INSIDER
Concerns rise over Indonesia's sputtering COVID vaccinations
Read full article: Concerns rise over Indonesia's sputtering COVID vaccinationsIndonesia has significantly recovered from a mid-year spike in coronavirus cases and deaths that was one of the worst in the region, but with its vaccination drive stalling due to logistical challenges and other issues, and with holidays approaching, experts and officials warn the island nation could soon face another surge.
Cambodia reopens 2 weeks early, buoyed by high vaccine rates
Read full article: Cambodia reopens 2 weeks early, buoyed by high vaccine ratesCambodia has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers two weeks earlier than originally planned, as it emerges from a lengthy lockdown bolstered by one of the world’s highest rates of immunization against COVID-19.
Thailand preparing to limit exports of its COVID-19 vaccine
Read full article: Thailand preparing to limit exports of its COVID-19 vaccineThai health authorities say they plan to limit exports of locally produced AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine because the country doesn’t have enough for its own needs.
Indonesia holds mass vaccination to scale up virus fight
Read full article: Indonesia holds mass vaccination to scale up virus fightThousands of Indonesians have lined up at a sports stadium to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose in a one-day, mass vaccination event that’s part of a push to dramatically scale up the nation’s virus fight as hospitals fill with sick patients.
China's children may be next in line for COVID-19 vaccines
Read full article: China's children may be next in line for COVID-19 vaccinesIf China is to meet its tentative goal of vaccinating 80% of its population against the coronavirus by the end of the year, tens of millions of children are going to have to start rolling up their sleeves.
Thailand assures foreign residents they can be vaccinated
Read full article: Thailand assures foreign residents they can be vaccinatedThailand is assuring its foreign residents that they can get COVID-19 vaccinations, countering comments by some officials suggesting they would be at the end of the line for inoculations.
Thailand fights to contain COVID-19 surge in Bangkok
Read full article: Thailand fights to contain COVID-19 surge in BangkokHealth officials rushed to vaccinate thousands of people in Bangkok’s biggest slum on Wednesday as new COVID-19 cases spread through densely populated low-income areas in the capital’s central business district.
EU regulators start review of China’s Sinovac vaccine
Read full article: EU regulators start review of China’s Sinovac vaccineThe 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.
Top Chinese official admits vaccines have low effectiveness
Read full article: Top Chinese official admits vaccines have low effectivenessIn a rare acknowledgement, China’s top disease control official says current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus and mixing them is among strategies being considered to boost their effectiveness.
Albania starts mass COVID vaccinations before tourist season
Read full article: Albania starts mass COVID vaccinations before tourist seasonA man receives a dose of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Tirana, Albania, Sunday, March 28, 2021. Albania started a mass vaccination campaign trying to inoculate half a million people opening the way to a more relaxed incoming summer tourism season. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)TIRANA – Albania started a mass inoculation campaign Sunday ahead of the summer tourism season after acquiring 192,000 doses of Chinese coronavirus vaccine Sinovac earlier this week. AdEarlier this week, Prime Minister Edi Rama went to Turkey and brought back the 192,000 Sinovac doses. The remainder of the 500,000 Sinovac doses Albania is due to receive will come in two months.
Zimbabwe's president gets shot of Sinovac in Victoria Falls
Read full article: Zimbabwe's president gets shot of Sinovac in Victoria FallsZimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, centre, receives his shot of the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Victoria Falls, Wednesday March 24, 2021. Mnangagwa got his jab in the resort town of Victoria Falls, in a bid to promote tourism and launch the second phase of the countrys vaccination drive. (AP Photo/STR)HARARE – Zimbabwe’s president has received his first shot of the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, a move the government hopes will encourage more people to seek the Chinese vaccines, which are the only ones currently available in the country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday got a jab in Victoria Falls, in western Zimbabwe, to promote tourism and launch the second phase of the country's vaccination drive. Zimbabwe purchased 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine which arrived from China earlier this month.
The Latest: California prisons to resume in-person visits
Read full article: The Latest: California prisons to resume in-person visitsThe state health department said nearly 17,000 people had filled up four days of appointments for the speedway clinic being held Friday through Monday. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California state prisons will soon resume limited in-person visits with inmates more than a year after they were halted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Museums, aquariums, retail businesses and shops, hair salons and personal care businesses can operate at 100% capacity indoors and outdoors. The three joined neighboring Santa Mateo County on Tuesday as the latest Bay Area counties to move into California’s “moderate” tier for coronavirus restrictions. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says the biggest driver behind the increase is young adults.
Sinovac says its vaccine is safe for children as young as 3
Read full article: Sinovac says its vaccine is safe for children as young as 3Chinese medical firm Sinovac said its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)TAIPEI – Sinovac said its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. Moderna has been studying its vaccine in children aged 12 and older, and last week announced a new study testing its use in children younger than 12. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children.
Tunisia receives first batch of coronavirus vaccines
Read full article: Tunisia receives first batch of coronavirus vaccinesBoxes loaded with the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine arrive at Tunis airport, Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Tunisia is also awaiting the arrival of the first lot of the Chinese vaccine Sinovac as well as the Pfizer and Astrozeneca vaccines (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)TUNIS – Tunisia received its first batch of coronavirus vaccines on Tuesday — 30,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V — and will start inoculations on Saturday. The Chinese vaccines include 200,000 donated doses, Louzir said, while the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are coming via the global COVAX program aimed at supplying vaccines to developing countries that might otherwise struggle to afford them. Despite the delays, Tunisia is hoping to vaccinate 50% of its population of 12 million by the end of the year. Tunisia has reported more than 238,000 virus cases and 8,225 lives lost, one of the highest official virus death tolls in Africa.
Hong Kong probes death of man who received COVID-19 vaccine
Read full article: Hong Kong probes death of man who received COVID-19 vaccineFILE - In this Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 file photo, people line up to receive China's Sinovac COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong. Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday, March 2 reported the death of a chronically ill man, two days after he received a COVID-19 vaccine and said that it is too early to conclude whether the vaccine was related to his death. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, file)HONG KONG – Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday reported the death of a chronically ill man, two days after he received a COVID-19 vaccine and said that it is too early to conclude whether the vaccine was related to his death. The man's death happened less than a week after Hong Kong began its vaccination program for priority and at-risk groups in the city. Over 40,000 people in Hong Kong have received the vaccine since Friday, when the vaccination drive began.
China says it aims to vaccinate 40% of population by June
Read full article: China says it aims to vaccinate 40% of population by June(Brookings Institution and Tsinghua University via AP)TAIPEI – Health experts in China say their country is lagging in its coronavirus vaccination rollout because it has the disease largely under control, but plans to inoculate 40% of its population by June. The target is the first China has offered publicly since it began its mass immunization campaign for key groups in mid-December. China has been slow to vaccinate its people relative to other countries, administering 3.56 doses per 100 people so far, according to Zhong, in a population of 1.4 billion. Even at the rate of vaccinating 10 million people a day, it would take roughly seven months to vaccinate 70% of its population, Zhang noted. Gao, along with Zhong and other Chinese health experts, urged more U.S.-China cooperation.
The Latest: First US J&J vaccine doses shipping Sunday night
Read full article: The Latest: First US J&J vaccine doses shipping Sunday nightFILE - This Dec. 2, 2020, file photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The White House said the entire stockpile of the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will go out immediately. AdJ&J plans to ship several million vaccine doses to states in the coming week, delivering a total of 20 million shots by the end of March. They are part of the government’s plan that has so far secured 2 million doses from Sinovac and 61 million doses from AstraZeneca. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
The Latest: U.S. FDA approves J&J single-shot vaccine
Read full article: The Latest: U.S. FDA approves J&J single-shot vaccineTom Moore, the 100-year-old World War II veteran who captivated the British public in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic with his fundraising efforts died, Tuesday Feb. 2, 2021. Commercial applicants will be required to provide evidence that the coronavirus pandemic caused them to lose at least 35% of revenue in 2020. ___RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian government announced a 12-day lockdown in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after a surge in coronavirus cases, including new variants. The death toll stands at 3,685, with more than a dozen deaths reported Friday. ___WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has continued on a downward trend in the number of daily coronavirus cases.
