Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Employers Navigate Tricky Issues Around Inoculating Workers
The Wall Street Journal: Having Trouble Getting The Covid Vaccine? Your Company Might Soon Offer It.
Large employers, from the meatpacking industry to airlines and pharmaceutical companies, are getting permission from public-health officials to administer Covid-19 vaccines, hoping to speed up inoculations of their employees. Many businesses see giving vaccine doses to employees at work as a way to efficiently vaccinate staff but, in doing so, are joining a race for scarce shots. (Krouse, 3/7)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Most Nevadans OK With Workplaces Requiring Vaccines, Poll Shows
A majority of Nevadans believe businesses should be allowed to mandate COVID-19 vaccines among staff, according to a new poll from the Review-Journal. Such requirements are viewed as a way to improve workplace safety but could spur lawsuits from workers who can’t or won’t get inoculated. “Having an employer involved in the health matters of an employee creates a very challenging position from the employer’s standpoint and can give rise to discrimination claims,” local business attorney Aviva Gordon told the Review-Journal. (Schulz, 3/5)
The Baltimore Sun: Goucher Poll: 64% Of Marylanders Plan To Get Coronavirus Vaccine Or Already Have
Nearly two-thirds of Marylanders surveyed in a recent Goucher College poll — 64% — plan to get a coronavirus vaccine as soon as they can, or have already received at least one dose. An additional 15% said they plan to wait to see how the vaccines are working, and 18% said they would get vaccinated only if required or will “definitely not” get a vaccine. (Condon, 3/8)
Axios: Getting Vaccinated After Losing A Family Member To COVID
When Tampa's Barbara Thomas signed up to get her COVID-19 vaccine, she didn't think she'd be getting the shot six days after the virus killed her husband, Larry. Her story is similarly playing out for hundreds of thousands of families nationwide who can never truly have a return to normal without those lost during the pandemic. (San Felice, 3/8)
Axios: COVID Vaccine Selfies Provide Needed Dose Of Hope
People are lighting up social media with COVID-19 vaccination selfies. After a long, hard year with COVID-19, vaccine selfies offer a much-needed dose of hope — and act as an advertisement for those on the fence about getting vaccinated. (Walsh, 3/6)
KHN: On Vacci-Dating: Singles Seem Enamored Of Sharing Vaccination Status Online. Is That Wise?
As cold weather descended upon Washington, D.C., last fall, I deleted my dating apps. I had tried a few video-chat dates when the pandemic was new last spring. They were fun and novel at the time, and felt like a “quarantine experience.” By summer, I went on several physically distant dates in the park. But once the temperature started dropping, meeting outside lost its appeal. First dates are awkward enough without shivering as your breath freezes to your mask, all while trying to uncover the title of someone’s favorite book. So I bailed. (Knight, 3/8)
