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Unemployment Claims Stay Excessive as Thousands and thousands Nonetheless Wrestle to Discover Work

For many people, the economy will not improve noticeably for at least a few months. Ms Swonk expects attitudes to remain unchanged or decrease in December compared to November.

Updated

Jan. 3, 2021, 1:23 AM ET

“The entire labor market loses momentum at a critical point when cases rise,” she said.

Seasonally adjusted, the number of new government claims was 787,000, down from 806,000 the previous week.

The second stimulus

Answers to your questions about the stimulus calculation

Updated December 30, 2020

The economic aid package will issue payments of $ 600 and will distribute federal unemployment benefits of $ 300 for a minimum of 10 weeks. Find out more about the measure and what’s in it for you. For more information on how to get help, please visit our hub.

    • Do I get another incentive payment? Individual adults with adjusted gross income on their 2019 tax return of up to $ 75,000 per year will receive a payment of $ 600, and a couple (or someone whose spouse died in 2020) who earns up to $ 150,000 per year receives twice this amount. There is also a payment of $ 600 for each child for families who meet these income requirements. Individuals filing taxes with head of household status and earning up to $ 112,500 will also receive $ 600 plus the additional amount for children. People with incomes just above this level will receive a partial payment that decreases by $ 5 for every $ 100 of income.
    • When could my payment arrive? The finance department said on December 29 that it had started making direct deposits and would be mailing checks the next day. However, it will take a while for everyone to receive their money.
    • Does the agreement concern unemployment insurance? Legislators agreed to extend the length of time people can receive unemployment benefits and restart an additional federal benefit that is on top of the usual state benefits. But instead of $ 600 a week it would be $ 300. That will last until March 14th.
    • I am behind on my rent or expect to be soon. Do I get relief? The deal calls for $ 25 billion to be distributed by state and local governments to help backward tenants. In order to receive support, households must meet various conditions: the household income (for 2020) must not exceed 80 percent of the area median income; At least one household member must be at risk of homelessness or residential instability. and individuals must be eligible for unemployment benefits or face direct or indirect financial difficulties due to the pandemic. The agreement states that priority will be given to support for lower-income families who have been unemployed for three months or more.

Tighter state and local restrictions on restaurants and other businesses will weigh heavily on the labor market in the coming weeks, said Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West in San Francisco.

Mr. Anderson believes the monthly employment report will show the unemployment rate rose from 6.7 percent in November to 6.9 percent in December. The unemployment rate has fallen sharply from its high of 14.7 percent in April, but hiring has slowed as the economy has stalled in recent months.

The economy may have only created about 20,000 jobs in December, said Rubeela Farooqi, US chief economist at High Frequency Economics. That would mean a “huge slowdown from last month,” she added, as the wage bill rose 245,000.

Additionally, the pace of layoffs has remained high as industries like hospitality, travel, and entertainment struggle with the pandemic keeping many people at home, even in states and cities that haven’t placed many restrictions on businesses. In contrast, many employees who were able to work remotely emerged relatively unscathed from the economic turmoil.

The introduction of vaccines is a bright spot, as are positive economic signs such as rising stock prices and a booming real estate market. But it will be months before enough Americans can be vaccinated so that people can go to restaurants, events, and movie theaters without fear of infection.

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Business

Mega Tens of millions jackpot jumps to $432 million. What to do in the event you win

mphillips007 | iStock unpublished | Getty Images

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen.

After no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Friday, the grand prize is now $ 432 million for the next Tuesday night drawing. Powerball’s jackpot is $ 384 million for the Saturday night draw.

While the chance that a single ticket will match all six numbers in both games is tiny – 1 in 302 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292 million for Powerball – it is still worth pondering how to deal with such a godsend would if you beat the odds of winning.

The after-tax amount would change your life. Experts say big lottery winners should assemble a team of seasoned professionals – a lawyer, tax advisor, and financial advisor – to handle the windfall.

Here are some things winners should consider before going to the lottery headquarters to receive their prize.

Who can i tell

The general advice is to tell as few people as possible about it. Due to the predilection of scammers and strangers to track down lottery winners, it’s best to keep the exciting news close by.

Depending on what state you are in, you may be able to protect your identity from the public.

Only a handful allow the winners to remain completely anonymous. In other cases, you may be able to claim the award through a trust or limited liability company or LLC that does not have your name on it. However, you need to plan for this.

You should really never take the money on your own behalf if you can.

Kurt Panouses

Founder of the Panouses Law Group

“If possible, never take the money on your own behalf,” said Kurt Panouses, founder of Panouses Law Group in Indialantic, Florida and an expert in helping lottery winners.

Lump sum or pension?

You can choose whether you want to receive your winnings as a lump sum or as a pension over three decades. Either way, the money will be taxed when you receive it.

Right now, federal income taxes are historically low – and it’s impossible to know where they could be in years. This means that from a tax perspective, it could cost more to withdraw the pension, as future tax rates will rise rather than fall, experts say.

“So the question is, do you want to pay all this income tax this year or keep the money going for many years without knowing where we might be income tax in 10 or 15 years,” Panouses said.

What is the tax rate?

Before the gust of wind hits you, 24% is withheld for federal taxes. However, since the top marginal rate is 37%, you can be confident that you owe more at tax time – that would be April 2022 for prices claimed in 2021.

The flat-rate option for the 432 million Mega Millions jackpot is $ 329.7 million. The 24% withhold would mean $ 79.1 million go to Uncle Sam and you would receive $ 250.6 million.

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Suppose you didn’t have a reduction in your taxable income – such as For example, a large charitable donation would have an additional 13%, or approximately $ 42.8 million, due at tax time. That would be a total of $ 121.9 million going to the IRS.

The $ 384 million cash option for the Powerball jackpot draw on Saturday night is $ 295.4 million. The 24% withholding tax would reduce this by $ 70.9 million with an additional 13% or $ 38.4 million due at tax time. In total, that would be $ 109.3 million for federal coffers.

And then there are state taxes. They range from zero to more than 8%, depending on where the ticket was purchased and where the winner lives. In other words, you could end up paying more than 45% tax.

