Category: News

PRIORITY TO Seniors, lONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS AND THOSE AT RISK of severe COVID-19  DOVER (SEPT. 24, 2021) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) today announced that the state’s vaccine providers can begin administering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to certain populations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally voted to expand the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to allow for a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be administered for certain populations six months after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Boosters are Read More …

Dover (Aug. 3, 2020) – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) are providing updates to Delaware’s COVID-19 testing program. COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe disease and death from variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 currently circulating in the United States, including the Delta variant. Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant. When these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild. With COVID-19 cases increasing in the state and nation, and the majority of Read More …

U.S. scientists said Wednesday that there was a “likely association” between mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and an elevated risk of heart issues in adolescents and young adults, the strongest statement yet on the link between the two. Younger groups, particularly men under 30, have higher rates of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart) following vaccination with the shots from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. Most cases have occurred soon after the second shot of the two-dose regimens. Read more

Will the speed of COVID-19 vaccine development reset industry norms?  New drugs and vaccines typically take several years to hit the market. In fact, the average time to develop a drug or vaccine has been eight to ten years — until recently. In a new analysis, McKinsey reviews what it took to shorten that timeline to less than a year. It examines the funding, operational, technological, and regulatory factors that allowed for fast development of Covid-19 vaccines, revealing which variables will remain relevant for future efforts — and which won’t.

The report presents an overview of the current state of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. and offers members of Congress ways to help ensure our country is stronger and more resilient in the face of emerging health threats.  Read more

DOVER (Jan. 28, 2021) – Today, the Division of Public Health (DPH) announced an updated approach to administering second doses in response to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC announced Friday that an interval of 42 days between doses is acceptable, if adhering to the 21-day (Pfizer) and 28-day (Moderna) intervals is not possible. Given extremely limited vaccine supply, DPH is recommending to vaccine partners that they schedule second doses between 28 and 35 days after the first dose is administered. This policy will enable the state to continue administering first doses to the vulnerable Read More …