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They relied on Chinese COVID vaccines. Now they’re battling outbreaks. Recent infections in Mongolia, Bahrain, Chile and the Seychelles suggest that the Chinese vaccines they use may not be very effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, particularly the new variants. The Seattle Times

Mongolia promised its people a “COVID-free summer.” Bahrain said there would be a “return to normal life.” The tiny island nation of the Seychelles aimed to jump-start its economy.

America is ready to return to normal. Biden’s CDC chief isn’t so sure. The CDC faces its biggest test yet: loosening its public safety guidance as the pandemic recedes, while simultaneously trying to prevent infection rates from spiking. Erin Banco POLITICO

The newly installed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had one big request for agency employees at an all-hands meeting in March: Don’t talk to the press without permission.