Fewer Australians will accept lockdowns in future pandemics, report says
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australians have lost trust in government and many are likely to resist drastic health measures in a future pandemic, the first review of the country’s COVID-19 response showed, while the cost of vaccine delays ran into $A31 billion. Rebuilding and maintaining trust was key to fighting future pandemics, the 877-page report released […]
Pfizer to sell all its patented drugs at non-profit price in low-income countries
Reuters Pfizer Inc will make all of its patented medicines including COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid and big-selling breast cancer drug Ibrance available at a not-for-profit price to 45 of the world’s poorest countries, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. These countries lack good access to innovative treatments. It can take four to seven years longer for new […]
World should send 60 million COVID-19 vaccines to North Korea, UN investigator says
Seoul, South Korea Reuters The international community should form a strategy to provide North Korea with at least 60 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to head off humanitarian disaster, an independent UN human rights investigator said on Wednesday. The vaccines could be a way to persuade the country to ease lockdowns that have left some […]
India’s new COVID-19 rules aim to free up resources but carry risks
New Delhi, India Reuters India has eased its COVID-19 rules on testing, quarantine and hospital admissions in a bid to free up resources for its neediest people, a strategy hailed by experts even though it carries the risk of a heavy undercount of infections and deaths. The moves will offer a breathing space for healthcare […]
StrangeSights: Dutch find new outlets for COVID frustrations; sheep show support for vaccines; and, vale Magawa the rat
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Mexico nears 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays
Mexico City Reuters Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week – the fifth highest death toll worldwide – as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism. Infections have more than doubled to 20,000 during the last week when many tourists visited Mexico […]
Americans concerned too many are seeking religious exemptions to vaccines – survey
Washington DC, US RNS A new poll reveals most Americans are in favour of offering religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccines, yet express concern that too many people are seeking such exemptions. In the same survey, more than half of those who refuse to get vaccinated say getting the shot goes against their personal faith. […]
China’s Xi pledges another billion COVID-19 vaccine doses for Africa
Dakar, Senegal/Beijing, China Reuters China will deliver another billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa and encourage Chinese companies to invest no less than $US10 billion in the continent over the next three years, President Xi Jinping said on Monday. The country has already supplied nearly 200 million doses to Africa, where vaccination rates have […]
Non-profit groups tell WTO to reverse “vaccine apartheid” before any meeting
Washington DC, US Reuters More than 130 civil society groups largely from developing countries are calling for the World Trade Organization to cancel a ministerial conference next week and instead concentrate on approving an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines. The groups, organised under a loose coalition called “Our World is Not For Sale”, said […]
In the US, a faith advisory board with Trump ties urges religious vaccine exemptions for military
RNS More than 1,700 religious leaders organised by former President Donald Trump’s faith advisers are urging the US military to grant religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, alleging service members with spiritual objections to the inoculations are being “stripped of their religious liberties”. But while the effort singled out COVID-19 vaccine mandates first initiated by President […]