Up next
Author
Tags

Mexico on Monday authorized the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for emergency use in the country, which has one of the world’s highest Covid-19 death tolls.

Deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell announced on Twitter that Mexican regulators had approved the vaccine, which has also been authorized by Britain, India and Argentina.

It is the second coronavirus vaccine authorized by Mexico, which on December 24 began a mass immunization program using the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, with priority given to health workers.

Mexico, which has reported more than 127,000 Covid-19 deaths and around 1.4 million cases, has an agreement with AstraZeneca to buy 77.4 million doses of its vaccine.

Together with Argentina, it also has an agreement with the British drugs giant to produce its vaccine to supply to Latin American nations.

It also has a preliminary purchase agreement with China’s CanSino Biologics and is part of the international COVAX mechanism aimed at ensuring equitable access for all countries.

The government has promised to make vaccinations available free of charge across the country of almost 129 million people — a massive logistical challenge involving the armed forces.

– AFP

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Raccoon dog data sparks new debate about COVID origins

New genetic evidence of raccoon dogs present at the Wuhan market has reignited debate over the origin of COVID-19. The researchers who found the genetic data say it supports the theory that the virus may have originated in animals and then jumped to humans at the market. However, this is still uncertain, and the virus’s origin continues to be a divisive issue for the scientific community. Some believe it leaked from a Wuhan lab, while others argue it likely originated in animals. The WHO has called for more data to shed light on the start of the pandemic.

Ex SVB head says social media ‘fueled’ run on doomed bank

Silicon Valley Bank’s former CEO, Gregory Becker, testified that the bank’s collapse was caused by a social media-driven bank run and external factors like the Federal Reserve’s sudden monetary policy shift. He defended the bank’s risk management practices and attributed its demise to rumors and misconceptions sparked by the failure of another bank. Becker will face questioning from the Senate Banking Committee. SVB’s downfall involved selling assets at a loss due to a deposit flight, triggered partly by online rumors. The bank’s heavy investment in government-backed securities and lack of a robust hedging strategy exacerbated its losses when interest rates rose.

S’pore Consulate-General in JB respond to calls from over 70 families, arrange transport for their return to S’pore

More than 70 families received assistance from Singapore’s Consulate-General in Johor Bahru…

Led by China, more countries targeting citizens abroad: US study

A US democracy research group, Freedom House, has reported that an increasing number of countries, including China, Turkey and Russia, are using abductions, violence and deportations to silence dissent among their citizens living abroad. The report identified 854 direct incidents of “transnational repression” carried out by 38 governments since 2014, with China responsible for 30% of all cases. The report calls for governments to develop plans to stop transnational repression, including targeted sanctions and restricting security assistance. Bangladesh and Djibouti were identified as first-time perpetrators in 2022.