COVID PM: Into the Moderna No. 2 weekend sorting through mask protocol and kid vaccine thinking
Hello, folks — it’s Friday night and I’m thankfully feeling ... pretty much all right.
My dreaded Moderna jab No. 2 was yesterday morning and it didn’t under-deliver, offering a pretty decent little sucker punch to my system. Achy, lethargic and hung-over best describe my Thursday evening and most of Friday existence.
The shoulder hurt a lot more with the second shot, which is common, but it’s getting back to feeling good along with the rest of me as Friday winds down. Maybe that Advil I took is just masking what’s still under the surface and will rear its ugly head again by morning, but I will stay positive.
More importantly: I’m fully vaccinated!
To the news of the day on Friday, May 14...
On the masking front
Some fear the CDC is moving too fast in lifting COVID-19 mask rules for the vaccinated: Some health experts are questioning whether federal officials moved too fast in relaxing mask recommendations that would allow for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to shed face covering in most indoor and outdoor settings. And they are suggesting California and local leaders move a bit more cautiously in easing mask mandates. More from our LA Times content partner here.
Masking up at a store? What Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Ralphs, CVS, Walgreens and other retailers say: Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Costco are among the first businesses to drop the mask requirement following updated CDC guidelines. More from the Times here.
‘Oh, hell yes’: Late-night TV cheers CDC guidelines that vaccinated can go maskless: ‘Every bar ... is going to feel like St. Patrick’s Day fell on Cinco de Mayo,’ Jimmy Fallon joked after the CDC said vaccinated people can shed masks. More from the Times here.
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On the vaccine front
What does approval of the Pfizer vaccine for teens and preteens mean for my child?: The federal government has extended the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to preteens and young adolescents, adding nearly 17 million more Americans to the pool of those eligible to be immunized against COVID-19. More from Kaiser Health News here.
On the education front
A California program spent millions on devices for distance learning. Here’s where it went: For the first time ever, the vast majority of California families say their kids have personal computing devices that they can use for school. But even after a year of distance learning, thousands of students still don’t have a computer or access to the internet at home. More from EdSource here.
On the pandemic life front
California announces new guidance for overnight summer camps: As California expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to young people between the ages of 12 and 15, the state has released new guidance for overnight summer camps geared toward reopening in June. The move reflects sweeping guidelines issued Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which draw a distinction between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not. More here, including an update from Kennolyn Camps in Soquel (above).
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More from here & elsewhere
➤ UCSF expert: Calif., SF should ‘immediately’ lift mask mandates (SF Gate)
➤ What To Make Of The Yankees Outbreak? Scientists Say: Don’t Panic, We Expected This (NPR)
➤ ‘What if it was your kid?’: Parents of young children feel forgotten as CDC loosens mask restrictions (USA Today)
➤ Once hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines, some have changed their minds (ABC News)
➤ Ongoing mask mandate for travelers: ‘It will be enforced, period’ (CNN)
➤ What to make of the CDC’s new guidelines for vaccinated people? Dr. Wen explains (CNN)
➤ Distancing from the vaccinated: Viral anti-vaccine infertility misinfo reaches new extremes (NBC News)
➤ Wisconsin Catholic priest warns congregants against Covid vaccine, defying pope and his bishop (NBC News)
Into the weekend we go!
Mark Conley
Deputy Managing Editor