As one of the reporters who monitor's TIME's COVID Questions inbox, I can say with confidence that lots of people are desperately trying to convince vaccine-hesitant loved ones to get their shots these days. Actually doing so, however, is complicated.
My colleague Jeffrey Kluger's latest story has some practical advice for people in that position: Don't shame them into it. A better tactic, Jeff writes, seems to be appealing to whatever's important to your loved one. In a recent TIME/Harris Poll survey, for example, 60% of vaccinated respondents said they were influenced by a desire to see friends and family again, and more than half said they wanted to get back to traveling.
"I think what impressed me the most is how personal getting vaccinated is—what an intimate choice it is in some ways," Jeff says. "Among the most powerful variables in people choosing to get vaccinated was wanting to travel to see a friend or loved one but not being able to; having a conversation about vaccines with a friend or loved one; or a friend or loved one getting vaccinated—and thereby setting an example. The pandemic is playing out at a global scale, but our choices are made at a much smaller, more human scale."
Talking about the real, tangible benefits of vaccination—reuniting with friends and family, safely returning to beloved pre-pandemic pastimes—seems to be far more effective than trying to guilt someone into getting a shot. Pre-pandemic studies have also found that personal stories and conversations are influential, not just for vaccine acceptance but also in other medical arenas, like organ donation.
It can be difficult to remember that during something as emotionally charged as the pandemic; the instinct to shame and blame can kick in almost immediately. But as Jeff rightly points out, "It's the virus that's the enemy, after all, not the people it infects."
More than 219.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this morning, of which some 168.5 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. Approximately 31.8% of the overall U.S. population has received at least one dose, and about 19% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
The European Union remains on track to reach "sufficient community immunity" by the end of June despite vaccine shortages and other problems, E.U. Commission spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker said today, the Associated Press reports. While De Keersmaecker is optimistic that the E.U. could reach its target of vaccinating 70% of adults by summer's end, he acknowledged that unpredictable issues could still complicate those efforts.
People who receive Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine retain high antibody levels six months after getting their second dose, according to a letter published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings come after similar results released last week showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine is also effective after six months. Further research will be needed to determine the maximum longevity of protection conferred by the vaccines.
The University of Oxford has paused a study testing the vaccine it developed alongside AstraZeneca in children and teens amid investigations into reports of a rare blood clotting issue among adult recipients, the Wall Street Journal reports. The trial, which includes over 200 people aged 6 to 17, has not run into any safety issues, but Oxford is waiting for more information from British regulators before continuing. Several countries, including the U.K., Germany and Italy, have temporarily paused distribution of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine among certain age groups amid concerns about the blood condition.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 131.7 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and nearly 2.9 million people have died. On April 5, there were 394,108 new cases and 7,105 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:
Brazil, where highly contagious variants are driving viral spread and leaving hospitals overwhelmed, is on pace to report more than 3,000 daily deaths from COVID-19 as early as next week, Reuters reports. If current trends continue, Brazil will soon be experiencing an even higher daily death toll than the United States was reporting at the height of its outbreak in January. Nearly 333,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, and more than 13 million people have been infected.
Matters are far calmer in New Zealand, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today that travelers can move freely between her country and Australia without needing to quarantine starting on April 19. "One sacrifice that has been particularly hard for many to bear over the past year has been the separation from friends and family who live in Australia, so today's announcement will be a great relief for many," Ardern said. While New Zealand health officials consider the risk of viral transmission from Australia to be low, Ardern warned that the so-called "Trans-Tasman bubble" could be closed if there's another outbreak.
North Korea will skip this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games due to the pandemic, the New York Times reports, missing its first Summer Olympics since South Korea hosted the event in 1988. Athletic competitions aside, many in the diplomatic world were hoping that this year's Games could serve as a diplomatic forum for North and South Korea. Pyongyang has yet to report a single case of COVID-19, though experts doubt the official claims.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded nearly 30.8 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. Nearly 556,000 people have died. On April 5, there were 78,279 new cases and 596 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:
All U.S. states must open vaccine eligibility to all residents over the age of 16 by April 19, the Biden Administration announced today, moving up the President's timeline from May 1. The move is basically symbolic, as state leaders have already opened or are planning to open eligibility prior to the first. It also comes as the U.S. vaccination campaign is set to get a major boost: about 700 million doses are expected to be delivered by this summer, per NBC.
The success of the U.S. vaccine rollout so far may be giving people an overly rosy view of the country's coronavirus situation. In a Gallup poll conducted March 15-21, only 35% of Americans said they're very or somewhat worried about catching COVID-19, down from 49% in February. Meanwhile, about 77% said the coronavirus situation in the U.S. is improving, and just 7% said it's getting worse. However, experts are concerned that the country may be entering a fourth wave of the coronavirus driven by emerging variants, and about two-thirds of Americans have yet to receive their first vaccine dose.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of April 6, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
One-Third of U.S. Troops Opted Out of Vaccines
A large number of U.S. troops have chosen not to be vaccinated, leaving them vulnerable to the virus—and showing that the country's fighting forces are susceptible to disinformation, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and Marine Corps War College Professor Tammy Schultz write for TIME. Read more here.
A Love Letter to a Pandemic Puppy
Nicole Chung expected her family would love her golden retriever puppy, Peggy. But she's been surprised by the dog's ability to help her deal with her grief over the past few months. "I've never been more in need of comfort and a limitless source of uncomplicated love," Chung writes for TIME. Read more here.
Hot Pots Soothe Families Through the Pandemic
As the pandemic has threatened Americans' health and tested their spirits, many have turned to food for comfort. For some Asian Americans families, that has meant sharing a hot pot, as Andrew Campa writes in the Los Angeles Times. Read more here.
The Upside of Vaccine Tourism
Although people traveling great distances to get vaccinated have been criticized for taking doses from potentially more vulnerable locals, "vaccine tourists" are also a potential boon to the economies they visit, Daniel Block argues in The Atlantic. Read more here.
—Tara Law
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 Jamie Ducharme and Tara Law, and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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