Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Clears 25M Doses Of J&J Vaccine Produced At Troubled Plant
The Wall Street Journal: FDA Authorizes More Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Troubled Baltimore Plant
The Food and Drug Administration cleared an additional batch of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine doses Tuesday from a troubled production plant in Baltimore. The agency cleared 15 million doses, bringing the total doses authorized for export to 25 million, according to a senior U.S. official. The FDA on Friday cleared about 10 million doses for export. (Burton, 6/15)
Fox News: US Delivers 1.35M Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccines To Mexico
A White House official confirmed on Tuesday that 1.35 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine had arrived in Mexico. FedEx Express moved the vaccine shipment from Memphis, Tenn., to Toluca, Mexico, via FedEx International Freight in coordination with Direct Relief and the two countries' governments. Earlier this month, the Biden administration had announced that it had planned to share 80 million vaccine doses globally by the end of June, including 6 million earmarked for allies and partners which includes Mexico, Canada and about a dozen others as well as U.N. frontline workers. (Hein, 6/15)
In other news on the vaccine rollout —
AP: 'A Summer Of Freedom': Vaccine Gives New Meaning To July 4th
President Joe Biden wants to imbue Independence Day with new meaning this year by encouraging nationwide celebrations to mark the country’s effective return to normalcy after 16 months of coronavirus pandemic disruption and more than 600,000 lives lost. The White House is expressing growing certainty that July Fourth will serve as a breakthrough moment in the nation’s recovery, even though the U.S. is expected to fall short of its goal of having 70% of adults vaccinated by the holiday. Still, the pace of the nation’s healing will be a stark contrast with the rest of the world struggling to vanquish the virus. (Miller, 6/15)
Axios: How Prior Coronavirus Infections Factor Into Herd Immunity
People who were previously infected with the coronavirus have some level of protection against reinfection, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get vaccinated. If you're trying to calculate herd immunity, previous infections count for something. But protection from both vaccines and infections likely decreases over time, and getting at least one shot of a vaccine increases people with prior infections' level of protection against variants. (Owens, 6/16)
Health News Florida: COVID Vaccinations Still Lag In Rural Areas Across North Florida
COVID-19 vaccination rates lag in vast swaths of rural Florida compared to the rest of the state --- a pattern that also has been seen in other areas of the country, a new report shows. The report, released Friday by the state Department of Health, said 55 percent of people in Florida ages 12 and older had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. (Saunders, 6/15)
The Baltimore Sun: COVID Vaccine Initiative ‘Joints For Jabs’ Alights At Greenhouse Wellness In Ellicott City
At the women-owned cannabis dispensary, Greenhouse Wellness, in Ellicott City a new “joints for jabs” program allows Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission patients to purchase one pre-rolled joint for a penny with proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The “joints for jabs” program at Greenhouse Wellness starts June 15 and will continue until the end of July. (Green, 6/15)
