Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Vaccine Lessons On Who Should Move To Front Of Line; Give J&J Doses To Young Adults
The Washington Post: The Best Vaccination Strategy Is Simple: Focus On Americans 65 And Older
Now that covid-19 vaccines are increasingly becoming available to people beyond health-care workers and those in long-term care, the question turns to who should be immunized next. For many people, the answer is essential workers. But while many workers face an elevated risk and should receive a vaccine soon, we believe the most ethically justified path forward is to focus on individuals 65 and older. The primary reason to prioritize people in this age group is simple: They account for more than 80 percent of covid-19 deaths, even though they are only about 16 percent of the population. This disproportionate toll is why the Biden administration’s vaccine plan encourages states to expand vaccine eligibility to those who are 65 and older. (Ruth R. Faden, Matthew A. Crane and Saad B. Omer, 2/8)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: To Get Kids Back In Class, Teachers Need To Move To Front Of Vaccine Line
New data suggesting it’s relatively safe to send younger children back to classrooms under strict mask-and-distance requirements could be a crucial element to reopening in-person schooling in the coming months. But the hesitation of teachers to return is understandable — age alone puts them in more danger than their students — which is why any national back-to-school campaign must include putting teachers at or near the front of the vaccination line. Currently, fewer than half the states do that. Of all the ways the pandemic has jolted society, one of the most jolting is what it’s done to kids forced out of the classroom and into remote schooling. The isolation from teachers and classmates, the difficulty of learning via computer screen, and in poor communities the lack of school lunches and other support services has impacted these kids’ lives in devastating ways. (2/7)
Chicago Tribune: Why States Should Give The New Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine To Young Adults First
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine presents an exceptional opportunity to reduce community spread of the coronavirus by inoculating 18- to 29-year-olds, particularly college students traveling nationwide. Once Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine gains emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an enhanced supply to states will increase the number of shots available for their inoculation phases. But, maintaining the current strategy would not appropriately reflect how Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, in light of its test results, could be more effectively deployed to contain the spread of COVID-19. (Jonathan Brand, 2/8)
The Hill: Ready For Takeoff: Three Simple Guidelines For Flying After Vaccination
The coronavirus vaccine rollout is well underway and many Americans are growing more confident, hoping to plan their first trip using air transportation in more than a year. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 global health crisis, air travel has plummeted by 95 percent. (Laura Albert, 2/7)
Stat: Don't Call It The 'British Variant.' Use The Correct Name: B.1.1.7
When President Trump referred to the “Chinese virus,” the media were quick to point out problems with this terminology, lambasting it as xenophobic and racist. But as new variants appear, some media outlets are doing the same thing: talk of the “British,” “Brazilian,” and “South African” Covid-19 variants abounds. Even scientific journals are using this terminology. (Katie Baca and Susana Bejar, 2/9)
Bloomberg: Can You Get By With Only One Covid Shot?
Sam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Opinion contributor who covers the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Intelligence, answered questions about the wisdom of changing protocols for Covid-19 vaccine dosage as experts in the U.S. and elsewhere weigh tweaks to speed up inoculations ahead of any spread by variants. The conversation has been edited and condensed. (2/8)
