As the death toll from COVID-19 approaches one million in the US alone, calls are growing for greater vaccine equity across the globe. More than 10 billion vaccine shots have been administered worldwide as of mid-February. Yet the number of deaths is still rising. In addition, there are many regions of the world where people Read more
Archbishop Georg Gänswein has said that both he and Benedict XVI have received three COVID-19 vaccine doses “out of conviction.” The pope emeritus’ private secretary made the remark in a nine-page interview in the December edition of the German publication Vatican-magazin. The Vatican began administering doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in January and confirmed in Read more
Māori have learned harsh lessons since Auckland’s lockdown began say leaders in Māori health, data and science. Papakura Marae general practitioner Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (pictured) says one of his harsh lessons was being told health resources were limited – when they weren’t. “When the majority population needed it, they have had unlimited resources, that’s Read more
Prime Minister Hun Sen has announced that all Cambodians will receive a fourth dose of vaccine against Covid-19 with the support of development partners. “We know that we have a limited budget for the fourth dose, but the government may reduce other expenses to buy the vaccine. The government will not [go] bankrupt at any Read more
When Father Francisco Valdovinos died of COVID-19 aged 58, his congregants did something very unusual: they got vaccinated. Scrolling back to the months before his death during the pandemic last year, Valdovinos transformed the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish into a food distribution center and testing site. He gave out thousands of masks, Read more
Vatican City is providing a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with priority given to the vulnerable and those over 60 years of age, a press release said Wednesday. The city state’s health and hygiene office started administering the third dose in the second half of October, according to a Vatican statement. The Vatican has Read more
With most of its eligible adult population covered, Fiji’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout for teenagers is gaining pace. The health ministry says 28,965 children aged 15 to 17 have received a first vaccine dose – and 3,892 teenagers have received a second. The rollout was recently extended to this age bracket, after vaccination rates covered almost Read more
When a Colorado woman found out her hospital wouldn’t approve her kidney transplant surgery until she got the COVID-19 vaccine, she was left with a difficult decision pitting her health needs against her religious beliefs. Leilani Lutali, a born-again Christian, went with her faith. Even though she has stage 5 kidney disease that puts her Read more
Church leaders are urging everyone to get vaccinated after the death of one of their members, a “loving father of five”. The 55-year-old man died in Middlemore Hospital on Wednesday morning from Covid-19. He was part of The Assembly of God Church of Samoa in south Auckland. Rebekah Toleafoa, the church minister’s wife, said on Read more
New research conducted by the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù children’s hospital in Rome has found anti-COVID vaccines to be effective in building immunity in young, immunocompromised patients, who are now being advised to get booster shots. An Oct. 4 hospital news bulletin offered fresh data on the efficacy of anti-COVID vaccines on young patients, particularly those Read more