CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "COVID-19 vaccines"

COVID-19 vaccines

by -
0 162
Stock photo

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has announced that the County will host a free test kit and KN95 mask distribution event on January 24 between noon and 6 p.m. in the lobby of the H. Lee Dennison Building, located at 100 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge.  Approximately 1,000 test kits and nearly 1,000 KN95 mask will be available for residents to pick up.

All Suffolk County residents are encouraged to attend to obtain kits for their household. Each resident is eligible to pick up two test kits per household member. Test kits will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“While many of us have resumed daily life, living with COVID-19, it is still important that everyone has access to the tools available to prevent exposure and spread,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “As we continue to see new variants, it is clear that availability to test kits is imperative as we work to keep this virus under control.”

“Testing is still crucial to slowing the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. When we test positive early in the course of illness, we have the opportunity to seek treatment to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID infection, and can limit the spread of the virus to others,” added Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Commissioner.

Together, with local municipalities, County legislators, the Suffolk County Police Department, community groups, not-for-profits and more, the County has distributed approximately 660,680 test kits to residents, including seniors, first responders and other vulnerable populations.

Suffolk Health is also offering COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to all Suffolk County residents who are eligible to receive them. Childhood vaccinations are also offered for children who are uninsured. Walk-ins are welcome.

County clinic dates and times are available as follows:

January 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sachem Library, 150 Holbrook Road, Holbrook

January 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Riverhead Library, 330 Court St., Riverhead

January 31 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at West Babylon Library, 211 Route 109, West Babylon

For more information, call 631-853-4000.

by -
0 188
Doctors recommend mask-wearing during indoor gatherings. Stock photo from Pixabay

In Suffolk County, the number of positive COVID-19 tests has been steadily climbing in the last month, mirroring the increase in other counties in the state and in parts of the country.

As of May 9, the number of people who tested positive per 100,000 residents on a seven-day average was 47.8. That is up from 34.9 a week earlier, 13.4 on April 9 and 6.3 on March 8, just over two months earlier, according to data from the New York State Department of Health.

“The numbers are creeping up,” said Dr. Mickel Khlat, chief medical officer at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown. Catholic Health had about 28 to 30 patients a month ago with COVID-19 and that number has now risen to the mid-60s. Most of those are incidental, he added, as the hospital discovered a positive test when a patient came in for another procedure. These positive tests, however, reveal the ongoing presence of the virus in the community. “I was hoping in 2022 that this would go away, but I don’t see this going away any time soon.”

Area doctors and health officials suggested familiar practices to reduce risks, including social distancing and mask-wearing in confined spaces indoors and ensuring up-to-date vaccinations.

“Immunity from vaccines and immunity from infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus wanes, so we urge everyone to get vaccinated and to get their booster or second booster if you are eligible,” Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Service, explained in an email. 

Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, suggested that the hospital is recommending that people speak to their primary care providers to get the best advice on their need to get a second booster.

“Often, individuals may not realize that they fall into a category of vulnerable populations,” she explained in an email. “These can include not only adults with immune issues, but also those with heart and lung diseases, kidney issues, obese individuals and, of course, those who are elderly.”

Khlat said since the virus first reached Suffolk County, obesity is often the underlying condition that presents the greatest risk factor for dying, which was evident in the first and second surges.

People of all ages in Suffolk County have been hospitalized, even children, Pigott added.

Recently, fewer sick people have needed medical attention in the intensive care unit.

The majority of people who are under 65 years old and in the ICU are unvaccinated, Pigott added.

In general, the most common symptoms for COVID-19 include respiratory issues as well as fever, Nachman said. Other symptoms include gastrointestinal issues.

“If you have symptoms, please consider doing a rapid test to evaluate the possibility” of having the virus, Nachman added.

The coming fall and winter

In the broader context, state and national officials are anticipating a challenging fall and winter. Earlier this week, the White House estimated that the country could experience as many as 100 million new infections without renewed mitigation measures.

While daunting, particularly in the third year of the pandemic, the large number of potential new infections could encourage Congress to appropriate more funds to combat the virus and alert state officials to the need for measures to protect residents.

Area hospitals have already started to consider the possibility of a rise in infections later this year.

