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Vaccine Stories
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2021-03-25
News Article: Graham County (AZ) now with less than 150 active documented COVID-19 cases
"By Jon Johnson, jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com SAFFORD – Graham County has had very few new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past month, lowering its numbers to just 147 active cases as of Thursday. According to the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services, Graham County has had a total of 5,355 confirmed cases for the course of the pandemic, with 5,132 listed as being recovered, 147 active, and 76 deaths in more than a year. No new cases were recorded Thursday, and, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 school dashboard, Graham County had just a 1 percent positivity rate as of the week of March 14. That is good for a tie with Apache County for the second-lowest percent positivity rate out of Arizona’s 15 counties. Only Greenlee County, which registered a zero percent positivity rate from Feb. 27 – March 14, had lower. With the lower cases statewide and vaccine rollout, Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order on Thursday, rolling back several COVID-19 mitigation measures involving businesses and gatherings. This comes as other states roll back their COVID-19 mitigation measures as well. The rollout of the various COVID-19 vaccines has picked up steam in the last month, with the state opening up the vaccine to anyone 16 years old or older for the Pfizer vaccine. Anyone 18 years old or older can be administered the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation is holding a free, drive-through vaccine clinic on Saturday, March 27 at the San Carlos High School. No appointment is necessary. The clinic will be administering both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Graham County and Greenlee County are also providing vaccination sites for those 18 and older, and provide the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Greenlee County: According to the Greenlee County Health Department, the county currently has just nine active cases of COVID-19. For the course of the pandemic, Greenlee County has had 568 confirmed positive cases (by far the lowest out of any of Arizona’s 15 counties), with 549 recovered cases, nine active, and 10 deaths." -
2021-03-30
News Article: Greenlee County (AZ) down to just 2 active COVID-19 cases
"By Jon Johnson, jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com GREENLEE COUNTY – The Greenlee County Health Department reported Monday that the county had just two confirmed active cases of COVID-19. Greenlee County has tested more than 5,000 people for the course of the pandemic and has had a total of 568 cases, with 556 recovered and 10 deaths. The county offers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to all residents 18-years-old or older, and on Thursday (01-April-2021) Gila Health Resources will have a vaccine clinic for the one-shot Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to learn more or to register. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 37.5 percent of Greenlee County’s residents have been vaccinated for COVID-19. That is the highest percentage out of Arizona’s 15 counties. Conversely, Graham County is listed as having just 18.1 percent of its population vaccinated, which is the third-worst out of Arizona’s counties behind Maricopa County at 17.5 percent and Apache County at 10.7 percent. Graham County: The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported three new confirmed positive tests for COVID-19 on Tuesday. While Graham County has had 5,364 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of Tuesday the county had just 138 confirmed active cases. Out of all its confirmed cases, 5,150 are listed as being recovered, and 76 have died. Graham County is also offering both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to all residents 18-years-old or older. Click here for more information." -
2021-01-17
East Bay physician can't wait, holds drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination event for 500 seniors
The race to vaccinate has been a slow roll out across the Bay Area and the state but there have been some bright spots -- a drive-thru clinic where the COVID-19 vaccine was getting into the arms of hundreds who so desperately want it. It was organized by an East Bay physician who's tired of waiting. "We feel good we're making a dent in this problem," said Dr. Rebecca Parish. The playground at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette was transformed into a drive-thru vaccination clinic for seniors Saturday. Many seniors have been frustrated trying to get the vaccine, like Wayne Hahn. "I'm feeling relieved, I live in Rossmoor they were unable to get the county to come and give it to the 10,000 seniors who live there like me," he said. -
2021-01-16
Kaiser apologizes
Kaiser Permanente apologizes for long phone wait times since the Covid-19 vaccine became available. -
2021-01-15
Willie Nelson gives a thumbs-up after receiving Covid-19 vaccine
Willie Nelson is among the many Americans who’ve signed up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. During his drive-through vaccination this week, a masked Nelson posed for a series of pictures, offering the camera a thumbs-up as he received his dose of the vaccine. The Texas-based Family Hospital Systems shared the images on Facebook, encouraging everyone to sign up for their shots and stating that “getting your COVID vaccine is Willie cool!” -
2021-01-15
My Grandma Made Front Page Again
My grandma Pauline Bell made the front page of our local paper again. This time, she was one of the first in the area to receive the vaccine. We were all so happy for her and what this might mean for all of us who miss her. -
2021-04-03
My dad’s COVID-19 vaccine story
“As a frontline essential worker the COVID-19 journey has brought on a mix of experiences, emotions and impacts. The rollout of vaccines has been a welcome scenario as it brings some optimism to an otherwise bleak two years. If nothing else it signals a move towards turning the tide in the pandemic and enabling us to chart a course to recovery and reopening returning some sense of normalcy to our lives. Having been vaccinated certainly gives me more confidence in being able to fulfill my duties without constantly worrying about the possibility of infection from others and worrying about bringing the virus home. It by no means makes me think I don’t have to still be vigilant in employing proper personal protective measures, but does allow me to move forward.” My dad currently is working as a CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) officer in Calgary, I recently asked him to write down his experience of being vaccinated and ultimately how he feels about the whole ordeal. I’ve chosen this article for the archive as it represents the reality of being vaccinated. That while you may no longer be susceptible to the virus, you can still carry and transmit it. Meaning while a small amount of anxiety certainly disappeared, the threat of infection, and the practices used to mitigate it did not disappear with the rollout of the vaccine in Canada. -
2021-03-29
New York Vaccine Eligibility Widens
This updates the general public of New York that vaccinations are available for those aged 30 or older. In addition, the eligibility for 16 or older will come on April 6. However, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo emphasized that they wanted to make sure that they had enough supply before setting a fixed timeline for availabilities. -
2021-03-31
Indigenous Peoples and Vaccine's
One of the reasons Indigenous people aged 55+ were included in the initial COVID vaccine protocols is that is our average life expectancy. Compare this to ages 75+ for non-Indigenous people. After 154 years of Western medicine, we live half of what we did at the time of Contact. -
2021-03-19
Post-vaccine handouts
After receiving the first dose of the Moderna vaccine, the volunteers at ASU handed out these booklets with information about the Moderna vaccines. It lets you know that no vaccine is FDA approved and that you should report any symptoms to the CDC using the vaccine safe program with your smartphone. -
2021-03-31
Federal Program To Bring Vaccine To Nursing Homes Missed Around Half Of Staff
While the federal government put effort into getting residents and staff at nursing and retirement homes vaccinated, many remain unvaccinated. Some states even have less than a third percent of the staff vaccinated. This has impacted reopening timelines for the facilities and fears of spreading COVID-19. -
2021-03-23
News Article: Here's how much vaccines are selling for on the illegal market
This article relays data gleaned from cybersecurity firm Check Point Software to a CNN reporter, Samantha Kelly, related to the illicit market for COVID-19 vaccines and proof of vaccination cards available for purchase through the dark web. -
2021-03-09
Navajo Nation outpacing states in rate of vaccinations
By Rima Krisst | Mar 9, 2021 | CORONAVIRUS, News | WINDOW ROCK President Jonathan Nez proudly said last week that the Navajo Nation had exceeded its goal of administering 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots by end of February, crediting tireless health care workers who have been serving seven days a week to plan vaccinations and administer the vaccines. On Tuesday, the president’s office reported that 135,161 COVID-19 vaccine shots have gone into arms on the Navajo Nation, which represents 92% of the total 146,980 doses received and includes 48,800 persons who have had their second shots. This means that over 26% of the approximately 327,000 enrolled Navajos have gotten a shot through the Navajo Area Indian Health Service and tribal health care system, which is an amazing feat. By comparison, in New Mexico 22.4% of the population (738,705) has been given at least one shot. Arizona has administered at least one shot to 17.1% of the population (1,847,750), with Utah trailing behind at 12.2% receiving at least one shot (687,925), according to the CDC data vaccine tracker. And as of March 2, 15.3% of the U.S. population had received at least one shot, with 76.9 million shots administered, including 25.4 million receiving the second dose. Approximately 1.8 million vaccines per day are being administered daily in the U.S. So, percentage-wise, Navajo is outpacing both neighboring states and the general U.S. population. ‘Amazing partnership’ On a Feb. 25 IHS media call, IHS Chief Medical Officer Rear Adm. Michael Toedt reported that as of Feb. 18 the IHS had also achieved its goal of administering 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine “across IHS, tribal, and urban Indian Health programs,” representing 16% of the “target population,” with 6.3% receiving two doses. “This milestone was reached ahead of schedule despite severe weather, making travel to health facilities difficult across much of Indian Country and leading to shipping delays,” said Toedt. Toedt said most IHS facilities have now vaccinated the majority of their priority populations and are moving into Phase 2, which includes those who work in higher risk settings such as schools and prisons. “Very shortly we expect that everyone who needs a vaccine will be able to receive it,” he said. Toedt credited IHS and tribal health care employees across the country who are committed to ensuring the protection of tribal communities in 11 geographic areas covering 26 states and 349 health facilities, many in rural and remote locations. “We have had an amazing partnership with our tribes to use all available resources to help with delivery of vaccine,” said Toedt. This included distribution and redistribution of vaccines by ground and air transportation as needed. Toedt said the IHS has also conducted over 2 million COVID-19 tests at a higher per capita than most states and is reporting a seven-day average test positivity rate of 4.5%, below the 5.6% all-races rate in the U.S., despite the fact that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on American Indians/Alaska Natives. The Navajo Nation has conducted 245,085 COVID-19 tests resulting in 29,774 positive cases. ‘Developing trust’ Coordinated public relations campaigns in partnership with tribes have been key to the success of the vaccine rollout, said Toedt. Navajo Area IHS Chief Medical Officer Loretta Christensen agreed, saying public messaging has been critical. “This collaboration is