TOP THREE
Boosters: The White House announced a plan to administer a booster shot eight months after an individual’s second dose.It is pending final FDA evaluation and recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Could start the week of September 20
Axios reports that "Many public health experts criticized the decision as premature or even unethical, and that eight months is too long — vulnerability can return as soon as five months after the second dose."
The WHO also criticized the decision along equity and ethical lines. (Statement)Politico: “The evidence, compiled by federal scientists over the past several months, showed a decline in the initial round of protection against Covid-19 infection that’s coincided with a resurgence in cases driven by the more contagious Delta variant. The data looked at vaccine effectiveness in individuals across age groups, with varying medical conditions and who received the shot at different times.”
Leana Wen oped: "Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients are left in the dark on booster shots. They deserve better."
Parent Poll: From RAND and the Rockefeller Foundation (Press Release / Deck)
9 out of 10 plan to send their child to school in person.
1 in 3 say they don't know their school's safety plans.
6 in 10 say they want more information about the specific safety measures their schools are enacting.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian parents are twice as likely to support mask requirements in schools than White parents.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian parents are more likely (62-64%) than White parents (43%) to support their children getting tested if there was voluntary, free, weekly Covid-19 testing at school.
Only 7% said the biggest concern for their youngest child was wearing a mask. Parents trust principals and local health officials.
White House/ED: The NYT reports that the Biden Administration will use ED's "civil rights enforcement authority to deter states from banning universal masking in classrooms."
"The president is appalled, as I am, that there are adults who are blind to their blindness, that there are people who are putting policies in place that are putting students and staff at risk,” Dr. Cardona said"
"The department could initiate its own investigations into districts, if state policies and actions rise to potential violation of students’ civil rights. It could also review complaints from parents and advocates who make the case that prohibiting masks mandates is, in effect, a civil rights violation because it could deny a student their right to an education by putting them in harm’s way in school. Such investigations could result in resolution agreements, as many investigations by the office often do, and in the most extreme cases result in revocation of federal funding."
President Biden issued a "memorandum" to the Secretary of Education directing him to "use all available tools to ensure that governors and other officials are providing a safe return to in-person learning for the nation’s children."
"At the same time, however, some State governments have adopted policies and laws that interfere with the ability of schools and districts to keep our children safe during in-person learning. Some of these policies and laws have gone so far as to try to block school officials from adopting safety protocols aligned with recommendations from the CDC to protect students, educators, and staff."
Directs the Secretary to Secretary of Education to assess "all available tools in taking action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to ensure that:"
"Governors and other officials are taking all appropriate steps to prepare for a safe return to school for our Nation’s children, including not standing in the way of local leaders making such preparations; and"
"Governors and other officials are giving students the opportunity to participate and remain in safe full-time, in-person learning without compromising their health or the health of their families or communities."
FEDERAL
HHS: President Biden nominated Robert Gordon for Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, Department of Health and Human Services
COVID-19 RESEARCH
AAFP Joins the AAP in Urging the FDA to Approve Vaccines for Children Under 12: Statement from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
UK Authorizes Moderna For 12-17yr Olds: Via Bloomberg
"The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency extended the existing conditional marketing authorization for the Spikevax shot to 12- to 17-year-olds."
"It is up to the government’s advisory committee -- the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation -- to decide if and when the vaccine will be offered to this age group.""The U.K.’s decision not to roll out vaccines to healthy children over 12 was based partly on some rare side effects seen particularly in male teenagers."
Children's Upper Airways May Provide Protective Response to COVID: Study published in Nature."
“Our data provide clear evidence that the epithelial and immune cells of the upper airways (nose) of children are pre-activated and primed for virus sensing. This is likely a general feature of the children’s mucosal immune response, but of particular relevance for SARS-CoV-2."