“We are anticipating increase in illness this upcoming fall and winter and are addressing those needs now” through supply chain preparations and other measures, explained Nachman. 

Khlat said St. Catherine continues to make sure the hospital has enough personal protective equipment, including N95 masks. While he suspects the tighter quarters in colder weather could contribute to a surge, he doesn’t expect people will be as sick this time.

If they do get sick, patients can receive the first and second dose of remdesivir in the hospital and then get their next few doses at home, through a hospital-at-home program.

Medical options

Pigott urged those who are at risk and test positive to contact their medical providers soon after testing positive and/or developing symptoms.

Those who contract COVID-19 have several therapeutic options, especially if they have mild-to-moderate symptoms and are at risk for severe disease.

“COVID-19 antiviral medications or therapies should be started within five to seven days of symptom onset,” Pigott explained.

Nachman added that treatments for Covid include monoclonal antibodies and Paxlovid.

“They can be difficult to get, difficult to take and, particularly for Paxlovid, have serious drug-drug interactions,” Nachman cautioned. “They are indicated for those with underlying medical issues. Other therapies, although less commonly available, include intravenous remdesivir.”

Khlat said he’d recently heard of two cases in which patients took a five-day course of Paxlovid.

“A week or two later, they came back for monoclonal antibodies,” he said. People had “relapsed from Paxlovid. That, I never heard of before.”

Generally, Khlat said Paxlovid works well, although he, too, cautioned about drug interactions.

With fewer and shorter hospital stays for people who contract COVID-19, hospitals continue to have capacity. “We are not seeing an influx of patients getting admitted for COVID,” Khlat said.

by -
0 490
METRO photo

Vaccinating a high percentage of individuals against COVID-19 is a key component of the global strategy to diminish the effects of the virus that first appeared in late 2019. Since the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines began in the United States on December 14, 2020, more than 294 million doses have been administered, and more than 135 million people, or 41 percent of the total U.S. population, have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in May 2021.

As vaccine eligibility continues to open up and now includes children as young as 12 for certain vaccines, public health agencies are urging eligible people to get vaccinated. However, with myths continuing to circulate, individuals may need a little more reassurance that vaccination is the smart and safe choice.

The following information, courtesy of Johns Hopkins Medicine, the CDC, the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic Health System, can clear up some misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Myth #1: Because COVID-19 vaccines were rushed, they’re not safe and can’t be trusted. Fact: The vaccines were developed in record time but not because there were shortcuts in the process. Certain red tape was navigated more efficiently than it had been with past vaccines. Plus, the new technology at the center of the mRNA-based vaccines has been in development for more than three decades. The vaccine developers put the vaccines through rigorous clinical trials involving tens of thousands of volunteers.

Myth #2: The vaccines affect fertility. Fact: COVID-19 vaccines encourage the body to create copies of the spike protein found on the surface of the coronavirus and “teach” the immune system to fight the virus that has that specific spike protein. There was confusion when this spike protein was mistakenly reported as the same as another spike protein that is involved in the growth and attachment of the placenta during pregnancy. During the Pfizer vaccine tests, 23 female study volunteers became pregnant. The only one to suffer a pregnancy loss had received the placebo and not the vaccine.

Myth #3: COVID-19 vaccines will change my DNA. Fact: Both mRNA vaccines and viral vector vaccine, which is the technology for the Janssen vaccine, deliver genetic material to cells to start virus protection. The material never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where DNA is stored. That means these vaccines do not alter or interact with DNA in any way.

Myth #4: These vaccines have severe side effects. Fact: Side effects to the vaccines are short-term, mild or moderate reactions that often resolve without complication or injury and include things like headache, body aches, fatigue, or mild fever. The Janssen/Johnson&Johnson vaccine has been linked to blood clots in a very small percentage of vaccine recipients, but the risk was so minimal that the vaccine was cleared for use after a brief pause.

Myth #5: The vaccines were made using controversial ingredients. Fact: The COVID-19 vaccines were not developed using fetal tissue, eggs, latex, or other allergens. In addition, they do not contain microchips or tracking devices. Millions of people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. To continue this public health initiative, people who may still be wary about the vaccines can learn more about them by speaking with their physicians.

by -
0 72

Every morning when we wake up, we’re reminded that we are still enduring this global pandemic.

Whether you think so or not, everyone’s lives have been impacted by it. Some people have lost loved ones to COVID-19, some have gotten so sick they suffer severe trauma and some haven’t seen their families in over a year. Beyond the physical, businesses have suffered financially, some even closing their doors for the last time. 

But luckily the vaccine has lifted the weight off a lot of shoulders — especially for the young people in our community.

Now that New York State has opened the vaccines to people ages 16 and over, more and more high schoolers and college students are looking to get the jab.

And we think that’s wonderful. They are trusting science and doing so to protect not only themselves, but their elderly or high-risk loved ones. 

We want things to go back to normal for everyone, but the high schoolers specifically.

Remember last year when the Class of 2020 missed out on their final high school sports, senior trips, proms and graduations?

Some of them have even been robbed of the college experience of living in a dorm, taking classes in a lecture hall and meeting new people. 

If we as a whole do not band together to combat this virus, then the classes of 2022, ’23, and ’24 may miss all those key lifetime moments, too.

The Class of 2021 has already lost their junior year — and most likely will not have the same “normal” experiences this spring as the rest of us had.

We know the unknown is terrifying, and people may not agree with getting a vaccine.

But is it worth not getting vaccinated? To constantly live in fear of the virus, or to not trust the medical professionals who saw death every day for more than 365 days?

We don’t think so.

We are grateful and commend these young people for getting their shots. 

The more people who do it, the more we’ll all be able to live as we did before.

by -
0 183

Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/ Northwell Health and associate professor of Medicine at Hofstra School of Medicine, spoke with TBR News Media newspapers to discuss vaccinations and COVID-19. Please find below an abridged and edited version of the discussion.

TBR: Why do some people have a stronger reaction to a second shot?

POPP: These two vaccines are very well tolerated. Yes, there are some side effects after getting the shots. Indeed, even in the trials, it has been shown that the second shot is sometimes more prone to have side effects. There is pain, tenderness at the site of the shot. Sometimes people can get fatigue, fever and even a chill. It is rare to have something more severe than that … From my experience, most people tolerate them well, including the second shot.

TBR: Should people try to take at least a day off, if they can, after the second shot?

POPP: That is not necessarily unreasonable. A lot of my colleagues did take the shot later in the afternoon and then go home and rest for the evening. If you can afford to have a day off the next day, that’s probably not unreasonable.

TBR: Does having the vaccine free people up to interact with others?

POPP: What we know from the Moderna and Pfizer trials is that the effectiveness of the vaccination is 95 percent to prevent symptomatic disease … Can a vaccinated person develop a light form [of the disease]? In theory, yes. There are not completely safe in [not] transmitting the disease to someone else.

TBR: Have the Black and brown communities, which have been somewhat resistant to taking the vaccine, been included in the clinical studies?

POPP: Those studies with Pfizer and Moderna included these populations. They are well represented in these studies. There’s no significant difference in the side effects in African Americans, or less efficacy in the Black and brown communities …. [The Black and brown communities] should feel comfortable that it’s as safe or as efficacious as it is in a Caucasian person.

TBR: Have people from the Huntington Hospital or Northwell community asked you about the safety of taking the vaccine?

POPP: I do have conversations like this every day with different members of Huntington Hospital [as well as] the community at large … I bring up one very recent study that will probably help in kind of showing a few things. I’m going to bring in Israel, a smaller country with a centralized health care system that has been very good in vaccinating people …. More than 50 percent of their population has received the COVID vaccination. Specifically, the senior population, 65 and above, has received the vaccine in percentages even higher … In a study in the New England Journal of Medicine of more than 600,000 people who received the vaccine, [they] compared the incidence of COVID without the vaccine. They found the protection is more than 90 percent … That tells us the vaccine is very effective.

TBR: What do you hear about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

POPP: The best thing about the [J&J] vaccine is that it’s only one shot and the second thing is that it can be stored at normal temperature compared to the other vaccinations [which require deep freezing] … That allows it to be distributed more easily … It will probably be a good vaccine as well.

TBR: After the shots, what is the immunity?

POPP: After the first shot, approximately a week or two weeks after the first shot, you develop quite a significant level of antibodies. There is a certain amount of protection. With the second shot, the level of antibodies shoots up probably 10 times higher than after the initial shot … Full immunity is one week after you receive the second shot.

