Category: Covid-19

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COVID-19: 5 blood proteins predict critical illness and death – Medical News Today

March 4, 2021

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 81% of people with COVID-19 develop only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and a cough.

However, about 14% of all patients go on to develop breathing difficulties and low blood oxygen levels.

Approximately 5% become critically ill and may need treatment in an intensive care unit for acute respiratory distress and multiple organ failure.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

Previous research has implicated the following risk factors in the development of severe COVID-19:

However, it remains unclear why some people with severe illness recover while others become critically ill.

In a new study, researchers at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, showed that levels of five protein biomarkers in the blood of COVID-19 patients in the hospital strongly predict who will become critically ill.

All five proteins play a role in the activation of another type of immune cell, known as a neutrophil.

If a diagnostic test [for these biomarkers] could be ordered early, it could give us a better sense of who is more likely to become critically ill and will benefit from a higher level of care and consideration for therapies that affect the immune system early on in their hospitalization, says lead author Dr. Hyung Chun, M.D., associate professor of cardiovascular medicine and pathology and director of translational research at the Yale Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program.

Many of these drugs do carry potential side effects, and these tests may help identify those patients who would benefit the most, he adds.

The study paper appears in the journal Blood Advances.

The researchers used proteomic profiling to screen proteins in blood samples from 85 participants, including 13 asymptomatic controls. At least 23 of these individuals gave a blood sample on their first day of hospitalization with COVID-19.

Some of the participants went on to require treatment in the intensive care unit, whereas others did not.

The researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to identify five proteins that were the best predictors of who would become critically ill.

These protein biomarkers were better predictors of critical illness than some cytokines linked to severe COVID-19, say the scientists.

They were also good predictors of mortality. None of the individuals with low levels of these biomarkers died.

All five proteins are associated with the activation of neutrophils, which start life in the bone marrow before entering the bloodstream.

To confirm the importance of these immune cells for predicting worse outcomes in COVID-19, the researchers also analyzed blood test results from more than 3,000 people who were admitted to the Yale New Haven Hospital system.

This analysis revealed that people who had elevated neutrophil counts shortly after their admission to the hospital were more likely to die from the disease.

The authors write:

This signature of neutrophil activation was predictive of in-hospital mortality and, most compellingly, was elevated at the time of hospital admission in patients who only later progressed to critical illness, thus preceding and predicting the onset of critical illness.

Neutrophils are the immune systems first responders at the site of infection and injury, but they can also cause collateral damage through excessive inflammation.

Previous research has linked some of the protein biomarkers that the new study identified to obesity.

According to the CDC, having obesity triples a persons risk of hospitalization with COVID-19, and body mass index (BMI) positively correlates with mortality from the disease.

The researchers note that while obesity involves chronic, low grade inflammation, COVID-19 causes hyperinflammation that can lead to tissue damage and organ failure.

There is also evidence, the researchers note, that neutrophils may play a role in the excessive thrombosis, or blood clotting, that doctors see in critically ill patients with the disease.

The authors write that one limitation of their study was that it did not demonstrate that neutrophils are the source of the five protein biomarkers.

However, they add that there are several other lines of evidence to support this hypothesis.

For example, four of the proteins are well-established products of neutrophils. In addition, the new study found that levels of each of the five proteins correlated closely with the concentration of neutrophils in the participants bloodstreams.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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COVID-19: 5 blood proteins predict critical illness and death - Medical News Today

Alaska expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to those 55 and older, essential workers and high-risk populations – Anchorage Daily News

March 4, 2021

We're making this important information available without a subscription as a public service. But we depend on reader support to do this work. Please consider supporting independent journalism in Alaska, at just $3.69 a week for an online subscription.

Alaska on Wednesday announced a major expansion of its list of those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. It now includes Alaskans 55 and older, as well as people over 16 who are essential workers, live in multigenerational homes, are considered potentially high-risk for severe illness or live in a community where homes lack water and sewer systems.

The newly eligible group can now sign up for a vaccine appointment, health department officials said in a statement Wednesday morning.

