Category: World

• The vaccine would be suspended for 14 days, Danish authorities said
• AstraZeneca has said its shots are subject to strict and rigorous quality controls and that there have been no confirmed serious adverse events associated with the vaccine”.

COPENHAGEN : Denmark has temporarily suspended Oxford University-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shots after reports of cases of blood clots forming, including one in Denmark, Danish authorities said on Thursday.

They did not say how many reports of blood clots there had been, but Austria has stopped using a batch of AstraZeneca shots while investigating a death from coagulation disorders and an illness from a pulmonary embolism.

They said six other European countries had halted the use of a vaccine batch from AstraZeneca.

“Both we and the Danish Medicines Agency have to respond to reports of possible serious side-effects, both from Denmark and other European countries,” the director of the Danish Health Authority, Soren Brostrom, said in a statement.

The vaccine would be suspended for 14 days, the health agency said. It did not give details of the Danish blood clot patient.

AstraZeneca has said its shots are subject to strict and rigorous quality controls and that there have been “no confirmed serious adverse events associated with the vaccine”. It said it was in contact with Austrian authorities and would fully support their investigation.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Wednesday there was no evidence so far linking AstraZeneca to the two cases in Austria.

It said the number of thromboembolic events – marked by the formation of blood clots – in people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine is no higher than that seen in the general population, with 22 cases of such events being reported among the 3 million people who have received it as of March 9.

The Danish Medicines Agency said it had launched an investigation into the vaccine together with corresponding agencies in other EU-countries as well as EMA.

“It is important to emphasise that we have not opted out of using the AstraZeneca vaccine, but that we are putting it on hold,” Brostrom said.

The agency said it had pushed back the final date for when it expects all Danes to have been fully vaccinated by four weeks to Aug. 15 as a result of the vaccine suspension.

– Agencies

Pakistan would get a total of 16 million free doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, being manufactured in India, through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) for inoculating 45 million people, officials told Public Accounts Committee (PAC), according to The Express Tribune.

The PAC was informed on Thursday (local time) that the country was relying mostly on free doses being provided by the Gavi to inoculate the citizens against the coronavirus as the Chinese-made vaccine CanSino would cost USD 13 or around Pakistani Rs 2,000 per person.

According to the officials, Pakistan would receive the first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India by mid-March and the rest of it is expected to arrive by June.

During the PAC meeting, headed by its Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain, the officials of the Ministry of National Health Services and the National Institute of Health (NIH) said that Pakistan would get a total of 16 million free doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is being manufactured in India, through Gavi for inoculating 45 million people against the yearly target of 70 million.

The health ministry and the NIH officials apprised PAC that phase three of the

CanSino vaccine trials was completed for the first time in Pakistan with 75 per cent efficacy, and that a total of 18,000 people were inoculated, The Express Tribune reported.

It further reported that the health authorities said that no serious buyers from the private sector had come forward as the applications received so far were incomplete. The applicants, they said, had not even stated which vaccine and how many doses they wanted to import, and where they planned to administer them.

Parliamentary Secretary Health Dr Nausheen Hamid had said that the government secured vaccines for 45 million people through the Gavi Covax facility and had taken urgent measures to purchase additional vaccines for 10 million people for which the cabinet approved USD 150 million.

SRINAGAR: America has welcomed the steps taken by the Government of India to normalize the situation economically and politically in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Neid Price, a spokesman for the US State Department said that “America has been closely following the developments in Jammu and Kashmir”.

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Speaking to the press, Price said that ‘America’s policy regarding Kashmir has not changed.

He said, “In accordance with the democratic values of India, we welcome the steps taken by the central government to bring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir economically and politically.” The US government has also talked to India about this on a few occasions.”

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America has important relations not only with India but also with Pakistan. Regarding this, Price said that ‘these relations have been built on our own in our view’.

He said, “When it comes to India, we have a global comprehensive strategic partnership and we have talked about it. At the same time, when it comes to Pakistan, we have important common interests in that area and we will continue to work closely with Pakistani authorities on those common interests.”

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Price said that ‘America supports direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues including Kashmir.’

He said that ‘Of course, we have been talking about reducing tension on the Line of Control (LoC). We want things to be normal and return to the 2003 ceasefire. (PTK)

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said on Friday that a US air strike against an Iranian-backed militia in eastern Syria, the first since he took office, should be seen by Iran as a warning.

Asked what the message was from the air strike, Biden, speaking in Houston during a tour of relief efforts after a huge winter storm in Texas, said: “You can’t act with impunity. Be careful.” Syria and Iran on Friday condemned the attack with Damascus calling it a “bad sign” from the new Biden administration and Tehran saying it would further destabilize the region.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said two F-15E “Strike Eagles” dropped seven precision-guided munitions on Thursday on facilities in eastern Syria used by the militias believed to be behind a spate of rocket attacks on US troops in Iraq.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was sending “an unambiguous message.” “He’s going to act to protect Americans and when threats are posed, he has the right to take an action at the time and in the manner of his choosing,” Psaki said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration wanted to make it “very, very clear — notably to Iran– that they cannot act with impunity against our people, our partners, our interests. “And I think — and expect — that that message was clearly received,” Blinken said.

