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Covid News Watch
Mother-of-Three Dies After AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine Caused Blood Clots in Brain + More
Mother-of-Three, 47, Dies After AstraZeneca COVID Jab Caused Blood Clots on Her Brain Which Led to a Stroke
A mother-of-three has died after suffering a rare catastrophic reaction to the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab, her family has said.
Lucy Taberer, 47, fell seriously ill after getting the jab and developed blood clots in her brain which caused a stroke.
Her heartbroken fiance, Mark Tomlin, from Aylestone in Leicester, has since spoken about the devastating impact her death has had on the family including the couple’s five-year-old son Orson.
FDA Adds Heart Inflammation Warning to Pfizer, Moderna COVID Vaccines as Experts Call for Full Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 25 added a warning to patient and provider fact sheets for Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines indicating an increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination.
The warning notes reports of adverse events suggest increased risks of myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly following the second dose and with onset of symptoms within a few days after vaccination.
CDC Reports 4,115 Breakthrough COVID Cases Involving Hospitalizations or Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 4,115 patients with COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases who were hospitalized or died. Of those cases, 26% of hospitalizations were reported as asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19, and 19% of the 750 fatalities were reported as asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19.
The data, which includes information through June 21, is amid a backdrop of 150 million people who are fully vaccinated in the U.S. Nearly half of the breakthrough cases, or 49%, involve females, and 3,124, or 76%, occurred in patients ages 65 years and older.
San Antonio Teen Participates in Moderna COVID Vaccine Trial for Kids Aged 12-17
A second vaccine choice for teens could become available if the FDA grants emergency authorization for Moderna to administer its COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 12-17.
A San Antonio girl says she is participating in the trial with hopes it can help kids live a normal life.
“I was a little hesitant at first but I knew the vaccine trial would help get the vaccine out quicker,” Angelina tells KENS 5.
COVID Killed 26 Indonesian Doctors in June — at Least 10 Had Taken China’s Sinovac Vaccine
The Wall Street Journal reported:
At least 10 of the 26 doctors in Indonesia who died from COVID-19 this month had received both doses of the vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a medical association said, raising questions about the Chinese-made shot that is being used in many parts of the developing world.
The Indonesian Medical Association’s COVID-19 mitigation group is still working to verify the vaccination status of the 16 others, said Dr. Adib Khumaidi, who leads the group. According to the group’s latest figures, over a five-month period, at least 20 doctors who were fully inoculated with Sinovac’s vaccine died from COVID-19, accounting for more than a fifth of total fatalities among doctors during that time span.
51.18% of Mumbai Children Have COVID Antibodies, Says Sero Survey
Over 51 per cent of Mumbai’s general paediatric population – those below 18 – have antibodies for COVID-19, a sero survey conducted in the city between April 1 and June 15 has revealed.
2,176 blood samples collected from path labs across Mumbai showed the highest sero prevalence (53.43 per cent) for children between the ages of 10 and 14. Children aged 15-18 showed 51.39 per cent sero prevalence and those between one and four showed 51.04 per cent sero prevalence.
Saudi Arabia to Inoculate Those Aged 12 to 18 With Pfizer Vaccine – Ministry
Reuters via U.S. News and World Report reported:
Saudi Arabia will start inoculating young people aged 12 to 18 against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine after it was approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the health ministry said in a tweet on Sunday.
Experts Consider if Recipients of J&J COVID Vaccine Need Booster as Delta Variant Takes Hold
The Times of San Diego reported:
Infectious disease experts are weighing the need for booster shots using the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA-based vaccines for Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine.
The examination is taking place due to the increasing prevalence of the more contagious Delta coronavirus variant.
Response to COVID Vaccines Varies Widely in Blood Cancer Patients
Patients with a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma had a widely variable response to COVID-19 vaccines—in some cases, no detectable response—pointing to the need for antibody testing and precautions for these patients after vaccination, according to a study that will be published in Cancer Cell this week.
Mount Sinai researchers found that multiple myeloma patients mount variable and sometimes suboptimal responses after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Almost 16 percent of these patients developed no detectable antibodies after both vaccine doses. These findings may be relevant to other cancer patients undergoing treatment and to immunocompromised patients.
London Sees Big Drop in Number of COVID Vaccinations Despite Drive to Get Young People Inoculated
The Evening Standard reported:
The number of jabs being given in the capital has fallen alarmingly in the last week despite efforts to encourage young Londoners to get vaccinated.
A total of 374,941 first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last seven days, almost 52,000 or 12 per cent fewer than the 426,648 given in the previous week, the Standard can reveal.
Mexico OKs Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine for Use in Kids 12 Years and Up + More
Mexico OKs Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine for Use in Kids 12 Years and Up
Reuters via Yahoo News reported:
Mexico’s health regulator has given approval to U.S. drug maker Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children 12 years old and older, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Twitter on Thursday.
“It’s the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized for adolescents in our country,” he said.
Who Urges Fully Vaccinated People to Continue to Wear Masks as Delta COVID Variant Spreads
The World Health Organization on Friday urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, social distance and practice other COVID-19 pandemic safety measures as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the globe.
“People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves,” Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, said during a news briefing.
Delta Variant Outbreak in Israel Infects Some Vaccinated Adults
The Wall Street Journal reported:
About half of adults infected in an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Israel were fully inoculated with the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, prompting the government to reimpose an indoor mask requirement and other measures to contain the highly transmissible strain.
The Delta variant, which first emerged in India in late 2020 and is also known as B.1.617.2, has now been detected in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., public-health experts expect it to soon become the dominant strain.
Latest CDC VAERS Data Show Reported Injuries Surpass 7,000 in Ages 12 to 17 Following COVID Vaccines
Data released today show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and June 18, 2021, a total of 387,087 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 6,113 deaths — an increase of 120 deaths over the previous week. There were 31,240 serious injury reports, up 1,369 compared with last week.
This week’s data for 12- to 17-year-olds show: 7,294 total adverse events, including 423 rated as serious and nine reported deaths among 12- to 17-year-olds. Four deaths (or 44%) were cardiac-related and three were sudden, unexplained deaths.
mRNA Vaccine-Makers’ Stocks Take a Hit Amid Possible Link to Rare Heart Conditions
The stocks of BioNTech, Pfizer and Moderna, which make the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, fell amid news the jabs could be linked to rare heart inflammation in young people.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel said there is a “likely association” between adolescents getting the vaccines and cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, but it added that the benefits are still greater than the risks.
Some British Olympic Athletes Refusing to Have COVID Vaccine Over Side-Effect Fears
The British athletes who do not want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the Tokyo Olympics are doing so over performance-related fears rather than an anti-vax stance, the Guardian understands.
The British Olympic Association remains confident that almost all its 370 or so Olympians will have two jabs before they fly to Japan, with only “a small handful” still remaining unconvinced.
Houston Hospital Employee Who Says She Was Fired for Not Getting Vaccine: ‘Don’t Take Away My Choice’
An ultrasound technologist who says she was fired by a Houston hospital because she wouldn’t get vaccinated against the coronavirus told CNN on Wednesday, “I don’t want to work for people like that. Don’t take away my choice.”
LaTricia Blank worked at Houston Methodist hospital for eight and a half years. She loved her job, her patients and the people she worked with, she said.
But Houston Methodist on March 31 became the first major health care system in the country to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. More than 100 employees sued but a judge recently sided with the hospital system. The employees have appealed the judge’s decision.
Actor Lakis Lazopoulos Suffers Blood Clot After Getting 2nd Pfizer Vaccine
Famous Greekmactor Lakis Lazopoulos was rushed to the hospital with a blood clot a few days after he was administered the coronavirus vaccine.
Speaking to “Nea” newspaper, he revealed that last Saturday “I got up with a heavy feeling on my leg, making it difficult to move. I called my friend, doctor George Papatheou and told him to come and see me. He decided that I should go to hospital Ygeia. I went, got tested and it turned out I had a stroke. It was a small clot, but it dissipated at its origin.”
Biden Urges More People to Get the COVID Vaccine: ‘Get It Done.’
President Joe Biden visits a vaccination site in Raleigh, NC on June 24, 2021, to urge people to get the COVID vaccine. He met with front-line workers and volunteers at the Green Road Community Center.
Health Officials Worry Myocarditis Concerns Will Increase Vaccine Hesitancy
WBRC Channel 6 Birmingham reported:
Local health officials worry the CDC’s latest findings linking the COVID-19 vaccine to the rare heart condition, myocarditis, could increase vaccine hesitancy among parents.
