Pandemic Latest News

COVID-19

Smallpox vaccine used to combat monkeypox; The latest health stories from around the world

When monkeypox suddenly started spreading globally in May, the world was fortunate in one respect: A vaccine was available. MVA, originally developed by Bavarian Nordic as a smallpox vaccine, was already licensed for monkeypox in Canada and the United States (US). European Union (EU) regulators have since followed suit. Vaccine supplies are limited, and no …

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US declares monkeypox a public health emergency; The latest health stories from around the world

The Biden administration in the United States (US) has declared monkeypox a public health emergency.  There have been more than 7,000 cases detected in the US, but that is likely an undercount. The majority of cases are concentrated in the gay and queer community, primarily among men who have sex with men. But the Centers …

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President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19 a second time; The latest health stories from around the world

United States (US) President Joe Biden tested positive for the coronavirus again on Saturday morning, becoming the latest example of a rebound case after taking the Paxlovid treatment that has otherwise been credited with broadly impressive results in fighting the virus and suppressing its worst effects. “The President has experienced no re-emergence of symptoms, and …

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Omicron sub-variant now sweeping India; The latest health stories from around the world

An Omicron sub-variant that is spreading rapidly in India and has been detected in several European countries may be more effective than other coronavirus strains at overcoming immunity provided by prior infection and vaccines. BA.2.75, which has been nicknamed Centaurus, appeared to have mutated in a way that could indicate “major immune escape”, said the …

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New COVID-19 strain poses serious reinfection risk; The latest health stories from around the world

Health experts across the globe are signalling alarm as they begin reporting that Omicron BA.5, the coronavirus strain that is currently outpacing other variants in infection and has become the dominant strain in the United States (US) and abroad, has the ability to reinfect people within weeks of contracting the virus. Andrew Robertson, the chief …

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WTO waters down IP restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines; The latest health stories from around the world

The World Trade Organization (WTO) approved a politically important deal Friday to water down intellectual property restrictions for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines after an almost two-year effort involving scores of high-level meetings and much political arm twisting. During the early morning hours in Geneva, WTO ministers approved a package of agreements that included the …

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China reiterates commitment to “zero-COVID”; The latest health stories from around the world

Xi Jinping reiterated China’s commitment to zero-COVID, declaring “persistence is victory”, as Shanghai and Beijing were hit with new lockdowns, shutdowns, and mass testing drives just a week after the cities celebrated the easing of restrictions. (www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/10/xi-jinping-says-persistence-is-victory-as-covid-restrictions-return-to-shanghai-and-beijing) In response to China’s worst outbreak of the pandemic, Shanghai spent months under an arduous and strict citywide …

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An astonishing decline in child immunisation numbers in Africa amid the rage of COVID-19, yet another victim of the pandemic

UNICEF reports that a staggering 23 million children worldwide missed out on essential vaccines through routine immunisation services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the Day of the African Child, 16th April 2022, we take an in-depth look into how African children were affected by this plight, as seen through the eyes of local communities.

All nations must benefit from monkeypox research urge scientists; The latest health stories from around the world

As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labour as well. More than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported by at least 30 countries outside of Africa, …

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