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Vaccines

EU Gets Vaccine Boost as WHO Dampens Hope of Herd Immunity

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The European Union has begun the approval process for its third vaccine against the coronavirus, despite the World Health Organization warning that achieving herd immunity this year is unlikely, even with mass inoculation schemes. The 27-member EU has promised an accelerated timeline after confirming that drug company AstraZeneca had applied for approval for the jab it developed with Oxford University. However, the EU's medicines agency has stated that a decision will not be made before January 29, although the vaccine is already being used in countries including Britain. Meanwhile, the WHO has warned that even with mass vaccinations, coverage would still not be wide enough for population-level immunity this year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Union has started the approval process for its third vaccine against the coronavirus, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
  • The EU has promised an accelerated timeline for the approval process, but a decision is still not expected before January 29.
  • The World Health Organization has warned that achieving herd immunity this year is unlikely, even with mass inoculation schemes.
  • The WHO has stated that coverage would still not be wide enough for population-level immunity this year, despite mass vaccinations.
  • The United States remains the worst affected country by the pandemic, with daily death tolls in the thousands.
  • European hospitals are increasingly warning of stretched resources, and Asian countries are facing upsurges in cases.
  • Malaysia has declared a state of emergency due to fears that its health system is close to being overwhelmed.
  • China has added a city of five million to a growing lockdown area near Beijing, and WHO experts are arriving in Wuhan to probe the origins of the disease.
  • US President-elect Joe Biden has received his second vaccine dose, and German firm BioNTech has announced that it can produce millions more doses than originally expected this year.
  • BioNTech has warned that Covid-19 is likely to become an endemic disease and vaccines will be needed to fight new variants.
  • The sporting world is providing some respite from the pandemic, with England beginning a cricket Test match in Sri Lanka.
  • However, sports organizers are still facing shredded schedules and crisis meetings, and environmentalists are raising the alarm over the pandemic's longer-term impacts.

Statistics:

  • Over 90 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide.
  • Almost two million people have died from the disease.
  • The pandemic is likely to become an endemic disease in 2021.
  • BioNTech plans to produce millions more vaccine doses than originally expected in 2021.
  • Germany has pledged to devote all available resources to fighting the pandemic.
  • The EU's approval process for the third vaccine is expected to be completed by January 29.
  • Malaysia has declared a state of emergency due to fears that its health system is close to being overwhelmed.
  • China has added a city of five million to a growing lockdown area near Beijing.

Sources:

  • BSS/AFP (January 12, 2021)
  • World Health Organization
  • AstraZeneca
  • Oxford University
  • European Union
  • BioNTech
  • PETA (animal rights group)
  • Tokyo 2020 (Olympics organizers)

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