U.S. pharmaceutical distributors are talking to federal officials about increasing the number of companies shipping coronavirus vaccines as part of the Biden administration`s push to speed up inoculations, according to an industry executive and three people familiar with the matter.

President Joe Biden has called the initial phase of the vaccination campaign a "dismal failure" and with vaccinations in the United States at around 1 million per day, the new administration wants to expand and improve the program.

The Trump administration signed an exclusive deal with healthcare distributor McKesson Corp to ship COVID-19 vaccines for the government. That distribution system has broadly worked, but it will face new demands as additional vaccines from Johnson &amp; Johnson and others are added.

Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp, which together with McKesson are the biggest healthcare product shippers, have made proposals to take on some distribution. Biden`s team is open to the idea, according to an executive at AmerisourceBergen and two people familiar with the talks. The Biden administration has not yet made a decision, they said.

"We stand ready to support the vaccine rollout and are advocating for the addition of other pharmaceutical distributors to join the effort," said Heather Zenk, a senior vice president at AmerisourceBergen in an interview with Reuters. Government officials were receptive and are considering the proposal, she said, adding that her company has not "received any formal outreach for contracting at this point."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment, saying it is prohibited from sharing information about contract discussions. McKesson did not comment on talks between the U.S. and other companies but said it believes the current approach works best for ensuring safe and fast shipments.

Two vaccines have been authorized for emergency use so far to inoculate adults in the 330 million population of the United States. McKesson has handled shipments from Moderna Inc under the government`s Operation Warp Speed program. Pfizer Inc`s vaccine is not part of the government`s distribution program.

Johnson &amp; Johnson, which is part of Operation Warp Speed, is releasing data on its vaccine candidate next week and it could be authorized in the United States as soon as February.

U.S. officials said in a press conference earlier this week that they will boost vaccine shipments from 8.6 million doses each week to at least 10 million in the coming weeks.

"The current system appears to be faltering at multiple levels so I do think having more distributors involved is prudent," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

"It will be important however to maintain central coordination," he added.

Even if the Biden administration does not sign a contract with the distributors in the near term, it may begin working with them to actively prepare for a contingency plan should the United States need additional shipping capacity in the coming weeks or months, one of the sources said.

U.S. pharmaceutical distributors are talking to federal officials about increasing the number of companies shipping coronavirus vaccines as part of the Biden administration`s push to speed up inoculations, according to an industry executive and three people familiar with the matter.

U.S. pharmaceutical distributors are talking to federal officials about increasing the number of companies shipping coronavirus vaccines as part of the Biden administration`s push to speed up inoculations, according to an industry executive and three people familiar with the matter. President Joe Biden has called the initial phase of the vaccination campaign a "dismal failure" and with vaccinations in the United States at around 1 million per day, the new administration wants to expand and improve the program. The Trump administration signed an exclusive deal with healthcare distributor McKesson Corp to ship COVID-19 vaccines for the government. That distribution system has broadly worked, but it will face new demands as additional vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and others are added. Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp, which together with McKesson are the biggest healthcare product shippers, have made proposals to take on some distribution. Biden`s team is open to the idea, according to an executive at AmerisourceBergen and two people familiar with the talks. The Biden administration has not yet made a decision, they said. "We stand ready to support the vaccine rollout and are advocating for the addition of other pharmaceutical distributors to join the effort," said Heather Zenk, a senior vice president at AmerisourceBergen in an interview with Reuters. Government officials were receptive and are considering the proposal, she said, adding that her company has not "received any formal outreach for contracting at this point." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment, saying it is prohibited from sharing information about contract discussions. McKesson did not comment on talks between the U.S. and other companies but said it believes the current approach works best for ensuring safe and fast shipments. Two vaccines have been authorized for emergency use so far to inoculate adults in the 330 million population of the United States. McKesson has handled shipments from Moderna Inc under the government`s Operation Warp Speed program. Pfizer Inc`s vaccine is not part of the government`s distribution program. Johnson & Johnson, which is part of Operation Warp Speed, is releasing data on its vaccine candidate next week and it could be authorized in the United States as soon as February. U.S. officials said in a press conference earlier this week that they will boost vaccine shipments from 8.6 million doses each week to at least 10 million in the coming weeks. "The current system appears to be faltering at multiple levels so I do think having more distributors involved is prudent," said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "It will be important however to maintain central coordination," he added. Even if the Biden administration does not sign a contract with the distributors in the near term, it may begin working with them to actively prepare for a contingency plan should the United States need additional shipping capacity in the coming weeks or months, one of the sources said.

Pharma distributors in talks with US for cut of Covid vaccine shipping deal

The Wuhan virus has now infected more than 100 million people worldwide with over 2 million deaths. The arrival of vaccines did give the world some hope but the struggle to contain the spread continues. A number of European countries are now making medical-grade masks mandatory in order to confront new more transmissible variants of the virus.

The French government wants citizens to wear surgical masks. Germany has made surgical or N95 mask mandatory in stores and on public transit. Austria has come up with a similar mandate. The UK has become the first country in Europe to record more than 100 thousand deaths. The UK has the fifth highest toll globally. And despite being one of the first countries to approve a vaccine, the fight against the virus is getting tougher. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now promised to tighten the border restrictions.

"I mourn every death in this pandemic and we share the grief of all those who have been bereaved, Mr Speaker. And let the house be in no doubt that our government take full responsibility for all the actions I have taken, we have taken, during this pandemic to fight this disease," said Johnson in the House of Commons.

In the Netherlands, the lockdown was met with a violent response this week. For three straight nights protesters clashed with riot police personnel in a brazen attempt to defy curfew orders. More than 180 people were arrested across 10 cities. In America President Joe Biden has made a vow to purchase another 200 million doses of the vaccines.

But even with that, President Biden can't promise a swift end to the pandemic in America.

The vaccines ignited hope for a swift end to this pandemic. But the rollout delays have slowed things down. With the most developed regions of the world struggling to keep pace with a mutating virus. It seems like the battle against the pandemic will be a long drawn one.

The Wuhan virus has now infected more than 100 million people worldwide with over 2 million deaths. The arrival of vaccines did give the world some hope but the struggle to contain the spread continues.

The Wuhan virus has now infected more than 100 million people worldwide with over 2 million deaths. The arrival of vaccines did give the world some hope but the struggle to contain the spread continues. A number of European countries are now making medical-grade masks mandatory in order to confront new more transmissible variants of the virus. The French government wants citizens to wear surgical masks. Germany has made surgical or N95 mask mandatory in stores and on public transit. Austria has come up with a similar mandate. The UK has become the first country in Europe to record more than 100 thousand deaths. The UK has the fifth highest toll globally. And despite being one of the first countries to approve a vaccine, the fight against the virus is getting tougher. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now promised to tighten the border restrictions. "I mourn every death in this pandemic and we share the grief of all those who have been bereaved, Mr Speaker. And let the house be in no doubt that our government take full responsibility for all the actions I have taken, we have taken, during this pandemic to fight this disease," said Johnson in the House of Commons. In the Netherlands, the lockdown was met with a violent response this week. For three straight nights protesters clashed with riot police personnel in a brazen attempt to defy curfew orders. More than 180 people were arrested across 10 cities. In America President Joe Biden has made a vow to purchase another 200 million doses of the vaccines. But even with that, President Biden can't promise a swift end to the pandemic in America. The vaccines ignited hope for a swift end to this pandemic. But the rollout delays have slowed things down. With the most developed regions of the world struggling to keep pace with a mutating virus. It seems like the battle against the pandemic will be a long drawn one.

Battle with COVID may be a long one even with vaccines

According to a new study, India's homegrown jab Covaxin is likely to be effective against the UK variant of the Coronavirus. Covaxin is developed by Bharat Biotech, it has been approved for emergency use by India's drug regulators.

Study: Covaxin developed by Indian Pharma firm Bharat Biotech neutralizes UK variant

A plant in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has been partially evacuated after a suspicious package was received.

Global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt, which plays a role in Covid-19 vaccines production, said its site there had been "partially" evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious package.

"Wockhardt UK in Wrexham this morning received a suspicious package to site. All relevant authorities were immediately notified and engaged," the company said, referring to its facility in Wales.

"Upon expert advice we have partially evacuated the site pending a full investigation. The safety of our employees and business continuity remain of paramount importance."

Wockhardt UK provides fill-and-finish capacity for AstraZeneca's UK supply chain, which is the final manufacturing step of putting vaccines into vials or syringes and packaging them.

"We are currently dealing with an ongoing incident on the Wrexham Industrial Estate," North Wales Police said in a statement.

"The roads are currently closed and we would ask the public to avoid the area until further notice."

(with inputs)

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A plant in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has been partially evacuated after a suspicious package was received. Global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt, which plays a role in Covid-19 vaccines production, said its site there had been "partially" evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious package.

A plant in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has been partially evacuated after a suspicious package was received. Global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt, which plays a role in Covid-19 vaccines production, said its site there had been "partially" evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious package. "Wockhardt UK in Wrexham this morning received a suspicious package to site. All relevant authorities were immediately notified and engaged," the company said, referring to its facility in Wales. "Upon expert advice we have partially evacuated the site pending a full investigation. The safety of our employees and business continuity remain of paramount importance." Wockhardt UK provides fill-and-finish capacity for AstraZeneca's UK supply chain, which is the final manufacturing step of putting vaccines into vials or syringes and packaging them. "We are currently dealing with an ongoing incident on the Wrexham Industrial Estate," North Wales Police said in a statement. "The roads are currently closed and we would ask the public to avoid the area until further notice." (with inputs)

UK Covid vaccine site partly evacuated over suspect package

Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it would attend a meeting with EU representatives set to take place Wednesday to discuss delays of its Covid-19 vaccine, contradicting earlier claims from Brussels.

