Vaccine potency wanes, but third COVID shot restores 95 percent efficacy, new data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 16, 2021
New data from vaccine maker Pfizer and Israel’s health ministry may help U.S. health agencies make a case for recommending COVID-19 booster shots, various sources report.
CDC safety panel: J&J vaccine benefits outweigh rare neuro risks seen in older adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 26, 2021
The benefits of the shot — including reduced hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and death — outweigh the risk of contracting Guillain-Barre syndrome, the Advisory Committee on Immunization...
A vaccine pause and an impending crack
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 14, 2021
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about trust over the last week or so, especially after reading a real pick-me-up in the Washington Post about how the pandemic will lead to the splintering of societies....
Providers want weekly ongoing pledge of 50,000 COVID vaccines for LTC
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 15, 2021
Nursing home, senior living and aging advocates are pushing the federal government to commit to allocating between 50,000 and 75,000 weekly COVID-19 doses to long-term care pharmacies enrolled in the Pharmacy...
J&J coronavirus shot nears U.S. approval with 66% efficacy, but data on elders limited
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 25, 2021
There were no COVID-19-related deaths or cases requiring medical intervention four weeks or more after vaccination in adults age 60 and older. But there were not enough participants aged 75 and older to...
Initial vaccine shots trigger 48% drop in nursing home COVID cases in first major study
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 05, 2021
Nursing homes that completed its first vaccine clinic saw COVID-19 cases decrease at a faster rate when compared to facilities that had yet to administer any doses, according to a new, first-of-its-kind...
The heart of it all and the birth of redeeming ideas
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 05, 2021
You had to look only in one place for a pair of fascinating long-term care stories this week.
Shots gone bad: Residents at five facilities must get COVID-19 vaccine again after doses are stored wrong
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 04, 2021
Leaders at five Ohio long-term and residential care facilities are working with Walgreens and state officials to re-administer COVID-19 vaccines to residents following a storage error caused by the pharmacy...
Evidence clear for vaccinating people with Parkinson’s — but caution advised in frail elderly, experts...
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 04, 2021
A “cautious approach” to COVID-19 vaccination may be best for the very frail with Parkinson’s who reside in long-term care settings, a panel of neurologists contend. But for most with Parkinson’s,...
White House to send COVID vaccines directly to thousands of retail pharmacies starting next week
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 03, 2021
More independent community pharmacies, including those that serve long-term care facilities, will soon be able to administer coronavirus vaccines, thanks to a new initiative launched by the federal government.