Pfizer, AZ Offer High Levels of Protection Against India Variant
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World Monday, May 24, 2021 05 News Pfizer, AZ offer high levels of in brief Thirteen dead in Italy after cable car plummets to the ground ROME Thirteen people died after a mountain cable car came protection against India variant loose and plummeted to the ground in northern Italy on Sun- day, rescue crews said. The accident happened in Italy’s Piedmont region, west of There are insufficient cases Lake Maggiore, on a line that links the resort town of Stresa Both vaccines were and follow-up periods to es- with the 1,500-metre high Mount Mottarone. 33 percent effective timate vaccine effectiveness Two children were injured in the crash and flown by helicop- against severe outcomes from ter to a hospital in Turin, where they were in critical condition, against the Indian the Indian variant but this will the the rescue service reported. be evaluated over the coming The cause of the accident remains unknown. According to variant three weeks weeks, PHE added. media reports, the gondola plunged shortly before reaching the after the first dose Asked about how the data mountaintop station. Images from the fire department and po- could affect the easing of re- lice showed the smashed cabin on a steep slope in a wooded DPA strictions from June 21, Prof area. It was reportedly a hard-to-reach site for rescuers. (DPA) LONDON Hopkins said it was “too early to say.” Italy’s Maneskin crowned winner of THE Pfizer coronavirus vaccine She said: “One week post Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is 88 percent effective against the last restriction lifting, we the Indian variant after two will be monitoring it very care- AMSTERDAM Rock band Maneskin won the Eurovision Song doses, a study by Public Health fully.” Hancock said: “This new Contest 2021 with Zitti E Buoni, thanks to a major boost of England (PHE) has found. evidence is groundbreaking votes from the public, ending a 31-year drought for Italy. Both the Pfizer and Astra- and proves just how valuable The Rome band overtook Gjon’s Tears of Switzerland, Zeneca (AZ) jabs were found our COVID-19 vaccination France’s Barbara Pravi and Malta’s Destiny, who were ahead in to be almost as effective against programme is in protecting the the standings after all jury votes were counted, thanks to 380 symptomatic disease from people we love. points from the public. the B1617.2 strain as they are “We can now be confident “We just want to say, to the whole of Europe, to the whole against the Kent variant after that over 20 million people - world, rock ‘n’ roll never dies,” Maneskin’s frontman Damiano the second dose. more than one in three - have David said after the win, the third for Italy. However, they were only 33 Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock in London recently. (AFP) significant protection against Gigliola Cinquetti was the first Italian contestant to win in percent effective three weeks this new variant, and that num- 1964, followed by Toto Cutugno in 1990. after the first dose. 50 per cent against the Kent compared with that from the ber is growing by the hundreds The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), held in Rotter- Health Secretary Matt Han- strain. second. of thousands every single day dam, saw 26 performers compete in the sparkling finale. The cock described the outcome as Some 12,675 genome-se- He told journalists on Sat- as more and more people get complex voting system combined with some great discrepan- “groundbreaking,” while PHE quenced cases were included urday: “There are bigger num- that vital second dose.” cies in votes between the Eurovision juries and viewers set up said it expects to see even high- in the analysis, but only 1,054 bers that have been vaccinated Dr Mary Ramsay, head a nail-biting end to the competition. (DPA) er levels of effectiveness against were of the Indian variant. with one dose. So I think we of immunisation at PHE, hospital admission and death. The study included data 2,889 cases classify that as moderate cer- added: “This study provides The study, which took place for all age groups from April tainty around the first dose, reassurance that two doses New data from PHE shows Assaults and vandalism overnight in between April 5 and May 16, 5 to cover the period since the but low levels of confidence of either vaccine offer high German city of Heidelberg found that the Pfizer vaccine strain emerged. there have been at least around the second dose.” levels of protection against was 88 percent effective against New data from PHE shows 2,889 cases of the Indian However, Professor Susan symptomatic disease from the HEIDELBERG, Germany Police officers were attacked as symptomatic disease from the there have been at least 2,889 variant recorded in England Hopkins, PHE’s