To date, Japan has vaccinated only 2.8% of the population, the lowest level among developed countries. (Source: aa.com.tr) On May 12, the online system supports scheduling vaccination COVID-19 prevention in Japan was interrupted due to technical problems, raising concerns about responding to the country’s outbreak. NHK television reported that the vaccination scheduling crash occurred in many localities, including many areas in the capital Tokyo and the western city of Minoh, due to a global system failure involving the supplier. cloud computing Salesforce of America. In a statement on Twitter, Salesforce Chief Technology Officer Parker Harris said the company’s network was suffering from “ serious interruption . “Subsequent update notice indicated that Salesforce’s services were almost completely restored. Japanese Ministry of Health officials have not yet commented on the above information. Japan aims to be vaccinated by July COVID-19 for 36 million elderly people. However, so far, the country has only vaccinated for 2.8% of the population, the lowest level among developed countries in the world.

Currently, visitors to the Maldives must provide a negative PCR test and proof of hotel reservations in order to gain entry. Maldives Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom recently said the Maldives’ Health Protection Agency is about to announce the lifting of entry restrictions for tourists who have completed their vaccinations. In addition, the country is preparing to deploy the 3V strategy “Visit, vaccinate, vacation” to attract and facilitate international tourists. Maldives is known as “paradise of relaxation”. Source: Getty Images However, the Maldives has not decided on the time of implementing this program. The government will first give priority to the people, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine. When that process is completed, the country will be ready to vaccinate foreign visitors to visit and travel. So far, about 53% of the approximately 530,000 inhabitants of the island nation have received the first dose; this includes about 90% of frontline travel workers. It is not clear if tourists will have to pay for the vaccine, but the leader said vaccine supplies should not be an issue for the Maldives. The island nation receives vaccine funding from India, China and the World Health Organization’s Covax program; In addition, they also ordered more vaccines from Singapore. This year, the Maldives has welcomed 350,000 visitors, mainly visitors from neighboring country India. In addition, a large number of visitors come here under the “workation” model, with longer stays to work remotely. Minister Mausoom said that these long-stay guests will also receive two doses of vaccine. The 2021 target of the Maldives is to welcome 1.5 million visitors and 10 million room nights.

The new initiative aims to attract tourists to revitalize the Maldives economy, which largely depends on tourism. (Source: MTN) Maldives is an archipelagic country in South Asia, famous for its tropical climate and pristine waters, and depends heavily on tourism. About 67% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is sourced directly and indirectly from the tourism industry. Currently, visitors to the Maldives must provide a negative PCR test for Covid-19 and proof of hotel reservation in order to be admitted. Maldives Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom recently said that the Maldives Health Protection Agency is about to announce the lifting of the entry restrictions for tourists who have completed the vaccination. In addition, the country is preparing to implement the 3V strategy – “Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation” to attract and facilitate international tourists. However, the Maldives has not decided on the time of implementing this program. The government will give priority to the people first and foremost, ensuring that all are vaccinated with 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. When that process is completed, the country will be ready to vaccinate foreign visitors to visit and travel. To date, 53% of the island nation’s approximately 530,000 residents have received the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, which includes 90% of frontline travel workers. It is not clear if tourists will have to pay for the vaccine, but the leader said vaccine supplies should not be an issue for the Maldives. The island nation receives vaccine funding from India, China and the World Health Organization (WHO) COVAX program; In addition, they also ordered more vaccines from Singapore. This year, the Maldives has welcomed 350,000 visitors, mainly visitors from neighboring country India. In addition, a large number of visitors come here under the “workation” model, with longer stays to work remotely. Minister Mausoom said these long-stay guests will also receive two doses of the vaccine. The target for the whole year 2021 of the Maldives is to welcome 1.5 million visitors and 10 million hotel nights. (according to VOV / CNBC)

