More than a quarter of adults in the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Union&nbsp;would be unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it was offered to them, a survey published on Thursday showed.

The results also suggested a strong link between vaccine hesitancy and the use of social media, particularly where social media is the main source of information, according to Eurofound which carried out the survey.

"Unfortunately, these findings reflect a failure to deliver persuasive and clear communication regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccines," said Daphne Ahrendt, Eurofound senior research manager.

Bulgarians were the most reluctant to get the vaccine, with 67 per cent&nbsp;of adults saying they were unlikely or very unlikely to get it. In Ireland, only 10&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of adults said they would not get the shot.

The survey found an east-west divide across Europe. Except for France and Austria, the intention to get vaccinated was above 60&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in all Western member states - with Nordic and Mediterranean countries, Denmark and Ireland having even higher rates.

The rate of planned uptake in Eastern member states was much lower, ranging from 59 per cent in Romania to 33 per cent&nbsp;in Bulgaria.

The main influence on vaccine hesitancy was the time spent on social media and which medium was used, the survey said. The proportion rises to 40% among those who use social media as their primary source of news.

Among people who used traditional media including press, radio and television, only 18 per cent&nbsp;of respondents were vaccine sceptics.

The survey also found that students, employed or retired people were less vaccine hesitant than average, while 39 per cent&nbsp;of unemployed people or those with a long-term disease of disability were more hesitant.

The survey was conducted between February and March 2021, after a full year of living with COVID-19 restrictions across the bloc's 27 member states.

More than a quarter of adults in the European Union would be unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it was offered to them, a survey published on Thursday showed.

More than a quarter of adults in the European Union would be unlikely to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it was offered to them, a survey published on Thursday showed. The results also suggested a strong link between vaccine hesitancy and the use of social media, particularly where social media is the main source of information, according to Eurofound which carried out the survey. "Unfortunately, these findings reflect a failure to deliver persuasive and clear communication regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccines," said Daphne Ahrendt, Eurofound senior research manager. Bulgarians were the most reluctant to get the vaccine, with 67 per cent of adults saying they were unlikely or very unlikely to get it. In Ireland, only 10 per cent of adults said they would not get the shot. The survey found an east-west divide across Europe. Except for France and Austria, the intention to get vaccinated was above 60 per cent in all Western member states - with Nordic and Mediterranean countries, Denmark and Ireland having even higher rates. The rate of planned uptake in Eastern member states was much lower, ranging from 59 per cent in Romania to 33 per cent in Bulgaria. The main influence on vaccine hesitancy was the time spent on social media and which medium was used, the survey said. The proportion rises to 40% among those who use social media as their primary source of news. Among people who used traditional media including press, radio and television, only 18 per cent of respondents were vaccine sceptics. The survey also found that students, employed or retired people were less vaccine hesitant than average, while 39 per cent of unemployed people or those with a long-term disease of disability were more hesitant. The survey was conducted between February and March 2021, after a full year of living with COVID-19 restrictions across the bloc's 27 member states.

Over a quarter of EU adults would refuse COVID-19 shot, survey says

Vaccine makers Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc, with its German partner BioNTech, have been vocal in their view that the world will soon need COVID-19 booster shots to maintain high levels of immunity.

Are we really in need of COVID-19 booster shots?

US pharmaceutical company&nbsp;Moderna&nbsp;on Wednesday agreed to&nbsp;deliver&nbsp;25&nbsp;million Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;shots to&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;by the end of next year as the country deals with a lagging immunization campaign.

Moderna&nbsp;will&nbsp;deliver&nbsp;10 million doses this year and by&nbsp;2022&nbsp;deliver&nbsp;15 million booster shots that are still being tested but meant to neutralize variants of Covid-19, the company and the Australian government said in a statement.

"We appreciate the partnership and support from the government of&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;with this first supply agreement for doses of the&nbsp;Moderna&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;and our variant booster candidates,"&nbsp;Moderna&nbsp;CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

This month,&nbsp;Moderna&nbsp;released positive results from trials of a modified&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;aimed at the South African and Brazilian Covid-19 variants, and of the third dose of its initial&nbsp;vaccine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/modernas-trial-sees-progress-against-covid-19-varients-brings-good-news-and-encouragement-383146">Moderna's trial sees progress against COVID-19 varients, brings good news and encouragement</a>

Australia's Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;campaign has lagged behind those of other countries and the government's target. This week Canberra set a new goal of vaccinating all willing adults by the end of this year.

So far,&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;has delivered 2.5 million&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;shots, versus the roughly 50 million jabs needed to vaccinate the entire population.

After a series of problems with&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;delivery and the use of the AstraZeneca&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;for those under 50, the government is now in talks to manufacture promising mRNA&nbsp;vaccines&nbsp;domestically.

Australia&nbsp;has ridden out the coronavirus pandemic by effectively sealing itself off from the rest of the world and with a series of snap local lockdowns.&nbsp;

It remains one of the few places where there is no widespread community transmission and daily life is relatively normal.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australias-victoria-on-alert-after-first-virus-case-reported-in-two-months-384387">Australia’s Victoria on alert after first virus case reported in two months</a>

But very few Australians are immunized and there have been repeated outbreaks linked to quarantine facilities, raising fears that its success could be fleeting.

US pharmaceutical company Moderna on Wednesday agreed to deliver 25 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to Australia by the end of next year as the country deals with a lagging immunization campaign.

US pharmaceutical company Moderna on Wednesday agreed to deliver 25 million Covid-19 vaccine shots to Australia by the end of next year as the country deals with a lagging immunization campaign. Moderna will deliver 10 million doses this year and by 2022 deliver 15 million booster shots that are still being tested but meant to neutralize variants of Covid-19, the company and the Australian government said in a statement. "We appreciate the partnership and support from the government of Australia with this first supply agreement for doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and our variant booster candidates," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. This month, Moderna released positive results from trials of a modified vaccine aimed at the South African and Brazilian Covid-19 variants, and of the third dose of its initial vaccine. Also read | Moderna's trial sees progress against COVID-19 varients, brings good news and encouragement Australia's Covid-19 vaccine campaign has lagged behind those of other countries and the government's target. This week Canberra set a new goal of vaccinating all willing adults by the end of this year. So far, Australia has delivered 2.5 million vaccine shots, versus the roughly 50 million jabs needed to vaccinate the entire population. After a series of problems with vaccine delivery and the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for those under 50, the government is now in talks to manufacture promising mRNA vaccines domestically. Australia has ridden out the coronavirus pandemic by effectively sealing itself off from the rest of the world and with a series of snap local lockdowns. It remains one of the few places where there is no widespread community transmission and daily life is relatively normal. Also read | Australia’s Victoria on alert after first virus case reported in two months But very few Australians are immunized and there have been repeated outbreaks linked to quarantine facilities, raising fears that its success could be fleeting.

Moderna to deliver 25 mn vaccines to Australia by 2022

The United States has supported India's proposal on COVID-19 patent waivers which means vaccine recipes can be unlocked. India was pushing for it for several months.

However, rich countries like the US, Canada and the UK had been blocking India's efforts at the World Trade Organisation. However, the situation has changed now as the Biden administration made a shift today.

"This is a global health crisis and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures. The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines," the US trade representative said in a statement.

Also, the pressure worked as 100 countries backed the proposal by India and South Africa.

America was under pressure to play ball and it has! India has welcomed the shift. New Delhi said it hopes the waiver can be approved quickly at the WTO.

Washington's decision had a domino effect as the European Union which was earlier blocking the resolution said it is "ready to discuss the matter".

"The European Union is also ready to discuss any proposal that addresses the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner and that's why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protection for the COVID-19 vaccines could help achieve that objective," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said.

Germany said it is ready for a dialogue which is far from any commitment but it's a start, nonetheless.

France announced its support to a waiver, so has New Zealand even China has weighed in with a cryptic statement.

Beijing said that it expects an "effective and balanced" result from the discussions around the proposed waiver.

The WHO chief Dr Tedros has called it a monumental decision.

However, there are more diplomatic hurdles since the WTO operates on the basis of consensus. It has 164 countries as members for the resolutions to pass all 164 countries must agree.

In the last seven months, the WTO has held as many as 10&nbsp;meetings on the original proposal - all of them failed with no agreement.

Australia, Brazil, Canada, European Union, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom have been holding back the waiver. Critically, for the resolution to pass all these countries must change their stand.

India and South Africa will now present a revised proposal next month, reports say.

However, details about the revised proposal are unclear but it's expected to focus on some key points, namely how the new production sites can get vaccine patents and how countries must commit to a transparent regulatory framework to manufacturer these vaccines.

The proposal is also set to detail how pharma companies can be compensated for waiving patents.

The stocks of pharma companies plummeted after America's announcement. Pfizer and Moderna stocks were down by more than three per cent. BionTech, the company that made the Wuhan virus vaccine with Pfizer fell by almost 17 per cent.

Curevac, another German company that is making a shot, was down by around 16 per cent. The prospect of losing out on profits is making them bleed but they haven't given up.

Pharma lobbies have swung into action and have been quick to condemn President Biden's decision.

The pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of America is the lobbying arm of the industry and its CEO called the waiver an "empty promise".

He said the waiver "does nothing to address the real challenges to getting more shots in arms, including last-mile distribution and limited availability of raw materials."

The group was the third-highest spender on lobbying in America. It spent more than $25 million on influencing lawmakers. Now it's not playing out as they planned, so they had to complain.

Same with the United Kingdom. Pharma lobbyists are up in arms.

Richard Torbett, chief executive of the association of the British pharmaceutical industry, said "intellectual property rights are the lifeblood of this industry without it, businesses simply can't invest. We are disappointed about the news coming out of the US. We think it will do more harm than good."

The United States has supported India's proposal on COVID-19 patent waivers which means vaccine recipes can be unlocked. India was pushing for it for several months.

The United States has supported India's proposal on COVID-19 patent waivers which means vaccine recipes can be unlocked. India was pushing for it for several months. However, rich countries like the US, Canada and the UK had been blocking India's efforts at the World Trade Organisation. However, the situation has changed now as the Biden administration made a shift today. "This is a global health crisis and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures. The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines," the US trade representative said in a statement. Also, the pressure worked as 100 countries backed the proposal by India and South Africa. America was under pressure to play ball and it has! India has welcomed the shift. New Delhi said it hopes the waiver can be approved quickly at the WTO. Washington's decision had a domino effect as the European Union which was earlier blocking the resolution said it is "ready to discuss the matter". "The European Union is also ready to discuss any proposal that addresses the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner and that's why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protection for the COVID-19 vaccines could help achieve that objective," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said. Germany said it is ready for a dialogue which is far from any commitment but it's a start, nonetheless. France announced its support to a waiver, so has New Zealand even China has weighed in with a cryptic statement. Beijing said that it expects an "effective and balanced" result from the discussions around the proposed waiver. The WHO chief Dr Tedros has called it a monumental decision. However, there are more diplomatic hurdles since the WTO operates on the basis of consensus. It has 164 countries as members for the resolutions to pass all 164 countries must agree. In the last seven months, the WTO has held as many as 10 meetings on the original proposal - all of them failed with no agreement. Australia, Brazil, Canada, European Union, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom have been holding back the waiver. Critically, for the resolution to pass all these countries must change their stand. India and South Africa will now present a revised proposal next month, reports say. However, details about the revised proposal are unclear but it's expected to focus on some key points, namely how the new production sites can get vaccine patents and how countries must commit to a transparent regulatory framework to manufacturer these vaccines. The proposal is also set to detail how pharma companies can be compensated for waiving patents. The stocks of pharma companies plummeted after America's announcement. Pfizer and Moderna stocks were down by more than three per cent. BionTech, the company that made the Wuhan virus vaccine with Pfizer fell by almost 17 per cent. Curevac, another German company that is making a shot, was down by around 16 per cent. The prospect of losing out on profits is making them bleed but they haven't given up. Pharma lobbies have swung into action and have been quick to condemn President Biden's decision. The pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of America is the lobbying arm of the industry and its CEO called the waiver an "empty promise". He said the waiver "does nothing to address the real challenges to getting more shots in arms, including last-mile distribution and limited availability of raw materials." The group was the third-highest spender on lobbying in America. It spent more than $25 million on influencing lawmakers. Now it's not playing out as they planned, so they had to complain. Same with the United Kingdom. Pharma lobbyists are up in arms. Richard Torbett, chief executive of the association of the British pharmaceutical industry, said "intellectual property rights are the lifeblood of this industry without it, businesses simply can't invest. We are disappointed about the news coming out of the US. We think it will do more harm than good."

Pharma companies resist President Biden's move to waive coronavirus vaccine patent

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/version-of-covid-variant-first-detected-in-india-spreading-rapidly-in-uk-report-383422">UK </a>government regulators, under-40s in the country are being offered&nbsp;an alternative to AstraZeneca jabs amid concern over rare blood clots.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/germany-to-offer-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-to-all-adults-383455/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation(JCVI) had reviewed the AstraZeneca<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-germany-rift-on-covid-vaccine-waiver-endangers-fight-against-deadly-virus-383349"> vaccine </a>after the first shots were administered to the people, reports said the UK government advisers want citizens to take <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/decision-about-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-approval-for-teens-in-us-coming-soon-fauci-383153">Pfizer-BioNTech</a> or Moderna due to "abundance of caution".

The JCVI said it was taking the "precautionary approach" for adults aged 30-39.

Britain's Health Department had said earlier that "medicines regulator MHRA continues to be that the benefits of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks for the vast majority of adults," while adding that, "The JCVI keep their recommendations under review in line with the latest scientific advice."

Last month, the committee had advised alternatives to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/american-civil-rights-activist-urges-biden-to-give-astrazeneca-vaccine-to-india-383443">AstraZeneca's</a> vaccine for those under-30 and added that pregnant women should get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine due to a "vanishingly" rare side effect of blood clots in the brain.

"We are advising a preference for one vaccine over another vaccine for a particular age group, really out of the utmost caution, rather than because we have any serious safety concerns, "Wei Shen Lim, chair of Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) had informed.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) had earlier cautioned that there was a "remote possibility" of rare blood clots occurring, asserting that "a causal link with the vaccine is not proven but is possible and further analysis is continuing" while repeating that the vaccine's benefits outweigh the risks.

Germany, Canada, Spain and France had earlier limited the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over reports of blood clotting after the jabs.

According to the UK government regulators, under-40s in the country are being offered an alternative to AstraZeneca jabs amid concern over rare blood clots. Watch: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation(JCVI) had reviewed the AstraZeneca vaccine after the first shots were administered to the people, reports said the UK government advisers want citizens to take Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna due to "abundance of caution".

According to the UK government regulators, under-40s in the country are being offered an alternative to AstraZeneca jabs amid concern over rare blood clots. Watch: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation(JCVI) had reviewed the AstraZeneca vaccine after the first shots were administered to the people, reports said the UK government advisers want citizens to take Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna due to "abundance of caution". The JCVI said it was taking the "precautionary approach" for adults aged 30-39. Britain's Health Department had said earlier that "medicines regulator MHRA continues to be that the benefits of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks for the vast majority of adults," while adding that, "The JCVI keep their recommendations under review in line with the latest scientific advice." Last month, the committee had advised alternatives to AstraZeneca's vaccine for those under-30 and added that pregnant women should get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine due to a "vanishingly" rare side effect of blood clots in the brain. "We are advising a preference for one vaccine over another vaccine for a particular age group, really out of the utmost caution, rather than because we have any serious safety concerns, "Wei Shen Lim, chair of Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) had informed. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) had earlier cautioned that there was a "remote possibility" of rare blood clots occurring, asserting that "a causal link with the vaccine is not proven but is possible and further analysis is continuing" while repeating that the vaccine's benefits outweigh the risks. Germany, Canada, Spain and France had earlier limited the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine over reports of blood clotting after the jabs.

UK regulators advise under-40s to get alternative to AstraZeneca vaccine

Vaccines are the only way out of the pandemic. However, vaccine making has become exclusive - almost like a cartel.

Cartels work ruthlessly, just like big pharma. The pharma companies are still clinging on to patents and putting profits above human lives.

It is time for governments to step in and dictate big pharma. India and South Africa took the lead in October last year. They pushed for a patent waiver at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). However as expected, the West pushed back.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wto-to-consider-vaccine-patent-waiver-again-382815">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wto-to-consider-vaccine-patent-waiver-again-382815/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Now, a lot depends on US President Joe Biden, if the United States changes position, then the West will follow.

Biden, during the campaign trail last year, had promised to waive patents.

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Do it, Joe! <a href="https://t.co/jKHmzMHKB9">https://t.co/jKHmzMHKB9</a>
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) <a href="https://twitter.com/marwilliamson/status/1389428062970945538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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There is no scope for interpretation as Biden had said a patent waiver was the most humane thing to do. But as president, he has backed patents although more than 100 US Congress members have asked the US president to waive patents.

The US trade office is apparently holding talks with some stakeholders - Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and, of all people Bill Gates, the man who has openly rubbished patent waivers.

Also pushing back is the US chamber of commerce. They have called the idea of a patent waiver a mistaken belief. These are the people Biden has been consulting on whether patents should be waived: big pharma and patent darlings.

It is possible that he decides to support the waiver anyway but the damage has already been done. Vaccine production has been set back by months even if patents are waived now and it's a big if, it is a long road ahead.

One way out is reverse engineering, meaning you break down the formula and create the vaccine from scratch. Then conduct clinical trials. A patent waiver is not sharing the formula, it just means allowing a copy of the formula, which takes time.

Biden's delay may have doomed the developing world but let's not lose sight of the real villain - big pharma who have always defended patents. And pandemic or not, their arguments never change.

There are two main ones: firstly, patents boost innovation, and secondly voluntary sharing is a better option.&nbsp;

During the pandemic, big pharma had a big cushion, an insurance of sorts in the form of public funding.

The US, while launching Operation Warpspeed, poured $18 billion of the taxpayer's money into pharma companies. In the UK, they got nearly $116 million, with most of it going to Oxford and AstraZeneca.

Overall, $112 billion of public money went into vaccine research in the pandemic, However, once the vaccines were ready, big pharma locked away the formula.

Pfizer revealed its revenue projections today. They are expecting $26 billion from vaccine sales in 2021. That's a profit of more than $3 per share.

Moderna had never turned a profit in its history, but this year they could rake in up to $20 billion in vaccine sales. AstraZeneca has already reached $275 million in a single quarter.

Some companies have promised to sell at cost, some like Pfizer haven't. There are no losses for pharma companies.

Combined with the public funding, chances are every vaccine maker is making money with billions of dollars in grants and billions of dollars in sales and pre-orders.

They are basically raiding treasuries in the middle of a pandemic. Vaccine makers do not need patents to innovate, they have enough incentive from government funding and profits.

The other big problem is hoarding.

More than a billion doses have been administered globally, with 82 per cent of these in the developed world but only 0.3 per cent in the low-income countries.

It is vaccine apartheid. At this rate, the virus will keep mutating in Africa and Asia, and the pandemic will drag on for years.

The US has secured nearly 1 billion doses for 300 million Americans.

Unless the CDC has advised three shots per person, it is a clear case of hoarding. It's been days since the White House promised to share its AstraZeneca doses but American regulators are yet to approve the jab.

It is just sitting on the shelves, 60 million doses waiting to be administered.

Vaccines are the only way out of the pandemic. However, vaccine making has become exclusive - almost like a cartel. Cartels work ruthlessly, just like big pharma.

