Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Gets Boosted Again With Fourth Shots Now Open To Older Americans
CBS News: Biden Receives Second Booster Shot And Marks "New Moment" In Pandemic
President Biden on Wednesday said the U.S. has reached a "new moment" in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the U.S. has the tools to protect people and the virus "no longer controls our lives." Mr. Biden, 79, received his second COVID-19 booster shot on camera Wednesday, one day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized a new round of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine doses for Americans over 50. The president, who received his initial booster in September, is one of the 34 million Americans now eligible to receive a second booster shot. (Watson and Jiang, 3/30)
And more on booster shots —
NBC News: Many People Eligible For Second Booster Shot Don't Need To Race, Experts Say
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second Covid-19 booster shot for people ages 50 and older, but several public health experts said younger, healthier members of that group don't necessarily need a fourth shot as soon as they become eligible. "This is one of those where I don’t think anyone needs to race," Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC’s "TODAY" show on Wednesday. "This is one of those things where people should think thoughtfully." (Li, 3/30)
The Baltimore Sun: FDA Authorizes Another COVID Booster Shot But Experts Say Some People Probably Can Safely Wait
Federal regulators said this week they would allow a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for older people and those with medical conditions, leaving the public to decide if and when to get another shot. Even though boosters were recommended, there hasn’t been huge uptake nationally since the first boosters were authorized last fall. That’s a third shot after two Pfizer-BioNTech or Modera doses and a second shot after one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 12 and older. (Cohn, 3/31)
NPR: 2nd Booster For Over 50? Here's How To Decide If You Need One
Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, says he personally plans to sign up for a second booster. "I'm 64 and pretty healthy," he says. "But the evidence is clear that six months out from my first booster shot, the effectiveness of that booster has waned considerably." He says another dose will boost his immunity and decrease the probability of infection. "The benefits are very real," Wachter says. But for people under 60 it's less clear a second booster is necessary. (Godoy, Aubrey and Greenhalgh, 3/30)
Houston Chronicle: Second COVID-19 Booster Shot Now Available For Texans Who Are 50-Plus Or Immunocompromised
Immunocompromised Texans, as well as those 50 and older, can now receive a second COVID-19 booster shot. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the shots on Tuesday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated federal guidance shortly after that. The doses “are available immediately to those eligible,” said Douglas Loveday, a spokesman for Texas’ health department. (Harris, 3/30)
In related news about Native Americans and covid —
KHN: ‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary Of Boosters
When covid-19 vaccines first became available, Native Americans acted swiftly and with determination to get their shots — as though they had everything to lose. Covid hospitalization and death rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives had skyrocketed past those of non-Hispanic whites. Leveraging established systems like the Indian Health Service and tribal organizations, Native Americans urgently administered vaccines. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed they achieved the highest vaccination rates of any race or ethnicity. (Pradhan, 3/31)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital COVID-19 Mortality Rates Double For Native Americans
American Indian and Alaska Native populations experienced in-hospital COVID-19 mortality rates two to three times higher than all other races, as well as some of the top COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality rates in the U.S. overall, a new study found. Despite having proportionally lower comorbidity risk scores than Black and white patients, American Indian and Alaska Native patients were more likely to die in the hospital due to COVID-19 than Black or white patients at every level of comorbidity risk, according to a JAMA Network Open report on Wednesday. (Devereaux, 3/30)
