vaccination | Common News Update

Apr112021 by adminNo Comments

Covid-19: India vaccination crosses 100 million doses

Health

India says it has become the "fastest country in the world" to administer more than 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, amid a deadly second wave of infections.It achieved the feat in 85 days, whereas the US took 89 days and China 102 days, the health ministry said.But the country reported a record daily increase of over 150,000 cases - and more than 800 new deaths - on Sunday.And there are reports the vast vaccination drive itself is struggling.This week, half a dozen states reported a shortage of doses even as the federal government insisted that it had 40 million doses in stock and that the "allegations" of vaccine scarcity were "utterly baseless".The inoculation drive aims to cover 250 million people by July, but experts say the pace needs to pick up further to meet the target.E...

Apr32021 by adminNo Comments

Italy enters 3-day Easter lockdown amid vaccination snags

Health

ROME -- Italy entered a three-day nationwide coronavirus lockdown Saturday to deter Easter travel and get-togethers even as the country's variant-fueled spike in new infections began to wane.The government had announced last month that it would place all regions into the strictest “red zone” lockdown over the Easter weekend to limit the chances of contagion, taking the same precautions it enforced over Christmas and New Year’s.Travel between regions and visits to relatives were being limited through Monday. Nonessential shops were closed and restaurants and bars were only open for take-out.“People are tired, but they are aware that protecting health is essential in these times,” said Maj. Fabio Palletta, a Carabinieri military police officer manning a checkpoint in Rome on Saturday, one of...

Mar162021 by adminNo Comments

Covid: UK vaccination surge expected in coming days

Health

Getty ImagesUK experts say there will be a big increase in the number of people being offered Covid vaccinations in the coming days. The number of shots given is expected to top 4 million this week, nearly double what has been achieved per week recently, NHS sources say.It should mean all over 50s will have been given at least one dose by the end of the month.That would put the NHS rollout two weeks ahead of schedule.The increase has been made possible by a large shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute in India, which has arrived and passed safety checks.So far more than 24 million people have already received a first dose of Covid vaccine in the UK.Vaccination teams are now working their way through the priority list of people in their 50s and younger adults wi...

Feb222021 by adminNo Comments

CDC: Vaccination key as teachers may drive in-school COVID-19 spread

Health

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Teachers and staff "play a central role in in-school transmission" of COVID-19, highlighting the importance of vaccination for educators, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly half of all in-school cases in a Georgia district recorded between Dec. 1 and Jan. 22 were linked with "educator-to-educator" or "educator-to-student" transmission, the data showed. Advertisement Subsequently, 26% of household contacts of these school-associated cases later tested positive for the virus. "These findings suggest that educators can play an important role in in-school transmission and that in-school transmission can occur when physical distancing and mask compliance are not optimal," CDC researchers said in the report. Alt...

Feb202021 by adminNo Comments

The Latest: Israel to issue badges as proof of vaccination

Health

JERUSALEM -- Israel unveiled a plan on Saturday to allow people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend cultural events, fly abroad and go to health clubs and restaurants.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the plan at a news conference on Saturday night, saying those who have been vaccinated will be able to download the “green badge” in the coming days.“The green badge is gradually opening up the country,” Netanyahu said.Israel has conducted the world’s speediest vaccine campaign over the past month and a half, inoculating nearly half of its 9.3 million people. But with the coronavirus still spreading rapidly among the unvaccinated, the country only recently began emerging from a two-month lockdown.On Sunday, retail stores, shopping malls, gyms, some middle scho...