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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 19, 2021: Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination Against COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Persons Aged 12-18 Years -- United States, June-September 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination Against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Hospitalization Among Persons Aged 12-18 Years -- United States, June-September 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from WWMR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-19
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Commentary: What Can Masks Do? Part 2: What Makes for a Good Mask Study -- and Why Most Fail
From the Document: "As noted in part 1 [hyperlink], not all facepieces designed to protect against respiratory diseases like COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] are created equal, and they must be considered as only one tier in a hierarchy of protective steps. Here in part 2 we spell out why not all studies involving cloth face coverings or surgical/medical masks warrant equal consideration. We'll detail the necessary elements of a rigorous study and explore some recent studies that, though highly touted by both scientists and the lay press, fell quite a bit short of the ideal. Again, at the outset, we underscore that we are not 'anti-mask.' Rather, we are in favor of wearing the most protective type of facepiece for the setting--such as a non-fit tested respirator when spending more than a few minutes in a crowded, indoor space--and only in combination with other interventions."
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
Brosseau, Lisa M.; Ulrich, Angela K.; Escandón, Kevin . . .
2021-10-15
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Commentary: What Can Masks Do? Part 1: The Science Behind COVID-19 Protection
From the Document: "Confusion continues to abound over the effectiveness of masks to protect people from COVID-19, and recent news stories touting imperfect studies are only compounding the situation. [...] In part 1 of this commentary we will cut through the murk by: [1] Explaining the differences between cloth face coverings (or cloth masks), surgical masks, and respirators in the context of infectious aerosol inhalation. [2] Delving into the science of respiratory protection. [3] Discussing the role of masks and respirators in the hierarchy of controls for disease prevention."
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
Brosseau, Lisa M.; Ulrich, Angela K.; Escandón, Kevin . . .
2021-10-14
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CBO Presentation: CBO's Budget and Economic Analysis During the Pandemic
This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presentation provides information on the following: "Budgetary Effects of Laws Enacted in Response to the 2020-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic, March and April 2020"; "Budgetary Effects of Major Laws Enacted in Response to the 2020-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic, December 2020 and March 2021"; "Health Analysis"; and "Macroeconomic Analysis."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Swagel, Phillip
2021-10-13
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False Allegations of Biological-Weapons Use from Putin's Russia
From the Abstract: "From 1949 until 1988, the Soviet Union conducted a nearly continuous campaign of false allegations of biological-weapon (BW) use by the United States. In 1995, senior Russian military officials revived this pattern of false allegations, which continues to the present day. Russian officials amplified the campaign after the US government funded the transformation of former Soviet BW facilities in the Commonwealth of Independent States under the Nunn-Lugar program. The outbreak of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic in China in January 2020 prompted a very greatly expanded Russian-government BW-related disinformation effort. This paper aims to present a reasonably comprehensive account of these activities and to assess their significance. The Russian government under President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated open disdain for both the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention." An appendix is also available for this document: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=859835]
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Leitenberg, Milton
2021-10-12
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 8, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Referral to Providers Among Hispanic/Latino Persons -- United States, 2019"; "Prevalence of Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation -- United States, 2016-2018"; "Walking and Other Common Physical Activities Among Adults with Arthritis -- United States, 2019"; "Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Variants in a Large Integrated Health Care System -- California, March-July 2021"; "Multicomponent Strategies to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission -- Nine Overnight Youth Summer Camps, United States, June-August 2021"; "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Outbreaks at Youth Summer Camps -- Louisiana, June-July 2021"; "National and State Trends in Anxiety and Depression Severity Scores Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic -- United States, 2020-2021"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Women Aged 25-44 Years Who Had Ever Used Infertility Services, by Type of Service -- National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 2006-2010 and 2015-2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-08
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White House Report: Vaccination Requirements Are Helping Vaccinate More People, Protect Americans from COVID-19, and Strengthen the Economy
From the Executive Summary: "Since January, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken aggressive actions to make vaccinations free and convenient, executed a robust campaign to educate Americans about the importance of getting vaccinated, and deployed hundreds of millions of dollars in resources for states, localities, Tribes, and community organizations to encourage vaccinations. These efforts have led to tremendous success. At the start of the year, only 34% of adult Americans were eager to get vaccinated. Today, 78% of adults have at least their first shot. Overall, more than 185 million Americans are fully vaccinated--up from just 2 million when the President took office. [...] This is significant progress, but after months of education and incentives, additional actions needed to be taken in order to reach the tens of millions of people who remained unvaccinated. The strain on our hospital systems, our economy, and the risk to our children was too great not to use every tool available. To that end, last month, the President laid out a six-part plan to accelerate our path out of the pandemic. Central to that plan is getting remaining Americans vaccinated, and to do so, the President announced vaccination requirements that in total will cover approximately 100 million people. As this report demonstrates, it is clear that vaccination requirements result in millions more people getting vaccinated. Without vaccination requirements, we face endless months of chaos in our hospitals, further detrimental impacts on our economy, and anxiety in our schools. With them, we will accelerate our path out of the pandemic."
