International [U.S COVID Vaccine News] CDC to Lift COVID-19 Testing Requirement for international Travelers

[Arkain2K]

COVID-19 vaccines don't raise miscarriage risk, 3 studies show
By Mary Van Beusekom | Sep 09, 2021​

​

Pregnant women who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine were not at higher risk for miscarriage than their unvaccinated counterparts, according to a trio of new US studies.

Miscarriage no more likely in vaccinated

In the first study, published yesterday in JAMA, researchers from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) surveillance network used diagnostic and procedure codes and electronic health records to identify and assign gestational ages of miscarriages and ongoing pregnancies from Dec 15, 2020, to Jun 28, 2021.

The VSD is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and nine health systems that represents about 3% of the US population.

Among 105,446 pregnancies, 13,160 miscarriages occurred, while 92,286 pregnancies were ongoing. Of all pregnant women, 7.8% had received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine, 6.0% received one or more doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine, and 0.5% received the Johnson & Johnson one-dose adenovirus vaccine before 20 weeks' gestation.

Eight percent of women with ongoing pregnancies had received a COVID-19 vaccine by 28 days, compared with 8.6% of women who experienced miscarriages. The proportion of women 35 to 49 years who miscarried was higher than the proportion with ongoing pregnancies in that age-group (38.7% vs 22.3%).

Overall, miscarriages were no more likely within 28 days of vaccination compared with ongoing pregnancies (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02), regardless of type of vaccine and gestational age. "Despite limitations, these data can be used to inform vaccine recommendations and to counsel patients," the study authors concluded.

More evidence of vaccine safety in pregnancy

Similarly, in a letter yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), CDC scientists enrolled 2,456 women who were part of the agency's COVID-19 vaccine safety pregnancy registry.

Of all participants, 2,022 reported ongoing pregnancies at 20 weeks' gestation, 165 reported miscarriages (154 of whom miscarried before 14 weeks), 188 completed second-trimester follow-up before 20 weeks' gestation, 16 reported other pregnancy outcomes (eg, induced abortion, ectopic or molar pregnancies), and 65 were lost to follow-up.

Most participants (77.3%) were at least 30 years old, 78.3% were White, and 88.8% were healthcare workers. A little over half the women (52.7%) had received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

In the primary analysis, the cumulative risk of miscarriage from 6 to less than 20 weeks' gestation was 14.1%, while an analysis using direct maternal age standardization to the reference population showed a 12.8% risk. The risk of miscarriage rose with increasing maternal age.

A sensitivity analysis that assumed that all 65 women with recent contact during their first trimester had a miscarriage, the cumulative risk of miscarriage from 6 to less than 20 weeks' gestation was 18.8%. The risk was slightly lower after age standardization, at 18.5%.

"As compared with data from two historical cohorts that represent the lower and upper ranges of spontaneous-abortion risk, the cumulative risks of spontaneous abortion [miscarriage] from our primary and sensitivity analyses were within the expected risk range," the researchers concluded. "These findings add to the accumulating evidence about the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy."

And in response to a letter yesterday in NEJM, a separate group of CDC researchers updated its analysis of 2,456 pregnant women who received one or two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine before conception or 20 weeks' gestation.

Their preliminary findings, originally published on Jun 17, were based on telephone follow-up of the participants through Mar 30. The letter writer, Hong Sun, PhD, of Dedalus Healthcare in Antwerp, Belgium, had pointed out that the researchers had erroneously included 700 participants vaccinated with their first dose after 20 weeks' gestation, arriving at a risk of miscarriage by week 20 of 12.6%. "This calculated metric is misleading and does not reflect the real risk of spontaneous abortion," Sun wrote.

The researchers agreed with Sun's assessment. Since the original analysis, the researchers had completed follow-up for the remaining pregnancies in those vaccinated before 20 weeks' gestation and enrolled more participants in the pregnancy registry.

They then used life-table methods to perform an updated analysis to determine the cumulative risk of miscarriage from 6 to less than 20 weeks' gestation. The new risk estimate was only slightly higher. "The estimated risks (14.1% overall and 12.8% in age-standardized analyses) are consistent with the risks of spontaneous abortion reported in the general population," the authors wrote.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-per...es-dont-raise-miscarriage-risk-3-studies-show

 

[Arkain2K]

Doctors say pregnant women are being targeted with deliberately false COVID vaccine information
By Kimberly Gill | September 27, 2021


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A growing amount of deliberately false information about the COVID vaccine is being targeted specifically at women who are pregnant, according to experts.

Myths about infertility and pregnancy complications have been spread far and wide online, but infectious disease experts at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center said the scientific evidence all points in one direction.

