Afghan translator ‘deeply hurt’ by US withdrawal, fears retribution against family

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iStock/123ducu

(AFGHANISTAN) — Years ago, Naqibullah had assisted the U.S. Marine Corps as a translator in Afghanistan and has since started a new life in the U.S. However, his parents and siblings remain in Afghanistan as the Taliban took over the country this weekend.

Naqibullah will be referred to only by his first name for this report. As of Wednesday, half a world away from his parents, brothers and sisters, he said he’s waiting for word from his family as they hide in their home.

“I’ve talked to them a couple of hours ago… They had fears and concerns about what’s going to happen next,” he told ABC News. “I have a fear that one day they’re going to go into our house and search for … my family to be assassinated.”

‘We’re deeply hurt’
As the U.S. prepared to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the two-decade war, the Taliban seized power in a matter of days, taking over all of the country’s major cities.

“I’ve been in touch with veterans that serve and everybody [is] just so nervous … the reaction is that we’re deeply hurt, we’re deeply upset about it. And the country’s going towards [an] uncertain future,” Naqibullah told ABC News in a phone interview on Wednesday. “We don’t know what’s going to happen to those people who work for the government. But right now, they’re, they’re locked in their houses, they don’t know about tomorrow, what’s going to happen to them?”

He said that he and his veteran friends are in disbelief that the Taliban took over Afghanistan so quickly last week.

“How many people, how many years, [how many] heroes lost their lives there? What would be the answer to those hurt?” he said.

Remembering Taliban rule
Naqibullah was born and raised in Afghanistan and remembers living under Taliban rule in the 1990s.

“I remember when they came for us and took over the country,” he said.

He said he remembers the Taliban going door-to-door targeting supporters of the government and imposing “a lot of restrictions” on the daily lives of the people — from rules that women and girls must mostly be confined to the home, to dress codes for both men and women.

After the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 terror attacks, President George W. Bush authorized the use of force against those responsible for the attacks. This joint resolution would later be cited by his administration as legal rationale for its decision to take sweeping measures to combat terrorism including invading Afghanistan in October 2001.

Learning English was not allowed in school under Taliban rule, but “when the Americans took over … there were a lot of private schools that were teaching English,” Naquibullah said, and this is how he was able to learn English.

Joining the U.S. armed forces

Naqibullah speaks both Pashto and Dari — the most widely spoken languages in Afghanistan, so when he graduated high school in 2007 at 16 years old, he decided to work with the U.S. military in Afghanistan as an interpreter and translator.

“I thought about it that you know [working] with them would benefit, not just myself, my family, would benefit the entire nation,” he said, pointing to opening schools, reconstruction efforts, training Afghan forces and setting up a new government.

Describing the first time he experienced combat, Naqibullah said that hearing the voices of the Taliban fighters planning to attack and vowing to capture American forces was “demoralizing.”

“Every moment that I was listening to their voices was kind of making me so scared and the fear was raising,” he said. “The morale of the soldier in the U.S. Marines [was] very high, they will keep fighting, you know, they’ll keep pushing forward towards them, but since I was a person knowing their languages … that kind of made me demoralized since it was my first time and I started like almost crying.”

But soon, Naqibullah was encouraged and empowered by the successes of the U.S. as they gained ground against the Taliban.

He worked for the Marines in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013. After spending a few years on the frontlines, in 2010 he was transferred to Kabul to help train the Afghan army.

A few years ago, Naqibullah moved to the U.S. and became a citizen in 2019.

Naqibullah said he never expected to be in a situation where the Taliban would retake Afghanistan in just over a week.

“Nobody was ready for that… The entire country would collapse into the hands of the Taliban,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, whether the past 20 years [were of] achievement … or are we going … back to the 1990s or what’s going to happen?”

He says he pleaded with the U.S. government to help Afghans like him, who helped the U.S. over the last two decades. A Pentagon official said yesterday 5,000 to 10,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan, though authorities are unsure of the exact number. The number of Afghans who qualify for evacuation is also unclear, but authorities believe it numbers in the tens of thousands.

