Covid-19 and US vaccine rollout: news summary for 15 April

US economy rebounding amid vaccine rollout - Federal Reserve survey

A survey conducted by the US Federal Reserve has found that the country's economy experienced an upswing between late February and early April as a result of aid measures such as the increased rollout of coronavirus vaccines and the distribution of stimulus checks of up to $1,400 to eligible Americans.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Taking care after the vaccine: What medications or pain relievers are safe to take?

Getting a reaction to a vaccine is just your body showing signs that it’s learning how to defend itself.

Here’s what can you do to alleviate any symptoms.

Fauci hopeful J&J vaccine will "get back on track" soon

Anthony Fauci, the United States' top infectious disease expert, hopes US regulators will make a quick decision to lift a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and get that vaccine "back on track," he said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

His comments come a day after a panel of advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) delayed a vote on whether to resume the J&J shots for at least a week, until it had more data on the risk.

The US earlier this week decided to pause distribution of the J&J vaccine to investigate six cases of a rare brain blood clot linked with low platelet counts in the blood.

Fauci said the pause was "an indication that the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration take safety very seriously. I hope they make the conclusion of this quickly, and get back on track," he said. "And I believe they will."

(Reuters)

Camila Gutierrez, a junior at Florida International University, receives a Pfizer-BioNtech covid-19 vaccine from Jason Rodriguez, a pharmacy student, at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, on Thursday.

Jackson Memorial Hospital began a vaccination initiative with all the colleges/universities in Miami-Dade County, in which all students will be able to get the vaccine, as long as they show a valid student ID and a license. Universities and colleges across the country will be deciding if they will mandate students returning to campus be vaccinated.

(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFPI

Evidence shows vaccine effectiveness

The link between covid-19 and serious illness or death is being broken by the rollout of vaccinations, according to Wales' chief scientist.

Dr Rob Orford said lockdown was behind current low transmission levels but the vaccine would now do the "heavy lifting" in controlling its spread.

Coronavirus hospital admissions are the lowest since the start of Septemberand Wales' R number continues to decline.

Dr Orford termed the breaking of the link "uncoupling."

"We can see that in the evidence," he said.

Vaccines don't reduce covid-19 cases...

...vaccinations do!!

It may seem simple but the key to us getting through this pandemic is people rolling up their sleeves and taking a vaccine shot into their arm.

As Dr Rasmussen stresses here, just having these incredible drugs available doesn't in itself help.

No vote on J&J vaccine pause

The CDC panel did not vote on whether to extend the nation's pause on Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, after experts argued there was still insufficient data to make final recommendations.

Laura Podesta reports on what we know on the six women who developed blood clotting after receiving the shot.

A third of Evangelical Christians not for vaccine

According to a recent study, around 30% of those who identify as Evangelical Christians said they 'definitely will not' get a covid-19 vaccine.

About 6% said they will only get vaccinated if they have to, and 15% said they will wait and see.

Medicines and their risks

'If asked to sign something in advance (as is required for a number of things), have you ever stopped to seriously consider not giving consent and just, well, leaving?

'Have you ever refused consent? Or do you know of someone who has? If so, what was the long-term outcome?'

These are some of the questions being posed to us by Alheli Picazo. Take a moment to read/think.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Can you drink alcohol after taking a covid-19 vaccine?

Nearly 122,000,000 people in the United States are partially or fully vaccinated, and after receiving a dose, they may ask: "Can I have a celebratory drink?"

So far, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not released any concrete information on the topic. However other health experts have advised against it.

Here's what we know.

NYC health workers extend arms

There are a number of reasons why medical teams are getting vaccinated and here are just a few from the team in New York:

- To protect our neighbors

- For our parents

- To visit our families

- To help end the pandemic

And you can do so too...

Vaccine push: "Go get the shot!"

This economics professor and lover of statistics is encouraging his followers to join the queue and ger the jab.

He actually got the now paused J&J vaccine.

What do you know about vaccine passports?

