citizens.

In the first six days after the vaccine was rolled out Dec. 27 across Europe in a coordinated European Union effort, just 516 people received shots in France such a low number out of a population of 67 million that it is statistically indistinguishable from zero. By contrast, Germany vaccinated more than 200,000 of its residents in the first week and Italy more than 100,000.

For Monsuez, the decision to get the injection was an obvious one, both for his own safety and that of his family and patients.

There is a duty. You see one sick person after another, he said, adding: It didnt hurt. I felt the same before and after.

But many of his compatriots appear not to agree. In a poll conducted last month by Ipsos Global Advisor, in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, only 40% of French residents said they intended to get vaccinated. That put France dead last out of the 15 nations surveyed, in stark contrast to countries such as Britain and the U.S., where 77% and 69% of respondents, respectively, are eager to be inoculated.

The Gallic hesitancy springs from various factors. Many here cite concern over potential side effects and the speed with which the vaccines were developed. Distrust of the government has risen following missteps in its handling of the pandemic and from memories of previous health and vaccine scandals in France.

A cumbersome consent process has bogged down the vaccination campaign in some instances. And prominent healthcare professionals have complained of the lack of a clear official strategy for rolling out the vaccines and for convincing people of their value and efficacy.

Over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron who survived his own bout with COVID-19 promised that the pace of vaccination would pick up quickly and powerfully, and authorities added healthcare workers over 50 to the list of those eligible for the shot.

Anne Muraro, an art advisor, is in no hurry to join the queue. We dont know the secondary effects, said Muraro, 50. Its too fast. There is not enough hindsight.

Muraro cited the new messenger RNA technology in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a cause for unease. The same technology is also used in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which has not yet been authorized for use in Europe. Many in France worry that the vaccine was rushed to the market in part for the financial benefit of big pharmaceutical companies.

While such qualms might be understandable given the relatively short time the vaccine has been in circulation, they dont reflect the medical communitys understanding of vaccine development and approval, said Catherine Hill, a retired epidemiologist in Paris. And the gravity of the public health emergency facing France demands that people step up for the COVID-19 shots, she said.

The country is one of the hardest-hit in Europe, with 2.7 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 65,164 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. After two complete lockdowns, residents are currently under curfew, and bars, restaurants and cultural attractions remain closed. Officials have promised to ease these restrictions once the number of new cases drops below 5,000 per day, a target that still seems a long way off.

This virus is killing 400 people per day in France, Hill said. Imagine a big airplane falling out of the sky every day.

In a television interview over the weekend, French Health Minister Olivier Veran defended the slow pace of vaccinations and said France would catch up with its European neighbors by the end of the month.

Verans management of the coronavirus crisis has inspired some mistrust among his compatriots. Early on, he said masks were unnecessary for the general public. Mask-wearing has since become mandatory, and many in France believe his initial counsel against it rose from a supply shortage that the government didnt want to exacerbate rather than out of sound health policy.

As for vaccinations, a spokeswoman for the health department said it would not be useful to start a public information campaign now because most in France wont be eligible for a shot until the spring, after priority is given to residents in nursing homes and to front-line healthcare workers.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran, left, talks to a woman as he arrives to attend the vaccination of health workers at the Hotel Dieu hospital in Paris on Monday.

(Martin Bureau / AFP/Getty Images)

The countrys recent history with new vaccines has sparked some public skepticism. In late 2009, the French government ordered far too many doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine, for which there was little demand, leading to accusations of financial mismanagement.

More pertinently, there were concerns that the hepatitis B vaccine being given in France in the 1990s was tied to an increase in multiple sclerosis. Multiple studies examined the link, with varying conclusions. In 2002, the World Health Organization affirmed that, despite a slightly elevated odds ratio observed in the initial studies, none showed a statistically significantly elevated risk. Many here remain unconvinced.

Edvart Vignots sister developed MS after receiving the hepatitis B vaccine, which is partly why he prefers to wait to see what side effects the COVID-19 vaccine may have before letting anyone stick a needle in his arm. Vignot, who is Muraros partner, also wants to hear what scientists not linked to governments or pharmaceutical companies have to say.

We need other people, he said, independent experts.

Also key is winning over family doctors and pharmacists, on whom the French lean heavily for advice. Eliette Gauthier, who lives in a suburb of Bordeaux, said she is still not sure whether she will get vaccinated, largely because her doctor told her he doesnt yet have enough information to counsel her one way or the other.

We dont have enough information about the composition of the shots, the 71-year-old retired schoolteacher said. Im going to see what my doctor advises.

Frances inoculation campaign has further been bogged down by a complex consent process that has mandated pre-vaccination consultations with patients to ensure their consent. Because the campaign is currently targeting the elderly in retirement homes, some of whom suffer from cognitive issues, the process has been particularly laborious.

In the meantime, both Muraro and Vignot are taking other preventive measures, such as observing social distancing, wearing masks and taking vitamin D, which some experts believe helps ward off infection. The couple has long since given up shaking hands or greeting friends with kisses on the cheek, as was the French habit until the pandemic broke out.

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And both have already had the coronavirus, leading them to believe that they probably have some level of immunity for the time being.

Muraro said she would revisit taking the vaccine in the fall, when she will likely be eligible and when the risk of transmission is likely to rise as colder weather spurs people to move indoors.

Frederic Adnet, head of the emergency medicine at the Avicenne Hospital in the suburbs north of Paris, believes that most people in France are like Muraro and Vignot: not flat-out refusing to take the vaccine but adopting a wait-and-see approach.

When they see its effective and safe, opinions will change, Adnet said, adding that high rates of vaccination in the U.S. and the U.K. should help boost public confidence here. I think the French are reasonable, and in two months you will see that we are all yelling that there isnt enough vaccine.

El-Faizy is a special correspondent.

Read more:

France struggles with public's wariness of COVID-19 vaccine - Los Angeles Times

Gavin Newsom press conference today: Governor explains why COVID-19 vaccine rollout is going slowly in California  KABC-TV

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Gavin Newsom press conference today: Governor explains why COVID-19 vaccine rollout is going slowly in California - KABC-TV

SEOULContract-manufacturing companies working to accelerate the global availability of Covid-19 vaccines are struggling with a shortage of their own: There arent enough workers to meet this years big production push.

The talent pool is so tight that Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a Covid-19 contractor based in Gaithersburg, Md., for AstraZeneca PLC and Johnson & Johnson , enlisted its CEO and a half-dozen other senior executives to pitch potential hires at a virtual career fair in October. More than 550 people attended.

Not enough of them were swayed. More than two months later, Emergent still has roughly 200 openings for warehouse associates, quality-assurance analysts and even a supply-chain management director. Hiring and ramping up has become challenging, said Sean Kirk, an Emergent executive vice president, who spoke at the event.

Outsourcing companies such as Emergent make about one-sixth of complex treatments including vaccines, but the scale and abruptness of Covid-19 shots is likely to boost that share much higher, say industry executives and experts. With demand dwarfing supply, Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and others are turning to contract manufacturers for assistance in what is the largest pharmaceutical rollout in modern history.

But those helping drugmakers need more help themselves. More than 5,000 open jobs exist at the worlds 10 largest companies that have won Covid-19 outsourcing work, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the companies websites. The firms were ranked by production capacity.

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Covid-19 Vaccines Are in High Demand, but Thousands More Workers Are Needed to Make Them - The Wall Street Journal