How to get a Covid booster shot, DPD officer on leave for fleeing shooting scene, Ex-Lions player charged
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - Following approval from the federal government and encouragement from the city, Detroit residents who have preconditions or are immunocompromised can now secure a third COVID-19 vaccine shot.
The booster dose is long believed to bolster immunity against the coronavirus and remains a likely future step that will be recommended to all Americans. There are already reports that the Food and Drug Administration will be greenlighting the shot soon.
But for now, those with compromised immune systems or risk worse health outcomes if they still managed to get infected are now eligible for a third shot in Detroit.
Mayor Mike Duggan and public health officer Denise Fair both gave their blessing on Monday, speaking at a press conference where they warned Michigan and Detroit are in for a rough fall and winter without higher immunity rates.
Currently, Detroit has only vaccinated 42% of its population - not enough to rest easy.
Both the city isn't waiting to start offering available third doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine recipients. Here's how to get the shot.
Eligibility
Detroit residents that have compromised immune systems can get the 3rd dose, however, the city doesn't plan to police who shows up for the third vaccine. "You know what your situation with your immune system is," Duggan said on Monday.
Examples of those who might have compromised immune systems include:
- Those with organ transplants
- Those with diseases affecting the immune system
- Those taking medications affecting the immune system
- Others with compromised immune systems
Where to get the shot
The TCF Center will operate as it did months ago when vaccines and COVID-19 tests were first being administered.
How to set up an appointment
The number that was used months ago is still in operation. Residents should call 313-230-0505 to make an appointment.
What shot will I get?
Whichever vaccine type that someone received, whether it's Pfizer or Moderna, will receive the same shot.
While the government believes their effectiveness and use could be interchangeable, officials still plan to offer the same shot from the respective vaccine.
However, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine has yet to receive emergency approval for a booster shot and recipients are not eligible for one of the other vaccines as a result.
Why get a COVID-19 booster shot?
The vast majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 or suffering severe health outcomes from an infection are those that never got the vaccine. However, there are breakthrough cases where someone who has already completed their vaccine series can still end up in the hospital. Most of these individuals are those with compromised immune systems.
While both Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines offer strong protection from getting infected, that immunity starts to wane over time. Officials are still determining when that time is, but it looks like six to eight months is the timeframe. A booster vaccine would double down on protection.
It should be noted even as the vaccine's antibody presence declines and people already vaccinated become more vulnerable to infection, the vaccines appear to still offer the same level of protection against the worst health effects from infection.
However, health officials are worried more breakthrough cases linked to the delta variant could drive more mutations and weaken the vaccine's effectiveness.
DPD officer who fled shooting scene explains her side
Officer LaSonja Parker and a rookie deputy on assignment were caught on video speeding away from a shooting scene after a gunman pulled out an AR-15. Those officers would eventually render aid to someone injured by the gunman who had been shot in the leg.
"They pointed at us. There was a red beam (from a laser gun scope) one of the suspects had, that went through our windshield. We basically thought we were under fire," Parker said. "So that’s why we reacted the way we did."
But that 11-second clip also shows police fleeing a dangerous scene - which has landed Parker and the other officer on suspended paid leave. Parker, who spoke with FOX 2, said the actions by her and the officer, who was behind the wheel at the time, were motivated in part by survival.
"At the end of the day, we were meant to be there. We saved him. I can’t explain it no other way, we saved that man’s life," she explained, saying the split-second decision to leave the scene was about getting out of harm's way before 25 seconds later, they returned. Yet, DPD Chief James White called the incident "troubling" and "not consistent with our training."
Ex-Lions cornerback Alex Brown charged in drunk driving crash
Former Detroit Lions cornerback Alex Brown has been charged with two counts of operating while under the influence causing serious injury and two counts of reckless driving causing serious injury. The follow an early Sunday crash that injured two people, including a teammate who was a passenger and another driver.
He was cut by the team Sunday afternoon. Brown, 24, of South Carolina, was allegedly intoxicated and speeding on the wrong side of the freeway. Police say Brown struck a 27-year-old Detroit man’s car head-on, causing injury to his legs. The man was carried on a backboard by medics and transported to a local hospital.
Brown’s front seat passenger was a 23-year-old teammate Charlie Taumoepeau - which was confirmed by the Lions - who was trapped in the car and removed with the jaws of life. Brown is expected to be arraigned today. The Lions released a statement:
"We are aware of the situation from Sunday morning involving Alex Brown. Alex was waived from the team Sunday afternoon and Charlie Taumoepeau is receiving proper medical care following injuries sustained from the incident. Driving under the influence is a matter we take very seriously. We as an organization extend our thoughts and support to the victim and his family during his recovery."
What a Michigan Air Force veteran worries about in Afghanistan
Philip Brooks, a veteran from Michigan, did two tours in Afghanistan during his time in the Air Force. As Brooks watches the Taliban take over the country, he said he is worried for Afghan nationals he met while serving and would go back if he could.
"If I could go back I would in a heartbeat," he said. "There were a lot of friends I made that were Afghan nationals and I left them there, and I'm worried for them and their families because they have to fight for themselves without what they need." The Taliban moved in on Afghanistan after the United States withdrew its troops. U.S. servicemembers spent two decades and billions of dollars training the Afghan National Army.
"We trained them to do our job so one day we could pass on the torch but I think it might have happened a little too soon," Brooks said. "To see all the sacrifices that me and so many of my brothers and sisters made amount to nothing, it's kind of rough." The U.S. still has 5,000 troops in Afghanistan. Brooks has friends who are there – he said one of his friends has slept three hours in the last 36 hours.
"They are out of pocket right now. They aren't even social media," he said. Javed Ali, a counterterror expert with the University of Michigan, said he predicted Kabul would fall quickly last week. He hopes the plan to pull troops out of the country is revised. "At least explore the option of leaving a small counterterrorism force in a place like we do in other places in the world," he said
What else we're watching
- General Motors says its replacing battery modules in some of its Chevy Bolts to avoid a fire risk. Issues with battery compartments have been given more emphasis as electric vehicles take up a small, but growing share of the auto market.
- East Jefferson construction begins today. The heavily-trafficked Detroit roadway will be getting a makeover of a five-mile stretch of the road from Beaubien to Lakewood Street.
- Multiple videos showing brawls unfolding after the Detroit Tigers game Monday were posted on social media. The Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians.
- A disaster recovery center for flood victims is opening in Hamtramck to assist homeowners get connected to resources.
- Both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and James Craig outlined proposals for improving law enforcement in Michigan - which is an indication about what priorities those running for governor could narrow in on as campaign season heats up.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
A warming trend is underway this week. After mild conditions graced us on Monday, the heat is expected to turn up over the next few days. That includes temperatures in the 80s and chances of storms in the second half of the week.
U.S. declares 1st federal water shortage
U.S. officials on Monday declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought.
Water levels at the largest reservoir on the Colorado River — Lake Mead — have fallen to record lows. Along its perimeter, a white "bathtub ring" of minerals outlines where the high water line once stood, underscoring the acute water challenges for a region facing a growing population and a drought that is being worsened by hotter, drier weather brought on by climate change.
States, cities, farmers and others have diversified their water sources over the years, helping soften the blow of the upcoming cuts. Federal officials said Monday's declaration makes clear that conditions have intensified faster than scientists predicted in 2019, when some states in the Colorado River basin agreed to give up shares of water to maintain levels at Lake Mead.