Covid news live: UK cases fall slightly as student vaccine passport plan is ditched The Independent
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The rate of Covid-19 vaccinations in the United States continues to rise, a positive sign amid skyrocketing cases and hospitalizations after weeks of lagging inoculations.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 816,203 doses were administered Saturday, the fifth straight day the agency recorded more than 700,000 shots in arms. That brings the total number of doses administered to 346,456,669, according to CDC numbers released Sunday.
The 7-day average of administered doses is now 662,529 per day, the highest average since July 7.
Per CDC data released Sunday, 168.4 million people are fully vaccinated, or 49.6% of the US population. Among vaccine-eligible Americans meaning those who are 12 and older 58.1% are fully vaccinated.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, hopes the recent surge in cases driven by the Delta variant is changing the minds of the vaccine hesitant, he told CNNs Jake Tapper Sunday. Collins noted that in the last two weeks, vaccination rates have increased 56% nationally.
This may be a tipping point for those who have been hesitant to say, OK, its time, Collins said. I hope thats whats happening. Thats what desperately needs to happen if were going to get this Delta variant put back in its place.
Overall, the 7-day average of people becoming fully vaccinated each day is at 247,385 people per day.
Additionally, Saturday was the third day in a row that the 7-day average of people getting their first shots topped 400,000. The last time that metric was over 400,000 was the July Fourth weekend.
Still, this metric is lower than its peak on April 14, when the 7-day average of newly vaccinated people hit nearly 2 million.
Twenty states have now fully vaccinated more than half of their residents, including Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington state, as well as Washington, DC.
On the other hand, the states with the lowest percentage of their population vaccinated are Alabama and Mississippi, which have 34% and 35% of their residents vaccinated, respectively.
Aaron Dickey, 91, receives a COVID-19 vaccine while his wife, Marion, 83, left, looks on in Spanish Fork on March 25. Marion Dickey said she looked to President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when deciding whether to get the vaccination. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY A recent report from the Public Religion Research Institute says 53% of Americans agree with the statement: Because getting vaccinated against COVID-19 helps protect everyone, it is a way to live out the religious principle of loving my neighbors.
Some religious leaders have cited their faith as a reason to promote vaccination, like doctrinal mandates to love others or to stay as healthy as possible. Others have cited their faith as a reason to allow others to make the medical decisions themselves without getting involved. Some have even cited their faith as a reason to discourage vaccination.
So what exactly are official religious beliefs surrounding immunization? Which religions and faith traditions are doctrinally opposed to vaccination? And do these beliefs also apply to the COVID-19 vaccine?
Prominent religious leaders like the pope, the dalai lama, the archbishop of Canterbury, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and many others have been vaccinated, often documenting it publicly.
What does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say?
In Utah, many religious leaders across all faiths have made efforts to promote the vaccine by hosting vaccine clinics or addressing the issue over the pulpit.
The most prominent church in Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ, has repeatedly encouraged its members to get vaccinated, even updating its official policy handbook to encourage vaccinations.
Latter-day Saint church leadership has been vaccinated, and President Russell M. Nelson called the vaccine a literal godsend.
Though ultimately, the official policy says the decision is up to the members, with divine guidance. And the Public Religion Research Institute report showed that 17% of Latter-day Saints say they will not get vaccinated.
Among the religious groups least receptive to the vaccines, white evangelical Protestants stand out as the most likely to say they will refuse to get vaccinated (26%), with an additional 28% who are hesitant, the report published in April states. About 1 in 5 other Protestants of color (20%), Black Protestants (19%), and Mormons (17%) say they will not get vaccinated, and another one-third of each are hesitant (35%, 32% and 33%, respectively).
No churches officially oppose vaccinations in general, and very few openly discourage them. The two most common religions referenced in legal vaccination exemptions for schools are the Dutch Reformed Church and the Church of Christ, Scientist.
Dutch Reformed Church
Though it is not an official church stance, many members opt out of vaccination because they believe that vaccines can interfere with their relationship with God by making them less dependent. The church has not made a specific statement about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Church of Christ, Scientist
The church does not have an official policy about vaccination, and it relies on members to make decisions for themselves following the golden rule. However, founder Mary Baker Eddy did recommend members follow what the law requires. Federal or state laws do not require COVID-19 vaccinations. Christian scientists believe in faith healing through prayer, meaning that they believe prayer has the ability to cure diseases and illnesses. Many members choose to turn down vaccinations in order to rely solely on prayer and faith for treatment.
