Coronavirus vaccine news, updates and information for 6-21-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 21st, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>The CDC said the Delta variant now makes up at least 10% of all US cases. That’s up from 2.7% of cases on May 22, which illustrates just how fast this variant spreads. The CDC also now designated Delta as a variant of concern, meaning it may carry a risk of more severe illness and transmissibility. In the United Kingdom—it now accounts for 90% of cases.</p><p><br></p><p>The U.S. sent 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Taiwan yesterday. That triples an earlier pledge. The COVID-19 death toll on the island of 24 million people has jumped to 549, from only about a dozen prior to this outbreak.</p><p><br></p><p>While Canada is ready to loosen travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Canadians this week, the Public Safety Minister said they want to reach a vaccination rate of 75% before fully reopening the border between Canada and the U.S. for nonessential travel. That means Canada needs to nearly quadruple its vaccination rate before that border reopens.</p><p><br></p><p>Some emergency medicine officers overseeing Tokyo Olympic venues have a message for organizers. Don’t let spectators in. Those organizers will decide as soon as today whether to allow domestic spectators into stadiums. Foreign spectators are already banned. A recent poll shows 41% of Japanese still want the Games cancelled entirely.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>In Los Angeles, the impulse is to honor front line essential workers and first responders, but also to not follow their lead when it comes to vaccinations. A report shows vaccination rates for employees at police, fire, and corrections agencies are significantly lower than other adults. There’s also talk about whether those unvaccinated first responders could actually be a threat to public health instead of rescuers.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>In the United States cases were down 18%, deaths are down 21%, and hospitalizations are down 21% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has bee