Category: Vaccine

Exclusion Day rapidly approaching, Mult. Co. offering three more free clinics to residents

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU)

We are looking ahead to Wednesday, February 21st, known as Exclusion Day in Oregon.

That's the day kids need to be up to date on their vaccines in order to stay in school or daycare.

If your child still needs a vaccine, Multnomah County is hosting three more vaccination clinics to help.

They will be held on February 14th, 17th, and 21st.

The countys immunization clinics are free and available to children from 5 to 19 years old. Details are available on the Multnomah County website.

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Exclusion Day rapidly approaching, Mult. Co. offering three more free clinics to residents - KATU

In 2020, more than 495,000 adults around the world received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, making it the 12th most common cancer in the world.

In the United States, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common type of pancreatic cancer accounting for about 90% of all cases with an average 5-year survival rate of less than 10%.

Previous research shows that traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy do not help increase the survival rate for this type of pancreatic cancer.

More than 90% of people with pancreatic cancer have mutations in their KRASgenes, which play an important role in normal cell growth and death.

Now researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that people with pancreatic cancer with certain types of KRAS mutations have a better survival rate than those with other mutation types.

The study, recently published in the journal NPJ Precision Oncology, adds to the ongoing research examining KRAS mutations as a potential target for a cancer vaccine for pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

Dr. Dan Zhao, researcher in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology in the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and co-lead author of this study explained to Medical News Today:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer death, but its treatment options remain limited. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients who have metastatic disease is less than 5%. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising. Effective treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is in urgent need.

The pancreas is situated behind the stomach in the upper left portion of the abdomen.

As part of the digestive system, the pancreas creates enzymes used to break down food and also makes insulin to help keep a persons blood sugar levels steady.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma forms in the cells that line the ducts of the pancreas.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest to find in its early stages because most people will not have any symptoms and tumors are hard to detect because of where the pancreas is located.

Pancreatic cancer treatment depends on what stage the cancer is caught. If the cancer has not spread to other areas of the body, surgery may be possible.

In its later stages, past studies show traditional cancer treatments do not help with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, resulting in the need for new therapies.

According to Dr. Zhao, the Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS) gene was initially isolated from cancer cell lines more than 30 years ago.

In healthy environments, the KRAS gene plays an important role in cell growth and turnover. However, if the KRAS gene becomes mutated it may start causing cancer cells to grow and spread.

The protein it encoded is a GTPase, which has enzymatic activity to convert GTP to GDP and induce the downstream signaling transduction, she explained.

The KRAS gene is the most mutated oncogene in cancer causing activation of the signaling pathways to promote cancer cell growth and suppress cancer immunity, Dr. Zhao noted.

In addition to pancreatic cancer, previous studies have also found KRAS mutations in:

For this study, Dr. Zhao and her team analyzed data from 803 people with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

The researchers found that study participants with KRAS wildtype and KRAS G12R mutations had better survival than those with KRAS G12D or KRAS Q61 mutations.

Additionally, the scientists found that KRAS G12D mutations were correlated with metastatic disease and KRAS G12R mutations were common in well- to moderately-differentiated tumors.

The results are not surprising, Dr. Zhao said. They are consistent with the findings in other types of cancer and the biochemical features of different KRAS mutation subtypes.

KRAS G12R is most prevalent in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (~15%) but rare in other cancers (~1%), she continued.

It is known that KRAS G12R mutation has difficulty growing cancer in conventional mouse models. It was reported that the KRAS G12R mutant has different downstream signaling pathways and the KRAS Q61 mutant was more oncogenic in laboratory research. This study is one of the first and largest studies in pancreatic cancer patients to elucidate the molecular and clinical features of KRAS-mutated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Dr. Dan Zhao, co-lead study author

Dr. Zhao said that targeting KRAS has been challenging until the recent discovery of the KRAS G12C inhibitor.

Currently, two KRAS G12C inhibitors Sotorasib and Adagrasib have been approved by the U.S. FDA for lung cancer treatment, but not in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma yet, she added.

