Authorities in Congo say 50,000 doses of the mpox vaccine from the United States have arrived in the country.

Authorities say a vaccination campaign against mpox in Congo will begin Oct. 2, with workers focusing on the three most affected provinces first.

The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have launched a continent-wide response plan to the outbreak of mpox.

Authorities in Congo say the first batch of mpox vaccine has arrived in Congo’s capital, three weeks after the World Health Organization declared mpox outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

The European Medicines Agency is recommending that a dengue vaccine made by the Japanese pharmaceutical Takeda be authorized, in a move that could provide a new tool for millions worldwide against the potentially fatal disease.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of a tweaked booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine that includes protection against two of the latest versions of omicron, as countries look to bolster their immunization programs ahead of winter.

British health authorities said they will begin offering eligible people just a fraction of the normal monkeypox vaccine dose to stretch supplies by about five times.

The European Medicines Agency said a smaller dose of the monkeypox vaccine appears to still be effective and can be used to stretch the current supply by five times, echoing a recommendation made earlier this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The European Medicines Agency says the smallpox vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic should also be authorized against monkeypox as an outbreak of the once-rare disease sickens people across Europe.

The European Medicines Agency says it will begin reviewing data to decide if a smallpox vaccine made by the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic might also be authorized for monkeypox, amid a growing outbreak of the disease across the continent.

The European Medicines Agency says it is recommending the authorization of the coronavirus vaccine made by French pharmaceutical Valneva, making it the sixth shot to be given the green light in Europe.

European health officials say it’s too early to consider giving a fourth dose of messenger RNA coronavirus vaccines to most people, but say an extra booster can be administered to people over age 80.

The pharmaceutical developer Novavax says it has asked the European Medicines Agency to extend the authorization of its coronavirus vaccine to children aged 12 to 17 amid a surge of disease across the continent.

The European Union's drug regulator says it has begun an accelerated review process for an experimental coronavirus vaccine booster made by the Spanish company Hipra.

The European Union's drug regulator says it's recommending that an antibody drug developed by AstraZeneca be authorized to help people avoid getting sick with the coronavirus.

The European Medicines Agency said it has authorized Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for children aged six to 11, in addition to recommending booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and over.

France says it will start administering Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral drug this week, the first pill for treating COVID-19 approved in the 27-nation EU.

The European Union drug regulator says it has started a rolling review of a new coronavirus vaccine made by French startup Valneva.

The European Union’s medical agency chief said Tuesday that it is ready to deal with the new omicron variant, and that it will take two weeks to have an indication whether the current COVID-19 vaccines will be able to deal with it.

The European Union drugs regulator has authorized Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children aged from 5 to 11 years.

The European Medicines Agency says it has received a request from Merck to authorize its coronavirus antiviral, the first pill shown to treat COVID-19.

The European Medicines Agency says it is evaluating whether to authorize booster doses of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

The European Union’s drug regulator says it's started evaluating the coronavirus pill made by Pfizer Inc. to see if it might be used in emergency situations before it's officially authorized.

The European Medicines Agency said a booster dose of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine “can be considered” in people aged 18 and above.

The Biden’s administration’s mandate that employers with 100 or more workers require coronavirus vaccinations or institute weekly virus testing has moved one step closer to enforcement.

The European Union’s drug regulator has given its backing to booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.

The head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year, expanding a call that has largely fallen on deaf ears.

The European Medicines Agency says it has started an expedited evaluation on whether to recommend use of a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech.

Fully vaccinated travelers from the United States and much of Europe will be able to enter Britain without quarantining starting next week.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended clearing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 17, the first time the shot has been authorized for people under 18.

A top official at the European Medicines Agency says a decision on whether to recommend that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be authorized for children is expected late next week.

The European Medicines Agency has recommended that the use of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech be expanded to children ages 12 to 15.

