Unvaccinated should reflect on their duty to society, Merkel says

Latest News World/World News: People who are still not vaccinated as the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic takes hold in Germany must understand they have a duty to the rest of society to protect others, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wears her protective mask after a news conference following a meeting with the leaders of the country's 16 federal states to discuss COVID-19 measurements in Berlin, Germany, June 10, 2021. Michael Kappeler/Pool via REUTERS

Merkel, speaking at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at an Asia-Pacific business summit, said it was the task of politicians to make the case for serious interventions by being honest with the public.

Coronavirus case numbers have surged across Europe in recent weeks, with experts worrying that health systems risk once again being overwhelmed, in part because unvaccinated people are still spreading the disease to the older and more vulnerable.

"We have to make it clear that I have the right to get vaccinated, and that is a great fortune, a huge achievement of science and technology," Merkel said over a video link. "But I also have a certain obligation to contribute to protecting society."

While many of the unvaccinated are in age groups that are statistically likely to experience less severe cases of COVID-19, they can pass the virus to older people with weaker immune systems, who can then end up in intensive care even with a vaccination.

Merkel, who was being interviewed by Microsoft president Brad Smith, added that the challenges of the pandemic and of climate change were similar, since they were both exponential processes whose severity was hard to recognise at the start of a growth curve. 

"When you see the start of an exponential increase you have to act immediately, and an understanding of what exponential means isn't widespread in our societies," Merkel said.

"That's also why we have been so unconcerned about climate change - that also has exponential growth and we have to act at a time when it is not at all visible how the numbers will grow."

News Source: Reuters

Also Read| Russia and NATO weigh in as crisis mounts on Belarus-Poland border

UK registers nearly 55,000 COVID-19 positive cases in past 24 hours

World News / Covid-19: The United Kingdom registered 54,990 COVID-19 cases within the past 24 hours, a drop from 57,725 the day before, according to government figures.

Image Source: Google

This takes the total number of registered cases in the country to 2,654,779.

At the same time, an additional 454 fatalities, up from 445 on Saturday, put the overall death toll at 75,024.

Also Read| SII’s Covishield approved by India: Efficacy, cost and all about AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine

UK's health authorities do not keep a tally of recoveries, which leaves the number of active cases in the country unknown.

The UK may have been the origin of a new strain of the coronavirus which is believed to be 70 percent more infectious than its predecessor and may be driving the new wave of transmissions.

Also Read| Masked Santa lifts spirits for Romanian COVID-19 patients

Much of the UK is under the strictest level of lockdown with the holiday season effectively cancelled this year. 

News Source: ANI

Masked Santa lifts spirits for Romanian COVID-19 patients

 World News/ Covid-19 : Romanian nurse Ionut Ivan has spent the last nine months caring for so many coronavirus patients he has lost count.

But that has not dimmed his enthusiasm for bringing some festive cheer, dressing up as Santa Claus and distributing fruit and sweets to the almost 100 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalised at the Marius Nasta institute in Bucharest.

Also Read| India may approve AstraZeneca vaccine by next week

His protective suit is red and a fake white beard made of wadding is taped to the edges of his mask and gown. He wears a Santa cap held in place by his face shield.

“Ho ho ho, Santa has come bearing gifts, though in this place I wish you health,” he tells Gheorghe Iulian Butca, a 63-year-old patient in the intensive care unit above the machine noise. “It’s good to see you.”

Also Read| Alarm over new Covid-19 variant puts London in lockdown again

The European Union state has reported 604,251 coronavirus cases since February and 14,766 deaths and the pandemic has brought Romania’s underdeveloped healthcare system into focus.

“We are at maximum capacity,” the institute’s manager Beatrice Mahler said. “We exceed the allotted number of COVID-19 beds daily, a situation we have been facing for more than a month.”

Mahler said Santa Claus visits the hospital’s children wing every year, but that in 2020 he expanded to adults because “he needs to offer a spark of hope and joy to COVID-19 patients”.

Also Read| COVID-19 Vaccine Can Turn People Into "Crocodiles", Says Brazilian President Bolsonaro

Brindusa Gheorghiu, a 45-year-old veterinarian in intensive care for almost a week, said her Christmas wish was to get better and return to her husband and child. But for now she was making do with the good cheer of nurse Ivan.

“We are fighting to live and we are feeling better with him here,” she said.

News and Image Source: Reuters

India may approve AstraZeneca vaccine by next week

Image Source: Google

Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker/India News:  India is probably going to approve Oxford/AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use by next week after its local manufacturer submitted additional data sought by authorities, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Also Read| European neighbours shut doors to Britain amid rapid spread of new coronavirus strain

This could be the first country to give the regulatory green light for British drugmaker’s vaccine because the British medicine regulator continues to look at data from the trials.

India, the world’s biggest vaccine-making country, wants to start out inoculating its citizens next month and is additionally considering emergency use authorisation applications for vaccines made by Pfizer Inc and native company Bharat Biotech.

Also Read| Alarm over new Covid-19 variant puts London in lockdown again

Getting vaccines to the world’s second-most populous country with one among the very best infection rates also will be an enormous step within the battle against the pandemic.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford shot is taken into account vital for lower-income countries and people in hot climates because it's cheaper, easier to move and may be stored for long periods at normal fridge temperatures.

India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) first reviewed the three applications on Dec. 9 here and sought more information from all the businesses , including from Serum Institute of India (SII), which is making the AstraZeneca shots.

Also Read| COVID-19 Vaccine Can Turn People Into "Crocodiles", Says Brazilian President Bolsonaro

SII, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, has now provided all the info , the 2 sources said. The authorities were still expecting more details from Pfizer, a government health adviser told here a news briefing on Tuesday, while one among the sources said additional information was expected from Bharat Biotech.

Both sources said Indian health officials were in direct contact with their British counterparts over the AstraZeneca shot which there have been “strong indications” an approval would come by next week.

Also Read|London move to heights alert for new variant of Coronavirus found in UK  

The expected approval comes after data from AstraZeneca’s late-stage trials within the UK and Brazil released earlier this month showed the vaccine had efficacy of 62% for trial participants given two full doses, but 90% for a smaller sub-group given a half, then a full dose.

The Indian regulator is merely considering the 2 full-dose regimen of the shot despite it showing a lower success rate, the sources said.

“Serum is ready,” said one of the sources. “Initially, we may get around 50 million to 60 million doses.”

The sources declined to be named as deliberations were ongoing and therefore the timeline could change.

CDSCO chief V.G. Somani didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Bharat Biotech and Pfizer declined to comment, while SII didn't immediately answer an email seeking comment.

India has not yet signed a vaccine supply affect any company, but SII has already stockpiled quite 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot and plans to form a complete of 400 million doses by July.

European neighbours shut doors to Britain amid rapid spread of new coronavirus strain

 World News/ Covid-19 : Britain’s European neighbours began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar there.

Image Source: Google

France said it would bar all people coming from the United Kingdom for 48 hours from Sunday night, including freight carriers, whether by road, air, sea or rail.

Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ordered a suspension of flights from Britain, while Ireland said it would impose restrictions on flights and ferries from its neighbour.

Belgium said it would close its borders to flights and trains - including the popular Eurostar service - coming from the United Kingdom.

Also Read| Alarm over new Covid-19 variant puts London in lockdown again

“The COVID variant recently discovered in London is worrying and will need to be investigated by our scientists,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

“In the meantime we choose the path of maximum prudence.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that the new strain had led to spiralling infection numbers. His government tightened its COVID-19 restrictions for London and nearby areas, and also reversed plans to ease restrictions over the Christmas period.

The travel curbs also compound problems for the United Kingdom as it finally exits the European Union on Dec. 31 after a transition period this year. London and Brussels have so far failed to reach a post-Brext trade deal, raising the prospect of chaos in goods traffic.

Also Read|COVID-19 Vaccine Can Turn People Into "Crocodiles", Says Brazilian President Bolsonaro

The German government said all flights from the United Kingdom would be suspended from midnight.

“It (the virus mutation) has not yet been identified in Germany,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD. “But of course we take the reports from Britain very seriously.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the ban on incoming travel from Britain covers Eurostar services via the Channel Tunnel and will take effect for at least 24 hours from midnight on Sunday, broadcaster VRT said.

The Italian order blocked any flights departing from Britain and prohibited anyone who had transited through it in the last 14 days from entering Italy.

The Netherlands banned flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom from Sunday and the restrictions will remain in place until Jan. 1, the Dutch government said.

Austria is also planning to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said, citing the health ministry. Sweden said it was preparing a decision to ban entry from the United Kingdom.

Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic also announced plans to bar flights from the United Kingdom.

Also Read|London move to heights alert for new variant of Coronavirus found in UK

LAST TICKETS

At London’s St. Pancras International station, the terminal for Eurostar, thousands of travellers tried to secure places on trains.

“We got the last two tickets for today,” said a Frenchman named Leny. “We each respectively had tickets for Monday and Tuesday. But given the situation and what is happening we didn’t want to take any risk. And we were the last to be able to do so.”

The new variant in Britain has added a twist to a battle against the virus that many countries in Europe are waging.

The number of coronavirus cases in Britain surged by 35,928 on Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic, and it recorded 326 deaths, taking the official toll to more than 67,000.

In addition to the measures announced for England, the United Kingdom’s other nations, who control their own anti-coronavirus policies, tightened restrictions. Scotland has imposed a ban on travel to the rest of the United Kingdom.

News Source: Reuters

Alarm over new Covid-19 variant puts London in lockdown again

 UK PM Boris Johnson announced the creation of a new tier – Tier 4 – within the Covid-19 alert system, under which towns and areas in England are placed. London has been within the top Tier 3 with the toughest restrictions, but has gone further within the lockdown-like Tier 4

Image Source: Google

World News/ Covid-19: Rapid transmission of a newly-discovered variant of Covid-19 in London and nearby areas prompted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday to place the capital under similar restrictions that were imposed under the national lockdown in November, while relaxations allowed for Christmas are cancelled.

The new variant, he said, was no less lethal than the original version and there's no evidence that a vaccine is a smaller amount effective against it; but he added that there's much that's not known about it.

Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccine Can Turn People Into "Crocodiles", Says Brazilian President Bolsonaro

The World Health Organization has been informed of the development.

Johnson announced the creation of a replacement tier – Tier 4 – within the Covid-19 alert system, under which towns and areas in England are placed. London has been within the top Tier 3 with the toughest restrictions, but has gone further within the lockdown-like Tier 4.

The curbs become from Sunday morning until December 30.

Johnson said during a televised briefing from Downing Street, “There is still much we don’t know. While we are fairly certain the variant is transmitted more quickly, there is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness. Equally there's no evidence to suggest the vaccine are going to be any less effective against the new variant.

Also Read|London move to heights alert for new variant of Coronavirus found in UK

“Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding of the variant. So we are learning more about this variant as we go. But we know enough already to be sure that we must act now.

“First, we will introduce new restrictions in the most affected areas – specifically those parts of London, the South East and the East of England which are currently in tier 3. These areas will enter a new tier 4, which will be broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November.”

Life under Tier 4 in London and southeast England from Sunday morning are going to be almost like the lockdown, which incorporates people staying at home, unless moving out for exemptions allowed; non-retail shops, gyms and leisure facilities to close; work from home; people must not travel out of Tier 4 areas.

Also Read| British Grandma Is 1st In World To Get Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine Outside Trial

Health secretary announced the discovery of the variant in parliament on Monday, while Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, gave more details of the variant identified by Public Health England’s genomic surveillance. consistent with Whitty, this is often a “critical and dangerous moment”.

Whitty added, “As a result of the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary modelling data and rapidly rising incidence rates within the southeast, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now considers that the new strain can spread more quickly.

“We have alerted the WHO and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding. there is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is underway to confirm this.”

Johnson said Christmas this year “will be very different”, adding that people altogether tiers shouldn't travel, which can affect visit meet families over the festive period.

The curbs come days after he had announced relaxations for Christmas, which are now scrapped.

“As prime minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country. Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that i must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned,” Johnson said.

America Will start Vaccination of Pfizer Vaccine From Monday: Official

 General Gus Perna told reporters the first doses are going to be shipped Sunday which starting Monday morning, "We are operationally 100% confident that we will get the vaccines to the American people."

Image Source: Google

World News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: Americans will start receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the official in charge of the distribution operation said Saturday.

ALSO READ| Uk Watchdog issued allergy warning for Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine

General Gus Perna told reporters the first doses are going to be shipped Sunday which starting Monday morning, "We are operationally 100% confident that we will get the vaccines to the American people."

"Expect 145 sites across all the states to receive vaccine on Monday, another 425 sites on Tuesday. and the final 66 sites on Wednesday, which will complete the initial delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," he said.

Also Read| British Grandma Is 1st In World To Get Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine Outside Trial

The first push will vaccinate about three million people.

Federal health authorities have recommended that health care workers and nursing home residents be at the front of the road , but the decisions are going to be left to states.

Also Read| Pfizer wants approval for emergency use in India after UK

The US became the sixth country to green light the Pfizer vaccine on Friday night.

It has been shown to be 95 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infection compared to a placebo.

But the FDA has advised people that have severe allergies to ingredients within the drug to avoid getting immunized for the time being.

British Grandma Is 1st In World To Get Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine Outside Trial

 An early riser, Keenan received the jab at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday morning at 0631 GMT, a week before she turns 91.

Image Source: Google

World News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother from Northern Ireland , became the first person within the world on Tuesday to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial as Britain began vaccinating its population.

An early riser, Keenan received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday morning at 0631 GMT, a week before she turns 91.

Also Read| Pfizer wants approval for emergency use in India after UK

A video showed Keenan being pushed in a wheelchair out of the ward while nursing staff clad in protective gear lined the corridor to applaud and cheer, in an echo of moving video clips released through the year when COVID-19 survivors finally left hospital.

Britain is the first Western country to start out immunising its general population in what has been hailed as a decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus.

Also Read|UK approved Pfizer-BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine, Vaccination starting from next week

"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against COVID-19," said Keenan, as she received the shot from a nurse originally from the Philippines in front of a photographer and television crew.

"It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year."

Keenan, referred to as Maggie to her friends, is a former jewellery shop assistant who only retired four years ago. She has a daughter, a son and 4 grandchildren.

Video footage showed her wearing a light blue mask, a gray cardigan along with a blue t-shirt with a penguin in snow and therefore the message "Merry Christmas" as she received the shot in her left arm from nurse May Parsons.

Also Read|Covid-19 Vaccine: Serum Institute will apply for emergency authorisation in next 2 weeks

"We Will Beat This Together"

Parsons, one among many thousands of individuals from round the world employed in Britain's National Health Service (NHS), where she has worked for twenty-four years, said the last few months had been tough, but there was now light at the end of the tunnel.

Britain is the worst-hit European country from COVID-19, with over 61,000 deaths. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to show the tide against the disease by rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before the united states or European Union .

The mass inoculation will fuel hope the world may be turning a corner in the fight against an epidemic that has crushed economies and killed over 1.5 million, although ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will limit its use for now.

"Thank you to our NHS, to all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine, to all the volunteers - and to everyone who has been following the rules to protect others," Johnson said on Twitter.

Also Read|Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

"We will beat this together."

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England, said they both found it very emotional watching the vaccine programme rollout.

The BBC said the second patient to receive the jab in Britain was a person named william shakespeare from Warwickshire.

Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot. As everyone requires two doses, that's enough to vaccinate 20 million people within the country of 67 million.

About 800,000 doses are expected to be available within the first week, with care home residents and carers, the over-80s and some health service workers the highest priority to get them.

Pfizer wants approval for emergency use in India after UK

 Pfizer Inc submitted application to DCGI seeking emergency use authorisation on Dec 4; also seeks permission to import vaccine for sale and distribution in India.