The CDC reports there are 226 confirmed cases of the heart condition, myocarditis, linked to the COVID-19 vaccine. Officials said the concern is mainly in males under the age of 30, but local health officials said it is still extremely rare and shouldn’t deter parents from vaccinating their children.
COVID: German Scientists May Know How to Prevent Vaccine Blood Clots
Scientists in Germany believe they may have worked out a way to prevent vector-based vaccines from causing rare blood clots.
German scientists believe they have worked out why vector-based vaccines like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen cause a rare type of blood clot in some people. And they think they know how to adapt the vaccine to prevent the blood clots from occurring.
Delta Plus: As U.S. Grapples With Delta variant, India Raises Alarm Over a New COVID Strain Mutated From It
Doctors and epidemiologists are closely monitoring the rise of yet another coronavirus variant that has been detected in almost a dozen countries, including the U.S. Concern that the so-called Delta Plus variant — a mutation of the now-widespread Delta strain first detected in India — could be more infectious and cause more significant health problems than other variants prompted Indian officials this week to label it a “variant of concern.”
But while the variant’s fast spread, and India’s painful experience with the original Delta strain, have raised alarm in the vast nation, epidemiologists there and abroad say much more data is needed before broader cautions are issued around the world about Delta Plus.
The Health 202: Don’t Expect Another Vaccine ‘Pause’ Over the Myocarditis Cases
The Washington Post via MSN reported:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a highly cautious approach to the coronavirus vaccines when it temporarily paused the Johnson & Johnson shots earlier this year.
But now, as the agency considers hundreds of reports of heart inflammation among young adults, there’s more will to push forward without modifying the official vaccine recommendations.
German Lab, J&J Still Hashing Out Details of COVID Vaccine Clot Collaboration
A scientist investigating rare blood clots possibly linked to AstraZeneca’s and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines has yet to start a planned collaboration with the U.S. company, he said, as talks over their research pact continue.
Dr. Andreas Greinacher, a transfusion medicine expert at Germany’s Greifswald University, has been studying clotting with low blood platelets in people who got AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
In April, when clotting developed in a few people who got J&J’s shot, Greinacher announced his lab would work with the U.S. company to explore causes. J&J, whose shot relies on technology similar to AstraZeneca’s, confirmed it was “exploring a potential collaboration.”
Biden to Push More Americans to Get COVID Vaccine in N.C. Speech + More
Biden Set to Push More Americans to Get COVID-19 Vaccine in North Carolina Speech
President Joe Biden is set to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and kick off a community canvassing event during a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday afternoon, as his administration continues its push to get American vaccinated against the virus.
While in Raleigh, the President will tour a mobile vaccination unit and meet with frontline workers and grassroots volunteers who are getting community members vaccinated, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.
First lady Jill Biden is also visiting COVID-19 vaccine sites in Florida on Thursday to encourage everyone in those communities to get vaccinated, according to the White House.
Chinese COVID Gene Data That Could Have Aided Pandemic Research Removed From NIH Database
Chinese researchers directed the U.S. National Institutes of Health to delete gene sequences of early COVID-19 cases from a key scientific database, raising concerns that scientists studying the origin of the pandemic may lack access to key pieces of information.
The NIH confirmed that it deleted the sequences after receiving a request from a Chinese researcher who had submitted them three months earlier.
13-Year-Old Michigan Boy Dies 3 Days After Second Dose of Pfizer Vaccine, Aunt Says ‘Moral, Ethical, Health’ Questions Need Answers
A 13-year-old Michigan boy died June 16, three days after he received his second dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.
Preliminary autopsy results indicated that following his vaccination, Jacob Clynick’s heart became enlarged and was surrounded by fluid — symptoms similar to those documented in other teen boys who experienced myocarditis following COVID vaccination.
‘This Week’ With Mary + Polly: Autopsy Reveals ‘Bombshell Evidence’ COVID Vaccine Does More Harm Than Good
This week, Mary Holland, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president, and Polly Tommey, co-producer of “Vaxxed,” cover the latest COVID headlines, including news that Pennsylvania State University is encouraging students and employees to share their COVID vaccine status, a critical study that asks if vaccinated children are healthier overall than unvaccinated children, and how 899 New Yorkers were given expired COVID vaccines.
