President Joe Biden and health experts are expressing concern after Texas and Mississippi officials announced plans to ease virus restrictions, including ending mask mandates. On Wednesday, the Biden administration warned against coronavirus fatigue and encouraged Americans to continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the nation is “at a critical nexus in the pandemic,” and the next two months are “pivotal” in determining the remaining course of the pandemic.
The U.S. has reported more than 520,000 deaths and 28 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, according to a tally by NBC News.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates from the U.S. and elsewhere:
UK and 4 Nations to Fast-Track Modified COVID-19 Vaccines
Regulators in the U.K. and four other countries plan to fast-track the development of modified COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that drugmakers are able to move swiftly in targeting emerging variants of the disease.
Previously authorized vaccines that are modified to target new variants “will not need a brand new approval or ‘lengthy’ clinical studies,” Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said in a statement.
The new guidance was issued jointly by regulators in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland. The guidelines build on the model already used to modify the flu vaccine in response to continual changes in that virus.
Under the new rules, developers will be required to provide “robust evidence” that modified COVID-19 vaccines produce a strong immune response to the variant, as well as data showing they are safe and meet quality standards.
“Our priority is to get effective vaccines to the public in as short a time as possible, without compromising on safety,” Dr. Christian Schneider, the MHRA’s chief scientific officer said in a statement. “Should any modifications to authorized COVID-19 vaccines be necessary, this regulatory approach should do that.”
California to Give 40% of Vaccine Doses to Vulnerable Areas
California will begin setting aside 40% of all vaccine doses for the state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods in an effort to inoculate people most at risk from the coronavirus and get the state’s economy open more quickly, NBC San Diego reports.
Two officials in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration shared details Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
The doses will be spread out among 400 ZIP codes with about 8 million people eligible for shots. Many of the neighborhoods are concentrated in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley. The areas are considered most vulnerable based on metrics such as household income, education level, housing status and access to transportation.
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March 04, 2021 at 03:24PM
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Virus Updates: UK to Fast-Track Modified Vaccines; Calif. Ups Shot Supply to Vulnerable - NBC Chicago
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