Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot.

The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases.

"After new reports of thromboses of the cerebral veins in connection with the vaccination in Germany and Europe, the PEI considers further investigations to be necessary," said the German health ministry. 
 
AstraZeneca Update: EU faces vaccine shortage, supplies to be blamed

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"The European Medicines Agency EMA will decide whether and how the new findings will affect the approval of the vaccine," it added.

Denmark, Iceland and Norway have already stopped administering the shot while Italy has banned the use of a batch of AstraZeneca doses as a precaution after an unconfirmed number of people developed blood clots.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after two more European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls which have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears.

The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy.

AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people.

(With inputs from agencies)

Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot. The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases.

Germany on Monday suspended the use of the Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot. The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a "precaution" and on the advice of Germany's national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases. "After new reports of thromboses of the cerebral veins in connection with the vaccination in Germany and Europe, the PEI considers further investigations to be necessary," said the German health ministry. AstraZeneca Update: EU faces vaccine shortage, supplies to be blamed "The European Medicines Agency EMA will decide whether and how the new findings will affect the approval of the vaccine," it added. Denmark, Iceland and Norway have already stopped administering the shot while Italy has banned the use of a batch of AstraZeneca doses as a precaution after an unconfirmed number of people developed blood clots. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after two more European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls which have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears. The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy. AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people. (With inputs from agencies)

Germany suspends AstraZeneca jabs over reported clot risks: Health Ministry

Norwegian health officials reported three more cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, but said they could not yet say they were vaccine-related.

The Norwegian Medicines Agency said similar incidents had been reported in other European countries.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation said no causal link had been established between the vaccine and blood clotting after Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday temporarily suspended the use of the vaccine over concerns about patients developing post-jab blood clots.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/excellent-vaccine-who-backs-use-of-astrazenecas-coronavirus-vaccine-369954">Also read |&nbsp;'Excellent vaccine': WHO backs use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine</a>

A number of other countries have also suspended use of vaccines from one batch. The manufacturer and Europe's medicines watchdog have meanwhile insisted that the vaccine is safe.

Denmark was first to announce its suspension, although it stressed that the move was precautionary, and that "it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots".

On Saturday, the Norwegian Medicines Agency said it had "received several adverse event reports about younger vaccinated people with bleeding under the skin (tiny dots and /or larger blue patches) after coronavirus vaccination.

"This is serious and can be a sign of reduced blood platelet counts," it added.

Geir Bukholm, director of Infection Control and Environmental Health at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health,&nbsp;said that following the decision to suspend the jab, it was now "the Norwegian Medicines Agency's role to follow up on these suspected side effects and take the necessary measures".&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/severe-allergy-side-effect-of-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-eu-drug-regulator-370029">Also read |&nbsp;Severe allergy side-effect of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine: EU drug regulator</a>

AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company which developed the vaccine with Oxford University, has, on its part, defended the safety of its product.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;India will carry out a deeper review of post-vaccination side effects from the AstraZeneca shot next week although no cases of blood clots have been reported so far, an official told AFP Saturday.

"We are looking at all the adverse events, particularly serious adverse events like deaths and hospitalisation. We will come back if we find anything of concern," N.K. Arora, a member of India's national task force on Covid-19, told AFP.

India has given at least 28 million shots in its vast vaccination programme, most of them AstraZeneca's which are produced at the Serum Institute of India.

New Delhi has also gifted and allowed exports of millions of these jabs to around 70 countries over the last few weeks as a part of its vaccine diplomacy.

(with inputs from AFP)

Norwegian health officials reported three more cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, but said they could not yet say they were vaccine-related.

Norwegian health officials reported three more cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, but said they could not yet say they were vaccine-related. The Norwegian Medicines Agency said similar incidents had been reported in other European countries. The World Health Organisation said no causal link had been established between the vaccine and blood clotting after Denmark, Norway and Iceland on Thursday temporarily suspended the use of the vaccine over concerns about patients developing post-jab blood clots. Also read | 'Excellent vaccine': WHO backs use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine A number of other countries have also suspended use of vaccines from one batch. The manufacturer and Europe's medicines watchdog have meanwhile insisted that the vaccine is safe. Denmark was first to announce its suspension, although it stressed that the move was precautionary, and that "it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots". On Saturday, the Norwegian Medicines Agency said it had "received several adverse event reports about younger vaccinated people with bleeding under the skin (tiny dots and /or larger blue patches) after coronavirus vaccination. "This is serious and can be a sign of reduced blood platelet counts," it added. Geir Bukholm, director of Infection Control and Environmental Health at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said that following the decision to suspend the jab, it was now "the Norwegian Medicines Agency's role to follow up on these suspected side effects and take the necessary measures". Also read | Severe allergy side-effect of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine: EU drug regulator AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company which developed the vaccine with Oxford University, has, on its part, defended the safety of its product. Meanwhile, India will carry out a deeper review of post-vaccination side effects from the AstraZeneca shot next week although no cases of blood clots have been reported so far, an official told AFP Saturday. "We are looking at all the adverse events, particularly serious adverse events like deaths and hospitalisation. We will come back if we find anything of concern," N.K. Arora, a member of India's national task force on Covid-19, told AFP. India has given at least 28 million shots in its vast vaccination programme, most of them AstraZeneca's which are produced at the Serum Institute of India. New Delhi has also gifted and allowed exports of millions of these jabs to around 70 countries over the last few weeks as a part of its vaccine diplomacy. (with inputs from AFP)

Norway probes blood clot cases after AstraZeneca vaccine suspension

In a year that has seesawed between astonishing gains and brutal setbacks on COVID-19, few moments were as sobering as the revelation last month that a coronavirus variant in South Africa was dampening the effect of one of the world’s most potent vaccines.

That finding — from a South African trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot — exposed how quickly the virus had managed to dodge human antibodies, ending what some researchers have described as the world’s honeymoon period with COVID-19 vaccines and setting back hopes for containing the pandemic.

As countries adjust to that jarring turn of fortune, the story of how scientists uncovered the dangers of the variant in South Africa has put a spotlight on the global vaccine trials that were indispensable in warning the world.

“Historically, people might have thought a problem in a country like South Africa would stay in South Africa,” said Mark Feinberg, chief executive of IAVI, a nonprofit scientific research group. “But we’ve seen how quickly variants are cropping up all around the world. Even wealthy countries have to pay a lot of attention to the evolving landscape all around the world.”

Once afterthoughts in the vaccine race, those global trials have saved the world from sleepwalking into year two of the coronavirus, oblivious to the way the pathogen could blunt the body’s immune response, scientists said. They also hold lessons about how vaccine-makers can fight new variants this year and redress long-standing health inequities.

The deck is often stacked against medicine trials in poorer countries; drug and vaccine-makers gravitate to their biggest commercial markets, often avoiding the expense and the uncertainty of testing products in the global south. Less than 3% of clinical trials are held in Africa.

Yet the emergence of new variants in South Africa and Brazil has shown that vaccine-makers cannot afford to wait years, as they often used to, before testing whether shots made for rich countries work in poorer ones, too.

“If you don’t identify and react to what’s happening in some supposedly far-flung continent, it significantly impacts global health,” said Clare Cutland, a vaccine scientist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who coordinated the Oxford trial. “These results highlighted to the world that we’re not dealing with a single pathogen that sits there and does nothing; it’s constantly mutating.”

Despite offering minimal protection against mild or moderate cases caused by the variant in South Africa, the Oxford vaccine is likely to keep those patients from becoming severely ill, averting a surge of hospitalizations and deaths. Lab studies have generated a mix of hopeful and more worrisome results about how much the variant interferes with Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots.

Nevertheless, vaccine-makers are racing to test updated booster shots. And countries are trying to isolate cases of the variant, which the South African trials showed may also be able to reinfect people.

Last March, long before scientists were fretting about variants, Shabir Madhi, a veteran vaccinologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, began lobbying vaccine-makers to let him run trials.

Aware of how long Africa often waits for lifesaving vaccines, as it did for swine flu shots a decade ago, Madhi wanted to quickly study how COVID-19 vaccines worked on the continent, including in people with HIV. He hoped that would leave the world no excuse for delaying approvals or supplies. Different socioeconomic and health conditions can change vaccines’ performance.

“Am sure I can get funding,” he emailed the Oxford team March 31 last year, adding that it “would be important to evaluate in context of HIV.”

Oxford agreed, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $7.3 million, cementing its role as a linchpin of efforts to steer vaccine trials to the global south.

Nevertheless, the trial had to contend with difficulties that bigger, better-resourced studies in the United States and Europe did not. For one thing, Madhi’s team had to eliminate several trial sites because they did not have cold enough freezers or backup generators, a necessity in a country where frequent power outages could imperil precious doses.

Even once the researchers locked down sites, relying on clinics with experience running HIV studies, the trial nearly came undone. Test results showed that nearly half the earliest volunteers were already infected with the virus at the time they were vaccinated, voiding their results.

“We had a limited amount of funding and a limited number of vaccines,” Cutland said. “We were very concerned about the trial being totally derailed.”

At another trial site, all three pharmacists contracted COVID-19, sidelining the only people allowed to prepare shots. Nurses on the trial lost siblings and parents to the disease. The staff was so overwhelmed that when vaccine executives called from abroad, the phones sometimes rang and rang.

The force of the pandemic in South Africa — 51,000 people have died, and up to half the population may have been infected — nearly toppled the trial. But that was also part of what drew vaccine-makers: More cases mean faster results.

Madhi’s team weathered the storm, working 12-hour days and adding last-minute swabs to ensure that volunteers were not already infected. By May he had asked Novavax, then a little-known American company with Trump administration backing, to run a trial there, too. Novavax agreed, and the Gates Foundation kicked in $15 million. But the trial was registered only several months later.

Novavax said the trial had taken time to set up. But the delay also reflected what scientists described as the pressure on U.S.-backed vaccine-makers to focus their efforts within the United States. Studies there are the best way of unlocking coveted approvals from the Food and Drug Administration, the world’s gold-standard medicines agency.

And vaccine-makers tend to know their biggest markets best.

“Companies have the most experience doing clinical trials in parts of the world that represent their commercial markets,” Feinberg said.

For vaccine-makers that have made supplying the world a centerpiece of their strategies, the trials were a boon. Novavax showed that its vaccine efficacy was only moderately weakened by the variant in South Africa. Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson, which also ran a South African trial, showed that its vaccine protected against hospitalization and death there.

“You have your fishing line in the water — and in the time we were there, the virus evolved,” said Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax. “This is invaluable data for us and the world.”

In a recent lab study, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine protected hamsters exposed to the variant from becoming ill, even if the animals’ immune responses were somewhat weaker. The human trial in South Africa was too small to say definitively whether the vaccine prevented severe disease. But the finding that it provided minimal protection against milder cases was itself discouraging, given that the shot remains the backbone of many poorer countries’ rollouts.

In South Africa, the results scuppered plans to give the Oxford vaccine to health workers. Despite hosting trials, the country failed to leverage those into early purchase agreements, delaying supplies. Only one-fifth of 1% of people there have been inoculated, raising fears of another wave of deaths and further mutations.

If HIV research laid the groundwork for vaccine trials in South Africa, some scientists hope that an explosion of global studies in the pandemic will demonstrate to pharmaceutical companies that other countries have the infrastructure to run major trials, too.

To that end, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a Gates-backed group, is incentivizing companies to hold further COVID-19 vaccine trials in poorer countries.

“People tend to go to what they know,” said Melanie Saville, director of the coalition’s vaccine research and development. “But capacity is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, and we need to encourage developers to utilize it.”

South Africans volunteered for the trials in huge numbers. Most mornings, Dr. Anthonet Koen, who ran a Johannesburg site for the Oxford and Novavax trials, opened her doors at 6 a.m., by which time participants had already been lining up outside for two hours.

On Dec. 11, Koen noticed the pandemic picking up; after weeks without a case, two people in the trial tested positive. Then more and more, every day. Health officials announced the discovery of the variant a week later. The serendipitous placement of the trials gave scientists what they almost never have: an open-air laboratory for watching, in real time, as a vaccine and a variant faced off.

Since the Oxford results were announced last month, Koen said, volunteers have been trying to console her. “I’m getting a lot of messages of condolence and ‘I’m sorry,’” she said.

So long as that vaccine and others prevent severe disease, even in cases of the variant, the world can live with the virus, scientists said. But the trial in South Africa nevertheless underscored the need to stamp out the virus before it mutates further. Without it, scientists said, the world could have been blind to what was coming.

“We would anticipate these variants are not the end of the story,” said Andrew Pollard, the Oxford scientist in charge of its trials. “For the virus to survive, once populations have good immunity against the current variants, it must continue to mutate.”

In a year that has seesawed between astonishing gains and brutal setbacks on COVID-19, few moments were as sobering as the revelation last month that a coronavirus variant in South Africa was dampening the effect of one of the world’s most potent vaccines.

