Some of India's private hospitals have cancelled orders for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as they struggle to sell COVID-19 shots amid surging supplies of free doses of other vaccines offered by the government.

Industry officials said low demand and the extremely cold storage temperatures required have spurred at least three big hospitals to cancel orders for Sputnik V, sold only on the private market in the world's biggest vaccine-producing country.

"With storage and everything, we have cancelled our order for 2,500 doses," said Jitendra Oswal, a senior medical official at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital in the western city of Pune.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/can-vitamin-a-help-in-treating-covid-resulted-loss-of-smell-experts-answer-416845">Can Vitamin A help in treating Covid-resulted loss of smell? Experts answer</a>

"Demand is also not great. There is a class of people, barely 1%, that wanted to go for Sputnik. For the rest, anything would do."

From May until last week, private hospitals accounted for just about six&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of all vaccines administered in India, although the government had freed them to buy up to a quarter of domestic output, health ministry data show.

India is set to become a major production centre of Sputnik V, with planned capacity of about 850 million shots a year, and low domestic uptake could mean higher exports instead, a step backers are already pushing for&nbsp;Indian companies have already started making Sputnik doses.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since a June launch event by Indian distributor Dr. Reddy`s Laboratories Ltd, only 943,000 doses of Sputnik V have been administered by hospitals, a fraction of the national total of more than 876 million.

Dr. Reddy`s, which has imported about 3 million doses of the vaccine from Russia and refunded hospitals for cancelled orders, declined to comment. 
Its partner the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which markets Sputnik V internationally, also declined to comment.

Cheaper, easier alternatives

The mainstay of India's inoculation drive is the AstraZeneca vaccine, which can be stored in regular refrigerators, unlike Sputnik V, which needs temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4°F), impossible to guarantee in most of India.

The vaccine is also as much as 47 per cent&nbsp;more expensive than AstraZeneca on the private market.

Avis Hospitals, which runs eight vaccination centres in the southern city of Hyderabad, has also cancelled an order for 10,000 Sputnik V doses, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter who sought anonymity in discussing business matters. Avis did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Another Pune hospital, which declined to be identified, said it had also cancelled its Sputnik V orders. Sputnik V is just one of the vaccines suffering from a sharp fall in private sales.

Pune's Bharati hospital will end its COVID-19 vaccination programme when it runs out of AstraZeneca doses, as daily inoculations have fallen about 90&nbsp;per cent to 100 from their June levels, Oswal said.

Just 9,000 doses remain of stocks of 62,000 it ordered.

Avis's COVID-19 vaccine sales have shrunk 40 per cent with existing stocks expected to last until December, instead of October, said the source.

India's monthly production of vaccine, mainly of the AstraZeneca shot known domestically as Covishield, has quadrupled to 300 million doses from April, when a dramatic surge in infections and deaths prompted a halt in exports.

Overseas sales are to resume&nbsp;in October.

Covishield accounts for 88&nbsp;per cent of India's inoculations, followed by Bharat Biotech`s domestically developed Covaxin. Both are administered for free at government centres since mid-January. 
&nbsp;

Some of India's private hospitals have cancelled orders for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as they struggle to sell COVID-19 shots amid surging supplies of free doses of other vaccines offered by the government.

Some of India's private hospitals have cancelled orders for Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as they struggle to sell COVID-19 shots amid surging supplies of free doses of other vaccines offered by the government. Industry officials said low demand and the extremely cold storage temperatures required have spurred at least three big hospitals to cancel orders for Sputnik V, sold only on the private market in the world's biggest vaccine-producing country. "With storage and everything, we have cancelled our order for 2,500 doses," said Jitendra Oswal, a senior medical official at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital in the western city of Pune. Also read | Can Vitamin A help in treating Covid-resulted loss of smell? Experts answer "Demand is also not great. There is a class of people, barely 1%, that wanted to go for Sputnik. For the rest, anything would do." From May until last week, private hospitals accounted for just about six per cent of all vaccines administered in India, although the government had freed them to buy up to a quarter of domestic output, health ministry data show. India is set to become a major production centre of Sputnik V, with planned capacity of about 850 million shots a year, and low domestic uptake could mean higher exports instead, a step backers are already pushing for Indian companies have already started making Sputnik doses. The health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Since a June launch event by Indian distributor Dr. Reddy`s Laboratories Ltd, only 943,000 doses of Sputnik V have been administered by hospitals, a fraction of the national total of more than 876 million. Dr. Reddy`s, which has imported about 3 million doses of the vaccine from Russia and refunded hospitals for cancelled orders, declined to comment. Its partner the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which markets Sputnik V internationally, also declined to comment. Cheaper, easier alternatives The mainstay of India's inoculation drive is the AstraZeneca vaccine, which can be stored in regular refrigerators, unlike Sputnik V, which needs temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4°F), impossible to guarantee in most of India. The vaccine is also as much as 47 per cent more expensive than AstraZeneca on the private market. Avis Hospitals, which runs eight vaccination centres in the southern city of Hyderabad, has also cancelled an order for 10,000 Sputnik V doses, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter who sought anonymity in discussing business matters. Avis did not respond to an email seeking comment. Another Pune hospital, which declined to be identified, said it had also cancelled its Sputnik V orders. Sputnik V is just one of the vaccines suffering from a sharp fall in private sales. Pune's Bharati hospital will end its COVID-19 vaccination programme when it runs out of AstraZeneca doses, as daily inoculations have fallen about 90 per cent to 100 from their June levels, Oswal said. Just 9,000 doses remain of stocks of 62,000 it ordered. Avis's COVID-19 vaccine sales have shrunk 40 per cent with existing stocks expected to last until December, instead of October, said the source. India's monthly production of vaccine, mainly of the AstraZeneca shot known domestically as Covishield, has quadrupled to 300 million doses from April, when a dramatic surge in infections and deaths prompted a halt in exports. Overseas sales are to resume in October. Covishield accounts for 88 per cent of India's inoculations, followed by Bharat Biotech`s domestically developed Covaxin. Both are administered for free at government centres since mid-January.

Staggering private sales of Covid vaccines in India deal blow to Russia's Sputnik V

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is considering calling in the National Guard and recruiting medical professionals from other states to cover looming staff shortages at hospitals and other facilities as the likelihood grows that tens of thousands of health care workers will not meet the state’s deadlines for mandated vaccinations.

In a statement released Saturday, the governor’s office said Hochul was laying plans for an executive order to declare a state of emergency that would “allow qualified health care professionals licensed in other states or countries, recent graduates, retired and formerly practicing health care professionals to practice in New York State.”

Other options, the statement said, included calling in medically trained National Guard members to deliver care and to work with the federal government to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, which are operated by the Department for Health and Human Services.

New York state is one of the first major testing grounds for stronger vaccination edicts rolling in across the country in the health care sector. California and Maine have also set deadlines for health care workers to be vaccinated. President Joe Biden has said his administration will issue a national vaccination mandate expected to ultimately affect some 17 million health care workers at hospitals and other institutions that accept Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Hospital and nursing home employees in New York are required to receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Monday night, while workers working in home care, hospices and other adult care facilities must do so by October&nbsp;7, according to state regulations and a mandate issued August 16 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

State vaccination figures show that, as of Wednesday, 16 per cent&nbsp;of the state’s roughly 450,000 hospital workers, or about 70,000, were not fully vaccinated. The data show that 15&nbsp;per cent of staff at skilled nursing facilities and 14&nbsp;per cent of workers at adult care facilities are also not fully vaccinated, representing another 25,000 or so workers.

Eileen Toback, executive director of the New York Professional Nurses Union, which represents 1,500 nurses in Manhattan and supported the vaccine mandate, said she appreciated that Hochul was trying to address possible staffing shortages. But Toback criticized the state for issuing the plan only 48 hours before thousands of health care workers could lose their jobs.

“That could be devastating, particularly when hospitals staff only the exact numbers they need,” Toback said. “There’s no fat on that bone.”

Toback said about 5&nbsp;per cent of her union’s members have not been vaccinated. “I believe a lot of unvaccinated employees, not just nurses, are banking on the fact that they are so necessary that they won’t be terminated, and they are holding out,” she said.

The governor’s office said workers terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance unless they provide a doctor-approved request for a medical accommodation.

In announcing New York’s determination to enforce its deadline, Hochul said, “We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal.” She also commended the vast majority of state health care workers for getting vaccinated and urged “all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.”

The Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, had not issued a response to the governor’s plan but has supported the deadline for health care workers’ vaccinations, signaling that staffing shortages can be managed.

Michael A.L. Balboni, executive director of the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association, which represents about 80 nursing homes in the metropolitan area, applauded the governor’s effort to get more health care workers vaccinated but expressed concern about staffing shortages.

“This is a paradox, in that in trying to protect the residents and staff you don’t have enough people to provide the services and you could put people in jeopardy,” Balboni said.

Toback said retirees and others could play a role in helping to alleviate shortages, as they did early in the pandemic. But she said replacement workers were no substitute for experienced nurses who have worked at the same hospital for “13 shifts a month, every month, for years.”

“Nurses have been through a great deal — they’re burned out — and although we appreciate the need for what we need to get through this pandemic, this is just hitting people when they’re down,” Toback said.

Northwell Health, which operates 19 hospitals in the state, said in a statement that it “wants to reassure the public that patient care will not be affected” by the mandate and that it was working on contingency plans to meet staffing needs.

Unvaccinated employees at Northwell Health have been notified that they could be terminated if they do not receive at least their first dose of the vaccine by the deadline, the statement said.

“We are optimistic that we will soon be able to provide a fully vaccinated staff to our patients and the communities we serve,” the statement said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is considering calling in the National Guard and recruiting medical professionals from other states to cover looming staff shortages at hospitals and other facilities as the likelihood grows that tens of thousands of health care workers will not meet the state’s deadlines for mandated vaccinations.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is considering calling in the National Guard and recruiting medical professionals from other states to cover looming staff shortages at hospitals and other facilities as the likelihood grows that tens of thousands of health care workers will not meet the state’s deadlines for mandated vaccinations. In a statement released Saturday, the governor’s office said Hochul was laying plans for an executive order to declare a state of emergency that would “allow qualified health care professionals licensed in other states or countries, recent graduates, retired and formerly practicing health care professionals to practice in New York State.” Other options, the statement said, included calling in medically trained National Guard members to deliver care and to work with the federal government to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, which are operated by the Department for Health and Human Services. New York state is one of the first major testing grounds for stronger vaccination edicts rolling in across the country in the health care sector. California and Maine have also set deadlines for health care workers to be vaccinated. President Joe Biden has said his administration will issue a national vaccination mandate expected to ultimately affect some 17 million health care workers at hospitals and other institutions that accept Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Hospital and nursing home employees in New York are required to receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Monday night, while workers working in home care, hospices and other adult care facilities must do so by October 7, according to state regulations and a mandate issued August 16 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. State vaccination figures show that, as of Wednesday, 16 per cent of the state’s roughly 450,000 hospital workers, or about 70,000, were not fully vaccinated. The data show that 15 per cent of staff at skilled nursing facilities and 14 per cent of workers at adult care facilities are also not fully vaccinated, representing another 25,000 or so workers. Eileen Toback, executive director of the New York Professional Nurses Union, which represents 1,500 nurses in Manhattan and supported the vaccine mandate, said she appreciated that Hochul was trying to address possible staffing shortages. But Toback criticized the state for issuing the plan only 48 hours before thousands of health care workers could lose their jobs. “That could be devastating, particularly when hospitals staff only the exact numbers they need,” Toback said. “There’s no fat on that bone.” Toback said about 5 per cent of her union’s members have not been vaccinated. “I believe a lot of unvaccinated employees, not just nurses, are banking on the fact that they are so necessary that they won’t be terminated, and they are holding out,” she said. The governor’s office said workers terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance unless they provide a doctor-approved request for a medical accommodation. In announcing New York’s determination to enforce its deadline, Hochul said, “We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal.” She also commended the vast majority of state health care workers for getting vaccinated and urged “all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.” The Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, had not issued a response to the governor’s plan but has supported the deadline for health care workers’ vaccinations, signaling that staffing shortages can be managed. Michael A.L. Balboni, executive director of the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association, which represents about 80 nursing homes in the metropolitan area, applauded the governor’s effort to get more health care workers vaccinated but expressed concern about staffing shortages. “This is a paradox, in that in trying to protect the residents and staff you don’t have enough people to provide the services and you could put people in jeopardy,” Balboni said. Toback said retirees and others could play a role in helping to alleviate shortages, as they did early in the pandemic. But she said replacement workers were no substitute for experienced nurses who have worked at the same hospital for “13 shifts a month, every month, for years.” “Nurses have been through a great deal — they’re burned out — and although we appreciate the need for what we need to get through this pandemic, this is just hitting people when they’re down,” Toback said. Northwell Health, which operates 19 hospitals in the state, said in a statement that it “wants to reassure the public that patient care will not be affected” by the mandate and that it was working on contingency plans to meet staffing needs. Unvaccinated employees at Northwell Health have been notified that they could be terminated if they do not receive at least their first dose of the vaccine by the deadline, the statement said. “We are optimistic that we will soon be able to provide a fully vaccinated staff to our patients and the communities we serve,” the statement said.

New York could call in national guard to cover hospital staff shortages

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe&nbsp;and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility.

Addressing the 76th UN General Assembly, the prime minister, while quoting Indian diplomat Chanakya, said, “When the right action is not taken at the right time, then it is time itself that causes the action to fail.”

“If the United Nations wants to remain relevant. It will need to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability," he said.

The prime minister appeared to be referring to a report of independent scrutiny by leading US law firm WilmerHale which showed that China in 2017 manipulated its data to improve its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index.

The UN’s health agency, World Health Organization, was also criticised for mishandling the COVID-19 outbreak --which first surfaced in China in December 2019-- due to Chinese interference..

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-at-unga-covid-taught-world-that-global-economy-should-be-more-diversified-415901">PM Modi at UNGA: Covid taught world that global economy should be more diversified</a>

Former US president Donald Trump had slammed the WHO as a “puppet” of China and accused it of covering up the start of the outbreak and allowing the virus to spread around the entire world.

Modi said that today, all kinds of questions have been raised about the UN.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/child-of-a-tea-seller-is-addressing-un-for-fourth-time-pm-modi-hails-strength-of-indian-democracy-415903">Child of a tea seller is addressing UN for fourth time: PM Modi hails strength of Indian democracy</a>

"We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIVE</a> | Indian Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> speaks at the 76th session of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA76?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA76</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIONatUNGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIONatUNGA</a> <a href="https://t.co/sFMXkPrcr6">https://t.co/sFMXkPrcr6</a>
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“With regard to the origin of COVID-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work," he said.

“It is essential that we constantly strengthen the UN, in order to safeguard global order, global laws and global values,” Modi said.

In a veiled reference to China’s military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Modi said, “We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order... Our oceans are also our shared heritage. That is why, we have to keep in mind that we use ocean resources, not abuse them.”

(With inputs from agencies)

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility.

