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Pfizer requests authorization of COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5: What to know

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, children ages 5 and under are one step closer to being eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 6 months to 5 years old.

The FDA will now review the data, bring it before its expert advisers and potentially authorize the vaccine in the coming weeks before sending it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for final approval.

“Ultimately, we believe that three doses of the vaccine will be needed for children 6 months through 4 years of age to achieve high levels of protection against current and potential future variants,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. “If two doses are authorized, parents will have the opportunity to begin a COVID-19 vaccination series for their children while awaiting potential authorization of a third dose.”

Here are nine questions answered about the COVID-19 vaccines and kids as families seek to make the best decisions.

1. What is the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine?

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA technology, which does not enter the nucleus of the cells and doesn’t alter human DNA. Instead, it sends a genetic “instruction manual” that prompts cells to create proteins that look like the outside of the virus — a way for the body to learn and develop defenses against future infection.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses an inactivated adenovirus vector, Ad26, that cannot replicate. The Ad26 vector carries a piece of DNA with instructions to make the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that triggers an immune response.

This same type of vaccine has been authorized for Ebola and has been studied extensively for other illnesses and for how it affects women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Neither of these vaccine platforms can cause COVID-19.

2. What is the status of vaccine eligibility for kids?

Children ages 5 and older are now eligible to receive Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine.

Children ages 12 to 15 are also eligible to receive a Pfizer vaccine booster shot.

Pfizer has submitted data to the FDA for a two-dose vaccine for kids under five, with the expectation that data will soon be available to make it a three-dose vaccine, which will likely be more effective. The company announced in December that it would amend its ongoing clinical trials for children under age 5 to add a third dose.

The two other vaccines currently available in the U.S., Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are currently available only for people 18 years and older.

Moderna filed for emergency use authorization with the FDA for its vaccine in adolescents in June but is still awaiting a decision.

Johnson & Johnson announced in April that it had begun vaccinating a “small number of adolescents aged 16-17 years” in a Phase 2a clinical trial.

As of April, the trial was enrolling participants only in Spain and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand enrollment to the U.S., the Netherlands and Canada, followed by Brazil and Argentina.

3. Why do kids need to be vaccinated against COVID-19?

While there have not been as many deaths from COVID-19 among children as adults, particularly adults in high-risk categories, kids can still get the virus and they can also transmit the virus to adults.

A total of 11.4 million children have tested positive for the virus since the onset of the pandemic. Child COVID-19 cases have “spiked dramatically” during the omicron variant surge, with more than 3.5 million child cases reported in January.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated 12- to 17-year-olds had an 11 times higher risk of hospitalization than fully vaccinated adolescents.

“We know that COVID does not spare kids,” ABC News medical contributor Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, said in December. “Maybe it’s less severe than their adult counterparts but we also know that the virus has had real significant impacts on morbidity and mortality in kids.”

“We also know that kids play an important role as vectors of spread,” he said. “And especially in light of increases we’re seeing right now, with increases of cases in kids in record numbers, infections among kids further perpetuate community transmission and further create risks for those who would be the most vulnerable of the virus.”

4. Do kids experience the same vaccine side effects as adults?

Adolescents experienced a similar range of side effects to Pfizer’s vaccine as seen in older teens and young adults — generally seen as cold-like symptoms in the two to three days after the second dose — and had an “excellent safety profile,” Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in August.

None of the children in Pfizer’s clinical trials of kids ages 5-11 experienced a rare heart inflammation side effect known as myocarditis, which has been associated with the mRNA vaccines in very rare cases, mostly among young men.

5. Is there data showing COVID-19 vaccines are safe for kids?

The CDC released three studies in December showing COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for children.

One study, which evaluated the safety reports of more than 42,000 children ages 5 to 11 who received a Pfizer shot, found the side effects from the Pfizer vaccine were mostly mild and temporary. It also found that myocarditis, a heart inflammation side effect that has been associated with the mRNA vaccines in very rare cases, does not appear to be a risk.

A second study, which looked at data from 243 children ages 12 to 17 in Arizona, found the Pfizer vaccine was 92% effective at preventing infection. The study, conducted between July and December when delta was the dominant variant in the U.S., also found that adolescents who developed COVID-19 reported a lower percentage of time masked in school and time masked in the community.

The third study, also conducted when delta was dominant, found that among children ages 5 to 17 hospitalized due to COVID-19, less than 1% were fully vaccinated against the virus.

