The Latest: US booster shot decision expected within 2 weeks
WASHINGTON -- The director of the National Institutes of Health says the U.S. could decide in the next couple weeks whether to offer coronavirus booster shots to Americans this fall.
Dr. Francis Collins tells "Fox News Sunday" that federal health officials are looking at the U.S. numbers "almost daily" but no decision has been made because cases so far still indicate that vaccinated people remain highly protected from COVID-19, including the delta variant.
He acknowledges, though, that there is concern that the effectiveness of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson regimen may wane "over months." If so, Collins says that may necessitate a booster "maybe beginning first with health care providers, as well as people in nursing homes, and then gradually moving forward" with others, such as the elderly.
Collins says because the delta variant only started hitting hard in July, the "next couple of weeks" of case data will help the U.S. make a decision.
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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:
Pedestrians, center, wear masks out of concern for the coronavirus while walking along Boston's fashionable Newbury Street, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
- Coronavirus claims more young victims in U.S. as deaths climb
- Amid a limited supply of vaccines, tensions arise in Africa between those seeking first and second vaccine shots
- Protesters in France denounce COVID-19 health pass for 5th straight Saturday
- COVAX only goes so far as rich countries dominate global vaccine allotments
- Iran will impose 6-day `general lockdown´ against coronavirus
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- Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine
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HERE´S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The Sri Lankan government on Sunday banned all public gatherings, its latest move to contain a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases.
The ban will be effective from Sunday night and people are urged to avoid visiting public places as much as possible, according to a government statement.
Also, restaurants are now allowed to accommodate only 50 percent of their capacity and wedding receptions will be banned beginning Aug. 17.
Sri Lanka is witnessing an unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths over the last two weeks. Doctors have warned that hospitals and morgues are reaching their maximum capacities. The government has ruled out an immediate lockdown because of the country´s ailing economy, despite repeated pleas from doctors.
Sri Lanka has so far reported 351,533 COVID-19 confirmed cases and 5,935 deaths.
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BOSTON - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that every county in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts are the site of high or substantial transmission of the coronavirus.
The rise of transmission in the two states mirrors a nationwide and regional trend.
Some health authorities are recommending that even vaccinated people go back to wearing masks indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission. That includes almost all of New England. The CDC reported that every county in the six-state region was the site of high or substantial transmission on Sunday except Orange County, Vermont, and Kennebec County, Maine.
In Connecticut, New London, New Haven, Middlesex and Hartford counties were the site of high transmission and the other four counties in the state were listed in the substantial category. In Massachusetts, Suffolk, Nantucket, Dukes, Plymouth, Bristol, Essex, Hampden and Berkshire counties were the site of high transmission and the other six counties in the state were substantial.
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MOSCOW -- Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia exceeded 800 for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with the authorities reporting 816 new fatalities.
The daily tally surpassed 800 for the first time in the pandemic on Thursday and has remained at that level ever since.
Russia faced a surge of infections last month that officials have blamed on the spread of the delta variant. New confirmed cases soared from around 9,000 a day in early June to 25,000 a day in mid-July.
New infections have since decreased slightly to about 21,000 daily this week, but the daily death toll has remained high.
Officials are working to boost vaccine uptake, which has remained lower in Russia than in many Western countries. As of Aug. 6, more than 39 million Russians -- or 26.7% of the 146-million population -- had received at least one dose, while over 30 million, or 20%, was said to be fully vaccinated.
Russia´s state coronavirus task force has reported over 6.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the pandemic and 170,499 deaths. However, reports by Russia´s state statistical service Rosstat that look at coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively have revealed a much higher number.
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KAMPALA, Uganda - At a COVID-19 vaccination site in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, tempers flared among those waiting for scarce AstraZeneca jabs, with some accusing others of trying to jump the queue.
Nurses intervened, telling them the accused had been waiting since the previous day and averting violence in what has become a tense atmosphere as Ugandans jostle for vaccinations.
In the aftermath of a brutal wave of infections driven by the delta variant, many Ugandans seeking a first dose of vaccine are competing with hundreds of thousands who have waited months for a second dose. But the country now has only 285,000 shots donated by Norway.
The delta surge has touched off a vaccination rush across Africa that the slow trickle of donated doses can´t keep up with, compounding the continent´s vaccine disadvantage compared with the rest of the world.
The urgency to obtain a second dose across much of the world´s least vaccinated continent contrasts sharply with rich countries now beginning to authorize third doses.
Dr. Alfred Driwale, the top official with Uganda´s immunization program, said the small number of doses will do little to remedy the situation as the 5 million Ugandans eligible for vaccination - everyone from soldiers to health workers - scramble for shots under a first-come, first-serve system.
