VACCINATIONS

The number of hospitalized COVID patients in Florida continued to decline, falling to 5,188 on Tuesday, down 27% in a week and 56% from its peak, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows. Here are the latest statistics.

Florida's 7-day average for new cases declined to 28,271, it's lowest level since Christmas weekend and the number of patients in Florida hospitals with the virus dropped below 10,000 for the first time since Jan. 7, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Here are the latest statistics.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the state and South Florida continue to decline, Florida’s weekly report shows. But as evidence shows the state is through the peak of the omicron surge, the death toll nearly doubled from a week ago.

Florida's 7-day average for new cases declined to 28,271, it's lowest level since Christmas weekend and the number of patients in Florida hospitals with the virus dropped below 10,000 for the first time since Jan. 7, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Here are the latest statistics.

Florida’s weekly COVID-19 report showed a drop in new cases from the record high last week, an indication that the state has passed the peak of the omicron wave and the testing madness has subsided. However, the death toll from omicron is only beginning to show.

Joshua Kimmich denied he was an "anti-vaxxer" after expressing unease about long-term side effects.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning.

It's obvious that more-vaccinated places have fared better in the fourth wave of coronavirus infections.

The White House said last week was the strongest week of first-time vaccinations since early June.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging Germans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the more people get the shot “the more free we will be again.”

The weekly average of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Illinois continues to decline even as the supply of vaccines remains steady.

The number of Florida seniors entering the hospital for COVID dropped sharply over the past month, an indication that the vaccination campaign begun in December has been effective in protecting the group most vulnerable to the disease.

First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.

The city’s share of the doses — 60% of the total allocated to the United Center — will be made available to people 65 and older, front-line workers in essential industries and those who qualify under state rules based on preexisting health conditions, with the exception of smokers. The city, which gets its own vaccine supply from the federal government, has not opened up its other vaccination sites to people under 65 with underlying health conditions — a point of contention with the state.

See how much of Florida has been vaccinated using our charts and maps and data from the Florida Department of Health. Data is updated every day.

“This is not easy work. If it was easy, we would have done it already,” Lightfoot said at a news conference to talk about COVID-19 vaccinations. “But I’m personally involved, and I’m confident we will get to the right place and be able to present something to the City Council for a vote as soon as we are able.”

[BROWARD COUNTY] — The Florida Department of Health in Broward County will begin to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to seniors ages 65 and over. Vaccinations will be available at no cost, by appointment only, beginning Sunday, January 3, 2021. More appointments for the COVID-19 vaccinations will be made available as vaccine supply increases and additional sites open. “We are excited about the opportunity to begin vaccinating our senior population, who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, as we continue to work every day to protect our community during this pandemic.” says Dr. Paula Thaqi, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. Individuals who receive a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will need to be in Broward County to receive the second dose of the same vaccine, 21 days later.

12/14: CBSN AM Hospitals expected to start vaccinations; New Honduras caravan heading to U.S. border.

And this week on FACE THE NATION, breaking news this morning as the massive operation to vaccinate hundreds of millions of Americans is officially underway. ALEX AZAR (Health and Human Services Secretary/@SecAzar): Good morning, Margaret. Do it right, do it measured, get the job done right, anticipate problems, but know they're going to be hitches and hiccups as we go and we will work to solve it. ROBERT GARRETT: Well, so far, Margaret, they're-- they're holding up well. I think that's a-- a-- a concerning harbinger for the challenges they're going to face with the vaccine in that last-mile challenge.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that aired Sunday, December 13, 2020, on "Face the Nation." MARGARET BRENNAN: Operation Warp Speed told Pfizer to ship out just short of three million doses this week. AZAR: So- so they're about- they're about 6.4 million doses. And we're shipping half of the remaining, so that's 2.9 million doses going out. That was actually the new part, which said we have 900 million doses under guaranteed contract for the United States.

Measles outbreak prompts school to keep students home Vaccinations almost wiped out measles. But a recent trend in vaccination waivers is believed to have contributed to a new outbreak in southern California. At least one school is now telling certain students to stay home as a way to prevent the outbreak from spreading. Ben Tracy reports.