On Easter, Pope urges nations to quicken Covid vaccines' distribution

India has reported more than 90,000 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a high-level meeting to review COVID-19 related issues and discuss vaccination updates.

India: 93,249 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours

The world is struggling with another shortage - that of vaccines. Many countries still don't have the shots they need. Some of those who have it don't want to use them.

To add to the woes, the curbs on the AstraZeneca vaccine are back. France, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Germany want the youth to avoid the shot.

And the UK has found 30 blood clotting cases linked to this vaccine.

There is uncertainty and confusion in Germany once again. A day after the Astrazeneca shot was suspended. The people who are waiting for a jab don't know what to expect next.

Earlier this week, Germany suspended the use of this vaccine for those below 60 over fears of a rare blood clot. It wasn't the only one to do so.

France, Sweden, Finland and Canada too want younger people to avoid the shot.

In Norway and Denmark the Astrazeneca shot still remains suspended for everyone. While, the UK has now found 30 cases of blood clot events.

But it still continues to use the vaccine. The head of the European medicines agency still backs the Astrazenca shot.

The constant back and forth over the vaccines is only hurting Europe. Despite booking millions of vials in advance. Less than 10 percent of the people in Germany, France and Italy have managed to get their first dose. In comparison, by end of March. The UK had vaccinated more than 40 percent of its citizens with at least one dose.

Britain at least on the vaccine front seems to be benefiting after breaking away from the union. Slow approvals have only compounded Europe's problems.

According to a report, the European Commission struck its first vaccine contract 105 days after Britain. It approved its first shot 19 days later.

The European Union has booked close to two billion doses. That's enough to cover its population more than twice. But the bloc has been slow to administer the doses.

After its program began in December last year.

It took 63 days for the EU to vaccinate five per cent of its population with a single dose. The UK covered the same distance in less than 40 days.

The impact of the delays is there for the world to see. A deadly third wave is now sweeping the continent. Forcing several countries to reimpose lockdowns and restrictions. The UK on the other hand has now eased some of its restrictions.

Now with the latest round of suspensions against the Astrazeneca shot. Europe's fight against the pandemic is about to get tougher.

The world is struggling with another shortage - that of vaccines. Many countries still don't have the shots they need. Some of those who have it don't want to use them.

The world is struggling with another shortage - that of vaccines. Many countries still don't have the shots they need. Some of those who have it don't want to use them. To add to the woes, the curbs on the AstraZeneca vaccine are back. France, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Germany want the youth to avoid the shot. And the UK has found 30 blood clotting cases linked to this vaccine. There is uncertainty and confusion in Germany once again. A day after the Astrazeneca shot was suspended. The people who are waiting for a jab don't know what to expect next. Earlier this week, Germany suspended the use of this vaccine for those below 60 over fears of a rare blood clot. It wasn't the only one to do so. France, Sweden, Finland and Canada too want younger people to avoid the shot. In Norway and Denmark the Astrazeneca shot still remains suspended for everyone. While, the UK has now found 30 cases of blood clot events. But it still continues to use the vaccine. The head of the European medicines agency still backs the Astrazenca shot. The constant back and forth over the vaccines is only hurting Europe. Despite booking millions of vials in advance. Less than 10 percent of the people in Germany, France and Italy have managed to get their first dose. In comparison, by end of March. The UK had vaccinated more than 40 percent of its citizens with at least one dose. Britain at least on the vaccine front seems to be benefiting after breaking away from the union. Slow approvals have only compounded Europe's problems. According to a report, the European Commission struck its first vaccine contract 105 days after Britain. It approved its first shot 19 days later. The European Union has booked close to two billion doses. That's enough to cover its population more than twice. But the bloc has been slow to administer the doses. After its program began in December last year. It took 63 days for the EU to vaccinate five per cent of its population with a single dose. The UK covered the same distance in less than 40 days. The impact of the delays is there for the world to see. A deadly third wave is now sweeping the continent. Forcing several countries to reimpose lockdowns and restrictions. The UK on the other hand has now eased some of its restrictions. Now with the latest round of suspensions against the Astrazeneca shot. Europe's fight against the pandemic is about to get tougher.

Europe's fight against pandemic set to get tougher

The Central government on Thursday said that vaccination against coronavirus will be offered on all days in the month of April at both public and private sector vaccination centres.

The Centre has written to all States and Union Territories today and asked them to make necessary arrangements to provide COVID vaccination in these covid vaccination centres on all days of the month including gazetted holidays during April 2021, the ministry said.

"This step has been taken after detailed deliberations with the States/UTs on 31st March, 2021 to optimally utilize all COVID Vaccination Centres across the public and private sectors to ensure rapid increase in the pace and coverage of COVID vaccination. This decision is in line with the graded and pro-active approach employed by the Government of India along with the States/UTs for COVID-19 vaccination," it said.

The decision comes on a day when the third phase of vaccination began in India on Thursday, with all those above 45 years of age eligible to get the jabs.

&nbsp;On Thursday, India recorded a massive surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, reporting 72,330 cases in the last 24 hours.

With the latest addition, the country's tally has soared to 12,221,665, according to the government. The active cases have hit 584,055, and India is now the fifth-worst hit country. The death toll from the deadly infection jumped to 162,960.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Central government on Thursday said that vaccination against coronavirus will be offered on all days in the month of April at both public and private sector vaccination centres.

The Central government on Thursday said that vaccination against coronavirus will be offered on all days in the month of April at both public and private sector vaccination centres. The Centre has written to all States and Union Territories today and asked them to make necessary arrangements to provide COVID vaccination in these covid vaccination centres on all days of the month including gazetted holidays during April 2021, the ministry said. "This step has been taken after detailed deliberations with the States/UTs on 31st March, 2021 to optimally utilize all COVID Vaccination Centres across the public and private sectors to ensure rapid increase in the pace and coverage of COVID vaccination. This decision is in line with the graded and pro-active approach employed by the Government of India along with the States/UTs for COVID-19 vaccination," it said. The decision comes on a day when the third phase of vaccination began in India on Thursday, with all those above 45 years of age eligible to get the jabs. On Thursday, India recorded a massive surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, reporting 72,330 cases in the last 24 hours. With the latest addition, the country's tally has soared to 12,221,665, according to the government. The active cases have hit 584,055, and India is now the fifth-worst hit country. The death toll from the deadly infection jumped to 162,960. (With inputs from agencies)

At all public and private sector centres: Covid vaccination throughout April, including gazetted holidays

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink.&nbsp;

Mass production of the vaccine, called Carnivac-Cov, can start in April, regulator Rosselkhoznadzor said.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the transmission of the virus between humans and animals. The regulator said the vaccine would be able to protect vulnerable species and thwart viral mutations.&nbsp;

Russia has so far only registered two cases of Covid-19 among animals, both in cats.&nbsp;

Denmark culled all 17 million mink on its farms last year after concluding that a strain of the virus had passed from humans to mink and that mutated strains of the virus had then turned up among people.&nbsp;

Rosselkhoznadzor said Russian fur farms planned to buy the vaccine, along with businesses in Greece, Poland and Austria. Russia's fur farm industry accounts for around 3% of the global market, down from 30% in the Soviet era, according to the main trade body.&nbsp;

Alexander Gintsburg, head of the institute that developed Russia's Sputnik V human vaccine, was quoted in Izvestia newspaper on Monday as saying Covid-19 was likely to hit animals next.&nbsp;

“The next stage of the epidemic is the infection with the coronavirus of farm and domestic animals," Gintsburg said.&nbsp;

Some scientists say that cats and dogs do not play a major role in transmitting the coronavirus to humans and that their own symptoms are often mild if they contract Covid-19.&nbsp;

Clinical trials of the Russian animal vaccine began in October last year and involved dogs, cats, Arctic foxes, mink, foxes and other animals.&nbsp;

"The results of the trials allow us to conclude that the vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic as all the vaccinated animals developed antibodies to the coronavirus," Konstantin Savenkov, Rosselkhoznadzor's deputy head, said in the statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink.

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink. Mass production of the vaccine, called Carnivac-Cov, can start in April, regulator Rosselkhoznadzor said. The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the transmission of the virus between humans and animals. The regulator said the vaccine would be able to protect vulnerable species and thwart viral mutations. Russia has so far only registered two cases of Covid-19 among animals, both in cats. Denmark culled all 17 million mink on its farms last year after concluding that a strain of the virus had passed from humans to mink and that mutated strains of the virus had then turned up among people. Rosselkhoznadzor said Russian fur farms planned to buy the vaccine, along with businesses in Greece, Poland and Austria. Russia's fur farm industry accounts for around 3% of the global market, down from 30% in the Soviet era, according to the main trade body. Alexander Gintsburg, head of the institute that developed Russia's Sputnik V human vaccine, was quoted in Izvestia newspaper on Monday as saying Covid-19 was likely to hit animals next. “The next stage of the epidemic is the infection with the coronavirus of farm and domestic animals," Gintsburg said. Some scientists say that cats and dogs do not play a major role in transmitting the coronavirus to humans and that their own symptoms are often mild if they contract Covid-19. Clinical trials of the Russian animal vaccine began in October last year and involved dogs, cats, Arctic foxes, mink, foxes and other animals. "The results of the trials allow us to conclude that the vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic as all the vaccinated animals developed antibodies to the coronavirus," Konstantin Savenkov, Rosselkhoznadzor's deputy head, said in the statement. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Russia registers Covid-19 vaccine for animals 

Putting a lot of concerns to rest, scientists have assured people that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a> are effective even in pregnancies.

Experts at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have published research in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The researchers collected information from 131 women who had received either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNtech coronavirus vaccine.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/initial-investigation-of-pfizer-vaccines-shows-no-obvious-systemic-factors-hong-kong-says-373816" hreflang="en">Initial investigation of Pfizer vaccines shows no 'obvious systemic factors', Hong Kong says</a>

Of these 131, 84 women were pregnant, 31 were lactating and 16 were not pregnant. The researchers collected data between December 17, 2020, and March 02, 2021.

In all the women, the vaccine-induced antibody levels were the same, be it pregnant, lactating or non-pregnant women.

"These vaccines seem to work incredibly effectively in these women," said Galit Alter, a professor of medicine at the Ragon Institute.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-vaccinations-cross-500-million-but-cases-continue-to-surge-373649" hreflang="en">Global vaccinations cross 500 million but cases continue to surge</a>

The researchers also observed that these women passed on the protective antibodies to their newborns, in form of breast milk and placenta.

"Nearly all the moms were getting a pretty decent level of antibodies to their babies," Alter said. However, it is not yet clear as to how long will these protective antibodies last in newborns.

It has also been observed that the antibody levels were "strikingly higher" in comparison to coronavirus infection during pregnancy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-calls-for-immediate-release-of-10-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-373521" hreflang="en">WHO calls for immediate release of 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses</a>

To reach this conclusion, the participants had been asked to use the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's V-safe tool that allows people to track reaction after receiving a jab of the coronavirus vaccine.

As of now, CDC warns that pregnant women with coronavirus are at a higher risk for severe illness and adverse outcomes. CDC is aiming to study vaccine safety in nearly 13,000 pregnant women for all the authorised vaccines.&nbsp;

"This is an urgent need, because we're not only protecting one person in this vaccine effort, we're protecting two people at the same time," Alter said.

Putting a lot of concerns to rest, scientists have assured people that coronavirus vaccines are effective even in pregnancies. Experts at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have published research in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Putting a lot of concerns to rest, scientists have assured people that coronavirus vaccines are effective even in pregnancies. Experts at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have published research in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The researchers collected information from 131 women who had received either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNtech coronavirus vaccine. Also read | Initial investigation of Pfizer vaccines shows no 'obvious systemic factors', Hong Kong says Of these 131, 84 women were pregnant, 31 were lactating and 16 were not pregnant. The researchers collected data between December 17, 2020, and March 02, 2021. In all the women, the vaccine-induced antibody levels were the same, be it pregnant, lactating or non-pregnant women. "These vaccines seem to work incredibly effectively in these women," said Galit Alter, a professor of medicine at the Ragon Institute. Also read | Global vaccinations cross 500 million but cases continue to surge The researchers also observed that these women passed on the protective antibodies to their newborns, in form of breast milk and placenta. "Nearly all the moms were getting a pretty decent level of antibodies to their babies," Alter said. However, it is not yet clear as to how long will these protective antibodies last in newborns. It has also been observed that the antibody levels were "strikingly higher" in comparison to coronavirus infection during pregnancy. Also read | WHO calls for immediate release of 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses To reach this conclusion, the participants had been asked to use the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's V-safe tool that allows people to track reaction after receiving a jab of the coronavirus vaccine. As of now, CDC warns that pregnant women with coronavirus are at a higher risk for severe illness and adverse outcomes. CDC is aiming to study vaccine safety in nearly 13,000 pregnant women for all the authorised vaccines. "This is an urgent need, because we're not only protecting one person in this vaccine effort, we're protecting two people at the same time," Alter said.

Coronavirus vaccines effective for pregnant women and newborns: Study

Britain is close to striking a vaccine deal with the European Union as soon as this weekend that will remove the threat of the bloc cutting off supplies, The Times reported on Saturday.&nbsp;

Under the agreement, the EU will remove its threat to ban the export of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Britain, it added.&nbsp;

In return, the British government will agree to forgo some long-term supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that had been due to be exported from a factory in Holland run by AstraZeneca's subcontractor Halix, the newspaper reported.&nbsp;

However, the EU has never threatened a ban on the export of vaccines, but has only said it could block on a case-by-case basis specific vaccine shipments to countries with higher vaccination rates or that do not export vaccines to the EU.&nbsp;

"We are only at the start of discussions with the UK. There are no talks over the weekend," an EU Commission source said on Saturday, adding that sending vaccines produced at Halix was not part of the talks.&nbsp;

A second EU source had previously said that the EU has no intention of sharing with Britain the vaccine substance from Halix, which is estimated to have already produced enough for about 15-20 million doses, and can produce the equivalent of 5 million shots per month.&nbsp;

The British government, Pfizer-BioNTech, and AstraZeneca were not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;

The EU's rebuff follows Britain's repeated refusal to share with Brussels AstraZeneca doses produced at two factories in the UK.&nbsp;

On Friday, the European Medicines Agency approved the Halix production site in the Netherlands that makes the AstraZeneca vaccine and a facility in Marburg in Germany producing BioNTech/Pfizer shots.&nbsp;

The EU's clearing of the vaccine site comes as the union is banking on it boosting deliveries in the second quarter and accelerate the slow pace of inoculations in the bloc.&nbsp;

Europe's troubled vaccine rollout has led to a quarrel with Britain, which has imported 21 million doses made in the EU, according to an EU official. Britain says it did a better job negotiating with manufacturers and arranging supply chains.&nbsp;

The EU says that Britain should share more, notably to help make up the shortfall in contracted deliveries of AstraZeneca shots.&nbsp;

Brussels and London sought to cool tensions on Wednesday, declaring they were working 'to create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all our citizens'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Britain is close to striking a vaccine deal with the European Union as soon as this weekend that will remove the threat of the bloc cutting off supplies, The Times reported on Saturday.

Britain is close to striking a vaccine deal with the European Union as soon as this weekend that will remove the threat of the bloc cutting off supplies, The Times reported on Saturday. Under the agreement, the EU will remove its threat to ban the export of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to Britain, it added. In return, the British government will agree to forgo some long-term supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that had been due to be exported from a factory in Holland run by AstraZeneca's subcontractor Halix, the newspaper reported. However, the EU has never threatened a ban on the export of vaccines, but has only said it could block on a case-by-case basis specific vaccine shipments to countries with higher vaccination rates or that do not export vaccines to the EU. "We are only at the start of discussions with the UK. There are no talks over the weekend," an EU Commission source said on Saturday, adding that sending vaccines produced at Halix was not part of the talks. A second EU source had previously said that the EU has no intention of sharing with Britain the vaccine substance from Halix, which is estimated to have already produced enough for about 15-20 million doses, and can produce the equivalent of 5 million shots per month. The British government, Pfizer-BioNTech, and AstraZeneca were not immediately available for comment. The EU's rebuff follows Britain's repeated refusal to share with Brussels AstraZeneca doses produced at two factories in the UK. On Friday, the European Medicines Agency approved the Halix production site in the Netherlands that makes the AstraZeneca vaccine and a facility in Marburg in Germany producing BioNTech/Pfizer shots. The EU's clearing of the vaccine site comes as the union is banking on it boosting deliveries in the second quarter and accelerate the slow pace of inoculations in the bloc. Europe's troubled vaccine rollout has led to a quarrel with Britain, which has imported 21 million doses made in the EU, according to an EU official. Britain says it did a better job negotiating with manufacturers and arranging supply chains. The EU says that Britain should share more, notably to help make up the shortfall in contracted deliveries of AstraZeneca shots. Brussels and London sought to cool tensions on Wednesday, declaring they were working 'to create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all our citizens'. (With inputs from agencies)

Britain nearing vaccine deal with European Union: Report 

France's Health Minister Olivier Veran on Thursday announced ban on outdoor gatherings of more than six people. He said that 45,000 new coronavirus cases were detected in previous 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 3 additional French regions including the Rhone department around Lyon will be put under tightened COVID-19 restrictions for four weeks from Friday (March 26). This follows after similar measure in Paris region a week earlier.&nbsp;

Veran said that pressure on the hospital system will continue to increase in coming days.

New restrictions come on top of nationwide curbs. A nightly curfew is in place and restaurants, bars, museums and cinemas are closed across the country.

(With Reuters inputs)

France's Health Minister Olivier Veran on Thursday announced ban on outdoor gatherings of more than six people. He said that 45,000 new coronavirus cases were detected in previous 24 hours.

France's Health Minister Olivier Veran on Thursday announced ban on outdoor gatherings of more than six people. He said that 45,000 new coronavirus cases were detected in previous 24 hours. Meanwhile, 3 additional French regions including the Rhone department around Lyon will be put under tightened COVID-19 restrictions for four weeks from Friday (March 26). This follows after similar measure in Paris region a week earlier. Veran said that pressure on the hospital system will continue to increase in coming days. New restrictions come on top of nationwide curbs. A nightly curfew is in place and restaurants, bars, museums and cinemas are closed across the country. (With Reuters inputs)

France bans outdoor gatherings of more than six people as COVID-19 cases rise

Pakistan will receive its first purchase of over&nbsp;one&nbsp;million doses of Chinese Sinopharm and&nbsp;CanSino&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccines by the end of March, the minister in charge of pandemic operations&nbsp;said&nbsp;on Tuesday.&nbsp;

This will be the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines the Pakistani government has purchased from any manufacturer for its 220 million people. Pakistan has previously relied on donations and on allocations from the World Health&nbsp;Organisation-backed COVAX scheme for poorer nations.&nbsp;

"We have purchased one million and 60,000 doses of Sinopharm and&nbsp;CanSino&nbsp;vaccines," Asad Umar said. "We will be receiving the consignment before the end of March."&nbsp;

He said the government was in talks with the same companies to purchase a further seven million doses of the vaccines.&nbsp;

"We want them to deliver that seven million by the end of April, but they have not confirmed this yet. They might have some supply issues," Umar added.&nbsp;

Pakistan is currently vaccinating frontline healthcare workers and citizens over the age of 60 free of charge using Sinopharm doses donated by China.&nbsp;

The South Asian country has recently experienced a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan will receive its first purchase of over one million doses of Chinese Sinopharm and CanSino Covid-19 vaccines by the end of March, the minister in charge of pandemic operations said on Tuesday.

Pakistan will receive its first purchase of over one million doses of Chinese Sinopharm and CanSino Covid-19 vaccines by the end of March, the minister in charge of pandemic operations said on Tuesday. This will be the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines the Pakistani government has purchased from any manufacturer for its 220 million people. Pakistan has previously relied on donations and on allocations from the World Health Organisation-backed COVAX scheme for poorer nations. "We have purchased one million and 60,000 doses of Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines," Asad Umar said. "We will be receiving the consignment before the end of March." He said the government was in talks with the same companies to purchase a further seven million doses of the vaccines. "We want them to deliver that seven million by the end of April, but they have not confirmed this yet. They might have some supply issues," Umar added. Pakistan is currently vaccinating frontline healthcare workers and citizens over the age of 60 free of charge using Sinopharm doses donated by China. The South Asian country has recently experienced a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan to receive first purchase of over 1 mn doses of Chinese vaccines

France will offer Covid-19 shots to anyone over 70 from this weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, as he sought to breathe more urgency into his country's vaccination campaign.&nbsp;

France and its neighbours are suffering a third wave of infections that threatens recovery in Europe's largest economies.&nbsp;

Hospitals could face an 'unprecedented shock' within three weeks as infections explode, said the head of France's hospital federation as he urged tougher curbs on social interaction if the spread did not slow soon.&nbsp;

New Covid restrictions that closed non-essential stores and limited how far people can move came into effect in Paris and much of the north last weekend, but Macron stopped short of a full lockdown.&nbsp;

"We're going to accelerate the vaccine roll-out from Saturday," Macron said, while visiting a vaccination centre in the north.&nbsp;

The president later said he hoped there would be targeted campaigns for certain professions, such as teachers, by April or May and that in a race against time, public holidays should be no barrier to delivering injections.&nbsp;

From Saturday, people over 70 will be able to get inoculated. Previously, the government had slated opening up vaccine slots for the age-group in mid-April. Vaccinations are currently available for over-75s and anyone over 50 with a serious pre-existing condition.&nbsp;

France's faltering campaign has been slowed by bureaucracy and public mistrust of vaccines at home, and Europe-wide supply delays, in particular from AstraZeneca.&nbsp;

The European Union has threatened to ban exports of the Anglo-Swedish vaccine to Britain in order to secure doses after the company this month said it expected to deliver three times fewer vaccines by the end of June than it had contractually committed to.&nbsp;

The EU says AstraZeneca shots manufactured on its territory have been exported to Britain even amid the shortfall. French Europe Minister Clement Beaune demanded Britain reciprocate. &nbsp;

Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher, whose ministry is responsible for procurement in France, insisted AstraZeneca meet its contractual obligations.&nbsp;

"It is up to them to propose an action plan," she told France Info radio.&nbsp;

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care hit a four-month high in France on Monday.&nbsp;

"The epidemic is gathering pace, the figures are exploding," Frederic Valletoux, who heads the French hospital federation, told LCI television.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

France will offer Covid-19 shots to anyone over 70 from this weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, as he sought to breathe more urgency into his country's vaccination campaign.