Mary and Polly also discuss how some New Yorkers are being given a third COVID shot after receiving an expired vaccine, news that hundreds of healthcare workers in Indonesia got COVID despite being fully vaccinated and updated guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) stating children should not be given COVID vaccines. (One day after The Defender reported on the updated guidance, the WHO removed the statement about not vaccinating children under 18. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the WHO website page as it was before it was updated and how it looks now. The red hairline box was added to highlight the sentence that was removed.)
U.S. Had Nearly 17 Million Undiagnosed COVID Cases in Early Months of Pandemic: Study
There may have been nearly 17 million undiagnosed COVID-19 cases in the United States in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new National Institutes of Health study.
The study suggests that the prevalence of COVID-19 in the spring and summer of 2020 “far exceeded” the number of confirmed cases — especially in people who were asymptomatic.
Fauci Resisted Trump Directive to Cancel Virus Research Grant Linked to Wuhan Lab: Book
Exclusive: Anthony Fauci resisted a White House directive in April of last year to cancel a research grant for a nonprofit linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology but “reluctantly agreed” after he learned that then-President Donald Trump had explicitly ordered its cancellation, according to an exclusive excerpt from a book detailing the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fauci’s debate with other top officials on how to handle the request was detailed in “Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History,” an upcoming book from Washington Post reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta.
Claim That Chinese Team Hid Early Sars-CoV Sequences to Stymie Origin Hunt Sparks Furor
In a world starved for any fresh data to help clarify the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study claiming to have unearthed early sequences of SARS-CoV-2 that were deliberately hidden was bound to ignite a sizzling debate. The unreviewed paper, by evolutionary biologist Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, asserts that a team of Chinese researchers sampled viruses from some of the earliest COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, posted the viral sequences to a widely used U.S. database, and then a few months later had the genetic information removed to “obscure their existence.”
To some scientists, the claims reinforce suspicions that China has something to hide about the origins of the pandemic. But critics of the preprint, posted yesterday on bioRxiv, say Bloom’s detective work is much ado about nothing, because the Chinese scientists later published the viral information in a different form, and the recovered sequences add little to what’s known about SARS-CoV-2’s origins.
CDC Group Says There Isn’t Enough Data Yet to Recommend COVID Booster Shots
A group of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists said Wednesday that currently there isn’t enough data to support recommending COVID-19 booster shots to the general population but that more-vulnerable groups, such as elderly people or transplant recipients, may need an extra dose.
The COVID-19 working group of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices didn’t rule out the possibility that the general population eventually may need booster shots if immunity from the vaccines wanes or a variant reduces the effectiveness of current shots.
Moderna, Pfizer Stocks Fall After CDC Panel Flags Heart Inflammation Risk in Young Adults Receiving COVID Vaccine
Shares of COVID-19 vaccine companies Moderna Inc MRNA 3.31%, Pfizer Inc. PFE 0.22% and BioNTech SE – ADR BNTX 0.08% are moving sharply lower Wednesday.
What Happened: Administering of mRNA vaccines, the class of vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, resulted in higher observed vs. expected myocarditis/pericarditis cases in 16 to 24 years olds following dose two of mRNA vaccines, CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical Work Group said in a report.
The report was prepared for discussion by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is being held Wednesday to look into a possible link between mRNA vaccines and a heart condition.
Explained: Here Are the Vaccines China Is Using, and Why They’ve Been Linked to New Outbreaks in Countries That Used Them
More than 80 countries around the world have received COVID-19 vaccines from China as Beijing stole a march on other major powers in collecting diplomatic brownie points by offering a helping hand in the pandemic fight. However, reports now suggest that these countries are facing a surge in cases as the Chinese vaccines may not be that effective in warding off reinfection. So, what are the vaccines that China is using and which countries have been the recipients of Chinese largesse? A look.
The entire process for the hunt of vaccines against the novel coronavirus was kickstarted by Chinese scientists who shared the genetic sequence of the virus back in January 2020, days after the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in the country and weeks before the disease was designated as a pandemic by WHO.
COVID Vaccine Boosters May Be Necessary. Here’s What You Need to Know
Vaccine makers are preparing for a next possible phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout: booster doses.
While boosters are not necessary now, more information is needed to decide on whether people might eventually need booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines, but a rise in so-called breakthrough cases might offer a clue in the future, federal vaccine advisers said Wednesday.