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China Approves Sinopharm’s Covid-19 Vaccine because it Strikes to Inoculate Tens of millions

The Chinese government said on Thursday that it had approved a homegrown coronavirus vaccine after an early analysis of clinical trial results showed that it was effective. The announcements sent a positive signal for the global rollout of Chinese vaccines but lacked crucial details.

The manufacturer, a state-controlled firm called Sinopharm, said on Wednesday that a vaccine candidate made by its Beijing Institute of Biological Products arm had an efficacy rate of 79 percent based on an interim analysis of Phase 3 trials. Sinopharm said it had filed an application with Chinese regulators to allow the vaccine to be used broadly, and on Thursday the government said the vaccine had been granted conditional approval.

If supported, the interim results will bolster claims that Chinese officials have made in recent days that the country’s vaccines are safe and effective. Even before the government issued its official approval, the authorities had already moved ahead with mass vaccinations, defying industry norms. They plan to vaccinate 50 million people in China by mid-February, when hundreds of millions are expected to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday.

But Sinopharm’s announcement provided no breakdown of results and left many questions unanswered, adding to a lack of clarity that has dogged China’s coronavirus vaccine development for months. Wu Yonglin, Sinopharm’s president, said on Thursday that the company would publish details of the trials in major academic journals later.

China’s drive to develop a homegrown vaccine speaks to the country’s technological and diplomatic ambitions. A successful vaccine would support the country’s claim as a peer and rival to the United States and other developed countries in biomedical sciences.

The Sinopharm vaccine’s results show that it is less effective than others that have been approved in other countries. Still, the results are well above the 50 percent threshold that makes a vaccine effective in the eyes of the medical establishment.

Two other coronavirus vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, have been shown to have an efficacy rate of about 95 percent. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has received authorization in more than 40 countries. Moderna’s vaccine has been authorized in the United States, and other countries are evaluating its trial results. Russia has announced that its Sputnik V vaccine has an efficacy rate of 91 percent and has begun a mass vaccination campaign.

Beijing has leaned heavily on the promise of its vaccines to strengthen ties with developing countries deemed vital to China’s interests. Officials have toured the world pledging to provide Chinese vaccines as a “global public good,” a charm offensive that the United States may seek to counter, particularly when the campaign encroaches on its backyard.

The political stakes in the race for a vaccine are particularly high for China’s authoritarian Communist Party, which has been criticized for stifling information and playing down the virus when it first emerged in the city of Wuhan late last year.

A successful vaccine, if quickly made available to the world, could help repair the party’s image globally and that of its leader, Xi Jinping. The Chinese companies have said their vaccine would be cheaper and easier to transport, which if proven could give them significant appeal in the developing world.

Chinese vaccines may still be greeted with other questions. Scientists said that the headline figures released by Sinopharm were encouraging but that the lack of supporting data made it difficult for the results to be independently assessed.

Covid-19 Vaccines ›

Answers to Your Vaccine Questions

With distribution of a coronavirus vaccine beginning in the U.S., here are answers to some questions you may be wondering about:

    • If I live in the U.S., when can I get the vaccine? While the exact order of vaccine recipients may vary by state, most will likely put medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities first. If you want to understand how this decision is getting made, this article will help.
    • When can I return to normal life after being vaccinated? Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gains enough protection against the coronavirus. Once countries authorize a vaccine, they’ll only be able to vaccinate a few percent of their citizens at most in the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected. A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus. So for the time being, even vaccinated people will need to wear masks, avoid indoor crowds, and so on. Once enough people get vaccinated, it will become very difficult for the coronavirus to find vulnerable people to infect. Depending on how quickly we as a society achieve that goal, life might start approaching something like normal by the fall 2021.
    • If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask? Yes, but not forever. Here’s why. The coronavirus vaccines are injected deep into the muscles and stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies. This appears to be enough protection to keep the vaccinated person from getting ill. But what’s not clear is whether it’s possible for the virus to bloom in the nose — and be sneezed or breathed out to infect others — even as antibodies elsewhere in the body have mobilized to prevent the vaccinated person from getting sick. The vaccine clinical trials were designed to determine whether vaccinated people are protected from illness — not to find out whether they could still spread the coronavirus. Based on studies of flu vaccine and even patients infected with Covid-19, researchers have reason to be hopeful that vaccinated people won’t spread the virus, but more research is needed. In the meantime, everyone — even vaccinated people — will need to think of themselves as possible silent spreaders and keep wearing a mask. Read more here.
    • Will it hurt? What are the side effects? The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot in the arm, like other typical vaccines. The injection into your arm won’t feel different than any other vaccine, but the rate of short-lived side effects does appear higher than a flu shot. Tens of thousands of people have already received the vaccines, and none of them have reported any serious health problems. The side effects, which can resemble the symptoms of Covid-19, last about a day and appear more likely after the second dose. Early reports from vaccine trials suggest some people might need to take a day off from work because they feel lousy after receiving the second dose. In the Pfizer study, about half developed fatigue. Other side effects occurred in at least 25 to 33 percent of patients, sometimes more, including headaches, chills and muscle pain. While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign that your own immune system is mounting a potent response to the vaccine that will provide long-lasting immunity.
    • Will mRNA vaccines change my genes? No. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer use a genetic molecule to prime the immune system. That molecule, known as mRNA, is eventually destroyed by the body. The mRNA is packaged in an oily bubble that can fuse to a cell, allowing the molecule to slip in. The cell uses the mRNA to make proteins from the coronavirus, which can stimulate the immune system. At any moment, each of our cells may contain hundreds of thousands of mRNA molecules, which they produce in order to make proteins of their own. Once those proteins are made, our cells then shred the mRNA with special enzymes. The mRNA molecules our cells make can only survive a matter of minutes. The mRNA in vaccines is engineered to withstand the cell’s enzymes a bit longer, so that the cells can make extra virus proteins and prompt a stronger immune response. But the mRNA can only last for a few days at most before they are destroyed.

Sinopharm on Wednesday did not disclose the size of the trial population or provide detailed information about any serious side effects, data points that scientists look for in such releases. On Thursday, Mr. Wu, Sinopharm’s president, said at a news briefing that more than 60,000 people had been vaccinated as part of the trials.

“With each of these vaccines we’re dealing with bits and pieces of information, but the Chinese companies have provided even less information than the Russian companies have,” said Dr. Kim Mulholland, a pediatrician at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

“At least with the Russian vaccines we were told the number of cases and the basis of evidence for why their vaccine was effective,” said Dr. Mulholland, who has been involved in the oversight of many vaccine trials, including ones for a Covid-19 vaccine.

Michael Baker, a professor with the department of global health at the University of Otago in Wellington who is an adviser to the New Zealand government, said that while the initial figures from Sinopharm looked promising, without more information it was difficult to know for sure.

“It’s pretty light on the details,” he said. “One question is: What markets do they propose to use these vaccines in? Because if they want to have a global market, they’re obviously going to have to supply all those details.”

Details about the efficacy of another Chinese vaccine candidate, made by Sinovac, a private Beijing-based vaccine maker, have also been released in a piecemeal fashion.

The absence of detailed information on the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines has not stopped officials in the country from administering them to the public. Officials in several provinces and cities say they are focusing on what China calls “key priority groups” — doctors, hotel employees, border inspection personnel and workers in food storage and transportation, as well as travelers — in an ongoing inoculation drive.

Chinese officials and companies had already administered Chinese-made vaccines, mostly made by Sinopharm, to more than a million people in China. The campaign drew criticism from overseas scientists who said they were concerned that the authorities did not closely monitor people after they received injections outside clinical trials.

To China, a vaccine that can help protect its 1.4 billion people is crucial to its plans to revitalize the economy.

The country has largely stamped out the coronavirus with a combination of restrictions on foreign arrivals, mass testing and tight lockdowns of neighborhoods whenever any cases are detected. But officials remain concerned that the winter could bring a new wave of infections and hope that a widely available vaccine can help prepare the country for when regular travel and trade resume.

Already, new local outbreaks were being reported in Beijing and the northern city of Shenyang this week, prompting the imposition of new measures. In Shenyang, officials declared that the city was in “wartime status” as they rolled out restrictions on large-scale gatherings including group meals, training sessions and end-of-year parties.

Sinovac and Sinopharm use inactivated coronaviruses to make their vaccines — a tried-and-true method dating back over 130 years. The companies use chemicals to disable the virus’s genes so that it cannot replicate. Yet the inactivated coronavirus can still cause the body’s immune system to produce antibodies against it. By comparison, Moderna and Pfizer are taking a revolutionary gene-based approach that had never before been approved for widespread use.

Experts say there are drawbacks to inactivated vaccines like the ones being made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. They require starting off with large batches of live coronavirus samples, which can pose a biosecurity risk. Once the live samples are inactivated, it takes an extra manufacturing step to ensure that none of them survive the treatment.

Another advantage of the vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer is that they are faster to make and said to be more stable than traditional vaccines. Pfizer projects that it will be able to produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021, while Moderna expects to be able to make 500 million to one billion doses.

The Chinese government has promised to produce 610 million doses by the end of the year and expects to make more than one billion doses next year. Several large countries like Brazil and Indonesia, where Chinese companies have been conducting trials, have each received shipments of more than a million doses of Sinovac vaccines. Turkey has ordered 50 million doses.

People who were previously vaccinated in China have said the two-dose regimen costs about $60 to $150. According to people who have received the Sinovac vaccine, the company is charging about $30 a dose. Sinopharm has said the cost of two doses should be lower than $150. Zeng Yixin, the deputy minister of the National Health Commission, said on Thursday that the vaccine would be provided to the Chinese public for free, a reversal of previous statements by Chinese officials.

Reporting and research were contributed byElsie Chen, Claire Fuand Amber Wang.

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defend your privateness in case you win Mega Tens of millions or Powerball

MARK RALSTON | AFP | Getty Images

There is a chance that at least a few people in 2020 will be far richer than most of us.

With no ticket matching all six numbers drawn in Mega Millions on Tuesday, the jackpot for the Friday night drawing rose to $ 401 million. Powerball’s grand prize is not far behind at $ 363 million for the Wednesday night draw.

If you’re lucky enough to be the next big winner, experts say that part of protecting your windfall is protecting your identity when you can.

“Four hundred million dollars would attract a lot [attention]”said Attorney Kurt Panouses, founder of the Panouses Law Group in Indialantic, Florida and an expert in helping lottery winners.

Keeping your win calm will protect you from strangers and scammers who want a part of the prize.

However, states don’t always make data protection easy: only a handful allow winners to remain completely anonymous. In other cases, you may be able to claim the award through a trust or limited liability company or LLC that does not have your name on it. However, you need to plan for this.

Here are tips for big lottery winners trying to protect their privacy.

Handling your ticket

The standard advice is to sign the back of your ticket. However, if you find yourself in a state where a trust or LLC can claim the prize, hold back with this signature if privacy is important to you.

“Of course you want to protect the ticket, but whatever name is on the back of the ticket is identified as the payee,” said Panouses. “The back of the ticket is important for data protection reasons.”

In most states, he said, if you use an LLC or trust to claim the money, you can bypass disclosing your name.

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Panousas said he has also created trusts whose beneficiaries are sub-trusts instead of the winners. This adds an extra layer of data protection.

stay calm

While you might want to share your exciting news, experts say the fewer people know, the better.

“Keep the circle of people who don’t know or tell anyone about it,” said Panouses.

For example, if you are claiming the profit in conjunction with other family members, i.e. through a trust or LLC as a joint prize, then all parties involved should sign non-disclosure agreements, Panouses said.

Money management

In addition to choosing experienced professionals to help you tackle the windfall, it may also be wise to avoid the professionals in your hometown if you are concerned about the news that your profits will be lost.

“Someone in this office might say, ‘Oh, this is the lottery winner,'” Panouses said. He relies on a large investment and trust company that has a proven record of serving wealthy households.

“If I open accounts with them, I know the information won’t be made public,” said Panouses.

Plan an escape

Skipping town a bit after claiming your prize is probably a good idea.

“We make sure the winners have a plan to go somewhere for a week or so after they claim,” Panouses said. “When people find out you won, they may show up at your home.”

It’s also worth changing the cell phone number, he said. If you have a landline, this should also be changed.

You may also want to close your social media accounts if you cannot remain anonymous.

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Health

U.Ok. imposes Tier four Covid restrictions on tens of millions as circumstances soar

A bus drives past a sign detailing measures taken by the government against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak on the first day of a newly imposed lockdown on November 5, 2020 in London, UK.

John Sibley | Reuters

LONDON – The UK government on Wednesday outlined plans to impose stricter coronavirus restrictions on millions of people across England as a new strain of the virus spreads across the country.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more regions would be classified in the toughest Tier 4 category from 12:01 a.m. London time on Thursday.

“This new variant is now spreading in most of England and the cases are quickly doubling,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 4 measures to a larger area, including the remaining parts of the south-east as well as large parts of the central plateau, the north-west, the north-east and the south-west.”

The move will mean three-quarters of the population will be in Tier 4 for the new year, Hancock said.

The restrictions imposed on a “stay at home” order mean people are not allowed to leave their homes unless they have a reasonable excuse. Businesses such as non-essential stores, gyms, and hairdressers are closing.

The announcement comes shortly after the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was approved for use in the UK emergency. The vaccine is believed to allow the UK to speed up its vaccination program significantly.

“We must of course vaccinate as soon as supplies allow, after the necessary security checks have been carried out, and the NHS is ready to accelerate the deployment on a larger scale from Monday January 4th,” said Hancock.

He added, “We have ordered a total of 100 million doses which, together with the Pfizer vaccine, is enough to vaccinate every adult in the UK with both doses.”

Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, Hancock said, adding that the UK will have 530,000 doses available as of Monday, with millions more due from Astra-Zeneca in early February.

Government data shows that infection rates have risen sharply across England over the past week, with significant pressure on hospitals.

53,135 new Covid cases were registered in the UK on Tuesday, the highest increase in a day since mass testing began.

On Wednesday, the latest government figures showed 981 people in the UK died within 28 days of a positive Covid test – the highest number of deaths since April 9. The UK reported 414 deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday.

The new variant of the coronavirus in the UK is reportedly more transferable and has resulted in travel restrictions for people trying to leave the country. The new strain, known in science as SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, could be up to 70% more transmissible, said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

U.S. health officials on Wednesday confirmed the new strain’s first case. Several other countries have also identified the variant strain in the past few weeks.

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China Has All It Must Vaccinate Hundreds of thousands, Besides Proof Its Vaccines Work

Hospitals across China have almost everything that is needed for mass vaccination: millions of doses. Refrigerators to store them. Health care workers trained to manage them.

Anything but evidence that one of their vaccines is working.

Unlike their Western competitors, the Chinese companies have not released late-stage clinical trial data showing whether their vaccines are effective, and regulatory agencies in China have not officially approved them.

This hasn’t stopped local governments across the country from launching an ambitious vaccination campaign. The aim is to vaccinate 50 million people – roughly the population of Colombia – before the New Year holidays by mid-February, when hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel.

China, where the virus first emerged a year ago, will be making great – and scientifically unorthodox – efforts to prevent the outbreak from recurring. Although Beijing has not officially announced the vaccination target, the government has signaled that the rollout will be similar to the outbreak, through a top-down approach that can mobilize thousands of workers to produce the shots, too send and manage. Local officials were told that the trip was a “political mission”.

The campaign will focus on what China calls ‘key priority groups’ including doctors, hotel workers, border control personnel, Food warehouse and transport workers and travelers. Irene Zhang, a 24-year-old college student, received a vaccine in Hangzhou on December 22nd before going to graduate school in the UK next month.

“Because my situation is pretty urgent and all the students around me going abroad have accepted it, I think it is relatively reliable,” said Ms. Zhang.

Even before this current campaign, more than a million people had lined up for vaccinations, confusing scientists who warned that taking undetected vaccines poses potential health risks. Their efforts, which are now larger in scope, are similarly implemented on an ad hoc basis.

The southern province of Guangdong has 180,000 people – mostly workers who are involved with food Storage and transportation, quarantine facilities and border controls – had been vaccinated by December 22nd. 281,800 people had been vaccinated in eastern Zhejiang Province. In Wuhan, where the outbreak was first discovered, the government said it had designated 48 vaccination clinics for its emergency program that began Thursday.

China, which is testing five vaccines in phase 3 studies, has not provided any information from this final phase to prove the effectiveness of these vaccines. In contrast, the United States and Great Britain began vaccination after reviewing and approving such experimental data.

Instead, Chinese officials have made extensive statements with few details to reassure the public that the vaccines are safe and effective. Three of the vaccines are only approved for emergency use. Last month, Liu Jingzhen, the chairman of Sinopharm, a state-owned vaccine maker that has two vaccines in late studies, said none of the roughly 1 million people vaccinated so far had side effects and that “few had mild symptoms.”

The dates and approval are expected to be available within weeks. While there have been promising signs, there are limitations.

The UAE and Bahrain said this month that a vaccine made by Sinopharm was effective, although they provided few details on how the conclusions were drawn. Turkey said a vaccine from Sinovac, a private vaccine maker based in Beijing, had an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent, a result based on preliminary results from a small clinical study. Officials in Brazil said the Sinovac vaccine had an efficacy rate of over 50 percent but had postponed the publication of detailed data.

The extent and speed of the vaccination campaign are the result of a centralized public health infrastructure in an authoritarian system. During the crisis, China showed how it can mobilize thousands of workers to reach millions of people. it tested 11 million people in 10 days in Wuhan.

Updated

Apr. 29, 2020, 6:59 p.m. ET

Chinese vaccine manufacturers have worked to increase production, both for the country’s own needs and for global exports. The Chinese government has promised to produce 610 million cans by the end of the year and expects to produce more than a billion cans in the next year.

“If they say 50 million, they probably will,” said Jennifer Huang Bouey, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation and an epidemiologist. “The question is how much it would cost and what effect that would have.”