France will offer Covid-19 shots to anyone over 70 from this weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, as he sought to breathe more urgency into his country's vaccination campaign. France and its neighbours are suffering a third wave of infections that threatens recovery in Europe's largest economies. Hospitals could face an 'unprecedented shock' within three weeks as infections explode, said the head of France's hospital federation as he urged tougher curbs on social interaction if the spread did not slow soon. New Covid restrictions that closed non-essential stores and limited how far people can move came into effect in Paris and much of the north last weekend, but Macron stopped short of a full lockdown. "We're going to accelerate the vaccine roll-out from Saturday," Macron said, while visiting a vaccination centre in the north. The president later said he hoped there would be targeted campaigns for certain professions, such as teachers, by April or May and that in a race against time, public holidays should be no barrier to delivering injections. From Saturday, people over 70 will be able to get inoculated. Previously, the government had slated opening up vaccine slots for the age-group in mid-April. Vaccinations are currently available for over-75s and anyone over 50 with a serious pre-existing condition. France's faltering campaign has been slowed by bureaucracy and public mistrust of vaccines at home, and Europe-wide supply delays, in particular from AstraZeneca. The European Union has threatened to ban exports of the Anglo-Swedish vaccine to Britain in order to secure doses after the company this month said it expected to deliver three times fewer vaccines by the end of June than it had contractually committed to. The EU says AstraZeneca shots manufactured on its territory have been exported to Britain even amid the shortfall. French Europe Minister Clement Beaune demanded Britain reciprocate. Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher, whose ministry is responsible for procurement in France, insisted AstraZeneca meet its contractual obligations. "It is up to them to propose an action plan," she told France Info radio. The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care hit a four-month high in France on Monday. "The epidemic is gathering pace, the figures are exploding," Frederic Valletoux, who heads the French hospital federation, told LCI television. (With inputs from agencies)

French Prez promises faster vaccine roll-out as infections 'explode' 

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called vaccine inequality "grotesque" as he urged producers of COVID-19 vaccines to follow AstraZeneca's lead and license the technology to other makers.

WHO says global COVID-19 vaccine inequality becoming 'grotesque'

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday lashed out and expressed serious displeasure at the growing gap in the number of COVID vaccines administered in rich and poor countries. It called it a "moral outrage" and said it was grotesque.&nbsp;

The WHO tore into wealthy nations now vaccinating younger people at low risk of developing Covid-19, saying they were doing so at the cost of vulnerable people's lives in low-income countries.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was "shocking" how little had been done to avert an entirely predictable "catastrophic moral failure" to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines.

"The gap between the number of vaccines administered in rich countries, and the number of vaccines administered through Covax is growing every single day, and becoming more grotesque every day," he said, referring to the facility that ensures poorer countries can access Covid-19 vaccines.

"Countries that are now vaccinating younger, healthy people at low risk of disease are doing so at the cost of the lives of health workers, older people and other at-risk groups in other countries," Tedros told a press conference.

"The inequitable distribution of vaccines is not just a moral outrage. It's also economically and epidemiologically self-defeating.

"Some countries are racing to vaccinate their entire populations while other countries have nothing."

Tedros said rich countries might be buying some short-term comfort but added that they may be giving themselves a false sense of security.

He said that more the virus spreads more is the likelihood of new variants emerging.

"As long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted, and the economic recovery will be further delayed," he said.

The Covax global vaccine-sharing facility has so far distributed more than 31 million doses to 57 countries.

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday lashed out and expressed serious displeasure at the growing gap in the number of COVID vaccines administered in rich and poor countries.

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday lashed out and expressed serious displeasure at the growing gap in the number of COVID vaccines administered in rich and poor countries. It called it a "moral outrage" and said it was grotesque. The WHO tore into wealthy nations now vaccinating younger people at low risk of developing Covid-19, saying they were doing so at the cost of vulnerable people's lives in low-income countries. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was "shocking" how little had been done to avert an entirely predictable "catastrophic moral failure" to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines. "The gap between the number of vaccines administered in rich countries, and the number of vaccines administered through Covax is growing every single day, and becoming more grotesque every day," he said, referring to the facility that ensures poorer countries can access Covid-19 vaccines. "Countries that are now vaccinating younger, healthy people at low risk of disease are doing so at the cost of the lives of health workers, older people and other at-risk groups in other countries," Tedros told a press conference. "The inequitable distribution of vaccines is not just a moral outrage. It's also economically and epidemiologically self-defeating. "Some countries are racing to vaccinate their entire populations while other countries have nothing." Tedros said rich countries might be buying some short-term comfort but added that they may be giving themselves a false sense of security. He said that more the virus spreads more is the likelihood of new variants emerging. "As long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted, and the economic recovery will be further delayed," he said. The Covax global vaccine-sharing facility has so far distributed more than 31 million doses to 57 countries.

WHO lashes out at unequal vaccine distribution

Imran Khan getting infected with coronavirus is likely to have negative impact on Pakistan's already struggling vaccination drive. For months, Pakistan struggled to source vaccines for its 
citizens. Now when it finally has vaccine doses, the prime minister himself been tested positive just 2 days after getting a jab.

There are concerns this could lead to greater vaccine hesitancy in the country.

Imran Khan and his wife Bushra bibi have tested positive and are currently self-isolating. Indian PM has wished a speedy recovery to Imran khan. But what's making headlines is the fact that Imran khan got infected just two days after receiving his first vaccine shot. The jab was of the 'Made-in-China' Sinopharm vaccine which in January this year, was called one of the most unsafe vaccines with 73 side effects, by a Chinese doctor,

Nonetheless, Pakistan has received two batches of Sinopharm. The first shipment of 500,000 doses arrived in February. The second shipment of another half a million doses reached last week. Islamabad is also in talks with another Chinese company CanSino biologics to vaccinate its population of 220 million but the question is, how many in Pakistan will be willing to take the shot?

This, especially after knowing how ineffective Chinese vaccines could be. Asad Umar, the minister-in-charge of Pakistan's Covid-19 operation says Imran Khan had been infected prior to his vaccination and that the symptoms take a few days before manifesting.

The claims may be scientifically justified but in a country where polio still remains an endemic due to widespread conspiracies against inoculation, it might get slightly tough to convince the people.

Earlier this month, an Ipsos poll conducted on vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan showed that 2 in 5 Pakistanis are against taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

8 in 10 were completely oblivious of any vaccine names.

9 in 10 expected to be vaccinated free of cost.

43% expected to be vaccinated at home.

23% were worried about the side-effects...

And then there are people who think a vaccine is a tool of warfare.

https://twitter.Com/aasimzkhan/status/1351068270472916992

The news of Imran Khan testing positive is only adding fuel to such wild theories. The Pakistan government is caught on a sticky-wicket once again. 
&nbsp;

Imran Khan getting infected with coronavirus is likely to have negative impact on Pakistan's already struggling vaccination drive. For months, Pakistan struggled to source vaccines for its citizens.

Imran Khan getting infected with coronavirus is likely to have negative impact on Pakistan's already struggling vaccination drive. For months, Pakistan struggled to source vaccines for its citizens. Now when it finally has vaccine doses, the prime minister himself been tested positive just 2 days after getting a jab. There are concerns this could lead to greater vaccine hesitancy in the country. Imran Khan and his wife Bushra bibi have tested positive and are currently self-isolating. Indian PM has wished a speedy recovery to Imran khan. But what's making headlines is the fact that Imran khan got infected just two days after receiving his first vaccine shot. The jab was of the 'Made-in-China' Sinopharm vaccine which in January this year, was called one of the most unsafe vaccines with 73 side effects, by a Chinese doctor, Nonetheless, Pakistan has received two batches of Sinopharm. The first shipment of 500,000 doses arrived in February. The second shipment of another half a million doses reached last week. Islamabad is also in talks with another Chinese company CanSino biologics to vaccinate its population of 220 million but the question is, how many in Pakistan will be willing to take the shot? This, especially after knowing how ineffective Chinese vaccines could be. Asad Umar, the minister-in-charge of Pakistan's Covid-19 operation says Imran Khan had been infected prior to his vaccination and that the symptoms take a few days before manifesting. The claims may be scientifically justified but in a country where polio still remains an endemic due to widespread conspiracies against inoculation, it might get slightly tough to convince the people. Earlier this month, an Ipsos poll conducted on vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan showed that 2 in 5 Pakistanis are against taking the COVID-19 vaccine. 8 in 10 were completely oblivious of any vaccine names. 9 in 10 expected to be vaccinated free of cost. 43% expected to be vaccinated at home. 23% were worried about the side-effects... And then there are people who think a vaccine is a tool of warfare. https://twitter.Com/aasimzkhan/status/1351068270472916992 The news of Imran Khan testing positive is only adding fuel to such wild theories. The Pakistan government is caught on a sticky-wicket once again.

Imran Khan's COVID infection may have negative impact on vaccination drive

Half of all adults in Britain have now received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, becoming the world's first major economy to hit that milestone.&nbsp;

Health minister Matt Hancock said on Twitter, the figure had been reached after a record 660,276 shots were administered on Friday.&nbsp;

Israel is the leader in vaccinating its population, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Chile and then the United Kingdom - and investors are watching closely to see which economies could recover first.&nbsp;

"The vaccine is a national success story and our way out of this pandemic," said Hancock, adding that he was 'delighted'.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson got his first vaccine dose on Friday, receiving AstraZeneca's shot - which several European countries had temporarily stopped using earlier this week over safety fears.&nbsp;

Distributed by the state-run health service, Britain's vaccine roll-out has got off to a blistering start but the government has warned this week of a marked slowdown in April due to a delay of a shipment from India's Serum Institute and because a batch in the UK needed to be retested.&nbsp;

Britain has so far relied on vaccines from AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Pfizer and BioNTech.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Half of all adults in Britain have now received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, becoming the world's first major economy to hit that milestone. Health minister Matt Hancock said on Twitter, the figure had been reached after a record 660,276 shots were administered on Friday.

Half of all adults in Britain have now received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, becoming the world's first major economy to hit that milestone. Health minister Matt Hancock said on Twitter, the figure had been reached after a record 660,276 shots were administered on Friday. Israel is the leader in vaccinating its population, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Chile and then the United Kingdom - and investors are watching closely to see which economies could recover first. "The vaccine is a national success story and our way out of this pandemic," said Hancock, adding that he was 'delighted'. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson got his first vaccine dose on Friday, receiving AstraZeneca's shot - which several European countries had temporarily stopped using earlier this week over safety fears. Distributed by the state-run health service, Britain's vaccine roll-out has got off to a blistering start but the government has warned this week of a marked slowdown in April due to a delay of a shipment from India's Serum Institute and because a batch in the UK needed to be retested. Britain has so far relied on vaccines from AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Pfizer and BioNTech. (With inputs from agencies)

Britain hits milestone as half of all adults get first vaccine dose

Denmark on Saturday reported two cases of hospital staff with blood clots and cerebral haemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination.&nbsp;

The Capital Region of Denmark, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen, said one of the hospital staff had died and both had received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill.&nbsp;

The Danish medicines agency confirmed it had received two 'serious reports', without giving further details.&nbsp;

There were no details of when the hospital staff got ill.&nbsp;

Some countries including Germany and France this week reversed their decision to temporarily pause use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after reports of cases of rare brain blood clots sent scientists and governments scrambling to determine any link.&nbsp;

Denmark, which put use of the vaccine on hold on March 11, has not yet resumed use.&nbsp;

The European Union's drug watchdog said on Thursday, it is still convinced the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks following an investigation into reports of blood clots that prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend its use.&nbsp;

European Medicines Agency (EMA) director Emer Cooke said on Thursday, the watchdog could not definitively rule out a link between blood clot incidents and the vaccine in its investigation into 30 cases of a rare blood clotting condition.&nbsp;

But she said the 'clear' conclusion of the review was that the benefits in protecting people from the risk of death or hospitalisation outweighs the possible risks. The issue deserves further analysis, the EMA said.&nbsp;

AstraZeneca, which developed the shot with Oxford University, has said a review covering more than 17 million people, who had received its shots in the EU and Britain had found no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Denmark on Saturday reported two cases of hospital staff with blood clots and cerebral haemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination. The Capital Region of Denmark, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen, said one of the hospital staff had died and both had received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill.

