COVID-19 updates: American Airlines to require employee vaccinations

The airline's CEO and president informed employees in a letter Friday.

ByJulia Jacobo, Ivan Pereira, Emily Shapiro, Kiara Alfonseca, Meredith Deliso, and Morgan Winsor
Last Updated: October 4, 2021, 6:54 AM EDT

The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 700,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.7 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 65% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Sep 28, 2021, 5:07 PM EDT

Forecasters expect US pandemic to continue to improve

The COVID-19 Forecast Hub's ensemble forecast, used by the CDC, predicts that U.S. hospitalizations will continue to fall -- perhaps to as low as 4,600 per day -- by Oct. 11.

Army veteran William Craig waits to see if he has a reaction after receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccine and an influenza vaccine at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital on Sept. 24, 2021, in Hines, Ill.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Forecasters say around 1,600 fewer people are likely to die over the next two weeks than during the past two weeks. In the two weeks ending Sept. 25, at least 27,755 people died from COVID-19 in the U.S. Over the next two weeks ending Oct. 19, just over 26,000 deaths are expected.

-ABC News' Brian Hartman

Sep 28, 2021, 4:33 PM EDT

Pfizer CEO says timeline on shots for kids up to FDA

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Atlantic Tuesday that the timeline on shots for children ages 5 to 11 is up to the FDA.

"I think it's not appropriate for me to comment how long FDA will take to review the data. They should take as much time as they think it's appropriate for them to have high levels of comfort," Bourla said. 

PHOTO: A syringe is filled with a first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccination clinic during a back to school event in Los Angeles, Aug. 7, 2021.
A syringe is filled with a first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccination clinic during a back to school event offering school supplies, Covid-19 vaccinations, face masks, and other resources for children and their families at the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA in Los Angeles, Aug. 7, 2021.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

"If approved, we will be ready to have the vaccine available," he added.

Vaccines may be authorized and available for 5- to 11-year-olds in October or November.

Bourla said he thinks once kids get vaccinated, the U.S. will get a "strong push" toward herd immunity.

Bourla said he thinks booster protection from Pfizer vaccines will likely last one year.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 2021, 3:46 PM EDT

More data on mixing/matching vaccines is coming within weeks, Fauci says

At Tuesday's White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a loose timeline for when the FDA could have enough data to consider approving mixing and matching vaccines.

Moderna has already submitted data about using its shot as a booster for people who have received the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.  J&J will submit data on mixing its shot with the other vaccines in the next week, according to Fauci, and then Pfizer will submit its data within the first two weeks of October. Finally, the data will be examined by the FDA.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

Sep 28, 2021, 2:37 PM EDT

Over 400K Americans got booster shot at pharmacies this weekend: White House

Over 400,000 Americans received a booster shot at a pharmacy since Friday and nearly 1 million more have scheduled appointments in the next few weeks, according to the White House.

A woman receives the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine as a booster dose at Skippack Pharmacy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, Aug. 14, 2021.
Hannah Beier/Reuters, FILE

The U.S. is expected to hit a milestone of 200 million Americans with at least one shot on Wednesday, White House COVID-⁠19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said.

The White House also touted another important milestone: racial equity in vaccinations nationwide.

According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 73% of Latinos and 70% of Black Americans have now gotten at least one shot, compared to 71% of white Americans. In May, this same poll found that 65% of white Americans were vaccinated compared to 56% of Black Americans.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

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