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World

COVID Live Updates: Johnson & Johnson aims to vaccinate 100 million Americans by April

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NEW YORK (WABC) — Johnson & Johnson says it plans to have enough vaccines for 100 million Americans by April.

Right now, the vaccine is undergoing a large scale trial to make sure it’s safe and effective.

Doctor Anthony Fauci says Johnson & Johnson is close to seeking an emergency use authorization from the FDA.

This vaccine only requires one shot and does not need to be stored at as cold of temperatures as others.

What to know about coronavirus:
Tracking COVID-19 availability and progress in NYC
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Coronavirus by zip code – New York City
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?

Here are more of today’s headlines:

Former Mets skipper Davey Johnson hospitalized with COVID
Former New York Mets manager Davey Johnson has been hospitalized in Florida with COVID, according to Mets PR. The former manager led the Amazins to their last World Series title in 1986.

High-risk sports could resume in NY in February
High-risk sports can restart in New York State on Feb. 1 if local health departments approve. This includes basketball, wrestling, hockey, volleyball, football and lacrosse. However, whether or not they resume will rely on factors such as if there have been more cases of the more transmissible COVID variant, the local rates of COVID positivity and the ability to monitor and enforce compliance. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says that schools can resume sports in the county.

2 more vaccine mega sites open in NJ
All six of the New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine mega sites are now open, with residents lining up Friday at two new locations in East Rutherford and Atlantic City. This as the state announced they have successfully vaccinated 500,222 residents in a little more than a month. Sites at the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment Complex and Atlantic City Convention Center were both fully booked, but more appointment times are expected to be added based on availability.

UK chief scientist says new COVID-19 variant may be more deadly, more research needed
There is some evidence that a new coronavirus variant first identified in southeast England carries a higher risk of death than the original strain, the British government’s chief scientific adviser said Friday — though he stressed that the data is uncertain. Patrick Vallance told a news conference that “there is evidence that there is an increased risk for those who have the new variant.” He said that for a man in his 60s with the original version of the virus, “the average risk is that for 1,000 people who got infected, roughly 10 would be expected to unfortunately die.”

“With the new variant, for 1,000 people infected, roughly 13 or 14 people might be expected to die,” he said.

Researchers developing face mask sticker that can detect COVID-19 in droplets
Researchers at UC San Diego’s School of Engineering are working on a potential game changer in the fight against COVID-19. Researchers are looking into a new type of test that could detect the virus on your face mask. The test can be worn as a sticker on your mask. The sticker includes a little dye and works just like an at-home pregnancy test. As someone wears the sticker on the mask throughout the day, it collects droplets. After a few hours, it can detect COVID-19 molecules from your breath.

Dave Chappelle tests positive for COVID-19
Dave Chappelle tested positive for the coronavirus just before his comedy show scheduled for Thursday, forcing his upcoming appearances to be canceled, a spokeswoman said. Chappelle was expected to perform Thursday through Sunday at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, Texas. Those shows have been canceled and Chappelle is quarantining, his representative Carla Sims said in a statement. The comedian is asymptomatic. Chappelle had been performing socially-distanced shows in Ohio since June, and moved his shows to Austin during the winter, Sims said. Rapid testing for the audience and daily tests for Chappelle and his team were implemented.

NJ vaccinates 500,000
The state of New Jersey has vaccinated 500,222 residents in a little more than a month, Governor Phil Murphy announced on Friday. He also added that two COVID patients in the state were found to have the more aggressive strain first found in the UK.

NY hospitalization rate of increase is slowing
The rate of increase of patients being admitted to New York hospitals for treatment for COVID-19 is slowing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. Cuomo called it “good news,” but cautioned that the more contagious variants discovered in other parts of the world remain a threat and could cause cases to spike again. COVID hospitalizations stood at 8,846, down from 9,055 the day before and has now dropped by more than 400 over the past two days.

