Covid-19 vaccine in the US live updates: vaccination lottery, card, rate, side effects...
Headlines
- CDC emergency meeting on 18 June re. heart inflammation from vaccines in young people
- FDA extends J&J's vaccine expiration date
- Biden administration to buy 500 million vaccine doses to donate to poorer countries
- UK minister raises concerns over "vaccine diplomacy"
- EU decides to cancel order for 100 million J&J doses
- China invites Taiwanese to get vaccinated
- US surpasses 300m vaccine dose milestone, as 42.8% of total population now fully vaccinated.
- France opens doors to vaccinated Americans
- New York the first US state to introduce a vaccine passport (find out more)
- Fauci issues warning over Delta variant
- Texas governor signs bill to stop businesses demanding vaccine passports
- NY planning to lift restrictions when 70% of adults are vaccinated
- Pfizer and BioNTech pledge to give one billion doses to low- and middle-income countries by end of year
- 142.09 million in the US now fully vaccinated (track CDC data here)
- US covid-19: 33.43 million cases / 599,180 deaths (live updates from JHU)
Take a look at some of our related articles:
Will Ohio's vaccine lottery help them meet the President's goal of having 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by the Fourth of July?
As of 12 June, no. In April, on average the Buckeye state-administered 99,598 vaccine doses. The vaccine lottery was launched on 10 May in hopes of encouraging residents to get their shots. In May, the average dropped by more than half to 44,355.
Did the vaccination rate among adults increase after the launch of the vaccine lottery?
According to data from the CDC, no significant upward trends have been seen. After the vaccination lottery was launched, the average number of doses of covid-19 vaccines has continued to drop to 31,688.
Currently, the percent of adults who have received at least one dose of vaccine is thirteen points short of the President's target. Since 1 June, the percentage has only increased 1% from 56 to 57 percent.In order to meet the 70% goal, the state would need to administer six times as many doses.
Read our full coverage for details on the Ohio vaccine lottery.
Is it safe for a vaccinated person to be with an unvaccinated person?
Is it safe for a vaccinated person to be with an unvaccinated person?
In May, building on vaccine efficacy data, new research showed that those who have gotten their shots do not spread the virus as easily compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. In light of these new findings, the CDC released new guidance for those vaccinated that allows them to move and mingle more freely. However, many of those who have opted out of vaccination, have reported that they plan to return to normal life, unafraid of the possible risks. In a poll from Morning Consult published in May, unvaccinated respondents were more likely to report that they were willing to resume activities such as taking a cruise or traveling on an airplane, eating out in a restaurant indoors, or going to a wedding.
Read full coverage for more on the risk those who have yet to recieve their shots pose for those who have.
US FDA asks J&J to discard millions of covid-19 vaccine doses
The US Food & Drug Administration on Friday said Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) must throw away millions of doses of its covid-19 vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared millions for use.
Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the agency had cleared about 10 million doses. The New York Times said that the batches being discarded amount to around 60 million doses, citing people familiar with the matter.
Most blue states will make Biden's July 4 vaccine goal, red ones won't
CNN - The United States looks increasingly unlikely to reach President Joe Biden's July 4 vaccine goal. We need at least 70% of all adults to have one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and we're on pace to have somewhere between 67% and 68%.
The overall picture masks, however, an underlying pattern: Nearly all of the states Biden won will make his goal, while all of the states he lost are unlikely to.
The vaccine partisan divide among adults is greater than ever currently. As of Thursday's CDC report, 69.9% of adults in the average Biden-won state have received at least one dose, meaning those states have basically already reached Biden's goal with more than a little over three weeks to go.
Vaccine hesitancy in the US
It is estimated that around one in four Americans are not planning on being vaccinated against Covid-19 with concerns over side effects and the unknown long-term effects of the vaccine being cited as reasons for their skepticism.
Two out of three hospitalised with Delta variant not vaccinated
Only 11% of patients admitted to hospital with the Covid-19 Delta B.1.617.2 variant were fully vaccinated while two out of three had not received a single dose of the vaccine, according to data released by UK Public Health on Friday.
The 28-day case fatality rate for Delta remains low (0.1%), though mortality is a lagged indicator and the vast majority of cases are still within the 28 days of follow-up required. Delta is now the dominant variant in the UK.
Delta-variant Covid-19 cluster detected at Strasbourg art school
A cluster of Delta-variant Covid-19 infections has been detected at an art school in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, the regional health authority said on Saturday. The four cases, confirmed as the more contagious variant first detected in India, were found at the Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin, which was closed by authorities on 10 June until further notice.
