Coronavirus: Nurses step over dead bodies piled up on hospital floor

[Edoman]

India records 77,226 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours to take their total number to 3.38million








India has seen a large spike in number of new Coronavirus cases after 77,226 infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day caseload in the world. 
 
India now has a total of more than 3.38 million cases since the start of the pandemic with 46 percent of infections detected in August alone.
 
The country also reported 1,057 new deaths, the Health Ministry said earlier today, taking the total to 61,529.
 

 
The figures show that India has been recording more than 60,000 new daily infections since August 7, the highest single-day caseload in the world every day for three weeks. 
 
The country's previous highest daily count was 75,760 recorded on Wednesday, August 26.
 
India now has the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the World after the United States and Brazil.
 

[Edoman]

India overtakes Brazil to become second worst-hit country by Coronavirus pandemic







India has surpassed Brazil on Monday September 7, to become the second-worst affected country in the world hit by coronavirus. 

A total of 90,802 new cases were registered overnight, taking the total number of cases to 4,204,613. India were able to go from three to four million cases in 13 days, while it took Brazil 25 and the US 16 days.

Less than a quarter of these cases are active and the recovery rate is more than 77%, according to the Indian health ministry.

The Indian government has stepped up testing capabilities with over a million tests every day, which is one reason for the spike in cases showing up in smaller towns, cities, and rural India.

Dr. Harendra Kushwaha, the head of the COVID-19 rapid response team in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, said his team are overseeing two blocks of Makanpur and Kinauni that comprise of nearly 200,000 people, a task that is overwhelming for his '80-strong group.'

Dr Kushwaha told Sky News: "These are corona warriors who are risking their lives meeting COVID-19 patients and their families.
"People don't know if they are carrying the virus and may spread it indiscriminately. We have to break the chain."
 

[Edoman]

People Without Face-Masks In Indonesia Dig Grave As Punishment 

Face mask rebels in east Java have been detained and ordered to dig graves for coronavirus victims as punishment.

People who refused to wear face masks in Gresik regency were made to dig graves at a public cemetery in Ngabetan village.

The people being punished did not participate in funeral services but two were assigned to dig each grave.

Cerme district head Suyono said: 'There are only three available grave diggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8729991/amp/Anyone-refusing-wear-mask-dig-GRAVES-Covid-19-victims-punishment-East-Java.html









Indonesia saw its coronavirus case count rise by 3,636 yesterday, taking its total number of cases to since the pandemic began up to 218,382.

[Edoman]

Seven days after school resumption, six year old girl contracts COVID-19 and dies







A six-year-old girl has reportedly died of COVID-19 just seven days after resuming school.
 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohamed Saka, shared the sad story on his Twitter handle. He stated that the little girl contracted the virus when she resumed school and later died from the disease. However did not state where the unfortunate incident happened.

''Heartbreaking. 6 year daughter started school last week. Got Covid-19 in school and just passed away. Killed her in 7 days.


To those who are so afraid that kids are going to miss a year of school. Missing a year of school is better than losing a future. How about using this time to teach them how to plant, cook, basic first aid, creative and critical thinking... Not all learning is done in a classroom'' he tweeted

 

[Edoman]

President Buhari wishes US President Donald Trump and wife quick recovery after they tested positive for COVID-19







President Buhari has prayed for a quick recovery for United States President Donald Trump and his wife, Melanie after they tested positive for COVID-19, in a goodwill message released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
 
The goodwill message titled, ‘President Buhari wishes US President, Trump, family quick recovery’, reads
 

“President Muhammadu Buhari joins all citizens of United States of America in prayers for quick and full recovery of President Donald Trump and his wife, Melanie, who reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.


The President notes, with sympathy, that the incident of COVID-19 in the White House manifests the challenge posed by the pandemic across the world, and difficulty in containing the spread.

“While wishing the American First Family speedy turnaround in their current health status, President Buhari urges more compliance among Nigerians to protocols, and adherence to advice of medical doctors, particularly epidemiologists.” 

 

[Edoman]

French president Macron announces new lockdown as Covid-19 deaths surpass 35,000







Emmanuel Macron, the leader of France announced on Wednesday night a new lockdown that will take effect from Friday this week as Coronavirus cases in the country continue to increase beyond control.
 
