Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 10-20-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for October 20th, 2021.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Cases are going down worldwide, but in many countries, you certainly wouldn’t know it. For instance, some scientists are calling on the U.K. government to reimpose social restrictions and speed boosters as infection rates, which are Europe’s highest, keep going up. Russia had another daily record of deaths, and the country might declare a nonworking week. Romania hit daily records for infections and deaths…vaccine uptake is very low there. Latvia is going into a nearly monthlong lockdown that includes a curfew, with a vaccination rate that’s among the lowest in the EU. The Czechs just had the highest daily tally since late April. Poland is reporting an increase of almost 85% in new cases compared to the previous week. And New Zealand counted its most new cases of the pandemic Tuesday even as Auckland is in a two-month lockdown.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>U.S. federal regulators are expected to authorize mixing and matching booster doses this week. The idea is to provide more flexibility and get more boosters into more arms. The FDA is expected to say using the same brand is preferable, especially for Pfizer and Moderna, but studies have found an extra dose of any type revs up antibody levels.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Yes, fully vaccinated people can still transmit the virus, but how likely is it that will happen? A new study shows not very likely. Experts at the University of Colorado School of Medicine examined several studies on breakthrough cases and concluded the CDC guidance on transmission from those cases may have been overstated. The study saw definitive proof the infected vaccinated pass along much less virus than the unvaccinated. This could affect guidance on mask requirements in the future.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>News you don’t want to hear, a newly detected variant that’s an offshoot of Delta appears to be rising in England. You may start hearing about AY.4.2. Now, experts at the University of Cambridge say th