The whole effort took months of preparation. Since June, hospitals in Guangdong Province have started building vaccination clinics, equipping them with refrigerators and installing cold storage systems.

Sinopharm was doing exercises this month. During the test run, workers loaded boxes of the vaccines and ice packs, while the company official tracked the temperature of the vaccines in real time as they were shipped.

China has some advantages in introducing it. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, the vaccines made by Sinopharm and Sinovac are based on traditional methods that use inactivated or weakened forms of the virus, making them easier to store and distribute.

But the pitfalls are numerous, as the US experience has shown. in the In the United States, just over two million people have received Covid-19 vaccine, well below the government’s 20 million target for this month. Hospitals had to prepare the frozen shots and find staff to occupy the clinics.

While China was preparing, local officials asked the number of people in the “key priority groups”. According to a government document from Xinchang County in Zhejiang Province, they had to “make sure there were no omissions.”

As recently as two months ago, it seemed that demand might exceed supply. The eastern city of Yiwu had offered 500 cans that were used within a few hours.

Ms. Zhang, the student, said She had initially hesitated about getting vaccinated because everyone around her told her to “wait and see”. Nevertheless, she tried to register in Yiwu, but could not secure a place.

Then on December 21st, Ms. Zhang heard that Hangzhou was launching its own vaccination campaign. She took a bullet train that evening and signed a lease with her friend in town because local authorities required proof of residence. The next day, she paid $ 35 and was shot by Sinovac.

According to Ms. Zhang, four or five people were waiting for the vaccine in the hospital. The process took an hour. This included registering, getting the shot, and waiting 30 minutes to see if any side effects occurred.

“Everything was very calm and tidy,” she said. Before she left, the doctor warned her: don’t shower. Don’t stay up late. Do not eat foods that may irritate your stomach.

The government has emphasized that the vaccination campaign is voluntary and that people have to pay for the vaccinations. Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow on global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a health care expert in China, noted that the two-dose regime could cost about $ 70, making it inaccessible to the rural poor.

China may also have trouble convincing people to take the vaccine. Scientists warn that the lack of transparency could spark fears about taking a new vaccine, especially in an industry with a history of quality scandals.

Tao Lina, a vaccine expert and former immunologist at the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said he knew several health care workers who turned down the shots. “In the minds of doctors, they believe that any drug that fails Phase 3 trials is unreliable,” Tao said.

Mr. Tao, who received a Sinopharm vaccine Monday, said he was confident the vaccines were safe and effective, reiterating officials’ comments that there had been no reports of serious side effects. But he added that companies could do better with their news.

“If you say it’s safe, you should come up with all kinds of evidence to show it’s safe,” he said.

Hminem Zhang, a 27-year-old sales rep at an internet company, said he wanted to get vaccinated because he had traveled to work and feared that the virus could reappear if the virus recurs. But he is concerned about the ones made in China because “not many people received them,” he said.

“I would like to wait a month or two for some official data to be released,” said Mr. Zhang, who is from Chongqing, southwestern town. “And then if there’s no news about side effects, I’ll get a chance.”

Liu Yi, Amber Wang, and Elsie Chen contributed to the research.

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How Mega Hundreds of thousands and Powerball winners can shield their windfall

Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images

Mega Millions players can continue daydreaming.

With no one getting all six numbers drawn on Friday, the jackpot has risen to an estimated $ 376 million. And Powerball, with the next draw for Saturday night, is $ 341 million.

Obviously, due to taxes, these advertised amounts are not what you would end up with if you managed to beat the astronomical odds of winning a single ticket (1 in 302 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292 million for Powerball).

Even so, the sudden gust of wind in your life would likely feel overwhelming, experts say. And while you might be keen to claim your winnings, experts say it’s best not to rush to lottery headquarters on the day you discover your luck.

In other words, take a deep breath.

“The first thing I would recommend is building a team of professionals to handle the many aspects of investing money,” said certified financial planner Doug Boneparth, president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York.

This team should include an accountant, a financial advisor, and a lawyer. Here are some other considerations when hitting the jackpot.

Annuity or lump sum?

You can choose to take your winnings either as a lump sum or as a 30 year pension. The Mega Millions jackpot of $ 376 million has a cash option of $ 287.4 million. For the $ 341 Powerball prize, that amount is $ 262.5 million.

Experts usually recommend getting the money all at once – which is what most winners do.

“The flat rate distribution would be the preference,” said Boneparth. “When you do that, you have more control over the money.”

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However, he added a caveat.

“If you are not disciplined or are afraid of how to invest with support, retirement may be a better option,” said Boneparth.

The tax hit

Before the money reaches you, 24% is withheld for federal taxes. For Mega Millions’ $ 287.4 million cash option, that would mean $ 69 million off the top and you get $ 218.4 million. For the Powerball flat fee of $ 262.5 million, withholding tax would be $ 63 million, leaving $ 199.5 million.

But that’s not all. The highest marginal rate of 37% applies to income above $ 518,400 for individual taxpayers ($ 622,050 for married couples filing together), which means much more would be due at tax time. And state taxes can be withheld or due.

“If you factor in city, state, and town taxes in some places, you might look into this [close to] 50% goes to taxes, “said Boneparth.

There may be strategies in place to reduce your tax payments. That is why it is important to have a tax advisor on your team.

Other things

If you can’t claim your prize anonymously – it depends on the state – you can skip town for a while. Unwanted attention can come from both the public and the extended family.

“Your fifth uncle, once removed, could reach you,” said Boneparth. “Find a comfortable place and go away.”

If you want to share some of the money with family or friends, plan for these gifts in advance, said Boneparth.

“You want to avoid getting hit repeatedly,” he said. “You can set expectations in advance. Then planning really comes into play.”

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Business

Shock Medical Payments Price Individuals Hundreds of thousands. Congress Is Lastly Set to Ban Most of Them.

Hospitals and doctors, who tend to benefit from the current system, struggled to defeat solutions that would lower their pay. Insurance companies and large insurance groups, on the other hand, wanted a stronger way to negotiate lower payments to the types of medical providers that can currently send surprise bills to patients.

