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1 in 8 Nurses Haven’t Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine or Don’t Plan to Get One, a New Survey Finds, Setting Up the Potential for More Staffing Shortages at Hospitals
As coronavirus hospitalizations surge again because of the Delta variant, America’s hospitals are dealing with another obstacle: One in eight nurses hasn’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine or doesn’t plan to get one, a new survey found, potentially squeezing the already low supply of health workers.
The American Nurses Association surveyed nearly 5,000 nurses across the US in order to learn more about the questions and concerns they had about the vaccine. Twenty-five% of the nurses surveyed said they didn’t trust or were unsure that the coronavirus vaccines available were safe and effective. Out of those who didn’t intend to get vaccinated, 84% said there was not enough information about the long-term effects of the vaccine.
Is Vaccine Immunity Waning?
Late last month, researchers in Israel released some alarming new COVID-19 data. The data showed that many Israelis who had been among the first to receive the vaccine were nonetheless catching the COVID virus. Israelis who had been vaccinated later were not getting infected as often.
The study led to headlines around the world about waning immunity — the idea that vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. In the U.S., the Israeli study accelerated a debate about vaccine booster shots and played a role in the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that all Americans receive a booster shot eight months after their second dose.
But the real story about waning immunity is more complex than the initial headlines suggested. Some scientists believe that the Israeli data was misleading and that U.S. policy on booster shots has gotten ahead of the facts. The evidence for waning immunity is murky, these scientists say, and booster shots may not have a big effect.
Gottlieb Says COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Authorized for Kids by Early Winter
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a member of Pfizer‘s board of directors, predicted Sunday that the drug company‘s COVID-19 vaccine could be available to children younger than 12 by early winter, a crucial development in the nation’s vaccination efforts as kids return to the classrooms.
In an interview with “Face the Nation,” Gottlieb said Pfizer will be in a position to file data with the FDA at some point next month, and then submit its application to expand its emergency use authorization for its vaccine in children 5 years and older as early as October.
“The agency will be in a position to make an authorization, I believe, at some point, late fall, probably early winter,” Gottlieb told “Face the Nation. “And probably they’re going to base their decision on what the circumstances around the country, what the urgency is to get to a vaccine for kids.”
New Zealand Confirms First Death Linked to Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Linked to Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
New Zealand on Monday reported the country’s first death linked to the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer.
The ministry of health said the woman died from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle and a known side effect of the Pfizer shot.
The nation’s independent COVID-19 vaccine monitor told the ministry that it considers the cause of the heart inflation to “probably” be due to the vaccine, but added that “there were other medical issues occurring at the same time, which may have influenced the outcome following vaccination.”
The case has been referred to the coroner’s office, which has yet to determine the cause of death, it said, adding that it will not further comment on the case until then.
Two Die in Japan Days After Receiving Moderna Shots Suspended Over Contamination Risk
Two people have died in Japan days after receiving doses from a batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines whose use was suspended Thursday following concerns over a contamination risk, the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Saturday.
A causal link between the vaccine and the deaths has not yet been established, according to the ministry and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, which distributes the Moderna vaccine in Japan.
Japan suspended the use of about 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine on August 26 as a precaution after foreign substances were found in some vials.
Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, and Experts Are Trying to Figure Out Exactly What That Means
Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported:
U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle awoke at 4 a.m. Wednesday at his Washington, D.C., apartment with fever and chills, fearing the worst.
Later, he tested positive for COVID-19 despite having been fully vaccinated against the disease in January. Now he’s quarantined until Sept. 1, thankful he got the two-shot Pfizer vaccine, even though he got sick.
“My lungs are clear, and I’m able to breathe easily, so I feel protected since I’ve been vaccinated,” the 68-year-old lawmaker said Thursday. “The vaccine only protects you so you don’t end up on a ventilator or dead.”
Anxiety Running High as COVID-19 Threatens to Disrupt Schools — Again
Students across the U.S. are starting another school year under a cloud of uncertainty as the delta strain of the coronavirus rips through the country, threatening to disrupt plans for a second consecutive academic year.
The pandemic’s unpredictability has sparked high anxiety among children and teachers alike as they attempt to return to in-person school for the first time since March 2020, with lingering fears that COVID-19 could jeopardize educational routines again.
The back-to-school season has left children and families with mixed feelings. Many are excited to return to in-person class after months of virtual learning, while some adults are keeping a wary eye on rising pediatric cases and hospitalizations.
Israel Doubles Down on Booster Shots as Daily COVID Cases Set New Record
Israeli lawmakers are keen to avoid another lockdown after overseeing one of the world’s fastest vaccination drives. New daily coronavirus infections, however, have just climbed to record levels.
While many nations were grappling with the rapid spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, COVID-19 transmission in Israel declined sharply as the country vaccinated more than half of its population in around two months.
The country had one of the fastest vaccination rollout programs in the world, and by early June many of its coronavirus restrictions were lifted as new cases fell dramatically. But just days later, masks were reimposed as new infection numbers began to creep upward.
‘Don’t Do It’: Dr. Fauci Warns Against Using Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
Federal health agencies and officials across the country are warning people not to take ivermectin — a drug used to treat parasites in livestock — to treat and prevent COVID-19.
According to The Boston Globe, poison control centers in at least a dozen states have reported an increase in calls related to ivermectin ingestion. In an interview with CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci said there’s no evidence it works, and that it’s more likely to cause harm.
“Don’t do it; there’s no evidence whatsoever that it works and it could potentially have toxicity… with people who have gone to poison control centers because they’ve taken the drug at a ridiculous dose and wind up getting sick,” he said. “There’s no clinical evidence that indicates that this works.”
Vaccine Refusers Don’t Get to Dictate Terms Anymore
For months, institutions and companies have been drafting plans to aggressively promote vaccination or require it outright, and last week the FDA gave them license to click the “send” button. The same day the agency granted full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, New York City’s public school system announced that its teachers and other employees will be required to get shots.
The next day, Louisiana State University made a similar demand of its students and faculty. Within about 24 hours of the FDA move, other major employers, such as Chevron and Goldman Sachs, rolled out new vaccine mandates. In a novel twist, Delta Air Lines announced that it would impose a $200-a-month health-insurance surcharge on unvaccinated employees. Regardless of the reasons for their hesitancy, unvaccinated employees will literally have to pay for it.