Denmark on Saturday reported two cases of hospital staff with blood clots and cerebral haemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination. The Capital Region of Denmark, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen, said one of the hospital staff had died and both had received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill. The Danish medicines agency confirmed it had received two 'serious reports', without giving further details. There were no details of when the hospital staff got ill. Some countries including Germany and France this week reversed their decision to temporarily pause use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after reports of cases of rare brain blood clots sent scientists and governments scrambling to determine any link. Denmark, which put use of the vaccine on hold on March 11, has not yet resumed use. The European Union's drug watchdog said on Thursday, it is still convinced the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks following an investigation into reports of blood clots that prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend its use. European Medicines Agency (EMA) director Emer Cooke said on Thursday, the watchdog could not definitively rule out a link between blood clot incidents and the vaccine in its investigation into 30 cases of a rare blood clotting condition. But she said the 'clear' conclusion of the review was that the benefits in protecting people from the risk of death or hospitalisation outweighs the possible risks. The issue deserves further analysis, the EMA said. AstraZeneca, which developed the shot with Oxford University, has said a review covering more than 17 million people, who had received its shots in the EU and Britain had found no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. (With inputs from agencies)

Two cases of blood clots reported after AstraZeneca shot in Denmark 

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Nearly a dozen countries resume AstraZeneca shots

Almost a dozen countries resumed use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shots on Friday as EU and British regulators said the benefits outweighed any risks after reports of rare instances of blood clotting that temporarily halted inoculations.

The end of suspensions will kick off a test of public confidence, both in the shot and in drug regulators whose conclusions are under unprecedented scrutiny, as virus variants spread and the global death toll, now at nearly 2.7 million, rises.

Indonesia joined Germany, France and others in re-administering the shots after they suspended vaccinations on reports of around 30 cases of rare brain blood clots, after millions of injections, that sent scientists and governments scrambling to determine if there was a link.

Paris goes into lockdown

France imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of the north after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants forced President Emmanuel Macron to shift course.

Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock the country down, Macron has said he would do whatever it takes to keep the euro zone's second-largest economy as open as possible.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-government-imposes-limited-lockdown-in-paris-amid-covid-19-variant-surge-371536">French government imposes limited lockdown in Paris amid COVID-19 variant surge</a>

However, this week he ran out of options just as France and other European countries briefly suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Lockdown extension looms in Germany

German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Friday dampened hopes that further restrictions will be lifted soon, saying rising infections could mean that curbs to slow the spread of the virus may have to be re-imposed.

"The rising case numbers may mean that we cannot take further opening steps in the weeks to come. On the contrary, we may even have to take steps backwards," Spahn told a weekly news conference.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with leaders of Germany's 16 federal states on Monday to discuss whether to extend a lockdown that has been in place since mid-December.

Philippines posts record daily cases

The Philippines recorded 7,103 new cases on Friday, a record daily increase in infections, as authorities tightened curbs in the capital and approved Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use.

A new wave of cases in the Philippines, which has the second highest number of infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, is threatening hopes of a strong economic rebound after a record contraction last year and the loss of millions of jobs.

The health ministry said there were now 648,066 confirmed cases and 12,900 deaths.

US&nbsp;to share vaccine with Mexico and Canada

The United States plans to send roughly 4 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries, yielding to requests to share shots with allies.

Mexico will receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine and Canada is to receive 1.5 million doses, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"It is not fully finalised yet but it is our aim," Psaki told a daily briefing. "Ensuring our neighbours can contain the virus is ... mission critical to ending the pandemic."

Brazil struggles with lack of ICU doctors

As Brazil's coronavirus outbreak spirals out of control, the country is facing a dangerous new shortage, threatening to drive fatalities even higher: a lack of staff in intensive care units.

Some medical professionals are burned out after months of gruelling work. Others are simply unable to keep up with the endless flow of critical patients pushing the country's healthcare system to the brink.

"Intensive care doctors are a commodity in short supply," César Eduardo Fernandes, the president of the Brazilian Medical Association, told Reuters. "There's no way to meet this brutal, catastrophic demand."

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Nearly a dozen countries resume AstraZeneca shots Almost a dozen countries resumed use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shots on Friday as EU and British regulators said the benefits outweighed any risks after reports of rare instances of blood clotting that temporarily halted inoculations.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Nearly a dozen countries resume AstraZeneca shots Almost a dozen countries resumed use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shots on Friday as EU and British regulators said the benefits outweighed any risks after reports of rare instances of blood clotting that temporarily halted inoculations. The end of suspensions will kick off a test of public confidence, both in the shot and in drug regulators whose conclusions are under unprecedented scrutiny, as virus variants spread and the global death toll, now at nearly 2.7 million, rises. Indonesia joined Germany, France and others in re-administering the shots after they suspended vaccinations on reports of around 30 cases of rare brain blood clots, after millions of injections, that sent scientists and governments scrambling to determine if there was a link. Paris goes into lockdown France imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of the north after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants forced President Emmanuel Macron to shift course. Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock the country down, Macron has said he would do whatever it takes to keep the euro zone's second-largest economy as open as possible. Also Read | French government imposes limited lockdown in Paris amid COVID-19 variant surge However, this week he ran out of options just as France and other European countries briefly suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Lockdown extension looms in Germany German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Friday dampened hopes that further restrictions will be lifted soon, saying rising infections could mean that curbs to slow the spread of the virus may have to be re-imposed. "The rising case numbers may mean that we cannot take further opening steps in the weeks to come. On the contrary, we may even have to take steps backwards," Spahn told a weekly news conference. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with leaders of Germany's 16 federal states on Monday to discuss whether to extend a lockdown that has been in place since mid-December. Philippines posts record daily cases The Philippines recorded 7,103 new cases on Friday, a record daily increase in infections, as authorities tightened curbs in the capital and approved Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use. A new wave of cases in the Philippines, which has the second highest number of infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, is threatening hopes of a strong economic rebound after a record contraction last year and the loss of millions of jobs. The health ministry said there were now 648,066 confirmed cases and 12,900 deaths. US to share vaccine with Mexico and Canada The United States plans to send roughly 4 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries, yielding to requests to share shots with allies. Mexico will receive 2.5 million doses of the vaccine and Canada is to receive 1.5 million doses, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "It is not fully finalised yet but it is our aim," Psaki told a daily briefing. "Ensuring our neighbours can contain the virus is ... mission critical to ending the pandemic." Brazil struggles with lack of ICU doctors As Brazil's coronavirus outbreak spirals out of control, the country is facing a dangerous new shortage, threatening to drive fatalities even higher: a lack of staff in intensive care units. Some medical professionals are burned out after months of gruelling work. Others are simply unable to keep up with the endless flow of critical patients pushing the country's healthcare system to the brink. "Intensive care doctors are a commodity in short supply," César Eduardo Fernandes, the president of the Brazilian Medical Association, told Reuters. "There's no way to meet this brutal, catastrophic demand."

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

People who get <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> shots at thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores may soon be able to verify their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccination</a> status at airports, schools and other locations using a health passport app on their smartphones.

The retail giant said Wednesday that it had signed on to an international effort to provide standardized digital vaccination credentials to people. The company joins a push already backed by major health centers and tech companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Cerner, Epic Systems, the Mitre Corp. and the Mayo Clinic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-uk-regulator-shrug-off-astrazeneca-vaccine-concerns-371478">EU, UK regulator shrug off AstraZeneca vaccine concerns</a>

“Walmart is the first huge-scale administrator of vaccines that is committing to giving people a secure, verifiable record of their vaccinations,” said Paul Meyer, chief executive of the Commons Project Foundation, a nonprofit in Geneva that has developed health passport apps. “We think many others will follow.”

The company said people who get COVID shots at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores will be able to use free health passport apps to verify their vaccination records and then generate smartphone codes that could allow them to board a plane or enter a sports area.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-is-a-vaccine-passport-all-you-need-to-know-369934">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-is-a-vaccine-passport-all-you-need-to-know-369934/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The apps include Health Pass developed by Clear, a security company that uses biometric technology to confirm people’s identities at airports, and CommonPass, developed by the Commons Project.

JetBlue and Lufthansa are already using the CommonPass app to verify passengers’ negative virus test results before they can board certain flights.

People who get COVID-19 shots at thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores may soon be able to verify their vaccination status at airports, schools and other locations using a health passport app on their smartphones.

People who get COVID-19 shots at thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores may soon be able to verify their vaccination status at airports, schools and other locations using a health passport app on their smartphones. The retail giant said Wednesday that it had signed on to an international effort to provide standardized digital vaccination credentials to people. The company joins a push already backed by major health centers and tech companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Cerner, Epic Systems, the Mitre Corp. and the Mayo Clinic. Also read | EU, UK regulator shrug off AstraZeneca vaccine concerns “Walmart is the first huge-scale administrator of vaccines that is committing to giving people a secure, verifiable record of their vaccinations,” said Paul Meyer, chief executive of the Commons Project Foundation, a nonprofit in Geneva that has developed health passport apps. “We think many others will follow.” The company said people who get COVID shots at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores will be able to use free health passport apps to verify their vaccination records and then generate smartphone codes that could allow them to board a plane or enter a sports area. Watch | The apps include Health Pass developed by Clear, a security company that uses biometric technology to confirm people’s identities at airports, and CommonPass, developed by the Commons Project. JetBlue and Lufthansa are already using the CommonPass app to verify passengers’ negative virus test results before they can board certain flights.

Walmart joins push for digital vaccination credentials

Humans love competition. We love world cups, the Olympics, elections, etc. No matter how dire the situation, we find scope for competition and rivalry.&nbsp;

The COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. First was the race to lockdown: who would curb the spread of the virus better? Then, it was a stimulus race: who would write the biggest cheque? And when the vaccines came that too became a race: who would achieve herd immunity first? &nbsp;

Take Russia's Sputnik-V for instance. It was registered in August 2020, months before vaccines were approved in the West and that's how Russia is marketing Sputnik as the first registered vaccine for the coronavirus. Same in the United States when Donald Trump was president. He doubled up as a cheerleader for vaccine makers, it didn't matter what Pfizer or Moderna said, the former US president was making his own deadlines. It was all about prestige. About racing ahead of rivals.

Pandemic or not, geopolitical competition was very much alive and pharma companies were more than willing to oblige. Last year, they got government endorsements. A kind of vaccine nationalism was picking up.&nbsp;

In the West, Sputnik-V was widely condemned. It was declared a quack vaccine but as of today, Sputnik has been approved in Argentina, Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary, Iran and the UAE. Even the European Union is considering emergency use authorisation. How times change!&nbsp;

A similar episode played out in India. Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech, was granted approval. It was immediately dubbed vaccine nationalism, a case of the Indian government backing an Indian vaccine. Until now, 5.5 million Covaxin doses have been administered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself took it.

The bottom line is, a vaccine is a vaccine.&nbsp;As long as it keeps the virus at bay, it doesn't matter who manufactures it or which country supports it.&nbsp;

But try telling that to China. Beijing has unveiled a new visa policy, which applies to foreigners entering the mainland from Hong Kong. If you have taken a China-made vaccine, there will be less paperwork. You don't have to take a Covid test or fill out a travel declaration form.&nbsp;

A China-made vaccine is basically your ticket into mainland China. A couple of issues here. Backing home-grown vaccines isn't a problem, but this is vaccine discrimination. It's like saying China-made jabs are better than Pfizer, or Moderna, or Covaxin, which is not the case.&nbsp;

China is attempting to boost the acceptability of its vaccines. Citizens, especially in Southeast Asia have business interests in China. They frequently visit the mainland. For them, taking a China-made vaccine might sound appealing. Beijing is leveraging its position as a travel hub to sell its jabs.

