Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Forget The A-List: The Vax-List Grows As Celebrities Help Promote Vaccines
Axios: The Hunt For Celebrity COVID Vaccine Endorsements
Gen Z pop star Olivia Rodrigo was at the White House this week to create promotional videos aimed at spurring sluggish COVID-19 vaccination rates among America's youth. Rodrigo is among the most high-profile recruits aimed directly at appealing to Generation Z by the Biden Administration when it comes to the vaccine. (Fernandez, 7/16)
KHN: Fútbol, Flags And Fun: Getting Creative To Reach Unvaccinated Latinos In Colorado
Horns blared and drums pounded a constant beat as fans of the Mexican national soccer team gathered recently at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver for a high-profile international tournament. But the sounds were muted inside a mobile medical RV parked near the stadium, and the tone was professional. During halftime of Mexico’s game against the U.S., soccer fan Oscar Felipe Sanchez rolled up his sleeve to receive the one-dose covid-19 vaccine. (Daley, 7/16)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: MGM, State Partner On Prize-Laden Vaccine Clinic On The Strip
In a new twist on COVID-19 inducements, the state of Nevada and Park MGM will hold a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Strip resort on Saturday, complete with live entertainment, “special guests” and prizes. Immunize Nevada and Park MGM said in a news release that the clinic, which will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be open to anyone 12 years and older who has not been vaccinated. And anyone who gets a shot will be entered into the prize drawings. Prizes will include hotel packages, football and boxing tickets and all-inclusive VIP packages to Maluma and Bruno Mars concerts, it said. (Dylan, 7/15)
The Charlotte Observer: Charlotte Area Woman Wins $1 Million In NC COVID Lottery
A Charlotte-area woman is the second person to win North Carolina’s COVID-19 vaccination lottery, the state announced Thursday. Natalie Everett of Pineville received a $1 million prize in the second Your Shot at A Million Summer Cash drawing held on July 7. Jessica Klima, 16, of Greensboro won the second $125,000 Summer Cash 4 College scholarship for post-secondary education. Everett said she’s feeling “beyond excited, grateful and just very overwhelming” during a news conference in Raleigh on Thursday. (Limehouse, 7/15)
The Washington Post: Vaccine Hesitancy Becomes Vaccine Hostility As Opposition To Shots Hardens
What began as “vaccine hesitancy” has morphed into outright vaccine hostility, as conservatives increasingly attack the White House’s coronavirus message, mischaracterize its vaccination campaign and, more and more, vow to skip the shots altogether. (Diamond, Knowles and Pager, 7/15)
In news from Tennessee —
AP: Fired Tennessee Vaccine Official Received Dog Muzzle In Mail
Tennessee's former top vaccination official received a dog muzzle in the mail a few days before she was fired this week in what she has said was an attempt to use her as a scapegoat to appease lawmakers, a newspaper reported. “Someone wanted to send a message to tell her to stop talking,” said Brad Fiscus, the husband of Dr. Michelle Fiscus, told The Tennessean. “They thought it would be a threat to her.” (7/15)
AP: Records Reveal Tennessee's Claims For Firing Vaccine Leader
As controversy raged on over the firing of Tennessee’s vaccination leader after state lawmakers complained about efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination among teenagers, state officials released documents Thursday that for the first time offer other reasons for her dismissal. Tennessee’s chief medical officer reasoned that the state’s now-fired vaccination leader should be removed partly due to complaints about her leadership approach and how she handled a letter about vaccination rights of minors that incensed some Republican lawmakers, state records show. (Mattise, 7/16)
ABC News: Tennessee Hospital Latest Employer To Announce COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements
A major children's hospital in Tennessee is the latest to announce a requirement that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, which comes at a time when workplace mandates have sparked showdowns and lawsuits. In a memo to staff sent Wednesday afternoon, employees of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and its fundraising offshoot ALSAC, were informed of the requirement and given a Sept. 9 deadline to get vaccinated. (Thorbecke, 7/15)
In other news on the vaccine rollout —
Los Angeles Times: UC Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations And Will Bar Most Students Without Them From Campus
The University of California announced Thursday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required before the fall term begins for all students, faculty and others, becoming the nation’s largest public university system to mandate the vaccines even though they don’t have full federal approval. As the highly contagious Delta variant spreads amid lower vaccination rates among younger people, unvaccinated students without approved exemptions will be barred from in-person classes, events and campus facilities, including housing — and not all classes will be offered online, a UC memo outlining the mandate said. Physical distancing and mask wearing are expected to continue. (Watanabe and Shalby, 7/15)
AP: Maine To Try To Drive Up Vaccine Rate With Airport Clinic
Maine health officials are hopeful a new COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the largest airport in the state will help drive up immunization rates. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is working with Portland International Jetport on the new clinic, which will be open to travelers and residents. The clinic, which does not require appointments, began on Tuesday and is operating seven days per week. (7/16)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philadelphia Zoo Plans To Vaccinate At-Risk Animals Against COVID-19
Gorillas, otters, aye-ayes, and more will soon be joining the ranks of those vaccinated against COVID-19. The Philadelphia Zoo is gearing up to vaccinate its highest-risk animals with an experimental vaccine developed by Zoetis, a former subsidiary of Pfizer that develops drugs for animals. While animals are not a major concern for spreading the virus to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they may still get infected. Cases have been reported in some big cats and gorillas at zoos, household pets, and farmed minks, motivating zoos nationwide to help their animals build up immune defenses. (Nathan, 7/16)
AP: Pharmacist Gave Out Vaccine Cards But No Shots, Order Says
A Utah pharmacist has been stripped of his license and fined after acknowledging he gave people COVID-19 vaccination cards without administering the vaccine. The pharmacist said he was giving six reluctant patients “a choice,” the Salt Lake Tribune reported from a stipulation order. (7/15)
