Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS, Delhi. India is all set to begin the second phase of its mega vaccination drive.

News Alert: Indian PM Modi gets first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS, Delhi

A Canadian woman made and hung a banner at her house in Toronto when her mother Nina Rockett recently turned 94 years old, demanding for her birthday to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Canadian woman wants COVID-19 vaccine for her mother's 94th birthday

Reaching the milestone of administering 50 million doses of the COVID vaccine since taking office, US President Joe Biden celebrated the pace of his efforts to end the pandemic in the country.

Joe Biden marks 50 million COVID vaccine shots in US

Two months after the vaccination campaigns kicked off in the west, the first jabs are finally arriving in Africa and Latin America. While the virus may not discriminate, the vaccination programmes certainly do. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how.

Gravitas: A world of 'Vaccine Haves & Have Nots'

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine </a>is 94 per cent effective.&nbsp;

For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pfizers-abusive-vaccine-deals-366048/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The people involved in both groups had similar characteristics, like age, sex, medical condition, among others.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-pfizer-tried-to-bully-argentina-and-brazil-in-exchange-for-vaccines-366037">How Pfizer tried to bully Argentina and Brazil in exchange for vaccines</a>

Pfizer's vaccine, the study found, was 94 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 seven or more days after the second dose was administered.

However, the efficacy for symptomatic patients reduced to 57 per cent between 14-20 days after the first dose.&nbsp;

The results of this Israeli study is close to the 95 per cent efficacy that Pfizer achieved during Phase 3 clinical trials.

It also found people who received the second shot had a 92 per cent lower chance of getting any form of infection at all compared to those who were not vaccinated.&nbsp;

"This is the first peer-reviewed large scale evidence for the effectiveness of a vaccine in real world conditions," Ben Reis, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and one of the study's authors, told news agency AFP.

The study was conducted between December 20, 2020 and February 1, 2021, a period when a newer variant first confirmed in the UK was rampant in Israel, suggesting that the vaccine works well against the variant that has alarmed experts across the world.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots.

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots. Watch | The people involved in both groups had similar characteristics, like age, sex, medical condition, among others. Also read | How Pfizer tried to bully Argentina and Brazil in exchange for vaccines Pfizer's vaccine, the study found, was 94 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 seven or more days after the second dose was administered. However, the efficacy for symptomatic patients reduced to 57 per cent between 14-20 days after the first dose. The results of this Israeli study is close to the 95 per cent efficacy that Pfizer achieved during Phase 3 clinical trials. It also found people who received the second shot had a 92 per cent lower chance of getting any form of infection at all compared to those who were not vaccinated. "This is the first peer-reviewed large scale evidence for the effectiveness of a vaccine in real world conditions," Ben Reis, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and one of the study's authors, told news agency AFP. The study was conducted between December 20, 2020 and February 1, 2021, a period when a newer variant first confirmed in the UK was rampant in Israel, suggesting that the vaccine works well against the variant that has alarmed experts across the world.

Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective

India & South Africa have been pushing a proposal to temporarily suspend vaccine patents. But, the rich countries - accused of hoarding supplies, are blocking the proposal. A last-ditch attempt is now underway to secure the waiver. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Why India wants vaccine patents to be waived

The food and drug administration of the US has now said that Johnson & Johnson's one shot Corona vaccine appears to be safe and effective in the trial.

FDA paves way for Johnson & Johnson's one-shot COVID-19 vaccine approval for emergency use

According to the reports, AstraZeneca has told the European Union that it expects to deliver less than half the COVID-19 vaccines it was contracted to supply in the second quarter.

EU: AstraZeneca to miss second quarter vaccine supply target

The world is divided between vaccine haves and have-nots. 75% of all vaccines have been administered in 10 countries. But 130 countries haven't received even a single dose. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how the world could take a leaf from India's playbook.

Gravitas: The world is struggling with vaccine inequality

Pentagon officials have said that 33% of the US military are declining to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shots, despite significant coronavirus infection levels in the forces.

Pentagon: 33% of US service members say not to COVID-19 vaccine

German health officials are pleading with people to accept the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after reports emerged of thousands of people turning down their jabs and full vials being left unused.

German health officials plead citizens to take Oxford-AstraZeneca jab

The deal for Taiwan to buy 5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Germany's BioNTech is on hold. Taiwan's health minister has hinted at potential Chinese pressure for the delay.

Taiwan hints at Chinese pressure behind stalled vaccine deal

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed two additional COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use which includes India's Covishield vaccine and the other one is produced by AstraZeneca.

WHO approves Covishield vaccine for emergency use

Moderna and Pfizer vaccine's slow roll-out has affected the vaccination program in Canada. So, now Canada has placed a request for about a million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from India's Serum Institute.

Slow vaccine roll-out in Canada affects inoculation, asks India for COVID-19 Vaccine supply

Millions of people in Japan will not able to receive Pfizer- BioNTech's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine </a>to treat coronavirus as planned as special syringes used to give the dose remains short of supply.&nbsp;

Japan has ordered 144 million shots of Pfizer vaccine to immune 72 million doses, considering that each vial contained six doses.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-briefing-on-covid-19-origin-laboratory-related-hypothesis-is-highly-unlikely-362535/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Norihisa Tamura, country's health minister said the normal syringes that are used will unable to extract the final dose from a vial, implying about 60 million people will be vaccinated.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africa-to-proceed-with-planned-phase-1-vaccination-using-jj-362635">South Africa to proceed with planned phase 1 vaccination using J&amp;J</a>

"The syringes used in Japan can only draw five doses," Tamura was quoted as saying by news agency Kyodo.&nbsp;

"We will use all the syringes we have that can draw six doses, but it will, of course, not be enough as more shots are administered."

The government is urging manufacturers to scale up the production of special "dead space" syringe so that full capacity of the vial can be exploited.&nbsp;

Despite the setback, Japan will be beginning its vaccination drive next week, Japanese prime minister has said.&nbsp;

"When we have confirmed the vaccine's efficacy and safety, we will start vaccination by the middle of next week," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.

The problem of special syringe shortage is encountered not just by Japan, but European Union nations and the US are also facing a similar issue.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Millions of people in Japan will not able to receive Pfizer- BioNTech's vaccine to treat coronavirus as planned as special syringes used to give the dose remains short of supply.

Millions of people in Japan will not able to receive Pfizer- BioNTech's vaccine to treat coronavirus as planned as special syringes used to give the dose remains short of supply. Japan has ordered 144 million shots of Pfizer vaccine to immune 72 million doses, considering that each vial contained six doses. Watch | Norihisa Tamura, country's health minister said the normal syringes that are used will unable to extract the final dose from a vial, implying about 60 million people will be vaccinated. Also read | South Africa to proceed with planned phase 1 vaccination using J&J "The syringes used in Japan can only draw five doses," Tamura was quoted as saying by news agency Kyodo. "We will use all the syringes we have that can draw six doses, but it will, of course, not be enough as more shots are administered." The government is urging manufacturers to scale up the production of special "dead space" syringe so that full capacity of the vial can be exploited. Despite the setback, Japan will be beginning its vaccination drive next week, Japanese prime minister has said. "When we have confirmed the vaccine's efficacy and safety, we will start vaccination by the middle of next week," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. The problem of special syringe shortage is encountered not just by Japan, but European Union nations and the US are also facing a similar issue.

Shortage of special syringe for Pfizer will affect millions of vaccinations in Japan

An Iranian cleric Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian has issued a homophobic rant against people vaccinated for COVID-19, claiming that they become gay after receiving the vaccine.

Iranian cleric claims COVID-19 vaccine turns people gay

Social media giant Facebook said that it is stepping up efforts to stem the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. Facebook has said that it will expand a list of false claims it bans from the platform and the move includes banning groups, pages and accounts that repeatedly spread misinformation.

Social media giant Facebook to remove COVID-19 vaccine misinformation content

Leaked documents of correspondence between Nepal's ministry of foreign affairs have disclosed that 'China is putting the immense pressure on Nepal to accept its COVID-19 vaccine'.

'China puts pressure on Nepal to accept its COVID-19 vaccine'

Johnson &amp; Johnson on Thursday applied for emergency use authorisation of its single-dose <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</a>&nbsp;to US health regulators.&nbsp;

If approved, the vaccine will be third for the worst-hit United States, the country which has seen over 450,000 deaths due to the deadly virus.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/your-story-oxford-to-study-alternate-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-by-different-manufacturers-361398/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

J&amp;J's Covid-19 vaccine has some logistical advantages over other rivals as the drug does not require deep-freeze storage and only a single-shot is required for inoculation.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-and-johnson-says-covid-vaccine-66-effective-overall-less-so-against-s-african-variant-360129">Johnson and Johnson says Covid vaccine 66% effective overall, less so against S African variant</a>

However, a January 29 report said that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 66 per cent, which is significantly lower than Moderna and Pfizer's Covid-19 drug.&nbsp;

Various trials have also suggested that J&amp;J's vaccine does not protect against highly transmissible coronavirus variant found in South Africa.&nbsp;

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday that its vaccines committee will meet on February 26 to discuss J&amp;J's vaccine.&nbsp;

J&amp;J is ready to begin shipping to roll out the drug in March once emergency approval is granted, Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of the pharma giant, said.&nbsp;

The US has agreed to pay J&amp;J $1 billion for 100 million doses and the company plans to deliver a billion doses in 2021.&nbsp;

In the trial of about 44,000 volunteers in eight nations, the efficacy of J&amp;J's vaccine was 72 per cent in the US, 66 per cent in Latin America and 57 per cent in South Africa.&nbsp;

Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines have an effectiveness of about 95 per cent, though the trial results of both the drugmakers were largely based in the US.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Johnson & Johnson on Thursday applied for emergency use authorisation of its single-dose coronavirus vaccine to US health regulators. If approved, the vaccine will be third for the worst-hit United States, the country which has seen over 450,000 deaths due to the deadly virus.

Johnson & Johnson on Thursday applied for emergency use authorisation of its single-dose coronavirus vaccine to US health regulators. If approved, the vaccine will be third for the worst-hit United States, the country which has seen over 450,000 deaths due to the deadly virus. Watch | J&J's Covid-19 vaccine has some logistical advantages over other rivals as the drug does not require deep-freeze storage and only a single-shot is required for inoculation. Also read | Johnson and Johnson says Covid vaccine 66% effective overall, less so against S African variant However, a January 29 report said that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 66 per cent, which is significantly lower than Moderna and Pfizer's Covid-19 drug. Various trials have also suggested that J&J's vaccine does not protect against highly transmissible coronavirus variant found in South Africa. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday that its vaccines committee will meet on February 26 to discuss J&J's vaccine. J&J is ready to begin shipping to roll out the drug in March once emergency approval is granted, Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of the pharma giant, said. The US has agreed to pay J&J $1 billion for 100 million doses and the company plans to deliver a billion doses in 2021. In the trial of about 44,000 volunteers in eight nations, the efficacy of J&J's vaccine was 72 per cent in the US, 66 per cent in Latin America and 57 per cent in South Africa. Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines have an effectiveness of about 95 per cent, though the trial results of both the drugmakers were largely based in the US.

Johnson & Johnson seeks emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government have come under fire after she pushed Germany into ceding responsibility for negotiating vaccine contracts to the European Commission.

Amid EU vaccine mess, Germany agrees to procure Russia's Sputnik

Israel quickly became the world leader in vaccinating its population against COVID-19, but almost all Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank are still waiting for their first doses of the inoculation.

That disparity has set off a roiling debate about Israel’s responsibilities as an occupying power in one of the world’s most protracted territorial feuds.

To Israel’s critics, international law obligates Israel to give Palestinians access to vaccines comparable to what it offers its own citizens. But supporters of Israel’s policies contend that the Palestinians assumed responsibility for health services for their population when they signed the Oslo Accords in the 1990s.

While the Palestinians’ glaring vulnerability to the virus lessened somewhat this week — the Palestinian Authority officially launched a vaccination campaign by giving front-line medical workers doses received from Israel — the contrast with Israel remains striking. The disparity also reflects in part the stark inequality in access to vaccines between rich countries like Israel and other areas of the developing world.

The Palestinian vaccine campaign still lags far behind that of Israel, which with a population of about 9.2 million has already inoculated more than 3.3 million people with a first dose. They include a substantial percentage of the roughly 450,000 settlers living alongside Palestinians in the West Bank, who number between 2.5 million and 3 million.

It remains unclear precisely when the roughly 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the blockaded enclave controlled by the militant anti-Israel group Hamas, will begin to receive vaccinations.

For the small number of Palestinian doctors and nurses who received vaccines Wednesday, it was a moment of relief.

“Praise God, I feel great,” said Ayman Abu Daoud, 49, a nurse based in Bethlehem who has been administering coronavirus tests over the past 11 months. “The vaccines are giving us hope we will overcome the pandemic, but we still have a long way to go.”

Abu Daoud was one of 100 front-line medical workers in the Bethlehem region — where the first Palestinian cases in the West Bank were discovered — to receive vaccines Wednesday and Thursday, local health officials said. Dozens of other front-line health workers in the Bethlehem area were still awaiting shots, they said.

Bassil Bawatneh, director of an eye hospital near Ramallah that has been transformed into a coronavirus treatment center, called the vaccination of medical teams “a very crucial step.”

The Palestinians received their first substantial shipment of vaccines Monday when Israel gave the Palestinian Authority 2,000 Moderna doses — a measure the Israeli government approved after public health experts had recommended it. Israeli officials said they intend to hand over an additional 3,000 doses.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry of the Palestinian Authority said the vaccination campaign would initially target front-line health workers and then expand to people older than 60 as well as those who suffer chronic illnesses.

The Palestinians received 10,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine Thursday. They expect to receive 37,440 Pfizer doses in February and hundreds of thousands of AstraZeneca doses in either late February or early March through the global-sharing initiative COVAX, according to Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the World Health Organization’s mission to the Palestinians. An additional 2 million doses of AstraZeneca are slated to arrive throughout March, Palestinian officials said.

The Palestinian Authority’s health minister, Mai al-Kaila, had said vaccines would be transferred to Gaza on Wednesday, but Israeli security officials said that the Palestinians had not submitted a formal request for permission to send vaccines there. Any request would require Israeli government approval, the officials said.

The launch of the vaccination campaign in the West Bank followed a fiery disagreement between supporters of the Israelis and Palestinians about whether Israel bears responsibility to vaccinate Palestinians.

Human rights advocates have argued that Israel is obligated under international law to provide Palestinians with access to vaccines on par with what it makes available to its own citizens. Some also argue that Israel has a moral imperative to do so as a military occupier with the means to help.

