Metro Health expanding vaccine mobile clinic model to bridge gaps in minority health care
During Minority Health Month, communities nationwide are shining the spotlight on disparities in health care for minority populations. Metro Health is doing the same in San Antonio, putting its main focus on immunizations.
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Bexar County new vaccinations up slightly amid latest COVID-19 surge
The increase in reported vaccinations, which equates to 9,065 more people than the week before, comes as elected and public health officials have been urging unvaccinated residents to get their shots amid a third surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
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Uvalde County health officials push vaccine education as infections rise
Uvalde Health officials are taking steps to increase the vaccination rates as an increase in cases continues. Health officials say they're working with area health providers, schools and other community members to make the vaccines more readily available.
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Success of pop-up vaccine sites in SA neighborhoods has Metro Health setting up more locations
In addition to mega vaccine sites like the Alamodome, Metro Health started facilitating pop up sites all over the city in February. Those small pop up sites have been so successful, the effort has now ramped up significantly.
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7 diseases that vaccines have all but eliminated in the U.S.
First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.
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Future of a San Antonio vaccine waitlist unclear
SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio City Council members want a better way to sign up for vaccinations, but it’s not clear what form that might end up taking. The Community Health and Equity Committee discussed the need for easier vaccine registrations during a Tuesday afternoon briefing from the county’s largest vaccine providers, including the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, WellMed, University Health, and UT Health-San Antonio. Some council members, led by District 9 Councilman John Courage, have expressed support for a central registry or waitlist system. Some of the vaccine providers at Tuesday’s meeting spoke against the idea of a registry. “I don’t think any of us are opposed to a single registry, but it will come with problems,” said Dr. Robert Leverence, the chief medical officer for UT Health San Antonio, which began offering vaccine appointments to the public last week.
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‘Vaccine angels’ spend hours online, on phones registering seniors for vaccine
SAN ANTONIO – They’re being called “vaccine angels.”All over the country, volunteers are spending hours trying to get seniors and the disabled registered for the COVID-19 vaccine. When vaccines became available, Dalila Chapman and her three friends Grace Rea, Linda Compia, and Diana Pulido helped their older family members get registered. “We started talking about other people who may not have family members who could get them registered,” Chapman said. Full Screen 1 / 7 Delila Chapman has become a "vaccine angel" helping eligible family members and other seniors sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine. “You just gotta keep trying,” Chapman said.
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When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines?
When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)NEW YORK – When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? Pfizer and Moderna expect to start studies in children 11 and younger later this year. Read previous Viral Questions:How would COVID-19 vaccine makers adapt to variants? AdHow do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?
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Spanish king's sisters vaccinated on trip to see dad in UAE
The sisters of Spanish King Felipe VI have acknowledged on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, that they were administered COVID-19 vaccines during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza, File)MADRID – Two untimely coronavirus jabs have dealt another blow to the reputation of Spain's royals. The vaccination by the king’s sisters was widely criticized across Spain. The sisters of Spain’s King Felipe VI are no longer part of the official royal household, which said that the 53-year-old Felipe, Queen Letizia and their two daughters have not yet been vaccinated. Health Minister Carolina Darias, from the senior, Socialist partner of the governing coalition, made a distinction between Felipe and his sisters.
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San Antonio, health care leaders optimistic about possible third COVID-19 vaccine
SAN ANTONIO – A third COVID-19 vaccine could soon be on the market to aid in the fight against the ongoing pandemic, and San Antonio leaders say they’re optimistic about having more options available for the public. Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine is easier to store and comes in one shot. AdCoronavirus update San Antonio, Jan. 29: Leaders report 1,545 new COVID-19 cases, 19 deathsJohnson and Johnson’s single-dose vaccine provides an advantage over other manufacturers, making it easier to reach more people. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said adding more supply to the market in any way through FDA-approved vaccines would be a good thing. AdThe FDA could sign off on Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine by the end of February.
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Can COVID-19 vaccines be mixed and matched?
Can COVID-19 vaccines be mixed and matched? The COVID-19 vaccines rolling out in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world so far require two shots given a few weeks apart. In the U.S. where Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being distributed, health officials say the vaccines are not interchangeable. But without any studies, vaccine doses should not be mixed, said Naor Bar-Zeev, a vaccine expert at Johns Hopkins University. Read previous Viral Questions:Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I’ve had the virus?
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Vaccinations throughout the years: These photos show just how much has changed
We thought it’d be interesting to look through the Getty Images archive, at photos of vaccination efforts from years past. Wellbee's first assignment was to sponsor the Sabin Type II oral polio vaccine campaigns across the United States. Free vaccinations were to be handed out at all city hospitals, health stations, city police stations and at the Department of Health. (CDC/Meridith Hickson/Getty Images)Leo Casey watches aghast as Charles Buzine, 6, receives a shot of polio vaccine. (CDC via Getty)A polio vaccine is tested at the Glaxo Laboratories in Sefton Park, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, Jan. 19, 1956.
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5 burning questions, answered, as flu season approaches amid COVID-19 pandemic
It might have crossed your mind already: What might the fall look like when flu season hits, and were still dealing with COVID-19? Because of that, experts say, it will be more important than ever to get a flu vaccine. Experts say this could change as more is learned about the number of people who are infected who have mild illnesses. Is it possible that a flu vaccine could protect me against COVID-19? While the CDC is adamant that getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, it still encourages everyone 6 months of age and older to get one yearly.
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Half of San Antonio’s children are behind on vaccinations, pediatric expert says
SAN ANTONIO – Measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps -- decades ago, these childhood diseases would strike fear because of their long-term scarring and the potential for death. Rob Sanders, a pediatrician and the associate medical director for PediExpress: Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic that is part of University Health System, said vaccinations are running about 50% behind. “We vaccinate against diseases that historically have really hurt, if not unfortunately killed, a lot of people and a lot of children,” Sanders said. That causes worry that childhood diseases could find a foothold again among children once they begin to mingle in classrooms and playgrounds. “Of course, our staff will be wearing the appropriate protective equipment while they’re working, and they will have very limited interaction with anybody else other than their family and the staff,” Sanders said.
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Which vaccines do adults need?
Which vaccines do adults need? Published: December 31, 2019, 6:33 pmEvery year, at least 45,000 adults in the U.S. die from diseases that can be prevented with a vaccine. Too few adults are protected against these deadly diseases, not necessarily because they don't want to get the vaccines, but because they don't even know they need them.