NYC and state could run out of vaccines Friday
93% of the state’s vaccine supply now exhausted, both the city and the state are on pace to run out of vaccines.
There are 300,000 shots waiting in storage for second doses.
The city is now considering giving them as first doses for those still waiting and backfilling the supply and delaying by a few weeks the second shot for those who already gotten the first.

Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE

Positive COVID-19 cases by zip code – New York City

New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
Where to get tested in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
WATCH: Eyewitness to a Pandemic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus

Submit a News Tip or Question

Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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World

COVID Live Updates: Johnson & Johnson aims to vaccinate 100 million Americans by April

Leave a comment

NEW YORK (WABC) — Johnson & Johnson says it plans to have enough vaccines for 100 million Americans by April.

Right now, the vaccine is undergoing a large scale trial to make sure it’s safe and effective.

Doctor Anthony Fauci says Johnson & Johnson is close to seeking an emergency use authorization from the FDA.

This vaccine only requires one shot and does not need to be stored at as cold of temperatures as others.

What to know about coronavirus:
Tracking COVID-19 availability and progress in NYC
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Coronavirus by zip code – New York City
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?

Here are more of today’s headlines:

Former Mets skipper Davey Johnson hospitalized with COVID
Former New York Mets manager Davey Johnson has been hospitalized in Florida with COVID, according to Mets PR. The former manager led the Amazins to their last World Series title in 1986.

High-risk sports could resume in NY in February
High-risk sports can restart in New York State on Feb. 1 if local health departments approve. This includes basketball, wrestling, hockey, volleyball, football and lacrosse. However, whether or not they resume will rely on factors such as if there have been more cases of the more transmissible COVID variant, the local rates of COVID positivity and the ability to monitor and enforce compliance. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says that schools can resume sports in the county.

2 more vaccine mega sites open in NJ
All six of the New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine mega sites are now open, with residents lining up Friday at two new locations in East Rutherford and Atlantic City. This as the state announced they have successfully vaccinated 500,222 residents in a little more than a month. Sites at the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment Complex and Atlantic City Convention Center were both fully booked, but more appointment times are expected to be added based on availability.

UK chief scientist says new COVID-19 variant may be more deadly, more research needed
There is some evidence that a new coronavirus variant first identified in southeast England carries a higher risk of death than the original strain, the British government’s chief scientific adviser said Friday — though he stressed that the data is uncertain. Patrick Vallance told a news conference that “there is evidence that there is an increased risk for those who have the new variant.” He said that for a man in his 60s with the original version of the virus, “the average risk is that for 1,000 people who got infected, roughly 10 would be expected to unfortunately die.”

“With the new variant, for 1,000 people infected, roughly 13 or 14 people might be expected to die,” he said.

Researchers developing face mask sticker that can detect COVID-19 in droplets
Researchers at UC San Diego’s School of Engineering are working on a potential game changer in the fight against COVID-19. Researchers are looking into a new type of test that could detect the virus on your face mask. The test can be worn as a sticker on your mask. The sticker includes a little dye and works just like an at-home pregnancy test. As someone wears the sticker on the mask throughout the day, it collects droplets. After a few hours, it can detect COVID-19 molecules from your breath.

Dave Chappelle tests positive for COVID-19
Dave Chappelle tested positive for the coronavirus just before his comedy show scheduled for Thursday, forcing his upcoming appearances to be canceled, a spokeswoman said. Chappelle was expected to perform Thursday through Sunday at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, Texas. Those shows have been canceled and Chappelle is quarantining, his representative Carla Sims said in a statement. The comedian is asymptomatic. Chappelle had been performing socially-distanced shows in Ohio since June, and moved his shows to Austin during the winter, Sims said. Rapid testing for the audience and daily tests for Chappelle and his team were implemented.

NJ vaccinates 500,000
The state of New Jersey has vaccinated 500,222 residents in a little more than a month, Governor Phil Murphy announced on Friday. He also added that two COVID patients in the state were found to have the more aggressive strain first found in the UK.

