Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Gibraltar, Seychelles, Bhutan near widespread coronavirus immunity
Tiny Asian countries and the British territory Gibraltar are nearing widespread immunity against COVID-19 and are gaining a sense of normalcy, proving it pays to be small and have a steady supply of shots if you want to zip ahead in the global vaccination race. Published April 25, 2021
U.S. sending aid to India amid COVID-19 crisis
The U.S. is sending protective gear, therapeutic drugs and raw materials for vaccines to India as it battles a catastrophic wave of COVID-19 cases that is taxing its health system, depleting oxygen supplies and forcing cremation centers to operate around the clock. Published April 25, 2021
NIH chief: Resuming J&J vaccine without limits is ‘right decision’
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins on Sunday said federal regulators and advisers made the right call in resuming the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for everyone, saying its benefits in fighting COVID-19 outweigh the threat of rare blood clots seen in a handful of recipients. Published April 25, 2021
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: Ron Johnson’s vaccine comments not helpful
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said Sunday that vaccine comments from fellow Republican Sen. Ron Johnson "hurt" the effort to get America sufficiently immunized against COVID-19. Published April 25, 2021
VP Kamala Harris: American people want a result in George Floyd reform effort
Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday increased pressure on the Senate to pass legislation that would overhaul policing policies in the wake of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin's murder conviction, saying the "American people, in a bipartisan way," are demanding a shake-up. Published April 25, 2021
VP Kamala Harris: Migrant surges ‘not going to be solved overnight’
Vice President Kamala Harris said Sunday a mix of aid and diplomacy will make progress in stemming the migrant surge. Published April 25, 2021
HHS launches celebrity-driven, COVID-19 vaccine campaign to fight looming hesitancy
The Biden administration on Thursday launched a vaccine-education campaign that links Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa, Mark Cuban and other notable figures with doctors who can answer people's questions about the COVID-19 shots. Published April 22, 2021
Biden to employers: Offer coronavirus vaccination incentives
President Biden said Wednesday the government will reimburse small employers who give paid time off to workers who step out for a COVID-19 vaccine and need time to recover from any side effects. Published April 21, 2021
European regulators on Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine: Blood clots are ‘rare side effects’
Unusual blood clots should be listed as "very rare" side effects of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, European regulators said Tuesday, swiftly replicating the warning it put on a similar vaccine while the U.S. waits days for federal advisers to plot a way forward. Published April 20, 2021
COVID-19 cases rising despite half of adults in U.S. receiving their first vaccine
Half of U.S. adults have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but cases are still rising, driven by fast-moving variants and spread among younger people who haven't been vaccinated in hot spots such as Michigan. Published April 19, 2021
Donald Trump: GOP candidates must adopt ‘MAGA’ agenda to win
Former President Donald Trump said House and Senate Republicans should flock to his "Make America Great Again" agenda if they want to retake congressional power in 2022 cycle and set the tone for the next presidential cycle. Published April 19, 2021
White House: Russia will be punished if Navalny dies in custody
The Russian government will face consequences if Alexei Navalny dies in custody, the White House said Monday, as the opposition leader was transferred to a hospital for prisoners amid his hunger strike. Published April 19, 2021
Biden celebrates widespread vaccine eligibility: ‘You need to be protected’
President Biden on Monday pleaded with Americans to get vaccinated now that every state is offering the vaccine to any adult, meeting his goal of widespread eligibility by April 19. Published April 19, 2021
Yoshihide Suga, Japanese prime minister: Olympics on track as ‘symbol of global unity’
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday he is committed to holding the Summer Olympics Games this summer "as a symbol of global unity this summer." Published April 16, 2021
CDC panel to meet April 23 on J&J pause
A key advisory panel will meet on April 23 to discuss a path forward for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as it investigates rare blood clots in several recipients, all but ensuring the pause in its rollout will last for at least 10 days. Published April 16, 2021
White House announces $1.7B for coronavirus sequencing
The Biden administration said Friday it is investing $1.7 billion in genomic sequencing of the coronavirus to detect fast-moving variants, as only half of the current cases are of the original strain. Published April 16, 2021
Steve Scalise: Two sets of COVID-19 rules for migrants, citizens
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise highlighted the disconnect Thursday between stringent rules on Americans who attempt to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and conditions at the southern border, where migrants are crossing the border illegally and traveling deeper into the country without being tested. Published April 15, 2021
Biden officials tell House panel: Greatest risk is COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
President Biden's health officials lobbied Americans to maintain their faith in available COVID-19 vaccines as regulators work to resolve questions about blood clots and the Johnson & Johnson version, saying the public cannot succumb to hesitancy at this point in the pandemic effort. Published April 15, 2021
CDC advisory panel holds off on J&J vaccine vote for now; will reconvene within 10 days
A federal panel said Wednesday it wants to gather more data on extremely rare blood clots tied to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and see if new cases arise from recent shots, likely prolonging the U.S. pause in deploying the one-dose option against COVID-19. Published April 14, 2021
Trump slams Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause as ‘terrible disservice’
Former President Donald Trump slammed the Biden administration's decision to pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout Tuesday as a "terrible disservice" that will dent the vaccine's credibility amid the coronavirus fight. Published April 13, 2021