Axios

The U.S. broke its previous record for most COVID-19 vaccines administered in a single day, with 3.4 million doses reported on Friday, according to the White House.

Why it matters: President Biden on Thursday set a new goal of 200 million doses administered in his first 100 days in office. At the current seven-day average, which increased to 2.62 million daily doses with the new record on Friday, the U.S. would comfortably reach that goal before his 100th day on April 30.

Scientists launched a National Institutes of Health-backed study with thousands of college students to determine whether Moderna's COVID vaccine can prevent asymptomatic spread of the virus.

Why it matters: The results of the trial could provide vaccinated individuals insight on how careful they really need to be when in close contact with others.

Former CDC Director Robert Redfield told CNN on Friday that he believes the coronavirus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and that it was spreading as early as September or October of 2019 — though he stressed that it was his "opinion."

Why it matters: It's a stunning assertion, offered with little evidence, by the man who led the U.S. government's public health agency from the time the virus was first detected in Wuhan through the entirety of the Trump administration's response.

Public health spending in most of the country stayed flat or declined in the decade following the Great Recession, "leaving states ill equipped to respond to COVID-19 and other emerging health needs," according to a new study published in Health Affairs.

By the numbers: The study found that public health spending dropped from $80.40 per capita in 2008 to $75.83 in 2018.

12 billion doses of 13 different vaccines could become available by the end of the year — enough to vaccinate 70% of the globe, a new analysis from the Duke Global Health Innovation Center shows.

Yes, but: Key barriers, like unpredictable manufacturing and the variants, make it difficult to ensure supply can be distributed equitably, the report says.

Congratulations! You're about to be eligible to ... wait some more for the vaccine.

The big picture: States are expanding eligibility for COVID vaccines by broad age groups — and some are opening it to all adults. But that doesn't always mean they have enough vaccine supplies to offer appointments to everyone in the new groups.

Amazon plans to start vaccinating frontline employees in the next few weeks, starting with fulfillment centers in Missouri, Nevada and Kansas.

Why it matters: Amazon and its subsidiary Whole Foods employed more than 1.3 million frontline workers in the U.S. between March and September last year. About 1.4% of those employees, more than 19,800, tested or were presumed positive, as of October 2020. 

President Joe Biden came to his first press conference eager to talk about COVID-19, but was instead repeatedly asked about other growing crises.

The big picture: Biden opened with a prepared statement pledging to provide 200 million vaccines in his first 100 days, doubling his previous goals.

Various organizations including the World Health Organization are saying early data indicate there may be a significant increase in diseases like tuberculosis in the years ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why it matters: 12 years of progress for worldwide programs to halt TB have been lost over the past 12 months of the pandemic — endangering the goal of eliminating the disease by 2030, some experts say.

President Biden on Thursday announced a new COVID-19 vaccine goal at his first press conference since taking office: 200 million shots administered within his first 100 days.

Why it matters ... At the current 7-day average of about 2.5 million doses administered per day, the U.S. would reach 200 million shots in the days leading up to Biden's 100th day in office: April 30.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are deemed safe and effective for pregnant women, according to a pre-print study out Thursday in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Why it matters: The study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, is in line with statements from health officials and the World Health Organization that pregnant and lactating women may take the vaccine.

Funding in the latest coronavirus stimulus package will help students "make up for this year of lost learning" during the pandemic, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said at an Axios event on Thursday.

Why it matters: Scott said the $100 billion that was appropriated for schools can be used for a number of costly fixes including improving ventilation, renovating outdated infrastructure and expanding broadband access.

Only o.1% of the COVID-19 relief aid for American farmers passed by the Trump administration went to Black farmers, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the Washington Post in an interview Thursday.

Why it matters: Vilsack pointed to the disparity as another illustration of how the coronavirus has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in American society, which he said the Biden administration is focused on helping close.

Exports of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine from the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, have been paused as India grapples with a new spike in cases, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: India hasn't exported any doses at all over the past week, according to foreign ministry data — a worrying sign for the COVAX initiative, which aims to send vaccines all over the world and is relying heavily on Indian-made vaccines.

More than 40 states plan to meet President Biden's goal of making all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by May 1, and at least 30 plan to open up eligibility before then, per NYT.

What they're saying: "My thought is that we're going to see a continued decrease in transmission as we open vaccine eligibility," Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, told NYT.

A year into the pandemic, hospitals say they're still in "survival mode," according to a new report from the Health and Human Services Department's inspector general.

The big picture: Health care workers have had to deal with long hours, overwhelming patient volumes and supply shortages — all on top of a high risk of infection, and the isolation that we've all experienced.

New coronavirus infections rose over the past week in 19 states while holding steady nationwide.

The big picture: The U.S. is in a race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible before variants of COVID-19, fueled by quick reopening, can cause a new wave of rising caseloads.

New Zealand's Parliament unanimously passed on Wednesday a law enabling parents who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth to take three days' paid bereavement leave. 

Why it matters: Ginny Andersen, the Member of Parliament from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party who drafted the bill, noted NZ "may well be the first country" to pass such legislation, with the law applicable at any time of a pregnancy, per the New York Times.

The Tokyo Olympic torch relay began Thursday in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, one year after the world’s largest sporting event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the record: The relay underscores the Japanese government's resolve to forge ahead with the Olympics despite the pandemic. Confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in Japan remain under 9,000, but officials are still reporting more than 1,000 new cases a day — prompting health experts to warn that "a fourth wave is in sight," per the New York Times.

Brazil became on Wednesday the second country after the U.S. to surpass 300,000 COVID-19 deaths.

For the record: The health ministry confirmed Wednesday another 2,009 Brazilians had died of the coronavirus, taking the total pandemic death toll to 300,685. Brazil's population is much smaller than the U.S., which reached the milestone on Dec. 14, 2020.

AstraZeneca said Wednesday that a primary analysis of its Phase 3 trial data confirmed its coronavirus vaccine's "safety" with a 76% efficacy rate against symptomatic COVID.

Flashback: The company reported on Monday that a U.S. trial found its vaccine 79% effective, but faced backlash after NIAID said Tuesday it may have included information that provided an "incomplete view of the efficacy data" in its U.S. results.