Tag: COVID-19

US hits game-changing moment in COVID-19 fight

The Hill logo

The U.S. is on the cusp of a game-changing moment in the fight against COVID-19 after a one-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson passed a key regulatory hurdle on Wednesday, giving it a clear path to emergency-use authorization. 

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of a large clinical trial found the company’s vaccine completely prevented hospitalizations and death and was also mostly effective against preventing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.

The vaccine may also provide better protection than expected against new variants of the virus. Continue reading.

Moderna says new version of vaccine is tailored to quell infection by South Africa variant

Washington Post logo

NOTE: This article provided free of charge for all to read by The Washington Post.

Moderna said Wednesday that it has manufactured a new version of its coronavirus vaccine that is tailored to quell infection by the variant first identified in South Africa. A small amount of vaccine has been sent to the National Institutes of Health for a trial to determine whether boosting humans with the modified vaccine will stimulate a strong immune response, the company said.

The news came after the release of a Food and Drug Administration review finding the single-shot coronavirus vaccine made by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson safe and effective. The review sets the stage for a third coronavirus vaccine to be authorized in the United States as soon as this weekend. View the post.

FDA panel endorses Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine

The Hill logo

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Friday endorsed Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine and recommended the agency grant emergency authorization, moving the nation’s third vaccine one step closer to getting into Americans’ arms.

The panel voted 22-0 that the benefits outweigh the risks for adults age 18 and older. 

FDA could give the green light to the single-dose vaccine as early as Saturday. Continue reading.

Drug executives: Big jump in vaccine supply is coming soon

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 vaccine makers told Congress on Tuesday to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month, and the companies insist they will be able to provide enough for most Americans to get inoculated by summer.

By the end of March, Pfizer and Moderna expect to have provided the U.S. government with a total of 220 million vaccine doses, up sharply from the roughly 75 million shipped so far.

“We do believe we’re on track,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said, outlining ways the company has ramped up production. “We think we’re at a very good spot.” Continue reading.

Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans

Minnesota COVID Vaccine Connector Header


As more vaccine arrives in Minnesota, the state is laying out a path to vaccinate all Minnesotans.

Governor Tim Walz announced today that Minnesota will vaccinate at least 70% of Minnesotans age 65 years and older before expanding eligibility to other groups, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March.

Once 70% of the state’s seniors have received the vaccine, Minnesota will expand eligibility based on underlying health conditions and workplace exposure risk. Minnesota will move forward with phases of vaccine eligibility based on science, medical evidence, and federal guidance:

Continue reading “Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans”

State Lawmakers Defy Governors in a Covid-Era Battle for Power

New York Times logo

Legislators across the country, mostly Republicans, are moving to strip the powers of governors, many of them Democrats, who have taken on extraordinary authority to fight the pandemic.

Partisan warfare over pandemic lockdowns and mask-wearing is on the wane in Washington: A bitter presidential election has been decided, coronavirus cases are plummeting nationally and vaccines are rolling out slowly but steadily.

Yet in state capitols, the politicized fights are boiling over.

State lawmakers across the country, most of them Republicans, are moving aggressively to strip the powers of governors, often Democrats, who have taken on extraordinary authority to limit the spread of the virus for nearly a year. Continue reading.

GOP not worried about voting against popular relief bill

The Hill logo

Republicans are dismissing the idea that they’ll be punished at the ballot box for voting against President Biden‘s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

The relief measure is expected to get few, if any, GOP votes as it moves through Congress in the coming weeks. Democrats are trying to pressure Republicans into voting for the package, touting polls that show it’s popular with the public.

Republicans counter that much of the bill is focused on Democrats’ longstanding priorities rather than coronavirus relief. And strategists note that it’s unclear whether voters will be thinking about the relief package closer to the midterm elections, which are more than a year and a half away.  Continue reading.

FDA analysis finds Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is safe and effective

Axios logo

The Food and Drug Administration’s staff released a briefing document on Wednesday endorsing Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine as safe and effective.

What’s next: An FDA advisory panel will meet Friday to review the briefing document and vote on whether to recommend an emergency use authorization (EUA). The FDA could then issue the (EUA) as soon as this weekend, clearing the way for distribution in the U.S. to begin.

Details: The shot was found to be 66.9% effective against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 cases 14 days after vaccination, and 66.1% effective after 28 days. Against severe/critical cases, the vaccine was 76.6% effective after 14 days and 85.4% effective after 28 days. Continue reading.

500,000 dead, a number almost too large to grasp

Washington Post logo

Here are three ways to visualize the monstrous death toll of the coronavirus in this country

A year ago, covid-19 had killed just a handful of people in the United States. Now, the pandemic’s official death toll equals the size of a major city, more than the population of Kansas City, Mo., and nearly as many as Atlanta or Sacramento.

It can be hard to grasp the enormity — almost half a million people, gone. What if we imagined them traveling as one group? Or killed in action? Or all buried together?

If 500,000 passengers traveled by bus …

An average motor coach — the kind of bus you would take from one city to another — holds 50 people. Transporting only the number of people who died last month would require dozens of buses. Continue reading.

COVID-19 vaccine FAQ: Here’s everything you need to know

The Hill logo

COVID-19 vaccines offer hope for getting out of the pandemic. They also raise a lot of questions. Here are some answers.

Are they safe? What are the side effects?

Both vaccines authorized in the United States, from Pfizer and Moderna, have been found to be safe after intensive reviews by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts looked at safety data from about 30,000 people who participated in the clinical trials for each vaccine, and now millions more people have gotten the vaccines. Serious side effects have been extremely rare and have so far consisted of severe allergic reactions in a few people. The rate of severe allergic reactions is about 4.5 per 1 million shots administered, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. And allergic reactions can be treated. Continue reading.