The United States may not need AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, even if it wins U.S. regulatory approval, Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor told Reuters on April 1.

Novel coronavirus

A critical component of the immune system known as T cells that respond to fight infection from the original version of the novel coronavirus appear to also protect against three of the most concerning new virus variants, according to a U.S. laboratory study released on March 30.

U.S. college students vaccinated with Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine will be part of a new study to test mRNA-1273’s effectiveness in curbing the spread of the virus, the COVID-19 Prevention Network said on March 26.

AstraZeneca released primary analysis showing that the company’s AZD1222 vaccine demonstrated 76 percent efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19, 100 percent efficacy against severe or critical disease and hospitalizations, and 85 percent efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 in people 65 years and older.

AstraZeneca Plc is likely to come out with a new, modified statement about the company’s Covid-19 vaccine after a data and safety monitoring board expressed concern that the data in the drug manufacturer’s recent public statement were outdated, U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on March 24.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said on March 14 he hopes former President Donald Trump will push his supporters to get the Covid-19 vaccine and emphasized that pandemic-related restrictions should not be lifted prematurely.

Alabama’s governor on March 4 extended for another month an order mandating residents to wear face masks to protect against Covid-19, breaking with Mississippi and Texas as the issue again becomes the focus of political debate.

Vir Biotechnology and Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline said on March 3 they would pause enrollment into a study testing their experimental Covid-19 antibody therapy, which is a part of a large U.S. trial.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) halted a trial of convalescent blood plasma in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 symptoms as it was unlikely to benefit this group.

The United States must stick to a two-dose strategy for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, top U.S. infectious disease official Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post newspaper.