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Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it would release more information soon on the question of boosting its one-shot coronavirus vaccine.
US officials said earlier Wednesday they were making plans to offer booster doses of vaccine starting in September to people who got Moderna’s and Pfizer’s two-dose shots, pending authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
J&J’s Janssen vaccine became available months after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were deployed, and federal officials said there wasn’t enough data yet to say anything to the millions of Americans who got the Janssen shot.
The company said it’s working on it.
“In July, Johnson & Johnson shared data demonstrating that our single-shot Covid-19 vaccine generated strong, persistent immune activity against the rapidly spreading Delta variant and other highly prevalent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants. Interim results from a Phase 1/2a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine also showed that the durability of the immune response was strong, with no waning for at least eight months, the length of time that had been evaluated to date,” it said. “Ensuring long-term and durable protection against hospitalization and death are critical in curbing the Covid-19 pandemic.”
A Covid-19 vaccine for children is a high priority for the Biden administration and the US Food and Drug Administration will evaluate the data quickly once it is provided by the companies that make them, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Wednesday.
Covid-19 vaccines are authorized for children 12 and older in the US. Clinical trials of the vaccines in children under 12 are still ongoing.
“Now we’ve got to get the data from the companies. They’ve got to finish their trials, so that we can evaluate it,” Murthy said. “We can’t evaluate it before we have it.”
“The timeline really depends on how quickly the companies are able to do the trials and get that data to the FDA,” Murthy noted.
Everyone who works in schools and colleges in Washington state will have to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Oct. 18, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.
School employees who refuse to be vaccinated without a medical or religious exemption will be fired, according to the governor.
“This is not some suggestion or whimsical idea we’re floating. This is a job requirement,” he said. “By October 5, we will know who has started their vaccination and who has not.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said about 70% of teachers are currently vaccinated, with a lower percentage of non-teaching staff like bus drivers. Inslee said individual schools will not be able to opt-out.
Inslee also announced that the current statewide indoor mask mandate will be expanded to include people who are fully vaccinated. The new mask rule goes into effect on Monday.
California will require proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test result within 72 hours for all indoor gatherings with 1,000 or more attendees starting Sept. 20, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced in a news release Wednesday.
These measures were already in place for indoor gatherings with 5,000 or more individuals after the state reopened on June 15.
“The Delta variant has proven to be highly transmissible, making it easier to spread in large crowds where people are near each other for long periods of time,” CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in a statement. “By requiring individuals to be vaccinated, or test negative for Covid-19 at large events, we are decreasing the risk of infection, hospitalization and death.”
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona outlined steps his department could take to facilitate students’ safe return to in-person instruction, including potential actions against states found to be violating students’ rights.
Also on Wednesday, President Joe Biden instructed the education secretary to “assess all available tools” to make sure that governors allow students to safely return to the classroom “without compromising their health or the health of their families or communities.”
This includes the “consideration of whether to take steps toward the initiation of possible enforcement actions under applicable laws,” the White House memo stated.
The moves mark another escalation in the battle between the White House and state officials over school mask guidance as the Delta variant surges and kids return to schools.
Last week: Cardona sent letters to the Republican governors of Florida and Texas, expressing concern about their states’ mask policies and sharply voicing support for educators there. The Education Department has sent similar warnings to six additional states over their school mask prohibitions, Cardona noted Wednesday.
In Wednesday’s blog post, Cardona pointed to how the Education Department “may initiate a directed investigation if facts indicate a potential violation of the rights of students as a result of state policies and actions.”
The department could also respond to complaints from parents and other members of the public about “students who may experience discrimination as a result of states not allowing local school districts to reduce virus transmission risk through masking requirements and other mitigation measures.”
In a new ordinance unanimously approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council, all city employees will be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 20.
City employees who need a medical or religious exemption will have the option to petition for one by Sept. 7, according to a release from Martinez’s office.
The petitions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and employees who receive an exemption will be subject to weekly Covid-19 testing.
The vaccine mandate will also apply to those beginning employment for the City of Los Angeles, the release said.