United States. White House Office
2021-10-07
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COVID-19-Related Loan Assistance for Agricultural Enterprises [Updated October 7, 2021]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) created the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Paycheck Protection Program [hyperlink] (PPP), expanded eligibility for Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loans [hyperlink](EIDLs), and established Emergency EIDL grants to provide short-term, economic relief to certain small businesses and nonprofits [hyperlink]. The CARES Act also made certain agricultural enterprises eligible for SBA COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] relief. When the SBA stopped accepting PPP loan applications on May 31, 2021, it had approved more than 11.8 million PPP loans, totaling nearly $800 billion."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2021-10-07
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated October 5, 2021]
From the Summary: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. In reports issued in March and April 2021, the U.S. intelligence community provided assessments of the potential impact of the pandemic on the international security environment. Observers who argue the pandemic could be world-changing for the international security environment have focused on several areas of potential change, including the following, which are listed here separately but overlap in some cases and can interact with one another: [1] world order, international institutions, and global governance; [2] U.S. global leadership and the U.S. role in the world; [3] China's potential role as a global leader; [4] U.S. relations and great power competition with China and Russia; [5] the relative prevalence of democratic and authoritarian or autocratic forms of government; [6] societal tension, reform, transformation, and governmental stability in various countries; [7] the world economy, globalization, and U.S. trade policy; [8] allied defense spending and U.S. alliances; [9] the cohesion of the European Union; [10] the definition of, and budgeting for, U.S. national security; [11] U.S. defense strategy, defense budgets, and military operations; [12] U.S. foreign assistance programs, international debt relief, and refugee policy; [13] activities of non-state actors; [14] the amount of U.S. attention devoted to ongoing international issues other than the pandemic; and [15] the role of Congress in setting and overseeing the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.
2021-10-05
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Associations Between County-Level Vaccination Rates and COVID-19 Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries
From the Key Points: "[1] COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] vaccines are a key component in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical data show vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19 infections and severe outcomes including hospitalization and death. [2] In this analysis of individual-level health data and county-level vaccination rates, we find that higher county vaccination rates were associated with significant reductions in the odds of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death among Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries between January and May 2021. [3] Comparing the rates of these outcomes to what our model predicts would have happened without any vaccinations, we estimate COVID-19 vaccinations were linked to estimated reductions of approximately 107,000 infections, 43,000 hospitalizations, and 16,000 deaths in our study sample of 25.3 million beneficiaries. These estimates correspond to estimated reductions of approximately 265,000 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 deaths for the full Medicare population of 62.7 million people. [4] After accounting for the potential underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in Medicare FFS claims data, and considering alternative models, the number of deaths prevented among the full Medicare population could plausibly range from 12,000 to 49,000 deaths. [5] Reductions in cumulative weekly deaths were found nationally, for all racial and ethnic groups, and across all 48 states included in our sample. [6] The difference in vaccination rates for those age 65 and older between the lowest (34%) and highest (85%) counties and states by the end of May highlights the continued opportunity to leverage COVID-19 vaccinations to prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Office of Health Policy
Samson, Lok Wong; Tarazi, Wafa; Orav, E. J. (Endel John) . . .