The legislation nearly passed last December but was sunk in the eleventh hour after healthcare providers aggressively opposed the deal. Private equity firms, which own many of the medical providers that deliver surprise invoices, have put tens of millions in advertisements opposed to the plan. The committee chairs argued over jurisdictional issues and postponed the matter.

This year, many of the same lawmakers who were behind last year’s failed efforts tried again, mitigating several provisions most uncomfortable for influential lobbies of doctors and hospitals. The current version is unlikely to do as much in reducing healthcare spending as the previous version, but will still protect patients.

After years of defeat, consumer interest groups welcomed the new legislation.

“This was a real win over money for Americans,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA. “The real point here was for Congress to recognize in a bipartisan way the profanity of families who paid insurance and were still firing financial bombs.”

The final compromise would require insurers and medical providers unable to agree on a payment rate to use an outside arbitrator to make a decision. The arbitrator would determine a reasonable amount, depending in part on what other doctors and hospitals typically pay for similar services. Patients could be charged for the type of co-payment they would pay for in-network services, but no more.

This type of policy is generally seen as more beneficial to healthcare providers than the other proposal considered by Congress, which would have minimized the role of arbitrators and instead set benchmark reimbursement rates. Several states have established their own arbitration procedures and have found that most price disputes are negotiated before an arbitrator is involved.

“If this bill forces them to come to the table and negotiate a solution, it will be a clear win for everyone,” said Christopher Garmon, assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, who outlines the scope of the problem.

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Business

F.D.A. Clears Pfizer Vaccine, and Tens of millions of Doses Will Be Shipped Proper Away

Die Food and Drug Administration hat am Freitag den Covid-19-Impfstoff von Pfizer für den Notfall zugelassen und damit Millionen von stark gefährdeten Menschen den Weg frei gemacht, innerhalb weniger Tage mit dem Impfstoff zu beginnen.

Die Genehmigung ist ein historischer Wendepunkt in einer Pandemie, bei der in den USA mehr als 290.000 Menschen ums Leben kamen. Mit der Entscheidung sind die Vereinigten Staaten neben Großbritannien, Bahrain, Kanada, Saudi-Arabien und Mexiko das sechste Land, das den Impfstoff freigibt. Weitere Genehmigungen, auch von der Europäischen Union, werden innerhalb von Wochen erwartet.

Die Entscheidung der FDA folgte einer außergewöhnlichen Abfolge von Ereignissen am Freitagmorgen, als der Stabschef des Weißen Hauses, Mark Meadows, dem FDA-Kommissar Dr. Stephen Hahn sagte, er solle überlegen, ob er seinen nächsten Job suchen könne, wenn er die Notfallgenehmigung nicht erhalten würde am Freitag nach Angaben eines hochrangigen Verwaltungsbeamten, der unter der Bedingung der Anonymität sprach, weil er nicht befugt war, die Angelegenheit zu erörtern. Dr. Hahn befahl daraufhin den Impfstoffaufsichtsbehörden der Agentur, dies bis zum Ende des Tages zu tun.

Die Genehmigung löste eine komplizierte Koordinierungsmaßnahme von Pfizer, privaten Schifffahrtsunternehmen, staatlichen und lokalen Gesundheitsbehörden, dem Militär, Krankenhäusern und Apothekenketten aus, um die erste Woche mit etwa drei Millionen Dosen so schnell wie möglich an Mitarbeiter des Gesundheitswesens und Pflegeheime zu bringen möglich, während der Impfstoff bei ultrakalten Temperaturen gehalten wird.

Pfizer hat mit der US-Regierung einen Vertrag über die Lieferung von 100 Millionen Dosen des Impfstoffs bis zum nächsten März abgeschlossen. Im Rahmen dieser Vereinbarung sind die Aufnahmen für die Öffentlichkeit kostenlos.

Jedes Bundesland hat zusammen mit sechs Großstädten der Bundesregierung eine Liste der Standorte – hauptsächlich Krankenhäuser – vorgelegt, an denen der Pfizer-Impfstoff zunächst versandt werden soll. Im bevölkerungsreichen Florida werden die ersten Empfänger fünf Krankenhäuser in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa und Hollywood sein. Im winzigen ländlichen Vermont werden nur das Medical Center der University of Vermont und ein staatliches Lagerhaus versorgt.

Die McKesson Corporation, ein riesiger medizinischer Zulieferer, sendet Kits mit Spritzen, Alkoholtupfern, Gesichtsschutz und anderen Verbrauchsmaterialien an dieselben Standorte, wo sie sich mit den Impfstoffen treffen, die Pfizer in speziellen, mit Trockeneis verpackten Kartons versendet Halten Sie sie bei minus 94 Grad Fahrenheit.

Die Pfizer-Verpackung enthält ein Gerät, das den Standort der Box verfolgt, sowie eine Wärmesonde, die sicherstellt, dass die Tiefkühlung während der gesamten Fahrt von den Vertriebsstandorten des Unternehmens in Michigan und Wisconsin aufrechterhalten wird.

Die Entscheidung ist ein Sieg für Pfizer und seinen deutschen Partner BioNTech, die vor 11 Monaten mit der Arbeit an dem Impfstoff begonnen haben. Die Entwicklung von Impfstoffen dauert in der Regel Jahre. Die späte klinische Studie der Unternehmen, an der fast 44.000 Personen teilnahmen, erwies sich als zu 95 Prozent wirksam.

Ein Expertengremium, das die FDA am Donnerstag beriet, genehmigte den Impfstoff von Pfizer für Personen ab 16 Jahren, und die Agentur plante, die formelle Zulassung am Samstag freizugeben. Diese Frist wurde um einen halben Tag verkürzt, nachdem Präsident Trump Dr. Hahn angegriffen hatte, weil er einen Impfstoff nicht schneller zugelassen hatte. Es wurde jedoch nicht erwartet, dass die beschleunigte Ankündigung die Lieferung von Impfstoffen im ganzen Land beschleunigen würde.