one of the reasons we’ve been extremely successful,” said Christensen. “Honesty and transparency, developing that trust with the people you are serving is vital. We have spent a great deal of time on that relationship with our Navajo people to encourage them to be vaccinated.” She said the communication process has been very unified across Navajo and with the president’s office, using social media, radio, and a bilingual approach. “This is constant public education,” she said. “We encourage people in a very personal way that we would like them to be safe, keep their families, their communities safe. We feel very fortunate and grateful that our population has really stepped up.” Toedt acknowledged there has been some vaccine hesitancy relating to how quickly the vaccines were developed and whether or not they are completely safe, which has made some people distrustful. According to IHS Public Affairs Specialist Joshua Barnett, a recent IHS-funded survey by the Urban Indian Health Institute reported that 75% of Native Americans were willing to get a vaccine and 74% believe that doing so is their responsibility to help protect their community. “I’m confident that the process for vaccine development has the full integrity and completeness of time necessary to make sure these vaccines are safe, but it’s our job as healthcare providers to communicate that in a way that’s acceptable and trusted by our population,’ said Toedt. “We know our efforts are working and we’re seeing good delivery and acceptance of these vaccines in our communities.” Reaching the homebound Christensen said one of the strongest assets in the Navajo vaccination campaign has been the collaboration between public health nurses and community health representatives in reaching out to community members at the local level, including homebound elders and persons with disabilities. “These are the people out in the rural areas that know the families, that know the homes,” said Christensen. “We rely on them for that person-to-person contact out in the communities.” She said between 4,000 to 5,000 homebound individuals have actually been vaccinated at home or close to home. Moving forward with the goal of getting the Navajo population vaccinated and achieving “community immunity,” Navajo Area IHS wants to make sure that all 27,000 square miles of the Nation have been penetrated, said Christensen. “We want to be able to target any communities, populations or subgroups that have perhaps maybe not been able to get vaccinations,” she said. “So, our first step is to heat-map our whole area and then focus on those populations that are perhaps more rural or don’t have easy access to healthcare facilities.” “Our goal is to get every single person vaccinated and to keep our populations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah safe,” she said. Christensen said her team will be working with chapters to identify anyone who might have been missed. They have also reached out to Navajos living off reservation and have established an online registry to help people find a place to get their vaccination. “We highly encourage them to come back if they need to and we will certainly take care of them and their families,” she said. Tracking variants In regard to surveillance for COVID-19 variants, Toedt said IHS does contribute its tests to state public health labs as well as different large lab corporations such as TriCore, LabCorp. and additional processes for genomic testing are in development. “The samples that are included through those mechanisms are sampled through the CDC’s processes to test for genomics,” said Toedt. Christensen said similarly the Navajo Area and the Health Command Center are working to establish more specific genomic surveillance within Navajo Nation. “In the meantime, we are participating in testing both in New Mexico and Arizona,” said Christensen. Christensen said the Navajo Epidemiology Center has also reached out to bordering states requesting any relevant information on variants be shared. “We all stand by ready to support this process and we are hopeful that we will have more specific information for Navajo Nation very soon,” she said. Christensen confirmed that she was not aware of any variants having been identified on the Navajo Nation from random sampling. “We have requested that information but we have not received it as of yet,” she said. Adverse events Any adverse events, or serious side effects, related to vaccinations within IHS are collected and reported to the same CDC system that collects the data nationally, said Toedt, but the data broken down by individual tribes is not publicly available. “We are part of that Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System through the CDC,” said Toedt. “All adverse drug reactions are investigated by the CDC to determine what category it goes in and how they analyze data.” Navajo Area is gathering information on any adverse events on the Navajo Nation, but there are patient privacy issues when it comes to sharing that publicly, said Christensen. “We do, as (health care) institutions across Navajo Nation, share basic data with each other when we’re doing best practices,” she said. Christensen would not answer whether or not there had been any adverse events on the Nation. “I will say we have done very well with these vaccines,” she said. “There are certainly side effects which have been well defined, but we’ve had minimal significant adverse events. I cannot quantify that for you, but we are tracking those events across Navajo Nation.” Preventing transmission As far as keeping everyone safe after being vaccinated, Toedt said it’s still important to continue to wash your hands, stay six feet apart and to wear a mask. This is because vaccinated persons can theoretically still contract COVID-19 and spread it after being vaccinated, although they may not have any symptoms due to protection from the vaccine. There are also still many unknowns related to COVID-19 variants and to what extent they may evade vaccine protection, be more transmissible, or cause more serious disease. “We have been trying to report on possible variants most recently, explaining that we don’t have all the information yet on what the long term effects of those variants are,” said Christensen. “So we highly suggest that you still watch your distance, wash your hands and wear your mask.” Christensen said public messaging encouraging everyone to abide by the public health protocols in place, regardless of vaccination status, will continue until there is community immunity. -
