Iz Gateway And Iz Data Clearing House
So how will the snowbird that got her first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine in New York make sure the pharmacy in Florida gives her the right second shot? Thats where the IZ Gateway, a centralized exchange for patient-level data comes in.
I describe it as a post office, said Coyle. States will mail their letters, if you will, and its got to get to the right spot.
The IZ Gateway is that technology tool that the Florida immunization registry uses to send a message to New York to say, Hey what does this person get?
IZ is public-health shorthand for immunization. Hosted by the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the IZ Gateway passes patient information on to the CDCs IZ Data Clearing House, which draws in patient information from additional sources like pharmacies and federal agencies such as the Bureau of Prisons.
How Many Shots Do I Need
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses, given about three to four weeks apart. It is very important that you get both doses at the recommended times. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose. The CDC also recommends that people ages 12 and over get a booster shot two to six months after their initial dose, depending on which brand they initially received.
Vaccine booster shots are authorized for the following groups of people:
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Those 12 and older who received their second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at least five months ago
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Those 18 and older who received their second dose of the Moderna vaccine at least five months ago
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Those 18 and older who received their one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago
In addition, people who are age 5 and older and who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are eligible for an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine as part of their primary series. This includes many people who are getting treatment for cancer, have had organ transplants, or receive treatments that weaken their immune systems. In addition, if you have received a bone marrow transplant or CAR-T therapy, you may need to repeat your vaccine series if you were vaccinated before receiving these treatments.
What’s In The Covid Vaccines
Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine uses bits of genetic code to cause an immune response. These are called mRNA vaccines.
They do not alter human cells, but merely present the body with instructions to build immunity to Covid.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine uses a harmless virus altered to look a lot more like the pandemic virus.
Vaccines sometimes contain other ingredients, like aluminium, that make the vaccine stable or more effective.
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What Role Do Trials Have
If the safety data from the labs is good, scientists can check the vaccine or treatment is effective.
All of the work and findings are checked and verified independently.
The Covid vaccine trials happened at breakneck speed, but they didn’t skip any steps – they were able to move faster because so many people were involved and other projects were put aside.
Queen Elizabeth Cancels Virtual Events For The Second Time Since Testing Positive
Queen Elizabeth II postponed her daily virtual engagements on Thursday, Buckingham Palace said, the second time she has taken such a step since she tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.
Several people at Windsor Castle, where the 95-year-old queen has spent most of her time in virtual quarantine during the pandemic, were infected this week, according to a palace official. It is not known who exposed her to the virus.
The queen tested positive on Sunday, after meeting at Windsor Castle with her son and heir Prince Charles earlier this month. Charles, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time and went into isolation.
On Thursday, the palace did not specify why the queens meetings were called off, so it was unclear whether the move reflected lingering Covid symptoms. On Tuesday, the palace said she had canceled virtual events because she was still experiencing mild coldlike symptoms.
The palace said the queen would be continuing with light duties, and that she had no other engagements scheduled this week. It did not say when Thursdays virtual engagements would be rescheduled.
But the queen did have her regularly scheduled call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, the palace said. Between her coronavirus recovery and the crisis unfolding in Ukraine there had been some doubt about whether their phone meeting would go ahead.
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How To Locate Your Vaccination Records
Unfortunately, there is no national organization that maintains vaccination records. The CDC does not have this information. The records that exist are the ones you or your parents were given when the vaccines were administered and the ones in the medical record of the doctor or clinic where the vaccines were given.
Talk with your doctor about the best options to make sure you are up-to-date on vaccines.
If you need official copies of vaccination records, or if you need to update your personal records, there are several places you can look:
- Ask parents or other caregivers if they have records of your childhood immunizations.
- Try looking through baby books or other saved documents from your childhood.
- Check with your high school and/or college health services for dates of any immunizations. Keep in mind that generally records are kept only for 1-2 years after students leave the system.
- Check with previous employers that may have required immunizations.
- Check with your doctor or public health clinic. Keep in mind that vaccination records are maintained at doctors office for a limited number of years.
- Contact your states health department. Some states have registries that include adult vaccines.
Will Canadian Snowbirds Have To Fly Home For A Shot
According to the Canadian Snowbirds Association, for those snowbirds currently in Florida, the state’s vaccination plan states that residency will not determine access to the COVID-19 vaccine. This means that non-residents, including Canadians who live in Florida part of the year, will be able to receive the vaccine in the state when it is more readily available in the coming months.
