August 18, 2021
U.S. health officials announce that booster shots will roll out in September, eight months after the second dose, citing evidence that vaccine effectiveness fades over time, a timeline that unsettled earlier promises about durable protection. The same day, the WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus again asks wealthy countries to suspend booster plans so doses can reach unvaccinated populations abroad, a plea Washington set aside.
The Biden administration says it will require nursing home staff to be vaccinated as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid funding, and Pope Francis calls getting vaccinated “an act of love” in a message aimed at the Americas. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine documents myocarditis following mRNA vaccination, while an NIH trial finds convalescent plasma of no significant benefit for early outpatients. At a San Diego supervisors’ meeting, anti-vaccine demonstrators chant “Heil Fauci,” and Meta says it removed more than 3,000 accounts for vaccine misinformation.
COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S.
People will be eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second dose of their vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, according to U.S. health officials.
NPR
NIH study shows no significant benefit of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 outpatients with early symptoms
Clinical trial results demonstrate COVID-19 convalescent plasma did not prevent disease progression in a high-risk group of outpatients.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
Pope Francis urges people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 - Vatican News
Pope Francis launches a powerful appeal for people to get vaccinated with approved Covid-19 vaccines, calling it “an act of love.”
Vatican News
What you should know about COVID-19 booster shots and third vaccine doses
Assoc. Prof. Emily Landon answers common questions about additional vaccine doses
University of Chicago News
A simple and fast spectroscopy-based technique for Covid-19 diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Nature
WATCH: Biden administration to require COVID vaccines for nursing home staff
Biden announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.
PBS
CBP Seizes Thousands of Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccination Cards in Alaska
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Securing America's Borders
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (.gov)
U.S. to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in September
Reuters
Myocarditis after Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination
The New England Journal of Medicine
HIF-1α promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection and aggravates inflammatory responses to COVID-19 - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Nature
Antibodies reveal who’s protected by Moderna’s COVID vaccine
Trial results add to growing evidence that low levels of ‘neutralizing’ antibodies are a marker of vulnerability to COVID-19.
Nature
Decades-old SARS virus infection triggers potent response to COVID vaccines
Dramatic antibody production in people infected during the 2002–04 outbreak furthers hopes of a vaccine against many coronaviruses.
Nature
COVID-19: Funding plea to combat Delta variant, call to suspend booster roll-out
During Wednesday’s World Health Organization briefing on COVID-19, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for funding to fight the spread of the deadly Delta variant while also asking wealthy countries to suspend plans to provide booster shots.
UN News
Cardiologist tells of COVID’s heart injuries, implications - UW Medicine | Newsroom
Q&A: A clinician and researcher characterizes SARS-CoV-2's distinct inflammation as "an acceleration of chronic heart disease."
UW Medicine | Newsroom
Longitudinal analysis of antibody decay in convalescent COVID-19 patients - Scientific Reports
Nature
Pope urges world to get vaccinated against coronavirus
Getting the vaccine is ‘an act of love,’ Pope Francis said.
POLITICO.eu
COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 18 August
The World Economic Forum
US health officials call for booster shots against COVID-19
Surging Delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness fades after eight months drive call for boosters.
Al Jazeera
Anthony Rizzo Is Latest Yankee to Test Positive for Coronavirus (Published 2021)
The New York Times
If you live in a state with a low vaccination rate, you’re 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and more than 5 times more likely to die | CNN
CNN
Biden Pushes Mask Mandate as C.D.C. Director Warns of ‘Impending Doom’ (Published 2021)
The New York Times
Quince Orchard puts football on pause after 10 test positive for coronavirus
The Washington Post
How We’re Taking Action Against Vaccine Misinformation Superspreaders | Meta
We've removed over 3,000 accounts, Pages and groups for repeatedly violating our rules against spreading COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation.
Meta
In A Message To Americans, Pope Francis Says Getting Vaccinated Is 'An Act Of Love'
"Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other, especially the most vulnerable," Pope Francis said in a message directed particularly at the Americas.
NPR
U.S. to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in September
Reuters
TSA extends into January mask rule for airline passengers
The Transportation Security Administration's current order was scheduled to expire Sept. 13.
NBC News
Anti-vaxxers bring chaos to vaccine meeting as they chant ‘Heil Fauci’ and threaten ‘Gates of Hell’ opening
Various anti-vaccine groups came together at San Diego Board of Supervisor Meeting to express discontent about potential vaccine mandates
The Independent
'Heil Fauci!': Vaccine Passports Compared to Nazis in Public Hearing
Newsweek
What impact will the pandemic have on early literacy?
Experts share insights on how parents and teachers can help kids — especially those who may be behind — learn to read as they go back to school.
EdSource
Correctional officers are driving the pandemic in prisons
New research shows correctional officers are vectors of infection, driving COVID-19 rates both inside prisons and in their communities.
The Conversation
We Worked Longer Hours During The Pandemic—Research Says We Need To Work Smarter, Not Harder
The current surge of the Delta variant makes it likely that the factors driving long hours during the pandemic—including remote work, a childcare squeeze, and other caretaking responsibilities—will continue to be with us for some time.
Forbes
Ethnic health care systems strained in Myanmar amid pandemic
AP News
Delta Has Changed the Pandemic Risk Calculus
If you’re confused about what you can do right now, you should be.
The Atlantic
This British woman has spent the entire pandemic in Covid-free Tonga | CNN
CNN
The need for trip insurance amid the pandemic is reshaping the travel landscape
The wisdom of acquiring comprehensive travel insurance with coverage for medical costs associated with Covid-19 is reshaping the travel landscape, insurers say.
CNBC