“It’s been over 15 months that I applied for my dad to come over here to the U.S. but the case is still under process.” he added. “… I don’t get the answer that I’m looking for,” he said, adding his message to the government is to help Afghan families immigrate to the U.S.

Hopes for a ‘bright future’

Now 31 years old and a father to four daughters, Naqibullah says he worries his mother and sisters won’t have the same freedoms his family is privileged to have in the U.S.

“At this point, I don’t think I see a future for them to stay in Afghanistan,” he said. “I don’t think my family will be saved if they remain in the country.”

As for his daughters, who are U.S. citizens, Naqibullah said that he wants them to have a “bright future” and choose their own paths in life.

“They have the right [to] choose what they’re choosing for their future. I want them to go to school, to be educated to serve the country, to serve the nation, whether it’s in the medical field or any field they choose to go through. I want them to be a contributor back to this country.”

Naqibullah speaks both Pashto and Dari — the most widely spoken languages in Afghanistan, so when he graduated high school in 2007 at 16 years old, he decided to work with the U.S. military in Afghanistan as an interpreter and translator.

“I thought about it that you know [working] with them would benefit, not just myself, my family, would benefit the entire nation,” he said, pointing to opening schools, reconstruction efforts, training Afghan forces and setting up a new government.

Describing the first time he experienced combat, Naqibullah said that hearing the voices of the Taliban fighters planning to attack and vowing to capture American forces was “demoralizing.”

“Every moment that I was listening to their voices was kind of making me so scared and the fear was raising,” he said. “The morale of the soldier in the U.S. Marines [was] very high, they will keep fighting, you know, they’ll keep pushing forward towards them, but since I was a person knowing their languages … that kind of made me demoralized since it was my first time and I started like almost crying.”

But soon, Naqibullah was encouraged and empowered by the successes of the U.S. as they gained ground against the Taliban.

He worked for the Marines in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013. After spending a few years on the frontlines, in 2010 he was transferred to Kabul to help train the Afghan army.

A few years ago, Naqibullah moved to the U.S. and became a citizen in 2019.

Naqibullah said he never expected to be in a situation where the Taliban would retake Afghanistan in just over a week.

“Nobody was ready for that… The entire country would collapse into the hands of the Taliban,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, whether the past 20 years [were of] achievement … or are we going … back to the 1990s or what’s going to happen?”

He says he pleaded with the U.S. government to help Afghans like him, who helped the U.S. over the last two decades. A Pentagon official said yesterday 5,000 to 10,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan, though authorities are unsure of the exact number. The number of Afghans who qualify for evacuation is also unclear, but authorities believe it numbers in the tens of thousands.

“It’s been over 15 months that I applied for my dad to come over here to the U.S. but the case is still under process.” he added. “… I don’t get the answer that I’m looking for,” he said, adding his message to the government is to help Afghan families immigrate to the U.S.

Hopes for a ‘bright future’

Now 31 years old and a father to four daughters, Naqibullah says he worries his mother and sisters won’t have the same freedoms his family is privileged to have in the U.S.

“At this point, I don’t think I see a future for them to stay in Afghanistan,” he said. “I don’t think my family will be saved if they remain in the country.”

As for his daughters, who are U.S. citizens, Naqibullah said that he wants them to have a “bright future” and choose their own paths in life.

“They have the right [to] choose what they’re choosing for their future. I want them to go to school, to be educated to serve the country, to serve the nation, whether it’s in the medical field or any field they choose to go through. I want them to be a contributor back to this country.”
 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Why you shouldn’t rush to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot before it’s your turn

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iStock/lechatnoir

(NEW YORK) — In the next month, millions of Americans will get ready to roll up their sleeves for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But when it comes to booster shots, it’s not as simple as ‘more is more’ — it’s also a matter of when.

For severely immunocompromised people, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available now. Come mid-September, that option is expected to be open for everyone who got Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, at least eight months after their second dose.

Health experts caution not to jump the gun — or the line — on when you might actually need a booster shot.

With patience, a better immune response

“We have to look at both sides of the equation — the benefits to be reaped and the safety of giving an additional dose,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News. “You’ll get a more robust immune response if you wait a little longer before you get your booster.”

