HARRISBURG (Pa.) The number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and coronavirus infections among Pennsylvanians who have been vaccinated has risen dramatically in the past month. However, the shot is still broadly protective.
According to state health data, this is the case. According to the latest Department of Health statistics, so-called breakthrough infected people accounted for just over 25% of all 135,000 new infections. Nearly 5,000 hospital admissions were also recorded from September 5 through Oct 4.
This is an increase from the 6% of cases and 5% hospitalizations in January through September. Pennsylvanians who are not vaccinated are still more likely to get the coronavirus and be hospitalized or die from it than those who have been vaccinated.
Dr. Denise Johnson is the acting physician general of the state. She says that the data supports the need for booster shots. The United States health officials approved last month a third dose Pfizer vaccine to all Americans over 65, as well as younger Americans with health problems or in frontline positions that are high-risk.
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READ MORE ABOUT THE PANDEMIC
Increase in US vaccines due to employer mandates and boosters
Los Angeles County sheriff refuses to enforce vaccine mandate
NY home care workers face a deadline
California's school virus rules are often inconsistent.
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See all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
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HERE'S WHAT ELSE HAPPENS:
LOS ANGELES According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff, he will not enforce the vaccine mandate for his county in his agency.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva is the chief of the largest sheriffs office in the county, with approximately 18,000 employees. He stated Thursday that he does not plan to fulfill the mandate of the county in a Facebook Live video.
Los Angeles County employees must be fully vaccinated before Oct. 1. Executive order issued the mandate in August. It allows only medical and religious exemptions.
Villanueva claims that his employees would rather be fired than have their vaccines. Los Angeles County has seen more than 26,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
Continue the story
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BIRMINGHAM (Ala.) The top Alabama health official has urged people not vaccinated against the coronavirus within the next week to prevent another holiday-related spike in infections.
Dr. Scott Harris states that it takes around five to six weeks for people to get the maximum immunity following the shot-two vaccine. This means that people have less time to enjoy the most safe Thanksgiving possible.
Harris said he was cautiously optimistic that the holiday season won't be as fatal as last year due to vaccinations and the high number of people with antibodies after contracting this virus.
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NEW YORK In early November, a panel of vaccine experts will discuss whether the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for children under 12.
Officials from the health department announced Friday that the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices has scheduled a two-day meeting for November 2-3. Part of the agenda will be devoted to Pfizer.
Experts predict that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) will decide by then whether the Pfizer vaccine is to be used for children aged 5-11 years. The committee's task is to provide recommendations for doctors and the general public on vaccines and how they should be administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pfizer vaccines can only be used by people over 12 years of age.
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WARSAW A $372 million contract has been signed by Mabion S.A., a Polish biotechnology company, to produce the raw materials Novavax requires to make its COVID-19 vaccination.
Mabion, a Polish biotechnology company, will begin producing a protein antigen at its Konstantynow-Lodzki facility in central Poland in December under the four-year contract. It is the largest contract in Poland's biotechnology sector.
Novavax has partnered up with Serum Institute of India to ask regulators in India and Indonesia this week to allow the emergency use of its NVX–CoV2373 vaccine. This vaccine is simpler to store, more affordable to make, and not reserved for rich countries.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute, stated that the company had hoped for the vaccine to be available in India by June. However, the U.S. embargo against exports of vital raw materials has hampered manufacturing. The company plans to sell the vaccine by September and Mabion will continue to be part of the supply chain.
Novavax's global manufacturing network now has Mabions' technical expertise and production capabilities, which will allow us to offer broad access to our vaccine in multiple regions. Rick Crowley, Novavax Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer said.
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ALBANY, N.Y. A new state mandate has barred home health aides from New York who refuse to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The mandate was established by Gov. Kathy Hochul also applies to employees at assisted living homes and hospice care, treatment centres, and AIDS home care program workers. This mandate is in addition to a previous mandate that was implemented last month and covered nursing home and hospital workers.
The state didn't immediately have data on the number of home health aides in the more than 210,000 states that were vaccinated before Friday's deadline.
According to the Home Healthcare Workers of America, approximately 70% of 32,000 members of the group had received the coronavirus shot.
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PORTLAND, Ore. - A judge rejected a request from 33 Oregon State Police troopers for a temporary halt to a mandate that they must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before Oct. 18.
Oregonian/OregonLive reports that retired Justice Jack Landau, Oregon Supreme Court, stated in a written opinion that the police power of Oregon includes the ability to enact laws affecting public health that could have the effect of limiting individual rights.
Landau continued to state that Gov. Landau stated that Kate Brown was acting within the limits of her legislatively authorized authority when she issued the vaccine mandate. Brown mandated vaccinations for all state executive branch employees, troopers included, as well as for hundreds of thousands health care workers, K-12 educators, and volunteers.
You can request religious or medical exemptions. Eight lawsuits have already been filed.
