7th May 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=310 lockdown_exit

Covid: Concern increases over India variant in UK

BBC News Public health experts have recommended a version of the Indian Covid variant found in the UK to be made a variant of concern the BBC has been told. Public Health England PHE has been tracking a variant known as B.1.617.2 which appears to have been spreading more quickly in the UK than others. Scientists believe it is more transmissible than the version of Covid first discovered in Wuhan China. A spokesman for PHE said it would not comment on leaked data. Viruses mutate all the time producing different versions of themselves. Most of these mutations are insignificant and some may even make the virus less dangerous but others can make it more contagious and harder to vaccinate against. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57016110 7th May 2021

How a 'double mutant' Indian Covid strain could pose a massive threat to Sydney

Daily Mail The Sydney couple who have mysteriously tested positive to coronavirus are infected by the double mutant Indian variant of the disease. The B.1.617 strain was identified in the subcontinent in October with two key mutations to the outerspike protein that helps the virus bind and enter cells. The couple have the second of three subvariants known as B.1.617.2. Scientists are not yet sure if the strain is more infectious or more deadly than original Covid but many fear it probably is. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9551913/How-double-mutant-Indian-Covid-strain-pose-massive-threat-Sydney.html 6th May 2021

Covid-19: Seven cases of Indian variant found in NI

BBC News Seven cases of the Indian variant of Covid19 have been detected in Northern Ireland. It is the first time it has been confirmed in the country. Three cases were detected in the Republic of Ireland last month. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57012775 6th May 2021

Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents

BBC News Germany has voiced opposition to a USbacked proposal to waive patents on Covid19 vaccines saying they were not hindering production of the jabs. Its government said the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so. The European Union earlier said it was ready to talk about the proposal and some states gave it their full backing. Supporters of the plan say it will allow more manufactures to produce the lifesaving vaccines. They argue that this will increase access to jabs in poorer countries. But opponents including drug makers say it may not have the desired effect. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57013096 6th May 2021

Government and big pharma face clash on Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver

The Irish Times The Government could be on a collision course with the States powerful pharmaceutical industry over support for US backing of a move to lift patent protection on Covid19 vaccines. The Biden administration has thrown its support behind the move that would allow other companies to make the jabs but reduce the profits of the pharmaceutical giants behind the vaccines. US trade representative Katherine Tai said that it would support the waiver of intellectual property protections on vaccines to help end the pandemic and that the US would participate in negotiations on the move at the World Trade Organisation which sets the rules for global trade. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/government-and-big-pharma-face-clash-on-covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver-1.4557184 6th May 2021

More support easing vaccine patent rules, but hurdles remain

Associated Press Several world leaders Thursday praised the U.S. call to remove patent protections on COVID19 vaccines to help poor countries obtain shots. But the proposal faces a multitude of hurdles including resistance from the pharmaceutical industry. Nor is it clear what effect such a step might have on the campaign to vanquish the outbreak. Activists and humanitarian institutions cheered after the U.S. reversed course Wednesday and called for a waiver of intellectual property protections on the vaccine. The decision ultimately is up to the 164member World Trade Organization and if just one country votes against a waiver the proposal will fail. https://apnews.com/article/africa-coronavirus-pandemic-global-trade-business-science-e60a859a0164f51aa20feb4b9b24b6a9 6th May 2021

Macron backs waiving IP rights for COVID-19 vaccines

Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support on Thursday for waiving intellectual property rights for COVID19 vaccines hours after U.S. President Joe Biden threw his support behind the idea https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/macron-backs-waiving-ip-rights-covid-19-vaccines-2021-05-06/ 6th May 2021

Waiver of patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines, in near term, may be more symbolic than substantive