The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be safe and effective against severe disease and hospitalization. And when immunity wanes, it does so gradually, experts say, with current data suggesting all three of the authorized vaccines provide good protection at least six months after initial vaccination and likely longer.

The Biden administration announced availability of booster shots would begin ahead of any ruling from the Food and Drug Administration or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory groups.

Wary of delta’s exponential spread, federal health officials are attempting to preempt the possibility of a greater surge should vaccine efficacy dwindle.

You’re likely still protected, for now

“We are concerned that this pattern of decline we are seeing will continue in the months ahead,” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said at a briefing Wednesday.

“You don’t want to find yourself behind playing catch up,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House.

It’s a careful narrative aimed at keeping confidence that vaccines still work — while preparing the public for another round of shots if protection against hospitalization and deaths ebbs.

Even in announcing the step toward boosters, the nation’s top health officials emphasized most fully vaccinated Americans “still have a high degree of protection from the worst outcomes of COVID-19.”

“We are not recommending that you go out and get a booster today,” Murthy said.

“We don’t have data that suggests you benefit from having the additional dose of the vaccine before your immunity drops off,” said Jay Bhatt, an internist, geriatrician and ABC News contributor, adding anxious Americans shouldn’t feel tempted to get a booster earlier than eight months.

Those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also likely need an additional dose, health experts predict. Since its authorization came later, data is still developing on an additional dose.

Getting a booster shot too soon may be counterproductive. Those who wait extend their “runway” of immune protection further.

“Because of all these breakthrough milder infections, and the diminution in antibody levels, those things combined to make the task force antsy and wanting to not wait,” Schaffner said.

Let the most vulnerable go first

Additional third doses should be prioritized first for the most vulnerable and those who were first given vaccines in December and January, experts say. Those people include nursing home and long-term care facility residents and staff, elderly Americans and front-line health care workers, for whom even a mild case of COVID could risk an entire hospital ward.

“There’s real concern among nursing home residents and their loved ones about getting sick again,” Bhatt said.

The same day federal officials previewed coming boosters, the CDC released several studies showing that although the vaccines are highly effective against severe disease, protection against infection may peter out over time.

Health officials don’t want to wait until the nation gets stuck behind the pandemic eight ball again, but some experts worry the move was premature.

Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is skeptical of boosters for the broader population so soon.

“The risks are unknown, and the benefits are unknown. I can’t, as a responsible physician, give someone advice, when I haven’t been able to weigh those two things,” Faust said, cautioning against taking a “shot in the dark.”

Waiting for the data

Pfizer and Moderna have gauged side effects from a third shot tantamount to the primary course — fever, sore arm and fatigue — while the rare risk of more serious side effects, like myocarditis, remains.

Faust points out the clinical trial data and real-world success of the vaccines have been an undeniable “slam dunk” thus far, but third doses are uncharted territory.

“The science on this is unavailable. And that’s not a place where we’ve been before,” Faust said, noting the risk of myocarditis has shown to happen more frequently after the second mRNA dose.

“What’s the third dose going to do?” Faust said. “Is a third dose going to hospitalize more people for myocarditis than we’re actually getting in return for the third dose of vaccine coverage? We literally don’t know.”

Boosters are meant to fortify the vaccine’s still-robust strength over time, but it’s a unique time frame for each individual’s optimized immunity.

“It’s a little bit of a Goldilocks moment. Where do you want to put down your bets?” NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said in a recent interview on MSNBC. “We think because lives are at stake if we are going a little early, I’d rather be in that space than be a little late.”

“The COVID virus precipitates decision-making, when one has less than an ideal amount of data,” Schaffner said. “You always want more.”

ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss and Sony Salzman contributed to this report.

Jess Dawson, M.D., a masters of public health candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Haiti’s crises are ‘never-ending cycle of PTSD’: Reporter’s notebook

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iStock/ffikretow

(HAITI) — The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that just devastated Haiti feels like a bad dream on repeat.

Imagine waking up to an earthquake just about a decade after another quake killed 250,000 of your brothers and sisters and destroyed your beautiful country.

Receiving the news of another earthquake in Haiti, and then having to report on it, even remotely from Florida, was one of the most difficult moments in my career. As I discussed the pain and anguish happening in the aftermath, I felt immense sadness for my people.

