Pfizer

ABC News reports the move puts the process in motion for the FDA to review the data, bring it before its independent advisers and potentially authorize the vaccine in the coming weeks. The FDA independent advisers are already slated to have a public hearing on February 15.

The data would then be brought before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s independent advisers for another review, and finally, a potential recommendation by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky — all potentially within the month.

As of now, Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine is available to anyone over 5 years old. A booster shot after five months is available to anyone over 12 years old. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are available to adults.

Pfizer announced it had safety and efficacy for its vaccine for kids under 5 in December, but determined that the two-dose regimen wasn’t as effective for children 2, 3 and 4 years-old as it was for adults. The dose for kids under 5 is one-tenth the dose for adults.

On Tuesday, Pfizer again submitted data on two doses of the vaccine, but with the expectation that data will soon be available to make it a three-dose vaccine, which will likely be more effective at preventing illness.

Pfizer is expected to have more information on the efficacy of a three-dose regimen in March or April, but authorizing the first two doses in February would start the immunization process earlier.

The third dose would be given at least eight weeks after the second dose.

Some parents of young kids have been desperate for a shot to be authorized so they can protect their children against severe disease. Kids under the age of 5 have now spent nearly half of their lives in the pandemic, and for many parents their unvaccinated status has been a huge stressor.

A weekly report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association said about 808,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 last week, which is down from the peak level of 1,150,000 reported the week ending January 20.

However, the organizations warn that pediatric infections remain “extremely high,” still triple the peak level of the summer delta surge in 2021.

A total of 11.4 million children have tested positive for the virus since the onset of the pandemic. Child COVID-19 cases have “spiked dramatically” during the omicron variant surge, with more than 3.5 million child cases reported in January.

Still, because kids are less likely to get seriously sick from COVID-19, many parents have opted not to vaccinate them even when they become eligible.

Nearly 70% of eligible kids ages 5 to 11 have yet to get a shot, according to a January survey from KFF, a nonpartisan health nonprofit. It’s unclear how many parents will opt to vaccinate their children under 5, when the vaccine becomes available.

But experts point to many reasons to get children vaccinated, including their own health and the health of the community around them.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated 12 to 17-year-olds had an 11 times higher risk of hospitalization than fully vaccinated adolescents.

And while young kids are less likely to end up in the hospital, it’s still possible. They can also be vectors for spread, infecting other, higher-risk adults in their community.

Both the delta and omicron surges saw full pediatric wards in hospitals, often with doctors pleading for communities to increase their vaccination rates.

The Centers for Disease Control has raised the level of community transmission in Chautauqua County at high level now.

Students in college housing who are roommates and suitemates will be considered a household and do not need to use masks or physically distance within the household “unit” unless someone is ill. Inter-suite visitation will be permitted, but students who are not fully vaccinated must follow mask and social distancing protocols.

Guests who do not reside in Hillside Suites as part of the Residence Life program are not permitted to enter the suites at any time. This includes, but is not limited to friends, family, and non-residential JCC students. Exceptions will be made for move-in and move-out days when up to two family members will be allowed to assist residents.

Also, JCC has installed a new security system at the Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses that gives the college the ability to lock and unlock buildings remotely.

The main entrance doors are scheduled to automatically unlock and lock consistent with the college hours of operation.

The access control system also gives the college the capability to secure or “lockdown” the exterior doors of the buildings on these campuses should an emergency occur. All exterior doors on these campuses have monitors installed that allow campus safety and facilities staff to see when doors are not secure or held open. Under no circumstances shall doors be propped open.

The Hillside Suites doors will be locked at all times. Residents will have card access to the suite where they reside.

Schuyler said of the 119 new cases since August 1st, 84 cases, or 71%, were in people who were not vaccinated. She said vaccinated people were three times less likely to contract the Delta variant than those who are unvaccinated. “Vaccines are about 88% effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta variant. And more than 90% of all COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are among the unvaccinated.”

County Executive PJ Wendel said in accordance with CDC Guidance, the county recommends everyone, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask when indoors in public settings to maximize protection from the Delta variant and to prevent spreading it to others.

Chautauqua County is continuing to hold weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Chautauqua Lake Bus Garage in Mayville.

There were 14 new cases of COVID-19 reported for Tuesday, August 10th in Chautauqua County.
According to the most recent numbers from the county’s COVID-19 dashboard, there were 93 active cases as of Tuesday and 5 hospitalizations.

The 7-day average positivity rate is 4.8-percent with a CDC level of community transmission is considered substantial.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been over 94-hundred confirmed cases in the county, with over 92-hundred being listed as recovered. 159 people have died of COVID-19 in Chautauqua County.
According to the CDC Vaccination Tracker, 51-percent of the county’s total population have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 47% of the total population is fully vaccinated. Experts estimate that 70% of the population needs to be immune to COVID-19 for herd immunity

Chautauqua Institution is requiring staff to wear masks given the worsening rates of COVID-19 in Chautauqua County. The staff requirement is for Institution facilities when they can’t distance from fellow staff and patrons, and outdoors in high-contact areas such as restaurants and the Amphitheater. A statement by the Institution said the decision applies to staff only at this time. Guidance for patrons remains as is with those who are vaccinated not required to mask; and those who are unvaccinated required to mask indoors and otherwise where they aren’t able to social distance.