2021-10-05
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Global Economic Effects of COVID-19 [Updated October 4, 2021]
From the Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] viral pandemic is an unprecedented global phenomenon that is also a highly personal experience with wide-ranging effects. On September 20, 2021, U.S. viral deaths surpassed the 675,446 total from the 1918 Spanish flu, the previous worst U.S. pandemic-related death total on record. The pandemic has disrupted lives across all countries and communities and negatively affected global economic growth in 2020 beyond anything experienced in nearly a century. Estimates indicate the virus reduced global economic growth in 2020 to an annualized rate of around -3.2%,with a recovery of 6.0% projected for 2021. Global trade is estimated to have fallen by 5.3% in 2020, but is projected to grow by 8.0% in 2021. According to a consensus of forecasts, the economic downturn in 2020 was not as negative as initially estimated, due in part to the fiscal and monetary policies governments adopted in 2020. In most countries, economic growth fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020, rebounded quickly in the third quarter, and has been mostly positive since. Although lessening, the total global economic effects continue to mount. [...] This report provides an overview of the global economic costs to date and the response by governments and international institutions to address these effects."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-; Nelson, Rebecca M.; Weiss, Martin A. . . .
2021-10-04
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 1, 2021: Multicomponent Strategies to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission -- Nine Overnight Youth Summer Camps, United States, June-August 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Multicomponent Strategies to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Transmission -- Nine Overnight Youth Summer Camps, United States, June-August 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from WWMR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-01
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 1, 2021: COVID-19 Outbreaks at Youth Summer Camps -- Louisiana, June-July 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Outbreaks at Youth Summer Camps -- Louisiana, June-July 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from WWMR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-01
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 1, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication -- Pakistan, January 2020-July 2021"; Disparities in COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Status, Intent, and Perceived Access for Noninstitutionalized Adults, by Disability Status -- National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, United States, May 30-June 26, 2021"; "Association Between K-12 School Mask Policies and School-Associated
COVID-19 Outbreaks -- Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona, July-August 2021"; "COVID-19-Related School Closures and Learning Modality Changes --United States, August 1-September 17, 2021"; "Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements - United States, July 1-September 4, 2021"; "Safety Monitoring of an Additional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine -- United States, August 12-September 19, 2021"; "Notes from the Field: Deaths Related to Hurricane Ida Reported by Media -- Nine States, August 29-September 9, 2021"; "Notes from the Field: E-Cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2021"; and "QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Female Breast Cancer, by State --National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-01
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COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated October 1, 2021]
From the Summary: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters; loan guaranty and venture capital programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has become especially acute in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's widespread adverse economic impact on the national economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2021-10-01
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COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "The 2021 Annual Report will focus on the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and its implications for life expectancy, with a definite emphasis on the UK situation but without losing sight of the global picture. The aim is to condense a variety of useful, unbiased information into one convenient reference guide that the target audience may use to better understand and navigate their responsibilities in a domain of great uncertainty. The Report will firstly provide an overview of the current state of the pandemic, with a focus on the UK situation within the global context. We will then summarise the development and deployment of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, and the behavioural insights we gained from the social change brought on by the pandemic. We will devote one chapter to the economic fallout of the pandemic in the UK and its effect on pre-existing social inequalities. One chapter will focus on how COVID-19 has affected the NHS and the social care system. Lastly, we will summarise the development and adoption of new technologies in healthcare in the wake of the pandemic."
Longevity Science Panel
Dunnell, Karen; Blakemore, Colin; Haberman, Steven, 1951- . . .
2021-10
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SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern and Variants Under Investigation in England
From the Summary: "This report has been published to continue to share the detailed variant surveillance analyses which contribute to the variant risk assessments and designation of new VOCs [variants of concern] and VUIs [variants under investigation]. The specialist technical briefings contain early data and analysis on emerging variants and findings have a high level of uncertainty. A separate report is published [hyperlink] covering surveillance data on all other VOCs and VUIs."
