BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Argentine scientists have found that the neutralizing power of antibodies produced after inoculation with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine only increases with time, the country's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation said.
The researchers analyzed the number of antibodies and their ability to neutralize coronavirus and its variants on 1,800 blood samples from people who had recovered from COVID-19 and those who had never been infected with it. Samples were taken, including 21, 42, 120 and 180 days after vaccination with the Russian medicine.
"Although there is concern worldwide that the number of antibodies generated after vaccination is decreasing with time, now, for the first time, an Argentine study shows an increase in their neutralizing power against coronavirus depending on when the vaccine was received," the ministry said.
"The Argentine study confirms the increasing efficacy of neutralizing antibodies 6 months after the use of Sputnik V," it said.
Scientists also analyzed the effectiveness of the vaccine against different variants of the virus found in Argentina, and discovered, in particular, that antibodies are able to block the infection caused by the Delta strain.
"Surprisingly, over time after vaccination, the neutralizing power of antibodies against strains increases, especially against the beta and gamma variants. In other words, 4 or 6 months after the start of vaccination, the quality of the generated antibodies improves in terms of neutralizing the variants," the ministry said.
"Currently, many countries are looking for a vaccine that can protect health for a long term. In this regard, the study conducted by specialists in Argentina is extremely important to demonstrate the formation of a longer immunity to coronavirus by the Russian Sputnik V vaccine," the Russian Direct Investment Fund said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Foreign materials have been discovered in some portions of Moderna coronavirus vaccine doses and the use of some 1.63 million doses made in the same production line has been halted as a precaution measure, Kyodo news agency quoted Japan's Health Ministry as saying.
Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., in charge of the vaccine's sales and distribution in the country, said it has yet to see any safety concern reports.
The ministry and Takeda said Moderna launched a probe into the materials.
Foreign substances have been confirmed since August 16 at eight vaccination sites, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 30,671 to 20,645,537 within the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the death toll has risen by 903 to 576,645 people within the same period of time.
More than 19.57 million patients have recovered since the start of the outbreak.
A day earlier, the country confirmed 30,872 new coronavirus cases, with 894 fatalities.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US authorities are likely to shorten the period for administering a coronavirus vaccine booster by two months, the Wall Street Journal said on Wednesday.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to approve a third vaccine shot for "fully vaccinated" people six months after receiving the second dose, the report said. The previously approved period was eight months.
The FDA plans to approve the boosters for the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines in mid-September, the report added.
The FDA and the Biden administration declined to comment on the issue.
Pfizer and BioNTech expressed confidence that administering a third dose appeared to be safe during the trials, however, they did not share whether the data included how well a booster shot worked against the coronavirus' Delta variant, the report said.
BERLIN (Sputnik) - The German parliament extended the regime of the "epidemic situation of national significance" on Wednesday, allowing the government to take measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The extension was approved in a 325-252 vote with five abstentions.
In particular, 194 out of 245 members of the country's ruling CDU/CSU bloc voted in favor and sixteen against. In addition, 131 lawmakers from the Social Democratic party voted for the measure, and only two disagreed. The other factions were unanimously against it.
In early summer, the Bundestag extended the COVID-19 emergency for three months as German cases surged. While the measure would have automatically expired in September, the Wednesday decision has extended it for another three months.
The state of New York has added around 12,000 COVID-19 deaths to its pandemic toll as governor Kathy Hochul pledged in a radio interview on Wednesday not to cover up nursing home fatalities that her predecessor Andrew Cuomo had tried to pass off as unrelated.
New York State’s Department of Health updated the COVID-19 death toll on its website to 55,395 from a previous 43,415, as Hochul told National Public Radio she planned to use data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “which will be consistent.”
“So, there’s no opportunity for us to mask those numbers, nor would I want to mask those numbers,” Hochul added.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in January that investigations by her office showed the Cuomo-led state administration undercounted coronavirus-related deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50 percent.
New York was one of the biggest COVID-19 hotspots at the height of the pandemic’s breakout in the first half of 2020.
At its peak, the state had about 18,000 people in hospital with roughly 800 people dying a day from complications caused by the virus.
The 63-year-old Cuomo, who was New York governor for a decade, resigned in mid-August after another investigation led by Attorney General James found he had sexually harassed nearly a dozen women colleagues. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
China has many experts capable of conducting an investigation into the coronavirus origins without delay, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said on Wednesday.
In March, the WHO issued the first report of its fact-finding mission to China, which failed to determine the exact source of the virus, but concluded that transmission from bats to humans is the most probable scenario, while the theory of a leak from a state laboratory in Wuhan very unlikely. Last month, Beijing ruled out the possibility of holding the second phase of the probe, calling its criteria "insulting."
