A COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca appears to offer strong protection three months after just one dose, while also limiting the spread of infections, researchers said on Wednesday.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the study supported a strategy to delay the second survey so that more first doses could be delivered to more people. Researchers have also found a 67% decrease in positive ‘swabs’ among those vaccinated – important news, because if there is no virus, the virus cannot spread.
AstraZeneca has not yet applied for emergency use of the vaccine in the US. Only two vaccines, by Pfizer-BioNTech and by Moderna, have been approved in the US, and both require a second dose.
Dr Anthony Fauci praised the British researchers for responding to their data, but said the US would still recommend giving Pfizer booster shots about 21 days after the initial shot, and Modern boosters about 28 days after.
“We also go through a lot of the data and science that comes from very large clinical trials,” Fauci said. “We feel strongly that we will follow science, which determines for us the best way to get the response from 94 to 95 percent.”
COVID-19 killed more than 450,000 Americans, and infections continued to increase despite the launch of some vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is watching the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Watch Newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or browse through our in-depth answers to reader questions.
In the headings:
►San Francisco has taken a dramatic step in its effort to get children back into public schools, and is suing its own school district for trying to force classrooms to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit is the first of its kind in California and possibly in the state, as school systems come under increasing pressure from parents and politicians to end online education.
► Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey will ease internal restrictions across the country slightly by increasing capacity constraints from the current 25% to 35% and allowing restaurants to remain open at 10 p.m. he announced Wednesday. The executive order takes effect on Friday at 8 p.m.
► Pope Francis received his second dose of vaccine on Wednesday. The pope (84) had his first jab on January 13th.
►Dr. New York Health Commissioner David Chokshi said he had tested positive and was experiencing mild, “manageable” symptoms. “It’s a reminder – if we ever needed one – that COVID is still with us and that we should all keep wearing masks, washing our hands, keeping social distance and staying home when we feel bad. . “
►Japan has introduced legislation allowing officials to fine offenders of coronavirus orders. The country is struggling to slow the latest surge in infections amid growing uncertainty over the spread of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is seen as key to hosting the Olympics this summer.
►The National Park Service will now require all visitors and employees to wear masks in buildings and facilities and on lands’ when physical distance cannot be maintained. This includes busy and narrow paths.
► How many people in your country and in the US have received the COVID-19 vaccine so far? Check the USA TODAY vaccine tracker.
📈 Today’s numbers: According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the US has 26.5 million cases of coronavirus and more than 450,000 deaths. The world total: more than 104.2 million cases and 2.2 million deaths. According to the CDC, nearly 56 million doses of vaccines have been distributed in the U.S. and about 34 million have been administered.
📘 What we read: Raymond James Stadium is not only the site of Super Bowl 55, but also a symbol of the pandemic.
Police, firefighters to be suspended after Eventbrite vaccination system investigated
Two Florida officials will each be suspended for 30 days in connection with a city investigation into the use of the Eventbrite registration system, government officials announced Wednesday.
Marco Island Police Chief Tracy L. Frazzano and Fire Chief Christopher Byrne are accused of providing the link to make an online appointment with a family member before the city published the link on January 20th. An investigation found Frazzano had access to her husband, William Frazzano, 65, something Byrne did not report.
Florida’s vaccination system began in December because the governor allowed people 65 and older to jump in front of essential workers, even as many health workers in Florida were waiting for their lap. Florida residents aged 65 and older are still struggling to make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine because the demand for the vaccine far exceeds the supply.
– Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Marco Eagle
Yankee Stadium to open COVID-19 vaccination site
The Yankee Stadium mayor will begin Friday as a COVID-19 mass vaccination center to serve Bronx residents in an effort to bolster equity in the distribution of vaccines in New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and government Andrew Cuomo said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
15,000 appointments will be available at the site during the first week, which will coincide with the outreach efforts to Bronx residents on vaccine safety and appointment planning.
According to the city’s data, the largest number of hospitalizations and deaths per 100,000 people came from the five districts, and the population is predominantly black and Latino.
“It’s about justice and standing up for the neighborhoods hit hardest by COVID-19,” de Blasio said. “Clearly, black, Latino and poor communities have been hit the hardest by COVID, and the Bronx is no exception,” Cuomo added.
– Ryan W. Miller
CDC chief: new cases, hospitalizations in a ‘consistent downward trajectory’
New infections and hospital admissions are still declining, and the US seems to be in a constant direction for both, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday. But she warned that the spread of variants could reverse these trends. Walensky also acknowledged that daily deaths continue to rise.
“While deaths have continued to increase, the rate appears to be declining,” she said. “The recent decline in hospitalizations gives us hope that the number of deaths will have to decline in the coming weeks.”
For the first time since November 13, the United States reported less than 1 million new coronavirus cases over a seven-day period. The weekly total reached a peak of more than 1.7 million a few weeks ago. Johns Hopkins University data shows 989,974 new cases in the seven-day period ending Tuesday. At that rate, however, 98 Americans were positively reported every minute.
Dr Anthony Fauci will not be attending your Super Bowl party on Sunday
Dr Anthony Fauci warns America to ‘just’ lay low ‘rather than gather on Sunday for Super Bowl parties.
President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said during TV interviews on Wednesday that it was not the time to host viewing parties because of the possibility that guests could be infected with the coronavirus and others could get sick. The NFL limited attendance at the game in Tampa to 22,000, citing mandates for pandemic and the entire coronavirus. Fauci says the best thing people can do is watch the home game with the people in your household on TV.
“You do not want to have parties with people with whom you have not had much contact,” he told the NBC program “Today”. “You just do not know if they are infected, as difficult as it is, at least this time you just have to lie down and cool down.”
People who smoke are preferred to get the COVID-19 vaccine
As more Americans anxiously wait their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine, people are discovering that smokers are one of the priority groups for vaccination. The revelation sparked frustration on social media, but a study published last week in peer-reviewed journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who smoke or who have smoked in the past are more likely to be hospitalized or due to COVID 19 will die.
“I could see why people would feel like it would be unfair,” said Dr. Samuel Kim, a breast surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said. “But people who have smokers are generally at higher risk of becoming ill when they develop COVID-19.” Read more here.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
LAPD threatens arrests if protesters disrupt mass vaccination site
After protesters interrupted the COVID-19 vaccinations at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last week, local police said Tuesday that any further protests would cause “immediate and rapid” arrests.
“It is my expectation and instruction that … individuals will be arrested, that they will be prosecuted and that their actions will be terminated,” Police Chief Michel Moore said during a virtual meeting of the Police Commission, according to the Los Angeles. Angeles Times. “This is a way forward to ensure that the lines remain open, and that the vaccines will be unhindered.”
The stadium, one of the largest vaccination rooms in the country, was temporarily closed on Saturday because dozens of protesters blocked the entrance. According to Moore, no vaccination appointments were canceled and the premises were not permanently closed.
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared TODAY on the US: COVID news: AstraZeneca vaccine; second dose; new infections; pope