In a year that has seesawed between astonishing gains and brutal setbacks on COVID-19, few moments were as sobering as the revelation last month that a coronavirus variant in South Africa was dampening the effect of one of the world’s most potent vaccines. That finding — from a South African trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot — exposed how quickly the virus had managed to dodge human antibodies, ending what some researchers have described as the world’s honeymoon period with COVID-19 vaccines and setting back hopes for containing the pandemic. As countries adjust to that jarring turn of fortune, the story of how scientists uncovered the dangers of the variant in South Africa has put a spotlight on the global vaccine trials that were indispensable in warning the world. “Historically, people might have thought a problem in a country like South Africa would stay in South Africa,” said Mark Feinberg, chief executive of IAVI, a nonprofit scientific research group. “But we’ve seen how quickly variants are cropping up all around the world. Even wealthy countries have to pay a lot of attention to the evolving landscape all around the world.” Once afterthoughts in the vaccine race, those global trials have saved the world from sleepwalking into year two of the coronavirus, oblivious to the way the pathogen could blunt the body’s immune response, scientists said. They also hold lessons about how vaccine-makers can fight new variants this year and redress long-standing health inequities. The deck is often stacked against medicine trials in poorer countries; drug and vaccine-makers gravitate to their biggest commercial markets, often avoiding the expense and the uncertainty of testing products in the global south. Less than 3% of clinical trials are held in Africa. Yet the emergence of new variants in South Africa and Brazil has shown that vaccine-makers cannot afford to wait years, as they often used to, before testing whether shots made for rich countries work in poorer ones, too. “If you don’t identify and react to what’s happening in some supposedly far-flung continent, it significantly impacts global health,” said Clare Cutland, a vaccine scientist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who coordinated the Oxford trial. “These results highlighted to the world that we’re not dealing with a single pathogen that sits there and does nothing; it’s constantly mutating.” Despite offering minimal protection against mild or moderate cases caused by the variant in South Africa, the Oxford vaccine is likely to keep those patients from becoming severely ill, averting a surge of hospitalizations and deaths. Lab studies have generated a mix of hopeful and more worrisome results about how much the variant interferes with Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots. Nevertheless, vaccine-makers are racing to test updated booster shots. And countries are trying to isolate cases of the variant, which the South African trials showed may also be able to reinfect people. Last March, long before scientists were fretting about variants, Shabir Madhi, a veteran vaccinologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, began lobbying vaccine-makers to let him run trials. Aware of how long Africa often waits for lifesaving vaccines, as it did for swine flu shots a decade ago, Madhi wanted to quickly study how COVID-19 vaccines worked on the continent, including in people with HIV. He hoped that would leave the world no excuse for delaying approvals or supplies. Different socioeconomic and health conditions can change vaccines’ performance. “Am sure I can get funding,” he emailed the Oxford team March 31 last year, adding that it “would be important to evaluate in context of HIV.” Oxford agreed, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $7.3 million, cementing its role as a linchpin of efforts to steer vaccine trials to the global south. Nevertheless, the trial had to contend with difficulties that bigger, better-resourced studies in the United States and Europe did not. For one thing, Madhi’s team had to eliminate several trial sites because they did not have cold enough freezers or backup generators, a necessity in a country where frequent power outages could imperil precious doses. Even once the researchers locked down sites, relying on clinics with experience running HIV studies, the trial nearly came undone. Test results showed that nearly half the earliest volunteers were already infected with the virus at the time they were vaccinated, voiding their results. “We had a limited amount of funding and a limited number of vaccines,” Cutland said. “We were very concerned about the trial being totally derailed.” At another trial site, all three pharmacists contracted COVID-19, sidelining the only people allowed to prepare shots. Nurses on the trial lost siblings and parents to the disease. The staff was so overwhelmed that when vaccine executives called from abroad, the phones sometimes rang and rang. The force of the pandemic in South Africa — 51,000 people have died, and up to half the population may have been infected — nearly toppled the trial. But that was also part of what drew vaccine-makers: More cases mean faster results. Madhi’s team weathered the storm, working 12-hour days and adding last-minute swabs to ensure that volunteers were not already infected. By May he had asked Novavax, then a little-known American company with Trump administration backing, to run a trial there, too. Novavax agreed, and the Gates Foundation kicked in $15 million. But the trial was registered only several months later. Novavax said the trial had taken time to set up. But the delay also reflected what scientists described as the pressure on U.S.-backed vaccine-makers to focus their efforts within the United States. Studies there are the best way of unlocking coveted approvals from the Food and Drug Administration, the world’s gold-standard medicines agency. And vaccine-makers tend to know their biggest markets best. “Companies have the most experience doing clinical trials in parts of the world that represent their commercial markets,” Feinberg said. For vaccine-makers that have made supplying the world a centerpiece of their strategies, the trials were a boon. Novavax showed that its vaccine efficacy was only moderately weakened by the variant in South Africa. Johnson &amp; Johnson, which also ran a South African trial, showed that its vaccine protected against hospitalization and death there. “You have your fishing line in the water — and in the time we were there, the virus evolved,” said Dr. Gregory Glenn, president of research and development at Novavax. “This is invaluable data for us and the world.” In a recent lab study, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine protected hamsters exposed to the variant from becoming ill, even if the animals’ immune responses were somewhat weaker. The human trial in South Africa was too small to say definitively whether the vaccine prevented severe disease. But the finding that it provided minimal protection against milder cases was itself discouraging, given that the shot remains the backbone of many poorer countries’ rollouts. In South Africa, the results scuppered plans to give the Oxford vaccine to health workers. Despite hosting trials, the country failed to leverage those into early purchase agreements, delaying supplies. Only one-fifth of 1% of people there have been inoculated, raising fears of another wave of deaths and further mutations. If HIV research laid the groundwork for vaccine trials in South Africa, some scientists hope that an explosion of global studies in the pandemic will demonstrate to pharmaceutical companies that other countries have the infrastructure to run major trials, too. To that end, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a Gates-backed group, is incentivizing companies to hold further COVID-19 vaccine trials in poorer countries. “People tend to go to what they know,” said Melanie Saville, director of the coalition’s vaccine research and development. “But capacity is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, and we need to encourage developers to utilize it.” South Africans volunteered for the trials in huge numbers. Most mornings, Dr. Anthonet Koen, who ran a Johannesburg site for the Oxford and Novavax trials, opened her doors at 6 a.m., by which time participants had already been lining up outside for two hours. On Dec. 11, Koen noticed the pandemic picking up; after weeks without a case, two people in the trial tested positive. Then more and more, every day. Health officials announced the discovery of the variant a week later. The serendipitous placement of the trials gave scientists what they almost never have: an open-air laboratory for watching, in real time, as a vaccine and a variant faced off. Since the Oxford results were announced last month, Koen said, volunteers have been trying to console her. “I’m getting a lot of messages of condolence and ‘I’m sorry,’” she said. So long as that vaccine and others prevent severe disease, even in cases of the variant, the world can live with the virus, scientists said. But the trial in South Africa nevertheless underscored the need to stamp out the virus before it mutates further. Without it, scientists said, the world could have been blind to what was coming. “We would anticipate these variants are not the end of the story,” said Andrew Pollard, the Oxford scientist in charge of its trials. “For the virus to survive, once populations have good immunity against the current variants, it must continue to mutate.”

Can the world learn from South Africa’s vaccine trials?

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, under intense pressure to donate excess coronavirus vaccines to needy nations, moved Friday to address the global shortage in another way, partnering with Japan, India and Australia to expand global vaccine manufacturing capacity.

In a deal announced at the so-called Quad Summit, a virtual meeting of leaders of the four countries, the Biden administration committed to providing financial support to help Biological E, a major vaccine manufacturer in India, produce at least 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of 2022.

That would address an acute vaccine shortage in Southeast Asia and beyond without risking domestic political blowback from exporting doses in the coming months, as Americans clamor for their shots.

The United States has fallen far behind China, India and Russia in the race to marshal coronavirus vaccines as an instrument of diplomacy. At the same time, Biden is facing accusations of vaccine hoarding from global health advocates who want his administration to channel supplies to needy nations that are desperate for access.

Insisting that Americans come first, the president has so far refused to make any concrete commitments to give away U.S.-made vaccines, even as tens of millions of doses of the vaccine made by the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca sit idly in U.S. manufacturing facilities.

“If we have a surplus, we’re going to share it with the rest of the world,” Biden said this week, adding, “We’re going to start off making sure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try and help the rest of the world.”

In fact, the president has a lot of work ahead of him domestically to make good on the promises he has made in recent days: that all states must make all adults eligible for vaccinations by May 1, that enough vaccine doses will exist by the end of May to inoculate every American adult, and that by July 4, if Americans continue to follow public health guidance, life should be returning to a semblance of normalcy.

Vaccine supply appears on track to fulfill those goals, but the president must still create the infrastructure to administer the doses and overcome reluctance in large sectors of the population to take them.

Still, Biden has also made restoring U.S. leadership a centerpiece of his foreign policy agenda after his predecessor frayed alliances and strained relationships with allies and global partners. His secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a recent BBC interview that a global vaccination campaign would be part of that effort; Washington, he said, was “determined” to be an “international leader” on vaccinations.

Foreign policy experts and global health activists see clear diplomatic, public health and humanitarian reasons for doing so.

“It’s time for U.S. leaders to ask themselves: When this pandemic is over, do we want the world to remember America’s leadership helping distribute lifesaving vaccines, or will we leave that to others?” said Tom Hart, the North America executive director of the One Campaign, a nonprofit founded by U2 singer Bono and dedicated to eradicating world poverty.

The federal government has purchased 453 million excess vaccine doses, the group says. It has called on the Biden administration to share 5% of its doses abroad when 20% of Americans have been vaccinated, and to gradually increase the percentage of shared doses as more Americans receive their vaccines.

As of Friday, 13.5% of people in the United States who are 18 or older have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The authoritarian governments of China and Russia, which are less buffeted by domestic public opinion, are already using vaccines to expand their spheres of influence. While the Biden administration plans its strategy to counter China’s growing global clout, Beijing is burnishing its image by shipping vaccines to dozens of countries on several continents, including in Africa, Latin America and particularly in its Southeast Asian backyard.

Russia has supplied vaccines to Eastern European nations, including Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, at a time when Biden officials want to keep the European Union unified against Russian influence on the continent.

“We may be outcompeted by others who are more willing to share, even if they’re doing it for cynical reasons,” said Ivo H. Daalder, a former NATO ambassador and the president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “I think countries are going to remember who was there for us when we needed them.”

With worrisome and highly infectious new variants emerging in the United States and around the world, public health experts say vaccinating people overseas is also necessary to protect Americans.

“It has to be sold to Americans as an essential strategy to make Americans safe and secure over the long term, and it has to be sold to a highly divided, toxic America,” said J. Stephen Morrison, a global health expert at the Centers for Strategic and International Studies. “I don’t think that’s impossible. I think Americans are beginning to understand that in a world of variants, everything that happens outside our borders ups the urgency to move really fast.”

Blinken said as much to the BBC: “Until everyone in the world is vaccinated, then no one is really fully safe.”

The Quad Vaccine Partnership announced at the summit meeting on Friday involves different commitments from each of the nations, according to the White House.

Beyond assistance for the Indian vaccine manufacturer, the United States pledged at least $100 million to bolster vaccination capacity abroad and aid public health efforts. Japan, it said, is “in discussions” to provide loans for the Indian government to expand manufacturing of vaccines for export and will aid vaccination programs for developing countries. Australia will contribute $77 million to provide vaccines and delivery support with a focus on Southeast Asia.

The four countries will also form a Quad Vaccine Experts Group of top scientists and government officials who will work to address manufacturing hurdles and financing plans.

Morrison said the administration deserved “some credit” for the effort, adding, “It shows diplomatic ingenuity and speed.” But a spokesman for the One Campaign, which focuses on extreme poverty, said his group would still like to see a plan for the United States’ vaccine stockpile and noted that Africa had administered far fewer doses per capita than Asia.

Biden’s efforts to ramp up vaccine production have helped put the United States on track to produce as many as 1 billion doses by the end of the year — far more than necessary to vaccinate the roughly 260 million adults in the United States.

A deal the administration brokered to have the pharmaceutical giant Merck manufacture Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s one-dose vaccine, which the president celebrated at the White House on Wednesday, will help advance that goal. Also Wednesday, Biden directed federal health officials to secure an additional 100 million doses of Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s vaccine.

The administration has said those efforts are aimed at having enough vaccine for children, booster doses to confront new variants and unforeseen events. But Jeffrey Zients, Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters Friday that the deal between Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson and Merck would also “help expand capacity and ultimately benefits the world.”

In addition to resisting a push to give away excess doses, Biden has drawn criticism from liberal Democrats by blocking a request by India and South Africa for a temporary waiver to an international intellectual property agreement that would give poorer countries easier access to generic versions of coronavirus vaccines and treatments.

“I understand why we should be prioritizing our supply with Americans — it was paid for by American taxpayers, President Biden is president of America,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, a liberal Democrat from California. “But there is no reason we have to prioritize the profits of pharmaceutical companies over the dignity of people in other countries.”

Biden recently announced a donation of $4 billion to Covax, the international vaccine initiative backed by the World Health Organization. David Bryden, the director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, a nonprofit aimed at supporting health workers in low- and middle-income countries, said money was also desperately needed to help train and pay those workers to administer vaccines overseas.

But that donation, and the announcement Friday of the Quad’s financial support for vaccine production, still falls short of the urgent calls by public health advocates for the United States to immediately supply ready-to-use doses that can quickly be injected.

The Quad’s focus on Southeast Asia, however, most likely reflects an awareness of the gratitude to China in the region, which Beijing has made a focus of its vaccine distribution efforts.

If Biden is widely seen as helping the world recover from the coronavirus pandemic, it could become part of his legacy, as when President George W. Bush responded to the AIDS crisis in Africa in the 2000s with a huge investment of public health funding. More than a decade later, Bush and the United States remain venerated across much of the continent for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which the government says spent $85 billion and saved 20 million lives.

Michael Gerson, a former White House speechwriter under Bush and a policy adviser who helped devise the PEPFAR program, said that its effect had been both moral and strategic, and that the program had earned the United States “a tremendous amount of goodwill” in Africa.

“I think the principle here should be that the people who need it most should get it no matter where they live,” he said. “It doesn’t make much moral sense to give a healthy American 24-year-old the vaccine before a front-line worker in Liberia.”

