The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee (PRAC) on Thursday gave a resounding endorsement of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, concluding that the vaccine’s benefits vaccine “far outweigh” any risks – despite a possible link between some vaccinations and rare cases of blood clotting associated with low levels of blood platelets. The EMA statement followed two […] Continue reading ->
The European Commission has released a proposal establishing a framework for a “Digital Green Certificate”, clearing the way for a vaccine certificate system to be set up by the summer. The proposal comes as many European countries are witnessing a third wave of infections and as the region’s vaccination campaign is lagging from vaccine shortages […] Continue reading ->
Delayed Delivery Of Vaccines Procured By Africa CDC Threatens Timeline For Achieving ‘Herd Immunity’
Africa’s goal of achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 hangs in the balance as 270 million doses of vaccines are yet to arrive in the continent despite being secured three months ago by the African Union (AU) and African Centres for Diseae Control (ACDC). Mid-January 2021, Health Policy Watch reported that the Africa CDC had […] Continue reading ->
South Africa’s vaccination programme for health workers is inching forward, fuelled by small deliveries of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine every two weeks. However, overall supplies remain far short of the needs – even for the health sector. The country has an estimated 1.25 million health workers in public and private health to serve its […] Continue reading ->
Major European nations remain divided over the use of Oxford/AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, while the pharma company said there was no evidence of increased risk of blood clotting and abnormal bleeding among people who get the vaccine. AstraZeneca’s review of all the safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the European Union (EU) […] Continue reading ->
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan authorities are threatening to fire healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated with the Chinese-donated SinoPharm COVID-19 vaccine. In a harshly worded letter, , the Directorate of Health Services in Sindh warns frontline health care workers that reluctance to get the jab will result in “strict disciplinary action” including suspension or dismissal […] Continue reading ->
Although the European Union (EU) is opposed to the proposal by South Africa and India urging the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive intellectual property (IP) rights on COVID-19 products for the duration of the pandemic, the EU will support the expansion of vaccine access in Africa. This is according to the EU Ambassador to […] Continue reading ->
Novavax Vaccine Shows Less Efficacy Against COVID Variants – Sputnik Vaccine to Be Produced In Italy
Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has an efficacy rate of 96.4% against the original strain of SARS-CoV2. However, the efficacy rate drops up to 55.4% against the new B.1351 variant first identified in South Africa, and also spreading globally. The pharma company, which has never brought a vaccine to market before, published the data from two […] Continue reading ->
JERUSALEM – One year after the COVID-19 global health emergency was termed a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization – new vaccines are showing their power and efficacy through sharp declines in case rates in Israel – as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States – the second and third countries in […] Continue reading ->
Both the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization have urged that immunizations with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continue – despite a decision by several European countries to suspend its use – after reports of serious blood clots among 30 of the 5 million people vaccinated – leading to at least five deaths. An […] Continue reading ->