Biden gets work on the pandemic, the CDC changes vaccine guidelines and the death toll is rising worldwide. Here’s What You Need to Know:
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Biden instigates sweeping pandemic measures during his first days in office
Joe Biden has wasted no time addressing the public health crisis that will invariably shape his presidency. On Wednesday, just hours after he was sworn in as America’s 46th President, he signed three executive orders related to the pandemic. The next day, he issued ten executive orders and published his government’s 198-page plan for dealing with coronavirus. The new provisions cover everything from improving data collection to increasing testing capacity and boosting vaccine production using the Defense Production Act. Biden described the strategy as ‘a wartime venture’.
Among those represented in Biden’s first wave of executive orders are key employees. The new president has instructed OSHA to enforce workplace safety rules more strictly to curb the spread of the virus and potentially enact a new measure that will require employers to take more precautions. Today he plans to sign another injunction that would strengthen federal workers’ protections. New security rules also apply in the White House. Those who work closely with the president wear wristbands indicating they have been tested that day, and N95s are mandatory for anyone working in the White House.
CDC is updating guidelines for vaccine administration as increasing efficiency remains a challenge
Yesterday, the CDC updated vaccination guidelines on its website, saying that second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines can be administered up to six weeks after the first dose if the recommended time frame is not feasible. This change is in line with the Biden administration’s plan to release all available doses of the vaccine instead of withholding half to ensure that those who received the first installment get the second at the right time . Those who opposed the change have expressed concerns about the deviation from the way the vaccines were given during clinical trials.
Biden is releasing these doses as part of his pledge to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office. CDC data suggests the country has already reached a rate of about a million vaccines being administered multiple times a day in recent weeks, but it also indicates that states and cities are administering less than half the doses they have received. Rapid vaccination is more important than ever as new strains of the virus are emerging. Mutations arise when a virus spreads: the more people are vaccinated, the easier they are to suppress.
A year after the coronavirus arrived in the United States, the pandemic is barely under control
Exactly a year ago, WIRED reporter Megan Molteni asked, “Could China’s new coronavirus become a global epidemic?” Now we know. As of this week, more than 400,000 Americans have been killed by the virus, a grim milestone that Joe Biden marked at a memorial service on the eve of his inauguration. Even with hundreds of thousands of Americans being vaccinated every day, there are still many areas – from reopening schools to safe travel – where Americans find their way through the dark.
Across the world, the pandemic state remains a bull’s eye. Once lauded for its effective pandemic response, Germany has seen the number of deaths soar in recent weeks after the number of cases peaked last month. In the UK, the situation continues to deteriorate: the daily per capita death toll is currently in second place after Portugal. Even China, where life had largely returned to normal in the fall, is now facing another outbreak.
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A question
What community resources can be used to help vaccinate more people?
To vaccinate as many people as possible, officials will have to meet them where they are – in their community. According to some doctors, fire brigades and emergency medical services can play a role in this. Both respond to emergencies in their communities every day and are divided based on population density. In addition, the vast majority are staffed with paramedics and communicate regularly and well with public health authorities. Giving fire stations and paramedics the resources to administer Covid-19 vaccines could be an option worth exploring as our national vaccination program appears to be increasing.
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