Syria condemned the strike as “cowardly American aggression.” “It is a bad sign regarding the policies of the new US administration which should adhere to international (norms),” the foreign ministry said.

The Iranian foreign ministry strongly condemned what it called “illegal attacks” that are a “clear violation of human rights and international law.” The foreign ministry spokesman said that the air strikes would lead to “intensifying military conflicts and further destabilize the region”.

Hashed casualties

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 22 fighters from Iraq’s state-sponsored Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force were killed.

It said that US warplanes hit three trucks loaded with munitions coming from Iraq near the Syrian border town of Albu Kamal and destroyed border posts of the Hashed, an umbrella group that includes small militias with ties to Iran.

Kirby said that the Pentagon had received “preliminary details” about casualties but declined to release any figures. He said that nine “facilities” used by the militias were “totally destroyed” and two “partially destroyed.”

It was the first US military action targeting such groups since Biden took office five weeks ago and came just as Washington had opened the door to resuming negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

Kirby said the targeted location was used by Kataeb Hezbollah and Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, two Iraqi pro-Iran groups operating under the Hashed. Kataeb Hezbollah said one of its fighters was killed and slammed the strike as a “heinous crime in violation of international law.”

Kirby said that Iraqi and Kurdish partners had provided intelligence that led to the identification of the groups behind the rocket attacks. Iraq’s defense ministry denied the US had coordinated with it to conduct the strike, saying it only works together with the US-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Syria’s ally Russia also condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioning the Biden administration’s plans in Syria. “It is very important for us to understand the United States’ strategic line on the ground,” Lavrov said.

Kirby responded to criticism by Lavrov that Moscow had been notified just four or five minutes before the US struck the targets. “We did what we believe was the proper amount of notification for this. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody that we’re going to do what we have to do to notify but we’re also going to do what we have to do to protect our forces,” he said.

Rocket attacks

The US action followed three rocket attacks on facilities in Iraq used by US and coalition forces fighting IS.

One of those strikes, on a military complex in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil on February 15, killed a civilian and a foreign contractor working with coalition forces, and wounded several US contractors and a soldier.

Last week, the Biden administration offered talks with Iran led by European allies as it seeks to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal, left on the brink of collapse after Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from it.

But the new administration has also made clear it would not brook “malign activities” by Iran. Iran is believed to be searching for an opportunity to avenge the US assassination of top general Qasem Soleimani one year ago.

Soleimani, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander, was Iran’s key liaison to its allies in Iraq and Syria, and elsewhere in the region. He was killed in a US drone strike just as he arrived in Baghdad for meetings with top Iraqi officials.

Srinagar, Feb 27: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday congratulated the people of Pakistan and the armed forces on the second anniversary of the Balakot air strike by tweeting several simultaneously.

Imran Khan wrote on his official Twitter handle, “I congratulate the entire country and on the second anniversary of retaliating against the illegal, adventurous military thrill airstrike launched by India against Pakistan, Pakistan’s armed Salute the forces. Responded with determination at the time and place chosen by him as a nation full of pride and confidence. “

With this, Imran Khan once again said that his government believes in dialogue and wants peace.

He said, “We also showed the world how we behaved responsibly by returning an Indian pilot caught in response to India’s irresponsible military stand. We have always stood for peace and continued to talk The medium is ready to resolve all outstanding issues. “

Imran Khan in his third tweet has again raised the issue of UN Security Council resolution on Kashmir.

He wrote, “I welcome the resumption of the ceasefire on the LoC. It is now up to India to create a comfortable environment for further progress. India must take necessary steps so that, as per the UN Security Council resolutions, The long-standing demand of the Kashmiris and the right to decide their future should be given to them. ” (PTK)

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Kashmir is the only dispute with India and it can only be resolved through dialogue. Addressing the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Conference which he co-chaired with his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, Khan said that he offered India an opportunity to hold peace talks on being elected as prime minister in 2018 but nothing came to pass.

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“Our only dispute is Kashmir and it can only be resolved through dialogue,” Khan said while addressing the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Conference in Colombo.

The Pakistan PM said he had held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he assumed power on the way forward, but the move did not succeed.

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“Immediately when I came into power, I approached our neighbour India and explained to PM Modi that the way forward for the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue. I didn’t succeed but I am optimistic that eventually sense will prevail. The only way the subcontinent can tackle poverty is by improving trade relations,” he added.

Earlier, Bajwa had said the two countries must resolve the Kashmir issue in a “dignified and peaceful manner”.

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India has maintained that though it prefers to have normal relations with neighbouring countries, the onus is on Pakistan to create conducive atmosphere.

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First real data from mass vaccinations programmes in England and Scotland is promising

Real-world evidence from the Covid vaccination programmes in England and Scotland show that one dose of vaccine gives high protection against severe disease and admission to hospital – and protects against even mild disease with no symptoms in younger people.
The first real data from the mass vaccination programmes is promising, and although the results do not include evidence that they prevent transmission completely, there is data to show they are stopping some people becoming infected, which should slow the spread of coronavirus.