TBR: Some reports suggest that people who have COVID and develop antibodies may only need one shot. Is that true?

POPP: There are infectious disease experts looking into this. We do know that after getting COVID, you do develop a certain level of antibodies … That varies widely from person to person … The jury is still out on this one. Truly, we have to look at it in a more scientific way. We’ll find out if this will be an option down the road. At this point, as the recommendation stands, you do have to get both shots, even if you had COVID disease before.

TBR: Do we know more about why one person gets very sick and another has only mild symptoms?

POPP: Up to 50 percent of people who get COVID are either asymptomatic or have really minor symptoms. There are risk factors for developing a serious disease. We know that obesity, hypertension, diabetes and specifically certain immunocompromised conditions are risk factors for more serious disease. I have seen older people in their 90s who do have a mild form of the disease, then I’ve seen somebody in his 40s who has very severe disease … There is no real good way of saying who will develop a more severe disease versus somebody else who will have a milder form.

TBR: What about the aftereffects of COVID?

POPP: I have seen quite a few cases of people who … develop quite severe symptoms. On the milder end, people have a loss of taste and smell. This can last for some time … From my experience, most people will recover from this. On the other hand, people with more severe illness, people who get hospitalized, I have to say that the virus can take a significant toll on that person. I have seen patients who have lost 20 to 40 pounds over a period of a month or a month and a half … Recovering from such a hit of being sick for such a prolonged period of time takes a toll on people. Some patients also develop some degree of cognitive impairment.

TBR: What keeps you up at night?

POPP: Even though [the infection rate] is coming down in New York, it is still not insignificant. It’s still an issue. Until we get … a significant number of our population vaccinated, we’re still going to be in trouble … The only way we can stop the whole thing is by vaccinating as many people as we can.

by -
0 139
Photo from Deposit Photos

By Kimberly Brown

The first responders of 9/11 have officially been put on the list as eligible to receive the vaccine this past Monday, but some feel the responders have been left on the back burner throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As the coronavirus vaccine slowly becomes more available to Long Islanders, John Feal, founder of the FealGood Foundation who is also a 9/11 responder and advocate, explained how he thinks compromised 9/11 responders who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among other long-term illnesses, should not only receive eligibility but be a priority for the vaccine as well. 

John Feal, a 9/11 responder and advocate, said first responders should be a priority regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo from John Feal

“Yes, absolutely, compromised responders should get priority for the vaccine,” Feal said. “On September 16, [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head] Christine Todd Whitman said the air was safe to breathe and the water was safe to drink. It created a relaxed atmosphere where people didn’t feel the need to wear their masks anymore. If they weren’t lied to, then I wouldn’t see them as a priority, but definitely see them on the list. However, these men and women were lied to, and they got very sick.”

Weeks ago, Feal began urging members of Congress, Gov. Andrews Cuomo (D) and state senators to help the 9/11 responders who have not been getting vaccinated. 

He doesn’t believe responders should be able to jump the line or take away the vaccine from others who need it. However, there are still affected responders who are sick from two decades ago and are too afraid to leave the house as they are already in danger from their previous illnesses. 

“All of these responders who have debilitating illnesses from the toxins left in the air after 9/11 deserve to be included in the 65-and-up group,” Feal said. “The fact that they haven’t been included, is proof that America has tried to move on from that horrific day.”

Despite what the foundation has been able to accomplish throughout the years, not everything can be accomplished without some help from the federal and state governments. Feal explained how he’s spent more than a decade talking to elected officials who haven’t shown much urgency when it comes to aiding the 9/11 responders in the aftermath they have had to face.

His passion and determination for 9/11 responders is shown through his work. So far, 13 pieces of legislation have been passed in various legislatures, according to him, and a memorial park built in Nesconset. The foundation has also donated over $5 million to 9/11 responders and organizations.  

“My mother raised me to never back down from a fight, but to also be respectful,” Feal said. “When we got our first bill passed we were like the little engine that could, and now 13 bills later we’re like that big engine that did.”

by -
0 171
Freshman state Sen. Mario Mattera is sworn into office by his wife, Terry, while his two daughters, Jessica and Jayme, look on in the Senate Chamber. Photo from Mattera’s office

St. James resident Mario Mattera (R) started off the new year as a freshman senator in Albany, and he’s looking forward to getting back to business as usual in the 2nd District, which includes Smithtown and parts of Brookhaven and Huntington.

