A&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;dose of existing mRNA&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccines may have only "marginal benefits" for younger, healthy adults, according to a new Israeli&nbsp;study&nbsp;published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The research assessed 270 health care workers at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv who received a second booster&nbsp;shot&nbsp;of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, four months after initially getting three Pfizer shots.&nbsp;

Each was age-matched&nbsp;against&nbsp;two participants in a control group that had received only three doses of Pfizer, with the median ages in the groups ranging from mid-fifties to early sixties.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-global-rise-in-covid-cases-is-tip-of-the-iceberg-463031">WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg'</a>

Overall, the&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;shot&nbsp;was found to be safe, and topped up recipients' neutralizing antibodies -- which block the coronavirus from infecting cells -- to levels comparable to just after the third dose, prior to when antibody levels started waning with time.

The&nbsp;study&nbsp;took place when spread of the&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;variant was rife in Israel, and it found that the&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;dose didn't confer much added protection&nbsp;against&nbsp;infection, despite the reduction over time of antibodies among people who'd received just three shots.&nbsp;

Those who got a&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;shot&nbsp;of Pfizer were 30 percent less likely to acquire infection than those who got three doses, while those who got Moderna were 18 percent less likely to get infected.

The&nbsp;study&nbsp;included only a small number of participants and was not a randomized trial -- meaning its conclusions should be interpreted with caution -- &nbsp;but the results point towards only minor benefits from the extra dose.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/the-one-place-which-has-been-covid-free-since-pandemic-started-423126">The one place which has been Covid-free since pandemic started</a>

Protection&nbsp;against&nbsp;symptomatic infection was slightly better in under-40 adult recipients of a&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;jab -- 43 percent for Pfizer and 31 percent for Moderna -- compared to people who received three shots.

The&nbsp;study&nbsp;authors, led by Gili Regev-Yochay, wrote that their research seems to indicate the advantages of three doses of vaccine designed&nbsp;against&nbsp;the original strain of coronavirus had hit a ceiling in terms of immune response, with additional boosters only restoring waned immunity, rather than taking it to new heights.

"Furthermore, we observed low vaccine efficacy&nbsp;against&nbsp;infections in health care workers, as well as relatively high viral loads suggesting that those who were infected were infectious. Thus, a&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;vaccination of healthy young health care workers may have only marginal benefits," they said.

Outside experts said the findings showed the need to develop new vaccines.

"If&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;continues circulating and we are still using the current first-generation&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccines&nbsp;against&nbsp;it, then I agree with the authors that the benefits to otherwise healthy, younger people will be marginal," said Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester.

"Any&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;dose boosters will be more beneficial to the older and more vulnerable groups (e.g. those with comorbidities)," he continued.

"Ideally, we need new&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccines designed specifically&nbsp;against&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;if we want to improve this protection for the most vulnerable -- in the same way that we update the seasonal flu vaccine each year -- to ensure the best possible match&nbsp;against&nbsp;the currently circulating virus strain."

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Global covid cases are rising again

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-covid-cases-are-rising-again-462327/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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A fourth dose of existing mRNA Covid-19 vaccines may have only "marginal benefits" for younger, healthy adults, according to a new Israeli study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A fourth dose of existing mRNA Covid-19 vaccines may have only "marginal benefits" for younger, healthy adults, according to a new Israeli study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research assessed 270 health care workers at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv who received a second booster shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, four months after initially getting three Pfizer shots. Each was age-matched against two participants in a control group that had received only three doses of Pfizer, with the median ages in the groups ranging from mid-fifties to early sixties. Also read | WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg' Overall, the fourth shot was found to be safe, and topped up recipients' neutralizing antibodies -- which block the coronavirus from infecting cells -- to levels comparable to just after the third dose, prior to when antibody levels started waning with time. The study took place when spread of the Omicron variant was rife in Israel, and it found that the fourth dose didn't confer much added protection against infection, despite the reduction over time of antibodies among people who'd received just three shots. Those who got a fourth shot of Pfizer were 30 percent less likely to acquire infection than those who got three doses, while those who got Moderna were 18 percent less likely to get infected. The study included only a small number of participants and was not a randomized trial -- meaning its conclusions should be interpreted with caution -- but the results point towards only minor benefits from the extra dose. Also read | The one place which has been Covid-free since pandemic started Protection against symptomatic infection was slightly better in under-40 adult recipients of a fourth jab -- 43 percent for Pfizer and 31 percent for Moderna -- compared to people who received three shots. The study authors, led by Gili Regev-Yochay, wrote that their research seems to indicate the advantages of three doses of vaccine designed against the original strain of coronavirus had hit a ceiling in terms of immune response, with additional boosters only restoring waned immunity, rather than taking it to new heights. "Furthermore, we observed low vaccine efficacy against infections in health care workers, as well as relatively high viral loads suggesting that those who were infected were infectious. Thus, a fourth vaccination of healthy young health care workers may have only marginal benefits," they said. Outside experts said the findings showed the need to develop new vaccines. "If Omicron continues circulating and we are still using the current first-generation Covid-19 vaccines against it, then I agree with the authors that the benefits to otherwise healthy, younger people will be marginal," said Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester. "Any fourth dose boosters will be more beneficial to the older and more vulnerable groups (e.g. those with comorbidities)," he continued. "Ideally, we need new COVID-19 vaccines designed specifically against Omicron if we want to improve this protection for the most vulnerable -- in the same way that we update the seasonal flu vaccine each year -- to ensure the best possible match against the currently circulating virus strain." Watch | Gravitas: Global covid cases are rising again

Fourth Covid shot provides little benefit against Omicron infection: Study

The US Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for large businesses delivering a blow to the US government.

The Biden administration had mandated that coronavirus vaccinations or weekly testing should be made compulsory&nbsp;in companies that employ&nbsp;over 100 workers. However, the Supreme Court judges disagreed with President Biden's vaccine guideline.

The judges however allowed the vaccine mandate for health workers in facilities which receive US government funds.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-trials-show-its-vaxzevria-vaccine-causes-high-immune-response-against-omicron-444458">Also Read:&nbsp;AstraZeneca trials show its Vaxzevria vaccine causes high immune response against Omicron</a>

The US president expressed his disappointment with the verdict, saying: "I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law."

Biden urged employers to do the "right thing" as the country continues to battle against the virus.

Watch:&nbsp;US hospitalisations increase

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-hospitalization-witness-an-increase-by-33-and-deaths-by-40-444474/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The United States is the worst-hit country due to the virus with over 63 million coronavirus cases and more than 847,660 fatalities.

President Biden declared that his administration will deploy additional military healthcare workers in six US states as the country combats the Omicron wave.

The military healthcare workers would be sent to Rhode Island, Ohio, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey and Michigan which have been hit hard due to the virus surge in the past month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-chinese-covid-19-patients-forced-to-live-in-metal-boxes-444421">Also Read:&nbsp;Watch: Chinese COVID-19 patients forced to live in metal boxes</a>

The US government has also ramped up testing even as hospitalisation reached record levels this week.

Several hospitals have already been overwhelmed due to a large number of incoming patients hit with the virus as several US states have declared an emergency&nbsp;to ensure funding to tackle the health crisis.

(With inputs from Agencies)

The US Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for large businesses delivering a blow to the US government. The Biden administration had mandated that coronavirus vaccinations or weekly testing should be made compulsory in companies that employ over 100 workers.

The US Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for large businesses delivering a blow to the US government. The Biden administration had mandated that coronavirus vaccinations or weekly testing should be made compulsory in companies that employ over 100 workers. However, the Supreme Court judges disagreed with President Biden's vaccine guideline. The judges however allowed the vaccine mandate for health workers in facilities which receive US government funds. Also Read: AstraZeneca trials show its Vaxzevria vaccine causes high immune response against Omicron The US president expressed his disappointment with the verdict, saying: "I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law." Biden urged employers to do the "right thing" as the country continues to battle against the virus. Watch: US hospitalisations increase The United States is the worst-hit country due to the virus with over 63 million coronavirus cases and more than 847,660 fatalities. President Biden declared that his administration will deploy additional military healthcare workers in six US states as the country combats the Omicron wave. The military healthcare workers would be sent to Rhode Island, Ohio, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey and Michigan which have been hit hard due to the virus surge in the past month. Also Read: Watch: Chinese COVID-19 patients forced to live in metal boxes The US government has also ramped up testing even as hospitalisation reached record levels this week. Several hospitals have already been overwhelmed due to a large number of incoming patients hit with the virus as several US states have declared an emergency to ensure funding to tackle the health crisis. (With inputs from Agencies)

'Disappointed': US Supreme Court blocks Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses

With gifts and exports to more than 80 countries, China has undertaken an active vaccine diplomacy, but its Covid jabs are now facing serious questions on efficacy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had authorised two made-in-China COVID-19 vaccines, Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Manufacturers of these two Chinese vaccines have joined the worldwide vaccine-sharing system Covax, which aims to give vaccines to poorer countries.

As part of the initiative, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) stated it will make 110 million doses of the vaccines available.

Covax has agreements with 11 vaccine producers and expects to distribute 2 billion doses globally by early 2022.

However, the problem with Chinese vaccines is that they haven't given many countries confidence in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which happened to have spread from China to the rest of the world.

In recent weeks, there has been an increase in concern over Chinese vaccines.

To combat the coronavirus pandemic and restore normalcy, countries including Mongolia, Seychelles, and Bahrain relied on the easily accessible Chinese vaccines.

These countries are currently dealing with an outbreak of diseases.

In May, a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Seychelles grabbed international headlines.

With the majority of its population having had one or more vaccine doses, the country had the highest vaccination coverage in the world.

According to China's National Health Commission, more than a billion doses have been administered in China

In China, the spread of the coronavirus has been mostly contained, and the country has largely opened up.

Efficacy rates: A comparison

While the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have efficacy rates of above 90 per cent, China's Sinopharm vaccine has a 78.1 per cent efficacy rate and the Sinovac has a 51 per cent.