Vaccines are the only way out of the pandemic. However, vaccine making has become exclusive - almost like a cartel. Cartels work ruthlessly, just like big pharma. The pharma companies are still clinging on to patents and putting profits above human lives. It is time for governments to step in and dictate big pharma. India and South Africa took the lead in October last year. They pushed for a patent waiver at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). However as expected, the West pushed back. Watch | Now, a lot depends on US President Joe Biden, if the United States changes position, then the West will follow. Biden, during the campaign trail last year, had promised to waive patents. Do it, Joe! https://t.co/jKHmzMHKB9 — Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) May 4, 2021 × There is no scope for interpretation as Biden had said a patent waiver was the most humane thing to do. But as president, he has backed patents although more than 100 US Congress members have asked the US president to waive patents. The US trade office is apparently holding talks with some stakeholders - Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and, of all people Bill Gates, the man who has openly rubbished patent waivers. Also pushing back is the US chamber of commerce. They have called the idea of a patent waiver a mistaken belief. These are the people Biden has been consulting on whether patents should be waived: big pharma and patent darlings. It is possible that he decides to support the waiver anyway but the damage has already been done. Vaccine production has been set back by months even if patents are waived now and it's a big if, it is a long road ahead. One way out is reverse engineering, meaning you break down the formula and create the vaccine from scratch. Then conduct clinical trials. A patent waiver is not sharing the formula, it just means allowing a copy of the formula, which takes time. Biden's delay may have doomed the developing world but let's not lose sight of the real villain - big pharma who have always defended patents. And pandemic or not, their arguments never change. There are two main ones: firstly, patents boost innovation, and secondly voluntary sharing is a better option. During the pandemic, big pharma had a big cushion, an insurance of sorts in the form of public funding. The US, while launching Operation Warpspeed, poured $18 billion of the taxpayer's money into pharma companies. In the UK, they got nearly $116 million, with most of it going to Oxford and AstraZeneca. Overall, $112 billion of public money went into vaccine research in the pandemic, However, once the vaccines were ready, big pharma locked away the formula. Pfizer revealed its revenue projections today. They are expecting $26 billion from vaccine sales in 2021. That's a profit of more than $3 per share. Moderna had never turned a profit in its history, but this year they could rake in up to $20 billion in vaccine sales. AstraZeneca has already reached $275 million in a single quarter. Some companies have promised to sell at cost, some like Pfizer haven't. There are no losses for pharma companies. Combined with the public funding, chances are every vaccine maker is making money with billions of dollars in grants and billions of dollars in sales and pre-orders. They are basically raiding treasuries in the middle of a pandemic. Vaccine makers do not need patents to innovate, they have enough incentive from government funding and profits. The other big problem is hoarding. More than a billion doses have been administered globally, with 82 per cent of these in the developed world but only 0.3 per cent in the low-income countries. It is vaccine apartheid. At this rate, the virus will keep mutating in Africa and Asia, and the pandemic will drag on for years. The US has secured nearly 1 billion doses for 300 million Americans. Unless the CDC has advised three shots per person, it is a clear case of hoarding. It's been days since the White House promised to share its AstraZeneca doses but American regulators are yet to approve the jab. It is just sitting on the shelves, 60 million doses waiting to be administered.

Vaccine profits: Why big pharma is defending patents amid pandemic

Moderna has revealed the findings from its initial data of a small clinical trial regarding the performance of booster shot of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a>&nbsp;against the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus.</a>&nbsp;The trial was done against some variants of the virus including those first found in South Africa and Brazil.

The good news from Moderna’s clinical trial has come as an encouragement for several medical experts around the globe.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/largest-study-on-pfizer-covid-vaccine-says-drug-offers-over-95-protection-383099">Largest study on Pfizer Covid vaccine says drug offers over 95% protection</a>

The pharmaceutical company, which is one of the leading manufactures of a vaccine against Covid, has been studying the need and impact of a booster shot against this deadly virus, in a bid to protect humans completely from this pandemic.

"We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that our booster strategy should be protective against these newly detected variants," Moderna’s CEO Stephane Bancel said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-becomes-first-country-to-authorise-pfizer-covid-vaccine-for-kids-age-12-and-up-383033" hreflang="en">Canada becomes first country to authorise Pfizer Covid vaccine for kids age 12 and up</a>

In this small clinical trial, forty participants were tested for their levels of neutralising antibodies nearly six to eight months after the participants had received their primary vaccination, in two different doses.

They were injected with a third shot which has been designed to fight against the new variants which have been found all over the globe, especially in South Africa and Brazil. The booster shot improved antibody levels against these two major variants, the data revealed.

Moderna is also testing a third type of booster which will be a combination of the two other types and the results for which will be announced soon.

Moderna has revealed the findings from its initial data of a small clinical trial regarding the performance of booster shot of vaccine against the deadly coronavirus.

Moderna has revealed the findings from its initial data of a small clinical trial regarding the performance of booster shot of vaccine against the deadly coronavirus. The trial was done against some variants of the virus including those first found in South Africa and Brazil. The good news from Moderna’s clinical trial has come as an encouragement for several medical experts around the globe. Also read | Largest study on Pfizer Covid vaccine says drug offers over 95% protection The pharmaceutical company, which is one of the leading manufactures of a vaccine against Covid, has been studying the need and impact of a booster shot against this deadly virus, in a bid to protect humans completely from this pandemic. "We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that our booster strategy should be protective against these newly detected variants," Moderna’s CEO Stephane Bancel said. Also read | Canada becomes first country to authorise Pfizer Covid vaccine for kids age 12 and up In this small clinical trial, forty participants were tested for their levels of neutralising antibodies nearly six to eight months after the participants had received their primary vaccination, in two different doses. They were injected with a third shot which has been designed to fight against the new variants which have been found all over the globe, especially in South Africa and Brazil. The booster shot improved antibody levels against these two major variants, the data revealed. Moderna is also testing a third type of booster which will be a combination of the two other types and the results for which will be announced soon.

Moderna's trial sees progress against COVID-19 varients, brings good news and encouragement

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it has listed the anti-COVID-19 Moderna vaccine for emergency use now.

WHO: Moderna jabs have 94.1 percent efficiency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus. According to The Hill, the shot from Moderna joins shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India and Janssen on WHO's list of emergency use vaccines."

Today, WHO listed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) for emergency use, making it the fifth vaccine to receive emergency validation from WHO," it said in a statement, according to Sputnik.

WHO experts recommend using the vaccine for patients over 18 years of age. The drug is mRNA-based, it has an efficacy of 94.1 per cent, according to WHO estimates.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU">Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU</a>

The vaccine can be stored between -25oC and -15oC, but it can also be stored for up to 30 days at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C.

The addition of Moderna's shot to the WHO's emergency use listing is a prerequisite for it to be a part of COVAX, the programme to disseminate shots to low-income countries.

It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

The US&nbsp;granted emergency use authorisation to the Moderna shot in December, with the European Union following shortly after in January.

The authorisation comes as the world works to ramp up its coronavirus vaccinations to significantly curb the pandemic over a year after it broke out in Wuhan, China.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus. According to The Hill, the shot from Moderna joins shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India and Janssen on WHO's list of emergency use vaccines." Today, WHO listed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) for emergency use, making it the fifth vaccine to receive emergency validation from WHO," it said in a statement, according to Sputnik. WHO experts recommend using the vaccine for patients over 18 years of age. The drug is mRNA-based, it has an efficacy of 94.1 per cent, according to WHO estimates. Also read: Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU The vaccine can be stored between -25oC and -15oC, but it can also be stored for up to 30 days at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C. The addition of Moderna's shot to the WHO's emergency use listing is a prerequisite for it to be a part of COVAX, the programme to disseminate shots to low-income countries. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The US granted emergency use authorisation to the Moderna shot in December, with the European Union following shortly after in January. The authorisation comes as the world works to ramp up its coronavirus vaccinations to significantly curb the pandemic over a year after it broke out in Wuhan, China.

WHO gives emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-19 jab

British lawmakers&nbsp;called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines.

The United States and a handful of other big countries, including the United Kingdom, have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that now has the support of 100 WTO members.

The proposal would temporarily waive the intellectual property (IP) rights of pharmaceutical companies to allow developing countries to produce vaccines.

The waiver is opposed by the US&nbsp;Chamber of Commerce and big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson.

A cross-party group of UK lawmakers has signed a statement calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ministers, and senior civil servants to publish all email, text, and WhatsApp messages exchanged with pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists.

Patient advocacy and vaccine equity organisations have also signed the statement, including Global Justice Now, Just Treatment, StopAIDS, Frontline AIDS, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, Students for Global Health, and Nurses United UK.

"The UK's opposition to an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines is utterly indefensible," said Heidi Chow, senior policy and campaigns manager at Global Justice Now, which organised the joint statement.

A spokesperson for the UK government said it prioritised transparency but stakeholders had a right to expect a reasonable degree of confidentiality in their communications.

The UK was one of the biggest donors to Covax to ensure global access to vaccines and continued to encourage manufacturers to provide their vaccines on a not-for-profit, transparent basis.

"We are committed to exploring ways in which we can improve equitable access further and believe this should be done through the existing Intellectual Property framework," added the spokesperson.

Last week US&nbsp;lawmakers and nonprofit groups heaped pressure on the Biden administration to back the patent waiver ahead of the next formal WTO meeting on the issue on May 5.

(With inputs from agencies)

British lawmakers called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines.

British lawmakers called on the government to publish all communications with pharmaceutical companies to understand if private lobbying influenced its opposition to a waiver of intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines. The United States and a handful of other big countries, including the United Kingdom, have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that now has the support of 100 WTO members. The proposal would temporarily waive the intellectual property (IP) rights of pharmaceutical companies to allow developing countries to produce vaccines. The waiver is opposed by the US Chamber of Commerce and big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. A cross-party group of UK lawmakers has signed a statement calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ministers, and senior civil servants to publish all email, text, and WhatsApp messages exchanged with pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists. Patient advocacy and vaccine equity organisations have also signed the statement, including Global Justice Now, Just Treatment, StopAIDS, Frontline AIDS, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, Students for Global Health, and Nurses United UK. "The UK's opposition to an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines is utterly indefensible," said Heidi Chow, senior policy and campaigns manager at Global Justice Now, which organised the joint statement. A spokesperson for the UK government said it prioritised transparency but stakeholders had a right to expect a reasonable degree of confidentiality in their communications. The UK was one of the biggest donors to Covax to ensure global access to vaccines and continued to encourage manufacturers to provide their vaccines on a not-for-profit, transparent basis. "We are committed to exploring ways in which we can improve equitable access further and believe this should be done through the existing Intellectual Property framework," added the spokesperson. Last week US lawmakers and nonprofit groups heaped pressure on the Biden administration to back the patent waiver ahead of the next formal WTO meeting on the issue on May 5. (With inputs from agencies)

British lawmakers ask government to publish big pharma lobbying messages

As countries all over the globe are racing to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinate</a> citizens against the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, researchers in London are trying a new idea.

The University of Oxford has launched a so-called Com-Cov study to assess the benefits of mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines. Experts have now decided to include Moderna and Novavax vaccines in this study now.

Since February, experts have been studying the immune response on volunteers if they are inoculated with the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca and the second dose of Pfizer vaccine, and vice versa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/moderna-says-protection-from-its-covid-19-vaccine-still-strong-six-months-on-377482" hreflang="en">Moderna says protection from its COVID-19 vaccine still strong six months on</a>

Now, the expanded study is set to recruit new volunteers over the age of 50 who have been inoculated with the first dose of vaccine in the past eight to 12 weeks, who will now be inoculated with the second dose of some other vaccine.

