Today’s NewsStand

Today’s NewsStand

By Iowa Hospital Association|
|June 28, 2021

Iowa news

Why we recommend the COVID-19 vaccines: A statement from infectious disease physicians in Iowa

In the US, there have been more than 600,000 deaths because of COVID-19, including more than 6,000 in Iowa. We, as infectious disease physicians, have seen firsthand the health impacts of COVID-19, including patients who have died from lung failure and people who have struggled with the prolonged effects of the disease. Many Iowans have questions about whether the COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Some people believe they may be taking a bigger risk by getting vaccinated than by remaining unprotected from COVID-19. Having questions about any new medical option is understandable and is an opportunity to engage in conversation with a trusted health care provider. (Des Moines Register)

Nebraska hospital to close this week, part of MercyOne system

MercyOne Oakland (Neb.) Medical Center is abruptly closing, largely because of low inpatient and emergency department volumes. Effective Thursday, July 1, MercyOne Oakland will halt inpatient admissions and close its emergency department. Clinics at MercyOne Oakland and its affiliate Lyons (Neb.) Family Medicine will remain open. Hospital leaders are working with state officials and patients to coordinate ongoing care, according to a news release from West Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Stead Family Children’s Hospital expands neonatal medical transport service

A newly expanded neonatal medical transport service is improving access to Iowa’s only Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Since it was established last July, the neonatal medical transport service has successfully completed 193 transports from communities across the state, among them Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Ottumwa and the Quad Cities. UI Stead Family Children’s has one of the highest survival rates in the country for preemies born at 22 weeks, with a 60% survival rate, four times the national average of 15%. (Business Record)

National news

Nearly all US COVID-19 deaths are among unvaccinated

Nearly all US COVID-19 deaths now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. An analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%. And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average. (The Associated Press)

Study finds Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could offer protection for years

The vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that may protect against the coronavirus for years, scientists report. The findings add to growing evidence that most people immunized with the mRNA vaccines may not need boosters if the virus and its variants do not evolve much beyond their current forms — which is not guaranteed. People who recovered from COVID-19 before being vaccinated may not need boosters even if the virus does make a significant transformation. (The New York Times)

Mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine approach boosts immune response, study finds

A mixed schedule of vaccines where a shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is given four weeks after an AstraZeneca shot will produce better immune responses than giving another dose of AstraZeneca, an Oxford study has found. The study compared mixed two-dose schedules of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, and found that in any combination, they produced high concentrations of antibodies against the coronavirus spike protein. The data provides support for the decision of some European countries that have started offering alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second shot after the vaccine was linked to rare blood clots. (NBC News)

Become a hospital advocate. Sign up for IHA Action Alerts.

Click here