Much of the country hasn’t rebuilt from the 2010 earthquake, or Hurricane Matthew in 2016. And the president was recently assassinated.

Plus, there’s a low vaccination rate in the middle of a pandemic killing more than 4 million around the world, and now another natural disaster. And in a worst-case scenario, the earthquake happened right before a massive storm barreled toward the island, after nearly 2,000 were killed in the recent earthquake according to the United Nations.

It’s like a never-ending cycle of PTSD, which is exactly how my family who still lives there feels.

No matter what happens in Haiti, the headline usually includes, “the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.” We are often reduced to just poverty, overlooking what makes Haiti one of the richest countries. Haiti is full of culture, arts, and of course food.

But the Haitian people, my people, have a sense of duty to one another and community, because of all we’ve endured throughout history. We have learned to turn pain into compassion.

We have a saying that our people are resilient. This has been demonstrated throughout history. Despite all the cards being stacked against the country, somehow we always find a way to push through. From a collective decision to fight for freedom from slavery, becoming the first Black country to gain independence in 1804 — to the way the community comes together in tragedy.

Faith is central to everything in our society, and looking out for one another is a must. Even as kids growing up in Florida, my brother and I would get in trouble from our dad for not sharing.

If there was just one water left we were expected to ask and make sure no one else at the table or in the house was thirsty before drinking. As a kid, I thought he was just being dramatic, but as an adult I now know why he was that way.

That sense of family, community and care for our fellow human is something you will see in virtually every Haitian family. Maybe “poverty” and the countless tragedies instilled this trait; maybe it’s just something cultural. But it cannot be denied. In times like this, when it seems there is no hope — the Haitian people always seem to find light in the darkness.

My uncle is a doctor and immediately rushed to the affected areas to help after the earthquake struck. While he is one of my heroes, he is not special. During tragedies, everyone pitches in, somehow finding a way to bring a smile or some sort of positivity, as the world literally crashes down.

Structures in Haiti are built to withstand hurricanes, which are common. But the tough concrete buildings that withstand wind and rain in a storm become deadly in an earthquake as they fall. With the threat of aftershocks and storms, even those who are fortunate enough to have shelter are scared to sleep inside.

Tens of thousands of families are homeless yet again because of this disaster. Many pray for even a piece of tarp for shelter. Our economy, which is full of entrepreneurs and street vendors, is crippled yet again because of widespread destruction.

I traveled to Haiti to work on relief after the 2010 earthquake and it was emotional. I was falling apart– yet the people you would expect to be doing the same, were doing quite the opposite. From the tents of homeless families making up mile-long tent cities, emerged hopeful children in full uniform, singing and walking to class. People still played music and greeted one another, bringing food, making conversation.

One of my cousins was rescued days after a grocery store collapsed on her. She held onto hope waiting. My cousin survived the 2010 earthquake only to die this past year due from COVID-19, another concern as displaced families are forced to be in close proximity.

It is traumatic to witness the pain families are going through. It is traumatizing to hear from friends who lost multiple loved ones — again. To see hospitals overwhelmed, and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed leaving people with nowhere to go. It’s like walking through a nightmare that you’ve already experienced, praying it will have a different ending.

But there is inspiration and hope. It warms my heart to see the volunteers risking their lives to save others. It’s been inspiring to see the diaspora sharing reputable organizations doing work on the ground in Haiti to ensure that aid actually makes it to those who need it this time around. Even as I WhatsApp my family there to see how they are doing, they are more concerned with my safety and well-being.

Haiti has been through a lot, and Haitians have proven that we stick together and are resilient. When we are knocked down, we always emerge stronger. The road to recovery will be long, and the impact will be felt long after volunteers leave. I know that through all this adversity the country will rise again.

Yet, it’s hard to witness this tragedy and not ask, “how much more can we take? When will this nightmare end?”

We are resilient, but we are tired and hurting.

Lionel Moïse is an anchor and correspondent for ABC Audio, based in Miami, Florida, who has been covering the most recent earthquake.