NY hospitalization rate of increase is slowing
The rate of increase of patients being admitted to New York hospitals for treatment for COVID-19 is slowing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. Cuomo called it “good news,” but cautioned that the more contagious variants discovered in other parts of the world remain a threat and could cause cases to spike again. COVID hospitalizations stood at 8,846, down from 9,055 the day before and has now dropped by more than 400 over the past two days.

NYC and state could run out of vaccines Friday
93% of the state’s vaccine supply now exhausted, both the city and the state are on pace to run out of vaccines.
There are 300,000 shots waiting in storage for second doses.
The city is now considering giving them as first doses for those still waiting and backfilling the supply and delaying by a few weeks the second shot for those who already gotten the first.

Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered
You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE

Positive COVID-19 cases by zip code – New York City

New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker
Find out if you are eligible and where you can go to get your vaccine
Do you have coronavirus symptoms?
Where to get tested in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
WATCH: Eyewitness to a Pandemic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus

Submit a News Tip or Question

Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.



Read original article here

Business

Biden order lets people who quit jobs where they thought they might catch coronavirus to collect unemployment

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FOX Business’ Gerri Willis on how manufacturers are faring right now and Biden’s upcoming ‘Buy American’ plan.

Continuing a flurry of executive action, President Biden signed an order Friday calling on the Labor Department to allow workers to collect unemployment benefits if they quit jobs they fear put them at risk for COVID-19.

Pointing to a Gallup Poll finding that found 43% of Americans live in a household where at least one member has a preexisting condition, the White House wrote in a release: “The President is asking the Department of Labor to consider clarifying that workers have a federally guaranteed right to refuse employment that will jeopardize their health and if they do so, they will still qualify for unemployment insurance.”

Typically workers can only collect unemployment if they are laid off or fired in some cases. In certain instances, workers who quit their job with “good cause” can collect the benefits. Good causes include unsafe work conditions, discrimination in the workplace, harassment, lack of payment, or change in job duties.

As part of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal, federal unemployment would be raised for out-of-work Americans to $400 a week, up from the $300 a week boost that lawmakers approved in December.

ANOTHER 900,000 AMERICANS FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS LAST WEEK 

Over time, Biden would phase out the higher unemployment benefits, depending on health and economic conditions — seeking to avoid a so-called “fiscal cliff” that could deal a serious blow to American families relying on the aid.  He would extend the income support, set to end in March, for about six months through September 2021.

An additional 900,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week.

WHAT’S IN BIDEN’S $1.9T RELIEF PROPOSAL? 

The number is nearly four times the pre-crisis level but is well below the peak of almost 7 million that was reached when stay-at-home orders were first issued in March. Almost 70 million Americans, or about 40% of the labor force, have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

The number of people who are continuing to receive unemployment benefits fell to 5.054 million, a decline of about 127,000 from the previous week.

Other Americans are receiving jobless aid from two federal programs that Congress established with the passage of the CARES Act in March: one extends aid to self-employed individuals, gig workers, and others who typically aren’t eligible to receive benefits, and the other provides aid to those who have exhausted their state benefits.

 FOX Business’ Meghan Henney contributed to this report. 

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US

GOP lawmaker says he’d OK $1,400 stimulus checks for people who receive COVID-19 vaccine

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Rep. Steve StiversSteven (Steve) Ernst StiversThe Hill’s Morning Report – Trump finally concedes; 25th Amendment pressure grows GOP lawmaker says he ‘wouldn’t oppose’ removing Trump under 25th Amendment House Republicans who didn’t sign onto the Texas lawsuit MORE (R-Ohio) says he’d be willing to give $1,400 stimulus checks to people who receive the coronavirus vaccine.

In a Thursday interview with Yahoo Live, Stivers discussed issues Republicans can work on with President Biden, who has called for a $1,400 increase in the $600 direct payments to Americans that Congress approved late last year.

