COVID-19 Vaccination Saves Lives! Are you ready?

A few years ago, I had written a health blog regarding the importance of vaccination titled “My Salute to the Power of Vaccination”. It seems like déjàvu as I am writing the same topic, this time focusing on the importance of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though three different COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in the United States, after initial high interest, the rates of vaccinations have flattened or declined throughout the United States including in Onondaga County.

OCHD’s first COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on December 28, 2020, at the War Memorial.

The Onondaga County Health Department (OCHD) started an intense mass vaccination campaign on December 28, 2020. Since then we have given approximately 53,000 first doses of COVID -19 vaccines in the clinics operated by our County Health Department. We have provided vaccine at Oncenter Complex in downtown Syracuse and various community clinics including many in the schools. Additionally, vaccines are available at the NY State Fair location, many pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Because of such a widespread effort, 210,352 residents have received their first doses of COVID -19 vaccines and 150,064 second doses have been given. As of now, 56.0% of Onondaga County residents age 16+ have received at least one dose.

Three vaccines are available in the US at present. Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines and need 2 doses, while Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is a viral vector vaccine and requires only one dose. All three of them are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID -19 disease. The good news is that all three of them are available in our community.

The recent pause by CDC and FDA of the J &J single-dose vaccine has created discomfort among some people. I would like to assure everyone that thorough investigation and swift action should give more confidence regarding the safety of the vaccine because CDC and FDA closely monitor the safety of all three vaccines. What was behind the pause? CDC and FDA put a pause on J&J vaccine on April 13 after learning of very serious but extremely rare side effect of blood clots with low platelet (type of blood cell) in 6 women. For those who experience this side effect, symptoms begin between 6-15 days after getting shot. During the pause, the FDA and CDC did further investigation. Out of more than 8 million doses of J&J vaccine (known as Janssen COVID-19 vaccine), experts found 15 reports of this side effect among women. One of the very important reasons to pause was to make sure the right treatment can be provided to those who have this rare but serious adverse effect. On April 23, the pause was lifted.

As of April 25, 2021, CDC and FDA reported that these adverse events occurred primarily among women between 18-59 years of age. To date, most of these reports have been in adult women younger than 50 years of age; however, there have been reports in men and older women. Based on the data, 7 women were impacted per 1 million people 18-49 years of age. The rate for both women more than 50 years and men is less than 1 per 1 million. In summary, this is a rare event for all women; and for women 50 years and older and men of all ages, this event is even more rare. Based on the available data, it was concluded that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks.

 According to the CDC, anyone who is 18 years of age or older can receive the J&J vaccine, stating “Women aged <50 years can receive any FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. However, they should be aware of the rare risk of TTS (blood clot with low platelets) after receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, and the availability of other FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines (CDC). The highest rates of TTS per vaccine doses administered were identified in women <50 years of age.”

We know that scientists and doctors at CDC and FDA continue to monitor side effects and any adverse effects for all three vaccines currently available in the United States through VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System).

An OCHD pop-up clinic at Tucker Missionary Baptist Church in Syracuse.

Taking a vaccine is a very personal decision. I would like everyone to learn about the facts of COVID -19 vaccines before getting a vaccine.  All three COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in preventing hospitalization and death by 100 %.  One of the most important benefits of getting the vaccine is that you can start participating in many activities and see your close family and friends.

As I am seeing the devastating situations due to COVID-19 in Brazil and India where a lack of resources including oxygen, treatment, and vaccine, and a lack of public health measures like mask-wearing and physical distancing, I would like to remind every resident of our community that the pandemic is still here and we should do everything to control the transmission of infection by creating all the barriers between the virus and us—by mask-wearing, physical distancing, and very important now, VACCINATION!

An OCHD pop-up clinic for seniors at Brighton Towers.

If the majority of our community can get vaccinated, the virus will not be able to find human bodies to spread and thrive. That is how we will end the pandemic, starting with one person and then one community at a time…! We can only defeat the virus if we band together and use all our tools together.

Please make an appointment today to get your vaccination. Registration information for vaccination in Onondaga County can be found here. The CDC also launched a helpful vaccine finder app to search for vaccine availability by zip code. We are also accepting walk-ins during our clinics after scheduled appointments.

As the FDA is looking at data to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 years of age, we will discuss it next week along with myths about vaccination.

Thank you!
Indu Gupta
May 3, 2021

COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Our Lives: A Year in Review!

