Pfizer vaccine 39% effective against Delta variant, NFL COVID outbreaks, Kanye West debuts new 'Donda' album

Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman breaks down Friday’s business headlines which include: The NFL’s setting stricter guidelines on COVID rules that can result in teams having to forfeit or pay fines, Kanye West debuted his 10th studio album ‘Donda’ in Atlanta, and Israel’s health ministry announcing Pfizer having a 39% effective rate against the COVID Delta variant.

Video transcript

JULIE HYMAN: Other headlines we're watching at this hour. New data out of Israel on the effectiveness of the Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine against the Delta variant of COVID-19. The shot just 39% effective at preventing infection entirely, but did offer 88% protection against hospitalization and 91% against severe illness. That's according to the country's health ministry.

Here in the US, an advisory panel to the CDC gave preliminary support to administering vaccine boosters to immunocompromised people. The panel also endorsed the continued use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.

The National Football League is giving a warning to teams and players on COVID, one that could result in lost income. The league has stopped short of requiring vaccinations for players, but it's now imposing strict protocols for those who are unvaccinated when they're in the locker room, et cetera. If there is an outbreak that results, though, in a forfeit of a game that can't be rescheduled, players from both teams will lose their game checks.

And Kanye West debuted his new album last night at a stadium-sized listening party in Atlanta. The rapper's 10th effort, "Donda," which is named for his late mother, was played in Mercedes Benz Stadium for fans who paid $20 or $50. That event also live streamed by Apple Music, so sort of another version, yet another version of what live events look like now. He was there. He didn't sing. He didn't rap. He danced some of the time and just kind of hung out some of the time.

MYLES UDLAND: And at this hour, we are still waiting for the release of "Donda," which was supposed to be released today.

JULIE HYMAN: Oh, it was supposed to come out today.

MYLES UDLAND: So refreshing Spotify and other places. I don't know if it's going to be exclusively on Apple Music, which I don't have?

JULIE HYMAN: I don't know. If it is, you won't know when it comes out, I guess.

MYLES UDLAND: I'm sure the internet will help me out in locating a copy when the album does come out-- I'll say that.

JULIE HYMAN: I'm sure it will.