The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson &amp; Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues.

In a statement, the FDA said "several" batches of vaccine manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in the city of Baltimore are not suitable for use. Each batch is known to correspond to several million doses. 
Neither the agency nor J&amp;J revealed the precise number of doses, but The New York Times placed the number at 60 million, quoting people familiar with the matter.

"These actions followed an extensive review of records, including the production history of the facility and the testing performed to evaluate the quality of the product," said FDA scientist Peter Marks.

The Emergent plant was ordered to pause production in April several weeks after it was determined that batches of substance used to produce the J&amp;J vaccine were cross-contaminated with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine, ruining a reported 15 million J&amp;J doses.

The FDA is still deciding whether to allow the factory to reopen. Sixty million AstraZeneca doses produced there and earmarked to be donated abroad are currently being inspected for quality before they can be shipped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-europe-reopens-borders-germany-to-lift-travel-warning-for-most-countries-from-july-1-390867">Also Read |&nbsp;As Europe reopens borders, Germany to lift travel warning for most countries from July 1</a>

All of the J&amp;J vaccines distributed and used in the United States so far were made in the Netherlands, not in Baltimore.

On the other hand, the FDA said it was greenlighting two batches of J&amp;J vaccine made at the plant -- that is to say, 10 million doses of the one-shot regimen, a source familiar with the matter said.

Additional J&amp;J batches remain under review.

"Johnson &amp; Johnson has committed to producing safe, high-quality vaccines in order to bring health and hope to people everywhere," said J&amp;J executive vice president Kathy Wengel.

Meanwhile, Canada on Friday announced it would not distribute 300,000 doses of the J&amp;J vaccine made at the Baltimore plant due to quality "concerns."

The country's health authorities planned to inspect the facility this summer.

"Until this inspection has been completed, Canada will not be accepting any product or ingredients made at this site," Health Canada said in a statement.

The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson & Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues.

The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson & Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues. In a statement, the FDA said "several" batches of vaccine manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in the city of Baltimore are not suitable for use. Each batch is known to correspond to several million doses. Neither the agency nor J&J revealed the precise number of doses, but The New York Times placed the number at 60 million, quoting people familiar with the matter. "These actions followed an extensive review of records, including the production history of the facility and the testing performed to evaluate the quality of the product," said FDA scientist Peter Marks. The Emergent plant was ordered to pause production in April several weeks after it was determined that batches of substance used to produce the J&J vaccine were cross-contaminated with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine, ruining a reported 15 million J&J doses. The FDA is still deciding whether to allow the factory to reopen. Sixty million AstraZeneca doses produced there and earmarked to be donated abroad are currently being inspected for quality before they can be shipped. Also Read | As Europe reopens borders, Germany to lift travel warning for most countries from July 1 All of the J&J vaccines distributed and used in the United States so far were made in the Netherlands, not in Baltimore. On the other hand, the FDA said it was greenlighting two batches of J&J vaccine made at the plant -- that is to say, 10 million doses of the one-shot regimen, a source familiar with the matter said. Additional J&J batches remain under review. "Johnson & Johnson has committed to producing safe, high-quality vaccines in order to bring health and hope to people everywhere," said J&J executive vice president Kathy Wengel. Meanwhile, Canada on Friday announced it would not distribute 300,000 doses of the J&J vaccine made at the Baltimore plant due to quality "concerns." The country's health authorities planned to inspect the facility this summer. "Until this inspection has been completed, Canada will not be accepting any product or ingredients made at this site," Health Canada said in a statement.

US tells J&J millions of vaccine doses from troubled plant can't be used

The&nbsp;US Food &amp; Drug Administration on Friday, June 11,&nbsp;said Johnson &amp; Johnson must throw away&nbsp;millions&nbsp;of&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of its&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared&nbsp;millions&nbsp;for use.

Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the agency had cleared about 10 million&nbsp;doses. The New York Times said that the batches being&nbsp;discarded amount to around 60 million&nbsp;doses, citing people familiar with the matter.

Without disclosing or confirming the number of&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;doses, the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;said in a news release that it had authorized two batches of the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;for use, that several other batches were not suitable for use, and that others were being evaluated.

The agency said it was not yet ready to authorize Emergent BioSolutions Inc's plant for manufacturing the J&amp;J&nbsp;vaccine. Production of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;at the Baltimore site was halted by&nbsp;US authorities in April and J&amp;J was put in charge of manufacturing at the plant.

One source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the J&amp;J&nbsp;doses&nbsp;are expected to be exported to other countries. The&nbsp;doses&nbsp;are already in vials and ready for use, the other source said.

Safety concerns about the J&amp;J&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;paired with flagging&nbsp;US demand for vaccinations, in general, have slowed the rollout of the one-shot&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;to a crawl. Close to half of the 21 million&nbsp;doses&nbsp;produced for the United States sit unused.

The&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;said its decision allows for the J&amp;J&nbsp;doses&nbsp;to be used in the United States or exported. The agency said the drugmaker and Emergent must agree that the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;can share relevant information about the manufacturing of the&nbsp;doses&nbsp;with regulators where the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;is shipped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-g7-may-reallocate-100-billion-from-imf-funds-to-covid-ravaged-nations-390990">Also Read |&nbsp;US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations</a>

J&amp;J, in a statement, confirmed that the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;authorized the two batches, but did not acknowledge the&nbsp;doses&nbsp;regulators decided should be tossed.

The&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;declined to comment beyond its statement.

Last month, Emergent Chief Executive Robert Kramer said it was his understanding that there are 100 million&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;ready for&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;review and that regulators had begun the review process.

The April halt followed the discovery that ingredients from AstraZeneca's&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine, also being produced at the plant at the time, contaminated a batch of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine. AstraZeneca's shot is no longer being made there.

An&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;inspection also turned up a long list of sanitary problems and bad manufacturing practices at the Emergent plant.

Separately, Europe's drug regulator said on Friday that batches of J&amp;J&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;made for the region around the time the contamination issues&nbsp;were revealed at the Baltimore plant would, as a precaution, not be used.

The European Medicines Agency did not say how many shots were affected, but Reuters has reported it involves&nbsp;millions&nbsp;of&nbsp;doses, making it harder for J&amp;J to meet a target of delivering 55 million to Europe by end of June.

The US Food & Drug Administration on Friday, June 11, said Johnson & Johnson must throw away millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared millions for use.

The US Food & Drug Administration on Friday, June 11, said Johnson & Johnson must throw away millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared millions for use. Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the agency had cleared about 10 million doses. The New York Times said that the batches being discarded amount to around 60 million doses, citing people familiar with the matter. Without disclosing or confirming the number of vaccine doses, the FDA said in a news release that it had authorized two batches of the vaccine for use, that several other batches were not suitable for use, and that others were being evaluated. The agency said it was not yet ready to authorize Emergent BioSolutions Inc's plant for manufacturing the J&J vaccine. Production of J&J's vaccine at the Baltimore site was halted by US authorities in April and J&J was put in charge of manufacturing at the plant. One source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the J&J doses are expected to be exported to other countries. The doses are already in vials and ready for use, the other source said. Safety concerns about the J&J vaccine paired with flagging US demand for vaccinations, in general, have slowed the rollout of the one-shot vaccine to a crawl. Close to half of the 21 million doses produced for the United States sit unused. The FDA said its decision allows for the J&J doses to be used in the United States or exported. The agency said the drugmaker and Emergent must agree that the FDA can share relevant information about the manufacturing of the doses with regulators where the vaccine is shipped. Also Read | US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations J&J, in a statement, confirmed that the FDA authorized the two batches, but did not acknowledge the doses regulators decided should be tossed. The FDA declined to comment beyond its statement. Last month, Emergent Chief Executive Robert Kramer said it was his understanding that there are 100 million doses of J&J's vaccine ready for FDA review and that regulators had begun the review process. The April halt followed the discovery that ingredients from AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, also being produced at the plant at the time, contaminated a batch of J&J's vaccine. AstraZeneca's shot is no longer being made there. An FDA inspection also turned up a long list of sanitary problems and bad manufacturing practices at the Emergent plant. Separately, Europe's drug regulator said on Friday that batches of J&J COVID-19 vaccine made for the region around the time the contamination issues were revealed at the Baltimore plant would, as a precaution, not be used. The European Medicines Agency did not say how many shots were affected, but Reuters has reported it involves millions of doses, making it harder for J&J to meet a target of delivering 55 million to Europe by end of June.

US FDA says J&J should discard millions of defected doses

British foreign minister&nbsp;Dominic&nbsp;Raab said on Friday there was no doubt some countries were using vaccines as a diplomatic tool to secure influence but Britain did not support so-called <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> diplomacy.

Raab was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Cornwall, southwestern England, that was likely to be dominated by the West's attempts to reassert its influence as the world looks to rebuild from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> pandemic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/where-do-vaccine-doses-go-and-who-gets-them-the-algorithms-decide-362143">Where do vaccine doses go, and who gets them? The algorithms decide</a>

Western diplomats fear Russia and China are using their vaccines to gain influence across the world, especially in poorer countries that do not have their own production or the means to buy shots on the international market.

Asked whether he was concerned that China and Russia could use vaccines in exchange for influence, Raab said: "There's no doubt there's some of this is going about, and we don't support vaccine diplomacy, let alone blackmail.

"We think that we've got a moral duty, but also a strong vested interest in getting the world vaccinated," he said.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects the G7 to agree to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries during its summit, and help inoculate the world by the end of next year.

Raab said Britain's contribution would come with no strings attached, with at least 80 per cent being distributed by the COVAX international vaccine initiative. The rest would be provided to "strategic close countries where we have a particular relationship, and no, we don't insist on conditionality", he added.

'Team Effort'

The United States has promised to donate 500 million doses,&nbsp;which US&nbsp;President Biden stressed would come with no strings attached.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-us-to-donate-500-million-pfizer-doses-urge-others-to-join-in-390512">COVID-19: US to donate 500 million Pfizer doses, urge others to join in</a>

"We would only think it was responsible to be promoting vaccines that the WHO has sanctioned as safe to distribute," Raab said.

"But it's a team effort. And we want the countries like China and Russia to come together to tackle the problems of pandemic, but also climate change, and also to respect the basic principles of international law."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/paho-urges-countries-to-share-excess-vaccine-doses-390539">PAHO urges countries to share excess vaccine doses</a>

China currently has two WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines, while a Russian-developed shot is awaiting approval. Russia said last week it expected that approval in the next couple of months.

Raab also said he would be speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shortly, without giving a specific date. He declined to comment on issues he would raise at that meeting.

Nevertheless, Raab criticised Russia as a leading protagonist of cyberattacks, calling for the G7 to take a united stand against all such incidents, whether conducted by state or non-state actors.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/macron-calls-for-pharma-giants-to-donate-covid-vaccines-390827/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"These activities are contrary to international law, many of them, and they're very damaging, some of them are done for pure theft, or for profit, others are done just to create havoc," he said.

"We ought to be clear as an international community that cyber attacks on hospitals, on schools, on critical national infrastructure - that's wrong. That's unjustifiable, it's beyond the pale."

Asked about the recently forced landing of a civilian aircraft in Belarus, Raab said the country was slipping "into pariah status".

"We need Belarus to step up and live up to the basic, fundamental, cardinal rules of international law," he said.

British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Friday there was no doubt some countries were using vaccines as a diplomatic tool to secure influence but Britain did not support so-called vaccine diplomacy.

British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Friday there was no doubt some countries were using vaccines as a diplomatic tool to secure influence but Britain did not support so-called vaccine diplomacy. Raab was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Cornwall, southwestern England, that was likely to be dominated by the West's attempts to reassert its influence as the world looks to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. Also read | Where do vaccine doses go, and who gets them? The algorithms decide Western diplomats fear Russia and China are using their vaccines to gain influence across the world, especially in poorer countries that do not have their own production or the means to buy shots on the international market. Asked whether he was concerned that China and Russia could use vaccines in exchange for influence, Raab said: "There's no doubt there's some of this is going about, and we don't support vaccine diplomacy, let alone blackmail. "We think that we've got a moral duty, but also a strong vested interest in getting the world vaccinated," he said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects the G7 to agree to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries during its summit, and help inoculate the world by the end of next year. Raab said Britain's contribution would come with no strings attached, with at least 80 per cent being distributed by the COVAX international vaccine initiative. The rest would be provided to "strategic close countries where we have a particular relationship, and no, we don't insist on conditionality", he added. 'Team Effort' The United States has promised to donate 500 million doses, which US President Biden stressed would come with no strings attached. Also read | COVID-19: US to donate 500 million Pfizer doses, urge others to join in "We would only think it was responsible to be promoting vaccines that the WHO has sanctioned as safe to distribute," Raab said. "But it's a team effort. And we want the countries like China and Russia to come together to tackle the problems of pandemic, but also climate change, and also to respect the basic principles of international law." Also read | PAHO urges countries to share excess vaccine doses China currently has two WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines, while a Russian-developed shot is awaiting approval. Russia said last week it expected that approval in the next couple of months. Raab also said he would be speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shortly, without giving a specific date. He declined to comment on issues he would raise at that meeting. Nevertheless, Raab criticised Russia as a leading protagonist of cyberattacks, calling for the G7 to take a united stand against all such incidents, whether conducted by state or non-state actors. "These activities are contrary to international law, many of them, and they're very damaging, some of them are done for pure theft, or for profit, others are done just to create havoc," he said. "We ought to be clear as an international community that cyber attacks on hospitals, on schools, on critical national infrastructure - that's wrong. That's unjustifiable, it's beyond the pale." Asked about the recently forced landing of a civilian aircraft in Belarus, Raab said the country was slipping "into pariah status". "We need Belarus to step up and live up to the basic, fundamental, cardinal rules of international law," he said.

