Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teens Ages 16-17 Can Now Get Pfizer Booster Shots
NBC News: CDC Signs Off On Pfizer Booster Shot For 16- And 17-Year Olds Amid Omicron Concerns
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday signed off on booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds for emergency use. The final approval, from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, came hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized third shots for the age group. (Lovelace Jr., 12/9)
Also —
Cincinnati Enquirer: Vaccinated Teens Lead Ad Campaign Targeted To Hesitant Black Residents
A teenage girl looks into the camera and speaks openly about why she got the COVID-19 vaccine. "I didn't want my mom to die from COVID."Another shares her reason: "One of my family members catching COVID, I think it just opened my eyes to see that anyone can get it." (Demio, 12/9)
In other news about the vaccine rollout —
NPR: 1 In 10 Americans Say The COVID Vaccine Conflicts With Their Religious Beliefs
Only 10% of Americans believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs, and 59% of Americans say too many people are using religious beliefs as an excuse not to get vaccinated, a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) shows. A majority of Americans, 60%, also say there is no valid religious reason to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine – but the number changes when it comes to white evangelicals. While a majority of every other major religious group says their faith doesn't include a valid reason to refuse the vaccine, just 41% of white evangelicals believe the same. (Shivaram, 12/9)
Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Immigrant Organizations to Offer COVID-19 Boosters, Vaccines for Hispanic Community
Several Mississippi organizations will host a COVID-19 vaccination day event on Saturday in Forest, Mississippi for the Hispanic community. Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, along with Mississippi Free Clinic and El Pueblo, will host the clinic from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at El Pueblo offices, 203 E. First St., according to a Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance news release. (Szymanowska, 12/9)
The Boston Globe: As Omicron Looms, Mayor Wu Turns City Hall Into A Mass Vaccination Site
City Hall opened its doors Thursday to offer residents COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster shots, in a first-of-its-kind clinic to help combat a spike in cases and fears of the new, possibly more transmissible Omicron variant. And residents arrived — by the hundreds, the demand for shots so high that a steady line of eager patients snaked down the stairs from the third-floor mezzanine where the shots were offered. “Boston needs to lead the way in closing vaccination gaps, in getting people boosted,” Mayor Michelle Wu said Thursday, moments after receiving a booster dose of the Moderna vaccine in her left arm. (Valencia and Carlin, 12/9)
The Baltimore Sun: Amid Push For Third Doses Of COVID Vaccine, Some Maryland Residents Never Got Their Second
With COVID-19 cases again on the rise and a new strain emerging, those in public health are urging all U.S. adults to get booster shots of the vaccine. But another group — people who never came back for their second dose — is getting less attention. At least 6.5% of the more than 4 million vaccinated Marylanders haven’t returned for the second shot of the two-dose regimen on the recommended timeline, an analysis of state data by The Baltimore Sun shows. The shots are typically scheduled three or four weeks apart, respectively, for the most widely used vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. (Cohn, 12/9)