2021-03-16
Graham County (AZ) to open up COVID-19 vaccine to all residents 18 years and older
Staff Reports SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services has announced that starting Monday, March 22, any resident of Graham County who is 18 years old or older will be eligible to receive a vaccine for COVID-19. Those who would like a COVID-19 vaccination should contact their primary care physician or schedule an appointment with the health department by clicking here. Those who schedule appointments will currently be given the two-shot Moderna vaccine at the Graham County Health Department Vaccination Center at 627 W. Main Street in Downtown Safford. The health department will announce a clinic for the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine at a later date. While the Pfizer and Moderna two-shot vaccines utilize messenger RNA, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine works through a different mechanism and uses the more traditional DNA, which is introduced to the nucleus of cells with an adenovirus which is modified so it cannot replicate itself and cause disease. All three vaccines have been approved for use by the federal government and have safety records in good standing. All prompt the body to produce T-cells, which retain a memory of the protein and attack it. “We would like to thank everyone for their support as we have navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic this past year,” said Graham County Health Department Director Brian Douglas. Greenlee County Gila Health Resources in Greenlee County will hold a COVID-19 vaccine drive at the Morenci Club Hall at 314 Plaza Dr. in Morenci on Friday, March 19, from 1 – 8 p.m. At the vaccine drive, any adult resident of Greenlee County or those who work in Greenlee County can show up to receive a dose of the Moderna vaccine with no appointment or registration necessary. -
2021-03-17
Phoenix among U.S. Sites for Moderna’s COVID-19 trials on children
By Jacob Holter/Cronkite News WASHINGTON D.C. – Children from 6 months up to 12 years old could soon start getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Phoenix as part of a trial of the drug’s effectiveness on young people. Drug-maker Moderna announced this week that Phoenix will be one of the cities where it will test smaller doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, which has currently only been approved for adult use, on preteens. The company has already started trials of the vaccine on teenagers. While children have proven to be less susceptible to the disease, health experts say it’s important to have the option of a vaccine for younger kids as schools reopen and to improve the odds of “herd immunity” for the overall population. “The reason we want to make sure that all of these kids get vaccinated is so we can truly achieve herd immunity. We don’t want to have little pockets of people who might be infectious and not be protected,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, director of the American Public Health Association. The preteen trials were announced Tuesday by Moderna, one of three pharmaceutical companies with vaccines approved for emergency use in adults in the U.S., along with Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses, while the newer Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a one-dose protocol. The announcement came the same day that the Arizona Department of Health Services announced that just over 1 million Arizonans have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Overall, the state has administered about 2.6 million doses to a little more than 1.6 million people. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement that more than 53 million doses of his company’s version of the vaccine have been administered in the U.S., but “this pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population.” The statement said the new trials would take place in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Steven Plimpton, the lead investigator for the Phoenix trial, said Tuesday that his office has “already gotten hundreds of calls” from parents interested in getting their children into the trial. He said parents interested in the trial in Phoenix can go to the KidCOVE site for more information or can call 602-368-1928 or 866-913-5454. One University of Arizona expert said it will likely take a little while to get the trials in motion. “I would say sometime in the next several weeks, as they get recruitment on board and they have a critical mass to start with and they have all of the aspects of the trial set up in terms of location, staffing, and everything that they need in place,” said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health and prevention at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Moderna said that children in the first phase of the trial will receive doses of 25, 50, or 100 micrograms of the vaccine – an adult dose is 100 – depending on their age. Results from that phase will be used to determine dosages in a second phase when come subjects will get a placebo. ad1 Ultimately, Moderna expects to include 6,750 children in the latest trials. “The adult dose for the Moderna is 100 micrograms, but they are starting with 25 micrograms and then basically watching folks and kids to see how they react,” Marvasti said. “If that looks good and there are no major issues, then they will have a group of kids in the study with 50 micrograms and then if that looks okay they will have another group that has 100 micrograms.” He added that Moderna’s trust that the vaccine is safe enough to begin trials on kids could have the added benefit of helping to quell vaccine hesitancy among others. “Hopefully, depending on the results, it will help give people more confidence to get the vaccine, especially if it proves to be as safe and effective in children as it has been in adults,” Marvasti said. The announcement of the preteen trials also comes as the state has ordered schools to begin to resume in-person schooling, after a year in which most students have attended class virtually. Benjamin said that with schools reopening, in Arizona and across the U.S., a vaccine for youth would make a definite difference in controlling the virus, as it would prevent kids from spreading it to each other and then bringing it home with them. Vaccination would also expedite kids’ ability to return to normal. “Getting kids vaccinated, I think, will certainly improve their quality of life and their ability to effectively interact with their friends,” he said. -
