On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorisations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines.
It, however, approved a second dose of the updated COVID-19 booster for older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
Those who are 65 and older can get a second dose of the updated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech booster at least four months following their initial bivalent dose, the FDA said in a statement.
According to the agency, most immunocompromised people can get an additional updated booster dose at least two months after their last dose.
It said most unvaccinated individuals might receive a single dose of a bivalent vaccine rather than multiple doses of the original monovalent mRNA vaccines.
According to the FDA, the monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorised for use in the U.S.
NBA star, Kyrie Irving has disclosed he turned down a multiyear deal worth “$100-and-something-million” with the Brooklyn Nets because he did not want to take the coronavirus vaccine.
The Brooklyn Nets star disclosed this during Monday’s media day. Last season, the veteran point guard could not play in the Nets’ home games until March because of New York’s ban on unvaccinated people in indoor venues.
His availability for away games was also dependent on different states’ vaccine requirements.
The seven-time All-Star says his decision not to get vaccinated cost him a four-year contract extension.
“I gave up four years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision,” Irving said.
Irving, 30, went on to say that he believed the team was giving an ‘ultimatum’ by refusing to agree to a long-term extension unless he got the COVID-19 vaccine.
“(Get this) contract, get vaccinated or be unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you’re going to be in this league, whether you’re going to be on this team. So I had to deal with that real-life circumstance of losing my job for this decision.”
“I didn’t appreciate how me being unvaccinated came to be a stigma within my career that I don’t want to play, or that I’m willing to give up everything to be a voice for the voiceless.”
General manager Sean Marks slammed the suggestion that he was given an ultimatum. ‘There’s no ultimatum being given here,’ Marks said.
‘Again, it goes back to you want people who are reliable, people who are here, and accountable. All of us: staff, players, coaches, you name it. It’s not giving somebody an ultimatum to get a vaccine.
That’s a completely personal choice. I stand by Kyrie. I think if he wants, he’s made that choice. That’s his prerogative completely.’
The 30-year-old Irving will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and is making $36 million in the last year of his current deal.
Chinese drug regulators have approved the world’s first inhalable Covid-19 vaccine, made by Tianjin-based manufacturer, CanSino Biologics, boosting the company’s share price by seven percent on Monday.
The National Medical Products Administration gave the go-ahead for the vaccine for emergency use as a booster, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sunday.
Following the announcement, company shares surged 14 per cent on Monday morning before closing 7.1 per cent higher than their opening value.The needle-free vaccine – which can be stored and administered more easily than intramuscular jabs – will be given through a nebuliser, the company said.
“The approval will have a positive impact on the company’s performance if the vaccine is subsequently purchased and used by relevant government agencies,” the statement added.
The company did not offer details on when the adenovirus-vectored vaccine will be made available for public use.There is no publicly available verified or peer-reviewed data on the efficacy of the new vaccine.
Scientists in several countries including Cuba, Canada and the United States are also trialling inhalable Covid-19 vaccines.
China has so far approved eight other locally manufactured injectable vaccines since 2020.
But the country’s drug administrator is yet to greenlight any foreign vaccines, including mRNA shots produced by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna that have better efficacy rates compared to other types of vaccines.
China is the only major economy sticking to a zero-Covid policy, disrupting travel and businesses.Officials across the country are now under pressure to curb local virus flare-ups ahead of a key political meeting next month.
The southern tech hub of Shenzhen, with more than 18 million residents, imposed a weekend lockdown in most parts of the city on Saturday, while more than 21 million people in the southwestern metropolis of Chengdu are undergoing mass testing from Monday through Wednesday.
China has administered over 3.4 billion Covid shots, the National Health Commission said Monday without offering details on the percentage of the population vaccinated.
Every eligible care home resident in England has been offered covid19 vaccine, the NHS has announced. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described it as a “crucial milestone”. The UK target is to vaccinate all care home residents and carers, people over 70, and frontline care workers, by 15 February. On Saturday a record 598,389 first jabs were given across the UK. It means nearly nine million people have received the first dose, with about 490,000 having both.