China's pharma war extends beyond vaccines. It is driving up the price of Paracetamol in India. Since last year, New Delhi has been pursuing self-sufficiency in the pharma sector. China's response was to drive up the cost of raw material. A 100% jump since November 2020, right in the middle of a public health emergency.&nbsp;

Countries may have their own reasons to back vaccines but why are pharma giants playing along? We are talking about one of the most despised industries in the world. Managing public opinion is not their strong suit. The pandemic was a chance to redeem themselves but they failed miserably. Pharma companies supplied more than 50% of their doses to just 16% of the world population. They chased money and market domination.

And don't forget, taxpayers contributed to these vaccines. Remember Operation Warp Speed in America? Pharma companies got more than 10 billion dollars of public money but the public has no rights over these jabs. So, let's take a step back and take stock of what's happening.&nbsp;

Big pharma used our money to develop vaccines and then sold those same vaccines back to us at cost. That's the global pharma industry in a nutshell.&nbsp;

Humans love competition. We love world cups, the Olympics, elections, etc. No matter how dire the situation, we find scope for competition and rivalry. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no different.

Humans love competition. We love world cups, the Olympics, elections, etc. No matter how dire the situation, we find scope for competition and rivalry. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. First was the race to lockdown: who would curb the spread of the virus better? Then, it was a stimulus race: who would write the biggest cheque? And when the vaccines came that too became a race: who would achieve herd immunity first? Take Russia's Sputnik-V for instance. It was registered in August 2020, months before vaccines were approved in the West and that's how Russia is marketing Sputnik as the first registered vaccine for the coronavirus. Same in the United States when Donald Trump was president. He doubled up as a cheerleader for vaccine makers, it didn't matter what Pfizer or Moderna said, the former US president was making his own deadlines. It was all about prestige. About racing ahead of rivals. Pandemic or not, geopolitical competition was very much alive and pharma companies were more than willing to oblige. Last year, they got government endorsements. A kind of vaccine nationalism was picking up. In the West, Sputnik-V was widely condemned. It was declared a quack vaccine but as of today, Sputnik has been approved in Argentina, Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary, Iran and the UAE. Even the European Union is considering emergency use authorisation. How times change! A similar episode played out in India. Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech, was granted approval. It was immediately dubbed vaccine nationalism, a case of the Indian government backing an Indian vaccine. Until now, 5.5 million Covaxin doses have been administered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself took it. The bottom line is, a vaccine is a vaccine. As long as it keeps the virus at bay, it doesn't matter who manufactures it or which country supports it. But try telling that to China. Beijing has unveiled a new visa policy, which applies to foreigners entering the mainland from Hong Kong. If you have taken a China-made vaccine, there will be less paperwork. You don't have to take a Covid test or fill out a travel declaration form. A China-made vaccine is basically your ticket into mainland China. A couple of issues here. Backing home-grown vaccines isn't a problem, but this is vaccine discrimination. It's like saying China-made jabs are better than Pfizer, or Moderna, or Covaxin, which is not the case. China is attempting to boost the acceptability of its vaccines. Citizens, especially in Southeast Asia have business interests in China. They frequently visit the mainland. For them, taking a China-made vaccine might sound appealing. Beijing is leveraging its position as a travel hub to sell its jabs. China's pharma war extends beyond vaccines. It is driving up the price of Paracetamol in India. Since last year, New Delhi has been pursuing self-sufficiency in the pharma sector. China's response was to drive up the cost of raw material. A 100% jump since November 2020, right in the middle of a public health emergency. Countries may have their own reasons to back vaccines but why are pharma giants playing along? We are talking about one of the most despised industries in the world. Managing public opinion is not their strong suit. The pandemic was a chance to redeem themselves but they failed miserably. Pharma companies supplied more than 50% of their doses to just 16% of the world population. They chased money and market domination. And don't forget, taxpayers contributed to these vaccines. Remember Operation Warp Speed in America? Pharma companies got more than 10 billion dollars of public money but the public has no rights over these jabs. So, let's take a step back and take stock of what's happening. Big pharma used our money to develop vaccines and then sold those same vaccines back to us at cost. That's the global pharma industry in a nutshell.

Is vaccine nationalism on the rise?     

More than 70 countries have authorised the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine and 350 million doses have been doled out across the world. Seventeen million people have been vaccinated in the European Union and UK.

But several countries, starting with Denmark last week, have temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days to investigate cases of blood clots that occurred after vaccination. They include Italy, Germany, France, Ireland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Congo and Bulgaria.

The number of blood clot cases in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population.

Blood clots can travel through the body and cause heart attacks, strokes and deadly blockages in the lungs. There are primarily two types of blood clots that are being reported.

The first is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition when blood clots form in a vein located deep inside your body. It usually occurs in the thigh or lower leg. It is most commonly seen in people above 50 years of age and can enhance the chances of developing a pulmonary embolism.

The second type is pulmonary embolism&nbsp;is much more severe. It is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. It restricts blood flow and decreases oxygen levels and in most cases, it proves to be fatal.

So far across the EU and UK, there have been 15 events of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia and 22 events of pulmonary embolism reported among those given the vaccine.

According to the European Medicines Agency, there is currently no indication that vaccination had caused these conditions. There’s not much information on the existence of co-morbidities in these patients either. But a few adverse reactions have raised questions and&nbsp;concerns.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after a few European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls that have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears.

The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy.

"It's very important to understand that, yes,&nbsp;we should continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine. All that we're looking at is what we always look at: any safety signal must be investigated. In fact, it is very important that we are hearing safety signals because if we were not hearing about any safety signals, then that would suggest there is not enough review and vigilance. We must always ensure we look for any safety signals when we roll out vaccines and we must review them. But there is no indication to not use it,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

But even after this statement, not everybody is convinced.

At least 16 countries have placed a temporary suspension on the vaccine and more countries may follow suit.

AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people.

(With inputs from agencies)

More than 70 countries have authorised the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine and 350 million doses have been doled out across the world. Seventeen million people have been vaccinated in the European Union and UK.

More than 70 countries have authorised the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine and 350 million doses have been doled out across the world. Seventeen million people have been vaccinated in the European Union and UK. But several countries, starting with Denmark last week, have temporarily halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent days to investigate cases of blood clots that occurred after vaccination. They include Italy, Germany, France, Ireland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Congo and Bulgaria. The number of blood clot cases in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population. Blood clots can travel through the body and cause heart attacks, strokes and deadly blockages in the lungs. There are primarily two types of blood clots that are being reported. The first is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition when blood clots form in a vein located deep inside your body. It usually occurs in the thigh or lower leg. It is most commonly seen in people above 50 years of age and can enhance the chances of developing a pulmonary embolism. The second type is pulmonary embolism is much more severe. It is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. It restricts blood flow and decreases oxygen levels and in most cases, it proves to be fatal. So far across the EU and UK, there have been 15 events of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or thrombocytopenia and 22 events of pulmonary embolism reported among those given the vaccine. According to the European Medicines Agency, there is currently no indication that vaccination had caused these conditions. There’s not much information on the existence of co-morbidities in these patients either. But a few adverse reactions have raised questions and concerns. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appealed to countries not to pause vaccination campaigns after a few European nations and one in Asia joined handfuls that have suspended the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine over safety fears. The WHO said its advisory panel was reviewing reports related to the shot and would release its findings as soon as possible. But it said it was unlikely to change its recommendations, issued last month, for widespread use, including in countries where the South African variant of the virus may reduce its efficacy. "It's very important to understand that, yes, we should continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine. All that we're looking at is what we always look at: any safety signal must be investigated. In fact, it is very important that we are hearing safety signals because if we were not hearing about any safety signals, then that would suggest there is not enough review and vigilance. We must always ensure we look for any safety signals when we roll out vaccines and we must review them. But there is no indication to not use it,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. But even after this statement, not everybody is convinced. At least 16 countries have placed a temporary suspension on the vaccine and more countries may follow suit. AstraZeneca's shot was among the first and cheapest to be developed and launched at volume since the coronavirus was first identified in central China at the end of 2019 and is set to be the mainstay of vaccination programmes in much of the developing world. The virus has killed more than 2.7 million people. (With inputs from agencies)

Several countries halt AstraZeneca jab: Does the vaccine cause blood clots?

After a number of European countries announced they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, UK PM Boris Johnson has said the government is confident in the safety of the vaccine.

'We have one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world,' Johnson said. 'They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination program.'

The British leader on Tuesday echoed assurances that the jab was not harmful.

"That vaccine is safe and works extremely well," Johnson wrote in The Times newspaper. 
 
Gravitas | AstraZeneca Suspension: Facts vs Hype

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"It is being made in multiple places from India to the US, as well as Britain, and it is being used around the world," he added.

Fears have grown in some countries over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine after several cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in people after receiving the inoculation, with a small number of deaths reported.

But AstraZeneca and medical experts in Britain have said there is no evidence of clots being caused by the jab or that they are occurring in greater numbers or frequency than in the general population.

The vaccine was developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in Britain, where more than 11 million doses have been administered, without any major problems reported.

On Monday, Johnson told reporters that Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is "one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world".

"They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination programme... for either of the vaccines that we're currently using," he said.

"They believe that they are highly effective in driving down not just hospitalisation but also serious disease and mortality.

"We continue to be very confident about the programme and it's great to see it being rolled out at such speed across the UK."

(With inputs from agencies)

After a number of European countries announced they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, UK PM Boris Johnson has said the government is confident in the safety of the vaccine.

After a number of European countries announced they were temporarily suspending the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, UK PM Boris Johnson has said the government is confident in the safety of the vaccine. 'We have one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world,' Johnson said. 'They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination program.' The British leader on Tuesday echoed assurances that the jab was not harmful. "That vaccine is safe and works extremely well," Johnson wrote in The Times newspaper. Gravitas | AstraZeneca Suspension: Facts vs Hype "It is being made in multiple places from India to the US, as well as Britain, and it is being used around the world," he added. Fears have grown in some countries over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine after several cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in people after receiving the inoculation, with a small number of deaths reported. But AstraZeneca and medical experts in Britain have said there is no evidence of clots being caused by the jab or that they are occurring in greater numbers or frequency than in the general population. The vaccine was developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in Britain, where more than 11 million doses have been administered, without any major problems reported. On Monday, Johnson told reporters that Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is "one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world". "They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination programme... for either of the vaccines that we're currently using," he said. "They believe that they are highly effective in driving down not just hospitalisation but also serious disease and mortality. "We continue to be very confident about the programme and it's great to see it being rolled out at such speed across the UK." (With inputs from agencies)

AstraZeneca is safe and works extremely well: UK PM defends vaccine over blood clot fears

A Facebook internal study has found that a small group of users is actually sowing major doubts about the Covid-19 vaccines, discouraging people from taking the vital jab.&nbsp;

The findings showed that just 10 out of the 638 population segments contained 50 per cent of all vaccine hesitancy content on the platform.&nbsp;

In the population segment with the most vaccine hesitancy, just 111 users contributed half of all vaccine hesitant content, according to a report in The Washington Post.&nbsp;

The Facebook study has also found a QAnon connection behind the campaign to malign the use of coronavirus vaccines and spreading 'vaccine hesitancy'.&nbsp;

QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory group in the US.&nbsp;

The research is a large-scale attempt to understand the spread of ideas that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, "or the act of delaying or refusing a vaccination despite its availability, on social media, a primary source of health information for millions of people," the report said on Sunday.&nbsp;

"While Facebook has banned outright false and misleading statements about coronavirus vaccines since December, a huge realm of expression about vaccines sits in a gray area," it added.&nbsp;

Facebook spokesperson Dani Lever said that the social network has partnered with more than 60 global health experts to allay the Covid-19 vaccine fears.&nbsp;

"Public health experts have made it clear that tackling vaccine hesitancy is a top priority in the Covid response, which is why we've launched a global campaign that has already connected two billion people to reliable information from health experts and remove false claims about Covid and vaccines," Lever was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

Facebook has stepped up its fight against the misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, and now removes false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on its platform as well as Instagram.&nbsp;

As part of their effort to reduce the spread of 'vaccine hoaxes' on its platform, Facebook and its photo-messaging app Instagram said recently not to allow advertisements that include misinformation about vaccines.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A Facebook internal study has found that a small group of users is actually sowing major doubts about the Covid-19 vaccines, discouraging people from taking the vital jab.