While vaccine supply remains limited, we are offering it to groups who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, who are at risk for severe illness or death or who work in essential jobs, the states chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said in a statement.

The state this month is expecting 103,120 first doses of the vaccine from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, which includes allocations for the Indian Health Service and a supplemental February allotment, officials said.

Additionally, Alaska is set to receive 8,900 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered with a single shot over the next two weeks, officials said.

Expanding the vaccine eligibility to reach more people is significant in protecting Alaskans and in getting Alaska reopened and our economy back up and thriving, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in the statement.

Those already eligible for a vaccine include most health care workers, people age 65 and older, people living and working in congregate settings, some pandemic responders and people age 50 and older who have a high-risk medical condition or work in an essential job.

Health officials said in the statement that the new group of eligible Alaskans includes anyone who has a medical condition that places a person at high-risk or might be high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC, or who is considered high-risk by a persons medical provider.

Based on the lists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women, smokers, people diagnosed with cancer, individuals with moderate to severe asthma, obese and overweight individuals and those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes among a range of other medical conditions are now eligible for the vaccine.

A persons provider can also recommend someone get vaccinated, Zink told reporters Wednesday, which means someone with a substance-use disorder or intellectual disabilities that might put them at risk for a COVID-19 infection may be eligible.

Essential workers over age 16 are defined by a wide-ranging list from the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and are included in the new eligibility group. That means not only frontline workers, but any essential workers, Zink said.

The federal essential worker list is broad, and it includes workers in law enforcement, food service, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, repair and maintenance, transportation and communications, along with workers who provide personal and household goods. That list also extends to clergy, weather forecasters and those working within the judicial system, among many others.

Newly eligible are people living in multigenerational households, including households with three or more generations or skipped generations, such as a grandchild living with an elder, officials said in the statement.

Unserved communities are defined as places where many homes do not have water and sewer systems, health officials said.

Additionally, in Anchorage, Alaskans 40 and older can now get vaccinated through Southcentral Foundation, the health care organization announced Monday. Southcentral Foundation is an Alaska Native-owned health care organization, which means it receives its allotment from the Indian Health Service and can decide vaccine eligibility separate from the states tiers.

Officials urged those eligible to regularly check for appointments as more will be added.

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Alaska expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to those 55 and older, essential workers and high-risk populations - Anchorage Daily News

Fauci calls loosening Covid-19 restrictions inexplicable as variants threaten another surge – CNN

March 4, 2021

The decision to rollback measures is "inexplicable," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"I understand the need to want to get back to normality, but you're only going to set yourself back if you just completely push aside the public health guidelines -- particularly when we're dealing with anywhere from 55 to 70,000 infections per day in the United States," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN's Erin Burnett.

The governors of Texas and Mississippi said Tuesday they were lifting mandates and allowing businesses to operate at full capacity, announcements that came in the midst of health experts warning that the spread of more transmissible variants risks sending infection rates soaring once again.

Researchers the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published evidence Wednesday that a person with that variant can infect 43-90% more people than the older versions of the virus.

In a statement, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said the US must continue to use masks, social distancing, hand washing and the avoidance of large gatherings.

"We can't forget the lessons this pandemic has taught us, or its terrible toll, and we must not relinquish the ground we've gained," said Dr. Barbara Alexander, the president of ISDA.

States dropping mandates and expanding business capacity

"It is clear from the recoveries, the vaccinations, the reduced hospitalizations, and the safe practices that Texans are using, that state mandates are no longer needed. We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans," Abbott's Press Secretary Renae Eze told CNN in a statement.

In Houston, the chief of staff of the United Memorial Medical Center said he told his staff to prepare for surges in patients because of the changes.

"If we open the state on the 10th, I'm telling you, before the end of March, we're going to have problems," Dr. Joseph Varon told CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday.

In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves said starting Wednesday the state would lift its county mask mandates and allow businesses to operate at full capacity.