6. How effective are the vaccines in children?

Pfizer announced in late March that its clinical trials showed the vaccine was safe and 100% effective in children ages 12-15, similar to the 95% efficacy among adult clinical trial participants.

Marks confirmed on May 10 that after a trial with more than 2,000 children, Pfizer found no cases of infection among the children who had been given the vaccine and 16 cases of infection among the children who received a placebo.

No cases of COVID occurred in the 1,005 adolescents that received the vaccine, while there were 16 cases of COVID among the 978 kids who received the placebo, “thus indicating the vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 In this trial,” said Marks.

7. Do kids get the same dose of the vaccines as adults?

In Pfizer’s clinical trial, children between 6 months and 5-years-old received two doses of 3-microgram shots, a tenth of the dose given to adults, three weeks apart.

Kids ages 5 to 11 are given a 10-micrograms dose of the Pfizer vaccine, one-third of the adolescent and adult dose. Like with adults and adolescents, the pediatric vaccine is delivered in two doses, three weeks apart.

For 12-to-15-year-olds, the FDA has authorized the same dosing as adults with the Pfizer two-dose vaccine.

The FDA and CDC have recommended the Pfizer booster shots now available for kids ages 12 and older be administered five months after the primary vaccine series.

8. Could COVID-19 vaccines impact puberty and menstruation?

There is currently no clinical evidence to suggest any of the COVID-19 vaccines can have long-term effects on puberty or fertility.

9. Where can kids get vaccinated against COVID-19?

Vaccines are accessible at pediatricians’ offices, children’s hospitals, pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid and school and community-based clinics.

Parents can search for appointments at Vaccines.gov to find a local provider.

ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik, Anne Flaherty, Eric Strauss, Cheyenne Haslett and Jade A. Cobern, MD, a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.

1 student dead, another critically injured in shooting outside Minnesota school

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(RICHFIELD, Minn.) — One student is dead and another is critically injured after being shot on the sidewalk outside of a school Tuesday in Richfield, Minnesota, according to police.

Police said the incident took place around noon outside the South Education Center, but the suspects fled the scene, Jay Henthorne, chief of Richfield Police, told reporters.

The cause of the shooting is still under investigation.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is on the scene and assisting with the investigation.

Erica Barlow, who is the principal at nearby Richfield Middle School, sent a letter to parents informing them of the incident.

“The officers had weapons drawn and were in bullet-proof vests. It is unlikely that many students witnessed the event, as they were in class at the time,” she wrote. “However, it is important that you are aware of the incident in the event that your child hears about it, as some children may be deeply impacted by this type of news.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

COVID hospitalization rates during omicron wave 23 times higher among unvaccinated than people who received boosters: report

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — During the omicron wave, unvaccinated Americans had much higher rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalization than fully vaccinated people — especially those who received a booster shot, officials said Tuesday.

In a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health looked at county-level COVID data between Nov. 7, 2021 and Jan. 8, 2022.

They found that in the 14-day period ending Dec. 11 — the last period in which the delta variant was dominant — COVID case rates in Los Angeles were 12.3 times higher among the unvaccinated compared to boosted individuals. Hospitalization rates were 83 times higher.

By the time the omicron variant became dominant, the rate ratios were lower, but still showed that vaccinated people are much more protected.

During the week ending Jan. 8, unvaccinated people had infection rates 3.6 times higher than people who had received boosters and hospitalization rates were 23 times higher.

Additionally, fully vaccinated people in Los Angeles who had not received a booster had COVID case rates that were twice as low and hospitalization rates 5.3 times lower than the unvaccinated group.

The report found that, over the course of the two-month study period, nearly 423,000 COVID-19 cases were reported in Los Angeles County residents aged 18 and older.

Of the cases, 33.6% were among the unvaccinated, 53.2% were among the fully vaccinated without a booster and 13.3% were among fully vaccinated people who had received a booster.

It’s worth noting that, as of Jan. 8, 71% of county residents were fully vaccinated, according to county health department data. This means there will be a higher risk of breakthrough infections due to the higher absolute number of people being vaccinated.

Nearly 3% of unvaccinated individuals were hospitalized, 0.5% were admitted to the ICUs and 0.3% died of the virus, according to the report.

By comparison, 1% of fully vaccinated people without a booster and 0.7% of people with a booster were hospitalized.

Additionally, 0.12% of unboosted people and 0.08% of boosted people were admitted to ICUs and 0.05% and 0.03% died, respectively.

The report found that, during the omicron wave 6,743.5 per 100,000 unvaccinated people were contracting COVID-19 and 187.8 per 100,000 were hospitalized.

Among fully vaccinated people without a booster, rates were lower at 3,355.5 per 100,000 for COVID-19 cases and 35.4 per 100,000 for hospitalizations.

Rates were lowest among fully vaccinated people with a booster at 1,889 per 100,000 for infections and and 8.2 per 100,00 for hospitalizations.

“These findings align with those from recent studies, indicating that COVID-19 vaccination protects against severe COVID-19 caused by … variants, including omicron,” the authors wrote in the report. “Efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination and boosters are critical to preventing COVID-19–associated hospitalizations and severe outcomes.

The CDC has previously released similar estimates on the high risks for the unvaccinated when it comes to the omicron variant.

A report published last month from the agency found unvaccinated adults had a three times higher risk of infection than fully vaccinated adults and five times higher risk than those who had also been boosted.

Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sues NFL for alleged racial discrimination

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL over alleged racial discrimination.

Flores is suing the NFL, alleging that the league has a painful history of racism that continues through the present day — particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black head coaches.

The complaint includes text messages from New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick, who congratulated Flores on getting hired by the New York Giants when he hadn’t yet interviewed. The job actually ended up going to former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Belichick informed Flores, three days before his interview with the Giants, that Daboll had already been selected for the job.

“Sorry – I f—– this up. I double checked and misread the text. I think they are naming Brian Daboll. I’m sorry about that. BB,” the complaint quoted Belichick.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Ed Sheeran sets new chart record with “Shivers”

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ed Sheeran‘s set another chart record thanks to his latest hit, “Shivers.”

The song has topped Billboard‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart, becoming his seventh one to do so. That makes him the solo male artist with the most number ones on this chart, which has been around for 25 years. The record was previously held by Shawn Mendes, who had six.

The only other artists who’ve had more number ones on the chart than Ed are a band and three women: Maroon 5 is tops, with 15, followed by Pink with 10 and Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, with eight each.

Shawn, meanwhile, is now tied with Adele, whose latest hit “Easy on Me” was her sixth chart-topper on Adult Pop Airplay.

So far, each of Ed’s last three solo studio albums have spun off two Adult Pop Airplay chart-toppers. X (multiply) gave us “Thinking Out Loud” and “Photograph,” while ÷ (Divide) gave us “Shape of You” and “Perfect.” Ed’s current album, = (Equals), includes “Shivers” and “Bad Habits.”

As for Ed’s seventh, it’s “I Don’t Care,” his duet with Justin Bieber from his 2019 album No.6 Collaborations Project.

Native American tribes agree to $590M settlement with Johnson & Johnson, drug distributors over opioid epidemic

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Native American tribes agree to 0M settlement with Johnson & Johnson, drug distributors over opioid epidemic

(NEW YORK) — Johnson & Johnson and the nation’s three largest drug distributors agreed Tuesday to settle opioids-related claims by Native American tribes for nearly $600 million.

The settlement, announced in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is tentative until hundreds of tribes sign on, which is expected.

“The Native American population has suffered some of the worst consequences of the opioid epidemic of any population in the United States. Indeed, American Indians have suffered the highest per capita rate of opioid overdoses,” the tribal leadership committee said in a statement filed with the court. “American Indians and Alaska Natives had the highest drug overdose death rates in 2015 and the largest percentage increase in the number of deaths over time from 1999-2015 compared to other racial and ethnic groups.”

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $150 million over the next two years while not admitting liability or wrongdoing. The company defended its promotion of the medications.

“The Company’s actions relating to the marketing and promotion of important prescription opioid medications were appropriate and responsible,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement. “DURAGESIC®, NUCYNTA® and NUCYNTA® ER accounted for less than one percent of total opioid prescriptions in the U.S. since launch. The Company no longer sells prescription opioid medications in the United States as part of our ongoing efforts to focus on transformational innovation and serving unmet patient needs.”

The drug distributors — AmerisourceBergen Corp., McKesson Corp., and Cardinal Health, Inc. — agreed to pay $440 million over the next seven years.

The tribal leadership committee said the money would help offset the “considerable” funds tribes have had to spend to cover the costs of the opioid crisis.