This report was featured in the Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.
 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Monoclonal antibody treatment orders rapidly increasing in COVID surge states

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iStock/Kameleon007

(NEW YORK) — The use of monoclonal antibodies as a way to prevent people from getting very sick with COVID-19 is rapidly increasing — alongside the grim statistics on surging infection rates across the country.

Federal health officials have seen a “significant increase” in the ordering of monoclonal antibodies in recent weeks with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services telling ABC News orders have increased by more than 1,200%.

HHS said they are currently shipping about 120,000 patient courses of Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment a week.

More than three-quarters of those orders are going to the regions in the country with low vaccination rates and states currently getting clobbered hardest by COVID’s surge — and where intensive care unit capacities are most strained.

Between July 1 and Aug. 17, more than 438,100 one-dose infusions of the treatment were ordered nationally.

In that same time frame, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina — designated by HHS as Region 4 — ordered about 198,000 patient courses, or roughly 45% of the national order.

New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana (Region 6) ordered roughly 144,000 — about 33% of the order.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic versions of the body’s natural line of defense against severe infection — a therapy designed to send reinforcements for the immune system.

The antibody treatment is meant for COVID-19 patients early in their infection and who are at high risk of getting even sicker, nipping infections in the bud before it puts people in the hospital.

It can be used for breakthrough COVID cases as well, regardless of symptoms. If a person has tested positive within the last 10 days, and they are at risk for getting sicker — like older Americans, patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, asthma or obesity — the treatment is available.

The drug can also now be used for preventative use in some cases. The Food and Drug Administration expanded Regeneron’s authorization in late July, allowing for proactive prophylactic use for people who may have been exposed to COVID, and are at high risk of getting very sick because of health complications, being immunocompromised or because a person wasn’t fully vaccinated.

It can be administered through an intravenous infusion, or a subcutaneous injection, which is less time-consuming and labor-intensive, and more practical in an outbreak situation.

An HHS official told ABC News they are seeing new infusion sites springing up, and sites that had been inactive are coming back online and administering the treatment again.

This new uptick and interest in use of the monoclonals comes after months of mediocre uptake, what then-Operation Warp Speed head Moncef Slaoui lamented last winter as “disappointing.”

It also comes as Govs. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, and Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., have ordered the opening of more infusion centers, and touted the treatment’s promise. Abbott, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, said he is taking it himself.
 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Des Rocs premieres new song, “Imaginary Friends”

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Credit: Rock and Egg

Des Rocs has premiered a new song called “Imaginary Friends.”

The track, which is available now for digital download, is set to appear on the musician’s upcoming debut album A Real Good Person in a Real Bad Place, due out September 24.

“‘Imaginary Friends’ is a personal anthem that draws from a well of escapism,” Des says. “For me this song brings up all the darkest parts of myself — the journey of the last few years — and deals with all that darkness in one sort of manic exhale.”

A Real Good Person in a Real Bad Place also includes the previously released song “MMC.” It does not, however, feature Des’ breakout single “This Is Our Life,” the title track off his 2020 EP.

Des Rocs will launch his first-ever headlining tour September 28 in Detroit.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Elvis Costello releases trailer for ‘Spanish Model,’ the upcoming Spanish-language tribute to ‘This Year’s Model’

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UMe

Elvis Costello has debuted a fun trailer for Spanish Model, the upcoming album featuring various Latin-music artists performing Spanish-language versions of the songs from his second studio effort, 1978’s This Year’s Model.

As previously reported, Spanish Model, which will be released on September 10, features all of the songs from This Year’s Model plus select other tunes from that record’s sessions, with newly recorded vocals by various Latin artists accompanied by the original music by Costello and his band The Attractions.

The video features Costello giving some background about This Year’s Model, which was his first album with The Attractions — keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Bruce Thomas. It also includes commentary from many of the artists who contributed to Spanish Model.

In addition, the promo features a hilarious section where Elvis speak-sings a brief synopsis of the new album’s concept to the melody of “Pump It Up.”

Among the artists who put their Spanish-language spin on the This Year’s Model tunes are Juanes, Luis Fonsi, Sebastián Yatra and Vega.

Costello collaborated on the project with Latin Grammy Producer of the Year winner Sebastian Krys, who remixed the This Year’s Model tracks from the original master recordings.

