Fauci Says Virus Origin Obscure; China’s Opening: Virus Update
Bloomberg 1 hr ago Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was possible the world would never find out the precise origin of the coronavirus pandemic, after President Joe Biden last month ordered a new 90-day review from the intelligence community about the possible origins of the virus.
Popular Searches
The European Union will encourage World Trade Organization members to phase out export restrictions for vaccines, but will stop short of supporting an American-backed proposal to suspend intellectual property rights meant to boost the supply of Covid shots.
Private vaccine procurement efforts unlikely to succeed: Health minister
06/03/2021 10:29 PM
CNA file photo showing a woman receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Taipei, June 3 (CNA) Private efforts to procure COVID-19 vaccines for Taiwan, such as the one led by Buddhist group Fo Guang Shan, are well-intentioned, but unlikely to succeed, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said on Thursday.
Chen, who also heads Taiwan s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), was responding to efforts by the Kaohsiung-based group to purchase 500,000 one-shot COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson.
The plans, however, hit a significant snag on Wednesday, when the company said in a statement to the media that it would only sell vaccines to governments and selected international organizations.
Taiwan COVID vaccine maker says it had wanted to do stage 3 trials
06/03/2021 11:13 PM
CNA file photo
Taipei, June 3 (CNA) United Biomedical, a Taiwan biopharmaceutical firm developing COVID-19 vaccines, on Thursday said it had initially planned on following international norm and entering phase 3 clinical trials before seeking government approval for its COVID-19 vaccine.
In response to public concerns that United Biomedical s vaccines could be launched without going through phase-three clinical trials, the company s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Peng Wen-jiun (彭文君) said at a forum that the company had initially planned on following through the international norm, but Taiwan s Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggested that the company increase the number of participants to a larger-than-normal scale in the second phase of clinical trials instead.
Germany's top diplomat in Taipei said his government has been helping in talks between Taiwan and drugmaker BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) to supply COVID-19 vaccines, after Taiwan said a deal fell apart earlier this year due to Chinese "intervention".
The CECC announced on Wednesday 372 new local infections, 177 more local cases resulting from reporting backlog and 12 new deaths, bringing the tally of total confirmed cases to 9,389.