Monday, June 28, 2021

Vaccine Update for June 30th, 2021

On Friday, Israel reported that about half of the adults who tested positive for the Delta variant of the Coronavirus were fully immunized with the Pfizer vaccine. Around 90% of the new cases were caused by the variant. Israel reinstated its indoor mask mandate that it had dropped 10 days previously, and the WHO urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks even after vaccinated.

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Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could provide years of protection against COVID-19. They published their peer-reviewed findings in the journal Nature. They obtained samples from 14 different participants. More research is needed, given the small sample size.

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On Friday, the FDA issued a warning about the risk of myocarditis to fact sheets for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The CDC had received 1,200 reports of such heart inflammation and confirmed 300 of those cases. These cases occur mostly among young men and adolescents. Most patients recover quickly. The FDA advises vaccine recipients to seek immediate medical attention if they experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or heart palpations. 

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CDC Director Rochelle Walensky tweeted on June 24th that you can vaccinate 1 million 12-17 year olds and see 30-40 mild cases of myocarditis. In this same 1 million, she says, we would avoid 8,000 cases of COVID-19, 200 hospitalizations, 50 ICU stays, and 1 death. She concludes the benefits far outweigh the risks.

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The CDC reports that 179,615,165 people have received at least one dose of one of the three Coronavirus vaccines and that 153,776,118 have been fully vaccinated as of Monday.

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On Monday, the WNBA said that nearly every player has been vaccinated and that none of its players have tested positive so far halfway through the season.

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On Monday, an Oxford study found that a third dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine six months after the first two doses could boost protection against COVID-19. Two doses have been shown to prevent more than 90% of hospital admissions. Pfizer and Moderna are also in the process of developing booster shots. 

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The same study found that a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine still provides increased protection even if administered 10 months after the first dose.

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On Saturday, the CDC reported that there have been 4,115 cases of fully vaccinated people being hospitalized or dying with COVID-19.

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The CDC says older adults are more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19. As adults continue to get vaccinated, hospitalization rates for adults 85 or older have dropped to the lowest point since March 2020. As of January 9th, 2021, the hospitalization rate was 71.8 per 100,000 population. As of June 26th, the rate was 2.3.

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People don’t have to get their second vaccine dose at the same location as their first. The CDC says you can get your second shot at a different facility or state.



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