COVID-19 updates: 70% of American adults fully vaccinated

More than 80% of adults have at least one dose, CDC says.

ByMorgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: November 8, 2021, 5:52 AM EST

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 752,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Just 68% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Nov 03, 2021, 11:37 AM EDT

Biden to label COVID an occupational hazard for workers

The Biden administration is finalizing details on an emergency rule compelling companies to mandate employee vaccinations or regular tests. 

This would be the first time Washington has set a federal safety standard for the workplace that regards a respiratory virus as an occupational hazard outside the health care sector.

Industry groups have pushed for a 60-day waiting period so enforcement of the rule doesn’t take effect until after the holidays.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Nov 03, 2021, 10:16 AM EDT

Case rates falling in the South

Case rates are falling in the South, according to federal data.

In Florida, which was reporting high transmission in every county during the summer, is now only reporting high transmission in two of its 67 counties. Cases in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and Mississippi are also improving.

Public Health employees help with COVID-19 vaccine booster forms at Cameron County Public Health's booster clinic, Oct. 30, 2021, in Los Fresnos, Texas.
Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald via AP

Although new fatalities are down by approximately 36.4% since mid-September, when about 1,800 deaths were reported daily, the death toll still remains high, with nearly 1,200 deaths reported each day.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Nov 03, 2021, 9:04 AM EDT

Don't give kids pain reliever before vaccine, CDC says

The CDC has updated its website urging parents of children ages 5 and older to get the vaccine "as soon as you can."

A six year old child receives the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for 5-11 year old kids at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., Nov. 2, 2021.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

The CDC is also reminding parents not to give kids a pain reliever before the vaccination to try to mitigate side effects. The CDC says pain relievers prior to a shot are not recommended because it’s not known how it might affect the vaccine.

Instead, the agency urges parents to talk to their doctor about a non-aspirin pain reliever after the shot if needed.

In general, the CDC also recommends that people who have recovered from COVID-19 still get the shot. (Waiting 90 days is only necessary if the person received monoclonal antibodies.)

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Nov 03, 2021, 8:24 AM EDT

CDC director: 'We've taken the time to get this right'

"We've taken the time to get this right," CDC director Rochelle Walensky told "Good Morning America" Wednesday, the day after she signed off on the Pfizer vaccine for young kids. "It's taken us almost a year compared to where we had a vaccine for adults."

A five year old child receives the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for kids, administered by Pharmacist Colleen Teevan at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., Nov. 2, 2021.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Parents should have peace of mind with the vaccine's safety, she argued. "We reviewed the evidence, we reviewed the safety profile," she said.

"You may have questions, and we are here to answer your questions," she said. "Go talk to your pediatrician, your trusted health care provider, your pharmacist, and get the information that you need."

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