Health authorities in some European countries are facing resistance to AstraZeneca`s COVID-19 vaccine after side-effects led hospital staff and other front-line workers to call in sick, putting extra strain on already-stretched services.

Such symptoms, as reported in clinical trials for the AstraZeneca shot, can include a high temperature or headache and are a normal sign that the body is generating an immune response. They usually fade within a day or so.

The other shots approved in Europe, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, have been linked to similar temporary side-effects, including fever and fatigue.

But with the AstraZeneca shot the latest to be rolled out, health authorities in France have issued guidance to stagger giving the shot, two regions in Sweden paused vaccinations, and in Germany some essential workers are refusing it.

A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: "Currently, the reactions reported are as we would expect based on the evidence gathered from our clinical trial programme."

People receiving the vaccine are closely monitored through routine pharmacovigilance activities, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker said, adding that it was continuing to keep a close eye on the situation.

"There have been no confirmed serious adverse events," the spokesman said.

`MORE SIDE-EFFECTS`

In France, which started administering the AstraZeneca shot on Feb. 6, staff at a hospital in Normandy experienced stronger side-effects than seen with the alternative vaccine from Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.

"AstraZeneca caused more side-effects than the Pfizer vaccine," said Melanie Cotigny, communications manager at Saint-Lo hospital in Normandy.

"Between 10% and 15% of those vaccinated may have side-effects from this vaccination, but it is only a feverish state, fevers, nausea and within 12 hours it goes away."

Following similar reports from other hospitals, the French medicines safety agency said on Feb. 11 that such side-effects were "known and described" but should be subject to surveillance with regard to their intensity.

It also issued guidance to stagger vaccinations of front-line staff working together in teams to minimise the risk of disruption to operations.

The agency put out the advice after receiving 149 alerts of often strong flu-like side-effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine. During this period a total of 10,000 people received the shot nationwide.

Some U.S. hospitals and other organisations with front-line staff adopted a similar strategy when the country`s vaccination programme started in December. The United States is administering shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

In Britain, home to the AstraZeneca vaccine developed at Oxford University, the policy has been to make vaccinations readily available to hospital staff. As many work shifts, that naturally spaces out the process.

The issues in France highlight how some doctors and hospitals are still learning how best to administer vaccines as governments race to tame the pandemic and get shots in arms as quickly as possible.

It`s also the latest setback for the French vaccination campaign which has been criticised for a slow start. Last week, the government said just over 3% of the population had received their first dose.

In Sweden, two of 21 healthcare regions paused vaccinations of workers last week after a quarter called in sick after getting the AstraZeneca shot.

The Sormland and Gavleborg regions said that around 100 out of 400 people vaccinated had reported fever or fever-like symptoms. Most cases were mild and in line with previously reported side-effects.

Both regions said they would resume vaccinations, and the Swedish Medical Products Agency saw no reason to change its vaccination guidelines.

NO SHOWS

AstraZeneca`s vector-based vaccine is the third to win regulatory approval in the European Union.

As part of the European Medicines Agency`s positive recommendation on Jan. 29, the watchdog concluded it was about 60% effective, compared to more than 90% for the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

It also deemed the product safe to use and it will monitor reports of side-effects as a matter of routine.

In Germany, Health Minister Jens Spahn responded on Wednesday to reports that essential workers were reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca shot after some experienced strong side-effects, saying it was both safe and effective.

"I would be vaccinated with it immediately," Spahn told reporters.

Like most European countries, German states typically do not offer people a choice of which vaccine they will get, leading in some cases to people not turning up to appointments to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Germany has taken delivery of 737,000 doses from AstraZeneca but only administered 107,000, according to figures from the health ministry and the Robert Koch Institute that leads its pandemic response.

"This vaccine is an excellent way to prevent serious COVID disease," said the health ministry in the eastern state of Saxony. "Still, we note that there are still vacant vaccination dates for AstraZeneca.

"From our point of view, it is wrong that this vaccine is available but not being used," it said, adding that it was reallocating spare shots to teachers and public health workers.

Health authorities in some European countries are facing resistance to AstraZeneca`s COVID-19 vaccine after side-effects led hospital staff and other front-line workers to call in sick, putting extra strain on already-stretched services.

Health authorities in some European countries are facing resistance to AstraZeneca`s COVID-19 vaccine after side-effects led hospital staff and other front-line workers to call in sick, putting extra strain on already-stretched services. Such symptoms, as reported in clinical trials for the AstraZeneca shot, can include a high temperature or headache and are a normal sign that the body is generating an immune response. They usually fade within a day or so. The other shots approved in Europe, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, have been linked to similar temporary side-effects, including fever and fatigue. But with the AstraZeneca shot the latest to be rolled out, health authorities in France have issued guidance to stagger giving the shot, two regions in Sweden paused vaccinations, and in Germany some essential workers are refusing it. A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: "Currently, the reactions reported are as we would expect based on the evidence gathered from our clinical trial programme." People receiving the vaccine are closely monitored through routine pharmacovigilance activities, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker said, adding that it was continuing to keep a close eye on the situation. "There have been no confirmed serious adverse events," the spokesman said. `MORE SIDE-EFFECTS` In France, which started administering the AstraZeneca shot on Feb. 6, staff at a hospital in Normandy experienced stronger side-effects than seen with the alternative vaccine from Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. "AstraZeneca caused more side-effects than the Pfizer vaccine," said Melanie Cotigny, communications manager at Saint-Lo hospital in Normandy. "Between 10% and 15% of those vaccinated may have side-effects from this vaccination, but it is only a feverish state, fevers, nausea and within 12 hours it goes away." Following similar reports from other hospitals, the French medicines safety agency said on Feb. 11 that such side-effects were "known and described" but should be subject to surveillance with regard to their intensity. It also issued guidance to stagger vaccinations of front-line staff working together in teams to minimise the risk of disruption to operations. The agency put out the advice after receiving 149 alerts of often strong flu-like side-effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine. During this period a total of 10,000 people received the shot nationwide. Some U.S. hospitals and other organisations with front-line staff adopted a similar strategy when the country`s vaccination programme started in December. The United States is administering shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. In Britain, home to the AstraZeneca vaccine developed at Oxford University, the policy has been to make vaccinations readily available to hospital staff. As many work shifts, that naturally spaces out the process. The issues in France highlight how some doctors and hospitals are still learning how best to administer vaccines as governments race to tame the pandemic and get shots in arms as quickly as possible. It`s also the latest setback for the French vaccination campaign which has been criticised for a slow start. Last week, the government said just over 3% of the population had received their first dose. In Sweden, two of 21 healthcare regions paused vaccinations of workers last week after a quarter called in sick after getting the AstraZeneca shot. The Sormland and Gavleborg regions said that around 100 out of 400 people vaccinated had reported fever or fever-like symptoms. Most cases were mild and in line with previously reported side-effects. Both regions said they would resume vaccinations, and the Swedish Medical Products Agency saw no reason to change its vaccination guidelines. NO SHOWS AstraZeneca`s vector-based vaccine is the third to win regulatory approval in the European Union. As part of the European Medicines Agency`s positive recommendation on Jan. 29, the watchdog concluded it was about 60% effective, compared to more than 90% for the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. It also deemed the product safe to use and it will monitor reports of side-effects as a matter of routine. In Germany, Health Minister Jens Spahn responded on Wednesday to reports that essential workers were reluctant to receive the AstraZeneca shot after some experienced strong side-effects, saying it was both safe and effective. "I would be vaccinated with it immediately," Spahn told reporters. Like most European countries, German states typically do not offer people a choice of which vaccine they will get, leading in some cases to people not turning up to appointments to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. Germany has taken delivery of 737,000 doses from AstraZeneca but only administered 107,000, according to figures from the health ministry and the Robert Koch Institute that leads its pandemic response. "This vaccine is an excellent way to prevent serious COVID disease," said the health ministry in the eastern state of Saxony. "Still, we note that there are still vacant vaccination dates for AstraZeneca. "From our point of view, it is wrong that this vaccine is available but not being used," it said, adding that it was reallocating spare shots to teachers and public health workers.

AstraZeneca vaccine faces resistance in Europe after health workers suffer side-effects

Argentina received 580,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Covishield on Wednesday (February 17). Manufactured by India's Serum Institute and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the consignment brought the country a step closer to launching a large-scale vaccination programme.

Argentina receives 580,000 doses of COVID vaccine from India's Serum Institute

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday that 18-19 potential vaccines against novel coronavirus were in different stages of clinical trials, adding that no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last 7 days.

"About 18-20 vaccine candidates against COVID-19 are in the pipeline and are in preclinical, clinical and advanced stages," Vardhan said.

"Some are in Phase I, some in Phase II, and a few approaching Phase III of the clinical trials. We are elated to have a huge portfolio soon," he said at a press conference here.

Dispelling rumours surrounding the vaccines, Vardhan said the vaccines in the public domain are safe and effective. He said no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last 7 days, while no new cases have been reported in 21 districts in 21 days.

Vardhan further urged people to keep following COVID appropriate behaviour. "It is crucial that people continue to follow COVID appropriate behaviour which I call social vaccine, along with real vaccines," he said. India has approved two vaccines -- Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India -- for emergency use in the country.

Till 8 AM on February 15, the cumulative number of healthcare workers (HCW) and frontline workers (FLW) vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country has reached nearly 83 lakh.

A total 82,85,295 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,73,729 sessions, as per the provisional report till 8 am. These include 59,88,113 HCWs (1st dose), 24,561 HCWs (2nd dose) and 22,72,621 FLWs (1stdose).

India's cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,06,21,220 with9,489patients having recuperated in a span of 24 hours. The ministry said 79.5 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in six states.

The Union government has prioritised vaccination of 30 crore Indians, dividing them into three categories -- one crore healthcare workers, 2 crore frontline workers, and 27 crores general populace above the age of 50.

On January 3, the Drugs Controller General of India had approved 'Covishield' vaccine developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India and 'Covaxin' of Bharat Biotech for emergency use authorisation in the country.

Both vaccines have been provided in the nationwide immunisation drive, that was kicked off on January 16. Till Sunday, more than 8 million (82,85,295) doses of vaccines had been administered across India. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday that 18-19 potential vaccines against novel coronavirus were in different stages of clinical trials, adding that no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last 7 days.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday that 18-19 potential vaccines against novel coronavirus were in different stages of clinical trials, adding that no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last 7 days. "About 18-20 vaccine candidates against COVID-19 are in the pipeline and are in preclinical, clinical and advanced stages," Vardhan said. "Some are in Phase I, some in Phase II, and a few approaching Phase III of the clinical trials. We are elated to have a huge portfolio soon," he said at a press conference here. Dispelling rumours surrounding the vaccines, Vardhan said the vaccines in the public domain are safe and effective. He said no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 188 districts of the country in the last 7 days, while no new cases have been reported in 21 districts in 21 days. Vardhan further urged people to keep following COVID appropriate behaviour. "It is crucial that people continue to follow COVID appropriate behaviour which I call social vaccine, along with real vaccines," he said. India has approved two vaccines -- Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India -- for emergency use in the country. Till 8 AM on February 15, the cumulative number of healthcare workers (HCW) and frontline workers (FLW) vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country has reached nearly 83 lakh. A total 82,85,295 beneficiaries have been vaccinated through 1,73,729 sessions, as per the provisional report till 8 am. These include 59,88,113 HCWs (1st dose), 24,561 HCWs (2nd dose) and 22,72,621 FLWs (1stdose). India's cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,06,21,220 with9,489patients having recuperated in a span of 24 hours. The ministry said 79.5 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in six states. The Union government has prioritised vaccination of 30 crore Indians, dividing them into three categories -- one crore healthcare workers, 2 crore frontline workers, and 27 crores general populace above the age of 50. On January 3, the Drugs Controller General of India had approved 'Covishield' vaccine developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India and 'Covaxin' of Bharat Biotech for emergency use authorisation in the country. Both vaccines have been provided in the nationwide immunisation drive, that was kicked off on January 16. Till Sunday, more than 8 million (82,85,295) doses of vaccines had been administered across India. (With inputs from agencies)

No new cases in 188 districts in a week, 18 covid vaccine candidates in the pipeline: Health Minister

When the coronavirus pandemic struck last March, Kathryn Stewart was working at a gas station in rural Michigan and living in her mother’s trailer with eight relatives, three dogs and a budget with no room for error.

