Vaccine Allergies

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

For patients who are allergic to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be eligible to receive the Johnson & Johns/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, CDC staff said. While the CDC emphasized that the mRNA vaccines are not interchangeable with Johnson & Johnson’s viral vector vaccine, as the safety and efficacy of a mixed product series have yet to be evaluated, patients may receive the …

AstraZeneca Response

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Featured, News

Following a recent concern raised around thrombotic events, AstraZeneca issued a press release to offer its reassurance on the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine based on clear scientific evidence. Safety is of paramount importance and the company is continually monitoring the safety of its vaccine. A careful review of all available safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated …

Fauci – Two-Shot Strategy

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

There has been a lot of debate over which vaccine is most effective, has fewer side effects, if you can mix the two different two-dose brands, etc. But more recently there has been active debate on whether a single dose of a two-dose vaccine is as effective as the full two doses. In the Washington Post newspaper, Dr. Fauci is …

One Dose or Two?

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Current shortages in COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution have led some experts to suggest untested regimens. Persons who have had COVID-19 are thought to have protective immunity and memory responses for at least 6 months; however, neither recall responses nor ideal vaccine dosing regimens have been studied in those previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. A recent study on whether health care …

Mandate Or Not

Angie SzumlinskiLegal, News

In an article published in the APNews, a New Mexico corrections officer is suing New Mexico over the requirement that first responders and other employees be vaccinated, setting up another legal fight during a pandemic that is testing local and federal public health laws. The complaint centers on the FDA’s authorization of the vaccines for emergency use, noting that the …

Vaccine Safety

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Health

After the administration of 13.8 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to the U.S. population during the first month of the vaccination program, the post-authorization safety profiles for both vaccines are reassuring. Most (90.9%) VAERS reports were more non-serious events and involved local and systemic symptoms; transient local and systemic reactions were also frequently reported in v-safe. The …

Vaccines – Too Risky for Some?

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

Nearly 1.5 million Americans are being vaccinated every day against COVID-19. Allergic reactions have led some to question if they should get the vaccine, and scant data from clinical trials for the currently approved vaccines in vulnerable populations means we don’t fully know how those with certain conditions will react. In an interview on MedPage Today, Dr. Barbara Alexander, M.D., …

Annual COVID-19 Vaccine?

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The CEO of Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday that people may need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 annually for the next several years; similar to seasonal flu shots. “Unfortunately, as the virus spreads, it can also mutate,” Alex Gorsky said in an interview on CNBS. “Every time it mutates, it’s almost like another click of the dial, so to speak, …

COVID-19 Variants

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

Variants of the COVID-19 virus are very much in the news and we are seeing is a slow but steady evolution of the coronavirus. There are now four major variants of the virus that are of concern and in fact, experts refer to them as “variants of concern”. The first recognized variant was the U.K. variant, identified in the southern …

Nursing Home Vaccination Status Data

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Featured

New data from Omnicare, a CVS Health company, regarding nursing home vaccination status: Of the nearly 7,822 skilled nursing facilities that have partnered with CVS Pharmacy, all have received their first round of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 81% of second doses already completed. In addition, of the 37,58 assisted living and other long-term care facilities partnered with CVS Pharmacy, 77% …