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(NEW YORK) — The latest, updated COVID-19 vaccines should soon be available to everyone and offered largely free of cost, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health authorities recommend that everyone over the age of 6 months should get the shot, which is designed to offer additional protection against current sub variants.
Though it’s the first season that COVID vaccines will no longer be covered by the government, insurance companies as well as government-run programs like Medicaid and Medicare are expected to cover the shot. Pfizer and Moderna had both previously announced the vaccines would be listed at between $120 to $130 after they switched to the private market – but that’s a price nobody is expected to have to pay.
The estimated 25-30 million adults without insurance or with limited insurance plans will still have access to the vaccines for free through a CDC initiative called the Bridge Access Program. The program is designed to provide vaccines through local health care providers and health centers, and select pharmacies.
“HHS is working to ensure COVID-19 vaccines will be widely available nationwide beginning as early as this week to help protect the American public from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19 as we head into the fall and winter months,” said Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Our message is simple: Don’t wait. Get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. It’s safe and effective,” Becerra added.
An estimated 85% of adults without insurance live fewer than five miles from a site offering free vaccines for the uninsured, according to the CDC. However, that number drops to 39% in rural areas.
Uninsured children will also be able to access vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers them at no cost to eligible kids through a national network of participating health care providers. To qualify, one must be under the age of 18, American Indian or Alaska Native, Medicaid-eligible, or be under-insured or uninsured, according to the CDC.
Both CVS and Walgreens plan to administer COVID-19 vaccine doses at select store locations. The retailers plan to have vaccines available in more meaningful supply starting early next week.
“Individuals will be able to schedule appointments immediately, with available appointments starting nationwide on Monday, September 18,” Walgreens said in a statement. ”Earlier appointments may be added on a rolling basis as stores receive vaccines this week.”
CVS likewise declared in a statement on September 13: “Pharmacies and retail medical clinics will begin receiving the new vaccine and will continue to receive inventory on a rolling basis throughout the week. All CVS Pharmacy locations are expected to have the vaccination in stock by early next week.”
Experts were initially concerned that there would be a delayed vaccine rollout for the uninsured, yet officials at HHS and the CDC shared that both people with and without insurance should be able to receive the shots on the same timeline.
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued letters to several companies — including major pharmacy chains — this week, warning them against manufacturing or selling unapproved eye products.
Letters were sent to CVS and Walgreens as well as six manufacturers claiming the products are illegally marketed as being able to treat conditions including cataracts, glaucoma and pink eye.
Some of the letters also addressed quality control issues at the companies concerning the safety and sterility of the products.
Nearly three weeks ago, the FDA warned the public not to use to certain products due to fears of potential bacterial or fungal contamination.
In their letters, the FDA also said people using these unapproved eye products that claim to treat or cure certain conditions may cause delay or stoppage of treatments that are approved by the agency.
“The FDA is committed to ensuring the medicines Americans take are safe, effective and of high quality,” Jill Furman, director of the office of compliance at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “When we identify illegally marketed, unapproved drugs and lapses in drug quality that pose potential risks, the FDA works to notify the companies involved of the violations.”
“We will continue to investigate potentially harmful eye products and work to ensure violative products stay off store shelves so that consumers can continue taking the medicines they need without concern,” the statement continued.
The FDA told the companies they have 15 days to respond to the FDA in writing to address any steps they have taken to correct violations.
A list of the products was not listed on the FDA website, but a spokesperson told ABC News the products were named in the individual letters.
For CVS, the FDA noted CVS branded “Pink Eye Relief Drops” claim to relieve redness, burning, watery discharge and feelings of grittiness.
However, the product is unapproved and, according to the FDA, may cause harm because it contains silver sulfate as a preservative, which can cause permanent bluish-gray discoloration of the eye as well as decreased night vision.
“Upon receipt of the FDA’s Warning Letter, we have stopped the sale of CVS Health Brand Pink Eye Relief Eye Drops at our stores and online,” a CVS spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. “Customers who purchased this product can return it to CVS Pharmacy for a full refund. We’re committed to ensuring the products we offer are safe, work as intended and satisfy customers. “
For Walgreens, the FDA cited three store brand products including “Allergy Eye Drops,” “Stye Eye Drops,” and “Pink Eye Drops” all of which claim to treat symptoms such as itching, redness, burnings and watery discharge. The agency had the same concern about silver sulfate.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are pulling these products,” Walgreens told ABC News in a statement. “Customers who have purchased these products can return the item to their nearest Walgreens for a full refund.”
In a letter to Swiss corporation, Similasan AG, the FDA noted the company not only has 12 unapproved products but also had recorded quality control violations. This included not following procedures to prevent microbiological contamination and complete data available to ensure specifications and standards were met.
Similasan AG has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
The FDA recommends that anyone who purchased the products listed in the warning letters to speak with a health care professional and report any adverse reactions to the MedWatch program.
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Wednesday advised against the use of the new COVID-19 booster for people under the age of 65, even as infections and hospitalizations tick upward in the U.S.
The newly authorized shot is being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for those 6 months and older.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — With kids back in school, COVID hospitalizations on the rise across the country and flu season right around the corner, health experts say now is the time to get young people vaccinated.
In addition to COVID-19 and flu, another respiratory virus, RSV, is also circulating, according to Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
“Most kids are going back to school, or have already been back in school for several weeks and, unfortunately, we are starting to see viruses that are circulating at the same time,” Bracho-Sanchez told Good Morning America. “This is definitely the time you want to make sure your children are protected against these serious respiratory viruses.”
Bracho-Sanchez said that while kids are still likely to get minor illnesses throughout the school year, parents now have a way to protect their kids against the most serious viruses, and that is through immunizations.
On Tuesday, the director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the recommendation that all Americans aged 6 months and older receive the updated COVID booster.
Flu vaccines are already available throughout the U.S., and for the first time an immunization to protect against RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is now available for infants and those who are pregnant.
Here are five things for parents to know about currently available immunizations and kids, according to Bracho-Sanchez.
1. Kids ages 6 months and older can get the COVID vaccine.
The newly-available boosters, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are each approved for those aged 12 and older and authorized for emergency use for children between ages 6 months and 11 years, meaning anyone ages 6 months and older can get a shot.
The FDA currently says children aged 5 and up — regardless of previous vaccination — are eligible to receive one updated booster dose at least two months after the last COVID dose.
For those aged 6 months to 4 years who have previously been vaccinated, the agency says they are eligible to receive one or two booster doses. For unvaccinated individuals in this age group, the FDA says they are eligible for three doses.
Bracho-Sanchez said that once a child has their first COVID vaccination, they’ll likely start getting one annual COVID shot as part of their routine immunization schedule.
“What we are expecting is that young kids, when they’re first getting vaccinated, will need multiple doses and then beyond that, it’s going to become a yearly immunization, much like we think about the flu vaccine,” she said.
2. The COVID vaccine helps protect against new strains of the virus.
“The COVID-19 virus that was circulating when the pandemic began is different from the one that’s circulating now,” Bracho-Sanchez explained. “So this updated immunization gives us some way to make sure that our kids are protected.”
Data on the COVID booster shot has shown it could offer additional protection against currently circulating variants and especially protect against severe disease and death, particularly for those who are elderly or immune compromised.
The boosters were formulated to target variants that are currently circulating, which are related to XBB – an offshoot of the omicron variant.
Previous results from the vaccine manufacturer indicated that the new booster also offered additional protection against the two sub variants that are currently dominating in the U.S. and make up an estimated 36% of new cases, CDC data shows.
3. Kids can get a flu shot and COVID vaccine at the same time.
“It is absolutely okay to get the [updated] COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine at the same time,” Bracho-Sanchez said. “And it’s also okay to get other immunizations that your child is due for in the same visit.”
“We know that children do really well with these vaccines and the side effects they experience are very mild, if at all, so it is okay to get both flu and COVID and potentially additional vaccines that your child is due for,” she added.
Bracho-Sanchez noted that side effects kids may experience are the same for both the COVID and flu vaccines, and may include mild fatigue, a low-grade fever and some redness or pain at the injection site. She said the side effects typically go away within 24 to 48 hours of the injection.
4. Infants and high-risk kids are eligible for the RSV shot.
For the first time this fall, Beyfortus, an immunization to protect kids against RSV, is available for all children under 8 months old.
