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Israel, Austria, Denmark set up vaccine alliance to combat variants
The leaders of Israel, Austria and Denmark stood side-by-side on Thursday in Jerusalem to officially announce they were setting up a Covid-19 vaccine alliance. They will establish a joint fund to further vaccine research and production cooperation, with the aim of speeding up the vaccine supply chain. While Israel has become a world leader in Covid-19 vaccinations, EU nations like Austria and Denmark have been frustrated by the glacial pace of Europe's efforts to get jabs in arms. "This is a special day when two dynamic European leaders come together to Jerusalem to discuss together how we con...
DPA
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EU opens way for Russian jabs as nations try to hold off new surge
The Hague (AFP) - Russian coronavirus shots could soon be doled out across Europe after the EU said Thursday it was assessing the vaccine, while countries worldwide struggled to hold off another infection surge before inoculations become widespread. With frustration over restrictions having long weighed on populations across the globe, leaders were seeking to balance demands for easing rules while not unleashing another explosion in cases. Vaccinations will be the ultimate way out, and with the European Union facing heavy criticism over delays in its campaign, its drug watchdog said it had sta...
AFP
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Sweden to approve AstraZeneca vaccine for everyone older than 18
Sweden on Thursday said it would allow the Covid-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for all patients aged 18 and older, citing new data. Last month, the Swedish Public Health Agency said it would not approve the vaccine for people aged 65 and up, citing insufficient data from the British-Swedish company regarding the vaccine's effectiveness for this age group. Several other countries have adopted a similar stance. In its new decision, the agency cited three large British studies that suggest AstraZeneca's vaccine has a good protective effect even for people aged 80 and ...
DPA
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Egypt starts Covid-19 jabs for the elderly, chronic illness patients
Egypt launched its long-awaited mass vaccinations against Covid-19 on Thursday, starting with the elderly, weeks after the populous country started inoculating medical workers. Nearly 153,000 people have applied to receive the vaccines since Sunday, when the government allowed registration online for the elderly and patients with chronic diseases, Health Minister Hala Zayed said. Egypt has set up 40 inoculation centres nationwide for the public, the government said in a Thursday statement. The number of such facilities will increase as Egypt receives more batches of vaccines, Zayed said, accor...
DPA
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Germany OKs AstraZeneca jab as government vows vaccine, testing boost
Germany is to begin vaccinating older people with the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, after initially refusing to approve the drug for those aged 65 and up, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday. "This is good news for all the elderly people waiting for a vaccination. It means they can get vaccinated sooner," Spahn said. Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) subsequently issued a statement saying it would recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine "for all age groups." In late January, the independent panel of experts withheld a recommendation for use of the vaccine in the old...
DPA
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AstraZeneca jab OK for older people after all, says German ministry
After initially saying no, German health authorities have approved the use of AstraZenaca's coronavirus vaccine for those aged 65 and older, said the country's Health Ministry on Thursday. The initial move by a key health panel to restrict its recommendation for the vaccine on the basis of age has been seen to blunt enthusiasm in Germany and the rest of Europe for the jab. Additionally, AstraZeneca has been caught up in a fight with the European Union about delivery deadlines for the vaccine. "This is good news for all the elderly people waiting for a vaccination. It means they can get vaccina...
DPA
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German minister urges 'easing with care' and promises more testing
German Health Minister Jens Spahn on Thursday fended off opposition parties' criticism of a plan to gradually ease the coronavirus lockdown, which hinges on his promise to ramp up testing and vaccinations. Spahn called for "easing with care towards a new normal," one day after Chancellor Angela Merkel and the nation's 16 state premiers agreed to a step-by-step way out of the lockdown, even as cases are trending upwards again. Germany has forced retailers, restaurants and other businesses to close as part of a lockdown that has been incrementally tightened since November. On Wednesday, this was...
DPA
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Japan to extend coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo region
Japan is likely to prolong a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and its neighbouring prefectures by two more weeks, the government said on Thursday, as the regions have been struggling to rein in Covid-10 infections. Japan "needs to extend the measure by about two weeks to protect people's lives and livelihoods," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told an upper house budget committee. Suga declared the state of emergency for 11 prefectures in early January amid a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. It ended in the prefecture of Tochigi a month ago and in six prefectures, including Kyoto and Osaka, o...
DPA
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Germany extends lockdown, but seeks way out with testing and jabs
Germany's coronavirus lockdown will be extended until March 28, but Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers have agreed to a path to opening up depending on infection rates. After hours of negotiations on Wednesday, they agreed to a step-by-step reopening strategy with an emergency brake system built in should infections rise again - as well as a focus on ramping up mass testing and vaccination. Contact restrictions will be slightly eased from Monday, with two households allowed to meet in groups of up to five people, plus young people under 14. If infection rates drop, contact restriction...
DPA
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Germany extends lockdown, but seeks way out with testing and jabs
Germany's coronavirus lockdown will be extended until March 28, but Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers have agreed to options for opening up depending on infection rates. After hours of negotiations on Wednesday, they agreed to a step-by-step reopening strategy with emergency brakes built in should infections rise again - as well as a focus on ramping up mass testing and vaccination. Contact restrictions will be slightly eased from Monday, with each household allowed to gather with another household up to a limit of five people plus children under 14. If infection rates drop, contact ...
DPA
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