AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine has hit speed bump after speed bump. The company's troubles began last fall, when it temporarily paused vaccine trials after at least two cases of unusual illnesses among participants, though review boards determined it wasn't likely that the issues were linked to the shot. Once the results from those trials were published in November, experts criticized dosing irregularities that made it difficult to interpret the resulting data. Then, earlier this month, countries from Germany to Indonesia temporarily paused use of AstraZeneca's shot amid reports of blood clots among a handful of recipients, though regulators have so far found no evidence that the vaccine was causing the clotting problems.
Things seemed to be improving for AstraZeneca yesterday, when it released promising data from a new U.S.-based trial showing that its vaccine is nearly 80% effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms, and 100% in preventing severe symptoms. But shortly thereafter, the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), an independent group of experts that oversees U.S. vaccine studies, raised concerns that the company withheld its most recent data from the findings it shared. AstraZeneca may have given "an incomplete view of the efficacy data," the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said in an unusual statement early this morning.
NIAID boss Dr. Anthony Fauci told my colleague Alice Park today that the company's more recent data aren't quite as good as the older numbers, but they still aren't bad. "I look upon this as an unforced error, really," Fauci said. "There was no need for this to happen."
Still, AstraZeneca's behavior could further erode the public's confidence in its vaccine both in the U.S. and abroad. AstraZeneca's shot hasn't been authorized for use in the U.S., nor is it particularly vital here—the Biden Administration says the country will have enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for every American adult by May, even absent any AstraZeneca supply. Still, the company's behavior may once again set off alarm bells in Europe, Asia and everywhere else its vaccine is already in use. (It's also a cornerstone of the COVAX program, which aims to ensure equitable global vaccine distribution.)
At the same time, this week's developments are a sign that the system designed to ensure vaccines are safe and effective is working as intended. As Fauci told Alice, U.S. regulators would have done their own analysis of the complete AstraZeneca data even if the DSMB didn't flag any issues with the company's actions. "No matter what went on ahead of time, at the end of the day, the truth will come out," Fauci said.
More than 164.3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this morning, of which 128.2 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. Approximately 24.9% of the overall U.S. population has received at least one dose, and about 13.7% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
While the U.S. has picked up the pace of vaccination in the last few weeks, the effort could be undermined if states relax restrictions too soon and the disease is allowed to spread unchecked, former U.S. Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Tom Frieden warned on CNN yesterday. "Not only does uncontrolled spread cause avoidable illness, hospitalization and death, but it increases the risk that an even more dangerous variant may emerge that could make the vaccine less effective," said Frieden, who led the CDC under President Barack Obama.
The dark web—part of the internet only accessible with special software—is home to a growing underground market for vaccines, vaccine "passports" and negative test papers, the BBC reports. Researchers say that ads for vaccine-related products on the dark web have been getting increasingly common, and some of the shots, whether real or fake, are going for hundreds of dollars each.
A gunman in West Texas threatened a National Guard convoy transporting coronavirus vaccine doses yesterday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The man, who forced three vans carrying 11 guardsmen to pull over and pointed a gun at an unarmed soldier, later told police that he believed the soldiers had kidnapped a woman and child. Two police officers arrested the suspect, and no one was reported injured in the incident.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
Nearly 123.7 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 2.7 million people have died. On March 22, there were 470,281 new cases and 7,680 new deaths confirmed globally.
Here's how the world as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
And here is every country with over 2 million confirmed cases:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel extended the country's lockdown through April 18 today, urging residents to remain home and asking that shops close for the five days around Easter (next Sunday), NPR reports. "We are now basically in a new pandemic," Merkel said during a video conference. While Germany's number of new daily cases was previously dropping after a difficult January, infections have recently been rising again; the country reported nearly 93,000 new cases in the last week. Meanwhile, just 4.3% of Germany's residents are fully vaccinated.
The Indian commercial hub of Mumbai has stepped up rapid antigen testing in places that attract crowds, like malls and railway stations, to address a 140% surge in active cases since March 1, the New York Times reports. The tests are mandatory, and anyone who resists could face a fine or imprisonment, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai said yesterday. Officials hope to avoid another lockdown in Mumbai, which is home to Bollywood and India's biggest stock exchange.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded nearly 29.9 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. Nearly 543,000 people have died. On March 22, there were 50,584 new cases and 590 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Here's how the country as a whole is currently trending:
Here's where daily cases have risen or fallen over the last 14 days, shown in confirmed cases per 100,000 residents:
Americans are slowly becoming less cautious as more vaccines are administered, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll conducted March 19 to 22 and released today. Forty-eight percent of Americans reported visiting friends or relatives over the past week, and 45% said they'd gone out to eat, compared with 39% and 33% in mid-February. Just 67% said they had stayed home and avoided other people, compared with 74% in February.
Need a COVID-19 test? In many places across the U.S., you'll soon be able to order a PCR test collection kit through delivery service DoorDash. It's partnering with digital health companies Vault Health and Everlywell to deliver the kits, which go for about $110-120 (although insurance may cover the cost).
After sitting closed for six months, Regal Cinemas will begin to open its U.S. movie theaters on April 2 for Godzilla vs. Kong, and more widely on April 16, Deadline reports. The reopening comes after parent company Cineworld reported an operating loss of $1.34 billion during the first half of 2020. Other movie theater chains are also reopening; AMC says that 99% of its theaters will be open by Friday, while Cinemark has reopened many of its theaters as well.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of March 23, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
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WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Strange Case of Florida
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has long poo-pooed other governors who adhered to tighter COVID-19 restrictions, pointing to his state's strong economy, open schools and below-average mortality rate. However, as Derek Thompson writes in The Atlantic, the truth is more complicated. Read more here.
The Rescue Package Offers Health Insurance Help
The $1.9 trillion U.S. COVID-19 relief package signed into law earlier this month could make health insurance more affordable for many Americans. This NBC News article explains what you need to know to take advantage of its provisions. Read more here.
Pfizer Has Big Plans for mRNA Tech
Pfizer plans to use the mRNA technology used to develop its coronavirus vaccine to produce new shots to address other viruses and pathogens, the Wall Street Journal reports. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com. If you have specific questions you'd like us to answer, please send them to covidquestions@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Tara Law and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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