MEXICO CITY Mexicos medical safety commission has approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the coronavirus.
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lpez-Gatell said Friday that Mexico is the fourth country to do so, behind Britain, Canada and Bahrain.
Mexico is set to receive 250,000 doses of the vaccine, enough for 125,000 people.
Lpez-Gatel has said that front-line health workers will get the shots first. Vaccinations are expected to begin as soon as next week.
Lpez-Gatel says the approval is of course a reason for hope, though the initial rounds of shots are not nearly enough for Mexicos health-care workforce.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
The White House is pressuring the FDA chief Stephen Hahn to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizers coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day. The vaccine won approval Thursday from an FDA panel of outside advisers, and FDA signoff is the next step to get the shots to the public.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reinstated indoor dining restrictions indefinitely in New York City in an effort to limit the increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Starting Monday, only takeout orders and outdoor dining will be allowed in the city.
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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
KALAMAZOO, Mich. The U.S. Justice Department is supporting Michigan faith-based schools in their court challenge to Gov. Gretchen Whitmers ban on in-person classes in high schools.
The departments Civil Rights Division filed an argument in favor of three Roman Catholic high schools and the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools. A federal judge in Kalamazoo will hear arguments Monday.
The filing says schools and families have a constitutional right to practice their religion through in-person instruction. It cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court order that barred New York from enforcing certain restrictions on religious services in areas hit hard by the coronavirus.
Michigans health department argues the teaching restriction is necessary to control the spread of the coronavirus, especially after Thanksgiving gatherings.
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. The U.S. federal agency that provides health care to Native Americans says its expecting more than enough coronavirus vaccines to protect all the people working in the hospitals and clinics that it funds.
The Indian Health Service was treated much like a state for distribution purposes. It submitted a plan to vaccinate more than 2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
The agency expects to receive 22,425 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week and 46,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of the year. Those doses will cover the more than 44,000 people who work at hundreds of facilities that are receiving vaccine allocations through the Indian Health Service.
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UNITED NATIONS -- Eight mainly Western nations are accusing North Korea of using the pandemic to crack down further on the human rights of its own people, pointing to reports of an uptick in executions related to the coronavirus and strict controls on movements around its capital.
The statement was issued Friday after the U.N. Security Council privately discussed North Koreas human rights situation. Germany and others had sought an open session but Russia, China and other council members objected.
Seven council members -- Germany, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Britain and the United States -- joined by Japan criticized North Korea for rights abuses. They also said the North Korean governments decision to prioritize its weapons programs is inevitably worsening the impacts of the pandemic on the North Korean population.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas health officials on Friday reported a one-day record of 55 deaths due to COVID-19 and 2,770 new confirmed or probable cases.
We have once again reached a grave milestone in this pandemic, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.
While we may have hope ahead from promising vaccine news, we cannot grow weary over the next few weeks, he said.
In a statewide address Thursday night, Hutchinson said the state is seeing a surge in cases after Thanksgiving and suggested Arkansans travel less for the coming Christmas holiday and take rapid tests both before and after travel.
The state Department of Health reported a total of 2,875 deaths due to the illness caused by the virus and 181,624 total cases since the pandemic began.
The health department reported 1,059 people hospitalized with the virus.
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WICHITA, Kan. A Wichita fitness studios owner and his business are suing Kansas for compensation for being forced to shut down and reopen with restrictions this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit filed this week in Sedgwick County District Court by Ryan Floyd and Omega Bootcamps Inc. argues that the state used his and the business private property for the benefit of the general public when it and local officials imposed their restrictions. The lawsuit cites part of the states emergency management law that says people can pursue claims for compensation in court if their property is commandeered or otherwise used by state or local officials.
The Kansas attorney generals office declined comment, saying it was reviewing the lawsuit. Gov. Laura Kellys office did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.
