Page 91 - Heca News Today

Ireland, one of the world's most vaccinated nations, will make COVID-19 booster shots available to all adults in a sharp ramping up of plans to provide additional protection, the health minister said on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19, saying they should take a "risk-based and scientific approach".

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa recommended on Friday that travel be restricted from some African countries due to the detection of a new COVID-19 variant, but President Jair Bolsonaro appeared to dismiss such measures.

Belgium has detected the first case of the new coronavirus variant which was first found in South Africa, a virologist said on Friday.

U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday as markets reopened after Thanksgiving, European shares were poised for their worst sell-off in a year and oil prices hit two-month lows as fears of a possibly vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant sent investors scurrying to safe-haven assets.

Chinese mRNA vaccine developer Suzhou Abogen Biosciences is in talks with Japan's SoftBank and other investors to raise $300 million-$400 million, people familiar with the matter said.

The Dutch government on Friday was set to tighten COVID-19 measures, including early closure of bars, restaurants and most stores to stem a record-breaking wave of infections that is threatening to overwhelm the healthcare system.

Finland's Nordea bank has suspended two senior analysts from publishing research, the bank said on Friday, and is investigating how a research note equating lockdowns with prison "or worse" made its way onto Nordea's website.

Merck & Co said on Friday updated data from its study on its experimental COVID-19 pill showed the drug was significantly less effective in cutting hospitalizations and deaths than previously reported.

Novavax Inc said on Friday it had started working on a version of its COVID-19 vaccine to target the variant detected in South Africa and would have the shot ready for testing and manufacturing in the next few weeks.