Coronavirus vaccine news, updates and information for 6-23-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 23rd, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital system who refused the vaccine have been fired or have resigned. This after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by an employee against the system about their vaccine requirement. The judge said any claims that the vaccines are experimental or dangerous are false.</p><p><br></p><p>The Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services reports that deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared 32% last year. About 40% of Medicare recipients in nursing homes had or likely had COVID-19 in 2020. A Harvard health policy professor said, “We knew this was going to be bad, but I don't think even those of us who work in this area thought it was going to be this bad.”&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Canada will start relaxing its quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated U.S. residents July 5. Those regulations have been in place for 15 months. But it’s still only for authorized travel. Nonessential travel is still prohibited even though the northern US has a partial vaccination rate over 70% — similar to Canada’s, and Canada’s vaccination program is much slower than the United States’.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Researchers in England are trying to find out if the flu shot and a Covid vaccine can be given at the same time. If so, that could save resources for healthcare providers and make things more convenient for consumers. Flu cases were basically non-existent last winter but it’s assumed with restrictions being lifted, a resurgence of flu viruses can be expected.</p><p><br></p><p>We’ve heard about various groups who are most reluctant to get vaccinated but one group leads the way in vaccine acceptance. Doctors. A survey by the American Medical Association shows 96% of practicing physicians have been fully vaccinated. And of the 4% who aren’t yet, only 1.8% plan on never getting the vaccine.</p><p><br></p><p>In the United States cases were down 21%, deaths are