Mixing Shots Has Side Effects; WHO Overhaul Urged: Virus Update

(Bloomberg) -- Mixing doses of AstraZeneca Plc’s and Pfizer Inc.’s vaccines increased side effects such as fatigue and headaches among patients, researchers at the University of Oxford reported.

A group of medical experts said children ages 12 to 15 years old can safely take the vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, opening an important new phase of the U.S. immunization effort.

The European Union’s executive arm asked the bloc’s 27 member states to ban all non-essential travel to and from India. The World Health Organization should be overhauled and given more authority to investigate global disease threats, a new report recommended.

Key Developments

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Mixing Shots Triggers More Fatigue (6:33 a.m. HK)

Mixing doses of two leading Covid-19 vaccines increased patients’ side effects such as fatigue and headaches in early findings from a study that has yet to show how well such a cocktail defends against the virus.

People who got a first dose of AstraZeneca Plc’s shot followed by Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine four weeks later reported more short-lived side effects, most of them mild, researchers from the University of Oxford reported in The Lancet medical journal. That was also true when the order of the shots was switched.

A Shot Could Make You a Millionaire in Ohio (6:05 a.m. HK)

In an effort to boost flagging vaccine numbers Ohio will give $1 million dollar cash prizes to five randomly selected residents who get a shot by May 26, Governor Mike DeWine announced.

“I know that some of you now are shaking your head and saying, ‘That Mike DeWine, he’s crazy. This million-dollar-drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,’” he said from his Cedarville home. “But truly, the real waste in this pandemic when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it, the real waste is a life that is lost now to Covid-19.”

Ohio took roughly 20% of its federally allotted vaccine distribution this week, and inoculations have waned with roughly 42% of the state vaccinated. DeWine also said that state providers will begin vaccinating children aged 12-through-15 Thursday, and along with the adult cash prizes the state will provide five randomly selected vaccinated Ohio children with full scholarships to any state college or university.

Brazil May Run Out of Astra Ingredients (5:38 p.m. NY)

Brazil could run out of ingredients to produce AstraZeneca Plc’s shot by the end of the week, Fiocruz’s Bio-Manguinhos Director Mauricio Zuma said in an interview.

Butantan Institute has enough inputs until Friday -- after that, it will halt vaccine production, Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria said on Wednesday.

The country reported a total of 15,359,397 Covid-19 cases, with 76,692 confirmed in the last 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data.

South Africa Says It Hasn’t Hit Third Wave (3:50 p.m. NY)

South Africa’s Department of Health said that while Covid-19 infections climbed 46% in the past week the country hasn’t yet reached a “resurgence threshold.” Cases are rising fastest in the Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces, the department said in a statement on Wednesday. While deaths rose 18% in the week, the number of hospitalizations hasn’t increased, it said.“We have not yet hit the third wave; however we are at risk,” the department said.

CDC Advisers Back Pfizer Shot for Young Teens (3:20 p.m. NY)

A group of medical experts said children ages 12 to 15 years old can safely take the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, opening an important new phase of the U.S. immunization effort.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14 to 0, with one recusal, on Wednesday to support the two-dose vaccine’s emergency authorization after it was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky must now sign off on the recommendation before it becomes final.

EU Seeks Bans on Most Travel to India (1:30 p.m. NY)

The European Union’s executive arm asked the bloc’s 27 member states to ban all non-essential travel to and from India, according to a statement on Wednesday.

“It is important to limit to the strict minimum the categories of travellers that can travel from India for essential reasons and to subject those who may still travel from India to strict testing and quarantine arrangements,” the European Commission said.

The so-called emergency brake is intended to limit the spread of the B.1.617.2 variant first detected in India. “EU citizens and long-term residents, as well as their family members, should still be able to travel to Europe, subject to strict testing and quarantine arrangements,” the commission said.

CDC Forecasts Drop in Deaths, Hospital Use (12:30 p.m. NY)

Newly reported Covid deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. will likely decrease over the next four weeks, according to ensemble forecasts published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The median forecast for new weekly deaths drops to 3,366 for the week ending June 5 from 4,357 for the week ending May 15. The median forecast for new daily hospitalizations falls to 2,024 for June 7 from 3,915 for May 13.

Over the same period, the number of newly reported deaths per week are likely to decrease in 15 jurisdictions, according to state- and territory-level ensemble forecasts. The number of daily hospitalizations are predicted to likely decrease in 32 jurisdictions.

The number of new coronavirus cases in U.S. rose last week at the slowest pace since the pandemic began, as more Americans are vaccinated and the nation recovers from a winter spike fueled by holiday travel.

Greece to Lift Remaining Restrictions (11:50 a.m. NY)

Greece will lift most remaining restriction measures from May 14 including the need for citizens to send a text message with a specific code in order to leave home, Deputy Minister for Coordination of Government Work Akis Skertsos said.

The current ban on inter-regional travel on the mainland will end. Trips to islands will be allowed on presentation of a vaccination certificate or negative test. Shoppers will be allowed to freely visit stores without pre-booking appointments with number dependent on the size of the store.

While a nighttime curfew will continue, it will begin at 30 minutes after midnight in order to give restaurants and bars more time to operate. The move comes ahead of Greece opening to international tourism from May 15.

Major Overhaul of WHO Needed, Panel Says (10:35 a.m. NY)

The World Health Organization should be overhauled and given more authority to investigate global disease threats, according to a review of the international Covid-19 response that found a myriad of failures, gaps, and delays allowed the coronavirus to mushroom into a pandemic.

While stopping short of assigning blame to any particular factor, the report released Wednesday by an independent panel co-chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark linked the severity of the global outbreak to deficiencies across governments, the WHO and other multilateral organizations, and regulations that guide official actions.

Swiss Press Ahead With Reopening (9:15 a.m. NY)

Switzerland plans to ease restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants and public gatherings after a decline in coronavirus infections.

Restaurants will be able to welcome guests indoors again starting May 31, while theaters will be able to accommodate more guests, the government said on Wednesday. A final decision will be made on May 26, following input from the cantons, or states, and will depend on how the Covid-19 case load develops.

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