2021-03-21
San Carlos (AZ) to hold a drive-through COVID-19 vaccine clini6c
March 22, 2021 - by News Director Contributed Article SAN CARLOS – The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation is proud to present a COVID-19 vaccine drive-through clinic for SCAT members and their family and friends of the surrounding communities of Globe, Miami, Superior, Hayden, Winkleman, Kearny, Pima, Thatcher, Safford, and Morenci. Our SCAHC Vaccination team will be administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at the San Carlos High School, on Saturday, March 27, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. For the Pfizer vaccine, those receiving it must be 16 years of age or older (must have a parent/legal guardian consent if under 18) For the Moderna vaccine, those receiving it must be 18 years of age or older. Please remember to bring your state ID. There is no charge for the vaccine. -
2021-03-25
Graham County (AZ) now with less than 150 active documented COVID-19 cases
By Jon Johnson jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com SAFFORD – Graham County has had very few new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past month, lowering its numbers to just 147 active cases as of Thursday. According to the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services, Graham County has had a total of 5,355 confirmed cases for the course of the pandemic, with 5,132 listed as being recovered, 147 active, and 76 deaths in more than a year. No new cases were recorded Thursday, and, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 school dashboard, Graham County had just a 1 percent positivity rate as of the week of March 14. That is good for a tie with Apache County for the second-lowest percent positivity rate out of Arizona’s 15 counties. Only Greenlee County, which registered a zero percent positivity rate from Feb. 27 – March 14, had lower. With the lower cases statewide and vaccine rollout, Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order on Thursday, rolling back several COVID-19 mitigation measures involving businesses and gatherings. This comes as other states roll back their COVID-19 mitigation measures as well. The rollout of the various COVID-19 vaccines has picked up steam in the last month, with the state opening up the vaccine to anyone 16 years old or older for the Pfizer vaccine. Anyone 18 years old or older can be administered the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation is holding a free, drive-through vaccine clinic on Saturday, March 27 at the San Carlos High School. No appointment is necessary. The clinic will be administering both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Graham County and Greenlee County are also providing vaccination sites for those 18 and older, and provide the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Greenlee County According to the Greenlee County Health Department, the county currently has just nine active cases of COVID-19. For the course of the pandemic, Greenlee County has had 568 confirmed positive cases (by far the lowest out of any of Arizona’s 15 counties), with 549 recovered cases, nine active, and 10 deaths. -
2021-03-28
Graham County (AZ): Spots still available to receive COVID-19 vaccine
Staff Reports SAFFORD – While some in other states attempt to bribe or lie their way to the front of the vaccine lines, that isn’t necessary for those in Arizona. The state has opened its registration to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 16-years-old and up for the Pfizer vaccine, and anyone 18-years-old and up for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In Graham County, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services has advised that there “are many appointments still available” to receive the Moderna vaccine. Anyone 18-years-old and up may schedule an appointment at www.graham.az.gov. The Graham County Health Department Vaccination Center is located in Downtown Safford at 627 W. Main St. In addition to the Moderna vaccine, a vaccination clinic for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also available to any Graham County resident who is 18-years-old or older. A vaccination clinic for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be held Friday, April 16. Register for an appointment at www.graham.az.gov. For any additional questions contact the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services at 928-428-0110. -
2021-03-26
Premier François Legault of Quebec has received a Covid-19 Vaccine
He has received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the Olympic stadium in Montreal. -
2021-03-24
Dreaming About This Day... But Now What?
Shot 2! After so many sleepless nights and moments of paralyzing fear, my husband, my 65 year old mom, and I are all officially double dosed! The day I have been praying for for months is here and I am in disbelief. But I’m also sitting here like “now what?” Are we really safe? Can I REALLY go safely and run in my canyon aside the maskless? I do trust the vaccine, but it is a huge psychological jump to suddenly trust. There’s also the issue of the two things I love most in this world - my kids. They’re not eligible for vaccines yet and I fear for them. I know, the likelihood of them having a serious complication is low, but as a person who had both the measles and scarlet fever as a kid (no, I’m not kidding), I am a walking example of the “one in a million” chance. What if they’re like me instead of their dad? I feel like I’m in a strange limbo. Definitely more hopeful than I was even a couple of months ago, but also sort of paralyzed in a sense of “what do we do now?” -
2021-03-29
Being More Social In The LGBTQ+ Community
