Unvaxxed People Threaten Safety Of Vaccinated People, Study Confirms
The peer-reviewed study from the University of Toronto counters the popular narrative that vaccination is purely a matter of choice, Forbes reports. In other news, Arizona outlaws certain vaccine and mask mandates, and a California judge says prison workers don't need to be vaccinated against covid.
In news about vaccine and mask mandates —
AP:
Ducey Signs Bills Limiting School Mask, Vaccination Rules
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday signed legislation that prohibits government agencies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations and bars schools from mandating masks for students under age 18 unless their parents approve. The bills approved by the Republican governor are the latest measures backed only by GOP members of the Legislature responding to what they believe are overly-aggressive government actions during the coronavirus pandemic. (4/25)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Does Not Have To Require Prison Workers To Get COVID Vaccines, Court Rules
California does not have to require state prison employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus because it is taking other precautions to protect health care in the nation’s largest prison system, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The vaccination mandate, which allowed exemptions for medical or religious reasons, was proposed by J. Clark Kelso, court-appointed overseer of health care in California prisons, and approved in September by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of Oakland. He cited the rapid spread of COVID-19 in confined prison quarters, the vaccination rate of only 42% among prison guards, and the deaths of 242 inmates and 49 staff members from the virus. (Egelko, 4/25)
In related news —
Variety:
As Mask And Vaccine Mandates Fall, Covid Rates Soar Among Musicians
From the T.S.A. to the Coachella festival, from your local supermarket to your local music club, mask and vaccination mandates continue to fall across the country, in the face of all credible scientific evidence that yet another coronavirus surge is not only taking place, but raging. Given that, it is not surprising that touring music artists are continuing to postpone dates as bandmembers or crew test positive for COVID-19.While no definitive figures exist, all one needs to do is look at social media to see dozens of postponed or canceled concerts or tours due to someone in the artist’s party testing positive. (Aswad, 4/19)
The New York Times:
What An Unvaccinated Sergeant Who Nearly Died Of Covid Wants You To Know
No one thought Frank Talarico Jr. was going to live. Not his doctors, his nurses or his wife, a physician assistant who works part time at the Camden, N.J., hospital where he spent 49 days fighting to survive Covid-19.A 47-year-old police sergeant, he was not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Unconvinced of the vaccine’s merits, he figured he was young and fit enough to handle whatever illness the virus might cause. He was wrong. (Tully, 4/26)
In updates on the vaccine rollout —
ABC News:
Millions Of COVID-19 Shots Set To Go To Waste, As Vaccine Rollout Slows
While top U.S. health officials are urging some Americans to get yet another coronavirus booster shot, local health departments across the country are grappling with a growing dilemma -- how to address a declining demand for vaccines, while minimizing the waste of unused millions of doses currently in state stockpiles and at risk of expiring. (Mitropoulos, 4/25)
The New York Times:
Do Vaccines Protect Against Long Covid?
As the pandemic enters its third year, long Covid has emerged as an increasingly important concern. And many people are wondering whether getting a Covid shot can reduce their chances of developing long-term symptoms. The jury is still out, but a growing number of studies suggest that getting a Covid vaccine can reduce — though not eliminate — the risk of longer-term symptoms. (Belluck, 4/26)
NBC Chicago:
What is Novavax? How This COVID Vaccine Differs From Others, When It Could Be Authorized
The U.S. could soon have a new COVID vaccine on the market but this one will be different from the others. Novavax asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for adults in late-January and that application remains under review, but the company recently released data surrounding a new trial that could target both flu and COVID at the same time. So what exactly is Novavax and what should you know about the vaccine? Here's a breakdown. (4/25)
