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Coronavirus Vaccine .. Updates & Discussion

Who confirmed that the vaccine will be available for all early 2021.
 
Putin right now, after Russia approves first vaccine for Covid!

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Shifa-Pharmed vaccine on live Iranian TV

Note that this type of vaccine does NOT need a complicated cold-chain solution and can retain efficacy in normal commercial refrigerators.





Interesting (unconfirmed) report: Several EU companies and a South African company have expressed their readiness to volunteer in Iran's vaccine Trials if Iran agrees to sell the vaccine in advance. I'll keep an eye on this and will update with more info.


In less that 18 hours, nearly 10/000 Iranians have signed up for volunteer vaccine injection during the first phase of the trials. 17000 people have called the dedicated company line.
 
Five million doses of China's Sinovac Biotech vaccine arrive in Brazil
Turkey to Start Using China's Covid-19 Vaccine After Tests Showed it was 91% Effective
A staff member checking vaccines during a media tour of a new factory built to produce a Covid-19 vaccine at Sinovac, one of 11 Chinese companies approved to carry out clinical trials of potential coronavirus vaccines, in Beijing. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP)

Turkey will initially receive three million doses of Sinovac and have the option for 50 million more as it begins inoculations next month, starting with healthcare workers and the most vulnerable.
  • AFP
  • LAST UPDATED:DECEMBER 25, 2020, 07:13 IST
Turkey will receive its first shipment of China's Sinovac coronavirus vaccine within days as preliminary domestic tests showed it was 91% effective, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.

Ankara in the next few days will also sign a deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for 4.5 million doses, with the option to buy 30 million more from the US pharmaceutical giant and its German partner, Koca said

Turkey will initially receive three million doses of Sinovac and have the option for 50 million more as it begins inoculations next month, starting with healthcare workers and the most vulnerable.

Koca said the first shipments of the Chinese vaccine will be sent to Turkey on Sunday.

The preliminary tests on 7,371 volunteers in Turkey showed that the Chinese vaccine was 91.25 per cent effective, although phase three tests were still not complete.

Turkey "will be able to vaccinate 1.5 million or even two million people per day," Koca said, adding that the "first stage" of vaccinations would cover nine million people.

The nation of 83 million has officially recorded 19,115 Covid-19 deaths and 2.2 million virus infections.
 
Great news: First Iranian participant has got vaccinated


Truly a historic moment for Iran and the Iranian nation. We're back. We will not rest anymore. Our country will regain it's deserved status in the world. Congratulations to everyone


First participant - daughter of the company owner- was successfully injected with the vaccine



View attachment 701057


Second participant received his vaccine.


He's a General Physician and an executive in EIKO (Shifa-Pharmed father Institution) "I'm very proud, Iran has a long history of vaccine production and we're very confident about this vaccine's lack of serious side-effects" "inshallah our people will go back to normal life, soon"


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CanSino vaccine approved in Mexico, found to cause no serious side effects for elderly
By Global TimesPublished: Feb 10, 2021 07:14 PM

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CanSino Bio Photo:VCG

Chinese vaccine producer CanSino's recombinant COVID-19 vaccine Convidecia received emergency use approval in Mexico on Wednesday, the company announced. The vaccine will be given to adults over the age of 18 in the country.

CanSino signed a pre-purchase framework agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Health in October, 2020 to supply 35 million doses of the vaccine, according to a notice CanSino sent to the Global Times on Wednesday. As planned, the vaccine will be provided to the country from the end of 2020 to 2021.

The vaccine is effective with a single dose and can bring dual protection - humoral and cellular immunity - at the same time,
according to the company. It is so far the only COVID-19 vaccine that is effective for a single dose and can be stored stably at 2-8 C for a long time.

It is also effective for the elderly, based on phase II and III trials which involved aged participants and saw no serious adverse reactions.

The vaccine is a recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine jointly developed by CanSino Biologics and researchers from the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences led by prominent Chinese coronavirus vaccine developer Chen Wei.

It reported 65.7 percent efficacy against symptomatic COVDI-19 cases, 90.98 percent against severe disease, according to its global Phase III interim data released on Monday. The trials were carried out among more than 40,000 volunteers, aged 18 and older, in 78 clinical trial sites across five countries in three continents.