According to the news agency DW The final decision on whether or not to give up the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine will be decided by the 164-member World Trade Organization (WTO). Of these, more than 100 countries have supported negotiations towards the abolition of measures to protect intellectual property rights with the COVID-19 vaccine. However, as long as a country disagrees, the WTO cannot approve this proposal. However, there are still countries that oppose the US move. Press conference on this issue on May 6, a spokesman for the German government warned that this would make pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies lose motivation to research and develop vaccines, negatively impacting. the entire vaccine industry in general. Therefore “the protection of intellectual property is a resource for creativity and must be maintained in the future”. The waiver of the vaccine license does not help much in the goal of increasing world vaccination coverage. The reason, “the factors that limit the number of vaccines vaccinated are production capacity and quality standards, not the copyright story”. Protect effort and gi Oh degree ng l Ugh c research According to radio CNN In the current context, giving up intellectual property rights with vaccines is a very complicated problem. A vaccine that has been successfully researched and developed is a collection of a series of different ingredients and materials and each ingredient and ingredient is copyrighted by at least one company or researcher. wisdom. For example, inside the vaccine company Pfizer (USA) and Biotechnology Company BioNTech (Germany) produces 280 ingredients and materials are licensed from many parties from 19 countries. Once a waiver scenario occurs, anyone can freely access and use the ingredients and ingredients in this vaccine – causing significant damage to Pfizer, BioNTech and others. holding the copyrights of those ingredients and materials. Medical staff in the capital Berlin (Germany) prepare the vials of vaccines to be vaccinated in April. Photo: DW “A single dose of vaccine contains all intellectual property from licensing agreements, copyrights, industrial designs to trade secret protection laws, patent secrets. If the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine is abandoned, how can this be enforced? ” – Intellectual property rights expert Achal Prabhala of the Shuttleworth Foundation (South Africa) analyzed. Mr. Prabhala also affirmed that intellectual copyright is the backbone of the entire pharmaceutical and medical industry because it is difficult and time-consuming to research and create a product that is safe to use in humans. The recognition and protection of copyright is a way of respecting the efforts of researchers. The risk of technology secrets disclosure Another equally important issue when it comes to vaccine licensing issues is the protection of vaccine technology and formulation. Currently, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna (USA) are the pharmaceutical companies and technology companies leading the use of new generation mRNA technology to significantly increase the effectiveness of vaccines. This technology is also evaluated to be highly applicable not only in the prevention of COVID-19 but also in other diseases in the future. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in Russia or China have not fully applied this technology; Vaccines that these countries produce and put into use do not have mRNA technology, so the effectiveness level is also somewhat not as high. “Pfizer and Moderna took years of research to develop these vaccines. China and Russia and other countries both want to access it. Their goal is to possess the underlying technology to make vaccines not only to prevent COVID-19 but also for other diseases, ”said former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke. Reuters . In the event that the vaccine rights are abandoned, Beijing will likely force the above-mentioned pharmaceutical firms to hand over the technology if they want to operate in the Chinese market. On the other hand, Beijing may also ask other companies to generate income for such information without fear of being criticized for stealing foreign company secrets. If pharmaceutical companies refuse to provide information, they will face many legal consequences. Remember, intellectual property rights have been a big question between the US and China for many years now, and has been one of the main reasons for the outbreak of the US-China trade war in 2018. • EU completed a contract to buy 1.8 billion vaccine money Associated Reuters May 10 quoted Mr. Thierry Breton – Commissioner in charge of industry and domestic markets the European Union (EU) said that this bloc will not continue to buy vaccine COVID-19 by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (UK-Switzerland). Swedish) production. The reason AstraZeneca has not met its commitment to supply vaccines to the EU. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the EU received only 67 million doses of vaccine from AstraZeneca, although the initial target was 300 million doses. It is expected that in the second quarter, the EU will receive an additional 250 million doses. The remaining 280 million doses will be delivered to the EU by AstraZeneca during the last six months of 2021. In addition to legal disputes with the EU, AstraZeneca’s vaccine reputation has also deteriorated due to information related to adverse reactions. Some European countries such as Denmark have stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine, while in most other countries in the region, this vaccine is only used for people over 55 years old. After discontinuing the contract with AstraZeneca, the EU plans to order more vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna. In fact, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said over the weekend that the EU has officially completed a contract to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine over the next two years.

The image was taken inside a vaccination center located in the railway museum of Catalonia in Vilanova i La Geltru City, Spain. Persons receiving AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine rest at the follow-up area after vaccination. (Image: Getty Images) Medical staff giving flu vaccines to residents not participating in the community Covid-19 vaccination program established at the National Museum of Science and Technology of Leonardo Da Vinci in cooperation with the Leonardo Da Vinci Hospital in Milan, Italy. (Photo: EPA) Chairs in the post-vaccination monitoring room in the city of Naples, Italy, are placed at a guaranteed social distance. (Image: Getty Images) “Medical train” Akademik Fyodor Uglov in Kuytun village, Irkutsk region, Russia. The train is being used as a mobile diagnostic center, and staff on board are deploying Sputnik V vaccination to locals along the East Siberian Railway. (Photo: TASS) A Covid-19 vaccination clinic on the square of the SNCF station vaccination center in Nice City, France. (Photo: Shutterstock) The Robert Poirier Athletics Stadium in Rennes, Britany Province, France, has been transformed into the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination center. (Image: Getty Images) Medical staff preparing to vaccinate at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. (Photo: AP) Poland’s Wroclaw city prepares for a mass vaccination campaign at the city stadium. (Photo: Shutterstock) Aalborg Symphony Orchestra performs at an immunization center in Jutland, Denmark. (Photo: EPA) Residents sit in cars waiting for Covid-19 vaccinations at an immunization site at NRG Park complex, Houston City, Texas, USA. (Photo: AP) Cars move through traffic posts leading to the vaccination center inside Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA. To date, the state of nearly 40 million people has had nearly 19 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, with nearly 6.9 million fully vaccinated. (Photo: AP) The line of vehicles waiting for the Covid-19 test at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles City. The United States, the country most heavily affected by Covid-19, stressed that vaccination was the way to bring the country out of the pandemic. (Photo: AP) Photographed while waiting in line for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccination at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada. (Photo: AP)

The tourist information site Discover Puerto Rico said that from April 28, tourists to the islands will be fined $ 300 if they fail to present a negative Covid-19 result and be forced to take a PCR test right after. there. Covid-19 quick test results are also not recognized. Within 48 hours, visitors can upload the results to the online portal “Travel Safe” and can then continue their journey. Tourists visit the ruins of Old San Juan. Source: Discover Puerto Rico Previously, Puerto Rico had imposed a $ 100 fine policy for visitors who refused to wear masks in public. Island-wide curfews are in effect every night, starting from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The public areas at the hotels are still closed. Puerto Rico recommends that the elderly, those who are sick, have a chronic illness should not travel at this time. Public beaches are still welcome, although drinking alcohol in public is prohibited. Although the museums, swimming pools and attractions are all open, reservations are encouraged as many destinations are only running at 30% capacity./.

