In February, Paul McCartney announced plans to release a book this fall called The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, which offers a self-portrait while also profiling 154 songs he’s written throughout his long career.
Now, the former Beatles legend has unveiled the full list of songs that will be featured in the book, spanning alphabetically from “All My Loving” though “Your Mother Should Know.”
The Lyrics, which is available for pre-order now, will be published on November 2. McCartney reveals that the two-volume work will include lyrics to an unrecorded Beatles song titled “Tell Me Who He Is.”
As Sir Paul was writing of the book, the handwritten lyrics to the tune were discovered in one of his notebooks that’s believed to be from the early 1960s.
The Lyrics also will feature other handwritten lyric sheets, as well as rare personal photos, drawings and rough drafts of songs. McCartney has penned commentary about each tune to give fans a look inside his creative process.
As previously reported, the commentary was based on conversations McCartney had over the course of five years with Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet and Princeton University professor Paul Muldoon.
Following the book’s November 2 publication, the British Library in London will host a free companion display dubbed “Paul McCartney: The Lyrics” that will be open from November 5 of this year to March 3, 2022. The exhibit will feature handwritten lyrics and photographs spanning Sir Paul’s entire career.
Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
SZA surprised her fans Sunday with three new songs, which she described on Twitter as “Dumping random thoughts.”
The Oscar and Grammy nominee shared the new tracks on an anonymous Soundcloud account, and tweeted that her astrologer reader, known on Twitter on Messiah of Astrology, “made me do it.”
On the first song, “Nightbird,” SZA begs her lover to “please spend the night. I only have you for a short time,” followed by the midtempo “I Hate You” about a relationship filled joy and pain. The trio of tunes ends with “Joni,” a tender acoustic guitar ballad.
Two months ago, 30-year-old SZA collaborated with SAINt JHN on the love song “Just for Me,” from the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, and prior to that, in April, she teamed up with Doja Cat for “Kiss Me More.”
SZA’s last solo single, “Good Days,” was released on Christmas 2020. Its been four years since she dropped her double platinum debut album, 2017’s Ctrl.
Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(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 17,000 people since Aug. 14, White House officials said late Saturday morning. 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. Biden addressed the nation again on evacuation efforts on Sunday.
Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:
Aug 23, 4:35 pm
Afghan refugees speak after arriving in US
More Afghan refugees have arrived in the U.S. with the first on U.S. commercial carriers coming into Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Monday morning.
“We are really happy to come here,” one refugee traveling with his wife and son told ABC News’ Sam Sweeney. He said that he waited two days at the Kabul airport before getting in.
“The situation in Afghanistan is not good,” he added.
Pentagon officials said at a briefing on Monday that five flights have brought about 1,300 people to Dulles in the last 24 hours.
Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said some 1,200 Afghans are now distributed between four U.S. military bases: Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Lee in Virginia, Fort Bliss in Texas and Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey.
The military is still working to build out the capacity to host approximately 22,000 Afghans at the installations following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Aug 23, 3:49 pm
Pentagon ‘pushing the limits’ to meet Aug. 31 deadline
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby and Gen. Steve Lyons, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, at an afternoon press briefing, said the military continues to operate under the Aug. 31 deadline President Biden set despite his suggesting the U.S. could stay beyond the end of the month.
“Every day, we take as the day comes,” Lyons said. “We know and are linked very closely with Central Command, potential operations to close out the mission by the 31st — that was the mission given by the president, and we’re committed to do that.”
“We are pushing the limits to do everything we can to get every single evacuee out of Kabul,” he added. “We’re not going to let up.”
Asked about a U.S. medical team helping an Afghan woman deliver a baby on a U.S. Air Force plane just after landing in Germany, Lyons said that the U.S. military does “not have medics on every flight” and suggested that three babies have been born since evacuations started.
“My last data point was three. I don’t have a formal tracker, those are the — you know, we’ll keep you posted,” Lyons said, before the briefing ended.
