Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus vaccine The Times Herald
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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus vaccine - The Times Herald
By Laurel Demkovich, Jim Allen, Maggie Quinlan, Adam Shanks and Amy Edelen The Spokesman-Review The Spokesman-Review
With two COVID-19 vaccinations federally approved and more on the way, the nation prepares for its largest inoculation effort in history.
In Washington, 30,000 high-risk health care workers were vaccinated in the first week that the Pfizer-BioNTech doses were available. In Idaho, 13,650 initial doses were allocated to local public health districts in the first week. As more shipments are received, those numbers will rise quickly.
While state governments have the ultimate say on prioritizing groups for the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccine work group voted last week on recommendations for whos next. That group includes people 75 or older and frontline essential workers, such as first responders, teachers and grocery store workers.
Idaho guidelines in place are similar to CDC recommendations. Washington officials have said the states order for vaccinations likely will be similar to what the CDC recommends.
For many, its a bright spot in what seemed like an unending tunnel.
For others, questions remain about the vaccines effectiveness, the states plans and when theyll be able to receive one.
While much is still unknown, heres what we know so far about vaccination plans in the Inland Northwest.
Distribution a very fluid situation Along with its initial allocation, Washington received 44,850 Pfizer doses in the week ending Dec. 25, with an additional 57,525 doses expected to arrive by the end of the year.
The state also will receive 127,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the coming week.
By the end of December, Washington likely will receive more than 330,000 doses of a vaccine, Washington Assistant Secretary of Health Michele Roberts told reporters Wednesday.
The state will release allocation numbers on a week-by-week basis, Roberts said.
Vaccine distribution is a very fluid situation, Spokane Regional Health District Interim Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velazquez told reporters Wednesday. Were seeing changes with distribution quantities often.
The Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 3,900 Pfizer doses were distributed to health care providers in the county in its first week of use. It expected to get the same amount each of the following two weeks.
The district announced it would receive 15,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the week of Dec. 28. MultiCare and Providence hospitals have begun vaccinations.
Along with those major hospitals systems, 21 other providers are registered and will receive the vaccine in Spokane County. The shipments go directly to registered providers, who then decide who will receive it based on the states priority list.
Those in the states first priority group are front-line health care workers who interact with COVID patients daily, including cleaning staff and front desk workers. First responders and residents and staff of long-term care facilities are also near the top of the list.
Vaccinations of those in longterm care facilities will begin Dec. 28, Roberts said.
The next group eligible for vaccinations still is being determined, with Gov. Jay Inslee making the final decision.
Its still going to be several weeks before were going to be ready to move to the next group, Roberts said, adding by the end of January she hopes to start vaccinating the next set of priorities.
In Idaho, 13,650 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed, with 1,950 going toward the Panhandle Health District in North Idaho. Most of those doses went to Kootenai Health, which received 1,370 and has started vaccinations. The others were spread out among other hospitals and clinics in the five-county district.
The state received 28,000 initial doses of Moderna last week, with the Panhandle Health District receiving 4,200 doses, spokesperson Katherine Hoyer said. Those doses will go to the same providers that received the initial Pfizer doses.
Healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents are the first in line for those initial doses, with first responders, teachers and essential workers next, according to Idahos vaccine advisory committee.
First responders may get vaccinated in JanuaryThe Spokane Regional Health District will allocate enough doses to vaccinate 100% of the roughly 2,500 first responders and public safety personnel in Spokane County, according to Spokane County Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer. That includes employees, firefighters, law enforcement, corrections officers and dispatchers.
When the inventory arrives tentatively scheduled for the first week of January Schaeffer said there will be a vaccination clinic for first responders. They will return a few weeks later to receive a second dose.
The vaccination plan was formed by the Spokane County EMS Vaccination Task Force, which is led by Mike Lopez, integrated medical services director for the Spokane Fire Department. Its a facet of the existing pandemic response plan that public safety and health officials had in place well before the coronavirus took hold in the United States this year.
Fire Department employees will not be required to get the vaccine, which Schaeffer does not believe is within his power to mandate. It will be an individual decision, Schaeffer said.
He estimated that about half of the workforce could forego the vaccine. While many have not ruled it out entirely, Schaeffer said that feedback from first responders was they were a little hesitant, and not sure if they wanted to be on the first rollout of this vaccination program.
We need to prove to people that it is beneficial and safe, and thats just going to take time and effort, Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer plans on receiving the vaccine, but he has to wait 90 days from the time he was treated for COVID-19. The chief was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November . Though he was not hospitalized, he experienced symptoms and, at their apex, he coughed up blood.
Its all perspective. When you look on the spectrum of very minor symptoms to death, it was probably more toward the minor side, Schaeffer said.
The vaccine is key to ending the pandemic, Schaeffer stressed.
At its worst, the fire department has been without 20% of its workforce due to employees either testing positive for the virus or isolating due to potential exposure. Thats resulted in more overtime and stress on personnel.
To date, 29 Spokane police officers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to spokeswoman Julie Humphreys. Humphreys said in an email that the city is developing a policy that will follow state and federal directives on vaccines for employees, when asked whether officers will be required to get the vaccine.
Information is still evolving rapidly about the availability, timing and directives for first-responder employees, Humphreys said.
Its still unclear where teachers fall in the distribution orderTeachers are moving toward the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccinations, but its unclear what difference that will make before the school year ends.
Depending on a final determination by the Washington State Department of Health, teachers could get their COVID-19 shots in the next few weeks or well into spring. Thats also true in Idaho, where teachers are currently listed in the second tier of groups in line for vaccinations.
In education circles, the reaction to the national news was mixed.
At the top, Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers, said teachers should be at the front of the line, just behind health care workers.
Her message: If you want to open schools, vaccinate teachers first.
Those in schools that are reopening in person or have reopened in person should be a very close second priority, Weingarten said.
The way in which we see it, she said, is that the vaccination prioritization should be aligned with those who are in school.
Larry Delaney, president of the Washington Education Association, said hes hopeful.
We certainly think thats good news, also recognizing so much is fluid. We dont want to get our hopes up too high, recognizing things could change, Delaney said.
Of the 153,000 employees in Washington public schools, about 40% are over 50.
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard said the district is encouraged by the ongoing discussions focused on strategies to support the safe reopening of schools, and look forward to state and local decisions regarding the vaccine distribution plan.
There will be speed bumps, though.
If you bring a bunch of children all back to school and none of them are vaccinated, theres going to be some high-risk child who is going to end up in the hospital, Helen Chu, an infectious disease expert and associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told the Seattle Times last week.
CDC recommends prioritizing essential workersThe United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 62,000 members in Washington, praised the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendation to prioritize COVID-19 vaccines for essential workers in grocery stores, food processing and meatpacking plants.
In a statement Wednesday, the UFCW urged Inslee to expedite vaccine distribution.
The CDC move to prioritize essential workers for the COVID vaccine is a critical first step, but Governor Jay Inslee must act to expedite distribution and guarantee free access to the vaccine for these thousands of Washington workers on the frontlines, UFCW President Marc Perrone said in a statement.
UFCW Local 1439 President Eric Renner said while some members expressed concern about getting COVID-19 vaccinations, it was a very small percentage. UFCW Local 1439 represents more than 6,500 workers in Eastern Washington, North Idaho and northeastern Oregon.
Renner said he has not yet heard when workers could receive COVID-19 vaccinations, but its a priority to ensure they have access when it becomes available.
Theyve been putting their lives at risk for nine months and the conditions theyve been working in have not been easy, Renner said. The sooner we can get vaccines, the better.
Safeway spokeswoman Tairsa Worman said in an email Safeway is not mandating, but strongly encouraging employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations.
Those already vaccinated say its the right thing to doDr. Chandler Hill has sent many COVID patients to an intensive care unit knowing they will likely die.