Earlier in the day, a group of WHO-recruited experts who traveled to China for investigation said the probe is stalled for several reasons, including Beijing's reluctance to share raw data.
"[There are] numerous studies going forward, and we have encouraged the urgency in which those studies can be conducted, and in fact, there is no delay in how those studies can be conducted in China because there are many many capable scientists there that can carry those out without delay," Maria Van Kerkhove told a press briefing.
She further reiterated the calls of senior WHO experts, including Mike Ryan, who last month urged to keep studies into COVID-19 origins safe from politicization.
Earlier this week, the Chinese government described the upcoming report on a study of COVID-19 origins, conducted by US intelligence at the order of President Joe Biden, as non-scientific and not credible. The study is expected to be made public in a few days, with Biden set to review it first.
According to media reports, the version of the report given to the president was inconclusive.
The global coronavirus infection rate flatlined last week after consistently growing for two consecutive months, but remains high, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
"After increasing for nearly two months, the global number of COVID-19 cases was stable [last week], but it is stable at a very high level - more than 4.5 million cases and 68,000 deaths. However, the situation is very different from country to country, province to province, and town to town," Tedros told a briefing.
The WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To date, the world's number of coronavirus cases totals over 213 million, including over 4.4 million fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Delta Air Lines said on Wednesday that it will impose an insurance surcharge on employees who have not received a coronavirus vaccine in response to President Joe Biden’s urging companies in the United States to mandate inoculation against the virus.
Delta did not refer specifically to Biden’s call, saying its decision was financially-driven, although it was clear that only vaccinated employees would enjoy full job protection from the company.
"Beginning Nov. 1, unvaccinated employees enrolled in Delta’s account-based healthcare plan will be subject to a $200 monthly surcharge," Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in a message posted on the company website.
Bastian said the change was necessary to address the financial risk that Delta faced on behalf of unvaccinated employees.
"The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $40,000 per person," he said, noting that all employees hospitalized in recent weeks were unvaccinated amid the resurgence of the virus via the B.1.617.2 variant - also known as the "Delta variant."
Bastian also said that effective September 30, COVID-19 pay protection will only be provided to fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing a breakthrough infection.
On Monday, Biden called on US companies to mandate coronavirus vaccines for their employees, voicing strong support for such requirements following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
"We can be confident that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective, and has undergone the same rigorous review for other approved medications to treat cancer and heart disease, as well as other vaccines," Bastian said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a study published on Wednesday that the vaccine effectiveness appears to have dropped from 91 percent to 66 percent with the Delta variant accounting for the majority of new infections.
The Swiss government will end most preventative free testing for COVID-19 for those who have not been vaccinated or have not had the disease, starting October 1.
"From 1 October the cost of tests to obtain a COVID certificate will no longer be covered by the Confederation," the federal council said in a statement.
The government argues that taxpayers’ money should no longer be used to cover the cost of testing for the unvaccinated. Only 56% of the Swiss have received at least one dose, compared to 63% in the European Union.
Routine testing in schools and workplace will continue to be free of charge. People with COVID-19 symptoms will also be tested for free but they will not be entitled to a COVID certificate.
The Alpine nation has introduced certificates for those who have been vaccinated, have recovered or have recently tested negative. The government plans to make them mandatory at restaurants, bars and clubs as the number of infections keeps rising.
US adults vaccinated against COVID-19 are largely on board with plans to introduce booster shots, with more than three-quarters saying they will get the jab if health authorities approve, a Morning Consult poll said on Wednesday.
“New Morning Consult polling indicates the U.S. public is largely on board, with 77 percent of vaccinated adults saying they’d get an extra dose if it’s recommended for them,” a press release explaining the survey said.
Twelve percent said they were unsure while 5 percent said they would not get the booster jab, the release added.
Plans to provide booster shots reflect data suggesting that vaccine immunity fades over time, prompting the Biden administration to begin offering the jabs beginning in September to individuals eight months after being vaccinated.
At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration had yet to recommend booster shots. The jabs are already available for vaccinated people with compromised immune systems.
The survey was conducted August 19-22 among 2,200 US adults, with a 2-point margin of error for the overall sample and a 3 percentage point error margin for vaccinated adults, according to the release.
The beginning of the school year in several French overseas territories has been postponed to September 13 due to COVID-19, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.
"Due to the serious [coronavirus] situation, the beginning of the school year has already been postponed in French Polynesia. This morning, the defense council also decided to postpone the start of the school year to September 13 in Guadeloupe, Martinique, the islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, as well as in the red zone of [French] Guiana," Attal told a briefing.
The state of health emergency has been extended until November 15 in French Polynesia, French Guiana, and the French West Indies, he added.
