The Booster Bulletin: Your Weekly Dose of Immunization News
Before we dive into the most current COVID-19 vaccine news, we here at Immunize Nevada would like to take a moment to recognize World Polio Day-October 24-and share some links on the history of the Polio vaccine and just how far we have come since the first U.S. polio epidemic in 1894. In Nevada, children are required to receive 3-4 total doses of the Polio (IPV) vaccine prior to school entry.
“Joint Statement by WHO-UNICEF-ROTAY on World Polio Day”- Today as the world commemorates World Polio Day with the theme, “One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio – delivering on our promise of a polio-free world!”, and Ethiopia launches a nationwide polio vaccination (nOPV2) campaign, we – the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and ROTARY – reaffirm our commitment to continue delivering on our promise of a polio-free world for current and future generations.
A Timeline of the History of the Polio Vaccine from The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
“World Polio Day 2021: History, theme and all you need to know” India Today (October 24, 2021)-“World Polio Day is observed on October 24 every year to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio. The World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.”
“Decades after polio, Martha is among the last to still rely on an iron lung to breathe” NPR (October 25, 2021) – “On June 8, 1953, Martha Lillard celebrated her fifth birthday with a party at an amusement park in Oklahoma. A little over a week later, she woke up with a sore throat and a pain in her neck. Her family took her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with polio.”
And now back to our COVID-19 vaccine coverage…
We’re committed to sharing news and information from local and national media about COVID-19, available vaccines, and immunization-related topics. Each week we’ll continue to review clips from across the U.S., from various news outlets and platforms, and bring you ten timely and relevant links.
“Coronavirus Contextualized, 64th edition: Cases remain high as Northern Nevada hospitals face crush of COVID-19 patients” The Nevada Independent (October 22, 2021) - “Coronavirus Contextualized” publishes on a semi-regular basis, meaning that if cases are increasing or decreasing, you can expect to see a new story every week or every other week, and if cases are stable, you might not see a new story for a few weeks.
“White House Details Plans to Vaccinate 28m Children Age 5-11” ABC (October 20, 2021) – “Within hours of formal approval, which is expected after the Food and Drug Administration signs off and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel meets on Nov. 2-3, millions of doses will begin going out to providers across the country, along with the smaller needles needed for injecting young children. Within days of that, the vaccine will be ready to go into arms on a wide scale.”
“History of Vaccine Mandates in the US” Chicago Tribune (October 21, 2021) – “History of vaccine mandates in the US on sept. 9, 2021, President Joe Biden announced new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for government employees, large employers, and healthcare workers to combat the latest surge in COVID-19 cases. Similar vaccine mandates like these are nothing new in the united states—they date back to the revolutionary war, when smallpox outbreaks hindered the continental army as it fought British troops. Public backlash against vaccine requirements also has a long history in this country, as protests have led states to grant religious and philosophical exemptions from such mandates.”
“Younger Kids Could Be Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine within Weeks. Here’s What Happens Next” CNN (October 23, 2021) – “Some 28 million children ages 5 to 11 in the United States may soon be eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, and plans are already underway to help them get it. The US Food and Drug Administration's independent vaccine advisory board will meet Tuesday to discuss whether Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine should be authorized for younger kids. If authorized, it would become the first vaccine available for younger children. Pfizer's vaccine is already authorized for children 12 to 15 and is approved for people age 16 and older.”
“If Beijing Olympics athletes aren't vaccinated, they'll be in quarantine for 21 days” NPR (October 25, 2021) – “Olympic athletes, team staff and journalists who arrive at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games next February will be required to be vaccinated — or face a three-week "hard quarantine" period that lasts longer than the Games themselves. That's according to new guidelines from the International Olympic Committee.”
“Biden administration takes new steps to boost availability of rapid covid tests” The Washington Post (October 25, 2021) – “The Biden administration announced additional steps on Monday to increase the availability of rapid at-home coronavirus tests and bring down their cost. The biggest change is a $70 million investment by the National Institutes of Health — using funds from the American Rescue Plan passed earlier this year — to help manufacturers navigate the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory process. The NIH program aims to speed up the authorization process for new tests by helping manufacturers produce the data regulators need. It will also identify rapid tests that have the potential to be produced and distributed on a large scale.”
Want this to arrive in your email in the future? Click the icon above next to "SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG" and receive all our blog posts in your inbox.
*Links included do not imply endorsement.