Asia Today: S. Korea allows workers to squeeze extra doses
Read full article: Asia Today: S. Korea allows workers to squeeze extra doses(Jerome Favre/Pool Photo via AP)HONG KONG – South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency has allowed health workers to squeeze extra doses from vials of coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Pfizer. However, she said the KDCA isn’t allowing health workers from combining vaccines left in different bottles to create more doses. South Korea, which launched its public vaccination campaign on Friday, is administering the AstraZeneca shots to residents and workers at long-term care facilities and the Pfizer ones to front-line medical workers. Registration details for those wishing to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shots haven't been announced yet. Sri Lankan began its inoculation drive in January starting with health workers.
The Latest: Navajo Nation new virus cases on downward trend
Read full article: The Latest: Navajo Nation new virus cases on downward trend(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- The Navajo Nation has continued on a downward trend in the number of daily coronavirus cases. Canada regulators have approved AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine. Gavin Newsom expects California to start administering the new Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine next week. Addition of the J&J vaccine would come as California is seeing dramatic drops in virus cases and hospitalizations after record highs in early January. While they only comprise about 48% of coronavirus cases, they account for 74% of vaccinations.
Asia Today: 1st vaccines reach arms in S. Korea, Hong Kong
Read full article: Asia Today: 1st vaccines reach arms in S. Korea, Hong KongPeople age 60 and older and health care workers are among the some 2.4 million people currently prioritized to receive vaccines at community centers and outpatient clinics across Hong Kong. Hong Kong has struck deals to buy 22.5 million doses of vaccines, from Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Fosun Pharma, which will deliver the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. Those 65 years or older are scheduled to get vaccines after health workers. Ad— China has approved two more COVID-19 vaccines for wider use. A military researcher told state media CanSino can produce up to 300 million doses per year, and the Wuhan Institute said it can produce up to 100 million doses per year.
Hong Kong kicks off COVID-19 vaccinations with Sinovac jab
Read full article: Hong Kong kicks off COVID-19 vaccinations with Sinovac jabPeople line up to receive China's Sinovac COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Hong Kong began administering its first COVID-19 vaccines to the public Friday, kicking off its program offering free vaccinations to all 7.5 million residents. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)HONG KONG – Hong Kong began administering its first COVID-19 vaccines to the public Friday, kicking off its program that will eventually offer free vaccinations to all 7.5 million residents. I’ll take a wait-and-see approach," said Ken Cheung, a Hong Kong resident. A panel of Hong Kong experts said the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine after two doses, 21 days apart, was 62.3%.
China approves two more COVID-19 vaccines for wider use
Read full article: China approves two more COVID-19 vaccines for wider useChina approved two new more COVID-19 vaccines for wider use Thursday, adding to its growing arsenal of shots: one from CanSino Biologics, and a second one from state-owned Sinopharm. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)TAIPEI – China approved two more COVID-19 vaccines for wider use Thursday, adding to its growing arsenal of shots. China now has four vaccines to immunize its population. AdIt is the first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a Chinese company that requires only one shot. AdThe Wuhan Institute's vaccine has been in use after receiving emergency approval in China last June.
Brazil’s health agency approves the use of two vaccines
Read full article: Brazil’s health agency approves the use of two vaccinesBrazil currently has 6 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine ready to distribute in the next few days and is awaiting the arrival of 2 million doses of the vaccine made by AstraZeneca and partner Oxford University. “This is good news for Brazil, but 6 million doses are still very few. Sao Paulo state started immunization Sunday after Anvisa’s decision. The Sao Paulo government had generated mistrust with a confusing announcement about the results of the CoronaVac vaccine. The government’s projection is to end 2021 with at least 354 million doses between contracts for the two vaccines, and those that will be produced locally.
Chinese vaccines are poised to fill gap, but will they work?