But, he added, “that’s very hard for an American politician to explain.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, under intense pressure to donate excess coronavirus vaccines to needy nations, moved Friday to address the global shortage in another way, partnering with Japan, India and Australia to expand global vaccine manufacturing capacity.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, under intense pressure to donate excess coronavirus vaccines to needy nations, moved Friday to address the global shortage in another way, partnering with Japan, India and Australia to expand global vaccine manufacturing capacity. In a deal announced at the so-called Quad Summit, a virtual meeting of leaders of the four countries, the Biden administration committed to providing financial support to help Biological E, a major vaccine manufacturer in India, produce at least 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of 2022. That would address an acute vaccine shortage in Southeast Asia and beyond without risking domestic political blowback from exporting doses in the coming months, as Americans clamor for their shots. The United States has fallen far behind China, India and Russia in the race to marshal coronavirus vaccines as an instrument of diplomacy. At the same time, Biden is facing accusations of vaccine hoarding from global health advocates who want his administration to channel supplies to needy nations that are desperate for access. Insisting that Americans come first, the president has so far refused to make any concrete commitments to give away U.S.-made vaccines, even as tens of millions of doses of the vaccine made by the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca sit idly in U.S. manufacturing facilities. “If we have a surplus, we’re going to share it with the rest of the world,” Biden said this week, adding, “We’re going to start off making sure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try and help the rest of the world.” In fact, the president has a lot of work ahead of him domestically to make good on the promises he has made in recent days: that all states must make all adults eligible for vaccinations by May 1, that enough vaccine doses will exist by the end of May to inoculate every American adult, and that by July 4, if Americans continue to follow public health guidance, life should be returning to a semblance of normalcy. Vaccine supply appears on track to fulfill those goals, but the president must still create the infrastructure to administer the doses and overcome reluctance in large sectors of the population to take them. Still, Biden has also made restoring U.S. leadership a centerpiece of his foreign policy agenda after his predecessor frayed alliances and strained relationships with allies and global partners. His secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a recent BBC interview that a global vaccination campaign would be part of that effort; Washington, he said, was “determined” to be an “international leader” on vaccinations. Foreign policy experts and global health activists see clear diplomatic, public health and humanitarian reasons for doing so. “It’s time for U.S. leaders to ask themselves: When this pandemic is over, do we want the world to remember America’s leadership helping distribute lifesaving vaccines, or will we leave that to others?” said Tom Hart, the North America executive director of the One Campaign, a nonprofit founded by U2 singer Bono and dedicated to eradicating world poverty. The federal government has purchased 453 million excess vaccine doses, the group says. It has called on the Biden administration to share 5% of its doses abroad when 20% of Americans have been vaccinated, and to gradually increase the percentage of shared doses as more Americans receive their vaccines. As of Friday, 13.5% of people in the United States who are 18 or older have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authoritarian governments of China and Russia, which are less buffeted by domestic public opinion, are already using vaccines to expand their spheres of influence. While the Biden administration plans its strategy to counter China’s growing global clout, Beijing is burnishing its image by shipping vaccines to dozens of countries on several continents, including in Africa, Latin America and particularly in its Southeast Asian backyard. Russia has supplied vaccines to Eastern European nations, including Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, at a time when Biden officials want to keep the European Union unified against Russian influence on the continent. “We may be outcompeted by others who are more willing to share, even if they’re doing it for cynical reasons,” said Ivo H. Daalder, a former NATO ambassador and the president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “I think countries are going to remember who was there for us when we needed them.” With worrisome and highly infectious new variants emerging in the United States and around the world, public health experts say vaccinating people overseas is also necessary to protect Americans. “It has to be sold to Americans as an essential strategy to make Americans safe and secure over the long term, and it has to be sold to a highly divided, toxic America,” said J. Stephen Morrison, a global health expert at the Centers for Strategic and International Studies. “I don’t think that’s impossible. I think Americans are beginning to understand that in a world of variants, everything that happens outside our borders ups the urgency to move really fast.” Blinken said as much to the BBC: “Until everyone in the world is vaccinated, then no one is really fully safe.” The Quad Vaccine Partnership announced at the summit meeting on Friday involves different commitments from each of the nations, according to the White House. Beyond assistance for the Indian vaccine manufacturer, the United States pledged at least $100 million to bolster vaccination capacity abroad and aid public health efforts. Japan, it said, is “in discussions” to provide loans for the Indian government to expand manufacturing of vaccines for export and will aid vaccination programs for developing countries. Australia will contribute $77 million to provide vaccines and delivery support with a focus on Southeast Asia. The four countries will also form a Quad Vaccine Experts Group of top scientists and government officials who will work to address manufacturing hurdles and financing plans. Morrison said the administration deserved “some credit” for the effort, adding, “It shows diplomatic ingenuity and speed.” But a spokesman for the One Campaign, which focuses on extreme poverty, said his group would still like to see a plan for the United States’ vaccine stockpile and noted that Africa had administered far fewer doses per capita than Asia. Biden’s efforts to ramp up vaccine production have helped put the United States on track to produce as many as 1 billion doses by the end of the year — far more than necessary to vaccinate the roughly 260 million adults in the United States. A deal the administration brokered to have the pharmaceutical giant Merck manufacture Johnson &amp; Johnson’s one-dose vaccine, which the president celebrated at the White House on Wednesday, will help advance that goal. Also Wednesday, Biden directed federal health officials to secure an additional 100 million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s vaccine. The administration has said those efforts are aimed at having enough vaccine for children, booster doses to confront new variants and unforeseen events. But Jeffrey Zients, Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters Friday that the deal between Johnson &amp; Johnson and Merck would also “help expand capacity and ultimately benefits the world.” In addition to resisting a push to give away excess doses, Biden has drawn criticism from liberal Democrats by blocking a request by India and South Africa for a temporary waiver to an international intellectual property agreement that would give poorer countries easier access to generic versions of coronavirus vaccines and treatments. “I understand why we should be prioritizing our supply with Americans — it was paid for by American taxpayers, President Biden is president of America,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, a liberal Democrat from California. “But there is no reason we have to prioritize the profits of pharmaceutical companies over the dignity of people in other countries.” Biden recently announced a donation of $4 billion to Covax, the international vaccine initiative backed by the World Health Organization. David Bryden, the director of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, a nonprofit aimed at supporting health workers in low- and middle-income countries, said money was also desperately needed to help train and pay those workers to administer vaccines overseas. But that donation, and the announcement Friday of the Quad’s financial support for vaccine production, still falls short of the urgent calls by public health advocates for the United States to immediately supply ready-to-use doses that can quickly be injected. The Quad’s focus on Southeast Asia, however, most likely reflects an awareness of the gratitude to China in the region, which Beijing has made a focus of its vaccine distribution efforts. If Biden is widely seen as helping the world recover from the coronavirus pandemic, it could become part of his legacy, as when President George W. Bush responded to the AIDS crisis in Africa in the 2000s with a huge investment of public health funding. More than a decade later, Bush and the United States remain venerated across much of the continent for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which the government says spent $85 billion and saved 20 million lives. Michael Gerson, a former White House speechwriter under Bush and a policy adviser who helped devise the PEPFAR program, said that its effect had been both moral and strategic, and that the program had earned the United States “a tremendous amount of goodwill” in Africa. “I think the principle here should be that the people who need it most should get it no matter where they live,” he said. “It doesn’t make much moral sense to give a healthy American 24-year-old the vaccine before a front-line worker in Liberia.” But, he added, “that’s very hard for an American politician to explain.”

Biden takes first tentative steps to address global vaccine shortage

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) is carefully assessing reports on risks related to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, a Sputnik report has said.

A number of European states have suspended vaccination with the AstraZeneca drug as a precaution after reports on severe side-effects, including blood clots, emerged, Sputnik reported.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), however, said there was currently no indication that the reported negative effects had been caused by the vaccination.

“There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine… Although a quality defect is considered unlikely at this stage, the batch quality is being investigated,” according to EMA’s Wednesday statement.

"The GACVS is carefully assessing the current reports on the AstraZeneca vaccine. As soon as WHO gains a full understanding of these events, the findings and any changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public," the WHO spokesperson said late Thursday as quoted by Sputnik.

"The information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population. The Committee further noted that the vaccine can continue to be administered while the investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing," the spokesperson added.

AstraZeneca said it had found no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis - marked by the formation of blood clots - in safety data of more than 10 million records, even when considering subgroups based on age, gender, production batch or country of use.

Canada has also said the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe even as Denmark and Norway temporarily suspended its use.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thailand-delays-astrazeneca-vaccine-rollout-369838">Also read | Thailand delays AstraZeneca vaccine rollout</a>

"Health Canada is aware of reports of adverse events in Europe following immunization with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and would like to reassure Canadians that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh its risks," the health department said in a statement.

"At this time, there is no indication that the vaccine caused these events," it said.

Canada received 500,000 AstraZeneca doses made at the Serum Institute of India last week, and expects to get 1.5 million more in by May.

"To date, no adverse events related to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine... have been reported to Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada," the statement said.

The WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.&nbsp;

More than 118.34 million people have so far been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 2.62 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.&nbsp;

(with inputs)

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) is carefully assessing reports on risks related to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, a Sputnik report has said.

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) is carefully assessing reports on risks related to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, a Sputnik report has said. A number of European states have suspended vaccination with the AstraZeneca drug as a precaution after reports on severe side-effects, including blood clots, emerged, Sputnik reported. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), however, said there was currently no indication that the reported negative effects had been caused by the vaccination. “There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine… Although a quality defect is considered unlikely at this stage, the batch quality is being investigated,” according to EMA’s Wednesday statement. "The GACVS is carefully assessing the current reports on the AstraZeneca vaccine. As soon as WHO gains a full understanding of these events, the findings and any changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public," the WHO spokesperson said late Thursday as quoted by Sputnik. "The information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population. The Committee further noted that the vaccine can continue to be administered while the investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing," the spokesperson added. AstraZeneca said it had found no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis - marked by the formation of blood clots - in safety data of more than 10 million records, even when considering subgroups based on age, gender, production batch or country of use. Canada has also said the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe even as Denmark and Norway temporarily suspended its use. Also read | Thailand delays AstraZeneca vaccine rollout "Health Canada is aware of reports of adverse events in Europe following immunization with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and would like to reassure Canadians that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh its risks," the health department said in a statement. "At this time, there is no indication that the vaccine caused these events," it said. Canada received 500,000 AstraZeneca doses made at the Serum Institute of India last week, and expects to get 1.5 million more in by May. "To date, no adverse events related to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine... have been reported to Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada," the statement said. The WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. More than 118.34 million people have so far been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 2.62 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. (with inputs)

WHO assessing reports on risks related to AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

Thailand has delayed its roll-out of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, a health official said Friday, after several European nations suspended their programmes over blood clot fears.

The kingdom was scheduled to start the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out on Friday, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha expected to get the first jab.

"Vaccine injection for Thais must be safe, we do not have to be in a hurry," said Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, an advisor for the country's Covid-19 vaccine committee, in a press conference.

"Though the quality of AstraZeneca is good, some countries have asked for a delay. We will delay (as well)."&nbsp;

The move comes after Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab the day before.&nbsp;

Austria on Sunday stopped using doses from one batch after a 49-year-old nurse died of "severe blood coagulation problems" days after receiving an anti-Covid shot.

However, there is still no established link between the vaccine and side effects of blood clots, and Denmark stressed that its move was merely precautionary as they examine the risks more closely.&nbsp;

"We are waiting for Denmark and Austria to make a conclusion," said virologist Yong Poovarawan. &nbsp;

"We are delaying to let others prove (the side effects) of whether or not it is because of the vaccine or if it is only on that specific batch," he said, adding that the batch Thailand has received was manufactured in a factory in Asia.&nbsp;

Thailand appears to have escaped the brunt of the coronavirus, registering 26,000 cases and 85 deaths.&nbsp;

It had already rolled out its vaccination campaign last month with the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, and health workers were the first to receive the injections on February 28.

Thailand has delayed its roll-out of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, a health official said Friday, after several European nations suspended their programmes over blood clot fears.

Thailand has delayed its roll-out of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, a health official said Friday, after several European nations suspended their programmes over blood clot fears. The kingdom was scheduled to start the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out on Friday, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha expected to get the first jab. "Vaccine injection for Thais must be safe, we do not have to be in a hurry," said Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, an advisor for the country's Covid-19 vaccine committee, in a press conference. "Though the quality of AstraZeneca is good, some countries have asked for a delay. We will delay (as well)." The move comes after Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab the day before. Austria on Sunday stopped using doses from one batch after a 49-year-old nurse died of "severe blood coagulation problems" days after receiving an anti-Covid shot. However, there is still no established link between the vaccine and side effects of blood clots, and Denmark stressed that its move was merely precautionary as they examine the risks more closely. "We are waiting for Denmark and Austria to make a conclusion," said virologist Yong Poovarawan. "We are delaying to let others prove (the side effects) of whether or not it is because of the vaccine or if it is only on that specific batch," he said, adding that the batch Thailand has received was manufactured in a factory in Asia. Thailand appears to have escaped the brunt of the coronavirus, registering 26,000 cases and 85 deaths. It had already rolled out its vaccination campaign last month with the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, and health workers were the first to receive the injections on February 28.

Thailand delays AstraZeneca vaccine rollout

'There is currently no indication that the vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine', says European Medicines Agency

European Medical Agencies backs AstraZeneca vaccine after suspensions

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements (PSA) for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter, the Ad Council announced on Thursday.

"The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease," said President Bush in one of the PSAs with Obama and Clinton, urging Americans to get vaccinated.

"That`s the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward," said Obama.

Noticeably absent in the vaccine PSAs, created by nonprofit the Ad Council, are former President Donald Trump and Melania Trump. During his run for re-election last year, Trump widely touted his administration`s role in bringing a vaccine to market.

When asked about Trump`s absence, a spokesman for the Ad Council said one of the PSAs was filmed at President Joe Biden`s inauguration in January, which Trump did not attend.

The spokesman added the organization was pleased when Trump recently advised Americans to "go get your shot" after receiving the vaccine.

The new ads are part of the Ad Council`s nationwide vaccine education campaign titled "It`s Up To You." More than 300 partners are supporting the nonprofit in the effort to battle hesitancy about the vaccine`s safety and help convince more people to get the shot.

A second PSA features each of the presidents and First Ladies wearing masks and receiving a dose of the vaccine.

"Now it`s up to you," Carter says in the ad.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements (PSA) for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter, the Ad Council announced on Thursday.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements (PSA) for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter, the Ad Council announced on Thursday. "The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease," said President Bush in one of the PSAs with Obama and Clinton, urging Americans to get vaccinated. "That`s the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward," said Obama. Noticeably absent in the vaccine PSAs, created by nonprofit the Ad Council, are former President Donald Trump and Melania Trump. During his run for re-election last year, Trump widely touted his administration`s role in bringing a vaccine to market. When asked about Trump`s absence, a spokesman for the Ad Council said one of the PSAs was filmed at President Joe Biden`s inauguration in January, which Trump did not attend. The spokesman added the organization was pleased when Trump recently advised Americans to "go get your shot" after receiving the vaccine. The new ads are part of the Ad Council`s nationwide vaccine education campaign titled "It`s Up To You." More than 300 partners are supporting the nonprofit in the effort to battle hesitancy about the vaccine`s safety and help convince more people to get the shot. A second PSA features each of the presidents and First Ladies wearing masks and receiving a dose of the vaccine. "Now it`s up to you," Carter says in the ad.

Former US presidents and first ladies promote vaccine in new advertisements

A highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that has spread around the world since it was first discovered in Britain late last year is between 30 per cent and 100 per cent more deadly than previous dominant variants, a new study has found.

For the UK study, published in The BMJ on Wednesday, researchers compared death rates among people in Britain infected with the new SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.7 against those infected with other variants of the COVID-19-causing virus. They said the new variant's mortality rate was "significantly higher".

The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in Britain in September 2020, and has since also been found in more than 100 other countries. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code - a relatively high number - and some of them have made it far more easily spread. Scientists say it is about 40 per cent -70 per cent more transmissible than previous dominant variants that were circulating.

In the study, infection with the new variant led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 COVID-19 patients, compared with 141 among the same number of patients who were matched for age, sex, sociodemographic background, date of infection, and other factors, but infected with other variants.

Hazard ratio for mortality with the B.1.1.7 variant was 1.64, compared to previously circulating versions of the virus.

"Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously," said Robert Challen, a researcher at Exeter University who co-led the research.

Independent experts said this study's findings add to previous preliminary evidence linking infection with the B.1.1.7 virus variant with an increased risk of dying from COVID-19.

A noted virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick University, to this end, warned that the UK variant was likely fuelling a recent surge in infections across Europe.

A highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that has spread around the world since it was first discovered in Britain late last year is between 30 per cent and 100 per cent more deadly than previous dominant variants, a new study has found.

A highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that has spread around the world since it was first discovered in Britain late last year is between 30 per cent and 100 per cent more deadly than previous dominant variants, a new study has found. For the UK study, published in The BMJ on Wednesday, researchers compared death rates among people in Britain infected with the new SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.7 against those infected with other variants of the COVID-19-causing virus. They said the new variant's mortality rate was "significantly higher". The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in Britain in September 2020, and has since also been found in more than 100 other countries. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code - a relatively high number - and some of them have made it far more easily spread. Scientists say it is about 40 per cent -70 per cent more transmissible than previous dominant variants that were circulating. In the study, infection with the new variant led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 COVID-19 patients, compared with 141 among the same number of patients who were matched for age, sex, sociodemographic background, date of infection, and other factors, but infected with other variants. Hazard ratio for mortality with the B.1.1.7 variant was 1.64, compared to previously circulating versions of the virus. "Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously," said Robert Challen, a researcher at Exeter University who co-led the research. Independent experts said this study's findings add to previous preliminary evidence linking infection with the B.1.1.7 virus variant with an increased risk of dying from COVID-19. A noted virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick University, to this end, warned that the UK variant was likely fuelling a recent surge in infections across Europe.

UK Covid variant has significantly higher death rate, study finds

The US government will first give Americans COVID-19 vaccines, but any surplus would be shared with the world, President Joe Biden has said.

Biden spoke on Wednesday as the US Congress adopted the $19 trillion Covid relief plan. He also announced plans to procure an additional 100 million doses of the Covid vaccine.

"We're going to start off and ensure Americans are taken care of first, but we're then going to try to help the rest of the world," Biden told reporters following an earlier announcement to secure more vaccines with the chief executives of Johnson &amp; Johnson and Merck.

"If we have a surplus, we're going to share it with the rest of the world," Biden said, adding that the United States had already committed to providing $4 billion to the COVAX global initiative to distribute vaccines in developing countries.

The Democratic president said it was clear that the pandemic would not be over until it was ended everywhere.

"We're not going to be ultimately safe, until the world is safe," he said.

Biden said that on Thursday he would deliver a primetime address to the American people and talk about what the country has been through as a nation this past year.&nbsp;

"More importantly, I'm going to talk about what comes next. I am going to launch the next phase of the COVID response and explain what we will do as a government and what we will ask of the American people," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-19-trillion-covid-bill-wins-final-approval-in-house-369543">Also read |&nbsp;Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid bill wins final approval in House</a>

"There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel over the past year. We cannot let our guard down now or assume the victory is inevitable. Together, we are going to get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future," Biden said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden was deeply focussed on expanding global vaccinations, but the US government was pushing to first ensure sufficient doses for people in the United States who wanted to get vaccinated. She said Biden was discussing the need to ensure vaccines got to developing countries with his counterparts, but gave no details.

The United States, Britain, European Union nations and other richer members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Wednesday blocked a push by more than 80 developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations.

South Africa and India are leading the push for a temporary waiver of the rules of the WTO's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, a move that could allow generic or other manufacturers to make more vaccines.

The US government will first give Americans COVID-19 vaccines, but any surplus would be shared with the world, President Joe Biden has said. Biden spoke on Wednesday as the US Congress adopted the $19 trillion Covid relief plan.

The US government will first give Americans COVID-19 vaccines, but any surplus would be shared with the world, President Joe Biden has said. Biden spoke on Wednesday as the US Congress adopted the $19 trillion Covid relief plan. He also announced plans to procure an additional 100 million doses of the Covid vaccine. "We're going to start off and ensure Americans are taken care of first, but we're then going to try to help the rest of the world," Biden told reporters following an earlier announcement to secure more vaccines with the chief executives of Johnson & Johnson and Merck. "If we have a surplus, we're going to share it with the rest of the world," Biden said, adding that the United States had already committed to providing $4 billion to the COVAX global initiative to distribute vaccines in developing countries. The Democratic president said it was clear that the pandemic would not be over until it was ended everywhere. "We're not going to be ultimately safe, until the world is safe," he said. Biden said that on Thursday he would deliver a primetime address to the American people and talk about what the country has been through as a nation this past year. "More importantly, I'm going to talk about what comes next. I am going to launch the next phase of the COVID response and explain what we will do as a government and what we will ask of the American people," he said. Also read | Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid bill wins final approval in House "There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel over the past year. We cannot let our guard down now or assume the victory is inevitable. Together, we are going to get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future," Biden said. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden was deeply focussed on expanding global vaccinations, but the US government was pushing to first ensure sufficient doses for people in the United States who wanted to get vaccinated. She said Biden was discussing the need to ensure vaccines got to developing countries with his counterparts, but gave no details. The United States, Britain, European Union nations and other richer members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Wednesday blocked a push by more than 80 developing countries to waive patent rights in an effort to boost production of COVID-19 vaccines for poor nations. South Africa and India are leading the push for a temporary waiver of the rules of the WTO's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, a move that could allow generic or other manufacturers to make more vaccines.

Americans will be first to get vaccines, Biden says

As U.S. coronavirus cases remain at a low not seen since October, a more contagious variant first reported in the United Kingdom has likely grown to account for more than 20% of new U.S. cases as of this week, according to an analysis of data from Helix, a lab testing company.

There is not yet enough genomic sequencing — the process required to screen positive coronavirus samples for variants — to be certain of how widely that variant, known as B.1.1.7, is spreading. But data suggests its share of total cases is growing at a trajectory similar to that seen in countries where it has fueled surges.

Still, experts note that low total case counts in states with a high share of B.1.1.7 are an encouraging sign. It remains to be seen, they say, whether the variant will cause a significant resurgence here or whether widespread vaccinations and virus-control measures can keep case counts at bay.

The B.1.1.7 variant is just one variant of concern found in the United States, in addition to a variant first identified in Brazil and another discovered in South Africa. But those variants make up a tiny fraction of total cases compared with B.1.1.7, which experts say is likely to become dominant across the country this month. The variant is doubling as a share of all new U.S. cases approximately every 10 days, continuing a pattern first identified by researchers in early February.

Screening for variants requires sending a positive sample to a lab to be sequenced, which takes time and resources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it often takes about 10 days to sequence a sample and analyze it for reporting. Estimates for the cost of sequencing a sample range from $25 to $400, according to a report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. And the large amount of data each sequence generates requires computational and data science expertise that many health departments struggle to afford.

Only 0.5% of cumulative cases in the country have been sequenced since the beginning of the pandemic, but, with new efforts, about 1% of new cases in February and about 3% in the past two weeks were sequenced, according to CDC data and Jasmine Reed, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Experts’ recommendations on how many cases should be sequenced vary, but many say sequencing around 5% of cases would begin to adequately show the spread of variants circulating at low levels.

The United Kingdom, by contrast, has sequenced about 8% of its total cases and is currently doing so for about a third of its cases, according to its health secretary. It has about as many new cases per day as Florida. Denmark, another world leader in coronavirus genomic surveillance, had sequenced about 12% of its total cases as of January. It now sequences almost all new positive cases, which are now at daily levels comparable to Mississippi or Missouri.

The share of cumulative cases sequenced varies widely by state, from as high as 3.5% in Hawaii to 0.05% in Tennessee. Some states have had an advantage: It’s easier to sequence a higher share of cases if the total number of cases is lower. But those vast differences in genomic surveillance mean it is especially difficult to estimate how widely a given variant is spreading in states where there are not many cases being monitored.

According to estimates based on the Helix data, there were most likely tens of thousands of cases attributed to B.1.1.7 in the United States in the past week alone. But because sequencing is so low, only 2,672 cases have been officially recorded.

Helix has analyzed nearly half a million positive samples for an anomaly indicative of the B.1.1.7 variant. Helix then sent samples to Illumina, a gene-sequencing company, to have their genomes sequenced to confirm the variant. Based on results from those samples and the share of cases with the anomaly, Helix is able to make inferences about how widely B.1.1.7 might be spreading.

The relative share of the variant grew exponentially over the past several weeks in almost every state where Helix had enough data for a trend to be evident. In Florida, the share of cases caused by the B.1.1.7 variant was highest: well over an estimated 30% of cases. Nationwide, the figure is probably more than 20%, athough Helix’s testing is not representative of population distribution.

But there could be some good news: Even Florida, where the variant is spreading most widely as a share of total cases, has not yet seen a resurgence in total new coronavirus cases.

“I am encouraged by the declining case counts in the most heavily affected states,” said Caitlin Rivers, an public health researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “I’ve been watching Florida closely, which has the highest share of B.1.1.7. Case counts have plateaued there in recent days but are not resurging. The longer we can hold the line, the more time we have to roll out vaccines, which will protect individuals, particularly those at highest risk of severe illness, and slow transmission overall.”

B.1.1.7 is not the only variant of concern in the United States, but it has by far the biggest foothold. According to the CDC, which is tracking confirmed cases of the variants, there are more than 30 times as many cases of B.1.1.7 as of the other two variants of concern first reported in South Africa (called B.1.351) and Brazil (called P.1). So far, those other two have been found in a minority of states, but given the low rate of sequencing in many states, they are most likely spreading undetected in others.

“The other variants are circulating at very low levels now compared to B.1.1.7, but over the long run it will be important to watch those because they have the potential to make our vaccines less effective,” Rivers said.

“Although total cases have been going down in recent weeks, B.1.1.7 cases have not, which means that it may not be surprising to see cases start rising again in regions that have high levels of B.1.1.7 transmission,” said William Lee, vice president of science at Helix.

But even if another resurgence in cases begins, Lee says, it is reasonable to hope the situation would be different from when the United Kingdom faced a sharp spike around the holidays. “I think even if cases start going up again, the impact on hospitalizations and mortality may still be mitigated by vaccinations and higher levels of natural immunity than we had in the past.”

Methodology

Helix identifies and reports a testing anomaly indicative of the B.1.1.7 variant called S gene target failure (SGTF). Estimates of cases attributable to B.1.1.7 were calculated following the methodology in a preprint using Helix’s data. The share of cases with SGTF was multiplied by the share of observed B.1.1.7 sequences in the SGTF samples Helix sent to be sequenced. For some later dates, if the share of observed B.1.1.7 was not available, the share of cases with SGTF was multiplied by the most recent moving average for which data was available.

As U.S. coronavirus cases remain at a low not seen since October, a more contagious variant first reported in the United Kingdom has likely grown to account for more than 20% of new U.

