Fauci says the U.S. should maintain the current 21- and 28-day vaccine intervals for Pfizer, Moderna
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the United States should follow the data that shows optimal results, reinforcing the Pfizer vaccine at 21 days and Moderna at 28 days, despite AstraZeneca’s studies on prolonging the interval.
GREENVILLE, SC – An extraordinary woman from South Carolina managed to survive two pandemics in her life: Meet Maria Aulenbacher, 111.
Aulenbacher is the oldest resident in Greenville and recently made headlines after receiving her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, along with her 77-year-old daughter Birgit Dickerson and her son-in-law.
The centenary not only lived long enough to see the world consumed by the pandemic COVID-19 – she also lived through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, which killed about 50 million people throughout 1918 and 1919.
“I am very happy to have this opportunity to help keep my health and everyone around me healthy,” Aulenbacher told Prisma Health, which administered its vaccine in late January, according to a press release. “I can’t wait until I can hug my great-grandchild again. I look forward to our family being safe and together. I missed hugging my great-grandchild, Alex.”
Maria Aulenbacher giving a positive sign after receiving her first vaccine COVID-19.
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Aulenbacher was the oldest of six children and lived in Germany until about 10 years ago, when she decided to move to Greenville to be with her daughter, the statement said.
“We feel like we are doing our part,” his daughter told Prisma Health. “This was a very easy process and everyone was wonderful. As a family, we all thought of our health and first-line professionals during the pandemic, our thoughts were with them. We are very grateful to them for everything they have done and sacrifices they made. “
Aulenbacher attributes such a long life to some things: staying active and reading every day (she prefers historical and non-fiction books), a glass of red wine for lunch and a beer for dinner.
Now, Aulenbacher’s family has said she can add the COVID-19 vaccine to her list of how to live longer.
“She just wants to do what she can to move on,” Aulenbacher’s granddaughter Christina Dickerson told Prisma Health. “She knows what it’s like to have a horrible day and feels blessed for all the good days she has. She didn’t hesitate to get the vaccine.”
“Anyone with older and vulnerable family members knows how terrifying the past year has been. It was just horrible. And now we finally have a glimpse of light and we can take steps to get back to some kind of normalcy. We know that we all need to continue to take smart precautions – as well as getting them in their second doses – but really, this just looks like the beginning of a turning point, “said Dickerson.
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Aulenbacher was praised by the medical team at Prisma Health for being a pioneer and serving as an example for those who question the possibility of getting the vaccine.
“This wise woman is setting an example for all of us. I hope everyone will follow her example and roll up her sleeves to get her own vaccines when they are eligible,” Dr. Saria Saccocio, medical director of Prisma Health for outpatient services and co-chair of vaccine task force of the system, said in a press release.
“But let’s all remember that community immunity will take time, especially as we don’t anticipate that vaccines will be widely available for all age groups until the summer,” added Saccocio. “For now, we all need to continue to distance ourselves socially, wear masks and wash our hands frequently. If you are sick, please stay at home and contact your healthcare professionals to find out what the next best steps are. for you.”
Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 have plummeted in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the United States in recent weeks, offering a glimpse of hope that health officials attribute to the start of vaccinations and a relief from the post-natal increase. -holiday and better prevention, among other reasons.
Together with better numbers for the country in general, it is reason for optimism, even if it is too early to declare victory.
So far, a total of 36.8 million people have been vaccinated in the U.S., according to the COVID data tracker at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The weekly count of new deaths remains stubbornly high, with a record 7,042 recorded during the seven-day break that ended on January 14 and only a slight decline since then. In comparison, in the seven days that ended on Thanksgiving Day, 3,181 deaths were recorded. Most encouragingly, the COVID Tracking Project found that only 251 installations reported new outbreaks recently, compared with 1,410 in early January.
The Associated Press and FOX Business contributed to this report.