Earlier in August, the authorities enhanced lockdown measures in some overseas territories over a rise in hospitalizations caused by the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, known to be more contagious.
France has confirmed over 6.6 million cumulative COVID-19 infections and more that 114,000 related fatalities, with 24,853 fresh cases and 152 hospital deaths recorded over the past day.
Moderna has completed its submission procedure to apply for a full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) biologics license for its COVID-19 vaccine, the biotechnology company said on Monday.
"Moderna, a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA therapeutics and vaccines, today announced it has completed the rolling submission process for its Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA for the full licensure of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine," the company said in a press release.
The vaccine is used for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older and as part of the completed BLA submission, Moderna has requested Priority Review designation, the release explained.
"This BLA submission for our COVID-19 vaccine… is an important milestone in our battle against COVID-19 and for Moderna," Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said. "We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93 percent through six months after dose 2."
The Moderna vaccine is currently available in the United States for individuals 18 years of age and older under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted by the FDA on December 18, 2020. Since then, Moderna has released more than 300 million doses of the vaccine to the US government, the company said
The US Defense Department declined to comment on Sputnik’s request about the coronavirus situation in Guantanamo Bay detention facility amid reports that Cuba is experiencing a surge of new cases.
The authorities in charge of the detention facility, located in Cuba, recently announced they will step up testing of visitors vaccinated for the novel coronavirus. These measures were announced nearly four months after the Defense Department administered the Moderna coronavirus vaccine to 32 Guantanamo detainees. The remaining eight detainees refused to be vaccinated.
"We do not comment on specific detainee medical conditions or medical procedures. Safety is our number one concern, and the health and well-being of detainees continues to be a priority for JTF Guantanamo," the US Defense Department said when asked about an update on the health situation at the detention facility.
The humanitarian situation in Cuba remains difficult due to the US sanctions imposed against the island nation whose effects are made worse by measures to address the coronavirus pandemic. Bolivia, Mexico and Nicaragua have sent humanitarian aid to help Cuba cope with the situation.
Established by President George W. Bush in 2002, the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has long been criticized for mistreatment and abuse of detainees and human rights activists and international organizations have repeatedly called that it be closed. Former President Donald Trump, signed an order to keep the detention facility open indefinitely, while current President Joe Biden promised to close it.
In July, the White House announced that the Biden administration is aiming to close down the detention facility for good and that it works to transfer its remaining detainees out, but it has set no deadline to effectuate its closure.
Russia registered 19,536 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from 18,833 the day before, taking the overall tally to 6,804,910, the federal response center said on Wednesday.
"Over the past day, 19,536 COVID-19 cases were confirmed across 85 Russian regions, including 1,416 cases (7.2%) without clinical symptoms," the center said, adding that the rate of increase grew to 0.29%.
Moscow has the highest number of new cases with 1,402 daily infections, up from 1,105 the day before. The Russian capital was followed by St. Petersburg with 1,385 cases, up from 600 the day before, and the Moscow region with 776 cases, down from 1,125.
The response center reported 809 new deaths linked to the coronavirus, up from 794 the day before, raising the country's death toll to 178,423.
In the same 24 hours, 19,654 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals across the country, up from 18,636 the day before, bringing the total to 6,073,157.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Indonesia authorised the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on 25 August.
"Indonesia has become the 70th country in the world to register the Russian vaccine. Sputnik V was granted an emergency use authorization. Total population of all countries where Sputnik V is approved for use now exceeds 4 billion people, which is more half of the global population," RDIF said in a statement.
"Indonesia is one the most populated nations in Asia and inclusion of Sputnik V in the national vaccine portfolio will provide for using one of the safest and most effective vaccines in the world. Sputnik V is based on a proven human adenoviral vectors platform and is successfully used in over 50 countries. Approval in Indonesia is based on the results of a comprehensive assessment of the vaccine and will make an important contribution in country’s fight against the pandemic," RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev noted.
Havana is grateful for Canada’s vote at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opposing the US embargo on the island nation and the support provided to Cuba by Ottawa and Canadians in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Josefina Vidal told Sputnik.
On June 23, Canada was among 184 nations to vote in favor of a UNGA resolution calling on Washington to finally lift the economic blockade against Cuba after nearly 60 years. The United States and Israel voted against the resolution, while Brazil, Colombia and Ukraine abstained.
"Canada has been voting, traditionally, in favor of Cuban resolution against the US blockade at the United Nations General Assembly. I think this is a very important vote for Cuba, and we always convey our gratitude to the Canadian government for this vote," Vidal said.
The former General Director for US Affairs with the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed ending the 59-year blockade is of the highest priority for Havana. According to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, the blockade cost his country $9.1 billion in losses in a pandemic-riddled 2020.
