Vaccine 4 1 1 - Daily News on the Covid-19 and Coronavirus Vaccines

Hope you didn’t sell everything you own to go into the mask business. Data released by the CDC shows Covid levels have dropped enough that more than 90% of Americans can go without masks. The data shows nearly everyone in the country lives in an area with low to medium risk, though that data came out after the CDC tweaked how it measures risk. The new CDC guidance applies to everyone — including school kids and the unvaccinated. It does not, for whatever reason, apply to air travel, trains, or public transit.

Yes, Omicron was reported as milder than the Delta variant, but that doesn’t mean it’s no big deal. Japanese scientists say it’s at least 40% more lethal than seasonal flu. The case fatality rate of Omicron in Japan was about 0.13%, while the flu typically has a 0.006% to 0.09% death rate. They say more study is needed once all the restrictions are lifted.

If you have arthritis, it’s rare you feel lucky but when it comes to the pandemic, you may have been. Baricitinib is an oral drug commonly taken for rheumatoid arthritis, and an expansive study out of Oxford shows it reduced hospitalized COVID-19 patients’ risk of dying by 13%. Scientists and doctors welcomed the addition of the pill to the few treatments already shown to help treat severe COVID, especially since the drug comes in generic versions low- and middle-income countries can afford.

A couple of good news items for kids. The European Medicines Agency has authorized Moderna's vaccine for children aged six to 11, in addition to recommending boosters of Pfizer's vaccine for those aged 12 and up. And a new study has found Pfizer’s vaccine is 91% effective at protecting young people ages 12 to 18 against infection for at least four months after their second shot.

You may want to dust off the luggage as well. Rules requiring people to show a Covid-19 vaccine passport to access venues will be lifted in France March 14 and face masks will no longer be needed indoors except for on public transport. And vaccinated travelers to Italy will no longer have to test before entering the country. Unvaccinated travelers must still show proof of a negative test before entering. And once in country everyone must still get a “Super Green Pass” to stay at hotels, take trains, or eat at restaurants.

In the United States, cases were down 55%, deaths are down 26%, and hospitalizations are down 43% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since January 14.

The five areas that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Arkansas, Maine, West Virginia, Tennessee, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

There are 25,724,877 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 areas with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Nome Census Area, AK. Bennington, VT. Linn, MO. Roanoke, VA. Pike, KY. Twin Falls, ID. Perry, KY. Fayette, AL. and Jerome, ID.

There have been 956,262 deaths in the U.S. recorded as COVID-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Rhode Island at 80.7%, Vermont at 80.1%, and Maine at 78.4%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Alabama at 50.3%, Wyoming at 50.6%, and Mississippi at 51%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 65%.

Globally, cases were down 25% and deaths down 27% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since January 25.

There are 61,379,411 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: Germany 202,338. South Korea 198,802. Vietnam 118,790. Russia 93,026. And Japan 71,570.

There have been 5,982,566 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for May 12th, 2021.

The New York Times reported the CDC was relying on a faulty study in declaring a 10% chance of the transmission of Covid-19 outdoors in support of outdoor mask mandates. The CDC now says it’s more like 1% or less. Critics are now asking how a key component of the U.S. Covid response was not only wrong, but never questioned.

In a related story Dr. Kavita Patel said she thinks the CDC’s credibility is eroding, and that’s bad because we need workplace and school guidance. Patel served in the Obama Administration as Director of Policy for Public Engagement. She said in the absence of guidance, we’re making it up, which puts more people at risk. Dr. Amesh Adalja, infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins also said the CDC is not being nearly as aggressive as it should be with guidance.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the pandemic is more severe than ever worldwide, and India’s a reminder the virus can quickly outstrip efforts to contain it. She reiterated double-layered masking, physical distancing, and not traveling must all be continued. The Chief Science Officer at HHS also said he’s expecting a significant number of cases and deaths this summer.

A horrifying scene in India. Scores of dead bodies have been found floating down the Ganges River in eastern India. Health officials working through the night Monday retrieved 71 bodies. More corpses were found floating in the river Tuesday, washing up in a neighboring state. It’s believed bodies are going in the water because villages are running out of wood to cremate them.

If you’re worried the vaccine will hurt you, this woman in Italy might be an inspiration. She accidentally got six doses of the Pfizer vaccine all at once, with no serious side effects. The nurse thought the vial had already undergone dilution, but it hadn’t. All six doses were still in it. It’s not the first time either. In April, 77 inmates at the Iowa State Penitentiary all got up to six times the normal dose due to human error.

