The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced its update to the genitourinary and cardiovascular regulations in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities at Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations.
Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent action authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in children 5 through 11 years of age and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding eligible consumers that coverage is available without cost-sharing under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and in the commercial market for this critical protection from the virus. As with all vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine was tested thoroughly in this age group prior to its authorization for emergency use.
Despite a vaccination rate well above the national average, the Navaho Nation and other tribes are experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 cases, report Alyssa Lukpat and Adeel Hassan at The New York Times. The Navajo Department of Health recently reported 80 new cases, but no recent deaths. The Indian Health Service has also noted more cases in the Billings and Great Plains areas.
Hugs with friends. Birthday parties indoors. Pillow fights. School children who got their first COVID-19 shots Wednesday said these are the pleasures they look forward to as the U.S. enters a major new phase in fighting the pandemic.
An influential advisory panel on Tuesday recommended kid-size doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, putting the U.S. on the brink of a major expansion of vaccinations. A final decision was expected within hours.