European countries are experiencing soaring COVID-19 infection and death rates. With a third wave sweeping across Europe, hospitals are at risk of becoming overwhelmed and governments are facing increasing public opposition to continued lockdowns and social distancing restrictions. The WHO European Region, which includes 53 member states, has recorded an upward trend in cases for […] Continue reading ->
European Parliament members (MEPs) expressed overwhelming support for a coronavirus-related “Digital Green Certificate” to ease travel within the European Union, voting by a more than two-thirds majority to accelerate approval by the summer.   But parliamentarians also warned that all efforts to recover from COVID-19 will be void unless Europeans are vaccinated more quickly.  “We need […] 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 ->
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 ->
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 ->
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 ->