Federal health officials said Sunday that kid-sized doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe and effective for kids under 5, a key step toward a long-awaited decision to begin vaccinating the youngest American children.

The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of the Pfizer shot ahead of a Wednesday meeting where outside experts will vote on whether the shots are ready for the nation’s 18 million babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Kids under 5 are the only group not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S.

Late last week the FDA posted a similar analysis of Moderna’s shots for children under 6.

The FDA's vaccine advisers will evaluate Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines this week for children 6 months through 5 years and 6 years through 17 years should be granted emergency use authorization.

Children under 5 years old — about 18 million people — are the only U.S. age group that still aren't eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna's vaccine is currently available only to people 18 and older. Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is already authorized for children age 5 and older; FDA's advisers will also evaluate its vaccine for younger children this week.

Briefing documents posted ahead of the FDA committee meetings describe how Moderna's vaccine was assessed by immunobridging studies to see if the immune response among younger people was comparable to that of 18-to-25-year-olds, who are already eligible to receive the vaccine.

"Immunobridging success criteria were met for all four pediatric age cohorts," the FDA's document stated.

If regulators clear the shots by one or both companies, vaccinations could begin as soon as next week with the drugmakers ready to rapidly ship doses ordered by the government. Parents have been pressing federal officials for months for the opportunity to protect their smallest children as more adults shed masks and abandon other public health precautions.

While only about 3% of U.S. COVID cases are in the age group 6 months to 4 years, hospitalization and death rates in that group are higher than those for older children, according to the FDA’s analysis — one reason experts have said protecting this group is important.

The FDA said children who received Pfizer’s shots during testing developed high levels of virus-fighting antibodies expected to protect them against coronavirus. That’s the basic threshold needed to win FDA authorization. But additional testing turned up key differences, with stronger results for Pfizer.

Pfizer’s vaccine, given as a three-shot series, appeared 80% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, although that calculation was based on just 10 cases diagnosed among study participants, and before the super-contagious omicron variant of the virus was dominant. The figure could change as Pfizer’s study continues.

Moderna’s two-dose series was only about 40% to 50% effective at preventing milder infections, though it was tested during the omicron wave. Moderna has begun testing a booster for tots.

On Wednesday, the FDA will ask an independent panel of vaccine experts to debate both companies’ data before voting. The FDA is not required to follow the group’s recommendations, but the process is seen as a key step in publicly vetting the shots.

The FDA is expected to make its official decision shortly after Wednesday’s all-day meeting. The next step: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends how to use vaccines, will convene its own expert panel to debate which tots need vaccinations.

It’s not clear how much demand there will initially be for the shots. A recent survey suggests only 1 in 5 parents of young children would get their kids vaccinated right away. Vaccines have been available since November for older U.S. schoolchildren, yet less than a third of those ages 5 to 11 have gotten the two recommended doses, according to government figures.

For the youngest children, each company is offering different dose sizes and number of shots, beginning at 6 months through 4 years for Pfizer and through 5 years for Moderna.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech plan to offer two shots three weeks apart followed by a third at least two months later — each one-tenth the dose given to adults. Pfizer is currently the only company with a COVID-19 vaccine for older U.S. children.

Moderna is seeking FDA clearance for two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart.

The FDA currently allows Moderna’s vaccine to be used only in adults. But some countries allow full-size doses for teens and half-size shots for kids ages 6 to 11 — a step the FDA also is considering.

More than 30,000 U.S. children younger than 5 have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and nearly 500 coronavirus deaths have been reported in that age group, according to U.S. health officials.

The government allowed pharmacies and states to start placing orders for tot-sized doses last week, with 5 million initially available — half made by Pfizer and half by Moderna.

CNN contributed to this report.

COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5 are rolling out this week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the shots' safety and efficacy. Like with any vaccine, though, it's possible kids may experience a few side effects.

The safety data from Moderna and Pfizer, vetted by the FDA and CDC, found potential side effects were mostly mild and short-lived.

For parents and caregivers planning to get their little ones vaccinated, pediatricians say there are a few things to watch out for — generally the same effects adults or older children might have experienced after their shots.

Most vaccine side effects are mild, short-lived

"In general, I think the most common side effects from either of the vaccines are still the most common side effects we see from pretty much any child that gets any vaccine," said Dr. Grant Paulsen, the principal site investigator for the Pfizer and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials for kids 6 months to 11 years old at Cincinnati Children's.

Side effects most commonly included pain at the injection site, and sometimes there was swelling or redness.

"Those are all what I would classify as pretty common side effects that most parents that have taken their children to the doctor to get their various hepatitis and tetanus vaccines and all that kind of stuff were probably pretty used to," Paulsen said.

As far as systemic or body-wide symptoms, the most common was fatigue or sleepiness. Some children had irritability or fussiness, loss of appetite, headache, abdominal pain or discomfort, enlarged lymph nodes, mild diarrhea or vomiting. But everyone got better quickly.

"It's very similar to the side effects we've seen for older kids or for adults. About 24 hours of some kids, you know, they kind of don't feel as well, they feel tired, they don't have the same appetite. But thankfully, there have not been any serious side effects of these vaccines," Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response coordinator said on CBS on Monday. "And again, after giving these vaccines to millions of children, it's really reassuring to know that for young kids these vaccines are exceedingly safe."

Side effects were mild to moderate and were far less frequent with this young age group than with older ages, Paulsen said.

"My big picture for parents is really [that] the side effects should not be alarming," Paulsen said.

Potential for fever

Kids were slightly more prone to get a fever with the Moderna vaccine; it happened with about a quarter of the trial participants, versus less than 10% with Pfizer. Most of the fevers were mild. Less than 1% of all participants in the trial had a fever that reached 104 degrees.

"That was rare, but I feel like if we're not honest with parents, when these things come out, that will be concerning," Paulsen said.

Because fevers were not common, Paulsen does not recommend pre-treating a child by giving them a fever-reducing medicine before the shot.

If the child develops a fever, he said, parents can give ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

"The odds are, most children are just going to do fine and have really minimal problems," he said.

No cases of myocarditis

The scientists who conducted trials on the youngest children were also watching closely to see if any of the children had problems with myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, because there were a handful of cases among older children and adults. In most of those cases, the symptoms went away quickly.