Meanwhile, the first episode of a documentary series focusing on Spanish Model will premiere September 9. It will feature interviews with nearly all of the artists who contributed to the album, as well as with Costello, The Attractions’ members and This Year’s Model producer Nick Lowe.

“I love the humor and heart that [director] Jose [Tillan] has caught in this film,” Costello says. “It’s been great to hear all these voices and see the faces of our new friends. The whole gang’s here.”

You can pre-order Spanish Model now.

Here’s the track list:

“No Action” — Nina Diaz
“(Yo No Quiero Ir a) Chelsea” (“[I Don’t Want to Go to] Chelsea”) — Raquel Sofía y Fuego
“Yo Te Vi” (“The Beat”) — Draco Rosa
“Pump It Up” — Juanes
“Detonantes” (“Little Triggers”) — La Marisoul
“Tu Eres Para Mi” (“You Belong to Me”) — Luis Fonsi
“Hand in Hand” — Francisca Valenzuela y Luis Humberto Navejas
“La Chica de Hoy” (“This Year’s Girl”) — Cami
“Mentira” (“Lip Service”) — Pablo López
“Viviendo en el Paraiso” (“Living in Paradise”) — Jesse & Joy
“Lipstick Vogue” — Morat
“La Turba” (“Night Rally”) — Jorge Drexler
“Llorar” (“Big Tears”) — Sebastián Yatra
“Radio Radio” — Fito Páez
“Crawling to the U.S.A.” — Gian Marco y Nicole Zignago
“Se Esta Perdiendo la Inocencia” (“Running Out of Angels”) — Vega

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tropical Storm Henri live updates: Now Category 1 hurricane

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iStock/inhauscreative

(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Henri strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Saturday morning.

Henri is currently located 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 555 miles south of Montauk, New York.

Dangerous storm surge, hurricane conditions and flooding rain is expected in parts of the Northeast beginning late tonight.

Landfall is looking to occur tomorrow late morning on Long Island.

If Henri makes landfall as a hurricane on Long Island, it will be the first land falling hurricane there since Gloria in 1985.

Aug 21, 10:58 am
Henri strengthens into hurricane

Henri intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph Saturday morning around 10:45 a.m. as it continued on its track northeast.

Aug 21, 10:51 am
Connecticut declares state of emergency ahead of Henri

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared a statement of emergency on Friday due to the incoming storm, “to take any actions necessary to respond and protect the people of the state.”

He also requested 200 National Guard members pulled for active duty starting Saturday morning.

The storm is forecast to bring heavy rainfall, whipping winds, storm surge along the shoreline and potential flooding to the state.

“Right now, it’s a good idea for everyone to be prepared and expect to shelter in place by Sunday afternoon through at least Monday morning,” Lamont said.

A hurricane warning is in effect for New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Fairfield County.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

How people in the US can help arriving Afghans

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iStock/sasacvetkovic33

(NEW YORK) — As Americans across the country watch the situation in Afghanistan grow more chaotic, many are likely wondering how to help the thousands of Afghan nationals who have fled their country.

Many of those fled with only a small suitcase or even just the clothing on their backs, leaving a major challenge settling into a new life.

There are many ways to help incoming refugees settle in the U.S., from donations of goods and services to volunteering time to give rides and provide for other needs. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a nonprofit organization that aids refugee relocation, said that that there is need for basic necessities and cash assistance.

“Contributions of goods are so helpful as we provide those basic necessities to these families and children in the first few days and first few weeks on American soil,” O’Mara Vignarajah told ABC News. “You know some of these families have literally no connections here in the U.S.”

Aundrea Paulett, who works in external affairs at the U.S. Embassy of Afghanistan, said that the needs also go beyond the basics, citing the importance of volunteers to give refugees rides to appointments, to help translate and for help with legal services when it comes to navigating the immigration system.

Paulett also encouraged people “to be very patient” with refugees as they may face culture shock.

“They’re not going to know English, so patience is going to be the biggest key for them to feel safe here,” Paulett said.