Prime Minister,Boris Johnson
The EU says AstraZeneca will supply nine million more Covid vaccine doses by March, amid criticism of Europe’s slow vaccination rollout. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a “step forward”…but the 40m doses now expected are still only around half of what had been hoped for.
He said Kogi would not respond to the second wave of the virus with “mass hysteria”.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has discouraged the use of COVID-19 vaccine, claiming that the jabs are meant to kill people.
The Nigerian government had said it was expecting at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved COVID-19 vaccines to come in by the end of January 2021.
According to Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), provisions have been made for President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to receive the vaccine on live television.
Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, while addressing journalists in Abuja after meeting with President Buhari last week, said he and his colleagues would also take the vaccine on live television.
Yahaya Bello
He said, “We too will like to demonstrate to our citizens that we believe that the vaccines would work.
“Don’t forget, we have a lot of experience on this. The Governors Forum managed the polio vaccines administration in the country and we have garnered a lot of experience.”
But in a viral video, Bello condemned the use of the vaccine, saying it was produced to kill people.
Speaking to a crowd of people, the Kogi governor doubted the authenticity of the vaccine, saying there is no cure for HIV and many other diseases troubling mankind.
He however did not provide any evidence to support his claims that the vaccine could be dangerous to the health.
Bello said, “Vaccines are being produced in less than one year of COVID-19. There is no vaccine yet for HIV, malaria, cancer, headache and for several other diseases that are killing us. They want to use the (COVID-19) vaccines to introduce the disease that will kill you and us. God forbid.
“We should draw our minds back to what happened in Kano during (sic) the Pfizer polio vaccines that crippled and killed our children. We have learned our lessons.
“If they say they are taking the vaccines in public, allow them to take their vaccines. Don’t say I said you should not take it but if you want to take it, open your eyes before you take the vaccines.”
This is not the first time the governor would be making controversial assertions about the virus or the potency of the vaccine.
In a Channel’s TV programme last December, Bello also questioned the need for Nigeria to procure COVID-19 vaccine.
“What is applicable over there may not work in Nigeria. We don’t need to participate in this marketing of COVID-19 vaccine. We should channel the money we want to use to buy the vaccines to other things. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) should give the right advice to the president,” he said.
Also, in his New Year broadcast, Bello said it would be irresponsible of his government to see COVID-19 as a definer of 2020.
He said Kogi would not respond to the second wave of the virus with “mass hysteria”.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 1,449 people have died of COVID-19 complications across the country.
While the country has recorded 112,004 cases of the disease, 89,939 people have recovered from it.
Kogi is one of the states where COVID-19 figures are believed to be highly questionable as the governor has insisted that there is no coronavirus in the state.
Chinese regulators have approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, officials announced Thursday.
Sinopharm said yesterday its coronavirus vaccine is 79.34% effective, citing interim analysis of Phase 3 clinical trials.
Though few details were provided, the company said the vaccine met the standards of the World Health Organization and China’s own regulator, the National Medical Products Administration.
The Kaduna State Government has warned that it will have no option than to shut down public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship if the current rate of Covid-19 infection persists.
There has been a steady raise in the rate of infection with 117 positive cases recorded on Friday.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni, said: “If the rate of spread retains or exceeds the current pace, then we will have no option than to recommend the temporary closure of public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship.”
Giving an update on the rising cases of the infection in the state, the commissioner appealed for urgent action by residents to help stop the spread of the disease and save lives.
“In absolute and relative terms, Kaduna State is now recording high infection figures reminiscent of the first wave of Covid-19 spread in April, May and June 2020.
“The lowering of the infection rate following the first wave encouraged the government to approve the recommendation of the state Covid-19 Taskforce for a significant reopening of the state.
However, we are saddened to report that the conditions that compelled the 75-day lockdown of the state are now being replicated,” the commissioner said.
