A bevy of encouraging articles from the COVID-19 vaccination front today.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the “Covid-19 Vaccine works, even if side effects differ for all, doctors say.
Age and other factors may play a role, but scientists say the shots provide immunity, including in the absence of fatigue, chills or other symptoms.” Of note,
Age appears to be a factor in determining who experiences side effects. People over age 65 are less likely than younger people to experience side effects. Older adults tend to have less robust immune responses to vaccines.
Vanderbilt’s Dr. Edwards said women appear to be more likely than men to experience the side effects, which may be related to hormonal or weight differences.
The Food and Drug Administration says age, sex and general health likely influence the occurrence and severity of common side effects in the first couple of days after vaccination. Side effects don’t correlate with the effectiveness of a vaccine in an individual, an FDA spokeswoman said.
Some doctors say heredity may also play a role. “I am sure that our genes at some level determine differences in these responses,” Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said of varying levels of symptoms following vaccination.
David Leonhardt helpfully provides in the New York Times an updated COVID-19 guide for four different types of families.
CNN informs us that “A new Axios/Ipsos poll finds that 67% of American adults have either gotten a Covid-19 vaccine or will get it as soon as possible. The same poll shows on a separate question that 75% of respondents said they either had gotten the vaccine or were likely to get it. Both of these were all-time highs in Ipsos polling.”
To sum up, the Wall Street Journal points out
“There’s no question that the average age of hospitalization has gone way down,” said Joan Boomsma, chief medical officer for MaineHealth, the largest healthcare provider in Maine. Dr. Boomsma said that in January, the average age of those hospitalized was around 65. That figure fell to 58 in March, and again to 50 in April.
“It’s not that we never saw younger people—in fact we saw roughly the same, or comparable numbers of them when they’re in their 40s and even 30s,” she said. “What does seem to be different now is that those who are being hospitalized, are really very ill,” Dr. Boomsma said, adding that it’s unclear why.
“I think the real story here is that vaccines work,” she said. “We’re seeing fewer hospitalizations in the older age groups, and the only patients we’re seeing in the ICU now are those who are not vaccinated.”
In other COVID-19 news, Federal News Network reports that
Agencies are lifting mask requirements for fully-vaccinated federal employees, contractors and visitors after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced changes to its national mask guidance last week.
Masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated federal employees, on-site contractors and visitors inside federal buildings, the Office of Management and Budget told agencies in an email last week.
Employees who are at least two weeks past their second COVID-19 vaccine dose no longer need to wear masks inside federal buildings. Those who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear their masks, OMB said.
“For now, this change related to masking is the only change to federal workplace COVID-19 safety guidance — maximum telework and workplace occupancy limits remain in place — but we will continue to update based on public health guidance,” the OMB email reads.
In other healthcare new, MedCity News informs us about how providers, payers and startups are all looking for key pieces to solve the maternal care puzzle in our country.
Startups are focused on reducing care gaps through expanding access to prenatal services and connecting them to women of color, so they have a community to support them through their pregnancy. Digital health startups for women are gaining steam, receiving $388 million in funding in 2018. Within this landscape, fertility and pregnancy/motherhood represent two key segments.
Mainstream providers, on the other hand, are employing clinical tools to predict potential delivery complications and partnering with community-based organizations to provide wraparound care.
But it’s going to take more than just innovative care strategies to truly make a difference. Policymakers must also get involved and implement regulations that can have a huge impact, like extending Medicaid coverage from 60 days to one year post-partum and setting up a data collection mechanism to gather race-related information on maternal outcomes.