4th Mar 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=219 lockdown_exit

Twelve criteria for the development and use of COVID-19 vaccine passports

Politico Vaccine passports are a classic case of possible good news accompanied by massive complications. These digital certificates promise a golden key to living a normal life again but they risk distracting us from the greater need for vaccines in arms and responsible behavior from all. With so much money and power at stake the worlds biggest brains from IBM to airlines are working on systems to allow the vaccinated class access to a wider range of venues and countries. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/global-translations/2021/03/03/vaccine-passports-fasle-dawn-or-golden-ticket-491975?cid=su_tw_gt 3rd Mar 2021

COVAX vaccine deliveries to Africa begin ramping up

The Independent More African countries received the longawaited first deliveries of COVID19 vaccines on Wednesday with Kenya and Rwanda benefiting from the global COVAX initiative that aims to ensure doses for the worlds lowand middleincome nations. So far Ghana Ivory Coast Nigeria Angola and Congo also have received their first vaccine doses via COVAX with several other countries including Mali Senegal Malawi and Uganda set to receive them this week. But COVAX has faced delays related to the severely limited global supply of vaccine doses as well as logistical issues. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/covid19-vaccine-deliveries-to-african-nations-pick-up-speed-vaccines-rwanda-african-countries-nations-b1811652.html 3rd Mar 2021

COVAX vaccine deliveries to Africa begin ramping up

Reuters Kenya received over a million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine on Wednesday while Rwanda said it was the first in Africa to secure shots from Pfizer as efforts to inoculate the worlds poorest nations accelerated. Kenyas batch which arrived on a Qatar Airways passenger flight is the first of an initial allocation of 3.56 million doses by the global COVAX facility. We have received ... machine guns bazookas and tanks to fight this war against COVID19 Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe exulted as the doses arrived at Nairobis main airport https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AV19V 3rd Mar 2021

The CDC worries that some U.S. states are opening prematurely

CIDRAP Texas and Mississippi announced yesterday that they were ending mask mandates and opening indoor businesses after a year of restrictions because of COVID19. I just announced Texas is OPEN 100. EVERYTHING. I also ended the statewide mask mandate Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted yesterday afternoon. Abbott said in a press conference he was not suggesting the threat of COVID19 was over but with the arrival of vaccines and a significant drop in cases the state was ready to reopen beginning Mar 10. Abbott also said his state was vaccinating 1 million people per week a rate that should comfort those doubtful about lifting restrictions. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/03/mississippi-texas-lift-covid-19-restrictions-despite-warnings 3rd Mar 2021

The CDC worries that some U.S. states are opening prematurely

MSN.com The director of the US Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday said she hopes people will decide to individually do the right thing about distancing and wearing masks even in states moving to eliminate restrictions against the CDCs recommendations. I think we at the CDC have been very clear that now is not the time to release all restrictions Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House COVID19 Response Team briefing. Walenskys comments come after governors of Texas and Mississippi said they were lifting mask mandates and allowing businesses to open at full capacity starting now or within days. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-coronavirus-experts-are-warning-of-a-potential-covid-19-surge-while-several-governors-are-loosening-restrictions/ar-BB1ebozg 3rd Mar 2021

The CDC worries that some U.S. states are opening prematurely

Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said decisions to end the required wearing of masks such as those by governors of Texas and Mississippi amounted to Neanderthal thinking given the rising death toll from the coronavirus pandemic. Asked if he had a message to Texas and Mississippi Biden told reporters I think its a big mistake. Look I hope everybodys realized by now these masks make a difference. Biden said the increasing availability of vaccinations was making a difference in containing the pandemic but it was critical to remain vigilant about wearing masks washing hands and social distancing. The last thing the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that In the meantime everythings fine take off your mask forget it. It still matters Biden said before a brainstorming meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to address cancer. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-whitehouse/biden-says-big-mistake-for-states-to-lift-mask-mandates-given-virus-toll-idUSKBN2AV261?il=0 3rd Mar 2021

Some scientists more pesimistic in face of new variants

Reuters Chris Murray a University of Washington disease expert whose projections on COVID19 infections and deaths are closely followed worldwide is changing his assumptions about the course of the pandemic. A new consensus is emerging among scientists according to Reuters interviews with 18 specialists who closely track the pandemic or are working to curb its impact. Many described how the breakthrough late last year of two vaccines with around 95 efficacy against COVID19 had initially sparked hope that the virus could be largely contained similar to the way measles has been. But they say data in recent weeks on new variants from South Africa and Brazil has undercut that optimism. They now believe that SARSCoV2 will not only remain with us as an endemic virus continuing to circulate in communities but will likely cause a significant burden of illness and death for years to come. As a result the scientists said people could expect to continue to take measures such as routine maskwearing and avoiding crowded places during COVID19 surges especially for people at high risk. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AV1T1 3rd Mar 2021

Some scientists more pesimistic in face of new variants

The Guardian Duke University neuroscientist urges international community to challenge Brazilian government over its failure to contain The world must vehemently speak out over the risks Brazil is posing to the fight against the pandemic said Nicolelis who has spent most of the last year confined to his flat on the west side of So Paulo. Whats the point in sorting the pandemic out in Europe or the United States if Brazil continues to be a breeding ground for this virusHe said Its that if you allow the virus to proliferate at the levels it is currently proliferating here you open the door to the occurrence of new mutations and the appearance of even more lethal variants. Already one particularly worrying variant P1 has been traced to Manaus the largest city in the Brazilian Amazon which suffered a devastating healthcare breakdown in January after a surge in infections. Six cases of that variant have so far been detected in the UK. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/brazil-covid-global-threat-new-more-lethal-variants-miguel-nicolelis?CMP=fb_gu&amputm_medium=Social&amputm_source=Facebook&ampfbclid=IwAR2F2sJNhC7T444UP3OHfRoFQ1ettuRsvZeDgWXLRUPkZjJS6gUhMyMaZ38#Echobox=1614792042 3rd Mar 2021

Some scientists more pesimistic in face of new variants

The Guardian With schools in England poised to reopen on Monday Prof Christina Pagel a member of the Independent Sage committee and director of clinical operational research at University College London in a Twitter post suggested that although emerging data on long Covid in children was uncertain it should not be ignored particularly given there was no licensed vaccine for these age groups and there probably wont be until the end of this year or early next year. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/02/long-covid-uk-children-date-cause-concern-scientists-say 2nd Mar 2021

Some scientists more pesimistic in face of new variants

Reuters on MSN.com The partial lockdown in Sao Paulo Brazils mostpopulous state underscored mounting concerns about a surging new wave of infections. The country is facing its deadliest stretch since the pandemic began due to a homegrown variant dubbed P1 scarce restrictions to slow the virus and the patchy vaccine rollout. Brazil is setting singleday death records as outbreaks ebb in North America and parts of Western Europe. That risks internationally isolating Latin Americas biggest country as other nations seek to shore up their gains against the virus. https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/sao-paulo-shuts-down-as-raging-virus-prompts-brazil-pfizer-deal/ar-BB1ecTc4 3rd Mar 2021

Vaccine hesitancy and crime

The Independent An American Catholic church body on Tuesday urged its followers to avoid the coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson Johnson alleging that it was developed tested and produced using abortionderived cell lines. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB urged Catholics to choose between the alternatives offered by Pfizer and Moderna because the JJ vaccine raised questions about moral permissibility. The approval of Johnson Johnsons Covid19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed tested andor produced with the help of abortionderived cell lines said Bishop Kevin C Rhoades chairman of USCCB. The body said the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are preferable if one has the ability to choose a vaccine. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/covid-vaccine-johnson-johnson-catholics-b1811223.html 3rd Mar 2021

Vaccine hesitancy and crime

Sky News Police have arrested 84 suspects and seized thousands of fake COVID19 vaccines in raids in China and South Africa. It comes weeks after the head of Interpol warned that criminal networks would try to cash in on the global vaccination rollout. South African police seized 400 ampoules providing 2400 doses of a fake vaccine in Germiston Gauteng along with a big supply of fake 3M brand masks. They arrested a Zambian national and three Chinese suspects. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-police-arrest-84-people-as-thousands-of-fake-coronavirus-vaccines-seized-in-china-and-south-africa-12234721 3rd Mar 2021

