“We’re gonna lose a bunch more people, West Virginia, no question about that,” says Gov. Jim Justice, reports CNN Health.
Lowest vaccination rates
West Virginia once a leader in vaccinations now has one of the lowest rates in the country, is losing residents every day to Covid-19. “We’re gonna lose a bunch more people, West Virginia, no question about that,” Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday.
The number of Covid-19 patients in ICUs peaked at an all-time high — 298, the governor said. “All I can do, with a good conscience, is continue to urge you, in every way, to get vaccinated,” he said.
Flu season
Vaccination
Many doctors are determined for Americans to get vaccinated — especially as the flu season could lead to simultaneous infections of the Delta variant and the flu. “We’ve been too complacent about the spread of respiratory diseases in the wintertime,” former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said.
Readjusted way of living
“With a twin threat of flu and Covid circulating, we’re not going to be able to enjoy that complacency anymore,” he said. “I think we’re going to have to readjust how we live our lives.”
Wearing masks
He said that could include optional mask-wearing in the winter or improved air filtration in schools and workplaces.
On the outlook for good news
Mandatory vaccination
The White House says vaccine requirements for some private companies are still weeks away from being implemented, weeks after President Joe Biden announced the new mandates were coming.
During a news briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the administration hopes to have “more detail” on the regulations “in the coming weeks.”
OSHA working on timeline
Psaki said she “couldn’t give a timeline,” on the regulations, but that “OSHA is working on them.” There may be good news on the horizon, though. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its ensemble forecast Wednesday saying new Covid-19 deaths are likely to decrease over the next four weeks. Last week’s forecast, published September 22, predicted up to 736,000 Covid-19 deaths reported by October 16.
Covid vaccines
Third dose
As more eligible Americans get a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, new data shows “the frequency and type of side effects were similar to those seen after the second vaccine doses and were mostly mild or moderate and short-lived,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC and adults who lives or work in a setting that puts them at high risk of coronavirus exposure.
For more information read our article Who Exactly Is Eligible To Get The Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Dose?
Pfizer boosters
Health experts are also looking into whether those who originally got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine can get Pfizer boosters before the companies release their own, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Data evaluating the safety and efficacy of mixing different brands of vaccines is coming soon and will be submitted to the FDA for review, Fauci said Tuesday.
Parents dispute over children’s vaccination
This week, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported 206,864 new Covid-19 cases among children during the week ending September 23. Gottlieb said he believes that will happen “imminently.”
When the FDA does give the green light, the US will have the capacity to vaccinate younger kids, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Tuesday.
“The FDA’s top priority is getting Covid vaccines for the population, particularly for our children,” he said.
But parents are split on whether they would vaccinate children in that age group.
An Axios-Ipsos poll published Tuesday showed 44% of parents of 5- to-11-year-olds would likely vaccinate their children, while 42% said they likely won’t.
The CDC issued an urgent recommendation Wednesday saying women trying or planning to become pregnant and those who are breastfeeding should also be vaccinated, adding that only 31% of pregnant women have been vaccinated.
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Source: CNN Health