In addition to this study, Dr. Zhao is the principal investigator of a clinical trial that she said could provide more information on the safety and efficacy of Adagrasib monotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

I hope the results of this trial can help the development of KRAS-targeted therapy and guide future combination therapy strategies for targeting KRAS, she added.

The KRAS G12C inhibitor is currently driving research toward a potential cancer vaccine.

For example, earlier this year the phase 1 clinical trial results for ELI-002 a potential vaccine for colorectal and pancreatic cancers showed it could help prevent the reemergence of cancer in those who had already experienced cancer treatment.

The current data for pancreatic cancer vaccine in phase 1 clinical trials are exciting, Dr. Zhao said. I look forward to seeing the results in more patients in phase 2 trials, especially with randomized controlled trials soon.

MNT also spoke with Dr. Anton Bilchik, surgical oncologist, chief of medicine, and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint Johns Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, CA, about this study.

Dr. Bilchik said this study is very important because pancreas cancer is a deadly disease, however, there has been very little progress over the last 20 years in prolonging survival.

KRAS is a really important target for a vaccine, he continued. I think one of the issues is we just dont know how long the benefit is because some have speculated that vaccine therapy may only have a very short-lived response. And also there are many different KRAS subtypes so were trying to learn which particular subtype may be the most important to target.

So theres still a lot of work that needs to be done, but definitely very exciting because no immunotherapy or vaccine therapies so far has been shown to be beneficial in pancreas cancer, Dr. Bilchik stated.

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Pancreatic cancer: Some genetic mutations may improve survival rate - Medical News Today

OPINION

Since the outbreaks were first identified in 2016, 37 states have publicly reported the following as of January 12, 2024:

Hardly a week goes by that there is not yet another announcement of a hepatitis A positive employee putting co-workers, customers and the restaurant brand at risk. There have been illnesses, deaths, thousands of customers have had to stand in long lines to get preventative vaccines, some restaurants have shuttered and there certainly have been lawsuits.

All preventable by a hepatitis A vaccination the only foodborne illness that is vaccine preventable.

It really is past time for public health to recommend the same. Here is what I have asked the CDC for:

ACIP Secretariat Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Mailstop H24-8 Atlanta, GA 30329-4027 acip@cdc.gov

Re: Letter to theCDCs Committee on Immunization Practices It is time to deal with Hepatitis A and Food Service Workers

Dear ACIP Secretariat:

TheAdvisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)provides advice and guidance to the Director of the CDC regarding use of vaccines and related agents for control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the civilian population of the United States. Recommendations made by the ACIP are reviewed by the CDC Director and, if adopted, are published as official CDC/HHS recommendations in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Presently, approximately 5% of all hepatitis A outbreaks are linked to infected food-handlers.

Here is what the CDC continues to say about vaccinating food-handlers:

Why does CDC not recommend all food handlers be vaccinated if an infected food handler can spread disease during outbreaks?

CDC does not recommend vaccinating all food handlers because doing so would not prevent or stop the ongoing outbreaks primarily affecting individuals who report using or injecting drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Food handlers are not at increased risk for hepatitis A because of their occupation. During ongoing outbreaks, transmission from food handlers to restaurant patrons has been extremely rare becausestandard sanitation practices of food handlers help prevent the spread of the virus. Individuals who live in a household with an infected person or who participate in risk behaviors previously described are at greater risk for hepatitis A infection.

The CDC misses the point; granted, food service workers are not more atrisk of gettinghepatitis A because of their occupation, but they are arisk for spreadingit to customers. Food service positions are typically low paying, and certainly have the likelihood of being filled by people who are immigrants from countries where hepatitis A might be endemic or by people who have been recently experienced homelessness.

Over the past several years, there has been an ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A in the United States. As of February 2, 2023, there have been a total of 44,779 cases with a 61% hospitalization rate (approximately 27,342 hospitalizations). The death toll stands at 421. Since the outbreak started in 2016, 37 states have reported cases to the CDC.

The CDC recommends to the public that the best way to prevent hepatitis A is through vaccination, but the CDC has not explicitly stated that food service workers should be administered the vaccination. While food service workers are not traditionally designated as having an increased risk of hepatitis A transmission, they are not free from risk.