In the backdrop of WHO facing criticism over COVID-19 origins prorbe and the World Bank discontinuing its flagship Ease of Doing Business report following alleged irregularities, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pointed to holes in the functioning of the United Nations, saying that the global body must rise up to the occasion and restore its credibility. Addressing the 76th UN General Assembly, the prime minister, while quoting Indian diplomat Chanakya, said, “When the right action is not taken at the right time, then it is time itself that causes the action to fail.” “If the United Nations wants to remain relevant. It will need to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability," he said. The prime minister appeared to be referring to a report of independent scrutiny by leading US law firm WilmerHale which showed that China in 2017 manipulated its data to improve its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index. The UN’s health agency, World Health Organization, was also criticised for mishandling the COVID-19 outbreak --which first surfaced in China in December 2019-- due to Chinese interference.. Also read | PM Modi at UNGA: Covid taught world that global economy should be more diversified Former US president Donald Trump had slammed the WHO as a “puppet” of China and accused it of covering up the start of the outbreak and allowing the virus to spread around the entire world. Modi said that today, all kinds of questions have been raised about the UN. Also read | Child of a tea seller is addressing UN for fourth time: PM Modi hails strength of Indian democracy "We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. #LIVE | Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi speaks at the 76th session of #UNGA #UNGA2021 #UNGA76 #WIONatUNGA https://t.co/sFMXkPrcr6 — WION (@WIONews) September 25, 2021 × “With regard to the origin of COVID-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work," he said. “It is essential that we constantly strengthen the UN, in order to safeguard global order, global laws and global values,” Modi said. In a veiled reference to China’s military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Modi said, “We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order... Our oceans are also our shared heritage. That is why, we have to keep in mind that we use ocean resources, not abuse them.” (With inputs from agencies)

Covid origins, Ease of Business report: Modi attacks UN for loss of credibility, without naming China

The world leaders and health experts are urging eligible population to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, but children under the age of 12 are not being vaccinated in every country.<o:p></o:p>

However, a 12-year-old boy from the Netherlands has won a court battle as a result of which he can now get vaccinated against coronavirus immediately.<o:p></o:p>

The boy hails from the Dutch city of Groningen where eligibility for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">Covid vaccines</a> is 12- to 17-year-olds. However, children under the age of 17 need to get consent from their parents to get a shot of the vaccine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-market-for-fake-covid-vaccine-certificates-has-grown-10-times-in-29-countries-study-414949">Black market for fake Covid vaccine certificates has grown 10 times in 29 countries: Study</a>

<o:p></o:p>

His grandmother is suffering from metastatic lung cancer and is in the last stages of the disease which can take her life. The boy wanted to spend as much time as possible with her but the hospital officials said he would have to be vaccinated to meet her.<o:p></o:p>

This boy wanted to get vaccinated against coronavirus so that he would be able to meet his grandmother. However, his father was hesitant about getting his son vaccinated as he believes the vaccines are still "in a test phase" and pose risks to reproductive organs. <o:p></o:p>

The father also claimed that the vaccines can also lead to children developing symptoms of long Covid.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-children-aged-between-12-and-15-get-covid-vaccine-shots-in-uk-414537" hreflang="en">Now, children aged between 12 and 15 get Covid vaccine shots in UK</a>

<o:p></o:p>

However, the boy wanted to get vaccinated so he decided to file a legal suit against his father’s decision. His decision to file a lawsuit was supported by his mother — the couple is divorced.<o:p></o:p>

When the case reached the court, Judge Bart Tromp of Groningen District Court&nbsp;ruled in favour of the 12-year-old. He said the boy should get vaccinated if he wants as his intentions are pure and were more important than his father’s hesitancy. The Judge also said that his father’s arguments against Covid vaccines had no scientific basis or proof.<o:p></o:p>

The world leaders and health experts are urging eligible population to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, but children under the age of 12 are not being vaccinated in every country.

The world leaders and health experts are urging eligible population to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, but children under the age of 12 are not being vaccinated in every country. However, a 12-year-old boy from the Netherlands has won a court battle as a result of which he can now get vaccinated against coronavirus immediately. The boy hails from the Dutch city of Groningen where eligibility for Covid vaccines is 12- to 17-year-olds. However, children under the age of 17 need to get consent from their parents to get a shot of the vaccine. Also read | Black market for fake Covid vaccine certificates has grown 10 times in 29 countries: Study His grandmother is suffering from metastatic lung cancer and is in the last stages of the disease which can take her life. The boy wanted to spend as much time as possible with her but the hospital officials said he would have to be vaccinated to meet her. This boy wanted to get vaccinated against coronavirus so that he would be able to meet his grandmother. However, his father was hesitant about getting his son vaccinated as he believes the vaccines are still "in a test phase" and pose risks to reproductive organs. The father also claimed that the vaccines can also lead to children developing symptoms of long Covid. Also read | Now, children aged between 12 and 15 get Covid vaccine shots in UK However, the boy wanted to get vaccinated so he decided to file a legal suit against his father’s decision. His decision to file a lawsuit was supported by his mother — the couple is divorced. When the case reached the court, Judge Bart Tromp of Groningen District Court ruled in favour of the 12-year-old. He said the boy should get vaccinated if he wants as his intentions are pure and were more important than his father’s hesitancy. The Judge also said that his father’s arguments against Covid vaccines had no scientific basis or proof.

Right to Covid jab: 12-year-old boy wins court battle to get vaccinated

Doctors scale rockslides, invoke gods to vaccinate Himalayan villages

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots.

Last year’s successful race to develop vaccines in extraordinarily short order put companies like Moderna and Pfizer in a highly favourable spotlight. But now, with less than 10% of those in many poor nations fully vaccinated and a dearth of doses contributing to millions of deaths, health officials in the United States and abroad are pressing the companies to do more to address the global shortage.

The Biden administration has privately urged both Pfizer and Moderna to enter into joint ventures where they would license their technology to contract manufacturers with the aim of providing vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, according to a senior administration official.

Those talks led to an agreement with Pfizer, announced on Wednesday, to sell the United States an additional 500 million doses of its vaccine at a not-for-profit price — rather than license its technology — to donate overseas.

The discussions with Moderna have not been fruitful, said the official, who expressed deep frustration with the company but requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

A coalition of major drug and vaccine manufacturers in developing countries around the world is drafting an appeal to Biden asking him to press the companies more aggressively to share the formulations and processes used to make their vaccines.

The World Health Organization has also had trouble getting Moderna to the negotiating table, according to Dr Martin Friede, a WHO official, and Charles Gore, who runs a United Nations-backed nonprofit organization, Medicines Patent Pool. Both are working with a WHO-backed technology transfer hub in South Africa to set up to teach manufacturers from developing countries how to make mRNA vaccines, a new type of vaccine technology used by both American companies.

“We would love to get a discussion with Moderna, about a license to their intellectual property. This would make life so much simpler, but for the moment all attempts have resulted in no reply,” Friede said.

At Wednesday’s virtual summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Biden will convene heads of state, drug company executives, philanthropic groups and nongovernmental organizations to encourage them to work together toward vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by this time next year, according to a draft document the White House sent to the summit participants.

Global health advocates say Moderna has a special obligation to share its technology because its vaccine relies in part on technology developed by the National Institutes of Health, and because the company accepted $2.5 billion from the federal government as part of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s fast-track vaccine initiative.

A Moderna spokesperson, Colleen Hussey, said in an email message Tuesday night that the company had agreed not to enforce its COVID-related patents and was “willing to license our intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines to others for the post-pandemic period.”

But advocates say the world needs Moderna’s know-how now — not after the pandemic is over.

While sharing the vaccine “recipe” is a vital first step, it is not in and of itself enough to allow for the swift and efficient setup of new mRNA manufacturing locations, said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign.

“You need someone to share all the process, because it’s a new technology,” he said. “One of the problems we have is that the scientific literature about industrial-scale manufacturing of mRNA vaccines is so slim. This is why it’s not just about a recipe, it’s about an active and full tech transfer.”

Pfizer, in an emailed statement, noted that it and its partner, BioNTech, had signed a letter of intent, announced last month, with the South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac, which is part of the South African hub, to manufacture Pfizer’s vaccine for African nations. But Biovac will only bottle the vaccine, which does not necessitate sharing the formula. The actual “drug substance” will be made in Europe.

Some pharmaceutical executives have suggested the South African hub may not be ready to manufacture vaccines. But a recent site visit by WHO officials found that both Afrigen, the hub’s teaching facility, and Biovac are both “fit for purpose,” according to a summary of the visit, obtained by The New York Times. The summary said Afrigen’s team is “competent and experienced” and has developed a plan for a “robust mRNA vaccine production process, which will be transferred to Biovac.”

In the absence of voluntary cooperation from the companies, some legal experts and global health advocates say the Biden administration could attempt to force them to share their intellectual property, using the powers of the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that gives the president broad power over American companies in emergency situations.

Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said Biden could declare the pandemic a national security threat, which would enable him to “require companies to sign technology transfer contracts in exchange for reasonable compensation,” from either the federal government or manufacturing partners.

“Moderna accepted substantial federal funding under Operation Warp Speed and both Pfizer and Moderna benefited from NIH dollars for the basic research over a decade for mRNA technology,” Gostin said, adding that the companies “hold a special social and ethical responsibility to share that technology for the benefit of the world.”

Biden administration officials say that forcing the companies to act is not as simple as it sounds, and that an effort to compel them to share their technology would invariably lead to a drawn-out legal battle, which would be counterproductive.

Pfizer and Moderna executives have said that the mRNA production process is so complex, and that there are so few people with experience in it available, that setting up new operations in other parts of the world would not be feasible and could not happen quickly enough to be useful. They say that their combined manufacturing will produce more than enough vaccines to meet global need by the middle of next year and that the fastest way to address vaccine inequity would be through distribution of donated doses.

But some pharmaceutical manufacturing experts and drug-access advocates argue that the events of the past 18 months make it clear that manufacturing in developing countries is going to be crucial to ensuring equitable access.

Many of the donated doses bound for use in Africa, for example, were meant to come from the Serum Institute of India. But five months ago, the Indian government blocked the company from exporting any vaccines, ordering that the supply instead be directed to trying to stanch a raging second COVID wave in that country. (India now says it will allow exports to resume next month.)

“We keep hearing, ‘The vaccines are coming, the vaccines are coming,’ but 3 million people have died since the Pfizer vaccine was first authorized by the FDA,” said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen.

Moderna and Pfizer have a direct financial interest in keeping their technology to themselves and guarding a competitive advantage not just in the sale of COVID vaccines, which are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year, but also other potentially lucrative mRNA vaccines in development, such as one for cancer, HIV and malaria, he said, adding, “They don’t want to stand up a future competitor.”

The coalition of drugmakers in developing countries that is drafting an appeal to Biden plans to ask the U.S. government to pressure companies for several things: a license for the intellectual property, a license for the technology involved in the manufacturing of the vaccines, the provision of items such as cell lines and assistance in acquiring vital but scarce equipment.

In exchange for sharing its process, Moderna would be compensated with a licensing fee, a percentage of each dose sold.

Even without Moderna’s cooperation, WHO says its tech transfer hub in South Africa will focus on trying to replicate as closely as possible the Moderna formula, as the gold standard against which to compare candidates from other biotechnology companies, and then teach any manufacturer who wants to make it how to do so at scale.

“If we had Moderna or BioNTech with us, we could get to an approved vaccine in 18 months, but without them we have to go through full development — so it’s 36 months if everything goes perfectly, but it could be longer,” said Friede, who heads the WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research.

Pfizer and Moderna are at a pivotal moment where they can decide what role they want to play in the process, he said. “I’ve made many successful vaccines; with me I have other people who have made successful vaccines,” he said. “What we are actually saying is: ‘We’re going to do this. So you can come in and try and maintain some control by actually producing vaccines locally, or we’re going to do it without you. And then you’ve lost control’.”

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots.

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots. Last year’s successful race to develop vaccines in extraordinarily short order put companies like Moderna and Pfizer in a highly favourable spotlight. But now, with less than 10% of those in many poor nations fully vaccinated and a dearth of doses contributing to millions of deaths, health officials in the United States and abroad are pressing the companies to do more to address the global shortage. The Biden administration has privately urged both Pfizer and Moderna to enter into joint ventures where they would license their technology to contract manufacturers with the aim of providing vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, according to a senior administration official. Those talks led to an agreement with Pfizer, announced on Wednesday, to sell the United States an additional 500 million doses of its vaccine at a not-for-profit price — rather than license its technology — to donate overseas. The discussions with Moderna have not been fruitful, said the official, who expressed deep frustration with the company but requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information. A coalition of major drug and vaccine manufacturers in developing countries around the world is drafting an appeal to Biden asking him to press the companies more aggressively to share the formulations and processes used to make their vaccines. The World Health Organization has also had trouble getting Moderna to the negotiating table, according to Dr Martin Friede, a WHO official, and Charles Gore, who runs a United Nations-backed nonprofit organization, Medicines Patent Pool. Both are working with a WHO-backed technology transfer hub in South Africa to set up to teach manufacturers from developing countries how to make mRNA vaccines, a new type of vaccine technology used by both American companies. “We would love to get a discussion with Moderna, about a license to their intellectual property. This would make life so much simpler, but for the moment all attempts have resulted in no reply,” Friede said. At Wednesday’s virtual summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Biden will convene heads of state, drug company executives, philanthropic groups and nongovernmental organizations to encourage them to work together toward vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by this time next year, according to a draft document the White House sent to the summit participants. Global health advocates say Moderna has a special obligation to share its technology because its vaccine relies in part on technology developed by the National Institutes of Health, and because the company accepted $2.5 billion from the federal government as part of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s fast-track vaccine initiative. A Moderna spokesperson, Colleen Hussey, said in an email message Tuesday night that the company had agreed not to enforce its COVID-related patents and was “willing to license our intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines to others for the post-pandemic period.” But advocates say the world needs Moderna’s know-how now — not after the pandemic is over. While sharing the vaccine “recipe” is a vital first step, it is not in and of itself enough to allow for the swift and efficient setup of new mRNA manufacturing locations, said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign. “You need someone to share all the process, because it’s a new technology,” he said. “One of the problems we have is that the scientific literature about industrial-scale manufacturing of mRNA vaccines is so slim. This is why it’s not just about a recipe, it’s about an active and full tech transfer.” Pfizer, in an emailed statement, noted that it and its partner, BioNTech, had signed a letter of intent, announced last month, with the South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac, which is part of the South African hub, to manufacture Pfizer’s vaccine for African nations. But Biovac will only bottle the vaccine, which does not necessitate sharing the formula. The actual “drug substance” will be made in Europe. Some pharmaceutical executives have suggested the South African hub may not be ready to manufacture vaccines. But a recent site visit by WHO officials found that both Afrigen, the hub’s teaching facility, and Biovac are both “fit for purpose,” according to a summary of the visit, obtained by The New York Times. The summary said Afrigen’s team is “competent and experienced” and has developed a plan for a “robust mRNA vaccine production process, which will be transferred to Biovac.” In the absence of voluntary cooperation from the companies, some legal experts and global health advocates say the Biden administration could attempt to force them to share their intellectual property, using the powers of the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that gives the president broad power over American companies in emergency situations. Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said Biden could declare the pandemic a national security threat, which would enable him to “require companies to sign technology transfer contracts in exchange for reasonable compensation,” from either the federal government or manufacturing partners. “Moderna accepted substantial federal funding under Operation Warp Speed and both Pfizer and Moderna benefited from NIH dollars for the basic research over a decade for mRNA technology,” Gostin said, adding that the companies “hold a special social and ethical responsibility to share that technology for the benefit of the world.” Biden administration officials say that forcing the companies to act is not as simple as it sounds, and that an effort to compel them to share their technology would invariably lead to a drawn-out legal battle, which would be counterproductive. Pfizer and Moderna executives have said that the mRNA production process is so complex, and that there are so few people with experience in it available, that setting up new operations in other parts of the world would not be feasible and could not happen quickly enough to be useful. They say that their combined manufacturing will produce more than enough vaccines to meet global need by the middle of next year and that the fastest way to address vaccine inequity would be through distribution of donated doses. But some pharmaceutical manufacturing experts and drug-access advocates argue that the events of the past 18 months make it clear that manufacturing in developing countries is going to be crucial to ensuring equitable access. Many of the donated doses bound for use in Africa, for example, were meant to come from the Serum Institute of India. But five months ago, the Indian government blocked the company from exporting any vaccines, ordering that the supply instead be directed to trying to stanch a raging second COVID wave in that country. (India now says it will allow exports to resume next month.) “We keep hearing, ‘The vaccines are coming, the vaccines are coming,’ but 3 million people have died since the Pfizer vaccine was first authorized by the FDA,” said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen. Moderna and Pfizer have a direct financial interest in keeping their technology to themselves and guarding a competitive advantage not just in the sale of COVID vaccines, which are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year, but also other potentially lucrative mRNA vaccines in development, such as one for cancer, HIV and malaria, he said, adding, “They don’t want to stand up a future competitor.” The coalition of drugmakers in developing countries that is drafting an appeal to Biden plans to ask the U.S. government to pressure companies for several things: a license for the intellectual property, a license for the technology involved in the manufacturing of the vaccines, the provision of items such as cell lines and assistance in acquiring vital but scarce equipment. In exchange for sharing its process, Moderna would be compensated with a licensing fee, a percentage of each dose sold. Even without Moderna’s cooperation, WHO says its tech transfer hub in South Africa will focus on trying to replicate as closely as possible the Moderna formula, as the gold standard against which to compare candidates from other biotechnology companies, and then teach any manufacturer who wants to make it how to do so at scale. “If we had Moderna or BioNTech with us, we could get to an approved vaccine in 18 months, but without them we have to go through full development — so it’s 36 months if everything goes perfectly, but it could be longer,” said Friede, who heads the WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research. Pfizer and Moderna are at a pivotal moment where they can decide what role they want to play in the process, he said. “I’ve made many successful vaccines; with me I have other people who have made successful vaccines,” he said. “What we are actually saying is: ‘We’re going to do this. So you can come in and try and maintain some control by actually producing vaccines locally, or we’re going to do it without you. And then you’ve lost control’.”

Pressure grows on US companies to share Covid vaccine technology

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to other nations

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to 'low-income nations'

An unconventional yet cryptic advertisement drew the attention of thousands who were thronging to the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina’s Charlotte city, US, to witness a football game.

“Don’t get vaccinated,” read the digital billboards on a black truck’s side and rear panels.

Below the message on the billboard was the name and website of Wilmore Funeral Home. However, the advertisement contained a hidden message.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-cases-in-us-16-times-too-high-to-end-pandemic-says-fauci-412124">Covid cases in US 16 times too high to end pandemic, says Fauci</a>

While visiting the website, people found that the funeral home mentioned on the truck did not exist and were instead greeted with this message: “Get vaccinated now. If not, see you soon.”

The whole idea was the brainchild of an advertising firm, BooneOakley, who decided to tackle the vaccine hesitancy and scepticism among the Americans with a novel approach.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It was us. Get vaccinated. <a href="https://t.co/WFQ1h6sLwn">pic.twitter.com/WFQ1h6sLwn</a>
— BooneOakley (@booneoakley) <a href="https://twitter.com/booneoakley/status/1440308729413464064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Charlotte city has less than half its population is fully vaccinated. The ad agency director, David Oakley, said he needed something “out of the box” to persuade the people to get vaccinated.

“I just feel like conventional advertising is not working. Like, just regular messages that say 'Get the Shot' or 'Go Get Vaccinated' ... they just kind of blend in with everything else,” Oakley told CNN.

“We wanted to do something that saw it from a different perspective and kind of shocks people into thinking, ‘Holy moly, man’.”

“I believe even if just one person gets vaccinated because of that billboard, I give it a grand success. Just one person, it will be worth it to me,” Oakley added.

The advertisement received wide applause from the netizens in the US, with a Twitter user calling it “God-tier marketing”.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/CorpEccentric?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CorpEccentric</a> this is some God-tier marketing. Look at the website <a href="https://t.co/XhUI9Ia7X0">https://t.co/XhUI9Ia7X0</a>. <a href="https://t.co/qRkMbYmiLF">https://t.co/qRkMbYmiLF</a>
— Christopher J. Nurse (@ChrisJNurse) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisJNurse/status/1439726966752567296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“Brilliant!,” one woman, Imelda March, wrote, while another said: “Nicely done, y’all.

(With inputs from agencies)

An unconventional yet cryptic advertisement drew the attention of thousands who were thronging to the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina’s Charlotte city, US, to witness a football game.

An unconventional yet cryptic advertisement drew the attention of thousands who were thronging to the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina’s Charlotte city, US, to witness a football game. “Don’t get vaccinated,” read the digital billboards on a black truck’s side and rear panels. Below the message on the billboard was the name and website of Wilmore Funeral Home. However, the advertisement contained a hidden message. Also read | Covid cases in US 16 times too high to end pandemic, says Fauci While visiting the website, people found that the funeral home mentioned on the truck did not exist and were instead greeted with this message: “Get vaccinated now. If not, see you soon.” The whole idea was the brainchild of an advertising firm, BooneOakley, who decided to tackle the vaccine hesitancy and scepticism among the Americans with a novel approach. It was us. Get vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/WFQ1h6sLwn — BooneOakley (@booneoakley) September 21, 2021 × Charlotte city has less than half its population is fully vaccinated. The ad agency director, David Oakley, said he needed something “out of the box” to persuade the people to get vaccinated. “I just feel like conventional advertising is not working. Like, just regular messages that say 'Get the Shot' or 'Go Get Vaccinated' ... they just kind of blend in with everything else,” Oakley told CNN. “We wanted to do something that saw it from a different perspective and kind of shocks people into thinking, ‘Holy moly, man’.” “I believe even if just one person gets vaccinated because of that billboard, I give it a grand success. Just one person, it will be worth it to me,” Oakley added. The advertisement received wide applause from the netizens in the US, with a Twitter user calling it “God-tier marketing”. @CorpEccentric this is some God-tier marketing. Look at the website https://t.co/XhUI9Ia7X0. https://t.co/qRkMbYmiLF — Christopher J. Nurse (@ChrisJNurse) September 19, 2021 × “Brilliant!,” one woman, Imelda March, wrote, while another said: “Nicely done, y’all. (With inputs from agencies)

'Don’t get vaccinated': Ad agency comes up with cryptic message to boost vaccination in US city

Amid rising concerns of Delta variant of coronavirus, a panel of medical experts have advised the government to vote in favour of booster shots of Pfizer's Covid vaccine for people aged above 65 years.<o:p></o:p>

While the panel approved usage of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for everyone aged 65 and above, the experts rejected the idea of administering the same shot to young people aged 16 and above.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-convene-covid-19-summit-on-wednesday-white-house-413891">Biden to convene COVID-19 summit on Wednesday: White House</a></o:p>

The panel consists of vaccinologists, infectious diseases researchers, epidemologists and more, and is completely independent of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).<o:p></o:p>

"I think this should demonstrate to the public that the members of this committee are independent of the FDA, and that in fact we do bring our voices to the table," said Archana Chatterjee, dean of Chicago Medical School.<o:p></o:p>

The decision to not vaccinate young people aged 16 and above was taken after it was observed that the benefit-risk balance for younger people was not worth the risk, especially for men at risk for myocarditis.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-administers-20-million-covid-19-jabs-to-mark-pm-modis-birthday-413815">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-administers-20-million-covid-19-jabs-to-mark-pm-modis-birthday-413815/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A full approval was also not given by the panel as the experts felt the data collected out of clinical trial of 300 people was simply not enough to draw conclusions.<o:p></o:p>

However, approval for the booster shot has been granted for healthcare workers, people with high risk of occupational exposure to the virus and those with vulnerable and weak immune system.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Pfizer has vowed to work with FDA experts to address and find solutions to questions raised by medical experts regarding booster shots. “We continue to believe in the benefits of a booster dose for a broader population,” Kathrin Jansen, head of vaccine research and development at the company, said in a statement.<o:p></o:p>

Amid rising concerns of Delta variant of coronavirus, a panel of medical experts have advised the government to vote in favour of booster shots of Pfizer's Covid vaccine for people aged above 65 years.

Amid rising concerns of Delta variant of coronavirus, a panel of medical experts have advised the government to vote in favour of booster shots of Pfizer's Covid vaccine for people aged above 65 years. While the panel approved usage of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for everyone aged 65 and above, the experts rejected the idea of administering the same shot to young people aged 16 and above. Also read | Biden to convene COVID-19 summit on Wednesday: White House The panel consists of vaccinologists, infectious diseases researchers, epidemologists and more, and is completely independent of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "I think this should demonstrate to the public that the members of this committee are independent of the FDA, and that in fact we do bring our voices to the table," said Archana Chatterjee, dean of Chicago Medical School. The decision to not vaccinate young people aged 16 and above was taken after it was observed that the benefit-risk balance for younger people was not worth the risk, especially for men at risk for myocarditis. WATCH | A full approval was also not given by the panel as the experts felt the data collected out of clinical trial of 300 people was simply not enough to draw conclusions. However, approval for the booster shot has been granted for healthcare workers, people with high risk of occupational exposure to the virus and those with vulnerable and weak immune system. Meanwhile, Pfizer has vowed to work with FDA experts to address and find solutions to questions raised by medical experts regarding booster shots. “We continue to believe in the benefits of a booster dose for a broader population,” Kathrin Jansen, head of vaccine research and development at the company, said in a statement.

US panel recommends Pfizer's Covid booster shot for 65 and above, rejects for 16 year-olds

Last fall, as coronavirus cases climbed and the world hoped for vaccines, health experts feared influenza and COVID-19 would combine for a devastating “twindemic.”

While pandemic measures appeared to keep the flu at bay, this year experts are again concerned, especially as some countries and state authorities roll back lockdown rules. Many officials and experts are urging the public: Do not dismiss the danger of the flu, and seek a flu vaccine.

“This year we are guaranteed to have the flu, and we are going to have some version of a twindemic,” said Dr. William Schaffner, medical director for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “It could really further strain an already extraordinarily stretched, strained, tired-to-the-bone health care system.”

The United States is grappling with an average of more than 160,000 new coronavirus cases a day. Hospitals and intensive care units are filling up with COVID-19 patients. At the same time, mask mandates and social distancing have been relaxed in some places, meaning contagious respiratory illnesses can spread more easily than they did last year.

Schaffner warned that medical providers now had to remind people about influenza: “We are going to have to say, ‘There is another nasty respiratory virus, and don’t blow it off.’”

This flu season unlike any other.

In the US, flu activity was significantly lower during the 2020-21 season than during any previous flu season since at least 1997, the first for which data is publicly available.

Scientists said pandemic precautions most likely played a role, as many people adopted masking, social-distancing and hand-washing habits.

“The lack of influenza last year was truly remarkable,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Virginia. “It may be that people’s willingness to wear masks and wash hands regularly and be aware of symptoms may help us moving forward. And I really hope that turns out to be the story.”

Experts hope those behaviors will carry over into the coming flu season, especially as more people return to public transit, restaurants, schools and offices.

But the US and a number of other countries are not unified in how to confront the pandemic, and some people have stopped taking those precautions.

That could mean additional burdens for hospitals already treating large numbers of COVID-19 patients.

“Given our politics, a COVID/flu surge will be unevenly distributed to health care systems,” Jackson said.

Who should get the flu vaccine and when?

The relative lack of flu cases over the past 18 months could also mean that population-level immunity to the flu is lower this season, said Lynnette Brammer, leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's domestic influenza surveillance team.

And while it is still uncertain how the season will play out, she added, relaxed pandemic measures in some places will “likely result in the resumption of seasonal flu virus circulation.”

“This all could set us up for a potentially severe flu season,” she added.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the season starts in October and can last through May. In the Southern Hemisphere, it typically occurs from April through September.

The CDC advises everyone 6 months and older to get the shot, with a few exceptions. Vaccination is especially important for some groups of people, including those with underlying health conditions, older adults and young children, Brammer said.

It takes about two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, so experts recommend getting vaccinated from September through the end of October, but even after that, it is better to get the vaccine than not.

Because viruses mutate, requiring a new vaccine every year, even people who received a flu shot last year need another this year, they said. For any given season, vaccines are tailored to the types of influenza viruses — there are many — that are circulating or most likely to be circulating.

If I have been vaccinated for COVID-19, do I still need the flu vaccine?

Yes, one does not protect against the other. Vaccines are intended to target specific viruses: Just as the COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured for the coronavirus, flu vaccines target influenza viruses.

That means flu shots this year will be doled out as some people are getting initial and booster shots for the coronavirus.

“There is vaccine fatigue out there,” Schaffner said. “But we are going to have to tell people, ‘Oh, no, you need a different one,’ right at the time we are boosting."

Can I get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine in the same visit?

Yes. The CDC says the vaccine may be administered without regard to the timing of other vaccines.

Side effects are generally similar when the vaccines are given simultaneously as when they are administered alone, the CDC says.

Dr. Kevin Ban, chief medical officer at Walgreens, said, “Not only is it possible, but we highly encourage people to be vaccinated for both flu and COVID.”

Vaccines received at the same time do not cause cumulative reactions, Dr. L.J. Tan, Immunization Action Coalition’s chief policy and partnerships officer, said in an interview. “It is not like you are adding it on.”

Common reactions to the flu vaccine can be a sore arm, and some people might get a little tired, he said.

If you do get the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, experts advise using different arms to avoid soreness or at least spacing the injection site for each shot by at least 1 inch.

Can I catch the flu and COVID-19 at the same time?

Yes. The flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses have similar symptoms, including cough, fever and body aches. Only testing can identify which virus a patient has or if a patient has both.

Different tests are used for each, and identifying the difference is essential to treatment. Antiviral treatments exist for influenza, and some patients with COVID-19 receive monoclonal antibody treatment.

“Doctors are going to have to do a whole lot more testing this year than in the past,” Schaffner said. “It is important to know who has got what.”

What about children and pregnant women?

The CDC estimates that the flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 people a year since 2010. (More than 650,000 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus pandemic in the US)

About 80% of children who have died of influenza in past years had not been vaccinated, according to research cited this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The flu has the capacity to take a “perfectly normal child and put them in the emergency room in 48 hours,” Schaffner said. Children have died from the flu when they became septic or got pneumonia, he said.

A big factor for the low flu numbers last season was that children were attending school remotely and avoiding groups, he said.

“Children are really the great disseminators of the influenza virus,” Schaffner said. “They shed more virus than do adults, and they shed the virus for a longer period of time. They spread it among themselves and then bring it home.”

This academic year, many children are going back to in-person learning, and some are not required to wear masks.

If children who have not gotten a flu shot get the flu, they should still be vaccinated when they recover. Experts added that children sick with COVID-19 should not get the flu vaccine until they have recovered.

They also recommend pregnant women get the flu vaccine, as its protection passes through the placenta.

How is flu treated?

Antibiotics are not effective against the flu, but antiviral drugs can ease symptoms. They should ideally be given within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. People with the flu should rest and drink plenty of water, and most will recover within a week.

Where can I get the vaccine?

Pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS, and at Walmart offer free flu shots. There are mobile apps to make appointments and online vaccination finders.

Public health officials and experts said that vaccination was so important because it reduces the chances of severe, sometimes fatal illness.

“We can’t shut it off like a light switch,” Schaffner said. “But we can dim it.”

Last fall, as coronavirus cases climbed and the world hoped for vaccines, health experts feared influenza and COVID-19 would combine for a devastating “twindemic.