According to her, “On 26th November, 2020, the state recorded 74 positive results from 531 samples.
“The quantum of infections since then suggest both high infection rates and the reality that a new wave of infections is spreading across the state.
“As at yesterday, 11th December, the state recorded 117 positive cases from 518 samples. This translates to almost one in four samples testing positive.”
She said the Ministry of Health expected some increase in infections after the reopening of schools, markets, places of worship and recreational centres, noting however, that the figures easily outstripped the estimated projection.
“While infections cut across age groups, this new wave especially affects those aged between 10 and 35.
“There is now a veritable danger to lives and livelihoods with the renewed Covid-19 infections.
“If the spread continues at the current rate, it may challenge and overwhelm the health system despite our efforts to improve the resilience of that sector.
“We cannot allow this to happen. Kaduna State contained the first wave because, among other measures, most citizens observed and practised the Covid-19 prevention protocols,” Baloni said.
She appealed to residents to recommit themselves to behaviours that protect them and their families from the infection by voluntarily complying with the Covid-19 protocols to avoid the worst case scenarios and limit the spread of the disease.
“We had previously observed the wholesale abandonment of any compliance with protective measures.
We cautioned against this and reminded citizens that the relaxation of lockdown measures did not mean that Covid-19 had been defeated or disappeared.
“The rising infection is a reminder that Covid-19 remains a potent danger to lives and livelihoods. Anyone who remembers the pains and sacrifices of the lockdown period will not want that to be repeated,” she stated.
The commissioner said that as the lead agency for implementing Covid-19 containment, the Ministry of Health will be availing the state Covid-19 Taskforce of all the relevant data to monitor and access the rate of voluntary compliance.
If the rate of spread retains or exceeds the current pace, then we will have no option than to recommend the temporary closure of public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship. But there is a less costly way out. And that involves citizens living their lives and conducting themselves in ways that do not spread the disease. That way, lives and livelihoods are protected, while public health officers try to contain and manage the disease without causing painful disruptions.
“I urge all citizens, businesses and organisations to appreciate the danger that we face and let us all work together to avoid emergency conditions. We have done it before. Let us do it again,” she said.
Some COVID-19 isolation centres located inside Karu and Asokoro general hospitals had earlier been closed following reduction in the number of patients.
Ahead of a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerian government has ordered the reopening of all isolation and treatment centres in the country.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this known at a Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19briefing on Thursday.
He said the move was to prepare the country for a possible second wave of the pandemic which some European countries are already battling with.
He said everyone had a role to play in the effort to prevent explosive spread of the infection in the country.
“We are seeing the increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last few days, which we have frequently alluded to in recent times. This rightly suggests that we may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic.
To prepare ourselves, I have directed that all Isolation and Treatment Centres, which were hiterto closed due to reduced patient load, to be prepared for reopening and the staff complement put on alert,” he said.
Countries across Europe are seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after successfully slowing outbreaks early in the year, declaring more cases each day now than they were during the first wave earlier in the pandemic.
England, Portugal and Hungary are among nations in a second lockdown as the new wave of infections sweeps through, shattering efforts and responses to keep the contagion at bay.
Cases in the U.S. are also smashing new records with over 15 million infections thus far.
Mr Ehanire urged the public to continue to adhere to all non-pharmaceutical measures to limit the spread of the virus.
“Until vaccines are available, our best bet is still the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing, hand sanitizers and observance of respiratory hygiene, for prevention and control,” he said.
He advised strongly against throwing caution to the wind during the upcoming Yuletide
“We must not forget that Covid will not take a holiday. Please endeavour to protect yourselves and others and still obey the measures at Christmas,” he said.
In his remarks, the chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha, said the team was fully aware of the global race and discussions around the vaccine.
He said technical machinery had been set up to ascertain the most effective, safe and prudent vaccine for Nigerians.
“One assurance we wish to give is that any vaccine that will be approved for Nigeria will be endorsed by the WHO and must be certified safe for Nigerians to use by our research and scientific bodies,” he said.
The vaccine, according to the firms, has a 90-per-cent success rate having been tested on 43,500 people in six countries with no safety concerns.
In a statement on Monday, Biden described the announcement as excellent news and congratulated the manufacturers for giving the world “cause for hope”.
However, Biden warned against complacency, noting that the end of the battle against the pandemic was still months away.
He said even if a vaccine was approved by the end of November as forecasted by industry players, widespread vaccination would take many more months.
The president-elect emphasised the need for people to remain precautious, especially with the use of masks, which he said remained a “more potent weapon against the virus than the vaccine”.
“Today’s news does not change this urgent reality.Americans will have to rely on masking, distancing, contact tracing, hand washing and other measures to keep themselves well safe into New Year,” he said.
Earlier, Biden and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, named their transition COVID-19 advisory board as promised by the president -elect in his victory speech on Saturday.
The 12-member board of leading scientists and experts is charged with producing a policy from the duo’s corona virus plan. Dealing with the corona virus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts.
“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations,” Biden said.
UK plan to be first to run human challenge Covid trials
The UK is pushing ahead to be the first nation to carry out “human challenge” studies where up to 90 healthy people will be deliberately exposed to Covid.
The trials, which could begin in January, aim to speed up the race to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
The government is putting £33.6m towards the groundbreaking work. Safety will be a number one priority, experts insist. The plans will need ethical approval and sign-off from regulators before they can go ahead.
Human challenge studies provide a faster way to test vaccines because you don’t have to wait for people to be exposed to an illness naturally.
Researchers would first use controlled doses of the pandemic virus to discover what is the smallest amount that can cause Covid infection in volunteers aged 18 to 30.
These human guinea pigs, who will be infected with the virus through the nose and monitored around the clock, have the lowest risk of harm due to their young age and good health.
Next, scientists could test if a Covid vaccine prevents infection.
Could human challenge trials speed up the development of a coronavirus vaccine?
Lead researcher for the project Dr Chris Chiu, from Imperial College London, said: “My team has been safely running human challenge studies with other respiratory viruses for over 10 years. No study is completely risk free, but the Human Challenge Programme partners will be working hard to ensure we make the risks as low as we possibly can.”
Prof Peter Openshaw, co-investigator on the study and director of the Human Challenge Consortium, said deliberately infecting volunteers with a known human pathogen was “never undertaken lightly”.
“However, such studies are enormously informative.
“It is really vital that we move as fast as possible towards getting effective vaccines and other treatments for Covid-19.”
There are hundreds of Covid vaccines being developed around the world and several front-runners already in the final stages of testing, including one from Oxford University.
While some of these could get results and start to be used before the new trial has chance to begin, researchers say the work will still be useful, particularly for head-to-head studies to compare which vaccines work best.
Experts say we will probably need a few different vaccines, as well as effective treatments, to defeat Covid. They will also need to be tested in those at highest risk from Covid – the elderly and vulnerable.
The first stage of the human challenge project will be delivered by a partnership between Imperial College London, the Royal Free Hospital’s specialist and secure research unit in London and a company called hVIVO.
After exposure to Covid, the young volunteers will need to stay in a biosecure facility until they are no longer infectious.
They will be financially reimbursed for their time, and monitored for up to a year after taking part in the study to check for any side-effects.
Purposely infecting someone with Covid does pose an ethical dilemma, especially since there is no treatment to cure patients, although there are ones that might make it less deadly.
Prof Julian Savulescu, an expert in ethics at Oxford University, said the trials were justified: “In a pandemic, time is lives. So far, over a million people have died.
“There is a moral imperative to develop to a safe and effective vaccine – and to do so as quickly as possible.
“Given the stakes, it is unethical not to do challenge studies.”
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “We are doing everything we can to fight coronavirus, including backing our best and brightest scientists and researchers in their hunt for a safe and effective vaccine.”
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