3rd Sep 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=478 lockdown_exit

Enforcing Vaccine Mandates Is Messy Business

The Wall Street Journal U.S. companies of all sizes have enacted vaccine requirements for employees in recent weeks. They are finding that setting a policy is more straightforward than enforcing it. Questions and complications are popping up as employees and managers apply the new rules to onceroutine business activities such as travel trade shows office socializing and interactions with vendors and clients executives say. The consulting and accounting firm Deloitte LLP recently told employees they will need to be vaccinated to attend voluntary workshops and events at the firms leadership training facility near Dallas called Deloitte University. https://www.wsj.com/articles/enforcing-vaccine-mandates-is-messy-business-11630582742 2nd Sep 2021

Opinion | We Work at the A.C.L.U. Here’s What We Think About Vaccine Mandates.

The New York Times Do vaccine mandates violate civil liberties Some who have refused vaccination claim as much. We disagree. At the A.C.L.U. we are not shy about defending civil liberties even when they are very unpopular. But we see no civil liberties problem with requiring Covid19 vaccines in most circumstances. While the permissibility of requiring vaccines for particular diseases depends on several factors when it comes to Covid19 all considerations point in the same direction. The disease is highly transmissible serious and often lethal the vaccines are safe and effective and crucially there is no equally effective alternative available to protect public health. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/opinion/covid-vaccine-mandates-civil-liberties.html 2nd Sep 2021

US university students face back-to-campus vaccine mandates

AlJazeera Legal precedent suggests that universities can mandate vaccinations but not every COVID19 vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration leaving a legal grey area. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/9/2/us-university-students-face-back-to-campus-vaccine-mandates 2nd Sep 2021

Draghi Says Italy Will Eventually Make Vaccine Compulsory

Bloomberg Italy will eventually make vaccination compulsory Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at a press conference in Rome on Thursday. Italy will also start administering a third vaccine shot from later this month Health Minister Roberto Speranza said adding that the campaign will start from those with a weak immune system. Speranza stressed that vaccination is already required for health workers and that this requirement could be expanded to other groups. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-02/draghi-says-italy-will-eventually-make-vaccine-compulsory 2nd Sep 2021

Vaccinations Mandatory for Barclays Staff in New York

Bloomberg Barclays Plc is the latest bank in the U.S. to keep unvaccinated staff at home for the time being. As we continue inviting our colleagues back to our offices in New York we made a decision to focus initially on those already vaccinated Barclays said in an emailed statement. Banks are bringing more staff back to their premises around the world after more than a year of working from home. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-02/barclays-says-vaccinated-staff-only-in-new-york-office-for-now 2nd Sep 2021

What can employers do if workers avoid COVID-19 vaccines?

The Independent What can employers do if workers avoid COVID19 vaccines They can require vaccination and fire employees who dont comply or take other actions such as withholding company perks or charging extra for health insurance. Businesses for months have been encouraging workers to get vaccinated in some cases offering incentives like time off or gift cards. But more are taking a harder stance and requiring vaccinations for any remaining holdouts a push that has gained momentum since Pfizers vaccine recently received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/covid-employers-pfizer-lloyd-austin-delta-air-lines-b1912853.html 2nd Sep 2021

Coronavirus vaccine mandates are causing people to search for religious exemptions

The Washington Post The rules around religious exemptions for coronavirus vaccines vary widely state by state institution by institution. But experts on religious freedom court cases believe lawsuits will become more common as vaccine mandates become more prevalent. With no nationally consistent way of navigating religious exemptions some churches have offered parishioners templates to download. Other leaders however have said they will not provide exemptions. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/09/01/religious-exemptions-covid-19-mandates/ 2nd Sep 2021

Vaccine passports linked to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in UK and Israel

Imperial College London A new study from Imperial College London has found a link between COVID19 vaccine hesitancy and a perceived lack of free will over vaccine passports. The findings taken from surveys of 1358 people across the UK and Israel two highly vaccinated countries found that people who feel their sense of autonomy or free will is unmet by government incentives like vaccine passports are less likely to take the COVID19 vaccine. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/229153/vaccine-passports-linked-covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy 2nd Sep 2021

