COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Against Infection Lower and Slower in People with Liver Disease

A study shows for the first time that people with cirrhosis who receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccination gain important protection against more serious outcomes like hospitalization and death. At the same time, however, the vaccines offer less protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and take longer to take effect in this population.

Phage Display-Based Gene Delivery: A Viable Platform Technology for COVID-19 Vaccine Design and Development

Researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP) at Rice University in Houston, Texas, have demonstrated that a technology with favorable biological attributes known as phage display could be a viable platform for the development of new vaccines to protect against COVID-19.

mRNA Vaccines Slash Risk of COVID-19 Infection by 91 Percent in Fully Vaccinated People

People who receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are up to 91 percent less likely to develop the disease than those who are unvaccinated, according to a new nationwide study of eight sites, including Salt Lake City. For those few vaccinated people who do still get an infection, or “breakthrough” cases, the study suggests that vaccines reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and shorten its duration.

GW Experts Available to Discuss Returning to the Office This Fall

WASHINGTON (June 30, 2021) — Now that COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States have gone way up, many employers are calling workers back to the office. However, surveys show that many employees enjoy working from home and do not want…

Data and safety review board reports how it monitored the COVID-19 vaccine trials

Evaluation of three vaccine candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic fell to 12 experts of the federally appointed COVID-19 Vaccine Data and Safety Monitoring Board. This team has now taken the unusual step of publishing details of their review process in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

FSU expert available to discuss vaccine hesitancy

By: Bill Wellock | Published: June 2, 2021 | 1:16 pm | SHARE: Rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is continuing, but some people are hesitant to get vaccinated against the disease.Dr. Christie Alexander, an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health in the Florida State University College of Medicine and a past president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, recently participated in an expert panel about how to win over vaccine skeptics.

Why are some Covid-19 vaccines working better for men than women?

If there’s one take-home message for the general public about the coronavirus vaccines approved in the U.S., it’s that they are remarkably effective. But Michigan State University’s Morteza Mahmoudi is raising awareness about an important subtlety: The vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech appear to work slightly better for men than for women.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Waiving COVID-19 Vaccine Patents to Increase Global Vaccinations

Rutgers global health expert Richard Marlink is available to discuss the waiving of vaccine patents to help increase global vaccination rates in less developed countries — a move the Biden administration recently supported ahead of negotiations with the World Trade…

Who Has a Right to Ask if You’re Vaccinated?

COVID-19 vaccination has become a lightning rod for controversy over “vaccine passports” and claims of violations of medical privacy or individual rights. But as two experts explain, there’s a long history of efforts to protect the health of others by requiring individuals to provide proof of vaccination or of a past infection, or seek a medical or religious exception.

Leading US hospitals team up to promote COVID-19 vaccination

A coalition of 60 top hospitals and health care institutions have joined forces in a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and return to normal activities.

Patients of women doctors more likely to be vaccinated against the flu

Elderly patients of female physicians are more likely than those of male physicians in the same outpatient practice to be vaccinated against the flu. This trend holds for all racial and ethnic groups studied and could provide insight into improving vaccination rates for influenza, COVID-19 and other illnesses

6 important things to know about your COVID-19 vaccine card

Everyone who gets vaccinated for COVID-19 in the U.S. receives a vaccine card. Sarah Lynch, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Binghamton University, State University of New York, offers insight into why vaccine cards are important and why you…

Tip Sheet: New COVID-19 transmission study, returning to school, video of biorepositories — and a new weight loss study

SEATTLE —  April 2, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news. April is National Minority Health Month, with a focus on the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color. See more details below on related Fred Hutch programming.Save the date for our monthly public science event, “Science Says” on Tuesday, April 27.

Twenty-four States Have Implemented Temporary, Emergency Policies Expanding the COVID-19 Vaccinator Workforce Beyond Traditional Clinical Personnel

The vaccinator workforce is an essential component of the COVID-19 response and recovery. However, since administration of the two FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines began in December 2020, the rollout has encountered several challenges and failed to meet initial targets for total vaccinations provided. The current health workforce has been identified as one possible bottleneck for distributing the vaccine, prompting a general call to authorize as many healthcare professionals to administer the vaccine as possible. To track this fast-moving issue at the state level, researchers at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity have created an interactive tool that displays temporary, emergency state policies authorizing specific professions to provide the COVID-19 vaccine.

Your Questions, Answered: Examining Mistrust and Vaccines

On Feb. 22, the University of California San Diego brought together a panel of industry experts and esteemed faculty to kick off the university’s “Evenings of Nonconventional Wisdom” online event series hosted in celebration of the university’s 60th anniversary. To continue the timely dialogue around COVID-19 and vaccines, we reached back out to a few of the event panelists plus a leader from UC San Diego’s Return to Learn Program Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley to answer questions submitted by the audience.

‘Immunity passports’ for COVID-19 must be distributed equitably

Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 i.e. “immunity passports” promise a way to return to a more normal social and economic life, but the benefits they generate will be dispersed unequally, and it is not obvious that they are ethical, according…

An epidemiologist breaks down the numbers on Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine

While the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine that has now received emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a lower efficacy rate compared to other previously approved vaccines, an expert with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) explains why it is still a significant step toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why COVID-19 vaccine distribution methods fall short and 3 ways to improve them

Several proposals have emerged on how to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, but they fall short in ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly. A team including Binghamton University professor Nicole Hassoun suggests three ways to more fairly and effectively distribute the vaccine so that people in poor countries get the vaccine as soon as possible.