The EU said drug maker AstraZeneca has “surprisingly” cut the number of doses it plans to deliver to the block. Top EU officials did not mince words to criticize the company.
“The European Union has pre-financed the development of the vaccine and its production and wants to see the return,” said European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides yesterday. The EU said AstraZeneca did not provide enough explanation for the delays and is now demanding how many doses the company has produced and who they have been sold to.
The company said production was hampered by a manufacturing problem. “While there is no planned delay to start shipping our vaccine, should we receive approval in Europe, initial volumes will be lower than originally expected due to lower yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain,” AstraZeneca said in a statement. statement. .
The delays have a real impact in countries across the block. The Italian government was forced to revise its Covid-19 vaccination plan due to the reduced supply of vaccines from both Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
Still, European countries and other wealthy countries are still on the winning side of the global battle to secure enough vaccines for everyone.
While US President Joe Biden said yesterday that he expects America to soon vaccinate 1.5 million people a day, there are countries that have not yet been able to secure a single dose.
The introduction of the vaccine has shed a bright light on global income disparities, and the Middle East is a microcosm of that problem. While oil-rich Gulf Arab states were among the first in the world to receive a vaccine, war-torn countries such as Yemen and Syria face vague rollout timetables and complex distribution plans, despite being among the hardest hit. .
Delayed access to vaccines is likely to exacerbate this inequality, as countries that manage to get most of their populations immunized can reopen their economies, while those at the back of the queue will be trapped in constant lockdowns.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.
Question: Is it true that vaccinated people can still get infected?
A: Yes, but the chance is very small. In trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were found to be about 95% effective, meaning some vaccinated people were still infected. This may be because it takes a while for the immunity to start working. Also, no vaccine is 100% effective, and the makers of coronavirus vaccines are still evaluating whether the injections protect against all infections, or only those that cause symptoms.
But there are some positive signs. New data from Israel shows that only about 0.01% of the 128,600 people who received two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine tested positive for the coronavirus after their second injection – and those patients had only mild disease, according to preliminary data from an Israeli healthcare system . .
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Send us your questions for President Biden’s Covid-19 team and we’ll try to get them answered. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith will accompany Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta in front of a CNN Town Hall this Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY
The UK fears it will take much longer to beat the new variant
People in the UK have been incarcerated for the past three weeks, hoping their sacrifice would bring the country’s latest coronavirus blast – caused by the new, more contagious variant of the virus – under control.
But despite the strict restrictions, the number of cases is not declining as quickly as experts had hoped. The number of deaths continues to rise, and public health experts are starting to warn people that the country will be in this battle in the long run. The government is now considering further restrictions on travel to and from the UK, and will make an announcement later today on the use of hotel quarantine for travelers, Vaccination Minister Nadhim Zahawi said.
Xi Jinping touts cooperation with the coronavirus, while China continues to push for vaccine disinformation
China is lauded for its ‘vaccine diplomacy’, promising shots to developing countries, and investment in vaccine candidates that don’t require expensive cold storage to be effective. But as questions have arisen about the effectiveness of one of those vaccines, the country’s state media has responded aggressively, targeting not only critics, but other vaccines as well, in an apparent effort to bring down their reputation in the name of it. defending Chinese shots, James Griffiths reports.
How a city missed warning after warning until the health system collapsed
An isolated city in the core of the Brazilian rainforest, Manaus is witnessing its second wave of coronavirus, a shock to many who thought the first wave was so widespread that herd immunity must be the result. The health care system in the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas has since collapsed under pressure. This means waiting in line for hours to buy an oxygen tank – only to find that there is no more. Or run from hospital to hospital with a sick spouse or parent – only to find that there are no beds available. Natalie Gallón and Marcia Reverdosa report.
ON OUR RADAR
- Biden plans to restore travel restrictions related to the coronavirus that Trump has lifted.
- The Pentagon is considering deploying thousands of troops to help Biden achieve his vaccination goal.
- Tom Brady’s dad has revealed his ‘life and death’ battle with Covid-19.
- Merck is halting development of its Covid-19 vaccine candidates.
- New Zealand’s borders may remain closed for most of the year.
- Google Maps will soon list Covid-19 vaccination sites, starting in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
TOP TIP
It’s a huge sprint to get Americans vaccinated. As you prepare to have your shot, here are 10 actions experts recommend doing – and avoiding.
- DO: Get your vaccine when it is your turn.
- DON’T: Let vaccine misinformation cloud your judgment.
- DO: Get vaccinated if you’ve already had Covid-19.
- DON’T: Take a chance if you currently have or have been exposed to Covid-19.
- DO: Take the injection even if you still have symptoms of Covid-19 months later.
- DON’T: Get another type of vaccine within 14 days of the Covid-19 injection.
- DO: Tell vaccine staff about any past allergies or allergic reactions.
- DON’T: Drive out before your 15 to 30 minute wait is up.
- DO: Get your second vaccination shot within the recommended time frame.
- DO: Continue to wear masks and practice social distancing after your shots.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“If politicians want to change the findings of science, you just say no. That line was not clear last year, and that line must be very clear in the future.” – Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the CDC
With a new administration in the White House and a new director at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is much hope that the CDC can now more effectively lead the public out of this pandemic. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, speaks to Besser about the challenges ahead. Listen now.
