Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Picks Up The Pace Of Vaccinations
Bay Area News Group: Nearly Half Of California Adults Have Received A Vaccine Shot
Nearly half of Californians 18 and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, an encouraging metric as some experts watch with concern spiking case rates in Michigan, New Jersey and elsewhere in the country. So far, 46.8 percent of adults in California have received at least one vaccine shot, and 25.5 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among residents 65 and older, 81.5 percent have received at least one shot, and 57.4 percent are fully vaccinated. (Castañeda, 4/10)
AP: Wisconsin Reports Almost 25% Of Population Fully Vaccinated
Wisconsin health officials reported nearly a quarter of the state’s population has completed COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday. Over 1.4 million people — making up 24.3% of the state’s population — have been completely vaccinated by either receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. (4/11)
KHN: The Gender Vaccine Gap: More Women Than Men Are Getting Covid Shots
Mary Ann Steiner drove 2½ hours from her home in the St. Louis suburb of University City to the tiny Ozark town of Centerville, Missouri, to get vaccinated against covid-19. After pulling into the drive-thru line in a church parking lot, she noticed that the others waiting for shots had something in common with her. “Everyone in the very short line was a woman,” said Steiner, 70. (Ungar, 4/12)
The Washington Post: Gov. Abbott Falsely Says Texas Is Close To Coronavirus Herd Immunity
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said “simple math” is behind the recent decline of coronavirus cases in his state: Take the number of people who have been vaccinated and combine it with the number who have been infected. The result, he argued, is something “very close” to herd immunity — the point at which enough of the population is immune that the virus can no longer easily spread. “We remain very vigilant and guarded and proactive in our response, but there is simple math behind the reason why we continue to have success,” Abbott, a Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday.” The equation “means, very simply, it’s a whole lot more difficult for covid-19 to be spreading to other people in the state of Texas.” (Thebault, 4/11)
In related news about the vaccine rollout —
The Washington Post: For Immigrants, IDs Prove To Be A Barrier To A Dose Of Protection
The line started outside, on a street usually teeming with people waiting to enter college bars, and snaked up the stairs of an old firehouse to the Brazilian Worker Center, where shots of the coronavirus vaccine were being administered on this cold New England spring morning. Finally, it was Maria Sousa’s turn. She had been waiting for more than an hour with her husband and daughter when a center volunteer greeted them in Portuguese and guided them to the registration desk, where they presented their identification — Brazilian passports. (Johnson, 4/10)
The Oregonian: Many Oregon People Of Color Eager To Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 While Others Wait For Answers
Julia Mines didn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19, fully aware of the nation’s history of medical experimentation on African Americans. But she did it anyway. “I needed to set an example,” said Mines, director of a drug and alcohol recovery center for Black Portlanders. But, in the end, only two of her seven employees at The Miracles Club have gotten shots, she said, even though they had early access because they work face-to-face with people of color. (Zarkhin, 4/11)
North Carolina Health News: Advocates Combat Vaccine Disparity In Latin Community
As the sun set in leafy west Durham, leaving a palette of salmon- and gold-colored streaks across the sky, a steady stream of people walked up to the Asbury United Methodist Church on a windy Thursday evening. Upbeat salsa music wafted from an amplifier in the church side yard. Rapid response operators from La Semilla, a faith-based organization that reaches out to the Latino and larger immigrant communities, stood under a canopy, swaying to the festive beat. (Blythe, 4/12)
Also —
Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID-19 Vaccination Response Reduced In Blood Cancer Patients, Pitt Study Finds
All 70 elderly volunteers had measurable, although varied, levels of disease-fighting antibodies, the researchers said Friday during a Zoom news conference. In contrast, almost half of the 67 patients with blood cancers did not produce any antibodies. The response rate was even worse in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a slow-progressing malignancy of the blood and bone marrow. Only 3 out of 13 made antibodies, even though most of them were not undergoing cancer therapy that could suppress or damage their immune systems. (McCullough, 4/9)
CNN: When You Should Get The Covid-19 Vaccine If You've Had The Virus
Over 175.1 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in the United States as of April 9, but many people still have questions about when to get the vaccine -- particularly if they have had Covid-19 over the past year. Taking the vaccine also becomes more complicated if someone was recently diagnosed with Covid-19 or was diagnosed in between their two doses. People need to take several factors into account when getting the vaccine, according to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. (Marples, 4/11)
