The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday extended emergency use authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds, in a step that experts are calling crucial not only for children's safety, but also for the country's chances of reaching a higher level of protective immunity.
There are approximately 25 million 12- to 17-year-olds in the U.S., according to federal data, so the new authorization opens up vaccination to significantly more people. Given that vaccination rates among adults are slowing, the move could provide the rollout with a much-needed boost.
To accommodate the new group, Pfizer will begin sending vaccine doses in smaller quantities directly to pediatricians' offices, my colleague Alice Park reports. That's welcome news for many. "I cannot tell you how many people have been anxiously awaiting this day to get their kids vaccinated," one infectious disease doctor told Alice.
Even so, in a recent KFF poll, only about 30% of parents with kids ages 12 to 15 said they'd get their children vaccinated as soon as possible. About 18% said they would get their child vaccinated if their school required it, and about a quarter said they would not vaccinate their kid. The remaining quarter said they want to wait and see how the vaccine works in children. There's good news on that front: Not a single vaccinated child in Pfizer's clinical trial of 2,200 participants developed COVID-19 symptoms, suggesting the shot works extremely well in younger people.
Vaccination could open up a whole world of possibilities for families with tweens and teens. Many families have been caught in limbo, with shots available to adults but not kids younger than 16. With that starting to change, some families may be able to safely resume activities like indoor gatherings, playdates and travel. The vaccine authorization should also make it easier for schools and camps to reopen safely—a big win for kids' learning and development; parents' abilities to return to work; and, ultimately, the U.S.' recovery from COVID-19.
About 334 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of May 11, of which 263.1 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. About 35.1% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
Maryland-based pharmaceutical firm Novavax may not submit its vaccine for regulatory clearance in the U.S., U.K., and E.U. until September, months later than expected, the Wall Street Journal reports. The delay—which is compounded by a raw materials shortage—is a blow particularly to developing countries, many of which have been counting on shots from Novavax, which has pledged more than 1.1 billion doses to the global COVAX effort.
Among the places desperate for doses are the nearly one dozen countries, many of them in Africa, that have yet to receive a single COVID-19 vaccine shipment. Chad, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea and Tanzania are among the nations still waiting, according to the Associated Press. All told, Africa accounts for only 1% of the coronavirus shots administered globally so far, the AP reports.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 158.9 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 3.3 million people have died. On May 10, there were 624,709 new cases and 10,845 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 2.5 million confirmed cases:
World Health Organization officials are investigating an unexplained surge in COVID-19 cases in Seychelles, a small island nation off East Africa where about 60% of people are fully vaccinated. Despite that impressive vaccination rate, the country's case counts more than doubled last week—and 37% of those diagnosed with the virus had been vaccinated. Seychelles is using China's Sinopharm and India's Covishield vaccines, neither of which are authorized in the U.S. The WHO is looking into the possibility of vaccine failure, among other potential issues.
In more lighthearted news, Transylvania's Bran Castle, which is believed to be the inspiration for Count Dracula's lair, is now arguably the world's coolest place to get vaccinated. Romania has designated the castle a free COVID-19 vaccination center, where residents can get their shots without even making an appointment. Foreign tourists, however, aren't eligible.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 32.7 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 582,000 people have died. On May 10, there were 36,231 new cases and 399 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:
More than 1.7 million people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Mother's Day, a new pandemic-era single-day record. That's still down almost 30% from the same Sunday two years ago, but it's a strong signal that Americans are returning to the skies as vaccination rates climb. In more aviation news, senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal are asking major U.S. airlines to honor pandemic-related travel vouchers indefinitely, given that many may expire before people are comfortable using them.
In the world of ground transport, the White House is set to announce a partnership with Uber and Lyft to offer free rides to vaccination sites through July 4, the Wall Street Journal reports. Both companies will promote the offer in their mobile apps.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of May 11, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The CDC's Communication Breakdown
"Out of an abundance of caution" has been the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's unofficial mantra during the pandemic. But a growing body of experts argue the agency's caution may be too abundant, as its disease-prevention guidelines have often remained more conservative than scientific consensus supports, STAT reports. Read more here.
A Gap in the Data
States have collected reams of pandemic-related data over the past year. But as the New York Times notes, few ask individuals about their sexual orientation or gender identity, leaving questions about case counts and vaccine uptake within the LGBTQ+ community. Read more here.
Inside an Indian Field Hospital
Even as the U.S. approaches the light at the end of the tunnel, the COVID-19 crisis remains dire in India. These AP photos show the devastating reality at a Mumbai field hospital. 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 Jamie Ducharme and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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