Last fall, as coronavirus cases climbed and the world hoped for vaccines, health experts feared influenza and COVID-19 would combine for a devastating “twindemic.” While pandemic measures appeared to keep the flu at bay, this year experts are again concerned, especially as some countries and state authorities roll back lockdown rules. Many officials and experts are urging the public: Do not dismiss the danger of the flu, and seek a flu vaccine. “This year we are guaranteed to have the flu, and we are going to have some version of a twindemic,” said Dr. William Schaffner, medical director for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “It could really further strain an already extraordinarily stretched, strained, tired-to-the-bone health care system.” The United States is grappling with an average of more than 160,000 new coronavirus cases a day. Hospitals and intensive care units are filling up with COVID-19 patients. At the same time, mask mandates and social distancing have been relaxed in some places, meaning contagious respiratory illnesses can spread more easily than they did last year. Schaffner warned that medical providers now had to remind people about influenza: “We are going to have to say, ‘There is another nasty respiratory virus, and don’t blow it off.’” This flu season unlike any other. In the US, flu activity was significantly lower during the 2020-21 season than during any previous flu season since at least 1997, the first for which data is publicly available. Scientists said pandemic precautions most likely played a role, as many people adopted masking, social-distancing and hand-washing habits. “The lack of influenza last year was truly remarkable,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson, an infectious disease expert at the University of Virginia. “It may be that people’s willingness to wear masks and wash hands regularly and be aware of symptoms may help us moving forward. And I really hope that turns out to be the story.” Experts hope those behaviors will carry over into the coming flu season, especially as more people return to public transit, restaurants, schools and offices. But the US and a number of other countries are not unified in how to confront the pandemic, and some people have stopped taking those precautions. That could mean additional burdens for hospitals already treating large numbers of COVID-19 patients. “Given our politics, a COVID/flu surge will be unevenly distributed to health care systems,” Jackson said. Who should get the flu vaccine and when? The relative lack of flu cases over the past 18 months could also mean that population-level immunity to the flu is lower this season, said Lynnette Brammer, leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's domestic influenza surveillance team. And while it is still uncertain how the season will play out, she added, relaxed pandemic measures in some places will “likely result in the resumption of seasonal flu virus circulation.” “This all could set us up for a potentially severe flu season,” she added. In the Northern Hemisphere, the season starts in October and can last through May. In the Southern Hemisphere, it typically occurs from April through September. The CDC advises everyone 6 months and older to get the shot, with a few exceptions. Vaccination is especially important for some groups of people, including those with underlying health conditions, older adults and young children, Brammer said. It takes about two weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, so experts recommend getting vaccinated from September through the end of October, but even after that, it is better to get the vaccine than not. Because viruses mutate, requiring a new vaccine every year, even people who received a flu shot last year need another this year, they said. For any given season, vaccines are tailored to the types of influenza viruses — there are many — that are circulating or most likely to be circulating. If I have been vaccinated for COVID-19, do I still need the flu vaccine? Yes, one does not protect against the other. Vaccines are intended to target specific viruses: Just as the COVID-19 vaccines are manufactured for the coronavirus, flu vaccines target influenza viruses. That means flu shots this year will be doled out as some people are getting initial and booster shots for the coronavirus. “There is vaccine fatigue out there,” Schaffner said. “But we are going to have to tell people, ‘Oh, no, you need a different one,’ right at the time we are boosting." Can I get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine in the same visit? Yes. The CDC says the vaccine may be administered without regard to the timing of other vaccines. Side effects are generally similar when the vaccines are given simultaneously as when they are administered alone, the CDC says. Dr. Kevin Ban, chief medical officer at Walgreens, said, “Not only is it possible, but we highly encourage people to be vaccinated for both flu and COVID.” Vaccines received at the same time do not cause cumulative reactions, Dr. L.J. Tan, Immunization Action Coalition’s chief policy and partnerships officer, said in an interview. “It is not like you are adding it on.” Common reactions to the flu vaccine can be a sore arm, and some people might get a little tired, he said. If you do get the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, experts advise using different arms to avoid soreness or at least spacing the injection site for each shot by at least 1 inch. Can I catch the flu and COVID-19 at the same time? Yes. The flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses have similar symptoms, including cough, fever and body aches. Only testing can identify which virus a patient has or if a patient has both. Different tests are used for each, and identifying the difference is essential to treatment. Antiviral treatments exist for influenza, and some patients with COVID-19 receive monoclonal antibody treatment. “Doctors are going to have to do a whole lot more testing this year than in the past,” Schaffner said. “It is important to know who has got what.” What about children and pregnant women? The CDC estimates that the flu has killed 12,000 to 61,000 people a year since 2010. (More than 650,000 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus pandemic in the US) About 80% of children who have died of influenza in past years had not been vaccinated, according to research cited this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The flu has the capacity to take a “perfectly normal child and put them in the emergency room in 48 hours,” Schaffner said. Children have died from the flu when they became septic or got pneumonia, he said. A big factor for the low flu numbers last season was that children were attending school remotely and avoiding groups, he said. “Children are really the great disseminators of the influenza virus,” Schaffner said. “They shed more virus than do adults, and they shed the virus for a longer period of time. They spread it among themselves and then bring it home.” This academic year, many children are going back to in-person learning, and some are not required to wear masks. If children who have not gotten a flu shot get the flu, they should still be vaccinated when they recover. Experts added that children sick with COVID-19 should not get the flu vaccine until they have recovered. They also recommend pregnant women get the flu vaccine, as its protection passes through the placenta. How is flu treated? Antibiotics are not effective against the flu, but antiviral drugs can ease symptoms. They should ideally be given within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. People with the flu should rest and drink plenty of water, and most will recover within a week. Where can I get the vaccine? Pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS, and at Walmart offer free flu shots. There are mobile apps to make appointments and online vaccination finders. Public health officials and experts said that vaccination was so important because it reduces the chances of severe, sometimes fatal illness. “We can’t shut it off like a light switch,” Schaffner said. “But we can dim it.”

It’s that time of year, experts warn: Get a flu shot

Almost a month after Cambodia started vaccinating teenagers against coronavirus, the government has also initiated vaccine campaign for six to 12-year-olds.<o:p></o:p>

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen saw his grandchildren being vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus at his office at the Peace Building on September 17.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cambodia-begins-booster-shots-to-fight-covid-19-404020">Cambodia begins booster shots to fight COVID-19</a></o:p>

The decision was taken even after the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to prioritise vaccinating vulnerable population in poor countries, instead of first vaccinating children.<o:p></o:p>

This has come a few weeks after Cambodia’s government also launched a booster programme for some selected citizens. Nearly 500,000 to one million frontline workers and their family members in seven provinces bordering Thailand were first ones to receive the booster shot in the country.<o:p></o:p>

The government decided to launch the booster campaign to protect the citizens against the surge in Covid cases around the country and world. This step was also taken keeping in mind the increasing threat of the Delta variant around the world.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/are-covid-vaccines-adversely-affecting-menstrual-cycles-heres-the-truth-413764">Are Covid vaccines adversely affecting menstrual cycles? Here's the truth</a></o:p>

Cambodian Prime Minister had earlier, too, stressed on the importance of vaccinating teenagers and children. The leader urged parents to get their children and grandchildren vaccinated as soon as possible to keep them safe from the deadly virus.<o:p></o:p>

"The vaccination for children today is a key step to herd immunity in communities," said the Cambodian leader. "Children are like bamboo shoots. If the health of children is damaged now, we won't have good bamboos."<o:p></o:p>

In addition to Cambodia, Denmark, France and Lithuania have also started vaccinating teenagers. Meanwhile, Israel has offered booster shots to all eligible citizens.<o:p></o:p>

Almost a month after Cambodia started vaccinating teenagers against coronavirus, the government has also initiated vaccine campaign for six to 12-year-olds. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen saw his grandchildren being vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus at his office at the Peace Building on September 17.

Almost a month after Cambodia started vaccinating teenagers against coronavirus, the government has also initiated vaccine campaign for six to 12-year-olds. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen saw his grandchildren being vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus at his office at the Peace Building on September 17. Also read | Cambodia begins booster shots to fight COVID-19 The decision was taken even after the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to prioritise vaccinating vulnerable population in poor countries, instead of first vaccinating children. This has come a few weeks after Cambodia’s government also launched a booster programme for some selected citizens. Nearly 500,000 to one million frontline workers and their family members in seven provinces bordering Thailand were first ones to receive the booster shot in the country. The government decided to launch the booster campaign to protect the citizens against the surge in Covid cases around the country and world. This step was also taken keeping in mind the increasing threat of the Delta variant around the world. Also read | Are Covid vaccines adversely affecting menstrual cycles? Here's the truth Cambodian Prime Minister had earlier, too, stressed on the importance of vaccinating teenagers and children. The leader urged parents to get their children and grandchildren vaccinated as soon as possible to keep them safe from the deadly virus. "The vaccination for children today is a key step to herd immunity in communities," said the Cambodian leader. "Children are like bamboo shoots. If the health of children is damaged now, we won't have good bamboos." In addition to Cambodia, Denmark, France and Lithuania have also started vaccinating teenagers. Meanwhile, Israel has offered booster shots to all eligible citizens.

Cambodia starts vaccinating six-year-old children against coronavirus

Common side effects of coronavirus vaccines till now have been sore arm, light fever, fatigue and in some cases nausea. However, a study has now revealed that vaccines can also bring changes in menstrual cycle.

Experts working in reproductive health have reported that several of their patients have experienced changes in their periods and have also experienced sudden vaginal bleeding.

Women have experienced sudden change in length of their menstrual cycles. Some also had heavier bleeding immediately after their vaccines.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-vaccines-lets-help-in-breaking-myths-for-new-mothers-390613">Covid, pregnancy, breastfeeding and vaccines: Let's help in breaking myths for new mothers</a>

It is not just the vaccines; some women have also reported changes in their menstrual cycle immediately after getting infected by coronavirus and also in cases of Long Covid.

However, some experts are still not very sure about a connection between the coronavirus vaccines and changes in menstrual cycle. Media experts believe it may be due to weakening of the immune system at the time of vaccination of infection, that leads to painful and delayed menstrual cycles.

Such claims can also increase already-existing vaccine hesitancy among women, expert claim. Several doctors around the globe have called for detailed research on the connection between Covid vaccines and menstrual cycles.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-19-all-you-need-to-know-about-delta-plus-variant-393450" hreflang="en">COVID-19: All you need to know about Delta Plus variant</a>

"Vaccine hesitancy among young women is largely driven by false claims that Covid-19 vaccines could harm their chances of future pregnancy,"&nbsp;Dr Victoria Male, a researcher from the Imperial College, London said in an opinion piece. "Failing to thoroughly investigate reports of menstrual changes after vaccination is likely to fuel these fears. If a link between vaccination and menstrual changes is confirmed, this information will allow people to plan for potentially altered cycles."

With this new claim, experts have also reiterated that Covid vaccines do not hinder in fertility or chances of pregnancy, contrary to what some people have believed in the past.

Experts are urging women to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, and abandon fears of infertility.

"There is no evidence to suggest that these temporary changes will have any impact on a person's future fertility, or their ability to have children," Dr Jo Mountfield, vice-president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said.

Common side effects of coronavirus vaccines till now have been sore arm, light fever, fatigue and in some cases nausea. However, a study has now revealed that vaccines can also bring changes in menstrual cycle.

Common side effects of coronavirus vaccines till now have been sore arm, light fever, fatigue and in some cases nausea. However, a study has now revealed that vaccines can also bring changes in menstrual cycle. Experts working in reproductive health have reported that several of their patients have experienced changes in their periods and have also experienced sudden vaginal bleeding. Women have experienced sudden change in length of their menstrual cycles. Some also had heavier bleeding immediately after their vaccines. Also read | Covid, pregnancy, breastfeeding and vaccines: Let's help in breaking myths for new mothers It is not just the vaccines; some women have also reported changes in their menstrual cycle immediately after getting infected by coronavirus and also in cases of Long Covid. However, some experts are still not very sure about a connection between the coronavirus vaccines and changes in menstrual cycle. Media experts believe it may be due to weakening of the immune system at the time of vaccination of infection, that leads to painful and delayed menstrual cycles. Such claims can also increase already-existing vaccine hesitancy among women, expert claim. Several doctors around the globe have called for detailed research on the connection between Covid vaccines and menstrual cycles. Also read | COVID-19: All you need to know about Delta Plus variant "Vaccine hesitancy among young women is largely driven by false claims that Covid-19 vaccines could harm their chances of future pregnancy," Dr Victoria Male, a researcher from the Imperial College, London said in an opinion piece. "Failing to thoroughly investigate reports of menstrual changes after vaccination is likely to fuel these fears. If a link between vaccination and menstrual changes is confirmed, this information will allow people to plan for potentially altered cycles." With this new claim, experts have also reiterated that Covid vaccines do not hinder in fertility or chances of pregnancy, contrary to what some people have believed in the past. Experts are urging women to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible, and abandon fears of infertility. "There is no evidence to suggest that these temporary changes will have any impact on a person's future fertility, or their ability to have children," Dr Jo Mountfield, vice-president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said.

Are Covid vaccines adversely affecting menstrual cycles? Here's the truth

Healthy boys have a higher chance of getting admitted due to inflammation of heart as a side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine rather than Covid itself, research claims.<o:p></o:p>

A group of US researchers studied medical data of boys aged between 12 to 15 who had no underlying health conditions. After careful observation, the experts found that boys are four to six times more likely to get admitted in hospital due to vaccine-related myocarditis.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-may-not-impair-lung-function-in-young-adults-research-shows-411444">COVID-19 may not impair lung function in young adults, research shows</a></o:p>

As per the collected data, majority of these boys who got admitted to hospital due to side effects of Pfizer started showing symptoms within first few days of the second shot of the Pfizer vaccine. <o:p></o:p>

Nearly 86 per cent of the boys who showed symptoms required proper care and observation of experts in hospitals, as per the experts.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-china-tensions-escalate-after-former-pushes-for-covid-19-probe-412377">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-china-tensions-escalate-after-former-pushes-for-covid-19-probe-412377/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As of now, UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) has not approved vaccinating 12 to 15-year-old children against coronavirus. The decision was passed on to UK’s chief medical officers. However, children between the age of 12 to 15 who live with vulnerable people and are at risk of catching Covid can get vaccinated against the deadly virus.<o:p></o:p>

This is not just for Pfizer. Some similar cases were reported in Moderna’s Covid vaccine too. However, the study is yet to be peer reviewed. In addition to this, the scientific experts also have to calculate if the healthy 12 to 15-year-old boys face the same situation if they are vaccinated.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

Healthy boys have a higher chance of getting admitted due to inflammation of heart as a side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine rather than Covid itself, research claims.

Healthy boys have a higher chance of getting admitted due to inflammation of heart as a side effect of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine rather than Covid itself, research claims. A group of US researchers studied medical data of boys aged between 12 to 15 who had no underlying health conditions. After careful observation, the experts found that boys are four to six times more likely to get admitted in hospital due to vaccine-related myocarditis. Also read | COVID-19 may not impair lung function in young adults, research shows As per the collected data, majority of these boys who got admitted to hospital due to side effects of Pfizer started showing symptoms within first few days of the second shot of the Pfizer vaccine. Nearly 86 per cent of the boys who showed symptoms required proper care and observation of experts in hospitals, as per the experts. WATCH | As of now, UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) has not approved vaccinating 12 to 15-year-old children against coronavirus. The decision was passed on to UK’s chief medical officers. However, children between the age of 12 to 15 who live with vulnerable people and are at risk of catching Covid can get vaccinated against the deadly virus. This is not just for Pfizer. Some similar cases were reported in Moderna’s Covid vaccine too. However, the study is yet to be peer reviewed. In addition to this, the scientific experts also have to calculate if the healthy 12 to 15-year-old boys face the same situation if they are vaccinated.

Boys more likely to be admitted to hospital from Pfizer jab side effects than Covid itself: Study

United States President Joe Biden’s latest aggressive push to inoculate more people, including those showing resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine, has sparked a backlash from the Republicans, who have threatened to approach the court against the move.

“Have at it,” a defiant Biden told reporters on Friday when asked about legal challenges to the strict vaccination rules that would affect tens of millions of American workers.

The US is in the midst of the Delta variant outbreak with cases surging across various states. As per reports, around 80 million eligible Americans have not yet gotten the shot against a disease that has left around 650,000 people dead in the United States.

Asserting that he was fed with rising Delta cases, the 78-year-old president said, “We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. So, please, do the right thing.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-recorded-highest-new-covid-19-cases-worldwide-in-past-week-who-401286">US recorded highest new COVID-19 cases worldwide in past week: WHO</a>

Biden’s plan mandates vaccinations for all federal employees and contractors and businesses with more than 100 employees. Companies could face fines if they do not adhere to the directive.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said that while he supports the vaccine, people have the right of personal choice.

Watch&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-covid-19-cases-reach-6-months-high-404086/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The federal government has no authority to force businesses in Texas and across the country to mandate their employees get vaccinated," Cruz was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

"It is cruel and burdensome to impose this authoritarian mandate. While I support the vaccine and have received it, Americans have the right to exercise personal choice when it comes to their health,” he added.

The Republican National Committee, governors of a number of Republican-ruled states and conservative private legal groups, announced plans to mount legal challenges to the vaccination mandates.

"See you in court," said Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota. "South Dakota will stand up to defend freedom."

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Thursday reported 23,700 new confirmed cases of the virus as well as 5,907 new probable cases. The state additionally reported 408 more fatalities attributed to the Delta variant-fuelled disease.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden’s latest aggressive push to inoculate more people, including those showing resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine, has sparked a backlash from the Republicans, who have threatened to approach the court against the move.

United States President Joe Biden’s latest aggressive push to inoculate more people, including those showing resistance to the COVID-19 vaccine, has sparked a backlash from the Republicans, who have threatened to approach the court against the move. “Have at it,” a defiant Biden told reporters on Friday when asked about legal challenges to the strict vaccination rules that would affect tens of millions of American workers. The US is in the midst of the Delta variant outbreak with cases surging across various states. As per reports, around 80 million eligible Americans have not yet gotten the shot against a disease that has left around 650,000 people dead in the United States. Asserting that he was fed with rising Delta cases, the 78-year-old president said, “We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us. So, please, do the right thing.” Also read | US recorded highest new COVID-19 cases worldwide in past week: WHO Biden’s plan mandates vaccinations for all federal employees and contractors and businesses with more than 100 employees. Companies could face fines if they do not adhere to the directive. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said that while he supports the vaccine, people have the right of personal choice. Watch "The federal government has no authority to force businesses in Texas and across the country to mandate their employees get vaccinated," Cruz was quoted by news agency AFP as saying. "It is cruel and burdensome to impose this authoritarian mandate. While I support the vaccine and have received it, Americans have the right to exercise personal choice when it comes to their health,” he added. The Republican National Committee, governors of a number of Republican-ruled states and conservative private legal groups, announced plans to mount legal challenges to the vaccination mandates. "See you in court," said Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota. "South Dakota will stand up to defend freedom." The Texas Department of State Health Services on Thursday reported 23,700 new confirmed cases of the virus as well as 5,907 new probable cases. The state additionally reported 408 more fatalities attributed to the Delta variant-fuelled disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden’s aggressive vaccine mandate sparks backlash from Republicans

In a bid to make sure students can come back to schools in a safe environment, Los Angeles board of education has decided that all students above the age of 12 will have to be vaccinated.

