Researchers on cusp of rolling out new vaccine for RSV

Study: Moderna RSV vaccine more than 80% effective at preventing RSV in older adults

Updated: 4:36 AM EST Jan 21, 2023

Researchers are on the cusp of rolling out a new vaccine to combat the respiratory syncytial virus amid an increase in cases in recent months.RSV has become the second leading cause of hospitalization, and tens of thousands of people a year die from it. Children under 2 and adults older than 60 are most at risk for serious disease, and a vaccine has been elusive -- until now."It will be a huge, huge breakthrough for us to have an RSV vaccine available," said Dr. James Campbell, professor of pediatrics and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.RELATED: Sinai pediatrician describes ICU availability amid increase in RSV casesModerna released preliminary results of their vaccine for RSV that shows it's more than 80% effective at preventing serious disease in people older than 60. The company is preparing to submit the vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration for approval, which follows submissions from Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline late last year."The Pfizer vaccine, they also relayed results on giving that same vaccine to pregnant women, and then what happens is the antibodies the woman makes, gets passed through the placenta into the baby, and they showed very good protection in the first three months of life," Campbell said.Clinical trials are underway on a vaccine for babies and young children, who are among the high-risk groups for developing complications and dying from RSV.RELATED: Maryland hospitals concerned over surge of children with RSVThese would be the first RSV vaccines approved, which would be a feat because researchers have been working on them since the 1960s. Moderna's version uses the mRNA technology made famous by its COVID-19 vaccine."The reason why they could move so quickly on the COVID vaccine was because they had already been studying this RSV vaccine that we're just learning about now, and they used that same technology, and a lot of the tricks they found from that, in order to develop the COVID vaccine," Campbell said.RSV video playlist below:Campbell cautioned the results in the RSV vaccine study are preliminary and are not yet peer-reviewed, so while promising, he's waiting for the full details."That doesn't take away that this is really exciting news, but I think everyone should be waiting to see what the final, all the data show for this vaccine and the other RSV vaccines," Campbell said.Campbell said researchers are hopeful that some of these vaccines will be approved in time for RSV season in the fall.LINK: Maryland Department of Health website for RSV

A deadly shooting is under investigation in Norwood.

Norwood police said they were called to a home in the 5100 block of Hunter Avenue around 1 a.m., where they found a man who had been shot in the chest.

He was taken to UC Medical Center, where he died.

Neighbors said they heard people arguing, followed by one gunshot. Afterward, neighbors said people scattered from the home.

Rob Bolin has lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years. He said that lately, there's been a lot of activity on the street.

"They just stop, pull up in the middle of the street, and do their little thing and take off," Bolin said.

Josh McCarthy also lives in the area.

"Hopefully, we can go off of this and rebuild chemistry together and get a neighborhood watch going, something along the lines of that to where we can get together and make this place better than it was before," McCarthy said.

Police have no information on the victim or suspect but said this does not appear to be a random shooting.

An entire community is on edge as police search for a murder suspect who gunned down a landscaper in Corryville Tuesday.

Nicholas Kenan, 43, was a landscaper for Uptown Properties. He was shot to death on the job outside of an apartment complex on Bellevue Avenue.

His company said he was picked at random by the gunman who demanded money. Kenan didn’t have any, and he was shot to death on the spot.

The sound of the fatal gunfire was caught on a nearby doorbell camera.

“Just to hear about what happened was terrifying,” Chelsea Griffis said.

Griffis is a cleaning service employee for an Uptown Properties contractor. She was at work Thursday just a few feet from the place Kenan was shot. She's on high alert.

“I don't have my headphones, and I'm aware of my surroundings a lot more. I'm actually kind of scared,” Griffis said.

Some residents said they are moving out.

“It’s just really unsettling and scary,” Julia Ventura said. Her lease is up in a few weeks, but she would move out sooner if she could. “We definitely don't feel safe around here.”

Uptown Properties is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect. They’ve also helped to set up a GoFundMe for Kenan’s family.

At least two teens were shot in Cincinnati during the weekend.

It's been a record year for Hamilton County Juvenile Court for all the wrong reasons and advocates hope to curb the violence.

Investigators said one of the most recent gun violence victims was set to have surgery on Monday.

They said he is just 15 years old and his mother was on the scene after he was shot.

It's another case of a child touched by gun violence in our city.

"We've just got to get to the bottom of these shootings, man. Everybody be living in a peaceful way, it'd be a wonderful thing," said Mitchell Morris with the Cincinnati Works Phoenix Program.

Community advocates said there are too many shootings with kids caught in the mix.

Morris is saddened to see at least two more cases just this weekend.

"Please put them guns down. It's a better way. Whatever the disagreement is, whatever you're going through, disrespect thing, please let's talk to somebody," he said.