“We have some of the most hard-working and dedicated employees anywhere — people who stepped up to save lives during the most challenging year of our lives, without ever losing sight of their work to make our city stronger, safer, and more equitable,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement. “The Delta variant continues to spread, and it is more important than ever that people get vaccinated as soon as they can. As the council president and I said last month, this requirement will help protect the health and safety of those who keep our city running and the Angelenos who rely on the services they provide every day.”
President Biden today formally announced his plan to require all staff to get vaccinated at nursing homes which receive federal funds.
“I’m using the power of the federal government as a payer of health care costs to ensure to reduce those risks to our most vulnerable senior,” he continued. “These steps are all about keeping people safe and out of harm’s way.”
CNN reported earlier today that Biden would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to draw up new regulations making employee vaccination a condition for nursing homes to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, representing a significant escalation in the administration’s campaign to get Americans vaccinated.
The move comes as the more transmissible Delta variant now accounts for 99% of Covid-19 cases in the United States and as data shows a link between low vaccination rates in certain nursing homes and rising coronavirus cases among residents.
CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed reporting to this post.
President Biden criticized governors who are “trying to block and intimidate local school officials and educators” over the use of masks in schools, calling the actions “wrong” and “unacceptable.”
Biden announced that he is directing Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to use “all of his oversight authorities and legal action, if appropriate, against governors who are trying to block and intimidate local school officials and educators,” as they attempt to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Biden continued, “If you aren’t going to fight Covid-19, at least get out of the way of everyone else who’s trying. You know, we’re not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children.”
Biden said that if a governor is threatening to withhold pay from an educator, federal resources from the American Rescue Plan can be used to pay the salary, “100%.”
“The CDC, says masks are critical, especially for those who are not yet vaccinated like our children under the age of 12. So let’s put politics aside. Let’s follow the educators and the scientists, who know a lot more about how to teach our children and keep them safe than any politician. This administration is always going to take the side of our children,” the President said.
The comments were Biden’s latest against governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas who have blocked mask mandates, although he did not do so by name.
Biden thanked officials who were standing up to their state and local officials and said he was not going to “sit by as Governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children.”
CNN’s Allie Malloy contributed reporting to this post.
President Biden appealed directly to vaccinated Americans, reassuring them that they are well protected, but also encouraging them to get their booster shots eight months after their second dose in accordance with the roll out plan his administration announced earlier this morning.
Fully vaccinated Americans who received a two-shot mRNA vaccine, like those made by Moderna and Pfizer, earlier this year can start getting booster doses on Sept. 20, US officials announced today. Each person should get their booster shot eight months after their second shot.
Officials Americans who got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson will likely also need booster shots, but more data on the topic is expected in the coming weeks.
Remember: The administration of the booster shots are subject to the authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration and sign off from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC experts told US clinicians yesterday timing of a booster dose of coronavirus vaccine has not yet been determined.
President Biden said that he is pleased to see private sector employers like AT&T, Amtrak and McDonald’s announce vaccine requirements.
On mandating vaccines, Biden said, “let’s be clear, vaccination requirements have been around for decades.”
He continued, “The students, healthcare professionals, our troops are typically required to receive vaccines to prevent anything from polio to smallpox to measles to mumps to rubella. In fact, the reason most people in America don’t worry about polio, smallpox, measles, mumps or rubella today is because of vaccines.”
To employers, Biden said, “My message is simple. Do the right thing for your employees, consumers, and your businesses. Let’s remember, the key tool to keeping our economy going strong is to get people vaccinated and at work.”
President Biden implored Americans to get the Covid-19 vaccine during a speech from the White House today in which he is expected to also discuss the need for booster shots.
Some context: Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States — and nearly 93% of the US population lives in an area with high Covid-19 transmission, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While case rates tend to be higher in less vaccinated states, disparities in hospitalization and death rates are even larger between the least and most vaccinated states, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.
In the 10 most vaccinated states, an average of 10 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 for every 100,000 residents, data from the US Department of Health and Human Services shows. But in the 10 least vaccinated states, hospitalization rates are nearly four times higher, with an average of 39 people hospitalized with Covid-19 for every 100,000 residents.