But myocarditis was not found to be a problem in the trials in young children.

"Of course, we have all the mechanisms in place once we start vaccinating kids next week. If we start seeing it, all those bells and whistles will go off and bring our attention to it," said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. "But we are not expecting to see that. We didn't really see it in kids who were 5 to 11, either."

'An extra layer of protection'

Because children get severe COVID-19 less frequently than adults, some parents may wonder if they should bother to get their little ones vaccinated. COVID-19, however, has been "quite common" in children, Jha said. He said almost 70% of kids have been infected at some point, but they can always get it again -- and even if it was mild the first time, that doesn't mean it will be the next time.

"Still worth getting the vaccine, it really offers an extra level of protection, an extra layer of protection. What vaccines do is they keep kids out of the hospital, and that's why they are so effective and everybody deserves that protection," Jha said.

Dr. Suchitra Rao says it's important to keep in mind that COVID-19 is now one of the vaccine-preventable diseases with the highest mortality rate.

"If we look at this age group, we will see that Covid has killed more than 200 6-month to 5-year-olds since January of 2020. And if we want to compare that to something like flu, those numbers are actually higher than what we've been seeing annually for all kids under the age of 18 for influenza," said Rao, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado.

"We're getting routine vaccines against measles and against pneumococcal disease and meningitis. That this is something that's actually causing more deaths," she added. "Safety in this younger age group is actually quite, quite good and better than other groups, even."

Rao said some parents have asked her if they should be concerned about long-term side effects. She reassures them that if there were any, they would have shown up in the clinical trials.

"The FDA and then the [CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices], and all of these governing groups that make those recommendations really do an excellent job evaluating the safety and the effectiveness and go through all of the manufacturing data of these vaccines, and it's such a rigorous and comprehensive review," Rao said. "I think the fact that it took a little bit longer for the agency to authorize these shots in these younger kids is really telling, because they just had to make absolutely sure since this is such a vulnerable group."

Parent questions welcome

While Dr. Nina Alfieri, a pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, has seen a lot of interest in COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest children, she knows parents will want to know about vaccine safety.

This year, Lurie did a survey of 5,000 Chicago parents to find out where they stood on the COVID-19 vaccine. Side effects were among their top concerns.

"It makes sense. You want to make sure what you're doing for your kids is safe," Alfieri said.

Alfieri said she hopes caregivers will be sure to ask their pediatrician questions to ease any worries.

"I really love when families come to me and they tell me they are a little bit unsure, because it gives us an opportunity to really sit down face to face, in a safe environment, and talk about their concerns," she said.

"There's going to be a lot of conversation the next couple of months, and I think all of us pediatricians are ready for it, and we're welcoming this kind of conversation because overall, this is a really exciting time for us. Because finally, this vulnerable and very young age group who has kind of been left out of one of the best protective measures is now going to be eligible to be protected."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that there is a possible safety issue with the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech but that it is unlikely to represent a true risk.

Video above: Doctor discusses drop in child vaccination rates

The agency said it continues to recommend that people stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines.

The CDC said one of its vaccine safety monitoring systems — a "near real-time surveillance system" called the Vaccine Safety Datalink — detected a possible increase in a certain kind of stroke in people 65 and older who recently got one of Pfizer's updated booster shots.

A rapid response analysis of that signal revealed that seniors who got a bivalent booster might be more likely to have ischemic strokes within the first three weeks after their shots, compared with weeks four through six.

Ischemic strokes, the most common form, are blockages of blood to the brain. They're usually caused by clots.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink, or VSD, is a network of large health systems across the nation that provides data about the safety and efficacy of vaccines through patients' electronic health records. The CDC said it had identified possible confounding factors in the data coming from the VSD that may be biasing the data and need further investigation.

Of about 550,000 seniors who got Pfizer bivalent boosters and were tracked by the VSD, 130 had strokes in the three weeks after the shot, according to a CDC official who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to share the data. None of the 130 people died.

The number of strokes detected is relatively small, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University and a member of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group.

"These strokes are not a confirmed adverse event at the moment," he said. "It's like a radar system. You're getting a blip on the radar, and you have to do further investigation to discover whether that airplane is friend or foe."

The same safety signal has not been detected with the bivalent Moderna booster, the CDC said in its notice.

The agency noted that it has looked for and failed to find the same increase in strokes in other large collections of medical records, including those maintained by Medicare, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as its Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, known as VAERS.

Neither Pfizer nor other countries that are using the vaccine have seen any increase in this kind of stroke, the agency said, and the signal was not detected in any other databases.

The CDC says that it does not recommend any change to vaccination practices at this time and that the risks of COVID-19 for older adults continue to outweigh any possible safety issues with the vaccine.

"Although the totality of the data currently suggests that it is very unlikely that the signal in VSD represents a true clinical risk, we believe it is important to share this information with the public, as we have in the past, when one of our safety monitoring systems detects a signal," the notice says.

"CDC and FDA will continue to evaluate additional data from these and other vaccine safety systems. These data and additional analyses will be discussed at the upcoming Jan. 26 meeting of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee."

Pfizer said in a statement Friday, "Neither Pfizer and BioNTech nor the CDC or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have observed similar findings across numerous other monitoring systems in the U.S. and globally and there is no evidence to conclude that ischemic stroke is associated with the use of the companies' COVID-19 vaccines.

"Compared to published incidence rates of ischemic stroke in this older population, the companies to date have observed a lower number of reported ischemic strokes following the vaccination with the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine."

The bivalent boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna protect against the original strain of the coronavirus as well as the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. Only about 50 million Americans ages 5 and up have gotten them since they were authorized last fall, according to CDC data.

Schaffner said he was part of a briefing Thursday with members of the COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group. He couldn't share specific details about the briefing but said the safety signal was discussed.

His biggest takeaway was that the safety surveillance system is working.

It's very likely that this is a false signal, he said, but it's being investigated, which is important.

"You want a surveillance system that occasionally sends up false signals. If you don't get any signals, you're worried that you're missing stuff."

