
<p>While most cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been reported in the U.S. , Europe, and China, the virus is spreading rapidly across the African continent. </p>



<p>The confirmed worldwide cases for the virus have surpassed 200 million with the current figure being at 222,262,640</p>



<p>The death toll continues to rise globally now surpassing 4 million. It is currently at 4,593,598.</p>



<p>The world is currently dealing with a new variant of the virus known as the &#8216;Delta Variant&#8217;. The variant is known to be in over 85 countries globally. </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p>A<em>frica has just marked the continent’s most dire pandemic week ever. But the worst is yet to come as the fast-moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground. The end to this precipitous rise is still weeks away. Cases are doubling now every 18 days, compared with every 21 days only a week ago. We can still break the chain of transmission by testing, isolating contacts and cases and following key public health measures.”</em> <strong><em><em>said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa</em></em></strong> <strong><em>on July 8 2021</em></strong></p></blockquote>



<p>The U.S. leads with 666,627 deaths. Brazil comes second with 583,866. India&#8217;s deaths are at 441,433; Mexico is with 263,470 deaths, and Peru is with 198,523.</p>



<p>China, where the virus originated from, maintains that the country&#8217;s death toll is at 4,634.</p>



<p>The figure of the global recoveries stands at 198,882,734.</p>



<p>The African continent now has a total figure of 8,003,746 confirmed cases of Covid-19, while the death toll stands at 200,275. The continent has made 7,162,070 recoveries. </p>



<p>World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said in an online briefing Thursday (1 July) that &#8220;The speed and scale of Africa’s third wave are like nothing we’ve seen before.&#8221;  </p>



<p>&#8220;The continent is on the verge of exceeding its worst week ever in this pandemic,&#8221; Moeti said</p>



<p>Here are the country-wide numbers for Africa:</p>



<figure id="main_table_countries_today" class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Country</th><th>Total<br>Cases</th><th>Total<br>Deaths</th><th>Total<br>Recovered</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Africa</td><td>8,003,746</td><td>200,275</td><td>7,162,070</td></tr><tr><td>Algeria</td><td>198,313</td><td>5,445</td><td>135,232</td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>48,790</td><td>1,282</td><td>44,054</td></tr><tr><td>Benin</td><td>16,946</td><td>135</td><td>11,890</td></tr><tr><td>Botswana</td><td>162,186</td><td>2,309</td><td>155,403</td></tr><tr><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>13,851</td><td>171</td><td>13,575</td></tr><tr><td>Burundi</td><td>12,585</td><td>38</td><td>773</td></tr><tr><td>Cabo Verde</td><td>36,012</td><td>316</td><td>34,725</td></tr><tr><td>Cameroon</td><td>84,210</td><td>1,357</td><td>80,433</td></tr><tr><td>CAR</td><td>11,296</td><td>100</td><td>6,859</td></tr><tr><td>Chad</td><td>4,996</td><td>174</td><td>4,816</td></tr><tr><td>Comoros</td><td>4,086</td><td>147</td><td>3,909</td></tr><tr><td>Congo</td><td>13,588</td><td>183</td><td>12,421</td></tr><tr><td>Djibouti</td><td>11,785</td><td>157</td><td>11,592</td></tr><tr><td>DRC</td><td>55,307</td><td>1,061</td><td>30,858</td></tr><tr><td>Egypt</td><td>290,395</td><td>16,801</td><td>242,623</td></tr><tr><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>9,939</td><td>129</td><td>8,971</td></tr><tr><td>Eritrea</td><td>6,648</td><td>38</td><td>6,601</td></tr><tr><td>Eswatini</td><td>44,234</td><td>1,156</td><td>38,871</td></tr><tr><td>Ethiopia</td><td>316,174</td><td>4,785</td><td>284,895</td></tr><tr><td>Gabon</td><td>26,177</td><td>168</td><td>25,775</td></tr><tr><td>Gambia</td><td>9,789</td><td>328</td><td>9,379</td></tr><tr><td>Ghana</td><td>121,307</td><td>1,069</td><td>113,267</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea</td><td>29,877</td><td>358</td><td>27,742</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea-Bissau</td><td>5,902</td><td>121</td><td>4,967</td></tr><tr><td>Ivory Coast</td><td>57,056</td><td>477</td><td>54,804</td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>241,134</td><td>4,800</td><td>229,762</td></tr><tr><td>Lesotho</td><td>14,395</td><td>403</td><td>6,830</td></tr><tr><td>Liberia</td><td>5,459</td><td>148</td><td>2,715</td></tr><tr><td>Libya</td><td>318,069</td><td>4,363</td><td>230,995</td></tr><tr><td>Madagascar</td><td>42,884</td><td>957</td><td>41,311</td></tr><tr><td>Malawi</td><td>60,852</td><td>2,217</td><td>49,374</td></tr><tr><td>Mali</td><td>14,942</td><td>542</td><td>14,135</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritania</td><td>34,297</td><td>737</td><td>31,832</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritius</td><td>11,466</td><td>32</td><td>1,854</td></tr><tr><td>Mayotte</td><td>19,925</td><td>175</td><td>2,964</td></tr><tr><td>Morocco</td><td>886,008</td><td>13,145</td><td>828,148</td></tr><tr><td>Mozambique</td><td>148,054</td><td>1,881</td><td>137,891</td></tr><tr><td>Namibia</td><td>125,772</td><td>3,414</td><td>120,812</td></tr><tr><td>Niger</td><td>5,888</td><td>199</td><td>5,624</td></tr><tr><td>Nigeria</td><td>195,890</td><td>2,556</td><td>184,882</td></tr><tr><td>Rwanda</td><td>90,145</td><td>1,134</td><td>45,362</td></tr><tr><td>Réunion</td><td>50,346</td><td>342</td><td>47,752</td></tr><tr><td>Saint Helena</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Sao Tome and Principe</td><td>2,692</td><td>37</td><td>2,461</td></tr><tr><td>Senegal</td><td>73,257</td><td>1,812</td><td>64,582</td></tr><tr><td>Seychelles</td><td>20,323</td><td>108</td><td>19,767</td></tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone</td><td>6,374</td><td>121</td><td>4,364</td></tr><tr><td>Somalia</td><td>17,947</td><td>1,005</td><td>8,896</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>2,824,063</td><td>83,617</td><td>2,599,667</td></tr><tr><td>South Sudan</td><td>11,526</td><td>120</td><td>11,195</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan</td><td>37,715</td><td>2,837</td><td>31,675</td></tr><tr><td>Tanzania</td><td>1,367</td><td>50</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>Togo</td><td>22,625</td><td>197</td><td>17,669</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia</td><td>675,191</td><td>23,846</td><td>639,708</td></tr><tr><td>Uganda</td><td>120,714</td><td>3,061</td><td>95,679</td></tr><tr><td>Western Sahara</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>Zambia</td><td>207,294</td><td>3,620</td><td>202,500</td></tr><tr><td>Zimbabwe</td><td>125,671</td><td>4,493</td><td>117,036</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">Data From World O Meter</a></figcaption></figure>



<p><em>Note: The numbers will be updated as new information is available. </em></p>


South African truck drivers receive COVID-19 vaccine

[IN NUMBERS] Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 In Africa


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> The U.S.’s planned rollout of Covid-19 booster shots for the general public—initially slated to start September 20—remains up in the air pending approval from governmental regulators, but White House officials said Sunday at least Pfizer shots will likely be ready on time and the administration is prepared for a quick rollout whenever the shots are approved.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/08/18/biden-administration-plans-to-begin-providing-covid-19-vaccine-booster-shots-sept-20/?sh=6a7f765f5155">announced</a>&nbsp;in mid-August that booster shots for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna recipients will start on September 20, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/us/coronavirus-booster-shots.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>New York Times</em></a>&nbsp;reported this week that timeline may be in doubt, as the shots still have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the vaccine advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p>



<p>Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged on CBS’&nbsp;<em>Face the Nation</em>&nbsp;it’s “conceivable” that only Pfizer’s shot will be approved by the 20th and Moderna’s shot will be delayed “at the most a couple of weeks,” as the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-04/fda-pushes-for-moderna-booster-shot-data-in-weighing-dose?sref=LfZwdw4Z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seeks more data</a>&nbsp;from the company.</p>



<p>Exactly who will be eligible for the booster shot will depend on the exact terms that are approved by the FDA and CDC, he said.</p>



<p>Studies are underway on if people can “mix and match” booster doses—and get a Pfizer booster if their first two doses were of Moderna, for instance—but Fauci said the government is still “suggesting” as of now that people get a booster shot of the same vaccine as their initial dose.</p>



<p>White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain said on CNN the Biden administration is prepared to have booster shots available to the public “probably the very same day” as they’re approved, and the administration has adequate supply and a “distribution plan” to ensure widespread availability of the third shots when they’re ready to go.</p>



<p>Fauci&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/health-officials-sticking-month-covid-booster-shot-timeline/story?id=79700212" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;last week health officials are sticking with the recommendation that people get a booster shot eight months after their second dose—after President Joe Biden suggested it could potentially be after six—though it ultimately depends on what the FDA and CDC determine is best.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“We still are hopeful that at least one of the vaccinations could be available” on September 20 and the Biden administration is “ready to go as soon as the approval for the boosters comes,” Klain said on CNN, adding the FDA and CDC ultimately “will decide which of the vaccines are approved to be used as boosters.” “They will decide when that approval comes. They will decide who will get it under those approvals.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>When booster shots for those who received the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/08/22/johnson--johnson-booster-shot-likely-will-be-necessary-surgeon-general-says-possibly-with-a-different-vaccine/?sh=6428c6ef67dc">Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine</a>, an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adenovirus-based shot</a>&nbsp;that uses a different technology than Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, will be approved. Federal health officials have said it’s “likely” that the one-dose vaccine will also require a booster shot, but they’re waiting until more data is in to make an official recommendation, including on whether the vaccine could be mixed with a booster shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Johnson &amp; Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/25/second-booster-shot-of-johnson--johnson-covid-vaccine-provokes-strong-immune-response-company-says/?sh=6cd8ac14328e">released</a>&nbsp;data in late August suggesting a second shot of the vaccine produces a “rapid and robust increase” in antibodies that protect against the coronavirus, which could be a promising sign for the booster shot’s approval.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>The fact that booster shots haven’t been officially approved yet for the general population hasn’t stopped some people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/09/03/vaccinated-travelers-covid-19-booster-shots-counterproductive/?sh=29602d12d99a">getting them anyway</a>, despite health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/cdc-head-warns-against-unauthorized-booster-shots/2021/08/12/658395bf-7936-4b00-bb7b-eb6e48da4a25_video.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">advising</a>&nbsp;against it. The delta variant surge has reportedly provoked many Americans to take it upon themselves to get a third shot, such as by making a vaccine appointment and claiming to be unvaccinated. An internal CDC document&nbsp;<a href="https://abc7news.com/unauthorized-booster-shots-third-covid-vaccine-shot-pfizer-moderna/10944718/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;by ABC News on August 11 found an estimated 1.1 million people had already gotten an unauthorized booster shot, a figure the outlet notes is likely an undercount.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Fauci’s acknowledgement of Moderna’s potential approval delay is in line with previous reporting suggesting Moderna’s shot may not be ready in time, with a source familiar with the approval process telling&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/09/03/moderna-will-likely-miss-booster-deadline-pfizer-only-shot-expected-for-sept-rollout/?sh=3f99e7683026"><em>Forbes</em></a>&nbsp;earlier this week that only Pfizer is expected to be ready for a September 17 FDA meeting on the booster shots. The holdup over Moderna’s vaccine approval is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-04/fda-pushes-for-moderna-booster-shot-data-in-weighing-dose?sref=LfZwdw4Z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;largely based on the booster shot’s dosage, as Moderna submitted data based on a lower 50 microgram dose but the FDA is reportedly seeking data on a 100 microgram dose equal to the initial shots of the vaccine. Pfizer’s approval process is also speedier in part because the company has substantial data from Israel’s booster shot rollout using its vaccine, the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-booster-plan-faces-complications-potential-delay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>. The U.S. has already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/08/13/heres-who-should-get-an-extra-covid-19-vaccine-dose/?sh=7be5a14830a6">approved</a>&nbsp;third doses of the vaccines for immunocompromised groups that make up approximately 3% of the population, and the country’s planned booster rollout follows other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/world/covid-booster-shots-delta.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">countries</a>&nbsp;like Israel, France, Germany and the Czech Republic that have started administering or plan to administer booster shots to at least some groups. The booster shots are a response to fears that the Covid-19 vaccines will wane in effectiveness as time goes on, which some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/25/vaccine-protection-wanes-within-six-months-of-second-covid-shot-study-warns-but-theyre-still-effective-against-delta/?sh=69134bea5a80">studies</a>&nbsp;have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/19/covid-vaccines-less-effective-against-delta-variant-and-pfizers-effectiveness-wanes-rapidly-large-study-finds/">suggested</a>&nbsp;is likely. The vaccines have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/07/27/how-good-are-covid-19-vaccines-at-protecting-against-the-delta-variant/?sh=21b769a21a6f">shown</a>&nbsp;diminished effectiveness at preventing infection against the delta variant, though they still remain highly protective against severe illness, hospitalization and death.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>The World Health Organization (WHO) has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/08/23/who-leader-pleads-against-booster-shots-questioning-efficacy-and-highlighting-risk-of-more-potent-variants/?sh=4857b0ee131b">criticized</a>&nbsp;wealthy nations distributing booster shots before many countries around the world have even inoculated a large percentage of their population with initial doses. This is due to concerns about vaccine inequity, questions about the efficacy of booster shots and fears that more dangerous variants of the coronavirus could emerge from countries with low vaccination rates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/09/03/moderna-will-likely-miss-booster-deadline-pfizer-only-shot-expected-for-sept-rollout/?sh=3f99e7683026">Moderna Will Likely Miss Booster Deadline—Pfizer Only Shot Expected For Sept. Rollout</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/08/25/more-than-three-quarters-of-vaccinated-americans-plan-to-get-covid-19-booster-shot-poll-finds/?sh=74a7d46f2319">More Than Three-Quarters Of Vaccinated Americans Plan To Get Covid-19 Booster Shot, Poll Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/09/03/vaccinated-travelers-covid-19-booster-shots-counterproductive/?sh=29602d12d99a">Some Vaccinated Travelers Are Already Getting Covid-19 Booster Shots—But Experts Say That May Be Counterproductive</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


COVID-19 Booster Shot

When Can You Get A Covid-19 Booster Shot?


