Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Those are details. The crucial step will be to break through vaccine anxiety, and the best way to do that is for vaccine developers, regulators and experts to share as much information as possible about the COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness, and about any shortcomings. Its fast development makes some people uneasy. The power of the anti-vaxx movement, based on bogus science, hurts credibility. Members of the Black community harbor distrust that dates at least to the infamous Tuskegee experiment, when Black men in Alabama were left untreated for syphilis as part of a study. Those concerns need to be addressed by the medical establishment and by doctors and nurses speaking frankly to individual patients.

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Editorial: The COVID-19 vaccine is a gift from science. Accept it. - Chicago Tribune

Wood Co. (WAOW) -- The Wood Co. Health Dept. is asking residents to take a survey on the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to a release, the health department wants to try and anticipate resources necessary when the vaccine is available. They are also looking to better understand residents views on the vaccine.

"In addition, this survey will help us anticipate the resources necessary to prepare for COVID-19 vaccination clinics and develop community education and outreach materials," the health department survey reads.

The health department says the survey takes about 5 minutes. You can find it here.

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Wood Co. Health Dept. asking residents to take COVID-19 vaccine survey - WAOW

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) As the death toll continues to soar, hopes for ending the COVID-19 pandemic rest on vaccines that are nearing authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

However, public health experts caution there are still many difficult hurdles to overcome before a vaccine can make a difference, CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez reported.

MORE:Fauci Says Herd Immunity Possible Reasonably Quickly If Enough Americans Take Vaccine

The scientific effort to produce what will likely be several COVID vaccines has been remarkable. Now comes the less glamorous, but still challenging work of vaccine manufacturing, distribution and public acceptance.

Public health systems have never faces the challenge of immunizing tens of millions of people in such a short time. Its actually in the billions since the pandemic is global.

Distributing them to states around the country, those states creating the vaccination programs in place to identify the high-risk target populations, to get those vaccines, to keep them at the appropriate temperatures, to complete the two-dose series, to keep track of all the records of these vaccines, said Dr. Jason Schwartz, from Yale School of Public Health.

MORE:Moderna Says COVID-19 Vaccine Highly Effective In Late Stage Trial

Dr. Schwartz and his colleagues at Yale just published an analysis of these complex logistical challenges.

While Operation Warp Speed in the U.S. has been working on those issues nationally, Dr. Schwartz said state and local levels are far behind in their preparations.

MORE: Study: Simple Temperature Checks And Question Screening Not Very Effective Catching COVID-19 Spreaders

Then, theres the thorny issue of whether enough people will actually get and COVID vaccine to stop the virus spread.

An educational program, a communications strategy nationwide to help resolve the questions and concerns that the public is reporting will be just as important as the scientific work thats been happening in recent months, Dr. Schwartz said.

Similar and even more challenging efforts will have to be mounted globally because the coronavirus does not recognize national boundaries, and since vaccine immunity is never 100% foreign hot spots can still spread.

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Health Experts Say Manufacturing, Distribution And Public Acceptance Of COVID-19 Vaccine Just As Crucial As Scientific Development - CBS New York

UC San Francisco is one of seven California hospitals chosen by the state's Public Health Department to be among the first in the world for early distribution of Pfizer's COVID-190 vaccine. Health care workers and first responders will be first in line for inoculations amid a pandemic that has changed life as we know it since March. (The department didn't respond to a request for a list of the other six hospitals before this article was published.)

The wheels are already in motion at the public research university where a task force of clinical and pharmaceutical experts have been working with state public health officials to plan for distributing any and all safe and effective vaccines or therapeutics, according to a statement from UCSF.

The exact timeline for the first allocation is unknown but UCSF said it expects to begin administering the Pfizer vaccine as early as December.

Pfizer said its contracts in the early distribution are with governments and the first vaccines will be allocated through country and state's preferred channels and designated vaccination locations.

"Our goal is to start the first shipment as soon as possible, possibly within hours of receiving authorization or approval from any regulatory agency," said Francesca Marzullo, manager of Pfizer Global Supply Communications. "In some countries, health authorities may also issue vaccine recommendations immediately before distributions. We can only supply countries once regulatory authorization or approval has been granted and we will supply each country with vaccine doses through a robust process, consistent with supply agreements weve entered into with individual countries."

