The United Kingdom today became the first country in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, which paves the way for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be available in the country starting next week.
In other developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that cases remain at a very high level, with deaths rising steadily. The global total has now surpassed 64 million confirmed cases.
UK to finalize vaccine priority groups
The UK government announced that it accepted the recommendation of an independent regulatory group, following a thorough analysis that found that the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine met strict safety, quality, and effectiveness standards.
It added that its Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunizations will soon publish its final guidance on groups that are prioritized to receive the first vaccine doses, which will include nursing home residents, health and care staff, the elderly, and those with underlying medical conditions.
China and Russia are already vaccinating some populations with their own vaccines, but trial details and efficacy details haven't been available, the Washington Post reported. So far, government regulators there haven't yet officially approved them for broader use.
Russian President Vladimir Putin today ordered large-scale vaccination to begin next week with the country's Sputnik V vaccine, starting with teachers and doctors, Reuters reported.
The UK announcement comes a week before a US regulatory panel is set to consider the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use and a day after federal vaccine advisors said healthcare workers and nursing home residents should be first in line to receive it.
In a related development, Interpol today warned countries to prepare for organized crime networks to target COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online. It also said that as vaccines come closer to approval, countries should protect the supply chain and identify websites selling fake products.
Slight drop in rate of cases, but steady rise in deaths
In a weekly situation update yesterday, the WHO said cases remain high and that the pandemic total grew by 4 million cases last week. The latest numbers show a slight decline in new cases, caused by a drop in cases in a number of European countries. The agency added, however, that deaths are still rising steadily.
The Americas region contributed the most cases, with smaller rises in Africa and Southeast Asia. The Western Pacific region reflected a more substantial rise, led by spikes in Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and South Korea.
At a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) briefing today, Carissa Etienne, MBBS, MSc, the group's director, said that, in November, cases in the Americas increased by 30%.
Though much of the increase has come from the United States, Brazil has reported increases in several states over the last few weeks. And Canada is experiencing more and larger outbreaks in nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and hospitals, with the virus spreading in indigenous communities and more remote areas.
Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, Cuba is reporting local outbreaks in eastern and central provinces.
Etienne urged countries to focus their attention on the pandemic's disproportionate effects on the region's people of African descent, who make up about a fifth of the population in the Americas. She noted that systemic racism poses a range of health barriers and also noted that people of African descent are among the essential workers who face challenges protecting themselves on the job.
Though data from the region are limited, Etienne said that death rates from COVID-19 in mixed-race Brazilians are 1.5 times higher than their white counterparts, with similar patterns seen in Ecuador and the United States.
In other global developments:
- The WHO today updated its guidance on mask use, with the main change being wider use in health facilities in areas where community transmission or clusters are occurring and more specifics on nonmedical masks for the general public. The WHO says masks should be worn indoors and outdoors when distancing of 1 meter can't be maintained. It notes that masks should be worn indoors when ventilation isn't adequate and that people should wear masks at home when receiving visitors if distancing can't be maintained and ventilation isn't good. The group emphasized that more research is needed on masks.
- The global total today topped 64 million and is now at 64,293,447 cases and 1,488,321 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
