Coronavirus vaccine news, updates and information for 6-16-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 16th, 2021.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 600,000 yesterday. That’s greater than the population of Baltimore or Milwaukee and equal to the number of Americans who died of cancer in 2019. Deaths have dropped to an average of 340 a day, with cases running at about 14,000 a day.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>California is open. It was the first state to put a lockdown in place. No more state rules on social distancing or capacity limits. Masks are no longer mandated for vaccinated people in most settings, though businesses and counties can still require them. And in New York, the state is easing many of its remaining social distancing rules and shooting off fireworks. Though unvaccinated citizens must still mask up while indoors in public places.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A study of blood samples taken early last year is the latest and largest to suggest the coronavirus was in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, but the CDC says evidence is increasingly that there were rare, sporadic cases here early on, but it didn't become widespread until late February.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Time to add another name to the vaccine roundup. Results from a Phase 3 clinical trial show the Novavax vaccine demonstrated 90.4% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. And it showed 100% protection against moderate and severe disease. For people at high risk of complications like seniors and those with comorbidities, the vaccine was 91% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Some scientists at Yale say it’s possible that all you have to do to avoid a COVID-19 infection is make sure you always have a cold. Their research found exposure to the rhinovirus that usually causes the common cold can protect against coronavirus infection. It does so by jump-starting the early-response molecules in the immune system, provided the timing is just right.