“Even the pandemic response, it’s so important that we build herd immunity as soon as we can. While I am not for giving a $1,400 stimulus check for anything, I’d be willing to sign off on a stimulus check of $1,400 for people who take the vaccine,” Stivers said.

“And I hope the administration will look at that option because we actually buy something with our $1,400 and that’s herd immunity,” he added.

Biden last week unveiled his proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus and relief plan, which includes $1,400 in direct payments to Americans.

Some Republicans have signaled that they wouldn’t be on board with Biden’s proposal in its current form, arguing it would add too much to the national debt which has seen a 50 percent increase from when former President TrumpDonald TrumpIran’s leader vows ‘revenge,’ posting an image resembling Trump Former Sanders spokesperson: Biden ‘backing away’ from ‘populist offerings’ Justice Dept. to probe sudden departure of US attorney in Atlanta after Trump criticism MORE took office.

Stivers said he’d be willing to take on debt “for the right things.”

“The quickest thing we need to do if we really want to help the American people, is get this economy turned back on — get people back to work, get kids back in school, get ourselves some herd immunity, get the vaccine distributed as quick as we can and get the uptake rate up. That’s why I’d be willing to accept a $1,400 stimulus check if people are willing to take the vaccine,” he said.

The U.S. has been working to speed up coronavirus vaccine distribution after a slower-than-expected rollout. Biden has set a goal to administer 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his presidency.

More than 37.9 million vaccine doses have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of which 17.5 million have been administered.



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Health

This Year’s Flu Numbers Are Kind of Stunning

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(Newser)
–
It may be hard to fathom, but the pandemic seems to have an upside, too: The flu is pretty much nonexistent this year. Popular Science delivers the remarkable stat: In 2019, the US recorded 65,000 cases from late September to late December. In 2020, that figure dropped to 1,000. It seems that all the precautions people are taking to ward off COVID—masks, social distancing, avoidance of indoor social activities, etc.—are working to keep the flu at bay, too. In addition, flu shots are up. Researchers also are studying the theory that some kind of complex interplay between COVID and the flu is at play. As in, the virus behind COVID might be raising people’s immunity levels against the flu, per the Wall Street Journal. However, more research is needed to understand that possibility.

“This is an extremely puzzling phenomenon,” says pediatrician Norio Sugaya, who sits on the World Health Organization’s influenza committee. “We’re in a historic, unbelievable situation.” It’s not just in the US: Flu numbers are similarly down around the world. The trend began in Australia and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, where flu cases typically peak between June and August, notes Smithsonian. The big question is what happens when COVID goes away. As Science explains, one fear is that the flu will come back strong next season because so few people got it this year. But that could be mitigated if people adapt COVID safety protocols more permanently or perhaps make more of a point to get their flu shots. The flu typically kills hundreds of thousands of people annually worldwide, and “we need to ask ourselves whether we are going to continue to allow it in the future,” virologist Tetsuya Mizutani tells the Journal. (Read more flu stories.)

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Business

US coronavirus: The US can vaccinate up to 85% of adults and begin a return to normal by fall, Fauci says

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“When you put …. the pedal to the floor, you can get it done,” Fauci told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Thursday night.

If the US were to administer 1 million shots per day — the pace required to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of giving 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office — it would take until the end of 2021 to fully vaccinate 75% of US adults, assuming every recipient needs two shots, according to a CNN analysis.

But that time frame would shrink if some people received one-dose vaccines. Johnson & Johnson produced one such candidate and is expected to report on Phase 3 clinical trials by the end of the month.

And Fauci said Friday he believes the US can go faster than 1 million shots per day.

“I’d like it to be a lot more,” Fauci told CNN’s John Berman. “The goal (of 100 million shots in 100 days) was set, but you don’t want to get fixated on, ‘Was that an undershoot or an overshoot?’

“If we can do better than that, which I personally think we likely will, then great.”

