Tag: Vaccine

Tip Sheet: Diversity in vaccine clinical trials, behind-the-scenes look at COVID-19 biostats, new cell therapy approved, plus meet ‘Megasphaera hutchinsoni’

sarah JonasFeature Tip Sheet

SEATTLE —  March 2, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news with links for additional background and media contacts.March is Women’s History month. We’d like to honor Dottie Thomas, known as the “mother of bone marrow transplantation.” She spent years working as a research partner alongside her husband, Nobel Prize-winning Dr.

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

sarah JonasResearch Results

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.

Vaccine Prioritization Dashboard Launches @JohnsHopkins for People with Disabilities

sarah JonasFeature

A new Johns Hopkins data tool helps people with disabilities determine when they qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine and compares how different states prioritize the disability community in the vaccine rollout.

Created by researchers, students and advocates who themselves are disabled and have personally experienced how inequitable and inaccessible the pandemic response has been, the COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization Dashboard launched to not only help the disability community get vaccinated, but also to arm policymakers with data to improve the system.

Cancer Organizations Urge Priority Access to COVID-19 Vaccine for Cancer Patients, Survivors

sarah JonasPolicy

130 cancer centers and other cancer organizations sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, key members of his administration, and leading state public health officials to strongly encourage prioritizing patients with cancer and survivors of cancer when administering lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines.

It’s morally wrong for rich nations to hoard COVID-19 vaccine

sarah JonasResearch Results

Rich nations should not engage in “vaccine nationalism” and keep the COVID-19 vaccine to themselves when poorer nations need them, according to Nicole Hassoun, professor of philosophy at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Systemic Racism & Health Care: Building Black Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccine

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

The Tuskegee syphilis experiment. The secret sale of Henrietta Lacks cancer research cells. Jim Crow laws affecting African Americans’ ability to receive medical treatment. For weeks, it’s been hard to hear over the clamor of millions of Americans lining up for COVID-19 vaccines. But not everyone has been enthused — namely, large swaths of minority communities, which comprise the populations disproportionately impacted by the virus, but whose hesitance is largely fueled by the country’s racist medical past.

Research finds people diagnosed with HIV in New York State were more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19

sarah JonasResearch Results

New research out of the University at Albany and the AIDS Institute at the New York State Department of Health found that through the middle of 2020, people diagnosed with HIV infection were significantly more likely to contract, be hospitalized with and die from COVID-19.

Pharmacies to play major role in distributing COVID-19 vaccine, sharing information

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Your corner pharmacy will play a big role in delivering the COVID-19 vaccine and sharing important info with the public, according to Sarah Lynch, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Binghamton University, State University of New York. A key…

Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19

sarah JonasResearch Results

Vaccines take time to work. After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, it takes a while for the immune system to fully respond and provide protection from the virus. For the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, it takes up to two weeks after the second shot to become appropriately protected.

Johns Hopkins Medicine Hosts Briefing on COVID-19: One Year Later

sarah JonasAnnouncement

A Woman’s Journey will host a 90-minute virtual event, “COVID-19: One Year Later,” during which Johns Hopkins Medicine experts will address important issues related to COVID-19 such as new and available treatments and vaccine safety and efficacy. Registrants will learn about the continued urgency of public health measures to mitigate the pandemic despite the introduction of vaccines, what distinguishes the leading vaccine contenders in their methodology, safety and effectiveness, and symptoms and insights surrounding lingering deficits in physical function, mental health and cognition among COVID-19 survivors.

AACI Partners With Federal Vaccine Panel to Promote Cancer Patient Health

sarah JonasAnnouncement

AACI was invited last summer to join the Vaccine Consultation Panel (VCP) alongside other leading health and science organizations in the U.S. Through the VCP, AACI has received periodic updates on the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and participated in efforts to educate the cancer center community and the general public on the importance of widespread vaccine uptake.

Pharmacists will play major role in COVID-19 vaccinations, but it will be challenging

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Pharmacists will play an important role in issuing the COVID-19 vaccine to the public, but that comes with challenges, said Sarah Lynch, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Binghamton University, State University of New York. “Pharmacists have been playing…

Researchers discover new way to deliver DNA-based therapies for diseases

sarah JonasResearch Results

University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have created a new polymer to deliver DNA and RNA-based therapies for diseases. For the first time in the industry, the researchers were able to see exactly how polymers interact with human cells when delivering medicines into the body. This discovery opens the door for more widespread use of polymers in applications like gene therapy and vaccine development.