The European Union’s drug regulator says it has started a rolling review of China’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to assess its effectiveness and safety, which is a first step toward possible approval for use in the 27-nation bloc.

The European Medicines Agency says people who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine should also get the second one despite the rare risk of blood clots that have been linked to the shot.

A U.S. health panel says it’s time to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, despite a very rare risk of blood clots.

New Mexico health officials say they are preparing to respond to pockets of vaccine hesitancy in some communities as overall interest increases in receiving the vaccine for COVID-19.

Big jumps in sales of prescription drugs and medical devices helped Johnson & Johnson boost first-quarter profit nearly 7%, blowing past Wall Street forecasts.

Hawaii officials are moving forward with a plan to allow people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements for flights between islands.

The European Union’s drug regulatory agency says it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says nearly half of Californians eligible for vaccination have received at least one shot against the coronavirus.

European countries are diverging on whether to push ahead with giving residents Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after reports of very rare blood clots in a handful of recipients in the United States.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging all schools in the state to reopen, saying there are no health barriers to getting children back into classrooms and ending distance learning.

South Africa has suspended giving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a “precautionary measure” following the FDA decision in the United States to pause the use of the vaccine while very rare blood clot cases are examined.

COVID-19 has wrought division in the European Union.

State lawmakers are taking actions to limit the emergency powers of governors — not just during the coronavirus pandemic, but for any future emergencies.

The Navajo Nation has issued a stay-at-home order for the weekend after reporting 26 more confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Australia says it has finalized a deal to buy an extra 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as it rapidly pivots away from its earlier plan to rely mainly on the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A patchwork of advice is emerging from governments across Europe and farther afield, a day after the European Union’s drug regulator said there was a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare clotting disorder.

The U.S. 7th Fleet that operates throughout the Indo-Pacific says more than 14,000 of its service members have received their full doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which it began administering on January 5.

Spain has joined other European nations in limiting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly due to concerns over links to extremely rare blood clotting.

British authorities have recommended that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine not be given to adults under 30 where possible because of strengthening evidence that the shot may be linked to rare blood clots.

Chinese officials say 11 more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in a southwestern city bordering Myanmar that is the scene of China’s current sole active outbreak.

A top official at the European Medicines Agency says there's a causal link between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and rare cases of blood clots, but he says the benefits of getting the vaccine still outweigh the risks.

FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, March 22, 2021, vials of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in a fridge at the local vaccine center in Ebersberg near Munich, Germany. Earlier this month, more than a dozen countries, including Germany, suspended their use of AstraZeneca over the blood clot issue. On Tuesday, an independent vaccine expert panel in Germany said AstraZeneca shots should not routinely be given to people under 60 because of a rise in reported cases of unusual blood clots in the days after vaccination. “According to the current scientific knowledge, there is no evidence that would support restricting the use of this vaccine in any population," Cooke told reporters. Those figures included a “significant” number of the cases reported from Germany, but not all, she said.

Earlier this month, more than a dozen countries, including Germany, suspended their use of AstraZeneca over the blood clot issue. Earlier in March, more than a dozen countries, including Germany, suspended their use of AstraZeneca over the blood clot issue. AdGermany's medical regulator said its tally of the rare blood clots reported by March 29 had increased to 31. The World Health Organization's expert committee also evaluated available data for the AstraZeneca vaccine and said the shot was safe and effective. Ad___HOW CAN SCIENTISTS FIGURE OUT IF THE VACCINE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RARE BLOOD CLOTS?

It comes less than two weeks after the EU drug regulator said the vaccine does not increase the overall incidence of blood clots following a similar scare. AdUse of the AstraZeneca vaccine was temporarily halted in several European countries earlier this month over concerns about the rare blood clots. On Monday, Canada suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in people under 55, citing new concerning data from Europe. Appointments for the AstraZeneca shot were available sooner than for those made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna due to higher demand for those vaccines. The study, which hasn't been peer-reviewed yet, doesn't provide a conclusive explanation for why some people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca shot develop the rare blood clots.

Doug Ducey said the site switch will maintain the state’s vaccination program’s presence in southeastern Maricopa County while protecting staff, volunteers and people getting vaccinated. Greece is currently grappling with a surge in coronavirus infections which has seen many hospitals run by the state health system reach capacity. 23, a total of 42,028 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed on the island nation of around 900,000 people, of which 248 died due to COVID-19. Kate Brown said those groups will now be eligible to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5. ___PHOENIX — Arizona on Friday reported 571 new coronavirus cases and 24 deaths as the number of virus-related hospitalizations remained fairly stable.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures after receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered by nurse and Clinical Pod Lead, Lily Harrington at St.Thomas' Hospital in London, Friday, March 19, 2021. Johnson is one of several politicians across Europe, including French Prime Minister Jean Castex, getting a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday. Amid these concerns, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson got an AstraZeneca jab at St. Thomas’ Hospital in south London, where he was treated in intensive care last April for COVID-19. Italian Premier Mario Draghi said he would get the AstraZeneca shot when it's time for his age group, and said his grown son had received it in London. Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which was the first country to pause using AstraZeneca, said they would wait another week before deciding whether to resume.

Gavin Newsom's vision of a uniform COVID-19 vaccine network despite widespread pushback from local health offices. The state has already identified a site in Mesa that will replace the vaccination clinic at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Kate Brown announced she’ll accelerate Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility timeline to allow vulnerable populations to receive shots ahead of May 1. Ron DeSantis says he’s opening COVID-19 vaccines to people age 50 and older on Monday. The governor’s announcement came a day after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he’s opening vaccination sites to anyone 40 and older.

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is working with U.S., Indian and Japanese partners to provide emergency coronavirus vaccine to Papua New Guinea. Australia has provided 8,000 AstraZeneca doses from its own stockpile to its nearest neighbor after an explosion of infections in the South Pacific island nation in recent weeks. Morrison said Friday that the European Union has yet to respond to his recent request for 1 million AstraZeneca doses contracted by Australia to be sent to Papua New Guinea as soon as possible. It has an agreement with ImmunityBio, which has a COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trials, to produce the vaccine sometime next year. Biovac, based in Cape Town, has the capacity to produce between 20 million and 30 million vaccines in a year.

That’s out of the 20 million people who have received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Britain and the EU. Experts said it will be critical to uncover if something predisposed those people to these rare clots. AstraZeneca's vaccine is central to COVAX, the U.N.-backed project to supply COVID-19 shots to poorer countries around the world. AdThe EU has an estimated 7 million unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Ad“People may well be more hesitant to take an AstraZeneca vaccine when immunization resumes," he said.

(AP Photo/Bob Edme)BRUSSELS – First, France abruptly halted AstraZeneca vaccinations. That could come as soon as Thursday, when the European Medicines Agency releases initial results of its investigations into whether there is a connection between the vaccine and the blood clots. The suspensions by Germany, France, Italy, Spain and others have fueled doubts about the oft-maligned AstraZeneca vaccine, and vaccination efforts in general, as the world struggles to vanquish the pandemic. “We’re going to fall behind the virus again.”AdEven before Thursday's announcement by Europe's medicines watchdog, the president of the European Commission made it clear that the AstraZeneca vaccine will remain a pillar of the EU’s vaccine strategy. The company says there have been 37 reports of blood clots among the more than 17 million people who have received the vaccine across the EU and Britain.

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2021, file photo, people receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada is making all residents ages 16 and older eligible for the coronavirus vaccine starting April 5 as part of its efforts to inoculate the population as quickly as possible. Dr. Marcela Nunez-Smith, the White House COVID-19 equity task force chair, says the administration is spending $150 million to broaden access to monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, Arizona and Montana are achieving equity in vaccine coverage, directing vaccines to counties with more economic and social disadvantages. AdThe CDC analyzed vaccine coverage through March 1 and included data representing 49.2 million people who had at least one dose.

Pharmacist Rajan Shah prepares a syringe of the AstraZeneca vaccine at St John's Church, in Ealing, London, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. “We are still firmly convinced that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19 with its associated risk of hospitalization and death outweigh the risk of the side effects,” said Emer Cooke, the head of the agency. AdThe AstraZeneca shot has already struggled to gain public trust after troubles with reporting of its data and concerns about its effectiveness in older people. In addition to the EMA, AstraZeneca and the WHO have said there is no evidence the vaccine carries an increased risk of blood clots. AdStill, the torrent of decisions casting doubt on the AstraZeneca vaccine despite assurances of experts is testing public opinion.

The EU's drug regulatory agency called a meeting for Thursday to review experts' findings on the AstraZeneca shot and decide whether action needs to be taken. The AstraZeneca shot has become a key tool in European countries' efforts to boost their sluggish vaccine rollouts. Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines are also used on the European continent, and J&J's one-shot vaccine has been authorized but not yet delivered. AdAlmost 940,000 people in Spain have received the AstraZeneca shot. Some European countries, meanwhile, have begun reimposing restrictions in a bid to beat back a resurgence in infections, many of them from variants of the original virus.

A medical staff dispays AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site set up in the Marseille soccer Velodrome stadium, during a presentation to the media, in Marseille, Monday, March 15, 2021. On Saturday, Norwegian authorities reported that four people under age 50 who had gotten the AstraZeneca vaccine had an unusually low number of blood platelets. Ireland and the Netherlands then announced that they too, were stopping their use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. It said while its review was ongoing, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweighed the potential side effects. “People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so.”___Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

FILE - This Saturday, March 6, 2021 file photo shows vials of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the pharmacy of National Jewish Hospital for distribution in east Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)The state of Michigan announced Friday, March 12 that every resident 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5. Michigan's estimated schedule for first doses administered as of March 12, 021 (MDHHS)View PDF: Michigan’s vaccination phases and priority groups“The safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family and others from the virus,” said Gov. I urge all eligible Michiganders to get one of the three COVID-19 vaccines. From the CDC: Information about COVID-19 Vaccines for People who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Denmark was the first to temporarily halt use of the AstraZeneca vaccine Thursday after reports of blood clots in some people. It said the number of people with blood clots in vaccinated people was no higher than those who hadn’t been inoculated. Britain’s medicines regulator also said it had not received any reports of blood clots in people that were caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU drug regulator did say, separately, that product information for the AstraZeneca vaccine should be updated to note that cases of severe allergic reactions have been reported. AdThe suggested update is based on a review of 41 reported cases of anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions, that were identified among 5 million people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials are warning health professionals about the risk of false positive results with a widely used laboratory test for COVID-19 and flu. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday that Iowa has administered 1.03 million doses. The state health department sent a notice Thursday to the hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other community providers of the coronavirus vaccine detailing the state’s expectations. AdBrazil has already secured contracts for 200 million vaccine doses, half made by AstraZeneca and half by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. It could use those mechanisms as well to expand eligibility___PRAGUE — The health authorities in the Czech Republic have administered over 1 million coronavirus vaccine shots.

(AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)COPENHAGEN – Denmark has temporarily suspended use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after reports of blood clots in some people, but its health authority said Thursday it has no evidence the vaccine was responsible. Other experts pointed out that of the millions of AstraZeneca vaccine shots administered elsewhere, including in Britain, there have been no reported cases of the vaccine causing blood clots or related problems. "At present, it cannot be concluded whether there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots,” authorities said. It said the number of people with blood clots in vaccinated people was no higher than those who hadn't been inoculated. “People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so,” it said.