Mayors of some cities, including Jackson and Greenville, said they will keep enforcing citywide mask mandates.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also announced revisions to public health orders Tuesday, including dropping a 300-person limit for events at banquet centers. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled a series of eased restrictions taking effect Friday, including expanded capacity for restaurants, retail, gyms, stadiums and other facilities.

And in Louisiana, the majority of businesses -- including restaurants and salons -- will be allowed to operate at 75% capacity starting Wednesday, while religious services will no longer have capacity limits, the governor said.

Health expert encourage public to accept Johnson & Johnson vaccine

A third vaccine entered the US market this week after the US Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization to Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.

Health experts are excited about the new option, which they say is safe and effective as well as easily distributed due to its single-dose model and ability to be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures.

But some with the option to receive it have expressed hesitancy.

"My big concern here is that the Johnson & Johnson is being labeled as the inferior vaccine," said Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst and former Baltimore public health commissioner, "when that's not a fair assessment to make."

With limitations on distribution and the race to vaccinate Americans before another surge, some people may get to choose their vaccine, while others may not, officials have said.

That is the right choice for the current emergency, a team of bioethicists wrote in a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"In most aspects of US health care, patient preferences are paramount, and currently Americans remain free to decline vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. But among the willing, a policy limiting choice among vaccines will bring efficiencies to the fair distribution of a critically scarce resource," they concluded.

High school students likely to be vaccinated in the fall

J&J has set its sights on exceeding its target of 100 million doses by the end of June, CEO Alex Gorsky said.

And experts have estimated that vaccines will be available to all US adults by May, but the question of when children can be vaccinated isn't clear.

"Right now, we project that the clinical trials will give us information that by the time we get to the fall, high school students will be able to be vaccinated," Fauci said Wednesday. "I'm not sure if it's going to be by the first day of school, but sometime in the fall."

Their younger siblings will have to hold out a little bit longer, he explained, during a livestreamed town hall event with members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

"The way the program is now scheduled, children who are elementary school, 6 to 12, that group of individuals ... those individuals will not be able to be vaccinated until their trials are finished, which will likely be at the earliest, the end of this year," Fauci said. "More likely the first quarter of 2022."

CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas, Maggie Fox, Jen Christensen, Amanda Sealy, Ryan Prior, Jason Hanna, Christina Maxouris and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

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Fauci calls loosening Covid-19 restrictions inexplicable as variants threaten another surge - CNN

FLASH REPORT #150 – COVID-19 Response and Recovery | News – City of San Jose, CA

March 4, 2021

The following is information about the City of San Joss response to slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support our most at-risk communities.

SOURCE: City of San JosEmergency Operations Center

Contact:Carolina Camarena/Colin Heyne, City of San Jos Media Line: 408-535-7777 City of San Jos Customer Contact Center: 3-1-1 or 408-535-3500

Email: News/Media: EOC_PIO@sanjoseca.govResidents: 311@sanjoseca.govBusinesses: covid19sjbusiness@sanjoseca.govNon-Profits: covid19sjcbo@sanjoseca.gov

Restrictions Lift as San Jos, Santa Clara County Return to the Red Tier: Reductions in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths allow Santa Clara County businesses to return to the Red Tier beginning March 3, 2021. Businesses and activities listed below are now allowed to resume in compliance with the States framework for the Red Tier and the County's Risk Reduction Order. Businesses must have an updated Social Distancing Protocol on file and displayed, as well as posted and enforced capacity limits. For specific categories of business and social distancing protocols, visit the Santa Clara County COVID-19 guidance pages:

Although more activities are allowed under the Red Tier, the County Health Officer urges everyone to remember that indoor activities are much higher risk than outdoor activities and to take every step to reduce your risk as much as possible. To keep yourself, your family, your friends and neighbors, and our broader community safe, continue to stay masked, maintain at least a 6-foot distance from others, avoid crowds, and get vaccinated when it is your turn.

City Manager Update to Council: City Manager Dave Sykes presented an update to the City Council during Item 3.1 yesterday, March 2 regarding the Citys response to COVID-19. Dave and officials from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provided updates on the EOC, Intergovernmental Relations, and Communications regarding the Citys COVID-19 response. The full City Council meeting can be watched on the Citys YouTube Channel.