"We can confirm we have not pulled out, we will be attending the meeting with EU officials later today," an AstraZeneca spokeswoman said in a statement.

Reports earlier said the pharmaceutical group had pulled out of a meeting with representatives of the European Union.

The EU, in response, asked AstraZeneca to publish the contract it signed with the bloc on vaccine supplies.

The EU contract with AstraZeneca is an advance purchase agreement for the supply of at least 300 million doses provided that the vaccine is approved as safe and effective.

The sudden cancellation by the Anglo-Swedish firm marked a dramatic new turn in escalating tensions between it and the European Commission, which is demanding AstraZeneca fulfil its contract for the vaccine doses.

In an interview with newspapers on Tuesday, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the EU contract was based on a best-effort clause and did not commit the company to a specific timetable for deliveries.

Vaccine rollouts in the European Union have been slow compared with countries in some other regions, especially former EU member Britain, and fraught with problems, not least interruptions to supply chains.

AstraZeneca said in a statement on Wednesday: "Each supply chain was developed with input and investment from specific countries or international organisations based on the supply agreements, including our agreement with the European Commission.

"As each supply chain has been set up to meet the needs of a specific agreement, the vaccine produced from any supply chain is dedicated to the relevant countries or regions and makes use of local manufacturing wherever possible."

(with inputs from agencies)

Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it would attend a meeting with EU representatives set to take place Wednesday to discuss delays of its Covid-19 vaccine, contradicting earlier claims from Brussels.

Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it would attend a meeting with EU representatives set to take place Wednesday to discuss delays of its Covid-19 vaccine, contradicting earlier claims from Brussels. "We can confirm we have not pulled out, we will be attending the meeting with EU officials later today," an AstraZeneca spokeswoman said in a statement. Reports earlier said the pharmaceutical group had pulled out of a meeting with representatives of the European Union. The EU, in response, asked AstraZeneca to publish the contract it signed with the bloc on vaccine supplies. The EU contract with AstraZeneca is an advance purchase agreement for the supply of at least 300 million doses provided that the vaccine is approved as safe and effective. The sudden cancellation by the Anglo-Swedish firm marked a dramatic new turn in escalating tensions between it and the European Commission, which is demanding AstraZeneca fulfil its contract for the vaccine doses. In an interview with newspapers on Tuesday, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the EU contract was based on a best-effort clause and did not commit the company to a specific timetable for deliveries. Vaccine rollouts in the European Union have been slow compared with countries in some other regions, especially former EU member Britain, and fraught with problems, not least interruptions to supply chains. AstraZeneca said in a statement on Wednesday: "Each supply chain was developed with input and investment from specific countries or international organisations based on the supply agreements, including our agreement with the European Commission. "As each supply chain has been set up to meet the needs of a specific agreement, the vaccine produced from any supply chain is dedicated to the relevant countries or regions and makes use of local manufacturing wherever possible." (with inputs from agencies)

AstraZeneca clarifies will attend EU meeting on Covid-19 vaccine delay

People testing positive for the new British variant of the coronavirus are more likely to report coughing, sore throat or fatigue as symptoms of COVID-19, but are less likely to lose their sense of taste or smell, a British survey has found.

The variant, identified in southeast England in December, is thought to be more transmissible, and could also be associated with higher mortality, though data suggesting increased death rates are uncertain and not yet strong.

Britain`s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that other differences had been observed between those with the variant from the United Kingdom and others with COVID-19.

"Loss of taste and loss of smell were significantly less common in new variant compatible positives than triple positives," the ONS said in an analysis of the characteristics of people in England with COVID-19, covering the period between Nov. 15, 2020 to Jan. 16, 2021.

A "triple positive" PCR test result indicates that someone has COVID-19 but not the British variant.

"Other symptoms were more common in new variant compatible positives, with the largest differences for cough, sore throat, fatigue, myalgia (muscle pain) and fever," the ONS said.

"There is no evidence of difference in the gastrointestinal symptoms, shortness of breath or headaches."

The ONS Infection Survey is one of the most closely watched measures of prevalence of COVID-19, and is used to estimate coronavirus infections in the community.

People testing positive for the new British variant of the coronavirus are more likely to report coughing, sore throat or fatigue as symptoms of COVID-19, but are less likely to lose their sense of taste or smell, a British survey has found.

People testing positive for the new British variant of the coronavirus are more likely to report coughing, sore throat or fatigue as symptoms of COVID-19, but are less likely to lose their sense of taste or smell, a British survey has found. The variant, identified in southeast England in December, is thought to be more transmissible, and could also be associated with higher mortality, though data suggesting increased death rates are uncertain and not yet strong. Britain`s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that other differences had been observed between those with the variant from the United Kingdom and others with COVID-19. "Loss of taste and loss of smell were significantly less common in new variant compatible positives than triple positives," the ONS said in an analysis of the characteristics of people in England with COVID-19, covering the period between Nov. 15, 2020 to Jan. 16, 2021. A "triple positive" PCR test result indicates that someone has COVID-19 but not the British variant. "Other symptoms were more common in new variant compatible positives, with the largest differences for cough, sore throat, fatigue, myalgia (muscle pain) and fever," the ONS said. "There is no evidence of difference in the gastrointestinal symptoms, shortness of breath or headaches." The ONS Infection Survey is one of the most closely watched measures of prevalence of COVID-19, and is used to estimate coronavirus infections in the community.

UK COVID variant sufferers cough more, but smell less affected: Survey

Weeks after other Latin American countries began inoculating their citizens against coronavirus, Brazil finally administered its first shot on Jan. 17 using China`s Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccine.

With efficacy of just over 50% - barely above Brazil`s threshold for regulatory approval - the Chinese shot was not the government`s first choice. But for now, there is little else available.

The country`s principle strategy - to manufacture 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca PLC vaccine locally - has been plagued by repeated delays. That effort isn`t expected to yield a finished product until March at the earliest.

AstraZeneca last week sent 2 million emergency doses to help Brazil get started. Meanwhile, Brazil`s Health Ministry has yet to sign deals with other vaccine makers.

The delays leave Brazil`s 210 million residents vulnerable to one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks on the planet. Brazil has tallied more than 218,000 COVID-19 fatalities, second only to the United States, and vaccinated less than 0.5% of its population.

Brazil`s vaccine rollout is just the latest misstep by its Health Ministry, which President Jair Bolsonaro has stocked with active-duty and retired military men with little public health experience. Those newcomers failed to grasp how quickly they needed to move to secure supplies amid heated global competition, and the importance of hedging their bets by striking deals with multiple manufacturers, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former officials, pharmaceutical executives, diplomats and public health experts.

The ministry`s hesitance led to a missed opportunity back in August to order 70 million doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, with delivery starting in December, Pfizer said in a Jan. 7 statement.

Reuters also viewed an internal Health Ministry WhatsApp chat log, containing thousands of messages exchanged between senior officials last year as the global race for vaccines was heating up. The messages reveal that the new leadership team prioritized hydroxychloroquine and its cousin chloroquine, anti-malarial drugs championed by Bolsonaro as COVID-19 treatments despite little scientific evidence that they work.

"There was not sufficient focus on the vaccines, and a lack of technical vision," former Health Minister Nelson Teich told Reuters in an interview. Teich resigned in May in a disagreement with Bolsonaro over the hydroxychloroquine strategy.

Reuters sent a detailed list of questions for this story to the president`s office, which directed queries to the Health Ministry. The ministry did not respond.

Bolsonaro - who contracted the coronavirus last year and says he won`t take any COVID-19 shot - has defended his government`s vaccine rollout. "With respect, nobody would do better than my government is doing," he said in a Jan. 15 television interview.

While many nations have struggled to obtain vaccines as manufacturers strive to meet global demand, Brazil was better positioned than many. It has a long history of successful inoculation drives, and its state-funded production facilities can churn out vaccines at scale.

The federal government squandered those advantages, said Marcia Castro, a native Brazilian and professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

"It`s a succession of errors that began from the start of the pandemic," she said. "And sadly, we`re measuring those mistakes in the number of deaths."

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE OBSESSION

The AstraZeneca shot was supposed to be the main pillar of Brazil`s inoculation plan. According to a person involved in the deal, the Cambridge, England-based firm started talking to the Health Ministry about buying its vaccine around early June.

By then, Teich, the former health minister, was gone, replaced by Eduardo Pazuello, an Army general with no medical background. He quickly surrounded himself with other military men.

Negotiations with a ministry in upheaval were challenging, said the person familiar with the talks.

"There were no decisions being driven from the top," the person said, referring to Bolsonaro and the new ministry leadership.

The new officials were betting on hydroxychloroquine to mitigate Brazil`s pandemic, months of internal ministry WhatsApp chats viewed by Reuters revealed. Vaccines were mentioned infrequently in the chats, and at times with skepticism.

For example, on June 12, just days after being named deputy health minister, Elcio Franco, a retired Army colonel, alerted colleagues to a magazine article featuring AstraZeneca`s top Brazilian executive discussing the company`s vaccine. Franco expressed surprise that anyone might volunteer to participate in a vaccine trial.

"Who would be a guinea pig?" Franco wrote to his colleagues.

Franco did, however, express confidence in hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.

In June, COVID-19 deaths per day were reaching new highs in Brazil, official data showed. Franco claimed the opposite was true.

"Death rates are dropping dramatically due to Bolsonaro`s treatment protocol," he posted to the internal WhatsApp group on June 15. "Chloroquine is reversing the situation."

Franco did not respond to requests for comment through the Health Ministry or his LinkedIn account.

