President Joe Biden is headed to the Chicago area to continue pushing for vaccine requirements.
Meanwhile, the quest to authorize covid vaccines for children under the age of 12 took another step forward Thursday.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
Pfizer Asks FDA to Authorize Its COVID Vaccine for Kids 5 to 11
Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech said Thursday they have made a formal request to the Food and Drug Administration to extend emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11.
The announcement comes one week after the companies submitted to the federal agency initial trial data for that age group.
The two-dose vaccine is already authorized in teens aged 12 to 15 and fully approved for ages 16 and up. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children. They are now one step closer toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
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Read more here.
Biden to Visit Chicago Area Thursday, Highlight Vaccine Requirements
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President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Chicago Thursday, more than a week after he first planned to travel to the city before his visit was postponed.
The president is set to arrive at O'Hare International Airport during the afternoon and will at one point travel to Elk Grove Village, resuming his plans to tout vaccine mandates.
"The president will travel to the Chicago, Illinois area to highlight the importance of COVID-19 vaccine requirements," the White House said in a release Monday.
More details here.
Following End to Illinois Eviction Ban, All Eyes On Financial Rental Assistance Available
This week marks a pivotal moment in the pandemic for Illinois housing providers and their tenants: A nearly 18-month state ban on evictions has come to an end.
The eviction moratorium was officially lifted on Oct. 4, a date that some feared would bring a flood of landlords and tenants to court.
So far, there are no signs of a flood of eviction filings. Less than two dozen eviction filings were filed in Illinois’ largest counties this week, according to figures obtained by NBC 5 Responds.
Some housing providers said heading to court is their only option now given they are facing tens of thousands of dollars in back rent, and hurdles accessing rental assistance funds through the state.
Read more from NBC 5 Responds here.
White Sox Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Postseason Fans Sunday
For the first time in 13 years, the White Sox will play in front of thousands of fans in the postseason. The ballpark was empty last year due to COVID-19 protocol.
"Our fans did not get to participate in the postseason last year. It almost feels like we weren’t in the postseason because fans weren’t here," said Brooks Boyer, the chief revenue and marketing officer for the White Sox.
Boyer expects a sold-out crowd of around 40,000 fans on Sunday night, when the Sox host the Houston Astros for Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
Read more here.
Booster Shots for Moderna and J&J, Vaccines for Kids: Timeline of What's Next
The Food and Drug Administration's outside panel of advisers will have a lot to consider this month, as multiple meetings on booster shots and COVID vaccines for kids are now on the schedule.
According to the agency, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet three times in October to discuss whether to recommend emergency use authorization of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's booster shots and vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11.
The booster shot meetings are slated for Oct. 14-15, where the panel will review booster data from both J&J and Moderna. It’s the first step in a review process that also includes sign-off from the leadership of both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If both agencies give the go-ahead, Americans could begin getting J&J and Moderna boosters later this month.
After that, the same panel will consider vaccinations for children under the age of 12. The group will consider whether emergency use authorization should be granted for Pfizer's COVID vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old.
Read more here.
Moderna vs. Pfizer: Is One Vaccine Stronger Against Delta Variant?
With many now able to choose which COVID vaccine they receive, questions surrounding which offers better protection against the now-surging delta variant have spiked.
Several studies have been conducted to determine vaccine effectiveness, but is one vaccine actually better than the others?
According to medical experts, the three vaccines currently available in the U.S. each offer protection.
Here's a breakdown of what we know so far about each vaccine.
