Tag: COVID-19 vaccine

High demand for COVID-19 vaccine eases fear of hesitancy, but resistance among Republicans, other groups remain

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Before a row of cameras, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov. Tim Walz and former GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty rolled up their sleeves and relaxed their arms as both men received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. 

The bipartisan effort to encourage Minnesotans to seek innoculation against COVID-19 came on the day all state residents 16 and older became eligible for vaccination. 

The photo opportunity, however, wasn’t just a feel-good moment to mark the eligibility expansion: State and health leaders are pulling out all the stops to reach people who are hesitant to take the vaccine for a series of reasons, including skepticism of government, the record-fast development of the vaccines, fear of long-lasting side effects and the preservation of personal liberty.  Continue reading.

Economy adds whopping 916,000 jobs as recovery accelerates

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The U.S. added a whopping 916,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 6 percent in March as the recovery from the coronavirus recession chugged ahead, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The March jobs report showed the U.S. economy picking up speed as COVID-19 vaccinations accelerated, restrictions eased and President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion relief plan meant to give struggling households and businesses a bridge to the other side of the pandemic.

Economists had projected the U.S. to gain 675,000 jobs in March as consumer and business confidence rose, manufacturing activity sped up and workforce management companies reported steady rises in hiring and hours worked. Continue reading.

US faces pivotal moment in COVID-19 fight

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The U.S. is facing a pivotal moment in the fight against COVID-19, as a new rise in cases poses a threat even as vaccinations make progress.

Cases are up about 12 percent nationally compared to the previous week, averaging around 62,000 cases per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The figures come as CDC Director Rochelle Walensky issued a dire warning this week of “impending doom” in the nation’s coronavirus battle.

Still, the country is in a markedly different place from previous COVID-19 surges, due in large part to the hope on the horizon from vaccine availability. The vaccination campaign is moving at a solid pace, often exceeding 3 million shots per day. Continue reading.

Rep. Dean Phillips: Big News This Week

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Hi Neighbors,

Happy Passover and a blessed holy week to those who are celebrating, and happy spring to all! I hope you’ll join me in reflecting on the importance of family, community, and working together to overcome adversity. 

Right off the bat, I have some exciting news to share: you are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine! All Minnesotans 16 and older can now register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. For now, demand will still exceed supply, and it may be frustrating and difficult to get an appointment. Vaccine shipments from the federal government will continue to increase over the coming weeks and safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines will be available at no cost to every Minnesotan who wants one. In the meantime, I urge you to ensure your information is up-to-date with your healthcare provider and to sign up for the Vaccine Connector so that you can get a vaccine as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Vaccines Open To These Groups
Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips: Big News This Week”

Minnesota COVID-19 hospitalizations back above 400

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But hope is vaccine will blunt most severe illness. 

COVID-19 hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past four weeks in Minnesota, but state health officials remain encouraged that vaccinations will prevent a surge in severe illnesses and deaths.

While doctors have reported younger patients and better outcomes than in the spring and fall pandemic waves, the 411 COVID-19 cases in Minnesota hospitals on Tuesday included 102 who needed intensive care due to breathing problems or other complications. The ICU number hasn’t been that high since Jan. 23.

Gov. Tim Walz offered a stay-the-course message to Minnesotans this week to continue mask-wearing and social distancing practices and to seek the first COVID-19 vaccine available to them — now that everyone 16 or older is eligible under the state’s distribution plan. Continue reading.

Republicans seek to make vaccine passports the next battle in the pandemic culture wars

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Republicans are opening a new front in the pandemic culture wars, attacking efforts by the Biden administration to develop guidelines for  coronavirusvaccination passports that businesses can use to determine who can safely participate in activities such as flights, concerts and indoor dining.

The issue has received an increasing amount of attention from some of the party’s most extreme members and conservative media figures, but it has also been seized on by Republican leaders like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate.

“We are not supporting doing any vaccine passports in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said Monday. “It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society.” Continue reading.

Pfizer, Moderna vaccines are 90% effective after two doses in study of real-life conditions, CDC confirms

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Report on essential workers is one of the first to estimate protection against any infection, regardless of symptoms

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being deployed to fight the coronavirus pandemic are robustly effective in preventing infections in real-life conditions, according to a federal study released Monday that provides reassurance of protection for front-line workers in the United States.

In a study of about 4,000 health-care personnel, police, firefighters and other essential workers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 80 percent after one shot. Protection increased to 90 percent following the second dose. The findings are consistent with clinical trial results and studies showing strong effectiveness in Israel and the United Kingdom, and in initial studies of health-care workers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and in Southern California.

The CDC report is significant, experts said, because it analyzed how well the vaccines worked among a diverse group of front-line working-age adults whose jobs make them more likely to be exposed to the virus and to spread it. Continue reading.

After Voting to Deliver Billions in Aid to Minnesota, Phillips to Visit Community Vaccination Site in Bloomington

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Phillips will tour the Mall of America Community Vaccination Site as vaccine eligibility expands in Minnesota

BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA – Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) will visit the Mall of America Community Vaccination Site as vaccine eligibility expands in Minnesota following American Rescue Plan distribution investments. Phillips will meet with local public health leaders and health care workers at the State-run site, which was created to expand vaccine access and improve equity. Minnesota’s vaccine administration is among the best in the nation, and after a record-setting weekend, nearly one-third of adults have received their first dose. 

Earlier this month, Phillips helped pass the American Rescue Plan, a historic COVID-19 relief bill that delivered $4.9 billion in aid to the state of Minnesota and is supported by a wide majority of Americans. According to state officials, more than $850 million will go towards public health, including $85 million to expand and improve COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration. With new funding and additional vaccine supply forthcoming, Gov. Walz expanded eligibility to include all Minnesotans age 16 or older beginning March 30.

Continue reading “After Voting to Deliver Billions in Aid to Minnesota, Phillips to Visit Community Vaccination Site in Bloomington”

Far-Right Extremists Move From ‘Stop the Steal’ to Stop the Vaccine

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Extremist organizations are now bashing the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines in an effort to try to undermine the government.

Adherents of far-right groups who cluster online have turned repeatedly to one particular website in recent weeks — the federal database showing deaths and adverse reactions nationwide among people who have received Covid-19 vaccinations.

Although negative reactions have been relatively rare, the numbers are used by many extremist groups to try to bolster a rash of false and alarmist disinformation in articles and videos with titles like “Covid-19 Vaccines Are Weapons of Mass Destruction — and Could Wipe out the Human Race” or “Doctors and Nurses Giving the Covid-19 Vaccine Will be Tried as War Criminals.”

If the so-called Stop the Steal movement appeared to be chasing a lost cause once President Biden was inaugurated, its supporters among extremist organizations are now adopting a new agenda from the anti-vaccination campaign to try to undermine the government. Continue reading.

Company with Trump administration tie may be COVID-19 vaccine bottleneck

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Company may be part of the reason why Johnson & Johnson vaccines are delayed

A pharmaceutical contractor under scrutiny for its ties to former government officials could be one of the bottlenecks holding up the production of millions of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

Emergent BioSolutions, the U.S. company making “drug substance,” the active ingredient in the vaccines, is still awaiting regulatory authorization, according to a company official familiar with the process. Emergent-made doses were not included in the paperwork Johnson & Johnson submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. That means that the material Emergent makes would not be available to be used for vaccines that can be administered in the United States now. 

Johnson & Johnson is due to deliver 20 million doses by the end of March, but just 4.7 million had been delivered as of March 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading.