coronavirus vaccine - The African Mirror

Mar

2021

Morocco expects 4.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses soon, officials say

MOROCCO expects new batches of coronavirus vaccine to arrive soon from Russia, South Korea and China, allowing it to continue its rapid immunisation roll-out despite a pause in exports from India, health ministry sources said. Morocco has already received 8.5-million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, made in India, and Sinopharm vaccine, made in China, allowing it to administer more jabs than any other African country. It expects 4.2-million more doses soon, said Health Ministry scientific committee member Said Afif, keeping it on track to reach its target of herd immunity before the summer. These include two million more Sinopharm doses, a…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Egypt aims to produce vaccines

COVID-19

THE Egyptian government hopes to sign an agreement with China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd before the end of March to manufacture its coronavirus vaccine in Egypt, according to Health Minister Hala Zayed. Talks between the two sides reached "an advanced stage" and Egypt has asked the Chinese government for assistance over the manufacturing price, Zayed said at a joint press conference with the Chinese ambassador in Cairo. The planned agreement would be between Sinovac and Egypt's Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA). Zayed said Egypt hoped to become a centre for manufacturing the vaccine, either for local use or…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

WHO tries to quash vaccine nervousness

COVID-19

THE World Health Organization squarely endorsed AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on Friday, as Thailand joined a number of smaller European countries in suspending the use of the shot because of sporadic reports of blood clots among recipients. Bulgaria also joined Denmark, Norway and Iceland, which all stopped using the vaccine on Thursday. Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia stopped using certain batches. "Until all doubts are dispelled..., we are halting inoculations with this vaccine," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said. His health minister, Kostadin Angelov, said a 57-year-old woman had died of heart failure 15 hours after receiving an AstraZeneca…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Obama, Bush, Clinton, Carter and First Ladies promote vaccine in new advertisements

WORLD

SHEILA DANG FORMER U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will star in two new public service announcements (PSA) for the coronavirus vaccine alongside former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter, the Ad Council announced on Thursday. "The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease," said President Bush in one of the PSAs with Obama and Clinton, urging Americans to get vaccinated. "That's the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward," said Obama. Noticeably absent…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

COVAX allocates at least 330 million COVID vaccines for poor countries

COVID-19

THE COVAX coronavirus vaccine sharing scheme has allocated at least 330 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for poorer countries in the first half of 2021, the GAVI vaccine alliance said yesterday. The allocation includes an initial 240 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, an additional 96 million doses of the same shot made by AstraZeneca, plus 1.2 million doses of Pfizer -BioNTech'S COVID-19 vaccine. Publishing an interim distribution plan, the COVAX Facility, which is co-led by GAVI, the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the U.N. Children's Fund,…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Guinea approves Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine

COVID-19

Guinea has approved the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for domestic use, becoming the second African country to do so, health authorities and Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on Friday. The West African country's approval of the vaccine for use for one year occurred two weeks after President Alpha Conde was seen receiving it on television under a trial run of what is expected to be a much large delivery of vials from Russia. Guinea is negotiating a bilateral deal to take an additional 2 million doses, a senior government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Russia's vaccine diplomacy…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Modi says India self-reliant on COVID-19 vaccines as 1 mln inoculated

WORLD

KRISHNA N. DAS PRIME Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday India was completely self-reliant on coronavirus vaccine supplies as the world's second-most populous country inoculated more than one million people within a week of starting a massive campaign. On Saturday, India began what the government calls the world's biggest vaccination programme, using two shots made locally: one licensed from Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc , and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research. "Our preparation has been such that vaccine is fast reaching every corner of the country," Modi said…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Ivory Coast’s vaccine delivery delayed

COVID-19

IVORY Coast's government said it will receive a first batch of around 100,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in mid-February, around two weeks later than initially planned, due to delays in availability of the shots. Government spokesman Sidi Tiemoko Toure said on Wednesday the country plans to roll out its inoculation programme in the first quarter and would authorise vaccines from AstraZeneca , China's Sinopharm and Russia this week. While richer nations have secured and launched mass vaccination campaigns, countries in Africa are still scrambling to secure supplies as most grapple with a second wave of infections. "The…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Senegal in talks to buy vaccine from China

COVID-19

SENEGAL is in talks to buy at least 200,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm, Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr has announced. Senegal this month said it would buy extra vaccines to complement those it will get through the World Health Organization-backed COVAX scheme, which aims to deliver 1.3 billion doses this year to 92 low- and middle-income nations. A deal with Sinopharm could help Senegal start vaccinations before COVAX kicks in, a small boost for a country where cases this month have surged to record highs and intensive care beds are full. But it would cover…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Algeria registers Sputnik vaccine for use

COVID-19

ALGERIA has registered Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for use, becoming the first African country to do so, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund. Russia said last month it had signed a contract with Algeria to supply it with the vaccine.