24% of hepatitis A cases are asymptomatic, which means a food-handler carrying the virus can unknowingly transmit the disease to consumers. Historically, when an outbreak occurs, local health departments start administering the vaccine for free or at a reduced cost. The funding from these vaccinations is through taxpayer dollars.

A mandatory vaccination policy for all food service workers was shown to be effective at reducing infections and economic burden in St. Louis County, Missouri.

From 1996 to 2003, Clark Country, Nevada had 1,523 confirmed cases of hepatitis A, which was higher than the national average. Due to these alarming rates, Clark County implemented a mandatory vaccination policy for food service workers. As a result, in 2000, the hepatitis A rates significantly dropped and reached historic lows in 2010. The county removed the mandatory vaccine rule in 2012 and are now part of the ongoing hepatitis A outbreak.

According to the CDC, the vaccinations cost anywhere from $30 to $120 to administer, compared to thousands of dollars in hospital bills, and offer a 95% efficacy rate after the first dose and a 99% efficacy after the second dose. Furthermore, the vaccine retains its efficacy for 15-20 years.

During an outbreak, if a food service worker is found to be hepatitis A positive, a local health department will initiate post-exposure treatment plans that must be administered within a two-week period to be effective. The economic burden also affects the health department in terms of personnel and other limited resources. Sometimes, the interventions implemented by the local health department may be ineffective.

Though there are many examples of point-source outbreaks of hepatitis A that have occurred within the past few years around the country, a particularly egregious outbreak occurred in the early fall of 2021 in Roanoke, Virginia. The health department was notified about the outbreak on September 21, 2021, after the first case was reported by a local hospital. The Roanoke Health Department, along with the Virginia Department of Health, investigated this outbreak.

Three different locations of a local restaurant, Famous Anthonys, were ultimately determined to be associated with this outbreak. The Virginia Department of Health published a community announcement on September 24, 2021, about the outbreak and the potential exposure risk.

For purposes of the investigation, a case was defined as a [p]erson with (a) discrete onset of symptoms and (b) jaundice or elevated serum aminotransferase levels and (c) [who] tested positive for hepatitis A (IgM anti-HAV-positive), and frequented any of three Famous Anthonys locations, or was a close contact to the index case patient, during the dates of August 10 through August 27, 2021.

As of November 2021, a total of 49 primary cases (40 confirmed and 9 probable) were identified in this outbreak. Two secondary cases were also identified. Cases ranged from 30 to 82 years of age (median age of 63). In all, 57 percent of cases were male. Thirty-one cases included hospitalizations, and at least 4 case patients died. Illness onsets occurred between August 25 and October 15, 2021.

Ultimately, the outbreak investigation revealed that a cook, who also had risk factors associated with hepatitis A, had been infected with hepatitis A while working at multiple Famous Anthonys restaurant locations. This index cases mother and adult son also tested positive for hepatitis A. Following an inspection, the outbreak inspector noted, due to the etiology of hepatitis A transmission, it is assumed the infectious food handler did not perform proper hand washing or follow glove use policy. It was determined that person-to-person spread was the most likely mode of transmission in this outbreak. Environmental contamination was also considered a possible mode of transmission.

Overwhelmed by the number of victims who pursued legal action for their injuries, Famous Anthonys filed for bankruptcy and several of its locations have been closed.

The tragedy of this preventable hepatitis A outbreak cannot be overstated. Four people died. In one family, two of its members lost their lives. Most of the victims were hospitalized. Many risked acute liver failures. At least one person required both a liver and kidney transplants. Medical bills for the victims totaled over $6,000,000 in acute costs with millions of dollars in future expenses. And this all because one employee did not receive a $30-$120 hepatitis A vaccine.

Affordable prevention of future tragedies like the Famous Anthonys outbreak is possible and necessary. The time has come to at least recommend vaccinations to food service workers to reduce the spread of hepatitis A.

Sincerely, Bill Marler On behalf of 31 hepatitis Avictims and families

1Privately, via mail, I am providing medical summaries for 31 of the victims so there can be a clear assessment of the impacts of hepatitis A on consumers of food at the hands of one unvaccinated food service worker.

