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This week, Mary Holland, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president, and Polly Tommey, co-producer of “Vaxxed,” cover the latest COVID headlines, including discrimination based on vaccine status, Eric Clapton’s experience with the AstraZeneca vaccine and lighting up Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue with the message “Vaccine Saves.”
Mary and Polly also take on the issue of targeting people in lower socioeconomic groups with vaccine incentives and pro-vaccine messaging, including Ohio’s million-dollar lottery and McDonald’s teaming up with the U.S. government to provide “vaccine education” on its packaging.
Here are a few of this week’s highlights:
- As health officials look to “schools, camps, even beaches” in the race to vaccinate teens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced COVID vaccines can now be given alongside other vaccines — a departure from an earlier recommendation that they be spaced out by at least two weeks. The guidance comes even as the CDC acknowledges “data are not available for COVID-19 vaccines administered simultaneously with other vaccines.” Mary said, “They have no clue about what will happen, no clue.”
- Merriam-Webster changed the official definition of the word “anti-vaxxer” (a recent edition to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary). It has been changed to include people who oppose forced inoculation mandates.
- Pediatricians are being “primed” to lead the effort to convince the “skyrocketing” numbers of “vaccine-hesitant” to get their kids the vaccine. “No parent should be rushing to give a child an unapproved, unlicensed medical product” — especially for a virus they aren’t at risk from, Mary said.
- An 8-month-old baby became the world’s youngest to get two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
- The World Health Organization continues to stand by vaccines even as India is ravaged by COVID variants — but one scientist warns mass vaccination could be causing more virulent strains. “It’s analogous to antibiotic resistance, where bacteria just evolve to evade the drug,” Mary said. “The virus wants to live.”
- Delta Airlines will require new employees to get the vaccine, but won’t force existing employees to get it. “This shows they’re afraid to lose their workforce,” said Mary. “They realize they’re walking into a hornet’s nest.”
- Vaccine mandate laws are changing. Visit the advocacy portal of the National Vaccine Information Center and sign up to get alerts about bills in your state.
- CHD will be back in New York in July to argue in court against allowing school officials to overrule medical decisions made by students’ physicians.
- Follow Children’s Health Defense Live for more interviews by Polly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others. Plus register and tune in May 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for an online town hall forum on all things COVID, featuring medical experts, scientists, researchers, attorneys and community activists and more.
Watch “This Week” with Mary + Polly:
