Vaccine demand down in parts of Pa. | Coronavirus Newsletter
Plus, the science behind reports that COVID-19 vaccines might cause shingles
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The gist: After months of high demand for hard-to-get vaccine appointments, the landscape has changed nearly overnight across the commonwealth. Providers are reporting difficulty filling appointments. The media — not to mention vaccine foes — have pounced on a small study out of Israel, warning that COVID-19 vaccines might reactivate the childhood chicken pox virus, triggering a shingles outbreak in adults. Here’s what the science says.
— Kelly O’Shea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)
What you need to know:
📈 COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in Philadelphia, which is averaging 612 new cases a day over the past seven days. Two zip codes — 19136 (which includes Holmesburg) and 19133 (West Kensington) — saw infection rates rise the most over the past two weeks.
💉 Gov. Tom Wolf encouraged more Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated, saying Wednesday that he’d like to see a higher vaccination rate before lifting any remaining pandemic restrictions and fully reopening restaurants, bars, and other venues.
💰 President Joe Biden announced Wednesday a plan for the federal government to reimburse companies that provided paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.
📨 Want to stop receiving vaccine appointment notifications from local health departments if you’ve already been vaccinated? Some outlets, including the Philadelphia Health Department, encourage you to do so. Here’s how.
🐅 Princeton University will require all undergraduate and graduate students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine before attending classes on campus, the school announced Tuesday.
📰 What’s going on near you? We organize recent coverage of the pandemic by local counties and Philly neighborhoods to make it easier for you to find info you care about. Now, you can also get those local headlines sent directly to your inbox by signing up here.
Local coronavirus cases
📈The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here.
Doctors in Bradford County keep pleading with patients: Consider getting the coronavirus vaccine. But lately, patients keep saying they want to wait. The county has seen COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in recent days. While more than half of U.S. adults — and 43% of Pennsylvanians — have gotten at least one dose, barely a quarter of those in Bradford County have done so. After months of high demand for hard-to-get vaccine appointments, the landscape has changed nearly overnight across the commonwealth. In both the state and city, officials expanded vaccine eligibility to all adults a few days ahead of schedule because providers reported difficulty filling appointments. “That’s indicative of the hesitancy, which really is the challenge to come,” acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said Friday. Read more here.
Physicians in Israel recently reported that six women with autoimmune disorders developed the painful rash known as shingles three to 14 days after they received a first or second dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Does that mean the vaccines might reactivate the childhood chickenpox virus, triggering a shingles outbreak in adults? “It’s called a logical fallacy,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist. Even the Israelis, who published in the journal Rheumatology, acknowledge that “the study design is not structured to determine a causal relationship.” It’s unclear what causes a shingles flare up, but outbreaks have been linked to something we’ve all been feeling during the pandemic: stress. Read more here.
Helpful resources
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine in the Philly area? Use our lookup tool.
What you can do safely once you’re fully vaccinated.
How can I get to Philly’s mass vaccination clinics? Use our transportation guide.
Here’s how to prepare for your vaccine appointment.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu, common cold, and allergies can overlap. How to tell the difference.
You got this: Find inner peace
As the pandemic has heightened stress and anxiety for many Americans, labyrinth walking can be a free resource to aid in relaxation. There are more than 60 labyrinths within 25 miles of Philadelphia, located inside and outside churches, senior living centers, nature preserves, colleges, and private homes. Here are a few worth a visit.
🧘🏿 This Penn meditation and mindfulness class has helped Philadelphians of color cope with stress.
🥪 What makes a great hoagie? Craig Laban shares some lessons from Castellino’s in Fishtown.
🏒 The Philadelphia Flyers launch a vaccine campaign encouraging fans to “Take Your Shot.”
Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter.
What we’re paying attention to
An unvaccinated worker set off an outbreak at a U.S. nursing home where most residents were immunized, The New York Times reports.
Most Americans say they should be vaccinated before the United States donates COVID-19 shots elsewhere, Stat reports.
The Washington Post says this tiny island nation has lessons for the next stage of the pandemic.
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