WEATHER ALERT
As Po dries up, Italy's food and energy supplies are at risk
Read full article: As Po dries up, Italy's food and energy supplies are at riskWater is so low in large stretches of Italy’s largest river that local residents are walking through the middle of the expanse of sand and shipwrecks are resurfacing, but authorities fear there’ll be far greater consequences for farmers and local populations.
Italy teachers balk at AstraZeneca vaccine plans
Read full article: Italy teachers balk at AstraZeneca vaccine plansIt complained that it hadn’t been consulted about the decision to start up the vaccine drive for teachers ahead of schedule, with some of the first 250,000 AstraZeneca doses that arrived over the weekend. The Italian government rejiggered its vaccination plans last week after Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna reduced vaccine deliveries and Italy’s pharmaceutical agency gave “preferential use” for AstraZeneca shots for people aged 18 to 55. The government is now directing its Pfizer and Moderna shots to inoculate people over age 80 while designating the AstraZeneca jabs for younger, at-risk workers. AdInterim analysis from late-stage human trials showed the AstraZeneca vaccine was 70.4% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. With more than 90,000 dead, Italy has the second-highest confirmed COVID-19 death toll in Europe after Britain.