(AP Photo/Mark Baker)CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is advancing the start of its coronavirus vaccination program to mid-February, with plans to inoculate 15% of the population by late March. Mexico’s vaccination effort continues at a glacial rate, with about 7,500 shots administered Wednesday, a rate similar to previous days. John Bel Edwards and public health officials said Wednesday that efforts are being made to speed up vaccinations for the coronavirus. So far, state officials have administered 126,602 of the 522,550 doses the state has received. More than 329,000 people have been vaccinated in Florida — or about 1.5% of the population — almost all of them either health care workers, residents in care homes, or people over the age of 65.

The coronavirus that has claimed nearly 1 million lives has underscored the failure of the United Nations to bring countries together to defeat it. We are in fact talking about ourselves, because the U.N. is its member states. Born out of the ashes of World War II with 50 members, the United Nations has since expanded dramatically. “We are in fact talking about ourselves, because the U.N. is its member states. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez said the U.N. not only needs Security Council reform but new energy to live up to its mandate.