Hill, an emergency room doctor at Sacred Heart, estimates hes treated between 50 and 100 COVID-positive patients. One sticks out a man in his 40s like Hill, with few other conditions, whom he could tell was unlikely to survive.
I think the main thing that gives people a misimpression of the virus is that it does cause a mild illness in some people, Hill said. I feel like it would be a roll of the dice if I get COVID. The younger you are and healthier you are, that dice roll gets better, but its definitely not inconsequential.
Hes also seen the long-term effects of COVID. Some patients develop clots and get strokes. Hes gotten into the routine of wearing PPE and double-checking everything, but he said he still fears for his wife and two young children.
Its something that weighs down on you every day as you go through your day, Hill said.
Hill was one of the first people in Spokane to get a COVID vaccine, and he said he had no side effects, outside of a little soreness on his arm like hed get with many vaccines.
All of his coworkers are getting the vaccine, he said. The research is as good as it can be and the side effects are minimal, he said.
Its really the right thing to do, not just for yourself but for your family and community, so we can get back to normal, Hill said.
He said the mood in the medical community is excitement. It feels like the beginning of the end, he said. The pandemic, though wearing, has been almost sort of inspiring, he said, as he sees his team rise to the challenge.
This hopefully is one of the more significant events well go through. Ive been proud to be part of a team thats doing a good job and rising up to the moment, so hopefully we can keep doing that, Hill said. If everybody does their part and is willing to take the vaccine, then we can hopefully put this thing behind us.
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Alaska embarked on its effort to distribute doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this month, but only a fraction of people in the state have received it so far.
Across multiple tiers and phases, much about who will receive the vaccine and when is still being determined, and the state remains in the initial stages of distribution as the number of available vaccine doses is limited.
As of Friday, Alaska had administered about 11,800 first doses of the vaccine from manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer. In total, the state has roughly 60,000 doses of the vaccine available for the month of December, but the number of vaccines available for January is not yet clear, officials said on a call Wednesday.
Heres what to expect going forward.
The initial stage of vaccination is known as Phase 1A, and in Alaska thats further broken down into three separate tiers.
The first two tiers included those who started receiving the vaccine this month. They included residents and staff at long-term care facilities, hospital-based frontline health care workers, emergency personnel, community health aides and people who are performing vaccinations.
The third tier of people in the states first phase will start receiving vaccines next month. Based on recommendations from a state allocation committee, the third tier includes people who work in health care settings who are at the highest risk of getting COVID-19 and are also considered essential to the health care system, doing regular work that cant be postponed or done remotely.
They must also meet the following criteria, listed by the state:
Have direct patient contact, or have direct contact with infectious materials from patients; and
Provide essential services in a health care setting that cannot be offered remotely or performed via telework; and
Provide a service in a health care setting that cannot be postponed without detrimental impact to the patients short-term or long-term health outcomes.
Those who fall into this category can start signing up to receive the vaccine on Wednesday, officials said last week. The vaccinations will be by appointment only and will occur on a first-come, first-served basis, Tari OConnor with the state health department said on a recent call. The vaccines will be available at clinics around the state and their locations will be posted online this week. The clinics include sites like community health centers, hospitals and pharmacies across the state.
The federal advisory committee recommended including people who are over age 74 and essential workers as part of Phase 1B, while Phase 1C would include people 65 to 74 as well as those ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions and other essential workers who werent included during Phase 1B.
Phases 1B and 1C include a significant number of people many more than the number of vaccine doses available, Tessa Walker Linderman, who heads up the states vaccine task force, said last week. Thats where the states committee will be helpful in determining who specifically should be next in line. While the federal committee issues broader guidelines, Alaskas committee breaks them down into smaller groups.
Those interested in providing input on how the vaccines should be distributed in Alaska can do so Monday during a public meeting scheduled for 4 to 5 p.m. You can submit written comments beforehand or sign up to provide a 1-minute comment during the meeting.