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> New Zealand authorities announced a nationwide lockdown on Tuesday after its largest city, Auckland, reported the country’s first local Covid-19 case in nearly six months, posing a threat to the country’s successful ‘zero-Covid’ strategy that has so far managed to keep the more infectious delta variant of the virus at bay.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jacindaardern/videos/384119913274194" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;that Auckland and the town of Coromandel will enter a seven-day lockdown while the rest of the country will be locked for the next three days.</p>



<p>The new case has&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/current-alert-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">triggered</a>&nbsp;‘Alert Level 4’—the highest pandemic alert level across the country, which&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/alert-level-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">means</a>&nbsp;a stringent stay-at-home order is put in place with all physical contact being limited to household members.</p>



<p>While the single case has not been confirmed as a delta variant case, Ardern said the authorities are working under the presumption that it has been caused by the highly infectious variant.</p>



<p>The 58-year-old man who tested positive isn’t vaccinated and over the weekend he and his fully vaccinated wife traveled to the small town of Coromandel—located on the western side of New Zealand’s North Island.</p>



<p>Authorities said they have identified 23 locations of interest—10 in Auckland and 13 in Coromandel—visited by the man while he was infectious.</p>



<p>The source of the man’s infection is yet to be identified as he has no obvious link to any cases reported at New Zealand’s borders, raising fears that there may be other undetected cases spreading in the community.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>22.9%. That’s the percentage of eligible people in New Zealand who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a total of 934,207 people,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;official government data. While the number is significantly lower than other developed nations, the country’s vaccine rollout has begun gathering pace, trending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-how-many-kiwis-have-been-vaccinated-and-how-do-we-compare-with-the-rest-of-the-world/ENMCOHM5QW6W3UN6MRMCOQKO2U/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slightly ahead</a>&nbsp;of the government’s projections.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>With measures such as having one of the strictest border restrictions, quarantining of all incoming travelers and strong contact tracing, New Zealand has emerged as one of the pandemic’s success stories so far. New Zealand has only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics#case-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;2,926 Covid-19 cases and 26 deaths since the start of the pandemic, with a large number of those cases being detected at the border and isolated. This has allowed the country to effectively stomp out the local spread of the virus, eliminating the need for dragged-out lockdowns and other Covid measures. But the country’s relatively sluggish vaccine rollout may put its early success in danger if the more infectious delta variant manages to gain a foothold in the community. New Zealand’s trans-Tasman neighbor Australia—which had also managed to largely stomp out the local spread of Covid, is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/08/07/more-than-half-of-australias-population-under-lockdown-amid-unrelenting-delta-variant-covid-19-surge/?sh=6cca1d657a17">currently witnessing</a>&nbsp;one of its worst outbreaks of the pandemic, largely fueled by the delta variant. Last week, New Zealand authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/08/12/covid-free-new-zealand-plans-to-reopen-borders-early-next-year/?sh=656e99d25154">announced</a>&nbsp;plans to reopen the country’s borders to foreign travelers with more lenient quarantine measures in place for fully vaccinated individuals from low-risk countries. But the reopening of its borders is likely to make it much harder for the country’s government to pursue a ‘zero-Covid’ strategy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-announces-level-4-lockdown-for-auckland-coromandel-new-zealand/ITGVJ7X446SLBQD3VSUHTXNNVM/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces level 4 lockdown for Auckland, Coromandel, New Zealand</a>&nbsp;(New Zealand Herald)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/449376/covid-19-community-case-nationwide-level-4-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Covid-19 community case: Nationwide level 4 lockdown</a>&nbsp;(Radio New Zealand)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealands-ardern-orders-nationwide-lockdown-over-one-covid-19-case-2021-08-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Zealand&#8217;s Ardern orders nationwide lockdown over one COVID-19 case</a> (Reuters)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Announces Lockdown Restrictions After Positive COVID-19 Case Detected In Auckland

Single Covid-19 Case In Auckland Triggers Nationwide Lockdown In New Zealand


<p><strong>Topline</strong>: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday night approved a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna for people with compromised immune systems, in a move that will likely enhance protection for vulnerable individuals at a time when the more infectious delta variant continues to spread all over the country.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-additional-vaccine-dose-certain-immunocompromised" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">late-night announcement</a>, the FDA amended its emergency use authorization (EUA) for the two mRNA vaccines to allow the administration of a third dose to recipients of solid organ transplant or those diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.</p>



<p>The FDA’s move comes after few other countries including Israel, France and Germany began administering an additional dose to certain people amid the threat of the more infectious delta variant of the virus.</p>



<p>According to the FDA’s announcement, eligible recipients will be able to receive a third mRNA vaccine dose at least 28 days after getting their second shot.</p>



<p>The regulator’s late-night statement makes no mention of immunocompromised patients who have received the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.</p>



<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to formally recommend an addition shot for immunocompromised groups following a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/agenda-archive/agenda-2021-08-13-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meeting</a>&nbsp;of its advisers on Friday.</p>



<p>The FDA noted that its decision does not apply to the general population and according to the CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-07/07-COVID-Oliver-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;about 2.7% of U.S. adults could be eligible for the booster.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Today’s action allows doctors to boost immunity in certain immunocompromised individuals who need extra protection from COVID-19,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr Janet Woodcock said. “Other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time,” she added while noting that the agency is studying if an additional dose for the general population may be needed in the future.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>A <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/covid-19-vaccines-and-immunocompromised-people-fully-vaccinated-and-not-protected.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study published</a> last month by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that only 50% of immunocompromised people who had received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine showed an antibody response to COVID-19. Such findings along with the nationwide proliferation of the more infectious delta variant—which has also been shown to cause breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals, had prompted calls for emergency approval of a booster dose for some individuals. Last month, a CDC advisory group reportedly met with the FDA to urge the agency to decide if booster shots for the immunocompromised were needed. Its not yet clear if a booster dose will help shore up a stronger immune response in immunocompromised individuals but a recent study from Israel—which has begun administering such boosters—suggested that this might be the case. However, the decision to authorize booster doses remains a controversial one in the global context as critics decry the fact that developed nations are administering an additional dose at a time when several poorer nations have limited access to vaccines. Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-calls-moratorium-covid-19-vaccine-booster-doses-until-september-end-2021-08-04/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">called</a> for a moratorium on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots until at least the end of September.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-bc9c6451c1b31a59a8c752abc3a1b839" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extra COVID vaccine OK’d for those with weak immune systems</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2021/07/22/among-fully-vaccinated-breakthrough-covid-19-infections-are-more-common-than-previously-thought-does-it-matter/?sh=760873d25aef">Among Fully Vaccinated, Breakthrough Covid-19 Infections Are More Common Than Previously Thought: Does It Matter?</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


A health worker holds a vial of Janssen vaccine (American

FDA Authorizes Extra Covid-19 Vaccine Dose For Those With Weakened Immune Systems


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> A new study out of South Korea found that taking an AstraZeneca vaccine shot followed by a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot boosted Covid-19 antibody levels six times more than receiving two Astra-Zeneca doses, as some governments around the world are giving the green light to mix Covid-19 vaccine shots for extra protection against the virus.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>The study was conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and it took a look at the effects of mixing certain vaccine doses and vaccine efficacy against coronavirus variants Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, as first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mixed-astrazeneca-pfizer-shot-boosts-covid-antibody-level-study-2021-07-26/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;by Reuters.</p>



<p>About 499 medical workers took part in the study, with about 200 workers receiving two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 200 workers receiving two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 100 workers receiving mixed doses of both the vaccines.</p>



<p>All three groups acquired antibodies, with the group that mixed AstraZeneca and Pfizer showing similar levels of antibodies as the group that received the two Pfizer shots.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The study also found that each of the vaccine doses were most effective against the Alpha variant, but&nbsp; showed decreased effectiveness between 2 ½ to 6 times on Beta, Gamma and Delta variants.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Back in June, Oxford University led a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/06/28/uk-study-offers-new-evidence-you-can-mix-and-match-coronavirus-vaccines/?sh=64cc30081082">study</a>&nbsp;to find out if mixing and matching vaccines was viable. It found that taking an AstraZeneca vaccine shot followed by a Pfizer shot created the highest T-cell response, which are immune cells that attack and destroy infected cells. The vaccine combo also generated more antibodies than taking a Pfizer shot followed by an AstraZeneca shot. Both the Oxford University study and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency study show that vaccines can still provide a strong immunity response to the virus if mixed and matched. The United States&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Disease Control</a>&nbsp;does not recommend mixing doses from different vaccines since it has not yet evaluated if that practice is safe and effective. However, some countries like Germany and Spain allow for mixed shots, allowing people to receive Pfizer and Moderna shots even after they have already gotten AstraZeneca’s first dose. Canada’s health officials also started to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-mixing-covid-19-vaccines-astrazeneca-pfizer-moderna-naci-1.6048152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommend&nbsp;</a>mixing vaccine shots last month, if people are unable to take two of the same vaccine doses.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>As the Delta variant continues to grow internationally, more people are reporting taking multiple vaccine doses. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57571791" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">received</a>&nbsp;the Moderna jab at the end of June, a few months after she received her first AstraZeneca shot. One U.S. doctor received the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine in Seattle, but then, after moving to Canada, got one shot of the Pfizer vaccine for added protection, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/26/delta-people-are-mixing-and-matching-covid-vaccines-over-concerns-about-variant.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;by CNBC. The U.S. does not consider people who have had different doses of vaccines as fully vaccinated.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-out-for">WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR</h3>



<p>Pfizer said it will be creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/08/pfizer-says-it-is-developing-a-covid-booster-shot-to-target-the-highly-transmissible-delta-variant.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">booster</a>&nbsp;shot to target the Delta variant. Trials for the booster shot&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsmv.com/news/pfizer-booster-shot-trial-underway-in-nashville/article_5447ab60-edf5-11eb-b977-6b315cb7c729.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">began</a>&nbsp;in Nashville on Monday. Moderna also announced it will be developing a booster shot, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot-what-we-know/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial</a>&nbsp;results expected by September. Some doctors are even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/20/dr-vin-gupta-encourages-jj-vaccine-recipients-to-get-a-pfizer-or-moderna-booster.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">encouraging</a>&nbsp;those who received the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine to consider getting either a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot, even though it is unclear how the booster shots may work with other vaccines.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/06/28/uk-study-offers-new-evidence-you-can-mix-and-match-coronavirus-vaccines/?sh=64cc30081082">U.K. Study Offers New Evidence You Can ‘Mix And Match’ Coronavirus Vaccines</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="http://mymusictaste.com/artist/68f14b7dcc835375b53d0ea65f4dedd7/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Americans are ‘mixing and matching’ Covid vaccines over concerns about the delta variant</a> (<em>CNBC</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Kimberlee Speakman, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Dept of Correctional Services Vaccination Rollout Launch in South Africa

Mixed AstraZeneca-Pfizer Vaccine Boosts Covid Antibody Levels, Korea Study Finds


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines work well at preventing symptomatic cases of the delta coronavirus variant—which became the dominant strain in the U.S. this month—but the vaccines’ effectiveness drops significantly in patients who only have one of the two doses, according to a new study.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>A study of 19,000 people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Public Health England</a>&nbsp;published Wednesday found that both doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines help protect against symptoms from both the alpha (B.1.1.7, also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/04/07/uk-coronavirus-variant-is-now-the-dominant-strain-in-us-cdc-says/">the U.K. variant</a>) and delta variants at comparable rates.</p>



<p>Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had an effectiveness of 93.7% at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 88% for the delta variant.</p>



<p>Two doses of AstraZeneca were found to be 74.5% effective at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 67% for delta.</p>



<p>However, the effectiveness of the vaccines plummeted if a patient had only received one dose of either vaccine: the study found both to be just more than 48% effective against alpha and only about 30% effective against delta.</p>



<p>Researchers said their findings support the theory that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prioritizing second doses</a>, especially in vulnerable populations, is an effective way to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>The single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine only has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/07/20/johnson--johnson-vaccine-far-less-effective-against-delta-variant-study-suggests/?sh=44f5e2864299">a 33% efficacy rate</a>&nbsp;against the delta variant, a New York University study released Tuesday suggested, although it has not been peer reviewed.&nbsp;A small study from Moderna last month suggested their vaccine also&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offers protection</a>&nbsp;against the delta strain.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>The delta variant, which experts believe is more transmissible than earlier forms of coronavirus, is thought to be the driving force behind <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/17/covid-hospitalizations-rise-nationwide-amid-delta-surge---especially-in-these-states/?sh=290e647e52a8">a new wave of infections</a> and a jump in hospitalizations across the U.S. Experts have warned about the danger delta could pose. Former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the “majority” of unvaccinated Americans would likely contract the delta mutation eventually, adding the disease “is going to be the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/18/former-fda-head-says-delta-will-infect-majority-of-unvaccinated-americans-and-may-be-most-serious-virus-in-their-lifetime/?sh=22ee15f06b17">most serious virus</a> they will get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital.” The surge of new cases has pushed some cities like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/07/15/los-angeles-reportedly-will-reinstate-mask-mandate-saturday/?sh=7b879fb45373">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/21/delta-fueled-covid-surge-spurs-new-mask-mandates---here-are-the-states-where-they-cant-legally-be-reimposed/?sh=6be7887c37b4">Las Vegas</a> to reintroduce mandatory masking in some indoor spaces.</p>



<p><strong><em>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


A doctor’s hand with a syringe of covid-19 coronavirus vaccine.

