Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 8-18-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for August 18th, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>Not all nations are reluctant to lock down, and New Zealand's one of them. The entire nation was put into strict lockdown for at least three days yesterday after discovery of one single case of infection. The Prime Minister said, "We’ve seen what happens elsewhere if we fail to get on top of it. We only get one chance.”</p><p><br></p><p>Round three. The U.S. government is reportedly about to offer booster shots to all Americans as soon as next month. The recommendation is expected to be that booster shots are needed only eight months after the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Life for the unvaccinated will start getting a bit tougher to enjoy. People at New York City's restaurants, museums, gyms, pretty much anywhere indoors, had to show proof yesterday of at least partial inoculation. And in Chicago everyone 2 and older, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, must again wear masks when indoors in public starting Friday. In both cities businesses will be held responsible for enforcement.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Customs and Border Protection seized thousands of fake vaccine cards in dozens of shipments this fiscal year, including one recently from China to New Orleans. That one was just one of 15 shipments in one night going to several different cities. Officials say they’re so bad, most are very easy to spot.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Debate the professional ethics of this amongst yourselves, but a doctor in Mobile, Alabama is refusing to see any more patients who aren’t vaccinated. Dr. Jason Valentine is making the policy effective October 1. He says, “COVID is a miserable way to die and I can’t watch them die like that.”</p><p><br></p><p>In the United States cases were up 52%, deaths are up 87%, and hospitalizations are up 60% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since July 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>There are 6,966,500 active cases in the Unit