After getting my last dose of the vaccine my husband and I have been able to be more social with others in the LGBTQ+ Community and Allies who have had their vaccine. For the first time in a year we actually had a date night eating ramen and other yummy food then we were able to meet up with friends who have been vaccinated for drinks. This finally helps me to possibly see a light at the end of the tunnel. -
2021-03-28
Vaccinated
I know the LGBTQ+ Community has a higher chance to have depression, anxiety, and other health ailments like many other minority communities. This Friday I got my second dose of the vaccine. I have been encouraging others in my LGBTQ+ Community to get the vaccine so this is one less health ailment they have to worry about. -
2021-03-22
Vaccines Now Widely Available
COVID-19 vaccine distribution seems to be hitting a critical mass. My son, a third-year student at the University of Arizona, got his first dose on Monday, March 22 at the mass vaccination site on the U of A mall. -
2021-03-23
'The one way I can protect them': Parents enroll kids in early COVID-19 vaccine trials
No existing COVID-19 vaccine is approved for anyone under the age of 16. The companies responsible for the vaccines are working on getting another vaccine approved for children and have begun trial phases. Some Arizona parents have enrolled their children in the trials, not only so their children can get vaccinate, but also as a way to help the community. -
2021-03-16
Why America should help vaccinate the world against COVID-19: 'This is not charity'
With new COVID-19 variants appearing, the WHO and GAVI have teamed up to give vaccines to countries that are having difficulties obtaining them. The United States has given $4 billion to cause. -
2021-03-23
Vaccine eligiblity
So apparently the State of Arizona is expanding access to the vaccine so that everyone 16+ is now eligible to receive it. I saw a news story about this, and they mentioned an interesting side effect of this otherwise positive news development. Thus far, the mass vaccination sites have had very little trouble finding volunteers to help run things, in large part because volunteers are usually offered the chance to receive the shot in exchange for their service. However, now that eligibility has opened up to all adults and some teenagers, there is less of a personal incentive to help out at the mass vaccination sites. This means that sites are now having more trouble finding volunteers. My first response to this is that they should come up with at least some money to pay people for their time, if for no other reason than to attract enough people to keep the sites running. Secondly, this has made me consider becoming a volunteer myself. I feel extremely fortunate to have gotten access to the vaccine so early in the process and want to make sure everyone else gets access to it as soon as possible. Of course, this is just talk at this point...we'll see if I actually put my words into action :) -
2021-03-22
Some Mexicans Find They Can Get COVID-19 Vaccines In The U.S.
In Mexico, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is difficult. This has led to some Mexicans going to the United States COVID-19 vaccine. However, those that do this usually have money and/or connections. In some cases, the areas these people go to for vaccines are struggling to receive vaccines, such as the counties near the Texas-Mexico border. -
2021-03-21
Don’t Give Me COVID
For the past year, my husband has been the only one to do errands to keep the risk low. Anytime he went out, he showered and put his clothes in the laundry. No one has stepped foot inside our house in over a year. It may see extreme, but more than once during COVID, Southern CA was the country’s hotspot. We have been extremely cautious, and with both the death rates and people within our own circle who weren’t cautious getting infected during the winter spike, I do not regret our decision. Now numbers are thankfully declining and, even more significant, my mom (who lives with us) has received both doses of the vaccine and my husband and I should receive our second doses next week. Slowly, our lives will hopefully be able to open up a bit. But the moment captured here reminds me that the shift may not be as easy for our kids. My son, who hasn’t had a play date or left this street in months, flattened himself against the wall and refused to move when my mom came back from a Target curbside pick up. She didn’t even get out of the car but my son was terrified that she’d give him COVID. It’s going to be a long process to make them feel safe again. -
2021-03-01
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Vaccinations
When we say end violence against our elders, this means demanding accessible, equitable and culturally responsive healthcare services for them. Here are some community-based resources who have been doing this work: @pacificislandercovid19 @picawashington @empoweredpi Thank you Seattle Times for amplifying how COVID and inequitable health care services impact our communities in Washington. The impacts are detrimental and NHPI communities are impacted at disproportionate rates. Check out the entire article @seattletimes. Some things this article highlights - vaccine services provided need to be inclusive of different cultural lifestyles and practices, lumping Asian and NHPI data together invisiblizes NHPI needs, there is a great need to bring community-based groups to the table to build accessible systems and solutions. (Image description: a carousel of 9 slides from an article by Seattle Times. 1. A front page article that reads to fight covid-19 with vaccines, native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Washington first need to be seen. 2. A quote in simple black text that reads "that is one of the things that we continue to think about How do we honor those that have passed during the pandemic? Our elders have so many stories, so much knowledge and they're essentially the wisdom keepers of our culture" seia Said. 3. The numbers tell the devastating story. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up about 1% of Washington state's population but account for 2% of cases in the state according to the State department of health native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have the highest average rate of any race and ethnicity in the state at $7,132 per 100,000 people and also lead in deaths per 100,000 with an average of 151 as of February 21st, according to the UCLA Center for health policy research" Captions continues in comments. #InSolidarity #AAPIWomenLead #COVID19 -
