Coronavirus live news: Moderna withholds 1.6m vaccines in Japan over contamination concerns, Sydney hospitals struggle to cope | World news

Right here’s the total story on the proposed plans to increase the UK’s vaccination programme to 12- to 15-year-olds, from my colleague Damien Gayle.

NHS England has been informed to arrange to manage Covid vaccinations to all youngsters aged 12 and above, in accordance with studies.

Extra on the story of Moderna withdrawing a provide of about 1.63m doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in Japan after a report of contamination of vials with particulate matter.

Spain’s drugmaker Rovi, which bottles or “fills and finishes” Moderna vaccines for markets aside from the US, has confirmed that the potential contamination is beneath investigation and seems to be restricted to “just a few batches” for Japan.

A spokesperson for the corporate mentioned manufacturing of the vaccine has not been halted at its vegetation.

As again to highschool looms and in-person educating returns, there’s an expectation that Covid-19 instances will rise, particularly amongst youngsters.

Within the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Company (MRHA) has authorised the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for kids aged 12 to 17, however they’re nonetheless not accessible to most individuals on this demographic. At current, youngsters aged 12 to fifteen are solely provided a jab if they’re thought of clinically susceptible.

A public well being knowledgeable has mentioned the vaccine rollout ought to be prolonged to 12- to 15-year-olds, with the Delta variant “flying by means of colleges”.

Chatting with BBC Radio 4’s In the present day programme at this time, Prof Devi Sridhar, a world public well being specialist on the College of Edinburgh, mentioned:

I feel proper now, if we all know the choices with Delta, given how infectious it’s, is that both you’re going to be uncovered to Covid with none safety otherwise you will be uncovered and have a vaccine.

And we ought to be providing teenagers that vaccine so that they have that safety earlier than going again into colleges.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has not but suggested on widening the rollout to wholesome teenagers within the 12-15 age group.

Sridhar mentioned the JCVI have been being “very cautious” with regards to widening the jabs rollout however “ready and watching prices time”.

Time is the foreign money now that issues as a result of it’s not like we are able to wait and watch and in six months say, ‘OK, it’s protected, let’s vaccinate.’

In these six months if a big proportion of 12- to 15-year-olds get contaminated, in some methods they’ve misplaced that window of time and so I feel maybe they don’t really feel the urgency that they need to be feeling given it’s an emergency scenario and we now have Delta, which is so infectious. I imply, it’s simply flying by means of colleges as we all know.

A retailer in Malaysia is promoting handmade paper Covid jabs for individuals to honour their family members who misplaced their lives in the course of the pandemic.

A field set of a syringe and two vaccine vials product of paper have develop into a preferred praying merchandise at Raymond Shieh Siow Leong’s non secular items retailer within the southern Malaysian metropolis of Johor Bahru.

Shieh mentioned the thought got here to him after studying testimonies by individuals who had misplaced family and friends earlier than they’d an opportunity to be vaccinated.

He informed Reuters: “The Covid-19 scenario in our nation is sort of severe and many individuals handed away earlier than receiving the vaccine. I hope this product will help the deceased to fulfil their dying want.”

Malaysia has one of many highest charges of Covid infections and deaths in south-east Asia, with nearly 1.6m instances and a loss of life toll of 14,818.

St Lucia may very well be added to the UK’s journey crimson checklist, as ministers put together to replace the traffic-light system for the ultimate time this summer time.

Covid knowledge analyst Tim White warned PA information company that the Caribbean island is “in actual peril” of being placed on the crimson checklist as “the numbers maintain getting worse”.

This is able to imply travellers arriving within the UK from St Lucia can be required to remain in a quarantine lodge for 11 nights on their arrival, at a beginning value of £2,285 per grownup.

He mentioned Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria and Ghana may additionally face being added to the crimson checklist at this time.

On the optimistic facet, Turkey has said it expects to be faraway from the crimson checklist and there’s additionally stress for restrictions to be eased on passengers arriving from Pakistan.

This is able to imply all passengers can be allowed into the UK once more so long as they check unfavourable for Covid earlier than travelling. Some should isolate at house for as much as 10 days, whereas those that have been absolutely vaccinated within the UK, Europe or US with a drug authorised by their respective regulators may skip quarantine altogether.

