 Welcome to Thursday's Overnight Health Care. Even though it's not health care, we are also glued to news on the the giant ship is still stuck in the Suez Canal. It's still stuck! And could even take weeks to remove. Follow us on Twitter at @NateWeixel and @PeterSullivan4 President Biden gave his first official press conference today. Coronavirus was….not a major source of discussion. But there's a new vaccine goal, and Pfizer is testing shots in children. Let's start with the goal: Out: 100 million shots in 100 days. In: 200 million shots in 100 days. President Biden has a new vaccination goal after passing the old one: 200 million shots in the first 100 days. During his first official press briefing, Biden laid out his new target after the U.S. reached his original goal of 100 million vaccinations on Friday, the president's 59th day in office. "That's right: 200 million shots in 100 days," Biden said. "I know it's ambitious, twice our original goal. But no other country in the world has even come close, not even close to what we are doing. I believe we can do it." With more than 130 million vaccinations administered, the U.S. would need to give fewer than 70 million vaccine doses in the next 35 days to meet the target. On track to meet it: The U.S. currently has a seven-day average of about 2.5 million doses per day, which would allow the country to reach 200 million by April 23 — a week before the 100-day deadline — according to CNBC. Read more here.
 
Biden announced the new vaccination goal at the start of his press conference….and then no reporters asked about coronavirus President Biden didn't get a single question at his first press conference about the coronavirus pandemic that has been the world's biggest story for the last year. Biden did make announcements related to the pandemic at the outset of the press conference, announcing his goal of administering 200 million vaccine shots to Americans by the end of his first 100 days in office. But no reporters asked him about the pandemic, vaccinations or anything else related to the coronavirus during the more than an hour that Biden fielded questions on immigration, gun control and foreign policy. Biden took questions from 10 reporters on the filibuster, bipartisanship, withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, his plans to run for reelection and China. The surge of migrants at the southern border was the most popular topic. White House takes note: Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, seemed to recognize the lack of questions on the pandemic, retweeting several tweets from journalists and political figures that noted the same. Read more here. Pfizer begins trials of COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12 Pfizer said Thursday that it began a clinical trial testing its COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12 this week, another milestone in expanding access to vaccinations beyond adults. The company began a phase one trial this week, which will determine the correct dose of the vaccine, in a small group of 144 participants, children six months through 11 years of age. Phase two and three trials in larger groups of participants will follow. Trials in children 12 and over have already started, and results are expected in the next few weeks, said Sharon Castillo, a company spokesperson. The process for children under 12 is further behind, but widespread vaccinations in that group could start early next year. Moderna likewise said it was moving forward with trials for children under 12 earlier this month. Pfizer said it is "encouraged" by the data from children age 12 to 15 and hopes to share results on that group "soon." Read more here. Experts take pro-vaccine message to right-wing skeptics Top public health experts and officials are developing new strategies to reach out to the conservatives most skeptical of or hesitant about receiving a coronavirus vaccine. The efforts are targeting supporters of former President Trump, who have emerged as the most significant hurdle to widespread vaccination. The strategy: The officials and experts are making appearances on Fox News and Newsmax and taking part on panels with prominent conservative politicians to reach out to vaccine skeptics on the right. And the public health experts are not taking an antagonistic approach either. They say many conservatives have legitimate questions about COVID-19 vaccinations that are worth listening to and answering. "These are folks who really feel disrespected. They feel that COVID and the vaccines and the response has been politicized and weaponized, in their words," said Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Obama. "They feel deeply alienated from the government." Read more here. | 
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