Aug 23, 2:59 pm
US has ‘method’ for getting Americans to airport: White House
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a White House briefing on Monday that the U.S. is transferring groups of American citizens to the airport in Kabul but declined to go into detail, citing security concerns.
“We have developed a method to safely and efficiently transfer groups of American citizens onto the airfield. For operational reasons I’m not going to go into further detail on this,” he said.
Despite Biden suggesting the U.S. could stay in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 as evacuations continue, Sullivan, as Pentagon officials had before him, maintained focus on the deadline at the end of the month.
“In the days remaining, we believe we have the wherewithal to get out the American citizens who want to leave Kabul,” he said.
“This operation is complex, it is dangerous, it is fraught with challenges: operational, logistical, human. And it’s produced searing images of pain and desperation. But, no
operation like this, no evacuation from the capital that has fallen in a civil war, could unfold without those images,” he added.
Aug 23, 1:28 pm
Pentagon officials say military going into Kabul ‘as needed’
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a briefing on Monday was pressed about reports of British and other coalition forces pushing into Kabul to bring people to the airport and said the U.S. is also running those missions on a “case-by-case basis.”
On occasion, as needed, our commanders have the authority that they need to use their assets and their forces to help assist Americans who need to get to the airport — get to the airport on a case-by-case basis,” he said. Later on, he added, “I don’t want to leave you with the idea that we’re patrolling the streets of Kabul.”
Kirby confirmed there was a second helicopter mission to airlift Americans into the airport, in addition to a helicopter recovery of 169 people outside the airport perimeter last week, but would not give details.
“There has been at least one additional instance where rotary airlift was used to help Americans get from outside the airport into the airport, and I think I’m just going to leave it at that today,” he said.
He said that other extraction methods are being used as well.
“There’s a variety of methods that can be affected and, without going into detail, we’re using the variety of methods at our disposal,” Kirby added.
Aug 23, 12:59 pm
State Department denies only Americans getting into airport
Despite several reports that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are getting into the airport in Kabul, not Afghans, a senior State Department official told reporters on Monday it’s not the case.
“It is not accurate that only Americans get through. That is not an accurate report,” the official said during a briefing.
The official said the operation is currently prioritizing Americans, touting the “unbelievable effort” to create a task force of consular officers around the world who get in touch with every American who registers with the embassy and provides instructions for them to get inside the airport.
“You can tell by the data,” the official said, “that we are being very successful with this model in getting people amassed and onto airplanes and to the transit hubs, which are represented by countries all over the world.”
Eight of those transit hubs are now open in six countries, according to the State Department, hosting more than 17,000 evacuees who have been flown from Kabul and to these hubs. In the next 24 hours, officials expect 8,000 more beds to be available as capacity continues to ramp up.
The official repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the U.S. will stick to its Aug. 31 deadline, which Biden has seemed open to extending, but which the Taliban warned against earlier on Monday.
Aug 23, 12:16 pm
Pentagon officials address humanitarian crisis unfolding at airport
ABC News’ Luis Martinez asked Pentagon officials how they can prevent a humanitarian crisis from developing inside the airport as thousands of people who have travelled for miles gather for evacuations in the blistering heat and amid a global pandemic.
Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said that as military flights arrive into Kabul to take out evacuees, they’re bringing in supplies including food and water for those preparing for evacuation flights.
“The last 48 hours, we had a lot of folks there which is a good thing,” Taylor said. “That means we have gotten people through the gate, we process them, it means we have people safe, then we can fly out,” adding the commanders on the ground are there to help ensure a safe and humanitarian environment.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby added that they’re “very aware” of reports of sanitation and sustainment issues.
“It’s not lost on us,” Kirby said. “There’s a lot of people, and they are desperate. And we are trying to do the best we can to get them out of harm’s way as fast as possible. And when you have a throughput problem, it means that some people are going to be stuck in a given location.”
“We’re doing the best we can, under extraordinary circumstances and believe me, the pain and the suffering, the fear, the anxiety, all of that none of it is lost on U.S. troops,” he said.
