The delicate dance of vaccination | Morning Newsletter
And, what about all the pregnant health-care workers?
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning. The Eagles won. About what’s next for the team, here’s a word of perspective and caution.
First: Republican Sen. Pat Toomey got on the phone with us to talk about what he discussed when he got on the phone with President-elect Joe Biden. He’s going to work with Biden. On some things.
Then: Normally, pregnant women aren’t part of vaccine trials, and while they also weren’t included this time, experts say they should consider getting the coronavirus vaccine.
And: The beginning of the end of the pandemic has arrived at our doorsteps. Here’s what makes the vaccination process such a delicate dance.
— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
As Pat Toomey prepares for his final hour, he has new influence and a Democrat in the Oval Office. Pat Toomey talked about how he will — and won’t — find common ground with President-elect Joe Biden in a comprehensive interview with politics writer Jonathan Tamari.
Toomey recently told us that Trump’s campaign to overturn the election was unacceptable, a declaration that’s been widely regarded as rare in the Republican Party.
Read on for how he’ll approach COVID-19, trade, and nominees in this must-read interview.
At a time when health-care workers are getting Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this week, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee is recommending that pregnant health-care workers should still be able to get it.
Typically, you won’t find anyone who’s expecting on any vaccine trial list. But researchers say 330,000 health-care workers are going to be pregnant or breastfeeding when everyone in this group of people is first in line for the vaccine. Experts feel very strongly about what should happen here.
Doctors really want expectant moms to consider getting it because pregnant women would be especially vulnerable if they were to get the virus. Not one of the two dozen people who got the vaccine became pregnant during those studies reported any complications. Read on for the details.
Know this. The coronavirus vaccine is not the flu shot. Doling out the first scarce doses is a daunting task. From the ultracold freezers to navigating slammed hospitals, here’s everything you need to know about how people are doing the delicate dance that is the vaccination process.
Helpful COVID-19 Resources
Check the latest coronavirus-related restrictions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Are you seeing people again after having COVID-19? Read our checklist first.
Is it safe to travel this winter? If you are, here’s a full breakdown on how to stay safer away from home wherever you stay and however you get there.
What are the first symptoms of the coronavirus and what are the differences in COVID-19, the flu, a common cold, and allergies?
Everything you need to know about buying, washing, replacing, and wearing face masks.
Track the spread of COVID-19 infections in the region.
Sign up to get free coronavirus news updates in your inbox three times a week.
What you need to know today
The first doses of the coronavirus vaccine will be given out in New Jersey tomorrow, Gov. Phil Murphy said yesterday.
Nine people were shot overnight Saturday, three fatally, in a series of violent hours in Philadelphia that included a double homicide, police said.
Just how bad is unemployment going into the holiday celebrations and end-of-year reflections? Dismal, when you look at the data.
The Electoral College meets today in most state capitols to cast its votes. President Donald Trump signaled over the weekend that he will continue to challenge the results of the 2020 election with false claims of fraud.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
You got to love this view of Race Street Pier. Thanks for sharing, @westofbroad.
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!
That’s interesting
😷 “In all my 24 years of incarceration, I’ve never witnessed a darker time in prison.” These are dispatches from the heart of Pennsylvania’s prison outbreak.
🦅 The Eagles won. A backup quarterback playing well enough to win his first start has happened before. Here’s a word of perspective and caution.
🎙️ We caught up with the breakout star from the internet gold that is the video a fan cam captured of a 76ers “Philly to the core” fan rapping recently rediscovered online.
🏒 Think the Flyers have a shot at the Stanley Cup this year? Here are 5 ways it could happen.
🏀 After a Gators basketball player collapsed for an unreported reason during a game a couple of months after testing positive for coronavirus, Sixers coach Doc Rivers discussed playing in “uncharted waters.”
🍭 Need to get your kids into something new? This Nutcracker alternative offers hula hoop decorating with “Candy Cane” and learning how to wear a tiara correctly, as one does, with none other than the Sugarplum Fairy. And there’s plenty of other family fun stuff to do.
🍗 This Christmas, KFC is pushing a movie about a sexy Colonel Sanders (Mario Lopez) who moves into a woman’s home to make her swoon over more than his secret ingredient. Sounds like A Recipe for Seduction to us, and that’s the title.
Opinions
“Snow is embedded in the national consciousness in ways that transcend the practical or logical. For millions of Americans what is most compelling about snow is the complex and enchanting phenomenon itself.” — weather reporter Anthony R. Wood writes about the enchanting marvel of snow. Just consider the magical metamorphosis of 100,000 water droplets and so much more.
Columnist Maria Panaritis writes that a gem of a 62-year-old woman is trying to get school supplies to the neediest students of Philly’s suburbs, and she’s doing it out of her garage.
Columnist Jenice Armstrong writes that the distrust between Black people and health care that started long ago lingers today for good reason. Now, a new Pew study revealed that Black people appear less inclined to get the COVID-19 vaccine more than any other racial or ethnic group. Here’s how far implicit bias has gone.
What we’re reading
PhillyMag talked to the viral teen Montco musician who wrote a fitting Christmas jam for our distanced yuletide reality. And she’s even inviting comparisons to Mariah Carey, the reason for the season.
Just before Pennsylvania shut down indoor dining across the state, a server in Harrisburg got a $500 tip from a bunch of patrons who went in on it together.
There’s even more to Evermore. NME explains why Taylor Swift dropped the “dancing witch” version of ”Willow” to celebrate her birthday.
Your Daily Dose of | Music
At the George Floyd memorial service in Minneapolis over the summer, it was gospel musician Darnell Davis who stepped forward to play. His new album with his group, Darnell Davis & the Remnant, weaves a lattice of traditional gospel sounds to explore themes of trust, self-love, and community. It’s “just what the doctor ordered” for the time we’re living through right now. Here’s how he’s keeping his spirits high.