Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 7-27-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for July 27th, 2021.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>California and New York City announced they will require all government employees to get the vaccine or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. It’s not clear what happens if employees refuse. The announcements are seen as a possible “opening of the floodgates” as more government entities and companies impose vaccine mandates.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Department of Veterans Affairs became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get vaccines. The Department of Justice said there is no federal law standing in the way of employers requiring vaccinations. They have eight weeks to be fully vaccinated.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Moderna is in talks with the FDA to expand the size of an ongoing trial testing its vaccines in children between five and 11. A larger database increases the likelihood of detecting rarer events. U.S. regulators actually asked Moderna and Pfizer to expand the trial due to the failure to detect rare side effects like myocarditis and pericarditis.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>What is going on in the U.K.? The assumption was that after “Freedom Day” and the lifting of restrictions, even in the face of rising Delta variant numbers, cases would skyrocket. But Britain reported its lowest daily total of new cases since July 4 yesterday. New cases fell for a sixth consecutive day and the total number of new cases over the past week is more than a fifth lower than the prior week. However, just over 70% of the adult population in Britain is fully vaccinated compared the U.S.’ less than 50%.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Jonathan Lotz, the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, is in the hospital in critical condition with COVID-19. He is a cancer survivor which could affect the severity of his case. The family has not answered media requests for information on whether or not he was vaccinated, but his famous uncle Franklin Graham has repeatedly publicly urged everyone to get vaccinated.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In