Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Supply And Demand Challenges Drive Uneven Rollout In States
Los Angeles Times: California Has Record-Breaking Week Of COVID Vaccinations
In a sign that the state’s uneven COVID-19 vaccine rollout is significantly ramping up, nearly 1 million Californians have gotten a shot in the past two days, data show. The last four days have seen the four highest single-day totals of vaccines administered to date, according to data compiled by The Times. That record-setting run includes 464,249 doses reported Tuesday — an all-time high — and 400,360 on Wednesday, the second-largest daily total. (Money and Shalby, 3/18)
Health News Florida: DeSantis: Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Shipments On Hold
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he doesn’t expect Florida to receive more shipments of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines anytime soon. “We have no more J&J coming for the foreseeable future. For the next two or three weeks, we’re not anticipating any new J & J and I don’t know what the issue with that is. Hopefully we’ll get more of that soon,” he said at a news conference in Palm Harbor. (3/18)
The Oregonian: Searching For A COVID Vaccination In Portland? Try Taking A Road Trip To Salem
Southwest Portland resident Audrey Perino, 67, says she could barely sleep the three nights before March 1, the first day she and her husband were eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Oregon. But instead of battling the ferocious competition in the Portland market, she tried booking at the state fairgrounds in Salem, based on a tip from a friend. (Green, 3/18)
AP: Arkansas Activates 20 Guard Members To Assist With Vaccines
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday activated 20 members of the Arkansas Air and Army National Guard to assist with coronavirus vaccinations. Hutchinson said the Guard members would administer vaccinations in four public health regions. Each of the four teams will include two medics and two personnel to handle logistics and documentation. “This deployment will accelerate our efforts to contain COVID-19 in Arkansas,” Hutchinson said in a statement. (3/18)
Detroit Free Press: Detroit's Ford Field Begins Conversion To Mass COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
Numbered, black-curtained cubicles line the concourse surrounding the field where the Detroit Lions play as state and federal leaders shift Ford Field from football stadium to the state's first federally operated mass COVID-19 vaccine clinic in the heart of Detroit. Inside those cubicles, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders will get COVID-19 vaccines over the next eight weeks in a massive effort to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible to tame the coronavirus pandemic. (Shamus and Hall, 3/18)
In other vaccine news —
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Side Effects Mean Your COVID-19 Vaccine Is Working. But What If You Don’t Have A Reaction?
As millions now know from personal experience, the COVID-19 vaccines can cause temporary side effects. It’s a good sign, as it suggests your immune system is paying attention, preparing you in case of infection with the coronavirus. But if you don’t experience side effects, does that mean the vaccine did not work? Good news: The short answer is no, infectious-disease experts say. There is no evidence that a lack of side effects means the vaccinated person is unprotected against COVID-19. (Avril, 3/19)
The Oregonian: The J&J Vaccine Was Developed With Stem Cells. That’s Caused Confusion And Division Among Catholics.
Questions about whether the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is morally acceptable to observant Catholics due to concerns over use of fetal stem cells in its development have brought the deep divisions within the Catholic Church into public view. On Feb. 26, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans released a statement saying that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is “morally compromised as it uses the abortion-derived cell line in development and production of the vaccine as well as the testing.” Four days later, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the national body of Catholic bishops, stated, “if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.” (3/18)
