FRIDAY, Oct. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey showing that nearly half of U.S. adults are not likely to get a flu shot this season has prompted federal health officials to urge all Americans to get the flu vaccines.

Chart: The Covid-19 booster shot boom An average of nearly 400,000 people per day have received booster shots in the previous seven days, double from the week before. NBC News

An NBC News analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that the number of people receiving booster shots is outpacing those getting their first or second doses of the initial vaccination, and is contributing to a modest increase in Covid vaccinations in October.

Real-world data show that filters clean COVID-causing virus from air

Research at a hospital swamped by people with COVID-19 has confirmed that portable air filters effectively remove SARS-CoV-2 particles from the air — the first such evidence in a real-world setting¹. The results suggest that air filters could be used to reduce the risk of patients and medical staff contracting SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals, the study’s authors say....

ALSO SEE: New air purifiers filter at least 90% of COVID-carrying particles

Alaska tribal groups race to spend COVID-19 relief money Tribal groups that represent Native Alaskans are racing to spend half a billion dollars in federal coronavirus relief payments ahead of a December deadline after a delay that tribal leaders say could Reid Wilson TheHill

Tribal groups that represent Native Alaskans are racing to spend half a billion dollars in federal coronavirus relief payments ahead of a December deadline after a delay that tribal leaders say could become catastrophic for communities now at the epicenter of the pandemic’s latest wave.

Tensions grow between Moderna, White House over vaccine production The Biden administration has urged Moderna for months to increase its production domestically. POLITICO

Vaccine maker Moderna is resisting pressure from the White House to increase international donations of its Covid-19 shot in 2022, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March to December 2020

Although racial/ethnic disparities in U.S. COVID-19 death rates are striking, focusing on COVID-19 deaths alone may underestimate the true effect of the pandemic on disparities. Excess death estimates capture deaths both directly and indirectly caused by COVID-19. ...

An estimated 2.88 million deaths occurred between March and December 2020. Compared with the number of expected deaths based on 2019 data, 477 200 excess deaths occurred during this period, with 74% attributed to COVID-19.

Age-standardized excess deaths per 100 000 persons among Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Latino males and females were more than double those in White and Asian males and females.