Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

Based on the national trend in ESRD deaths during the first 7 months of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic (February-August 2020), an estimated 8.7-12.9 excess deaths per 1,000 patients or 6,953-10,316 excess deaths in a population of 798,611 U.S. ESRD patients occurred.

Disparities in county-level vaccination coverage by social vulnerability have increased as vaccine eligibility has expanded. By May 2021, vaccination coverage was lower among adults living in counties with low socioeconomic status and higher percentages of households with children, single parents, and people with disabilities.

This report describes the percentage of adults aged 18-26 years who received a human papillomavirus vaccine, by race and Hispanic origin and sex.

This report describes how Sub-Saharan African countries have overcome challenges to initiate and scale up HIV viral load testing to monitor patients receiving Antiretroviral therapy.

This report describes the impact of COVID-19 on HIV viral load testing in PEPFAR-supported countries.

This report describes racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding initiation across states.

As of April 30, 2021, approximately 101 million people in the U.S. had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Almost 10,300 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections were reported from 46 states and territories. Vaccine breakthrough infections occur in only a small fraction of all vaccinated people.

Utah implemented two high school COVID-19 testing programs to sustain in-person instruction and extracurricular activities. During November 30, 2020-March 20, 2021, among 59,552 students who received testing, 1,886 (3.2%) had a positive result. These programs facilitated the completion of approximately 95% of high school athletic events and saved an estimated 109,752 in-person instruction student-days.

COVID-19 incidence was 37% lower in schools that required teachers and staff to use masks and 39% lower in schools that improved ventilation. Ventilation strategies associated with lower school incidence included dilution methods alone (35% lower incidence) or in combination with filtration methods (48% lower incidence).

This report describes death rates for falls, motor vehicle traffic, firearms, and drug poisonings in the United States.

This report describes COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in child care facilities in the District of Columbia.

This report describes outbreaks caused by pathogens or chemicals in treated recreational water.

This report describes updated recommendations for the use of self-administered injectable contraception.

COVID-19 vaccination coverage was lower in rural counties (38.9%) than in urban counties (45.7%); disparities persisted among age groups and by sex.

The first U.S. multisite test-negative design vaccine effectiveness study among HCP found a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to be 82% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 2 doses to be 94% effective.

In May 2021, after a systematic review of all available data, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices made an interim recommendation for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12-15 years for the prevention of COVID-19.

After the first 3.5 months of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program, 79.1% of adults aged ≥65 years had received ≥1 dose, with higher vaccination initiation among men. Counties with lower vaccination initiation rates had higher percentages of older adults with social vulnerabilities.

This report describes how COVID-19 community-based testing programs can help reach underrepresented groups with limited access to testing.

This report describes the prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥67 years.

This report describes the performance of the Quidel rapid antigen SARS-CoV-2 test in a hospital setting.

This report describes emergency department visits for bicycle-related traumatic brain injuries during 2009-2018.

Data from six models indicate that with high vaccination coverage and moderate nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) adherence, hospitalizations and deaths will likely remain low nationally, with a sharp decline in cases projected by July 2021. Lower NPI adherence could lead to substantial increases in severe COVID-19 outcomes, even with improved vaccination coverage

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene analyzed laboratory and epidemiologic data to characterize cases of B.1.526 infection and the associated potential for breakthrough infection and reinfection. Preliminary evidence suggests that, to date, B.1.526 does not lead to more severe disease or increased risk for infection after vaccination.

On January 24, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) identified the first Colorado case of COVID-19 attributed to the B.1.427 and B.1.429 variants. To improve convenience sampling to identify and track emerging variants, CDPHE established a 30-site statewide sentinel surveillance system.

This report describes the percentage of adults with diabetes by urbanization level and age group in the United States.

This report describes the number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations occurring among older adults from falls and other accidents.

This report describes an outbreak of Escherichia coli in multiple states linked to romaine lettuce.

This report describes an analysis of polio surveillance data from 42 countries during 2019-2020.

Five mass vaccination sites reported 64 anxiety-related events, including 17 events of syncope (fainting) after receipt of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. The reporting rates of syncope to VAERS after Janssen COVID-19 and influenza vaccines (2019-20) were 8.2 and 0.05 per 100,000 doses, respectively.

Nearly 8 million doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine had been administered. Review of safety monitoring data found that 97% of reported reactions after vaccine receipt were nonserious, consistent with preauthorization clinical trials data. A total of 17 thrombotic events with thrombocytopenia were detected, including three non-CVST events.

In U.S. hospitals during January-March 2021, receipt of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines was 94% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization among fully vaccinated adults and 64% effective among partially vaccinated adults aged ≥65 years.

This report describes healthcare use among adolescents with autism.

This report describes emergency department visits attributed to tick bites.

This report describes a COVID-19 outbreak among farmworkers in Okanogan County.

This report describes a review of COVID-19 cases in the seafood processing industry in Alaska.

This report describes the percentage of adults with arthritis by age group and sex in the United States.

This report describes an investigation in Maryland of two linked clusters of COVID-19 cases identified as the B.1.351 variant.

Erratum: Vol. 70, No. 12

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices concluded that the benefits of resuming Janssen COVID-19 vaccination among persons aged ≥18 years outweighed the risks and reaffirmed its interim recommendation under FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, which includes a new warning for rare clotting events among women aged 18-49 years.

Among 3,171 nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients, 69% had one or more outpatient visits 28-180 days after the diagnosis. Two thirds had a visit for a new primary diagnosis, and approximately one third had a new specialist visit. Symptoms potentially related to COVID-19 were common new visit diagnoses. Visits for these symptoms decreased after 60 days but for some patients continued through 120-180 days.

Twenty-two possible breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred among fully vaccinated persons ≥14 days after their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Two thirds of persons were asymptomatic. A minority of persons with breakthrough infection experienced mild to moderate COVID-19-like symptoms; two COVID-19-related hospitalizations and one death occurred. No facility-associated secondary transmission was identified.

In a COVID-19 outbreak at a Kentucky skilled nursing facility involving a newly introduced variant to the region, unvaccinated residents and health care personnel (HCP) had 3.0 and 4.1 times the risk of infection as did vaccinated residents and HCP. Vaccine was 86.5% protective against symptomatic illness among residents and 87.1% protective among HCP.

This report describes age-adjusted death rates for Alzheimer Disease among adults ≥65 Years by sex.

This report describes an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. Coli linked to contaminated flour in the United States.

This report describes COVID-19 outbreaks among incarcerated persons in Idaho correctional facilities.

This report describes passenger arrival testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Alaska airports.

This report describes workers' compensation claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers in the United States.

Based on laboratory scenarios, COVID-19 exposures were reduced by 23% to 57% in single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft when the middle seat was kept vacant, compared with full aircraft occupancy.

This report describes changes in the number of emergency department visits during December 2020-January 2021 compared with the same months the year before.

This report describes immunization safety monitoring using surveillance for adverse events following immunization.