Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla briefs media on the second day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States. PM Modi's discussions during the first in-person meeting with Prez Biden were wide-ranging, majorly focusing on the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines, H-1B visa; there was also a strong emphasis on development of trade and economic relations.

Combating covid-19 tops meeting agenda: Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla briefs on QUAD meet

The QUAD summit is underway, the four global leaders are setting the agenda. Free and open Indo-Pacific concern stood out, the word China was missing, climate action and vaccines dominated the discussion. Palki Sharma brings in more.

Quad meet underway; Indo-Pacific concern, climate action, covid vaccines on agenda | WION-USA Direct

Doctors scale rockslides, invoke gods to vaccinate Himalayan villages

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the US government for helping India during the deadly second wave of covid-19 pandemic. This marks the first meeting of Indian PM Narendra Modi and vice-president Kamala Harris. Let's now get in our executive editor Palki Sharma and principal correspondent Siddhant Sibbal from ground zero, tracking the latest.

PM Narendra Modi thanks US for extending help during second Covid wave | WION-USA Direct

A first in-person meeting of the leaders of the Quad group of countries - the United States, Japan, Australia and India - on Friday will yield progress in several areas including infrastructure, health and cyber, a senior U.S administration official told Reuters.

The Quad leaders - U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison - will also discuss regional security, the official said on Thursday, although he stressed that security was not the focus of the informal grouping that has come together in response to China`s growing power.

While declining to provide specifics, the official, who did not want to be identified, said the summit at the White House "will have much to say" about next steps on vaccines for the Indo-Pacific region.

"We have what we call deliverables in infrastructure, on broader health engagements on science and technology, in space, in cyber," he said.

He called a commitment made at a virtual meeting of the Quad leaders in March to supply a billion COVID-19 shots across Asia by the end of 2022 "important."

"Obviously, there have been challenges in India over the course of the summer. But ... we believe that it will be important to meet the ambitions that we laid out at that time."

The March initiative stalled after India, the world`s biggest vaccine producer, was hit by a devastating surge of infections and halted all vaccine exports.

India has since said it is ready to restart vaccine exports in the October quarter, prioritising the COVAX international vaccine initiative and neighbouring countries first.

The meeting of the Quad comes just over a week after the United States, Britain and Australia announced a security pact dubbed AUKUS that will help Australia acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, a move immediately denounced by China.

The U.S. official called Friday`s meeting "historic," and an opportunity for the four leaders to talk openly about "modern challenges, their hopes and aspirations."

"We`ll talk about a variety of things, including regional security, but we`ll also talk about our goals in education and in infrastructure," he said.

"The linking and thickening of ties between our four countries is taking place before our eyes," he said. "What we are really trying to do is create an opportunity for more free-flowing discussion."

At the same time, he added, when asked how the Quad might relate to the AUKUS partnership: "This is a standalone grouping and has nothing to do with the recently inaugurated AUKUS. This is an informal grouping. It does not address security issues."

The official said Biden would announce on Friday an "elite" privately funded Quad fellowship programme for 100 students – 25 from each of the four countries – to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) masters and doctoral programmes in the United States.

Comparing it to Britain's Rhodes scholarship program, the official said the fellowship would be administered by Schmidt Futures philanthropies, founded by former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt.

"It will truly seek to bind our countries together for the long haul by connecting our young people, and they will have a sense of purpose and a sense that the Quad is indeed a unique and important grouping," he said.

A first in-person meeting of the leaders of the Quad group of countries - the United States, Japan, Australia and India - on Friday will yield progress in several areas including infrastructure, health and cyber, a senior U.

A first in-person meeting of the leaders of the Quad group of countries - the United States, Japan, Australia and India - on Friday will yield progress in several areas including infrastructure, health and cyber, a senior U.S administration official told Reuters. The Quad leaders - U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison - will also discuss regional security, the official said on Thursday, although he stressed that security was not the focus of the informal grouping that has come together in response to China`s growing power. While declining to provide specifics, the official, who did not want to be identified, said the summit at the White House "will have much to say" about next steps on vaccines for the Indo-Pacific region. "We have what we call deliverables in infrastructure, on broader health engagements on science and technology, in space, in cyber," he said. He called a commitment made at a virtual meeting of the Quad leaders in March to supply a billion COVID-19 shots across Asia by the end of 2022 "important." "Obviously, there have been challenges in India over the course of the summer. But ... we believe that it will be important to meet the ambitions that we laid out at that time." The March initiative stalled after India, the world`s biggest vaccine producer, was hit by a devastating surge of infections and halted all vaccine exports. India has since said it is ready to restart vaccine exports in the October quarter, prioritising the COVAX international vaccine initiative and neighbouring countries first. The meeting of the Quad comes just over a week after the United States, Britain and Australia announced a security pact dubbed AUKUS that will help Australia acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, a move immediately denounced by China. The U.S. official called Friday`s meeting "historic," and an opportunity for the four leaders to talk openly about "modern challenges, their hopes and aspirations." "We`ll talk about a variety of things, including regional security, but we`ll also talk about our goals in education and in infrastructure," he said. "The linking and thickening of ties between our four countries is taking place before our eyes," he said. "What we are really trying to do is create an opportunity for more free-flowing discussion." At the same time, he added, when asked how the Quad might relate to the AUKUS partnership: "This is a standalone grouping and has nothing to do with the recently inaugurated AUKUS. This is an informal grouping. It does not address security issues." The official said Biden would announce on Friday an "elite" privately funded Quad fellowship programme for 100 students – 25 from each of the four countries – to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) masters and doctoral programmes in the United States. Comparing it to Britain's Rhodes scholarship program, the official said the fellowship would be administered by Schmidt Futures philanthropies, founded by former Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt. "It will truly seek to bind our countries together for the long haul by connecting our young people, and they will have a sense of purpose and a sense that the Quad is indeed a unique and important grouping," he said.

Quad leaders to deliver on vaccines, infrastructure, tech: US official

President Joe Biden has said that US will be purchasing 500 million additional doses of Pfizer covid-19 vaccine to distribute to the low and middle income countries across the world.

US Prez Joe Biden Pledges to donate 500 MN  additional Pfizer vaccines tot he world| WION USA Direct

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that the Quad partnership of Australia, US, India, Japan was on track to produce 1 billion vaccine doses in India by 2022. He was addressing virtually the Global Summit to end Covid-19. He asserted that nothing was more important than defeating Covid-19

"We're working with partner nations, pharmaceutical companies, and other manufacturers to increase their own capacity and capability to produce and manufacture safe and highly effective vaccines in their own countries," Biden said.

"For example, our Quad partnership with India, Japan, and Australia is on track to help produce at least 1 billion vaccine doses in India to boost the global supply by the end of 2022. And we're providing financing and helping strengthen manufacturing in South Africa, and produce more than 500 million doses of J&amp;J in Africa for Africa next year," he said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/global-covid-19-summit-indian-pm-modi-bats-for-mutual-recognition-of-vaccine-certificates-amid-uk-row-414998">Global COVID-19 summit: Indian PM Modi bats for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates amid UK row</a>

Biden also said that he is keeping his promise that America will become arsenal of vaccines as it was the arsenal for democracy during Second World War.