Great Britain. Crown Office; United Kingdom Health Security Agency
2021-10-01
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Masks and Respirators for the 21st Century: Policy Changes Needed to Save Lives and Prevent Societal Disruption
From the Executive Summary: "Masks and respirators have played an essential role in the response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic for both healthcare workers and the public. However, the masks and respirators that both healthcare workers and the public have needed to rely upon leave much to be desired. [...] In this report, we provide an overview of the history and types of masks and respirators that exist and consider the development, manufacture, approval, and stockpiling of better respiratory protection for healthcare workers, the nonhealthcare workforce, and the public in the United States. We address issues related to acceptance and willingness to wear face coverings, masks, or respirators. We discuss ways to foster ingenuity in designs of new devices, promote advanced development, obtain regulatory approval, and stockpile a reasonable number of devices."
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Center for Health Security
Toner, Eric (Eric S.); Veenema, Tener Goodwin; Adalja, Amesh A. . . .
2021-10
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Are We Entering a New Age of Pandemics?
From the Document: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is only the latest in a succession of new infectious threats that have emerged in recent decades. Since 1970, we've faced bird flu, SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome], Ebola, Nipah virus, Marburg fever, cryptosporidiosis and hantavirus. Not to mention resurging diseases, which include monkeypox, dengue and yellow fever, drug-resistant malaria, and even plague. And while HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, may have emerged as early as the 1920s, it only became a mass global killer in the 1980s, responsible for over thirty million deaths since then. The irony of our progress against death from infection over the past two centuries is that our success has helped create the perfect environment for the emergence of a new disease outbreak, and for that outbreak to have catastrophic global social and economic impact. Does that mean we are entering a new age of pandemics? Certainly, the risk is there. Evolutionary biologist Katherine Smith and colleagues at Brown University studied more than 12,000 reported disease outbreaks worldwide since 1980 and concluded that both the number of diseases and the number of outbreaks have been increasing over time. [...] Adding to the danger--and despite everything we've learned since the first age of pandemics--the world responds poorly to the risk of outbreak infections. Not least, we could reduce that risk in the first place through far better sanitation, for humans and domestic animals alike."
Center for Global Development
Kenny, Charles
2021-10
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COVID-19 Contracting: Indian Health Service Used Flexibilities to Meet Increased Medical Supply Needs, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Government Accountability Office Highlights: "The Indian Health Service (IHS) serves over 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. These groups have been disproportionately vulnerable to negative outcomes from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. During emergencies, federal contracting staff face pressure to work quickly to meet increased needs. We examined some of IHS's COVID-related contracts to see how the agency's efforts fared. [...] We analyzed relevant federal procurement data through June 30, 2021. We also reviewed four contracts-- covering about 1/4 of obligations in IHS's largest product category (medical and surgical instruments, equipment, and supplies). We also interviewed IHS contracting officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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Assessing SARS-CoV-2 Circulation, Variants of Concern, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions and Vaccine Rollout in the EU/EEA, 16th Update
From the Summary: "Since its emergence in March 2021, the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of concern (VOC) has rapidly become predominant across the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). More than 99% of newly reported cases are attributed to this variant. The Delta variant has demonstrated a significant transmission advantage relative to previously circulating SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] strains. However, full vaccination remains protective against severe outcomes such as hospitalisation, admission to intensive care and death. Currently available vaccines have played a crucial role in limiting viral circulation and in particular, limiting the impact of infections by the Delta variant. Despite the fact that over 565 million vaccine doses have been administered in the EU/EEA so far, only 61.1% (range: 18.4-79.4%) of the total population in the EU/EEA have been fully vaccinated to date. The total population includes children and adolescents for whom the vaccine is not available or who may not be included in national target groups yet. There is considerable inter-country and sub-national variation in vaccine uptake, resulting in large proportions of the EU/EEA population remaining susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Modelling scenarios that consider vaccination coverage, vaccine effectiveness, natural immunity and population contact rates--in the context of continued Delta circulation--indicate that the potential burden of disease risk in the EU/EEA from the Delta variant is high between now to the end of November, unless vaccination coverage can be increased rapidly in the total population in the next few weeks."
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2021-09-30
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Bargaining Over Workplace Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This document from UNISON, the United Kingdom's (UK) largest public service trade union, provides workplace guidance relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK. Topics include: working from home, absence due to illness or care-taking responsibilities, mental health issues, hygiene, etc. The document is updated on a regular basis.
