'Offer stands' to send Covid vaccines to China, but supplies would be 'dependent on reaction': EU
1 year, 11 months ago

'Offer stands' to send Covid vaccines to China, but supplies would be 'dependent on reaction': EU

Firstpost  

Brussels: The EU said Tuesday it is prepared to send Covid vaccines to China as it grapples with a surge in coronavirus infections after lifting its “zero-Covid” policy. A European Commission spokeswoman, Dana Spinant, said the bloc months ago proposed giving vaccines and Covid expertise to Beijing and “the offer stands”. Many EU countries have a surplus of mRNA vaccines — especially the one made by BioNTech/Pfizer — that scientific studies have shown to be more effective against severe Covid than the inactivated-virus ones China has developed and uses. Asked about a report in the Financial Times newspaper that the EU offered to give China the Covid jabs for free, McPhie said he had no “specific details on what format it could eventually take”.

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History of this topic

EU countries destroyed €4 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines, reveals research
1 year ago

EU countries destroyed €4 billion worth of Covid-19 vaccines, reveals research

Firstpost  

Governments, including the EU’s second-most populous country France, have been reluctant to reveal the scale of the waste, but it is certain that most EU nations have resorted to wasting doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, once a much sought after commodity Nearly 215 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines purchased by EU countries at the height of the pandemic have since …

Draft WHO pandemic deal pushes for equity to avoid COVID ’failure’ repeat
1 year, 10 months ago

Draft WHO pandemic deal pushes for equity to avoid COVID ’failure’ repeat

Live Mint  

Governments may have to reserve drugs and vaccines for the World Health Organization to distribute in poorer countries to avoid a repeat of the "catastrophic failure" during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an early draft of a global pandemic agreement. The draft also retains earlier provisions that could see pharmaceutical companies made to release details of any public contracts for …

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report
1 year, 10 months ago

COVID-19 update: China faces challenge due to flawed containment policies, ineffective vaccines, says Report

India TV News  

China COVID-19 update : China is facing a significant challenge in the form of COVID-19, due to the Chinese Communist Party's "flawed and regressive containment policies and ineffective domestically produced vaccines," GeoPolitica.info reported. China's COVID-19 containment strategy has affected Chinese people and has caused major discontent among people in the country, as per the GeoPolitica.info report. Vaccines manufactured in China …

China Covid surge not expected to 'significantly impact' Europe: WHO
1 year, 11 months ago

China Covid surge not expected to 'significantly impact' Europe: WHO

Hindustan Times  

The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees “no immediate threat" for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. Other countries including the U.S., India, Japan, South Korea and several European nations have announced tougher COVID-19 measures on travelers from China amid concerns over a lack …

WHO Europe: no immediate COVID-19 threat from China
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO Europe: no immediate COVID-19 threat from China

Associated Press  

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees “no immediate threat” for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. Other countries including the U.S., India, Japan, South Korea and several European nations have announced tougher COVID-19 measures on travelers from China amid concerns …

Europe faces no immediate COVID-19 threat from China, WHO says
1 year, 11 months ago

Europe faces no immediate COVID-19 threat from China, WHO says

LA Times  

Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s director for Europe, says the agency sees “no immediate threat” for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. The director of the World Health Organization’s Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees “no immediate threat” for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but …

EU advises pre-flight Covid tests on passengers from China
1 year, 11 months ago

EU advises pre-flight Covid tests on passengers from China

Deccan Chronicle  

Brussels: The European Union on Wednesday “strongly encouraged” its member states to impose pre-departure COVID-19 testing of passengers from China, in a move that is likely to upset Beijing and has already been criticised by the global airline industry. Following a week of talks between EU health experts, the bloc stopped short of fully imposing on all 27 member states …

Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures
1 year, 11 months ago

Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The Chinese government sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations. “We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a …

China ‘under-representing’ severity of COVID outbreak, says WHO
1 year, 11 months ago

China ‘under-representing’ severity of COVID outbreak, says WHO

Al Jazeera  

A senior official at the WHO criticised China’s ‘too narrow’ definition for COVID-related deaths. China’s official data is under-representing the true impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, a senior World Health Organization official has said, criticising its “very narrow” definition of COVID deaths. Meanwhile, in a briefing earlier on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the …