Indu Gupta, MD, MPH

Indu Gupta, MD, MPH, MA, FACP, Onondaga County Health Commissioner

When I woke up on January 1, 2020, I never thought that we will be facing the global pandemic of our lifetime and I will be leading the public health response in Onondaga County as the Health Commissioner of the Onondaga County Health Department. Though our lives feel so far apart from those who live across the globe and even our next-door neighbors, this pandemic will teach us how intertwined our destinies are. It will take everyone working together in harmony if we want to stop the infection by the new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

The year 2020 was full of contradictions: from misery and isolation, fears of the unknown and impending doom, death and despair, and the loss of jobs and homes, to triumphs of science and research and hope. It has been truly a whirlwind.

We in the Health Department have prepared ourselves by doing public health preparedness drills for several years; however, no one imagined the enormity and wrath of this pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, our public health response has been swift, data-driven, transparent, and measurable. Our multi-pronged approach of case investigation and contact tracing combined with testing was able to flatten the curve throughout the summer. With the opening of the community, we saw a second wave of infections, however, we did not see our hospital system getting overwhelmed due to thoughtful strategic planning of cancellation of elective surgeries and partnership in aggressive testing protocols so we can identify and isolate cases and quarantine their contacts. The goal was, and remains today, to take pre-emptive actions. The County Executive’s leadership in providing all the resources to control transmission of the virus by following science, data, and public health recommendations in Onondaga County is commendable. We discuss data and new evidence and make decisions to serve our community every day. From our report of the first case of COVID 19 infection on March 16, 2020, we have continued to do thorough case investigations and contact tracing with the recent count of more than 35,000 cases and more than 34,000 recovered. To date, we have lost 698 members of our community to the disease. Testing continues to be an important tool, from PCR testing available by lab to County-sponsored widely available antigen testing. We hope for home testing in the near future.

With the approval of the first vaccine, Pfizer, on December 11, 2020, followed by Moderna on December 18, 2020, and recently Janssen/Johnson & Johnson on February 27, 2021, we are at the final leg of our journey.  We continue to see many hiccups in the form of misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, in addition to the recent pause of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of a rare but serious side effect of blood clot and low platelet count known as thrombosis- thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). With the close monitoring of incoming data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VARES), everyone should be reassured regarding decisions made by the FDA and CDC during the approval process of the vaccines. It should boost confidence in all the vaccines available in the United States. As of now, a little over 141 million Americans have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 93 million have been fully vaccinated. These numbers will continue to increase. As of April 22, I am very pleased to report that 200,506 Onondaga County residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. In our Health Department clinics alone, we have vaccinated 52,027 individuals (first doses) and 43,367 individuals (second doses). I got my COVID 19 vaccine, did you get yours?

Interest in getting the COVID-19 vaccine has somewhat declined throughout the U.S., including in our community. New cases continue to emerge. With the 7-day average of 90-100 cases per day, we continue to have high community transmission. Despite these numbers, we continue to see no evidence of viral transmission in our schools. At this time, when we can see the finish line, we should put our full efforts to reach there by following all the public health principles of wearing a mask, keeping a physical distance of 6 feet, staying home when sick, getting tested, and importantly, getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Stay informed and engage others and help us improve the rates of vaccination in our community as all of us did during case investigation and testing efforts. Together we can put this pandemic behind us.

I will discuss COVID 19 vaccines next week. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I would ask you to tell us your thoughts about vaccines by taking this 5-minute survey.

Indu Gupta
April 27, 2021

Onondaga County to Resume Use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Following CDC & FDA Review

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Onondaga County Commissioner of Health, Dr. Indu Gupta, announced today that Onondaga County will resume the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine at Onondaga County clinics in line with recommendations released today by New York State. The availability of the single-dose vaccine will be announced as registration opens for future clinics.

This decision follows a thorough safety review of the J&J vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which announced the lift of the recommended pause on the vaccine yesterday evening.

Dr. Gupta emphasizes the importance of getting the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine and urges residents to take whichever vaccine is available to them first. The J&J vaccine’s known benefits far outweigh any potential risks, which are serious but extremely rare (15 out of the nearly 8 million people who received the J&J vaccine developed a rare blood clot and low platelet syndrome). Dr. Gupta urges anyone with questions about the J&J COVID-19 vaccines to speak with their healthcare provider. The CDC and FDA continue to closely monitor the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines.

Onondaga County is in constant contact with the New York State Department of Health and will continue to update residents on all COVID-related developments.

Health Alert: Sudden Increase in Syphilis Cases in Onondaga County

Onondaga County has seen a sharp rise in syphilis cases so far this year. In the first three months of 2021, Onondaga County has seen 28 cases of syphilis—as many cases as in all of 2020.

Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta stated, “Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is CURABLE with antibiotics if detected early. Syphilis may not cause symptoms initially but will result in very serious illness if left undiagnosed and untreated.” Gupta continued, “While our focus is on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot forget other public health concerns in our community such as this recent rise in syphilis cases. This increase can impact not only individuals, but their partners and their unborn children if pregnant. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of women diagnosed with syphilis.”