FILE - This Saturday, March 6, 2021 file photo shows vials of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the pharmacy of National Jewish Hospital for distribution in east Denver. The EMA has already recommended COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca — but all of those vaccines require two doses, several weeks apart. AdIn its statement Thursday, the EMA said the J&J vaccine was about 67% effective. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave an emergency authorizatio n to the J&J shot in late February. AdA massive study that spanned three continents found the J&J vaccine was 85% effective in protecting against severe illness, hospitalizations and death.

Japan has confirmed 345 cases of the more contagious new variants, mostly the kind first found in Britain, the health ministry said. ___WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has removed remaining coronavirus restrictions on the city of Auckland after containing a small outbreak. Ad___WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is planning to announce during his prime-time address Thursday night that he’ll deploy 4,000 additional U.S. troops to support coronavirus vaccination efforts. Thursday’s announcement from the Department of Corrections comes a year after suspending visits at prisons because of the coronavirus pandemic. John Bel Edwards has loosened his COVID-19 restrictions.

Now, with demand growing for the Sputnik V, experts are raising questions again, this time over whether Moscow can keep up with all the orders from countries that want it. (Saeed Kaari/IKAC via AP, File)MILAN – Russia has signed a deal to produce its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Italy, the first contract in the European Union, the Italian Russian Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday. Russian authorities are working on 20 similar collaborations in Europe and the Sputnik V vaccine has been registered in 45 nations worldwide, the chamber said. Hungary became the first EU country to authorize Sputnik V for use last month while Slovakia announced a deal last week to acquire 2 million Sputnik V doses and received the first shipment of 200,000 doses. “We can have Sputnik V on the market here in the future if we have examined the corresponding data.”Wirthumer-Hoche’s remarks elicited outrage in Russia.

Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrives at Kosice Airport, Slovakia, on Monday March 1, 2021. In the meantime, dozens of countries have already authorized Sputnik V for use — including EU member Hungary — and many have agreed to purchase millions of doses of the shot. “No talks are ongoing between negotiation teams and the producers, or institutes, or companies or organizations behind the Sputnik vaccine,” said Stefan De Keersmaecker, the Commission’s health policy spokesman. AdThe RDIF has been pushing for the EMA to review Sputnik V for months, with Dmitriev first announcing an application to the European regulator in November. But unlike AstraZeneca’s two-dose vaccine, Sputnik V uses a slightly different adenovirus for the second booster shot, a factor that some scientists say may account for its apparently high efficacy rate.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Zoo has vaccinated nine great apes for the coronavirus after a troop of gorillas in its Safari Park became infected. AdThere have been no new community cases of the virus found in Auckland or elsewhere in New Zealand for the past five days. Ad___SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah will open up COVID-19 vaccine appointments to people ages 50 and older on Monday. ___JACKSON, Miss.-- People ages 50 and older in Mississippi are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. — Arkansas’ highest court and the governor are at odds over whether judges, prosecutors and other court employees should be immediately eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrives at Kosice Airport, Slovakia, Monday March 1, 2021. Hard-hit Slovakia signed a deal to acquire 2 million dozes of Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. The country's prime minister says Slovakia will get one million shots in next two months while another million will arrive in May and June. (Frantisek Ivan/TASR via AP)PRAGUE – Slovakia signed a deal to acquire 2 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Prime Minister Igor Matovic said Monday. Matovic’s coalition government originally rejected a plan to acquire Sputnik V on Feb 18 after one of his four coalition partners vetoed the move.

Kate Brown on Thursday extended Oregon’s declaration of a state of emergency until May 2 as confirmed COVID-19 cases drop but hundreds of new cases continue to be reported daily. The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported 553 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the state total to 154,554. ___MISSOURI __ Missouri teachers and child care providers will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in mid-March, Gov. The nation of 10.7 million had almost 1.2 million cases with 19,835 deaths. AdLast week the Democratic governor announced that at least 10% of the state’s vaccine supply would go to education workers.

(AP Photo/Channi Anand)NEW DELHI — Health officials in India say cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa and Brazil have been found in India. Over 150 cases of another variant first detected in the United Kingdom have previously been found in India. ___SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is reporting 621 new coronavirus cases. State health officials on Tuesday reported 1,132 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths. Spain has officially reported more than 3 million virus cases -- just over 6% of the population -- and attributed more than 65,400 deaths to the virus.

___AdSACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is expanding the list of people eligible for coronavirus vaccine by another 4 to 6 million people. Ad“What all this means is that we can expect to see more breakthrough cases,” Dean Sidelinger, the health authority’s state health officer, said. Every life that is lost now is all the more tragic as vaccines are beginning to be rolled out.”Globally, there’s been 107 million coronavirus cases and 2.3 million confirmed deaths. Italy has registered a total of 2.6 million cases and more than 93,000 confirmed deaths. Just over 4% of Montana residents have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered at a vaccination center set up in Fiumicino, near Rome's international airport, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. AstraZeneca is of the three vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency for use in the 27-nation bloc, the other two are Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna. Researchers began this work months ago when the variants were first detected, said Mene Pangalos, head of biopharmaceuticals research for AstraZeneca. The EU last month sparred with AstraZeneca after the company cut initial deliveries of the vaccine to the bloc because of production problems. But Soriot stressed that the vaccine is very good at preventing severe disease and death, which is the most important goal.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is in Paris for bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. France had counted on the AstraZeneca vaccine for a large part of its upcoming inoculations, until the company announced delays affecting countries around Europe and the world. “For this AstraZeneca vaccine, we will not propose it to those older than 65,” Macron told TF1 television Tuesday night. Macron said France still aims to offer the vaccine to anyone who wants it by the end of the summer. The meeting came amid criticism of the EU's handling of its collective vaccine strategy across the bloc's 27 member nations.

The state crossed that mark Monday, exactly a year after officials reported the first case of a coronavirus infection in Massachusetts. — Maryland’s acting health secretary says the state’s hospitals have received less than half of their expected allocations of second doses of the coronavirus vaccine for front-line health workers this week. Schrader says state officials were talked with the federal Department of Health and Human Services all weekend trying to figure out what happened. The CDC says Iowa has delivered 190,689 first vaccine doses to individuals, or 6,044 per 100,000 people, the third lowest rate in the nation. Ad___PRAGUE — The Czech Republic is not planning to limit use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for elderly people like some other European Union nations.

The European Medicines Agency is expected on Friday Jan. 29, 2021 to authorize use of the vaccine AstraZeneca developed with Oxford University. The shot is the third COVID-19 vaccine given the green light by the European Medicines Agency after ones by Pfizer and Moderna. A separate study testing the AstraZeneca vaccine in the U.S. is still underway. The EU has particularly lashed out at AstraZeneca after the drugmaker said it would initially supply less vaccine than originally anticipated. AdThe AstraZeneca vaccine has already been authorized in more than 40 countries, including Britain, India, Argentina and Mexico.

Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray holds an "I Got Vaccinated" button at a COVID-19 vaccine injection site set in a concession area at Fenway Park, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)BOSTON — A Massachusetts congressman who has received both doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has tested positive for the virus. The state also reported 5,028 additional confirmed coronavirus cases, increasing the state’s totals to 748,260 cases and 13,022 deaths. Ad___FORT LAUNDERDALE, Fla. — The predominantly Black farming communities on the shore of Florida’s Lake Okeechobee will get a coronavirus vaccine station. Algeria has registered more than 106,000 coronavirus cases and 2,881 confirmed deaths.

“Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first COVID-19 vaccines," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum's virtual event in Switzerland. The EU has committed to buying 300 million AstraZeneca doses with option on 100 million extra shots. The slow rollout, however, is hardly only the result of vaccine production issues. That’s why there is such big disappointment.”The European Medicines Agency is scheduled to review the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine Friday and its approval is hotly anticipated. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain and has been approved for emergency use by half a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Mexico.

