A new study suggests that a coordinated global vaccine rollout could save a trillion dollars in lost economic output this year. This is more than 7% of the world’s GDP. The findings reinforce the urgency of ensuring vaccine access and safety for everyone worldwide.

The first phase of the vaccine rollout is complete, with the highest-priority populations vaccinated, including frontline health and care workers, people who are at high risk of infection or death because of underlying conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and older adults. By the end of this stage, 1.8 million doses will have been injected each day.

Real-world data shows the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. This update is reassuring, but further research and trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness at stopping disease progression.

With vaccine production ramping up, the Biden administration announces it will quickly release most available doses to inoculate more people, reversing Trump’s policy of holding back second doses. The administration also expands eligibility to include dialysis centers, a population at a high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

With vaccine distribution accelerating, New York City’s Test & Trace program activates its Ring Vaccination model, bringing vaccines into neighborhoods with a full suite of support services including mobile testing and vaccination, accelerated contact tracing, and community outreach. The approach has reached nearly seven million people as of May 2021. Test & Trace will continue to work with its partners to reach even more people through this strategy.