The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine can reduce severe COVID-19 in older adults by up to 70%, says a new Public Health England (PHE) study – which offers the first real-world evidence of the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing serious disease among older adults, following its approval by UK and European regulatory agencies.  Findings about the efficacy […] Continue reading ->
JERUSALEM – A three-way collaboration between Israel, Austria and Denmark to expand COVID vaccine manufacturing capacity may be taking shape – just as Moderna gears up for a major global manufacturing expansion and the Israeli-based firm, Teva Pharmaceuticals, negotiates with vaccine manufacturers about ways to support more vaccine production and distribution.   Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz […] Continue reading ->
The global vaccine platform, COVAX, aims to distribute 237 million doses of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine to 142 countries by the end of May 2021, its managing partners told the media on Tuesday. Eleven million doses will be delivered this week alone, with Angola, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria getting their vaccines on […] Continue reading ->
Despite a groundswell of growing support, a South African and Indian proposal to the World Trade Organization to suspend patents and other intellectual property on vital COVID-19 vaccines and other health products was put on hold by WTO’s General Council in its session on Monday – with the next debate likely to occur in May.  […] Continue reading ->
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have become the first countries in the world to start vaccinating their health workers against COVID-19 with a supply of doses from the WHO co-sponsored global COVAX facility. But it is “regrettable” that this milestone has come almost three months after vaccine campaigns already began in rich countries, World Health Organisation’s […] Continue reading ->
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization on Saturday, clearing the way for it to become the third COVID vaccine to be administered in the US starting on Tuesday.  Initial supplies to the US market, however, are likely to be limited for at least […] Continue reading ->
Leaders of the 27 European Union member states are moving closer to a consensus on an EU-wide system of vaccine certificates for travel between countries in the bloc. Within three months a system will be introduced, EU officials announced on Thursday, the first day of the two-day virtual summit of the European Council. Several EU […] Continue reading ->
A new COVID-19 virus variant recently detected in New York is “surging alarmingly,” according to the authors of two new pre-print studies by two teams of US researchers, from Columbia University and the California Institute of Technology.  Even worse, the new variant, dubbed B.1.526, shares some key mutations in its “spike” protein structure with several […] Continue reading ->
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Gheyebresus on Friday issued his strongest call to date for a waiver on intellectual property related to COVID vaccines, medicines and other health products – which is due to be considered next week by the World Trade Organization’s General Council. While welcoming a new UN Security Council resolution also […] Continue reading ->