But Paulett and O’Mara Vignarajah also noted that people should be cautious about where their donations go. O’Mara Vignarajah said that there are many established and well-vetted organizations that are able to navigate the complexities of settling refugee families. Paulett also said that local mosques are a good place to donate, as mosques may provide connections and support for recently settled refugees.

Beyond goods and services, groups are urging Americans to wield their political power and contribute through activism.

“At this critical moment, we also need public pressure on the Biden administration to keep America’s promise to protect Afghan allies,” Nisha Agarwal, the deputy executive director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, said in a statement to ABC News. “The U.S. government must secure Kabul airport and ensure continuous access to it to vastly expand evacuation of Afghan allies and refugees before it is too late.”

O’Mara Vignarajah said that it is an all-hands-on-deck effort to help refugee families get settled. A lot of that effort will come from community members who feel compelled to help, especially in states like California, Texas and Virginia, which are set to accept many of the refugees, according to Paulett.

One of those community members is Fatima Popal, one of the co-owners of a group that operates Washington, D.C., restaurants Lapis and The Berliner. Popal utilized social media to collect donations of supplies, including clothing, household supplies, toiletries and gift cards.

“As Afghans, we felt a little helpless sitting here, not being able to do anything for our homeland, for our people,” Popal said. “And so we decided we can’t just sit here idle and do nothing, so the best thing that we can do is try to help those that are resettling here in the … area, and try to make their transition a little bit smoother by getting all these donations.”

Popal teamed up with organizations such as the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and the International Rescue Committee to get donations where they were most needed. Popal said that the outpouring of “love and support” from the community has been inspiring.

“It’s just one of the most beautiful things, considering what is going on around the world, not just in Afghanistan, but everywhere else,” Popal said. “So you can see that humanity is still not lost and that’s the beauty of what I see today and from the people that are volunteering and donating.”

Here are some organizations that accept donations for Afghan refugees:

International Refugee Assistance Project
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Women for Afghan Women
International Rescue Committee
Committee to Protect Journalists
Mercy Corps
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Afghanistan updates: Avoid Kabul airport, US Embassy tells citizens

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iStock/mbrand85

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan’s government’s collapsed and the Taliban seized control, all but ending America’s 20-year campaign as it began: under Taliban rule.

The U.S. has evacuated approximately 9,000 people since Aug. 14, according to a White House official, with 3,000 people evacuated Thursday and double that number slated to be flown out Friday. Pentagon officials have said their focus remains on maintaining the airport perimeter and increasing the number of evacuees out of Kabul.

President Joe Biden returned to Washington from Camp David on Wednesday and sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House, the president’s first interview since the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He addressed the nation on evacuation efforts Friday.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern: 

Aug 21, 8:55 am
US embassy tells citizens to avoid Kabul airport

The U.S. embassy in Afghanistan has advised American citizens to avoid traveling to Kabul airport due to “potential security threats.”

U.S. nationals should “avoid the gates to the airport at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so,” a notice posted on the embassy website says.

It adds: “U.S. citizens requesting assistance in departing the country who have Repatriation Assistance Request for each traveler in their group should do so as soon as possible. Spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who are awaiting immigrant visas should also complete this form if they wish to depart.”

Previous advice issued two days ago said the U.S. government “cannot ensure safe passage” but said that citizens “should consider travelling to Hamid Karzai International Airport when you judge it is safe to do so”.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

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5 good reasons for the FDA to give full approval to COVID-19 vaccines: Analysis

by
iStock/rina Shatilova

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will roll out COVID-19 booster shots for many Americans starting in mid-September. But there’s another date that many are anticipating.

As early as this coming week, according to The New York Times, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to give full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine — the first COVID-19 vaccine expected to receive that endorsement.

The FDA’s approval might seem like a minor technical move to some. But full approval of all three COVID-19 vaccines is an important step that can make a difference in reducing COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, improving health care delivery and saving lives.

Here’s why:

1. The approval will empower health care professionals to address the myth of “experimental vaccines.”

All three vaccines currently have what’s called “emergency use authorization” (EUA), which the FDA uses as a means to quickly give people access to potentially lifesaving medicines during a national crisis. Somehow, “emergency use” has been confused with “experimental.”

As physicians and epidemiologists who have treated COVID-19 patients, it’s frustrating that what amounts to a rather minor, somewhat bureaucratic detail is being used by people as justification not to get a vaccine that can save their lives and the lives of the people around them. More than 358 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been safely administered in the U.S. — and the incidence of complications as a result of the vaccines is minimal.

The good news: According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) study, three in ten unvaccinated adults say they’d be more likely to get vaccinated if the vaccines currently authorized for emergency use were to receive full approval from the FDA. So if full FDA approval is what it takes for millions of people to put away their skepticism and get vaccinated, we’re all for it.

Furthermore, for those for whom FDA approval isn’t the real reason but a convenient excuse, clinicians may uncover more information about what is holding individuals back from getting vaccinated.

2. Approval of the vaccines will get more kids vaccinated.

Schools across the country are open. Millions of school-age children are now learning indoors. According to another KFF study, about one-quarter of parents of kids aged 12-17 say they’ll “wait and see” how the vaccine works before getting their eligible child vaccinated. One in five parents say that their child will “definitely not” get vaccinated.

Again, people’s objections stem largely from distrust of the vaccines and concerns about side effects. To empower educators and health professionals to both counter myths surrounding side effects and confidently enact vaccine requirements in schools, it’s essential that the FDA give full approval to the vaccines. While authorization may initially only apply to those 16 and over, approval could provide reassurance to parents of all children currently eligible for the shot.

3. Approval will provide us with longer-term safety data.

What’s the difference between emergency use and full approval? The simple answer is that for full approval, the FDA will require an additional four months of safety data. The FDA granted the COVID-19 vaccines’ emergency use authorization based on two months of safety data; with any vaccine, nearly all potential safety problems crop up almost immediately after injection, which is why the FDA deemed two months sufficient for emergency authorization. We have now accumulated at least six months of safety data about these vaccines, making them eligible for full approval.

For people with irrational fears of infertility, magnetism and other specious side effects of the vaccines, the extra data probably won’t mean much. But for people who really want to know more about the true long-term consequences of the vaccines, their reported diminished effectiveness over time, and common real-life side effects such as fevers and headaches, the extra information that goes into the full approval process will be yet another way to help them overcome hesitancy and get vaccinated.

4. Approval will provide employers with greater authority to mandate vaccines.

Many employers across the country have mandated that their employees get vaccinated. A number of these mandates have been challenged in court, and so far they’ve been upheld as legal. But Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, recently noted that if the vaccines receive full FDA approval, “then the legal ability to mandate becomes a lot stronger.”

No doubt many employers are waiting for full approval before enacting vaccine requirements, and the sooner they get the legal basis to do so, the better.

The idea of a workplace-based vaccine mandate may seem like a new concept, but these mandates are already common for other FDA-approved vaccines. For example, children are required to be vaccinated against diseases like measles and mumps before enrolling in public school. Travelers are required to be vaccinated against diseases like yellow fever before visiting countries where those illnesses are common. And health care workers are required to get annual flu shots to protect themselves and their patients.

5. Approval will allow the prescribing of vaccines for “off-label” use.

When physicians talk about using drugs “off label,” they mean using them for purposes other than those for which they were initially approved. For example, Metformin, which is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, reduces appetite — so it’s often used to help patients who are trying to lose weight.

Off-label prescribing is legal — but only when drugs have received full approval by the FDA. Once this happens with COVID-19 vaccines, doctors will be able to further study their use in treating a variety of other illnesses.

Off-label use includes delivering booster shots outside of the FDA’s fully approved parameters — and while booster shots weren’t initially included in the COVID-19 vaccines’ application for full approval, companies can request an approved product be amended to include boosters. The FDA’s approval could thus make a third shot more palatable to the population.

Despite everything we know about the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness and their ability to prevent serious illness and hospitalizations, just 60% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation indicates grave consequences if Americans don’t continue to get vaccinated and follow mask guidance.

Given that the delta variant has led to an uptick in infections and deaths, it’s crucial that Americans use every tool at our disposal to convince every person to get vaccinated. If full FDA approval of vaccines is one of those tools, then the decision can’t come fast enough.

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