Malawi on Wednesday burned nearly 20,000 doses of expired AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The government move happened shortly after the Serum Institute of India (SII) announced that it would only resume its export of the precious vaccines to the rest of the world at the end of 2021 – due to the still burning pandemic crisis […] Continue reading ->
The European Union Council (EU) on Wednesday agreed to relax travel restrictions on entry by foreign tourists – clearing the way for countries in the bloc to open up their borders to COVID-19 vaccinated travellers after more than a year in which visits by most non-EU passport holders were refused. With the summer tourism season […] Continue reading ->
Major global vaccine manufacturers and biotech companies have committed to a five-point plan to “advance COVID-19 vaccine equity”, focusing on “responsible dose-sharing” and “maximizing production”. They pointed out that, within a few months, vaccine doses had gone from “zero to 2.2 billion” and were predicted to reach 11 billion doses by the end of 2021 […] Continue reading ->
Sanofi and GSK will test their two-dose SARS-CoV2 vaccine candidate as a booster for other vaccines during its phase 3 trial, following a phase 2 trial that showed that it triggered a strong neutralizing antibody response in people previously vaccinated. Those who had already been vaccinated showed a strong response after one jab, indicating that […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan health authorities are struggling to fully implement a World Health Organization (WHO) treaty to help reduce tobacco-related diseases in the country – some 17 years after they ratified it. Furthermore, the country’s health ministry recently announced the termination of the services of a number of staff members in its Tobacco Control Cell […] Continue reading ->
NAIROBI – New research has found that intestinal worm infections may put women at increased risk of sexually transmitted viral infections (STIs) – a discovery that researchers hope will help health workers to explain why STIs can be more virulent in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, where worm infections are common. The study, published in […] Continue reading ->
COVAX has a shortfall of 190 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, and the few manufacturers that have reached agreements with the facility will only deliver later in the year or even in 2022, World Health Organization (WHO) Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. “Pfizer has committed to providing 40 million doses of vaccines to […] Continue reading ->
CAPE TOWN- South Africa finally started to vaccinate people over the age of 60 on Monday, but it’s roll-out is being severely hampered by a hold-up in the verification of millions of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although Monday marks the official start of the country’s vaccination […] Continue reading ->
IBADAN – A deal to supply 400 million doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to African countries hangs in the balance as most countries are reluctant to make upfront deposits and borrow money to get the supplies. With a looming deadline to express interest and complete the funding applications, Africa CDC John Nkengasong on […] Continue reading ->
In preparation for the next pandemic, the COVAX global vaccine facility “needs a pot of money, where they can be early movers” in competing for, and securing, vaccine doses. That could help scenarios like the ones seen recently, in which rich countries cornered the market on the first available COVID-19 vaccines, leading to severe shortages […] Continue reading ->