As U.S. coronavirus cases remain at a low not seen since October, a more contagious variant first reported in the United Kingdom has likely grown to account for more than 20% of new U.S. cases as of this week, according to an analysis of data from Helix, a lab testing company. There is not yet enough genomic sequencing — the process required to screen positive coronavirus samples for variants — to be certain of how widely that variant, known as B.1.1.7, is spreading. But data suggests its share of total cases is growing at a trajectory similar to that seen in countries where it has fueled surges. Still, experts note that low total case counts in states with a high share of B.1.1.7 are an encouraging sign. It remains to be seen, they say, whether the variant will cause a significant resurgence here or whether widespread vaccinations and virus-control measures can keep case counts at bay. The B.1.1.7 variant is just one variant of concern found in the United States, in addition to a variant first identified in Brazil and another discovered in South Africa. But those variants make up a tiny fraction of total cases compared with B.1.1.7, which experts say is likely to become dominant across the country this month. The variant is doubling as a share of all new U.S. cases approximately every 10 days, continuing a pattern first identified by researchers in early February. Screening for variants requires sending a positive sample to a lab to be sequenced, which takes time and resources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it often takes about 10 days to sequence a sample and analyze it for reporting. Estimates for the cost of sequencing a sample range from $25 to $400, according to a report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. And the large amount of data each sequence generates requires computational and data science expertise that many health departments struggle to afford. Only 0.5% of cumulative cases in the country have been sequenced since the beginning of the pandemic, but, with new efforts, about 1% of new cases in February and about 3% in the past two weeks were sequenced, according to CDC data and Jasmine Reed, a spokeswoman for the agency. Experts’ recommendations on how many cases should be sequenced vary, but many say sequencing around 5% of cases would begin to adequately show the spread of variants circulating at low levels. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has sequenced about 8% of its total cases and is currently doing so for about a third of its cases, according to its health secretary. It has about as many new cases per day as Florida. Denmark, another world leader in coronavirus genomic surveillance, had sequenced about 12% of its total cases as of January. It now sequences almost all new positive cases, which are now at daily levels comparable to Mississippi or Missouri. The share of cumulative cases sequenced varies widely by state, from as high as 3.5% in Hawaii to 0.05% in Tennessee. Some states have had an advantage: It’s easier to sequence a higher share of cases if the total number of cases is lower. But those vast differences in genomic surveillance mean it is especially difficult to estimate how widely a given variant is spreading in states where there are not many cases being monitored. According to estimates based on the Helix data, there were most likely tens of thousands of cases attributed to B.1.1.7 in the United States in the past week alone. But because sequencing is so low, only 2,672 cases have been officially recorded. Helix has analyzed nearly half a million positive samples for an anomaly indicative of the B.1.1.7 variant. Helix then sent samples to Illumina, a gene-sequencing company, to have their genomes sequenced to confirm the variant. Based on results from those samples and the share of cases with the anomaly, Helix is able to make inferences about how widely B.1.1.7 might be spreading. The relative share of the variant grew exponentially over the past several weeks in almost every state where Helix had enough data for a trend to be evident. In Florida, the share of cases caused by the B.1.1.7 variant was highest: well over an estimated 30% of cases. Nationwide, the figure is probably more than 20%, athough Helix’s testing is not representative of population distribution. But there could be some good news: Even Florida, where the variant is spreading most widely as a share of total cases, has not yet seen a resurgence in total new coronavirus cases. “I am encouraged by the declining case counts in the most heavily affected states,” said Caitlin Rivers, an public health researcher at Johns Hopkins University. “I’ve been watching Florida closely, which has the highest share of B.1.1.7. Case counts have plateaued there in recent days but are not resurging. The longer we can hold the line, the more time we have to roll out vaccines, which will protect individuals, particularly those at highest risk of severe illness, and slow transmission overall.” B.1.1.7 is not the only variant of concern in the United States, but it has by far the biggest foothold. According to the CDC, which is tracking confirmed cases of the variants, there are more than 30 times as many cases of B.1.1.7 as of the other two variants of concern first reported in South Africa (called B.1.351) and Brazil (called P.1). So far, those other two have been found in a minority of states, but given the low rate of sequencing in many states, they are most likely spreading undetected in others. “The other variants are circulating at very low levels now compared to B.1.1.7, but over the long run it will be important to watch those because they have the potential to make our vaccines less effective,” Rivers said. “Although total cases have been going down in recent weeks, B.1.1.7 cases have not, which means that it may not be surprising to see cases start rising again in regions that have high levels of B.1.1.7 transmission,” said William Lee, vice president of science at Helix. But even if another resurgence in cases begins, Lee says, it is reasonable to hope the situation would be different from when the United Kingdom faced a sharp spike around the holidays. “I think even if cases start going up again, the impact on hospitalizations and mortality may still be mitigated by vaccinations and higher levels of natural immunity than we had in the past.” Methodology Helix identifies and reports a testing anomaly indicative of the B.1.1.7 variant called S gene target failure (SGTF). Estimates of cases attributable to B.1.1.7 were calculated following the methodology in a preprint using Helix’s data. The share of cases with SGTF was multiplied by the share of observed B.1.1.7 sequences in the SGTF samples Helix sent to be sequenced. For some later dates, if the share of observed B.1.1.7 was not available, the share of cases with SGTF was multiplied by the most recent moving average for which data was available.

More contagious variant is spreading fast in US, even as overall cases level off

Mexico is turning to China to fill a vaccine shortfall with an order for 22 million doses, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday, a week after U.S. President Joe Biden ruled out sharing vaccines with Mexico in the short term.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spearheaded efforts to attain more help from China, Ebrard said.

“As a result of a process personally led by the president of the republic, we have received the confirmation that we will have an expansion of up to 22 million doses,” Ebrard said during Lopez Obrador’s regular news conference.

Mexico’s vaccine rollout has been criticized as overly slow, though officials say they’ve been hampered by delays in receiving vaccines amid global shortages.

The Biden administration appeared to have turned down Lopez Obrador’s request, at least in the short term, for the United States to share its vaccines by saying the immediate priority is to inoculate American citizens.

Mexico is now pinning its hopes on receiving some vaccines from the United States once Biden meets his goal of inoculating 100 million Americans in 100 days, a deadline due in late April.

Ebrard said Mexico has placed an order for an additional 10 million doses of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered between May and July, on top of the 10 million already ordered, which are due to arrive between March and May.

Three million doses of China’s CanSino Biologics Inc COVID-19 vaccine are set to arrive in Mexico on Wednesday and will be sent to Queretaro state where they will be packaged, Ebrard said in a Tweet.

Mexico will also order 12 million vaccine doses made by the state-backed China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) once it has been approved by its health regulator, Ebrard added.

Mexico is turning to China to fill a vaccine shortfall with an order for 22 million doses, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday, a week after U.S. President Joe Biden ruled out sharing vaccines with Mexico in the short term.

Mexico is turning to China to fill a vaccine shortfall with an order for 22 million doses, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday, a week after U.S. President Joe Biden ruled out sharing vaccines with Mexico in the short term. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spearheaded efforts to attain more help from China, Ebrard said. “As a result of a process personally led by the president of the republic, we have received the confirmation that we will have an expansion of up to 22 million doses,” Ebrard said during Lopez Obrador’s regular news conference. Mexico’s vaccine rollout has been criticized as overly slow, though officials say they’ve been hampered by delays in receiving vaccines amid global shortages. The Biden administration appeared to have turned down Lopez Obrador’s request, at least in the short term, for the United States to share its vaccines by saying the immediate priority is to inoculate American citizens. Mexico is now pinning its hopes on receiving some vaccines from the United States once Biden meets his goal of inoculating 100 million Americans in 100 days, a deadline due in late April. Ebrard said Mexico has placed an order for an additional 10 million doses of China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered between May and July, on top of the 10 million already ordered, which are due to arrive between March and May. Three million doses of China’s CanSino Biologics Inc COVID-19 vaccine are set to arrive in Mexico on Wednesday and will be sent to Queretaro state where they will be packaged, Ebrard said in a Tweet. Mexico will also order 12 million vaccine doses made by the state-backed China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) once it has been approved by its health regulator, Ebrard added.

Mexico leans on China after Biden rules out vaccines sharing in short term

Klas Molin, Sweden's envoy to India,&nbsp;has said that his country "congratulates" India for being the pharmacy of the world, and appreciated how production and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines&nbsp;is taking&nbsp;place in India and&nbsp;how it is helping its neighbours.

Speaking to WION Principal Diplomatic Correspondent&nbsp;Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal, Klas talked about the recent India- Sweden virtual summit and explained that both have "very active partnership".

The two countries held a virtual summit last week, making&nbsp;Sweden the second Nordic country with which Indian PM Narendra Modi has held such a summit, after last year's India-Denmark virtual summit.&nbsp;

Modi had gone to&nbsp;Sweden in 2018 on a bilateral visit as well as for the first India-Nordic summit. The second India-Nordic summit is expected to take place later this year in Denmark.

On recent allegations of a Swedish company being involved in bribes in India, the envoy said, "these issues are taken very seriously by the Swedish govt as well as the Indian govt, am sure relevant authorities will look at this". Swedish news channel SVT reported on Tuesday that Swedish truck maker Scania had allegedly paid bribes to win contracts in India.

&nbsp;

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: How was the India Sweden virtual summit? The key outcomes?</h2>

Klas Molin: The virtual summit is the latest of five interactions between our Prime Ministers in recent years. They had a good working relationship, during the Covid times. This is the mode they have to follow, which is virtual. It was a good opportunity to run through what is a very active partnership. They have a joint action plan together and also an innovation partnership. This summit really gave a wonderful opportunity to run through the priorities, which remain the same. We have very strong cooperation in trade and investment, various kinds of research on health, a number of key issues like climate change is another area that they discussed. Sweden has decided to join the International Solar Alliance. Our Prime Ministers are partners in lead IT group, which is a leadership group on Industrial transition, which is looking at new production methods down line in industries that have been key emitters. These are some examples.

&nbsp;

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: How are both countries cooperating to deal with Covid crisis, particularly the vaccines?</h2>

Klas Molin: We had interaction with our health ministers over the year and we had a number of other interactions of experts from both sides. We have a health MoU, in effect over a decade. Our minister for health and social affairs was here two years ago with a big delegation. Under the MoU, one of the keys that was discussed and highlighted last Friday was a health hub that has been created at AIIMS, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This is the latest manifestation of cooperation. Of course, Covid is an obvious discussion point at this time and I believe and it's fair to say, Sweden is congratulating India for the work it is doing in so many areas including being the pharmacy to the world in producing vaccines. It's true, AstraZeneca is here in a big way, cooperating with the Serum Institute in Pune. We are watching both the production and rollout of vaccines for vaccination in India, also internationally efforts under Covax, and also bilaterally, what India is doing to help its neighbours. Ghana was the first country that received Indian vaccines under the Covax. So very impressive and this was recognised.

&nbsp;

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: How has the progress been on the innovation dialogue that was announced in 2018?</h2>

Klas Molin: We have an innovation partnership, it's part of the joint action plan, but it's also a standalone partnership. So we have excellent cooperation between our research foundations, our funding agencies. The PM of Sweden is personally very engaged in innovation. He chairs the national innovation council himself. When the state visit took place in late 2019 here in India, the King and Queen came, we also had the first innovation dialogue. The PM and King of Sweden jointly inaugurated the first dialogue. It is a way to learn from each other and also have our agencies, ministries but not least both the private sector, research and academia involved in innovation. It is a collective effort for everything that is going on and is an innovation partnership for a sustainable future. It needs to be sustainable in terms of climate and also in job creation, which is always an important factor for India, Sweden and globally.

<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: Was Myanmar discussed during the virtual summit?</h2>

Klas Molin: The Prime ministers expressed concerns, definite and strong concerns over recent developments in last month as the new Parliament was about to take their seats, the govt was overtaken by military authorities. It is particularly troubling, given the last 10 years of democratic change, the opportunities, the free elections for 2015, the elections in Nov 2020, that had given an increasing clear majority for a party and civilian rule. The leaders acknowledged how serious they view it and how important is for the international community to step in and denounce the development.

&nbsp;

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: Any update on the India Nordic summit?</h2>

Klas Molin: The first summit happened in Stockholm, back-to-back with PM Modi's visit in April and we were very happy and honored to host that. I think it is a very useful way of combining, I mean the Nordic countries have a long history of cooperation, we are neighbours, cousins and similar, both when it comes to many of the policy issues. Also, the focus of our economies, being sustainable, being green and very heavily into information and technology. If I may speak for India, it is very clearly a useful way of meeting several leaders who happen to be similar in focus. We of course are independent countries, some of us members of the EU, some are outside, but in one stop you get chance to meet five heads of government&nbsp;and you can set out ways of cooperation which are similar to bilateral aims, but also have multiplying effects. When it comes to population, fairly humble, but economic output and interest in cooperating with India is huge and benefit for us&nbsp;and for India is definitely there, and that is why PM and Indian government&nbsp;see it in interest to approach us in the group, combined with bilateral relations.

&nbsp;

<h2>Sidhant&nbsp;Sibal: Reports have emerged in Swedish media on a Swedish company being allegedly involved in paying bribes in India. Any reaction?</h2>

Klas Molin: I haven't seen it, I have seen the headlines. I think it's a news story, if there is anything to allegations that are being made, sure relevant authorities will be looking into this. But naturally, these issues are taken very seriously by the Swedish govt as well as the Indian govt, am sure relevant authorities will look at this and we will see what they have to say if there is anything to say. &nbsp;

Klas Molin, Sweden's envoy to India, has said that his country "congratulates" India for being the pharmacy of the world, and appreciated how production and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is taking place in India and how it is helping its neighbours.