Fresh on the job

The state senator was sworn into office Jan. 5 by his wife, Terry, who is a notary with his daughters, Jessica and Jayme, on hand. He said he is overwhelmed by the support of constituents who voted for him because he feels they trust he can get the job done.

“From Huntington to Smithtown to Brookhaven, I’m looking forward to doing whatever I need to do,” he said.

A former business agent with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters with Plumbers Local #200 for more than four decades, the state senator will serve as the chief Republican on the Consumer Protection Committee, as well as the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee. He has also been appointed as a member of the Labor and Transportation standing committees.

Mattera said he’s traveled to Albany and interacted with his fellow senators, which has been a little different than previous years where elected officials are practicing social distancing and wearing facial coverings. Some legislators are even working remotely due to the pandemic.

“I’ve been up every week,” he said. “I feel it’s important. I need to get the feel of the chamber and meet people.”

COVID-19 vaccinations

Mattera said the biggest obstacle right now is getting life back to normal. He is currently pushing for pharmacies to be able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. He and other legislators held a press conference in Hauppauge Jan. 14 calling out Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on the state’s failed vaccine rollout.

Mattera said even if the proper inventory of vaccines isn’t available, there needs to be a better rollout plan, which would include residents being able to get the vaccine in their own neighborhood instead of traveling to larger sites, such as at colleges, where he said many may feel uncomfortable.

“Let’s have a facility that our residents can go to that is local, and they’ll feel comfortable, just like with the flu shot,” he said. “There’s no reason why we can’t go to Walgreens or CVS and our local pharmacies where people feel comfortable.”

Mattera said his office has been helping veterans get the information they need to get the vaccine. He said the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been helpful and applauded Fred Sganga, executive director of the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University, for ensuring veterans associated with the home are vaccinated.

“There’s no reason why veterans have to be sitting and worrying,” Mattera said, adding having chain pharmacies going into nursing homes was a good plan.

“We’ve always put the blame game on the federal government that there are not enough of the vaccines, but let’s have a plan in place when we do get it that’s more convenient for our residents and especially our seniors,” he said.

“Let’s have a facility that our residents can go to that is local, and they’ll feel comfortable, just like with the flu shot.”

— Mario Mattera

Businesses

Mattera said he’s a big supporter of small businesses and believes they can operate like normal by following safety protocols closely. He believes business owners are capable of enforcing COVID-19 health guidelines. He added Cuomo should have reopened New York businesses deemed nonessential sooner than he did.

The state senator gave the example of New York City where many companies currently still have employees working from home which causes a ripple effect. He said restaurants suffer as fewer people are ordering lunch from them and even breakfast and dinner.

“Now we realize that the most vibrant city in the world is in dire straits,”
he said.

Schools

In addition to businesses reopening fully, Mattera said it’s also imperative for schools to once again offer five-day, in-person instruction. He said he feels students interacting with their teachers and coaches is important.

“Our children are suffering from this,” he said, noting that his youngest daughter is a high school senior.

He added that at the same time it’s important for districts to keep an eye on infection rates to see if they are spiking.

“Safety is always first,” he said.

Infrastructure

Mattera is looking for his district to have the best treatment plants.

“We need to make sure that we have the state-of-the-art treatment plants that are put in place to protect our precious water supply for our future,” he said.

While there have been talks during the last few years in Smithtown over a proposed sewage treatment plant on the Gyrodyne property in St. James, Mattera said it’s important to look at plants for businesses along the Jericho Turnpike corridor also. He added it’s imperative that treatment plans replenish local aquifers and not dump into the Long Island Sound or ocean.

“That’s a problem, and that’s been a problem for a lot of counties like Nassau County,” he said. “Nassau County did not plan for replenishing. It dumps into the Sound. It dumps out into the bay millions of gallons per day.”

He added improving the Route 110 corridor by replacing the main sewer line is another priority, and he is working with Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) to secure the funds.

“Our infrastructure is really important for proper growth in the future,” he said.

Constituents can reach Mattera’s office by email at [email protected] or by phone at 631-361-2154.

TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©