Is Mu variant of coronavirus vaccine resistant? WHO says it could be possible

Hindustan Times on MSN.com The Health Organization WHO has said that the new coronavirus variant Mu showed signs of possible resistance to vaccines. The global health body designated Mu as a variant of interest and is monitoring it closely the UN health body said on Tuesday in its weekly bulletin. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/is-mu-variant-of-coronavirus-vaccine-resistant-who-says-it-could-be-possible/ar-AAO1fbP 2nd Sep 2021

New Covid strain Mu lands in UK with 55 cases in England so far

Evening Standard A new Covid mutation has found its way to the UK with 55 cases identified in England so far. The new strain called Mu was first detected in South America and has been labelled a variant of interest by the World Health Organisation WHO. Mu or B.1.621 was first identified in Colombia and cases have been recorded in South America and various European countries. The WHO said the variant has mutations suggesting it could be more resistant to vaccines but that more studies would be needed to examine this further. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-coronavirus-latest-updates-vaccine-long-covid-travel-list-announcement-news-b953348.html 2nd Sep 2021

One in four young adults in UK still to receive first coronavirus vaccine dose

The Independent Around one in four young adults in the UK are yet to receive their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine new government figures show. In total 2.76 million people aged between 18 and 29 years old were yet to receive a first dose on Wednesday down only slightly from an estimated 2.81 million the previous week according to figures released by the UKs four national health agencies. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-young-people-uk-b1913409.html 2nd Sep 2021

EU agency says to focus on vaccines first not booster shots

The Associated Press The European Unions infectious diseases agency on Thursday urged countries to push ahead with their primary coronavirus vaccination programs and played down the need for booster shoots to ward off the delta variant among the general public. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that approved vaccines are currently highly effective in limiting the impact of COVID19. The priority now should be to vaccinate all those eligible individuals who have not yet completed their recommended vaccination course it said. https://apnews.com/article/europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-d7fed725e06c16ec8f606493410692f0 2nd Sep 2021

More Than 80 Percent of Seniors Are Vaccinated. That’s ‘Not Safe Enough.’

The New York Times The older cohort had a head start on getting immunized against Covid19 but too many remain unprotected experts say. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/health/covid-vaccines-seniors.html 2nd Sep 2021

EU to Return Millions of Doses of J&J’s Covid-19 Vaccine Imported From Africa

The Wall Street Journal The European Union will return to Africa millions of doses of Johnson Johnsons Covid19 vaccine that it received from a plant in South Africa following criticism by health activists that the bloc was taking away shots from a continent that has the lowest immunization rate in the world. Strive Masiyiwa who heads the African Unions Vaccine Acquisition Task Team said the decision to return the shots produced at Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. was made at a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last week. As part of the deal the EU will also not take doses from the Aspen plant it was expecting in September Mr. Masiyiwa said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-to-return-millions-of-doses-of-j-js-covid-19-vaccine-imported-from-africa-11630591429 2nd Sep 2021

South African train brings COVID-19 vaccines closer to people

Reuters At Springs train station in South Africas biggest city Johannesburg Simphiwe Dyantyi and her partner wait their turn to board. But they are not going anywhere instead they are getting COVID19 jabs inside a stationary train. The initiative by South African state logistics firm Transnet is meant to bring vaccines closer to people and save them from travelling long distances as the government ramps up its COVID19 vaccination drive. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-african-train-brings-covid-19-vaccines-closer-people-2021-09-02/ 2nd Sep 2021

Covid-19 Australia: NSW to hit 70 per cent single vaccine dose today

Daily Mail NSW is on track to hit 70 per cent single dose vaccinations on Thursday as Premier Gladys Berejiklian hints about what life will be like once residents are doublejabbed. Current modelling suggests NSW will reach that double vaccination target by October 21 whereby residents will finally be afforded freedoms to visit the pub restaurants and stadium events. NSW is the first state in Australia to reach the 70 per cent first dose target and will likely be the first to reach the second dose target as well. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9949165/Covid-19-Australia-NSW-hit-70-cent-single-vaccine-dose-TODAY.html 2nd Sep 2021

Kosovo to destroy 133,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines

MSN.com The Kosovo government decided to destroy 133000 AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccines over their expired date of use as the country faces a sharp rise in the coronavirus death rate. The vaccines that will be destroyed were part of a donation from Norway with August 31 seen as an expiration date. The decision to destroy vaccines triggered criticism with some people calling for the resignation of the health minister on the health ministrys Facebook page. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/kosovo-to-destroy-133000-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccines/ar-AAO1pAF 2nd Sep 2021

More vaccine donations are urgently needed in the Americas: PAHO

Associated Press More coronavirus vaccine donations are urgently needed in the Americas the Pan American Health Organization PAHO says of a region that has been hardhit by the pandemic and where threequarters of the population has yet to be fully immunised. During a weekly news briefing PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said 540 million doses are required to ensure that every country in the Americas can vaccinate at least 60 percent of their population. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/1/more-vaccine-donations-are-urgently-needed-in-the-americas-paho 1st Sep 2021

Vaccines made in South Africa to stay in Africa, says envoy

Associated Press Vaccine doses produced by a plant in South Africa will no longer be exported to Europe following the intervention of South Africas government the African Unions COVID19 vaccine envoy said Thursday. South African drug manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare which has a contract with Johnson Johnson to assemble the ingredients of its COVID19 vaccine will produce for the African continent and millions of doses that had been shipped to European countries but remain in warehouses will be returned Strive Masiyiwa told reporters. JJ doses produced in South Africa will stay in Africa and will be distributed in Africa he said https://apnews.com/article/europe-africa-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b2797c07c6233c28bdd43827b55789bf 2nd Sep 2021

'Mass-scale misinformation' to blame for Covid vaccine hesitancy, says Prince Harry – video

The Guardian Prince Harry gave a speech about Covid vaccine hesitancy in a virtual appearance at the GQ Men of the Year awards where he presented a prize to Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert Prof Catherine Green and the team behind the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2021/sep/02/misinformation-to-blame-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-says-prince-harry-video 2nd Sep 2021

New Zealand says fall in COVID-19 cases shows Delta lockdown working

Reuters New Zealand reported a drop in new COVID19 infections on Thursday which authorities said was a sign that a nationwide lockdown was helping to limit spread of the infectious Delta variant. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-says-covid-19-case-drop-shows-lockdown-working-against-delta-2021-09-02/ 2nd Sep 2021

Covid-19: UK will offer third vaccine dose to severely immunosuppressed people

The BMJ The UKs Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation JCVI has recommended that people with severely weakened immune systems should have a third vaccine dose as part of their primary vaccination schedule against covid19. The third dose of either the Moderna or the PfizerBioNTech vaccine should be offered to people over age 12 who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose including those with leukaemia advanced HIV or recent organ transplants. For 1217 year olds the PfizerBioNTech vaccine is preferred. The JCVI is still deciding on the benefits of booster doses for the rest of the population and is awaiting further evidence to inform this decision. https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2160 2nd Sep 2021

COVID-19: Chances of long COVID almost halved by having both jabs, study finds

Sky News Professor Tim Spector from Kings College says vaccinations are massively reducing the chances of people getting long COVID by cutting the risk of any symptoms and by halving the chances of any infection turning into the condition. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-chances-of-long-covid-almost-halved-by-having-both-jabs-study-finds-12396661 2nd Sep 2021

Moderna submits preliminary data to FDA for Covid-19 booster shot

Pharmaceutical Technology Moderna has commenced its submission to the US Food and Drug Administration FDA for the assessment of a booster shot of its Covid19 vaccine mRNA1273 at the 50g dose level. The company plans to make similar submissions to the European Medicines Agency EMA as well as other global regulatory agencies soon. In December last year the FDA authorised the emergency use of this messenger ribonucleic acid mRNA vaccine for people aged 18 years or above. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/moderna-fda-booster-shot/ 2nd Sep 2021

