18th Jun 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=367 lockdown_exit

Previous Covid infection may not offer long-term protection, study finds

The Guardian Previous infection with coronavirus does not necessarily protect against Covid in the longer term especially when caused by new variants of concern a study on healthcare workers suggests. Researchers at Oxford University found marked differences in the immune responses of medical staff who contracted Covid with some appearing far better equipped than others to combat the disease six months later. Scientists on the study conducted with the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium said the findings reinforced the importance of everyone getting vaccinated regardless of whether they had been infected with the virus earlier in the pandemic. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/previous-covid-infection-may-not-offer-long-term-protection-study-finds 17th Jun 2021

Coronavirus: ‘Exponential rise’ in Covid cases in England driven by younger people

The Independent Covid19 cases are rising exponentially across England driven by younger and mostly unvaccinated age groups according to scientists tracking the epidemic. A study commissioned by the government found that infections have increased 50 per cent between 3 May and 7 June as the country struggles to combat the rise of the Delta variant first detected in India. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/covid-cases-england-young-people-b1867611.html 17th Jun 2021

‘Fear and panic’ as COVID ravages Nepali villages near Mt Everest

Al Jazeera English When Saraswati Tamang Karki fell ill with COVID19 in a small village near Mount Everest her family had to call on Nepalese soldiers and trekking guides to help take her to the nearest doctor. On June 11 a group of 13 men took turns carrying the 44yearold on a stretcher hurrying up and down the narrow and winding dirt paths that lead from the village of Monju to the Pasang Lhamu Nicole Niquille Hospital in the nearby town of Lukla. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/17/nepal-sherpa-villages-reeling-from-covid-as-climbing-season-ends 18th Jun 2021

New Zealand lays out vaccine plan after grumbling over delay

Reuters New Zealand will take up to the end of the year to inoculate all those eligible for COVID19 vaccinations Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday as she announced details of a vaccine campaign. The Pacific island nation shut its borders and used tough lockdown measures to become one of the few countries to have virtually eliminated COVID19 but the government is facing criticism for a slow rollout of vaccines. About 560000 people in the country of 5 million have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine while about 325000 have been given a second dose. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-lays-out-vaccine-plan-after-grumbling-over-delay-2021-06-17/ 17th Jun 2021

Empowering Indian women who lost their partners to COVID

Al Jazeera English Nichelle John was six weeks pregnant when she and her husband contracted COVID19 in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru last month. A week after they were infected her husband Shawn died of the virus on May 11. He was 38. Two days later Nichelle had a miscarriage and lost her unborn baby. While she has fully recovered from the viral disease she says her world has been shattered. For the last two years we were trying for a baby and when finally everything was going fine the virus devastated my entire world and took everything I had in my life she told Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/17/empowering-indian-women-who-lost-their-partners-to-covid 17th Jun 2021

‘Fight or flight’: Indians mull moving abroad amid COVID crisis

Al Jazeera English For the last couple of years Shaily Agrawal a 25yearold digital communication specialist based in New Delhi has felt out of place in her own country. She says the India she held on to has drastically changed with a lot of contrast now between her beliefs and the direction the country is heading towards. While a polarised political environment in recent years had made Agrawal think about leaving India the devastating second wave of the coronavirus finally tipped the scales and made her seriously consider her options abroad. Mentally its been caging. Its been hellish. The healthcare systems inefficiency is exposed and nothing feels reliable Agrawal told Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/17/fight-or-flight-indians-mull-moving-abroad-amid-covid-crisis 17th Jun 2021