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The COVID-19 vaccines arrival in Michigan brings hope to many that the pandemic is nearing the end, but health and education experts agree theres a long way to go before school will return to normal.
The current vaccine is not approved for children younger than 16, and even after teachers are vaccinated, health officials said its best to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. The normalcy of in-person school wont return overnight, the experts said.
Gayla Clark, a third grade teacher at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in Kalamazoo, said she will get the vaccine as soon as possible to protect herself, her family and her students.
I dont want to give (COVID-19) to anybody, Clark said. How awful would that be to know that youve given it to someone elderly, young or whoever, Clark said.
The teachers union vice president said shes thankful that Kalamazoo Public Schools has remained in virtual mode and will do so at least until March. Clark doesnt believe the arrival of the vaccine will have any impact on the 2020-21 school year.
But, although progress toward normalcy is slow-moving, theres at least a light at the end of the tunnel, she said.
Its at least a little glimmer of hope, Clark said.
Health officials have a lot of unknowns about how a vaccine may affect the school year, Susan Ringler Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman, said.
We wont know a lot until we have a vaccine they can actually take, Cerniglia said. And when theres wide availability.
Teachers will be vaccinated earlier as part of phase 1B, which is the second of four distribution phases outlined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Vaccination of school staff is essential to improve the capacity to have in person instruction, MDHHS officials said.
Teachers are grouped with other essential workers behind healthcare workers in line for the vaccine. There are an estimated 87 million Americans working in essential sectors, like food and agriculture, manufacturing and law enforcement, according to a New York Times article.
This includes the countrys three million teachers but may not account for school nurses, janitors, cafeteria workers and other school workers who are also crucial to reopening school, the article states.
In Michigan, distribution of the vaccine is slower than expected. This week, the state received less than half the doses of vaccine than it expected.
MDHHS received 84,825 doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine last week, and anticipated another 84,000 the week of Dec. 22, as well as 173,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine just approved by the Federal Drug Administration.
Instead, state officials have been told to expect 60,450 doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna immunizations, according to Lynn Sutfin, MDHHS spokeswoman.
Distribution of the vaccine will take multiple months. And students are unlikely to see vaccinations before the beginning of next year as pediatric trials have only just begun, per the New York Times article.
The vaccine provides a light at the end of the tunnel for many parents who are trying to work, do remote school and take care of their families, said Jessica Grose, The Timess Parenting columnist. But theres still considerable anxiety about how the months ahead might play out.
The vaccine will give her staff an additional layer of protection against the virus, Naomi Norman, Washtenaw County Intermediate School District interim superintendent, said.
Most importantly, the vaccine is giving us hope that there is an end to the pandemic, Norman said. We remain concerned about the student health risks and will be continuing to follow our pandemic response plans with guidance from our local health department.
The ISD has not discussed widespread changes to its in-person school models and knows schools will need to continue mitigation efforts, like mask wearing and physical distancing, into the new year, Norman said.
Health officials have been asked if schools will distribute the vaccine, and theyve said its unlikely because parents or guardians must be present for a minor to be vaccinated, Cerniglia said.
Schools also already have in place a process for parents to opt their children out of vaccines, and Cerniglia believes that may be the case for the coronavirus vaccine as well.
Melissa Emery, an Ann Arbor single mother of two, questions the safety of the vaccine and said she will not be taking it or giving it to her children.
They dont know the long-term effects of it, Emery said. I will never, never get that vaccine.
Emery believes it will be years before health experts know the real effects of the vaccine.
I dont think its the panacea that maybe a lot of people think its going to be, Emery said. Its not the holy grail.
John Helmholdt, Grand Rapids Public Schools spokesman, said parents can opt their child out of the vaccine, when it becomes available. And, if parents decide not to get vaccinated themselves, their children will not be limited to online school, he said.
We certainly are not going to penalize a student if and when the vaccine may be available if their parents choose not to, Helmholdt said.