Link:

Publisher's Platform: Hepatitis A outbreaks have sickened tens of thousands and killed 424; all preventable by a vaccine - Food Safety News

MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed Monday that there is a case of measles in the Twin Cities metro area.

The department provided little information on the case, but said the risk to the public is "extremely low." MDH is investigating and will inform anyone who may have been exposed.

RELATED: Search tool: Look up kindergarten vaccination rates in Minnesota schools

Measles was officially declared eradicated in the United States more than 20 years ago, but declining vaccination rates are increasing the risk of the spread of the disease. Communities need high vaccination rates tomaintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks, experts say.

According to the health department, in the 2023-24 school year, only 87.2% of kindergarten students were fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Comparatively, in 2019, 92.6% of kindergarteners were fully vaccinated with MMR. Officials believe the decline is likely due to people not having routine well-child visits during the pandemic.

Parents and guardians can go onlineto find out how to access their children's immunization records and make sure they are up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Riley Fletcher Moser is a digital line producer at wcco.com. At WCCO, she often covers breaking news and feature stories. In 2022, Riley received an honorable mention in sports writing from the Iowa College Media Association.

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Health officials confirm measles case in Twin Cities metro - CBS News

Michigan is on pace to have the lowest flu shot coverage of the last five years.

Through the end of January, the state health department was reporting about 2.75 million doses administered, more than 300,000 doses shy of the coverage at the same time last year. The states goal is 4 million people vaccinated.

Even factoring in reporting delays, the state appears headed for a third consecutive year of declining flu shot uptake, dating back to the 2020-21 flu season.

Thus far, Michigans flu season has been relatively mild.

Test positivity remains below 20% and the states level of influenza-like illness is moderate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats better than the 13 states, including neighboring Ohio, that currently have high level flu activity.

Flu activity in Michigan climbed to a high level briefly in late December, around the time residents were gathering for the holidays. It declined for a few weeks but has since started to rise again.

Dr. Lea Monday, an infectious disease physician for Detroit Medical Center, called it the bunny ear pattern. Most years there are two waves of flu activity with a break in the middle.

Its hard to tell if the second peak will be as big as the first or if itll just go back down but its not an unusual pattern, Monday said.

In 2022-23, flu cases jumped earlier than in recent years but had tailed off by February. Flu seasons in 2018 and 2019 had their peaks in March and April, so it is possible there could be a rise in cases in the coming months.

For the week ending Feb. 3, about 3.7% of Michigans outpatient hospital visits, based on data collected from a sampling of Michigan heath care providers, were for flu-like illness. That was up from 3.3% the week prior, but remained below the national average (4.4%).

Dr. Russ Lampen, medical director of infection prevention for Corewell Health in West Michigan, said its difficult to draw conclusions from one year to the next when looking at flu cases and vaccinations.

We can have a bad year even when vaccination rates are high due to a poor match of the virus to the vaccine, Lampen said. Conversely, we can have low admission rates when circulating strains and the vaccine match well. Our influenza season last year was pretty severe, but also occurred earlier than normal. Our current influenza season appears to be occurring later in the year, with cases still on the rise.

Across the state in Detroit, Monday said itll still be a few months before the medical community will know the efficacy of this years flu shot. However, evidence from the Southern Hemisphere, which undergoes its flu season first, suggests it has been effective at preventing serious illness.

The fact that (vaccination) rates are low and were not seeing worse numbers may be a reflection that people who have gotten the shot arent getting severely sick, Monday said. If youre not getting the shot, youre really throwing the dice.

Monday attributes the decline in flu shot uptake to two factors both related to the COVID-19 pandemic fatigue and the politicization of vaccines. Theres also the misconception that getting the flu means the vaccine didnt work.

We have to think of it like the CDCs wild to mild campaign, Monday said. Its not that you wont get it ... the idea is vaccination takes it from being catastrophic if youre unlucky, to a mild inconvenience.

To date, the CDC estimates there been at least 22 million flu cases, 250,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 deaths. There have been 74 pediatric deaths from the flu this season, none of which have been reported in Michigan.

Counties with the lowest flu shot coverage in the state, according to health department data, include:

If the city of Detroit was a county, it would have the second-lowest uptake at 12.6% vaccinated.

Meanwhile, counties with the highest flu shot coverage include:

To find a flu vaccine near you, contact your local health department or physicians office, or visit the online vaccine finder at vaccines.gov/find-vaccines.

Read more from the original source:

Fewer Michiganders getting yearly flu shot; season mild so far - MLive.com

Cold and flu season brings millions of Americans into pharmacies and doctor's offices every year to get their flu vaccine; in more recent years, the flu shot has also been accompanied by a COVID shotfor many people. When getting these dual shots, some people opt to get one in each arm, while others choose to get them both in the same arm. It turns out which one we choose when getting vaccines can affect just how effective the immunizations are.

Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University decided to explore the question of arm choice early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 1,000 OHSU employees were a part of the study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, when COVID vaccines first became available; one random group received both doses in one arm, which the other received one dose in each arm.

Both groups had similar antibody responses in the first two weeks, but in weeks three and four, the ones who had "contralateral" shots in different arms had a "substantially increase[d] antibody magnitude and breadth." The immune response increased progressively over time up to four times more than the other group. What's more, when the Omicron variant of COVID emerged in late 2021 a year after the second vaccine was given, the contralateral group's immune systems had an even stronger response than it did with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.

Related: Certain Vaccines Associated With Lower Alzheimer's Risk, Study Finds

The scientists weren't able to give an exact explanation for the phenomenon, though they believe it's possible that injecting a vaccine in each arm creates separate immune responses in the corresponding lymph nodes on either side.

"It turned out to be one of the more significant things weve found, and its probably not limited to just COVID vaccines. We may be seeing an important immunologic function," study co-authorMarcel Curlin toldNew Atlas. "By switching arms, you basically have [immune] memory formation in two locations instead of one."

More research needs to be done to determine if the same immune response can be seen with other multidose vaccinations, so the scientists aren't recommending changing how you get vaccines just yet. As always, consult your physician first if you have any questions.

Excerpt from:

The Arm You Get Your Vaccine in Can Change the Shot's Effectiveness, Study Finds - Yahoo Life

Last year marked the first time that the medical community had access to vaccines to combat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

These vaccines were specifically targeted for two groups at higher risk for severe complications: the elderly and pregnant people.

Additionally, a monoclonal antibody treatment became available to protect young children from the virus.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that some of these vaccine recipients received the wrong vaccine for their particular group.

The number of errors is small. At least 128 pregnant people were given a version of a vaccine approved for adults 60 and up, and about 25 children under 2 years old were administered a vaccine only approved for adults.

Most of these administration error reports described no adverse event, the CDC statement reads. When an adverse event was concurrently reported to VAERS, most reports were classified as nonserious. A majority of the children affected were under 8 months old, and those incidents and those of the pregnant people who received the wrong vaccine were in outpatient settings or pharmacies.

Last fall, the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices authorized monoclonal antibody treatment to protect infants against RSV.

Nirsevimab known by the brand-name Beyforus is a monoclonal antibody treatment made by Sanofi and AstraZeneca for babies and children up to 2 years old.

RSV vaccines like Pfizer Abrysvo or GSK Arexvy are not approved for infants or young children. Abrysvo is the only RSV vaccine recommended for pregnant people, but Arexvy is not approved for use during pregnancy; both are approved for adults over the age of 60.

Dr. Daniel Ganjian, FAAP, a pediatrician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told Healthline that errors administering new vaccines can occur, given the scale of distribution. New vaccines and treatments can sometimes lead to confusion, especially in busy healthcare settings, Ganjian said. The RSV vaccine for adults and the monoclonal antibody treatment for children have similar names, which can contribute to mix-ups.

The most important thing is to stay calm, Ganjian says.

Its important to remember that no serious adverse events have been reported from this specific error, Ganjian said. However, any unusual symptoms after vaccination should be reported to your doctor. These can include fever, redness or swelling at the injection site, or allergic reactions like hives or difficulty breathing.

The CDC statement recommended that healthcare providers report any errors to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a passive surveillance system for vaccine safety maintained by the CDC and the FDA. VAERS reports dont always have information that is complete, accurate, or verifiable, and they are updated frequently.

