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August
Japan suspends 1.6 mln doses of Moderna shot days after contamination reports
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, more than a week after the domestic distributor received reports of contaminants in some vials.
Both Japan and Moderna said that no safety or efficacy issues had been identified and that the suspension was just a precaution. But the move prompted several Japanese companies to cancel worker vaccinations planned for Thursday.
"Moderna confirms having been notified of cases of particulate matter being seen in drug product vials of its COVID-19 vaccine," Moderna said in a statement.
"The company is investigating the reports and remains committed to working expeditiously with its partner, Takeda, and regulators to address this," it added, referring to Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502.T), which distributes the vaccine in the country.
A Health Ministry official said Takeda first found out about the contaminated vials on Aug. 16 and reported the issue to the government on Wednesday. The delay was because Takeda needed time to gather information on which vials were affected and where they were in the country, the official said.
Moderna said the contamination could be due to a manufacturing issue in one of the production lines at its contract manufacturing site in Spain.
Spanish pharma company Rovi (ROVI.MC), which bottles or "fills and finishes" Moderna vaccines for markets other than the United States, said it is investigating possible contamination of Moderna doses and the issue appeared to be limited to a few batches bound for Japan.
Shares in Rovi dropped 4.6%.
The suspension is a fresh setback for Moderna, whose partners had production delays last month that disrupted supplies to countries, including South Korea.
Moderna and Takeda did not immediately reply to Reuters' requests for comment.
Japan's defence ministry, which operates a mass vaccination site in Osaka, said shots from the lot in question, which contains 565,400 doses, had been used in the western prefecture between Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, but it did not say how many people were affected.
Moderna said that "out of an abundance of caution" it had put the lot in question and two adjacent lots on hold.
Takeda said it conducted an emergency examination after particulate matter was found in a lot of vaccine vials at an inoculation site.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the country's inoculation plan would be little affected by the issue. A day earlier, he said about 60% of the public will be fully vaccinated by the end of September and the country had enough vaccines to provide booster doses if such a decision is taken.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said there had been no cases reported of health issues related to contaminated shots administrated.
Japan Airlines (9201.T) said it had cancelled some COVID-19 vaccinations for its employees on Thursday after receiving Moderna vaccines with particulate matter.
Its rival ANA (9202.T) said about 4,700 shots of the halted Moderna lot had been used and it would stop all vaccination planned on Thursday.
Japan is battling its worst wave of infections, driven by the Delta variant, with new daily infections exceeding 25,000 for the first time this month. It has inoculated 54% of its population with at least one dose and fully vaccinated 43%, according to a Reuters vaccine tracker. (Reuters)
August
S.Korea reports highest daily COVID-19 deaths for 2021, as severe cases rise
Written by Nur Yasmin
South Korea reported 20 COVID-19 deaths for Wednesday, the highest daily count this year, as the number of severe cases more than doubled since the current and worst wave of infections began in July.
While total case mortality rates remain low at below 1% and no major strains on its healthcare system is reported yet, South Korean authorities have been trying to secure more ICU beds for severe patients which are on the rise along with record new infections.
The number of critical or severe cases jumped to 425 as of Wednesday from 155 as of July 7, around when the fourth wave of infections began. The country has 833 intensive care beds for severe COVID-19 patients and 250 of them were available as of Tuesday, according to the health ministry.
On Thursday it kicked off vaccination for people aged 18 to 49, as it aims to give at least one dose to 70% of the population and fully vaccinate 50% by September.
South Korea has been struggling to boost its immunisation drive that began in February amid supply shortages and shipment delays, with about 52.7% of its 52 million people having received at least one dose, while just 26% are fully vaccinated.
Of the eligible 15 million in the 18-49 age bracket, just below 70% had signed up for vaccination, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
South Korea reported 1,882 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 243,317. A total of 2,257 people have died so far, the KDCA data showed. (Reuters)
August
Military aircraft with Afghan evacuees arrives in South Korea
Written by Nur Yasmin
Nearly 400 evacuated Afghans arrived on Thursday in Seoul, where the government said it was amending the law to allow long-term stays for those who worked on South Korean projects in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power this month.
Immigration is a contentious issue in South Korea, where many pride themselves on ethnic homogeneity, even as the population of 52 million ages rapidly and the labour force dwindles.