Three studies came to similarly positive conclusions about the protection offered by the vaccines – one in Scotland and two in England – although they were set up to look at the effects in different groups of people.
In England, the Siren study in healthcare workers under 65 found that one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine reduced the risk of catching the virus by 70% – and 85% after the second dose. The healthcare workers were all tested for the virus every two weeks, so the study picked up asymptomatic infections as well as those who had symptoms.

Public Health England also released the results of routine testing in the over-80s, who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill and dying from Covid. That found that 3 weeks after the first dose, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was 57% effective against symptomatic illness, whether mild or more severe. Although not many people have had a second dose, the evidence suggested efficacy rose to 85% in those who did.
The data also shows that people who have been vaccinated who catch the infection are much better protected against severe disease, hospitalisation and death.
“On top of the reduction in symptomatic infection, vaccine protection against more severe disease from a single dose is even higher – at least 75%,” said Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, at a briefing.
She said these results justified the government’s policy of giving a first dose to millions of people and delaying the second dose for up to 12 weeks later.
Ramsay said: “I think that does reinforce the policy of giving that single dose to more people to prevent more deaths and more admissions now and then go back later and get the second dose, which will give them longer lasting protection and potentially give them better protection.”
Matt Hancock said the results were evidence that the strategy was successful. The health secretary said: “This crucial report shows vaccines are working – it is extremely encouraging to see evidence that the Pfizer vaccine offers a high degree of protection against coronavirus.”

The data from Scotland was equally encouraging. While the studies in England looked only at people given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which was available from the first week in December, Scottish experts analysed data from both vaccines over a period of 28 days.
By the fourth week after receiving the initial dose, the Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines had reduced the risk of hospital admissions from Covid-19 by up to 85% and 94% respectively, according to a study by Scottish universities and Public Health Scotland.
Among people aged 80 and over, vaccination was associated with an 81% reduction in hospital admission risk in the fourth week, when the results for both vaccines were combined.
The scientists, whose work is available online but has not yet been peer-reviewed, said the results from the two vaccines should not be compared. There was more data on people who were given the Pfizer vaccine, while the AstraZeneca vaccine had mostly been administered to older people. (The Guardian)

At the Jenia bar at Dizengoff Square in Israel’s Tel Aviv, curious passersby were lured with free beer and coffee in exchange for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine jab.

The latest bid, initiated by the city’s government starting last weekend, aims to encourage its young people to take the vaccine shots as Israel’s vaccination drive, which has inoculated since last December about half of its population, started to slow down.

Maii Perez, 29 years old, was one of the first young people to get a free beer alongside a COVID-19 vaccine shot at Jenia bar.

“It is a great idea to appeal to the young people here and an easy way to make them receive the vaccine,” she said.

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The vaccination drive is operated by Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency service in conjunction with Tel Aviv municipality and Ministry of Health, which has set up mobile vaccination sites at various public locations.

MDA now is dispatching across the city its special mobile caravans, which are equipped with refrigerators capable of storing the vaccines at their designated temperature.

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Ilee Levanon, an MDA paramedic, said that they are going to the popular places to make it easier for people to get the vaccination, adding that some young people have not received vaccines because they prefer to avoid standing in long queues in vaccination centers or because the applications for vaccines are too complicated.

“So we give people a chance to receive vaccines easily without all the red-tape,” he said.

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While the elderly rushed to vaccination centers, younger populations were much more hesitant about getting jabs. Around 90 percent of Israelis above the age of 60 received the COVID-19 vaccine, while only half of the people aged 16-39 have been inoculated, said the Israeli Health Ministry.

Younger generations feel less pressure and urgency to take the vaccine, mostly because the virus seems to be less deadly and dangerous for them.

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Eytan Schwartz, Tel Aviv municipality spokesperson, told Xinhua that “right now, Israel has enough vaccines to inoculate the entire population within a month. There is no shortage of vaccines, but there is a shortage of willingness. And that is what we are trying to tackle,” said Schwartz.

Schwartz reminded the young people that if they miss bars, nightclubs, and parties, then they should take the responsibility to get vaccine shots so the dynamic nightlife of Tel Aviv can finally return.

With inputs from XINHUA News Agency 

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SRINAGAR, FEB 23: The US has said that it is closely monitoring the reports of disengagement of Indian and Chinese soldiers and is constantly monitoring the situation.

NEW DEHLI: India has allowed Pakistan to use its airspace for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Sri Lanka, it emerged on Monday. Pakistan had another option to use SriLankan Airlines for the premier’s visit on cards if Delhi refused to open its airspace, according to the Pakistan Observer.

The prime minister will embark on a two-day long visit on a special plane while flying across Indian airspace on Tuesday.

The premier is visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa and he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Cabinet and senior officials.

His engagements include meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Khan will also lead the delegation-level talks, covering all areas of cooperation between the two countries including trade, investment, health, education, agriculture, science & technology, defence and culture tourism.

Besides bilateral matters, views will be exchanged on key regional and international issues.

The Pakistani PM will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries.

A number of MoUs to enhance bilateral cooperation will be signed during the visit.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have maintained close, cordial and mutually supportive relations and the two countries share commonality of views on a wide range of international and regional issues.