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by Ivan Couronne Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump’s announcement in May of plans to develop a Covid-19 vaccine by year’s end is near realization — despite a setback among one of the six candidates that the US supported. The president described the effort as “a massive scientific, industrial and logistical endeavor unlike anything our country has seen since the Manhattan Project,” alluding to the US program during World War […]
Local private firms to buy vaccines and act as donor (Eagle News) — The Philippines has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to secure 2.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, which will be purchased by top local businessmen for the country. The tripartite agreement was signed by national action plan against COVID=19 Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. who is also the country’s vaccine czar, Presidential Adviser for […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The British government said on Friday it has asked its independent medicines regulator to assess AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine as part of the formal approval process for the drug to be rolled out by the end of the year. More than 1.4 million people have died since the novel coronavirus emerged in China late last year, and three drug developers — Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford University — are currently applying […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — One of the developers of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine announced Friday that India-based drugmaker Hetero will produce over 100 million doses of the jab. “Hetero, one of India’s leading generic pharmaceutical companies, have agreed to produce in India over 100 million doses per year of the world’s first registered vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection -– Sputnik V,” the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement, adding […]
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — The World Health Organization on Thursday urged African countries to improve their capacity to vaccinate populations against Covid-19, warning the continent was still “far from ready” for mass immunization. With three coronavirus vaccines now showing efficacy rates of 70 percent or more, the UN body called on Africa to “ramp up” preparations for “the continent’s largest ever immunization drive”. The African region is so far only 33 percent ready to […]
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany on Friday saw its total number of coronavirus infections pass one million, the Robert Koch Institute for disease control said. The institute recorded more than 22,000 new daily cases, pushing the country’s total beyond the one million mark. Germany had largely contained the spread of the virus in the spring but has been hit hard by a second wave of infections. The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care nationwide […]
by James PHEBY / Joe JACKSON LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — More than 23 million people will be under the tightest restrictions once England’s nationwide coronavirus lockdown ends next week, but London will escape the toughest rules, the government said on Thursday. England will return to a regional tiered system when the national stay-at-home order ends on December 2, and 23.3 million residents in the worst-hit areas are set to enter the “very high” alert […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The head of British drug manufacturer AstraZeneca said on Thursday further research was needed on its Covid-19 vaccine after questions emerged over the protection it offers, but the additional testing is unlikely to affect regulatory approval in Europe. AstraZeneca and its partner, the University of Oxford, announced on Monday that it was seeking regulatory approval for the vaccine after it showed average 70 percent effectiveness. That rate jumped to 90 […]
Galvez cites supply-demand challenge; need for ultra cold chain storage, distribution (Eagle News) — The Philippine COVID-19 czar said that vaccines for COVID-19 would only be made available by May, June or July next year in a best case scenario because of various challenges including vaccine supply and high demand in the world market. Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said that vaccines might not still be available this in the first or second quarter of 2021. “Dahil […]
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Sweden’s Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia are self-isolating after testing positive for the new coronavirus, the royal palace said Thursday. Carl Philip, the 41-year-old son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Sofia, 35, “have light flu symptoms” and are recuperating at home in Stockholm with their two young children, the palace said in a statement. The king and queen, as well as Crown Princess […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since March on Thursday, with a surge of new infections sparking fears of a major third wave. Officials announced 583 new cases after several weeks of fresh infections ranging between around 100 and 300. The latest cases have mostly been clusters at offices, schools, gyms and small gatherings in the greater Seoul area, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency […]
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Pfizer gave the office of Brazil’s health regulators results of the tests of their Covid-19 vaccine, a necessary step to approve and register the vaccine, the US-based pharmaceutical said Wednesday. “This is an important step so that the vaccine can be available in Brazil,” Pfizer said in a statement in Portuguese. Brazil, with a population of 212 million, has the highest Covid-19 death rate in the world after the United […]