All students who wish to attend in-person classes will have to get fully vaccinated if they are aged 12 and above.

As of now, school authorities have been regularly testing students and faculty members for Covid. Masks are compulsory indoors and outdoors for all students and employees. In addition to this, all faculty members have been asked to compulsorily get fully vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus.

All students who participate in sports and other extracurricular activities will have to get fully vaccinated by the end of October. Other students have been given a deadline of December 19.

<a href="&lt;div class=&quot;videoWrapper trancodeVideo&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;https://www.wionews.com/videos/joe-biden-unvaccinated-people-hampering-us-vaccine-drive-412057/embed&quot; width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;350&quot; style=&quot;width:100%;max-width:560px;&quot; class=&quot;includeVideo&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; autoplay=1 allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;">WATCH |</a>

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"It is easy to wait for someone to tell us what to do. LA Unified is leading because we must. Our communities cannot wait," Mónica García, a board member, said before the vote. "This action is not about violating anybody’s rights. This action is about doing our job to be able to offer public schools that children can come to school and be safe."

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the whole country as it trains more than 600,000 students.

As the country was fighting another surge due to Delta variant, LA Unified raised their voices to keep schools closed and continue with virtual classroom, citing health concerns as a major reason.

"It is our moral, ethical, religious, political- pick a word- it’s our responsibility to protect the children under 12 who cannot get protected any other way," Board member Jackie Goldberg said.

However, some parents have opposed the move by saying it should be up to the parents to decide whether or not they would like their child to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

As of now, vaccines for children under the age of 12 have not been authorised yet.

In a bid to make sure students can come back to schools in a safe environment, Los Angeles board of education has decided that all students above the age of 12 will have to be vaccinated.

In a bid to make sure students can come back to schools in a safe environment, Los Angeles board of education has decided that all students above the age of 12 will have to be vaccinated. All students who wish to attend in-person classes will have to get fully vaccinated if they are aged 12 and above. As of now, school authorities have been regularly testing students and faculty members for Covid. Masks are compulsory indoors and outdoors for all students and employees. In addition to this, all faculty members have been asked to compulsorily get fully vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus. All students who participate in sports and other extracurricular activities will have to get fully vaccinated by the end of October. Other students have been given a deadline of December 19. WATCH | "It is easy to wait for someone to tell us what to do. LA Unified is leading because we must. Our communities cannot wait," Mónica García, a board member, said before the vote. "This action is not about violating anybody’s rights. This action is about doing our job to be able to offer public schools that children can come to school and be safe." The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the whole country as it trains more than 600,000 students. As the country was fighting another surge due to Delta variant, LA Unified raised their voices to keep schools closed and continue with virtual classroom, citing health concerns as a major reason. "It is our moral, ethical, religious, political- pick a word- it’s our responsibility to protect the children under 12 who cannot get protected any other way," Board member Jackie Goldberg said. However, some parents have opposed the move by saying it should be up to the parents to decide whether or not they would like their child to be vaccinated against coronavirus. As of now, vaccines for children under the age of 12 have not been authorised yet.

Los Angeles students instructed to get fully vaccinated to attend schools

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is famous for keeping her calm and a smiling face, even during the toughest situations. However, a silly question about a patient and a visitor having sex in hospital made it difficult for Ardern to not react strongly.

Ardern and the director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield were giving daily Covid briefing recently. A reporter, however, asked whether a patient and a visitor having “sexual relations” in hospital would be considered a "high-risk activity, in the current climate".

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presenting: our new kombucha girl <a href="https://t.co/Q19pzbCH8V">https://t.co/Q19pzbCH8V</a> <a href="https://t.co/zZkgHOkA14">pic.twitter.com/zZkgHOkA14</a>
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This question left the usually cool leader confused and shocked. While Bloomfield said, "I think it is a high-risk activity, potentially, however I don't know any of the details about that interaction," Ardern quickly added that "regardless of the Covid status, that kind of thing shouldn't generally be part of visiting hours, I would have thought."

The question was raised as apparently the Auckland district health board has been accused of allowing hundreds of visitors to see the Covid patients on a daily basis, and some of them might even have gotten involved in sexual relationships.

While the allegation has not been proved right yet, this has come at a time when New Zealand is fighting a huge Covid outbreak due to the Delta variant. Several areas of the country are still under strict lockdown in a bid to control the spread of the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, Spain has helped New Zealand with more than 250,000 extra doses of Pfizer's Covid vaccine, Ardern confirmed. The shipment department from&nbsp;Madrid at 1am (NZT) and will reach New Zealand by the next morning.

Ardern has urged the eligible population to get vaccinated against Covid as soon as possible so that children who are not eligible for vaccine can be saved from community spread. "If everyone who can be vaccinated is vaccinated, you are potentially saving the life of someone who can't be," she said. This request came as she announced that nearly 120 cases are children under the age of nine.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is famous for keeping her calm and a smiling face, even during the toughest situations. However, a silly question about a patient and a visitor having sex in hospital made it difficult for Ardern to not react strongly.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is famous for keeping her calm and a smiling face, even during the toughest situations. However, a silly question about a patient and a visitor having sex in hospital made it difficult for Ardern to not react strongly. Ardern and the director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield were giving daily Covid briefing recently. A reporter, however, asked whether a patient and a visitor having “sexual relations” in hospital would be considered a "high-risk activity, in the current climate". presenting: our new kombucha girl https://t.co/Q19pzbCH8V pic.twitter.com/zZkgHOkA14 — dejan (@heyDejan) September 9, 2021 × This question left the usually cool leader confused and shocked. While Bloomfield said, "I think it is a high-risk activity, potentially, however I don't know any of the details about that interaction," Ardern quickly added that "regardless of the Covid status, that kind of thing shouldn't generally be part of visiting hours, I would have thought." The question was raised as apparently the Auckland district health board has been accused of allowing hundreds of visitors to see the Covid patients on a daily basis, and some of them might even have gotten involved in sexual relationships. While the allegation has not been proved right yet, this has come at a time when New Zealand is fighting a huge Covid outbreak due to the Delta variant. Several areas of the country are still under strict lockdown in a bid to control the spread of the deadly virus. Meanwhile, Spain has helped New Zealand with more than 250,000 extra doses of Pfizer's Covid vaccine, Ardern confirmed. The shipment department from Madrid at 1am (NZT) and will reach New Zealand by the next morning. Ardern has urged the eligible population to get vaccinated against Covid as soon as possible so that children who are not eligible for vaccine can be saved from community spread. "If everyone who can be vaccinated is vaccinated, you are potentially saving the life of someone who can't be," she said. This request came as she announced that nearly 120 cases are children under the age of nine.

New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern warns hospitals to not let Covid patients have sex with visitors

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a terrifying fact in July: Vaccinated people with the delta variant of the COVID virus carried roughly the same viral load in their noses and throats as unvaccinated people.

The news seemed to suggest that even the vaccinated were highly vulnerable to getting infected and passing the virus to others. Sure enough, stories about vaccinated people getting COVID — so-called breakthrough infections — were all around this summer: at a party in Provincetown, Massachusetts; among the Chicago Cubs; on Capitol Hill. Delta seemed as if it might be changing everything.

In recent weeks, however, more data has become available, and it suggests that the true picture is less alarming. Yes, delta has increased the chances of getting COVID for almost everyone. But if you’re vaccinated, a COVID infection is still uncommon, and those high viral loads are not as worrisome as they initially sounded.

How small are the chances of the average vaccinated American contracting COVID? Probably about 1 in 5,000 per day, and even lower for people who take precautions or live in a highly vaccinated community.

Or Maybe 1 in 10,000

The estimates here are based on statistics from three places that have reported detailed data on COVID infections by vaccination status: Utah; Virginia; and King County, which includes Seattle, in Washington state. All three are consistent with the idea that about 1 in 5,000 vaccinated Americans have tested positive for COVID each day in recent weeks.

The chances are surely higher in the places with the worst COVID outbreaks, like the Southeast. And in places with many fewer cases — like the Northeast, as well as the Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas — the chances are lower, probably less than 1 in 10,000. That’s what the Seattle data show, for example. (These numbers don’t include undiagnosed cases, which are often so mild that people do not notice them and do not pass the virus to anyone else.)

Here’s one way to think about a 1-in-10,000 daily chance: It would take more than three months for the combined risk to reach just 1%.

“There’s been a lot of miscommunication about what the risks really are to vaccinated people, and how vaccinated people should be thinking about their lives,” as Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University told my colleague Tara Parker-Pope.

For the unvaccinated, of course, the chances of infection are far higher, as Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, the top public-health official in Seattle, has noted. Those chances have also risen much more since delta began spreading.

Another way to understand the situation is to compare each state’s vaccination rate with its recent daily COVID infection rate. The infection rates in the least vaccinated states are about four times as high as in the most vaccinated states.

If the entire country had received shots at the same rate as the Northeast or California, the current delta wave would be a small fraction of its current size. Delta is a problem. Vaccine hesitancy is a bigger problem.

The Science, in Brief

These numbers help show why the talking point about viral loads was problematic. It was one of those statements that managed to be both true and misleading. Even when the size of the viral loads are similar, the virus behaves differently in the noses and throats of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.

In an unvaccinated person, a viral load is akin to an enemy army facing little resistance. In a vaccinated person, the human immune system launches a powerful response and tends to prevail quickly — often before the host body gets sick or infects others. That the viral loads were initially similar in size can end up being irrelevant.

I will confess to one bit of hesitation about walking you through the data on breakthrough infections: It’s not clear how much we should be worrying about them. For the vaccinated, COVID resembles the flu and usually a mild one. Society does not grind to a halt over the flu.

In Britain, many people have become comfortable with the current COVID risks. The vaccines make serious illness rare in adults, and the risks to young children are so low that Britain may never recommend that most receive the vaccine. Letting the virus continue to dominate life, on the other hand, has large costs.

“There’s a feeling that finally we can breathe; we can start trying to get back what we’ve lost,” Devi Sridhar, the head of the global public health program at the University of Edinburgh, told The Times.

I know that many Americans feel differently. Our level of COVID anxiety is higher, especially in communities that lean to the left politically. And there is no “correct” response to COVID. Different people respond to risk differently.

But at least one part of the American anxiety does seem to have become disconnected from the facts in recent weeks: the effectiveness of the vaccines. In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, nearly half of adults judged their “risk of getting sick from the coronavirus” as either moderate or high — even though 75% of adults have received at least one shot.

In reality, the risks of getting any version of the virus remain small for the vaccinated, and the risks of getting badly sick remain minuscule.

In Seattle on an average recent day, about 1 out of every 1 million vaccinated residents have been admitted to a hospital with COVID symptoms. That risk is so close to zero that the human mind can’t easily process it. My best attempt is to say that the COVID risks for most vaccinated people are of the same order of magnitude as risks that people unthinkingly accept every day, like riding in a vehicle.

The Bottom Line

Delta really has changed the course of the pandemic. It is far more contagious than earlier versions of the virus and calls for precautions that were not necessary a couple of months ago, like wearing masks in some indoor situations.

But even with delta, the overall risks for the vaccinated remain extremely small. As Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, wrote on Friday, “The messaging over the last month in the U.S. has basically served to terrify the vaccinated and make unvaccinated eligible adults doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines.” Neither of those views is warranted.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a terrifying fact in July: Vaccinated people with the delta variant of the COVID virus carried roughly the same viral load in their noses and throats as unvaccinated people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a terrifying fact in July: Vaccinated people with the delta variant of the COVID virus carried roughly the same viral load in their noses and throats as unvaccinated people. The news seemed to suggest that even the vaccinated were highly vulnerable to getting infected and passing the virus to others. Sure enough, stories about vaccinated people getting COVID — so-called breakthrough infections — were all around this summer: at a party in Provincetown, Massachusetts; among the Chicago Cubs; on Capitol Hill. Delta seemed as if it might be changing everything. In recent weeks, however, more data has become available, and it suggests that the true picture is less alarming. Yes, delta has increased the chances of getting COVID for almost everyone. But if you’re vaccinated, a COVID infection is still uncommon, and those high viral loads are not as worrisome as they initially sounded. How small are the chances of the average vaccinated American contracting COVID? Probably about 1 in 5,000 per day, and even lower for people who take precautions or live in a highly vaccinated community. Or Maybe 1 in 10,000 The estimates here are based on statistics from three places that have reported detailed data on COVID infections by vaccination status: Utah; Virginia; and King County, which includes Seattle, in Washington state. All three are consistent with the idea that about 1 in 5,000 vaccinated Americans have tested positive for COVID each day in recent weeks. The chances are surely higher in the places with the worst COVID outbreaks, like the Southeast. And in places with many fewer cases — like the Northeast, as well as the Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas — the chances are lower, probably less than 1 in 10,000. That’s what the Seattle data show, for example. (These numbers don’t include undiagnosed cases, which are often so mild that people do not notice them and do not pass the virus to anyone else.) Here’s one way to think about a 1-in-10,000 daily chance: It would take more than three months for the combined risk to reach just 1%. “There’s been a lot of miscommunication about what the risks really are to vaccinated people, and how vaccinated people should be thinking about their lives,” as Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University told my colleague Tara Parker-Pope. For the unvaccinated, of course, the chances of infection are far higher, as Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, the top public-health official in Seattle, has noted. Those chances have also risen much more since delta began spreading. Another way to understand the situation is to compare each state’s vaccination rate with its recent daily COVID infection rate. The infection rates in the least vaccinated states are about four times as high as in the most vaccinated states. If the entire country had received shots at the same rate as the Northeast or California, the current delta wave would be a small fraction of its current size. Delta is a problem. Vaccine hesitancy is a bigger problem. The Science, in Brief These numbers help show why the talking point about viral loads was problematic. It was one of those statements that managed to be both true and misleading. Even when the size of the viral loads are similar, the virus behaves differently in the noses and throats of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. In an unvaccinated person, a viral load is akin to an enemy army facing little resistance. In a vaccinated person, the human immune system launches a powerful response and tends to prevail quickly — often before the host body gets sick or infects others. That the viral loads were initially similar in size can end up being irrelevant. I will confess to one bit of hesitation about walking you through the data on breakthrough infections: It’s not clear how much we should be worrying about them. For the vaccinated, COVID resembles the flu and usually a mild one. Society does not grind to a halt over the flu. In Britain, many people have become comfortable with the current COVID risks. The vaccines make serious illness rare in adults, and the risks to young children are so low that Britain may never recommend that most receive the vaccine. Letting the virus continue to dominate life, on the other hand, has large costs. “There’s a feeling that finally we can breathe; we can start trying to get back what we’ve lost,” Devi Sridhar, the head of the global public health program at the University of Edinburgh, told The Times. I know that many Americans feel differently. Our level of COVID anxiety is higher, especially in communities that lean to the left politically. And there is no “correct” response to COVID. Different people respond to risk differently. But at least one part of the American anxiety does seem to have become disconnected from the facts in recent weeks: the effectiveness of the vaccines. In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, nearly half of adults judged their “risk of getting sick from the coronavirus” as either moderate or high — even though 75% of adults have received at least one shot. In reality, the risks of getting any version of the virus remain small for the vaccinated, and the risks of getting badly sick remain minuscule. In Seattle on an average recent day, about 1 out of every 1 million vaccinated residents have been admitted to a hospital with COVID symptoms. That risk is so close to zero that the human mind can’t easily process it. My best attempt is to say that the COVID risks for most vaccinated people are of the same order of magnitude as risks that people unthinkingly accept every day, like riding in a vehicle. The Bottom Line Delta really has changed the course of the pandemic. It is far more contagious than earlier versions of the virus and calls for precautions that were not necessary a couple of months ago, like wearing masks in some indoor situations. But even with delta, the overall risks for the vaccinated remain extremely small. As Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, wrote on Friday, “The messaging over the last month in the U.S. has basically served to terrify the vaccinated and make unvaccinated eligible adults doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines.” Neither of those views is warranted.

One in 5,000: The real chances of a breakthrough infection

In air heavy with monsoonal pressure and discontent, the riot police in Bangkok unleashed rubber bullets and tear gas. Tanat Thanakitamnuay, the scion of a real estate family, stood on a truck, where he had been excoriating Thailand’s leaders for their bungled response to the pandemic.

Then a hard object, perhaps a tear gas canister, struck his right eye, tearing his retina. Tanat, who once supported the 2014 coup that brought Prayuth Chan-ocha, now the prime minister, to power, said the injury August&nbsp;13 cost him his vision in the eye.

“I might be blinded, but now I’m stronger than ever; I see things clearer than ever,” he said. “People knew a long time ago how incompetent this government is. COVID is just more evidence and proof.”

Thailand, which not long ago was seen as a virus-containing wonder, has become yet another example of how authoritarian hubris and a lack of government accountability have fueled the pandemic. This year, more than 12,000 people in Thailand have died of COVID-19, compared to fewer than 100 last year. The economy has been ravaged, with tourism all but nonexistent and manufacturing slowed.

Anger is spreading, and not only in the streets. Opposition lawmakers in parliament tried to pass a vote of no confidence in Prayuth, accusing his government of squandering the monthslong head start Thailand had to fight the coronavirus. That effort failed Saturday, even though some members of the prime minister’s coalition had briefly fanned speculation that they might support his ouster.

This summer’s vaccine rollout, already late, was further hampered by manufacturing delays. A company with no experience making vaccines, whose dominant shareholder is Thailand’s king, was given the contract to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically. The government’s failure to secure adequate imported supplies has made matters worse. Only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, and social inequalities have let the young rich leapfrog ahead of older, poorer people.

Anti-government protests, which now occur daily, are growing more desperate, and security crackdowns more aggressive. In August, at least 10 demonstrations were broken up with force. At one, a 15-year-old boy was shot and is now in intensive care. The police have denied firing live ammunition.

“Earlier, people said they were not coming out to protest because of COVID, but now the thinking has changed to, ‘You stay at home, and you will die anyway because of the government’s inability to take care of people,’” said Tosaporn Sererak, a doctor who was once a spokesperson for the government unseated by the 2014 coup.

More than a dozen civil society groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, issued a letter Wednesday urging authorities to show restraint.

“We are troubled by the disproportionate response of riot police to provocations by protesters,” read the letter, addressed to Prayuth. “We are also concerned by the arbitrary detention of protest leaders who have recently faced new criminal charges and have been denied bail.”

Prayuth, who led the coup seven years ago as army chief, has concentrated power in his own hands, arguing that enhanced executive powers are needed to fight the pandemic.

He has tried to quash public dissent by instituting a state of emergency and criminalizing certain criticism. Hundreds have been arrested in recent months for sedition, for so-called computer crimes and for criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, which is against the law.

A prominent politician was charged with insulting the monarch after he asked why Siam Bioscience, the king’s company, was given the contract to churn out vaccines for Southeast Asia when it had not manufactured them before.

At least a dozen leaders of protests that began last year, calling for Prayuth’s resignation and for reforms to the monarchy, are now locked up, awaiting trial. Some have contracted COVID-19 in prison. On Tuesday, a United Nations official expressed concern that jailed protesters were not receiving adequate medical care.

Sureerat Chiwarak, the mother of Parit Chiwarak, a protest leader, said her son had become infected in an overcrowded Bangkok prison. Parit told his mother that there were far more COVID cases in prison than the official numbers indicated.

“Some people say, ‘Why don’t you surrender? They have your child in their hands. They put him in prison,’” Sureerat said. “No. The kids are fighting for equality. Why do I have to surrender?”

With some of Bangkok’s COVID lockdown measures having been lifted September&nbsp;1, the protest movement is gathering momentum, even if the crowds have not matched the tens of thousands who turned out for rallies last year.

“When the government is authoritarian, they think they can censor the media, they think they can stop the people from protesting,” said Rangsiman Rome, an opposition lawmaker. “But people are still coming out to protest every day, demanding change.”

During last year’s protests, which were peaceful, the riot police largely showed restraint, despite their long history of shooting demonstrators.

Their response this summer has been harsher, with protests often quashed before they can coalesce. The police now regularly deploy rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons laced with burning chemicals. Protesters respond with their own arsenals, including flamethrowers and slingshots.

Opposition figures say the urge to confront the police during a pandemic is a sign of widespread desperation.

“People who supported the government have also gotten infected, and this makes them rethink and question why they have to suffer like this,” Rangsiman said.

On Aug. 29, two anti-government protests coalesced in Bangkok. The first was a gathering of hundreds of cars and motorcycles. After a period of intense honking, they dispersed.

The second rally, smaller and angrier, formed in a business district. Motorcyclists used paper to cover their license plates and helmets to obscure their faces. Other protesters hid behind balaclavas. No one wanted to speak openly about why they were there.

The tear gas began flowing before dusk, and the police fired streams of purple water, presumably to mark the demonstrators. Low booms reverberated, and smoke filled the air as protesters flung projectiles. As night descended, small fires burned. On Saturday, the riot police set up shipping containers to impede one rally, while a smaller protest erupted into violence.

Tanat, the protester who was partially blinded last month, is a beneficiary of the privilege that has split Thailand into a tiny group of haves and tens of millions of have-nots, a divide that has fed political unrest for years. He said some of his rich friends had also begun attending rallies, hopping on their chauffeurs’ motorcycles to get there rather than being driven in their usual Rolls-Royces or Maybachs.

But most protesters are from the struggling class that has been further impoverished by the pandemic. Nipapon Somnoi said her son, Warit Somnoi, 15, had offered to quit school to help the family, but she would not allow it.

The boy ended up at a protest in mid-August. Video footage, which she cannot bear to watch, shows the moment when a bullet hit his neck and, as a CT scan confirmed, lodged at his spine. The police reiterated that the security forces did not use live ammunition. Nipapon said she did not know what to believe.

Her son has been in a coma for more than two weeks. She worries that because her family is neither rich nor famous, his fate will be forgotten.

“Sometimes I think, one tear gas canister could buy six to eight doses of a good-quality vaccine,” Nipapon said. “The state keeps saying that we are a democracy, but they only listen to their own voice.”

Late last month, she sat at the hospital, caressing her son’s face, asking if he could hear her.

“There were moments when I called his name and saw his eyelids move,” she said. “There were tears seeping out. But I don’t know.”

In air heavy with monsoonal pressure and discontent, the riot police in Bangkok unleashed rubber bullets and tear gas. Tanat Thanakitamnuay, the scion of a real estate family, stood on a truck, where he had been excoriating Thailand’s leaders for their bungled response to the pandemic.

In air heavy with monsoonal pressure and discontent, the riot police in Bangkok unleashed rubber bullets and tear gas. Tanat Thanakitamnuay, the scion of a real estate family, stood on a truck, where he had been excoriating Thailand’s leaders for their bungled response to the pandemic. Then a hard object, perhaps a tear gas canister, struck his right eye, tearing his retina. Tanat, who once supported the 2014 coup that brought Prayuth Chan-ocha, now the prime minister, to power, said the injury August 13 cost him his vision in the eye. “I might be blinded, but now I’m stronger than ever; I see things clearer than ever,” he said. “People knew a long time ago how incompetent this government is. COVID is just more evidence and proof.” Thailand, which not long ago was seen as a virus-containing wonder, has become yet another example of how authoritarian hubris and a lack of government accountability have fueled the pandemic. This year, more than 12,000 people in Thailand have died of COVID-19, compared to fewer than 100 last year. The economy has been ravaged, with tourism all but nonexistent and manufacturing slowed. Anger is spreading, and not only in the streets. Opposition lawmakers in parliament tried to pass a vote of no confidence in Prayuth, accusing his government of squandering the monthslong head start Thailand had to fight the coronavirus. That effort failed Saturday, even though some members of the prime minister’s coalition had briefly fanned speculation that they might support his ouster. This summer’s vaccine rollout, already late, was further hampered by manufacturing delays. A company with no experience making vaccines, whose dominant shareholder is Thailand’s king, was given the contract to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically. The government’s failure to secure adequate imported supplies has made matters worse. Only about 15% of the population is fully vaccinated, and social inequalities have let the young rich leapfrog ahead of older, poorer people. Anti-government protests, which now occur daily, are growing more desperate, and security crackdowns more aggressive. In August, at least 10 demonstrations were broken up with force. At one, a 15-year-old boy was shot and is now in intensive care. The police have denied firing live ammunition. “Earlier, people said they were not coming out to protest because of COVID, but now the thinking has changed to, ‘You stay at home, and you will die anyway because of the government’s inability to take care of people,’” said Tosaporn Sererak, a doctor who was once a spokesperson for the government unseated by the 2014 coup. More than a dozen civil society groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, issued a letter Wednesday urging authorities to show restraint. “We are troubled by the disproportionate response of riot police to provocations by protesters,” read the letter, addressed to Prayuth. “We are also concerned by the arbitrary detention of protest leaders who have recently faced new criminal charges and have been denied bail.” Prayuth, who led the coup seven years ago as army chief, has concentrated power in his own hands, arguing that enhanced executive powers are needed to fight the pandemic. He has tried to quash public dissent by instituting a state of emergency and criminalizing certain criticism. Hundreds have been arrested in recent months for sedition, for so-called computer crimes and for criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, which is against the law. A prominent politician was charged with insulting the monarch after he asked why Siam Bioscience, the king’s company, was given the contract to churn out vaccines for Southeast Asia when it had not manufactured them before. At least a dozen leaders of protests that began last year, calling for Prayuth’s resignation and for reforms to the monarchy, are now locked up, awaiting trial. Some have contracted COVID-19 in prison. On Tuesday, a United Nations official expressed concern that jailed protesters were not receiving adequate medical care. Sureerat Chiwarak, the mother of Parit Chiwarak, a protest leader, said her son had become infected in an overcrowded Bangkok prison. Parit told his mother that there were far more COVID cases in prison than the official numbers indicated. “Some people say, ‘Why don’t you surrender? They have your child in their hands. They put him in prison,’” Sureerat said. “No. The kids are fighting for equality. Why do I have to surrender?” With some of Bangkok’s COVID lockdown measures having been lifted September 1, the protest movement is gathering momentum, even if the crowds have not matched the tens of thousands who turned out for rallies last year. “When the government is authoritarian, they think they can censor the media, they think they can stop the people from protesting,” said Rangsiman Rome, an opposition lawmaker. “But people are still coming out to protest every day, demanding change.” During last year’s protests, which were peaceful, the riot police largely showed restraint, despite their long history of shooting demonstrators. Their response this summer has been harsher, with protests often quashed before they can coalesce. The police now regularly deploy rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons laced with burning chemicals. Protesters respond with their own arsenals, including flamethrowers and slingshots. Opposition figures say the urge to confront the police during a pandemic is a sign of widespread desperation. “People who supported the government have also gotten infected, and this makes them rethink and question why they have to suffer like this,” Rangsiman said. On Aug. 29, two anti-government protests coalesced in Bangkok. The first was a gathering of hundreds of cars and motorcycles. After a period of intense honking, they dispersed. The second rally, smaller and angrier, formed in a business district. Motorcyclists used paper to cover their license plates and helmets to obscure their faces. Other protesters hid behind balaclavas. No one wanted to speak openly about why they were there. The tear gas began flowing before dusk, and the police fired streams of purple water, presumably to mark the demonstrators. Low booms reverberated, and smoke filled the air as protesters flung projectiles. As night descended, small fires burned. On Saturday, the riot police set up shipping containers to impede one rally, while a smaller protest erupted into violence. Tanat, the protester who was partially blinded last month, is a beneficiary of the privilege that has split Thailand into a tiny group of haves and tens of millions of have-nots, a divide that has fed political unrest for years. He said some of his rich friends had also begun attending rallies, hopping on their chauffeurs’ motorcycles to get there rather than being driven in their usual Rolls-Royces or Maybachs. But most protesters are from the struggling class that has been further impoverished by the pandemic. Nipapon Somnoi said her son, Warit Somnoi, 15, had offered to quit school to help the family, but she would not allow it. The boy ended up at a protest in mid-August. Video footage, which she cannot bear to watch, shows the moment when a bullet hit his neck and, as a CT scan confirmed, lodged at his spine. The police reiterated that the security forces did not use live ammunition. Nipapon said she did not know what to believe. Her son has been in a coma for more than two weeks. She worries that because her family is neither rich nor famous, his fate will be forgotten. “Sometimes I think, one tear gas canister could buy six to eight doses of a good-quality vaccine,” Nipapon said. “The state keeps saying that we are a democracy, but they only listen to their own voice.” Late last month, she sat at the hospital, caressing her son’s face, asking if he could hear her. “There were moments when I called his name and saw his eyelids move,” she said. “There were tears seeping out. But I don’t know.”

Thai protesters are back, and angrier, as government fumbles on COVID

India has pitched for an early outcome of the TRIPS waiver proposal for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an official release said on Saturday.

Addressing a meeting, which was attended by trade and economic ministers of BRICS countries on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also stressed on finding a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the public stockholding programmes for food security purposes.

He also asked for adoption of emerging new technologies in a swiftly changing world while finding solutions to the challenges of data protection and cyber security; and ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The minister "emphasized, amongst other things, on the need for a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the Public Stock Holding programmes for food security purposes; early outcome of the TRIPS Waiver proposal for vaccines," the release said.

In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the

TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of COVID-19.

In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-trips-waiver-proposal-at-wto-gets-a-boost-secures-support-of-57-nations-366238">India's TRIPS waiver proposal at WTO gets a boost, secures support of 57 nations</a>

The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets.

Further the minister has said that the BRICS countries should work together for strengthening the multilateral system, stating that there is a need for a balanced and inclusive outcome in the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference.

The BRICS countries have endorsed the Framework for Cooperation in Trade in Professional Services with the objectives of enhancing domestic capacity and global competitiveness, promoting participation in intra-BRICS mobility of professionals and enhancing trade in professional services.

All BRICS members could for the first time reach a consensus for jointly working towards protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge, it added.

"In this era of exponential jump in the use of e-commerce and online electronic transactions, the convergence to draw a common Action plan amongst BRICS countries will help to promote exploring practical options for ensuring consumer protection," it said.&nbsp;

India has pitched for an early outcome of the TRIPS waiver proposal for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an official release said on Saturday.

India has pitched for an early outcome of the TRIPS waiver proposal for COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an official release said on Saturday. Addressing a meeting, which was attended by trade and economic ministers of BRICS countries on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also stressed on finding a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the public stockholding programmes for food security purposes. He also asked for adoption of emerging new technologies in a swiftly changing world while finding solutions to the challenges of data protection and cyber security; and ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The minister "emphasized, amongst other things, on the need for a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the Public Stock Holding programmes for food security purposes; early outcome of the TRIPS Waiver proposal for vaccines," the release said. In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of COVID-19. In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. Also read | India's TRIPS waiver proposal at WTO gets a boost, secures support of 57 nations The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets. Further the minister has said that the BRICS countries should work together for strengthening the multilateral system, stating that there is a need for a balanced and inclusive outcome in the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference. The BRICS countries have endorsed the Framework for Cooperation in Trade in Professional Services with the objectives of enhancing domestic capacity and global competitiveness, promoting participation in intra-BRICS mobility of professionals and enhancing trade in professional services. All BRICS members could for the first time reach a consensus for jointly working towards protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge, it added. "In this era of exponential jump in the use of e-commerce and online electronic transactions, the convergence to draw a common Action plan amongst BRICS countries will help to promote exploring practical options for ensuring consumer protection," it said.

India for early outcome of TRIPS waiver for COVID vax, diagnotics

In a bid to fight the growing number of coronavirus cases, Italy’s Prime Minister has announced possibility of making Covid vaccines compulsory for all locals.<o:p></o:p>

Mario Draghi announced that all eligible citizens will have to compulsorily get vaccinated against coronaviurus. The government has decided to make vaccines compulsory to ensure another surge does not take place in the country.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/who-warns-against-a-new-covid-variant-that-may-be-resistant-to-vaccines-409929">WHO warns against a new Covid variant that may be resistant to vaccines</a></o:p>

The decision will be implemented as soon as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gives a conditional approval to four <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccines</a>.<o:p></o:p>

Draghi’s announcement, however, is expected to bring in more attacks on virologists, government scientists and ministers. <o:p></o:p>

Italy has been dealing with a huge problem of violent anti-vaxxers who have now started attacking pro-vaccine activists, virologists, government ministers and doctors. Anti-vaxxers have been sending death threats to all experts who have lent their support to vaccines. Protestors have been taking to streets to raise their voice against government-approved <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> green pass.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-can-long-covid-be-linked-to-dementia-410574">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-can-long-covid-be-linked-to-dementia-410574/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This digital certificate acknowledges whether or not the Italian citizen has been vaccinated. It will also be able to validate whether the unvaccinated people have tested negative for Covid in the last 48 hours. The Green Pass will be compulsory for any long-distance travel and all school-related employees.<o:p></o:p>

Draghi wants to ensure that at least 80 per cent Italians should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus by the end of September. However, the government has not been able to stop the anti-vaxxers from attacking the ministers and experts. <o:p></o:p>

The Prime Minister, however, expressed “full solidarity to all those who have been subjected to the hateful and cowardly violence on the part of anti-vaxxers.”<o:p></o:p>

In a bid to fight the growing number of coronavirus cases, Italy’s Prime Minister has announced possibility of making Covid vaccines compulsory for all locals. Mario Draghi announced that all eligible citizens will have to compulsorily get vaccinated against coronaviurus.

