US President Joe Biden sees his country ready for a violent wave of omicrons. “Covid is a tough opponent. We have shown that we are tougher. We will get through this,” said Biden in a speech. The president also announced his intention to support hospitals with more military personnel, to create more vaccination facilities and to expand testing capacities. 500 million additional corona self-tests are to be distributed to the people in the country.
Biden again emphasized the importance of vaccination in the fight against the virus, as it protects against serious illness. Those who have been vaccinated can spend the holidays as planned, the president said. The problem is people who do not want to be vaccinated. “Your decision not only affects you, but also other people. You are putting other people at risk. Your relatives, your friends, neighbors, strangers you meet,” said Biden. directed. Regarding the Omicron variant, he said there were signs in South Africa that the number of hospitalizations was rapidly declining. But there is no certainty on this issue. (December 21, 2021)
EU vaccination certificates are now only valid for nine months
Without a booster, EU vaccination certificates for traveling within the EU are no longer valid for a maximum of nine months after the basic immunization. The decision comes into effect on February 1st, as announced by the EU Commission. In theory, the EU countries can still veto. However, this is as good as impossible, since the regulation was agreed with the states, according to the commission spokesman.
Booster vaccinations are recommended no later than six months after full vaccination. The vaccination certificate should then be valid for three more months, so that there is enough time for a booster vaccination. After the booster syringe, the validity will be extended indefinitely for the time being, as there is not yet sufficient information about the duration of the protection by the booster.
The regulation replaces a non-binding recommendation made by the Brussels authorities in November and only applies to trips within the EU. If the situation worsens, however, the states can impose additional requirements such as a test or quarantine obligation. You can determine the period of validity of the pass for access to events or indoor activities yourself.
The EU vaccination certificate consists of a QR code that is created directly after the vaccination in practices and vaccination centers or is subsequently available in Germany, for example in pharmacies. The code can be displayed in a smartphone app and can be read out digitally. The codes are recognized throughout the EU despite different apps in the individual countries and make it easier to provide evidence of vaccinations, current tests and recently recovered infections with the coronavirus when traveling. According to the EU, 60 countries and territories on five continents have joined the system of the digital Covid certificate. (21.12.2021)
Omicron variant dominates in Denmark
According to Health Minister Magnus Heunicke, the omicron variant of the coronavirus is now the predominant variant in Denmark. The state health institute SSI came to the assessment that Omikron is already the dominant virus variant in the country and is spreading further, Heunicke wrote on Twitter. He added that an epidemic is seen growing and that a record number of 13,558 confirmed corona cases were added on Tuesday.
As of Monday, the SSI had registered around 23,000 Omicron cases, including 1,270 cases confirmed by genome sequencing and almost 21,800 suspected cases identified by a variant PCR test. As shown in the latest SSI report on the spread of Omikron on Monday, Omikron cases made up around 44 percent of all new corona infections on December 15. The scientists waited for pending data for the following days. The trend was steeply upwards. Denmark had reported new record values in the past few days, somewhere in the EU the seven-day incidence is as high as there. (21.12.2021)
USA: Omikron is now the predominant variant
Omikron has developed into the predominant Corona variant in the USA within a short time. According to estimates, around 73 percent of the new corona cases in the past week were due to Omikron, according to data on the website of the US health authority CDC on Monday. With a view to this sudden increase, US President Joe Biden wants to address the people in the country with a speech on Tuesday and announce new measures. The main focus here is on support for hospitals – a shutdown of public life is not expected.
Omikron has now displaced Delta, the previously predominant variant; according to the CDC estimates, it recently made up around a quarter of new infections. In some states, Omikron is responsible for more than 90 percent of the cases.
“The Omikron cases will increase in the coming days – even among fully vaccinated people,” warned President Biden. Anyone who has been fully vaccinated or has already received a booster vaccination could still be infected – but will likely have no or only mild symptoms. “If, as an adult, you choose not to be vaccinated, you will have an extremely difficult winter for your family and community,” warned Biden.
Biden himself was in contact with a White House person on Friday who later tested positive for the virus. At 79, he already belongs to a risk group purely in terms of age. According to his spokeswoman, Biden was last tested negative for the corona virus on Sunday and Monday. A new test is planned for Wednesday. The President will stick to his program for the coming days and not isolate himself as he is fully vaccinated.
The vaccination campaign got off to a good start in the USA, but is now making slow progress. So far, 61.5 percent of the approximately 330 million people in the country have been vaccinated twice. Almost 30 percent of them also received a booster vaccination. So far, the White House has cited the omicron variant as a cause for concern but not a cause for panic. (21.12.2021)
Brazil only allows vaccinated and convalescents into the country
From now on, Brazil will only allow people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or who have recovered from an infection into the country. In addition, a negative test must be submitted, as indicated by a government decree. Accordingly, the vaccination certificate must be presented to the responsible airline before boarding. The government, which initially rejected such an entry requirement, is following a decision by the Supreme Court in Brasília. The health surveillance authority Anvisa had also recommended the measure.
In Brazil, which began the vaccination campaign in January, more than 22 million of the country’s 210 million residents have been infected with the corona virus, according to official figures. Around 618,000 patients have died in connection with Covid-19 – only the USA has more deaths. As the vaccination campaign progressed, the number of deaths fell sharply, and more than 66 percent of the population have now been completely vaccinated. (December 21, 2021)
Novavax vaccine is now approved in the EU
Another corona vaccine has now been approved in the European Union, the Navaxovid vaccine from the US manufacturer Novavax. The European Medicines Agency EMA recommended approval in the morning, and the EU Commission implemented this recommendation a few hours later. The new vaccine is – after those from Biontech / Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson – the fifth Covid-19 vaccine approved in the EU.
This could possibly also induce some non-vaccinated people to vaccinate who have doubts about the technologies of the other active substances. In contrast to the previously approved products, the preparation is neither an mRNA vaccine – as is the case with Biontech and Moderna – nor a vector vaccine like the one from Astra Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The vaccine contains tiny particles made up of a laboratory-made version of the Sars-CoV-2 spike protein. These particles are killed, so no pathogens capable of multiplying.
The vaccine is therefore often referred to as the dead vaccine. Taken correctly, this is actually just a vaccine that contains inactivated pathogens that are no longer capable of multiplying. In the meantime, vaccines that only contain fragments of a pathogen are often assigned to this category – such as the Novavax vaccine.
As with the other four previously approved preparations, the EMA recommends only a so-called conditional approval. This is valid for one year and is subject to conditions – such as the need to submit additional data that shows that the benefit outweighs the risk. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had warned before the decision was made that the new vaccine would be “a game changer”. According to studies, the vaccines from Moderna and Biontech, which have already been administered millions of times, are “a lot safer”.
Around every fourth person in Germany has not yet received a first vaccination against the coronavirus. However, this also includes younger children under the age of five who are not yet allowed to be vaccinated and older children who have only recently started vaccinations, as well as people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. (12/20/2021)