Category: AMERICA

COVID-19 May Qualify as Disability Under ADA: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance on COVID-19, saying employees who have had the disease might be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. COVID-19 cases that persist for more than a few weeks, along with impairments caused by the virus, can be classified as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),…


Heart Inflammation Risk From Moderna Vaccine Higher Than COVID-19 for Those Under 40: Study

The risk of a form of heart inflammation is higher for people under 40 after receiving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine versus contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. Researchers found 15 excess cases per 1 million people who received a second dose of the vaccine compared to 10 extra cases of myocarditis following a positive COVID-19…


Heart Inflammation Risk Higher From Moderna Vaccine Than COVID-19 for Those Under 40: Study

The risk of a form of heart inflammation is higher for people under 40 after receiving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine versus contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. Researchers found 15 excess cases per 1 million people who received a second dose of the vaccine compared to 10 extra cases of myocarditis following a positive COVID-19…


Heart Inflammation Risk From Moderna COVID-19 Vaccination Higher Than the Disease for Those Under 40: Study

The risk of a form of heart inflammation is higher for people under 40 after receiving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine versus contracting COVID-19, according to a new study. Researchers found 15 excess cases per 1 million people who received a second dose of the vaccine compared to 10 extra cases of myocarditis following a positive COVID-19…


Vaccinated Offices and Gyms in San Francisco Are Exempt From California Mask Mandate: Officials

San Francisco offices and gyms where everyone is vaccinated won’t have to follow California’s reimpose mask mandate, according to the city’s health department. “This means that stable cohorts of 100 percent fully vaccinated people in settings like workspaces and gyms will continue to be allowed to remove masks,” the San Francisco Department of Public Health…


EU Regulator Backs Giving J&J Booster Shot to Adults 2 Months After Initial Dose

The European Union’s drug regulator on Wednesday concluded a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 booster dose may be considered for people aged 18 and older at least two months after their initial shot. In a Dec. 15 statement, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said the recommendation by the agency’s human medicines committee follows data it…


Louisiana Governor to Add COVID-19 Vaccine to List of Required School Immunizations

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards confirmed he is moving forward with adding COVID-19 vaccines to the required list of school immunizations, despite the state’s House Health and Welfare Committee voting to reject the proposal at a hearing last week. In a letter (pdf) to the House Committee on Health and Welfare Chairman Larry Bagley on Dec. 14, the…


LA District Postpones Vaccine Mandate as Thousands of Students Remain Unvaccinated

The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday agreed not to require children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 until next fall, pushing back a Jan. 10 deadline as thousands of students remain unvaccinated. The Los Angeles Unified School District vaccine mandate was postponed after board members raised concerns that students in California’s largest school district could…


Biden Admin Orders Pfizer’s COVID-19 Antiviral Drug For 10 Million Americans

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the administration has ordered Pfizer’s COVID-19 antiviral pills for 10 million Americans. Biden in a statement said he is “encouraged” by Phase 2/3 data on Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill that suggests it is effective at reducing the risk of severe illness in people infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by…


Apple Makes Masks Mandatory at US Retail Stores

Apple Inc. will require all customers and employees to wear masks at its U.S. retail stores, the iPhone maker said on Tuesday. Last month, Apple had scrapped its mask mandate for customers at more than 100 of the company’s about 270 stores across the United States, according to Bloomberg News, as coronavirus cases declined. “We…