Vaccine

The rollout of boosters is to be sped up, with over-18s offered a third jab as little as three months after their second dose in an effort to tackle the threat posed by the omicron variant . The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has ruled that booster vaccines should be offered to everyone over the age of 18 . Currently, the top-up jabs are only offered to those over the age of 40, apart from those in priority groups. On Monday, the JCVI announced that everyone over the age of 18 will be offered a booster , meaning an extra 13 million people will be eligible. The interval between second and third doses will be shortened to a minimum of three months. This means that 43 million people - the vast majority of people aged 18 and over - will be eligible for boosters. So far, just 17.5 million people have had them. However, health officials said that people will be prioritised in age order, with invites continuing to be issued by age, as …

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It will take months to develop and ship a new COVID vaccine targeting the Omicron variant, according to Stéphane Bancel, CEO of U.S. vaccine maker Moderna. In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Bancel said that despite this, a higher 100-microgram dose of the company's booster shot could be ready much sooner. "The higher dose could be done right away but it will be months before the Omicron-specific variant is ready to ship in massive quantities," Bancel told CNBC. The World Health Organization has designated it a "variant of concern," with between 26 and 30 mutations on its spike protein that binds to human cells. It released a technical paper on Sunday. Bancel said Moderna believes that the Omicron variant is highly infectious, but it will take at least two weeks to determine how the mutations will impact the efficacy of the current vaccines. He warned that it's "highly possible" that the vaccines might not provide as much protection against Omicron. "Depending on how much …

[Read more...] about Vaccine for Omicron variant could take months, Moderna CEO warns

Gordon Brown warns 100 million vaccines could be wasted Sign up HERE for science breakthroughs in health, business and more that matter SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The former Prime Minister appeared on Sky News this morning amid concerns over a new variant of COVID-19. First discovered in South Africa, the Omicron variant has put scientists around the world on red alert. But Mr Brown is not surprised by the news and has blamed a lack of vaccines in poorer countries for the development of new coronavirus variants. Related articles Russia outsmarted as UK handed way out of Putin's energy crisis Iran “two months” from nuclear bomb as Truss secures ‘historic’ deal He said this morning: "I've been …

[Read more...] about Gordon Brown warns 100m vaccines set to perish in move that ‘will come back to haunt us’

German Health Minister Jens Spahn has said he fears a general vaccine mandate would widen divisions in society and entrench people in their positions. Other politicians have expressed similar views in recent weeks and months. My impression is that people always tend to fall back on the threat of division when they don't want to make unpleasant decisions. Ines Eisele is a DW editor And it's nonsense. A homogeneous society is, and always has been, a theoretical construct. Real society is heterogeneous, and has many fault lines — it is, you could say, divided. As long as no decisions are made — especially not about COVID measures, or mandatory vaccinations — politicians are able to keep all the citizens onside. By putting off the decisions, we're not making any headway at all — and squandering valuable time. Incidentally: If social harmony is what's at stake, there's more to be said in favor of a COVID vaccine mandate than against it. Although not everyone supports mandatory …

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Pfizer has started making a vaccine against the omicron Covid variant , its chief executive confirmed on Monday. Albert Bourla said the first DNA template for the new jab was completed on Friday and predicted it would be ready to roll out by early next year. "Within 95 days, basically we will have a new vaccine," he told the US business news channel CNBC. "Already, we started on Friday. "Friday, we made our first DNA template which is the first part of the manufacturing, of the development process of a new vaccine, and we have made clear that we will be able to have a vaccine in less than 100 days. "In fact, we have already two vaccines built in less than 100 days. We built one for delta that we did not use because the current vaccine is very effective against delta . "We built one for beta, which also we didn't have to use, so we will build one for omicron that will be used only in case we need it if we see that the current one doesn't work." However, Mr …

[Read more...] about Pfizer starts work on omicron vaccine – and it will be ready early next year

A 54-year-old man who recently died of COVID-19 regretted his decision not to get vaccinated because he's vegan and he read the inoculation was tested on animals before being made available to humans. Glynn Steel died of COVID-19 just a week after being placed in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, according to a GoFundMe that was set up for his funeral. His wife, Emma, told The Sun that her husband "begged for the vaccine" before he went on life support, but by then it was too late to inoculate him. "The last thing Glynn said to me was 'I have never felt so ill, I wish that I had the vaccine,'" Emma told The Sun . "It was heart-wrenching." Therapeutics and vaccines are regularly tested on animals before being administered to humans and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said animals play a "key role" in developing successful vaccines in humans. Along with genetically modified mice who could be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and Syrian …

[Read more...] about Vegan who died of COVID “begged for the vaccine” after refusing it due to animal testing

France will begin offering adults a COVID-19 booster dose from Saturday as a fifth wave of the virus ramps up. Health minister Olivier Véran made the announcement as cases, hospitalisations, and deaths rise in France. He said no new lockdowns or curfews were planned. Véran did however introduce an incentive to get a booster shot. Adults will need one by January 15 for their COVID health passes -- which allows access to restaurants, bars and other indoor venues -- to remain valid. Individuals over the age of 65 will have to have the third dose by 15 December, the government had already announced. A negative COVID-19 test will now only be valid for a health pass within 24 hours of it being taken, Véran added. Currently, the negative test could be used as a health pass for 72 hours. From Friday, masks will be mandatory in all indoor settings, even if a health pass is required for an event. Outdoor Christmas markets will also require masks, authorities indicated. …

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German police had to close down an unauthorized event billing itself as a vaccination center on Saturday after a doctor began administering COVID-19 vaccine shots he had invented himself, German media reported. The jab, which was developed without any official recognition, was being administered as a vaccination drive at Lübeck airport in the north of Germany. Police said that some 50 individuals appeared to have received the mystery shot, while over 200 more people were in line when the authorities showed up. They seized the liquids, syringes and lists recording who had already been vaccinated that day, as well as the personal data of those present. Watch video 01:20 Germany: How can the unvaccinated be convinced? Unsupported vaccine claims Winfried Stöcker, a doctor and entrepreneur , came to fame in Germany in March after being interviewed by the magazine Der Spiegel about his homemade vaccine. Stöcker is also the owner of Lübeck …

[Read more...] about Germany: Dozens take illegal mystery COVID vaccine before police shut it down

With an expanded definition to reflect the times, “vaccine” has been declared as the 2021 word of the year by Merriam-Webster . Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, Peter Sokolowski, called the word “an omnipresent truth” and said it “was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” ahead of Monday’s (29 November) announcement. Speaking to the Associated Press , he continued: “It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is this remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed. But there's also the debates regarding policy, politics and political affiliation. “It's one word that carries these two huge stories.” The selection follows “vax” being chosen as the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary’s publishers. Recommended What is Plan B for tackling Covid in the UK this winter? Bring back mandatory masks to defend against a winter Covid outbreak Holidaymakers may need …

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Canada’s health regulator approved Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot on Friday. Health Canada authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11. And as in the U.S., the doses will be just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization has suggested that the country's provinces, which administer health care in the country, offer the two doses at least eight weeks apart. In the U.S. 5- to 11-year-olds receive two low doses, three weeks apart, the same schedule as everyone else in the U.S. Canada had problems getting vaccines into the country early this year and delayed a second dose for adults until more supply came in, but Canadian officials say delaying a second dose provides better protection. “A longer interval between doses leads to stronger immunity,” said Howard Njoo, the deputy public health officer of Canada. Recommended Dinner on the patio? First, hold the stench Canada finds 4th …

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