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The G-7 nations announced Friday that they will donate a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to low- and medium-income nations.  The U.S., as previously announced, will donate 500 million shots, while Britain will donate 100 million.  “I hope my fellow @G7 leaders will make similar pledges so that, together, we can vaccinate the world by the end of next year,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson posted on Twitter Friday.  G-7 Will Donate 1 Billion COVID Vaccines to WorldUS shots will begin shipment in August President Biden says; Britain will donate 100 million jabsChildhood vaccinations
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Thursday, focusing on 10 jurisdictions, found that between March and May of 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a marked decline in routine childhood vaccinations compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019.   The study said the decline placed “U.S. children and adolescents at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases,” such as measles and polio.The CDC study also found the vaccination rate increased from June to September 2020, but “this increase was not sufficient to achieve catch-up coverage.”The CDC recommended health care providers “assess the vaccination status of all pediatric patients, including adolescents, and contact those who are behind schedule to ensure that all children and adolescents are fully vaccinated” to avoid disease outbreaks.   Caribbean cruise infections
Meanwhile, two passengers who shared a room on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19 during required end-of-cruise testing on the Celebrity Millenium ship.  The two are asymptomatic, in isolation and are being monitored by a medical team.  Passengers on the ship were required to show proof of vaccination and negative results from a COVID test conducted within 72 hours of departure. Children too young for vaccination also were required to have negative COVID test results.  Royal Caribbean said the ship’s crew was fully vaccinated.  Global COVID cases
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said Friday the number of global COVID-19 infections has reached nearly 175 million.  The U.S. remains the location with the most cases at 33.4 million infections, but India is rapidly catching up with more than 29 million infections.   India’s health ministry reported more than 91,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday in the previous 24 hours.Public health officials say they suspect that India’s cases may be undercounted. 
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