Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will soon be able to download a certificate that would allow them to attend cultural events, fly abroad and go to gyms.
Why it matters: Preventing unvaccinated people or those who have only received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the country from using those additional services or attending extracurricular activities has created a number of legal, moral and ethical questions for Israel’s government, the New York Times noted.
A new survey identifies some of the psychological barriers to taking vaccines — and how to overcome them.
The big picture: With COVID vaccine production and distribution ramping up, we're going to reach a moment when supply exceeds demand, which puts a premium on finding ways to persuade the persuadable on the value of vaccines.
Rapid at-home COVID-19 tests are fast, but the regulatory approval needed to get them in the hands of Americans has been slow to come.
Why it matters: Quick, fully at-home COVID-19 tests could make a vital contribution to stemming the pandemic — and open up a new frontier for more constant disease surveillance — but old assumptions about how diagnostics should be used are holding them back.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Friday that the company was adding suppliers and expanding it manufacturing capacity to ramp up production of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
The big picture: Bourla made the announcement alongside President Biden, who reiterated his earlier comments that the U.S. was on track to have enough vaccine supply for all Americans by the end of July.
A federal judge on Friday temporarily suspended a new South Carolina law that bans most abortions in the state, according to AP.
Why it matters: The 14-day suspension comes a day after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed the bill into law and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) released a statement on Friday calling for a "full investigation" into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
Why it matters: Cuomo's handling of nursing home deaths has been under scrutiny for months, but the backlash has become increasingly bipartisan after audio leaked of a top Cuomo aide saying a Democratic request for nursing homes data was rejected because the administration feared it could "be used against us" by federal investigators.
The extreme winter weather this week delayed the delivery of 6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, but the logistical hurdles are expected to be resolved by next week, the White House coronavirus task force said Friday.
The big picture: Transporters like FedEx, UPS and McKesson and others have faced challenges in all 50 states as the storms snowed in workers and forced roads to be closed. More than 2,000 vaccine sites experienced power outages and were rendered unable to receive doses due to fears of spoilage.
Like many counties, Florida’s Brevard County originally planned to use one system for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, but it didn’t work. Eventbrite is now being used to help schedule vaccinations in 40 states and numerous counties, including Brevard.
Axios Re:Cap goes deeper with Eventbrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz to learn how her company has responded to this unexpected use of Eventbrite’s platform.
Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine may be more effective after just one shot than researchers had previously realized, and can be stored for two weeks at standard temperatures typically found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators, according to new data.
Why it matters: The findings about first-dose efficacy, which appear in a new analysis published in The Lancet, appear to support a strategy of delaying second shots in order to make the most of limited supplies. That's what the U.K. has done, and some experts have called for a similar approach in the U.S.
The U.S. supply of coronavirus vaccines is expected to significantly expand over the next few months, with more than enough doses available to vaccinate all U.S. adults before the end of July, Bloomberg reports.
Why it matters: If manufacturing goes according to plan, the intense competition for shots will end relatively soon, and attention will turn instead to increasing vaccine uptake.
The deadly winter storm in Texas has bombarded hospitals throughout the state.
Why it matters: Doctors have been working to conserve resources, pause non-emergency surgeries, evacuate patients and push back coronavirus vaccine shots.
The U.S. is committing $2 billion for the global COVAX vaccine initiative within days (using funds already allocated by Congress), plus an additional $2 billion over the next two years, the White House announced ahead of Friday's virtual G7 summit.
Why it matters: Senior administration officials told reporters Thursday evening that they'll use those commitments to "call on G7 partners Friday both to make good on the pledges that are already out there" and to make further investments in global vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
