By Candice ChoiAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP)  How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last? Experts don’t know yet because they’re still studying vaccinated people to see when protection might wear off. How well the vaccines work against emerging variants will also determine if, when and how often additional shots might be needed. “We only […]

I got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Now what? Don’t panic. U.S. health officials on Tuesday recommended pausing vaccinations with J&J’s shot as they look into reports of six clots out of nearly 7 million doses given in the country. Health officials say to be vigilant, but to remember that reports of blood clots […]

Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others? It’s hard to tell since they weren’t directly compared in studies. But experts say the vaccines are alike on what matters most: preventing hospitalizations and deaths. “Luckily, all these vaccines look like they’re protecting us from severe disease,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi of the University of California, […]

The coronavirus caused approximately 375,000 deaths, and was the third leading cause of death in 2020, after heart disease and cancer. COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now top 550,000 since the start of the pandemic.COVID-19 displaced suicide as one of the top 10 causes of death, according to the report from the Centers for Disease […]

Don’t take them before a shot to try to prevent symptoms, but if your doctor agrees, it’s OK to use them afterward if needed. The concern about painkillers is that they might curb the very immune system response that a vaccine aims to spur. Vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking it has a […]

BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union’s executive body on Wednesday proposed the introduction of coronavirus passes to let its 450 million residents travel freely across the 27-nation bloc by the summer. The plan, which will be discussed next week during a summit of EU leaders, foresees the creation of vaccine certificates aimed at facilitating travel from […]

WASHINGTON (AP) In a solid start, more than 200,000 people signed up for coverage the first two weeks after President Joe Biden reopened HealthCare.gov as part of his coronavirus response, the government said Wednesday. Early consumer interest in the three-month special enrollment period shows pent-up demand for health insurance a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

NEW YORK (AP) A public service ad campaign unveiled Thursday aims to convince Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, telling them “It’s Up to You.” The campaign by the Ad Council and its partners is focused on those who may be hesitant to get the shots. One print ad reads: “Getting back to hugs starts […]

As cases of COVID-19 are trending downward in our community, Rochester Regional Health is welcoming visitors back to their hospitals seven days a week. It is because the community and teams continue to follow safety guidelines that there was been a decrease in infections. RRH reminds the public to please continue to wear your mask, […]

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  New and limited data released Wednesday from the Connecticut Department of Public Health suggests there are racial disparities in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in the state, mirroring what’s been happening in other states where Black populations lag far behind white populations in getting the shot. As of Feb. 3, nearly […]