Moderna booster candidate shows strong response against Omicron subvariants - CNA

Moderna said on Wednesday (Jun 22) that an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the Omicron variant also generated a strong immune response against the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which have gained a foothold in the US in recent weeks.

The updated vaccine, which Moderna is hoping will be approved for use as a booster shot for the fall, is a bivalent vaccine, meaning it contains vaccine designed to target two different coronavirus variants - the original variant from 2020 and the Omicron variant that was circulating widely last winter.

Moderna said that while the shot elicited a weaker response versus BA.4 and BA.5 than it does against the BA.1 subvariant it was specifically designed to combat, the data suggests the new shot could produce "lasting protection against the whole family of Omicron variants".

"This is a strong, powerful antibody response," Moderna Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton said at a news conference. "It is probably long lasting and I think the conclusions are that boosting or primary vaccination with (the updated vaccine) really could be a turning point in our fight against SARS-cov-2 virus."

Moderna has been producing the updated vaccine on its own dime ahead of any regulatory approvals, and Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said the company could begin supplying the shot in August.

The company plans to submit applications to regulators in the coming weeks to ask for approval of the shot - which it calls mRNA-1273.214 - for the fall season.

The two sublineages, which were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and designated as variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, accounted for more than a third of US cases last week.

The US Food and Drug Administration plans to hold a meeting of outside experts next week to discuss the best composition of booster shots for the fall.

Pfizer and BioNTech are also testing several possible variant-adapted COVID-19 vaccines, including a bivalent candidate similar to Moderna's.

The European Medicines Agency last week launched a rolling review of their candidates, although the companies have yet to release any data on how well they work. BioNTech this month said market clearance could come as early as August but could also take until September or later in the fall.

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2022-06-22 13:04:28Z
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Live news updates: UK house price growth pushes average above £280000 for first time - Financial Times

Hopes have risen of a breakthrough in the stalled process of EU enlargement in the western Balkans after Bulgaria’s opposition agreed to support lifting the country’s veto on the start of accession talks with North Macedonia.

Boyko Borisov, a former Bulgarian prime minister, said his centre-right GERB party would vote in favour of beginning the EU negotiations. If adopted by Bulgaria’s parliament, that would also unlock membership talks with Albania ahead of a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday.

“This is the most correct decision for the future of the Balkans, the EU and Bulgaria,” said Borisov. “We will not remain on the dark side of Eurasia, we will not allow Putinisation.”

The move marks a U-turn for Borisov, who blocked the talks with North Macedonia in 2019 in a dispute about the former Yugoslav country’s interpretation of Balkan history.

Kiril Petkov, Bulgaria’s reformist prime minister, had been poised to strike a deal with Skopje unlocking the talks when one of the parties in his coalition pulled out in protest over the issue earlier this month, leaving him clinging on to power.

A vote on enlargement talks could be held in parliament on Thursday, with GERB’s support being enough to lift Sofia’s veto.

European officials fear blocking EU enlargement would create political instability in the western Balkans and disillusionment about the region’s western orientation, which could be exploited by Russia.

In a further sign of possible movement, North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania on Wednesday confirmed they would take part in a summit in Brussels tomorrow with EU leaders, a day after threatening to not attend the meeting over Bulgaria’s opposition to North Macedonia’s candidacy.

“We’ll attend the EU Council meeting,” Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama said, adding that Bulgaria’s stance was akin to “kidnapping” and “destroys” the “spirit of Europe”.

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2022-06-22 10:31:53Z
CAIiEPwNBL4g8sLfiNT5gWn_sLwqGAgEKg8IACoHCAow-4fWBzD4z0gw_fCpBg

Monkeypox case confirmed in Singapore, two more suspected in South Korea - CNN

Singapore (CNN)Singapore has reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Southeast Asia during this year's outbreak -- while another confirmed case has been found in South Korea.

The case in Singapore involves a British man who was in the city-state between June 15 and 17. He tested positive for monkeypox on Monday after developing skin rashes and experiencing headaches and a fever last week.

"During this period, he had largely remained in his hotel room except to visit a massage establishment and eat at three food establishments on June 16," Singapore's Ministry of Health said Tuesday.