When the coronavirus pandemic struck last March, Kathryn Stewart was working at a gas station in rural Michigan and living in her mother’s trailer with eight relatives, three dogs and a budget with no room for error. Her mother, who is disabled, soon urged her to quit to avoid bringing home the disease. Stewart reluctantly agreed, wondering how she would support herself and her 10-year-old son. An expanded safety net caught her, after being rushed into place by Congress last spring with rare bipartisan support. To her surprise, Stewart not only received unemployment insurance but a weekly bonus of $600 more than tripled her income. A stimulus check offered additional help, as did a modest food stamp increase. Despite opaque rules and confounding delays, the outpouring of government aid lifted her above the poverty line. Six months later, after temporary aid expired and deadlock in Washington returned, Stewart’s benefits fell to a trickle, and she was all but homeless after a family fight forced her from the trailer to a friend’s spare room. She skipped meals to feed her son, sold possessions to raise cash and suffered anxiety attacks so severe they sometimes kept her in bed. Just as Stewart finally found a job, celebration turned to shock: The state demanded that she repay the jobless aid she had received, claiming she had been ineligible. That left her with an eye-popping debt of more than $12,000. “I spent the whole day just trying to breathe,” Stewart said the day the notice arrived. “I’m really confused about the whole thing. I’m trying not to panic.” In the robust aid she received and its painful disappearance, Stewart’s experience captures both sides of the gyrating federal efforts to fortify the safety net in a crisis of historic proportions. As the virus ravaged jobs last spring, rapid federal action protected millions of people from hardship and showed that government can be a powerful force in reducing poverty. Yet the expiration of aid a few months later also underscored how vulnerable the needy are to partisan standoffs in an age of polarized government. Gaps in aid left families short on food and rent, uncertainty made it impossible to plan and confusion joined fear and worry. In his first weeks in office, President Joe Biden appears to have both lessons in mind. A benefit extension passed in December expires next month, and he is urging Congress to spend big and move fast to keep 11 million workers from losing unemployment aid. Democrats are advancing his $1.9 trillion plan for stimulus and relief with a fast-track procedure that limits their policy options but increases the odds of avoiding more whipsaw delays. Critics of the spending warn it swells the national debt and erodes incentives to work. Supporters say the government’s impact has rarely seemed so direct: When help flowed at extraordinary levels, poverty fell. When it ended, poverty rose. “This could be a watershed moment,” said H. Luke Shaefer, who runs a poverty research center at the University of Michigan. “We showed how much government can do to mitigate hardship, even if the effort didn’t last.” With millions still depending on government aid in a weak recovery, Stewart’s experience over the past 10 months highlights the stakes. As her complex life shows, the causes of poverty often run deep, and some lie beyond the reach of a government check. But the aid, while it lasted, broke her fall, and she is now back on her feet. In recent weeks, Stewart, 36, has been working at an Amazon warehouse and fighting Michigan’s efforts to recoup her unemployment benefits. She said she was “super happy” to no longer be at risk from another Washington impasse. An introspective woman, insightful about her hardships but distant from politics, she wonders how federal help has at once been so generous and so unsteady — a question that weighs on millions of Americans now waiting to see whether Congress moves quickly enough to sustain their benefits. “It made a huge difference in our lives,” Stewart said. “But it starts and stops and it’s really confusing. You feel helpless when you’re being helped by the government.” Should another crisis arise, she said, “I hope the government has a better plan.” Then Came the Pandemic Stewart grew up accustomed to hardship and inventive in her responses. In a family too poor for vacations, she created her own by tagging along on her stepfather’s tractor-trailer runs. When he fought with her mother, she sheltered in closets. When he left, her mother tried to quell the family’s hunger with diet pills. Stewart was in grade school when panic attacks started, which she blamed on the conflict. An unsupervised adolescence followed in Grand Rapids, where Stewart slept in parks with runaways. She liked the literature of bohemians and rebels — Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Wilde — but left school at 16 and lived in her car. Short on formal education, Stewart was long on curiosity and peripatetic instinct, which carried her from Ireland to California in between seasonal work at Michigan resorts. She dyed her hair unusual colors. She gave herself tattoos. She covered her walls with the surrealist works of Salvador Dalí, in shared faith that “you create your own reality.” Fearful of forgetting, Stewart kept a memory box, which included a middle-school note, a ukulele pick and clippings from her first mohawk. In her mid-20s, Stewart married and had a son, Jack, but her husband left and her anxiety grew. “Over the years I’ve gotten real anxious — almost afraid of people,” she said. “I’m an empath — if someone else feels bad, I feel bad.” Still, Stewart worked, most happily in solitude. By 2019, Stewart was a night janitor and living with her sister in Grand Rapids. Her sister fell behind on the rent and insisted they move in with their mother, five hours away in rural Ossineke. Stewart grudgingly succumbed. “We all rely on each other, which is good except for us not getting along,” she said. With four children and conflicting parenting styles, the trailer proved crowded and tense. When Stewart found work as a gas station cashier — $10 an hour, 20 hours a week — she welcomed the escape as much as the pay. A few weeks later, the coronavirus hit. Help Was on the Way As the virus spread in early March, President Donald Trump insisted it posed no threat. “Jobs are booming, incomes are soaring,” he tweeted. By the next week, Disneyland and Broadway were padlocked and the stock market notched its worst daily loss in decades. While the need for Washington action was clear, the risks of an impasse were great. Liberal Democrats controlled the House, conservative Republicans held the Senate, and Trump derided the House speaker as “Crazy Nancy” Pelosi. Yet within a few weeks, they agreed on a $2.2 trillion plan. One surprise was how much it did for the poor, a class not known for political clout. Even the poorest families fully qualified for stimulus payments — $1,200 for adults, $500 for children (some Republicans had proposed giving them less) — and at the Democrats’ insistence, Congress greatly expanded jobless benefits. The existing program was filled with gaps: It covered only about one-quarter of the jobless and replaced less than half their lost wages. Congress widened coverage, temporarily adding part-time workers, independent contractors and others typically excluded. And for four months it gave everyone on jobless aid a large bonus: $600 a week. The payments were more than many workers had earned on the job. Critics said the aid would discourage the jobless from seeking work, but urgency prevailed. “Gag and vote for it anyway,” the Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, advised fellow Republicans. The Senate vote was 96-0. Approving aid was one thing, delivering it another. Most stimulus checks arrived automatically and fast, though people who did not file tax returns had to contact the IRS — a procedural hurdle that kept payments from about 8 million potentially eligible people, mostly low-income. Households with unauthorized immigrants were barred from stimulus checks, which excluded about 5 million spouses and children who were citizens or legal residents. Unemployment insurance proved harder to get. With nearly 40 million claims in nine weeks, the state-run programs were overwhelmed. Computers crashed. Phone lines jammed. Governors called in the National Guard to process requests. Food shortages soared, especially among families with children as school closures deprived millions of meals. Lines outside food banks stretched for miles. But the havoc obscured the scale of the coming relief. Help was on the way. ‘I Was Just Like, Wow!’ Stewart was still working in April when a $1,700 stimulus check arrived. Like many poor people, she used it in part to settle debts, including a large fine for driving an unregistered truck. “That made me feel a hundred times better,” she said. Soon after, she got a cold and fear spread through the trailer. “My mom is immunocompromised — she said you absolutely cannot be working with the public,” Stewart said. With school out, her mother also wanted her home to watch her son. Stewart felt forced to quit working. As a recently hired part-time worker, she did not think Michigan would approve her request for unemployment benefits. But the new program covered workers who quit to protect medically vulnerable members of their households. Stewart received $1,250, just for two weeks. “I was just like, Wow!” she said. The payments ceased without explanation but resumed a month later at $760 a week, with money for weeks missed. The aid was nearly four times her lost paycheck. It was more than she had ever made — “more than I could even think about before I got it,” she said. By June, about 1 in 5 American workers was getting jobless aid — five times the previous peak. Like Stewart, roughly 40% of them were covered by the new pandemic assistance. And like Stewart, most saw their incomes grow. Congress aimed to fully replace the average worker’s pay, but its formula overshot the mark. Three-quarters of the jobless received unemployment checks that exceeded their lost earnings, according to Peter Ganong and colleagues at the University of Chicago, with the median replacement rate at 145%. Among the poorest tenth of workers, incomes nearly tripled. Despite mass unemployment, poverty estimates fell. Researchers at the University of Chicago and Notre Dame found there were 5 million fewer poor people in June than before the crisis. Jobless people usually cut their budgets, but in this case their spending rose, by as much as 20%. The unemployment assistance was extraordinary but not uniform. Immigrants without legal status were ineligible, as were Americans paid off the books. Some eligible workers did not know to apply, and others encountered a bureaucratic maze. Eliza Forsythe, an economist at the University of Illinois, saw a “lottery effect” at play, with random factors deciding which households got aid. But most eventually did. Truck Parts and Camping Policymakers often debate what difference the safety net makes. The 12 weeks of enhanced benefits touched most corners of Stewart’s life. She remained an anxious single mother living in an overcrowded trailer — a woman with a hard lot. But she ate better. She quarreled with her family less. She suffered less debilitating stress. Mindful that the $600 weekly bonus would soon expire, Stewart eyed projects with long-term benefits. Transportation is essential in rural Michigan, and she considered herself handy with a wrench. She spent $2,000 on tools and parts to rebuild the engine of her old truck. The trailer was in disrepair. For $1,700 Stewart patched the roof and porch, replaced the kitchen cabinets and a bathroom wall, and added a storage shed. Her credit was in shambles, too. She settled a hospital bill and invested in prepaid credit cards to lift her credit score. She also had some fun. A creek ran behind trailer. “I said, ‘Man, we should be in the water,’” she said. Kayaks followed. She and her mother had long talked about camping, and now she had money for gas and gear. They stayed up late talking by the fire and returned from a hike around the lake with buckets of smoky quartz. In a strained relationship, the trip was like the stones — a treasure salvaged from rocky shores. No purchase made Stewart happier than the Xbox she bought for Jack’s 11th birthday. She hid it for three months, fearing she would be broke again by the celebration. It was the sort of extravagance he kept out of mind, and Stewart relished the looming surprise. “It made me feel like I was the kind of mother I wanted to be,” she said. After years of anxiety and depression, Stewart did not go as far as to argue that money buys happiness. But she said it helped. “I did stop having panic attacks as much,” she said. “It was just less stressful. It made a huge difference.” Washington Dithers Washington made that difference. With more than 30 million people collecting unemployment in July and the bonus payments expiring at the end of the month, the question was whether Washington would act again. Amid a slow recovery and rising infections, most economists called for more stimulus and relief, as did the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, who warned that the downturn was especially hard on low-wage workers and people of color. The Democratic-run House moved quickly, voting in May to extend the bonuses as part of a $3 trillion stimulus bill. Senate Republicans derided the cost, but were slow to propose an alternative. Some argued the economy was recovering, and some feared the bonuses discouraged work, though multiple studies found otherwise. As the bonuses expired on July 31, new weekly jobless claims topped 1 million for the 19th straight week. Lengthy negotiations bore no fruit. With Election Day approaching, Pelosi seemed to believe that Senate Republicans would give in to the Democrats’ demands. As talks ground on, Trump swung wildly, using executive action for a short-term fix (a $300 weekly bonus, for six weeks) while alternately demanding and spurning deals. The political calculations were lost on Stewart, who grasped only the lost aid. “I don’t think any of them really understand about being poor,” she said. Without the bonuses, average unemployment checks fell by about two-thirds. Stewart’s simply disappeared. Besieged with fraud, Michigan froze hundreds of thousands of cases while it investigated, including hers. “I just went back to being really broke again,” she said. Stewart sold possessions — a bicycle, a camera, her grandmother’s watch. The credit cards that she hoped would bolster her finances ran up fees and closed. The truck into which she had invested so much became a metaphor: It ran only in reverse. Her food stamps ran out before the end of the monthly cycle. While Stewart skipped meals to keep Jack fed, there were days when he ate a single meal. “You hear him say ‘I’m hungry,’ and your heart breaks,” she said. As aid dwindled, hardships rose nationwide. The number of poor people, which had declined through June, grew by 8 million through the rest of the year. Biweekly surveys by the Census Bureau showed steadily rising need. Reports of depression climbed 12%, according to an analysis of the surveys by Shaefer and a colleague, Patrick Cooney. The number of people behind on rent rose 27%. By the end of the year, more than 1 in 6 households with children said they sometimes or often lacked enough to eat. “When the government acted, things got better — when the aid went away, things got worse,” Shaefer said. After seven weeks, Michigan resumed Stewart’s unemployment aid in mid-September, with payments for the missing weeks. But without the bonus, her weekly amount fell to $160, a decline of nearly 80%. In October, Stewart took Jack on a birthday visit to Grand Rapids and gave him the Xbox. Rather than celebrate, he chided her, warning they could not afford it. Then he played it, as she hoped. An argument with her mother followed, for reasons Stewart struggled to explain. Perhaps the hardship had simply exhausted everyone’s patience. When the phone call between them ended, Stewart had lost her spot in the trailer. Only a friend’s spare room kept her and Jack from a shelter. “We are homeless,” she said. With Stewart at a low point in late October, her jobless aid stopped again. She discovered she had accidentally closed her case while reviewing it on her phone. When she reapplied, the case was frozen — for the third time in five months, her benefits ceased. When a reporter called one night, Stewart said she had not eaten in a day and a half. A month later, Stewart’s application was denied. Although the gas station where she had worked did not contest her original claim, it now said she had quit without reason. Stewart insists that she explained she was leaving to protect her mother’s health. Next came the state’s demand that she repay the earlier aid — $12,574.12 — and warnings that a false statement could lead to “jail time.” Stewart had just found the Amazon job. It paid $16.30 an hour, more than she had ever made. She could work nights and be home when Jack took online classes. “Whoo-hoo,” she had written, sharing the news. But she worked her first shift under the threat of garnished wages. Faith in the Safety Net It took the November election to end the Washington stalemate. Action did not come from new economic data. Only the politics changed. As president-elect, Biden wanted to quickly stimulate the economy he would inherit. He said a compromise could provide a “down payment” on a larger package to follow. After long rejecting the down-payment logic, Pelosi accepted a $900 billion bill — smaller than those she had rejected — saying that she trusted Biden to keep fighting. With control of the Senate depending on two runoff elections in Georgia, Republicans compromised, too, courting voters (unsuccessfully) with a compromise that included a short-term extension of unemployment bonuses at $300 a week. Shortly before taking office, Biden proposed his bigger plan, with more stimulus checks, larger unemployment bonuses for a longer duration and an income floor for every family with children. The details are complex but the philosophy is clear: He is beginning his presidency with a statement of faith in the power of the safety net. With Democrats holding Congress by the thinnest margin, it has advanced with no Republican votes. Whether Democrats can enact it before the expanded jobless benefits expire again in March remains uncertain. Still moving packages at the Amazon warehouse, Stewart is now less vulnerable to a political stalemate. While the pace is punishing, with a shift that starts at 1:20 a.m., she displays a self-mocking pride in her endurance. “I’m a number but a number with a paycheck,” she said. She continues to appeal the state’s efforts to recapture her unemployment benefits. Nearly a year into the pandemic, profound differences separate the parties’ views of the safety net. But those differences get lost at the distance from which Stewart views politics. She strongly favors neither party and did not vote in November. Still, her fluctuating fortunes have imparted a lesson about the clashes of Washington politicians. “Maybe I wouldn’t have noticed it before,” she said, “but what they do really makes a difference.”

A year of hardship, helped and hindered by Washington

Mexico has received a shipment of 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine from India, the government said on Sunday.

The shipment amounts to about 42 per cent of the two million doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine the country plans to import from India.

Mexico is also expecting shipments of Pfizer's vaccine to resume, with 494,000 doses due to arrive on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told a news conference.

Mexico and Argentina have an agreement with AstraZeneca to produce the vaccine for eventual distribution of 250 million doses in Latin America.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mexico-to-receive-1-million-doses-of-india-made-covid-vaccine-362890">Also read |&nbsp;Mexico to receive 1 million doses of India-made Covid vaccine</a>

Mexico, which has one of the world's highest coronavirus death tolls, started vaccinating healthcare workers in December but struggled to hit its targets amid global shortages and delays of Pfizer's vaccine.

The country has so far received just 1,636,350 vaccine doses, according to government data, but has agreements for millions more, including for China's CanSino and the Russian Sputnik V.

Mexico will next vaccinate adults over the age of 60.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-sends-covid-vaccines-to-caribbean-up-next-mexico-362734">Also read |&nbsp;India sends Covid vaccines to Caribbean, up next Mexico</a>

Mexico has received a shipment of 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine from India, the government said on Sunday. The shipment amounts to about 42 per cent of the two million doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine the country plans to import from India.

Mexico has received a shipment of 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine from India, the government said on Sunday. The shipment amounts to about 42 per cent of the two million doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine the country plans to import from India. Mexico is also expecting shipments of Pfizer's vaccine to resume, with 494,000 doses due to arrive on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told a news conference. Mexico and Argentina have an agreement with AstraZeneca to produce the vaccine for eventual distribution of 250 million doses in Latin America. Also read | Mexico to receive 1 million doses of India-made Covid vaccine Mexico, which has one of the world's highest coronavirus death tolls, started vaccinating healthcare workers in December but struggled to hit its targets amid global shortages and delays of Pfizer's vaccine. The country has so far received just 1,636,350 vaccine doses, according to government data, but has agreements for millions more, including for China's CanSino and the Russian Sputnik V. Mexico will next vaccinate adults over the age of 60. Also read | India sends Covid vaccines to Caribbean, up next Mexico

Mexico receives AstraZeneca doses from India

Japan has officially approved Pfizer Inc's Covid vaccine, as the country steps up efforts to tame a third wave of infections in the run-up to the Summer Olympic Games.

"The health minister today gave a special approval to the Pfizer vaccine," the prime minister's office said in a tweet on Sunday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said vaccinations will begin from the middle of next week, starting with some 10,000 health workers. The government hopes to secure enough supplies for the whole populace - some 126 million people - by mid-year.

Japan is expected to put&nbsp;the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the arms of 10,000 to 20,000 medical workers from as early as Wednesday, before making it and other coronavirus vaccines available for more medical workers and the elderly from April.

The government is yet to outline the exact rollout schedule for the rest of its population of 126 million people.

Olympics officials have insisted that the Tokyo Games will take place even though Covid-19 continues to affect the entire world.

Japan has so far recorded about 410,000 coronavirus cases nationally and 6,772 deaths. The Olympic Games are due to start July 23.

Japan has officially approved Pfizer Inc's Covid vaccine, as the country steps up efforts to tame a third wave of infections in the run-up to the Summer Olympic Games.

Japan has officially approved Pfizer Inc's Covid vaccine, as the country steps up efforts to tame a third wave of infections in the run-up to the Summer Olympic Games. "The health minister today gave a special approval to the Pfizer vaccine," the prime minister's office said in a tweet on Sunday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said vaccinations will begin from the middle of next week, starting with some 10,000 health workers. The government hopes to secure enough supplies for the whole populace - some 126 million people - by mid-year. Japan is expected to put the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the arms of 10,000 to 20,000 medical workers from as early as Wednesday, before making it and other coronavirus vaccines available for more medical workers and the elderly from April. The government is yet to outline the exact rollout schedule for the rest of its population of 126 million people. Olympics officials have insisted that the Tokyo Games will take place even though Covid-19 continues to affect the entire world. Japan has so far recorded about 410,000 coronavirus cases nationally and 6,772 deaths. The Olympic Games are due to start July 23.

Japan formally approves its first Covid vaccine

Lebanon on Saturday received its first vaccines against the coronavirus, a day before an inoculation drive kicks off in the crisis-hit Mediterranean country.

A plane landed at the Beirut airport, an AFP correspondent reported, with authorities saying it was carrying 28,500 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech flown in from Belgium.

The shipment was the first after the World Bank allocated $34 million to inoculate two million of Lebanon's six million inhabitants.

Caretaker health minister Hamad Hassan was on the tarmac to welcome the plane and expressed great "relief".

"It's a dream being realised today thanks to the support of our UN and international partners," he told reporters,

"The vaccine will reach all Lebanese citizens across the country," as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees and other residents, he promised.

Lebanon has been under strict lockdown since mid-January, after an unprecedented spike in cases blamed on holiday gatherings that forced overwhelmed hospitals to turn away patients.

Vaccination rollout is set to start on Sunday.

Health workers will receive their first dose at the Rafik Hariri Hospital, the country's main public hospital tackling the Covid-19 outbreak, the American University of Beirut Medical Centre, and Saint George Orthodox Hospital.

"The best gift one can ask for on Valentine's Day," wrote the director of the Rafik Hariri Hospital, Firas Abiad, on Twitter.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, 61, is also to be vaccinated, his office said.

Under Lebanon's vaccination plan, medical staff and those over the age of 75 are to receive the jab first.

In total Lebanon hopes to receive around six million vaccine doses, including two million from Pfizer/BioNTech and another 2.7 million via the international Covax distribution programme.

Half a million people in Lebanon have signed up to receive a vaccine, a health ministry official said, although many are hesitant to get the jab.

Of 500 people surveyed by private think-tank Information International, 31 percent said they would get vaccinated, 38 percent said they would rather not, and another 31 percent were undecided.

Lebanon was already in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades when Covid-19 hit, and the situation has been exacerbated after a massive blast at Beirut's port in August killed more than 200 people and destroyed large parts of the capital.

The World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are to monitor the rollout, they said in a statement Friday.

They aim to "ensure fair, broad, and fast access to Covid-19 vaccines to help save lives and support economic recovery", World Bank regional director Saroj Kumar Jha said.

Lebanon says 334,086&nbsp;people have caught coronavirus&nbsp;since February 2020, of whom 3,915 have died.

Lebanon on Saturday received its first vaccines against the coronavirus, a day before an inoculation drive kicks off in the crisis-hit Mediterranean country. A plane landed at the Beirut airport, an AFP correspondent reported, with authorities saying it was carrying 28,500 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech flown in from Belgium.

Lebanon on Saturday received its first vaccines against the coronavirus, a day before an inoculation drive kicks off in the crisis-hit Mediterranean country. A plane landed at the Beirut airport, an AFP correspondent reported, with authorities saying it was carrying 28,500 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech flown in from Belgium. The shipment was the first after the World Bank allocated $34 million to inoculate two million of Lebanon's six million inhabitants. Caretaker health minister Hamad Hassan was on the tarmac to welcome the plane and expressed great "relief". "It's a dream being realised today thanks to the support of our UN and international partners," he told reporters, "The vaccine will reach all Lebanese citizens across the country," as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees and other residents, he promised. Lebanon has been under strict lockdown since mid-January, after an unprecedented spike in cases blamed on holiday gatherings that forced overwhelmed hospitals to turn away patients. Vaccination rollout is set to start on Sunday. Health workers will receive their first dose at the Rafik Hariri Hospital, the country's main public hospital tackling the Covid-19 outbreak, the American University of Beirut Medical Centre, and Saint George Orthodox Hospital. "The best gift one can ask for on Valentine's Day," wrote the director of the Rafik Hariri Hospital, Firas Abiad, on Twitter. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, 61, is also to be vaccinated, his office said. Under Lebanon's vaccination plan, medical staff and those over the age of 75 are to receive the jab first. In total Lebanon hopes to receive around six million vaccine doses, including two million from Pfizer/BioNTech and another 2.7 million via the international Covax distribution programme. Half a million people in Lebanon have signed up to receive a vaccine, a health ministry official said, although many are hesitant to get the jab. Of 500 people surveyed by private think-tank Information International, 31 percent said they would get vaccinated, 38 percent said they would rather not, and another 31 percent were undecided. Lebanon was already in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades when Covid-19 hit, and the situation has been exacerbated after a massive blast at Beirut's port in August killed more than 200 people and destroyed large parts of the capital. The World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are to monitor the rollout, they said in a statement Friday. They aim to "ensure fair, broad, and fast access to Covid-19 vaccines to help save lives and support economic recovery", World Bank regional director Saroj Kumar Jha said. Lebanon says 334,086 people have caught coronavirus since February 2020, of whom 3,915 have died.

Lebanon receives first Covid vaccines

Pakistan on Friday approved China`s CanSino Biologics Inc`s (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Health Minister Faisal Sultan said, the fourth candidate authorized in the South Asian nation of 220 million.

Pakistan, largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative for poorer nations, has also allowed private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps.

"Yes, correct," Sultan texted Reuters after being asked if the Drug Regulation Authority had approved the vaccine.

China`s Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Russia`s Sputnik V have also received authorisation.

Pakistan is the second country to approve CanSinoBio after Mexico.

Mexico has signed a deal with CanSino for at least 8 million doses. Pakistan, according to Sultan, could receive "in the range of tens of millions" of doses.

CanSinoBIO last week released interim efficacy results from a multi-country trial, which included Pakistan, showing 65.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic coronavirus cases and a 90.98% success rate in stopping severe infections.

In the Pakistani subset, efficacy of the CanSinoBIO vaccine at preventing symptomatic cases was 74.8% and 100% at preventing severe disease.

The decision to allow commercial imports of the vaccine with an exemption on upper price caps has sparked criticism.

"This step will deepen inequality in society at a time when there is a need to have widespread coverage," former health minister Zafar Mirza told Reuters. "It`s not a good public policy to make it solely the rich can afford to be vaccinated."

Pakistan has recorded more than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 12,000 deaths but has yet to receive any of the 17 million doses it is expected to get through the COVAX initiative.

The country earlier this month launched a vaccination drive with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm donated by longtime ally China to give to frontline healthcare workers as priority.

Pakistan on Friday approved China`s CanSino Biologics Inc`s (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Health Minister Faisal Sultan said, the fourth candidate authorized in the South Asian nation of 220 million.

Pakistan on Friday approved China`s CanSino Biologics Inc`s (CanSinoBIO) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, Health Minister Faisal Sultan said, the fourth candidate authorized in the South Asian nation of 220 million. Pakistan, largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX initiative for poorer nations, has also allowed private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps. "Yes, correct," Sultan texted Reuters after being asked if the Drug Regulation Authority had approved the vaccine. China`s Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Russia`s Sputnik V have also received authorisation. Pakistan is the second country to approve CanSinoBio after Mexico. Mexico has signed a deal with CanSino for at least 8 million doses. Pakistan, according to Sultan, could receive "in the range of tens of millions" of doses. CanSinoBIO last week released interim efficacy results from a multi-country trial, which included Pakistan, showing 65.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic coronavirus cases and a 90.98% success rate in stopping severe infections. In the Pakistani subset, efficacy of the CanSinoBIO vaccine at preventing symptomatic cases was 74.8% and 100% at preventing severe disease. The decision to allow commercial imports of the vaccine with an exemption on upper price caps has sparked criticism. "This step will deepen inequality in society at a time when there is a need to have widespread coverage," former health minister Zafar Mirza told Reuters. "It`s not a good public policy to make it solely the rich can afford to be vaccinated." Pakistan has recorded more than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 12,000 deaths but has yet to receive any of the 17 million doses it is expected to get through the COVAX initiative. The country earlier this month launched a vaccination drive with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm donated by longtime ally China to give to frontline healthcare workers as priority.

Pakistan approves Chinese CanSinoBIO COVID vaccine for emergency use

France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice.

All three Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the European Union are administered in the form of two doses, delivered several weeks apart.&nbsp;

This is because clinical trials showed that immunity against the disease was significantly higher after individuals received two shots.

France's public health authority said Friday however that people who had already been infected with Covid-19 develop an immune response similar to that bestowed by a vaccine dose, and that a single dose after infection would likely suffice.

"A single vaccine dose will also play the role of reminding" their immune system how to fight Covid-19, it said.

The authority recommended a gap of between three and six months after infection before individuals who had recovered from Covid-19 receive a jab.

"At the moment no country has clearly positioned itself in terms of a sole vaccination dose for people who have already contracted Covid-19," it said.

France has accelerated its vaccination programme in recent weeks but it is still in its infancy.&nbsp;

As of Thursday, over 2.1 million people had received at least one vaccine dose, with almost 535,800 having already received two.

At least 3.4 million people have had confirmed Covid-19 infections in France, although there are likely to have been far more given the relative lack of accessible testing during the pandemic's first wave.

Two recent US studies suggest that a single vaccine dose may work in individuals who have already recovered from Covid-19.

One paper said that immunity in individuals who had had Covid-19 and then received a single vaccine dose "is equal to or even exceeds" that of people who have not had Covid-19 but received two vaccine doses.

A vaccine still in development by Johnson &amp; Johnson works with a single dose, but it is yet to receive emergency use authorisation from EU and US regulators.

France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice.

France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice. All three Covid-19 vaccines approved for use in the European Union are administered in the form of two doses, delivered several weeks apart. This is because clinical trials showed that immunity against the disease was significantly higher after individuals received two shots. France's public health authority said Friday however that people who had already been infected with Covid-19 develop an immune response similar to that bestowed by a vaccine dose, and that a single dose after infection would likely suffice. "A single vaccine dose will also play the role of reminding" their immune system how to fight Covid-19, it said. The authority recommended a gap of between three and six months after infection before individuals who had recovered from Covid-19 receive a jab. "At the moment no country has clearly positioned itself in terms of a sole vaccination dose for people who have already contracted Covid-19," it said. France has accelerated its vaccination programme in recent weeks but it is still in its infancy. As of Thursday, over 2.1 million people had received at least one vaccine dose, with almost 535,800 having already received two. At least 3.4 million people have had confirmed Covid-19 infections in France, although there are likely to have been far more given the relative lack of accessible testing during the pandemic's first wave. Two recent US studies suggest that a single vaccine dose may work in individuals who have already recovered from Covid-19. One paper said that immunity in individuals who had had Covid-19 and then received a single vaccine dose "is equal to or even exceeds" that of people who have not had Covid-19 but received two vaccine doses. A vaccine still in development by Johnson & Johnson works with a single dose, but it is yet to receive emergency use authorisation from EU and US regulators.

France recommends single vaccine dose for people who have had Covid

Bosnia began vaccinating its population against the novel coronavirus on Friday, using Russia's Sputnik V jab. It has been announced that only the medical staff will be inoculated for now, given the small supplies available.

Bosnia is now the third Western Balkan nation to begin vaccinating against Covid-19, after Serbia and Albania. The Balkan nation of 3.5 million people has registered 5,000 Covid-19 deaths so far.&nbsp;

In the region, European Union member Croatia has also started vaccinating.

Bosnia, namely its Serb-run half of Republika&nbsp;Srpska, received 2,000 doses of the Russian vaccine. An additional 200,000 are expected by the end of the month and 200,000 more in March, according to the authorities.

The government hopes to receive 200,000 Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines in mid-February through the United Nations' Covax programme, set up to ensure fair access to lower-income nations.

Bosnia ordered 1.2 million doses of jabs through Covax and nearly 900,000 through the EU.

Bosnia began vaccinating its population against the novel coronavirus on Friday, using Russia's Sputnik V jab. It has been announced that only the medical staff will be inoculated for now, given the small supplies available.

Bosnia began vaccinating its population against the novel coronavirus on Friday, using Russia's Sputnik V jab. It has been announced that only the medical staff will be inoculated for now, given the small supplies available. Bosnia is now the third Western Balkan nation to begin vaccinating against Covid-19, after Serbia and Albania. The Balkan nation of 3.5 million people has registered 5,000 Covid-19 deaths so far. In the region, European Union member Croatia has also started vaccinating. Bosnia, namely its Serb-run half of Republika Srpska, received 2,000 doses of the Russian vaccine. An additional 200,000 are expected by the end of the month and 200,000 more in March, according to the authorities. The government hopes to receive 200,000 Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines in mid-February through the United Nations' Covax programme, set up to ensure fair access to lower-income nations. Bosnia ordered 1.2 million doses of jabs through Covax and nearly 900,000 through the EU.

Bosnia starts vaccination drive with Russia's Sputnik V jab

During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, PM Narendra Modi assured him of coronavirus vaccine supplies. India has already sent vaccines to around 20 countries. It has got requests from developing as well as developed nations.

A readout from Indian PM's office said during the talks Prime Minister Trudeau informed PM Modi about "Canada's requirements of COVID-19 vaccines from India" to which the latter "assured...that India would do its best to support Canada's vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already"

The readout said Canadian leader lauded New Delhi saying, "if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significantly because of India's tremendous pharmaceutical capacity" and "Prime Minister Modi's leadership in sharing this capacity with the world."

The vaccines will be supplied commercially from India to Canada. India has already supplied vaccines on a commercial basis to countries like Brazil, Morrocco, South Africa.&nbsp;

During the talks, India and Canada discussed issues such as the economic impact of the pandemic, climate change.

The talks assume significance since ties between the two countries were impacted in December after Canadian PM commented on the farmer protests in India.&nbsp;

Back then, an angry New Delhi had summoned the Canadian envoy to Delhi Nadir Patel and handed over a strong demarche. In fact, the matter was taken up with Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are "unwarranted and unacceptable".

During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, PM Narendra Modi assured him of coronavirus vaccine supplies. India has already sent vaccines to around 20 countries.

During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, PM Narendra Modi assured him of coronavirus vaccine supplies. India has already sent vaccines to around 20 countries. It has got requests from developing as well as developed nations. A readout from Indian PM's office said during the talks Prime Minister Trudeau informed PM Modi about "Canada's requirements of COVID-19 vaccines from India" to which the latter "assured...that India would do its best to support Canada's vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already" The readout said Canadian leader lauded New Delhi saying, "if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, it would be significantly because of India's tremendous pharmaceutical capacity" and "Prime Minister Modi's leadership in sharing this capacity with the world." The vaccines will be supplied commercially from India to Canada. India has already supplied vaccines on a commercial basis to countries like Brazil, Morrocco, South Africa. During the talks, India and Canada discussed issues such as the economic impact of the pandemic, climate change. The talks assume significance since ties between the two countries were impacted in December after Canadian PM commented on the farmer protests in India. Back then, an angry New Delhi had summoned the Canadian envoy to Delhi Nadir Patel and handed over a strong demarche. In fact, the matter was taken up with Canadian authorities both in Ottawa and New Delhi and conveyed that such comments pertaining to the internal affairs of India are "unwarranted and unacceptable".

PM Modi assures Canada's Trudeau of COVID vaccine supplies

German leaders warned Thursday that they could not rule out shutting Germany's borders with its neighbours because of troublingly high coronavirus infections fuelled by more contagious variants in countries like Austria and the Czech Republic.

"We believe it would be sensible to declare both (Austria and Czech Republic) as mutation areas. This will likely happen," said Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder.&nbsp;

He had warned late Wednesday that if the Czech Republic was unable to take appropriate measures to curb contagion, then a "border closure must also be an issue".

Germany in late January banned most travellers from countries classed as so-called mutation areas or places hardest hit by new, more contagious coronavirus variants.

Only a handful of exceptions are allowed to enter Germany from these countries, including returning Germans and essential workers.

With neighbouring EU countries continuing to report high infection numbers in part fuelled by variants, German leaders fear that keeping the borders open could compromise the country's efforts to curb contagion.&nbsp;

Baden-Wuerttemberg state premier Winfried Kretschmann said in a regional parliament session that if virus variants were to keep propagating in neighbouring countries, then "of course that can in the extreme case also lead to border closures".&nbsp;

Austria has already ordered restrictions to stop people leaving the mountainous Tyrol region, which Chancellor Sebastian Kurz says has been hit by the biggest outbreak in Europe of the South African variant.

- Fearing superspreader hotspot -

Anyone leaving the region must now show a negative coronavirus test, with fines of up to 1,450 euros ($1,750) for anyone who fails to comply.

But Soeder, whose region borders Tyrol, said he feared that "a second Ischgl" was in the making -- referring to the Austrian ski region which became a coronavirus superspreader hotspot early on in the pandemic.

Tyrol "is not taking the development seriously," he said.

Meanwhile Saxony state, which lies next to the Czech Republic, said it was imposing tougher checks from Saturday with restrictions to also affect cross-border workers.

Only workers in essential sectors -- such as doctors or employees in elderly care home -- would be allowed to travel in.&nbsp;

But they would be required to take virus tests daily and commit to travel only between their homes and workplaces.

The Czech government said Thursday it would block off three hard-hit districts, including two on the German border, stopping people living in these zones from leaving and others from entering.

Czech public health officials want the curb to be in force for three weeks, although there are likely to be exceptions.

German leaders warned Thursday that they could not rule out shutting Germany's borders with its neighbours because of troublingly high coronavirus infections fuelled by more contagious variants in countries like Austria and the Czech Republic.

German leaders warned Thursday that they could not rule out shutting Germany's borders with its neighbours because of troublingly high coronavirus infections fuelled by more contagious variants in countries like Austria and the Czech Republic. "We believe it would be sensible to declare both (Austria and Czech Republic) as mutation areas. This will likely happen," said Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder. He had warned late Wednesday that if the Czech Republic was unable to take appropriate measures to curb contagion, then a "border closure must also be an issue". Germany in late January banned most travellers from countries classed as so-called mutation areas or places hardest hit by new, more contagious coronavirus variants. Only a handful of exceptions are allowed to enter Germany from these countries, including returning Germans and essential workers. With neighbouring EU countries continuing to report high infection numbers in part fuelled by variants, German leaders fear that keeping the borders open could compromise the country's efforts to curb contagion. Baden-Wuerttemberg state premier Winfried Kretschmann said in a regional parliament session that if virus variants were to keep propagating in neighbouring countries, then "of course that can in the extreme case also lead to border closures". Austria has already ordered restrictions to stop people leaving the mountainous Tyrol region, which Chancellor Sebastian Kurz says has been hit by the biggest outbreak in Europe of the South African variant. - Fearing superspreader hotspot - Anyone leaving the region must now show a negative coronavirus test, with fines of up to 1,450 euros ($1,750) for anyone who fails to comply. But Soeder, whose region borders Tyrol, said he feared that "a second Ischgl" was in the making -- referring to the Austrian ski region which became a coronavirus superspreader hotspot early on in the pandemic. Tyrol "is not taking the development seriously," he said. Meanwhile Saxony state, which lies next to the Czech Republic, said it was imposing tougher checks from Saturday with restrictions to also affect cross-border workers. Only workers in essential sectors -- such as doctors or employees in elderly care home -- would be allowed to travel in. But they would be required to take virus tests daily and commit to travel only between their homes and workplaces. The Czech government said Thursday it would block off three hard-hit districts, including two on the German border, stopping people living in these zones from leaving and others from entering. Czech public health officials want the curb to be in force for three weeks, although there are likely to be exceptions.

Germany warns neighbours of border closures on virus fears

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is not perfect, but will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive predicted on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double supplies to more than 200 million doses per month by April.\

The two-dose shot, developed with Oxford University, has been hailed as a “vaccine for the world” because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals.

But its rapid approval in Europe and elsewhere has been clouded by doubts over its most effective dosage and interval between doses.

Data at the weekend also showed it was less effective against a fast-spreading South African variant of the virus, and the company has been embroiled in a row with the European Union over supply delays.

“Is it perfect? No it’s not perfect, but it’s great. Who else is making 100 million doses in February?” CEO Pascal Soriot said on a conference call about the vaccine.

“We’re going to save thousands of lives and that’s why we come to work everyday.”

AstraZeneca said it expected much-anticipated data from the U.S. trial of the vaccine before the end of March, and that it was confident the shot offered relatively good protection against severe disease and death for the South African variant. Its disappointing results were against milder cases.

However, after rising to become Britain’s most valuable company last summer, the company has now slipped to sixth, in a move some analysts attribute to doubts over the vaccine.

“In a year or two we will look back and everybody will realise we made a big impact,” Soriot said.

<h2>POSTER CHILD</h2>

AstraZeneca’s shares were up more than 2% in morning trade, after the company forecast a pick up in earnings growth this year on strong demand for its cancer and other new therapies.

It has pledged not to make any money from its COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic.

The company said it expected 2021 revenues to rise by a low teens percentage and core earnings of $4.75 to $5.00 per share, as it beat expectations for fourth-quarter sales.

The earnings guidance equates to 18-24% growth, after 15% in 2020, but was a little lower than the $5.10 per share analysts were expecting, as the company flagged more spending this year.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not included in the guidance and the company said its sales would be reported separately from the first quarter of 2021.

While public interest is focused on the vaccine, AstraZeneca’s core business of diabetes, heart, kidney, and cancer medicines has been steadily growing, helping the company to turn around years of decline.

Rounding off its third consecutive year of product sales growth, sales for the three months to December surpassed a company-compiled consensus, while core profit of $1.07 per share was in line with expectations.

Cancer drugs sales, AstraZeneca’s biggest field, jumped 28% in the quarter, led by its top-selling lung cancer drug Tagrisso.

“The company is arguably the poster child for big pharma turnarounds,” said Third Bridge senior analyst Sebastian Skeet.

&nbsp;

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is not perfect, but will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive predicted on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double supplies to more than 200 million doses per month by April.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is not perfect, but will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive predicted on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double supplies to more than 200 million doses per month by April.\ The two-dose shot, developed with Oxford University, has been hailed as a “vaccine for the world” because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals. But its rapid approval in Europe and elsewhere has been clouded by doubts over its most effective dosage and interval between doses. Data at the weekend also showed it was less effective against a fast-spreading South African variant of the virus, and the company has been embroiled in a row with the European Union over supply delays. “Is it perfect? No it’s not perfect, but it’s great. Who else is making 100 million doses in February?” CEO Pascal Soriot said on a conference call about the vaccine. “We’re going to save thousands of lives and that’s why we come to work everyday.” AstraZeneca said it expected much-anticipated data from the U.S. trial of the vaccine before the end of March, and that it was confident the shot offered relatively good protection against severe disease and death for the South African variant. Its disappointing results were against milder cases. However, after rising to become Britain’s most valuable company last summer, the company has now slipped to sixth, in a move some analysts attribute to doubts over the vaccine. “In a year or two we will look back and everybody will realise we made a big impact,” Soriot said. POSTER CHILD AstraZeneca’s shares were up more than 2% in morning trade, after the company forecast a pick up in earnings growth this year on strong demand for its cancer and other new therapies. It has pledged not to make any money from its COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. The company said it expected 2021 revenues to rise by a low teens percentage and core earnings of $4.75 to $5.00 per share, as it beat expectations for fourth-quarter sales. The earnings guidance equates to 18-24% growth, after 15% in 2020, but was a little lower than the $5.10 per share analysts were expecting, as the company flagged more spending this year. The COVID-19 vaccine is not included in the guidance and the company said its sales would be reported separately from the first quarter of 2021. While public interest is focused on the vaccine, AstraZeneca’s core business of diabetes, heart, kidney, and cancer medicines has been steadily growing, helping the company to turn around years of decline. Rounding off its third consecutive year of product sales growth, sales for the three months to December surpassed a company-compiled consensus, while core profit of $1.07 per share was in line with expectations. Cancer drugs sales, AstraZeneca’s biggest field, jumped 28% in the quarter, led by its top-selling lung cancer drug Tagrisso. “The company is arguably the poster child for big pharma turnarounds,” said Third Bridge senior analyst Sebastian Skeet.

Not perfect, but saves lives, AstraZeneca says of Covid vaccine

Pakistan is to allow private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, even as the nation scrambles to secure supplies.

The documents show the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination division had sought a special cabinet exemption to allow for such imports, while excluding the imported vaccines from the strict price cap regime that is typically applied to all drug sales within the country.

The documents show the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the proposal. Health Minister Faisal Sultan confirmed the cabinet decision to Reuters.

The decision is significant as Pakistan has yet to secure substantive volumes of vaccines from any companies and it only this month launched a vaccination drive with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm`s vaccine donated by long-time ally China.

Those shots are first being given out to frontline health workers on a priority basis. 
Sultan said that Pakistan still planned to inoculate its population for free and only a "small minority" who wish to pay for the shots will have that option in the open market.

"Only those who wish to get it via private sector will pay anything," he said. "Personally, my assessment is that when the vaccines are available and we have market competition, that will automatically set the prices."

Pakistan, which has recorded more than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 12,000 deaths, is still largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX vaccine initiative that is aiming to provide shots to poorer nations.

Pakistan has yet to receive any of the 17 million doses it is expected to get through the COVAX initiative.

Pakistan is to allow private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, even as the nation scrambles to secure supplies.

Pakistan is to allow private companies to import coronavirus vaccines and has agreed to exempt such imports from price caps, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, even as the nation scrambles to secure supplies. The documents show the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination division had sought a special cabinet exemption to allow for such imports, while excluding the imported vaccines from the strict price cap regime that is typically applied to all drug sales within the country. The documents show the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the proposal. Health Minister Faisal Sultan confirmed the cabinet decision to Reuters. The decision is significant as Pakistan has yet to secure substantive volumes of vaccines from any companies and it only this month launched a vaccination drive with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm`s vaccine donated by long-time ally China. Those shots are first being given out to frontline health workers on a priority basis. Sultan said that Pakistan still planned to inoculate its population for free and only a "small minority" who wish to pay for the shots will have that option in the open market. "Only those who wish to get it via private sector will pay anything," he said. "Personally, my assessment is that when the vaccines are available and we have market competition, that will automatically set the prices." Pakistan, which has recorded more than 550,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 12,000 deaths, is still largely reliant on the GAVI/WHO COVAX vaccine initiative that is aiming to provide shots to poorer nations. Pakistan has yet to receive any of the 17 million doses it is expected to get through the COVAX initiative.

Pakistan to allow private firms to import Covid shots, exempt from price caps

China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign.

The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website.

On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich but widely impoverished nation of 1.3 million people, declared a nightly curfew and reimposed restrictions that had been lifted against the coronavirus.

The Chinese vaccines will be used to provide two doses to 50,000 people in the front line of the pandemic -- health workers, people with serious underlying illnesses and border officials, the presidency said in its statement.

The president's son, who is also chairman of the National Committee to Fight Covid-19, would be the first person in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine, on Thursday evening.

The tiny state has been ruled by Obiang for the past 41 years and his son is widely considered to be lined up as his successor.

Sinopharm, in an announcement on December 31, said its vaccine was 79 per cent effective. The figure is lower than the 95 and 94 per cent effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

The state has officially recorded 5,614 cases of coronavirus, of which 87 have been fatal.

China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign. The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website.

China has donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the West African state of Equatorial Guinea to help it launch a Covid immunisation campaign. The vaccines were ceremonially handed over at Malabo airport on Wednesday to Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of head of state Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the presidency said on its website. On Tuesday, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich but widely impoverished nation of 1.3 million people, declared a nightly curfew and reimposed restrictions that had been lifted against the coronavirus. The Chinese vaccines will be used to provide two doses to 50,000 people in the front line of the pandemic -- health workers, people with serious underlying illnesses and border officials, the presidency said in its statement. The president's son, who is also chairman of the National Committee to Fight Covid-19, would be the first person in Equatorial Guinea to receive the vaccine, on Thursday evening. The tiny state has been ruled by Obiang for the past 41 years and his son is widely considered to be lined up as his successor. Sinopharm, in an announcement on December 31, said its vaccine was 79 per cent effective. The figure is lower than the 95 and 94 per cent effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The state has officially recorded 5,614 cases of coronavirus, of which 87 have been fatal.

China donates 100,000 Covid vaccines to Equatorial Guinea

Mexico will receive around a million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine sent from India in the early hours of Sunday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.

Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra also made the announcement on Twitter.

"To assist #Mexico's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, I am delighted to confirm that 500,000 Made-in-India vaccines are scheduled to reach here on Sunday," the Indian Embassy in Mexico tweeted.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer.

Earlier on Wednesday, Dominica and Barbados on Wednesday received 'Made in India' COVID-19 vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri initiative.

India has also supplied Indian-made vaccines to countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Mexico will receive around a million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine sent from India in the early hours of Sunday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday.

Mexico will receive around a million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine sent from India in the early hours of Sunday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday. Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra also made the announcement on Twitter. "To assist #Mexico's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, I am delighted to confirm that 500,000 Made-in-India vaccines are scheduled to reach here on Sunday," the Indian Embassy in Mexico tweeted. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. Earlier on Wednesday, Dominica and Barbados on Wednesday received 'Made in India' COVID-19 vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri initiative. India has also supplied Indian-made vaccines to countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Mexico to receive 1 million doses of India-made Covid vaccine

The EU has so far approved three vaccines – those produced by BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca, but roll-outs have been hampered by delivery delays.

EU Chief Ursula Von Der Leyen acknowledges failings in Covid Vaccine rollout

Chinese military on Sunday delivered a batch of Covid vaccines to the Pakistan Army. These vaccines are in addition to the five lakh doses already delivered to Islamabad by Beijing.

China's PLA provides Covid vaccines to Pakistan Army

Hungarian health authorities have approved Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the government said Sunday, with 40,000 doses of the jab already to be given.

Official testing has been completed "and the vaccine may be administered", Miklos Kasler, the human resources minister who is in charge of health, said on social media.

The government had announced Tuesday that it had taken delivery of 40,000 doses of Sputnik V, a first within the European Union.

It is the first batch of a total order of two million doses to be supplied over three months.&nbsp;

Initially viewed with scepticism in the West, the Russian vaccine has since convinced experts of its efficacy.

The medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday published an analysis of final stage testing results showing Sputnik V to be 91.6 percent effective against symptomatic forms of Covid-19.

Hungary, a country of 9.8 million people close to Moscow, has repeatedly criticised the slow pace of the EU's process for acquiring vaccines.

It is also the first EU member state to have reached an accord with the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm, announcing an order of five million doses of its jab.

Inoculation with the Sinopharm vaccine was to begin later in February.

Hungarian health authorities have approved Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the government said Sunday, with 40,000 doses of the jab already to be given. Official testing has been completed "and the vaccine may be administered", Miklos Kasler, the human resources minister who is in charge of health, said on social media.

Hungarian health authorities have approved Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the government said Sunday, with 40,000 doses of the jab already to be given. Official testing has been completed "and the vaccine may be administered", Miklos Kasler, the human resources minister who is in charge of health, said on social media. The government had announced Tuesday that it had taken delivery of 40,000 doses of Sputnik V, a first within the European Union. It is the first batch of a total order of two million doses to be supplied over three months. Initially viewed with scepticism in the West, the Russian vaccine has since convinced experts of its efficacy. The medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday published an analysis of final stage testing results showing Sputnik V to be 91.6 percent effective against symptomatic forms of Covid-19. Hungary, a country of 9.8 million people close to Moscow, has repeatedly criticised the slow pace of the EU's process for acquiring vaccines. It is also the first EU member state to have reached an accord with the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm, announcing an order of five million doses of its jab. Inoculation with the Sinopharm vaccine was to begin later in February.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine gets all-clear in Hungary

LOS ANGELES — An out-of-work stand-up comic originally from New Jersey. An actor and conservative podcast host dressed in a white lab coat. A gadfly who has run several unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Los Angeles. And at least a few who had been in Washington the day of the Capitol riot.

They were among the motley crew of so-called anti-vaxxers who recently converged on the entrance of the mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium to protest distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.

The loosely formed coalition represents a new faction in California’s long-established anti-vaccine movement. And the protest was the latest sign that Californians have become the unlikely standard-bearers for aggressive criticism of the vaccines even as virus cases continue to spread in the state.

California, which has averaged 500 daily deaths tied to the virus over the past week, will soon become the state with the largest number of coronavirus deaths, surpassing New York.

For months, far-right activists across the country have been rallying against mask-wearing rules, business lockdowns, curfews and local public health officials, casting the government’s response to the virus as an intrusion on individual liberties. But as masks and lockdowns become an increasingly routine part of American life, some protesters have shifted the focus of their anti-government anger to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Last week at Dodger Stadium, the same small but vocal band of demonstrators who previously staged anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests in the Los Angeles area disrupted a mass vaccination site that gives an average of 6,120 shots daily. About 50 protesters — some carrying signs reading “Don’t be a lab rat!” and “COVID = Scam” — marched to the entrance and caused the Los Angeles Fire Department to shut down the city-run site for about an hour.

The disruption illustrates the increasingly confrontational bent of some of the state’s vaccine opponents, who have long claimed that mandatory school vaccine laws represent governmental overreach. Many were already skeptical about vaccine science, having read online disinformation sites that claimed early childhood vaccines caused autism, an allegation long refuted.

In California, the anti-vaccine movement has been popular for decades among Hollywood celebrities and wealthy parents, gaining momentum as state lawmakers passed one of the nation’s toughest mandatory vaccination laws for children in 2015. Previously, parents had opted out of vaccinations by seeking exemptions claiming that vaccines conflicted with their personal beliefs, but the law eliminated that option. The popularity of those exemptions led to immunization rates that dropped to 80% or lower at public and private schools and preschools in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and other affluent Los Angeles area communities.

“Anti-vaccine attitudes are as old as vaccines themselves,” said Richard Carpiano, who is a professor of public policy and sociology at the University of California, Riverside, and who studies the anti-vaccine movement. “The other thing that gets tied into this is the wellness movement, this idea that natural is better. There’s a broader kind of mistrust of Big Pharma, and about medical care and medical professions. There is this real market for discontent that these groups can really kind of seize upon.”

In the COVID-19 era in California, vaccine opponents have found themselves increasingly in alignment with pro-Trump, working-class people sometimes eager to embrace extreme tactics to express their beliefs.

Anti-vaccine activists in the state have long been aggressive at times. But in the past two years, and in the months of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an uptick in confrontational and threatening tactics.

They assaulted a lawmaker in Sacramento and threw menstrual blood onto legislators in the Senate chambers at the state Capitol in 2019, and last spring they helped pressure the chief health officer in Orange County to resign by publicly revealing the official’s home address. Last month, two weeks before the stadium vaccination protest, a group of women threatened lawmakers at a budget hearing at the Capitol, telling senators that they were “not taking your shot” and that they “didn’t buy guns for nothing.”

“I think the thing that’s most concerning is that they’re escalating,” said state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and Democrat who wrote vaccination legislation. Pan was struck in the back in 2019 by an anti-vaccine activist and was the likely target of the blood-throwing incident in the Senate chambers that year.

“This movement not only puts out mis- or disinformation about vaccines or lies about vaccines, which in itself can be harmful, but they are also aggressively bullying, threatening and intimidating people who are trying to share accurate information about vaccines,” he said.

Protesters who attended and helped organize the Dodger Stadium demonstration said they did not attempt to enter the site and did not block the entrance. They blamed firefighters for overreacting to their presence and shutting the gates and said their goal was to educate those waiting for vaccinations but not prevent them from driving inside to get their shots.

One of the protesters, a 48-year-old actor whose first name is Nick and who asked that his last name not be published because of death threats the group had received, said he did not believe that any of the protesters were part of previously established anti-vaccine groups in the state. “This has all stemmed as a result of this whole COVID-19 crisis,” he said. “It started with the mask-wearing and evolved to now being concerned over the vaccine. It’s all about civil liberties.”

The lead organizer, Jason Lefkowitz, 42, a stand-up comic and server at a Beverly Hills restaurant, said the catalyst for the stadium protest was the death of Hank Aaron, the baseball legend who died at the age of 86 on Jan. 22.

Aaron was vaccinated for the coronavirus in Atlanta on Jan. 5, and anti-vaccine activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have seized on his death to draw a link. The Fulton County medical examiner has said there was no evidence that he had an allergic or anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine.

“I’m not a violent person,” Lefkowitz said. “Nobody in my group is violent or physical or anything, but there’s a lot of people that don’t want to take this vaccine or be forced into it.”

No one was arrested, but city officials, including the police chief, were disturbed by the symbolism and the global headlines — that a small group of vaccine opponents had temporarily shut down one of the country’s largest vaccination sites and was walking and chanting mask-free among older residents waiting in their cars for their vaccine appointments.

“The optics of it is that it appeared that the protesters were able to symbolically interfere with that line, and I think that we have a greater public responsibility to ensure that that symbolism is not repeated,” Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission at a virtual meeting.

Protesters were planning to return to Dodger Stadium and were more energized by the attention than discouraged by the social media criticism. Lefkowitz said that after the Fire Department shut the gates, he immediately took it as a positive sign for his group.

“They’re indirectly helping us, because now I’m like, ‘Oh, this is going to make the news,’” Lefkowitz said.

The ease with which many of the protesters have slipped from anti-mask to anti-vaccine ideology was on display in one Facebook livestream.

A protester at the site, Omar Navarro, a frequent Republican challenger to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told his Facebook viewers that he was “100% certain” that voter fraud led to President Joe Biden’s victory; touted the effort to recall the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom; and called Democrats “the real virus.”

“They want to deceive us,” Navarro said in the video. “They want to control us. They want to put this muzzle on our face, this mask, which I don’t use.”

One of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in Southern California, Leigh Dundas, a lawyer, spoke at a rally in Washington the day before the Capitol riot and posted videos on social media as she stood outside the building Jan. 6, shouting, “This is 1776 all over again!”

In May, Dundas led a push to force out Orange County’s chief health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick, over her mask order, which was unpopular in the historically conservative county. Quick received death threats and was given a security detail. During a Board of Supervisors meeting, Dundas ridiculed Quick’s credentials, announced her home address and said she was going to have people “do calisthenics in masks on her front doorstep, and when people start dropping like flies, and they will, I am going to ask every single first responder in a 30-mile radius to roll lights and sirens to her front door.”

Quick resigned nearly two weeks later.

Kenneth Austin Bennett, the activist who attacked Pan, the state senator, was charged with misdemeanor battery and was scheduled to be rearraigned in a few weeks. Rebecca Dalelio, who was arrested after throwing blood from the Senate gallery, was charged with felony assault on a public official and felony vandalism and has a preliminary hearing this month. A spokesperson for state Sen. Toni Atkins, the Senate president pro tempore, said a report was filed with law enforcement after the women made the threatening gun-related remarks in January.

Pan said the lack of arrests at the Dodger Stadium protest suggested that anti-vaccine extremists would feel emboldened.

“There’s a history of people being bullying and intimidating, and there’s very little consequence for doing this, and so they escalate, and they escalate, and they escalate,” he said.

LOS ANGELES — An out-of-work stand-up comic originally from New Jersey. An actor and conservative podcast host dressed in a white lab coat. A gadfly who has run several unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — An out-of-work stand-up comic originally from New Jersey. An actor and conservative podcast host dressed in a white lab coat. A gadfly who has run several unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Los Angeles. And at least a few who had been in Washington the day of the Capitol riot. They were among the motley crew of so-called anti-vaxxers who recently converged on the entrance of the mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium to protest distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. The loosely formed coalition represents a new faction in California’s long-established anti-vaccine movement. And the protest was the latest sign that Californians have become the unlikely standard-bearers for aggressive criticism of the vaccines even as virus cases continue to spread in the state. California, which has averaged 500 daily deaths tied to the virus over the past week, will soon become the state with the largest number of coronavirus deaths, surpassing New York. For months, far-right activists across the country have been rallying against mask-wearing rules, business lockdowns, curfews and local public health officials, casting the government’s response to the virus as an intrusion on individual liberties. But as masks and lockdowns become an increasingly routine part of American life, some protesters have shifted the focus of their anti-government anger to the COVID-19 vaccines. Last week at Dodger Stadium, the same small but vocal band of demonstrators who previously staged anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests in the Los Angeles area disrupted a mass vaccination site that gives an average of 6,120 shots daily. About 50 protesters — some carrying signs reading “Don’t be a lab rat!” and “COVID = Scam” — marched to the entrance and caused the Los Angeles Fire Department to shut down the city-run site for about an hour. The disruption illustrates the increasingly confrontational bent of some of the state’s vaccine opponents, who have long claimed that mandatory school vaccine laws represent governmental overreach. Many were already skeptical about vaccine science, having read online disinformation sites that claimed early childhood vaccines caused autism, an allegation long refuted. In California, the anti-vaccine movement has been popular for decades among Hollywood celebrities and wealthy parents, gaining momentum as state lawmakers passed one of the nation’s toughest mandatory vaccination laws for children in 2015. Previously, parents had opted out of vaccinations by seeking exemptions claiming that vaccines conflicted with their personal beliefs, but the law eliminated that option. The popularity of those exemptions led to immunization rates that dropped to 80% or lower at public and private schools and preschools in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and other affluent Los Angeles area communities. “Anti-vaccine attitudes are as old as vaccines themselves,” said Richard Carpiano, who is a professor of public policy and sociology at the University of California, Riverside, and who studies the anti-vaccine movement. “The other thing that gets tied into this is the wellness movement, this idea that natural is better. There’s a broader kind of mistrust of Big Pharma, and about medical care and medical professions. There is this real market for discontent that these groups can really kind of seize upon.” In the COVID-19 era in California, vaccine opponents have found themselves increasingly in alignment with pro-Trump, working-class people sometimes eager to embrace extreme tactics to express their beliefs. Anti-vaccine activists in the state have long been aggressive at times. But in the past two years, and in the months of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an uptick in confrontational and threatening tactics. They assaulted a lawmaker in Sacramento and threw menstrual blood onto legislators in the Senate chambers at the state Capitol in 2019, and last spring they helped pressure the chief health officer in Orange County to resign by publicly revealing the official’s home address. Last month, two weeks before the stadium vaccination protest, a group of women threatened lawmakers at a budget hearing at the Capitol, telling senators that they were “not taking your shot” and that they “didn’t buy guns for nothing.” “I think the thing that’s most concerning is that they’re escalating,” said state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and Democrat who wrote vaccination legislation. Pan was struck in the back in 2019 by an anti-vaccine activist and was the likely target of the blood-throwing incident in the Senate chambers that year. “This movement not only puts out mis- or disinformation about vaccines or lies about vaccines, which in itself can be harmful, but they are also aggressively bullying, threatening and intimidating people who are trying to share accurate information about vaccines,” he said. Protesters who attended and helped organize the Dodger Stadium demonstration said they did not attempt to enter the site and did not block the entrance. They blamed firefighters for overreacting to their presence and shutting the gates and said their goal was to educate those waiting for vaccinations but not prevent them from driving inside to get their shots. One of the protesters, a 48-year-old actor whose first name is Nick and who asked that his last name not be published because of death threats the group had received, said he did not believe that any of the protesters were part of previously established anti-vaccine groups in the state. “This has all stemmed as a result of this whole COVID-19 crisis,” he said. “It started with the mask-wearing and evolved to now being concerned over the vaccine. It’s all about civil liberties.” The lead organizer, Jason Lefkowitz, 42, a stand-up comic and server at a Beverly Hills restaurant, said the catalyst for the stadium protest was the death of Hank Aaron, the baseball legend who died at the age of 86 on Jan. 22. Aaron was vaccinated for the coronavirus in Atlanta on Jan. 5, and anti-vaccine activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have seized on his death to draw a link. The Fulton County medical examiner has said there was no evidence that he had an allergic or anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine. “I’m not a violent person,” Lefkowitz said. “Nobody in my group is violent or physical or anything, but there’s a lot of people that don’t want to take this vaccine or be forced into it.” No one was arrested, but city officials, including the police chief, were disturbed by the symbolism and the global headlines — that a small group of vaccine opponents had temporarily shut down one of the country’s largest vaccination sites and was walking and chanting mask-free among older residents waiting in their cars for their vaccine appointments. “The optics of it is that it appeared that the protesters were able to symbolically interfere with that line, and I think that we have a greater public responsibility to ensure that that symbolism is not repeated,” Chief Michel Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission at a virtual meeting. Protesters were planning to return to Dodger Stadium and were more energized by the attention than discouraged by the social media criticism. Lefkowitz said that after the Fire Department shut the gates, he immediately took it as a positive sign for his group. “They’re indirectly helping us, because now I’m like, ‘Oh, this is going to make the news,’” Lefkowitz said. The ease with which many of the protesters have slipped from anti-mask to anti-vaccine ideology was on display in one Facebook livestream. A protester at the site, Omar Navarro, a frequent Republican challenger to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told his Facebook viewers that he was “100% certain” that voter fraud led to President Joe Biden’s victory; touted the effort to recall the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom; and called Democrats “the real virus.” “They want to deceive us,” Navarro said in the video. “They want to control us. They want to put this muzzle on our face, this mask, which I don’t use.” One of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in Southern California, Leigh Dundas, a lawyer, spoke at a rally in Washington the day before the Capitol riot and posted videos on social media as she stood outside the building Jan. 6, shouting, “This is 1776 all over again!” In May, Dundas led a push to force out Orange County’s chief health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick, over her mask order, which was unpopular in the historically conservative county. Quick received death threats and was given a security detail. During a Board of Supervisors meeting, Dundas ridiculed Quick’s credentials, announced her home address and said she was going to have people “do calisthenics in masks on her front doorstep, and when people start dropping like flies, and they will, I am going to ask every single first responder in a 30-mile radius to roll lights and sirens to her front door.” Quick resigned nearly two weeks later. Kenneth Austin Bennett, the activist who attacked Pan, the state senator, was charged with misdemeanor battery and was scheduled to be rearraigned in a few weeks. Rebecca Dalelio, who was arrested after throwing blood from the Senate gallery, was charged with felony assault on a public official and felony vandalism and has a preliminary hearing this month. A spokesperson for state Sen. Toni Atkins, the Senate president pro tempore, said a report was filed with law enforcement after the women made the threatening gun-related remarks in January. Pan said the lack of arrests at the Dodger Stadium protest suggested that anti-vaccine extremists would feel emboldened. “There’s a history of people being bullying and intimidating, and there’s very little consequence for doing this, and so they escalate, and they escalate, and they escalate,” he said.

A new front in the anti-vaccine fight emerges in California

Chinese military on Sunday delivered a batch of Covid vaccines to the Pakistan Army. These vaccines are in addition to the five lakh doses already delivered to Islamabad by Beijing.

Pakistan on Monday received the first batch of 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from China, as the country was gearing up to kick start its immunisation drive.

With this, the Pakistan Army has become the first foreign military to receive the COVID-19 vaccine aid from the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The PLA also delivered a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to the Cambodian military after receiving a request for it.

According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Cambodian Army was among the first batch of the foreign military to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military.

The move comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan reached 554,474. With 53 new deaths, the number of fatalities has gone up to 11,967, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.

Meanwhile, China has granted conditional approval for its second COVID-19 vaccine, ahead of the expected emergency approval from the WHO for two of its jabs that would enable the country to step-up global supplies of the shots.

Sinovac Biotech announced on Saturday that CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19, received authorisation from the National Medical Products Administration for conditional mass use in China.

Beijing authorised the state-owned Sinopharm's vaccine in December.

Chinese military on Sunday delivered a batch of Covid vaccines to the Pakistan Army. These vaccines are in addition to the five lakh doses already delivered to Islamabad by Beijing. Pakistan on Monday received the first batch of 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from China, as the country was gearing up to kick start its immunisation drive. With this, the Pakistan Army has become the first foreign military to receive the COVID-19 vaccine aid from the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA also delivered a batch of COVID-19 vaccines to the Cambodian military after receiving a request for it. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Cambodian Army was among the first batch of the foreign military to receive COVID-19 vaccine aid from the Chinese military. The move comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan reached 554,474. With 53 new deaths, the number of fatalities has gone up to 11,967, according to the Ministry of National Health Services. Meanwhile, China has granted conditional approval for its second COVID-19 vaccine, ahead of the expected emergency approval from the WHO for two of its jabs that would enable the country to step-up global supplies of the shots. Sinovac Biotech announced on Saturday that CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19, received authorisation from the National Medical Products Administration for conditional mass use in China. Beijing authorised the state-owned Sinopharm's vaccine in December.

Indonesia has approved China`s Sinovac Biotech`s COVID-19 vaccine for its elderly population, the country`s food and drugs authority (BPOM) said in a letter to state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma seen by Reuters on Saturday.

The letter showed that Bio Farma has approved the vaccine for those aged 60 and above after `taking into account the emergency situation".

Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for the country`s COVID-19 task force, confirmed the authenticity of the letter, as did a Bio Farma spokesman.

A BPOM spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Southeast Asian country gave Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine its first emergency use approval outside China as the world’s fourth most populous country launches nationwide inoculations.

Indonesia has approved China`s Sinovac Biotech`s COVID-19 vaccine for its elderly population, the country`s food and drugs authority (BPOM) said in a letter to state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Indonesia has approved China`s Sinovac Biotech`s COVID-19 vaccine for its elderly population, the country`s food and drugs authority (BPOM) said in a letter to state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma seen by Reuters on Saturday. The letter showed that Bio Farma has approved the vaccine for those aged 60 and above after `taking into account the emergency situation". Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for the country`s COVID-19 task force, confirmed the authenticity of the letter, as did a Bio Farma spokesman. A BPOM spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Southeast Asian country gave Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine its first emergency use approval outside China as the world’s fourth most populous country launches nationwide inoculations.

Indonesia approves China's Sinovac vaccine for the elderly

Iran will kick off its coronavirus vaccination campaign within a week, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday, after the country received its first batch of Russia's Sputnik V jab.

The Islamic republic is fighting the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus, with over 58,000 lives lost out of more than 1.4 million cases of infection.

Iran has bought two million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told AFP.

The first batch arrived in the country on Thursday, and the country is scheduled to receive two more batches by February 28.

"Vaccinations will start this very week; this is a real cause for celebration," Rouhani told a televised meeting of Iran's Covid-19 taskforce.

He did not give a specific date, only saying that the programme would begin before next Wednesday, which marks the 42nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution.

Health workers would be the first to get the jabs, followed by the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, Rouhani said.

The president expressed hope that the first three categories would be inoculated before the Persian New Year on March 21.

Russia registered the Sputnik V vaccine -- named after the Soviet-era satellite -- in August last year, before the start of large-scale clinical trials.

In addition to the Russian jab, Iran is expecting to receive 4.2 million doses of a vaccine from the Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca in February.

They were purchased via Covax, the mechanism for the equitable distribution of vaccines established by the UN World Health Organization.

Iran started clinical trials of one of its own vaccines in late December, and according to Rouhani, they may become available by early summer.

Iran will kick off its coronavirus vaccination campaign within a week, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday, after the country received its first batch of Russia's Sputnik V jab.

Iran will kick off its coronavirus vaccination campaign within a week, President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday, after the country received its first batch of Russia's Sputnik V jab. The Islamic republic is fighting the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus, with over 58,000 lives lost out of more than 1.4 million cases of infection. Iran has bought two million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told AFP. The first batch arrived in the country on Thursday, and the country is scheduled to receive two more batches by February 28. "Vaccinations will start this very week; this is a real cause for celebration," Rouhani told a televised meeting of Iran's Covid-19 taskforce. He did not give a specific date, only saying that the programme would begin before next Wednesday, which marks the 42nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution. Health workers would be the first to get the jabs, followed by the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, Rouhani said. The president expressed hope that the first three categories would be inoculated before the Persian New Year on March 21. Russia registered the Sputnik V vaccine -- named after the Soviet-era satellite -- in August last year, before the start of large-scale clinical trials. In addition to the Russian jab, Iran is expecting to receive 4.2 million doses of a vaccine from the Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca in February. They were purchased via Covax, the mechanism for the equitable distribution of vaccines established by the UN World Health Organization. Iran started clinical trials of one of its own vaccines in late December, and according to Rouhani, they may become available by early summer.

Iran to start Covid vaccination within a week

China will provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal on a grant basis.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Gyawali on Friday evening, and assured that Beijing would accord priority to Kathmandu in vaccine cooperation.&nbsp;

In addition, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang announced China would provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal on a grant basis.

The Embassy of China in Kathmandu recently said that China would provide 300,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that is expected to benefit 150,000 Nepali people. During the telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers, China increased the grant assistance to 500,000 doses. During the phone conversation with Gyawali, Wang said China attaches great importance to Nepal's urgent need of Covid vaccines and has decided to provide the first batch of vaccine aid for the country.

The Chinese company producing the vaccine is yet to submit all necessary documents to the Nepal government. Without the green signal from the government, the BIBP-CorV vaccine -- developed by Sinopharm -- cannot be brought to Nepal.

China's move to supply the coronavirus vaccine to Nepal is seen as Beijing's efforts to step-up its vaccine diplomacy amid projections from experts that India could become a key player in distributing the jabs to the world.

China will provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal on a grant basis. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Gyawali on Friday evening, and assured that Beijing would accord priority to Kathmandu in vaccine cooperation.

China will provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal on a grant basis. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his Nepali counterpart Pradeep Gyawali on Friday evening, and assured that Beijing would accord priority to Kathmandu in vaccine cooperation. In addition, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang announced China would provide 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal on a grant basis. The Embassy of China in Kathmandu recently said that China would provide 300,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that is expected to benefit 150,000 Nepali people. During the telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers, China increased the grant assistance to 500,000 doses. During the phone conversation with Gyawali, Wang said China attaches great importance to Nepal's urgent need of Covid vaccines and has decided to provide the first batch of vaccine aid for the country. The Chinese company producing the vaccine is yet to submit all necessary documents to the Nepal government. Without the green signal from the government, the BIBP-CorV vaccine -- developed by Sinopharm -- cannot be brought to Nepal. China's move to supply the coronavirus vaccine to Nepal is seen as Beijing's efforts to step-up its vaccine diplomacy amid projections from experts that India could become a key player in distributing the jabs to the world.

Nepal to get 500,000 doses of Covid vaccine from China under grant assistance

New US Covid-19 cases have declined by 61 percent compared to the peak level on January 8, officials said Friday, as they announced troops were being deployed to support the national vaccine campaign.&nbsp;

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky said that latest official data from February 3 showed new infections were down to approximately 121,000, while hospitalizations were down nearly 42 percent and the pace of deaths appears to be slowing.

"While the data are moving in the right direction, context is important because cases, hospital admissions, and deaths, all remain high and well above the levels that we saw in the summer and early fall," Walensky said during a briefing by the White House's Covid-19 Response Team.

The Department of Defense meanwhile announced it had approved 1,110 active duty members to assist at five federal Covid-19 vaccination centers. That number could eventually rise to 10,000.

The new administration of President Joe Biden has set its sights on delivering 150 million doses of Covid shots in the first 100 days of office -- a challenge made all the more pressing by the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus that are more transmissible and reduce the efficacy of vaccines.

To this end, Tim Manning, the national supply chain manager for the Covid response, said the government was invoking emergency legislation called the Defense Production Act to give Pfizer priority access to the raw ingredients for its vaccine.

The legislation is also being used to help deliver 60 million more point-of-care or at-home tests by summer, and to increase the domestic manufacture of surgical gloves.

The US Food and Drug Administration is meanwhile examining vaccine data submitted to it by Johnson &amp; Johnson, ahead of a meeting by an independent advisory panel on February 26.

The panel is likely to advise in favor of emergency use authorization (EUA) given the positive data announced from J&amp;J's multi continent trial, which found the single-shot vaccine overall 66 percent effective, but highly protective against severe Covid.

An EUA would follow soon after, bringing a third vaccine into the picture, with vaccines by AstraZeneca and Novavax on the horizon.

New US Covid-19 cases have declined by 61 percent compared to the peak level on January 8, officials said Friday, as they announced troops were being deployed to support the national vaccine campaign.

New US Covid-19 cases have declined by 61 percent compared to the peak level on January 8, officials said Friday, as they announced troops were being deployed to support the national vaccine campaign. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky said that latest official data from February 3 showed new infections were down to approximately 121,000, while hospitalizations were down nearly 42 percent and the pace of deaths appears to be slowing. "While the data are moving in the right direction, context is important because cases, hospital admissions, and deaths, all remain high and well above the levels that we saw in the summer and early fall," Walensky said during a briefing by the White House's Covid-19 Response Team. The Department of Defense meanwhile announced it had approved 1,110 active duty members to assist at five federal Covid-19 vaccination centers. That number could eventually rise to 10,000. The new administration of President Joe Biden has set its sights on delivering 150 million doses of Covid shots in the first 100 days of office -- a challenge made all the more pressing by the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus that are more transmissible and reduce the efficacy of vaccines. To this end, Tim Manning, the national supply chain manager for the Covid response, said the government was invoking emergency legislation called the Defense Production Act to give Pfizer priority access to the raw ingredients for its vaccine. The legislation is also being used to help deliver 60 million more point-of-care or at-home tests by summer, and to increase the domestic manufacture of surgical gloves. The US Food and Drug Administration is meanwhile examining vaccine data submitted to it by Johnson & Johnson, ahead of a meeting by an independent advisory panel on February 26. The panel is likely to advise in favor of emergency use authorization (EUA) given the positive data announced from J&J's multi continent trial, which found the single-shot vaccine overall 66 percent effective, but highly protective against severe Covid. An EUA would follow soon after, bringing a third vaccine into the picture, with vaccines by AstraZeneca and Novavax on the horizon.

US Covid cases down 61% since peak, troops deployed for vaccine campaign

AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine has similar efficacy against the variant first identified in Kent, southern England, as previously circulating strains,&nbsp;the university said on Friday.

The findings, released in a preprint paper on Friday, also detailed recent analysis showing that vaccination with the shot results in a reduction in the duration of shedding and viral load. This, in turn, may translate into a reduced transmission of the disease, Oxford University said.

"Data from our trials of the ChAdOx1 vaccine in the United Kingdom indicate that the vaccine not only protects against the original pandemic virus, but also protects against the novel variant, B.1.1.7, which caused the surge in disease from the end of 2020 across the UK," said Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial.

Sarah Gilbert, co-developer of the vaccine, said that, although the vaccine had efficacy against the UK variant, it might need to be adapted for a future variant.

Earlier in the day, British regulators also received extra trial data from AstraZeneca that supports their view that the vaccine was effective in the elderly.

Britain has been rolling out the shot among all age groups after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was the first regulator to approve it in December, but some other European countries have said more data is needed before it is given to those over 65.

The variant, first identified in Kent, southern England, is more easily transmissible, prompting many countries to restrict travel to Britain.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine has similar efficacy against the variant first identified in Kent, southern England, as previously circulating strains, the university said on Friday.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine has similar efficacy against the variant first identified in Kent, southern England, as previously circulating strains, the university said on Friday. The findings, released in a preprint paper on Friday, also detailed recent analysis showing that vaccination with the shot results in a reduction in the duration of shedding and viral load. This, in turn, may translate into a reduced transmission of the disease, Oxford University said. "Data from our trials of the ChAdOx1 vaccine in the United Kingdom indicate that the vaccine not only protects against the original pandemic virus, but also protects against the novel variant, B.1.1.7, which caused the surge in disease from the end of 2020 across the UK," said Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial. Sarah Gilbert, co-developer of the vaccine, said that, although the vaccine had efficacy against the UK variant, it might need to be adapted for a future variant. Earlier in the day, British regulators also received extra trial data from AstraZeneca that supports their view that the vaccine was effective in the elderly. Britain has been rolling out the shot among all age groups after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was the first regulator to approve it in December, but some other European countries have said more data is needed before it is given to those over 65. The variant, first identified in Kent, southern England, is more easily transmissible, prompting many countries to restrict travel to Britain.

Oxford confirms COVID-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca works against UK variant

Britain has agreed on a deal with German biotech firm CureVac to work to develop vaccines against coronavirus variants. The country has even, to this end, placed an initial order for 50 million doses in case they are needed.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cited the possibility of new variants of the coronavirus as one of the biggest risks to the vaccine rollout and hopes that the economy can start to be reopened from lockdown in the spring. Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines being rolled out appear to work well against variants currently dominant in Britain.

The government said that almost all vaccines developed through the partnership would be variants of CureVac's existing shot, which is currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials.

For CureVac, the alliance marks another move to catch up with leading mRNA vaccine developers BioNTech and Moderna and to regain the pole position for a new generation of vaccines that prevent more than one variant in one treatment course.

On Wednesday, it announced a partnership with Britain's GlaxoSmithKline on vaccines against variants.

CureVac said it chose Britain because of its leading role in analysing the viral genetic makeup as the pathogen evolves, and the country's head start in rolling out the first generation of vaccines.

Britain has agreed on a deal with German biotech firm CureVac to work to develop vaccines against coronavirus variants. The country has even, to this end, placed an initial order for 50 million doses in case they are needed.

Britain has agreed on a deal with German biotech firm CureVac to work to develop vaccines against coronavirus variants. The country has even, to this end, placed an initial order for 50 million doses in case they are needed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cited the possibility of new variants of the coronavirus as one of the biggest risks to the vaccine rollout and hopes that the economy can start to be reopened from lockdown in the spring. Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines being rolled out appear to work well against variants currently dominant in Britain. The government said that almost all vaccines developed through the partnership would be variants of CureVac's existing shot, which is currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials. For CureVac, the alliance marks another move to catch up with leading mRNA vaccine developers BioNTech and Moderna and to regain the pole position for a new generation of vaccines that prevent more than one variant in one treatment course. On Wednesday, it announced a partnership with Britain's GlaxoSmithKline on vaccines against variants. CureVac said it chose Britain because of its leading role in analysing the viral genetic makeup as the pathogen evolves, and the country's head start in rolling out the first generation of vaccines.

UK plans to work with Germany's CureVac on vaccines against coronavirus variants

AstraZeneca has filed for approval of its coronavirus vaccine in Japan, and has become the second major pharmaceutical firm to ask Tokyo to authorise its jabs.

Japan has reached deals with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna to buy enough Covid-19 vaccine doses for its population of 126 million. But it is yet to approve any inoculations with less than six months before the Tokyo Olympics.

The Pfizer jab will likely be the first to get the go-ahead later this month after the US firm filed for approval in December. Moderna is yet to formally file for approval. The Pfizer jab is likely to be approved in Japan on February 15, Kyodo News reported Thursday.

Olympic chiefs insist the Tokyo Games will begin in July, despite new waves of Covid infections in Japan and worldwide.

Participants will be encouraged to be vaccinated against Covid-19, organisers have said, but there will be no obligation.

Japan is yet to announce an official schedule for vaccinations, but after targeted jabs for healthcare workers, it is expected to begin inoculating the elderly from April.

AstraZeneca said it will file data of a clinical trial involving 256 patients in Japan in March. The UK drugmaker plans to produce 90 million shots in Japan, of the 120 million it has agreed to provide to the country.

AstraZeneca has filed for approval of its coronavirus vaccine in Japan, and has become the second major pharmaceutical firm to ask Tokyo to authorise its jabs. Japan has reached deals with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna to buy enough Covid-19 vaccine doses for its population of 126 million.

AstraZeneca has filed for approval of its coronavirus vaccine in Japan, and has become the second major pharmaceutical firm to ask Tokyo to authorise its jabs. Japan has reached deals with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna to buy enough Covid-19 vaccine doses for its population of 126 million. But it is yet to approve any inoculations with less than six months before the Tokyo Olympics. The Pfizer jab will likely be the first to get the go-ahead later this month after the US firm filed for approval in December. Moderna is yet to formally file for approval. The Pfizer jab is likely to be approved in Japan on February 15, Kyodo News reported Thursday. Olympic chiefs insist the Tokyo Games will begin in July, despite new waves of Covid infections in Japan and worldwide. Participants will be encouraged to be vaccinated against Covid-19, organisers have said, but there will be no obligation. Japan is yet to announce an official schedule for vaccinations, but after targeted jabs for healthcare workers, it is expected to begin inoculating the elderly from April. AstraZeneca said it will file data of a clinical trial involving 256 patients in Japan in March. The UK drugmaker plans to produce 90 million shots in Japan, of the 120 million it has agreed to provide to the country.

AstraZeneca files vaccine for approval in Japan

European Union Parliamentarians have strongly backed India and South Africa's joint proposal at the World Trade Organization for a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID vaccine patents in a letter to EU leadership. The letter by 14 EU MEPs or members of the European Parliamentarians has called for a moratorium on the suspension of covid-19 vaccine patents.

The two page letter on Covid vaccine highlighted that, "South Africa and India sent a joint proposal to the World Trade Organization requesting an exemption from patents and other intellectual property rights concerning drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, personal protective equipment, and other medical technologies throughout the pandemic and this proposal is still pending."

The letter seen by WION has asked European Union to "support for India and South Africa's proposal at the WTO" with the aim to "guarantee widespread and equitable access to vaccines on a global scale"

WTO had met in December to take up the proposal for waiver of Intellectual property over Covid vaccines but failed to arrive at the decision over stiff opposition from United States, European Union and others. The proposal for waiver on IP rights for covid vaccines means affordable access to everyone even as countries try to vaccinate their population.

The letter by the EU MEP has been sent to President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis and European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Honorable Stella Kyriakides.

The MEPs who have sent the letter are--Andrea Cozzolino, Maria Arena, Eva Kaili, Alex Agius Saliba, Bogusław Liberadzki, Tiemo Woelken, Milan Brglez, Patrizia Toia, Irene Tinagli, Pierfrancesco Majorino, Pina Picierno, Giuliano Pisapia, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Franco Roberti.

The development comes amid the ongoing tiff between EU and AstraZeneca over vaccine supplies. Media reports are calling the India-South African proposal as a "nuclear option" and it is already leading a divide in the already divided group. In fact, the Italian Parliament had backed the proposal as far as December. A patent pause amid the Covid pandemic looks a humane action but for many license holders would see it as a loss, and would call for a pushback against it.

European Union Parliamentarians have strongly backed India and South Africa's joint proposal at the World Trade Organization for a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID vaccine patents in a letter to EU leadership.

European Union Parliamentarians have strongly backed India and South Africa's joint proposal at the World Trade Organization for a waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID vaccine patents in a letter to EU leadership. The letter by 14 EU MEPs or members of the European Parliamentarians has called for a moratorium on the suspension of covid-19 vaccine patents. The two page letter on Covid vaccine highlighted that, "South Africa and India sent a joint proposal to the World Trade Organization requesting an exemption from patents and other intellectual property rights concerning drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, personal protective equipment, and other medical technologies throughout the pandemic and this proposal is still pending." The letter seen by WION has asked European Union to "support for India and South Africa's proposal at the WTO" with the aim to "guarantee widespread and equitable access to vaccines on a global scale" WTO had met in December to take up the proposal for waiver of Intellectual property over Covid vaccines but failed to arrive at the decision over stiff opposition from United States, European Union and others. The proposal for waiver on IP rights for covid vaccines means affordable access to everyone even as countries try to vaccinate their population. The letter by the EU MEP has been sent to President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis and European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Honorable Stella Kyriakides. The MEPs who have sent the letter are--Andrea Cozzolino, Maria Arena, Eva Kaili, Alex Agius Saliba, Bogusław Liberadzki, Tiemo Woelken, Milan Brglez, Patrizia Toia, Irene Tinagli, Pierfrancesco Majorino, Pina Picierno, Giuliano Pisapia, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Franco Roberti. The development comes amid the ongoing tiff between EU and AstraZeneca over vaccine supplies. Media reports are calling the India-South African proposal as a "nuclear option" and it is already leading a divide in the already divided group. In fact, the Italian Parliament had backed the proposal as far as December. A patent pause amid the Covid pandemic looks a humane action but for many license holders would see it as a loss, and would call for a pushback against it.

EU Parliamentarians back India-South Africa proposal for IPR waiver on Covid vaccine patents

Emergency measures to curtail the coronavirus pandemic took tolls on democratic freedoms around the world last year, with setbacks in the West even as some Asian countries made progress, a report said Wednesday.

The annual "Democracy Index" published by the Economist Intelligence Unit found an erosion of personal rights in nearly 70 percent of the 167 countries analysed.

France and Portugal in particular were downgraded to the rank of "flawed democracies" -- in France's case because of lockdowns and other restrictions on movement.

That pulled down its aggregate ranking on subjects including civil liberties, political participation and functioning of government.

Portugal's slide reflected in part fewer parliamentary debates during the health crisis to function as a check on the prime minister's powers.

Overall, "the pandemic resulted in the withdrawal of civil liberties on a massive scale and fuelled an existing trend of intolerance and censorship of dissenting opinion," the report found.

Even though in many cases citizens approved or at least accepted drastic social distancing rules aimed at limiting Covid deaths, incoherent policies and enforcement undermined trust in government and democratic norms for many.

"The withdrawal of civil liberties, attacks on freedom of expression and the failures of democratic accountability that occurred as a result of the pandemic are grave matters," the report found.

In Asia, however, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were promoted to "full democracies" from "flawed," as government's "reacted decisively" to the crisis and "retained the confidence of their populations."

Even though Asia still lags overall in terms of democratic freedoms, "the novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift in the global balance of power from the West to the East," the study said.

The United States also retained its "flawed democracy" status, with more active voter participation in government offset by deep mistrust of political parties and dysfunctional government institutions.

"Social cohesion has collapsed, and consensus has evaporated on fundamental issues... Joe Biden, faces a huge challenge in bringing together a country that is deeply divided over core values," it said.

Elsewhere, Mali was demoted to an "authoritarian regime"&nbsp;after a military coup last August, after years of battling a jihadist insurgency with the help of French troops.

North Africa and the Middle East were again the worst regional performers, despite pledges of improved government transparency since the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010.

"More than one-third of the world's population live under authoritarian rule, with a large share being in China," the study found.

Emergency measures to curtail the coronavirus pandemic took tolls on democratic freedoms around the world last year, with setbacks in the West even as some Asian countries made progress, a report said Wednesday.

Emergency measures to curtail the coronavirus pandemic took tolls on democratic freedoms around the world last year, with setbacks in the West even as some Asian countries made progress, a report said Wednesday. The annual "Democracy Index" published by the Economist Intelligence Unit found an erosion of personal rights in nearly 70 percent of the 167 countries analysed. France and Portugal in particular were downgraded to the rank of "flawed democracies" -- in France's case because of lockdowns and other restrictions on movement. That pulled down its aggregate ranking on subjects including civil liberties, political participation and functioning of government. Portugal's slide reflected in part fewer parliamentary debates during the health crisis to function as a check on the prime minister's powers. Overall, "the pandemic resulted in the withdrawal of civil liberties on a massive scale and fuelled an existing trend of intolerance and censorship of dissenting opinion," the report found. Even though in many cases citizens approved or at least accepted drastic social distancing rules aimed at limiting Covid deaths, incoherent policies and enforcement undermined trust in government and democratic norms for many. "The withdrawal of civil liberties, attacks on freedom of expression and the failures of democratic accountability that occurred as a result of the pandemic are grave matters," the report found. In Asia, however, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were promoted to "full democracies" from "flawed," as government's "reacted decisively" to the crisis and "retained the confidence of their populations." Even though Asia still lags overall in terms of democratic freedoms, "the novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift in the global balance of power from the West to the East," the study said. The United States also retained its "flawed democracy" status, with more active voter participation in government offset by deep mistrust of political parties and dysfunctional government institutions. "Social cohesion has collapsed, and consensus has evaporated on fundamental issues... Joe Biden, faces a huge challenge in bringing together a country that is deeply divided over core values," it said. Elsewhere, Mali was demoted to an "authoritarian regime" after a military coup last August, after years of battling a jihadist insurgency with the help of French troops. North Africa and the Middle East were again the worst regional performers, despite pledges of improved government transparency since the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010. "More than one-third of the world's population live under authoritarian rule, with a large share being in China," the study found.

Covid responses chip away at democratic norms worldwide, study says

Finland has recommended administering the two doses of all Covid-19 vaccines at a 12-week interval, citing better protection with a longer gap.

Manufacturers have so far recommended that Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines be taken three weeks apart, and the AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs four to 12 weeks apart.

"A vaccinated person usually gets better protection with a longer gap between doses as the body's immunity matures and strengthens," senior doctor Hanna Nohynek of the public health authority THL said on Wednesday.

A later second dose would also allow more people to be injected with limited vaccine supplies, affording a greater share of the population "reasonably good protection" in the meantime, Nohynek added.

THL also recommended that the AstraZeneca inoculation only be given to people under the age of 70.

"The recommendation will be modified if necessary as more research data on the effects of the vaccine in different age groups becomes available," THL said in a statement.

Vaccine maker BioNTech and the US Food and Drug Administration have previously warned that not enough clinical data exists to support delaying the second dose, after the UK and Denmark decided to increase time between the two jabs.

However, an Oxford University study under review by The Lancet argued Tuesday that those who had been vaccinated with a single dose of the AstraZeneca jab were 67 per cent less likely to test positive with a PCR test. A single dose was also 76 per cent effective in preventing virus symptoms after 22 days and for up to 90 days, rising to 82.4 per cent if the second dose was administered after 12 weeks, it showed.

Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Bulgaria, Italy have also issued similar recommendations.

Finland has recommended administering the two doses of all Covid-19 vaccines at a 12-week interval, citing better protection with a longer gap. Manufacturers have so far recommended that Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines be taken three weeks apart, and the AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs four to 12 weeks apart.

Finland has recommended administering the two doses of all Covid-19 vaccines at a 12-week interval, citing better protection with a longer gap. Manufacturers have so far recommended that Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines be taken three weeks apart, and the AstraZeneca/Oxford jabs four to 12 weeks apart. "A vaccinated person usually gets better protection with a longer gap between doses as the body's immunity matures and strengthens," senior doctor Hanna Nohynek of the public health authority THL said on Wednesday. A later second dose would also allow more people to be injected with limited vaccine supplies, affording a greater share of the population "reasonably good protection" in the meantime, Nohynek added. THL also recommended that the AstraZeneca inoculation only be given to people under the age of 70. "The recommendation will be modified if necessary as more research data on the effects of the vaccine in different age groups becomes available," THL said in a statement. Vaccine maker BioNTech and the US Food and Drug Administration have previously warned that not enough clinical data exists to support delaying the second dose, after the UK and Denmark decided to increase time between the two jabs. However, an Oxford University study under review by The Lancet argued Tuesday that those who had been vaccinated with a single dose of the AstraZeneca jab were 67 per cent less likely to test positive with a PCR test. A single dose was also 76 per cent effective in preventing virus symptoms after 22 days and for up to 90 days, rising to 82.4 per cent if the second dose was administered after 12 weeks, it showed. Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Bulgaria, Italy have also issued similar recommendations.

Finland recommends giving Covid vaccine at 12-week interval

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