STAT News The U.S.s stunning endorsement of a proposal to waive Covid19 vaccine patents has won plaudits for President Biden and roiled the global pharmaceutical industry. But at least in the short term its likely to be more of a symbolic milestone than a turning point in the pandemic. For months proponents of the proposal have argued that the need to waive intellectual property protections was urgent given the growth of Covid cases in low and middleincome countries which have been largely left without the huge shipments of vaccine already purchased by wealthy countries. But patents alone dont magically produce vaccines. Experts suggested the earliest the world could expect to see additional capacity flowing from the waiver if its approved at the World Trade Organization would be in 2022. https://www.statnews.com/2021/05/06/waiver-of-patent-rights-on-covid-19-vaccines-in-near-term-may-be-more-symbolic-than-substantive/ 6th May 2021

India welcomes US support over patent access for COVID-19 vaccines

Reuters India on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Joe Bidens support for a proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID19 vaccines to help make them available to more people more quickly. India and South Africa have led a proposal at the WTO to waive protections for some patents and technology and boost vaccine production in developing countries. We are appreciative of U.S. support foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-welcomes-us-support-over-patent-access-covid-19-vaccines-2021-05-06/ 6th May 2021

U.S. backs giving poorer countries access to COVID-19 vaccine patents, reversing stance

Reuters President Joe Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID19 vaccines bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries but angering pharmaceutical companies. Biden voiced his support for a waiver a sharp reversal of the previous U.S. position in remarks to reporters followed swiftly by a statement from his top trade negotiator Katherine Tai who backed negotiations at the World Trade Organization. This is a global health crisis and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures Tai said in a statement amid growing concern that big outbreaks in India could allow the rise of vaccineresistant strains of the deadly virus undermining a global recovery. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-waiver-idUSKBN2CN032 6th May 2021

Pfizer and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes

The Associated Press Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics the IOC said Thursday. Delivery of doses is set to begin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinated with a second shot before arriving in Tokyo for the games which open on July 23. Its the second major vaccination deal for the International Olympic Committee. An agreement was announced in March between the IOC and Olympic officials in China to buy and distribute Chinese vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games and next years Beijing Winter Games. The new Pfizer offer gives the IOC greater coverage worldwide ahead of Tokyo with most countries yet to authorize emergency use of Chinese vaccines. https://apnews.com/article/business-health-olympic-games-sports-79afe5161068292144d669c4fbd3afee 6th May 2021

Pfizer and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes

The Independent The British Olympic Association has been handed a boost in its bid to vaccinate all its athletes and support staff prior to the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in less than 12 weeks time. Under a deal struck between the International Olympic Committee and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer vaccines will be made available to athletes in nations not in a position to prioritise jabs for those heading to the Japanese capital. Following moves by the respective governments of Italy and South Korea last week Britain found itself in the position of being the only one of the top 10 medalwinning nations from Rio 2016 besides Japan not to guarantee its athletes priority doses. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/tokyo-2020-games-coronavirus-b1843151.html 6th May 2021

EU proposes joint approach to develop COVID-19 drugs

Associated Press The European Commission proposed Thursday that EU nations join forces to develop and deploy COVID19 drugs across the 27nation bloc. In addition to the vaccine contracts already secured through a similar joint procurement the EUs executive arm said it will set up a portfolio of 10 potential COVID19 treatments with the aim of authorizing three new ones to treat COVID19 by October. So far the antiviral medicine remdesivir is the only drug authorized across the EU for treating coronavirus patients. Vaccinations save lives but they cannot yet eradicate COVID19. We need a strong push on treatments to limit the need for hospitalization speed up recovery times and reduce mortality said Stella Kyriakides the blocs Health and Food Safety commissioner. https://apnews.com/article/europe-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-government-and-politics-health-d7302141f04e5631f11036fe89890503 6th May 2021

Serbians queue to get COVID-19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher

Reuters Dozens of people gathered at a major mall in Belgrade on Thursday hoping to be among the first to get a COVID19 vaccine and with it a shopping voucher in the latest initiative by authorities to encourage more Serbians to get inoculated. Since last December Serbia has vaccinated 29.81 of its population of around 7 million with at least one dose. The government now wants to accelerate the programme including dropin vaccination centres and facilities in shopping malls. People should be responsible ... and seize the opportunity to have a vaccine ... as we reach out to them said doctor Zoran Vekic who coordinated Thursdays event. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/serbians-queue-get-covid-19-vaccine-with-it-shopping-voucher-2021-05-06/ 6th May 2021