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RALEIGH, N.C. The chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court says non-essential, in-person court proceedings will be halted starting Monday for 30 days due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Chief Justice Cheri Beasley said Friday the pause is necessary to protect the health and safety of court personnel and the public. Since the start of the pandemic, judicial branch officials and employees have reported 291 confirmed positive cases. In addition, more than half of North Carolinas county courthouses have been partially or completely closed due to COVID-19, and 11 of those closures occurred this week.
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DENVER -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Friday released the locations of health facilities in urban and rural Colorado to receive the first shipment of 46,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Facilities in Denver, Aspen, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins were some of the chosen locations for the first Pfizer vaccines. Initially, 46 health care facilities will receive Pfizer vaccine doses; 151 facilities will get subsequent Moderna vaccine doses; and 40 of them will get both.
The locations were selected for their abilities to store Pfizer vaccines in -60C to -80C temperatures and a willingness to redistribute vaccines to other providers.
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BISMARCK, N.D. North Dakotas death count per capita from the coronavirus has risen from 12th-highest in the country to fifth in just six weeks, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
The states death count has gone from 75 deaths per 100,000 people to 146 deaths during that time, according to The COVID Tracking Project.
The state Department of Health on Friday reported 27 new deaths, 12 of which were from November due to a reporting lag. The statewide death toll since the pandemic began now stands at 1,130.
State Health Department officials on Friday confirmed 513 new cases of the coronavirus.
North Dakota had for many weeks led the country in the number of virus outbreaks compared to population.
The state now ranks fourth, with 1,350 new cases per 100,000 people in North Dakota over the past two weeks. One in every 136 people in North Dakota tested positive in the past week., according to Johns Hopkins University researchers.
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NEW YORK Indoor dining restrictions will be reinstated in New York City on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. Only takeout orders and outdoor dining will be allowed.
Nearly 1,700 patients are hospitalized in the city with the coronavirus, triple the number a month ago.
The governments top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, spoke with Cuomo by livestream this week, noting he expects hospitalizations to keep increasing until mid-January.
Cuomos order came despite opposition from the restaurant industry, which warned of holiday season layoffs as the federal government hasnt passed additional COVID-19 relief.
Public health experts have repeatedly warned that indoor dining -- particularly in small, crowded restaurants where individuals are drinking and can take off masks when not eating -- poses a risk for airborne transmission. The CDC recently described such indoor dining as high risk.
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PHOENIX Arizona has reported nearly 7,000 coronavirus cases, the third-highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The state reported 6,983 confirmed cases and 91 deaths on Friday.
Virus-related hospitalizations stood at 3,492. Thats just short of the hospitalization peak during the states COVID-19 surge last summer. Hospital officials and public health experts have warned that hospital capacity could be reached this month.
Arizona has reported 394,512 total cases and 7,245 confirmed deaths.
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RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina reported more than 7,500 coronavirus cases, a single-day record.
More than 2,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, which represents a two-fold increase in the last 30 days.
The positivity rate has eclipsed 10% for nearly two weeks, reaching double digits for the first time since April.
Mandy Cohen, secretary of the states Department of Health and Human Services, attributed much of the uptick to people gathering over Thanksgiving.
Having more than 7,500 cases is staggering and alarming, Cohen says.
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MILAN Italy registered 761 deaths on Friday, according to the Health Ministry.
Another 18,727 people tested positive, slightly more than a day earlier when fewer tests were carried out.
While the death toll remains high, restrictions have helped ease the level of contagion and the pressure on hospitals. About 1,500 fewer people were hospitalized with the virus and 26 fewer patients were in intensive care. There were 208 new arrivals in ICU.
Two key regions, epicenter Lombardy and neighboring Piedmont, will have restrictions eased this weekend. Theyll be allowed to dine indoors until 6 p.m. for the first time in weeks.
Italy has more than 63,000 confirmed deaths, fifth highest in the world, and 1.8 million confirmed cases.
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BOSTON Doctors are reporting that a two-drug treatment is especially helpful for COVID-19 patients who need extra oxygen.
Adding the anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib to the antiviral medicine remdesivir helped these patients recover eight days sooner, in 10 days on average versus 18 for those given remdesivir alone, according to a study.
