The Biden Administration Takes on Vaccine Hesitancy
Driving around Los Angeles, it’s impossible not to compare what I see these days to the city I remember from a year ago. Cars are once again bumper to bumper on the freeway. The sidewalks are crowded. But even with most people still wearing masks, what I notice most of all is the feeling in the air: optimism. After a year of fear and suffering, over the last seven days, California has reported about 39.3 cases per 100,000 people—one of the lowest rates of any state in the country. This is likely at least partially attributable to the rising rate of vaccination in the state: 43% of Californians have had at least one dose of the vaccine (compared to about 38.7% nation-wide), including 42.4% of Angelenos, per the Los Angeles Times’ analysis.
However, as grateful as I feel to see these changes in the community where I live, national reports make me worry that much of the country is getting left behind. This especially seems to be the case in places that, unlike Los Angeles, are rural and heavily Republican; according to an April 14 Quinnipiac poll, 27% of Americans said that they don’t plan to get vaccinated— 45% of them were Republicans, and just 7% were Democrats. Achieving the level of immunity needed to protect the U.S. from COVID-19 will require the country to get some of these vaccine-hesitant Americans vaccinated—most experts say herd immunity will require some 70% of Americans to get a vaccine.
As National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins told CNN yesterday, "We have to really figure out how to get the messages out there so that those who are still undecided get the information they need to see why this is really something they would want to do."
Over the past few weeks, President Joe Biden’s administration has begun rolling out a multi-pronged effort to persuade more Americans to receive the vaccine. And as my colleagues Alana Abramson and Abigail Abrams report in a recent story, much of this plan has hinged on helping community leaders take the lead, including by forming a so-called COVID-19 Community Corps made up of 275 organizations, whose aim is to disseminate accurate information about the shots to communities. The Biden Administration will also reimburse businesses with fewer than 500 employees that offer paid time off for vaccines, and has launched a $250 million TV ad campaign to promote vaccine safety and efficacy.
I imagine that the changes I’ve seen in Los Angeles probably aren’t as visible in more conservative communities, which, statistically, were less likely to apply COVID-19 mitigation measures as strict as the ones in California. I think, though, that I can safely say that no matter where you live, getting the vaccine is absolutely worth it. Now that I’ve received my first shot, I’m grateful to know that I’ll soon be able to visit my friends and family without much risk that I could land them in the hospital. And as I look at the rising number of vaccines in LA, I’m also thankful to my fellow community members, and that so many of them are doing their part to make our country safe again.
About 282 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this afternoon, of which 218.9 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. About 27% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
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About 28.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this afternoon, of which 218.9 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. About 27% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
A manufacturer that had to throw out 15 million tainted doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine may have contaminated even more shots, U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators have found, the New York Times reports. The regulators found serious flaws at a plant operated by company Emergent BioSolutions, including problems with the plant’s disinfection practices, training of workers and handling of raw materials. As the plant hasn’t been certified yet, none of its vaccines have been given to the public.
Some of the first research to look at the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant people and their fetuses has found that the shots don’t pose a serious risk. The study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed people who were pregnant at the time they received the mRNA-based vaccines made by either Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, and found that there was no statistically significant impact on the rate of negative health outcomes. The study also noted that pregnant people are at higher risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19 than the general population.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 143.5 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 3 million people have died. On April 21, there were 573,317 new cases and 11,995 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here is every country with over 2.5 million confirmed cases:
India set a new global record for the most new COVID-19 cases reported in a single 24-hour period, confirming 314,836 new infections today, passing the previous record set by the U.S.: 300,310 cases reported on Jan. 2, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. India’s outbreak is currently the worst in the world; an average of 286,000 new daily cases have been officially reported over the last seven days, and experts believe the actual tally is even worse, saying that a lack of widespread testing in the country is likely concealing far more cases.
German lawmakers approved a new law today that would allow the federal government to impose uniform lockdown measures across the country, the New York Times reports. Depending on a district’s level of infections, the new rules could force residents to be placed under a curfew, restaurants or schools could be closed, and patronizing a non-essential business could require an appointment. COVID-19 infections have risen in Germany over the past few weeks; the country has reported an daily rate of almost 18,000 new infections over the past week.
In Iran, hospitals and cemeteries are struggling to keep up with the scale of the outbreak, which has led to 2.3 million confirmed cases (15th highest in the world) and some 68,000 deaths (12th). Despite this, Iran has been largely unable to encourage residents to continue social distancing, as Nasser Karimi and Aya Batrawy report for the AP. In part, this is attributed to the economic strain of the outbreak, on top of the additional pressure caused by U.S.-imposed trade sanctions.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded nearly 31.9 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 569,400 people have died. On April 21, there were 62,843 new cases and 841 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
COVID-19 cases remain stubbornly high in Michigan, but more than 20 counties told Reuters that many eligible residents aren’t coming to get vaccines. Danielle Persky, deputy health officer for Cass and Van Buren counties, told Reuters that clinics that are capable of handling 500 appointments a day are seeing only 50% to 60% of those appointments actually being used. “A month ago, we could fill a clinic in 15 minutes flat,” she said. The lack of demand has particularly been a problem in rural areas which went for former President Donald Trump during the 2020 election, according to Reuters.
The number of new jobless claims across the country has dropped to the lowest level since March 14, 2020, according to a Department of Labor report released today. During the week ending April 17, 547,000 new claims were filed, down 39,000 from the week before. As CNBC reports, jobless claims are expected to keep declining as the economy recovers, but the U.S. labor market still has a long way to go to recover; about 8 million fewer Americans are working than before the pandemic.
Want to sit next to other fans and watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Diego Padres? Now you can—if you’re fully vaccinated. The Dodgers are opening a “fully vaccinated fan section” for its game this Saturday, following similar moves by the Padres and the San Francisco Giants . Face masks are still required (unless you’re eating or drinking), but fans who can prove they’re vaccinated will be seated next to other people. Kids under 16 can come too, provided they have proof of a recent negative test.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 22, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Practicing Getting a COVID-19 Shot
Delivering shots to people with developmental disabilities can be a stressful experience for both patients and their health care providers. So a California clinic set up a mock clinic to prepare for real COVID-19 vaccination in this scenario, as Colleen Shalby of the Los Angeles Times reports. Read more here.
A Faith-Based Approach to Vaccine Hesitancy
As the U.S. grapples with how to encourage more Americans to get vaccines, new polling suggests that it may be persuasive to appeal to people through their faiths, as my colleague Madeleine Carlisle reports. Read more here.
Deciding Whether to Mask Outdoors
New evidence suggests the risk of getting sick outside is low, but it’s still important to remember that risk can vary depending on your specific situation. A simple rule explained by Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times can help you decide what steps to take. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Tara Law and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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