Former US President Barack Obama had taken steps to normalize bilateral relations with the island nation, but the policy was reversed by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, which leveled 243 additional economic sanctions on Cuba. The US blockade has forced Cuba to incur over $144 billion in losses in the six decades since its imposition, according to Rodriguez.
Cuba’s ambassador to Canada also thanked Ottawa for its support in helping Havana combat the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed gratitude to the Canadian citizens, unions and members of the Cuban diaspora, who have been involved in fundraising efforts for the island nation and for a recent donation of nearly 2 million syringes.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Several New Zealanders may have been injected with saline solution instead of COVID-19 vaccines, prompting the authorities to launch an investigation, the RNZ broadcaster reported on 25 August
The probe was opened after staff in a vaccination center in Highbrook, a suburb in the city of Auckland, last month discovered extra vials of vaccine at the end of a day when 732 injections were given. This means that people may have received a salt water solution instead.
The country's health ministry confirmed the mistake on 25 August but did not indicate the exact date of the incident.
A member of the government's Covid-19 immunisation implementation advisory group, Vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris, told the RNZ that the mistake must have occurred in the process of preparing the vaccine for use.
ROME (Sputnik) - Italy can extend the validity of COVID-19 passes for those fully vaccinated from the current nine to 12 months, a coordinator for the Scientific Technical Committee in charge of the virus response said on Wednesday.
"A hypothesis to extend the validity of green pass to 12 months is more than reasonable given the gradual collection of information on the duration of reaction to vaccination. Initially, the limit [for certificates] was set at six months and then prolonged to nine [months] because we are gradually learning how long a vaccine’s protection lasts," Franco Locatelli told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
The protective effect in those among the first to be inoculated is not decreasing significantly. Therefore, the idea of extending the validity of certificates "has a solid basis," the coordinator added.
The Scientific Technical Committee is expected to consider the issue on Friday. Experts link the possible extension to the idea of mandatory vaccination for specific categories of the population.
COVID-19 passes are available for Italians who have been vaccinated or recently recovered from the disease. Since August 6, the certificates are obligatory in bars and restaurants as well as at mass events.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson said on 25 August that a study showed a nine-fold increase in COVID-19 antibodies in participants who took a booster dose of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.
"New interim data from these studies demonstrate that a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine generated a rapid and robust increase in spike-binding antibodies, nine-fold higher than 28 days after the primary single-dose vaccination," the company said in a statement.
The company conducted a two-phase study in individuals in the US and Europe who were vaccinated with its single-shot vaccine months earlier, it added. The full study is yet to be released.
“We have established that a single shot of our COVID-19 vaccine generates strong and robust immune responses that are durable and persistent through eight months. With these new data, we also see that a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine further increases antibody responses among study participants who had previously received our vaccine,” Global Head of R&D, Mathai Mammen, said.
The company plans to discuss with public health officials its potential strategy for COVID-19 vaccine, boosting eight months or longer after the primary single-dose vaccination, he added.
The announcement comes days after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would greenlight booster shots for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in September as studies have shown decreased efficacy against the Delta variant.
COLORADO SPRINGS (Sputnik) - NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told Sputnik that he will travel to Russia as soon as the pandemic situation allows, and looks forward to seeing Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin either in Moscow or in Dubai.
"I am coming as soon as COVID will allow. And I'm looking forward to seeing my friend Dmitry Rogozin," Nelson said on the sidelines of the 36th Space Symposium.
When asked whether he expects the visit to take place this year, NASA chief noted this would depend "on the medical condition."
Roscosmos Deputy Director General for International Cooperation Sergey Saveliev told Sputnik earlier in the week that while Nelson promised to visit Russia before the end of the year, the meeting with Rogozin will most likely take place in Dubai in October during the International Astronautical Congress.
"We are assessing the health situation as to whether or not we can go to Dubai ... So, either I'm going to see Dimitry there or if I don't go to Dubai, I will see him in Russia. I'll come to - I assume he wants me to come to Moscow," Nelson explained.
Rogozin said in June that Nelson, who was sworn in as the new head of NASA in early May, might visit Russia and attend a space launch from the Baikonur spaceport by the end of the year. Nelson was invited to come to Russia together with his family, and the COVID-19 pandemic is the only obstacle to their visit, according to the Roscosmos chief. Moscow is ready to give the NASA administrator a tour around Russia's space industry facilities and arrange for the necessary health safety measures, Rogozin also noted.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US intelligence provided President Joe Biden on 24 August with an inconclusive report on the origins of COVID-19, The Washington Post reported citing sources.
It was unclear from the report if the virus passed from an animal to a human as a natural process, or escaped from a Chinese laboratory, the newspaper quoted two US officials as saying.