UNISON (Organization)
2021-09-30
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FLETC's Actions to Respond to and Manage COVID-19 at Its Glynco Training Center
From the Highlights: "After temporarily closing in March 2020 due to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], FLETC [Federal Law Enforcement Training Center] reopened its facilities in June 2020 with 'reengineered training programs' designed to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19. We conducted a review to determine actions the Glynco training center has taken to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among staff and students."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2021-09-30
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COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making Factors in Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities in Los Angeles, California
From the Abstract: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has had disproportionate effects on racial and ethnic minority communities, where preexisting clinical and social conditions amplify health and social disparities. Many of these communities report lower vaccine confidence and lower receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine. Understanding factors that influence the multifaceted decision-making process for vaccine uptake is critical for narrowing COVID-19-related disparities. [...] This qualitative study used community-engaged methods to conduct virtual focus groups from November 16, 2020, to January 28, 2021, with Los Angeles County residents. Potential participants were recruited through email, video, and telephone outreach to community partner networks. Focus groups were stratified by self-identified race and ethnicity as well as age. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis."
JAMA Network
Carson, Savanna L.; Casilla, Alejandra; Castellon-Lopez, Yelba . . .
2021-09-30
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Assessment of Communication Strategies for Mitigating COVID-19 Vaccine-Specific Hesitancy in Canada
From the Introduction: "Mass vaccination campaigns are rapidly proceeding globally. These campaigns make use of vaccines with different characteristics, such as their country of origin, number of required doses, underlying technology (eg, mRNA [Messenger ribonucleic acid]), and their levels of efficacy and safety. Containing the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic will require vaccinating at least 70% of US individuals and billions more globally. It will also likely require follow-up or booster vaccinations. Understanding the sources of hesitancy and identifying correctives is, thus, vitally important for global public health. Important research identifies sources of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Resistance appears to be higher among people with low trust in expertise and, in the US, among Republican party identifiers. Vaccine hesitancy is also higher among racial and ethnic minority groups, women, those with more skepticism about childhood vaccines, and those skeptical of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work aligns with findings on which groups of citizens are more likely to comply with public health directives on mask usage and social distancing and broader findings on vaccine hesitancy outside of the COVID-19 context. [...] . In this study, we examine whether providing information on the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines at preventing death from COVID-19 increases people's confidence in their effectiveness and reduces their hesitancy toward these vaccines. We also explore whether this information can mitigate possible negative consequences that arise from providing information on the comparatively less-impressive record of these vaccines at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection."
JAMA Network
Merkley, Eric; Loewen, Peter John, 1979-
2021-09-30
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COVID-19 Vaccination: Selected U.S. Data Sources [Updated September 30, 2021]
From the Document: "In the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine program, doses are first 'allocated' and made available to states and other jurisdictions for ordering. Once ordered, doses are 'delivered' (distributed) to appropriate state and jurisdictional sites. States then allocate and deliver doses to health departments, health care systems, pharmacies, and multi-county entities, which can further re-allocate to local clinical sites. Providers then 'administer' doses to patients and report administration data to jurisdictions and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. (See CDC's How COVID-19 Vaccines Get to You [hyperlink] and About COVID-19 Vaccine Delivered and Administration Data [hyperlink].) Federal health care programs (e.g., Veterans Health Administration) manage vaccine data through a similar process. Comirnaty (the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine) is approved [hyperlink] as a two-dose vaccine for ages 16+. Comirnaty is also authorized [hyperlink] for uses that fall outside the scope of its approval--that is, as a two-dose regimen in individuals aged 12-15, as a third dose for certain immunocompromised individuals aged 12+, and as a single booster dose to be given at least six months after the primary series in certain individuals aged 18+. For more information, see CRS Report R46913, 'FDA Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions.' Vaccines manufactured by Moderna (a two-dose vaccine) and J&J/Janssen [Johnson & Johnson/Janssen] (a single-dose vaccine) are currently authorized [hyperlink] for emergency use for ages 18+. The Moderna [hyperlink] vaccine is also authorized to be given as a third dose to certain immunocompromised individuals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cornell, Ada S.; Napili, Angela
2021-09-30
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FDA Approval of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated September 29, 2021]
From the Document: "In August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech for individuals 16 years of age or older. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the first COVID-19 vaccine--and the first vaccine based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology-- to be licensed by FDA. Pfizer and BioNTech will market their licensed COVID-19 vaccine under the brand name Comirnaty (pronounced koe-MIR-na-tee). [...] FDA's approval of Comirnaty has caused some confusion about the scope of FDA's approval, the relationship between Comirnaty and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and other issues. This report addresses some common questions about FDA's approval of Comirnaty."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hickey, Kevin J.; Bodie, Agata; Ward, Erin H.
