Had Covid? You May Be More Delta-Proof Than If You’d Had Pfizer’s Jab

Bloomberg: Previous Covid Prevents Delta Infection Better Than Pfizer Shot 
People who recovered from a bout of Covid-19 during one of the earlier waves of the pandemic appear to have a lower risk of contracting the delta variant than those who got two doses of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The largest real-world analysis comparing natural immunity -- gained from an earlier infection -- to the protection provided by one of the most potent vaccines currently in use showed that reinfections were much less common. The paper from researchers in Israel contrasts with earlier studies, which showed that immunizations offered better protection than an earlier infection, though those studies were not of the delta variant. (Fay Cortez, 8/27)

In updates on vaccine side effects —

Bloomberg: Vaccine Blood Clots Risk Is Lower Than Clot Risk From Covid-19: Study
Covid-19 patients face a much higher risk of developing blood clots than those vaccinated with AstraZeneca Plc or Pfizer Inc.’s shots, according to a large U.K. study. For every 10 million people who receive the first dose of AstraZeneca, about 66 more will suffer from a blood-clotting syndrome than during normal circumstances, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal. This figure compares with 12,614 more incidences recorded in 10 million people who have tested positive for Covid-19. (Gitau, 8/27)

CIDRAP: Large Real-World Study: Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Is Safe 
The largest real-world study of a COVID-19 vaccine to date shows that Pfizer/BioNTech's shot is safe and linked to substantially fewer adverse events than SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated patients. A team led by researchers from the Clalit Research Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Harvard University matched vaccinated Israelis 16 years and older (median age, 38) with similar but unvaccinated people infected with SARS-CoV-2 from Dec 20, 2020, to May 24, 2021. They then derived risk ratios (RRs) and risk differences 42 days after vaccination (short- to medium-term) using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. (Van Beusekom, 8/26)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

WUSF Public Media: More Floridians Are Getting COVID Vaccines Amid Surge In Cases
On a recent evening outside Greater Mount Zion AME Church in St. Petersburg, health workers with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County administered COVID vaccines during a community outreach event. A DJ bumped dance music as neighbors and church patrons socialized and munched on southern comfort food from a local food truck. The Rev. Clarence Williams took the mic to urge people to get their shots. “Come and be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem,” he said. (Colombini, 8/26)

Fox News: About 3 In 4 Pregnant Women In US Unvaccinated Against COVID-19
Most pregnant women in the U.S. have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Aug. 21, about 3 in 4 pregnant women aged 18-49 were unvaccinated, or in other words, 23.9% overall received at least one dose, per data from the agency’s Vaccine Safety Datalink. Vaccination coverage was reported lowest among Hispanic/Latina (19.2%) and Black pregnant women (11.7%), with higher coverage reported among Asian (35.2%) and White pregnant women (26.6%). (Rivas, 8/26)

AP: Nevada Coronavirus Vaccination Promotion Ends With $1M Prize
A man from the Las Vegas area won the $1 million grand prize Thursday to cap an eight-week coronavirus vaccination jackpot program that Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak created for successfully promoting coronavirus inoculations. The prize winners were introduced by their first name and last initial at a live event hosted by the governor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, by aides at a satellite gathering at the Sierra Arts Foundation’s Riverside Gallery in Reno, and streamed to the internet. (8/27)

NPR: Operation Warp Speed Promised Vaccines In The Fall. Here's What Caused Delays 
It was 17 days before Pfizer's first delivery deadline under its federal COVID-19 vaccine contract, and the company wasn't going to meet it, according to federal records and several people familiar with the matter. Officials with Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's multibillion-dollar push to make a COVID-19 vaccine available in record time, didn't know there was a problem. Early on the morning of Nov. 10, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was on the Today show talking to Savannah Guthrie about the "fruits of Operation Warp Speed and America's biopharmaceutical industry." (Lupkin, 8/25)

KHN: Medicaid Vaccination Rates Founder As States Struggle To Immunize Their Poorest Residents
Medicaid enrollees are getting vaccinated against covid-19 at far lower rates than the general population as states search for the best strategies to improve access to the shots and persuade those who remain hesitant. Efforts by state Medicaid agencies and the private health plans that most states pay to cover their low-income residents has been scattershot and hampered by a lack of access to state data about which members are immunized. The problems reflect the decentralized nature of the health program, funded largely by the federal government but managed by the states. (Galewitz, 8/27)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Vaccine Approval Moves The Needle On Covid 
The Food and Drug Administration gave full approval this week to the covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, which will henceforth be known as “Comirnaty.” It is not clear how many vaccine-hesitant Americans will now be willing to get a jab, but the approval has prompted many public and private employers to implement mandates for their workers. Meanwhile, the U.S. House, back early from its summer break, overcame a brief rebellion by some Democratic moderates to pass a budget resolution that starts the process for a giant social-spending measure addressing many new health benefits. (8/26)