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LAS VEGAS Nevada's governor said that a decrease of coronavirus cases and an increase in vaccinations are partly due to a near two-month deployment federal emergency management surge team in Las Vegas.
Gov. Steve Sisolak states that test positivity has fallen to 8.5%, which is a key indicator of the spread of coronavirus.
This rate was measured as a 14 day average and stood at 6.7% in Las Vegas, Clark County, and the surrounding areas. Some parts of the state saw higher rates, such as 22.6% Elko County. The World Health Organization's goal for coronavirus control measures is to relax them by 5%.
Sisolak states that 63% of eligible residents aged 12 or older have received at least one shot.
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MOSCOW Russia's daily coronavirus deaths have reached a record 936, despite a slow vaccination rate and reluctance by the governments to tighten restrictions.
Russia's state coronavirus taskforce reports that the number of deaths has risen to 900 for the third consecutive day. Authorities blame the low level of vaccination for the steep rise in deaths and infections that began in September. Around 33% of Russia's 146 million population have had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Only 29% of those who have been fully vaccinated are complete.
Friday's report by the government task force included 27,246 confirmed cases. This was slightly lower than Thursday's 27,550, which was still the highest level so far this year.
Officials from the Kremlin have not imposed a nationwide lockdown and delegated the power to tighten restrictions regionally.
Russia is Europe's most deadly country, with over 214,000 deaths and 7.7 millions confirmed cases in the pandemic. According to health experts, these numbers are likely to be underestimated.
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LJUBLJANA (Slovenia) The interior minister of Slovenia has denied accusations that police used excessive force in repressing anti-government protests using tear gas and water cannons on the eve a major European Union summit earlier this week.
These demonstrations were the third against virus measures and COVID-19 passes. Ales Hojs, the Interior Minister, said in Brussels Friday that police performed their duties well during Tuesday's intervention and that they were within their authority.
He said that an investigation was underway into the police actions. Around 25 protesters were taken into custody. Many were also injured or hospitalized, mostly because they inhaled tear gas.
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The Nordic countries have joined the disapproval of Modernas COVID-19 vaccination in certain age groups. This is due to a slight increase in heart inflammation, which can be a rare side effect.
According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, authorities will not give the shot to men under 30 years old. Instead, they will be offered the Pfizer vaccine.
According to the government agency, young men and women were slightly more at risk for developing myocarditis. This decision by Finland follows similar ones made by Sweden, Denmark, and Norway on Wednesday.
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MELBOURNE (Australia) Australia's Victoria state reported Friday a record 1,838 COVID-19 new cases and five deaths.
Australia's 24-hour average daily count of confirmed cases is highest. This was the ninth consecutive day that Australia's second-most populous country reported more than 1000 cases. Active infections rose to 16,823.
Victorias death toll was due to an outbreak of the Delta variant, which began in August and ended around 75.
New South Wales is seeing a decline in infections. Australia's most populous state had 646 confirmed cases Friday and 11 deaths.
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NICOSIA, Cyprus President of Cyprus received a booster dose COVID-19 vaccine. He urged anyone who hasn't had a shot to get one.
President Nicos Anastasides states that those eligible for booster shots should use them.
It is a duty we owe to those who are closest to us, and to the entire community. Anastasiades, 75, said that it is a matter social responsibility.
At the end September, 78% had been fully vaccinated while 81% had received their first dose.
Cyprus has already administered booster shots for more than 17,000 seniors and will start giving them to those 70 years and older next week.
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ROME Discos Italy will reopen its dance floors, after being closed as a public place under COVID-19 regulations.
Italian officials approved opening discos and ballrooms beginning Monday. However, indoor venues must be limited to 50% capacity while outdoor venues must be limited to 75%. Nearly 73% are fully vaccinated in Italy.
Experts who advised the government on anti-pandemic strategies warned for months that close mingling unmasked dancers with the shouting of blasting music was a prime environment for the spread of the coronavirus. However, transmission rates in Italy have been declining recently.
The government approved increasing the maximum number of patrons allowed in cinemas, theatres, museums, and concert halls to 100 percent. Higher occupancy is allowed in venues where guests must wear protective glasses and present a Green Pass attesting that they have received at least one dose of vaccines or a recent negatiave CoVID-19 test.
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COLORADO SPRINGS (Colo.) A Colorado woman was denied a kidney donation because she refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Leilani Lutali (56) has stage 5 kidney disease. She is at high risk of death without a replacement kidney. Leilani says that she would not consent to being vaccinated due to the fact that fetal cells lines were used in vaccine development. Many cell lines that were created using fetal tissue decades ago are used in the manufacturing and testing of medical products. However, the cells used today are not original cells but clones.
According to the UCHealth hospital group, transplant recipients must be vaccinated as they run a significant risk of contracting COVID-19.
According to the American Hospital Association, many transplant centers require vaccinations. The American Hospital Association states that organ recipients are at risk of COVID-19 due to the drugs they must use to suppress their immune system.
(This item has been updated to indicate fetal cells and not stem cells.
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