Click here to subscribe to the daily brief.

May 18, 2021 - Brief Issue 199

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

Listen to this week’s audio brief here.

Please consider making a donation to support our ongoing analysis of the most important news and headlines surrounding Covid-19.​

Top Headlines

UNICEF Director Begs Wealthier Nations to Donate Vaccine Supply to COVAX (Health & Science)

Mixing Covid-19 Shots Could Worsen Side Effects, U.K. Researchers Find (Health & Science)

Vaccines Appear to Be Taming Covid-19 in the Northeast, a Former U.S. Hotspot (Health & Science)

New Studies Offer More Evidence That Covid-19 Vaccines Are Safe, Effective During Pregnancy (Health & Science)

With Its Vaccine Entering Phase 3 Trials, Sanofi Considers Role in Global Vaccine Distribution (Health & Science)

Big Vaccine Manufacturers Turn Down Production Help From Smaller Companies (Health & Science)

India’s Cases Decline But Experts Say Data Unreliable; Cyclone Disrupts Covid Response (Around the World)

South Africa Begins Vaccinating Adults 60 and Up (Around the World)

Germany to Offer Vaccines to All Over 16 From June (Around the World)

U.S. Commits to Exporting 20 Million More Vaccine Doses by End of June (U.S. Government & Politics)

$300 Monthly Child Benefit Payments to Begin July 15 (U.S. Government & Politics)

New York To Lift Some Mask Mandates in Response to CDC Guidance (U.S. Government & Politics)

Federal Reserve Survey: Less Educated Workers Hit Hardest by Pandemic (U.S. Economy)

New York City Marathon to Return This Year, With Fewer Registrants (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 32,994,750 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 586,403 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 274,411,901 vaccine doses, with 47.5% of Americans having received their first vaccine dose and 37.3% fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 163,685,287 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 3,391,740 deaths.

UNICEF Director Begs Wealthier Nations to Donate Vaccine Supply to COVAX

Henrietta Fore, executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, warned in a statement Tuesday that India’s deadly spike in Covid-19 cases could become a reality for many other countries if equitable vaccine distribution efforts don’t accelerate (UNICEF). Fore explained that the World Health Organization’s global vaccine distribution program, COVAX, is preparing to deliver its 65 millionth vaccine dose to low- and middle-income countries, but that number is nowhere near high enough to prevent rapid Covid-19 spread in under-resourced areas. Fore referenced the upcoming G7 summit: “By the time G7 leaders gather in the U.K. next month, and as a deadly second wave of COVID-19 will likely continue to sweep across India and many of its South Asian neighbours, the shortfall will near 190 million doses,” she said. Urging G7 leaders to fund and support COVAX, Fore cited data showing that G7 leaders and some European countries could donate 153 million doses to lower-income nations in coming months, while still maintaining enough to inoculate their own populations.

Mixing Covid-19 Shots Could Worsen Side Effects, U.K. Researchers Find

According to a peer-reviewed research letter published in The Lancet, people who receive a mixed Covid-19 vaccination regimen – one dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca and one dose of Pfizer, four weeks apart – are more likely to experience mild to moderate reactions than those who don’t mix shots (U of Oxford). These preliminary results from the University of Oxford are particularly relevant, as several countries have recommended AstraZeneca recipients take a different vaccine for their second dose due to concerns over rare blood clots. The researchers asked healthy study participants to self-report symptoms, including chills, fever, pain, and swelling, right before and a week after each dose. Regardless of whether the AstraZeneca or Pfizer shot came first, people with mixed vaccine regimens were more likely to experience adverse reactions after the second shot. The researchers noted these reactions were temporary, presenting no additional safety concerns. They also pointed out that the study participants were all over 50 years old, so reactions might differ in younger vaccine recipients. The team’s next plan is to assess the immune response induced by different vaccination combinations. Another recent U.K. study on vaccine regimens, this one reported in Nature, suggested that lengthening the gap between Pfizer doses to 11 or 12 weeks might improve immune responses in elderly people. 