Indian vaccine Covaxin has a 93.4 percent efficacy against severe disease, according to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech's final analysis of phase 3 clinical trials.

The first vaccination to be licenced for use in India, Covishield, has a confirmed efficacy rate which can be scaled up to 91 per cent when both doses are given 8-12 weeks apart.

The vaccine also generates a stronger antibody response and protects against serious consequences.

(With inputs from agencies)

With gifts and exports to more than 80 countries, China has undertaken an active vaccine diplomacy, but its Covid jabs are now facing serious questions on efficacy.

With gifts and exports to more than 80 countries, China has undertaken an active vaccine diplomacy, but its Covid jabs are now facing serious questions on efficacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) had authorised two made-in-China COVID-19 vaccines, Sinovac and Sinopharm. Manufacturers of these two Chinese vaccines have joined the worldwide vaccine-sharing system Covax, which aims to give vaccines to poorer countries. As part of the initiative, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) stated it will make 110 million doses of the vaccines available. Covax has agreements with 11 vaccine producers and expects to distribute 2 billion doses globally by early 2022. However, the problem with Chinese vaccines is that they haven't given many countries confidence in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which happened to have spread from China to the rest of the world. In recent weeks, there has been an increase in concern over Chinese vaccines. To combat the coronavirus pandemic and restore normalcy, countries including Mongolia, Seychelles, and Bahrain relied on the easily accessible Chinese vaccines. These countries are currently dealing with an outbreak of diseases. In May, a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Seychelles grabbed international headlines. With the majority of its population having had one or more vaccine doses, the country had the highest vaccination coverage in the world. According to China's National Health Commission, more than a billion doses have been administered in China In China, the spread of the coronavirus has been mostly contained, and the country has largely opened up. Efficacy rates: A comparison While the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have efficacy rates of above 90 per cent, China's Sinopharm vaccine has a 78.1 per cent efficacy rate and the Sinovac has a 51 per cent. Indian vaccine Covaxin has a 93.4 percent efficacy against severe disease, according to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech's final analysis of phase 3 clinical trials. The first vaccination to be licenced for use in India, Covishield, has a confirmed efficacy rate which can be scaled up to 91 per cent when both doses are given 8-12 weeks apart. The vaccine also generates a stronger antibody response and protects against serious consequences. (With inputs from agencies)

Credibility crisis: How effective are Chinese Covid vaccines?

According to a report, the Health Ministry of Israel will destroy at least 800,000 expiring Coronavirus vaccine doses if no buyers are found for them in the next two weeks. Israel is said to be in talks with several countries to either purchase the vaccines or take them in exchange for vaccines they were to receive later.

Reports: Israel may have to throw away nearly a million COVID-19 vaccines

Amid Nepal reporting a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, a consignment of 800,000 doses from China&nbsp;landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The vaccine and&nbsp;syringes were airlifted from Beijing to Kathmandu by a chartered flight of Nepal Airlines Corporation.

This development comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced one million doses for Nepal on May 26 during the telephone conversation with Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, out of which 800,000 have arrived.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal said the remaining 200,000 doses of the vaccine are being provided to Nepal by the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.&nbsp;

“Accordingly, 50,400 doses of the vaccine and syringes have been handed over to the officials of the Ministry of Health and Population this morning, and another batch of 50,400 vaccines and syringes is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu this evening,” Nepal Foreign Ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

The ministry has confirmed that the consignment of remaining 99,200 vaccines and syringes will arrive in Kathmandu tomorrow.

In March, China had provided 800,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccine to Nepal. Nepal had also received a million shots of AstraZeneca vaccine from India.&nbsp; Nepal had begun its vaccination drive in January, but the campaign has been suspended due to lack of vaccines.

President Xi Jinping during the conversation with President Bhandari had said China attaches great importance to the development of China-Nepal relations&nbsp;and is willing to share China's development opportunities with Nepal to accelerate Belt and Road cooperation, steadily advance the building of the trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, and continuously lift the two countries' strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity to higher levels.

“Nepal attaches great importance to its relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never allow any forces to use the Nepali territory for any anti-China activities,” said the China’s Foreign Ministry.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Nepal also received 1500 oxygen cylinders under the grant assistance from the Chinese government. Along with this, 527,500 KN95 face masks were also received from the China Cultural Media Group.&nbsp;

Amid Nepal reporting a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, a consignment of 800,000 doses from China landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The vaccine and syringes were airlifted from Beijing to Kathmandu by a chartered flight of Nepal Airlines Corporation.

Amid Nepal reporting a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, a consignment of 800,000 doses from China landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The vaccine and syringes were airlifted from Beijing to Kathmandu by a chartered flight of Nepal Airlines Corporation. This development comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced one million doses for Nepal on May 26 during the telephone conversation with Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, out of which 800,000 have arrived. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal said the remaining 200,000 doses of the vaccine are being provided to Nepal by the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. “Accordingly, 50,400 doses of the vaccine and syringes have been handed over to the officials of the Ministry of Health and Population this morning, and another batch of 50,400 vaccines and syringes is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu this evening,” Nepal Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry has confirmed that the consignment of remaining 99,200 vaccines and syringes will arrive in Kathmandu tomorrow. In March, China had provided 800,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccine to Nepal. Nepal had also received a million shots of AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Nepal had begun its vaccination drive in January, but the campaign has been suspended due to lack of vaccines. President Xi Jinping during the conversation with President Bhandari had said China attaches great importance to the development of China-Nepal relations and is willing to share China's development opportunities with Nepal to accelerate Belt and Road cooperation, steadily advance the building of the trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, and continuously lift the two countries' strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity to higher levels. “Nepal attaches great importance to its relations with China, firmly adheres to the one-China policy, firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never allow any forces to use the Nepali territory for any anti-China activities,” said the China’s Foreign Ministry. Earlier in the day, Nepal also received 1500 oxygen cylinders under the grant assistance from the Chinese government. Along with this, 527,500 KN95 face masks were also received from the China Cultural Media Group.

COVID-19: 800,000 doses of Chinese vaccine arrive in Nepal

A good number of young Indians are ready to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccination slots are not so easy to get. Cut to a different world and it's not just vaccines that are free!&nbsp;If lucky, you could end up winning anything from gold coins, bikes, washing machines, induction cooktops&nbsp;among other home appliances. A group of NGOs are going the extra mile to help battle vaccine hesitancy and ensure that the entire eligible population of a fishing hamlet gets vaccinated.&nbsp;

Located about 50 kilometres from the city of Chennai&nbsp;is the scenic fishing hamlet of Kovalam. The primary occupation of its over 16,000 population is, of course, fishing, tourism and promoting water sports. However, things haven’t been going well for the village and its residents since the pandemic struck. According to Kovalam residents and surfers Sekar and Dharani of SurfTurf, there were not many COVID-19 cases in their village, but their livelihoods were badly hit.

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“The inflow of tourists came to a halt, restrictions on sporting activities were in place and there were no means to hold Surfing festivals that attract huge crowds to the village. This was made worse by misinformation and rumours that are spreading fast on social media” they told WION. When vaccines were available, the villagers simply refused to take the jab, they added.&nbsp;

A group of NGOs working in the village during the pandemic setup helplines and catered to the needs of residents by home-delivering essentials, grocery, masks, immunity boosters and much more. But&nbsp;as vaccines became available, even getting the eligible elders to sign up was a herculean task. That’s when an idea struck them - to offer not just vaccines for free, but also provide the villagers some goodies that would cheer them up or improve their life - it could be anything from a plate of biryani to even a brand new motorbike.

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STS Foundation, in partnership with CN Ramdas and Chiraj Trusts has a two-pronged strategy to boost vaccination in the village - to offer short term incentives like mobile phone recharges and a plate of biryani on a daily basis, along with long term bumper prizes such as gold coins, washing machines, refrigerators, bikes, induction stoves, LPG cooktops via a lucky draw etc. The villagers are also provided free pickup and drop to the vaccination centre. Everyone taking the jab receives a token and a counter foil, which would be later used for the bumper lucky draw.&nbsp;

“Of over 6400 people eligible to take the jabs, we have successfully enrolled 640 persons and given the first dose to more than 200 persons over the last two days. As word spreads fast in the village, we are expecting a flurry of registrations and hope to have the entire eligible population vaccinated as soon as possible” J Sundar, Trustee, STS Foundation told WION.

We’ve setup helpline numbers for people to call and tele-register, so that we can enlist them for vaccination. With the current availability, we are doing upto 100 shots per day and hopefully this will increase, he added. The NGOs partnering with the people of Kovalam and the Health department wish to put this beautiful coastal hamlet and surfing hotspot on the map for being a model vaccination village.&nbsp;

A good number of young Indians are ready to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccination slots are not so easy to get. Cut to a different world and it's not just vaccines that are free!

A good number of young Indians are ready to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but vaccination slots are not so easy to get. Cut to a different world and it's not just vaccines that are free! If lucky, you could end up winning anything from gold coins, bikes, washing machines, induction cooktops among other home appliances. A group of NGOs are going the extra mile to help battle vaccine hesitancy and ensure that the entire eligible population of a fishing hamlet gets vaccinated. Located about 50 kilometres from the city of Chennai is the scenic fishing hamlet of Kovalam. The primary occupation of its over 16,000 population is, of course, fishing, tourism and promoting water sports. However, things haven’t been going well for the village and its residents since the pandemic struck. According to Kovalam residents and surfers Sekar and Dharani of SurfTurf, there were not many COVID-19 cases in their village, but their livelihoods were badly hit. “The inflow of tourists came to a halt, restrictions on sporting activities were in place and there were no means to hold Surfing festivals that attract huge crowds to the village. This was made worse by misinformation and rumours that are spreading fast on social media” they told WION. When vaccines were available, the villagers simply refused to take the jab, they added. A group of NGOs working in the village during the pandemic setup helplines and catered to the needs of residents by home-delivering essentials, grocery, masks, immunity boosters and much more. But as vaccines became available, even getting the eligible elders to sign up was a herculean task. That’s when an idea struck them - to offer not just vaccines for free, but also provide the villagers some goodies that would cheer them up or improve their life - it could be anything from a plate of biryani to even a brand new motorbike. STS Foundation, in partnership with CN Ramdas and Chiraj Trusts has a two-pronged strategy to boost vaccination in the village - to offer short term incentives like mobile phone recharges and a plate of biryani on a daily basis, along with long term bumper prizes such as gold coins, washing machines, refrigerators, bikes, induction stoves, LPG cooktops via a lucky draw etc. The villagers are also provided free pickup and drop to the vaccination centre. Everyone taking the jab receives a token and a counter foil, which would be later used for the bumper lucky draw. “Of over 6400 people eligible to take the jabs, we have successfully enrolled 640 persons and given the first dose to more than 200 persons over the last two days. As word spreads fast in the village, we are expecting a flurry of registrations and hope to have the entire eligible population vaccinated as soon as possible” J Sundar, Trustee, STS Foundation told WION. We’ve setup helpline numbers for people to call and tele-register, so that we can enlist them for vaccination. With the current availability, we are doing upto 100 shots per day and hopefully this will increase, he added. The NGOs partnering with the people of Kovalam and the Health department wish to put this beautiful coastal hamlet and surfing hotspot on the map for being a model vaccination village.

Get Covid-jabbed at this fishing hamlet near Chennai and win prizes like gold coins, bikes

Scientists across the world have expressed concern&nbsp;over COVID-19 developing lethal mutations which could bypass the protection offered by current vaccines.&nbsp; Recently, more infectious variants first reported in the United Kingdom and India have stirred a wave of fear worldwide. A highly mutated strain has higher chances of crossing the threshold of protection offered by vaccines.

Now, Moderna officials have warned against new variants sprouting up globally. During a virtual investor event on Thursday, scientists and executives carved out plans to combat new strains.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ema-pfizer-moderna-vaccines-effective-against-covid-19-variants-385894/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“As the virus spreads, it is rapidly mutating,” the company’s chief scientific officer, Melissa Moore, was quoted as saying by Barron’s.

“Some of these new viral strains appear to be even more transmissible than the original strain… We already know that some of these new strains are less susceptible to neutralization by our current vaccine”, Moore added.

Even then, company representatives claimed that they’re constantly undertaking testing of new variants and vaccines to keep up with mutants, while shedding light on the complexity of the process.

“New viral variants are coming, emerging constantly in real time” Guillaume Stewat-Jones, a scientist at Moderna was cited as saying by Barron’s.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/two-doses-of-covid-vaccines-offer-significant-protection-against-b16172-variant-study-finds-386812" hreflang="en">Two doses of Covid vaccines offer significant protection against B.1.617.2 variant, study finds</a>

Moderna and Pfizer have the highest rates of protection against Covid among its recipients. But the efficacy could drop as mutations surface globally. A recent UK study shed light on how effective current vaccines are against the more infectious strains detected globally.

The study undertaken by Public Health England found that Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s efficacy dropped to 88 per cent two weeks after the second dose against symptomatic disease from the variant first found in India. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (also known as Covishield)&nbsp;provided 60 per cent protection against the&nbsp; B.1.617.2 variant while offering 66 per cent protection against the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first found in UK.

Both Pfizer and Moderna claim to have efficacy rates over 90 per cent against COVID-19.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/pfizer-less-effective-astrazeneca-even-worse-against-variant-first-detected-in-india-study-388279" hreflang="en">Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study</a>

Scientists across the world have expressed concern over COVID-19 developing lethal mutations which could bypass the protection offered by current vaccines. Recently, more infectious variants first reported in the United Kingdom and India have stirred a wave of fear worldwide.

Scientists across the world have expressed concern over COVID-19 developing lethal mutations which could bypass the protection offered by current vaccines. Recently, more infectious variants first reported in the United Kingdom and India have stirred a wave of fear worldwide. A highly mutated strain has higher chances of crossing the threshold of protection offered by vaccines. Now, Moderna officials have warned against new variants sprouting up globally. During a virtual investor event on Thursday, scientists and executives carved out plans to combat new strains. “As the virus spreads, it is rapidly mutating,” the company’s chief scientific officer, Melissa Moore, was quoted as saying by Barron’s. “Some of these new viral strains appear to be even more transmissible than the original strain… We already know that some of these new strains are less susceptible to neutralization by our current vaccine”, Moore added. Even then, company representatives claimed that they’re constantly undertaking testing of new variants and vaccines to keep up with mutants, while shedding light on the complexity of the process. “New viral variants are coming, emerging constantly in real time” Guillaume Stewat-Jones, a scientist at Moderna was cited as saying by Barron’s. Also read: Two doses of Covid vaccines offer significant protection against B.1.617.2 variant, study finds Moderna and Pfizer have the highest rates of protection against Covid among its recipients. But the efficacy could drop as mutations surface globally. A recent UK study shed light on how effective current vaccines are against the more infectious strains detected globally. The study undertaken by Public Health England found that Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s efficacy dropped to 88 per cent two weeks after the second dose against symptomatic disease from the variant first found in India. Two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (also known as Covishield) provided 60 per cent protection against the B.1.617.2 variant while offering 66 per cent protection against the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first found in UK. Both Pfizer and Moderna claim to have efficacy rates over 90 per cent against COVID-19. Also read: Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study

'New coronavirus variants are coming', warn scientists behind Moderna's Covid vaccine

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli on Thursday called on international community to supply the nation with Covid vaccines. He said that the Himalayan nation would need about 40 million vaccines.&nbsp;

The country of nearly 30 million people has so far received just over three million doses from various sources, with another million promised by Beijing.

A new wave of infections has overwhelmed hospitals in Nepal.

"We appeal to the international community to make vaccines available... We are ready to purchase if donations are not possible," KP Sharma Oli told reporters.

"It is difficult to take small numbers because double doses are required. So we hope that vaccines arrive in large quantities. We have to vaccinate about 20 million people, so we need almost 40 million vaccines."

Number of Covid infections started soaring in Nepal in early April and peaked in mid-May. At this time, the country was recording more than 9000 infections a day.

The healthcare system in Nepal remains under pressure though the daily rises have declined slightly.

"The situation is heading towards being controlled but we are not yet in a situation where we can say (the cases) are decreasing," Oli added.

Nepal began its vaccination campaign in January with a gift of one million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford jabs from India.

The government had ordered two million more AstraZeneca-Oxford shots from India but a spike in cases saw New Delhi freeze its exports, leaving Nepal with only the million delivered in January.

China donated 800,000 Sinopharm shots, while a further 348,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had arrived under the Covax programme to help poorer countries in March. Media reports said up to 13 million shots were meant to be sent by Covax.

China said on Wednesday that it would send another million vaccine doses under a grant.

Epidemiologist Lhamo Sherpa said developing countries like Nepal badly needed more shots.

"It is important to pressure the international community for vaccines," he told AFP.

Western nations "are talking about wearing or not wearing masks or vaccinating children, while here even the old, vulnerable population have not received it," Sherpa said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli on Thursday called on international community to supply the nation with Covid vaccines. He said that the Himalayan nation would need about 40 million vaccines.

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli on Thursday called on international community to supply the nation with Covid vaccines. He said that the Himalayan nation would need about 40 million vaccines. The country of nearly 30 million people has so far received just over three million doses from various sources, with another million promised by Beijing. A new wave of infections has overwhelmed hospitals in Nepal. "We appeal to the international community to make vaccines available... We are ready to purchase if donations are not possible," KP Sharma Oli told reporters. "It is difficult to take small numbers because double doses are required. So we hope that vaccines arrive in large quantities. We have to vaccinate about 20 million people, so we need almost 40 million vaccines." Number of Covid infections started soaring in Nepal in early April and peaked in mid-May. At this time, the country was recording more than 9000 infections a day. The healthcare system in Nepal remains under pressure though the daily rises have declined slightly. "The situation is heading towards being controlled but we are not yet in a situation where we can say (the cases) are decreasing," Oli added. Nepal began its vaccination campaign in January with a gift of one million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford jabs from India. The government had ordered two million more AstraZeneca-Oxford shots from India but a spike in cases saw New Delhi freeze its exports, leaving Nepal with only the million delivered in January. China donated 800,000 Sinopharm shots, while a further 348,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had arrived under the Covax programme to help poorer countries in March. Media reports said up to 13 million shots were meant to be sent by Covax. China said on Wednesday that it would send another million vaccine doses under a grant. Epidemiologist Lhamo Sherpa said developing countries like Nepal badly needed more shots. "It is important to pressure the international community for vaccines," he told AFP. Western nations "are talking about wearing or not wearing masks or vaccinating children, while here even the old, vulnerable population have not received it," Sherpa said. (With inputs from agencies)

Nepal PM sends SOS to the world for Covid vaccines

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus.&nbsp;As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire.

Some people believe the central government&nbsp;has failed to procure enough vaccines from western countries. However, the government said it has been in successful discussions with all the major international vaccine manufacturers (such as Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson &amp; Johnson) since mid-2020, when companies started producing the vaccines.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modernas-single-dose-vaccine-in-india-likely-next-year-pfizer-ready-with-50-mn-doses-for-2021-387438" hreflang="en">Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021</a>

"We need to understand that buying vaccines internationally is not similar to buying 'off the shelf' items," explained Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health) in NITI&nbsp;Aayog and Chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).

"Vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their own priorities, game-plans and compulsions in allocating finite stocks. They also give preference to countries of their origin just as our own vaccine makers have done unhesitatingly for us," Paul explained.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-in-india-delhi-to-get-sputnik-v-vaccine-quantity-to-be-decided-says-chief-minister-kejriwal-387501" hreflang="en">Covid in India: Delhi to get Sputnik V vaccine, quantity to be decided, says Chief Minister Kejriwal</a>

The government said it has also successfully accelerated the approval and import process of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine and has been in continuous discussions with Pfizer to arrange the vaccines as soon as possible.