"The focus of both this and the original Com-Cov study is to explore whether the multiple COVID-19 vaccines that are available can be used more flexibly, with different vaccines being used for the first and second dose," said Matthew Snape, associate professor in paediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford and chief investigator on the trial.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blood-clots-are-latest-curse-of-coronavirus-vaccines-all-you-need-to-know-377437" hreflang="en">Blood clots are latest curse of coronavirus vaccines. All you need to know</a>

"If we can show that these mixed schedules generate an immune response that is as good as the standard schedules, and without a significant increase in the vaccine reactions, this will potentially allow more people to complete their COVID-19 immunisation course more rapidly. This would also create resilience within the system in the event of a shortfall in the availability of any of the vaccines in use."

The study aims to prove that mixing is not worse than not mixing. However, it does not aim to prove if the vaccines are effective at preventing diseases.

"The purpose of this trial is to see how well people’s immune systems respond when their second ‘boost’ dose is a different type of vaccine to their first 'prime' dose," the study reads.

"We will also be looking at how common vaccine reactions, such as fever, are after such ‘mixed’ schedules. This is important, as being able to use different vaccines in this way creates a more flexible immunisation programme; potentially allowing more people to be immunised more quickly."

As countries all over the globe are racing to vaccinate citizens against the deadly coronavirus, researchers in London are trying a new idea. The University of Oxford has launched a so-called Com-Cov study to assess the benefits of mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines.

As countries all over the globe are racing to vaccinate citizens against the deadly coronavirus, researchers in London are trying a new idea. The University of Oxford has launched a so-called Com-Cov study to assess the benefits of mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines. Experts have now decided to include Moderna and Novavax vaccines in this study now. Since February, experts have been studying the immune response on volunteers if they are inoculated with the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca and the second dose of Pfizer vaccine, and vice versa. Also read | Moderna says protection from its COVID-19 vaccine still strong six months on Now, the expanded study is set to recruit new volunteers over the age of 50 who have been inoculated with the first dose of vaccine in the past eight to 12 weeks, who will now be inoculated with the second dose of some other vaccine. "The focus of both this and the original Com-Cov study is to explore whether the multiple COVID-19 vaccines that are available can be used more flexibly, with different vaccines being used for the first and second dose," said Matthew Snape, associate professor in paediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford and chief investigator on the trial. Also read | Blood clots are latest curse of coronavirus vaccines. All you need to know "If we can show that these mixed schedules generate an immune response that is as good as the standard schedules, and without a significant increase in the vaccine reactions, this will potentially allow more people to complete their COVID-19 immunisation course more rapidly. This would also create resilience within the system in the event of a shortfall in the availability of any of the vaccines in use." The study aims to prove that mixing is not worse than not mixing. However, it does not aim to prove if the vaccines are effective at preventing diseases. "The purpose of this trial is to see how well people’s immune systems respond when their second ‘boost’ dose is a different type of vaccine to their first 'prime' dose," the study reads. "We will also be looking at how common vaccine reactions, such as fever, are after such ‘mixed’ schedules. This is important, as being able to use different vaccines in this way creates a more flexible immunisation programme; potentially allowing more people to be immunised more quickly."

UK adds COVID-19 vaccines from two more companies to its 'mix and match' trial

As countries chart their own path to limit the use of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine, WION's Palki asks: are governments are succumbing to public hysteria? Are alternatives like Pfizer and Moderna side-effect-free?

Gravitas: What are the side effects of Pfizer & Moderna?

The US National Institute of Health has said that it has begun a study to look at why some people suffered serious allergic reactions shortly after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

US begins study on COVID-19 vaccine side-effects

A US study has found that the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in a real-world setting.

US study: Pfizer, Moderna 90% effective after 2 doses in real world

US manufacturer Moderna has begun studying its coronavirus <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-considers-getting-russias-sputnik-v-to-boost-vaccination-report-370751">vaccine</a> in children aged six months to 12&nbsp;years old as the company informed that it plans to enroll children in the US and Canada for the trial.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/coronavirus-update-new-coronavirus-variant-found-in-frances-brittany-371012/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the US and Canada," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.

Moderna's testing comes even as schools across the US are under pressure to reopen fully amid surging coronavirus infections in the country. At least &nbsp;17.8 million adults have received the Moderna <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asks-his-supporters-to-get-covid-vaccine-remains-non-committal-about-political-future-371014">vaccine</a> in the United States, according to the company.

"This pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population," Bancel added.

In December, Moderna had begun testing mRNA-1273 in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Moderna had begun dosing first participants in a study testing coronavirus booster vaccine candidates targeting the South African variant&nbsp;known as B.1.351.

According to the company, the booster vaccine candidates mRNA-1273.351 will be tested in a trial of both variant-specific shot and multivalent shot.

The United States is the worst-hit country to be hit by the virus, with over 29 million cases and more than 536,880 fatalities, although recent reports have indicated that infections have been going down ever since the country began its vaccination drive.

The country has cranked up its vaccination effort and has been currently inoculating&nbsp;around 2.2 million people per day with 65 per cent of Americans who are 65 and older having got their first shot.

US manufacturer Moderna has begun studying its coronavirus vaccine in children aged six months to 12 years old as the company informed that it plans to enroll children in the US and Canada for the trial.

US manufacturer Moderna has begun studying its coronavirus vaccine in children aged six months to 12 years old as the company informed that it plans to enroll children in the US and Canada for the trial. Watch: "We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the US and Canada," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said. Moderna's testing comes even as schools across the US are under pressure to reopen fully amid surging coronavirus infections in the country. At least 17.8 million adults have received the Moderna vaccine in the United States, according to the company. "This pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population," Bancel added. In December, Moderna had begun testing mRNA-1273 in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Moderna had begun dosing first participants in a study testing coronavirus booster vaccine candidates targeting the South African variant known as B.1.351. According to the company, the booster vaccine candidates mRNA-1273.351 will be tested in a trial of both variant-specific shot and multivalent shot. The United States is the worst-hit country to be hit by the virus, with over 29 million cases and more than 536,880 fatalities, although recent reports have indicated that infections have been going down ever since the country began its vaccination drive. The country has cranked up its vaccination effort and has been currently inoculating around 2.2 million people per day with 65 per cent of Americans who are 65 and older having got their first shot.

Moderna to begin coronavirus vaccine trials on children in US and Canada

Better and more advanced COVID-19 vaccines are on the horizon. Moderna has announced that it has dosed the first patient with a new COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderna administers doses of COVID-19 'Booster' vaccine

The Biden administration published revised guidelines Wednesday for nursing home visits during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing guests to go inside to see residents regardless of whether they or the residents have been vaccinated.

The recommendations, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with comment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the first revision to the federal government’s nursing home guidance since September. And they arrived as more than 3 million vaccine doses had been administered in nursing homes, the agency said.

Federal officials said in the new guidance that outdoor visits were still preferable because of a lower risk of transmission, even when residents and guests have been fully vaccinated.

The guidance was also the latest indication that the pandemic in the United States was easing, with coronavirus cases continuing to decrease across the nation, though the seven-day average remains at more than 58,000. The CDC released long-awaited guidance Monday for Americans who have been fully vaccinated, telling them that it was safe to gather in small groups at home without masks or social distancing.

About 62.5 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including about 32.9 million people who have been fully vaccinated by Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s single-dose vaccine or the two-dose series made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

In a statement laying out the reasons for updating the recommendations, Dr. Lee A. Fleisher, the chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, cited the millions of vaccines administered to nursing home residents and staff and a decline in coronavirus cases in nursing homes.

“CMS recognizes the psychological, emotional and physical toll that prolonged isolation and separation from family have taken on nursing home residents and their families,” he said.

Earlier in the pandemic, the coronavirus raced through tens of thousands of long-term care facilities in the United States, killing more than 150,000 residents and employees and accounting for more than a third of all virus deaths since late spring. But since the arrival of vaccines, new cases and deaths in nursing homes have fallen steeply, outpacing national declines, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.

The eight pages of recommendations, which are not legally binding, did come with suggested limits, saying that “responsible indoor visitation” should be allowed at all times unless a guest is visiting an unvaccinated resident in a county where the COVID-19 positivity rate is higher than 10% and less than 70% of residents in the nursing home have been fully vaccinated. The guidance also says to limit visits if residents have COVID-19 or are in quarantine.

So-called compassionate care visits — when a resident’s health has severely deteriorated — should be allowed regardless of vaccination status or the county’s positivity rate, the guidance said.

When a positive case is identified in a nursing home, visits should be halted and residents and staff tested, the guidance said. Visits can resume in other parts of the facility if there are no positive tests there, but if cases are discovered in other areas, nursing homes should suspend all visits.

The Biden administration published revised guidelines Wednesday for nursing home visits during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing guests to go inside to see residents regardless of whether they or the residents have been vaccinated.

The Biden administration published revised guidelines Wednesday for nursing home visits during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing guests to go inside to see residents regardless of whether they or the residents have been vaccinated. The recommendations, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with comment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the first revision to the federal government’s nursing home guidance since September. And they arrived as more than 3 million vaccine doses had been administered in nursing homes, the agency said. Federal officials said in the new guidance that outdoor visits were still preferable because of a lower risk of transmission, even when residents and guests have been fully vaccinated. The guidance was also the latest indication that the pandemic in the United States was easing, with coronavirus cases continuing to decrease across the nation, though the seven-day average remains at more than 58,000. The CDC released long-awaited guidance Monday for Americans who have been fully vaccinated, telling them that it was safe to gather in small groups at home without masks or social distancing. About 62.5 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including about 32.9 million people who have been fully vaccinated by Johnson &amp; Johnson’s single-dose vaccine or the two-dose series made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. In a statement laying out the reasons for updating the recommendations, Dr. Lee A. Fleisher, the chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, cited the millions of vaccines administered to nursing home residents and staff and a decline in coronavirus cases in nursing homes. “CMS recognizes the psychological, emotional and physical toll that prolonged isolation and separation from family have taken on nursing home residents and their families,” he said. Earlier in the pandemic, the coronavirus raced through tens of thousands of long-term care facilities in the United States, killing more than 150,000 residents and employees and accounting for more than a third of all virus deaths since late spring. But since the arrival of vaccines, new cases and deaths in nursing homes have fallen steeply, outpacing national declines, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. The eight pages of recommendations, which are not legally binding, did come with suggested limits, saying that “responsible indoor visitation” should be allowed at all times unless a guest is visiting an unvaccinated resident in a county where the COVID-19 positivity rate is higher than 10% and less than 70% of residents in the nursing home have been fully vaccinated. The guidance also says to limit visits if residents have COVID-19 or are in quarantine. So-called compassionate care visits — when a resident’s health has severely deteriorated — should be allowed regardless of vaccination status or the county’s positivity rate, the guidance said. When a positive case is identified in a nursing home, visits should be halted and residents and staff tested, the guidance said. Visits can resume in other parts of the facility if there are no positive tests there, but if cases are discovered in other areas, nursing homes should suspend all visits.

US releases new COVID-19 guidance for nursing homes, permitting indoor visits

The European Union on Thursday&nbsp;approved Johnson &amp; Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, as the bloc seeks to speed up a stuttering inoculation campaign and boost its supplies of vaccines.

&nbsp;

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📢 EMA has just recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19vaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19vaccine</a> Janssen to prevent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> in people from 18 years of age. 
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— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/EMA_News/status/1370002324605853701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Johnson&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Johnson is the fourth to be endorsed for use in the EU after Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford University and Moderna. Three other vaccines are under "rolling review" by the Amsterdam-based EMA,&nbsp;Novavax, CureVac and Russia's Sputnik.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/denmark-suspends-use-of-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-due-to-blood-clot-fears-369692" hreflang="en">Denmark suspends use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine due to blood clot fears&nbsp;</a>

US pharma giant J&amp;J filed on February 16 for approval for the vaccine, developed by its Belgian subsidiary Janssen.&nbsp;The company has committed to deliver 200 million doses of its vaccine to the bloc this year.

As well as being the first that requires a single injection as opposed to two, the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine is easier to store.

The J&amp;J shot however appears less protective than Pfizer and Moderna's regimes, which both have an efficacy of around 95 per cent against all forms of Covid-19 from the classic coronavirus strain.

'Bumpy' strategy'

The EU has been struggling with a disappointing vaccination rollout that started in January and faltered because of a lack of doses produced by the three suppliers so far.&nbsp;

The head of the EU's vaccine supply task force, Thierry Breton, said on Tuesday the EU's "bumpy" vaccine strategy should be augmented by the addition of the Johnson &amp; Johnson jab.

Reported production shortfalls in the United States by Johnson &amp; Johnson would not impact the EU because Brussels had made contingency plans for all vaccines, he said.

"Do not believe that because one company has a problem that overall it will jeopardise the whole programme," said Breton, the EU's industry commissioner.

Europe's vaccination strategy faced fresh problems on Wednesday as Denmark and Norway said they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after some patients developed blood clots

The European Union on Thursday approved Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, as the bloc seeks to speed up a stuttering inoculation campaign and boost its supplies of vaccines.

The European Union on Thursday approved Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine, as the bloc seeks to speed up a stuttering inoculation campaign and boost its supplies of vaccines. 📢 EMA has just recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for #COVID19vaccine Janssen to prevent #COVID19 in people from 18 years of age. 👉 https://t.co/j7jetH1Tbx pic.twitter.com/cKGKujrqYp — EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) March 11, 2021 × Johnson & Johnson is the fourth to be endorsed for use in the EU after Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford University and Moderna. Three other vaccines are under "rolling review" by the Amsterdam-based EMA, Novavax, CureVac and Russia's Sputnik. Also read| Denmark suspends use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine due to blood clot fears US pharma giant J&J filed on February 16 for approval for the vaccine, developed by its Belgian subsidiary Janssen. The company has committed to deliver 200 million doses of its vaccine to the bloc this year. As well as being the first that requires a single injection as opposed to two, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is easier to store. The J&J shot however appears less protective than Pfizer and Moderna's regimes, which both have an efficacy of around 95 per cent against all forms of Covid-19 from the classic coronavirus strain. 'Bumpy' strategy' The EU has been struggling with a disappointing vaccination rollout that started in January and faltered because of a lack of doses produced by the three suppliers so far. The head of the EU's vaccine supply task force, Thierry Breton, said on Tuesday the EU's "bumpy" vaccine strategy should be augmented by the addition of the Johnson & Johnson jab. Reported production shortfalls in the United States by Johnson & Johnson would not impact the EU because Brussels had made contingency plans for all vaccines, he said. "Do not believe that because one company has a problem that overall it will jeopardise the whole programme," said Breton, the EU's industry commissioner. Europe's vaccination strategy faced fresh problems on Wednesday as Denmark and Norway said they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after some patients developed blood clots

European Union gives green light to Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier.

And it is true that production of two of the three federally authorized vaccines has sped up in part because of the demands and directives of the new president’s coronavirus team.

But the announcement was also a triumph of another kind: public relations. Because Biden had tamped down expectations early, the quicker timetable for vaccine production conjured an image of a White House running on all cylinders and leaving its predecessor’s effort in the dust.

A closer look at the ramp-up announced last week offers a more mixed picture, one in which the new administration expanded and bulked up a vaccine production effort whose key elements were in place when Biden took over for President Donald Trump. Both administrations deserve credit, although neither wants to grant much to the other.

The Biden administration has taken two major steps that helped hasten vaccine production in the near term. Even before Biden was inaugurated, his aides determined that by invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, the federal government could help Pfizer obtain the heavy machinery it needed to expand its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Trump administration had repeatedly invoked that law, but its order for Pfizer only covered single-use supplies like plastic liners, not durable factory equipment.

Crucially, Biden’s top aides drove another vaccine manufacturer, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson, to force a key subcontractor into round-the-clock operations so its vaccine could be bottled faster. That company had fallen behind on the production targets laid out in its federal contract. Only after Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House’s chief pandemic adviser, and Dr. David Kessler, who oversees the vaccine effort, demanded the company commit more resources did it publicly pledge to meet a crucial deadline in May.

At the same time, though, Biden benefited hugely from the waves of vaccine production that the Trump administration had set in motion. As both Pfizer and Moderna found their manufacturing footing, they were able to double and triple the outputs from their factories.

Biden had been in office less than a month when Moderna announced that it could deliver 200 million doses by the end of May, a month earlier than scheduled, simply because it had become faster at production. Pfizer was able to shave off even more time, moving up the timetable to deliver its 200 million doses by a full two months, partly because of newfound efficiencies and partly because it was given credit for six doses per vial instead of five.

All this enabled Biden to announce that his administration would have enough doses in hand by the end of May to cover all 257 million adults, two months earlier than he had promised just a few weeks earlier. His aides noted that on Sunday, the nation hit a daily record of 2.9 million shots, 3 1/2 times as many as were given on Inauguration Day.

“Throughout our response, we’ve provided clear timelines based on the available, authorized vaccines,” said Kevin Munoz, a White House assistant press secretary. “We don’t plan to just meet these timelines, but rather to overperform them.”

To Trump administration aides, the new president’s crowing rings off-key. Biden is proclaiming victory off his predecessor’s achievements while wrongly grumbling about a mess he says he inherited, they say.

“They criticize what we did, but they are using our playbook every step of the way,” said Paul Mango, the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff for health policy and a senior official in the crash vaccine development effort then known as Operation Warp Speed. He said Trump’s team oversaw the construction or expansion of nearly two dozen plants involved in vaccine production and invoked the Defense Production Act 18 times to ensure those factories had sufficient supplies.

The Biden team is “maintaining a very nice trajectory,” Mango said. “But don’t criticize us to make yourselves look better.”

Still, corporate, state and federal officials agree that Biden’s White House has been more active than his predecessor’s in trying to build up the nation’s vaccine stock.

The new administration’s relationship with Pfizer is markedly better. Trump and his aides had accused the company of slow-walking its vaccine development to hurt Trump’s reelection bid. The company announced its vaccine was robustly effective on Nov. 9, nearly a week after Election Day, then filed its application for emergency use authorization on Nov. 20.

Pfizer officials privately suggested that the Trump administration not only was wrongfully bad-mouthing the company but also had refused for months to invoke the Defense Production Act to order suppliers to prioritize Pfizer’s needs, as it did for the other vaccine developers under federal contract.

Biden’s aides started talking to Pfizer executives about what the company needed to make more doses even before Inauguration Day. When Biden traveled to Michigan on Feb. 19 to visit Pfizer’s plant, Dr. Albert Bourla, the company’s chief executive, effusively praised the new administration as “a great ally,” saying officials had helped the company secure critical materials and equipment.

The biggest piece of locking in enough doses to cover the nation’s adults before June was Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson. As recently as two weeks ago, Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s vice president for medical affairs in the United States, would say only that the company would supply 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by the end of June. That fell short of its contract for 37 million doses by the end of March and 87 million by the end of May.

Reuters reported Tuesday that Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson had informed European Union officials that production problems might delay shipments, and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said that he had heard similar warnings from the company.

In the United States, the company’s biggest worry was getting the vaccine bottled by two subcontractors. That “fill-and-finish” work is divided between a plant in Michigan run by Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, or GRAM, and a plant run by Catalent in Bloomington, Indiana. The Biden team pushed Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson to order GRAM to move from normal business hours to 24/7 operations, one senior administration official said. Another federal official said Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson was largely on track but did “scale up a bit faster” under pressure.

Officials also brokered an unusual partnership between Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson and a longtime competitor, Merck &amp;amp; Co. The Trump administration repeatedly explored using Merck’s plants to bolster vaccine production but never reached an agreement.

Zients, the pandemic adviser, said Sunday that the new alliance had helped the Biden administration set its new May goal. In fact, though, Merck is likely to bottle only a few million doses of Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s vaccine by then, according to people familiar with its operation. The main benefit of the partnership will come later in the year, when Merck will have retooled a huge plant with the capacity to produce as many as 100 million doses of vaccine a month, they said.

Beyond the nuts and bolts of production, Biden’s White House has pursued a starkly different messaging campaign than Trump’s: underpromise, and then try to overdeliver. Trump routinely boasted of imminent achievements, including a vaccine rollout before Election Day, only to fall short. By contrast, health experts complained, at least initially, that Biden was overly cautious.

When the vaccine rollout began in December, Biden vowed that his administration would average 1 million shots a day during his first 100 days in office — enough to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of March.

After less than a week in office, he raised the goal by 50%, to 1.5 million shots per day. The nation passed Biden’s initial target about a month ahead of schedule and is now averaging 2.17 million doses per day.

Carefully calibrated goals “avoid losses,” said David Axelrod, the senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. “Certainly they must have learned that lesson from watching Trump.”

“Internally, you drive to the highest possible goal you can make. Externally, you set a floor that you are reasonably confident you can achieve,” he said.

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier.

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier. And it is true that production of two of the three federally authorized vaccines has sped up in part because of the demands and directives of the new president’s coronavirus team. But the announcement was also a triumph of another kind: public relations. Because Biden had tamped down expectations early, the quicker timetable for vaccine production conjured an image of a White House running on all cylinders and leaving its predecessor’s effort in the dust. A closer look at the ramp-up announced last week offers a more mixed picture, one in which the new administration expanded and bulked up a vaccine production effort whose key elements were in place when Biden took over for President Donald Trump. Both administrations deserve credit, although neither wants to grant much to the other. The Biden administration has taken two major steps that helped hasten vaccine production in the near term. Even before Biden was inaugurated, his aides determined that by invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, the federal government could help Pfizer obtain the heavy machinery it needed to expand its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Trump administration had repeatedly invoked that law, but its order for Pfizer only covered single-use supplies like plastic liners, not durable factory equipment. Crucially, Biden’s top aides drove another vaccine manufacturer, Johnson &amp; Johnson, to force a key subcontractor into round-the-clock operations so its vaccine could be bottled faster. That company had fallen behind on the production targets laid out in its federal contract. Only after Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House’s chief pandemic adviser, and Dr. David Kessler, who oversees the vaccine effort, demanded the company commit more resources did it publicly pledge to meet a crucial deadline in May. At the same time, though, Biden benefited hugely from the waves of vaccine production that the Trump administration had set in motion. As both Pfizer and Moderna found their manufacturing footing, they were able to double and triple the outputs from their factories. Biden had been in office less than a month when Moderna announced that it could deliver 200 million doses by the end of May, a month earlier than scheduled, simply because it had become faster at production. Pfizer was able to shave off even more time, moving up the timetable to deliver its 200 million doses by a full two months, partly because of newfound efficiencies and partly because it was given credit for six doses per vial instead of five. All this enabled Biden to announce that his administration would have enough doses in hand by the end of May to cover all 257 million adults, two months earlier than he had promised just a few weeks earlier. His aides noted that on Sunday, the nation hit a daily record of 2.9 million shots, 3 1/2 times as many as were given on Inauguration Day. “Throughout our response, we’ve provided clear timelines based on the available, authorized vaccines,” said Kevin Munoz, a White House assistant press secretary. “We don’t plan to just meet these timelines, but rather to overperform them.” To Trump administration aides, the new president’s crowing rings off-key. Biden is proclaiming victory off his predecessor’s achievements while wrongly grumbling about a mess he says he inherited, they say. “They criticize what we did, but they are using our playbook every step of the way,” said Paul Mango, the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff for health policy and a senior official in the crash vaccine development effort then known as Operation Warp Speed. He said Trump’s team oversaw the construction or expansion of nearly two dozen plants involved in vaccine production and invoked the Defense Production Act 18 times to ensure those factories had sufficient supplies. The Biden team is “maintaining a very nice trajectory,” Mango said. “But don’t criticize us to make yourselves look better.” Still, corporate, state and federal officials agree that Biden’s White House has been more active than his predecessor’s in trying to build up the nation’s vaccine stock. The new administration’s relationship with Pfizer is markedly better. Trump and his aides had accused the company of slow-walking its vaccine development to hurt Trump’s reelection bid. The company announced its vaccine was robustly effective on Nov. 9, nearly a week after Election Day, then filed its application for emergency use authorization on Nov. 20. Pfizer officials privately suggested that the Trump administration not only was wrongfully bad-mouthing the company but also had refused for months to invoke the Defense Production Act to order suppliers to prioritize Pfizer’s needs, as it did for the other vaccine developers under federal contract. Biden’s aides started talking to Pfizer executives about what the company needed to make more doses even before Inauguration Day. When Biden traveled to Michigan on Feb. 19 to visit Pfizer’s plant, Dr. Albert Bourla, the company’s chief executive, effusively praised the new administration as “a great ally,” saying officials had helped the company secure critical materials and equipment. The biggest piece of locking in enough doses to cover the nation’s adults before June was Johnson &amp; Johnson. As recently as two weeks ago, Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson &amp; Johnson’s vice president for medical affairs in the United States, would say only that the company would supply 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by the end of June. That fell short of its contract for 37 million doses by the end of March and 87 million by the end of May. Reuters reported Tuesday that Johnson &amp; Johnson had informed European Union officials that production problems might delay shipments, and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said that he had heard similar warnings from the company. In the United States, the company’s biggest worry was getting the vaccine bottled by two subcontractors. That “fill-and-finish” work is divided between a plant in Michigan run by Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, or GRAM, and a plant run by Catalent in Bloomington, Indiana. The Biden team pushed Johnson &amp; Johnson to order GRAM to move from normal business hours to 24/7 operations, one senior administration official said. Another federal official said Johnson &amp; Johnson was largely on track but did “scale up a bit faster” under pressure. Officials also brokered an unusual partnership between Johnson &amp; Johnson and a longtime competitor, Merck &amp; Co. The Trump administration repeatedly explored using Merck’s plants to bolster vaccine production but never reached an agreement. Zients, the pandemic adviser, said Sunday that the new alliance had helped the Biden administration set its new May goal. In fact, though, Merck is likely to bottle only a few million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s vaccine by then, according to people familiar with its operation. The main benefit of the partnership will come later in the year, when Merck will have retooled a huge plant with the capacity to produce as many as 100 million doses of vaccine a month, they said. Beyond the nuts and bolts of production, Biden’s White House has pursued a starkly different messaging campaign than Trump’s: underpromise, and then try to overdeliver. Trump routinely boasted of imminent achievements, including a vaccine rollout before Election Day, only to fall short. By contrast, health experts complained, at least initially, that Biden was overly cautious. When the vaccine rollout began in December, Biden vowed that his administration would average 1 million shots a day during his first 100 days in office — enough to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of March. After less than a week in office, he raised the goal by 50%, to 1.5 million shots per day. The nation passed Biden’s initial target about a month ahead of schedule and is now averaging 2.17 million doses per day. Carefully calibrated goals “avoid losses,” said David Axelrod, the senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. “Certainly they must have learned that lesson from watching Trump.” “Internally, you drive to the highest possible goal you can make. Externally, you set a floor that you are reasonably confident you can achieve,” he said.

Biden got the vaccine rollout humming, with Trump’s help

The coronavirus vaccines were being hailed as lifesaver and people had assumed that the inoculation drives will bring immediate relief in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">pandemic</a> struggles.&nbsp;

However, as per a recent warning by the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a "fourth surge" can occur before the whole population of the US is vaccinated.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-a-psychological-distress-japan-asks-china-to-stop-anal-swab-tests-for-coronavirus-on-citizens-367309" hreflang="en">'It's a psychological distress': Japan asks China to stop anal swab tests for coronavirus on citizens</a>

"At this level of cases, with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained," Rochelle Walensky said in a White House briefing.

Walensky urged people to not put down their guards. She asked people to not relax and keep following the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the medical experts.

"Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of Covid-19 in our communities, not when we are so close. We have the ability to stop a potential fourth surge of cases in this country," she said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-sells-stake-in-moderna-for-more-than-1-billion-report-367063" hreflang="en">AstraZeneca sells stake in Moderna for more than $1 billion: Report</a>

This can, however, be helped by the recently approved single-shot coronavirus vaccine of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-us-approves-johnson-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-biden-warns-americans-366715">Johnson &amp; Johnson.</a>

Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response team, reported that the single-shot vaccine's delivery will start "as early as tomorrow".

The pharmaceutical company has a ready plan to distribute nearly 3.9 million doses of the vaccine in the upcoming days. This will add to the already-existing stockpile of Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines in the US.&nbsp;

However, he also added that "J&amp;J has indicated that the supply will be limited for the next couple of weeks".

The approval of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, however,&nbsp;is being predicted to be a great help in ramping up the immunisation process in the country which has lost more than 500,000 people to this deadly virus, as this vaccine only requires a single dose, as compared to the other two which are two-dose vaccines.

The coronavirus vaccines were being hailed as lifesaver and people had assumed that the inoculation drives will bring immediate relief in the pandemic struggles.

The coronavirus vaccines were being hailed as lifesaver and people had assumed that the inoculation drives will bring immediate relief in the pandemic struggles. However, as per a recent warning by the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a "fourth surge" can occur before the whole population of the US is vaccinated. Also read | 'It's a psychological distress': Japan asks China to stop anal swab tests for coronavirus on citizens "At this level of cases, with variants spreading, we stand to completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained," Rochelle Walensky said in a White House briefing. Walensky urged people to not put down their guards. She asked people to not relax and keep following the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the medical experts. "Now is not the time to relax the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of Covid-19 in our communities, not when we are so close. We have the ability to stop a potential fourth surge of cases in this country," she said. Also read | AstraZeneca sells stake in Moderna for more than $1 billion: Report This can, however, be helped by the recently approved single-shot coronavirus vaccine of Johnson & Johnson. Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response team, reported that the single-shot vaccine's delivery will start "as early as tomorrow". The pharmaceutical company has a ready plan to distribute nearly 3.9 million doses of the vaccine in the upcoming days. This will add to the already-existing stockpile of Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines in the US. However, he also added that "J&J has indicated that the supply will be limited for the next couple of weeks". The approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, is being predicted to be a great help in ramping up the immunisation process in the country which has lost more than 500,000 people to this deadly virus, as this vaccine only requires a single dose, as compared to the other two which are two-dose vaccines.

Potential 'fourth surge' of coronavirus possible soon, CDC chief warns

Some people are against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> vaccines, but others are happy to get a jab of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine?page=1">vaccine</a> as soon as possible. Such is the case even with the people who have been administered a shot and faced side effects.

A study of the fall 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that some people have experienced side effects after taking Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, with some even having to rush to the hospital.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-may-be-less-effective-in-obesity-study-367008" hreflang="en">Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study</a>

However, the majority of them have claimed that despite the side effects, they would be ready to take the vaccine all over again, if it meant protecting themselves against the deadly coronavirus.

From the two types of reaction — local and systemic — "local reactions were reported by the majority of vaccine recipients and at higher rates than placebo recipients," the CDC report claims. " Vaccine recipients reported higher rates of local reactions after dose 2 than dose 1."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-vaccines-single-dose-provides-strong-immunity-to-those-who-have-had-covid-19-study-366628" hreflang="en">Pfizer vaccine's single dose provides strong immunity to those who have had Covid-19: Study</a>

The local reactions from the Moderna vaccine include pain and swelling at the point where the dose was injected. Systemic reactions consist of more serious problems such as nausea, fever and chills.