Updates on City of San Jos Services and/or Operations

COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing, Tracing, and Support Services

Subscribe toNews Releases eNotificationsto receive City of San Jos Flash Reports, and follow us at sanjoseca.gov and @CityofSanJose on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and">Nextdoor

Esta informacin est disponible en espaol enwww.sanjoseca.gov.">

Thng tin ny c sn bng Ting Vit trn trang:www.sanjoseca.gov.

http://www.sanjoseca.gov

A persons risk for COVID-19 is not related to race, ethnicity or culture. City employees must abide by the Discrimination and Harassment policy, and treat colleagues and members of the public with courtesy and respect. Discrimination and/or Harassment of any kind is a violation of the policies and will not be tolerated.

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FLASH REPORT #150 - COVID-19 Response and Recovery | News - City of San Jose, CA

How The White House Got 2 Pharma Rivals To Work Together On COVID-19 Vaccine – NPR

March 4, 2021

President Biden keeps a note card in his suit pocket with the running tally of how many Americans have died from COVID-19 and how many have been vaccinated. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

President Biden keeps a note card in his suit pocket with the running tally of how many Americans have died from COVID-19 and how many have been vaccinated.

President Biden said on Tuesday that a key milestone in the fight against COVID-19 could be reached two months faster than earlier projected. By the end of May, there should be enough vaccine doses for every adult in America, he said a dramatic improvement to his initial timetable for late July.

A turning point in speeding up that pledge came a few weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon in early February, during a phone call with Johnson & Johnson executives that had been planned for 15 minutes but stretched for longer than an hour, two senior administration officials told NPR.

Biden administration officials had been pushing vaccine-makers to find ways to get more doses faster. Early talks with Moderna and Pfizer led to increased commitments. "Those are some of the hardest negotiations I've done a lot of them," said one of the officials involved in the talks.

Then there was Johnson & Johnson. Its single-dose vaccine looked promising, but even before it had been approved for emergency use, it was clear that the company would not be able to meet its contracted production.

Then came the call, where White House officials got on the line with J&J executives to talk about the urgency of the situation.

"The basic conclusion of that call was, we've got to think much bigger and much bolder," recalled a senior administration official who was on the line. "We have to take bold action and overwhelm this."

That February call helped lead to an agreement with Merck a competitor that had given up on its own vaccine work to help produce J&J's vaccine and use its facilities to get it into vials.

The two companies had held some preliminary talks about working together before the Biden team got into the White House, but those proposals had been "at a very small level of ambition" and were "dead by the time we got in" to office, said the official, who knew the CEOs of both companies.

The official called J&J CEO Alex Gorsky to express concern and later called Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier. "I said, 'You know heads up there might be a need for Merck to help here,'" the official recalled.

But it was after the early February phone call that officials felt like J&J had embraced the push, said a second official who was involved in the talks. "They understood this was a wartime effort. This was their legacy. This was their time."

The Defense Production Act, which gives the government the power to compel companies to support war effort, provided some "implicit" incentive for the companies to cooperate, administration officials said. "You have the potential to use the DPA if there isn't cooperation," one of the officials said.

The resulting agreement came with an invocation of the DPA that helped accelerate some J&J vaccine deliveries to May that had earlier been set for June. It also will provide assistance to Merck. President Biden announced J&J would be running its U.S. facilities "24/7" to speed vaccine out the door.

Merck said it would receive up to $268.8 million in government funding to make adjustments to its facilities, where it will fill vials with J&J's vaccine and eventually also produce the drug substance used in the J&J vaccine. In a brief statement, Johnson & Johnson said it was "pleased to collaborate" with Merck on the arrangement to boost production.

The officials said getting Merck involved will vastly increase production of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the "medium term." That capacity may be needed to produce doses to vaccinate children, an official said, or to make a booster if variants diminish the efficacy of the current vaccine.

