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 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine appears effective against mutation
Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine appeared to work against a
key mutation in the highly transmissible new variants of the
coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa, according to a
laboratory study conducted by the U.S. drugmaker.
The study by Pfizer and scientists from the University of Texas
Medical Branch, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, indicated the
vaccine was effective in neutralising virus with the so-called N501Y
mutation of the spike protein.
The mutation could be responsible for greater transmissibility and
there had been concern it could also make the virus escape antibody
neutralisation elicited by the vaccine, said Phil Dormitzer, one of
Pfizer's top viral vaccine scientists.
Germany reports record deaths
Germany reported a record 1,188 daily COVID-19 deaths on Friday,
only days after further tightening a national lockdown.
Europe's largest and most populous economy hopes to be able to limit
the spread of the virus until enough of its population has been
vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
On Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers agreed to
restrict non-essential travel for residents of hard-hit areas all
over Germany for the first time, after a lockdown decreed in
December failed to significantly reduce infection numbers.
Iran bans import of U.S., UK vaccines
Iran's Supreme Leader on Friday banned the government from importing
COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and Britain, labelling the
Western powers "untrustworthy", as the infection spreads in the
Middle East’s hardest-hit country.
In a live televised speech, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei raised the
prospect of the two Western countries, long-time adversaries of the
Islamic Republic, possibly seeking to spread the infection to other
countries.
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 He added however that Iran
could obtain vaccines "from other reliable
places". He gave no details, but China and
Russia are both allies of Iran.
Indonesian clerics declare Sinovac's vaccine
halal
A COVID-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech
is deemed halal, or permissible under Islam, the
Indonesian Ulema Council said on Friday, days
before the country is scheduled to start its
inoculation programme using the Chinese vaccine.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, has 3
million doses of CoronaVac and plans to use it when it starts its
vaccination programme on Wednesday, with President Joko Widodo due
to receive the first shot.
"This could be the information that could soothe the people,
especially Muslims," Asrorun Niam Sholeh of the council's fatwa
commission told a news conference.
Israel tightens lockdown
Israel tightened a national lockdown on Friday in a bid to curb a
sharp rise in new cases, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
promising that all Israeli adults could be vaccinated by the end of
March.
With a population of 9 million, Israel is leading the world in a
swift rollout of vaccinations, but the number of new infections has
climbed to about 8,000 a day, the highest in months.
Israel imposed its third lockdown on Dec. 27. Many Israelis,
however, ignored travel and social-distancing restrictions,
prompting stricter measures that will include more police roadblocks
and the closure of most schools and more businesses.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes;Editing by Alison Williams)
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