Officials at the Grand Est regional health authority said they were testing dozens of people who may have been in contact with the four people infected, as well as conducting a localised vaccination campaign targeting the student community.
Russia tests Covid-19 vaccine as nasal spray for children
Russia has tested a nasal spray form of its Covid-19 vaccine that is suitable for children aged 8-12, and plans to launch the new product in September, the scientist who led the development of the Sputnik V vaccine said on Saturday.
Alexander Gintsburg, who heads the Gamaleya Institute that developed Sputnik V, said the spray for children used the same vaccine "only instead of a needle, a nozzle is put on", the TASS news agency reported. The children's shot is expected to be ready for distribution by 15 September, Gintsburg was quoted as saying during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
The research group tested the vaccine on children aged between eight and 12 and found no side effects among the test group, including no increase in body temperature, Gintsburg said in comments reported by the TASS news agency. "We are inoculating our little (patients) nasally, we are just administering the same vaccine as a nasal spray," Gintsburg said, without giving further details about the study such as how many children were involved.
North Carolina State of Emergency extended until 30 July
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed an Executive Order on Friday to extend the Covid-19 State of Emergency until 30 July.
“We are seeing tremendous improvement with fewer cases, hospitalizations, deaths and safety restrictions, but this is no time to hang up a “Mission Accomplished” banner in our fight against the pandemic,” said Gov. Cooper. “We are laser focused on getting more shots in arms, boosting our economy and protecting unvaccinated people from the virus and this Executive Order is essential for those efforts.”
CDC 'emergency meeting' on vaccine heart inflammation
An advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold an emergency meeting on 18 June to discuss rare reports of heart inflammationafter doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The meeting comes as the CDC looks into few cases of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscles, in young people and adolescents who received the shot.
During a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee on vaccines yesterday, the CDC revealed that it had identified 475 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in people younger than 30 years old.
US screens 2.02 million airport passengers Friday - highest since March 2020
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 2.02 million passengers on Friday at US airports, the highest number since March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic slashed travel demand.
It was the first time daily US airport passengers screened had topped 2 million since 7 March 2020, the TSA said. Still, Friday's demand is still just 75% of pre-pandemic air travel on the equivalent day in June 2019, when 2.7 million passengers were screened. US air travel demand has been rising steadily for months as more Americans get vaccinated.
Rising UK Covid-19 cases are 'serious, serious concern', says Johnson
Rising Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations are a matter of "serious, serious concern", British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday, adding he was less optimistic about reopening the country than he was last month.
"'It's clear that the Indian variant is more transmissible and it's also true that the cases are going up, and that the levels of hospitalisation are going up," he told Sky News. "Now, we don't know exactly to what extent that is going to feed through into extra mortality, but clearly it's a matter of serious, serious concern."
Johnson is expected to set out on Monday whether a planned lifting of coronavirus restrictions can go ahead on 21 June, or whether rising cases will force it to be delayed.
Where did the covid-19 delta variant come from?
The technical designation of the rapidly spreading coronavirus variant, the B.1.617.2 strain, was simplified to Delta along with the other "variants of concern". The Alpha variant, first discovered in the UK, is presently the dominant variant in the US but the Delta variant is quickly increasing in the proportion of new infections in the US.
Just a month ago the Delta variant accounted for just one percent of new sequenced covid-19 cases in the United States has now jumped to six percent. There are worries that it could overwhelm healthcare systems as it travels through the unvaccinated portions of the population.
Greg Heilman brings you what you need to know.
California warns to beware of Covid-19 vaccine lottery scams
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is asking Californians to be aware of and to quickly report any indications of possible fraudulent or other questionable activities by individuals attempting to take advantage of the state's recently announced Covid-19 vaccination incentive programs.
The first cash prize drawing of $116.5 million Vax for the Win incentives program kicked off on 4 June to motivate residents to get vaccinated before the state's reopening on 15 June. Following the drawing, members of the public notified the state of scammers impersonating state officials through calls, email, text, and direct messages on social media.
South Africa to analyse J&J vaccines made at US plant
South African health inspectors will carry out further checks on a batch of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines following a contamination error earlier this year at the US plant where the doses were produced, the health ministry said.
As fears of a third Covid-19 wave grow in the hard-hit country, the ministry said late on Friday that officials from the health products regulator would assess the vaccines to ensure they are suitable for use. "There is now a real possibility that they may not be, however this is for the regulator to rule on," a ministry statement said.
The ministry said 300,000 J&J doses had been cleared for export to South Africa and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved an extension of the expiry date, saying the vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for 4.5 months instead of three. "The FDA is still evaluating some batches and we will await those outcomes, in the hopes that this will make more doses of Johnson & Johnson available to the international community, including South Africa," the ministry added.