The Biden administration is racing against variants of COVID-19 that could make the existing vaccines less effective. Beyond simply getting the vaccines made and put into vials, they also have to get doses into arms, which is a massive undertaking involving everything from standing up mass vaccination clinics to recruiting retired medical professionals to administer shots. Soon the emphasis will turn from scarcity to persuasion as the administration and public health officials work to reach people who may be reluctant to get the vaccine.

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How The White House Got 2 Pharma Rivals To Work Together On COVID-19 Vaccine - NPR

When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? – WKOW

March 4, 2021

NEW YORK (AP) When children can get COVID-19 vaccines will depend on their age, but some teenagers could be rolling up their sleeves before long.

The Pfizer vaccine already is cleared for use starting at age 16. That means some high schoolers could get their shots whenever they become eligible in their area, either because of a medical condition or once availability opens up.

Pfizer and Moderna expect to release study data on children ages 12 and older over the summer. The companies also plan to start studies in children 11 and younger later this year. Moderna's vaccine is currently cleared for use for people 18 and older.

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When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? - WKOW

COVID-19: Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost a full year, says UNICEF – UNICEF

March 4, 2021

NEW YORK,3 March 2021Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost an entire year due to COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new data released today by UNICEF. Furthermore, around 214 million children globally or 1 in 7 have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning.

The analysis on school closuresreport notes that 14 countries worldwide have remained largely closed since March 2020 to February 2021. Two-thirds of those countries are in Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting nearly 98 million schoolchildren. Of the 14 countries, Panama has kept schools closed for the most days, followed by El Salvador, Bangladesh, and Bolivia.

As we approach the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again reminded of the catastrophic education emergency worldwide lockdowns have created. With every day that goes by, children unable to access in-person schooling fall further and further behind, with the most marginalized paying the heaviest price, said Henrietta Fore UNICEF Executive Director. We cannot afford to move into year two of limited or even no in-school learning for these children. No effort should be spared to keep schools open, or prioritise them in reopening plans.

Table 1: Number of countries/children where schools have remained closed since March 2020*

Schools have remained closed almostan entire year (# of countries)

School children affectedNumber (in millions)

School children affectedPer centage

East Asia & the Pacific

1

25

15%

Middle East & North Africa

3

9

5%

East & Southern Africa

0

n.a.

n.a.

Western & Central Africa

0

n.a.

n.a.

Europe & Central Asia

0

n.a.

n.a.

Latin America & the Caribbean

9

98

58%

South Asia

1

37

22%

TOTAL

14

168

100%

School closures have devastating consequences for childrens learning and wellbeing. The most vulnerable children and those unable to access remote learning are at an increased risk of never returning to the classroom, and even being forced into child marriage or child labor. According to latest data by UNESCO, more than 888 million children worldwide continue to face disruptions to their education due to full and partial school closures.

The majority of schoolchildren worldwide rely on their schools as a place where they can interact with their peers, seek support, access health and immunization services and a nutritious meal. The longer schools remain closed, the longer children are cut off from these critical elements of childhood.

To call attention to the education emergency and raise awareness about the need for governments to keep schools open, or prioritise them in reopening plans, UNICEF today unveiled Pandemic Classroom, a model classroom made up of 168 empty desks, each desk representing the million children living in countries where schools have been almost entirely closed a solemn reminder of the classrooms in every corner of the world that remain empty.

This classroom represents the millions of centers of learning that have sat emptymany for almost the entire year. Behind each empty chair hangs an empty backpacka placeholder for a childs deferred potential, said Fore. We do not want shuttered doors and closed buildings to obscure the fact that our childrens futures are being put on indefinite pause. This installation is a message to governments: we must prioritize reopening schools, and we must prioritize reopening them better than they were before.

As students return to their classrooms, they will need support to readjust and catch up on their learning. School reopening plans must incorporate efforts to recover childrens lost education. UNICEF urges governments to prioritise the unique needs of every student, with comprehensive services covering remedial learning, health and nutrition, and mental health and protection measures in schools to nurture children and adolescents development and wellbeing. UNICEFs Framework for Reopening Schools, issued jointly with UNESCO, UNHCR, WFP and the World Bank, offers practical advice for national and local authorities.