UK's Dominic Raab: Some countries are using vaccines as a geopolitcal tool

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine can 'effectively neutralize' the Beta and Gamma variant of the deadly virus, according to a new study led by researchers from the New York University.

The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine can 'effectively neutralize' the Beta and Gamma variant of the deadly virus, according to a new study led by researchers from the New York University. As per the study, the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccination worked well against the majority of variants. However, the vaccine neutralized the South African variant and the Brazil variant with a 3-fold decrease in titer. Published in the journal mBio, the study revealed that a monoclonal antibody cocktail, which consists of casirivamab and imdevimab might be less effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants in laboratory experiments. This was after lab experiments on Regeneron pharmaceuticals' REGN-COV2, which is a 2 recombinant monoclonal antibody cocktail, showed that casirivamab had lost some of its neutralizing activity against the South African and Brazilian variants. It also showed that the cocktail was 9- to 15- fold decreased in titer. Also Read | Pfizer less effective, AstraZeneca even worse against variant first detected in India: Study As a part of the research, the team created a panel of pseudotyped viruses. This was done using the spike proteins from 6 different variants of SARS-CoV-2. These included the B117 lineage variant identified in the UK, the B1351 lineage variant identified in South Africa, the B11248 lineage variant identified in Brazil, the COH.20G/677H lineage variant identified in Columbus Ohio, the 20 EUs variant identified in Spain, and later found elsewhere in Europe, and the Mink cluster five spike proteins located in minks in Denmark. Nathaniel "Ned" Landau, Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine said, "Our interpretation of the results is that the vaccine antibodies are very powerful, and even if you lose 3-fold of the titer, there is still plenty of antibody there to neutralize the virus. We believe the findings demonstrate that the vaccines will remain protective against the variants that we tested". Landau noted, "The question with this work is 'how do the laboratory findings translate into clinical effects, that is what will happen when you treat a patient infected with one of the variants?' We cannot say for sure. We will only know when the clinical data comes in". As per Landau, similar experiments in Moderna's Covid vaccine also showed the same results.

Pfizer's vaccine protective against Beta, Gamma variant of Coronavirus: Study

US President Joe Biden plans to buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to more than 90 countries while calling on the world's democracies to do their part to help end the deadly pandemic, the White House said.

The announcement of the vaccine donation - the largest ever by a single country - comes ahead of Biden's meeting with leaders of the other Group of Seven advanced economies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan - in Cornwall, England. 
"The goal of today's donation is to save lives and end the pandemic and will provide the foundation for additional actions to be announced in the coming days," the White House said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-us-to-end-trade-tariffs-call-for-new-study-into-covid-19-origins-says-summit-draft-390485">Also Read|&nbsp;EU, US to end trade tariffs, call for new study into COVID-19 origins, says summit draft</a>

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech confirmed they will provide 200 million doses in 2021 and 300 million doses in the first half of 2022, which the United States will then distribute to 92 lower-income countries and the African Union. 
The shots, which will be produced at Pfizer's U.S. production sites, will be provided at a not-for-profit price.

"Our partnership with the U.S. government will help bring hundreds of millions of doses of our vaccine to the poorest countries around the world as quickly as possible," said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla.

 
"SUPERCHARGE THE GLOBAL FIGHT" 
The donation, first reported on Wednesday, was negotiated over the past four weeks by White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients and the coronavirus task force team, a source familiar with the matter said.

It is meant to "supercharge the global fight against the pandemic," the White House said. 
The pandemic has killed about 3.9 million people around the world, with the infection reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

The new donations come on top of some 80 million doses Washington has already pledged to donate by the end of June, and $2 billion in funding earmarked for the COVAX program led by the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the White House said.

They will be part of the total U.S. commitment of $4 billion to COVAX announced earlier this year, a White House official said.&nbsp;Washington is also taking steps to support local production of COVID-19 vaccines in other countries, including through its Quad initiative with Japan, India, and Australia.

"President Biden has been clear that borders cannot keep this pandemic at bay and has vowed that our nation will be the arsenal of vaccines," the White House said.

Pfizer plans to produce the half a billion doses at its facilities in Kalamazoo, Michigan; McPherson, Kansas; Chesterfield, Missouri; and Andover, Massachusetts, the White House said.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that the United States is also talking with Moderna Inc about buying some of its shots to donate to other countries.

A Moderna spokesperson said the company is interested in providing the U.S. government with COVID-19 shots for low- and middle-income countries but declined to comment on any talks.

Biden's announcement comes amid mounting pressure for the United States, which has now given at least one shot to around 64% of its adult population, to boost donations of COVID-19 shots to other countries that are desperately seeking doses.

US President Joe Biden plans to buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to more than 90 countries while calling on the world's democracies to do their part to help end the deadly pandemic, the White House said.

US President Joe Biden plans to buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to more than 90 countries while calling on the world's democracies to do their part to help end the deadly pandemic, the White House said. The announcement of the vaccine donation - the largest ever by a single country - comes ahead of Biden's meeting with leaders of the other Group of Seven advanced economies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan - in Cornwall, England. "The goal of today's donation is to save lives and end the pandemic and will provide the foundation for additional actions to be announced in the coming days," the White House said. Also Read| EU, US to end trade tariffs, call for new study into COVID-19 origins, says summit draft U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech confirmed they will provide 200 million doses in 2021 and 300 million doses in the first half of 2022, which the United States will then distribute to 92 lower-income countries and the African Union. The shots, which will be produced at Pfizer's U.S. production sites, will be provided at a not-for-profit price. "Our partnership with the U.S. government will help bring hundreds of millions of doses of our vaccine to the poorest countries around the world as quickly as possible," said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla. "SUPERCHARGE THE GLOBAL FIGHT" The donation, first reported on Wednesday, was negotiated over the past four weeks by White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients and the coronavirus task force team, a source familiar with the matter said. It is meant to "supercharge the global fight against the pandemic," the White House said. The pandemic has killed about 3.9 million people around the world, with the infection reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. The new donations come on top of some 80 million doses Washington has already pledged to donate by the end of June, and $2 billion in funding earmarked for the COVAX program led by the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the White House said. They will be part of the total U.S. commitment of $4 billion to COVAX announced earlier this year, a White House official said. Washington is also taking steps to support local production of COVID-19 vaccines in other countries, including through its Quad initiative with Japan, India, and Australia. "President Biden has been clear that borders cannot keep this pandemic at bay and has vowed that our nation will be the arsenal of vaccines," the White House said. Pfizer plans to produce the half a billion doses at its facilities in Kalamazoo, Michigan; McPherson, Kansas; Chesterfield, Missouri; and Andover, Massachusetts, the White House said. CNBC reported on Wednesday that the United States is also talking with Moderna Inc about buying some of its shots to donate to other countries. A Moderna spokesperson said the company is interested in providing the U.S. government with COVID-19 shots for low- and middle-income countries but declined to comment on any talks. Biden's announcement comes amid mounting pressure for the United States, which has now given at least one shot to around 64% of its adult population, to boost donations of COVID-19 shots to other countries that are desperately seeking doses.

COVID-19: US to donate 500 million Pfizer doses, urge others to join in

After months of debate, WTO members on Wednesday took a first, small step towards a deal aimed at boosting the production of Covid vaccines and treatments through patent waivers or compulsory licensing deals.

After months of debate, WTO members on Wednesday took a first, small step towards a deal aimed at boosting the production of Covid vaccines and treatments through patent waivers or compulsory licensing deals. The World Trade Organization has struggled to move forward on the hotly debated issue, since all decisions at the global trade body must be reached by consensus of all 164 member states. But during a meeting on Wednesday, countries finally backed launching a process towards drafting an agreement, and "agreed on the urgency of this discussion", a Geneva-based trade official said. Views on the matter meanwhile remain far apart, the trade official said, adding that an initial report on progress in the text-based discussions was expected around July 21-22. Since October, the WTO has faced calls led by India and South Africa for the temporary removal of such intellectual property protections, in what proponents argue will boost production in developing countries of vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and other vital medical tools needed to battle Covid-19. This, they have argued, could help address the dire inequity in access to vaccines especially. That notion long met with fierce opposition from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, which insisted patents were not the main roadblocks to scaling up production and warned the move could hamper innovation. The positions seemed to shift some last month, when Washington came out in support of a global patent waiver for Covid jabs, with other long-time opponents voicing openness to discuss the matter. But others have stuck to their guns. Also Read | We have no time to lose, conclude talks on patent waiver proposal by July-end: India to WTO members Some countries, like Switzerland, prefer a scenario in which pharmaceutical companies enter into voluntary licensing deals, as AstraZeneca has done with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to make its Covid-19 jabs. And the European Commission last Friday presented a counter-proposal to the WTO calling for a multilateral pact aimed at boosting production of Covid-19 vaccines, not by suspending patents but through compulsory licensing deals and by urging countries to remove export restrictions. That text, along with a revised proposal by India and South Africa that is backed by more than 60 countries, will form the basis for the negotiations. Addressing Wednesday's debate, US Charge d'affaires David Bisbee stressed Washington's strong belief in IP protections. "But we must do what is necessary to accelerate manufacturing and equitable distribution of vaccines," he said, insisting that "the WTO must show that it can step up in a global crisis and act efficiently to improve the lives of ordinary people." "We must all come together to find a solution expeditiously, especially as the pandemic continues to spread with new variants." Bisbee said Washington was still examining the revised proposal from India and South Africa, adding though that it appeared to mark a "relatively modest change".

WTO moves forward in Covid vaccine patent waiver talks to boost production

If the spread of COVID-19 continues at current rates it will be years before the virus is controlled in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, as it called for countries to share excess vaccine doses.

There were almost 1.2 million new cases and 34,000 deaths in the region last week, and four of the five countries with the highest death counts worldwide are in the Americas, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said during the organization's weekly news conference.

"If current trends continue, the health, social and economic disparities in our region will grow even larger, and it will be years before we control this virus in the Americas," Etienne said.

Infections are higher in many places in the region than at any other point during the pandemic, she said, and the emergence of new more easily transmitted variants has added new complexities to epidemiological surveillance. 
Just 10% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated, with a particularly acute situation in Central American and the Caribbean.

PAHO is thankful to the United States, Spain, and Canada for promises to donate millions of doses or funding, but more needs to be done, the director said.

<a href="wionews.com/world/worldwide-plastics-production-falls-in-2020-for-the-first-time-since-2008-report-390529">Also Read |&nbsp;Worldwide plastics production falls in 2020 for the first time since 2008: Report</a>

"We hope other countries – particularly those with excess doses – and global financial institutions will follow in their footsteps to provide the support we need," Etienne said. "Vaccine donations are essential in the short-term."

Ahead of the kick-off of the Copa America soccer tournament in Brazil on Sunday, Ciro Ugarte, PAHO's Director of Health Emergencies, said countries hosting mass events should consider postponing if COVID-19 risks cannot be controlled.

Venezuela still owes $10 million in funding for vaccines via the COVAX vaccine sharing program, Ugarte said. 
COVAX supply for Venezuela will likely not be ready soon because of global demand, but PAHO hopes Venezuela and other regional countries will be given priority because they have not yet received COVAX doses.

Hospitalizations in Haiti are stretching oxygen supplies there, Etienne said. Haiti, one of only a handful of countries that has yet to administer a single dose of coronavirus vaccine, is grappling with its first major outbreak.

Bolivia and Colombia are seeing a rise in cases and deaths and intensive care unit beds are near capacity in many Colombian cities, Etienne added.

If the spread of COVID-19 continues at current rates it will be years before the virus is controlled in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, as it called for countries to share excess vaccine doses.

If the spread of COVID-19 continues at current rates it will be years before the virus is controlled in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, as it called for countries to share excess vaccine doses. There were almost 1.2 million new cases and 34,000 deaths in the region last week, and four of the five countries with the highest death counts worldwide are in the Americas, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said during the organization's weekly news conference. "If current trends continue, the health, social and economic disparities in our region will grow even larger, and it will be years before we control this virus in the Americas," Etienne said. Infections are higher in many places in the region than at any other point during the pandemic, she said, and the emergence of new more easily transmitted variants has added new complexities to epidemiological surveillance. Just 10% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated, with a particularly acute situation in Central American and the Caribbean. PAHO is thankful to the United States, Spain, and Canada for promises to donate millions of doses or funding, but more needs to be done, the director said. Also Read | Worldwide plastics production falls in 2020 for the first time since 2008: Report "We hope other countries – particularly those with excess doses – and global financial institutions will follow in their footsteps to provide the support we need," Etienne said. "Vaccine donations are essential in the short-term." Ahead of the kick-off of the Copa America soccer tournament in Brazil on Sunday, Ciro Ugarte, PAHO's Director of Health Emergencies, said countries hosting mass events should consider postponing if COVID-19 risks cannot be controlled. Venezuela still owes $10 million in funding for vaccines via the COVAX vaccine sharing program, Ugarte said. COVAX supply for Venezuela will likely not be ready soon because of global demand, but PAHO hopes Venezuela and other regional countries will be given priority because they have not yet received COVAX doses. Hospitalizations in Haiti are stretching oxygen supplies there, Etienne said. Haiti, one of only a handful of countries that has yet to administer a single dose of coronavirus vaccine, is grappling with its first major outbreak. Bolivia and Colombia are seeing a rise in cases and deaths and intensive care unit beds are near capacity in many Colombian cities, Etienne added.

PAHO urges countries to share excess vaccine doses

As the world struggles to procure <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</a>, a South Korean mayor made a public announcement that Pfizer will be sending 30 million doses within three weeks.

