Category Archives: Vaccines and immunisation

Sage members sent suspicious packages throughout pandemic, says leading scientist

Posted on by

Prof Calum Semple and others advising government on Covid-19 response have been targeted by anti-vaxxers

Members of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have been sent suspicious packages and hate mail throughout the pandemic, one of the UK’s leading virologists has revealed.

Prof Calum Semple, a member of Sage and the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said the incidents of abuse included one “particularly nasty” experience when he was targeted by anti-vaxxers.

Continue reading...

Australia Covid live news update: NSW records 1,288 cases and seven deaths; Victoria halves AZ dose gap after 176 cases, ACT 12

Posted on by

Victoria halves time between AZ vaccinations; state’s chief psychiatrist says ‘please reach out to your kids’; unlimited exercise for LGAs of concern in greater Sydney; NSW records seven deaths; ACT records 12 new cases, Queensland one new case – follow latest updates

I have just been reminded of when China’s president, Xi Jinping also “encouraged” education authorities in Macao on Thursday to make further efforts to promote patriotic education in the special administrative region.

From the China Daily report late last year:

Xi made the remark while inspecting the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School in Macao. He attended a class on Chinese history themed “’one country, two systems’ and Macao”, and delivered a speech to teachers and students at the school.

Xi told them that the class has great and special significance because it demonstrates the fundamental and substantial elements of history and education.

And that’s it – no more question time for six weeks.

Thank Dolly.

Continue reading...

Japan’s Moderna Covid vaccine rollout hit by recall and contamination scares

Posted on by

Foreign materials including stainless steel identified in batches of Covid-19 vaccine though no safety or efficacy issues have been reported

The Moderna coronavirus vaccine programme in Japan has been hit by a series of contamination incidents, prompting it to recall 1.63m doses found to contain metal fragments.

Other potential contaminants have been identified in separate batches over the past week but so far no injuries as a result of those vaccines have been reported.

Continue reading...

Joe Rogan has Covid – and his treatment will make health experts feel ill

Posted on by

The media host says he used ivermectin, a medication that the FDA has warned against

Joe Rogan, the host of Spotify’s most popular podcast, has contracted Covid, he announced on Wednesday. He says he is feeling better – but his health update undoubtedly made health experts instantly sick.

On Instagram, the podcaster, who professes not to be “an authority on health” but has discouraged young people from getting the coronavirus vaccine, said that he had “immediately thrown the kitchen sink” at his infection. Among the many medications he used, he said, was ivermectin, a drug used to deworm horses.

Continue reading...

Scotland proposes Covid vaccine certificates for nightclub entry

Posted on by

Nicola Sturgeon says certificates in limited scenarios could protect public health and boost vaccine take-up

The Scottish government is proposing vaccine certificates for entry to nightclubs and large-scale indoor and outdoor events in an attempt to curb escalating Covid infections before the autumn.

Announcing the plans, which MSPs will be asked to vote on next week, the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said that – although expected with schools returning last month – “the scale of the increase [in infections] in recent weeks has been very concerning”.

Continue reading...

Reddit communities ‘go dark’ in protest over Covid misinformation

Posted on by

Some of site’s largest subreddits switch to private, saying Reddit is failing to tackle misinformation

Reddit has been hit by a user rebellion over the online discussion forum’s failure to tackle misinformation related to Covid and vaccines.

More than 135 Reddit communities, or subreddits, have “gone dark”, which blocks non-members from reading or joining the page, in protest at the site’s refusal to limit discussions that propagate misleading theories about the pandemic. The protest covers many of the site’s largest subreddits, including r/Futurology and r/TIFU, which have more than 10 million subscribers each.

Continue reading...

Australian health authorities warn against mixing Covid vaccine types

Posted on by

Concerns raised that some people may be cancelling their second AstraZeneca dose hoping to obtain a shot of Pfizer instead

The evidence is strongest for receiving two doses of the same Covid-19 vaccine, rather than mixing different types, medical authorities have said amid concerns that some people may be cancelling their second AstraZeneca dose in the hope of securing a shot of Pfizer.

As outbreaks of the Delta variant affect New South Wales and Victoria, people are being urged by state premiers and health authorities to get vaccinated as soon as possible with whatever vaccine is available, and to show up to their existing first and second-dose appointments.

Continue reading...

Israel registers record daily coronavirus cases

Posted on by

Country to press ahead with school openings as it encourages all over-12s to get third jab

Israel has recorded its highest daily number of coronavirus cases with nearly 11,000 new infections, amid a surge caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant as schools prepare to re-open.

The previous high came on 18 January, with 10,118 cases.

Continue reading...

WHO expects 236,000 more Covid deaths in Europe by 1 December – video

Posted on by

Senior officials at the World Health Organization have cited stagnating vaccination rates and low uptake in poorer countries as reasons so many Covid deaths are predicted.

'Last week, there was an 11% increase in the number of deaths in the region – one reliable projection is expecting 236,000 deaths in Europe, by 1 December,' WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said.

Kluge attributed the higher transmission to the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, an 'exaggerated easing' of restrictions and measures, and a surge in summer travel.

While about half of people in Europe are fully vaccinated, vaccination uptake in the region has slowed, Kluge said.

Europe has registered about 1.3 million Covid deaths

Continue reading...

Covid booster jabs ‘not a luxury’ and protect the vulnerable, says WHO

Posted on by

Health body previously stated that boosters in Europe are unnecessary and will increase vaccine inequality

A booster jab of Covid-19 vaccine for vulnerable people is not a luxury but a good way to protect them, the World Health Organization has said, as surging infection rates and a pan-European vaccination slowdown produced a “deeply worrying” situation.

