COVID-19 challenges continue across US | Nutrition FIt

As the United States continues to roll out doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, states continue to struggle with how best to reach the elderly and minorities, groups at greater risk for severe COVID-19.

In Mississippi, 38% of state residents are black—the highest in the nation—but only 17% of the state’s vaccine recipients have identified as black.

An NBC News analysis on that state shows several barriers to accessing the vaccine: Many residents live far from a drive-thru vaccination site and lack access to a car. Similarly, announcements made about open vaccination slots and registration times are missed by people without reliable internet access.

Elderly Americans across the country also report navigating a confusing and bug-riddled system when trying to register for a vaccine. National Public Radio says older Americans are increasingly relying on younger family members or neighbors to help them navigate complex online registration systems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker shows that 55,943,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed in the United States, and 33,878,254 have been administered, with almost all states now actively vaccinating residents 65 and older.

A third get vaccine info from social media

According to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, most Americans report getting information about COVID-19 vaccines in the past 2 weeks from cable news (43%), network news (41%), and local TV news (40%). Thirty-one percent say they have gotten information about vaccines from social media, while about 20% each said they got information from national newspapers (23%), radio (20%), and local newspapers (19%).

Americans who received most of their vaccine news from television were more enthusiastic about the vaccine.

“Adults who are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine and say they want to ‘wait and see’ before getting it or who say they definitely will not get it are more likely to say they have gotten information about the vaccine from social media (37% and 40% respectively) than those who are more enthusiastic about getting the vaccine (25%),” the survey showed.

The National Academies of Science released new guidelines to build confidence surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Special efforts to reach the most vulnerable, namely Black, Latino, and Native American communities that have experienced far higher COVID-19 mortality rates, are critical,” the Academies said in a press release. “Community engagement is key to overcoming mistrust and building confidence through actions like using many channels of communication, engaging trusted messengers with roots in the community, and working toward racial equity.”

Kansas identifies first B117 case

In other COVID-19 news, Kansas has identified the state’s first B117 variant case, in a person from Ellis County. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating exposure and possible case contacts. According to the CDC, at least 33 states have reported B117 cases.

COVID-19 cases continue to drop across the country, according to the Washington Post.

Over the past week, new daily US COVID-19 cases fell 16%, deaths declined 6%, and hospitalizations dropped 14.5%.

In total, the United States still has the highest COVID-19 case count in the world, with 26,642,744 cases, including 454,596 deaths. The US reported 116,960 new COVID-19 cases and 3,685 deaths yesterday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.