Study Finds Pfizer And AstraZeneca Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant — As Long As You Get Both Doses


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: Pfizer has struck a deal with a South African drug manufacturer to begin producing and distributing its coronavirus vaccine in Africa for the first time, the company announced Wednesday, in a move that follows mounting pressure to address inequalities in the global vaccine rollout.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-collaboration-biovac-manufacture" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it will be working with South Africa’s Biovac Institute, a public-private partnership focused on vaccine production, to produce and distribute over 100 million doses a year for the African Union beginning in 2022.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Biovac will be shipped batches of vaccine ingredients from Europe and then will perform so-called fill and finish operations, the last stage of manufacturing and packaging, according to a press release from the company.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Though technical transfer, on-site development and equipment installation activities will begin immediately, the company said manufacturing of the finished doses will only begin in 2022.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“At full operational capacity, the annual production will exceed 100 million finished doses annually,” which will be distributed within the 55 member states making up the African Union, the company said.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quotes">CRUCIAL QUOTES</h3>



<p>Pfizer CEO Andrew Bourla, who is set to give a speech later Wednesday at the World Trade Organization Summit, deemed the partnership progress toward the company’s goal of providing “fair and equitable” access to the vaccine “to everyone, everywhere.” Meanwhile, Biovac CEO Dr. Morena Makhoana lauded it as a “critical step forward.” “We believe this collaboration will create opportunity to more broadly distribute vaccine doses to people in harder-to-reach communities, especially those on the African continent,” said Makhoana.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND&nbsp;</h3>



<p>The pace of vaccinations in Africa is running far behind the rest of the world. Just over 1.5% of Africans have been fully vaccinated, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making the continent’s goal of having 20% of its population vaccinated by the end of 2021 increasingly unlikely. This is largely due to a lack of African-based vaccine manufacturing facilities. The continent was relying on the World Health Organization-backed COVAX effort for its doses. However, COVAX has fallen far behind schedule, having delivered only 200 million doses since February (the U.S. has administered 338 million), in part because of the troubles of its biggest supplier, the Serum Institute of India.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Africa’s rollout is lagging at a time when the more infectious delta variant is driving a record surge of cases. Earlier this month, the continent reported its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/world/africa-coronavirus-cases-who.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“worst pandemic week ever”</a>&nbsp;after 16 countries saw a resurgence in infections, amounting to over 250,000 cases reported in just one week.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING&nbsp;</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/16/world/africa/africa-vaccination-rollout.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“Africa’s Covid Crisis Deepens, but Vaccines Are Still Far Off”</a> (The New York Times)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Jemima McEvoy, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


US-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE

Pfizer Strikes Deal To Produce Vaccines In Africa As Continent Falls Far Behind In Covid Fight


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: A Ugandan athlete training in Japan in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics went missing on Friday, triggering a search by local officials and police, in an incident that has raised doubt about the security measures put in place by the games’ organizers to keep the spread of Covid-19 in check.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Julius Ssekitoleko, a 20-year-old Ugandan weightlifter, was not found in his designated accommodation when a local official attempted to find him to receive his sample for Covid-19 testing,&nbsp;<em>Kyodo News</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>Ssekitoleko was staying in the city of Izumisano in western Japan along with other members of the Ugandan Olympic team.</p>



<p>The missing athlete was last spotted by his teammates at around 12:30 am on Friday, city officials said.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>The Ugandan Olympics delegation reached Japan last month and they were among the first group of visiting athletes to reach the country to prepare for the summer games. After their arrival, two members of the delegation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/06/23/national/uganda-olympian-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tested positive</a>&nbsp;for Covid-19, which prevented the team from beginning their training activities. The team finally started training in Izumisano last week after undergoing a strict quarantine.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>Visiting athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are expected to follow a stringent set of pandemic-related rules which includes regular testing and having their movement restricted. As part of the rules&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/archive/2021/06/?sh=47defdb81f67">unveiled last month</a>, all participating athletes and officials will be screened for the virus daily and are required to provide saliva samples at set times. Athletes, who can only stay in officially approved accommodations, will have their movements restricted and will be subject to GPS tracking by officials. The rulebook warns that non-compliance will result in large fines, permanent bans from the Olympics and even expulsion from Japan, depending on the severity of the breach.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/37a6d0d3d253-urgent-ugandan-olympic-athlete-training-in-japan-goes-missing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ugandan Olympic athlete training in Japan goes missing</a> (Kyodo News)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Weightlifting – Commonwealth Games Day 1

Ugandan Olympic Athlete Goes Missing In Japan In Possible Breach Of Covid-19 Rules


<p>For the last three days, since South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma began his jail term for contempt of court, the country has been mired in protests with pro-Zuma supporters voicing their displeasure. The demonstrations have centered around KwaZulu-Natal, the home province of the former president where he is incarcerated, with major highways barricaded by burning tires, over 30 trucks set alight and an estimated $7 million in damages.<br><br>Late last night, the protests spread into South Africa’s economic hub Gauteng and continued today, with at least one confirmed death and another two people reported shot. All major roads in Johannesburg CBD experienced some disruption, with many areas of the city looking like a warzone.<br><br>Some major roads such as Jules Street in the city saw multiple shops looted, with liquor stores particularly targeted as South Africa continues under a lockdown which includes a strict ban on the sale of alcohol. Dozens of car dealerships were burned to the ground with vehicles inside them.</p>



<p>The country continues under lockdown Level 4 until the 25th of July. <br><br>FORBES AFRICA is on the ground and will provide updates as the story progresses.</p>


11 July 2021 Zuma Protests Forbes (1 of 1)

South Africa: Protests And Unrest Grow Over Zuma Arrest


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday that research shows taking a third dose of their vaccine as a booster protects even more against Covid-19, including the Delta variant, and will ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization for the shot within the next several weeks.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>A study not yet released by the companies shows that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months after the second dose protected people against the original strain of Covid-19 as well as the Beta variant.</p>



<p>After six months, the companies’ two-dose vaccine loses some of its ability to protect against getting Covid-19 and developing symptoms, although it continues to work well against preventing severe Covid-19, the companies said, referencing data from their studies and from the health ministry in Israel, which has a highly vaccinated population and has recently seen a wave of the Delta variant spread.</p>



<p>After taking the booster shot, antibodies against the original and Beta variants were “five to 10 times higher,” the companies said in a press release.</p>



<p>The companies believe a booster shot would also increase protection against the Delta variant based on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03693-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a&nbsp;<em>Nature</em>&nbsp;study</a>&nbsp;which they said suggests that the two-dose vaccine is effective against the variant.</p>



<p>Pfizer and BioNTech in August will launch a trial of a vaccine specifically targeting the Delta variant.</p>



<p>The companies said they will send the data to the FDA “in the coming weeks” for its application for emergency authorization and that they will publish the data in a peer-reviewed journal.</p>



<p>They will also send the data to the European Medicines Agency, which regulates drugs in the European Union, and “in discussion with EU and other regions” about emergency authorizations, a spokesperson said.</p>



<p>A separate study published Thursday in&nbsp;<em>JAMA Oncology</em>&nbsp;found the vaccine was found to be&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2781608?guestAccessKey=a006b52c-6abf-414d-b0b9-b57946450d20&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=070821" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">safe for cancer patients</a>, although most didn’t develop antibodies until after their second dose, and 14% didn’t develop the antibodies at all.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



<p>The FDA, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in charge</a>&nbsp;of approving vaccines,&nbsp;<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E50SoxnXEAMvs9c.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released a statement</a>&nbsp;with the CDC Thursday night that appeared to respond to Pfizer and BioNTech’s news. “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” it said. Both agencies and the National Institutes of Health, the statement continued, are researching “whether or when a booster might be necessary.”&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Whether booster shots work, and how well, is important because scientists expect that vaccines will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=1068ed587f69">lose strength over time</a>. Because the pace of vaccination is so unequal—globally, just&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-vaccinated-covid?time=2020-12-02..2021-07-07&amp;country=~OWID_WRL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one in four people</a>&nbsp;have received at least one vaccine dose; in the U.S.,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/08/at-least-15-states-wont-reach-70-vaccination-goal-until-2022-or-even-later-at-current-pace/?sh=46a2691532b8">at least 15 states</a>&nbsp;are not on pace to partially or fully vaccinate 70% of residents until 2022—some people are likely to need booster shots before others get their first dose.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-booster-program-light-delta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer and BioNTech Provide Update on Booster Program in Light of the Delta-Variant</a>&nbsp;<em>(BioNTech)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/18/96-of-people-develop-covid-antibodies-after-just-one-shot-of-pfizer-or-astrazeneca-vaccine-uk-study-finds/?sh=30b7f66699b9">96% Of People Develop Covid Antibodies After Just One Shot Of Pfizer Or AstraZeneca Vaccine, UK Study Finds</a>&nbsp;<em>(Forbes)</em>&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=1068ed587f69">When Will You Need A Covid Booster Shot? Pfizer Monitors Breakthrough Infections As Experts Say More Data Is Needed</a>&nbsp;<em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-vaccinated-covid?time=2020-12-02..2021-07-07&amp;country=~OWID_WRL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Share of people who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine</a> <em>(Our World In Data)</em></p>



<p><strong><em>By Graison Dangor, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


TOPSHOT-US-HEALTH-VIRUS-STOCKS

Pfizer Will Ask FDA To Authorize Third Covid-19 Shot As A Booster


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is significantly less effective at preventing infection with the Delta variant than previous strains of coronavirus, data from Israel’s health ministry suggests, the latest setback as countries around the world fight to contain the hyper-contagious form of Covid-19 driving outbreaks among children and young people. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>A full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 64% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rJQ1O5kp00#autoplay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early study&nbsp;</a>by Israel’s health ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-05/israel-sees-decline-in-pfizer-vaccine-efficacy-rate-ynet-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;Monday, much&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e7147144-11ff-45bc-96f1-236380c9df5d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower</a>&nbsp;than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-says-covid-vaccine-highly-effective-against-delta-variant-2021-06-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous</a>&nbsp;estimates of nearly 90%.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The vaccine still appears to be highly effective, 93%, at preventing serious illness and hospitalization, the data shows, though this is also slightly lower than earlier studies suggested and for other variants.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Biotech firm Moderna, which is based on the same type of technology as Pfizer’s jab,&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its vaccine remains effective against the Delta variant and that blood samples from fully vaccinated individuals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/30/1011684609/moderna-says-studies-show-its-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">show</a>&nbsp;only a “modest reduction” in antibodies.</p>



<p>Early studies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/07/01/1012372893/johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant-studies-fi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">indicate</a>&nbsp;the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the third authorized for use in the U.S., is also effective against the variant, the company said, generating immunity lasting for at least eight months.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Studies from the U.K., where Delta accounts for practically all new cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-14/delta-variant-doubles-risk-of-covid-hospitalization-in-study" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a>&nbsp;the AstraZeneca vaccine to be about 60% effective at preventing symptomatic disease and around 90% effective at preventing hospitalization, a modest drop compared to the Alpha variant that previously dominated.</p>



<p>In vaccines requiring two shots—which covers all mentioned here bar the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson—research consistently indicates a much lower level of protection from just one shot,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=bad30f25e75f">underscoring</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entreaties</a>&nbsp;from public health officials for Americans to get vaccinated.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h3>



<p>The data and research covering how effective vaccines are against Delta are new and, in some instances, incomplete, something that reflects the speed at which Delta has spread. For example, Israel’s health ministry has not revealed the data or the methodology it used to obtain its results and the studies from both Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson only looked at how blood samples from a very small number of people behaved in a laboratory setting. Until more data is gathered in a transparent and verifiable way, the figures and results should not be seen as conclusive. The U.K. is likely to prove an invaluable source of information for other countries dealing with the variant as it is facing a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/14/delta-variant-fueling-uk-covid-surge-could-become-dominant-us-strain-here-are-the-places-most-at-risk/?sh=66a089d04e31">wave</a>&nbsp;of cases&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-delta-variant-cases-up-46-in-a-week-as-expert-warns-mutant-strain-will-hit-uk-soon-12347040" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driven</a>&nbsp;almost entirely by Delta, especially as it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57725523" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prepares</a>&nbsp;to lift all pandemic restrictions.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>47%. That’s how much of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. Around 83 million have received a full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 61 million the Moderna vaccine and 12 million the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. 72,000 people have been fully vaccinated with a two-dose vaccine, though records do not show which.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Health experts, including at the CDC, believe it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=68f212c86ff5">likely</a>&nbsp;the Delta variant will become the dominant strain in the U.S. It already accounts for around one in four cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, and is already the dominant form of the virus in two regions the agency measures (making up around 50-60% of cases in an area covering Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming). Though the WHO recommends all people to keep wearing masks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/25/who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-wearing-masks-as-delta-variant-spreads-but-no-word-from-cdc/?sh=79f3bb9241f9">regardless</a>&nbsp;of their vaccination status, the CDC has not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=863b6855e75f">changed</a>&nbsp;its guidance, recommending people get vaccinated to protect themselves and for local officials to institute their own measures if needed. Few areas have shown signs of doing this and the country&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/the-least-vaccinated-states-also-earn-the-least-an-analysis-of-data-shows/?sh=6ef093331f5b">low</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/30/here-are-the-groups-that-still-wont-get-the-covid-vaccine-and-why/?sh=3550d46d2ad4">uneven</a>&nbsp;vaccination&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/04/32-states-didnt-hit-bidens-july-4-vaccine-goal-these-were-the-furthest-from-it/?sh=41ce764132cd">rates</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. has prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fears</a>&nbsp;the variant will drive new waves of cases in poorly vaccinated areas, especially as practically all pandemic restrictions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/01/just-one-state-is-left-to-fully-reopen-heres-what-it-is-waiting-for/?sh=777f13d45f33">dropped</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



<p>Most pharmaceutical companies—including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/19/astrazenecas-covid-shot-reportedly-works-well-as-a-booster-raising-hopes-in-battle-against-virus-variants/?sh=409a27ea5870">AstraZeneca</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissaholzberg/2021/05/04/pfizer-will-file-for-full-fda-approval-for-covid-19-vaccine-by-end-of-may/?sh=21bf069124c0">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/04/29/moderna-invests-to-make-3-billion-covid-vaccines-by-2022/?sh=5d3bade0ac6a">Moderna</a>—are already working on Covid-19 booster shots, which could top up fading immunity over time and give added protection against new variants of the virus. It’s not yet clear&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=5a11d8ae7f69">when a booster&nbsp;</a>might be needed. There are also a number of trials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/06/mix-and-match-covid-booster-jabs-may-be-offered-in-uk-vaccine-autumn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploring</a>&nbsp;what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/04/johnson-johnson-vaccine-second-dose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccine</a>&nbsp;should be used as a booster and whether it would be more effective to “mix and match” different kinds.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/kids-among-most-vulnerable-to-infectious-delta-variant---heres-why-you-should-be-more-worried/?sh=ba4417927011">Kids Among Most Vulnerable To Infectious Delta Variant — Here’s Why You Should Be More Worried</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=32c085616ff5">CDC Head Says Dangerous Delta Variant Likely To Be Dominant Covid Strain. Here’s Where It’s Spreading Fastest.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/07/3-principles-now-define-pandemic/619336/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The 3 Simple Rules That Underscore the Danger of Delta</a>&nbsp;(The Atlantic)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/11/here-are-the-biggest-groups-that-are-still-refusing-the-covid-19-vaccine-poll-finds/?sh=5c30db3c42cc">Here Are The Biggest Groups That Are Still Refusing The Covid-19 Vaccine, Poll Finds</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


