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11.01pm GMT
Jessica Glenza and Martin Pengelly report:
The archdiocese of New Orleans, as well as Roman Catholic leaders in St Louis, Missouri, have told local Catholics to avoid the Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid-19 vaccine, because its early development used “morally compromised cell lines created from two abortions”.
Related: Catholics in New Orleans and St Louis told to avoid Johnson & Johnson vaccine
10.31pm GMT
Dolly Parton, who helped fund the development of the Moderna vaccine for Covid-19, was pleased to get “a dose of her own medicine”.
Parton, 75, had donated $1m to Vanderbilt University to help find a coronavirus cure. after getting her jab, the country music icon sang, to the tune of “Jolene”: “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine… I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate.”
Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC
Continue reading… Source: The Guardian: Texas and Mississippi scrap mask mandates despite Covid surge warning – live ———