Iowa news
Tips for getting a COVID-19 vaccine as all Iowans soon become eligible
The last year has been long — and that’s putting it lightly — but Monday marks an emotional milestone toward the end of all this: Every Iowan will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Why it matters: The faster we get shots in arms, the faster we can pack Principal Park, dance at Noce and eat breakfast burritos at the farmers’ market. What to know: Availability is still tough, but it’s getting better. Wal-Mart just started offering vaccines — adding to the mix of Hy-Vee, CVS and Walgreens. (Axios)
Opinion: American Rescue Plan expands ACA coverage for Iowans
As we celebrated the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act last month, we have a lot more to celebrate than we did just a year ago. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we’re getting closer to making sure everyone has access to quality affordable health care thanks to improvements to affordability and access in the rescue package. The plan’s expansions of premium subsidies, Medicaid funding and health coverage for unemployed people demonstrate what we can do when we build on our successes. (Sioux City Journal)
‘It’s not over’: 589 Polk County residents lost to COVID-19 mourned during vigil
Polk County health officials and politicians gathered Thursday to pay respects to those lost locally during the pandemic but emphasized that the pandemic is not over yet. Candle-lit bags representing the 589 residents Polk County officials said have died of COVID-19 in the last year were displayed in front of the Polk County Administration Building. The event marked one year since the first COVID-19 death in Polk County. (Des Moines Register)
National news
FDA permits changes to Moderna’s vaccine allowing for more doses in each vial
Moderna can put 50% more vaccine dosage in each vial, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The company has been manufacturing 10 dose vials, but the FDA’s decision allows the company to put up to 15 doses in each vial, a move that allows Moderna to speed up shipments and get more shots in arms. The FDA is also allowing 11 doses to be extracted out of current 10-dose vials. (MSN.com)
FDA authorizes rapid at-home COVID-19 tests without a prescription
Several over-the-counter COVID-19 tests were authorized Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration for use without a prescription, offering a way for schools, workplaces and other groups to conduct rapid screening. The so-called antigen tests offer faster results with less lab work and can be used to quickly and frequently test people to catch, in particular, those who are asymptomatic and at risk of unknowingly spreading the virus. (NBC News)
Parents cheer news that Pfizer vaccine is safe for kids, but not everybody is convinced
Thirty-five percent of the 1,001 parents of K-12 public school students who took part in a National Parents Union Survey in January said they wanted their children to be vaccinated immediately, while 25% checked “Yes, but not right away,” and 22% said they adamantly opposed vaccinating their children against COVID-19. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said children as young as first-graders can get vaccinated by the start of the next school year in September. But a lot of American parents aren’t eager to get their children vaccinated — or themselves, for that matter. (NBC News)