New data released Tuesday from the Kaiser Family Foundation found a closing gap in racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who is leading the White House's effort on health equity, said during a news conference the numbers were "very, very encouraging to see."
The Kaiser Family Foundation survey found 73% of Hispanic adults, 71% of white adults and 70% of Black adults in the United States had already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier in the nation's vaccination efforts, data showed a much wider gap among vaccination rates between different racial and ethnic groups, driven by barriers to access and misconceptions, Nunez-Smith said. The new data is "the result of intentional work to address those barriers, to address those concerns," she said.
The survey also found among those with the lowest vaccination rates were white, evangelical Christians, rural residents, Republicans and the uninsured under age 65.
Meanwhile, hospitals and nursing homes around the U.S. were bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
With ultimatums taking effect this week in states such as New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine.
New York health care employees had until the end of the day Monday to get at least one dose, but some hospitals had already begun suspending or taking action against holdouts.
In New York, the percentage of nursing home staff receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine increased to 92% on Monday evening, up from 83% on Wednesday. Around 92% of hospital staffs had also received at least one dose of vaccine by Monday. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order late Monday to expand the pool of eligible workers. Retirees will be allowed to more easily re-enter the workforce and the pool of staff who can administer COVID-19 testing and vaccinations will be expanded.
Also in the news:
►Pfizer and BioNTech said Tuesday that they have submitted data from a clinical trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 to the Food and Drug Administration. The companies plan to submit a request for emergency use authorization of the vaccine in young children after data showed it is safe and effective at one-third the dose used in adolescents and adults.
►Japan is set to lift all coronavirus emergency measures when they expire later this week as the infections slow and the nation tries to reactivate its economy.
►The rising number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has placed a new burden on northeast Ohio hospitals. Leaders from a number of hospitals in the area said they were facing a shortage of beds and lengthy wait times for emergency care.
►Rapid COVID-19 tests are in short supply across California, forcing some testing facilities to turn away those seeking a quick test, even workers who need the tests as part of regular screening mandates.
►Health officials in Umatilla County, Oregon, say they are starting to see COVID-19 cases linked to the Pendleton Round-Up, a large annual rodeo that ended Sept. 25.
►A statewide eviction moratorium ends in California on Friday, but officials are rushing to make sure tenants with unpaid rent know they can still stay in their homes after that date if they've already applied for assistance from the state.
📈Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 43 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 690,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 232 million cases and 4.7 million deaths. More than 183 million Americans – 55% of the population – have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
📘 What we're reading: Dozens of school bus drivers have died of COVID-19, which has led to both shortages in drivers and widespread worries. Read more here.
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$825M to be distributed to community mental health centers
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced Tuesday it was distributing $825 million in grants to 231 community mental health centers across the country as Americans continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Act of 2021, SAMHSA said.
From August 2020 through February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental health care need increased from 9.2% to 11.7%, according to CDC data.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our ability to ensure timely access to treatment services and recovery supports. This funding will help CMHCs address local needs, which have become even more urgent in the past year,” Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, head of SAMHSA, said in a press release.
– Grace Hauck
At-home COVID-19 tests hard to find as Biden mandate looms
The Biden administration will spend nearly $2 billion on coronavirus home tests in tandem with a vaccinate-or-test mandate for corporate America.
But experts say the administration’s purchase of 280 million non-laboratory tests won’t be enough to meet testing needs as private employers, K-12 schools and a delta variant-driven testing surge make it harder to find timely tests.
“We’re hitting a crisis and the tests the president is going to be purchasing are not nearly sufficient,” said Dr. Michael Mina, a Harvard epidemiologist who has advocated broader use of home tests as a public health measure. Read more here.
– Ken Alltucker
Appeals panel says NYC teacher vaccine mandate can go ahead
A three-judge federal panel ruled late Monday that New York City's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for its teachers can take effect.
The ruling comes after a judge last week temporarily blocked the mandate from going into place Monday so that the group of teachers challenging the requirement could have their argument heard.
The ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows the requirement to be put back into place, but lawyers for the teachers group said they will seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mayor Bill de Blasio had issued the requirement of the city's teachers and educational staff. Teachers have until the end of this week to get vaccinated, he said.
California prison staff required to vaccinate, judge orders
A federal judge on Monday ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption, as he tries to head off a coronavirus outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year.
More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected and at least 240 have died since the start of the pandemic.
“All agree that a mandatory staff vaccination policy would lower the risk of preventable death and serious medical consequences among incarcerated persons,” wrote U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar. “And no one has identified any remedy that will produce anything close to the same benefit.”
Tigar has broad authority to direct medical care within California prisons under a long-running lawsuit over poor health care.
“Once the virus enters a facility, it is very difficult to contain, and the dominant route by which it enters a prison is through infected staff,” the judge reasoned.
As of Monday, there were 218 active inmate infections, 129 of them at North Kern State Prison near Bakersfield, California. Wasco State Prison in the same county had 32 infected inmates, but only one other prison has double-digit infections.
Statewide, there were 357 active employee infections; 39 employees have died, including three this month.
Inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association has said the mandate could create staff shortages if employees refuse to comply.
New Boston Celtics coach starts tenure with COVID-19
This isn’t exactly how Ime Udoka drew things up to kick off his tenure as the new head coach of the Boston Celtics.
While the team’s players were on hand for an in-person media day Monday, Udoka had to partake in the event virtually after contracting a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
Udoka, who is vaccinated, said he was mostly asymptomatic aside from a slight headache at the outset of having the virus. Udoka was in his 10th day of isolation and he hopes to be with the Celtics on Tuesday when they begin training camp practices.
“In general, it’s been a little bit of a whirlwind summer being gone a lot,” said Udoka, who was an assistant on the U.S. men’s basketball team for the Olympics. “Obviously to the Olympics for a while and then this happening within the last 10 or so days. Really relied on the staff and our previous relationship to hit the ground running.”
– Greg Dudek, The Brockton Enterprise
Contributing: David Robinson. Gannett's New York State Team; Associated Press
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