WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has proven 94 per cent effective in a study involving 1.2 million people in Israel, the first peer-reviewed real world research confirming the power of mass immunisation campaigns to bring the pandemic to a close.
The paper, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday (Feb 25), also demonstrated there is likely a strong protective benefit against infection, a crucial element in breaking onward transmission.
"The fact that the vaccines worked so well in the real world... really does suggest that if the nations of the world can find the will, we now have the means to end Covid-19 forever," said Ben Neuman, a virologist from Texas A&M University who was not involved in the research.
The experiment was carried out between Dec 20 2020 and Feb 1, 2021 - a period when a newer variant first identified in Britain was rampant in Israel, making the vaccine's performance all the more impressive.
Around 1.2 million people were divided into equal groups of vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Each vaccinated participant was matched to an unvaccinated "control" person of similar age, sex, geographic, medical and other characteristics.
Lead author Noam Barda, head of epidemiology and research at the Clalit Research Institute, told AFP the matching process was highly robust.
An elderly Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man from a particular neighbourhood with a particular set of comorbidities and flu vaccination history would be matched for another person fitting that precise profile, for example.
The researchers then recorded outcomes at days 14-20 after the first of the two doses and day seven or more after the second.
The efficacy against symptomatic infections was 57 per cent between 14-20 days after the first dose, but rose to 94 per cent seven days after the second dose - very close to the 95 per cent achieved during Phase 3 clinical trials.
People who received second doses were also highly protected against hospitalisation and death - though the precise numbers here are less significant and had a wider statistical range because of the relatively lower number of cases.
The study also found people who received their second dose had a 92 per cent lower chance of getting any form of infection at all compared to those who were unvaccinated.
While this finding was considered encouraging, the researchers and outside experts said it needs more confirming evidence.
That's because the participants weren't being systematically tested at regular intervals; rather, they were getting a test when they wanted one.
The authors attempted to correct for this with statistical methods but the result is still likely imperfect.
"Unless you are testing everyone all the time, this will miss some infections," said Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida.
She added she was certain there was a strong protective benefit, but "nailing down this number more precisely will require specialised study designs with frequent testing."
BANGKOK: Indonesia is holding intensive talks with both the Myanmar military and representatives of the ousted elected government in a bid to end a crisis over a Feb 1 military coup, Indonesia's foreign minister said on Wednesday (Feb 24).
Indonesia has taken the lead within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in efforts to resolve Myanmar's turmoil. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, for talks in the Thai capital earlier on Wednesday.
The Myanmar army seized power after alleging fraud in a Nov 8 election swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), detaining her and much of the party leadership.
Opponents of the coup have staged days of demonstrations in towns and cities across Myanmar and three protesters and one policeman have been killed in violence.
The Indonesian effort to resolve the crisis has raised suspicion among Myanmar democracy activists who fear dealing with the junta would confer legitimacy on it and its bid to scrap the November election.
They insist the election result should be respected.
Retno, speaking to reporters in Bangkok, said the well-being of the people of Myanmar was the number one priority.
"We ask for everybody to use restraint and not resort to violence ... to avoid casualties and bloodshed," Retno said after her talks with the Myanmar minister and her Thai counterpart, Don Pramudwinai.
Retno said she had "intensive" communications with both sides, including ousted lawmakers from the parliament, known as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. Members of the lawmakers' group, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), were not immediately available for comment.
A Reuters report this week cited sources as saying Indonesia was proposing that ASEAN members send monitors to ensure the generals stick to their promise of fair new elections. That added to suspicion among some pro-democracy activists that Indonesia's intervention would undermine their demand that last year's election must stand.
The military has not given a time frame for the new election it has promised, although it imposed a one-year state of emergency when it seized power.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Thai embassy in the main city of Yangon with signs reading: "Respect our vote" and "We voted NLD".
"Our foreign minister is Aung San Suu Kyi," the protesters chanted, referring to the post she held in the government she led after winning a 2015 election in a landslide.
Retno did not mention the issue of the election but said Indonesia emphasised "the importance of an inclusive democratic transition process".
"We need a conducive condition ... in the form of dialogue, reconciliation, trust building," she said. "Indonesia will be with the people of Myanmar."
"OFFER SUPPORT"
Retno had been expected to fly to Myanmar earlier on Wednesday but the plan was dropped, her ministry said.
Later, Thailand announced that Wunna Maung Lwin, making the first foreign trip by a member of Myanmar's new military government, had come to Thailand.
