Africa-Press – Gambia. The government approved children 3 and older to take China’s Sinovac vaccine from Feb. 15, while those 5 and older can take the BioNTech shot. Hong Kong ‘cannot afford to lose’ fight against surging COVID Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday that it would take up to three months to stabilise a worsening COVID-19 pandemic that has overwhelmed health facilities and forced the postponement of an upcoming leadership electionHong Kong accountant May Ng says her family made huge sacrifices last month to comply with the city’s COVID-19 policies, but now thinks these were in vain as she does not expect the latest outbreak to be contained. The global financial hub follows mainland China in deploying a “dynamic zero-COVID” strategy aimed at ending any outbreaks as soon as possible after they occur, but the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has proven hard to keep under control.
S.Africa’s Ramaphosa: COVAX must buy vaccines from local manufacturing hubs
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday that the global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX and vaccines alliance GAVI should commit themselves to buying vaccines from local manufacturing hubs. “The lack of a market for vaccines produced in Africa is something that should be concerning to all of us. Organizations such as COVAX and GAVI need to commit to buying vaccines from local manufacturers instead of going outside of those hubs that have been set up,” Ramaphosa said.
Japan plans targeted COVID curbs as new cases fall but deaths hit record
A Japanese health panel approved on Friday a plan for more targeted COVID-19 curbs across much of the nation, as new infections decline but deaths rise to a record level. The government will let limits on mobility and commerce lapse on Sunday in five prefectures where the virus appears to have peaked, but extend curbs until March 6 in 17 more areas where infections are still relatively high.
Hong Kong parents rush to vaccinate children as COVID surges
Hong Kong parents rushed children as young as 3 years old to vaccination centres this week as the government lowered the age limit for the shots and the deaths of two toddlers exacerbated concerns in a city struggling to cope with a COVID-19 surge. The government approved children 3 and older to take China’s Sinovac vaccine from Feb. 15, while those 5 and older can take the BioNTech shot.
Hong Kong ‘cannot afford to lose’ fight against surging COVID
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday that it would take up to three months to stabilise a worsening COVID-19 pandemic that has overwhelmed health facilities and forced the postponement of an upcoming leadership election. “Our government needs to focus on the epidemic,” Lam said at a press conference after a week that saw daily infections jump by 60% so far this month. It “cannot be diverted… we cannot afford to lose,” she said.
English health chiefs urge Johnson not be to be ‘gung-ho’ with COVID plan
English medical leaders on Friday urged Boris Johnson not to be too “gung-ho” with the nation’s health when he moves to end all pandemic restrictions with his plan to live with COVID-19 next week. Having scrapped virtually all COVID-19 restrictions in England already, Johnson on Monday will set out plans to go further, indicating he wants to end the legal obligation for people who test positive to self-isolate.
Germany to receive 1.4 million shots of Novavax COVID vaccine on Feb. 21 – minister
Germany still expects to receive 1.4 million doses of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid on Feb. 21, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Friday. “The company has attracted attention several times in the past with indications that deliveries cannot be made on time. But I want to assume now that … we will be supplied next week,” Lauterbach told a news conference.
African countries to get mRNA vaccine technology in WHO project
The World Health Organization said on Friday six African countries – Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia – would be the first on the continent to receive the technology needed to produce mRNA vaccines. The technology transfer project, launched last year in Cape Town, aims to help low- and middle-income countries manufacture mRNA vaccines at scale and according to international standards.
Malawi detects polio, first wild case in Africa in over 5 years
Malawi’s health authorities have declared a polio outbreak after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The WHO said in a statement that laboratory analysis showed the strain detected in Malawi was linked to one that has been circulating in Pakistan, where it is still endemic.
GSK pauses trial of respiratory virus vaccine in pregnant women
GSK has paused a late-stage trial of its vaccine candidate against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in pregnant women based on safety recommendations from an independent committee, the British drugmaker said on Friday. The world’s biggest vaccine maker by sales did not give further details on why it paused the trial, dubbed “GRACE,” as well as two other studies, but said a trial of its experimental RSV vaccine for adults aged 60 and over would continue.
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