The districts focus today is on rapid testing sites for educators and other GRPS staff, Helmholdt said. The district will return to hybrid in-person classes on Jan. 19, after spending the first half of the school year in virtual mode.
Grand Rapids school leaders hope the vaccine could be available for staff as early as mid to late January, Helmholdt said. But mitigation strategies such as social distancing will still be required when students return to school on in January.
Marcus Cheatham, Mid-Michigan District Health Department health officer, said the department does not give legal advice to schools and businesses, including whether or not they should mandate that personnel get the vaccine.
We are not advocates for anyone requiring it, Cheatham said. But if you dont want to get sick, get this vaccine.
To help you navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.
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COVID-19 vaccine is not a golden ticket to normalcy in Michigan schools - yet - MLive.com
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Federal agencies share tips to avoid COVID-19 vaccine fraud - Action News Now
BATON ROUGE On Monday, administering theCOVID-19vaccine will begin in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
At Amber Terrace Assisted Living many residents are anxious for the process to begin.
They keep asking me when are we going to get the vaccine, said Sharon Dykes the Activities Director. We have heard that were getting them, but I think the nursing homes are first and then well get ours.
Family members can visit their loved ones at Amber Terrace, but they have to do so behind a clear wall. Dykes says the residents want to get vaccinated so theycan becloser to family.
Theyre ready to see their families, said Dykes. [The staff] gets to go home, and they dont.
Pharmacists at CVS andWalgreenswill be administering the vaccines. Dr. JocelynShrumwith CVS says a pharmacist and two technicians will be traveling to each facility.
Depending on how many residents they have for us to vaccinate well be there for four hours or six hours, but thats basically a one to two ratio on whats going to the LTCs, said Dr.Shrum.
Each resident and staff have to receive two doses of the vaccine, so it will take three to four weeks after the first visit for everyoneto befully vaccinated.
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Long-term care facility residents anxious to get COVID-19 vaccine - WBRZ
Residents from around the Black Hills gave their take as to if they feel comfortable getting either COVID-19 vaccine once they become publicly available. Would you get either vaccine? If so, which one?
RAPID CITY, S.D. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in February, many have been waiting for a vaccine to be made available.
Modernas COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Rapid City Monday, one week after Pfizers.
According to Monument Health officials, it could take until next summer for the vaccines to be available for the general public.
So, how would Black Hills residents react to taking the vaccine?
I dont really know what the symptoms are and they kinda made like a vaccine for a global pandemic pretty quickly, said Caleb Valandra of Rapid City. So I just dont really trust it right now.
I just dont know enough about them, said Shane Tipps of Rapid City. Until I know more about it and I see some results than I might be more apt to take it.
I just feel like there was not enough time put into it, I think they just threw something together to help people feel better, said Rhiannon Wright of Martin. Thats just my opinion.
Despite skepticism, local health officials say by taking the vaccine and voicing their experiences, they can lead by example for the community.
That will be another encouragement to other people that you can do this and that will help you to get back to work and back to normal activities, said Dr. Terry Graber, a Staff Physician at the Hill City Clinic and Custer Care Center.
Top health officials also reiterating that the shots are safe and will save lives.
I look forward to receiving this vaccine myself in the coming days as part of our efforts to demonstrate to Americans that these vaccines are safe and incredibly effective at preventing COVID-19, said Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the U.S.
Health officials also say that its still imperative for people to social distance, wear a mask and practice CDC guidelines even after taking the vaccine.
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Black Hills residents weigh-in on COVID-19 vaccines - Newscenter1.tv
Doctor's offices in Pharr and San Juan start offering COVID-19 vaccine to general public KRGV
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Doctor's offices in Pharr and San Juan start offering COVID-19 vaccine to general public - KRGV
Flanked by a police escort, a paramedic emergency vehicle, its hazard lights flashing, speeds through town towards the main hospital.
An emergency Christmas delivery handed to medical staff.