Covid-19 in Vietnam on the morning of April 29: There were no new cases, a total of 2,865 cases, more than 38,500 people were in quarantine. (Source: VNA) Newsletter Covid-19 on the morning of April 29 of the Ministry of Health said, from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. on April 29: Vietnam temporarily did not recognize new Covid-19 cases. The total number of cases in our country is still 2,865 – As of 6 am on April 29: Vietnam has a total of 1570 cases of Covid-19 due to domestic infections, of which the number of new cases since January 27 to now: 910 cases, only Hai Duong has 726 ca, Quang Ninh (61 cases), Gia Lai (27 cases), Hanoi (34 cases), Bac Ninh (5 cases), Bac Giang (2 cases), TP. Ho Chi Minh City (36 cases), Hoa Binh (2 cases), Ha Giang (1 case), Dien Bien (3 cases), Binh Duong (6 cases), Hai Phong (4 cases), Hung Yen (3 cases). 10 provinces and cities (Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City) have not reported cases of Covid-19 for 75 days. in the community; Hanoi 71 days and Hai Phong 65 days, Hai Duong 35 days there are no cases of Covid-19 infection in the community. Thus, after 12 o’clock passed, Vietnam has temporarily not recognized any more Covid-19 patients. Number of quarantined people: Total number of people in close contact and entry from the epidemic area under medical monitoring (isolated): 38,513, of which: – Concentrated isolation at the hospital: 528 – Concentrated isolation at other establishments: 22,970 – Isolation at home, residence: 15,015. Treatment situation: Among Covid-19 patients being treated at health facilities across the country, there are 48 patients who have been negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus 1-3 times, including: 13 cases negative for the first time; Number of second negative cases: 15 cases; the number of third negative cases was 20 cases. The number of Covid-19-related deaths in our country so far is 35 cases, these are patients with many serious underlying diseases, including in Da Nang (31 cases), Quang Nam (03) and Quang Tri. (01). Immunization information: An additional 92,445 people were vaccinated against Covid-19 on April 28. Up to 4:00 p.m. on April 28, a total of 1 and 2 vaccinations of Covid-19 vaccinations had been carried out in the provinces / cities for 425,638 health workers who were directly treating Covid-19 patients. Medical staff perform tasks such as taking samples, testing, tracing, members of Covid-19 community groups, Steering Committee for epidemic prevention at all levels, police forces, the military. Details of 92,445 people who were injected at 56 provinces / cities and medical facilities of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Defense on April 28, 2021 were as follows: – 1st: 1- Quang Ninh: 460 people 2. Ministry of Public Security: 2,418 people Phase 2: 3- Hanoi: 3,765 people 4- Hai Phong: 163 people 5- Thai Binh: 73 people 6- Nam Dinh: 1,280 people 7- Ha Nam: 651 people 8- Ninh Binh: 108 people 9- Bac Giang: 4,085 people 10- Bac Ninh: 924 people 11- Phu Tho: 1,188 people 12- Vinh Phuc: 766 people 13- Hai Duong: 7,840 people 14- Hung Yen: 1,604 people 15- Thai Nguyen: 547 people 16- Bac Can: 353 people 17- Quang Ninh: 2,480 people 18- Hoa Binh: 1,706 people 19- Nghe An: 9,507 people 20- Ha Tinh: 647 people 21- Lai Chau: 230 people 22- Lang Son: 1,714 people 23- Tuyen Quang: 422 people 24- Ha Giang: 897 people 25- Cao Bang: 1,225 people 26- Yen Bai: 728 people 27- Lao Cai: 1,335 people 28- Son La: 234 people 29- Dien Bien: 887 people 30- Quang Binh: 313 people 31- Quang Tri: 934 people 32- Thua Thien – Hue: 978 people 33- City. Da Nang: 274 people 34- Quang Nam: 1,619 people 35- Quang Ngai: 560 people 36- Binh Dinh: 1,050 people 37- Phu Yen: 396 people 38- Khanh Hoa: 1,023 people 39- Binh Thuan: 1,419 people 40- Ninh Thuan: 777 people 41- Kon Tum: 1,683 people 42- Gia Lai: 2,558 people 43- Dak Lak: 3,657 people 44- Dak Nong: 562 people 45- TP. Ho Chi Minh City: 11,107 people 46- Tien Giang: 77 people 47- Lam Dong: 2,340 people 48- Can Tho: 1,069 people 49- Soc Trang: 2,020 people 50- Ben Tre: 526 people 51- Tra Vinh: 1,188 people 52- Vinh Long: 831 people 53- Dong Thap: 4,326 people 54- Binh Phuoc: 851 people 55- Kien Giang: 207 people 56- Ca Mau: 592 people 57- Bac Lieu: 1,163 people 58- Hau Giang: 108 people In order to live safely with the Covid-19 epidemic, the Ministry of Health recommends that each citizen must comply with the 5K principle of the Ministry of Health: Masks; Disinfection; Range; No Convergence and Medical Claims. 5K rule (According to the Ministry of Health)

