- CMS is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) We Can Do This vaccination campaign to provide toolkits that various organizations can use to promote vaccinations in their communities. CMS is facilitating webinars for the toolkits on variety of subjects including:
- Tuesday, June 22, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Spanish Language Toolkits – Register here (this webinar will only be offered in Spanish).
- Thursday June 24, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Healthcare workers Toolkit – Register here
- Other titles offered – follow We Can Do This campaign link
- President Biden marked 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered and encouraged people who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine to do so to prevent the risk of the new Delta variant. He warned that the Delta variant is more dangerous because it is more transmissible and more likely to cause hospitalization compared to other variants. States with lower vaccination rates are at particular risk for this variant.
- A CDC study found that younger adults are getting vaccinated at lower rates compared to older adults.
- COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
Congress
- On Tuesday (10:00 am ET), the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is holding a hearing on COVID-19 vaccinations.
White House and Federal Agencies
- President Biden marked 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered and encouraged people who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine to do so to prevent the risk of the new Delta variant. As of last week, 65.1% of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- President Biden also warned that the Delta variant is more dangerous because it is more transmissible and more likely to cause hospitalization compared to other variants.
- States with lower vaccination rates are at particular risk for this variant.
- As the U.S. prepares to ship vaccines to other countries, President Biden announced the U.S. will replace the AstraZeneca vaccines we promised with 55 million doses of vaccines that have already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The AstraZeneca vaccine still has not been approved in the U.S. The U.S. will eventually include AstraZeneca vaccine in global distributions after it is approved.
- CMS is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) We Can Do This vaccination campaign to provide toolkits that various organizations can use to promote vaccinations in their communities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is facilitating webinars for these toolkits.
- Tuesday, June 15, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: General Populations Toolkit – Recording
- Thursday, June 17, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Rural Communities Toolkit – Recording
- Tuesday, June 22, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Spanish Language Toolkits – Register here (this webinar will only be offered in Spanish).
- Thursday June 24, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Healthcare workers Toolkit – Register here
- Tuesday, June 29, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Faith-Based Toolkit – Register here
- Thursday, July 1, 1:00-2:00 pm ET: Toolkits for Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities – Register here
- Thursday, July 8, 1:00-1:30 pm ET: Older Adults Toolkit – Register here
- HHS is distributing $80 million to improve public health IT infrastructure to help with COVID-19 data collection in underserved communities. Organizations can apply for funding under this program.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- The CDC published the following reports and websites updates:
- Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Sun, 20 Jun 2021 06:00:00 EST
- Cases in the U.S.
- EARLY RELEASE: COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Intent Among Adults Aged 18-39 Years – United States, March-May 2021
- EARLY RELEASE: COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Adults – United States, December 14, 2020-May 22, 2021
- COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Country
- Frequently Asked Questions from Operators or Managers of Pools, Beaches, Waterparks, and other Aquatic Venues
Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment
- CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned that the Delta variant could become the dominant strain in the U.S. in the next few months.
- The American Red Cross is asking for blood donations due to a “severe” national shortage of blood supplies.
- The CDC is aware of only 300 cases of heart issues associated with the COVID-19 vaccine in young people, after 20 million adolescent and young adult vaccinations.
- A new poll found that only 21% of respondents are concerned about contracting COVID-19.
- New research shows that lottery promotions to encourage vaccination are not yielding meaningful results.
- A new study highlights racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates in Brooklyn, NY.
- Another study showed how African Americans experienced mortality disparities compared to other racial groups because they were more likely to be treated at a lower-quality hospital.
- A CDC study found that younger adults are getting vaccinated at lower rates compared to older adults.
- The U.S. extended travel restrictions to Canada and Mexico through July 21.
- U.S. healthcare spending is increasing as the pandemic ends.