“The burden of paying these increased costs has diverted scarce tribal funds from other needs and has imposed severe financial burdens on the Tribal Plaintiffs, which will continue to bear significant costs related to abatement of the opioid addiction problem in their communities,” the tribal leadership committee said in its statement.

“This is a monumentally historic settlement that goes a small but very important distance toward addressing a killing epidemic that devastated tribal communities,” said Lloyd Miller, one of the lead tribal attorneys.

“Tribes are sovereign governments and must be able to vindicate their own interests to protect the health and welfare of their tribal communities,” Miller added.

The settlement puts Native American tribes on equal footing with states and cities as they try to abate the opioid crisis.

“The tribes have established in this case that they can play a major litigation role along with the state and local governments,” fellow tribal attorney Steve Skikos said. “The focus should be on the tribes themselves and how this settlement can help continue their efforts to address the opioid crisis.”

Tuesday’s result is different than Big Tobacco litigation, in which tribes were relegated to the sidelines and given only a share of what states received to address the consequences of tobacco and nicotine.

‘Country Stuff’: Walker Hayes lands inside top 10 on ‘Billboard’ 200

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Walker Hayes is celebrating a major career achievement.

Following the release of Country Stuff: The Album on January 21, the project debuts at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #9 on the Billboard 200, selling 33,000 equivalent album units in its first week. This marks the first time that the hitmaker has had an album land in the top 10 on the all-genre chart.

“This is wild…” Walker tweeted in response to the news.

Country Stuff: The Album was released in the wake of the massive success of “Fancy Like,” which topped both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts after going viral on TikTok, and earned Walker his first Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. It also expands upon his Country Stuff EP released in 2021, adding seven new songs to the mix, including current single “AA” and recent release, “Drinking Songs.”

The chart news comes hot on the heels of Walker’s halftime performance at the AFC NFL championship game, where the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs and clinched their spot in the Super Bowl.

Megan Thee Stallion, Kevin Hart and Mary J. Blige preview Super Bowl commercials

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Megan Thee Stallion, Kevin Hart and Mary J. Blige are among the stars previewing their Super Bowl commercials this week.

Megan’s vocals are featured in a Frito-Lay Flamin’ Hot spot that features a sample the 1988 Salt-N-Pepa classic, “Push It.”

“I bring heat to everything I do, so it only made sense to partner with Flamin’ Hot on this campaign,” the three-time Grammy winner said in a statement. “Filming this Super Bowl spot and paying homage to Salt-N-Pepa was an incredible experience and I can’t wait for my Hotties to check it out.”

In the commercial, the “Hot Girl Summer” artist transforms into a fiery songbird and is joined by a cast of animal characters, including a beatboxing fox voiced by singer Charlie Puth, who was featured on Wiz Khalifa‘s 11-times-Platinum “See You Again” from Furious 7 in 2015.

Hart appears in a comical Sam’s Club commercial promoting an app that allows members to bypass the checkout line.

“Who wouldn’t be excited about this opportunity? I’m starring in an ad during one of the largest sporting events in the world,” the Night School star told People. “Everyone knows I love football, so partnering with Sam’s Club to help them share VIP status felt like a natural partnership.”

Mary, who is performing during the Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg, stars in the “Her Health Is Her Wealth” spot for the Hologic medical technology company encouraging women to have regular wellness and medical screenings.

“I chose to do this ad with Hologic because it spoke to me authentically with its health message and gave me a chance to talk to other women about the importance of putting their health first,” the Queen of Hip Hop Soul said in a statement.

John Lodge releases blue-vinyl version of ‘The Royal Affair and After’; debuts “Isn’t Life Strange” video

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

CD and digital versions of Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge‘s new live album, The Royal Affair and After, were released in mid-January, and now a limited 180-gram vinyl edition of the record pressed on blue vinyl has arrived.

As previously reported, the 10-track album features performances by Lodge and his solo group, The 10,000 Light Years Band, from a Las Vegas concert they played during their stint on the Yes-headlined 2019 Royal Affair Tour and from their subsequent U.S. headlining trek.

Coinciding with the arrival of the blue-vinyl LP, Lodge has debuted a video for his rendition of the classic 1971 Moody Blues ballad “Isn’t Life Strange” on his official YouTube channel.

