Current Events in March 2021

The use of age-appropriate car seats among parents who take ride-share services with young children is alarmingly low, a new study finds. 

A national survey published in the journal Academic Pediatrics found that only half of U.S. parents reported that children 8 years or younger used the recommended child car seats or booster seats when in ride-share vehicles with them. 

Forty percent of parents who take ride-share vehicles with children aged 8 and younger use a seat belt for their child, and 10 percent allow their child to travel on their lap or unrestrained. The study authors said the results of the survey are “concerning” because of the popularity of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. 

“Car accidents remain the leading cause of death for children under 10 years old and traveling without the recommended child restraint system increases the risk for serious injury or death in a crash,” said senior study author Dr. Michelle Macy, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

“Importantly, our findings suggest that even parents who usually use child car seats face barriers to doing so in ride-share vehicles. Or, parents may view traveling in ride-share services as different, in terms of risk and legal requirements, than traveling in their family vehicle,” Macy said in a statement. 

Most states require use of car seats

Generally, parents reported lower rates of child car seat use when in ride-share vehicles compared to how they normally ride with their child. The researchers noted that most states do require children younger than 8 to travel in a child car seat or booster seat when in ride-share vehicles. 

"A lack of awareness of laws and policies requiring car seats and booster seats in ride-share vehicles may be a reason for our findings. Solutions include enforcement of policies, reminders from ride-share apps, signs posted in ride-share vehicles, education from pediatricians and public health campaigns," Macy said.

"These interventions could be targeted toward families of school-age children, since this age group had more suboptimal restraint use in ride-share," she noted.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 30,399,372 (30,335,188)

Total U.S. deaths: 551,118 (550,121)

Total global cases: 128,421,931 (127,818,432)

Total global deaths: 2,807,094 (2,794,820)

Pfizer reports 100 percent efficacy in tests on adolescents

It could soon be the kids’ turn to roll up their sleeves. Pfizer and BioNTech report that their coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy on adolescents aged 12 to 15.

In a Phase 3 clinical trial of 2,260 adolescents, not one of the children who received the vaccine developed the virus. At the same time, 18 of the children who received a placebo instead of the vaccine tested positive. The study may have been small, but the companies say the results are highly encouraging.

Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said the companies plan to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a proposed amendment for authority to vaccinate members of that age group. If granted, he says millions of children could be vaccinated well before the fall school term.

New cases dip slightly while deaths rise

The ebb and flow of the virus shifted this week. Health officials report a slight decline in the number of newly reported cases of COVID-19. At the same time, deaths from the virus, which had been trending lower, rose.

The COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University reported slightly more than 60,000 new cases for Tuesday, down from 69,419 the day before. Health officials this week had expressed growing concern that rising cases might signal a new wave of the virus.

But the same dataset suggests that there were 804 deaths linked to the virus on Tuesday, up from 701 a day earlier. Health experts say deaths have been a lagging indicator throughout the pandemic, and this week’s rise in deaths may be related to the increase in cases over the last four weeks.

CDC: COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death last year

It may come as no surprise, but COVID-19 was listed as the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020. Heart disease remained number one and cancer was second.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there were 3.3 million deaths in the U.S. last year, with most of the deaths taking place between April 11 and Dec. 26.

The report says COVID-19 was listed as the underlying cause for 345,323 deaths, making it more lethal than unintentional injuries, strokes, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza, pneumonia, and kidney disease.

More organizations eye a return to the office

With vaccinations increasing, more companies are beginning to consider returning employees to the office. Wells Fargo announced this week that it’s aiming for September as a date when it would be safe for employees to return to an office environment. 

JLL, a corporate consultancy, says organizations have an unprecedented opportunity to redefine how their spaces evolve to promote health and well-being. It says the goal should be offices that support a healthy post-pandemic workplace.

"A healthy workplace is one that promotes employees' physical, mental and social well-being," said Cynthia Kantor, chief product officer at JLL Corporate Solutions. "Creating that type of environment in the post-pandemic world will require taking a holistic, integrated approach to enhancing workplaces through improvements to the physical environment, enhanced policies, and procedures and the creation of continuous programming that bolsters a culture of health and well-being."

More Americans say the pandemic has delayed retirement plans

The year-long pandemic has been a major economic hardship on millions of people, as the unemployment numbers attest. But even people who managed to hang onto their jobs and are considering retirement have been affected.

