The Chinese authorities this week announced that the lockdowns are being lifted in at least seven districts due to protest against the zero-COVID strategy of the government.&nbsp;As per the experts, the zero-COVID strategy of China was a good approach when the pandemic had begun because it managed&nbsp;to keep the number of cases low. 
 
But, in the last three years, the world has changed and health services are now fully prepared to provide Covid treatments and deal with outbreaks.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/almost-three-years-of-zero-covid-policy-takes-its-toll-on-chinas-coffers-local-government-cash-strapped-539884">Almost three years of zero-Covid policy takes its toll on China's coffers; local government cash strapped</a>

University of Southampton's epidemiologist Michael Head said, "We now have the tools to address COVID as a public health concern. We have vaccines, antiviral drugs and a huge amount of knowledge about how to treat people and manage outbreaks in the community.” 
 
The experts stated that other nations have been successful in creating a strong protection shield from COVID in the population with the help of less stringent lockdowns that allowed mass vaccination drives and people's natural exposure to the virus. 
 
"A small silver lining of the extensive spread of COVID in Europe is that we have a memory in our immune system. That's the theory, anyway," Head added. 
 
However, since zero-COVID policies have been strongly pursued by China since the beginning of the pandemic, their population managed to get very little exposure to the virus, especially the omicron variant which is highly contagious. 
 
China's ineffective vaccination programmes 
 
Experts believe that China needs to rely on vaccination for its successful transition into the phase of living with COVID. However, the vaccination programme of the country has not been effective so far, especially in the administration of booster vaccines to old age people. 
 
University of Nottingham's emeritus professor in epidemiology Keith Neal says, "Vaccines are great at giving you protection against severe illness, but they don't give you sterilising immunity. You need boosters to keep your immunity up.” 
 
Neal further explained that sterilising immunity is when the virus is prevented by the immune system from infecting the host, which further stops the transmission. Sterilising immunity is not provided by current vaccines. 
 
Till August 10, 2022, China's full vaccination rate was 85.6% and the rate of administered booster vaccination for adults aged 60 and above was only 67.8%, which is comparatively lower than in nations like Germany, where vaccination coverage was 91.2% and 85.9%, respectively. 
 
"There was a vaccine campaign in China that prioritised young people to keep workers healthy. Older people are less vaccinated than in other countries. This is a problem, as the risk of death from COVID-19 increases significantly with age," added Neal.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-unwilling-to-allow-effective-foreign-covid-vaccine-despite-the-protests-us-539816">China unwilling to allow 'effective' foreign COVID vaccine despite the protests: US</a>

Is China facing vaccine hesitancy? 
 
According to observers, the perfect time to implement mass vaccination strategies was when people were leaving their homes only to get food. So what is the reason behind lower booster rates in China? 
 
Experts believe that one reason can be vaccine hesitancy among adults. According to a study, vaccine hesitancy recorded among teachers is 32% in China. The study says that vaccine hesitancy is present due to concern among people about their personal safety. 
 
"Chinese vaccines (Sinovac and Sinopharm) are not bad, perhaps similar to AstraZeneca's vaccine, but have lower effectiveness than mRNA vaccines like [those from] Pfizer and Moderna, especially when it comes to omicron," Head said. 
 
He further added&nbsp;that distrust in the government and political affiliation are the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The protests over zero-COVID strategies in China show that the trust of people in the authorities is at an all-time low. 
 
"Health promotion is going to be key going forward to increase vaccine uptake. How to do this is a tricky thing to solve, especially if it comes from a government many distrust," he added.

WATCH|&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-should-china-end-its-zero-covid-policy-wion-shorts-539890/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
Will China become a cooking pot for the new variant? 
 
Due to low booster administration in people belonging to at-risk groups and weak natural immunity, experts say that easing lockdowns at local levels can turn out disastrous for China, in the wake of population-level protection against the contagious omicron variant remaining low.

