Scientists Find COVID-19 Vaccine Lowers Risk of Long COVID by 72%

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The COVID summer wave is in full swing. With cases rising and new variants continuing to pop up, it’s normal to wonder about your potential for long COVID. Scientists are slowly learning more about the condition, including how to try to prevent it in the first place. Now, new research suggests there’s a clear way to lower your risk of developing long COVID: the COVID-19 vaccine.

That’s the main takeaway from a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, researchers analyzed medical records of nearly 450,000 people from the Department of Veterans Affairs health system who had COVID-19 diagnosed between March 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2022. Those patients were compared with around 4.7 million people who weren’t diagnosed with COVID-19 during the same time.

Read more at Prevention.

Whooping Cough Is on the Rise, Returning to Pre-Pandemic Trends

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Reported cases of whooping cough are rising

The number of people reported with whooping cough, a bacterial respiratory illness, has been increasing in the United States. According to CDC preliminary data as of June 1, 2024, reported cases are more than twice as high this year compared to the same time period last year. Note that these numbers can change as health departments and CDC finalize the data.

Read more at CDC.

Hispanic Chamber launches ‘One School, One Vaccine’

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It’s almost time for the kids to head back to class! The Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has a plan to help maintain student well-being in the upcoming academic year.

The Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber has launched a new community outreach initiative in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Julissa Soto Latino Health Equity Consulting. Soto shared the essence of the “One School, One Vaccine at a Time” (Una Escuela, Una Vacuna a la Vez) campaign on FOX21’s lifestyle show.

Read more at Fox 21.

Headed Back to School in 2024: An Update on Children’s Routine Vaccination Trends

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Routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children ticked down during the COVID-19 pandemic and have yet to rebound while exemptions from school vaccination requirements have increased, likely contributing to a recent surge in measles cases. At the same time, vaccine hesitancy, fueled in part by vaccine misinformation, increased during the pandemic, and public opinion on vaccine requirements has become increasingly partisan. Vaccine policies have emerged as an election issue, with both former President Trump and Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. embracing anti-vaccination attitudes and contributing to vaccine misinformation. This is in sharp contrast to current President Biden who has supported vaccine mandates and taken action to expand access to vaccines for both children and adults. This issue brief further explores this changing landscape by examining the latest trends in children’s routine vaccination rates, the factors contributing to recent vaccination trends, and policy approaches to increasing vaccination rates as children head into a new school year. Key takeaways include:

Read more at KFF.

College Students Most Affected by Meningitis B Know Strikingly Little About It

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Meningococcal meningitis can strike healthy individuals unexpectedly and result in the death of one in 10 infected people, sometimes causing long-term health problems including brain damage and loss of limbs. Although rare, meningitis disproportionately affects college students.

Because meningitis serogroup B (MenB) has caused all meningococcal meningitis outbreaks on U.S. college campuses since 2011, according to the CDC, undergraduate researchers at Quinnipiac University conducted a survey to examine MenB knowledge among their peers, to encourage vaccination. Their findings, presented by Katrina Etts, BS, at ASM Microbe 2024 in Atlanta, indicate a significant lack of awareness about the risk for MenB.

Read more at Infectious Disease Special Edition.

What the 9 human cases of bird flu in the U.S. so far tell us about the disease

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Four poultry workers in Colorado who recently contracted bird flu bring the total of human cases in the U.S. to at least nine. 

Though that number is small, disease researchers say commonalities between the cases — all but one of which were reported in the last four months — are enough to start assembling a picture of how the virus may affect people. 

The U.S. cases have been relatively mild and limited to farm workers who had handled infected animals — a sign that the virus in its current state isn’t a major threat to humans. 

Read more at NBC.

Vaccines Significantly Reduce the Risk of Long Covid, Study Finds

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A large new study provides some of the strongest evidence yet that vaccines reduce the risk of developing long Covid.

Scientists looked at people in the United States infected during the first two years of the pandemic and found that the percentage of vaccinated people who developed long Covid was much lower than the percentage of unvaccinated people who did.

Medical experts have previously said that vaccines can lower the risk of long Covid, largely because they help prevent severe illness during the infection period and people with severe infections are more likely to have long-term symptoms.

Read more at The New York Times.

Six Colorado workers contracted bird flu, the most human cases in a state

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Bird flu has infected six farmworkers in Colorado this month — the most in any state — as health officials stressed the importance of preparedness to contain the H5N1 virus spreading in dairy herds and poultry flocks across the country.

Five of the workers were culling poultry at the same commercial egg-laying farm experiencing an outbreakaffecting nearly 2 million chickens, according to Colorado officials.

During a news briefing Tuesday, federal officials said temperatures soaring above 104 degrees made it difficult for workers to wear the required full-body suits, goggles and N95 masks to protect them from the virus.

Read more at The Washington Post.

