Countries should also avoid giving the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, the head of the EU drug regulator’s COVID-19 task force was quoted on Sunday as saying, amid fears over rare blood clotting and as more vaccines become available. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers the Astrazeneca shot …
Read More »German scientists claim to have solved Covid-19 vaccine blood clot mystery, say jabs can be altered
A group of German scientists claims to have found the cause of the rare blood clots linked to the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines – and they say the jabs could be altered to prevent the problem The research, led by Professor Rolf Marschalek from Goethe University, in …
Read More »EU seeks huge fines for AstraZeneca over COVID vaccine delays
The European Commission is suing AstraZeneca in a bid to force the drug giant to deliver 90 million more doses of its coronavirus vaccine before July. EU lawyers asked Belgian judges to fine the Anglo-Swedish pharma giant AstraZeneca millions of euros on Wednesday, as a long-running row over the supply …
Read More »Pfizer, AstraZeneca effective against virus strain found in India
A new study says both the vaccines are highly effective against the B1617.2 strain – first identified in India – after the second dose. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been found to be highly effective against the coronavirus variant that was first identified in India, according to a study …
Read More »‘Vaccines are satanic’: Bolivia battles fake news in inoculation drive
Bolivia’s immunization drive against COVID-19 is being hit by anti-vaccine misinformation that is stoking skepticism and leaving inoculation centers half empty, a challenge for the government facing a wave of new infections. Health workers and officials have raised concerns about low turnout at some vaccination sites, saying jabs are going …
Read More »Malawi becomes the first African country to burn thousands of Covid-19 vaccine doses
Health authorities in Malawi have incinerated 19,610 expired doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, saying it will reassure the public that any vaccines they do get are safe. It is the first African country to publicly do this. The World Health Organization initially urged countries not to destroy expired doses …
Read More »South Africa starts vaccinating over-60s
Hope and excitement gripped the Munsieville care home in the South African mining city of Krugersdorp on Monday, when people over the age of 60 were called to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for the first time. “It’s going to change our country for the better,” Caroline Nicholls, 64, a judge, …
Read More »Indonesia pauses distribution of 450,000-batch of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine over ‘sterility & toxicity’ concerns
A large batch of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has been put on hold in Indonesia after a 22-year-old died a day after getting the shot. The batch will be run through additional “sterility and toxicity” tests. The move was announced by the Indonesian Health Ministry on Sunday. The suspension follows the …
Read More »Mixing Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines safe, but increases side effects: Lancet study
Findings at this stage of study focus on reactions to the vaccine, not efficacy Mixing the doses of different types of two-dose coronavirus vaccines has been found to be safe but increased the frequency of mild to moderate symptoms, a new UK study has found. The COM-COV study, led by …
Read More »Vaccine nationalism threatens global efforts race to stop coronavirus – WHO
The World Health Organization warned governments against “vaccine nationalism” on Thursday and urged leaders to make plans now on how to share life-saving inoculations against coronavirus. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the threat of COVID-19 can only be snuffed out with global coordination — especially when a vaccine …
Read More »AstraZeneca in first COVID-19 vaccine deal with Chinese company
Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products will produce AstraZeneca Plc’s potential COVID-19 vaccine in mainland China, the British drugmaker said on Thursday, its first deal to supply one of the world’s most populous countries. The deal underscores Astra’s frontrunner position in a global race to deliver an effective vaccine, given that Chinese …
Read More »‘So far, so good’ on leading COVID vaccine, says AstraZeneca
Britain’s AstraZeneca said on Thursday that good data was coming in so far on its vaccine for COVID-19, already in large-scale human trials and widely seen as the front-runner in the race for a shot against the novel coronavirus. The drugmaker, Britain’s most valuable listed company, also announced second-quarter results …
Read More »Novavax awarded $1.6 billion for coronavirus vaccine
The U.S. government has awarded Novavax Inc $1.6 billion to cover testing, commercialization, and manufacturing of a potential coronavirus vaccine in the United States, with the aim of delivering 100 million doses by January 2021. Novavax shares jumped 35% in premarket trade. The award is the biggest yet from “Operation …
Read More »Moderna and Catalent Announce Collaboration for Fill-Finish Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccine
Moderna Inc said on Thursday it was partnering with contract drugmaker Catalent Inc to prepare an initial 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine for the United States, starting in the third quarter of this year. Catalent will fill and package doses, support production, and provide additional staffing for around-the-clock …
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