Brazil is now dealing with another surge of infections that`s pushing hospitals to the breaking point in several cities.

The Health Ministry has doubled down on anti-malarials. It publicly has urged infected people to take them soon after the onset of symptoms, and this month it sent 120,000 hydroxychloroquine pills to the badly hit northern state of Amazonas.

ASTRAZENECA TALKS

The person involved in the AstraZeneca talks said the Health Ministry`s leadership didn`t appear to grasp how quickly they`d need to act to secure a portion of the company`s limited supply.

In an initial meeting around the start of June, Pazuello, the new chief, showed interest in buying the vaccine, "and then got up and left the room," the person said. "He didn`t come to future calls."

Pazuello did not respond to requests for comment.

During ministry talks, AstraZeneca officials stressed the need for Brazil to make a financial commitment to guarantee delivery, the source said.

Ministry newcomers were still mastering government red tape, slowing the transaction, three people familiar with the situation said. The officials also proceeded cautiously to avoid any perception that they stood to profit from an unproven vaccine, following public graft scandals that had upended the country in recent years, the people said.

"They fear that people will assume there were kickbacks involved and their opponents will use it as a reason to launch an investigation," the source said.

Meanwhile, Britain, the European Union and the United States signed large deals with AstraZeneca.

With Brazil`s Health Ministry dithering, AstraZeneca reached out to officials in other parts of government to help unlock funding, said the person involved in the negotiations.

AstraZeneca did not respond to requests for comment.

On June 27, Brazil announced it had signed a $127 million agreement to start producing AstraZeneca`s vaccine at Rio de Janeiro`s federally funded Fiocruz Institute. Franco, the deputy health minister, said in late June that Brazil would initially produce some 30 million doses of the vaccine, half by December 2020, the rest in January 2021.

But Fiocruz has yet to manufacture a single dose because it lacks the active ingredient needed to make the vaccine.

The first shipment of that Chinese-made material is now delayed until around Feb. 8, Fiocruz said this week, without giving a reason. Fiocruz had previously predicted it would produce finished doses by March. It will update that forecast once the ingredient arrives, the statement said.

Yang Wanming, China`s ambassador to Brazil, said in a Tuesday press conference that "technical" obstacles were holding up the shipment. He did not elaborate.

With its timetable slipping, the Health Ministry in late December appealed to AstraZeneca, which was able to source 2 million ready-to-use shots from India. Those doses, which arrived in Brazil on Jan. 22, will immunize just 0.5% of Brazil`s population.

PFIZER FAILURE

Negotiations with Pfizer, meanwhile, have turned testy. The Health Ministry publicly has chastised the company for demanding Brazil sign a waiver shielding it from any potential liability regarding its vaccine.

Pfizer says many countries have signed the waiver; it blames Brazil`s government for dragging its feet. In a January statement, the company said it began talks in June with the Health Ministry, which it said passed on Pfizer`s August 15 offer to supply 70 million doses.

With those negotiations bogged down, Brazil`s government has turned to the Sinovac shot.

Bolsonaro, a vocal China critic, had vowed never to purchase the Chinese vaccine. On Jan. 13, he delighted in pointing out to supporters that the vaccine`s Brazilian trials, conducted at São Paulo`s Butantan Institute, a public biomedical research center, had shown a disappointing efficacy rate of 50.4%.

But with few options left, the Health Ministry recently announced a deal to purchase up to 100 million doses from Butantan.

On Jan. 18, Bolsonaro struck a more conciliatory tone. Sinovac`s shot, he told supporters, was "Brazil`s vaccine."

Weeks after other Latin American countries began inoculating their citizens against coronavirus, Brazil finally administered its first shot on Jan. 17 using China`s Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccine.

Weeks after other Latin American countries began inoculating their citizens against coronavirus, Brazil finally administered its first shot on Jan. 17 using China`s Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccine. With efficacy of just over 50% - barely above Brazil`s threshold for regulatory approval - the Chinese shot was not the government`s first choice. But for now, there is little else available. The country`s principle strategy - to manufacture 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca PLC vaccine locally - has been plagued by repeated delays. That effort isn`t expected to yield a finished product until March at the earliest. AstraZeneca last week sent 2 million emergency doses to help Brazil get started. Meanwhile, Brazil`s Health Ministry has yet to sign deals with other vaccine makers. The delays leave Brazil`s 210 million residents vulnerable to one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks on the planet. Brazil has tallied more than 218,000 COVID-19 fatalities, second only to the United States, and vaccinated less than 0.5% of its population. Brazil`s vaccine rollout is just the latest misstep by its Health Ministry, which President Jair Bolsonaro has stocked with active-duty and retired military men with little public health experience. Those newcomers failed to grasp how quickly they needed to move to secure supplies amid heated global competition, and the importance of hedging their bets by striking deals with multiple manufacturers, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former officials, pharmaceutical executives, diplomats and public health experts. The ministry`s hesitance led to a missed opportunity back in August to order 70 million doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, with delivery starting in December, Pfizer said in a Jan. 7 statement. Reuters also viewed an internal Health Ministry WhatsApp chat log, containing thousands of messages exchanged between senior officials last year as the global race for vaccines was heating up. The messages reveal that the new leadership team prioritized hydroxychloroquine and its cousin chloroquine, anti-malarial drugs championed by Bolsonaro as COVID-19 treatments despite little scientific evidence that they work. "There was not sufficient focus on the vaccines, and a lack of technical vision," former Health Minister Nelson Teich told Reuters in an interview. Teich resigned in May in a disagreement with Bolsonaro over the hydroxychloroquine strategy. Reuters sent a detailed list of questions for this story to the president`s office, which directed queries to the Health Ministry. The ministry did not respond. Bolsonaro - who contracted the coronavirus last year and says he won`t take any COVID-19 shot - has defended his government`s vaccine rollout. "With respect, nobody would do better than my government is doing," he said in a Jan. 15 television interview. While many nations have struggled to obtain vaccines as manufacturers strive to meet global demand, Brazil was better positioned than many. It has a long history of successful inoculation drives, and its state-funded production facilities can churn out vaccines at scale. The federal government squandered those advantages, said Marcia Castro, a native Brazilian and professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "It`s a succession of errors that began from the start of the pandemic," she said. "And sadly, we`re measuring those mistakes in the number of deaths." HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE OBSESSION The AstraZeneca shot was supposed to be the main pillar of Brazil`s inoculation plan. According to a person involved in the deal, the Cambridge, England-based firm started talking to the Health Ministry about buying its vaccine around early June. By then, Teich, the former health minister, was gone, replaced by Eduardo Pazuello, an Army general with no medical background. He quickly surrounded himself with other military men. Negotiations with a ministry in upheaval were challenging, said the person familiar with the talks. "There were no decisions being driven from the top," the person said, referring to Bolsonaro and the new ministry leadership. The new officials were betting on hydroxychloroquine to mitigate Brazil`s pandemic, months of internal ministry WhatsApp chats viewed by Reuters revealed. Vaccines were mentioned infrequently in the chats, and at times with skepticism. For example, on June 12, just days after being named deputy health minister, Elcio Franco, a retired Army colonel, alerted colleagues to a magazine article featuring AstraZeneca`s top Brazilian executive discussing the company`s vaccine. Franco expressed surprise that anyone might volunteer to participate in a vaccine trial. "Who would be a guinea pig?" Franco wrote to his colleagues. Franco did, however, express confidence in hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. In June, COVID-19 deaths per day were reaching new highs in Brazil, official data showed. Franco claimed the opposite was true. "Death rates are dropping dramatically due to Bolsonaro`s treatment protocol," he posted to the internal WhatsApp group on June 15. "Chloroquine is reversing the situation." Franco did not respond to requests for comment through the Health Ministry or his LinkedIn account. Brazil is now dealing with another surge of infections that`s pushing hospitals to the breaking point in several cities. The Health Ministry has doubled down on anti-malarials. It publicly has urged infected people to take them soon after the onset of symptoms, and this month it sent 120,000 hydroxychloroquine pills to the badly hit northern state of Amazonas. ASTRAZENECA TALKS The person involved in the AstraZeneca talks said the Health Ministry`s leadership didn`t appear to grasp how quickly they`d need to act to secure a portion of the company`s limited supply. In an initial meeting around the start of June, Pazuello, the new chief, showed interest in buying the vaccine, "and then got up and left the room," the person said. "He didn`t come to future calls." Pazuello did not respond to requests for comment. During ministry talks, AstraZeneca officials stressed the need for Brazil to make a financial commitment to guarantee delivery, the source said. Ministry newcomers were still mastering government red tape, slowing the transaction, three people familiar with the situation said. The officials also proceeded cautiously to avoid any perception that they stood to profit from an unproven vaccine, following public graft scandals that had upended the country in recent years, the people said. "They fear that people will assume there were kickbacks involved and their opponents will use it as a reason to launch an investigation," the source said. Meanwhile, Britain, the European Union and the United States signed large deals with AstraZeneca. With Brazil`s Health Ministry dithering, AstraZeneca reached out to officials in other parts of government to help unlock funding, said the person involved in the negotiations. AstraZeneca did not respond to requests for comment. On June 27, Brazil announced it had signed a $127 million agreement to start producing AstraZeneca`s vaccine at Rio de Janeiro`s federally funded Fiocruz Institute. Franco, the deputy health minister, said in late June that Brazil would initially produce some 30 million doses of the vaccine, half by December 2020, the rest in January 2021. But Fiocruz has yet to manufacture a single dose because it lacks the active ingredient needed to make the vaccine. The first shipment of that Chinese-made material is now delayed until around Feb. 8, Fiocruz said this week, without giving a reason. Fiocruz had previously predicted it would produce finished doses by March. It will update that forecast once the ingredient arrives, the statement said. Yang Wanming, China`s ambassador to Brazil, said in a Tuesday press conference that "technical" obstacles were holding up the shipment. He did not elaborate. With its timetable slipping, the Health Ministry in late December appealed to AstraZeneca, which was able to source 2 million ready-to-use shots from India. Those doses, which arrived in Brazil on Jan. 22, will immunize just 0.5% of Brazil`s population. PFIZER FAILURE Negotiations with Pfizer, meanwhile, have turned testy. The Health Ministry publicly has chastised the company for demanding Brazil sign a waiver shielding it from any potential liability regarding its vaccine. Pfizer says many countries have signed the waiver; it blames Brazil`s government for dragging its feet. In a January statement, the company said it began talks in June with the Health Ministry, which it said passed on Pfizer`s August 15 offer to supply 70 million doses. With those negotiations bogged down, Brazil`s government has turned to the Sinovac shot. Bolsonaro, a vocal China critic, had vowed never to purchase the Chinese vaccine. On Jan. 13, he delighted in pointing out to supporters that the vaccine`s Brazilian trials, conducted at São Paulo`s Butantan Institute, a public biomedical research center, had shown a disappointing efficacy rate of 50.4%. But with few options left, the Health Ministry recently announced a deal to purchase up to 100 million doses from Butantan. On Jan. 18, Bolsonaro struck a more conciliatory tone. Sinovac`s shot, he told supporters, was "Brazil`s vaccine."

