Tanya Hart speaks with Gabrielle Union-Wade about her “Vaccinate Your Family” campaign. Be safe for the holidays!
Kids 5 to 11 Eligible for COVID Vaccine
28 million children are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID vaccine. President Biden touted the advancement towards ending the pandemic, and urged skeptical parents to discuss vaccines with family and friends.
In a separate teleconference, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky insisted the vaccine is safe and effective for children.
Data on the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric #COVID19 vaccine showed no cases of severe side effects in children ages 5-11. It is safe and over 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting our younger kids vaccinated is crucial to preventing spread of the virus. https://t.co/ObNAnzU7Gv https://t.co/OnEjaAu0rl
— Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) November 4, 2021
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
Washington, DC’s Fight Against Hunger
Washington’s long-standing battle with food insecurity was only exacerbated by the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City’s plan of attack has included SNAP benefits, funding for Black and Latinx-owned food businesses, and partnerships between the DC Food Policy Council local non-profits. Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged $5 million to improve food access.
Two years after the pandemic began, their efforts have only scratched the surface as food-based non-profit organizations like Dreaming Out Loud and Martha’s Table have continued to see demand grow.
Click ▶️ to listen to Olivia Green’s AURN News report:
Open Season Has Begun With Thriving Businesses and New World Regulation
Two years ago; outbreak in Covid-19 rocked the world and left it at a standstill. Since then, everything slowly began to return back to normal as the world opened back up for business. Here in Jackson, MS they have begun to open back up by welcoming in the 162nd Mississippi State Fair, with new regulations and protocols. This has also opened up a plethora of black owned businesses.
See here, as we gain the inside scoop of a newly young black owner Patrick Bridges.
The Mississippi State Fair was founded in with attendance now averaging over 600,000 annually. COVID-19 safety protocols have included properly spaced venues and a routine sanitation of highly touched areas. The fair does not require masks but ask those who have exhibited COVID-19 like symptoms within the past two weeks to stay at home.
The commissioner of agriculture and commerce, Andy Gipson said in a statement that, “the CDC (Centers for disease control and prevention) advises that people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness from coronavirus.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and utilize the guidance of the Mississippi State department of health and CDC. The Mississippi State Fairgrounds wants to make sure your visit to the state fair is a memorable and safe experience. I hope to see you there,” said Gipson.
Local business is welcoming the return of the Mississippi State Fair.
Entrepreneur and Jackson State University senior Patrick Bridges hopes to prove that ownership is within us as Black people, so why not start by owning and selling back in predominantly Black communities.
“I know that Covid has taken over most of our livelihood, but that should not stop us from making bigger moves,” said Bridges. “With the Mississippi State Fair being around, hopefully people can see that the business here in Mississippi is booming with real estate, restaurants and more.”
Visit the Mississippi State Fair website for more info.
Pfizer, BioNTech Submit COVID Vaccine Data To FDA For Kids 5-11
Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted data to the FDA from trials of nearly 2300 participants aged 5-11.
Dr. Anthony Fauci suggests pending FDA approval, children will be eligible for COVID vaccines by the end of October.
What can we expect next for the fourth quarter? Listen to Ebony McMorris’ report.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
It’s official: We have submitted initial data from the pivotal trial of our COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to under 12 years of age to the @US_FDA: https://t.co/XORlEFksAs
— AlbertBourla (@AlbertBourla) September 28, 2021
Americans Seeking COVID Boosters Despite New Recommendations
There was a huge expectation for COVID boosters to be rolled out to the public this week. However, neither the CDC nor the FDA are making such recommendations. But this is not stopping many Americans from seeking a third vaccine dose.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning against a third dose and following CDC recommendations and FDA approval given new data on a weekly basis.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
An unvaccinated person is 17x more likely to be hospitalized with #COVID19 than someone who is fully vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccines can protect you from being hospitalized and could help alleviate the burden on our very strained healthcare system. https://t.co/bfOV5VzBpq https://t.co/4fy2xDSIyN
— Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) September 20, 2021
On The Record #132: Ebony McMorris with CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky
Ebony McMorris interviews Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on the Delta variant ravaging much of the southern United States.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s On the Record podcast:
NEW Data from @CDCMMWR:
— Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) August 18, 2021
1️⃣ Vaccine-induced protection against the virus that causes #COVID19 decreases over time.
2️⃣ Vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization & death remains relatively high.
3️⃣ Vaccine effectiveness decreases against #DeltaVariant. https://t.co/jydo1BA9cj
Supreme Court Partially Overturns Eviction Moratorium
The Supreme Court has overturned part of a New York eviction moratorium, allowing evictions to resume and putting the onus on renters to prove pandemic hardship in court.
The move has been applauded by some as a win for small landlords who were denied access to their property and were unable to collect rent for 17 months. New York City leads the nation in renters behind on payments with back rent now totaling $3.2 billion dollars.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
Labor Secretary Walsh: Equity and Inclusion are Priorities of Biden Jobs Plan
The May labor report saw a decrease in unemployment from 6.1% to 5.8%. However, unemployment in the African American community remains at 9.1%.
Ebony McMorris asked Labor Secretary Marty Walsh what the Biden Administration plans for communities of color. Secretary Walks says President Biden has made equity a priority in his jobs plan, including signing an executive order to ensure all cabinets are focused on equity and opportunities for Black Americans.
.@POTUS‘ plan to invest $30 billion in small business initiatives will reduce barriers to small business ownership for people of color.
— Secretary Marty Walsh (@SecMartyWalsh) June 8, 2021
Helping more POC realize their entrepreneurial dreams is a step towards reducing the racial wealth gap and building an inclusive economy.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
Disappointing May Job Numbers
Disappointing May jobs numbers show the US added 599,000 jobs, below the 670,000 expected by analysts. This on the heels of low April jobs numbers which yielded 266,000 despite predictions of 1,000,000.
There is some good news as the unemployment rate ticked down to from 6.1% to 5.8%. Employers blame stimulus payments for their struggle to fill millions of job vacancies. Employees continue to grapple with child care and concern over the coronavirus.
Another round of stimulus payments will likely not happen as the Biden Administration continues to push bipartisanship for a jobs plan and a family plan.
Today’s jobs report:
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 4, 2021
-559k jobs added in May
-A record 2 million jobs created in our 1st 4 months
-Lowest unemployment rate since the start of COVID
-Fastest drop in long-term unemployment in a decade
We’re making historic progress for workers, small businesses, and our economy.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report:
New CDC Mask Mandate Creates Debate and Confusion
This was the first weekend Americans were given the green light from the CDC to go without a mask if they were fully vaccinated.
Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University School of Public Health, appeared on ABC Good Morning America recommended waiting to lift the new guidelines until more Americans are vaccinated.
I think states should hold until 6/15 to lift indoor mask mandates
— Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) May 17, 2021
Why?
Is it because fully vaccinated folks are at risk if they go maskless?
No
Do vaccinated people spread the virus? Not really
So why? and why 6/15?
Mainly because of when vaccines became available
thread
Dr. Anthony Fauci agreed with the new updates and said the CDC is trying to keep up with new data.
Click ▶️ to listen to Ebony McMorris’s AURN News report: