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BRAZZAVILLE, Congo (AFP) — Just two percent of the population, or fewer, have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus in half of the countries in Africa, the World Heath Organization said on Thursday, Fifteen of the continent’s 54 nations have managed to vaccinate at least 10 percent of their people, thereby achieving the global goal for September 30, set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy-setting body. “The latest data shows […]
by John BIERS NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — United Airlines and Tyson Foods provided fresh evidence Thursday supporting coronavirus vaccine mandates, while AT&T expanded its jab requirement to unionized workers. The announcements show how more large companies are moving ahead with vaccine requirements, despite loud criticism from some employee groups and politicians. President Joe Biden on September 9 announced the government would demand large businesses to require vaccinations, but the administration has yet to […]
KABUL, Afghanistan (AFP) — Afghanistan’s health system is on the verge of collapse, a top Red Cross official warned Thursday, saying more than 2,000 health facilities had been shuttered across the conflict-ravaged country. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that a dire lack of funding was pushing Afghanistan’s health system to the brink. “People might agree to work without salaries for a few more weeks,” Alexander Matheou, IFRC’s Asia […]
KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine on Thursday reported its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since April as authorities prepared to introduce compulsory vaccinations for teachers and government officials. A government tally reported 11,757 new infections over the past 24 hours, while 194 fatalities and 2,556 hospitalisations were recorded over the same period. Authorities in the post-Soviet country of around 40 million people initially struggled with a lack of vaccines and are now fighting an […]
CONSTANTINE, Algeria (AFP) — Algeria on Wednesday started producing the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Sinovac, with production expected to be eight million doses a month. Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane, who attended the launch of the production process at a factory in the eastern city of Constantine, called it a “big achievement”. Production could be doubled in the North African nation if needed, officials said. “Algeria… aims to achieve other projects of this kind,” […]
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — YouTube announced Wednesday it would remove videos and some high-profile users that falsely claim approved vaccines are dangerous, as social networks seek to crack down on health misinformation around Covid-19 and other diseases. Video-sharing giant YouTube has already banned posts that spread false myths around coronavirus treatments, including ones that share inaccurate claims about Covid-19 vaccines shown to be safe. But the Google-owned site said its concerns about the […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia on Wednesday recorded its highest coronavirus death toll for a second day running, as infections are on the rise driven by the Delta variant and slow vaccination rates. A government tally reported 857 fatalities over the past 24 hours and 22,430 new cases. The new figure brings the country’s total deaths from Covid-19 to 206,388 — the highest in Europe. Authorities have been accused of downplaying the severity of the […]
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — United Airlines will dismiss nearly 600 employees who refused to comply with a requirement to be vaccinated for Covid-19, company officials said Tuesday. Besides the 593 workers who refused to get vaccinated, another 2,000 employees have also requested a medical or religious exemption to the vaccine requirement, company officials said. That is about three percent of United’s 67,000-person workforce. The big US carrier said it was pleased with […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) –Most side effects after a third dose of a Covid vaccine are mild or moderate, and occur at about as often as after shot two, a US study showed Tuesday in a finding that was expected but nonetheless reassuring. The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came from more than 22,000 people who signed up to a vaccine safety smartphone app and who received a booster shot […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A coronavirus state of emergency targeting nightlife in Tokyo and other Japanese regions will end this week, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday, as cases nosedive nationwide. The emergency measures, which largely limit alcohol sales, restaurant opening hours and crowd sizes at large events, have been in place for much of the year, including during the Olympics. They are due to expire at the end of September, and Suga said there […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US pharmaceutical company Pfizer said Monday it had begun a clinical trial to test an influenza vaccine designed with the same mRNA technology behind its successful Covid-19 shot. The idea is to improve on the current generation of flu vaccines that have an efficacy of 40-60 percent against a disease that can cause up to 650,000 deaths a year. “The Covid-19 pandemic allowed us to deliver on the immense scientific […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden received a Covid-19 vaccine booster on Monday and told Americans still resisting the shots that they are damaging the country. Biden rolled up his left sleeve in the White House and got a third Pfizer dose in line with the recently approved health guidance, which allows boosters for those 65 or older. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am over 65,” Biden, 78, […]
