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Page 2 CONTINUED FROM COVER STORY: Biden administration to announce most Americans will need coronavirus booster shots The organization has called for a halt to booster shots at least through September, saying it would be better — more ethical and more effective in taming the pandem- ic in the long run — to use the shots to inoculate people overseas. But U.S. officials have become increasingly concerned as data, some of it not yet peer-reviewed, emerges, showing a decrease in effectiveness amid a growing number of cases caused by the highly transmissible delta variant. And at least 1 million Americans have gone ahead and received additional shots on their own, even though that practice has not been officially blessed. “I think delta changed everything,” said one of the peo- ple familiar with the decision. Israel just released new data showing that the Pfizer vaccine, for people who are 65 years and older and were vaccinated in January, was less than 55 percent effective against severe disease and hospitalizations. The decline in effectiveness, which has been showing up in Israeli data for several weeks, has prompted that nation to begin administering a booster shot to people who are 50 years old and over. Asked about the impact of the Israeli information on U.S. decision-making, a federal official said, “It’s very relevant and potentially important,” adding, “Other data are tending to corroborate what they are seeing, so we have to take it seriously.” Some officials also are scrutinizing data released last week from the Mayo Clinic, which found that the effec- tiveness of the Pfizer vaccine had fallen to 42 percent in July. The vaccine remained highly effective against severe cases that could result in hospitalization. The booster decision comes amid ongoing struggles to persuade a significant portion of the U.S. population to get vaccinated for the first time. Just over 50 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and while vaccinations have been increasing in recent weeks, millions of Americans remain firmly opposed. For months, administration officials had worried that conversations about boosters would undermine confidence in the vaccine and dis- suade people from getting immunized. Focus groups of vaccine-hesitant Trump voters confirmed officials’ fears. Still, health officials ultimately decided to move forward with boosters amid concerns over the delta variant and studies showing the waning effectiveness of the vaccine. On “Fox News Sunday,” Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the combination of waning effectiveness and the “nasty” delta variant “means we may need boosters, maybe beginning first with healthcare providers, as well as people in nursing homes, and then gradually moving forward” with oth- ers, such as older Americans who were among the first to get vaccinated. The FDA last week authorized a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for people who are immunocompromised, including patients taking immunosuppressive drugs because of organ trans- plants or those receiving cancer treatment. The booster decision comes before the FDA has given emergency authorization for children under 12 to get the vaccine. The delay in vaccines for children has wor- ried parents and teachers as more children have been hospitalized in recent weeks because of the delta vari- ant, and schools are starting to reopen. By Laurie McGinley and Tyler Pager White House reporter. CRIT Tribal Council calls for Mandatory COVID-19 testing and creates another opportunity to get the Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine MANATABA PARK—-COLORADO RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION—-August 16, 2021, a call for Mandatory testing for all CRIT Enterprise and CRIT Employees from 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. took place at Manataba Park. Employees were tested on a first-come, first-serve basis, one hour of Administrative leave was granted for employees from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and the use of their work tribal vehicles with a request of no more than two employees per vehicle. Employees were asked to wear face masks inside their cars, and they were asked to bring the required forms filled out before testing. To protect the tribal members that come into daily contact with tribal employees, the tribal employees themselves, and the community at large, more mandatory testing dates will be August 30, 2021, September 13, 2021, and September 27, 2021, all from 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Manataba Park. CRIT Tribal Council representative Josephine Tahbo was assisting tribal employees throughout the coordinated event between the Region for Border Health Parker Walk-In Clinic and Tribes and CRIT Public Information officer Erica James and CRIT Homeland Security. This initiative by the CRIT Tribal government is in line with the U.S. government, hospital systems, and companies nationwide working together to make testing easy, accessible, and valuable. Experts emphasize that COVID-19 testing is still essential to curb the spread of the virus and the growing threat of the new DELTA variant. Although COVID-19 vaccines dominate the coronavirus news these days, public health experts don’t want people to forget that there’s still a need for COVID-19 testing for many people. That’s because millions of Americans still are not vaccinated against COVID-19, with many still saying they have no plans to get the shot. “For the foreseeable future, the need for testing will continue,” Stephen Kissler, Ph.D., a research fellow in immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, states, “With so many people still unvaccinated, testing continues to be important for identifying people with COVID-19 so that they can be monitored for treatment if needed and be isolated to keep others at risk from getting the virus.” -Taken from article New COVID Test Initiatives Show Why Testing Still Matters by Fran Kritz. Photo credit: MMsgr. CRIT Tribal Council representative Josephine Tahbo. The CRIT Tribal government is one of the largest employers in La Paz County; according to Councilwoman Tahbo, over 500+ employees will be tested in this initiative. All Tribal employees were accommodated for even those showing up in trucks pulling flatbeds and even a CRIT Farm Hay Squeeze to receive testing.