Covid-19 vaccine US news summary: Friday 4 June 2021
US vaccine latest news live: Friday 04 June 2021
Headlines
- New York, first US state to introduce a vaccine passport, the Excelsior Pass
. US to deliver 80 million doses to COVAX facility
- China reports first case of H10N3 bird flu in a human (full story)
- New data shows possible benefits of receiving two different covid vaccines (full story)
- WHO grants China's Sinovac emergency authorization
- Japan confident Olympic Games will go ahead as 10,000 volunteers stand down
- India in talks over Sputnik Light vaccine
- GAVI in talks with China over expanding COVAX facility
- 50% of US adults now fully vaccinated, as Biden calls the milestone "a big deal"
- Pfizer and BioNTech pledge to give one billion doses to low- and middle-income countries by end of year
- California won’t create vaccine passport, but large events may require vaccine/test proof
- US vaccine roll-out to children aged 12-15
- Over 136 million US citizens now fully vaccinated (track CDC data here)
- US covid-19: 33.34 million cases / 596,999 deaths (live updates from JHU)
Scroll through some of our related articles:
The Peace Corps and FEMA are working together to combat the covid-19 pandemic. For the second time in the agency’s history, Peace Corps volunteers will serve a domestic deployment, at FEMA’s request – the first following Hurricane Katrina and now at federally supported Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs) across the country.
“The Peace Corps works hand-in-hand with communities on their most pressing challenges, and right now the US faces some of the biggest challenges in our country’s history,” said Peace Corps Acting Director Carol Spahn. “The volunteers who contribute to this effort will bring valuable cross-cultural experience, language skills and adaptability fostered during their time overseas as they contribute to an equitable vaccination campaign here at home.”
“Working closely with our federal partners, state and local leaders, community-based organizations, and the private sector, is critical in getting as many vaccines to the public as possible,” said Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton. “Our partnership with the Peace Corps is an example of our commitment to reaching under-served and historically marginalized communities, to ensure equal access to vaccines. FEMA’s employees are excited to work alongside the Peace Corps in this ongoing battle against COVID-19.”
California awards first vaccine lottery prizes
California Governor Gavin Newsom kicked off the state’s covid-19 vaccine lottery on Friday. The drawing to place on livestream with the Governor pulling some of the 15 winners of $50,000 prizes for getting vaccinated against the coronavirus from a ball machine. The lottery will culminate 15 June with 10 grand prizes of $1.5 million each.
Vaccine hesitancy in the US compared with the rest of the world
Hesitancy toward getting the covid-19 vaccine in the US has decreased over the months since the first jab was administered, but still 31% of the population that is either unwilling or uncertain. However, in other parts of the world that rate is even higher with Russians the most hesitant. The Chinese are among the least hesitant with just 8% of the population having doubts about getting vaccinated against covid-19.
Should vaccinated employees wear a mask in California?
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) on Thursday approved controversial rules to allow workers to go maskless under certain circumstances. At the urging of business groups and members of the public the workplace regulators lifted some pandemic restrictions.
More un vaccinated teens catching covid-19
In March and April the number of unvaccinated adolescents hospitalized for covid-19 rose according to CDC data. The rates of hospitalization were higher for covid-19 than comparable periods for the flu. A third of the teens hospitalized required intensive care.
Children still need regular schedule vaccines up to date
During the pandemic as the nation locked down many children missed their regular schedule vaccines. Although the covid-19 vaccine is not approved for children under 12 and in the case of the District of Columbia school district and several other school districts will not be required those regular vaccinations will still be necessary. The CDC has a vaccine catch-up schedule which can be used to design a safe and efficient vaccination plan for your child.
New York Times reports on possible challenges for foreign students looking to attend a college or university next fall without a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization. The reporter details the experience of students who received an unapproved vaccine and been told that they will need to be vaccinated again once they return to campus. However, the safety of this policy cannot yet be evaluated based on the current science available.
$1M West Virginia Vaccine Lottery: how to enter and win
As demand for vaccines drops in West Virginia, Governor Jim Justice announces a vaccine lottery that will give away cash prizes, trucks, rifles, and more.
The five worst-performing states in vaccination drive
In terms of percentage of total population vaccinated, there are the five worst-performing states:
Wyoming - 32%
Arkansas - 31.4%
Louisiana - 31.4%
Alabama - 29.3%
Mississippi - 27.5%
England's estimated COVID R number over 1 again, epidemic growing
The estimated reproduction 'R' number in England remains at over 1 and the epidemic could be growing by as much as 3% each day, Britain's health ministry said on Friday.
The estimated R number was between 1.0 and 1.2, meaning that on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 10 and 12 other people. Last week, it was estimated at between 1.0 and 1.1. The daily case growth was estimated at 0% to +3%, remaining at the same rate as last week. (Reuters)
A reminder on sick pay from NYS Lt. Governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, has reminded New Yorkers that they "won’t lose pay if you take a recovery day after receiving your vaccine." Ms. Hochul retweeted a message from the NYS Dept. of Labor, which stated: "In New York State, sick leave is mandated by law, including any recovery period following the COVID-19 vaccine."
That reminder will come as a relief for the many New Yorkers who have been suffering from side effects after getting vaccinated and need to take a day off work to recover.
Virus update from AP
Here is the latest coronavirus-related headlines from AP:
- Heart issue probed as possible rare vaccine link in teens.
- France welcomes vaccinated tourists.
- Most vaccinated California workers must keep masks on.
- Jobs data to show if worker shortages still slow hiring.
Which states are banning vaccine passports and why?
The rollout of covid-19 vaccines has given hope to relaxing restrictions put into place to slow the spread of the virus. But with herd immunity still a way off,vaccine passports are seen as a way to allow people to travel and businesses to safely operate without strict restrictions.
WHO urges countries to follow U.S., give vaccine doses to fill gap
A US plan to quickly share covid-19 vaccine doses with poorer countries is an 'important start' but more shots are urgently needed to cover a gap caused by Indian supply disruptions and manufacturing delays, a WHO senior adviser said on Friday.
"We are seeing great commitment, the challenge is bringing those commitments forward so that June, July, August we get vaccines into folks," Bruce Aylward told a UN press briefing, referring to a US plan to quickly share 25 million doses.
He estimated that Indian vaccine export disruptions and delays in getting other vaccines online meant that the COVAX sharing scheme had a gap of around 200 million doses. (Reuters)
New initiative to get young adults vaccinated in New York City
Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to park vaccination buses outside popular nightlife areas, a new initiative aimed at getting young adults vaccinated in New York City.
“For New Yorkers up to 25, we are gonna meet them where they are, and a lot of times that means meeting them at a nightlife venue, a bar, someplace popular for people to gather, so we’re parking our vaccine buses at popular nightlife destinations,” he said.
No Olympics if no athletes come to Japan, says Tokyo 2020 president
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games cannot happen if no athletes can make it to Japan for the event, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee President Seiko Hashimoto said at a news briefing held on Friday. She said that the decision on whether to host the Games depended on rapidly changing factors such as the coronavirus situation, and that the committee would comply if other organisers were to decide to cancel the Games. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and is scheduled to start on July 23. (Reuters)
States that fully vaccinated more than half of their population
As things stand, five states have already managed to fully vaccinate more than half of their total population.
Vermont - 56.6%
Maine - 55%
Massachusetts - 54%
Connecticut - 53.7%
Rhode Island - 51.9%
At the national level, 41% of the total US population has been fully vaccinated.
Israel investigating link between vaccine and heart condition in young men
An official Israeli report released Tuesday found a striking correlation between COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations and a spike in cases of a heart-inflammation condition in young males, which appears likely to lead the country to revisit its recommendation that children receive two doses of the vaccine. New York Magazine has the full story.
Biden shares progress chart on Employment and Vaccinations
Joe Biden has published two charts that graph the progress on Employment and Vaccinations under the Biden-Harris Administration. According to the figures, unemployment claims have fallen 50%, while 64% of adults have been vaccinated since the Delaware lawmaker took office.
US plan to supply 80m vaccine doses worldwide
The White House has announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million U.S. vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses.
The proposed allocation plan for the first 25 million doses is as follows:
Approximately 6 million for South and Central America to the following countries: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, as well as the Dominican Republic.
Approximately 7 million for Asia to the following countries and entities: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands.
Approximately 5 million for Africa to be shared with countries that will be selected in coordination with the African Union.
Approximately 6 million will be targeted toward regional priorities and partner recipients, including Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, West Bank and Gaza, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, India, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as for United Nations frontline workers.
US to support India's vaccine drive
In a phone conversation with Indian primer minister Narendra Modi, US vice-president Kamala Harris confirmed that the United States will provide India with vaccine doses as part of its larger plan to to supply 80 million vaccine doses worldwide.
Excelsior Pass not working: how to report problems in New York
What is New York's Excelsior Pass?
New York was the first state to introduce a vaccine passport, the Excelsior Pass, however, after a few short weeks of use, some users are reporting issues.
IMF and World Bank urge G7 to release surplus vaccines
The heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Thursday urged the Group of Seven advanced economies to release any excess covid-19 vaccines to developing countries as soon as possible, and called on manufacturers to ramp up production.
In a joint statement to the G7, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass also called on governments, pharmaceutical companies and groups involved in vaccine procurement to boost transparency about contracting, financing and deliveries.
"Distributing vaccines more widely is both an urgent economic necessity and a moral imperative," they said. "The coronavirus pandemic will not end until everyone has access to vaccines, including people in developing countries."
Malpass and Georgieva will meet in person on Friday and Saturday with finance officials from the G7 countries - Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and Japan - with the COVID-19 pandemic set to be a central topic.
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 3.7 million people worldwide, according to a Reuters tally.
While about half the population in the United States has received at least one dose of the vaccine, the percentage in developing countries is still in the single digits, said Mamta Murthi, vice president for human development at the World Bank.
The World Bank, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization this week endorsed a $50 billion IMF proposal aimed at ending the pandemic by expanding access to vaccines.
"The World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund call on countries anticipating excess vaccine supplies in the coming months to release their surplus doses and options as soon as possible, in a transparent manner, to developing countries with adequate distribution plans in place," Georgieva and Malpass said in their letter to G7 officials.
Florida vaccine passport ban puts cruises in limbo
Governor DeSantis imposed a ban on the use of vaccine passports by state and local agencies, as well as private businesses. This has put him on a crash course with one of the state’s largest industries. Cruise ships cannot set sail unless nearly all of both crew and passengers are fully vaccinated under CDC guidelines. The industry and mayors of cities whose ports host the ships have asked the governor for an exemption.
Instead, the DeSantis wants the CDC to changes its rules. Mediation between the health agency and the governor have broken down. Now it will be up to the courts to decide whether the guidelines stand or the governor will have to modify his ban. If the ban isn’t modified, cruise ship operators have threatened to move to ports where they can legally require verification of vaccination status.
Ohio Governor considers sweetening state vaccination lottery pot
The second week of Ohio’s Vax-a-million lottery came with mixed results. On the day of the second draw there were 11,000 vaccinations statewide were at a level prior to Vax-a-Million. Governor DeWine is working on additional incentives while celebrating the two new lucky draws.
"[We’re] talking with a couple Ohio companies about maybe a couple other offers to kind of make this a little more enticing," DeWine said.
Jonathan Carlyle, 40, of Toledo was part of the procrastinators that the lottery was set up to encourage to get their jab. Shortly after the lottery was announced he decided to go out and get his shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Covid-19 vaccine news: welcome
Hello and welcome to our dedicated live blog for Thursday 03 June 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 and around the world.