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The United States confirmed that it will offer a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to its population due to studies that prove that inoculants lose effectiveness over time. In other news, Pope Francis encouraged the population to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and Mexico approved the use of the Moderna laboratory doses against the virus.
While some countries are beginning to relax restrictive measures due to the truce caused by mass vaccination, others are fighting against the advance of the Delta variant, more contagious than the original version of Covid-19.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 658,724 new coronavirus infections were registered in the last day, bringing the total number of cases to more than 208.8 million worldwide. In addition, there have been 4.38 million deaths since the start of the pandemic.
These are some of the most outstanding news about the global health emergency this Wednesday, August 18:
- The United States announces a third vaccine for its population starting in September
The fear of the presence of different variants of Covid-19 such as the Delta has made Executives around the world rethink seeking more protection for their population. Along these lines, the United States Government announced that it will apply a third dose of the vaccine as a “booster” to the virus to its citizens as of September 20.
For now, the Joe Biden Administration has indicated that those who have received two doses of the inoculants manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech laboratories at least eight months ago will be able to apply a reminder of the antidote, after several studies tested that vaccines lose effectiveness over time – and especially against new variants.
However, it is expected that a second extra dose will also be administered to those who received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, the third and last accepted by the US government.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, free, and highly effective – but even highly effective vaccines experience a reduction in protection over time. Today the CDC is announcing new planning for booster shots to protect people and families and stay ahead of the curve on COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/8y7SU5MpHz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 18, 2021
As with the first round of vaccination, health workers and other vulnerable profiles such as older people will be the first to receive the booster dose.
“The available data makes it very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decline over time … And, in association with the prevalence of the Delta variant, we are beginning to see evidence of a less protection against mild and moderate disease, “said representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this Wednesday.
The United States is not the only nation that has decided to apply an extra dose to its population, since other countries such as Israel, France, Germany and Chile have also opted to offer a third vaccine to older adults and people with weak immune systems in the last weeks. A controversial decision in turn, due to the multimillion-dollar profit that this means for pharmaceutical companies in charge of the doses.
- Pope Francis encourages people to get vaccinated against Covid-19
This Wednesday, Pope Francis sent a message to the population and, especially, to deniers and skeptics about the virus: “for the pandemic to end it is necessary for everyone to be vaccinated.” This was said in a virtual message, at a crucial moment in which the ultra-conservative sector of the Church is reluctant with vaccines and health passports.
Getting vaccinated is a simple way to promote the common good and take care of each other, especially the most vulnerable. https://t.co/Bn5GKx27WE
– Pope Francis (@Pontifex_es) August 18, 2021
“In a fraternal spirit, I join this message of hope for a brighter future. Thanks to God and the work of many, today we have vaccines to protect us from Covid-19. They bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with each other, “said the religious figure in his message in Spanish.
The message of support for vaccines also includes Cardinals Carlos Aguiar Retes, Mexican; the Honduran Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga and the Brazilian Cláudio Hummes, among others, as the hard core of the Vatican that supports the pope.
Currently, a large ultraconsensory sector of the Church has been openly against vaccines and has come to minimize the effects of the virus on people’s health. Among the most staunch opponents is the American Cardinal Raymond Burke, representative of the ultra-conservative sector in the country and who is currently sedated and connected to a respirator after having contracted Covid-19.
- Mexico authorizes the use of the Moderna laboratory vaccine against Covid-19
Mexicans have another option to protect themselves against Covid-19 starting this Wednesday. This was announced by the national health regulator, Cofepris, after conducting the relevant studies to verify if the doses met the necessary quality, safety and efficacy requirements.
“The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) has ruled the authorization for the emergency use of the Moderna vaccine, with the distinctive name SPIKEVAX, as appropriate,” the agency said in a message posted on social networks.
In addition, recent studies have proven that the American vaccine is effective against several variants, according to the pharmaceutical company, which assured that they have found that the vaccine has a neutralizing effect against all tested coronavirus variants, including Beta, Delta and Kappa variants.
Moderna’s SPIKEVAX vaccine is the eighth to be licensed in Mexico, along with Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, CanSino Biologics, Sputnik V, Sinovac, Covaxin and Janssen.
The approval of this vaccine comes after the announcement of a donation from the United States to Mexico of 3.5 million doses of Moderna, which is pending shipment. In the midst of a wave of infections, Mexico is the fourth nation in the world with the most positives with a total of 3.1 million cases and almost 250,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
With EFE, Reuters and AP
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