Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Bill Proposed That Would Let Older Kids Get Covid Shot Without Parent
AP: Preteens May Be Vaxed Without Parents Under California Bill
California would allow children age 12 and up to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent, the youngest age of any state, under a proposal late Thursday by a state senator. Alabama allows such decisions at age 14, Oregon at 15, Rhode Island and South Carolina at 16, according to Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who is proposing the change. Only Washington, D.C., has a lower limit, at age 11. (Thompson, 1/21)
Los Angeles Times: California Kids 12 And Up Could Get COVID Vaccine Without Parent OK
Ani Chaglasian spent much of last year trying to convince her parents that she should be vaccinated against COVID-19. The 17-year-old said she laid out research showing it would safety protect her from being infected or passing the virus to others. She pleaded. She reasoned. She created a slideshow presentation. But, the teen said, her parents remained hesitant and she remained unvaccinated. Under a bill introduced Thursday by a California lawmaker, Chaglasian and other children in the state would be allowed to make their own vaccination decisions. Senate Bill 866 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would permit children 12 and older to be vaccinated, including against COVID-19, without their parents’ consent or knowledge. (Gutierrez, 1/20)
And more news on the vaccine rollout —
USA Today: COVID Vaccine For Kids Under 5: Doctors, Parents Demand Urgent Access
Dr. Rebekah Diamond’s heart broke as she watched another mom sobbing in the intensive care unit. Her 7-year-old son became severely ill with COVID-19 during the delta wave in the fall. The vaccine had just been authorized for children 5 to 11 years old, but the boy came in contact with the virus before he could make it to his scheduled appointment. “I did everything right for so long and then I decided he just has to go back to school this fall and I sent him back,” she told Diamond, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University and a hospitalist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. “I feel like this is my fault … I did this.” (Rodriguez, 1/20)
NPR: Parents And Caregivers Of Unvaccinated Kids Say They've Hit Rock Bottom
The people who take care of and educate children under 5 years old — both parents and providers — are in a special kind of hell right now. These children are too young to be vaccinated, and it's difficult for them to wear masks consistently. Many child care directors, like Berg, are still following 10- or 14-day quarantines, closing entire classrooms after a single positive test, which has caused nonstop disruptions given the current record numbers of COVID-19 cases. ... Meanwhile, caregivers told NPR that they can't get hold of enough rapid tests and that they're struggling to apply the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's safety guidance. Child care directors say they have few substitutes to cover for those out sick, and early childhood educators typically don't have union protection. Providers say they are spending out of pocket on equipment such as masks and gloves. (Kamenetz, 1/20)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Ranks Near The Bottom In Child Vaccination Rate Among The Largest US Counties
In spite of the spread of the omicron variant, national COVID-19 vaccination rates for children ages 5-11 remain low. The same is true for children in Harris County, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of CDC data. Of Harris County’s children aged 5-11, only 18.2% of them are fully vaccinated; 22.2% have received one dose. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced the FDA authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine on October 29, 2021. (An, 1/20)
Also —
Anchorage Daily News: Gov. Dunleavy Says He Stands By Zink As Attacks On Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Escalate
Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy says the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, still has his confidence even as she’s become the focus of escalating attacks by the anti-vaccine movement and other critics of the governor’s pandemic response. Wasilla GOP Rep. Christopher Kurka, who’s running for governor as a conservative alternative to Dunleavy, this week launched a “Fire Anne Zink” petition, saying he’s committed to removing her “on Day 1 of my administration.” At a Dunleavy constituent event Saturday in the deeply conservative Mat-Su, audience members applauded calls for Zink’s removal. (Herz, 1/20)
Houston Chronicle: Former Houston Methodist Doctor Accused Of Spreading COVID Misinformation Seeks Financial Records
A River Oaks doctor whom Houston Methodist Hospital suspended in November for spreading COVID-19 misinformation is turning to the legal system to obtain financial records from the medical institution, according to court records. Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, who resigned her privileges to admit patients after the temporary suspension, announced Monday that she would seek legal action against the hospital. A petition — similar to a records request — was later filed on her behalf to obtain documents related to any revenue the hospital has made in connection to its COVID-19 vaccination program and treatment of patients with coronavirus complications. (Hensley, 1/20)
KHN: Patient, Beware: Some States Still Pushing Ineffective Covid Antibody Treatments
As the omicron variant completes its sweep across the U.S., states with scarce supplies of monoclonal antibody therapies continue to use two treatments that federal health officials warn no longer work against the highly contagious version of the virus that causes covid-19. The antibody treatment now most recommended is sotrovimab from GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology, and it’s in short supply. Use of the newly ineffective treatments produced by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Co. is highest in a dozen states. They include several Southern states with some of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, but also California, which ranks in the nation’s top 20 for fully vaccinated residents, a KHN analysis of federal data shows. Many hospitals and clinics are still infusing the costly treatments — often charging hundreds of dollars a session — that public health officials now say are almost certainly useless. (Aleccia, 1/21)
Bloomberg: Less-Threatening Omicron Lowers Covid Vaccine Sales Estimate
Evidence that omicron causes less-severe disease than earlier Covid-19 variants will likely blunt growth in vaccine sales this year as wealthier countries rein in purchases, according to Airfinity Ltd. Sales of Covid vaccines, excluding those from China and India, will increase to about $85 billion in 2022, down about 28% from an earlier estimate of $118 billion, London-based Airfinity said Friday. The revision was also due to lower prices paid by poorer nations that are finally obtaining shots, the analytics firm said. (Paton, 1/21)