Herr Trump sagte Dr. Hahn am Freitagmorgen auf Twitter, er solle “aufhören, Spiele zu spielen und Leben retten !!!” Er nannte die FDA “eine große, alte, langsame Schildkröte”, die voller Geld ist, aber in Bürokratie versunken ist.

Herr Trump hat wiederholt die FDA und die Arzneimittelhersteller selbst beschuldigt, das Zulassungsverfahren nur langsam durchlaufen zu haben, um ihm politisch Schaden zuzufügen. Die Verbündeten von Dr. Hahn sind seit Wochen in Atem und erwarten, dass er jeden Tag gefeuert wird.

Der Präsident schrieb, dass die Regierung mit „meinem Drängen“ die Entwicklung von Impfstoffen um Jahre verkürzt habe. “Holen Sie die Dammimpfstoffe JETZT raus, Dr. Hahn”, schrieb er und schrieb den Spruch falsch.

Die Bedrohung für Dr. Hahns Arbeit wurde erstmals von der Washington Post gemeldet. In einer Erklärung bestritt Dr. Hahn, dass Herr Meadows ihm sagte, er solle in Betracht ziehen, einen anderen Job zu suchen, und nannte ihn “eine unwahre Darstellung des Telefonanrufs”. Stattdessen, so Dr. Hahn, wurde seine Agentur “ermutigt, zügig weiterzuarbeiten. ”

Obwohl die FDA den Pfizer-Impfstoff auf jeden Fall genehmigen würde, warnten einige Experten, dass der Der Druck des Weißen Hauses könnte das Vertrauen der Öffentlichkeit in die Entscheidungsfindung der Agentur untergraben.

“Dies kann tatsächlich mehr schaden als nützen, denn alles, was es tun wird, ist, mehr Politik in einen wissenschaftlichen Prozess einzubringen”, sagte Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, Professor am Brigham and Women’s Hospital und an der Harvard Medical School.

Ein ähnlicher Impfstoff, der von Moderna entwickelt wurde, wird derzeit von der FDA geprüft und könnte bald für den Notfall freigegeben werden. Am Freitag gab die Bundesregierung bekannt, dass sie weitere 100 Millionen Dosen bei Moderna bestellt habe, was diesen Sommer zu einer Vereinbarung über die Erstversorgung mit 100 Millionen Dosen beitrage. Andere Impfstoffe, einschließlich der von Johnson & Johnson und AstraZeneca entwickelten, befinden sich in späten Studien und könnten in den nächsten Monaten zugelassen werden.

In Erwartung der Ankunft des Impfstoffs im ganzen Land äußerten die Amerikaner sowohl Hoffnung als auch Besorgnis.

Der Weg zu einem Coronavirus-Impfstoff ›

Antworten auf Ihre Impfstofffragen

Wenn sich der Coronavirus-Impfstoff der US-Zulassung nähert, sind hier einige Fragen, über die Sie sich möglicherweise wundern:

    • Wenn ich in den USA lebe, wann kann ich den Impfstoff bekommen? Während die genaue Reihenfolge der Impfstoffempfänger von Staat zu Staat unterschiedlich sein kann, werden die meisten Ärzte und Bewohner von Langzeitpflegeeinrichtungen an erster Stelle stehen. Wenn Sie verstehen möchten, wie diese Entscheidung getroffen wird, hilft dieser Artikel.
    • Wann kann ich nach der Impfung wieder zum normalen Leben zurückkehren? Das Leben wird erst wieder normal, wenn die Gesellschaft als Ganzes ausreichend Schutz gegen das Coronavirus erhält. Sobald die Länder einen Impfstoff zugelassen haben, können sie in den ersten Monaten höchstens einige Prozent ihrer Bürger impfen. Die nicht geimpfte Mehrheit bleibt weiterhin anfällig für Infektionen. Eine wachsende Anzahl von Coronavirus-Impfstoffen zeigt einen robusten Schutz vor Krankheit. Es ist aber auch möglich, dass Menschen das Virus verbreiten, ohne zu wissen, dass sie infiziert sind, weil sie nur leichte oder gar keine Symptome haben. Wissenschaftler wissen noch nicht, ob die Impfstoffe auch die Übertragung des Coronavirus blockieren. Selbst geimpfte Menschen müssen vorerst Masken tragen, Menschenmassen in Innenräumen meiden und so weiter. Sobald genügend Menschen geimpft sind, wird es für das Coronavirus sehr schwierig, gefährdete Personen zu finden, die infiziert werden können. Je nachdem, wie schnell wir als Gesellschaft dieses Ziel erreichen, könnte sich das Leben im Herbst 2021 einem normalen Zustand nähern.
    • Muss ich nach der Impfung noch eine Maske tragen? Ja, aber nicht für immer. Die beiden Impfstoffe, die möglicherweise in diesem Monat zugelassen werden, schützen die Menschen eindeutig vor einer Krankheit mit Covid-19. Die klinischen Studien, die diese Ergebnisse lieferten, waren jedoch nicht darauf ausgelegt, festzustellen, ob geimpfte Personen das Coronavirus noch verbreiten können, ohne Symptome zu entwickeln. Das bleibt eine Möglichkeit. Wir wissen, dass Menschen, die von Natur aus mit dem Coronavirus infiziert sind, es verbreiten können, ohne Husten oder andere Symptome zu haben. Die Forscher werden diese Frage bei der Einführung der Impfstoffe intensiv untersuchen. In der Zwischenzeit müssen sich selbst geimpfte Menschen als mögliche Spreizer vorstellen.
    • Wird es wehtun? Was sind die Nebenwirkungen? Der Impfstoff gegen Pfizer und BioNTech wird wie andere typische Impfstoffe als Schuss in den Arm abgegeben. Die Injektion unterscheidet sich nicht von denen, die Sie zuvor erhalten haben. Zehntausende Menschen haben die Impfstoffe bereits erhalten, und keiner von ihnen hat ernsthafte gesundheitliche Probleme gemeldet. Einige von ihnen haben jedoch kurzlebige Beschwerden verspürt, darunter Schmerzen und grippeähnliche Symptome, die normalerweise einen Tag anhalten. Es ist möglich, dass die Leute planen müssen, nach dem zweiten Schuss einen Tag frei zu nehmen oder zur Schule zu gehen. Obwohl diese Erfahrungen nicht angenehm sind, sind sie ein gutes Zeichen: Sie sind das Ergebnis der Begegnung Ihres eigenen Immunsystems mit dem Impfstoff und einer starken Reaktion, die eine dauerhafte Immunität gewährleistet.
    • Werden mRNA-Impfstoffe meine Gene verändern? Nein. Die Impfstoffe von Moderna und Pfizer verwenden ein genetisches Molekül, um das Immunsystem zu stärken. Dieses als mRNA bekannte Molekül wird schließlich vom Körper zerstört. Die mRNA ist in einer öligen Blase verpackt, die mit einer Zelle verschmelzen kann, so dass das Molekül hineinrutschen kann. Die Zelle verwendet die mRNA, um Proteine ​​aus dem Coronavirus herzustellen, die das Immunsystem stimulieren können. Zu jedem Zeitpunkt kann jede unserer Zellen Hunderttausende von mRNA-Molekülen enthalten, die sie produzieren, um eigene Proteine ​​herzustellen. Sobald diese Proteine ​​hergestellt sind, zerkleinern unsere Zellen die mRNA mit speziellen Enzymen. Die mRNA-Moleküle, die unsere Zellen herstellen, können nur wenige Minuten überleben. Die mRNA in Impfstoffen ist so konstruiert, dass sie den Enzymen der Zelle etwas länger standhält, sodass die Zellen zusätzliche Virusproteine ​​bilden und eine stärkere Immunantwort auslösen können. Die mRNA kann jedoch höchstens einige Tage halten, bevor sie zerstört wird.

