First up, coronavirus updates.

More people in the U.S. are getting vaccinated and the FDA is expected to expand the Pfizer vaccine to new age groups.

• The FDA is expected next week to expand emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine to adolescents 12-15 years old after the vaccine was found to be effective and safe for this age group. Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents 12-15 on Wednesday.
• The number of doses administered has fallen slightly in the U.S. to a daily average of 2.13 million doses. 148.6 million people have gotten at least one dose and 107.3 million people fully vaccinated. This accounts for 56% of adults vaccinated with at least one dose.
• Pfizer is also expected to ask for emergency use authorization for children 2-11 years old in September.
• President Biden also announced that he wants people to be able to walk into pharmacies for vaccinations as opposed to having to make an appointment. He also wants more pop-up and rural clinics to target under-vaccinated populations.
• Internationally, India is still struggling with a Covid surge, with total cases in the country above 20 million on Tuesday and deaths passing 220,000. On Tuesday, there were 382,146 new cases and 3,780 deaths. India’s foreign minister could not attend an in-person G-7 meeting on Wednesday after some members of India’s delegation were Covid positive.
• Elsewhere, the number of people requiring urgent food aid in 55 countries reached 155 million in 2020, which is a five year high. This number includes 28 million people who are one step away from starvation and 133,000 who are at the “Catastrophe” level of food insecurity and with widespread death and loss of livelihoods likely should immediate action not be taken. Conflict is the highest driver of acute food insecurity, but economic stresses, many due to Covid, was the second leading cause.
• Covid has also exacerbated a shortage of 900,000 midwives, disrupting midwifery services and diverting midwives to other health services. Full midwife care could stop 67% of maternal deaths and over 64% of newborn and stillbirth deaths, saving 4.3 million lives per year.

Finally, all your updates on the Oscars.

After a decade of seeking legal approval and battling public outcry, British biotech firm Oxitec has released the first genetically modified mosquitoes in the US in an effort to suppress populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the Florida Keys.

• The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito can carry diseases like Zika, dengue and yellow fever, and predominantly breed on shallow water surfaces in urban areas. Consequently, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control dedicates more than $1 million per year, a tenth of its budget, to fighting Aedes aegypti, which represents 1% of the mosquito population.
• Oxitec’s OX5034 mosquito is designed to spread a gene that selectively kills females, the only ones that bite humans and have potential to spread viruses. The gene triggers a kill switch during the larval stages of female growth while remaining dormant in males, who spread the gene to their offspring.
• Field trials of OX513A, Oxitec’s initial gender-neutral genetic genocider, in the Cayman Islands, Panama, Malaysia, and Brazil have returned significant success rates. One suburb in Brazil, for example, saw a 95% suppression of the local Aedes aegypti population.
• The result of this test in the Keys has the potential to reshape the American approach to insect control by presenting an alternative to harmful chemical insecticides in environments in which genetic engineering is viable.

Oatmeal makes for the perfect, complete breakfast before school. These three recipes take it to the next level and will surely brighten up your morning. Pick your favorite and get cooking!

Berry Blast:

• one cup frozen mixed berries
• ½ cup oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• top with fresh and frozen fruit

Directions: Heat berries in a pan on medium heat until they are slightly mushy. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add ½ cup oats and heat until desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from stove and place in a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and top with a mix of fresh and frozen berries.

Apple Cinnamon:

• 1 apple diced
• ½ cup oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Combine diced apple and maple syrup in a pan and heat on medium until apples are soft. Remove from the pan and save for later. Bring 1 cup water to a boil then add the ½ cup oats and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl. Stir in cooked apple and cinnamon and enjoy.

Chocolate Banana Peanut butter:

• 1 banana mashed
• ½ cup oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Directions: Bring 1 cup water to a boil and then add ½ oats and cook on medium for five minutes. Lower heat and add in mashed banana. Cook for two minutes then remove from heat and place in a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and mix well. Top with peanut butter and chocolate chips.