Vox Sentences - Is it time for another booster?

Pfizer and BioNTech seek approval for a fourth vaccine dose for people 65 and up; Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers an emotional appeal to Congress for more aid.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Pfizer and BioNTech seek FDA approval for 4th vaccine dose for the elderly

Amir Levy/Getty Images

• Tuesday, Pfizer and BioNTech asked the US FDA to approve a fourth dose of their coronavirus vaccine for people aged 65 and older, citing study results suggesting another dose reduces the risk of severe sickness and hospitalization among elders. [CBS / Alexander Tin] 
• According to data from an Israeli study, “infections were 2 times lower and rates of severe illness were 4 times lower among individuals” who got a second booster compared to those who only received one.” The data hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. [CNN/ Jen Christensen and Holly Yan]
• Recently, health experts have focused on severe illness and hospitalization as key measures of vaccine effectiveness. [CNBC / Spencer Kimball]
• CDC data suggests boosters have been 91 percent effective at preventing hospitalization after two months, and just below 80 percent after four months. [Associated Press / Zeke Miller and Lauran Neergaard]
• The CDC already recommends a fourth shot for people with weakened immune systems. Officials will be watching to see if hospitalization rates rise among the fully vaccinated to determine if another booster should be recommended for all eligible Americans. [Time / Alice Park]

Ukrainian president appeals to Congress for more aid to counter Russia

• On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an emotional appeal to Congress for more assistance to stop Russia’s invasion. [NBC]
• During the virtual address, Zelenskyy compared the nearly three weeks of Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities to the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and New York City on September 11, 2001.
• “Is this a lot to ask for, to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people?” Zelenskyy asked after showing a three-minute video of the destruction in Ukraine. The US is unlikely to create a no-fly zone, however, out of concern it would lead to Russian retaliation. [ABC / Libby Cathey]
• But the Biden administration on Wednesday announced $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine including Stinger anti-aircraft systems, drones, and ammunition. That’s on top of $200 million sent to Ukraine on Sunday. [National Public Radio / Elena Moore]
• Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued talks Wednesday, which included a discussion of a neutral military status for Ukraine similar to an “Austrian or Swedish” model. [ AP / Andrea Rosa]

Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in the US have been granted temporary protection from deportation, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday. [CBS / Camilo Montoya-Galvez]

• The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.25 percent Wednesday, attempting to balance concerns about maintaining economic growth with fears about rising inflation. [Reuters / Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir]
• House Republicans who challenged the results of the 2020 election have received about half as much in corporate donations this year compared to the previous election cycle. [Reuters / Jason Lange and Andy Sullivan]
• On Wednesday, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory. [NBC / Arata Yamamoto and Minyvonne Burke]

“Remember Pearl Harbor? ... Remember September 11? Our country experiences the same every day, right now at this moment, every night for three weeks now.”

[Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes an emotional appeal for more aid from Congress /USA Today]

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