How Brazil missed its chance to secure COVID-19 vaccines

The US will be purchasing 200 million more doses of Coronavirus vaccines as it tries to boost its inoculation drive. President Joe Biden has said that Americans can beat the pandemic if enough people are vaccinated.

US to purchase more Pfizer and Moderna doses

In Strasbourg, France the vaccine rollout has come to a standstill due to lack of vaccines. The immunisation program here has hit a roadblock.

Vaccine shortage leaves Strasbourg clinic at standstill

Pharmaceutical giant Astrazeneca is facing twin challenges in Europe, over efficacy and delivery. On Monday, German Daily reported government was unhappy with Astrazeneca's COVID vaccine. The report says that the jab was only 8% effective among people over-65 years.

German media question Astrazeneca's efficacy rate

US biotechnology company Moderna announced that its Covid-19 vaccine will be effective against the new variants of coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Moderna says its jab is effective against UK & South Africa strains

The emirate of Dubai is set to slow down its rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine due to a temporary delay in global deliveries.&nbsp;

Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, began mass inoculation in December after the approval of vaccines by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.&nbsp;

On Saturday, the Dubai Health Authority said it will scale back on vaccinations after Pfizer announced in mid-January shipment delays for up to a month due to works at its key plant in Belgium.

The UAE has already vaccinated over two million of its approximately 10 million population -- one of the highest rate in the world.&nbsp;

"DHA is working on rescheduling the first dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," it said on Twitter, adding "the manufacturer has announced the expansion of the vaccine production capacity, which has temporarily affected several countries globally."

It added, however, that all those scheduled to take their second dose of the vaccine should still show up for their appointments.&nbsp;

While other tourist destinations are applying tight restrictions to control the pandemic, Dubai reopened to visitors in July, despite a sharp spike in cases. But it clamped down on its entertainment last week and also suspended non-essential surgery in hospitals after a surge in coronavirus infections since the New Year.&nbsp;

Dubai, meanwhile, has issued more stringent health guidelines, slashing the number of people allowed at social gatherings from 200 to 10 and ordering restaurants and cafes to increase spacing between tables from two metres to three. It did over the weekend.

The emirate has so far recorded over 274,000 infections, including 783 deaths. While mask-wearing and social distancing have been in force, restaurants, hotels and mega-malls have remained open in Dubai, whose economy heavily relies on tourism.

The emirate of Dubai is set to slow down its rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine due to a temporary delay in global deliveries. Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, began mass inoculation in December after the approval of vaccines by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

The emirate of Dubai is set to slow down its rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine due to a temporary delay in global deliveries. Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, began mass inoculation in December after the approval of vaccines by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. On Saturday, the Dubai Health Authority said it will scale back on vaccinations after Pfizer announced in mid-January shipment delays for up to a month due to works at its key plant in Belgium. The UAE has already vaccinated over two million of its approximately 10 million population -- one of the highest rate in the world. "DHA is working on rescheduling the first dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," it said on Twitter, adding "the manufacturer has announced the expansion of the vaccine production capacity, which has temporarily affected several countries globally." It added, however, that all those scheduled to take their second dose of the vaccine should still show up for their appointments. While other tourist destinations are applying tight restrictions to control the pandemic, Dubai reopened to visitors in July, despite a sharp spike in cases. But it clamped down on its entertainment last week and also suspended non-essential surgery in hospitals after a surge in coronavirus infections since the New Year. Dubai, meanwhile, has issued more stringent health guidelines, slashing the number of people allowed at social gatherings from 200 to 10 and ordering restaurants and cafes to increase spacing between tables from two metres to three. It did over the weekend. The emirate has so far recorded over 274,000 infections, including 783 deaths. While mask-wearing and social distancing have been in force, restaurants, hotels and mega-malls have remained open in Dubai, whose economy heavily relies on tourism.

Dubai suffers shipment delays, slows down Pfizer vaccine rollout

Egypt began its Covid-19 immunisation program Sunday, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to vaccinate its citizens, with a doctor and a nurse receiving the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with over 100 million people, received its first batch of the vaccine in December.

The inoculation will be available to all health workers for free, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Sunday.

"All healthcare workers will receive it for free, it's their right," Zayed told a press conference at Abu Khalifa Hospital in the northeastern city of Ismailia.

She also paid tribute to over 330 doctors in Egypt who have died from the virus.

People with chronic diseases and the elderly will be next in line for the jab, but the minister said citizens "who have the means should pay for the vaccine" in the coming months.

Egypt has registered over 160,000 novel coronavirus infections, including nearly 9,000 deaths.

Health officials have warned that low testing rates mean the real number could be at least 10 times higher.

Zayed said Cairo had inked deals to receive vaccine shipments from British, Chinese and Russian firms, for a total of around 100 million doses.

Earlier this month, the minister said Egypt would receive 40 million doses, mostly of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab, via the Gavi vaccine alliance, with the aim of inoculating 20 percent of its population.

Zayed said Sunday that the North African country was also working on producing a vaccine locally, with a view to distributing it to the rest of the continent, without providing details on which vaccine.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Africa was "in danger of being left behind as countries in other regions strike bilateral deals, driving up prices".&nbsp;

"I am reassuring the Egyptian people they will receive the vaccine, but I&nbsp;reiterate the vaccine is not a substitute for staying vigilant in terms of health precautions, including wearing masks," the minister said.

Sinopharm says its vaccine is 79 percent effective against the novel coronavirus.

The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population against the coronavirus earlier this month, the first African nation to do so.

Egypt began its Covid-19 immunisation program Sunday, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to vaccinate its citizens, with a doctor and a nurse receiving the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab.

Egypt began its Covid-19 immunisation program Sunday, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to vaccinate its citizens, with a doctor and a nurse receiving the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab. Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with over 100 million people, received its first batch of the vaccine in December. The inoculation will be available to all health workers for free, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Sunday. "All healthcare workers will receive it for free, it's their right," Zayed told a press conference at Abu Khalifa Hospital in the northeastern city of Ismailia. She also paid tribute to over 330 doctors in Egypt who have died from the virus. People with chronic diseases and the elderly will be next in line for the jab, but the minister said citizens "who have the means should pay for the vaccine" in the coming months. Egypt has registered over 160,000 novel coronavirus infections, including nearly 9,000 deaths. Health officials have warned that low testing rates mean the real number could be at least 10 times higher. Zayed said Cairo had inked deals to receive vaccine shipments from British, Chinese and Russian firms, for a total of around 100 million doses. Earlier this month, the minister said Egypt would receive 40 million doses, mostly of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab, via the Gavi vaccine alliance, with the aim of inoculating 20 percent of its population. Zayed said Sunday that the North African country was also working on producing a vaccine locally, with a view to distributing it to the rest of the continent, without providing details on which vaccine. Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Africa was "in danger of being left behind as countries in other regions strike bilateral deals, driving up prices". "I am reassuring the Egyptian people they will receive the vaccine, but I reiterate the vaccine is not a substitute for staying vigilant in terms of health precautions, including wearing masks," the minister said. Sinopharm says its vaccine is 79 percent effective against the novel coronavirus. The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population against the coronavirus earlier this month, the first African nation to do so.

Egypt begins coronavirus immunisation campaign

Watch Gravitas Plus with Palki Sharma - Dominica sent an SOS letter to India. - U.K, and Belgium want to procure Indian vaccines. - India's Vaccine Maitri is healing its neighbours. - Brazil, Morocco received their first consignment from India. -The World is leaning on India for Wuhan Virus vaccination.

Gravitas Plus: India sets an example with Vaccine Maitri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the COVID-19 vaccine and "now we have to fulfil ours" by defeating through the right information every network spreading lies and rumours.

Addressing NCC cadets, NSS volunteers and artists who would be participating in the Republic Day parade, Modi said such organisations have always played their role in dealing with challenging times.

"In COVID times also, the work done by you is laudable. When the government and administration needed it, you came forward as volunteers and provided help," he said.

"Whether it was spreading awareness about the Aarogya Setu App or coronavirus infection spread, the work done by you was praiseworthy," Modi said.

The prime minister said the youths should now step forward to assist in the COVID-19 vaccination programme by providing the right information to the people.

"You need to take it to the next level now. Your reach is in all parts of society. I request you to come forward to help the country with the COVID-19 vaccination programme. You have to provide the right information on vaccines to the poor and general public," Modi said.

"Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the coronavirus vaccine and now we have to fulfill ours. We have to defeat through right information every network spreading lies and rumours," Modi said.

He also said that India will not become self-reliant just by somebody saying so, but this will be achieved by actions of the youth for which they have to be armed with necessary skills.

"India will not become 'aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) just by somebody saying so, it will become so by actions of youths like you. You will be able to do this better when you will have the necessary skill set," Modi said.

Realizing the importance of this, the ministry of skill development was formed when his government came in 2014 and more than 5.5 crore youths have been given training for different skills till now, Modi said.

Under this skill development programme, not just training is being given, help is being provided for getting employment, the prime minister said.

The aim is that the youths in India get new employment opportunities based on their skill sets, Modi said.

He again stressed on 'Vocal for Local', saying it will gain more strength from the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' sentiment.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the COVID-19 vaccine and "now we have to fulfil ours" by defeating through the right information every network spreading lies and rumours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the COVID-19 vaccine and "now we have to fulfil ours" by defeating through the right information every network spreading lies and rumours. Addressing NCC cadets, NSS volunteers and artists who would be participating in the Republic Day parade, Modi said such organisations have always played their role in dealing with challenging times. "In COVID times also, the work done by you is laudable. When the government and administration needed it, you came forward as volunteers and provided help," he said. "Whether it was spreading awareness about the Aarogya Setu App or coronavirus infection spread, the work done by you was praiseworthy," Modi said. The prime minister said the youths should now step forward to assist in the COVID-19 vaccination programme by providing the right information to the people. "You need to take it to the next level now. Your reach is in all parts of society. I request you to come forward to help the country with the COVID-19 vaccination programme. You have to provide the right information on vaccines to the poor and general public," Modi said. "Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the coronavirus vaccine and now we have to fulfill ours. We have to defeat through right information every network spreading lies and rumours," Modi said. He also said that India will not become self-reliant just by somebody saying so, but this will be achieved by actions of the youth for which they have to be armed with necessary skills. "India will not become 'aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) just by somebody saying so, it will become so by actions of youths like you. You will be able to do this better when you will have the necessary skill set," Modi said. Realizing the importance of this, the ministry of skill development was formed when his government came in 2014 and more than 5.5 crore youths have been given training for different skills till now, Modi said. Under this skill development programme, not just training is being given, help is being provided for getting employment, the prime minister said. The aim is that the youths in India get new employment opportunities based on their skill sets, Modi said. He again stressed on 'Vocal for Local', saying it will gain more strength from the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' sentiment.

Indian PM exhorts youth to defeat 'network of lies and rumours' on Covid vaccination

Israel expanded its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday to include 16- to 18-year-olds in what the government described as an effort to enable their attendance at school exams.

Israel, which has the world`s fastest vaccine distribution rate, is hoping to begin reopening its economy next month.

With regular imports of Pfizer Inc. vaccines, Israel has administered at least one dose to more than 25% of its 9 million population since Dec. 19, the Health Ministry says.

The vaccines were initially limited to the elderly and other high-risk categories, but are now available to anyone over 40 or - with parental permission - those between 16 and 18.

The inclusion of late-teens is meant "to enable their return (to school) and the orderly holding of exams," the Education Ministry spokeswoman said.

Israel awards a matriculation certificate to high school students in grades 10-12 who pass exams, administered by the Education Ministry, that play a major role in acceptance to universities. They can also affect placement in the military, where many Israelis do compulsory service after high school.

The country has been under a third national lockdown since Dec. 27, which it plans to lift at the end of January.

Education Minister Yoav Galant said it was too early to know if schools would reopen next month. Among factors deciding this was how much Israel, which is struggling against a surge of infections, was affected by the contagious variant of the virus first detected in Britain, he told Ynet TV.

Hezi Levy, director-general of Israel`s Health Ministry, was asked in an Army Radio interview whether vaccinating teens might pose unforeseen risks - perhaps to their own yet-unborn children.

"I don`t know," Levy said. "This vaccine is no different to vaccines against other viral diseases ... and was successfully tested for side effects." He added that he had no doubt that - weighing the relative risks from the coronavirus - it was preferable to get the vaccine.

Israel expanded its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday to include 16- to 18-year-olds in what the government described as an effort to enable their attendance at school exams.

Israel expanded its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday to include 16- to 18-year-olds in what the government described as an effort to enable their attendance at school exams. Israel, which has the world`s fastest vaccine distribution rate, is hoping to begin reopening its economy next month. With regular imports of Pfizer Inc. vaccines, Israel has administered at least one dose to more than 25% of its 9 million population since Dec. 19, the Health Ministry says. The vaccines were initially limited to the elderly and other high-risk categories, but are now available to anyone over 40 or - with parental permission - those between 16 and 18. The inclusion of late-teens is meant "to enable their return (to school) and the orderly holding of exams," the Education Ministry spokeswoman said. Israel awards a matriculation certificate to high school students in grades 10-12 who pass exams, administered by the Education Ministry, that play a major role in acceptance to universities. They can also affect placement in the military, where many Israelis do compulsory service after high school. The country has been under a third national lockdown since Dec. 27, which it plans to lift at the end of January. Education Minister Yoav Galant said it was too early to know if schools would reopen next month. Among factors deciding this was how much Israel, which is struggling against a surge of infections, was affected by the contagious variant of the virus first detected in Britain, he told Ynet TV. Hezi Levy, director-general of Israel`s Health Ministry, was asked in an Army Radio interview whether vaccinating teens might pose unforeseen risks - perhaps to their own yet-unborn children. "I don`t know," Levy said. "This vaccine is no different to vaccines against other viral diseases ... and was successfully tested for side effects." He added that he had no doubt that - weighing the relative risks from the coronavirus - it was preferable to get the vaccine.

Israel includes teens in vaccination drive, eyeing exams

Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coronavirus vaccines. India, one of world's biggest drug manufacturers is already helping several countries by providing them coronavirus vaccines. In his tweet, Bolsonaro included an image of Lord Hanuman bringing the 'Sanjivani booti' from India to Brazil. Sanjivani Booti is the medicine Lord Hanuman delivered for Laxmana, the legendary warrior and brother of Lord Rama when he was injured in battle in the Indian epic Ramayana. But in Bolsonaro's tweet, the 'Sanjivani Booti' is the COVID vaccine.

"Namaskar, Prime Minister @narendramodi Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil," said Bolsonaro in Twitter.

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Namaskar, Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> 
 
Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. 
 
Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil. 
 
Dhanyavaad! धनयवाद
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/jairbolsonaro/status/1352630699480797186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Two flights, each carrying two million vaccine doses for Brazil and Morocco took off from Mumbai airport early on Friday.

"The Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) carrying 2 million doses to Brazil via Emirates Sky Cargo and 2 million doses to Morocco on Royal Air Maroc," said a press release by the airport. It mentioned that the airport has facilitated movement of over 14.17 million doses of the Covishield vaccine across various international and domestic destinations

On Friday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a media briefing that India had sent consignments of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles.

Asked whether India is sending the vaccines to Pakistan, Srivastava said he was not aware of any request for their supply by Pakistan on a government-to government basis or commercial basis.

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On Wednesday, India sent 1,50,000 doses of Covisheild vaccine to Bhutan and 1,00,000 doses to the Maldives as grant assistance. 
India on Thursday delivered two million doses of Covisheild vaccine to Bangladesh and one million doses to Nepal under grants assistance, while a consignment containing 1.5 million doses was sent to Myanmar, 50,000 doses to Seychelles on Friday.

"Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad," Srivastava said.

Srivastava said supplies of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance will be made to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan after getting confirmation of regulatory clearances.

"Acting East. Acting fast. Indian vaccines have arrived in Myanmar to contribute to our neighbour's inoculation efforts," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. 
"Indian vaccines reach Seychelles. That's what friends are for," he said in another tweet.

(With agency inputs)

Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coronavirus vaccines. India, one of world's biggest drug manufacturers is already helping several countries by providing them coronavirus vaccines.

Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coronavirus vaccines. India, one of world's biggest drug manufacturers is already helping several countries by providing them coronavirus vaccines. In his tweet, Bolsonaro included an image of Lord Hanuman bringing the 'Sanjivani booti' from India to Brazil. Sanjivani Booti is the medicine Lord Hanuman delivered for Laxmana, the legendary warrior and brother of Lord Rama when he was injured in battle in the Indian epic Ramayana. But in Bolsonaro's tweet, the 'Sanjivani Booti' is the COVID vaccine. "Namaskar, Prime Minister @narendramodi Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil," said Bolsonaro in Twitter. Namaskar, Prime Minister @narendramodi Brazil feels honoured to have a great partner to overcome a global obstacle by joining efforts. Thank you for assisting us with the vaccines exports from India to Brazil. Dhanyavaad! धनयवाद — Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) January 22, 2021 × Two flights, each carrying two million vaccine doses for Brazil and Morocco took off from Mumbai airport early on Friday. "The Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) carrying 2 million doses to Brazil via Emirates Sky Cargo and 2 million doses to Morocco on Royal Air Maroc," said a press release by the airport. It mentioned that the airport has facilitated movement of over 14.17 million doses of the Covishield vaccine across various international and domestic destinations On Friday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a media briefing that India had sent consignments of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Seychelles. Asked whether India is sending the vaccines to Pakistan, Srivastava said he was not aware of any request for their supply by Pakistan on a government-to government basis or commercial basis. × On Wednesday, India sent 1,50,000 doses of Covisheild vaccine to Bhutan and 1,00,000 doses to the Maldives as grant assistance. India on Thursday delivered two million doses of Covisheild vaccine to Bangladesh and one million doses to Nepal under grants assistance, while a consignment containing 1.5 million doses was sent to Myanmar, 50,000 doses to Seychelles on Friday. "Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad," Srivastava said. Srivastava said supplies of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance will be made to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan after getting confirmation of regulatory clearances. "Acting East. Acting fast. Indian vaccines have arrived in Myanmar to contribute to our neighbour's inoculation efforts," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. "Indian vaccines reach Seychelles. That's what friends are for," he said in another tweet. (With agency inputs)

With a Hanuman image, Brazil President Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi for COVID vaccines

A major clinical trial shows that an inflammatory drug called colchicine is effective in treating Covid-19 and reduces the risk of complications from the disease, doctors in Canada said.

The results of the study are a "major scientific discovery" and make colchicine -- a medicine used to treat gout -- "the world's first oral drug that could be used to treat non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19," the Montreal Heart Institute said in a statement late Friday.

The study results show that colchicine reduced by 21 percent the risk of death or hospitalizations in patients with Covid-19 compared to placebo, the institute said.

The study was carried out in Canada, the US, Europe and South America among a population of 4,488 patients.

In 4,159 of these patients, in whom the diagnosis of Covid-19 was proven by a naso-pharyngeal PCR test, use of colchicine reduced hospitalizations by 25 percent, the need for mechanical ventilation by 50 percent, and deaths by 44 percent, the study concluded.

Colchicine is effective in preventing dangerous inflammatory syndromes called "cytokine storms" and reducing complications associated with Covid-19, said Dr Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the MHI Research Center and principal investigator in this study.

"We are pleased to offer the first oral medication in the world whose use could have a significant impact on public health and potentially prevent Covid-19 complications for millions of patients," Tardif said.

The study was conducted among Covid-19 patients not hospitalized at the time of enrollment in the trial, and with&nbsp;at least one risk factor for Covid-19 complications.

"This is the world's largest study testing an orally administered drug in non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19," the heart institute said.

A major clinical trial shows that an inflammatory drug called colchicine is effective in treating Covid-19 and reduces the risk of complications from the disease, doctors in Canada said.

A major clinical trial shows that an inflammatory drug called colchicine is effective in treating Covid-19 and reduces the risk of complications from the disease, doctors in Canada said. The results of the study are a "major scientific discovery" and make colchicine -- a medicine used to treat gout -- "the world's first oral drug that could be used to treat non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19," the Montreal Heart Institute said in a statement late Friday. The study results show that colchicine reduced by 21 percent the risk of death or hospitalizations in patients with Covid-19 compared to placebo, the institute said. The study was carried out in Canada, the US, Europe and South America among a population of 4,488 patients. In 4,159 of these patients, in whom the diagnosis of Covid-19 was proven by a naso-pharyngeal PCR test, use of colchicine reduced hospitalizations by 25 percent, the need for mechanical ventilation by 50 percent, and deaths by 44 percent, the study concluded. Colchicine is effective in preventing dangerous inflammatory syndromes called "cytokine storms" and reducing complications associated with Covid-19, said Dr Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the MHI Research Center and principal investigator in this study. "We are pleased to offer the first oral medication in the world whose use could have a significant impact on public health and potentially prevent Covid-19 complications for millions of patients," Tardif said. The study was conducted among Covid-19 patients not hospitalized at the time of enrollment in the trial, and with at least one risk factor for Covid-19 complications. "This is the world's largest study testing an orally administered drug in non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19," the heart institute said.

Canadian study says oral medicine effective in treating Covid-19

As the coronavirus tears across much of Texas, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa is grappling with one of the most formidable challenges he has faced: The Houston hospital system he operates is running out of vaccines.

Porsa, the CEO of Harris Health System, which treats thousands of mostly uninsured patients, warned Friday that its entire vaccine supply could be depleted by midday Saturday. The problem is not one of capability — the vaccination centers he oversees have easily been administering as many as 2,000 vaccines a day — but of availability.

“All of a sudden the distribution of vaccines stopped,” Porsa said. “It’s perplexing and frustrating because I keep hearing that there are high percentages of vaccines that have been distributed but not administered.”

In the midst of one of the deadliest phases of the pandemic in the United States, health officials in Texas and around the country are growing desperate, unable to get clear answers as to why the long-anticipated vaccines are suddenly in short supply. Inoculation sites are canceling thousands of appointments in one state after another as the nation’s vaccines roll out through a bewildering patchwork of distribution networks, with local officials uncertain about what supplies they will have in hand.

In South Carolina, one hospital in the city of Beaufort had to cancel 6,000 vaccine appointments after it received only 450 of the doses it expected. In Hawaii, a Maui hospital canceled 5,000 first-dose appointments and put 15,000 additional requests for appointments on hold.

In San Francisco, the public health department had at one point expected to run out of vaccines this past week because the city’s allocation dropped sharply from a week ago and California officials temporarily had to put thousands of doses on hold after a higher than usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported. In New York state, officials in Erie County have canceled thousands of vaccine appointments in recent days after a sharp decline in allocations from the state.

The situation is especially dire in Texas, which is averaging about 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day, fueling concerns over whether officials will be able to curb the spread when they cannot get their hands on the vaccines they desperately need to do so.

Health officials trying to piece together why this is happening are puzzled by reports that millions of available doses are going unused. As of Friday morning, nearly 39.9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines had been distributed to state and local governments, but only about 19.1 million doses had been administered to patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pfizer and Moderna have each agreed to provide the United States with 100 million vaccine doses, and the companies are racing to manufacture the vaccines, together releasing between 12 million and 18 million doses a week.

At that rate, it is feasible for the new administration to meet President Joe Biden’s pledge to inject 100 million vaccines by his 100th day in office. Public health officials could even potentially ramp up the pace of vaccinations with existing supply.

It appears that problems with distributing the already available doses are responsible for many of the acute vaccine shortages now being seen in parts of the country. Factor in the ever-increasing demand as more states make the vaccine widely available to those 65 and older, and officials warn that distribution headaches could persist in the weeks ahead.

The Biden administration has pledged to overhaul distribution to the states and even use the Defense Production Act to increase supply, but vaccine experts warn that shortages of the doses will persist in the short term with manufacturing sites already facing capacity constraints.

State and local governments, as well as hospital administrators, are fending for themselves. In Houston, Porsa said his staff was scrambling as the supply of vaccines dwindled this past week, squeezing six doses out of vials intended to provide five.

In one sign of the confusion around vaccine distribution in Texas, officials in Dallas County scrapped a plan that would have prioritized shots for people living in heavily Black and Latino communities hit hardest by the virus. Texas state officials threatened to slash allocations of the vaccine if the county went ahead with the plan even though data showed that most of the shots administered in Dallas County had been in wealthier neighborhoods.

Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country, is now struggling with a similar problem as the hospitals serving some of its poorest residents run out of the vaccine, prompting some public health experts to question why doses are not being made more available to vulnerable communities.

“These are our front-line workers who are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus and at the greatest risk of spreading it to others,” said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. “We would be able to resolve the pandemic in Harris County quicker if we could get a sufficient number of vaccines,” she added, referring to the county encompassing much of Houston.

Adding to the turmoil, just days after Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, praised the state’s vaccine rollout at a meeting in Houston where Democratic city and county officials were excluded from participating, the lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, also a Republican, sent a letter Thursday to the state’s Expert Vaccination Allocation Panel urging its members to fix the problems.

“Right now, in many cities and counties when an announcement of available vaccinations is made, website sign-up pages crash and phone calls go unanswered,” Patrick said in the letter. “Texans need to have a better understanding of the time it will take for everyone to be vaccinated in order to reduce lines, confusion and frustration.”

The sense of chaos afflicting the distribution efforts, not just in Texas but in an array of states, is laying bare how local officials are struggling to fill the void left by the lack, until this week, of a comprehensive response at the federal level.

Dr. George Rutherford, a public health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, said the most obvious problem with vaccine administration in the San Francisco area was clear.

“There’s not enough doses, period,” he said. “That’s it. Everything would work fine if you had enough doses.”

The public health department in San Francisco and hospitals in the city were “caught by surprise” by the lack of doses, Rutherford said, and by the eligibility expansion to those 65 and older, which likely strained the system. Varying vaccine distribution channels — such as Kaiser Permanente and UC San Francisco — receive the doses on their own, he said, further complicating an already convoluted distribution system.

“So it’s a little hard for the city to understand exactly what’s left over, what they need to do, where the holes are to fill,” Rutherford said.

Still, new vaccination sites are opening in San Francisco, which Rutherford said would help speed the process along once more doses become available.

“There’s this tension between efficiency and equity,” he said. “It’s never easy.”

Dr. Grant Colfax, head of the San Francisco Department of Health, said the city was “very close to doses running out” and said a lack of overall coordination has led to distribution problems.

“I think what this really is, is a continuation of the fallout of the lack of a coordinated federal response,” he said. “Basically cities and counties were left on our own to deal with this pandemic.”

He said local jurisdictions “simply did not have the resources and the capacity” to handle the complicated effort without help. “It has manifested in a very tragic way.”

In Austin, Texas, Curt Fisher, a 76-year-old who has served on the boards of several high-tech startups, experienced firsthand the confounding roadblocks to securing a vaccine. He was playing golf with friends several weeks ago when they learned that Austin Public Health had vaccines available.

They quickly registered with their cellphones from the golf course and landed appointments in a matter of minutes. The system was deluged, and Fisher, who had waited about 30 minutes to call, missed out.

He doggedly checked the website from his home about four or five times a day for more than three weeks. Each attempt bore the same result: no vaccines available within the maximum 100-mile search radius.