A Facebook internal study has found that a small group of users is actually sowing major doubts about the Covid-19 vaccines, discouraging people from taking the vital jab. The findings showed that just 10 out of the 638 population segments contained 50 per cent of all vaccine hesitancy content on the platform. In the population segment with the most vaccine hesitancy, just 111 users contributed half of all vaccine hesitant content, according to a report in The Washington Post. The Facebook study has also found a QAnon connection behind the campaign to malign the use of coronavirus vaccines and spreading 'vaccine hesitancy'. QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory group in the US. The research is a large-scale attempt to understand the spread of ideas that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, "or the act of delaying or refusing a vaccination despite its availability, on social media, a primary source of health information for millions of people," the report said on Sunday. "While Facebook has banned outright false and misleading statements about coronavirus vaccines since December, a huge realm of expression about vaccines sits in a gray area," it added. Facebook spokesperson Dani Lever said that the social network has partnered with more than 60 global health experts to allay the Covid-19 vaccine fears. "Public health experts have made it clear that tackling vaccine hesitancy is a top priority in the Covid response, which is why we've launched a global campaign that has already connected two billion people to reliable information from health experts and remove false claims about Covid and vaccines," Lever was quoted as saying. Facebook has stepped up its fight against the misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, and now removes false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on its platform as well as Instagram. As part of their effort to reduce the spread of 'vaccine hoaxes' on its platform, Facebook and its photo-messaging app Instagram said recently not to allow advertisements that include misinformation about vaccines. (With inputs from agencies)

Just 111 Facebook users spread half of Covid vaccine doubts 

AstraZeneca COVID vaccine: These countries have suspended its use so far

Health authorities in Denmark said on Thursday said that they were temporarily suspending use of COVID-19 vaccine. This precaution is being taken as some patients developed blood clots after they received the vaccine.&nbsp;

Danish Health Authority said in statement that suspension of AstraZeneca vaccine came "following reports of serious cases of blood clots among people vaccinated with AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine"

However, it added that "it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots"

Hours after Denmark's decision, Norwegian health authorities said that they were suspending the use of AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution.

"We are pausing the AstraZeneca vaccination in Norway," the director of infection prevention and control at the National Institute of Health, Geir Bukholm, told reporters.&nbsp;

"We are waiting for more information to see if there is a link between the vaccine and this blood clot case," he said.

Austria announced on Monday that it had suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines after a 49-year-old nurse died of "severe blood coagulation problems" days after receiving an anti-Covid shot.

Four other European countries -- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxemburg -- have also suspended the use of vaccines from this batch, which was sent to 17 European countries and consisting of one million jabs.

Denmark has however suspended the use of all of its AstraZeneca supply.

On Wednesday, &nbsp;Europe's medicines watchdog EMA said a preliminary probe showed that the batch of AstraZeneca vaccines used in Austria was likely not to blame for the nurse's death.

As of March 9, 22 cases of blood clots had been reported among more than three million people vaccinated in the European Economic Area, the EMA said.

Meanwhile UK PM Boris Johnson's spokesperson said on Thursday that AstraZeneca vaccine was safe.

"We've been clear that it's both safe and effective... and when people are asked to come forward and take it, they should do so in confidence," said the official spokesperson

(With AFP inputs)

Health authorities in Denmark said on Thursday said that they were temporarily suspending use of COVID-19 vaccine. This precaution is being taken as some patients developed blood clots after they received the vaccine.

Health authorities in Denmark said on Thursday said that they were temporarily suspending use of COVID-19 vaccine. This precaution is being taken as some patients developed blood clots after they received the vaccine. Danish Health Authority said in statement that suspension of AstraZeneca vaccine came "following reports of serious cases of blood clots among people vaccinated with AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine" However, it added that "it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots" Hours after Denmark's decision, Norwegian health authorities said that they were suspending the use of AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution. "We are pausing the AstraZeneca vaccination in Norway," the director of infection prevention and control at the National Institute of Health, Geir Bukholm, told reporters. "We are waiting for more information to see if there is a link between the vaccine and this blood clot case," he said. Austria announced on Monday that it had suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines after a 49-year-old nurse died of "severe blood coagulation problems" days after receiving an anti-Covid shot. Four other European countries -- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxemburg -- have also suspended the use of vaccines from this batch, which was sent to 17 European countries and consisting of one million jabs. Denmark has however suspended the use of all of its AstraZeneca supply. On Wednesday, Europe's medicines watchdog EMA said a preliminary probe showed that the batch of AstraZeneca vaccines used in Austria was likely not to blame for the nurse's death. As of March 9, 22 cases of blood clots had been reported among more than three million people vaccinated in the European Economic Area, the EMA said. Meanwhile UK PM Boris Johnson's spokesperson said on Thursday that AstraZeneca vaccine was safe. "We've been clear that it's both safe and effective... and when people are asked to come forward and take it, they should do so in confidence," said the official spokesperson (With AFP inputs)

Denmark, Norway suspend use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine due to blood clot fears 

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighbourhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations.

It was just after 11 a.m. when they encountered the first person reluctant to get a shot. Two doors down and 30 minutes later, it happened again. For nearly an hour, they stood on a front lawn with George Rodriguez, 67, chatting about the neighbourhood, the pandemic and the available vaccines.

“I see all this stuff online, about how it’s going to change my DNA. It does something to your DNA, right?” asked Rodriguez, who is Hispanic. “There is just too much stuff out, too much conflicting information. And then I hear that even if you get the vaccine you can still get sick. Why would I get it, then?”

Black and Hispanic communities, which were hit harder by the pandemic and whose vaccination rates are lagging that for white people, are confronting vaccine conspiracy theories, rumours and misleading news reports on social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter and in private online messaging, health authorities and misinformation researchers said.

The misinformation varies, like claims that vaccines can alter DNA — which is not true — and that the vaccines do not work, or that people of colour are being used as guinea pigs. A good part of this incorrect information comes from friends, family and celebrities, bubbling up in communities that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and facing other hurdles to getting vaccinated.

Foreign news outlets and anti-vaccine activists have also aggressively tried to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines made in the United States and Europe.

Misinformation has complicated efforts by some states to reach out to Black and Hispanic residents, particularly when health officials have provided special registration codes for vaccine appointments. Instead of a benefit, in some cases, the codes have become the basis for new false narratives.

“What might look like, on the surface, as doctors prioritizing communities of colour is being read by some people online as ‘Oh, those doctors want us to go first to be the guinea pigs,’” said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. “I’ve seen people on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Clubhouse — you name it — saying the codes are a way to force the vaccine on communities of colour as an experiment.”

Research conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-February showed a striking disparity between racial groups receiving the vaccine in 34 states that reported the data.

The state figures vary widely. In Texas, where people who identify as Hispanic make up 42% of the population, only 20% of the vaccinations had gone to that group. In Mississippi, where Black people make up 38% of the population, they received 22% of the vaccinations. According to an analysis by The New York Times, the vaccination rate for Black Americans is half that of white people, and the gap for Hispanic people is even larger.

While researchers say a lack of easy access to vaccine sites could be the biggest driver of that shortfall, misinformation is playing a role.

The belief that doctors are interested in experimenting on certain communities has deep roots among some groups, Koltai said. Anti-vaccine activists have drawn on historical examples, including Nazi doctors who ran experiments in concentration camps, and the Baltimore hospital where, 70 years ago, cancer cells were collected from Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother of five, without her consent.

“The thing about misinformation is that it works best when it is built around a kernel of truth. In this case, many communities of colour don’t trust the medical establishment because they don’t have the best history with it,” said Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, a group that supports women of colour who are harassed online.

An experiment conducted in 1943 on nearly 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, is one of the most researched examples of medical mistreatment of the Black community. Over four decades, scientists observed the men, whom they knew were infected with syphilis but did not offer treatments so that they could study the disease’s progression. When the experiment came to light in the 1970s, it was condemned by the medical community as a major violation of ethical standards.

Researchers who study disinformation followed mentions of Tuskegee on social media over the last year. While Tuskegee averaged several hundred mentions a week on Facebook and Twitter, there were several noticeable spikes that coincided with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company.

The final week of November, when pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer announced promising results in their final studies on the safety of their COVID-19 vaccines, mentions of Tuskegee climbed to 7,000 a week.

There was another lull until mid-December when the Food and Drug Administration announced it had given emergency approval to the vaccines. Mentions of Tuskegee climbed to nearly 5,000 that week, according to Zignal, with some of the most viral tweets calling the coronavirus vaccines “the New Tuskegee study.”

Doctors say they are battling vaccine hesitancy in other demographic groups, as well. Last month, a poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 23% of Republicans said they would “definitely” not get vaccinated, while 21% said they “probably” would not get a coronavirus vaccine.

Native American groups have been battling vaccine fears in their communities, and doctors have reported that some of their Chinese American patients have been bringing in articles in Chinese-language media outlets questioning vaccines made in the U.S.

Many Black and Hispanic people were already struggling to make appointments and reach vaccination sites that are often in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. And officials in some cities say that people from those neighbourhoods also have been flooding vaccination appointment systems and taking supply intended for poorer Black and Hispanic residents.

Misinformation about who is allowed to receive the vaccine, when it is available and how it was safety tested has added even more difficulty, Mitchell said.

At a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on a recent Friday afternoon, before 68-year-old Anthony Jones agreed to get his shot last month, there was just one last thing he wanted to look up on Facebook. He pulled out his phone and started to tap, waving off his grandson, who had driven him to his appointment.

“I read something about a woman who died from this thing, and I want to know if she was Black,” said Jones, who after several minutes of scrolling could not find the Facebook post he was looking for. “You see a lot of stuff on the internet which makes you think, as a Black man, you should not be taking this vaccine.”

Jones eventually gave up. As he was walking in for his shot he remembered the article he had seen was on WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, and from a website, he did not recognize.

“My grandson tells me not to believe everything I read on the internet,” he said. “I like to believe my grandson.”

The next day, Daniel Lander, 38, was canvassing a neighbourhood in San Jose with Armand Mateos, 28. For the last five months, Lander has been going door to door in a program managed by Working Partnerships USA, a community organization based in Silicon Valley. The group is working with local county officials to help dispel misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines.

“We hear people say that they saw this or that celebrity sharing something on Twitter or Instagram that made them think the vaccine was a bad idea. People value the opinion of people they look up to, and these celebrities have a lot of influence,” Lander said.

As they chatted with Rodriguez, a muscular man and an enthusiastic talker, Lander and Mateos said they sympathized with his concerns. They said they had a lot of the same questions, and explained their decision to get the vaccines themselves. Rodriguez asked where they got their shots and how it made them feel.

Mateos reflexively touched his left arm, where he had received the vaccine in recent weeks. It hurt, he said, and he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. But he was convinced that it was safe and that it would keep him and his loved ones from getting sick.

“They’ve read all this stuff online, from different news sources, which is confusing. But then they meet me, as someone who has had the shot, and I can give them some real answers,” Mateos said. He added that many people cited articles in the Spanish-language versions of Russian state-backed media networks, Sputnik and Russia Today. “They are very down on the American vaccines. People read those stories and don’t want to get the shot.”