"You can´t make a policy when there is no certainty of supply," Driwale said.
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SYDNEY - Poland has sent 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Sydney where the delta variant continues to spread, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.
The first of the Pfizer vaccines left Warsaw via the United Arab Emirates and will arrive in Sydney over Sunday night, Morrison said.
Australia bought the vaccines after weeks of negotiations between Morrison and his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki. Morrison did not reveal the price.
"A key factor in being able to secure these doses from our Polish friends has been that we have had a significant outbreak in our largest city," Morrison said.
Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 due to an outbreak first detected 10 days earlier. Surrounding New South Wales state was entirely locked down from Saturday because of recent infections detected in regional towns and virus found in wastewater in the state´s north and west.
Residents aged 20-to-39 in Sydney´s worst-effected areas would be given 530,000 of the new doses. This age group was responsible for most of the virus spread, Morrison said.
The remaining doses would be shared with other Australian states and territories.
Only 25% of Australians aged 16 and older had been fully vaccinated by Friday.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Daily News reports that the Foo Fighters rock band is requiring that people who attend their upcoming shows in Alaska be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a negative test result 48 hours before attending.
The 12-time Grammy-winning-band plans to perform in Anchorage on Aug. 17 and 19 at the Dena´ina Center and in Fairbanks on Aug. 21 at the Carlson Center.
Negative test results or proof of vaccination must be provided before entering - - either the original card or copy of card with an ID to match, according to a statement Saturday from Ticketmaster.
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PHOENIX - Arizona on Saturday reported over 3,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the second straight day.
The state´s seven-day rolling averages for cases and deaths also continued to rise along with virus-related hospitalizations. The state´s coronavirus dashboard reported 1,601 hospitalizations as of Thursday, along with 3,418 additional cases and 27 more deaths.
In another development, the superintendent of the Scottsdale Unified School District said increased spread of COVID-19 threatens to end in-person learning.
Also, the Salt-River Pima-Community Indian Community announced residents and visitors must help curb spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks while visiting government offices, businesses and schools on the tribe´s Phoenix-area reservation.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington Department of Health recommended a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people with severely weakened immune systems.
The recommendation Saturday comes as the delta variant surges in the country. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that immunocompromised Americans can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for better protection.
The FDA´s announcement applies to about 3% of U.S. adults who are especially vulnerable because of organ transplants, certain cancers or other disorders. Several other countries, including France and Israel, have similar recommendations.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - President Joe Biden has called school district superintendents in Florida and Arizona, praising them for doing what he called "the right thing" after their respective boards implemented mask requirements in defiance of their Republican governors amid growing COVID-19 infections.
The White House said Saturday that the Democratic president had spoken with interim Broward Superintendent Vickie Cartwright in Florida and Phoenix Union High School District Superintendent Chad Gestson in Arizona. Biden thanked them for their leadership and discussed their shared commitment to getting all students back in safe, full-time in-person instruction this school year.
Biden´s phone calls of support come as tensions build over whether local school districts can and should require face coverings for students and school staff as in-person classes resume. In Texas, several school districts - along with the state´s most populous county - won temporary legal victories Friday in seeking to override Republican Gov. Greg Abbott´s ban on mask mandates, which they argued is making the COVID-19 pandemic worse.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico health officials say an increase in hospitalizations across the state has prompted them to put out an urgent call for volunteer nurses to help boost the state´s medical work force.
The New Mexico Department of Health has called on nurses or anyone with a medical license to volunteer to help because they believe hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with patients. They want recently retired health workers or anyone qualified to sign up for the state´s Medical Reserve Corps.
Hospitals in New Mexico and across the nation are seeing increased hospitalizations because of long-postponed surgeries and a surge in COVID-19 patients. The delta variant of the coronavirus is much more contagious than previous strains.
The state Friday reported 798 additional COVID-19 cases and five new deaths. They bring the count of confirmed New Mexico virus cases since the pandemic began in early 2020 to 218,569 and the number of deaths to 4,446.
State officials said their modeling predicts more than 1,000 new cases a day in the next several weeks.
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MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota System will join hundreds of colleges nationwide in requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for students and staff at its five campuses.
The mandate approved by the Board of Regents on Friday will take effect once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives final approval to a coronavirus vaccine and not just emergency use status. Full approval is expected in the coming weeks.
Faculty and staff at the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, Crookston and Morris campuses must either get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing.
The university will allow medical and religious exemptions to this mandate. The University of Minnesota campuses educate about 67,000 students and employ 26,000 people.
System leaders said they will soon share more details about the vaccination requirement, including how much time students will have to get the shots after FDA approval and any consequences for not complying with the mandate.
