Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson are reporting enhanced disease-fighting response from booster pictures, an encouraging improvement in mild of vaccines’ diminished effectiveness over time because the delta variant of the coronavirus has turbocharged a fourth wave of infections within the U.S.
Pfizer and German companion BioNTech plan to submit this week their COVID-19 booster shot for Meals and Drug Administration approval for folks over 16, the businesses stated in a joint assertion Wednesday.
Part 3 trial knowledge exhibits a 3rd dose of their vaccine – referred to as Comirnaty – produced greater than 3 times the neutralizing antibodies in opposition to the coronavirus in contrast with a second dose, the businesses stated. On Monday, their COVID-19 vaccine grew to become the primary one to obtain full FDA approval.
Johnson & Johnson additionally stated Wednesday that research present a booster dose of its vaccine supplied a ninefold enhance in antibodies in contrast with the single-shot vaccine by itself.
The corporate stated it was working with federal officers, together with the FDA and Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, on subsequent steps to reinforce the results of the vaccine and prepared a potential booster shot.
The Biden administration stated final week that, beginning Sept. 20, it should present booster pictures to individuals who accomplished their two-dose routine of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine not less than eight months earlier than. A booster shot has already been licensed for many who are immunocompromised.
A CDC research launched Tuesday confirmed safety from the vaccines could decline over time as the delta variant surges throughout the nation. As soon as delta grew to become the dominant pressure within the U.S., vaccine effectiveness in opposition to an infection decreased from 91% to 66%.
A second CDC research discovered {that a} quarter of COVID-19 infections from Could to July in Los Angeles have been breakthrough instances, however hospitalizations have been considerably decrease for many who had been inoculated. Unvaccinated folks have been greater than 29 occasions extra prone to be hospitalized than vaccinated folks, and about 5 occasions extra prone to be contaminated.
Additionally within the information:
►Tennessee surpassed 1 million COVID-19 instances Tuesday amid an increase in hospitalizations and the fast unfold of the virus among the many unvaccinated and school-age youngsters. It is the twelfth state to hit the milestone, based on Johns Hopkins College knowledge.
►Delta Air Traces plans to cost staff who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccination an additional $200 per thirty days for his or her medical insurance.
►New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated requiring vaccination or weekly testing for Ok-12 academics and employees and mandating masks inside colleges shall be amongst her first actions after being sworn in as governor Tuesday. Hochul additionally acknowledged on her first day in workplace that the state has had practically 12,000 extra deaths from COVID-19 than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo instructed the general public.
►China warned residents in not less than 12 cities they could face punishments for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine if they’re later related to an outbreak, the New York Instances reported.
►Health officials are warning people to not use a drug referred to as ivermectin, an animal dewormer, to deal with or forestall COVID-19 after a number of hospitalizations.
📈Right now’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded greater than 38 million confirmed COVID-19 instances and greater than 631,000 deaths, in accordance to Johns Hopkins College knowledge. International totals: Greater than 213.5 million instances and 4.45 million deaths. Greater than 171.3 million People – 51.6% of the inhabitants – have been absolutely vaccinated, based on the CDC.
📘What we’re studying: COVID-19 vaccines for younger youngsters: When are they coming? And what is the standing of medical trials? This is what you’ll want to know.
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89% of federal rental help stays unspent as potential eviction disaster looms
The Treasury Department on Wednesday released updated payout figures that show states and cities distributed $1.7 billion to landlords and renters in July, a modest increase from the $1.5 billion distributed in June.
All told, states and cities spent $5.2 billion out of $46.5 billion in rental relief authorized from COVID-19 rescue packages since December – $4.7 billion of which has gone directly to households and the rest toward administrative costs. About 11% of the total allotment of federal funds has now been dispersed.
One of six renters is estimated to be behind on their rent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Yet in many states, landlords and renters have struggled to get approval for funds designed to help renters unable to make payments during the pandemic.
– Joey Garrison
Demand for COVID monoclonal antibodies treatment skyrockets
For most of this year, the drugs President Donald Trump credited for his quick recovery from COVID-19 have sat unused on government shelves. Now, demand is skyrocketing.
Regeneron, a Tarrytown, New York, company that makes a monoclonal antibody, shipped more than 150,000 doses of REGN-COV2 nationwide this week. In mid-July, it sent out less than 25,000 doses a week.
Demand for sotrovimab, another monoclonal antibody authorized for use against COVID-19, has spiked almost 300% over the last month.
The extra push, said Dr. Howard Huang, who has led Houston Methodist Hospital’s monoclonal antibodies effort, likely comes from the surge of COVID-19 cases, better public awareness of the drugs and doctors’ successful experiences with them earlier in the pandemic.