A survey from Nationwide found that one in five Americans say they will likely postpone retirement because of the pandemic. Younger adults seem to be having the hardest time, with 62 percent of millennials and 51 percent of Gen Xers saying the pandemic has made their finances more complicated, compared to only 27 percent of baby boomers.

"COVID-19 has many Americans feeling financially insecure, especially younger ones," said Eric Henderson, president of Nationwide's Annuity business. "This presents an opportunity for financial professionals to not only get clients back on track, but ensure they have the right tools and education on topics like taxes in retirement, which can get them closer to their long-term goals."

Around the nation

• Arizona: People with disabilities are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in several states, but logistics can sometimes be difficult for them. In Arizona, Ability360, a non-profit group, has announced it will host a series of vaccination events at its campus in Phoenix geared toward people with disabilities.

• Texas: Texas has reopened just about everything and has removed the statewide mask mandate. It has also cleared the way for kids to attend summer camp, but with some safeguards. Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas will provide state-licensed summer camps with COVID-19 rapid tests in an effort to prevent potential outbreaks.

• New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy has signed an executive order that allows wedding venues in some areas to host events with an indoor capacity of 35 percent, or 150 people. "We're excited that some of our family members can fly in from out of state, and just being able to get together and celebrate a happy moment after this last year we've been through," said Gina Vitale, who was married March 6 but is restaging the ceremony in front of guests.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports Midwestern Pet Foods has launched a major recall of several dog and cat food brands because some of the products might be contaminated with salmonella.

The agency says the pathogen can be harmful, even deadly for pets. It can also pose a health threat to humans who handle the products.

The recall stretches across five brands -- CanineX, Earthborn, Sportmix, Meridian, and Pro Pac. The products were produced at a plant in Monmouth, Ill.

“Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever,” the company said in an announcement posted by the FDA. “Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.”

Another recall in January

In January, the FDA issued a safety advisory for certain lots of Sportmix products, saying high levels of aflatoxin, which is toxic to some animals, was believed to be the cause of death for 28 dogs. The company voluntarily recalled the product.

Weeks later, the FDA widened the recall of Sportmix after receiving additional reports that some pets had died after consuming it. 

This time the company said it is erring on the side of caution in issuing the voluntary recall. The company said it issued the recall after routine sampling by company inspectors detected the salmonella. It said there had been no human or pet illnesses reported to date.

Symptoms

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that causes hundreds of cases of food poisoning among humans each year but is just as likely to affect animals. Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. 

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans, the company said. 

The current recall involves products sold online and at retail stores nationwide. The products have expiration dates ranging from April 2022 through September 2022. 

Kimberly-Clark -- the maker of Scott toilet paper, Huggies diapers, and other commonly bought household items -- said Wednesday that it will be raising prices on a number of items in the coming months. 

The company said price increases in its baby care, adult care, and Scott bathroom tissue businesses "are necessary to help offset significant commodity cost inflation.” Consumers will see prices on most of Kimberly-Clark’s North American products rise by the mid-to-high single digits in late-June. 

A number of companies have recently raised prices as a way to survive the profit-hit of higher commodity costs. In August, The J.M. Smucker Company raised the price of its Jif peanut butter, prompting its competitors to follow suit with their own products. Analysts expect Kimberly-Clark’s competitors, such as Procter & Gamble, to follow the company’s lead and raise prices as well. 

Consumer demand for many items has risen because of the pandemic, and so has the cost of manufacturing products. A Kimberly-Clark spokesperson told CNN that market prices on pulp and polymer resin rose 55 percent in February and January from the two months prior. 

General Mills said last week that it’s feeling the strain of higher freight and supply chain costs and will be raising prices in late spring. 

"There are higher costs to operate in this higher demand environment," the company’s CFO Kofi Bruce said on a call with analysts.

Google has decided against imposing a 60-minute time limit on its free version of Google Meet, which previously would have gone into effect on April 1. Consumers don’t need to worry about the decision being an April Fool’s prank. The company officially tweeted out that until June 30, 2021, users can host calls up to 24 hours long -- or what Google refers to as “unlimited.”

The company says it continues to be sensitive to the pandemic’s impact on working remotely and communicating with loved ones. The change marks the second time Google has lifted a proposed time restrictions since the pandemic began. 

Working from home continues

Consumers who use Google Meet for work should be happy about the extension, but some workers may not have to hold virtual meetings for too much longer. 

Companies across the U.S. are starting to consider when they will have employees return to physical offices. Wells Fargo recently announced that it will be aiming to have its employees return to offices by September. 

If you’re looking for ways to stay productive while working from home lasts, check out ConsumerAffairs’ guide here.

That Volkswagen story you read where they were changing their name to “Voltswagen”? It was a prank -- an April Fools’ one that the company thought they could get the media to bite on. Not only did media outlets take the bait, but analysts and investors took the company at its word because of the automaker’s all-electric campaign over the last few years.

"Volkswagen of America will not be changing its name to Voltswagen," a spokesman told a variety of news sources on Tuesday. "The renaming was designed to be an announcement in the spirit of April Fool's Day, highlighting the launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV and signaling our commitment to bringing electric mobility to all."

VW played the ruse well. The online press release was reportedly dated April 29, giving people the perception that it was released online a month before it had been intended to appear. The release said that the "Voltswagen" name would be placed on all of its electric vehicles, while the standard VW logo would be on its gas-powered vehicles. 

What other April Fools nonsense is in the works?

This coming Thursday is April 1, and if 2021 is like any other year, consumers should be on the lookout for fake news, posts, etc. Some are likely to be more scam than fun, so researching any headline that gets your attention would be prudent. 

One thing to watch out for are spam and scam emails. Using special dates and holidays in the subject line of an email is a trick that fraudsters have been known to employ. The reason is that those dates can often sidestep certain spam filters.

One company to keep an eye out for is Google. The Big Tech company has a track record for churning out a prank every April 1. One year, the company announced that it was launching a new search mode for Google Mobile with the instructions "Put phone to forehead for brain indexing" and "Think your query.” In 2008, the company claimed it was partnering with Virgin Airlines and forming a company called “Virgle” to launch a manned colony on Mars.

Pfizer and BioNTech, the companies that developed one of the three coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines being used in the U.S., report that their vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy in adolescents aged 12 to 15.

In a Phase 3 clinical trial of 2,260 adolescents, none of the children who received the vaccine got the virus and 18 of those who received the placebo eventually became ill. The study may have been small but the companies say the results are highly encouraging.

“We share the urgency to expand the authorization of our vaccine to use in younger populations and are encouraged by the clinical trial data from adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO. 

‘Longing for a normal life’

Bourla said the companies plan to submit the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a proposed amendment to the current EUA. If granted, he says millions of children could be vaccinated well in advance of the fall school term.

“Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech. “This is especially true for our children. The initial results we have seen in the adolescent studies suggest that children are particularly well protected by vaccination, which is very encouraging given the trends we have seen in recent weeks regarding the spread of the B.1.1.7 UK variant.”

The companies say the trial enrolled 2,260 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 in the United States to test the efficacy of the vaccine. They say the more than 1,100 children who received the vaccine were fully protected against the virus.

“Vaccination with BNT162b2 elicited SARS-CoV-2–neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) of 1,239.5, demonstrating strong immunogenicity in a subset of adolescents one month after the second dose,” the companies said in a press release. 

Results similar to an older group

The companies say the vaccine was well tolerated, with side effects generally consistent with those observed in participants between the ages of 16 and 25. Meanwhile, trials have begun to test the vaccine with infants to 11 year olds. Children in the study received the first dose last week.

As with older age groups, the study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on a two-dose schedule -- approximately 21 days apart --  in three age groups: children aged 5 to 11 years, 2 to 5 years, and 6 months to 2 years. 

The time that young people spend on the internet -- and on social media -- can affect their decision-making and overall well-being. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia identified a link between teens’ excessive social media use and the likelihood that they engage in cyberbullying. Their findings showed that social media addiction increases the risk of teens bullying others online. 

“There are some people who engage in cyberbullying online because of the anonymity and the fact that there’s no retaliation,” said researcher Amanda Giordano. “You have these adolescents who are still in the midst of cognitive development, but we’re giving them the technology that has a worldwide audience and then expecting them to make good choices.” 

How social media affects cyberbullying

To determine what effect time spent on social media has on cyberbullying, the researchers surveyed nearly 430 teens between the ages of 13 and 19. The participants answered questions about their social media habits, mental health, connectedness at school, and experiences with cyberbullying. 

On average, the participants reported spending about seven hours online each day. However, the researchers learned that those who consistently logged the most hours on social media were the most likely to engage in cyberbullying. The study also showed that male participants were more likely than their female counterparts to engage in these behaviors as a result of social media addiction. 

“Social media addiction is when people crave it when they’re not on it, and continue their social media use despite negative consequences,” Giordano said. “Some negative consequences could be they’re tired during the day because they’re scrolling all night long, they’re having conflicts with their parents, they’re getting poor grades in school, or they’re engaging in actions online that they later regret, but they still continue to use social media.” 

The researchers explained that cyberbullying isn’t just one specific action; it includes everything from spreading rumors or private information about peers online to discrimination, harassment, cyberstalking, and several other behaviors. They believe cyberbullying occurs most often because the internet eliminates the fear that comes with having to face someone in person. 

“The perpetrator doesn’t get a chance to see how damaging their bullying is and to learn from their mistakes and do something different,” Giordnao said. “It’s a scary situation because they don’t have the natural consequences they do with offline bullying.” 

Education can serve as prevention

The goal moving forward is to ensure that teens are developing healthy relationships with technology and social media. To do this, the researchers recommend education and training programs for school counselors and personnel, students, and parents. The team says this would help identify teens who are exhibiting behaviors consistent with social media addiction and ultimately reduce the prevalence of cyberbullying. 

“We need schools and school counselors to do this preventative work early and educate students about the risk of addiction with some of these rewarding behaviors like gaming and social media,” said Giordano. “We need to teach them the warning signs of behavioral addiction, what to do if they start to feel like they’re losing control over their behaviors, and help them find other ways to manage their emotions, rather than turning to these behaviors.”

Several studies have highlighted the importance of kids regularly engaging in physical activity. Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Geneva explored how kids’ fitness may impact their cognitive and academic abilities. 

According to their findings, kids who had the highest cardiorespiratory fitness levels academically outperformed those with lower fitness levels. The results suggest that there may be a relationship between improved fitness and stronger cognitive abilities. 

Benefits of consistent physical activity

The researchers conducted a series of tests involving nearly 200 children between the ages of eight and 12. They focused on the three primary executive functions: memory, self-control, and multitasking. The team also evaluated the participants’ physical fitness abilities with a timed running test and compared all of these results with their academic outcomes in several different subjects. 

The researchers learned that students who had the highest cardiorespiratory fitness levels performed better academically than those who were weaker in this area. Two subject areas with noted improvements due to higher physical fitness were foreign language and math. 

After fully analyzing the results, the researchers determined that the relationship between physical fitness and academics was indirect. They said fitness was most closely related to executive functions like cognitive flexibility, which may be able to help students understand new subjects. 

To ensure that kids are at their best both mentally and physically, the researchers recommend that parents and caregivers encourage physical activity among their young ones whenever possible. 

“By demonstrating the link between physical capabilities, such as cardiorespiratory capacity, cognitive abilities, and grades, it underlines the importance of not reducing physical activity (and in particular physical education hours) in favor of other subjects, as this could ultimately have an impact on the development of the child as a whole,” said researcher Marc Yangüez. 

Diono is recalling 6,920 Cambria 2 Booster Seats model numbers 31200-US-01, 31201-US-01 and 31202-US-01.

A crack between the headrest and backrest can occur in a crash, allowing the headrest to separate.

A broken or separated headrest increases the risk of injury.

What to do

Diono will notify owners and will provide a replacement backrest with headrest assembly free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin March 31, 2021.

Owners may contact Diono customer service at (855) 463-4666.

Midwestern Pet Foods of Evansville, Ind., is recalling various dog and cat foods.

The products may be contaminated with salmonella.

No human or pet illnesses have been reported to date.

A list of the recalled products, sold in retail stores nationwide, online and in Bahrain, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Ghana, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay, may be found here.

Lot code information may be found on the back of the bags with the following format:

“EXP AUG/02/22/M1/L#

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not feed them to pets or any other animals, but should destroy them in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (800) 474-4163, ext 455. from 8 AM to 5 PM (CT) Monday through Friday or by email at info@midwesternpetfoods.com.

Responses from a new survey of 77 epidemiologists, virologists, and infectious disease specialists suggest that current COVID-19 vaccines could be rendered ineffective in a year or less due to coronavirus mutations. 

The survey, which was conducted by the People’s Vaccine Alliance, found that two-thirds of the world’s leading experts across 28 countries thought that the virus will mutate “to the extent that the majority of first-generation vaccines are rendered ineffective and new or modified vaccines are required” in a year or less. 