As the two men were leaving, Rodriguez yelled out that he would get the shot that week. They made sure he had the phone number and websites he needed to register, and continued down the street.

“I think I will get it later this week,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t make promises, but I think that they’ve convinced me.”

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighbourhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations.

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighbourhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations. It was just after 11 a.m. when they encountered the first person reluctant to get a shot. Two doors down and 30 minutes later, it happened again. For nearly an hour, they stood on a front lawn with George Rodriguez, 67, chatting about the neighbourhood, the pandemic and the available vaccines. “I see all this stuff online, about how it’s going to change my DNA. It does something to your DNA, right?” asked Rodriguez, who is Hispanic. “There is just too much stuff out, too much conflicting information. And then I hear that even if you get the vaccine you can still get sick. Why would I get it, then?” Black and Hispanic communities, which were hit harder by the pandemic and whose vaccination rates are lagging that for white people, are confronting vaccine conspiracy theories, rumours and misleading news reports on social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter and in private online messaging, health authorities and misinformation researchers said. The misinformation varies, like claims that vaccines can alter DNA — which is not true — and that the vaccines do not work, or that people of colour are being used as guinea pigs. A good part of this incorrect information comes from friends, family and celebrities, bubbling up in communities that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and facing other hurdles to getting vaccinated. Foreign news outlets and anti-vaccine activists have also aggressively tried to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines made in the United States and Europe. Misinformation has complicated efforts by some states to reach out to Black and Hispanic residents, particularly when health officials have provided special registration codes for vaccine appointments. Instead of a benefit, in some cases, the codes have become the basis for new false narratives. “What might look like, on the surface, as doctors prioritizing communities of colour is being read by some people online as ‘Oh, those doctors want us to go first to be the guinea pigs,’” said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. “I’ve seen people on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Clubhouse — you name it — saying the codes are a way to force the vaccine on communities of colour as an experiment.” Research conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-February showed a striking disparity between racial groups receiving the vaccine in 34 states that reported the data. The state figures vary widely. In Texas, where people who identify as Hispanic make up 42% of the population, only 20% of the vaccinations had gone to that group. In Mississippi, where Black people make up 38% of the population, they received 22% of the vaccinations. According to an analysis by The New York Times, the vaccination rate for Black Americans is half that of white people, and the gap for Hispanic people is even larger. While researchers say a lack of easy access to vaccine sites could be the biggest driver of that shortfall, misinformation is playing a role. The belief that doctors are interested in experimenting on certain communities has deep roots among some groups, Koltai said. Anti-vaccine activists have drawn on historical examples, including Nazi doctors who ran experiments in concentration camps, and the Baltimore hospital where, 70 years ago, cancer cells were collected from Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother of five, without her consent. “The thing about misinformation is that it works best when it is built around a kernel of truth. In this case, many communities of colour don’t trust the medical establishment because they don’t have the best history with it,” said Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, a group that supports women of colour who are harassed online. An experiment conducted in 1943 on nearly 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, is one of the most researched examples of medical mistreatment of the Black community. Over four decades, scientists observed the men, whom they knew were infected with syphilis but did not offer treatments so that they could study the disease’s progression. When the experiment came to light in the 1970s, it was condemned by the medical community as a major violation of ethical standards. Researchers who study disinformation followed mentions of Tuskegee on social media over the last year. While Tuskegee averaged several hundred mentions a week on Facebook and Twitter, there were several noticeable spikes that coincided with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company. The final week of November, when pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer announced promising results in their final studies on the safety of their COVID-19 vaccines, mentions of Tuskegee climbed to 7,000 a week. There was another lull until mid-December when the Food and Drug Administration announced it had given emergency approval to the vaccines. Mentions of Tuskegee climbed to nearly 5,000 that week, according to Zignal, with some of the most viral tweets calling the coronavirus vaccines “the New Tuskegee study.” Doctors say they are battling vaccine hesitancy in other demographic groups, as well. Last month, a poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 23% of Republicans said they would “definitely” not get vaccinated, while 21% said they “probably” would not get a coronavirus vaccine. Native American groups have been battling vaccine fears in their communities, and doctors have reported that some of their Chinese American patients have been bringing in articles in Chinese-language media outlets questioning vaccines made in the U.S. Many Black and Hispanic people were already struggling to make appointments and reach vaccination sites that are often in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. And officials in some cities say that people from those neighbourhoods also have been flooding vaccination appointment systems and taking supply intended for poorer Black and Hispanic residents. Misinformation about who is allowed to receive the vaccine, when it is available and how it was safety tested has added even more difficulty, Mitchell said. At a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on a recent Friday afternoon, before 68-year-old Anthony Jones agreed to get his shot last month, there was just one last thing he wanted to look up on Facebook. He pulled out his phone and started to tap, waving off his grandson, who had driven him to his appointment. “I read something about a woman who died from this thing, and I want to know if she was Black,” said Jones, who after several minutes of scrolling could not find the Facebook post he was looking for. “You see a lot of stuff on the internet which makes you think, as a Black man, you should not be taking this vaccine.” Jones eventually gave up. As he was walking in for his shot he remembered the article he had seen was on WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, and from a website, he did not recognize. “My grandson tells me not to believe everything I read on the internet,” he said. “I like to believe my grandson.” The next day, Daniel Lander, 38, was canvassing a neighbourhood in San Jose with Armand Mateos, 28. For the last five months, Lander has been going door to door in a program managed by Working Partnerships USA, a community organization based in Silicon Valley. The group is working with local county officials to help dispel misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines. “We hear people say that they saw this or that celebrity sharing something on Twitter or Instagram that made them think the vaccine was a bad idea. People value the opinion of people they look up to, and these celebrities have a lot of influence,” Lander said. As they chatted with Rodriguez, a muscular man and an enthusiastic talker, Lander and Mateos said they sympathized with his concerns. They said they had a lot of the same questions, and explained their decision to get the vaccines themselves. Rodriguez asked where they got their shots and how it made them feel. Mateos reflexively touched his left arm, where he had received the vaccine in recent weeks. It hurt, he said, and he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. But he was convinced that it was safe and that it would keep him and his loved ones from getting sick. “They’ve read all this stuff online, from different news sources, which is confusing. But then they meet me, as someone who has had the shot, and I can give them some real answers,” Mateos said. He added that many people cited articles in the Spanish-language versions of Russian state-backed media networks, Sputnik and Russia Today. “They are very down on the American vaccines. People read those stories and don’t want to get the shot.” As the two men were leaving, Rodriguez yelled out that he would get the shot that week. They made sure he had the phone number and websites he needed to register, and continued down the street. “I think I will get it later this week,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t make promises, but I think that they’ve convinced me.”

Black and Hispanic communities grapple with vaccine misinformation

France could block shipments abroad of COVID-19 vaccines, similar to moves on this front by Italy, said French Health Minister Olivier Veran on Friday (March 5).

France could block vaccine shipments, similar to Italy - Veran

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday.

Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-blocks-export-of-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-shipment-to-australia-368096">Also read |&nbsp;Italy blocks export of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia</a>

The latest data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public.

According to Reuters, the full results of the study will most likely be released by&nbsp;March end.

The P1 variant is among the factors that epidemiologists believe is contributing to a rise in cases and deaths, and there has been concern in the scientific community about the variant's resistance to vaccines.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-to-receive-10m-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-doses-from-indias-serum-institute-367740">Also read |&nbsp;UK to receive 10M AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute</a>

Brazil is currently confronting a brutal and long-lasting second wave of the coronavirus, hitting a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday.

Preliminary data from a study conducted at the University of Oxford indicates that the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC is effective against the P1, or Brazilian, variant, according to a report published in Reuters on Friday. Early results had indicated the AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the South African variant, which is similar to P1. South Africa subsequently paused the use of the vaccine in the country. Also read | Italy blocks export of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia The latest data indicates that the vaccine will not need to be modified in order to protect against the variant, which is believed to have originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, said the source, who requested anonymity as the results have not yet been made public. According to Reuters, the full results of the study will most likely be released by March end. The P1 variant is among the factors that epidemiologists believe is contributing to a rise in cases and deaths, and there has been concern in the scientific community about the variant's resistance to vaccines. Also read | UK to receive 10M AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute Brazil is currently confronting a brutal and long-lasting second wave of the coronavirus, hitting a daily record of 1,910 deaths on Wednesday.

Oxford study indicates AstraZeneca effective against Brazil coronavirus variant

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots.&nbsp;

Elena de Borbon and her sister Cristina visited former king Juan Carlos, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August amid a cloud of scandal.&nbsp;

It was not clear how the two got their shots, as the UAE only provides free Covid-19 vaccinations to residents and citizens, and requires a valid identification card. According to statistics from World in Data, as many as 60% of the UAE's population have received a vaccine so far.&nbsp;

"It is very unpleasant, very ugly," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz told Spanish state television TVE. "We, the people, who exercise some sort of representation, must lead by example."&nbsp;

She said it was not right for the royals to be vaccinated while in Spain many medics and vulnerable people are still waiting for immunisation against Covid-19.&nbsp;

Cristina's lawyer office did not answer a request for comment, while Fundacion Mapfre, the Madrid-based social and cultural branch of insurance company Mapfre where Elena de Borbon works, declined to comment.&nbsp;

Spain aims to have 70% of its 47 million population inoculated by summer, but only 1.3 million have been fully vaccinated so far, about 2.7% of the total.&nbsp;

Authorities are working through priority groups of the most vulnerable members of society, with over 80-year-olds and essential workers such as police officers and teachers currently receiving shots.&nbsp;

Elena de Borbon, 57, was supposed to wait a few weeks to get vaccinated in Spain, while her sister is officially a Swiss resident.&nbsp;

The outcry arose after many local politicians and high-ranking military officials were outed as having jumped the vaccination queue, triggering a wave of resignations.&nbsp;

A palace source said the king's sisters were not its concern as they were no longer technically part of the royal family since their father abdicated. The king, Queen Letizia and their daughters would get the shots when it was their turn.&nbsp;

The controversy will do nothing to defuse popular anger at Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 amid several scandals. Supreme Court prosecutors have opened several investigations into his business dealings, including those linked to a multi-billion dollar, high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots.

The sisters of Spain's King Felipe were vaccinated against the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi last month while visiting their father, online newspaper El Confidencial reported on Wednesday, sparking outrage at home where most Spaniards are still awaiting shots. Elena de Borbon and her sister Cristina visited former king Juan Carlos, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August amid a cloud of scandal. It was not clear how the two got their shots, as the UAE only provides free Covid-19 vaccinations to residents and citizens, and requires a valid identification card. According to statistics from World in Data, as many as 60% of the UAE's population have received a vaccine so far. "It is very unpleasant, very ugly," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz told Spanish state television TVE. "We, the people, who exercise some sort of representation, must lead by example." She said it was not right for the royals to be vaccinated while in Spain many medics and vulnerable people are still waiting for immunisation against Covid-19. Cristina's lawyer office did not answer a request for comment, while Fundacion Mapfre, the Madrid-based social and cultural branch of insurance company Mapfre where Elena de Borbon works, declined to comment. Spain aims to have 70% of its 47 million population inoculated by summer, but only 1.3 million have been fully vaccinated so far, about 2.7% of the total. Authorities are working through priority groups of the most vulnerable members of society, with over 80-year-olds and essential workers such as police officers and teachers currently receiving shots. Elena de Borbon, 57, was supposed to wait a few weeks to get vaccinated in Spain, while her sister is officially a Swiss resident. The outcry arose after many local politicians and high-ranking military officials were outed as having jumped the vaccination queue, triggering a wave of resignations. A palace source said the king's sisters were not its concern as they were no longer technically part of the royal family since their father abdicated. The king, Queen Letizia and their daughters would get the shots when it was their turn. The controversy will do nothing to defuse popular anger at Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 amid several scandals. Supreme Court prosecutors have opened several investigations into his business dealings, including those linked to a multi-billion dollar, high-speed train contract in Saudi Arabia.