In a bid to fight the growing number of coronavirus cases, Italy’s Prime Minister has announced possibility of making Covid vaccines compulsory for all locals. Mario Draghi announced that all eligible citizens will have to compulsorily get vaccinated against coronaviurus. The government has decided to make vaccines compulsory to ensure another surge does not take place in the country. Also read | WHO warns against a new Covid variant that may be resistant to vaccines The decision will be implemented as soon as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gives a conditional approval to four vaccines. Draghi’s announcement, however, is expected to bring in more attacks on virologists, government scientists and ministers. Italy has been dealing with a huge problem of violent anti-vaxxers who have now started attacking pro-vaccine activists, virologists, government ministers and doctors. Anti-vaxxers have been sending death threats to all experts who have lent their support to vaccines. Protestors have been taking to streets to raise their voice against government-approved COVID-19 green pass. WATCH | This digital certificate acknowledges whether or not the Italian citizen has been vaccinated. It will also be able to validate whether the unvaccinated people have tested negative for Covid in the last 48 hours. The Green Pass will be compulsory for any long-distance travel and all school-related employees. Draghi wants to ensure that at least 80 per cent Italians should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus by the end of September. However, the government has not been able to stop the anti-vaxxers from attacking the ministers and experts. The Prime Minister, however, expressed “full solidarity to all those who have been subjected to the hateful and cowardly violence on the part of anti-vaxxers.”

Italy mulls over making Covid vaccines compulsory

The European Union and UK-based drugs giant AstraZeneca announced Friday that they had reached a settlement in a dispute over a shortfall in coronavirus vaccine deliveries.

The agreement will see the firm deliver the rest of the 300 million doses it promised under contracts with the EU before the end of March 2022, and brings to an end a battle in the Belgian courts.

Brussels was furious when the British-Swedish pharmaceutical outfit fell far short of its delivery promises, undermining the early stages of the EU COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Officials accused AstraZeneca of prioritising UK vaccine deliveries over the EU order, and European Commission lawyers went to court to demand deliveries or see huge daily fines imposed for any ongoing shortfall. &nbsp;

But the firm argued that its contract with the bloc only obliged it to make "best efforts" to meet its delivery target, and that production bottlenecks in its European plants had been unavoidable.

In June, in an interim ruling pending the final settlement of the case, the Brussels court imposed a new delivery schedule on AstraZeneca that it was able to honour.

And now the parties have agreed dates that extend the deadline well into next year.

Ruud Dobber, executive vice president for biopharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca, said: "I'm very pleased that we have been able to reach a common understanding which allows us to move forward and work in collaboration with the European Commission to help overcome the pandemic."&nbsp;

AstraZeneca manufactures vaccines designed at Britain's Oxford University and sells them on a non-profit basis -- its version is cheaper and easier to store than many competitors.&nbsp;

But the European Union has become frustrated by the slow pace of supply and has made another vaccine produced by US giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech the workhorse of its buying programme.

A European Commission statement said that AstraZeneca had delivered 100 million doses in the first half of 2021, would send 135 million more by the end of the year and another 65 million doses by March 2022.

"This will bring the total number of doses delivered to 300 million doses as agreed under the contract," it said.

The European Union and UK-based drugs giant AstraZeneca announced Friday that they had reached a settlement in a dispute over a shortfall in coronavirus vaccine deliveries.

The European Union and UK-based drugs giant AstraZeneca announced Friday that they had reached a settlement in a dispute over a shortfall in coronavirus vaccine deliveries. The agreement will see the firm deliver the rest of the 300 million doses it promised under contracts with the EU before the end of March 2022, and brings to an end a battle in the Belgian courts. Brussels was furious when the British-Swedish pharmaceutical outfit fell far short of its delivery promises, undermining the early stages of the EU COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Officials accused AstraZeneca of prioritising UK vaccine deliveries over the EU order, and European Commission lawyers went to court to demand deliveries or see huge daily fines imposed for any ongoing shortfall. But the firm argued that its contract with the bloc only obliged it to make "best efforts" to meet its delivery target, and that production bottlenecks in its European plants had been unavoidable. In June, in an interim ruling pending the final settlement of the case, the Brussels court imposed a new delivery schedule on AstraZeneca that it was able to honour. And now the parties have agreed dates that extend the deadline well into next year. Ruud Dobber, executive vice president for biopharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca, said: "I'm very pleased that we have been able to reach a common understanding which allows us to move forward and work in collaboration with the European Commission to help overcome the pandemic." AstraZeneca manufactures vaccines designed at Britain's Oxford University and sells them on a non-profit basis -- its version is cheaper and easier to store than many competitors. But the European Union has become frustrated by the slow pace of supply and has made another vaccine produced by US giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech the workhorse of its buying programme. A European Commission statement said that AstraZeneca had delivered 100 million doses in the first half of 2021, would send 135 million more by the end of the year and another 65 million doses by March 2022. "This will bring the total number of doses delivered to 300 million doses as agreed under the contract," it said.

EU and AstraZeneca settle vaccine supply dispute out of court

As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries against administering Covid booster shots, the UK has decided to offer the third shot only to people with severely weakened immune systems.<o:p></o:p>

The NHS has decided that the third shot of Covid vaccine will be offered only to people who have compromise or suppressed immune systems. This will have to be suggested and certified by their clinicians.<o:p></o:p>

Health officials have also clarified that the third shot is not a booster shot.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/coronavirus-vaccines-are-helping-prevent-long-covid-study-410188" hreflang="en">Coronavirus vaccines are helping prevent long Covid: Study</a>

<o:p></o:p>

"This is not the start of the booster programme,"&nbsp;UK’s Health Minister Sajid Javid said. "We are continuing to plan for this to begin in September to ensure the protection people have built from vaccines is maintained over time and ahead of the winter. We will prioritise those most at risk to COVID-19, including those who are eligible for a third primary vaccine, for boosters based on the final advice of the JCVI."<o:p></o:p>

The decision was taken as studies showed that there are still nearly 40 per cent people who have chances of contracting the virus even after getting both shots of coronavirus vaccine. 
<o:p></o:p>

As per the directive, people with HIV, blood cancer and severely weak immune system are the ones who are eligible for the third shot. People who are consuming medicines that weaken the immune system will also be administered the third shot.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-eases-covid-19-curbs-in-most-parts-auckland-remains-under-a-lockdown-410156">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-eases-covid-19-curbs-in-most-parts-auckland-remains-under-a-lockdown-410156/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We want people with severely suppressed immune systems to have the best chance of gaining protection from COVID-19 via vaccination,"&nbsp;Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI’s COVID-19 immunisation group said. "Therefore, we are advising they have a third vaccine dose on top of their initial two doses, as we hope this will reduce their risk of severe outcomes such as hospitalisation and death."<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, WHO has urged western countries to not start booster campaigns as people all around the world, especially the third world countries, are struggling to vaccinate the vulnerable people currently.<o:p></o:p>

As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries against administering Covid booster shots, the UK has decided to offer the third shot only to people with severely weakened immune systems.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries against administering Covid booster shots, the UK has decided to offer the third shot only to people with severely weakened immune systems. The NHS has decided that the third shot of Covid vaccine will be offered only to people who have compromise or suppressed immune systems. This will have to be suggested and certified by their clinicians. Health officials have also clarified that the third shot is not a booster shot. Also read | Coronavirus vaccines are helping prevent long Covid: Study "This is not the start of the booster programme," UK’s Health Minister Sajid Javid said. "We are continuing to plan for this to begin in September to ensure the protection people have built from vaccines is maintained over time and ahead of the winter. We will prioritise those most at risk to COVID-19, including those who are eligible for a third primary vaccine, for boosters based on the final advice of the JCVI." The decision was taken as studies showed that there are still nearly 40 per cent people who have chances of contracting the virus even after getting both shots of coronavirus vaccine. As per the directive, people with HIV, blood cancer and severely weak immune system are the ones who are eligible for the third shot. People who are consuming medicines that weaken the immune system will also be administered the third shot. WATCH | "We want people with severely suppressed immune systems to have the best chance of gaining protection from COVID-19 via vaccination," Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI’s COVID-19 immunisation group said. "Therefore, we are advising they have a third vaccine dose on top of their initial two doses, as we hope this will reduce their risk of severe outcomes such as hospitalisation and death." Meanwhile, WHO has urged western countries to not start booster campaigns as people all around the world, especially the third world countries, are struggling to vaccinate the vulnerable people currently.

UK to offer third vaccine shot only to people with severely weak immune system

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on people all around the world. Some people are ready to go to lengths to be able to vacation once again, and a woman from Illinois took it to a whole another level.

A 24-year-old woman decided to submit a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to be able to vacation in Hawaii. However, a spelling error landed her in court.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/what-is-the-west-nile-virus-the-infection-russia-has-warned-may-spread-409520" hreflang="en">What is the West Nile virus, the infection Russia has warned may spread?</a>

Hawaii has imposed a 10-day quarantine rule for all incoming travellers to ensure the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> pandemic’s spread stays under control. To bypass the same and be able to spend more time outdoors, the Illinois woman uploaded a fake vaccination card to the state’s Safe Travels programme.

However, when she arrived in Honolulu, the officers suspected some mischief. The first thing they noticed was that the spelling mistake in the vaccine name. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">'Moderna'&nbsp;vaccine</a> was misspelled as 'Maderna'.

"Airport screeners found suspicious errors ... such as Moderna was spelled wrong and that her home was in Illinois but her shot was taken at Delaware," Wilson Lau, a special agent with the Hawaii attorney general's investigation division, wrote in an email to a Delaware official.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/autovacc-thai-experts-develop-robotic-arm-to-save-every-drop-of-covid-vaccine-408259" hreflang="en">'AutoVacc': Thai experts develop robotic arm to save every drop of Covid vaccine</a>

Upon further investigation, Delaware officials confirmed that there were no government vaccination records for the woman by her name of her birth details.

In addition to this, she had also claimed on paper that she was staying at the Waikiki Holiday Inn but had failed to produce reservation number. The authorities at the inn confirmed that there was no reservation under her name.

She was then charged with misdemeanor counts for violating Hawaii’s emergency rules amid pandemic. She was kept in custody for some time and later released on a $2,000 bail. Her next court hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on people all around the world. Some people are ready to go to lengths to be able to vacation once again, and a woman from Illinois took it to a whole another level.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on people all around the world. Some people are ready to go to lengths to be able to vacation once again, and a woman from Illinois took it to a whole another level. A 24-year-old woman decided to submit a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to be able to vacation in Hawaii. However, a spelling error landed her in court. Also read | What is the West Nile virus, the infection Russia has warned may spread? Hawaii has imposed a 10-day quarantine rule for all incoming travellers to ensure the coronavirus pandemic’s spread stays under control. To bypass the same and be able to spend more time outdoors, the Illinois woman uploaded a fake vaccination card to the state’s Safe Travels programme. However, when she arrived in Honolulu, the officers suspected some mischief. The first thing they noticed was that the spelling mistake in the vaccine name. 'Moderna' vaccine was misspelled as 'Maderna'. "Airport screeners found suspicious errors ... such as Moderna was spelled wrong and that her home was in Illinois but her shot was taken at Delaware," Wilson Lau, a special agent with the Hawaii attorney general's investigation division, wrote in an email to a Delaware official. Also read | 'AutoVacc': Thai experts develop robotic arm to save every drop of Covid vaccine Upon further investigation, Delaware officials confirmed that there were no government vaccination records for the woman by her name of her birth details. In addition to this, she had also claimed on paper that she was staying at the Waikiki Holiday Inn but had failed to produce reservation number. The authorities at the inn confirmed that there was no reservation under her name. She was then charged with misdemeanor counts for violating Hawaii’s emergency rules amid pandemic. She was kept in custody for some time and later released on a $2,000 bail. Her next court hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.

'Maderna'? American woman caught after she uploads fake vaccine certificate with spelling error

Japan has put on hold a batch of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine after a pharmacist saw what he claims to be black particles in one vial of the vaccine.

According to officials, the pharmacist found the black particles while checking for foreign substances before the vaccine’s use in Kanagawa Prefecture.

It comes less than a week after Japan suspended the use of about 1.63 million Moderna doses due to contamination.

More than 3,000 people had already received shots from the batch. The rest of the batch has now been put on hold.

Local media reports say there has been no evidence so far of any health hazards caused by the potentially contaminated vaccine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-pauses-use-of-moderna-vaccine-batch-over-allergic-reactions-357470">California pauses use of Moderna vaccine batch over allergic reactions</a>

Takeda Pharmaceutical, which sells and distributes the vaccine in Japan, had just last week put three batches of the vaccine on hold after "foreign materials" were found in some doses of a batch of roughly 560,000 vials.

Spanish pharmaceutical firm Rovi, which bottles the vaccine, said in a statement that a manufacturing line in Spain could be the cause of the issue.

It added that it was conducting an investigation.

Japan is battling a surge in Covid cases while it hosts the Paralympic Games.

Local media reports say that Japan’s vaccination roll-out has been relatively slow, with just over 40% of Japanese people fully vaccinated and around 50% having received one dose.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japan has put on hold a batch of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine after a pharmacist saw what he claims to be black particles in one vial of the vaccine. According to officials, the pharmacist found the black particles while checking for foreign substances before the vaccine’s use in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Japan has put on hold a batch of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine after a pharmacist saw what he claims to be black particles in one vial of the vaccine. According to officials, the pharmacist found the black particles while checking for foreign substances before the vaccine’s use in Kanagawa Prefecture. It comes less than a week after Japan suspended the use of about 1.63 million Moderna doses due to contamination. More than 3,000 people had already received shots from the batch. The rest of the batch has now been put on hold. Local media reports say there has been no evidence so far of any health hazards caused by the potentially contaminated vaccine. Also read | California pauses use of Moderna vaccine batch over allergic reactions Takeda Pharmaceutical, which sells and distributes the vaccine in Japan, had just last week put three batches of the vaccine on hold after "foreign materials" were found in some doses of a batch of roughly 560,000 vials. Spanish pharmaceutical firm Rovi, which bottles the vaccine, said in a statement that a manufacturing line in Spain could be the cause of the issue. It added that it was conducting an investigation. Japan is battling a surge in Covid cases while it hosts the Paralympic Games. Local media reports say that Japan’s vaccination roll-out has been relatively slow, with just over 40% of Japanese people fully vaccinated and around 50% having received one dose. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan finds "black substance" in Moderna vaccine, put holds on shots

In what is being described as an unprecedented ruling, a county judge in US’ Illinois state has prohibited a mother from visiting her 11-year-old son, who lives with her estranged husband, because she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Cook County judge James Shapiro said Rebecca Firlit, 39, could not see the boy again until she had taken the jab.

“I’ve had adverse reactions to vaccines in the past and was advised not to get vaccinated by my doctor. It poses a risk,” Firlit told ta local media about the virtual court hearing, which took place earlier this month.

“I was confused because it was just supposed to be about expenses and child support. One of the first things he asked me when I got on the Zoom call was whether or not I was vaccinated, which threw me off because I asked him what it had to do with the hearing.”

“He said: I am the judge, and I make the decisions for your case.”

Firlit’s lawyer Annette Fernholz said she and her ex-husband have been divorced for seven years and that her former husband did not seek a ruling on the vaccination issue.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-throwing-porn-collection-judge-orders-couple-to-pay-30441-to-son-in-us-408965">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-throwing-porn-collection-judge-orders-couple-to-pay-30441-to-son-in-us-408965">For throwing porn collection, judge orders couple to pay $30,441 to son in US</a>

“The trial court clearly exceeded its authority in suspending the mother’s parenting time when the issue before the court was child support,” Fernholz said in a statement.