South Africalaunched phase two of its vaccine rollout in May, aiming to inoculate five million people aged over 60 by the end of June. Manufacturing at the Baltimore plant owned by Emergent Biosolutions Inc was halted in April after the discovery that ingredients from AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, also being produced at the plant at the time, had contaminated a batch of J&J's vaccine. An inspection by the FDA also turned up a long list of sanitary problems and bad manufacturing practices at the Emergent plant.
Mexico says Covid-19 has affected a fourth of its population
About a quarter of Mexico's 126 million people are estimated to have been infected with the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday, far more than the country's confirmed infections.
The 2020 National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut) showed that about 31.1 million people have had the virus, the ministry said in a statement, citing Tonatiuh Barrientos, an official at the National Institute of Public Health. The estimate was given as the country recorded 3,282 new cases and 243 more fatalities, taking its total number of confirmed infections to 2,448,820 and the death toll to 229,823.
The government has said previously the real number of cases was likely to be significantly higher. According to Barrientos, not all of the people in the survey's estimate necessarily showed symptoms. The survey was based on interviews with people at 13,910 households between 17 August and 14 November last year, and confirmed preliminary results released in December. Separate data published in March suggested Mexico's actual death toll was at least 60% above the confirmed figure.
Find your nearest vaccination point
Use Vaccines.gov to find a vaccination location near you, then call or visit their website to make an appointment.
A new global poll on vaccine hesitancy from Morning Consult finds that the residents in Russia and the United States are the most unwilling to get the jab. Those unlikely to get a covid-19 vaccine cited concerns over possible side effects and the speed at which the vaccines were developed and approved as the most common reasons for why they were unwilling.
What is myocarditis and how is it connected to covid-19 vaccines?
What is myocarditis and how is it connected to covid-19 vaccines?
The CDC is currently investigating a link between the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccinations and increased cases of heart inflammation in certain groups.
The US vaccine rollout continues with over 142 million Americans having now received both doses of covid-19 vaccinations. However, there are reports that link the mRNA shots to greater instances of myocarditis in certain demographic groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that young men who have received both doses of an mRNA vaccine are experiencing higher-than-expected cases of heart inflammation.
Read our full coverage on what the CDC safety monitoring data shows and what the risk is for various demographic groups.
142,095,530 people now fully vaccinated in the US
As of 12 June 2021, a total of 142,095,530 people in the United States, 42.8% of the population, are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Meanwhile 52%, 172,758,350 people, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts are the states with the highest vaccination rates.
Fact check: can covid-19 vaccines make you magnetic?
Fact check: can covid-19 vaccines make you magnetic?
No, your vaccine will not give make you magnetic, yet millions in the US have seen videos circulating on social media that claim to prove just that.
Videos of those vaccinated sticking metal items to their body have gone viral on several social media platforms, claiming that it is definitive proof that the vaccine makes you magnetic.
Read our coverage for more on the danger these theories pose to the US vaccination campaign.
Is the US on track to meet President Biden's goal of having at least 70% of adults partially vaccinatedby 4 July?
No. Since 1 June, the US has increased the percentage of adults who are partially vaccinated by 1.3% to 64.1%.
In order to reach President Biden’s target of 70% by the fourth of July, the states will need to increase the rate at which they are vaccinating. At the current pace, the target will not be met. Increasing the rate of vaccination is becoming difficult as demand drops across the country.
In an attempt to encourage people to get their shots more than a dozen states have implemented vaccine lotteries giving residents a chance to win large cash prizes.
Read our coverage on each states that have recently launched a vaccine lottery program below:
Which European countries accept vaccinated travelers from the US?
Which European countries accept vaccinated travelers from the US?
After a year of closed borders, many in the United States are looking to travel to European countries, but where are those vaccinated able to visit?
In light of the US vaccination campaign, a handful of European Union member states are opening their borders to fully vaccinated individuals from the US. As of 12 June, five European Union member states, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, and Spain allow fully vaccinated visitors from the US.
Read our full coverage on how to prove vaccination status in each of the countries.
China administered a total of 863.51 million doses of covid-19 vaccines as of 11 June
China administered about 18.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines on 11 June, bringing the total number administered to 863.51 million, data from the National Health Commission showed on Saturday.
Covid-19 vaccine news: welcome
Hello and welcome to our dedicated live blog on covid-19 vaccines for Saturday 12 June 2021.
Here we aim to keep you fully up to date with all the latest news and updates on the global coronavirus pandemic, and the development and rollout of vaccines across the US and around the world.