140 9 JULY 2021 • VOL 373 ISSUE 6551 sciencemag.org SCIENCEPHOTO: DITA ALANGKARA/AP IMAGESP
ublic health specialists are blaming a troubling
mix of lagging immunizations, less mask use,
more social gatherings, and the spread of the
more contagious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-
for recent surges in the number of COVID-
cases in many countries. The World Health
Organization says the combination is delaying the pan-
demic’s end. Last week, cases in Europe increased for
the first time in 10 weeks. Growth in Indonesia, Russia,
and South Africa was also worrying, with all seeing
daily infections double in recent weeks. Some health
experts criticized the U.K. government for its 5 Julyannouncement that it would ease almost all restrictions
later this month, despite a dramatic increase in daily
infections, nearly all of them from the Delta variant.
Cases dropped across North America, but in one-third
of the United States’s 3000 counties, the share of peo-
ple who are fully vaccinated remains below 30%. Data
from Israel and the United Kingdom suggest that avail-
able vaccines still provide strong protection against se-
vere disease from Delta. But protection against mild
infections has dropped significantly—suggesting it will
be even harder for vaccination campaigns to curb the
virus’ toll.NEWS
IN BRIEF
CureVac disappoints again
COVID-19 | The final analysis of a large
clinical trial of a candidate vaccine against
COVID-19 last week yielded further evidence
of its mediocre efficacy—but its manufac-
turer, German biotech firm CureVac, is still
hopeful that the vaccine, which is based onmessenger RNA (mRNA), can protect people
under age 60. An interim analysis of the
trial, which recruited 40,000 participants in
10 European and Latin American countries,
had shown the vaccine to have only 47%
efficacy (Science, 25 June, p. 1381). The final
analysis, based on a total of 228 COVID-
cases in the placebo and vaccinated groups,put overall efficacy at 48%—much lower
than other mRNA vaccines. But in par-
ticipants ages 18 to 60, the rate was 53%,
a notch above the 50% deemed acceptable
by the World Health Organization. In this
group, the vaccine offered 77% protection
against moderate to severe disease and 100%
against hospitalization and death. Based onEdited by Jeffrey BrainardCOVID-Precautions ease as Delta variant spreads, driving up cases
“
Chucking live lobsters
into pots to turn them red is a major issue.
”
Mike Radford, who studies animal welfare law at the University of Aberdeen, in The Washington Post,
about a U.K. bill that would protect animals deemed “sentient”—which it doesn’t define.People line up to get China’s
Sinovac vaccine at a sports
stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia,
where most hospital beds are full
because of a COVID-19 surge.