Archive for vaccines
Answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine
Update: On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency authorization for use of the Pfizer vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in teens between the ages of 12 and 15. This broadens the group of people eligible for the Pfizer vaccine to those ages 12 and older. To help answer the most ... Read More about Answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines: Do you know myth from fact?
Two COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer/BioNTtech and Moderna — have received emergency use authorization in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many more are in various stages of development around the world. Several of these are in the final stage of clinical trials and could be submitted for formal authorization ... Read More about COVID-19 vaccines: Do you know myth from fact?
What’s the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines?
After a long, difficult year, the world had reason to celebrate in late 2020 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. Many more COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of development. Several of these are in the final stage of clinical trials and could be submitted for ... Read More about What’s the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines?
2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3
Since the arrival of a new, unknown, dangerous virus in January, we entered the realm of COVID-19 science. Part 1 and Part 2 of this series recapped what we learned about how the virus spreads, how to test for it and treat it, and how COVID-19 plays out in children. This month, vaccines began to be ... Read More about 2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3
The new COVID-19 vaccines: Will they be safe?
Just within the past week, pharmaceutical companies have announced encouraging news about two COVID-19 vaccines in the final development phase. As more vaccine developers announce similar reports in the coming weeks and months, it’s key to remember that vaccine safety is as important as effectiveness against the virus. Fortunately, scientists have learned lessons from the ... Read More about The new COVID-19 vaccines: Will they be safe?
Testing the COVID-19 vaccines in kids: Is it safe?
The drug company Pfizer recently announced they had opened their clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine to teens as young as 16. And as vaccine trials move into phase 3 testing, it’s likely that other drug companies will follow suit. This news may leave parents wondering about the safety of vaccine trials on teens and ... Read More about Testing the COVID-19 vaccines in kids: Is it safe?
As COVID-19 fuels opioid deaths, researchers look to create an anti-opioid vaccine
A project that began one year ago at Boston Children’s Hospital to develop an anti-opioid vaccine is starting to bear its first fruits. A team of addiction experts and vaccine developers across the Boston Children’s research community were recently awarded a $25 million research contract from the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH ... Read More about As COVID-19 fuels opioid deaths, researchers look to create an anti-opioid vaccine
Does your child need a flu shot? Yes, especially this year.
Have you and your children received your flu shots yet? If not, it’s important to get them as soon as possible. Every year, flu shots save lives by preventing influenza (another name for the flu), or reducing complications if people do get sick. In fact, the flu vaccine is mandatory this year in Massachusetts for ... Read More about Does your child need a flu shot? Yes, especially this year.
Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
The novel coronavirus is not expected to disappear anytime soon. With physical distancing, virus testing, contact tracing, and potentially new therapeutics, we may be able to keep it partially at bay. But many eyes are looking toward a COVID-19 vaccine, and scientists are feeling the urgency. Key takeaways. Work is moving quickly, but to show ... Read More about Getting to a COVID-19 vaccine as fast and as safely as possible
Keeping up with childhood vaccines and screenings during the COVID-19 outbreak
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, many parents have been understandably hesitant to take their kids to their health care provider for routine health care, such as vaccines and health screenings. But pediatricians worry that this trend could open the door to outbreaks of other types of childhood illnesses, such as measles and whooping cough. We recently ... Read More about Keeping up with childhood vaccines and screenings during the COVID-19 outbreak