On Saturday at about 9 p.m., Cincinnati police said two people were shooting at each other on Baymiller Street in the West End when a 17-year-old boy was hit.

Investigators said he went to the hospital and is expected to be OK.

Then, on Sunday night at about 10 p.m., Cincinnati police said a 15-year-old boy was shot near Montgomery Road and Rutland Avenue in Evanston.

Police said he was stabilized at UC Medical Center and set to have surgery on Monday.

As we first told you a few months ago, Hamilton County Juvenile Court officials said it's been a record year for the wrong reasons.

They said 77 kids are in The Youth Center, with 80% of them charged with an offense involving a gun.

Twenty-four are charged with felonious assault and 15 are charged with murder, officials told WLWT.

Court officials said some face multiple counts.

They said in total there have been 35 counts of murder and 39 counts of felonious assault filed this year.

This year, Hamilton County Juvenile Court has launched a new assessment center to help get teens on the right track.

Morris hopes more people will drop the guns and help the community instead.

"You had a group of people down in the West End passing out bikes to little kids and same thing in Walnut Hills, Avondale, you got groups of people doing wonderful work, there's lot of wonderful work being done," he said.

Cincinnati police said they have no updates on how the 15-year-old boy is doing.

Police said in that shooting, they are looking for two men wearing all black.

They said they have no information about what led up to the gunfire but said there is surveillance video from the city's Real-Time Crime Camera Network.

A new coronavirus variant first detected by scientists in South Africa has brought concerns and questions for many people.

It's unclear where the new variant actually came from, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Hong Kong and Botswana.

Health experts say this variant may be more dangerous than the delta variant, which has fueled waves of infection on every continent. This new variant has already sparked travel restrictions, shaken up world markets and has scientists scrambling to understand the risks.

Americans often get a flu shot every year because of different strains, and some are wondering if we'll have to get more COVID-19 boosters because of the new variant.

Dr. Vanessa Walker of Pulmonary Medical Associates said we may just have to wait and see.

"It's going to take time for us to see how this plays out to see whether or not we need boosters more frequently than you would typically expect, like we do with influenza," Walker said.

"The reason why it might be more likely that it would be the case is because with influenza we get a break, right? It goes around. It is seasonal. COVID isn't seasonal. It's always there. It's always going to be there, unfortunately," she added.

Dr. Dean Blumberg, UC Davis pediatric infectious disease expert, also said it was unclear how long the protection from the vaccine could last.

"We are just at the beginning of how immunization protects against COVID. We know it protects very well, but we are still not sure if the optimal initial series is a two-shot or three-shot series and how long that is going to last," Blumberg said.

He added that it's unknown how often we may end up needing boosters.

"Whether we will need boosters every year or every 10 years, or whether the boosters will need to be changed and adapt to the current circulating strains, these are all questions and we just don't have answers yet,” he said.

Hundreds of children anxiously awaited their COVID-19 shots on Wednesday night.

At Cincinnati Children's Hospital, so many lined up at the Burnet Campus, doctors had to stop taking walk-ins.

WLWT talked with a Northern Kentucky mother and her 10-year-old daughter who waited in line for three hours.

The mother said her little girl was determined to get the shot before she left.

"The line was out the door, wrapped around by the cafeteria and we waited in line for three hours to get her first vaccine. So, it was quite the evening," Maria Borchardt said.

It was a very different mother-daughter night on the town.

Maria Borchardt and her daughter, Lilah Borchardt, 10, waited for hours at Cincinnati Children's Hospital for the 10-year-old's first Pfizer COVID-19 shot.

Children ages five to 11 are now eligible.

We asked Lilah Borchardt what she thought when she saw the long line.

"That's a lot of people. I guess they all want the vaccine as much as I do," Lilah Borchardt said.

Demand is high.

At Cincinnati Children's Hospital, officials said about 400 kids got the shot.

More than 200 were still waiting in line after 6 p.m. at the Burnet Campus, according to a spokesman.

They also stopped taking walk-ins.

"I teach fourth grade and she's, you know, in the fifth grade and we just don't want anybody in our house getting sick. We don't want to be responsible for anybody else getting sick. So, we just want to protect everybody that we love," Maria Borchardt said.

UC Health now has shots by appointment.

Walgreens will offer the vaccine starting Saturday.

CVS Health will start offering the shots on Sunday.

"We're in the process of getting all of the supplies and vaccine to our stores right now," CVS Health Regional Director Sarah Edington said.

The Borchardts saw the demand on Wednesday night.

"The staff at Children's was amazing. They were bringing bananas and waters and Teddy Grahams and color pages. The therapy dog was in there. It was just awesome to see the energy," Maria Borchardt said.

