Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Houston Crowd Booed Trump After He Admitted He Got A Booster
The New York Times: Donald Trump Said He Got A Booster Shot And His Supporters Booed
Former President Donald J. Trump, who for years falsely claimed vaccines were dangerous and pointedly declined to be seen getting vaccinated against Covid-19 while in office, was booed at an event in Houston after saying publicly for the first time that he had received a booster shot. (Paybarah and McCarthy, 12/20)
The Daily Beast: Bill O’Reilly: I Had To Console Trump After MAGA Fans Booed Him For Getting Vaccine Booster
Bill O’Reilly has revealed that he had to console Donald Trump after he was booed by his own supporters for getting a vaccine booster shot. Trump told MAGA fans that he’d had his COVID-19 booster during Sunday’s final stop on the “History Tour” he co-headlined with the disgraced ex-Fox News star. ... In an interview with Dan Abrams on NewsNation, O’Reilly said Trump phoned him after the event and was apparently hurt by the reaction.
More on the vaccine rollout —
The Boston Globe: Nearly 97 Percent Of Vaccinated Residents In Mass. Who Caught COVID Avoided Hospitalization, Death, Public Health Officials Say
Nearly 97 percent of Massachusetts residents who’ve contracted COVID-19 after getting vaccinated have avoided severe health outcomes such as hospitalization or death, the state Department of Public Health said Monday. The DPH confirmed the tally in a statement. According to the release, DPH culled the 97-percent figure from a review of breakthrough cases in the Commonwealth, and the agency also zeroed in on the unvaccinated population. The review found unvaccinated residents are five times more likely to get infected than fully vaccinated residents, and that unvaccinated residents are 31 times more likely to become infected than fully vaccinated residents who’ve received a booster, the statement said. (Andersen, 12/20)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Less Than A Quarter Of Philly's Kids Are Vaccinated As A COVID-19 Surge Looms
About 21% of Philadelphia’s eligible children have received a COVID-19 vaccine more than a month after the young age group was approved. The low rate worries health experts as the holidays approach and the threat of an omicron surge looms. Meanwhile, repeating a pattern seen throughout the vaccination effort, Black and Hispanic populations lag behind other groups. Among 5 to 11 year olds, just 8% of Philadelphia’s Black children and 12% of Hispanic children have received at least one dose, according to city data. About 24% of white children and 31% of Asians have received at least a dose since the vaccine was approved for younger children at the beginning of November. As of Monday, 18,540 Philadelphia children ages 5 to 11 had received their first vaccine dose. (Laughlin and Graham, 12/21)
Health News Florida: Florida Is Way Behind On Getting Booster Shots To Nursing Home Residents
Florida nursing homes rank third from the bottom nationally when it comes to the percentage of residents who’ve gotten COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. The CDC reports that 81 percent of nursing home residents in Florida are fully vaccinated, but only 39 percent have gotten the booster or third dose. Among U.S. states, only Arizona and Nevada are worse. (Byrnes, 12/20)
WUSF Public Media: Need A Booster If You've Recovered From A Breakthrough COVID Infection? Maybe Not Right Away
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging all adults eligible for a COVID-19 booster to get one as soon as possible to protect themselves from new variants such as omicron. But if you've had a recent breakthrough case of coronavirus, some health experts suggest you might benefit from waiting to get a booster shot. University of South Florida Health immunologist Michael Teng said people who recently recovered from a breakthrough infection just put their immune system to work. There's no data to suggest getting a booster shortly after that would be harmful. People can safely get boosters so long as their 10-day isolation period has ended and they no longer have symptoms. (Colombini, 12/20)
