 Welcome to Friday’s Overnight Health Care. President Biden paid homage to his former boss by sporting a tan suit during former President Obama’s birthday week. Flashback to 2014 when Obama sparked controversy for wearing a tan suit during an address about Russia and ISIS. If you have any tips, email us at nweixel@thehill.com, psullivan@thehill.com and jcoleman@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter at @NateWeixel, @PeterSullivan4, and @JustineColeman8. Today: Half of the entire U.S. population is now vaccinated. New CDC research shows that previous COVID infection is not nearly as protective as vaccination and federal employees' vaccine requirement comes with teeth. We'll start with more data on why vaccines work: CDC study finds unvaccinated more than twice as likely to get COVID-19 reinfection Unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely than the fully vaccinated to get reinfected with COVID-19, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. The research determined that unvaccinated Kentucky residents who had a confirmed coronavirus infection last year had a “significantly higher likelihood of reinfection” than those considered fully vaccinated. The study concluded that the unvaccinated were 2.34 times more likely to contract COVID-19 again. The study involved 246 Kentucky residents who were reinfected in May and June this year after having a confirmed 2020 case. They were compared to 492 controls who had a 2020 infection but were not reinfected. Why it’s important: The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report counters the argument that people previously infected with the coronavirus don’t need the vaccine because natural immunity offers enough protection. “These findings suggest that among persons with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, full vaccination provides additional protection against reinfection,” the report reads. “To reduce their risk of infection, all eligible persons should be offered vaccination, even if they have been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.” The agency has already recommended that people previously infected with COVID-19 get vaccinated for more protection. Read more here. New milestone: White House says half of total US population fully vaccinated Half of the total U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a White House official said Friday. White House Data Director Cyrus Shahpar announced in a tweet that 50 percent of all Americans are fully vaccinated as part of an update on daily vaccination data. The updated data showed more than 821,000 doses were administered, including 565,000 people getting their first shot, in the past day. The seven-day average of newly vaccinated people rose 44 percent in the past two weeks, suggesting more unvaccinated people are getting their shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website updated its vaccination count late Friday afternoon, showing more than 165 million people had been fully vaccinated against the virus. More than 193 million, or 58.4 percent of all Americans, have gotten at least one dose. The percentage includes all ages, including those younger than 12 who are not yet eligible to get the vaccine. CDC data shows that 58.5 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated against the virus. The achievement comes slightly more than six months into President Biden’s tenure. It also comes days after the U.S. reached Biden’s threshold of 70 percent of adults with at least one dose of a vaccine, although that was accomplished almost a month after his Fourth of July goal. But the 50 percent figure indicates the U.S. still has progress to make to combat the virus, especially as cases, hospitalizations and deaths have surged across the country amid the spread of the delta variant. Read more here. Federal workers who lie about vaccination status could be fined, removed Federal employees who lie on a form attesting to their coronavirus vaccination status could be fined, removed from their position or even prosecuted, according to a copy of the form published Friday. President Biden announced last week that his administration would require federal employees and onsite contractors to attest that they are vaccinated or, if they are unvaccinated or decline to do so, submit to regular testing. Visitors to agencies also need to fill out the form released on Friday. The form asks respondents to check a box saying they are fully vaccinated, not yet fully vaccinated, have not been vaccinated or decline to respond. "I understand that a knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both (18 U.S.C. 1001),” the form states. “Checking ‘I decline to respond’ does not constitute a false statement. I understand that making a false statement on this form could result in additional administrative action including an adverse personnel action up to and including removal from my position.” Read more here. 15 states are keeping COVID-19 breakthrough cases under wraps State health departments across the country are taking various approaches to how they keep records on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, with 15 states deciding not to publish any data on the rare incidents. An analysis by The Hill found that 35 states have disclosed some data on fully vaccinated people who later contracted COVID-19. The information ranged from a one-time percentage of residents who experienced a breakthrough infection to weekly detailed overviews broken down by demographics such as age, sex and race. Figures on breakthrough cases are not available on the health department websites, social media or other publicly accessible sites for the other 15 states: Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Read more here. California mandates vaccinations for all health care workers California is mandating all health care workers be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The California Department of Public Health issued an order on Thursday mandating workers in health care settings be fully inoculated or receive their second dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 30. The order applies to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other health care facilities such as dialysis centers, hospice facilities, adult psychiatric hospitals and clinics and doctors' offices. Vaccine only: The order is different from the vaccination mandate that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced late last month. Newsom’s mandate, which went into effect Monday, said that state employees and workers in health care and high-risk congregate settings would either have to provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly coronavirus testing. Thursday’s order from the department doesn’t give health care workers the option of being submitted to weekly virus testing. Read more here. What we’re reading Coronavirus booster shots for the immunocompromised expected to be authorized soon (The Washington Post) Vaccine demand jumps in states pummeled by Delta variant (Politico) Vaccinated parents' new worry: Can I transmit Covid to my unvaccinated kids? (NBC News) State by state DeSantis criticizes masks, restrictions as coronavirus roars to record levels in Florida (The Washington Post) Houston-area hospitals suspend elective surgeries as delta variant rages, hospitalizations increase (Houston Chronicle) As coronavirus rages again in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott resists statewide action, hamstrings local leaders (The Texas Tribune) Nearly all Alabama COVID deaths among unvaccinated (The Associated Press) | 
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