While not everyone is ready to get vaccinated, this fifth grader couldn't wait and has a sticker that reads "POW!" and "Superpower" to prove it.

"My arm hurts just a little bit but I feel relieved that I got the first COVID vaccine," Lilah Borchardt said.

Lilah Borchardt said she has been talking with her friends about her experience.

She said there is nothing to worry about if you don't like shots.

Lilah Borchardt said just keep talking and forget about it.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital said walk-ins are welcome, but appointments can also be made at three clinic locations.

Those locations are the Burnet or Liberty Campus or the Green Township Neighborhood location.

Immunocompromised may need a fourth COVID-19 shot, CDC says

Updated: 10:20 PM EDT Oct 26, 2021

People with certain health conditions that make them moderately or severely immunocompromised may get a fourth mRNA COVID-19 shot, according to updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC authorized a third dose or certain immunocompromised people 18 and older in August. It said a third dose, rather than a booster — the CDC makes a distinction between the two — was necessary because the immunocompromised may not have had a complete immune response from the first two doses.A study from Johns Hopkins University this summer showed that vaccinated immunocompromised people were 485 times more likely to end up in the hospital or die from COVID-19 compared to most vaccinated people. In small studies, the CDC said, fully vaccinated immunocompromised people accounted for about 44% of the breakthrough cases that required hospitalization. People who are immunocompromised are also more likely to transmit the virus to people who had close contact with them.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also authorized booster shots of all three available vaccines for certain people and that would include the immune compromised, the CDC says.Research showed that a booster dose enhanced the antibody response to the vaccine in certain immunocompromised people.That would make for a fourth shot at least six months after completing the third mRNA vaccine dose. At this time, the CDC does not have a recommendation about the fourth shot. People should talk to their doctors to determine if it is necessary, the CDC says.Moderately to severely immunocompromised people include those who are in active cancer treatment for cancers of the blood or for tumors, certain organ transplant and stem cell recipients, people with advanced or untreated HIV, and those who take a high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune systems. The CDC estimates about 9 million people who live in the U.S., or about 2% of the population, fall into this category.People who are immunocompromised who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot should get a booster at least two months after their initial vaccine. People who choose a Moderna vaccine as a booster, even if they received a different vaccine as the first dose, should get the half-dose sized shot that was authorized as a booster for Moderna's vaccine, the CDC said.Even if they are vaccinated, the CDC recommends people with conditions that compromise their immune systems should still try to avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and should wear a mask in indoor public spaces.

Early Saturday morning, a part-time Georgia police officer was shot and killed outside the department where he worked.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Dylan Harrison was shot at 1:01 a.m. outside the Alamo Police Department.

Twenty-six-year-old Officer Harrison leaves behind a wife and 6-month-old baby.

According to the GBI, Harrison was working his first shift on the job when he was shot.

A Blue Alert has been issued for 43-year-old Damien Anthony Ferguson, also known as Luke Ferguson, of Alamo, Georgia. A Blue Alert is a public safety alert that is issued when a suspect who has killed or seriously injured an officer has not been apprehended and may be a serious threat to the public.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ferguson or with any other information pertinent to this case is asked to contact GBI. A $17,500 reward is being offered leading to the arrest of Ferguson.

There are many ways that tips can be submitted to the GBI. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), at the GBI website at www.gbi.georgia.gov by clicking on Online Tip Form, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. Search “See Send” in Apple and Android app stores.

Tributes for Harrison are pouring in online.

On Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted his condolences.

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Various law enforcement agencies have also expressed sympathy online.

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CHICAGO — Public health officials have been debating whether it may be more effective to get more people their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and delaying the second round of shots that are needed for the highest immunity.

Last month, social media was flooded with images of frontline health care workers proudly rolling up their sleeves to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

But a slow rollout, a surge in cases, and the emergence a of a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus have increased the urgency of the vaccination campaign.

“I think there is an urgency to getting people vaccinated in the best way possible quickly,” said Dr. Benjamin Singer, an assistant professor pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine

In the UK, public health officials say prioritizing first doses will delay the interval of the second dose up to 12 weeks.

Pfizer, which is set to deliver 200 million doses of its vaccine to the U.S. by August of 2021, says it has tested their vaccine’s efficacy only when the two doses were administered 21 days apart. Moderna’s two-shot vaccine must be administered 28 days apart.

“Ninety, 95 percent efficacy, I mean, that's an amazing number, but the only way that we know with certainty to get to that level is with that two doses, three to four-week schedule,” said Singer.

Delays in administering the vaccine are already being reported across the U.S. There are now looming questions about what to do if a second dose has to be postponed.