Entos to commence Phase II Covid-19 vaccine trial in South Africa

Pharmaceutical Technology Entos Pharmaceuticals has obtained approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority SAHPRA to commence a Phase II clinical trial of its Covid19 vaccine candidate Covigenix VAX001 in the country. Made using the Entos Fusogenix proteolipid vehicle PLV nucleic acid delivery platform the deoxyribonucleic acid DNA vaccine encodes the SARSCoV2 Spike protein. It also includes two genetic adjuvants to induce the innate and adaptive immune systems offering efficient and longterm protection from Covid19. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/entos-covid-vaccine-trial/ 2nd Sep 2021

Sputnik Adrift: Lessons From Russia's Covid-19 Vaccine Stumble

Bloomberg Russia claimed victory in the Covid19 vaccine race a year ago but is still waiting to reap the glory. At home hesitancy means only about one in four Russians is fully inoculated and the pace of vaccination has slowed even as deaths hover around daily records. Abroad production hiccups have hampered deliveries to countries such as Argentina. Over the entire enterprise hangs a long list of unanswered questions. Theres still time for Moscow to secure a measure of success and help a vaccinestarved variantafflicted world as well. Every shot is needed. But first the Kremlin needs to recognize the benefits of vaccine glasnost. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-09-02/sputnik-adrift-lessons-from-russia-s-covid-19-vaccine-stumble 2nd Sep 2021

JCVI advises booster COVID-19 jab for severely immunosuppressed

PharmaTimes The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation JCVI has advised that people with severely weakened immune systems should have a third vaccine dose as part of their primary COVID19 vaccination schedule. http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/jcvi_advises_booster_covid-19_jab_for_severely_immunosuppressed_1376128 2nd Sep 2021

Pfizer launches later-stage study of pill to treat COVID-19

The Hill Pfizer on Wednesday announced that it had initiated a laterstage clinical trial for a pill that could potentially treat COVID19. If proven to be safe and effective the drug could fill an unmet need for a widespread easiertouse treatment as opposed to an infusion like remdesivir another treatment. Pfizer is beginning a trial that will enroll 1140 participants the company said. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/570374-pfizer-launches-later-stage-study-of-pill-to-treat-covid-19 2nd Sep 2021

More than 500,000 children tested positive for Covid-19 in 3 weeks. Experts say school mask mandates are needed

CNN US states that saw some of the countrys worst Covid19 case rates over the past week also reported the highest number of new vaccinations per capita data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Tennessee which reported the countrys worst Covid19 cases rate had the sixthbest rate of new vaccinations per capita in the US over the past week. The states hospitals are under increasing strain from the highly contagious Delta variant Tennessees health department wrote on Twitter Thursday adding in a statement that the strain was continuing to fuel an increase in infections. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/02/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 2nd Sep 2021

India records most COVID cases in two months, Kerala worst-hit

AlJazeera India has reported the biggest singleday rise in COVID19 cases in two months as the government worries about the virus spreading from the mostaffected Kerala state schools reopening and the start of the festival season. Densely populated Kerala on Indias southern tip accounted for nearly 70 percent of the 47092 new infections and a third of deaths a week after it celebrated its biggest festival during which family and social gatherings were common. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/2/india-covid-cases-two-months-kerala-worst-hit 2nd Sep 2021

NSW families fear COVID-19 outbreak in prisons leaving unvaccinated inmates like 'sitting ducks'

ABC News The growing COVID19 outbreak across multiple New South Wales prisons has Kylie Hughes fearing for her son. The 24yearold Wiradjuri man is currently at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre MRRC at Silverwater where multiple positive patients are being treated. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-02/fears-covid-19-prison-outbreaks-to-infect-unvaccinated-inmates/100430284 2nd Sep 2021