MIT has pulled together a stream of information surrounding the conversations on passports, as many people are still getting very mixed messages.

- As covid vaccines roll out in a handful of countries, the next question has become: How do people prove they’ve been inoculated? For months, this conversation has been theoretical, but over the last few weeks, efforts have become more concrete.

- New York launched the first state-level system in early April

- The moves have prompted various reactions: some states in the US have endorsed the concept

- It's important we define what experts mean when they talk about turning proof of vaccination into a credential or passport. There are usually two different reasons they’re put forward: proof at international borders and proof for around town.

Check out all the information provided below:

Vaccines 'reallocated' in California

As Corin Hoggard reports, Fresno County is said to have 'reallocated' covid-19 vaccine doses to other counties because the demand isn't there.

In his thread he explains:

- The vast majority of people still acquiring covid are not vaccinated, says Dr. Rais Vohra. He says the science speaks for itself. These vaccines are going to go down as medical marvels.

- They're imploring people to get vaccinated. They're willing to incentivize vaccinations. They're angry about misinformation out there about the vaccines.

- The vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel. It's up to us how long that tunnel is. Dr. Vohra says it'll be Groundhog's Day until we get ourselves out of the pandemic and the vaccines are our best shot at getting out. (He said the pun was intended)

Full thread below:

Vaccine spam calls on the rise

Watch out for covid-19 vaccine scams.

Don’t respond to or click on links from unknown sources.

Don’t give out your credit card or other personal info.

Be wary of anti-vaxx disinformation. Report spam or scams at ago@mass.gov

Vaccine boosters expected

Following the earlier comments from Pfizer CEO, a White House official has also said that the United States is preparing for the possibility that a booster shot will be needed between nine to 12 months after people are initially vaccinated against covid-19.

While the duration of immunity after vaccination is being studied, booster vaccines could be needed, David Kessler, chief science officer for President Joe Biden's covid-19 response task force told a congressional committee meeting.

'The current thinking is those who are more vulnerable will have to go first,' Kessler said. Initial data has shown that vaccines from Moderna Inc and partners Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE retain most of their effectiveness for at least six months. Even if that protection lasts far longer, experts have said that rapidly spreading variants of the coronavirus and others that may emerge could lead to the need for regular booster shots - such as with annual flu shots.

The United States is also tracking infections in people who have been fully vaccinated, Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention told the House subcommittee hearing. Of 77 million people vaccinated in the United States, there have been 5,800 such breakthrough infections, Walensky said, including 396 people who required hospitalization and 74 who died. Walensky said some of these infections have occurred because the vaccinated person did not mount a strong immune response.

But the concern is that in some cases, they are occurring in people infected by more contagious virus variants.

J&J vaccine pause not an issue for US

As you will be aware, this week saw America’s covid-19 vaccine rollout  rocked by the federal government’s recommendation to pause distribution of the Johnson & Johnson shot after it was linked to rare blood clots among six people (out of seven million who got the vaccine), one of whom died.

But even without the J&J vaccine, the US can still vaccinate every adult by mid-summer.

It’s very unlikely that the vaccine is never put back into use — federal officials have said the pause could lift in a matter of days or weeks. But the fact the J&J vaccine may not be needed to inoculate every adult is a testament to how much America’s vaccine rollout has improved, and how quickly it’s still going, as the US continues pumping out the other two covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. 

But it wasn’t always like this, as German Lopez explains.

Pfizer third dose may be required within a year

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a booster dose of a covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. His comments were made public Thursday but were taped April 1.

He also said it’s possible people will need to get vaccinated against the virus annually.

“It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” he told CNBC’s Bertha Coombs during an event with CVS Health. He added the vaccines will be an important tool in the fight against highly contagious variants.

Full story:

Carlson's vaccine argument twist

After Dr Fauci had called out the Fox News host (see previous post), Tucker Carlson didn't take long to find a way to twist it back to his base audience's liking.

Suggesting that his comments were misinterpreted he said: “For months now, we have been asking a very straightforward question about the coronavirus vaccine.

“Why do people who take it - and by the way, why do people who have been previously infected and show high levels of antibodies - have to live under the restrictions that the vaccines were supposed to eliminate?” 

As Matt Gertz explains in this piece, it doesn't take much intelligence to rip apart Tucker's attempts to come out on top.

Vaccines: Tucker vs Fauci

When it comes to taking advice on serious medical sitiuations, who do you turn to? Is it a shock jock TV host with a questionable record on sticking to the truth? Or maybe you prefer someone with decades of experience at the very top of the medical profession? Tough call, right?

The comments made by Fox News' Tucker Carlson may have generated plenty of desired attention, but Dr Fauci was happy to take him to task.

Seniors stepping up for vaccines

White House Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt highlights the excellent news that 80% of seniors in the United States have already had their first dose.

Talking of Google's vaccine promotion...

Here's a short clip pushing the benefits of getting the jab which has struck a chord with many.

Searching for vaccine funding: Google, who else?

Google announced a series of pledges on Thursday to fund and promote coronavirus vaccines across the globe, including $250 million in advertising grants for pro-vaccination groups.

Through its philanthropy arm, Google will pay for 250,000 shots in “low and middle-income countries,” as classified by Google’s partner Gavi, a charity focused on vaccine distribution.

Google is also committing $2.5 million for pop-up vaccination sites and related efforts in Black, Latino and rural US communities. The $250 million in ad grants will fund more than 2.5 billion vaccine-related public service announcements, according to a blog post from Karen DeSalvo, Google’s chief health officer.

Read more:

US covid-19 update:

As the vaccines continue to hit more and more extended arms across the nation, here is an update on where we are with cases of covid-19

- 31,560,895 cases

• 568,427 deaths

• 194,791,836 vaccine doses administered

• 123,917,385 have one shot, 47.6% of US adult pop

• 76,681,252 fully vaccinated, 29.6% of US adult pop

California vaccines thrust

"I got mine, feel great and can’t wait to hug my parents again."

More promotion on the west coast as doors are flung open to younger members in the state.

US focus, but vaccines are a global requirement

While much of the attention in the United States is on the need to deal with the effects of the pandemic at home, the only way we get complete control is if we ensure it is managed across the globe.

The rollout of covid-19 vaccines in developing countries is critical to protecting lives, building human capital, and stimulating economic recovery. The current crisis is exacerbating inequalities throughout the world and, without access to vaccines, the gap will widen further.

This event begins with voices of youth from around the world reflecting on the impact of the pandemic and their hopes for a speedy recovery with a return to school, friends, and family.

Read more:

Covid-19 vaccine compared with the Holocaust

In their zeal to speak out against covid-19 vaccinations, some Orange County residents are publicly equating the vaccines and the push for their widespread use to the atrocities of the Holocaust.

On Tuesday, at an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting, two speakers wore Star of David symbols on their shirts as they joined others in referencing the Holocaust while denouncing vaccines and vaccination requirements. Last week, at an Orange County Board of Education meeting, some residents referred to the use of covid-19 vaccinations as being not unlike the deadly experiments performed by German physician Josef Mengele at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Some experts who track hate speech say the rhetoric is inaccurate, hyperbolic, and crosses a line into anti-Semitism.

“The idea that one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in saving lives is being compared to genocide is abhorrent and cruelly ignorant,” said Prof. Brian Levin, who heads the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

Full report from Roxana Kopetman.

Vaccines and medications

As you can probably imagine, there are different types of vaccines that go about how they teach your body to fight off a disease in their own way. The general idea though is to get your body to recognize the target disease so should you come into contact with a pathogen, your body’s immune system will attack it before it can do any harm.

Getting vaccinated for some is just a quick prick in the arm, it may be something they would rather not do but it's worth it and most of us give our children them from early in their lives. It possibly doesn't help, however, if the person giving you the jab says you might get a reaction to it.

Some people don’t notice a thing but reactions are fairly common after getting a vaccine and the for covid-19 it is no different. So what are the reactions to the covid-19 vaccine and what can you do to remedy them.

California dreamin' of life post-covid

With the vaccine rollout in the Sunshine State well underway, as we reported earlier, everyone aged 16 and over is now eligible.

Serving the Central Valley in Congress is Rep. Josh Harder, and he is encouraging everyone to share the news. So we shall...

EU vaccine rollout gather pace

As President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen points out, 100 million covid-19 shots have now been administered in the block.

After a slow start - for a variety of reasons - the EU very much now appears to be getting its act together.

Out of interest, the President got the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, the major player thus far in the EU.

What to eat before/after covid-19 vaccine

As the rollout of covid-19 vaccines in the United States continues apace, and you are awaiting your turn, you may be wondering how to prepare, including what to eat or drink before or after your vaccination. And also what to avoid.

Before going any further, it's important to note that all three covid vaccines so far approved were tested on people who ate their usual diets. That means the vaccines have been shown to be effective without any special nutritional preparation. But, that said, there are a handful of eating strategies that simply make sense to best support your body's needs, both before and after you have the jab.

From alcohol to sleep food, hydration to balance, Cynthia Sass has pulled together a useful guide.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

How many blood clots and thrombosis incidents have been reported in the US after the vaccine?

Blood clots(thrombosis) and low levels of blood platelets in those who have been vaccinated for Covid-19 are extremely rare but a cause for concern nevertheless. Use of the J&J vaccine is currently on hold until a full report has been conducted.

The total number of cases of blood clots after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine in the US

Why do we expect vaccines to be magically problem-free when we don’t expect that of other drugs? Part of it is human nature.

Vaccine fear and its irrationality

After more than a year of soul-battering pandemic life, every molehill is starting to feel like a mountain. We’ve reached the point where we seem to have totally lost our ability to judge risk rationally.

As many scientists have observed, you have a greater risk of being badly injured in a car crash while driving to your vaccination appointment than actually being harmed by a covid-19 vaccine. Drugs we take every day – Tylenol, birth-control pills, heart medications, sleeping pills – all have potentially severe side effects. We generally accept those risks, or at least don’t think of them. Why do we expect vaccines to be magically problem-free when we don’t expect that of other drugs?

Part of it is human nature. We don’t worry about common risks because it would drive us crazy. We fret about rare problems because, well, they’re rare. For example, people are far more fearful of being attacked by a shark than they are of drowning, although the latter is far more likely than the former.

You have to feel for regulators trying navigate the not-shark-infested waters because they find themselves in a no-win position.

André Picard assesses, in a thought-provoking way, why many of us are struggling to put vaccine risk into perspective.

Around 30% Pennsylvanians vacccine hesitant

As reported by The Morning Call, a newspaper serving the greater Lehigh Valley area in eastern PA, nearly a third of Pennsylvanians say they are not planning on getting the covid-19 vaccine at any point.

This comes from a recent poll undertaken by Muhlenberg College.

Vaccine doubts rise after J&J 'pause'

Fieldwork for the latest Economist/YouGov poll on vaccine safety perceptions was in the midst of being conducted when the Centers for Disease Control made the decision to suspend the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Comparing the results from those who took the survey before the announcement with those who took the survey afterward shows the huge impact the CDC’s decision has had on the perceived safety of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Among those who started the survey before the announcement about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause, about half (52%) considered the shot “very safe” or “somewhat safe” - twice the number who believed it “very unsafe” or “somewhat unsafe.” After the announcement was made, these figures had converged - just 37% called the vaccine safe, and 39% feeling it unsafe.

Find out more from the survey.

NYC Covid-19 variant B.1.526

The Coronavirus variant B.1.526 is spreading at an alarming rate in the New York City area. Two versions of the variant have been identified by DNA sequence analysis, both with the prevalent D614G mutation in the spike protein. Heath officials are concerned that the B.1.526 variant could be fuelling new outbreaks in New York City. It is not known how effective the available Covid-19 vaccines or therapeutic antibody treatment will be in suppressing the B.1.526 variant.

"What we don't understand with 1.526 is whether or not people are being reinfected with it and whether or not people who might have been vaccinated are now getting infected with it," Dr. Scott Gottlieb told Face the Nation.

'Shocking disparity' persists in vaccine distribution - WHO chief

There is still a "shocking disparity" in global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday.

Tedros, addressing an event of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, said that some low and middle income countries in the COVAX facility still had not received any vaccines, while others had not received their second round allocation. "We need an urgent scale-up in financing COVAX," he said.

Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and chair of the African Union, said he hoped that people on the African continent would have the same access to Covid-19 vaccines as people in Europe and North America.

Californians aged 16 and upwards can book Covid-19 vaccine appointments

All individuals aged 16 and older who live or work in California will be eligible to book Covid-19 vaccine appointments on the state’s MyTurn appointment system from midnight tonight. From tomorrow, every Californian can sign up at myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255 to see if it’s their turn to get the Covid-19 vaccine. 

You can use the CDC VaccineFinder tool to find vaccination locations near you

Fox News chief slammed for vaccine conspiracy output

Rupert Murdoch, the 89-year-old boss of News Corp (which owns Fox, amongst other media corporations), has been criticised for his company's output when it comes to vaccine coverage. Murdoch himself was one of the first to receive a vaccination last December but some of the biggest names on his network have continually expressed doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. 

CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy accused Fox hosts of endangering the public by "recklessly telling viewers that the vaccines might not actually even work."

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause: the reasons, timeline & reaction

Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House’s pandemic coordinator, said that the pause would not generally interrupt the momentum of the country’s vaccination campaign.

More information on why the J&J vaccine rollout has been paused

Component of the J&J vaccine could explain blood clot risk

It is being suggested that the adenovirus technology used in the J&J vaccine could be a factor in causing blood clots in some extremely rare cases. Adenovirus vectors are used to prompt an immune response by the body to recognise and fight coronavirus. But in some rare cases, they can also cause a severe immune response. There are currently four Covid-19 vaccines which use adenoviral vectors which has been authorised for emergency use - AstraZeneca, Janssen/Johnson&Johnson, CanSino Biologicals and Sputnik V.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Taking care after the vaccine: What medications or pain relievers are safe to take?

Vaccines teach your body to fight off a disease in their own way. The idea is to get your body to recognize disease so your body’s immune system can attack it before it can do any harm. Getting a reaction to a vaccine is just your body showing signs that it’s learning how to defend itself.

Here’s what can you do to alleviate any symptoms.

Pennsylvania woman suffered blood clot after J&J vaccine shot

A Pennsylvania resident is believed to be one of the six women who developed an extremely rare blood clot linked to the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19  vaccine. ABC News report that the woman, who was hospitalised in New Jersey, was identified as a 26-year-old who is overweight. There have been just six cases of blood clots in over 7 million inoculations with the one-dose J&J vaccine which was authorised for emergency use at the end of February.

Rare blood clots linked to Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines

The small number of people who have experienced blood clotting after being vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is similar to the number who have suffered clotting after being inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to a new study by researchers at Oxford University.

Another key finding was that the risk of experiencing a blood clot on the brain (cerebral venous thrombosis) was over 95 times higher for people who have suffered Covid-19 infection than those who haven't suffered the virus. CVT is more common after Covid-19 than in any of the comparison groups with 30% of cases occurring in under-30s. The study added that the risk of suffering a blood clot after Covid-19 is eight times greater than after vaccination with the Astrazeneca vaccine.

"Forget vaccine passports" - other priorities must come first

Professor Karol Sikora has spoken out about a proposal to introduce vaccine passorts - an option which has been ruled out in the US but is still being considered in some European countries. "Forget vaccine passports and focus on solving the real problems. Tackle the cancer crisis and properly financially support people to self-isolate - to name just two far more relevant and important needs. The list of priorities over passports is very, very long indeed".

US CORONAVIRUS NEWS

J&J vaccine side effect: how many people have notified of blood clots in US?

The FDA has temporarily halted the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at federal sites due to blood clot concerns. The pause in the rollout is expected to last weeks while investigations into rare side effects continue.

Find out here about blood clots linked to the J&J vaccine here:

Fauci gives statement on J&J vaccine pause

Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the president, has outlined the purpose of suspending the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

In an interview with CNN, has described the two main intentions of the decision, both the give extra time to investigate the effects of the vaccine and to ensure that those who have already received a shot are cared for properly. Although the blood clot side effect has so far only been found in fewer than one in every million recipients, the White House is eager to assuage any fears about the vaccine. 

"Covid is circulating unevenly around the world" - WHO

Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, technical lead of the World Health Organization's COVID-19 response team gave an update on the coronavirus situation worldwide on Wednesday evening, highlighting the regions which have seen an increase in transmission.  "We are seeing a pretty dynamic situation worldwide, in terms of growth. It is growing exponentially and this is the seventh consecutive week in which we have seen an increase in transmission. It's just not a position we need to be in, or should be in, 16 months into a pandemic," Dr Kerkhove explained.

"The pandemic remains uneven, in terms of its circulation - it is not growing in the same rate in every country, some countries have shown that they can control Covid and keep transmissions down to a low level. In some situations to no cases at all. But in a number of countries it is still growing. Globally, in the last seven days we've seen an 11% increase across the world. That is uneven across our WHO regions, there was a 5% increase across the Americas, a 63% increase in South East Asia, largely driven by an increase in cases in India, a 22% increase in the eastern Mediterranean region, a 6% increase in the western Pacific region and we did see some declines. We saw a 4% reduction across Europe and a 14% reduction across Africa".

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Pfizer, Moderna and J&J/Janssen: who can get each, side effects, doses

The Pfizer-BioNTech, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Janssen covid-19 vaccines have been given emergency approval for use in the US. However, use of the Johnson & Johnson has been suspended temporarily to study six severe cases of blood clotting.

What's the difference between the Pfizer, Moderna and J&J/Janssen vaccines?

Johnson & Johnson vaccine temporary pause to remain in place

A US health advisory panel on Wednesday did not make a decision related to the pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, and aimed to reconvene possibly in a week or 10 days.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Can you drink alcohol after taking a covid-19 vaccine?

Around 123,000,000 people in the United States are partially or fully vaccinated, and after receiving a dose, they may ask whether they can celebrate by having an alcoholic drink?

Can I have a beer or alcoholic drink after being vaccinated?

No demand for vaccines once 160 million Americans have received it

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb believes that the US is close to reaching a stage where there will be no further demand for vaccination against Covid-19. Over 123 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, around 37% of the population. Gottlieb says that once the US reaches 16 million, demand will drop off - with around 25-30% of the population either against being vaccinated or unsure. 

"I think that there's probably 150 million Americans who are eager to get vaccinated. And as we expand into the younger age cohorts and a new eligible population ... you're not going to see the demand be as brisk," Gottlieb explained in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition. "I think we get to 150 million vaccines. I think we struggle to get to 160 million. Beyond that, I think it's going to be difficult. I'm not sure that you have the demand there."

NYC covid-19 cases fall as vaccine rollout speeds up

New York City is at the forefront of the US' vaccination effort and it is thought that over 61% of adult residents have now received at least one shot. This is having a clear effect on coronavirus case numbers, with half as many elderly people hospitalised. In New Yorkers aged below 65, instances of hospitalisation have dropped by 29%.

NYC Health Commissioner Dr David Chokshi said during a press briefing on Wednesday: “The vaccines are life-saving, and here in New York City, we are starting to see them have the real world benefit that has been observed in Israel, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere."

Covid-19 vaccine news: welcome

Hello and welcome to our dedicated live blog for Thursday 15 April 2021.

Here we aim to keep you fully up to date with all the latest news and updates regarding the covid-19 pandemic and all aspects of the vaccine development and rollout across the United States.