BioNTech sounds warning about delaying second shot as Germany plans to follow UK’s lead on vaccines


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Vaccine developer BioNTech has warned countries against allowing a delay in administering a second dose of its vaccine as Germany considers following the UK’s lead on the longer delivery schedule.

The move comes amid anger about the European Union’s inoculation strategy and concern the bloc’s stockpileis insufficient.

But BioNTech warned there was no evidence to support the change in administering the second dose of its vaccine, developed in partnership with Pfizer.

Germany has immunised about 240,000 people, while only a few hundred shots have been administered in France.

The EU suffered another blow on Monday night after the medicines regulator delayed a decision on whether to approve the Moderna vaccine.

Facing criticism over the country’s inoculation campaign, German Health Minister Jens Spahn asked disease control agency the Robert Koch Institute to consider postponing second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to make scarce supplies go further.

An RKI spokeswoman said on Tuesday morning the proposal was still being investigated.

On Monday, Denmark approved a delay of up to six weeks between the first and second shots. If a similar strategy is approved in Germany, it would mirror that of the UK.

British officials decided last week to allow a 12-week window between the two shots with the aim of boosting the number of people who would receive an initial layer of protection.

Recipients of the Pfizer/BioNTech dose were initially told to allow three weeks between receiving the jabs.

The UK has administered about one million doses of Covid vaccines, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he aims to inoculate 14 million people by mid-February. On Tuesday, ministers tied the relaxation of lockdown rules to the vaccination rate.

Some German health experts welcomed Britain’s approach.

“In view of the current scarcity of vaccines and the very high numbers of infections and hospital admissions in Germany, a strategy in which as many people as possible are vaccinated as early as possible is more effective,” said Leif Erik Sander, head of vaccine research at Charite hospital in Berlin.

BioNTech warned there was no evidence to support delaying the second shot of its vaccine beyond three weeks.

It said its clinical data showed 95 per cent efficacy was based on a two-dose schedule separated by 21 days.

“The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been evaluated on different dosing schedules,” the German company said.

“Although data ... demonstrated that there is a partial protection from the vaccine as early as 12 days after the first dose, there is no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.”

A soldier escorts an elderly visitor from a Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Berlin. Bloomberg
A soldier escorts an elderly visitor from a Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Berlin. Bloomberg

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to extend the country’s national lockdown.

Mrs Merkel and the premiers of Germany’s 16 states are due to talk on Tuesday, with regional leaders signalling that they would prolong the current partial lockdown beyond the January 10 deadline, probably until the end of the month.

On December 10, Germany’s daily death toll surpassed 1,000 for the first time.

“Given that infection rates are still too high, it will be necessary to extend the restrictions,” Mr Spahn said.

Michael Kretschmer, the premier of Saxony, said a continued shutdown was unavoidable. The eastern state has the highest infection rate of any region in the country.

In a New Year’s Eve televised address, Mrs Merkel warned Germans of a hard winter coping with the virus.

“The challenges that the pandemic poses remain immense,” she said.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

  • Manifest cargo
  • Excess luggage in the hold
  • Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

 

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

 

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty. 

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport. 

 

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

 

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Funds raised: $22 million

Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now

There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:

1. Rising US interest rates

The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.

Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”

At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.

2. Stronger dollar

High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.” 

3. Global trade war

Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”

4. Eurozone uncertainty

Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”

The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”

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Director: Christian Schwochow

Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons

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Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

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Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)

Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)

Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)

Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)

Sunday

Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)

Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)

Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)

Eibar v Alaves (7pm)

Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)

Monday

Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)

 

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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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