According to the WHO, we can do without the third dose of the vaccine, at least for now
According to the WHO
The position came after the decision by the American authorities to make a booster injection available for all citizens starting September 20
Photo: via Unsplash The World Health Organization (WHO ) is still holding back on the need for a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine in the coming months, while several countries are considering starting to offer it in the fall."At the moment, the data do not indicate the need for a third dose ”, of the anti-Covid vaccine, Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said in a press conference yesterday. The expert then pointed out that starting with booster doses with a large part of the world still not immunized could even be cost-effective for everyone. For example, the likelihood of new variants arriving from these countries would increase.
Bruce Aylward, another WHO expert, who spoke shortly after his colleague, shares the same opinion. "There are enough vaccines for everyone, but they're not going to the right place at the right time," he reiterated. "Two doses must be given to the most vulnerable around the world before the recalls are given to those who have completed their period, and we are a long way from this situation," Aylward added. In Africa, for example, only 2% of the population is fully vaccinated.
The goal is instead to ensure that at least 10% of the inhabitants of all countries are vaccinated before extra doses are administered. According to Nature, 58% of people in high-income countries had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while in low-income countries this number was only 1.3%.
WHO's clear-cut stance comes in conjunction with the United States' decision to proceed with the third dose as early as September 20. The announcement was made in a note issued on Wednesday and signed by the director of the Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC) Rochelle Wakensky and the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Janet Woodcock. The additional Pfizer or Moderna booster will be given eight months after the second dose. On the other hand, a decision has not been made on whether or not a second dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine should be given.
Who is already administering the third doses is Israel, which in recent months has seen a notable increase in new infections coronavirus. Earlier this week 1 million Israelis had taken the booster dose. A study by Maccabi Health Services published these days has shown that the third dose with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 86% effective in preventing covid-19 infection in over 60 years
Pfizer itself has reported that its two-dose vaccine efficacy drops from 96% to 84% after six months and says results from clinical trials evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of a third dose are expected soon.
Despite the recalls of the WHO it seems that the beginning of the vaccination campaign for a third dose is not in doubt for Europe and the most industrialized countries, but only a matter of time. The Italian government, together with the Scientific Technical Committee, is also thinking of starting with the third doses in the autumn, but initially only for the most fragile.
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Over 1,000 people have been killed in Myanmar since the military took control more than 6 months ago, according to a human rights group
1,006 people have been killed in Myanmar since the military took control of the country in February.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners tracks police-related deaths and arrests in the country.
The military continues to reject the organization's numbers but hasn't released an estimate of its own since May.
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More than 1,000 people have been killed in Myanmar since the military junta took over the country earlier this year, according to a human rights group tracking protest-related deaths and imprisonments.
On February 1, the day the country's newly elected parliament was scheduled to convene, Myanmar's commander-in-chief of Defense Services, Min Aung Hlaing, announced the military would be taking control of the country for at least a year, citing unfounded claims of voter fraud in a November election won handily by the National League for Democracy. Prior to the announcement, Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, had detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and several other political leaders.
In the months since the coup, the military has launched an all-out campaign against its own citizens, who took to the streets in protest almost immediately. Six-and-a-half months after the overthrow, 1,006 Burmese people have been killed, including dozens of children, while more than 7,000 have been arrested and more than half remain detained, according to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Casualties among military members and police officers have started to rise as well amid a growing resistance movement in both urban and rural parts of the country, The Associated Press reported.
Teik Naing, secretary-general of the AAPP, told the AP that the majority of people killed so far have been anti-military activists and more than 40 have been shot in the head. He also added that several of the deceased died in interrogation centers and prisons following an arrest.
The military junta continues to reject the organization's numbers but hasn't released an estimate of their own since May, when Aung Hlaing said about 300 people had been killed. Around the same time, the AAPP estimated at least 800 people had died.
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