Airline trade body slams COVID rules on travellers from China
1 year, 11 months ago

Airline trade body slams COVID rules on travellers from China

Al Jazeera  

Criticism from International Air Transport Association comes as EU weighs bloc-wide rules on arrivals from China. The head of the world’s biggest airline trade group has criticised the nations imposing travel restrictions on visitors from China as the European Union moved to coordinate the response to a mounting COVID-19 crisis. A European Commission spokesman said the “overwhelming majority” in the …

‘Majority’ of EU states back COVID test for travellers from China
1 year, 11 months ago

‘Majority’ of EU states back COVID test for travellers from China

Al Jazeera  

Most European Union countries favour introducing pre-departure COVID testing for travellers from China, the European Commission has said, as Beijing plans to lift travel restrictions on its citizens despite a wave of COVID infections. “This will now be revised and adopted based on the input of member states,” the Commission spokesman said, adding that more talks on the measures would …

EU, Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID crisis
1 year, 11 months ago

EU, Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID crisis

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union and China on Tuesday moved closer to a political standoff over the COVID-19 crisis, with Beijing vehemently rejecting travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose that could be expanded in coming days. A special EU health security committee joining representatives from the EU member nations discussed potential measures Tuesday, and EU spokesman Tim …

EU to try again for coordination on China COVID-19 policies
1 year, 11 months ago

EU to try again for coordination on China COVID-19 policies

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how authorities should check incoming airline passengers from China for any new COVID-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week. EU nations France, Spain and Italy have already announced independent measures to implement tougher COVID-19 measures for …

Beijing threatens response to toughened COVID measures for Chinese travelers
1 year, 11 months ago

Beijing threatens response to toughened COVID measures for Chinese travelers

LA Times  

The Chinese government blasted coronavirus testing requirements imposed on travelers from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations. “We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily news briefing …

EU considers alignment on China passengers as COVID cases surge
1 year, 11 months ago

EU considers alignment on China passengers as COVID cases surge

Al Jazeera  

EU to meet to determine if a coordinated approach on entry to the region is necessary for visitors from China. Belgium said late on Monday that it would be checking wastewater from planes arriving in from China to see if tests revealed new clues about any potentially dangerous variants among incoming passengers. Italy was the first EU member to require …

EU and Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID-19 crisis
1 year, 11 months ago

EU and Beijing heading for collision over China’s COVID-19 crisis

LA Times  

A passenger arriving from China is tested for COVID-19 at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, on Sunday. A special EU health security committee joining representatives from the EU member nations discussed potential measures Tuesday, and EU spokesman Tim McPhie said that “the overwhelming majority of countries are in favor of pre-departure testing” in China. Sweden, which holds the EU …

Scientists play down concerns over China's Covid surge
1 year, 11 months ago

Scientists play down concerns over China's Covid surge

Daily Mail  

One of the Government's top scientific advisers has played down fears about China's surge in Covid cases and suggested fresh border restrictions are not necessary. Travellers arrived at London's Heathrow Airport on a flight from Shanghai yesterday The Government is so far resisting calls - including from two former health ministers - to reintroduce fresh border restrictions The US, Italy …

WHO says China COVID travel restrictions ‘understandable’
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO says China COVID travel restrictions ‘understandable’

Al Jazeera  

Many countries are imposing restrictions on travellers from China because of a surge in infections. The World Health Organization has said it needs more information to assess the latest surge in COVID-19 infections in China, but called the global concern and uptick in travel restrictions “understandable”. Several countries are imposing restrictions on travellers from China because of a surge in …

EU doesn’t follow Italy with COVID checks on China arrivals
1 year, 11 months ago

EU doesn’t follow Italy with COVID checks on China arrivals

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union is assessing Beijing’s rollback of its strict anti-infection controls but refrained Thursday from immediately following EU member Italy in requiring coronavirus tests for airline passengers coming from China. However, the EU’s executive arm said the BF.7 omicron variant prevalent in China was already circulating in Europe and that its threat had not significantly grown. Even …

US to require negative Covid tests for travelers from China
1 year, 11 months ago

US to require negative Covid tests for travelers from China

Firstpost  

From 5 January, all air passengers two years and older who originate from China must obtain a negative Covid-19 test less than two days before departure and provide it to their airlines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Washington: The United States will require negative Covid tests from all air travelers from China, saying Beijing is not …

China’s pivot in COVID plan sparks jitters worldwide
1 year, 11 months ago

China’s pivot in COVID plan sparks jitters worldwide

The Hindu  

Beijing’s sudden pivot away from containing COVID-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. China late on Monday scrapped quarantine for inbound travellers from January 8 onwards, dismantling the last remaining piece of its stringent zero-COVID policy and ending some …

BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine sent to China for Germans
2 years ago

BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine sent to China for Germans

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Germany has dispatched a batch of the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to China, where it will be administered to Germans who live in the country. He said that the Chinese government formally informed Berlin in a diplomatic note that German citizens can be inoculated with the vaccine, which otherwise isn’t cleared for use in China. Some 20,000 Germans in …

WHO chief ‘very concerned’ over COVID situation in China
2 years ago

WHO chief ‘very concerned’ over COVID situation in China

Al Jazeera  

China could be struggling to keep a tally of COVID-19 infections as the country experiences a big spike in cases, a senior World Health Organization official has said, amid concerns about a lack of data from the country. “In China, what’s been reported is relatively low numbers of cases in ICUs, but anecdotally ICUs are filling up,” WHO’s emergencies director …

China government health adviser warns of surging COVID cases
2 years ago

China government health adviser warns of surging COVID cases

Al Jazeera  

Fears of a spike in infections after Beijing eased its ‘zero-COVID’ restrictions following rare nationwide protests. China faces a surge in COVID-19 cases after partially easing aspects of its so-called “zero-COVID” policy, a top government health adviser has said. The government made the changes – minimising the scope of mandatory testing, allowing some people who test positive to quarantine at …

The AP Interview: US ‘vulnerable’ to COVID without new shots
2 years, 7 months ago

The AP Interview: US ‘vulnerable’ to COVID without new shots

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha issued a dire warning Thursday that the U.S. will be increasingly vulnerable to the coronavirus this fall and winter if Congress doesn’t swiftly approve new funding for more vaccines and treatments. “That leaves a lot of us vulnerable.” Jha predicted that the next generation of vaccines, which are likely to be …

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit
2 years, 10 months ago

EU praises vaccine cooperation with Africa at summit

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — European Union leaders on Thursday lauded the bloc’s vaccine cooperation with Africa in the fight against the coronavirus, but there was no sign they would move toward a temporary lifting of intellectual property rights protection for COVID-19 shots. “It is about the capacity of Africa to produce their own vaccines, to develop mRNA manufacturing capacity across Africa,” von …

EU ombudsman slams executive arm over vaccine communication
2 years, 10 months ago

EU ombudsman slams executive arm over vaccine communication

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s executive arm is responsible of “maladministration” for mishandling a request for access to text messages between its president and the CEO of pharmaceutical company Pfizer regarding COVID-19 vaccine purchases, the bloc’s ombudsman said Friday. In April last year, a story published by the New York Times revealed that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen …

EU says exports of COVID-19 vaccines now top 1 billion mark
3 years, 2 months ago

EU says exports of COVID-19 vaccines now top 1 billion mark

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top official said Monday that the bloc has now exported over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the vaccines have been sent to over 150 nations, making the 27-member bloc the largest exporter of the vaccines in the world, to nations …

‘Go big’: US doubles COVID vaccine purchases for global sharing
3 years, 3 months ago

‘Go big’: US doubles COVID vaccine purchases for global sharing

Al Jazeera  

Biden announces US commitment to donate total of 1.1 billion vaccines at summit with world leaders. President Joe Biden has announced that the United States will double its purchases of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines for low and middle-income countries, bringing its pledged donations to a total of 1.1 billion doses. “At MSF, we see each and every day that people all …

Op-Ed: Biden’s vaccine summit is a chance to commit doses where they’re needed most
3 years, 3 months ago