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine. Photo: VNA broadcast Due to the complexity and urgency of the situation, the provision of vaccines individually to each organization is a challenge, the institute’s announcement noted. We urge all organizations and individuals to access vaccines through public agencies and the private health care system. ”| In addition, from July next, the country can increase production of vaccine AstraZeneca to 100 million doses / month, significantly increased from the current 60-70 million doses per month. However, this production growth milestone is two months later than originally intended. The same day, Prime Minister Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha said the country will seek to buy about 35 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine from two or three other manufacturers, in addition to the 65 million doses already ordered. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said this would complement the government’s purchase of 65 million doses of vaccine from two manufacturers, AstraZeneca and Sinovac Biotech, according to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Bangkok. Of the 35 million doses of the new vaccine, 10-15 million will be bought by the private sector to inject their employees and this will save the government money. Thailand started its vaccination campaign on February 28 with priority given to high-risk people who are health professionals and those in close contact with patients. The country’s vaccination campaign will initially rely on imported vaccines developed by China-based company Sinovac Biotech and will then use the vaccine AstraZeneca contracted by the company Siam Bioscience to make domestically for injection. vaccinated for about 35 million people. As of April 20, more than 2.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 117,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, arrived in Thailand. To date, Thailand has received a total of 712,610 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Royal Thailand Notice has published the country’s vaccine passport format form, with the official name of the “Covid-19 immunization certificate”, which contains the name, passport number and nationality of the person who received the vaccine. vaccinations. Only people who get vaccinated in Thailand or are certified by the World Health Organization can be issued with vaccine passports. Photo: Tan Hoa commune Vaccine passport issued by Thailand can only be used for 1 person and children under 7 years old must have parent’s signature on their passport. Only six senior health officials in Thailand are authorized to sign the vaccine passport. Thailand currently records more than 46,000 Covid-19 cases and the country is stepping up its national vaccination campaign. Thailand’s Ministry of Health is expected to let people book vaccinations through an application on the phone from May 1 to. Thailand is planning to purchase an additional 5 million to 10 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to meet the country’s need for immunization.

The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of funding to develop the above plan. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to lack of supply. (Source: Reuters) Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute said they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the entire country of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable of producing AstraZeneca’s vaccines, with the initial plan being that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination against Covid-19 in Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supply, as well as the safety of the vaccine in relation to the side effects of thrombosis. (Reuters)

Acting Premier of Victoria, James Merlino. (Source: abc.net.au) On the morning of April 21, Mr. James Merlino, acting Premier of Victoria ( Australia ) announced that it would provide AUD 50 million (approximately US $ 38.6 million) to launch a project to develop vaccine production technology for mRNA at state vaccine research facilities. Under the project, it will take at least 12 months for Australia to be able to produce any vaccine under it mRNA technology . The move will pave the way for vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer and Moderna to be produced in Australia, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Sydney. The Peter Doherty Institute of Infectious and Immunology will join Monash University, the University of Melbourne and a number of other research centers as the recipients of the funding to develop the above plan. Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute say they are working on a “preventive” vaccine with mRNA technology that can be modified to fight variations. Mr. Merlino said that this plan is an important event, not only for Victoria but for the whole of Australia. Besides, he affirmed that the support budget will be increased when the project is developed in the future. Australia is currently only capable vaccine production of AstraZeneca with the initial plan that the CSL facility in the city of Melbourne will produce more than 50 million doses. Vaccination work COVID-19 Australia is facing many challenges due to the lack of vaccine supplies, as well as the safety of this vaccine related to the side effects of thrombosis.

The beaches in Phuket are empty of foreign tourists. (Photo: Bangkok Post Office) The Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand said that the number of Covid-19 cases per day has increased to more than 2,000 and is not sure how the pandemic will break out, so the previous goal is to attract 6.5 million foreign tourists in 2021 are difficult to achieve. The Thai government currently expects international arrivals by 2021 to be only 3 million to 4 million visitors. Meanwhile, local tourists are predicted to make about 100 million -120 million trips this year, down from 160 million in the previous forecast. However, Thai officials will continue to plan to attract international tourists who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, through a pilot project in the tourist city of Phuket from July 2021. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will help distribute Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of Phuket’s residents in preparation for international tourists. Regarding the Covid-19 situation in Thailand, today (April 24), health officials of this country recorded a record high number of new cases in the day, with 2,839 cases and 8 more deaths. To date, this Southeast Asian country has recorded a total of 53,022 cases of Covid-19, of which 129 died and 22,327 are under treatment./.