The medicines have been recommended since September, when early results from this U.S. government-sponsored study suggested the combination shortened recovery time for hospitalized patients by one day.
Full results published Friday by the New England Journal of Medicine show the benefit was even greater for those needing oxygen or other respiratory support short of a breathing machine. Serious side effects and new infections also were fewer in the combo treatment group.
The study involved more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients. All were given Gilead Sciences remdesivir, sold as Veklury, and half also received baricitinib, a drug Eli Lilly sells as Olumiant to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the less common form of arthritis that occurs when a mistaken or overreacting immune system attacks joints, causing inflammation. An overactive immune system also can lead to serious problems in some coronavirus patients.
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OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma health department has added paramedics, emergency medical technicians and CVS and Walgreen staff who will administer the COVID-19 vaccine to those who will receive the vaccine first.
The state Department of Health announced the revised plan in a news release and said health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye would discuss it on Friday.
Others to receive the vaccine first are health care workers and long-term care providers and residents. Frye says the state expects 166,000 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of December.
A U.S. government advisory panel on Thursday endorsed widespread use of Pfizers vaccine, putting the country just one step away from launching a massive vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed more than 292,000 Americans.
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HONOLULU A county on a Hawaii island believed to be the last one in the U.S. without any coronavirus cases has reported its first resident testing positive.
The Hawaii Department of Health on Thursday reported the case in Kalawao County on the island of Molokai. The health department says an adult resident tested positive after returning to the island on a local flight.
The person is in self-isolation and currently doesnt have virus symptoms. The health department says contact tracing was conducted and all other passengers on the flight are in self-quarantine.
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MOSCOW Authorities in Moscow are expanding the COVID-19 vaccination program to include those in the retail and service sector.
Last weekend, Moscow opened 70 vaccination facilities to start delivering Russian-designed Sputnik V vaccines to thousands of doctors, teachers, and municipal workers.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says a new shipment of the vaccine is due to arrive shortly, allowing the city officials to expand the immunization effort to those working in the retail and services sector starting next week.
Russias nearly 2.6 million confirmed cases is the fourth-largest caseload in the world behind the United States, India and Brazil. The government task force has recorded 45,893 virus-related deaths since the start of the outbreak.
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The Latest: Mexico is 4th nation to OK the Pfizer vaccine - The Associated Press
The much hyped COVID-19 vaccines are set to be administered, but how soon do they give immunity?
So far the vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca, who have completed their trials and asked for approval around the world, offer their vaccine in two shots. But doctors said those who get it will have some protection after they roll up their sleeve the first time.
Dr. Richard Novak is chief infectious diseases at UIC.
Like all of these vaccines under development, it targets the spike protein of the virus, he said.
In the United Kingdom people lined up for Pfizers vaccine, the first to get the nod from health regulators there. The inoculation showed a 95 percent efficacy in trials. The vaccine does not contain live virus. It has mRNA from the spike protein of SARS CoV-2.
When it enters your cells, the cells read the mRNA of the protein which is expressed on the surface of the cell, Novak said. And then the immune system sees that and recognizes it doesnt belong there and starts to make an immune response to it.
The body recognizes the manufactured spike protein to learn how to react when the real thing takes hold and kick the immune system into overdrive.
But when that happens it can cause inflammation.
Vaccine recipients may begin to feel a response immediately including fever, headache, body aches and fatigue. But not everyone has a reaction.
Certainly the majority of people who get the vaccine dont feel anything, Novak said.
Novak ran the Chicago arm of the Moderna trial and monitored patients after their injections. He said just because people dont get side effects,their body is still working to search and destroy the novel coronavirus. And very rapidly,vaccine recipients have immunity.
Even after the first dose it was working, Novak said. It starts right away. It usually peaks at about two weeks after the injection.
Depending on the vaccine manufacturer, at three or four weeks after the first shot, a second injection is administered. Its a safeguard to make sure immunity lasts.
