• In the US, coronavirus deaths surpass 450,000.
• China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announces that it will supply 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to COVAX, and that WHO is reviewing its emergency use application for the vaccine.
UNICEF announces a new agreement with India’s Serum Institute for 1.1 billion doses of its coronavirus vaccine at $3 per dose, declaring it “A great value for COVAX donors.”
• COVAX announces that it will distribute over 1.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine to North Korea.
• The UK launches the first study testing effectiveness of combining different coronavirus vaccines.
• Austria, Belgium, France and Germany will not give the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine to people over age 65 years, due to lack of data – despite a recommendation from the EMA for use without age-based restrictions, as it was expected to be effective for older adults. Source
• The UK announces that it has passed a peak level of coronavirus infections as it reports having vaccinated 10 million people – which is 15 percent of its population. Source
• Despite a ban on buying coronavirus vaccines from the UK and the US issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s Health Minister, Saeed Namak, announced that Iran bought 4.2 million doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine. Source
• Nicaragua grants emergency use authorization for the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. Source
• Swissmedic does not approve the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine, citing the need for additional data. Source