The US has already shipped nearly 160 million doses to 100 countries, more than every other country has donated combined. America's donations of a half a billion Pfizer vaccines through COVAX, that he announced before the G-7 summit in June, have already begun to ship, Mr Biden told the virtual summit from the White House.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-seeks-backing-for-tedros-at-who-helm-as-africa-quiet-diplomats-415016">Germany seeks backing for Tedros at WHO helm as Africa quiet: Diplomats</a>

"Today, I'm announcing another historic commitment. The United States is buying another half billion doses of Pfizer to donate to low and middle-income countries around the world. This is another half billion doses that will all be shipped by this time next year, and it brings our total commitment to a donation, of donated vaccines, to over 1.1 billion vaccines to be donated," Biden said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pressure-grows-on-us-companies-to-share-covid-vaccine-technology-415018">Pressure grows on US companies to share Covid vaccine technology</a>

"Put another way, for every one shot we've administered to date in America, we have now committed to do three shots to the rest of the world," he said and thanked Pfizer and its CEO and chairman, Albert Bourla for being helpful in this regard.

"They've been and continue to be partners and the leader of this fight. The United States is leading the world on vaccination donations. As we are doing that, we need other high-income countries to deliver on their own ambitious vaccine donations and pledges. That's why today, we're launching the EU-US vaccine partnership to work more closely together and with our partners and expanding global vaccinations," Biden said.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that the Quad partnership of Australia, US, India, Japan was on track to produce 1 billion vaccine doses in India by 2022.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that the Quad partnership of Australia, US, India, Japan was on track to produce 1 billion vaccine doses in India by 2022. He was addressing virtually the Global Summit to end Covid-19. He asserted that nothing was more important than defeating Covid-19 "We're working with partner nations, pharmaceutical companies, and other manufacturers to increase their own capacity and capability to produce and manufacture safe and highly effective vaccines in their own countries," Biden said. "For example, our Quad partnership with India, Japan, and Australia is on track to help produce at least 1 billion vaccine doses in India to boost the global supply by the end of 2022. And we're providing financing and helping strengthen manufacturing in South Africa, and produce more than 500 million doses of J&J in Africa for Africa next year," he said. Also Read | Global COVID-19 summit: Indian PM Modi bats for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates amid UK row Biden also said that he is keeping his promise that America will become arsenal of vaccines as it was the arsenal for democracy during Second World War. The US has already shipped nearly 160 million doses to 100 countries, more than every other country has donated combined. America's donations of a half a billion Pfizer vaccines through COVAX, that he announced before the G-7 summit in June, have already begun to ship, Mr Biden told the virtual summit from the White House. Also Read | Germany seeks backing for Tedros at WHO helm as Africa quiet: Diplomats "Today, I'm announcing another historic commitment. The United States is buying another half billion doses of Pfizer to donate to low and middle-income countries around the world. This is another half billion doses that will all be shipped by this time next year, and it brings our total commitment to a donation, of donated vaccines, to over 1.1 billion vaccines to be donated," Biden said. Also Read | Pressure grows on US companies to share Covid vaccine technology "Put another way, for every one shot we've administered to date in America, we have now committed to do three shots to the rest of the world," he said and thanked Pfizer and its CEO and chairman, Albert Bourla for being helpful in this regard. "They've been and continue to be partners and the leader of this fight. The United States is leading the world on vaccination donations. As we are doing that, we need other high-income countries to deliver on their own ambitious vaccine donations and pledges. That's why today, we're launching the EU-US vaccine partnership to work more closely together and with our partners and expanding global vaccinations," Biden said. (With inputs from agencies)

Quad on track to produce 1 billion Covid doses in India: Biden

Delta has all but elbowed out the three other Covid-19 variants of concern, which now represent a tiny fraction of the samples being sequenced, the WHO said Tuesday.

"Less than one percent each of Alpha, Beta and Gamma are currently circulating. It's really predominantly Delta around the world," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead on COVID-19.

 
Delta "has become more fit, it is more transmissible and it is out-competing, it is replacing the other viruses that are circulating," she told a WHO social media live interaction, adding that Delta had been detected in more than 185 countries to date.

All viruses mutate over time, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19 disease.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/quad-on-track-to-produce-1-billion-covid-doses-in-india-biden-415057">Quad on track to produce 1 billion Covid doses in India: Biden</a>

During late 2020, the emergence of variants that posed an increased risk to global public health prompted the WHO to start characterising them as variants of interest, and the more-worrying variants of concern, to inform the response to the pandemic.

The UN health agency decided to name the variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet, to avoid the countries that first detected them being stigmatised.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-fda-authorises-third-dose-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-older-americans-415159">US FDA authorises third dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for older Americans</a>

Besides the four variants of concern, there are also five variants of interest, but Van Kerkhove said three of them -- Eta, Iota and Kappa -- were now being downgraded to variants under monitoring.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-vaccine-swap-deal-uk-to-send-1-million-pfizer-doses-to-south-korea-415042">In a vaccine swap deal, UK to send 1 million Pfizer doses to South Korea</a>

"This is really due to changes in circulation and that the variants of interest are just out-competed by the variants of concern. They're just not taking hold," she said.

Delta has all but elbowed out the three other Covid-19 variants of concern, which now represent a tiny fraction of the samples being sequenced, the WHO said Tuesday.

Delta has all but elbowed out the three other Covid-19 variants of concern, which now represent a tiny fraction of the samples being sequenced, the WHO said Tuesday. "Less than one percent each of Alpha, Beta and Gamma are currently circulating. It's really predominantly Delta around the world," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead on COVID-19. Delta "has become more fit, it is more transmissible and it is out-competing, it is replacing the other viruses that are circulating," she told a WHO social media live interaction, adding that Delta had been detected in more than 185 countries to date. All viruses mutate over time, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19 disease. Also Read | Quad on track to produce 1 billion Covid doses in India: Biden During late 2020, the emergence of variants that posed an increased risk to global public health prompted the WHO to start characterising them as variants of interest, and the more-worrying variants of concern, to inform the response to the pandemic. The UN health agency decided to name the variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet, to avoid the countries that first detected them being stigmatised. Also Read | US FDA authorises third dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for older Americans Besides the four variants of concern, there are also five variants of interest, but Van Kerkhove said three of them -- Eta, Iota and Kappa -- were now being downgraded to variants under monitoring. Also Read | In a vaccine swap deal, UK to send 1 million Pfizer doses to South Korea "This is really due to changes in circulation and that the variants of interest are just out-competed by the variants of concern. They're just not taking hold," she said.

Delta is edging out other strains as most dominant Covid variant of concern: WHO

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday (September 22) authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans, paving the way for a quick rollout of the shots.

The booster dose is to be administered at least six months after completion of the second dose, and the authorisation would include people most susceptible to severe disease and those in jobs that left them at risk, the FDA said.

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel could vote on Thursday on the use of a third shot of the vaccine, an agency official said at a public meeting of the panel on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden announced in August the government's intention to roll out booster shots for people aged 16 and older this week, pending approval by the FDA and CDC.

Advisers to the FDA voted on Friday to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for Americans 65 and older and those at high risk of severe illness, after overwhelmingly rejecting a call for broader approval.

The advisory panel said there was not enough evidence to support booster shots for all those aged 16 and older who had received a second dose at least six months earlier and also sought more safety data.

The agency could revisit the issue of additional shots for a broader authorization in the future. Top FDA members have been split on the need for boosters for the general population, with interim head Janet Woodcock backing them and some of the agency's senior scientists arguing current evidence does not support them.

Johnson &amp; Johnson said on Tuesday a second shot of its COVID-19 vaccine increased its effectiveness in the United States against moderate to severe forms of the disease.

Data from Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine on booster doses is just weeks away, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Sunday.

Some countries, including Israel and Britain, have already rolled out COVID-19 booster campaigns. The United States authorized extra shots for people with compromised immune systems last month and over 2 million people had already received a third shot, CDC data showed.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday (September 22) authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans, paving the way for a quick rollout of the shots.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday (September 22) authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans, paving the way for a quick rollout of the shots. The booster dose is to be administered at least six months after completion of the second dose, and the authorisation would include people most susceptible to severe disease and those in jobs that left them at risk, the FDA said. A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel could vote on Thursday on the use of a third shot of the vaccine, an agency official said at a public meeting of the panel on Wednesday. President Joe Biden announced in August the government's intention to roll out booster shots for people aged 16 and older this week, pending approval by the FDA and CDC. Advisers to the FDA voted on Friday to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for Americans 65 and older and those at high risk of severe illness, after overwhelmingly rejecting a call for broader approval. The advisory panel said there was not enough evidence to support booster shots for all those aged 16 and older who had received a second dose at least six months earlier and also sought more safety data. The agency could revisit the issue of additional shots for a broader authorization in the future. Top FDA members have been split on the need for boosters for the general population, with interim head Janet Woodcock backing them and some of the agency's senior scientists arguing current evidence does not support them. Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday a second shot of its COVID-19 vaccine increased its effectiveness in the United States against moderate to severe forms of the disease. Data from Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine on booster doses is just weeks away, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Sunday. Some countries, including Israel and Britain, have already rolled out COVID-19 booster campaigns. The United States authorized extra shots for people with compromised immune systems last month and over 2 million people had already received a third shot, CDC data showed.

US FDA authorises third dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for older Americans

During the virtual Covid-19 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for mutual recognition of Covid vaccine certificates by countries to make international travel easier.

Indian PM Narendra Modi bats for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates | WION USA Direct

Britain has added Covishield to its list of recognized vaccines. But fully vaccinated Indian citizens will still have to quarantine. Reports say Britain is suspicious of India's vaccine certificates. Palki Sharma tells you why it's less about authenticity and more about British arrogance.

Gravitas US Edition | British arrogance: Indian vaccine certificates rejected

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

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

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

Pressure grows on US companies to share Covid vaccine technology

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

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

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

Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to other nations

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

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

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

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

Pushed on the brink due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the tourism industry, the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, are mulling to open their borders and public spaces for foreign tourists.

According to Reuters, Vietnam plans to reopen the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists starting next month. The tourism minister, Nguyen Van Hung, said the pandemic had “seriously hurt” the tourism industry.

The decision comes as only 6.3 per cent of Vietnam’s 98 million people have received at least two shots.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thailand-downgrades-2021-outlook-as-covid-19-hampers-recovery-405958">Thailand downgrades 2021 outlook as COVID-19 hampers recovery</a>

Foreign arrivals to Vietnam slumped from 18 million in 2019, when tourism revenue was $31 billion, or nearly 12% of its gross domestic product, to 3.8 million last year.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conceded that Vietnam was facing a lengthy battle against the coronavirus, which has infected over 5,70,000 people and killed 14,400, so could not just rely on lockdowns and quarantine.

Neighbouring Thailand has also announced its intentions to reopen Bangkok and other major destinations to foreign tourists by October, while hoping to revive its tourism industry, which accounted for more than 11% of the country's GDP in 2019,&nbsp;according to Reuters.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spreads-through-air-vietnam-reports-new-variant-of-coronavirus-388243">'Spreads through air': Vietnam reports new variant of coronavirus</a>

So far, only 22% of the estimated 72 million people living in Thailand have been fully vaccinated, according to local media reports.

Indonesia, which has inoculated more than 16% of its population, has also eased its restrictions, allowing public spaces to reopen, and permitting factories to return to its full capacity.

Foreign tourists might be allowed into certain parts of the country, including the resort island Bali, by October, according to&nbsp;Reuters.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/thailand-protesters-clash-with-riot-police-over-govts-pandemic-response-404768/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

There are many Southeast Asian nations who have been planning to open their borders as Covid-induced lockdown continue to cripple their economies.

However, there have been concerns among the health activities as the island nations have been struggling to inoculate their population owing to short supply of Covid vaccines, and their over-reliance on Chinese-made vaccines—which showed lower efficacy than those made by Western and Indian companies.

Brazilian trials have shown that Sinovac has about 50% efficacy&nbsp;against symptomatic Covid-19, and 100% effectiveness against severe disease, according to trial data submitted to WHO.

Sinopharm, another vaccine from China, has an efficacy of about 79% for symptomatic and hospitalized disease,&nbsp;according to WHO.

According to&nbsp;Duke University,&nbsp;Thailand has bought more than 40 million doses of the Sinovac drug, while the Philippines and Malaysia have around 20 million each. Cambodia has bought another 16 million.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has bought 15 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, while Malaysia has got another 5 million.

Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank, told CNN that if vaccination rates aren’t high enough with high-efficacy vaccines before restrictions are lifted, health care systems in Southeast Asia could quickly become overwhelmed.

“You're going to see this spike of severe cases then it's going to overwhelm the ICU ... beds, ventilators, there's going to be a shortage capacity challenge,” he was said quoted as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pushed on the brink due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the tourism industry, the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, are mulling to open their borders and public spaces for foreign tourists.

Pushed on the brink due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the tourism industry, the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, are mulling to open their borders and public spaces for foreign tourists. According to Reuters, Vietnam plans to reopen the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists starting next month. The tourism minister, Nguyen Van Hung, said the pandemic had “seriously hurt” the tourism industry. The decision comes as only 6.3 per cent of Vietnam’s 98 million people have received at least two shots. Also read | Thailand downgrades 2021 outlook as COVID-19 hampers recovery Foreign arrivals to Vietnam slumped from 18 million in 2019, when tourism revenue was $31 billion, or nearly 12% of its gross domestic product, to 3.8 million last year. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conceded that Vietnam was facing a lengthy battle against the coronavirus, which has infected over 5,70,000 people and killed 14,400, so could not just rely on lockdowns and quarantine. Neighbouring Thailand has also announced its intentions to reopen Bangkok and other major destinations to foreign tourists by October, while hoping to revive its tourism industry, which accounted for more than 11% of the country's GDP in 2019, according to Reuters. Also read | 'Spreads through air': Vietnam reports new variant of coronavirus So far, only 22% of the estimated 72 million people living in Thailand have been fully vaccinated, according to local media reports. Indonesia, which has inoculated more than 16% of its population, has also eased its restrictions, allowing public spaces to reopen, and permitting factories to return to its full capacity. Foreign tourists might be allowed into certain parts of the country, including the resort island Bali, by October, according to Reuters. Watch There are many Southeast Asian nations who have been planning to open their borders as Covid-induced lockdown continue to cripple their economies. However, there have been concerns among the health activities as the island nations have been struggling to inoculate their population owing to short supply of Covid vaccines, and their over-reliance on Chinese-made vaccines—which showed lower efficacy than those made by Western and Indian companies. Brazilian trials have shown that Sinovac has about 50% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19, and 100% effectiveness against severe disease, according to trial data submitted to WHO. Sinopharm, another vaccine from China, has an efficacy of about 79% for symptomatic and hospitalized disease, according to WHO. According to Duke University, Thailand has bought more than 40 million doses of the Sinovac drug, while the Philippines and Malaysia have around 20 million each. Cambodia has bought another 16 million. Meanwhile, Indonesia has bought 15 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, while Malaysia has got another 5 million. Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank, told CNN that if vaccination rates aren’t high enough with high-efficacy vaccines before restrictions are lifted, health care systems in Southeast Asia could quickly become overwhelmed. “You're going to see this spike of severe cases then it's going to overwhelm the ICU ... beds, ventilators, there's going to be a shortage capacity challenge,” he was said quoted as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Economies on the brink due to Covid, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam mulling to reopen borders

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

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

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

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

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom met the founder of Amazon and the Bezos Earth Fund, Jeff Bezos, in New York on the sideline of the UN General Assembly. Watch this report for more details.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Jeff Bezos on sidelines of UNGA

After facing intense criticism over its flawed covid-19 travel restrictions, the United Kingdom has now claimed that talks are underway between London and New Delhi for recognition of India's vaccine certificate.

Covid-19: UK's travel laws draw criticism in India, talks underway

The variants of SARS-CoV-2 are getting better at travelling through the air, and people must wear tight-fitting masks and ensure better ventilation, in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study.

The team led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US found that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhale infectious virus in their breath, and those infected with the Alpha variant put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air than people infected with the original strains of the virus.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half.

"Our latest study provides further evidence of the importance of airborne transmission," said Don Milton, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. "We know that the Delta variant circulating now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant. Our research indicates that the variants just keep getting better at travelling through the air, so we must provide better ventilation and wear tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, to help stop spread of the virus," Milton said.

The researchers noted that the amount of virus in the air coming from Alpha variant infections was much more — 18-times more — than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva.

"We already knew that virus in saliva and nasal swabs was increased in Alpha variant infections," said doctoral student Jianyu Lai, one of the lead authors of the study. "Virus from the nose and mouth might be transmitted by sprays of large droplets up close to an infected person. But, our study shows that the virus in exhaled aerosols is increasing even more," Lai said.

The researchers said these major increases in airborne virus from Alpha infections occurred before the Delta variant arrived and indicate that the virus is evolving to be better at travelling through the air. To test whether face masks work in blocking the virus from being transmitted among people, the study measured how much SARS-CoV-2 is breathed into the air and tested how much less virus people sick with COVID-19 exhaled into the air after putting on a cloth or surgical mask.

Face coverings significantly reduced virus-laden particles in the air around the person with COVID-19, cutting the amount by about 50 per cent, the researchers found. However, the loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks didn’t stop infectious virus from getting into the air, they said.

"The take-home messages from this paper are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, is getting better at being in your exhaled breath, and using a mask reduces the chance of you breathing it on others," Jennifer German, a co-author of the study said. "This means that a layered approach to control measures — including improved ventilation, increased filtration, UV air sanitation, and tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination — is critical to protect people in public-facing jobs and indoor spaces," German added.

The variants of SARS-CoV-2 are getting better at travelling through the air, and people must wear tight-fitting masks and ensure better ventilation, in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study.

The variants of SARS-CoV-2 are getting better at travelling through the air, and people must wear tight-fitting masks and ensure better ventilation, in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study. The team led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US found that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhale infectious virus in their breath, and those infected with the Alpha variant put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air than people infected with the original strains of the virus. The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half. "Our latest study provides further evidence of the importance of airborne transmission," said Don Milton, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. "We know that the Delta variant circulating now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant. Our research indicates that the variants just keep getting better at travelling through the air, so we must provide better ventilation and wear tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, to help stop spread of the virus," Milton said. The researchers noted that the amount of virus in the air coming from Alpha variant infections was much more — 18-times more — than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva. "We already knew that virus in saliva and nasal swabs was increased in Alpha variant infections," said doctoral student Jianyu Lai, one of the lead authors of the study. "Virus from the nose and mouth might be transmitted by sprays of large droplets up close to an infected person. But, our study shows that the virus in exhaled aerosols is increasing even more," Lai said. The researchers said these major increases in airborne virus from Alpha infections occurred before the Delta variant arrived and indicate that the virus is evolving to be better at travelling through the air. To test whether face masks work in blocking the virus from being transmitted among people, the study measured how much SARS-CoV-2 is breathed into the air and tested how much less virus people sick with COVID-19 exhaled into the air after putting on a cloth or surgical mask. Face coverings significantly reduced virus-laden particles in the air around the person with COVID-19, cutting the amount by about 50 per cent, the researchers found. However, the loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks didn’t stop infectious virus from getting into the air, they said. "The take-home messages from this paper are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, is getting better at being in your exhaled breath, and using a mask reduces the chance of you breathing it on others," Jennifer German, a co-author of the study said. "This means that a layered approach to control measures — including improved ventilation, increased filtration, UV air sanitation, and tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination — is critical to protect people in public-facing jobs and indoor spaces," German added.

COVID-19 virus evolving to get better at becoming airborne, study shows

Germany reacted with shock and outrage on Tuesday after a 20-year-old petrol station worker was shot dead by a customer angry about being asked to put on a mask while buying beer.

The killing on Saturday evening in the western town of Idar-Oberstein is believed to be the first in Germany linked to the government's coronavirus rules.

The row started when the cashier, a student, told the customer to put on a face mask, as required in all German shops. After a brief argument, the man left.

The suspect then returned about an hour and a half later, this time wearing a mask. But as he brought his six-pack of beer to the till, he took off the mask and another discussion ensued.&nbsp;

"The perpetrator then pulled out a revolver and shot him straight in the head," prosecutor Kai Fuhrmann told reporters on Monday.

The suspect, a 49-year-old German man, walked to a police station the following day to turn himself in. He was arrested and has confessed to the murder.

He told police he felt "cornered" by the coronavirus measures, which he perceived as an "ever-growing infringement on his rights" and he had seen "no other way out", Fuhrmann said.

Idar-Oberstein mayor Frank Fruehauf called it "an unfathomable, terrible act", and residents have laid flowers and candles outside the petrol station.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandemic-claims-more-american-lives-than-1918-flu-data-shows-414638">Pandemic claims more American lives than 1918 flu, data shows</a>

The murder comes just days before Germans head to the polls for a general election on September 26 that will see Chancellor Angela Merkel bow out after 16 years.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz from the centre-left Social Democrats, the current frontrunner to succeed Merkel, said he was "shocked" by the murder of someone who only wanted "to protect himself and others".

"As a society, we must resolutely stand up to hatred," he tweeted.

Annalena Baerbock, the Green party's candidate for the chancellery, said she was "shaken" by the murder and "very concerned" about growing radicalisation in the anti-mask community.

Paul Ziemiak, general secretary of Merkel's CDU party, said the victim was "practically executed" in an act that showed "an inconceivable level of radicalisation".

<h2>'Growing aggressiveness'</h2>

The Tagesspiegel newspaper said far-right chat groups on Telegram were applauding the murder, with one user writing "Here we go!!!" while others posted thumbs-up emojis.

Germany has seen repeated protests from anti-mask demonstrators throughout the pandemic, some of them attracting tens of thousands of people.

The "Querdenker" (Lateral Thinkers) movement has emerged as the loudest voice against the government's coronavirus curbs and regulations. Its marches have drawn a wide mix of people, including vaccine sceptics, neo-Nazis and members of Germany's far-right AfD party.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the "hatred and incitement" of Querdenker "divides our community and kills people". "They have no place in our society," he wrote on Twitter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cia-officer-reports-havana-syndrome-symptoms-on-india-trip-reports-414634">CIA officer reports Havana syndrome symptoms on India trip: reports</a>

Germany's domestic intelligence agency announced in April that it would start monitoring leading Querdenker figures over concerns they were trying to undermine the state and had ties to right-wing extremism.

Stephan Kramer, head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, told Germany's RND media group he was saddened but not surprised by the killing.

"The escalation of right-wing conspiracy fantasies among aggressive and violence-prone citizens has been obvious for months," he said.&nbsp;

"The growing aggressiveness is palpable in everyday life."

Germany reacted with shock and outrage on Tuesday after a 20-year-old petrol station worker was shot dead by a customer angry about being asked to put on a mask while buying beer.

Germany reacted with shock and outrage on Tuesday after a 20-year-old petrol station worker was shot dead by a customer angry about being asked to put on a mask while buying beer. The killing on Saturday evening in the western town of Idar-Oberstein is believed to be the first in Germany linked to the government's coronavirus rules. The row started when the cashier, a student, told the customer to put on a face mask, as required in all German shops. After a brief argument, the man left. The suspect then returned about an hour and a half later, this time wearing a mask. But as he brought his six-pack of beer to the till, he took off the mask and another discussion ensued. "The perpetrator then pulled out a revolver and shot him straight in the head," prosecutor Kai Fuhrmann told reporters on Monday. The suspect, a 49-year-old German man, walked to a police station the following day to turn himself in. He was arrested and has confessed to the murder. He told police he felt "cornered" by the coronavirus measures, which he perceived as an "ever-growing infringement on his rights" and he had seen "no other way out", Fuhrmann said. Idar-Oberstein mayor Frank Fruehauf called it "an unfathomable, terrible act", and residents have laid flowers and candles outside the petrol station. Also read | Pandemic claims more American lives than 1918 flu, data shows The murder comes just days before Germans head to the polls for a general election on September 26 that will see Chancellor Angela Merkel bow out after 16 years. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz from the centre-left Social Democrats, the current frontrunner to succeed Merkel, said he was "shocked" by the murder of someone who only wanted "to protect himself and others". "As a society, we must resolutely stand up to hatred," he tweeted. Annalena Baerbock, the Green party's candidate for the chancellery, said she was "shaken" by the murder and "very concerned" about growing radicalisation in the anti-mask community. Paul Ziemiak, general secretary of Merkel's CDU party, said the victim was "practically executed" in an act that showed "an inconceivable level of radicalisation". 'Growing aggressiveness' The Tagesspiegel newspaper said far-right chat groups on Telegram were applauding the murder, with one user writing "Here we go!!!" while others posted thumbs-up emojis. Germany has seen repeated protests from anti-mask demonstrators throughout the pandemic, some of them attracting tens of thousands of people. The "Querdenker" (Lateral Thinkers) movement has emerged as the loudest voice against the government's coronavirus curbs and regulations. Its marches have drawn a wide mix of people, including vaccine sceptics, neo-Nazis and members of Germany's far-right AfD party. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the "hatred and incitement" of Querdenker "divides our community and kills people". "They have no place in our society," he wrote on Twitter. Also read | CIA officer reports Havana syndrome symptoms on India trip: reports Germany's domestic intelligence agency announced in April that it would start monitoring leading Querdenker figures over concerns they were trying to undermine the state and had ties to right-wing extremism. Stephan Kramer, head of the domestic intelligence agency in the eastern state of Thuringia, told Germany's RND media group he was saddened but not surprised by the killing. "The escalation of right-wing conspiracy fantasies among aggressive and violence-prone citizens has been obvious for months," he said. "The growing aggressiveness is palpable in everyday life."

Covid rage: Asked to put on mask, angry customer kills petrol station worker in Germany

An anti-Covid vaccine lockdown protest on the streets of Melbourne turned chaos on Tuesday after the police fired pepper balls and stinger grenades in a bid to disperse the agitators.

More than 1,000 demonstrators dressed as construction workers clashed with police for the second consecutive day and rampaged through the centre of Australia's second-largest city, lighting flares, throwing bottles, attacking police cars and chanting their opposition to vaccines and lockdown restrictions.

Police said 62 protesters were arrested and three police officers were injured along with one journalist.

Victoria’s police chief commissioner Shane Patton said officers used pepper balls, foam baton rounds, smoke bombs and stinger grenades which deploy rubber pellets.

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This is seriously out of control and someone is going to get hurt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoHome</a> now <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/protests?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#protests</a> <a href="https://t.co/jgbpIKWMQx">pic.twitter.com/jgbpIKWMQx</a>
— Níal Ó Fionnagáin (@NialFinegan) <a href="https://twitter.com/NialFinegan/status/1440194156643557383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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“These crowd control equipment munitions were necessary … because we can’t allow this type of conduct to go on,” he told reporters later in the day.

Video footage on social media showed police cars trying to leave one area before a mob attacked the vehicles with bottles and smashed windows. A line of riot police, weapons raised, then drove the protesters back.

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Didn't catch the really big bang but this was when it started getting scary <a href="https://t.co/yA0ud17bXY">pic.twitter.com/yA0ud17bXY</a>
— Michael Irving (@MikeIrvo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeIrvo/status/1440183951063093255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asked-to-put-on-mask-angry-customer-shoots-petrol-station-worker-in-germany-414648">Asked to put on mask, angry customer shoots petrol station worker in Germany</a>

Patton said they had a tip-off that protests have been planned again for Wednesday and he implored people to stay at home.

“No one benefits from this type of conduct, we will be out in force again, I can assure you of that,” he told reporters.

“I won’t disclose what our tactics will be tomorrow, but they will be different. Please just stay home, we do not want a confrontation.”

