Schaffner Report: COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
Recent news headlines about COVID-19 vaccines have been focused on concerns about safety and effectiveness. Public health authorities in the US and Europe are reviewing reports of a rare blood clotting disorder among some vaccine recipients, as well as rare reports of breakthrough illnesses in fully vaccinated individuals. In this episode of the Schaffner Report, NFID Medical Director William Schaffner, MD, talks with NFID Executive Director and CEO Marla Dalton about the significance of these reports and the implications for COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the US …
Effective Communications: The “Secret Sauce” for COVID-19 Vaccination
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 …
ID News Round-Up: #COVID-19 Vaccination
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 …
Black History Month: Vaccine Voices for COVID-19 Vaccine Choices
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 …
Schaffner Report: COVID-19 Vaccines, Reinfection, and Masks
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 …
The Urgent Need to Build Vaccine Confidence among US Black Adults
Only 49 percent of US Black adults plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and 54 percent have received or plan to get an influenza (flu) vaccine during the 2020-2021 flu season. These findings were among the results of a new survey of US Black adults conducted by NFID to better understand beliefs about COVID-19 and flu, as well as attitudes and practices around vaccination …
Promoting Health Equity During COVID-19
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 …
ID News Round-Up: #COVID-19
Only one year after the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged, the US has begun a national COVID-19 vaccination program …
Schaffner Report: Spread Joy, Not Germs This Holiday Season
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…
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: Lessons Learned From Influenza
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…
Tips for Staying Safe This Halloween
As if Halloween weren’t scary enough, respiratory viruses can also haunt trick-or-treating traditions. Although some Halloween activities may increase the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 or influenza (flu), there are things you can do to help protect yourself and your family while still having fun…
Safe Voting Tips: Stop the Spread of COVID-19 and Flu
The 2020 elections bring a new set of challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Large crowds and longer wait times for in-person voting can increase the risk of spreading respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 and influenza (flu). But there are steps you can take to protect yourself and others…