Other faith healing denominations include Faith Tabernacle, Church of the First Born, Faith Assembly and End Time Ministries.
There are some doctrinal issues in other religions, depending on the vaccine in question. Here are some of the common religious reasons people turn down vaccines.
Islam
Beliefs about vaccination vary among Islamic sects and individuals.
The main religious concern is if the vaccine contains porcine ingredients, like pork gelatin, which is a common ingredient among vaccines. Consumption of pork is considered haram, or forbidden under Islamic law. Most Islamic leaders and councils agree that vaccination does not qualify as ingesting pork and are halal, or permissible.
The COVID-19 vaccine does not include any porcine or animal products, but widespread misinformation has made many Muslims wary about getting vaccinated.
In the early months of the pandemic, vaccine rates among Muslims were some of the lowest in the nation, but many imams and other religious and community leaders have launched outreach programs through mosques and cultural organizations to promote vaccination. Some have made rules that unvaccinated people may not be allowed to enter mosques.
One imam from the Islamic Center of Virginia in Richmond told WebMD that Muslim doctrine supports vaccination. We have a religious duty and obligation to be vaccinated as long as competent science and medical authorities approve the vaccine, Imam Ammar Amonette said.
Judaism
In Judaism, vaccination is not just encouraged; its required by Jewish law as part of a mandate for members to take care of their bodies. However, there are some concerns that some vaccines that contain animal gelatin products are not kosher, meaning that they dont follow the requirements for Jewish law related to food. However, many prominent Jewish religious leaders have said that vaccine injections do not count as ingesting the animal products.
There has also been a large amount of misinformation spread that the COVID-19 vaccines are not kosher, but the vaccines dont contain animal products. Jewish doctors and religious leaders have done much to combat this misinformation. Israel even launched a largely successful campaign to correct false claims that specifically targeted ultra-Orthodox Jews and encouraged vaccination.
Hinduism
In Hinduism, practitioners believe that divinity is in all things, including plants and animals. Cows are considered particularly sacred. Some vaccines contain bovine gelatin, which may concern some Hindus. However, many Hindu leaders have stated that the overall benefit of keeping people healthy and safe takes precedence.
Jehovahs Witnesses
Prior to 1952, Jehovahs Witness leadership instructed practitioners not to receive vaccinations because one leader believed vaccines used animal blood cells. The faith does not permit blood transfusions or donations, but since it was made clear that vaccines did not involve blood contact, Witnesses have been permitted to be vaccinated.
Many vaccines use fetal cell lines that are grown in a lab, but those cell lines descend from cells taken from two fetuses from elective abortions in the 1970s and 1980s. Those original cells have been multiplied in labs for decades, meaning that they are far removed from the original fetal tissue. Fetal cell lines dont contain any tissue from the original aborted fetuses. However, many people who are religiously opposed to abortion are hesitant to use cells that are in any way connected to abortion. This is a particularly common belief within Christian sects.
Neither Pfizer nor Moderna used fetal cell lines in the development of their COVID-19 vaccines, and none of the COVID-19 vaccines use fetal cell lines from recent abortions.
Catholicism
Some members of the Catholic Church turn down vaccines that contain cell lines derived from aborted fetal tissue based on the belief that life begins at conception and that they would be morally complicit in the abortions. However, the Catholic Church has officially stated that clinically safe and effective vaccines can be used in good conscience because the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion and, in fact, becoming vaccinated can be seen as protecting personal health and pursuing the common good.
The Vaticans doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, released a statement explaining that the Pfizer and Moderna medicine were not developed from the cell lines in question, though they may have been tested on them. They classified these vaccines as ethically sound. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson were developed from those cell lines, but the Catholic Church states that receiving those vaccines is still morally acceptable and that recipients are doing good by preventing disease and saving lives, including those of unborn babies who might not make it to term if the mothers get COVID-19.
Pope Francis has received the COVID-19 vaccine and has stated that everyone is morally obligated to get the vaccine.
It is the moral choice because it is about your life but also the lives of others, he told an Italian news program in January.
Amish
Amish communities have been hit particularly hard by diseases because of some hesitancy to be vaccinated. Most Amish people object to vaccination because of political or personal reasons rather than religious reasons. They dont have any official religious beliefs against vaccination; however, a core tenet of their faith is accepting Gods will. That means that if someone falls ill and dies, it was Gods will that they do so. If they are saved, that was also Gods will.