A small green refrigerated bag then hurried inside the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital, followed by two police officers.
The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in the northern Italian city of Bergamo.
This city, which was devastated by the pandemic, can learn to breathe again.
It is early days of course, but the vaccination process has begun.
The symbolic first dose given to the city's head of doctors Guido Marinoni - looking after patients and the most vulnerable, as well as their medical carers - is a priority here.
The vaccination photo opportunities are a far cry from the near chaos that engulfed the emergency rooms of the hospital and shocked the world in March.
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As a team, covered head to toe in PPE, we had absolutely no idea what to expect.
Back then, nobody knew anything really and nobody had seen emergency rooms and intensive care units with patients lined up connected to ventilators, slowly dying in front of our eyes.
Back then if you were unfortunate enough to be admitted to the ICU, you had, at best, a 50/50 chance of survival.
I remember working that out in our car, having read the daily and weekly mortality figures published by the Italian health ministry.
That was then. The world has now been completely enveloped by the virus, and the world is fighting back.
After the most difficult 10 months in medical living memory, the frontline staff who have fought and survived can relish the future.
They are exhausted for sure. But they can now see the light. For so, so long there was nothing but darkness.
Constant shifts. Constant death. Constant feelings of personal failure.
"Now we realise that maybe we are not enough," Lorenzo Grazioli, an intensive care anaesthetist, told me at the time. It scared the hell out of me.
Outside I remember just talking to myself.
Basically, in despair, I said if a hospital as rich and well-resourced as the Papa Giovanni is overrun - what happens to the world, what happens to the UK? I had never felt so utterly helpless and scared for everyone I knew.
As I say, that was then.
Now there is a vaccine rollout and one of the first to get it in Bergamo is Dr Roberto Cosentini, the head of emergency care, who - with perhaps the most cool of cool heads - oversaw what looked like a warzone without bombs and bullets.
Roberto is a friend now. We don't speak much but we don't need to. His dream of a chance to relish a future where the virus can be beaten is being achieved.
I can't really explain how much I feel for him and his staff. They let us into the hospital to send a message of warning to the world even though they were losing the fight. No professional wants to do that.
But they knew they had to warn everyone.
He now hopes we can all put this behind us.
He told us: "I think today is a historical day for human beings because it's the first big step to win the battle against the virus.
"Before we only had to react to the safety measures, up and down according to the measures, but now we have the hope to turn the page and think of the future."
The beautiful ancient city of Bergamo towers above its modern sibling. Both the old and new cities were engulfed by the virus and thousands died here.
The survivors of this virus storm can now walk through the historic cobbled streets, stopping to pick up a takeaway coffee and sit in the extremely quiet and socially-distanced Venetian squares to soak up the winter sun.
In March I met Michele and Serena, both in their 70s and both terrified. They hunkered down in isolation to see it out. They are much more relaxed now. The dream of a vaccine realised.
"The people of Bergamo are known in Italy as one of the most hardworking and passionate people, one of the mottos here is 'Mola Mia' (never give up) and the people of Bergamo have not given up," they say.
"They have reinvented themselves."
Bergamo, Italy and most of Europe are still struggling with coronavirus of course, but the vaccine programme now being rolled out across the continent is at least giving space for the countries' leaders to plan for the future.
Giorgio Gori, the popular mayor of Bergamo, who imposed the original city lockdown and brought his two daughters back home from the UK because of the British government's failure to lockdown or take the virus seriously, is now reinvigorated.
"It's a real turning point, because now we can actually think of the exit point for this pandemic, we can plan a recovery time, we can plan to restart," he says.
"We know we will probably have to wait a few months and probably we will have to face a third wave, but now we have big hope - we see the light at the end of the tunnel."
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Finally he can see a future without the curse of COVID-19 hanging over him and his city.
Where there was fear and grief, a new sense of optimism is sweeping across Europe and the world.
Finally 2020 has given everyone something to celebrate.
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