COVID-19 vaccine by state: Across America, the pace of new vaccinations has increased USA TODAY
Dr. Molly Hoss and her daughter. Hoss discusses misinformation out there about infertility and the COVID-19 vaccines. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.
Misinformation about infertility and COVID-19 vaccines has prevented countless young women from getting vaccines.
And, as the highly transmissible delta variant causes dangerous spikes in cases of COVID-19, medical experts urgently are delivering a clear message to young women and any other eligible people who havent yet been immunized.
Get your vaccine, says Dr. Molly Hoss, a proud mom of a year-old daughter and a family medicine doctor who has delivered hundreds of babies during her career.
We have a lot of data showing that the COVID-19 vaccine doesnt cause infertility.
Hoss daughter, Juliana, now 1, was born last July during the first months of the pandemic before vaccines had been developed. But, the moment Hoss became eligible, she received her vaccine to prevent COVID-19 at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus, where she delivers babies and cares for other patients. Hoss also sees patients of all ages at the UCHealth A.F. Williams Family Medicine Clinic in Denvers Central Park neighborhood.
Hoss had done her research and learned that COVID-19 vaccines were safe for pregnant women. (Learn more about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women.)
As a bonus, Hoss was thrilled to pass antibodies to the coronavirus on to Juliana through her breastmilk.
Juliana is my world. I want to do everything I can to protect her, Hoss said.
Now, Hoss hopes to get pregnant soon again. And shes confident that the vaccines she received will keep her safe at work and wont interfere with her plans to have a second baby.
During the clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, the same percentage of women who had been vaccinated as those who received placebos got pregnant after having been vaccinated.
Researchers have also monitored sperm counts for men who received the vaccines compared to those who did not.
Theres no difference, Hoss said. Experts have also tested ovarian reserves and function before and after the vaccine and they also showed no difference.
Early on, we knew women could get pregnant (after getting COVID-19 vaccines) and nothing harmful was happening to them, Hoss said. Plenty of my patients have gotten pregnant after getting vaccinated. And, Im planning on getting pregnant and Im not worried at all about the COVID-19 vaccines effect on my fertility.
Im more worried about my age, said Hoss, who is 36. (Fertility or the ability to get pregnant does decline with age.)
The medical experts in the U.S. who advise doctors on issues related to maternal health, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, underscore Hoss advice on COVID-19 vaccines and infertility.
Claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to infertility are unfounded and have scientific evidence supporting them, write ACOG experts.
The ACOG experts recommend vaccination for all eligible people who are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant.
Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) echo the ACOG guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccines and infertility.
If trying to get pregnant now or in the future, would-be parents can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause female or male fertility problems or problems getting pregnant, the CDC experts say.
Hoss points out that some women can notice a change in their menstrual cycle soon after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but these changes are temporary. You can also notice menstrual changes after getting Covid too. Both of these are due to an inflammatory response.
Its short-lived and it goes back to normal, Hoss said. Our reproductive systems go back to normal after getting vaccines.
Hoss has learned a great deal being pregnant herself and caring for patients of all ages during the pandemic.
Hoss was in her second trimester when the pandemic began sweeping across the U.S. in the spring of 2020. Medical experts soon learned that pregnant women could become especially sick if they got COVID-19.
So, Hoss did her final delivery on April 5. Then, to protect her health, she started seeing patients via virtual visits.
In the final weeks of Hoss pregnancy, Juliana had settled into the breech position, meaning her head was face-up in Hoss belly, not the ideal position for an uncomplicated birth. Hoss went to extraordinary measures to encourage Juliana to flip. She tried swimming and doing handstands, neither of which prompted Juliana to turn. Hoss medical provider then tried to manually turn Juliana. But, she stayed put. So, in late July, Hoss had a C-section and she and her husband joyfully welcomed a beautiful baby girl.
Hoss always has been warm and supportive of her patients.
Both during her pregnancy, when she experienced extreme fatigue, and afterward, when Hoss recovered from her C-section and learned how exhausting parenting can be, she gained newfound empathy for her patients.
Now, more than ever, she understands how pregnant women and those who want to get pregnant carefully consider whats safest for them and their families.