Thirteen of the man's close contacts have been identified and contact tracing is underway, the ministry said, adding that the man is being treated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

The case in South Korea involves a South Korean citizen who reported themselves to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency after arriving back in the country from Germany on Wednesday. The KCDA said the South Korean -- now being treated at a facility in Seoul -- had reported having a headache before flying and had developed a fever, sore throat, fatigue and skin lesions on arrival in the country.

Meanwhile, South Korea said it was also investigating a second suspected case involving a foreigner who entered the country on Monday and was taken to a hospital in the city of Busan after experiencing symptoms and developing a blistering skin lesion.

Monkeypox, considered a less severe cousin of smallpox, has an incubation period of seven to 14 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Initial symptoms are typically flu-like, such as fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness, followed by swelling in the lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection and disease.

The disease later progresses into a rash and lesions that can blister and scab over all over the body -- usually lasting two to four weeks.

The virus has been circulating for decades in some places, including parts of West and Central Africa.

But the current outbreak has seen more than 2,500 cases being reported in dozens of countries where the disease was not considered endemic -- including Australia, which reported its first case on May 20, and the United States, where as of Friday the CDC had reported more than 110 confirmed cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said recently it will remove the distinction between endemic and non-endemic nations to reflect a "unified response."

"The unexpected appearance of monkeypox in several regions in the initial absence of epidemiological links to areas that have historically reported monkeypox, suggests that there may have been undetected transmission for some time," the WHO said in a recent update.

A microscope image of mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin.

Lessons from Covid-19

Singapore last detected a case of monkeypox in 2019, in a 38-year-old man from Nigeria who had traveled to the city-state to attend a wedding.

"Monkeypox is not a new disease so we actually do know quite a bit about the disease and virus [which] has been around for some time," said Khoo Yoong Khean, a doctor and scientific officer at the Duke-NUS Center for Outbreak Preparedness in Singapore.

"But there is a change in how the disease is circulating and spreading in this current outbreak... [and] this seems to be an evolving situation."

Khoo said lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic could be applied to any potential monkeypox outbreak in the region.

"It will be wise for countries to pay attention. We have many tools which we have been using for Covid-19 and they will be useful now: contract-tracing methods, quarantine protocols and even a mass immunisation strategy if needed.

"While I don't think we need to be overly worried about the global situation, and we might now be in a better place, disease outbreaks are never predictable as we know. We might have surprises from monkeypox in the near future so we must continue to strengthen our health and surveillance systems, work collaboratively with other countries and make better decisions than [we did] during the Covid pandemic."

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2022-06-22 08:24:00Z
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20000 Hong Kong homes face 2-day blackout after fire breaks out on power cable bridge - CNA

About 160,000 customers in Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai and Tuen Mun, were initially affected, while MTR services in the area were briefly disrupted.

The Hospital Authority said services at several hospitals had been affected, and that some patients might have to be transferred to other facilities.

Power supply to around 140,000 customers has since been restored, after the arrangement of an emergency power supply, said CLP. Electricity has also been restored to essential services, including hospitals and railways.

The Education Bureau said that 14 schools would suspend classes on Wednesday.

"Our engineering teams are carrying out urgent repair work onsite," said CLP Power.

Repair work is estimated to take two days to restore power supply to the remaining 20,000 affected customers who are mainly located in Tin Shui Wai including Tin Ching Estate, Tin Fu Court, Tin Yuet Estate and Tin Chak Estate, it added. 

"We have already liaised with relevant government departments to provide support for customers in need. We apologise again for the inconvenience caused to the affected customers and would also like to thank relevant government departments."

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2022-06-22 01:56:00Z
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UK's biggest rail strike in 30 years disrupts travel, PM Johnson vows to stay firm - CNA

A survey by pollsters YouGov found public opinion divided, with 37 per cent supportive of the action and 45 per cent opposed.

Leo Rudolph, a 36-year-old lawyer who walked to work, said he would become more disgruntled the longer the dispute holds.

"This isn't going to be an isolated occurrence, right?" he said.

INFLATION FEVER

Inflation has soared across Europe on the back of a major rise in energy costs and Britain is not alone in facing strikes.

Action over the cost of living in Belgium caused disruption at Brussels Airport on Monday, while Germany's most powerful union is pushing for large wage increases and in France President Emmanuel Macron is facing unrest over pension reforms.

Britain's economy initially rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic but a combination of labour shortages, supply chain disruption, inflation and post-Brexit trade problems has prompted warnings of a recession.

The government says it is supporting millions of the poorest households but warns that above-inflation pay rises would damage the economy and prolong the problem.

Retail intelligence company Springboard said footfall in British high streets was down 8.5 per cent compared to last week, and down 27 per cent in central London.

Britain's railways were effectively nationalised in the pandemic, with train operating companies paid a fixed fee to run services, while the tracks and infrastructure are managed by state-owned Network Rail.

The RMT seeks a pay rise of at least 7 per cent for its members, but it has said Network Rail offered 2 per cent, with another 1 per cent linked to industry reforms the union opposes. The government, criticised for not being involved in the talks, says unions must resolve it directly with employers.

The BBC reported that further talks were due on Wednesday but even an agreement would not prevent further disruption on Thursday.

The outbreak of industrial action has drawn comparison with the 1970s, when Britain faced widespread labour strikes that culminated in the 1978-79 "winter of discontent".

The government says it will now change the law quickly to make train operators provide a minimum service on strike days, and allow employers to hire temporary staff.

The strikes come as travellers at British airports experience chaotic delays and last-minute cancellations due to staff shortages, while the health service is teetering under the pressure of long waiting lists built up during the pandemic.

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2022-06-21 18:46:18Z
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Britain faces biggest rail strike in more than 30 years - CNA

DESTRUCTIVE INFLATION

Countries around the world are being hit by decades-high inflation as the Ukraine war and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions fuel energy and food price hikes.

Unions warn also that railway jobs are at risk, with passenger traffic yet to fully recover after the lifting of pandemic lockdowns.

Britain's economy initially rebounded strongly from the pandemic, but a combination of labour shortages, supply chain disruption, inflation and post-Brexit trade problems has prompted warnings of a recession.

The government says it is giving extra support to millions of the poorest households but says that above-inflation pay rises would damage the fundamentals of the economy.

"Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people's pay packets in the long run, destroying savings and extending the difficulties we’re facing for longer," Johnson said.

The outbreak of industrial action has drawn comparison with the 1970s, when Britain faced widespread labour strikes including the 1978 to 1979 "winter of discontent".

The strikes come as travellers at British airports experience chaotic delays and last-minute cancellations due to staff shortages while many Britons have to wait months for new passports to arrive due to processing delays.

Thousands of workers were sacked in the aviation industry during the pandemic, but the sector is now struggling to recruit workers as travel demand rebounds following the lifting of lockdowns.

Other areas of the public sector are meanwhile set to hold strikes.

The Criminal Bar Association, representing senior lawyers in England and Wales, have voted to strike from next week in a row over legal aid funding.

Justice minister James Cartlidge called the walk-out "disappointing" given that the court system is already battling significant backlogs in cases caused by the pandemic.

Four weeks of action begin on Monday and Tuesday, increasing by one day each week until a five-day strike from July 18.

Teaching staff and workers in the state-run National Health Service are reportedly also mulling strike action.

And several other transport unions are balloting members over possible stoppages that could occur in the coming weeks.

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2022-06-21 02:22:25Z
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Singapore studying effectiveness and safety of Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months and older - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination are currently studying the effectiveness and safety of Moderna's and Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccines in young children. 

The study will look at the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to five years, and Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for those aged six months to four years. 

“We are engaging the respective vaccine manufacturers to obtain the relevant information to facilitate a risk-benefit evaluation of the use of these vaccines in this age group,” said MOH on Monday (Jun 20) in response to media queries. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months, allowing a nationwide rollout to start next week. The CDC's move came after a panel of advisers voted to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for those children.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorised Moderna's shot for children aged six months to five years, and Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for children aged six months to four years. Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine is already authorised for children over the age of five in the US.

The Health Ministry began its vaccination exercise for children aged five to 11 on Dec 27 last year. 

In an update in January, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said no serious adverse effects were reported for those in that age group who received their jabs as of end-December. 

All individuals regardless of age, who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, can walk in for their primary vaccination series and booster doses every day of the week, before 7pm. 

No prior appointment is necessary, according to the MOH website. 

Children aged five to 11 can walk in with their parents or guardians to any paediatric vaccination centre to receive their vaccination doses. Those aged 12 to 17 can visit any vaccination centre offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

As of Sunday, 92 per cent of the total population have completed their full COVID-19 vaccination regimen. About 77 per cent have received their booster shots. 

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2022-06-20 12:25:00Z
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