Meet the Americans Getting Vaccinated for the First Time
The days when Americans had to wait weeks for a vaccination appointment have long been a thing of the past, but nearly 80,000 Americans are still getting their first COVID-19 shot every day. The fact that some people are still starting to get vaccinated more than a year after the shots first became available shows that some unvaccinated people do change their minds. And, if we want to reach anything close to herd immunity, it’s essential to understand what’s holding some people back—and what helped others get over the hump.
To figure out what’s motivating people to get vaccinated right now, my colleague Emily Barone dug into the data and talked to people who recently started their COVID-19 vaccine series. She found that among certain groups—especially marginalized people—the rate of vaccination has risen over time, including among Black and Hispanic people, LGBTQ people, and the uninsured. Some of the most influential factors were nudges from important people in their lives, whether family members or employers.
Though Emily’s interview subjects all had very different stories, they shared something in common. Each person experienced a change in circumstance that ultimately swayed them to get the shot. In some cases, it was having someone in their lives receiving the vaccine without any issue; in others, it was simply learning more about the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness. For some, it took getting COVID-19 themselves, and more fully realizing the risks of staying unvaccinated. “I realized that certain groups of people are actually still quite open to getting vaccinated,” Emily said. “The most fascinating part of this project was that everyone’s experiences were personal, but also very much reflected in the data findings.”
In some cases, a combination of factors gave people a final push. Jessica Howard, a 40-year-old certified nursing assistant from Kentucky, was finally persuaded by a nasty bout with COVID-19, a mandate from her employer, and coaxing from her mother. Since getting vaccinated, she’s encouraged her other family members to get vaccinated—with mixed success. “They won’t even hardly talk to me now because I took the shot,” she said. But she’s glad she finally did.
More than 461.6 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 12 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 6 million people have died. On March 15, there were more than 1.8 million new cases and 5,360 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending, in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here's every country that has reported over 6 million cases:
The U.S. had recorded more than 79.5 million coronavirus cases as of 12 a.m. E.T. today. More than 966,000 people have died. On March 15, there were 24,442 new cases and 1,281 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending in terms of cases:
And in terms of deaths:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of Mar. 16, 12 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Pfizer and BioNTech asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize a fourth vaccine dose for adults over age 65, the companies announced yesterday evening. The companies said their request is based on data from Israel showing that the added booster improved patients’ immune responses and lowered the rate of infection and severe illness during the Omicron outbreak. A fourth dose of the vaccine conferred up to twice the protection against getting infected, and up to three times the protection against severe illness, compared to that seen in Israelis who received three doses.
New data suggest that Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is at least as effective as the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the New York Times reports. Although data earlier on in the pandemic found that the vaccine was somewhat less effective than the mRNA shots, the infection rate among people vaccinated with J&J’s single-dose shot is now slightly lower than that of people who received the other vaccines. J&J's shot also protects people from hospitalization and death at about the same rate as the mRNA vaccines. Some research suggests that the antibodies the shot produces might decline more slowly than those generated by the Pfizer and Moderna shots.
A document leaked to the Guardiansuggests global powers may be close to reaching an agreement to temporarily waive COVID-19 vaccine patents, which would enable cheaper production of generic vaccines and faster distribution. If the U.S., the European Union, India, and South Africa give their final sign-off on the agreement, the patents would be suspended for three to five years. However, the deal would not include the transfer of technology or trade secrets.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, while Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative, the White House announced. Emhoff said on Twitter that he is vaccinated and boosted, and that his symptoms are mild; he and Harris both canceled appearances at a White House event last night.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic will be permitted to play in the French Open even if he continues to refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as long as the virus’ spread stays stable in France, the organizers said today. Djokovic missed the Australian Open in January after officials deported him following a legal battle over his entry into Australia, and Djokovic has said that he’d be willing to skip other major tournaments if he was required to get vaccinated in order to play.
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Today's newsletter was written by Tara Law and edited by Mandy Oaklander.
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