Colorado to receive about 17K fewer doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Dec 18 2020

Colorado will receive 16,770 fewer doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in its next shipment, according to a statement from Gov. Jared Polis' office Thursday evening. According to the statement, Colorado had been planning for an allocation of 56,550 Pfizer doses on Dec. 18.

Source: Denver Channel

Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies have no place on local TV news

Dec 18 2020

It's been a rough couple of years to be a journalist, especially for those who work in local markets, where 2,100 newspapers have shut down since 2005. In 2020 alone, 16,000 journalists lost their jobs across the industry. At the same time, one bright spot has been local TV news stations, which have comparatively thrived. But they're going to have to do a lot better if they're going to be the vital information sources their communities need. With that in mind, I say this with the greatest respect and admiration for local TV news reporters: You cannot keep letting yourselves get played, especially by the anti-vaccine movement.

Source: MSNBC

Anti-vaccination groups target local media after social media crackdowns

Dec 18 2020

Friday night’s newscast on WFXG-TV in Augusta, Georgia, a Fox affiliate, featured some exciting news: The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in the city would be among the first Veterans Affairs locations to receive initial doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Shots would be in arms this week. But then, the story quickly pivoted to a small group of “concerned mothers” holding large black and red signs outside the hospital with messages familiar to people who have followed the anti-vaccination movement and its dangerously misleading position.

Source: NBC

Why Colorado has started a COVID-19 vaccine task force

Dec 18 2020

DENVER (KDVR) — As the COVID-19 vaccine is administered to the first round of essential healthcare workers in Colorado on Monday, health experts hope more members of the general public gain trust in it. “Immunize Colorado” has brought together over 30 representatives from across the state to form Colorado’s Vaccine Equity Taskforce. The diverse group ranges from doctors, teachers, pastors and even former state legislators.

Source: KDVR

F.D.A. Panel Endorses Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine

Dec 18 2020

The coronavirus vaccine made by Moderna moved closer to authorization on Thursday, a significant step that would expand the reach of the nation’s vaccination campaign to rural areas and many more hospitals. As the nation buckled from uncontrolled spread of the disease, with 3,611 deaths on Wednesday setting yet another horrific record, a panel of independent experts recommended,by a vote of 20 in favor and one abstention, that the Food and Drug Administration authorize the Moderna vaccine for emergency use. The formal decision, expected on Friday, would clear the way for some 5.9 million doses to be shipped around the country starting this weekend.

Source: NYT

Colorado hospitals are rapidly vaccinating their staff against coronavirus. Questions remain about the timing of who comes next.

Dec 18 2020

Before dawn Thursday morning, Montana Nash finished another 12-hour shift as a nurse in the intensive care unit at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood and hurried to her next appointment. It had been a normal shift by the standards of the current surge of coronavirus across Colorado, which is to say it had been awful. Nash works as the charge nurse on her floor, a trauma ICU that has been converted into the COVID ICU, 16 beds becoming 26 to keep up with incoming cases.

Source: Colorado Sun

Some Vials Of COVID-19 Vaccine Contain Extra Doses, Expanding Supply, FDA Says

Dec 17 2020

The Food and Drug Administration says that some of the vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine being distributed throughout the U.S. contain extra doses and the agency is encouraging hospitals and clinics to use the additional shots to speed up the nationwide immunization campaign. The agency issued the guidance Wednesday after health care workers reported throwing out the excess vaccine, fearing it would be against the rules to use it.

Source: NPR

This ER Nurse And Colorado Representative Is The First State Lawmaker To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine

Dec 17 2020

Democratic state Rep. Kyle Mullica is the first state lawmaker to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Colorado, thanks to his day job as an emergency room nurse at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital. After getting his first shot of the Pfizer vaccine this week, Mullica said it has been a long eight months working directly with COVID-19 patients, but he’s excited that the end is in sight.

Source: CPR

Colorado religious leaders encourage congregations to take COVID-19 vaccines

Dec 17 2020

DENVER (KDVR) — It’s clear that to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, communities need trusted people. The group “Immunize Colorado” has recently formed a Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce comprised of over 30 people across the state, ranging from doctors, pastors, educators and even former state legislators. The Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce exists to ensure that all communities of color have the facts they need to make informed decisions about the safety of vaccines for their families and to hold leaders accountable for ensuring access to these vaccines for all.

Source: KDVR

What I Learned When the Anti-Vaccine Community Came After Me Online

Dec 11 2020

Four days earlier I had created a video on TikTok promoting vaccines. That video had gone viral on TikTok and Twitter, so I had created a post on Facebook about vaccines as well. Initially, most of the comments on the post were very supportive and pro-vaccine.

Source: Shot of Prevention