Coronavirus Vaccine: Canada says 1st dose Oxford-AstraZeneca can be followed by Pfizer, Moderna

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization says people who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose can be offered either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for the second.

The advice affects more than two million Canadians who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine before provinces stopped using it for first doses last month.

The vaccine is potentially linked to a rare but serious blood clotting syndrome. In Canada, 41 confirmed or suspected cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia have been diagnosed and five people have died.

Several European countries are giving Pfizer or Moderna as second doses to AstraZeneca recipients, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

NACI's published report says AstraZeneca recipients can be offered the same vaccine if they want it, or can be given either Pfizer or Moderna. The guidance is not binding but most provincial governments have indicated they were waiting for the information before setting their policies.

Here are more of today's headlines:

Theaters get big boost as moviegoers return over Memorial Day weekend

In Hollywood, it was a mega opening for "A Quiet Place II" over the holiday weekend, and big bucks were spent to see "Cruella" as well. These are hopeful signs for a business that had to shut down for more than a year due to the pandemic.

First NY scholarship winners announced

The first winners of Gov. Cuomo 'Get a Shot to Make Your Future' COVID-19 vaccine scholarship incentive for 12- to 17-year-olds were announced Wednesday. The winners are:

- Jack Lucchesi, Victor, NY

- Charlotte D'Agostino, Bronx, NY

- Ariana Nasr, Bayside, NY

- Adam Judson, Albany, NY

- Jack McAuliffe, Chazy, NY

- Hannah Lee, Westbury, NY

- Chase French, Penfield, NY

- Liam Burke, Westchester, NY

- Peter Smith, Syracuse, NY

- Bai Tang Jiang, Queens, NY

The raffle runs through July 17. Cuomo said 45,883 young adults had gotten their first shot since the incentive was announced.

75% of adults in Nassau County vaccinated

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced Wednesday that 75.1% (3 in 4) of adult residents (18+) in Nassau County have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. According to the State Department of Health, Nassau County has the highest percentage of adult residents (18+) with at least one vaccine dose among all New York State Counties with a population greater than 200,000. The NY statewide percentage for adults who've received at least one vaccine dose is 65.5%.

Javits Center to reopen in August with Auto Show

The Javits Center will reopen with the New York International Auto Show on August 20-29, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. Tickets go on sale June 30. Cuomo says the goal is for the event to attract one million visitors, the same levels the event saw before the pandemic.

What Fauci's emails from early days of COVID pandemic reveal

Dr. Anthony Fauci was a regular on American televisions as the pandemic unfolded across the country and millions looked to the leading expert for insight and guidance on how to defeat the virus.

He was fielding dozens of questions every day off screen too, answering emails from team members, former colleagues, old friends, reporters, producers, celebrities -- and sometimes strangers desperate for advice or looking to leave a note of "thanks."

BuzzFeed News published more than 3,200 pages of emails from Fauci's inbox after obtaining correspondence spanning from January to June 2020, and The Washington Post published excerpts from more than 860 pages of emails during March and April 2020. CNN also obtained a number of emails from February, but many were heavily redacted.

NJ announces transition away from mega-site model

With close to 1,800 vaccination sites located across the state, New Jersey is now beginning to transition away from the mega-site model to the community-based model. The sites have delivered nearly two million doses and fully vaccinated more than 950,000 people.

Gloucester

Final Prime doses: 5/26

Final Booster doses: 6/18

Atlantic

Final Prime doses: 5/29

Final Booster doses: 6/19

Bergen

Final Prime doses: 6/4

Final Booster doses: 6/24

Burlington

Final Prime doses: 7/1

Final Booster doses: 7/23

Morris

Final Prime doses: 6/23

Final Booster doses: 7/16

Middlesex

Final Prime doses: 6/26

Final Booster doses: 7/17

Federal CVC

Final Prime doses: 6/20

Final Booster doses: 6/20

NYC to start in-school vaccinations

New York City will start offering in-school vaccinations to students at select locations starting Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday. The shots for young people ages 12-17 will be available through mobile pop-up vaccine sites that will deployed to schools. The program will start at four schools in the Bronx and expand to all five boroughs in the next few weeks, de Blasio said.

Disturbing videos highlight teachers' concerns in Paterson schools

After inspecting an HVAC unit in a classroom, the teachers union posted video of the results on social media. The recording shows the unit malfunctioning after being turned on, and the person making the video says, "This unit is kind of... kind of useless."

The teachers union claims the district didn't change some HVAC filters or properly clean the buildings, even posting a photo of a dead roach. They sent out a tweet, saying, 'The Paterson Education Association conducted inspections of Paterson school buildings' ventilation systems. I'm horrified to show you what they found. Filters that haven't been changed since last year but logs saying they were changed recently. And they want our kids back next week. No way."

Americans 21+ eligible for free beer once 70% of US adults are partially vaccinated

Brewing company Anheuser-Busch announced Wednesday that it's partnering with the White House to give one free beer to Americans 21+ once 70% of U.S. adults are partially vaccinated. To date, 62.8% of the adult U.S. population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 133.6 million are fully vaccinated. Once the nation reaches the White House's goal of 70%, the St. Louis-based brewer will give away one free beer, seltzer or non-alcoholic beverage to any American who wants one. Anheuser-Busch brands include Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois, Natural Light and Bon Viv hard seltzer.

Gov. Murphy, Education Secretary Cardona push in-person learning during school tour

Governor Phil Murphy and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Bergenfield High School Wednesday to discuss the importance of in-person learning. They also heard from the students about getting back in class after a year of on-line and hybrid learning. Students in band practice had a chance to show their skills. Others took time to share some of their excitement about being back in classrooms. The high school is now back to full-day in-person learning.

Biden's 'month of action' aims to get 70% of adults partially vaccinated by July 4

President Joe Biden announced a "month of action" Wednesday to urge more Americans to get vaccinated for COVID-19 before the July 4 holiday, with an early summer sprint of incentives, including free beer, childcare and sports tickets to persuade Americans to roll up their sleeves. Biden announced a slew of new steps to ease barriers to vaccinations and to make getting shots more appealing to those who haven't received doses. He is closing in on his goal to get 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by Independence Day - essential to his aim of returning the nation to a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy this summer.

"We're looking at June as a critical month in our path to normal and as a critical month in order to continue the progress we're making in our vaccination campaign," Courtney Rowe, the director of strategic communications and engagement for the White House COVID-19 response team, told the AP.

Moderna full FDA approval now being sought for COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna is applying for full government approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. The company said it is submitting trial data to the Food and Drug Administration on a rolling basis over the coming weeks, CNN reported. Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was first authorized for emergency use in December. To apply for full approval, the company needs to do a six-month follow-up.

Mask guidance in the Tri-State area

New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

How to get the vaccine in NYC, Tri-State area

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus

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