Transparency – Vaccine Side Effects

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

The CDC must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting with CDC advisors. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer said that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines require two doses and she worries whether her patients with come back for a second dose because of potentially unpleasant …

CDC- What Every Clinician Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

On Monday, December 14th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a webinar to provide education about the new COVID-19 vaccine. Safety monitoring is a top priority of the CDC, and the webinar largely focused on their post-authorization/post-licensure safety monitoring of the vaccine. They provided a great explanation of why this safety monitoring matters, and advocated the use of …

The New Normal

Angie SzumlinskiNews, Studies

We have all been affected by COVID-19 in some fashion; directly, with family members, residents, co-workers, and friends. Since our industry began restricting visitation, our residents have had to adapt to a new world in the center. There are restrictions on communal dining, activities, outside entertainment, family/friend visitation and so much more! Staff have also had to change the way …

Vaccine – Prevent Symptoms, Not Virus?

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

As we eagerly await new updates about potential coronavirus vaccines, questions remain about how well they will work and if they will stem the pandemic. Importantly, the initial COVID-19 vaccines will prevent symptoms in those who become infected with the coronavirus rather than kill the virus itself, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious …

Influenza vaccine, syringe, and vials.

Preparing for the 2020-2021 Influenza Season

Angie SzumlinskiNews

As health care systems across the U.S. are experiencing or preparing for surges in individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) this fall and winter, the potential for cocirculation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses poses added challenges for clinicians and public health. Recent reports suggest that influenza activity can be influenced substantially by non-pharmaceutical measures …

Herd Immunity – Vaccines – Mask Forever?

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

Dr. Anthony Fauci displayed his trademark bluntness in an address to the medical community at Thomas Jefferson University, warning against premature hopes of “herd immunity” to COVID-19. It remains a puzzle why some people get very sick yet most do not and it remains difficult to predict which are which although genetics and previous exposures to viruses may both play …

Flu Season Caution Signs

Positive for Both – COVID and Flu!

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

Following national public health warnings about a possible “twindemic,” reports are surfacing of patients testing positive for both coronavirus and influenza. “With the likelihood of both COVID-19 and seasonal flu activity this winter, contracting either disease may weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to the other diseases,” said Solano County Health Officer Dr. Bela T. Matyas. “Getting …

How CDC Is Making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

How CDC Is Making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations CDC is making coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination recommendations for the United States based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP is a federal advisory committee made up of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the U.S. public. ACIP holds regular …

Vaccine Triggers Immune Response

Angie SzumlinskiFeatured, Health

A CNBC article announced that AstraZeneca is developing its potential COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford and that the vaccine has produced a similar immune response in older and younger adults. The World Health Organization has said that older people, in addition to people of all ages with pre-existing medical conditions, appear to develop serious illness on …

10 Things HealthCare Professionals Need to Know About U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Plans

Angie SzumlinskiAnnouncements, Health, News

In the United States, there is not yet an authorized or approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The federal government, through Operation Warp Speed, has been working since the pandemic started to make one or more COVID-19 vaccines available as soon as possible. Although the CDC does not have a role in developing COVID-19 vaccines, CDC has been …