Seven out of 10 people across the U.S. ages 65 and older — totaling 38 million — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: Older adults are among the most vulnerable to the virus and those in long-term care facilities have been recommended for priority vaccinations.
Nearly 2,900 unaccompanied minors tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival at U.S. government shelters over the past year — including around 300 currently in the system — a Department of Health and Human Services official tells Axios.
The big picture: The numbers highlight the staggering challenges in trying to manage a child migration crisis during a pandemic, while weighing human rights and child welfare concerns against immigration laws.
The U.S. needs to ramp up the use of rapid COVID-19 testing in order to curb the pandemic and prepare for reopening, two public health experts said on Wednesday during an Axios virtual event.
Why it matters: Experts warn that vaccinations likely do not provide long-term immunity and that the pandemic is far from over. Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins, and Michael Mina of Harvard's Kennedy School of Public Health, say mass testing will be imperative to tracking outbreaks and containing the virus in the coming months.
Moncef Slaoui, the former chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed under the Trump administration, was fired as chairman of the board of directors of Galvani Bioelectronics after allegations of sexual harassment stemming from his time at GlaxoSmithKline.
Why it matters: Operation Warp Speed was established to accelerate and fund the development, manufacturing and distribution of multiple coronavirus vaccines, including Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, which have both been authorized by the FDA.
Germany will no longer implement a stricter shutdown over the Easter holiday period on April 1-5, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday, calling the plan a mistake and apologizing to citizens, reports AP.
Why it matters: This is a speedy reversal of a portion of a plan announced Tuesday to extend COVID-19 restrictions in Germany another month, with a tightening of measures over Easter.
Older adults' share of coronavirus hospitalizations is shrinking, per the CDC's COVID-NET, a surveillance network representing about 10% of the U.S. population.
Why it matters: Americans 65 and older are significantly more likely to be vaccinated than younger Americans. Their shrinking share of hospitalizations is yet another suggestion that the vaccination effort is working.
The world desperately needs to be able to believe in AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, and the never-ending confusion over its clinical data isn’t helping.
The big picture: The extraordinary public dispute between the company and independent experts risks undermining patients' trust, experts said, even if the vaccine turns out to work well.
Fully vaccinated people can still get COVID, but it's pretty rare, according to a pair of studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
By the numbers: One study published Tuesday found that only four out of 8,121 fully vaccinated employees at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas became infected.
The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for a Catalent Pharma plant in Bloomington, Indiana, allowing it to produce and ship doses of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, the company announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The plant will help J&J increase COVID vaccine shipments this spring and eventually fulfill the 200 million doses the pharmaceutical company agreed to deliver to the United States, according to Bloomberg.
The Senate voted 57-43 on Tuesday to confirm Vivek Murthy as surgeon general.
Why it matters: His appointment will allow him to reprise a role he previously held. Murthy served as surgeon general under the Obama administration but was dismissed in 2017, a year before the end of his term, by the Trump administration.
The special enrollment period for Americans to sign up for Affordable Care Act health plans will continue through Aug. 15, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
The big picture: The administration already extended the enrollment period earlier this year after millions of people lost their health insurance coverage during the pandemic.
Scientists have produced the first consensus criteria to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living people.
The state of play: As of now, CTE can only be diagnosed after death. But a new paper, written by over 20 scientists, is a step toward a "biomarker" that could definitively say whether a living person has the disease.
AstraZeneca acknowledged on Tuesday morning that a press release about its U.S. coronavirus vaccine trial was based on data through Feb. 17, and promised to release more complete results that are "consistent with" the interim data within the next 48 hours.
Why it matters: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released an unusual statement early Tuesday expressing concerns that AstraZeneca's release may have used "outdated information" that "may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data."
Public health experts are divided over whether the U.S. should add AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine to its arsenal, or let the rest of the world have it.
Why it matters: By the time the AstraZeneca vaccine is authorized for distribution, the U.S. may already have more than enough supply. Meanwhile, most of the world is still waiting for shots.
Experts and health officials are afraid that spring break travelers could touch off new coronavirus outbreaks after they return home.
Driving the news: Air travel hit its peak for the year so far on Sunday, and local news reports have shown spring breakers crowding beaches and streets in Miami and South Texas.
With each shot in the arm, more and more Americans are letting down their guard — seeing family and friends outside the home again, venturing out to eat or relaxing social distancing precautions, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
The big picture: Nine in 10 respondents said they know someone who's already been vaccinated, and 36% said they've been vaccinated themselves. Meanwhile, the share who know someone who died from COVID-19 has leveled off at around one in three, after climbing through 2020.
NIAID said early Tuesday it's "concerned" that AstraZeneca "may have included outdated information" from a trial of its COVID-19 vaccine that "may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data."
Why it matters: The statement comes after the company announced the vaccine it developed with the University of Oxford was found to be 79% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100% effective against severe disease and hospitalization in a Phase III trial.
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Tuesday Germany's COVID-19 restrictions are being extended for another month, and the country will endure an "even stricter lockdown" in April to combat spiking cases, per DW.com.
Driving the news: Merkel said the spread of coronavirus variants put Germany in a "very serious situation" as they're "significantly more deadly" and more infectious, so Germany needs an "emergency brake."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday a 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through September, providing about $3.5 billion of assistance to people affected by food insecurity.
Why it matters: The pandemic has spurred an uptick in food stamp spending. As part of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the increase in benefits will provide about $28 more per person per month or more than $100 more per month for a household of four.
