• Bloomberg reports that free coronavirus vaccines and food for people devastated by the coronavirus epidemic will cost India over 800 billion rupees ($11 billon). Source
• As Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, decried the “two-track pandemic,” with wealthy countries using much of the world’s vaccine supply, J & J coronavirus vaccines are about to expire in the US. More than 10 million doses have gone out, many with a 23 June expiration date; once shipped federal law prohibits recalling vaccine. Source
• Results from clinical trials of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in children ages 5-11 are expected in September. Trials of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in younger children, including infants aged six months, will begin in the coming weeks; Moderna’s is already underway. Source
• The Delta variant now accounts for six percent of coronavirus infections in the US. Source
• The CDC changed its criteria for travel recommendations. Its new classifications are based on the number of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people over the past 28 days. A country that has had over 500 cases per 100,000 people over the past four weeks it is considered to be Level 4; even fully vaccinated individuals are advised to avoid visiting. Previously, a country was considered to have been at Level 4 if it had seen 100 cases per 100,000 in the population. Fully vaccinated people may travel to Level 3 countries. CDC recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated. People who are unvaccinated should avoid nonessential travel to Level 2 countries, Source
• The UK is facing a potential third wave of coronavirus, as the Delta variant spreads, endangering plans to lift restrictions on 21 June. Source
• Nepal re-started vaccinating the elderly after receiving a million doses of coronavirus vaccine from China. Source
• The EMA is not expecting to decide on approval of CureVac’s coronavirus vaccine before August. Source
• India reports fewer than 100,000 cases of coronavirus for the first time in two months. Source