SACRAMENTO, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom says nearly half of Californians eligible for vaccination have received at least one shot against the coronavirus.
He is urging more residents to sign up for appointments and not let apprehension get in the way of getting protected against the illness.
The nationâs most populous state on Thursday began vaccinating anyone age 16 and over regardless of occupation or health condition.
The move comes as California and other states have seen vaccine supplies rise in recent weeks. But officials are working to address hesitancy, particularly in some of the communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
The Latest: Australia reports death after AstraZeneca shot
Associated Press
Updated:
Tags:
Full Screen1 / 9
In this image made from video, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, right, with Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, speaks during a news conference in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, April 8, 2021. Australia on Thursday become the latest country to restrict use of the AstraZeneca vaccine by recommending that it not be given to people under age 50. (SBS via AP)
CANBERRA, Australia Australia reported its first death linked to the AstraZeneca shot on Friday.
The 48-year-old woman was injected with the vaccine on April 8. That was hours before Australian authorities recommended people under the age of 50 take the Pfizer shot instead because of the small risk of rare blood clots associated with AstraZeneca, Therapeutic Goods Administration, the vaccine regulator, said in a statement.
The Latest: US sets up $1.7B network to track virus variants
WASHINGTON The Biden administration says the U.S. is setting up a $1.7 billion national network to identify and track coronavirus variants and analyze disease threats.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says the U.S. is averaging nearly 70,000 new daily coronavirus cases, up from about 53,000 just four weeks ago.
Hospitalizations have been trending higher, and deaths were up for the third day in a row. Along with relaxed restrictions on gatherings and indoor dining, the emergence of variants that spread more easily is part of the reason for the worsening trend.
â Indian vaccine maker asks U.S. to ease export curbs
â South Africa takes first step to offer shots to the elderly
â Tokyo Olympic organizers again say postponed games will open in just 100 days despite Japan s virus surge
âââ
HEREâS WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
NEW YORK â A panel of government health advisers have scheduled a new meeting to consider what to say about unusual blood clots linked to one type of coronavirus vaccine.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet April 23. The panel advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The group held an emergency meeting this week to decide what to advise government health officials about reports of an unusual combination of dangerous blood clots and low platelet counts in six women who had received Johnson & Johnsonâs single-dose vaccine.
CANBERRA, Australia â Australia reported its first death linked to the AstraZeneca shot on Friday.
The 48-year-old woman was injected with the vaccine on April 8. That was hours before Australian authorities recommended people under the age of 50 take the Pfizer shot instead because of the small risk of rare blood clots associated with AstraZeneca, Therapeutic Goods Administration, the vaccine regulator, said in a statement.
She was admitted with blood clots to a Newcastle hospital in New South Wales state four days later and died on Thursday, the statement said.
The woman is the third case of blood clots in Australia officially linked to the vaccine since the national rollout began in early March. About 885,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the nation.