Op-Ed: Biden’s vaccine summit is a chance to commit doses where they’re needed most

LA Times  

The world stands at a critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries that lack the first round of vaccine coverage are extraordinarily vulnerable to the highly infectious Delta variant and are Governments of countries where vaccines are being produced — the United States, European Union members, the United Kingdom, India, Russia and China — need to cooperate under United Nations …

Top European Union official calls for more COVID vaccination efforts
3 years, 3 months ago

Top European Union official calls for more COVID vaccination efforts

India TV News  

Vaccination efforts in the European Union and outside should continue so that "this does not turn into a pandemic of the unvaccinated", said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen made the remarks on Wednesday during her second State of the Union speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, reports Xinhua news agency. "We see worrisome …

EU to return millions of doses of J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine imported from Africa
3 years, 3 months ago

EU to return millions of doses of J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine imported from Africa

Live Mint  

The European Union will return to Africa millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine that it received from a plant in South Africa, following criticism by health activists that the bloc was taking away shots from a continent that has the lowest immunization rate in the world. Strive Masiyiwa, who heads the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, …

China has administered 2 billion Covid vaccine shots. But coercive measures are sparking anger
3 years, 3 months ago

China has administered 2 billion Covid vaccine shots. But coercive measures are sparking anger

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Hong Kong CNN — China’s coronavirus vaccination drive has surpassed 2 billion doses, authorities announced Friday, but heavy-handed tactics intended to boost inoculation rates are triggering backlash …

Immunised but banned: European Union says not all COVID-19 vaccines are equal
3 years, 5 months ago

Immunised but banned: European Union says not all COVID-19 vaccines are equal

Firstpost  

The officially EU-endorsed vaccines also include those made by Pfizer, Moderna and J&J. However, they don’t include the AstraZeneca shot made in India or many other vaccines used in developing countries London: After Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor and his wife received two doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in Nigeria, they assumed they would be free to travel this summer to a …

WHO warns new COVID wave inevitable in Europe as cases rise
3 years, 5 months ago

WHO warns new COVID wave inevitable in Europe as cases rise

Al Jazeera  

UN health agency sounds the alarm and calls for ‘discipline’ as highly infectious Delta variant races through the region. The number of new cases across Europe rose by 10 percent last week, the UN health agency’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told a news briefing on Thursday in Copenhagen, Denmark. “There will be a new wave in the WHO …

Fears for European holidays grow as EU leaders back Merkel’s call for ‘coordinated’ Covid restrictions
3 years, 5 months ago

Fears for European holidays grow as EU leaders back Merkel’s call for ‘coordinated’ Covid restrictions

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In particular, the newly arising variants, especially now the Delta variant, are a warning for …

China's Vaccine Diplomacy In Question As Countries Using Sinopharm, Sinovac Jabs Witness Surge In Covid Cases
3 years, 6 months ago

China's Vaccine Diplomacy In Question As Countries Using Sinopharm, Sinovac Jabs Witness Surge In Covid Cases

ABP News  

Washington: Several nations, including Mongolia, Seychelles and Bahrain, which had relied on the Chinese Covid-19 vaccines to combat the pandemic and bring back normalcy, are now battling a surge in infections. The examples from several countries suggest the Chinese vaccines may not be very effective at preventing the spread of the virus, particularly the new variants, The New York Times …

China's COVID-19 Vaccine Goes Global
3 years, 6 months ago

China's COVID-19 Vaccine Goes Global

The Diplomat  

China’s Xi Jinping has openly described his country’s coronavirus vaccine development and deployment efforts as a “global public good.” In May, the World Health Organization granted emergency approval for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned Sinopharm, a move that bolstered China’s goal of playing an active role in global inoculations. The Sinopharm vaccine is the first non-Western COVID-19 jab …

China authorises CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for children above 3 years
3 years, 6 months ago

China authorises CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for children above 3 years

Deccan Chronicle  

Beijing: China has authorised the emergency use of CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between 3 and 17 years, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong said. Sinovac has finished the Phrase I and II clinical research stage, involving several hundred volunteers in this age group, which has proved that the vaccine is as safe and efficient …

