Tens of millions of migrants may be denied COVID-19 vaccines from a global programme because some major manufacturers are worried about legal risks, according to officials and internal documents from Gavi, the charity operating the programme, reviewed by Reuters.
EUROPE
* Divisions within the European Union deepened over travel rules to curb the spread of Omicron, after Italy and Greece followed Portugal and Ireland in announcing additional curbs on travellers from other EU states.
* France said only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between France and the UK, and anyone arriving from Britain would have to self-isolate.
* British hospitals, particularly in London, are struggling to maintain staffing levels due to the number of staff who are having to isolate, a senior emergency doctor said.
* Queen Elizabeth cancelled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family as a precaution while cases soar.
* Poland detected its first case of Omicron.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* New Zealand reported its first Omicron case at a state-run isolation facility in Christchurch, while thousands in Wellington protested against vaccine mandates and lockdowns – even as the country reached the 90% fully vaccinated milestone.
* Indonesia’s president urged people to stick to health protocols and ensure they are vaccinated, after it detected its first domestic Omicron case.
* Japan said a staff member at a facility housing people had tested positive for Omicron, in the first case of a domestically-acquired infection of the variant.
* The West Indies tour of Pakistan was cut short after the number of infections in the touring party increased to nine.
AMERICAS
* Omicron is spreading rapidly in Ontario, Canada‘s most populous province, and could overwhelm intensive care units early next month without prompt intervention, a panel of experts said.
* Brazil’s health regulator approved Pfizer’s vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.
* A zoo on the outskirts of Chile’s capital is testing an experimental COVID-19 vaccine on lions, tigers, pumas and even an orangutan.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Malawi plans to make vaccines mandatory for frontline staff including health workers and journalists.
* The Palestinian health ministry reported its first cases of the Omicron variant in the territory.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* European Union countries can use Pfizer’s antiviral pill Paxlovid early after diagnosis of an infection even though its full review for regulatory approval has not been completed, the bloc’s drugs regulator said.
* AstraZeneca and Regeneron reported contrasting data on the effectiveness of their antibody therapies against Omicron.
* The European Union’s drug regulator approved a treatment from GSK and Vir Biotechnology and another from Swedish drugmaker Sobi.
* Valneva is in talks with a number of countries interested in its COVID-19 vaccine candidate and could boost production capacity in Scotland, its CEO said.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Britain became the first G7 economy to hike interest rates since the onset of the pandemic, with the U.S. Federal Reserve also signalling plans to tighten in 2022 but the European Central Bank only slightly reining in stimulus.
* Latin America’s oil frontiers are back in the spotlight with upcoming auctions in Brazil, Guyana and the Andean region expected to attract bids from major oil firms, despite a global call to end fossil fuel development and after a two-year pandemic lull.
* The Philippine central bank kept its policy rate at a record low, maintaining support for the economy while uncertainty looms around the new variant.
(Compiled by Sarah Morland; Edited by Philippa Fletcher)