You get a second injection a month out, or in the case of Pfizer is three weeks after the first one, Novak said. And that boosts the response even further, so you have even more antibodies. We definitely know that the second shot boost the immune response. Thats a known fact so its more likely to last longer after you get both shots.
Astra Zenecas shot made with Oxford University researchers was originally designed to be taken in one dose. But researchers decided two is better. Since we are facing a new illness, they wanted to take all precautions. In trials the efficacy was not as great for this vaccine, but doctors believe thats because they switched gears mid-trial. Once two shots were given, it provided 90 percent efficacy for those in Englands trial.
The Astro Zeneca vaccine is a very important vaccine, Novak said. And that it is very easy to manufacture and very easy to store and ship and its very inexpensive.
While not first to market, ease of distribution may lead this vaccine to be more widely used. Certainly it will be the choice for developing countries based on cost and refrigeration needs.
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How will Texas roll out the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine? - KXAN.com
The FDA is expected to authorize Pfizer and BioNTechs Covid-19 vaccine candidate imminently, but President Donald Trump is nevertheless ratcheting up pressure on the agency to move faster, continuing a year of unprecedented political interference in regulatory decisions that have traditionally remained insulated from the White House.
On Friday morning, minutes after FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn and FDA vaccines and biologics chief Peter Marks announced they were finalizing an emergency use authorization for the vaccine, Trump tweeted an attack on the agency and its leader by name.
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The short answer is yes, you will still need to wear a mask even if you get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Face coverings will be necessary for some time even after you get inoculated because while the scientific research is pretty solid that the vaccine protects you from the virus, it's not entirely clear whether it stops you from spreading the virus to others, health officials say. It's not known whether the virus could still set up shop in your nose and lead you to pass droplets onto others, even though you might not be "sick."
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this week and a second inoculation from Moderna could follow next week.
These vaccines were developed at record speeds with massive teams of scientists from across the world, and the trials only tracked how many vaccinated people became sick with COVID-19, said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. They didn't look at whether some inoculated people could get infected without developing symptoms and then pass the virus onto others.
"Because of the expediency, they werent designed to rule out asymptomatic infection," Gandhi said.
Gandhi expects the need for masks won't go away until we reach population immunity, or herd immunity, the point when the spread of disease from person to person becomes so low as to be unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected, not only those who are immune. Experts estimate population immunity will be reached when 70% of the population is protected from the virus.
Moncef Slaoui, head of the U.S. vaccine development effort, has estimated the country could reach herd immunity as early as May, based on the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. That's assuming there are no problems meeting manufacturers' supply estimates, and enough people step forward to be vaccinated.
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at UCSF, has followed the vaccine development effort closely and has a less optimistic timeline, putting the country at this point in September.
The mask recommendation is the same for those who tested positive and recovered from the infection. While preliminary research shows the risk of reinfection is extremely low, this virus is still new, and researchers still don't entirely understand how immunity works for it.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Do people who get the COVID-19 vaccine still need to wear a mask? - SF Gate
Many have asked if the vaccines being considered for COVID-19 could make recipients contagious to at-risk immunocompromised people like some past vaccines.
In this time of pandemic, many people have avoided loved ones who are frail for fear of possibly spreading COVID-19. The people most at risk include those whose immune systems have been weakened by chemotherapy or by other conditions.
In the past, some cancer organizations and health agencies have cautioned otherwise healthy people to stay away from immunocompromised people after receiving a virus due to a small chance they could infect them.
THE QUESTION:
After getting the COVID-19 vaccine, should I avoid people undergoing chemotherapy or who have compromised immune systems?
THE ANSWER:
According to Dr. William Moss of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the vaccine itself will not cause you to be contagious.
If you've been practicing social distancing or have been quarantined or are certain you aren't already infected with COVID-19, the vaccine will not give you the virus.
Keep in mind that recently vaccinated individuals can still be contagious if they've recently contracted COVID-19 from other sources and people should still practice social distancing and mask wearing when possible.
