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  • COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Case Investigation and CDC Reporting: Hospitalized or Fatal Breakthrough Cases Reported as of May 10, 2021

      

    Photo illustration; hand touching tablet, graphs and charts

     

    This page provides information and resources to help public health departments and laboratories investigate and report COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases.

    • Vaccine breakthrough cases are expected. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and are a critical tool to bring the pandemic under control. However, no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness in vaccinated people. There will be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, are hospitalized, or die from COVID-19.
    • More than 115 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated as of May 10, 2021. Like with other vaccines, vaccine breakthrough cases will occur, even though the vaccines are working as expected. Asymptomatic infections among vaccinated people will also occur.
    • There is some evidence that vaccination may make illness less severe for those who are vaccinated and still get sick.
    • Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in the United States. However, variants will cause some vaccine breakthrough cases.

    What CDC is doing

    CDC is leading multiple vaccine effectiveness studies to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are working as expected. In addition, CDC is coordinating with state and local health departments to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infectionspdf icon among people who received COVID-19 vaccine (called “vaccine breakthrough cases”) and identify patterns or trends in:

    • Patients’ characteristics, such as age or underlying medical conditions
    • The specific vaccine that patients received
    • Whether a specific SARS-CoV-2 variant caused the infections

    Defining a vaccine breakthrough infection

    For the purpose of this surveillance, a vaccine breakthrough infection is defined as the detection of SARS-COV-2 RNA or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person ≥14 days after they have completed all recommended doses of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

    Identifying and investigating hospitalized or fatal vaccine breakthrough cases

    As of May 1, 2021, CDC transitioned from monitoring all reported vaccine breakthrough cases to focus on identifying and investigating only hospitalized or fatal cases due to any cause. This shift will help maximize the quality of the data collected on cases of greatest clinical and public health importance.

    Previous case counts, which were last updated on April 26, 2021, are available for reference only and will not be updated moving forward.

    State health departments report vaccine breakthrough cases to CDC. CDC now monitors reported hospitalized or fatal vaccine breakthrough cases for clustering by patient demographics, geographic location, time since vaccination, vaccine type, and SARS-CoV-2 lineage. Reported data include hospitalized or fatal breakthrough cases due to any cause, including causes not related to COVID-19.

    To the fullest extent possible, respiratory specimens that test positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA are collected for genomic sequencing to identify the virus lineage that caused the infection.

    Some health departments may continue to report all vaccine breakthrough cases to the national database and can continue to submit specimens to CDC for sequencing. However, CDC will focus its monitoring on reported hospitalized and fatal cases.

    Developing a data access and management system for reporting COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases

    CDC developed a national COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough REDCap database where designated state health department investigators can enter, store, and manage data for cases in their jurisdiction. State health departments have full access to data for cases reported from their jurisdiction.

    Ultimately, CDC will use the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) to identify vaccine breakthrough cases. Once CDC has confirmed that a state can report vaccination history data to NNDSS, CDC will identify vaccine breakthrough cases through that system. At that time, the state health departments can stop reporting cases directly into the REDCap database. After this change, CDC will upload the available data reported to NNDSS into REDCap database for further review and confirmation by the state health department.

    Hospitalized or fatal COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases reported to CDC as of May 10, 2021

    As of May 10, 2021, more than 115 million people in the United States had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. During the same time, CDC received reports from 46 U.S. states and territories of vaccine breakthrough cases in patients who were hospitalized or died.

    Total number of vaccine breakthrough infections reported to CDC
    Hospitalized or fatal vaccine breakthrough cases reported to CDC 1,359
    Female 704 (52%)
    People aged ≥65 years 1,080 (79%)
    Asymptomatic infections 282 (21%)
    Hospitalizations* 1,136 (84%)
    Deaths† 223 (16%)

    *342 (30%) of 1,136 hospitalizations reported as asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19.
    †42 (18%) of 223 fatal cases reported as asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19.

    Previous data on all vaccine breakthrough cases reported to CDC from January–April 2021 are available.

    How to interpret these data

    The number of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections reported to CDC likely are an undercount of all SARS-CoV-2 infections among fully vaccinated persons. National surveillance relies on passive and voluntary reporting, and data might not be complete or representative. These surveillance data are a snapshot and help identify patterns and look for signals among vaccine breakthrough cases.