The trial in Pakistan showed that after 28 days of single dose vaccination, the protection against severe infection was 100 percent, with an overall protection efficacy of 74.8 percent, and no serious vaccine-related adverse reactions occurred.

Experts told the Global Times that the good effective rate of the vaccine and single-dose vaccination indicates that a rapid, large-scale inoculation of the population can be achieved, which is of great significance to overall epidemic control
 
WHO expert: Virus research in Wuhan 'successful in many ways'
Updated 2021.02.13 13:40 GMT+8

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A World Health Organization's (WHO) expert team said on Friday that they learned a lot about the origins of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, during a recent mission to China.

The remarks were made at the WHO's daily press conference in Geneva.

The team started a visit to the central Chinese city of Wuhan on January 14 for a joint study on the coronavirus's origins. The experts have now concluded their research with Chinese medical professionals in the city.

Peter Ben Embarek, head of the WHO mission, said the international team's visit to China has been "successful in many ways," with a lot of new knowledge made about the start of the event and understandings deepened in the fields including the spread of the virus, virus genome sequencing and wildlife tracing.

He reiterated that none of the labs in Wuhan had the virus, and no one had seen the virus before the outbreak.

Ben Embarek said the WHO experts visited and discussed with different laboratories in Wuhan, and learned that none of the labs was working or had the SARS-CoV-2 in their collections, which is in line with what other laboratories around the world have said – that "this virus had not been worked with knowingly in any of labs around the world working with coronaviruses."

"It's of course always possible that the virus is and was present in samples that have not yet been processed, or among viruses that have not yet been characterized," the expert said. "But knowingly, apparently from all the labs we've talked with, nobody has seen this virus before."

Ben Embarek at the press conference in Wuhan last week ruled out the possibility that the novel coronavirus was made from laboratories, saying it is extremely unlikely and they will not work on this hypothesis regarding the virus tracing in the future.

Marion Koopmans, who's also in the international panel to China, added that more than 30,000 animals of different species and from different locations have been tested and screened, and no potential reservoir has been found among them with all results negative.

"There was not a clear candidate for intermediate host yet," said Koopmans, but the traceback process "does provide some leads for the next steps in the studies."

Two reports to be released

A summary report of the mission's findings could emerge as early as next week, followed by a final report "in the coming weeks," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"We look forward to receiving both reports, which will be released publicly," said Tedros.

The WHO chief pointed out again that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has provided important information that "takes people closer to understanding the origins of the virus."

"The mission has achieved a better understanding of the early days of the pandemic, and identified areas for further analysis and research," he added
 
China's first 1-dose COVID-19 vaccine rolls out; 500m people can be inoculated a year
By Global TimesPublished: Feb 27, 2021 03:44 PM

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Photo:VCG

China's first Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out on Friday. One of the developers of the single-dose vaccine said that the annual production capacity can reach 500 million doses, which means 500 million people can be vaccinated in a year.

Phase-I clinical trials of the vaccine started on March 16, 2020, making it the world's first COVID-19 candidate vaccine that entered clinical trials.

The Ad5-nCoV vaccine is a recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine jointly developed by CanSino Biologics and researchers from the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences led by Chen Wei.

Chen is an infectious disease expert and a researcher at the Institute of Military Medicine under the Academy of Military Sciences.

Unlike inactivated vaccines, Ad5-nCoV is effective with a single dose and can bring dual protection ̶ humoral and cellular immunity ̶ at the same time.

It is the only single-dose COVID-19 vaccine that has been given a conditional approval to be rolled out in China, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday.

People can get desirable protective effect after 14 days of inoculation.

The protective effect can last at least six months after a single-dose inoculation and it can increase immune response by 10 to 20 times if the second dose is taken half a year after the first one, Chen told CCTV in an exclusive interview on Friday.

"We have data for six months so far to prove the vaccine's efficacy People don't need to take another dose within the first six months after their first inoculation. What if the epidemic is not over after six months? We have also developed the vaccine so that its effect is strengthened even after six months," Chen said.

According to data, Chen and other researchers predicted that the vaccine's effect can last two years after two doses.