In the United States cases were down 29%, deaths are down 10%, and hospitalizations are down 16% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.

There are now 6,395,031 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, New York, Maryland, and Kentucky.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Gilmer, WV. Adams, MS. Chattahoochee, GA. Calhoun, WV. Conejos, kow-NEI-hows CO. Guadalupe, NM. Baraga, MI. Jackson, LA. Charlton, GA. And Moore, TX.

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Rhode Island, Michigan, Colorado, Maine, and Minnesota.

There have been 582,791 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.79%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Michigan 102. Florida 64. New York and Texas 55. Pennsylvania 52. California 41. New Jersey 31. Illinois 27. And Georgia and Kentucky 23.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, Vermont at 61.9%, Massachusetts at 60.6%, and Hawaii at 58.8%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 32%, Louisiana at 33.5%. and Alabama at 33.8%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 34.8%

Globally, cases were down 14% and deaths down 7% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since April 23.

There are now under 19 million active cases around the world at 18,934,804.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 348,499. Brazil 71,018. The United States 34,904. Argentina 25,976. And France...

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This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for May 21st, 2021.

The CDC apparently believes relaxing mask requirements will encourage people who haven’t already done so to get vaccinated. Some experts in human behavior say not likely. The gamble is people will be nervous in a maskless world if they aren't vaccinated. The risk is that those people never felt at risk and all this will do is cause unvaccinated people to go unmasked.

With 52 more COVID-19 fatalities added to the statewide total yesterday, Texas has crossed over the 50,000 deaths mark. The number per day had been decreasing into the 30s earlier this month before beginning a steady climb back into the 50s. Still, the state is now reporting about the same number of deaths in a week they were reporting every day in January.

Panama temporarily closed its border with Colombia starting yesterday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and tighten security. Panama said Colombia's decision to reopen borders "puts at risk the significant progress" Panama has made. So no entry by land, sea, or river routes.

Some good news for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Public Health England says real-life data suggests it’s providing more protection than was expected from clinical trials. After a second dose, the chance of falling ill is reduced by around 89% as opposed to the previously believed 70-75%.

Other states are taking notice of the success of Ohio’s vaccine lottery and are doing similar things. New Yorkers 18 and older who get their first dose between May 24 and 28 at some locations across the state will get a free lottery scratch-off ticket for a $5 million lottery. Maryland also announced its $2 million VaxCash Promotion, which will divide that amount among 41 residents who get vaccinated. Daily drawings will reward some of the newly vaccinated with $40,000 starting May 25 until July 4. And on the Fourth, one person will win $400,000.

In the United States cases were down 36%, deaths are down 14%, and hospitalizations are down 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14.

There are now 5,871,914 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, New York, Maryland, and Kentucky.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Chattahoochee, GA. Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK. Livingston, MO. Charlton, GA. Lincoln, WA. Koochiching, MN. McKenzie, ND. Alamosa, CO. Karnes, TX. And Linn, MO.

The five states with the highest risk levels and most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Alabama, Delaware, Colorado, Michigan, and Maine.

There have been 588,531 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related with a current national fatality rate of 1.79%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Michigan 82. Florida 70. California 53. Illinois 49. Texas 44. Pennsylvania 38. Alabama 32. Colorado 26. New Jersey 23. And Georgia 22.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s had at least one dose, Vermont at 65.8%, Massachusetts at 63.1%, and Hawaii at 63%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi at 32.9%, Louisiana at 34.4%, and Alabama at 34.9%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 37.8%.

Globally, cases were down 29% and deaths down 14% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since April 23.

There are now 15,877,844 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 259,269. Brazil 83,367. Argentina 35,884. The United States 30,214. And Colombia 16,086.

There have now been 3,425,648 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 28th, 2021.

The delta variant continues to turn back the clock. Moscow had a record 144 deaths in 24 hours yesterday. Germany declared Portugal a “virus-variant zone”, banning most arrivals from that country and is trying to ban British travelers from all EU countries regardless of vaccination status. Greece warned strict local lockdowns may be needed over the summer in some areas. Indonesia recorded a new high in daily cases, with similar spikes in Thailand and Malaysia. Sydney, Australia began a two-week lockdown. New Zealand suspended its quarantine-free travel corridor with Australia. Israel has reimposed mask requirements in enclosed public places. And in Africa, where vaccinations have been minimal, cases have jumped 25% over the last week.