“The mother did not know her parenting time was being discussed when she went to Zoom court. The judge deprived her of notice and a full hearing on the issue,” he added

The father’s attorney, Jeffery M&nbsp;Leving, said he supported the judge’s decision. “There are children who have died because of COVID,” he told The Washington Post

Meanwhile, Filirt’s lawyer said they have filed a legal challenge to the state appellate court.

(With inputs from agencies)

In what is being described as an unprecedented ruling, a county judge in US’ Illinois state has prohibited a mother from visiting her 11-year-old son, who lives with her estranged husband, because she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

In what is being described as an unprecedented ruling, a county judge in US’ Illinois state has prohibited a mother from visiting her 11-year-old son, who lives with her estranged husband, because she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Cook County judge James Shapiro said Rebecca Firlit, 39, could not see the boy again until she had taken the jab. “I’ve had adverse reactions to vaccines in the past and was advised not to get vaccinated by my doctor. It poses a risk,” Firlit told ta local media about the virtual court hearing, which took place earlier this month. “I was confused because it was just supposed to be about expenses and child support. One of the first things he asked me when I got on the Zoom call was whether or not I was vaccinated, which threw me off because I asked him what it had to do with the hearing.” “He said: I am the judge, and I make the decisions for your case.” Firlit’s lawyer Annette Fernholz said she and her ex-husband have been divorced for seven years and that her former husband did not seek a ruling on the vaccination issue. Also read | For throwing porn collection, judge orders couple to pay $30,441 to son in US “The trial court clearly exceeded its authority in suspending the mother’s parenting time when the issue before the court was child support,” Fernholz said in a statement. “The mother did not know her parenting time was being discussed when she went to Zoom court. The judge deprived her of notice and a full hearing on the issue,” he added The father’s attorney, Jeffery M Leving, said he supported the judge’s decision. “There are children who have died because of COVID,” he told The Washington Post Meanwhile, Filirt’s lawyer said they have filed a legal challenge to the state appellate court. (With inputs from agencies)

US judge revokes mother’s custody of son after she refused to take Covid vaccine

After the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to not start booster programme yet, Israel has announced that it will be administering the third shot to all citizens above the age of 12.<o:p></o:p>

Israel’s newly-elected Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took this decision as he claims the booster shots are an effective way to contain the wide spread of the Delta variant. <o:p></o:p>

Announcing that the booster shot will now be available for everyone aged 12 and above, Bennett assured locals that the "third dose of the vaccine works".

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/vaccine-inequity-continues-to-remain-a-cause-of-concern-408227">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/vaccine-inequity-continues-to-remain-a-cause-of-concern-408227/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

To back up his claim, he said that nearly two million Israel nationals have received the third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine and the results can be seen in the fact that the "increase in severe morbidity has begun to slow".<o:p></o:p>

Israel’s Health Minister, Nitzan Horowitz, supported his PM’s claim and said the experts have concluded that there is no doubt that the booster shot is “effective in preventing infection, and it significantly reduces the risk of serious and fatal illnesses”.<o:p></o:p>

Experts seem to agree with the PM but have also noted that some other factors might also be contributing to the decline of the Delta spread. <o:p></o:p>

"The numbers are still very high but what has changed is that the very high increase in the rate of infections and severe cases has diminished, as has the pace at which the pandemic is spreading," said Eran Segal, data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and an adviser to the government. "This is likely due to the third booster shots, an uptake in people taking the first dose and the high number of people infected per week, possibly up to 100,000, who now have natural immunity," Segal said.<o:p></o:p>

This announcement has come a few days after the country started administering booster shots to the adult population — becoming the first country in the world to do so.<o:p></o:p>

After the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to not start booster programme yet, Israel has announced that it will be administering the third shot to all citizens above the age of 12.

After the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to not start booster programme yet, Israel has announced that it will be administering the third shot to all citizens above the age of 12. Israel’s newly-elected Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took this decision as he claims the booster shots are an effective way to contain the wide spread of the Delta variant. Announcing that the booster shot will now be available for everyone aged 12 and above, Bennett assured locals that the "third dose of the vaccine works". WATCH | To back up his claim, he said that nearly two million Israel nationals have received the third booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine and the results can be seen in the fact that the "increase in severe morbidity has begun to slow". Israel’s Health Minister, Nitzan Horowitz, supported his PM’s claim and said the experts have concluded that there is no doubt that the booster shot is “effective in preventing infection, and it significantly reduces the risk of serious and fatal illnesses”. Experts seem to agree with the PM but have also noted that some other factors might also be contributing to the decline of the Delta spread. "The numbers are still very high but what has changed is that the very high increase in the rate of infections and severe cases has diminished, as has the pace at which the pandemic is spreading," said Eran Segal, data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and an adviser to the government. "This is likely due to the third booster shots, an uptake in people taking the first dose and the high number of people infected per week, possibly up to 100,000, who now have natural immunity," Segal said. This announcement has come a few days after the country started administering booster shots to the adult population — becoming the first country in the world to do so.

Israel to start booster shot for all citizens aged above 12

After the death of two men following the second dose of Moderna’s Covid vaccine, Japan has decided to suspend use of Moderna Inc vaccine.<o:p></o:p>

Japan’s Okinawa region has decided to suspend the use of Moderna’s Covid vaccine as another contamination was spotted by experts, the local government announced.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-men-die-after-second-dose-of-modernas-covid-vaccine-japan-government-409002">Two men die after second dose of Moderna's Covid vaccine: Japan government</a></o:p>

"We are suspending the use of Moderna's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccines</a> as foreign substances were spotted in some of them," the government announced in a statement.<o:p></o:p>

Two men in their 30s died within few days of receiving second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Japan’s health ministry reported a couple of days back. <o:p></o:p>

The government has launched an investigation into the matter as the cause of death was not completely clear, and the officials wanted to steer clear of drawing a relation between vaccine and the deaths.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-business-watch-japans-private-sector-activity-hit-by-covid-19-surge-407733">WATCH |</a></o:p>

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"At this time, we do not have any evidence that these deaths are caused by the Moderna&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccine," Moderna and Takeda said in a statement on Saturday. "It is important to conduct a formal investigation to determine whether there is any connection."<o:p></o:p>

The doses that allegedly led to the death of the two men in Japan were from a contaminated batch that was later pulled off from distribution from around the country. <o:p></o:p>

"The vials have been sent to a qualified lab for analysis and initial findings will be available early next week," Moderna and its Japanese distributor Takeda said.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, Japan is battling a surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Delta variant as only 44 per cent of the Japan’s eligible population has been vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.<o:p></o:p>

After the death of two men following the second dose of Moderna’s Covid vaccine, Japan has decided to suspend use of Moderna Inc vaccine. Japan’s Okinawa region has decided to suspend the use of Moderna’s Covid vaccine as another contamination was spotted by experts, the local government announced.

After the death of two men following the second dose of Moderna’s Covid vaccine, Japan has decided to suspend use of Moderna Inc vaccine. Japan’s Okinawa region has decided to suspend the use of Moderna’s Covid vaccine as another contamination was spotted by experts, the local government announced. Also read | Two men die after second dose of Moderna's Covid vaccine: Japan government "We are suspending the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines as foreign substances were spotted in some of them," the government announced in a statement. Two men in their 30s died within few days of receiving second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Japan’s health ministry reported a couple of days back. The government has launched an investigation into the matter as the cause of death was not completely clear, and the officials wanted to steer clear of drawing a relation between vaccine and the deaths. WATCH | "At this time, we do not have any evidence that these deaths are caused by the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine," Moderna and Takeda said in a statement on Saturday. "It is important to conduct a formal investigation to determine whether there is any connection." The doses that allegedly led to the death of the two men in Japan were from a contaminated batch that was later pulled off from distribution from around the country. "The vials have been sent to a qualified lab for analysis and initial findings will be available early next week," Moderna and its Japanese distributor Takeda said. Meanwhile, Japan is battling a surge in coronavirus cases caused by the Delta variant as only 44 per cent of the Japan’s eligible population has been vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Japan decides to suspend Moderna's Covid vaccine after two deaths

Two people in Japan died after they received shots of Moderna’s Covid vaccine. These two men from Japan had been vaccinated from the lot that was later suspended.<o:p></o:p>

The two men were in their 30s and died within few days of receiving second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Japan’s health ministry reported.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/wuhans-covid-patients-face-serious-health-problems-year-after-recovery-study-408880">Wuhan's Covid patients face serious health problems year after recovery: Study</a></o:p>

"At this time, we do not have any evidence that these deaths are caused by the Moderna <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</a>," Moderna and Takeda said in a statement on Saturday. "It is important to conduct a formal investigation to determine whether there is any connection."<o:p></o:p>

As of now, the cause of death is still unclear but the authorities have launched an investigation into the matter.<o:p></o:p>

For now, it is believed that the doses were from the same stock that had earlier been suspended. Japanese authorities suspended 1.63 million doses of the Moderna Covid vaccine that had been shipped to 864 centres around the country. The decision was taken more than a week after Japan’s domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, had reported that some vials may be contaminated.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/srilanka-extends-national-lockdown-for-another-week-after-covid-surge-408978">WATCH |</a></o:p>

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However, the government claims that suspension of the Moderna batches was simply a precaution. <o:p></o:p>

Experts are staying clear of drawing a connection between the deaths of the Japanese men and their vaccine intake. "There may only be a temporal relationship between vaccination and death," Fumie Sakamoto, the infection control manager at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo told Reuters. "There are so many things we still don't know to make any conclusions on these two cases."<o:p></o:p>

Two people in Japan died after they received shots of Moderna’s Covid vaccine. These two men from Japan had been vaccinated from the lot that was later suspended.

Two people in Japan died after they received shots of Moderna’s Covid vaccine. These two men from Japan had been vaccinated from the lot that was later suspended. The two men were in their 30s and died within few days of receiving second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Japan’s health ministry reported. Also read | Wuhan's Covid patients face serious health problems year after recovery: Study "At this time, we do not have any evidence that these deaths are caused by the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine," Moderna and Takeda said in a statement on Saturday. "It is important to conduct a formal investigation to determine whether there is any connection." As of now, the cause of death is still unclear but the authorities have launched an investigation into the matter. For now, it is believed that the doses were from the same stock that had earlier been suspended. Japanese authorities suspended 1.63 million doses of the Moderna Covid vaccine that had been shipped to 864 centres around the country. The decision was taken more than a week after Japan’s domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, had reported that some vials may be contaminated. WATCH | However, the government claims that suspension of the Moderna batches was simply a precaution. Experts are staying clear of drawing a connection between the deaths of the Japanese men and their vaccine intake. "There may only be a temporal relationship between vaccination and death," Fumie Sakamoto, the infection control manager at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo told Reuters. "There are so many things we still don't know to make any conclusions on these two cases."

Two men die after second dose of Moderna's Covid vaccine: Japan government

Amidst an ongoing Covid crisis in the country, Australia’s government has decided to start vaccinating children between the age of 12 to 15 from September 12.<o:p></o:p>

The decision was taken after technical advice of the Australian government confirmed that Pfizer is suitable for young people. <o:p></o:p>

However, several experts have also warned that an ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> shortage can cause further trouble if the government starts vaccinating young people right now. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) has suggested that Pfizer doses should not be prioritised for young people. They also advised the government to let adults get an opportunity to choose their vaccine before starting to vaccinate children with Pfizer.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/some-sri-lankans-opt-for-cardboard-coffins-amid-covid-19-surge-408465">WATCH |</a>

<o:p></o:p>

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After the announcement, Australian leader Scott Morrison said the country is moving towards a "soft and careful opening" instead of a "big opening". <o:p></o:p>

This announcement has come amidst a new worry of a fresh spread of the virus after two truck drivers tested positive for<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus"> coronavirus</a>. These drivers had travelled from WA to New South Wales. They were also fully vaccinated, wearing face mask and had very limited public exposure, as per reports.<o:p></o:p>

The Western Australian premier Mark McGowan said that he plans to continue border restrictions even if the country reaches 70 per cent vaccination target. "The idea that we would bring down the border and allow open travel … It would be a catastrophe and I’m just not going to do it," McGowan told local media. "The idea we just deliberately infect our citizens when we get to 70% … I just can’t do that, because people will die."<o:p></o:p>

Amidst an ongoing Covid crisis in the country, Australia’s government has decided to start vaccinating children between the age of 12 to 15 from September 12. The decision was taken after technical advice of the Australian government confirmed that Pfizer is suitable for young people.

Amidst an ongoing Covid crisis in the country, Australia’s government has decided to start vaccinating children between the age of 12 to 15 from September 12. The decision was taken after technical advice of the Australian government confirmed that Pfizer is suitable for young people. However, several experts have also warned that an ongoing vaccine shortage can cause further trouble if the government starts vaccinating young people right now. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) has suggested that Pfizer doses should not be prioritised for young people. They also advised the government to let adults get an opportunity to choose their vaccine before starting to vaccinate children with Pfizer. WATCH | After the announcement, Australian leader Scott Morrison said the country is moving towards a "soft and careful opening" instead of a "big opening". This announcement has come amidst a new worry of a fresh spread of the virus after two truck drivers tested positive for coronavirus. These drivers had travelled from WA to New South Wales. They were also fully vaccinated, wearing face mask and had very limited public exposure, as per reports. The Western Australian premier Mark McGowan said that he plans to continue border restrictions even if the country reaches 70 per cent vaccination target. "The idea that we would bring down the border and allow open travel … It would be a catastrophe and I’m just not going to do it," McGowan told local media. "The idea we just deliberately infect our citizens when we get to 70% … I just can’t do that, because people will die."

Coronavirus: Australia to start vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds soon

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday announced that the total number of COVID-19 vaccination doses delivered in the country has topped 600 million (60 crore).&nbsp;

"Under PM @NarendraModi ji's #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine initiative, India crossed the 60 crore vaccination mark. Congratulations everyone!" he said in a tweet.

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सबका स्वास्थ्य, सबकी सुरक्षा के मंत्र के साथ देश <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> टीकाकरण में आगे बढ़ रहा है। 
 
भारत को पहले : 
 
10 करोड़ टीके लगाने में 85 दिन 
20 करोड़ में 45 दिन 
30 करोड़ में 29 दिन 
40 करोड़ में 24 दिन 
50 करोड़ में 20 दिन 
 
और अब 60 करोड़ टीकाकरण पूर्ण करने में सिर्फ 19 दिन लगे। <a href="https://t.co/DdLt2PtWcT">pic.twitter.com/DdLt2PtWcT</a>
— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) <a href="https://twitter.com/mansukhmandviya/status/1430481116884922372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It took India 85 days to reach the 100 million mark. The minister stated that it took 45 days to reach the 200 million milestone and another 29 days to reach the 300 million mark.

It took the country 24 days to reach 40 million vaccines from 30 million, and another 20 days to reach 50 million on August 6.

Mandaviya said it required 19 more days to reach the 600 million level.&nbsp;

The total tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 3,25,12,366 and the number of deaths climbed to 4,35,758 with 648 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases comprise 0.99 per cent of the total infections.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.67 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 2,776 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

(With inputs from agencies)

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday announced that the total number of COVID-19 vaccination doses delivered in the country has topped 600 million (60 crore).

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday announced that the total number of COVID-19 vaccination doses delivered in the country has topped 600 million (60 crore). "Under PM @NarendraModi ji's #SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine initiative, India crossed the 60 crore vaccination mark. Congratulations everyone!" he said in a tweet. सबका स्वास्थ्य, सबकी सुरक्षा के मंत्र के साथ देश #COVID19 टीकाकरण में आगे बढ़ रहा है। भारत को पहले : 10 करोड़ टीके लगाने में 85 दिन 20 करोड़ में 45 दिन 30 करोड़ में 29 दिन 40 करोड़ में 24 दिन 50 करोड़ में 20 दिन और अब 60 करोड़ टीकाकरण पूर्ण करने में सिर्फ 19 दिन लगे। pic.twitter.com/DdLt2PtWcT — Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 25, 2021 × It took India 85 days to reach the 100 million mark. The minister stated that it took 45 days to reach the 200 million milestone and another 29 days to reach the 300 million mark. It took the country 24 days to reach 40 million vaccines from 30 million, and another 20 days to reach 50 million on August 6. Mandaviya said it required 19 more days to reach the 600 million level. The total tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 3,25,12,366 and the number of deaths climbed to 4,35,758 with 648 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The active cases comprise 0.99 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.67 per cent, the ministry said. An increase of 2,776 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 600 million coronavirus vaccine doses administered in India: Govt 