The most important feature of the vaccine is that it can be produced fast and on a large scale, Chen said.

The vaccine showed full protection against severe-illness morbidity in Pakistan, Chen said, noting that it can achieve more than 90 percent protection against severe-illness.

The vaccine showed 90.98 percent efficacy rate in preventing severe diseases in its interim analysis. And it's effective in preventing 65.7 percent of symptomatic diseases in clinical trials conducted in multiple countries including Pakistan, Faisal Sultan, special assistant to the Pakistani Minister on Health, announced in early February.

Chen said no serious adverse reactions associated with the vaccine have been reported in the vaccinated population so far, including those in extreme environments. And no specific adverse events have been reported that are different from those of other vaccines.

The Ad5-nCoV vaccine is actually mature and reliable. The vaccine with such technology has already been used for Ebola virus in 2014, Chen said.

People aged under 18 and over 60 are not allowed to take the other approved vaccines without conditional approval. However, the Ad5-nCoV vaccine is different.

Ad5-nCoV's Phase-II and Phase-III trials all involved elder participants as people aged over 55 or 60 have a higher morbidity of severe illness, Chen said.

The oldest volunteer was a man surnamed Xiong whose antibody tested positive after the clinical trial results were revealed, this gave researchers great confidence, Chen noted. She also said they have safety data of clinical trials for people aged 6-18 which are being reviewed by China's National Medical Products Administration.

A PhD volunteer took the vaccine on February 29, 2020, the same day as Chen. And she had given birth to a baby one week earlier. "She and her baby are healthy now," Chen said.

Since the vaccine can be transported and stored at 2C-8C, Chen hopes that the vaccine won't require cold-chain logistics. She also said they have finished the clinical trials around the world and will soon release the results.

In China there are two types of COVID-19 vaccines ̶ inactivated and Ad5-nCoV vaccines. When asked which one people should choose, Chen said those who want to take fewer doses and get faster immune response should choose the Ad5-nCoV.

As other variants of the virus have been found in other parts of the world, Chen said they will follow the safety of the vaccine over the long term after the rollout, and they will also track its effectiveness against the new variants. She also stated that they have started to develop a vaccine against the new variants.

When asked what the level of China's vaccine research and development is in the world, Chen said, "There is no doubt we are in the first group."

"There are few other countries that can reach the level that China has reached," she noted.

"We are neither arrogant nor condescending. We also learn more from others in order to produce safer vaccines. We must have confidence in our science and technology," she remarked
 
Infected US consulate employees in HK reportedly reject quarantine, sparking public outcry
By Global TimesPublished: Mar 15, 2021 07:38 PM

The US consulate in Hong Kong. Photo: cnsphoto

The US consulate in Hong Kong. Photo: cnsphoto

Two employees of the US consulate in Hong Kong have tested positive for COVID-19 but refused to be quarantined, local Hong Kong media reported Monday. Their behavior has drawn public outcry as of Monday afternoon.

"We have been informed that two Consulate General employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Due to privacy concerns, we are not able to share additional information," according to an official announcement published by the consulate on its website on Monday, confirming the situation.

According to local media Dot News, both employees refused to accept the quarantine arrangement on the grounds of diplomatic immunity. They are still roaming the community after the preliminary diagnosis and working in the consulate, posing a huge potential hazard to the prevention and fight against the epidemic, Dot News reported on Monday, quoting government sources.

While notifying the consulate's indefinite temporary closure, the consulate did not respond to earlier news that two employees had refused to be quarantined.

" We can confirm that the employees in question do not work in offices that interact with the public," said the consulate. "We have closed the Consulate General to perform a deep disinfection and cleaning, while appropriate contact tracing is completed."

Hong Kong's Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said on Monday that the two cases will be handled seriously.

"Those who tested positive in initial tests also need to be isolated as soon as possible. We must find their close contacts and do more tests," Chan said.

The employees' arrogant outlaw behavior sparked public outrage.

"They can do whatever they want to do in the US, but they must obey local rules as long as they are in the Chinese territory," a netizen wrote on China's Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo, slamming their irresponsible behavior.


"The Chinese government should evict them from the country," another said.