COVID-19 in particular has drastically affected Amish communities; and because of low vaccination rates, the variants have taken and continue to take a severe toll on the Amish people.
Fundamentalists
Many fundamentalist religions, such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, have unofficial fatalist beliefs similar to the Amish what happens is Gods will, whether thats life or death. Because of these beliefs, members of fundamentalist faiths tend not to get vaccinated.
Incorporating faith into vaccination
Buddhism and Sikhism do not have any doctrine opposing vaccination and are generally encouraging practitioners to get it.
Some religions have even found a way to incorporate their beliefs into the vaccination, combining prayer or religious ceremonies, like Christian Scientists using faith healing to recover from the potential side effects or traditional healers in the Navajo Nation who use a prayer object in a protection ceremony before being vaccinated.
The conclusion of the report on the COVID-19 vaccine and religion was that 1 in 4 Americans who are hesitant to get the vaccine report that faith-based encouraging of vaccination would make them more likely to get vaccinated.
AURORA, Colo. - The Gardens on Havana shopping center in Aurora is typically filled with shoppers, but on Sunday morning a mobile vaccination site was the reason behind the forming of a line.
Zola Alfred was one of the many who was eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine months ago. At the time she wasn't comfortable getting it right away, which is why she waited.
"I have been waiting to see how things are, you know, how things are going and progressing," she said "I definitely wanted to wait and give it at least a year to see what statistics said and all that other kind of stuff. So, I've been watching the news and reading a lot to just keep up with it."
While her initial plan was to hold off on getting the shot, her children and the opportunity to get a gift card pushed her to get the vaccine now.
"I decided, if they're going to let us back in the building at my kids school, since I am on the PTCL board, I wanted to be able to have access to get inside of the building, just in case that was one of the requirements. So I was like, 'let me just go ahead and get my vaccine'. Plus, they're given $100 incentive in the state of Colorado, so why not?" she said.
School was also one of the reason Demetrius Pullman brought his 16 and 17-year-old teens, Talia and Dre to get vaccinated.
"To keep us safe. We all need to get this," he said.
Just like Zola, his initial plan was to hold off on getting vaccinated. A doctor changed his mind just a couple of weeks ago after telling him it was the best way to keep one of his immunocompromised children safe.
"When we took my daughter to the doctor, they recommended that we get it because of her. Yeah, so there's more of it just to protect my kids, you know," he said.
Both of his kids and Zola walked away not only with the first dose of a vaccine, but also a $100 Walmart gift card.
"This is for me, my vaccine, my card, spending it on myself," said Zola.
Britain will begin offering a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to 32 million Britons starting in early September, The Telegraph reported Sunday. The shots will be available in as many as 2,000 pharmacies with the goal of getting them into arms by early December.The government has been preparing since at least June, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) called for a plan to offer the third shot to people 70 years old or older, care home residents and those who are vulnerable for health reasons.At least 90% of British adults have received at least one shot, but that rate falls to 60% for those 18-30 years old, government figures show. To encourage younger adults to get vaccinated before colder weather prompts people to spend more time indoors, the Department of Health and Social Care said that restaurants, food delivery services and ride-hailing apps are offering discounts to persuade people to be vaccinated.The lifesaving vaccines not only protect you, your loved ones and your community, but they are helping to bring us back together by allowing you to get back to doing the things youve missed, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said, according to the Associated Press.
British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who tested positive for COVID-19 in December, said he may be suffering its effects after appearing unwell Sunday after finishing second at the Hungarian Grand Prix."I've been fighting all year really with staying healthy after what happened at the end of last year and it's still, it's a battle, the 36-year-old said after seeing a doctor after the race. "I haven't spoken to anyone about it but I think (the effects of COVID are) lingering. I remember the effects of when I had it and training has been different since then.In Berlin, thousands marched Sunday to protest pandemic restrictions and about 600 protesters were detained after clashes with police, the AP reported.
While Germany eased many of its restrictions in May, large gatherings remain banned. The number of new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, remain low but are rising. Germany, with a population of 83 million, reported 2,100 new cases Sunday, more than 500 above last Sundays number.Since the pandemic began, it has reported 3.8 million cases and 92,000 deaths. More than 200 employees at two major hospitals in San Francisco, in the western U.S. state of California, have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report Saturday in The New York Times. Most of the staff members at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center Hospital were fully vaccinated and most of them tested positive for the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus, according to the newspaper. Only two cases required hospitalization. The hospitalization rate would have been higher without vaccinations, said Dr. Lukejohn Day, Zuckerbergs chief medical officer. Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said Sunday evening there are 198 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and 4.2 million deaths globally. The U.S. leads the world in the number of COVID-19 cases, with 35 million, and 613,174 deaths, according to the university.Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Crowds lined S. Promenade Blvd. Sunday to protest Mercy Northwest Arkansas hospitals decision to require employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Protestors held signs describing the requirement as medical tyrrany, and stating unvaccinated lives matter.
