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Dr. Eric Topol, the founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said in an interview published Sunday that up to 90% of Americans may have to be vaccinated to end the COVID-19 pandemic. "Now we need 85 to 95% vaccinated against Delta," he told USA Today. Tom McCarthy, the head of the Rhode Island Department of Health COVID Response Unit, also put the number at about 90%, citing the Delta variant, the paper reported. (DeMarche, 10/4)

About 2 million people received Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots this week and another 1 million people are scheduled for one in the next couple of weeks, the White House announced Friday. “That’s a very strong start,” White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said in a virtual briefing with reporters. The robust demand comes despite confusing messages before the rollout and data suggesting two doses of the mRNA vaccines offer durable protection against severe disease for most Americans. (Kopp, 10/1)

The number of Floridians receiving coronavirus shots climbed more slowly in the past week than at any time since late December, an analysis of state data shows. The state added just 85,026 more residents to Florida’s COVID-19 inoculation count in the past seven days, a Health Department report published Friday says. That’s the smallest increase since Dec. 28, the second week of statewide coronavirus immunization reporting. In total, 13,621,499 Florida residents have gotten at least one vaccine dose, covering 71% of the eligible population ages 12 and older, state health officials reported. That tally includes 436,543 fully vaccinated people who have gotten additional jabs. (Persaud, 10/4)

Kentucky is planning an outreach campaign in coming months to continue encouraging more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Andy Beshear said. The campaign also will focus on the virus’s symptoms and long-term effects, he said. “The media campaign will emphasize the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, and it will encourage Kentuckians to talk with a health-care provider about the vaccine,” Beshear said last week. (10/4)

Andrew Wiggins, the Golden State Warriors forward who balked being vaccinated against the coronavirus, has been vaccinated, the team's coach said Sunday. "He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it, and that will be the end of it," coach Steve Kerr told reporters. Wiggins, who had sought a religious exemption from San Francisco's vaccination requirement, was one of several NBA players who had declined to get the shots. (Stelloh, 10/3)

The first study, involving 13 focus groups, reaffirmed a lack of communication and trust among racially and ethnically diverse communities in the United States. The second study examined the effect of emphasizing different data around the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines: People were more interested in uptake when they were presented with the vaccines' effectiveness against death versus their effectiveness against symptomatic infection. (McLernon, 10/1)

A handful of the 77 chimpanzees living at the Project Chimps sanctuary in Morganton received vaccinations against COVID-19 last week. None of the animals showed signs of infection with coronavirus and the immunizations were administered “as another layer of protection from what we already do to keep them healthy,” said executive director Ali Crumpacker. Crumpacker said the staff had plans to vaccinate 10 chimps Wednesday but successfully vaccinated only nine. She said the sanctuary will eventually inoculate all 77 animals. Since the beginning of the pandemic zoo keepers and others have become aware that the disease can be transmitted to animals. Recently Zoo Atlanta announced that more than a dozen of its 20 western lowland gorillas had tested positive for COVID-19, and were being treated. (Emerson, 10/4)

KHN: Journalists Drill Down On Covid Vaccine Boosters, Misinformation Online 

KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber discussed how hospitals are dealing with covid-19 on WOSU’s “All Sides With Ann Fisher” on Tuesday. Weber also discussed the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a covid vaccine booster on WAMU’s “1A” on Sept. 24. ... KHN reporter Victoria Knight discussed doctors who spread covid misinformation on social media on Newsy’s “Morning Rush” on Tuesday. (10/2)