    Data on patients with vaccine breakthrough infection who were hospitalized or died will be updated regularly. Studies are being conducted in multiple U.S. sites that will include information on all vaccine breakthrough infections regardless of clinical status to supplement the national surveillance.

    COVID-19 vaccines are effective

    • Vaccine breakthrough cases occur in only a small percentage of vaccinated people. To date, no unexpected patterns have been identified in the case demographics or vaccine characteristics among people with reported vaccine breakthrough infections.
    • COVID-19 vaccines are effective. CDC recommends that everyone 12 years of age and older get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they can.
    • Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
     

  • CDC: When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated: What You Can Start to Do

    Updated May 13, 2021
     
    Friends and family grilling outside
    • If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
    • Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
    • If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.

    Safer Activities

    COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

    These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings. 

    Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?

    In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ±

    • 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
    • 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

    If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

    If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.

    What You Can Start to Do

    COVID-19_banner_when_fully_vaccinated_01

     

    If you’ve been fully vaccinated:

    • You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
    • You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
    • If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
    • You need to pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States.
      • You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
      • You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight to the United States.
      • You should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel.
      • You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
    • If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
      • However, if you live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.
     

    What You Should Keep Doing

    multiple images of people doing everyday things

     

    For now, if you’ve been fully vaccinated:

    • You will still need to follow guidance at your workplace and local businesses.
    • If you travel, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others. You will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in the United States are still required to get tested within 3 days of their flight (or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months) and should still get tested 3-5 days after their trip.
    • You should still watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.
    • People who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken the immune system, should talk to their healthcare provider to discuss their activities. They may need to keep taking all precautions to prevent COVID-19.

    What We Know

    • COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death.
    • COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading COVID-19.

    What We’re Still Learning

    • How effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others.
    • How well the vaccines protect people with weakened immune systems, including people who take immunosuppressive medications.
    • How long COVID-19 vaccines can protect people.

    As we know more, CDC will continue to update our recommendations for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. 

    Want to learn more about these recommendations? Read our expanded Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People. 

    ± This guidance applies to COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines.  This guidance can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (e.g. AstraZeneca/Oxford).
     

  • Ferida Wolff’s Backyard: A Colorful Spring and Delicious Herbs

     

    Colorful Spring

     a colorful spring

    I love to browse in plant nurseries. There are so many flowers to discover. This spring I found a beautiful pink bush called Steffi Blush Pink Gaura. I never heard of that plant before so it was a treat to see. It blooms from early Spring through fall and grows to be mid-size bush, which is perfect for the space in our front yard.

    Spring is such a grand time for awakening. It starts out kind of grumpy, not sure if it feels like leaving the hunkered-in days of winter, but then takes a deep breath and blossoms into color and growth and potential before summer settles things down.

    Colorful plants have a way of brightening our day, even during this current time. Even a potted plant on a windowsill can encourage a smile. Thank you, Mother Nature, for helping us celebrate Mother’s Day 2021.

    These are long-flowering perennials: https://www.thespruce.com/gaura-the-wandflower-1316028

    Editor’s Note: The Missouri Botanical Garden’s Therapeutic Horticulture Programs are designed to provide creative and stimulating nature-based activities to further enrich the physical, mental and social lives of the participants. The mission is to enrich the lives of senior citizens and special populations by sharing knowledge about and interacting with the diversity of life in our natural world.

    Therapeutic Horticulture is a process in which plants and gardening activities are used to improve the body, mind and spirit, through passive or active involvement. Therapeutic Horticulture is effective and beneficial for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. For more information about horticulture as therapy, visit the American Horticultural Therapy Association online:  https://www.ahta.org/

    Delicious Herbs

    delicious herbs

     

    The organic herbs on my windowsill are thriving: oregano, parsley and basil. I bought them in small pots at the supermarket and they seem to like it here. I’ve transplanted them twice already and shared some with my daughter. Now that Spring has come, I’ll separate them again and plant some of them in my garden.

    I tend to talk to my herbs as I water them. I compliment them on how big they’re getting and nuzzle them so that I get whiffs of their delicious scents. It reminds me of the time my friend tried an experiment with two of the same plants. One plant she spoke to daily and smiled at as she passed it during the day. The other she merely watered but didn’t try to connect with. The spoken to plant thrived while its twin barely survived.

    I think all living things interact through energy. When we offer positive energy, whether to plants or people, we encourage connection. And that stimulates growth and our relationship to all around us. It opens a door to the broader sense of life and helps us to feel how important our input is in our world.

