By Reuters Staff
4 Min Read
(Reuters) - The World Health Organization is seeking to fill the gap left in the COVAX dose-sharing programme by India suspending exports of AstraZeneca doses and is in talks with donors including the United States, senior WHO officials said.
FILE PHOTO: Volunteers prepare to cremate the body of a person who died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a crematorium ground in Giddenahalli village on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Samuel Rajkumar
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
EUROPE Novavax has told the European Union it plans to begin delivering its COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc towards the end of this year, new guidance that could lead to a formal contract being signed as early as this week, an EU official told Reuters.
6 Min Read
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturing activity grew at a slower pace in April, restrained by shortages of inputs as rising vaccinations against COVID-19 and massive fiscal stimulus unleashed pent-up demand.
FILE PHOTO: A worker pours hot metal at the Kirsh Foundry in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, U.S., April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Timothy Aeppel
The survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Monday showed record-long lead times, wide-scale shortages of critical basic materials, rising commodities prices and difficulties in transporting products across industries.
The pandemic, now in its second year, has severely disrupted supply chains. The ISM noted that “companies and suppliers continue to struggle to meet increasing rates of demand due to coronavirus impacts limiting availability of parts and materials.” It cautioned that worker absenteeism, short-term shutdowns due to part shortages and difficulties in filling open positions could limit manufacturing’s
4 Min Read
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian scientists and doctors have warned against relying on numbers released by the government that suggested Russian and Chinese COVID-19 shots were more effective than Western ones, the latest twist in the country’s unorthodox vaccine rollout.
FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks walk in downtown Budapest, after Hungarian government imposed a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Hungary, November 11, 2020. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/Files
Hungary is the only European Union country to authorise and deploy Russian and Chinese jabs before they have been approved by the EU drugs regulator, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cultivated strong ties with both Russia and China.
6 Min Read
BUDAPEST/PRAGUE (Reuters) - Central Europe’s rate setters for the most part look set to weather a looming spike in inflation and let their economies rebound with a vengeance from the COVID-19 shutdown, propelled by strong domestic demand, investments and European Union funds.
FILE PHOTO: People enjoy the evening outside a bar after the Hungarian government allowed the reopening of outdoor terraces, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Budapest, Hungary, April 24, 2021. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
The EU’s eastern members, whose job markets and wage growth have remained buoyant, are facing higher inflationary pressures than others in Europe.
3 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labelled with a Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
(Reuters) - Total global spending on COVID-19 vaccines is projected to reach $157 billion by 2025, driven by mass vaccination programs underway and “booster shots” expected every two years, according to a report by U.S. health data company IQVIA Holdings Inc released on Thursday.
IQVIA, which provides data and analytics for the healthcare industry, said it expects the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations to reach about 70% of the world’s population by the end of 2022. Booster shots are likely to follow initial vaccinations every two years, the report said, based on current data on the duration of effect of the vaccines.