Over the past few weeks, France has been reporting tens of thousands of new infections per day and is now recording more than 380 new cases each week per 100,000 people.


Health officials recorded 523 virus-related deaths in 24 hours Tuesday, the highest daily tally since April, bringing the country's overall death toll to 35,541, the third-highest toll in Europe after Britain and Italy.
 
 Macron's Wednesday night address comes just hours after Germany announced a limited lockdown to begin on November 2, which will see restaurants, bars and theatres close. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the measures were an attempt to avoid "an acute national health emergency".
 
Germany saw 15,000 new cases on Wednesday, a record for the nation, which had fared better than its neighbours over the summer and avoided a total lockdown on the model of the UK and France.


Also on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Europeans would experience a "different Christmas" this year. “We are deep in the second wave," she said.


Many French doctors had been calling for a new nationwide lockdown, noting that 58 percent of the country's intensive care units are now occupied by Covid-19 patients and medical staff are under increasing strain.


“The government didn’t take into account what the first wave was and didn’t learn all its lessons,” Frederic Valletoux, president of the French Hospital Federation, said Wednesday on France Inter radio.


He called for a full, month-long lockdown, saying “this wave will be much more devastating for the hospital system. Hospitals won’t manage if we don’t take drastic measures.”
?????
 
 

[Edoman]

Spain declares state of emergency until May 2021 over massive coronavirus spike








The Spanish government has declared a second nation-wide state of emergency and ordered a nationwide curfew over a massive coronavirus spike.
 
This comes after Spain became the first European country to record more than a million cases of the virus.  Last Friday, 19,851 cases were reported along with 231 deaths. Some 20,986 positive tests were also confirmed on Thursday. 
 
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez on Sunday afternoon said his cabinet had approved a state of emergency that is set to remain in force until 9 May 2021.
 
"The reality is that Europe and Spain are immersed in a second wave of the pandemic," the prime minister said after a meeting with Cabinet colleagues.
 
"We are living in an extreme situation...it is the most serious in the last half-century," he told a news conference.

The new decree will allow Spain’s regional governments to order an overnight curfew to run from 11 pm to 6 am across the whole country. Social gatherings and travel between autonomous communities will also be restricted.

The state of emergency also permits Spain’s regional governments to imposed full or partial lockdowns and limits public and private gatherings to six people.
“We have to protect our economic and work activity and preserve, as far as we can, the rhythms of our lives,” Sánchez.
 
 “Sacrifices will be indispensable. No one, not the government of Spain nor its regional governments, want to impose a single restriction that isn’t necessary to flatten the curve and protect public health,” he added.
 
However, the decree will not see the closure of Spain’s borders as there are also exceptions on travel, with the Canary Islands exempted from the restrictions on travel between regions in a bid to aid the tourism sector. 

As of Sunday, Spain had recorded 1,046,132 coronavirus cases and 34,752 related deaths.

[Edoman]

COVID-19: China Bars Nigerians From Entry

NOTICE ON THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF ENTRY INTO CHINA BY NON-CHINESE NATIONALS IN NIGERIA HOLDING VALID CHINESE VISAS OR RESIDENCE PERMITS

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, China has decided to temporarily suspend entry into China by non-Chinese nationals in Nigeria holding visas or residence permits still valid at the time of this announcement. The Chinese Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria will no longer issue Certified Health Declaration Form for the above-mentioned personnel.

Entry by holders of diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas will not be affected. Foreign nationals visiting China for emergency needs may apply for visas at Chinese Embassy or Consulate. Entry by non-Chinese nationals in Nigeria with visas issued after 3 November 2020 will not be affected.

The suspension is a temporary response necessitated by the current situation of Covid-19. The above-mentioned measures will be assessed in accordance with the evolving situation and any adjustment will be announced accordingly.

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

https://mobile.facebook.com/ChineseEmbassyInNigeria/posts/406028730779583?_rdc=1&_rdr

[Edoman]

Another Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough as Moderna reveals its jab is 94.5% effective








A new vaccine by Moderna that protects against Covid-19 is nearly 95% effective, the biotech firm has revealed, making it the second vaccine in the United States to have a high success rate.
 
