England has just expanded its vaccine program to people aged 70 and over, while the president of South Korea says he believes the country will have complete “herd immunity” against Covid-19 by November.
Amid the questions, countries are reviewing their implementation plans. Singapore’s health minister said authorities would review the Sinovac vaccine before any distribution to citizens. Concern is growing in Australia – which has secured 54 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca injection – that relying on a single vaccine with a lower rate of effectiveness may not necessarily increase the necessary herd immunity in its population of 26 million. . Some scientists are calling for a postponement of mass inoculations.
New Zealand, hailed as a global model of how it handled the outbreak, has yet to approve a vaccine, although it has struck deals with several vaccine developers to access its candidates once local regulators have given the go-ahead. Experts say his wait-and-see approach will mean that the population may have more confidence in vaccines. But it can be a risky bet – especially given the new potentially more transferable variants, which can cause new outbreaks.
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Q: What kind of Covid-19 test is considered acceptable for travelers entering the USA?
This means that travelers to the United States on international flights must undergo a viral test. PCR and antigen tests qualify.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Vaccination rates highlight striking differences between Israelis and Palestinians
A report by a UN expert says that Israel is the occupying power in and over Gaza and the West Bank, and has been since 1967 and, therefore, ultimately responsible for the health care of those who live under occupation. But, as Israel’s vaccination campaign exceeds 20% of its population (including East Jerusalem residents), the Israeli government pointed to the Oslo agreements, signed in the mid-1990s with the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Included in the first of these agreements is a clause that makes the PA responsible for the health of all Palestinians under their civilian administration.
Experts admit that it is not a simple task to try to navigate between the responsibilities assigned by Oslo, which was not a final status agreement, and the duties provided for in the Geneva Conventions.
The UK leads Europe’s vaccination race by closing travel corridors
England is expanding into the next phase of its vaccination campaign, offering doses to people aged 70 and over and those considered vulnerable to the virus, the government announced on Sunday. So far, more than 3.5 million people have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK, exceeding the number of people who test positive for the virus, according to government data.
Although the United Kingdom was the first in the world to initiate a mass vaccination implementation and vaccinated more people than some of the largest nations in the European Union, the country suffered the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in Western Europe, more than 89,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Fears about the new Covid-19 variants have also prompted him to close all travel corridors today, which means that all travelers arriving in the UK must have a negative Covid-19 test and will be quarantined for 10 days on arrival .
Norway assesses deaths in frail elderly patients after vaccinations
Norway is investigating the deaths of 23 patients who received the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. Thirteen of the deaths so far have been assessed by Norwegian authorities and the assessments suggest that common adverse reactions to mRNA vaccines, such as fever and nausea, may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some fragile patients, said Sigurd Hortemo, chief physician at the Norwegian Agency of Medicines.
As the country is vaccinating the elderly and people in nursing homes with serious underlying illnesses, “deaths should be expected close to the time [of the] vaccination can occur. In Norway, an average of 400 people die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, “the country’s Public Health Institute said in a statement. Pfizer said in a statement to CNN that it is working with Norwegian authorities to gather all the relevant information, adding that “the number of occurrences so far is not alarming and is in line with expectations. All reported deaths will be thoroughly assessed [by the Norwegian Medicines Agency] to determine whether these incidents are related to the vaccine. “
ON OUR RADAR
- Preparations for the Australian Open met a major obstacle when 47 tennis players were told they could not train after some chartered plane passengers arriving in Melbourne returned positive results on the Covid-19 test.
- Thousands of New Delhi teachers are being sent to Covid’s front line. They are expected to reconcile their usual responsibilities with new roles, and some are complaining about lack of training, PPE or even pay.
- China’s economy grew more than expected last year, even as the world was affected by the pandemic.
- Brazil, which has the third highest count of Covid cases in the world, has finally authorized two vaccines. Minutes later, Monica Calazans, a black nurse from São Paulo, was the first Brazilian to be vaccinated.
BEST TIP
Increased false displacement and why it is good for your mental health
If the confusion between work and home is still difficult, imitating your pre-pandemic routine may be the solution you need.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“I’m angry because I know that we can do better.” – CNN correspondent Sara Sidner