George Washington University Public Health/Medical Experts Available for Media Interviews on COVID-19 Vaccine

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

On Dec. 17, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel is expected to review the data on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for approval. Researchers at the George Washington University led one of the 100 clinical sites testing…

Memorial Hermann First in Houston to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine to Frontline Healthcare Workers

sarah JonasFeature

Key Takeaways:
• Memorial Hermann is proud to be part of history in the making, as the first health systems across the country begin receiving and administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to their frontline healthcare workers
• Memorial Hermann’s first vaccine was given to Robert Luckey, a nurse in the COVID ICU at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
• To date, Memorial Hermann has treated more than 12,000 COVID-19 positive patients in its hospitals, more than any other health system in the Greater Houston area
• The system expects to receive 16,575 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the first allotment, more than any other health system in the Greater Houston area
• It’s important that everyone continues practicing the three “W’s”: wearing a mask, watching social distance and washing hands frequently

AACI Applauds Approval of COVID-19 Vaccine, Supports Widespread Vaccination Efforts

sarah JonasPolicy

The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) commends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its swift action to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Early Access to COVID-19 Vaccination Essential for Anesthesia Professionals, ASA Says

sarah JonasPolicy

With the first round of COVID-19 vaccines being deployed to states across the country, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) advises that anesthesia professionals, and other frontline health care workers, be prioritized to receive early access to the COVID-19 vaccination given their high risk of exposure to the virus in operating rooms, labor and delivery suites, procedural areas, emergency rooms and critical care units.

Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on Covid-19

sarah JonasResearch Tip Sheet

Vaccines that prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are being rolled out around the world. Below are five things about vaccine science of which you may be unaware. Additionally, here is a video about how vaccines are determined safe.

Pre-existing influenza immunity impacts antibody quality following seasonal infection and vaccination

sarah JonasResearch Results

New research by scientists at the University of Chicago suggests a person’s antibody response to influenza viruses is dramatically shaped by their pre-existing immunity, and that the quality of this response differs in individuals who are vaccinated or naturally infected. Their results highlight the importance of receiving the annual flu vaccine to induce the most protective immune response.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Rich Countries Hoarding Coronavirus Vaccine

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Richard Marlink, director of the Rutgers Global Health Institute, is available to discuss the global health impact of coronavirus vaccine hoarding by rich countries and how such measures may derail worldwide efforts in fighting the pandemic. “Hoarding of vaccines by…

Penn Medicine mRNA Vaccine Technology Pioneer and Health Policy Experts Join Together to Discuss COVID Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization Plans

sarah JonasFeature

**All experts also available for interviews prior to event and EUA Advisory Committee Meetings**

**B-roll and lab photos of Drs. Weissman and Wherry shot this month, headshots of the others, and photos from Penn’s Moderna vaccine trial participants getting vaccinated, are available for use**

Free Webinar—Next Steps in Eradicating COVID-19: Emerging Treatments and Vaccines

sarah JonasAnnouncement

In this free STS webinar, Next Steps in Eradicating COVID-19: Emerging Treatments and Vaccines, STS President Dr. Joseph Dearani will talk with infectious disease experts from the White House Coronavirus Task Force and Mayo Clinic about promising new treatments and preventive measures.

UNLV Immunologist on the Differences Between Two Leading COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Millions around the world have waited for news about a COVID-19 vaccine, regarding it as the beginning of the end for the global pandemic and a herald for the eventual return to “normal life.” Recent announcements from pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna that their respective late-stage vaccine trials have shown a 90% or better effectiveness rate have received international applause, excitement furthered with estimates that doses could be ready as early as December.

Over half of adults over 50 say they’ll get vaccinated against COVID-19, but many will want to wait, poll finds

sarah JonasResearch Results

A new poll of adults ages 50 to 80 suggests that achieving the widespread vaccination against COVID-19 needed to protect this high-risk group and end the pandemic will be an uphill climb, and require clear, transparent communication from health providers and others.

Experts Issue Recommendations for Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine

sarah JonasResearch Results

A group of vaccine experts led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has published recommendations to ensure equitable distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. The framework, published today in Heath Affairs, focuses on five principles the authors believe would strengthen the current immunization delivery system to ensure equitable access to everyone for whom vaccination is recommended.

Rutgers Infectious Disease Expert Available to Discuss Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

Rutgers’ principal investigator for the Moderna phase 3 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is available to discuss the drugmaker’s vaccine, which the company has announced is 94.5 percent effective. Moderna intends to seek an emergency…

Pfizer, Moderna news is promising, but billions are unlike to get COVID-19 vaccine for years

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

In just a week, both Moderna and Pfizer have announced that they have developed effective vaccines against COVID-19 — but how long will it be before everyone has access to them? According to Nicole Hassoun, professor of philosophy at Binghamton…