These are the latest bursts in the feud between the EU and the British-Swedish drug company after AstraZeneca cut the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses it could deliver to the bloc in early 2021. possibility to limit the export of doses outside the EU, in certain situations, powers that Italy invoked on Thursday
Amid the disagreement, French President Emmanuel Macron questioned the efficacy of the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for people over 65, much to the dismay of health experts. Some European countries have also set an upper limit on the age of the recipients of the injection, citing a lack of clinical trial information on its effects on the elderly.
On Thursday, leaders of Austria and Denmark announced plans to launch a joint research and development fund with Israel for the potential future production of coronavirus vaccines.
Other EU countries have turned to Russia and China to close vaccine supply gaps with unilateral tenders. On Monday, Slovakia granted emergency authorization for the Moscow vaccine against Sputnik V, following a delay in the delivery of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca injections.
Slovakia is the second EU country to independently grant Sputnik V authorization, after Hungary, which started rolling out the vaccine in February. Hungary is also the first EU country to roll out the Chinese Sinopharm shot, which has not been approved by the bloc’s vaccine regulator, the European Medicines Agency.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER
Ask: Is testing for Covid-19 still important?
“While the public may currently view vaccination as a priority – and it is a priority – widespread testing is still essential for infection control,” said Romney Humphries, medical director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Thursday. . “This will help us track the true impact. Are we really seeing a reduction in the number of cases?” she said.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY
The US shouldn’t lift the restrictions until new infections daily fall below 10,000, Fauci says
The last time the US saw fewer than 10,000 new daily cases was almost a year ago, on March 22, 2020. The number has not dropped below 50,000 daily cases since mid-October, and the seven-day average on Wednesday was over 64,000, Madeline Holcombe, Theresa Waldrop and Lauren Mascarenhas report.
The countries making dubious claims about Covid-19 – and what it means for the world
Dr. Peter Drobac, a global health expert at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, told CNN the pandemic had highlighted “ how critical leadership is and how dangerous it is to have leaders who don’t want to admit the problem and bring people together. to react. Mixed coverage or denial around basic interventions such as wearing a mask aided the rapid spread of the virus in the US and Brazil, leading to many preventable deaths, he said.
China approves the sale of traditional medicines for the treatment of Covid-19
China has approved three traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products for sale to help treat Covid-19, the country’s National Medical Products Administration announced Wednesday. The herbal products come in granular form and originate from “ancient Chinese regulations,” a statement said. They were developed from TCM remedies used early in the pandemic that were “screened by many academics and experts on the front line.”
ON OUR RADAR
- In Europe’s largest Hindu temple, which debunks misinformation about Covid-19 and administers the vaccine.
- “It’s too early for it.” Small business owners are responding that Texas is dropping its mask mandate and other pandemic restrictions.
- The global vaccine sharing initiative, COVAX, offers hope for vaccine equality with rollout across Africa.
- Lisa Racine has not been able to visit her father in the nursing home where he lives due to the pandemic. So she decided to get a part-time job there to see him more often.
- It is difficult for housebound seniors to get vaccinated. A city found a new solution by partnering with the fire brigade and the local Meals on Wheels service.
TOP TIP
Children between the ages of 9 and 11 in the U.S. who have more screen time are more likely to develop binge eating disorder a year later, the study found – and social media is the main culprit.
Every hour spent on social media was linked to a 62% higher risk of binge eating disorder a year later, while every hour spent watching television or movies was linked to a 39% higher risk, the study found.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“These are portraits of people taking a break between patients at work or taking a breather. And I wanted to capture that moment and that emotion in their eyes.” – Jayashree Krishnan, a Seattle artist.