Image Source: Google

World News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: Pfizer has become the primary company to seek emergency use approval of its vaccine candidate in India after getting clearance within the UK and Bahrain. Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has shown 95 per cent efficacy against coronavirus during a preliminary clinical trial data analysis. It's sought approval from the Drugs Controller General of India for emergency use authorisation. the development is significant since Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an all-party meet on Friday, cited experts to mention that India could have the first coronavirus vaccine in weeks and that eight vaccines are going to be manufactured in India.

Also Read| UK approved Pfizer-BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine, Vaccination starting from next week

Pfizer, in its application submitted on December 4, has sought permission to import the vaccine for sale and distribution in India. It also sought the waiver of clinical trials on Indian population as per the special provisions under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, to urge instant approval for emergency use, a PTI report said.

Also Read| Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

"Pfizer India has submitted an application on December 4 to the DCGI seeking emergency use authorisation (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine in India," an official source told the press agency .

AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria had earlier said that India was in talks with Pfizer-BioNTech regarding its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. He said no such communication had been initiated with Moderna for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

Also Read| US Plans to Starts Covid vaccinations by 11 December: Official

The UK became the first country within the world to approve Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus candidate on December 2 after the Medicines and Healthcare Products regulatory agency (MHRA) found the jab safe. The country has already ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to vaccinate its 20 million population. After the united kingdom , Bahrain has also approved the vaccine for 'emergency use'. Bahrain's drug regulatory body said the approval was granted after a radical analysis and review of all available data.

The approval for Pfizer's vaccine candidate came in just 10 months since it started developing it, which is that the fastest within the history of vaccines. Other countries just like the US and the European Union also are vetting the Pfizer and BioNTech candidate and the one developed by Moderna Inc. 

Notably, Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and Russia's Sputnik V are the sole vaccines that have claimed over 90 per cent efficacy of their respective candidates so far. While Russia had already rolled out Sputnik V for the masses in August, the recently announced data results on the efficacy of Moderna, Pfizer, and BioNTech's vaccines have also raised high hopes. Besides, Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and therefore the University of Oxford's vaccine candidate, being developed along side India's Serum Institute, has also achieved 70 per cent efficacy during the preliminary analysis of its Covid-19 trial participants.

UK approved Pfizer-BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine, Vaccination starting from next week

 A vaccine is seen as the best chance for the planet to get back to some semblance of normality amid a worldwide pandemic which has killed nearly 1.5 million people and upended the worldwide economy.

Image Source: Google

World News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: Britain approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, jumping before the united states and Europe to become the West's first country to formally endorse a jab it said should reach the foremost vulnerable people early next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted the medicine authority's approval as a worldwide win and a ray of hope amid the gloom of the novel coronavirus which has killed nearly 1.5 million people globally, hammered the planet economy and upended normal life.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) granted emergency use approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which they say is 95% effective in preventing illness, in record time - just 23 days since Pfizer published the first data from its final stage clinical trial.

"It's fantastic," Johnson said. "The vaccine will begin to be made available across the uk from next week. it's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again."

The world's big powers are racing for a vaccine for months in an attempt to be first to begin the long road to recovery.

The approval of a vaccine to be used almost exactly a year since the novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, may be a triumph for science, Pfizer boss Albert Bourla and his German biotechnology partner BioNTech.

China has already given emergency approval for 3 experimental vaccines and has inoculated around 1 million people since July. Russia has been vaccinating frontline workers after approving its Sputnik V shot in August before it had completed late-stage testing on safety and efficacy.

But the european Union's drug regulator said on Wednesday that its longer approval process for COVID-19 vaccines was safer, because it was supported more evidence and checks that the procedure chosen by Britain.

British leaders said that, while they would love to get a jab themselves, priority had to be given to those most in need - the elderly, those in care homes and health workers.

'HISTORIC MOMENT'

The U.S. drugmaker said Britain's emergency use authorization marks a historic moment within the fight against COVID-19. Pfizer announced its vaccine breakthrough on Nov. 9 with stage III clinical trial results.

"This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the uk," said CEO Bourla.

"As we anticipate further authorisations and approvals, we are focused on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world."

Britain's medicines regulator approved the vaccine in record time - partly by doing a "rolling" concurrent analysis of knowledge and therefore the manufacturing process while Pfizer raced to conclude trials.

"With 450 people dying of COVID-19 infection every day in the UK, the benefits of rapid vaccine approval outweigh the potential risks," said Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow within the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool.

"However, we need new independent clinical trials to monitor long-term safety and efficacy."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is about to satisfy on Dec. 10 to debate whether to recommend emergency use authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and therefore the European Medicines Agency said it could give emergency approval for the shot by Dec. 29.

"The data submitted to regulatory agencies around the world are the result of a scientifically rigorous and highly ethical research and development programme," said Ugur Sahin, chief executive and co-founder of BioNTech.

U.S. media reported on Tuesday that the White House had summoned FDA head Stephen Hahn to discuss why the U.S. agency hadn't moved faster to authorise Pfizer's vaccine.

FIRST IN LINE?

Britain said it might start vaccinating ordinary people early next week after it gets 800,000 doses from Pfizer's manufacturing centre in Belgium. The speed of the rollout depends on how fast Pfizer can manufacture and deliver the vaccine.

Johnson said last month that Britain had ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine - enough for slightly below a third of the population as two shots of the jab are needed per person to gain immunity.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said hospitals were ready to receive the shots and vaccination centres would be set up across the country but he admitted distribution would be a challenge as long as the vaccine must be shipped and stored at -70C (-94F), the sort of temperature typical of an Antarctic winter.

Pfizer has said the shots can be kept in thermal shipping boxes for up to 30 days, from up to fifteen days previously guided. Afterwards, the vaccine are often kept at fridge temperatures for up to five days.

Other frontrunners in the vaccine race include U.S. biotech firm Moderna, which has said its shot is 94% successful in late-stage clinical trials. Moderna and Pfizer have developed their shots using new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

AstraZeneca said last month its COVID-19 shot, which is based on traditional vaccine technology, was 70% effective in pivotal trials and could be up to 90% effective.

Also Read|

Covid-19 Vaccine: Serum Institute will apply for emergency authorisation in next 2 weeks

Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

 India News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: India may not need to vaccinate all of its 1.3 billion people if it manages to inoculate a critical mass and break the transmission of the coronavirus, senior government officials said on Tuesday.

Image Source: Google

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who toured the facilities of three vaccine makers over the weekend, has emphasized the importance of a vaccine to rein in COVID-19.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

In October, he said that the government was preparing to reach every single citizen as soon as a vaccine was ready.

World Health Organization experts have pointed to a 65%-70% vaccine coverage rate as sufficient to reach population immunity.

“The government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country,” Rajesh Bhushan, the top bureaucrat in India’s federal health ministry, told a news conference on Tuesday without reference to Modi.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

India currently has the world’s second-highest number of coronavirus infections, behind only the United States, with 9.46 million cases and 137,621 deaths.

India recorded 31,118 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily tally since Nov. 17, data from the health ministry showed.

“...If we are able to vaccinate a critical mass of people, and break that virus transmission, then we may not have to vaccinate the entire population,” Balram Bhargava, Director General of the state-run Indian Council Of Medical Research, said at the press briefing.

India’s plan to roll out a COVID-19 shot in the first few months of 2021 wouldn’t be impacted by an alleged adverse reaction during AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial, Bhushan said.

India says may not need to vaccinate entire population to control COVID-19

A 40-year-old Indian man said in a complaint over the weekend that he had suffered serious “neurological and psychological” symptoms after receiving the vaccine in a trial being run by the British drugmaker’s partner, Serum Institute of India.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Also Read|

Covid-19 Vaccine: Serum Institute will apply for emergency authorisation in next 2 weeks

Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

Russia vaccine to be made in India:100 million doses of effective Sputnik V will be made every year, production will start next year

 

Image Source: Google

• India's pharmaceutical company Hetero ties up with Russian Direct Investment Fund

• Sputnik V free in Russia, for other countries its price will be less than 700 rupees

India News/Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and India's pharmaceutical company Hetero have tied up to produce Corona's vaccine Sputnik V. This agreement is to make 100 million doses every year in India. Production will start from next year.

Sputnik V has been created by the Gameleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of Russia. RDIF is overseeing its production and promotion abroad. The clinical trial for the third phase of the vaccine has been approved. These trials are ongoing in many countries including Belarus, UAE, Venezuela. According to IDIF, the second and third phase trials are going on in India.

More than 50 countries have requested to make 120 million doses of this vaccine. The vaccine will be produced in India, China, Brazil, South Korea and other countries for supply in the global market.

'Big step in the fight against Corona'

Murali Krishna Reddy, Director, International Marketing, Hetero Labs Ltd, said Sputnik V is most effective in treating Kovid-19. We are very pleased with this partnership with RDIF to develop the vaccine. This partnership is another step towards fulfilling our commitment and the Make in India campaign in the fight against Corona.

At the same time, RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said that we are happy to announce the agreement with Hetero. This will pave the way for the production of safe and most effective corona vaccine in India. Thank you for partnering with Hetero. This will help us to increase the production capacity and provide a better solution to the people of India in this challenging period of Corona.

Hetero has over 25 years of experience

Hyderabad based company Hetero is India's leading generic pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1993 by Dr. BPS Reddy. It is the world's largest manufacturer of anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV / AIDS. The company has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Hetero's business spans 126 countries.

95% effective Sputnik vaccine

Sputnik has proven to be 95% effective in fighting corona during a trial. The second preliminary analysis of the clinical trial showed that 42 days after the first dose, it showed 95% efficacy. The data was 91.4% 28 days after the dose was given.It will also cost much less than other vaccines. People of Russia will get it for free. For other countries, its price will be less than 700 rupees.

Also Read|

Diego Maradona : A Biography of a Legend

How Britain failed to stop the second wave of Covid-19 : 50,000 Deaths and rising

US Plans to Starts Covid vaccinations by 11 December: Official

Image Source: Google
World News/Covid-19 Vaccine traker: The united states hopes to start a sweeping program of Covid vaccinations in early December, the head of the govt coronavirus vaccine effort said Sunday.

"Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours of approval" by the US Food and Drug Administration, Moncef Slaoui told CNN.

"So I expect maybe on Day Two of the approval, on the 11th or the 12th of December."

FDA vaccine advisors reportedly will meet december 8 to 10 to discuss approving vaccines which Pfizer and Moderna say are a minimum of 95 percent effective.

Two leading vaccine candidates -- one by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech and another by US firm Moderna -- have shown to be 95 percent effective and Pfizer already applied to emergency use approval from US health authorities.

Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc applied to US health regulators on Friday for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine, the first such application during a major step toward providing protection against the new coronavirus.

The application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes just days after Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE reported final trial results that showed the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no major safety concerns.

Pfizer Chief executive officer Albert Bourla confirmed the application had been made in a video posted on the company's website on Friday afternoon.

The FDA said on Friday it might hold a meeting of the advisory committee on December 10 at which members would discuss the vaccine.

Slaoui estimated that 20 million people across the US may be vaccinated in December, with 30 million per month after that.

US drug regulators on Saturday already gave emergency approval to a Covid-19 antibody therapy -- one used by US President Donald Trump -- and G20 nations were pushing for global "equitable" access to vaccines with worries poorer nations will be left behind.

The US, which recorded 177,552 new infections on Saturday, is now averaging almost 110,000 more daily cases than a month ago. Recently, US FDA approved an antibody cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. for coronavirus treatment.

Also Read|

Pfizer wants emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in US

Moderna vaccine 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19: success gives world more hope

Cloth Masks Highly Effective Covid Prevention For Wearer, Others says, US Health Body

 CDC says multi layered cloth masks can block up to 50-70% of aerosols, blocks most large droplets and helps reduce inhalation of those droplets by the wearer.

Image Source: Google

World News/Covid-19 outbreak: A cloth mask protects not just others but also the wearer from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, per the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC).

In a new brief issued Tuesday, the CDC recommended wearing non-valved multi-layer cloth masks to stop transmission of Covid-19. It noted that masks prevent transmission of the virus by pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals and also helps reduce inhalation of those droplets by the wearer.

“The community benefit of masking for SARS-CoV-2 control is due to the combination of these effects; individual prevention benefit increases with increasing numbers of people using masks consistently and correctly,” the CDC said during a statement.

This is a move far from the body’s earlier stand that masks are intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets only from infected wearers who may be asymptomatic.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted predominately by respiratory droplets generated when people cough, sneeze, sing, talk or breathe.

According to the CDC, cloth masks not only effectively block most large droplets, but may also block the exhalation of fine aerosols. Multi-layer cloth masks can block up to 50-70 per cent of aerosols and also limits the forward spread of these that aren't captured.

In its statement, the US health body cited several studies to notice that over 80 per cent of all respiratory droplets were blocked with cloth masks. In some studies, the cloth masks performed on par with surgical masks.

‘Universal masking may avert future lockdowns’

While the effectiveness of various masks has varied widely across studies, multiple layers of cloth with higher thread counts have demonstrated superior performance compared to a single layer of cloth with lower thread counts.

Some materials like polypropylene may enhance filtering effectiveness by generating a sort of static electricity, while silk may help repel moisture droplets — maintaining breathability and comfort, noted the CDC.

The statement also referred to a study of a high-exposure event, where 2 Covid-19 positive hair stylists interacted for an average of 15 minutes with about 139 clients during an eight-day period. However, none of the 67 clients, who subsequently consented to an interview and testing, were infected.

The stylists and clients universally wore masks in the salon as required by local ordinance and company policy at the time.

In another study of 124 households in Beijing with but one case of Covid-19, mask use by the patient and family contacts before the patient developed symptoms reduced secondary transmission within the households by 79 per cent.

“Adopting universal masking policies can help avert future lockdowns, especially if combined with other non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and adequate ventilation,” CDC said in its statement.

ALSO READ|

India’s Serum says produced 40 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine over 90% effective

India’s Serum says produced 40 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

 India’s Serum Institute has said it's made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential Covid-19 vaccine. The ICMR will pursue "early availability" of the shot in India, it added.

Image Source: Google

Latest News/Covid-19 Vaccine/Corona Virus Vaccine Update: Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer, has said it's made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential Covid-19 vaccine, and can soon begin making Novavax's rival shot, as they both seek regulatory approval.

Serum on Thursday said it had enrolled 1,600 participants in India for late-stage trials of AstraZeneca's candidate, and also plans to seek regulatory approval to run late-stage trials for the Novavax vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University , is that the most advanced in human testing in India, Serum said, adding that the company and therefore the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will pursue "early availability" of the shot in India.

Representatives for both Serum and therefore the ICMR declined to comment on whether the 40 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were meant for supply only in India. 

The ICMR, a federal government body, had funded the clinical trial site fees for the AstraZeneca vaccine, Serum said. The company and therefore the ICMR are currently conducting mid-stage clinical trials of the shot at 15 centres across India.

The news came as coronavirus infections in India, the world's second-worst hit country, reached 8.68 million on Thursday and therefore the death toll increased to over 128,000.

India also has at least two home-grown Covid-19 vaccine candidates in development, while local drugmaker Dr Reddy's Labs is carrying out a trial within the country for Russia's vaccine candidate.

Earlier in the week , Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said their vaccine candidate had proven over 90% effective based on initial trial results. Pfizer said it had been committed to advancing its engagement with India's government to supply its potential vaccine within the country.

Also Read|

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine over 90% effective

Russia's Putin says strengthen WHO, proposes conference on coronavirus vaccine

US President Donald Trump and First Lady tested Positive for Covid-19

 The shock development disrupts Donald Trump’s scheduled public appearances within the crucial final weeks of the election campaign.

Image Source:Google

World News: U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Thursday that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19 and are quarantined after a top aide tested positive for coronavirus, in a very shock development that disrupts his scheduled public appearances within the crucial final weeks of the election campaign.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

Trump’s positive test comes just hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks decreased with the virus after traveling with the president several times this week. Trump was last seen by reporters returning to the White House on Thursday evening and looked to be in good health.

Trump is 74 years old, putting him at higher risk of great complications from a virus that has now killed over 200,000 people nationwide. "Tonight, @FLOTUS and i tested positive for COVID-19. we will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. we will get through this TOGETHER!" Trump tweeted.

Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020

Trump announced late Thursday that he and first lady Melania Trump were beginning a “quarantine process” after Hicks decreased with the virus, though it wasn’t clear what that entailed. It can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

The diagnosis marks a significant blow for a president who has been trying desperately to convince the American public that the worst of the pandemic is behind them even as cases continue to rise with less than four months before election day. And it stands because the most serious known public health scare encountered by any sitting American president in recent history.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. most of the people develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, Trump said he was awaiting results of a COVID-19 test. “Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know,” he said, adding that first lady Melania Trump was also awaiting results.

Hicks traveled with the president multiple times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, and on Air Force One to a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

Trump had consistently played down concerns about being personally susceptible to contracting COVID-19, even after White House staff and allies were exposed and sickened. “I felt no vulnerability whatsoever,” he said told reporters back in May.

He has instead encouraged governors to reopen their states and tried to focus the nation’s attention on efforts to revive the economy — not a growing death toll — as he seeks another four-year term.

Some studies suggest COVID-19 patients who are obese could also be at higher risk of being seriously sickened by the virus, although it’s unclear whether that’s because they're more likely to possess other health conditions like heart disease or diabetes. In his 2019 physical, Trump met the technical threshold for obesity.

The news was bound to rattle an already shaken nation still grappling with how to safely reopen while avoiding further spikes. The White House has access to near-unlimited resources, including a constant supply of quick-result tests, and still failed to keep the president safe, raising questions on how the rest of the country are going to be ready to protect its workers, students and the public as businesses and schools reopen.

Trump, the vice president and other senior staff have been tested for COVID-19 daily since two people that work on the White House complex tested positive in early May, prompting the White House to step up precautions. Everyone who comes into contact with the president also receives a quick-result test.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

Yet since the early days of the pandemic, experts have questioned the health and safety protocols at the White House and asked why more wasn’t being done to protect the commander in chief. Trump continued to shake hands with visitors long after public health officials were warning against it and he initially resisted being tested. He has been reluctant to practice his own administration’s social distancing guidelines for fear of looking weak, including refusing under almost all circumstances to wear a mask publicly .

Trump isn't the only major world leader known to have contracted the virus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a week in the hospital, including three nights in intensive care, where he was given oxygen and watched round the clock by medical workers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel self-isolated after a doctor who gave her a vaccination tested positive for the virus, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau worked from home after his wife fell ill.

The White House got its first COVID-19 scare in early March when a minimum of three people that later tested positive came in close proximity to the president at his private Florida club. That included members of the Brazilian president’s delegation, including the Brazilian chargé d’affaires, who sat at Trump’s dining table .

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

In mid-March, as the virus continued to spread across the country, the White House began taking the temperature of everyone entering the White House complex, and in April, it began administering rapid COVID-19 tests to all those in close proximity to the president, with staffers being tested about once a week. The frequent tests gave some staff the false impression the complex was safe from the virus, and few, as a result, followed recommended safety protocols, including wearing masks. but then the bubble broke.

On May 7, the White House announced that a member of the military serving together of the president’s personal valets tested positive for the virus, followed a day later by a positive diagnosis for vice president Mike Pence’s press secretary.

Even then, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. But officials again stepped up safety protocols for the complex, directing everyone entering the West Wing to wear a mask.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

“I think it’s very well contained, actually,” Trump told reporters on May 11. But by June, concerns at the White House had dissipated once again, with few staffers bothering with masks even as more and more people tested positive for the virus, including campaign staffers preparing for a Tulsa rally and United States Secret Service agents.

On July 3rd, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is dating Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., tested positive in South Dakota before an Independence Day fireworks show at mount rushmore. Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality who works for Trump’s campaign, had not flown on Air Force One and had not been in direct contact with the president, though she had had contact with numerous top GOP officials. In July, Trump's national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, tested positive.

While there's currently no evidence that Trump is seriously ill, the positive test also raises questions on what would happen if he were to become incapacitated due to illness. The Constitution’s 25th Amendment spells out the procedures under which a president can declare themselves “unable to discharge the powers and duties” of the presidency. If he were to make that decision , Trump would transmit a written note to the Senate president pro tempore, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Pence would serve as acting president until Trump transmitted “a written declaration to the contrary.”

The vice president and a majority of either the cabinet or another body established by law, can also declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, in which case Pence would “immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President” until Trump could provide a written declaration to the contrary.