Chan said that government authorities have contacted the US consulate regarding the issue. The government will announce any update on the issue as soon as possible.

The US consulate in Hong Kong could not be reached for comment as of press time
 
really interesting to see which nations are getting the vaccinations first or at the fastest rate.


doses / 100 people
Israel 108
Seychelles 93
UAE 71
...
UK 41
...
USA 34
....
France 11
....
Canada 9.2
....
India 2.7
....
Pakistan 0.2
 
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
8 JUN, 21:36
People vaccinated with Sputnik V may need jab of another vaccine — Deputy Health Minister
The research in this field is still underway, Oleg Gridnev added

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/.

People who took the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine may require repeat vaccination with a different one after some time, Russian Deputy Health Minister Oleg Gridnev said Tuesday, adding that research into this is still ongoing.

"It is a good thing that we have other vaccines [besides the Sputnik V], that ramp up their production, their volume; in the future, as our esteemed scientists predict, maybe next year or in a year, a revaccination might be needed, with a vaccine other than the Sputnik V - namely with the Covivac or EpiVacCorona," he told lawmakers. "But the research in this field is still underway".

Gridnev added that much more Sputnik V is being produced at the moment, therefore its spread and shipments in Russia are larger as well.

Currently, there are four domestically-developed coronavirus vaccines registered in Russia. Sputnik V, developed by the Gamaleia Center, is the most widespread one.
 
World wide

Coronavirus Cases:
176,901,879

Deaths:
3,822,510

Recovered:
161,025,122
 
الهم صلی علی محمد و آل محمد

Iran's Leader Ali Khamenei has received the first jab of domestically-produced vaccine, COV-Iran Barekat. These are leaders who walk the talk. He has said he wouldn't take Western made vaccines because he didn't trust them.


I am truly grateful to all those who used their knowledge & experience & made scientific & practical efforts to provide the country with such a great, prestigious capability, i.e. the #CovidVaccine.



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Mexico won’t be ‘hostage’ to Big Pharma, president says, as internet predicts trouble after country rejects Covid jabs for kids
31 Jul, 2021 10:46
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Mexico won’t be ‘hostage’ to Big Pharma, president says, as internet predicts trouble after country rejects Covid jabs for kids

FILE PHOTO: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador © REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

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Social media users have theorized that President Andres Manuel López Obrador could face severe repercussions after he refused to purchase Covid vaccines for children, vowing that Mexico wouldn’t bow to pressure from drugs firms.
In remarks made earlier this week, the Mexican leader said his government was still waiting for the scientific community to demonstrate the benefits of vaccinating minors. Until conclusive evidence was provided, Mexico would refuse to purchase jabs for children, Obrador announced, adding that pharmaceutical firms seemed to be focused more on making profits than on ensuring medical necessity as they rake in record sales from Covid-19 vaccines.
Mexico will not be held hostage by pharmaceutical companies that only want to do business and scare children with the idea that it is necessary to vaccinate against Covid-19.
He was similarly critical of plans by drugs companies to introduce third- or even fourth-dose booster shots, opining that the jabs could be “superfluous.”
Speaking on the same topic, Undersecretary for Health Hugo López-Gatell claimed there was “no scientific evidence” showing the jab was “essential” for minors, given the high rate of inoculation among the adult population, Excélsior, Mexico City’s second-oldest daily, reported.
Mexico has approved a range of Covid vaccines for emergency use, including shots developed by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Sinovac, as well as Russia’s Sputnik V.
ALSO ON RT.COMIsrael to offer Covid booster shot for over-60s, PM Bennett says amid vaccine efficacy worries
The country’s Health Ministry recently revealed that a minimum of 48% of Mexicans have received at least one vaccine dose.
Like many other countries, Mexico rolled out its inoculation program in phases, giving high-risk groups first priority. Currently, those under 18 are not included in the vaccine drive.
Largely ignored by international media, Obrador’s provocative remarks went viral after an English-subtitled video of his speech was shared across social media.

Several comments hailed the Mexican president’s “cajones” for calling out Big Pharma greed. Pfizer, for example, has boasted record profits and recently raised full-year sales estimates for its vaccine to $45 billion.
 

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