The world has been getting COVID-19 vaccination for several months. Besides the hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be controlled, there is no small concern with the fact that a series of new virus variants have appeared and are still appearing. It can be said that the global market is in the race between the vaccine and the unknown virus variants. The COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson started being distributed in the US in early March amid dangerous spreading of the variants. Photo: GETTY IMAGES Many dangerous variations Virus strain means there is a mutation, changes in the genetic structure of the virus, causing the virus to change the way it works. In addition to the old virus strain, the world currently has many new variants such as B.1.1.7 (originated from England, has spread to more than 90 countries), B.1.351 from South Africa (has spread to more than 40 countries). , P1 and P2 from Brazil (has spread to 25 countries, some cases have been infected and recovered from being re-infected with variant P1), D614G from Europe, A.23.1 from Rwanda. In which the variant appeared from South Africa is said to be the most difficult to prevent and the most dangerous. Studies show that the vaccine strain B.1.351 of the vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech and of AstraZeneca / Oxford is not as effective as the old vaccine. Clinical trials of vaccines by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax also showed that the ability to prevent this variant is not high. These variants – with a faster rate of spread, a higher risk of death, and an easier way to outdo existing vaccines – threaten efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, the appearance of the variants also points to another concern: More dangerous variants will emerge in the future if the world fails to win the current race. The current pace of immunization globally is worryingly slow, especially in poor countries. It can be understood that even though rich countries vaccinate rapidly, new variants may emerge in poor countries that have not yet had adequate immunization coverage. Understanding these risks, vaccine developers are working hard to increase effectiveness in coping with variants. And the global health organizations are also making efforts to accelerate the speed of global distribution and vaccination. These are difficult times. This will be our toughest time to see which side wins. If we can hold on for another month or six, there’s a big difference. TS PETER HOTEZ , Rector of Baylor College of Tropical Medicine (USA) Vaccine firms’ efforts The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines and Moderna’s vaccines (both doses) both use the mRNA molecule as the foundation. This molecule instructs the body to make a mutant protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which signals the immune system to fight off the mutant protein if encountered. The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine (two doses) uses a reprogrammed version of another virus, adenovirus, that uses the DNA encoding the mutant protein of SARS-CoV-2. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine (single dose) also uses adenovirus. With these two vaccine platforms, once they want to redirect to deal with new variants, developers will need to modify their DNA or mRNA codes. Fortunately, this can be done simply and quickly, but the disadvantage is that it will require expensive changes to the vaccine production process and more time to produce and distribute. Hoping to avoid these shortcomings, Pfizer is now considering the possibility of adding a third dose to the current two-dose regimen to reinforce the effectiveness of preventing new variants. Talk to the radio NBC News At the end of February, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla was confident that “the third dose will increase the antibody response 10 to 20 times”. Moderna is also working on the possibility of giving one-dose booster to the current two-dose regimen. In addition, at the end of February Moderna sent a version of the vaccine optimized to cope with the variant in South Africa to the US National Institutes of Health for further study. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson is confident its vaccine is resistant to many more variants because it is developed later than the above brands. Johnson & Johnson are also working on a two-dose vaccine (currently only available in one-dose version). Last week Pfizer announced that it would soon launch the trial of COVID-19, a positive news that gives further hope to quell the pandemic. Meanwhile according to the news agency Reuters Currently, many Asian countries are speeding up the distribution of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, after a period of concerns about the safety of the information that this vaccination causes thrombosis appeared in Europe. Earlier this week, many countries and territories in Asia activated vaccination. Some regional leaders are also vaccinated to reinforce confidence, including the Head of the Administration of Taiwan Institute – Mr. To Trinh Xuong, Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha. In Europe, after a short hiatus, many continental countries have also restored this vaccination. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson received the first dose last weekend and said “nothing strange”. The AstraZeneca vaccine is one of the few first available COVID-19 vaccines, available at a low cost and according to Reuters This vaccine will be at the heart of COVID-19 vaccination programs in most developing countries. The positive side of “vaccine diplomacy” Currently, the giants of vaccine COVID-19 (USA, China, India) are trying to expand distribution of vaccine globally. Compared to the US, the two countries India and China are more enthusiastic about implementing the campaign “vaccine diplomacy”. China has announced it will donate vaccines to 53 countries, and has already shipped millions of doses of its domestic vaccine to Asia, Africa and Latin America. When asked if the US could surpass China in “vaccine diplomacy” last week, the State Department spokesman did not respond. However, according to the news site The Hill The US is working with countries in the quartet group (India, Australia, Japan) to discuss providing vaccines to Asian countries to both stop the COVID-19 epidemic and as a counterbalance to China’s “vaccine diplomacy” campaign. National. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed this with three of their counterparts from February 18. During a meeting with G7 leaders last month, US President Joe Biden promised that the United States would donate 4 billion doses to the World Health Organization (WHO) Gavi vaccine alliance and possibly many more.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine. (Photo: VNA broadcast) Regarding the issue of vaccine supplies of the European Union (EU), on April 18, the European Commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton left open the possibility that the EU could decide not to continue ordering. vaccine of AstraZeneca due to a later than agreed upon delivery. The EU initially ordered 120 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for 27 member countries in the first quarter of 2021 and 180 million doses in the second quarter of 2021. However, so far AstraZeneca has only delivered 30 million doses and is expected to have only 70 million more doses in the next quarter. Mr. Breton affirmed that there is currently no certainty and the EU is still negotiating with AstraZeneca. However, he stressed that no matter what the decision is not due to medical or epidemiological reasons, and affirms that the AstraZeneca vaccine brings more benefits than risks. U] Previously, on April 16, French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher also mentioned the possibility that the EU will not renew the contract with AstraZeneca and both. Johnson & Johnson in the year 2022. Some EU countries have stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about the risk of side effects occurring thrombosis. However, most countries have resumed their AstraZeneca vaccination program after the European Drug Administration (EMA) confirmed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. Photo: AFP / VNA On April 13, US federal health authorities recommended to suspend the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for “cautious” reasons, awaiting the results of investigating the possible link between the vaccination. this with thrombotic side effect. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reviewing six cases of thrombosis following the vaccination. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, on April 15, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci hopes that US regulators will soon make a quick decision on resuming Johnson & Johnson’s vaccination, bringing the vaccine back. immunization program. The day before, the US CDC advisory committee postponed at least a week to vote on whether to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to wait for more data on thrombotic risks. Mr. Fauci feared that the prolonged delay of the vaccine could affect people’s hesitancy. “I think we need to continue to emphasize that this is a very effective and usable vaccine that is very, very valuable in a global context,” he said. Following the US, some countries have made similar moves with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