India has also proactively eased the entry and approval process for the vaccines which have been approved by US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing to ensure smooth import of vaccines into the country, the government said in a release.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/our-vaccine-highly-effective-on-covid-19-variant-found-in-india-suitable-for-12-yrs-and-above-pfizer-to-govt-387625" hreflang="en">Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt</a>

New Delhi has also lent full support to domestic vaccine manufacturers such as Bharat Biotech, which will soon be increasing its production plants from one to four. Authorities are also in contact with the Serum Institute of India to increase its production of the Covishield vaccine from 6.5 crore doses per month to 11.0 crore doses per month.&nbsp;

Talking about the vaccine distribution to states, Paul assured that the vaccine procured by the Centre is being supplied to regions with complete knowledge of the state governments.

"In the non-GoI channel, states are getting 25% of the doses and private hospitals are getting 25% doses. However the hiccups and issues faced by the people in the administration of these 25% doses by the states leave a lot to be desired," Paul said.

He also addressed the issue of compulsory licensing and stressed on the importance of active partnership rather than personal profits.

"Tech transfer is the key and that remains in the hands of the company that has carried out R&amp;D," he said. "Infact, we have gone one step ahead of Compulsory Licensing and are ensuring active partnership between Bharat Biotech &amp; 3 other entities to enhance production of Covaxin."

He also revealed that trials of vaccines for children will soon start in India.

However, the government will not start vaccination for children unless there are assured results of safety of specific guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), Paul said.

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus. As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire.

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus. As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire. Some people believe the central government has failed to procure enough vaccines from western countries. However, the government said it has been in successful discussions with all the major international vaccine manufacturers (such as Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson) since mid-2020, when companies started producing the vaccines. Also read | Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021 "We need to understand that buying vaccines internationally is not similar to buying 'off the shelf' items," explained Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health) in NITI Aayog and Chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC). "Vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their own priorities, game-plans and compulsions in allocating finite stocks. They also give preference to countries of their origin just as our own vaccine makers have done unhesitatingly for us," Paul explained. Also read | Covid in India: Delhi to get Sputnik V vaccine, quantity to be decided, says Chief Minister Kejriwal The government said it has also successfully accelerated the approval and import process of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine and has been in continuous discussions with Pfizer to arrange the vaccines as soon as possible. India has also proactively eased the entry and approval process for the vaccines which have been approved by US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing to ensure smooth import of vaccines into the country, the government said in a release. Also read | Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt New Delhi has also lent full support to domestic vaccine manufacturers such as Bharat Biotech, which will soon be increasing its production plants from one to four. Authorities are also in contact with the Serum Institute of India to increase its production of the Covishield vaccine from 6.5 crore doses per month to 11.0 crore doses per month. Talking about the vaccine distribution to states, Paul assured that the vaccine procured by the Centre is being supplied to regions with complete knowledge of the state governments. "In the non-GoI channel, states are getting 25% of the doses and private hospitals are getting 25% doses. However the hiccups and issues faced by the people in the administration of these 25% doses by the states leave a lot to be desired," Paul said. He also addressed the issue of compulsory licensing and stressed on the importance of active partnership rather than personal profits. "Tech transfer is the key and that remains in the hands of the company that has carried out R&D," he said. "Infact, we have gone one step ahead of Compulsory Licensing and are ensuring active partnership between Bharat Biotech & 3 other entities to enhance production of Covaxin." He also revealed that trials of vaccines for children will soon start in India. However, the government will not start vaccination for children unless there are assured results of safety of specific guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), Paul said.

'Transparency, reliability and swiftness': Indian government dispels myths about vaccines

Sputnik V`s manufacturers have agreed to supply the Russian anti-Covid vaccine to Delhi, but the quantity is yet to be decided, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday. 
 
"We are in touch with the makers of Sputnik V. They assure that they will give us vaccines, but the quantity is yet to be decided. Our officials and the representatives of the vaccine manufacturers met on Tuesday too," he said. 
 
Kejriwal told the press that the vaccination process for the 18-44 age group has been suspended for the last four days as there has been no clarity when the next supply of anti-Covid jabs will be supplied to Delhi. 
 
Covaxin stock for 45 and above age groups has also finished and only Covishield doses are being administered at government vaccination centres, he said. 
 
The Chief Minister also said that mucormycosis infections have continued to surge in the capital and 620 cases are being treated at over 15 government and private hospitals, as of Wednesday.

Sputnik V`s manufacturers have agreed to supply the Russian anti-Covid vaccine to Delhi, but the quantity is yet to be decided, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday.

Sputnik V`s manufacturers have agreed to supply the Russian anti-Covid vaccine to Delhi, but the quantity is yet to be decided, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday. "We are in touch with the makers of Sputnik V. They assure that they will give us vaccines, but the quantity is yet to be decided. Our officials and the representatives of the vaccine manufacturers met on Tuesday too," he said. Kejriwal told the press that the vaccination process for the 18-44 age group has been suspended for the last four days as there has been no clarity when the next supply of anti-Covid jabs will be supplied to Delhi. Covaxin stock for 45 and above age groups has also finished and only Covishield doses are being administered at government vaccination centres, he said. The Chief Minister also said that mucormycosis infections have continued to surge in the capital and 620 cases are being treated at over 15 government and private hospitals, as of Wednesday.

Covid in India: Delhi to get Sputnik V vaccine, quantity to be decided, says Chief Minister Kejriwal

US biotech firm Moderna said Tuesday that trials had shown its Covid-19 vaccine is "highly effective" in adolescents aged 12-17 and the company would seek regulators' approval in June. 
 
"We are encouraged that mRNA-1273 was highly effective at preventing Covid-19 in adolescents," CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. 
 
"We will submit these results to the US FDA and regulators globally in early June and request authorization." 
 
If greenlit, as expected, it would be the second Covid vaccine authorised for use in US adolescents after Pfizer's, which began rolling out this month for 12-to-15-year-olds.&nbsp; 
 
The Moderna study enrolled 3,732 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and randomised, with two-thirds receiving the two doses of the vaccine and the rest receiving a placebo. 
 
After two doses, no cases of symptomatic Covid-19 were observed in the vaccine group compared to four cases in the placebo group, meaning the shots were 100 percent effective. 
 
Adolescents are less likely than adults to contract the illness. 
 
Therefore the study also examined efficacy according to a more stringent definition of Covid, which requires just one symptom in addition to a positive test. 
 
Under this definition, the vaccine was 93 percent effective after the first dose. 
 
The vaccine, called mRNA-1273, was generally well tolerated, consistent with what has been observed in adults, with no significant safety concerns. 
 
The majority of side effects were mild or moderate and included injection site pain, headache, fatigue, muscle ache and chills. 
 
Although adolescents are much less susceptible to severe Covid than adults, experts believe they are important to reach in order to help achieve population immunity against the disease. 
 
The US has reached almost 50 percent of its population of 332 million with at least one dose, but its vaccination campaign is slowing in the face of hesitancy. 
 
President Joe Biden has set a target of having 70 percent of adults vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4. The current figure is almost 62 percent.

US biotech firm Moderna said Tuesday that trials had shown its Covid-19 vaccine is "highly effective" in adolescents aged 12-17 and the company would seek regulators' approval in June.

US biotech firm Moderna said Tuesday that trials had shown its Covid-19 vaccine is "highly effective" in adolescents aged 12-17 and the company would seek regulators' approval in June. "We are encouraged that mRNA-1273 was highly effective at preventing Covid-19 in adolescents," CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. "We will submit these results to the US FDA and regulators globally in early June and request authorization." If greenlit, as expected, it would be the second Covid vaccine authorised for use in US adolescents after Pfizer's, which began rolling out this month for 12-to-15-year-olds. The Moderna study enrolled 3,732 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and randomised, with two-thirds receiving the two doses of the vaccine and the rest receiving a placebo. After two doses, no cases of symptomatic Covid-19 were observed in the vaccine group compared to four cases in the placebo group, meaning the shots were 100 percent effective. Adolescents are less likely than adults to contract the illness. Therefore the study also examined efficacy according to a more stringent definition of Covid, which requires just one symptom in addition to a positive test. Under this definition, the vaccine was 93 percent effective after the first dose. The vaccine, called mRNA-1273, was generally well tolerated, consistent with what has been observed in adults, with no significant safety concerns. The majority of side effects were mild or moderate and included injection site pain, headache, fatigue, muscle ache and chills. Although adolescents are much less susceptible to severe Covid than adults, experts believe they are important to reach in order to help achieve population immunity against the disease. The US has reached almost 50 percent of its population of 332 million with at least one dose, but its vaccination campaign is slowing in the face of hesitancy. President Joe Biden has set a target of having 70 percent of adults vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4. The current figure is almost 62 percent.

Moderna says Covid vaccine 'highly effective' among adolescents aged 12 and above

It has been seen so far that to defeat <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">novel coronavirus</a>, vaccinating people promptly is the solution. But the case of Seychelles has raised concerns.&nbsp;

Seychelles has inoculated more of its population as compared to any other country but its active cases doubled in the week ending on May 7.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-the-who-feeding-vaccine-hesitancy-384187/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that a detailed study is being conducted to understand the situation of the Seychelles. &nbsp;

Seychelles's Health Ministry on Monday said that the number of active coronavirus cases doubled since last week to 2,486 people.

It added that the number of active cases includes 37 per cent of people who have received two doses of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">Covid vaccine</a>.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-approves-pfizer-biontechs-covid-vaccine-for-children-aged-12-15-384195">US approves Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid vaccine for children aged 12-15</a>

In Seychelles, 57 per cent of people who have been fully inoculated are given China's Sinopharm shots with the remaining people being administered by Covishield, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured in India under the license from AstraZeneca, reports Bloomberg.

However, Seychelles News Agency reported, citing the minister for foreign affairs and tourism that no one who had infected with Covid post-vaccination has died as of May 8.&nbsp;

The country, which has a population of just under 100,000, vaccinated its population first with Sinopharm and then with Covishield.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

It has been seen so far that to defeat novel coronavirus, vaccinating people promptly is the solution. But the case of Seychelles has raised concerns. Seychelles has inoculated more of its population as compared to any other country but its active cases doubled in the week ending on May 7.