How can the U.S. get its vaccination numbers up now that they’ve stalled out? The White House thinks it’s something called the “movable middle.” That’s people who are unvaccinated, but still might be able to be convinced. And they’re using political campaign tactics to identify, reach, and win over those people.

What the White House won’t do is promise we’ll ever know for sure the real origin of the pandemic that’s killed at least 3.9 million people. They say their review may not produce a definitive explanation. Although knowing the origin is critical to avoiding or preparing for future such catastrophes, governments, the media, and science organizations could leave us with no answers at all.

Far more states have banned proof-of-vaccination policies than have created programs for people to digitally show their vaccination status. Hawaii is the only state enforcing some version of a vaccine passport. And only California, New York, and Louisiana have offered residents a way to voluntarily show proof of vaccination.

Nothing’s ever good enough. NASA reports the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns got rid of a lot of pollution around the world...but not all of it. They cite tiny airborne particles called PM2.5 as something that didn’t change much. These are produced by both human activity and natural processes and are associated with several effects on health.

In the United States cases were down 18%, deaths are down 15%, and hospitalizations are down 15% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending flat since June 18.

There are now 4,947,918 active cases in the United States.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Dimmit, TX. Reeves, TX. Campbell, VA. Clay, NC. Franklin, TX. Panola, TX. Upshur, TX. Joplin, MO. Dallas, MO. And Taney, MO.

There have been 603,966 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: California 31. New York 14. Pennsylvania 11. Texas 9. Utah 8. Virginia 5. Minnesota 4. New Jersey and Maryland 3. And Iowa 2.

The vaccinating states update will be coming tomorrow, those numbers are not updated over the weekend.

The top 5 countries for vaccinations per capita are Gibraltar, the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Seychelles, and the Cayman Islands. The bottom five are Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Benin, and South Sudan.

Globally, cases were down 6% and deaths down 28% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since June 26.

There are now 11,547,517 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: India 46,643. Brazil 33,704. Colombia 32,376. Indonesia 21,342. And Russia 20,538.

There have now been 3,922,005 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for December 2nd, 2021.

The UN Secretary-General has called the travel restrictions being placed by countries like the United States on one region like South Africa not only ineffective, but travel apartheid. The Omicron variant is already in 24 countries around the world, and as it turns out, it appears it didn’t originate in South Africa anyway. The Netherlands had cases a week before two flights arrived from South Africa carrying the virus. Nine cases were linked to a private event in Scotland, days before South Africa announced the existence of the variant. And Nigeria detected its first case in a sample collected weeks before South Africa alerted the world about Omicron.

Tracking the Omicron variant’s spread, it’s in the United States now. A fully vaccinated person in the San Francisco area came back from South Africa Nov. 22 and tested positive seven days later. South Korea confirmed the variant in five people linked to international arrivals. And Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates confirmed the first infections in the Persian Gulf region. So far, all symptoms reported have been mild.

A reprieve for healthcare workers in ten states who don’t want to take the vaccine. A federal judge blocked the vaccine requirement, saying the agency that issued the rule likely exceeded its authority. That stops the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from enforcing its healthcare worker mandate until the court can hear legal challenges brought by Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire.

Well people who don’t like mandates sure aren’t going to like this. The chief of the European Union's executive arm said member nations should consider making vaccinations mandatory, period. The EU-wide vaccination rate stands at 66%. Germany’s new Chancellor, for one, said he’d back a proposal like that.

With reporting affected by the Thanksgiving holiday, in the United States cases were down 2%, deaths are down 16%, and hospitalizations are up 15% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since November 23.

The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Wyoming, Montana, West Virginia, Michigan, and Kentucky.

There are 9,449,555 active cases in the United States.

The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Rhode Island 51%, Indiana 47%, Massachusetts 43%, New Hampshire 41%, and Michigan 40%.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Koochiching, MO. Nodaway, MO. Shiawassee, MI. Colfax, NM. Sullivan, NH. Jackson, IA. Clay, IL. Neosho, KS. Dunn, WI. And Pope, MN.

There have been at least 782,104 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont unchanged at 72.9%, Rhode Island at 72.6%, and Maine at 72.3%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are West Virginia unchanged at 41.5%, Wyoming at 45.6%, and Alabama at 46.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 59.4%.

Globally, cases were up 10% and deaths were down 4% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.

There are 20,471,414 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 120,441. Germany 71,887. France 49,610. The U.K. 48,374. And Russia 32,837.

There have been at least 5,223,657 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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