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https://www.vicnews.com/news/b-c-deletes-tweet-asking-people-to-share-names-of-unvaccinated-friends-family/

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https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/7157641-Exclusive-to-the-News-Tribune-The-unvaccinated-are-burning-out-our-health-care-workers

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For days now, vaccinated Americans have been trying to come to terms with the new advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the rapidly spreading Delta variant and a spike of Covid cases in states with high populations of unvaccinated people. Officials encouraged everyone in high-risk areas to start wearing masks in public indoor spaces again and recommended that all teachers and students wear masks in schools.

It's difficult not to be angry at the irresponsible behavior of those who got us here. For parents with children with health problems or who are too young to be vaccinated (or both), it's doubly infuriating.

My daughter, Layla, was born three months early because of a life-threatening disorder called HELLP syndrome I developed during pregnancy. She weighed just two pounds at birth. She spent the first months of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit and her first years being shuttled to and from emergency rooms and specialists because her lungs didn't have a chance to fully develop.

I've seen my child be intubated. I've had her turn blue in my arms - more than once. I've watched nurses revive her.

While some parents worried about getting enough sleep or diaper changes, I was wondering when Layla's central line IV would be taken out or whether she managed to digest any of the milk they gave her through the feeding tube in her nose. To be able to take your health for granted is a privilege.

As I've watched the Delta variant spread, I've thought back to Layla's early years and about my lingering uncertainty for her continued health. I am not alone. There are parents across the country right now who are terrified that their sick children will contract Covid-19 and a cascade of illnesses will overtake them.

This is not a fear that ever fully goes away, even if or when your child recovers. When you have seen your child seriously ill, there is a part of your brain that believes he or she can be taken from you at any time - because you've seen it almost happen.

My family lives in New York City, where over 70 percent of adults have gotten at least one dose and over 65 percent are fully vaccinated. But we plan to follow the updated recommendations as though we were in a high-risk state. We'll do so not only because of the city's extreme density and our personal story but also because we care about our community and the health of our neighbors.

Looking at the statistics on how many people willingly go unvaccinated - or refuse to wear masks, even in risky situations - it's obvious that not everyone is equally conscientious.

It's true that the reasons so many Americans still remain unvaccinated - even as we see hospitalizations of the unprotected rise - are myriad. Some have fallen prey to misinformation or conspiracy theories, some still don't realize the vaccine is free and often available at their local pharmacy, and others' trust in authority has been eroded by institutional failure. But while some Americans are unvaccinated or maskless because of access problems, a majority of the unvaccinated are making a choice.

When I listen to the scorn directed at the Covid vaccines from the yet to be convinced, I think about the hours I spent on the phone begging our insurance company to cover a medication that would protect Layla against RSV, a virus that can be deadly in preemies. The insurer refused, and we couldn't afford the out-of-pocket cost. (Layla ended up in the hospital after contracting it.)

Today, Layla is healthy. But I will never know what long-term impact her lung development had on her, and we have no idea what a Covid infection might do to a kid who used to need machines to breathe. The same is true for children with other underlying health conditions like asthma or those who are immunocompromised. And while the rate of kids being hospitalized or dying is low, numbers don't mean anything if it's your child behind the statistic.

What I do know is this: I'm furious that the physical and mental health of countless American children are at the mercy of the willfully ignorant and the irrationally fearful. It's enraging to listen to people complain that wearing a mask or getting a simple shot is akin to an assault on their freedom while children who have no choice bear the brunt of their nonsense.

Most of all, I'm tired of hearing about how my anger won't change hearts and minds or that I need to respect other people's choices - even when those choices put others' health and lives at risk.

This isn't a matter of simple disagreement or bipartisan bickering: Gross selfishness masked as American individualism is killing our country and traumatizing our children. That's not "intolerant" or an overreaction; it's a fact.

Anger is the very least we can do.

The truth is that all of our kids, no matter what their health status, are suffering.

After all, my daughter isn't thinking about her lungs right now. She just wants to go to birthday parties again. She wants to go to school without plexiglass blocking her view of the blackboard and to be able to eat lunch in the cafeteria instead of quietly in her classroom. She wants to take her mask off - she'd like to see her friends' faces again.

Those who have the ability to be vaccinated and masked have no reasonable excuse not to be. Either you're someone who cares about your neighbors and community or you're not. Either you're willing to sacrifice for the good of others or you're not. And it shouldn't take the thought of sick children to get people to do the right thing.

A few months ago, a mother I didn't know started chatting with me as our children played nearby. After some pleasantries, she asked if I was vaccinated - a question I assumed she posed because I was standing within a few feet of her. It turns out, however, that she wanted to vent about how she'd never let the vaccine "within a hundred feet" of her family. "We're healthy, " she scoffed.

How lucky for her.

Jessica Valenti is the author of six books on feminism and publishes the newsletter " All in Her Head."

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Opinion | Unvaxxed, Unmasked and Putting Our Kids at Risk

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For days now, vaccinated Americans have been trying to come to terms with the new advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the rapidly spreading Delta variant and a spike of Covid cases in states with high populations of unvaccinated people.

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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/workers-quit-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-workplace-2204836

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https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-to-require-vaccine-proof-for-indoor-spaces-like-restaurants-bars-gyms/2712739/

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Chicago will soon require proof of vaccination for indoor public spaces like restaurants, bars and gyms in the new year, the city's mayor announced Tuesday, joining other big cities like New York and Los Angeles in adding the requirement as COVID cases surge.

Beginning Jan. 3, anyone age 5 and older will be required to show proof of full vaccination to dine inside or visit gyms or entertainment venues where food and drinks are being served.

The city said the policy is "in response to an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases both locally and nationally, driven in part by the omicron variant."

"Despite our diligent and equitable vaccine distribution efforts throughout this year,
unfortunately, our city continues to see a surge of COVID-19 Delta and now Omicron cases," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. "New steps must be taken to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents. This public health order requiring proof of vaccination to visit certain indoor public places is a necessary measure to ensure we can continue to enjoy our city's many amenities as we enter the new year."

According to the new guidelines, those 5 and older must show proof of full vaccination, but anyone ages 16 and older will also need to provide identification that matches their vaccination record. Employees at such venues will also need to either be vaccinated or wear a mask and show proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests.

The city noted its indoor mask mandate also remains in effect.

"This new requirement will not eliminate COVID risk, but it will help ensure a much safer indoor environment for fully vaccinated Chicagoans, as well as for the employees working in these higher-risk settings. As we head further into the winter months, we must take this step now," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a statement. "With Omicron, I do expect to see many more COVID reinfections and breakthrough cases, but luckily the vaccines continue to protect very well against severe illness, hospitalization, and death-and even more so when people have also had a booster shot. I remain most worried about the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans who still have not received a single dose of COVID vaccine nor recovered from COVID infection. I'm worried for their own health, but also for the risk they pose to others' health and to our hospital capacity-and while we are in this concerning surge, we must limit that risk."

Here are the full requirements:

Indoor Dining

Establishments where food or beverages are served, including, but not limited to, restaurants, bars, fast food establishments, coffee shops, tasting rooms, cafeterias, food courts, dining areas of grocery stores, breweries, wineries, distilleries, banquet halls, and hotel ballrooms

Indoor Fitness

Gyms and fitness venues, including, but not limited to, gyms, recreation facilities, fitness centers, yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, and dance studios, hotel gyms, boxing and kickboxing gyms, fitness boot camps, and other facilities used for conducting indoor group fitness classes.

Indoor entertainment and recreation venues where food or beverages are served

Including, but not limited to, movie theaters, music and concert venues, live performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, card rooms, family entertainment centers, play areas, pool and billiard halls, and other
recreational game centers.

Places Not Included in the Requirement

The vaccine requirement does not include houses of worship; grocery stores (though indoor dining sections within grocery stores would be included); locations in O'Hare International Airport or Midway International Airport; locations in a residential or office building the use of which is limited to residents, owners, or tenants of that building; or food service establishments providing only charitable food services, such as soup kitchens. Schools and day cares also are not included in the order.

Businesses will be required to develop and keep a written record of their plans for implementing and enforcing the vaccine requirement while also posting signage at entrances.

There are some exemptions to the requirement, however, city officials noted. Those include:

* Individuals entering an establishment for less than 10 minutes for ordering and
carrying out food; delivering goods; or using the bathroom;
* A nonresident performing artist who does not regularly perform or render services
in a covered location, or a nonresident individual accompanying such a performing
artist, while the performing artist or individual is in a covered location for the
purposes of such artist's performance;
* A nonresident professional athlete or a nonresident individual accompanying such
professional athlete, who enters a covered location as part of their regular
employment for purposes of the professional athlete/sports team competition;
* Individuals who have previously received a medical or religious exemption (e.g.
from an employer), provided such patrons show the establishment proof of the
medical or religious exemption and a COVID-19 test administered by a medical
professional within the last 72 hours prior to entering.
* An individual 18 years of age or younger who enters a covered location to
participate in an activity organized by a school or after-school program offered by
any pre-kindergarten through grade twelve public or non-public school; and
* An individual who enters for the purposes of voting in a municipal, state, or federal
election; or, pursuant to law, assisting or accompanying a voter or observing such
election

City health officials had been saying for weeks that vaccine proof may soon be required for certain indoor activities and public spaces.

Several restaurants and venues have already required proof of vaccination or negative tests to enter regardless of citywide rules.

"There's no denying that we are in a fifth wave of COVID-19," Lightfoot said during an address Tuesday. "This new wave is seemingly more deadly than the last, spreading faster and causing profound harm. I have not been this concerned about COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic in 2020."

Cook County health officials also encouraged heightened mitigations last week as suspected omicron cases continued to grow in the suburbs just outside of the city.

The county said that while the delta variant remains the prominent variant, case counts, case rates, test positivity, hospitalizations and deaths "are all increasing."

"CCDPH is issuing Increased mitigation practices for individuals and businesses," the county health department said in a release. "CCDPH urges suburban Cook County residents to follow them to slow the spread of COVID-19. We must continue to work together to keep each other healthy and to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system."

In Chicago alone the average daily case rate has risen to 991 per day, a 79% increase from the week prior. Daily hospitalizations and deaths have also seen increases in the last week, city data shows.

Across Illinois, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise leading up to the holiday.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has reported 12,328 new cases of the virus in the last day, the most it has recorded in a single day in 2021. In fact, the number is the most in a single day since Dec. 1, 2020, when 12,542 new cases were reported, according to IDPH data.

At least 17 omicron cases have been detected so far in Illinois, according to IDPH, with local health officials confirming at least two in the Chicago area, one being in the city itself.

At the same time, the state is also seeing a surge in newly-hospitalized coronavirus patients, with more residents seeking emergency medical care than at any point so far this year.

Still, while they encourage local authorities to make decisions on a regional level, state officials have said there are currently no plans to bring back restrictions at a statewide level just yet.

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Chicago to Require Vaccine Proof for Indoor Spaces Like Restaurants, Bars, Gyms

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Chicago will soon require proof of vaccination for indoor public spaces like restaurants, bars and gyms in the new year, the city's mayor announced Tuesday, joining other big cities like New York and Los Angeles in adding the requirement as COVID cases surge.

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https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wabc-anchor-asks-the-unvaccinated-to-stay-away/233176/

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https://news.northeastern.edu/2021/09/16/why-are-people-not-getting-vaccinated/

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With COVID-19 cases flooding emergency rooms and deaths on the rise among the unvaccinated, Northeastern researchers wanted to know why a sizable portion of the United States remained wary of or flat-out opposed to vaccines.

In their first direct questioning of unimmunized people, researchers learned that wide-ranging concerns about the potential risk of the vaccines, including possible side effects such as blood clots and heart inflammation, were the top reasons given by more than half (56 percent) of the unvaccinated people who participated in a study released Thursday.

There were also worries about how vaccines would impact existing health conditions such as allergies. Some respondents felt that the vaccines had not been tested enough to guarantee that problems won't pop up years from now.

The following are some of the actual responses that unvaccinated people provided to the Covid States Project, a collaborative effort by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers.

Comments have been edited for brevity:

"I'm worried about the effects it could have on my heart, as I saw stuff in the news about it affecting young males' hearts."

"Severe reactions to vaccines in the past, was told by doctor never to get vaccinated for any reason. Allergic to too many things."

Another 15 percent of unvaccinated respondents reported a deep mistrust of government and other institutions that vouch for the safety of vaccines, followed by 10 percent who do not believe the coronavirus poses considerable risk to them. Here are some of their reasons:

"I do not trust the government as a Black woman, they are pushing a little too hard for people to take this when other infectious diseases are treated as cash cows."

"I don't need a vaccine for something that has a 99.9% survival rate."

In all, more than 1,000 people-both vaccinated and unvaccinated-participated in the national survey; 33 percent of which said they had not yet received their shots. Most of those (18 percent) responded with a hard and fast "no" when asked if they would get inoculated; 15 percent said they were at least open to the idea.

The survey was conducted over the summer, weeks before the Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to Pfizer's vaccines. But the FDA action isn't expected to trigger a rush to get shots, says David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer sciences at Northeastern, and one of the researchers who conducted the study.

"There may be a modest shift of a few points in the pro-vaccine direction, but the hardcore vaccine resistant probably are not going to shift very much," he says. Lazer and other researchers are currently out in the field conducting a separate survey to see if mistrust of institutions is too deep-seated to spur vaccinations.

"If you don't trust the FDA, and then the FDA says 'OK, all is good now,' we probably won't see dramatic changes," he adds.

Trust in hospitals and doctors, on the other hand, ranked highest among institutions, with 92 percent of respondents believing in them, followed by scientists and researchers at 86 percent. Trust begins to wane steadily when respondents were asked about government agencies, drug companies, and the White House.

The news media and social media companies were the least trusted. Lazer says news coverage may be fueling a "see, I told you so" moment among people on both sides of the vaccination issue.

"That's how humans are," he says. "They interpret the evidence according to their predispositions." The media's relentless focus on breakthrough cases involving the highly contagious Delta variant has contributed to a "man bites dog" slant toward the sensational that feeds into some of these predispositions, Lazer adds.

"'See, the vaccines aren't protecting people because people are getting sick,'" he cites as an example. "The reality is that being vaccinated dramatically reduces your odds of getting sick and dying."

The U.S. vaccination rate has slowed after a strong start, putting the country second to Russia among countries with the highest vaccine hesitancy, according to Morning Consult, which conducts over 75,000 weekly interviews across 15 countries on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced a number of sweeping actions to spur some of the nearly 80 million Americans who are eligible for shots but have not been vaccinated. He is requiring the vast majority of federal employees to get vaccinated or face disciplinary action. Companies with more than 100 employees are also impacted.

"We can and we will turn the tide," he said at the White House on Sept. 9.

Lazer says convincing people to change their minds and get inoculated points to longer-term questions around increasing trust in institutions.

"That's not going to happen within months, unfortunately," he says.

But a big effect of the FDA green-lighting the Pfizer shots is that some institutions will feel more comfortable mandating vaccines, but probably not in states where there's less political support for mandates. The result is dramatic differences in vaccination rates based on regional politics.

Indeed, within parts of the country where there is political acceptance of vaccinations, "I do think that we will see institutions, especially educational institutions and employers, really start to put pressure on people to get vaccinated," Lazer says.
For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

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Why aren't the unvaccinated getting their shots?

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Vaccine risks and concerns about side effects were the primary reasons why people remain unvaccinated, according to a U.S. study by researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions. Those who are vaccine willing are almost equal in number to those strongly vaccine resistant, the survey found.

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Rate of Deaths by COVID-19 based on vaccination status. 

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Rate of Deaths by COVID-19 based on vaccination status. 

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https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/by-age/newborn-birth.html

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Vaccinations are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages.

CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone aged 6 months and older. If your child has not gotten vaccinated yet, talk to his or her doctor about getting it as soon as possible.

Vaccines your baby should get

Whether you're becoming a parent for the first time or you've been here before, your baby's birth is an exciting time. This is also the first time your infant will be vaccinated-your first opportunity to protect your child from serious diseases.

Hepatitis B (HepB)
1st dose of 3

Hepatitis B is an infectious and potentially serious disease that can cause liver damage and liver cancer. There is no cure for hepatitis B. Mothers can unknowingly pass the hepatitis B virus to their babies at birth, which is why babies should get their first dose within 24 hours of birth.
See Related: Hepatitis B vaccination

If you have hepatitis B, your baby should get the first shot of hepatitis vaccine within 12 hours of birth. There's additional medicine that can help protect your newborn against hepatitis B; it's called hepatitis B immune globin (HBIG). HBIG gives your baby's body extra help to fight the virus as soon as your baby is born.
See Related: Hepatitis B vaccination

Care for your child after vaccinations

Call 911 if you think your child might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site.

Give your child extra care and attention

Pay extra attention to your baby for a few days. If you see something that concerns you, call your baby's doctor.

Read the Vaccine Information Sheet(s) your baby's doctor gave you to learn about side effects your baby may experience.

Swaddle.

Offer breastmilk or formula more often. It is normal for some babies to eat less during the 24 hours after getting vaccines.

Treat mild reactions

Sometimes children have mild reactions from vaccines, such as pain at the injection site or a rash. These reactions, also called side effects, are normal and will soon go away.

Use a cool, damp cloth to help reduce redness, soreness, and/or swelling at the injection site.

Reduce fever with a cool sponge bath.

Ask your baby's doctor if you can give your baby a non-aspirin pain reliever.

Take a short quiz to get a list of vaccines your child may need based on their age, health conditions, and other factors.
Child vaccine quiz

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Here's what to know about vaccinations that should be given at birth. Protect your newborn baby from 14 potentially serious diseases before age 2.

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https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/news/why-unvaccinated-are-unvaccinated

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School of Communication and Information | Rutgers University

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By Megan Schumann, Rutgers University Communications

Those who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 say their biggest concern is vaccine safety, according to a survey from a nationwide coalition of university-based researchers.

The survey was taken in June before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration changed the emergency use designation for the Pfizer vaccine, saying the vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.

It found that thirty-five percent of unvaccinated people were resistant because of health risks and side effects such as blood clots and heart inflammation and existing conditions like allergies and a history of vaccine reactions. Twenty-four percent thought the vaccines were developed too quickly to evaluate health effects, which contributed to their apprehension. Twelve percent said they do not believe COVID-19 is a considerable risk to them.

The COVID States Project asked Americans why they weren't vaccinated, whether it due to an inability to get to a vaccine site, problems with getting off work, a perception of risk, a fear of needles or a lack of trust in institutions and uncertainty regarding the risk the vaccine poses.

According to the data, many people lack trust in institutions-like the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others-that oversee vaccines safety. The general lack of trust in the vaccines and relevant institutions was the third most common reason that 15 percent of people chose not to get vaccinated. Four percent said they do not trust the government, strongly associated with low vaccination rates in some states.

Ninety-two percent said they trusted hospitals and doctors the most, followed by scientists and researchers with 86 percent. The most publicly facing entities and people -- such as Anthony Fauci (66 percent), the White House (63 percent), the news media (45 percent) and social media (33 percent) -- had the lowest levels of trust.

"In this report, we see a crucial and important finding in the declining trust in institutions among Americans," said lead author Katherine Ognyanova, an associate professor of communication at Rutgers' School of Communication and Information who is part of a coalition of researchers from Rutgers-New Brunswick, Northeastern, Harvard and Northwestern universities. "Concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines are linked to a lack of confidence in messages coming from the government, health officials, and the mainstream media. Lack of trust is a more important challenge at this point than the remaining logistic problems that people experience."

The researchers say a relatively modest share of unvaccinated people have logistical and cost concerns. However, among the unvaccinated but vaccine-willing, logistical and cost concerns are greater. Roughly twice as many of the vaccine-willing (compared to vaccine resistant) indicate concerns about being unable to take time off work if there are side effects (17 percent vs 10 percent); out of pocket costs (17 percent vs 7 percent); difficulty in traveling to a vaccination site (11 percent vs 4 percent); and unable to get time off (9 percent vs 4 percent).

About 37 percent of the vaccine-willing indicate at least one logistical/cost issue compared to 17 percent of the vaccine resistant.

The researchers polled 20,699 Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia between June 9 and July 6.

The COVID States Project is a joint project of the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University-New Brunswick; the Network Science Institute of Northeastern University; the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy of Harvard University; Harvard Medical School; and the Department of Political Science and Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University.

The consortium has released 63 reports and charted public opinion related to COVID-19 topics since April 2020. It is the largest ongoing national survey tracking people's opinions and behavior during the pandemic.

The report can be viewed here.

Discover more about the Communication Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.

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By Megan Schumann, Rutgers University Communications Those who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 say their biggest concern is vaccine safety, according to a survey from a nationwide coalition of university-based researchers. The survey was taken in June before the U.S.