A Thai source said the Myanmar minister also had a meeting scheduled with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Prayut, a former army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup, declined to confirm that he met the Myanmar minister.
"Some things are not official," he told reporters.
"We offer support as an ASEAN country that has to cooperate and offer well-wishes that everything works out smoothly."
Earlier, the Myanmar-based Future Nation Alliance activist group said in a statement a visit to Myanmar by Retno would be "tantamount to recognising the military junta".
The group instead demanded foreign officials meet Htin Lin Aung, a member of the CRPH who was the "sole responsible official for foreign relations".
Protesters, some leading a procession of elephants, marched in Myanmar's second biggest city, Mandalay, in support of the ousted parliamentarians on Wednesday.
Myanmar's security forces have shown more restraint compared with earlier crackdowns against people who pushed for democracy during almost half a century of direct military rule.
Military chief General Min Aung Hlaing has said this week authorities were following a democratic path in dealing with the protests and police were using minimal force, such as rubber bullets, state media reported.
The Group of Seven (G7) rich nations on Tuesday condemned intimidation and oppression of those opposing the coup.
The United States, Britain and others have imposed limited sanctions, aimed at members of the junta and military businesses.
China has traditionally taken a softer line on Myanmar as have ASEAN neighbours.
KUALA LUMPUR: Several lawmakers and rights groups on Wednesday (Feb 24) called on Malaysia's government to explain its deportation of more than 1,000 Myanmar nationals, despite a court-ordered stay, with some saying the move could amount to contempt of court.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Tuesday had granted a stay on the deportation of 1,200 Myanmar citizens held in immigration detention centres, pending an application by Amnesty International and Asylum Access to suspend the plan amid fears over their safety.
But hours after the ruling, Malaysia's top immigration official said authorities had repatriated 1,086 Myanmar citizens on three Myanmar navy ships.
"We believe that the government owes an explanation to the people of Malaysia as to why they chose to defy the court order," Amnesty's Malaysia director Katrina Maliamauv told reporters.
The prime minister's office and Immigration Department Director-General Khairul Dzaimee Daud did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The court on Wednesday fixed Mar 9 to rule on whether the groups would be allowed to challenge the deportation, said New Sin Yew, a lawyer for the rights groups.
It also extended the stay order barring the remaining 114 detainees from being deported before the next hearing.
In a separate statement, four opposition lawmakers questioned whether the deportation amounted to contempt of court and told authorities to provide more details of those deported.
Khairul had said those repatriated did not include Rohingya refugees or asylum-seekers.
But concerns over the deportation of unregistered asylum-seekers have persisted, as the United Nations refugee agency has not been allowed to interview detainees for more than a year to verify their status.
The rights groups in their court filing said three UN-registered people and 17 minors with at least one parent in Malaysia were on the deportee list. It was unclear if those were sent back.
Malaysia is home to more than 154,000 asylum-seekers from Myanmar, where the military seized power this month.
BANGKOK: The Myanmar junta's foreign minister visited Thailand on Wednesday (Feb 24) as regional powers tried to broker an end to three weeks of deadly unrest triggered by a military coup.
Foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin held talks with his counterparts from Thailand and Indonesia in what was the first known face-to-face meetings between a senior junta member and foreign governments.
The military has weathered a storm of international condemnation for ousting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from power in a Feb 1 putsch, while dissent within its borders has been vociferous with daily nationwide protests.
The meetings come after an announcement that Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi would not be immediately visiting the coup-hit nation despite leaked documents from Myanmar's side on her impending arrival.
Instead, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Tanee Sanrat confirmed in a text message to reporters that Marsudi - who visited Bangkok - met with Wunna Maung Lwin in Thailand, the same day she had a meeting with the kingdom's foreign minister Don Pramudwinai.
"We didn't plan on it but yes," Tanee wrote in response to a question asking about a meeting between the three ministers.
Another government source said there was "a tripartite meeting between Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar ministers, proposed by Thailand".
No details were released on the discussions.
While he did not confirm any meeting, Thai premier Prayut Chan-o-cha - who came to power following a 2014 coup - said on Wednesday the issue is being "handled by the foreign ministry".
The two ASEAN nations were "friendly neighbours", he said, before shutting down further questions.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Indonesian embassy in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon saw hundreds of protesters gather for the second consecutive day.
Angered that the country was considering negotiations with the junta government - officially named the State Administration Council - demonstrators carried signs reading: "Stop negotiating with them" and "Indonesia, don't support dictator".
"The Military's State Administration Council is not our legitimate government," said participant Seinn Lae Maung, who had a Myanmar flag painted on her face.
"Please respect our votes and do hear our voices."
Since the Feb 1 coup, Myanmar has seen a torrent of anger and defiance from hundreds of thousands of protesters nationwide demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military has justified its actions by alleging widespread electoral fraud in November's elections, which Aung San Suu Kyi's party had won in a landslide.
Since taking power, the junta has ordered nightly Internet blackouts and arrested hundreds of anti-coup protesters, while security forces have steadily stepped up enforcement tactics to quell demonstrations.
They have deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against protesters, as well as isolated incidents of live rounds.
Three anti-coup demonstrators have been killed so far, while one man in Yangon was shot dead while patrolling his neighbourhood against night arrests.
On Wednesday, families and friends paid tribute to 30-year-old Tin Htut Hein who had been patrolling Yangon's Shwephyitha Township when he was gunned down.
People carry the coffin of Tin Htut Hein during his funeral in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 24, 2021.(Photo: AP)
Some mourners wore T-shirts with his face printed on the front, while others placed roses on a sign that said "dictatorship must fail".
Protests continued across the country on Wednesday, from Yangon - where ethnic minority groups dressed in their traditional outfits marched with their flags - to Myanmar's second-largest city Mandalay, which saw protesters riding elephants.
The massive mammals had "Down with Military Dictatorship" written across their rumps.
There was also a cremation ceremony for 17-year-old Wai Yan Tun who was shot in the head on Saturday after security forces opened fire during a Mandalay protest.
Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since she was detained in dawn raids.
The Nobel laureate is facing obscure charges for having unregistered walkie-talkies in her residence and for breaking coronavirus rules. She is expected to go on trial Mar 1.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin received the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday (Feb 24), kicking off the national COVID-19 immunisation programme.
Next in line to be vaccinated at the health office in Putrajaya were Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah and other medical frontliners.
They have to undergo a 30-minute observation period following their jabs to watch for potential negative reactions.
Containers carrying the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are unloaded from a plane at the MASkargo Complex in Sepang, Malaysia on Feb 21, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Malaysia Information Department/Fandy Azlan)
Speaking after the observation period, Mr Muhyiddin expressed his confidence in the vaccine, noting that he hardly felt any pain.
"I therefore urge all Malaysian citizens and those living in Malaysia, whom we’ve decided will be vaccinated for free, to come forward and register in MySejahtera (app), so that your turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can be set," Mr Muhyiddin said.
The prime minister's second jab has been scheduled for Mar 17.
Another 182,250 doses of the vaccine were due to arrive in Malaysia on Wednesday, said Coordinating Minister for National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin earlier.
As of Tuesday, Malaysia registered a total of 288,229 COVID-19 cases and 1,076 deaths.
Malaysia's COVID-19 immunisation programme is divided into three phrases, beginning with medical and non-medical frontliners from February to April.
The second phase, which runs from April until August, will cover senior citizens aged over 65 years old and other high-risk groups while the final phase, from May until February next year, is targeted at the general adult population aged 18 and above.
Registration for COVID-19 vaccination is set to commence on Mar 1, and will remain open until 80 per cent of its 32 million population have been vaccinated under the government’s herd immunity target.
The vaccines will be given free to both Malaysians and foreigners residing in the country.
In a media statement on Feb 11, the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Committee stressed that Malaysians will be prioritised to receive the vaccination doses but maintained that the decision to include foreigners is key to the success of the programme.
Workers transfer a container carrying the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines at the MASkargo Complex in Sepang, Malaysia on Feb 21, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Malaysia Information Department/Famer Roheni)
In all, Malaysia has secured 66.7 million vaccine doses as of February 2021.
In addition to Pfizer-BioNTech, it is also acquiring vaccines from Britain’s AstraZeneca, Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, and China’s Sinovac Biotech and CanSino Biologics.
The Sinovac vaccines are expected to arrive by the end of the month, and the AstraZeneca vaccines in March.
Out of the five, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has received regulatory approval for use in Malaysia so far.
KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin became the first person in Malaysia to receive a Covid-19 vaccine shot on Wednesday (Feb 24), as the country rolled out its nationwide vaccination campaign two days earlier than scheduled.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin received the first of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a public clinic in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya.
The second person to be inoculated was frontliner Clement Marai Francis, a driver for the Putrajaya clinic.