In addition, children ages 8 to 19 months old who are vulnerable to severe infection, who meet specific health criteria or who are American Indian or Alaskan Native are also eligible to receive Beyfortus.
The one-dose shot offers about five months worth of protection, which should carry young children through the typical RSV season, according to Bracho-Sanchez.
The maker of Beyfortus said in August that said parents with commercial insurance will have the shot covered and not have a co-pay. The shot is also included in the federally funded Vaccine for Children program that ensures children on Medicaid or those under uninsured care receive the drug at no cost.
Beyfortus is expected to be available in hospitals and pediatricians’ offices the first week of October, according to Bracho-Sanchez.
She noted also that pregnant women in their third trimester are also eligible to receive an RSV shot, which means their infant will not need an RSV immunization after they are born.
5. Parents need to get vaccinated too.
Bracho-Sanchez stressed that as important as it is to make sure kids are vaccinated, it’s just as important that parents make sure they get updated vaccines for flu and COVID-19 as well.
She said that in addition to immunizations, families can remember to take precautions like washing hands and staying home when sick to keep everyone as healthy as possible.
“I think it’s still really important to remember all of the practices we learned during the height of the pandemic, like good hand washing, teaching children to cough into their sleeve and staying home, if you can, when kids are sick,” said Bracho-Sanchez. “And really try to make sure that we as adults are taking care of our health as well, so we’re not bringing extra viruses into our homes.”
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(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director signed off on the recommendation that all Americans aged 6 months and older receive the updated COVID booster on Tuesday amid rising cases and hospitalizations across the country.
It comes just a day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized and approved the new shot.
The boosters made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were formulated to target variants that are currently circulating, which are related to XBB – an offshoot of the omicron variant.
The advisory panel made the recommendation, which was then approved by director Dr. Mandy Cohen.
“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.
“The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated,” the statement continued.
The shots are expected to be available later this week as they are delivered to pharmacies and health care providers across the country, with likely meaningful supply starting next week.
The FDA currently says children aged 5 and up — regardless of previous vaccination — are eligible to receive one updated booster dose at least two months after the last COVID dose.
The updated boosters are each approved for those aged 12 and older and authorized for emergency use for children between ages 6 months and 11 years.
For those aged 6 months to 4 years who have previously been vaccinated, the agency says they are eligible to receive one or two booster doses. For unvaccinated individuals in this age group, the FDA says they are eligible for three doses.
Recent data has indicated the booster could offer additional protection against currently circulating variants and especially protect against severe disease and death, particularly for those who are elderly or immune compromised.
Data published from Moderna showed its booster generated a nearly nine-fold increase in antibodies against the newer subvariant BA.2.86 in a lab-based study.
Previous results from the vaccine manufacturer indicated that the new booster also offered additional protection against the sub variants EG.5 and FL.1.5.1, which are currently dominating in the U.S. and make up an estimated 36% of new cases, CDC data shows.
“As the primary circulating strain continues to evolve, updated vaccines will be critical to protecting the population this season,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, in a statement. “We appreciate the FDA’s timely review and encourage individuals who intend to get their flu shot to also get their updated COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.”
Similarly, Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, lauded the FDA’s decision and suggested Americans might be able to receive the vaccine at the same time as their annual flu shot.
“We expect this season’s vaccine to be available in the coming days, pending recommendation from public health authorities, so people can ask their doctor about receiving their COVID-19 vaccine during the same appointment as their annual flu shot, saving time now and helping to prevent severe disease later when respiratory viruses are at their peak,” he said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Women in Idaho, Oklahoma and Tennessee filed legal actions against their states over abortion bans, saying they were denied abortions despite having dangerous pregnancy complications.
Four women in Idaho — Jennifer Adkins, Jillaine St. Michel, Kayla Smith and Rebecca Vincen-Brown — and abortion providers filed a suit against the state, Gov. Brad Little, attorney general and the state’s board of medicine, claiming the state’s ban has “sown confusion, fear and chaos among the medical community, resulting in grave harms to pregnant patients whose health and safety hang in the balance across the state,” according to a copy of the lawsuit shared with ABC News.