The US recently recorded 1 million new shots in a 24-hour period, according to changes in US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. That’s only the second time a one-day increase rose above 1 million.

Fauci’s assessment offers a glimmer of hope as forecasts predict the death toll from the virus will likely top 500,000 within the next month.

“The only way to solve a problem is to own it,” he said Thursday. “Everybody wear a mask. Everybody adhere to the public health measures. Get the vaccine out as expeditiously as possible. Do everything we can to get the doses available and to get them into people’s arms.”

Seniors spend hours waiting in LA.

More than 15 million people in the US have received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine. Almost 2.4 million of them received a second dose, according to CDC data last updated Thursday morning.

Some state and local officials say they aren’t getting the vaccines fast enough to meet demand.

In Georgia, officials are seeing high numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, and the 120,000 doses allotted per week to the state is not enough to vaccinate seniors and other high-risk residents, Gov. Brian Kemp said.

“We will still have far more demand than we have supply,” Kemp said.

Constraints on supply in New York City means there are not enough doses to vaccinate members of the city’s police and fire departments, the agencies told CNN on Thursday. There are still enough for those who already have appointments made and those who had already received their first dose, the fire department said.

Lines at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on Thursday were filled largely with people over 65 years old, with some waiting for five hours for the vaccine, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

“There may be a wait… so use the restroom beforehand, bring water and snacks, and make sure your gas tank is filled up or your car is charged,” he said.

Biden’s pick for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, said the US needs to do more to speed up the vaccinations.

“We cannot take a year in order to get to the critical levels of vaccination that we need in this country,” Murthy told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday. “We’ve got to get there sooner.”

Even with reports of many people waiting in line, about six in 10 Americans don’t know when or where to get a coronavirus vaccine, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Most Americans don’t know when or where they can get a vaccine, including older Americans, who are already eligible to get a vaccine in a growing number of states,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release Friday. “Understandably large numbers of people are frustrated, angry and confused.”

The Biden administration will “try to build … (a) national clearinghouse” that provides information on where people can get shots, the White House chief of staff said Thursday night.

“It needs to be earlier and more transparent for people to figure out how to get their shot and where to get their shot,” Ron Klain told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

New vaccines could be on the way

Officials hope new coronavirus vaccines will be approved and help speed up the administration.

Currently, the US has approved vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.

However, Johnson & Johnson, assuming it receives FDA approval, plans to have “enough vaccines for 100 million Americans by spring,” board member Dr. Mark McClellan told CNBC on Thursday.

Fauci said the company’s vaccine is “right around the corner” from seeking emergency use authorization from the FDA.

“They’re probably a couple of weeks away from getting the data looked at, to have the FDA evaluate whether or not we’re in a situation where we could move ahead and start thinking about getting it out into the public,” he said Thursday.

That candidate would come with advantages, including that it would be a single shot, and that it doesn’t require storage at extremely low temperatures, he said.

As for another candidate in Phase 3 trials, from AstraZeneca, that is “a bit behind, but not too far behind,” Fauci said.

Last week, the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed program’s chief adviser said he hoped the AstraZeneca candidate, if data shows it to be effective, could receive US authorization by the end of March.

“Hopefully the vaccine again is efficacious, as has been shown in the trials conducted in Brazil and in the UK,” Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Moncef Slaoui said. “So maybe an approval somewhere towards the latter part of the month of March, and a significant number of doses available around that time.”

CNN’s Naomi Thomas, Michael Nedelman, Deidre McPhillips, Maria Cartaya, Lindsay Benson, Lauren Mascarenhas, Alexandra Meeks, Evan Simko-Bednarski, Andrea Diaz and Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.