"Omicron has an R0 of 10, meaning it's highly infectious. Without sterilising immunity, you haven't got a cat in hell's chance of stopping it," Neal explained. 
 
Both experts believe that Chinese regions may have to face severe outbreaks of Covid. According to them, there will be a high rise in the number of Covid cases among those with low immunity along the long-term impact of the pandemic. 
 
Along with immediate concern regarding public health, there is also a risk of the development of new COVID variants and subvariants in an uncontrolled outbreak 
 
"Uncontrolled outbreak in China would increase the risk of the emergence of new variants. China and the world will be keeping an eye on this," Head stated. 
 
Will outbreaks in China affect other nations? 
 
Experts believe that travel restrictions in China can keep other countries from risk if there are any outbreaks. "There isn't a lot of travel in and out of China — it's like a giant island. So if new variants do appear, they're likely to stay contained," Neal said. 
 
Eventually, what will happen to people contained in China will depend on the Chinese Communist Party's political decisions. 
 
"China has a political problem here. They wedded themselves to zero-COVID. They wedded themselves to 'we have the best system in the world to look after you.' They wedded themselves to less effective Chinese vaccines," he added. 
 
Will China adopt less stringent lockdown measures and buy Western vaccines remains to be seen.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The Chinese authorities this week announced that the lockdowns are being lifted in at least seven districts due to protest against the zero-COVID strategy of the government.

The Chinese authorities this week announced that the lockdowns are being lifted in at least seven districts due to protest against the zero-COVID strategy of the government. As per the experts, the zero-COVID strategy of China was a good approach when the pandemic had begun because it managed to keep the number of cases low. But, in the last three years, the world has changed and health services are now fully prepared to provide Covid treatments and deal with outbreaks. ALSO READ| Almost three years of zero-Covid policy takes its toll on China's coffers; local government cash strapped University of Southampton's epidemiologist Michael Head said, "We now have the tools to address COVID as a public health concern. We have vaccines, antiviral drugs and a huge amount of knowledge about how to treat people and manage outbreaks in the community.” The experts stated that other nations have been successful in creating a strong protection shield from COVID in the population with the help of less stringent lockdowns that allowed mass vaccination drives and people's natural exposure to the virus. "A small silver lining of the extensive spread of COVID in Europe is that we have a memory in our immune system. That's the theory, anyway," Head added. However, since zero-COVID policies have been strongly pursued by China since the beginning of the pandemic, their population managed to get very little exposure to the virus, especially the omicron variant which is highly contagious. China's ineffective vaccination programmes Experts believe that China needs to rely on vaccination for its successful transition into the phase of living with COVID. However, the vaccination programme of the country has not been effective so far, especially in the administration of booster vaccines to old age people. University of Nottingham's emeritus professor in epidemiology Keith Neal says, "Vaccines are great at giving you protection against severe illness, but they don't give you sterilising immunity. You need boosters to keep your immunity up.” Neal further explained that sterilising immunity is when the virus is prevented by the immune system from infecting the host, which further stops the transmission. Sterilising immunity is not provided by current vaccines. Till August 10, 2022, China's full vaccination rate was 85.6% and the rate of administered booster vaccination for adults aged 60 and above was only 67.8%, which is comparatively lower than in nations like Germany, where vaccination coverage was 91.2% and 85.9%, respectively. "There was a vaccine campaign in China that prioritised young people to keep workers healthy. Older people are less vaccinated than in other countries. This is a problem, as the risk of death from COVID-19 increases significantly with age," added Neal. ALSO READ| China unwilling to allow 'effective' foreign COVID vaccine despite the protests: US Is China facing vaccine hesitancy? According to observers, the perfect time to implement mass vaccination strategies was when people were leaving their homes only to get food. So what is the reason behind lower booster rates in China? Experts believe that one reason can be vaccine hesitancy among adults. According to a study, vaccine hesitancy recorded among teachers is 32% in China. The study says that vaccine hesitancy is present due to concern among people about their personal safety. "Chinese vaccines (Sinovac and Sinopharm) are not bad, perhaps similar to AstraZeneca's vaccine, but have lower effectiveness than mRNA vaccines like [those from] Pfizer and Moderna, especially when it comes to omicron," Head said. He further added that distrust in the government and political affiliation are the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The protests over zero-COVID strategies in China show that the trust of people in the authorities is at an all-time low. "Health promotion is going to be key going forward to increase vaccine uptake. How to do this is a tricky thing to solve, especially if it comes from a government many distrust," he added. WATCH| Will China become a cooking pot for the new variant? Due to low booster administration in people belonging to at-risk groups and weak natural immunity, experts say that easing lockdowns at local levels can turn out disastrous for China, in the wake of population-level protection against the contagious omicron variant remaining low. "Omicron has an R0 of 10, meaning it's highly infectious. Without sterilising immunity, you haven't got a cat in hell's chance of stopping it," Neal explained. Both experts believe that Chinese regions may have to face severe outbreaks of Covid. According to them, there will be a high rise in the number of Covid cases among those with low immunity along the long-term impact of the pandemic. Along with immediate concern regarding public health, there is also a risk of the development of new COVID variants and subvariants in an uncontrolled outbreak "Uncontrolled outbreak in China would increase the risk of the emergence of new variants. China and the world will be keeping an eye on this," Head stated. Will outbreaks in China affect other nations? Experts believe that travel restrictions in China can keep other countries from risk if there are any outbreaks. "There isn't a lot of travel in and out of China — it's like a giant island. So if new variants do appear, they're likely to stay contained," Neal said. Eventually, what will happen to people contained in China will depend on the Chinese Communist Party's political decisions. "China has a political problem here. They wedded themselves to zero-COVID. They wedded themselves to 'we have the best system in the world to look after you.' They wedded themselves to less effective Chinese vaccines," he added. Will China adopt less stringent lockdown measures and buy Western vaccines remains to be seen.