Melbourne&nbsp;has been in strict lockdown for seven weeks, as the city struggles to curb an outbreak of the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Several clusters have been linked to construction sites, where Covid containment measures are said to be lax.

In response, authorities have introduced ever-tougher restrictions, closing work site tea rooms, announcing mandatory vaccination for labourers and, most recently, closing almost all construction sites for two weeks.

(WIth inputs from agencies)

An anti-Covid vaccine lockdown protest on the streets of Melbourne turned chaos on Tuesday after the police fired pepper balls and stinger grenades in a bid to disperse the agitators.

An anti-Covid vaccine lockdown protest on the streets of Melbourne turned chaos on Tuesday after the police fired pepper balls and stinger grenades in a bid to disperse the agitators. More than 1,000 demonstrators dressed as construction workers clashed with police for the second consecutive day and rampaged through the centre of Australia's second-largest city, lighting flares, throwing bottles, attacking police cars and chanting their opposition to vaccines and lockdown restrictions. Police said 62 protesters were arrested and three police officers were injured along with one journalist. Victoria’s police chief commissioner Shane Patton said officers used pepper balls, foam baton rounds, smoke bombs and stinger grenades which deploy rubber pellets. This is seriously out of control and someone is going to get hurt. #GoHome now #Melbourne #protests pic.twitter.com/jgbpIKWMQx — Níal Ó Fionnagáin (@NialFinegan) September 21, 2021 × “These crowd control equipment munitions were necessary … because we can’t allow this type of conduct to go on,” he told reporters later in the day. Video footage on social media showed police cars trying to leave one area before a mob attacked the vehicles with bottles and smashed windows. A line of riot police, weapons raised, then drove the protesters back. Didn't catch the really big bang but this was when it started getting scary pic.twitter.com/yA0ud17bXY — Michael Irving (@MikeIrvo) September 21, 2021 × Also read | Asked to put on mask, angry customer shoots petrol station worker in Germany Patton said they had a tip-off that protests have been planned again for Wednesday and he implored people to stay at home. “No one benefits from this type of conduct, we will be out in force again, I can assure you of that,” he told reporters. “I won’t disclose what our tactics will be tomorrow, but they will be different. Please just stay home, we do not want a confrontation.” Melbourne has been in strict lockdown for seven weeks, as the city struggles to curb an outbreak of the fast-spreading Delta variant. Several clusters have been linked to construction sites, where Covid containment measures are said to be lax. In response, authorities have introduced ever-tougher restrictions, closing work site tea rooms, announcing mandatory vaccination for labourers and, most recently, closing almost all construction sites for two weeks. (WIth inputs from agencies)

Melbourne anti-Covid vaccine protests turn violent as police fire pepper balls, smoke bombs

World leaders are returning to the United Nation for the general assembly. The UNGA will be looking to build momentum to reach an ambitious climate agreement. The focus will be on boosting efforts to fight the covid-19 pandemic, seek unity after the Taliban took over Afghanistan and much more.

WION USA Direct: Action-packed week at the UNGA begins; climate, Covid-19 pandemic on agenda

The four little words, "do your own research", seem to be hurting the US pandemic response greatly, said a CNN report citing reliable sources on Sunday. &nbsp;

This idea has real consequences as personalities from Nicki Minaj to Sean Hannity continue to promote the idea. &nbsp;

On Twitter last week, Minaj helped raise doubts about COVID-19 vaccines by claiming she would only get the shots once she'd "done enough research." &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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The idea may seem reasonable and even positive. It is also a favoured talking point echoed by many in the right-wing media. &nbsp;

The real issue is that not everyone doesn't know how to do research in the right sense as there are loads of incorrect information on the internet. And especially when it comes to understanding the complexities of medical science, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/what-if-covid-19-were-10-times-deadlier-414234" hreflang="en">What if COVID-19 were 10 times deadlier?</a>

Renee DiResta, research manager, Stanford Internet Observatory, said, "The notion of doing your own research is not a bad idea in itself, as it's important to maintain a healthy level of skepticism about information being fed to you.”&nbsp;

“But in today's media environment fueled by clicks and engagement, it's all too easy to come across misleading data that confirms biases. Nobody's going to the library and looking up authoritative sources to do their own research," DiResta added.&nbsp;

The four little words, "do your own research", seem to be hurting the US pandemic response greatly, said a CNN report citing reliable sources on Sunday. This idea has real consequences as personalities from Nicki Minaj to Sean Hannity continue to promote the idea.

The four little words, "do your own research", seem to be hurting the US pandemic response greatly, said a CNN report citing reliable sources on Sunday. This idea has real consequences as personalities from Nicki Minaj to Sean Hannity continue to promote the idea. On Twitter last week, Minaj helped raise doubts about COVID-19 vaccines by claiming she would only get the shots once she'd "done enough research." Watch: × The idea may seem reasonable and even positive. It is also a favoured talking point echoed by many in the right-wing media. The real issue is that not everyone doesn't know how to do research in the right sense as there are loads of incorrect information on the internet. And especially when it comes to understanding the complexities of medical science, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Also Read: What if COVID-19 were 10 times deadlier? Renee DiResta, research manager, Stanford Internet Observatory, said, "The notion of doing your own research is not a bad idea in itself, as it's important to maintain a healthy level of skepticism about information being fed to you.” “But in today's media environment fueled by clicks and engagement, it's all too easy to come across misleading data that confirms biases. Nobody's going to the library and looking up authoritative sources to do their own research," DiResta added.

'Do your own research': Four words hurting US response to Covid, says report

Change in UK travel restriction rules has upset Indian side, media reports said on Monday. The displeasure comes from the fact that Indian side had been engaging with the UK on diplomatic and ministerial level for acceptance of Indian vaccine certificates for travel to th UK.

UK changed travel rules on Friday and did away with the 'red, amber and green list'.&nbsp;

Under the changed rules, only those Indians who have received two shots of Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna or a single shot of Janssen vaccine “under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas” will be considered fully vaccinated.

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UK government confirm tonight that if a person has been vaccinated in Africa, or South America, or countries including UAE, India, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Russia… 
 
…you are considered “unvaccinated” and must follow “unvaccinated” rules ⛔️ = 10 day home quarantine &amp; tests
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexInAir/status/1438991435697639427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

This effectively means that Indians who have received Covishield, or Indian version of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be considered unvaccinated. Such individuals will have to spend 10 days in quarantine after going to UK.

Exclusion of Covishield puts a lot of Indians at a disadvantage as it was one of the two main vaccines used for domestic immunisation program.

Indian side is upset as high ranking officials and even India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was involved in diplomatic effort to make Indians' travel to UK problem-free. The step taken by UK in spite of these hi-level efforts is thus not gone down well with India.

Change in UK travel restriction rules has upset Indian side, media reports said on Monday. The displeasure comes from the fact that Indian side had been engaging with the UK on diplomatic and ministerial level for acceptance of Indian vaccine certificates for travel to th UK.

Change in UK travel restriction rules has upset Indian side, media reports said on Monday. The displeasure comes from the fact that Indian side had been engaging with the UK on diplomatic and ministerial level for acceptance of Indian vaccine certificates for travel to th UK. UK changed travel rules on Friday and did away with the 'red, amber and green list'. Under the changed rules, only those Indians who have received two shots of Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna or a single shot of Janssen vaccine “under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas” will be considered fully vaccinated. UK government confirm tonight that if a person has been vaccinated in Africa, or South America, or countries including UAE, India, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Russia… …you are considered “unvaccinated” and must follow “unvaccinated” rules ⛔️ = 10 day home quarantine & tests — Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) September 17, 2021 × This effectively means that Indians who have received Covishield, or Indian version of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be considered unvaccinated. Such individuals will have to spend 10 days in quarantine after going to UK. Exclusion of Covishield puts a lot of Indians at a disadvantage as it was one of the two main vaccines used for domestic immunisation program. Indian side is upset as high ranking officials and even India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was involved in diplomatic effort to make Indians' travel to UK problem-free. The step taken by UK in spite of these hi-level efforts is thus not gone down well with India.

India unhappy over changes in UK travel rules: Report

India recorded 30,773 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 13.7 per cent lower than cases registered on Saturday, according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry.

The daily positivity rate stood at 1.97 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 20 days As of 8 am on Sunday, the total caseload reached 3,34,48,163, the health ministry said.

In the last 24 hours, 309 people died due to COVID-19 in the country, pushing the total death toll to 4,44,838.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-all-set-to-visit-us-this-week-for-quad-key-bilateral-meetings-on-the-anvil-414076">Also read |&nbsp;PM Modi all set to visit US this week for Quad; key bilateral meetings on the anvil</a>

As per the health ministry, the weekly positivity rate for the COVID-19 in the country stood at 2.04 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 86 days.

Around 86.6 per cent of the new cases are reported from states including, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram, with Kerala alone responsible for 62.8 per cent of the new cases.

India recorded 30,773 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 13.7 per cent lower than cases registered on Saturday, according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry.

India recorded 30,773 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 13.7 per cent lower than cases registered on Saturday, according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry. The daily positivity rate stood at 1.97 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 20 days As of 8 am on Sunday, the total caseload reached 3,34,48,163, the health ministry said. In the last 24 hours, 309 people died due to COVID-19 in the country, pushing the total death toll to 4,44,838. Also read | PM Modi all set to visit US this week for Quad; key bilateral meetings on the anvil As per the health ministry, the weekly positivity rate for the COVID-19 in the country stood at 2.04 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 86 days. Around 86.6 per cent of the new cases are reported from states including, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram, with Kerala alone responsible for 62.8 per cent of the new cases.

India records 30,773 new COVID-19 cases

Airlines can now operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent allowed till date, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Saturday.

The carriers have been operating 72.5 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights since August 12, according to the ministry's order.

Between July 5 and August 12, the cap stood at 65 per cent. Between June 1 and July 5, the cap was at 50 per cent.

The ministry issued a fresh order on Saturday, in which it modified the August 12 order stating that "72.5 per cent capacity may be read as 85 per cent capacity". 
Saturday's order also noted that the 72.5 per cent cap will remain in place "until further order".

When the government had resumed the scheduled domestic flights on May 25 last year after a two-month break, the ministry had allowed the carriers to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic services.

The cap was gradually increased to 80 per cent by December.

The 80 per cent cap remained in place till June 1.

The May 28 decision to bring down the cap from 80 to 50 per cent from June 1 onwards was taken "in view of the sudden surge in the number of active COVID-19 cases across the country, decrease in passenger traffic and the passenger load (occupancy rate) factor", the ministry had said.&nbsp;

Airlines can now operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent allowed till date, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Saturday.

Airlines can now operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent allowed till date, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Saturday. The carriers have been operating 72.5 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights since August 12, according to the ministry's order. Between July 5 and August 12, the cap stood at 65 per cent. Between June 1 and July 5, the cap was at 50 per cent. The ministry issued a fresh order on Saturday, in which it modified the August 12 order stating that "72.5 per cent capacity may be read as 85 per cent capacity". Saturday's order also noted that the 72.5 per cent cap will remain in place "until further order". When the government had resumed the scheduled domestic flights on May 25 last year after a two-month break, the ministry had allowed the carriers to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic services. The cap was gradually increased to 80 per cent by December. The 80 per cent cap remained in place till June 1. The May 28 decision to bring down the cap from 80 to 50 per cent from June 1 onwards was taken "in view of the sudden surge in the number of active COVID-19 cases across the country, decrease in passenger traffic and the passenger load (occupancy rate) factor", the ministry had said.

Indian airlines can now operate 85% of pre-Covid domestic flights: Aviation Ministry

Sri Lanka has now extended its nation-wide lockdown till October 1. This comes after a surge in covid-19 cases and mounting pressure from medical professionals to step up efforts to fight the raging third wave.

Sri Lanka extends covid-19 lockdown till October 1 after surge in cases

India has now administered more than two million covid-19 vaccines in a single day, a huge milestone in the country's fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

India administers 20 million Covid-19 jabs to mark PM Modi's birthday

New Zealand will delay the reopening of its trans-Tasman travel bubble, as case numbers in Australia rise and numbers in New Zealand continue to drop.

Deputy prime minister Grant Robertson on Friday confirmed that while the pause in quarantine-free travel had been due to expire next week, it would now be extended for at least a further 8 weeks.&nbsp;

New South Wales announced 1,284 new cases and 12 deaths, and Victoria announced 510 new cases.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/africa-covid-19-jab-shortfall-could-take-world-back-to-square-one-says-who-413652">Also read |&nbsp;Africa COVID-19 jab shortfall could take world 'back to square one', says WHO</a>

Meanwhile, New Zealand reported 11 new cases in the country, all based in Auckland.

COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "protecting New Zealand from any possible further spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 is our absolute priority. We have made great progress to contain our current outbreak and are working hard to ease restrictions next week. Reopening quarantine-free travel with Australia at this point could put those gains at risk.”

Not only this but New Zealand hit a new milestone in its vaccine rollout as more than 3 million people have had their first dose, which is 69 per cent of the eligible population. Just over 35 per cent of the eligible population is now fully vaccinated.

New Zealand will delay the reopening of its trans-Tasman travel bubble, as case numbers in Australia rise and numbers in New Zealand continue to drop. Deputy prime minister Grant Robertson on Friday confirmed that while the pause in quarantine-free travel had been due to expire next week, it would now be extended for at least a further 8 weeks.

New Zealand will delay the reopening of its trans-Tasman travel bubble, as case numbers in Australia rise and numbers in New Zealand continue to drop. Deputy prime minister Grant Robertson on Friday confirmed that while the pause in quarantine-free travel had been due to expire next week, it would now be extended for at least a further 8 weeks. New South Wales announced 1,284 new cases and 12 deaths, and Victoria announced 510 new cases. Also read | Africa COVID-19 jab shortfall could take world 'back to square one', says WHO Meanwhile, New Zealand reported 11 new cases in the country, all based in Auckland. COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "protecting New Zealand from any possible further spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 is our absolute priority. We have made great progress to contain our current outbreak and are working hard to ease restrictions next week. Reopening quarantine-free travel with Australia at this point could put those gains at risk.” Not only this but New Zealand hit a new milestone in its vaccine rollout as more than 3 million people have had their first dose, which is 69 per cent of the eligible population. Just over 35 per cent of the eligible population is now fully vaccinated.