Spanish king's sisters spark outcry after getting early vaccine in UAE 

Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers,&nbsp;find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world.

The microblogging platform will label&nbsp;tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines.

Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against COVID vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said.

It will be using a "strike system" to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.

"Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday.

"We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules,"&nbsp;the company said.

Twitter had already banned some COVID-related misinformation in December, including falsehoods about how the virus spreads, whether masks are effective and the risk of infection and death.

People with one violation or strike&nbsp;will see no action. Two strikes will lead to an account being locked for 12 hours. Five or more will get a user permanently banned from Twitter, but users can appeal against the removal.

There is still a great amount of vaccine scepticism in various countries. In Ukraine, for instance,&nbsp;medical facilities reportedly threw&nbsp;out some unused coronavirus vaccines after doctors didn't show up for their inoculation appointments.&nbsp;

(With agency inputs)

Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers, find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world.

Many people opposed to vaccination, or anti-vaxxers, find their audience in social media, but now Twitter is deploying human monitors to crack down on disinformation as Covid-19 shots are being rolled out across the world. The microblogging platform will label tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines. Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against COVID vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said. It will be using a "strike system" to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules. "Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday. "We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said. Twitter had already banned some COVID-related misinformation in December, including falsehoods about how the virus spreads, whether masks are effective and the risk of infection and death. People with one violation or strike will see no action. Two strikes will lead to an account being locked for 12 hours. Five or more will get a user permanently banned from Twitter, but users can appeal against the removal. There is still a great amount of vaccine scepticism in various countries. In Ukraine, for instance, medical facilities reportedly threw out some unused coronavirus vaccines after doctors didn't show up for their inoculation appointments. (With agency inputs)

Twitter deploys human monitors to strike down coronavirus vaccine misinformation

When it comes to Covid-19 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccination</a> programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil.

Vaccinating over 210 million people may sound daunting, but for Brazil it really shouldn’t be. With one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world, the country has a distinguished track record of vaccinations and disease control. The National Immunization Program, founded in 1973, helped to eradicate polio and rubella in the country and currently offers more than 20 vaccines free in every municipality.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-side-effects-are-severe-but-worth-it-cdc-study-367057" hreflang="en">Moderna's coronavirus vaccine side effects are severe, but worth it: CDC study</a>

Along with the infrastructure to distribute vaccines, there’s also the expertise to do so: In 1980, the country vaccinated 17.5 million children against polio in a single day. In 2010, over 89 million doses of the swine flu vaccine were administered in under four months. And last year, more than 70 million Brazilians received their annual shot against influenza.

We take immunization so seriously here that we even have a mascot for vaccination campaigns, an adorable six-foot smiling white blob named “Zé Gotinha,” Joe Droplet. (This glorious national hero apparently refused to shake hands with President Jair Bolsonaro during an official event in December.)

But despite these advantages, Brazil’s vaccine rollout has been painfully slow, inconsistent and marred by shortages. The nationwide program began on Jan. 18, later than over 50 countries, and at its current rate will take more than four years to complete. Several major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, have already had to stop their campaigns because of problems in supply.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-sells-stake-in-moderna-for-more-than-1-billion-report-367063" hreflang="en">AstraZeneca sells stake in Moderna for more than $1 billion: Report</a>

In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage — 250,000 people have died, the second-highest total in the world, after the United States, as cities along the Amazon River like Manaus have been abandoned to their fate — the failure amounts to a disaster.

So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame.

From the beginning, Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. The president fought against masks and social distancing measures, comparing the coronavirus to rain that would fall on most people while drowning just some of them. (“It’s no use staying home crying,” he recently said, after the country registered 1,452 deaths on a single day.) In the middle of the outbreak, he managed to get rid of two health ministers — both doctors — who threatened to contradict him, replacing them with an army general.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-may-be-less-effective-in-obesity-study-367008" hreflang="en">Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study</a>

What’s more, not only did Bolsonaro spend emergency funds to purchase and distribute unproven drugs against Covid-19, even after they had been shown to be ineffective, he also refused many offers of vaccine doses. In August, Pfizer offered Brazil 70 million doses, with delivery starting in December — but the government was not interested. The company made two other proposals, to no avail.

When pressed for an explanation, Brazil’s Health Ministry claimed that the terms of the contract — the same that applied to all countries — were “abusive.” Pfizer, Bolsonaro complained, wouldn’t take responsibility “if you turn into Superman, if a woman grows a beard or a man starts to talk with a high-pitched voice.” Instead, he kept up his efforts to discredit vaccination, promoting an imaginary “early treatment” for Covid-19.

Bolsonaro even found time to oppose a proposal, brought to the World Health Organization by India and South Africa, to temporarily lift patent restrictions on coronavirus vaccines. Allowing developing countries — including Brazil — to manufacture vaccines sooner and at much greater scale apparently held no interest.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-get-4-million-jj-vaccine-by-tuesday-fauci-hopes-to-vaccinate-children-by-2021-end-366999" hreflang="en">US to get 4 million J&amp;J vaccine by Tuesday; Fauci hopes to vaccinate children by 2021 end</a>

Eventually the federal government, under public pressure, started to plan a vaccination program. But it focused on a single manufacturer, AstraZeneca, whose vaccine trials ended up taking longer than others. Other difficulties surfaced later. After the approval of the vaccine in January, there was a shipment delay. And the flight bearing two million doses from India was postponed for a week.

Bolsonaro also spent months attacking the other vaccine now available in Brazil — CoronaVac, developed by the Chinese company Sinovac — because it had been backed by São Paulo’s governor, a political rival and likely competitor in the 2022 presidential race. (Bolsonaro even celebrated the death of a participant in the CoronaVac trial, later deemed to be unrelated to the vaccine.)

When the AstraZeneca vaccine failed to materialize quickly, Bolsonaro had to turn to the supply of the CoronaVac that São Paulo’s governor had managed to amass. There were no words of thanks.

Brazil is now gradually expanding local production, while more doses are on their way from India and the Covax Facility, a global vaccine distribution program. But everything is happening in slow motion. Two million doses now, four million a month later.

The shortage of vaccines at least conceals the fact that the government probably hadn’t secured enough syringes to administer them. Truly, it’s little wonder that the government’s handling of the pandemic was judged by the Lowy Institute, a research institute in Australia, to be the worst in the world.

Bolsonaro, through ineptitude and malice, has squandered the country’s resources to ruinous effect. Joe Droplet was right to ignore him. If only the rest of us could, too.

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil.

When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination programs, there are some countries that have exceeded expectations and others that have fallen surprisingly short. And then there is Brazil. Vaccinating over 210 million people may sound daunting, but for Brazil it really shouldn’t be. With one of the largest universal, free-of-charge public health systems in the world, the country has a distinguished track record of vaccinations and disease control. The National Immunization Program, founded in 1973, helped to eradicate polio and rubella in the country and currently offers more than 20 vaccines free in every municipality. Also read | Moderna's coronavirus vaccine side effects are severe, but worth it: CDC study Along with the infrastructure to distribute vaccines, there’s also the expertise to do so: In 1980, the country vaccinated 17.5 million children against polio in a single day. In 2010, over 89 million doses of the swine flu vaccine were administered in under four months. And last year, more than 70 million Brazilians received their annual shot against influenza. We take immunization so seriously here that we even have a mascot for vaccination campaigns, an adorable six-foot smiling white blob named “Zé Gotinha,” Joe Droplet. (This glorious national hero apparently refused to shake hands with President Jair Bolsonaro during an official event in December.) But despite these advantages, Brazil’s vaccine rollout has been painfully slow, inconsistent and marred by shortages. The nationwide program began on Jan. 18, later than over 50 countries, and at its current rate will take more than four years to complete. Several major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, have already had to stop their campaigns because of problems in supply. Also read | AstraZeneca sells stake in Moderna for more than $1 billion: Report In a country where the pandemic has wrought terrible damage — 250,000 people have died, the second-highest total in the world, after the United States, as cities along the Amazon River like Manaus have been abandoned to their fate — the failure amounts to a disaster. So what went wrong? Perhaps we should look to Joe Droplet: He seems to know exactly who to blame. From the beginning, Bolsonaro’s government downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic. The president fought against masks and social distancing measures, comparing the coronavirus to rain that would fall on most people while drowning just some of them. (“It’s no use staying home crying,” he recently said, after the country registered 1,452 deaths on a single day.) In the middle of the outbreak, he managed to get rid of two health ministers — both doctors — who threatened to contradict him, replacing them with an army general. Also read | Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study What’s more, not only did Bolsonaro spend emergency funds to purchase and distribute unproven drugs against Covid-19, even after they had been shown to be ineffective, he also refused many offers of vaccine doses. In August, Pfizer offered Brazil 70 million doses, with delivery starting in December — but the government was not interested. The company made two other proposals, to no avail. When pressed for an explanation, Brazil’s Health Ministry claimed that the terms of the contract — the same that applied to all countries — were “abusive.” Pfizer, Bolsonaro complained, wouldn’t take responsibility “if you turn into Superman, if a woman grows a beard or a man starts to talk with a high-pitched voice.” Instead, he kept up his efforts to discredit vaccination, promoting an imaginary “early treatment” for Covid-19. Bolsonaro even found time to oppose a proposal, brought to the World Health Organization by India and South Africa, to temporarily lift patent restrictions on coronavirus vaccines. Allowing developing countries — including Brazil — to manufacture vaccines sooner and at much greater scale apparently held no interest. Also read | US to get 4 million J&J vaccine by Tuesday; Fauci hopes to vaccinate children by 2021 end Eventually the federal government, under public pressure, started to plan a vaccination program. But it focused on a single manufacturer, AstraZeneca, whose vaccine trials ended up taking longer than others. Other difficulties surfaced later. After the approval of the vaccine in January, there was a shipment delay. And the flight bearing two million doses from India was postponed for a week. Bolsonaro also spent months attacking the other vaccine now available in Brazil — CoronaVac, developed by the Chinese company Sinovac — because it had been backed by São Paulo’s governor, a political rival and likely competitor in the 2022 presidential race. (Bolsonaro even celebrated the death of a participant in the CoronaVac trial, later deemed to be unrelated to the vaccine.) When the AstraZeneca vaccine failed to materialize quickly, Bolsonaro had to turn to the supply of the CoronaVac that São Paulo’s governor had managed to amass. There were no words of thanks. Brazil is now gradually expanding local production, while more doses are on their way from India and the Covax Facility, a global vaccine distribution program. But everything is happening in slow motion. Two million doses now, four million a month later. The shortage of vaccines at least conceals the fact that the government probably hadn’t secured enough syringes to administer them. Truly, it’s little wonder that the government’s handling of the pandemic was judged by the Lowy Institute, a research institute in Australia, to be the worst in the world. Bolsonaro, through ineptitude and malice, has squandered the country’s resources to ruinous effect. Joe Droplet was right to ignore him. If only the rest of us could, too.

Brazil is brilliant at vaccinations. So what went wrong this time?

A Canadian woman made and hung a banner at her house in Toronto when her mother Nina Rockett recently turned 94 years old, demanding for her birthday to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Canadian woman wants COVID-19 vaccine for her mother's 94th birthday

Vaccines are emerging as the new power tool in West Asia. As Israel inoculates more than half of its population, Palestine's vaccine plan is struggling with a funding gap. On the West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis looks at how vaccines are the new currency of choice in West Asia. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM IST, only on WION.

The West Asia Post | Vaccines: New currency of choice in West Asia?

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