vaccines - The African Mirror

Jan

2021

Nigeria aims for 42 million vaccines

FELIX ONUAH NIGERIA hopes to get 42 million COVID-19 vaccines to cover one-fifth of its population through the global COVAX scheme, said Faisal Shuaib, head of the country's primary healthcare agency. Shuaib said the batch of vaccines would come as part of Nigeria's plan to inoculate 40% of the population this year, with another 30% in 2022. By the end of January, 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected to arrive, he said. The COVAX scheme was set up to provide vaccines to poorer countries such as Nigeria, whose 200 million people and poor infrastructure pose a daunting challenge…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Comfort and joy over COVID vaccines collide with Christmas curbs

WORLD

ALISTAIR SMOUT CORONAVIRUS vaccine approvals have brought comfort and joy for many this Christmas but failed to halt new curbs on travel and gatherings as COVID-19 cases rise worldwide and deaths in the United States surpassed 3,000 for a third straight day. Scientists and government leaders have hailed the vaccines as a huge success in attacking the pandemic, but only once they are administered, a process likely to take months, even in the world's richest countries. More than 73.68 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and 1,655,424 have died, according to a Reuters tally,…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Divert arms money to fight COVID-19, ensure vaccine for all, pope says

NEWS

PHILLIP PULLELLA POPE Francis has urged world leaders to divert funds used for armaments to confront problems such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure vaccines reach the poor and most vulnerable nations. In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, which is celebrated on Jan. 1, Francis also repeated a call for the establishment of a global fund with money slated for weapons to be used instead to help eradicate poverty. The annual message, this year titled "A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace," is traditionally sent to heads of state, government, international organisations…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Amnesty: rich countries have bought too many COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19

RICH countries have secured enough coronavirus vaccines to protect their populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021, Amnesty International and other groups said on Wednesday, possibly depriving billions of people in poorer areas. Britain approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this month, raising hopes that the tide could soon turn against a virus that has killed nearly 1.5 million globally, hammered the world economy and upended normal life. Amnesty and other organisations including Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now and Oxfam, urged governments and the pharmaceutical industry to take action to ensure intellectual property of vaccines is shared widely. The…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa should aim to cover 10% of population via COVAX, advisors say

COVID-19

ALEXANDER WINNING SOUTH Africa should aim to cover 10% of its population via a global coronavirus vaccine scheme while also negotiating directly with manufacturers, a group of experts has advised the government. South Africa has recorded the most novel coronavirus infections of any African nation. While it has publicly expressed support for the COVAX scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, it has yet to make the formal commitment confirming its participation. The race to secure enough vaccines to protect at-risk groups is heating up following Monday's announcement by Pfizer that its vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective based…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

Remdesivir questioned by WHO trial; women take virus more seriously than men

COVID-19

NANCY LAPID THE following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Large WHO trial casts doubt on remdesivir and other drugs In a blow to one of the few drugs being used to treat COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said interim trial results suggest that Gilead's remdesivir was no better than a placebo at limiting severely ill patients' need for mechanical ventilation, the length of their hospital stay, or their risk of death. The trial involved 11,266…