New Zealand extends Australia travel bubble pause

China has fully vaccinated more than one billion people against the coronavirus -- 71 per cent of its population -- official figures showed Thursday.

The country where the virus was first detected has mostly curbed the virus within its borders but is racing to get the vast majority of its population vaccinated as a new outbreak flickers in the southeast.

"As of September 15, 2.16 billion vaccine doses have been administered nationwide," said National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng at a press briefing.&nbsp;

Chinese health authorities said late last month that 890 million people in China had been fully vaccinated and two billion doses administered.&nbsp;

The government has not publicly announced a target for vaccination coverage, but top virologist Zhong Nanshan said last month that the country is likely to have 80 per cent of its population inoculated by the end of the year, reaching herd immunity.

China is currently battling an outbreak of the Delta variant in the southeastern province of Fujian that has infected almost 200 people so far in three cities, dozens of whom are schoolchildren.

The Fujian cluster is the biggest rebound in weeks and comes after the country declared the Delta variant under control, in a test of China's "zero-case" approach to the pandemic.

China reported 49 new domestic transmissions on Thursday, the vast majority in Fujian.

Authorities said the cluster's suspected patient zero was a man who had recently returned from Singapore to the city of Putian, and developed symptoms after completing a 14-day quarantine and initially testing negative for the virus.

The man's 12-year-old son and a classmate were among the first patients detected in the cluster last week, shortly after the new school term began.

The variant then raced through classrooms, infecting more than 36 children including 8 kindergartners, city authorities said Tuesday, in the first major school-linked spread the country has seen since the start of the pandemic.

Despite rolling out its vaccine campaign to include minors aged 12-17 in July, most young children remain unvaccinated in China, sparking fears that the latest Fujian outbreak could hit the most vulnerable people in the country disproportionately.

Authorities have rushed to quash the outbreak with targeted lockdowns, travel restrictions, mass testing and school closures before the upcoming October 1 public holiday, a week-long tourism peak.

Chinese vaccines have nearly 60 per cent efficacy against the Delta strain, with antibodies rising with a booster shot, Zhong previously said.

The country is also racing to produce its own mRNA vaccine -- whose technology is believed to be more effective against the Delta variant -- with candidates by state-owned Sinopharm and domestic firm Walvax Biotechnology currently in development.

China has fully vaccinated more than one billion people against the coronavirus -- 71 per cent of its population -- official figures showed Thursday. The country where the virus was first detected has mostly curbed the virus within its borders but is racing to get the vast majority of its population vaccinated as a new outbreak flickers in the southeast.

China has fully vaccinated more than one billion people against the coronavirus -- 71 per cent of its population -- official figures showed Thursday. The country where the virus was first detected has mostly curbed the virus within its borders but is racing to get the vast majority of its population vaccinated as a new outbreak flickers in the southeast. "As of September 15, 2.16 billion vaccine doses have been administered nationwide," said National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng at a press briefing. Chinese health authorities said late last month that 890 million people in China had been fully vaccinated and two billion doses administered. The government has not publicly announced a target for vaccination coverage, but top virologist Zhong Nanshan said last month that the country is likely to have 80 per cent of its population inoculated by the end of the year, reaching herd immunity. China is currently battling an outbreak of the Delta variant in the southeastern province of Fujian that has infected almost 200 people so far in three cities, dozens of whom are schoolchildren. The Fujian cluster is the biggest rebound in weeks and comes after the country declared the Delta variant under control, in a test of China's "zero-case" approach to the pandemic. China reported 49 new domestic transmissions on Thursday, the vast majority in Fujian. Authorities said the cluster's suspected patient zero was a man who had recently returned from Singapore to the city of Putian, and developed symptoms after completing a 14-day quarantine and initially testing negative for the virus. The man's 12-year-old son and a classmate were among the first patients detected in the cluster last week, shortly after the new school term began. The variant then raced through classrooms, infecting more than 36 children including 8 kindergartners, city authorities said Tuesday, in the first major school-linked spread the country has seen since the start of the pandemic. Despite rolling out its vaccine campaign to include minors aged 12-17 in July, most young children remain unvaccinated in China, sparking fears that the latest Fujian outbreak could hit the most vulnerable people in the country disproportionately. Authorities have rushed to quash the outbreak with targeted lockdowns, travel restrictions, mass testing and school closures before the upcoming October 1 public holiday, a week-long tourism peak. Chinese vaccines have nearly 60 per cent efficacy against the Delta strain, with antibodies rising with a booster shot, Zhong previously said. The country is also racing to produce its own mRNA vaccine -- whose technology is believed to be more effective against the Delta variant -- with candidates by state-owned Sinopharm and domestic firm Walvax Biotechnology currently in development.

China fully vaccinates more than 1 billion people 

The United States government has spent $5.7 billion in the last three months to treat the unvaccinated Covid patients in different hospitals of the country, said a new analysis published on Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

This study has taken the most recent data into account as numerous people were hospitalised in August due to unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases. The authors of the study estimate it to be accounted for $3.7 billion of preventable spending alone.

Watch:&nbsp;United Kingdom to launch booster programme

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The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) made the data analysis on the basis of information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and studies on health care costs, that say each preventable hospitalisation due to Covid costs about $20,000. &nbsp;

As per the analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US saw 287,000 preventable Covid hospitalisations from June to August. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/covid-hospitalisation-crisis-reaches-fever-pitch-in-southern-icus-413112" hreflang="en">Covid hospitalisation crisis reaches fever pitch in southern ICUs</a>

The authors of the study used “preventable” hospitalisations to refer to such incidents where unvaccinated adults were provided Covid treatment primarily, while also accounting for any post-vaccination infections that would have been expected if this population had been vaccinated.&nbsp;

The United States government has spent $5.7 billion in the last three months to treat the unvaccinated Covid patients in different hospitals of the country, said a new analysis published on Tuesday.

The United States government has spent $5.7 billion in the last three months to treat the unvaccinated Covid patients in different hospitals of the country, said a new analysis published on Tuesday. This study has taken the most recent data into account as numerous people were hospitalised in August due to unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases. The authors of the study estimate it to be accounted for $3.7 billion of preventable spending alone. Watch: United Kingdom to launch booster programme × The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) made the data analysis on the basis of information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and studies on health care costs, that say each preventable hospitalisation due to Covid costs about $20,000. As per the analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US saw 287,000 preventable Covid hospitalisations from June to August. Also Read: Covid hospitalisation crisis reaches fever pitch in southern ICUs The authors of the study used “preventable” hospitalisations to refer to such incidents where unvaccinated adults were provided Covid treatment primarily, while also accounting for any post-vaccination infections that would have been expected if this population had been vaccinated.

For treating unvaccinated Covid patients, US spent $5.7 bn in 3 months: Study  

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