You'd think that getting vaccinated for COVID-19 would be enough of a reward all by itself. Doing so can protect you, with stunning efficacy, from getting severely sick—not to mention avoiding hospitalization and death. But that's not enough for many Americans, who may need to be enticed by a little something extra to get the life-saving shot. Politicians, companies and lawmakers have been more than happy to provide a nudge: Vaccine incentives so far have ranged from free Krispy Kreme donuts to $100 savings bonds to statewide lottery tickets.
Today, U.S. President Joe Biden, who's pushing to get 70% of Americans vaccinated by July 4, announced a new suite of national-level incentives—including free beer—to goose the country's lagging vaccination rate. (About 54,000 people are now getting their first shot every day, compared to about 3 million in mid-March.)
Deal-sweeteners from the White House's partners include a free beer from Anheuser-Busch for Americans 21 and older once the U.S. reaches Biden's 70% goal; a CVS-sponsored sweepstakes in which vaccinated people can win free cruises, Super Bowl tickets and cash; free tickets from Major League Baseball; a giveaway for a year of free United Airlines flights; and the chance to win a year of free groceries from Kroger. (Here's a complete list of freebies.)
The White House is also launching other outside-the-box programs intended to improve vaccine access and uptake. Four major child care providers are offering free services for parents and caregivers who get vaccinated between now and July 4, for instance. And a new initiative to reach Black Americans will launch in June: barbershops and beauty salons across the country will host vaccination events and provide vaccine information. Though Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that only about 9% have at least one dose, compared to 61% of white Americans.
Vaccination is the strongest tool we have to defeat the pandemic. The government knows it and will try plenty to convince you, too—starting with a cold beer.
VACCINE TRACKER
About 366.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been shipped to various U.S. states as of this afternoon, of which about 296.9 million doses have been administered thus far, according to TIME's vaccine tracker. About 41.0% of Americans have been completely vaccinated.
Researchers are testing whether mixing and matching different COVID-19 vaccines can lead to a better, longer immune response and protection from variants. In the new study, led by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), fully vaccinated adults are receiving booster doses of different vaccines to determine if they're safe and effective. "Although the vaccines currently authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offer strong protection against COVID-19, we need to prepare for the possibility of needing booster shots to counter waning immunity and to keep pace with an evolving virus," said NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci in a statement.
Israel's Health Ministry said yesterday that a small number of heart inflammation cases in vaccinated people were likely linked to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Reuters reports. Among more than 5 million vaccinated individuals, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported since vaccination began in Israel in December 2020; they were most likely to occur after the second dose in men ages 16 to 30, and 95% of cases were mild, a study found. Pfizer said in a statement that no causal link had been established. Last week, the European Medicines Agency said the issue was not a cause for concern and that myocarditis rates among vaccine recipients were similar to those in the general population.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 171.1 million people around the world had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of 1 a.m. E.T. today, and more than 3.5 million people have died. On June 1, there were 463,455 new cases and 15,101 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 3 million confirmed cases:
Americans' optimism that the end of the pandemic is near is relatively high—at least within U.S. borders. But elsewhere in the world, the virus continues to rage. Malaysia, Nepal and Argentina, for example, are experiencing their worst outbreaks yet, the New York Times reports. In some parts of Asia and South America, infections have reached record levels. Paraguay and Uruguay, for instance, now have the world's highest per capita death rates. The only way to gain meaningful improvement and stop the spread of highly transmissible variants is through vaccination, but access worldwide has been dismal, and poorer countries need rich countries to provide more doses.
Starting July 1, all 27 European Union countries will use a digital COVID-19 status certificate to simplify international travel, the New York Times reports. Yesterday, seven such countries—Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland—launched the so-called "digital green certificate," which records if people have been fully vaccinated, have recovered from the virus or have tested negative within 72 hours. Travelers can move freely as long as they meet one of those conditions.
The Situation in the U.S.
The U.S. had recorded more than 33.2 million coronavirus cases as of 1 a.m. E.T. today. More than 595,200 people have died. On June 1, there were 23,010 new cases and 641 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:
New York City will open vaccination sites at schools to reach kids ages 12 to 17, mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. The first four will open Friday in the Bronx, with more opening elsewhere over the coming weeks. So far, about 23% of New York City kids 12-17 have gotten at least one dose.
Celebrity Cruises today became the first cruise line to get permission from the CDC to restart trips out of a U.S. port, MarketWatch reports. The Celebrity Edge will sail out of Port Everglades, Fl., on June 26 for a seven-night Caribbean journey. Passengers over age 16 must be fully vaccinated; come August, that rule will apply to all passengers over 12. However, Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently issued an executive order forbidding businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination, and it's unclear how that might affect cruise lines.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of June 2, 1 a.m. E.T. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
How the Pandemic Helped the Fight Against Flu
Flu viruses have been evolving in recent years, making it harder for scientists to create effective vaccines. But when COVID-19 forced people apart, flu viruses were wiped out, simplifying the flu-shot creation process, Helen Branswell reports for STAT. Read more here.
COVID-19 Likely Killed Far More Americans Than We Know
In a preprint study, researchers found that 18% of last year's excess deaths—those above the expected level—weren't officially attributed to COVID-19, suggesting that the pandemic killed more Americans than has been officially reported. The problem was especially pronounced in rural counties, where coroners, justices of the peace or other officials record the cause of death, Tanya Lewis reports for Scientific American. 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 Mandy Oaklander and edited by Alex Fitzpatrick.
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