Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Herd Immunity In Israel Threatened By Delta; EU Denies Some Travelers Based On Vaccine Type
Bloomberg: Israel Reached Herd Immunity, But Delta Came Anyhow
In his inaugural speech to the Israeli parliament, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed an impressively detailed list of the challenges his ruling coalition faces. Only one issue went unmentioned: the fight against Covid 19. As far as the prime minister and the public were concerned, the pandemic was over, the virus vanquished by Israel’s world-leading vaccination campaign. That belief lasted a week. In mid-June, new and alarming cases of the virus began to sprout up. The Delta variant of the virus was responsible, experts said. It was being imported by Israelis returning from abroad. A large percentage of those infected were children. (Zev Chafets, 7/1)
NPR: I'm Vaccinated With Oxford-AstraZeneca But Europe Won't Let Me In
I'm fully vaccinated. I want to travel to Europe. And fully vaccinated visitors are welcome. But I can't get in. That's because the vaccine I received is not on Europe's list of four approved vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Oxford-AstraZeneca, but only the version manufactured in the United Kingdom or Europe and known as Vaxzevria. The version that's much more widely used around the world, which is made by the Serum Institute of India and branded as Covishield, is not on the list of vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency. And that's the vaccine I got — along with hundreds of millions of other people, mostly in lower- and middle-income countries. (Ifeanyi Nsofor, 6/30)
Chicago Tribune: Feels Like We’re There, But We’re Not. The Delta Variant Is In The Way
Chicago feels refreshingly alive again. Restaurants across the city — the ones that managed to stay open — bustle with diners. Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field are once more inviting full capacity. Beaches, the lakefront path, city parks — specked with Chicagoans. That sense of normalcy the city craved for over a year — Chicago can feel it. Time to pop the Champagne? Hold on. The delta variant is derailing party plans. (6/30)
Los Angeles Times: Mask Confusion: The CDC And L.A. County Offer Conflicting Guidance. Who's Right?
Two weeks after the state lifted the mask mandate, Los Angeles County public health officials recommended that everyone put one back on when they enter movie theaters, grocery stores and other public places, even if they are fully vaccinated. Though COVID-19 cases in the county are still very low, they have been ticking upward exponentially in recent days, driven by the highly infectious Delta variant. But on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appeared to pour cold water on that guidance. In an interview on “Today,” Director Rochelle Walensky said that vaccinated people are safe from the Delta variant and confirmed that the CDC maintains its position that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors. (6/30)
USA Today: Why Getting A COVID-19 Vaccination Is A Patriotic Act
Throughout our history, Americans have put aside their partisan differences and stood together in times of crisis. It is time for us to stand together again. For the past 16 months, the American people have confronted an enemy unlike any in our lifetimes. The coronavirus pandemic has threatened Americans in every community around the country. It has disrupted our daily routines, ravaged our economy and taken far too many lives. Thanks to the scientists engaged in Operation Warp Speed and many others, lifesaving vaccines are widely available and the end of our struggle is, at last, coming into view. (Bill Foster and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, 7/1)
Stat: Something To Celebrate: Delivering Vaccines To Essential Workers
Covid-19 vaccines are cause for celebration. Family members are reuniting, people are traveling and returning to restaurants. Yet many of the essential workers who have kept transportation running throughout the pandemic, who grow and cook food, and who fill the boxes that arrive on America’s doorsteps still have not been vaccinated. In mid-to-late May 2021, less than half of low-income workers living with children reported being vaccinated. Structural barriers are preventing vaccine access among workers. People facing food and housing insecurity are more likely to be unvaccinated but want a vaccine, as are people with children. It is not a matter of lack of individual responsibility for health among those who haven’t yet been vaccinated because they are providing food, housing, and care for themselves and their families. Policymakers can support essential workers by improving vaccine delivery. (Julia Raifman, Alexandra Skinner and David Michaels, 7/1)