Schaffner said he would absolutely tell people to get their COVID-19 booster if they haven't done so yet — even those 65 and older.

"Undoubtedly, the risk of a whole series of adverse events, including hospitalization, is much, much greater with COVID-19 than it is from the vaccine," he said.

He also said the signal — if real — may be more a factor of numbers than an indication that one manufacturer's vaccine is riskier than the other.

Nearly two-thirds of the people in the U.S. who've gotten an updated booster — 32 million — have gotten Pfizer, compared with about 18 million Moderna shots.

A new study has found that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is less effective at protecting children from the omicron variant.

Researchers with the New York State Department of Health found that the vaccine's effectiveness dropped from 68% to 12% in children aged 5 through 11 between Dec. 13 through Jan. 24.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on Tuesday that stated the vaccine effectiveness in children between the ages of 5 and 11 after its second dose was 46%.

"Two doses protect against COVID-19–associated emergency department and urgent care encounters among children and adolescents," the CDC report said. "However, vaccine effectiveness (VE) was lower during omicron predominance and decreased with time since vaccination."

The public health officials who conducted the study believe it may be due to the lower dosage they received.

Kids in that age group were given 10 milligrams, while anyone over 12 received 30 milligrams.

The study also found that the effectiveness in children ages 12 to 17 dropped from 66% to 51%.

The study results come as New York City is set to end its mask mandate on March 7, CNBC reported.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its masking guidelines.

BALTIMORE —

The extent of potential damage COVID-19 can cause on the lungs and long-term damage can depend on whether a person is vaccinated.

A Maryland radiologist wants people to see what he sees in COVID-19 patients, hoping to move the unvaccinated to get vaccinated.

Dr. Omer Awan, who is the associate vice chair of education in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, wants the public to understand and see the difference for themselves.

"There is a dramatic difference in chest X-rays we see in patients that have been fully vaccinated who test positive for COVID-19 and those who are not vaccinated," Awan said.

Awan showed sister station WBAL computed tomography images of a vaccinated COVID-19 patient and compared it to images showing unvaccinated lung damage.

"You can see in the vaccinated individual, much of the lung is black, and that's a good thing because the black demonstrates air," Awan said.

It was a much different story in the lung of an unvaccinated person.

"The burden of disease or the burden of infection is much more pronounced in an unvaccinated individual versus a vaccinated individual," Awan said.

Tracking the omicron surge

Awan said the symptoms of a vaccinated person are milder than in an unvaccinated person.

"Oftentimes, those that are unvaccinated will have full-blown shortness of breath. They may require oxygen therapy. There's a higher propensity for them to go into the ICU," Awan said.

Awan said he hopes the images will change minds.

"If you see images, you can see clearly the proof in vaccination and how effective the vaccines are by looking at a chest X-ray. Oftentimes, that's more helpful from a visual standpoint than just hearing people spit out statistics," Awan said.

For millions of parents in the U.S., getting a COVID-19 vaccine for their kids is as simple as a few clicks, filling out some forms, and driving to a nearby clinic. But, for those in more rural parts of the country, access to vaccines can be a bit more of a struggle     

"We were so hopeful even back this summer when we first started hearing about, like, how soon it might be approved for children," said Annie Edwards, a mother in rural Montana.

She's hopeful because she knows what it's like to have a sick kid. Her daughter Hannah was born at 27 weeks, weighing one pound. But, for the 57 million people like Edwards who live in rural America, vaccine approval means nothing if they can't find a shot.  She drove to Billings, Montana, in December, which is a 500-mile round trip car ride to get her daughter the first dose.    

"Why are we having to drive this far? Why is it this hard?" asked Edwards.

An hour before the second appointment, the store canceled because it ran out of vaccine doses.   

"In rural areas, where people are spread out, there's much less opportunity for kids," said Dr. Jennifer Kates, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Edwards echoed her frustration saying, "You know, we live in the United States of America, where we have the most access," she said. "This shouldn't be difficult."    

Right now, Pfizer's vaccine is the only one approved for children. It's a smaller dose. Current minimum shipments come in a 10-vial pack, with 10 doses per vial. The company said that's to "better suit the needs of pediatric clinics." They can be stored for up to 10 weeks in refrigerators.

   

"Once you open the package, you have to use those within 12 hours. And if a provider wants to vaccinate one kid, they have to vaccinate 10 kids to not waste any, so that's a big challenge that we've seen with smaller providers and doctors' offices. They have to figure out, should I even do this," Kates said. 

Edwards' pediatrician told her she's not vaccinating kids against COVID-19. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found more than one-third of rural parents said their health care providers are not even recommending the vaccine for kids.

 

"If a pediatrician isn't encouraging it, that could really be a deterrent for a parent," Kates said. "And it could be the situation where the pediatrician themselves doesn't have the vaccine."

Punching many rural zip codes into vaccines.gov will lead you to a page showing no pediatric shots within 25 miles, with some availability 50 to 100 miles away.      

"If you're a parent who's on the fence, you know, what's going to tip you if you then have to say, well, I'm going to drive 250 miles to do this thing that I'm a little bit wary of. Or even if you're an eager parent, if you don't have a car, if you can't take time off from work, what are you to do," said Kates.  

"There are some places that have put in operation mobile clinics to try to reach kids in those outposts. But, that's sort of the exception, not the rule. It's incredibly difficult. And, of course, when they're the only person who's asking for it in their community, they don't have support. And that makes it even more difficult," Kates said. 

It's a story pediatrician Kathy Rogers is familiar with. She came out of retirement to help administer vaccines.

"I can't sit this one out. This is too important," Rogers said. 

Some of the children at her clinic have traveled up to four hours round trip, twice.

    

"It breaks my heart and I would like to go door-to-door and just offer it to people, and if they don't want it, fine," said Rogers. 

"We have work that lies ahead for rural America, and in general for the country, but really in rural areas," Kates said.  

Montana data shows no kids between 5 and 11 in McCone County are fully vaccinated, with many other counties at 5% or less. Stats show similar rates in parts of rural Idaho, with numbers as low as 1% in places. And it's the same story in parts of Wyoming.    