China may face COVID-19 disaster if harsh lockdowns lifted, experts predict

Official records show that over four-fifths of Omicron patients in England's hospitals have not received their booster doses.

In its weekly monitoring update, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) verified the toll, saying 608 out of 815 hospitalised patients infected with the ultra-infectious variety were not triple-jabbed.

According to the DailyMail, a fifth of the people were not immunised.

Meanwhile, health officials released new data showing that booster vaccinations can reduce the incidence of Omicron-related hospitalisation by up to 88 percent.

According to the findings, even with two doses, the probabilities were reduced by up to 72 per cent up to nearly six months after the jab.

The recent findings, according to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, "confirmed" the value of vaccines in saving lives and preventing serious illness.

Ministers increased the booster push with the goal of reaching 1 million vaccinations per day by the end of the year, in order to ensure that every eligible Briton has their third vaccination before the end of the year and prevent the NHS from being overburdened this winter.

Despite numbers showing that 9.5 million eligible individuals in England had yet to receive the booster shot, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson boasted about meeting the objective.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Official records show that over four-fifths of Omicron patients in England's hospitals have not received their booster doses. In its weekly monitoring update, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) verified the toll, saying 608 out of 815 hospitalised patients infected with the ultra-infectious variety were not triple-jabbed.

Official records show that over four-fifths of Omicron patients in England's hospitals have not received their booster doses. In its weekly monitoring update, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) verified the toll, saying 608 out of 815 hospitalised patients infected with the ultra-infectious variety were not triple-jabbed. According to the DailyMail, a fifth of the people were not immunised. Meanwhile, health officials released new data showing that booster vaccinations can reduce the incidence of Omicron-related hospitalisation by up to 88 percent. According to the findings, even with two doses, the probabilities were reduced by up to 72 per cent up to nearly six months after the jab. The recent findings, according to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, "confirmed" the value of vaccines in saving lives and preventing serious illness. Ministers increased the booster push with the goal of reaching 1 million vaccinations per day by the end of the year, in order to ensure that every eligible Briton has their third vaccination before the end of the year and prevent the NHS from being overburdened this winter. Despite numbers showing that 9.5 million eligible individuals in England had yet to receive the booster shot, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson boasted about meeting the objective. (With inputs from agencies)

85% of Omicron hospitalisations did not have booster vax in England: Report

President of the European Commission Von der Leyen on Tuesday said 70 per cent of adults in the 27-nation bloc have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

She said they have achieved the "end-of-summer target in January itself".

