COVID-19 - The African Mirror

Mar

02

2021

How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines? 4 questions answered

COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in adults. Maureen Ferran, a virologist at the Rochester Institute of Technology, explains how this third authorized vaccine works and explores the differences between it and the Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines that are already in use. MAUREEN FERRAN, Associate Professor of Biology, Rochester Institute of Technology 1. How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine work? The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is what’s called a viral vector vaccine. To create this vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson team took a harmless adenovirus – the viral…

Mar

02

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa eases COVID-19 restrictions

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African will now be able to buy alcohol, be out until midnight and political parties will now be able to campaign for the forthcoming local government elections under the new relaxed COVID-19 restrictions unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa tonight. In a special address to the nation, his second in 30 days, Ramaphosa said a dramatic reduction in infection and deaths from COVID-19, led to a decision by the SA cabinet to move the country from Alert Level 3 to 1. Under the Level One the following restrictions apply: Alcohol sales will be sold as per licence…

Mar

01

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria to receive 3.92 million doses

COVID-19

NIGERIA expects to take delivery of 3.92 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine tomorrow, the third West African country to benefit from the COVAX facility after Ghana and Ivory Coast, the government's coronavirus task force said yesterday. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with some 200 million people, has reported fewer than 1,900 COVID-19 deaths so far, much better than had been widely predicted early in the pandemic. Last week, Nigerian drug regulator approved the Astrazeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine use in Nigeria. The dispatch is part of an overall 16 million doses planned to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the…

Mar

01

2021

By The African Mirror

Can my employer make me get a vaccine?

COVID-19

JACK GRAHAM AFTER widespread disruption caused by COVID-19 in 2020, businesses around the world hope the roll-out of vaccines this year can accelerate a return to normal. To speed things up, some are even incentivising their staff to get vaccinated. Dollar General Corp, Instacart and Trader Joe’s in the United States are paying frontline employees to get inoculated. A British plumbing company has gone further, announcing plans to make a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for new hires and exploring adding the requirement to existing staff contracts. Britain's justice secretary said it may be legal for firms to insist on new staff…

Mar

01

2021

By The African Mirror

U.S. authorizes J&J’s vaccine

COVID-19

JULIE STEENHUYSEN THE U.S. government has authorized Johnson & Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, enabling millions more Americans to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and setting the vaccine up for additional approvals around the world. The J&J vaccine is the third authorized in the United States, following ones from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, both of which require two doses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the emergency use authorization of the J&J vaccine for adults aged 18 and older following Friday's unanimous endorsement by the agency's panel of outside experts. Shipments to vaccination sites are expected to begin Sunday or…

Mar

01

2021

By The African Mirror

Russian vaccine can deal with mutations

COVID-19

A Russian trial testing the effectiveness of revaccination with the Sputnik V shot to protect against new mutations of the coronavirus is producing strong results, researchers have said. Last month President Vladimir Putin ordered a review by March 15 of Russian-produced vaccines for their effectiveness against new variants spreading in different parts of the world. "(A) recent study carried out by the Gamaleya Centre in Russia showed that revaccination with Sputnik V vaccine is working very well against new coronavirus mutations, including the UK and South African strains of coronavirus," said Denis Logunov, a deputy director of the centre, which…

Mar

23

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Vaccine makers should license technology to overcome grotesque inequity’

COVID-19

MORE producers of COVID-19 vaccines should follow AstraZeneca's lead and license technology to other manufacturers, the World Health Organization's head said on Monday, as he described continuing vaccine inequity as "grotesque". AstraZeneca's shot, which new U.S. data on Monday showed was safe and effective despite some countries suspending inoculations over health concerns, is being produced in various locations including South Korea's SKBioScience and the Serum Institute of India. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for more manufacturers to adopt this model to boost supplies, including for the COVAX vaccine sharing programme seeking to speed more shots to developing countries. "The…

Mar

23

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria suspends Emirates flights over COVID-19 tests

COVID-19

NIGERIA suspended the airline Emirates from flying into or out of its territory last week after the carrier-imposed additional COVID-19 test requirements on passengers from the country, the aviation minister has announced. Emirates said last week passenger flights to and from Nigeria had been suspended until further notice in line with government directives, but did not give details. Aviation minister Hadi Sirika told a news conference that the airline had demanded passengers from Nigeria undertake three COVID-19 tests within 24 hours, leading the government to suspend its operations, with the exemption of cargo and humanitarian flights. "To make us go…

Mar

23

2021

By The African Mirror

African countries keen on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – WHO

COVID-19

NO countries in Africa have refused the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine due to any remaining health concerns, a senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for drug access, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, told a news conference: "It has all returned to normal, we don't have any countries refusing the AstraZeneca (vaccine) on the African continent." WHO senior adviser Bruce Aylward said: "There's a lot of confidence" in the Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

Mar

23

2021

By The African Mirror

AstraZeneca vaccine safe and effective in new trial data

COVID-19

ASTRAZENECA's COVID-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic illness in a large trial in Chile, Peru and the United States, the company said yesterday, paving the way for it to apply for U.S. approval. The vaccine was also 100% effective against severe or critical disease and hospitalisation, and was safe, the partners said on Monday, releasing results of the late-stage human trial study of more than 32,000 volunteers across all age groups. The data will give credence to the British shot after results from earlier, separate late-stage studies raised questions about the robustness of the…