Forbes - Can More Vaccines Stop A Surge?

Plus: Gov. Cuomo’s family got privileged access to Covid testing

The good news: one in four Americans have now received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, says the CDC. The bad news: Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, and hit a month-long high yesterday. In order to stop another wave, President Biden has said that his goal is to vaccinate 200 million Americans by the end of April. Of course, no one will be forced to get a vaccine. But Rutgers recently became the first major university to require that all on-campus students must provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination for the 2021-2022 school year. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca announced last night that new data from its U.S. clinical trials showed that its Covid-19 vaccine is 76% effective against symptomatic Covid-19, slightly less than it said earlier in the week. Though it still sounds like a very effective vaccine, the change in numbers has been enough to shake confidence in many countries.

Business

Credit and debit card spending rose 45% last week after stimulus checks hit bank accounts, according to Bank of America. 

The Senate decided today to extend the Paycheck Protection Program until at least May 31st. 

The CDC says cruise ships in the U.S. still can’t sail until November 2021, sending cruise company stocks tumbling. 

684,000 Americans filed for unemployment last week, the lowest number in more than a year which indicates that the economy is recovering.

Science & Health

Pfizer announced that it has started testing its Covid-19 vaccine on kids ages 6 months to 11 years old. 

Oxford is working on a nasal spray version of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. 

LGBTQ+ health centers have been struggling to stay afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic; here’s why. 

The pandemic has created a mental health crisis among pregnant people, a new study says.

What Else We Are Reading

• The London bus trip that saved maybe a million lives (BBC News)

• Antivaccine Groups Are Having a Field Day With AstraZeneca’s Struggles (Mother Jones)

• Funding Black and Latinx community institutions is the key to vaccine equity (The Hill)