In a video statement posted on Twitter, Leyen welcomed the “great achievement”, saying, “Today, we reached an important milestone in our vaccination campaign. 70 per cent of adults in the EU are now fully vaccinated and that means 250 million people are fully immunised.”

The European Commission, which is the executive organ of the European Union, is responsible for ordering vaccines for the EU states.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-passport-the-european-covid-certificate-a-users-guide-386729">Vaccine Passport: The European Covid certificate, a user's guide</a>

The EU's COVID-19 vaccination campaign got off to a slow start due to supply shortages and delays but is now among the most successful worldwide. They had already announced in July that 70 per cent of the adult population in the region had received at least one dose.

Leyen said the union was also a “lead contributor” to the COVAX initiative, which aims to deliver vaccines to low-income nations.

The rate of fully vaccinated adults is about 20 per cent in Bulgaria, 32.8 per cent in Romania, 49 per cent in Slovakia and 58.1 per cent in Poland.

(With inputs from agencies)

President of the European Commission Von der Leyen on Tuesday said 70 per cent of adults in the 27-nation bloc have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. She said they have achieved the "end-of-summer target in January itself".

President of the European Commission Von der Leyen on Tuesday said 70 per cent of adults in the 27-nation bloc have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. She said they have achieved the "end-of-summer target in January itself". In a video statement posted on Twitter, Leyen welcomed the “great achievement”, saying, “Today, we reached an important milestone in our vaccination campaign. 70 per cent of adults in the EU are now fully vaccinated and that means 250 million people are fully immunised.” The European Commission, which is the executive organ of the European Union, is responsible for ordering vaccines for the EU states. Also read | Vaccine Passport: The European Covid certificate, a user's guide The EU's COVID-19 vaccination campaign got off to a slow start due to supply shortages and delays but is now among the most successful worldwide. They had already announced in July that 70 per cent of the adult population in the region had received at least one dose. Leyen said the union was also a “lead contributor” to the COVAX initiative, which aims to deliver vaccines to low-income nations. The rate of fully vaccinated adults is about 20 per cent in Bulgaria, 32.8 per cent in Romania, 49 per cent in Slovakia and 58.1 per cent in Poland. (With inputs from agencies)

70% of Europeans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says EU chief Von der Leyen

Unvaccinated Republican lawmakers pose a danger to other members of Congress and staff, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday as she attacked the "selfishness" of colleagues who refuse to protect against Covid-19.

The top congressional Democrat's criticism of opponents as a health "dangerment" comes as a debate swells over Capitol Hill mask mandates, which Republicans have demanded be lifted as the Biden administration eases its guidance on face coverings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-expects-covid-19-vaccines-for-kids-in-late-2021-sees-need-for-booster-shot-386496" hreflang="en">Fauci expects COVID-19 vaccines for kids in late 2021, sees need for booster shot</a>

"It is unfortunate that a large number of people in the Congress have refused to be vaccinated... or have been vaccinated and don't want to admit it," Pelosi said, noting that Congress's attending physician intends to keep the mask rule in place until all lawmakers get the jab.

"We have a responsibility to make sure that the House of Representatives chamber is not a petri dish because of the selfishness of some not to be vaccinated," Pelosi said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-astrazeneca-shots-could-be-85-90-effective-uk-data-suggests-386500" hreflang="en">Two AstraZeneca shots could be 85-90% effective, UK data suggests</a>

The biting remarks come days after CNN released a survey of lawmakers that showed a 100 per cent vaccination rate among Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives, but dramatically lower numbers for Republicans.

