The FDA now authorizes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine get a booster dose after five months. This announcement from federal agencies comes just three days after the announcement of a shortened wait time for a booster from six months to five months for individuals who received the Pfizer vaccine.
On September 15, I wrote a column responding to President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new federal mandate that large employers, federal contractors, and certain other business establishments require their employees either to be vaccinated or to undergo frequent COVID-19 testing.
Children ages 5 to 11 can now receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children in this age group, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all children 5–11 get the vaccine to protect against serious illness and help keep them healthy.
I got the COVID-19 vaccine shortly after it became publicly available. I did so because I was persuaded that the benefits of vaccination far outweighed the risk.
"We know that keeping kids learning in the classroom is the most important thing for our students right now. Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public indoor settings and following the science is what we need to do," said Governor Cooper. "The faster we put this pandemic behind us, the sooner we can all rest easy and stay healthy."
Public health officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are urging North Carolinians to protect themselves, their families and those around them by getting vaccinated against Influenza as the state enters flu season while experiencing a surge of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant.
Climbing COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina have energized the campaign for renewed mask mandates. The rules have also sparked protests from some who view it as a threat to personal liberty and dispute the efficacy of masking toward mitigating the spread of coronavirus.
Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 229. The Executive Order extends several provisions outlined in Executive Order 224 that direct the State Health Director to issue statewide standing orders for testing and vaccination. Additionally, this Order directs cabinet agencies to implement the COVID-19 vaccination and testing policy developed by the North Carolina Office of Human Resources (OSHR).
Governor Roy Cooper visited Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro to thank the owner, Gabe Barker, and employees for their work to help protect staff, patrons and the community. The restaurant requires customers to show their vaccine card or a photo to dine indoors.
North Carolina experienced the largest single day jump in hospital ICU admissions since the beginning of the pandemic. Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations among people ages 20-49 are at an all-time high.