News Room

First, I would like to thank you for your excellent coverage of the COVID-19 in our region and beyond. Having data transparency and information now are imperative as we wage the battle against the coronavirus. In the article, ”COVID-19 cases spike at UMass,” on Saturday, Feb. 6, it is stated that the state of Massachusetts has received 896,300 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and 681, 472 doses have been administered. However, the CDC reports on the same date that Massachusetts has received 1,229,075 doses and has administered 652,929. It is understandable that there may be some delays in updating the reports. It appears that over 350,000 doses are somehow unaccounted for in the state of Massachusetts.

Officials with Giant Eagle say that all phone appointments have been filled. The federal government provided more vaccines to Pennsylvania this week than since the rollout began in December. That’s allowed for mass clinics such as the one planned at Heinz Field with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Giant Eagle next week; but there are still thousands in Phase 1a trying to get the vaccine that have been left in the dark. “When a vaccine clinic pops up that doesn’t have a 65-and-older restriction and nothing else, I’m always looking to see what we can do,” said Larry Barasch, who is in Phase 1a, but just under 65 years old. “I actually kept checking at 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock, midnight, and then went to sleep. I got up at 3 a.m. and had three computers on and kept tracking, but there was always nothing available.”

After facing shortages of medical equipment and now computer chips due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for a review of vulnerabilities within U.S. critical supply chains. Biden's EO, which he signed Wednesday, instructed federal agencies to conduct two reviews. The first is a 100-day review of four classes of products, including semiconductors as well as pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients. The second is a more in-depth, year-long review of six sectors including public health and information and communications technology.

Slowly but surely, people are getting vaccinated. As of Thursday, February 25, 6.2% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated, and 14% had received at least one dose. As exciting as this news is, there’s been a lot of controversies as people find ways to skip the line and get it before higher-risk groups. Then there are people who wait in line to see if they can get access to any leftover doses at the end of the day that would otherwise go bad. These people in particular are experiencing “vaccine shaming” and are often accused of being greedy. Fitness instructor and talk show host Amanda Kloots is one of the most public victims of this shaming.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expert advisory committee is meeting today to discuss the emergency use authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine. If authorized, it will be the first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine. Despite some confusing data about its efficacy compared with other vaccines, this new one-shot vaccine has the potential to substantially ease the logistical problems that we’ve seen to date. Healthcare systems, especially in the 130 countries that have yet to give out their first shots, should pay close attention. Americans should, too. First, consider the efficacy issue. Compared to the eye-popping 95% efficacy levels of the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, Johnson & Johnson’s 66% efficacy at preventing moderate and severe disease might seem disappointing. But it is important to realize that 66% is a very high efficacy level in absolute terms.