Three women in Tennessee — Nicole Blackmon, Allyson Phillips and Kaitlyn Dulon — and abortion providers filed a suit against the state, attorney general and the state board of medical examiners, claiming they and others were denied “necessary and potentially life-saving medical care” because physicians “fear the penalties imposed by that ban,” according to the lawsuit.
Jaci Statton filed an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services against a hospital in Oklahoma, claiming she was not provided with an abortion that was a “necessary stabilizing treatment” for her partial molar pregnancy.
The new lawsuits come months after five women — represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights — announced a lawsuit in Texas challenging the state’s abortion bans, saying the law puts their lives in danger. More women later joined the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to 15.
“Today’s legal actions seek to ensure that pregnant people with severe pregnancy complications can access abortion care in their home state, and that doctors are given clarity on what situations qualify under the ‘medical emergency’ exceptions in their state’s abortion bans,” the Center for Reproductive Rights announced in a statement Tuesday.
“Doctors who violate the bans risk years in prison, hefty fines, and loss of licensure, and have thus been fearful to provide abortion care in many life-threatening circumstances,” the CRR said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(ATLANTA) — As COVID-19 hospitalizations rise across the country, Florida is seeing higher admissions levels than other states.
As of Monday, 43 of Florida’s 67 counties reported moderate levels of weekly new hospital admissions for COVID-19 — a higher proportion than any other state in the U.S., data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Moderate levels indicate between 10 and 19.9 new hospital admissions per 100,000, and the CDC recommends wearing a mask if you are high-risk or self-testing before coming into contact with a high-risk patient.
Statewide, weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased since the beginning of July from 951 the week ending July 1 to 2,406 the week ending Aug. 26, the latest date for which CDC data is available.
Although this is not a record-high in hospitalizations, it is the largest figure seen since the week ending Jan. 28.
“What is happening in Florida is that the number of cases [is] slowly creeping up,” Dr. Dushyanth Jayaweera, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases expert with the University of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine, told ABC News. “It’s kind of anticipated. We were expecting [them] to go up in the winter, but now, this has come up even before that.”
Jayaweera said there has been an increase in hospitalizations in his area, but many cases are not as severe as in previous years. Many patients are not admitted for COVID but only find out they have it through testing.
“There are people who are testing positive inside the hospital, but they were not there for COVID,” he said. “They were here for an operation or something else, and they tested positive.”
He said there are multiple reasons for the increase, including more people gathering indoors and not wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces.
Another reason could be the variants, Jayaweera said. Currently, EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 — related to XBB, an offshoot of omicron — are the two most prevalent subvariants circulating in the country. Those variants make up about 36% of cases, CDC data shows.
“The latest omicron variants have led to more infections but less virulent viruses,” he said. “So, the important thing is that they are not as virulent as when it was with the delta and previous viruses.”
Similarly, Dr. Vinay Pallekonda, chief medical officer at HCA Florida West Hospital in Pensacola, told local ABC affiliate WEAR News 3 his hospital has seen an uptick in COVID patients, but few are experiencing serious complications.
“I think we’re dealing with this virus in the best way possible,” Pallekonda said. “Right now, we’re not quite ringing the alarm bell that we’ll fill up our hospitals in the emergency departments with this variant.”
However, experts have said a new booster could help stem a potential wave of COVID cases and hospitalizations in the future.
The Food and Drug Administration approved an updated booster Monday that targets the variants currently circulating for those aged 12 and older and authorized it under emergency use authorization for those between 6 months and 11 years old.
What will follow is a recommendation from the CDC’s advisory committee on who is eligible, which is expected on Sept. 12, and then sign off from the CDC director.
Recent data has indicated the shot could offer additional protection against currently circulating variants and even the newer subvariant BA.2.86, which could help stem a potential wave in the future.
Jayaweera said he recommends people get the booster when they can but warned against assuming it’s guaranteed protection against infection.
“Overall, getting the booster will [help] prevent you ending up in hospital even if you get infected,” he said. “The whole idea is you don’t want to end up in hospital on a ventilator.”
(WASHINGTON) — Amid a rise in COVID-19 infections — as seen by first lady Jill Biden’s recent bout with the virus — public health experts are tracking the numbers but aren’t “predicting that this is going to be a tsunami of hospitalizations and deaths the way we saw a year or more ago,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.
“Given the level of immunity that we all have … in other words, people who have been vaccinated, boosted, people who have been infected like you and I, where we have hybrid immunity, the chances of this being an overwhelming rush of cases and hospitalizations is probably low,” Fauci, formerly the White House’s top pandemic adviser and now a Georgetown University professor, told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
He said that while he isn’t “alarmed” by the uptick in cases, “I’m certainly keeping an eye on it.”
“There’s no doubt that this is going on, and since we’re now at the end of the summer it is likely that that will increase as we get into the fall and the winter, so we need to be prepared for it,” he said.
The next COVID-19 booster, expected to soon be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will be an effective tool against the spread as it is “going to be pretty well matched to the kinds of viruses that are now circulating,” Fauci said.
“I think that we’re in reasonably good shape, but we all need to be prepared for it,” he said. “And that gets to what we were saying about the boosters being available, particularly for those who are vulnerable, namely those who are elderly and those who have underlying conditions.”
“Who should be taking that booster?” Karl asked.
Fauci said he didn’t want to speak ahead of the government bodies who will circulate recommendations to the public but added that “I would say make it available for everyone … certainly recommended for the high-risk people.”
The spread of the virus again reached the White House, when officials said late Monday that the first lady had tested positive. She subsequently isolated at the Bidens’ home in Delaware and has since tested negative.
While President Joe Biden did not test positive, he did often resume wearing a mask when in close contact with other people — but not always.
At the Medal of Honor Ceremony honoring Larry Taylor on Tuesday, he joked about not wearing a mask as he removed his face covering when he stepped up to the podium to deliver remarks.
The current federal guidelines recommend that people wear a mask when around others for 10 days after exposure to COVID-19.
Karl asked Fauci on Sunday if he believes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should revamp the masking guidelines, in light of the president not always following them.
“I don’t want to get ahead of them and say that they should, you know, change them,” Fauci said. “But certainly they revaluate them intermittently to make sure that they’re up to date with the current scientific knowledge.”
Karl also pointed to a new study suggesting that masks were, in the broadest sense, ineffective in containing the pandemic. “What is your sense looking back at all this?” Karl asked.
“People have commented on that study saying, ‘Absolutely masks don’t work,’ which is absolutely not the case because there are a number of studies that show that masks actually do work,” Fauci said. “And there’s a lot of confusion where you take a broad series of studies and you look at them in a meta analysis. Only a couple of those studies were specifically looking at COVID. So I think we’d better be careful that that study that people keep talking about can be very, very misleading.”
Cochrane, the U.K.-based organization which published the study in question, released a statement on its website in March that “given the limitations in the primary evidence, the review is not able to address the question of whether mask-wearing itself reduces people’s risk of contracting or spreading respiratory viruses.”
“There’s a lot of good data that masks work,” Fauci said on “This Week.”
Nonetheless, he said he didn’t foresee a return to government-imposed mask restrictions, which became a political flashpoint, especially among conservatives who argue they are too restrictive.
“I can see that if we get a significant uptick in cases that you may see the recommendation that masks be used under circumstances, in indoor crowded settings, but I don’t see there be[ing] certainly not federal mandates,” he said. “I would be extremely surprised if we would see that. There may be local organizations that may require masks.”
(NEW YORK) — As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise across the United States, many Americans may be wondering how to best keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
In the years since the pandemic began, protocols and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been updated as new information and interventions have become available.
ABC News spoke to public health experts about what’s the latest to know about vaccine availability, when to test, who should receive treatment and if people should be masking in any situations.
“COVID-19 has never really left us,” Dr. Graham Snyder, medical direction of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said. “There have been ups and downs throughout the pandemic…but with this uptick, we’re seeing that steady churn pattern again where there’s a mix of variants and the variants are constantly changing and reemerging.”
“But the disease itself — and, for the most part, the impact that the virus has on us — is much the same as it’s been for the last year plus,” he continued.
Which vaccines and boosters are available?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is soon expected to greenlight updated boosters targeting currently circulating COVID subvariants.
This will be followed by a meeting of the CDC’s advisory committee, scheduled for Sept. 12, who will they vote on whether to approve, and the final step will be a sign off from CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen.
Provided there are no hiccups, this should make the boosters available by mid-to-late September.
Data from Moderna has shown the new boosters offers additional protection against EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 — which are currently the two most prevalent variants — and against the newer variant BA.2.86,
The experts have said that most people can wait to get the updated booster but specific groups who are not up to date may want to consider getting vaccinated sooner.
“I’ve been telling people who are medically vulnerable, older people, if they’re not up to date on their vaccines now and there’s a chance that they could be exposed to the virus in between now and next week, it’s probably best that they get the vaccine that they that they can get today,” Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiologist at the City University of New York School of Public Health, told ABC News.
For people who are not up to date who want to receive a primary series first, they can receive either one of three vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax.
When should I take a test?
CDC guidelines recommend that people take a COVID test if they are experiencing symptoms or if they were exposed to someone with COVID.
Those with symptoms should take a test right away and those exposed should take a test a full five days after the last interaction with the positive person.
If someone tests positive, they don’t need to take a confirmatory PCR test but should stay home and isolate, experts say. They should stay home for five days and can end isolation if they have no symptoms, if symptoms are improving or are fever free for 24 hours without medications.
Those who were positive should wear a mask for 11 days when indoors and around others at-home in public and those exposed should do so for 10 days.
Nash said that if someone has symptoms and they test negative on an at-home rapid test, they shouldn’t assume they don’t have COVID.
“If your symptoms are persisting, it’s possible that it’s still COVID and you need to test again a day or two later, just to be sure,” he said. “And also, I would add, if it’s not COVID, you still might have something that you don’t want to spread to your loved ones who might be vulnerable.”
Who is eligible for treatment?
Not everybody needs to be treated if they test positive for COVID-19.
Dr. Sarah Hochman, a hospital epidemiologist and infectious diseases physician at NYU Langone Health, said treatment is recommended for those who are at higher risk of severe illness including those who have underlying lung disease, underlying heart disease, are immunocompromised, are very young or aged 65 and older.
There are currently three treatments available, according to the CDC. Two of them — Paxlovid and Lagevrio — are antivirals taken orally at home. The third, Velkury (remdesivir), is an IV infusion taken at a healthcare facility for three consecutive days.
However, the CDC and experts stress that these medications should be taken as soon as symptoms start.
“We know these treatments are most effective if they’re given earlier in the disease, so it’s important as soon as you have symptoms that might be a respiratory virus infection and ask your doctor about treatment,” Snyder said.
Should I be masking?
Currently, the CDC only recommends wearing a high-quality mask or respirator if the COVID-19 hospital admission level where someone lives is in the high category and says certain high-risk groups should consider masking.
Hochman said data shows masks are effective at reducing the odds of contracting COVID or spreading it to others, but she believes that people should assess their own risk tolerance when it comes to wearing masks in public.
“I think it’s really up to the individual and how much what their comfort level is in potentially either being exposed to COVID or exposing others to COVID,” she said. “It’s a risk benefit decision that people can make.”
However, Snyder said people should consider masking in high-risk settings, such as being in crowded indoor settings or areas with poor circulation, and in healthcare settings.
“Obviously, in the healthcare setting, it’s very particularly important for us to provide a safe setting for people to get care,” he said. “We have a different threshold as well for masking in healthcare settings and that’s why we’re starting to hear reports…about hospitals adopting universal masking, again.”
Snyder added, “I don’t know if there was one right approach to that. Always in healthcare, we’ve made an assessment and put in place protection, depending on the level of risk that our community has seen. So, it’s understandable that there might be some variation in hospitals adopting or not yet adopting that approach.”
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — The Florida state Supreme Court heard arguments Friday morning in a legal challenge seeking to throw out the state’s 15-week abortion ban, claiming it violates the state’s constitution.
The hearing was part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and other abortion providers against the state of Florida.
In July 2022, a lower state court ruled that the ban violated the state’s constitution and it was temporarily suspended. The law went into effect again later that same day when the state appealed the judge’s decision. The state Supreme Court took up the case in January upon request from the plaintiffs.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Whitney White, was the first to speak before the Supreme Court. Justices interrupted her opening statement several times with questions about the suit and whether the state constitution’s privacy protections include protections for abortion rights.