Then after days of pinning his hopes on his hometown health service, good fortune finally came from more than 150 miles away. He received a text from a Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, where he was automatically registered because he had seen a doctor about three months earlier, inviting him to come to the hospital for his first dose of the vaccine.

He made the roughly three-hour drive Monday, spending about an hour at the hospital with little waiting for his first shot of the vaccine. He is supposed to go back Feb. 8 for the second and final injection. Looking back, Fisher said the success he found in Houston and the hassles he went through in Austin illustrated that some vaccine distribution centers “really have their act together” and others do not.

“I don’t think the system that Austin Health had could handle the stress of the high volume, obviously,” he said.

But some people have struggled to get vaccine appointments, only to see them canceled because of supply problems.

Jeanelle Fernandes, 33, who has sickle cell anemia and lives in Miami, initially felt relieved after setting up a vaccine appointment for Jan. 28.

Having it confirmed “was kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “This has been a really hard journey for me.”

But then Baptist Health South Florida tweeted this week that all first-dose vaccine appointments scheduled for Jan. 20 or later would be canceled.

“I’m definitely frustrated,” she said.

It was not the hospital’s fault, she said; she blamed a government that seemed unprepared to roll out millions of vaccine doses when people urgently needed them.

“Now I have to wait,” Fernandes said. “I’m up in the air. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

As the coronavirus tears across much of Texas, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa is grappling with one of the most formidable challenges he has faced: The Houston hospital system he operates is running out of vaccines.

As the coronavirus tears across much of Texas, Dr. Esmaeil Porsa is grappling with one of the most formidable challenges he has faced: The Houston hospital system he operates is running out of vaccines. Porsa, the CEO of Harris Health System, which treats thousands of mostly uninsured patients, warned Friday that its entire vaccine supply could be depleted by midday Saturday. The problem is not one of capability — the vaccination centers he oversees have easily been administering as many as 2,000 vaccines a day — but of availability. “All of a sudden the distribution of vaccines stopped,” Porsa said. “It’s perplexing and frustrating because I keep hearing that there are high percentages of vaccines that have been distributed but not administered.” In the midst of one of the deadliest phases of the pandemic in the United States, health officials in Texas and around the country are growing desperate, unable to get clear answers as to why the long-anticipated vaccines are suddenly in short supply. Inoculation sites are canceling thousands of appointments in one state after another as the nation’s vaccines roll out through a bewildering patchwork of distribution networks, with local officials uncertain about what supplies they will have in hand. In South Carolina, one hospital in the city of Beaufort had to cancel 6,000 vaccine appointments after it received only 450 of the doses it expected. In Hawaii, a Maui hospital canceled 5,000 first-dose appointments and put 15,000 additional requests for appointments on hold. In San Francisco, the public health department had at one point expected to run out of vaccines this past week because the city’s allocation dropped sharply from a week ago and California officials temporarily had to put thousands of doses on hold after a higher than usual number of possible allergic reactions were reported. In New York state, officials in Erie County have canceled thousands of vaccine appointments in recent days after a sharp decline in allocations from the state. The situation is especially dire in Texas, which is averaging about 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day, fueling concerns over whether officials will be able to curb the spread when they cannot get their hands on the vaccines they desperately need to do so. Health officials trying to piece together why this is happening are puzzled by reports that millions of available doses are going unused. As of Friday morning, nearly 39.9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines had been distributed to state and local governments, but only about 19.1 million doses had been administered to patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pfizer and Moderna have each agreed to provide the United States with 100 million vaccine doses, and the companies are racing to manufacture the vaccines, together releasing between 12 million and 18 million doses a week. At that rate, it is feasible for the new administration to meet President Joe Biden’s pledge to inject 100 million vaccines by his 100th day in office. Public health officials could even potentially ramp up the pace of vaccinations with existing supply. It appears that problems with distributing the already available doses are responsible for many of the acute vaccine shortages now being seen in parts of the country. Factor in the ever-increasing demand as more states make the vaccine widely available to those 65 and older, and officials warn that distribution headaches could persist in the weeks ahead. The Biden administration has pledged to overhaul distribution to the states and even use the Defense Production Act to increase supply, but vaccine experts warn that shortages of the doses will persist in the short term with manufacturing sites already facing capacity constraints. State and local governments, as well as hospital administrators, are fending for themselves. In Houston, Porsa said his staff was scrambling as the supply of vaccines dwindled this past week, squeezing six doses out of vials intended to provide five. In one sign of the confusion around vaccine distribution in Texas, officials in Dallas County scrapped a plan that would have prioritized shots for people living in heavily Black and Latino communities hit hardest by the virus. Texas state officials threatened to slash allocations of the vaccine if the county went ahead with the plan even though data showed that most of the shots administered in Dallas County had been in wealthier neighborhoods. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country, is now struggling with a similar problem as the hospitals serving some of its poorest residents run out of the vaccine, prompting some public health experts to question why doses are not being made more available to vulnerable communities. “These are our front-line workers who are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus and at the greatest risk of spreading it to others,” said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. “We would be able to resolve the pandemic in Harris County quicker if we could get a sufficient number of vaccines,” she added, referring to the county encompassing much of Houston. Adding to the turmoil, just days after Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican, praised the state’s vaccine rollout at a meeting in Houston where Democratic city and county officials were excluded from participating, the lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, also a Republican, sent a letter Thursday to the state’s Expert Vaccination Allocation Panel urging its members to fix the problems. “Right now, in many cities and counties when an announcement of available vaccinations is made, website sign-up pages crash and phone calls go unanswered,” Patrick said in the letter. “Texans need to have a better understanding of the time it will take for everyone to be vaccinated in order to reduce lines, confusion and frustration.” The sense of chaos afflicting the distribution efforts, not just in Texas but in an array of states, is laying bare how local officials are struggling to fill the void left by the lack, until this week, of a comprehensive response at the federal level. Dr. George Rutherford, a public health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, said the most obvious problem with vaccine administration in the San Francisco area was clear. “There’s not enough doses, period,” he said. “That’s it. Everything would work fine if you had enough doses.” The public health department in San Francisco and hospitals in the city were “caught by surprise” by the lack of doses, Rutherford said, and by the eligibility expansion to those 65 and older, which likely strained the system. Varying vaccine distribution channels — such as Kaiser Permanente and UC San Francisco — receive the doses on their own, he said, further complicating an already convoluted distribution system. “So it’s a little hard for the city to understand exactly what’s left over, what they need to do, where the holes are to fill,” Rutherford said. Still, new vaccination sites are opening in San Francisco, which Rutherford said would help speed the process along once more doses become available. “There’s this tension between efficiency and equity,” he said. “It’s never easy.” Dr. Grant Colfax, head of the San Francisco Department of Health, said the city was “very close to doses running out” and said a lack of overall coordination has led to distribution problems. “I think what this really is, is a continuation of the fallout of the lack of a coordinated federal response,” he said. “Basically cities and counties were left on our own to deal with this pandemic.” He said local jurisdictions “simply did not have the resources and the capacity” to handle the complicated effort without help. “It has manifested in a very tragic way.” In Austin, Texas, Curt Fisher, a 76-year-old who has served on the boards of several high-tech startups, experienced firsthand the confounding roadblocks to securing a vaccine. He was playing golf with friends several weeks ago when they learned that Austin Public Health had vaccines available. They quickly registered with their cellphones from the golf course and landed appointments in a matter of minutes. The system was deluged, and Fisher, who had waited about 30 minutes to call, missed out. He doggedly checked the website from his home about four or five times a day for more than three weeks. Each attempt bore the same result: no vaccines available within the maximum 100-mile search radius. Then after days of pinning his hopes on his hometown health service, good fortune finally came from more than 150 miles away. He received a text from a Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, where he was automatically registered because he had seen a doctor about three months earlier, inviting him to come to the hospital for his first dose of the vaccine. He made the roughly three-hour drive Monday, spending about an hour at the hospital with little waiting for his first shot of the vaccine. He is supposed to go back Feb. 8 for the second and final injection. Looking back, Fisher said the success he found in Houston and the hassles he went through in Austin illustrated that some vaccine distribution centers “really have their act together” and others do not. “I don’t think the system that Austin Health had could handle the stress of the high volume, obviously,” he said. But some people have struggled to get vaccine appointments, only to see them canceled because of supply problems. Jeanelle Fernandes, 33, who has sickle cell anemia and lives in Miami, initially felt relieved after setting up a vaccine appointment for Jan. 28. Having it confirmed “was kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “This has been a really hard journey for me.” But then Baptist Health South Florida tweeted this week that all first-dose vaccine appointments scheduled for Jan. 20 or later would be canceled. “I’m definitely frustrated,” she said. It was not the hospital’s fault, she said; she blamed a government that seemed unprepared to roll out millions of vaccine doses when people urgently needed them. “Now I have to wait,” Fernandes said. “I’m up in the air. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

New pandemic plight: Hospitals are running out of vaccines

Just a day after Pfizer slashed the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Europe, AstraZeneca has also taken a similar step by slashing the supply by 60%.

After Pfizer, Astrazeneca cuts down the supply to EU by 60%

An organisation, led by doctors, in Britain has expressed apprehension about the decision to give people a second dose of coronavirus vaccine up to 12 weeks after the first, rather than the shorter gap recommended by manufacturers and the World Health Organisation.

The UK, which has Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, adopted the policy in order to give as many people a first dose of the vaccine as quickly as possible.

So far almost 5.5 million people have received a first dose of either a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech or one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

To this end, the British Medical Association has urged England's chief medical officer to "urgently review" the policy for the Pfizer vaccine -- amid a growing concern as far as the timetable is concerned.

