CEO Albert Bourla also said annual vaccinations against the coronavirus may well be required.“We need to see what would be the sequence, and for how often we need to do that, that remains to be seen,” Bourla told CNBC in an interview recorded on April 1.“A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed,” he said, adding that variants will play a “key role.” “It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” he said.Researchers currently don’t know how long vaccines provide protection against the coronavirus.Pfizer published a study earlier this month that said its jab is more than 91 per cent effective at protecting against the coronavirus, and more than 95 per cent effective against severe cases of COVID-19 up to six months after the second dose.But researchers say more data is needed to determine whether protection lasts after six months.David Kessler, the head of US President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 response team, warned a congressional committee on Thursday that Americans should expect to receive booster shots to defend against coronavirus variants.“We don’t know everything at this moment,” he told the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee. “We are studying the durability of the antibody response.“It seems strong but there is some waning of that and no doubt the variants challenge,” he said.“I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost.” The Pfizer vaccine, developed in partnership with German firm BioNTech, currently plays a leading role in American and European vaccination campaigns.The pharmaceutical giant announced in February that it was testing a third dose of its vaccine to better combat the emerging variants.BRAZIL’S COVID ‘CATASTROPHE’, ELDERLY DEATHS DOWN IN EUROPEBrazil’s “failed” response to COVID-19 has driven the country to a “humanitarian catastrophe,” Doctors Without Borders says, accusing President Jair Bolsonaro’s government of worsening the health crisis.“Last week, Brazilians accounted for 11 per cent of the world’s COVID-19 infections and 26.2 per cent of global COVID-19 deaths. On 8 April, 4,249 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in a single 24-hour period, alongside 86,652 new COVID-19 infections,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement on Thursday (local time). “These staggering figures are clear evidence of the authorities’ failure to manage the health and humanitarian crises in the country and protect Brazilians, especially the most vulnerable, from the virus.”It comes as the share of COVID-19 related deaths in Europe among those over the age of 80 has reached the lowest level since the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organisation said Thursday.The trend could possibly be attributed to the rollout of vaccines among high-risk groups, according to Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe.“Over the past two months the trend among people more than 80 years of age has diverged from the trend seen in every other age group,” Kluge told a news conference in Athens.Kluge noted that the group now accounted for close to 30 per cent of COVID-19 related deaths.In mid-January, the figure hit a peak of 62 per cent, WHO Europe said. The WHO’s European chapter, which recently described the situation as “more worrying than we have seen in several months”, also said they now saw “early signs that transmission may be slowing across several countries.” But Mr Kluge still urged caution, noting that on average 160 new cases were reported every minute.“Signs of decline are not equal to low rates of transmission,” Mr Kluge emphasised, and stressed the importance of the rollout of the vaccine.FRANCE PASSES 100K DEATHSIt comes as the number of people killed by the coronavirus in France climbed past 100,000 on Thursday (local time), with the virus claiming a further 300 lives in the past 24 hours, the country’s health authority said.France is the third country in Europe to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, after the United Kingdom and Italy.“We will not forget a single face, a single name,” President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, sending his condolences to the victim’s families and friends.Worldwide, the US has the highest death toll, with over half a million, followed by Brazil.Nearly 30,000 people were killed in France in the first wave of the pandemic between mid-March and mid-May last year but the bulk of the deaths have been recorded since October, when the country was hit by a second surge in infections that remained stuck at a high level through the end of 2020.With over 5,900 patients currently in intensive care, the highest level since spring 2020, the country is currently in the throes of a severe third wave.NED-3345-International-Vaccine-RolloutMERKEL TO GET ASTRAZENECA JABIt comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel will be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab tomorrow, German media outlets reported.The news that one of the world’s leading politicians has confidence in the jab comes as a boost for the vaccine after a rollercoaster few weeks. German authorities are currently only allowing people aged over 60 to receive the vaccine, while reports of rare blood clotting in younger people are investigated.German media outlets reported Mrs Merkel, who is 66, would receive the vaccine Friday (local time). A spokesperson for Mrs Merkel declined to confirm the reports, according to German media, but noted that the government had said Monday that the chancellor would be vaccinated soon.Another leading German politician was vaccinated on Thursday (local time) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has come under fire over the EU’s vaccination rollout.The Commission president, 62, tweeted out a photo of her getting the jab and another afterwards (complete with EU flag plaster), saying: “After we passed 100 million vaccinations in the EU, I’m very glad I got my first shot of #COVID19 vaccine today. Vaccinations will further gather pace, as deliveries are accelerating in the EU.”A Commission official said Ms von der Leyen had received the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine and was at pains to stress she had not received any special treatment.The official said the Commission’s medical service gives “the vaccine that most Europeans receive and that has been allocated to it by the Belgian government: BioNTech/Pfizer,” adding: “Before the president, about 2.6 million people in Belgium have been vaccinated.”COVAX WANTS DONATIONS TO COVER COVID VACCINESMeanwhile, the COVAX scheme launched a push for an extra US$2 billion (A$2.5 billion) in donations on Thursday (local time), saying it needed the money in advance to reserve COVID-19 vaccine doses.The COVAX facility ensures the 92 poorest participating economies can access coronavirus jabs, with the cost covered by donors.The United States co-hosted Thursday’s donor event at which the first US$400 million (A$520 million) was raised.Sweden led the way, putting in US$258 million (A$335 million), with the Netherlands donating US$47 million (A$61 million).“People everywhere should have access to rigorously tested, safe, and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.“As long as COVID is spreading and replicating anywhere, it poses a threat to people everywhere.” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will host a COVAX funding summit focused on the 92 countries in June, it was announced.“The supply of vaccines and funding are still insufficient, and there is an urgent need to further strengthen the COVAX facility to ensure equitable access to safe, effective, and quality-assured vaccines to people in developing countries,” said Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.AstraZeneca vaccineNearly 840 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in at least 205 territories around the world, according to an official count.COVAX has delivered more than 38 million doses so far to 113 participating territories.The first shipment landed in Ghana on February 24, with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo publicly taking the first shot.Covax is co-led by the WHO, the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.The scheme is aiming to distribute enough doses to vaccinate up to 27 per cent of the population in the 92 poorest participating economies by the end of the year.“We have now secured up to 2.5 billion doses … and sight on another billion doses,” said Gavi chief Seth Berkley.“You can put advance purchase agreements in place but to do those you have financing available.“That’s why the upfront money is critical.” Sweden’s donation made it the largest contributor relative to population. “This is an investment not only in global solidarity, but also in our common objective of putting an end to the pandemic,” said International Development Minister Per Olsson Fridh.“Minimising the risk of dangerous virus variants, enabling a quicker economic recovery and minimising the already devastating impact of COVID-19 is in everyone’s best interest,” he said.COVID-19 World Numbers
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