Covid control dilemma: Should we send the less-effective vaccine to Africa?
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi knows that a vaccine that offers 70 per cent protection against Coovid-19 could be a valuable tool against the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria – especially if that vaccine is cheap and doesn’t have to be stored at extremely cold temperatures. But what if another vaccine — one...
World to wait longer to know if Pfizer vaccine is effective against Covid variants
An unpublished study by the Israel’s health ministry and Pfizer says the latter’s vaccine is around 93 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic covid-19. Pfizer and its partner, the German biotechnology firm BioNTech, had found 95 per cent effectiveness in their clinical trials carried out in 2020. Researchers are, in...
Leaked report shows Pfizer’s vaccine is conquering Covid in its largest real-world test
A leaked scientific report jointly prepared by Israel’s health ministry and Pfizer claims that the company’s covid-19 vaccine is stopping nine out of 10 infections and the country could approach herd immunity by next month. The study, based on the health records of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, finds that...
Kagame regime in eye of a storm as human rights body questions death of activist
Often cited as a paragon for countries emerging from bloody past of human rights violations, the killing of gospel singer and human rights activist Kizito Mihigo has restored the searchlight on President Paul Kagame government’s willingness and ability to break with the era of repression. Human Rights Watch, an international...
Nigeria still in the crosshairs of Boko Haram terror group – HRW
Armed militiamen in Nigeria have persist with terror campaign after they unleashed horror on civilians during which they abducted hundreds of schoolboys in the country’s north-western Niger State. Human Rights Watch, an international rights civil society, reports that the attackers, suspected to be related to the dreaded Al Qaeda-leaning Boko...
Helpless African frontline health workers die as rich countries stock up vaccines
On January 6, gastroenterologist Leolin Katsidzira received a troubling message from his colleague James Gita Hakim, a heart specialist and noted HIV/Aids researcher. Hakim, chair of the department of medicine at the University of Zimbabwe, had fallen sick and had tested positive for Covid-19. He was admitted to a hospital...
Vaccination: Challenge of building ‘herd immunity’
If vaccines do block transmission, and if they remain effective against newer variants of the virus, it might be possible to eliminate the virus in regions where enough people are vaccinated so that they can protect those who are not contributing to herd immunity. A vaccine that is 90 per...
Coronavirus is here to stay even if a vaccine is found
For much of the past year, life in Western Australia has been coronavirus-free. Friends gathered in pubs, people kissed and hugged their relatives, children went to school without temperature checks or wearing masks. The state maintained this enviable position only by placing heavy restrictions on travel and imposing lockdowns –...
African researchers want more say in genomics data
Many human genome studies ask participants to sign a form that gives them little direct control over how their data will be used. But a panel of researchers in Africa says that this can fuel distrust between researchers and participants, and needs to change. This stark message comes in a...
Wildlife species diminish as trade shoots up even in protected areas
Wildlife trafficking is having a profound negative impact on biodiversity, a new analysis finds. Hunting and trapping to feed international and national trade networks threaten numerous species, the researchers report, even those living in protected areas. “This study adds to the growing body of evidence that commercial wildlife trade is...
