The Latest: Older Adults Begin to Test Freedom After Covid Vaccinations

Plus, a new Vaccine Monitor report finds enthusiasm for getting a COVID-19 vaccine continuing to grow.

March 31, 2021 'I Can Breathe Again': Older Adults Begin to Test Freedom After Covid Vaccinations   With a mix of relief and caution, older adults fully vaccinated against covid-19 are moving out into the world and resuming activities put on hold during the pandemic. Many are making plans to see adult children and hug grandchildren they haven't visited for months — or longer. Others are getting together with friends indoors, for the first time in a long time. (KHN, CNN) KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: March 2021   The latest KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report finds enthusiasm for getting a COVID-19 vaccine continuing to grow, with roughly 6 in 10 adults (61%) now saying they have already gotten at least one dose (32%) or want to get vaccinated as soon as they can (30%). That's up from a combined 55% in February and 47% in January, as more people report getting vaccinated and fewer say they want to "wait and see" how the vaccine works in others before getting it themselves (17% now, compared to 22% in February and 31% in January). (News Release, Report) Dramatic Drop in Common Viruses Raises Question: Masks Forever?   Masks and physical distancing are proving to have major fringe benefits, keeping people from getting all kinds of illnesses — not just covid-19. But it's unclear whether the protocols will be worth the pain in the long run. (KHN, NPR) Dysfunctional Websites are Making It Harder for Americans to Get Vaccinated. Here's How to Fix That.   In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Drew Altman spells out how COVID-19 vaccination can be simplified to ensure that the public's rising confidence in the vaccine isn't thwarted by frustrating and sometimes dysfunctional websites. He writes, "Americans who are on the fence about getting vaccinated might be more willing if they heard the process for making appointments was easier to navigate. As the country works to simplify eligibility, it can also improve the process for actually getting shots into arms." (Washington Post) Special Coverage: COVID-19 Coronavirus The latest news and analysis on the coronavirus outbreak. You can find a complete list of recent releases on KFF.org and KHN.org. 'I Can Breathe Again': Older Adults Begin to Test Freedom After Covid Vaccinations (KHN, CNN) Dramatic Drop in Common Viruses Raises Question: Masks Forever? (KHN, NPR) Covid Vaccine Hesitancy Drops Among All Americans, New Survey Shows (KHN) Analysis: How the US Invested in the War on Terrorism at the Cost of Public Health (KHN, LA Times) Durango's Covid 'Cowboy' Rounds Up Spring Break Scofflaws, Lines 'Em Up for Shots (KHN) For Counties and Clinics, Blue Shield Takeover of Vaccination Task Fixes What Wasn't Broken (CHL) Ask KHN-PolitiFact: How Can Covid Vaccines Be Safe When They Were Developed So Fast? (KHN, PolitiFact) Scientists Seek Covid Treatment Answers in Cheap, Older Drugs (KHN, Desert Sun) Lost on the Frontline: New This Week (The Guardian) In His Continued Sparring With Fauci, Sen. Rand Paul Oversimplified the Science (KHN, PolitiFact) KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: March 2021 (News Release, Report) Dysfunctional Websites are Making It Harder for Americans to Get Vaccinated. Here's How to Fix That. (Washington Post) Vaccination is Local: COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Vary by County and Key Characteristics (News Release, Issue Brief) Updated: Latest Data on COVID-19 Vaccinations Race/Ethnicity (Issue Brief) The Health Center COVID-19 Vaccination Program is Prioritizing Hard-to-Reach Communities (Policy Watch Post) Archived Recording: Unsung Heroes: The Crucial Role – and Tenuous Circumstances – of Home Care Workers During the Pandemic (Archived Recording) Updated: COVID-19 Coronavirus Tracker – Updated as of March 31, 2021 (Interactive) Updated: State COVID-19 Data and Policy Actions (Interactive) Updated: Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19 (Interactive) Tracking COVID-19 New Global Confirmed Cases (on 3/30): 568,112 Administered Vaccines (as of 3/30) 160,100,590 Total U.S. Deaths (as of 3/30) 550,371 News and Headlines News and headlines from Kaiser Health News (KHN) and California Healthline (CHL). Follow KHN on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and CHL on Facebook  and Twitter, for the latest updates. Getting a Prescription to Die Remains Tricky Even as Aid-in-Dying Bills Gain Momentum (KHN, Time) It's Not Just QAnon. Democrats and Independents Also Want to Recall California's Governor. (KHN) Latest news summaries from the KHN Morning Briefing Data and Analysis The latest in health policy data and analysis from KFF. Updated: Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map (Interactive) The Buzz See what's driving health policy conversation on social media. Follow KFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates and perspectives. Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. kff.org  |  khn.org Did someone forward this to you? Click here to subscribe to The Latest. 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