2021-09-29
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Argentina: An Overview [Updated September 29, 2021]
"Situated on the Atlantic coast of South America's Southern Cone, Argentina has a vibrant democratic tradition and has Latin America's third-largest economy. U.S.-Argentine relations have been strong in recent years. [...] Upon taking office, President Fernández faced an economy in recession, high poverty, and unsustainable public debt. He pledged to restructure Argentina's debt and opened talks with bondholders and other creditors. He also rolled out several measures, including a food program and price controls on basic goods, aimed at helping low-income Argentines cope with inflation and increased poverty. [...] Argentina has been hard hit by the pandemic. COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] cases and deaths surged in May and June 2021 but have since declined. As of September 29, 2021, the country reported over 115,000 deaths, with a mortality rate of 255 per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. Although the procurement and rollout of vaccines was initially slow compared with some other countries, as of September 29, 48.1% of Argentina's population was fully vaccinated. [...] In July 2021, the United States donated 3.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna) to Argentina. In addition, according to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, the United States has donated more than $4 million in COVID-19 relief supplies, including three relief hospitals and other supplies provided by the U.S. Southern Command."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2021-09-29
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Issues Raised by a Federal Government Shutdown: Grants to State and Local Governments and the Covid-19 Pandemic [Updated September 29, 2021]
From the Document: "Midnight September 30, 2021, will be the end of FY2021. In the absence of new funding legislation for FY2022, funding for federal agencies and activities funded through all 12 of the regular annual appropriations acts will lapse. The resulting lapse in appropriations will require a shutdown of most federal agency operations [hyperlink], including those necessary to administer federal aid to state and local governments. [...] Since March 2020, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic response legislation has provided additional funding for federal grant programs to state and local governments. According to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, $582.3 billion [hyperlink] has been provided to state, local, and tribal governments for pandemic response, not including additional grant funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 [hyperlink] (American Rescue Plan, P.L. 117-2, enacted March 11, 2021). The American Rescue Plan provided an additional $360 billion [hyperlink], of which $219.8 billion was appropriated for the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund [hyperlink], $130.2 billion for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund [hyperlink], and $10 billion for the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund [hyperlink]. A federal government shutdown may cause disruption to, or cessation of, grant administration activities for normal grant program appropriations, as well as pandemic-related supplemental funding, depending on the following factors: [1] the timing and duration of a federal government shutdown; and [2] the choices made by federal, state, and local officials in anticipation of, or during, a shutdown regarding grant program administration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Keegan, Natalie
2021-09-29
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COVID-19: Reviewing Existing Policies Could Help Selected Agencies Better Prepare for Dedicated User Fee Revenue Fluctuations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Each year, federal agencies collect billions of dollars in dedicated user fee revenue from fees charged to users of federal goods and services, which are dedicated by law for a specific purpose or program. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic disrupted critical government operations for agencies that rely on these revenues. The CARES Act [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the effects of the pandemic on public institutions of the U.S. This report examines how dedicated user fee revenues have changed since the onset of the pandemic and how selected agencies managed revenue changes related to the pandemic, among other objectives. To determine revenue changes, GAO compared dedicated user fee revenues in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to amounts from prior years. GAO selected three agencies to review-- FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], NPS [National Park Service], and USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services]--based on whether they relied on dedicated user fee revenue to a high (FAA and USCIS) or low (NPS) extent, among other factors. GAO interviewed officials at the selected agencies and reviewed relevant documents to determine how these agencies managed revenue changes, and compared those actions to internal control standards and leading practices for fee design."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-29
