COVID-19: Mixed Messaging About Booster Shots From CDC, Pfizer Causing Confusion COVID-19: Mixed Messaging About Booster Shots From CDC, Pfizer Causing Confusion
Covid-19: Mixed Messaging About Booster Shots From CDC, Pfizer Causing Confusion Pfizer has announced plans to submit data on a COVID-19 booster vaccine it is developing to regulatory agencies in the coming weeks.  However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are pushing back, saying booster vaccines are not needed at this time. Confused? You're not alone. On Thursday, July 8, Pfizer and European partner BioNTech said in a news release that the companies are working on a third vaccine dose to combat COVID-19 and its variants, including the Delta variant. The companies said they expect clinical studies will begin in A…
COVID-19: New Variant May Be More Resistant To Vaccines Than Other Strains, Scientists Say COVID-19: New Variant May Be More Resistant To Vaccines Than Other Strains, Scientists Say
Covid-19: New Variant May Be More Resistant To Vaccines Than Other Strains, Scientists Say A new strain of the COVID-19 virus may be more resistant to vaccines than other variants, scientists are now warning. The C.37 strain, known as the Lambda variant, was first identified in Peru in December 2020, when it accounted for less than one percent of new cases. It now accounts for about 80 percent of new infections in Peru and has spread to about 27 countries in the last month, according to a report in the Financial Times. The World Health Organization said the strain carries a number of mutations that may have prompted potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resi…
COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long Protection From Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Could Last COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long Protection From Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Could Last
Covid-19: New Study Reveals How Long Protection From Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Could Last Claims that booster shots could be required in several months for those receiving the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may have been overblown, according to new reports. New findings in a study published this week showed that both COVID-19 vaccines have shown a “persistent” immune response to the virus that could potentially last years. The last looming question is how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus, specifically the more transmissible Delta strain that has become dominant in the US and is present in 49 states. Related story - COVID-19: Parts Of US With Low Va…
COVID-19: CDC Reveals Percentage Of Americans Who Haven't Gotten Second Dose COVID-19: CDC Reveals Percentage Of Americans Who Haven't Gotten Second Dose
Covid-19: CDC Reveals Percentage Of Americans Who Haven't Gotten Second Dose A significant number of Americans who received their first COVID-19 shot have missed their second dose, causing concern as the number of new cases from the Delta variant grows, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC said this week that more than 10 percent of Americans have received just one dose and opted to skip the second vaccine, which could prove problematic as the more transmissible Delta COVID-19 variant continues to rapidly spread and become more dominant. According to the CDC, just 88 percent of those who received one dose of the Moderna or Pfize…
COVID-19: New US-Made Vaccine Has 90 Percent Efficiency Rate, Can Be Stored In Refrigerators COVID-19: New US-Made Vaccine Has 90 Percent Efficiency Rate, Can Be Stored In Refrigerators
Covid-19: New Us-made Vaccine Has 90 Percent Efficiency Rate, Can Be Stored In Refrigerators An American biotech company announced that it has concluded the latest phase of clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, which has proven to be highly effective. Novavax announced on Monday, June 14 that its vaccine has an overall efficacy rate of 90.4 percent in a Phase 3 trial that took place across the United States and Mexico. The Novavax vaccine can be stored in standard refrigerators, making it easier to distribute. Additional analysis of the trial is ongoing, according to the company, and will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication. 
