How can you tell if a coronavirus vaccine has given you immunity?

Not everyone will have side effects such as a sore arm from a coronavirus vaccine, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t work. Antibody tests can confirm your immunity, but they must be the right kind Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2267170-how-can-you-tell-if-a-coronavirus-vaccine-has-given-you-immunity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Why Scientists Are Very Worried About the Variant From Brazil

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: New coronavirus variants seem to be cropping up everywhere. There’s one from the U.K., which is more contagious and already circulating in the United States. There’s one from South Africa, which is forcing Moderna and Pfizer to reformulate their COVID-19 vaccines and create “booster” shots, just to make sure the vaccines maintain their…

Moderna Vaccine Appears To Work Against Variants

Moderna’s Covid vaccine appears to work against new, more infectious variants of the pandemic virus found in the UK and South Africa, say scientists from the US pharmaceutical company. The BBC reports: Early laboratory tests suggest antibodies triggered by the vaccine can recognize and fight the new variants. More studies are needed to confirm this is true for people who have…

Large parts of Africa may not get covid-19 vaccines for several years

Many African countries applied for covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX initiative, but lack of funding could leave them without enough vaccines to reach herd immunity until 2024 Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2263976-large-parts-of-africa-may-not-get-covid-19-vaccines-for-several-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Many Formerly-Skeptical Americans are Now Eager to Get Covid-19 Vaccines

The New York Times reports:
Ever since the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine began last spring, upbeat announcements were stalked by ominous polls: No matter how encouraging the news, growing numbers of people said they would refuse to get the shot… But over the past few weeks, as the vaccine went from a hypothetical to a reality, something happened. Fresh surveys…

New strain of Covid-19 explained

A new strain of the virus that causes Covid-19 appears to be spreading fast in the the UK. Why it matters that the coronavirus is changing, and what it means for vaccine effectiveness. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/new-strain-of-covid-19-explained…

Massachusetts Lawmakers Vote To Pass a Statewide Police Ban On Facial Recognition

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Massachusetts lawmakers have voted to pass a new police reform bill that will ban police departments and public agencies from using facial recognition technology across the state. The bill was passed by both the state’s House and Senate on Tuesday, a day after senior lawmakers announced an agreement that ended months of deadlock….

Immunity To the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint

How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination. From a report: Eight months after infection, most people who have recovered still have enough immune cells to fend off the virus and prevent illness, the new data…