COVID-19 B1617.2 variant. hundreds of mainly young people partied on the streets of the Indian variant two weeks af- cases of the Indian variant re- from Feb 1 to May 18 strategic response director, “We expect the vaccines to German university city of Heidelberg early on Sunday. ter the second dose, compared corded in England from Febru- said the data trend was “quite be even more effective at pre- Mannheim police headquarters said investigations were with 93 percent effectiveness ary 1 this year to May 18. clear” and was heading in the venting hospitalisation and proceeding into serious breaches of the peace and that a against the Kent strain. Of those, 104 cases resulted died with the variant, while “right direction.” death, so it is vital to get both special investigation unit had been set up. Meanwhile, the AstraZen- in a visit to a hospital emergen- 2,011 cases resulted in an over- PHE said the difference in doses to gain maximum pro- People began to gather in the inner city Saturday evening. eca jab was 60 percent effec- cy department, 31 required an night hospital admission and the effectiveness between the tection against all existing and At its peak, the crowd numbered some 400 in the Old City and tive, compared with 66 percent overnight hospital admission 5,238 required a visit to a hos- vaccines may be due to the As- emerging variants.” up to 1,000 on the banks of the Neckar River. against the Kent variant over and six resulted in a death. pital emergency department. traZeneca second dose being Responding to the findings, Shortly before midnight, the peaceful atmosphere was dis- the same period. The most common strain Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, rolled out later than the Pfizer Professor Adam Finn, profes- rupted, with members of the crowd drunk and verbally abusive, Both vaccines were 33 per- in England, according to the consultant medical epidemi- vaccine. sor of paediatrics at the Univer- the police report said. cent effective against sympto- data, is the Kent variant, with ologist at PHE and the study’s Data also shows it takes sity of Bristol said: “Overall the When police intervened shortly after 1 am to shut down a matic disease from the Indian 132,082 cases recorded over lead author, said there was longer for the AstraZeneca jab results are encouraging in that music system, they were pelted with bottles. Reinforcements variant three weeks after the the same period. more confidence in the data to reach maximum effective- the vaccines are continuing to were called in, and most of the crowd was moved on. (DPA) first dose, compared with about Some 1,569 people have from the first vaccine dose ness. provide useful protection. Moderna aiming for EU nod Vaccination restricted for younger age groups in India for vaccine from age of 12 DPA 24-hour period ending early month from 3.2 million doses NEW DELHI on Sunday, according to the on April 26 to 2.4 million on DPA Moderna’s vaccine is one Health Ministry. May 11 and to 1.5 million on PARIS of four coronavirus vaccines SEVERAL Indian states have People aged 45 and above Saturday, government data licensed for adult use in the stopped the COVID-19 vacci- are also finding it difficult to showed. US pharmaceutical company EU. nation process for those in the get their second dose in sev- Experts say the slowing Moderna is to make a for- “By the summer, all those 18- to 44-year-old age group eral regions, with a number of down of the vaccine roll-out is mal application to European adults who wish to be vac- due to a shortage of vaccine vaccination centres remain- likely to impact India’s ability medical authorities to ap- cinated will have received supplies, regional officials ing closed in cities like Delhi, to control the pandemic in the prove its coronavirus vaccine their first dose,” Bancel told confirmed on Sunday. Mumbai and Pune, with no- short term. for people aged 12 to 17, chief the newspaper in answer to a States where vaccinations tices outside saying supplies “Vaccination is really the executive Stephane Bancel question whether France was for this age group have been had run out. only answer and Indians are told French newspaper Le threatened by a fourth wave stopped include Chhattisgarh, already paying a heavy price Journal du Dimanche. of the pandemic. Delhi, Karnakata, Maharash- The government had for the way the government The application will be “After that, we should tra and Rajasthan - all among has gone about planning, pric- lodged with European Medi- move on very quickly to the worst-affected by a cur- planned to vaccinate 300 A medical worker inoculates a man with a dose of the Covishield ing and the roll-out,” said vi- cines Agency (EMA) early in young people aged 12 to 17,” rent deadly second wave of the million people by July, but COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine in Amritsar on Saturday.