I can reassure moms who are scared, Hoss said.
And her message about COVID-19 is utterly clear. The illness can be very serious for people of all ages. Getting vaccinated is the best way to stay safe.
Hoss has had plenty of patients get severely ill from COVID-19.
The virus is dangerous. I have seen the long-term side effects from the virus that have impaired peoples lives, Hoss said. Ive had patients lose their jobs and their housing after getting COVID-19 because theyre weak, have to be on oxygen or have had neurologic effects, Hoss said.
She said the illness affects people very differently. Some people have mild illnesses, while others become critically ill and die or suffer for many months.
I have patients who got COVID over a year ago and they are still on oxygen. Its not something to take lightly, Hoss said.
Yes, for some people, there are temporary side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, but none are as bad as getting COVID-19, she said. (Read more about the normal side effects of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.)
During the final months of her pregnancy, Hoss had to be very careful since she knew how poorly some pregnant women were doing if they got COVID-19.
Pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and additionally, women who do get sick from COVID, are at increased risk for pre-term birth, Hoss said.
To stay safe, she and her husband cocooned at their home near Boulder while both worked remotely.
Hoss breastfed Juliana. She even happened to be pumping her milk while she received one of her vaccine doses and knew that as soon as her body began producing antibodies to keep her safe from COVID-19, Juliana would benefit too.
I knew that my baby would get antibodies to COVID-19, said Hoss, who continues to pump her milk to share the protection and optimal nutrition of human milk with Juliana.
Ive continued pumping. Im still trying to give her every ounce of protection, Hoss said. By getting the vaccine and giving her my breastmilk and the antibodies to COVID-19, I feel like Im taking the extra steps to protect her.
These days, Juliana is more and more curious about her world every day. She loves to point at planes in the sky and objects on the ground, asking the name for each new thing she notices. She has a favorite stuff giraffe and is a smiley, happy girl.
She loves clapping and waving, said Hoss, grinning as she cuddles with Juliana. I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I didnt know how rewarding it was going to be. It has been amazing and wonderful to have this child who I get to help shape and grow.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a memo Monday saying he will ask the president to approve making COVID-19 vaccines a requirement by mid-September. "I have every confidence that Service leadership and your commanders will implement this new vaccination program with professionalism, skill, and compassion," Austin said in the memo.
Austin said he will seek to make the vaccine mandatory either by mid-September or immediately upon the FDA's full approval, whichever comes first. Vaccines in the military are voluntary when under emergency use authorization by the FDA. The president has the authority to waive the rule and make the vaccine a requirement for personnel.
In a statement, President Biden said he "strongly" supported Austin's decision.
"I am proud that our military women and men will continue to help lead the charge in the fight against this pandemic, as they so often do, by setting the example of keeping their fellow Americans safe," Mr. Biden said.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that Mr. Biden's message of support is appreciated but does not constitute the approval of a waiver. The Pentagon still has to go through the process of requesting a waiver and receiving approval from the president, which it has not done yet.
The memo issued on Monday outlines the plan moving forward.
"You can consider this memo today as what we would call in the military a warning order - a warning order to the force that this is coming, and we want you to be ready for it as well. Obviously we'd prefer that you get the vaccine now and not wait for the mandate," Kirby said.
The military services are working on implementation plans so that when a vaccine is mandatory either with a waiver from the president or after FDA authorization, the services are ready to implement. Kirby told reporters Monday the Department doesn't expect supply to be an issue.
Mr. Biden in July asked Austin to look into when and how to make the vaccine mandatory. Though FDA approval of Pfizer's vaccine may be inching closer in the next few weeks, the danger posed by the highly contagious Delta variant has prompted action.
The Department of Defense in a statement following Mr. Biden's speech last month said Austin would consult with medical professionals as well as the Joint Chiefs of Staff to determine how when to make recommendations to the president to require the COVID-19 vaccines.
As of Monday, at least 74% of active duty personnel are partially vaccinated and 65% are fully vaccinated.
Louisiana, one of the least-vaccinated states, is setting new COVID case records
August 10, 2021, 8:58 PM
8 min read
With his home state of Louisiana setting new records for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., on Tuesday encouraged residents to get vaccinated, touting the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and urging people to talk to their doctors about any concerns.
