Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Building A Covid Vaccine Trust Volunteer Network
Politico: Biden Administration Builds Volunteer Network To Boost Vaccine Confidence
The Biden administration is creating a network of outside health experts and community leaders charged with building trust in coronavirus vaccines, as the shots become available to the entire adult population, according to documents obtained by POLITICO. The all-volunteer group — dubbed the Covid-19 Community Corps — would amplify the government’s vaccine messaging within their own communities, and lead on-the-ground efforts to combat skepticism and misinformation. (Cancryn, 3/30)
AP: Cases Of Vaccinated People Getting COVID-19 Confirmed In WA
The Washington State Department of Health is investigating reports of people in the state who tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks after they were fully vaccinated. Scientists call these “vaccine breakthrough” cases, which officials said are expected with any vaccine. Out of 1 million fully vaccinated people in Washington state, epidemiologists report evidence of 102 breakthrough cases in 18 counties since Feb. 1, State officials said Tuesday in a news release. That represents .01 percent of vaccinated people in Washington. (3/31)
Axios: Poll: 61% Of Americans Have Been Vaccinated Or Intend To Be
The number of Americans who have already been vaccinated or want to receive their shots as soon as possible continues to rise, although enthusiasm still varies significantly by demographic group, according to the latest KFF vaccine tracking poll. Republicans, white evangelical Christians and rural residents remain most likely to say that they won't get the vaccine, while older Americans, Democrats and college graduates are most enthusiastic. (Owens, 3/30)
The New York Times: Confidence In Covid-19 Vaccination Keeps Rising Significantly In The U.S., But Pockets Of Resistance Remain, A Survey Shows
As eligibility for Covid-19 vaccination rapidly expands to all adults in many states over the next month, a new poll shows a continuing increase in the number of Americans, particularly Black adults, who want to get vaccinated. But it also found that vaccine skepticism remains stubbornly persistent, particularly among Republicans and white evangelical Christians, an issue that the Biden administration has flagged as an impediment to achieving herd immunity and a return to normal life. By now, roughly 61 percent of adults have either received their first dose or are eager for one, up from 47 percent in January, according to the latest monthly survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Hoffman, 3/31)
CNN: Blaming Tuskegee Syphilis Study For Black Communities' Distrust In Vaccines Doesn't Capture Everything
To get more Black people vaccinated against coronavirus infections, Dr. Kimberly Manning is determined to keep doing what she has had a conviction to do since before the pandemic hit. "I'm determined to make sure that people who, historically, have not been seen or who have felt undervalued know that they matter, that they are extremely important," said Manning, a professor of medicine and the associate vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion in the department of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. She knows that fewer Black people have been vaccinated against coronavirus than White people. While some people have attributed these lower rates to distrust stemming from the fallout of the unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Study conducted from 1932 to 1972, Manning said it's more complicated. Modern circumstances, too, are at play. (Rogers, 3/30)
KHN: ‘I Can Breathe Again’: Older Adults Begin To Test Freedom After Covid Vaccinations
With a mix of relief and caution, older adults fully vaccinated against covid-19 are moving out into the world and resuming activities put on hold during the pandemic. Many are making plans to see adult children and hug grandchildren they haven’t visited for months — or longer. Others are getting together with friends indoors, for the first time in a long time. (Graham, 3/31)
More on vaccine passports —
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccination Cards Are The Only Proof Of Shots, Soon An Essential
Millions of adults vaccinated against Covid-19 have little to prove it beyond a paper card they received at inoculation sites. The U.S. has no central database for immunizations. States maintain an incomplete patchwork of records. Nor is there standard proof of Covid-19 vaccinations like the yellow-fever cards that are required for travel to many countries where that disease remains prevalent. With some countries and businesses preparing to make digital proof of vaccination a requirement for entry and travel, the paper cards may be the only ticket to access those platforms. Proof is already being requested on some first dates and at weddings. (Wernau, 3/30)
The Washington Post: Republicans Attack Biden Administration Over Vaccine Passports
Republicans are opening a new front in the pandemic culture wars, attacking efforts by the Biden administration to develop guidelines for coronavirus vaccination passports that businesses can use to determine who can safely participate in activities such as flights, concerts and indoor dining. The issue has received an increasing amount of attention from some of the party’s most extreme members and conservative media figures, but it has also been seized on by Republican leaders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate. (Linskey, Diamond and Pager, 3/31)
WUSF Public Media: DeSantis Says He Will Forbid COVID 'Passports,' Signs Liability Bill
Pointing to privacy concerns, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he will issue emergency rules this week that prevent businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccinations through COVID-19 “passports” and will ask the Legislature to pass a permanent ban. “It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society,” DeSantis said. (Sexton, 3/30)
