Login
This week, Mary Holland Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president, and Polly Tommey, co-producer of “Vaxxed,” cover the latest COVID headlines, including news that although most airlines now require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine, some pilots at American and Southwest are fighting the mandate.
They also discuss how both Southwest and American Airlines say they will go against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive order and require employees to be vaccinated.
Also on tap this week is a CHD article discussing whether the vaccine mandates are an intentional step designed to further weaken Americans’ resilience and expand authoritarian controls. Plus, a fully vaccinated pilot dies in flight, provoking an uproar in the aviation industry.
Mary and Polly also discuss the U.S. government calling on pediatricians and family doctors in its COVID vaccine rollout for kids ages 5 to 11. Plus, the private phone call with the nation’s governors where the White House told states to prepare to vaccinate children as young as 5 by early November.
Here are more of this week’s highlights:
- Rhode Island is ready to administer COVID vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 once federal officials give their approval, Governor Dan McKee and state Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott said in a news conference Thursday.
- A family of four says it was mistakenly given COVID vaccines instead of flu shots at a Walgreens pharmacy in Indiana, according to the family’s attorney. “There is no liability here,” said Mary.
- Two more teenage deaths were reported to VAERS, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel recommends Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster vaccinations. “Very sad news here,” said Polly.
- Shawn Kuhn, a fully vaccinated senior at the University of Georgia who was majoring in exercise and sports science, died Oct. 11, more than six weeks after developing COVID symptoms.
- Health officials fear a potential collision with flu and coronavirus infections. They are urging people to get both the flu and COVID vaccinations this year. “If it continues this way we will start to see both COVID and flu mandates,” said Mary.
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated are COVID “super-spreaders,” said the inventor of mRNA vaccine technology. “That’s a strong article,” said Polly.
- Doctors are refusing to treat unvaccinated patients and that’s “okay” according to a recent Medscape article. “It’s a disturbing article and a warning about where we are going,” said Polly.
- The U.S. Treasury Deputy secretary warned unvaccinated Americans that shortages will continue until everyone is vaccinated. “A very disturbing article,” said Mary.
- The Biden administration’s mandate that employers with 100 or more workers require COVID vaccinations or institute weekly virus testing has moved one step closer to enforcement.
- The U.K. government has given sizable grants to a number of private companies developing vaccine passports and digital certificates that show vaccination status. “I highly recommend people read this,” said Mary. “This is not about your freedom or health.”
- Israel and Bahrain want eligible residents to take their COVID booster shots. Those who don’t risk losing their fully vaccinated status — and the privileges that come with it.
- The Transportation Security Administration said four in 10 members of its workforce, including screeners, remain unvaccinated against COVID as its deadline looms.
- President Biden on Thursday said the number of unvaccinated Americans still remains “unacceptably high,” but insisted his administration’s vaccine requirements for the federal workforce and private employers are “working” to ensure more individuals receive shots to protect against COVID. “This is not about COVID shots, it’s about freedom of the future,” said Mary.
- Aside from being put on unpaid leave, New York City teachers who declined to get the COVID vaccine won’t be allowed to keep their health benefits for another year unless they give up their right to sue the city over its vaccine mandate. “It’s developing very fast,” said Mary.
- Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson approved a new law that will allow employees to opt-out of COVID vaccine requirements.
- The head of the Chicago police officers union called on its members to defy the city’s requirement to report their COVID vaccination status by Friday or be placed on unpaid leave. “I have enormous respect for him,” said Mary.
- Chicago has backed off an Oct.15 deadline to ban teachers and other staffers from its schools if they are not vaccinated.
- A drugmaker backed by the company that owns Marlboro cigarettes plans to launch the world’s first plant-based COVID vaccine made from a relative of the tobacco plant.
- Johnson and Johnson’s top scientist is departing from the company. Paul Stoffels is the second top J&J executive in recent weeks to announce plans to leave. “This is interesting,” said Mary.
- Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson issued a legal opinion that Nebraska healthcare providers can legally prescribe ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID, so long as they obtain informed consent from the patient. “This is breaking new ground,” said Mary.
- Synthetic chemicals called phthalates, found in hundreds of consumer products such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys, may contribute to some 91,000 to 107,000 premature deaths a year among people ages 55 to 64 in the U.S., a new study found. “This is a good heads up,” said Polly.
- Thousands of people gathered in a peaceful protest of vaccine mandates in New York City’s Duffy Square for the Broadway Rally for Freedom on Oct. 16. “The world is changing,” said Mary.
- Pre-order Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new book, “The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health.”
- Double your impact! Make a donation to CHD by midnight Oct. 31, and a generous benefactor will match your donation — and all donations — up to $1 million.
Watch “This Week” with Mary + Polly:
