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White House Writes Off Johnson & Johnson Vaccine after String of Production Failures

April 23, 2021 Focus Washington

The Biden administration has stood by Johnson & Johnson as the vaccine maker struggled to deliver promised doses of its Covid-19 vaccine — but privately, frustrated senior health officials have largely written off the shot, […]

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Rich Countries Are Refusing to Waive the Rights on COVID Vaccines as Global Cases Hit Record Levels

April 22, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S., Canada and U.K. are among some of the high-income countries actively blocking a patent-waiver proposal designed to boost the global production of Covid-19 vaccines, CNBC writes. It comes as coronavirus cases worldwide surge […]

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UAE Floats Movement Restrictions on Unvaccinated People

April 21, 2021 Focus Washington

The United Arab Emirates will consider “strict measures” to limit the movement of people unvaccinated against the coronavirus, as it seeks to ramp up a national inoculation campaign that has already administered more than 9.9 […]

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CDC Says Fewer Than 6,000 Americans Have Contracted COVID After Being Fully Vaccinated

April 19, 2021 Focus Washington

U.S. health officials have confirmed fewer than 6,000 cases of Covid-19 in fully vaccinated Americans, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday, CNBC writes. That represents just 0.007% of the […]

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CDC To Weigh Rare Clot Risk With J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine as Use Paused

April 14, 2021 Focus Washington

A U.S. health advisory panel on Wednesday is set to review six reported cases of rare blood clots in women who received Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine one day after federal regulators paused the use […]

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CDC Chief Says Michigan Should ‘Shut Things Down,’ Vaccinating Alone Won’t Stop COVID Surge

April 13, 2021 Focus Washington

A top Biden administration health official said Monday that Michigan should “shut things down” as it grapples with an overwhelming surge in coronavirus cases, CNBC reported. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said a […]

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Britain Offers All Over-50s First COVID-19 Shots in Boost for PM Johnson

April 13, 2021 Focus Washington

Britain has offered all over-50s a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as the rollout of Moderna’s shot in England began on Tuesday, the government said, adding it was on track to give a shot to […]

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Facebook to Turn Menlo Park Headquarters into Vaccination Site

April 9, 2021 Focus Washington

Facebook Inc said on Friday it is converting a part of its Menlo Park headquarters into a vaccination site, joining the government effort to speed up the vaccination drive in the United States, Reuters reported. […]

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Countries Emphasise Importance of AstraZeneca Shot as They Look to Alternatives

April 9, 2021 Focus Washington

Australia said on Friday it had ordered more alternatives for the AstraZeneca vaccine, setting back its vaccination rollout, and Hong Kong delayed deliveries of the shot amid concern about a possible very small risk of […]

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Japan’s Vaccine Minister Says He Fears a Virus Uptick in Tokyo

April 8, 2021 Focus Washington

Japan is working closely with the International Olympic Committee to prepare for the Games and despite concerns about Covid-19 cases flaring, there are no plans to postpone, said Japan’s minister in charge of vaccinations, CNBC […]

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U.S. Allotting 85% Less J&J Vaccines to States Next Week

April 8, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. government will allot nearly 85% less Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to states next week, data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed, Reuters writes. Only 785,500 J&J doses will be […]

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U.S. Launches Study on Allergic Reaction Risk in Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines

April 7, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. National Institutes of Health said on Wednesday it had begun a mid-stage study to determine the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc, Reuters reported. Several […]

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A Third of COVID Survivors Suffer Neurological or Mental Disorders

April 7, 2021 Focus Washington

One in three COVID-19 survivors in a study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months, suggesting the pandemic could lead to a wave of […]

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Newsom: California Plans To Lift Most COVID Restrictions June 15, Keep Mask Mandate

April 6, 2021 Focus Washington

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state will reopen its economy by June 15 provided that coronavirus vaccine and hospitalization cases remain stable, CNBC reported. “With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the […]

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Vaccinating Adults Appears to Protect Children around Them

April 6, 2021 Focus Washington

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, Reuters reports. New data […]

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U.S. Puts J&J in Charge of Plant That Botched COVID Vaccine, Removes AstraZeneca

April 5, 2021 Focus Washington

The United States has put Johnson and Johnson in charge of a plant that ruined 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and has stopped British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc from using the facility, a senior […]

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UK’s Johnson Launches Mass Testing Programme as Economy Reopens

April 5, 2021 Focus Washington

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday everyone in England will be able to take a COVID-19 test twice a week in a new drive to track the pandemic as society reopens and the […]

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CDC Discourages Americans From Travel Despite ‘Low Risk’ To Vaccinated People

April 2, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely travel at “low risk” but still discouraged Americans from doing so because of high coronavirus […]

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Fauci Says U.S. May Not Need AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

April 2, 2021 Focus Washington

The United States may not need AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, even if it wins U.S. regulatory approval, Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor told Reuters on Thursday. The vaccine, once hailed as another milestone […]

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CDC Chief Warns U.S. Headed for ‘Impending Doom’ as COVID Cases Rise Again

March 30, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. is facing “impending doom” as daily Covid-19 cases begin to rebound once again, threatening to send more people to the hospital even as vaccinations accelerate nationwide, the head of the Centers for Disease […]

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UK Wants to Vaccinate All Adults before Sharing Vaccine with Other Countries

March 30, 2021 Focus Washington

Britain will focus on vaccinating the whole of its adult population before it can to provide any surplus shots to other countries such as its close neighbour Ireland, British business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on […]

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Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Highly Effective after First Shot in Real-World Use, U.S. Study Shows

March 30, 2021 Focus Washington

COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc with BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc reduced risk of infection by 80% two weeks or more after the first of two shots, according to data from a real-world U.S. […]

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Fauci: Rising COVID Cases Can’t Be Blamed on Variants Alone as Travel Resumes, States Lift Restrictions

March 29, 2021 Focus Washington

The latest rise in new Covid-19 infections can’t be pinned on highly transmissible variants alone as more Americans travel for spring break and states lift restrictions, including mask mandates, intended to slow the virus’ spread, […]

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Sinopharm Needs Trial Results To Decide if COVID-19 Vaccine Needs Booster Shot

March 28, 2021 Focus Washington

China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) will need to assess results from overseas Phase III clinical trials to decide whether its two-shot COVID-19 vaccine should be followed by a booster shot, a company executive said on […]

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UK Has Planned for Second COVID-19 Vaccine Doses, Says Minister

March 28, 2021 Focus Washington

Britain has planned to ensure second COVID-19 doses are administered on time, culture minister Oliver Dowden said on Sunday amid concerns over supplies due to friction with the European Union, Reuters reported. “In all of […]

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Germany Warns Third Coronavirus Wave Could Be the Worst So Far

March 27, 2021 Focus Washington

Germany’s third wave of the coronavirus could be the worst so far and 100,000 new daily infections is not out of the question, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases(RKI) said on […]

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CDC Director Warns of Possible COVID Surge as U.S. Cases Increase by 7%

March 26, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. could suffer another surge in Covid-19 cases unless pandemic safety measures are maintained, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday, CNBC informed. The nation is recording a seven-day average of […]

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Johnson & Johnson to Distribute 11 Million COVID-19 Shots Next Week

March 26, 2021 Focus Washington

The U.S. government will distribute 11 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 shot next week as it continues to ramp up vaccine production to support the White House’s effort to get 200 million shots […]

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AstraZeneca Says COVID-19 Vaccine 76% Effective in New Analysis, to Seek U.S. Approval

March 25, 2021 Focus Washington

AstraZeneca’s said its COVID-19 vaccine was 76% effective in a new analysis of its U.S. trial – only a tad lower than the level in an earlier report this week criticised for using outdated data, […]

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EU Sharpens COVID Vaccine Export Rules as Third Wave of Infections Rises

March 24, 2021 Focus Washington

The European Union refined its rules on the export of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, giving it a clearer right to block shipments to countries such as Britain with higher inoculation rates and to those not […]

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