Coronavirus vaccine news, updates and information for 6-18-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 18th, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>The surge in the U.K. is picking up steam with new cases going over 10,000 for the first time in nearly four months. The chief medical adviser said the surge “will definitely translate into further hospitalizations and further deaths.”</p><p><br></p><p>In Africa, cases rose over 20% week-on-week in nearly two dozen countries and only 0.79% of the continent is fully vaccinated. Five countries, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, Uganda, and Namibia, account for 76% of the new cases.</p><p><br></p><p>In Afghanistan, the U.S. Embassy has gone into a near-complete lockdown due to a massive spike in cases among employees. Staffers are isolating to prevent a spread that’s already killed at least one person, sent 114 into quarantine, and forced several people to be medically evacuated.</p><p><br></p><p>And the World Health Organization warned Indonesia needs to increase social restrictions amid a fresh surge of cases there. The country’s president has ordered authorities to speed up the vaccination campaign.</p><p><br></p><p>U.S. taxpayers might buy $3.2 billion worth of antiviral medicines. The White House plan, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, will speed clinical trials and the manufacture of promising Covid-19 treatments, with the goal of gaining FDA authorization within a year. Pretty much the things that were done in 2020.</p><p><br></p><p>In the United States cases were down 21%, deaths are down 20%, and hospitalizations are down 23% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending flat since June 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>There are now 5,119,713 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and New York.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Linn, MO. Dimmit, TX. Reeves, TX. Livingston, MO. Stone, AR. Karnes, TX. Po