    If you want to grow your own herbs, here are some helpful hints:

    https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-herbs-indoors-on-a-sunny-windowsill-1403425

    ©2021 Ferida Wolff for SeniorWomen.com

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Adolescents in Another Important Action in Fight Against Pandemic

     

    FDA NEWS RELEASEpenn state administration of vaccine

    For Immediate Release:
    May 10, 2021
     

    Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. The FDA amended the EUA originally issued on Dec. 11, 2020 for administration in individuals 16 years of age and older.

    “The FDA’s expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age is a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic. Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”

    From March 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021, approximately 1.5 million COVID-19 cases in individuals 11 to 17 years of age have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children and adolescents generally have a milder COVID-19 disease course as compared to adults. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart, the same dosage and dosing regimen for 16 years of age and older.

    The FDA has determined that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has met the statutory criteria to amend the EUA, and that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine in individuals 12 years of age and older outweigh the known and potential risks, supporting the vaccine’s use in this population. 

    “Having a vaccine authorized for a younger population is a critical step in continuing to lessen the immense public health burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “With science guiding our evaluation and decision-making process, the FDA can assure the public and medical community that the available data meet our rigorous standards to support the emergency use of this vaccine in the adolescent population 12 years of age and older.”

    The FDA has updated the Fact Sheets for Healthcare Providers Administering the Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) and for Recipients and Caregivers with information to reflect the use of the vaccine in the adolescent population, including the benefits and risks of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

    The EUA amendment for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine was issued to Pfizer Inc. The issuance of an EUA is not an FDA approval (licensure) of a vaccine. The EUA will be effective until the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biologics for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 is terminated, and may be revised or revoked if it is determined the EUA no longer meets the statutory criteria for issuance or to protect public health or safety.

    FDA Evaluation of Available Safety Data

    The available safety data to support the EUA in adolescents down to 12 years of age, include 2,260 participants ages 12 through 15 years old enrolled in an ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in the United States. Of these, 1,131 adolescent participants received the vaccine and 1,129 received a saline placebo. More than half of the participants were followed for safety for at least two months following the second dose.

    The most commonly reported side effects in the adolescent clinical trial participants, which typically lasted 1-3 days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain. With the exception of pain at the injection site, more adolescents reported these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose, so it is important for vaccination providers and recipients to expect that there may be some side effects after either dose, but even more so after the second dose. The side effects in adolescents were consistent with those reported in clinical trial participants 16 years of age and older. It is important to note that as a general matter, while some individuals experience side effects following any vaccination, not every individual’s experience will be the same and some people may not experience side effects.

    The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine should not be given to anyone with a known history of a severe allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis—to any component of the vaccine. Since its authorization for emergency use, rare severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported following administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in some recipients.

    FDA Evaluation of Available Effectiveness Data

    The effectiveness data to support the EUA in adolescents down to 12 years of age is based on immunogenicity and an analysis of COVID-19 cases. The immune response to the vaccine in 190 participants, 12 through 15 years of age, was compared to the immune response of 170 participants, 16 through 25 years of age. In this analysis, the immune response of adolescents was non-inferior to (at least as good as) the immune response of the older participants. An analysis of cases of COVID-19 occurring among participants, 12 through 15 years of age, seven days after the second dose was also conducted. In this analysis, among participants without evidence of prior infection with SARS-CoV-2, no cases of COVID-19 occurred among 1,005 vaccine recipients and 16 cases of COVID-19 occurred among 978 placebo recipients; the vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19. At this time, there are limited data to address whether the vaccine can prevent transmission of the virus from person to person. In addition, at this time, data are not available to determine how long the vaccine will provide protection.

    Ongoing Safety Monitoring

    As part of the original EUA request, Pfizer Inc. submitted a plan to continue monitoring the safety of the vaccine as it is used under EUA. This plan has been updated to include the newly authorized adolescent population, and includes longer-term safety follow-up for participants enrolled in ongoing clinical trials, as well as other activities aimed at monitoring the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and ensuring that any safety concerns are identified and evaluated in a timely manner.

    It is mandatory for Pfizer Inc. and vaccination providers to report the following to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: all vaccine administration errors, serious adverse events, cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and cases of COVID-19 that result in hospitalization or death.

     

  • GAO Report: Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: Additional Efforts Needed to Assess Program Data for Rural and Underserved Areas

    GAO-21-283, Published: Apr 08, 2021. Publicly Released: May 10, 2021  

    Fast Facts

    There’s a greater risk of maternal death during pregnancy or soon after from pregnancy-related causes among rural residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration fund programs aimed at reducing maternal mortality, including in rural or underserved areas where it can be harder to get health care services.

    These agencies collect data — like the percentage of women receiving postpartum visits — but don’t always separate and analyze this data for rural and underserved areas. We recommended they do so to help ensure program funding helps those in need.

    Pregnant woman with her hands on her belly sits beside a medical professional.

    What GAO Found

    Nationwide data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System from 2011-2016, the most recent data available at the time of GAO’s review, indicate that deaths during pregnancy or up to 1 year postpartum due to pregnancy-related causes—are higher in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas. See figure. CDC data also showed higher mortality in underserved areas (areas with lower numbers of certain health care providers per capita).

    Pregnancy-Related Mortality Ratios in Rural and Metropolitan Areas, 2011-2016

    U:Work in ProcessTeamsFY21 ReportsHC104025_283HL_5-v8_104025.png

    Note: Micropolitan areas include counties with populations of 2,500 to 49,999. Noncore areas include nonmetropolitan counties that do not qualify as micropolitan.

    GAO also analyzed the most recent annual data available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for 2016-2018 on severe maternal morbidity (SMM)—unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery resulting in significant health consequences. Nationwide, these data showed higher estimated rates of SMM in metropolitan areas (72.6 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations) compared to rural areas (62.9 per 10,000).

    CDC and another Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agency, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), fund several maternal health programs that aim to reduce maternal mortality and SMM, including some that target rural or underserved areas. CDC and HRSA collect program data, such as the percentage of women who received postpartum visits, to track progress in improving maternal health, but they do not systematically disaggregate and analyze program data by rural and underserved areas. By taking these actions, CDC and HRSA could help better ensure that program funding is being used to help address any needs in these areas.

    HHS has taken actions to improve maternal health through its funding of various programs and releasing an action plan in 2020. HHS also has two workgroups that aim to coordinate across HHS agencies on maternal health efforts, such as program activities that aim to reduce maternal mortality and SMM. Officials from HHS’s two workgroups said they coordinated in developing the action plan, but they do not have a formal relationship established to ensure ongoing coordination. Officials from one of the workgroups noted that they often have competing priorities and do not always coordinate their efforts. By more formally coordinating their efforts, HHS’s workgroups may be in a better position to identify opportunities to achieve HHS’s action plan goal for reducing maternal mortality and objectives that target rural and underserved areas.

    Why GAO Did This Study

    Each year in the United States, hundreds of women die from pregnancy-related causes, and thousands more experience SMM. Research suggests there is a greater risk of maternal mortality and SMM among rural residents and that underserved areas may lack needed health services.

    GAO was asked to review maternal mortality and SMM outcomes in rural and underserved areas. This report examines, among other objectives, what is known about these outcomes; selected CDC and HRSA programs that aim to reduce these outcomes, as well as actions to collect and use relevant data; and the extent to which HHS is taking actions to improve maternal health and monitoring progress on its efforts. GAO analyzed HHS data, agency documentation, literature, and interviewed officials from a non-generalizable sample of three states and stakeholders to capture various perspectives.

    Recommendations

    GAO is making three recommendations, including that CDC and HRSA disaggregate and analyze program data by rural and underserved areas, and that HHS’s workgroups establish a formal coordinated approach for monitoring maternal health efforts. HHS concurred with GAO’s recommendations.

     

    Recommendations for Executive Action

    Agency Affected Recommendation Status
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1. The Director of CDC should take steps to systematically disaggregate and analyze maternal health program data by rural and underserved areas, and make adjustments to program efforts, as needed. (Recommendation 1)
    Open
    When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
    Health Resources and Services Administration 2. The Administrator of HRSA should take steps to systematically disaggregate and analyze maternal health program data by rural and underserved areas and make adjustments to program efforts, as needed. (Recommendation 2)
    Open
    When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
    Department of Health and Human Services 3. The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Healthy People Maternal, Infant, and Child Health Workgroup and the Maternal Health Working Group to establish a formal coordinated approach for monitoring maternal health efforts across HHS, including in rural and underserved areas. Such an approach could include establishing a process for exchanging information and discussing relevant program efforts and outcomes across HHS during regular standing meetings on a routine basis. (Recommendation 3)
    Open
    When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Full Report

    Workbook file with data definitions

     

    Accessible Text (102 pages)

     

    Highlights Page (1 page)

     

    Full Report (90 pages)

  • Jill Norgren Reviews Women’s Liberation!: Feminist Writings That Inspired a Revolution & Still Can

    Women’s Liberation!: Feminist Writings That Inspired a Revolution & Still Can

    Edited By Alix Kates Shulman and Honor Moore

    Published by  the Library of America, 2021, 560 pgs.

    book Women's Liberation

    Reviewed By Jill Norgren

    I have always been grateful that the classic document of the first women’s rights movement, the 1848 Seneca Falls Declaration of the Rights and Sentiments, delineates grievances and demands with specificity. The multi-point inventory has made it easy to establish what was ultimately won, and what remains to be addressed: Suffrage is ours. If married, we are no longer dead in the eyes of civil law. Women now control their property and wages. Divorce and child custody laws have changed; education and access to the professions have as well. Relations with many church hierarchies remain to be sorted out as, in some communities, does the question of obedience to one’s husband and differing codes of morality.  

    In their newly published compendium, Women’s Liberation! Feminist Writings That Inspired a Revolution & Still Can editors Alix Kates Shulman and Honor Moore have selected ninety important text written from 1963 through 1991 that educate us on the range of feminist thinking in the 20th century – what it meant to be a woman in the United States and the changes that these authors wanted, often demanded.  And like the Seneca Falls Declaration, once read these writings provide a similar opportunity to explore which feminist goals have been achieved and where the movement is still reaching.

    Shulman and Moore have selected the ninety entries for this volume after reviewing thousands. It was clearly a massive task and surely a frustrating one as page limitations required leaving out many pieces that they had wished to include.  In their Introduction Shulman writes that as coeditor of the volume she saw “the opportunity to correct – stereotypes and misconceptions” such as “how frequently the second wave has been mischaracterized as a monolithic white women’s movement – merely reformist or even [an] elitist one.” The collection of writings found in Women’s Liberation!  reveals the second wave’s great diversity of race, class, and ethnicity but also the “diversity of politics, emphases, styles, interests, sexual practice, aesthetics, and vision.”

    The unquestioned success of the project rests squarely upon having fulfilled this mission.  Shulman and Moore have reached into archives, attics, and dusty cartons to gather up the well-known texts of Betty Friedan, Flo Kennedy, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz,  Alice Walker, and Susan Faludi as well as the hard to find and the out of print.  The volume begins with the opening chapter, titled “The Problem That Has No Name,” of Friedan’s classic, The Feminine Mystique.  The chapter remains a powerful, revealing, and contentious essay which concludes “We can no longer ignore that voice within women that says: “I want something more than my husband and my children and my home.” Five hundred pages later, in the book’s last entry, there is the Introduction, “Blame It on Feminism,” to Faludi’s 1991 book, Backlash, a volume the columnist Ellen Goodman called “spine-stiffening.” Seneca Falls image

    The range of the remaining eighty-eight essays is exactly what drew Shulman to the project. They reveal a diversity of politics – debates, for example, among and within racial groups:  Mary Ann Weathers arguing that women’s liberation should be used to unite “the entire revolutionary movement consisting of women, men, and children”; Frances M. Beals insisting “white feminist groups must become anti-imperialist and anti-racist”;  Doris Wright insisting that feminism does not detract from the Black freedom struggle and that nothing justifies men attempting to dominate women; Mitsuye Yamada unfolding an argument for the rejection of “shikataganai,” or resigned acceptance, and demanding visibility;  Cherrie Moraga using the perspective of a lesbian to explore how victims can oppress one another. (Illustration: Seneca Falls Convention, sos.oregon.gov)

    Women’s Liberation! contains iconic essays that remain compelling.  Pauli Murray and Mary O. Eastwood’s “Jane Crow and the Law” makes the argument that adding “sex” to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act would protect women from discrimination in their right  to employment. Their work greatly influenced lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Anne Koedt’s “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” put in writing what many women knew. “Why I Want a Wife,” Judy Syfers’ analysis of women’s domestic duties concludes, “My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?  And after publication in 1970 Carol Hanisch’s phrase “the personal is political” became, according to Shulman and Moore, “an international byword.”

  • From Medicare: Protect Yourself – If Someone Contacts You to Buy or Sell a Vaccination Card, It’s a Scam; Key Things to Know From the CDC

    Medicare dot gov logo

    Guard your COVID-19 vaccination card
     

    After you get your COVID-19 vaccine, keep your vaccination card safe — scammers are using the COVID-19 pandemic to try to steal your personal information.

    Don‘t share a photo of your COVID-19 vaccination card online or on social media. Scammers can use content you post, like your date of birth, health care details, or other personal information to steal your identity.

    Protect Yourself

    You should get a COVID-19 vaccination card at your first vaccine appointment. If you didn’t, contact the provider site where you got vaccinated or your state health department to find out how to get a card.

    If someone contacts you to buy or sell a vaccination card, it’s a scam.

    If you suspect COVID-19 health care fraud, report it online or call 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). TTY users can call 1-800-377-4950.

    Sincerely,

    The Medicare Team

    FROM THE CDC: 

    Key Things to Know

    • COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
    • You may have side effects after vaccination, but these are normal.
    • It typically takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. You are not fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after the 2nd dose of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks after a one-dose vaccine.
    • COVID-19 vaccines are more widely accessible. Everyone 16 years and older is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. Find a COVID-19 vaccine.
    • People who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

  • FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Delivers Funds to Support the Health of Older Americans

    MAY 03, 2021 • STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living is releasing $1.4 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan for Older Americans Act programs, including programs to support vaccine outreach and coordination, address social isolation, provide family caregiver support, and offer nutrition support. It will also fund justice programs to ensure the safety and protection of older adults.administration for community living video

    The funding will be distributed as follows:

    • $750 million for meals for older adults. With this funding for Older Americans Act nutrition programs, states will be able to continue home-delivered meals as well as “drive-through” or “grab-and-go” meals for older adults who typically would participate in meal programs at community centers that have been closed due to the pandemic. It will also allow states to re-open meal program locations safely that might have closed during the pandemic.  Above, video from the ACL: Administration for Community Living 
    • $460 million for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) through the Older Americans Act. This funding provides help to those who need it for help with household chores and grocery shopping; transportation to essential services (such as grocery stores, banks, or doctors); and case management. The funding can also be used to vaccinate older Americans and address the effects of extended social isolation.
    • $44 million for evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention. This includes programs to address fall prevention, managing a chronic disease, and programs to detect and reduce depression among older Americans. 
    • $145 million to help family caregivers support their loved ones. This funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program will assist family and informal caregivers to provide in-home supports, including counseling, respite care, training and more.
    • $10 million to safeguard the health and welfare of residents in long-term care facilities. These funds will support State Long-term Care Ombudsman programs to advocate on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities across the country. This money will allow ombudsman programs that are advocating for residents to safely go back into facilities after they had to discontinue that support during the pandemic, and continue to promote the health, safety, welfare, and rights of residents.

    The announcement coincides with [the] presidential proclamation honoring May 2021 as Older Americans Month. The proclamation recognizes that older Americans and families have faced substantial challenges during the last year, and their resilience and strength have made our country stronger.

    Older adults deserve to age with dignity and have equitable access to the long-term care system, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, or socioeconomic status. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding access to health care, nutrition services, caregiving, and opportunities to age in place for all older Americans. In the first 100 days, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken significant steps to address the health and security of older adults. In addition to the funding announced today, the Administration has:

    Expanded Funding for Home and Community Based Services. The American Rescue Plan provides states with billions in additional Medicaid funding to help support their home and community-based services programs. The additional Medicaid funding will help expand access to home and community-based services for older adults and ensure that caregivers are fairly compensated for their work.

  • Federal Reserve Chairman Chair Jerome H. Powell on Community Development: For Prime-age Adults Without a Bachelor’s Degree, 20% Saw Layoffs in 2020 Versus 12 % for College-educated Workers

    May 03, 2021, Community Development2021 Just Economy Conference

    Chair Jerome H. Powell, at the “2021 Just Economy Conference” sponsored by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Washington, D.C. (via webcast)

    Watch Live

    Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you today. 

    Together, over the past year, we have been making our way through a very difficult time. We are not out of the woods yet, but I am glad to say that we are now making real progress. While some countries are still suffering terribly in the grip of COVID-19, the economic outlook here in the United States has clearly brightened. Vaccination levels are rising. Fiscal and monetary policy are providing strong support. The economy is reopening, bringing stronger economic activity and job creation.

    That is the high-level perspective  — let’s call it the 30,000 foot view — and from that vantage point, we see improvement. But we should also take a look at what is happening at street level. Lives and livelihoods have been affected in ways that vary from person to person, family to family, and community to community. The economic downturn has not fallen evenly on all Americans, and those least able to bear the burden have been the hardest hit.

    The pain is all the greater in light of the gains we had seen in the years prior to the pandemic. COVID swept in as the United States was experiencing the longest expansion on record. Unemployment was at 50-year lows, and inflation remained under control. Wages were moving up, particularly for the lowest-paid workers. Long-standing racial disparities in unemployment were narrowing, and many who had struggled for years were finding jobs. It was not until the later years of that expansion that its benefits had started to reach those on the margins. During our Fed Listens events, we met with people around the country and heard repeatedly about the life-changing gains of the strong labor market, particularly at the lower end of the income spectrum. Just a few months later, those stories changed to ones of job losses, overextended support services, and businesses built over generations closing their doors for good.

    While the recovery is gathering strength, it has been slower for those in lower-paid jobs: Almost 20 percent of workers who were in the lowest earnings quartile in February of 2020 were not employed a year later, compared to 6 percent for workers in the highest quartile.1

    The Fed’s latest Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking — or SHED report — which will be published later this month, will show that, for prime-age adults without a bachelor’s degree, 20 percent saw layoffs in 2020 versus 12 percent for college-educated workers. And more than 20 percent of Black and Hispanic prime-age workers were laid off compared to 14 percent of white workers over the same period.

    Small businesses have also faced immense difficulties. Fed research found that 80 percent of those surveyed reported a decline in revenue, with two-thirds of those businesses experiencing losses of at least 25 percent.2 A recent Federal Reserve special report looked specifically at the impact on businesses owned by people of color, who reported greater challenges. For example, 67 percent of both Asian- and Black-owned firms and 63 percent of Hispanic-owned firms had to reduce their operations compared to 54 percent for their white counterparts.3

    Our upcoming SHED report notes that 22 percent of parents were either not working or working less because of disruptions to childcare or in-person schooling. Black and Hispanic mothers — 36 percent and 30 percent, respectively — were disproportionately affected. In a similar vein, labor force participation declined around 4 percentage points for Black and Hispanic women compared to 1.6 percentage points for white women and about 2 percentage points for men overall.4 The Fed is focused on these long-standing disparities because they weigh on the productive capacity of our economy. We will only reach our full potential when everyone can contribute to, and share in, the benefits of prosperity.

  • New York’s Jewish Museum: Photography and the American Magazine; When Avant-garde Techniques in Photography and Design Reached the United States via European Emigrés

    From Photography and American Magazine

    Photography and the American Magazine April 3 — July 11, 2021 New York, NY

    New York City’s Jewish Museum will present Modern Look: Photography and the American Magazine, an exhibition exploring how photography, graphic design, and popular magazines converged to transform American visual culture from the 1930s to the 1950s. The exhibition will be on view from April 3 through July 11, 2021.

    Lillian Bassman. Blowing Kiss, 1958. Gelatin silver print. Collection of Eric and Lizzie Himmel, New York © Estate of Lillian Bassman

    Modern Look: Photography and the American Magazine highlights a time when avant-garde techniques in photography and design reached the United States via European émigrés, including Bauhaus artists forced out of Nazi Germany. Whether in the service of advertising or fashion, image-making began to burgeon as the relationship between photography and text grew more nuanced. As the standard of photojournalism rose, so did the power of the photograph. In magazines like Life or Look, it came to be understood as a potent new language, superseding the written word as a means of kindling the imagination. The unmistakable aesthetic made popular by such magazines as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue — whose art directors, Alexey Brodovitch and Alexander Liberman, were immigrants and accomplished photographers — emerged from a distinctly American combination of innovation and pragmatism.

    Featuring over 150 works including vintage photographs, art book layouts, and magazine cover designs, the exhibition considers the connections and influences of designers and photographers such as Richard Avedon, Lillian Bassman, Lester Beall, Margaret Bourke-White, Louis Faurer, Robert Frank, William Klein, Herbert Matter, Lisette Model, Gordon Parks, Irving Penn, Cipe Pineles, and Paul Rand. The exhibition is organized into five sections: “Art as Design, Design as Art,” “Fashion as Desire,” “The Contested Page,” “Reimagining Industry,” and “Graphic Effect.”