Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Breakthrough' Covid Cases In Already-Vaccinated Are As Expected
CNN: CDC Reports 5,800 Covid Infections In Fully Vaccinated People
About 5,800 people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus have become infected anyway, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells CNN. Some became seriously ill and 74 people died, the CDC said. It said 396 -- 7% -- of those who got infected after they were vaccinated required hospitalization. It's the first indication from CDC of how effective the vaccine is in real life -- and the first indication the vaccines do not protect completely against severe disease and death. (Tinker and Fox, 4/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: 'Breakthrough' Cases Of Vaccinated People Who Get COVID May Be Key To Unlocking Immunity
Nearly 30% of Californians age 16 and older — those who are approved for the vaccines thus far — are now fully immunized, according to state data. As those numbers continue to climb, public health officials are increasingly interested in breakthrough cases, which are defined as people who test positive and have symptoms of COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. These cases should be rare — and are fully expected. The vaccines are not 100% effective, and with the virus still circulating fairly widely across California, a few cases in people who are fully vaccinated are bound to happen. California doesn’t yet publicly report breakthrough cases, but a survey of Bay Area counties found more than 100 confirmed or suspected. (Allday, 4/14)
In other updates on the vaccine rollout —
The Washington Post: U.S. Could Have 300 Million Extra Coronavirus Vaccine Doses By End Of July, Raising Concerns Over Hoarding
The United States is on track to have gathered an oversupply of hundreds of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses by as soon as July, even while many countries in the developing world will have to wait years to vaccinate a majority of their population, according to a report released Thursday by the Duke Global Health Innovation Center. The new estimates, included in the paper alongside recommendations, come as the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to facilitate equitable vaccine distribution around the world. (Taylor, 4/15)
Los Angeles Times: Vaccine Appointments Will Be Open To All 16+ In California
Everyone in California 16 and older can now book COVID-19 vaccine appointments on the state’s My Turn appointment system. The changes to the system went into effect Wednesday night. (Lin II, Shalby and Money, 4/14)
Los Angeles Times: COVID-19 Vaccine Inequities Persist In L.A. County Despite Progress In Underserved Areas
Los Angeles County has made significant strides in administering COVID-19 vaccines in communities of color hardest hit by the pandemic, but those areas continue to lag far behind both wealthier neighborhoods and the county as a whole, according to a Times data analysis. Some neighborhoods in South Los Angeles — where the spread of the coronavirus was particularly devastating — saw the biggest increase in how many of their residents had received at least one vaccine dose between March 1 and Monday, the data show. Other areas that saw major improvement include Thai Town in Hollywood, Lennox and Cudahy. (Money and Stiles, 4/15)
The Washington Post: D.C. Announces New Walk-Up Vaccine Clinics For Seniors
The District will offer walk-up coronavirus vaccination clinics for seniors starting Monday, furthering its efforts to reach residents who have not yet signed up through the city’s preregistration portal. The 10 vaccine clinics will administer either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, city health officials said in a news release, and will initially accommodate up to 30 walk-in appointments each day they are open. They are located at several city recreation centers as well as Arena Stage, Entertainment and Sports Arena and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Brice-Saddler, 4/14)
Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage’s Vaccine Clinics Are Getting Site Reviews After 16-Year-Old Receives Dose Of Moderna Vaccine
Anchorage health officials were asked this week to review practices at local vaccine clinics after a 16-year-old reportedly received a dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, which hasn’t yet been approved for their age group. Anyone 16 and older who lives or works in Alaska is now eligible to receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. However, only Pfizer’s vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in 16- and 17-year-olds. The other two vaccines currently available in Alaska — by drug companies Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — have so far only been approved for use in adults. (Berman, 4/14)
AP: Homeless Americans Finally Getting A Chance At COVID-19 Shot
Homeless Americans who have been left off priority lists for coronavirus vaccinations — or even bumped aside as states shifted eligibility to older age groups — are finally getting their shots as vaccine supplies increase. While the U.S. government has only incomplete data on infections among homeless people, it’s clear that crowded, unsanitary conditions at shelters and underlying poor health increase the danger of COVID-19 infections, severe complications and death. (Johnson, 4/15)
The Oregonian: Latino Network Blasts State For Failing To Ensure Access To COVID-19 Vaccine
Oregon’s premier Latino advocacy group put state officials on blast Wednesday for what it described as a state failure to get coronavirus vaccines to the people the group represents. The Latino Network will convene at least six speakers Thursday to outline accusations that officials have failed to tear down barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations for the Latinx community. (Zarkhin, 4/14)
And "Harry Potter" fans get a surprise —
NBC News: Real-Life Professor Snape Goes Viral For Leading Covid-19 Vaccine Study
A recent study of coronavirus vaccines led by Dr. Matthew Snape, a professor at the University of Oxford in the U.K., sent Twitter users and "Harry Potter" fans into a frenzy this week. The coincidence of names spawned jokes and memes about the real-life Professor Snape in connection with the one from the "Harry Potter" books. (Vaughn, 4/14)