On Tuesday, presidential adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said of monoclonal antibodies treatments: “This is a very effective intervention for COVID-19. It is underutilized, and we recommend strongly that we utilize this to its fullest.’’
– Karen Weintraub
Florida’s COVID wave leaves Jacksonville gasping
Shortly before noon Friday, Jacquelyn Graham-Townes leaned over a white casket containing another person who ended up in her care because of the coronavirus.
She echoed what doctors and nurses at local hospitals have been saying for weeks: What’s happening in Jacksonville now is worse than anything the city experienced in 2020.
Last year the mortuary handled funeral arrangements for about five COVID-19 deaths.
“I’ve done four in one day,” she said. “It’s like the floodgates broke open.”
Florida is awash in COVID-19 infections, and Duval County is struggling to keep its head above water. The reported 1,486 Floridian deaths the week ending Friday is almost 15% higher than the previous worst week, in January. Hospitalizations as of Saturday were almost 70% higher than last winter’s peak.
It was all on display in Jacksonville. More than 70 people have died this month alone of COVID at trauma center UF Health Jacksonville. People have been lining up to receive the REGEN-COV antibody cocktail from the company Regeneron in efforts to prevent serious illness. At schools, parents, teachers and students worry about the potential for the virus’ spread. Read more here.
– Mark Woods, Nada Hassanein, Emily Bloch and David Bauerlein
Experts renew ‘twindemic’ warnings as US enters flu season amid rising COVID cases
Last year’s influenza season turned out to be the mildest on record, but health experts have renewed warnings that a ‘twindemic’ – in which flu and COVID-19 cases simultaneously rise and overwhelm hospitals – may be possible this year, and they urge Americans to get their flu shot.
Health experts say this year may resemble a more typical flu season, as students get back to in-person learning and states loosen mask and social distancing mandates amid a return to social gatherings. That is especially concerning as COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant rise throughout the country.
“We were worried about the ‘twindemic’ last year and we face the same threat this year,” said Dr. Daniel Solomon, a physician in the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “COVID-19 is likely to continue, and we face the threat of dual respiratory viruses that could put a strain on our health care system.”
– Adrianna Rodriguez
US military, Disney World, CVS Health announce vaccine mandates
The Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine launched a flood of vaccination mandates across the United States that will push millions of Americans to either get vaccinated or face serious consequences.
The range of people covered by vaccine requirements on the heels of Monday’s action now includes the U.S. military, New York City public school teachers and staffers, all New Jersey teachers and state employees, students at multiple university systems, corporate employees and pharmacists at CVS Health, and 30,000 unionized workers at Disney World.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo Wednesday he was ordering service leaders to “impose ambitious timelines for implementation” of vaccine requirements.
That adds to millions of Americans for whom putting off COVID-19 vaccination could mean anything from having to get tested for the virus every week to losing their job or being barred from school.
New intelligence report falls short on finding COVID-19 origins
The White House received a new classified intelligence report about the origins of the coronavirus on Tuesday, but it did not come to a solid conclusion as to whether the virus originated in animals before transferring to humans or was released from a lab, according to news reports.
Biden had asked the intelligence community in May to step up efforts to investigate COVID-19’s origins after officials could not agree on a conclusion. According to The Washington Post, intelligence officials will seek to release portions of the report publicly.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials said part of the reason for inconclusiveness was a lack of information about China.
The World Health Organization and China concluded back in March that it was “extremely unlikely” the virus escaped from a lab, a theory that emerged from a series of sources with circumstantial evidence, including repeated assertions from former President Donald Trump and his allies, without citing specific evidence.
College students who don’t follow vaccine mandates are facing consequences
A handful of schools are charging unvaccinated students thousands of dollars in COVID-19 testing fees to remain on-campus this fall during the pandemic.
And some schools are imposing extra punishments: Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, announced that along with fining unvaccinated students, it would cut off their campus Wi-Fi access.
Now, schools are starting to disenroll unvaccinated students.
Last week, the University of Virginia disenrolled 49 students who didn’t comply with the school’s vaccine mandate. Xavier University of Louisiana, a private Catholic HBCU in New Orleans, confirmed to USA TODAY that it had also started disenrolling unvaccinated students on Monday, the first day of classes.
Rowan University, a public school in Glassboro, New Jersey, announced Monday that with the full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, students have until Sept. 7 to get their first shot. After that day, students who can’t prove vaccination or have valid declination form are at risk of having their “accounts put on hold, removal from residence halls (if applicable) and eventually, removal from the University.” Read more here.
– Lindsay Schnell
Contributing: Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY; The Associated Press