While VAERS is not designed to determine fault, it helps public health officials identify and address potential issues with vaccines, Ganjian said.

Dr. Patricia Faraz, board-certified OB/GYN at The Womens Hospital at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, told Healthline that stricter protocols must be adopted by healthcare officials in handling new vaccines like this.

There needs to be a system in place where the order and vaccine are verified by two staff members in the office, Faraz said. Medications for OB patients should not be stored in the same refrigerator as non-OB patients to reduce errors as staff members may not be familiar with these new vaccines and they are named similarly.

Faraz said she does recommend the vaccine during pregnancy to create antibodies that will be passed to an infant since newborns and infants are so vulnerable to RSV.

The reason to give RSV vaccines to pregnant women is so that the antibodies produced after receiving the vaccine cross the placenta and offer protection to the newborn and infancy period (6 months), Faraz said. I do recommend RSV vaccine to pregnant women between 32-36 weeks pregnancy in hopes of reducing disease in newborns and infants. Up to 80,000 infants can be infected with RSV yearly requiring hospitalization. 100-300 children will die each year from RSV.

But Faraz added that with the Arexvy brand vaccine, it is unclear if there are potential issues for pregnant people because it was not approved for that group.

Unfortunately, these vaccines are brand new, and adverse events in pregnant women are not known with Arexvy, Faraz said. Over time adverse events may be reported and then we will have a better idea regarding potential side effects or efficacy rates of the Arexvy which is indicated for individuals over 60.

The best thing people seeking the vaccines can do, Ganjian said, is to make sure they are informed by professionals: ask questions if you dont understand something.

Remember, its always best to get information from reliable sources, like the CDC or your healthcare provider. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information about RSV vaccines and treatments, Ganjian said. Another good strategy is when you go in to get your vaccine, ask for the exact name of what you want.

The CDC is reporting that errors in administering new RSV vaccines have been documented in pregnant people and children under 2.

The number of errors relative to the number of vaccines administered is small, and few adverse effects have been reported.

If youre planning to get an RSV vaccine, make sure you know exactly what you need. Familiarize yourself with the different vaccines and ask your doctor if youre unsure.

Link:

CDC Warns Small Number of People Have Received Wrong RSV Vaccine - Healthline

Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care has agreed to refund almost $15,000 and pay $25,000 in penalties after more than 700 patients were wrongly charged for COVID-19 vaccines, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday.

In a statement, James said that due to administrative errors 731 patients at Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care centers were charged approximately $28 per vaccine dose. And 451 patients or their guarantors made out-of-pocket payments for charges they should not have billed for, the attorney general's office said.

The attorney general's office said unpaid accounts associated with 72 vaccine doses were also wrongfully sent to collections in violation of the law.

Under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Provider Agreement regarding COVID-19 vaccine distribution, in effect until Sept. 12, 2023, the attorney generals office said providers such as Northwell Health-GoHealth, which operates 57 urgent care clinics in New York, were required to administer COVID-19 vaccines at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient.

Under the agreement, Northwell Health-GoHealthwill refund $14,996.05 to patients and guarantors who were improperly charged for administered vaccine doses. James said all consumers impacted will be notified of the refund or of the wrongful charge.

As part of the agreement, the attorney generals office said the clinics have agreed to tighten billing practices to ensure that future COVID-19 vaccine appointments atthe clinics do not result in improper charges to patients.

During the pandemic state of emergency, COVID-19 vaccines were free to all who wanted them, James said in a statement Monday, adding: Clinics should be careful in ensuring that New Yorkers were not improperly charged fees for these vaccines and should take steps to refund any payments wrongfully charges and received.

In a statement, Vivek Taparia, regional president of Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care, said the organization is proud of the patient care we provided during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the vaccination clinics we opened at several of our urgent care locations. While we provided COVID vaccinations without any out-of-pocket charges to patients, a small number of these early vaccine recipients inadvertently received statements or made payments. Northwell-GoHealth refunded all affected patient accounts and has cooperated with the New York State Attorney General throughout this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our patients.

Anyone who believes they were improperly charged for being administered a COVID-19 vaccine is being asked to submit a claim to the office of the attorney general's Health Care Bureau or call 800-428-9071 to submit a complaint.

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of Swee'pea, a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film Big Shot.

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Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care agrees to refund improper charges to 700 New Yorkers who got COVID-19 vaccine - Newsday

With measles on the rise worldwide and multiple states in the U.S. reporting cases, a real-life illustration of the effectiveness of childhood vaccinations is unfolding.

And its why Connecticut is in better position than most states to avoid an outbreak, according to a UConn Health and Connecticut Childrens pediatric infectious diseases expert.

One of the worlds most contagious diseases, measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000.

Measles was not eradicated, but under very good control in many regions in the world due to the success of various vaccination campaigns, says Dr. Melissa Held, professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the UConn School of Medicine. We are hearing about it again because of various factors, including suboptimal vaccine coverage, vaccine hesitancy, international travel, and importation of the virus.

Held says an increase in measles usually occurs because of an increase in the number of travelers who get measles abroad and bring it into the U.S. and/or spread within the U.S. in communities where there are pockets of unvaccinated people. But the recent cases in our country are concerning given more widespread outbreaks globally.

Another reason for concern is the decline in the rate of young children completing their recommended vaccination schedules since the pandemic, which Held says has led to communities falling short of the herd immunity target vaccination level of 95%.

High vaccine coverage in populations is essential for achieving herd immunity, which protects individuals who cannot be vaccinated because of medical or health reasons or because of young age, Held says. Vaccinations not only protect your child or yourself from these diseases, but they also protect those around you who are not yet old enough to receive the vaccines (infants) or those with impaired immunity.

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine delivers immunity from measles at a rate of nearly 93% after one dose (usually around age 12 to 15 months) and 97% after a booster usually taken between ages 4 and 6.

Vaccines are probably the most significant modern medical miracle of our time. — Dr. Melissa Held

The World Health Organization says because of its high transmissibility, measles can serve as an early warning system by exposing immunity gaps in a population.

The latest available data on vaccination rates in Connecticut show ours among the leading states, with more than 97% of kindergarteners having received the required MMR vaccines in the 2022-23 school year.

Connecticut tends to do much better than the rest of the country, not just with the MMR vaccine but with all other vaccines as well, Held says. Unfortunately, the national average of coverage is lower than the ideal 95% threshold, so there are many states with increased risk of outbreaks.

See the CDCs current recommendations on child and adolescent immunizations.

Held, who is UConns senior associate dean of medical student education and also sees hospitalized patients at Connecticut Childrens, recommends parents who are hesitant to follow the recommended vaccination schedule for their children share their concerns with their pediatrician and try to tune out the noise.

Look to reputable source of information like CDC, World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics; the internet is full of misinformation and random opinions that are not scientifically sound, Held says. Vaccines are probably the most significant modern medical miracle of our time. The reason we do not worry about our children and family members becoming sick or dying from these diseases is because we have such effective vaccines.

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Measles: Harbinger of Herd Immunity Concerns - UConn Today - University of Connecticut

(Precision Vaccinations News)

As the global cholera epidemic enters another year, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues classifyingcholera's resurgenceas a grade 3 emergency, its highest internal level for emergencies.

And access to protective vaccines is decreasing.

On February 12, 2024, the WHO published its 11thmulti-country cholera outbreak External Situation Report, which confirmed the global cholera response continues to be affected by a critical shortage of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV).

From January 2023 to January 2024, urgent requests for OCV surged, with 76 million OCV doses requested by 14 countries, while only 38 million doses were available during that period.

The global stockpile of cholera vaccines is awaiting replenishment, and all production up to March 8, 2024, will be allocated to approved requests.

The U.S. CDCrecommends vaccination for people traveling to or living in areas of active cholera transmission.However, cholera vaccinations are not 100% effective.

Vaxchora, a single-dose, oral vaccine, is U.S. FDA-approvedfor use in people aged 264.

The WHO has approved three other OCVs.

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Cholera Vaccine Demand in 2024 Continues Overwhelming Supply Precision Vaccinations News - Precision Vaccinations