Public health measures such as vaccine and mask mandates, lockdowns and school closures have been widely discussed in scientific and popular media.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic fades, we may debate whether public health responses could have been better. But first we need to understand what public health errors are — and are not.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination was once required to access many venues during the pandemic.
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Vaccine policies fall on a spectrum, from mandates to recommendations. Deciding what to use and when is not so much a science but a balancing act between personal autonomy and public good.
The CDC recommends getting your updated COVID-19 shot and your seasonal flu shot as soon as possible.
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Newly approved and updated vaccines are the best tools available to combat COVID-19, the flu and RSV, as infections and hospitalizations tick upward and cold and flu season gets underway.
To build trust with an audience, scientists must demonstrate that they are competent experts. But they must also come across as warm, caring and human.
The CDC expects the updated shots to be effective at preventing severe COVID-19, even in the face of new variants.
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Specific beliefs may have more to do with people’s vaccine views than their religious affiliation – but it depends on which vaccine you’re talking about.
Extensive evidence shows COVID-19 vaccinations in pregnancy are safe, when given at any time during the pregnancy.
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COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to be safe in pregnancy, and protects both the mother and infant from severe disease. It’s now also clear that infants’ antibody protection continues after birth.
More than 70 per cent of the world’s population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccination.
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New analysis answers questions about the ongoing effectiveness of COVID vaccines: How well they protect against infection, hospitalization and death months after initial doses or after a booster shot.
COVID-19 hasn’t vanished, but at this point it’s doing less damage.
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The emergency status allowed the federal government to cut through a mountain of red tape, with the goal of responding to the pandemic more efficiently.
Gain-of-function experiments in the lab can help researchers get ahead of viruses naturally gaining the ability to infect people in the wild.
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From cancer immunotherapy and antibiotics to GMO crops and pandemic surveillance, gain of function is a cornerstone of basic research.
COVID-19 is still with us, and is still causing serious illness and death. However, it is disproportionately affecting older people.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
COVID-19 is the third-leading cause of death in Canada, but it’s older people who are dying. That we accept this and carry on as if the pandemic is over reveals our ageism: We don’t value older people.
A team from the University of Tours and INRAE is working on the development of an innovative nasal vaccine against Covid, in spray form.
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Vaccination is often combined with an injection. It can also take the form of a nasal spray: an approach that is still rare, but which could be effective against Covid. Here’s why.
COVID-19 emergency status prompted coordinated vaccination efforts by health care providers, paramedics, volunteers and others.
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President Joe Biden’s intention to end the national COVID-19 emergency will have long-lasting ripple effects on federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The FDA advisory committee discussed vaccine safety, effectiveness of the current shots, potential seasonality of COVID-19 and more.
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Many questions remain about next steps for US vaccine policy. But the FDA advisory panel’s hearty endorsement of a single-composition COVID-19 vaccine represents a pivotal step.
XBB.1.5 is rapidly spreading across the globe and will likely become the next dominant COVID-19 subvariant.
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An effective nasal vaccine could stop the virus that causes COVID-19 right at its point of entry. But devising one that works has been a challenge for researchers.
Throughout the pandemic, much discussion about COVID-19 transmission focused on individual-level decisions, making it easy to blame the unvaccinated.
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Systemic social issues affect vaccine access and acceptability. Yet, the term ‘vaccine hesitancy’ overlooks this, reducing the multiple factors that affect vaccine uptake to individual-level choices.
As of Nov. 30, 2022, 62.5% of children and adolescents are unvaccinated against COVID-19.
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Nurses who identify as Democrats have a significantly higher likelihood of having their children vaccinated against COVID-19 than those who identify as Republicans.
Pediatric emergency rooms in some states are at or over capacity due to the surging number of respiratory infections.
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Flu and COVID-19 are expected to make headway during the current respiratory virus season. The best way to stay healthy is vaccination in conjunction with personal protective measures.
Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne and MCRI, Murdoch Children's Research Institute