Coronavirus updates: World approaches 80 million cases; European Union to roll out first shots of Pfizer vaccines starting Sunday – USA TODAY

Dr. Peter Salk was one of the first children to receive his dad's polio in 1953. Here's what he thinks could happen with the COVID-19 vaccines. USA TODAY

USA TODAY is keeping track of the news surrounding COVID-19 as a pair of vaccines join the U.S. fight against a virus that has killed more than330,000Americans since the first reported fatality in February. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates on vaccine distribution, including who is getting the shots and where, as well as other COVID-19 news from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up forourCoronavirus Watch newsletterfor updates directly toyour inbox,join ourFacebook grouporscroll throughour in-depth answersto reader questionsfor everything you need to know about the coronavirus.

In the headlines:

Countries throughout the European Union have received theirfirst shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech. Authorities plan toadminister the first shots to the most vulnerable people in a coordinated Sunday effort. Butofficials in Hungarydisregarded the campaign and started administeringvaccines on Saturday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted on Facebook and Twitter thatthe number of Californians hospitalized because of the coronavirus could double in 30 days if current trends continue.

South Korea, previously a success story in handling the coronavirus pandemic, is grappling with a severe uptick in cases during Christmas week:1,241 on Christmas Day alone. That's the largest daily increase the nation has ever seen.

The Duke women's basketball team is ending its 2020-21 season after just four games because ofconcerns about the coronavirus pandemic, the school announced Friday evening.

CNN reports that cases ofthe new strain of the coronavirus originating in the United Kingdom wereannouncedin France and Spain on Christmas Day.

Today's numbers:The U.S. has more than 18.7million confirmed coronavirus cases and 330,000 deaths,according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 79 million cases and 1.7million deaths.

Here's a closer look at today's top stories:

For many, the promise of a vaccine offers hope and relief. But Josie Passes, a member of the Crow Tribe inMontana,is wary of its long-term consequences.

Though tribal communitieshave beendisproportionately ravaged by COVID-19 nationwide, Passes is not alone in her reluctance. As tribes begin to receive and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, many tribal members hesitate to get immunized.

Some people fear Indigenous populations will be used as "guinea pigs," whileothers are reluctant to trust the Indian Health Service.Some feel invincible, as tribes have survived devastating diseases such assmallpoxand violent massacres. Many would prefer to wait and observe the effects of the vaccine as more people receiveit.

Experts say this skepticismis warranted. Tribes have experienced disinvestment, incompetence and brutality at the hands of the federal government. The consequences of this neglect transcend generations and manifest today as systemic inequalities, many of which were further exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.Read more here.

Nora Mabie, Great Falls Tribune

ABlackdoctor who died of COVID-19after weeks of battling the virus said she was mistreated and delayed proper care at an Indianahospital because of her race. Dr. Susan Moore, 52, died Dec. 20 following multiple hospitalizations for complications from COVID-19, first at IU Health North and later at Ascencion-St. Vincent in Carmel, Indiana.

Her frustrations with the care provided at IU Health werechronicled onFacebook in multiple updates.The first came Dec. 4 when she said delays in her treatment and diagnosis were motivated by the color of her skin.

Citing patient privacy, an IU Health spokesperson declined to speak specifically to the casebut shared a written statement on behalf of IU Health North:

As an organization committed to equity and reducing racial disparities in health care, we take accusations of discrimination very seriously and investigate every allegation," the statement reads. "Treatment options are often agreed upon and reviewed by medical experts from a variety of specialties, and we stand by the commitment and expertise of our caregivers and the quality of care delivered to our patients every day.

Justin L. Mack and Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star

The COVID-19 crisishas devastated movie theater owners of all sizes, but small independent owners are feeling it more profoundly. Nationwide, a handful already have gone dark permanently and 70% of small- to midsize movie theaters are at risk of shutting down without federal aid, according to the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO).

Many are scrambling to survive with private screenings and popcorn specials, among other strategies. Their loss would be a big blow to Americas cultural life. They represent a major source of independently produced, more serious art films. And in an age dominated by sleek multiplexes, their grand old, marquee-adorned theaters often provide the only entertainment in Americas small and rural towns.

Fortunately, salvation appears on the horizon. A little-noticed provision of the $900 billion COVID relief bill passed by Congress this week would provide $15 billion to struggling small movie theaters, live entertainment and performing arts venuesand museums. A last-minute lobbying campaign by NATO added movie theaters and $5 billion to theoretically cover their financial needs.

Paul Davidson

Dr. Peter Salk vaguely remembers the day he was vaccinated against polio in 1953. His father, Dr. Jonas Salk, made history by creating the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh and inoculatedhis family as soon as he felt itwas safe and effective.

Cases of polio peaked in the early 1950s, but it arrivedevery summer disabling an average of more than 35,000 people each year for decades, sometimes causing paralysis and death,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Public officials closed swimming pools, movie theaters, amusement parks and other pastimesthat naturally came with summer vacation.

Jonas Salks vaccine helped wipepolio from most of the world, something that many people hope willhappen with the coronavirus vaccine. However, Salk warns eradicating polio from the United States was a long and difficult journey, and he doesnt expect eliminating COVID-19 will be any easier.

Its going to be a long road, just even getting enough vaccines out to people around the world ... this virus does not respect borders,said Salk, a doctor and a part-time professor of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, where his father developed the polio vaccine. It travels by airplane everywhere in the world and unless this virus can be contained everywhere, its going to continue to spread and be a problem.

Adrianna Rodriguez

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Coronavirus updates: World approaches 80 million cases; European Union to roll out first shots of Pfizer vaccines starting Sunday - USA TODAY