Johnson & Johnson vaccine anticipated to be approved
The U.S. is anticipated to authorize a 3rd COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as Saturday.
A Meals and Drug Administration advisory committee voted unanimously Friday to advocate authorizing Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate to be used in adults, paving the way in which for an anticipated authorization.
President Joe Biden known as the single-dose shot a “third, secure, efficient vaccine” in an deal with Friday. However because the U.S. continues to ramp up vaccinations, Biden urged People to not let their guards down and to proceed practising mitigation measures.
“It is not the time to loosen up,” Biden stated. He added: “And for God’s sake, put on your masks.”
In the meantime, the Home accepted Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 reduction bundle early Saturday, a key step for a measure that would supply thousands and thousands of People $1,400 stimulus funds, ramp up vaccine distribution and lengthen unemployment assist means of the summer season. The measure now heads to the Senate the place it faces a rocky path within the evenly divided chamber.
Additionally within the information:
►The federal authorities has agreed to purchase a 100,000 doses of a COVID-19 remedy Eli Lilly, the corporate introduced Friday. The drug, bamlanivimab, is a monoclonal antibody, which means it mimics one of many pure antibodies the immune system makes use of to struggle off the virus. The FDA approved the drug late final 12 months.
►The federal authorities has supported 441 group vaccination facilities within the U.S., together with 171 which were staffed with federal personnel, stated Andy Slavitt, the White Home senior adviser for COVID-19 response. Two new federal vaccinations websites have been additionally introduced Friday, in Chicago and Greensboro, North Carolina.
►The Ivory Coast has change into the second nation on the planet to obtain a cargo of COVID-19 vaccines from the worldwide COVAX initiative. The first cargo was despatched to Ghana on Wednesday.
📈 Right now’s numbers: The U.S. has greater than 28.Four million confirmed coronavirus instances and 510,000 deaths, in line with Johns Hopkins College knowledge. The worldwide totals: Greater than 113.3 million instances and a couple of.5 million deaths. Greater than 94.Three million vaccine doses have been distributed within the U.S. and about 70.4 million have been administered, in line with the CDC.
📘 What we’re studying: They met on Bumble. She claims he abused her and killed her canines. Now she’s talking out to assist different home violence survivors who really feel remoted amid COVID-19.
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Allegations of vaccine waste, theft investigated in Tennessee
Extra investigative findings from the state of Tennessee revealed Friday that COVID-19 vaccine may need been stolen in Shel County, kids are believed to have been inappropriately vaccinated and extra doses of COVID-19 have been wasted than was beforehand thought.
The state realized of the kid vaccinations and the alleged theft weeks after the incidents occurred, State Well being Commissioner Lisa Piercey stated in a wide-ranging press convention Friday afternoon during which she detailed to reporters quite a few cases of poor vaccine administration and known as the Shel County Well being Division a “low-accountability group.”
Piercey additionally described Shel County Mayor Lee Harris and county well being officers as gradual to report the issues to authorities and missing candor in conversations with state officers.
The revelations have been the newest in a string of vaccine administration points in Shel County which have been made public this previous week.
– Corinne S. Kennedy and Samuel Hardiman, Memphis Industrial Enchantment
Circumstances in nursing properties drop 89%
New federal knowledge gives a glimmer of hope in what has been the darkest and deadliest nook of the pandemic. The variety of COVID-19 instances and deaths at America’s nursing properties have dropped considerably since December as thousands and thousands of vaccine doses have been shot into the arms of residents and employees.
The weekly fee of COVID-19 instances at nursing properties plummeted 89% from early December means of the second week of February. By comparability, the nationwide case fee dropped 58% and stays greater than figures reported earlier than late October.
The dramatic drop in instances at nursing properties, the place practically 130,000 residents and employees have died for the reason that virus emerged within the U.S., raises optimism for brighter days forward at nursing properties and in communities total as extra People get vaccinated, consultants say.
– Ken Alltucker and Jayme Fraser
CDC director warns about ‘regarding’ case improve
After a a number of week decline in COVID-19 instances and hospitalizations, Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned Friday a couple of “regarding” uptick in instances over the latest days.
The latest seven day common of every day new instances was over 66,000 and better than the typical on Wednesday, Walensky stated citing CDC knowledge.
The height in early January was the very best seen within the pandemic, and although present averages are decrease, they’re nonetheless excessive, Walensky stated. “Issues are tenuous. Now is just not the time to loosen up restrictions,” she stated, pointing to the unfold of latest variants of the coronavirus.
“We could now be seeing the start results of those variants in the latest knowledge,” she added.
– Ryan Miller
NYC colleges chancellor, who misplaced 11 relations to COVID-19, resigns
Richard Carranza, New York Metropolis’s Colleges chancellor, stated Friday he was stepping down from his function, citing the necessity for time to grieve his 11 relations and shut associates who died from COVID-19.
“I really feel that I can take that point now due to the place that we’re in and the work that we have now finished collectively,” he stated.
The town’s colleges have largely been heralded for its reopening through the COVID-19 pandemic, and Carranza stated the system reopened safely for youngsters of important employees, distributed over half 1,000,000 digital units for distant studying, and delivered 80 thousands and thousands meals to its college students.
“We’ve stabilized the system in a method nobody thought potential,” he added. “The sunshine, my fellow New Yorkers, is really on the finish of the tunnel.”
Carranza will likely be succeeded Bronx Government Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter, who will change into the primary Black girl to steer the nation’s largest faculty district.
– Ryan Miller