Syphilis is spread through direct contact with a syphilis sore (chancre), usually during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Close skin-to-skin contact even with a condom may still result in syphilis since the condom may not fully cover exposed areas. It can also be spread through kissing if there are syphilis sores in the mouth or on the lips. A pregnant woman with syphilis can spread it to her unborn baby, which can cause serious health problems and even death of the baby. If you are pregnant be sure to get tested.

Signs of syphilis can include a painless sore or ulcer in the mouth or genital areas, and generalized illness with fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and rash. More serious signs of syphilis can include meningitis or eye infections.

The only way to know if you have syphilis is to get tested. Testing is recommended for all the following people:

  1. Men who have sex with men outside of a monogamous relationship
  2. People living with HIV
  3. Pregnant women
  4. People who engage in commercial sex work
  5. People who have anonymous sex partners, including through dating apps
  6. People attending sexually transmitted disease clinics
  7. Men less than age 25 who have been incarcerated in the last year

It is important for those with syphilis, and their partners, to be tested and treated immediately to avoid long-term complications. Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed should call their healthcare provider. If you do not have a healthcare provider, the Onondaga County Health Department’s STD Center is offering a syphilis clinic on four Thursdays, April 15, 22, 29, and May 6 from 9am to 3pm. Appointments are required, please call 315.435.3236.

County Executive McMahon & Health Commissioner Gupta Announce Immediate Pause in Use of J&J Vaccine in Onondaga County

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Onondaga County Commissioner of Health, Dr. Indu Gupta today announced a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine immediately at all Onondaga County clinics following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Until further notice, any planned appointments for Johnson & Johnson will instead be offered Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or canceled if no other vaccine is available.

The CDC and FDA issued a statement today recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution and have said that any adverse events related to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine ‘appear to be extremely rare’.

Dr. Gupta urges that anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and develops a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

Onondaga County is in constant contact with NYSDOH and will update residents as more information becomes available.

FREE Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests Available

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. All men and women are at risk for colorectal cancer but it occurs most often in adults over the age of 50. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States.

Early detection saves lives. It usually starts from precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum, which can develop into cancer over time. Sometimes polyps will bleed and a person may notice blood in their stool. Other symptoms of colorectal cancer may include abdominal pain or bloating that doesn’t go away or unexplained weight loss. But it is important to remember that colorectal cancer does not always cause symptoms at first. This is why having screening tests for colorectal cancer on a regular basis is important to find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best. Colorectal cancer can be PREVENTED with regular screening and the removal of pre-cancerous polyps in the colon and/or rectum.

All women and men age 50 and older should be screened for colon cancer. The FIT (fecal immunochemical test) Kit is an at-home stool testing kit that looks for blood in a person’s stool. A colonoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to view the inside of the entire colon to find and remove polyps in the colon or rectum. Talk to your doctor to determine which test is right for you and how often you should be screened.

Free colorectal cancer screening tests are available. The Onondaga County Cancer Services Program (CSP) offers free tests for men and women age 50 and older who do not have health insurance. Take-home fecal tests, such as FIT Kit are an easy and effective way to get screened. If the FIT test comes back abnormal, follow-up with a colonoscopy will be scheduled. Services are available at many healthcare provider sites throughout the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Call 315-435-3653 or visit the CSP website at ongov.net/health/cancerscreening.html to register for your free screening test.

Remember, if you are over 50 years old and do NOT have health insurance, call 315-435-3653 to see if you qualify for free colorectal cancer screening. Early detection of colorectal cancer saves lives. Take care of yourself and schedule your appointment today!

Family Planning Clinic Temporarily Closed

The Onondaga County Family Planning Service Clinic located at 301 Slocum Avenue, Syracuse will be closed again for utility repairs on Monday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 23. Those with appointments will be contacted to reschedule, and patients may be seen at the North Syracuse clinic location at the corner of Taft Road and South Bay Road, which remains open. Call or text 315-325-2010 to schedule or reschedule an appointment.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Oncenter Rescheduled

The Onondaga County Health Department Vaccine Clinic at the Oncenter Convention Center* scheduled for Monday, February 15, 2021 is being rescheduled to Tuesday, February 16.

All individuals who have an appointment at the Oncenter clinic on Monday, February 15 will be rescheduled for Tuesday, February 16; the appointment time will not change. This affects anyone who received their FIRST dose of Moderna vaccine at the Oncenter on Monday, January 18. Everyone affected will receive an email notification of the new date.

*PLEASE NOTE: The COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic scheduled at AME Zion Church on Monday, February 15 will take place from 10am to 1pm.