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Health

Number of Iowa counties reporting high COVID-19 positivity rates down to 10

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The number of Iowa counties reporting a 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate of 15% or higher has dropped to only 10.The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 1,319 new positive COVID-19 cases and 33 additional deaths Friday. As of 10 a.m., the health department reported 310,596 total positive cases, 273,011 total recoveries and 4,478 total deaths since the start of the pandemic. The health department reported 309,277 total cases and 4,445 total deaths at the same time a day earlier.Iowa’s positivity rates continue to decline. The state reports an 11.1% 14-day positivity rate. That’s down from 11.3% the previous day. The 7-day positivity rate also declined from 8.5% to 8.3%. There have been 1,439,736 Iowans tested for COVID-19, with 3,466,465 tests administered in the state.The number of Iowa’s 99 counties with a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or higher has dwindled to 10. On Nov. 12, that number was 93. Iowa schools can apply for a waiver to provide 100% virtual learning at the 15% threshold. Only Kossuth and Ringgold counties report a rate greater than 20%. Thirty-nine counties report a rate lower than 10%. The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 is at its lowest level since October 7. There are now 450 Iowans hospitalized with the virus, down from 457 the previous day. The number admitted in the last 24 hours dropped from 77 to 66. There are 89 patients in ICU and 34 patients on ventilators.The number of long-term care facilities reporting virus outbreaks dropped from 71 to 69 in the last 24 hours. The state reports 1,868 positive cases and 1,031 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities. There have been 1,839 deaths reported in Iowa’s long-term care facilities.Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that Iowa’s vaccination data would be available on the health department website starting next week.The Iowa Department of Public Health lists COVID-19 data in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a daily summary at 10 a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

The number of Iowa counties reporting a 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate of 15% or higher has dropped to only 10.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 1,319 new positive COVID-19 cases and 33 additional deaths Friday.

As of 10 a.m., the health department reported 310,596 total positive cases, 273,011 total recoveries and 4,478 total deaths since the start of the pandemic. The health department reported 309,277 total cases and 4,445 total deaths at the same time a day earlier.

Iowa’s positivity rates continue to decline. The state reports an 11.1% 14-day positivity rate. That’s down from 11.3% the previous day. The 7-day positivity rate also declined from 8.5% to 8.3%. There have been 1,439,736 Iowans tested for COVID-19, with 3,466,465 tests administered in the state.

The number of Iowa’s 99 counties with a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or higher has dwindled to 10. On Nov. 12, that number was 93. Iowa schools can apply for a waiver to provide 100% virtual learning at the 15% threshold. Only Kossuth and Ringgold counties report a rate greater than 20%. Thirty-nine counties report a rate lower than 10%.

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 is at its lowest level since October 7. There are now 450 Iowans hospitalized with the virus, down from 457 the previous day. The number admitted in the last 24 hours dropped from 77 to 66. There are 89 patients in ICU and 34 patients on ventilators.

The number of long-term care facilities reporting virus outbreaks dropped from 71 to 69 in the last 24 hours. The state reports 1,868 positive cases and 1,031 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities. There have been 1,839 deaths reported in Iowa’s long-term care facilities.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that Iowa’s vaccination data would be available on the health department website starting next week.

The Iowa Department of Public Health lists COVID-19 data in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a daily summary at 10 a.m.

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Health

Pennsylvania moves smokers to top of coronavirus vaccine list

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Pennsylvania has moved smokers to the top of its list for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has added “persons ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions” to phase 1a of its vaccine allocation plan. Smoking is listed as a high-risk condition.

Health care personnel, long-term care facility residents and people 65 years old and older are also included in Pennsylvania’s phase 1a. The state is now in phase 1a of its allocation plan.

A spokesperson for the department told WTAE-4 in Pittsburgh that “Pennsylvania has chosen to follow the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommendations and include smoking among the list of medical conditions putting individuals at greater risk.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Health didn’t immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently recommends those aged 16-64 with medical conditions that increase their risks of severe COVID-19 to be included in phase 1c, but states are free to modify their distribution plans to their discretion.

The CDC says that smoking increases one’s risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Smoking weakens the immune system, which lowers the body’s ability to fight off disease.

