Iowa news
DHS officials continue efforts to encourage more employee COVID-19 vaccinations at state facilities
The Iowa Department of Human Services officials said they will continue efforts to encourage more employees at the six DHS facilities to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as vaccination rates remain stagnant. According to state data, 36% of employees at DHS’ six facilities declined the COVID-19 shot as of last Friday. That’s the same percent that had declined it five weeks before. (Iowa Public Radio)
Cedar Rapids high schools offering all students COVID-19 vaccine
The Cedar Rapids Community School District is offering the Pfizer vaccine to all high school students Friday after it was approved for children ages 12 through 15 earlier this week. Students will receive their second dose on the last day of school, June 4. On Wednesday and Thursday, the district offered the vaccine to students 16 and older. In a district newsletter Friday, Superintendent Noreen Bush said the high school nursing teams put together a plan to vaccinate high school students during the school day for students who want the option. (The Gazette)
Wellmark partners with community leaders to promote COVID-19 vaccine awareness
A Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield vaccination clinic for community members and employees has helped 450 central Iowans receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and a public service campaign led by Wellmark aims to reach many more community members who have not yet been vaccinated. The health insurance company partnered with Urban Dreams, Hip-Hope Inc. and the Iowa Asian Alliance to promote the vaccination clinics held April 17 and May 8 among their respective communities, and also produced public service announcement-style videos with leaders of Urban Dreams and Hip-Hope Iowa, the Iowa Asian Alliance and the Iowa Department of Latino Affairs to continue educating on the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. MercyOne helped community members register for the clinic, had health care providers there to administer the vaccines and is following up with community members who could not attend the second clinic date. (Business Record)
National news
Faith, freedom, fear: Rural America’s COVID-19 vaccine skeptics
Communities like Greeneville, Tennessee, and its surroundings — rural, overwhelmingly Republican, deeply Christian, 95% white — are on the radar of President Biden and American health officials, as efforts to vaccinate most of the U.S. population enters a critical phase. These are the places where polls show resistance to the vaccine is most entrenched. Although campaigns aimed at convincing Black and Latino urban communities to set aside their vaccine mistrust have made striking gains, towns like these also will have to be convinced if the country is to achieve widespread immunity. (The New York Times)
Adolescents can get routine immunizations with their COVID-19 shots, CDC advisers say
Children’s immunizations dropped dramatically during the pandemic, and health officials are eager to get kids caught back up on their routine shots before they return to school. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine be given to children ages 12 to 15, opening vaccination to approximately 17 million adolescents. And a CDC advisory committee said health workers can decide to give other needed vaccines, such as for measles and HPV, without waiting two weeks after the COVID shot has been administered. (Iowa Public Radio)
Here’s the science that convinced the CDC to lift mask mandates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said masks and social distancing are no longer necessary for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s a move the agency said was driven by scientific evidence that the vaccines play a major role in curbing both infections and transmission of the virus. In announcing the agency’s updated guidelines, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., said there are “numerous reports in the literature” to demonstrate the safety and real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. (NBC News)