Goodbye to the one and only easy single-dose vaccine in town!

Happening in the world: In the last week alone, the number of India’s active COVID-19 cases has soared to more than 143, 000 cases per day. This sudden spike in cases can either be attributed to the new variants of the virus, or the general relaxation of physical distancing regulations in the country. Notably, India’s federal government has allowed large-scale gatherings to take place with no consideration for rising numbers, including the recent Kumbh Mela— which involves millions of devotees taking a dip in the River Ganga— which some experts believe, could have been a major superspreader event. Further, some sources also suggest that the current reports of India’s COVID-19 numbers are severely undercounted. This second wave comes just as India is beginning to ramp up its vaccination effort, now vaccinating around 3.6 million people every day. As of yesterday, India also moved to authorize other coronavirus vaccines approved for use by the WHO including Russia’s Sputnik V. Still, it remains to be seen how this will affect other countries that are relying on Indian industries to manufacture and export vaccines to them. (AP)

Happening in the US: After Federal health officials studied a rare blood-clotting disorder that emerged in six recipients of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, they decided to call for a pause in the administration of this vaccine across the country. The director of the FDA insisted that the move was primarily an “abundance of caution” and these cases were very rare. By yesterday evening, every US state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had officially announced a pause in the administration of Johnson and Johnson vaccines. With only two vaccines left instead of 3, officials suggest that the US will have enough doses to vaccinate a maximum of 230 million adults by the end of May i.e 30 million less than the country’s total adult population. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s department of education is launching a new summer school program called, “Summer Rising”— designed to address the academic and emotional toll of the pandemic on students schooling lives. The $120 million programs will be open to any child across grades K-12, in varying forms: including specialized programs for kids of particular age groups, kids who are multilingual learners, and kids who seek a way to be reconnected with their friends. In a press briefing, de Blasio insisted that this would serve as the template of all future summer programming and be the end of the summer school “as we knew it.” (Gothamist)

Happening in the Columbia Community: Today evening at 7 pm, the Institute for Research in African American Studies is organizing a second session of Black Arts Dialogues as a conversation between writer-director Dee Rees and New York Times Bestselling author Ayana Mathis. You can register for the event and learn more here.

Vaccine Vials via Bwog Archives.