In recent weeks, both Pfizer and Moderna announced that the COVID-19 vaccines they had developed were found to be 95% and 94.5% effective, respectively, in phase 3 human trials. Pfizer last week asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization to begin distributing its vaccine, and Moderna is expected to do the same any day. Federal officials say the first doses will ship within a day of authorization.

This week, AstraZeneca became the third vaccine maker to say early data indicates its shots are highly effective.AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its vaccine is highly effective, and unlike the others, this one doesnt have to be stored at freezer temperatures, making it potentially less expensive and easier to distribute.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Monday press conference the state is preparing for delivery and distribution, but widespread availability to the public is still months away.

"Mass vaccination is unlikely to occur any time soon," Newsom said. "March, April, June, July, that's where we start to scale."

The state launched a community advisory committee of community groups, school leaders and nonprofit organizations to advise on distribution and allocation. A draft of the Phase 1a allocation, targeting 2.4 million health care workers across the state, is due Dec. 1.

Next, the committee will look at allocation of vaccines to individuals in congregate care, the medically vulnerable, medical first responders and those involved in safety infrastructure.

"The first round of vaccinations will be extraordinarily limited," Newsom said. "We begin with a framework of scarcity."

SFGATE contacted the California Department of Public Health for a list of all seven state hospitals that will be the first to issue the vaccine. The story will be updated when we receive this information.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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This San Francisco hospital will be among first to get COVID-19 vaccine - SF Gate

On Thanksgiving, Kentucky again reported its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases, with 3,870 more people testing positive for the virus.

The state also had its second highest number of new deaths, with 32 more Kentuckians lost to the virus on Thursday.

Gov. Andy Beshear advised people to avoid busy shopping areas to try and slow the spread of coronavirus, despite Black Friday deals.

These new case reports are truly alarming. Please be careful when youre shopping and consider safer options, like purchasing gifts online for delivery or curbside pick-up, Beshear said.

Wash your hands, stay six feet apart from other shoppers and wear a mask at all times. Now is the time we need everyone to buckle down, stay strong and stop this surge in cases.

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WKU Professor in COVID-19 Vaccine Trial: We Need Volunteers to Help Figure Out How to End This - WKU Public Radio

Vaccines are being developed for COVID-19 and at least one local doctor says hes willing to roll up his sleeve and take one.

Dr. Kevin Rust, an ear, nose and throat specialist with Greenwood Ear Nose and Throat Center, 1015 Spring St., says hes willing to be in the first group of health care workers who gets the vaccine here.

If it takes the health care staff standing up to say, We believe this is safe. Then, we need to be the example, Rust said.

Rust said everything hes read about development of these COVID-19 vaccines leads him to believe they are safe.

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna are developing vaccines. If cleared, these two will be among the first vaccines using messenger RNA technology. A trial for a third COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca is also showing promise.

Dr. Matt Logan, emergency medicine specialist and chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Self Regional Medical Center, said Monday, Were expecting to have some limited supplies of vaccine distributed to Self Regional sometime in December. Probably the second or third week. As of today, we dont know how much we will get. A lot of that is dictated by DHEC, when we will get vaccine and how it will be distributed. Self Regional is approved to be a designated vaccination site for COVID-19.

Logan said Self Regionals distribution plan will be very dependent on the volume of vaccine received.

If, for example, we get 100 doses, our plan will be a lot different than if we get 4,000 doses of vaccine, Logan said. The South Carolina Hospital Association in conjunction with the South Carolina Medical Association are working with DHEC and have guidelines on a phased approach to distribute in the event of limited quantities of vaccine. ... We dont know that we will get enough to administer to everyone who is a health care worker.

So-called mission critical health care providers would be first priorities in the event of a limited supply of vaccine being received, Logan said.

For example, nurses, respiratory therapists, other staff in the intensive care units and on our floors that take care of COVID-19 patients and our emergency department, would be at the top of the list, Logan said. Theres never before been an mRNA vaccine to be distributed in such a mass way before.

A few weeks ago, Logan said Self Regional surveyed personnel to gauge initial interest in a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Ive asked a variety of people about what their vaccine hesitancies might be, Logan said. Some have indicated that they would not want to take the vaccine right away if it might be better for someone closer to the front lines someone taking care of COVID-19 patients every day to receive it before they do.