China authorises CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for children above 3 years
3 years, 6 months ago

China authorises CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine for children above 3 years

India Today  

China has authorised the emergency use of CoronaVac, a Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between 3 and 17 years, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong said. Sinovac has finished the phase I and II clinical research stage, involving several hundred volunteers in this age group, which has proved that the vaccine is as safe and efficient as …

European Union agrees to open doors to vaccinated foreigners
3 years, 7 months ago

European Union agrees to open doors to vaccinated foreigners

India Today  

European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to ease Covid-19 travel restrictions on non-EU visitors ahead of the summer tourist season, a move that could open the bloc's door to all Britons and to vaccinated Americans. Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved a European Commission proposal from May 3 to loosen the criteria to determine "safe" countries and to let …

EU Takes A Step To Letting In More Vaccinated Tourists
3 years, 7 months ago

EU Takes A Step To Letting In More Vaccinated Tourists

NPR  

EU Takes A Step To Letting In More Vaccinated Tourists Enlarge this image toggle caption Gianluca Chininea/AFP via Getty Images Gianluca Chininea/AFP via Getty Images The European Union is poised to allow travelers from more countries to visit the bloc, as long as they've been vaccinated with an approved vaccine, in its latest loosening of travel restrictions. Sponsor Message The …

China welcomes Biden's plan to deliver 80 million COVID vaccines to world, denies vaccine diplomacy
3 years, 7 months ago

China welcomes Biden's plan to deliver 80 million COVID vaccines to world, denies vaccine diplomacy

The Hindu  

China on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s announcement to share 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with other countries but termed as "despicable" his assertion that Beijing and Moscow are trying to influence the world with their jabs. Reacting to Mr. Biden’s announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said, "If the U.S. can deliver on its commitment …

EU regulators start review of China’s Sinovac vaccine
3 years, 7 months ago

EU regulators start review of China’s Sinovac vaccine

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The European Union’s drug regulator announced Tuesday that it has started a rolling review of China’s Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to assess its effectiveness and safety, a first step toward possible approval for use in the 27-nation bloc. The agency also is conducting rolling reviews of three other vaccines: the one developed by German biotech company CureVac, …

EU regulator begins reviewing China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine
3 years, 7 months ago

EU regulator begins reviewing China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

Al Jazeera  

The first step towards possible approval comes after studies suggested the shot produces an immune response against coronavirus. The European Union’s medicines regulator has started a rolling review of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac to assess its effectiveness and safety, marking the first step towards its possible approval for use in the 27-nation bloc. The agency …

How a WHO Push for Global Vaccines Needled Europe
3 years, 8 months ago

How a WHO Push for Global Vaccines Needled Europe

News 18  

Last April, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added Europe to a global effort to ensure equitable access to a vaccine, which she said would be deployed ”to every single corner of the world.” But despite pledging billions of dollars for the scheme set up by the World Health Organization and publicly …

UK urges EU to stay in vaccine export talks: ‘No single country can face this health emergency alone’
3 years, 8 months ago

UK urges EU to stay in vaccine export talks: ‘No single country can face this health emergency alone’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK has urged Brussels to stay in talks about vaccine …

France to open Covid vaccination mega centre in Disneyland Paris
3 years, 8 months ago

France to open Covid vaccination mega centre in Disneyland Paris

India Today  

Amidst the rising coronavirus cases in the country, the French government has decided to open a Covid vaccination mega centre in Disneyland Paris next month. Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed possible cooperation on vaccines with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a joint video conference on Tuesday. The Kremlin said in a statement that 'the trio had discussed …

The pandemic is stirring deep resentments in Europe. They may not be quick to heal
3 years, 8 months ago

The pandemic is stirring deep resentments in Europe. They may not be quick to heal

CNN  

London CNN — Europe’s had a torrid time since the start of the pandemic. While the EU didn’t directly accuse the pharmaceutical company of withholding the vaccines, EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis noted that the drug maker “committed to deliver 120 million doses to the EU in the first quarter of the year. “Inevitably, new strains will end up …

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