It has been seen so far that to defeat novel coronavirus, vaccinating people promptly is the solution. But the case of Seychelles has raised concerns. Seychelles has inoculated more of its population as compared to any other country but its active cases doubled in the week ending on May 7. Watch | The World Health Organization (WHO) said that a detailed study is being conducted to understand the situation of the Seychelles. Seychelles's Health Ministry on Monday said that the number of active coronavirus cases doubled since last week to 2,486 people. It added that the number of active cases includes 37 per cent of people who have received two doses of the Covid vaccine. Also read | US approves Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid vaccine for children aged 12-15 In Seychelles, 57 per cent of people who have been fully inoculated are given China's Sinopharm shots with the remaining people being administered by Covishield, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured in India under the license from AstraZeneca, reports Bloomberg. However, Seychelles News Agency reported, citing the minister for foreign affairs and tourism that no one who had infected with Covid post-vaccination has died as of May 8. The country, which has a population of just under 100,000, vaccinated its population first with Sinopharm and then with Covishield.

Do Covid vaccines work? World's most-vaccinated nation Seychelles raises concerns

With multiple variants of Coronavirus infecting millions around the world, the United Kingdom has decided to boost research in vaccines with new labs. Britain has invested $40 million to build Porton Down labs at Ministry of Defense's top secret complex.

UK puts $40 mn into Porton Down labs to boost Coronavirus vaccines research

Pfizer sharply increased its projections for 2021 revenues and profits on Tuesday, citing much higher COVID-19 vaccine sales as it targets the inoculations as a "durable" revenue stream.

The drugmaker, which has a number of projects to expand vaccinations to additional populations and to provide booster doses, now estimates 2021 revenues of $26 billion from the vaccine, up from $15 billion previously.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-fda-to-approve-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-teens-by-next-week-382704/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Pfizer now sees profits of between $3.55 and $3.65 a share for the year, an increase of 45 cents from the previous estimate.

Chief Executive Albert Bourla expects "durable demand" for COVID-19 vaccines, similar to that of the flu vaccine.

The company is ramping up capacity for the shots, which were developed with German company BioNTech.

"It is our hope that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will continue to have a global impact by helping to get the devastating pandemic under control and helping economies around the world not only open -- but stay open," Bourla said in prepared remarks ahead of a conference call later Tuesday.&nbsp;

He said that would create "a scenario in which Pfizer can continue to be both a leader and a beneficiary."

Pfizer reported net income of $4.9 billion, up 45 per cent from the same period of the prior year.

Revenues also jumped 45 per cent to $14.6 billion, including $3.5 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales.

Pfizer expects to deliver 1.6 billion doses this year under contracts signed through mid-April.

The company's results also included a "solid" performance in non-vaccine products. Products with higher sales included Eliquis, which is used to prevent blood clots, and Xeljanz, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments.&nbsp;

As with other COVID-19 vaccine producers, Pfizer developed its version at an exceptionally fast pace. The company is expected to soon win approval in the United States to provide shots to children 12 to 15 years old, and is researching providing the doses to healthy children six months to 11 years old.

Pfizer also is evaluating a third dose of the treatment "to understand the effect of a booster" against COVID-19 variants now in circulation.

The drugmaker said it reached agreements with Israel to supply millions of doses in 2022, and with Canada to supply 125 million doses in 2022 and 2023, with options into 2024.

The company and partner BioNTech have significant supply agreements with the United States and the European Union.&nbsp;

After logistical problems in Europe, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to significantly boost vaccine production in Puurs, Belgium.

As of May 3, Pfizer and BioNTech have shipped about 430 million doses of the vaccine to 91 countries around the world.

The company is building more capacity and expects to manufacture at least three billion doses in 2022, up from 2.5 billion now expected in 2021. In February, Pfizer said it expected to produce up to two billion doses in 2021.

Pfizer shares rose 0.8 percent to $40.13 in pre-market trading.

Pfizer sharply increased its projections for 2021 revenues and profits on Tuesday, citing much higher COVID-19 vaccine sales as it targets the inoculations as a "durable" revenue stream.

Pfizer sharply increased its projections for 2021 revenues and profits on Tuesday, citing much higher COVID-19 vaccine sales as it targets the inoculations as a "durable" revenue stream. The drugmaker, which has a number of projects to expand vaccinations to additional populations and to provide booster doses, now estimates 2021 revenues of $26 billion from the vaccine, up from $15 billion previously. Watch | Pfizer now sees profits of between $3.55 and $3.65 a share for the year, an increase of 45 cents from the previous estimate. Chief Executive Albert Bourla expects "durable demand" for COVID-19 vaccines, similar to that of the flu vaccine. The company is ramping up capacity for the shots, which were developed with German company BioNTech. "It is our hope that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will continue to have a global impact by helping to get the devastating pandemic under control and helping economies around the world not only open -- but stay open," Bourla said in prepared remarks ahead of a conference call later Tuesday. He said that would create "a scenario in which Pfizer can continue to be both a leader and a beneficiary." Pfizer reported net income of $4.9 billion, up 45 per cent from the same period of the prior year. Revenues also jumped 45 per cent to $14.6 billion, including $3.5 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales. Pfizer expects to deliver 1.6 billion doses this year under contracts signed through mid-April. The company's results also included a "solid" performance in non-vaccine products. Products with higher sales included Eliquis, which is used to prevent blood clots, and Xeljanz, which treats rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments. As with other COVID-19 vaccine producers, Pfizer developed its version at an exceptionally fast pace. The company is expected to soon win approval in the United States to provide shots to children 12 to 15 years old, and is researching providing the doses to healthy children six months to 11 years old. Pfizer also is evaluating a third dose of the treatment "to understand the effect of a booster" against COVID-19 variants now in circulation. The drugmaker said it reached agreements with Israel to supply millions of doses in 2022, and with Canada to supply 125 million doses in 2022 and 2023, with options into 2024. The company and partner BioNTech have significant supply agreements with the United States and the European Union. After logistical problems in Europe, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to significantly boost vaccine production in Puurs, Belgium. As of May 3, Pfizer and BioNTech have shipped about 430 million doses of the vaccine to 91 countries around the world. The company is building more capacity and expects to manufacture at least three billion doses in 2022, up from 2.5 billion now expected in 2021. In February, Pfizer said it expected to produce up to two billion doses in 2021. Pfizer shares rose 0.8 percent to $40.13 in pre-market trading.

Pfizer raises 2021 sales forecast for Covid vaccines to $26 billion

A group of US lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to quickly release the country’s supply of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to India and other countries where the pandemic is wreaking havoc. The Democrats stressed on the importance of time in a joint letter addressed to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.

In the letter, the four signatories mentioned how&nbsp;without assistance, new mutations that may evade vaccines could sprout up in India and then spill over to other countries in the world, including the United States.

The signatories are Carolyn Maloney, chairperson of the House Oversight Committee; James Clyburn, chair of the House subcommittee on COVID-19; Raja Krishnamoorthi, Indian American chair of the House subcommittee on economic policy; and Stephen Lynch, chair of the House subcommittee on national security.

In addition to urging an expedited response to India’s crisis, the lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to reverse President Donald Trump’s decision to not waive intellectual property rights on vaccines.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-covid-crisis-us-to-redirect-20-million-doses-of-astrazeneca-vaccines-send-raw-material-to-manufacture-500000-doses-381387" hreflang="en">India Covid crisis: US to redirect 20 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, send raw material to manufacture 500,000 doses</a>

India and South Africa had led the proposal in favour of temporarily waiving IPR on vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

Biden administration has approved sending supplies and vaccines to India, but there have been delays in shipping while the country awaits the approval of country’s food and drug regulator to send AstraZeneca vaccines to India.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-to-export-up-to-60-million-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-doses-380640" hreflang="en">US to export up to 60 million AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses</a>

On April 26, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said that the AZ doses will need quality clearance from the FDA before being shipped out to India and other countries. “This is being done in the context of the FDA’s ongoing review of all doses made at the plant where these AstraZeneca doses were produced”, she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A group of US lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to quickly release the country’s supply of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to India and other countries where the pandemic is wreaking havoc.

A group of US lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to quickly release the country’s supply of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to India and other countries where the pandemic is wreaking havoc. The Democrats stressed on the importance of time in a joint letter addressed to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. In the letter, the four signatories mentioned how without assistance, new mutations that may evade vaccines could sprout up in India and then spill over to other countries in the world, including the United States. The signatories are Carolyn Maloney, chairperson of the House Oversight Committee; James Clyburn, chair of the House subcommittee on COVID-19; Raja Krishnamoorthi, Indian American chair of the House subcommittee on economic policy; and Stephen Lynch, chair of the House subcommittee on national security. In addition to urging an expedited response to India’s crisis, the lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to reverse President Donald Trump’s decision to not waive intellectual property rights on vaccines. Also read: India Covid crisis: US to redirect 20 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, send raw material to manufacture 500,000 doses India and South Africa had led the proposal in favour of temporarily waiving IPR on vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to ensure all countries have access to vaccines. Biden administration has approved sending supplies and vaccines to India, but there have been delays in shipping while the country awaits the approval of country’s food and drug regulator to send AstraZeneca vaccines to India. Also read: US to export up to 60 million AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses On April 26, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said that the AZ doses will need quality clearance from the FDA before being shipped out to India and other countries. “This is being done in the context of the FDA’s ongoing review of all doses made at the plant where these AstraZeneca doses were produced”, she said. (With inputs from agencies)

US lawmakers urge Biden to prioritise sending AstraZeneca vaccines to India

As India battles the second wave of the Covid pandemic, US President Joe Bidn has said that his "intention" is to send vaccines to the country.

The development comes a&nbsp;day after the United States announced it will make&nbsp;60 million doses of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine available to other countries within two&nbsp;months.&nbsp;Before any AstraZeneca doses can be shipped from the United States, US FDA needs to give its nod.

