LONDON, Dec 9, 2020 (AFP) – Britain on Tuesday became the first Western
country to start mass coronavirus vaccinations, as Joe Biden pledged his
administration would inoculate 100 million people in the United States over
the first 100 days of his presidency.
Kicking off Britain’s “V-Day,” Margaret Keenan said she felt “privileged”
to be given the injection, the first of millions expected to be administered
in the hard-hit country over the coming months.
The Pfizer-BioNTech jab is one of several vaccines bringing hope for an
end to the pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people worldwide
and ravaged economies.
Frontrunners Pfizer-BioNTech and US biotech firm Moderna have reported
efficacy of 95 percent and 94 percent respectively and have given data to
regulators.
But Oxford University and AstraZeneca became the first Covid-19 vaccine
makers to publish final-stage clinical trial data in a scientific journal.
The study, published in the Lancet medical journal, confirmed that their
vaccine works in an average of 70 percent of cases.
But the focus remained on the launch of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
The second jab in Britain went to a man named William Shakespeare.
The over-80s, care home workers, and at-risk health and social care staff
will be at the front of the line for vaccination.
Almost 40 percent of the new cases detected over the last seven days
worldwide have been in Europe, the region topping 20 million cases on
Tuesday. But the rate of infection appears to be stabilizing.
Russia, one of Europe’s hardest-hit countries in terms of cases, on
Saturday began vaccinating high-risk workers with its own jab, Sputnik V, and
Beijing has also begun an emergency inoculation campaign with a medicine made
in China.
The United States is expected to grant emergency authorization for the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine later this week, announcing on Tuesday that no
concerns had been found in trial data. Despite the vaccination news, virus
restrictions continue to be reimposed — roughly 30 million people in the US
state of California are now under stay-at-home orders.
And the World Health Organization has warned that successful vaccines on
their own will not immediately end the crisis.
– ‘No specific safety concerns’ –
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order “to ensure that
American citizens have first priority to receive American vaccines.”
But he faces questions over whether the White House missed an opportunity
to shore up sufficient doses in the months ahead.
President-elect Biden warned, meanwhile, that coronavirus vaccination
efforts in the United States will “slow and stall” if Congress does not
urgently come up with funding.
He stressed it was imperative for lawmakers to “finish the bipartisan work
underway now or millions of Americans may wait months longer to get the
vaccine.”
Biden also pledged that his administration would carry out at least 100
million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office, a more conservative
estimate than that offered by Trump officials.
America’s floundering efforts to quell the pandemic have been widely
criticized — the nation is the world’s worst-hit, with 15,151,472 cases and
286,117 deaths.
California ordered most offices to close and banned gatherings among
different households. Bars and services such as hair salons were shut, and
restaurants were allowed to serve takeaway only. Non-essential travel was
also temporarily restricted statewide as California experienced record new
Covid-19 cases.
“The overwhelming majority of Californians are now in this new stay-at-
home order protocol,” said Governor Gavin Newsom, who earlier warned that the
state hospital system risked being “overwhelmed.”
The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said data from trials of
Pfizer-BioNTech drug revealed “no specific safety concerns.”
The data “suggest a favourable safety profile, with no specific safety
concerns identified” that would preclude issuing an authorization for
emergency use, it said.
The FDA is also expected to green light the Moderna vaccine.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Pfizer and BioNTech will
deliver their first doses to his nation within weeks.
In India, two pharmaceutical firms — including Serum Institute, the
world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer — on Monday sought fast-track approval
for coronavirus shots.
India is the world’s second-worst hit nation, with more than 140,000
recorded deaths.
And in Brazil’s densely populated Sao Paulo state — Latin America’s
coronavirus epicenter — authorities will launch a campaign from January
providing the Chinese-developed vaccine CoronaVac to healthcare workers,
older people and vulnerable groups first.
– Restrictions remain –
Even as hopes rise for vaccines and a resulting economic recovery,
governments are being forced to tighten restrictions to contain surges in
infections.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged regions with high infection rates to
tighten curbs, while Denmark said it will close middle and high schools,
bars, cafes and restaurants in half of the country.
But Austrians got a boost when the government lifted its measures earlier
this week.
Israel announced a nationwide night-time curfew from December 9 following
a steep increase in cases. And Hong Kong announced a ban on evening
restaurant dining and the closure of fitness centers to contain a new virus
cases.