The Dec 15 WHO epi update observed that new COVID-19 cases in the European region have stabilised over the past three weeks but, on a global level, there were ‘new records in terms of both weekly incidence and mortality’. The largest weekly increases occurred in the African region (up 40 percent with a resurgence in Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa), the Western Pacific (↑13% driven by increases in Japan, Malaysia and South Korea) and the Americas (↑11%). On Saturday, the JH newsletter stated that at that time the USA ‘represented a third of one-third of all COVID-19 cases reported globally each day and more than one-fifth of global deaths’.
In related news:
-A new app, Re-open EU, has been developed to assist people travelling within the Schengen Zone by using regularly updated data from the ECDC (in 24 languages) to provide ‘information on the various restrictions in place, including on quarantine and testing requirements for travelers and mobile coronavirus contact tracing and warning apps’.
-To date, authorisation has been granted for distribution of the mRNA Pfizer vaccine, BNT162b2, in the UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Singapore and Bahrain, while the EU will finalise its assessment at a rescheduled meeting of the European Medicines Agency on Dec 21. An explanation of the ingredients of the vaccine - Read more
-Australian resources for COVID-19 vaccines include the Dept. of Health and the Therapeutics Goods Administration.
-More on the news this week of a new SARS-CoV-2 virus variant in the UK from COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium and Public Health England – thus far around 4,000 mutations have been detected in the spike protein gene alone.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.