"I don't understand how we're failing to get it dispersed in rural America," Edwards said. "Because that might be part of it. If I had access, if I could tell my neighbor, yeah, go down. You can get an appointment today, or you can get an appointment when you take your child to their well check or when you're getting their ears checked." 

Multiple doctors say removing barriers likely means an unwanted side effect, like waste.

   

"You can try as hard as you can not to waste vaccine. But if I can give one vaccine to one person, even if I have to waste the whole other dose, I'm going to do that. Because like with Omicron, the infectivity of it is just like measles. It's so high that I protected more people by doing one vaccine than doing none just because I want to save the vial," Rogers said. 

In addition to access, there's statistically more vaccine hesitancy in rural America, driving down demand. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found almost half of rural parents say they definitely will not get their 5- to 11-year-old vaccinated, compared to 22% of urban parents. But, if interest is low, Rogers said counties can and should work together to share doses, to reach as many as possible as Omicron keeps its grip on the country.     

"If you don't get out there and do this for people, what does that say? We've got to take care of each other. And I take care of my family, but my community is my family. It's too important to know those health care workers all feel that way. And that's why some of them are quitting because they feel this so intimately," Rogers said.   

Kates said some states, like Maine and Vermont, have gotten the vaccination effort right from the start, and there's more that can be done elsewhere.    

"From a broader perspective, states and certainly the federal government, can look at how they can pre-position vaccines for remote areas. So, finding the right pharmacy sites, doing mobile clinics to go to people, setting up actual vaccine clinics periodically, where you're really advertising and pushing out that information to communities, it still means that not everyone's going to be easily reached, but you have to make those opportunities more frequent, and visible and easy for parents," Kates said. 

Edwards hopes to get her daughter's second vaccine dose at a neighboring county's clinic soon.  

"It's a drive, it's not close," she said. It will mean about 200 miles round trip for her, and she along with others don't think it should be this hard.

This story was originally published by Maritsa Georgiou on Newsy.

Health care workers covered by the Biden administration's vaccine mandate will have until March 15 to be fully vaccinated in the 24 states where the requirement was reinstated by the Supreme Court, the agency implementing the policy said Friday.Twenty-five states and Washington, DC, continue to face a Feb. 28 deadline for covered health care workers to be fully vaccinated, as the mandate had not been blocked in those states before the Supreme Court order that came down Thursday.The mandate — issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — remains blocked in Texas.Texas had brought its own lawsuit challenging the mandate separate from the cases that were before the Supreme Court and the preliminary injunction that was issued in that case last year still stands. The mandate covers health care workers at facilitates that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. On Thursday, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court lifted lower court orders that were freezing the mandate in 24 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.A spokesperson for CMS told CNN in a statement the health care providers in those 24 states will have 30 days from the issuance of forthcoming guidance to establish plans and procedures to ensure their staff are fully vaccinated by March 15.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the definition of fully vaccinated is two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC also recommends that eligible individuals receive a booster shot in addition to their primary vaccine series, but a booster is not required under the CMS rules for health care workers.

CINCINNATI — Two weeks after President Biden's Dec. 6 COVID vaccination deadline for healthcare workers, many nursing home employees are still unvaccinated, according to the most recent data published by Medicaid and Medicare Services.

The WCPO 9 I-Team reviewed data for dozens of local nursing homes and found many of them fall far short of the president's mandate.

Ohio has one of the lowest nursing home staff vaccination rates in the country, according to the Medicaid and Medicare data.

In Hyde Park Health Center on Cincinnati's East Side, 17% of the employees were vaccinated, according to data published Dec. 5 on the Medicaid and Medicare website.

On Friday, the nursing home's executive director declined the I-Team's request for an interview.

"After our conversation, I went back and reviewed our employee vaccination numbers," Hyde Park Health Center Executive Director Kevin Fluehr wrote in an email to the I-Team. "We are actually at a 72% employee vaccination rate."

Fluehr wrote, "There has been some turnover recently in our HR Department, but everything has been verified for accuracy and the error has been corrected."

Other nursing home operators have told the I-Team that the Medicaid and Medicare data, which is provided by the nursing homes, is often out-dated and not accurate.

The data shows only 29% of the employees at the Chateau at Mountain Crest Nursing and Rehab Center on Cincinnati's West Side had received at least one shot of the COVID vaccine.

The nursing home is managed by JAG Healthcare.

"At some point, this past fall, it might have been that low," JAG Healthcare CEO James Griffiths said. "But I know this, if they came in today, we can show them every single person has a vaccination card. We're going to comply with the law as all healthcare workers and healthcare employers should do."

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The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters, opening a third dose of Pfizer's vaccine to people as young as age 16.

The U.S. and many other nations already urge adults to get a booster to pump up their immunity months after initial vaccination.

In the U.S., the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for children and teenagers.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday cleared an extra dose for those ages 16 and 17, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rapidly endorsed a booster for those ages.

"Today, CDC is strengthening its booster recommendations and encouraging everyone 16 and older to receive a booster shot," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a press release. "Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants."

The CDC recommends that the booster be received six months after their second COVID vaccine shot.

It's not clear if younger teens will need one.

NEW YORK —

One in six New York City municipal workers remained unvaccinated after Friday’s deadline to show proof they’ve gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the city said Saturday.

A last-minute rush of jabs boosted the vaccination rate to 83% among police officers, firefighters, garbage collectors and other city workers covered by the mandate as of 8 p.m. Friday, up from 76% a day earlier.

The more than 26,000 workers who haven’t complied with the requirement will be put on unpaid leave starting Monday, leaving the Big Apple bracing for the possibility of closed firehouses, fewer police and ambulances and mounting trash.

Vaccination rates for the city’s fire and sanitation departments jumped significantly Friday as workers rushed to meet the deadline for the mandate and an extra incentive: Workers who get a shot by Friday will get $500.

The fire department’s rate rose 8% and the sanitation department saw an additional 10% of its staff get vaccinated Friday, according to city data. The fire and sanitation departments each have 23% of their staffs that still haven’t been vaccinated.

The NYPD had a 5% jump in vaccinations Friday, leaving 16% of police personnel who had yet to get a dose.

City officials have been weighing various contingencies to deal with an expected staffing shortfall come Monday.