"Primed virus sensing and a pre-activated innate immune response in children leads to efficient early production of IFNs in the infected airways, likely mediating substantial antiviral effects... Ultimately, this may lead to reduced virus replication and faster clearance in children"
Vaccines Offer Strong Protection Against Hospitalization: According to three studies from the CDC. Via the Washington Post:
"Study from New York is the first to assess vaccine protection against coronavirus infection across the entirety of a U.S. state amid Delta. The study authors found a modest drop in effectiveness: It descended from 92 percent in May to 80 percent in late July."
"Another found effectiveness against infection declined for nursing home residents after Delta emerged. It dropped from 75 percent in March through May to 53 percent in June and July. Vaccination for visitors and staff is crucial, the study authors wrote, and “additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine might be considered for nursing home and long-term care facility residents.”
"An analysis of patients at 21 hospitals in 18 states, found sustained protection against hospitalization. Effectiveness was steady at 86 percent, even in the midsummer months when delta outcompeted other variants of concern. For adults who do not have compromised immune systems, that effectiveness stood at 90 percent."
Masks:
Greg Sargent oped in the Washington Post: "The latest GOP anti-mask lunacy is stirring a backlash. New polling reveals it."
The Hill, "School districts impose mask mandates, defying GOP governors"Dan McGowan oped in the Boston Globe, "It’s time for Governor McKee to show leadership on mandating masks in schools"
Washington Post Editorial Board, "If GOP governors want schools to remain open, they will walk back reckless anti-mask mandates."
Houston Chronicle: "Gov. Abbott's mask mandate ban is 'discriminatory', alleges lawsuit by Texas disability protection agency"
Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report: From AAP:121,427 child COVID-19 cases were reported from 8/5-12 and children represented 18% of the weekly reported cases.Among states reporting, children were 0.00%-0.25% of all COVID-19 deaths, and 7 states reported zero child deaths.
ICU and Hospitalizations: NYT interactive. One in five hospital ICUs now has at least 95% of beds occupied. The number of children in the hospital — more than 1,800 right now — and the number of new admissions each day are the highest they have ever been, based on federal data going back to October.
Pope Francis Joins the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative's "It's Up To You" Campaign: Press Release / Watch the Ad
STATE
California: LAUSD reports 3,255 student back-to-school COVID cases.
Georgia: List of schools that have shifted to remote learningStatewide performance decreased by an average of six points in grades 3-8, and a range of 4 to 15 points in high school. More data at the link.
Hawaii: Seven charter schools shift to distance learning after cases reported on campus
Kentucky: Kids' cases up 400% in a month along with highest-ever admissions.
Minneapolis: St. Paul Public Schools to provide online option for all students.
Mississippi: 20,000 students are currently quarantined for COVID-19 exposure - approximately 4.5% of the public school population.
Missouri: Finalizing a COVID testing program for schools.
Oklahoma: Hulbert Public Schools announced that middle and high school students are moving to distance learning through Aug.19.
Tennessee: Just two days after reporting over 9,000 school-aged children tested positive for COVID-19 the last 14 days, the total has grown to 11,276 infections.
RESOURCES
DQC: Has a good Twitter thread, "To be clear: collecting and reporting data on school COVID-19 and vaccination rates is absolutely allowable under federal law (FERPA and HIPAA)."
Launching Forward: Leveraging Pandemic Innovations to Advance School Systems: New TLA resource as part of their HopSkipLeapfrog initiative.
New School Year, Same Old Covid Chaos: Via The New Republic
'This Will Be a Tough Year': Via USA Today: Thousands of kids are in COVID-19 quarantine across the US, and school has just begun.
Back to School Coverage Has Been Unnecessarily Alarmist. But There’s Still Time to Improve: Writes Alexander Russo with some good advice. Give context over raw numbersMixed results and success stories are fair game, tooPay attention to vaccine uptake, testing, & mandatesFeelings aren’t facts. (neither is speculation)Beware of the outrage/panic storyKaiPod Learning: Thinks learning pods are here to stay.
6 Answers to Parents’ COVID-19 Questions as Kids Return to School: Via ScienceNews
I Bet You're Wondering Why My Rhyme Is So Tight: Well, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.