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Amazon Joins Startup to Open Popup COVID Vaccine Sites in NYC, LA
Health tech startup Carbon Health and Amazon Studios opened a project on Thursday to vaccinate at-risk Americans against COVID-19 in New York City, and later Los Angeles.
The partners are opening popup vaccination sites in the United States’ two largest cities in an effort to serve people from “under-vaccinated” neighborhoods.
Hundreds Injured by COVID Vaccines Turn to GoFundMe for Help With Expenses
High school senior Emma Burkey received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine April 1. Within two weeks she was placed in an induced coma. She underwent three brain surgeries after experiencing seizures and developing blood clots in her brain.
When Burkey was well enough to be transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, her first round of bills totaled $513,000.
Friends of the 18-year-old’s family turned to GoFundMe to raise money to help cover Burkey’s mounting medical costs. As of July 7, more than $59,000 had been raised.
Number of Reported COVID Cases Among Fully Vaccinated Continues to Climb
Reports of COVID breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated people continue to rise — as of June 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 4,686 breakthrough cases resulting in death and hospitalization.
Nearly 30 people in Louisiana who were fully vaccinated against COVID died from the virus, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).
Dr. Joseph Kanter, LDH state health officer and medical director, said 27 people between the ages of 28 and 93 died with COVID more than two weeks after being fully vaccinated.
Maryland Offering Scholarships to Youth Who Get Vaccinated
Maryland officials are turning to another financial incentive to try to further boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in the state.
Starting Monday, state residents ages 12 to 17 who are vaccinated or get inoculated against COVID-19 will have a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday during a briefing at the University of Maryland’s flagship campus at College Park.
There will be 20 drawings through Labor Day using a random number generator to select winners for a total of $1 million in scholarship prizes.
Michigan Auditor to Review Accuracy of Nursing Home Deaths
State auditors will review the accuracy of the number of coronavirus deaths linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Michigan.
Auditor General Doug Ringler agreed last week to conduct a comprehensive study at the request of House Oversight Committee Chairman Steven Johnson of Wayland. Johnson is among Republican lawmakers who have questioned if there is an undercount and who have criticized Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for allowing hospitalized COVID-19 patients no longer needing acute care, but still in quarantine, to return to designated units in nursing homes as some hospitals faced surging cases.
With Delta Variant Spreading, Experts Split on Whether to Test Vaccinated People for COVID
The spread of the Delta coronavirus variant in the United States has some experts questioning whether it should be time to start testing even vaccinated people for the virus.
Although health officials have said evidence shows vaccinated people are unlikely to spread the virus to others, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says it may be important to watch to make sure the more transmissible Delta variant does not evade the effects of vaccines.
Dr. Fauci States a Big Frustration About People Not Receiving COVID Vaccine
Dr. Anthony Fauci called out the attempted politicization in some conservative circles of COVID-19 vaccines, telling people who are hesitant to receive the shot to just “get over this political statement.”
“This is not complicated,” the nation’s top infectious diseases expert told MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes on Thursday, as the United States continues to experience a slowdown in vaccination rates and the rise of the new, more transmissible, Delta variant of the virus.
“We’re not asking anybody to make any political statement one way or another,” Fauci explained. “We’re saying, ‘Try and save your life, and that of your family, and that of the community.’”
Six Vaccinated Countries Have High COVID Infection Rates. Five of Them Rely On Chinese Vaccines
Among countries with both high vaccination rates and high rates of COVID-19 infection, most rely on vaccines made in China, a CNBC analysis shows.
The findings come as the efficacy of Chinese vaccines faces growing scrutiny, compounded by a lack of data on their protection against the more transmissible delta variant. CNBC found that weekly COVID cases, adjusted for population, have remained elevated in at least six of the world’s most inoculated countries — and five of them rely on vaccines from China.
UK Man Left Paralyzed, Fighting for Life After Getting AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine
International Business Times reported:
A family man in the United Kingdom was left paralyzed and is now fighting for his life in what is believed to be a side effect of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Anthony Shingler, a 57-year-old dad of two who worked as a security manager, is currently confined in the hospital and hooked on a ventilator three months after receiving the AstraZeneca jab.
The 57-year-old was “fit and healthy” before receiving the jab. But Nicola, his wife, said he deteriorated quickly after getting the first dose. “I’m adamant it was the vaccine, he was fine until he had it. They’ve found no other trigger,” Nicola told StokeonTrent Live. “It’s a nightmare to watch him. I can’t stand seeing my husband in so much pain every day.”
Nine in 10 Adults in Most of UK Likely to Have COVID Antibodies
A round nine in 10 adults in most parts of the UK are now likely to have COVID-19 antibodies, new figures suggest.
The estimates range from 87.2% in Northern Ireland to 89.8% in England and 91.8% in Wales. In Scotland the estimate is lower and is closer to eight in 10 adults, or 84.7%.
The presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated.