Recalling his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, President Biden said,&nbsp;"I spoke at length with PM Modi, we are sending immediately a whole series of help that it (India) needs including providing for those Remdesivir and other drugs that are able to deal" with the disease and help recovery."&nbsp;

On vaccines, he said, "we are sending actual mechanical parts that are needed for the machinery they have to build a vaccine", adding, "I have also discussed with him (PM Modi) when we will be able to send actual vaccines to India which will be my intention to do".

The&nbsp;United States has approved&nbsp;three&nbsp;vaccines so far, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson. And while AstraZeneca is being used in many parts of the world, it has not been authorised for use in the US yet. But despite no authorisation yet, the country still has stockpiled the vaccine doses as part of its strategy to be ready for a range of scenarios.&nbsp;

Biden said,&nbsp;"I think we will be in a position to share vaccines as well as knowhow with other countries who are in real need. That is the hope and expectations."

In the backdrop of the Covid crisis in India, the US over the weekend announced assistance including&nbsp;providing raw material for Indian manufactures to produce the Covishield vaccine. Other than that, the US will send therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment.

The president also lauded India's support of last year, saying, "when we were in a bind at the very beginning, India helped us." In 2020, India had sent HCQ to the US when it was battling the Covid pandemic.

As India battles the second wave of the Covid pandemic, US President Joe Bidn has said that his "intention" is to send vaccines to the country. The development comes a day after the United States announced it will make 60 million doses of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine available to other countries within two months.

As India battles the second wave of the Covid pandemic, US President Joe Bidn has said that his "intention" is to send vaccines to the country. The development comes a day after the United States announced it will make 60 million doses of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine available to other countries within two months. Before any AstraZeneca doses can be shipped from the United States, US FDA needs to give its nod. Recalling his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, President Biden said, "I spoke at length with PM Modi, we are sending immediately a whole series of help that it (India) needs including providing for those Remdesivir and other drugs that are able to deal" with the disease and help recovery." On vaccines, he said, "we are sending actual mechanical parts that are needed for the machinery they have to build a vaccine", adding, "I have also discussed with him (PM Modi) when we will be able to send actual vaccines to India which will be my intention to do". The United States has approved three vaccines so far, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. And while AstraZeneca is being used in many parts of the world, it has not been authorised for use in the US yet. But despite no authorisation yet, the country still has stockpiled the vaccine doses as part of its strategy to be ready for a range of scenarios. Biden said, "I think we will be in a position to share vaccines as well as knowhow with other countries who are in real need. That is the hope and expectations." In the backdrop of the Covid crisis in India, the US over the weekend announced assistance including providing raw material for Indian manufactures to produce the Covishield vaccine. Other than that, the US will send therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment. The president also lauded India's support of last year, saying, "when we were in a bind at the very beginning, India helped us." In 2020, India had sent HCQ to the US when it was battling the Covid pandemic.

Intend to send COVID-19 vaccines to India, says US President Joe Biden

South Korea said on Saturday it signed a contract with Pfizer Inc to purchase an additional 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine amid fears of spiking infections at home. 
 
That brings the current amount of Pfizer vaccines to 66 million doses, it said in a statement. 
 
It added that it had secured a total 192 million doses of vaccines, including those from Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca PLC, Johnson &amp; Johnson`s and Novavax. 
 
"The government has acquired COVID-19 vaccines large enough to vaccinate approximately 100 million people...(which) is double the entire population of South Korea," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol told a briefing. 
 
"(The government) will make all out efforts to achieve its promise to vaccinate 12 million people by end of June and achieve herd immunity by November," he said. 
 
The deal comes a week after Pfizer agreed to supply additional vaccines to Japan by the end of September, which would be enough to inoculate all people over 16. 
 
Nearly 2.2 million South Koreans out of a population of 52 million have received their first vaccine dose, bringing the vaccination rate to just above 4%. The government`s goal is to reach 70% by November. 
 
The low rate compares with a 41% rate in the United States, according to Reuters data. 
 
A Gallup Korea survey on Friday showed for the first time negative views outweighing positive views over the government`s handling of the pandemic and vaccinations - 43% had positive views versus 85% last May, when daily infections were in the single digits. 
 
The country reported 785 new cases as of Friday midnight, bringing the total tally to 118,243 and 1,812 deaths. 
&nbsp;

South Korea said on Saturday it signed a contract with Pfizer Inc to purchase an additional 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine amid fears of spiking infections at home.

South Korea said on Saturday it signed a contract with Pfizer Inc to purchase an additional 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine amid fears of spiking infections at home. That brings the current amount of Pfizer vaccines to 66 million doses, it said in a statement. It added that it had secured a total 192 million doses of vaccines, including those from Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca PLC, Johnson & Johnson`s and Novavax. "The government has acquired COVID-19 vaccines large enough to vaccinate approximately 100 million people...(which) is double the entire population of South Korea," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol told a briefing. "(The government) will make all out efforts to achieve its promise to vaccinate 12 million people by end of June and achieve herd immunity by November," he said. The deal comes a week after Pfizer agreed to supply additional vaccines to Japan by the end of September, which would be enough to inoculate all people over 16. Nearly 2.2 million South Koreans out of a population of 52 million have received their first vaccine dose, bringing the vaccination rate to just above 4%. The government`s goal is to reach 70% by November. The low rate compares with a 41% rate in the United States, according to Reuters data. A Gallup Korea survey on Friday showed for the first time negative views outweighing positive views over the government`s handling of the pandemic and vaccinations - 43% had positive views versus 85% last May, when daily infections were in the single digits. The country reported 785 new cases as of Friday midnight, bringing the total tally to 118,243 and 1,812 deaths.

South Korea signs with Pfizer for additional 40 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase. In Israel, masks have come off and people are back on the streets. Most adults in Israel have got at least one shot.

Now, the country is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. This time, the jabs will go to 12 to 15 year olds.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-are-wuhan-vaccines-safe-for-children-379133/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Are children at risk without vaccines?

Children do not face high risk from COVID-19 and make up 29 per cent of the global population.

According to data from the World Health Organization, children account for 8 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in 2020. Even fewer ended up in intensive care. Most kids managed to beat fever, cough and fatigue and those below 20 years of age, accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of the fatalities. In other words, of all the pandemic deaths in 2020, less than 0.2 percent were children and teenagers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-reveal-why-some-people-are-always-hungry-378442" hreflang="en">Scientists reveal why some people are always hungry</a>

They aren't a high risk group but still need vaccines. This is especially true for children with serious illnesses. In addition, children still remain potential carriers and could pass on the virus to adults.

But vaccines for kids aren’t tailor-made yet and trials are underway to determine how safe the jabs are for children.

Israel is waiting for&nbsp;the American health regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, to give the nod. Once done, Israel will start inoculating minors. They are betting on two vaccines makers - Pfizer and Moderna.

Pfizer could be the first vaccine to be rolled out for children. A study has found that the jab is 100 per cent effective in preventing illness among 12 to 15 year olds. Reports say Israel has given shots to around 600 adolescents in high risk categories and they saw no significant side effects. The other player Moderna began clinical trials on children above 12 years in December 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/can-covid-research-help-solve-the-mysteries-of-other-viruses-378386" hreflang="en">Can Covid research help solve the mysteries of other viruses?</a>

In March 2021, the first group of children was given the first dose. In February this year, AstraZeneca began testing its jab on six to 17-year-olds in Britain.

And in China, Sinovac claimed that its vaccine is safe on children as young as three. The company says it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators. Antony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert is optimistic. He believes kids of of any age will be able to get a shot by 2022.

For more than a year now, children across the world have stayed away from school. With the virus still in the air, a full return to in-person learning is impossible. Vaccines may be able to give children the protective shield they need to go back to school.

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase.

Many parts of the world are now looking at vaccinating children. Israel, which has been hailed as a vaccination success story, is now asking kids aged between 12-15 to be prepared for vaccination in the next phase. In Israel, masks have come off and people are back on the streets. Most adults in Israel have got at least one shot. Now, the country is gearing up for the second round of vaccinations. This time, the jabs will go to 12 to 15 year olds. Are children at risk without vaccines? Children do not face high risk from COVID-19 and make up 29 per cent of the global population. According to data from the World Health Organization, children account for 8 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in 2020. Even fewer ended up in intensive care. Most kids managed to beat fever, cough and fatigue and those below 20 years of age, accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of the fatalities. In other words, of all the pandemic deaths in 2020, less than 0.2 percent were children and teenagers. Also read: Scientists reveal why some people are always hungry They aren't a high risk group but still need vaccines. This is especially true for children with serious illnesses. In addition, children still remain potential carriers and could pass on the virus to adults. But vaccines for kids aren’t tailor-made yet and trials are underway to determine how safe the jabs are for children. Israel is waiting for the American health regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, to give the nod. Once done, Israel will start inoculating minors. They are betting on two vaccines makers - Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer could be the first vaccine to be rolled out for children. A study has found that the jab is 100 per cent effective in preventing illness among 12 to 15 year olds. Reports say Israel has given shots to around 600 adolescents in high risk categories and they saw no significant side effects. The other player Moderna began clinical trials on children above 12 years in December 2020. Also read: Can Covid research help solve the mysteries of other viruses? In March 2021, the first group of children was given the first dose. In February this year, AstraZeneca began testing its jab on six to 17-year-olds in Britain. And in China, Sinovac claimed that its vaccine is safe on children as young as three. The company says it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese regulators. Antony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert is optimistic. He believes kids of of any age will be able to get a shot by 2022. For more than a year now, children across the world have stayed away from school. With the virus still in the air, a full return to in-person learning is impossible. Vaccines may be able to give children the protective shield they need to go back to school.

Israel now wants to vaccinate kids. Is it safe?

Johnson &amp; Johnson beat expectations for quarterly earnings and raised its dividend payouts to shareholders on Tuesday, while reporting $100 million in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, whose use was paused by U.S. regulators last week.