Read full article: Chinese vaccines are poised to fill gap, but will they work?Morocco plans to use Chinese vaccines in a mass immunization campaign slated to start this month. Chinese vaccines are also awaiting approval in Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil, while testing continues in more than a dozen countries, including Russia, Egypt and Mexico. In some countries, Chinese vaccines are viewed with suspicion. The World Health Organization has prequalified five non-COVID-19 Chinese vaccines, which allows U.N. agencies to buy them for other countries. The companies whose products won prequalification include Sinovac and state-owned Sinopharm, both leading developers of COVID-19 vaccines.
China prepares large-scale rollout of coronavirus vaccines
Read full article: China prepares large-scale rollout of coronavirus vaccinesOn Sunday, 1.2 million doses of the Chinese company Sinovac's vaccine arrived in Indonesia, the government said. Health officials previously said China will be able to manufacture 610 million doses by the end of this year and ramp up to 1 billion doses next year. Authorities in Sichuan province in the west, which has about 85 million people, announced Monday they were already buying vaccines. It has built two facilities in China capable of producing 200 million doses per year. The company projects it will be able to produce a few hundred million doses of the vaccine by February or March of next year.
Backers blast halt to Brazil trials of Chinese-made vaccine
Read full article: Backers blast halt to Brazil trials of Chinese-made vaccineThe potential vaccine is being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac and in Brazil would be mostly produced by Sao Paulo state-run Butantan Institute. Sao Paulo health authorities said they met with Anvisa leaders on Tuesday, but received no feedback on when the tests will be allowed to continue. And the governor of the state producing the vaccine, Sao Paulo's. This is the vaccine that Doria wanted to force all in Sao Paulo to take,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Sao Paulo is also importing raw material to produce40 million CoronaVac shots, which is due to start arriving Nov. 27.
Protests in Brazil support president in anti-vaccine stance
Read full article: Protests in Brazil support president in anti-vaccine stanceSupporters of Brazilian President Bolsonaro burn protective masks while rallying in favor of Bolsonaro's position that no one will be forced to use them and get an eventual coronavirus vaccine, on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. People assembled in downtown Sao Paulo calling for the removal of Sao Paulo state Gov. A PoderData poll said this week the percentage of Brazilians who say they would take a coronavirus vaccine dropped to 63% in October from 85% four months earlier. The president quickly responded that he would not allow the import of vaccines from China. While the spread of the virus has begun slowing, public health experts warn people not to let their guard down.
Next up in hunt for COVID-19 vaccine: Testing shots in kids
Read full article: Next up in hunt for COVID-19 vaccine: Testing shots in kids(Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center via AP)The global hunt for a COVID-19 vaccine for kids is only just beginning — a lagging start that has some U.S. pediatricians worried they may not know if any shots work for young children in time for the next school year. “The public doesn’t understand that,” said Dr. Evan Anderson of Emory University, who has been pushing for pediatric testing of COVID-19 vaccines. Globally, pediatric studies are only hesitantly emerging. Doing so is critical, said Dr. Robert Frenck, who directs the Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children's. And with science class still fresh, she grasped the researchers’ explanation of how Pfizer’s vaccine works -- using a piece of genetic code to train the body to recognize if the coronavirus comes along.
China rapidly expands use of experimental COVID-19 vaccines
Read full article: China rapidly expands use of experimental COVID-19 vaccinesChina is rapidly increasing the number of people receiving its experimental coronavirus vaccines, with a city offering one to the general public and a biotech company providing another free to students going abroad. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)TAIPEI – China is rapidly increasing the number of people receiving its experimental coronavirus vaccines, with a city offering one to the general public and a biotech company providing another free to students going abroad. China National Biotech Group, another Chinese vaccine company, is offering its vaccine free to students who study abroad in a strategy health experts say raises safety and ethical concerns. It was unclear whether Chinese students were being offered the CNBG vaccine under the same emergency authorization that residents of Jiaxing were. More than 600,000 Chinese students studied abroad before the pandemic, according to Ministry of Education figures.