Advocates have pointed to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states occupying powers hold a duty to ensure the public health of people living under occupation to “the fullest extent” possible, especially with regard to combating epidemics and diseases.

“After 50 years of occupation with no end in sight, Israel’s duties go beyond offering spare doses,” said Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch director for Israel and Palestine, referring to the vaccine vials Israel delivered to the Palestinians on Monday.

Shakir emphasized that Israel must provide vaccines to the Palestinians irrespective of efforts by the Palestinian Authority to secure them independently and said it was unjustified to afford settlers greater access to vaccines than their Palestinian neighbors.

But Israeli officials have said that while Israel has an interest in ensuring the vaccination of Palestinians, many of them laborers who frequently come into contact with Israelis, it has no legal responsibility to do so.

“We want everyone in the area to be vaccinated, but the Palestinian Authority is the party responsible for providing for the health of Palestinians,” said Yoav Kish, Israel’s deputy health minister. “Our responsibility is to vaccinate our own population,” he said, noting that Israeli health care providers were inoculating Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

The Oslo Accords, interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, stated that the Palestinians would take on responsibilities for health in the West Bank and Gaza, but they also mentioned that Israel and the Palestinians should cooperate in fighting epidemics and contagious diseases.

Defenders of Israel’s policies have argued that Israeli officials moved more quickly than their Palestinian counterparts in securing deals for vaccines.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

The Palestinian Authority did not initially lead public calls for Israel to vaccinate Palestinians.

Ahmad Majdalani, the minister of social development, said the Palestinians did not publicly demand that Israel give them vaccines at first because they thought they would obtain what they needed through international donations, contacts with pharmaceutical companies and private discussions with Israeli officials.

When it became clear their strategy was not producing immediate results, Majdalani said they decided to start issuing statements demanding Israel fulfill its “international duty” by providing vaccines.

Last week, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said international law requires Israel to provide vaccines to the Palestinians, but that Palestinians were still working “to find every path to find whatever vaccine possible — whether it is English or Russian or Chinese.”

Ghassan Khatib, a political scientist at Birzeit University, argued that the Palestinians initially refrained from publicly calling on Israel to give them vaccines because they were loath to sound “self-contradictory,” seeking to obtain them independently while simultaneously ceding responsibility to Israel.

Hussein al-Sheikh, the main Palestinian official in charge of coordinating with the Israelis, said the Palestinians asked Israel for up to 10,000 doses in late December.

Israeli officials said that in addition to the thousands of vaccines Israel transferred to the Palestinians this week, it also delivered 200 doses in January to the Palestinians, but al-Sheikh denied that. 
&nbsp;

Israel quickly became the world leader in vaccinating its population against COVID-19, but almost all Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank are still waiting for their first doses of the inoculation.