“A third dose of vaccine is not a luxury booster taken away from someone who is still waiting for a first jab,” Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said on Monday. “It’s basically a way to keep the most vulnerable safe.”

Continue reading...

Australia’s Covid vaccine challenges have been ‘overcome’, Scott Morrison says

Posted on by

PM’s assertion comes as national death toll since pandemic began surpasses 1,000 and states seek more Pfizer amid Delta outbreak

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has declared the government has “overcome” the challenges of the national vaccine program, despite the states crying out for more mRNA vaccine supplies to curb the Delta outbreak tearing through NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

The prime minister’s assertion came as the country marked the grim milestone of the first Indigenous death from a Covid-19 case, in western NSW, and as the national death toll surpassed 1,000 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

Continue reading...

Children return to school in Jakarta as Indonesia eases Covid restrictions

Posted on by

After 18 months of remote learning, some students will re-enter classrooms as the capital sees a fall in coronavirus infections

After almost 18 months, children in Jakarta will begin to re-enter classrooms on Monday, as Indonesia, which faces on of the worst Covid outbreaks globally, eases restrictions in some areas.

Indonesia began gradually loosening its lockdown measures last week, allowing restaurants and places of worship to open their doorsat 25% capacity, and malls to operate at 50% capacity. The relaxed rules were introduced across several regions in Java and Bali , including greater Jakarta, greater Bandung and greater Surabaya.

Continue reading...

Australia Covid news: health system on the brink of crisis as NSW braces for another record day of cases – live

Posted on by

Fears Sydney hospital ICUs are under extreme strain as nurses speak out about ‘hellhole’ conditions. Follow latest updates

Meanwhile, mRNA supplies should be increasing over the next couple of months, but older Australians who waited to have a choice could find themselves at the back of the queue:

Related: Older Australians at back of queue for mRNA vaccines despite Atagi advice to give them choice

Brisbane is getting its second mass vaccination hub, this time in the Boondall entertainment centre. That will open up on 8 September, and help take the pressure off the existing hub, which is in the city.

Continue reading...

Eric Clapton releases song seen as criticising official response to Covid

Posted on by

This Has Gotta Stop lines include ‘I can’t take this BS any longer’ and follows negative comments about restrictions

Eric Clapton, a staunch critic of measures designed to tackle the Covid pandemic, has released a song entitled This Has Gotta Stop.

While the song does not directly mention lockdown measures or vaccines, the musician has performed on anti-vaccine songs in recent months. His latest offering has been interpreted by some as an attack on the measures recommended by health officials.

Continue reading...

Take-up of second Covid jab in England levelling off

Posted on by

Concern as scientists say vaccinating adults is more important than inoculating children or booster shots

Hundreds of thousands of people have failed to come forward for their second Covid jab, official data shows, as scientists warned that improving uptake among adults is more crucial than moving on to children’s vaccines or booster shots.

Experts have repeatedly emphasised the need to receive both doses of the coronavirus vaccines as the second jab greatly increases protection against Covid.

Continue reading...

Covid cases in England are 26 times higher than a year ago

Posted on by

Pressure grows to begin booster jabs for the vulnerable and extend vaccinations to younger teenagers

Coronavirus infections in England are now 26 times the levels that were experienced this time last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Scientists described the figures as “sobering”.

They warned that the reopening of schools in England this week was likely to trigger further rises in Covid cases – with more to follow when students return to universities and colleges. A fresh wave of infections could, in turn, lead to new social restrictions being imposed as winter approaches.

Continue reading...

Coronavirus live news: return to school could lead to sharp rise in cases, UK expert warns; Vietnam reports 352 deaths

Posted on by

Delta Covid cases likely to put strain on health services in areas with low vaccination rates, experts say; Australia suffers its worst daily total

That’s it from me, Léonie Chao-Fong, for today. Here’s a quick roundup of what’s been happening so far:

Tennis fans aged 12 or over will be required to show proof of Covid vaccination in order to attend the US Open, tournament officials have confirmed.

The tournament did not originally require any proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for fans to enter. Attendees were also not required to wear a mask.

Continue reading...

An oral history of Oxford/AstraZeneca: ‘Making a vaccine in a year is like landing a human on the moon’

Posted on by

It has shipped more than a billion doses, saved countless lives – and faced controversy over its safety and supply. Here, some of those who created the vaccine tell the story of their epic race against the virus

In December 2019, hospitals in Wuhan, China, reported that they were dealing with dozens of cases of pneumonia of an unknown cause. They soon identified the disease as being caused by a novel coronavirus.

Teresa Lambe, associate professor, Jenner Institute My brother lived in China, so whenever there was an emerging or break pathogen there, I used to follow it. I remember thinking very early on that this was probably another influenza strain.

Continue reading...

Delta variant doubles risk of hospitalisation, new study finds

Posted on by

Outbreak of Delta Covid cases likely to put strain on health services in areas with low vaccination rates, experts say

The Delta variant doubles the risk of Covid hospitalisation compared with the previously dominant Alpha variant, a new study focused largely on unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people has found.

The analysis – based on data collected in England – suggests that outbreaks of the Delta variant are likely to put an additional strain on health services, particularly in places with low rates of vaccination.

Continue reading...

Australia to open Covid vaccinations to 12- to 15-year-olds from 13 September

Posted on by

Expert advice released ahead of national cabinet meeting which discussed what freedoms Australians will enjoy once 70% of adults are vaccinated

Greg Hunt has promised that all children aged 12 to 15 will be able to be vaccinated by the end of 2021, after technical advice confirmed they are eligible for Pfizer.

But the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has warned that, given supply constraints, Pfizer doses should be prioritised for young adults. And the government should also consider offering older Australians choice of vaccine before vaccinating teenagers.

Continue reading...