Dr. Samu Queen, eine Ärztin in Portland, Oregon, sagte, ihre geriatrischen Patienten seien besonders gespannt auf den Impfstoff. “Sie sind alle sehr besorgt”, sagte sie. “So ziemlich jeder ist bei jedem Termin bereit, es zu bekommen.”

Dr. Queen sagte, sie habe genau beobachtet, wie die ersten Probanden in Großbritannien reagierten. Sie beschrieb sich selbst als “etwas besorgt darüber, wie sicher es ist, im Gegensatz zu nicht”.

Joshua Ball, stellvertretender Geschäftsführer von Shaping Our Appalachian Region, einer Wirtschaftsförderungsgruppe im Osten von Kentucky, war ein Hauptbetreuer seines Vaters, der Anfang dieses Jahres einen Schlaganfall hatte und andere gesundheitliche Probleme hat. Während der Pandemie musste er versuchen, so viel wie möglich aus der Ferne zu helfen.

Ein Impfstoff könnte das ändern. Es könnte ihm auch ermöglichen, in die Kirche zurückzukehren und an den saisonalen Festen teilzunehmen, die für viele kleine Städte in seiner Region ein kulturelles Grundnahrungsmittel sind.

“Ich vermisse die Gemeinschaft, Hände zu schütteln, Menschen zu sehen, Geburtstage, kirchliche Mahlzeiten und eine Ferienbibelschule zu feiern”, sagte er.

Dennoch sind die staatlichen Gesundheitsbehörden nach wie vor zutiefst besorgt darüber, was sie als unzureichende Finanzierung für die größte Impfkampagne bezeichnen, die das Land jemals gestartet hat. Staatliche Gesundheitsbeamte haben den Kongress um mindestens 8,4 Milliarden US-Dollar gebeten, um die Arbeit gut zu machen. Bisher haben sie jedoch nur etwa 350 Millionen US-Dollar von den Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten für die Verteilung und Verabreichung von Impfstoffen erhalten. Zu diesen Aufgaben gehört die Erweiterung der Online-Systeme, um Informationen darüber zu verfolgen und auszutauschen, wer geimpft wurde. Rekrutierung und Ausbildung von Ärzten, Krankenschwestern und Apothekern zur Verwaltung der Aufnahmen; und die Öffentlichkeit davon zu überzeugen, wie wichtig es ist, geimpft zu werden.

Die ausreichende Zufuhr des Impfstoffs hat sich auch als Herausforderung ohne klare Lösung erwiesen. Pfizer musste frühere Schätzungen aufgrund von Rückschlägen bei der Herstellung zurückfahren und hat angekündigt, bis Ende des Jahres bis zu 25 Millionen Dosen und bis März insgesamt 100 Millionen Impfstoffe liefern zu können.

Diese Woche sagten Bundesbeamte, dass die Regierung drei Wochen nach ihrer ersten Impfung nicht alle 6,4 Millionen Dosen verwendet, die die Regierung ursprünglich von Pfizer zur Impfung von Menschen bestellt hatte, sondern die Hälfte des Angebots für einen Auffrischungsschuss an die Empfänger zurückhält. Obwohl in der ersten Woche nur etwa drei Millionen Menschen einen Impfstoff erhalten werden, haben die Beamten ihre Schätzung bestätigt, dass sie zwischen den Impfstoffen von Pfizer und Moderna, für die jeweils zwei Schüsse erforderlich sind, hoffen, mindestens 20 Millionen Menschen ihren ersten Impfstoff zu geben Dosis eines Impfstoffs bis Ende des Jahres.

Es bleiben auch Fragen offen, wie schnell ein Impfstoff für jeden verfügbar sein wird, der einen möchte. Bundesbeamte haben angekündigt, dass sie voraussichtlich Mitte nächsten Jahres den Großteil der US-Bevölkerung impfen können, aber die jüngsten Rückschläge haben diese Schätzungen in Frage gestellt. Pfizer hat der Bundesregierung mitgeteilt, dass sie aufgrund von Vereinbarungen mit anderen Ländern möglicherweise nicht in der Lage ist, den Vereinigten Staaten vor Mitte nächsten Jahres zusätzliche 100 Millionen Dosen zuzuführen. Drei weitere experimentelle Impfstoffe, die von Novavax, Sanofi und AstraZeneca entwickelt wurden, mussten Verzögerungen bei ihren klinischen Studien hinnehmen.

Ellen Barry und Will Wright haben zur Berichterstattung beigetragen.