The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while also changing schedules, canceling vacations and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the sanitation department will move to 12-hour shifts, as opposed to the usual 8-hour shifts, and begin working Sundays to ensure trash doesn’t pile up.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Drugmaker Merck has asked U.S. regulators to authorize its promising antiviral pill against COVID-19, setting the stage for a decision within weeks.

If cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19, adding a new, easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic.

The FDA will scrutinize company data on the drug’s safety and effectiveness before rendering a decision. All COVID-19 drugs now authorized by the FDA require an IV or injection.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is now getting started with its nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. It's one of three locations participating.

The hospital is looking for 15 to 20 people to enroll in the trial, which involves 10 visits over the span of 12 months.

This vaccine is administered through a single dose of one spray in each nostril. There are no needles involved like the vaccines available now.

The nasal spray vaccine may have a big impact. According to the Ohio Department of Health, nearly half the population in the state of Ohio is not yet fully vaccinated.

Dr. Joseph Gastaldo​ specializes in Infectious Diseases at OhioHealth. He said that "initially in our state of Ohio we had many very ambitious people who wanted the vaccine. All those people have received those vaccines. For people who are afraid of needles, having any type of vaccine, something you could put in the nose, would be much more acceptable to them."

Dr. Paul Spearman, director of division of infectious diseases with Cincinnati Childrens’ Hospital, says the nasal spray vaccine has the potential to curb the pandemic.

"We're excited about the potential of the vaccine to really protect at the very site where the virus usually comes into your body."

Clinical trials are about to begin here. Dr. Spearman says he hopes to have their first enrollment this week.

"We need to find individuals who have not yet had a COVID vaccine and also have not had COVID itself in order to best test this new vaccine,” Dr. Spearman said. “So that's a bit of a tricky population to find now as you can imagine.

“We have heard from individuals who want to participate in our trial and who have sort of a needle phobia."

While the vaccine is needle-free, the study requires blood work in order to gauge immune response and the development of antibodies.

Dr. Spearman explained, "once it was out for general use, then you wouldn't have all the blood draws that we have in the trial."

The best way to register for the trail is online at https://redcap.research.cchmc.org/surveys/index.php?s=HDRAN4PAYD. Applicants will answer a series of questions and Cincinanti Children's will contact those who are a fit for the trial.

Volunteers will be compensated $975 for their time.

"I certainly hope we can entice some local folks who have not yet had a COVID vaccine to come help us evaluate this," Dr. Spearman said.

GRAFTON, Wis. —

Police have arrested a fired pharmacist who is accused of intentionally spoiling more than 500 COVID-19 vaccines at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin.

The FBI and the Food & Drug Administration are investigating the person who left 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine out of a pharmacy refrigerator at Aurora Medical Center-Grafton.

The person's name is not being released until formal charges are filed.

Advocate Aurora Health now says it was an intentional act. The person in question Wednesday admitted they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration.

After an internal investigation, it was first believed to be human error.

The vials were discovered outside the refrigerator Dec. 26. Aurora Health President Dr. Jeff Bahr spoke about the incident Thursday during a news conference.

"Over the subsequent days, as we continued our internal review, we became increasingly suspicious of the behavior of the individual in question," Bahr said. "The individual was suspended and after multiple interviews over the course of the week, admitted yesterday to intentionally removing the vaccine from refrigeration."

The Moderna vaccine can be out of refrigeration for 12 hours.

"We are more than disappointed that this individual’s actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine. This was a violation of our core values, and the individual is no longer employed by us," Advocate Aurora Health said.

Grafton police said Aurora Corporate Security called them at 6:18 p.m. Wednesday about an employee tampering with the vials of COVID-19 vaccine.

It said it was investigating, along with the federal agencies.

"This matter is being actively investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Food and Drug Administration and the Grafton Police Department," Grafton police said.

Officers said the value of the spoiled vaccines was between $8,000 and $11,000.

"Grafton detectives indicate that the individual knew the spoiled vaccinations would be useless and that people who received the vaccinations would think they had been vaccinated against the virus when in fact they were not," police said in a statement to sister station WISN-TV.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said before any facility becomes a COVID-19 vaccine provider, they require extensive registration and training for storing and handling the vaccine.

"DHS requires any wasted vaccine to be reported, investigated and addressed through a written plan of improvement," the department said.

State health officials said they were now working with Aurora to make sure an incident like this never happens again.

"We feel strongly that our processes are sound, but again, this fell more to this being a bad actor involved than a bad process," Bahr said.

He added that 57 doses were able to be administered after they were found outside the refrigerator.

But Bahr said hospital officials also learned the vials were left out longer than originally reported and may not be as effective in combating the virus.

Those vaccine recipients have been notified of the situation, Bahr said.

Police said the pharmacist could be charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property.

He was being held in the Ozaukee County Jail.

The remaining doses of the vaccine that were left out of the refrigerator were discarded.

Bahr said the doses were not tampered with.

"Immediately upon notification, DHS followed up with Aurora and has worked closely with them as they have investigated the situation, reviewed their processes and implemented improvements," Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm said in response to the incident. "We will continue to work with our healthcare partners to get as many shots in arms as quickly and safely as possible."

Investigators have not released a motive in the case.

CNN contributed.

With the arrival of fall and another round of seasonal allergies, doctors are again warning about confusing an allergic reaction with a COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Casey Mabry, with Ascension St. Agnes Health in Maryland, said irritating allergy symptoms may linger, but the causes behind them -- summer vs. fall -- differ.

"It's hard to prevent allergies, but you can definitely limit your exposure," Mabry said. "Spring and summer allergies tend to be grass and flowers while the trees are blooming. The fall is a little bit different. It tends to be dust and mold."

Now, add to the mix COVID-19 with symptoms like coughing, congestion and feeling generally under the weather all crossing over.

But there's one key difference.

"Allergies will never cause a fever. If you have a fever, you can't blame that on your allergies. Please get COVID tested," Mabry said.

Mabry said another way to tell is to be honest with yourself: Are the symptoms you're experiencing something you've seen before or something new?

"If you have brand new allergies this year, it's probably not allergies. If you, all of a sudden, are getting congestion and sore throat, and you're not feeling well in the fall, but you've never had that before, maybe get tested," Mabry said.

