Month: January 2021

The U.K. on Monday became the first country in the world to begin administering AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's coronavirus vaccine, following emergency authorization last week. The first vaccine went to 82-year-old dialysis patient Brian Pinker at Oxford University Hospital, according to a statement from NHS England. Pinker said the vaccination brought peace of mind as he looks forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with his wife Shirley in February. "The vaccine means everything to me," Pinker told the BBC. "It’s the only way of getting back to a bit of normal life. This virus is terrible, isn’t it?" Health Secretary Matt Hancock joined other U.K. officials and professors lauding the day's achievement, calling it a "pivotal moment in the campaign against cor...

The following information is related to COVID-19 vaccination distribution in the Central Florida area.This information will be updated as more details are released. ORANGE COUNTY The portal to make an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County has closed. Officials with the Department of Health in Orange County said the capacity for vaccination appointments has been reached. Over 30,000 appointments were scheduled in a 24-hour period.The Department of Health in Orange County will provide an update when more appointments become available. Click here for more information on COVID-19 vaccinations from Orange County officials.MARION COUNTYMarion County residents ages 65 and older will soon be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination. The Department of Health in Mario...

An employee working the Christmas shift at Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center has died after falling ill with COVID-19. The worker was one of at least 43 staff members who tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days, an outbreak possibly linked to staff member who wore an inflatable holiday costume to lift spirits. The staff member who appeared briefly in the emergency department Christmas Day wore an air-powered, holiday-themed costume, according to a hospital executive. KNTV-TV, the San Jose NBC station that first reported the outbreak, reported that the costume was an inflatable Christmas tree. Inflatable costumes are typically battery-powered and use a fan to keep the costume puffed up. But such a fan can also cause virus particles to travel much farther in a room. KNT...

Fear of having to go to the ER during a pandemic may have led kids with asthma to be more careful about regularly using their "controller" inhalers, researchers suspect. But that's likely only one factor in the decline in ER visits. PixelsEffect/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption PixelsEffect/Getty Images Fear of having to go to the ER during a pandemic may have led kids with asthma to be more careful about regularly using their "controller" in...

By Nia Harden and Kasey Cunningham, WRAL reporters On Monday, North Carolina enters 1B, the next phase of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, meaning senior citizens should soon have access to vaccines. The first Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which were administered in the United States in mid-December, were prioritized for healthcare workers and for those who live or work at long-term care facilities. Now, other frontline essential workers and people 75 and older will be able to get the vaccine as well. In a state briefing last week, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said she expects to share more information soon on the updated vaccine rollout plan, which could u...