Aug 23, 12:04 pm
Pentagon officials decline to give details on extending Kabul airport perimeter
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a briefing on Monday said the U.S. military presence in Kabul remains focused on the airport following President Biden saying on Sunday that the U.S could possibly extend the perimeter there.
Sources familiar with the situation clarified to ABC News following Biden’s remarks that it did not mean U.S. troops would be moving outside of the airport.
“We continue to look at security on the airport itself, as well as the immediate environments of the airport because in those immediate environments outside the airport, that’s where you have Taliban checkpoints, where you have crowds assembling,” Kirby said. “That’s where access to the gates is critical, in the space just outside the airport where we don’t have a military presence of a sustained nature, and what we’re doing is that we are in constant communication with the Taliban about that space.”
Pressed for more information, Kirby said he didn’t want to release tactical details but said the U.S “not out there, side by side” with the Taliban.
“I think, for very good reasons of operational security, we’re just not going to detail everything we’re doing, and every opportunity we’re taking advantage of,” he said.
Aug 23, 11:31 am
Pentagon: No plans to reopen Bagram Airfield, send more troops to Kabul
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at a Pentagon briefing on Monday said the Defense Department does not have plans to reopen Bagram Airfield as it continues to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghan allies out of Kabul.
He said reopening Bagram, which the U.S. vacated in July, “would be an expenditure of resources and personnel, as well as an increase, most likely to the threat that they’re under.”
“And I understand a lot of people have views and opinions about this. It was closed down as part of the retrograde; it was always supposed to be closed down as part of the retrograde. It was the last base to be turned over to the Afghans,” he said.
Kirby, instead, said the military maintains its focus on evacuating people from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“There are no plans at this time to request or to authorize additional U.S. forces to this mission,” Kirby added later of the ongoing evacuation mission. He said the Pentagon is still “trying” to meet the Aug. 31 deadline for a full military withdrawal.
Aug 23, 11:27 am
Pentagon: 16K evacuated in 24 hours
In a Pentagon briefing Monday, Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, deputy director of Joint Staff regional operations, said that 16,000 evacuees have been flown out of Kabul since Sunday.
“Within the last 24 hours, 25 U.S. military C-17, three U.S. military C-130s and then a combination of 61 charter commercial and other military flights departed Kabul,” Taylor said, reminding that six commercial airlines have joined the Defense Department’s evacuation mission.
Of the 16,000 evacuees, Taylor said the military transported just under 11,000. He said the use of temporary safe haven locations across Europe and the Middle East to house Afghans, from Qatar to Spain, is a “testament to the importance of our alliances and our partnerships.”
NEW: In last 24 hours, dozens of flights departed Kabul, Afghanistan, carrying 16,000 passengers, Pentagon spokesperson says; U.S. military transported just under 11,000.
In the U.S., he said four military installations, as well as Dulles International Airport, are now receiving Afghans as they come into the country. The installations include Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Lee in Virginia, Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey and Fort Bliss in Texas.
While Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the U.S. has evacuated “several thousand” Americans, he declined to give a more accurate approximation when pressed, saying the number is “very fluid” and “literally changes nearly by the hour.”
Aug 23, 10:37 am US confirms member of Afghan forces killed
United States Central Command has confirmed one member of the Afghan security forces was killed overnight in a firefight.
“No U.S. or coalition forces were hurt during a brief exchange of gunfire last night outside the north gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The incident appeared to begin when an unknown hostile actor fired upon Afghan security forces involved in monitoring access to the gate. The Afghans returned fire, and in keeping with their right of self-defense, so too did U.S. and coalition troops,” said Navy Capt. William Urban, U.S. CENTCOM spokesperson, in a statement.
“One member of the Afghan forces was killed by the hostile actor; several Afghans were wounded during the exchange. The wounded are being treated at an airfield hospital and are reported to be in stable condition,” he said. “Our condolences go out to the teammates and loved ones of the fallen Afghan soldier.”
The German military announced earlier on Twitter that one Afghan soldier was killed and three others were wounded at the airport in Kabul.
Aug 23, 9:58 am Taliban holds 1st loya jirga since returning to power
The Taliban is holding its first-ever loya jirga, or “grand council” in Pashto, since taking back control of Afghanistan, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News.
The event is taking place at the Kabul Polytechnic University in Afghanistan’s capital on Monday.
The purpose of the loya jirga is to hold consultations with religious scholars, and the source said three issues are under consideration: the teaching style in Afghan schools; whether help from the Taliban’s ulema, a body of Muslim scholars, is needed to avoid a mass exodus of Afghans; and how to encourage the country’s younger generation to work, including women.
Aug 23, 7:44 am
Some 16,300 people evacuated from Kabul in past 24 hours
The United States has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 37,000 people from Kabul since Aug. 14 when the Taliban closed in on Afghanistan’s capital, according to a White House official.
In a 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, 28 U.S. military flights evacuated approximately 10,400 people from Kabul. Another 5,900 people were evacuated via 61 coalition aircraft.
Since the end of July, the U.S. has relocated approximately 42,000 people from Kabul, the White House official said.
Aug 23, 5:28 am
Taliban warns of ‘consequences’ if Biden extends withdrawal deadline: ‘It’s a red line’
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News that Aug. 31, the date Biden has set for completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, is a “red line” and extending it would “provoke a reaction.”
The U.S. president said Sunday he would not rule out extending the withdrawal deadline beyond Aug. 31, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly expected to urge Biden for an extension. But the Taliban spokesman warned “there would be consequences.”
“President Biden announced that on the 31st of August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it, that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that,” Shaheen said in a recent interview with Sky News. “I think it will deteriorate the relation that will create mistrust between us.”
Aug 23, 5:05 am
At least 1 killed, 3 wounded in gunfight at Kabul airport
One Afghan soldier was killed and three others were wounded in a shootout with unidentified attackers at the international airport in Kabul on Monday morning, the German military announced via Twitter.
Both German and American forces returned fire when the shooting erupted at the north gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport. No German soldiers were hurt in the exchange, according to the German military.
The U.S. military is aware of an incident at one of the gates, a defense official told ABC News.
The deadly gun battle occurred as the United States and other Western nations oversaw the evacuation of thousands of Afghan nationals and foreigners desperate to flee the Taliban-controlled country.
Aug 22, 10:48 pm
Southwest to begin domestic refugee flights
Joining other international airlines like United, Delta and American, Southwest Airlines announced Sunday that it will work with the Department of Defense to help transport domestic refugees from Afghanistan.
“We are proud to support our military’s critical humanitarian airlift mission, and we are grateful to our Employees for demonstrating an eagerness to support these military efforts, once again displaying their true Southwest Heart,” the company said in a statement Sunday.
Southwest said it plans to operate four of these types of flights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
“Of course, the Southwest Team stands ready to provide additional support to the Department of Defense, if needed,” the company said.
Aug 22, 5:34 pm
Biden again defends decision to withdraw
The president pushed back against critics who questioned his timing about pulling American forces from Afghanistan.
Biden reiterated that the 20-year war has already left 2,448 Americans dead and 20,722 wounded and cost $300 million a day.
“Either increase the number of forces we keep there and keep that going, or I end the war. I decided to end the war,” he said.
The president stressed that America will remain vigilant against overseas terrorists.
“So the question is, when is the right time to leave? Where are our national interests? Where do they lie?” Biden asked.
Vanessa Bryantposted to social media a touching tribute to her late husband, Kobe, on Monday, which would have been his 43rd birthday.
In a note accompanying a photo of her and the late basketball legend kissing, Vanessa wrote, “Happy birthday, Papi,” and, in Spanish, “I love you forever” and “eternal love,” next to a broken-heart emoji and the number 43.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a January 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that also took the lives of fellow passengers Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester and Christina Mauser, as well as pilot Ara Zobayan.
In February of this year, the National Transportation Safety Board primarily blamed Zobayan for the deadly crash, which occurred when he got disoriented in poor flying conditions. The agency also faulted Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, for poor oversight of pilot review and other safety matters.
After an amazing 57 years, Grammy winners Kool & the Gang are not allowing the recent passing of two of their founding members stop the band.
Ronald Bell, the primary composer and producer behind many of their iconic hits, including their global anthem “Celebration,” died September 9, 2020, at the age of 68, while saxophonist Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas passed away last month at age 70.
“It’s kinda heavy losing my brother last year, Dee Tee this year, and the whole COVID thing,” band leader Robert “Kool” Bell tells Grammy.com. “We’re trying to get through it and trying to move forward. Our dates are starting to come back.”
Kool & the Gang recently performed on a European mini-tour, and reopened the Hollywood Bowl with sold-out concerts on July 3 and 4.
The group released their first new album in eight years, Perfect Union, on Friday, inspired by President Joe Biden‘s campaign slogan of the same name.
Kool says Ronald was the driving force behind the project.
“My brother basically did most of the album and got us back into the studio before I lost him last year, but it’s good to be back out there,” he comments. “When Biden was running for president, he played ‘Celebration.’ When he won, ‘Celebration’ was one of the most-played songs around the world.”
Bell adds that his brother came up with the album’s first single, “Pursuit of Happiness,” which has a theme of peace and harmony.
“When Biden was making his speech for his nomination, he went into the Constitution and spoke about the pursuit of happiness and a perfect union,” Kool notes. “We have some dance stuff on the album, but this project is about pushing for world peace and people coming together.”
(CALIFORNIA) — The California ride-hailing driver suing over the controversial Proposition 22 law said he can “breathe a little easier” after a judge ruled it unconstitutional, but an ongoing legal battle still looms as industry giants ready an appeal.
Proposition 22 — a ballot measure backed by Uber, Lyft and others — defines rideshare and related gig workers as independent contractors instead of employees, a distinction providing them less labor protections under state law.
Corporations spent more than $200 million in support of the measure, according to The Associated Press. Proposition 22 was approved by California voters last November, winning 58% of the vote.
Last Friday, however, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional and unenforceable after a lawsuit was brought forth by three drivers and the Service Employees International Union.
“The court ruling isn’t just about us drivers or Uber or Lyft,” Hector Castellanos, a full-time rideshare driver and one of the plaintiffs on the suit, told reporters during a call organized by the SEIU on Monday. “To me, it also means that corporations can’t spend their way out of following the law.”
“There’s a lot to celebrate, and now I feel like I can breathe a little easier,” Castellanos added. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to describe how much this means to me. But one thing for sure is that I’m excited to share this news with more drivers and continuing to speak out and to stand up for our rights.”
Fellow rideshare driver and plaintiff Michael Robinson added that he feels “relieved.”
“Prop 22 was deceptively written by gig corporations to protect their profits,” Robinson said during a press conference organized by the SEIU in California. “I want others to remember that and the court’s ruling as these same gig corporations try to take copy-cat laws on the road.”
“I’m happy that the court sided with drivers, but the fight is far from over,” Robinson said. “We’re going to keep putting a spotlight on how the gig corporations are putting their profits above their workers.”
“We won’t stop until we’re treated with the dignity and respect we deserve,” he added.
Cherri Murphy, a rideshare driver from Oakland, California, told ABC News Monday that she worked at Lyft for three years before she stopped as the pandemic hit last spring because she was worried about risking her and her family’s exposure to the virus. She still works as an organizer fighting for the rights of rideshare drivers in the state.
“This court ruling that Proposition 22 is unconstitutional is a major victory to all drivers across California,” she told ABC News Monday. “What it indicates is that this fight is not over, and it’s a major step of building a more powerful movement for protecting app-based drivers.”
Murphy said the law “disproportionately hurt African Americans, people of color, immigrants and low-wage workers,” and dubbed it a “corporate power grab.”
Lyft referred ABC News’ request for comment to Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for a group dubbed the Protect App-Based Drivers & Services Coalition that is backed by Uber, Lyft and others and was a defendant in the SEIU suit.
“We believe the judge made a serious error by ignoring a century’s worth of case law requiring the courts to guard the voters’ right of initiative,” Vetter said in a statement. “This outrageous decision is an affront to the overwhelming majority of California voters who passed Prop 22.”
“We will file an immediate appeal and are confident the Appellate Court will uphold Prop 22,” Vetter added. “Importantly, this Superior Court ruling is not binding and will be immediately stayed upon our appeal. All of the provisions of Prop 22 will remain in effect until the appeal process is complete.”
Vetter also shared a comment from Jim Pyatt, a California app-based rideshare driver who supported Proposition 22.
“This ruling is wrong and disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of app-based rideshare and delivery drivers like me who actively supported Prop 22,” Pyatt stated.
“It’s clear that the special interests behind this frivolous challenge are attacking the overwhelming will of the voters and the decisive wishes of drivers who fought to remain independent,” he added.
An Uber spokesperson told ABC News that it plans to appeal, and that the measure will remain in effect pending the appeal.
“This ruling ignores the will of the overwhelming majority of California voters and defies both logic and the law. You don’t have to take our word for it: California’s Attorney General strongly defended Proposition 22’s constitutionality in this very case,” company spokesperson Noah Edwardsen said in a statement.
“We will appeal and we expect to win,” Edwardsen added. “Meanwhile, Prop. 22 remains in effect, including all of the protections and benefits it provides independent workers across the state.”
Murphy told ABC News that Uber’s announcement does not come as a surprise.
“It doesn’t surprise me but yet it disappoints me,” Murphy said.
Scott Kronland, an attorney representing the SEIU in the suit, said during a call with reports Monday that Judge Roesch’s ruling is “solid” and “well-reasoned.”
“There were several ways in which the drafters of the initiative overreached and included provisions that conflict with our state constitution, which is the higher law, and therefore we expect that the ruling will be upheld on appeal,” Kronland said.
Alma Hernandez, the executive director of the SEIU California, added that she hopes the judge’s ruling will send a “clear” message to states elsewhere that try to enact similar legislation.
“When you’re going to try to go to the ballot to purchase your own law to deny workers basic rights, there will be a fight, and the law will be continued to be upheld by our courts,” Hernandez said.
“I know that this is a national agenda that these companies have tried to run across the country, and they’re trying to mimic Prop. 22 across in other states, but it serves as a warning that these fights will be challenged,” she added. “And they are not on the right side of history.”
Corey Taylor is encouraging all his fans to get vaccinated as he recovers from a battle with COVID-19.
The Slipknot frontman revealed that he tested positive for the virus last Friday, a day after he finished a solo tour. In a new video message posted Monday afternoon, Taylor shares that he’s feeling much better — his fever’s broken, and he no longer feels body aches — and credits being fully vaccinated for helping him in his recovery.
“This is the worst I’ve ever been sick in my life,” Taylor says. “Had I not been vaccinated, I shudder to think how bad it would have been. But because I had that extra little bit of protection, man, it definitely helped me get through it.”
To those who are “still on the fence” about getting the jab, Taylor has one piece of advice: “Go, go, go.”
“If you’re still on the fence, I’m telling you right now, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself,” he says.
Just a little update on how I’m recovering. Thanks so much to everyone who sent their best wishes and to friends and family who reached out. pic.twitter.com/haWwWZbdN3
(NEW YORK) — When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 16 and older Monday, it did so with a warning to parents and medical providers.
The vaccine — the first covid-19 vaccine to transition from an emergency authorization status to full FDA approval — should not be given to young children as off-label use, according to FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock.
“We do not have data on the proper dose, nor do we have the full data on the safety in children younger than what is in the EUA, and so that would be a great concern that people would vaccinate children,” Woodcock said. “We are not recommending that children younger than age 12 be vaccinated with this vaccine, it would not be appropriate.”
“They are not just small adults,” she said of kids. “And we’ve learned that time and time again and so we really would have to have the data and the appropriate dose before recommending that children be vaccinated.”
Dr. Robert Frenck, lead investigator of the COVID-19 vaccine trials at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, emphasized that clinical testing has not yet been done in 5 to 12-year-olds.
It’s likely that young children ages 5 to 12 will get a smaller vaccine dose. That’s not only because children are smaller, but also because they tend to have stronger immune responses than adults, Frenck said.
“In kids 5-12, we found that 10 micrograms, so one-third of the [adult] dose, gives you the same immune response,” Frenck said. “If they give it off label, and they give the 30 mg, I think they’re going to have kids in the 5 to 12-year-olds that are going to have a lot more reactogenicity. That means they’re going to have kids with fevers, headaches, and they’re going to feel bad.”
“As scientists we want to know,” Frenck said. “You don’t want to guess.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also urged caution, noting that while it is now “legally permissible” for doctors to administer the vaccine off-label for kids ages 11 and younger, the AAP “strongly discourages that practice.”
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for use in children ages 12 to 15 in May by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The two other COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are currently available for anyone 18 years and older in the U.S. Moderna filed for emergency use authorization with the FDA for its vaccine in adolescents in June but is still awaiting a decision.
Here is what parents may want to know about the COVID-19 vaccines and kids to help them make 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?
Pfizer has said it will submit vaccine safety data on 5- to 11-year-olds by the end of September. Moderna has said it will do so in the middle of the fall. It will then be up to the FDA on how quickly it grants the authorization.
In general, federal and industry officials said they expect the first vaccine shots for children ages 5-11 could happen by the end of this year or early 2022. Timing on a vaccine for children younger than 5 is less certain, but officials have said they hope a green-light for toddlers and infants will follow soon after.
Clinical trials are however still ongoing, and the FDA has signaled it wants to expand the pool of children signed up as volunteers. A larger pool of volunteers makes it more likely that even the rarest of side effects could be detected before it rolls out nationwide.
3. Why do kids need to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
While 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 just as importantly, they can transmit the virus to adults.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reported this week that children now make up 22.4% of all new weekly cases, and over 3.7 million children have been diagnosed during the pandemic.
“There are really two big reasons why kids need to get the vaccine,” explained Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent.
“One of them is that it is possible that they could be infected and then unknowingly pass COVID-19 to someone with a serious or underlying, pre-existing medical condition,” she said. “And also, though it’s very uncommon and unlikely, it is still possible that children infected with COVID-19 could become seriously ill or worse. We have seen that.”
“It’s important to think in ripple effects, outside the box,” Ashton added. “It’s not just your home environment that you need to worry about.”
4. Will kids experience the same vaccine side effects as adults?
Adolescents experienced a similar range of side effects 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 at a press briefing announcing Pfizer’s authorization.
“Based on all this available information, the FDA determined the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has met all of the criteria required to amend the EUA, which concluded that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine in individuals 12 years of age and older outweigh the vaccines known and potential risks,” Marks said.
Marks encouraged parents who were hesitant to vaccinate their children to speak with their pediatricians, urging confidence in the trial and data.
Moderna said its COVID-19 study with teens ages 12 to under 18 identified no “significant safety concerns.” The most common side effects from the vaccine were injection site pain, headache, fatigue, muscle pain and chills, according to the company.
The FDA will scrutinize Moderna’s clinical data before authorizing the use in anyone under 18.
5. Have there been any vaccine side effects for teens and young adults?
There have been more than 300 confirmed cases of heart inflammation in teens and young adults who have received COVID-19 vaccines, but the nation’s leading health experts say the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines remain safe for use.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on “Good Morning America” in June the benefits of the vaccine for young people “overwhelmingly outweigh the risk,” echoing the findings of researchers at a CDC advisory committee meeting this week on vaccines.
Out of more than 26 million doses given to young people, the CDC has so far confirmed 323 cases of heart inflammation, called myocarditis or pericarditis, and is still monitoring more cases. Of the confirmed cases, the vast majority were temporary and resolved with monitoring and treatment.
“To put this in perspective, if we have a group of 12 to 17-year-olds who we’re working to vaccinate over the next four months and can vaccinate 1 million of them, which would be great strides, over the next four months we could expect 30 to 40 of these mild self-limited cases of myocarditis,” Walensky said on “GMA.” “And for that, if we were to vaccinate all 1 million we would avert 8,000 cases of COVID, 200 hospitalizations, 50 ICU stays and one death.”
The rare instances of heart inflammation occurred about 12.6 times out of every million second dose administered and were mostly among younger males about a week after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to researchers at the CDC advisory committee.
Regulators at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they are preparing a warning to go along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to make young people aware of the very rare risk.
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 over 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.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in children ages 12 to under 18, the company said last month, in announcing results of their latest clinical trials.
In addition to its efficacy, the vaccine showed “no significant safety concerns” in the trial of more than 3,700 adolescent participants, according to Moderna.
7. Will kids get the same dose of the vaccines as adults?
The FDA has authorized the same dosing for 12- to 15-year-olds as adults with the Pfizer two-dose vaccine.
Pfizer is currently testing smaller doses of the vaccine in children ages 11 and under.
8. Could COVID-19 vaccines impact puberty, menstruation?
There is currently no clinical evidence to suggest the vaccines can have long-term effects on puberty or fertility, according to Ashton, a practicing, board-certified OBGYN.
Ashton noted that while there has been anecdotal discussion of the emotional event of finally receiving the vaccine temporarily impacting menstruation for adult women, the idea of the cause being from the vaccine itself “defies science and biology.”
It is really important to understand basic biology here,” Ashton said. “Women can have changes in their menstrual cycle and also have gotten the vaccine, that does not mean that one caused the other.”
“Right now there is no puberty concern. There is no fertility concern,” she added.
9. Will the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine be available for kids?
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.
10. Will COVID-19 vaccines be required by schools?
It will be up to each state’s government to decide whether a COVID-19 vaccine is required for school entry. Many colleges and universities in the U.S. have announced they will require students to be vaccinated from COVID-19.
Taraji P. Henson‘s Facebook Watch series, Peace of Mind with Taraji, is coming back for a second season.
Facebook Watch announced on Monday that Henson’s Daytime Emmy-nominated series, which focuses on mental health, is officially getting a new season with 10 episodes. Co-hosted by Henson and her best friend Tracie Jade, the series debuted in December 2020 and helped to shine a light on the “challenging mental health issues facing us today — especially those in the Black community.” Season two production of Peace of Mind with Taraji has already begun in Los Angeles. The new season will debut later this year on Facebook Watch.
In other news, HBO has revealed that the fifth and final season of Issa Rae‘s hit comedy, Insecure, will premiere in October. Although an official release date has yet to be announced, it was previously reported that filming for the final season had wrapped back in June.
Finally, it appears that Nicole Ari Parker may be the new Samantha Jones in the upcoming Sex and the City revival And Just Like That… According to The Guardian, Parker will reportedly replace Kim Cattrall as the fourth member of the New York friend group. The report comes after fans lashed out about the reboot without Cattral in her signature role as Samantha. Parker is said to play Carrie’s new best friend, documentarian Lisa Todd Wexley. As previously reported, three of the original show’s four main stars — Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — are all set to return to the series.
Even though the show started shooting in July, the Sex and the City follow-up …And Just Like That will be coming to HBO Max before the year’s out.
HBO Max has announced the series, starring and executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis, will debut this fall. There’s no firm date yet, but the streaming service dropped …And Just Like That into its newly released fall schedule.
…And Just Like That also stars returning SATC stars Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, Evan Handler and David Eigenberg. as well as Grey’s Anatomy‘s Sara Ramirez and Empire‘s Nicole Ari Parker, the latter of whom it’s speculated will replace Kim Catrall‘s Samantha Jones, albeit playing a new character.
