Pace Of Vaccinations Picks Up As States Assured Of More Supply

AP: States Rapidly Expanding Vaccine Access As Supplies Surge
Buoyed by a surge in vaccine shipments, states and cities are rapidly expanding eligibility for COVID-19 shots to teachers, Americans 50 and over and others as the U.S. races to beat back the virus and reopen businesses and schools. Indiana and Michigan will begin vaccinating those 50 and over, while Arizona and Connecticut have thrown open the line to those who are at least 55. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are reserving the first doses of the new one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for teachers. And in Detroit, factory workers can get vaccinated starting this week, regardless of age. (Pratt and Webber, 3/4)

CNN: Seven-Day Average Of Covid-19 Vaccines Administered Surpasses 2 Million Per Day
About 80.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported that 80,540,474 total doses have been administered, about 75% of the 107,028,890 doses delivered. That’s about 1.9 million more administered doses reported since yesterday, for a seven-day average of more than 2 million doses per day for the first time. (McPhillips, 3/3)

The New York Times: A Welcome Logistical Challenge For States As More Vaccine Arrives 
There’s been a lot of hopeful news lately about the nation’s vaccine supply. A third vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, received emergency authorization over the weekend, and a rival drugmaker, Merck & Co., has agreed to help manufacture it. President Biden announced on Tuesday that the country would have enough doses available for every American adult by the end of May. Now state and city governments face the challenge of getting all those doses into people. (Graham and Gold, 3/4)

USA Today: Three vaccines. Increased manufacturing. How US will have enough COVID-19 vaccine for every US adult in May – or even sooner.
As vaccine experts welcomed President Joe Biden's accelerated timeline for distribution, they offered some caution about whether the companies can reach their promised doses and delivery dates. While there's never 100% certainty in manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing is especially finicky and demanding. People like to think making vaccines is like making widgets or automobiles but it’s not, said Robert Van Exan, president of Immunization Policy and Knowledge Translation, a vaccine production consulting firm. The process is complex, with so many variables that vaccine manufacturers can't count on every batch making it through to the end. (Weise, 3/4)

CNBC: Insurers Launch Program To Get 2 Million American Seniors Vaccinated
More than a dozen health insurers are launching a pilot program aimed at getting 2 million American seniors vaccinated as quickly as possible, President Joe Biden’s senior advisor on the Covid-19 pandemic announced Wednesday. The pilot program — Vaccine Community Connecters — is designed to educate seniors on the vaccines, help schedule appointments for shots and arrange transportation, advisor Andy Slavitt told reporters. (Lovelace Jr., 3/3)

In other national news about the vaccine rollout —

AP: Multi-State Review Group Authorizes J&J Vaccine
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday. The group — comprised of public health experts from Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada — was created last year to independently review the safety and efficacy of any coronavirus vaccine approved by the FDA before any distribution occurs in those states. (3/3)

CNN: Some US Bishops Discourage Catholics From Getting Johnson & Johnson Vaccine If Others Are Available 
As officials and health experts race to get Americans vaccinated against Covid-19, some Catholic bishops have weighed in to discourage Church members from getting the latest, single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson when alternatives are available. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as at least 6 other dioceses from across the country have released statements expressing "moral concerns" over the shot due to its use of lab-grown cells that descend from cells taken in the 1980s from the tissue of aborted fetuses. (Holcombe, Burnside and Jones, 3/3)

AP: Majority Of Small Businesses Not Requiring Vaccines, Tests 
A majority of small businesses are not requiring their employees to get tested for the new coronavirus or get any COVID-19 vaccines, though the health care and hospitality industries are ahead of the curve on this requirement, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. The bureau's most recent Small Business Pulse Survey showed 70% of the small businesses surveyed said “no" when asked if they had required employees to test negative for COVID-19 before coming to work in the last week. Another 10% said “yes" and almost 20% said the question was not applicable. (Schneider, 3/3)

In research news —

USA Today: COVID Study: 'Moderna Arm' Vaccine Rash No Worse With Second Shot
There were concerns people who experienced the annoying rash might have a worse reaction with the second dose. A report published Wednesday finds that's not the case – and most don't have any reaction at all the second time. "We're encouraging people who've had this reaction to go in and get their second shot," said Dr. Kim Blumenthal, an allergist, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who's tracking the reaction. "There was concern that if you had the reaction on the first dose, it might reoccur with the second and possibly be worse. But we now have followed enough cases to know that's not happening." (Weise, 3/3)

Axios: Firms Develop New Ways To Inoculate The Public From COVID 
British scientists are trying to develop a way to deliver COVID-19 vaccines without a needle, the Wall Street Journal reports. If annual booster shots ultimately become necessary, as some experts anticipate, alternate delivery systems could make them easier to administer, including at home, and increase uptake. (Fernandez, 3/4)