Three Latin American countries launched mass immunization programs on Thursday as fears grew in Europe over a variant coronavirus strain that is believed to be far more contagious than the original version. Frontline medical staffs in Mexico and Chile were among the first to receive their vaccines while Costa Rica began its own immunization program, with President Carlos Alvarado hailing what “may be the beginning of the end of this pandemic.” But global optimism was tempered as China and Brazil joined more than 50 governments restricting flights from Britain or air traffic in both directions, after the highly infectious new coronavirus strain first appeared there. Thousands of trucks remained stranded at a major British port as France sent 10,000 kits to test drivers before allowing them to cross the Channel. Despite the new strain that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said was “up to 70 percent more transmissible” than the original coronavirus, Britain said rail and sea links with France would remain open over Christmas. Mexico televised the start of its mass immunization program after it received its first 3,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Belgium. “It’s the best gift I could receive in 2020,” 59-year-old Mexican nurse Maria Irene Ramirez said as she received the injection at a hospital in the capital. Mexico has registered more than 120,000 Covid-19 deaths — the world’s fourth highest toll after the United States, Brazil and India. In Chile, 46-year-old nursing assistant Zulema Riquelme was the first person shown receiving the jab in the presence of President Sebastian Pinera. “I’m very excited and nervous,” she said, hours after the first 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived by plane. Elizabeth Castillo, a wheelchair-bound, 91-year-old nursing home resident, was the first person in Costa Rica to be vaccinated. “I am very grateful to God, because I have asked so much of him. My life is very important to me, so take advantage of every moment,” she said. Argentina, meanwhile, received the first 300,000 doses of Russia’s controversial Sputnik V vaccine on Thursday on a special flight from Moscow. The country is the first in Latin America to approve the Russian vaccine. Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez has vowed to receive the first Sputnik V shot to prove it is reliable after criticism that it was registered before the start of large-scale clinical trials. – Covid deaths to increase in 2021 – Some of the thousands of lorry drivers stuck near the British port of Dover said they feared there was little chance of making it back into mainland Europe in time for the holidays. “Home for Christmas? Forget it,” said Laurent Beghin, a French trucker who has been stranded in England since Sunday. British Transport Minister Grant Shapps gave some hope in a Twitter post revealing that the rail and sea border with France would “remain open.” Passengers with negative virus tests on Wednesday boarded the first Eurostar trains from London to France since border closures were introduced on Sunday. The new strain of the virus that surfaced in Britain and has been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appeared for the first time in Germany after a woman flew in from London. Although it appears to spread more easily, experts say there is no evidence it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines. But the new variant, which is on average 56 percent more contagious, is likely to boost hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 next year, according to a study by the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. New restrictions came into force on Thursday in Italy, one of the worst-hit countries with more than 70,000 reported coronavirus deaths — half of them in the past three months. Austria allowed its more than 400 ski stations to open on Thursday, just two days before entering a third nationwide lockdown that will force shops and much of the service industry to close until mid-January. Israel said it would announce a third national lockdown from 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Sunday for two weeks. – Vatican mass brought forward – Fears over the new strain and surging coronavirus infections in general across Europe have severely dampened the mood over the holiday season. Russia on Thursday registered a record 29,935 new infections, bringing the country’s caseload to more than 2.96 million — the fourth-highest in the world. It also posted 635 deaths over the last 24 hours, another record, increasing the toll to over 53,000. Germany has been forced to cancel its famous Christmas markets and Pope Francis plans to bring the Vatican’s Christmas midnight mass forward by two hours to meet Italy’s curfew rules. The European Union is preparing to kick off vaccinations across the bloc on Sunday, hoping to turn the corner in the fight against the virus, which has infected more than 78 million people worldwide with more than 1.7 million deaths. French President Emmanuel Macron’s office meanwhile said he was free of Covid-19 symptoms, a week after testing positive. Despite a new cluster of cases, Australia’s biggest city Sydney still plans to celebrate the start of 2021 with its famous Harbour Bridge fireworks — but people are being encouraged to watch it on TV at home. In Bethlehem — which Christians believe is the birthplace of Jesus Christ— Christmas mass will be held without worshippers and broadcast online. Egypt has called off all New Year’s celebrations in order to stem a rise in cases. Source: AFP/BSS AH

Vaccine is not a "silver bullet" that will end the nearly year-long pandemic which have already killed over 1.6 million, said  the World Health Organization (WHO) regional office for the Western Pacific on Thursday and it called for greater vigilance amid the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine. "Whoever you are, wherever you live, as long as the virus is circulating somewhere, we all remain at risk, and we must keep preparing for the worst-case scenario," WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai said in a virtual media briefing, reports Xinhua.   Kasai appealed to the younger and socially active people aged under 40 to "do everything you can to avoid infection for yourself and everybody around you" despite the anxiety and uncertainties brought about by the pandemic. "By following the advice of health authorities you can directly contribute to protecting the lives of people in your community and in doing so to reviving your society's economies in 2021," Kasai said. "I urge you to think about those who may be at high risk of severe COVID. If you catch the virus, you could unknowingly pass it on to your parents or grandparents, your neighbor or friend with an underlying condition," Kasai said. Moreover, he urged the young to "think of health workers who have been working day and night for almost a year. They are exhausted." Kasai also appealed to the governments across the region "to use an additional layer of surveillance that picks up an early sign of infection among those groups that are difficult to catch with the existing system." Kasai said the COVID-19 vaccines "are not a silver bullet that will end the pandemic in the near future." "The development of a safe and effective vaccine is one thing but producing them in adequate quantities and reaching everyone that needs them is another. They will initially only be available in limited quantities and high-risk groups should be prioritized first," he said. "This means that we are tired of this pandemic, we must stick to the actions and behavior which protect not only ourselves but also those around us. Hand washing, mask-wearing, physical distancing and avoiding places that have a high risk of transmission," he added. "For now we must keep making the choices that will reduce transmission of the virus and protect our families and our communities. By doing so we can go into 2021 with hope," Kasai said. Babatunde Olowokure, WHO regional emergency director, echoed Kasai, saying that "COVID-19 vaccine itself is not a silver bullet to end the COVID-19." "There is no room for complacency. So we must continue to remain vigilant, continue to comply with our public health interventions," he said. He further urged governments to "look at strategies" which could help younger population cope with public health interventions and to manage those appropriately. There are now 985,539 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific Region, including 18,641 deaths.  Source: UNB AH

The U.S. added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal Friday, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day. Much-needed doses are set to arrive Monday after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. The move marks the world’s first authorization for Moderna’s shots. The vaccine is very similar to one from Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech that’s now being dispensed to millions of health care workers and nursing home residents as the biggest vaccination drive in U.S. history starts to ramp up. The two work “better than we almost dared to hope,” NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins told The Associated Press. “Science is working here, science has done something amazing.” Early results of large, still unfinished studies show both vaccines appear safe and strongly protective although Moderna’s is easier to handle since it doesn’t need to be stored at ultra-frozen temperatures. A second vaccine represents a ray of hope amid despair as the virus continues to spread unabated even before holiday gatherings that are certain to further fuel the outbreak. The scourge has claimed more than 312,000 U.S. lives and killed 1.7 million people worldwide. New cases in the U.S. are running at over 216,000 per day on average. Deaths per day have hit all-time highs, eclipsing 3,600 on Wednesday. California has emerged as one of the most lethal hot spots, with hospitals running out of intensive care beds and ambulances lining up outside emergency rooms in scenes reminiscent of the calamity around New York City last spring. California on Friday reported over 41,000 new cases and 300 more deaths. When New York’s hospitals were in crisis, health care workers from across the country came to help out. This time, “there’s no cavalry coming” because so many hospitals are swamped, said Dr. Marc Futernick, an emergency room physician in Los Angeles. The nation is scrambling to expand vaccinations as rapidly as Moderna and Pfizer can churn out doses. Moderna’s is for people 18 and older, Pfizer’s starts at age 16. It’s just the