INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Wednesday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for all Hoosiers through the Indiana Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
US government to buy 3.2M doses of Novavax vaccine
Novavax and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced an agreement Monday to secure 3.2 million doses of Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2373).
The product is based on non-mRNA vaccine technology, and an approved shot would provide an option for people who are vaccine-hesitant because of the newer technology or for those who are allergic to other shots.
The government deal is contingent on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Novavax' request for emergency use authorization (EUA) filed in January, and the Centers for Disease Control signing off. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has recommended the EUA approval for anyone 18 and older. The FDA advisory panel voted that the benefits of two primary Novavax doses outweigh its risks — but they had a lot of questions about the shots’ role at this point in the pandemic. Nearly 83% of those in the U.S. over the age of 5 are currently vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Novavax shots are already available in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and multiple other countries, according to the Associated Press, either for initial vaccinations or as mix-and-match boosters.
Novavax has said the overall efficacy of its vaccine candidate is 90.4%.
White House urges caution on COVID variants, pushes boosters
The Biden administration is calling on people to exercise renewed caution about COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of getting booster shots for those who are eligible and wearing masks indoors as two new highly transmissible variants are spreading rapidly across the country.
The new variants, labeled BA.4 and BA.5, are offshoots of the omicron strain that has been been responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. and are even more contagious than their predecessors. White House doctors stressed the importance of getting booster doses, even if you have recently been infected.
“Currently, many Americans are under vaccinated, meaning they are not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines provides the best protection against severe outcomes.”
Walensky said the U.S. has seen a doubling in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 since April, reflecting the spread of the new subvariants, though deaths have remain steady around 300 per day.
CDC map shows 10 southern Indiana counties at 'high risk' of spreading COVID-19
On Wednesday, July 13, 2022, Greene, Knox, Gibson, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Crawford, Washington, Harrison, Floyd and Clark counties were listed on the CDC data map as having a "high" community risk of spreading COVID-19, while 41 more Indiana counties were listed as "medium" risks.
Three counties in states bordering Indiana (Crawford County and Wabash County in Illinois and Daviess County in Kentucky) were in the high-risk category on Wednesday. The majority of counties in Illinois are listed as either medium or high risk.
Over the past seven days, Indiana recorded 14,658 new cases and 80 deaths.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 88.94 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 6:15 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 1.02 million deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 557.82 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 6.35 million deaths and more than 11.77 billion vaccine doses administered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
Pharmacists can now prescribe Pfizer's COVID-19 pill
Pharmacists can prescribe the leading COVID-19 pill directly to patients under a new U.S. policy announced recently that's intended to expand use of Pfizer's drug Paxlovid.
The Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication, which has been shown to curb the worst effects of COVID-19. Previously, only physicians could prescribe the antiviral drug.
Biden administration officials have expressed frustration that several hundred Americans continue to die of COVID-19 daily, despite the availability of vaccines and treatments.
Administration officials have been working for months to increase access to Paxlovid, opening thousands of sites where patients who test positive can fill a prescription for Paxlovid. The FDA change will make thousands more pharmacies eligible to quickly prescribe and dispense the pill, which must be used early to be effective.
Parents can schedule vaccine appointments for young children
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) announced that the public can now schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children through age 5 by visiting www.ourshot.in.gov.
Appointments are available for individuals seeking the Moderna vaccine for children ages 6 months through 5 years and the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years on the state's scheduling platform.
IDOH has updated its map at www.ourshot.in.gov to show sites that offer vaccines for the youngest age group.
Appointments are recommended due to vaccine and provider availability. Individuals also can call 211 for assistance or contact their child’s healthcare provider to determine if they are offering vaccines.
Visit the Indiana Department of Health at www.health.in.gov for important health and safety information.
Riley Children's Health offering COVID-19 vaccines
Riley Children's Health has the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling 211.
Riley Physicians at IU Health West:
- Mondays and Thursdays: 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
- 1111 Ronald Reagan Pkwy, Avon
Riley Physicians at IU Health North:
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
- 11700 N. Meridian Street, Carmel
Riley Physicians at East Washington
- Tuesdays and Fridays: 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
- 9650 Washington St #245, Indianapolis
Riley Physicians at Methodist Medical Plaza South
- Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
- 8820 S Meridian St Suite 125, Indianapolis
Riley Physicians at Georgetown
- Tuesdays and Fridays: 5 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
- Saturdays: 8 a.m.-11:20 a.m.
- 4880 Century Plaza Rd Suite 250, Indianapolis
MCPHD offering COVID vaccine for kids 6 months to 4 years old
The Marion County Public Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 6 months to 4 years old at its district health offices and ACTION Health Center.
To see the schedule for each location, click here. Vaccinations are by appointment only. Call the specific location to make an appointment, or call MCPHD's Immunization Program at 317-221-2122.
White House offering additional 8 free COVID-19 tests to public
The government website for people to request free COVID-19 at-home tests from the U.S. government is now accepting a third round of orders.
The White House recently announced that U.S. households can request an additional eight free at-home tests to be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service.
President Joe Biden committed in January to making 1 billion tests available to the public free of charge, including 500 million available through covidtests.gov. But just 350 million of the amount available for ordering online have been shipped to date to addresses across the continental U.S., its territories and overseas military bases, the White House said.