Of the House Republicans, just 95 of the conference's 212 members — or 44.8 per cent — told the network they are vaccinated.&nbsp;

An exasperated Pelosi told reporters that committee meetings and other gatherings in Congress will not be able to return to maskless normality until all lawmakers are vaccinated.

"What is this, the honor system... as to whether somebody's been vaccinated?" she said. "Do you want them breathing in your face on the strength of their honor?"

Pelosi has clashed over masks with the chamber's top Republican Kevin McCarthy, who introduced a resolution that would allow lawmakers to be maskless on the House floor.

House Democrats killed the measure.

Some lawmakers have grown openly defiant. Republican Brian Mast said Tuesday he was fined $500 for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor.

Pelosi announced such punishments for mask violations in January.

"This is nothing more than political theatre," House Republican Ralph Norman tweeted Thursday. "All over the Capitol complex, staff and members are maskless. It is time for @SpeakerPelosi to drop the charade."

A recent Morning Consult poll found that unvaccinated Americans are about twice as likely as vaccinated people to say they are comfortable not wearing masks while doing activities like attending a work conference.

Unvaccinated Republican lawmakers pose a danger to other members of Congress and staff, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday as she attacked the "selfishness" of colleagues who refuse to protect against Covid-19.

Unvaccinated Republican lawmakers pose a danger to other members of Congress and staff, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday as she attacked the "selfishness" of colleagues who refuse to protect against Covid-19. The top congressional Democrat's criticism of opponents as a health "dangerment" comes as a debate swells over Capitol Hill mask mandates, which Republicans have demanded be lifted as the Biden administration eases its guidance on face coverings. Also read | Fauci expects COVID-19 vaccines for kids in late 2021, sees need for booster shot "It is unfortunate that a large number of people in the Congress have refused to be vaccinated... or have been vaccinated and don't want to admit it," Pelosi said, noting that Congress's attending physician intends to keep the mask rule in place until all lawmakers get the jab. "We have a responsibility to make sure that the House of Representatives chamber is not a petri dish because of the selfishness of some not to be vaccinated," Pelosi said. Also read | Two AstraZeneca shots could be 85-90% effective, UK data suggests The biting remarks come days after CNN released a survey of lawmakers that showed a 100 per cent vaccination rate among Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives, but dramatically lower numbers for Republicans. Of the House Republicans, just 95 of the conference's 212 members — or 44.8 per cent — told the network they are vaccinated. An exasperated Pelosi told reporters that committee meetings and other gatherings in Congress will not be able to return to maskless normality until all lawmakers are vaccinated. "What is this, the honor system... as to whether somebody's been vaccinated?" she said. "Do you want them breathing in your face on the strength of their honor?" Pelosi has clashed over masks with the chamber's top Republican Kevin McCarthy, who introduced a resolution that would allow lawmakers to be maskless on the House floor. House Democrats killed the measure. Some lawmakers have grown openly defiant. Republican Brian Mast said Tuesday he was fined $500 for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor. Pelosi announced such punishments for mask violations in January. "This is nothing more than political theatre," House Republican Ralph Norman tweeted Thursday. "All over the Capitol complex, staff and members are maskless. It is time for @SpeakerPelosi to drop the charade." A recent Morning Consult poll found that unvaccinated Americans are about twice as likely as vaccinated people to say they are comfortable not wearing masks while doing activities like attending a work conference.

Unvaccinated US lawmakers a danger to Congress, Pelosi says

Four months into a&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccination campaign marred by shortages and delays, hard-hit&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;is still struggling to find enough doses, as political and diplomatic blunders prolong its pandemic nightmare.

Around 33 million people -- 15 percent of the population -- have received at least one vaccine dose in&nbsp;Brazil, a proportion still too small to have a substantial impact on the virus' spread.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Following a death, Brazil suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine for pregnant women">Following a death, Brazil suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine for pregnant women</a>

Targeted by a Senate inquiry over its handling of the pandemic, President Jair Bolsonaro's government is facing criticism for failing to secure more vaccines, including its refusal of offers to purchase millions of doses and diplomatic tension with China that may be slowing the import of vaccine ingredients.

