Coronavirus vaccine news, updates and information for 5-14-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for May 14th, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>The CDC now says fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks outdoors, even in crowds, and in most indoor settings like stores. The guidance still calls for masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, and prisons. Now comes the confusion. How do businesses know for sure who is and isn’t vaccinated? And what about state and municipal mask mandates that are still in effect?</p><p><br></p><p>So why the confidence to ditch the masks? The number of new infections in the U.S. has dropped precipitously in recent weeks. An analysis of all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico found a correlation between the rate of vaccination and the decline in new infections. But some health officials say this is too soon given the variants and the fact only 1 in 3 Americans is fully vaccinated. They point out case numbers are down at least partially because testing has plummeted.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s anxiety is only going up. The India variant has become more prevalent just ahead of the next big easing of restrictions. The British government and scientists have said new infections may go up in coming weeks, but they aren’t sure that will lead to hospitalizations and deaths.</p><p><br></p><p>Japan certainly doesn’t appear to be heading toward herd immunity. Only 1% of its citizens are vaccinated. This just two months before the Olympic Games are supposed to start in Tokyo. Cases are rising sharply in Japan. The country weathered the pandemic pretty well and some say that’s given it a dangerous overconfidence.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>When it comes to health officials, Americans have trust issues. A poll from the Harvard School of Public Health showed only 52% of Americans have a great deal of trust in the CDC. Other health agencies did even worse — only 37% trust in the National Institutes of Health or the FDA. Even state health departments have lost trust over