On April 13, the South African Ministry of Health announced it had suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the country’s vaccination program, although South Africa has not received a report related to coagulation after 290,000 people in the country. has received the COVID-19 vaccine from the brands. Two weeks ago, South Africa licensed the use of vacicne Johnson & Johnson and so far only vaccinated this vaccine to health workers in the study framework. Before the above developments, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that the country has not decided whether to launch the Johnson & Johnson vaccine injection this week or not. He stated that the Netherlands will wait for information from the European Pharmaceutical Authority (EMA) before making a decision. In contrast, some countries continue to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Belgium has said it will not stop the vaccination at this stage. Poland started to vaccinate Johnson & Johnson when the government confirmed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, Spanish officials have not received the notice of stopping the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it is monitoring global data of various reports to see if similar cases occur elsewhere, and it will take time. Time to evaluate vaccine data from Johnson & Johnson. Denmark completely discontinues the AstraZaneca vaccine; Thailand is still considered the mainstay Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-O-Cha (middle) was vaccinated against COVID-19 by AstraZeneca company in Bangkok, on March 16, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA Before the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine was also in the same situation. The AstraZeneca vaccine is suspected of causing thrombosis, causing a series of European countries to suspend use, despite WHO recommendations. Recently, on April 14, Denmark became the first European country to permanently stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about rare blood clotting side effects. Denmark thinks that AstraZeneca’s vaccine may not be needed because it has managed the COVID-19 pandemic and may just depend on the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Before that, from March 11, Denmark, along with Iceland and Norway, have suspended the use of this vaccine. Followed by a number of other European countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Federal Health Ministers and states in Germany unanimously recommend a second shot after getting the first shot with the AstraZeneca vaccine, under which one shot of the preparation is given to those under 60 years of age. This could be a second shot with another vaccine. In Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov also announced that the launch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the country could be stopped because people are not interested. The European Drug Administration – the European Union’s (EU) drug regulator – then recommended that countries continue to use vaccines as the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any potential risks. hidden from humans. Last week, the European pharmaceutical regulator listed clotting as an extremely rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Some countries have started to re-use the vaccine after the suspension, but limited in the number of people vaccinated. As is the case in the UK, the country says it will offer another vaccine for people under the age of 30. While some countries are vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Thailand Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be the mainstay of the Southeast Asian country’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Mr. Anutin confirmed that Thailand has the expertise to closely monitor vaccine information and the decision is based on science. Thailand’s vaccination campaign mainly relies on domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine and 2 million doses of Chinese vaccine to vaccinate about 35 million people, equivalent to 50% of the population – Thailand’s goal. must be reached by the end of 2021. Along with Thailand, Korea has decided to continue to vaccinate AstraZeneca for those who qualify. People younger than 30 years of age have not yet received the vaccine because the risk of blood clots outweighs the benefit of the vaccination. Continued reassurance and investigation of coagulation phenomenon after vaccination Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Llanelli, South Wales (UK), April 9, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA While countries are moving differently with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, WHO continues to assert the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. On April 15, WHO Director in Europe Hans Kluge reaffirmed that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks. “Make it clear that there is no doubt that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing hospital admissions for COVID-19 and preventing severe illness that leads to death. The WHO has recommended this vaccine as soon as possible,” he said. as possible for adults to increase resistance to the SARS-CoV-2 virus “. WHO officials also pointed out that out of the 200 million people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are only a few rare cases of a blood clotting disorder. He emphasized that the risk of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 is much higher than in those receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. A study by scientists at the University of Oxford UK showed that COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of developing blood clots in the brain than those vaccinated against the disease. Data from over 500,000 patients with COVID-19 show that blood clotting occurs at an incidence of 39 out of 1,000,000 patients. Of the more than 480,000 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine made by BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna, the incidence of coagulation was 4 / 1,000,000, while the rate was slightly higher for those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca – about 5 / 1,000,000 after the first injection. After the coagulation incident with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, the researchers found that this rare side effect only occurs with vaccines using adeno virus vector technology (the virus that causes the common cold). There has been no record of coagulation in people who received the vaccine using other technologies from Pfizer and Moderna. However, the link between the technology using adeno virus vectors and coagulation is only a simple guess, there is no evidence. Russian vaccine has not caused any blood clotting cases and is increasingly “expensive”. Vaccine Sputnik V in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP / VNA When Western countries investigated blood clotting side effects, the Gamaleya Research Institute – which develops the Russian vaccine Sputnik V – said the vaccine has not caused any adverse reactions related to blood clotting. According to the Gamaleya Institute, there is no reason to equate the safety of the Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca vaccines with Sputnik V. All three of these vaccines are vector-based, using the adeno virus to deliver the protein of SARS-CoV- 2 into human cells, helping to stimulate the immune system’s response. However, all three manufacturers use different structures and technologies in vaccine formulation. Iran is the latest country to order Russian vaccines. Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali confirmed that the contract to buy 60 million doses of Sputnik V has been signed and completed, enough to give 2 doses to 30 million people. Ambassador Kazem Jalali also announced that Iran will receive the vaccine by the end of 2021. Russia is also transferring technology to produce this vaccine to a number of countries. Most recently, the Korean company ISU Abxis on April 15 announced an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the technology transfer and production of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for Korean companies. . It is expected that the production of vaccine trials will soon be deployed at a facility in Yongin, south of Seoul. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the second most popular vaccine in the world approved for use by national pharmaceutical regulators.

