Pediatricians Primed to Lead COVID Vaccination Efforts as Kids Become Eligible + More
Pediatricians Primed to Lead COVID Vaccination Efforts as Kids Become Eligible
Now that both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have green-lighted Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in kids ages 12 to 15, pediatricians will soon find themselves on the front lines of the country’s vaccination efforts, playing an essential role in communicating to parents the safety and importance of getting their kids the shot.
That’s a tall order for pediatricians who say they’re facing skyrocketing vaccine hesitancy among families.
CVS, Walgreens Administering Pfizer Vaccine to Kids 12-15 Nationwide
CVS and Walgreens are administering COVID-19 vaccines to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 as part of the ongoing effort to overcome the pandemic.
Appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at more than 5,600 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide became available Thursday following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization for the age group.
The Food and Drug Administration declared that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and offers strong protection for younger teens based on testing of more than 2,000 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15. On May 10, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first and only FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents in this age group.
CDC Data Show 4,000+ Reported Deaths Following COVID Vaccines as Kids 12 and Older Now Eligible
The number of reported deaths following COVID vaccines topped 4,000 according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data comes directly from reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
VAERS is the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.
Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received as of a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date. Today’s data show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and May 7, a total of 192,954 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 4,057 deaths — an increase of 220 over the previous week — and 17,190 serious injuries, up 1,176 since last week.
COVID Deaths — Putting the Numbers in Perspective
Every year roughly between 2.8 and 3 million people die in the United States — just under 1% of the population.
In some years, deaths exceed projections, for instance in a bad flu year. These extra deaths are characterized as “excess deaths.”
In February, the CDC reported it attributed 376,504 deaths in 2020 to COVID-19. Each death is regrettable, but to put that number in perspective, the COVID deaths in 2020 were actually lower than the 401,000 excess deaths in 2017 — a bad flu year.
This finding mirrors excess death data from other countries, where excess deaths were also higher in 2017 than in 2020.
Bill Maher, 8 N.Y. Yankees Test Positive for COVID After Being Fully Vaccinated
Bill Maher and eight Yankees players this week joined the ranks of COVID breakthrough cases — people who tested positive for the virus despite being fully vaccinated.
A tweet from the official “Real Time with Bill Maher” account announced the 65-year-old comedian tested positive for COVID. The political humorist said he “feels fine” but decided to halt the taping of his talk show “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday.
No other staff or crew members on the program have tested positive, the outlet reports.
What We Know — And May Never Know — About COVID Vaccines
Is the COVID vaccine safe? Has it been thoroughly tested? What are the long-term side effects? Is it even effective?
According to the video below, “COVID Vaccine Secrets,” the government, the media and even celebrities tell us we must all get the vaccine, that it’s the only way to stay safe from COVID-19.
But missing from those conversations is an open and honest discussion about the potential health risks of the vaccine. How many people have died or been injured after getting the vaccine? And why is it making some people sick? Is it because of the vaccine’s ingredients?
Ohio Offers $1 Million Lottery, 4-Year College Scholarships to Entice More People to Get Vaccinated — Incentive or Coercion?
As demand for COVID vaccines among adults falls short of public health officials’ goals, more and more states and businesses are rolling out incentives to counter “vaccine hesitancy.”
This week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine raised the stakes to a whole new level when he announced Ohio will give five people $1 million each, plus another five people four-year college scholarships in a lottery scheme designed to persuade young Ohioans to get the COVID vaccine.
Some Ohio lawmakers criticized DeWine’s plan, saying there were better ways to spend the state’s COVID relief funds. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he wasn’t sure the plan was legal, but even if it is, “just because a thing may be legally done does not mean it should be done.”
Mary Holland, Children’s Health Defense president and general counsel, agreed with Yost, though for reasons having nothing to do with state budgets.
Latino and Black Californians Less Likely to Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine
Only about one-third of Latino and Black Californians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while majorities of white and Asian American Pacific Islander Californians have, according to a Times analysis.
The Times analysis found that 33% of Latino residents and 34% of Black residents of the state have received at least one dose of vaccine. By contrast, 50% of white residents, 46% of Native American residents and 60% of Asian American Pacific Islander residents have received a dose.
Novel Coronavirus Really Is Seasonal, Study Suggests
Warm temperatures and tropical climates may really help reduce the spread of COVID-19, a new study suggests.
The study found that places with warm temperatures and long hours of sunlight — such as countries close to the equator and those experiencing summer — had a lower rate of COVID-19 cases, compared with countries farther away from the equator and those experiencing colder weather.
The findings held even after the researchers took into account other factors that could affect both the spread of COVID-19 and the number of reported cases, such as a country’s level of urbanization and the intensity of COVID-19 testing.
Quebec, New Brunswick Stop Offering First Doses of AstraZeneca Vaccine
The Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick will no longer offer first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, but will offer second doses using current supplies and future deliveries, the provinces said on Thursday.
Most provinces made similar announcements on Monday and Tuesday, mainly citing concerns about supply, though officials in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick said the move was also based on a rise in the incidence of rare blood clots linked to first doses of the vaccine.
Vaccine Hesitancy Rose in EU After Pause in AstraZeneca Shots
Vaccine hesitancy increased in the European Union after the suspension of AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine, with more than a third of adults in the bloc indicating they were unlikely to get immunized from COVID-19.
After several EU countries suspended use of Astra’s shot in mid March, 34% of respondents to an online survey by Eurofound said they were hesitant to take the vaccine. Before the pause, 25% said they were “rather unlikely” or “very unlikely” to get it.
Nurses, Nonprofits, Others Take Vaccine to Homebound People
As interest in mass coronavirus vaccination sites dwindles nationwide, providers are ramping up efforts to find and reach millions of people in the U.S. who cannot leave their homes or who need help with transportation. The process is slow and requires careful planning, but advocates say getting vaccinated is critical for people who are constantly exposed to visiting aides — and that they should have been a focus sooner.
While the effort is happening in many states, experts say California has one of the most robust programs. Last week, state officials announced residents could go online or call a number to request a ride or an at-home vaccination. So far, there have been more than 5,000 requests for help, said state public health spokeswoman Sami Gallegos.
Delay in Giving Second Jabs of Pfizer Vaccine Improves Immunity
The UK’s decision to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines has received fresh support from research on the over-80s which found that giving the Pfizer/BioNTech booster after 12 weeks rather than three produced a much stronger antibody response.
A study led by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with Public Health England found that antibodies against the virus were three-and-a-half times higher in those who had the second shot after 12 weeks compared with those who had it after a three-week interval.
Sayer Ji’s Full NPR Cross-Interview [VIDEO] + NPR’s Article Reveals Deep Bias & Conflicts of Interest
This is an exclusive cross-interview recorded on May 5, 2021, featuring Geoff Brumfiel, the NPR reporter who wrote the recent somewhat denigrating piece about me.
Brumfiel and I agreed to ask a number of questions of one another, to be recorded and shared with the public in order to provide the full context of the written piece. Below is a detailed description of the context that led to this conversation.
NPR’s “health news” section is literally called SHOTS. Yes, literally, as in vaccines. Look no further than the logo under their general banner of “health news” to see where their loyalties appear to lie.
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