Also, keep in mind that itchiness often goes with allergies, just as a loss of taste or smell goes with COVID-19.

"It's tricky because we're not seeing as much loss of smell with the delta variant, but still, definitely if you lose your sense of smell, it's definitely much more concerning," Mabry said.

Mabry said to stay hydrated and wear face masks to stop the spread of COVID-19. Also, be sure to wash the masks to prevent more allergies this fall.

Watch the video above for the full story.

Seven-year-old Clark McGinnity and his nine-year-old brother Henry are both participating in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial.  

Right now, a child under 12 can't get a COVID vaccine unless they're part of a clinical trial. It comes down to dosing-balancing a shot's protection without causing severe side effects. 

"I don't think it's taking longer than it did on the adults," pediatric infectious disease specialist Mike Smith said. "But people need to understand that it's a whole separate set of studies because the dose is different."

We spoke with Dr. Michael smith. He's involved in the pediatric trials of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson researchers are still gathering data.  

Because children's immune systems are still growing, researchers study by age groups of five-to-12 years old, two-to-five years old, and two-to-six months old. 

Just like the adult COVID trials in previous months, they start with smaller phase one clinical trial groups to get the dosing right.  

"I'm a parent of two children who are both under 12, so I share this concern," Smith said. "I really wish my kids were vaccinated. However, I also want to make sure they have the right dose." 

Smith says the Pfizer dose for kids under 12 is about a third of the dose for everyone else. For Moderna, it's about a half of the full adult dose. 

Those phase one dosing trials are still monitoring longer-term safety data right now, as the phase two and three are underway, too.  

With those, half get a saline shot and the other half get the real thing. The double-blind studies are the credible gold standard. 

Charles Mugera's eight-year-old son, Christian is participating in the Moderna trial in Baltimore.  

"I think for the children, ultimately, what was the most appealing to them was the fact that they got their life back," he said.

Mugera – a doctor – gets the risks and the continued monitoring-a crucial piece of the vaccine timeline puzzle.  

In these trials, parents will follow up for months after their child's second vaccine, checking in daily to record any side effects like fever or soreness.   

Each of those check-ins means multiple data points. On top of blood draws and antibody numbers – all pieces the researchers, then drugmakers, then FDA will go through.

To request emergency authorization for kids under age 12, companies need to turn in four-to-six months of safety results. For the adults, only two months were needed. 

"I think the FDA is doing their job here," Smith said. "It's just that they're kind of stuck in a hard place because you're in the middle of a public health crisis."

One thing we haven't heard much about, when would something like nasal mists for kids – like we see for flu season, for example – be a possibility. 

Scientists say that would take much longer – a couple of years.  

This story was first reported by Lindsey Theis on Newsy.com.

Clermont County residents in need of a COVID-19 vaccine have an easier way to access appointments, as demand for the shots across the county has more than doubled in recent weeks. That easier access is coming in the form of a mobile app.

Starting Wednesday, Clermont County residents can use the ArmorVax app to track down clinics in the area that have vaccination appointments available.

Demand for coronavirus vaccines dropped in the county over the summer months, with the Clermont County Department of Public Health receiving as few as 10-20 appointment requests per day, according to communications coordinator Keith Robinson.

RELATED: Hamilton Co. health officials say FDA approval hasn't moved the needles

That meant vaccine clinics only needed to operate two days per week, Robinson said. He attributed the decline to unvaccinated folks remaining hesitant due to the vaccines' lack of full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since the Pfizer vaccine received full FDA approval late last month, Robinson believes that's caused a surge in demand. Requests for appointments were up closer to 50 per day this week.

"We know that some people early on were a little hesitant to take that without the full approval," Robinson said.

Robinson said the late-summer surge in COVID-related hospitalizations across the state — largely associated with the rise of the virus' delta variant — might be motivating people to get their shots.

"It's not only affecting the older population, as it was earlier in the pandemic," Robinson said. "A lot of younger adults are being affected, as well. So I think, you know, that may have a role to play in the increased demand, as well."

Those interested in using the app can download it here.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — AMC Theatres announced a massive number of new investments in the company, which it hopes will secure its future as movie theaters continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company announced that since mid-December, it received $917 million in "new equity and debt capital." A good portion came from issuing and selling new shares in the company.

AMC is hopeful the new investment will help the company survive the pandemic.

Decreased theater capacity and some theater closures made the company unsure it would survive 2020.

"...we are proud to announce today that over the past six weeks AMC has raised an additional $917 million capital infusion to bolster and solidify our liquidity and financial position. This means that any talk of an imminent bankruptcy for AMC is completely off the table," AMC CEO and President Adam Aron said in a release Monday.

The company said the new capital should get them through most of 2021.

AMC also said that it is hopeful the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines will bring moviegoers back to theaters.

This story was originally published by Katelyn Brown on KSHB in Kansas City.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine for those 16 and up Monday was enough to ease concerns for some of Cincinnati’s unvaccinated.

“I’m just like a lot of other people: They're scared, you know, to get them because I heard a lot of people having side effects from them,” said Bernice Childres, who received her first vaccine dose at a pop-up clinic in her Cincinnati neighborhood Monday, just a few hours after the FDA announcement.

Some have questioned whether the process was rushed. Tim Schroeder, with Covington, Kentucky-based CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, has 35 years of experience and explained that the approval process did not skip steps.

FAQ: What does Pfizer approval mean for COVID vaccine?

“What we were able to do is compress steps, not skip steps, but the level of rigor, the level of scientific validity, is the highest it’s ever been,” said Schroeder. “These are the most studied vaccines in the history of the world when you think in terms of hundreds of millions of people who have received these vaccines under the emergency use authorization. In a typical year, when we do vaccine research for the influenza flu vaccine or rodovirus or respiratory syncytial virus, those are studied in a much, much smaller number of subjects for a much shorter period of time.”

The FDA granted Pfizer emergency use authorization for those 16 and up in December 2020. In May 2021, the FDA granted Pfizer emergency use authorization for those 12 and up. August 2021, the FDA approved Pfizer for those 16 and up.