2021-03-17
Vaccine card
The vaccine card is now a flex to have and is something that makes you cool. Not having the vaccine is frowned upon and makes you not cool if you refuse to get it. In the past flu vaccines aren't something you would flex or show off but with covid we do show off the vaccine. -
2021-03-18
With Hope
Today is Thursday, March 18, 2021. Saturday, March 13, was the first anniversary of the Friday the 13th that essentially broke the world, and that was our last day of normal. Or at least that’s how we all remember it now. On Monday, March 15, 2021, the students at my high school returned in “full swing” for the fourth quarter of the school year. I mean by full swing that we have no A and B days, and we are not all virtual. We still have an asynchronous day on Wednesday, but we all know that will soon go away. Many kids are staying virtual, and I don’t know how long that will be an option. So, we have had three days of students back on campus, and I think I would be much more concerned if I myself were not vaccinated, but I am fully vaccinated, and my husband completed his two-week waiting period a couple of days ago, so my house is “safe.” (Though I don’t totally feel that way yet) I don’t work on Wednesday right now, so we celebrated being fully vaccinated by going to an outdoor brunch, which was totally socially distanced, and I appreciated it a lot. I digress, though… school feels like school again. Sure, we limit the number of students who come into the library at lunch, but they are here, the halls bustle, and kids' noise in the hallway trails through our open library doors between periods again. Unfortunately, we are jumping back into things right in time for state testing, so we got this week of “bliss” before things become chaos of finding computers to test, getting students to make sure their computers are updated, and the general panic of finding space and making schedules that comes with any year of state testing. I want things to continue to trend in a direction where I don’t have to rescind all this hope a couple of months from now. -
2021-03-16
Finally got my shot
I'd been trying to get a COVID vaccination appointment on the State of Arizona's website since late January. Finally, on the evening of Monday, March 15, I found a couple of slots open on the following evening at the State mass vaccination site at the Arizona Cardinals Stadium. It was about a 35-mile trip, and my wife drove me out there. Once we got to the site, everything went really smoothly and the staff were very pleasant. I got my first Pfizer dose and an appointment for April 6 for the second. It was nice to see the ASU banner at the site. Altogether, the travel time and the process on site took about an hour and forty-five minutes. I feel immensely relieved. -
2021-01-14
Religious Leader Claims Covid-19 Vaccine "Turns You Gay"
A popular rabbi is claiming that the vaccine for COVID-19 “could make you gay.” And it's all part of Bill Gates's plot to "cull global population." Swipe up in our stories to read more. -
03/14/2021
Layne Williams Oral History, 2021/03/14
Layne Williams is a Physical Therapist Assistant who was working in a hospital during the pandemic. Her role shifted during the early months of the pandemic and she found herself doing any job that was needed to help with the increased numbers of patients coming into the hospital. She recalled the surreal feeling of walking into her first Covid positive patient’s room and how the mentality of healthcare providers shifted as more information came out about Covid. She also discussed the challenges of being a healthcare provider while living with her husband who is not in healthcare. Her job certainly exposed her to increased risks and those risks spilled over to impact her home life. However, her overall impression from the pandemic is that it showed what the healthcare field is capable of achieving when challenged. -
2021-03-01
Homeless Vaccines
This is a blog post about the current struggles states are having with getting homeless populations vaccinated. The article focuses on how shelters are the most common points of contacts for homeless populations to be reached. -
2020-03-16
First Vaccine Jab
My arm hurt but I have received the jab, the initial injection was painless but the site of injection is mildly sore and it is hard to type or focus on other things. I want to get good rest and relax but sadly I still have obligations I must complete despite the discomfort. -
2021-03-16
Peru's prime minister oversees vaccines in nursing home
Peru's prime minister Violeta Bermudez oversees vaccinations in a nursing home. Part of the rollout in Peru. -
2021-03-16
Plenty of Vaccines, but Not Enough Arms: A Warning Sign in Cherokee Nation
As COVID-19 vaccine efforts are still going strong across the United States, the Cherokee Nation is struggling to get more members of the community vaccinated. Some of the hesitancy to get the vaccine stems from the memory of the government's medical malpractice the greatly affected indigenous people. Other members of the community have questions about the vaccine's side-effects and how it will affect their pre-existing conditions. -
2021-03-15
Covid-19 cases plunge 83% among US nursing home staff
"After the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine, the number of new cases among nursing home staff members fell 83%, data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows. "It's a big relief for me," said Joan Phillips, who works at the North Beach Rehabilitation Center outside Miami. More than 3 million doses of vaccine have been doled out in nursing homes across the US." -
2021-03-12
COVAX First Round Allocation
COVAX first round of vaccines -
2021-03-09
Oral History with a Rural Church Pastor
