RIO DE JANEIRO: Weeks after other Latin American countries began inoculating their citizens against coronavirus, Brazil finally administered its first shot on Jan. 17 using China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccine.With efficacy of just over 50% - barely above Brazil's threshold for regulatory approval - the Chinese shot was not the government's first choice. But for now, there is little else available.The country's principle strategy - to manufacture 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca PLC vaccine locally - has been plagued by repeated delays. That effort isn't expected to yield a finished product until March at the earliest. AstraZeneca last week sent 2 million emergency doses to help Brazil get started. Meanwhile, Brazil's Health Ministry has yet to sign deals with other vaccine makers.The delays leave Brazil's 210 million residents vulnerable to one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks on the planet. Brazil has tallied more than 218,000 Covid-19 fatalities, second only to the United … [Read more...] about Raging virus, few shots. How Brazil missed its chance to secure Covid-19 vaccines
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Boris Johnson reveals schools won’t reopen until at least MARCH 8 as he extends lockdown by another three weeks – but tries to quell mounting Tory anger with pledge of ‘road map’ out of curbs
Last February, when coronavirus was killing thousands in China, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'Our world-class NHS is well prepared and we are doing everything we can to protect the public.' He was clearly wrong – the NHS was anything but prepared. By early April intensive care wards were overrun, protective equipment was in short supply and deaths were running at more than 1,000 a day. For years doctors have warned the NHS is badly resourced.England, for example, has just ten intensive care beds per 100,000 people – Germany has 34. The issues are structural and fundamental reform is needed. … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson reveals schools won’t reopen until at least MARCH 8 as he extends lockdown by another three weeks – but tries to quell mounting Tory anger with pledge of ‘road map’ out of curbs
NYC has just 7,710 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine left – as Mayor de Blasio begs federal government to let him start using his reserved 200k second doses
The Biden administration will now give states an approximately 17 percent boost in vaccine next week following complaints around the US of shortages so severe that some vaccination sites had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people waiting for their first shot. … [Read more...] about NYC has just 7,710 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine left – as Mayor de Blasio begs federal government to let him start using his reserved 200k second doses
Chinese Media Attacks Vegan Campaigns: West Wants Chinese to ‘Eat Grass’
China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases fueling climate change. A 2018 scientific study described reducing the consumption of meat products as the “single biggest way” to reduce the harmful effects of pollution on the world environment. China consumes so much meat that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) listed an African swine fever epidemic in the country in 2019 as the “primary” reason for a global decline in meat consumption that year. … [Read more...] about Chinese Media Attacks Vegan Campaigns: West Wants Chinese to ‘Eat Grass’
Lack of political offset for Republicans makes DC statehood effort more difficult for Dems
From almost the beginning, residents of Washington, DC were taxed. They fought in wars. Yet, they had had no vote on Capitol Hill. Only states and commonwealths are permitted to send members to the House and Senate. They eventually grew the electoral college to 538 from 535 so that DC would have three electoral votes – the same footprint it would have for a state its size: two senators and a House member. … [Read more...] about Lack of political offset for Republicans makes DC statehood effort more difficult for Dems
