ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italy’s northern Piedmont region on Sunday suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the death of a teacher who had received it the day before, the regional health authority said. The woman, who age has not been disclosed, died Sunday at Biella, a town north of Turin. “This is an extreme precautionary measure, while waiting to see if there exists a causal link between the vaccination and the death,” said a […]
Tag: Virus
5 detained over Covid hospital deaths in Jordan
AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — The director and four other officials of a Jordanian hospital treating coronavirus patients were detained on Sunday over deaths at the facility after it ran out of oxygen, judicial sources said. A prosecutor decided to place them in custody for a week for questioning after seven patients died Saturday in the hospital in Salt, near the capital Amman, they said. Public anger over the deaths led to the resignation of health […]
Norway probes blood clot cases after jab suspension
OSLO, Norway (AFP) — Norwegian health officials reported three more cases of blood clots or brain haemorrhages in younger people who received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, but said they could not yet say they were vaccine-related. The Norwegian Medicines Agency said similar incidents had been reported in other European countries. While there was no proof of a link to the vaccine, anyone under 50 who felt unwell and developed large blue patches after vaccination should […]
India reviews AstraZeneca side effects after concerns in Europe
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India will carry out a deeper review of post-vaccination side effects from the AstraZeneca shot next week although no cases of blood clots have been reported so far, an official told AFP Saturday. New Delhi decided to conduct the review after several countries suspended rollout over blood clot fears even as the World Health Organization said there was no reason to stop using AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 jab. Denmark, Norway and […]
98 cases of new P.3 variant detected in PHL, mostly found in Central Visayas – PGC
PHL Genome Center stresses need to prevent spread of P.3 variant to other regions, other countries (Eagle News) – The coronavirus variant P.3, which was first detected in the Philippines was the SARS-CoV2 mutation that was first observed in the Central Visayas region where there had been an observed spike in cases since January this year, according to the Philippine Genome Center (PGC). The PGC said that most of the nearly 100 samples where […]
UK says AstraZeneca vaccine is ‘safe and effective’
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The UK government on Thursday defended the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after Denmark suspended the jab’s use, and insisted it would continue with its own rollout. “We’ve been clear that it’s both safe and effective… and when people are asked to come forward and take it, they should do so in confidence,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told reporters. “And in fact you’re starting to see the results of […]
Thailand delays AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out over blood clot fears
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Thailand abruptly delayed its roll-out of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, stopping Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha from getting the first jab as several European nations suspended their programmes over blood clot fears. The kingdom was scheduled to start administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday, with Prayut expected to be filmed receiving the first injection. But by 8:30 am (0130 GMT) the gruff former general was nowhere to be seen, the […]
Biden to end Covid vaccine priority group restrictions by May 1: US official
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden will order authorities across the entire United States to lift priority restrictions on people wanting to get Covid-19 vaccinations by the start of May, an official said Thursday. “He will direct states that no later than May 1, all Americans need to be eligible to receive the vaccine,” said a senior administration official, who asked not to be identified. Biden will discuss his plans in a primetime […]
Biden signs $1.9 trillion US stimulus package into law
by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden signed a massive $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill Thursday ahead of giving a national address where he was set to urge “hope” on the first anniversary of the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden called the American Rescue Plan “historic” as he signed the package into law in the Oval Office. The bill, passed by Congress earlier this week, dishes out $1,400 payments to […]
High protection after one vaccine dose for Covid survivors: study
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A person who has had Covid and receives a single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines is equally or better protected than someone who never had Covid and got two doses, according to a study. “We hope this data… will help shape more nuanced vaccine policy,” co-author Viviana Simon, a professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York told AFP Thursday. For […]
Novavax Covid vaccine highly effective against severe Covid: company
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US biotech firm Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine was shown to be 100 percent protective against severe cases of the disease, including hospitalization and death, the company said Thursday following trials. But its efficacy against the South African variant fell markedly when including mild and moderate cases, results showed. The results announced Thursday were from final analyses, following interim results that were announced in late January. In a Phase 3 trial in […]
Cambodia reports first coronavirus death
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AFP) — Cambodia reported its first coronavirus death on Thursday as the country battles its worst outbreak since the pandemic began one year ago. A driver died in a hospital on Thursday morning in Phnom Penh after testing positive for the virus late last month, the health ministry said. Cambodia has largely escaped the brunt of the pandemic, registering just 1,163 cases, but a community cluster among Chinese expatriates has brought the […]