US President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on April 14. Photo: Rex

Citing the research results of the Pew Research Center, the British newspaper Guardian reported that President Biden has received a credit rating of 59%.

Meanwhile, at the same time, predecessor Donald Trump received only 39% and former President Barack Obama received a 61% credit rating.

With the migration crisis on the southern border acting as an early test of President Biden’s capabilities, the American people perceive this as a very serious problem, even overcoming. COVID-19 translation at the present time.

Previously, in a Pew study in June 2020, 58% of respondents said that the COVID-19 pandemic was at the top of the list of concern. In the latest poll, that number has fallen to 47% as more people vaccinate and states reopen.

Pew interviewed 5,109 adults in the US in April 2021 for this poll. About 72% of participants rated the Biden administration’s vaccine implementation program as good and extremely good. Meanwhile, 67% of the respondents supported the COVID-19 support package and 36% answered “fully support”.

The probe was conducted before Washington announced a suspension of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

AstraZeneca / Oxford University COVID-19 Vaccine. Photo: AFP / VNA

In February 2021, a team of vaccine researchers at Oxford University started a study called Com-Cov, in which volunteers are given the first and second shots with two different vaccines. are Oxford / AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Now, the researchers will add Moderna and Novavax vaccines to the pilot program.

Matthew Snape, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Immunization at Oxford University and lead the study, said the focus of the study was to find out if the available COVID-19 vaccines could be used. more flexibly, with the use of one vaccine for the first shot and another for the second shot, or not.

Associate Professor Matthew Snape expects that if research can prove that the mixed vaccination produces the same immune response as the standard vaccination and does not significantly increase the response to the vaccine, there will be more. people completing the COVID-19 vaccination plan earlier. This will also assist the health system in responding to a shortage of any vaccines currently in use.

To expand this study, researchers are looking for more volunteers over the age of 50 who have received their first shot of the vaccine in the past 8 to 12 weeks. Volunteers, who received their first shot with the Oxford / AstraZeneca or Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, will be randomly assigned to receive a second shot with the same first shot or with the vaccine. Made by Moderna or Novavax.

Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7, 2021. Photo: THX / TTXVN

In the past 24 hours, the ASEAN association had up to four member states that recorded COVID-19 deaths: the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Indonesia remains the most serious outbreak of COVID-19 among ASEAN countries, when it recorded the highest number of cases in the region. However, the epidemic situation in the “country of thousands of islands”, after many months of outbreak, has seen a trend of cooling down, when the number of new cases began to decrease compared to the previous period.

Meanwhile, developments are returning and serious outbreaks in the Philippines. The epidemic progressed badly with the number of new cases / day many times higher than the “epidemic” in Indonesia and the highest among Southeast Asian countries, while the number of deaths increased sharply compared to the previous days. The disease situation in the Philippines is the hottest in the ASEAN region, the total number of new cases per day in this country is more than the region combined.

Malaysia continued to be concerned about the situation, the new epidemic wave has prolonged and there is no sign of cooling off in Malaysia. Malaysia is seeing the trend of epidemic escalate again due to the rapid increase in the number of new cases per day in the past few days. In Myanmar, according to website worldometers.info, Myanmar, in the past 24 hours, 9 cases of COVID-19 were reported.

Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 7, 2021. Photo: THX / TTXVN

Thailand also faces a worrying situation when the number of cases of community infection remains high in recent days, forcing the country to decide to tighten epidemic prevention measures. This country on April 14 recorded 1,335 new cases.

Cambodia’s epidemic disease is increasing rapidly and ominously when the country has 277 new patients and 1 death on April 14. “Community incident” has recently started to tend to cool down, the number of new patients tends to level off.

Specifically, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has so far claimed the lives of a total of 63,114 people in Southeast Asia, an increase of 296 cases compared to a day ago. While the number of cases increased to 3,090,106 cases. Besides, the ASEAN region also witnessed the number of patients successfully treated is 2,710,182 cases.

The whole bloc still witnessed worrisome, complicated epidemic developments and a potential risk of outbreaks of new epidemics in many member countries. In the past 24 hours, ASEAN had nine member countries recording new cases of COVID-19. Only Brunei and Laos have no more deaths or illnesses.

Evolution of COVID-19 in ASEAN on April 14:

People waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine to be vaccinated in Manila, Philippines, on March 31, 2021. Photo: THX / TTXVN

On April 14, the Philippines’ Ministry of Health (DOH) announced that it had recorded an additional 8,122 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in this Southeast Asian country to 892,880.

According to DOH, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the Philippines also increased to 15,447, 162 more than the day before. Speaking at an online press conference, Philippine Deputy Health Minister Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the rate of disease spread in this country has not decreased, the number of cases continues to increase.

The average number of new cases per day still ranges from 10,000-11,000 cases. According to the Philippine Deputy Health Minister, the infection in the community still occurs, the outbreaks in the workplace are the main source of transmission, mainly in hospitals and closed workspaces.

Since the outbreak in January 2020 until now, the Philippines has tested for more than 10 million people out of a total of 110 million people. The Philippine Government is now stepping up efforts to strengthen the health system by adding resources to quarantine and health care facilities. During the press conference, Ms. Vergeire also emphasized the importance of maintaining the health system and ensuring hospitals are ready to accept patients.

Police on duty in Manila, Philippines. Photo: THX / TTXVN

Since March 29, the Philippine government has imposed stringent blockade measures in metropolitan Manila and four neighboring provinces to control the outbreak that has emerged since the end of February. until the end of April 30. The DOH believes that factors such as the new variant of the virus spread faster, people move more and lack a sense of compliance with epidemic control regulations that have caused the number of cases to increase.

On the same day, Malaysia recorded 1,889 new cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 365,892. According to the Malaysian Ministry of Health, among the aforementioned new cases, there were 6 entries and 1,883 infections in the country. Malaysia also recorded eight more deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease in the country to 1,353.

A total of 347,780 COVID-19 patients in Malaysia were discharged, equivalent to a cure rate of 95.1%. Out of 16,696 patients under treatment, 204 need special care and 79 need a breathing device.

COVID-19 vaccine for people in Ohio, USA. Photo: AFP / VNA

The country most severely affected remains the United States with 577,226 deaths out of a total of 32,075,852 cases. It was followed by India with 172,461 deaths out of 13,960,574 cases. In the past 24 hours, the country recorded an additional 184,372 cases of COVID-19 and 1,027 deaths. This is the day India has the highest number of cases ever and the highest number of deaths in 2021. April 14 is the 8th day in a row and the 9th time this month that the number of new cases has exceeded. 100,000 cases milestone in India. Third place was Brazil with 358,718 deaths out of 13,601,566 patients.

In Asia, the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) announced that it had recorded 8,122 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in this Southeast Asian country to 892,880 cases. According to DOH, the total number of deaths in the Philippines also increased to 15,447, 162 more than the day before. Philippine Deputy Health Minister Maria Rosario Vergeire said the rate of disease spread in this country has not decreased, the number of cases continues to increase. According to the official, the infection in the community still occurs, the outbreaks in the workplace are the main source of transmission, mainly in hospitals and closed workspaces.

On the same day, Malaysia recorded 1,889 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in this country to 365,892 cases. Malaysia also recorded eight more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths due to the disease in the country to 1,353.

Thailand is considering imposing new measures to deal with the growing number of new COVID-19 infections. On April 14, Thailand recorded the highest number of new cases of COVID-19 by day since the pandemic appeared in the country early last year. The Center for Managing the situation COVID-19 (CCSA) confirmed 1,335 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 35,910, including 97 deaths.

In Japan, leading infectious disease expert Shigeru Omi warns the country has entered the fourth wave of infection of the COVID-19 pandemic amid highly infectious variants of the SARS-CoV virus. -2 is spreading in some areas.

In the context of the complicated epidemic, the government of Matsuyama city, in the western country, decided to cancel the Tokyo Olympic torch relay ceremony. Tokyo Mayor Yuriko Koike has also pledged to effectively control the COVID-19 epidemic in the capital to ensure the upcoming Olympics take place safely. She emphasized that from now until May 11, it will be an important period to win the fight against the COVID-19 campaign before the Olympics takes place. According to statistics, Japan has recorded a total of over 513,000 infections and over 9,500 deaths due to COVID-19.

People wear masks to prevent COVID-19 epidemic in Seoul, Korea. Photo: AFP / VNA

South Korea is also facing the risk of appearing the 4th wave of infection when the number of new cases has exceeded 700 cases / day. Statistics of the Korea Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA) released on April 14 show that the country has 731 new cases, of which 714 cases of infection in the community – the highest level in the country. Last 3 months. The current epidemic situation in Korea is considered to be at a level that should be considered by the government to upgrade the social gap, but considered it a “last resort” due to careful consideration of economic losses. practice.

In Europe, the epidemic is still complicated, with Turkey recording the highest number of new infections and deaths in a day ever. In the past 24 hours, the country recorded 59,187 new infections, and 273 deaths. To stop the spread of the epidemic, President Tayyip Erdogan announced a number of new restrictions and “partially closed” the country during the first two weeks of Ramadan.

After the state of emergency in the Czech Republic ended on April 12, the Czech Government was cautious in relaxing measures to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic. Accordingly, the Czech government still imposes a ban on gatherings on 2 people both indoors and outdoors, while emphasizing the concerns of epidemiologists about the rapid relaxation of measures that could be reversed. the positive trend of disease prevention.

Meanwhile, after seeing a significant improvement in the epidemic situation in the Czech Republic, Germany said it would end long-term border controls with the Czech Republic, which had been in place since February 14. Instead, Germany will continue to implement quarantine measures through intensive random inspections in the German-Czech border area.

The Norwegian government has also allowed restaurants and bars to return to serve alcohol until 10 p.m. daily. The Nordic country also allows people to receive up to 5 guests to play at home at the same time – an increase of 3 compared to the previous regulation, while the stadium will be able to host 600 people, but must divided into 3 areas. These rules and recommendations will apply throughout Norway, but high-risk areas such as the capital Oslo and surrounding areas can maintain stricter measures if needed. .

The Swiss government has announced it will significantly loosen the restrictions despite the fact that the country’s disease situation remains highly precarious and has even worsened in recent weeks. Accordingly, from the beginning of next week, restaurants and bars in Switzerland, which have been closed since December, 2020, will be reopened, applicable to the outdoor area. Movie theaters and other entertainment facilities will also be reopened with indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Also on April 14, diplomatic sources said that EU member states had unanimously agreed to officially implement the vaccine passport initiative to reopen the tourism industry in the summer. 2021. This is part of an effort to restore to a new normal state while the COVID-19 epidemic is still spreading. Countries will discuss this initiative in detail with the European Parliament (EP) in May.

People wear masks to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic at El Alto-La Paz International Airport in Bolivia. Photo: AFP / VNA

In the Americas, the number of infections and deaths caused by the COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 virus increased sharply in some South American countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. The Bolivian government announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor on the border with neighboring Brazil to facilitate the circulation of food and medicine. Bolivia closed its border with Brazil since April 2, to prevent the spread of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 from neighboring countries.

Regarding the COVID-19 vaccine issue, US officials announced that the vaccination program is being accelerated with 3.3 million doses being injected per day. Meanwhile, the UK University of Oxford has decided to expand research in the combination use of COVID-19 vaccines to evaluate whether the combination of vaccines is safe and helps prolong immunity in humans. vaccinated or not.