That Time of Year Again!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

The timing of flu vaccination has not changed, September and October are still the best times for most people to get vaccinated. The CDC continues to recommend vaccination as long as flu viruses pose a threat for everyone 6 months and older since 2010. Most flu vaccines continue to be produced using an egg-based manufacturing process and contain a small …

Polio – Oh No!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

I remember growing up on a street lined with huge, beautiful trees, children running and playing, and just happiness everywhere. Then it happened, Jimmy got sick. Jimmy was my best friend and was sent away to a hospital where children were fitted with devices so they could walk. We used to run and jump and play, never worried about tomorrow …

Vaccine Talk – Again!

Angie SzumlinskiNews

Yes, I am here to talk about the pandemic, I know, old news and everyone is pandemic weary. That said, over the past 4 months, I have realized that no matter how weary we are, we can’t let our guard down! The Delta variant should be a wake-up call for everyone, especially front-line workers, yes, you! Think about how comfortable …

Vaccination and Infection

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

In a study published in JAMA Network, “regularly screened health care workers who had received 2 doses of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine were associated with significantly lower incidence rates for both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection. The association between vaccination status and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is similar to the 95% efficacy reported in the phase 3 randomized clinical trial. Asymptomatic …

Third Dose of BNT161b2

Angie SzumlinskiNews

“The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for use in individuals 16 years of age and older. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the …

Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured

This is the first set of public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. This guidance will be updated and expanded based on the level of community spread of SARS-CoV-2, the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated, and the rapidly evolving science on COVID-19 vaccines. For the purposes of this guidance, people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 …

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% …

New President – New Plan

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, News

President Joseph R. Biden has unveiled a plan to jump-start the nation’s faltering COVID-19 vaccine effort that will include establishing mass vaccination sites and mobile vaccine clinics around the nation. The plan calls for a $20 billion investment in a national vaccination program. According to the CDC, 31 million COVID-19 doses have been distributed and 12.2 million have been administered …

Vaccines – The Continuing Saga!

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

Federal health officials in recent days have urged broadening vaccine eligibility to tens of millions of Americans to speed the national inoculation program rollout. Meanwhile, seniors at some long-term care facilities, who account for about 1% of the U.S. population but 40% of COVID-19 deaths and were supposed to be at the front of the line, continue to wait. State …

Post-Vax Symptoms or COVID-19

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News

Now that vaccines are being administered around the country, we need to be alert to signs and symptoms post-vaccination. Per the CDC, distinguishing between systemic signs of COVID-19 vaccination symptoms of coronavirus infection will depend on many factors. Clinical judgment will be critical in determining COVID-19 symptoms versus post-vaccination symptoms, beginning with whether the healthcare provider had “unprotected exposure to …