India reported 46,164 new Covid instances and 607 deaths within the newest 24 hour interval, in accordance with knowledge launched by the well being ministry on Thursday.

The figures examine to 37,593 new instances and 648 deaths the day past.

India’s official whole loss of life toll at present stands at 436,365.

Hey! It’s Léonie Chao-Fong right here, taking up the reside weblog.

Within the UK, academics and households are being urged to take precautions to cut back outbreaks of the winter illness bug earlier than pupils return to highschool subsequent week.

As Covid restrictions have eased, well being officers have been alerted to a surge in norovirus outbreaks, significantly in nurseries and child-care settings.

A report by Public Well being England (PHE) warns that additional rises may very well be seen in coming months. Norovirus is extremely infectious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea however often passes in a few days.

That’s it from me, Helen Livingstone, for at this time. I’m handing over to my UK colleague Léonie Chao-Fong.

Right here’s a fast roundup of what’s been taking place up to now:

• Moderna Inc says it has withheld provide of about 1.63 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in Japan after a report of contamination of vials with particulate matter, which it suspects entails a manufacturing line in Spain.

• New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has dismissed criticism of her formidable elimination technique to stamp out Covid, because the nation’s outbreak grows, saying the strategy has saved lives and can proceed to take action.

• The Australian state of New South Wales has reported a record 1,029 cases, with hospitals in Sydney, the epicentre of the outbreak, struggling to cope with the rise in sufferers. The nurses union says a number of services are beneath “monumental stress” and have “little or no capability” of their emergency departments.

• The scientists dispatched to China by the WHO to find Covid’s origins mentioned that the window of alternative for fixing the thriller is “closing quick”. They appeared to be attempting to reframe their original finding, which mentioned a lab leak was “extraordinarily unlikely”, after particulars emerge on how phrases have been agreed with Chinese language officers.

• Brazil introduced it would give Covid booster pictures to immunosuppressed or susceptible individuals, and citizens over the age of 80, after it emerged yesterday it had leaked its provide contract with Pfizer – displaying it supplied the pharma big with indemnity from doable citizen lawsuits over potential hostile occasions after it supplied jabs at cheaper costs.

• Papua New Guinea has banned all repatriation flights from India, after accusing the nation’s excessive fee of a deliberate “deception” that resulted in passengers contaminated with Covid-19 arriving within the nation.

• Taiwan reported zero neighborhood instances of Covid-19 for the primary time since its largest outbreak started in Could, killing more than 800 people. Residents had lived a largely regular life for many of 2020 and early 2021, albeit with closed borders.

• The emergence of the Delta variant signifies that vaccination could not show to be the magic bullet that many governments hoped for, a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit said. It referred to as on political leaders to rethink their Covid technique to adapt it for the long run.

A international participant within the Paralympic Video games in Japan has been hospitalised with non-severe signs of Covid-19, Kyodo Information has reported, citing the Video games’ organising committee.

It’s the first hospitalisation of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which opened on Tuesday. Hospitals in Japan treating Covid-19 sufferers have often reserved beds for individuals displaying extreme signs.

The nationwide authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan authorities appealed on Monday to hospitals within the capital to just accept extra Covid-19 sufferers.

Lower than 10% of coronavirus sufferers are hospitalised in Tokyo, and the low degree of admissions has added to public frustration with the federal government’s Covid-19 response, undermining voter help for prime minister Yoshihide Suga.

For those who’re commuting to work or doing the washing up and want one thing to hearken to, try our Science Weekly podcast, which this week appears to be like at why youngsters within the UK aren’t being vaccinated towards Covid-19 at the same time as in-person educating is ready to renew.

A Covid-19 modeller has urged New Zealand’s North and South islands may develop into separate bubbles because the nation grapples with a coronavirus outbreak.

New Zealand is battling to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant that swiftly led to a nationwide, degree 4 lockdown – the best setting – which has been prolonged till no less than the tip of the week. There at the moment are 210 instances locally.

There have been no instances within the South Island, however the 20,000-strong checklist of shut contacts linked to the present outbreak extends throughout each islands. Round 120 individuals, who have been doubtlessly uncovered to the virus at areas in Auckland, are isolating within the South Island.

Auckland may anticipate to remain in lockdown for quite a few weeks , however a North Island and South Island cut up may make sense, Covid-19 modeller on the College of Auckland, Shaun Hendy, told TVNZ.

