Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rare Blood Disorder Could Be Linked To Covid Vaccine
The New York Times: A Few Covid Vaccine Recipients Developed A Rare Blood Disorder
One day after receiving her first dose of Moderna’s Covid vaccine, Luz Legaspi, 72, woke up with bruises on her arms and legs, and blisters that bled inside her mouth. She was hospitalized in New York City that day, Jan. 19, with a severe case of immune thrombocytopenia — a lack of platelets, a blood component essential for clotting. The same condition led to the death in January of Dr. Gregory Michael, 56, an obstetrician in Miami Beach whose symptoms appeared three days after he received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Treatments failed to restore his platelets, and after two weeks in the hospital he died from a brain hemorrhage. It is not known whether this blood disorder is related to the Covid vaccines. (Grady, 2/8)
Fox 8: Northeast Ohio School District Cancels Class Over COVID-19 Vaccine Reactions
Two days after employees were given their first round of COVID-19 vaccinations, the Fairless Local School District canceled classes, attributing it to many developing side effects and becoming ill. (Nethers, 2/8)
In other news about side effects and the spread of misinformation —
NPR: Facebook Widens Ban On COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation In Push To Boost Confidence
Facebook is expanding its ban on vaccine misinformation and highlighting official information about how and where to get COVID-19 vaccines as governments race to get more people vaccinated. "Health officials and health authorities are in the early stages of trying to vaccinate the world against COVID-19, and experts agree that rolling this out successfully is going to be helping build confidence in vaccines," said Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook's head of health. Social media platforms including Facebook have played a big role in the spread of false claims, hoaxes and conspiracy theories about the pandemic over the last year, despite efforts by tech companies to clamp down on harmful content and promote authoritative sources. (Bond, 2/8)
News Channel 5: Doctors Say Some Are Opting Out Of Second Vaccine Dose In Fear Of Side Effects
Dr. Aaron Milstone of Williamson County Medical Center says some of his patients are reluctant to get the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, having heard of potential side effects.While most side effects for the second dose range from fever to chills and muscle soreness, Dr. Milstone says misinformation has been shared across social media to make these side effects appear much worse. (Ismail, 2/8)
