Pfizer Archives

‘We are in a much better place.’ Why experts predict a milder winter for COVID-19

Northeastern experts say promising results from the bivalent booster combined with greater immunity in the general population means the coronavirus may pack less of a seasonal wallop in the coming months.

by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert November 17, 2022

A person wearing medical gloves inserts a needle into a vial of vaccine

Got COVID-19? Wait a few weeks for the updated booster, Northeastern experts say

Newly approved “bivalent” vaccine boosters by Moderna and Pfizer target Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 as well as original COVID-19. Experts say people who have recently been vaccinated against COVID or infected should wait to get the shot.

by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert September 2, 2022

Should I mix and match my COVID-19 booster shot?

The short answer is: The best shot is the one you can get most easily. The longer answer is: It’s a bit more complicated than that. Northeastern’s pharmaceutical experts break it down.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki November 30, 2021

With the COVID-19 vaccine for children near, will parents give it to their kids?

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been tested on children ages 5 to11 and deemed “safe and highly effective,” the company announced amid its ongoing clinical trials for children. The question remains: How to effectively deal with parents’ concerns, say Northeastern health experts.

by Tanner Stening September 27, 2021

Shivam Patel, 13, receives his first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination from nurse Diawna Jenkins as his father, Rajesh Patel, observes from the background at the Cook County Public Health Department on May 13, 2021, in Des Plaines, Ill. AP Photo by Shafkat Anowar

Should kids get a COVID-19 vaccination? Ask them.

While parents generally need to be on board for medical decisions, their children might be just as important—if not more—in deciding to get the COVID-19 vaccine, says Susan Mello, an assistant professor at Northeastern who studies health communication.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki May 21, 2021

Amid a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and widespread vaccine hesitancy, it’s important to maintain confidence in the overall vaccine rollout process, say Brandon Dionne, assistant clinical professor of pharmacy at Northeastern, and Neil Maniar, director of the Master of Public Health program.

How does the COVID-19 vaccine help us reach herd immunity?

On Monday, all adults over the age of 16 became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Amid a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and widespread vaccine hesitancy, it’s important to maintain confidence in the overall vaccine rollout process, say Brandon Dionne, assistant clinical professor of pharmacy at Northeastern, and Neil Maniar, director of the Master of Public Health program.

by Alison Booth and Brilee Weaver April 20, 2021

What does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause mean for all COVID-19 shots?

With distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine temporarily on ice, “we’re putting really all our eggs in the basket of Pfizer and Moderna” to inoculate the millions of people in the U.S. who will become eligible for a shot on April 19, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management. And that’s a risky, if necessary, bet.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki April 13, 2021

Illustration by Hannah Moore/Northeastern University

Why kids hold the key to herd immunity

With COVID-19 vaccine trials underway for children, and Pfizer’s teen trial a success, young people are becoming a more prominent part of the fight against the coronavirus. And, Northeastern experts say, that could prove essential to reaching herd immunity.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki April 1, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Parents are more skeptical about vaccines than those without kids, new study finds

Young moms in particular are hesitant about inoculating themselves and their children, according to new findings by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers. The reluctance could come to a head in the fall if schools mandate vaccinations for in-person learning, a Northeastern faculty expert says.

by Peter Ramjug March 26, 2021

Illustration by Alison Booth/Northeastern University

Vaccinated? It might be safe to see friends, but don’t throw out that mask.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published safety recommendations for vaccinated individuals. Northeastern’s Brandon Dionne, assistant clinical professor in the School of Pharmacy, and Neil Maniar, professor of the practice and director of the Master of Public Health program, explain the main takeaways from the guidelines.

by Emily Arntsen - contributor March 12, 2021

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