Abstract: Josh Colson grew up in Southern Illinois. He attended Welch College, earning a BS in Christian Ministry and an MA in Theology. Additionally, he is currently a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, pursuing an MTS. Mr. Colson is currently the pastor of Brandon’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. The church is part of a small rural community, being in one of the smallest counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, Mr. Colson is the Faith Representative for the community health board. In this interview, Mr. Colson recounts the effects COVID-19 has had on his duty as a member of the clergy, his congregation, and his community. -
2021-02-02
Coronaland
With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation on St. Charles Avenue honored “Saint Dolly” and her $1million donation for the COVID vaccine. Of all the House Floats, it was my favorite! -
2021-02-02
Coronaland
With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation by a member of the subversive Krewe of Tucks is “Don't procrastinate. Vaccinate!” on Camp Street. -
2021-03-12
Remembering Our Last Lunch
On Friday, March 13, 2020 it was pouring rain. My co-worker/work wife/love of my life/bestest friend - the Ann Perkins to my Leslie Knope (very accurate if you know us) bought us McDonald’s for lunch. We jokingly called it “the end of the world as we know it lunch” and played REM while drinking Shamrock Shakes. We were in denial about what was happening around us. Two hours later, it was the end. We have not had lunch together, or been physically together, since then. (However, we probably outdo any teenagers in the amount we text each other. We’ve pretty much live tweeted ever minute of our incredibly mundane days to each other throughout all of quarantine.) Today, we both bought McDonald’s separately (for me, only the fifth time having fast food since shut down last March) to celebrate our year-versary of the “end of the world” lunch. One year later, it’s raining again, but it feels so different. A year ago, everything was closing down. Today, everything is opening up. I am thankful we’ve both received vaccination one, and although we are both apprehensive about school reopening in a week, the thought of seeing her face to face (six feet away and in a mask) makes me happy enough to cry. There is nothing I hope more for than for the efficacy of the vaccinations. I can only hope that the second Friday of March 2022 will see us together in my classroom, eating McDonald’s for lunch, talking about how we can’t believe we lived through a pandemic. A rainbow instead of rain would be a nice touch, too. -
2021-03-11
Vaccine After Effects
So excited to get my 1st dose of the Moderna vaccine. As a 65 year old, I was eligible early; however, our county's rollout was a HOT mess! The local app didn't work, but I was finally able to secure an appointment with my medical group . . . for a month out. Yikes. Continued research as the days went by, found that RiteAid was offering them. Yay! Was able to book that appointment for only 2 days out! Yippee. Then . . . the day before that appointment, it was cancelled. We Californians are so smug - never thinking that bad weather in other parts of the county affects us. It did! No vaccines available. Rescheduled for a month out. Luckily, our school district was rolling out an in house POD for employees. I jumped on that and was able to get an appointment for the next day, which was the first day for the district. I was sitting on 3 appointments then - and didn't plan to cancel any until I got my shot! Fortunately, all went well and I did get it. (Lucky too because the district had to shut down the next day as well.) So . . . there I was happy. Dose #2 scheduled. Cancelled the other appointments I had. Did have a tiny bit of discomfort the next day, but nothing major. Imagine my surprise when hives (or so I thought) appeared about 10 days later. Did LOTS of research - thank you google - considered that it might be the rash that some experienced after Moderna, but the symptoms progressed. Long story short - not hives - shingles! Even though I did have a shingles vaccine within the past 5 years, I did indeed have shingles. Now - there is no evidence that it is in anyway related to the vaccine, (even found an article that said shingles/vaccine debunked) but I did my duty and reported in on my weekly vsafe/cdc check-in. I am currently on the other side of this and am sure that it will be gone soon. I will always wonder though if there was any relationship. I'm also a tad bit concerned about the after effects of dose #2. I do encourage everyone to participate in the vsafe.cdc.gov follow up. -
2021-03-10
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/10/health/after-covid-vaccine-cdc-guidelines-wellness/index.html
CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen on the new CDC guidelines for full vaccinated people. While Dr. Wen agrees with many of the CDC guidelines, she does believe some are too cautious and others are not cautious enough. -
2021-03-05
Vaccinations at the University
This photo shows people lined up to get COVID-19 vaccinations outside the Sun Devil Fitness Complex at Arizona State University in Tempe. My wife received an email from an ASU official sent about 8:00 PM Thursday, March 4 offering university employees access to a distribution of Moderna vaccines at clinics on March 5 and 9. My wife signed up right away and got an appointment for early afternoon on Friday, March 5. I have not been able to get my own appointment through other channels, so I went along with my wife to see if I might be able to get the vaccine. I was turned away, but fortunately my wife now has her first shot and an appointment for the second. It's a start. -
2021-03-02
'Persistent gap' nationwide in COVID plans for people with disabilities, advocates say
This story resonated with me. While I was able to get the Covid-19 shot because I am a teacher, my disabled husband is not covered in any Tiers for the shot. We have no idea when he might be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine and it is scary for us. Why on earth would they not consider such a vulnerable population as a priority for the Covid-19 vaccine. -
2021-02-13
Advocates call on Quebec to prioritize those with developmental disabilities for COVID-19 vaccine
Research suggests people with Down syndrome are more vulnerable to the coronavirus. -
2021-02-01
Just 5 percent of vaccinations have gone to Black Americans, despite equity efforts
An article discussing how racial disparities can be viewed in regards to Black communities and the coronavirus.