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COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots to Become Available in Late September

Top health officials and medical experts joined on August 18 to announce that booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available beginning on September 20.

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COVID/Photo Courtesy of Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire 

Top health officials and medical experts joined on August 18 to announce that booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available beginning on September 20.
The officials said the boosters are still pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and COVID Health Equity Task Force Chair Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith counted among the experts and officials to issue a news release about the additional shots.
“We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose,” the officials wrote.
“At that time, the individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health care providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster.”
The statement continued:
“We would also begin efforts to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to this population early in the vaccine rollout and the continued increased risk that COVID-19 poses to them.”
The announcement arrives as the virus continues a rapid spread throughout the country, with hotspots identified in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Oregon, and other states.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it plans to send a mortuary trailer to San Antonio, Texas, because bodies are beginning to pile up there.
In South Carolina, the Pickens County School District closed schools and converted to remote learning after a dramatic COVID outbreak.
During the first week of school in El Paso, Texas, health officials reported 309 active COVID cases in children. That number rose the second week to 373 and ultimately climbed this week to 501.
Vaccines still have not been authorized for children under 12.
Authorized COVID-19 vaccines are “remarkably effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant,” health officials stated.
The officials continued, saying that “current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout. For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”
The initial booster doses will be for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Still, health officials said shots would likely be necessary for individuals who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“Administration of the J&J vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March 2021, and we expect more data on J&J in the next few weeks,” the officials wrote.
“We continue to expand efforts to increase the supply of vaccines globally for other countries, “building further on the more than 600 million doses we have already committed to donating globally.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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Remembering George Floyd

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

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By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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