The highly-contagious Delta variant is causing a surge in new COVID-19 cases even in countries with high vaccination rates – and experts warn that immunisation campaigns are in a race against time to contain it.Globally, the pandemic is still slowing down, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting the lowest number of new cases worldwide since February and decreasing deaths attributed to the coronavirus.But concerns are growing about the variant, prompting new restrictions in countri

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday it had uncovered problems at a Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine production site which Moscow insisted had been resolved.WHO approval has been sought for the Sputnik V jab created by Russia's Gamaleya research institute, which is already being used in 40 countries.The United Nations (UN) health agency inspected four Sputnik V manufacturing sites.On Wednesday, it released a summary report of its preliminary findings, detailing six issues found d

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to send people to prison for refusing to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the government placed the country’s border controls on “heightened alert” over new cases of the Delta variant.“You can choose: you get the vaccine or I will send you to jail,” Duterte said in Tagalog during a pre-recorded address on Monday night.

India is preparing to use a local version of the Novavax vaccine, which will be produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII).The vaccine was more than 90 percent effective in a late-stage United States (US)-based clinical trial, according to the company.The government has also ordered 300 million doses of another vaccine from Indian firm Biological E.India has so far given more than 260 million doses of three approved vaccines – Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V.With the total case tally of

As ambitious declarations go – even for Boris Johnson – it was a big one. At the weekend, the United Kingdom (UK) prime minister said he would urge the G7 leaders to vaccinate the world against COVID by the end of 2022. But is this feasible? That rather depends on your definition. No country will vaccinate every adult. Vaccinating enough to achieve herd immunity, which could be 60 percent or 70 percent, is the real aim.

As more developed countries begin to feel as though they have made it to the other side of the COVID-19 crisis, two striking realities are coming into view. First, one can clearly see just how vulnerable many developing countries still are to rapidly escalating outbreaks of the type we are witnessing in India. The results of failing to distribute the most effective vaccines equitably and strategically are being laid bare.

The United States (US) will donate 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer nations, the White House said Thursday, to "supercharge" the pandemic fight as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Europeans not to drop their guard because vaccination levels there remain too low to stop another wave of infections.Both moves signalled that while pockets of the rich world have scored successes against the virus, gains are fragile and billions of mostly poor people remain unprotect

China has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine for those as young as three, the drugmaker confirmed Tuesday, making it the first country to offer jabs to young children.Since the coronavirus first emerged in central China, Beijing has mostly managed to bring the country's outbreak under control, and has administered over 777 million vaccine doses after a sluggish start.A spokesperson for Sinovac said that its vaccine had been approved for use on children."In recent days,

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday called for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to give COVAX first refusal on new doses, or commit half of their volumes to the global jab equity scheme.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said manufacturers should turn their attention to the COVAX facility, which has struggled to get donation-funded doses to poorer countries.Tedros voiced his frustration that several poor countries have been unable to immunise their health workers, the eld

The COVAX vaccine programme secured another US$2.4 billion from donors on Wednesday, but underlined it was still struggling to get enough doses to help poorer countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic.The scheme is trying to get enough vaccines for 30 percent of the population in 92 of the poorest participating territories – 20 percent in India – with donors covering the cost.But despite raising more than the US$2 billion it was looking for; the programme's leaders said the major challenge w