beginning of “what we hope will be a big push to get this terrible virus behind us, although it will take many more months to get to all Americans,” Collins said. Moderna expects to have between 100 million and 125 million doses available globally in the first three months of 2021, with 85-100 million of those available in the U.S. Even with additional candidates in the pipeline, there won’t be enough for the general population until spring, and shots will be rationed in the meantime. And while health workers are enthusiastically embracing vaccination, authorities worry the public may need more reassurance to ensure more people get in line when it’s their turn. “Frankly if we don’t succeed in getting 80% or so of Americans immunized against COVID-19 by the middle of this 2021 year, we have the risk that this epidemic could go on and on and on,” Collins said. He is especially concerned that accurate information about the shots’ value reaches communities of color, which have been hard-hit by COVID-19 yet also are wary after years of health care disparities and research abuses. To try to help instill confidence, Vice President Mike Pence received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot on live TV Friday, along with Surgeon General Jerome Adams. FDA’s decision could help pave the way for other countries that are considering the Moderna vaccine, the first-ever regulatory clearance for the small Cambridge, Massachusetts, company. European regulators could authorize its use as soon as Jan. 6. Britain, Canada and a few other countries already have cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, with a European Union decision due Monday. “What we want to always remember is one size does not fit all. We want to have options,” said Dr. Paul Duprex of the University of Pittsburgh. Moderna has about 5.9 million doses ready for shipment set to begin over the weekend, according to Operation Warp Speed, the government’s vaccine development program. Injections of health workers and nursing home residents continue next week, before other essential workers and vulnerable groups are allowed to get in line. Both Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s shots are so-called mRNA vaccines, made with a groundbreaking new technology. They don’t contain any coronavirus – meaning they cannot cause infection. Instead, they use a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognize the spike protein on the surface of the virus, ready to attack if the real thing comes along. Their development less than a year after the coronavirus first emerged set a speed record, but Collins stressed that shouldn’t worry people. The speed was due to billions in company and government investments paired with years of earlier scientific research, not any cut corners. “The rigor of the analysis of these vaccines is unprecedented,” Collins said. “We’re not done with this but hope is on the way, and the hope comes from this scientific brain trust that has pulled out all the stops.” Experts are hoping the two vaccines together will “break the back of the pandemic” when combined with masks and other precautions, said Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan, who chaired an advisory committee that publicly debated the shots’ evidence ahead of FDA’s decisions. The FDA’s main messages: --Both the new Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart. The second dose must be from the same company as the first. --In a study of 30,000 volunteers, the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older. It also strongly protected older adults, who are most vulnerable. --The inoculated can’t throw away their masks as it’s not yet clear either vaccine prevents silent, symptomless virus spread. But there was a hint that Moderna’s shot might provide some protection against asymptomatic infection. --The Moderna study uncovered no major safety problems. Like with the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, expect sore arms, fever, fatigue and muscle aches, which are signs the immune system is revving up. --Both vaccines carry “a remote chance” of causing a severe allergic reaction. Moderna’s study turned up none of these, though a handful were reported in Britain as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations got underway and the FDA is looking into five in the U.S., including a severe reaction in Alaska. The vaccines’ ingredients aren’t identical. Still, after any COVID-19 vaccination, people should stick around for 15 minutes – or 30 minutes if they have a history of severe allergies – so if they do have a reaction, it can be treated immediately. --Both vaccines remain experimental, and the government is closely monitoring safety in case rare problems crop up. --Additional studies are needed to tell if the vaccine should be used by pregnant women and children. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should discuss whether to get the vaccine with their doctor. Source: AP/UNB AH

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday. It said the president took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared.” The brief statement did not say what symptoms Macron experienced. It said he would isolate himself for seven days. “He will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” it added. It was not immediately clear what contact tracing efforts were in progress. Macron attended a European Union summit at the end of last week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He met Wednesday with the prime minister of Portugal. There was no immediate comment from Portuguese officials. Macron on Wednesday also held the government’s weekly Cabinet meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Castex and other ministers. Castex’s office said that the prime minister is also self-isolating for seven days. The French presidency confirmed that Macron’s trip to Lebanon scheduled for next week is being canceled. Macron and other government officials repeatedly say that they are sticking to strict sanitary protocols during the pandemic, including not shaking hands, wearing a mask and keeping distance from other people. Macron is following French health authorities’ recommendations that since September have reduced the self-isolation time from 14 days to seven. Authorities said at the time that this is the period when there is the greatest risk of contagion and that reducing it allows better enforcement of the measure. French health authorities argued this week that the 14-day quarantine was not well-respected by many in the country who considered it too long. Source: UNB AH

An international coalition aiming to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic needs $28 billion, a bargain price for stopping the damage done by a virus that has run rampant for the past year, a senior UN World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday. “This is the best deal in town. No question. This will pay itself off within 36 hours, once we get international travel and trade mobility moving again,” said Dr Bruce Aylward, Senior Advisor to the WHO Director General and lead for the coalition, known as ACT Accelerator, reports UN News. ACT Accelerator, or the “Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator” in full, is the UN-launched group of countries and organisations overseeing the development, production and equitable distribution of affordable COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.  Doses, diagnostics, testing The group has three big targets, Dr Aylward said: two billion doses of vaccines at least by the end of 2021, 500 million new rapid diagnostics for low and middle-income countries, and 250 million therapeutic tests. “The accelerator is all about an integrated end-to-end solution to the pandemic,” Dr Aylward told a regular UN briefing in Geneva. Monday saw a meeting of the ACT Accelerator Facilitation Council, a body tasked with mulling the political and financial difficulties that will need to be overcome, Dr Aylward said. The meeting received welcome news of a $255 million contribution from Canada, but it plans to meet again in early February, to work out how to fill the funding gap. Raising $28 billion was a real challenge in the current fiscal environment, but it made sense to tackle the problem head on, Dr Aylward said. All about the money “Frankly, if we don't do this in a coordinated way, it is going to cost more, be slower and this (pandemic) is just going to drag out longer,” he said. “Right now, financing is what stands between us and getting out of this pandemic as rapidly as possible. It’s as simple as that.” The cost was larger than the total annual amount of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) for health worldwide, which comes to around $26 billion. But it would be a mistake to raid ODA to finance ACT Accelerator, he said, because it would deprive vital funds from other areas, such as malaria, HIV and antenatal care. Countries and donor organisations were completely behind the rationale for ACT Accelerator, he said, and although they would like to see a lower price tag, they recognised that it would cost a sizeable amount to not just develop and produce but also deliver the products needed to defeat the pandemic. 20-hour days  The ACT Accelerator team was working 20-hour days and looking at all possible financing instruments, including special purpose vehicles, concessional loans, the catastrophic bonds, and social bonds. “There's also a very hard look at stimulus financing. G20 countries have put about $12 trillion into their economies, about half of that almost in cash, to try and address the consequences of COVID-19, so part of the argument that we're making as well is we need to find a way to unlock a chunk of the stimulus financing to actually deal with the root cause,” said the top advisor. Because if we can get these vaccines out, if we get these therapeutics out, get the diagnostics out at this kind of scale, we can get the global economy moving again.” Not all about vaccines Dr Aylward sounded a note of warning about the level of attention given to development of vaccines for COVID-19, saying it was absolutely essential to continue to focus on diagnostics and therapeutics as well, since they were the key to saving lives, preventing severe mortality and freeing up intensive care units, as well as ending the extraordinary economic disruption wrought by the pandemic. Access to therapeutics was the area where there was the greatest risk of inequity between rich and poor countries, Dr Aylward said, adding that Canada deserved praise for funding across the whole pipeline and not just concentrating on vaccines. Source: UNB AH