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EU ‘ready to discuss’ Covid vaccine patent waiver as drugmakers push back
The WHO said in April that of 700 million vaccines administered globally, only 0.2% had been in low-income countries
Reuters
May 06, 2021
A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 30, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
The European Union is willing to discuss a proposal to waive intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, as drugmakers fought their ground as their share prices tumbled.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday voiced support for a waiver in a sharp reversal of the US. position, and his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, swiftly backed negotiations at the World Trade Organization.
Covid-19: Germany aims to offer jabs to teens above 12 by August
AFP/Berlin Filed on May 6, 2021
A man sits in his car as he is vaccinated with AstraZeneca in a tent on the parking lot of a supermarket in Germany. AP
The European Medicines Agency said this week it had begun evaluating the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid vaccine for 12-15-year-olds
Germany will aim to offer Covid-19 vaccines to all children aged 12 and over by the end of August once a jab is approved for younger people by the European regulator, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday.
COVID: Israelis enjoy their newfound freedom
Oceania
A
Fijian hospital has gone under lockdown by the military and police after a patient died of COVID. The patient was just the third to die from the illness in the country.
Health authorities said that they were quarantining 400 patients, doctors, nurses and staff within the building until they can determine who was in close contact with the deceased patient. The nation s leaders are concerned that the latest outbreak is spreading across the country, with 28 ongoing cases of community transmission.
Africa
Kenya, a few days after it was detected in neighboring
Uganda. This variant has been picked (up) in Kenya and because of global connectivity, it is just a question of time. You cannot be able to put barriers…to prevent a virus from accessing your territory, said the ministry s director general, Dr. Patrick Amoth. Kenya and Uganda have both suspended all flights to India.
UPDATE 1-Germany to allow AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for all adults Reuters 2 days ago
(Adds detail)
BERLIN, May 6 (Reuters) - Germany will allow AstraZeneca s COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to adults of all ages and aims to offer 12-18 year olds a vaccine by the end of August as it seeks to speed up its rollout, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday.
The country s 16 regional health ministers have agreed with Spahn to reverse a previous decision to restrict the AstraZeneca shot to people over 60 years old. He also said that the current 12-week gap between first and second doses of AstraZeneca vaccinations could be shortened.