Justices asked White why the privacy clause — passed in the 1980s via voter referendum — did not arouse debate between anti-abortion groups and pro-abortion groups at the time, suggesting the right to abortion was not implied in the privacy clause.
“This is a 50-year reflection by our society, by our state, that people’s elected representatives believe that there’s a compelling interest in protecting human life. Why should we as a court not defer to that?” Chief Justice Carlos Muniz asked White.
White argued that Florida’s privacy clause gave wider privacy protections than the U.S. Constitution.
The lawyer appearing for the state, Henry Whitaker, started his opening statement by arguing that the Florida Constitution does not provide protections for abortion rights, before being interrupted with questions from justices.
Muniz asked Whitaker how the state believes justices should determine what voters who approved the privacy amendment to the constitution would consider to be an intrusion into their private life.
Whitaker also argued that Floridians had not internalized Roe v. Wade in the 1980s.
“Roe v. Wade may have been an abomination. It may have been semantically absurd to talk about that in terms of privacy, but for better or worse, that was part of our cultural kind of lexicon,” Muniz said.
Justice Jamie Grosshans asked Whitaker how the state will address the fallout of the court overturning 30 years of precedent if it upholds the ban.
“If we as a court adopt your legal approach to this amendment, it affects dozens of other cases outside the abortion context, dozens of other subjects that relate more to a decisional autonomy,” Grosshans said.
Whittaker responded, “I think there’s a lot less of that concern than meets the eye, your honor.”
When White responded to the arguments made by Whittaker — that the privacy clause only refers to the protection of information from government snooping — by saying the court has repeatedly applied the privacy clause outside of that context, in cases such as parental rights and medical decision making.
“So you’re asking us to essentially take a whole class of human beings and put them outside of the protection of the law, essentially, in the sense that if the legislature wants to protect those human beings, they are precluded by the constitution of Florida from doing that,” Muniz asked White. “And at the end of the day, the argument as to why that would be right would be based on a sort of legal meaning — kind of understanding — of right of privacy.”
“The court repeatedly emphasized that nothing in the Dobb’s decision displaces pre-existing state constitutional protections for abortion that were more protective than the federal law,” White said.
In a statement released after the hearing concluded, White said the ban has been in effect for over a year, defying four decades of established protections under the Florida Constitution.
“The state has now asked the court to wipe out any constitutional protection for Floridians’ ability to have an abortion at all, clearing the way for Florida to enforce Gov. DeSantis’ ban on abortion at six weeks of pregnancy, a time when many people don’t even know they are pregnant,” White said. “The Florida Supreme Court should respect the rule of law and protect the right of people to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy for themselves.”
The lawsuit before the court
A lower court judge had ruled that the Florida state constitution grants explicit protections for the right to privacy that do not exist in the U.S. Constitution, and that the Florida Supreme Court has established that this grants protections for a woman’s right to get an abortion.
Florida’s 15-week ban has been in effect since July 2022. The ban grants exceptions for abortions if the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life and if the fetus has a fatal anomaly, but not for rape or incest.
After the lawsuit was filed challenging the ban, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban, seeking to further restrict the procedure. If the court upholds the abortion ban, a six-week trigger ban will go into effect in Florida 30 days after a decision, prohibiting abortion care before most women know they are pregnant.
Florida shares a border with several states that have ceased nearly all abortion services.
Data collected by WeCount — a national research project focusing on abortion and contraception led by the Society of Family Planning — and the Guttmacher Institute estimates that there was an uptick in the number of abortions provided in Florida since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. This suggests that access to abortion for women across the South would be further restricted if Florida were to uphold its bans.
“The attempt by Gov. DeSantis and his allies to overturn established law, in defiance of the Florida Constitution, the will of voters, and the rule of law, is deeply misguided and dangerous,” plaintiffs said in a joint statement Thursday.
“We hope the Florida Supreme Court will recognize that politicians’ thinly veiled attempt to uproot the rule of law would needlessly put people’s health and lives at risk and decide to preserve the long-established right to abortion Floridians have relied on for decades,” plaintiffs said.