Members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices discussed when it might be time for the agency to make recommendations for booster doses and committee members mostly agreed that more data around the benefits of boosters is needed.
Why More People Are Getting Two Different Coronavirus Vaccines
The most widely used coronavirus vaccines are designed as two-shot inoculations, and nearly everyone worldwide who has had both doses has received the same vaccine both times.
But that is changing, as more countries are allowing — and even, in some cases, encouraging — mix-and-match inoculation, with people receiving a first shot of one vaccine, and then a second shot of a different one. On Tuesday, Germany’s government revealed that Chancellor Angela Merkel had received two different shots, adding to the growing interest in the practice.
Despite Decreasing COVID Anxiety, 4 in 10 Americans Are Still Wearing Masks, Poll Shows
As cases continue to drop in the United States, Americans are less anxious about COVID-19 affecting their family members, according to a new Monmouth University poll.
Only 23% of Americans said they were “very concerned” about a family member experiencing severe illness due to COVID-19, compared with 60% in January, according to the poll published Monday.
COVID Coronavirus: New Zealanders First to Trial Chinese-Developed Vaccine
A group of New Zealanders will be the first humans to trial a new second generation COVID vaccine out of China.
About 25 young people have this week started being jabbed with the ReCov vaccine as a part of a clinical study.
The trial is being run in partnership with vaccine developer Jiangsu Rec-Biotechnology in China and New Zealand Clinical Research, which has centres in Auckland and Christchurch.
4,000 Fully Vaccinated People in Mass. Test Positive for COVID + More
Almost 4,000 Fully Vaccinated People in Massachusetts Have Tested Positive for COVID
Nearly 4,000 fully vaccinated people in Massachusetts have tested positive for COVID-19, according to recent data from the state Department of Public Health.
The number of breakthrough cases in the state has been infrequent so far — accounting for approximately one in 1,000 vaccinated people.
As of June 12, there were 3,791 coronavirus cases among the more than 3.7 million fully vaccinated individuals in Massachusetts, reports said.
Pfizer COVID Vaccine Linked to Rare Blood Clot Disorder, Israeli Researchers Say
Israeli researchers on Monday said they discovered a link between Pfizer’s COVID vaccine and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare blood disease.
Scientists with the Institute of Hematology at Shamir Medical Center said they began researching the possible link after reports of a sudden increase in TTP across Israel — four cases detected in one month compared to two or three cases per year.
‘Likely’ Link Between Heart Inflammation and Pfizer, Moderna COVID Vaccines, Says CDC Advisory Committee
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said Wednesday there is a “likely association” of “mild” heart inflammation in adolescents and young adults after vaccination with an mRNA COVID vaccine and a warning statement is warranted.
According to a report by the COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical (VaST) Work Group, the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis following vaccination with the mRNA-based shots in adolescents and young adults is notably higher after the second dose and in males.
Exclusive: Teen Suffers Severe Heart Damage After Second Pfizer Dose, Mother Says Hospital ‘Clueless’ About Reporting to VAERS
Laura Mallozzi’s 18-year-old son, David, was hospitalized with myocarditis on June 10 — two days after his second dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.
According to Mallozzi, David, from Indiana, felt pressured at work by his employer and co-workers to get vaccinated.
“They were uncomfortable that he wasn’t vaccinated,” she said. “So he got the COVID vaccine without telling me.”
COVID Delta Variant Reignites Fear — How Real Is the Threat?
According to the regional director of the European office of the World Health Organization, Hans Henri Kluge, a new coronavirus variant called “Delta” (its scientific name being B.1.617.2 and originating in India) is “poised to take hold” in Europe, which may necessitate renewed lockdowns.
In a June 10 article, The Hill reported that the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant “can spread quickly and infect those who have received one of two vaccine doses at higher rates than the fully vaccinated.”
According to Kluge, Europe is facing the same situation as they did back in the winter of 2020, when cases rapidly rose, resulting in “a devastating resurgence, lockdowns and loss of life.” “Let’s not make that mistake again,” Kluge said during the press conference.
