More than 5 million people have died from COVID-19 in less than two years.<\/b>
\nMore than 5 million people have died from COVID-19 in less than two years. Johns Hopkins University\u2019s tracker rolled over to the eye-popping seven-figure death toll early Monday morning as the world-altering virus continues to ravage the globe. Of that, the United States has accounted for more than 745,000 deaths, or about 15% of the world\u2019s deaths and the highest death toll for any single country. Brazil and India follow with about 607,000 and 458,000 deaths, respectively. In the Western world, the COVID-19 vaccine has drastically helped stem the spread and more extreme symptoms and the FDA approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 last week. About 58% of Americans are fully vaccinated \u2014 not including a booster shot \u2014 and two-thirds have had at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. \u201cThese are not numbers on a page. They are mothers and fathers. Brothers and sisters. Daughters and sons. Family, friends and colleagues. Lives cut short by a merciless virus that respects no borders,\u201d United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres said in a statement Monday. \u201cFive million deaths should also stand as a clear warning: we cannot let our guard down.\u201d Guterres again stressed his Global Vaccination Strategy, which calls for 40% of all people to be vaccinated by the end of 2021 and 70% by mid-2022. \u201cThe best way to honor those five million people lost \u2014 and support health workers fighting this virus every day \u2014 is to make vaccine equity a reality by accelerating our efforts and ensuring maximum vigilance to defeat this virus,\u201d he said. Some developing nations are still struggling to both obtain and distribute the vaccine; in Africa, only about 5% of people are fully vaccinated. And in the United States, medical professionals and scientists are struggling with the slowing vaccination rate and spread of disinformation about the risks of the disease.<\/p>\n