'We don't have enough doses right now to&nbsp;vaccinate&nbsp;as fast as we should,'&nbsp;said Margareth Dalcolmo, a pulmonologist and researcher at leading public health institute Fiocruz.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Faced with the possibility of impeachment, Brazil President calls COVID-19 a bio-weapon">Faced with the possibility of impeachment, Brazil President calls COVID-19 a bio-weapon</a>

"We ought to be vaccinating younger people already, especially given that younger demographic groups are currently driving transmission," she told AFP.

But first,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;still has to&nbsp;vaccinate&nbsp;80 million people from high-priority groups, including the elderly, indigenous people and health workers.

Vaccine doses meanwhile continue to arrive in a trickle -- although the government maintains it will be able to&nbsp;vaccinate&nbsp;all adults by the end of the year.

Brazil&nbsp;has lost more lives to&nbsp;Covid-19 than any country except the United States -- &nbsp;more than 430,000 -- and has one of the highest death tolls per capita in the world.

Though the current wave has eased somewhat since April, the virus is still killing a staggeringly high number of people in the country -- nearly 2,000 a day.

Despite its huge size, the South American country is known for executing turbo-charged vaccination campaigns.

In 2010,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;vaccinated more than 80 million people against H1N1 -- the swine flu virus -- in less than three months.

'We need to be vaccinating two million people a day,'&nbsp;said Dalcolmo.

As it stands,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has rarely managed more than one million&nbsp;Covid-19 shots a day.

'We've gotten better since the start of the year, but we're still a long way from where we need to be,'&nbsp;said Joao Viola, president of the Brazilian Immunological Society's scientific committee.

Brazil&nbsp;started out using two vaccines, Oxford/AstraZeneca's and Chinese-developed CoronaVac, both of which it has licenses to produce locally.

The drive got a boost last month with the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine. But only about two million of the 100 million doses&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has ordered have been delivered so far.

All three shots require two doses.

Brazil&nbsp;could have secured more Pfizer doses faster, but Bolsonaro's government refused an offer last August to purchase more than 70 million of them.

The far-right president, who has persistently snubbed expert advice on handling the pandemic, joked that the vaccine could 'turn you into an alligator'&nbsp;-- only to change course months later and allow a deal with the US pharmaceutical giant.

"Worldwide demand for vaccines is very high, so those who were slow to sign deals are receiving their orders later," said Viola.

Bolsonaro, whose government often has strained relations with China, also refused to purchase CoronaVac, calling it the vaccine from 'that other country.'

But a political opponent, Joao Doria, governor of&nbsp;Brazil's most populous state, Sao Paulo, pursued a deal for CoronaVac anyway.

The vaccine now accounts for more than 70 percent of the doses administered in&nbsp;Brazil.

However, the public health center manufacturing it in&nbsp;Brazil, the Butantan Institute, announced Friday it would have to halt production because it had run out of the active ingredient, which has to be imported from China.

Brazil&nbsp;is due to start producing the active ingredient for CoronaVac itself, but only in September.

The Butantan Institute said 'diplomatic problems'&nbsp;could prevent it from delivering new doses in June.

Last week, Bolsonaro provoked China by saying it may have created the novel coronavirus in a lab to wage 'germ warfare.'

"There are 10,000 liters (of active ingredient for CoronaVac) ready, just waiting for the Chinese government to authorize shipment," said Doria.

'But every time someone here makes a disparaging remark about China, that clearly makes it more difficult.'

Four months into a Covid-19 vaccination campaign marred by shortages and delays, hard-hit Brazil is still struggling to find enough doses, as political and diplomatic blunders prolong its pandemic nightmare.