The company said that the vacc…
COVID-19: Pfizer Begins Vaccine Study On Younger Children COVID-19: Pfizer Begins Vaccine Study On Younger Children
Covid-19: Pfizer Begins Vaccine Study On Younger Children Pfizer is moving forward with new clinical tests on thousands of children under the age of 12 as they look to expand the authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine. The company announced on Tuesday, June 8 that it will enroll up to 4,500 children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years old in the United States, Finland, Poland, and Spain with the intention of getting emergency use authorization before school begins in the fall. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine has only been authorized for use in children 12 and older. According to Pfizer, it has selected a dose of 10 micrograms in children betw…
COVID-19: CDC Releases Brand-New Data On Hospitalized, Fatal Vaccine Breakthrough Cases COVID-19: CDC Releases Brand-New Data On Hospitalized, Fatal Vaccine Breakthrough Cases
Covid-19: CDC Releases Brand-New Data On Hospitalized, Fatal Vaccine Breakthrough Cases The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released brand-new data on the number of people who have been hospitalized or died despite being fully vaccinated for COVID-19.  To be fully vaccinated, two weeks or more must have passed since they received the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. As of Monday, May 17,  more than 123 million people in the United States had been fully vaccinated.  During that time, the CDC said it received a total of 1,949 reports from 47 states and territories of vaccine brea…
COVID-19: New Time Frame Provided For When Vaccine Booster Shots May Be Necessary COVID-19: New Time Frame Provided For When Vaccine Booster Shots May Be Necessary
Covid-19: New Time Frame Provided For When Vaccine Booster Shots May Be Necessary Executives and experts at the center of COVID-19 pandemic response are now providing a more specific possible time frame for when Americans who were first to receive a vaccine dose may need to take a booster shot. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, speaking during an Axios event, said that the data he has reviewed supports the notion "that likely there will be a need for a booster somewhere between eight and 12 months" after the initial vaccination regime. That means those who were among the first to get a vaccine shot in mid to late December 2020 or early January 2021 would likely need a booster sh…
COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated
Covid-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and most states loosening up mask-wearing restrictions, many retailers are following suit and are enacting new policies for customers and employees. The CDC said last week that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart from others in most cases, whether indoors or outdoors. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson. The following mandates are in place at thes…
COVID-19: Details Emerge On Vaccine Brand Taken By Star Shortstop, Seven Other Infected Yankees COVID-19: Details Emerge On Vaccine Brand Taken By Star Shortstop, Seven Other Infected Yankees
Covid-19: Details Emerge On Vaccine Brand Taken By Star Shortstop, Seven Other Infected Yankees Despite being fully vaccinated for COVID-19, eight members of the New York Yankees still tested positive for the virus after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. The eight are: starting shortstop Gleyber Torres, third base coach Phil Nevin, first base coach Reggie Willits, pitching coach Matt Blake, and four support staffers. Related story - COVID-19: Fully Vaccinated TV Host, Star Shortstop, Seven Other NY Yankees Test Positive According to the initial clinical trial results, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has proven to be 72 percent effective against COVID-1…
COVID-19: CDC Issues Brand-New Guidance On Mask-Wearing Indoors COVID-19: CDC Issues Brand-New Guidance On Mask-Wearing Indoors
Covid-19: CDC Issues Brand-New Guidance On Mask-Wearing Indoors The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is easing indoor mask-wearing guidance for Americans who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. On Thursday afternoon, May 13, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced the new guidance at a White House briefing, saying that anyone who has received both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot can safely stop wearing masks indoors, except under some circumstances. The new guidance calls for continued mask-wearing in more crowded indoor spaces such as on mass transportation, hospitals, prisons, or …
COVID-19: Vaccine Appointments Now Available For Kids Ages 12 To 15 At CT CVS Pharmacies COVID-19: Vaccine Appointments Now Available For Kids Ages 12 To 15 At CT CVS Pharmacies
Covid-19: Vaccine Appointments Now Available For Kids Ages 12 To 15 At CT CVS Pharmacies With the FDA approving emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccine administration in Americans between the ages of 12 and 15, dozens of CVS Pharmacies in Connecticut are set to begin getting shots in the arms of the state’s eligible adolescents. Beginning on Thursday, May 13, 45 CVS Pharmacies across Connecticut joined hundreds across the country are beginning to administer Pfizer vaccines to the newly eligible age group. Patients can schedule appointments online through the CVS website or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and walk-in bookings are also being accepted. Anyone who receive…