Moderna  received its results on a call on Sunday afternoon from members of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, an independent panel analyzing Moderna's clinical trial data.
 
An interim analysis based on 95 patients with confirmed Covid infections, found the candidate vaccine has an efficacy of 94.5%, the company announced on Monday, November 16th. In the analysis, 90 of the patients received the placebo with the remaining five the vaccine.
 
The company said its vaccine did not have any serious side effects. A small percentage of those who received it experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches.
 
The results suggest the vaccine significantly reduces the risk of people testing positive for coronavirus or getting sick with Covid-19.
 
The company also said they are set to apply to the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, for authorization of its vaccine soon after it accumulates more safety data later this month.
 
"These are obviously very exciting results," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor. "It's just as good as it gets -- 94.5% is truly outstanding."
 
Fauci says he expects the first Covid-19 vaccinations to begin "towards the latter part of December, rather than the early part of December."
 
"It was one of the greatest moments in my life and my career. It is absolutely amazing to be able to develop this vaccine and see the ability to prevent symptomatic disease with such high efficacy," said Dr. Tal Zacks, Moderna's chief medical officer.
 
This comes days after Pfizer announced that early data show its vaccine is more than 90% effective against the disease.

[Edoman]

Suspected North Korean hackers launch cyberattack against Covid-19 vaccine maker AstraZeneca







North Korean hackers are suspected to have carried out a cyberattack against British coronavirus vaccine developer AstraZeneca recently according to a new report by Reuters.
 
According to Reuters, North Korean hackers posed as recruiters on social networking site LinkedIn and WhatsApp in order to approach AstraZeneca staff, including those working on coronavirus research.
 
The suspected hackers then offered fake job offers to the company's staff then sent documents -- some using Russian email addresses -- purporting to be job descriptions that were in fact laced with malicious code designed to give the hackers access to the victim's computers, Reuters reported.
 

 
According to Reuters, the hackers were not successful.
 
Drugmaker, AstraZeneca has not reacted to the report
But the University of Oxford, working in conjunction with the drugmaker to develop a covid-19 vaccine said the university is working closely with the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure protection of Vaccine materials and data
"Oxford University is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure our COVID-19 research has the best possible cyber security and protection," a university spokesperson told CNN.
 
Speaking to CNN, a member of staff of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's mission to the United Nations in Geneva said the Reuters report was "fake news," alleging that the information had been "fabricated."
 
The Reuters report comes after a South Korean lawmaker said the country had stoppef North Korean attempts to hack its own pharmaceutical companies working on Coronavirus vaccines.
 

[Edoman]

Japan to give free COVID-19 vaccine to all residents 









The Japanese Government has confirmed that all of its residents will get free coronavirus vaccines under a bill passed on Wednesday, December 2, as the nation battles record numbers of daily cases.
 
The bill, which says the government will cover all vaccine costs for Japan's 126 million residents, was approved by the upper house of parliament, having cleared the powerful lower house.
 
According to reports, Japan has secured Covid-19 vaccines for 60 million people from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and for a further 25 million people from biotech firm Moderna.
 
It was also reported that the country will receive 120 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine.
 
The bill's passage comes two weeks after Japan's prime minister said the country was on "maximum alert" over the virus, and as medics warn hospitals are on the brink of collapse.
 
Japan has recorded around 2,100 deaths with over 150,000 cases since the first case was confirmed. But it is now facing a third wave of the disease, reporting record numbers of daily infections nationwide in recent weeks.
 
Tokyo's governor, Yuriko Koike has urged residents to avoid non-essential outings and asked businesses serving alcohol to shut early. 

[Edoman]

41 people test positive for coronavirus after attending swingers convention 










A swingers convention in New Orleans turned into a coronavirus superspreader event after 41 people who attended tested positive for COVID-19.
 
The convention, titled 'Naughty in N'Awlins' was held in New Orleans over five days at the start of November. It reportedly attracted 300 people despite the ongoing pandemic for a week of sex. 
 
Naughty Events owner Bob Hannaford said the November’s five-day Naughty in N’awlins had safety protocols in place like mask-wearing, pre-testing, and contact tracing. 
 
But in a blog post, he expressed his regret at hosting the event after learning that at least 41 people had tested positive for the virus. He also said people 'gave up' on social distancing and mask-wearing. 
 
'When we contacted the people that were positive, we asked them several questions to find more potential positive cases and try to find out where the biggest risks took place. In almost every case, they admitted to us that they were super diligent on the first two days (Wed & Thurs) and then they relaxed a little on Friday and then they said “F**k it, it’s our last day” and many admitted that their lax effort on that final day is probably why they ended up positive,' Hannaford wrote. 
 
He said that he had 'no idea' how many people had actually contracted the virus because he only knew of the ones who have come forward. 
 
'You see, we have no idea how many people got tested after our event, nor if anyone tested positive and didn’t tell us. 
 
'There could also be people that are positive, but without symptoms, so they never got tested,' Hannaford wrote. 
 
'If I could go back in time, I would not produce this event again. Even though most of the 41 positive cases have mostly been asymptomatic or very mild cases. 
 
'The reason I wouldn’t is that I know of two people who had a tougher time and they were suffering. One of them, a good friend of mine, was hospitalized in serious condition. 
 
'If I thought for one minute that he or anyone would end up in the hospital, I would certainly not have had our event.  
 
'It is the first hospitalization I have heard about, but I know it isn’t really the first, it’s just that no one is talking about this,' he wrote.

[Edoman]

Former US presidents, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton pledge to receive COVID-19 vaccine on TV to show its safety








Former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton have pledged to receive coronavirus vaccine on camera to help promote the safety of the vaccine.
 
The effort comes as the Food and Drug Administration prepares to meet next week to decide whether to authorize a Covid-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech.
 
In an interview with SiriusXM host Joe Madison, Obama said that he would trust Anthony Fauci if the infectious disease expert declares a coronavirus vaccine to be safe.
 
“People like Anthony Fauci, who I know, and I’ve worked with, I trust completely,” Obama said. “So, if Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe, and can vaccinate, you know, immunize you from getting Covid, absolutely, I’m going to take it.”
 
Obama said he would take the vaccine once it was available for people “who are less at risk”. The 44th president is 59 and is not known to suffer from any serious health problems.
 
“I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don’t trust is getting Covid,” he added.
 
Freddy Ford, Bush’s chief of staff, told CNN the former president is also willing to receive the vaccine on camera.
 
“A few weeks ago, President Bush asked me to let Dr Fauci and Dr Birx know that, when the time is right, he wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated,” Ford told CNN.
 
“First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations. Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera.”
 
Clinton’s press secretary told CNN that he too is prepared to be filmed as he takes the vaccine.
 
“President Clinton will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials,” Angel Urena said. “And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same.”
 
COVID-19 Vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna-NIH are expected to be approved by US authorities soon with the United States reportedly hoping to immunize 100 million people by the end of February.

[Edoman]

President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani tests positive for Coronavirus







Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the president.




 
 Trump just made the announcement on Twitter. 
 
"@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!" Trump tweeted.
 

 
Giuliani, 76, a former New York mayor turned president Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has spent the last month traveling the country fighting the election results in states including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona on behalf of the president. On Wednesday, he attended a hearing in the Michigan House of Representatives, according to ABC.
 
He also appeared at a hearing at the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee to contest that state's results.
 
Giuliani is the latest of more than a dozen people in Trump's camp who have tested positive for COVID-19 since October.
 
 

[Edoman]

Russia extends ban on mass gatherings at schools until 2022







Russia has extended the ban on mass gatherings, including schools and extracurricular clubs, until Jan. 1, 2022.
 
A ban on mass gatherings at Russian schools was first imposed in June to curb the spread of the coronavirus and was set to expire on Jan. 1, 2021.
 
However, a new decree published Monday, Dec 7, and signed by Russia's chief sanitary doctor, Anna Popova, extends the ban and now also applies to sports organizations and other social infrastructure for children and youth.
 
Universities and colleges are exempt from the ban.
 
Russia's coronavirus response headquarters said Tuesday, Dec 8, it had confirmed 26,097 new cases of COVID-19 as well as 562 deaths from the disease in the past 24 hours. The country's cumulative total currently stands at 2,515,009 confirmed cases with 44,159 deaths.
 
Despite the growing number of infections and deaths, Russian authorities have repeatedly said they have no plans to impose another nationwide lockdown.
 
The Eastern European country has the fourth-highest tally of COVID-19 cases in the world, behind only the United States, India and Brazil, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

[Edoman]

Pfizer and Moderna to make up to $32 billion in Covid-19 vaccine sales in 2021 alone







As the US government prepares to authorize immediate distribution of Covid-19 vaccine, Wall Street analysts are projecting pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna will generate $32 billion in Covid-19 vaccine revenue, next year alone.
 
According to Wall Street analyst, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer (PFE) by itself is projected to make $19 billion in Covid-19 vaccine revenue in 2021, that doesn't include an estimated $975 million in 2020 vaccine revenue.

Pfizer is expected to take in $9.3 billion more in combined Covid-19 vaccine revenue in 2022 and 2023 as the world continues to get vaccinated, Morgan Stanley also projected.
 


Pfizer will share its revenues with BioNTech (BNTX), the German pharmaceutical company it partnered with to develop the vaccine.

The Pfizer vaccine was already authorized by the UK earlier this month and now a panel of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers recommended on Thursday,December 10,  that the FDA grant emergency use authorization to the vaccine produced by both companies
 
Pfizer's expected revenue in 2021 would  surpass the company's bestselling product from last year: a pneumonia vaccine that generated $5.8 billion in sales.
 
Shares of BioNTech, a roughly new company compared to Pfizer, are booming.
 
Its US-listed shares have grown by nearly 300%, pushing the German company's valuation to nearly $30 billion while Moderna made just $60 million in revenue last year.

Now Moderna is valued at $62 billion according to Morgan Stanley who said shares of the company have climbed by over 700 percent this year alone.

Another Wall Street guru, Goldman Sachs, says Moderna is expected to rake in $13.2 billion in Covid-19 vaccine revenue next year.
 
Morgan Stanley added that Moderna's skyrocketing share price implies investors expect the company will make $10 billion to $15 billion off Covid-19 vaccine sales in both 2021 and 2022, followed by billions more in booster sales- a huge sum for company that generated just $60 million in sales in 2019 and has never previously licensed a product.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have released data indicating their vaccine candidates are highly effective at preventing Covid-19.

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine "demonstrated that the technology is safe and effective, which unlocks the potential of other vaccines in the pipeline," Morgan Stanley analyst Matthew Harrison wrote in a recent note to clients.
 
More than one-quarter of Moderna's market value is now assigned to its other mRNA vaccines, Morgan Stanley estimates.

Meanwhile rival drug makers Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and AstraZeneca (AZN) have promised to make their vaccines available on a not-for-profit basis during the pandemic.
 
"It is absolutely wrong for drug companies like Pfizer and Moderna to profiteer, and for their executives to make egregious personal fortunes, off of Covid-19 vaccines that have been so heavily subsidized and supported by American taxpayers," said Eli Zupnick, a spokesman for Accountable.US, a progressive watchdog and patient advocacy group.

In a statement last month, Pfizer said its Covid-19 vaccine development and manufacturing costs "have been entirely self-funded, with billions of dollars already invested at risk."

"The company will continue bearing all the costs of development and manufacturing in an effort to help find a solution to this pandemic as fast as possible," Pfizer said at the time.
 
The US government have agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the first 100 million doses of vaccine. 

[Edoman]

US finally approves Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use








The US government has finally approved the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.
 
The Food and Drug Administration is “rapidly” working toward clearing Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use after a key panel overwhelmingly endorsed the shots Thursday evening, December 10, Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement Friday.
 
Stephen Hahn, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs said in a statement on Friday December 11, that the Food and Drug Administration is “rapidly” working toward clearing Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use after a key panel overwhelmingly endorsed the shots on Thursday evening. 
 
“Following yesterday’s positive advisory committee meeting outcome regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed the sponsor that it will rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization,” Hahn said in a joint statement with Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
 
“The agency has also notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed, so they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution,” Hahn and Marks said.
 
