In response to the largest coronavirus spike in infections in months, the FDA is prepping a plan for COVID-19 vaccine boosters. The plan will likely follow other guidelines by prioritizing boosters for immunocompromised and elderly individuals, according to a report from WSJ. The U.K., Germany and Israel have recommended providing boosters to high-risk populations. The growing support of…
WHO aims to halt COVID-19 vaccine boosters to spur vaccination in developing world
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called to put plans to distribute booster shots on hold until late September to enable more equitable vaccine access across the world. At present, only 14% of the world’s population is fully vaccinated, and, in some countries, only a sliver of people have obtained vaccines. However, vaccination rates are…
WHO: All countries should vaccinate at least 10% of their people against COVID-19 by September
World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the organization’s aims for global COVID-19 vaccinations. During an address to the annual World Health Assembly today, Ghebreyesus called for all countries to have at least 10% of their populations vaccinated by September and at least 30% by the end of 2021. In low- and…
WHO: AstraZeneca vaccine pauses in EU unwarranted
The World Health Organization endorsed the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after several European countries have halted its use over potential safety risks. AstraZeneca has observed 15 deep vein thrombosis (DVT) reports and 22 pulmonary embolism (PE) cases out of 17 million vaccine recipients in the E.U. and U.K. as of March 8. Based on that data,…