The Heart of the Matter — COVID Vaccine Reactions in Younger Patients
As the government analyzes heart inflammation in young people after COVID-19 vaccination, scientists are calling on universities to remove their vaccine mandates, pointing out that the vaccines are potentially harmful and are not universally necessary for students.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion article, University of California-Irvine medical ethicist Aaron Kheriaty and University of Notre Dame law professor Gerard Bradley address the problems with these vaccine mandates, writing, “Schools have for decades required vaccination against infectious diseases, but these mandates are unprecedented—and unethical. Never before have colleges insisted that students or employees receive an experimental vaccine as a condition of attendance or employment.”
Most of Idaho Nursing Home Staffers Have Not Received COVID Vaccine, Federal Data Say
Jen Schneider eagerly awaited the COVID-19 vaccine. Her elderly parents live at Arbor Village at Hillcrest, a Boise assisted living facility, with medical conditions and ages that place them at high risk of severe illness. They were both fully vaccinated early this year — a relief for Schneider.
But shortly after, new fears erupted: Her 84-year-old stepfather told Schneider of unvaccinated staffers who tested positive for COVID-19. He spoke with one employee who told him she would not get vaccinated, Schneider said.
“It feels like we got them across the finish line. We got them vaccinated,” Schneider said. “But then to hear that the staff are unvaccinated — that was just a punch in the gut to be honest.”
They Relied on Chinese COVID Vaccines. Now They’re Battling Outbreaks
New York Times via Seattle Times reported:
Mongolia promised its people a “COVID-free summer.” Bahrain said there would be a “return to normal life.” The tiny island nation of the Seychelles aimed to jump-start its economy.
All three put their faith, at least in part, in easily accessible Chinese-made vaccines, which would allow them to roll out ambitious inoculation programs at a time when much of the world was going without.
But instead of freedom from the coronavirus, all three countries are now battling a surge in infections.
Why Do So Many Los Angeles Cops Refuse COVID Vaccines? Politics, Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, Chief Says
Only around half of Los Angeles Police Department employees have received at least one vaccine dose protecting them against COVID, the chief of police said Tuesday.
That rate lags far behind the general public — as of last week, 67% of L.A. County residents have had at least one dose, according to the most recent numbers from the Department of Public Health. At least 58% were fully vaccinated.
Italy’s Right Seizes on Teen’s Death Linked to Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine
The death of a teenager who developed blood clots after having the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is igniting a political storm in Italy — with most of the fire coming from the right.
At issue is the practice of regional health authorities running vaccination “open days” as a way to get rid of unused Oxford/AstraZeneca doses. Some regions took this route despite a national government recommendation that the jab should “preferably” be used only for those aged over 60, for whom the risk is lower.
Oxford University Explores Anti-Parasitic Drug Ivermectin as COVID Treatment
The University of Oxford said on Wednesday it was testing antiparasitic drug ivermectin as a possible treatment for COVID-19, as part of a British government-backed study that aims to aid recoveries in non-hospital settings.
Ivermectin resulted in a reduction of virus replication in laboratory studies, the university said, adding that a small pilot showed giving the drug early could reduce viral load and the duration of symptoms in some patients with mild COVID-19.
Officials: 1.6% Of COVID Deaths Have Occurred in Breakthrough Cases in 2021
As Illinois prepares to move into Phase 5 of its coronavirus reopening plan, state health officials say that the number of so-called “breakthrough” COVID hospitalizations and deaths remains low among those who have been fully vaccinated against the virus.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, a total of 413 fully vaccinated individuals have been hospitalized because of COVID so far in 2021. Of those patients, 106 died either of COVID or from complications related to the virus.
Those 106 deaths represent 1.63% of the total number of coronavirus deaths that the state has confirmed so far in 2021. According to IDPH data, a total of 6,524 residents have passed away due to COVID so far this year, with 23,014 confirmed deaths during the pandemic.
Reporter April Moss Says Bosses Objected to Candace Owens Interview, Vaccine Questions
April Moss, the reporter at a Detroit CBS station who was fired for saying on-air she was planning to accuse her employer of discrimination, says her complaints largely concern coronavirus vaccinations, with a bit of Candace Owens and Gayle King in the mix.
In a video released by James O’Keefe and his Project Veritas late Tuesday, Moss complains that when she suggested interviewing Candace Owens during International Women’s Month, the idea was nixed as “too political,” and she was instead assigned an interview with Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Department of Health and Human Services.
When she interviewed Khaldun, Moss asked her to clarify her statement that COVID-19 vaccines prevent the need for hospitalization, since “there have been many studies showing that people have been hospitalized after the vaccine.”