Pfizer says its second dose should take place 21 days after the first. The World Health Organisation says the second shots of coronavirus vaccines can been given up to six weeks after the first.&nbsp;

AstraZeneca has said it believes a dose of its vaccine offers protection after 12 weeks, but Pfizer says it has not tested the efficacy of its jab after such a long gap. 
&nbsp;

An organisation, led by doctors, in Britain has expressed apprehension about the decision to give people a second dose of coronavirus vaccine up to 12 weeks after the first, rather than the shorter gap recommended by manufacturers and the World Health Organisation.

An organisation, led by doctors, in Britain has expressed apprehension about the decision to give people a second dose of coronavirus vaccine up to 12 weeks after the first, rather than the shorter gap recommended by manufacturers and the World Health Organisation. The UK, which has Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, adopted the policy in order to give as many people a first dose of the vaccine as quickly as possible. So far almost 5.5 million people have received a first dose of either a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech or one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. To this end, the British Medical Association has urged England's chief medical officer to "urgently review" the policy for the Pfizer vaccine -- amid a growing concern as far as the timetable is concerned. Pfizer says its second dose should take place 21 days after the first. The World Health Organisation says the second shots of coronavirus vaccines can been given up to six weeks after the first. AstraZeneca has said it believes a dose of its vaccine offers protection after 12 weeks, but Pfizer says it has not tested the efficacy of its jab after such a long gap.

Doctors in Britain want review of Pfizer shots' timetable

India will send a "gift" to Sri Lanka next week -- in the form of Covid vaccines.&nbsp;

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced the vaccine will reach the country on January 27.

The country will get 500,000 doses of "made-in-India" Covishield vaccine. With this, Sri Lanka has become the eighth country to receive such gift from India.

India began its country wide mega immunisation programme on January 16.

New Delhi has till date gifted vaccines to seven countries in the region as part of its neighbourhood first policy -- Bhutan (150,000) , Maldives (100,000) , Nepal (One million) , Bangladesh (2 million) , Myanmar (1.5 M), Seychelles (50,000) , and Mauritius (100,000).

India has so far been waiting for regulatory approval from Sri Lankan and Afghan authorities. The Sri Lanka's drugs regulatory body -- National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) -- gave a go ahead to Oxford Astrazeneca's vaccine on Friday.&nbsp;

The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka had welcomed the development, tweeting, "this clears the way for scheduling &nbsp;delivery of the vaccine from #India to #lka"

https://twitter.com/IndiainSL/status/1352624199899045900?s=19

The first jabs are expected to be given to health care workers in the country.&nbsp;

Colombo is expected to procure more India-manufactured vaccines commercially later.

Sri Lankan Healthcare Personnel were among the personnel of 13 countries who India trained last week. For two days, from January 19 to 20, India trained foreign personnel in administering the vaccine. These were from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Bahrain, Brazil, Mauritius, Morocco, Oman, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.

Amid the Covid pandemic as part of Indian Navy's Mission Sagar 1, India has provided medicines to Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

Also, India-supported 1990 Emergency Ambulance service helped the country in a major way to deal with the crisis.

India will send a "gift" to Sri Lanka next week -- in the form of Covid vaccines. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced the vaccine will reach the country on January 27.

India will send a "gift" to Sri Lanka next week -- in the form of Covid vaccines. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced the vaccine will reach the country on January 27. The country will get 500,000 doses of "made-in-India" Covishield vaccine. With this, Sri Lanka has become the eighth country to receive such gift from India. India began its country wide mega immunisation programme on January 16. New Delhi has till date gifted vaccines to seven countries in the region as part of its neighbourhood first policy -- Bhutan (150,000) , Maldives (100,000) , Nepal (One million) , Bangladesh (2 million) , Myanmar (1.5 M), Seychelles (50,000) , and Mauritius (100,000). India has so far been waiting for regulatory approval from Sri Lankan and Afghan authorities. The Sri Lanka's drugs regulatory body -- National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) -- gave a go ahead to Oxford Astrazeneca's vaccine on Friday. The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka had welcomed the development, tweeting, "this clears the way for scheduling delivery of the vaccine from #India to #lka" https://twitter.com/IndiainSL/status/1352624199899045900?s=19 The first jabs are expected to be given to health care workers in the country. Colombo is expected to procure more India-manufactured vaccines commercially later. Sri Lankan Healthcare Personnel were among the personnel of 13 countries who India trained last week. For two days, from January 19 to 20, India trained foreign personnel in administering the vaccine. These were from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Bahrain, Brazil, Mauritius, Morocco, Oman, Seychelles and Sri Lanka. Amid the Covid pandemic as part of Indian Navy's Mission Sagar 1, India has provided medicines to Sri Lanka. Also, India-supported 1990 Emergency Ambulance service helped the country in a major way to deal with the crisis.

Sri Lanka to get India's Covid vaccine gift next week

Brazil, which has world's second-highest COVID-19 death count after the United States, has been urging India to send the AstraZeneca vaccine.

India to begin COVID Vaccine free jabs to Brazil, Morocco from today

Walmart Inc said it is preparing to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in seven more states, as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, this week and next, expanding beyond the two states where its pharmacists are offering inoculations.

The move from the world`s largest retailer comes as U.S. President Joe Biden races to accelerate a frustratingly slow vaccination campaign that has stranded about half of the 38 million shots distributed in freezers rather than in arms.

This week and next, Walmart will start providing inoculations in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, a company spokeswoman told Reuters late on Thursday. The shots will only be available to specific populations decided by each state and only at a handful of stores in each state.

Walmart is already vaccinating healthcare workers in New Mexico and its home state of Arkansas.

Alabama`s health officer, Scott Harris, on Thursday said the state would partner with Walmart to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Walmart confirmed that deal, which falls under a federal partnership that Biden on Thursday said would launch in early February. 
Harris said another deal, with a major pharmacy chain, is coming soon.

Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and Rite Aid have also stepped up to vaccinate Americans in what is the largest and most complex immunization effort in U.S. history. Those shots are needed to help stop the virus, which has killed more than 400,000 and infected more than 24 million people in the United States.

The Trump administration punted vaccine planning to states, which were asked to come up with their own plans, a move that left many pharmacy chains and supermarket-based pharmacies in limbo.

“We’re having to be flexible as we try to operate state-by-state, but we feel like it’s absolutely the right thing to do, to lean into this and help figure it out,” Walmart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said at the Consumer Electronics Show last week. “That’s the approach that we’re taking."

He said Walmart is “making sure that we can handle the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and do so appropriately and safely.”

Walmart said in a blog post on Friday it expects to be able to deliver 10 million to 13 million doses per month at full capacity, using its network of more than 5,000 pharmacies in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The retailer also said it is positioned to serve “healthcare deserts” - rural areas lacking in healthcare facilities - and will host COVID-19 vaccination events in underserved communities at churches, stadiums and youth centers.

A spokesperson from the Texas Department of State Health Services said many of Walmart’s pharmacies have enrolled as vaccine providers in the state, but that “only a handful” have received the doses so far due to limited supply. “Once there’s a broader supply and we can regularly start allocating to more pharmacies, they will be included,” the spokesperson said.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson told Reuters it plans to “continue and expand” its existing partnership with Walmart, and that as additional vaccine doses become available, Walmart has agreed to be a key part of its distribution plan.

Walmart Inc said it is preparing to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in seven more states, as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, this week and next, expanding beyond the two states where its pharmacists are offering inoculations.

Walmart Inc said it is preparing to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in seven more states, as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, this week and next, expanding beyond the two states where its pharmacists are offering inoculations. The move from the world`s largest retailer comes as U.S. President Joe Biden races to accelerate a frustratingly slow vaccination campaign that has stranded about half of the 38 million shots distributed in freezers rather than in arms. This week and next, Walmart will start providing inoculations in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas as well as in Chicago and Puerto Rico, a company spokeswoman told Reuters late on Thursday. The shots will only be available to specific populations decided by each state and only at a handful of stores in each state. Walmart is already vaccinating healthcare workers in New Mexico and its home state of Arkansas. Alabama`s health officer, Scott Harris, on Thursday said the state would partner with Walmart to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Walmart confirmed that deal, which falls under a federal partnership that Biden on Thursday said would launch in early February. Harris said another deal, with a major pharmacy chain, is coming soon. Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and Rite Aid have also stepped up to vaccinate Americans in what is the largest and most complex immunization effort in U.S. history. Those shots are needed to help stop the virus, which has killed more than 400,000 and infected more than 24 million people in the United States. The Trump administration punted vaccine planning to states, which were asked to come up with their own plans, a move that left many pharmacy chains and supermarket-based pharmacies in limbo. “We’re having to be flexible as we try to operate state-by-state, but we feel like it’s absolutely the right thing to do, to lean into this and help figure it out,” Walmart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said at the Consumer Electronics Show last week. “That’s the approach that we’re taking." He said Walmart is “making sure that we can handle the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and do so appropriately and safely.” Walmart said in a blog post on Friday it expects to be able to deliver 10 million to 13 million doses per month at full capacity, using its network of more than 5,000 pharmacies in the United States and Puerto Rico. The retailer also said it is positioned to serve “healthcare deserts” - rural areas lacking in healthcare facilities - and will host COVID-19 vaccination events in underserved communities at churches, stadiums and youth centers. A spokesperson from the Texas Department of State Health Services said many of Walmart’s pharmacies have enrolled as vaccine providers in the state, but that “only a handful” have received the doses so far due to limited supply. “Once there’s a broader supply and we can regularly start allocating to more pharmacies, they will be included,” the spokesperson said. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson told Reuters it plans to “continue and expand” its existing partnership with Walmart, and that as additional vaccine doses become available, Walmart has agreed to be a key part of its distribution plan.

Walmart expands vaccinations in boost to US COVID-19 programme

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