America is at a vulnerable place within the battle against Covid-19 – with many hospitals overwhelmed and a new school year already upended – and health officials are racing to expand vaccine protection for those most at risk.
“Make no mistake, the FDA will move quickly on this because they recognize what’s at stake. It’s the health of our children, and there’s really nothing more important than that,” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
Evaluating vaccines for children under 12 is now a top priority for the US Food and Drug Administration, Murthy said, adding that it is possible doses could become available to them by the end of 2021. ...
The urgency to get more of the population protected by vaccines is only growing, said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, who noted the worrying spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, adults being less cautious about protection and more children being admitted to the hospital.
More than 60% of the adults in the US are fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But an ensemble forecast published Wednesday by the CDC projects that new hospitalizations and deaths will likely increase over the next four weeks.
For many students, the new school year has just begun – and the fresh surge in cases is already causing disruptions.
In Mississippi, more than 4,400 students are quarantining after being exposed to Covid-19 during the week of August 2, according to data from the state’s department of health...
In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown said ICU beds are about 90% filled, with some hospitals starting their days with fewer than five available ICU beds....
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