"The frequency of systemic reactions was higher in the younger age group than the older age group (81.9% vs 71.9% after dose 2). Within each age group, the frequency and severity of systemic reactions was higher after dose 2 than dose 1. For both age groups, fatigue, headache and myalgia were the most common," the report claims.

People who have been administered the vaccine reported that the side effects were less intense after the second dose, rather than the first dose. However, despite the side effects, people claim they feel a sense of relief after taking the vaccine.&nbsp;

Some people are against coronavirus vaccines, but others are happy to get a jab of the vaccine as soon as possible. Such is the case even with the people who have been administered a shot and faced side effects.

Some people are against coronavirus vaccines, but others are happy to get a jab of the vaccine as soon as possible. Such is the case even with the people who have been administered a shot and faced side effects. A study of the fall 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that some people have experienced side effects after taking Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, with some even having to rush to the hospital. Also read | Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study However, the majority of them have claimed that despite the side effects, they would be ready to take the vaccine all over again, if it meant protecting themselves against the deadly coronavirus. From the two types of reaction — local and systemic — "local reactions were reported by the majority of vaccine recipients and at higher rates than placebo recipients," the CDC report claims. " Vaccine recipients reported higher rates of local reactions after dose 2 than dose 1." Also read | Pfizer vaccine's single dose provides strong immunity to those who have had Covid-19: Study The local reactions from the Moderna vaccine include pain and swelling at the point where the dose was injected. Systemic reactions consist of more serious problems such as nausea, fever and chills. "The frequency of systemic reactions was higher in the younger age group than the older age group (81.9% vs 71.9% after dose 2). Within each age group, the frequency and severity of systemic reactions was higher after dose 2 than dose 1. For both age groups, fatigue, headache and myalgia were the most common," the report claims. People who have been administered the vaccine reported that the side effects were less intense after the second dose, rather than the first dose. However, despite the side effects, people claim they feel a sense of relief after taking the vaccine.

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine side effects are severe, but worth it: CDC study

British–Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca Plc sold 7.7 per cent of its stake in American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna Inc for more than $1 billion after its shares soared on the back of its coronavirus vaccine breakthrough, The Times reported. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moderna-expects-184-billion-in-covid-19-vaccine-sales-in-2021-366285">Also read: Moderna expects $18.4 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021</a> 
 
The shares of the US-based biotechnology company, Moderna, witnessed a rise in shares after it developed a vaccine for COVID-19.

The report added that it was not clear over what period British-based AstraZeneca sold its holding in Moderna. AstraZeneca and Moderna did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

AstraZeneca is retaining a partnership with Moderna on other disease treatments and could sell its AstraZeneca/Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine on a commercial basis in future if the virus becomes endemic, the report added.

Moderna, whose vaccine is cleared for emergency use against COVID-19 in the United States, said last week it was expecting sales of $18.4 billion from its coronavirus vaccine this year.

In December 2020, Merck sold its stake in Moderna Inc., the biotechnology company, in the midst of developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Merck sold its direct equity investment in Moderna during the first half of the fourth quarter.

(With inputs from agencies)

British–Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca Plc sold 7.7 per cent of its stake in American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna Inc for more than $1 billion after its shares soared on the back of its coronavirus vaccine breakthrough, The Times reported.

British–Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca Plc sold 7.7 per cent of its stake in American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna Inc for more than $1 billion after its shares soared on the back of its coronavirus vaccine breakthrough, The Times reported. Also read: Moderna expects $18.4 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021 The shares of the US-based biotechnology company, Moderna, witnessed a rise in shares after it developed a vaccine for COVID-19. The report added that it was not clear over what period British-based AstraZeneca sold its holding in Moderna. AstraZeneca and Moderna did not immediately respond to requests for comment. AstraZeneca is retaining a partnership with Moderna on other disease treatments and could sell its AstraZeneca/Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine on a commercial basis in future if the virus becomes endemic, the report added. Moderna, whose vaccine is cleared for emergency use against COVID-19 in the United States, said last week it was expecting sales of $18.4 billion from its coronavirus vaccine this year. In December 2020, Merck sold its stake in Moderna Inc., the biotechnology company, in the midst of developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Merck sold its direct equity investment in Moderna during the first half of the fourth quarter. (With inputs from agencies)

AstraZeneca sells stake in Moderna for more than $1 billion: Report

US firm Moderna said on Wednesday that its new vaccine that targets South African variant of coronavirus is ready for testing. The company said that the doses have been shipped to US National Institutes of Health for testing. South African strain of coronavirus is considered to be more dangerous as it believed to hinder the action of antibodies that target the older strain of the virus.

This means that patients who were infected by the virus before may get the infection again. The South African variant has also resulted in reducing the protection provided by the current generation of vaccines.

While initial testing has shown that Moderna's original vaccine -- called mRNA-1273 -- remains effective against emerging variants, the company said it was pursuing the development of a variant-specific vaccine as part of a number of strategies being considered.

Either a South Africa variant-specific candidate, called mRNA-1273.351, could be used as a booster, or the company might use a booster that combines the classic vaccine with the variant-specific mRNA-1273.351 to create a new product.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/large-study-shows-pfizers-coronavirus-vaccine-94-effective-366057">Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective</a>

Another idea is that people could receive a third dose of the classic vaccine to raise their overall immunity.

Moderna is also looking at the possibility of using the South Africa variant-specific mRNA-1273.351 or the combination shot as the primary dose.

The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) announced on Monday that companies developing variant-specific vaccines will not have to go through the same long authorisation process they had to for approval of their original shots.

Moderna also announced it was raising its global manufacturing capacity and would be able to produce up to 1.4 billion doses of its vaccine in 2022 if needed.

Additionally, it said it was increasing its plan for 2021 manufacturing from 600 million doses to 700 million doses globally. Moderna has so far shipped 60 million doses, 55 million within the US.

(With AFP inputs)

US firm Moderna said on Wednesday that its new vaccine that targets South African variant of coronavirus is ready for testing. The company said that the doses have been shipped to US National Institutes of Health for testing.

US firm Moderna said on Wednesday that its new vaccine that targets South African variant of coronavirus is ready for testing. The company said that the doses have been shipped to US National Institutes of Health for testing. South African strain of coronavirus is considered to be more dangerous as it believed to hinder the action of antibodies that target the older strain of the virus. This means that patients who were infected by the virus before may get the infection again. The South African variant has also resulted in reducing the protection provided by the current generation of vaccines. While initial testing has shown that Moderna's original vaccine -- called mRNA-1273 -- remains effective against emerging variants, the company said it was pursuing the development of a variant-specific vaccine as part of a number of strategies being considered. Either a South Africa variant-specific candidate, called mRNA-1273.351, could be used as a booster, or the company might use a booster that combines the classic vaccine with the variant-specific mRNA-1273.351 to create a new product. Also Read | Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective Another idea is that people could receive a third dose of the classic vaccine to raise their overall immunity. Moderna is also looking at the possibility of using the South Africa variant-specific mRNA-1273.351 or the combination shot as the primary dose. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) announced on Monday that companies developing variant-specific vaccines will not have to go through the same long authorisation process they had to for approval of their original shots. Moderna also announced it was raising its global manufacturing capacity and would be able to produce up to 1.4 billion doses of its vaccine in 2022 if needed. Additionally, it said it was increasing its plan for 2021 manufacturing from 600 million doses to 700 million doses globally. Moderna has so far shipped 60 million doses, 55 million within the US. (With AFP inputs)

Moderna COVID vaccine for South Africa variant ready for testing: Company

Moderna Inc said on Thursday it was expecting sales of $18.4 billion from its coronavirus vaccine this year, putting it on the path to post a profit for the first time since its formation in 2010.

Moderna and Pfizer Inc are the only drugmakers whose vaccines have been cleared for emergency use against COVID-19 in the United States so far.

Pfizer earlier this month forecast $15 billion in its share of sales from the COVID-19 vaccine it developed jointly with partner BioNTech.

Both vaccines are being distributed in several countries, and the companies are also working to combat a prevalent new variant of the coronavirus that first emerged in South Africa.

Governments around the world are worried that it may be necessary to provide a "booster" shot for people infected with new variants over the next couple of years, Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said.

Bancel said the company has been adding to its manufacturing capacity due to those concerns and expects to produce 700 million doses to 1 billion doses in 2021.

Moderna is working on an additional booster that targets the South Africa variant and has shipped the vaccine for clinical testing to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the company said on a post-earnings conference call.

The company is also planning to test a next-generation shot that could potentially be stored in refrigerators instead of freezers, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries.

The company has shipped 60 million doses of the vaccine so far and has enough drug substance for 100 million doses, Moderna said.

Shares of the company rose nearly 4% to $150.4.

Moderna Inc said on Thursday it was expecting sales of $18.4 billion from its coronavirus vaccine this year, putting it on the path to post a profit for the first time since its formation in 2010.

Moderna Inc said on Thursday it was expecting sales of $18.4 billion from its coronavirus vaccine this year, putting it on the path to post a profit for the first time since its formation in 2010. Moderna and Pfizer Inc are the only drugmakers whose vaccines have been cleared for emergency use against COVID-19 in the United States so far. Pfizer earlier this month forecast $15 billion in its share of sales from the COVID-19 vaccine it developed jointly with partner BioNTech. Both vaccines are being distributed in several countries, and the companies are also working to combat a prevalent new variant of the coronavirus that first emerged in South Africa. Governments around the world are worried that it may be necessary to provide a "booster" shot for people infected with new variants over the next couple of years, Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said. Bancel said the company has been adding to its manufacturing capacity due to those concerns and expects to produce 700 million doses to 1 billion doses in 2021. Moderna is working on an additional booster that targets the South Africa variant and has shipped the vaccine for clinical testing to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the company said on a post-earnings conference call. The company is also planning to test a next-generation shot that could potentially be stored in refrigerators instead of freezers, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries. The company has shipped 60 million doses of the vaccine so far and has enough drug substance for 100 million doses, Moderna said. Shares of the company rose nearly 4% to $150.4.

Moderna expects $18.4 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales in 2021

In a major announcement, US pharma Moderna said that its new vaccine that targets South African variant of Coronavirus is now ready for testing.

Coronavirus Jab: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for South Africa variant ready for testing

Moderna and Pfizer vaccine's slow roll-out has affected the vaccination program in Canada. So, now Canada has placed a request for about a million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from India's Serum Institute.

