With cases declining and vaccines rolling out, several US states have begun jettisoning mask-wearing rules -- much to the chagrin of President Joe Biden, who called the move "Neanderthal thinking." In another sign of the pressure countries face, Italy blocked a shipment to Australia of AstraZeneca's vaccine, the first such export ban under an EU vaccine monitoring scheme. - European vaccine policy -Europe's vaccine policy remains chaotic and rancorous, with new rows brewing even as old ones are laid to rest. And exhausted health workers in some African countries, such as South Africa, were meanwhile celebrating a drop in cases. "If you had more than five in a day, that was a real trauma, but we managed through it all.
