Paris (AFP)

3rd dose of Moderna approved in Europe

The European Medicines Agency on Monday approved the administration of a 3rd dose of the anti-Covid vaccine from the Moderna laboratory to people aged 18 and over, as health authorities worried about a drop in the level of protection after the first injections.

Spikevax is the second vaccine booster to receive the green light after the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine earlier this month.

"Data showed that a third dose of Spikevax given six to eight months after the second dose resulted in increased antibody levels in adults with declining antibody levels," said the European Medicines Agency. (EMA) in a press release.

The world facing the coronavirus Simon MALFATTO AFP

Merck's Anti-Covid Pill Fast Track Review

The European Medicines Agency announced on Monday the launch of the expedited review of the Covid-19 pill by the American laboratory Merck, an easy-to-administer remedy destined to become a crucial tool in the fight against the pandemic because it is complementary to vaccines .

"The EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has launched an ongoing review of the oral antiviral drug molnupiravir (...) developed by Merck (...) for the treatment of Covid-19 in adults", which allows to speed up the procedure, the European regulator said in a statement.

Moderna: positive results in 6-11 year olds

Moderna in turn announced positive results for its vaccine in children aged 6 to 11 on Monday, data the company plans to submit to regulators around the world "in the short term" for clearance.

A caregiver prepares a syringe with a vial of Moderna vaccine against Covid-19, at a makeshift vaccination center at the Jewish Community Center in the Staten Island neighborhood of New York, April 16, 2021 Angela Weiss AFP / Archives

Minors: no compulsory vaccine to enter the USA

Minors under the age of eighteen will not need to prove that they are vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the United States after November 8, the United States administration said on Monday.

Targeted confinements in China before the Winter Olympics

The Chinese authorities imposed lockdowns on some of the inhabitants of the north of the country on Monday due to a rebound in Covid-19 cases, a hundred days before the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Beijing reported on Monday 39 new Covid patients, the majority of which are linked to the movements of a group of infected tourists.

A recent outbreak in Inner Mongolia has been responsible for more than 100 cases since last week.

Mexico: vaccination of minors at risk

Adolescents aged 12 to 17 with health problems began to be vaccinated against Covid-19 on Monday in Mexico City after a recent court ruling, authorities said.

New York: firefighters protest against compulsory vaccine

City workers hold signs and shout slogans in front of city hall during a demonstration against the obligation to be vaccinated against Covid-19, in New York, October 25, 2021 Ed JONES AFP

Several thousand New York City employees, mostly firefighters, two-fifths of whom are not vaccinated against Covid-19, marched on the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday to protest against the vaccine requirement announced last week by the town hall.

- More than 4.9 million dead -

The pandemic has killed at least 4,945,746 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to an assessment established by AFP from official sources, Monday at 10:00 GMT.

The United States is the most bereaved country with 737,301 dead, followed by Brazil (605,804), India (454,712), Mexico (286,346) and Russia (231,669).

Covid-19: AFP global report

These figures are based on the daily official balance sheets for each country, excluding upward revisions made a posteriori by some statistical agencies.

By taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates that the global toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that officially recorded.

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