The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 to recommend that the COVID-19 vaccine be added to the 2023 childhood and adult immunization schedules.
People ages 12 and older are eligible to receive Pfizer-BioNTech boosters and people ages 18 and older may receive Moderna boosters which researchers said will provide broader protection against the newer variants.
Governor Kay Ivey joined in a joint letter with 16 other Republican governors, in asking President Biden to lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on international travel to the United States.
Children 5 to 11 make up one of the least vaccinated age groups in the state. New numbers from the health department show only about 14-percent of them have gotten a shot.
The first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers has now been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for vaccinations to begin as soon as next week.
Dr. Raul Magadia, an infectious disease doctor at Anniston’s Regional Medical Center, believes the pandemic is far from over and another shot is an extra layer of protection we need in case there is another spike.
You are no longer required to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to enter bars, restaurants, event spaces, or other businesses previously covered under the regulations.
The positivity rate in Alabama is now 2.6%, the lowest we’ve seen in several months, but does this mean we can finally be free of the fear caused by COVID?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the most recent COVID-19 data available.
The Birmingham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. is partnering with the Jefferson County Health Department for a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic.
There could soon be an approved COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 years old. Drug maker, Pfizer, said it’s ready to move forward with its two-dose vaccine for children in this age group.
According to CDC data, 74% of kids ages five to 12 have at least one shot in Jefferson County. CDC data shows 80 percent of kids 12 to 18 also have one dose within the county.
Dr. Karen Landers said last year we were asking for vaccines to fight against COVID, and now we have them and in some cases, they aren’t being taken advantage of and could potentially go to waste.
There was a glimmer of hope just a couple of weeks ago when it looked like the positivity rate in Alabama was coming down. But there’s still a lot of virus circulating in the community with the positivity rate in Alabama now at more than 44%.That’s why doctors are still stressing the importance of getting that shot in the arm to ensure you’re protected.
There’s a new option available for those who test positive - a pill made specifically to reduce COVID symptoms and avoid hospitalizations for vulnerable populations.
ADPH data shows that 2,180 people are hospitalized with the virus across the state as of January 14th, 2022. 84 of those patients are children. Dr. David Kimberlin with Children’s of Alabama said those are record numbers for kids.
“School-wide masking is at the top of the list of preventive steps that need to be implemented. Masks can still make a difference in school settings and allow students to remain in class, if properly used.”
Officials with ADPH said hospital staffing is the largest problem Alabama is facing during the Omicron surge, and if these new mandates cause more employees to quit, it will likely just get worse.
There’s been about a 50% nationwide increase of children being hospitalized with COVID over the past couple of weeks according to Dr. David Kimberlin with Children’s of Alabama.
On December 21, Attorney General Marshall joined with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to challenge the Biden administration’s Head Start mandate, along with his colleagues from 22 other States.
With only 47 percent of the state fully vaccinated, UAB infectious disease expert, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo said more people need the shot to protect against the more infectious Omicron strain.
Biden detailed major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.
The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is once again on the rise, and the Alabama Department of Public Health is urging residents to get vaccinated.
Moderna said its COVID-19 booster appears to provide protection against the surging Omicron variant. The drug maker said its 50-microgram booster dose increased antibody levels 37-fold.
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