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Added on the 28/10/2020 20:16:26 - Copyright : Wochit
Flu cases may spike in late winter after months of low infection rates. Experts are reluctant to predict a mild season too soon, according to ScienceMag. But many are ready to declare that COVID-19 control measures have prevented lots of flu illnesses. COVID measures dramatically tamped down the flu and other respiratory viruses that we usually face. The World Health Organization says flu activity in the Northern Hemisphere is at “interseasonal levels." That means it’s as low as in an ordinary summer.
Many people are concerned about severe allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccine. But based on findings, the chances of having a severe allergic reaction are low. In the first week and a half of the US COVID-19 vaccine effort, the CDC confirmed 29 reactions. These confirmed cases are severe allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis. The cases to 29 out of 1.9 million doses administered means this reaction is very rare. That adds up to a rate of 11.1 cases of anaphylaxis out of 1 million doses administered.
UPI reports new research shows it's a very good idea to insist that healthcare workers get an annual flu shot. That's according to researchers from the University of Georgia, Montana State University and Monash University in Australia. They found that states with mandatory flu shots for hospital workers saw statewide reductions in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. They estimate that during the 2016-17 season alone, nearly 2,000 deaths were averted in the 15 U.S. states that had mandatory vaccination laws at that time. The findings suggest that health-worker vaccination laws may be a good way to protect the country's most vulnerable populations. The researchers say it's possible that similar benefits could also be seen with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of hospital workers.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Sen. Rand Paul are publicly feuding. What are they fighting over? Whether members of Congress should receive a COVID-19 vaccine before healthcare workers and the elderly. Paul argued that it would be "inappropriate" to jump the line ahead of frontline workers and the elderly. AOC insisted that lawmakers need to set an example for Americans and instill confidence about the vaccine. The government has made vaccines available to members of Congress in order to ensure continuity of government and protect national security.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed who should be next in line to receive the recently released vaccine against COVID-19. The CDC said Sunday that frontline essential workers and people 75 and older should be next in line for coronavirus vaccines. Business Insider reports the US should have enough shots to complete the first two phases of vaccinations by sometime in February of 2021. Healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities have already started receiving their shots. The third round should go to those ages 65 to 74, those ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions, and any remaining unvaccinated essential worker.