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 Pfizer to seek U.S. authorization for COVID booster shot
Pfizer Inc plans to ask U.S. regulators to authorise a booster dose
of its COVID-19 vaccine within the next month, the drugmaker's top
scientist said on Thursday, based on evidence of greater risk of
re-infection six months after inoculation and the spread of the
highly contagious Delta variant.
Pfizer's own data from the United States showed an erosion of the
vaccine's efficacy after six months against the variants circulating
there in the spring.
South Korea puts Seoul under tightest COVID curbs
From Monday, South Korea will tighten coronavirus curbs to the
strictest level possible in Seoul and neighbouring regions, as alarm
spreads with new COVID-19 cases setting a second consecutive daily
record nationwide.
Helped largely by vaccinations of older people, there has yet to be
a significant increase in hospitalisations or deaths, with a
mortality rate of 1.23% and the number of severe cases at 148 as of
Thursday remaining far below levels seen during the previous peak in
late December.
Australia says Pfizer to expand COVID-19 vaccine supply
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday said Pfizer will
increase COVID-19 vaccine delivery to about one million doses a week
from July 19, more than tripling shipments, as Sydney battles its
worst outbreak of this year.
As many as 4.5 million Pfizer Inc. doses that were expected to
arrive in September will become available next month, Morrison said.
Morrison said Australia should vaccinate all its eligible residents
by the end of the year, if medical advice on Pfizer's vaccine is not
changed and supply remains uninterrupted.
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 U.S. COVID-19 cases rising,
mostly among unvaccinated
U.S. COVID-19 cases are up around 11% over the
previous week, almost entirely among people who
have not been vaccinated, officials said on
Thursday, as the highly infectious Delta variant
becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the
country.
Around 93% of COVID-19 cases in recent days have
occurred in counties with vaccination rates of
less than 40%, U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky told a
media briefing. Preliminary data from recent
months suggest 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths have
occurred in unvaccinated people, she added.
England at risk from Euro 2020 euphoria
England face Italy on Sunday in the Euro final
at London's Wembley Stadium, which has already
hosted two semi-finals over two days this week
with crowds of around 60,000 people. And while
Wednesday's semi-final victory over Denmark was
greeted with jubilation, England is facing a new
wave of COVID-19 cases, fuelled by a combination
of a highly contagious variant and its emergence
from a third lockdown.
Italy has also seen coronavirus cases picking
up, and epidemiologists in both countries warn
that Euro 2020 might fuel its spread among
younger, mainly male, adults.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Sam
Holmes)
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