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| Axios Vitals |
| By Tina Reed ·Dec 20, 2021 |
| 😎 Happy Monday, Vitals readers. Today's newsletter is 744 words, or a 3-minute read. Situational awareness: Moderna says its booster significantly raises antibodies against the Omicron variant. The company also said it is still working on a variant-specific vaccine. |
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| 1 big thing: America grapples, again, with cancellations |
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| Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios |
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| Americans are tired of COVID and don't want another round of cancellations, but they're happening anyway. Why it matters: Omicron is spreading so fast that it's forcing officials' hands, and scrambling Americans' plans just two weeks after an Axios-Ipsos poll found that most weren't interested in upending their lives to avoid the new variant. - "This virus is extraordinary. It has a doubling time of anywhere from two to three days," NIAID director Anthony Fauci told Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.
- President Biden plans to deliver remarks Tuesday on the status of the fight against COVID, including new steps the administration will be taking to help communities in need of assistance, a White House official told Axios.
Between the lines: As Americans prepare for their holiday plans, they are running into difficulty finding rapid COVID tests amid surging case rates, causing some to rethink their gatherings, the Washington Post writes. - The shortage was pretty obvious to anyone who tried to find rapid tests on pharmacy shelves this weekend — or even if they tried to order them. The CVS site declared that BinaxNOW, a common antigen self-test, is "out of stock online."
- "Testing shouldn't be just the gold ring at the end of an obstacle course," said Adriane Casalotti of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, per the Post.
What to watch: Whether Americans start canceling their holiday travel plans, and whether Biden offers any steps that can help get ahead of the coming wave of cases — including addressing the shortage of rapid tests. - And, sadly, whether the rise in Omicron cases will start leading to more hospitalizations and deaths — and whether our health care system can stand the strain.
Go deeper: I canceled my birthday party because of Omicron (The Atlantic) |
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| 2. New supply chain crisis: medical supplies |
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| Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios |
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| Between 8,000 and 12,000 shipping containers carrying medical supplies to various parts of the U.S. are on a delay of up to 37 days due to ongoing transportation congestion, according to new data from the Health Industry Distributors' Association. Why it matters: Per their projections, medical supplies arriving at a U.S. port on Christmas Day won't be delivered to hospitals and other care settings until February 2022. That could delay critical supplies at a time when health care is already expected to most need them due to surges from Delta and Omicron. Details: The supply chain problems can compound, starting with medical supplies languishing in U.S. ports for an average of 17 days, officials said. - HIDA research also shows containers with medical supplies are delayed an average of 11 days by rail, and nine days by truck.
- The top five ports with congestion issues are Los Angeles/Long Beach; Savannah, Georgia; New York/New Jersey; Charleston, South Carolina and Seattle.
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| 3. Data du jour: COVID vs. flu |
 Data: CDC; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios While the seasonal flu can be life-threatening, it paled in comparison to the overall numbers of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. over the last two years, Axios' Danielle Alberti reports in her latest data visualization. Yes, but: Experts warn about the dual threat from COVID surges and influenza, and say the flu season could be tough because this year's flu shot appears to be poorly matched to the flu strains circulating this season. - "From our lab-based studies it looks like a major mismatch," Scott Hensley, a University of Pennsylvania microbiology professor and lead author of the study, told CNN.
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| A message from Axios |
| The podcast to power your day. |
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| Every weekday, host Niala Boodhoo catches you up quick on the latest news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else. In 10 minutes, you'll hear the latest in everything from health care policy to space to race and justice. Listen now for free. |
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| 4. 1 big number: The vaccine's savings |
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| Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios |
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| The COVID-19 vaccine generated economic savings of $438 billion — equal to 2.3% in real gross domestic product — this year, Axios' Worth Sparkman writes. The big picture: Even though only 61% of the U.S. is fully vaccinated, the vaccine's widespread adoption reduced the overall burden on the health care system and kept much of the workforce well enough to stay productive, the report said. - The speed of the vaccine's development and distribution may be a proof of concept for future innovations from public-private partnerships in health care and other industries that require major research investments.
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| 5. While you were weekending |
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| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
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- Don't panic about Omicron. But don't be indifferent, either. (The Atlantic)
- Outgoing NIH director says Trump and other Republicans pressured him to endorse unproven COVID-19 remedies. (CNN)
- Carbon monoxide from generators poisons thousands of people a year. The U.S. has failed to force safety changes. (ProPublica)
- Data breaches reported so far this year have surpassed full-year 2020. (Modern Healthcare)
- A life-sustaining heart pump was taken off the market after years of problems and FDA inaction. (ProPublica)
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| A message from Axios |
| The podcast to power your day. |
| |
| |
| |
| Every weekday, host Niala Boodhoo catches you up quick on the latest news and interesting stories you won't hear anywhere else. In 10 minutes, you'll hear the latest in everything from health care policy to space to race and justice. Listen now for free. |
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