This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for December 22nd, 2021.

The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments to get ready for a “significant surge” in cases due to Omicron, already dominant in several countries. And making the assumption it will be as severe as Delta, the official said it will push already stretched health systems further to the brink. Deaths in the region are 40% higher than a year ago, but no one can or will say if these extra deaths are from Omicron or other variants.

The U.S. announced new steps to fight the Omicron wave. 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increased support for hospitals, and redoubling vaccination and boosting efforts. For the free tests, you’ll use a new government website to order them, and they’ll be delivered by the U.S. mail. While government websites and the U.S. mail do have their critics, that’s a shift from earlier when Americans were told to buy hard-to-find tests then get reimbursed by their insurer.

And it’s a good thing those tests are going to be free. Because several major pharmacies are saying we’re going to limit how many you can buy. For instance, Walgreens will let you get four at a time. There’s been a huge surge in demand because of Omicron and the holidays and travel restrictions and oh yeah, because the government keeps telling us to get tested.

Israel is rolling out a fourth, that’s right a fourth, dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people 60 and older, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems. And they’re to get it just four months after getting the third dose, formerly known as a booster. Is it necessary? One health expert said, "We don't really have data yet on the level of immunity like we did when we decided on the third dose.”

If you thought there’d be a baby boom as a result of the previous lockdowns and working from home in the U.S., think again. The country’s population growth dipped to its lowest rate ever during the first year of the pandemic. From July 2020 to July 2021, the nation grew 0.1%.

In the United States cases were up 29%, deaths are up 4%, and hospitalizations are up 12% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since December 14. 

The five states that had the most daily deaths per 100,000 are Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Maine.  

There are 10,621,626 active cases in the United States.

The five states with the greatest increase in hospitalizations per capita: Connecticut 60%, Washington, DC 57%, New Jersey 54%, and North Carolina and Maryland 49%.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Hopkins, TX. Tompkins, NY. Cuyahoga, OH. Pike, IL. Winona, MN. Rains, TX. Monroe WV. Greene, IL. Lake, OH. And Washington, DC.

There have been at least 810,045 deaths in the U.S. recorded as Covid-related.

The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that’s been fully vaccinated: Vermont at 76.6%, Rhode Island at 75.7%, and Maine unchanged at 75.1%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Idaho unchanged at 45.8%, Wyoming unchanged at 47%, and Alabama unchanged at 47.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that’s been fully vaccinated is 61.5%.

Globally, cases were up 10% and deaths down 12% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending up since October 15.

There are 23,176,213 active cases around the world.

The five countries with the most new cases: The United States 181,264. The U.K. 90,629. France 72,832. Spain 49,823. And Germany 35,049.

There have been at least 5,368,422 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide.

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