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Baker releases new details on vaccination timeline, locations for Mass. residents

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker detailed on Monday plans to have 103 public vaccination sites open by the end of the week. Suzanne Salamon, MD (Geriatric Medicine, BIDMC) has been taking a lot of calls from patients who are curious about how and when they can get the vaccine and said the public vaccination sites will be a tremendous boost for people who live in independent housing and have been confined in their houses or their apartments.

Mass. working to educate prisoners about getting the coronavirus vaccine

1,400 prisoners in Massachusetts have gotten the coronavirus vaccine, and officials are holding vaccine education programs to encourage more to do the same. Kathryn Stephenson, MD, MPH (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) is among those working on getting more information to prisoners to address their concerns.

On the verge of delivering a one-shot vaccine, researcher worries about a changing virus

Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded globally, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate, and new virus strains.

US officials express concern over possible shortage of COVID-19 vaccine

President Biden’s goal of 100 million shots in 100 days may be hindered by the lack of vaccine doses. Public health officials are eagerly awaiting late-stage trial results for the one-dose vaccine candidate developed by Johnson & Johnson in collaboration with BIDMC.

Experts welcome announcement that Moderna vaccine works on coronavirus variants, but concerns remain

Experts welcomed Moderna’s announcement that the company’s vaccine would protect people against variants of the virus that recently emerged in Britain and South Africa but concerns about the vaccine being less effective against the South Africa variant remain. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) was more cautious in his assessment of the announcement from Moderna and noted it’s premature to read too much into the study.

What you need to know about coronavirus on Friday, January 25

Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) spoke with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta for CNN’s Coronavirus Fact vs. Fiction podcast about how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from other COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available, and how soon it could reach Americans.

A different kind of race: Boston marathon director helps organize mass vaccination sites

Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray, who owns DMSE sports, has been tapped to be the overall operations manager for the state's mass vaccination sites at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park. DMSE Sports is working with the Baker administration, BIDMC, and others to make the mass vaccination sites a reality.

Massachusetts on Tuesday designated Fenway Park as the next COVID-19 mass vaccination site. CIC Health will operate the site, with BIDMC as the medical director.

Fenway Park Named As Next COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Site

As the first anniversary of Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) approaches, Harvard Medicine News spoke with the co-leads of its vaccine working group, Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) about the striking accomplishments in COVID-19 vaccine development, what we’ve learned so far, and what lies ahead.

COVID-19 vaccine experts talk lessons learned, challenges ahead

Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) noted how hospital visits for heart attacks and other cardiac conditions declined markedly during the pandemic, fueling physicians’ concerns that people with acute conditions may be staying at home due to fear of exposure to COVID-19.

First wave of COVID-19 linked to spike in cardiovascular deaths

Elon Musk’s foundation gives $5M to Beth Israel Lahey Health’s Barouch, Ragon Institute

Boston Business Journal - Elon Musk's...

A Beth Israel researcher helped create a COVID-19 vaccine that awaits approval. It could be a ‘game changer’

Within a week or two, researchers expect to...

More than a dozen sites were illuminated in Boston Tuesday evening in solidarity with cities across the nation memorializing the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. BIDMC is amongst the hospitals and universities in the Longwood Medical Area that participated by illuminating their buildings in an amber hue.

Sites, hospitals and universities are participating in the COVID-19 Memorial -- the national moment of unity and remembrance hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee -- by lighting up their buildings

In this CNN article in Spanish, Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine developed in partnership with BIDMC is expected to be the seventh coronavirus vaccine approved in the world. (Spanish Translation: La vacuna contra el coronavirus de Johnson & Johnson en alianza con BIDMC está a punto de convertirse en la séptima en ser aprobada en el mundo.)

Vacuna de Johnson & Johnson contra el coronavirus: lo que sabemos de su fabricación, estudios clínicos y ventajas

A gene-editing technique that modifies messenger RNA (mRNA) to induce an immune response was used for the two COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed in the U.S. and could revolutionize the creation of future vaccines and medical therapies. Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH (President & CEO, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC) said people have recognized the possible utility of mRNA for years, but COVID rapidly advanced this research.

New mRNA Technique Used on COVID-19 Vaccine May Lead to Flu, HIV Vaccinations

At least three members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus even after receiving their first dose of the vaccine prior to their exposure to the virus. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC) noted that the first shot of the vaccine confers some protection, but overall, the proven protection is after the second shot.

Members of Congress got the coronavirus even though they’d been vaccinated. Experts explain how that happened

While acute cardiovascular problems have gone down during the pandemic, deaths from cardiovascular disease went up in some regions across the U.S. Rishi Wadhera, MD (Cardiology, BIDMC) shared how there are likely several reasons to this, the first, and most concerning, is that patients with cardiovascular conditions avoided seeking care at hospitals due to fear of contracting the virus.

Why deaths from cardiovascular disease have risen during the pandemic

Johnson & Johnson expects to release critical results from its COVID-19 vaccine trial in two weeks but most likely won’t be able to provide as many doses as expected this spring due to unanticipated manufacturing delays. Dan Barouch, MD, PhD (Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, BIDMC), referenced how simpler logistics behind the vaccination campaigns result in a more successful program.

Johnson & Johnson Expects Vaccine Results Soon but Lags in Production

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its eleventh month, health care experts are still concerned about patients putting off doctor visits. Researchers at BIDMC found heart disease deaths increased by 11%, and deaths related to high blood pressure increased by 17% after the onset of the pandemic, compared to the previous year.

Health care experts worry about patients putting off doctor visits during pandemic

The data on whether pregnant women should get a coronavirus vaccine is limited. To gather more data, hospitals in Boston have launched a pregnancy registry, including BIDMC.

Should pregnant women get a coronavirus vaccine?