“It could seem premature to begin discussing some of these contingency plans,” said Singer. “But I think it's an appropriate time to at least begin having the discussions.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Monday morning, of the 15.4 million doses distributed, only 4.6 million people got their first dose.

“Right now, our problem isn't so much having the right number of doses, it's getting those doses into the arms of people,” said Singer.

In recent days, some health experts have suggested delaying the second dose could actually be a strategy to inoculate more people. In a Washington Post op-ed this weekend, Drs. Robert Wachter and Ashish Jha write: “Giving 100 million people — particularly those at high risk — a single shot that is 80 to 90 percent effective will save far more lives than giving 50 million people two shots that are 95 percent effective.”

“There's also some discussion about whether you could stay on the two-shot schedule but give a half dose inject you know half the volume and achieve somewhat of a similar response.”

But late Monday, in a strongly-worded statement, the FDA dismissed the idea of altering dosages and the timeline saying, “…making such changes that are not supported by adequate scientific evidence may ultimately be counterproductive to public health.”

The first doses of the vaccines in the U.S. were administered in mid-December, which means many are due for their booster shot this week.

CINCINNATI — An 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head in East Westwood June 12 is now out of a coma and breathing on his own, according to his mother.

Marcellus Whitehead, who goes by MJ, was walking to a nearby store with his big brother when he was struck. He’s been in the ICU ever since. His mother, Marcella Thompson, said he’s improving slowly, but steadily.

“It’s better than before,” she said. “I’ll tell you that. Every little thing that improves is working toward progress. That’s all that matters to me. From ‘he’s not going to make it through the night’ to where I’m at today, I’m happy with that.”

The incident which resulted in Marcellus’ injury happened in broad daylight outside of a convenience store.

“People don’t think before they act, you know?” Thompson said. “They don’t think about other people, or their families. Any of that. It’s frustrating to see this senseless stuff going on.”

She said MJ was taken off of a ventilator after 60 days. He’s alert and breathing on his own. He’s currently fighting off fluid on the brain, but he’s been able to move his arms and legs.

“He’s definitely a fighter,” Thompson said. “He’s got a lot of fight in him.”

East Westwood Community Council president Rodney Christian gathers kids of all ages to try and reverse a trend.

“Don’t waste opportunities to talk to kids,” he said. “They’re here for basketball and that hoop, but you can also take that and use it as bait. Put it on a hook and reel it in to talk about something else.”

The Third Presbyterian Church operates a rec center with basketball courts every weekday from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. to give area kids something constructive to do with their time.

“We have to fight for MJ right now,” Christian said. “Out here. On making a change.”

Her life changed in an instant – and now Marcella Thompson said she tries to focus on the positive.

“I tell him (MJ) every day how strong he is,” she said. “I think that gets him through it. I think me seeing how strong he is gets me through it. I have a lot of faith and a lot of hope.”

Three days after the shooting, Darius Harris Jr., 19, was charged with four counts of felonious assault for firing the shots that injured Whitehead and three others. He is currently being held in the Hamilton County Jail and is awaiting trial.

A 13-year-old girl from Nevada is one of the latest COVID-19 vaccine lottery winners.

Kaylee, an 8th-grade student, told KTVN she was trying to do the right thing by getting her shot before a summer camp.

"We were going to be traveling and a couple weeks after the vaccine came out and we were going to be flying and seeing tons of family and we didn't want to have to worry about COVID at the same time," she said.

Kaylee didn't know was that she'd been automatically entered in the "Vax Nevada Days," a program offering cash, scholarships and other prizes for people who got the vaccine.

Then, she found out she was a winner.

At first, Kaylee's mom thought she received a spam call but was able to verify the good news on the state's website.

"It feels good, it makes me feel comfortable about getting ready to go to college and my future," Kaylee said.

Nevada's vaccine lottery program is still running through Aug. 26, when the $1 million grand prize will be announced.

Aside from the potential to win like she did, Kaylee said she hopes others get vaccinated.

"Definitely get the vaccine because, like I said, it's free and it just takes so little time for such a big event," she said.

A man was hospitalized after being shot twice in the leg in West Price Hill on Saturday.

The shooting happened just after 8:30 p.m. on Glenway Ave. Cincinnati police say the victim was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say the suspect ran from the scene. No other information was released.

An investigation is underway.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration insists it is working as quickly as possible to review applications for full approval of the COVID-19 vaccines as the number of cases continues to rise and vaccination rates decline across the country.

Though the FDA has yet to disclose a time line for when its work will be done, medical experts and sources familiar with the process tell CNN that full approval could come within the next couple of months. While that would amount to a record fast pace, the urgency is rising for a fully approved vaccine given the troubling surge in COVID-19 cases sweeping the country.

An FDA official told CNN on Wednesday that the agency continues to work as fast as possible to review the applications. The official noted that as part of the emergency use authorization granted last year, the vaccines have already undergone a "thorough scientific evaluation" in order to "meet FDA's rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality."

Still, federal medical officials and business leaders agree that full FDA approval would be helpful in the fight against vaccine hesitancy and would support companies eager to issue vaccine mandates to employees returning to the office. But the Biden administration has remained cautious on the issue and does not want the massive step of full approval to carry a political taint. A federal official told CNN this week that the White House is not pressuring the FDA to speed full approval of coronavirus vaccines.

That doesn't mean Biden officials aren't interested. The White House has kept a keen eye on the FDA's approval process — "obsessively so," in the words of a senior Biden adviser — but has intentionally steered clear of any appearances of trying to tip the scale or accelerate the outcome, administration officials say.

Inside the West Wing, and across the scientific community, there is a high degree of confidence the FDA will fully approve the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, even though the precise timing is far from certain. Johnson & Johnson has not yet filed for full FDA approval of its coronavirus vaccine.

There is not a sense inside the White House that the FDA is dragging its feet, officials said, particularly compared to the years-long process that approval of a major vaccine normally takes.

"The FDA is the gold standard for vaccine review and approval," Jeff Zients, senior White House coronavirus adviser, said at a briefing last week. "They'll run an independent and rigorous scientific process and when that process is complete, the American people can rest assured that the FDA maintained those world-class standards throughout this period."

Combating hesitancy

The bigger question is whether such approval would actually ease vaccine hesitancy across the country, officials say.

"Yes, it will be another tool in the toolkit. We aren't naive to think it will suddenly change all minds," a senior Biden adviser tells CNN, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk freely about internal deliberations.

One of the top medical officials in the federal government says full approval also could lead to employers getting additional legal cover to mandate that their employees get vaccinated.

"If it was approved with the full approval from FDA — which we all anticipate may be coming pretty soon ... maybe in the next couple of months — then the legal ability to mandate becomes a lot stronger," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said last week.

The White House has increased its outreach to business and civic leaders, some of whom have told administration officials that they will have more leverage to require vaccinations for employees after the FDA grants full approval.

Ken Langone, a co-founder of Home Depot who also serves as chairman of the board of trustees at NYU Langone Medical Center, believes there will be far less litigation if the vaccines are fully approved.

"You get the FDA to say, 'It's final, it's approved,' and I can guarantee you all the places I'm involved in, if you don't get vaccinated you will get fired," Langone told CNBC on Wednesday. "You have an obligation to your fellow man to protect him as well as yourself."

A senior administration official said the sentiment expressed by Langone was one that other business executives have also expressed to the White House. But it's far from certain how widespread the view is or whether any type of broad movement could be sparked by a green light from the FDA.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of U.S. adults released this month found that among the one-third of adults surveyed who are not yet vaccinated, 16% said the vaccine was too new, too unknown or not tested enough. Some said in this poll that they wouldn't get a vaccine until it is required. While companies are allowed to require the vaccine, experts believe more will make it a requirement if — and when— it gets full approval.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said "a lot" would change once the vaccine is fully licensed for use, stressing that full authorization was critical to increasing vaccination rates.

"We need full licensure to reach more unvaccinated people," Schaffner said. "And obviously getting more people vaccinated as quickly as possible is critical to our trying to control this ongoing pandemic, which now is surging yet again in the United States."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo noted Wednesday that final approval of the COVID-19 vaccines would give states more legal authority to mandate vaccination.

"Under emergency use authorization states are limited as to what they can mandate," Cuomo said while addressing The Association for a Better New York at a virtual meeting. "Once the vaccine is finally approved, then the state has more legal authority to mandate the vaccine."

Inside the approval process

The FDA should have all the paperwork and data from the vaccine trials from Pfizer and be in the reviewing process, medical experts said.

In July, Pfizer announced that the FDA had granted its vaccine a priority review, accelerating the process from 10 months to six, meaning that technically approval should be granted by January.

But the acting commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Janet Woodcock, has said the FDA intends to complete the review far in advance of its January deadline. Multiple officials told CNN the FDA is working nonstop to get through the review process and grant approval.

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on Wednesday that he believed the approval could come as early as next month.

"I long felt that the FDA would approve the vaccine probably within a three- to four-month time frame from when the application was submitted. Those applications were submitted about two and a half, three months ago. ... So I think that puts you on (an) end of August, September time frame in terms of when these are going to be approved."

Medical experts stressed that the vaccination approval process takes time, even for something as vital as COVID-19 vaccines.

"People are saying, 'Why is it taking so long?' Well, the FDA wants to make sure that it has a protective duration, long-term effect," said Melissa Tice, program director of regulatory affairs and assistant professor of clinical research and leadership at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. "It's not that the agency, I think, has any concerns about the vaccine per se, they just, per licensure requirements, you have to have this additional data."

The COVID-19 vaccines received emergency use authorization based on interim data that showed they were safe and effective for only about three months. For full approval, the FDA has at least six months of efficacy data to review -- and that means combing through and analyzing an enormous amount of information.

"When we were reviewing applications back when they were on paper, there was so much it would not fit on the freight elevator. That's how big the application is. You have lots of data to review," said Norman Baylor, who used to run the FDA's Office of Vaccines Research and Review and been through this process several times. He's the current CEO of Biologics Consulting.

An interdisciplinary team of FDA experts is poring through millions of these documents, running their own analysis, getting any clarification that it needs from the vaccine companies and giving the manufacturing process a thorough inspection.

And it's not just one FDA person who does the review, Baylor said. There's a secondary and tertiary review. So a clinician would review the material and then a supervisor would need to review it and then it goes up to the division director.

Because the FDA has already reviewed the manufacturing materials and has been reviewing clinical data all along, Tice said, "We don't expect it to go the full six-month priority review clock."

Tice says she thinks full approval for Pfizer's vaccine could come in September.

SPRINGDALE, Ohio — In the parking lot of Dave & Busters Monday night, a fight that started inside ended with gunfire.

The man shot was released from the hospital today, according to police, but officials haven't announced any information about a suspect or who could be responsible.

Before the shots were fired, the incident started with a large fight that happened inside the business.

"I am at Dave & Busters in Springdale, there are several fights happening right now and we need the police up here in like 30 seconds," said a 911-caller to dispatch.

A 911-caller also said multiple people had been tased after a large fight broke out. Once the fight moved outside, to the parking lot, those calling 911 became more frantic, telling dispatchers someone had a gun.

"They out here shooting," said a 911-caller. "I'm gone."

A 37-year-old man was found by police nearby, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital but his injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening, according to police.

People caught up in the incident Monday night compared the shooting to recent violent incidents that have erupted this summer in other areas intended for family fun, like Kings Island.

"This young group, I've got news for you," said Maudine Walker, who was shopping in the area after the shooting had already happened. "Keep on walking, because guess what, your time is next. Life is not promised to you."

WCPO reached out to the mayor of Springdale and the Springdale Police Department, but both were unavailable to comment.

A spokesperson with Dave & Busters said their thoughts are with those affected by Monday night's shooting. They would not comment on any safety concerns during the investigation.

Inmate shot, killed after hostage situation at Oklahoma jail; correctional officer taken to hospital

Updated: 9:38 PM EDT Mar 27, 2021

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Good afternoon. I'm Greg Williams. I'm the administrator. Tokuma County Detention Center. Just after four o'clock today, Um, we had an officer who, during pill pass, was overrun by at least one inmate and taken hostage. Uh, the inmate was able to take his radio and his keys and free many of the other, uh, inmates that were on that pod. Uh, staff immediately notified our partner, law enforcement officials, uh, the sheriff's office, Sheriff's Johnson, as well as Oklahoma City. Uh, Chief Gourlay, uh, they responded and helped us resolve the incident. And the sheriff has got some comments. Mm. Evening. Sheriff. Tommy Johnson third with Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. Just the director. Williams said we were alerted to the situation of very dynamic situation. Our guys and senior tag team members were on scene. Um, they were going up. They were going upstairs to I believe it was 10. David was the pod they were at to go and address the hostage situation that had taken place. Our guys didn't have the numbers there, so they requested mutual aid from the Oklahoma City Police Department to utilize their guys to go up here and take care of the situation. Now what transpired? They go and identify the suspect they try to deescalate. And then the suspect has, you know, the detention officer in a hostage position. Something held to his neck and shots were fired. Lethal force was taken and the suspect was was shot on scene. We were able to get the detention officer out safely. Oklahoma City officers were among those who did the lethal force. So with that, I will give the floor to cheap Gourlay. Thank you, Sheriff. Wade Gourlay, chief of Police, Oklahoma City Police Department. Um, everything that we have right now is very preliminary. And for those of you that don't know how we investigate offering officer involved shootings, we will not be able to interview the officers tonight. So all the information I have is just very preliminary. Pretty much what? Uh, what the sheriff said Our officers did respond. We always have officers available and in the area. Um, just because of the nature of our work, it's a little bit different than the county who's a little more rural where they patrol. And so we were able to respond a little more quickly. The members of my police department that responded. There were some of my violent crime Apprehension team, which those folks are also tactical team members as well. And so I don't have all the information of who all else was there. But I know when we went in, we went in with county deputies to try and resolve the situation, um, to help them get up there and resolve the situation. And so I'm just glad that the detention officer wasn't more seriously hurt. And, uh, you know, we were able to get him out of there and protect him. So with that, I will take some questions, but just no, I'm not going to have hardly any answers at all just because it's very preliminary right now, we won't be releasing that until we can contact family. Was this one inmate in one hostage for over one hostage taker in one example of there? There were several people involved, and we're still trying to get at the bottom of that. Um, and we're gonna be conducting interviews. I've called several investigators in tonight to help and assist with those interviews. Um, but again, you know, we just we won't know a whole lot, right? now until we can kind of get that done and piece that all together, we will take the lead on it. Since it did involve Oklahoma City officers, the lethal force did. So we will take the lead. But we'll be working in conjunction with Oklahoma County and with the jail Trust, too. And they've been very helpful to us so far, giving us access to what we need to complete our investigation. Sir, I don't need an answer. Um, the did me Was this as a result because of the conditions in jail? Or is this like a the melting point? Cause that's what we heard a lot of people saying This is what has happened because of what's going on in the jail. This is what we told you happened. This happened and we're not surprised. Or is it just, uh, yeah, we don't know that again. I have not had an opportunity to talk to any of the inmates that were involved in this. So again, I'm like you. That's kind of what I'm hearing. But again that has not been established isn't true. And in May, the officers phone and film the hostage situation again. I'm not familiar with that, but that's what I'm hearing as well. Do we know how this transpired? As far as how the inmate was able to that the correctional? Yeah, it was during Med Pass and again during med past. Officers opened the door to hand out medication, and that's when the officer overran. Uh, I mean, the the inmate overran the officer. Was he the only one on that day again, I am checking in that. I'm not sure there would have been at least a nurse or some medical staff there as well. I know you said several inmates were involved. You have an estimate as far as how many or how many are on the floor. Yeah, there's 37 that are housed on that floor, but I'm not sure how many might have been involved Should this angry med pass was, Was a medical personnel injured in this situation? No. You teach suspect release other image from themselves with the yes, how many? I'm not sure again. It's very early on, so we have not really checked into that. So I've been pretty busy and haven't really got into that. Does anyone besides officer injured anyway, there were no other staff injured at all. Being again, this is an investigation that that we'll we'll get into that. But I'm not sure. Only part involved. Yes, sir. Can use it. Condition update on the condition of your own cuz. You okay? Yeah. He was taken to the hospital, and he is still there. But he walked out on his own accord, and we're getting good results. I mean, good reports back from the staff there, and he's gonna be fine. Yes, sir. I think he may not be elections, but I know under the previous administration, the sheriff's department team training, You all have a team that's trained to do that, or you have your life on the shirt. Yeah. We rely on the sheriff's office to do that. Will there be any changes and to receive your Yeah, I'm sure there will be Absolutely, You know, any kind of any time we have this kind of an incident and we go back and look at all of our policies and procedures and I see where we can strengthen those breaches. Can you say again? What time did this exactly started? Yeah. Again. Again. It's pretty preliminary. and I really haven't looked at the, you know, all the details about that. But it was just after four o'clock. You describe what level of particular? That's our administrative segregation pod. Uh, and that's where the inmates that are really the most difficult to manage. Your house. The 10th floor, Right. 