Logan said its likely that the Pfizer vaccine will be the first to receive emergency use authorization in the United States through the FDA, followed by the Moderna one.

Both of those are two-shot series, Logan said of the Pfizer and Moderna versions. We dont know how much we are going to get or when we will get a vaccine, but we will be ready when a vaccine does get here.

Logan said Self Regional has partnered with Greenwood Genetic Center, allowing the hospital to use some of GGCs deep freezers to store vaccines when available.

If we are going to stem the tide of COVID-19, I truly think that a vaccine is key to that, Logan said. When it is available to the community at large, we will definitely encourage everyone who is eligible to get it. I certainly will get it and my family will get it.

Rust is on board with these new vaccines and heres why

A normal (more traditional) vaccine is either a dead virus or an inactivated virus, Rust said. The virus has to be grown in a host model, normally chicken eggs. Then, they have to purify it and mass produce it. Its a long time to make that happen.

But, with the mRNA, machines can replicate quickly the necessary genetic blueprint to direct production of the coronavirus spike protein.

The body starts making copies of the coronavirus spikes and then the body makes antibodies against the spikes, Rust said. Youre getting the blueprint for the part of the virus the bodys going to react to to make the antibodies against it. ... Everything I read about this says this is more effective than a normal vaccine and safer than a normal vaccine.

Traditional vaccinedevelopment vs. this new technology

Greenwood Genetic Center Director of Research Richard Steet said traditional vaccines are viruses that have been inactivated.

It is recognized by your immune system and your immune system generates antibodies that essentially protect you if you run into the real virus, Steet said. What people have realized is that you dont need the full virus that you would find in nature to generate an immune response. What you really need is a certain protein on the surface of the virus, ... the spike protein. ... That spike protein, if you can make antibodies to it, is what will protect you from the real virus.

Steet said mRNA or messenger RNA is genetic information your body can use to make the spike protein.

When your body makes the spike protein of the COVID virus, it immediately is recognized as foreign and your immune system mounts its response, Steet said.

Steet said its faster to make mRNA vaccines than ones from inactivated viruses.

The most encouraging thing is that research is showing that your body mounts and appropriate and protective immune response no matter what version you go with, Steet said.

With the mRNA vaccines, the body just makes one protein, not the full virus, Steet said.

Since its RNA, its not capable of being integrated into your genome, Steet said. No one knows how long the protective effect is going to last. With things like the measles, its presumably a lifetime protection, but we dont know if that will be the case with COVID-19...But, if this mRNA platform works, wed be able to very quickly figure out how it mutated and change the coding sequence and basically have a new vaccine, (similar to the way new flu vaccines are developed for each flu season.) Its an arms race and we have to keep up with the way the virus changes.

Steet said Greenwood Genetic Center does have freezer capacity to store vaccines that need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.

If the mRNA vaccines do receive emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks, vaccines could potentially already be distributed to communities and immunizations can begin with the necessary FDA authorization.

I think thats brilliant, Rust said. It will already be where it needs to be instead of having to do logistics after the fact. ... The fact that we could have the vaccine in Greenwood, South Carolina, waiting on approval, so we can use it, I think thats amazing.

However, Rust said, if the vaccines dont receive emergency use authorization, vaccines would have to be discarded.

Tens of thousands of people have been in clinical trials for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

I want this to be over with, Rust said. If me rolling my sleeve up and convincing my community that its safe to roll their sleeves up, its worth doing...I think its well thought out and I think its safe. As soon as its offered to me, Im going to stand up and go get it...The flu is contagious, but not like this. ... The heroes are not the somebodys willing to roll their sleeves up for a vaccine...Whats special are the folks day in and day out who are taking care of people with COVID-19.

To learn more about novel coronavirus, statistics, vaccines and more, visit: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/

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COVID-19 vaccines showing promise; some health care workers are willing to take them - Index-Journal

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa highlighted the importance of strong planning and preparation for successful inoculations against COVID-19.

The largest immunization drive in Africas history is right around the corner, and African governments must urgently ramp up readiness. Planning and preparation will make or break this unprecedented endeavour, she said.

We need active leadership and engagement from the highest levels of government with solid, comprehensive national coordination plans and systems put in place, added Dr. Moeti.

The call came as a new WHO analysis revealed that vaccination programme readiness in Africa is lagging.

According to the analysis, based on countries self-reporting, the African region has an average score of 33 per cent readiness for a COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, which is well below the desired benchmark of 80 per cent.

WHO, together with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation and other partners, is working to ensure equitable access to vaccines in Africa through the COVAX facility, the vaccines pillar of the WHO Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. When vaccines are licensed and approved, COVAX will work to secure enough doses to provide protection to an initial 20 per cent of the African population, said WHO.

However, only 49 per cent have identified priority populations for vaccination and have plans in place to reach them, 44 per cent have coordination structures in place, according to WHO analysis. In addition, 24 per cent have adequate plans for resources and funding, 17 per cent have data collection and monitoring tools ready, and only 12 per cent have plans to communicate with communities to build trust and drive demand for immunization.

Dr. Moeti, underscored that developing a safe and effective vaccine is just the first step in a successful rollout.

If communities are not on-board and convinced that a vaccine will protect their health, we will make little headway. Its critical that countries reach out to communities and hear their concerns and give them a voice in the process, she added.

WHO has provided its Vaccine Readiness Assessment Tool to all 47 countries in its African Region. The Tool, for use by Ministries of Health, provides a roadmap to plan for COVID-19 vaccine introduction and covers ten key areas, from planning and funding, to training, monitoring and community engagement.

The UN agency and its partners also issued guidance on COVID-19 vaccination planning and deployment for governments, to help them design strategies for the deployment, implementation and monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines and better integrate their strategies and financing to boost efficiency.

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African nations 'far from ready' for COVID-19 vaccination drive, says UN health agency - UN News

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) As Arkansas leaders prepare for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, health professionals are urging you to consider the pros of this vaccine once it becomes available to the public.

Dr. Gary Berner, Chief Medical Officer of Community Clinic, said this vaccine will be very similar to vaccines for other common illnesses, like the flu.

He said some people are concerned about getting it since it is expected to be ready within less than a year of the virus reaching the U.S.

However, the reason it has been produced so quickly is because the science and technology behind it was actually fairly simple.

That safety of it makes it very reassuring to me that they didnt have to go out and recreate the wheel but they used the type technology weve used for other vaccines and were able to then apply that to coronavirus, he said.

He said so far the only side effects he has seen come from the vaccines are similar to those you get from a flu shot-like brief soreness and muscle aches.

Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, Dr. Jose Romero, said the vaccines will be sent to the states once they are approved by the FDA, but, they wont be available to the public until the end of spring or beginning of summer 2021.

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Local doctor weighs in on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines - KNWA

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company also plans to submit it's COVID-19 vaccine to other regulatory authorities around the world. USA TODAY

RICHMOND, Ind. With COVID-19 spreading faster than it ever has in Wayne County, there is one bit of good news on the horizon: Reid Health expects to receive the first wave of vaccine sometime next month.

Reid officials learned late Wednesday they'll get about 975 doses of Pfizer's vaccine, far less than the hospital originally had been told to expectbut enough to get started with targeting the No. 1 priority that is staff working at long-term care facilities.

Pfizer's vaccine first must receive emergency useauthorization from the federalFood and Drug Administration.An advisory committee for the agency will meet Dec. 10 to vote on whether to recommend the FDA give its approval to Pfizer's request.

According to Dr. Thomas Huth, vice president of medical affairs at Reid Health, Indiana then intends to have its own internal review process before the state releases the vaccine to be deployed.

COVID-19 Vaccine: COVID-19 vaccines are almost ready to be distributed. Who gets them after health care workers? Here's a list

When it arrives at Reid, the "very top priority" will be staff working in long-term care facilities in the health system's multi-county service area.

"This is about protecting the long-term care patients," Huth said. "The only way that they can get infected with COVID is if someone brings it in to them."

Outbreaks in LTCs are happening across the state, according to Huth, leading in part to the state's skyrocketing death toll.

Reid will have a main deployment site in Richmond, but it also might end up doing satellite vaccination clinics in other counties that it serves.

"Those plans aren't fully baked yet, but that's what I hope to be doing," Huth said.

Vaccines for the general public won't be available for some time yet. Those who are eligible for this first wave will be notified and told how to go about getting a dose.