However, his announcement fell short as he soon realised he was being scammed and had to issue a public apology.

Kwon Young-jin, who is critical of the government’s vaccine distribution, took some time to realise that Pfizer does not distribute vaccines through third parties.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meet-grace-the-healthcare-robot-covid-19-created-390437">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/meet-grace-the-healthcare-robot-covid-19-created-390437/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"It was my mistake that this case regarded as one of the simple cases of a failed vaccine import has escalated into a fake vaccine fraud case," the Mayor said. "The image of Daegu was tarnished due to my careless words. I also caused deep wounds and disappointment to the citizens suffering from COVID-19."

Kwon had informed the national media that his team has held negotiations with a foreign trading company in Daegu who have assured supply of 30 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Medi-City Daegu Council and the trading company had exchanged several documents, but it was the Ministry of Health and Welfare who spotted the leak in the deal after they claimed it had "reliability issues".

As the world struggles to procure coronavirus vaccine, a South Korean mayor made a public announcement that Pfizer will be sending 30 million doses within three weeks.

As the world struggles to procure coronavirus vaccine, a South Korean mayor made a public announcement that Pfizer will be sending 30 million doses within three weeks. However, his announcement fell short as he soon realised he was being scammed and had to issue a public apology. Kwon Young-jin, who is critical of the government’s vaccine distribution, took some time to realise that Pfizer does not distribute vaccines through third parties. WATCH | "It was my mistake that this case regarded as one of the simple cases of a failed vaccine import has escalated into a fake vaccine fraud case," the Mayor said. "The image of Daegu was tarnished due to my careless words. I also caused deep wounds and disappointment to the citizens suffering from COVID-19." Kwon had informed the national media that his team has held negotiations with a foreign trading company in Daegu who have assured supply of 30 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The Medi-City Daegu Council and the trading company had exchanged several documents, but it was the Ministry of Health and Welfare who spotted the leak in the deal after they claimed it had "reliability issues".

South Korea: Mayor apologises for falling prey to vaccine scam

A former pharmacist in Wisconsin, who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to intentionally removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee.

In a statement before receiving his sentence, Brandenburg said he felt 'great shame' and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported he apologised to his co-workers, family and the community.

Aurora destroyed most of the tampered doses, but not before 57 people received inoculations from the supply. Those doses are believed to have still been effective, but weeks of uncertainty created a storm of anger, anxiety and anguish among the recipients, according to court documents.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment at $250,000 in fines for each felony count.

Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist, who believes he is a prophet and vaccines are a product of the devil. He also professed a belief that the Earth is flat and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were faked.

Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings.

(With inputs from agencies)

A former pharmacist in Wisconsin, who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday. Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product.

A former pharmacist in Wisconsin, who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday. Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to intentionally removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee. In a statement before receiving his sentence, Brandenburg said he felt 'great shame' and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported he apologised to his co-workers, family and the community. Aurora destroyed most of the tampered doses, but not before 57 people received inoculations from the supply. Those doses are believed to have still been effective, but weeks of uncertainty created a storm of anger, anxiety and anguish among the recipients, according to court documents. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment at $250,000 in fines for each felony count. Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist, who believes he is a prophet and vaccines are a product of the devil. He also professed a belief that the Earth is flat and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were faked. Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings. (With inputs from agencies)

Former US pharmacist gets prison for ruining Covid vaccine

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India.

"However, many countries do not have that option due to a lack of COVID-19 vaccines," he noted.&nbsp;

"We see two-track pandemic; many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while those with highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions, but they must be eased cautiously, with viral circulation and response capacities," he added.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE.

In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases.

(With inputs from agencies)

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India.

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India. "However, many countries do not have that option due to a lack of COVID-19 vaccines," he noted. "We see two-track pandemic; many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while those with highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions, but they must be eased cautiously, with viral circulation and response capacities," he added. The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases. (With inputs from agencies)

Lifting curbs too soon can be disastrous for those who aren't vaccinated: WHO

After being lauded as a model country for a successful fight against the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, Vietnam is now struggling to vaccinate its citizens.

Vietnam is now being attacked with a new wave of COVID-19, and has only been able to vaccinate one per cent of its population, out of 100 million.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/give-at-least-50-of-vaccine-doses-to-covax-programme-who-390032" hreflang="en">Give at least 50% of vaccine doses to Covax programme: WHO</a>

The authorities are now urging locals to donate money to the country’s ‘vaccine fund’ so that authorities can procure more doses and help vaccinate as many people as possible, at the earliest.

In order to make sure Vietnam’s economy continues to grow, like last year, the locals are also coming forward to donate whatever they can.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-pfizer-vaccine-trials-underway-for-kids-aged-5-to-11-years-390133">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-pfizer-vaccine-trials-underway-for-kids-aged-5-to-11-years-390133/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The locals have been receiving regular text messages asking for contributions and donations to the COVID-19 vaccine fund. In addition to this, the civil servants have been urged to donate one day’s pay to this fund.

Vietnam's government is hoping to procure 150 million vaccine doses by the end of this year through which they will be able to vaccinate nearly 70 per cent of the total population. This would cost nearly $1.1 billion, but the government has been able to collect only $640 million from the budget.

(With inputs from agencies)

After being lauded as a model country for a successful fight against the deadly coronavirus, Vietnam is now struggling to vaccinate its citizens. Vietnam is now being attacked with a new wave of COVID-19, and has only been able to vaccinate one per cent of its population, out of 100 million.

After being lauded as a model country for a successful fight against the deadly coronavirus, Vietnam is now struggling to vaccinate its citizens. Vietnam is now being attacked with a new wave of COVID-19, and has only been able to vaccinate one per cent of its population, out of 100 million. Also read | Give at least 50% of vaccine doses to Covax programme: WHO The authorities are now urging locals to donate money to the country’s ‘vaccine fund’ so that authorities can procure more doses and help vaccinate as many people as possible, at the earliest. In order to make sure Vietnam’s economy continues to grow, like last year, the locals are also coming forward to donate whatever they can. WATCH | The locals have been receiving regular text messages asking for contributions and donations to the COVID-19 vaccine fund. In addition to this, the civil servants have been urged to donate one day’s pay to this fund. Vietnam's government is hoping to procure 150 million vaccine doses by the end of this year through which they will be able to vaccinate nearly 70 per cent of the total population. This would cost nearly $1.1 billion, but the government has been able to collect only $640 million from the budget. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid coronavirus surge, Vietnam government urges donations for 'vaccine fund'

Pfizer vaccine trials on children aged 5 through 11 are underway in the United States. The children underwent temperature and blood pressure checks before getting a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

United States: Pfizer vaccine trials underway for kids aged 5 to 11 years

Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dad's hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started on Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

Children held stuffed animals, played under chairs and a few cried at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans. Their temperature and blood pressure were checked, their noses swabbed and their blood drawn for tests. Finally, they got a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

Ochsner is among 98 facilities in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Finland, Poland and Spain where the tests are taking place or planned. Families won't know for six months whether their children actually were vaccinated. At that point, children who didn't get the vaccine will have the chance to do so.

The Pfizer vaccine was approved on May 10 for children aged 12-15. Adam Bright, whose younger son Tucker, 5, also is participating, said it was worth the chance to be a part of the trial. "I want to do my part and have my kids do their part," he said.

"Both me and my wife are already vaccinated, and so the sooner I can get them vaccinated and to feel comfortable being outside, not having to wear a mask, I thought the easiest way to get it is to go through the trial." Russell, wearing a Spiderman mask, said he longs for a summer vacation that can include the water park or a longer trip&nbsp;and then school without masks and social distancing. "I'm looking forward to seeing my friends more and not wearing masks," he said. "You can't see if I'm making a frown or a smile. I don't like to wear them."

Five-year-old Kalil Chaudhry-Halperin held a stuffed toy Bruni 'the lizard-like fire spirit in the movie Frozen 2' as he waited at Ochsner. He was shy and a bit nervous, but his dad, Jason Halperin, says Kalil was excited, because he knows his parents and his 12-year-old sister have all been vaccinated.

"You know how much we've all been through, our entire community, but now we have safe, effective, life-saving vaccines, and it not only helps him but the entire community and anyone vulnerable around our family," Jason Halperin said.

"That's a great lesson to impart to our children." Adam Bright said he's confident the Pfizer vaccine is safe, especially after seeing how smoothly vaccinations seem to be going for the next age group up.

Russell said he hopes that if and when the vaccine is cleared for emergency use for kids his age, they'll take advantage of the chance. "Be brave and do it," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dad's hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started on Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dad's hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started on Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11. Children held stuffed animals, played under chairs and a few cried at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans. Their temperature and blood pressure were checked, their noses swabbed and their blood drawn for tests. Finally, they got a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo. Ochsner is among 98 facilities in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Finland, Poland and Spain where the tests are taking place or planned. Families won't know for six months whether their children actually were vaccinated. At that point, children who didn't get the vaccine will have the chance to do so. The Pfizer vaccine was approved on May 10 for children aged 12-15. Adam Bright, whose younger son Tucker, 5, also is participating, said it was worth the chance to be a part of the trial. "I want to do my part and have my kids do their part," he said. "Both me and my wife are already vaccinated, and so the sooner I can get them vaccinated and to feel comfortable being outside, not having to wear a mask, I thought the easiest way to get it is to go through the trial." Russell, wearing a Spiderman mask, said he longs for a summer vacation that can include the water park or a longer trip and then school without masks and social distancing. "I'm looking forward to seeing my friends more and not wearing masks," he said. "You can't see if I'm making a frown or a smile. I don't like to wear them." Five-year-old Kalil Chaudhry-Halperin held a stuffed toy Bruni 'the lizard-like fire spirit in the movie Frozen 2' as he waited at Ochsner. He was shy and a bit nervous, but his dad, Jason Halperin, says Kalil was excited, because he knows his parents and his 12-year-old sister have all been vaccinated. "You know how much we've all been through, our entire community, but now we have safe, effective, life-saving vaccines, and it not only helps him but the entire community and anyone vulnerable around our family," Jason Halperin said. "That's a great lesson to impart to our children." Adam Bright said he's confident the Pfizer vaccine is safe, especially after seeing how smoothly vaccinations seem to be going for the next age group up. Russell said he hopes that if and when the vaccine is cleared for emergency use for kids his age, they'll take advantage of the chance. "Be brave and do it," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Kids aged 5 and up get shots in tests for COVID-19 vaccine

The United States will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the country's plan to share shots globally, US&nbsp;Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Sunday, offering a much-needed boost to the island's fight against the pandemic. 
 
Taiwan is dealing with a spike in domestic cases but has been affected like many places by global vaccines shortages. Only around 3% of its 23.5 million people have been vaccinated, with most getting only the first shot of two needed. 
 
Speaking at Taipei's downtown Songshan airport after arriving on a brief visit with fellow Senators Dan Sullivan and Christopher Coons, Duckworth said Taiwan would be getting 750,000 doses as part of the first tranche of US&nbsp;donations. 
 
"It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognise your urgent need and we value this partnership," she said at a news conference. She did not give details of which vaccines Taiwan would get or when. 
 
Taiwan has complained about China, which claims the democratically-ruled island as its own, trying to block the island from accessing vaccines internationally, which Beijing has denied. 
 
Standing by Duckworth's side, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the United States for the donation. 
 
"While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicines are delivered free from trouble from Beijing," he said. 
 
China has offered Taiwan Chinese-made vaccines, but the government in Taipei has repeatedly expressed concern about their safety, and in any case cannot import them without changing Taiwanese law, which bans their import. 
 
The senators will also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen to discuss security and other issues. 
 
US&nbsp;senators and congressmen visit Taiwan routinely in normal times, but coming in the middle of an upswing in infections on the island when its borders remain largely closed to visitors is a strong show of support. 
 
Unusually, they also arrived on a US&nbsp;Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter, rather than a private jet as is generally the case for senior US&nbsp;visitors. 
 
Taiwan's vaccine arrivals have been gathering pace. 
 
Japan delivered to Taiwan 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca PLC's coronavirus vaccine on Friday for free, in a gesture that more than doubled the amount of shots the island has received to date. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the country's plan to share shots globally, US Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Sunday, offering a much-needed boost to the island's fight against the pandemic.

The United States will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the country's plan to share shots globally, US Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Sunday, offering a much-needed boost to the island's fight against the pandemic. Taiwan is dealing with a spike in domestic cases but has been affected like many places by global vaccines shortages. Only around 3% of its 23.5 million people have been vaccinated, with most getting only the first shot of two needed. Speaking at Taipei's downtown Songshan airport after arriving on a brief visit with fellow Senators Dan Sullivan and Christopher Coons, Duckworth said Taiwan would be getting 750,000 doses as part of the first tranche of US donations. "It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognise your urgent need and we value this partnership," she said at a news conference. She did not give details of which vaccines Taiwan would get or when. Taiwan has complained about China, which claims the democratically-ruled island as its own, trying to block the island from accessing vaccines internationally, which Beijing has denied. Standing by Duckworth's side, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the United States for the donation. "While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicines are delivered free from trouble from Beijing," he said. China has offered Taiwan Chinese-made vaccines, but the government in Taipei has repeatedly expressed concern about their safety, and in any case cannot import them without changing Taiwanese law, which bans their import. The senators will also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen to discuss security and other issues. US senators and congressmen visit Taiwan routinely in normal times, but coming in the middle of an upswing in infections on the island when its borders remain largely closed to visitors is a strong show of support. Unusually, they also arrived on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter, rather than a private jet as is generally the case for senior US visitors. Taiwan's vaccine arrivals have been gathering pace. Japan delivered to Taiwan 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca PLC's coronavirus vaccine on Friday for free, in a gesture that more than doubled the amount of shots the island has received to date. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan to get 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots from US

Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project said. 
 