The Royal Affair and After includes renditions of several well-known Moody Blues songs, including “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Ride My See-Saw” and “Nights in White Satin,” the latter two of which features guest vocals by current Yes frontman Jon Davison.

Also on the album, is a version of the Days of Future Passed interlude “Late Lament” written by late Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge that features a recording of Graeme reciting the spoken-word piece made especially for Lodge’s tour.

“I’m absolutely delighted by the incredible reaction to the album,” says Lodge says. “[I]t truly is ‘the soundtrack of my life’…It also makes me so very happy that Graeme did his special performance of ‘Late Lament’ for the album, he will be deeply missed, but always stay with us in our hearts and on this album.”

Lodge will launch a new U.S. solo tour on March 8 in Norfolk, Connecticut. Visit JohnLodge.com to check out his full schedule.

Meanwhile, a black 180-gram vinyl version The Royal Affair and After will be released on February 11.

Here’s the LP’s track list:

Side One
“Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”
“Saved by the Music”
“Legend of a Mind”
“Late Lament” (with Graeme Edge)
“Nights in White Satin” (with Jon Davison)

Side Two
“Sunset”
“Gemini Dream”
“Isn’t Life Strange”
“I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)”
“Ride My See-Saw” (with Jon Davison)

U.S. Olympic bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor ‘optimistic’ after testing positive for COVID ahead of Winter Games

February 1, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor revealed that she tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday after arriving in Beijing ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Taylor said on Tuesday she is staying at an isolation hotel away from her husband, fellow Olympic bobsledder Nic Taylor, and their one-year-old son, Nico, who traveled with her to the games.

The decorated athlete, who has won a medal at each game, is now racing against time to overcome the illness and test negative before the bobsledding events begin on February 13.

“This is just the latest obstacle that my family and I have faced on this journey,” the 37-year-old athlete wrote in a social media post. “So I’m remaining optimistic that I’ll be able to recover quickly and still have the opportunity to compete.”

In addition to being a top contender for the U.S. women’s bobsledding team, Taylor is hoping to vie for the gold in the women’s monobob event, one of seven sports making its debut in Beijing.

She has been training intensively around the clock over the past several years for what may be her final time at the Olympics.

“Every day, it feels like I’m on my feet from sunup to sundown,” she said in an interview with “Good Morning America” before her trip to Beijing.

Getting to the Olympics as a new mom

Training for the Olympics for the very first time as a new mom amid a global pandemic brought a new set of challenges.

Ahead of Beijing, Taylor said her one-year-old son, Nico, whom she welcomed in 2020, was her ultimate inspiration. After giving birth to Nico, Taylor said she faced severe back pain and found it difficult at times to maintain a steady workout plan with most gyms closed down in the early days of the pandemic. However, having Nico motivated her to continue on her Olympic career on the women’s bobsledding team and to train for the monobob event.

“After my 2018 games, I was very happy with my performance and wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue bobsledding,” she said. “But after I had him, I knew I wanted to continue and show that it’s possible to overcome any adversity and continue pursuing your goals.”

She also credits her credits her husband, Nic, for his support on their shared journey.

“None of this would be possible without him and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner, both on and off the ice, and a better father to my son,” Taylor said about her husband, who is also a bobsledder and an Olympic alternate for the U.S. men’s team.

In addition to maintaining her own intense bobsled training, Taylor said that a lot of planning was done with her son’s doctors to ensure he could accompany the family to Beijing. Nico was born with Down syndrome and has profound bilateral hearing loss that’s now aided by cochlear implants. Taylor worked closely with Nico’s doctors to ensure the toddler was medically-stable to travel to Beijing and could receive speech, physical and hearing therapies during her competition.

“It’s really been a balancing act of trying to make sure we’re giving him what he needs because at the end of the day, I love the bobsled, I love what I do, but he’s going to come first in every sense of the way,” she told “Good Morning America.”

Taylor has also become a proud advocate for families of children with special needs.

“Yes, there are hard days, and yes, it’s not always easy. But there’s also so many highs. We live a life that has so much joy and we wouldn’t trade our son for anyone in the world,” she said. “And and we’ve been able to do some incredible things.”

“We just want to encourage people out there that if you get a diagnosis before, during pregnancy or after pregnancy, like it’s going to be OK and you will still live a very happy and joyful life, regardless of what diagnosis they have….A diagnosis is just that. It’s a medical diagnosis. It doesn’t tell you who your kid is,” she added.

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