vaccination campaign Balanced News

Germany loses Covid crown as vaccine campaign falters

Tech

Country lags far behind UK and US while jab strategy and technology underpinning it draw fierce criticism
Financial Times     Mar 02, 2021

Poor vaccine take-up in BAME communities is not just down to hesitancy

health

Stories about vaccine hesitancy in various communities described as Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) have led public figures to appeal to this supposedly reluctant group through video campaigns. Yet, in campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy, the relevance of the legacy of discrimination that many of these communities face is being ignored. This is in spite of glaring issues such as historical concerns about inadequate and unethical medical treatment towards members of some of these communities. What is driving some in these groups to ask legitimate questions about the vaccine before agreeing to take it isn’t necessarily due to vaccine hesitancy. In many cases, it could be more complex. There is also no doubt that the reach of COVID-19 misinformation has widened in BAME communities because of their specific sensitivities and concerns. The lived experience of far too many under the BAME umbrella is one of fragile trust in the government and NHS. This lack of confidence in the state creates space for less reputable players – such as anti-vaxxers, who spread misinformation to discourage people from taking the COVID-19 vaccine – to target these groups. But vaccine hesitancy is...
The Conversation     Mar 01, 2021

Palestinian Authority announces new COVID restrictions as cases surge

politics

The Palestinian Authority on Saturday announced fresh coronavirus restrictions, including a partial lockdown, for the occupied West Bank as COVID-19 cases surge.The big picture: The new measures come as Israel, which leads the world in vaccinations, faces increased pressure to ensure Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip have equal access to vaccines.The Israeli prime minister’s office announced this week that the country will send a "symbolic amount" of vaccines to the Palestinian Authority and to several countries that have asked for assistance, Axios' Barak Ravid reported. While the Palestinian Authority has started a limited inoculation campaign, with more vaccine shipments on the way, per The New York Times, it remains unclear when the majority of the more than 5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will have access to vaccines. Details: The West Bank restrictions, set to begin on Sunday, will last at least 12 days, per the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. Most schools must close and universities will be required to shift to virtual instruction.The restrictions include a ban on most travel between provinces and to and from Jerusalem...
Axios     Feb 27, 2021

J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Authorized for Use in U.S.

4k 🔥       health

The first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine, a shot from Johnson & Johnson, was authorized for use, a big boost for a mass-vaccination campaign rushing to end the deadliest pandemic in more than a century.
The Wall Street Journal     Feb 27, 2021

‘We’re not there yet’: Biden officials issue somber warning about uptick in Covid-19 cases

Health

WASHINGTON — Biden administration officials on Friday warned of a “very concerning” uptick in Covid-19 cases this week, urging Americans not to let down their guard despite an ongoing vaccination campaign and case rates that are substantially lower than their peak last month.
STAT     Feb 26, 2021

Supply shortages and delays leave Europe's vaccination campaign in crisis

Europe's vaccination rollout is in crisis with manufacturing delays causing supply shortages and thousands of appointments cancelled indefinitely. The European Union wants to see 70 percent of its population inoculated by the fall. But frustration is growing amongst its citizens amid the realization those targets could be out of reach. Special Correspondent Lucy Hough reports.
PBS     Feb 23, 2021

Where a Vaccination Campaign Faces Skepticism, War and Corruption

A half-million doses arrived this month in Afghanistan, where many insist the virus isn’t real and vaccines aren’t needed. Those who want the vaccine fear that only the well-connected will receive it.
New York Times     Feb 23, 2021

Japan Rolls Out COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign With Eye on Summer Olympics

Sports

Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign Wednesday, months after other major economies started giving shots and amid questions about whether the drive would reach enough people quickly enough to save a Summer Olympics already delayed by the pandemic.
Sports Illustrated     Feb 17, 2021

Dispatch of millions of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa expected to start in February: WHO

health

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the joint UN-led COVAX initiative aims to start shipping about 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa in February, in what will be the continent’s largest ever mass vaccination campaign.
United Nations     Feb 05, 2021

Colombia reaches COVID-19 vaccine agreements with Moderna, Sinovac

Health

Colombia has reached agreements for doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna Inc and Sinovac Biotech Ltd and plans to begin a mass vaccination campaign on Feb. 20, President Ivan Duque said on
Reuters     Jan 29, 2021

In the midst of vaccines, how one UK church offers a spot of joy

health

Around the world, vaccination campaigns are working to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. The efforts may seem overwhelming, but organists at one cathedral in Salisbury, England are brightening the mood with live performances.
Christian Science Monitor     Jan 21, 2021

How Operation Warp Speed Created Vaccination Chaos

health

by Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Hospitals and clinics across the country are canceling vaccine appointments because the Trump administration tells states how many doses they’ll receive only one week at a time, making it all but impossible to plan a comprehensive vaccination campaign. The decision to go week by week was made by Operation Warp Speed’s chief operating officer, Gen. Gustave Perna, because he didn’t want to count on supplies before they were ready. Overly optimistic production forecasts turned out to be a major disappointment in the rollout of the H1N1 vaccine more than a decade ago, also leading to canceled appointments and widespread frustrations with the government’s messaging. This time, however, the most pressing problem isn’t the overpromising of supply. For each of the past three weeks, the federal government got about 4.3 million shots. But the amount that each state is sent has fluctuated as Operation Warp Speed changes the quantities available week by week. State health officials say...
ProPublica     Jan 19, 2021

Did you know your employer can require a COVID-19 vaccine? Here's what to know

Health

As the US campaign to distribute coronavirus vaccines continues to ramp up, over 8 million doses have now been administered in the US as of Jan. 11. For the time being, however, only very specific groups of people -- mostly health care workers -- have been cleared to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Some of those medical professionals may be required by their employer to get vaccinated, which leads to the question: Can your employer make you get a COVID-19 vaccine?
CNET     Jan 18, 2021

Sunday Reading: Waiting for the Vaccine

Entertainment

In 1947, The New Yorker published a Comment about Israel Weinstein, New York City’s health commissioner, and his attempts to combat misinformation surrounding the city’s plan to vaccinate millions of residents during a rapidly spreading outbreak of smallpox. That spring, more than 6.3 million New Yorkers were vaccinated; it was among the largest mass-vaccination efforts to fight the disease in the United States. Weinstein, a doctor, remarked that he had been steadily denying inaccurate rumors ever since the campaign began. Some skeptics claimed that the vaccine killed more people than the disease (false), while others insisted that, as long as someone’s blood was “pure,” he could avoid infection. (“One man said he kept his blood pure by eating carrots.”) As we enter a new phase in America’s battle against COVID-19, Weinstein’s observations from nearly seventy-five years ago continue to resonate.
The New Yorker     Jan 10, 2021