As wealthy countries begin to reopen after securing vaccine supplies early, African nations are still struggling to acquire shots. On a continent of 1.3 billion, only about 7 million have been fully vaccinated. 
 
The collaboration highlights the opportunities created by a global push to channel money and technology towards production on a continent that makes only 1% of the vaccines it requires. 
 
Univercells announced the signing of a letter of intent for collaboration with the Institut Pasteur in Senegal's capital Dakar in April. The source shared details of the proposal, which were not made public. 
 
Under the agreement, the Institut Pasteur would use vaccine production technology developed by Univercells to supply COVID-19 vaccine shots to countries across West Africa. 
 
The institute would initially begin packaging and distributing vaccines produced by Univercells in Belgium early next year, the source involved in securing financing for the collaboration said. 
 
Univercells would transfer its full production line to Senegal in the second half of 2022, the source said, adding that the company would train local staff so they could eventually run the operation. 
 
Univercells chief investment officer Kate Antrobus, when asked about the timeframe for the project, confirmed that it could send vaccine doses to Senegal early next year. 
 
She declined to comment on the exact date for a full vaccine production line in Senegal but of the timelines referenced she said: "I do not think they are unreasonable." 
 
Timing depends on Univercells securing regulatory approval for a vaccine production site in Belgium. Antrobus said that was expected "any day now". 
 
Institut Pasteur director Amadou Sall declined to comment on the timeline or size of the project but said the facility was working with donors to secure financial backing. 
 
"There is a lot of political will, I am optimistic. But it is not about momentum, it is about creating a real opportunity," he said. 
 
It is not clear yet what vaccine will be supplied to Senegal, but Antrobus said the site in Belgium would be able to manufacture a class of so-called viral vector COVID-19 vaccine, such as those developed by Johnson &amp; Johnson, AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Cansino. 
 
"If COVID-19 amazingly subsides over the next year....that same capacity could be used for other viruses," Antrobus said. 
 
Univercells also has its own COVID-19 vaccine candidate, being developed with Germany's Leukocare and Italian firm ReiThera, which has completed Phase II trials. It is seeking financing to carry out Phase III, which the Italian government said it is ready to fund.

(With inputs from agencies)

Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project said.

Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project said. As wealthy countries begin to reopen after securing vaccine supplies early, African nations are still struggling to acquire shots. On a continent of 1.3 billion, only about 7 million have been fully vaccinated. The collaboration highlights the opportunities created by a global push to channel money and technology towards production on a continent that makes only 1% of the vaccines it requires. Univercells announced the signing of a letter of intent for collaboration with the Institut Pasteur in Senegal's capital Dakar in April. The source shared details of the proposal, which were not made public. Under the agreement, the Institut Pasteur would use vaccine production technology developed by Univercells to supply COVID-19 vaccine shots to countries across West Africa. The institute would initially begin packaging and distributing vaccines produced by Univercells in Belgium early next year, the source involved in securing financing for the collaboration said. Univercells would transfer its full production line to Senegal in the second half of 2022, the source said, adding that the company would train local staff so they could eventually run the operation. Univercells chief investment officer Kate Antrobus, when asked about the timeframe for the project, confirmed that it could send vaccine doses to Senegal early next year. She declined to comment on the exact date for a full vaccine production line in Senegal but of the timelines referenced she said: "I do not think they are unreasonable." Timing depends on Univercells securing regulatory approval for a vaccine production site in Belgium. Antrobus said that was expected "any day now". Institut Pasteur director Amadou Sall declined to comment on the timeline or size of the project but said the facility was working with donors to secure financial backing. "There is a lot of political will, I am optimistic. But it is not about momentum, it is about creating a real opportunity," he said. It is not clear yet what vaccine will be supplied to Senegal, but Antrobus said the site in Belgium would be able to manufacture a class of so-called viral vector COVID-19 vaccine, such as those developed by Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Cansino. "If COVID-19 amazingly subsides over the next year....that same capacity could be used for other viruses," Antrobus said. Univercells also has its own COVID-19 vaccine candidate, being developed with Germany's Leukocare and Italian firm ReiThera, which has completed Phase II trials. It is seeking financing to carry out Phase III, which the Italian government said it is ready to fund. (With inputs from agencies)

In boost for Africa, Senegal aims to make COVID-19 shots next year

1,65,00,572&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

So far, over 240 million doses have been provided to the states and UTs, it said in a statement. The total consumption, including wastage, stands at 22,65,08,508 doses, according to data available at 8 am on Saturday, the ministry said.

"1,65,00,572&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered," it said. So far, 24,30,09,080 vaccine doses have been provided free of cost to the states and UTs by the government of India and through the direct state procurement category, it said.

1,65,00,572 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. So far, over 240 million doses have been provided to the states and UTs, it said in a statement.

1,65,00,572 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and union territories, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. So far, over 240 million doses have been provided to the states and UTs, it said in a statement. The total consumption, including wastage, stands at 22,65,08,508 doses, according to data available at 8 am on Saturday, the ministry said. "1,65,00,572 COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered," it said. So far, 24,30,09,080 vaccine doses have been provided free of cost to the states and UTs by the government of India and through the direct state procurement category, it said.

States, UTs have 1,65,00,572 COVID-19 vaccine doses: Centre

The head of Sindh, a Pakistan province has ordered that government employees who refuse to receive Covid vaccine would not be paid starting next month. Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh made the announced the decision after meeting health officials. First cases of the delta variant of coronavirus have been detected in Sindh.

"Any government employee who is not vaccinated should have their salary stopped from July," he tweeted, adding that orders had been given to the finance ministry.

Third wave of coronavirus infections has begun to stabilise in the country after weeks of restrictions on public gatherings. However, Sindh has reported highest number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Pakistan's initially sluggish vaccination rollout has been ramped up in recent weeks with more than 200,000 doses administered most days.

But the impoverished country has fully vaccinated only around 2.2 million people -- a fraction of its 220 million population.

Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the side effects of the jab have sparked hesitancy in Pakistan, while the requirement to have a mobile phone to register for a shot has proved a barrier for some poor and illiterate citizens.

Those in rural areas have also struggled to get access to vaccine centres, the majority of which are in major cities.&nbsp;

The Sindh salary order mystified employee representatives.

"This is a strange order, as people are very much volunteering and willing to get vaccinated," said Liaqat Sahi, the secretary general of a labour union at the central State Bank of Pakistan, adding that he has been vaccinated.

"Instead the government should... create more vaccination centres, especially in rural areas." 
Pakistan has recorded more than 850,000 infections and 21,022 deaths, but with limited testing and a ramshackle healthcare sector, many fear the true extent of the disease is much worse.

(With inputs from agencies)

The head of Sindh, a Pakistan province has ordered that government employees who refuse to receive Covid vaccine would not be paid starting next month. Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh made the announced the decision after meeting health officials.

The head of Sindh, a Pakistan province has ordered that government employees who refuse to receive Covid vaccine would not be paid starting next month. Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh made the announced the decision after meeting health officials. First cases of the delta variant of coronavirus have been detected in Sindh. "Any government employee who is not vaccinated should have their salary stopped from July," he tweeted, adding that orders had been given to the finance ministry. Third wave of coronavirus infections has begun to stabilise in the country after weeks of restrictions on public gatherings. However, Sindh has reported highest number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Pakistan's initially sluggish vaccination rollout has been ramped up in recent weeks with more than 200,000 doses administered most days. But the impoverished country has fully vaccinated only around 2.2 million people -- a fraction of its 220 million population. Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the side effects of the jab have sparked hesitancy in Pakistan, while the requirement to have a mobile phone to register for a shot has proved a barrier for some poor and illiterate citizens. Those in rural areas have also struggled to get access to vaccine centres, the majority of which are in major cities. The Sindh salary order mystified employee representatives. "This is a strange order, as people are very much volunteering and willing to get vaccinated," said Liaqat Sahi, the secretary general of a labour union at the central State Bank of Pakistan, adding that he has been vaccinated. "Instead the government should... create more vaccination centres, especially in rural areas." Pakistan has recorded more than 850,000 infections and 21,022 deaths, but with limited testing and a ramshackle healthcare sector, many fear the true extent of the disease is much worse. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan province to block salaries of unvaccinated employees

The use of the COVID-19 vaccine has been extended to persons over the age of 12 in Canada, the United States, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Chile, and Japan. Germany and Poland have also announced that vaccinations for children above the age of 12 will begin on June 7.

Earlier this year, Israel expanded its vaccine campaign to include anyone aged 16 and up.&nbsp;

However, the World Health Organization has advised rich countries to offer shots to the COVAX scheme instead of vaccinating teenagers in affluent countries while many regions of the world wait for dosages for older and more vulnerable people.&nbsp;

Following is a list of nations that have approved or are contemplating vaccinating children:&nbsp;

European countries

* Italy on May 31 approved extending the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 12-15-year-olds.

* Germany plans to offer the first shot to children aged 12-16 from June 7, while Poland would offer shots to those aged 12-15 the same day.

* France could begin inoculating teens aged 16-18 by June, with 12-15-year-olds receiving shots at the start of the school year.

* Lithuania’s prime minister said the country could start vaccinating children from age 12 in June, news site Delfi reported.

* Estonia could start vaccinating teenagers by the autumn, public broadcaster ERR reported, citing the head of the government’s COVID-19 council.

* Romania’s prime minister said children from age 12 could start receiving shots from June 1, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

* Austria aims to have over 340,000 children aged 12-15 vaccinated by the end of August, according to news site Vindobona.

* Hungary started vaccinating 16-18-year-olds in mid-May, according to Xinhua news agency.

Europe (non-EU)

* Pfizer said in mid-May it was seeking British approval to use its vaccine for 12-15-year-olds.

* Norway may consider the Pfizer vaccine for children who have a high risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, VG newspaper reported.

* Switzerland’s health watchdog said in early May Pfizer had sought approval for its shot in children aged 12-15.

MIDDLE EAST

* Israel expanded its vaccination drive to 16-18 year-olds in January and is this week set to rule on approving shots for those aged 12-15.

* Dubai said on June 1 it had started offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 12-15-year-olds after the United Arab Emirates approved the shot for emergency use for the same age group in mid-May.

Asia-Pacific

* Singapore opened up its vaccination programme to adolescents aged 12-18 from June 1.

* Japan on May 28 approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and above.

* The Philippines on May 26 decided to allow the Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15.

Americas

* Chile on May 31 approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for 12-16-year-olds.

* US states began to inoculate young adolescents in mid-May after its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer’s shot for those aged 12-15.

* Canada in early May approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for use in children aged 12-15.

(With inputs from Agencies)

The use of the COVID-19 vaccine has been extended to persons over the age of 12 in Canada, the United States, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Chile, and Japan.

The use of the COVID-19 vaccine has been extended to persons over the age of 12 in Canada, the United States, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Chile, and Japan. Germany and Poland have also announced that vaccinations for children above the age of 12 will begin on June 7. Earlier this year, Israel expanded its vaccine campaign to include anyone aged 16 and up. However, the World Health Organization has advised rich countries to offer shots to the COVAX scheme instead of vaccinating teenagers in affluent countries while many regions of the world wait for dosages for older and more vulnerable people. Following is a list of nations that have approved or are contemplating vaccinating children: European countries * Italy on May 31 approved extending the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 12-15-year-olds. * Germany plans to offer the first shot to children aged 12-16 from June 7, while Poland would offer shots to those aged 12-15 the same day. * France could begin inoculating teens aged 16-18 by June, with 12-15-year-olds receiving shots at the start of the school year. * Lithuania’s prime minister said the country could start vaccinating children from age 12 in June, news site Delfi reported. * Estonia could start vaccinating teenagers by the autumn, public broadcaster ERR reported, citing the head of the government’s COVID-19 council. * Romania’s prime minister said children from age 12 could start receiving shots from June 1, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. * Austria aims to have over 340,000 children aged 12-15 vaccinated by the end of August, according to news site Vindobona. * Hungary started vaccinating 16-18-year-olds in mid-May, according to Xinhua news agency. Europe (non-EU) * Pfizer said in mid-May it was seeking British approval to use its vaccine for 12-15-year-olds. * Norway may consider the Pfizer vaccine for children who have a high risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, VG newspaper reported. * Switzerland’s health watchdog said in early May Pfizer had sought approval for its shot in children aged 12-15. MIDDLE EAST * Israel expanded its vaccination drive to 16-18 year-olds in January and is this week set to rule on approving shots for those aged 12-15. * Dubai said on June 1 it had started offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 12-15-year-olds after the United Arab Emirates approved the shot for emergency use for the same age group in mid-May. Asia-Pacific * Singapore opened up its vaccination programme to adolescents aged 12-18 from June 1. * Japan on May 28 approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and above. * The Philippines on May 26 decided to allow the Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15. Americas * Chile on May 31 approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for 12-16-year-olds. * US states began to inoculate young adolescents in mid-May after its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer’s shot for those aged 12-15. * Canada in early May approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for use in children aged 12-15. (With inputs from Agencies)

COVID-19: Countries that are vaccinating children against deadly virus

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel,&nbsp;were likely linked to their vaccination. 
 
Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population. 
 
In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December 2020 and May 2021 among more than five million vaccinated people, the ministry said in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned to examine the matter. 
 
Most patients, who experienced heart inflammation spent no more than four days in hospital and 95% of the cases were classified as mild, according to the study, which the ministry said was conducted by three teams of experts. 
 
The study found "there is a probable link between receiving the second dose (of Pfizer) vaccine and the appearance of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30," it said in a statement. 
 
According to the findings, such a link was observed more among men aged 16 to 19 than in other age groups. 
 
Pfizer said in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis, noting that no causal link to its vaccine has been established. 
 
Adverse events are thoroughly reviewed and Pfizer meets regularly with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health to review data, it said. 
 
A US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last month recommended further study of the possibility of a link between myocarditis and mRNA vaccines, which include those from Pfizer and Moderna Inc. 
 
CDC monitoring systems had not found more cases than would be expected in the population, but the advisory group said in a statement that members felt healthcare providers should be made aware of reports of a "potential adverse event." 
 
The Israeli ministry released the statement, which contained no recommendations, ahead of a widely expected decision on whether to begin vaccinating youngsters aged 12 to 15 in Israel. 
 
It said a team examining that issue would make its recommendation to the ministry's director-general, but gave no date. 
 
Israeli media reports said a decision on including the 12-15 age group in the country's vaccination programme could come as early as Sunday. 
 
Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout. 
 
With COVID-19 infections down to just a handful a day and total active cases at just 340 across the country, the economy has fully opened, though restrictions remain on incoming tourism. 
 
Some 55% of Israel's population has already been vaccinated. As of Tuesday, restrictions on social distancing and the need for special green vaccination passes to enter certain restaurants and venues were scrapped. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, were likely linked to their vaccination.

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, were likely linked to their vaccination. Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population. In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December 2020 and May 2021 among more than five million vaccinated people, the ministry said in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned to examine the matter. Most patients, who experienced heart inflammation spent no more than four days in hospital and 95% of the cases were classified as mild, according to the study, which the ministry said was conducted by three teams of experts. The study found "there is a probable link between receiving the second dose (of Pfizer) vaccine and the appearance of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30," it said in a statement. According to the findings, such a link was observed more among men aged 16 to 19 than in other age groups. Pfizer said in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis, noting that no causal link to its vaccine has been established. Adverse events are thoroughly reviewed and Pfizer meets regularly with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health to review data, it said. A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last month recommended further study of the possibility of a link between myocarditis and mRNA vaccines, which include those from Pfizer and Moderna Inc. CDC monitoring systems had not found more cases than would be expected in the population, but the advisory group said in a statement that members felt healthcare providers should be made aware of reports of a "potential adverse event." The Israeli ministry released the statement, which contained no recommendations, ahead of a widely expected decision on whether to begin vaccinating youngsters aged 12 to 15 in Israel. It said a team examining that issue would make its recommendation to the ministry's director-general, but gave no date. Israeli media reports said a decision on including the 12-15 age group in the country's vaccination programme could come as early as Sunday. Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout. With COVID-19 infections down to just a handful a day and total active cases at just 340 across the country, the economy has fully opened, though restrictions remain on incoming tourism. Some 55% of Israel's population has already been vaccinated. As of Tuesday, restrictions on social distancing and the need for special green vaccination passes to enter certain restaurants and venues were scrapped. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and myocarditis cases

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. 
 
Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the administration of US&nbsp;President Joe Biden would focus on equitable distribution of the vaccines and not tie political strings to the process, a criticism at times directed at China. 
 
"Sometime in the next week to two weeks, we will be announcing the process by which we will distribute those vaccines, what the criteria are, how we will do it," Blinken said during his first trip as secretary of state to Latin America, which is fighting to contain COVID-19. 
 
"We will distribute vaccines without political requirements of those receiving them." 
 
On Monday, Biden said his administration would send at least 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries. 
 
The Biden administration has been under pressure to share vaccines to help curb worsening outbreaks from India to Brazil, where health experts fear new, more contagious coronavirus variants could undermine the effectiveness of available shots. 
 
Blinken said the announcement would reveal the criteria and details of the process but that the United States would focus on the equitable distribution and work in coordination of the COVAX vaccine sharing facility. 
 
As the pandemic outlook within the United States brightens with advancing vaccinations, the aid pledge is central to the administration's drive to use US&nbsp;vaccine supply as a tool to counter Chinese and Russian vaccine diplomacy. 
 
A senior State Department official, when asked if the United States during this trip made vaccine commitments, to Central America or Costa Rica specifically, said no region or country specific pledges had been made. 
 
"We don't know what the final distribution is going to be. A lot of it has to do with essentially epidemiology and where the science says that we should be dedicating those vaccines to prevent further spread," the official told reporters in a briefing. 
 
Biden, who has loaned some unused vaccines to Canada and Mexico and donated funds to a multilateral vaccination effort for poor countries, in April said the White House was still looking at its options for eventually sending vaccines to Canada, Central America and elsewhere. 
 
Costa Rica's Alvarado stressed that his country was hoping for prompt news on vaccine distribution. 
 
Earlier on Tuesday, the World Bank urged the United States to free up excess vaccines.

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the administration of US President Joe Biden would focus on equitable distribution of the vaccines and not tie political strings to the process, a criticism at times directed at China. "Sometime in the next week to two weeks, we will be announcing the process by which we will distribute those vaccines, what the criteria are, how we will do it," Blinken said during his first trip as secretary of state to Latin America, which is fighting to contain COVID-19. "We will distribute vaccines without political requirements of those receiving them." On Monday, Biden said his administration would send at least 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries. The Biden administration has been under pressure to share vaccines to help curb worsening outbreaks from India to Brazil, where health experts fear new, more contagious coronavirus variants could undermine the effectiveness of available shots. Blinken said the announcement would reveal the criteria and details of the process but that the United States would focus on the equitable distribution and work in coordination of the COVAX vaccine sharing facility. As the pandemic outlook within the United States brightens with advancing vaccinations, the aid pledge is central to the administration's drive to use US vaccine supply as a tool to counter Chinese and Russian vaccine diplomacy. A senior State Department official, when asked if the United States during this trip made vaccine commitments, to Central America or Costa Rica specifically, said no region or country specific pledges had been made. "We don't know what the final distribution is going to be. A lot of it has to do with essentially epidemiology and where the science says that we should be dedicating those vaccines to prevent further spread," the official told reporters in a briefing. Biden, who has loaned some unused vaccines to Canada and Mexico and donated funds to a multilateral vaccination effort for poor countries, in April said the White House was still looking at its options for eventually sending vaccines to Canada, Central America and elsewhere. Costa Rica's Alvarado stressed that his country was hoping for prompt news on vaccine distribution. Earlier on Tuesday, the World Bank urged the United States to free up excess vaccines.

US to detail global distribution plan for 80 million vaccine doses

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us."

He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly.

"But the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, who have been stretched beyond breaking point and the millions of people of all ages confronted with months of loneliness and isolation," he further said.

"And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic", he added.

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"And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic"-<a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHA74?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WHA74</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4">https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4</a>
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Talking about the governments' handling the pandemic he said: "The safety of the Earth’s people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments. Every government is responsible for, &amp; accountable to, its people. But the member States can only truly keep their people safe if they are accountable to each other at the global level".

Emphasising a Pandemic treaty and joint action he said that: "A Pandemic Treaty would foster improved sharing, trust and accountability, and provide the solid foundation on which to build other mechanisms for global health security". 
 
In closing comments to the WHO’s annual week-long high-level assembly, Tedros said that a potential international treaty will be discussed in a special session of WHO members in November.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us." He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us." He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly. "But the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, who have been stretched beyond breaking point and the millions of people of all ages confronted with months of loneliness and isolation," he further said. "And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic", he added. "And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic"-@DrTedros #WHA74 #COVID19 https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4 — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 31, 2021 × Talking about the governments' handling the pandemic he said: "The safety of the Earth’s people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments. Every government is responsible for, & accountable to, its people. But the member States can only truly keep their people safe if they are accountable to each other at the global level". Emphasising a Pandemic treaty and joint action he said that: "A Pandemic Treaty would foster improved sharing, trust and accountability, and provide the solid foundation on which to build other mechanisms for global health security". In closing comments to the WHO’s annual week-long high-level assembly, Tedros said that a potential international treaty will be discussed in a special session of WHO members in November.

One day the pandemic will be behind us, but psychological scars will remain: WHO chief

Tamil Nadu government said on Tuesday that it would be receiving a consignment of 420,000 vaccines from the central government. The consignment is expected to land at the city airport by 5:20 pm.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Health Minister M&nbsp;Subramanian said that vaccination will be halted in Tamil Nadu from Tuesday evening onwards, as stocks would be exhausted. He said that vaccination would have to be halted until doses arrive on June 6th. 
&nbsp; 
Speaking at the government hospital in Chengalpet, the minister said Tamil Nadu had received about 9.6 million vaccines, of which 9.2 million were administered and the rest&nbsp; were wasted. He claimed that there was a delay from the central government in sending 175,000 doses that were due by May-end.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Subramanian said that DMK representatives in Delhi had met central ministers and officials in Delhi to seek adequate vaccines for the state. He expressed confidence that about 4.2 million vaccines would arrive in Tamil Nadu in a phased manner this month. Those vaccines would be dispatched to the districts based on the population and other requirements, he added. 
&nbsp; 
The minister said he was requesting state BJP President L&nbsp;Murugan and BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan to provide support and urge the Central Government to provide adequate vaccines for Tamil Nadu. 
&nbsp; 
The DMK Government had earlier floated a global tender to procure vaccines for Tamil Nadu, which is yet to yield any results. DMK leaders and Chief Minister Stalin had written to the prime minister to permit the state government to take on lease the unused Integrated Vaccine Complex, at Chengalpet near Chennai.

The plant, which was established by the central government in 2021, has been lying idle ever since. Stalin wanted the factory to be handed over to the State Government on the lease, without any past liabilities and full operational freedom. However, questions loom over which Covid-19 vaccine would be manufactured here.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
On the issue of people queuing up for vaccines in Tamil Nadu despite the looming shortage, he said that it was heartening to see people eagerly waiting to take the shot, rather than hesitating to take the shot.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Tamil Nadu continues to witness the highest daily number of Covid-19 cases of all states in India. The daily case numbers are nearly 28,000 and active cases are a little over 300,000.

Over the last few days, the number of persons discharged following treatment has surpassed the daily cases. However, the worry remains the fatality numbers which have been hovering over 450 for more than a week. So far, 24,232 people have lost their lives to the pandemic in Tamil Nadu, with most lives lost being in May.

Tamil Nadu government said on Tuesday that it would be receiving a consignment of 420,000 vaccines from the central government. The consignment is expected to land at the city airport by 5:20 pm.

Tamil Nadu government said on Tuesday that it would be receiving a consignment of 420,000 vaccines from the central government. The consignment is expected to land at the city airport by 5:20 pm. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramanian said that vaccination will be halted in Tamil Nadu from Tuesday evening onwards, as stocks would be exhausted. He said that vaccination would have to be halted until doses arrive on June 6th. Speaking at the government hospital in Chengalpet, the minister said Tamil Nadu had received about 9.6 million vaccines, of which 9.2 million were administered and the rest were wasted. He claimed that there was a delay from the central government in sending 175,000 doses that were due by May-end. Subramanian said that DMK representatives in Delhi had met central ministers and officials in Delhi to seek adequate vaccines for the state. He expressed confidence that about 4.2 million vaccines would arrive in Tamil Nadu in a phased manner this month. Those vaccines would be dispatched to the districts based on the population and other requirements, he added. The minister said he was requesting state BJP President L Murugan and BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan to provide support and urge the Central Government to provide adequate vaccines for Tamil Nadu. The DMK Government had earlier floated a global tender to procure vaccines for Tamil Nadu, which is yet to yield any results. DMK leaders and Chief Minister Stalin had written to the prime minister to permit the state government to take on lease the unused Integrated Vaccine Complex, at Chengalpet near Chennai. The plant, which was established by the central government in 2021, has been lying idle ever since. Stalin wanted the factory to be handed over to the State Government on the lease, without any past liabilities and full operational freedom. However, questions loom over which Covid-19 vaccine would be manufactured here. On the issue of people queuing up for vaccines in Tamil Nadu despite the looming shortage, he said that it was heartening to see people eagerly waiting to take the shot, rather than hesitating to take the shot. Tamil Nadu continues to witness the highest daily number of Covid-19 cases of all states in India. The daily case numbers are nearly 28,000 and active cases are a little over 300,000. Over the last few days, the number of persons discharged following treatment has surpassed the daily cases. However, the worry remains the fatality numbers which have been hovering over 450 for more than a week. So far, 24,232 people have lost their lives to the pandemic in Tamil Nadu, with most lives lost being in May.

COVID-19: Tamil Nadu stops vaccination due to shortages, will receive 420,000 doses

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. 
 
The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added. 
 
A government spokesman said in an emailed statement that the COVID-19 vaccine certification review is still in process and no decision has yet been made. 
 
There has been mounting concern over the prospect of vaccine certificates voiced by the UK's Conservative Party, as well as opposition lawmakers and civil rights groups. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signaled the ethical issues posed by COVID-19 vaccine certification.

(With inputs from agencies)

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added.

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added. A government spokesman said in an emailed statement that the COVID-19 vaccine certification review is still in process and no decision has yet been made. There has been mounting concern over the prospect of vaccine certificates voiced by the UK's Conservative Party, as well as opposition lawmakers and civil rights groups. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signaled the ethical issues posed by COVID-19 vaccine certification. (With inputs from agencies)

UK vaccine passport plans to be scrapped: The Telegraph

Nearly&nbsp;120 million doses of coronavirus vaccine will be available in June, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.&nbsp;In May, 79.4&nbsp;million doses were available for vaccination.

In a statement, the ministry said the allocation of supplies to states and union territories is decided on the consumption pattern, population and vaccine wastage.

