AstraZeneca has joined Pfizer in announcing delays in deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to countries in Europe, leading furious EU officials to plan for a system of tighter monitoring of vaccine exports.  The British-Swedish pharma company that developed its COVID-19 vaccine with researchers at Oxford University, informed the European Commission on Friday that there would be […] Continue reading ->
While global attention has fixated on the coronavirus, the forty-year long fight against HIV, which has claimed 33 million lives, is seeing new breakthroughs in preventive tools. New discoveries of “broadly neutralizing antibodies” as well as novel regimens of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), could strengthen the world’s toolbox to prevent the disease, announced the International AIDS […] Continue reading ->
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is safe for most people including those with a wide range of underlying medical conditions, according to the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunizations. However, the vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or children as it has not been tested on these groups, according to […] Continue reading ->
Michael Osterholm – a leading member of the United States President’s coronavirus transition team – has said he is “convinced” by data indicating the UK COVID-19 variant is more deadly, even as United Kingdom officials downplay the limited and “uncertain” evidence. Meanwhile, Moderna announced today that it will “test an additional booster dose of its […] Continue reading ->
Wealthy countries that pursue ‘vaccine nationalism’ when their trading partners don’t have access to the COVID-19 vaccine will pay a far higher economic price than if they invest in ensuring all countries have access to vaccines, according to a comprehensive economic modelling study released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study, commissioned by […] Continue reading ->
Pfizer/BioNTech will join the WHO-co-sponsored COVAX vaccine facility, providing up to 40 million vaccines at cost to the Facility for use in low-income countries around the world – in what signals a breakthrough for the facility that only a week ago appeared to be teetering on the verse of irrelevance – as more low- and […] Continue reading ->
Ten African countries, supported by China, have appealed to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support increased local production of medicines, vaccines and other health products – to improve their access and drive down prices, according to a draft resolution presented to WHO’s Executive Board Friday. Ethiopia, supported by nine other African countries – eSwatini, […] Continue reading ->
Five people have died in a major fire at the Serum Institute’s manufacturing facility, charged with producing India’s supply of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine –  just days after the country’s national vaccine campaign got underway. Serum Institute Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla was quick to say that the fire at its main complex in Pune, would not […] Continue reading ->