Tue, 21-Oct-2025

US to help set up CDC in Pakistan, donate 61mn Covid vaccines

health dialogue

The first ever US-Pakistan Health Dialogue was held in Washington Both agreed to set up Centre for Disease Control in Pakistan US will provide 61.5 million COVID vaccines, 16 million pediatric vaccines USAID  will provide $20 million funding to support vaccination efforts US will donate four mobile testing labs to National Institute of Health WASHINGTON: … Read more

US approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for youngest children

US

US FDA approves use of Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines in infants and toddlers. Babies and toddlers are the last age group in most countries that has not been immunised. Pfizer aims to submit authorization requests to various regulators around the world.   The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval on Friday for … Read more

US approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for youngest children

US

FDA approves Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for use in youngest children. The CDC must still recommend the vaccines before they are put into use in the United States. Moderna’s decision to go with a higher dose is associated with higher levels of fevers in reaction. The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval … Read more

Indonesia launching nationwide vaccinations for foot and mouth disease

The number of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease has surpassed 151,000. The disease has been discovered in 18 of the country’s 34 provinces. It is highly contagious, causing sores and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals. Indonesia’s agriculture ministry announced on Monday that a statewide livestock vaccination programme will begin … Read more

At a high-level WTO conference on Sunday, India will press for a pro-poor agenda

WTO

India will attend the key 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, which begins on Sunday. It will incorporate the theme of equitability, humanitarianism, and India-first. WTO reforms will test the developed world’s push for favorable outcomes from the crucial meeting. India will attend the key 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade … Read more

Roche develops monkeypox PCR tests

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche announced Wednesday that it had developed PCR tests to detect monkeypox as the virus spreads outside of endemic countries. Roche and its subsidiary TIB Molbiol have developed three test kits for use by researchers in most countries around the world, according to the Basel-based company. The first kit detects viruses … Read more

Amazon employees will no longer have paid covid leaves

amazon

Amazon employees will no longer have paid covid leaves Big online retailer Amazon.com Inc will end its paid leaves for representatives with COVID-19 from May 2, the organization told the U.S. staff with respect to Saturday. The change follows the accessibility of COVID-19 immunizations and reexamined direction from the U.S. Habitats for Disease Control and … Read more

UK drugmaker AstraZeneca profit slumps but sales jump

UK

AstraZeneca’s first-quarter net profit dropped due to restructuring and legal costs associated with its massive takeover of US biotech firm Alexion, but sales rose. In the three months to the end of March, profit after tax fell by 75% to $386 million (366 million euros), compared to the same period the previous year. Sales of … Read more

WHO monitors hepatitis of unknown origin in UK children

WHO

The World Health Organization said Friday it become tracking instances of hepatitis of unknown origin in dozens of children in Britain, a number of whom required a liver transplant Britain first of all mentioned 10 cases of extreme acute hepatitis in Scotland to WHO on April 5, earlier than reporting a complete of seventy four cases throughout … Read more

Malaysia reports 19,105 new COVID-19 infections, 71 more deaths

malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia reported 19,105 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Sunday, bringing the national total to 3,993,124, according to the health ministry. There are 386 new imported cases, with 18,719 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry’s website showed. A further 71 deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 34,400. … Read more

Malaysia reports 22,030 new COVID-19 infections, 92 new deaths

malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia reported 22,030 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Monday, bringing the national total to 3,845,601, according to the health ministry. There are 394 new imported cases, with 21,636 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry’s website showed. A further 92 deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 33,899. … Read more

Australia gains first access to mRNA vaccine production

mrna vaccine

SYDNEY – The University of Queensland (UQ) has entered into a partnership with biotechnology company Moderna, as Aussie researchers delve into the cutting edge of mRNA vaccine research. The new partnership, the first in Australia announced on Thursday, was the result of efforts from UQ scientists Mark Walker and Paul Young, who said the access … Read more

Australia develops technology to preserve vaccines without refrigeration

australia

CANBERRA – Researchers from Australia’s national science agency have developed a technology that could eliminate the need to refrigerate vaccines. In a study published on Tuesday, the team from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) found that encapsulating live virus vaccines in metal organic frameworks (MOFs) protects their integrity for up to 12 … Read more

Vaccines: two centuries of scepticism

vaccines

PARIS: Wariness and outright hostility to vaccines did not start with Covid-19 but date back to the 18th century when the first shots were given. From real fears sparked by side effects to fake studies and conspiracy theories, we take a look at anti-vax sentiment over the ages: 1796: First jab, first fears  Smallpox killed … Read more

Booster vaccines approved for Australian 16-17 year olds amid battle against COVID-19 outbreaks

booster vaccines

CANBERRA – Australia’s medical regulator has approved coronavirus booster vaccines for teenagers aged 16-17 years old. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Friday announced it has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for young people aged 16-17 years old in Australia. It is the first booster shot approved for people aged under 18 in Australia … Read more

UAE delivers 1 mln COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza

covid vaccines

GAZA – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday delivered 1 million Sputnik V vaccine doses to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, an official said. “It is the largest shipment of vaccine doses that are shipped to the Gaza Strip which will help to combat the current wave of COVID-19 that had … Read more

Tanzania receives more donation of COVID-19 vaccines from China

tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM – The government of Tanzania on Wednesday received the second donation batch of 800,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines from China. The donation was handed over to the Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ummy Mwalimu, by the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian, at the Julius Nyerere International … Read more

8th batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Laos

laos covid vaccines

VIENTIANE – The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. Chinese ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong, when handing over the 1.5 million doses of vaccines Tuesday to Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, said the anti-epidemic work in Laos has made positive progress, as the country … Read more

Thailand reports 6,929 new COVID-19 cases, 13 more deaths

thailand

BANGKOK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — Thailand on Monday reported 6,929 new COVID-19 cases and 13 more fatalities, according to the country’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Most of the new infections were detected in regions including the capital Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chon Buri, Phuket and Nonthaburi. The CCSA also reported that all the new … Read more

Nepal braces for 3rd wave of pandemic as COVID-19 cases surge

nepal omicron

KATHMANDU – Kathmandu’s Bir Hospital, the largest in Nepal which was converted into a COVID-19 hospital, has witnessed growing hospitalizations in the past week. Meanwhile, major hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley all face rising hospitalizations along with surging daily infections since the start of the new year. HOSPITALIZATIONS, TESTS GROWING Bir Hospital had 41 COVID-19 … Read more

S.Korea reports 3,097 more COVID-19 cases, 670,483 in total

south Korea

SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — South Korea reported 3,097 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 670,483. The daily caseload was up from 3,007 in the previous day, but it has hovered below 4,000 for the fifth consecutive day amid the tightened … Read more

Saudi Arabia limits Umrah pilgrimage for overseas Muslims

Umrah

CAIRO: Saudi Arabia has limited permits for performing Umrah or lesser pilgrimage for overseas Muslims aged 18 to 50 years, Gulf News reported. Overseas pilgrims are also required to be fully inoculated against the Covid-19 before travelling to the kingdom, with vaccines recognised in Saudi Arabia and to present an officially endorsed vaccination certificate to obtain an … Read more

Putin lashes out at G20 over vaccines

Putin lashes out at G20 over vaccines

ROME: Russia complained Saturday about the lack of international recognition for its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine at a G20 summit, where leaders agreed to step up global inoculation efforts. “Despite the decisions of the G20, not all countries in need can have access to anti-Covid vaccines,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in video message comments … Read more

World leaders to talk climate, economy, vaccines at G20

ROME: Climate change and the relaunch of the global economy will top the G20 agenda as leaders of the world’s most advanced nations meet Saturday, the first in-person gathering since the pandemic. Looming over the two-day talks in Rome is pressure to make headway on tackling global warming, ahead of the key COP26 summit kicking … Read more

Needle-free vaccine patches coming soon, say researchers and makers

Needle free

WASHINGTON: Effective vaccines, without a needle: Since the start of the Covid pandemic, researchers have doubled down on efforts to create patches that deliver life-saving drugs painlessly to the skin, a development that could revolutionize medicine. The technique could help save children’s tears at doctors’ offices, and help people who have a phobia of syringes. … Read more

North Korea: Kim Jong Un imposes ‘his style’ restrictions after shunning vaccines

North Korea's Kim says US is 'root cause' of tensions

Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un ordered officials to wage tight coronavirus restrictions in “our style” after he shunned some foreign Covid-19 vaccines administered via the United Nations-backed immunization program. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday, the supreme leader said officials must “bear in mind that tightening pandemic prevention … Read more

Saudi Arabia all set to receive Umrah pilgrims as per pre-Covid quota

Saudi Hajj Ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah affirmed its readiness to receive as many Umrah pilgrims as per the quota that had been agreed upon with various Islamic countries before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Amr Al-Maddah, Saudi deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, said that all the preparations to receive … Read more

To encourage vaccinations, more US firms turn to incentives

In the wake of full US approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech anti-Covid vaccine this week, more and more American companies are looking at mandatory vaccinations for employees and customers. CVS Health, Chevron, Disney and Goldman Sachs are among the firms who have since told some or all of their workers that inoculations will no longer be … Read more