A Sri Lankan woman speaks with a member of the army's medical corps as they walk to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the elderly population in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A demonstrator holds up a placard that reads, "I want to live to love. Injection= RIP," during a protest in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
A demonstrator holds up a placard during a protest in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
A demonstrator carries a placard that reads, "Don't give up freedom out of fear," as she marches past the city hall in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
Demonstrators carry a placard during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19 . (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
Anti vax protesters holding American flags and signs calling for "medical freedom" rally outside the City Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. The Los Angeles Police Department and local media say a man was stabbed and a reporter was attacked Saturday at a protest against vaccine mandates at Los Angeles' City Hall after a fight broke out between the protesters and counterprotesters. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021 file photo, Students wearing protective masks walk past a "Welcome Back" sign before the first day of school at Sessums Elementary School in Riverview, Fla. Students are required to wear the masks at school unless their parents opt out. President Joe Biden has called school district superintendents in Florida and Arizona, praising them for doing what he called "the right thing" after their respective boards implemented mask requirements in defiance of their Republican governors amid growing COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
A protester waves a French flag during a demonstration in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Thousands of people, from families to far-right sympathizers, marched in dozens of cities across France for a fifth straight Saturday to denounce a COVID-19 health pass needed to access restaurant, long-distance trains and other venues. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
KPCC radio reporter Frank Stolze calls for police officers to intervene as he walks out of the park near City Hall after being assaulted at by anti-mask protesters in Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. The Los Angeles Police Department and local media say a man was stabbed and a reporter was attacked Saturday at a protest against vaccine mandates at Los Angeles' City Hall after a fight broke out between the protesters and counterprotesters. Stolze told a police officer he had been assaulted while trying to conduct an interview, the Los Angeles Times reported. ( AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A Kenyan man receives a dose of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine donated by Britain, at the Makongeni Estate in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. In late June, the international system for sharing coronavirus vaccines sent about 530,000 doses to Britain - more than double the amount sent that month to the entire continent of Africa. It was the latest example of how a system that was supposed to guarantee low and middle-income countries vaccines is failing, leaving them at the mercy of haphazard donations from rich countries. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
FILE - In this Friday, July 9, 2021 file photo, UNICEF workers check the first shipment of 1.4 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the United States, at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan. In late June, the international system for sharing coronavirus vaccines sent about 530,000 doses to Britain - more than double the amount sent that month to the entire continent of Africa. It was the latest example of how a system that was supposed to guarantee low and middle-income countries vaccines is failing, leaving them at the mercy of haphazard donations from rich countries.(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, file )
Pro-mask wearing demonstrators stage a protest at the Cobb County School Board Headquarters Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Marietta, Ga. Many school districts nationwide have seen parents protesting for and against masks. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A woman a sticker on her arm opposing COVID-19 passes as she marches in Paris Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying in Paris and other parts of France as they continue to show their opposition to France's introduction of a COVID-19 passes to access restaurants, hospitality venues, cultural sites and domestic travel. (AP Photo/Adrienne Surprenant)
Children wearing mask attend a mobile classroom for children of a slum set up inside a parked bus by a social activist in Mumbai, India Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
A social activist Ashok Kurmi teaches children in a mobile classroom for children living in slums set up inside a bus in Mumbai, India Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Anti-vaccine demonstrator Stacey Hidalgo, right, comforts an unidentified homeless man in a moment of prayer during an anti-vaccine rally outside City Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. The Los Angeles Police Department and local media say a man was stabbed and a reporter was attacked Saturday at a protest against vaccine mandates at Los Angeles' City Hall after a fight broke out between the protesters and counterprotesters. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A demonstrator carries a placard that reads, "We have discovered you, criminals," during a protest in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Protesters are rallying to show their opposition to vaccinating children against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
Anti-vaccination demonstrators left, clash with counter-protesters during an anti-vaccination protest in front of the City Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. A man was stabbed and a reporter was attacked Saturday at a protest against vaccine mandates on the south lawn of Los Angeles' City Hall after a fight broke out between the protesters and counter-protesters, the Los Angeles Police Department and local media said. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A pedestrian, left, wears a mask out of concern for the coronavirus while walking along Boston's fashionable Newbury Street, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Sri Lankan army's medical corps members administer a vaccine for COVID-19 to an elderly Muslim woman at her house in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A Sri Lankan army medical corps member walks to administer the vaccine for COVID-19 to the elderly population in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
FILE - In this June 10, 2021, file photo Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on President Joe Biden's budget request, at the Capitol in Washington. The federal Health and Human Services Department is requiring employees who provide care or services for patients to get their COVID-19 shots, officials announced Thursday, Aug. 12. The order from Becerra will affect more than 25,000 clinicians, researchers, contractors, trainees and volunteers with the National Institutes of Health, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