Huth is excited to finally reach the stage of the pandemic where a vaccine is available to begin to fight back against the disease's spread.

"We see it making a big difference in people's lives," he said.

COVID-19 Vaccines: When could the first COVID-19 vaccines be given in the US?

Notions that we can reach the other side of the pandemic simply by letting COVID spread through the community until herd immunity is reached are misguided, according to Huth.

"The reality is I can't really think of any examples where that worked in a short period of time and didn't lead to a lot of deaths," he said.

It's estimated that only about 11% of Hoosiers have been exposed to the virus so far.

That means"to obtain herd immunity, there needs to be so many people infected that 13,000 more would have to die along the way," Huth said."They won't all be 80-year-olds. Some will be 30-year-olds. Some will be 40-year-olds. Some will be 50-year-olds.

"That's unacceptable if we can do this another way, and that's the vaccine."

Reid set another record Friday with 111 patients in containment areas of the hospital. That was up 11 from Thursday.

Wayne County's death toll also rose Friday. There havenow been 78 deaths since the first was recorded in April. Twelve of those have come since Monday. There were only 15 deaths in the county heading into October.

Jason Truitt is the team leader and senior reporter at the Palladium-Item. Contact him at765-973-4459 orjtruitt@pal-item.com.

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Reid Health prepares to distribute first wave of COVID-19 vaccine - Palladium-Item

GOV. JUSTICE CELEBRATES SEVERAL RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACROSS WEST VIRGINIAAdditionally Wednesday, Gov. Justice took time out of his remarks on COVID-19 to discuss several recent accomplishments across West Virginia.

First, Gov. Justice celebrated his announcement Monday that DST Innovations, a UK technology company headquartered in Wales, has chosen West Virginia as the home of its new American manufacturing base; agreeing on a contract with West Virginia-based company Blue Rock Manufacturing to establish a new facility for the development of its new energy cells.

The new facility will be the forefront of green technology, using existing organic material such as coal to create new clean energy storage solutions. The development is expected to create up to 1,000 new jobs in the manufacturing and technology sectors. The manufacturing base will be located in Morgantown, with a Phase 2 expansion planned for the Southern Coalfields region of the state.

This is an absolute go, Gov. Justice said. Weve been working on this for three years. DST Innovations believes theyre going to ramp up 1,000 new jobs in West Virginia. Its phenomenal and its unbelievably good for our state.

READ: Gov. Justice: Agreement between UK company DST and Blue Rock Manufacturing to bring new manufacturing facility, up to 1,000 new jobs to West Virginia

Second, Gov. Justice discussed WVU Medicines announcement yesterday that they had successfully completed West Virginias first dual-organ transplant at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

The patient received both a new heart and kidney from an unnamed donor. The delicate and complex transplants took nine-and-a-half hours to complete, with over nine doctors involved.

This is an absolute miracle beyond belief, Gov. Justice said. We're so blessed to have these incredible medical professionals right here right here in West Virginia, and so many thanks go out to the WVU team.

READ: WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance performs states first dual-organ transplant

Lastly, Gov. Justice took time to celebrate yesterdays announcement by the U.S. Air Force that the 130th Airlift Wing, located at the West Virginia Air National Guard Base in Charleston, has been selected as a preferred alternative to convert to the C-130J-30 Super Hercules.

We all know how great our National Guard is, but its great to see them recognized on a national level, Gov. Justice said. I congratulate our 130th Airlift Wing on an achievement for which they must feel incredibly honored. I could not be happier for our entire West Virginia National Guard for being recognized with this important selection by the U.S. Air Force.

Currently, the 130th Airlift Wing operates eight C-130H3 Hercules model aircraft, which are more than 25 years old. The 130th Airlift Wing has had a C-130 mission since 1975 and has converted to numerous variations of the C-130 over the years.

READ: Gov. Justice celebrates the 130th Airlift Wings selection as a preferred alternative for conversion to C-130Js

We have all this greatness going on in West Virginia. Of course, weve always known how good we are, but now the outside world is beginning to know it too, Gov. Justice said. The world is finding out that West Virginia is the diamond in the rough that they all missed. I couldnt be more proud.

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COVID-19 UPDATE: Gov. Justice announces first batch of COVID-19 vaccine expected to arrive in mid-December; again urges caution ahead of Thanksgiving...