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Fewer than half of all nursing home residents in the United States have received the latest coronavirus vaccine booster shot — and rates among nursing home staff are even worse — raising concerns that vulnerable elderly people face a spike in preventable covid-19 deaths this winter. ... As of Dec. 4, only 47 percent of residents in nursing homes have received the latest booster; the rate for nursing home staff was 22 percent. (Rowland, 12/21)

As the pandemic barrels into its third winter, and Covid hospitalizations and deaths climb once again, medical experts worry that there is no effective plan to update the immunizations of the most vulnerable Americans. Two years ago, when Covid shots were first introduced, the federal government sent teams into thousands of nursing homes and community centers to vaccinate seniors, curbing the devastation of the virus. But so far this fall, the White House has only offered grants to community organizations to get shots into the arms of older people, without the clear messaging strategy or logistical support that they need most, many caregivers and nursing home executives said in interviews. (Baumgaertner, 12/21)

During the first week of December, hospitals were once again admitting hundreds of North Carolinians for COVID and other respiratory diseases. But while much of the media coverage has focused on pitiable small children coughing and struggling for air, it turns out many of the new admissions have really white hair: Nearly three in 10 of those being checked into hospitals were older than 80. That’s beyond the shrinking life expectancy, newly announced, for U.S. women at 79.3 years, and men at 73.5. (Goldsmith, 12/22)

Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, a niche subset of experimental vaccines has offered the world a tantalizing promise: a sustained slowdown in the spread of disease. Formulated to spritz protection into the body via the nose or the mouth—the same portals of entry most accessible to the virus itself—mucosal vaccines could head SARS-CoV-2 off at the pass, stamping out infection to a degree that their injectable counterparts might never hope to achieve. (Wu, 12/21)

CLAIM: A study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proves that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine causes blood clots. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The study, conducted in part by researchers from the FDA, is being misrepresented. The research showed an association between elderly recipients of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and instances of pulmonary embolisms. However, the authors note that the findings do not prove a link to the vaccine. The FDA confirmed that the agency has not found any new causal relationships between the Pfizer vaccine and the potential adverse event. (Tulp, 12/21)

After a discussion with health experts, the Florida surgeon general announced that the University of Florida will be assisting him in researching the effects of the COVID-19 vaccination. State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said he would conduct research through UF to look into the deaths of "healthy" people who died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. ... Dr. Nicole Iovine, UF Health Shands hospital system's chief epidemiologist, said she's unsure what the state surgeon general has planned, but she said it's been shown countless times that the COVID-19 vaccine works. (Harrell, 12/22)