President Biden is delivering remarks now from the White House.
He is expected to highlight booster shots, vaccine requirements for most long-term care workers, and federal reimbursements during his speech, the White House said.
Biden will also “issue a memorandum to the Secretary of Education directing him to use all available tools to ensure that governors and other officials are providing a safe return to in-person learning for the nation’s children,” according to a fact sheet released by the White House ahead of Biden’s speech.
Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States — and nearly 93% of the US population lives in an area with high Covid-19 transmission, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While case rates tend to be higher in less vaccinated states, disparities in hospitalization and death rates are even larger between the least and most vaccinated states, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.
A month ago, Covid-19 case rates in the 10 least vaccinated states were about 3.5 times higher than in the 10 most vaccinated states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
But hospitalizations and deaths lag behind cases by a few weeks, and now the gap in hospitalization and death rates is even larger:
The 10 most vaccinated states – Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Washington and New York – have each fully vaccinated more than 58% of residents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the 10 least vaccinated states – Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming, Idaho, Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and North Dakota – have each fully vaccinated less than 41% of their residents, below the US overall vaccination rate of about 51%.
The federal government will direct all nursing homes to require their staff be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds, Biden administration officials tell CNN.
President Biden will announce Wednesday afternoon that he is directing the Department of Health and Human Services to draw up new regulations making employee vaccination a condition for nursing homes to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, the officials said.
The move represents a significant escalation in Biden’s campaign to get Americans vaccinated and the tools he is willing to use, marking the first time he has threatened to withhold federal funds in order to get people vaccinated.
The move comes as the more transmissible Delta variant now accounts for 99% of Covid-19 cases in the United States and as data shows a link between low vaccination rates in certain nursing homes and rising coronavirus cases among residents.
The new regulations could go into effect as early as next month, but Johnson said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will work with nursing homes, employees and their unions to ramp up staff vaccinations before the regulations go into effect.
About 1.3 million people are employed by the more than 15,000 nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. About 40% of those workers are not vaccinated, according to CMS data.
“We have seen tremendous progress with low Covid rates within the nursing home population and I think we’re seeing signs that it is starting to tip the other direction. We don’t want to go backwards,” said Jonathan Blum, CMS’s principal deputy administrator.
Blum said CMS officials are “confident we have the legal authority” to implement the new regulation, noting that the law allows CMS to take action as it relates to the health and safety of nursing home residents.
Biden began taking an increasingly muscular approach to boosting vaccination rates last month amid a plateau in vaccinations and the rapid spread of the Delta variant, including requiring all federal workers to attest that they have been vaccinated or be regularly tested for the virus. A slew of private companies have also since announced similar requirements for their workers.
“We are on a wartime footing here. We are leaning into making sure we are taking the steps that we can to ensure the health and safety of Americans and we will continue to do so,” Johnson said. “Delta’s not waiting and so we’re not waiting.”
As of 7 a.m. ET today, at least 10,384 students are in quarantine across the Hillsborough County Public School District in Florida, according to a spokesperson with the schools. That’s 4.8% of the student population. Additionally, 338 staff members are in quarantine, making up about 1.4% of the staff population.
The quarantine numbers do not include those who are vaccinated. The school district warns these numbers are not just school transmission and that students could be in quarantine due to transmission or exposure outside of school.
Hillsborough County said the total number of positive cases are at least 1,695. Of that, 1,197 are students and 498 are staff members.
A total of 28,782 students have opted out of the mask policy. That is 14.44% of the student population but a spokesperson for the school district tells CNN that number has dwindled in the past few days.
The New York State Department of Health found that vaccines remained 92% to 95% effective at preventing hospitalizations among the vaccinated, according to its data and analysis on vaccine efficacy.
The study examined rates of cases and hospitalizations among vaccinated New Yorkers older than 18, compared to unvaccinated people from early May to late July, a release from the office said.
Noting that with the emergence of the Delta variant and reduction of certain Covid protocols, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, both populations experienced an increase in cases.
Unvaccinated New Yorkers “were eleven times more likely to be hospitalized and eight times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than those who were fully vaccinated,” the release stated.
The effectiveness of the vaccines declined from about 92% to 80% in reducing cases, the study, which was published by the CDC, showed.
Ultimately medical professionals deduced that vaccines remain “a critically important method in lowering COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.”
New York is the first state to conduct this study.
A group of young students with disabilities and underlying medical conditions is suing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) over the mask mandate ban.
The federal lawsuit was filed in Tuesday in US District Court for the Western District of Texas by Disability Rights Texas, a legal protection and advocacy agency.
“Plaintiffs are students with disabilities and underlying medical conditions which carry an increased risk of serious complications or death in the event that they contract COVID-19,” the lawsuit says, noting the conditions include “Down syndrome, moderate to severe asthma, chronic lung and heart conditions, cerebral palsy, and weakened immune systems.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs are also under the age of 12, “rendering them ineligible to receive the vaccine under current Food and Drug Administration (‘FDA’) regulations.”
The lawsuit asks for injunctive relief to prevent the governor and TEA from withholding state and federal education funds from school districts requiring masks.
“Students with disabilities need in-person schooling more than other student groups, but they must be able to receive instruction and services safely. Many of these students have underlying health conditions and are at high risk for illness and even death due to COVID-19,” Disability Rights Texas said in a news release announcing the lawsuit.
CNN contacted Abbott’s office and TEA for comment on the lawsuit, but did not immediately hear back.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday that he does not anticipate the city requiring proof of vaccination for students returning to school in the fall, but that conversations about mandating vaccines for teachers and school staff are ongoing.
“We’ve had conversations with unions representing our school staff of all kinds on the different ways to keep schools safe, but there’s nothing that’s been decided beyond what we’ve announced publicly and if we have anything new to say, obviously, we’re going to be talking about it,” de Blasio added.
To date, over 56% of New York City residents aged 12 to 17 have gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose – a figure that amounts to almost 300,000 kids, the mayor said.
Dr. Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for Disease Control at the New York City Health Department, reiterated Wednesday that the city had great success in keeping Covid-19 transmission rates low with in-person schooling last year.
“We were able to keep rates of transmission among children and among staff at some of the lowest levels there are in the city,” Varma said. “Of course things are going to be different this year. The virus has changed, it has become a bit more dangerous…at the same time, we have a very strong level of defense, which is vaccination.”
Varma also said that last year, the majority of infections in schools were introduced by adults.
Additionally, a new “Vax to School” ad campaign will be launched by the city in at least eight languages to encourage parents and eligible kids to get vaccinated before the school year starts. De Blasio said city workers have made about 250,000 phone calls to NYC parents so far, providing information on vaccination.
It is “conceivable” that the planned rollout of Covid-19 booster shots could help reduce the spread of disease, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Wednesday.
“Transmissibility is a bit more tricky than looking at a clinical phenomenon, such as infection, seriousness of disease and hospitalization,” Fauci said during a virtual White House coronavirus briefing.
Data shows a booster shot prompts the body to produce a new batch of antibodies, Fauci said. These catch the virus as it tries to enter the body, and could stop the virus from multiplying in the nose and throat after someone breathes it in.
“If it is, then you could really get multiple benefits from doing this. You can get benefits for disease, severity of disease, and then ultimately infection and transmission. But the bottom line with full transparency – we don’t know that right now,” he added.
The White House’s plan to offer coronavirus booster shots to vaccinated adults starting Sept. 20 still depends on whether the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes boosters and whether the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends those boosters, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Wednesday.
“I want to be very clear: We are not skipping the very important FDA and ACIP process here. They have an incredibly important role to play in evaluating safety and making recommendations for vaccines. We respect that, we honor that and that will be a part of this process as well,” Murthy told a White House briefing.
“The second reason is we also want to ensure that people and states and localities and the public more broadly can plan. You can’t turn on a booster effort with the flip of a switch. You have to lay the groundwork,” he continued.
