Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) on Thursday asked US regulators for emergency authorization of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, as Germany raised hopes of a potential easing of virus curbs, offering some encouraging signs in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
If approved, the vaccine would be the third in the hard-hit US. It offers a logistical advantages because it does not require two doses and the deep-freeze storage needed for already approved shots.
However, trials showed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not protect as well against a highly transmissible virus variant first identified in South Africa, which is spreading rapidly.
Photo: Reuters
An advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration is set to consider the application on Feb. 26.
Johnson & Johnson said that if its vaccine is authorized it is on track to deliver 100 million doses to the US by the end of June, a major supply of vaccine in a nation of about 320 million people.
The Red Cross launched a campaign to help vaccinate 500 million people in poorer countries, as Iran received its first jabs from Russia.
Pressure is growing on richer countries to help in a global inoculation effort, with Red Cross secretary general Jagan Chapagain warning that the unequal rollout “could backfire to deadly and devastating effect.”
“It could prolong or even worsen this terrible pandemic,” he said, promising to pour more than US$100 million into an effort to distribute vaccines and encourage uptake.
So far, more than 115 million doses have been distributed worldwide, but the vast majority of those doses have gone to richer nations.
Experts warn that vaccines would only control the virus — which has killed more than 2 million people — if the whole world is covered.
Otherwise, people would have to continue living under lockdowns with travel restrictions, curfews and closed businesses.
As the pace of new infections has slowed over the past few weeks, some countries are beginning to consider reopening.
“We can’t stay in this hard lockdown all winter. We would not tolerate that well as a society,” German Minister of Health Jens Spahn told local media.
Wealthy monarchies in the Gulf including Dubai and Saudi Arabia are tightening their containment measures despite the inevitable economic damage.
The WHO has warned against relaxing the rules, with WHO Health Emergencies Program executive director Michael Ryan saying: “The rain has eased but the sun is not out yet.”
As policy debate rages over how best to handle the current phase of the pandemic, the UN’s health agency is investigating the origins of the virus.
“We’re not going to come up with the ultimate full understanding of the origins of this virus, but it will be a good first step,” WHO team member Peter Ben Embarek said.
The team has visited an infectious disease lab in the city of Wuhan, which was accused by some US officials last year of allowing the virus to leak out.
Ben Embarek said that some of the theories surrounding the lab were more like movie plots, and promised to “follow facts” rather than “chasing ghosts.”
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across