Fewer than one in eight experts polled said they believed that mutations would never render the current vaccines ineffective. A majority (88 percent) said that persistent low vaccine coverage in many countries is poised to make vaccine-resistant mutations more likely to emerge. 

“In many rich nations, vaccinated people are starting to feel safer, but unless we vaccinate all nations, there is a huge risk that the protection offered by vaccines will be shattered by fresh mutations,” said Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager. 

“This survey highlights that we need a people’s vaccine, not only to protect people in the world’s poorest countries, but to ensure that people all over the world who’ve already been vaccinated aren’t put at risk again,” Marriott added. 

Expanding vaccine coverage through sharing of technology

The majority of experts involved in the survey (74 percent) said that open sharing of technology and intellectual property could increase global vaccine coverage and help stave off potential mutations. 

The People’s Vaccine Alliance is calling for the “the lifting of pharmaceutical monopolies and the sharing of technology to urgently boost vaccine supply.”

“Given vaccines are our most crucial weapon in the fight against COVID-19, world leaders must take control to enable the World Health Organisation’s COVID Technology Access Pool to facilitate sharing of technology and Intellectual Property so that all capable companies can maximise global vaccine production,” said Dr Mohga Kamal Yanni, Senior Health Policy Advisor to The People Vaccine Alliance. 

As we head into the home stretch of tax season, some taxpayers may be surprised to hear that the state they live in is not offering a tax break on unemployment benefits, leaving those people on the hook to pay state tax on benefits they received in 2020.

Taxing unemployment benefits is fairly standard in most states, but a lot of people may need to pay even more this year because of the relief funds they received from the government. While the federal government waived federal tax on up to $10,200 of unemployment aid per person under the American Rescue Plane (ARPA), only some states are allowing exceptions.

The states not offering tax breaks

According to data from tax preparer H&R Block and Kiplinger, the states that aren’t excluding unemployment compensation from taxes as of March 30, 2021, are:

• Colorado

• Georgia

• Hawaii*

• Idaho

• Kentucky

• Massachusetts*

• Minnesota*

• Mississippi

• North Carolina

• New York*

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• West Virginia*

It’s important to note that states marked with an asterisk could change their tax laws and reverse their position. In ConsumerAffairs’ research of the situation, there are several state legislatures with bills trying to make their way through the channels to offer tax breaks on unemployment benefits. During a recent briefing, West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice announced that he has submitted just such a bill.  

“Some other states are requiring their people to pay taxes on the unemployment they received as a result of the pandemic,” Justice said. “We’re not going to do that in West Virginia. We need to stand rock solid with all of our fellow West Virginians who had to endure some really tough times over the past year.”

If you reside in one of those asterisked states, you would be wise to double-check with the state’s unemployment or tax office before doing your taxes to figure out what you may owe. To help, the U.S. Department of Labor has a complete list of individual state unemployment offices. The Federation of Tax Administrators also offers a comprehensive list of state tax agencies, available here. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 30,335,188 (30,267,561)

Total U.S. deaths: 550,121 (549,364)

Total global cases: 127,818,432 (127,319,002)

Total global deaths: 2,794,820 (2,785,838)

Public health officials increasingly uneasy about rising cases

U.S. health officials are on edge as new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have begun to rise again, just as millions of Americans are getting vaccinations against it. 

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stepped up the concern several notches when she said she has a feeling of “impending doom” if another wave of the virus hits. Others in the medical profession share her concern.

"There's still a lot of vulnerable people out there. A lot of people are going to get sick and die unnecessarily when we're so close to the finish line," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN.

White House steps up vaccination goals

By just about any measure, the U.S. has set records for the speed at which people are getting vaccinated against the virus. President Biden, who just weeks ago said all Americans should be eligible to receive the shot by May 1, has moved the date up to April 19.

Getting the vaccine will also be easier. About 40,000 retail pharmacies have now been enlisted in the distribution network -- up from 17,000 -- to allow the vast majority of Americans to get their shots within five miles of home.

Biden has set a goal of administering 200,000 doses of the vaccine by April 30, and that goal may be moved up. According to the Brown School of Public Health’s vaccine dashboard, the U.S. is about two-thirds of the way to reaching that goal.

Tests show vaccines work in ‘real world’ conditions

The vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech and the one developed by Moderna went through extensive clinical trials in order to win emergency use authorization (EUA). But how do they perform in a real-world setting? 

Researchers followed first responders who received either of the vaccines to find out. The CDC study found that both vaccines performed as advertised, with 90 percent of the recipients being shielded from infection despite their interaction with the public on a daily basis.

Some 11 percent of infections did not cause symptoms, though the study determined that 58 percent of the cases occurred in people whose infections were identified by testing before they developed symptoms.

Study shows ‘vaccine hesitancy’ has significantly declined

When the COVID-19 vaccines rolled out in December, there were plenty of people -- including health care professionals -- who questioned their safety and said they probably would not get vaccinated. Those doubts, however, are quickly disappearing.

As more people have rolled up their sleeves, a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that fewer Americans are unwilling to be vaccinated. The findings show that the percentage of adults saying they would either definitely or probably not get vaccinated has fallen to 17 percent, down from 22 percent in January.

Vaccine hesitancy appeared to be highest in the South. However, the survey found declines in hesitancy in several southern states, including Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Doctors say many vaccinated people aren’t giving informed consent

In the rush to distribute the COVID-19 vaccines, many vaccination recipients aren’t giving informed consent, according to Physicians for Civil Defense. Dr. Jane Orient, the group’s president, points out that the vaccines are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that they are only being administered under emergency use authorization (EUA).

The group says all vaccine recipients should sign a consent form and be given a copy of the EUA Fact Sheet. 

The fact sheet for the Moderna COVID-19 product lists symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, and it also states that the vaccine is still being studied in clinical trials.

Around the nation

• California: Beginning in April, theme parks in the state can be open with indoor rides, but state health officials say people in line must remain outside and socially distanced. Parks that open on Thursday will be limited to no more than 15 percent of maximum capacity until there is a decline in coronavirus cases in the county that is home to the parks.

• Pennsylvania: COVID-19 cases have moved sharply higher in the last week, increasing nearly 23 percent. While health officials are concerned, they say cases are not rising nearly as fast as last fall, when infections surged by more than 50 percent.

• Louisiana: State health officials say there are now plenty of vaccine doses but fewer people who want to get the shot. While people were told to wait their turn two months ago when the vaccine rolled out, officials say they are now pleading with people to get vaccinated.

Some hand sanitizers have elevated levels of the human carcinogen Benzene, according to a new study conducted by Valisure, an independent pharmacy and lab. 

After testing hundreds of the products, Valisure found high levels of benzene in 21 hand sanitizers. Purell (a leading brand for hand sanitizer) and many others had no detectable levels of benzene, but a number of others -- including some “Star Wars Mandalorian” hand sanitizers that may appeal to children -- did contain the dangerous compound.

Benzene is currently recognized by top health agencies as a human carcinogen, and exposure to it can cause blood disorders, including leukemia. Valisure has requested that the FDA launch an investigation and recall the products found to contain benzene in light of the known health risks to consumers. 

Known carcinogen 

Valisure noted that the FDA currently lists Benzene as a “Class 1 solvent” that “should not be employed in the manufacture of drug substances, excipients, and drug products because of their unacceptable toxicity.”

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (‘CDC’) states that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans,” Valisure wrote in a letter to the FDA. “The World Health Organization (‘WHO’) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (“IARC”) have classified benzene as a Group 1 compound thereby defining it as ‘carcinogenic to humans.’” 

“Given the high potential risk to public safety, Valisure seeks to utilize this Petition to bring these concerns directly to the attention of the Commissioner and FDA, and to request that they take prompt action,” the company said. 

Examining FDA standards

Valisure researchers noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) relaxed standards on benzene levels in liquid hand sanitizers at the onset of the pandemic in an effort to boost the availability of the product. The more lenient standards allow benzene in a concentration of up to two parts per million.

Tests revealed that three of the hand sanitizers had benzene levels that were six to eight times above the FDA’s interim limit. The Star Wars Mandalorian hand sanitizer contained nearly double the amount legally allowed. 

The full list of hand sanitizer products tested by Valisure can be viewed here. The company says consumers can also submit samples of hand sanitizer products for analysis.

“For a limited time, individuals or organizations can submit a sample of hand sanitizer to Valisure for testing by Valisure’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratory,” Valisure wrote on its website.  “There is no cost for this analysis; however, analytical resources are limited and samples may be prioritized by Valisure. Testing is expected to be completed in 8-12 weeks and individual results will be emailed to you if available for your sample.”