If you haven't yet, be sure to download our latest report, "Carrying Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination Forward: Guidance Informed by Communities of Color," which provides guidance on adapting COVID-19 vaccination efforts to increase vaccination coverage in underserved populations. El resumen ejecutivo también está disponible en español.

Some media updates from our local teams:

Facebook's Most Viewed Article In Early 2021 Raised Doubt About COVID Vaccine. A news story suggesting the COVID-19 vaccine may have been involved in a doctor's death was the most viewed link on Facebook in the U.S. in the first three months of the year. But Facebook held back from publishing a report with that information, the company acknowledged on Saturday. (NPR, 8/21/21)

The Vaccinated Are Worried and Scientists Don’t Have Answers. Anecdotes tell us what the data can’t: Vaccinated people appear to be getting the coronavirus at a surprisingly high rate. But exactly how often isn’t clear, nor is it certain how likely they are to spread the virus to others. Though it is evident vaccination still provides powerful protection against the virus, there’s growing concern that vaccinated people may be more vulnerable to serious illness than previously thought. (Bloomberg, 8/21/21)

Walking the Tightrope: Reevaluating Science Communication in the Era of COVID-19 Vaccines. The implementation of principles of effective communication does not inherently conflict with maintaining scientific accuracy and acknowledging uncertainty, but it does require additional care, effort, and training. (Vaccine, 8/19/21)

‘We Sent a Terrible Message’: Scientists Say Biden Jumped the Gun With Vaccine Booster Plan. As some scientists see it, the announcement is rash and based on weak evidence, and they worry it could undercut confidence in vaccines with no clear benefit of controlling the pandemic. Meanwhile, more information is needed on potential side effects or adverse effects from a booster shot, they say. Perhaps even worse, the announcement has fueled deeper confusion about what Americans need to do to protect themselves from covid. (KHN, 8/20/21)

Public attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in children: A qualitative study. Public attitudes to COVID-19 vaccination in children are likely to be met with more hesitancy compared to adult vaccinations. Public health communications will need to combat this hesitancy if vaccine uptake for children is to be pursued as a public health policy. (medRxiv, 7/31/21)

See also: Opinion: Go Ahead. Vaccinate the Kids. (The Atlantic, 8/17/21)

For some Black Americans, vaccine hesitancy is just one part of a legacy of mistrust. “People of color have been disproportionately affected by this virus, and because of the history of racism in this country, a larger percentage of people of color have kind of been leery about the vaccine,” said George Jones, chief executive of Bread for the City, a DC food pantry and assistance agency. (The Guardian, 8/20/21)

The First Presidency Urges Latter-day Saints to Wear Face Masks When Needed and Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19. To limit exposure to these viruses, we urge the use of face masks in public meetings whenever social distancing is not possible. To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 8/12/21)

Parents get coached on how to escape mask and vaccine rules. Across the U.S., religious figures, doctors, public officials and other community leaders are trying to help people circumvent COVID-19 precautions. While proponents of these workarounds say they are looking out for children’s health and parents’ rights, others say such stratagems are dishonest and irresponsible and could undermine efforts to beat back the highly contagious delta variant. (AP, 8/21/21)

How to sell the vaccine to the unvaccinated, according to 6 advertising executives who are pros at persuasion. The question of how to deal with the millions of Americans who have chosen not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is often framed in the starkest terms. Option 1: Use vaccine mandates to force shots into their unwilling arms. Option 2: Give up on the possibility of returning to normal life anytime soon. But there's a third option: advertising. If America has one true genius, it's knowing how to rewire the decision-making loops of every human being with a pulse. (Business Insider, 8/23/21)

See also: A Pharmacist Is Charged With Selling COVID-19 Vaccine Cards For $10 On eBay (NPR, 8/18/21)

How the U.S. vaccination drive came to rely on an army of consultants. Critics question whether such contracts improve government performance, arguing the arrangements are costly and difficult to oversee. Taxpayers have no way to know what precisely they are getting under no-bid contracts worth millions of dollars because the internal documents of private consultancies are not subject to public records laws. Complicating matters, some contractors contributed to the political campaigns and projects of elected officials who then became clients, prompting allegations of favoritism. (Washington Post, 8/22/21)

Vaccinations Against COVID-19 May Have Averted Up To 140,000 Deaths In The United States. We estimated that by May 9, 2021, the US vaccination campaign was associated with a reduction of 139,393 COVID-19 deaths. As of May 9, 2021, reductions in COVID-19 deaths associated with vaccines had translated to value of statistical life benefit ranging between $625 billion and $1.4 trillion. (Health Affairs, 8/18/21)

Back to School & Vaccines: Webinar with Dr. Anthony Fauci. American Muslim Health Professionals and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America are thrilled to host an important webinar featuring world renowned Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday, August 30th from 3-4pm EST. The "Back to School" webinar will provide awareness, information and guidance about COVID-19 vaccination efforts for parents, students and teachers as they transition into the new school year. The webinar will be held on August 30, 2021, 3-4 PM ET. (American Muslim Health Professionals, 8/21)

Vaccine Mandates Work—but Only If They’re Done Right. Some people aren’t vaccinated because of forces outside their control. Covid-19 has hit certain groups particularly hard—people at lower socioeconomic levels and people of color, especially. They’re at the center of a lot of Venn overlaps: more likely to have the health issues that can make Covid infection deadly, less likely to have ready access to health care, more likely to be in high-risk jobs with lots of exposure, less likely to have good internet access, more likely to have jobs that pay by the hour and don’t allow sick leave. If you have all that going on, it can be hard to imagine getting a vaccination appointment, much less taking time off if you have side effects that send you to bed. If vaccine mandates deny access to certain spaces, and the unvaccinated are, say, Black people, that’d make the effect of the mandates racist. (Wired, 8/26/21)

