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The U.S. 7-day daily average coronavirus death toll is now at 691, indicating a slight decrease from the previous week and signifying a “number that’s going in the right direction,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director said Friday. The country also saw about a 10% drop in the average number of daily coronavirus cases reported, with the country adding just under 63,000 new illnesses Thursday.
Walensky, who was speaking during the White House’s COVID-19 briefing, also noted that about 66% of the U.S. population ages 65 and older are now fully vaccinated. It marks significant progress for the group that has “borne the brunt of the pandemic and without a vaccine are at high risk of hospitalization and death,” she said.
“Vaccination is about protecting ourselves from COVID-19, it’s also about protecting those in your community, your family, your friends and your neighbors,” she said. “The healthiest our families are the healthier we will be as a nation.”
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Walensky also touched on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting currently underway in which the panel will discuss the risks benefits of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and potentially issue new guidance. While stopping short of whether the committee will act to resume the rollout of the one-shot jab, she said that she, along with the FDA and CDC “feel strongly we need to act swiftly.”
The U.S. also saw a decline in daily coronavirus cases reported.
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When asked about whether the pause and updated guidance may potentially add to vaccine hesitancy in the U.S., Walensky said she believes there are “plenty of people” interested in Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine versus Pfizer and Moderna for the convenience of a one-shot jab versus two.
The rollout had been paused after six instances of a rare, severe blood clot along with low platelets were reported among the over 7 million vaccine recipients. The pause was in part so that others had a chance to come forward with their potential adverse reactions. Walensky said the CDC had received a “handful” of new potential cases and was working to verify them before presenting the data to the ACIP.
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The ACIP is expected to vote on updated guidance or recommendations at the conclusion of Friday’s meeting.
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