"Instead of trying to blame people, let's encourage people to protect themselves," Scalise, who received his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine Tuesday morning, told ABC News Correspondent Kyra Phillips on ABC News Live. "In terms of hospitalizations, that's where you see people that aren't vaccinated showing up the most and so you want to encourage people to get it."
"It's not something where you go off what someone says on the internet," Scalise told ABC affiliate WGNO about vaccinations shortly after receiving his second dose in New Orleans. "You talk to your doctor about any health decision, and this is one of those."
More than 2,800 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Louisiana -- hundreds more than the state experienced during the last coronavirus surge. Until Tuesday, when it was overtaken by Florida, Louisiana led the country in new COVID-19 cases. Just 37% of the state is fully vaccinated, among the lowest rates in the country.
Louisiana's Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who recently reinstated a new indoor mask mandate to help stem the spread of the virus, said on Twitter that he and his wife would be fasting and praying for frontline health workers and residents affected by the pandemic. And the state's top health official suggested more aggressive measures might be required.
Members of the U.S. Army operate a drive-thru testing site as cases of the coronavirus disease surge across the state, in New Orleans, Aug. 6, 2021.
As GOP governors in nearby Texas and Florida have taken steps to prevent local communities and schools from implementing new mask mandates -- with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida even threatening to withhold pay from public educators who implement them -- Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, said "ultimately those are conversations that need to be had at the school-board level."
"I would encourage people to stay involved at the local level, having those conversations where they should be had, not at the federal level," he said. "Let people in the local communities make the decisions that are best for themselves and open up the schools."
Asked about Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who recently said he regretted signing into law a ban on local mask mandates in the spring, Scalise said, "let those local conversations be had."
House Republican Whip Rep. Steve Scalise speaks with reporters as he arrives to a caucus meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2021, in Washington.
Scalise, who has criticized recently updated federal mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not attack the Defense Department's announcement that it will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, saying that he would "leave it to the generals to determine what's best to run the military."
"I still don't want to see the federal government make those kinds of mandates," he added.
The Louisiana Republican, who was first eligible for his vaccine in December as a member of Congress, received his first dose in July. Asked about the delay, Scalise said he waited because of a positive antibody test, which suggested he had previously contracted the virus. The CDC has found that the COVID-19 vaccines provide more robust protections against the virus than antibodies from prior infections.
"Ultimately with the delta variant, I saw the spike in hospitals and primarily as over 98% of people in the hospitals with COVID were unvaccinated. And that's when I decided to get the (vaccine)," he said. "I'm very glad I did it, it's very safe and effective."
Separately, Scalise said he plans to oppose the bipartisan infrastructure bill, approved by the Senate earlier Tuesday, when it is taken up in the House, because of the Democrats' plans to pair it with a more expansive, $3.5 trillion policy package they plan to advance with only Democratic votes.
Seventeen Republican senators voted with all of the Democrats to advance the $1 trillion infrastructure measure Tuesday.
"It's less about infrastructure and more about taxes and spending, and Speaker Pelosi made that very clear," he told ABC News Live. "There is a whole lot of spending that has nothing to do with infrastructure, and they're going to be tax increases that are going to hurt jobs it's going to hurt middle class families."
Two studies published by JAMA Cardiology today discuss adverse effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. The first describes vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VITT with CVST) linked to the AstraZeneca/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The second is a case series looking at 15 adolescents who experienced myocarditis after receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Despite these risks, both research teams continue to advocate for COVID-19 vaccines as the health risks from the virus are far greater than those linked to the vaccine. For instance, the VITT study researchers say that CVST risk from COVID-19 infection is 60- to 230-fold higher than the risk derived from COVID-19 vaccination.
Both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have regulatory warnings about VITT now, and data have shown that women under 60 years old appear to be at a higher risk. Symptoms include intracranial pressure, shortness of breath, lethargy, back pain, abdominal pain, spot bleeding under the skin, and leg or arm weakness, as well as positive test results for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Onset occurs a median of 8 or 10 days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, respectively.
CVST, one of the worst manifestations of VITT, happens when clots form in the brain and major dural sinuses. While the average 30-day mortality is 6%, about 10% of patients have permanent neurological issues 1 year later.
No current strategies exist to avoid VITT, but interim recommendations include first-line therapy with non-heparin anticoagulants and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), plus second-line steroids. Platelet transfusions can be given if the patient has or is at high risk for serious bleeding, but the researchers emphasize that routine platelet transfusions are associated with a 5-fold increase in mortality, probably because they are the source of platelet factor 4. Healthcare providers should also avoid aspirin.
"The mechanism of development of the prothrombotic state and its association with the vaccine are still only partially known, because multiple converging prothrombotic pathways may be involved in the pathogenesis," the researchers write.
Although both AstraZeneca's and Johnson & Johnson's adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccines have been connected with VITT, the syndrome seems to occur at four times the frequency with the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the researchers. As for the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, no instances have been recorded with the Pfizer vaccine, but three cases have been connected to Moderna.
"Adverse events like VITT, while uncommon, have been described despite vaccination remaining the most essential component in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. While it seems logical to consider the use of types of vaccines (eg, mRNA-based administration) in individuals at high risk, treatment should consist of therapeutic anticoagulation mostly with nonheparin products and IVIG," the researchers write.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is more associated with myocarditis, or heart inflammation, with crude analysis showing greater risk for males ages 12 to 17, according to the authors of the case series. To examine the outcomes, they looked at 15 children admitted to Boston Children's Hospital from May 1 to Jul 15 for vaccine-associated myocarditis. All but one patient was male, and the median age was 15 (children 12 to 17 are eligible for Pfizer's vaccine). None had prior, known COVID-19 infection, although one did have reactive antibodies.
Symptom onset began 1 to 6 days post-vaccine (14 cases occurred after the second dose). The whole cohort experienced chest pain, but other common symptoms were fever (10), weakness (8), and headache (6). Troponin levels were also elevated at admission (median, 0.25 nanograms per milliliter compared with 0.1) and continued increasing 0.1 to 2.3 days after admission.
Overall, 13 patients presented with myocarditis via cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Three had decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, and five had abnormal global longitudinal or circumferential strain. Still, no patients needed intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and hospitalization stay was a median of 2 days.
At a median of 1 to 13 days after discharge, four patients still had symptoms (fatigue, 3; chest pain, 1). Troponin was mildly elevated in three patients, and one patient had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. One of the asymptomatic cases had persistent borderline low left ventricular systolic function.
The researchers conclude, "In this case series, in short-term follow-up, patients were mildly affected. The long-term risks associated with postvaccination myocarditis remain unknown. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to inform recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in this population."
Media Advisory
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Trial will assess antibody response in people who did not respond to two-dose regimen.
A pilot study has begun to assess the antibody response to a third dose of an authorized COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in kidney transplant recipients who did not respond to two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The Phase 2 trial is sponsored and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The lifelong immunosuppressive therapy that organ transplant recipients must take to prevent organ rejection blunts their immune response to both pathogens and vaccines. Research has shown that many organ transplant recipients do not develop antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, after receiving an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. The purpose of the new study is to determine whether a third dose of one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could overcome this problem for at least some kidney transplant recipients. This is particularly important because this population has a high prevalence of conditions that are risk factors for severe COVID-19, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The pilot study also aims to identify characteristics that could help distinguish those kidney transplant recipients who would benefit from a third dose of an mRNA vaccine from those who will require a different approach to achieve protection. The pilot study findings will inform a subsequent, larger phase of the trial that includes higher-risk strategies to induce a protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in solid organ transplant recipients who do not respond to a third dose of an mRNA vaccine.
The third-dose vaccine intervention was chosen because of the demonstrated safety of the two-dose mRNA vaccine regimen in solid organ transplant recipients as well as the efficacy of additional doses of other vaccines, such as those for hepatitis and influenza, in immunocompromised people.
The pilot study, called COVID Protection After Transplant (CPAT), is being conducted at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore under the leadership of Dorry Segev, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Segev is the Marjory K. and Thomas Pozefsky professor of surgery and epidemiology, associate vice chair of the department of surgery, and director of the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins University.
The CPAT study team will enroll up to 200 adults ages 18 years or older who received a kidney transplant a year or more prior to enrollment and have had no recent organ rejection or change in immunosuppression. Between 50 and 100 participants will have had no detectable antibody response to two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and 50 to 100 participants will have had a low response. All participants will receive a third dose of the same COVID-19 vaccine that they received previously. Thirty days later, investigators will measure participants antibody response to the third dose. The goal is to determine the proportion of participants who achieve a designated antibody response at the 30-day mark. The study team will follow participants for one year after enrollment. Preliminary results are expected in September 2021.
People who would like to enroll in the CPAT pilot study should contact Johns Hopkins University using the email address dose3@jhu.edu. More information about the trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov under study identifier NCT04C969263.
NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and Daniel Rotrosen, M.D., director of the NIAID Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation, are available to discuss the CPAT pilot study.
To schedule interviews, please contact the NIAID News & Science Writing Branch, (301) 402-1663, niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.
NIAID conducts and supports researchat NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwideto study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIHTurning Discovery Into Health
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PARISJulien Zerbos turned away some would-be diners on Monday from the brasserie on Pariss Champs-lyses where he works because they didnt have the European Unions new digital health certificate.
France began requiring the passes, which certify that somebody has been vaccinated against Covid-19, on Monday for people seeking to dine at a restaurant, whether indoors or outdoors. The pass is now also necessary to take domestic flights and long-distance buses and trains. France already made the pass mandatory last month for a host of other activities such as entrance to museums, pools, gyms and large sports events.
Some customers say they got the vaccine but didnt come with the health pass, and we have to say sorry, we cannot accept you, said Mr. Zerbos, who works as a host at Fouquets in Paris. We can get in serious trouble if we accept someone without the health pass.
French establishments that dont check the health passes risk a 1,500 fine, the equivalent of about $1,763, which can rise to 9,000 and a year in prison following the third violation within a month.
Italy also made the digital health pass mandatory for a range of activities last Friday, although the unvaccinated can still dine at restaurants if they sit outdoors.
GETTING BETTER AND WHEN HE IS FULLY RECOVERED, HE SAYS HE WILL GET VACCINATED. LARA: I REMINDER FOR , MISSOURIANS. YOURE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO ENTER TO WIN TEN GRANDFO, R GETTING YOUR CORONAVIRUS VACCINE. TOMORROW IS THE DEADLINE TO ENTER, INTO THE STATES DRAWING. ,SO IF YOURE INTERESTED, FLIL OUT THE FORM AT COVID-VACCINE.MO.GOV/WIN. THERE WILL BE PRIZE DRAWINGS FOR 3-CATEGORIES, BASED ON WHEN YOU GOT THE VACCINE, AND F 1OR2 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS WANTING MONEY FOR COLLEGE. THE DRAWINGS WILL HAPPENVE ERY TWO WEEKS. THEY START FRIDAY AND WILL GO THROUGH OCTOBER 8. THERE WILL
More than 375,000 Missourians have entered the states COVID-19 vaccine lottery program
State officials say the first of five drawings will be Friday.
Updated: 4:36 PM CDT Aug 10, 2021
More than 375,000 Missourians have entered the states COVID-19 vaccine lottery program, but vaccinations continue to lag, especially in rural areas of the state. State officials say the first of five drawings will be Friday. All told, 800 adults will win $10,000 cash prizes, and 100 people ages 12-17 will win education savings accounts worth $10,000. Only those who have initiated vaccination are eligible.Republican Gov. Mike Parson announced the incentive program on July 21. State officials say that vaccinations have risen nearly 50% in the past month. Missouri continues to lag far behind most states in vaccinations.
More than 375,000 Missourians have entered the states COVID-19 vaccine lottery program, but vaccinations continue to lag, especially in rural areas of the state.
State officials say the first of five drawings will be Friday. All told, 800 adults will win $10,000 cash prizes, and 100 people ages 12-17 will win education savings accounts worth $10,000. Only those who have initiated vaccination are eligible.
Republican Gov. Mike Parson announced the incentive program on July 21. State officials say that vaccinations have risen nearly 50% in the past month.
Missouri continues to lag far behind most states in vaccinations.
Tyson Foods, United Airlines, CNN, the U.S. military.
A wide variety of employers, including those four, impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates on their workers, and experts said theyll have a lot more company soon after the Food and Drug Administration gives the shots its full approval.
Some employers arent ready to impose mandates but may penalize workers for not getting vaccinated, possibly by requiring them to pay an insurance surcharge costing several hundred dollars a year.
I think theyve decided that in order to get that needle to move, they need to do something more, said Wade Symons, leader of the regulatory resources group at Mercer, an employee benefits consultancy.
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Other employers just ask nicely or stick with incentives, hoping not to scare workers off amid what HR leaders call The Great Resignation a pent-up flood of people quitting after holding onto their jobs during the pandemic.
The hodgepodge of vaccination strategies coincides with the surge of the delta variant, which is more contagious than earlier versions of the coronavirus and threatens to derail efforts to return to the office.
Here are some of the issues with vaccine mandates, which experts agree are legal as long as workers are provided accommodations for legitimate medical or religious objections:
If you work in a field that requires you to interact with the public, you are among those most likely to be required to be vaccinated, said Michael C. Schmidt, vice chair of law firm Cozen O'Connors labor and employment department.
This is particularly true of health care providers such as hospitals, many of which have historically required flu vaccinations.
It may be true of other industries with workers in harms way such as meatpacking plants. Those facilities faced criticism over COVID-19 outbreaks in the early months of the pandemic because the employees typically work side by side. Tysons Food, which sells meat, ordered vaccinations for its workers.
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In the travel sector, United Airlines is among the first major companies to issue a vaccine mandate to its employees. Flight attendants and gate agents are among workers who work directly with the public, putting themselves and travelers at risk.
What youre seeing is employers realizing that that resistance is softer than it might have been a few months ago as the delta variant gets more extreme, said Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.
Yet many companies whose employees interact with the public don't require vaccination. Major retailers such as Walmart and Target havent issued mandates for store workers. Walmart requires vaccinations for employees at its headquarters in Arkansas and for some workers who travel regularly.
"We have an important role to play and believe the requirement for vaccinations for our leaders is key to driving toward an end to this pandemic," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a memo to employees.
Yes. This could include a surcharge on your health insurance.
Mercers Symons said clients have asked him about how to charge unvaccinated employees more for their insurance to cover the costs of massive hospital bills.
Its something weve just started getting questions about in the last couple of weeks, Symons said. The number of questions has been surprising in the volume. This is something theyre more willing to take on. Its less than a mandate.
Symons estimated that some workers could face an additional $20 to $50 per paycheck, though he said he would expect it to be on the lower end of that scale.
That would translate into several hundred dollars annually in extra costs.
Unvaccinated folks have the potential to cost employers more from a health care cost perspective, so theyre feeling theyre justified in that additional surcharge, he said.
It would be akin to how some employers tack on a surcharge for workers who smoke cigarettes, Symons said, though he acknowledged that surcharges for the unvaccinated would probably be more controversial.
Insurance surcharges could turn out to be more effective than mandates, Carnegie Mellons Rousseau said.
People are loss-sensitive, she said. Losses are more painful than gains are good. If the incentives are experienced as a loss, theyll act to correct that loss.
Its highly likely. For now, COVID-19 vaccines remain authorized under emergency use regulations.
If the FDA grants full approval, it may lead to a flood of employers mandating shots since the agency's signoff would remove one of the arguments against requirements, experts speculated.
Emergency use status isnt enough to block mandates. A federal judge in Houston ruled against hospital employees who argued that they should not be subject to a mandate because the vaccine had been only authorized for emergency deployment.
The judge pretty handily rejected that claim, said Schmidt, the employment lawyer.
Tyson Foods team members receive COVID-19 vaccines Feb. 2 from health officials in Wilkesboro, N.C. Tyson Foods requires all of its U.S. employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Some employers have been reluctant to order vaccines until the shots have the same authorization as, say, over-the-counter medicine.
Theres no question there were some employers that recognized the uneasiness of the (emergency) status and were waiting and might still be waiting for approval, Schmidt said.
Possibly. In some cases, unions support mandates, including the AFL-CIO, which represents 56 unions accounting for more than 12 million workers.
Others, such as unions representing teachers, sheriffs deputies and state workers, have spoken up against mandates.
We have a right to bargain over a new work rule," said Debbie White, president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees, New Jerseys largest health care union.
Most union contracts will prevent employers from imposing mandates without negotiating, Schmidt said.
Definitely. Employers recognize that resistance is particularly strong in some quarters. Nearly 3 in 10 American adults havent gotten at least one dose of vaccine.
Because vaccinations have become a political issue for a portion of Americans who refuse them, employers could face mass resignations if they require shots. (Other employees are hesitant because of safety concerns and other fears.)
Thats particularly concerning for bosses since many are struggling with The Great Resignation a widespread departure of workers who held onto their positions during the pandemic but are ready to leave for something else now that the economy is picking up.
Given how many employers are grappling with worker shortages, they may want to avoid upsetting their staff.
Workers could be bluffing when they threaten to quit, but employers might still fold their cards.
What people say and what people do theres always a disparity, said Theresa McEndree, global head of marketing for Blackhawk Network, which consults with employers about worker incentives.
Employers may have to accept the inevitability that some people are as good as gone.
Ive heard employers saying that if this is a reason why someone is unwilling to come to work, then maybe we just have to live with them working somewhere else, Symons said, because some employers feel like they just need to get back to functioning as close to the way they did before.
This is also possible. Research shows that many vaccinated Americans are concerned about working alongside unvaccinated colleagues.
More than 62% of American workers want at least 8 in 10 of their co-workers to be vaccinated before theyll feel comfortable returning to the office, according to Blackhawk Network research.
In many cases, the answer is probably yes. For companies that dont want to force their workers to get vaccinated, incentives may do the trick.
History and data have shown that its more positive to reward good behavior than impose a punishment, McEndree said.
Of unvaccinated workers, 51% say a financial incentive from their employer would motivate them to start and complete the vaccine process, she said, summarizing Blackhawks research.
In this case, she said, money works.
Contributing: Lindy Washburn of NorthJersey.com
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Health insurance charge for not getting COVID vaccine? It could happen
Hundreds of people have gathered outside of St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, protesting the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees throughout the Greater Cincinnati Health Systems. St. Elizabeth's was one of 11 hospital systems in Kentucky that announced last week they will require its workforce to be vaccinated for COVID-19. "None of us want to lose our job...the reason I came out here, is because, well, I've been a nurse for 13 years, and I've never taken a vaccine," registered nurse Crystal Real said.The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, health officials said. But on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside in protest of the hospital's policy. "I think it's absolutely beautiful, I'm touched, I got chills just walking in here," Real said.The grouping was made up of a variety of people: Some who work at the hospital, and some that do not. Many in the group are speaking out, saying it's their right to choose if they want to be vaccinated or not. "It's not about the vaccine, there's plenty of people here who have had the vaccine and there's plenty of people who haven't, and the choice should be yours to make without being threatened with your job," registered nurse Darlene Miller said.All Greater Cincinnati Hospital systems decided to require the vaccine as the delta variant continues to spread, causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to rise.
Hundreds of people have gathered outside of St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, protesting the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees throughout the Greater Cincinnati Health Systems.
St. Elizabeth's was one of 11 hospital systems in Kentucky that announced last week they will require its workforce to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
"None of us want to lose our job...the reason I came out here, is because, well, I've been a nurse for 13 years, and I've never taken a vaccine," registered nurse Crystal Real said.
The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, health officials said.
But on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside in protest of the hospital's policy.
"I think it's absolutely beautiful, I'm touched, I got chills just walking in here," Real said.
The grouping was made up of a variety of people: Some who work at the hospital, and some that do not. Many in the group are speaking out, saying it's their right to choose if they want to be vaccinated or not.
"It's not about the vaccine, there's plenty of people here who have had the vaccine and there's plenty of people who haven't, and the choice should be yours to make without being threatened with your job," registered nurse Darlene Miller said.
All Greater Cincinnati Hospital systems decided to require the vaccine as the delta variant continues to spread, causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to rise.