The protest lasted from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Mercy officials said the decision to require inoculations for employees was one made out of a concern for the safety of not just staff, but patients as well.
It is essential that we take these steps in order to protect the health of our co-workers and our patients at Mercy, said Dr. William Sistrunk, Mercy infectious disease specialist.
The deadline for hospital employees to receive their vaccines is September 30.
The new incentive program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HOUSTON Starting Monday, the Houston Health Department will be giving away $25 gift cards to people who get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The $25 gift cards will be awarded to anyone who completes their vaccination series within 42 days of their first dose at a health department health center or multi-service center clinic.
The incentive promotion lasts until 1,900 total gift cards for Walmart, Target, Old Navy, Ross, Amazon, Shell, Walgreens and METRO are awarded.
We are at a pivotal point in the fight against this deadly virus. Positive cases and hospitalizations are increasing, primarily among the unvaccinated, despite vaccines being free and readily available, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. It is our hope the new incentive offered by the Houston Health Department will encourage people to take their best shot and help save lives in the process.
Eligible clinic locations and hours of operation:
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 99.5% of Texans who died from COVID-19 from Feb. 8 through July 14, 2021, were unvaccinated. Texas hospitals report more than 90% of patients currently hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
The Delta variant is different because it is much more contagious and, while rare, vaccinated people may get infected and spread it to others, said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the City of Houston. While this can seem discouraging, its important to remember the vaccines prevent almost everyone who gets a breakthrough infection from serious illness and death. Vaccines are the best tool to protect you and those around you.
The gift cards will be provided at the time of the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently authorized for people age 18 and older and Pfizer is approved for people age 12 and older. Vaccination of minors requires parental consent forms, available at the clinics.
Getting vaccinated is free and does not require ID, proof of residency, citizenship, or insurance.
Houston Health Department-affiliated COVID-19 vaccination sites are available with or without appointments. Locations are available at HoustonEmergency.org or by calling 832-393-4220.
The gift card incentive program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CNN
Theres dangling a carrot at the end of a stick. And then theres dangling a pizza.
The United Kingdom is using take-out food discounts and free taxi rides as incentives for young people to get their Covid-19 vaccines, the countrys Department of Health said in a statement Sunday.
So far, companies teaming up with the UK government include Uber, Bolt, Deliveroo and Pizza Pilgrims. Other incentives could include vouchers or discount codes for people attending pop-up vaccine sites and booking through the NHS (National Health Service), social media competitions and promotional offers for restaurants, the department added.
Some of the incentives from companies such as Uber and Bolt have been used in the past. But the measures are resurfacing due to signs of youth vaccination uptake still catching up to older generations.
People over the age of 80 were among the first in the country to receive their first shot, in December 2020. Since then, vaccination centers have gradually been working their way down to younger demographics.
People under 30 were granted access to their first vaccine dose in June 2021. Around 67% of 18 to 29-year-olds in England have since had a first vaccination, according to the government statement.
A total of 84.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in the UK, with 46.7 million people (88.4%) receiving a first dose and 37.9 million (71.8%) receiving both doses.
Alberto Pezzali/AP
People on the dance floor shortly after the reopening of The Piano Works venue in Farringdon, central London, on July 19.
In England, home of one of the worlds highest vaccination rates, Prime Minister Boris Johnson loosened nearly all Covid-19 restrictions on July 19, while at the same time announcing that full vaccination would be a condition of entry to nightclubs by the end of September, when all over 18s will have had the chance to be double jabbed.
Though we can see the enthusiasm of millions of young people to get their jabs, we need even more young adults to receive a protection that is of immense benefit to your family and friends and to yourselves. And so I would remind everybody that some of lifes most important pleasures and opportunities are likely to be increasingly dependent on vaccination, Johnson warned at the time.
The government has also launched several pop-up vaccination centers across the country, to encourage walk-ins. It said over 600,000 people were vaccinated last weekend at such clinics, including Londons Tate Modern Gallery and the Primark clothing store in Bristol.
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