The move comes as states expand eligibility in a rush to vaccinate more of its residents. CNN reported that New Jersey and Mississippi currently offer the vaccine to smokers, and several other states have smokers next in line. 



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Business

Biden coronavirus plan; states run out of vaccine

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CLOSE

President Biden is putting into play his national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing.

USA TODAY

COVID-19 has killed more than 410,000 Americans in less than a year and infections have continued to mount despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is tracking the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions.

The cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy plan rests on using the Defense Production Act to strengthen the supply chain and make vaccines – but experts say the plan will need time.

Biden unveiled many points of his strategy that will use the Defense Production Act to get the raw materials needed and support expanding capacity to make lipid nanoparticles, a crucial and complex part of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. 

Biden’s plan, which he called “a wartime undertaking,” is unique in the annals of U.S. medical history. In a 198-page comprehensive national strategy to address the pandemic, he calls for improved vaccine distribution, enhanced testing and broader use of masks, including new requirements in airports and many trains, airplanes and buses.

It comes at a time when the nation needs solutions for stopping – even slowing – the coronavirus. The U.S. passed 410,000 deaths this week and the push to inoculate Americans against the coronavirus is hitting a roadblock: A number of states are reporting they are running out of vaccine, and tens of thousands of people who managed to get appointments for a first dose are seeing them canceled. 

Over the past few days, authorities in California, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and Hawaii warned that their supplies were running out. New York City began canceling or postponing shots or stopped making new appointments because of the shortages.

In the headlines:

►Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday on CNN that the lack of candor and facts around the U.S. pandemic’s response over the last year “very likely did” cost lives. Asked Thursday about his experience working on the pandemic response for two different administrations, Fauci also said being able to share science was “liberating.” Fauci said he did not enjoy having to correct information provided by former President Donald Trump during briefings.

►January is already the second-deadliest month during the pandemic for the United States, with 64,147 deaths reported so far, Johns Hopkins University data shows. The country has averaged about 3,055 deaths per day so far this month, a daily toll worse than the human cost of the 9/11 attacks. On this pace, by Tuesday, January will have become the deadliest month so far of the pandemic.

►President Joe Biden on Friday is set to sign two executive orders that will give low-income families easier access to federal nutrition and food assistance programs and start the process for requiring federal contractors to pay their workers a minimum wage of $15 per hour and give them emergency paid leave. The actions are part of Biden’s efforts to provide economic relief to Americans still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

►Britain’s National Health Service is preparing at least two London buses to serve as makeshift ambulances so four COVID patients can be transported at once, The Guardian reports. The buses, to be staffed by intensive car physicians and nurses, are designed to ease the strain the pandemic has put on London ambulance services.

►After weeks of railing against “vaccine tourism,” Florida officials will limit the scant supply of COVID-19 vaccine to residents only. Surgeon General Scott Rivkees issued an executive order requiring people seeking an appointment to get the vaccine to provide proof of residency, or proof of being a health care provider directly involved with patients. Until now, a person only needed to prove they were 65 or older.

📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has more than 24.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 410,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 97.6 million cases and 2 million deaths.

📘 What we’re reading: Campus leaders hoped the lessons they gleaned from the fall would better position them to keep students and staff safe from COVID-19 during the spring semester. But that was before a post-holiday surge in cases and deaths. What comes next?

Super Bowl: 7,500 vaccinated health care workers going for free

The NFL announced Friday that 22,000 fans will be in attendance for Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, next month. Of that total, 7,500 will be fully vaccinated health care workers, the majority of whom will hail from hospitals or health care systems in the Tampa or central Florida area. 

Tickets will be free for the recipients. Additionally, all 32 clubs will select vaccinated health care workers from their communities to attend the big game.

“These dedicated health care workers continue to put their own lives at risk to serve others, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

– Chris Bumbaca

Scientists applaud Biden’s decision to rejoin World Health Organization 

The scientific community applauded President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin the World Health Organization and other global efforts designed to stop and prevent COVID-19. The move had both symbolic and practical implications, said Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of Global Health & HIV Policy at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Practical, because U.S. funding will help the agency balance its budget, fulfill its commitments to boost public health, and protect Americans from new strains of COVID-19 and future disease threats.

And symbolic, because the United States was the agency’s largest funder and has long been a key player on the global health stage. 

In the short term, the United States retracting its notice of withdrawal means that it will fulfill its financial obligations to the organization and stop its drawdown of U.S.-provided staff at WHO. In the longer term, U.S. participation means it will help advance pandemic preparedness, reverse the health consequences of climate change, and promote better health globally, the Biden administration said.

– Karen Weintraub

Texas doctor charged with stealing vial of COVID vaccine

A fired county public health doctor in Texas was charged with taking a vial of COVID-19 vaccine, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in a Thursday press release. 

Dr. Hasan Gokal took a vial that contained nine doses while working at a county vaccination site on Dec. 29, according to the district attorney’s office. He told another employee what he did a week later, and that employee reported him to supervisors. 

“He abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there,” Ogg said.  “What he did was illegal and he’ll be held accountable under the law.”

Gokal was charged with theft by a public servant, a misdemeanor that “carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine,” according to the district attorney’s office. 

Chicago teachers vote to defy orders to report for in-person classes

Chicago teachers began voting Thursday to defy orders to report for in-person class next week ahead of elementary students’ return, actions the nation’s third-largest school district said could lead to “an illegal strike.”

The Chicago Teachers Union fiercely opposes Chicago Public Schools’ reopening plans over safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. The roughly 355,000-student district, which went online in March 2020, has gradually welcomed students back. Thousands of pre-kindergarten and special education students chose in-person learning this month. Teachers who didn’t show were punished.

Roughly 10,000 educators in kindergarten through eighth grade are expected to report for duty next week, but the union’s House of Delegates approved a resolution late Wednesday to skip classroom teaching and continue remotely. Students in kindergarten to eighth grade have the option to return two days a week starting Feb. 1. No return date has been set for high school students.

Expansion of vaccine eligibility blamed for shortages

The Trump administration’s push to have states vastly expand their vaccination drives to the nation’s estimated 54 million people 65 and older has contributed to vaccine shortages, public health experts say.

The push that began over a week ago has not been accompanied by enough doses to meet demand, according to state and local officials, leading to frustration and confusion and limiting states’ ability to attack the outbreak that has killed over 400,000 Americans.

As states have ramped up their distribution chains, authorities in California, New York, Florida, Ohio, West Virginia and Hawaii warned their supplies were running out. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer even inquired about buying vaccines directly from manufacturer Pfizer, but have not been authorized to do so.

Some state and local public health officials have complained of not getting reliable information on the amount of vaccine they can expect, making it difficult to plan the inoculations.

– Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Studies of South African Coronavirus Strain Raise Concerns About Immune Response

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JOHANNESBURG—Three new laboratory studies are raising concerns that the immune response triggered by a Covid-19 infection or vaccination may be less effective at protecting against the new strain of the coronavirus that first emerged in South Africa.

The findings come from experiments done in the laboratory and only look at certain elements of a body’s immune response. Still, they reinforce the possibility that vaccine makers and regulators will need to update Covid-19 vaccines as the virus evolves.

A fourth study, conducted by scientists at BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. and published by the companies, showed that their vaccine successfully neutralized a variant that was initially detected in the U.K. That study didn’t include the South African strain.

The U.K. variant has already spread to many other countries, including the U.S.

More than a year into the pandemic, the discovery of new variants that appear to have made the virus more contagious is forcing researchers to adapt their understanding of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. One concern, researchers said, is that the new strains are emerging in countries where a significant percentage of people have already built up an immune response to earlier variants after getting Covid-19.

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