Corona Vaccine: What are the long-term side effects of COVID vaccines? 3 things to know

With nearly 30 years studying vaccines, UAB’s Paul Goepfert, M.D., director of the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic, has never seen anything as effective as the three COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — available in the United States. “A 90% decrease in risk of infections and 94% effectiveness against hospitalization for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is fantastic,” he said.

But what makes vaccine experts such as Goepfert confident that COVID vaccines are safe in the long-term? We all have seen billboards and TV infomercials from law firms seeking people harmed by diet drugs or acid-reflux medicines for class-action lawsuits. What makes Goepfert think that scientists won’t discover previously unsuspected problems caused by COVID vaccines in the years ahead?

Vaccines, given in one- or two-shot doses, are very different from medicines that people take every day, potentially for years, Goepfert says. And decades of vaccine history — plus data from more than a billion people who have received COVID vaccines since December 2020 — both provide powerful proof that there is little chance that any new dangers will emerge from COVID vaccines.

The majority of Americans who haven't been vaccinated — or who say they are hesitant about vaccinating their children — report that safety is their main concern. Nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents in Gallup surveys in March and April 2021 said they wanted to confirm the vaccine was safe before getting the shot. And 26% of respondents in a survey of parents with children ages 12-15  by the Kaiser Family Foundation in April 2021 said they wanted to “wait a while to see how the vaccine is working” before deciding to get their child vaccinated. 

Read more: What are the long-term side effects of COVID vaccines? 3 things to know - The Reporter | UAB

USA: CDC approves Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in the U.S.

U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave final approval to Pfizer's kid-sized COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as five.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already authorized the shots for children ages five to 11 — doses just one-third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.

The announcement by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky came only hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer's shots should be opened to the 28 million youngsters in that age group.

Read more at: CDC approves Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in the U.S. | CBC News

USA - Coronavirus vaccine: Biden says vaccine mandates ′lifesaving′

US President Joe Biden on Thursday advocated for COVID-19 vaccine mandates to force roughly 67 million unvaccinated American adults to get the jab, even as he acknowledged that the requirements weren't his "first instinct.''

"There is no other way to beat the pandemic than to get the vast majority of the American people vaccinated,'' Biden said in Chicago at an event promoting the mandates.

Read more at: Coronavirus digest: Biden says vaccine mandates ′lifesaving′ | News | DW | 08.10.2021

USA-Florida: COVID vaccine pop-up held at funeral of fallen Florida deputy

For the last few months, Florida officials have been bringing COVID-19 vaccines to places where many people gather like concerts and malls to make it easier for someone to get a shot.

On Monday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office hosted a pop-up at a location at an unusual venue that could put things into perspective: the funeral of 32-year-old Polk County Deputy Sheriff Christopher Broadhead. The father of five died from COVID-19 complications on Aug. 23 after being in the hospital for several weeks.

Read more at: COVID vaccine pop-up held at funeral of fallen Florida deputy | Miami Herald

The Netherlands: Significant support for booster shots in the Netherlands, government awaits advice

A survey carried out by the TV show EenVandaag among 27.000 panellists has found that 64 percent of people in the Netherlands believe it is a good idea to offer a third COVID-19 vaccination to vulnerable members of the population. Only 16 percent of respondents opposed the plan, while the remaining 20 percent were unsure, most of whom were unvaccinated themselves.

Those in favour of the plan felt booster shots were a promising idea if they offered vulnerable people additional protection against the Delta variant. Among this group, 86 percent who are already vaccinated said they would eventually like to receive an additional dose if it offered them extra protection against COVID-19. Interestingly, the survey found that even those in favour of a

Read more at: Significant support for booster shots in the Netherlands, government awaits advice