The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has told coronavirus vaccine providers to be ready to receive shots for children younger than 5 by Feb.21 — just a week after the Food and Drug Administration is expected to make its recommendation on emergency-use authorization.If the vaccine receives the green light, an initial 10 million doses are expected to be ready for shipment, with the first half of the batch available on Feb.21 and the second on Feb.25, according to an updated pediatric vaccination planning guide released this week.The government has secured enough supply for all 18 million children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years, White House covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said in a press briefing Wednesday.FDA advisers are set to discuss clinical trial data submitted by Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday before determining whether to recommend the two-dose vaccine regimen for emergency-use authorization.
But the vaccine can be administered only after the CDC gives its official approval.Federal authorities have sought to reassure parents that the FDA will not cut corners in the authorization process after concerns that the two-dose regimen had failed to generate a sufficiently robust immune response in 2- to 4-year-olds .Data on a third shot will not be available until at least late March.Once that information is submitted, regulators are expected to authorize a third dose.Here’s what to knowNews • News • News • Each week, Kristen Santiago administers a coronavirus test to her 4-year-old son at their home in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington.
To make it easier for him, sometimes she’ll “test” her son’s stuffed animals, too.A new measure rolled out recently in D.C.
Public Schools requires students in its prekindergarten program to test each week and provide a negative result to come back to school on Monday.Over 3,500 prekindergarten students have submitted results each of the first four weeks of the program, which started Jan.18, and is intended to catch coronavirus cases detected through rapid antigen tests before students head into classrooms.This week, 4,110 pre-K students submitted results, with 18 students testing positive, according to data from school officials.That’s down slightly from the previous week when 4,152 students submitted results.That week, 20 pre-K students tested positive.
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Key update Long-term heart risks from covid found in study of veterans Return to menu By Salvador Rizzo 2:05 p.m.
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Researchers found that coronavirus patients were at “substantial” risk of heart disease one year following their illness, according to a study of health records from more than 153,000 U.S.veterans who had covid and published by Nature Medicine on Monday.The study found that patients who recovered were at increased risk for a range of cardiovascular conditions, from clots to arrhythmias to heart failure.The risk grew progressively depending on the severity of the covid illness, researchers found, and heart health risks increased for veterans who were hospitalized and those who were not.It is one of the first comprehensive studies tracking long-term effects associated with covid-19.Many patients have reported brain fog, fatigue, weakness or loss of smell that persists for months after an infection, and some researchers now believe those “long covid” symptoms may be linked to the increased risk of cardiovascular illness.“In the post-COVID era, COVID might become the highest risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes,” Larisa Tereshchenko, a cardiologist and biostatistician at the Cleveland Clinic, told Science magazine .She cautioned that the new paper’s findings should be replicated and that prospective studies also should be conducted.
Authorities in Paris and Brussels said Thursday that they will block convoys from entering the cities, potentially thwarting plans in Europe for the type of demonstration that has paralyzed Ottawa and closed Canada’s busiest border crossing into the United States.Police in Paris said convoys en route to the capital from across France will not be allowed to enter the city for planned rallies this weekend, “because of a risk to public order.” Penalties for blocking public roads include prison time, fines and driving bans, the police statement noted.Not long afterward, the mayor of Brussels, where several groups planned to converge Monday, announced that a procession modeled on Canada’s “Freedom Convoy” would not be allowed in.The Canadian crisis has led to a rush of online organizing, particularly in Europe, where a range of anti-vaccine, anti-lockdown, far-right and conspiratorial groups have begun to rally under the “Freedom Convoy” banner.
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Key update Appeals court denies Biden’s request to lift injunction on federal vaccine mandate Return to menu By Eric Yoder 12:00 p.m.
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A federal appeals court on Wednesday denied the Biden administration’s emergency request to lift an injunction against its coronavirus vaccination mandate for federal workers but said it will expedite its review of the dispute.In a 2-to-1 vote, a panel of the U.S.Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit left in place a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge in Texas on the mandate for about 2.1 million federal employees.Under President Biden’s September order, federal workers who remained unvaccinated would be subject to discipline up to and including firing unless they qualified for an exemption on medical or religious grounds or had such a request under consideration by their agencies.In November, the White House told agencies to wait until January to begin disciplinary measures, noting that about 92 percent of employees had received at least one vaccine dose by that time and that about 5 percent had filed requests for exemptions.However, a federal judge on Jan.21 blocked agencies from taking disciplinary actions or continuing to process those requests.