“There is 100% no evidence to support that vaccines cause infertility. This is a cruel rumor that is preying upon the fear that a lot of women have of not being able to have children,” Infectious disease expert Dr. Nora Colburn said.

The research also clearly shows those who choose not to get vaccinated while pregnant leave themselves and their babies at a greater risk. According to the CDC, at least 159 pregnant women have died of COVID since the pandemic began.

As you’re reading the information online, keep the following questions in mind:

• Where does the information come from?
• Does it seem credible?
• Are they citing sources and studies that seem transparent?
• Are they citing reputable medical journals?

The latest research suggests even more benefits from getting vaccinated during pregnancy. Doctors analyzed cord blood from 36 newborns whose mothers had received at least one dose of Pfizer or Moderna. All 36 babies had high levels of antibodies. While it’s unclear how long the antibodies will last, they suggest babies could carry some level of protection from their mother’s vaccination.

Research also suggests breastfeeding mothers who are vaccinated may be able to pass some of their protection to their babies through their milk.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2021/09/27/experts-say-pregnant-women-are-being-targeted-with-deliberately-false-information-about-covid-vaccine/

 

[Arkain2K]

CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID
Data from hospitals across the country show roughly 97% of pregnant women hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated
By Jeremy Tanner | Sept 30, 2021

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert Wednesday urging pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC said it “strongly recommends” the shot for women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or who may want children in the future.

Data from hospitals across the country show that roughly 97% of pregnant women who were hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19 were unvaccinated. Along with the risks of severe illness and death for pregnant and recently pregnant women, the virus also puts babies at increased risk of preterm birth and admission to the ICU, according to the CDC. Stillbirths have also been reported.

The vaccination numbers are lower among pregnant women than non-pregnant women, despite the known risks.

“I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement.

​

Vaccination rates among pregnant people vary markedly by race and ethnicity, according to the CDC's data. Fully immunized levels are highest among Asian people who are pregnant (around 46%). About 27% of Hispanic or Latino pregnant people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At the lowest vaccination level were Black pregnant people who were around 16% fully vaccinated. About 35% of non-Hispanic whites who are pregnant are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

The lack of vaccination has led to more than 125,000 cases, 22,000 hospitalizations and 161 deaths among pregnant women with COVID-19, according to the CDC. Twenty-two of those deaths came in August alone, the highest number on record for a single month.

The CDC, which announced there was enough data to deem the vaccine safe for pregnant women, issued the alert in a bid to “accelerate” vaccinations to protect higher risk pregnant women and their unborn children.

https://www.valleycentral.com/news/...gnant-women-not-vaccinated-against-covid/amp/

 

[Natural Order]

CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID
Data from hospitals across the country show roughly 97% of pregnant women hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated
By Jeremy Tanner | Sept 30, 2021

​

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert Wednesday urging pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC said it “strongly recommends” the shot for women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or who may want children in the future.

Data from hospitals across the country show that roughly 97% of pregnant women who were hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19 were unvaccinated. Along with the risks of severe illness and death for pregnant and recently pregnant women, the virus also puts babies at increased risk of preterm birth and admission to the ICU, according to the CDC. Stillbirths have also been reported.

The vaccination numbers are lower among pregnant women than non-pregnant women, despite the known risks.

“I strongly encourage those who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to talk with their health care provider about the protective benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine to keep their babies and themselves safe,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement.

​

Vaccination rates among pregnant people vary markedly by race and ethnicity, according to the CDC's data. Fully immunized levels are highest among Asian people who are pregnant (around 46%). About 27% of Hispanic or Latino pregnant people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. At the lowest vaccination level were Black pregnant people who were around 16% fully vaccinated. About 35% of non-Hispanic whites who are pregnant are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

The lack of vaccination has led to more than 125,000 cases, 22,000 hospitalizations and 161 deaths among pregnant women with COVID-19, according to the CDC. Twenty-two of those deaths came in August alone, the highest number on record for a single month.

The CDC, which announced there was enough data to deem the vaccine safe for pregnant women, issued the alert in a bid to “accelerate” vaccinations to protect higher risk pregnant women and their unborn children.

https://www.valleycentral.com/news/...gnant-women-not-vaccinated-against-covid/amp/

Sure there's enough data. They don't have enough data for 5-11 but they've got enough for pregnant women.
Fuck outta here...

 

[Arkain2K]

 

[SBJJ]

The anti-vax leader of Hawaii's "Aloha Freedom Coalition" caught COVID-19 and almost died.
He now supports vaccines and wants his group's protests to stop.
By Marianne Guenot | September 23, 2021​

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www.businessinsider.com/hawaii-anti-vax-protest-leader-catches-covid-now-supports-vaccines-2021-9

Anyone old and/or fat should get the jab. That knucklehead is both

 

[Arkain2K]

On today’s Morning Medical Update, we were joined by Dr. Kevin Ault. Besides being an OBGYN at The University of Kansas Health System, he’s a member of the CDC advisory committee on vaccines called ACIP.

