VACCINES

Covid passes will not be needed from 18 February under plans to ease Wales' remaining restrictions.

The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters as it confronts the omicron surge, with the Food and Drug Administration allowing extra Pfizer shots for children as young as 12.

As COVID cases surge in Florida, so does the number of people seeking testing, which in some cases has resulted in multiple hour wait times.

According to the modelling, the top-up shot could provide about 85% protection against severe illness.

It's called sotrovimab and should cuts the risk of severe illness, even for new variants such as Omicron, say scientists.

After nearly two years, the US lifts its travel ban to UK visitors who have had both Covid vaccine doses.

The health secretary urges people to join the "national mission" to avoid restrictions over winter.

Local pharmacies will begin vaccinating young children against COVID-19 this weekend.

Medical science has transformed the pandemic and put rocket boosters on ambitions for new vaccines.

Health care groups point to it as evidence that the state’s “Seniors First” vaccine rollout strategy paid off.

Google-owned video site YouTube previously only banned misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. Facebook made the same change months ago.

The debate unfolding around the world over coronavirus vaccine mandates is playing out on a small scale at the United Nations headquarters ahead of a meeting of dozens of world leaders in New York next week.

There is no evidence of any impact on fertility - but research will help to counter false claims.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says his government will encourage people to get COVID-19 vaccinations but will not force them

Currently, COVID vaccines are only approved for children 12 and older.

Currently, COVID vaccines are only approved for children 12 and older.

Europe’s drug regulator said on Wednesday it was looking into three new conditions to assess whether they may be possible side effects related to COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna following a small number of cases.

If you’ve had the coronavirus, how long do you have to wait before being vaccinated? Can you mix vaccine brands?

A series of free COVID-19 vaccination and testing events will be held in Camden County this week in response to a recent surge in infections, the Georgia Department of Public Health said Monday.

Joining a growing number of health systems nationwide, Ascension announced on Tuesday that it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for its associates, whether they care for patients or not.

What questions do you have about the COVID-19 vaccine?

South Korea’s spy agency has told lawmakers that there is no sign that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been inoculated against the coronavirus and his country hasn’t received any foreign vaccines

The CTA is partnering with the Chicago Department of Public Health to provide free COVID-19 vaccines at several “L” stops from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, according to a news release.

The prime minister says it is a "big step towards vaccinating the world" by the end of 2022.

Illinois offers COVID-19 vaccination clinics to travelers at Union Station and highway stops downstate over Memorial Day weekend

Pakistan’s top health official says the COVID-19 variant that devastated neighboring India, causing record infections and deaths, has not yet been detected in Pakistan

The most recent myth claims that COVID-19 vaccines can cause infertility.

Health officials hope the event will increase public confidence in getting the vaccination.

Those plans come after the White House said it would send 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine to countries in need

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidelines that people who have been vaccinated can ditch the mask, some parents and health officials are concerned about what it means for younger children who still can’t get the vaccine.

Experts say it could be 2023 or later before COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in some countries.

Australia has reached a supply agreement for 25 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines

The WHO says the B.1.617 mutation spreads more easily than other variants and requires further study.

It's not yet known if COVID-19 vaccines can affect your period, but researchers are starting to study the issue.

Democrats argue this would make it easier for other countries to produce their own generic vaccines.

Democrats argue this would make it easier for other countries to produce their own generic vaccines.

In a new public health advisory, Florida’s surgeon general has ordered state and federal vaccine locations to stop asking people for proof of residency to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Dr. Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, is concerned that the Gateway Mall and two satellite federal vaccination site are about to stop giving first doses before the majority of Floridians get their shots. Ron DeSantis says he expects to drop the age requirement altogether within the next few weeks. “Demand is starting to increase above supply, which is where we were in December and early January when people were complaining about the long lines and also difficulty getting into making appointments to get the vaccine,” Joshi said. “Let’s hope that the federal sites will come back and can provide vaccines, especially in these underserved where they were doing them very successfully.”AdWHEN? Getting vaccinated in Northeast FloridaWatch Joshi’s full interview with News4Jax anchor Jennifer Waugh above.

