Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Has Given Out Nearly 200M Shots
AP: US Opens More Distance In Worldwide Race Against Coronavirus
The United States opened more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world Thursday, nearing the 200 millionth vaccine administered in a race to protect the population against COVID-19, even as other countries, rich and poor, struggle with stubbornly high infection rates and deaths. Nearly half of American adults have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and about 30% of adults in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the picture is still relentlessly grim in parts of Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia as variants of the virus fuel an increase in new cases and the worldwide death toll closes in on 3 million. (Bynum, 4/15)
CBS News: At Least A Dozen Colleges And Universities Are Requiring Students To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
At a growing number of colleges and universities around the U.S., getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a must for students who plan to return to campus this fall. Since Rutgers University in New Jersey first announced in March that students would have to be immunized, at least a dozen schools have said they will require proof of inoculation for those who want to attend classes in person and participate in other on-campus activities. (Cerullo, 4/15)
Bloomberg: Unused Vaccines Are Piling Up Across U.S. As Some Regions Resist
The data indicate as many as one in three doses are unused in some states. Appointments for shots often go untaken, with few people signing up. Bloomberg analyzed state and U.S. data from Monday, providing a snapshot of vaccine use before Johnson & Johnson shelved millions of shots pending federal health officials’ investigation into rare cases of blood clots. That pause will likely cause the number of unused shots to fluctuate, but will little change the comparisons of states. (Edney and Armstrong, 4/15)
In other updates on the vaccine rollout —
The Advocate: Federally Backed Vaccination Site Opens In Baton Rouge As Signs Of Another COVID Surge Linger
The number of Louisiana residents who have completed their COVID-19 vaccine series topped 1 million for the first time Thursday, a reassuring milestone tempered by warnings from public health officials that the deadly virus is showing early signs of a comeback. Hospitals across the state are reporting an uptick in COVID-like illnesses in their emergency rooms, particularly among young people, and the number of tests coming back positive has jumped slightly after weeks of steady declines, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the state health officer. (Paterson, 4/15)
ABC News: Lin-Manuel Miranda Welcomes COVID-19 Vaccine Site To Broadway
The newest venue on Broadway is a COVID-19 vaccination site for the entertainment community. The facility that serves theater, movie and television workers in Times Square administered its first shots on Monday and opened with plenty of fanfare and star power. Mayor Bill de Blasio was joined by "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, health commissioner Dave Chokshi and Anne del Castillo, the commissioner of the Office of Media and Entertainment, to tour the Broadway COVID-19 vaccine site. (Long, 4/13)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Cashman Center COVID-19 Vaccination Site To Close
Despite giving record numbers of shots early this week, Clark County’s mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Cashman Center will close on May 5, public health officials announced Thursday. Word of the closure came on a day when there were no lines and plentiful open appointments at the site. “Our numbers are down across the board, not only at the large sites but the smaller sites, even the casinos,” the Southern Nevada Health District’s Greg Cassell said at a late morning briefing with reporters. (Hynes, 4/15)
The Baltimore Sun: State Agrees To Provide Vaccines, Cleaner Conditions For Inmates At Baltimore Jail To End COVID-19 Lawsuit
All detainees at the Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore will be offered coronavirus vaccines by May 1 and the facility will undergo monthly independent inspections, ending a federal lawsuit and providing a level of protection from COVID-19 that inmates and their supporters sought. The settlement between detainees and the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services requires officials at the facility to take steps in line with state and federal guidelines, and with what much of those outside the prison walls have been allowed. (Davis, 4/15)
Also —
CIDRAP: 1 In 5 Americans Say They Won't Get COVID-19 Vaccine
A poll published yesterday from Monmouth University found that 1 in 5 Americans remain unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Partisanship continues to be the defining factor determining which Americans are willing to get vaccinated and which are not: 43% of Republicans say they will avoid the vaccine, compared with just 5% of Democrats, and 22% of independents say they want to avoid getting the vaccine altogether. (Soucheray, 4/15)
AP: Amid Hesitancy, Louisiana Gets Creative In Vaccine Outreach
Brass bands playing at a 24-hour drive-thru coronavirus vaccine event. Doses delivered to commercial fishermen minutes from the docks. Pop-up immunization clinics at a Buddhist temple, homeless shelters, truck stops and casinos, with shots available at night or on weekends. And now, door-to-door outreach getting underway in neighborhoods where few people have gotten vaccinated. (Deslatte, 4/16)
Albuquerque Journal: NM Battles Lies About The Virus And The Vaccine
The clamor for COVID-19 vaccines in New Mexico doesn’t seem to be abating, with more than 107,000 doses administered in the past seven days. But here and nationally, public health officials are assessing how to get shots in the arms of those who aren’t so eager. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., said Thursday that ensuring the public has “clear and transparent” information about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is key to getting more vaccine uptake across the country. “Unfortunately, in too many places, we are struggling to provide trusted evidence-based information, creating a void. Misinformation and disinformation rushes to fill this gap,” said Luján, who chaired a two-hour hearing of his Senate subcommittee on communications, media and broadband. (Heild, 4/15)
The Washington Post: Montgomery County, Md., Reports Progress In Closing Racial Gaps In Vaccinations
Montgomery County has narrowed the coronavirus vaccination gap among different racial groups, County Executive Marc Elrich said Thursday. In February, about 20 percent of Black and Latino county residents older than 65 had been vaccinated, compared with 30 percent of Asian residents and 40 percent of White residents in that age group. As of early April, about 60 percent of Black and Latino residents over 65 had been vaccinated, compared with 70 percent of Asian residents and 65 percent of White residents in that age group. (Tan, 4/15)
Salt Lake Tribune: Gov. Spencer Cox Touts Efforts To Close The Gap In Vaccinating Utah's Minority Populations
Utah is closing the gap in vaccinating its ethnic minority populations against COVID-19, Gov. Spencer Cox said — though the nationwide pause in doling out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could put a speed bump in those efforts. A month ago, 18,700 Latinos had been vaccinated statewide, Cox said Thursday during his monthly news conference at the PBS Utah studios in Salt Lake City. As of this week, that number has gone up to 85,800. Similarly, the number of Asian Americans in Utah to get at least one dose of the vaccine has risen from 6,900 to 31,500. And the number of Black Utahns vaccinated is up from 2,400 to 8,400. (Means and Rodgers, 4/15)
The Oregonian: Latino Groups Rebuke State’s Coronavirus Vaccine Drive, State Stands Chastened
Latino advocacy groups fired a frank and emotional broadside at state health officials Thursday, claiming Oregon has all but ignored their pleas to ensure more Latinos get vaccinated against the coronavirus. While short on quantifiable requests for funds, vaccine doses or clinics, the speakers at a news conference organized by the Latino Network displayed a sense of urgency, citing disheartening statistics and warning of the impending doom riding in on the coronavirus pandemic’s fourth wave. (Zarkhin, 4/15)
