Double Dose of Debate: Opinions Vary on Timing of COVID Vaccine Shots as Potential 4th Wave Looms (includes Ruanne Barnabas)

by Lisa Stiffler  / March 19, 2021

With COVID-19 vaccines still in limited supply and case counts threatening to resurge, there is a debate over the benefits of giving more people their first shot and waiting a longer time to administer the second dose, or whether to stay the course and prioritize getting both doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine into arms as quickly as possible.

Denouncing racist attacks against the community of the Asian diaspora

Dear DGH community,

We are deeply saddened by the rise in racist, xenophobic attacks against the Asian community over the last year, including this week’s murders of eight people at Asian-owned spas in Atlanta. We are reaching out to amplify the below message from the SPH, and reaffirm our commitment to fight anti-Asian racism. To members of our department who identify as Asian, we stand in solidarity with you and extend our support at this difficult time.

Global Health Minor Nuria Alina Chandra Selected for President’s Medalist Award

From the thousands of undergraduate students at the University of Washington, three are selected each year for the prestigious President’s Medalist Award. 

Global Health Minor student Nuria Alina Chandra was named a medalist for 2019–20, along with Sam Colgan and Natasha Lavides. All three recipients are passionate about their chosen areas of study, and were selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and number of Honors courses. 

Paul Drain Appointed to NIH Study Section for Implementation Science

The National Institutes of Health recently announced new members to serve on the Science of Implementation in Health and Healthcare (SIHH) Study Section, including Paul Drain, Associate Professor at the University of Washington. Drain will serve a four-year term beginning in July 2021.

To be considered for a study section, candidates must be recognized authorities in their field and approved by the Director of the NIH.

2021 Admitted Student Visit Days Events

Graduate students admitted to the UW Department of  Global Health are invited to join department faculty, students and staff in March to learn more about the department's graduate programs, life in Seattle, and becoming a part of the UW global health community. Admitted students interact with DGH faculty, current students, and alumni and discuss their experiences in global health research, learning, service and career paths.

Four Visit Days events are open to DGH current students as well as 2021 admitted students:

New COVID-19 In-Depth Report: Summary of SARS-CoV-2 Novel Variants

At just over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has generated viral variants that differ in their genetic sequence from the strain first detected in December 2019. Evidence is emerging about how these variants differ in their transmission characteristics, associated clinical symptoms, and vaccine efficacy. This document is a brief summary of published evidence about characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants that may impact the public health response, including transmission and response to vaccination.

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