The Army will immediately begin discharging soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Under a directive issued by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, commanders are to initiate "involuntary administrative separation proceedings" against unvaccinated soldiers with no approved or pending exemption request, the Pentagon said in a statement Wednesday. The order applies to regular Army, reservists and cadets.
“Army readiness depends on Soldiers who are prepared to train, deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars,” Wormuth said in a statement. “Unvaccinated Soldiers present risk to the force and jeopardize readiness."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August ordered vaccination for every service member. The Army has not yet involuntarily separated any soldiers for failing to get vaccinated. The Navy announced it would begin discharging unvaccinated members in December; the Air Force began letting go of unvaccinated people that same month.
Also in the news:
►The Food and Drug Administration said its vaccine advisory committee will have a virtual meeting Feb. 15 to discuss Pfizer-BioNTech's request for an emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years. The companies applied for the EUA on Tuesday, and if cleared the shots could be available as soon as late February.
►Tonga entered a lockdown Wednesday evening after finding coronavirus infections in two port workers helping distribute aid arriving in the Pacific island nation after a volcanic eruption and tsunami.
►India Arie and Graham Nash have joined the list of musicians asking that their music be removed from Spotify following Neil Young's protest over podcaster Joe Rogan spreading false information about vaccines on the platform.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 75 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 890,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 382 million cases and over 5.6 million deaths. More than 211 million Americans – 63.8% – are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘 What we're reading: The national debt surpassed $30 trillion for the first time Tuesday, fueled in part by the coronavirus pandemic and what economists describe as years of unsustainable government spending that could have long-term consequences for every American.
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Mardi Gras mask, vaccine rules draw legal challenge in New Orleans
More than 100 people have joined a lawsuit against New Orleans’ mayor and health director over COVID-19 restrictions recently extended to parade and other participants on Mardi Gras and the parties leading up to Fat Tuesday on March 1.
The 2020 festival was later recognized as a super spreader that turned New Orleans into an early pandemic hot spot. Last season, parades were canceled and bars were shuttered. This month, masks are required in bars, restaurants and other public spaces. And children as young as 5 must show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for the virus to get into indoor public areas.
The lawsuit against Mayor LaToya Cantrell and health director Jennifer Avegno targets mask and vaccination mandates. City Hall spokesman Beau Tidwell said the city normally doesn't publicly respond to litigation.
“However, in this case I think it’s worth noting that the guidelines that we put in place saved lives, full stop," Tidwell said. "The vaccine mandate and the mask requirements are going to remain in place throughout Mardi Gras.”
Surge of child COVID cases fueled rise in inflammatory disease
Although overall child COVID-19 case counts are on their way down in the United States, the January numbers were 3.5 times higher with the omicron variant than what was seen with the previous delta surge, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The increase in cases has resulted in more pediatric hospitalizations and the rise of a dangerous inflammatory disorder called MIS-C, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. MISC-C is a condition leading to inflammation in the body affecting organs such as the heart and lungs, occurs about four weeks after infection and can cause high fever, rash, and in some children, other serious health outcomes.
Dr. John Vanchiere, president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and chief of LSU Health Shreveport's Department of Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Section, said about 6,000 cases of MIS-C have been documented nationwide.
"Their whole immune system is really turned on inappropriately," Vanchiere said. "That inflammation can have long-term effects on the heart and particularly the coronary arteries. We're worried about that."
Pandemic isolates seniors. Loneliness is taking its toll.
Even before the pandemic, advocates and health experts had warned of loneliness and social isolation among the nation’s older adult population. Now, nearly two years in, they say government mandates and precautionary measures meant to control the virus by limiting social interaction have taken an emotional, mental and physical toll. Geriatric workers say rates of depression and anxiety have risen among their clients in that time. In more severe cases, those conditions have led to cognitive and physical deterioration, or worse.
“People experienced cognitive decline from having no stimulation, and that has persisted,” said Stacey Malcolmson, Senior Source president and CEO. “For those with underlying mental health conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s, we’ve been finding that that cognitive decline is irreversible.”
– Marc Ramirez
Many physicians still prescribing ivermectin despite dubious evidence
Contrary to scientific evidence and warnings from health agencies, hundreds of doctors nationwide continue to prescribe ivermectin – encouraged by a little-known national group of physicians – to prevent and treat COVID-19. Many of the doctors follow treatment guidelines set by an organization called the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, which promotes the controversial drug along with other unproven therapies. The group's protocol is a laundry list of ivermectin and other prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamin supplements and herbs, none of which have been scientifically proven to work against COVID-19. Read more here.
“There’s a group of physicians who will abandon the science in order to satisfy the unscientific demands of patients,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases and director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. “It’s disinformation. You’re failing to use proven therapies in favor of disproven therapies, and that’s wrong.”
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Missouri health chief's confirmation derailed over support of vaccine
The process to confirm Missouri's health director was derailed early this week, as the state Senate ended its work until next Monday because of winter weather without action on a Friday deadline for confirmation. The events came a day after a hearing dominated by opposition from anti-vaccine protesters and several conservative lawmakers who moved to delay the nomination of Donald Kauerauf, a longtime Illinois health administrator who Gov. Mike Parson appointed in July to lead the Department of Health & Senior Services. Those opposed to his confirmation cited his stance on COVID-19 mandates – which some misrepresented – as their primary concern.
Missouri has not instituted any vaccination mandates or requirements on the state level. Since his appointment last year, Kauerauf has frequently touted the efficacy of vaccines and decried the politicization and misinformation surrounding both the virus and vaccines. But he has repeatedly said he does not support mandates for masking or vaccination, and did so again this week, saying he "completely disagreed" with past actions at the federal level.
— Galen Bacharier, Springfield News-Leader
Michigan woman pleads guilty to misusing federal COVID funds
A Michigan woman who previously owned a home health agency that was never operational during the pandemic received $37,657 in federal funds designated for the medical treatment and care of COVID-19 patients, the Department of Justice said. The woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Eastern District of Michigan to stealing government funds and using them for her own personal expenses. She previously owned 1 on 1 Home Health in LaPorte, Indiana, which she had closed in early 2020.
The woman was indicted in February of last year in the first criminal charges for the intentional misuse of funds distributed from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.
– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
Contributing: The Associated Press
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