“I feel at this stage, a North Island and South Island cut up might be what we’d be ,” Hendy mentioned.

The premier of the Australian state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, has relaxed guidelines on outside gatherings for absolutely vaccinated individuals, even because the area reported a file 1,029 infections and three deaths on Thursday.

Small teams of absolutely vaccinated individuals will now be allowed to satisfy outside, however the so-called “picnic guidelines” are extra restricted for the 12 native authorities areas of concern than the remainder of the state, and don’t come into impact till 13 September.

The statewide lockdown was additionally prolonged by one other two weeks from Saturday and chief well being officer, Dr Kerry Chant, acknowledged that “the numbers could nicely go method above a thousand instances”.

The federal government is anticipated to make an announcement about the way forward for reopening colleges and the upper faculty certificates on Friday.

Moderna Inc says it has withheld provide of about 1.63 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in Japan after a report of contamination of vials with particulate matter, which it suspects entails a manufacturing line in Spain, Reuters studies.

Whereas Moderna mentioned no security or efficacy points had been recognized, the suspension is a recent setback for the agency whose companions had manufacturing delays final month that disrupted provide to nations together with South Korea.

“Moderna confirms having been notified of instances of particulate matter being seen in drug product vials of its Covid-19 vaccine,” it mentioned in an announcement.

“The corporate is investigating the studies and stays dedicated to working expeditiously with its associate, Takeda, and regulators to handle this,” it added, referring to Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical.

It mentioned the contamination may very well be resulting from a producing concern in one of many manufacturing strains at its contract manufacturing web site in Spain.

It was not instantly clear whether or not the difficulty affected provides to different nations.
Moderna didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters’ request for remark. Spain’s Rovi, which bottles or “fills and finishes” Moderna vaccines for markets aside from america, was not instantly accessible to remark.

The vaccine lot with complaints had 565,400 doses and Moderna mentioned that “out of an abundance of warning” it had put the lot on maintain and two adjoining ones.

Takeda mentioned it performed an emergency examination after particulate matter was present in loads of vaccine vials at an inoculation web site in Japan.

Japan’s well being ministry mentioned on Thursday had it determined to withdraw some doses as a precaution after session with Takeda however will attempt to minimise the impression of the withdrawal on its inoculation plans.

Hey and welcome to the Guardian’s rolling protection of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Livingstone.

Moderna Inc says it has withheld provide of about 1.63 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in Japan after a report of contamination of vials with particulate matter, which it suspects entails a manufacturing line in Spain.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has dismissed criticism of her formidable elimination technique to stamp out Covid, because the nation’s outbreak grows, saying the strategy has saved lives and can proceed to take action.

The Australian state of New South Wales has reported a file 1,029 instances, with hospitals in Sydney, the epicentre of the outbreak, struggling to cope with the rise in sufferers. The nurses union says a number of services are beneath “monumental stress” and have “little or no capability” of their emergency departments.

Right here’s what else has been taking place over the previous 24 hours:

• The scientists dispatched to China by the WHO to find Covid’s origins mentioned that the window of alternative for fixing the thriller is “closing quick”. They appeared to be attempting to reframe their original finding, which mentioned a lab leak was “extraordinarily unlikely”, after particulars emerge on how phrases have been agreed with Chinese language officers.

• Brazil introduced it would give Covid booster pictures to immunosuppressed or susceptible individuals, and citizens over the age of 80, after it emerged yesterday it had leaked its provide contract with Pfizer – displaying it supplied the pharma big with indemnity from doable citizen lawsuits over potential hostile occasions after it supplied jabs at cheaper costs.

• Papua New Guinea has banned all repatriation flights from India, after accusing the nation’s excessive fee of a deliberate “deception” that resulted in passengers contaminated with Covid-19 arriving within the nation.

• Taiwan reported zero neighborhood instances of Covid-19 for the primary time since its largest outbreak started in Could, killing more than 800 people. Residents had lived a largely regular life for many of 2020 and early 2021, albeit with closed borders.

• The emergence of the Delta variant signifies that vaccination could not show to be the magic bullet that many governments hoped for, a new report by the Economist Intelligence Unit said. It referred to as on political leaders to rethink their Covid technique to adapt it for the long run.