Klas Molin, Sweden's envoy to India, has said that his country "congratulates" India for being the pharmacy of the world, and appreciated how production and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is taking place in India and how it is helping its neighbours. Speaking to WION Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Klas talked about the recent India- Sweden virtual summit and explained that both have "very active partnership". The two countries held a virtual summit last week, making Sweden the second Nordic country with which Indian PM Narendra Modi has held such a summit, after last year's India-Denmark virtual summit. Modi had gone to Sweden in 2018 on a bilateral visit as well as for the first India-Nordic summit. The second India-Nordic summit is expected to take place later this year in Denmark. On recent allegations of a Swedish company being involved in bribes in India, the envoy said, "these issues are taken very seriously by the Swedish govt as well as the Indian govt, am sure relevant authorities will look at this". Swedish news channel SVT reported on Tuesday that Swedish truck maker Scania had allegedly paid bribes to win contracts in India. Sidhant Sibal: How was the India Sweden virtual summit? The key outcomes? Klas Molin: The virtual summit is the latest of five interactions between our Prime Ministers in recent years. They had a good working relationship, during the Covid times. This is the mode they have to follow, which is virtual. It was a good opportunity to run through what is a very active partnership. They have a joint action plan together and also an innovation partnership. This summit really gave a wonderful opportunity to run through the priorities, which remain the same. We have very strong cooperation in trade and investment, various kinds of research on health, a number of key issues like climate change is another area that they discussed. Sweden has decided to join the International Solar Alliance. Our Prime Ministers are partners in lead IT group, which is a leadership group on Industrial transition, which is looking at new production methods down line in industries that have been key emitters. These are some examples. Sidhant Sibal: How are both countries cooperating to deal with Covid crisis, particularly the vaccines? Klas Molin: We had interaction with our health ministers over the year and we had a number of other interactions of experts from both sides. We have a health MoU, in effect over a decade. Our minister for health and social affairs was here two years ago with a big delegation. Under the MoU, one of the keys that was discussed and highlighted last Friday was a health hub that has been created at AIIMS, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This is the latest manifestation of cooperation. Of course, Covid is an obvious discussion point at this time and I believe and it's fair to say, Sweden is congratulating India for the work it is doing in so many areas including being the pharmacy to the world in producing vaccines. It's true, AstraZeneca is here in a big way, cooperating with the Serum Institute in Pune. We are watching both the production and rollout of vaccines for vaccination in India, also internationally efforts under Covax, and also bilaterally, what India is doing to help its neighbours. Ghana was the first country that received Indian vaccines under the Covax. So very impressive and this was recognised. Sidhant Sibal: How has the progress been on the innovation dialogue that was announced in 2018? Klas Molin: We have an innovation partnership, it's part of the joint action plan, but it's also a standalone partnership. So we have excellent cooperation between our research foundations, our funding agencies. The PM of Sweden is personally very engaged in innovation. He chairs the national innovation council himself. When the state visit took place in late 2019 here in India, the King and Queen came, we also had the first innovation dialogue. The PM and King of Sweden jointly inaugurated the first dialogue. It is a way to learn from each other and also have our agencies, ministries but not least both the private sector, research and academia involved in innovation. It is a collective effort for everything that is going on and is an innovation partnership for a sustainable future. It needs to be sustainable in terms of climate and also in job creation, which is always an important factor for India, Sweden and globally. Sidhant Sibal: Was Myanmar discussed during the virtual summit? Klas Molin: The Prime ministers expressed concerns, definite and strong concerns over recent developments in last month as the new Parliament was about to take their seats, the govt was overtaken by military authorities. It is particularly troubling, given the last 10 years of democratic change, the opportunities, the free elections for 2015, the elections in Nov 2020, that had given an increasing clear majority for a party and civilian rule. The leaders acknowledged how serious they view it and how important is for the international community to step in and denounce the development. Sidhant Sibal: Any update on the India Nordic summit? Klas Molin: The first summit happened in Stockholm, back-to-back with PM Modi's visit in April and we were very happy and honored to host that. I think it is a very useful way of combining, I mean the Nordic countries have a long history of cooperation, we are neighbours, cousins and similar, both when it comes to many of the policy issues. Also, the focus of our economies, being sustainable, being green and very heavily into information and technology. If I may speak for India, it is very clearly a useful way of meeting several leaders who happen to be similar in focus. We of course are independent countries, some of us members of the EU, some are outside, but in one stop you get chance to meet five heads of government and you can set out ways of cooperation which are similar to bilateral aims, but also have multiplying effects. When it comes to population, fairly humble, but economic output and interest in cooperating with India is huge and benefit for us and for India is definitely there, and that is why PM and Indian government see it in interest to approach us in the group, combined with bilateral relations. Sidhant Sibal: Reports have emerged in Swedish media on a Swedish company being allegedly involved in paying bribes in India. Any reaction? Klas Molin: I haven't seen it, I have seen the headlines. I think it's a news story, if there is anything to allegations that are being made, sure relevant authorities will be looking into this. But naturally, these issues are taken very seriously by the Swedish govt as well as the Indian govt, am sure relevant authorities will look at this and we will see what they have to say if there is anything to say.

Exclusive: Sweden congratulates India for being the pharmacy of the world

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that he is planning to get a COVID-19 vaccine soon in order to start attending cricket matches and watch the Indian team play in action live against England.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sourav-ganguly-hails-rishabh-pant-as-game-changer-like-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-369020" hreflang="en">Sourav Ganguly hails Rishabh Pant as 'game-changer' like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh</a>

The former Indian skipper has had some serious health scares in recent months and has undergone angioplasty twice after complaining of chest pain. With COVID-19 still active in the country, it's combination with a heart condition could be risky.&nbsp;

"Fit, absolutely fine, I am back to work for a while now. It was a small blemish. I really don't see it as a scare, as you grow older, adjustments tend to happen. I am very lucky that it was a very small one, it could have been bigger. But they say, you need to address immediately whatever happens. That was the best part of it. Fit and fine, that's the best part of it," Ganguly said.

"I will travel and go for the T20Is. I will go to Ahmedabad for either the 2nd or the 3rd T20I.

After spending a few days in the hospital, Ganguly was barred from travelling, however, the Indian cricket board president is now feeling fit to be on the road once again.

"I could not travel then because I was just two weeks out of the hospital. I was not allowed to take a place. Now it's fine, everything is healthy, I will take the vaccine and then start flying. I am back at work and absolutely fit, to be honest. Absolutely spick and span, medical science is so good these days," Ganguly revealed.

After winning the Test series 3-1, Virat and Co. will lock horns with England for a 5-match T20 series set to kick off on March 12.&nbsp;

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that he is planning to get a COVID-19 vaccine soon in order to start attending cricket matches and watch the Indian team play in action live against England.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that he is planning to get a COVID-19 vaccine soon in order to start attending cricket matches and watch the Indian team play in action live against England. ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly hails Rishabh Pant as 'game-changer' like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh The former Indian skipper has had some serious health scares in recent months and has undergone angioplasty twice after complaining of chest pain. With COVID-19 still active in the country, it's combination with a heart condition could be risky. "Fit, absolutely fine, I am back to work for a while now. It was a small blemish. I really don't see it as a scare, as you grow older, adjustments tend to happen. I am very lucky that it was a very small one, it could have been bigger. But they say, you need to address immediately whatever happens. That was the best part of it. Fit and fine, that's the best part of it," Ganguly said. "I will travel and go for the T20Is. I will go to Ahmedabad for either the 2nd or the 3rd T20I. After spending a few days in the hospital, Ganguly was barred from travelling, however, the Indian cricket board president is now feeling fit to be on the road once again. "I could not travel then because I was just two weeks out of the hospital. I was not allowed to take a place. Now it's fine, everything is healthy, I will take the vaccine and then start flying. I am back at work and absolutely fit, to be honest. Absolutely spick and span, medical science is so good these days," Ganguly revealed. After winning the Test series 3-1, Virat and Co. will lock horns with England for a 5-match T20 series set to kick off on March 12.

'I will take vaccine and then start flying', Sourav Ganguly to attend India vs England T20 series

On the morning that Shelly Kendeffy received her second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, she felt fine. By afternoon, she noticed a sore arm and body aches, and by evening, it felt like the flu.

“My teeth were chattering, but I was sweating — like soaked, but frozen,” said Kendeffy, 44, a medical technician in State College, Pennsylvania.

The next day, she went to work and surveyed her colleagues — eight men and seven women — about their vaccine experiences. Six of the women had body aches, chills and fatigue. The one woman who didn’t have flu symptoms was up much of the night vomiting.

The eight men gave drastically different reports. One had mild arm pain, a headache and body aches. Two described mild fatigue and a bit of achiness. One got a headache. And four had no symptoms at all.

“I work with some very tough women,” Kendeffy said. But “clearly, us women suffered a severity of the side effects.” She felt better after 24 hours and is thrilled she got the vaccine. “I wouldn’t change a thing, because it sure beats the alternative,” she said. “But I also didn’t know what to expect.”

The differences Kendeffy observed among her co-workers are playing out across the country. In a study published last month, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed safety data from the first 13.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given to Americans. Among the side effects reported to the agency, 79.1% came from women, even though only 61.2% of the vaccines had been administered to women.

Nearly all of the rare anaphylactic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines have occurred among women, too. CDC researchers reported that all 19 of the individuals who had experienced such a reaction to the Moderna vaccine have been female and that women made up 44 of the 47 who have had anaphylactic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine.

“I am not at all surprised,” said Sabra Klein, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This sex difference is completely consistent with past reports of other vaccines.”

In a 2013 study, scientists with the CDC and other institutions found that four times as many women as men between ages 20 and 59 reported allergic reactions after receiving the 2009 pandemic flu vaccine, even though more men than women got those shots. Another study found that between 1990 and 2016, women accounted for 80% of all adult anaphylactic reactions to vaccines.

In general, women “have more reactions to a variety of vaccines,” said Julianne Gee, a medical officer in the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office. That includes influenza vaccines given to adults, as well as some given in infancy, such as the hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.

The news isn’t all bad for women, though. Side effects are usually mild and short-lived. And these physical reactions are a sign that a vaccine is working — that “you are mounting a very robust immune response, and you will likely be protected as a result,” Klein said.

But why do these sex differences happen? Part of the answer could be behavioural. It’s possible that women are more likely than men to report side effects even when their symptoms are the same, said Rosemary Morgan, an international health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There’s no vaccine-specific research to support this claim, but men are less likely than women to see doctors when they are sick, so they may also be less likely to report side effects, she said.

Still, there’s no question that biology plays an important role. “The female immune response is distinct, in many ways, from the male immune response,” said Eleanor Fish, an immunologist at the University of Toronto.

Research has shown that, compared with their male counterparts, women and girls produce more — sometimes twice as many — infection-fighting antibodies in response to the vaccines for influenza, MMR, yellow fever, rabies, and hepatitis A and B. They often mount stronger responses from immune fighters called T cells, too, Gee noted. These differences are often most robust among younger adults, which “suggests a biological effect, possibly associated with reproductive hormones,” she said.

Sex hormones including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can bind to the surface of immune cells and influence how they work. Exposure to estrogen causes immune cells to produce more antibodies in response to the flu vaccine, for example.

And testosterone, Klein said, “is kind of beautifully immunosuppressive.” The flu vaccine tends to be less protective in men with lots of testosterone compared with men with less of the sex hormone. Among other things, testosterone suppresses the body’s production of immune chemicals known as cytokines.

Genetic differences between men and women may also influence immunity. Many immune-related genes are on the X chromosome, of which women have two copies and men have only one. Historically, immunologists believed that only one X chromosome in women was turned on, and that the other was inactivated. But research now shows that 15% of genes escape this inactivation and are more highly expressed in women.

These robust immune responses help to explain why 80% of autoimmune diseases afflict women. “Women have greater immunity, whether it’s to ourselves, whether it’s to a vaccine antigen, whether it’s to a virus,” Klein said.

The size of a vaccine dose may also be important. Studies have shown that women absorb and metabolize drugs differently than men do, often needing lower doses for the same effect. But until the 1990s, drug and vaccine clinical trials largely excluded women. “The drug dosages that are recommended are historically based on clinical trials that involve male participants,” Morgan said.

Clinical trials today do include women. But in the trials for the new COVID vaccines, side effects were not sufficiently separated and analyzed by sex, Klein said. And they did not test whether lower doses might be just as effective for women but cause fewer side effects.

Until they do, Klein said, health care providers should talk to women about vaccine side effects so they are not scared by them. “I think that there is value to preparing women that they may experience more adverse reactions,” she said. “That is normal, and likely reflective of their immune system working.”

On the morning that Shelly Kendeffy received her second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, she felt fine. By afternoon, she noticed a sore arm and body aches, and by evening, it felt like the flu.

