Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Identity Theft Warning: Don't Show Off Your Vaccination Card Or Post It Online
It's easy to see on social media who among your friends and followers has received a COVID-19 vaccine, with people posting photos to celebrate the seeming light at the end of the yearlong coronavirus pandemic. People who post photos of their COVID-19 vaccination cards though, are putting themselves at risk of falling victim to scams, according to a new warning from the Better Business Bureau. (Kindelan, 2/3)
Governments and developers around the world are exploring the potential use of 鈥渧accine passports鈥 as a way of reopening the economy by identifying those protected against the coronavirus. Those developing the technologies however, say such tools come with consequences such as potentially excluding whole groups from social participation, and are urging lawmakers to think seriously about how they are used. (Thomas, 2/4)
After COVID-19 emerged in China in late 2019, the world collectively held its breath in anticipation of a vaccine that would protect against the potentially deadly virus and end the pandemic. But now that several vaccines have arrived, uncertainty and important questions have followed for some. How do you engage in a thoughtful discussion with your family, friends or co-workers about the vaccine? (Anoruo, 2/3)
Also 鈥
A judge has ordered all inmates in the Oregon prison system to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations 鈥 a move that should make prisoners immediately eligible for inoculation. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the preliminary injunction issued Tuesday orders all Oregon Department of Corrections inmates be offered a vaccine as part of phase 1A, group 2, of Oregon鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccination plan 鈥 putting prison inmates in the same category as people living in nursing homes and other congregate care settings. (2/4)
The country鈥檚 passenger railroad is spending $3 million in cash bonuses to encourage workers to get a coronavirus vaccine, an effort to speed protection of its workforce and passengers. Amtrak is joining a growing list of companies offering cash or other incentives to essential workers as distribution of vaccine expands across the country and is hailed as a way to restore normalcy. The railroad鈥檚 goal is to have all of its labor force vaccinated, the company said in a statement. (Lazo, 2/3)
In updates about vaccine side effects 鈥
When a Florida doctor died just weeks after receiving a coronavirus vaccine, his story whipped around the internet and spurred fears that the COVID-19 vaccine might have had something to do with his death. But scientists warn that these isolated cases, while tragic, do not mean the vaccines are to blame. (Widmer, 2/3)
Cases of so-called "COVID arm" are seemingly on the rise, with some experiencing red, swollen skin days after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The American Academy of Dermatology Association has opened a registry for health care providers to report such reactions in their patients in an effort to better understand the "dermatologic manifestations" of the coronavirus vaccine, they said. Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand, a board-certified dermatologist in Texas, told local news station KXAS-TV that the swollen, red patches some may see on their arm days after receiving the vaccine indicate a "mounting immune response." (Farber, 2/3)
People who get the COVID-19 vaccine may notice some soreness in their arm and other side effects, which is normal. The good news is that the symptoms are usually short lived, according to experts in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. There are other things to know after a shot, too, such as when to follow up and what other precautions to take. Here are some answers from Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, an assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Namandj茅 Bumpus, professor and director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences. (Cohn, 2/2)