10th floor? Yes. How many officers were part of it? Yeah, And again, I'm not sure about how many that was. Mm. I know you guys are still investigating, and I know you said that you're hearing that it is due to conditions. If you guys do confirm that, what are the steps to better their conditions? And again, we we, uh we manage those conditions continually. Uh, and again, the, uh, as we come across issues and we become across physical plant problems, and we we have contractors that come in and help us resolve that. So that's a continual kind of a thing. He's going to jail. Still on lockdown. Absolutely. Is it going to remain? Yeah, you know, probably so again we'll assess that we'll go through and kind of, uh, see how everybody's doing, and we'll check on everybody and kind of see how they're doing. But typically it's locked down at night so they can sleep anyway. So yeah, we're all the image. Yeah. I'm not sure about that. I know. You said used to investigate. You know how long it took into the inmate that was shot received? Yeah. I'm not sure about that again. It was, You know, the the inmates in the pod would not cooperate and would not locked down, so it was still kind of a hostile environment. So it was difficult to get in and take care of him. They had 36 inmates. Like once. The shot was fired when police came today. Surrender? Yeah. I'm not sure about that. Can you Can you talk about that? But incident self and they swing her. Really? Okay, of course. Robert question. Again. I'm sorry. I can't hear you. You never need No, sir. No, sir. Not at this point in time. I know that our tag team members did go and did respond and go in there. And lethal force was used past that. I really don't have very much information that I'd have to go over to the jail and be able to access camera footage and be able to see be able to properly point out times and dates so that I could get you an accurate reflection of what happened inside there. Well, once again, the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and the trust. We are two separate entities. Um, we just respond in situations like this when they need us. Um, and that's what we did tonight. I super okay for sure. Good. How long did it take for you guys to get your excuses? So it looks like the original call was dispatched at 16. 22 which is 4 22 officers dispatched at 16. 27. The first, the first officer was on site at 16. 28 which is 4 28. So that is the timeline that I have. As of right now. Yes, ma'am. Anyone else? You said you would like to speak to Mr Williams? Yeah. Detention officers carry any sort of weapons, and if so, are any of them? Yeah, they do not carry weapons. No. And you don't know what sort items or materials have. You know, I don't You know what type of these acts? Injuries and correctional officers. Uh, again, I have not talked to him, and I do not have that report. Will you be asking for additional deputies before the jail? The next couple of days? I asked a shirt that said, Find out. Are you gonna have additional people in the area? Yeah, and we've got extra staff there. Now. We've called in extra staff to be there tonight and again as we go through and and I check on everyone, but I'm not sure about what we'll do in the days to come. Sure. Oh, explain for people who don't know what is the attack team, what is their responsibilities or the armored when they go in? Shields? Yes. So much like when we were alerted on any call, we get an update on how the situation is transpiring. How volatile it is. Obviously when you hear a hostage situation taking place at the jail, they came with the appropriate equipment to, you know, facilitate the needs of the operation, um, to handle the job. So, uh, yes, we responded. We responded with less lethal, responded with lethal, responded with gas. Um, anything. A tack team or SWAT team would have equipment available to them to handle the situation. In any event, we had that at our disposal. The Oklahoma City police officers take take the lead in this situation, though. Is that the reason why it was a city officer? Well, no, sir. So it was just sheer numbers. Um, much like what? Chief Gourlay said due to us, operating in mostly rural areas of the county, Um, we had to think approximately three guys that were on scene and we needed more numbers to go into this cell block. So we request the mutual aid. They were gracious enough to give us some bodies. And that's how that mixture, you know, became was the gas that was ever mentioned. Gas, gas that was ever actually deployed? Yes, Yes. Was deployed. Yes, sir, for one. I'm not sure, ma'am. I'm not sure on that, But I know gas was Was the gas used? Get the inmates. Yes. Yes. Anyone who's searching for the people that I know And this is a problem in question. Hello. Since this is a occurred to the job of an investigation like this take, You've got something We have to talk to you. How long we started. Yes, Every officer involved Shooting is different. This one is very unique. Because we have I couldn't even give you a number. But we have a large amount of people to interview. Um, and, uh, you know, not just jail staff, but, um, there was, you know, several of our officers that were in there, too, So I couldn't give you a timeframe. We try to do these, these become a priority. So, uh, and again, we brought in extra resources just to deal with that tonight so we can try to get information information as quickly as we can, And I know that's very important, um, to try and get that out. But this is just a very unique situation that it's it's gonna be complicated, and it's gonna take us a while, but we will provide updates as we as we get them because of what happened to gentlemen, It's intense moments outside the gate. Are you bringing the extractors anti in case you're in protest? Make it out? Yeah, people like we saw last year, we we monitor those things. Um and, uh, you know, in most cases, what we find is, um if you let those people have their voice, just leave him alone. Um, it keeps things from from getting out of hand. And so that's that's what we'll hopefully will happen tonight is if people want to have their voice and protests, they'll be allowed to do that and shouldn't take any involvement from us. But we'll monitor, and if we need to intervene, we will, but I don't expect that.

Inmate shot, killed after hostage situation at Oklahoma jail; correctional officer taken to hospital

Updated: 9:38 PM EDT Mar 27, 2021

A hostage situation that unfolded Saturday evening at the Oklahoma County Jail has ended after authorities said police officers shot and killed an inmate who took a correctional officer hostage.Aaron Brilbeck, with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, told sister station KOCO-TV that the inmate took the officer hostage while on the 10th floor of the jail.Police officials said the officer has been rescued and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The extent of the injuries has not been released. During the hostage situation, people went to the jail to protest the conditions and the treatment of the inmates inside the jail.Authorities planned to provide details at a news conference Saturday evening.

A hostage situation that unfolded Saturday evening at the Oklahoma County Jail has ended after authorities said police officers shot and killed an inmate who took a correctional officer hostage.

Aaron Brilbeck, with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, told sister station KOCO-TV that the inmate took the officer hostage while on the 10th floor of the jail.

Police officials said the officer has been rescued and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The extent of the injuries has not been released.

During the hostage situation, people went to the jail to protest the conditions and the treatment of the inmates inside the jail.

Authorities planned to provide details at a news conference Saturday evening.

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