First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 2 million seniors in Florida have been inoculated against COVID-19 so far, but as the state begins to lower age requirements, hundreds of seniors are still being missed in low-income housing. The agency said it vaccinated over 9,000 seniors in two weeks and it planned to wrap up the effort on Friday. State vaccine clinics were held at 10 Duval County HUD apartment complexes as a part of the vaccination effort, according to a Division of Emergency Management spokesperson. “A lot of the clients here either don’t have a way to go and then you got others, I think they are just a little leery of the vaccine,” Bess said. AdThe Division of Emergency Management has not answered questions about whether it plans to create vaccine clinics at public housing authorities throughout the state.

When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)NEW YORK – When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? Pfizer and Moderna expect to start studies in children 11 and younger later this year. Read previous Viral Questions:How would COVID-19 vaccine makers adapt to variants? AdHow do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?

The sisters of Spanish King Felipe VI have acknowledged on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, that they were administered COVID-19 vaccines during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza, File)MADRID – Two untimely coronavirus jabs have dealt another blow to the reputation of Spain's royals. The vaccination by the king’s sisters was widely criticized across Spain. The sisters of Spain’s King Felipe VI are no longer part of the official royal household, which said that the 53-year-old Felipe, Queen Letizia and their two daughters have not yet been vaccinated. Health Minister Carolina Darias, from the senior, Socialist partner of the governing coalition, made a distinction between Felipe and his sisters.

AdWhen available, the additional free COVID-19 vaccines will be administered in 64 Winn-Dixie store locations, three Harveys Supermarket and two Fresco y Más locations in the following 39 Florida counties:Alachua County Winn-Dixie Store No. 441, High Springs, FL 32643Baker County Winn-Dixie Store No. 231 N., Panama City, FL 32404Bradford County Winn-Dixie Store No. 743: 4849 Golden Gate Pkwy., Naples, FL 34116 (new)Dunnellon County (New county and location) Winn-Dixie Store No. 2206: 15912 E. State Road 40, Silver Springs, FL 34488 Martin County (New county and location) Winn-Dixie Store No.

Robert Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, has been banned from Instagram after posting false coronavirus vaccine claims. "We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram, said in a statement to CBS News Thursday. While he was removed from Instagram, his Facebook page – where he has more than 300,000 followers – is littered with posts critical of COVID-19 vaccines. The social media giant shared an expanded list of false and dangerous claims about vaccines that will not be allowed on the platform. The nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy has long been critical of vaccines.

(AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – “Shot shopping” by seniors from neighboring areas and uncertainty about COVID-19 vaccine allotments are vexing local officials in rural counties, but the state’s emergency management chief blames the problems on supply shortages. Moskowitz said the state was allotting vaccine doses to counties based on the number of residents ages 65 and older. Small county officials are also expressing consternation over the governor’s decision to steer shots to pharmacies at Publix supermarkets. Many rural areas lack a Publix, and some small counties where the Florida-based chain stores operate aren’t administering the vaccinations. She urged state officials to keep rural regions in mind as Florida’s vaccine program moves forward.

At least one in three Americans say they will not get a COVID vaccine when it becomes available to them. One myth floating around is a vaccine will make you test positive. A COVID-19 vaccine will not make you test positive for a current COVID infection on a viral test. However, you could test positive on some antibody tests if you develop an immune response. One of the most common myths is vaccines give you the virus.

J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus reopening plan, state public health officials said Friday. Among other loosened rules, gyms and fitness centers would be allowed to reopen with 50% capacity limits and other public health precautions in place. Parents in Joliet Public School District 86 this week were notified of the decision by the district’s board of inspectors. In Chicago, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has predicted most people will get their vaccines from their health care provider, pharmacy or employer. J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus reopening plan, state public health officials said Friday.

Can COVID-19 vaccines be mixed and matched? The COVID-19 vaccines rolling out in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world so far require two shots given a few weeks apart. In the U.S. where Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being distributed, health officials say the vaccines are not interchangeable. But without any studies, vaccine doses should not be mixed, said Naor Bar-Zeev, a vaccine expert at Johns Hopkins University. Read previous Viral Questions:Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I’ve had the virus?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After learning that Florida has almost a million unused vaccine doses, News4Jax reached out to local health departments who are limiting appointments saying they can’t get enough Pfsizer or Moderna vaccine. This means of the vaccines Florida has received, only 38% have been given. In Central Florida, health departments said vaccines on “hold” are put in storage, but are intended to be used. California received the most vaccines with more than 2 million doses available to the state. We are poised to mobilize the operation as soon we receive an additional allotment.”News4Jax will update this story when we health back from other health departments.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene said no more COVID-19 vaccination events are planned for school district employees at this time. Greene said about 200 of the 550 district employees who are either 65 or older or medical personnel were able to get vaccinated on Monday during a special event held for Duval County school workers. Greene said the district is in a holding pattern until the health department will be able to arrange for more vaccines for the rest of the employees in those two groups. Greene sent an email to district employees last week, telling them those 65 years or older or medical personnel could begin getting vaccinated this week. And that is why we are working very hard to get that vaccine to our employees,” Greene said.

Vaccines have arrived, and more are on the way. Illinois has already administered around 126,000. Britain on Wednesday gave emergency authorization to another coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. Developers are calling it the “vaccine for the world” because it’s significantly cheaper per dose than other vaccines and can be shipped and stored at normal refrigeration temperatures.

“Health care professionals like you have tirelessly served our state over the past nine months responding to an unprecedented public health crisis and coming together in extraordinary ways to help your communities,” the letter from the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Medical Association said. You all are true healthcare heroes.”Florida on Dec. 14 began using a Pfizer Inc. vaccine and this week also received shipments of a Moderna vaccine. Ron DeSantis is relying on hospitals to play an integral role in the state’s vaccination education efforts. To that end, the letter said, hospitals and health-care professionals need to educate communities about the importance of vaccines. The governor also said 367,000 Moderna doses are slated to arrive at 170 hospitals this week.

“We are wanting to make sure that people are aware of that so that if they experience some of those symptoms, or all of them, that they don’t think that something’s wrong but instead understand that is an effect of the vaccine, and expect it to be even more significant with this second dose as opposed to the first,” she said. “We want to include that in our messaging, we want providers to be aware of that so that they can give the proper anticipatory guidance to people so they know what to expect.”

If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the first vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna this month, the first vaccinations could be given as early as mid-December, officials said. Shots for the broader public likely would not be available until well into next year. But experts believe this is the way society will stop a virus that has crippled the economy and been a factor in the deaths of more than 275,000 people in the United States.

By afternoon, the banner was gone. The demonstration was organized by Florida Freedom Keepers, which has opposed mask mandates and other aspects of public health efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic as an infringement on personal liberties. Florida Freedom Keepers said there are several concerns over the safety of rushed-to-market COVID-19 vaccines and saying they will be exempt from liability under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. While national polling had shown about half of people were unwilling to get a COVID-19 vaccine right way, a Gallup poll released in mid-November found the percentage of people willing to get the shot had increased to 58%. There is an antivaccine movement in the United States that expresses concern for years about all vaccines and sometimes spreads wrong or unconfirmed information about adverse effects.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval schools is teaming up with the Department of Health (DOH) to set up in-school flu immunization clinics at schools beginning Nov. 30, according to Duval County Public Schools. Each weekday, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 18, DOH medical professionals will set up a clinic at different schools for a set number of hours. Participation is not mandatory, and only children who have a signed consent form from their parent will be eligible for a flu vaccine. For parents and guardians, who are un-insured and in need of a flu vaccination, please fluvaxjax.com and select “Get a Vaccine” and then “Click Here” to get a no-cost flu vaccine voucher through the #FluVaxJax program. More information is available on this Flu Vaccine Fact Sheet for children from the Duval County Medical Society.

Lightfoot also reiterated that the city is working on how it will distribute COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. Who gets the vaccine first and the order thereafter will be determined by federal rules, she said, but the city already has a robust system for distributing vaccines. Initially it’ll be healthcare workers getting the vaccine. It’ll later be followed by high-risk individuals, but all adults should be able to get vaccines sometime in 2021, she said.

Skyler Kalady, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic Childrens, said its vital to stay on track with vaccines, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Its really important that children stay up to date on routine vaccines to avoid creating a different problem: a vaccine-preventable illnesses, she said. Its especially important this year to vaccinate your child for influenza as early as possible in the season, Kalady said. This will make influenza much less likely, as well as reduce the worrisome possibility of getting both influenza and COVID at the same time.If youre not sure your child is up to date with their vaccines, Kalady recommends calling your pediatrician. She also reminds parents that its safe to visit your pediatricians office during the pandemic, as many facilities are taking extra precautions to keep both caregivers and patients safe.