Schroeder expects Moderna approval for those 16 and up in the coming weeks or months, followed by Johnson & Johnson. Then, approvals for those 12 and up. While waiting, he says, scientists will gather data to get emergency use authorization for those 5 and up.

“We have the highest level of confidence in the quality of the data,” said Schroeder.

Out of the counties we cover in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, Gallatin, Owen, Switzerland and Adams counties have the lowest vaccination rates. Transmission rates remain high in all the counties we cover. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday morning granted full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 two-shot vaccine.

Among those who have hesitated to take one of the three vaccines available against the potentially deadly virus, the drugs' authorization on an emergency basis — as opposed to fully approved by the federal agency — ranked among common reasons for that hesitation.

But what does "full approval" entail in the case of vaccines like Pfizer's, Moderna's and Johnson and Johnson's?

WCPO spoke with some local health and pharmaceutical professionals to get answers to some frequently asked questions:

1. Is the Pfizer vaccine approved for everyone or just certain ages?

None of the currently available vaccines are available for children under the age of 12.

Pfizer's full approval status only applies to recipients 16 years and older, although it remains available to 12- to 15-year-olds on an emergency basis.

2. Was this approval process "rushed?"

Suzi Francis, manager of ambulatory clinical pharmacology at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, said she's "very satisfied" with the rigor through which Pfizer's vaccine has gone on the road to full approval but also said it's an important question to ask. Ultimately, "no corners were cut," she said.

"That's a really good question because if I wasn't in my position where I've done a lot of reading and research of the literature, I would wonder the same thing," she said.

"The actual reason that we could get all of this was because our teams — our government, our manufacturers, our experts at the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the FDA — really made this a priority," she said. "So funding was put into the manufacturing process because not only safety and efficacy, but we have to ensure the stability of this vaccine."

The fact that Pfizer's vaccine has already gone into hundreds of thousands of arms actually enhances her trust in the process.

"It really did go through rigorous — I would say much more rigorous — testing than other vaccines because we have so many people that have gotten it, and so that plays out for a larger research field," she said. "Just like we saw with the early safety warnings...where we had to investigate further, those things worked as it should, and we were able to play out the benefits versus the risk and determine if there's any cause for concern with these vaccines.

"As someone who has been researching vaccines for 20 years now, no corners were cut with this one. In fact, I'm very satisfied with the information and the diligence. My advice for those that feel it was rushed is that it wasn't," Francis continued.

3. What kinds of studies/data did Pfizer have to submit to get full FDA approval status?

Francis said that, while emergency authorization only required two months of data, the full approval required six, and the types of data and studies both involved the drug itself as well as how it's made.

"Pfizer had to have many safety studies, of course, to make sure that in the long-term there was no safety incidents that would happen in those who were vaccinated versus those that were not vaccinated," Francis said. "That happened for the two months that were initially approved under the emergency use authorization and then continued to follow everyone that was in the studies for a full six months. Nothing presented.

"Pfizer also had to look at efficacy, how well does that vaccine work to prevent COVID? So we did see that the vaccine does work to prevent COVID, and very well, in the case of Pfizer, over 90%. And they followed that for six months."

The FDA also investigated Pfizer's manufacturing facilities and processes over the full six months, as well, Francis said.

Ultimately, the FDA, the CDC and a third-party clinical analytics team reviewed the six months' worth of data.

4. What about breakthrough infections? Does that compromise the approval status?

In a word, no, Francis said.

"Breakthrough infections can happen; the vaccine is not 100% effective," she said. "However, the vaccine gives us our biggest line of defense that we have to treat COVID and really make sure that we don't have one of those serious cases that end up in the hospital, in ICU or unfortunately the deaths that we see from COVID."

Francis pointed to how most hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are now among those who are not vaccinated but also acknowledged that the longevity of the vaccine's effectiveness is still under review.

"We are not seeing the level of hospitalization and fatalities that happen with those who are vaccinated as those who are not vaccinated," she said. "That's where boosters might come into play, or a third dose for those who are immunocompromised.

"You might have breakthrough cases among those who are vaccinated, but you don't see breakthrough deaths."

5. Does the FDA approval mean vaccines will be mandatory?

According to the CDC, neither President Joe Biden nor any federal agency has the authority to require people to get a vaccine.

With the exception of a handful of states, however, employers can mandate their employees be vaccinated in order to work, and the FDA's full approval could spark more employers to do so, according to economist Ann Elizabeth Konkel, with the online job-search site, Indeed.com.

"I really think this is a substantial pull factor for employers that might have been on the fence about it, (now) saying, 'You know what? OK, now we feel comfortable writing this into the job description requiring this of applicants and employees," she said.

6. Does full FDA approval mean Pfizer is now liable for unexpected adverse effects?

This would be similar to any other vaccine or drug that's on the market, and the FDA and the CDC continue to do safety analysis. If something were to come up, they'd work with the manufacturer, just like any other medication, they might ask the manufacturer to change their package insert or their warnings if there was some kidn of increased incidence of some kind of safety or side effect that we have not seen yet. Highly unlikely, but if it happens, there's already a precedent and a process for that. Science continually does that in the medical field, and if something's found out, we already have a precedent for that.

7. When will the other vaccines be fully approved?

Moderna's application for full FDA approval is already under review and could come soon.

"We anticipate that that will be in the coming weeks or months, and then following, we think, likely the (Johnson and Johnson) vaccine will get full approval," said Timothy Schroeder, chairman and CEO at Covington, Kentucky-based CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services. "Then we have to get the approval down to the younger children."

For more information, see the CDC's myths and facts about the COVID-19 vaccines here.

Covered in snow, a bitter coastal wind whips across the beaches of Chatham, Massachusetts.

But out here in the middle of winter, the fight to vaccinate this nation’s senior population is in full force.

Anna Marie has spent most of the last year inside her Chatham, Massachusetts home. This 68-year-old retired teacher hasn’t been able to see her kids or many friends for fear of catching COVID-19.

“It’s difficult that I can’t see my children; that’s the biggest thing. It makes me ache for better times,” Anna Marie said while standing outside of her home, which had just been dusted with a few inches of snow.