Colorado Kids at Risk: A Look at Chickenpox

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Hey Colorado! Did you know that we’re lagging behind in childhood vaccination coverage? That’s right! According to data from Children’s Hospital Colorado, we’re ranked 34th in the nation for children 35 months of age who’ve completed their recommended vaccines. It doesn’t get much better for our state’s kindergartners – for all vaccines, kindergarten immunization rates fall below 90% (except hep B at 91%). We need roughly 95% vaccination coverage for most diseases. And yes, 5% is a large difference when we’re talking immunization coverage. As one recent headline put it, “Colorado vaccination rates are ‘an accident waiting to happen.” Sadly, this puts our children and our communities at risk for dangerous diseases. 

Many of us may not recognize the diseases we vaccinate against as a threat. After all, vaccines have been so successful that we just don’t see these diseases regularly in our communities like the generations that came before us did. That makes it easy to downplay the importance of routine immunizations. The truth is diseases like measles, mumps, and chickenpox are still out there, and when we have gaps in vaccinations, we create the opportunity for disease transmission. Take measles for example. It’s among the most contagious and most dangerous of vaccine-preventable diseases. Nationally, we’ve seen an uptick in cases this year; as of July 11th there have been 167 cases in the U.S. That’s more cases than the previous four years combined. But measles isn’t the only disease that poses a threat to our children and our community. Let’s take a look at chickenpox (varicella). 

What is chickenpox, how does it spread, and how contagious is it?

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus and is characterized by the itchy, often blistering rash that accompanies infection. The rash begins in the upper areas of the body like the chest, back, or face. It can then spread to the rest of the body including inside the mouth, eyelids, and genital area (ouch!). Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and headache. The infection is spread by contact with an infected person through their coughs or sneezes, or through contact with fluid from a chickenpox blister. A person is contagious from 1 to 2 days before the rash appears and until all blisters have scabbed over. Most infections last from 4 to 7 days. Children generally miss between 5 and 6 days of school from chickenpox. If not immune, up to 90% of people who come into contact with an infected person will also become infected. 

It is important to note that the same virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. After a chickenpox infection, the virus remains dormant and can reactivate later in life resulting in shingles. People who have never had chickenpox or who do not have immunity to chickenpox through vaccination can get chickenpox from a person infected with shingles. This happens through contact with fluid from shingles blisters or through breathing particles from shingles blisters. You cannot, however, get shingles from a person with a shingles infection. Shingles causes a painful, itchy rash and can lead to serious complications like nerve pain and vision loss.

Chickenpox is best prevented through vaccination.

While some consider chickenpox a childhood disease or rite of passage, the truth is chickenpox infections can be serious. Complications from chickenpox include bacterial infections, pneumonia, brain infection or swelling, bleeding problems, bloodstream infections (sepsis), and dehydration. Serious cases of chickenpox can result in hospitalization and even death, though these are rare today. Even healthy adults and children can get seriously ill from chickenpox infection. There’s no way to tell who will develop a serious infection, which is why it’s a good idea to stop it from ever developing in the first place. Thankfully, we have a safe and effective chickenpox vaccine to help do just that. The chickenpox vaccine is given as a two-dose series. Children should get their first dose at 12-15 months and a second dose at 4-6 years. In Colorado, the second dose must be given prior to kindergarten entry. Everyone 13 years and older without chickenpox immunity should get 2 doses of the vaccine 4-8 weeks apart. 

Breakthrough infections in people vaccinated against chickenpox are rare. That said, some vaccinated people can still get chickenpox – no vaccine is 100% effective. However, breakthrough infections are generally mild and the infection period is often shorter. While those vaccinated against chickenpox have a much lower chance of developing shingles later in life, there is a small chance they could still get it. The shingles vaccine should be given to everyone starting at age 50.

Set Colorado kids up for a lifetime of health with routine vaccines for chickenpox and other diseases.

Need to get your child caught up with vaccines? Life and managing a family can be hectic, but you have to make time for health. Otherwise, you may be forced to take time off work or school for illness, or worse! You can find free or low-cost vaccine providers at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website or take a look at our Vaccine Clinic Calendar to find an upcoming clinic. 

Have questions about chickenpox or other routine vaccines? That’s normal and healthy! Just make sure you take your questions to a reputable source like your family’s medical provider, your local pharmacist, or local public health agency. You can even head over to Immunize Colorado’s parent-facing website, ImmunizeForGood.com, where you can get reliable, scientifically-vetted vaccine information. 

All Colorado kids should have the opportunity to learn, live, and thrive. Lagging vaccination rates can take this opportunity away. Kids should be able to attend school and childcare without the risk of contracting a preventable disease. With the availability of vaccines for diseases like chickenpox, why take a chance and risk subjecting your child (or even someone else’s) to unnecessary, painful, and possibly serious illness? Let’s get our immunization rates up and keep our children protected. They deserve it! 

Immunize Colorado was formed in 1991 in response to alarmingly low vaccination rates across the state. At the time, only about 50% of Colorado’s children were adequately vaccinated. A group of physicians and other concerned individuals came together to strategize how to protect Coloradans from vaccine-preventable diseases and increase vaccine uptake. Much work remains. Discover ways to support our commitment to healthy Colorado communities at our website or make a donation today!

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