Teen shots needed for USA to hold virus in check
Pending FDA authorization of Pfizer COVID-19 shot for 12-15 year olds may sway some who have avoided vaccination; UK variant now spreading widely in USA as CDC eyes other variants of concern.
Experts are saying that if the FDA clears the Pfizer vaccine for use in adolescents soon, as expected, it could significantly boost the overall vaccination rate across the USA. However, surveys indicate that many parents are wary of letting their children get the COVID-19 vaccinations. The FDA is evaluating Pfizer’s clinical trial data in 12-15-year-olds now and is expected to expand the emergency use authorization “within days.”
COVID-19 vaccinations are now available on a walk-in basis at thousands of retail pharmacies across the USA, said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients.
Canada gave the green light for the Pfizer vaccine to be used in the 12-15 age group.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech filed for full FDA approval of their Covid 19 vaccine. The vaccine has been in wide use under emergency authorization. Full approval could take months, but it potentially opens the door for companies or others to require the shots.
In the United Kingdom, regulators say that people under age 40 should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, “if one is available and does not delay getting vaccinated” against Covid-19.
Now that much more comprehensive surveillance testing is being done across the country, the CDC has published some interesting charts and data on the spread of variants across the country. As predicted, the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant is now the dominant strain. It spreads faster than earlier variants.
The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation changed its model to reflect what it estimates the actual COVID-19 death toll is, not the numbers officially reported. In the USA, IHME estimates the actual toll is likely closer to 905,000. The official tally is 574,000. In India, the actual toll is estimated nearly three times higher than the official 221,000 death toll.
Catching up with the science: CDC updated its “How COVID-19 spreads” page to emphasize that the virus spreads primarily from person to person through the air.
Japan extended emergency restrictions in hopes of curbing a new surge in cases. The summer Olympics there are less than three months away.
That’s it for this week. Questions? Comments? Please share freely.