Slow vaccine roll-out in Canada affects inoculation, asks India for COVID-19 Vaccine supply

Legendary country music star Dolly Parton reportedly turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Donald Trump`s administration on two separate occasions. This is America's highest civilian honour.&nbsp; 
 
The 75-year-old songstress made the revelation during an interview on 'Today with Hoda &amp; Jenna,' which will air on Tuesday morning.&nbsp; 
 
"I couldn`t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn`t travel because of the COVID," she said.&nbsp; 
 
Parton said she also heard from President Joe Biden about the award. The singer had earlier shared that she donated USD 1 million to research being done at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. It was revealed more than seven months later, that the donation made by Parton and the work done by researchers at Vanderbilt during trial phases directly led to Moderna announcing it had produced a coronavirus vaccine that was nearly 95 per cent effective.Her fans credited her with helping to cure the virus.

"Now I feel like if I take it, I`ll be doing politics, so I`m not sure. But I don`t work for those awards. It`d be nice but I`m not sure that I even deserve it. But it`s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it," Parton remarked on the reported offer from Biden. 
 
The 'Here You Come Again' singer celebrated her 75th birthday last month, but was met with tragedy on January 21, with the death of her brother, Randy Parton. 
 
News of Randy`s passing comes just a few years after their other brother Floyd Estel Parton died in 2018. 
 
Last month, New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, declined to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump, seemingly breaking from a friendship with the billionaire business mogul.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Legendary country music star Dolly Parton reportedly turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Donald Trump`s administration on two separate occasions.

Legendary country music star Dolly Parton reportedly turned down the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Donald Trump`s administration on two separate occasions. This is America's highest civilian honour. The 75-year-old songstress made the revelation during an interview on 'Today with Hoda & Jenna,' which will air on Tuesday morning. "I couldn`t accept it because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn`t travel because of the COVID," she said. Parton said she also heard from President Joe Biden about the award. The singer had earlier shared that she donated USD 1 million to research being done at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. It was revealed more than seven months later, that the donation made by Parton and the work done by researchers at Vanderbilt during trial phases directly led to Moderna announcing it had produced a coronavirus vaccine that was nearly 95 per cent effective.Her fans credited her with helping to cure the virus. "Now I feel like if I take it, I`ll be doing politics, so I`m not sure. But I don`t work for those awards. It`d be nice but I`m not sure that I even deserve it. But it`s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it," Parton remarked on the reported offer from Biden. The 'Here You Come Again' singer celebrated her 75th birthday last month, but was met with tragedy on January 21, with the death of her brother, Randy Parton. News of Randy`s passing comes just a few years after their other brother Floyd Estel Parton died in 2018. Last month, New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, declined to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump, seemingly breaking from a friendship with the billionaire business mogul.

Dolly Parton reportedly turned down twice the President Medal of Freedom by the Trump administration

China failed to export vaccines to the world, so it is now exporting a smear campaign. Beijing is targeting Pfizer, Moderna vaccines. WION's Molly Gambhir tells you how.

Gravitas: China starts a smear campaign

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

US to purchase more Pfizer and Moderna doses

A pharmacist from Wisconsin on Wednesday agreed to plead guilty for&nbsp;attempting to spoil&nbsp;hundreds of Moderna coronavirus vaccines.

The US Justice Department said that the pharmacist was doing it to make the shots ineffective. 
 
46-year-old Steven Brandenburg was charged with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products, and with reckless disregard that another person will be placed in danger of bodily injury or death, as stated in a Department of Justice statement.

The statement also claimed that he had believed in numerous conspiracy theories, and was sceptical of vaccines in general.

It was also found that the pharmacist was specifically unsure of Moderna’s vaccine, which led him to spoiling hundreds of doses.

US Food and Drug Administration has ruled Moderna’s vaccine safe and effective.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/wisconsin-pharmacist-arrested-for-removing-500-doses-of-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-353792" hreflang="en">Wisconsin pharmacist arrested for removing 500 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine</a>

Brandenburg signed a plea agreement, as part of which he will plead guilty and each of which could land him in jail for maximum ten years. 
 
In the later part of December, Brandenburg removed a box of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine from a refrigerator in Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin.&nbsp;

He wanted to ruin its effectiveness.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/moderna-vaccines-second-dose-should-be-administered-within-6-weeks-who-359501" hreflang="en">Moderna vaccine's second dose should be administered within 6 weeks: WHO</a>

Reportedly, he left out the vaccines in the refrigerator for a few hours before putting them back. 57 people had already received the vaccine from the batch before tampering was discovered.

To be effective, Moderna’s vaccine needs to be stored and shipped frozen. But it does not require ultra cold temperatures for its vaccine, which may retain efficacy even in regular temperature refrigerators.

A pharmacist from Wisconsin on Wednesday agreed to plead guilty for attempting to spoil hundreds of Moderna coronavirus vaccines. The US Justice Department said that the pharmacist was doing it to make the shots ineffective.

A pharmacist from Wisconsin on Wednesday agreed to plead guilty for attempting to spoil hundreds of Moderna coronavirus vaccines. The US Justice Department said that the pharmacist was doing it to make the shots ineffective. 46-year-old Steven Brandenburg was charged with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products, and with reckless disregard that another person will be placed in danger of bodily injury or death, as stated in a Department of Justice statement. The statement also claimed that he had believed in numerous conspiracy theories, and was sceptical of vaccines in general. It was also found that the pharmacist was specifically unsure of Moderna’s vaccine, which led him to spoiling hundreds of doses. US Food and Drug Administration has ruled Moderna’s vaccine safe and effective. Also read: Wisconsin pharmacist arrested for removing 500 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Brandenburg signed a plea agreement, as part of which he will plead guilty and each of which could land him in jail for maximum ten years. In the later part of December, Brandenburg removed a box of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine from a refrigerator in Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin. He wanted to ruin its effectiveness. Also read: Moderna vaccine's second dose should be administered within 6 weeks: WHO Reportedly, he left out the vaccines in the refrigerator for a few hours before putting them back. 57 people had already received the vaccine from the batch before tampering was discovered. To be effective, Moderna’s vaccine needs to be stored and shipped frozen. But it does not require ultra cold temperatures for its vaccine, which may retain efficacy even in regular temperature refrigerators.

Pharmacist who tried to spoil Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines set to plead guilty in court

The experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) have claimed it is safe to administer the second jab of Moderna's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</a> after six weeks.

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNtech's vaccine, also requires a booster after three to four weeks of the first jab. However, some countries, such as France, are considering increasing the gap between the two doses as they face an irregular and limited supply of vaccine doses.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-urges-fair-distribution-of-coronavirus-vaccine-359494" hreflang="en">German chancellor Angela Merkel urges 'fair' distribution of coronavirus vaccine</a>

While France's health advisory body suggested doubling the gap between the two doses from three weeks to six weeks.

The Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) believes increasing this gap will allow the country to vaccinate at least 700,000 more people than originally planned.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-chief-says-companies-must-deliver-coronavirus-vaccines-germany-agrees-359459" hreflang="en">EU chief says companies 'must deliver' coronavirus vaccines; Germany agrees</a>

"The growing number of infections and the worrying arrival of new variants call for an acceleration of the vaccination campaign in order to prevent the epidemic from spiking in coming weeks," the advisory body said in a statement.

However, the WHO has suggested against it and has urged countries to respect the tested intervals between the two doses, i.e. 21 days for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 28 days for Moderna.

Meanwhile, the UN health agency is hoping to approve the Moderna vaccine as soon as possible. "We're working with Moderna to go as quickly as possible," WHO's vaccines chief Kate O'Brien told the online briefing.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-pandemic-could-last-4-to-5-years-singapore-minister-359440" hreflang="en">Covid pandemic could last 4 to 5 years: Singapore minister</a>

As of now, it has only approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, although experts believe the two vaccines are very similar except for the storage requirements — Pfizer-BioNTech jab is stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) and Moderna doses can be stored at -20 C.&nbsp;

The advisory body has also urged countries to keep the healthcare workers and vulnerable people in priority for vaccination and has insisted that international travellers should not be kept in the priority list for the vaccine, at least for the time being.

"In the current period of very limited vaccine supply, preferential vaccination of international travellers would counter the principle of equity," SAGE said. "Because of this, and the lack of evidence that vaccination reduces the risk of transmission, SAGE currently does not recommend Covid-19 vaccination of travellers."

The experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) have claimed it is safe to administer the second jab of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine after six weeks. Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNtech's vaccine, also requires a booster after three to four weeks of the first jab.

The experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) have claimed it is safe to administer the second jab of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine after six weeks. Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, similar to the Pfizer-BioNtech's vaccine, also requires a booster after three to four weeks of the first jab. However, some countries, such as France, are considering increasing the gap between the two doses as they face an irregular and limited supply of vaccine doses. Also read| German chancellor Angela Merkel urges 'fair' distribution of coronavirus vaccine While France's health advisory body suggested doubling the gap between the two doses from three weeks to six weeks. The Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) believes increasing this gap will allow the country to vaccinate at least 700,000 more people than originally planned. Also read| EU chief says companies 'must deliver' coronavirus vaccines; Germany agrees "The growing number of infections and the worrying arrival of new variants call for an acceleration of the vaccination campaign in order to prevent the epidemic from spiking in coming weeks," the advisory body said in a statement. However, the WHO has suggested against it and has urged countries to respect the tested intervals between the two doses, i.e. 21 days for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 28 days for Moderna. Meanwhile, the UN health agency is hoping to approve the Moderna vaccine as soon as possible. "We're working with Moderna to go as quickly as possible," WHO's vaccines chief Kate O'Brien told the online briefing. Also read| Covid pandemic could last 4 to 5 years: Singapore minister As of now, it has only approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, although experts believe the two vaccines are very similar except for the storage requirements — Pfizer-BioNTech jab is stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit) and Moderna doses can be stored at -20 C. The advisory body has also urged countries to keep the healthcare workers and vulnerable people in priority for vaccination and has insisted that international travellers should not be kept in the priority list for the vaccine, at least for the time being. "In the current period of very limited vaccine supply, preferential vaccination of international travellers would counter the principle of equity," SAGE said. "Because of this, and the lack of evidence that vaccination reduces the risk of transmission, SAGE currently does not recommend Covid-19 vaccination of travellers."

Moderna vaccine's second dose should be administered within 6 weeks: WHO

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