Vaccines Appear to Be Taming Covid-19 in the Northeast, a Former U.S. Hotspot

After a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases earlier in the spring, Northeastern states are reporting fewer new infections and hospitalizations as vaccinations ramp up (NYT). Case numbers are declining in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. “It’s the vaccinations,” said Governor Daniel McKee of Rhode Island, where new reported cases have dropped 48% and hospitalizations 23% over the past 14 days. Even as Covid-19 spikes wane across the country, experts say the U.S. vaccination campaign must continue in order to avoid a deadly surge in the colder months. Vaccines are poised to open up to even broader swaths of the population by the end of the year, with Pfizer’s Phase 1 clinical trial in young children underway (NPR). 

New Studies Offer More Evidence That Covid-19 Vaccines Are Safe, Effective During Pregnancy

Preliminary results from two studies suggest that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective in pregnant women, who were not included in early clinical trials (NYT). In one study published in JAMA, researchers from Harvard University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston analyzed blood samples from 103 women who had received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine – 30 while pregnant, 16 while lactating, and the rest while neither pregnant nor lactating. The vaccines generated equally powerful and robust immune responses among all three groups. Researchers also found antibodies in the women’s breast milk and umbilical cord blood, suggesting that mothers can confer immunity to their infants. And, the women were found to have some protection against the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 coronavirus variants, though antibody responses were lower for these strains. “Overall, it’s good news,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, one of the authors. “And it increases the data that suggests that there is a substantial benefit for pregnant women to be vaccinated.” Another study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, led by a team from Northwestern University and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, focused on the placentas of 200 women who gave birth between April 2020 and April 2021, 84 of whom were vaccinated with either Pfizer or Moderna. The placentas of the vaccinated women were no more likely to show signs of damage or abnormality than those of the unvaccinated women. “These are translational data that suggests the placenta doesn’t see any injurious impact of the vaccine,” said co-author Dr. Emily S. Miller of Northwestern University. “And that’s really fantastic.” The CDC recommended that vaccines be offered to pregnant women early on, as pregnancy increases the risk of serious Covid-19 complications. 

With Its Vaccine Entering Phase 3 Trials, Sanofi Considers Role in Global Vaccine Distribution

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said Monday that its coronavirus vaccine, developed alongside U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline, will be moving into a late-stage trial (NYT, WaPo, WSJ). The companies took a blow in late 2020 when their two-dose vaccine, which uses a coronavirus protein combined with an immunity-boosting adjuvant molecule, appeared to provide inadequate protection among older people. But, as Sanofi announced, a modified version of the vaccine induced strong immune responses across age groups in a Phase 2 trial of over 700 adults. Sanofi will now launch a Phase 3 trial with over 35,000 adult volunteers, testing the original vaccine and one specifically targeted toward the B.1.351 coronavirus variant. Following that, Sanofi plans on testing its shot as a booster in those already vaccinated against Covid-19. Sanofi has deals with the U.S., the European Union, and Canada, and has pledged 200 million doses to COVAX, the WHO’s vaccine equity initiative. Sanofi and GSK expect authorization in late 2021. While Sanofi may be entering the Covid-19 vaccine market late, the company’s global head of vaccines, Thomas Triomphe, said the shot has the “potential to be a booster of choice for many nations and many different platforms.” 

Big Vaccine Manufacturers Turn Down Production Help From Smaller Companies

Major vaccine manufacturers are rejecting offers from smaller pharmaceutical companies – like Canada’s Biolyse, Israel’s Teva, and Bangladesh’s Incepta – who want to help produce already-approved shots (Politico). Although these smaller companies claim to have enough manufacturing capacity to help out, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are turning down potential supply partners, and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is mostly produced in company-owned facilities. Big vaccine manufacturers say the training needed to form more partnerships would be overwhelming, and smaller companies might nor be adequately equipped. “This is a complex biological process that relies on complex supply chains for raw materials and distributing the finished product, as well as on the yield returned from batches,” said a spokesperson for AstraZeneca, which has more than 20 supply partners. “And above everything, patient safety must always come first.” Manufacturers may also be hesitant to relinquish financial and technological control of their products, according to James Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International. Yet some officials say big companies should be expanding production as widely as possible to boost supply in places that need it. World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said a number of countries have the facilities to produce vaccines, so pharmaceutical companies should "move quickly instead of resisting.” 