#####

Notes to Editors

*Countries were identified based on the number of instruction days since 11 March 2020, the reference date for when schools were fully closed, to February 2021. The data reflect school closure status over the past 11 months. In cases where countries had less than 10 days of fully opened schooling and less than 12 days of partially open schooling, they were deemed as remaining closed for almost a year of instruction time. The analysis covers from the pre-primary education to the upper secondary education.

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COVID-19: Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost a full year, says UNICEF - UNICEF

Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders fight for COVID-19 vaccine access in Washington – KING5.com

March 4, 2021

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community is disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 in Washington, according to the state Department of Health.

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. The Alamea is a thorny, spiny, tough starfish in Samoa.

We have a saying in Samoan tradition, and it is, E fofo le alamea le alamea, which translates as the spiny starfish heals itself, said Joseph Seia, executive director of the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington.

Its a saying Seia lives by; it is even in the signature of his emails. He leans on the saying as he educates and advocates for his community.

We are experiencing a different pandemic than other communities, Seia told KING 5.

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are fighting a different battle against COVID-19 than most communities.

In our community, our elders are sacred treasures, and so, I think to lose that many elders in such a short time is pretty devastating, he explained.

According to the most recent data from the Washington State Department of Health, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have a four times higher case rate of COVID-19 than white populations.

Hospitalization rates are 10 times higher, and death rates from COVID-19 are nearly six times higher.

Theres an othering that happens there, said Seia. Like, your life is not worth it so you have to actually fight for a vaccine, right?

As more and more elders died from COVID-19, Seia called for the institutions in place to make a change. He reached out to healthcare providers and fought for his communitys life.

When we say its a life and death situation, it really is a life and death situation because we are racing against this, said Seia. If our people are dying at six times the rate, that literally means every week our elders are dying. Vaccine access is a critical issue for our community.

Seia told KING 5 the states COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan left out historically marginalized communities.

The way [the COVID-19 vaccine] rollout has occurred, it did not have any race analysis, said Seia. If King County public health is declaring that race is one of the biggest factors in determining the health of people, and that was not included in the rollout, accommodated for at all, you know, your rollout is, Im going to say it. Your rollout is racist."

Seias fight brought partnerships with health care providers like PeaceHealth, Swedish and more. They created popup vaccine clinics across the state from Federal Way to Spokane, cutting through language and technological barriers and brought the lifesaving vaccine to his community.

Because like the Alamea, that tough starfish, Seia knew he had the power to heal his community.

The spiny starfish heals itself, but its a belief that were the stewards of our own health, he said. Nobody else is going to heal us. We have the ability to heal ourselves.

While hundreds of elders have been vaccinated due to the Pacific Islander Community Associations work, that work is not done yet.

Seia said theyll keep going until that fight is over.

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Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders fight for COVID-19 vaccine access in Washington - KING5.com

Transportation to COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Available to Medicaid Members – Louisiana Department of Health – Louisiana.gov

March 4, 2021

If you qualify for Medicaids transportation services, you can use this service to get a ride to your appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Medicaid members who qualify can use this service to get transportation to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any location offering vaccines.

You should use the contacts listed below to schedule your ride. Please try to schedule your ride 48 hours before your appointment.

If you receive medical and transportation services through one of the Healthy Louisiana health plans, use the contact below for your health plan to schedule your ride:

Aetna Better Health

1-877-917-4150

AmeriHealth Caritas

1-888-913-0364

Healthy Blue

1-866-430-1101

Louisiana Healthcare Connections

1-855-369-3723

United Healthcare Community Plan

1-866-726-1472

If you receive medical and transportation services through Legacy Medicaid, call Southeastrans to schedule your ride:

Southeastrans

1-855-325-7626

Click here to learn more about Non-Emergency Medical Transportation services.

Have questions about your coverage or if you qualify for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation services?

Call your health plan. Or call Medicaid Customer Service at 1-888-342-6207.

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Transportation to COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Available to Medicaid Members - Louisiana Department of Health - Louisiana.gov

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