Tags: World News,Latest News,Covid-19,

ALSO READ |

Human rights lawyers sue Trump administration over the 'unconstitutional' ICC sanctions

Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills 6 Years Old Boy,Texas On Alert

Covid-19: China gives ‘unproven’ vaccine to thousands of people, makes them sign ‘secrecy’ agreement

Unlock 5.0 : Re-opening guidelines of India out,cinemas to reopen on October 15

October are going to be crucial due to Durga Puja and therefore the first phase of Bihar Assembly Election 2020. The Centre’s focus would be more on reopening adhering to social-distancing norms

Image Source: Google

India News: The ministry of home affairs has announced a detailed guideline for Unlock 5.0, or for reopening to be effective from October 1, shortly. Despite a steep rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country, the home ministry has made it clear that there would be more relaxations and fewer restrictions, though local administrations in some states are heavily counting on voluntary curfew, local lockdowns etc.

Here are the guidelines:

* Cinemas/ theatres/ multiplexes are going to be permitted to open with upto 50% of their seating capacity, for which, SOP are going to be issued by Ministry of information & Broadcasting.

* Business to Business (B2B) Exhibitions are going to be permitted to open, for which, SOP are going to be issued by the Department of Commerce.

* Swimming pools being used for training of sportspersons are going to be permitted to open, for which the standard operating procedure (SOP) are going to be issued by Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYA&S).

* Entertainment parks and similar places are going to be permitted to open, for which the SOP are going to be issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Opening of schools, colleges, education institutions and coaching institutions

* For re-opening of schools and coaching institutions, State/ UT Governments have been given the flexibility to take a decision after October 15, 2020, in a graded manner. the decision shall be taken in consultation with the respective school/ institution management, based on their assessment of the situation, and subject to the subsequent conditions:

* Online/ distance learning shall still be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged.

* Where schools are conducting online classes, and some students prefer to attend online classes instead of physically attend school, they'll be permitted to do so.

* Students may attend schools/ institutions only with the written consent of parents.

* Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent.

* States /UTs will prepare their own SOP regarding health and safety precautions for reopening of schools/ institutions based on the SOP to be issued by Department of school Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India, keeping local requirements in view.

* Schools, which are allowed to open, will need to mandatorily follow the SOP to be issued by Education Departments of States/ UTs.

* Department of higher Education (DHE), Ministry of Education may take a decision on the timing of the opening of Colleges/ higher education Institutions, in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), based on the assessment of the situation. Online/ distance learning shall still be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged.

Unlock 5.0 is probably going to become the most crucial as a number of religious festivals are scheduled in October, including Durga Puja. the first phase of Bihar Assembly Election 2020 is scheduled on October 28. The Centre is probably going to revise its order concerning the maximum number of individuals who can gather at an area .

The phase-wise unlocking began in June with only some essential activities beginning outside the containment zones. Over the last four months, offices, public transport including metro, domestic flights, religious places, restaurants, hotels, gyms, schools and colleges are allowed to resume activities, though the state governments concerned are the ultimate authorities.

Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have extended lockdown till October 31.

ALSO READ |

PM Narendra Modi pledges to use India vaccine-production capacity to help 'all humanity'

How to disinfect N95 masks?Researchers find a new technique! 

PM Narendra Modi pledges to use India vaccine-production capacity to help 'all humanity'

 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged at the United Nations on Saturday that his country’s vaccine production capacity would be made available globally to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

Image Source: Google

“As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, i want to give one more assurance to the global community today,” Modi said during a pre-recorded speech to the U.N. General Assembly. “India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.”

Modi said India was moving ahead with Phase 3 clinical trials - the large-scale trials considered the gold standard for determining safety and efficacy - and would help all countries enhance their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines.

Modi said in August that India was able to mass produce COVID-19 vaccines when scientists gave the go-ahead.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has been pushing for a “people’s vaccine” that's available and affordable everywhere and expressed concern on Tuesday that some countries were “reportedly making side deals exclusively for their own populations.”

“Such ‘vaccinationalism’ is not only unfair, it is self-defeating. None of us is safe until all of us are safe. Everybody knows that,” he told the general Assembly

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the general Assembly on Friday: “Whoever finds the vaccine must share it.”

“Some might see short- term advantage, or even profit,” Morrison said. “But I assure you to anyone who may think along those lines, humanity will have a very long memory and be a very, very severe judge.

“Australia’s pledge is clear: if we find the vaccine we will share it. That’s the pledge we all must make,” Morrison said.

Pope Francis told the United Nations on Friday that the poor and weakest members of society should get preferential treatment when a coronavirus vaccine is ready.

India, the world’s second most populous country after China, has recorded more than 5.8 million cases of COVID-19, second only behind the united states.

Its death toll as of in the week was more than 90,000 and it has consistently reported the highest tally of daily cases anywhere within the world as a dense population and sometimes rudimentary healthcare infrastructure hamper attempts to control the pandemic.

News Source : Reuters

Also Read |

COVID-19 death toll could hit 2 million Globally before vaccine in wide use - WHO

Russia's Putin says strengthen WHO, proposes conference on coronavirus vaccine

Russia's Putin says strengthen WHO, proposes conference on coronavirus vaccine

Russian President Putin told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday the world Health Organization should be strengthened to coordinate the worldwide response to the coronavirus pandemic and proposed a high-level conference on vaccine cooperation.

Image coutesy : Google

“We are proposing to hold an online high-level conference shortly for countries interested in cooperation in the development of anti-coronavirus vaccines,” Putin said.

“We are ready to share experience and continue cooperating with all states and international entities, including in supplying the Russian vaccine which has proved reliable, safe, and effective, to other countries,” he said.

News Source: Reuters

Also Read |

U.S. nears grim milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths

The newly elected Prime Minister of Japan first held talks with the President of the United States