Tag: vaccination

Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut’s age-based COVID vaccine rollout is saving more lives — But is it?

Mary Pat Campbell
Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut’s age-based COVID vaccine rollout is saving more lives — But is it?

Excerpt:

Connecticut’s neighbors have also prioritized age in their rollouts after prioritizing health care workers and nursing homes, though they have also made teachers, essential workers and people with underlying conditions eligible in tandem at different points in the pandemic. New York announced that teachers and some essential workers were eligible in January along with individuals 75+; Massachusetts included people with co-morbidities in its 65+ rollout in late February. Rhode Island deviated from an age-based strategy around mid-March when it opened up eligibility to teachers, and later to individuals with co-morbidities.

Prioritizing based on age is not a novel approach, said Omer, arguing that what’s really under debate is the decision to continue to do so for people younger than 65. Omer has previously criticized the state’s age-based rollout for de-emphasizing underlying conditions, though he has since described the state’s plan to prioritize individuals with co-morbidities after opening eligibility to all individuals 16+ as a “reasonable middle ground, depending on how it’s implemented.”

Author(s): KASTURI PANANJADY

Publication Date: 2 April 2021

Publication Site: CT Mirror

What We Hope Is The Final COVID Surge

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://polimath.substack.com/p/what-we-hope-is-the-final-covid-surge

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Excerpt:

My current plan is to stop following COVID numbers after this coming May. But a lot of that plan rested on this assumption that, as we get really high up there with vaccine numbers, the COVID data would become less and less interesting as it just kind of fizzles out.

Michigan is currently putting that assumption to the test.

*takes deep breath*

The numbers out of Michigan have all the markings of a classic COVID surge. I could maybe make the case that it’s not as steep as we would have expected and maybe it will plateau in the next week or two, but I’ve been expecting that the rate of vaccinations would temper this kind of a surge.

Author(s): PoliMath

Publication Date: 6 April 2021

Publication Site: Marginally Compelling at Substack

COVID-19 vaccine protects mothers — and their newborns

Mary Pat Campbell
Study shows COVID-19 vaccinated mothers pass antibodies to newborns

Excerpt:

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have found the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be highly effective in producing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in pregnant and lactating women. The study also demonstrated the vaccines confer protective immunity to newborns through breast milk and the placenta.

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), looked at 131 women of reproductive age (84 pregnant, 31 lactating and 16 non-pregnant), all of whom received one of the two new mRNA vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. The vaccine-induced titers — or antibody levels — were equivalent in all three groups. Reassuringly, side effects after vaccination were rare and comparable across the study participants. 

Author(s): Julie Cunningham

Publication Date: 25 March 2021

Publication Site: Harvard Gazette

Covid 3/25: Own Goals

Mary Pat Campbell
Covid 3/25: Own Goals

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Excerpt:

Those developments are infuriating, and also enlightening as to how the system of the world functions these days, but the main event remains the race between new strains and vaccinations. 

In America the race is plausibly close. Cases are rising, and likely will continue to rise for several more weeks, especially if vaccination rates continue to stagnate. But that acceleration should start soon, and at an additional 3% protection per week that grows and compounds, the vaccinations won’t take that long to turn the tide even if they don’t accelerate much. 

In Europe the race is not so close. Vaccinations are running far slower, with no short term hope for things to get much better. The recent own goals only made a bad situation worse, and in many European countries things are looking quite bad. Lockdowns are once again the order of the day in many places, most notably Germany, and yet the situation is getting rapidly worse, in some places reaching crisis proportions.

Publication Date: 25 March 2021

Publication Site: The Zvi

States Reopened, but Covid-19 Fears Threaten to Keep Consumers Away

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-reopened-but-covid-19-fears-threaten-to-keep-consumers-away-11616146203

Excerpt:

Texas, Iowa and Mississippi were among the first states to fully reopen businesses this year, ending shutdown orders intended to curb the spread of Covid-19.

But research suggests the dormant economies won’t immediately blossom—unless consumers also lose their fear of the coronavirus.

So far, about 40 million Americans, or 12% of the population, have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 73 million, or about 22% have received at least one shot.

Author(s): Jo Craven McGinty

Publication Date: 19 March 2021

Publication Site: Wall Street Journal

The EU Vaccine Debacle

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/03/the-eu-vaccine-debacle/

Excerpt:

Supported by Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, the EU Commission (its administrative arm) took over the negotiations with vaccine manufacturers on behalf of all EU member-states last June. This was designed both as a declaration of EU “solidarity” and because of the belief that bargaining on behalf of the whole bloc could secure the vaccine at a cheaper price, a calculation that appeared to take little account of the economic costs of any delays, and delay was what — for a variety of reasons — Brussels delivered.

The U.K. came to its deal with AstraZeneca (the manufacturer of the Oxford vaccine) three months earlier than the EU, and its contract came with sharper teeth. The EU also took four months longer than the U.K. and U.S. to sign up with Pfizer.

Making matters worse, the EU’s FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), a body by definition particularly receptive to the precautionary principle that plays such a dominant role in EU policy-making (except when it comes to setting up a new currency), took its time to approve the first vaccines. Its first approval came some weeks after the U.K. and ten days or so after the U.S.

Author(s): Editorial Board

Publication Date: 25 March 2021

Publication Site: National Review

Patterns of COVID-19 pandemic dynamics following deployment of a broad national immunization program

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.08.21251325v2.full-text

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Abstract:

Studies on the real-life impact of the BNT162b2 vaccine, recently authorized for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are urgently needed. Here, we analysed the temporal dynamics of the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalization in Israel following a rapid vaccination campaign initiated on December 20th, 2020. We conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis of data originating from the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) from March 2020 to February 2021. In order to distill the possible effect of the vaccinations from other factors, including a third lockdown imposed in Israel on January 2021, we compared the time-dependent changes in number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations between (1) individuals aged 60 years and older, eligible to receive the vaccine earlier, and younger age groups; (2) the latest lockdown (which was imposed in parallel to the vaccine rollout) versus the previous lockdown, imposed on September 2020; (3) early-vaccinated cities compared to late-vaccinated cities; and (4) early-vaccinated geographical statistical areas (GSAs) compared to late-vaccinated GSAs. In mid-January, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalization started to decline, with a larger and earlier decrease among older individuals, followed by younger age groups, by the order in which they were prioritized for vaccination. This fast and early decline in older individuals was more evident in early-vaccinated compared to late-vaccinated cities. Such a pattern was not observed in the previous lockdown. Our analysis demonstrates evidence for the real-life impact of a national vaccination campaign in Israel on the pandemic dynamics. We believe that our findings have major public health implications in the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, including the public ’s perception of the need for and benefit of nationwide vaccination campaigns. More studies aimed at assessing the effectiveness and impact of vaccination both on the individual and on the population level, with longer followup, are needed.

Author(s): Hagai Rossman, Smadar Shilo, Tomer Meir, Malka Gorfine, Uri Shalit, Eran Segal

Publication Date: 8 March 2021

Publication Site: MedRXiV

Vaccines are making some long Covid sufferers feel better

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-19-long-haulers-vaccine?mc_cid=4922be2694&mc_eid=983bcf5922

Excerpt:

Brown’s story isn’t unusual. Around the world, many members of the long Covid community are reporting a remarkable improvement after receiving the vaccine. Although there is no definitive data on how many are experiencing this, informal surveys report up to 30 per cent of long-haulers whose symptoms have improved following vaccination. The majority report feeling the same, with fewer reporting a worsening of symptoms after receiving the vaccine.

Many long-haulers had initially expressed apprehension about the vaccine, for fear it would exacerbate their condition. But the opposite appears to be the case for some. Figuring out why could be the key to finally understanding what causes the mysterious ailment, once and for all.

Author(s): Grace Browne

Publication Date: 25 March 2021

Publication Site: Wired UK

Europe Confronts a Covid-19 Rebound as Vaccine Hopes Recede

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-confronts-a-covid-19-rebound-as-vaccine-hopes-recede-11615558520

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Excerpt:

The European Union’s fight against Covid-19 is stuck in midwinter, even as spring and vaccinations spur hope of improvement in the U.S. and U.K.

Despite months of restrictions on daily life, new Covid-19 cases have been rising again in the EU since mid-February, as more-virulent virus strains outpace vaccinations.

By contrast, virus infections and deaths have been falling rapidly in the U.S. and U.K. since January as inoculations take off among the elderly and other vulnerable groups. U.S. infections and deaths, which were higher on a per capita basis for most of 2020, have fallen below the EU’s.

Author(s): Marcus Walker in Rome, Bertrand Benoit in Berlin and Stacy Meichtry in Paris

Publication Date: 12 March 2021

Publication Site: Wall Street Journal

Vaccines can get us to herd immunity, despite the variants

Mary Pat Campbell
Vaccines should end the pandemic, despite the variants, say experts

Excerpt:

A Harvard immunologist said current vaccines appear to be effective enough to end the pandemic, despite growing concerns that more infectious COVID-19 variants would severely blunt the effectiveness of the preventative treatments and set the nation back in its fight against the disease.

Galit Alter, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, said the fast-spreading U.K. variant seems able to evade some vaccine protection, and the South African variant appears able to skirt even more. Despite that, she said, none have completely escaped the body’s post-vaccination immune responses.

Author(s): Alvin Powell

Publication Date: 25 February 2021

Publication Site: Harvard Gazette

Federal law prohibits employers and others from requiring vaccination with a Covid-19 vaccine distributed under an EUA

Mary Pat Campbell
Federal law prohibits employers and others from requiring vaccination with a Covid-19 vaccine distributed under an EUA

Excerpt:

The same section of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that authorizes the FDA to grant emergency use authorization also requires the secretary of Health and Human Services to “ensure that individuals to whom the product is administered are informed … of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product.”

Likewise, the FDA’s guidance on emergency use authorization of medical products requires the FDA to “ensure that recipients are informed to the extent practicable given the applicable circumstances … That they have the option to accept or refuse the EUA product …”

Author(s): Aaron Siri

Publication Date: 23 February 2021

Publication Site: Stat News

Blocked shots? City limiting its share of United Center vaccinations to five ZIP codes hit hard by COVID-19

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2021/3/10/22323505/illinois-coronavirus-united-center-vaccinations-cases-deaths-pritzker-covid-19-mar-10

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Excerpt:

In a bid to vaccinate more people of color in neighborhoods hit hard by COVID-19, city officials Wednesday limited registration for United Center appointments to Chicagoans in a handful of South and Southwest Side neighborhoods.

Anyone who lives in the 60608, 60619, 60620, 60649 or 60652 ZIP codes can sign up for an appointment at events.juvare.com/chicago/UCPOD/ with the code “CCVICHICAGO,” or by reaching the multilingual call center at (312) 746-4835.

Chicago residents from outside those ZIP codes who try to sign up will have their appointments canceled, according to a city flyer circulated by several community groups.

Chicago will be allotted 60% of the vaccines administered at the United Center for its residents, while Cook County and the state determine rules for other residents. That’s the latest change in a signup process that has caused confusion from the start.

Author(s): Mitchell Armentrout, Brett Chase

Publication Date: 10 March 2021

Publication Site: Chicago Sun-Times