Coronavirus

As COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue across the US, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and other public health experts continue to evaluate the risks and benefits of the new vaccines. Read recent news of interest from the world of infectious diseases, with a focus on COVID-19 vaccines and associated heart inflammation …

There is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel in the US, thanks to the rapid development and efficient distribution of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. We have plenty of reasons to rejoice, but a lingering and frustrating impediment to attaining nationwide herd immunity persists—continued vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation, especially among particular segments of the US population …

In the US, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. After a long season of COVID-19, things are finally starting to look brighter as COVID-19 vaccination rates are climbing, and cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the virus are now decreasing in the US. We asked NFID leaders for their tips to stay healthy on Memorial Day, and throughout the summer …

The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted health communicators with unprecedented challenges. To achieve widespread “vaccine literacy,” health communicators must apply basic educational principles to promote trustworthy, straightforward communication …

A nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program is currently underway in the US. Where can you get vaccinated and when? What side effects can you expect? Will COVID-19 vaccines help end the pandemic? Read recent news of interest from the world of infectious diseases, with a focus on COVID-19 vaccination …

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently held two important meetings to review data on vaccines for influenza, hepatitis, pneumococcal disease, shingles, and other diseases, and to approve the new Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Marla Dalton, executive director and CEO of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), talks with NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, about the significance of these meetings for healthcare professionals and the public …

As we continue to tackle health equity issues, it is important to be open to embracing new partners and creating new champions. Although highlighting the contributions of Black scientists during Black History Month is important, addressing health equity can and should be done anytime and anywhere …

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are starting to decline in the US, and vaccination rates are starting to increase. However, public health experts are concerned about new variants, the possibility of reinfection, and the overall risk of complacency. In this episode of the Schaffner Report, NFID Executive Director and CEO Marla Dalton, CAE, talks with NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, about COVID-19 vaccines, masks, and reinfection …

Given the increased rates of vaccine hesitancy among the communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic, health equity principles should be applied across the board to overall COVID-19 response and vaccine administration …

Only one year after the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged, the US has begun a national COVID-19 vaccination program …

In this edition of the Schaffner Report, William Schaffner, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), talks with NFID Executive Director and CEO Marla Dalton, CAE, about ways to reduce risk during holiday season celebrations…

Multiple mechanisms exist to ensure the safety and efficacy of vaccines in the US. We need to extrapolate what we have learned from years of experience with influenza and apply those learnings to COVID-19 vaccines…