How vaccines could end the pandemic

Follow Us Get the newsletter Greetings, Quicktake readers! This week, vaccines from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson spur hope for herd immunity. Plus, a turning point in the battle over Trump's tax returns. Stream now for free. The Covid crisis The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has proven so effective that public health experts think immunizations could end the global coronavirus pandemic. A study of 1.2 million people in Israel found the shot was 92% effective at preventing severe Covid cases after two doses and 62% after one. It also reduced transmission by 89% and its estimated effectiveness for preventing death was 72% up to three weeks after the first shot. It's the largest study yet to test vaccine efficacy in a real-world environment, outside the confines of clinical trials. Meanwhile, U.S. regulators concluded this week that Johnson & Johnson's single-shot Covid vaccine is safe, clearing the way for its authorization that would make it the third FDA-approved vaccine. Still, researchers are monitoring whether new variants from South Africa and Brazil could reduce vaccine efficacy, including in New York City, where scientists have spotted yet another mutated strain. On Friday, President Joe Biden marked 50 million vaccine shots administered in the U.S. in the 37 days since he took office—halfway to his goal of 100 million doses in 100 days.—Andrew Mach What to watch if ...you've ever been unfriended. Facebook backed down from its news blackout in Australia after it passed a world-first law forcing tech giants to pay publishers for content, which could lead to more regulatory action. ...you're in the mood for an eco-friendly makeover. USPS unveiled its "next-generation delivery vehicle" as part of a 10-year multibillion-dollar effort to switch a portion of its huge fleet to electric vehicles. ...you missed the news this week. Tiger Woods suffered significant leg injuries after his SUV rolled over in steep terrain near Los Angeles, forcing golf brands to face life without their biggest star sooner than expected. Episodes to binge watch now Life Inside North Korea's Hacker Army NYC's First Black Gay Congressman Fueled by Poverty, Pragmatism Everything You Need to Know About Gold Atomic Clocks Are Reinventing Time Is This The Future of Gyms? One question, answered What's going on with Trump's taxes? The Manhattan DA obtained eight years of his tax returns after the Supreme Court denied a bid to keep them secret, giving the ex-president serious legal exposure for the first time in his career. "The dam has broken," Bloomberg's Tim O'Brien said. We want to know Taxes on WFH. Americans who telecommuted last year may be in for a messy tax-filing season, with some even facing double taxation as two or more states try to tax the same income. But since each state has slightly different rules, the details of when and where people worked matter a lot. What questions do you have about filing your taxes this year? Tell us here. Our favorites of the week Air Pollution's Insidious Link to the Coronavirus Pandemic This Is How Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Would Work Merrick Garland Chokes Up Recalling Family Fleeing 'Anti-Semitism' Climate Change Is a Threat to Global Security: David Attenborough 139-Year-Old House in San Francisco Rolls to New Address We launched a 24/7 streaming network to reinvent news with live global coverage and original shows on business, tech, politics and culture. Make sense of the biggest stories changing your business and your world. Stream now for free.   Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more.   You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Quicktake newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022