Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul won't get vaccinated against COVID-19 because he previously contracted the virus, the Republican lawmaker told radio host John Catsimatidis.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises vaccination for those who previously had the coronavirus because experts do not yet know how long the immune system will protect against reinfection.
An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a few reports of heart inflammation in young adults following their inoculation from two-dose mRNA vaccines.
Why it matters: Although the CDC says reports of myocarditis, or heart inflammation, have not exceeded expected rates, the condition can lead to rapid or abnormal heart rhythms and even sudden cardiac death.
Two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca are "highly effective" against variants first detected in India and the United Kingdom, health officials in England announced Saturday.
Why it matters: Some health experts have expressed concerns that contagious new variants could be more resistant against coronavirus vaccines, potentially prolonging the pandemic.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has been issued with a fine for failing to follow pandemic health regulations at a public event in Maranhao state.
Driving the news: Maranhao's leftist governor, Flávio Dino, tweeted late Friday that the far-right president would be fined "for the promotion ... of gatherings with no sanitary safeguards," noting that masks are mandatory and gatherings of over 100 people are banned in the state.
Italian rock band Måneskin won Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, early Sunday, as the European song contest took place in front of a crowd of 3,500 and tens of millions of TV viewers worldwide.
Why it matters: The event was canceled last year due to the pandemic. Its return with strict testing and hygiene measures in place marks a "step toward a post-COVID-19 return to live entertainment," notes AP, as several European countries reopen their economies.
A Mount Everest climbing expert on Saturday told the AP there are at least 100 active coronavirus cases at the base camp.
Why it matters: The remarks from Lukas Furtenbach contradict statements from Nepalese officials who have denied knowledge of active infections among climbers and support staff during this season, AP reports.
German authorities announced it will ban most non-essential travel from the United Kingdom starting Sunday to prevent the spread of new coronavirus variants.
The state of play: Germany classified Britain as "an area of variant of concern," saying that outbreaks are reemerging and more infectious variants, including the one dominant in India, have been detected.
Nepal's president on Saturday dissolved the country's parliament and scheduled new general elections for November, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: Opposition leaders protested the move, saying that planning new elections should not be the government's focus while the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Times reports.