The company, which has previously said the vaccine will be available on a not-for-profit basis until the end of the pandemic, also tightened its forecast for adjusted profit this year, suggesting it was largely performing as previously expected.

Use of the company's vaccine was temporarily halted by U.S. regulators as they investigate reports of blood clots in six women, prompting a similar pause in South Africa and leading to a delay in rollout in Europe.

The United States is also reviewing a handful of potential cases of severe side effects in addition to those that led to the pause.

J&amp;J is aiming to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine to the United States before the end of May, of which more than 17 million have already been distributed as of Monday.

"While we expect many questions on its Covid-19 vaccine, this should not overshadow the strong recovery for J&amp;J," Citi analyst Joanne Wuensch wrote in a note to clients.

Sales of cancer drug Darzalex rose 45.7% to $1.37 billion and sales of Stelara, a treatment for Crohn's disease and plaque psoriasis, rose about 18% to $2.15 billion.

The company now expects full-year adjusted profit of $9.42 to $9.57 per share, compared with its prior forecast of $9.40 to $9.60 per share.

Excluding items, the company earned $2.59 per share, beating analysts' estimates of $2.34 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Total sales rose 7.9% to $22.32 billion, beating estimates of $21.98 billion.

The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.06 per share from $1.01 per share.

Johnson & Johnson beat expectations for quarterly earnings and raised its dividend payouts to shareholders on Tuesday, while reporting $100 million in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, whose use was paused by U.

Johnson & Johnson beat expectations for quarterly earnings and raised its dividend payouts to shareholders on Tuesday, while reporting $100 million in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, whose use was paused by U.S. regulators last week. The company, which has previously said the vaccine will be available on a not-for-profit basis until the end of the pandemic, also tightened its forecast for adjusted profit this year, suggesting it was largely performing as previously expected. Use of the company's vaccine was temporarily halted by U.S. regulators as they investigate reports of blood clots in six women, prompting a similar pause in South Africa and leading to a delay in rollout in Europe. The United States is also reviewing a handful of potential cases of severe side effects in addition to those that led to the pause. J&J is aiming to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine to the United States before the end of May, of which more than 17 million have already been distributed as of Monday. "While we expect many questions on its Covid-19 vaccine, this should not overshadow the strong recovery for J&J," Citi analyst Joanne Wuensch wrote in a note to clients. Sales of cancer drug Darzalex rose 45.7% to $1.37 billion and sales of Stelara, a treatment for Crohn's disease and plaque psoriasis, rose about 18% to $2.15 billion. The company now expects full-year adjusted profit of $9.42 to $9.57 per share, compared with its prior forecast of $9.40 to $9.60 per share. Excluding items, the company earned $2.59 per share, beating analysts' estimates of $2.34 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Total sales rose 7.9% to $22.32 billion, beating estimates of $21.98 billion. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $1.06 per share from $1.01 per share.

J&J reports $100 million in vaccine sales as results top forecasts

To federal health officials, asking states Tuesday to suspend use of the Johnson &amp; Johnson coronavirus vaccine until they can investigate six extremely rare but troubling cases of blood clots was an obvious and perhaps unavoidable move.

But where scientists saw prudence, public health officials saw a delicate trade-off: The blood clotting so far appears to affect just 1 out of every 1 million people injected with the vaccine, and it is not yet clear if the vaccine is the cause. If highlighting the clotting heightens vaccine hesitancy and bolsters conspiracy theorists, the “pause” in the end could ultimately sicken — and even kill — more people than it saves.

With coronavirus cases spiking in states like Michigan and Minnesota, and worrisome new variants on the horizon, health officials know they are in a race between the virus and the vaccine — and can ill afford any setbacks.

“We are concerned about heightened reservations about the J&amp;J vaccine, but in addition to that, those reservations could spill over into public concerns about other vaccines,” said Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Officials at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that the break in vaccinations could last only a matter of days as they sort out what happened, determine whether to place limits on the use of the vaccine and examine ways to treat clotting should it occur.

Around the country, people who have taken the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine — and even those who have not — were left to weigh their risks, especially women ages 18 to 48, who accounted for all six cases of blood clots.

The repercussions could be more dramatic than federal officials are bargaining for, just as they were in Europe, where a similar clotting issue has turned the AstraZeneca vaccine into something of a pariah. There, too, officials stressed that blood clotting in people injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine was extremely rare. Yet according to a YouGov poll published last month, 61% of the French, 55% of Germans and 52% of Spaniards consider the AstraZeneca vaccine “unsafe.”

“It’s a messaging nightmare,” said Rachael Piltch-Loeb, an expert in health risk communications at the NYU School of Global Public Health. But officials had no other ethical option, she added. “To ignore it would be to seed the growing sentiment that public health officials are lying to the public.”

The one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine was just beginning to gain traction among doctors and patients after its reputation took a hit from early clinical trials suggesting its protection against the coronavirus was not as strong as competitor vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Before Tuesday’s pause, some patients were asking for it by name.

“I knew that I wanted to get the Johnson &amp; Johnson — the idea of it being one and done really appealed to me,” said Kayli Balin, 22, a freelance web designer and recent graduate of Wellesley College who was scheduled to get the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccination Tuesday — only to have her appointment canceled. Now she will get the Moderna vaccine, she said.

But amid the blizzard of news and social media attention around the “pause,” those gains may well be lost, especially if the rare blood clotting feeds politically driven conspiracy theorists and naysayers, who seemed to be losing ground as the rate of vaccinations ramped up.

The problem is getting the public to understand relative risk, said Rupali J. Limaye, who studies public health messaging at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She noted that the potential rate of blood clotting in reaction to the vaccine is much smaller than the blood clotting rate for cigarette smokers and for women who use hormonal contraception, although the types of blood clots differ.

Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, made that point Tuesday on Twitter, noting the incidence of blood clots among those vaccinated, those taking oral contraceptives and those who have COVID-19.

Patients interviewed Tuesday said the news gave them pause — if not for themselves, then for what it would mean for the nation’s ability to slow the spread of the virus. Jen Osterheldt, 33, of Norwalk, Ohio, who is pregnant and received the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine about a month ago, said she would take it again, but worried that others would shun it even if the pause was lifted.

“We could potentially be doing more damage with pulling this than we think,” she said.

Officials are not “pulling” the vaccine. They are simply asking for a timeout, in effect, to figure out how best to use it going forward. But that timeout is causing consternation among those eager to be vaccinated, like Polly Holland, a 23-year-old state worker in Worcester, Massachusetts, who was set to get the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine next week after scheduling her appointment on Monday morning.

She had hopes of a vacation to Washington, D.C., and of hugging her 82-year-old grandmother again. But on Tuesday, she received an email notifying her of the pause, and telling her that she would have to wait for the Pfizer vaccine instead.

“I don’t think with the number being as low as it is, that they should completely stop and hold us back from getting to the next step of our lives,” Holland said.

Vaccinators Tuesday were already fielding questions from worried patients.

Maulik Joshi, the president and chief executive of Meritus Health in Hagerstown, Maryland, which has given out 50,000 doses of all three vaccines without any reported major reactions, said he had a simple message to calm patients’ fears: “It’s a great thing that they have paused it, and this is science at work.”

To federal health officials, asking states Tuesday to suspend use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine until they can investigate six extremely rare but troubling cases of blood clots was an obvious and perhaps unavoidable move.

To federal health officials, asking states Tuesday to suspend use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine until they can investigate six extremely rare but troubling cases of blood clots was an obvious and perhaps unavoidable move. But where scientists saw prudence, public health officials saw a delicate trade-off: The blood clotting so far appears to affect just 1 out of every 1 million people injected with the vaccine, and it is not yet clear if the vaccine is the cause. If highlighting the clotting heightens vaccine hesitancy and bolsters conspiracy theorists, the “pause” in the end could ultimately sicken — and even kill — more people than it saves. With coronavirus cases spiking in states like Michigan and Minnesota, and worrisome new variants on the horizon, health officials know they are in a race between the virus and the vaccine — and can ill afford any setbacks. “We are concerned about heightened reservations about the J&J vaccine, but in addition to that, those reservations could spill over into public concerns about other vaccines,” said Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Officials at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that the break in vaccinations could last only a matter of days as they sort out what happened, determine whether to place limits on the use of the vaccine and examine ways to treat clotting should it occur. Around the country, people who have taken the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine — and even those who have not — were left to weigh their risks, especially women ages 18 to 48, who accounted for all six cases of blood clots. The repercussions could be more dramatic than federal officials are bargaining for, just as they were in Europe, where a similar clotting issue has turned the AstraZeneca vaccine into something of a pariah. There, too, officials stressed that blood clotting in people injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine was extremely rare. Yet according to a YouGov poll published last month, 61% of the French, 55% of Germans and 52% of Spaniards consider the AstraZeneca vaccine “unsafe.” “It’s a messaging nightmare,” said Rachael Piltch-Loeb, an expert in health risk communications at the NYU School of Global Public Health. But officials had no other ethical option, she added. “To ignore it would be to seed the growing sentiment that public health officials are lying to the public.” The one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was just beginning to gain traction among doctors and patients after its reputation took a hit from early clinical trials suggesting its protection against the coronavirus was not as strong as competitor vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Before Tuesday’s pause, some patients were asking for it by name. “I knew that I wanted to get the Johnson & Johnson — the idea of it being one and done really appealed to me,” said Kayli Balin, 22, a freelance web designer and recent graduate of Wellesley College who was scheduled to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccination Tuesday — only to have her appointment canceled. Now she will get the Moderna vaccine, she said. But amid the blizzard of news and social media attention around the “pause,” those gains may well be lost, especially if the rare blood clotting feeds politically driven conspiracy theorists and naysayers, who seemed to be losing ground as the rate of vaccinations ramped up. The problem is getting the public to understand relative risk, said Rupali J. Limaye, who studies public health messaging at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She noted that the potential rate of blood clotting in reaction to the vaccine is much smaller than the blood clotting rate for cigarette smokers and for women who use hormonal contraception, although the types of blood clots differ. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, made that point Tuesday on Twitter, noting the incidence of blood clots among those vaccinated, those taking oral contraceptives and those who have COVID-19. Patients interviewed Tuesday said the news gave them pause — if not for themselves, then for what it would mean for the nation’s ability to slow the spread of the virus. Jen Osterheldt, 33, of Norwalk, Ohio, who is pregnant and received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine about a month ago, said she would take it again, but worried that others would shun it even if the pause was lifted. “We could potentially be doing more damage with pulling this than we think,” she said. Officials are not “pulling” the vaccine. They are simply asking for a timeout, in effect, to figure out how best to use it going forward. But that timeout is causing consternation among those eager to be vaccinated, like Polly Holland, a 23-year-old state worker in Worcester, Massachusetts, who was set to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week after scheduling her appointment on Monday morning. She had hopes of a vacation to Washington, D.C., and of hugging her 82-year-old grandmother again. But on Tuesday, she received an email notifying her of the pause, and telling her that she would have to wait for the Pfizer vaccine instead. “I don’t think with the number being as low as it is, that they should completely stop and hold us back from getting to the next step of our lives,” Holland said. Vaccinators Tuesday were already fielding questions from worried patients. Maulik Joshi, the president and chief executive of Meritus Health in Hagerstown, Maryland, which has given out 50,000 doses of all three vaccines without any reported major reactions, said he had a simple message to calm patients’ fears: “It’s a great thing that they have paused it, and this is science at work.”

