LANSING Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday issued an executive directive to state departments and agencies to move as quickly as possible to administeran additional doseto vulnerable individuals in long-term care facilities within the state, andsheencourages all eligible Michiganders to get an additional dose to protect themselves. The directive comes after the Centers for Disease Controls Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved an additional doseof the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for people ages 12 and older who have compromised immune systems.
The Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is working with local providers to make available toMichigan residents with compromised immune systems an additional doseof the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.Theadditionaldoseswill provide additional protectionsfor those with compromised immune systems who may not have had a robust immune response to the first two doses of vaccine.This will help protect against the delta variant and other variants.
Michigan has an ample supply of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the demand.An additional dosewill be available for anyone who is eligible effectivetoday (Saturday, Aug. 14).
MDHHS is communicating guidance on the additional dose to vaccine providers. Health care providers will decide who is at-risk and eligible foran additional dose.This could include individuals who have received organ or stem cell transplants, have advanced or untreated HIV infection, or are in active treatment for cancer or taking high-dose corticosteroids.
Additional doses are available to eligible individuals who have received two doses of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). The additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be received at a minimum interval of 28 days after completion of the two dose primary vaccination series.Anyone who has received Pfizer or Moderna previouslyshould attempt to receive an additionaldose of the same vaccine, but you may receive either type of vaccine if the one you previously received is not available.Booster doses are not currently recommended for the general population.
The CDC panel did not make a recommendation for an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
MDHHS is communicating with long-term care facilities regarding third dose vaccines for residents. A plan to provide the additional doses for congregate settings that include long-term-care, skilled nursing and adult foster care facilities; Michigan state hospitals; and state prisons has been activated now that the recommendation has been issued.
The MDHHS on Friday issued updated recommendations for schools designed to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 within school buildings, reduce disruptions to in-person learning and help protect vulnerable individuals and individuals who are not fully vaccinated. Because many students have yet to be vaccinated and students under age 12 are not yet eligible, layered prevention measures, including universal masking, must be put in place for consistent in-person learning to keep kids, staff and families safe.
The guidance has been updated to reflect the most current recommendations by the CDC on masking and prevention strategies to help operate schools more safely. Mask use has been proven to substantially reduce transmission in school settings.
We are committed to ensuring Michigan students and educators are safe in the classroom, including those who may not yet be vaccinated, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. MDHHS is issuing this guidance to help protect Michiganders of all ages. We continue to urge all eligible residents to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible as it is our best defense against the virus and the way we are going to end this pandemic.
MDHHS recommends that all schools adopt policies to:
Editors note: The Sunday, Aug. 15 edition of The County Press includes reporting on countywide COVID-19 cases, local school directives, mask (and vaccine) requirements for colleges and universities and what the State of Michigan has recommended businesses do to protect workers and their customers.
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Fans, artists, and staff at Louisville music festival Louder Than Life will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, Louder Than Life says.
"To protect the health of our fans, artists, staff and crew, all attendees will be required to show proof of either a full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test," organizers wrote in a statement. "For fans who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72-hours of the first day of coming into the campgrounds or festival grounds."
Masks will be required in any indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
The Texas Supreme Court will decide whether the mask mandates school districts have imposed, in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott, can move forward.
Late Friday night, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a tweet that he has taken the mask mandate fight to the state Supreme Court, and Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee tweeted Saturday that the court will decide the case "on an expedited basis."
This comes after Abbott suffered several defeats Friday afternoon in his bid to overturn local mask mandates after he banned such precautions earlier in the pandemic.
The 4th Court of Appeals in San Antonio tossed out Abbotts appeal to nix an order by the local health authority in Bexar County mandating mask-wearing in local public schools. Abbott sought to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed the local mandate.
Minutes later, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas made an identical ruling in Abbotts challenge to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins order mandating masks in public schools, universities and businesses upholding the mandate there.
Over the past few days, a patchwork of mandates around masks in schools, government buildings and businesses have popped up across the state. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have vowed to fight local governments that defy the governor's ban. Abbott has adopted a playbook of personal responsibility over government intervention in dealing with the pandemic.
Earlier, Friday a state district judge granted Harris County and several Texas school districts temporary permission Friday afternoon to implement mask requirements and other safety measures against COVID-19. But a Tarrant County District judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking Fort Worth Independent School Districts mask mandate after determining it was improper for an unelected school superintendent to determine the policy.
The legal battles over Abbotts executive order come as school has started or will soon begin in districts across the state at the same time that COVID-19 infections are surging and hospitals are filling up with patients.
The Texas Supreme Court will decide whether the mask mandates school districts have imposed, in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott, can move forward.
Late Friday night, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a tweet that he has taken the mask mandate fight to the state Supreme Court, and Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee tweeted Saturday that the court will decide the case "on an expedited basis."
This comes after Abbott suffered several defeats Friday afternoon in his bid to overturn local mask mandates after he banned such precautions earlier in the pandemic.
The 4th Court of Appeals in San Antonio tossed out Abbotts appeal to nix an order by the local health authority in Bexar County mandating mask-wearing in local public schools. Abbott sought to overturn a lower court ruling that allowed the local mandate.
Minutes later, the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas made an identical ruling in Abbotts challenge to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins order mandating masks in public schools, universities and businesses upholding the mandate there.
Over the past few days, a patchwork of mandates around masks in schools, government buildings and businesses have popped up across the state. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have vowed to fight local governments that defy the governor's ban. Abbott has adopted a playbook of personal responsibility over government intervention in dealing with the pandemic.
Earlier, Friday a state district judge granted Harris County and several Texas school districts temporary permission Friday afternoon to implement mask requirements and other safety measures against COVID-19. But a Tarrant County District judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking Fort Worth Independent School Districts mask mandate after determining it was improper for an unelected school superintendent to determine the policy.
The legal battles over Abbotts executive order come as school has started or will soon begin in districts across the state at the same time that COVID-19 infections are surging and hospitals are filling up with patients.
For Immediate Release: August 13, 2021
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continued to take action in the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
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Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
08/13/2021
Aug 14 (Reuters) - The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States hit a record high of just over 1,900 on Saturday, as hospitals across the South were stretched to capacity fighting outbreaks caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated portion of the U.S. population, has caused hospitalizations to spike in recent weeks, driving up the number of pediatric hospitalizations to 1,902 on Saturday, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Children currently make up about 2.4% of the nation's COVID-19 hospitalizations. Kids under 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine, leaving them more vulnerable to infection from the new, highly transmissible variant.
"This is not last year's COVID. This one is worse and our children are the ones that are going to be affected by it the most," Sally Goza, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN on Saturday.
The numbers of newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 also hit record highs this week, according to data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The spike in new cases has ramped up tension between conservative state leaders and local districts over whether school children should be required to wear masks as they head back to the classroom this month.
School districts in Florida, Texas and Arizona have mandated that masks be worn in schools, defying orders from their Republican state governors that ban districts from imposing such rules. The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to withhold funding from districts that impose mask requirements, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is appealing to the state Supreme Court to overturn Dallas County's mask mandate, the Dallas Morning News reported on Friday.
A fifth of the nation's COVID-19 hospitalizations are in Florida, where the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients hit a record 16,100 on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally. More than 90% of the state's intensive care beds are filled, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Alisson Argueta, 8, is given a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a back-to-school clinic in South Gate, Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 12, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Read More
INCREASED HOSPITALIZATIONS
The nation's largest teachers union, the National Education Association, came out in support of mandatory vaccination for its members this week. NEA President Becky Pringle said on Saturday that schools should employ every mitigation strategy, from vaccines to masks, to ensure that students can come back to their classrooms safely this school year.
"Our students under 12 can't get vaccinated. It's our responsibility to keep them safe. Keeping them safe means that everyone who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated," Pringle told CNN.
The U.S. now has an average of about 129,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, a rate that has doubled in a little over two weeks, according to a Reuters tally. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is at a six-month high, and an average of 600 people are dying each day of COVID-19, double the death rate seen in late July.
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oregon have reported record numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations this month, according to a Reuters tally, pushing healthcare systems to operate beyond their capacity.
"Our hospitals are working to maximize their available staff and beds, including the use of conference rooms and cafeterias, Florida Hospital Association President Mary Mayhew said in a statement on Friday.
In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown said on Friday that she was sending 500 National Guard members to assist overwhelmed hospitals, with 1,500 members in total available to help.
In Jackson, Mississippi, federal medical workers are assisting understaffed local teams at a 20-bed triage center in the parking garage of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to accommodate the overflow of COVID-19 patients.
Fifteen children and 99 adults were hospitalized with COVID-19 at UMMC as of Saturday morning, the hospital said. More than 77% of those patients were unvaccinated.
Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Lisa Shumaker; editing by Diane Craft and Aurora Ellis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Aug 14 (Reuters) - The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States hit a record high of just over 1,900 on Saturday, as hospitals across the South were stretched to capacity fighting outbreaks caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated portion of the U.S. population, has caused hospitalizations to spike in recent weeks, driving up the number of pediatric hospitalizations to 1,902 on Saturday, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Children currently make up about 2.4% of the nation's COVID-19 hospitalizations. Kids under 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine, leaving them more vulnerable to infection from the new, highly transmissible variant.
"This is not last year's COVID. This one is worse and our children are the ones that are going to be affected by it the most," Sally Goza, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CNN on Saturday.
The numbers of newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 also hit record highs this week, according to data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The spike in new cases has ramped up tension between conservative state leaders and local districts over whether school children should be required to wear masks as they head back to the classroom this month.
School districts in Florida, Texas and Arizona have mandated that masks be worn in schools, defying orders from their Republican state governors that ban districts from imposing such rules. The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to withhold funding from districts that impose mask requirements, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is appealing to the state Supreme Court to overturn Dallas County's mask mandate, the Dallas Morning News reported on Friday.
A fifth of the nation's COVID-19 hospitalizations are in Florida, where the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients hit a record 16,100 on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally. More than 90% of the state's intensive care beds are filled, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Alisson Argueta, 8, is given a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a back-to-school clinic in South Gate, Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 12, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Read More
INCREASED HOSPITALIZATIONS
The nation's largest teachers union, the National Education Association, came out in support of mandatory vaccination for its members this week. NEA President Becky Pringle said on Saturday that schools should employ every mitigation strategy, from vaccines to masks, to ensure that students can come back to their classrooms safely this school year.
"Our students under 12 can't get vaccinated. It's our responsibility to keep them safe. Keeping them safe means that everyone who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated," Pringle told CNN.
The U.S. now has an average of about 129,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, a rate that has doubled in a little over two weeks, according to a Reuters tally. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is at a six-month high, and an average of 600 people are dying each day of COVID-19, double the death rate seen in late July.
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oregon have reported record numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations this month, according to a Reuters tally, pushing healthcare systems to operate beyond their capacity.
"Our hospitals are working to maximize their available staff and beds, including the use of conference rooms and cafeterias, Florida Hospital Association President Mary Mayhew said in a statement on Friday.
In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown said on Friday that she was sending 500 National Guard members to assist overwhelmed hospitals, with 1,500 members in total available to help.
In Jackson, Mississippi, federal medical workers are assisting understaffed local teams at a 20-bed triage center in the parking garage of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to accommodate the overflow of COVID-19 patients.
Fifteen children and 99 adults were hospitalized with COVID-19 at UMMC as of Saturday morning, the hospital said. More than 77% of those patients were unvaccinated.
Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Lisa Shumaker; editing by Diane Craft and Aurora Ellis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
US Customs and Border Protection
The cards come with a CDC logo on the top.
CNN
US Customs and Border Protection officers in Memphis, Tennessee, have seized thousands of fake Covid-19 vaccination cards so far this year.
Every night officers are seizing shipments from Shenzhen, China, headed to New Orleans, Louisiana, containing dozens of blank counterfeit vaccination cards, CBP said in a press release Friday.
The cards have spaces where the recipient can write their name, birth date and vaccine information. The cards also come with a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo on the top.
However, there were typos, unfinished words, and some of the Spanish verbiage on the back was misspelled, CBP said. How else did they [CBP officers] know it was counterfeit? It was imported by a non-CDC or medical entity, and this was not the first time they had seen this shipper.
Patrol officers working at the Area Port in Memphis confiscate multiple fake vaccine card shipments sometimes up to 15 every day, according to CBP. The packages are often labeled as Paper Greeting Cards/Use For-Greeting Card or PAPER PAPER CARD.
So far, Memphis CBPO have seized 121 packages containing 3,017 cards, according to CBP.
These vaccinations are free and available everywhere, Area Port Director of Memphis Michael Neipert said in the release. If you do not wish to receive a vaccine, that is your decision. But dont order a counterfeit, waste my officers time, break the law, and misrepresent yourself.
CBP Officers at the Area Port of Memphis remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling and helping to protect our communities, Neipert said. But just know that when you order a fake vaxx card, you are using my officers time as they also seize fentanyl and methamphetamines.
Vaccination cards were not designed to be long-term proof of Covid vaccinations, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Forging the cards is a federal crime, punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison for forging government seals found on the card.
CNNs Kay Jones contributed to this report.