Vaccine hesitancy and crime

Time Magazine By the time police discovered the shipment of fake COVID19 vaccines the vials had travelled over 6000 miles from China to South Africa the work of a smuggling ring that has produced thousands of counterfeit doses according to Interpol the global police agency that helped break up the operation. The trafficking case involving a shipment of at least 2400 doses is the first confirmed instance of fake vaccines being smuggled across continents an Interpol spokesperson told TIMEthough there are likely more that have occurred and more still that may be uncovered in the future. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to COVID19 vaccine related crime said Jrgen Stock the agencys secretary general in a statement on March 3. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tip-iceberg-interpol-says-fake-110138782.html 3rd Mar 2021

Vaccine hesitancy and crime

Metro A coronavirus test centre in the Netherlands was hit by a suspected deliberate explosion as frustration grows over lockdown measures in the country. The building in the town of Bovenkarspel which has recently seen a surge in Covid19 cases had its windows shattered after something metal blew up outside just before 7am this morning. Officers say they believe the attack was targeted at the test centre. Police spokesperson Menno Hartenberg said What were saying is that something like that doesnt just happen by accident it has to be laid. https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/03/deliberate-explosion-at-dutch-covid-test-centre-after-surge-in-cases-14176883/?ico=related-posts 3rd Mar 2021

Data offers hope of protection

Reuters The findings in laboratory studies offer hope that COVID19 vaccines based on the 501Y.V2 variant first identified late last year could protect against multiple variants circulating in different parts of the world. The more contagious variant drove a second wave of infections in South Africa that peaked in January and is believed to have spread to many other countries in Africa and other continents. We used plasma ... from people that were infected in this latest wave with the 501Y.V2 and we used it against the firstwave virus ... what we found is that it could neutralise OK not as well as it could neutralise itself but its not bad at all Alex Sigal from the Africa Health Research Institute told a news conference. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN2AV1SK 3rd Mar 2021

A universal coronavirus vaccine could stop the next pandemic

Wired.co.uk Coronaviruses have been responsible for three major pandemic threats and its likely many more are waiting in the shadows. A vaccine that protects against them all could stop a pandemic before it begins https://www.wired.co.uk/article/universal-coronavirus-vaccine 3rd Mar 2021

A universal coronavirus vaccine could stop the next pandemic

STAT News Coronavirus made the rivalry less cutthroat because patents were not a paramount concern. The awesomely good thing about this terrible situation is that all the intellectual property questions have been put aside and everyones really intent on just finding solutions said Chen. People are focused on getting something out there that works rather than on the business aspect of it. The ultimate goal for both teams is to create CRISPRbased coronavirus tests that would be like a home pregnancy test cheap disposable fast and simple something you could buy at the corner drugstore and use in the privacy of your home. Harrington and Chen of the Mammoth team unveiled their concept for such a device in May 2020 and announced a partnership with the Londonbased multinational pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to manufacture it. It would provide accurate results in 20 minutes and require no special equipment. https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/03/crispr-rivals-put-patents-aside-fight-against-covid-19/ 3rd Mar 2021

Influencers promote vaccination and commuity discussion

BBC News A British sprinter has urged black Asian and minority ethnic BAME communities to have the conversation about the coronavirus vaccine. Eugene AmoDadzie from east London said he had overcome his concerns after discussing them with a family member. New research shows people from ethnic minorities have been less likely to want to get vaccinated and trust family members views over the government. AmoDadzie said he had responsibility over his career and family. Lets have the conversation lets ask the questions lets understand what our fears and hesitancies are and then lets deal with those and move forward he said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-56251119 3rd Mar 2021

Influencers promote vaccination and commuity discussion

NPR Country music legend Dolly Parton got a taste of her own medicine on Tuesday when she received a dose of the COVID19 vaccine whose research she helped fund. Parton 75 documented the moment in a video posted to social media in which she encouraged eligible viewers to get the shot and broke into a modified rendition of Jolene to that effect. Vaccine vaccine vaccine vaccine Im begging of you please dont hesitate she sang. Vaccine vaccine vaccine vaccine cause once youre dead then thats a bit too late. Dr. Naji Abumrad of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center administered a dose of the Moderna vaccine to Parton who was wearing a sweater with shoulder cutouts for the occasion. The two have a longrunning friendship they met in 2013 when Parton was admitted to the emergency room following a car accident and have since grown close. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/03/973240792/from-jolene-to-vaccine-dolly-parton-gets-covid-19-shot-she-helped-fund 3rd Mar 2021