Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Redesigned McDonald's Coffee Cups Could Help Supersize Vaccination Effort
CNN: McDonald's Is Changing Its Coffee Cups To Promote The Covid-19 Vaccine
McDonald's is partnering with the White House to promote vaccination information on its coffee cups as hesitancy grows about taking the potentially life-saving shot. Beginning in July, customers in the United States will see redesigned McCafe cups and delivery seal stickers that features "We Can Do This," a slogan created by the US Department of Health and Human Services to promote vaccine confidence. It also includes a website address (vaccines.gov) that directs people to nearby appointments and safety information. (Valinsky, 5/11)
ABC News and GMA: McDonald's Teams Up With Biden Administration To Share Vaccine Information
McDonald's is teaming up with the White House to help get the word out on COVID-19 vaccines. The fast-food chain announced Tuesday it has partnered with the Biden administration to provide customers with access to trusted, independent information on vaccines. The partnership is part of the company's ongoing efforts to support communities and neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. (McCarthy, 5/11)
In other national news on the vaccine rollout —
Politico: States Won't Get Johnson & Johnson Vaccines Next Week
States won’t receive any doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine next week, the latest sign of how production problems are hurting output of the single-dose shot, according to four sources with knowledge. White House officials told governors on a private call Tuesday that new supply of the J&J shot wasn't immediately available for ordering, POLITICO has learned. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the federal government would ship out J&J doses through federal distribution channels, such as those for pharmacy chains and community health centers. (Roubein, 5/11)
The Atlantic: 3 Explanations For The Vaccine Slowdown
For a few weeks this spring, the United States was a world leader in vaccines, administering shots to a larger share of its population than even the United Kingdom or Israel. But since the middle of April, our vaccine campaign has stalled. The average number of people getting a first or single dose is down almost 50 percent from its peak on April 13. What’s notable about that date? Well, it just happens to be the same day that the CDC and the FDA recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Thompson, 5/11)
USA Today: Most Unvaccinated Adults Don't Want The Shot
Vaccine hesitancy has become the predominant mindset of Americans who have not yet been inoculated, making the drive for herd immunity ever more elusive. Just 11% of American adults who remain unvaccinated for COVID-19 say they definitely will get the shot, while 34% say they definitely won’t, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Another 27% say they probably will and 27% say they probably won’t. The vaccination rush has slowed, and President Joe Biden met virtually with six governors Tuesday to discuss how to revive momentum. Biden wants 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by the Fourth of July. That's about what some experts say is needed to get the pandemic under control. Right now less than half of Americans have received at least one shot. (Bacon, Ortiz and Aspegren, 5/11)
KHN: Biden Boasts About Equitable Senior Vaccination Rate By Race Without Data To Back It Up
During May 3 remarks on the American Families Plan, President Joe Biden boasted that there was not much disparity in the vaccination rates for white Americans and Americans of color who are at least 65. “And what’s happening now is all the talk about how people were not going to get shots, they were not going to be involved — look at what that was — we were told that was most likely to be among people over 65 years of age,” said Biden. “But now people over 65 years of age, over 80%, have now been vaccinated, and 66% fully vaccinated. And there’s virtually no difference between white, Black, Hispanic, Asian American.” (Knight, 5/12)
