In many low- and middle-income countries, women are less likely to get a COVID-19 vaccination than men. In Iraq, 14% of men are vaccinated while only 9% of women are. Women’s mobility is often restricted, making it hard for them to get to a vaccination.
South Africa was the first to isolate both beta and omicron coronavirus variants. But the nation complains it was punished instead of applauded for discovering the variant.
Few governments are eager to return to the blanket lockdown and measures to deal with COVID-19 are becoming more targeted. Whatever the measures it's the timing that counts.
It was Europe's first coronavirus hot spot. Now, Italy already has one of the strictest anti-infection regimes in the world. And with case numbers rising again, the country is barring unvaccinated citizens from much of public life.
It is still unclear what kind of risk omicron poses and how effective vaccines will be against the new heavily mutated variant. The measures to contain the spread though are familiar, though, with many countries sealing their borders.