Science

Pfizer Vaccine Shows Promise for Children from 5 to 11 Years Old, UAB Experts Say

Pfizer released trial results Monday of a COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 that uses one-third the dosage given adults, a move one pediatric expert called a foretaste of developments to come. Pfizer should have the results before the Food and Drug Administration later this month, said Dr. David Kimberlin, professor and co-director of UAB and Children’s of Alabama’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. “(Dr. Anthony) Fauci has said it would be authorized before Halloween,” he added. Pfizer said its study shows “a favorable safety profile and robust neutralizing antibody” for the 5-11 age group.  The study gave Pfizer the results the company wanted to see, Kimberlin said. The study used one-third the adult dosage for children, which was selected for its safety, tolerability and immunogenicity, according to Pfizer. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Alabama’s COVID Death Rate More Than Doubles in Past Week

The Alabama Department of Public Health added 161 deaths to the state's COVID-19 toll on Saturday, doubling the aveage daily count during the past week. Though the death rate continued to grow, the average number of cases of the coronavirus in Alabama was down by 577 a day from a week earlier. There have been 13,209 coronavirus deaths in Alabama since the pandemic began in March 2020. The state has added an average of 86 deaths a day over the past week, compared to the 7-day average of 37 the previous Saturday. There is a delay of up to two weeks in the reporting and verification of deaths by the Health Department. The state has recorded 768,301 cases of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, including 3,462 in Saturday's update. There has been an average of 3,213 new cases a day over the past week, compared to 3,790 for the previous Saturday. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama Unemployment Rate Continued Downward Trend in August

Alabama’s unemployment rate continued to tick downward in August to 3.1%, down from 3.2% in July and 7.1% in August 2020. “Alabama continues our streak of dropping unemployment, getting more of our people back to work and able to provide for their families, and we are seeing our jobs count and wages consistently rise,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a written statement Friday. “Employers in Alabama have jobs to fill, and they’re doing so at a good pace. We’re proud of the progress Alabama is making as we continue to overcome the challenges we faced due to the pandemic. Alabama is working again, and we know our work is not done yet.” The rate hit a pandemic high of 13.2% in April 2020. It was in the 2% range prior to the virus’ arrival in the state and subsequent slowdowns and shutdowns. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

New Cases, Hospitalizations Drop, but COVID Death Rate Grows

The number of deaths from COVID-19 continued to grow while the number of new cases declined again in Friday's daily report by the Alabama Department of Public Health. ADPH reported 192 deaths, sending the state's total for the pandemic to 13,048. Alabama has recorded an average of 63 deaths a day from the coronavirus over the past week. There is a lag in reporting deaths to the state, and it can take as long as two weeks for them to be added to the total. The Health Department added 2,974 cases, bringing the total to 764,839 since the pandemic began in March 2020. There's been an average of 3,360 new cases a day for the last seven days. Last Friday, the 7-day average stood at 3,780. The number of COVID patients in Alabama hospitals stood at 2,223 on Thursday, down from 2,890 at the begining of this month but up from this year's low of 166 patients on June 20. Read more. "> Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID Death Rate Continues to Accelerate in Alabama

Alabama's death rate from COVID-19 continued to climb in Thursday's update by the state Department of Public Health. The agency reported 72 new deaths, raising the toll to 12,856 over the course of the pandemic. ADPH has added an average of 43 deaths per day over the past week. By comparison, the statewide average was 32 a day ago and 20 daily at the end of last month. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Alabama’s COVID Death Toll Still Rising, but New Case Counts and Hospitalizations Trend Down

Though more people are dying in Alabama because of the COVID-19 virus, and particularly its delta variant, there may be signs of hope that the latest surge may be turning for the better. In the periodic BirminghamWatch analysis of the state’s pandemic data, the death toll is increasing at the highest rate seen so far in the summer surge, with the 7-day moving average heading past peaks reached two weeks earlier. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Wednesday on its online dashboard that 66 people died because of the COVID virus in the past day, matching a daily high set on Aug. 28. The 7-day average is now at 42.29 deaths per day, moving past a peak set on Sept. 1 but more than double the 19.57 eight days ago. The fatality reports have seen large swings due in part to the Labor Day holiday period, during which many reporting agencies were closed or operating with skeleton staffs. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama Population Shrinks Under Weight of COVID-19 Deaths

For the first time in the history of Alabama, COVID-19 last year pushed the state’s death rate higher than the birthrate. “The state population is shrinking, and we have never seen that happen before in the history of Alabama,” Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Wednesday. In fact, more people died in Alabama last year than any other year on record. The Alabama Department of Public Health reports that 7,181 people died from COVID-19 last year. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Daily Average of COVID Deaths in Alabama Has Doubled Since the End of August

The seven-day average number of deaths from COVID has more than doubled in Alabama so far this month. The State Department of Public Health reported 40 new deaths in Tuesday’s daily update, bringing the state’s total 12,718 over the course of the pandemic. There was an average of 43 deaths a day over the past week, more than twice the daily average of 20 for the last week of August.  While the number of deaths has risen dramatically in September, the number of cases has shown a significant decline. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Where to Find a COVID-19 Vaccine, Test

Find resources to get a COVID test or vaccine. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama Closing in on 750,000 Cases of COVID-19

Alabama is getting close to having three-quarters of a million Covid cases. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Friday a total of 741,318 cases, including 4,800 new cases. The state averaged 3,780 new cases a day over the past week, which is the lowest average since the Aug. 20 figure of 3,662. There were 53 new deaths reported Friday, bringing the statewide total for the pandemic to 12,605. The seven-day average stood at 30 deaths a day, double the average of 15 posted on Aug. 10. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald