CDC says just 2% of Americans received new COVID vaccine. Pfizer undergoes $3.5 billion in cost-cutting measures as sales for COVID-19 products plummet.



Only 2% of Americans have gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The updated COVID vaccine created to provide more protection against current coronavirus variants circulating was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 11, 2023.

"The approval of Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2023-2024 Formula) was granted to BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH. The EUA amendment for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula) was issued to Pfizer Inc," the FDA stated. "The approval of Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2023-2024 Formula) was granted to ModernaTX Inc. and the EUA amendment for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula) was issued to ModernaTX Inc."

The next day, the CDC recommended that every U.S. citizen over the age of six months get the updated COVID vaccine manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

President Joe Biden added the same day, "I encourage all Americans to stay up-to-date on their vaccines."

The CDC urged, "If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter."

Despite the push by the government to get the new shots in the arms of Americans, just about 2% of U.S. citizens have opted to get the new booster vaccine.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed that 7 million Americans received the latest updated COVID vaccine – roughly 2% of the United States population.

CNN reported, "In comparison, when last year’s bivalent COVID-19 booster was available, more than 18 million people had received a dose by October 12, 2022, about six weeks after the CDC signed off on it, according to CDC data. By May, about 56.5 million people had received that booster, representing about 17% of the U.S. population."

The vaccination rates for the booster shots are severely lagging compared to previous iterations of the mRNA vaccine aimed at targeting COVID.

According to CDC data, over 92% of U.S. adults received the first COVID vaccine that rolled out in December 2020. Those who got the second mRNA vaccine dropped to 79%, and a mere 20% of Americans received the bivalent COVID booster.

An HHS spokesperson said, "COVID-19 vaccine distribution, which has shifted to the private market, is a lot different than it was last year when the government was distributing them. The Biden-Harris Administration, through HHS, has been working directly with manufacturers and distributors to ensure that the vaccines are getting to pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, pediatricians, and other vaccination sites, including long-term care facilities."

Despite the switch to private distribution, the HHS boasted that pharmacies and other locations have already received nearly 14 million vaccines, and that "91% of Americans 12 years and older can access the vaccine within 5 miles of where they live."

Most Americans can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine through health insurance, local health centers, and pharmacies participating in the CDC's Bridge Access Program.

On Friday, Pfizer announced that the pharmaceutical behemoth would have to cut $3.5 billion in costs due to rapidly deteriorating profits from COVID-19 products.

"Pfizer also announced that it now anticipates full-year 2023 revenues to be in the range of $58.0 to $61.0 billion, versus its previous guidance range of $67.0 to $70.0 billion solely due to its COVID products," the statement read. "Full-year 2023 revenues for Paxlovid and Comirnaty are expected to be approximately $12.5 billion, a decline of $9.0 billion versus original expectations."

Pfizer revealed that has already launched a "multi-year, enterprise-wide cost realignment program that will realign its costs with its longer-term revenue expectations." Pfizer said the cost-cutting measures will save the pharmaceutical company at least $3.5 billion – $1 billion in 2023 and $2.5 billion in 2024.

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Loudon County Health Department says Virginia pharmacy administered adult COVID vaccine dosage to 112 children ages 5-11



The Loudon County Health Department barred a Virginia pharmacy from the state's vaccination program after it reportedly administered the incorrect COVID-19 dosage to at least 112 young children last week. The Ted Pharmacy in Aldie, Virginia, allegedly "incorrectly administered" partial doses of adult COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, "Adolescents ages 12 years and older receive the same dosage of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as adults."

The CDC notes, "The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 years has the same active ingredients as the vaccine given to adults and adolescents. However, children ages 5 through 11 years cannot get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine given to adults and adolescents."

"In addition, children ages 5 through 11 years receive an age-appropriate dose that is one-third of the adult dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine," the health agency explains. "Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are also used for children ages 5 through 11 years."

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are contained in color-coded vials to distinguish between vaccines intended for 5 to 11-year-olds and those 12 and older. The vaccine mix-up was exposed by an eagle-eyed mother who knew the differences in the colors of the vials.

Dasha Hermosilla noticed that her 7-year-old daughter was getting a vaccine with a purple cap – for kids aged 12 and older. The mother knew her daughter was supposed to get a vaccine with an orange cap – designated for children ages 5-11.

Hermosilla told WRC-TV, "I had this pit in my stomach like, what did they just do to my daughter?"

The mother reportedly confronted the pharmacist about the vaccine mistake.The pharmacist allegedly told her that it was fine for her 7-year-old to receive the vaccine made for older kids.

She did an internet search and didn't see any medical information stating that the two vaccines are interchangeable.

"I would have never done this if I knew they were giving the adult reformulated vaccine. Absolutely not," Hermosilla told WTTG. "I should've pushed her to show me the vile of orange which she didn't have and then I should've left."

"There are dozens and dozens of families out there that don't even know that this is an issue," Hermosilla said.

Loudoun County Department of Health Director David Goodfriend wrote in a letter, "The pharmacy who administered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination to your child last week has been removed from both state and federal COVID-19 vaccination programs."

Goodfriend told the Washington Post, "Because they did not have the children's formulation they used the adult formulation but only gave a third of the amount to the children."

"Our understanding from Ted Pharmacy is they were trying to do a workaround, which is not authorized," Goodfriend continued. "If it doesn't all go in, or if goes into the body but doesn't go into the muscle, or you didn't draw it up exactly to the [correct] line, there's a chance you might get too little vaccine. There's also a chance it could have given too much."

Authorities confiscated the remaining amount of Ted Pharmacy's COVID-19 vaccines and ordered it to contact the families of those who had received the incorrect shots.

The board of pharmacy would not reveal to WTTG if there is an active investigation into the vaccine mistake, and would not say if the pharmacy violated any laws or regulations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 on Oct. 29. The CDC recommended children get the vaccine on Nov. 2.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra: 'It is absolutely the government's business' to know who is and isn't vaccinated against COVID-19



Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared that "it is absolutely the government's business" to know the COVID-19 vaccination status of Americans. Becerra made the proclamation on Thursday morning during an appearance on CNN's "New Day."

After President Joe Biden's administration announced it was implementing a door-to-door effort to encourage more Americans to get vaccinated, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) reacted to the news by saying, "It's NONE of the government's business knowing who has or hasn't been vaccinated."

Becerra was asked about the remark made by Biggs, and he argued that it is the government's business.

"The federal government has spent trillions of dollars to try and keep Americans alive during this pandemic," Becerra said. "So it is absolutely the government's business, it is taxpayers' business, if we have to continue to spend money to try and keep people from contracting COVID."

Becerra defended the Biden administration's plan to carry out "door-to-door outreach to get remaining Americans vaccinated."

"Knocking on a door has never been against the law, you don't have to answer," Becerra said. "But we hope you do, because if you do we can hopefully help dispel some of those rumors that you've heard and hopefully get you vaccinated."

Becerra was then asked about declining vaccination rates and the potential for implementing vaccine requirements. The HHS chief said that decision would be left up to governors, mayors, and county supervisors to "determine how best to approach people in their neighborhoods."

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar asked Becerra if the Biden administration would push for more restrictions against unvaccinated Americans, such as vaccine passports.

"We want to give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose. But we hope they choose to live," Becerra replied. "We hope people make the right choices. We want them to have the right information, but we are America. We try to give people as much freedom and choice as possible, but clearly when over 600,000 Americans have died, the best choice is to get vaccinated."

"If you want to stay alive, if you're going to contract COVID and you want to stay alive, the best chance would be if you're vaccinated," Becerra stated.

@XavierBecerra Becerra: “We want to give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose. But we hope they ch… https://t.co/aNpfCE4pay

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) 1625749328.0

President Joe Biden pushed for people to get vaccinated on Tuesday and revealed that the administration is prepared to encourage Americans to get vaccinated, even if it means knocking on their front doors.

"Now we need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes door to door— literally knocking on doors to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus," Biden said.

"It's never been easier, and it's never been more important," Biden said of getting coronavirus vaccinations. "Do it now for yourself and the people you care about, for your neighborhood, for your country. It sounds corny, but it's a patriotic thing to do."

"Look, equity, equality, it remains at the heart of our responsibility of ensuring the communities that have been hardest hit by the virus, have the information and the access to get vaccinated," Biden continued. "So, as we shift from these centralized mass vaccination sites, we're doing thousands of people a day, we're going to access close to your community, close to home, conveniently, and location you're already familiar with."

President Biden failed to meet his goal of having at least 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated by July 4. As of July 7, a total of 157,908,171 Americans had been fully vaccinated, or 47.6% of the country's population, according to the CDC's data. There are 67% who have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Biden Announces Door-to-Door Outreach to Boost Vaccinations www.youtube.com

Rachel Maddow says she needs to 'rewire' herself to not see unmasked Americans as 'threats' after new CDC guidelines



While many people were ecstatic that the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines could mean a step toward returning to a normal life, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow found an issue with the new CDC recommendation and stereotyped unmasked Americans as "threats."

"If you're vaccinated, it's OK to take off your masks now, indoors and out," Maddow said of the CDC's new coronavirus guidance, and then asked her liberal audience, "Really? Are you sure? How sure are you?"

"This is a big change," the leftwing cable host said on Thursday's "The Rachel Maddow Show." "We're going to have changing norms, and we have to give each other space to have feelings as we go through what's going to be a big change that's going to create a lot of visceral reaction in a lot of us just in our day-to-day lives. Just big day, big change."

Maddow then explained how the unmasking of fully vaccinated Americans would affect her personally.

"Part of it is that I feel like I'm going to have to rewire myself so when I see somebody out in the world who doesn't have a mask I don't instantly think, 'You are a threat,'" Maddow declared. "Or, 'You are selfish' or, 'You're a COVID denier and you definitely haven't been vaccinated.' I mean, we're going to have to rewire how we think about each other because the CDC's guidance."

"That means as we change as a country we're going to look at each other differently and unwire our preconceptions about what a mask or lack of a mask means," Maddow said.

This is a remarkable artifact of our times. https://t.co/aWgQnycBu5

— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) 1620995561.0

Maddow interviewed CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during her show, where the TV host again talked about her trepidations about the new guidelines from the health agency.

"I am very nervous about what you said today. It is hard for me to imagine myself, you know, waltzing into the Stop and Shop tomorrow morning and not wearing a mask," Maddow told Walensky. "I just feel I'm not wired that way anymore and it still feels – it still feels risky."

Walensky responded to Maddow by telling her to believe the science.

"There's an extraordinary amount of evidence now that demonstrates the vaccines are working in the real world, in cohort studies, in care facilities, across all states, that these vaccines are working the way they worked in the clinical trials," Walensky told the cable talk show host. "Importantly, there's also new data just even in the last two weeks that demonstrates these vaccines are working against the variants that we have circulating here in the United States, and also data has emerged that has demonstrated that if you are vaccinated, you are less likely, not likely to asymptomatically shed the virus and give to it others."

"So, it is this coalescing of all the evidence now that tells us really, it is safe to take off your mask," the health official said.

Maddow acknowledged, "The previous CDC guidance on where and whether Americans can safely take off their masks was honestly really confusing and hard to explain."

Maddow isn't the only MSNBC host questioning the CDC. Joy Reid previously said that she won't listen to the experts and will continue to wear two face masks while jogging despite being fully vaccinated.