On the morning that Shelly Kendeffy received her second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, she felt fine. By afternoon, she noticed a sore arm and body aches, and by evening, it felt like the flu. “My teeth were chattering, but I was sweating — like soaked, but frozen,” said Kendeffy, 44, a medical technician in State College, Pennsylvania. The next day, she went to work and surveyed her colleagues — eight men and seven women — about their vaccine experiences. Six of the women had body aches, chills and fatigue. The one woman who didn’t have flu symptoms was up much of the night vomiting. The eight men gave drastically different reports. One had mild arm pain, a headache and body aches. Two described mild fatigue and a bit of achiness. One got a headache. And four had no symptoms at all. “I work with some very tough women,” Kendeffy said. But “clearly, us women suffered a severity of the side effects.” She felt better after 24 hours and is thrilled she got the vaccine. “I wouldn’t change a thing, because it sure beats the alternative,” she said. “But I also didn’t know what to expect.” The differences Kendeffy observed among her co-workers are playing out across the country. In a study published last month, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed safety data from the first 13.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given to Americans. Among the side effects reported to the agency, 79.1% came from women, even though only 61.2% of the vaccines had been administered to women. Nearly all of the rare anaphylactic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines have occurred among women, too. CDC researchers reported that all 19 of the individuals who had experienced such a reaction to the Moderna vaccine have been female and that women made up 44 of the 47 who have had anaphylactic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine. “I am not at all surprised,” said Sabra Klein, a microbiologist and immunologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This sex difference is completely consistent with past reports of other vaccines.” In a 2013 study, scientists with the CDC and other institutions found that four times as many women as men between ages 20 and 59 reported allergic reactions after receiving the 2009 pandemic flu vaccine, even though more men than women got those shots. Another study found that between 1990 and 2016, women accounted for 80% of all adult anaphylactic reactions to vaccines. In general, women “have more reactions to a variety of vaccines,” said Julianne Gee, a medical officer in the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office. That includes influenza vaccines given to adults, as well as some given in infancy, such as the hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. The news isn’t all bad for women, though. Side effects are usually mild and short-lived. And these physical reactions are a sign that a vaccine is working — that “you are mounting a very robust immune response, and you will likely be protected as a result,” Klein said. But why do these sex differences happen? Part of the answer could be behavioural. It’s possible that women are more likely than men to report side effects even when their symptoms are the same, said Rosemary Morgan, an international health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There’s no vaccine-specific research to support this claim, but men are less likely than women to see doctors when they are sick, so they may also be less likely to report side effects, she said. Still, there’s no question that biology plays an important role. “The female immune response is distinct, in many ways, from the male immune response,” said Eleanor Fish, an immunologist at the University of Toronto. Research has shown that, compared with their male counterparts, women and girls produce more — sometimes twice as many — infection-fighting antibodies in response to the vaccines for influenza, MMR, yellow fever, rabies, and hepatitis A and B. They often mount stronger responses from immune fighters called T cells, too, Gee noted. These differences are often most robust among younger adults, which “suggests a biological effect, possibly associated with reproductive hormones,” she said. Sex hormones including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone can bind to the surface of immune cells and influence how they work. Exposure to estrogen causes immune cells to produce more antibodies in response to the flu vaccine, for example. And testosterone, Klein said, “is kind of beautifully immunosuppressive.” The flu vaccine tends to be less protective in men with lots of testosterone compared with men with less of the sex hormone. Among other things, testosterone suppresses the body’s production of immune chemicals known as cytokines. Genetic differences between men and women may also influence immunity. Many immune-related genes are on the X chromosome, of which women have two copies and men have only one. Historically, immunologists believed that only one X chromosome in women was turned on, and that the other was inactivated. But research now shows that 15% of genes escape this inactivation and are more highly expressed in women. These robust immune responses help to explain why 80% of autoimmune diseases afflict women. “Women have greater immunity, whether it’s to ourselves, whether it’s to a vaccine antigen, whether it’s to a virus,” Klein said. The size of a vaccine dose may also be important. Studies have shown that women absorb and metabolize drugs differently than men do, often needing lower doses for the same effect. But until the 1990s, drug and vaccine clinical trials largely excluded women. “The drug dosages that are recommended are historically based on clinical trials that involve male participants,” Morgan said. Clinical trials today do include women. But in the trials for the new COVID vaccines, side effects were not sufficiently separated and analyzed by sex, Klein said. And they did not test whether lower doses might be just as effective for women but cause fewer side effects. Until they do, Klein said, health care providers should talk to women about vaccine side effects so they are not scared by them. “I think that there is value to preparing women that they may experience more adverse reactions,” she said. “That is normal, and likely reflective of their immune system working.”

Women report worse side effects after a Covid vaccine

Top US infectious disease official Dr Anthony Fauci on Sunday sounded optimistic about Covid inoculation in the United States, assuring high school students should be able to receive the vaccine by the autumn and younger students will likely be cleared for in early 2022.

Fauci said he expected the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue relaxed guidelines for people who have already been vaccinated within "the next couple of days," but urged continued vigilance on mitigation measures for the over 80% of Americans still awaiting shots.

The United States is now vaccinating on average 2.1 million people a day.

"We're going in the right direction. We just need to hang in there a bit longer," Fauci told CBS.&nbsp;

"We want to get those death levels of the virus very, very low, and then we'll have a much, much easier time to safely pull back" on mitigation measures.

"We project that high school students will very likely be able to be vaccinated by the fall term, maybe not the very first day, but certainly in the early part of the fall," he said.

He said elementary school children would likely be ready to receive vaccinations by the first quarter of next year.

Fauci has also pointed to the need to continue mask mandates and other mitigation measures to avoid a resurgence as new variants emerge.

Top US infectious disease official Dr Anthony Fauci on Sunday sounded optimistic about Covid inoculation in the United States, assuring high school students should be able to receive the vaccine by the autumn and younger students will likely be cleared for in early 2022.

Top US infectious disease official Dr Anthony Fauci on Sunday sounded optimistic about Covid inoculation in the United States, assuring high school students should be able to receive the vaccine by the autumn and younger students will likely be cleared for in early 2022. Fauci said he expected the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue relaxed guidelines for people who have already been vaccinated within "the next couple of days," but urged continued vigilance on mitigation measures for the over 80% of Americans still awaiting shots. The United States is now vaccinating on average 2.1 million people a day. "We're going in the right direction. We just need to hang in there a bit longer," Fauci told CBS. "We want to get those death levels of the virus very, very low, and then we'll have a much, much easier time to safely pull back" on mitigation measures. "We project that high school students will very likely be able to be vaccinated by the fall term, maybe not the very first day, but certainly in the early part of the fall," he said. He said elementary school children would likely be ready to receive vaccinations by the first quarter of next year. Fauci has also pointed to the need to continue mask mandates and other mitigation measures to avoid a resurgence as new variants emerge.

Fauci says US teens should get vaccinated by autumn, younger children next year

China is planning to set up Covid vaccination stations to inoculate Chinese citizens abroad. It on Sunday also said it is ready to work with the International Olympic Committee to help provide vaccines to Olympic athletes for upcoming events.

China has developed several vaccines domestically and has begun its own vaccination drive, with plans to vaccinate 40% of its population by July.

"We are preparing to set up regional vaccination sites for domestically produced vaccines in countries where conditions permit, to provide services to compatriots in need in neighbouring countries," China's top government diplomat Wang Yi said in his annual news conference held on Sunday.

He added some citizens of his country were already receiving Chinese-made vaccines abroad according to local law, and that Beijing would also make vaccines available to Olympians.

China is set to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics next year, while the Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place in Japan later this year.

China has said it plans to provide 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX. Vaccines from Chinese firms are already being offered in several countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

During Sunday's news conference, Wang also spoke against "vaccine nationalism", and said China would resist any attempt to politicise vaccine cooperation.

Beijing has repeatedly called into question the idea that the new coronavirus originated in China, and has embarked upon a vaccine diplomacy campaign to send Chinese-developed shots against COVID-19 around the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to make China's vaccines a "global public good."

China is planning to set up Covid vaccination stations to inoculate Chinese citizens abroad. It on Sunday also said it is ready to work with the International Olympic Committee to help provide vaccines to Olympic athletes for upcoming events.

China is planning to set up Covid vaccination stations to inoculate Chinese citizens abroad. It on Sunday also said it is ready to work with the International Olympic Committee to help provide vaccines to Olympic athletes for upcoming events. China has developed several vaccines domestically and has begun its own vaccination drive, with plans to vaccinate 40% of its population by July. "We are preparing to set up regional vaccination sites for domestically produced vaccines in countries where conditions permit, to provide services to compatriots in need in neighbouring countries," China's top government diplomat Wang Yi said in his annual news conference held on Sunday. He added some citizens of his country were already receiving Chinese-made vaccines abroad according to local law, and that Beijing would also make vaccines available to Olympians. China is set to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics next year, while the Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place in Japan later this year. China has said it plans to provide 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX. Vaccines from Chinese firms are already being offered in several countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. During Sunday's news conference, Wang also spoke against "vaccine nationalism", and said China would resist any attempt to politicise vaccine cooperation. Beijing has repeatedly called into question the idea that the new coronavirus originated in China, and has embarked upon a vaccine diplomacy campaign to send Chinese-developed shots against COVID-19 around the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to make China's vaccines a "global public good."

China says is ready to provide vaccines to Olympians

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.7 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Many are quick to blame “vaccine hesitancy” as the reason, putting the onus on Black Americans to develop better attitudes around vaccination. But this hyper-focus on hesitancy implicitly blames Black communities for their undervaccination, and it obscures opportunities to address the primary barrier to Covid-19 vaccination: access.

Access matters. A closer look at the data reveals that when Black people are given the opportunity, they do get vaccinated.

After the federally funded Vaccines for Children program eliminated cost as a barrier to vaccine access for children in the 1990s, racial disparities in vaccination rates narrowed significantly. Since about 2005, Black children are just as likely to have received the recommended M.M.R. and polio vaccines as any other children, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the vaccination rates of children are, in part, a reflection of their parents and caregivers’ attitudes about vaccines, then it suggests that Black caregivers generally support vaccination.

Another study looking at flu vaccination in Detroit showed that among Medicare Part B recipients (people who have a health care plan that covers many vaccines) Black adults 65 years and older are just as likely to accept the flu vaccine as white adults, if their health care provider offers it to them.

Even now, during the pandemic, survey data has shown that interest in Covid-19 vaccination is increasing among Black adults. Sixty-one percent of Black Americans say they plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine or have already received one, up from 42 percent who said in November that they planned to get vaccinated, according to new data from Pew Research Center.

As many as 27 percent of Black Americans in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey still say they may decline Covid-19 vaccination or only get it if required, and as many as 37 percent say they will “wait and see.” But those sentiments must be considered alongside evidence of gaps in Black people’s access to information about vaccines. In another recent study, 41 percent of Black adults reported knowing “little or nothing” about how vaccines are created and tested, and 30 percent reported knowing “only a little or nothing” about how vaccines generally work.

To fully expand access to Covid-19 vaccines, health care must name, challenge and eliminate the anti-Black racism that continues to place vital health care services just beyond Black Americans’ reach. This includes access to health insurance, access to a health care provider, access to credible information about vaccines and convenient access to vaccines.

At each of these steps, Black health care workers are leading the way. In Philadelphia, Black health workers are running walk-up vaccine clinics that don’t require appointments made online or over the phone. Health workers in Oakland have built a testing site that doesn’t require any personal documentation to receive a test. Black health workers and I am disseminating credible Covid-19 information online and through social media.

As a Black physician, I know from experience that Black people are some of the most sophisticated and discerning health care consumers in the country. This comes from necessity. Many Black Americans need not resurrect the ghosts of the Tuskegee experiment to recall a moment in which they’ve endured medical mistreatment. As KQED recently reported, researchers say Tuskegee rarely comes up when Black people share concerns about Covid-19 vaccines. Rather, issues like racism in health care and safety concerns are cited much more often.

Ultimately, while the standards of care in the United States are exceptional, and among the highest in the world, it is important to acknowledge that anti-Black racism keeps the health care system from systematically applying that high standard to Black people. For example, just as surgeons don’t prepare patients for surgery by simply saying, “Just trust me, I’ll see you in the operating room,” when it comes to acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination, the U.S. health system should stop engaging Black communities by asking for their blind trust. Black people deserve to make this important medical decision like all other patient populations, equipped with the access they need to insurance coverage, reliable care, credible information and actual vaccines.

(Rhea Boyd, M.D., M.P.H. is a pediatrician, public health advocate and scholar who writes and teaches about the impact of racism and inequity on health. She co-developed a national campaign to provide Black communities with information about COVID-19 vaccines.)

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.

Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.7 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Many are quick to blame “vaccine hesitancy” as the reason, putting the onus on Black Americans to develop better attitudes around vaccination. But this hyper-focus on hesitancy implicitly blames Black communities for their undervaccination, and it obscures opportunities to address the primary barrier to Covid-19 vaccination: access. Access matters. A closer look at the data reveals that when Black people are given the opportunity, they do get vaccinated. After the federally funded Vaccines for Children program eliminated cost as a barrier to vaccine access for children in the 1990s, racial disparities in vaccination rates narrowed significantly. Since about 2005, Black children are just as likely to have received the recommended M.M.R. and polio vaccines as any other children, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the vaccination rates of children are, in part, a reflection of their parents and caregivers’ attitudes about vaccines, then it suggests that Black caregivers generally support vaccination. Another study looking at flu vaccination in Detroit showed that among Medicare Part B recipients (people who have a health care plan that covers many vaccines) Black adults 65 years and older are just as likely to accept the flu vaccine as white adults, if their health care provider offers it to them. Even now, during the pandemic, survey data has shown that interest in Covid-19 vaccination is increasing among Black adults. Sixty-one percent of Black Americans say they plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine or have already received one, up from 42 percent who said in November that they planned to get vaccinated, according to new data from Pew Research Center. As many as 27 percent of Black Americans in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey still say they may decline Covid-19 vaccination or only get it if required, and as many as 37 percent say they will “wait and see.” But those sentiments must be considered alongside evidence of gaps in Black people’s access to information about vaccines. In another recent study, 41 percent of Black adults reported knowing “little or nothing” about how vaccines are created and tested, and 30 percent reported knowing “only a little or nothing” about how vaccines generally work. To fully expand access to Covid-19 vaccines, health care must name, challenge and eliminate the anti-Black racism that continues to place vital health care services just beyond Black Americans’ reach. This includes access to health insurance, access to a health care provider, access to credible information about vaccines and convenient access to vaccines. At each of these steps, Black health care workers are leading the way. In Philadelphia, Black health workers are running walk-up vaccine clinics that don’t require appointments made online or over the phone. Health workers in Oakland have built a testing site that doesn’t require any personal documentation to receive a test. Black health workers and I am disseminating credible Covid-19 information online and through social media. As a Black physician, I know from experience that Black people are some of the most sophisticated and discerning health care consumers in the country. This comes from necessity. Many Black Americans need not resurrect the ghosts of the Tuskegee experiment to recall a moment in which they’ve endured medical mistreatment. As KQED recently reported, researchers say Tuskegee rarely comes up when Black people share concerns about Covid-19 vaccines. Rather, issues like racism in health care and safety concerns are cited much more often. Ultimately, while the standards of care in the United States are exceptional, and among the highest in the world, it is important to acknowledge that anti-Black racism keeps the health care system from systematically applying that high standard to Black people. For example, just as surgeons don’t prepare patients for surgery by simply saying, “Just trust me, I’ll see you in the operating room,” when it comes to acceptance of Covid-19 vaccination, the U.S. health system should stop engaging Black communities by asking for their blind trust. Black people deserve to make this important medical decision like all other patient populations, equipped with the access they need to insurance coverage, reliable care, credible information and actual vaccines. (Rhea Boyd, M.D., M.P.H. is a pediatrician, public health advocate and scholar who writes and teaches about the impact of racism and inequity on health. She co-developed a national campaign to provide Black communities with information about COVID-19 vaccines.)

Black people need better vaccine access, not better vaccine attitudes

The European Union is planning to ask the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine.

According to a report published in the Financial Times, the 27-nation EU also wants Washington to ensure the free flow of shipments of crucial vaccine ingredients needed in European production.

The FT quoted the European Commission as saying in Saturday: "We trust that we can work together with the US to ensure that vaccines produced or bottled in the US for the fulfilment of vaccine producers' contractual obligations with the EU will be fully honoured."

The EU countries started inoculations at the end of December, but are moving at a far slower pace than other rich nations, including former member Britain and the United States. Officials have so far blamed the slow progress in part on supply problems with manufacturers.

The European Commission and Italy this week blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its EU contract commitments.&nbsp;

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has been under fire in the EU for its delayed supplies of shots to the 27-nation bloc, which ordered 300 million doses by the end of June.&nbsp;

AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot told EU lawmakers in a public hearing in February that they were working to improve the delivery and resolve issues.

(with inputs)

The European Union is planning to ask the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine. According to a report published in the Financial Times, the 27-nation EU also wants Washington to ensure the free flow of shipments of crucial vaccine ingredients needed in European production.

The European Union is planning to ask the United States to permit the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine. According to a report published in the Financial Times, the 27-nation EU also wants Washington to ensure the free flow of shipments of crucial vaccine ingredients needed in European production. The FT quoted the European Commission as saying in Saturday: "We trust that we can work together with the US to ensure that vaccines produced or bottled in the US for the fulfilment of vaccine producers' contractual obligations with the EU will be fully honoured." The EU countries started inoculations at the end of December, but are moving at a far slower pace than other rich nations, including former member Britain and the United States. Officials have so far blamed the slow progress in part on supply problems with manufacturers. The European Commission and Italy this week blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its EU contract commitments. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has been under fire in the EU for its delayed supplies of shots to the 27-nation bloc, which ordered 300 million doses by the end of June. AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot told EU lawmakers in a public hearing in February that they were working to improve the delivery and resolve issues. (with inputs)

EU wants access to US produced AstraZeneca vaccines, report says

France could block shipments abroad of COVID-19 vaccines, similar to moves on this front by Italy, said French Health Minister Olivier Veran on Friday (March 5).

France could block vaccine shipments, similar to Italy - Veran

Canada’s drug regulator has approved Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. This is the fourth such vaccine to be given the green light -- Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc vaccines in December, and AstraZeneca’s vaccine in February.

It is the first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised in the country, and has been cleared for use by people over 18 years of age.&nbsp;

The official announcement will be made later on Friday.&nbsp;

The vaccine is administered in a single dose and can be stored in normal fridges while the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots must be kept in freezers.

Ottawa has ordered up to 38 million doses, which can be stored at refrigerated temperatures from two to eight degrees Celsius (35-46 Fahrenheit), making distribution easier than some others.

So far, 4.2 per cent of the Canadian population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to volunteer-run tracking site COVID-19 Tracker Canada. In the United States, more than 16 per cent have received at least one dose.

Health officials are expected to announce in the coming weeks a decision on Novovax's vaccine candidate -- the only other one to have submitted an application for approval to date.

As of Friday, Canada has reported more than 878,000 cases of the coronavirus and over 22,000 fatalities.

Canada’s drug regulator has approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. This is the fourth such vaccine to be given the green light -- Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc vaccines in December, and AstraZeneca’s vaccine in February.

Canada’s drug regulator has approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. This is the fourth such vaccine to be given the green light -- Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Inc vaccines in December, and AstraZeneca’s vaccine in February. It is the first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine to be authorised in the country, and has been cleared for use by people over 18 years of age. The official announcement will be made later on Friday. The vaccine is administered in a single dose and can be stored in normal fridges while the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots must be kept in freezers. Ottawa has ordered up to 38 million doses, which can be stored at refrigerated temperatures from two to eight degrees Celsius (35-46 Fahrenheit), making distribution easier than some others. So far, 4.2 per cent of the Canadian population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to volunteer-run tracking site COVID-19 Tracker Canada. In the United States, more than 16 per cent have received at least one dose. Health officials are expected to announce in the coming weeks a decision on Novovax's vaccine candidate -- the only other one to have submitted an application for approval to date. As of Friday, Canada has reported more than 878,000 cases of the coronavirus and over 22,000 fatalities.

Canada approves Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday.

Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-blocks-export-of-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-shipment-to-australia-368096">Also read |&nbsp;Italy blocks export of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia</a>

The latest data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public.

According to Reuters, the full results of the study will most likely be released by&nbsp;March end.

The P1 variant is among the factors that epidemiologists believe is contributing to a rise in cases and deaths, and there has been concern in the scientific community about the variant's resistance to vaccines.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-to-receive-10m-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-doses-from-indias-serum-institute-367740">Also read |&nbsp;UK to receive 10M AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute</a>

Brazil is currently confronting a brutal and long-lasting second wave of the coronavirus, hitting a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday.

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday. Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country. Also read | Italy blocks export of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia The latest data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public. According to Reuters, the full results of the study will most likely be released by March end. The P1 variant is among the factors that epidemiologists believe is contributing to a rise in cases and deaths, and there has been concern in the scientific community about the variant's resistance to vaccines. Also read | UK to receive 10M AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute Brazil is currently confronting a brutal and long-lasting second wave of the coronavirus, hitting a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.

Oxford study indicates AstraZeneca effective against Brazil coronavirus variant

Australia has asked the European Commission to review a decision by Italy to block a shipment of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine.

Italy, supported by the European Commission, had barred the planned export of around 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its European Union contract commitments.

Australia has ordered 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford. Local pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd has secured the rights to manufacture 50 million of those doses in Australia and expects to release the first batch near the end of March.

"Australia has raised the issue with the European Commission through multiple channels, and in particular we have asked the European Commission to review this decision," Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters in Melbourne.

Australia has already received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine, which would last until local production of the vaccine ramps up.

Australia began its inoculation programme two weeks ago, vaccinating frontline health staff and senior citizens with Pfizer's jab though doses of that vaccine are limited amid tight global supplies.

While seeking the European Commission's intervention, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he could understand reasons for Italy's objection.

"In Italy people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. And so I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries across Europe," Morrison told reporters in Sydney.

Italy's move came just days after Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who took office last month, told fellow EU leaders that the bloc needed to speed up vaccinations and crack down on pharma companies that failed to deliver on promised supplies.

EU countries started inoculations at the end of December, but are moving at a far slower pace than many other nations, with officials blaming the slow progress in part on supply problems with key manufacturers.

(with inputs)

Australia has asked the European Commission to review a decision by Italy to block a shipment of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine. Italy, supported by the European Commission, had barred the planned export of around 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its European Union contract commitments.

Australia has asked the European Commission to review a decision by Italy to block a shipment of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine. Italy, supported by the European Commission, had barred the planned export of around 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its European Union contract commitments. Australia has ordered 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford. Local pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd has secured the rights to manufacture 50 million of those doses in Australia and expects to release the first batch near the end of March. "Australia has raised the issue with the European Commission through multiple channels, and in particular we have asked the European Commission to review this decision," Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters in Melbourne. Australia has already received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine, which would last until local production of the vaccine ramps up. Australia began its inoculation programme two weeks ago, vaccinating frontline health staff and senior citizens with Pfizer's jab though doses of that vaccine are limited amid tight global supplies. While seeking the European Commission's intervention, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he could understand reasons for Italy's objection. "In Italy people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. And so I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries across Europe," Morrison told reporters in Sydney. Italy's move came just days after Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who took office last month, told fellow EU leaders that the bloc needed to speed up vaccinations and crack down on pharma companies that failed to deliver on promised supplies. EU countries started inoculations at the end of December, but are moving at a far slower pace than many other nations, with officials blaming the slow progress in part on supply problems with key manufacturers. (with inputs)

Australia asks European Commission to review Italy's vaccine block

Modified vaccines designed to protect against emerging coronavirus variants will get fast-track approval under a pact announced on Thursday by medicines regulators in Britain and four other countries.

The agreement will avert the need for lengthy clinical studies if authorised vaccines are adapted in future, as long as the manufacturers offer "robust evidence" of their potency and safety, according to the agreement by the ACCESS Consortium.

The consortium comprises Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and counterparts from Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland. 

"Our priority is to get effective vaccines to the public in as short a time as possible, without compromising on safety," MHRA chief scientific officer Christian Schneider said in a statement.

"Should any modifications to authorised Covid-19 vaccines be necessary, this regulatory approach should help to do just that.

"The public should be confident that no vaccine would be approved unless the expected high standards of safety, quality and effectiveness are met."&nbsp;

The approach is based on the "tried and tested" regulatory process used for seasonal influenza vaccines, which need to be adapted every year to combat new strains, the MHRA said.

- 'Remain vigilant' -

Britain began rolling out the world's first mass vaccination programme for the coronavirus in December. But health experts are concerned that new variants of the disease, including one from Brazil, could prove more resistant to the vaccines.

That would undermine plans by Britain and others to start unwinding lockdowns in the coming weeks, which hinge on the vaccines giving enough people protection and bringing down a winter surge in infections and deaths.

In England, the latest wide-scale survey of more than 165,000 volunteers tested for Covid-19 showed that prevalence fell by two-thirds last month from January, with one in every 204 people infected.

The survey overseen by London's Imperial College showed the "R" number in England came to 0.86. Anything under 1.0 signals the virus is no longer growing exponentially in the population.

But it also found that the rate of decrease was slowing, prompting Health Secretary Matt Hancock to urge continued caution as England prepares to reopen schools to in-class teaching next Monday in the first phase of ending its lockdown.

"There is some cause for concern that our hard-won progress may be slowing down, and even reversing in some regions so it is important we remain vigilant -- this is on all of us," Hancock said.

More than 123,000 people have died of Covid-19 across the UK, in one of the world's worst outbreaks.

Modified vaccines designed to protect against emerging coronavirus variants will get fast-track approval under a pact announced on Thursday by medicines regulators in Britain and four other countries.

Modified vaccines designed to protect against emerging coronavirus variants will get fast-track approval under a pact announced on Thursday by medicines regulators in Britain and four other countries. The agreement will avert the need for lengthy clinical studies if authorised vaccines are adapted in future, as long as the manufacturers offer "robust evidence" of their potency and safety, according to the agreement by the ACCESS Consortium. The consortium comprises Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and counterparts from Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland.  "Our priority is to get effective vaccines to the public in as short a time as possible, without compromising on safety," MHRA chief scientific officer Christian Schneider said in a statement. "Should any modifications to authorised Covid-19 vaccines be necessary, this regulatory approach should help to do just that. "The public should be confident that no vaccine would be approved unless the expected high standards of safety, quality and effectiveness are met." The approach is based on the "tried and tested" regulatory process used for seasonal influenza vaccines, which need to be adapted every year to combat new strains, the MHRA said. - 'Remain vigilant' - Britain began rolling out the world's first mass vaccination programme for the coronavirus in December. But health experts are concerned that new variants of the disease, including one from Brazil, could prove more resistant to the vaccines. That would undermine plans by Britain and others to start unwinding lockdowns in the coming weeks, which hinge on the vaccines giving enough people protection and bringing down a winter surge in infections and deaths. In England, the latest wide-scale survey of more than 165,000 volunteers tested for Covid-19 showed that prevalence fell by two-thirds last month from January, with one in every 204 people infected. The survey overseen by London's Imperial College showed the "R" number in England came to 0.86. Anything under 1.0 signals the virus is no longer growing exponentially in the population. But it also found that the rate of decrease was slowing, prompting Health Secretary Matt Hancock to urge continued caution as England prepares to reopen schools to in-class teaching next Monday in the first phase of ending its lockdown. "There is some cause for concern that our hard-won progress may be slowing down, and even reversing in some regions so it is important we remain vigilant -- this is on all of us," Hancock said. More than 123,000 people have died of Covid-19 across the UK, in one of the world's worst outbreaks.

UK and others agree to fast-track adapted Covid vaccines

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