He discussed the vaccine fears many women express, and explained how many expectant and postpartum moms are getting seriously ill with COVID. It’s the most common fear women say they have about the COVID vaccine: whether it will affect their fertility.

 

[maximus__]

Between this and the clear effectiveness of the vaccine in NSW vs Victoria in dropping case numbers, I think are strategy whilst flawed was not terrible in Aus. If they had got people vaccinated last year, Australia would be the shining example of success for covid. Unfortunately they backed Astrazeneca before shitting on it and now nobody wants any vaccine but Pfizer. The slow roll out of the vaccine has hammered us completely. We should have had a relatively normal 2021.

NSW got a vaccine push and now they are under 1000 daily cases and already easing restrictions.
Victoria missed out as a result and jumped from 750 -1500 cases in less than 3 days.

Atleast the deaths aren't terrible with a big day being 7-14 total... We also don't include motorbike riders here...

 

[Arkain2K]

Just one major US airline is holding out against COVID vaccine mandate
By Joshua Bote, SFGATE | Oct. 4, 2021

Just one major American airline is letting unvaccinated employees continue to work and travel.

Delta Airlines is the remaining holdout after Southwest announced Monday that it would mandate vaccines for its 54,000 employees following "a thorough review of President Biden's COVID Action Plan," which requires that companies with more than 100 employees have vaccine mandates or weekly testing.

All Southwest employees, the airline said in a Monday press release, must receive the COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 8 in order to stay employed. Workers can also be approved for a religious, medical or disability exemption, though it remains unclear how this process works.

“Southwest Airlines must join our industry peers in complying with the federal government's COVID-19 vaccination directive,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines' chairman and CEO, in a company press release. “I encourage all Southwest Employees to meet the federal directive, as quickly as possible, since we value every individual and want to ensure job security for all.”

A Delta spokesperson told SFGATE that the airline has no plan to mandate vaccines, noting that 84% of its staff is vaccinated without any mandate.

"While we continue to examine the Administration’s executive order, Delta people who remain unvaccinated can continue their careers while undergoing mandatory masking, weekly testing and — beginning in November — assessment of a $200 healthcare surcharge," the spokesperson told SFGATE in an email.

Southwest's mandate follows a companywide financial incentive — 16 hours, or two days' worth, of extra pay for nonflight staff and 13 "trip segments" for flight staff, reports CNBC — to convince workers to get fully vaccinated. It is unclear whether this requirement will replace the current bonuses.

The decision comes just days after both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines announced similar vaccine mandates. United Airlines became the first major airline to announce a vaccine mandate for all its employees in late September.

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Delta-airlines-hold-out-COVID-vaccine-mandate-16509115.php

 

[Arkain2K]

Moderna plans African vaccine plant as drugmakers urged to help poorest
By Josephine Mason and Maggie Fick | October 7, 2021​

Moderna plans to invest up to $500 million to build a factory in Africa to make up to 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines each year, including its COVID-19 shot, as pressure grows on the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture drugs on the continent.

African countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been urging drugmakers for months to set up vaccine plants on the continent to help it secure supplies of COVID-19 shots that have been hoovered up by wealthier nations.

As of Thursday, only about 4.5% of Africans had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the continent's top public health official, John Nkengasong.

Moderna's proposed site is expected to include drug substance manufacturing as well as bottling and packaging capabilities. The U.S. drugmaker said it would begin the process of deciding the country and location soon.

"We expect to manufacture our COVID-19 vaccine as well as additional products within our mRNA vaccine portfolio at this facility," CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said he had not seen the Moderna statement and the company had not consulted with him.

At a news conference, he welcomed any efforts to address the continent's medium- to long-term needs, but said Moderna's plans would not solve its problems securing COVID-19 vaccine doses now.

Bartholomew Akanmori, a vaccine regulation officer at the WHO's Africa office, said the WHO hoped Moderna's plant would help with diseases of public health interest other than COVID-19 and which had not yet received research and development support.