WHAT WE FOUND:
No matter which of the vaccines currently nearing FDA approval or emergency use authorization that you get, you wont pose a danger to people who are receiving chemotherapy or others with compromised immune systems, says Dr. Moss, who heads the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Thats because the vaccines dont contain replicating viruses that could pose harm to others, he said.
That differs from live-attenuated vaccines, often given to children to prevent measles or small pox (although its not small pox but a less harmful virus called vacciniain that immunization).
The leading contenders for the earliest approvals are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both using mRNAtechnology, and AstraZeneca, an adenovirus-based immunization.
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COVID-19 vaccine: It's safe to be around a vaccinated person - KING5.com
by: News Channel 11 Staff
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) In a memo to employees, Ballad Health Chairman & CEO Alan Levine addressed the fast-approaching release of a COVID-19 vaccine, and if team members will be required to get immunized once the vaccine is available.
The short answer, was not immediately.
In the note to Ballad employees, Levine said in part, Remember, we are not making this vaccine mandatory for Ballad Health team members at this time. We do respect that some may have a desire to wait and see, and feel it is prudent to respect your health care decisions. As you know, we do require the flu vaccine, and that requirement remains in place. Over time, we may revisit this COVID vaccine policy once there is more data from which to provide comfort to those who would prefer to observe the experience of those who have been vaccinated.
Levine did note that when the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for him, he plans to receive it.
So far, former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have said they plan to take the vaccine on camera to promote its safety, and when it becomes available to me, I intend to do the same, Levine said.
It was mentioned in the memo that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will begin shipping to states within the next 24 hours.
Highest priority will initially be given to hospital based front line health care workers with direct patient exposure or potentially infectious material, and to residents of long term care facilities. Vaccine supply is expected to increase steadily in 2021, and we will act quickly to make the vaccine available to everyone who wants it, Levine said.
In his message to employees Levine also addressed the safety of the vaccine saying in part, During its phase 3 trial of more than 43,000 participants, Pfizer/BioNTech announced its vaccine was 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19. This is remarkably good news which means we can expect excellent personal protection from vaccination. Studies released earlier this week show the vaccine has a good safety profile.
While Levine stressed the importance of the vaccine he also said, infection prevention measures such as mask wearing and physical distancing will continue to be vital in our fight against this pandemic.
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The Food and Drug Administration is in the final steps of approving two COVID-19 vaccines prior to shipments being distributed throughout the country, including Nebraska.
Regional West expects the initial stock of the vaccine to be delivered in the next two to three weeks, said Paulette Schnell, Regional West Community Health Director and Scotts Bluff County Health Director.
The vaccine will be distributed in waves. The first wave will have three phases (A,B, and C).
Phase A distribution will go to healthcare and long term care facilities; Phase B will include first responders, the education sector, food and agriculture, corrections staff, and utilities and transportation; while Phase C will include people who are 65 years of age and older, vulnerable populations, and congregate living, including nursing homes.
Future waves of distribution have not been announced, however, vaccine distribution for the general public is anticipated in early spring 2021.
There are different types of vaccines. The first vaccines to provide immunity for the COVID-19 virus will not contain a live virus, but instead will introduce a protein associated with the virus to your bodys immune system. Your body will then create antibodies to combat the virus should you encounter it later, said Regional West Chief Medical Officer Matthew Bruner, MD, FACOG.
The vaccine will be given in two shots, spaced either 21 or 28 days apart, based on which vaccine you receive. You must receive the same vaccine for both shots for it to be effective. Through trials, both vaccines have proven to be 95% effective. That means of those vaccinated for the trials, only 5% developed COVID-19 when exposed to the virus and their symptoms were mild.
We need to continue to practice social distancing and wearing masks when in public, but having the vaccine available will be a game changer, said Dr. Bruner. This will help us move forward and help protect those who are the most vulnerable in our communities.
More information will be provided about general public clinics when available.
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Two Wichita Falls hospitals to receive part of first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine in Texas Times Record News
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