The administration then told agencies to comply with that order pending its appeal and asked the appeals court to lift the injunction immediately.While not granting that request, the appeals court ordered that the challenge be “expedited to the next available randomly designated regular oral argument panel.” The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.In dissent, Circuit Judge Stephen A.Higginson, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said he would have lifted the injunction immediately.He said the administration “has made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits.”The dissent also said that the Civil Service Reform Act, the basic body of federal employment law, requires federal employees to “raise their workplace grievances” first through internal government channels before going to federal court.“Federal employees that disagree” with the mandate still “retain the right to claim an exemption, to leave the government’s employment, to collectively bargain, and to challenge the order through the CSRA,” Higginson wrote.
Gov.Larry Hogan on Thursday called for an end to Maryland’s mask mandate for public schools.Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the state have dropped 71 percent from a January peak of nearly 3,500, he said, and schoolchildren are eligible for vaccinations.“In light of dramatic improvements to our health metrics and the widespread availability of vaccines, I am calling on you to take action to rescind this policy,” Hogan, a Republican, wrote to the president of the State Board of Education.Officials in California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and New York, all governed by Democrats, have announced in recent days that they are ending mask requirements.Hogan noted that Maryland ended its indoor mask mandate in May.In Virginia, the state Senate voted Wednesday to make mask-wearing optional in K-12 schools.The measure is expected to pass the lower house of the legislature.Gov.
Glenn Youngkin (R) has attempted to implement the same policy through executive order.
Prices continued their upward march in January, rising by 7.5 compared with the same period a year ago, the fastest pace in 40 years.Inflation was expected to climb relative to last January, when the economy reeled from a winter coronavirus surge with no widespread vaccines.Today’s data reflects all the accumulated price gains, in gasoline and other categories, built up in a tumultuous 2021.In the shorter term, data released Friday morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics also showed prices rose 0.6 percent in January compared with December.
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Key update Half the world is now fully vaccinated.But the global divide is stark, experts say.Return to menu By Annabelle Timsit 10:41 a.m.Link copied Link
About a year since mostly wealthy nations began rolling out coronavirus vaccines , more than half the world’s population has been fully vaccinated — a logistical feat without precedent in human history.But the global rollout remains uneven, with poor countries reporting much lower vaccination rates than rich countries.Public health experts have been warning that vaccine inequity is helping prolong the pandemic, as the focus of those seeking to speed up global vaccine coverage begins to shift from filling a shortfall of vaccine supply to distributing the doses and persuading people to get them.Nearly 54 percent of the world’s population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Our World in Data , an information partnership between the University of Oxford and the Global Change Data Lab charity.
Nearly 62 percent have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.Yet less than 11 percent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose, Our World in Data says.That number jumps to about 55 percent for lower-middle-income countries and nearly 80 percent for both upper-middle-income and high-income nations.
Advertisement Updates continue below advertisement Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus for a second time Return to menu By Maite Fernández Simon 10:16 a.m.Link copied Link
Prince Charles has again tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Thursday.It is the second time the 73-year-old heir to the British throne has contracted the virus.His office, Clarence House , said in a tweet that the prince is self-isolating and that he is “deeply disappointed not to be able to attend today’s events in Winchester and will look to reschedule his visit as soon as possible.” The prince had been scheduled to attend an event in the southern English town to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee.Charles recently met with his mother, but she is not showing any symptoms, a palace official said Thursday .
The official, who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private medical matter, did not say precisely when the two met or whether the queen had tested positive or negative for the virus, but said her health would continue to be monitored closely.The prince’s wife, Camilla, tested negative Thursday and continued with her engagements in London, Reuters reported .Charles first tested positive for the coronavirus in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic.At the time, his office said he had mild symptoms but otherwise was “in good health.”
Key update ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters who block streets could be ‘arrested without a warrant,’ Ottawa police warn Return to menu By Amy Cheng and Jennifer Hassan 9:01 a.m.Link copied Link
Police in Ottawa are warning that any protesters blocking streets for the self-described “Freedom Convoy” may be “arrested without a warrant,” as raucous protests against vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions continue with no end in sight.The protests, which have led to at least 23 arrests and 80 criminal investigations in the capital, are now sparking vigorous debate among officials over how best to de-escalate the situation there and at U.S.-Canada border crossings, where blockades have disrupted the flow of goods and people.
Some are warning that mass arrests could prove counterproductive or even lead to violence.“It is a criminal offence to obstruct, interrupt or interfere with the lawful use, enjoyment, or operation of property,” Ottawa police said in a news release issued Wednesday, telling protesters: “You must immediately cease further unlawful activity or you may face charges.”The warning comes as law enforcement officials are under pressure to use tougher measures to disperse demonstrations, including those that continue to clog traffic arteries between the United States and Canada.So far, two major ports of entry — the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, and the Coutts crossing linking Montana to Alberta — have been closed or partially blocked.
Auto industry already feeling the pinch from Canadian bridge blockade Return to menu By David J.Lynch 7:20 a.m.Link copied Link
Rob Wildeboer may have to decide as soon as Thursday whether the Canadian trucker protest that is blocking a key bridge between the U.S.and Canada will require him to furlough some of his several thousand factory workers.Wildeboer, 62, the chairman of Martinrea International, which produces components for every global automaker, said Wednesday that the protests are within hours of halting some of his production lines.
The company’s engine blocks, transmissions, subframes and brake lines can be found in GM Sierra pickup trucks, Ford Escapes, and Jeep Grand Cherokees.Each day, Wildeboer’s trucks make 38 trips across the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, shuttling half-finished products between company plants in both countries.The shipments are just part of $300 million in daily commerce that transits the aging steel span and is now imperiled by the traffic-snarling protest Canada’s coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates.
Mask mandates continue to fall as Fauci says U.S.may be approaching ‘normality’ Return to menu By Lenny Bernstein , Frances Stead Sellers , Katie Shepherd and Brittany Shammas 6:34 a.m.
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Mask mandates continued to end in traditionally cautious blue states Wednesday as the number of daily U.S.coronavirus cases plunged, covid-19 hospitalizations dropped below 100,000 and the government’s chief medical adviser, Anthony S.Fauci, said the country is “on the road to approaching normality.”In New York, Illinois and Rhode Island, governors said they would soon end requirements that adults wear face coverings in public indoor places, and some, including Massachusetts, promised that children would no longer have to wear them in school.“This is what we’ve been waiting for — tremendous progress after two long years,” said Gov.Kathy Hochul (D) of New York, where the mask mandate will expire Thursday but the school requirement will remain until at least early March.
“And we’re not done.But this is trending in a very, very good direction, and that is why we are now approaching a new phase in this pandemic.”The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and some independent experts were warier.They tried to slow the gathering momentum to move on from a crisis that has killed more than 900,000 people in the United States and disrupted life around the globe for more than two years.
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Key update Key coronavirus updates from around the world Return to menu By News Services and Staff Reports 6:00 a.m.Link copied Link
Here’s what to know about the top coronavirus stories around the globe from news service reports.
Clogs in the global supply chain are unlikely to improve in the near future, according to the chief executive of Maersk, the Danish shipping company that has the most container ships in the world.A combination of high demand for goods and a shortage of logistics labor had resulted in supply chain bottlenecks, particularly in Los Angeles, Søren Skou told CNN Business on Wednesday.“Right now, we have close to 90 ships, lying, waiting outside Los Angeles and Long Beach to get discharged.They wait for three to four weeks, because we can’t get enough labor in the port,” he said.“I wish I could say that things are getting better,” he said, “but right now there’s nothing in our numbers to suggest so.”The labor shortage is not only at the ports, Skou added.“It’s also trucking.It’s in warehousing, and so on,” he said.“Hopefully, with the covid-19 restrictions lifting, and fewer and fewer people getting seriously ill,” supply chains will improve, he said.The White House has said the worst supply chain issues may be in the past, but companies have complained of continuing problems .In the latest in the spate of recent demonstrations against vaccination rules, Canadian protesters have partially blocked two major crossings on the border with the United States, including the busiest, as a show of dissent against Canada’s vaccine rules for cross-border truckers.
American truckers could be planning to block roads into major cities to protest vaccine mandates, The Washington Post reported , citing the U.S.Department of Homeland Security.The protests come as the U.S.trucking industry, which is responsible for 70 percent of the nation’s freight, struggles with a labor shortage .The industry is 80,000 drivers short, according to the American Trucking Associations, due to factors including an aging workforce.As global orders from consumers stuck at home rose during the pandemic, shipping companies such as Maersk have reaped huge earnings.Maersk said supply chain bottlenecks that led to higher freight rates contributed $1.5 billion to its 2020 revenue , which totaled $39.7 billion.In 2021, Maersk saw revenue jump by 55 percent to $61.8 billion .
Each week, Kristen Santiago administers a coronavirus test to her 4-year-old son at their home in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington.To make it easier for him, sometimes she’ll “test” her son’s stuffed animals, too.
A measure rolled out recently in D.C.Public Schools requires students in its prekindergarten program to test each week and provide a negative result to come back to school on Monday.Over 3,500 prekindergarten students have submitted results each of the first four weeks of the program, which started Jan.18 and is intended to catch coronavirus cases detected through rapid antigen tests before students head into classrooms.This week, 4,110 pre-K students submitted results, with 18 testing positive, according to data from school officials.That’s down slightly from the previous week when 4,152 students submitted results.That week, 20 pre-K students tested positive.The prekindergarten testing program is unique in the D.C.metro area and expands on the school system’s “test-to-return” initiative after winter break, which required all staff members and students to test negative for the coronavirus before returning to school.With the weekly pre-K initiative, school leaders say parents are becoming more comfortable with the testing and hope it is a way to keep more students in school..