India’s total positive cases since the start of the epidemic have reached 10.6 million, the second highest after the United States with 25.43 million cases. India started inoculating health workers on Jan. 16 in what is likely the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The FDA said Tuesday there have been reports of hospitalizations and death linked to the sanitizers reported to U.S. poison control centers and state health departments. The state’s health agency on Tuesday said third-party administrators would take over ordering and distributing vaccine doses with a new state secretary in charge of logistics. On Tuesday, the CDC reported just over half of the 41 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

“We, as the EU, must be able to know whether and what vaccines are being exported from the EU,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said. The EU has committed to buying 300 million AstraZeneca doses with option on 100 million extra shots. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain and has been approved for emergency use by half a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Mexico. AstraZeneca's announcement that it will deliver fewer vaccines to the EU early on has only increased pressure on the bloc, especially since Pfizer-BioNTech, the first vaccine to get EU approval, failed last week to keep up its promised deliveries to the EU. Pfizer has temporarily reduced vaccine deliveries to the EU and Canada as it revamps its plant in Belgium to increase overall production.

State health officials Monday reported fewer than 13,000 people were being treated for the virus in Texas hospitals, marking the seventh consecutive day of declining patient loads. Some hospitals and clinics have reported having to cancel immunization appointments because they didn’t have enough vaccine doses to distribute. A little more than half of Ochsner employees have yet to get the vaccine, officials said at a news conference Monday. Tessa Walker Linderman, co-lead of Alaska’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told reporters the state expects to learn soon what its vaccine allocation will be for February. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at the vaccine centre that has been set up in central Newcastle, Scotland Monday Jan. 11, 2021. Britain gave its approval to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine last month and has been using it. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be a key vaccine for many countries because of its low cost, availability and ease of use. Researchers claim the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose because of a manufacturing error. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it won't consider approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine until data are available from late state research testing the shot in about 30,000 people.

The news came shortly after the EU’s executive arm said it had secured 300 million extra doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The EU commission later detailed in a statement that it offered to member states to purchase an additional 200 million doses of the vaccine, with the option to acquire another 100 million doses. “This would enable the EU to purchase up to 600 million doses of this vaccine, which is already being used across the EU. Von der Leyen said 75 million of the extra doses would be available during the second quarter, with the rest being delivered throughout 2021. The EU has sealed six vaccine contracts for up to 2 billion doses, with Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Pfizer-BioNTech and CureVac.

With the Moderna vaccine, the second one now authorized in the EU, we will have a further 160 million doses. The EU has ordered 80 million doses of the Moderna vaccine with an option for a further 80 million. The EU agency gave the green light to use the Moderna vaccine on people age 18 year and above. The Dutch were only beginning to give out vaccine shots Wednesday, the last EU nation to start doing so. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz tweeted that approval of the Moderna vaccine “is another important step in the fight against the pandemic.

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is advancing the start of its coronavirus vaccination program to mid-February, with plans to inoculate 15% of the population by late March. Mexico’s vaccination effort continues at a glacial rate, with about 7,500 shots administered Wednesday, a rate similar to previous days. John Bel Edwards and public health officials said Wednesday that efforts are being made to speed up vaccinations for the coronavirus. So far, state officials have administered 126,602 of the 522,550 doses the state has received. More than 329,000 people have been vaccinated in Florida — or about 1.5% of the population — almost all of them either health care workers, residents in care homes, or people over the age of 65.

A nurse prepares a vaccine prior to the vaccination of elderly people at a nursing house in Athens, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (Louisa Gouliamaki/Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – The European Commission defended its coronavirus vaccination strategy Monday amid growing criticism in member states about the slow rollout of COVID-19 shots across the region of 450 million inhabitants. As part of its strategy, the EU has sealed six vaccines contracts, with Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Pfizer-BioNTech and CureVac. But only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for use so far in the 27-nation bloc. With the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the commission has an option for an extra 100 million doses that will bring the total to 300 million shots.

