Australia’s leader called for coronavirus immunizations to be mandatory, wading into ethical and safety debates raging around the world as the race to develop a vaccine gathers pace.
Almost 30 potential vaccines are currently being tested on humans across the globe in hope of ending a pandemic that has now killed more than 775,000 people and infected nearly 22 million, according to an AFP tally.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he wants all 25 million Australians to get the jab after the country secured access to a vaccine currently under development by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds, but that should be the only basis,” he said.
Nations are scrambling to develop an immunisation or gain access to one of a handful of contenders in the final stages of clinical trials.
Upping the ante, Russia on August 11 said it had developed the world’s first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” and was in the final stage of human testing.
But the announcement was met with skepticism by the World Health Organization, which said it still needed a rigorous review, and scientists say it has been approved without large-scale trials.
Among the competitors, Brazilian health regulators on Tuesday gave the green light to the final stage of trials on a vaccine by Johnson & Johnson.
The US pharmaceutical firm will test its drug on 7,000 volunteers in Brazil, authorities said, part of a group of up to 60,000 worldwide.
Germany, France record worst daily tally
Germany and France recorded their worst daily infection rates in months with concerns growing Thursday that coronavirus cases could spike in Europe just as holidaymakers return home and children go back to school.
Germany Thursday reported 1,707 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the highest daily toll since the peak of the pandemic in April.
The country has fared better than many European neighbours in suppressing the virus so far but like elsewhere, the number of cases has jumped significantly over the summer holidays.
Finland imposes ‘Europe’s tightest’ border restrictions
Finland has removed most EU countries from its “green travel list,” with only arrivals from a handful of states now able to enter the country without coronavirus restrictions from Monday.
Finland’s tougher rules mean only travelers from Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania will now be allowed into the country without proof of a valid reason and self-isolating for two weeks.
Arrivals from a number of non-EU countries including Georgia, Rwanda and South Korea continue to be freely permitted under the measures.
“Finland’s border policy is the tightest in the European Union, because we have wanted to preserve the relatively good virus situation,” Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo told a press conference.