Four months into a Covid-19 vaccination campaign marred by shortages and delays, hard-hit Brazil is still struggling to find enough doses, as political and diplomatic blunders prolong its pandemic nightmare. Around 33 million people -- 15 percent of the population -- have received at least one vaccine dose in Brazil, a proportion still too small to have a substantial impact on the virus' spread. Also read: Following a death, Brazil suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine for pregnant women Targeted by a Senate inquiry over its handling of the pandemic, President Jair Bolsonaro's government is facing criticism for failing to secure more vaccines, including its refusal of offers to purchase millions of doses and diplomatic tension with China that may be slowing the import of vaccine ingredients. 'We don't have enough doses right now to vaccinate as fast as we should,' said Margareth Dalcolmo, a pulmonologist and researcher at leading public health institute Fiocruz. Also read: Faced with the possibility of impeachment, Brazil President calls COVID-19 a bio-weapon "We ought to be vaccinating younger people already, especially given that younger demographic groups are currently driving transmission," she told AFP. But first, Brazil still has to vaccinate 80 million people from high-priority groups, including the elderly, indigenous people and health workers. Vaccine doses meanwhile continue to arrive in a trickle -- although the government maintains it will be able to vaccinate all adults by the end of the year. Brazil has lost more lives to Covid-19 than any country except the United States -- more than 430,000 -- and has one of the highest death tolls per capita in the world. Though the current wave has eased somewhat since April, the virus is still killing a staggeringly high number of people in the country -- nearly 2,000 a day. Despite its huge size, the South American country is known for executing turbo-charged vaccination campaigns. In 2010, Brazil vaccinated more than 80 million people against H1N1 -- the swine flu virus -- in less than three months. 'We need to be vaccinating two million people a day,' said Dalcolmo. As it stands, Brazil has rarely managed more than one million Covid-19 shots a day. 'We've gotten better since the start of the year, but we're still a long way from where we need to be,' said Joao Viola, president of the Brazilian Immunological Society's scientific committee. Brazil started out using two vaccines, Oxford/AstraZeneca's and Chinese-developed CoronaVac, both of which it has licenses to produce locally. The drive got a boost last month with the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine. But only about two million of the 100 million doses Brazil has ordered have been delivered so far. All three shots require two doses. Brazil could have secured more Pfizer doses faster, but Bolsonaro's government refused an offer last August to purchase more than 70 million of them. The far-right president, who has persistently snubbed expert advice on handling the pandemic, joked that the vaccine could 'turn you into an alligator' -- only to change course months later and allow a deal with the US pharmaceutical giant. "Worldwide demand for vaccines is very high, so those who were slow to sign deals are receiving their orders later," said Viola. Bolsonaro, whose government often has strained relations with China, also refused to purchase CoronaVac, calling it the vaccine from 'that other country.' But a political opponent, Joao Doria, governor of Brazil's most populous state, Sao Paulo, pursued a deal for CoronaVac anyway. The vaccine now accounts for more than 70 percent of the doses administered in Brazil. However, the public health center manufacturing it in Brazil, the Butantan Institute, announced Friday it would have to halt production because it had run out of the active ingredient, which has to be imported from China. Brazil is due to start producing the active ingredient for CoronaVac itself, but only in September. The Butantan Institute said 'diplomatic problems' could prevent it from delivering new doses in June. Last week, Bolsonaro provoked China by saying it may have created the novel coronavirus in a lab to wage 'germ warfare.' "There are 10,000 liters (of active ingredient for CoronaVac) ready, just waiting for the Chinese government to authorize shipment," said Doria. 'But every time someone here makes a disparaging remark about China, that clearly makes it more difficult.'

Brazil struggles to vaccinate as Covid toll spirals

UN has announced that it will provide 15 million dollars to help Guinea and Congo combat new outbreaks of Ebola. UN Spokesperson said this will help both the countries respond to the epidemic. This is the first time, an outbreak has been recorded in Guinea since an outbreak that ended in 2016. Guinea records 3 deaths and 4 fresh cases while Congo also recorded 4 fresh cases of Ebola.

UN releases $15 million to fight Ebola