To boost Covid-19 vaccine uptake, one health system hunts for patients who fell through the cracks. During the early days of vaccine rollout, “we realized that the vast majority of this communication was being done either by email or by MyChart messaging,” said Jacob Stein, an oncologist at the University of North Carolina’s N. C. Cancer Hospital. But relying on digital communication can leave some patients behind. So Stein and a team at the N.C. Cancer Hospital decided to use its records differently: to identify patients who might have been missed by the greater health system’s vaccine communications. (STAT, 8/24/21)

Many Older Americans Still Aren’t Vaccinated, Making the Delta Wave Deadlier. The United States has a far higher share of seniors without full vaccine protection than many other wealthy countries, a key risk factor driving serious Covid-19 illness and death, a Times analysis shows national averages mask the high rate of older Americans who remain deeply vulnerable. Older people still account for most Covid-19 deaths, and in many counties, especially in the South and Mountain West, seniors without full vaccination make up more than 10 percent of the total population. (New York Times, 8/24/21)

Using TikTok and Instagram, college students push the science behind covid vaccines. At a time when many people have lost trust in different sources — whether it’s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cable news or the college administrator who keeps announcing new restrictions — there’s an advantage to having the message come from a classmate. It subtly tells students this is a social norm, she said, signaling “this is what we’re hoping for in our age group.” (Washington Post, 8/20/21)

FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. (FDA, 8/23/21)

Moderna Completes Submission of Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its COVID-19 Vaccine. Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced it has completed the rolling submission process for its Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the full licensure of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older. As part of the completed BLA submission, Moderna has requested Priority Review designation. (Moderna, 8/25/21)

Pfizer Full FDA Approval and What It Means for Covid Vaccine Mandates. In addition to bolstering the confidence of those who have already received the vaccine, full FDA approval brings with it new rules regarding how and when the vaccine may be used and, in some cases, required. But with Covid vaccines remaining highly politicized, it has yet to be seen whether the approval will have a real impact on the country’s sluggish vaccination rates. (Rolling Stone, 8/23/21)

With Vaccine Mandates on the Rise, Some Teachers May Face Discipline. Those in favor of vaccine mandates for teachers say that a high vaccination rate among staff is critical to keeping schools open for in-person instruction and protecting students, especially those younger than 12 who can’t yet get the shot. Some public health experts say that since only a small portion of staff would likely choose to get tested once a week in lieu of getting vaccinated, the vaccinate-or-test strategy can be effective in keeping schools safe. (EdWeek, 8/23/21)

Liability Issues Related to COVID-19 Vaccine Manufacturing and Global Distribution. This report discusses potential liability issues that vaccine manufacturers and donors may face and options Congress might consider while deliberatingvaccine distribution and liability issues. (Congressional Research Service, 8/19/21)

Trump Is Finally Telling His Supporters to Get Vaccinated, but It’s Probably Too Late—And It’s All His Fault.  Even if Trump has decided to start throwing his weight behind vaccinations, it may be too late. On the very same night he told his supporters to get their shots, he of course also told the ones booing: “That’s alright. You got your freedoms. But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll call up Alabama. I’ll say, ‘Hey, you know what?’ But it is working. But you do have your freedoms.” (Vanity Fair, 8/23/21)

Vaccine Efficacy Diminished as Delta Arose, CDC Report Shows. The vaccines are still protective, the CDC said. The finding must be interpreted with caution, as vaccine effectiveness might wane over time and the estimates of efficacy were imprecise. (Bloomberg, 8/24/21)

See also: Sustained Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines Against COVID-19 Associated Hospitalizations Among Adults — United States, March–July 2021 (CDC, 8/18/21)

A Vaccine For Children Is Not Likely To Be Approved Until The End Of Year. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health said both Pfizer and Moderna are still collecting trial data, trying to understand — among other things — whether young children should receive a smaller vaccine dose than what has already been approved for adults. (NPR, 8/24/21)

Pregnant, Unvaccinated and Intubated: Case Surge Alarms Doctors. More young and healthy pregnant people are ending up hospitalized on ventilators, delivering babies prematurely and sometimes dying from Covid-19 during the delta-fueled spike in cases. Pregnant women with Covid-19 are 15 times more likely to die, 14 times more likely to need to be intubated, and 22 times more likely to have pre-term birth than those who are uninfected. (Bloomberg, 8/23/21)

COVID Vaccines Show No Signs of Harming Fertility or Sexual Function. Studies so far have not linked the vaccines with problems related to pregnancy, menstrual cycles, erectile performance or sperm quality. The evidence does show that COVID-19 can involve problems in all of these areas. (Scientific American, 8/24/21)

Would It Be Fair to Treat Vaccinated Covid Patients First? Last week, Texas health care policymakers discussed taking vaccination status into account for Covid triage. It’s a larger conversation ethicists are bracing for. (Wired, 8/23/21)

Covid-19 vaccines flirted with perfection at first. Reality is more complicated. When Covid-19 vaccines were reported last fall to be roughly 95% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections, the world rejoiced — and even veteran scientists were blown away. Very few vaccines are that protective. That was the good news. Now, however, our soaring expectations for Covid-19 vaccines are in the process of sinking back to earth.. (STAT, 8/25/21)