COVID-19 - The African Mirror

May

13

2021

“How the WHO, states failed on COVID-19”

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY THE International Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response issued its report yesterday into the global handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for a new transparent global system to be set up for investigating disease outbreaks. The report, "COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic", is to be debated at the World Health Organization's annual ministerial assembly opening on May 24. Here are the main findings and recommendations of the panel of independent experts led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: FAILINGS 1) The World Health Organization (WHO) should have declared…

May

13

2021

By The African Mirror

Should my teen get the COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19

MICHAEL ERMAN THE U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12, widening the country's inoculation program as vaccination rates have slowed significantly. The following information should help parents deciding whether to inoculate their adolescent children. IS THE VACCINE SAFE FOR 12-15 YEAR OLDS? The FDA found the vaccine to be safe and effective in Pfizer's clinical trial. That trial included 2,260 participants in that age group, half of whom received the same vaccine dose given to adults. The other half got a placebo as a comparison group. The…

May

12

2021

By The African Mirror

WHO reviewing Seychelles COVID-19 data after fully vaccinated people test positive

COVID-19

THE World Health Organization has announced that it was reviewing coronavirus data from Seychelles after the health ministry said more than a third of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week had been fully vaccinated. Both the ministry and the WHO stressed that the majority of those who tested positive had not been vaccinated or had only received one dose, that no one who had died had been fully vaccinated and that nearly all of those needing treatment for severe or critical cases were unvaccinated. But the WHO said it was closely following the situation in the…

Jun

08

2021

By The African Mirror

Egypt to produce Sinovac vaccine

COVID-19

EGYPT has received 500,000 doses of China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine airport sources said, as the health ministry said local production of the Chinese vaccine will start in mid-June. Egypt received raw materials for the production of two million Sinovac doses in May, after signing an agreement to produce the vaccine locally and distribute it in Egypt and other African countries. The first vials are due to be produced on June 15 and up to six weeks will be needed for checks before they are put to use in vaccination centres, Health Minister Hala Zayed told the private MBC Masr TV…

Jun

08

2021

By The African Mirror

WHO optimistic about African vaccine sites

COVID-19

WORLD Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hopes African COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing sites will be identified and some even close to producing by the end of 2021, in the race to deliver more shots to the continent. While Tedros did not provide specifics on which country, Reuters has reported that Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions. Tedros also called on companies including Pfizer and Moderna whose vaccines rely on so-called mRNA technology to share their knowledge with the WHO's COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, which…

Jun

08

2021

By The African Mirror

Funding, vaccines sought from G20 nations

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY EMERGING powers among G20 countries including China, Brazil and India are being pressed to contribute urgent financing and COVID-19 vaccines for the COVAX dose-sharing facility, the World Health Organization and a Norwegian official have said. Ahead of the G7 summit this week, wealthy countries have also been pushed to follow the United States in making doses available immediately to cover a 200 million dose gap caused by Indian supply disruptions and manufacturing delays. So far some 150 million doses have been pledged to COVAX, far short of the 250 million needed by the end of September, and 1…

Jun

05

2021

By The African Mirror

COVAX hopes to deliver delayed AstraZeneca shots to Africa in June, July

COVID-19

EMMA FARGE THE COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme hopes to send millions of delayed doses of AstraZeneca's shots to Africa in June and July, but the deployment hinges on a Spanish manufacturing site securing regulatory approval, according to U.N. officials. Africa has been hit by a halt in vaccine exports from India which were due to make up a significant portion of the first phase of the COVAX roll-out. As a result, many recipients including health workers will not receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca shot within the recommended 12-week interval. "The second dose gap is a huge issue," World Health…

Jun

07

2021

By The African Mirror

Boost for Africa: Senegal to make COVID vaccines

COVID-19

EDWARD McALLISTER SENEGAL could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project told Reuters. As wealthy countries begin to reopen after securing vaccine supplies early, African nations are still struggling to acquire shots. On a continent of 1.3 billion, only about 7 million have been fully vaccinated. The collaboration highlights the opportunities created by a global push to channel money and technology towards production on a continent that makes only 1% of the vaccines it requires. Univercells announced the signing of…

Apr

27

2021

By The African Mirror

South African study using J&J vaccine will resume

COVID-19

SOUTH African researchers will tomorrow resume a study further evaluating the efficacy of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in the field, after it was temporarily suspended along with use of the shot in the United States. U.S. regulators recommended pausing the use of the single-shot earlier this month due to extremely rare cases of blood clots but on Friday said the United States could restart vaccinations. Europe's drug regulator has backed its overall benefits against any risk. The Sisonke study is being carried out by the National Department of Health, South African Medical Research Council and Johnson & Johnson among…

Apr

27

2021

By The African Mirror

Egypt approves vaccine for emergency use

COVID-19

EGYPT'S drug authority said on Monday it had granted approval to China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. Egypt has so far approved and received shipments of the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines and has said it is preparing to produce up to 80 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine locally. It has also granted approval to Russia's Sputnik vaccine.