The same applies for Canadian snowbirds in Arizona.
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Will Getting The Vaccine Negatively Impact A Persons Immigration Status
No. The federal government has confirmed that it will not consider COVID-19 treatment as part of a determination of whether someone is a public charge or as it relates to the public benefit condition for certain individuals seeking an extension of stay or change of status, even if the vaccine is paid for by Medicaid or other federal funds.
What Has Pfizer Said About A Fourth Booster Shot To Protect Against Covid
“I think we will need the fourth dose,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC in December. Bourla initially projected a waiting period of a full year after a third dose but, with omicron, “we may need it faster,” he said.
“There are vaccines like polio one dose is enough,” Bourla said back in April. “And there are vaccines, like flu, that you need every year. The COVID-19 virus looks more like the influenza virus than the poliovirus.”Executives said the companies are experimenting with an omicron-specific version of Pfizer-BioNTech’s current vaccine, Comirnaty, that could be ready by March, pending regulatory approval. They’re also looking at a multivariate vaccine that could protect against other strains, such the original alpha variant and more virulent delta strain.
Health officials are increasingly leaning toward a fourth COVID-19 booster shot, potentially in fall 2022.
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What Businesses Already Are Required To Verify Vaccine Status
Existing L.A. County regulations require proof of COVID-19 vaccination at indoor bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries, nightclubs and lounges.
Broader rules are in place in the city of L.A., covering additional indoor retail businesses and venues including restaurants, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, coffee shops, gyms, museums, bowling alleys and performance venues.
How Do The Vaccines Protect Me From Covid
Getting vaccinatedincluding booster shotsis the best way to protect yourself from hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
Vaccines expose us to pieces of either a bacteria or a virus. Our bodys immune system responds by making antibodies that fight against those pieces. The goal is that if we are exposed to the real bacteria or virus in the future, our body will recognize it and use the antibodies to fight it off.
The mRNA vaccinesmade by Pfizer and Modernaare the most effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19. They do not contain any part of the COVID-19 virus. They contain instructions for your cells to follow. These instructions tell your cells to make a piece of the COVID-19 virus, called the spike protein. Once your cells make the spike protein, your immune system will make antibodies that fight the COVID-19 virus and protect you from getting sick.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine also instructs your cells to make the COVID-19 spike protein themselves. Rather than using mRNA technology, however, it delivers those instructions by using a harmless adenovirus, similar to a common cold virus. Remember: if you have received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you should follow up with an mRNA booster two months later.
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Should People Who Have Had Covid
Yes, people who have previously had COVID-19 should be vaccinated. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possiblealthough rarethat you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again.
Myocarditis In Teens: Does The Covid Vaccine Cause Heart Problems
Since April 2021, there have been more than a thousand reports of cases of myocarditis and pericarditis happening after some COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Seek medical attention right away if, within a few days of receiving the second injection of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccination , you or your child experiences chest pain, shortness of breath, or feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat.
Considering the hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses that have been administered, these reports are very rare. The problem occurs more often in adolescents and young adults, and in males. The myocarditis or pericarditis in almost all cases is mild and resolves quickly.
Dr. Messina notes that myocarditis is a much more common complication of having COVID-19 than from getting vaccinated.
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Canada Approves Medicago’s Plant
Health Canada has approved Medicago’s COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first authorization of the plant-based shot anywhere in the world.
The two-dose vaccine, which uses an adjuvant from GlaxoSmithKline to boost efficacy, has been approved for people aged 18 to 64, the health agency said.
The shot was 75.3% effective against the Delta variant of the virus in a late-stage study.
The vaccine also showed overall efficacy of 71% against all variants of the coronavirus except Omicron, which was not in circulation when the study was underway.
The shot is based on a technology that uses plants to produce virus-like particles that mimic the structure of the coronavirus but contain no genetic material from it.
Who Shouldn’t Get A Vaccine Yet
The national advisory committee has recommended that certain populations not be vaccinated until more evidence is gathered about potential risks. They include those who:
- Are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment.
- Have an autoimmune condition.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
However, a COVID-19 vaccine may be offered to individuals if a risk assessment deems that the benefits outweigh the potential risks.
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What If I’ve Already Had Covid
People will still be offered the jab even if they have had Covid-19 in the past.
That’s because natural immunity may not be long-lived and immunisation could offer more protection.
Guidance says there are no safety concerns about giving jabs to people with “long” Covid either. But people who are currently unwell with Covid-19 should not receive the vaccine until they have recovered.
If I Received A Covid
- If you got a full series of a COVID-19 vaccine that is approved or authorized by the FDA or listed by the WHO:
- You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final dose.
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Is The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Safe
All COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective they provide high levels of protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. There is a risk of rare but serious conditions involving blood clots and low platelets, or Guillain Barré syndrome , in people after receiving the J& J COVID-19 Vaccine. The chance of either of these happening is very low, and the benefits of vaccination outweigh these risks. Review the FDAs Johnson & Johnson fact sheet for more information.
Household Pulse Survey Shows Many Dont Trust Covid Vaccine Worry About Side Effects
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as of December 14, roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but 15% remained unvaccinated.
Who are the unvaccinated and why are they choosing not to get a COVID vaccine?
About 42% reported that they dont trust the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the U.S. Census Bureaus newest phase of the experimental Household Pulse Survey , those who were unvaccinated against COVID in early December 2021, reported a variety of reasons why.
“Vaccinated” here refers to adults who have received at least one dose of any COVID vaccine, and “unvaccinated” refers to adults who have not received any.
Unvaccinated adults who responded to the survey could select more than one reason:
- About half reported that they were concerned about possible side effects of the vaccine.
- About 42% reported that they dont trust the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Less than 10% reported that they hadnt gotten the vaccine because their doctor had not recommended it.
- About 2% reported not getting the vaccine because of difficulty obtaining it.
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Racial And Ethnic Differences
The share of unvaccinated non-Hispanic White adults was not different from the share who were vaccinated. The same was true for Hispanic adults.
But non-Hispanic Black adults were slightly more represented among the unvaccinated than the vaccinated , a small but statistically significant difference.
There were notable differences for the Asian population, however: 6% of the vaccinated were non-Hispanic Asian but only 1% of the unvaccinated were non-Hispanic Asian.
Who Are Booster Doses Recommended For
Everyone age 16 and older should get a booster dose. This is very important if you are age 65 and older or if you have underlying medical conditions.
When you should get your booster dose depends on which vaccine you originally received . Talk to your doctor if you have questions about what vaccine to get as a booster.
People who got the J& J vaccine should get a booster dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, or J& J. The booster should be given at least 2 months after their initial J& J dose. This includes if you are immunocompromised.
People who got Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should get a booster dose at least 6 months after completing their primary series. People age 18 and over can get any of the 3 vaccines as a booster. People 16 and 17 can only get a Pfizer booster.
Note: Booster doses are also strongly recommended for people who are considered fully vaccinated with a non-FDA authorized/approved vaccine. However, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine authorized as a booster for people who did not receive an FDA authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine series. They should get a Pfizer vaccine booster least 6 months after their completing their primary series.
For more information see Booster Doses.
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Opiniondon’t Throw Out Your Covid Masks
Firstly, vaccines do not confer 100 percent immunity vaccines dont mean that nobody dies from the targeted illness. Differences in the degree of exposure, individual medical problems and viral transformation into variant viruses all affect how much immunity a vaccine provides. Vaccines against influenza have been available since 1945. Each year, 30,000 to 40,000 people die from influenza in the United States. At best, the Covid-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness by 95 percent. Masks fill in the gaps left by the limitations of vaccines.
The Current Guidance Remains Incomplete But Updates Should Be Forthcoming
As with the CDCs guidance, the EEOCs December guidance also fails to provide specific guidance around vaccination inquiries. While the EEOC permits employers to obtain a proof of receipt of vaccination, the only additional guidance the EEOC offers is to warn employers against requesting medical information during the verification process to avoid triggering an ADA or GINA violation. While the EEOC guidance does not discuss the permissibility of treating vaccinated workers differently than unvaccinated workers, it reminds employers implementing a mandatory vaccination policy that they must offer reasonable accommodations to workers who remain unvaccinated for disability or religious-based reasons. OSHAs does not address vaccine verification, but recommends employers require vaccinated and unvaccinated workers to follow the customary COVID-19 protective measures because, it says, the data on COVID-19 transmissibility is not fully understood. But both agencies have updated their websites to indicate that they are considering the impact of the CDCs recent updated guidance.
Employers Can Take Certain Steps to Verify Vaccination
Employers considering following the CDCs guidance again, in those jurisdictions that permit an individual to go maskless in the workplace, something that appears to be changing on a daily basis as reflected in the recent announcement from New York should consider designing their vaccine verification policies to address the following:
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