About 215,000 people live on this stretch of the peninsula year-round. Most of the residents are over age 65. Barnstable County, which encompasses all of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, is considered to be the oldest county per capita in all of New England. But getting the vaccine to people who live here has been a slow process, mainly because supply is much lower than health officials anticipated.

It’s left people like Anna Marie in limbo as they wait for their turn in line, “We can’t push what we can’t control, I’ve learned more patience through all of this.”

County health officials, though, are doing whatever they can to inoculate as many people over age 75 as possible. Recently, hundreds of cars lined a busy road in downtown Barnstable, with eager residents ready to get their Pfizer vaccine.

“This is what we want to do. We want to make sure the vaccine isn’t in a freezer and it’s getting into people’s arms,” explained Sean O’Brien, who serves as the director of Barnstable County Department of Health.

The problem at vaccination sites across the nation isn't demand, it's the supply.

On this day, nurses stretched 975 vials of the Pfizer vaccine into 1,300 vaccination shots. Even at that rate though, it could take 215 days to inoculate everyone who lives in this county, regardless of their age.

“Because there are so few vaccines, it’s almost a competition to get the numbers here, and that’s sad. It should be more equitable,” O’Brien said.

Transportation is also playing a major role in how quickly this nation’s over 65 population can get vaccinated. Not everyone has access to a car or a license.

Barnstable County has one of the oldest populations in the country. It ranks with retirement communities like Sumter County, Florida, where the average age is 66, and Catron County, New Mexico, where the average age is 60.

Because those age groups are at higher risk for having severe complications from COVID-19, vaccine rollout is critical.

“We have just a lot of older people down here. A lot of folks in that 65 plus age group that need to get this shot,” O’Brien added.

By the end of the day, nearly 1,300 people had received their COVID-19 vaccine, a small percentage of the population who calls Cape Cod home. But Sean O’Brien and other public health officials here are on a mission to make sure no vaccination shot is wasted.

“With a lack of vaccine, we know people want it but we’re just asking for patience.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Intermountain Healthcare doctors announced new mammogram guidelines Tuesday in response to a surprising new side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.

They say women who recently received a COVID-19 vaccine may have to postpone their yearly mammogram.

“When one receives a vaccination there is an inflammatory response in the arm,” said Dr. Brett Parkinson, medical director of Intermountain Healthcare’s Breast Care Center.

In the past four weeks, doctors have seen swollen lymph nodes on screening mammograms of women who have recently been vaccinated.

“Whenever we see these on a normal screening mammogram we call those patients back because it can either mean metastatic breast cancer which travels to the lymph nodes or lymphoma or leukemia.”

While inflammation is the body’s normal response to a vaccine, Dr. Parkinson says it’s surprising how many swollen lymph nodes they’ve been seeing.

“With the Moderna vaccine, it’s about 11% after the first dose and 16% after the second dose. We believe it’s comparable for the Pfizer vaccine as well.”

In response, Intermountain rolled out new guidelines in accordance with the Society of Breast Imaging.

Women should get their mammogram before their first dose of the vaccine, or wait four weeks after their second dose of the vaccine.

“We don’t want these patients to get a false positive to have this sort of alarm,” Parkinson said.

If there are worrisome symptoms, such as a suspicious lump, Dr. Parkinson says don’t delay getting a mammogram.

“Breast cancer kills women between 40 and 50,000 a year. Many of those deaths are needless,” Parkinson said. “I know that screening mammographies are the only test that has been shown over the last 30 to 40 years to decrease the death rate of breast cancer.”

If you have an opportunity to get the vaccine, Dr. Parkinson urges you to get it because appointments are limited. He adds that postponing a mammogram screening a month or two won’t be as impactful.

This story was first reported by Tamara Vaifanua at KSTU.

The FDA could approve vaccine booster shots for some of the most vulnerable Americans within weeks. 

According to multiple reports, in the next week or so, the FDA is planning to review CDC data on additional doses for the immunocompromised.

That includes people who have gotten organ transplants, are being treated for cancer, or have HIV, just to name a few. 

This story was originally reported by Kamil Zawadzki on Newsy.com

Why aren’t certain risk groups higher up on Ohio’s phased vaccination timeline?

One viewer wrote to WCPO asking: “Early versions of Governor Dewine's plan included persons who were immuno-compromised or taking immuno-suppressant meds in Stage 1B. Subsequently, they fell off the list and we have been unable to ascertain why or when they'll be eligible. This group is truly in need of upgraded info regarding their turn in line.”

Dr. Steve Feagins, chief clinical officer of Mercy Health and medical director for Hamilton County Public Health, agrees.

“We've been in talks with the Ohio Department of Health and the governor as well," he said. "It's hard to make these kinds of decisions...and I don't disagree that patients who have cancers or chemo -- individuals who are immune compromised -- should be getting vaccines."

Feagins said they take guidance from the governor’s office in terms of who is eligible to receive vaccines.

“However, we continue to talk,” he said. “Some 150 to 160 oncology providers wrote about cancer. I understand we've had about 1,300 different groups write about eligibility of vaccine. It's a tough time to make that decision.”

So did anybody fall off the eligibility list?

“In terms of falling off -- you could look at it that way. NIH had various lists as they were working to try and risk strategize. Go with age, most critical risk factor and congenital illnesses for risk stratification,” Feagins said.

This month, WCPO 9 is taking your questions about COVID-19 vaccines and posing them to local health care experts. Email newsdesk@wcpo.com or message @KristynHartmanWCPO on Facebook with your name, neighborhood and question, and you could see an expert answer it on air.

HAMILTON, Ohio — Employees at the Butler County Sheriff's Office were able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations Friday, Sheriff Richard Jones announced.

Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced there would be a distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines to several different organizations, including law enforcement.

BCSO employees will be vaccinated "without delay" at the Sheriff’s Office on Hanover Street. Primary Health Solutions came to the sheriff’s office Friday afternoon to begin distributing vaccinations.

“COVID-19 was the number one killer of law enforcement in the United States in 2020. I will not receive the vaccine until I know my deputies and corrections officers are taken care of,” Jones said in a release.

Jones, 67, recently recovered from a bout of coronavirus after testing positive on Feb. 19.