Spotlight on Health Headlines
S tarbucks announced that customers can start using reusable cups at company-owned cafes again on June 22, after pausing the program due to Covid-19. It’s the latest signal fromrestaurants and retailers that business is returning to normal in the U.S. as states relax restrictions. Last month, Starbucks and many other businesses stopped requiring fully vaccinated customers to wear masks in stores. Costco is starting to bring back in-store samples, while Target has reopened its fitting rooms. To fill a customer’s personal cup, a Starbucks barista will first check that the cup is clean and place it in a ceramic vessel. The beverage will be made without any contact with the cup, and the customer will pick up their drink at the handoff area of the counter. Only clean cups will be accepted. Reusable cups will not be accepted at drive-thru lanes, although the company is testing ways to do so safely at its Tryer Center in Seattle. STARBUCKS REVIVES REUSABLE CUP J ohnson & Johnson CEO, Alex Gorsky advised that people will likely need to receive additional doses of the Covid-19 vaccines alongside the annual flu shot for the next “several years.” People will need to get the Covid booster shots until herd im- munity is achieved on a global level and world leaders and sci- entists are able to limit the spread of highly contagious variants. J&J’s vaccine requires just one jab, unlike Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid vaccines, which currently require two doses given three to four weeks apart. All three vaccines have been shown to be highly effective against Covid, though executives now say they expect that strong protection to wane over time as researchers are seeing a decline in antibody responses against the virus af- ter eight months. J&J SAYING COVID BOOSTER SHOTS WILL LIKELY BE NECESSARY
M oderna recently reported that the company has not found a link between its Covid-19 vaccine and the cases of a rare heart inflammation condition reported in young people who have received the shot. The Massachusetts-based biotech company said it made the con- clusion after “carefully reviewing the available safety data to date for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for cases of myocarditis and/or pericarditis.” A CDC advisory panel is holding an emergency meeting on June 18 to discuss rare, but higher-than-expected reports of heart inflammation in 16- to 24-year-olds after receiving their second dose of Pfizer’s or Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines. Though no link has been found between the vaccines and the con- dition, health experts say finding rare side effects once a vaccine or drug is administered to the general population is common. The U.S. and Canada has distributed millions of Covid vaccines, which have been helpful in driving down new cases and hospitalizations across the country. MODERNA HASN’T FOUND A LINK BETWEEN COVID VACCINE AND HEART INFLAMMATION
NOVAVAX SAYS ITS COVID VACCINE IS 90% EFFECTIVE
B iotech firm Novavax announced that its Covid-19 vac - cine was shown to be safe and 90.4% effective overall in a phase three clinical trial of nearly 30,000 participants across the United States and Mexico. Additionally, it said the two-dose vaccine was found to be 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease and 93% effective against some variants. The company said it plans to file for authorization with the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter.
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JUNE 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2021
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