A person enters the European Medicines Agency in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, where the EMA's human medicines committee is holding an exceptional, fully virtual, meeting to conclude the evaluation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The EU’s executive commission gave the green light just hours after the European Medicines Agency said the vaccine meets safety and quality standards. Harald Enzmann, the head of the European Medicines Agency's expert committee, dismissed any suggestion that political influence had affected the decision. While many have clamored for the vaccine’s authorization, there have also been concerns in Europe and elsewhere about the speed with which the shot was developed. Final testing of the vaccine is still ongoing, and more information on whether the shot works in children is needed.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that holiday gatherings cant go ahead and non-essential shops must close in London and much of southern England. Germany said all flights coming from Britain, except cargo flights, were no longer allowed to land starting midnight Sunday. The Netherlands banned flights from the U.K. for at least the rest of the year. The World Health Organization tweeted late Saturday that it was "in close contact with U.K. officials on the new #COVID19 virus variant" and promised to update governments and the public as more is learned. “The alarms bells have been ringing for weeks, but the prime minister chose to ignore them,” said Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party.

Germany has entered a harder lockdown, closing shops and schools in an effort to bring down stubbornly high new cases of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)BERLIN – Germany reported a record level of coronavirus deaths as it entered a harder lockdown Wednesday, closing shops and schools to try to bring down stubbornly high new daily infections. Faced with exponentially increasing cases in October, Germany implemented a “lockdown light” at the start of November, which closed bars and restaurants but left shops open. In Saxony, where the virus is spreading most rapidly in Germany at the moment, hospitals are filling up. While daily new cases peaked in March at about 6,000, they are now more than four times that level, with 27,728 new cases reported Wednesday by the Robert Koch Institute.

But the EMA approval process for coronavirus vaccines is largely similar to the standard licensing procedure that would be granted to any new vaccine, only on an accelerated schedule. Here's a look at the EMA approval process:___WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY? ___WHY IS THE EMA TAKING SO LONG TO APPROVE A VACCINE? During the EMA meeting, experts will discuss the data behind the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The German Hospital Association chipped in Tuesday as well, demanding that the agency issue emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)KANSAS — A western Kansas mayor announced Tuesday that she is resigning, effective immediately, because of threats she has received after she publicly supported a mask mandate. Brian Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey visited Savannah as the first four shots were administered to local health care workers. ___TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida’s largest hospital system said it was on track to immunize nearly 20,000 health care workers against COVID-19 as Gov. He traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Monday and was given the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. Several health care workers at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the eastern part of the state also received injections.

Christmas lights shine over a virtually empty shopping street in the old town of Duesseldorf, Germany, on Monday afternoon, Dec. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)BERLIN – Germany's health minister further increased the pressure on the European Union’s regulatory agency, demanding that it approve a coronavirus vaccine before Christmas, the dpa news agency reported Tuesday. “Our goal is an approval before Christmas so that we can still start vaccinating this year,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said late Monday. But Germany cannot use it because it is still waiting for approval by the EMA, which evaluates drugs and vaccines for the EU's 27 nations. Spahn's growing anxiety comes as Germany has been hitting records of new daily infections and virus deaths in recent weeks.

BERLIN – German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer say data on their coronavirus vaccine were “unlawfully accessed” during a cyberattack on the servers of the European Medicines Agency. The Amsterdam-based agency, which is considering requests for conditional marketing authorization for several coronavirus vaccines to be used in the 27-nation European Union, said earlier Wednesday that it had been the target of a cyberattack. “At this time, we await further information about EMA’s investigation and will respond appropriately and in accordance with EU law,” the companies said. It would not be the first time an entity linked with coronavirus vaccines has been targeted by cybercriminals. Last month, Microsoft said it had detected attempts by state-backed Russian and North Korean hackers to steal valuable data from leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers.