From The Asian Reporter, V31, #1 (January
4, 2021), page 7.
Will COVID-19 vaccines work on the new
coronavirus variant?
By The Associated Press
Will COVID-19 vaccines work on the new coronavirus variant?
Experts believe so, but they’re working to confirm it.
The coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom has caused
alarm because of the possibility that it might spread more
easily. But even if that turns out to be true, experts say the
COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out will likely still work on the
variant.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert,
said data coming from Britain indicates the vaccines still will
block the virus. But the U.S. also will do tests to be sure.
Viruses often undergo small changes as they reproduce and
move through a population. In fact, the slight modifications are
how scientists track the spread of a virus from one place to
another.
But if a virus mutates significantly enough, one worry is
that current vaccines might no longer offer as much protection.
And although that’s a possibility to watch for over time with
the coronavirus, experts say they don’t believe it will be the
case with the variant in the U.K.
"My expectation is, this will not be a problem," said Moncef
Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the U.S. government’s
COVID-19 vaccine push.
* * *

AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin
From The Asian Reporter, V31, #1 (January 4, 2021),
page 7.
Will children be able to get COVID-19
vaccines?
By The Associated Press
Will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines?
Not until there’s enough data from studies in different age
groups, which will stretch well into 2021.
The Pfizer vaccine authorized in the U.S. in December is for
people age 16 and older. Testing began in October in children as
young as 12 years old and is expected to take several more
months. The Food and Drug Administration will have to decide
when there’s enough data to allow emergency use in this age
group.
Depending on the results, younger children may be enrolled
for study as well.
Moderna, which became the second COVID-19 vaccine greenlit in
the U.S., began enrolling study participants between ages 12 and
17 in December, and will track them for a year. Testing in
children younger than 12 is expected to start in early 2021.
It is uncertain if the results on younger children will come
in time for vaccinations to begin before the next school year.
Positive outcomes in adult studies are reassuring and suggest
it is safe to proceed in testing kids, said Dr. Buddy Creech, a
pediatric infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University
and director of its vaccine research program.
Even though children usually don’t get very sick from
COVID-19, they can spread the virus to others, said Dr. Robert
Frenck, who is the lead researcher for Pfizer’s study in kids at
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. At least 1.6 million youth have
been infected, 8,000+ have been hospitalized, and more than 160
have died from the virus, he noted.
"It’s really important, not only for themselves but also for
society," Frenck said.
* * *
Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a
COVID-19 vaccine?
By The Associated Press
Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
No. For a couple reasons, masks and social distancing will
still be recommended for some time after people are vaccinated.
To start, the first coronavirus vaccines require two shots;
Pfizer’s second dose comes three weeks after the first and
Moderna’s comes after four weeks. And the effect of vaccinations
generally aren’t immediate.
People are expected to get some level of protection within a
couple of weeks after the first shot. But full protection may
not happen until a couple weeks after the second shot.
It’s also not yet known whether the Pfizer and Moderna
vaccines protect people from infection entirely, or just from
symptoms. That means vaccinated people might still be able to
get infected and pass the virus on, although it would likely be
at a much lower rate, said Deborah Fuller, a vaccine expert at
the University of Washington.
And even once vaccine supplies start ramping up, getting
hundreds of millions shots into people’s arms is expected to
take months.
Fuller also noted vaccine testing is just starting in
children, who won’t be able to get shots until study data
indicates they’re safe and effective for them as well.
Moncef Slaoui, head of the U.S. vaccine development effort,
has estimated the country could maybe reach herd immunity as
early as May, based on the effectiveness of the Pfizer and
Moderna vaccines. That’s assuming there are no problems meeting
manufacturers’ supply estimates, and enough people step forward
to be vaccinated.
* * *
Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination
mandatory?
By The Associated Press
Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory?
Yes, with some exceptions.
Experts say employers can require employees to take safety
measures, including vaccination. That doesn’t necessarily mean
you would get fired if you refuse, but you might need to sign a
waiver or agree to work under specific conditions to limit any
risk you might pose to yourself or others.
"Employers generally have wide scope" to make rules for the
workplace, said Dorit Reiss, a law professor who specializes in
vaccine policies at the University of California Hastings
College of the Law. "It’s their business."
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has allowed
companies to mandate the flu and other vaccines, and has also
indicated they can require COVID-19 vaccines.
There are exceptions; for example, people can request
exemptions for medical or religious reasons.
And even though employers can require vaccinations, there are
reasons they might not want to.
Tracking compliance with mandatory vaccination would be an
administrative burden, said Michelle S. Strowhiro, an employment
adviser and lawyer at McDermott Will & Emery. Employers would
also have to manage exemption requests — not to mention legal
claims that might arise.
As a result, many employers will likely strongly encourage
vaccination without requiring it, Strowhiro said.
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