Pfizer, Feds at Odds Over Third Dose; No Spectators at Olympics; ‘Trashy’ Hospital

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Pfizer and its vaccine partner BioNTech will seek FDA authorization for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, citing positive data from an Israeli study; in response, the CDC and FDA issued a joint statement saying data do not yet support the need for a third dose. (The Hill)

Calling it a “very heavy judgement,” the head of the Tokyo Olympic Committee announced that the competition will be held without spectators, because of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. (CNN)

Also on the international COVID-19 front, Australian officials warned of an extended lockdown in Sydney if the current case surge continues, and officials in Seoul, South Korea increased COVID-related restrictions to the highest level, just short of a lockdown, because of concern about a potential surge. (Reuters)

As of about 8 a.m. ET, the estimated COVID-19 toll in the U.S. included 33,792,445 cases and 606,482 deaths, increases of 20,503 and 262, respectively, since the same time a day ago.

Rapid implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the U.S. averted an estimated 279,000 additional deaths and 1.25 million hospitalizations. (Commonwealth Fund)

COVID-related deaths in prisons might have been underestimated because some inmates were released before they died. (New York Times)

The European Medicines Agency recommends that patients with a history of capillary leak syndrome do not take the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine.

The U.S. Navy unveiled a prototype of a first-ever maternity flight suit for pregnant aircrew. (Newsweek, MSN.com)

An engineering student from Taiwan returned home to build a hospital from sanitized “trash,” purchased from a medical waste processing company. (Newsweek)

E-cigarette maker Juul purchased an entire issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior to publish articles written by Juul employees to “prove” that e-cigarettes and vaping are safe. (American Prospect)

Pfizer, Biogen, and AbbVie have formed a collaboration to create a browsable database that will link rare genetic variants to human diseases.

Can good oral hygiene, such as regular brushing and flossing, help stave off cognitive decline? (CNN)

In pictures: The children left behind by COVID-19. (AP)

Buying a hearing aid without a prescription? That’s covered by President Biden’s executive order to stimulate market competition. (NPR)

“Patients know that now, but they know it too late.” Arkansas infectious disease specialist Ryan Dare, MD, commenting on unvaccinated patients hospitalized because of COVID-19. (NBC News)