Heads Of Pfizer, Moderna Disagree On Who Needs A Fourth Shot

Bloomberg: Do I Need A 4th Covid Shot? Pfizer, Moderna Executives Split Over The Need
Top executives at two of the biggest Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers are split over how necessary a fourth dose is for most of the world’s population. Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in a CBS interview on Sunday that protection from three shots will wane and a fourth dose is needed “right now”. Then, in an interview, Moderna Inc. President Stephen Hoge said a second booster is probably only necessary for older people or those who are immunocompromised, with the rest of the public able to be more selective about receiving the shot, Business Insider reported Monday. (Matsuyama, 3/15)

Axios: Moderna President: 4th Vaccine Dose Only Necessary For Certain Groups
A fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely only be necessary for elderly and immunocompromised people but not for the general public, Moderna president Stephen Hoge told Business Insider on Monday. His words are in contrast to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla's comments on Sunday, who said that fourth doses will be necessary in order to maintain manageable levels of hospitalizations and mild infections. (Saric, 3/14)

And more on the vaccine rollout —

The New York Times: A Florida Public Health Official, Suspended After Promoting Vaccination To His Staff, Has Been Reinstated.
The Florida Department of Health has allowed its top public health official in Orlando to return to work, two months after the official was placed on administrative leave for sending an email to employees urging them to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The official — Dr. Raul Pino, the health administrator for Orange County — was reinstated on March 11, after a review of “compliance issues with department policy,” Jeremy T. Redfern, a spokesman for the department, said in a statement on Monday. (Mazzei, 3/15)

NPR: The Goal: Vaccinate 70% Of The World Against COVID. Scientists Are Proposing A Reboot
"We seem to have lost perspective as to what the major goal of vaccines is and where they are going to yield the greatest public health benefit," says Shabir Madhi, a prominent vaccine researcher at South Africa's University of Witwatersrand. Specifically, Madhi argues that governments in countries that still have low vaccination rates should shift their attention to vaccinating those who are most vulnerable to severe disease from the coronavirus. That means people age 50 and above or those with health conditions that put them at particular risk. The aim, says Madhi, should be to get 90% or more of people in this category vaccinated. (Aizenman, 3/14)

Los Angeles Times: The Wellness Community’s Fight Over COVID Vaccine Misinformation
The vaccination selfie, showing a gloved hand holding a needle and a smiling face hidden behind a mask, looked like thousands of others posted to Instagram as the COVID-19 vaccine rolled out across the U.S. But the comments it drew did not. Sell out puppet, sneered one user in response to Dr. Michael Greger’s photo. Burning your book tonight in my fire pit, said a second. Another simply wrote: 👎💔💩. Greger is a prominent advocate for a plant-based diet, with a devoted following among people who believe food is the best medicine. But his statement on vaccines — that sometimes, medicine is the best medicine — put him directly at odds with many of his fans, and thrust him into the ugly, conspiratorial fight over vaccination roiling the online worlds of wellness and nutrition. (Nelson, 3/14)

And in updates on vaccination mandates —

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Nursing Homes, Despite Low Vaccination Rate, Comply With Mandate
March 15 is the federal government's final deadline for all Ohio nursing home staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And Ohio is doing just fine, said the head of the state's largest long-term care association. "They're in pretty decent shape as far as compliance," said Pete Van Runkle, who oversees the Ohio Health Care Association. "I would call it a tragedy averted." After fears a vaccine mandate would exacerbate staffing shortages at many nursing facilities, it may not be the case. That may seem a surprise to many, given Ohio ranks near the bottom in the nation for vaccination rate of workers. At the end of February, with 88% of facilities reporting, only three-quarters of the workforce was fully vaccinated, according to federal data. Only Oklahoma fared worse. (Wu, 3/14)

The New York Times: New York’s Vaccine Mandates Saved Lives, Departing Health Boss Says
Five months into the pandemic, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi took on the greatest challenge of his career: helping to guide New York City in its fight against the coronavirus as the new health commissioner. He quickly became the face of the city’s efforts, joining Mayor Bill de Blasio at his daily Covid-19 briefings and appearing in television ads encouraging New Yorkers to wear masks and get tested. (Fitzsimmons, 3/14)

The Washington Post: ‘People’s Convoy’ Drives Through D.C. After Permit For Organized Demonstration Downtown Partially Denied
Police blocked interstate exits into downtown Washington as hundreds of trucks, cars and SUVs protesting the government’s response to the pandemic rode into the nation’s capital to start a second week of demonstrations. Members of the “People’s Convoy” and thousands of other motorists encountered severe backups Monday afternoon, when highway traffic that already was heavy only worsened with the convoy’s arrival. The convoy entered the city via the 14th Street Bridge on Interstate 395 amid a near-standstill, then continued to Interstate 695 before crossing the Anacostia River and returning to the Beltway. (Silverman, Elwood and Duncan, 3/14)

AP: Nets Fined $50K For Letting Kyrie Irving Enter Locker Room 
The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $50,000 on Monday for letting Kyrie Irving into their locker room during a game in which he was unable to play because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. Irving was a spectator at Barclays Center on Sunday, sitting across from the Nets bench for Brooklyn’s 110-107 victory over the New York Knicks. There is no longer a mandate that fans be vaccinated to enter the arena, but there is still one requiring it for someone who works there. (3/15)