At least two flights were to bring in 391 people, including the families of workers at the Korean embassy, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), a hospital and Korean government-run vocational training institute and military bases.
Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said many Koreans had received international support after having had to flee during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953.
"Now it is time for us to return the favour," he told a briefing at Incheon airport outside the capital, before the arrival.
The government was in the process of amending immigration laws to grant the Afghans long-term residency as foreigners who had provided special service to the country, Park added.
He acknowledged controversy over the plan, saying the decision to accept the Afghan evacuees had been "difficult", but added that South Korea could not give up on its friends.
"Despite the fact that we are physically apart in a distant country, they were practically our neighbours," he said. "How could we possibly turn a blind eye to them when their lives are at risk because of the fact that they worked with us?"
South Korea has accepted more than 30,000 North Korean defectors over the years, but it approves a much smaller number of asylum seekers from other countries.
In 2018 a sudden spike in Yemeni arrivals in the southern resort island of Jeju stoked fears over a possible rise in crime and other social woes, prompting a government crackdown on arrivals.
Just 55 of the 6,684 people who sought refugee status in South Korea in 2020 received it, with 127 more allowed to stay for humanitarian reasons, although not designated as refugees, justice ministry data shows. (Reuters)
August
UK sees very credible threat of imminent IS Kabul airport attack
Written by Nur Yasmin
There is "very, very credible" intelligence that Islamic State militants are planning an imminent attack on those gathering at Kabul airport in an attempt to flee Afghanistan, British armed forces minister James Heappey said on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday, Britain's foreign ministry advised people not to travel to the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport where thousands are waiting for flights out of the country ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline when the United States and its allies will pull out their remaining troops. read more
Heappey confirmed that intelligence of a possible suicide bomb attack by IS militants had become "much firmer".
"There is now very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack, and hence why the Foreign Office advice was changed last night, that people should not come to Kabul Airport, they should move to a safe place and await further instructions," Heappey told BBC radio.
In later remarks he said: "I can't stress the desperation of the situation enough. The threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal. We wouldn't be saying this if we weren't genuinely concerned about offering Islamic State a target that is just unimaginable."
Heappey said there were still very large crowds of desperate people outside the airport which was "a real concern for everybody".
"I think there is an appetite amongst many in the queue to take their chances, but the reporting of this threat is very credible indeed. There is a real imminence to it."
He said that Western nations were relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport, and that despite the warnings there were a large number of people still waiting there.
"There is every chance that as further reporting comes in, we may be able to change the advice and process people anew, but there is no guarantee of that," he said.
Britain has already evacuated more than 12,000 people from Afghanistan since its rapid fall to the Taliban and was planning 11 more flights on Thursday.
"We think there's around 400 eligible people, mostly British citizens/dual nationals, in country. Clearly, we are working hard to find routes to safety for them," Heappey said.
"I just have to be really honest with people and say that there is every possibility, as we've been saying all the way through, that we won't get everybody out, and the security situation worsening as it has, makes that more likely." (Reuters)
August
UK pursuing data partnerships with U.S. and others
Written by Nur Yasmin
Britain said on Thursday it was pursuing data partnerships with countries including the United States, Australia, South Korea and other fast-growing markets to break down barriers and boost trade after Brexit.
Data adequacy partnerships mean organisations would not have to implement costly compliance measures to share personal data internationally when doing business, the digital ministry said in a release.
Britain completed its departure from the European Union's orbit at the end of 2020, giving the government the powers to strike trade agreements with other nations around the world.
"It means reforming our own data laws so that they’re based on common sense, not box-ticking," said digital minister Oliver Dowden.
"And it means having the leadership in place at the Information Commissioner’s Office to pursue a new era of data-driven growth and innovation."
New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has also been named as the government's preferred candidate to be the UK's next Information Commissioner. (Reuters)
August
Hungary ends evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people
Written by Nur Yasmin
Hungary is ending evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people including Hungarian citizens and Afghans and their families who worked for Hungarian forces previously, the Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko said on Thursday.
The two military passenger planes and all the troops involved in the operation have returned safely to Hungary, Benko told a news conference.
Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands of foreigners and Afghans who worked with Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban has intensified, with all U.S. and allied troops due to leave the airport next week.
Hungary had airlifted a total of 540 people from Afghanistan, including Hungarian, Austrian, Afghan and American nationals, flying them by military plane from Kabul to Uzbekistan, and then by commercial airline jet to Budapest.
