Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
If They Can Spell 'Quarantine' Or Not, 90K Students Have Had To So Far
The Hill: At Least 90,000 Students Have Had To Quarantine Because Of COVID-19 So Far This School Year
Just weeks into the new school year, at least 90,000 children in 19 states have had to or are currently quarantining or isolating after contracting COVID-19 or coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the disease. The disruptions have caused uncertainty for parents, students and school districts that had hoped to resume in-person instruction after a year marked by lockdowns and virtual learning. (Schnell and Vakil, 8/26)
USA Today: COVID Cases In Kids Are Rising As School Year Stumbles With Outbreaks
After a year of virtual school, students and parents alike were excited for the return of in-person learning. But just as quickly as the new school year started, many children were sent back home after a slew of COVID-19 outbreaks forced them into quarantine. In Florida, school districts around the state, including in Jacksonville's Duval County, are closing schools as cases rise. New Orleans School District saw 299 active COVID-19 cases and more than 3,000 students and staff in quarantine, according to district data. A Mississippi public health official said about 20,000 students across the state are in quarantine. (Rodriguez, 8/26)
Los Angeles Times: Strict COVID-19 Quarantine Rules To Be Enforced At L.A. Schools
Los Angeles County health officials will continue to enforce strict school quarantine rules amid a “sobering” 3,186 coronavirus cases at campuses countywide last week, public health officials said Thursday. The county quarantine rules, which are stricter than state guidelines, have raised concerns among some school leaders and parents about academic disruption after thousands of students and staff members were sent home in the opening days of the school year. In the Los Angeles Unified School District alone, 6,500 were in quarantine or isolation the first week of class. (Blume, Alpert Reyes and Lin II, 8/26)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Suburban Schools Take Laissez-Faire Approach To Delta Variant Despite Mounting Covid Death Toll
Jefferson and St. Bernard parish school officials appear content to let the COVID-19 Delta variant largely run its course by implementing only modest mitigation measures — and even rolling back some safeguards put in place last year to control the significantly less deadly version of the virus. Considering 11 children in Louisiana have died as a result of Covid and infection rates among school-aged children are skyrocketing, it's an approach to public health policy that one expert says has turned kids, who are largely unvaccinated, into “sitting ducks.” (Poche, 8/26)
More parents are demanding covid vaccines for their children —
The Washington Post: Pediatricians Besieged By Parents Seeking Coronavirus Shots For Kids Under 12
As the start of the school year nears, pediatricians say they are being deluged by calls from anxious parents, who are eager to get their children vaccinated against the virus that continues its deathly rampage, especially as the delta variant appears to exact a greater toll on kids. Some parents are seeking ways to get the shots before federal officials give the go-ahead, with more than 2,100 children with covid-19 hospitalized, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal data. (Sellers and Cha, 8/26)
Stat: As Some Parents Press For Vaccines Off-Label, Pediatricians Call For Patience
Just hours after the Food and Drug Administration announced full approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a warning: Physicians should not vaccinate any children under the age of 12 “off-label.” But by that time, parents had already started calling their pediatricians. Full FDA approval of a drug or vaccine opens the door for off-label use, when doctors can use their discretion to provide a treatment in a way other than what it’s specifically approved for — in this case, people age 16 or older. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Patti Mulligan spoke to an administrative employee and easily made a Wednesday appointment for her 9-year-old daughter. When they showed up, they were turned away because the practice had decided not to provide off-label vaccinations. (Gaffney, 8/27)
Also —
Fox News: Louisiana Reports COVID-19 Death In Child Under 1
Louisiana health officials on Wednesday announced the death of a child under 1 due to COVID-19, marking the 11th pediatric fatality in the state since the beginning of the pandemic. The death, one of 110 new fatalities reported Wednesday, brings Louisiana’s number of COVID-19-related fatalities to 12,226. "Each COVID-19 death in Louisiana has been heart-wrenching, but the loss of such a young child, who could not be vaccinated yet, is tragic and a stark reminder of the difficult circumstance we are in throughout Louisiana," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news release. "Right now, we are seeing younger people hospitalized. They are getting sicker than in the previous surge and unfortunately some of them may die. Already, this week, we have confirmed 6,146 COVID cases in children and last week there were 63 pediatric cases of COVID admitted to the hospital. Even children who are not hospitalized or very sick are contagious." (Hein, 8/26)
Fox News: Louisiana High School Football Player Dies From COVID-19: Local Reports
A Louisiana community is mourning the loss of a young high school player who died after contracting COVID-19, according to local reports. Patrick Sanders, a 14-year-old Baker resident, died Wednesday, The Advocate reported. Baker Police Chief Carol Dunn told the news outlet that the entire football team is under quarantine out of an abundance of caution. (Hein, 8/26)
Oklahoman: A 'Beautiful Soul': 13-Year-Old OKC Student Dies Of COVID-19
An Oklahoma City boy who was set to begin eighth grade this year died of COVID-19 complications last week, school officials confirmed. Clarence Wayne Johnson III, was 13 years old when he died Aug. 19, Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Native American Student Services department said in a Facebook post. The department said many teachers and staff loved Clarence, who was Comanche and Kiowa, for his “beautiful soul and unforgettable smile.” (Martinez-Keel and Branham, 8/26)