Covid-19 booster could be given with flu jab in Northern Ireland

BBC News In Northern Ireland public health officials are hopeful a campaign for Covid19 booster vaccines will be combined with the regular winter flu jab programme. A Stormont committee was told combining the two campaigns would be more effective. The head of NIs vaccination campaign Patricia Donnelly said guidance would come from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation JCVI. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57009131 6th May 2021

Covid-19 herd immunity is a difficult target, experts warn, but vaccinating teens could be key to protecting us this fall

CNN The United States is offering up freebies expanding the pool of those eligible and shifting access to local pharmacies in its attempts to encourage vaccine holdouts to get inoculated against Covid19. In the last six months nearly 150 million people in the US have received at least one dose of a Covid19 vaccine in what is the fastest and largest mass vaccination effort in world history. Still the US vaccination rate has declined from its peak last month pushing officials to offer new incentives known as carrots to further encourage the wary hesitant and inaccessible to get vaccinated. Some of those carrots are access to cultural events. https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/06/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 6th May 2021

Turkey welcomes foreign tourists while locking down locals

Reuters Turkey Unlimited. Now available without Turks reads a mock tourism advert on social media poking fun at the sight of foreign tourists roaming quiet streets while most Turks are confined to home by a coronavirus lockdown. The government has exempted foreign holidaymakers from the 212week long lockdown in an effort to revitalise tourism a critical sector of the Turkish economy. Those arriving in Turkey must show proof of negative COVID19 tests. But Turks on social media have voiced indignation at images of tourists partying on the countrys Mediterranean coast or locals slapped with fines for being outdoors while foreign visitors can wander around as they wish. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-welcomes-foreign-tourists-while-locking-down-locals-2021-05-05/ 6th May 2021

COVID-19: Leaked reports show B.C. health authorities withholding data from the public

Vancouver Sun A pair of internal reports leaked from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control highlights that health authorities in B.C. are only releasing a fraction of their available COVID19 information to the public. The internal reports each of which runs over 45 pages are four times longer than the weekly reports published by the Centre. They delve into the details of COVID19 case counts and vaccinations at the neighbourhood level breakdowns about variants of concern and more. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-leaked-reports-show-health-authorities-withholding-data-from-the-public 6th May 2021

Nurses report 'not feeling safe to share concerns or needs' during Covid-19

Nursing Times Almost a third of female nurses have not felt safe sharing their personal concerns or needs around the impact of Covid19 with their manager since the crisis began a new survey has shown. In addition the majority of female nurses feel working during the pandemic has had a negative impact on both their mental and physical wellbeing. The results come as part of a report published by the NHS Confederations Health and Care Women Leaders Network earlier this week which explored the impact of the pandemic on female health and care workers. https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/nurses-report-not-feeling-safe-to-share-concerns-or-needs-during-covid-19-06-05-2021/ 6th May 2021

New study shows importance of second dose of coronavirus vaccine

The Brussels Times The second dose of PfizerBioNTechs coronavirus vaccine can reduce the risk of both hospitalisation and death by more than 95 from seven days after vaccination a nationwide study by Israels Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical giant found. The realworld research found a significant increase in effectiveness from the first dose which offers 58 protection against infection 76 against hospitalisation and is 77 effective at preventing death as a result of the virus. Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are highly effective across all age groups in preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic coronavirus infection and coronavirusrelated hospitalisations severe disease and death including those caused by the British variant the report published in The Lancet journal stated. https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/world-all-news/168176/new-study-shows-importance-of-second-dose-of-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-israel-biontech-hospitalisation-symptomatic-death-vaccinated/ 6th May 2021

Early data shows Moderna coronavirus vaccine 96% effective in teens

The Brussels Times The efficacy rate of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years proved to be 96 according to early data from the trial on this age group. The followup after 35 days found the vaccine was generally welltolerated in teens and no serious safety concerns were identified a press release from Moderna on Thursday stated. An initial analysis of 3235 participants showed a vaccine efficacy rate of 96 in participants who received at least one injection. The analysis included 12 cases starting 14 days after the first dose and based on the United States Centre for Disease Control and Preventions definition of the coronavirus the statement read. It added that because the incidence rate of Covid19 is lower in adolescents the case definition is less strict than that for the trials of adults resulting in vaccine efficacy against milder cases of the virus. https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/world-all-news/168271/early-data-shows-moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-96-effective-in-teens-task-force-vaccination-belgium-adolescents/ 6th May 2021

Early data shows Moderna coronavirus vaccine 96% effective in teens

ITV News Modernas tweaked coronavirus vaccine has been found to neutralise both the Brazil and South Africa variants in laboratory trials. The company behind the jab announced that a single dose of one of its vaccines given as a booster to previously vaccinated people increased neutralising antibody titer responses against SARSCoV2 and both the South Africa and Brazil variants. The currently authorised Moderna Covid19 vaccine is mRNA1273 which was developed to protect against the ancestral strain of the virus first identified in Wuhan China while mRNA1273.351 was developed to protect against the B.1.351 virus first identified in South Africa. Moderna said a booster dose of mRNA1273.351 achieved higher neutralising antibody titers against the South Africa variant than a booster dose of mRNA1273. The initial data is from a study involving 40 people. https://www.itv.com/news/2021-05-06/moderna-vaccine-booster-effective-against-covid-variants-in-trials 6th May 2021

Moderna CEO says he's not losing any sleep over Biden's support for COVID-19 vaccine waiver

Fierce Pharma Moderna shares plummeted overnight alongside fellow COVID19 drugmakers after the Biden administration came out in favor of temporarily waiving intellectual property rights for their vaccines. But to Moderna CEO Stphane Bancel the newly U.S.backed measure is not a concern. I didnt lose a minute of sleep over the news during the night Bancel told analysts following the companys firstquarter earnings release Thursday. The pharma industry lobbying groups and some nations have fiercely opposed a controversial IP waiver presented before the World Trade Organization that would temporarily suspend patent rights for COVID19 vaccines. The idea first presented by South Africa and India last fall is intended to boost supply so developing nations would have faster access to the lifesaving shots. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/moderna-ceo-says-he-s-not-losing-any-sleep-over-biden-s-endorsement-for-covid-19-ip-waiver 6th May 2021

Moderna pulled in $1.7B with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but it's just getting started

Fierce Pharma With Modernas COVID19 vaccine having reached tens of millions of Americans in recent months the company reported its first big sales haul more than a decade after its founding. But the biotech is just getting started execs stressed. The Massachusettsbased biotech generated 1.94 billion in revenue during the first quarter with 1.73 billion coming from its COVID19 shot. After the companys founding in 2010 and appointment of CEO Stphane Bancel in 2011 the chief exec took a chance to reflect on Thursdays conference call with analysts. Twelve months ago in Q1 2020 Moderna had never run a phase 3 clinical study never got a product authorized by a regulator and never made 100 million doses in a single quarter Bancel said. I am very proud of what the Moderna team has achieved. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/moderna-posts-massive-year-over-year-growth-thanks-to-1-7b-covid-19-vaccine-sales 6th May 2021

Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teens

CBS News on MSN.com Modernas COVID19 vaccine is 96 effective in teenagers 12 to 17yearsold the drugmaker said Thursday. The company announced results of the Phase 2 trial in reporting firstquarter earnings. Its vaccine generated 1.7 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter. Evidence that Modernas vaccine is effective in teens comes as rival Pfizer is expected to receive federal authorization by early next week to use its COVID19 vaccine in adolescents. Federal approval of one or more vaccines against the disease could enable many American middle and high school students to be vaccinated before the start of the 202122 school year. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/moderna-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-is-96-25-effective-in-teens/ar-BB1gqmDT 6th May 2021

COVID-19: First nationwide data from Israel shows 95% protection from infection after two doses of Pfizer jab

Sky News Two doses of Pfizers COVID19 vaccine can provide more than 95 protection against infection severe illness and death according to the first nationwide data from Israel. A single dose of the jab meanwhile is associated with 58 protection against infection 76 against hospital admission and 77 against death research published in The Lancet suggests. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-first-nationwide-data-from-israel-shows-95-protection-from-infection-after-two-doses-of-pfizer-jab-12298002 6th May 2021

Giving 2 Doses Of Different COVID-19 Vaccines Could Boost Immune Response

NPR Typically if you get a COVID19 vaccine that requires two doses you should get two of the same vaccine. Two Pfizer shots or two Moderna shots. Not one and then the other. But in the future that could change either by necessity or by design. This idea of using two types of vaccines isnt a new concept. Its known as heterologous vaccination although theres a more colloquial term. In the U.K. at the moment were sort of calling it mix and match says Helen Fletcher a professor of immunology at the London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine. She says shortages of a vaccine or concerns about side effects may induce health officials to adopt a mixandmatch strategy. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/05/993882203/giving-2-doses-of-different-covid-19-vaccine-could-boost-immune-response 6th May 2021

India’s gov’t eases hospital oxygen shortage as demand jumps

The Associated Press Under order by the Supreme Court Indias government on Thursday agreed to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital city of New Delhi potentially easing a 2weekold shortage that worsened the countrys exploding coronavirus crisis. Government officials also denied reports that they have been slow in distributing lifesaving medical supplies donated from abroad. The government raised the oxygen supply to 730 tons from 490 tons per day in New Delhi as ordered by the Supreme Court. The court intervened after 12 COVID19 patients including a doctor died last week at New Delhis Batra Hospital when it ran out of medical oxygen for 80 minutes. On Wednesday night 11 other COVID19 patients died when pressure in an oxygen supply line stopped working at a government medical college hospital in Chengalpet in southern India possibly because of a faulty valve The Times of India newspaper reported. https://apnews.com/article/india-middle-east-coronavirus-pandemic-health-4b830485ce09b3e7eeea40c5522d4d21 6th May 2021

Doctor in COVID-hit India forced to decide who lives and who dies

AlJazeera Rohan Aggarwal is 26 years old. He doesnt even complete his medical training until next year. And yet at one of the best hospitals in India he is the doctor who must decide who will live and who will die when patients come to him gasping for breath their family members begging for mercy. As Indias healthcare system teeters on the verge of collapse during a brutal second wave of the coronavirus Aggarwal makes those decisions during a 27hour workday that includes a grim overnight shift in charge of the emergency room at his New Delhi hospital. Everyone at Holy Family Hospital patients relatives and staff knows there arent enough beds not enough oxygen or ventilators to keep everyone who arrives at the hospitals front gates alive https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/6/doctor-in-covid-hit-india-forced-to-decide-who-lives-and-who-dies 6th May 2021

Pleas for help in India as COVID-19 leaves children without carers

AlJazeera When an Indian childrens rights group tracked down two boys aged 6 and 8 after it was told that their parents were both severely ill with COVID19 and unable to care for them the children had not eaten for days. The case reported by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan BBA group which located the boys in a small town in Indias rural heartland was one of a growing number of emergencies involving children affected by Indias devastating coronavirus crisis. The exponential rise in infections and deaths has left some children particularly in poor communities without a carer because their parents or other relatives are too ill to cope or have died. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/pleas-help-india-covid-19-leaves-children-without-carers-2021-05-06/?taid=6093e1551f36dc0001b93a2d&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 6th May 2021

Global Fund fast-tracks $75 million for India's COVID battle

CIDRAP Against the backdrop of the worlds second most populous country in the grips of a catastrophic COVID19 surge the Global Fund today said it approved 75 million to help India buy oxygen concentrators and oxygen plants. In other developments several groups and leaders praised the United States statement yesterday supporting a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID19 vaccines but others warned that the step could hamstring vaccine production. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/05/global-fund-fast-tracks-75-million-indias-covid-battle 6th May 2021

Peru’s COVID crisis: ‘Almost all Peruvians know someone who died’

AlJazeera State health officials say a small number of Nebraskans who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus later developed COVID19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said that 343 people have tested positive for COVID19 after being fully vaccinated. But that represents just 0.05 of the 689561 people who have been fully vaccinated in the state. So far 46.5 of Nebraskas population over 16 has been vaccinated for the coronavirus although the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks as demand for the shots waned. The state reported 1397 new virus cases in the past week to give Nebraska a total of 220933 cases since the pandemic began. There have also been 2249 deaths in the state. The sevenday rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks going from 360.29 new cases per day on April 20 to 197 new cases per day on Tuesday. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/6/perus-covid-crisis-almost-all-peruvians-know-someone-who-died 6th May 2021

Five more suffer blood clotting after receiving AstraZeneca jab

9News Five more people are being treated for serious blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine the Therapeutic Goods Administration has said. The cases are in a 74yearold man and a 51yearold woman from Victoria a 66yearold man from Queensland a 64yearold woman from Western Australia and a 70yearold man from Tasmania. Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said the 66yearold is in intensive care as a direct result of receiving the COVID jab on March 30. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-vaccine-update-queensland-man-blood-clotting-case-townsville-astrazeneca-covid19-vaccine/f18ae6b3-09eb-40da-b74c-e88c8ece3b50 6th May 2021

New analysis finds global Covid death toll is double official estimates

STAT News A new analysis of the toll of the Covid19 pandemic suggests 6.9 million people worldwide have died from the disease more than twice as many people as has been officially reported. In the United States the analysis estimates 905000 people have died of Covid since the start of the pandemic. That is about 38 higher than the current death estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 561594. The new figure also surpasses the estimated number of U.S. deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic which was estimated to have killed approximately 675000 Americans. The analysis was conducted by scientists at the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. https://www.statnews.com/2021/05/06/new-analysis-finds-global-covid-death-toll-is-double-official-estimates/ 6th May 2021

Covid-19 vaccine rates lower among ethnic minorities, disabled people and in deprived areas

Pulse Takeup of a Covid19 vaccine has been lower among all ethnic minority groups compared with the White British population figures show. Lower uptake has also been seen among some religious groups disabled people and those living in more deprived areas the Office for National Statistics ONS said. Reasons for lower vaccination rates are likely to be complex but modelling showed could not be fully explained by geography sociodemographic factors or underlying health conditions the ONS report concluded. It comes as other figures show vaccine hesitancy in England remains low overall but is higher in younger age groups people in deprived areas and Black adults. A study exploring the reasons for vaccine refusal and uncertainty in more depth is due to be published soon the ONS said. https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/immunology-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-rates-lower-among-ethnic-minorities-disabled-people-and-in-deprived-areas/ 6th May 2021

Nebraska says small number of vaccinated people got COVID-19

The Associated Press State health officials say a small number of Nebraskans who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus later developed COVID19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said that 343 people have tested positive for COVID19 after being fully vaccinated. But that represents just 0.05 of the 689561 people who have been fully vaccinated in the state. So far 46.5 of Nebraskas population over 16 has been vaccinated for the coronavirus although the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks as demand for the shots waned. The state reported 1397 new virus cases in the past week to give Nebraska a total of 220933 cases since the pandemic began. There have also been 2249 deaths in the state. The sevenday rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks going from 360.29 new cases per day on April 20 to 197 new cases per day on Tuesday. https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-coronavirus-pandemic-health-049af13204b8d150d6e68428bc7c2f09 6th May 2021