Days of commotion around AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine,
over fears it may cause blood clots, saw countries from Venezuela to Indonesia
pause its use in a major setback for the drive to vaccinate populations against
a virus that has killed nearly 2.7 million people.
France, Germany and Italy — all countries attempting to
fight off a third wave of the coronavirus — announced they were using the jab
again as of Friday after the European Medicines Agency said it was "safe
and effective".
French Prime Minister Jean Castex was due to get the
AstraZeneca jab Friday in a bid to reassure citizens that it is safe as his
country fights an infection surge.
Millions across France were preparing to enter a new
month-long, limited lockdown from Saturday after the country recorded its
highest new daly caseload in nearly four months.
Non-essential businesses will close in Paris and other areas
hit by the new restrictions, mainly in northern France, although schools will
stay open.
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are also ending their suspension of the vaccine.
In Germany, the AstraZenca jabs were resuming just as health
authorities warned that Europe's top economy is again suffering an exponential
rise in infections.
Lars Schaade, vice-president of the Robert Koch Institute
for infectious diseases, told reporters there were grim signs of a return to a
situation of "many severe cases and deaths, and hospitals that are
overwhelmed".
In Asia, Indonesia aimed to follow suit as its food and
drugs agency said the benefits of the vaccine "still outweigh the
risks".
'Time for optimism'
There was brighter news in the United States, however, as it
prepared on Friday to administer its 100 millionth vaccine dose.
With infection rates falling, there is hope that the country
with the highest Covid-19 death toll is headed for a powerful rebound.
"It is a time for optimism," Biden said in a White
House speech. But he also cautioned: "It's not a time for
relaxation."
Unlike France and other European countries, Denmark, Norway
and Sweden are holding out on resuming AstraZeneca inoculations, pending further
review.
The World Health Organization is due to publish the
conclusions of its own assessment of the safety of the jab later on Friday,
after repeatedly encouraging countries to continue using it.
AstraZeneca's shot, among the cheapest available and easier
to store and transport than some of its rivals, has been billed as the vaccine
of choice for poorer nations.
It is a vital part of Covax, a global drive to ensure that
poor countries do not miss out in the race to vaccinate their populations.
Papua New Guinea is among the countries in desperate need of
vaccines as it battles a "rapidly escalating" Covid-19 crisis, with
authorities approving the use of mass graves and nearly 50% of tests coming
back positive in some areas.
Some 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccines are being delivered from
Australia, but Medecins Sans Frontieres Australia director Jennifer Tierney
warned it might be too little, too late.
"What's needed is a bigger response, now, before the
situation gets out of control," she said. "Papua New Guinea needed
these vaccines yesterday."
International boost for Sputnik V
The developer of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said
on Friday its shot had been approved for emergency use in the Philippines,
making it the 52nd country to give the green light to the Russian jab.
While some Western countries have been wary of Sputnik V
over concerns the Kremlin could use it to advance its interests, its developers
have been ramping up international agreements to boost its production,
including in some European countries.
Indian drugmaker Stelis Biopharma is the latest to sign on,
with a deal announced Friday to produce 200 million doses of Sputnik V.
On the warm sands of Florida's Miami Beach, meanwhile, the
2021 season is off to a banging start, fuelled by "Roaring Twenties"
anticipation of post-pandemic life.
The shore is once again packed with revellers — a sight that
Americans view either as a proof of long-awaited progress against Covid-19, or
of a recklessness that could set back the nation's recovery.
For James Mitchell, 45, newly-arrived from freezing Chicago,
the haters need to lighten up.
"We just got to start back living, man," he told
AFP. "For real."
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