Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
OSHA To Rely On Whistleblowers To Report Vaccine Mandate Violations
AP: Whistleblowers To Play Key Role In Enforcing Vaccine Mandate
To enforce President Joe Biden’s forthcoming COVID-19 mandate, the U.S. Labor Department is going to need a lot of help. Its Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have nearly enough workplace safety inspectors to do the job. So the government will rely upon a corps of informers to identify violations of the order: Employees who will presumably be concerned enough to turn in their own employers if their co-workers go unvaccinated or fail to undergo weekly tests to show they’re virus-free. (Wiseman, 11/9)
ABC News: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Moving The Needle, Experts Say
Vaccine mandates have been yet another controversial move in the deeply divisive COVID-19 pandemic, sparking lawsuits, protests and warnings of reductions in service. But data and experts suggest that they are working. (Pereira, 11/9)
In news on schools and vaccines —
KHN: How One Health Center Is Leading Chicago On Kid Covid Shots
As the medical assistant put on rubber gloves and readied the syringe, 5-year-old Victoria Macias, wearing a pink Minnie Mouse mask and white blouse, turned her head away and closed her eyes. “It’s not going to hurt, OK? I’ll hold your hand, I’ll hold your hand,” said her older sister, Alondra, 8. “Deep breath, deep breath.” The medical assistant, Rachel Blancas, poked Victoria’s left arm for about a second. Victoria opened her eyes. And with that, the Macias sisters were among the first 5- to 11-year-olds to get the covid-19 vaccine in the Midwest’s largest city. (Bruce, 11/10)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Henry County Schools Says More Than 90% Of Its Staff Is Vaccinated
Henry County Schools says that about 92% of its workforce is now vaccinated against COVID-19. The south metro Atlanta district, which announced the figure on Monday, said it reached the rate through a number of efforts. Those included using school nurses to vaccinate employees and offering a $1,000 incentive for all staffers who were vaccinated by the end of this past September. (Stafford, 11/9)
Chicago Tribune: Parents Navigate Play Dates As Some Children Are Vaccinated, And Others Aren't
It’s been a year and a half of play dates canceled because of pandemic realities. But now that children age 5 and older can be vaccinated, some parents are sorting through new factors. Not all children will be vaccinated; some might have conditions that raise caution, just like adults; others may have parents who wish to wait or do not trust the vaccine. And, of course, depending on the ages of children involved, many people may have children or family and friends of varying ages and vaccine eligibility. (Bowen, 11/9)
CBS News: Education Secretary Cardona Says There Should Be "No Need" For Hybrid Or Remote Learning After Kids Are Vaccinated
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Tuesday that it "wasn't a mistake" to keep schools closed for as long as they were throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue that has become one of the biggest flashpoints in the U.S. In an interview with "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, Cardona said that communities have all the tools they need going forward to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and there should be "no need" for remote or hybrid learning. (Peller and Hayes, 11/9)
On vaccine incentives and hesitancy —
The Boston Globe: Landmark Places 21 Unvaccinated Employees On Leave, Each Of Them With Religious Exemptions
Landmark Medical Center has placed 21 unvaccinated employees on leave, one week after receiving a violation notice from the state health department. Spokeswoman Carolyn Kyle told the Globe the Woonsocket-based hospital had placed the unvaccinated workers who each had “religious accommodations” on administrative leave, which brought the hospital into “full compliance” with the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (Gagosz, 11/9)
The Hill: Kansas State Lawmakers Move To Protect Employees Who Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
Kansas state lawmakers are pushing to enact legislation that will protect workers who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The state's Senate president, Ty Masterson (R), urged lawmakers Tuesday to reconvene for a special session before Thanksgiving to consider proposals that will make it easier for workers to use religious exemptions from vaccine mandates, The Associated Press reported. The proposals also push for workers to get unemployment benefits if they're fired for not getting the shot. (Prieb, 11/9)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: DeKalb Considers Offering Employees $500 To Get COVID-19, Flu Vaccines
DeKalb County may offer $500 to government employees who get — or have already gotten — the COVID-19 and flu vaccines. County CEO Michael Thurmond unveiled the proposal during a Tuesday morning meeting of the Board of Commissioners. If approved by commissioners in the coming weeks, it would provide $300 to county employees who provide proof they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and another $200 if they receive a flu shot. (Estep, 11/9)
Meanwhile, though it's not a covid vaccine or approved treatment, ivermectin is again in the news —
Chicago Tribune: DuPage Judge Rules Unvaccinated Doctor Can Administer Ivermectin
The latest lawsuit seeking to let a COVID-19 patient receive ivermectin against a hospital’s directives took an odd turn after the physician chosen to administer the medication allegedly acknowledged he is not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Sun Ng, 71, who came to the U.S. from Hong Kong to celebrate his granddaughter’s first birthday, contracted a case of COVID-19 so severe that in mid-October he ended up on a ventilator at Edward Hospital in Naperville, according to a complaint filed by his daughter, Man Kwan Ng. She said in an interview that she has a doctorate in mechanical engineering, and that after her father fell ill, she did intense research into ivermectin, reading scientific papers and consulting other sources. “I made the conclusion that ivermectin can help my dad,” she said. (Keilman, 11/9)
