Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Shows Covid Shots Are Safe — And Linked To Lower Death Rates
CNN: People Who Got Covid-19 Vaccines Were Less Likely To Die From Any Cause Compared To Unvaccinated People, Study Finds
People who got Covid-19 vaccines were not only less likely to die from the virus, but they were less likely to die from any cause over the following months, researchers reported Friday. The research team was trying to demonstrate that the three authorized Covid-19 vaccines are safe and they say their findings clearly demonstrate that. "Recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen vaccines had lower non--COVID-19 mortality risk than did the unvaccinated comparison groups," the researchers wrote in the weekly report of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Fox, 10/22)
In other news about the vaccine and booster rollout —
The Washington Post: Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Recipients Rush To Get Boosters
Jennifer Lopez, 58, had jumped at the chance to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last March but soon began feeling regret when data showed it might be less effective than other coronavirus vaccines. So, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on booster shots Thursday night for all Johnson & Johnson recipients who had gone two months since their shot, Lopez wasted no time seeking one out. (Shepherd and Sun, 10/23)
The Washington Post: Americans Abroad Search For A First Vaccine Dose As Millions At Home Get Their Third One
U.S. Army veteran Leighton Slattery, 83, who lives with his daughter outside of Jakarta, Indonesia, says the two have spent much of the year housebound as they implored officials to share coronavirus vaccines donated by the U.S. government. In Bangalore, India, Asray Gopa, 17, still waits to get vaccinated because — unlike his friends in the United States — he is not old enough to obtain the shots under that country’s rules. (Diamond, 10/24)
NBC News: ‘Left Behind’: For Those With Weakened Immune Systems, Vaccines Have Not Provided Same Freedoms
One morning in March 2020, Terez Giuliana sat down to compose an email to her daughter. In the subject line, she wrote, “If I die.” Giuliana, 65, of Philadelphia, has common variable immune deficiency, a disorder characterized by an inability to produce antibodies, sometimes even after receiving vaccines, leaving those who suffer from it very vulnerable to infections. Covid-19 posed an extraordinary threat to her health. So as the virus began to sweep through the United States, Giuliana felt a need to get her affairs in order — just in case. (Chuck, 10/23)
USA Today: COVID Vaccine: Why Mental Health Disorders May Qualify For Boosters
Research during the pandemic has shown those with mental health disorders are more vulnerable to COVID-19, but it wasn't until last week that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added them to the list of underlying medical conditions associated with a higher risk of severe disease. Although mental health experts say the addition should have come sooner, they applaud the agency’s update as the Food and Drug Administration authorizes COVID-19 boosters for millions of vulnerable Americans. (Rodriguez, 10/23)
The Boston Globe: Chelsea, A City Hit Hard By COVID, Has Become A Vaccination Standout
“The Chelsea experience is one we really need to learn from,” said Carlene Pavlos, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. “It’s one where we can see the value of efforts that are locally designed, locally led, and developed by the people most familiar with the community and most trusted by the community.” (Freyer, Vázquez Toness and Bravo, 10/24)
Also —
PBS NewsHour: WATCH: CDC Says The Definition Of ‘Fully Vaccinated’ May Change As More People Get Boosters
Currently, the CDC says people still are considered fully vaccinated starting two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the single-dose J&J shot. “So even after you boost, it remains important for us to remain smart about our prevention strategies,” Walensky said. “We still have over 93% of our counties with high or moderate community transmission, currently around 64 million Americans remain unvaccinated, leaving themselves and their children, their families, their loved ones and communities vulnerable.” (10/22)
