Night Health Care – The Race for Boosters

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Meet Sparkle. This corgi-mix, a long-time staple in its Somerville, Mass. Neighborhood, won national fame in the last days. She needs “more love” because of incurable cancer in her upper jaw.

New York City joined other states and locations on Monday in opening up eligibility for recalls to all people over 18, despite federal recommendations to the contrary. We’ll take a look at the race for boosters and what federal officials are saying.

For The Hill, we are Peter Sullivan ([email protected]), Nathaniel Weixel ([email protected]) and Justine Coleman ([email protected]). Write us with tips and comments, and follow us on Twitter: @ PeterSullivan4, @NateWeixel and @ JustineColeman8.

Let’s get started.

States rush to federal government on boosters

Faced with rising coronavirus infections, some states are getting ahead of the federal government and making booster shots available to anyone who wants them, bolstering the rollout in hopes of mitigating a spike winter potential.

Colorado, California, New Mexico, and West Virginia have now decided that anyone aged 18 and over who is either two months away from a J&J vaccine or six months away from the final dose of Moderna or Pfizer, is eligible.

Decisions are made by officials fearing that the increase in cases will overwhelm hospitals; or in some cases, because hospitals are already up to crisis standards.

What the feds say: The current federal guidelines for recalls are quite broad – the people who should be recalled are those over 65 and anyone at high risk because of their job, location, or those suffering from an underlying health problem. Over 70 percent of Americans are eligible.

Vaccine vendors are not expected to ask questions or refuse anyone, relying on self-attestation for eligibility. Still, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have refrained from recommending boosters for everyone, putting these places at odds with federal guidelines.

Pass: The Biden administration is a major proponent of booster shots, and federal health officials originally intended to allow Pfizer booster shots for anyone over 18. the conditions were not clear, especially because of the higher risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) in young men.

Experts divided: Pfizer has again requested authorization for boosters for anyone 18 years of age and older, but the FDA and CDC have yet to make a decision. Some infectious disease experts are troubled by the tendency for states to ignore federal regulators. They also want the administration to be clearer on the purpose of the booster injections; vaccinating the unvaccinated will end the pandemic, not the boosters. If vulnerable people, especially those over 65 and those living in nursing homes, do not receive reminders, there should be a concentrated effort to do so, rather than widely opening up eligibility for care. everybody.

Read more here.

NYC EXTENDS BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY

New York City will allow anyone over the age of 18 to receive a COVID-19 booster shot if they choose, the city’s top doctor said on Monday, adding that providers should not refuse anyone.

The city has an 80% vaccination rate among adults, but local authorities are concerned about the winter.

Dave Chokshi, commissioner of the city’s health and mental hygiene department, said the number of coronavirus cases has increased, although high levels of immunization have kept hospitalizations and deaths to a minimum.

Chokshi said he wanted to make sure there are no barriers to access for people who believe they are at enough risk to warrant the extra protection of a booster dose. More than 630,000 New Yorkers have already received a booster, he said, but even more may benefit before winter and the holidays.

At a press conference on Monday, Chokshi said the city’s recommendations are in line with federal guidelines and that he doesn’t think the city is doing anything differently.

“What we are trying to clarify today is that there should be no barriers to accessing a booster,” Chokshi said. “At the end of the day, we don’t want anyone to turn away from a booster dose, and we want to prioritize those who will benefit the most.”

Read more here.

NIH study of COVID children recruits first participant

A long-term National Institutes of Health (NIH) study of the impacts of COVID-19 on children and young adults has recruited its first participant, the agency said on Monday.

NIH research intends to follow 1,000 children and young adults aged 3 to 21 who have already tested positive for COVID-19 for three years to examine the impact of the virus on their physical and mental health.

The agency enrolled its first participant from its clinical center in Bethesda, Maryland.

What this implies: Researchers will do a physical exam of the children, scan their hearts and other organs, and take samples, including blood, nasal swabs, stool and urine. Participating children and young adults will have the opportunity to determine risk factors with genetic analysis.

Participants who join the study more than 12 weeks after testing positive will visit the clinic every six months for three years. Those who participate within 12 weeks of a positive test will also see researchers at the three and six month points.

Importance: The study comes after more children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 amid the wave of delta variants in recent months, compared to previously in the pandemic.

Data from earlier in the pandemic indicated that children were less likely to suffer from severe COVID-19, but at this point nearly 6 million have contracted the disease and nearly 600 have died, according to CDC data.

Read more here.

SUPPORT PUSH VACCINE FOR CHILDREN

First lady Jill bidenJill Biden Biden Marks Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery Graham says friendship with Biden is breaking point after withdrawal from Afghanistan Monday urged parents to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, saying it was the parents’ choice but arguing that vaccines were the best way to protect children.

“From the day you first held your sweet and fragile little baby, you have made the choice, time and time again, to keep your child safe. Having your children vaccinated against Covid-19 is also your choice. Make the decision to protect your children with the same vaccine that has already saved millions of lives, ”Biden wrote in a CNN editorial.

While traveling to more than 30 states this year, she said parents asked her when the children’s vaccine would arrive.

“Now it’s here – not just another way to protect your kids from Covid-19, but the best way. It has been carefully examined and rigorously tested. It’s certain. It’s free and available to all eligible children in the country, ”she said.

Biden and general surgeon Vivek MurthyVivek MurthySunday shows – Biden officials craft inflation message Surgeon general warns of increased COVID-19 cases as cold weather arrives on Sunday. visited Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston on Sunday to urge parents to immunize children ages 5 to 11.

Biden said the administration was working closely with pediatricians and pharmacists so that schools and more than 100 children’s hospitals can offer the vaccines, reiterating the convenience for parents taking their children to be vaccinated.

Read more here.

Fauci: “Typical” Thanksgiving for the Vaccinated

Antoine FauciAnthony FauciStates Rushes Federal Government On Overnight Health Care Boosters – Brought To You By Rare Access Action Project – Pfizer Wants Boosters For Everyone Cheney’s Challenger Serves As Co-Counsel In Biden PLUS Mandate Trial said on Monday that families vaccinated against COVID-19 may “feel good to enjoy a typical Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.”

President BidenJoe Biden US Bishops wonder if Biden should receive Communion Congress braces for year-end pile-up Biden calls on former New Orleans mayor Landrieu to lead infrastructure MOREThe chief medical adviser warned that the United States still had tens of thousands of new cases per day and recommended masks in indoor gathering places.

But he said fully vaccinated people should feel comfortable reuniting with other vaccinated families and friends in private locations this holiday season.

“If you get vaccinated and your family is vaccinated, you may feel good enjoying a typical Thanksgiving, Christmas with your family and close friends,” he said at an event. of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“When going to indoor gathering places, go the extra mile, be safe, wear a mask,” he added. “But when you are with your family at home, my God, enjoy it with your parents, your children, your grandparents. There is no reason not to.”

Read more here.

WHAT WE READ

STATE BY STATE

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

That’s all for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s healthcare page for the latest news and coverage. See you on Tuesday.