Covid roundup: Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause hurts rural areas; suicides have fallen sharply during pandemic

Here's a roundup of recent news about the pandemic and vaccination efforts:

The pause on the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is making it harder for many rural residents to get vaccinated, especially those who have transportation issues and can't reliably make it out for a second shot. Read more here.

Four things to know about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause. Read more here.

A native Cherokee speaker says she was wary of coronavirus vaccines, but now says it's important because to protect elders with irreplaceable knowledge of the language and culture. Read more here.

One in three Covid-19 survivors in a study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months. The researchers say that suggests the pandemic could lead to a wave of mental and neurological problems. Read more here.

Public-health directors want more resources to vaccinate rural communities. Read more here.

Suicides fell nearly 6 percent during the pandemic, the sharpest drop in four decades. Read more here.

Covid-19 has disproportionately hurt Black communities—especially rural ones—but many Black Americans mistrust the vaccine. This article explores why. Read more here.

Native health providers drive Alaska's vaccination success story. Read more here.

A study has found that the B.1.1.7. coronavirus variant, first identified in England and now the most common strain in the U.S., isn't linked to more severe Covid-19 cases or higher death rates than other strains. Read more here.