May 12 - Updates on COVID-19
Section 1
A hummingbird visits a red flower on campus. Photo by Steve Zylius
TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES
Special UCI family vaccination clinic
UCI Health will open vaccination appointments for all UCI employees and their immediate families at the Bren Events Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 16. With the FDA’s approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, the vaccination team will also offer shots to family members in this age group. Appointments can be made beginning at 1 p.m. today at this link.
New campus cases*
No student residents and one on-campus employee tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.
UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS
Iconic bird makes its home on campus
The white-tailed kite is an archetypal bird of Orange County, named for its ability to hover in the air while hunting. Photo by Sandrine Biziaux Scherson
With its tree-laden campus and adjacent protected natural reserves, UCI enjoys being home to a great variety of bird species. One particular raptor continues to capture the attention of the many avid birders in Orange County: the white-tailed kite.
GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS
This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, OC Register and Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
CDC panel meets on Pfizer vaccine for adolescents
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has begun meeting to decide the question of whether it should recommend the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds. It’s expected to vote to recommend, and the CDC is expected to accept the recommendation.
Education secretary pushes to reopen schools
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is pushing school districts to reopen for students this spring, before the school year ends, recognizing that some areas have just weeks left in the school year. Cardona acknowledged that the disproportionate access to in-person school is widening the achievement gap among students.
COVID vaccines may be messing with mammograms
Like a sore arm or slight fever, lymph nodes enlarged by the immune system’s response to a COVID-19 vaccine are virtually always a sign that the shot is doing its job. But to the medical specialists who scour mammograms, the benign and temporary side effect might show up as a (false) red flag.
OC supervisors cancel digital vaccine records
Orange County supervisors on Tuesday voted to stop looking into providing people with digital proof of coronavirus vaccinations following weeks of some residents railing against the idea, saying the move is a mandatory vaccine passport.
HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER
Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor.
Mischievous ducks end up in police custody after a wild adventure into town
Source: Facebook/Great Bend Police
A quartet of ducks ventured out from the comfort of their backyard creek and found themselves at a nearby restaurant. The brave group seemed to be enjoying themselves and, in particular, the free food from customers, but eventually, their unexpected appearance was reported to the local police force, who came to break up the party.
Birds gave this photojournalist hope in the wake of tragedy
Clockwise from top left: Mallard; Bald Eagle; Carolina Chickadee; Canada Goose; Great Black-backed Gull; Cedar Waxwings; Black Vulture; Gray Catbird; Northern Flicker; European Starlings; American Robin; American Crow; Ospreys; Northern Cardinals; Great Blue Heron. Photos: Joshua McKerrow
For Maryland-based photographer Joshua McKerrow, posting daily bird photos has provided perspective and connection as he navigates trauma and grief.
#UCIconnected
If you have a shoutout, or if you’d like to share what you’ve been up to during the pandemic, send photos and/or words about your COVID-19 vaccination, activities, workstation, volunteering, etc., to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.