Coronavirus Watch: Half of US adults fully vaccinated, but WHO warns of 'scandalous inequity'

The vaccination rate for U.S. adults will surpass 50% today, according to the White House, as the nation move closer to President Joe Biden's goal of getting at least one shot into the arm of 70% percent of adults by July 4.

Vaccination rates still vary by state, however, and officials have stressed COVID-19 will continue to spread in communities with lower levels of vaccinations. Worldwide, the disparities in vaccination rates are even more apparent.

More than 75% of all vaccines have been administered in just 10 countries, World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. "The ongoing vaccine crisis is a scandalous inequity that’s perpetuating the pandemic," he said.

Last week, Biden announced the U.S. would send 20 million doses abroad in addition to the 60 million he promised to India, but experts say the U.S. needs to do more, quickly.

It's Tuesday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news you need to know:

• The Moderna vaccine was 93% effective against COVID-19 in children aged 12 to 17 after the first dose and 100% two weeks after the second dose, with no cases reported among vaccinated participants. In addition, no serious safety concerns were identified, data from the company’s trial released Tuesday showed.
• Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics this summer, the U.S. State Department raised Japan to "Level 4 - do not travel" on Monday because of COVID-19. The CDC indicated a "very high" level of the coronavirus and recommended not traveling to the country.
• Puerto Rico has ended a nightly pandemic curfew after more than a year and will allow vaccinated visitors to enter the island without a negative coronavirus test result.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 33 million COVID-19 cases and 590,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 167 million cases and more than 3.4 million deaths. Nearly 50% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and more than 39% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck