Tag Archives: Pfizer Vaccine

News

DOH Officials Encourage Caution, Even as State COVID Cases Appear to Flatten

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by Carolyn Bick

Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has publicly stated that anyone who is vaccinated against the novel coronavirus can resume all activities — such as going to the grocery store and gathering with friends — mask-free, the Washington State Department of Health is still urging caution.

In a May 19 press briefing, Department of Health (DOH) officials said that it is important to continue to exercise caution and care. The state’s transmission and disease levels are still not where they need to be, though more than half the state has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

“We are seeing with complete data and even the projection moving forward is that we believe that we are seeing that flattening and that decline,” DOH Health Sec. Dr. Umai Shah said of the state’s disease and transmission levels. “That does not mean that every place is having the same kind of decline.”

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Features

Weekend Long Reads: the ‘COVID Twenty-Two’ and Other Pandemic Musings

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by Kevin Schofield

As we start to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, there has been a shift in the kinds of articles showing up in medical journals about the virus and its impacts. They’re talking about the vaccines out in the real world now and not just their future impact. But some of the research now examines the impact that the virus, and our societal response to it, have had upon us. This week’s Long Reads features three such papers that make for interesting reading.

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News

Good Vaccine News Overshadowed by Emergence of More Contagious, Possibly Deadlier COVID Variant in State

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by Carolyn Bick

Though Washington State will be getting more doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as specialized syringes that will be able to coax out one extra dose from every vial of Pfizer vaccine, the good news Gov. Jay Inslee shared during his press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 26 was somewhat overshadowed by the arrival of the significantly more contagious novel coronavirus variant in the state, the discovery of which was officially announced this past weekend in a Department of Health press release.

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News

State Avoids Post-Holiday Surge, Won’t Share Personal Information With Federal Government in Vaccination Plan

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by Carolyn Bick

Washington State has avoided a post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID-19 cases, but the state — particularly its hospital system — isn’t in the clear yet.

In a press conference on Dec. 16, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy shared graphs from the DOH’s COVID-19 tracking dashboard that show case counts and hospitalizations, including ICU bed occupancy, are levelling off. The Emerald has shared these graphs below. But the trends aren’t yet level, and the state must go beyond just flattening the curve, DOH Health Sec. Dr. John Wiesman said.

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News

Washington and Other Western States Approve First COVID-19 Vaccine, Say Process Was Rigorous and Equitable – First Doses Arrive Monday

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by Andrew Engelson

In an online news conference Sunday morning, Gov. Jay Inslee said he was “joyous” to announce that the federal government and Washington state have both authorized the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and that shipments of the first 60,000 doses could arrive in the state Monday. Immunizations could start as early as Tuesday for high-risk health care workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, and people in tribal communities, the governor said. He also said an independent review board from western states confirmed the transparency, rigor, and scientific independence of the federal approval process for the vaccine.

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News

COVID-19 Vaccine May Come Available Soon, But Not Before Hospitals Will Have to Start Implementing Surge Plans

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by Carolyn Bick

Aside from starting to cancel non-emergent surgeries and other procedures, there doesn’t appear to be much else healthcare professionals can do to make way for what many see as an inevitable surge in COVID-19 cases and associated hospitalizations, following Thanksgiving and the December holidays.

Continue reading COVID-19 Vaccine May Come Available Soon, But Not Before Hospitals Will Have to Start Implementing Surge Plans →