Overnight Health Care — Presented by Indivior — J&J says booster gives stronger protection

View in your browser PRESENTED BY OVERNIGHT POLICY: Health Care J&J says booster gives stronger protection © Getty images Welcome to Tuesday’s Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. It's lockdown-lickin' good. A pair of men in New Zealand were arrested after they were caught trying to enter Auckland with their car's trunk full of KFC— and $70,000 in cash. Restaurants are closed because of the country's strict COVID lockdown.  Another day, another vaccine press release: Johnson & Johnson says a second dose of its vaccine offers increased protection that's about the same levels as the mRNA vaccines.  For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan (psullivan@thehill.com), Nathaniel Weixel (nweixel@thehill.com) and Justine Coleman (jcoleman@thehill.com). Write to us with tips and feedback, and follow us on Twitter: @PeterSullivan4, @NateWeixel and @JustineColeman8. Let’s get started. Johnson & Johnson says second dose is 94 percent effective © Getty Images Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday that the protection offered by its COVID-19 vaccine increased to 94 percent when a booster shot was given two months after the initial dose. According to the company's Phase 3 study, a two-month booster shot resulted in 100 percent protection against severe cases of COVID-19 and 94 percent protection against symptomatic cases in the U.S. When a booster shot was administered six months after the initial dose, Johnson & Johnson reported a ninefold increase in antibodies that grew to a 12-fold increase in the four weeks after the injection, regardless of age. What J&J is saying: “Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory,” Mathai Mammen, global head of research and development at Johnson & Johnson, said in the company's announcement. “And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.” The pharmaceutical company also reported that a study had found that a single shot of its coronavirus vaccine was 79 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 infections and 81 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations. This efficacy rate is significantly higher than the 66 percent rate that was shared when the vaccine was first authorized for emergency use. Context: This announcement from Johnson & Johnson comes shortly after Pfizer's COVID-19 booster was recommended by a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel for use in people over the age of 65 and those in high-risk groups. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been the least administered in the U.S. out of the three authorized, making up more than 14.8 million doses out of the U.S.’s total of over 386 million doses. Read more here. PFIZER RESULTS OFFER HOPE AMID WORSENING PANDEMIC FOR KIDS Pfizer’s test results that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective among children ages 5 to 11 provides a glimmer of hope to parents desperate to get their younger children protected against the virus.   The vaccine manufacturer’s announcement, which didn’t include specific data from the trial, comes as COVID-19 has taken a greater toll on the pediatric population in recent weeks than previously in the pandemic.  Both child cases and hospitalizations have reached new heights amid the delta variant’s spread and the back-to-school season.  The uptick has raised the pressure on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials to authorize a vaccine for children younger than 12. With the Pfizer results and the FDA’s previous statement that it will review submitted data “likely in a matter of weeks rather than months,” experts say the emergency authorization for the age group could come as early as next month. But they cautioned that the timing is far from certain.  “So, practically speaking, we’re talking about the prospect of having all school-aged kids fully vaccinated when school opens after the winter holidays,” Jeffrey Gerber, an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Hill.  “That is, if we can make it easy for them to get it and their parents choose for their children to be vaccinated,” he added.  Read more here. A MESSAGE FROM INDIVIOR     It’s time to rethink opioid addiction. Let’s focus on ending the stigma around opioid use disorder and removing barriers to treatment for vulnerable populations.   UN chief: Global vaccine rollout inequity an 'obscenity' © Getty United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday denounced the gaping inequality in the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout, deeming it an “obscenity” and calling for a plan to boost production.  “A majority of the wealthier world vaccinated. Over 90 percent of Africans still waiting for their first dose,” Guterres said in his address to the UN General Assembly. “This is a moral indictment of the state of our world. It is an obscenity.” “We passed the science test,” he added. “But we are getting an F in Ethics.” Watch out tomorrow for Biden’s vaccine summit: The striking comments from the U.N. chief come one day before President Biden will be convening a global COVID-19 summit, aimed at boosting vaccine supplies. Biden will reportedly be announcing another donation of 500 million doses of vaccine for the world, on top of the more than 600 million doses the U.S. already planned to donate this year and next.  The Biden administration has been under pressure to do more to vaccinate the world, though, including not only donating doses, but also boosting global manufacturing to make more doses, and facilitating the transfer of manufacturing know-how to other countries.  Read more here. Biden administration calls on Supreme Court to uphold Roe v. Wade © Getty Images The Biden administration on Monday urged the Supreme Court to uphold the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established the right to an abortion. The administration filed an amicus brief in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which challenges the constitutionality of Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban.  The brief argues that Roe v. Wade and the subsequent 1992 ruling Planned Parenthood vs. Casey recognize that forcing a patient to continue with a pregnancy is a “profound intrusion on her autonomy, her bodily integrity, and her equal standing in society.” “At the same time, Roe and Casey recognize that States have important interests, including in protecting women’s health and the potentiality of human life,” the brief reads. “The Court should reject petitioners’ invitation to upset that careful balance by removing the woman’s interests from the scale.” Oral arguments for the case are expected to start Dec. 1, with the Court potentially reaching a decision in June. Separately, the administration filed a motion to present oral arguments in the case. Significance: In a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) has urged the Supreme Court to use the state’s case to overturn the decades-old precedent that recognized a constitutional right to abortion before a fetus is viable. Challengers of the law, abortion providers and advocates have sounded the alarm over the case, with more than 500 female athletes and almost 900 state lawmakers filing briefs opposing the legislation. Read more here.  SAN-FRANCISCO COUNTY ALMOST AT 100 PERCENT VACCINATION RATE Almost 100 percent of residents in a San Francisco-area county now have at least one vaccine dose, according to data collected by Marin County. The county says 97.3 percent of residents eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose, with more than 90 percent of eligible residents being fully vaccinated.  The county reached more than 90 percent fully vaccinated on Sept. 18, with the county celebrating in a tweet.  “Thank you, #MarinCounty, for choosing to be vaccinated for the health of our community. Thanks to you, our community has achieved a historic milestone in its response to the pandemic,” the local government’s Twitter said.  The county has the highest overall vaccination rate in California and is one of the top 10 counties in the country, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.  Read more here.  A MESSAGE FROM INDIVIOR     It’s time to rethink opioid addiction. Let’s focus on ending the stigma around opioid use disorder and removing barriers to treatment for vulnerable populations.   WHAT WE'RE READING Becerra takes a back seat while others steer Covid response (Politico) Biden bets on rapid COVID tests but they can be hard to find (The Associated Press) U.S. small businesses rethink reopenings amid health toll (Bloomberg News) STATE BY STATE Governor calls in Wyoming National Guard to aid hospitals amid COVID-19 surge (Casper Star Tribune) DeSantis’ new Florida surgeon general questions masks, vaccines, other COVID-19 measures (Orlando Sentinel)  Tennessee recommends vaccinated residents lose access to monoclonal antibody treatment (The Tennessean) OP-EDS IN THE HILL It's time to rapid home-test every American every day To defeat HIV, we must build global health bridges Our next public health challenge: Losing the 'COVID-15' That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s healthcare page for the latest news and coverage. See you Wednesday. Sign Up for Health Care Forward Health Care Privacy Policy  |   Manage Subscriptions  |   Unsubscribe Email to a friend  |   Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 © 1998 - 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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