As Vaccination Efforts Slow, Over 5 Million Americans Skip Second Shot
The New York Times reports on how millions of people seem to be skipping their second Pfizer or Moderna covid shot, which is needed for full effectiveness of the vaccine. Bloomberg reports on how the end of the mass vaccination effort may be approaching fast.
Axios:
Some Americans Are Skipping Their Second Coronavirus Vaccine Shots
Over 5 million Americans have missed their second shots of the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer or Moderna, the New York Times reports, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccine effectiveness of partial immunization from Pfizer or Moderna — more than 14 days after the first dose, but before the second dose — was 80% in a recent CDC study of health care workers. But receiving just one shot "triggers a weaker immune response and may leave recipients more susceptible to dangerous virus variants," the Times notes. (Rummier, 4/25)
CNN:
US Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts May Start To Slow Now, Official Says. Here's Why
Covid-19 vaccination efforts may begin to slow down as more Americans get vaccinated, one US official told CNN on Sunday. More than 42% of the United States population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roughly 28.5% of the population is fully vaccinated. "We're going continue to make progress, it might not be as fast as the first 50% (of the population vaccinated), I think that it's going to be slower. But I think we're going to continue to get there," Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for Covid-19 response, said. (Maxouris, 4/26)
Bloomberg:
The End of U.S. Mass Vaccination Is Coming Sooner Than Later
After three months of vaccination across the U.S., a majority of American adults have gotten shots, and the effort will soon shift from mass inoculation to mop-up. As of Saturday, 138.6 million people in the U.S. have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. About 1.3 million more are getting a first dose every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the rate of new vaccinators is declining, even if it were immediately cut in half, it would mean that six weeks from now more than half of the population of the U.S. and its territories will have had a dose. (Armstrong, 4/25)
NBC News:
Even After Being Fully Vaccinated, Many Still Wrestle With A Fear Of Catching Covid
Since the start of the pandemic, Kit Breshears has been terrified of catching the coronavirus. Getting vaccinated did not magically change that. For the past 13 months, Breshears, 44, of Buffalo, Minnesota, has not stepped foot inside a store or restaurant, not even to pick up a takeout meal. Any visits with family and friends have been over Zoom. When he received his second Covid-19 shot earlier this month, he felt relief, he said — but with the pandemic still ongoing, he has found it impossible to turn off his anxiety. (Chuck, 4/25)
In other news about the vaccine rollout —
The Boston Globe:
Sanofi Signs Deal To Help Make Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine In The US
The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Monday it will help manufacture up to 200 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine starting in September. Sanofi, one of the world’s biggest vaccine makers, has signed a deal with Cambridge-based Moderna to provide “fill-finish” services, the final stage of the production process, at Sanofi’s plant in Ridgefield, N.J. Moderna makes some of its messenger RNA vaccine at a sprawling factory in Norwood for its US market. It also has an agreement with a Swiss contract manufacturing partner, Lonza Group, which makes the vaccine at a plant in Portsmouth, N.H. (Saltzman, 4/26)
NPR:
Study: Pfizer And Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Appear Safe For Pregnant People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "recommends that pregnant people receive the COVID-19 vaccine," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday, citing a new study on the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. Early clinical trials of the two-dose shots did not include pregnant individuals, limiting data and creating a sense of uncertainty for many. COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech appear to be safe for people who are pregnant, according to new research from the CDC. (Treisman, 4/23)
CNN:
Navajo Nation Vaccinates More Than Half Of Its Adult Population, Outpacing US National Rate
As Covid-19 vaccinations have become more widely available across the US, the Navajo Nation has reported more than half of its adult members have been vaccinated, outpacing the vaccination rate for the rest of the US. The US' rate is currently 36.5%, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Silverman, 4/26)
New Hampshire Union Leader:
SNHU To Require COVID-19 Vaccination For Students To Return On Campus
Southern New Hampshire University joins a list of colleges across the nation requiring students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination to return to campus in the fall. In a “vaccination update” posted on its website, the college said students will need to provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19, or proof of medical or religious exemption to attend classes on its campus for the fall 2021 semester. (Phelps, 4/25)
