COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, July 8, 2021

White House and Federal Agencies

• The White House did not reach its goal of vaccinating 70% of U.S. adults by July 4. This prompted President Biden to announce a new “hyperlocal” strategy to target areas with low vaccination rates.
• The Biden Administration fell short of its goal to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses overseas by the end of June. The Administration shipped fewer than 24 million doses to ten countries. The international distributions are ongoing.
• The Biden Administration announced the deployment of response teams to various areas in the U.S. with high levels of a spread in the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates

• The CDC published the following reports and websites updates:
  • EARLY RELEASE: Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine After Reports of Myocarditis Among Vaccine Recipients: Update from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, June 2021
  • Percent of Delivered First Vaccine Doses Administered by U.S. States and Territories
  • Cases in the U.S.
  • Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People
  • People Experiencing Homelessness
  • Older Adults
  • EARLY RELEASE: Efficacy of Portable Air Cleaners and Masking for Reducing Indoor Exposure to Simulated Exhaled SARS-CoV-2 Aerosols – United States, 2021
  • Coronavirus Self-Checker
  • Cruise Ship Color and Commercial Travel Status
  • Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19 in Children
  • Caring for Someone Sick at Home
  • Disparities in Learning Mode Access Among K-12 Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Race/Ethnicity, Geography, and Grade Level – United States, September 2020-April 2021
  • Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Suicidal Ideation Among State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, March-April 2021

Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment

• The Delta variant is now the dominant COVID-19 strain in the U.S. It accounts for more than 51% of new cases.
  • New research shows the Pfizer vaccine is 64% effective at preventing transmission and 94% effective at preventing hospitalization against the Delta variant.
  • CDC Director Rochelle Walensky reiterated her warnings about the highly contagious Delta variant.

• COVID-19 cases are higher in states with lagging vaccination rates. Almost 10,000 people died from COVID-19 last month, and 99.2% of them were unvaccinated.
• New research estimates the U.S. vaccine roll out prevented 279,000 additional deaths and 1.25 million hospitalizations.
• A new survey of unvaccinated Americans highlights reasons behind their decision.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said that 99% of people who died from COVID-19 in June were unvaccinated.
• Vaccinated individuals who became infected with COVID-19 carried less virus and had shorter cases than unvaccinated people who became infected.
• Experts are still examining if vaccinated people will require booster doses.
• New research suggests the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective against the Delta variant.
• mRNA vaccines effective against breakthrough COVID.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers found that both the PCR and rapid antigen analysis COVID-19 tests are similarly accurate, with both achieving more than 98% accuracy.
• COVID-19 has plummeted as the leading cause of death in the U.S. as vaccination rates have increased.
• Johnson & Johnson expects to start studying its one-dose vaccine in children 12-17 years old this fall.
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm gave an update on its oversight of COVID-19-relief programs.
• The Federal Reserve is staying the course with its monetary policy but discussed beginning some gradual changes in the near future.