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CureVac’s Covid Vaccine Carried out Badly in Trial, In Half As a result of Variants

CureVac’s Covid Vaccine Performed Badly in Trial, In Part Due to Variants

German company CureVac on Wednesday delivered disappointing preliminary results from a clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine, tarnishing hopes of meeting the world’s great needs.

The study, which included 40,000 volunteers in Latin America and Europe, estimated that CureVac’s mRNA vaccine was only 47 percent effective, one of the lowest ever reported by any Covid vaccine manufacturer. The study will continue as researchers monitor volunteers for new cases of Covid, with a final analysis expected in two to three weeks.

“We’re going into full swing for the last reading,” said Franz-Werner Haas, CEO of CureVac, in an interview. “We are still planning to submit the permit.”

CureVac plans to first apply to the European Medicines Agency for approval. The European Union reached an agreement last year to purchase 405 million doses of the vaccine if the agency approves it.

However, independent experts said it would be difficult for CureVac to recover. Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, said the vaccine’s effectiveness could improve somewhat by the end of the study. However, since most of the data are already available, the vaccine is unlikely to offer high protection. “It’s not going to change dramatically,” she said.

And with such a low rate of efficacy – far less than the roughly 95 percent of competing mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna – the results aren’t a good sign that CureVac’s vaccines will be adopted.

“It’s pretty devastating for them,” said Jacob Kirkegaard, a vaccine supply expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank.

The news was disappointing to experts who had hoped the company could provide vaccines to low- and middle-income countries that don’t have nearly enough. CureVac had several advantages over the other mRNA vaccines, such as the month-long shelf life in the refrigerator. In addition, CureVac’s vaccine uses fewer mRNA molecules per injection compared to its competitors, reducing its cost.

The study results published on Wednesday were based on data from 135 volunteers suffering from Covid. An independent panel compared the number of people who had received a placebo with those who had received the vaccine. Although the vaccine appeared to offer some protection, the statistical difference between the two groups was not great, giving an effectiveness rate of 47 percent.

In comparison, annual flu vaccinations can be 40 to 60 percent effective. Both the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration set a threshold of 50 percent effectiveness for considering Covid vaccines for emergency approval. If CureVac ended up staying at 47 percent, it wouldn’t meet that standard.

The results surprised the scientists. CureVac’s recordings have shown promising results in animal studies and early clinical studies.

“This is a bit of a head scratch,” said Dr. Dean.

Dr. Haas blamed the disappointing results on the high number of virus variants in the countries where the vaccine was tested. Of 124 of the Covid-19 cases that the company’s scientists have genetically sequenced, only one was caused by the original version of the coronavirus.

More than half of the cases were caused by variants that have been shown to be more transmissible or can make vaccines less effective. CureVac volunteers have also been infected by variants that have yet to be carefully investigated. Lambda, which has dominated Peru for the past few weeks, made up 21 percent of the samples.

Dr. Haas said the results should serve as a wake-up call to the threat that new variants can pose to vaccine effectiveness. “It’s a new Covid reality, that’s for sure,” he said.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech were tested last year before variants emerged, which could partly explain their much higher rates of effectiveness. However, studies have shown that their effectiveness in practice falls only moderately in view of variants.

Dr. Kirkegaard predicted that it would be challenging for CureVac to compete with others Covid vaccine under development, manufactured by Novavax. Novavax reported Monday that its non-frozen vaccine was 90 percent effective in a study in the United States and Mexico.

“I suspect that it will be difficult for them to really get a significant market for developing countries,” said Dr. Kirkegaard.

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WHO says delta Covid variant has now unfold to 80 nations and it retains mutating

WHO says delta Covid variant has now spread to 80 countries and it keeps mutating

A mobile Covid-19 vaccination centre outside Bolton Town Hall, Bolton, where case numbers of the Delta variant first identified in India have been relatively high.

Peter Byrne | PA Images | Getty Images

The delta Covid variant, first detected in India, has now spread to more than 80 countries and it continues to mutate as it spreads across the globe, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday.

The variant now makes up 10% of all new cases in the United States, up from 6% last week. Studies have shown the variant is even more transmissible than other variants. WHO officials said some reports have found that it also causes more severe symptoms, but more research is needed to confirm those conclusions.

The WHO is also tracking recent reports of a “delta plus” variant. “What I think this means is that there is an additional mutation that has been identified,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead. “In some of the delta variants we’ve seen one less mutation or one deletion instead of an additional, so we’re looking at all of it.”

The United Kingdom recently saw the delta variant become the dominant strain there, surpassing its native alpha variant, which was first detected in the country last fall. The delta variant now makes up more than 60% of new cases in the U.K.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the president, said last week that “we cannot let that happen in the United States,” as he pushed to get more people vaccinated, especially young adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated the delta variant as a variant of concern in the U.S. on Tuesday. The WHO designated the delta variant as a variant of concern in early May.

The WHO on Tuesday also added another Covid mutation, the lambda variant, to its list of variants of interest. The agency is monitoring more than 50 different Covid variants, but not all become enough of a public health threat to make the WHO’s formal watchlist. The lambda variant has multiple mutations in the spike protein that could have an impact on its transmissibility, but more studies are needed to fully understand the mutations, Van Kerkhove said.

The lambda variant has been detected by scientists in South America, including in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina, thanks to increased genomic surveillance.

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CDC Journey Tips: What You Must Know

CDC Travel Guidelines: What You Need to Know

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans in April, saying that travel both domestically and internationally is a low risk.

The long-awaited recommendations were issued by federal health officials after a series of studies found that vaccines administered in the United States were robustly effective at preventing infection in real-world conditions.

One is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna shots.

When you decide to travel, you may still have a few questions. Here are the answers.

Yes. Federal law requires masks to be worn at airports in the United States, on board domestic flights, and at all transportation hubs. The CDC says that as long as coronavirus measures are in place in these scenarios, including wearing masks, fully vaccinated Americans can travel domestically without testing or quarantine, although the agency warns that some states and territories Maintain their local travel restrictions and local recommendations.

For those looking to travel internationally, a coronavirus test is not required prior to departing from the United States unless directed by the government of their destination country. Vaccinated travelers must get tested three days before flying to the United States and should have a test three to five days after their return, but do not need to quarantine themselves.

Yes, but only in countries that you have.

More than half of the world’s countries have reopened tourists from the United States, including some European Union countries that recently reopened their borders to vaccinated travelers in anticipation of the summer tourism season.

Other places like Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro have already welcomed Americans with negative test results. Greece joined this growing list in May, ahead of most European countries, opening up to fully vaccinated tourists and other foreigners with a negative test.

Many Caribbean nations have reopened to American tourists, but each has its own coronavirus protocols and entry requirements.

Here is a full list of the countries Americans can currently travel to.

According to the CDC, when you are fully vaccinated, you can travel freely within the United States and do not need to have a test or self-quarantine before or after your trip. However, some states and local governments may choose to maintain travel restrictions, including testing, quarantine, and stay-at-home orders. Hawaii, for example, still has travel restrictions.

Before traveling across state borders, check the current rules at your destination.

For now, the best way to prove your vaccination is by showing your vaccination card.

Digital vaccination and health certificates showing that people have been vaccinated or tested are at various stages of development around the world and are expected to be used extensively to speed up travel.

The subject of “vaccine passports” is currently one of the most debated topics in the travel industry, with questions about their fair use and health and privacy concerns.

In early April Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order that would prohibit local governments and state-owned companies from requiring proof of vaccination for services.

And in March the European Union approved its own vaccination certificate, but individual European countries are expected to set their own rules for travel requirements later this summer.

The CDC does not recommend traveling unless you have been vaccinated. If you do need to travel, the agency recommends testing one to three days before traveling and following all coronavirus guidelines in your destination.

In May, the FDA extended its emergency approval of the Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15.

All passengers aged two and over entering the United States, including those who are fully vaccinated, must have a negative Covid-19 test result no later than three days prior to boarding their flight.

The introduction of vaccinations in the US is among the fastest in the world, but there is a huge gap between their rapid introduction and vaccination programs in different countries. Some countries have not yet reported a single dose.

Many countries are currently seeing a surge in new cases and are implementing strict coronavirus protocols, including masking requirements in public spaces, capacity limits in restaurants and tourist attractions, and other lockdown restrictions.

It is important to check coronavirus case rates, measures, and medical infrastructure before traveling to your destination and not to let you down on arrival. Even if you are fully vaccinated, you may still be able to pass the disease on to local communities that have not yet been vaccinated.

Here you can follow the worldwide introduction of the coronavirus vaccination.