Benko said 57 families had been airlifted, among them 180 children.
"As for Afghan nationals, 87% of them have been evacuated, those who contacted us in time and could remain in contact, we have airlifted all of them," Benko said.
Hungary has been present with troops in Afghanistan since the start of the NATO mission in 2003.
The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of an Islamic State attack as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many Afghans as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. read more
Hungary, an opponent of irregular migration to Europe, has rejected any plans to accommodate large numbers of Afghan refugees, and said it would only evacuate people whose lives were at risk for supporting the NATO presence in Afghanistan. (Reuters)
August
France set to stop Afghanistan evacuations from Friday evening onwards - PM Castex
Written by Nur Yasmin
France will no longer be able to evacuate people from Afghanistan from Friday evening onwards, French Prime Minister Jean Castex told RTL radio.
"We are going to continue until tomorrow evening," said Castex on Thursday.
The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of a terror attack by Islamic State militants as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. read more
Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands of foreigners and Afghans who helped Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban has intensified, with all U.S. and allied troops due to leave the airport next week. (Reuters)
August
Malaysian sells COVID-19 vaccine mock-ups made of paper to honour the dead
Written by Nur Yasmin
As the world scrambles to inoculate people against COVID-19, one store owner in Malaysia is finding his paper vaccines have become popular prayer offering items during a religious festival to honour the deceased.
The Hungry Ghost festival, celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists across Southeast Asia, centres on a belief that the spirits of the dead return to Earth during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. During this time, people leave out food items for the dead and burn incense and intricate offerings made of paper resembling things the deceased may have wanted.
This year, a box set of a syringe and two vaccine vials made of paper are among the fastest-selling items for the festival at Raymond Shieh Siow Leong's religious goods store in the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru.
"The COVID-19 situation in our country is quite serious and many people passed away before receiving the vaccine. I hope this product can help the deceased to fulfil their dying wish," Shieh said.
Shieh said he started making the paper vaccine sets in early August, producing about 30 to 50 sets a day. Each set costs 22.80 ringgit ($5.45) and Shieh said he had sold more than 200 sets so far.
"We made this paper vaccine to test the water of the market, but we didn't expect the reaction to be this good. The orders keep coming, and we have to work overtime until late at night to make this product," he said.
Malaysia has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Southeast Asia with a total caseload of almost 1.6 million and a death toll of 14,818. About 57% of the population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A Muslim-majority country, about 20% of Malaysia's 32 million people practise Buddhism, the second-most prevalent religion. (Reuters)
August
New Zealand pushes ahead with vaccinations as Delta outbreak widens
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total number of infections in the latest outbreak to 210 as the government scrambled to scale up vaccinations amid growing criticism.
Most of the cases are in the largest city Auckland, while 12 are in the capital Wellington, the Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said at a news conference.
He said 20,383 individual contacts have been identified in the outbreak and there are now over 480 locations of interest.
Fortress New Zealand's virus-free run since February ended last week after an outbreak of the Delta variant erupted in Auckland and quickly spread to Wellington.
The outbreak prompted prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to order a strict level 4 national lockdown.
Ardern's reliance on strict border controls and snap lockdowns to eliminate the virus has been called into question amid the latest outbreak, which has occurred while few people have been vaccinated.
About 80% of the population has yet to be fully vaccinated. The government said a record 80,000 people were vaccinated on Wednesday and 50,000 others tested.
The government defended its elimination strategy, saying it was still the best option for New Zealand.
"It's too soon to throw in the towel. We’ve come this far – it would be an absolute waste for us to give up on this now," COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a news conference.
"You will see changes in the medium term and in the way we manage the border. We do want to get to the point where lockdowns are not the answer to potential outbreaks in the community. But we are not there yet.”
New Zealand has had over 2,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far and 26 related deaths. (Reuters)
August
'Very probable' that France's Afghan evacuation operations will end Thursday -minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
It is "very probable" that France's operations to evacuate its citizens and partners from Afghanistan will end on Thursday, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told C News TV.
Beaune also told C News on Wednesday that a new agreement regarding migration was needed between the European Union and Britain.
U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S. troops in Afghanistan faced mounting danger as they pushed to complete evacuations by an Aug. 31 deadline, with aid agencies warning of a looming humanitarian crisis for the population left behind. (Reuters)