Copa America cases of COVID-19 rises to 65

The Associated Press CONMEBOL says cases of people with COVID19 at the Copa America in Brazil have risen to 65. Nineteen people are on the 10 tournament teams and 46 are staffers and officials the South American soccer body said on Thursday. There have been 5458 tests so far. The total number of known infections was up from 53 on Wednesday. Brazil stepped in late as an emergency host despite the country having the second highest number of recorded deaths from the coronavirus in the world more than 493000. Also on Thursday the Bolivian Football Association said two players tested positive defender Oscar Ribera and forward Jaume Cullar. Bolivian striker Marcelo Martins who used his Instagram account to criticize CONMEBOL for the COVID19 cases backtracked in a statement. https://apnews.com/article/international-soccer-copa-america-health-coronavirus-pandemic-soccer-dad7e212d995e6ef8647780d9b2f76d0 17th Jun 2021

Japan plans to lift COVID restrictions ahead of Olympic Games

Aljazeera.com Japans government on Thursday approved lifting Tokyos virus emergency measures a month before the Olympics but set new restrictions that could sharply limit fans at the sporting events. The state of emergency in place in Tokyo began in late April and largely limits bar and restaurant opening hours and bans them from selling alcohol. That measure will now end in the capital and eight other regions on June 20 Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced. It will stay in place in Okinawa. The number of infections nationwide has been declining since midMay and the situation in terms of hospital beds is steadily improving he said. On the other hand in some regions there are signs that the fall in the number of infections is slowing Suga added. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/17/japan-plans-to-lift-covid-restrictions-a-head-of-olympic-games 18th Jun 2021

Brazil registers 74,042 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, 2,311 deaths

Reuters Brazil has reported 74042 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 2311 deaths from COVID19 the Health Ministry said on Thursday. The South American country has now registered 17702630 cases since the pandemic began while the official death toll has risen to 496004 according to ministry data in the worlds third worst outbreak outside the United States and India and its second deadliest. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-registers-74042-coronavirus-cases-24-hours-2311-deaths-2021-06-17/?taid=60cbe32f1025cd0001e2eb5e&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 17th Jun 2021

Denmark will offer Covid-19 vaccine to all children aged between 12 and 15 to boost overall immunity ahead of winter

Yahoo News UK Denmark will offer Covid19 vaccines for children aged 1215 after the adult population has been inoculated to boost its overall immunity against the virus ahead of the winter health authorities announced on Thursday. Initially offer PfizerBioNTechs vaccine will be made available for 1215 yearolds as it is the only vaccine approved by the EUs drug regulator for use in adolescents the Danish Health Authority said in a statement. The EU regulator expects to announce a decision on the use of Modernas shot in adolescents sometime next month. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/denmark-offer-covid-19-vaccine-121034958.html 17th Jun 2021

COVID-19: All over-18s in England able to book vaccine from Friday as Whitty warns of 'surprises' ahead

Sky News Englands chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has warned COVID19 has not thrown its last surprise at us and there will be several more over the next period. Speaking at the NHS Confed Conference he said he is anticipating case rates will continue to go up in the next few weeks due to Delta being significantly more transmissible than Alpha. He said In terms of the medium term my expectation is that we will get a further winter surge late autumnwinter surge. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-all-over-18s-in-england-able-to-book-vaccine-from-friday-as-whitty-warns-of-surprises-ahead-12335001 17th Jun 2021

Indonesian officials give away live chickens to residents willing to get vaccinated

CNN Live chickens are being given away by local authorities in rural Indonesia as an incentive for older residents to get vaccinated against Covid19. The program in Cianjur regency West Java is part of the districts effort to increase the number of vaccines administered to citizens age 45 and over. Galih Apria assistant police commissioner in the subdistrict of Pecat said older residents had been very hesitant about getting the shots during the early rollout of the governments vaccination program. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/asia/indonesia-town-chickens-vaccinated-intl-hnk-scli/index.html 17th Jun 2021

Japan PM Suga urges Japanese to watch Olympics on TV to prevent spread of COVID-19

Reuters Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday called on the public to watch the upcoming Tokyo Olympics on TV to avoid the spread of COVID19 infections as the organisers debate whether to allow domestic spectators into Olympic venues. Suga speaking at a news conference to announce the lifting of some COVID19 restrictions in Tokyo and several other areas said that the most important thing was to avoid a rebound in the number of infections and the collapse of the medical system. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-suga-urges-japanese-watch-olympics-tv-prevent-spread-covid-19-2021-06-17/ 17th Jun 2021

EU health commissioner urges Bulgarians to get COVID-19 vaccine

Xinhua Stella Kyriakides European commissioner for health and food safety who visited Bulgaria on Thursday urged the public there to get vaccinated against COVID19. The vaccination rate in Bulgaria is among the lowest in the European Union EU. Over 50 percent of the European adult population have already received the first vaccine dose. The number in Bulgaria is close to 15 percent Kyriakides said at a press conference. The way to get out of this pandemic is to vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate. This is my strong message for today she said. The citizens need to trust the vaccines said Kyriakides. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/europe/2021-06/17/c_1310013981.htm 17th Jun 2021

Antibody screening could transform Covid-19 vaccine distribution

The Financial Times The writer is codirector of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London and chair of Preemptive Medicine and Health Security Initiative at Flagship Pioneering the bioplatforms company that founded vaccines maker Moderna As countries in the global north scale up their Covid19 vaccination programmes https://www.ft.com/content/4a7575ac-605a-4589-8ed2-19036ece7ced 17th Jun 2021

The call on lifting Covid-19 restrictions is not easy in Singapore's transition phase

The Financial Times The writer is codirector of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London and chair of Preemptive Medicine and Health Security Initiative at Flagship Pioneering the bioplatforms company that founded vaccines maker Moderna As countries in the global north scale up their Covid19 vaccination programmes https://www.ft.com/content/4a7575ac-605a-4589-8ed2-19036ece7ced 17th Jun 2021

Fauci: US to spend $3.2B for antiviral pills for COVID-19

The Associated Press The United States is devoting 3.2 billion to advance development of antiviral pills for COVID19 and other dangerous viruses that could turn into pandemics. Dr. Anthony Fauci the nations top infectious disease expert announced the investment Thursday at a White House briefing as part of a new antiviral program for pandemics to develop drugs to address symptoms caused by potentially dangerous viruses like the coronavirus. The pills for COVID19 which would be used to minimize symptoms after infection are in development and could begin arriving by years end pending the completion of clinical trials. The funding will speed those clinical trials and provide additional support to private sector research development and manufacturing. https://apnews.com/article/anthony-fauci-united-states-infectious-diseases-coronavirus-pandemic-health-d9cfa18e561f3e58b2ae39e77353ab01 17th Jun 2021

COVID-19 vaccinations for pharmacists in care homes to be mandatory

Chemist+Druggist Pharmacists who work in care homes even on a parttime basis will be required to have received two doses of a COVID19 vaccination under plans announced today June 16. From October anyone working in a CQCregistered care home in England will be required by law to be immunised against COVID19 unless they are medically exempt following a 16week grace period for health workers to receive both doses the Department for Health and Social Care DH said. This includes anyone who works in a care home fulltime such as care home pharmacists as well as those who visit for occasional work under new legislation that will be brought before parliament at the earliest opportunity https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/breaking-covid-vaxes-care-home-pharmacists-be-mandatory 16th Jun 2021

Doubts on coronavirus vaccine linked to ‘lack of knowledge’

The Irish Times Some peoples hesitancy about taking Covid19 vaccines is linked to a lack of knowledge and awareness of their benefits according to new research. The less people followed news coverage about the virus the less likely they were to want to take the vaccine the research by the Economic and Social Research Institute indicates. Providing factual information about vaccines and their realworld effectiveness may help bridge the gap in knowledge the authors suggest. About four out of five adults say they have received the vaccine or intend to get it with the rest unsure or opposed to receiving it. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/doubts-on-coronavirus-vaccine-linked-to-lack-of-knowledge-1.4595352 17th Jun 2021

After a Year of Denying Covid-19, Tanzania Orders Vaccines

Wall Street Journal Tanzania has lodged an order for coronavirus vaccines the countrys presidency said Thursday after the East African nations government spent a year denying the existence of the virus within its borders and becoming a magnet for Covid19 skeptics from around the globe. Tanzanias request for vaccines from the World Health Organizationbacked Covax program which distributes free Covid19 shots to the worlds poorest countries follows the death of President John Magufuli in March when local doctors and church leaders were warning about a surge in infections. His successor and former deputy Samia Suluhu Hassan has tentatively instituted more transparency in the handling of the pandemic opening several Covid19 testing centers and wearing masks during public appearances https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-a-year-of-denying-covid-19-tanzania-orders-vaccines-11623938431 17th Jun 2021

Families mourn the loss of loved ones who hesitated on the Covid-19 vaccine

CNN Despite vaccines being widely available for teenagers and adults demand has slowed drastically since midApril. At the time the country was administering an average of 3.4 million doses per day. That moving average is now close to 600000 per day as of Tuesday the most recent day for which the figure is available according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Local governments are offering financial incentives for people to get the shot. Medical experts and officials are also seeing effective strategies by local pastors coaches and community leaders working on a grassroots level to encourage people. The wordofmouth approach from trusted voices can be powerful said the Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr. a prominent pastor who leads the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee Florida. This spring his church invested in a mobile medical unit to make health care more accessible in his community. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/us/unvaccinated-covid-deaths-loved-ones/index.html 17th Jun 2021

CureVac crashes after crucial COVID-19 vaccine trial disappoints

Reuters German biotech firm CureVac saw billions of euros wiped from its market value on Thursday after its COVID19 vaccine proved only 47 effective in an initial trial readout denting investor confidence in its ability to take on rival shots. The disappointing efficacy of its vaccine CVnCoV emerged from an interim analysis in a study of about 40000 volunteers in Europe and Latin America with CureVac saying on Wednesday that new variants had proved a headwind https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/curevac-crashes-after-crucial-covid-19-vaccine-trial-disappoints-2021-06-17/ 17th Jun 2021

AstraZeneca vaccine price pledge omits some poor countries, contract shows

The Guardian AstraZeneca can charge a higher price for its Covid19 vaccine in dozens of poor countries once the pharmaceutical company decides the pandemic has ended according to a copy of its contract with Oxford University seen by the Guardian. The BritishSwedish drug firm has promised to provide the vaccine at a notforprofit price to the developing world in perpetuity but a review of a redacted version of its contract with Oxford University obtained by the student advocacy group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UAEM found that the promise excludes many lowincome and lowermiddleincome countries. Among those left off the list are 34 countries classified by Unicef and the WHO as being in need of vaccine support including Sri Lanka Angola TimorLeste Honduras Zimbabwe and the Philippines which could all be charged a higher price once AstraZeneca declares the Covid19 pandemic has ended. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/astrazeneca-vaccine-price-pledge-omits-some-poor-countries-contract-shows 17th Jun 2021

CureVac’s coronavirus vaccine only 47 percent effective

POLITICO Europe German company CureVacs coronavirus vaccine is far less effective than other jabs already in use the firm said Wednesday. The company announced a 47 percent efficacy rate against all COVID19 cases and said it did not meet prespecified statistical success criteria based on the second analysis of a largescale efficacy trial. The study involved 40000 people in 10 countries in Europe and Latin America with at least 13 coronavirus variants circulating the company said. The original strain was almost completely absent from the trial. https://www.politico.eu/article/curevacs-vaccine-is-only-47-percent-effective-at-preventing-covid/ 17th Jun 2021

Covid-19: Regeneron's antibody combination cuts deaths in seronegative patients, trial finds

The BMJ Regenerons antibody combination treatment cut deaths in seronegative patientsmeaning those who had not mounted their own antibody response to covid19by one fifth the Recovery trial has found. The researchers found that for every 100 seronegative patients treated with the combination of casirivimab and imdevimab there were six fewer deaths. They said patients admitted to hospital should now be routinely tested for antibodies to determine whether the treatment could benefit them. The two virus neutralising antibodies work by binding noncompetitively to the critical receptor binding domain of SARSCoV2s spike protein thereby stopping the virus from binding to and entering human cells. Recovery which is being carried out in 177 UK hospitals has been evaluating potential covid19 treatments for patients admitted to hospital. It discovered the first effective treatment for reducing mortalitydexamethasonewhile also discounting others including hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma. https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1570 17th Jun 2021

Covid cases in England doubling every 11 days as Delta variant takes hold

The Guardian Covid19 cases are rising exponentially across England driven by younger and mostly unvaccinated age groups according to scientists. A study commissioned by the government found that infections increased by 50 between 3 May and 7 June coinciding with the rise of the Delta coronavirus variant that is now dominant in the UK. Data from nearly 110000 swab tests carried out across England between 20 May and 7 June suggests Covid cases are doubling every 11 days with the highest prevalence in the northwest and one in 670 people infected. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/covid-cases-in-england-doubling-every-11-days-as-delta-takes-hold 17th Jun 2021

Double-Lung Transplants Rise After Covid ‘Honeycombs’ Organs

Bloomberg John Mickluss battle with Covid19 began last Christmas and ended five weeks later with lungs so irreversibly damaged that doctors said there was nothing they could do to save him. The doctors recommendation was to get my affairs in order Micklus said. The 62yearold called his wife from his hospital bed in southern Maryland. She in turn desperately called several physicians and eventually learned of one last option A doublelung transplant. Micklus was transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore where a rigorous assessment qualified him to receive lungs from a matched donor days later. He was discharged from the hospital on March 30 marking the centers second successful lung transplant in a Covid survivor. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-17/double-lung-transplants-rise-after-covid-honeycombs-organs?utm_source=twitter&amputm_content=business&amputm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amputm_medium=social&ampcmpid=socialflow-twitter-business 17th Jun 2021

COVID-19: Home quarantine rule for travellers to UK 'just doesn't work', says Professor Neil Ferguson

Sky News A home quarantine rule for travellers to the UK just doesnt work a top epidemiologist advising the government has warned. Professor Neil Ferguson part of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group Nervtag suggested that anything other than the tough border restrictions imposed by countries such as Australia and New Zealand was window dressing. The government has been facing calls to scrap its amber list of countries from which people returning to the UK have to quarantine for 10 days at home. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-home-quarantine-rule-for-travellers-to-uk-just-doesnt-work-says-professor-neil-ferguson-12334978 17th Jun 2021

Pfizer’s arthritis drug Xeljanz shows lifesaving benefits in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

FiercePharma Pfizers BioNTechpartnered COVID19 vaccine Comirnaty may be getting all the attention these days but the pharma giants antiinflammatory drug Xeljanz just chalked up a win in treating patients hospitalized with the disease. Xeljanz reduced the risk of death or respiratory failure among hospitalized patients with COVID19 pneumonia who didnt require ventilation according to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The company is now analyzing the full dataset and will assess the next steps Tamas Koncz M.D. Ph.D. chief medical officer of Pfizer Inflammation Immunology said in a statement Wednesday. The data come from the STOPCOVID study which enrolled 289 hospitalized patients across 15 sites in Brazil. After 28 days of treatment death or respiratory failure had occurred in 18.1 of patients on Xeljanz compared with 29 for those who received placebo. All patients also received other standardofcare treatments including corticosteroids which were given to nearly 90 of patients in both trial arms. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/pfizer-s-arthritis-drug-xeljanz-shows-lifesaving-benefits-hospitalized-covid-19-patients 17th Jun 2021

Has a 'Moscow Strain' of Coronavirus Emerged?

The Moscow Times The developers of Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine are studying the jabs effectiveness against the socalled Moscow strain of the virus they told the staterun RIA Novosti news agency Tuesday. Gamaleya Center head Alexander Gintsburgs comments come as Moscow officials have sounded the alarm over the Russian capitals surge in new infections with reported daily cases more than doubling in the past week. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/06/15/has-a-moscow-strain-of-coronavirus-emerged-a74225 15th Jun 2021

Pharma Executives Seeking Higher Immunity Are Mixing Their Covid Shots

Bloomberg Quint When it comes to their own health some in the pharma industry arent waiting for governments to tell them they can mix two different Covid19 vaccines. While research is still underway on the effects of taking mismatched shots some people whove studied the science are switching up their doses to get what they claim is better protection. At least one industry veteran even crossed borders to do https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/pharma-executives-seeking-higher-immunity-mix-own-covid-shots 11th Jun 2021

Hundreds of Indonesian doctors contract Covid-19 despite Sinovac vaccination

The Independent More than 350 Indonesian doctors have contracted Covid19 despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised officials said as concerns rise about the efficacy of some vaccines against more virulent virus strains. Most of the doctors were asymptomatic and selfisolating at home said Badai Ismoyo head of the Kudus district health office in Central Java but dozens were in hospital with high fevers and declining oxygen saturation levels. Kudus is battling an outbreak believed to be driven by the more transmissible Delta variant which has pushed bed occupancy rates above 90 per cent in the district. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/indonesia-doctors-sinovac-vaccine-covid-b1867632.html 17th Jun 2021

These communities remain at high risk for dangerous Covid-19 variants rapidly increasing in US, expert warns

CNN The U.S. continued this week on a path to reopening from the Covid19 pandemic with major population centers such as New York and California pulling back on restrictions following increased vaccinations and lowered infections. Yet with overall vaccination rates in the US slowing this month when compared to highs in April health officials are raising awareness about the uneven distribution of vaccines in different parts of the country. Im very unconcerned for people who have been vaccinated and Im more concerned for people who have not been vaccinated and the communities that are largely unvaccinated Andy Slavitt former White House senior adviser for the Biden administrations Covid19 response said https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 17th Jun 2021

COVID-19 cases 'rising exponentially' in England, study finds

Sky News COVID19 cases are rising exponentially across England with the latest estimates putting the R number at 1.44. Infections increased by 50 between 3 May and 7 June coinciding with the rise of the Delta variant which has become dominant in the UK since first being detected in India. Delta has overtaken the Alpha Kent variant and now accounts for up to 90 of coronavirus cases. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-cases-rising-exponentially-in-england-study-finds-12334500 17th Jun 2021

Youth, Delta variant behind UK COVID surge

CIDRAP Two new studies look at the Delta variant B1617 behind the UK COVID19 surge with the first noting that young people are helping drive the exponential growth of COVID19 cases in England. The second study describes reduced COVID19 vaccine and antibody efficacy against the more transmissible variant. The first study published today on the Imperial College London preprint server involved testing a random sample of people from across England for COVID19 as part of the ongoing RealTime Assessment of Community Transmission React 1 study. The researchers showed that COVID19 infections in England surged from May 20 to Jun 7 with a doubling time of 11 days and an estimated R reproductive number of 1.44. Doubling time is the number of days before coronavirus cases hospitalizations or deaths doubled and R indicates how many people on average catch the virus from an infected person. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/06/youth-delta-variant-behind-uk-covid-surge 17th Jun 2021

Africa's COVID-19 surge picks up speed

CIDRAP Africa is in the middle of a fullblown third surge of COVID19 with cases already near the peak of its first wave the head of the World Health Organization WHO African regional office warned today as she pressed countries on the continent to step up their public health measures. In other developments and with much of the world struggling with scarce vaccine supplies Germanybased CureVac yesterday reported disappointing efficacy findings for its mRNA COVID vaccine. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/06/africas-covid-19-surge-picks-speed 17th Jun 2021