Follow the New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter for expert tips on smarter travel and inspiration for your next vacation.

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5 issues to know earlier than the inventory market opens Wednesday, June 16

5 things to know before the stock market opens Wednesday, June 16

Here are the top news, trends, and analysis investors need to start their trading day:

1. Equities look stable ahead of Fed meeting updates

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Source: NYSE

US stock futures were flat ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting on Wednesday afternoon. No monetary policy changes are expected, but Wall Street wants to know if the Fed still considers rising inflation to be temporary and if its latest assessment will lead to an earlier than expected rate hike and tapering of its massive bond buying program. On the first day of the Fed’s meeting and after another glowing inflation report, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq broke off their three-day winning streaks and broke off Monday’s record closing times. The Dow fell for the second straight year on Tuesday. The 30-share average was about 1.4% off its record closing price in early May.

2. Bond yields in the Fed hold pattern after the latest hot inflation data

June 2021, employees work in a factory for the production of trucks in Zhangjiakou in the northern Chinese province of Hebei.

STR | AFP | Getty Images

3. Last key economic data for the Fed to consider

New townhouses are being built in Tampa, Florida on May 5, 2021 while building materials are in high demand.

Octavio Jones | Reuters

Housing starts and permits for May, the final key economic data ahead of the Fed’s decision, are expected to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists expect new builds to rise by 3.9% to 1.63 million units a year. Housing starts fell 9.5% in April. Building permits fell 1.7% to 1.73 million in May, after a 0.3% increase in April. In addition to its policy statement, the Fed also publishes its quarterly summary of economic outlooks. According to CNBC’s latest Fed poll, economists, fund managers and Wall Street strategists see no throttling before January or the first rate hike of near zero by November 2022.

4th high-level Biden-Putin summit begins in Geneva

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (L) and US President Joe Biden meet for talks at Villa La Grange.

Mikhail Metzel | TASS | Getty Images

As one of the most anticipated geopolitical events of the year, the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin began in Geneva on Wednesday. The summit comes as relations between the two nations have deteriorated and the US accuses Russia of meddling in the elections and participating in human rights abuses and recent cyber attacks. Russia has always denied the multiple allegations, saying it was a victim of anti-Russian sentiment in the West. Biden meets Putin at G-7 and NATO summits after a whirlwind of American diplomacy with European allies.

5th study: Regeneron antibody cocktail can save hospitalized Covid patients

View of the corporate headquarters and research and development of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on Old Saw Mill River Road in Tarrytown, New York.

Lev Radin | LightRakete | Getty Images

According to a British study, an antibody combination from the US biotech Regeneron reduces the risk of death in hospital patients with severe Covid, whose own immune system showed no reaction. Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday, “This was the subset that the [former] President also likely fell into disrepair, “refers to when Donald Trump received Regeneron treatment during his battle with Covid last year symptoms and significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization or death.

Disclosure: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC employee and a member of the board of directors of Covid vaccine maker Pfizer, genetic testing startup Tempus, health technology company Aetion, and biotechnology company Illumina. He is also co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean.

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Lifelong Train Provides As much as Massive Well being Care Financial savings

Lifelong Exercise Adds Up to Big Health Care Savings

Now scientists at the National Cancer Institute kept records for 21,750 of the volunteers and began grouping them by training session, noting changes over the decades. Did these men and women start exercising more or less often as young adults at the age of 20? Did you start or stop training in middle age? Or have they been continuously active their entire life – or vice versa?

Then the researchers compared these groups and at least a year of their eventual Medicare claims. And they found remarkable differences.

Those men and women who reported doing moderate physical activity throughout their adult lives, walking for a few hours most weeks, or doing other physical activity saved after they turned 65.

Interestingly, another group who said they changed their routines and increased their exercise frequency in their twenties made even more money from their workouts and saved an average of $ 1,874 a year on health care after age 65. These exercisers then left their increased routines in middle age glided and reduced the frequency with which they exercised in their 40s and 50s.

These data suggest that active behavior at a young age could have particularly strong and persistent effects on our health care costs as we age.

But waiting until middle age to get active also proved beneficial in this study. People who did more exercise after age 40 later spent an average of $ 824 less on health care than their inactive peers.

In other words, “It’s never too late to start exercising,” says Diarmuid Coughlan, a research fellow at Newcastle University in England who led the new study as a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute.

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China’s Guangzhou studies zero new circumstances for first time in new cluster

China's Guangzhou reports zero new cases for first time in new cluster

A citizen reacts to a throat swab sampling during a mass covid test in Guangzhou in south China’s Guangdong province Monday, May 31, 2021.

Barcroft Media | Barcroft Media | Getty Images

GUANGZHOU, China — The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has reported zero new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for the first time since a new cluster of cases cropped up in May.

The recent uptick in cases prompted mass testing and lockdowns, and also threatened global trade.

On Tuesday, health authorities found no new confirmed cases in Guangzhou, a city of over 15 million people which became China’s new Covid hotspot.

The first new case, a 75-year-old woman, was detected on May 21. It was the first time the delta variant of the virus, first identified in India, was detected in China.

Authorities were concerned because of the highly transmissible nature of the variant and took action swiftly.

Liwan, in the west of Guangzhou, had parts of the district locked down. People were not allowed in or out of these areas except under special circumstances. Some restaurants had to close, while others operated take-out only or at a reduced capacity.

Health workers lined the streets of Guangzhou to carry out mass coronavirus testing on the population. Tens of millions of people have been tested in the last two weeks.

Meanwhile, police in Guangzhou fined and detained individuals who allegedly broke laws such as not wearing masks in public, or not cooperating when asked to take a coronavirus test.

Guangzhou’s outbreak, which threatened to spread more broadly across the Guangdong province, an economic and trading powerhouse, has also impacted shipping. Increased checks and virus prevention measures have caused delays at Guangdong’s key shipping ports with experts warning it could lead to disruptions to the global supply chain.

Authorities have also urged people to get vaccinated in Guangdong province and across China. Over 900 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the country.

While one day of zero new cases is a positive development, authorities will be hoping it can be sustained so they can eventually fully reopen the local economy and take areas out of lockdown.

On Wednesday, Chen Bin, deputy director of the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission, said zero cases “does not mean zero risk,” according to comments reported by local media. Authorities have continuously urged citizens to remain cautious and continue to wear masks and reduce unnecessary social contact.

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Scientists Report Earliest Identified Coronavirus Circumstances in 5 US States

Scientists Report Earliest Known Coronavirus Cases in Five US States

When did the coronavirus arrive in the US?

The first infection was confirmed on January 21, 2020 in a Washington state resident who had recently returned from Wuhan, China. Shortly afterwards, experts concluded that the virus had been in the country for weeks.

A study published Tuesday provides new evidence: Based on an analysis of blood tests, scientists identified seven people in five states who may have been infected long before the first confirmed cases in those states. The results suggest that the virus was already circulating in Illinois, for example, on December 24, 2019, although the first case in that state was confirmed a month later.

But the new study is flawed, some experts said: it did not adequately address the possibility that the antibodies were against coronaviruses, which cause colds, and the results could be a quirk of the tests used. In addition, the researchers did not have any travel information for any of the patients, which may have helped explain the test results.

“This is an interesting paper because it raises the idea that everyone is believing that there were infections that went undiagnosed,” said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania.

But the small number of samples that tested positive made it difficult to be sure that these were real cases of infection and not just a methodological error. “It’s hard to tell what is a real signal and what is not,” he said.

However, if the results are correct, they reinforce the notion that bad testing in the US missed most of the cases in the first few weeks of the pandemic.

“You can’t see what’s going on without testing,” said Keri Althoff, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and lead author of the study. “In those earlier months, some of those states that we didn’t suspect had a lot of infections.”

It is no surprise that there may have been undocumented cases at the start of the pandemic, said Sarah Cobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago. Experts “already knew this was the case when they looked at trends in excess mortality and hospital admissions,” she said.

The latest model from Dr. Cobey estimated that there were about 10,000 infections in Illinois as of March 1, 2020. “Given the dire state of the tests, there was no doubt we missed the earliest broadcast,” she added.

In the study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, Dr. Althoff and her colleagues took blood samples from more than 24,000 people. They found nine people who donated blood between January 2 and March 18 last year and who appeared to have antibodies to the coronavirus.

Updated

June 15, 2021, 9:21 p.m. ET

Seven of the samples were from blood donated in their states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Massachusetts prior to the date of initial diagnosis. The results agree with those of another study that identified coronavirus antibodies in donated blood as early as mid-December 2019.

Participants were enrolled in a long-term project by the National Institutes of Health called All of Us, which aims to involve one million people in the United States to increase minority representation in research. Only about half of the study participants were white.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the virus would have infected very few people. A low prevalence increases the likelihood that an antibody test will incorrectly identify a sample as an antibody when it doesn’t, said Dr. Hensley – a false positive.

The researchers tried to minimize this possibility by using two antibody tests in a row. The first test identified 147 samples as possible antibodies to the coronavirus; the second reduced that number to nine.

The team also analyzed 1,000 blood samples from the 2018/19 cold and flu season and found none that tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus.

“It is still very possible that some of these are false positives,” said Dr. Josh Denny, CEO of All of Us. But “the fact that they would all be false positives seems pretty unlikely with what we’ve done.”

The researchers said they planned to contact participants to inquire about travel history and would continue to analyze additional samples to estimate when the coronavirus hit American shores.

“The exact month it likely came to the US is still unknown,” said Dr. Althoff. “Right now, it’s essentially a puzzle, and our study is only part of that puzzle.”

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Elizabeth Holmes’ attorneys involved about discovering unbiased jurors

Elizabeth Holmes' attorneys concerned about finding unbiased jurors

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes (center) and her lawyer are leaving the court on June 15, 2021. Holmes is due to stand trial later this year on wire fraud and other charges.

CNBC

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was given permission to breastfeed her newborn on Tuesday during the pauses in her upcoming fraud trial. Judge Edward Davila said there will be a designated “rest room” for Holmes to look after their child, who is due to be born next month.

Holmes is charged with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy related to her now-defunct healthcare tech start-up Theranos. She pleaded not guilty.

The Holmes trial, which has been postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic and her pregnancy, will be one of the most well-known criminal fraud cases in Silicon Valley history.

The children’s shelter for Holmes came when the judge reduced their proposed 45-page jury form with 112 questions to a 20-page draft.

Kevin Downey, a Holmes attorney, objected to the judge’s simplified questionnaire, saying, “If the jury has a bias, they can’t decide that. We can’t allow the jury to assess their own bias without basic questions cure that. “

Three hundred potential jurors from Northern California will be asked to fill out a questionnaire on August 19th and 20th. The personal jury selection and voir dire (jury survey) will take place on August 31st.

The Holmes questionnaire asks potential jurors how often they read, see, or hear certain journalists and news outlets, including CNBC.

“I know the defense is primarily concerned with media coverage,” said Davila. “You are suggesting that it was derogatory to Miss Holmes and that we must do something to secure a fair jury for her – and that is what I am trying to do.”

Suggested that we put the more difficult questions first, Davila added, “There’s a concept of questionnaire fatigue. At some point, there is less questionnaire return and it actually becomes less accurate the longer it takes.”

Davila said he would not allow any prospective judges to be questioned in detail, but assured the legal teams, “If we bring the jury in on both sides, they may be surprised, perhaps delighted, that many of them won’t know about this case.” . That is a reality of life. “

Prosecutors have described Holmes’ proposed questionnaire as “unnecessarily profoundly intrusive”.

“If anyone reads any of the 46 publications or networks that the defense is trying to identify, it doesn’t tell us anything about what they know about Theranos,” said Kelly Volkar, US assistant attorney. “Even once you’ve read a story, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you kept it or retained any kind of bias or prejudice about that one article.”

When Holmes entered the courthouse, she refused to answer questions from CNBC.

The two legal teams will review the judge’s questionnaire and he will make a final decision in the coming weeks.

Danny Cevallos, a legal analyst for NBC News, said it would be difficult to find an impartial jury to hear about the case, but claims to be impartial, “This juror could be a stealth juror – someone who’s one Has an ax to grind, but hides it to get into the jury. “

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Covid Vaccine Card: What You Have to Know

Covid Vaccine Card: What You Need to Know

“Customers began seeking out ways to protect their Covid-19 vaccine record cards, knowing they will likely be important to have on hand in the future,” Craig Grayson, vice president of print and marketing services for Staples, said in an email. “Leveraging our existing capabilities in store felt like a natural way to provide a free solution.”

People can also get their completed vaccine cards laminated for free at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores nationwide using the code 52516714 through July 25.

Dr. Ikediobi also recommends keeping the card in a safe place, as you would your passport, rather than carrying it around. “It does not necessarily need to be on your person at all times,” she said.

In some cases, yes. Border entry requirements are set by governments, not by airlines or by the International Air Transport Association, the trade association for the world’s airlines. Some destinations and cruise lines have started requiring that travelers be fully vaccinated before they travel. As of March 26, fully vaccinated Americans who can present proof of vaccination can visit Iceland, for example, and avoid border measures such as testing and quarantining, the country’s government said.

The cruise line Royal Caribbean is requiring passengers and crew members 16 or older to be vaccinated in order to board its ships. Virgin Voyages, Crystal Cruises and others are requiring guests to be vaccinated as well. These companies will restart cruise operations this spring and summer.

For the moment, airlines are not requiring vaccinations for travel, but some international destinations are requiring vaccination for entry. The idea has been much talked about in the industry. In an interview with NBC Nightly News, Ed Bastian, the chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines, said that proof of vaccination will likely eventually be required on international flights, but whether that is paper proof or a digital vaccine passport, is unclear.

Perry Flint, a spokesman for the I.A.T.A., said that the agency does not support a mandatory vaccine requirement for air travel because it “risks discriminating against those markets where vaccines may take longer to become widely available” or against those “who are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons, or who are unwilling to do so owing to ethical or other concerns.”

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Greater than 600,000 folks have died from the virus within the U.S.

More than 600,000 people have died from the virus in the U.S.

A woman looks at the “Naming the Lost Memorials,” as US deaths from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are expected to exceed 600,000, in Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, the United States, June 10, 2021 .

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

The US hit another dire milestone in the pandemic on Monday, hitting more than 600,000 Covid deaths, while the nation is delivering at least one vaccine by July 4th, which is given to 70% of adult Americans.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, deaths in the US have been slowing for months, largely due to an aggressive campaign to vaccinate the elderly and medically vulnerable in the country who are most at risk of dying from Covid. About 76% of Americans 65 and older, who made up the majority of deaths from pandemics, were fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health workers perform CPR on a patient at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) unit at the United Memorial Medical Center as the United States approaches 300,000 COVID-19 deaths on December 12, 2020 in Houston, Texas, United States. Image from December 12, 2020 2020.

Callaghan O’Hare | Reuters

Covid deaths in the US, which peaked in January with a daily average of more than 3,000 deaths, fell to a daily average of about 360 by Sunday, according to a seven-day average based on data from Johns Hopkins University based. The number of deaths has gradually decreased as vaccination rates have increased.

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid vaccines were approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration in December, followed by Johnson & Johnson in February.

Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines, administered to nearly 300 million people, have shown greater than 90% effectiveness against the original “wild-type” covid strain. Studies have shown that the vaccines are still effective against some of the new variants that emerged last year, including the Delta variant first identified in India, but less so.

Johnson & Johnson has administered approximately 9 million doses of its single-use vaccine in the United States. The company’s vaccination was suspended by the FDA for 10 days in April after reports of rare blood clots surfaced in several patients.

The US has registered more Covid cases than any other country in the world – about 33.5 million cases, according to John Hopkins University. More than 176 million cases and more than 3.8 million deaths have been recorded worldwide.

As new varieties emerge that are more communicable and could potentially lead to more serious illnesses, federal health officials have been pushing young adults to get their vaccines too. Pfizer’s Covid vaccine received emergency youth approval last month.

President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff attend a minute of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate the grim milestone of 500,000 deaths in the U.S. from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the White House in Washington, USA, February 22, 2021.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

The effects of the pandemic were deeply felt in the United States. The national unemployment rate rose to 14.8% in April 2020, the highest since data collection began in 1948, when states across the country put lockdowns to control the outbreak, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Black, Hispanic and young workers were disproportionately affected by the bans. Throughout the pandemic, black workers had a peak unemployment rate of 16.7%, while Hispanic workers had a peak unemployment rate of 18.5%. Among white workers, the number peaked at 14.1%. As of May 2021, unemployment rates for black and Hispanic workers are still higher than those for white workers.

In February 2020, before most of the lockdowns, the US unemployment rate was 3.5%. Unemployment has improved but is still stubbornly high compared to previous years and stood at 5.8% in May.

Currently, more than half of the U.S. population, 174.2 million people, have received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, and about 44% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 64% of adults in the US have received at least one dose of vaccine, which is closer to an optimistic goal of at least partially immunizing 70% of all adults in the country by July 4th.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the day the US exceeded 600,000 deaths in a bullet point at the beginning of the article. It was tuesday.