Bonus Read: “The Future of Virus Tracking Can Be Found on This College Campus,” (NYT).

Around the World

Asia

India’s Cases Decline But Experts Say Data Unreliable; Cyclone Disrupts Covid Response

India reported a decline in new coronavirus cases on Monday as the country is ramping up its Covid-19 vaccinations and testing efforts; the daily number of new reported Covid-19 cases fell below 300,000 for the first time in almost a month (WSJ). But the daily number of deaths was still above 4,000 and experts say the data was unreliable because of a lack of testing in rural areas (AP). Even though there has been a downturn in the past few days, health experts said infections had probably not peaked yet as the newly discovered and highly contagious variant B.1.617 spreads unchecked. "There are still many parts of the country which have not yet experienced the peak, they are still going up," World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying in the Hindu newspaper (Reuters). Swaminathan pointed to the "very high" national positivity rate, at about 20% of tests conducted, as a sign that there could be worse to come. "Testing is still inadequate in a large number of states. And when you see high test positivity rates, clearly we are not testing enough.” 

On Monday, Cyclone Tauktae struck India’s west coast, forcing officials to relocate hospitalized coronavirus patients and disrupting nationwide efforts to fight the virus. As of late Monday night there was no significant loss of life reported and extensive measures were put in place to protect patients and oxygen supplies. Vaccination campaigns had to be suspended in communities on the coast in Kerala and Goa. 

Africa 

South Africa Begins Vaccinating Adults 60 and Up

On Monday South Africa began the second phase of its public vaccination campaign by opening appointments for people aged 60 or older (NYT). So far, only about 500,000 people in the country have been vaccinated to date with most doses having gone to healthcare workers in a trial involving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. South Africa is planning on opening vaccinations to people over aged 40 or older in July with the rest of the adult population in November. South Africa has received nearly a million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine but expects to get another 4.5 million doses by the end of June. The country has also ordered 3 million doses of the J&J vaccine. South Africa has had over 55,000 deaths and over 1.6 million confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Tanzanian Experts Say Covid-19 Vaccines Safe

Experts appointed by Tanzania’s new president declared Covid-19 vaccines to be effective and recommended joining COVAX (Reuters). The experts’ recommendation is the latest sign suggesting official skepticism about the pandemic is fading following the death in March of President John Magufuli, who downplayed the pandemic. President Samia Suluhi Hassan convened the committee in April but they gave their recommendations on Monday, saying they proposed the government publish accurate statistics on the virus and that alternative medicines be put to test under scientific standards. 

Europe

Germany to Offer Vaccines to All Over 16 From June

Germany will start offering Covid-19 vaccines to all adults from June, the country’s health minister Jens Spahn said on Monday (Guardian). Anyone aged 16 and over will be eligible for a vaccine in Germany as the country does away with the existing priority criteria that was based on jobs and pre-existing conditions. “We have agreed to lift the priority system on June 7... in doctor’s practices, among company doctors and in vaccination centres,” Spahn said after talks with Germany’s 16 regional health ministers.

U.S. Government & Politics

U.S. Commits to Exporting 20 Million More Vaccine Doses by End of June

On Monday, the White House announced that it is committing to exporting 20 million doses of vaccine globally by the end of June in addition to its pre-existing commitment to export 60 million vaccine doses (WSJ, WaPo, CNN). In a speech regarding the new policy, Biden stated “We know America can never be fully safe until the pandemic that’s raging globally is under control.” Prior to Biden’s speech announcing the policy, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters, “This is the most doses donated by any country in the world by five times.”

$300 Monthly Child Benefit Payments to Begin July 15

The first monthly $300 per child payments provided for as part of a child tax credit expansion included in the March stimulus package will begin going to families on July 15 (Politico, WSJ). The checks will continue through the end of the year, when the program expires. However, Democrats have expressed interest in potentially renewing the program. The Wall Street Journal writes, “Tens of millions of households will receive up to $250 a month per child between age 6 and 17 and up to $300 per child under age 6, based on their ages at the end of 2021.” The expanded credit also will go even further than just adding money. The Journal writes, “Congress made two other changes that effectively convert the credit into a near-universal child allowance. First, it made the credit fully refundable, which means that the entire amount can go to households that don’t make enough money to pay income taxes. Before, $1,400 of the $2,000 credit was refundable. In addition, Congress ordered the IRS to begin regular payments of the credit, turning the lump-sum refunds during tax season into a routine benefit for 2021. Parents will get half of the credit’s full value over the course of the second half of 2021, shrinking the tax refund they would otherwise get in early 2022.”

New York To Lift Some Mask Mandates in Response to CDC Guidance

After some deliberation, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state will lift some mask restrictions starting Wednesday, in accordance with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying vaccinated people can unmask in most situations (NYT). “No masks, no social distancing,” Cuomo said, referring to vaccinated New York residents, though mask mandates will remain in place in nursing homes, schools, health care settings, and on public transportation. Individual businesses have the authority to require masks and check for vaccination if they so choose. Across the country, Americans are grappling with the CDC’s new guidance, which relies on an honor system to keep unvaccinated people masked up (WaPo). 

Bonus Read: “Biden Pressed to Send Clear Message on Economy as Warning Signs Flash,” (Politico).

U.S. Economy

Bonus Read: “Covid-19 Wrecked the Algorithms That Set Airfares, but They Won’t Stay Dumb,” (WSJ).

Federal Reserve Survey: Less Educated Workers Hit Hardest by Pandemic

On Monday, the Federal Reserve released its annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, poling more than 11,000 people. Among this year’s findings is that less educated workers were hit the hardest by the pandemic (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “Three-fourths of U.S. adults reported doing at least okay financially in November 2020, a share that was unchanged from previous years, the Fed said Monday. But that finding masked significant divergences in economic well-being.” The Journal notes that “Among adults with less than a high school degree, 45% reported doing at least okay financially, down from 54% in 2019. Among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, the percentage rose to 89% from 88%”

Bonus Read: “Spring TV Ad-Sales Season Expected to Show Rebound From 2020, More Spending on Streaming,” (WSJ).

U.S. Society

Bonus Read: “'There's No Way I Can Pay for This:' One of America's Largest Hospital Chains Has Been Suing Thousands of Patients During the Pandemic,” (CNN).

New York City Marathon to Return This Year, With Fewer Registrants

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the New York City Marathon will return in November 2021 although it will have fewer registrants (NYT). The race will occur as usual on the first Sunday in November but will only have around 33,000 registrants when it usually has around 55,000. Last year’s marathon was canceled due to the pandemic. There will be other changes beyond a smaller number of competitors, most notably a staggered start that will reduce the level of contact between runners but also extend the race’s duration.

Bonus Read: “Your New Office Mates: All Those Pandemic Puppies,” (WSJ).

Analysis & Arguments

S.E. Smith argues that people rarely return pets because they are bored and that the pandemic pet return stories shame people for real struggles (WaPo).

Kevin Volpp writes on the experiment the government is in effect running regarding how best to incentivize vaccination (WaPo).

Chris Bickerton argues that the EU’s structure made its failure on vaccination predictable (NYT).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

Read previous briefs here and stream and subscribe to our weekly podcast here.

About New America

New America is dedicated to renewing the promise of America by continuing the quest to realize our nation's highest ideals. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report. 

Help us to continue advancing policy solutions and journalism by making a donation to New America.