Did spotlighting a rare potential vaccine side effect put more at risk?

Moderna&nbsp;Inc said on Tuesday that its COVID-19 vaccine still showed strong protection against the illness six months after people received their second shot, with efficacy of more than 90 percent against all cases of COVID-19 and more than 95 percent against severe COVID-19.

The vaccine maker, which will be updating investors on the progress of its vaccines at an event on Wednesday, said the six-month follow-up of its original late-stage study of the vaccine showed that vaccine efficacy remained consistent with its previous updates.

The company has also started testing new versions of the vaccine that target a concerning new variant of the coronavirus, which was first identified in South Africa and is known as B.1.351.

It said both versions of the vaccine that it is testing, including a multivalent vaccine that combines the newly designed vaccine with the previous one, increased neutralising antibody titres against variants of concerns in mice, with the multivalent providing the broadest level of immunity.

The company in March began testing three approaches to boosting the vaccine in order to protect against new variants.

Moderna's vaccine is authorised or approved for use in more than 40 countries. It uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which contains instructions for human cells to make proteins that mimic part of the coronavirus.

The instructions spur the immune system into action, turning the body into a virus-zapping vaccine factory. No actual virus is contained in the vaccines.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said that as of Monday it has delivered about 132 million doses globally, including 117 million doses for the United States. The company said it is on track to supply the nation with 300 million doses of the vaccine by the end of July.

Moderna&nbsp;said its supply chain outside the United States was established about a quarter behind the U.S. supply chain and continues to ramp up.

The company said its average US&nbsp;selling price in the first quarter was around $15.40 per dose excluding a roughly $1 billion payment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is part of the US&nbsp;Department of Health and Human Services.

Outside the United States, prices ranged from $22 to $37 per dose, it said.

Moderna Inc said on Tuesday that its COVID-19 vaccine still showed strong protection against the illness six months after people received their second shot, with efficacy of more than 90 percent against all cases of COVID-19 and more than 95 percent against severe COVID-19.

Moderna Inc said on Tuesday that its COVID-19 vaccine still showed strong protection against the illness six months after people received their second shot, with efficacy of more than 90 percent against all cases of COVID-19 and more than 95 percent against severe COVID-19. The vaccine maker, which will be updating investors on the progress of its vaccines at an event on Wednesday, said the six-month follow-up of its original late-stage study of the vaccine showed that vaccine efficacy remained consistent with its previous updates. The company has also started testing new versions of the vaccine that target a concerning new variant of the coronavirus, which was first identified in South Africa and is known as B.1.351. It said both versions of the vaccine that it is testing, including a multivalent vaccine that combines the newly designed vaccine with the previous one, increased neutralising antibody titres against variants of concerns in mice, with the multivalent providing the broadest level of immunity. The company in March began testing three approaches to boosting the vaccine in order to protect against new variants. Moderna's vaccine is authorised or approved for use in more than 40 countries. It uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which contains instructions for human cells to make proteins that mimic part of the coronavirus. The instructions spur the immune system into action, turning the body into a virus-zapping vaccine factory. No actual virus is contained in the vaccines. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said that as of Monday it has delivered about 132 million doses globally, including 117 million doses for the United States. The company said it is on track to supply the nation with 300 million doses of the vaccine by the end of July. Moderna said its supply chain outside the United States was established about a quarter behind the U.S. supply chain and continues to ramp up. The company said its average US selling price in the first quarter was around $15.40 per dose excluding a roughly $1 billion payment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Outside the United States, prices ranged from $22 to $37 per dose, it said.

Moderna says protection from its COVID-19 vaccine still strong six months on

The European Commission has decided against renewing coronavirus vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson &amp; Johnson in view of the recent concerns surrounding the jabs made by the companies.

Italian newspaper La Stampa on Wednesday revealed the big move, citing a source in the Italian Health Ministry. According to the newspaper, the EU Commission is in agreement with the leaders of many EU countries to not renew the vaccine contracts for companies that have produced viral vector vaccines.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-astrazeneca-and-the-blood-clot-controversy-375975/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The contracts are valid for 2021 and will not be renewed for 2022. The EU is reportedly shifting is focus to vaccines that have been developed using the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology - the ones made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/botswana-is-probing-link-between-two-deaths-and-astrazeneca-covid-shots-377230" hreflang="en">Botswana is probing link between two deaths and AstraZeneca Covid shots</a>

An EU official told Reuters on Tuesday that they are awaiting a clarification from Johnson &amp; Johnson about the “completely unexpected” delay in delivery of vaccines to the bloc which has been hit hard.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-orders-more-alternatives-for-astrazeneca-vaccine-setting-back-its-rollout-376500" hreflang="en">Australia orders more alternatives for AstraZeneca vaccine setting back its rollout</a>

Both the vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Johnson &amp; Johnson have come under the scrutiny of health regulators after instances of blood clots were reported. Even though very rare, the clots have led to deaths, prompting many countries to halt the usage of these vaccines.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Commission has decided against renewing coronavirus vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson in view of the recent concerns surrounding the jabs made by the companies.

The European Commission has decided against renewing coronavirus vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson in view of the recent concerns surrounding the jabs made by the companies. Italian newspaper La Stampa on Wednesday revealed the big move, citing a source in the Italian Health Ministry. According to the newspaper, the EU Commission is in agreement with the leaders of many EU countries to not renew the vaccine contracts for companies that have produced viral vector vaccines. The contracts are valid for 2021 and will not be renewed for 2022. The EU is reportedly shifting is focus to vaccines that have been developed using the mRNA (messenger RNA) technology - the ones made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Also read: Botswana is probing link between two deaths and AstraZeneca Covid shots An EU official told Reuters on Tuesday that they are awaiting a clarification from Johnson & Johnson about the “completely unexpected” delay in delivery of vaccines to the bloc which has been hit hard. Also read: Australia orders more alternatives for AstraZeneca vaccine setting back its rollout Both the vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have come under the scrutiny of health regulators after instances of blood clots were reported. Even though very rare, the clots have led to deaths, prompting many countries to halt the usage of these vaccines. (With inputs from agencies)

Blood clot row: European Commission to not renew AstraZeneca, J&J COVID-19 vaccine contracts, says report

France has decided to increase the time gap between the first and second dose of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine?page=1">coronavirus vaccine</a> from four weeks to six weeks.

The announcement was made by France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran in a conversation with a local newspaper.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/pfizer-vaccine-not-very-effective-against-south-african-variant-israeli-study-376804" hreflang="en">Pfizer vaccine not very effective against South African variant: Israeli study</a>

This has come a few months after France’s health advisory body had suggested extended the gap period to six weeks. However, the government had not adhered to the advise at that time as the officials felt there was insufficient data on how well the vaccines performed in longer intervals.

Considering the country is starting to vaccinate the younger generation now, the government feels it "will allow us to vaccinate more quickly without reducing protection".

Also watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/amid-rising-number-of-covid-19-infections-india-launches-vaccination-festivals-376796" hreflang="en">Amid rising number of COVID-19 infections, India launches vaccination festivals</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/amid-rising-number-of-covid-19-infections-india-launches-vaccination-festivals-376796/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He has also announced that the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will now be made available to all locals above the age of 55, instead of providing it just to people with serious pre-existing conditions.

This move can also help the country reach its target of 10 million first doses a week before its mid-April target, and will help amplify its target of administering another 10 million first shots by mid-May.

France has decided to increase the time gap between the first and second dose of the coronavirus vaccine from four weeks to six weeks. The announcement was made by France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran in a conversation with a local newspaper.

France has decided to increase the time gap between the first and second dose of the coronavirus vaccine from four weeks to six weeks. The announcement was made by France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran in a conversation with a local newspaper. Also read | Pfizer vaccine not very effective against South African variant: Israeli study This has come a few months after France’s health advisory body had suggested extended the gap period to six weeks. However, the government had not adhered to the advise at that time as the officials felt there was insufficient data on how well the vaccines performed in longer intervals. Considering the country is starting to vaccinate the younger generation now, the government feels it "will allow us to vaccinate more quickly without reducing protection". Also watch | Amid rising number of COVID-19 infections, India launches vaccination festivals He has also announced that the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will now be made available to all locals above the age of 55, instead of providing it just to people with serious pre-existing conditions. This move can also help the country reach its target of 10 million first doses a week before its mid-April target, and will help amplify its target of administering another 10 million first shots by mid-May.

France increases gap between two doses of coronavirus vaccines

The US National Institute of Health has said that it has begun a study to look at why some people suffered serious allergic reactions shortly after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

US begins study on COVID-19 vaccine side-effects

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