All tagged vaccines

Health commission denies petition for mandatory student COVID vaccines

The N.C. Commission for Public Health denied a petition from UNC-affiliated universities requesting that all 17-year-old seniors entering the college system be vaccinated against COVID-19. The action occurred at the commission’s Wednesday, Feb. 2 meeting. At the same time, groups called Citizen Advocates for Accountable Government and Moms for Liberty held a protest outside the state Division of Public Health’s building along Six Forks Road in Raleigh.

Governor Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Kinsley stress importance of vaccines and boosters to combat Omicron Variant

With cases of COVID-19 reaching record highs and hospitalizations increasing, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley called on all North Carolinians to get vaccinated and get a booster as soon as they are eligible to protect themselves from severe illness from the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19.

FDA authorizes first oral antiviral for treatment of COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms or about 88 pounds) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death

Health experts warn of significant impact from Omicron variant of COVID-19; NCDHHS urges everyone to get vaccinated

Health experts are warning that the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, Omicron, is expected to cause the greatest surge in COVID-19 infections to date in the coming months. The CDC and NCDHHS urge people to get vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) as soon as possible and to get a booster as soon as they are eligible to help prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.

N.C. hospital suspends hundreds of healthcare workers without pay amid vaccine mandate

Winston-Salem based Novant Health has suspended more than 300 employees effective this week for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a press release from the hospital system, those who have not either had one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine or a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer will not be allowed to report to work. Those with one dose will have until October 15 to get the second one.

COVID-19 clusters increase among middle and high school sports teams; NCDHHS encourages vaccination, strong COVID-19 protection measures

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 clusters among school sports teams. For the period between July 1 and Sept. 2, 2021, clusters among school sports teams accounted for 45% of all clusters in North Carolina middle and high schools, despite most school sports activities not beginning until August as schools began the fall semester. School sports teams are urged to follow NCDHHS guidance for youth sports.