"Visibility for availability of vaccines for the entire month of June 2021 has been provided well in advance to States/UTs...," it said.

"For the month of June, 6.09 crore (6,09,60,000) doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be supplied to the States and UTs for vaccination of priority group of Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front-Line Workers (FLWs) and person aged 45 years + and above as free supply from Government of India," the ministry said.

"In addition, more than 5.86 crore (5,86,10,000) doses will be available for direct procurement by the state/UTs and Private Hospitals. Therefore, in June 2021 close to 12 crore (11,95,70,000) doses will be available for the national COVID-19 vaccination programme," it said.

The ministry said the delivery schedule for this allocation will be shared with states in advance. "States have been requested to direct the concerned officials to ensure rational and judicious utilisation of allocated doses and minimise the vaccine wastage. The basic objective behind informing the States/UTs in advance of the quantum of free vaccine doses to be made available from Centre for 15/30 days and the total vaccine doses which are available for direct procurement by States/UTs is to ensure better planning and delivery of vaccine by States/UTs," it said.

For the month of May, 4,03,49,830 vaccine doses have been made available by the Union Government to states. 
In addition, 3,90,55,370 doses were available for direct procurement by the states as well as private hospitals in May.

"Therefore, in May 2021 a total number of 7,94,05,200 doses were available for the national COVID-19 vaccination programme," the ministry said.&nbsp;

Nearly 120 million doses of coronavirus vaccine will be available in June, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. In May, 79.4 million doses were available for vaccination.

Nearly 120 million doses of coronavirus vaccine will be available in June, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. In May, 79.4 million doses were available for vaccination. In a statement, the ministry said the allocation of supplies to states and union territories is decided on the consumption pattern, population and vaccine wastage. "Visibility for availability of vaccines for the entire month of June 2021 has been provided well in advance to States/UTs...," it said. "For the month of June, 6.09 crore (6,09,60,000) doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be supplied to the States and UTs for vaccination of priority group of Health Care Workers (HCWs), Front-Line Workers (FLWs) and person aged 45 years + and above as free supply from Government of India," the ministry said. "In addition, more than 5.86 crore (5,86,10,000) doses will be available for direct procurement by the state/UTs and Private Hospitals. Therefore, in June 2021 close to 12 crore (11,95,70,000) doses will be available for the national COVID-19 vaccination programme," it said. The ministry said the delivery schedule for this allocation will be shared with states in advance. "States have been requested to direct the concerned officials to ensure rational and judicious utilisation of allocated doses and minimise the vaccine wastage. The basic objective behind informing the States/UTs in advance of the quantum of free vaccine doses to be made available from Centre for 15/30 days and the total vaccine doses which are available for direct procurement by States/UTs is to ensure better planning and delivery of vaccine by States/UTs," it said. For the month of May, 4,03,49,830 vaccine doses have been made available by the Union Government to states. In addition, 3,90,55,370 doses were available for direct procurement by the states as well as private hospitals in May. "Therefore, in May 2021 a total number of 7,94,05,200 doses were available for the national COVID-19 vaccination programme," the ministry said.

Nearly 120 mn doses of Covid vaccine to be available in June: Health Ministry

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated. He told this to news agency AFP in an interview. Kluge also said that his worry was increased contagiousness of the new variants of Covid.

"The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination," he said in the interview.

The WHO's European director warned Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic won't be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still "too slow".

"We know for example that the B.1617 (variant found in India) is more transmissible than the B.117 (variant found in Britain), which already was more transmissible than the previous strain," Kluge said.

According to the Belgian doctor, speed is "of essence" in pandemic.&nbsp;

"Even when WHO declared a pandemic, many countries were still waiting, we lost valuable time."

Hans Kluge has held the position of regional directors since February 2020. While he lauded calls for solidarity he underlined the need for speedy rollout of vaccines.

"Our best friend is speed, the time is working against us, the vaccination roll-out still goes too slow," Kluge said.

"We need to accelerate, we need to enlarge the number of vaccines."&nbsp;

In the 53 countries and territories that make up the WHO's European region -- including several in Central Asia -- &nbsp;26 percent of the population has received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.&nbsp;

In the European Union, 36.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose, according to a count by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated.

World Health Organisation's European Director Hans Kluge warned on Friday that coronavirus pandemic won't be over till at least 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated. He told this to news agency AFP in an interview. Kluge also said that his worry was increased contagiousness of the new variants of Covid. "The pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination," he said in the interview. The WHO's European director warned Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic won't be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still "too slow". "We know for example that the B.1617 (variant found in India) is more transmissible than the B.117 (variant found in Britain), which already was more transmissible than the previous strain," Kluge said. According to the Belgian doctor, speed is "of essence" in pandemic. "Even when WHO declared a pandemic, many countries were still waiting, we lost valuable time." Hans Kluge has held the position of regional directors since February 2020. While he lauded calls for solidarity he underlined the need for speedy rollout of vaccines. "Our best friend is speed, the time is working against us, the vaccination roll-out still goes too slow," Kluge said. "We need to accelerate, we need to enlarge the number of vaccines." In the 53 countries and territories that make up the WHO's European region -- including several in Central Asia -- 26 percent of the population has received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. In the European Union, 36.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose, according to a count by AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

Pandemic won't be over till 70 per cent of population is vaccinated: WHO

The coronavirus <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> developed by AstraZeneca has faced criticism as some people developed ‘blood clots’ after getting jabbed. However, a group of German scientists has found a way to avoid the deadly side effect.

As of now, anyone aged less than 40 faces the risk of developing blood clots after getting the jab developed by AstraZeneca. Considering this, the UK government has been urging people under 40s to opt for the alternatives — such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — instead of choosing AstraZeneca or Johnson &amp; Johnson.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/our-vaccine-highly-effective-on-covid-19-variant-found-in-india-suitable-for-12-yrs-and-above-pfizer-to-govt-387625" hreflang="en">Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt</a>

The problem lies in 'adenovirus', a common cold virus that is used to deliver the spike protein of COVID-19 into the body, Rolf Marschalek, professor of Goethe university explained.

As per the scientists, the problem arises due to the entry of the adenovirus in the nucleus of the cell, and not just the cellular fluid.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-and-astrazeneca-battle-in-court-over-vaccine-delays-387440" hreflang="en">EU and AstraZeneca battle in court over vaccine delays</a>

This leads to splitting of parts of the spike protein, due to which they become mutant protein pieces which can then travel into body parts and lead to blood clotting in some rare cases, the scientists explain.

"The adenovirus life cycle includes the infection of cells … entry of the adenoviral DNA into the nucleus, and subsequently gene transcription by the host transcription machinery," Marschalek explained. "And exactly here lies the problem: the viral piece of DNA…is not optimised to be transcribed inside of the nucleus."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modernas-single-dose-vaccine-in-india-likely-next-year-pfizer-ready-with-50-mn-doses-for-2021-387438" hreflang="en">Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021</a>

These vaccines can be redesigned to avoid this problem, in ways similar to Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The scientists claimed that Johnson &amp; Johnson are already in contact with the group to redesign the single-shot vaccine to avoid this side-effect.

"With the data we have in our hands we can tell the companies how to mutate these sequences, coding for the spike protein in a way that prevents unintended splice reactions," Marschalek said.

This study has not been peer-reviewed yet.

The coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca has faced criticism as some people developed ‘blood clots’ after getting jabbed. However, a group of German scientists has found a way to avoid the deadly side effect.

The coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca has faced criticism as some people developed ‘blood clots’ after getting jabbed. However, a group of German scientists has found a way to avoid the deadly side effect. As of now, anyone aged less than 40 faces the risk of developing blood clots after getting the jab developed by AstraZeneca. Considering this, the UK government has been urging people under 40s to opt for the alternatives — such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — instead of choosing AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson. Also read | Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt The problem lies in 'adenovirus', a common cold virus that is used to deliver the spike protein of COVID-19 into the body, Rolf Marschalek, professor of Goethe university explained. As per the scientists, the problem arises due to the entry of the adenovirus in the nucleus of the cell, and not just the cellular fluid. Also read | EU and AstraZeneca battle in court over vaccine delays This leads to splitting of parts of the spike protein, due to which they become mutant protein pieces which can then travel into body parts and lead to blood clotting in some rare cases, the scientists explain. "The adenovirus life cycle includes the infection of cells … entry of the adenoviral DNA into the nucleus, and subsequently gene transcription by the host transcription machinery," Marschalek explained. "And exactly here lies the problem: the viral piece of DNA…is not optimised to be transcribed inside of the nucleus." Also read | Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021 These vaccines can be redesigned to avoid this problem, in ways similar to Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. The scientists claimed that Johnson & Johnson are already in contact with the group to redesign the single-shot vaccine to avoid this side-effect. "With the data we have in our hands we can tell the companies how to mutate these sequences, coding for the spike protein in a way that prevents unintended splice reactions," Marschalek said. This study has not been peer-reviewed yet.

Vaccines can be redesigned to avoid blood clots, German scientists claim

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus.&nbsp;As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire.

Some people believe the central government&nbsp;has failed to procure enough vaccines from western countries. However, the government said it has been in successful discussions with all the major international vaccine manufacturers (such as Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson &amp; Johnson) since mid-2020, when companies started producing the vaccines.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modernas-single-dose-vaccine-in-india-likely-next-year-pfizer-ready-with-50-mn-doses-for-2021-387438" hreflang="en">Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021</a>

"We need to understand that buying vaccines internationally is not similar to buying 'off the shelf' items," explained Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health) in NITI&nbsp;Aayog and Chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC).

"Vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their own priorities, game-plans and compulsions in allocating finite stocks. They also give preference to countries of their origin just as our own vaccine makers have done unhesitatingly for us," Paul explained.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-in-india-delhi-to-get-sputnik-v-vaccine-quantity-to-be-decided-says-chief-minister-kejriwal-387501" hreflang="en">Covid in India: Delhi to get Sputnik V vaccine, quantity to be decided, says Chief Minister Kejriwal</a>

The government said it has also successfully accelerated the approval and import process of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine and has been in continuous discussions with Pfizer to arrange the vaccines as soon as possible.

India has also proactively eased the entry and approval process for the vaccines which have been approved by US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing to ensure smooth import of vaccines into the country, the government said in a release.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/our-vaccine-highly-effective-on-covid-19-variant-found-in-india-suitable-for-12-yrs-and-above-pfizer-to-govt-387625" hreflang="en">Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt</a>

New Delhi has also lent full support to domestic vaccine manufacturers such as Bharat Biotech, which will soon be increasing its production plants from one to four. Authorities are also in contact with the Serum Institute of India to increase its production of the Covishield vaccine from 6.5 crore doses per month to 11.0 crore doses per month.&nbsp;

Talking about the vaccine distribution to states, Paul assured that the vaccine procured by the Centre is being supplied to regions with complete knowledge of the state governments.

"In the non-GoI channel, states are getting 25% of the doses and private hospitals are getting 25% doses. However the hiccups and issues faced by the people in the administration of these 25% doses by the states leave a lot to be desired," Paul said.

He also addressed the issue of compulsory licensing and stressed on the importance of active partnership rather than personal profits.

"Tech transfer is the key and that remains in the hands of the company that has carried out R&amp;D," he said. "Infact, we have gone one step ahead of Compulsory Licensing and are ensuring active partnership between Bharat Biotech &amp; 3 other entities to enhance production of Covaxin."

He also revealed that trials of vaccines for children will soon start in India.

However, the government will not start vaccination for children unless there are assured results of safety of specific guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), Paul said.

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus. As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire.

While social distancing and wearing face masks can protect us from the deadly coronavirus, vaccines act as a permanent shield against this virus. As the Government of India is busy arranging vaccines for everyone, some myths, based on distorted statements and blatant lies, have been spreading like wildfire. Some people believe the central government has failed to procure enough vaccines from western countries. However, the government said it has been in successful discussions with all the major international vaccine manufacturers (such as Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson) since mid-2020, when companies started producing the vaccines. Also read | Moderna's single-dose vaccine in India likely next year; Pfizer ready with 50 mn doses for 2021 "We need to understand that buying vaccines internationally is not similar to buying 'off the shelf' items," explained Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health) in NITI Aayog and Chair of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC). "Vaccines are in limited supply globally, and companies have their own priorities, game-plans and compulsions in allocating finite stocks. They also give preference to countries of their origin just as our own vaccine makers have done unhesitatingly for us," Paul explained. Also read | Covid in India: Delhi to get Sputnik V vaccine, quantity to be decided, says Chief Minister Kejriwal The government said it has also successfully accelerated the approval and import process of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine and has been in continuous discussions with Pfizer to arrange the vaccines as soon as possible. India has also proactively eased the entry and approval process for the vaccines which have been approved by US FDA, EMA, UK's MHRA and Japan's PMDA, and WHO's Emergency Use Listing to ensure smooth import of vaccines into the country, the government said in a release. Also read | Our vaccine highly effective on COVID-19 variant found in India, suitable for 12 yrs and above: Pfizer to Govt New Delhi has also lent full support to domestic vaccine manufacturers such as Bharat Biotech, which will soon be increasing its production plants from one to four. Authorities are also in contact with the Serum Institute of India to increase its production of the Covishield vaccine from 6.5 crore doses per month to 11.0 crore doses per month. Talking about the vaccine distribution to states, Paul assured that the vaccine procured by the Centre is being supplied to regions with complete knowledge of the state governments. "In the non-GoI channel, states are getting 25% of the doses and private hospitals are getting 25% doses. However the hiccups and issues faced by the people in the administration of these 25% doses by the states leave a lot to be desired," Paul said. He also addressed the issue of compulsory licensing and stressed on the importance of active partnership rather than personal profits. "Tech transfer is the key and that remains in the hands of the company that has carried out R&D," he said. "Infact, we have gone one step ahead of Compulsory Licensing and are ensuring active partnership between Bharat Biotech & 3 other entities to enhance production of Covaxin." He also revealed that trials of vaccines for children will soon start in India. However, the government will not start vaccination for children unless there are assured results of safety of specific guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), Paul said.

'Transparency, reliability and swiftness': Indian government dispels myths about vaccines

Prevention is better than cure -- but when it comes to Covid, what happens when people can't get the vaccine, don't want it, or they're immune suppressed and it fails to stop infection?

The hunt is on for a coronavirus treatment that can be taken as a pill soon after a confirmed positive, halting the disease in its tracks so that cases that might have been severe end up being nothing more than a bad cold.

Several companies are working on so-called oral antivirals, which would mimic what the drug Tamiflu does for influenza.

"It's great that we have vaccine rollout that has been significant, but it certainly will not be taken by everybody in our population, and not everybody who takes the vaccine will have a full response to it," David Hirschwerk, an infectious diseases physician at Northwell Health in New York told AFP.

An easily storable and transportable pill would also offer practical advantages over existing treatments such as monoclonal antibodies, which are mainly injected by drips at hospital infusion centers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/vaccines-can-be-redesigned-to-avoid-blood-clots-german-scientists-claim-387671">Vaccines can be redesigned to avoid blood clots, German scientists claim</a>

Promising results

One of the frontrunners in these efforts is a twice-a-day drug called Molnupiravir, which is being developed by Merck in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Early results from a Phase 2 trial showed that, among dozens of volunteers who tested positive at the start, none of those who received the drug had any detectable virus by day five; while a quarter of those who received a placebo did.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pioneering-operation-morocco-to-start-vaccinating-prisoners-against-covid-387651">'Pioneering operation': Morocco to start vaccinating prisoners against Covid</a>

The numbers are promising but too small to draw firm conclusions from, and the company is now enrolling for a Phase 3 trial involving 1,850 people with results expected by fall.

"Viruses are basically little machines and they need certain components to replicate themselves," Merck's chief scientific officer Daria Hazuda told AFP. Antivirals are designed to interfere with that process.

Molnupiravir belongs to a class of antiviral called "polymerase inhibitors," which work by targeting an enzyme that viruses need to copy their genetic material, and introducing mutations that leave them unable to replicate.

Because antibodies target a surface protein of the coronavirus that is continually evolving, antivirals are expected to be more variant-proof.

Early use

Currently, there's just one antiviral approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid, which is Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences.

Like Molnupiravir, it is a polymerase inhibitor, though their precise actions differ.

Remdesivir's biggest disadvantage is that it was developed as an intravenous drug and targeted at hospitalized Covid patients, among whom it was shown to modestly reduce recovery time.

But by the time Covid has progressed to severe, much of the harm to patients' health comes from their own immune systems going into overdrive and damaging their organs, rather than viral replication.&nbsp;

That's why the focus now is on oral formulations that can be taken within days of infection, and apart from Merck, there are a few other notable entrants.

Roche and Atea have begun a 1,400 patient trial to study their own oral polymerase inhibitor, AT-527.

"This drug has so far been shown to be very potent in vitro," Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, founder and CEO of Atea told AFP.

"I think that after the pandemic, you're going to have a phase which is going to be endemic," he predicted, with the company hoping to file for authorization by the end of the year and launch the drug by 2022.

Curing the cold?

Pfizer, which has developed one of pandemic's foremost vaccines, is also attracting significant attention for its oral drug PF-07321332, which has begun Phase 1 human trials in healthy patients.

Its timeline is a little behind the others, because the medicine, which belongs to a class called "protease inhibitors," was designed specifically against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with work beginning in March 2020.

Protease enzymes act as molecular scissors that cut long protein chains into smaller pieces, that are then re-assembled as part of viral replication.

"Our investigational orally-administered protease inhibitor was designed to 'fit into' the protease (ie stick into the scissors) and 'block it' (i.e. keep the scissors from working)," Charlotte Allerton, head of medicine design for Pfizer, told AFP.

The company is hoping to expand to late stage studies by the middle of this year, she added.

All the drugmakers also plan to study their medicines for preventative use among close contacts of infected people.

The antivirals under development have demonstrated effectiveness in lab studies against other types of coronaviruses -- some of which cause serious diseases like SARS and MERs, while others cause the cold.

"If it is proven to be very safe and proven to be effective, then it can be used broadly, irrespective of the diagnosis, to treat and prevent multiple respiratory infections," said Hazuda of Merck's product.

Prevention is better than cure -- but when it comes to Covid, what happens when people can't get the vaccine, don't want it, or they're immune suppressed and it fails to stop infection?

Prevention is better than cure -- but when it comes to Covid, what happens when people can't get the vaccine, don't want it, or they're immune suppressed and it fails to stop infection? The hunt is on for a coronavirus treatment that can be taken as a pill soon after a confirmed positive, halting the disease in its tracks so that cases that might have been severe end up being nothing more than a bad cold. Several companies are working on so-called oral antivirals, which would mimic what the drug Tamiflu does for influenza. "It's great that we have vaccine rollout that has been significant, but it certainly will not be taken by everybody in our population, and not everybody who takes the vaccine will have a full response to it," David Hirschwerk, an infectious diseases physician at Northwell Health in New York told AFP. An easily storable and transportable pill would also offer practical advantages over existing treatments such as monoclonal antibodies, which are mainly injected by drips at hospital infusion centers. Also read | Vaccines can be redesigned to avoid blood clots, German scientists claim Promising results One of the frontrunners in these efforts is a twice-a-day drug called Molnupiravir, which is being developed by Merck in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Early results from a Phase 2 trial showed that, among dozens of volunteers who tested positive at the start, none of those who received the drug had any detectable virus by day five; while a quarter of those who received a placebo did. Also read | 'Pioneering operation': Morocco to start vaccinating prisoners against Covid The numbers are promising but too small to draw firm conclusions from, and the company is now enrolling for a Phase 3 trial involving 1,850 people with results expected by fall. "Viruses are basically little machines and they need certain components to replicate themselves," Merck's chief scientific officer Daria Hazuda told AFP. Antivirals are designed to interfere with that process. Molnupiravir belongs to a class of antiviral called "polymerase inhibitors," which work by targeting an enzyme that viruses need to copy their genetic material, and introducing mutations that leave them unable to replicate. Because antibodies target a surface protein of the coronavirus that is continually evolving, antivirals are expected to be more variant-proof. Early use Currently, there's just one antiviral approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Covid, which is Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences. Like Molnupiravir, it is a polymerase inhibitor, though their precise actions differ. Remdesivir's biggest disadvantage is that it was developed as an intravenous drug and targeted at hospitalized Covid patients, among whom it was shown to modestly reduce recovery time. But by the time Covid has progressed to severe, much of the harm to patients' health comes from their own immune systems going into overdrive and damaging their organs, rather than viral replication. That's why the focus now is on oral formulations that can be taken within days of infection, and apart from Merck, there are a few other notable entrants. Roche and Atea have begun a 1,400 patient trial to study their own oral polymerase inhibitor, AT-527. "This drug has so far been shown to be very potent in vitro," Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, founder and CEO of Atea told AFP. "I think that after the pandemic, you're going to have a phase which is going to be endemic," he predicted, with the company hoping to file for authorization by the end of the year and launch the drug by 2022. Curing the cold? Pfizer, which has developed one of pandemic's foremost vaccines, is also attracting significant attention for its oral drug PF-07321332, which has begun Phase 1 human trials in healthy patients. Its timeline is a little behind the others, because the medicine, which belongs to a class called "protease inhibitors," was designed specifically against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with work beginning in March 2020. Protease enzymes act as molecular scissors that cut long protein chains into smaller pieces, that are then re-assembled as part of viral replication. "Our investigational orally-administered protease inhibitor was designed to 'fit into' the protease (ie stick into the scissors) and 'block it' (i.e. keep the scissors from working)," Charlotte Allerton, head of medicine design for Pfizer, told AFP. The company is hoping to expand to late stage studies by the middle of this year, she added. All the drugmakers also plan to study their medicines for preventative use among close contacts of infected people. The antivirals under development have demonstrated effectiveness in lab studies against other types of coronaviruses -- some of which cause serious diseases like SARS and MERs, while others cause the cold. "If it is proven to be very safe and proven to be effective, then it can be used broadly, irrespective of the diagnosis, to treat and prevent multiple respiratory infections," said Hazuda of Merck's product.

Seeking a pill to cure Covid: Drugmakers eye alternative to vaccines

As the world battles <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> and many struggle&nbsp;to get a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> against the deadly disease, some are busy plotting against some of the pharmaceutical companies offering the jabs.

Several social media influencers and bloggers in Europe have claimed they were contacted by a UK-based PR agency to spread rumours about the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-50-adult-population-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19-387402">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-50-adult-population-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19-387402/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The PR agency, which is said to have links with Russia, had been calling and asking several bloggers to post videos and links on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram to discredit the Pfizer vaccine.

They were told to&nbsp;"explain … the death rate among the vaccinated with&nbsp;Pfizer&nbsp;is almost 3x higher than the vaccinated by AstraZeneca," the influencers claimed.

Influencers were instructed to question the motive of several governments who have been buying the Pfizer vaccine for the masses. The report claims that the mainstream media has been ignoring the facts and governments have been promoting vaccines for commercial and economical success.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moderna-says-covid-vaccine-highly-effective-among-adolescents-aged-12-and-above-387313" hreflang="en">Moderna says Covid vaccine 'highly effective' among adolescents aged 12 and above</a>

The claim was substantiated by several bloggers and influencers who took to social media to prove that they had indeed been contacted for spreading fake rumours.

Mirko Drotschmann, a famous podcast host with millions of subscribers, shared a screenshot of the email he had received. He had been told it was an "information campaign"&nbsp;that would highlight the high number of deaths apparently caused by the Pfizer vaccine.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sehr interessant: Eine Agentur meldet sich und fragt, ob ich Teil einer „Informationskampagne“ sein will. Es geht darum, einen Link zu angeblich geleakten Dokumenten zu Todesfällen bei Corona-Impfungen zu teilen. Gegen Geld. Sitz der Agentur: London. Wohnort des CEO: Moskau. <a href="https://t.co/5x0Wqx79oZ">pic.twitter.com/5x0Wqx79oZ</a>
— Mirko Drotschmann (@MrWissen2Go) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrWissen2Go/status/1394716050596450312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The mail also asked the podcast host to "please send us statistics on the age of your subscribers … and how much it would cost".

Local media has reported that the PR agency, Fazze, was founded by a Russian entrepreneur and a lot of the management has Russian connections.

Meanwhile, the agency has disabled its website and has made its Instagram account private. Although the agency claims to be based in London, no such registered address was found.

As the world battles coronavirus and many struggle to get a vaccine against the deadly disease, some are busy plotting against some of the pharmaceutical companies offering the jabs.

As the world battles coronavirus and many struggle to get a vaccine against the deadly disease, some are busy plotting against some of the pharmaceutical companies offering the jabs. Several social media influencers and bloggers in Europe have claimed they were contacted by a UK-based PR agency to spread rumours about the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. WATCH | The PR agency, which is said to have links with Russia, had been calling and asking several bloggers to post videos and links on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram to discredit the Pfizer vaccine. They were told to "explain … the death rate among the vaccinated with Pfizer is almost 3x higher than the vaccinated by AstraZeneca," the influencers claimed. Influencers were instructed to question the motive of several governments who have been buying the Pfizer vaccine for the masses. The report claims that the mainstream media has been ignoring the facts and governments have been promoting vaccines for commercial and economical success. Also read | Moderna says Covid vaccine 'highly effective' among adolescents aged 12 and above The claim was substantiated by several bloggers and influencers who took to social media to prove that they had indeed been contacted for spreading fake rumours. Mirko Drotschmann, a famous podcast host with millions of subscribers, shared a screenshot of the email he had received. He had been told it was an "information campaign" that would highlight the high number of deaths apparently caused by the Pfizer vaccine. Sehr interessant: Eine Agentur meldet sich und fragt, ob ich Teil einer „Informationskampagne“ sein will. Es geht darum, einen Link zu angeblich geleakten Dokumenten zu Todesfällen bei Corona-Impfungen zu teilen. Gegen Geld. Sitz der Agentur: London. Wohnort des CEO: Moskau. pic.twitter.com/5x0Wqx79oZ — Mirko Drotschmann (@MrWissen2Go) May 18, 2021 × The mail also asked the podcast host to "please send us statistics on the age of your subscribers … and how much it would cost". Local media has reported that the PR agency, Fazze, was founded by a Russian entrepreneur and a lot of the management has Russian connections. Meanwhile, the agency has disabled its website and has made its Instagram account private. Although the agency claims to be based in London, no such registered address was found.

Russia-linked agency hires influencers to spread fake news about Pfizer vaccine

EU&nbsp;leaders on Tuesday welcomed the introduction of a bloc-wide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> pass that they hope will&nbsp;unlock&nbsp;a tourist surge this summer.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

The 27 member states want the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;Digital&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;Certificate, to be launched July 1, to turn the page on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> restrictions that have crimped Europeans' cherished freedom of movement.

<o:p>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></o:p>

Coupled with a separate plan to let in fully vaccinated travellers from countries outside the&nbsp;EU, to be defined by the middle of June, Europe believes its vital tourist industry could claw back some of the losses racked up since the start of the pandemic.<o:p></o:p>

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told a media conference after the&nbsp;summit&nbsp;that more than 300 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccine</a> doses will have been delivered by the end of this week, rising to 400 million next month.

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-lines-up-covid-travel-pass-eiffel-tower-to-reopen-386873">EU lines up Covid travel pass, Eiffel Tower to reopen</a></o:p>

"If we continue like this, we have confidence that we will be able to safely reopen our societies," she said, adding the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;was on track to meet its goal of fully inoculating 70 per cent of adults by late July.<o:p></o:p>

"Progressively, we should return to the ability to move freely throughout the European Union," European Council President Charles Michel said.

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coming-soon-the-vaccine-passport-362262">Coming soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’</a></o:p>

EU&nbsp;countries and the European Parliament struck an agreement last week on the legislation to come into force in mid-June for the&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;certificate. Von der Leyen said all the technological infrastructure would be ready by June 1.<o:p></o:p>

The leaders of Greece, Spain and Croatia, whose economies strongly rely on tourist spending, were particularly effusive about the common document.&nbsp;

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-mulls-vaccination-passports-to-bring-back-tourists-366038">European Union mulls 'vaccination passports' to bring back tourists</a></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

They all had wipe-out summer seasons last year, but are already starting to welcome back foreign travellers, ignoring Brussels' plea to coordinate at an&nbsp;EU&nbsp;level.<o:p></o:p>

QR code verification<o:p></o:p>

Luxembourg's prime minister, Xavier Bettel, pointed out that a scannable QR code on the certificates will stymie the "hugely copied" PDF files of test results or vaccinations that some people were using to cross borders.<o:p></o:p>

The&nbsp;EU's&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;certificate&nbsp;will show the bearer's vaccination status, or whether they have immunity from a&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;infection they have recovered from or the result of a&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;test.

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-plans-to-open-up-countries-to-more-foreign-tourists-this-summer-382579">EU plans to open up countries to more foreign tourists this summer</a></o:p>

Conscious that the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;has procured up to 4.4 billion vaccine doses over the next two years, far more than it needs for its population of 450 million, leaders have rallied to a pledge made at a&nbsp;G20&nbsp;summit&nbsp;in Rome last Friday to share 100 million doses to countries in need by the end of this year.<o:p></o:p>

Denmark and Sweden each promised three million doses from their stocks at the&nbsp;summit. Germany, Italy and France had already pledged higher amounts.

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-set-to-let-vaccinated-us-tourists-visit-this-summer-380444">EU set to let vaccinated US tourists visit this summer</a></o:p>

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she also pushed leaders to agree to a mechanism to "react quickly and cohesively" if worrying new coronavirus variants popped up.<o:p></o:p>

The Brussels gathering of&nbsp;EU&nbsp;leaders on Tuesday also looked at ways to share out the burden on battling climate change, to meet the target of cutting emissions by 55 per cent over the rest of this decade.<o:p></o:p>

Von der Leyen's commission has been tasked with mapping out the next steps, including potentially unpopular ones such as slapping carbon taxes on cars and buildings.

<o:p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belarus-faces-new-sanctions-from-west-over-forced-landing-of-plane-arrest-of-journalist-387190">Belarus faces new sanctions from West over forced landing of plane, arrest of journalist</a>&nbsp;</o:p>

The first day of the&nbsp;summit&nbsp;on Monday was overshadowed by Belarus, which sits just outside the&nbsp;EU's eastern borders, forcing down a Ryanair passenger plane the day before to arrest an opposition journalist and his companion who were on board.

<o:p>Also Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-leaders-call-for-sanctions-against-belarus-over-ryanair-plane-hijacking-arrest-of-journalist-387120">EU leaders call for sanctions against Belarus over Ryanair plane 'hijacking', arrest of journalist</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-leaders-call-for-sanctions-against-belarus-over-ryanair-plane-hijacking-arrest-of-journalist-387120/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

EU&nbsp;leaders unanimously blasted the action and moved to cut Belarus out of European airspace as part of a package of sanctions that will be developed further.&nbsp;

EU leaders on Tuesday welcomed the introduction of a bloc-wide COVID-19 pass that they hope will unlock a tourist surge this summer. The 27 member states want the EU Digital Covid Certificate, to be launched July 1, to turn the page on coronavirus restrictions that have crimped Europeans' cherished freedom of movement.

EU leaders on Tuesday welcomed the introduction of a bloc-wide COVID-19 pass that they hope will unlock a tourist surge this summer. The 27 member states want the EU Digital Covid Certificate, to be launched July 1, to turn the page on coronavirus restrictions that have crimped Europeans' cherished freedom of movement. Also Read | Vaccine Passport: The European Covid certificate, a user's guide Coupled with a separate plan to let in fully vaccinated travellers from countries outside the EU, to be defined by the middle of June, Europe believes its vital tourist industry could claw back some of the losses racked up since the start of the pandemic. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told a media conference after the summit that more than 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will have been delivered by the end of this week, rising to 400 million next month. Also Read | EU lines up Covid travel pass, Eiffel Tower to reopen "If we continue like this, we have confidence that we will be able to safely reopen our societies," she said, adding the EU was on track to meet its goal of fully inoculating 70 per cent of adults by late July. "Progressively, we should return to the ability to move freely throughout the European Union," European Council President Charles Michel said. Also Read | Coming soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’ EU countries and the European Parliament struck an agreement last week on the legislation to come into force in mid-June for the Covid certificate. Von der Leyen said all the technological infrastructure would be ready by June 1. The leaders of Greece, Spain and Croatia, whose economies strongly rely on tourist spending, were particularly effusive about the common document. Also Read | European Union mulls 'vaccination passports' to bring back tourists They all had wipe-out summer seasons last year, but are already starting to welcome back foreign travellers, ignoring Brussels' plea to coordinate at an EU level. QR code verification Luxembourg's prime minister, Xavier Bettel, pointed out that a scannable QR code on the certificates will stymie the "hugely copied" PDF files of test results or vaccinations that some people were using to cross borders. The EU's Covid certificate will show the bearer's vaccination status, or whether they have immunity from a Covid infection they have recovered from or the result of a Covid test. Also Read | EU plans to open up countries to more foreign tourists this summer Conscious that the EU has procured up to 4.4 billion vaccine doses over the next two years, far more than it needs for its population of 450 million, leaders have rallied to a pledge made at a G20 summit in Rome last Friday to share 100 million doses to countries in need by the end of this year. Denmark and Sweden each promised three million doses from their stocks at the summit. Germany, Italy and France had already pledged higher amounts. Also Read | EU set to let vaccinated US tourists visit this summer German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she also pushed leaders to agree to a mechanism to "react quickly and cohesively" if worrying new coronavirus variants popped up. The Brussels gathering of EU leaders on Tuesday also looked at ways to share out the burden on battling climate change, to meet the target of cutting emissions by 55 per cent over the rest of this decade. Von der Leyen's commission has been tasked with mapping out the next steps, including potentially unpopular ones such as slapping carbon taxes on cars and buildings. Also Read | Belarus faces new sanctions from West over forced landing of plane, arrest of journalist The first day of the summit on Monday was overshadowed by Belarus, which sits just outside the EU's eastern borders, forcing down a Ryanair passenger plane the day before to arrest an opposition journalist and his companion who were on board. Also Watch | EU leaders call for sanctions against Belarus over Ryanair plane 'hijacking', arrest of journalist EU leaders unanimously blasted the action and moved to cut Belarus out of European airspace as part of a package of sanctions that will be developed further.

EU summit welcomes Covid certificate to unlock travel

The European Commission will confront drugs giant AstraZeneca in a Belgian court on Wednesday over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine?page=1">coronavirus vaccine</a> delivery shortfalls that hampered efforts to kickstart inoculations across the bloc.&nbsp;

Lawyers for both sides are due to appear before a judge in the French-speaking court in Brussels from 09:00 am (0700 GMT). Another hearing is scheduled for Friday, the court said.

The EU is suing the British-Swedish pharmaceutical group in a bid to force it to deliver 90 million more doses of its Covid-19 vaccine before July.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-linked-agency-hires-influencers-to-spread-fake-news-about-pfizer-vaccine-387419" hreflang="en">Russia-linked agency hires influencers to spread fake news about Pfizer vaccine</a>

The deadline for the contract was set for mid-June, according to the Commission, and the EU says the company will face financial penalties if it does not meet this deadline.

AstraZeneca delivered only 30 million doses in the first quarter out of the 120 million it was contracted to supply. For the current quarter which runs until June 30, it plans to deliver only 70 million of the 180 million initially promised.

A Commission official close to the case told AFP this month that AstraZeneca was currently delivering doses at a rate of only 10 million per month, well below the planned pace.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/half-of-adult-americans-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19-says-white-house-387327" hreflang="en">Half of adult Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says White House</a>

The group denies having failed in its obligations and at the end of April denounced the lawsuit as "unfounded".&nbsp;

One lawyer for AstraZeneca claimed that the EU had been warned "as early as February" of the delays and expressed surprise that the bloc had waited at least two months to take the matter to court.

The EU is also accusing the pharmaceutical giant — which worked with Oxford University in the development of its vaccine —&nbsp;of having favoured the UK in its deliveries, even for jabs made by subcontractors on the continent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moderna-says-covid-vaccine-highly-effective-among-adolescents-aged-12-and-above-387313" hreflang="en">Moderna says Covid vaccine 'highly effective' among adolescents aged 12 and above</a>

AstraZeneca's French-Australian boss Pascal Soriot has argued that his company's contract with the EU binds it only to a "best reasonable efforts" clause.&nbsp;

But the European Commission says the rest of the contract shows greater legal responsibility than that, and EU diplomats and lawmakers have pointed out that the company has largely delivered promised doses to Britain, where it is headquartered.

'Not in the contract'

The commission, which has been responsible for procuring vaccines for all of the bloc, initially intended to use the AstraZeneca jab as the main workhorse to power the EU's inoculation drive.

It has now switched to the more expensive BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine as its mainstay.

In a hearing, Rafael Jafferali, one of the commission's lawyers, &nbsp;accused AstraZeneca of having "breached numerous obligations under the pre-order contract".&nbsp;

"This affects both the production and delivery of the vaccines," he said.

But Hakim Boularbah, AstraZeneca's lawyer, said the contracts contained "no obligation to use (production) sites".

"This may be what the commission wants, but it is not provided for in the contract," he said.

The row has eroded public confidence in the AstraZeneca jab, which also took a blow over worries of links to very rare blood clots in people who had received it. &nbsp;

In the European Union, Denmark, as early as April, and later Norway and Austria, stopped using AstraZeneca in their vaccination campaigns.&nbsp;

Most other countries have restricted its administration to older adults. This is the case in France, where it is reserved for those aged 55 and over.

The European Commission will confront drugs giant AstraZeneca in a Belgian court on Wednesday over coronavirus vaccine delivery shortfalls that hampered efforts to kickstart inoculations across the bloc.

The European Commission will confront drugs giant AstraZeneca in a Belgian court on Wednesday over coronavirus vaccine delivery shortfalls that hampered efforts to kickstart inoculations across the bloc. Lawyers for both sides are due to appear before a judge in the French-speaking court in Brussels from 09:00 am (0700 GMT). Another hearing is scheduled for Friday, the court said. The EU is suing the British-Swedish pharmaceutical group in a bid to force it to deliver 90 million more doses of its Covid-19 vaccine before July. Also read | Russia-linked agency hires influencers to spread fake news about Pfizer vaccine The deadline for the contract was set for mid-June, according to the Commission, and the EU says the company will face financial penalties if it does not meet this deadline. AstraZeneca delivered only 30 million doses in the first quarter out of the 120 million it was contracted to supply. For the current quarter which runs until June 30, it plans to deliver only 70 million of the 180 million initially promised. A Commission official close to the case told AFP this month that AstraZeneca was currently delivering doses at a rate of only 10 million per month, well below the planned pace. Also read | Half of adult Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says White House The group denies having failed in its obligations and at the end of April denounced the lawsuit as "unfounded". One lawyer for AstraZeneca claimed that the EU had been warned "as early as February" of the delays and expressed surprise that the bloc had waited at least two months to take the matter to court. The EU is also accusing the pharmaceutical giant — which worked with Oxford University in the development of its vaccine — of having favoured the UK in its deliveries, even for jabs made by subcontractors on the continent. Also read | Moderna says Covid vaccine 'highly effective' among adolescents aged 12 and above AstraZeneca's French-Australian boss Pascal Soriot has argued that his company's contract with the EU binds it only to a "best reasonable efforts" clause. But the European Commission says the rest of the contract shows greater legal responsibility than that, and EU diplomats and lawmakers have pointed out that the company has largely delivered promised doses to Britain, where it is headquartered. 'Not in the contract' The commission, which has been responsible for procuring vaccines for all of the bloc, initially intended to use the AstraZeneca jab as the main workhorse to power the EU's inoculation drive. It has now switched to the more expensive BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine as its mainstay. In a hearing, Rafael Jafferali, one of the commission's lawyers, accused AstraZeneca of having "breached numerous obligations under the pre-order contract". "This affects both the production and delivery of the vaccines," he said. But Hakim Boularbah, AstraZeneca's lawyer, said the contracts contained "no obligation to use (production) sites". "This may be what the commission wants, but it is not provided for in the contract," he said. The row has eroded public confidence in the AstraZeneca jab, which also took a blow over worries of links to very rare blood clots in people who had received it. In the European Union, Denmark, as early as April, and later Norway and Austria, stopped using AstraZeneca in their vaccination campaigns. Most other countries have restricted its administration to older adults. This is the case in France, where it is reserved for those aged 55 and over.

EU and AstraZeneca battle in court over vaccine delays

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