Social media messages influence parents about HPV

Jun 11 2020

Social media keeps us connected to one another, but it also influences our beliefs. Now, a new study from the University of Missouri finds that social media use can lead parents to incorrectly believe the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine could be lethal in their children.

Source: Medical Xpress

Polio vaccine could give temporary protection against COVID-19, scientists hope

Jun 11 2020

As the world waits for a coronavirus vaccine, some scientists are proposing that existing vaccines could give the body’s immune system a much-needed temporary boost to stave off infection. It’s still unclear whether such an approach would work, and some experts are skeptical. Others — including researchers in Israel, the Netherlands and Australia — are already investigating whether a tuberculosis vaccine could help jump-start the immune system and make COVID-19 less deadly, though the World Health Organization strongly advises against using that vaccine until it’s proven effective against the coronavirus.

Source: NBC News

Coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd protests highlight health disparities for black people

Jun 11 2020

Black Americans are disproportionately getting sick and dying from the coronavirus. It’s a plague that has laid bare, not just vulnerabilities in the U.S. hospital system, but gaping disparities in access to quality health care across minority communities. Black people constitute nearly 13% of the U.S. population but made up 23% of all Covid-19 deaths as of June 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s an issue that’s attracting more attention in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, which has sparked protests around the world against police brutality.

Source: CNBC

The next COVID-19 challenge: Convincing people to get flu shots

Jun 11 2020

Public health officials, doctors and pharmacists who have struggled for decades to convince Americans to get the flu shot are warning it is now more important than ever to get vaccinated as the U.S. faces a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall. Coinciding flu and COVID-19 outbreaks could overwhelm hospitals and drain resources, threatening lives and the response to the pandemic.

Source: The Hill

Anti-Vaccine Movement, Racism And COVID-19 Collide In Colorado

Jun 11 2020

At a hearing last weekend about a Colorado bill on vaccination, Dr. Reginald Washington had originally planned to make several urgent points in support of the bill. First, that diseases like measles are resurging, and they’re serious. (He’d know. He’s treated patients with complications from measles and pertussis.) Second, due to COVID-19, children are missing well-child visits and skipping vaccinations, putting them at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Source: KUNC

Johnson & Johnson is moving its coronavirus vaccine into human trials by July, 2 months ahead of schedule

Jun 10 2020

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it plans to start human testing of its coronavirus vaccine candidate in July. Previously, J&J had said the goal was to enter human trials in September. J&J is the world's largest healthcare company with a market value of $390 billion. The company has previously pledged to distribute its vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.

Source: Business Insider

Vaccine Makers Hedge Bets On Which One Will Emerge As Effective And Safe

Jun 10 2020

Once upon a time, developing a new vaccine was a step-by-step process that went from concept, to design, to tests in humans, to regulatory approval, to manufacturing. It was a process that could take a decade or more.

Source: NPR

Colorado voters could get chance to vote on vaccine exemption requirements

Jun 10 2020

After days of impassioned debate and stall tactics by Republicans, lawmakers in the state House found compromise Tuesday on Democratic legislation aimed at improving Colorado’s poor immunization rates. The fight fizzled out as soon as Rep. Kyle Mullica, a Northglenn Democrat and sponsor of the vaccine bill, offered an amendment that would add a so-called “petition clause” to his legislation.

Source: The Coloradan

Colorado vaccine bill passes House, needs just one more Senate vote

Jun 10 2020

A bill aimed at increasing Colorado’s vaccination rates has passed both chambers and now just needs to go back to the Senate for approval of a House amendment before it heads to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. The bill passed the House on a 40-24 vote on third reading Wednesday. It is the second attempt to pass Senate Bill 163 after it failed last year because of a veto threat from the governor. This year, the governor said he would support the bill in its current form, but most Republican lawmakers and hundreds of vaccine opponents tried to stop or slow the bill at every step. The coronavirus pandemic almost stopped the bill from getting consideration in the final weeks of the shortened session, but Democrats decided to give it the time.

Source: Denver Post

Fact Check: Vaccines do not differ based on insurance

Jun 09 2020

Viral posts on Facebook suggest that children from families on Medicaid or without insurance receive different vaccines than children whose families have private insurance. This claim is false. Examples of such posts can be found here , here , and here . As stated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “immunization is financed through private health insurance, public safety net programs, and patient out-of-pocket spending” ( here ). Private insurance covers 52% of children aged 5 and under for immunizations, while public programs (like Medicaid) cover around 34%. The remaining 14% of children are underinsured and automatically covered by the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Source: Reuters