The Health Ministry's director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah - who has been the face of Malaysia's coronavirus response - was the third individual to receive the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Mr Muhyiddin and Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham received their vaccines within 20 minutes of arriving at the clinic in a publicly broadcasted event that was aimed at showing Malaysians the steps for vaccination.
After registration, the individuals were briefed about the vaccine in a separate room, before proceeding to receive their jabs.
Vaccinated individuals will then be asked to wait in an observation room for at least 15 minutes, where they will be monitored for any side-effects.
Mr Muhyiddin had volunteered to be the first to receive the vaccine shots in order to build public confidence in the inoculation process. A survey by the Health Ministry in December last year showed one-third of Malaysians remained sceptical of vaccines and worried about side effects.
Malaysia had initially planned to start its mass vaccination campaign on Friday, but with the vaccines arriving ahead of schedule on Sunday, the authorities brought forward the start date of the vaccination exercise, which is expected to last up to a year.
Malaysia aims to inoculate close to 83 per cent of its 33 million population.
It will vaccinate elected representatives, healthcare workers and other front-liners in the first phase that is expected to last until next month.
The second phase will involve at-risk groups, such as individuals with certain existing illnesses, and those above the age of 65.
The country aims to begin administering vaccines to the general populace from May.
All vaccines will be made available for free, including for foreign workers, expatriates, refugees and undocumented migrants.
The first batch of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, the United States-German collaboration, consisted of 312,390 doses which arrived on Sunday. Another 182,520 doses are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
The country has inked a deal to buy a total of 25 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which cover 39 per cent of its population.
It has also ordered a total of 6.4 million doses from British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, signed a deal for 12 million doses from China's Sinovac, and another 6.4 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia.
The authorities said last week that they were in the final stages of talks with US company Johnson & Johnson to procure its single-dose vaccine, which it aims to use on the vulnerable population, such as undocumented migrants.
Malaysia will administer the two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 21 days apart, as recommended by the vaccine manufacturer.
Malaysia had spent weeks preparing for the storage and delivery of the vaccine, with local energy firm Tenaga Nasional Berhad giving the assurance that there will be no power disruption at any of the vaccine storage facilities.
NEW DELHI: It’s no surprise Myanmar’s coup is testing the patience of the international community.
Protesters have called for external intervention, following three deaths. After being sprayed by water cannons, rubber bullets and more, they expect an imminent use of more lethal force by the military.
But the international community has – unsurprisingly – been unable to launch a coordinated approach, apart from the expected strongly worded statements from the UN Security Council on Feb 4 and the UN Human Rights Council on Feb 12.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other world leaders may have condemned the military’s brutality over this past week.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the media during a joint news conference in Berlin, Germany, Dec 17, 2020. (File photo: Michael Sohn/Pool via REUTERS)
But that only went as far as to illicit a response from the Myanmar foreign ministry on Feb 22 that authorities were “exercising utmost restraint” in refuting the condemnations and calling them a “flagrant interference” in Myanmar’s internal affairs as a sovereign country.
STRONGER WORDS FROM ASEAN
What has been raised some eyebrows, however, is the stern, finger-wagging words of Myanmar’s closer Southeast Asian compatriots.
Malaysia views the political situation in Myanmar as a “serious” development and a “step backwards in the country’s democratic process,” Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s Yassin said, warning that the political unrest there could “affect peace and stability in the region” on Feb 4 during his visit to Indonesia.
Calling the situation “alarming”, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also warned of serious consequences for Myanmar and the region if the situation continued to escalate in his response to a Parliament question on Feb 16.
Even Thailand, which has a history with military coups, called for ASEAN nations to take a “collective stand” on the issue.
The ground may have further shifted after two protesters were killed over the weekend after police opened fire on demonstrations, with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling the use of lethal weapons against civilians “inexcusable” on Feb 20.
Both Singapore and Indonesia Foreign Affairs Ministers also expressed grave concern over ongoing developments and discussing further steps for ASEAN to address the situation in Myanmar earlier on Feb 18.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also emphasised on Tuesday (Feb 23) that Myanmar’s transition to democracy should follow the wishes of its people and urged for ASEAN to double efforts to mediate between the junta and protesters.
FILE PHOTO: Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her speech during a press briefing with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan 10, 2020. (REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/File Photo)
WHAT’S BEHIND STRONGER WORDS
To some extent, Indonesia and Malaysia’s stronger words for Myanmar has come as less of a surprise, given their consistently tough stance on the country to take responsibility for the Rohingya crisis and get their house in order or face repercussions.
They have come under strong pressure to take this position since 2017 from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which also pushed for the Rohingya case to be heard at the International Court of Justice last year.
And while many observers have highlighted that Singapore’s rhetoric on Myanmar’s coup seemed unusually aggressive, history shows Singapore has taken a consistent, principled stance premised on the rule of law and national responsibility for internal issues. Its position on the Rohingya crisis is instructive.
“To be brutally honest, this is a man-made humanitarian disaster and something which should not be happening in this day and age,” Dr Balakrishnan had said in October 2018 when pressed on ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the situation in Rakhine.
Indeed, while keen observers point to the lack of reference to the Rohingya crisis in ASEAN statements, during Singapore’s chairmanship in 2018, ASEAN countries worked hard, far away from the media spotlight, to secure Myanmar’s commitment in taking concrete steps.
ASEAN must be given credit in pushing to facilitate the voluntary return of displaced people and the implementation of recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Rakhine State headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Similar behind-the-scenes shuttle diplomacy has been at play over the past two weeks, with Indonesia spearheading efforts with other ASEAN foreign ministers to find a resolution to the crisis.
Ms Marsudi has been travelling across Southeast Asia to rally support from ASEAN members for a special summit to discuss next steps. She may also be leading more back-channel talks with the Tatmadaw to find a compromise and prevent further violent crackdowns.
CAREFUL NOT TO OVERPLAY
Indeed, ASEAN countries are clear-eyed and know they cannot publicly push too forcefully given the lack of unanimity on the approach to take within the grouping.
They are also well aware actions on their part could look like foreign interference into domestic politics even to anti-coup protesters, after remarks that Indonesia is pushing for ASEAN to send election monitors if the junta holds national polls sparked threats of demonstrations at the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon on Feb 23.
ASEAN countries know they must be careful not to overplay their hand and put too much pressure on Myanmar or suggest that they can offer solutions to the country’s complex troubles.
For one, they may be drawn into debates on how far they may be willing to go to back on their rhetoric, where the reality is that most have significant commercial interests in Myanmar, particularly Singapore, the biggest investor bringing in more than S$24 billion of capital in 2019.
Mr Balakrishnan had to walk a tightrope in clarifying that he would not presume to tell the Singapore business community what to do following the coup in urging against the use of widespread sanctions.
Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan speaking in Parliament on Feb 16, 2020.
“I am sure companies making commercial decisions and investment decisions will also pay attention to the political context of the venue in which they are seeking to invest in.”
WHAT ASEAN BRINGS TO THE TABLE
ASEAN should also guard against getting drawn into the power play as major countries and segments of the international community search for levers to exert greater pressure on Myanmar.
The US knows its actions, even combined with other western countries, will not move the needle on Myanmar, and seek to build a coordinated international approach whereby ASEAN plays a leading role.
There are signs this is underway, when White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with ambassadors from ASEAN, urging them to support for the “immediate restoration” of democracy in Myanmar and Secretary of State Antony Blinken doing the same with his counterparts.
The Americans know Myanmar will be more willing to listen and engage with neighbouring ASEAN states, given the country’s strong anathema to Western interference, seen during the relief efforts for the 2008 Cyclone Nargis disaster.
The regional bloc’s freshly created ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force for Victims of Cyclone Nargis (AHTF) played a leading role in helping to coordinate international relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Moreover, Washington understands an advantage in ASEAN taking the lead is the grouping’s ability to rally the support of both China and Russia.
ASEAN countries may wax and wane in how stern an approach they take towards member-states like Myanmar where difference arise, but this will not be the last time Southeast Asian countries express harsher positions than expected.
Former Singaporean senior diplomat Bilahari Kausikan had already highlighted how ASEAN membership should not be taken as granted and can be revoked if actions of member-states grow detrimental to the bloc’s collective interests.
More importantly, something horrible has gone wrong in Myanmar and the pressure cannot let up.
This was a usurping of power by the military against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of voters. A democratically elected government was pushed aside on unsubstantiated electoral allegations.
There may be limitations on what ASEAN can conceivably achieve since any dialing back of the clock and return to democracy lies in the hands of the Tatmadaw. But ASEAN is still the world’s best hope of nudging the situation in Myanmar.
Dr Nehginpao Kipgen is a Political Scientist, Associate Professor and Executive Director at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, O P Jindal Global University. He is the author of three books on Myanmar, including Democratization of Myanmar.
