The German state of Lower Saxony began vaccinating citizens against Covid-19 at the end of December, with priority given to the elderly and vulnerable. People over the age of 80 have been sent invitations urging them to make a vaccination appointment, but the state’s strict privacy laws have hampered this …
Read More »Microsoft, Oracle & Co full speed ahead on Covid-19 vaccine passports, citing incipient government demand
Along with healthcare nonprofit Mayo Clinic, health and tech companies including Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle have united to form the Vaccination Credential Initiative, aimed at devising a secure “health passport” that tracks the bearer’s vaccination status across borders. In a press release on Thursday, the CEO of VCI member the …
Read More »WHO ready to streamline international certification of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine – official
“Several vaccines, including Sputnik V, are currently at the stage of assessment and submission of data… The WHO is looking forward to providing the necessary assistance to accelerate these proceedings,” technical officer for immunization at WHO/Europe, Oleg Benes, said at a briefing with Russian-language media. The WHO said earlier it …
Read More »After months of bashing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, Western journalists in Moscow line up to be inoculated against Covid-19
However, in recent weeks, Moscow-based representatives of the very same outlets have lined up to receive the much-maligned Sputnik V. Living in Russia, it is no surprise that the correspondents have a much more realistic view of the country than their New York and London-based superiors. On Friday, the New …
Read More »Australian scientists urge pause on deployment of AstraZeneca vaccine over efficacy concerns, suggest Pfizer or Moderna instead
The scientists pointed to data from a study published in the Lancet last month that found the British-Swedish vaccine had only 62 percent efficacy, compared with over 90 percent for the Pfizer-BioNTech alternative. A large-scale trial in the UK and Brazil reported a 62 percent effectiveness for those who were …
Read More »‘Sputnik Light’: Testing of single-dose anti-Covid vaccine based on ‘Sputnik V’ kicks off in Russia
The trials of the vaccine variant, dubbed ‘Sputnik Light,’ kicked off in Russia on Friday, according to the updated national register of medical drugs. It says the first stage of trials will involve some 150 people who have volunteered to get the express shot. The testing will take place at …
Read More »EU member states cannot negotiate their own Covid-19 vaccine deals – von der Leyen
Speaking on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU had ordered more than enough doses for everyone in the EU, as Brussels announced its purchase of another 300 million doses of the Pfizer jab. Von der Leyen took the opportunity to warn member states against …
Read More »Vaccine might not work properly against mutated South African Covid-19 variant, says UK Minister
Speaking on Friday to LBC Radio, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there was concern amongst the scientific community as to whether the vaccines produced will offer protection against new virus strains. “The South African variant is worrying the experts because it may be that the vaccine doesn’t respond in …
Read More »‘Sooner than expected & DIFFERENT vaccine’: Dutch PM explains Netherlands caught off guard by Pfizer jab approval amid criticism
Two weeks after the start of the EU-wide vaccination campaign, not a single person has received the jab in the Netherlands, the last EU state to launch its immunization effort. The first Dutch national is expected to receive a vaccine on Wednesday. Some 288,000 vaccine doses have been delivered to …
Read More »Putin opens door to ‘vaccine passports’ for international travel as growing number of Russians get Covid-19 jab
In a series of instructions to officials, published at the end of 2020, President Vladimir Putin ordered policymakers “to consider issuing certificates to people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 infections using Russian vaccines… for the purpose of enabling citizens to travel across the borders of the Russian Federation and …
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