CoViD-19: Misinformation On Social Media | Vaccination Focus On Education, Equity | Biden EOs On Immigration Policy | Biden's COVID Response Team Expanding Vaccinations and Testing |

Taken at San Diego Zoo 2.3.2021

I couldn't help myself. I should've been at home chilling and watching Bravo, but I felt compelled to watch the media briefings I missed, so I watched Jen Psaki and two different COVID Task Force briefings, as well as getting through all of my email and reading. So instead of piling it all on later on Wednesday, I thought I'd push out another post. We will be at Safari Park today, but there will be a several briefings today, including Jen Psaki's daily briefing, the COVID Task Force, and the San Diego County briefing, though those are getting pretty routine. I should probably slip some sleep in there at some point, too. Have a great humpday out there and stay safe.   

• COVID-19:
• CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker
• Addressing COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media Preemptively and Responsively - CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (Feb 2021)
• Acting Secretary Pekoske Directs TSA to Mitigate Spread of COVID-19 Through the Transportation System - Homeland Security (2.1.2021)
• As 13 million in US get COVID vaccine, minority uptake uncertain - CIDRAP (2.2.2021)
• COVID-19 precautions may be reducing cases of flu and other respiratory infections. Once restrictions are lifted, there could be a deadly rebound in respiratory infections. - Science News (2.2.2021)
• Coronavirus is in the air — there’s too much focus on surfaces. Catching the coronavirus from surfaces is rare. The World Health Organization and national public-health agencies need to clarify their advice. - Nature (2.2.2021)
• Politics:
• Bonus episode: Inside the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency - Axios (2.2.2021)
• GAO report slams Trump administration response to the coronavirus pandemic - The Washington Post (2.3.2021)
• News:
• COVID Has Turned These Nursing Home Residents Into Activists Fighting to Show Their Lives Matter. New York has severely undercounted COVID deaths in these facilities. - Mother Jones (2.3.2021)
• White House Media Briefing with Jen Psaki
• FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Increased Vaccine Supply, Initial Launch of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, and Expansion of FEMA Reimbursement to States
• Memorandum on Maximizing Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans
• Executive Order on Creating a Comprehensive Regional Framework to Address the Causes of Migration, to Manage Migration Throughout North and Central America, and to Provide Safe and Orderly Processing of Asylum Seekers at the United States Border
• Executive Order on the Establishment of Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families
• CBO report suggests that if nothing is done, economy will not recover until 2025
• Reconciliation Explanation From Psaki Transcript: 
• "Once a budget resolution is passed, the House and Senate negotiators will work to develop a reconciliation bill that can pass through the House and Senate.  At several points in this process, as we look to the weeks ahead, Republicans can engage and see their ideas adopted.  At any point in the process, a bipartisan bill can pass on the floor.  So just creating the option for reconciliation with a budget resolution does not foreclose other legislative options. 
• Second, Republican ideas can be adopted during the reconciliation negotiations, and it is likely that several bipartisan ideas may be — or we are certainly hopeful of that. 
• Third, Republicans have the ability to offer amendments, both during the budget resolution and instruction phase of the process, and then later during the reconciliation phase, and in that way can ensure their ideas are heard."
• Media Questions:
• US wants Navalny released as well as people being held for exercising their constitutionally protected speech 
• White House watching potential for violence across the country regardless of what prompts it
• Immigration policy is going to take time to implement. Urgently trying to repair damage done by separation of kids from parents.
• No updates on Space Force (but she didn't even know contact person)
• Travel bans will be in place until health experts determine they're no longer necessary
• Hope is to be the most ethically-stringent government in history 
• White House COVID Response Team Briefing (2.2.2021)
• Vaccine Supply to State, Tribes, and Territories
• Last week Increased by 16%
• This week Increasing by additional 5% 
• 10.5 Million Vaccines shipping this week, and next two weeks at least
• Giving states 3 week heads up on allocations
• Creating easily accessible places to get vaccines
• Most Americans live within 5 miles of a pharmacy
• Starting on February 11
• Will provide more sites across the country
• Rollout will be limited, only at 6,500 stores in early phases
• People must meet state's eligibility requirements
• CDC will monitor data to make sure vaccines are distributed efficiently and equitably
• Will also create mass vaccination sites
• FEMA has increased support for full reimbursement of National Guard and emergency services. Even further, will reimburse states back-dating to beginning of the pandemic.
• Requesting $350billion from Congress in National Rescue Plan 
• Media Questions:
• 1,000,000 doses will be allocated to 6,500 pharmacies. This is supplemental to the 10,500,000 that is shipping to states. 
• $3-$5Billion for state reimbursement from FEMA does not require Congressional approval
• Additional 1,000,000 is coming from Moderna and Pfizer as a result of help in scaling up production
• States, Territories and Tribes were called upon to open eligibility to 65+
• 6,500 pharmacies allocations will be the same as current allocations. CDC is making sure that pharmacy distribution will be in harder hit areas
• Doing everything possible with resources available, but Rescue Plan needs to happen fast so US can scale operations, vaccinations, testing, etc. 
• Guaranteeing minimum levels of vaccines to states for three weeks out 
• All vaccines doses have been available to states without delay due to the storms. Some states had a hard time distributing statewide or had to close vaccine sites due to weather.
• FEMA has already been assisting in Vaccination sites, but will be working to stand up 100 total sites by end of Biden's first month (Feb 19)
• White House COVID Response Briefing (2.1.2021)
• Dr Walensky Director of CDC
• Cases, Hospitalizations are down, but deaths are up 
• Variants are a great concern - 471 variant cases nationwide
• 467 cases B117 UK variant in 32 states
• 3 cases B1351 SA variant in 2 states
• 1 case P1 Brazil variant
• NS3 Strain Variant Surveillance
• CDC sequencing has increased 10-fold since first week in Jan
• Ramping up to achieve 7,000 cases sequenced weekly 
• Dr. Fauci  Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Johnson and Johnson and NovaVax are likely to get EUA soon
• Efficacy is less important than the fact that all have eliminated serious illness and death
• B117 is expected to respond to current vaccines. SA may be resistant, but still within cushion of efficacy
• Even when you have a variant circulating, it is very important to still get vaccinated
• Viruses can't mutate if they can't replicate
• Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith Chair of Equity Task Force
• Response must be equitable
• Virus has disproportionally impacted communities of color  
• 3.6x higher for Indigenous communities to need hospitalization 
• 3.2x higher for Latino communities to need hospitalization
• 2.9x higher for Black communities to need hospitalization
• Data collection has been bad. Still missing race and ethnicity information from hospitalizations, deaths. 47% data is missing on vaccinations. 
• Andy Slavitt
• Biden's 7 priorities: Transparency, Speeding Vaccinations, Public Health Interventions like masking, Driving Manufacturing, Increasing Testing, Health Equity, Global Engagement 
• DOD and HHS secured OTC tests for use at home and has provided a contract to scale up production 
• Vaccination appointment making is still frustrating across the country
• 1 in 10 adults have received at least 1 dose
• Differences between shipped and administered doses are because states were holding back for 2nd doses. Some providers were also intentionally holding back first doses to use as second doses. This shouldn't happen anymore as government is now guaranteeing doses and shipment. 
• Low dead-space dose syringes. Pfizer vials come with equipment to get the 6th dose. 
• Media Questions:
• Policy is that everyone who gets first dose of Pfizer (21 days) and Moderna (28 days) must get second dose of the same vaccination. Now we have more confidence in even flow of vaccinations so no doses should ever be held back. 2nd doses will be prioritized over people getting first doses. Trials were 2 doses and will continue following science.
• Goal of vaccinating everyone by end of summer is based on current contracts with Pfizer and Moderna. If other vaccines get approved they will help goals but aren't currently included in projections. Should have 100 million doses by end of June, not coming evenly, most will come toward end of 2nd quarter.  
• Many people will prefer single-dose vaccine. Efficacy number isn't main determinant. J&J is great for stopping severe illness and deaths. 
• At-home tests are cost prohibitive to some but as production is scaled up, costs should come down. Policy will need to be addressed by Federal, State, County, City, School District levels for vaccination, testing, therapies.