Potential candidates to host Moderna's African plant include South Africa, Rwanda and Senegal, health experts say, although a senior South African official involved in a drive to boost local vaccine manufacturing said he wasn't aware of the Moderna announcement. South Africa's health department didn't respond to a request for comment.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech struck a deal in July for South Africa's Biovac to help make around 100 million doses a year of their COVID-19 vaccine for Africa. BioNTech said in August that it was looking into building malaria and tuberculosis vaccine production sites using mRNA technology in Rwanda and Senegal. read more

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/moderna-plans-mrna-vaccine-factory-africa-2021-10-07/

 

[Ayin]

The CDC said it “strongly recommends” the shot for women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or who may want children in the future.
/

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Vaccination rates among pregnant people vary markedly by race and ethnicity, according to the CDC's data. Fully immunized levels are highest among Asian people who are pregnant (around 46%). About 27% of Hispanic or Latino pregnant people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
/

CDC/article writers need to get their terms straight here, they alternate between “pregnant persons” and the now outdated, unscientific and discriminatory “pregnant women”.

Between this and the clear effectiveness of the vaccine in NSW vs Victoria in dropping case numbers, I think are strategy whilst flawed was not terrible in Aus. If they had got people vaccinated last year, Australia would be the shining example of success for covid. Unfortunately they backed Astrazeneca before shitting on it and now nobody wants any vaccine but Pfizer. The slow roll out of the vaccine has hammered us completely. We should have had a relatively normal 2021.

I would not assume that to be the case, but I agree the slow and late uptake of vaccination was a mistake. My reasoning on that is just our national experience and the similarity of Canadian and Australian governmental structure. We’ve got over 80% fully vaccinated people, ages 12+, and we still have entire provinces banning gatherings of any sort for holidays, until we can “get enough people vaccinated”/“finish the fight”(against COVID).

 

[lifelessheap]

Get the vaccine you chickens. What kind of scared little bitch won't get a needle to help their nation get through a pandemic? Imagine relying on these limp wristed wimps to do something hard like fight in a war against china or something lol we'd be completely fucked. People have got really fuckin soft with so much comfort and luxury in their lives. In the old days a real man would just do this shit without crying and be done with it. Not these days with these snowflakes tho. Pathetic.

Or don't be a bitch and just get Covid. It is a can virus and natural immunity works great.

 

[Arkain2K]

Sure there's enough data. They don't have enough data for 5-11 but they've got enough for pregnant women.
Fuck outta here...

Which of the three aforementioned scientific studies of over a hundred thousand pregnant women have you actually read, and what exactly do you disagree with?

 

[Lustercross]

Or don't be a bitch and just get Covid. It is a can virus and natural immunity works great.

It’s a gamble. I’m seeing people in their 30s dying from it. Granted they are usually overweight. But if your gonna be lazy and not lose the weight then you really need to get vaccinated.

 

[Natural Order]

Which of the three aforementioned scientific studies of over a hundred thousand pregnant women have you actually read, and what exactly do you disagree with?

What are you, an idiot? How many fucking kids have been born through the process and how much long term study do we have on them? Oh right, less than a year at best.

Wake up you shill.

 

[Yehudim]

It’s a gamble. I’m seeing people in their 30s dying from it. Granted they are usually overweight. But if your gonna be lazy and not lose the weight then you really need to get vaccinated.

Problem is that many of the people suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect, that is to say that they're in their 40's and 50's, obese and diabetic, but they think THEIR immune system is going to make it.

 

[lifelessheap]

It’s a gamble. I’m seeing people in their 30s dying from it. Granted they are usually overweight. But if your gonna be lazy and not lose the weight then you really need to get vaccinated.

Of course it is a gamble. Driving a car is a gamble. Let's agree to not be fat.

 

[Scerpi]

Just one major US airline is holding out against COVID vaccine mandate
By Joshua Bote, SFGATE | Oct. 4, 2021

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Delta-airlines-hold-out-COVID-vaccine-mandate-16509115.php

Barely any coverage on Southwest's issues over the weekend that they blamed on "Weather"... lol.

800+ Fights Canceled Saturday
1000+ Flights Canceled Sunday
Almost 600 Flights so far today (Monday).

Southwest flight cancellations, delays continue Monday after disruptive weekend
Over 600 Southwest flights have been canceled or delayed Monday morning
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifesty...ions-delays-continue-after-disruptive-weekend
Monday's issues come just after the carrier canceled more than 1,000 flights, or 29% of its schedule, on Sunday alone. On Saturday, the airline canceled 808 flights and had 1,187 flights delayed.

In an emailed statement, Southwest said it had experienced weather challenges in its Florida airports at the beginning of the weekend, which were compounded by unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region, which triggered delays and prompted significant cancellations beginning Friday evening.

 

[ShadowRun]

 

[Scerpi]

Which of the three aforementioned scientific studies of over a hundred thousand pregnant women have you actually read, and what exactly do you disagree with?

This is fucking idiotic.... There's several vaccines that the FDA tells women not to take while pregnant.

How many of these stories go unreported? Guarantee they're not making it into VAERS.