JERUSALEM – Israel once again has placed itself in the middle of the global clinical debate on the medical benefits of a fourth Pfizer shot to slow the Omicron wave, when it became the first country to approve such an injection for all citizens over the age of 60 and healthcare workers. Israeli Prime Minister […] Continue reading ->
In a first face-to-face meeting in Geneva since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization’s 194 member states appeared set to adopt a landmark decision to negotiate a new treaty or framework convention governing pandemic response, dubbed “Our World Together”, and with over 100 countries now declaring co-sponsorship. But from the start […] Continue reading ->
Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine demonstrates an 80% efficacy six to eight months after the second dose – a higher efficacy than officially published mRNA vaccines, announced the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in a press briefing on Wednesday. The efficacy data is based on “real-world data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic […] Continue reading ->
People living with HIV in England and Wales may be eligible for injectable antiretroviral treatment every two months, rather than daily pills. Two injectable drugs, cabotegravir and rilpivirine, were recommended for use by the UK National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) on Thursday after trials proved they work as effectively as daily tablets, according […] Continue reading ->
It may be too late for many European countries to avoid harsh measures to try to curb the intense transmission of COVID-19, according to World Health Organization (WHO) officials on Friday. “Almost two million cases of COVID-19 were reported in Europe last week, the most in a single week in that region since the pandemic […] Continue reading ->
IBADAN – Following new travel policies that discriminate against vaccinated travellers from African countries, as compared to their European, Asian and Middle Eastern counterparts, African health officials have demanded clarifications, and accused the UK government of potentially festering vaccine hesitancy on the continent. A British government’ plan to drop a 10-day quarantine requirement for fully-vaccinated […] Continue reading ->
As the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday that 70% of its adults had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it recommended reimposing restrictions on travellers from the US, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. On 8 June, the six were included on an EU Council list of “safe countries” identified for the relaxing of […] Continue reading ->
US Health officials confirmed on Wednesday that the country will begin to offer a third COVID ‘booster’ vaccine, beginning the week of September 20, to Americans who were vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout. It’s now “very clear” that immunity starts to fall after the initial two doses, and with the dominance of the Delta […] Continue reading ->
Nearly half of the 31 European nations using the European Union’s new digital COVID travel certificate have recognized the India-made version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield, alongside its European-made counterpart, Vaxzevria, an analysis by Health Policy Watch has revealed. But other major countries, including France, Poland, and Italy, seem to be holding out, authorizing only […] Continue reading ->
In his most explicit appeal to date, WHO’s Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called upon the global leaders in COVID mRNA vaccine manufacturing – Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna to “share their know-how” in vaccine manufacturing with more manufacturers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO DG also called upon countries that are beginning to […] Continue reading ->