Hahn added in a tweet that the FDA “is finalizing the necessary documents to ensure that patients and providers have the information that they need to make informed decisions and to safely administer the vaccine.”
 
The FDA’s comments come after the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on Thursday voted 17 to 4 with one abstention to recommend the vaccine, which the company developed alongside BioNTech, for emergency authorization. 
 
The authorization of the vaccine should come “in the next couple of days,” Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said on Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
 
“We’re looking at 20 million Americans being vaccinated just in the next coming weeks, up to 50 million total by the end of January, and we believe we can have 100 million actual vaccinations in arm by the end of February,” Azar said.
 
President Donald Trump, who has grown impatient with the authorization process in recent weeks, wrote in a tweet:
 
'While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle. Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!.'

 
'FDA APPROVES PFIZER VACCINE FOR EMERGENCY USE!!!, Trump added in another tweet as soon as the approval was announced.

 

[Edoman]

Rwandan Gov't plans to offer free COVID-19 vaccination to all citizens







The Rwandan government has announced plans to offer free COVID-19 vaccination to citizens when the country receives the vaccine next year. 
 
Health Minister Daniel Ngamije made the announcement during an interview with public broadcaster Rwanda Television on  Friday, December 11.

"We will start with health personnel because they are part of people at high risk of being infected, people with comorbidity as well as elderly 65 years and above. These are the groups that are priority for getting the vaccine at zero cost," Ngamije said.
 
The health ministry is working to ensure it is ready to receive the vaccine when it is rolled out and the first batch of the vaccine could be received around March 2021, said Ngamije.

While forecasting a good acceptance of the vaccination among citizens, the minister said the government is mobilizing resources that will facilitate vaccination coverage to gradually increase from 20 percent to 60 percent.

[Edoman]

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla explains why he hasn’t taken COVID-19 vaccine yet







Pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, has come out to explain why he hasn’t taken the COVID-19 vaccine yet.
 
The first people in the US began receiving the vaccine on Monday, December 14, after the Food and Drug Administration granted the drug emergency use authorization last week Friday.
 
Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, was administered the vaccine on camera becoming the first in the nation to receive the shot.
 
According to CEO Bourla, he hasn't received the vaccine because he doesn’t want to be seen as jumping the line.
 
But he hasn’t ruled out getting the shot soon if it’ll improve confidence in the vaccine
 
“I haven’t taken it yet and we are having an ethical committee dealing with the question of who is getting it,” Bourla told CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
 
Bourla noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed that front-line health care workers and nursing home residents and staff should be prioritized.
 
“Given that there are very strict allocation rules that the CDC has voted [on], we are very sensitive not to cut the queue and get vaccinated before,” Bourla said.

“People will believe much more [in the safety of the vaccine] if the CEO gets vaccinated,” he added.
 

[Edoman]

US set to approve second covid-19 vaccine








The United States government is set to approve a second coronavirus vaccine after it was endorsed by a panel of health experts.
 
The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that his agency would move quickly to authorise the new Moderna vaccine, allowing the company to begin shipping millions of doses.

It comes days after the US began its largest ever immunisation campaign with the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

The US has recorded more Covid-19 cases and deaths than any other country as the death toll has now passed 300,000.

The covid-19 advisory panel on Thursday, December 17,  voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the Moderna vaccine outweigh the risks for those aged 18 and over. The same committee last week backed the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, leading to its authorisation for emergency use the following day.

Following the panel's endorsement, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said his agency had informed Moderna that it would work "rapidly" towards issuing emergency use authorisation.
The agency says the Moderna vaccine is safe and 94% effective.
The US has agreed to purchase 200 million doses, and six million could be ready to ship as soon as the vaccine gets FDA approval.

"To go from having a sequence of a virus in January to having two vaccines available in December is a remarkable achievement," said Dr James Hildreth, a member of the expert panel and CEO of Meharry Medical College in Tennessee.

The Moderna vaccine requires temperatures of around -20C for shipping - similar to a normal freezer unlike the Pfizer vaccine which requires temperatures closer to -75C, making transport logistics much more difficult.
Like the Pfizer jab, the Moderna vaccine also requires a second booster shot which  comes 28 days after the first.