Israel quickly became the world leader in vaccinating its population against COVID-19, but almost all Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank are still waiting for their first doses of the inoculation. That disparity has set off a roiling debate about Israel’s responsibilities as an occupying power in one of the world’s most protracted territorial feuds. To Israel’s critics, international law obligates Israel to give Palestinians access to vaccines comparable to what it offers its own citizens. But supporters of Israel’s policies contend that the Palestinians assumed responsibility for health services for their population when they signed the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. While the Palestinians’ glaring vulnerability to the virus lessened somewhat this week — the Palestinian Authority officially launched a vaccination campaign by giving front-line medical workers doses received from Israel — the contrast with Israel remains striking. The disparity also reflects in part the stark inequality in access to vaccines between rich countries like Israel and other areas of the developing world. The Palestinian vaccine campaign still lags far behind that of Israel, which with a population of about 9.2 million has already inoculated more than 3.3 million people with a first dose. They include a substantial percentage of the roughly 450,000 settlers living alongside Palestinians in the West Bank, who number between 2.5 million and 3 million. It remains unclear precisely when the roughly 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the blockaded enclave controlled by the militant anti-Israel group Hamas, will begin to receive vaccinations. For the small number of Palestinian doctors and nurses who received vaccines Wednesday, it was a moment of relief. “Praise God, I feel great,” said Ayman Abu Daoud, 49, a nurse based in Bethlehem who has been administering coronavirus tests over the past 11 months. “The vaccines are giving us hope we will overcome the pandemic, but we still have a long way to go.” Abu Daoud was one of 100 front-line medical workers in the Bethlehem region — where the first Palestinian cases in the West Bank were discovered — to receive vaccines Wednesday and Thursday, local health officials said. Dozens of other front-line health workers in the Bethlehem area were still awaiting shots, they said. Bassil Bawatneh, director of an eye hospital near Ramallah that has been transformed into a coronavirus treatment center, called the vaccination of medical teams “a very crucial step.” The Palestinians received their first substantial shipment of vaccines Monday when Israel gave the Palestinian Authority 2,000 Moderna doses — a measure the Israeli government approved after public health experts had recommended it. Israeli officials said they intend to hand over an additional 3,000 doses. On Tuesday, the Health Ministry of the Palestinian Authority said the vaccination campaign would initially target front-line health workers and then expand to people older than 60 as well as those who suffer chronic illnesses. The Palestinians received 10,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine Thursday. They expect to receive 37,440 Pfizer doses in February and hundreds of thousands of AstraZeneca doses in either late February or early March through the global-sharing initiative COVAX, according to Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the World Health Organization’s mission to the Palestinians. An additional 2 million doses of AstraZeneca are slated to arrive throughout March, Palestinian officials said. The Palestinian Authority’s health minister, Mai al-Kaila, had said vaccines would be transferred to Gaza on Wednesday, but Israeli security officials said that the Palestinians had not submitted a formal request for permission to send vaccines there. Any request would require Israeli government approval, the officials said. The launch of the vaccination campaign in the West Bank followed a fiery disagreement between supporters of the Israelis and Palestinians about whether Israel bears responsibility to vaccinate Palestinians. Human rights advocates have argued that Israel is obligated under international law to provide Palestinians with access to vaccines on par with what it makes available to its own citizens. Some also argue that Israel has a moral imperative to do so as a military occupier with the means to help. Advocates have pointed to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states occupying powers hold a duty to ensure the public health of people living under occupation to “the fullest extent” possible, especially with regard to combating epidemics and diseases. “After 50 years of occupation with no end in sight, Israel’s duties go beyond offering spare doses,” said Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch director for Israel and Palestine, referring to the vaccine vials Israel delivered to the Palestinians on Monday. Shakir emphasized that Israel must provide vaccines to the Palestinians irrespective of efforts by the Palestinian Authority to secure them independently and said it was unjustified to afford settlers greater access to vaccines than their Palestinian neighbors. But Israeli officials have said that while Israel has an interest in ensuring the vaccination of Palestinians, many of them laborers who frequently come into contact with Israelis, it has no legal responsibility to do so. “We want everyone in the area to be vaccinated, but the Palestinian Authority is the party responsible for providing for the health of Palestinians,” said Yoav Kish, Israel’s deputy health minister. “Our responsibility is to vaccinate our own population,” he said, noting that Israeli health care providers were inoculating Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem. The Oslo Accords, interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, stated that the Palestinians would take on responsibilities for health in the West Bank and Gaza, but they also mentioned that Israel and the Palestinians should cooperate in fighting epidemics and contagious diseases. Defenders of Israel’s policies have argued that Israeli officials moved more quickly than their Palestinian counterparts in securing deals for vaccines. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) The Palestinian Authority did not initially lead public calls for Israel to vaccinate Palestinians. Ahmad Majdalani, the minister of social development, said the Palestinians did not publicly demand that Israel give them vaccines at first because they thought they would obtain what they needed through international donations, contacts with pharmaceutical companies and private discussions with Israeli officials. When it became clear their strategy was not producing immediate results, Majdalani said they decided to start issuing statements demanding Israel fulfill its “international duty” by providing vaccines. Last week, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said international law requires Israel to provide vaccines to the Palestinians, but that Palestinians were still working “to find every path to find whatever vaccine possible — whether it is English or Russian or Chinese.” Ghassan Khatib, a political scientist at Birzeit University, argued that the Palestinians initially refrained from publicly calling on Israel to give them vaccines because they were loath to sound “self-contradictory,” seeking to obtain them independently while simultaneously ceding responsibility to Israel. Hussein al-Sheikh, the main Palestinian official in charge of coordinating with the Israelis, said the Palestinians asked Israel for up to 10,000 doses in late December. Israeli officials said that in addition to the thousands of vaccines Israel transferred to the Palestinians this week, it also delivered 200 doses in January to the Palestinians, but al-Sheikh denied that.

Israel's vaccine success unleashes a debate on Palestinian inequities

After receiving half a million Sinopharm <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine </a>doses&nbsp;as a gift from China, Pakistan on Thursday said that the shots are not effective for people over 60 years of age.&nbsp;

After conducting preliminary analysis by an expert committee, the vaccine has been recommended only for people aged 18-60 years, Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health said.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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He added that currently the vaccine has not been recommended for people above the age of 60, but a decision would be taken when more data would be available.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-launches-covid-19-vaccine-campaign-360934">Pakistan launches COVID-19 vaccine campaign</a>

China gifted 500,000 Sinopharm vaccines to Pakistan which sent a special flight to bring the shots on Monday.&nbsp;

Pakistan began its nationwide immunisation programme on Wednesday, and the first shots were administered simultaneously in all four provinces.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the inoculation drive in capital Islamabad.

Khan has said that frontline workers will be vaccinated first followed by elderly people, but with the latest development suggests that such people have to wait to get inoculated.&nbsp;

Pakistan has so far approved three Covid-19 vaccines: China's Sinopharm vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and the Covishield vaccine developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca and manufactured by India's Serum Institute.

After receiving half a million Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine doses as a gift from China, Pakistan on Thursday said that the shots are not effective for people over 60 years of age.

After receiving half a million Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine doses as a gift from China, Pakistan on Thursday said that the shots are not effective for people over 60 years of age. After conducting preliminary analysis by an expert committee, the vaccine has been recommended only for people aged 18-60 years, Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health said. Watch | He added that currently the vaccine has not been recommended for people above the age of 60, but a decision would be taken when more data would be available. Also read | Pakistan launches COVID-19 vaccine campaign China gifted 500,000 Sinopharm vaccines to Pakistan which sent a special flight to bring the shots on Monday. Pakistan began its nationwide immunisation programme on Wednesday, and the first shots were administered simultaneously in all four provinces. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the inoculation drive in capital Islamabad. Khan has said that frontline workers will be vaccinated first followed by elderly people, but with the latest development suggests that such people have to wait to get inoculated. Pakistan has so far approved three Covid-19 vaccines: China's Sinopharm vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and the Covishield vaccine developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca and manufactured by India's Serum Institute.

After receiving Chinese vaccine as gift, Pakistan says drug not effective for elderly

In the first of its kind, Oxford University is going to conduct a study in which it will be alternating the doses of COVID-19 vaccine created by different manufacturers to find out whether the combination of vaccines jabs can boost the inoculation drive.

Your Story: Oxford to study alternate doses of COVID-19 vaccine by different manufacturers

The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a>.&nbsp;

The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/brazil-starts-vaccination-drive-with-indian-jab-359042/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India has earlier provided 2 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to Brazil.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-a-hanuman-image-brazil-president-bolsonaro-thanks-pm-modi-for-covid-vaccines-358644">With a Hanuman image, Brazil President Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi for COVID vaccines</a>

Until now, only Oxford/AstraZeneca's and China's CoronaVac have been given approval in the country.

But, the Brazilian health ministry said on Wednesday that it is meeting Indian and Russian representatives on Wednesday to secure a deal to grant emergency authorisation to Russia's Sputnik V and India's Covaxin.&nbsp;

The deal would provide Brazil 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine and 20 million shots of Covaxin and will be delivered in February and March.

Brazil is the second-worst-hit country from the novel coronavirus with over 226,000 deaths.&nbsp;

Medical journal The Lancet this week published results of Sputnik V saying the vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6 per cent and is safe to use.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, India is continuing its 'vaccine diplomacy' by providing million of Covid-19 shots to neighbouring nations like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, among others.&nbsp;

'Made in India' vaccines have also reached countries like Kuwait, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria.&nbsp;

India is one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers in the world and several nations have approached India for Covid-19 shots to battle the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc across the world.&nbsp;

 
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The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil.

The Brazilian government on Wednesday said that it was negotiating with countries including India to buy 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. The announcement comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for exporting vaccines to Brazil. Watch | India has earlier provided 2 million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, to Brazil. Also read | With a Hanuman image, Brazil President Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi for COVID vaccines Until now, only Oxford/AstraZeneca's and China's CoronaVac have been given approval in the country. But, the Brazilian health ministry said on Wednesday that it is meeting Indian and Russian representatives on Wednesday to secure a deal to grant emergency authorisation to Russia's Sputnik V and India's Covaxin. The deal would provide Brazil 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine and 20 million shots of Covaxin and will be delivered in February and March. Brazil is the second-worst-hit country from the novel coronavirus with over 226,000 deaths. Medical journal The Lancet this week published results of Sputnik V saying the vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6 per cent and is safe to use. Meanwhile, India is continuing its 'vaccine diplomacy' by providing million of Covid-19 shots to neighbouring nations like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, among others. 'Made in India' vaccines have also reached countries like Kuwait, Egypt, Oman, and Algeria. India is one of the biggest vaccine manufacturers in the world and several nations have approached India for Covid-19 shots to battle the deadly virus that has wreaked havoc across the world.

Brazil seeks to buy 30 million Covid-19 shots, including ones by India's Covaxin

Poland has lauded India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine </a>diplomacy, with its envoy in Delhi, Adam Burakowski saying, "We are happy that your country is becoming more active and vaccine diplomacy is very important". Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Burakowski hoped the Air Transport bubble between the 2 countries can be started soon, pointing out, "We have applied for an air bubble with India and we are waiting for the reply. " LOT Polish Airlines had started a direct flight between Warsaw and Delhi in September 2019 but this was halted due to Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Watch |&nbsp;

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He spoke on several subjects, like Economic and Political ties with India and China and his country's role in Afghanistan. On Afghanistan, the Polish envoy to Delhi, who is also accredited to Kabul said, "We want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This is a fantastic country. My dream is someday Polish tourists can visit this country". It is interesting to know, Poland prints Afghanistan's currency of 10 and 20 denominations.

Sidhant Sibal: How has been the cooperation between India and Poland has been when it comes to dealing with COVID crisis? 
Adam Burakowski : Covid has impacted the whole world in a very negative away. Poland is cooperating with India from the beginning. From the first lockdown in March, we cooperated in rescue flights. Few rescue flights were operated for Polish citizens and Vande Bharat flights for Indian Citizens stranded in Poland. It was a very good example of common cooperation against threats all over the world. Nowadays, the situation in the whole of Europe is much worse than India unfortunately. Many lockdowns in many countries. In Poland, we have a national quarantine. Many things are closed, restaurants are closed, hotels are closed, and also if you go to Polish cities, you don't see many people on the streets. This is very hard. We have started a program on vaccination. We are following the EU program and we are using vaccines accepted by the EU. One of them is AstraZeneca which is also produced in India and maybe some cooperation in the future. No cooperation as of now and we have already vaccinated one million out of 38 million Polish population and we hope it will go smoothly. And we hope lockdown is over and we can restore our normal activities and also Polish India ties. India is becoming more and more important in Polish thinking about the world.

Sidhant Sibal: How has been the connectivity between the 2 countries amid the pandemic. Has there been any transport bubble, which has opened? 
Adam Burakowski: We inaugurated direct flight from Delhi to Warsaw by LOT Polish Airlines in Sept 2019. So after half a year of this very successful flight connection, &nbsp;the occupancy was over 90%, we had to cancel it because of Covid. While there were some rescue flights by LOT Polish Airlines. Nowadays, we don't operate with passengers, it operates with cargo to Delhi and Mumbai. We have applied for an air bubble with India and we are waiting for the reply. We hope that when India decides to be more open, Poland and Warsaw will be on their list because we are ready to work on strengthening our ties and our cooperation. LOT flight is ready to fly to India at any moment and it will be solved very soon. There are around 4000 Indian students in Poland and leading Polish universities give program in the English language. We are still giving students visas so that students can go and start studies and we want to increase this. This will be more easy when we reopen the direct flight.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India's vaccine diplomacy and any cooperation on the vaccine front. Any comments on the ongoing tiff between EU and AstraZeneca. 
Adam Burakowski: India, I think made a very good move to become one of the largest producers of the vaccine in the world. We observed India provided vaccine to south Asia, neighboring countries, and also some countries which are some distant. This program went quickly and rapidly and helps many countries and millions of people. We see that the Govt of India has some plan to be more active in this in the world. We are very hopeful that India will play a bigger role. India shares so many values with Poland and Europe. We are happy that your country is becoming more active and vaccine diplomacy is a very important, very helpful tool for the world. Concerning EU AstraZeneca, I hope it will be solved very soon. And maybe, more quantity of AstraZeneca will be produced in India, but this is a question better to ask AstraZeneca company. We all hope vaccines in the world go smoothly and quickly.

Sidhant Sibal: On ties with India, how do you see the overall relationship when it comes to Europe. Also on China, do you see ties. So overall, India and China, and Poland's ties with both countries. This even as China has been aggressive with the countries in the region.

Adam Burakowski: China is important to partner with Poland and we have many ties with China, especially economic, political. We have totally different political system, we have a democratic system. But we cooperate on economics, there is also a train route, that takes cargo. We see the European Union prepared an agreement on investment with China. We were not so hurrying to have this agreement before some consultations especially our transatlantic partners, US and new admin of Joe Biden. We strongly advocate transatlantic ties. Concerning India, we hope India will be closer and closer to European Union as a whole. We have big expectations from the India EU summit that will take place in Portugal in May this year. Also, in Poland and central Europe group Visegrád, we want to show India can also have good and better relations with us, especially economy, students you mentioned, connectivity. We have some hopes of increasing cooperation with India in Cybersecurity. Ongoing India EU dialogue on cyber issues.

Sidhant Sibal: Poland has played an important role in Afghanistan if you can elaborate on that? 
Adam Burakowski: Poland always supported Freedom and stability in Afghanistan. Polish soldiers have been part of the missions, we have contributed not only militarily but also development projects. Especially in Ghazni and northern Areas. We strongly support freedom and stability in Afghanistan. And we not only support verbally but also in action. We have a Polish military contingent that is part of a resolute support mission. Poland has just printed the banknotes for Afghanistan. The banknote of 10 and 20 Afghani. This also example of very good cooperation with Afghanistan. We want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This is a fantastic country. My dream is someday Polish tourists can visit this country and enjoy the atmosphere, the food, views, the mountains. I hope the Afghan elite can set up some long-lasting solution for peace and stability. 
&nbsp;

Poland has lauded India's vaccine diplomacy, with its envoy in Delhi, Adam Burakowski saying, "We are happy that your country is becoming more active and vaccine diplomacy is very important".

