MA Science Policy Network

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to get an emergency use authorization by the FDA to protect against SARS CoV-2. The goal of this post is to provide accurate information based on the currently available data. DM or comment with any questions you’d like to see answered in future posts.

https://apnews.com

Hey ! This is it! It’s Election Day in America, and it’s time to hit the polls if you haven’t voted already.

Polls will be open from a minimum of 7AM-8PM statewide. You may drop a ballot off at a designated drop box until 8PM tonight for a mail-in ballot to be counted in the 11/3 General Election.

Need some information before you head to the polls? Check out our link in bio to find the following and more:

Want to check your voter registration? Go to www.RegisterToVoteMA.com

Don’t know where your polling location is? Go to www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com

Not sure what’s on the ballot? Consult our voter toolkit in English and Spanish if you vote in Worcester or check out ballotpedia.org, ballotready.org, and/or vote411.org for ballot information.

Need to double-check voter ID laws in Massachusetts? Check out infographics from and .

Polls will be open 7am-8pm statewide on Election Day.

You can vote at your polling place if:
-You haven't already voted OR
-Your ballot hasn't reached your local election office yet OR
-Your ballot was rejected.

TrackMyBallotMA.com - link in our bio!

Planning on voting in-person tomorrow? It can be a little overwhelming to keep track of everything you might need when going to your local polling station to vote in an election.

We made this simple checklist to help tie together any loose ends before you hit the polls tomorrow! This list is not exhaustive, and we left a few empty rows in case you think of something else you might need to do before voting (ex: clocking out of work, sorting out childcare if needed while you’re away, helping a loved one who needs assistance to get to the polls themselves, etc.)

Check out our and 11/3 Election highlights to find multiple voter information resources in addition to our own. Many of the resources listed in the post are at the link in our bio as well!

Due to USPS delays, it is recommended that voters drop off their ballots for local election offices to receive their mail-in ballots on time for the 11/6 deadline that has been set for the 2020 Massachusetts General Election. Find your local election office drop box location at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/ev-find-my-election-office.htm - additional drop box locations can usually be found on city and town government websites.

If you are a Worcester voter, you may drop off your mail-in ballot at any of the following locations in Worcester for the 11/3 General Election:

Worcester City Hall
455 Main Street, Worcester MA 01608
City Hall Garage Entrance and 1st Floor Back of the Common Entrance

Worcester Fire Stations
Burncoat Street, 19 Burncoat Street, Worcester
Franklin Street, 266 Franklin Street, Worcester
Greendale, 438 West Boylston Street, Worcester
Grove Street, (Headquarters) 141 Grove Street, Worcester
McKeon Road, 80 McKeon Road, Worcester
Park Avenue, 424 Park Avenue, Worcester
South Division, 180 Southbridge Street
Southeast Station, 745 Grafton Street
Tatnuck Square, 1067 Pleasant Street
Webster Square, 40 Webster Street

Debugging the Flu Vaccine (Pt 2)

Why is the flu vaccine different every year?
Flu viruses mutate, or experience changes in their DNA, to attempt to evade our immune systems. This makes it impossible to create and use a single vaccine against the flu.
Twice per year, patient data is sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers where three or four viruses that are predicted to be highly infectious during are used to create the vaccine.
How effective is the flu vaccine?
New vaccines are made annually, so vaccine effectiveness also changes. The average range of effectiveness is 40-60%.

What other components are used to make the vaccine besides the virus?
Vaccines require additional components to ensure proper production and safety of the vaccine. These are common products that are found in the body or in materials that we consume regularly. These include:
* Preservatives that prevent contamination (found in certain types of fish)
* Adjuvants to improve the body's immune response to the vaccine (aluminum salts found in drinking water, baby formula, and antacids)
* Stabilizers to maintain the effectiveness of the vaccine (sugars + gelatin found commonly in foods)
* Residual cell culture materials used to create the vaccine (chicken egg materials)
* Low levels of residual ingredients to inactivate viruses or toxins during vaccine creation (found naturally in the body)
* Residual antibiotics to prevent contamination during the making of the vaccine (typically used for bacterial infections and use types that aren't common allergens)

Why is it particularly important to get a flu vaccine in 2020
It is more important than ever that people be protected against the flu during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two key reasons why:
* Research has shown that patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza experience more severe symptoms than SARS-CoV-2 alone.
* If there is a high number of people who become severely infected with influenza and require hospitalization, shortages of beds and materials can be made worse. This then directly impacts the available care for patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms who require hospitalization.

Three more opportunities to vote early in person - today, Thursday and Friday at Worcester State University 9AM-7PM (5PM on Friday).

Polls open on Election Day from 7AM-8PM. Voters may report any issues on Election Day to (508) 799-1134. Polling locations: worcesterma.gov/elections/voter-assistance/where-do-i-vote

Mail in drop boxes available at all Worcester Fire Department stations and City Hall.

ATTN: If you became an American citizen after the voter registration deadline on October 24th in Massachusetts, you may still register to vote in person until 4 PM on Monday, November 2nd at your local election office.

Find your local election office for your city or town at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/ev-find-my-election-office.htm and call to make arrangements to register in-person if you’d like to vote on Tuesday, November 3rd in the 2020 General Election!

Wednesday, October 28th is the last day a mail-in ballot request can be made to vote in the 11/3 Massachusetts General Election. Requests made after today cannot be accepted. Submit an online application for a mail-in ballot at www.MailMyBallotMA.com - link in bio!

You may drop a ballot off by hand at ballot drop box locations at 12 Worcester Fire Stations or City Hall until 11/3. You may also drop off mail-in ballots at early voting polling locations during early voting hours through Friday, October 30th. Alternatively, you may vote early in-person during voting hours at designated locations throughout Worcester if you are a city resident through Friday, October 30th. More information about Worcester early voting and ballot drop boxes can be found at https://gis.worcesterma.gov/EarlyVoting/ and early voting poll locations can be found for all MA cities and towns at www.MassEarlyVote.com - links in our bio!

Already dropped off or mailed a ballot and want to know where it is? Track it at www.TrackMyBallotMA.com - link in our bio!

Our friends at Boston University Science and Technology in Public Policy (BU STEP UP) are hosting a panel discussion TODAY at 5:30-6:30 PM to chat about the answers we’ve received for 2020 MA Science Debate from candidates running for federal office in MA during the 2020 Election.

The event will feature a 30-minute panel discussion and a following 30-minute breakout session to further discuss what candidates running for office in our state think about science and science policy. MASPN members will also be present as panelists and discussion facilitators for the evening!

Panelists
Jennifer Grodsky, Federal Relations at Boston University
Margaret Magaletta,
Daniel Pomeroy, Scientific Citizenship Initiative at Harvard Medical School

Interested? RSVP for the Zoom link at https://tinyurl.com/Oct20Science - link in our bio!

Haven’t had a chance to read the answers from MA federal candidates to our non-partisan science and healthcare policy questionnaire? They’re available to read anytime on the Science Debate website at https://sciencedebate.org/2020-MA.html - link in our bio!

Didn’t update your voter registration to reflect your new address? You can still vote in the 11/3 General Election if you 1. Moved within the same city/town OR 2. Moved to a new city/town in the last 6 months.

Check your voter registration to see which address you’re registered at and what polling location you can vote at today! Early voting poll locations are open through Friday, October 30th. Check your voter registration at www. RegisterToVoteMA.com. Find early voting poll locations at www.EarlyVoteMA.com or your 11/3 poll location at www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com - links in our bio!