New York’s Northwell Health Hospital Administers Covid Vaccines

Pfizer Shot Much Less Effective Against Delta, Israel Study Shows — Here’s What You Need To Know About Variants And Vaccines


<p><strong>Tom Bennett, Director and Founder of researchEd in the United Kingdom, on what evidence tells us about the future and purpose of education.</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>BY JILL DE VILLIERS</em></strong></p>



<p>AS COVID-19 SWEPT THROUGH THE WORLD, SOME AREAS OF OUR lives were more deeply affected than others, one of them being education. Before the pandemic, technology had started taking a more prominent place in education, and online learning was being integrated into the system. </p>



<p>When Covid-19 struck, schools and tertiary institutions were forced to change their models rapidly, migrating to digital options. Soon, the talk pivoted to blended learning and hybrid solutions, combining in-person and virtual classrooms and teaching methods. How likely are we to return to old teaching methods and classroom settings, we ask educationist, author and speaker Tom Bennett, who hails from the United Kingdom (UK) and is the Director and Founder of researchED. </p>



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:34% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51596 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tom-Bennett_1-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p><strong><em>Tom Bennett will deliver a talk during the 2021 Future of Education Virtual Summit, with the theme ‘Redefining the Purpose of Education’ on July 29, held in partnership with FORBES AFRICA and CNBC Africa</em></strong></p></blockquote>
</div></div>



<p>“After Covid, I see education 95% snapping back to where it was before, because the face-toface model of education simply cannot be beaten in most circumstances. The one benefit of the Covid experience has been that people the world over have seen how hard it is to home school children, how much blended learning often lacks compared to face-to-face… but also we have learned remote learning is not something impossible to manage and that where it is useful, we have lost our fear of trying it. For example, in the UK, whenever it snows, schools often shut and nothing gets done. But now, no more snow days, although I’m not sure that children and staff are as happy about that!” Bennett says. </p>



<p>He was a teacher in the East End of London for 13 years before founding researchED, which he describes as “an international non-profit that asks simple questions that can change the world”. The organization brings together everyone within the educational ecosystem – “not just the privileged priest class of education, but teaching assistants, administrators, teachers, as well as academics, leaders and researchers – to share their thoughts about what they do, and what evidence informs what they do.” </p>



<p>They travel the world, presenting low-cost, inclusive and accessible events, which are particularly popular among teaching staff, who are hungry for answers to questions like: ‘How can I achieve what I want, without struggling blindly in the dark? What does the evidence tell me? When do things work, and when do they not work?’ </p>



<p>Bennett has written four books on classroom behavior and evidence-informed education. “Ideas about how we manage behavior are still stuck in the 19th century, and too many teachers and schools are forced to reinvent the wheel every generation instead of building upon what we have found to work and improving upon it,” he explains. </p>



<p>“Teachers rarely get an evidence-informed training as they begin their careers, and many schools still make decisions based on intuition, gut feeling and hunches. But children – and teachers – deserve much better than that. We can do much better than that.” </p>



<p>Lately, we have seen a burgeoning of technology solutions to a myriad of questions that Bennett says teachers aren’t asking. </p>



<p>“Tech companies are often guilty of selling solutions to problems no one has, and ignoring the lack of evidence to back up the boldest of their claims. That’s not to say that tech doesn’t offer enormous opportunities to supplement and support education, but also to say that schools and countries have poured billions into tech promises that have rarely materialized.</p>



<p>“Evidence tells us many things that teachers can incorporate into their classrooms with only a little effort and with huge dividends: low-stakes retrieval practise (frequent testing) secures lesson retention enormously; being aware of cognitive load theory teaches us the students need information presented in manageable chunks, and that teachers should favour direct instruction with novice learners before allowing them too much freedom to drive their own studies. </p>



<p>This is especially relevant with blended forms of learning, where beginning learners often drown in what they don’t know, and might lack the motivation and the foundational knowledge how to drive their own learning at home.” And finally, how does Bennett see the purpose of education? </p>



<p>“The beauty of education is it has no intrinsic purpose. We have purposes for education. So when we ask ‘How should we educate?’ Then we have to first ask, ‘What do we think the aim of this education is for?’ Only once we have answered that can we rationally begin to decide what we need to do, whether we’re trying to teach the best of what has been thought and said, prepare citizens for the future, or help children become fully rounded human beings.&#8221;<br></p>


Focus on raised hands in classroom

Education: What We Can Do Better


<p><strong>With Covid-19 infections spiking rapidly in South Africa and heading for a fierce pandemic peak, it’s a tough winter ahead. Will the new tightened restrictions help quell the wave?</strong></p>



<p>South Africa’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, which the president Cyril Ramaphosa called “devastating” in a nationwide address on June 27, has been attributed to the highly-contagious Delta variant.</p>



<p>With private and public health facilities in some provinces already reportedly overwhelmed and at capacity with the heavy new caseload, the South African government has urged citizens to take increased precautions amid tighter regulations and a reversal to lockdown alert level 4 announced by the president last night.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color"><blockquote><p>“The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.” &#8211;<em><strong>Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI</strong></em></p></blockquote></figure>



<p>“We need to take extra precautions. As of today, the seven-day average of new daily cases nationally has overtaken the peak of the first wave in July last year, and will soon overtake the peak of the second wave we experienced in January this year,” said Ramaphosa, as he announced the move to adjusted restrictions, which includes an expanded curfew, the prohibition of gatherings, the closing of gyms and sit-down eateries, as well as stopping the sale of alcohol.</p>



<p>While efforts to hamper the spread of the virus have some efficacy, members of the medical fraternity, including members of the government’s own Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), have been critical of what they think has been slow action.</p>



<p>“Government did not properly prepare – as a province, we thought that it the third wave wouldn’t be as brutal as the first or second,” says co-chair of the MAC, Professor Koleka Mlisana, to FORBES AFRICA. “The province should not have closed quarantine facilities after infections of the second wave seemed to be decreasing, that’s where we dropped the ball. When the third wave infections picked up, we were playing catch-up, worsened by one of our major academic hospitals was offline.”</p>



<p>Indeed, the Gauteng province, the country’s commercial heart, is the hardest hit in South Africa, with the seven-day moving average cases fast approaching 10,000.</p>



<p>“We are seeing Gauteng in particular being hammered, with infection rates higher than any other province, almost by a factor of two,” says Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI (reproductive health and HIV Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand), in an interview with FORBES AFRICA.</p>



<p>“This is the worst, most severe health crisis we have ever faced. In July, Gauteng might look like India during their peak.”</p>



<p>Many of the additional health infrastructure and medical care capacity created during and for the first and second waves of the pandemic were decommissioned late last year, and not reopened in preparation for the third wave, he adds.</p>



<p>To bolster additional capacity, the Nasrec quarantine facility is now being reactivated.</p>



<p>“What we were so scared of during the hard lockdowns of May and July [last year] – that’s what we are seeing now,” continues Venter. “The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.”</p>



<p>The surge in cases has already taken its toll on already strained healthcare infrastructure in both state and private facilities, with many hospitals reporting that they are at ICU capacity, even as the peak of the third wave has reportedly not yet been reached.</p>



<p>While the provincial government has committed to the hiring of new staff and expansion of existing facilities this week, it may be too late, for many patients and personnel attempting to save lives, say frontline staff.</p>



<p>“Our staff shortages are constant. We are often over [patient] capacity and are not always able to admit sick Covid-positive patients to our wards because of a lack of space,” says one state doctor who wished to be unnamed.</p>



<p>On the vaccine front, the president announced yesterday that 2.7 million people had received a single vaccine dose countrywide, with the daily vaccination rate exceeding 100,000 – with 1.2 million new Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) vaccines and 1.4 million Pfizer doses having arrived in the last three days through the COVAX program, which South Africa is largely reliant on for vaccine-procurement, and which is still trying to acquire enough doses for member states across the continent.</p>



<p>The J&amp;J vaccine trial earlier in the year had been temporarily halted due to cautionary concerns regarding possible blood clots. While the J&amp;J vaccine application has resumed, delivery of the doses to South Africa had been earlier hindered by reported concerns around site contamination at a production plant in Baltimore in the United States.</p>



<p>While vaccination rates are increasing, the government also has a tough job balancing safety and economic necessity; the hard lockdowns of 2020 caused South Africa’s GDP to fall by over 16% between the first and second quarters (source: Stats SA).</p>



<p>Keen to avoid similar damage to the economy, the government is forced to walk a tightrope in an attempt to curb the spread of infections while keeping the economic engine turning in a country with a youth jobless rate of 74.7%.</p>



<p>Attempts to keep this balance are reflected in the new lockdown regulations, which allow most businesses to function as normal. However, the liquor and restaurant industry say the new restrictions will be terribly damaging.</p>



<p>“Another ban will offer a severe blow to thousands of small businesses still trying to get back on their feet from the previous bans, resulting in even more job losses, business closures and loss in revenue for the national fiscus,” the Beer Association of South Africa said in a statement soon after the president’s June 27 address.</p>



<p>“The only way forward is to provide an uninterrupted supply of beds, supplies, staff and oxygen,” says Venter firmly. “We need not waste time on lockdowns or alcohol, but focus on providing the health system, what it urgently requires, and providing health staff as efficiently as possible. The supply of the healthcare system must be an absolute priority.”</p>



<p>With 15,036 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and private and public ICUs filled to capacity, there is uncertainty and a cold Covid winter ahead for South Africa.</p>


Vaccines Forbes (1 of 1)

South Africa’s Giant Third Wave: ‘In July, Gauteng Might Look Like India During Their Peak’


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: It did feel like some form of “normalcy” would be on the horizon after overcoming the second wave in South Africa. However, with the new Delta variant of the coronavirus, South Africa will now move to adjusted lockdown alert Level 4 for the next 14 days. Calling this a “weighty matter”, and with grave seriousness, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening that the country is now seeing a “massive resurgence of infections”.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The president said: “As much as we had hoped this pandemic would pass quickly, we know the reality to be vastly different. There may be uncertainty over the trajectory of the pandemic, but there is one thing that is certain.”</li><li>It was further noted that the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the third wave of Covid-19 is underway on the continent. African Union member states have also reported over 5.2 million cases and over 138,000 deaths from Covid-19. </li><li>This third wave, known as the Delta variant, was first detected in India at the end of March 2021. Currently, Delta can be found in 85 countries.</li><li>The Delta variant has now been detected in five of the nine South African provinces, namely the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.</li><li>The epicentre of this current fierce wave is Gauteng, which now accounts for more than 60% of new cases in the country.</li><li> Ramaphosa stated he was unsure of how long this wave would last as the first wave (July 2020) lasted 15 weeks and the second wave (January 2021) lasted nine weeks. “We don’t know how long this one will last, but indications are that it could last longer,” he said.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-changes-in-restrictions">Crucial Changes in Restrictions</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li> All gatherings – whether indoors or outdoors – are prohibited. These include religious, political, cultural and social gatherings.</li><li>A curfew will be in place from 9PM to 4AM, and all non-essential establishments will need to close by 8PM.</li><li>The sale of alcohol, both for on-site and off-site consumption, is also prohibited. This is a change from alcohol being allowed to be sold between 10AM and 6PM from Monday to Thursday.</li><li>Due to the rise of infections in Gauteng, which the president called “a burden”, travel in and out of the province for leisure purposes is prohibited. This does not include work, business or commercial travel, transit through airports or for the transport of goods.</li><li> Restaurants and other eateries will only be permitted to sell food for take-away or delivery.</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h3>



<p>“The tried and tested public health measures that have been in place remain our best chance at fighting this pandemic. They are not complicated, difficult or expensive. Whatever inconvenience they may be to us, they are certainly better than becoming seriously ill and needing hospitalization&#8230; the situation has gotten worse,” the president said.</p>


CHOGM London 2018 – Day 2

Tightened Restrictions With Devastating Delta Variant In South Africa


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> A new partnership hopes to help South Africa make Covid-19 vaccines within a year using mRNA, the breakthrough technology behind the highly effective Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as the country faces another deadly surge of cases.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>The “technology transfer hub” hopes to “scale up” the production of an existing mRNA vaccine in South Africa with the help of biotech companies, mRNA experts and public health agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African CDC,&nbsp;<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/4yTwCkR64qtZYAWyi21Z5s?domain=worldhealthorganization.cmail19.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the WHO announced Monday</a>.</p>



<p>The partnership does not yet have an agreement with a vaccine manufacturer, though it has spoken with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, as well as smaller companies with vaccines in development, said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.</p>



<p>With a “tried and tested” vaccine, the hub could be making vaccines “within 9 to 12 months,” said Swaminathan, but would take longer with a vaccine still in development.&nbsp;</p>



<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the hub will “make sure that it benefits the entire African continent,” but did not say how vaccines it makes would be shared with other countries.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND&nbsp;</h3>



<p>South Africa and India have pushed the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property rights for vaccine technology so that developing countries can produce Pfizer, Moderna and other vaccines instead of waiting for wealthy countries to sell or donate surplus vaccines. Countries including the U.S. and Britain, both home to vaccine manufacturers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/rich-countries-block-india-south-africas-bid-to-ban-covid-vaccine-patents/a-56460175" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have blocked the waiver</a>. President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biden-says-plans-back-wto-waiver-vaccines-2021-05-05/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said in May</a>&nbsp;he supported a waiver, but it is unclear how wide of a waiver the U.S. supports or whether other wealthy countries will sign on. Instead, the U.S., U.K. and other leaders at the G7 summit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57461640" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pledged in June</a>&nbsp;to donate 1 billion vaccines to poorer countries.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>1% That’s how many South Africans have been vaccinated,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/safrica-set-host-vaccine-tech-083957118.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to&nbsp;<em>AFP</em></a>, while the country has more than one in three of cases in Africa and is “facing a third wave which seems to be more severe,” Ramaphosa said Monday.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-21/south-africa-plans-covid-19-vaccine-technology-transfer-hub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South Africa Plans Covid-19 Vaccine-Technology Transfer Hub</a>&nbsp;<em>(Bloomberg)</em></p>



<p><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/safrica-set-host-vaccine-tech-083957118.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAfrica set to host vaccine tech transfer hub</a> <em>(Yahoo News/AFP)</em></p>



<p><em><strong>By Graison Dangor, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


Tag: covid-19 second wave

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