Poland has lauded India's vaccine diplomacy, with its envoy in Delhi, Adam Burakowski saying, "We are happy that your country is becoming more active and vaccine diplomacy is very important". Speaking to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Burakowski hoped the Air Transport bubble between the 2 countries can be started soon, pointing out, "We have applied for an air bubble with India and we are waiting for the reply. " LOT Polish Airlines had started a direct flight between Warsaw and Delhi in September 2019 but this was halted due to Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Watch | He spoke on several subjects, like Economic and Political ties with India and China and his country's role in Afghanistan. On Afghanistan, the Polish envoy to Delhi, who is also accredited to Kabul said, "We want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This is a fantastic country. My dream is someday Polish tourists can visit this country". It is interesting to know, Poland prints Afghanistan's currency of 10 and 20 denominations. Sidhant Sibal: How has been the cooperation between India and Poland has been when it comes to dealing with COVID crisis? Adam Burakowski : Covid has impacted the whole world in a very negative away. Poland is cooperating with India from the beginning. From the first lockdown in March, we cooperated in rescue flights. Few rescue flights were operated for Polish citizens and Vande Bharat flights for Indian Citizens stranded in Poland. It was a very good example of common cooperation against threats all over the world. Nowadays, the situation in the whole of Europe is much worse than India unfortunately. Many lockdowns in many countries. In Poland, we have a national quarantine. Many things are closed, restaurants are closed, hotels are closed, and also if you go to Polish cities, you don't see many people on the streets. This is very hard. We have started a program on vaccination. We are following the EU program and we are using vaccines accepted by the EU. One of them is AstraZeneca which is also produced in India and maybe some cooperation in the future. No cooperation as of now and we have already vaccinated one million out of 38 million Polish population and we hope it will go smoothly. And we hope lockdown is over and we can restore our normal activities and also Polish India ties. India is becoming more and more important in Polish thinking about the world. Sidhant Sibal: How has been the connectivity between the 2 countries amid the pandemic. Has there been any transport bubble, which has opened? Adam Burakowski: We inaugurated direct flight from Delhi to Warsaw by LOT Polish Airlines in Sept 2019. So after half a year of this very successful flight connection, the occupancy was over 90%, we had to cancel it because of Covid. While there were some rescue flights by LOT Polish Airlines. Nowadays, we don't operate with passengers, it operates with cargo to Delhi and Mumbai. We have applied for an air bubble with India and we are waiting for the reply. We hope that when India decides to be more open, Poland and Warsaw will be on their list because we are ready to work on strengthening our ties and our cooperation. LOT flight is ready to fly to India at any moment and it will be solved very soon. There are around 4000 Indian students in Poland and leading Polish universities give program in the English language. We are still giving students visas so that students can go and start studies and we want to increase this. This will be more easy when we reopen the direct flight. Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India's vaccine diplomacy and any cooperation on the vaccine front. Any comments on the ongoing tiff between EU and AstraZeneca. Adam Burakowski: India, I think made a very good move to become one of the largest producers of the vaccine in the world. We observed India provided vaccine to south Asia, neighboring countries, and also some countries which are some distant. This program went quickly and rapidly and helps many countries and millions of people. We see that the Govt of India has some plan to be more active in this in the world. We are very hopeful that India will play a bigger role. India shares so many values with Poland and Europe. We are happy that your country is becoming more active and vaccine diplomacy is a very important, very helpful tool for the world. Concerning EU AstraZeneca, I hope it will be solved very soon. And maybe, more quantity of AstraZeneca will be produced in India, but this is a question better to ask AstraZeneca company. We all hope vaccines in the world go smoothly and quickly. Sidhant Sibal: On ties with India, how do you see the overall relationship when it comes to Europe. Also on China, do you see ties. So overall, India and China, and Poland's ties with both countries. This even as China has been aggressive with the countries in the region. Adam Burakowski: China is important to partner with Poland and we have many ties with China, especially economic, political. We have totally different political system, we have a democratic system. But we cooperate on economics, there is also a train route, that takes cargo. We see the European Union prepared an agreement on investment with China. We were not so hurrying to have this agreement before some consultations especially our transatlantic partners, US and new admin of Joe Biden. We strongly advocate transatlantic ties. Concerning India, we hope India will be closer and closer to European Union as a whole. We have big expectations from the India EU summit that will take place in Portugal in May this year. Also, in Poland and central Europe group Visegrád, we want to show India can also have good and better relations with us, especially economy, students you mentioned, connectivity. We have some hopes of increasing cooperation with India in Cybersecurity. Ongoing India EU dialogue on cyber issues. Sidhant Sibal: Poland has played an important role in Afghanistan if you can elaborate on that? Adam Burakowski: Poland always supported Freedom and stability in Afghanistan. Polish soldiers have been part of the missions, we have contributed not only militarily but also development projects. Especially in Ghazni and northern Areas. We strongly support freedom and stability in Afghanistan. And we not only support verbally but also in action. We have a Polish military contingent that is part of a resolute support mission. Poland has just printed the banknotes for Afghanistan. The banknote of 10 and 20 Afghani. This also example of very good cooperation with Afghanistan. We want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This is a fantastic country. My dream is someday Polish tourists can visit this country and enjoy the atmosphere, the food, views, the mountains. I hope the Afghan elite can set up some long-lasting solution for peace and stability.

Exclusive: Poland lauds India's vaccine diplomacy, hopes for early air transport bubble

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