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BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical said on Monday a small laboratory test showed its COVID-19 vaccine could trigger antibodies against the Omicron variant though the response was weaker than against an older variant of the virus. The unit of Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is the first Chinese vaccine developer to announce early …

Antibody response from China Zhifei’s COVID shot weaker against Omicron Read More »

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand will halve to three months the time between administering a second COVID-19 vaccine shot and a booster, a health official said on Monday, to try to strengthen immunity in anticipation of a local spread of the Omicron variant. Thailand has so far detected eight imported cases of the Omicron variant but …

Thailand to expedite COVID-19 boosters in anticipation of Omicron Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – China administered about 9.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Dec. 12 bringing the total number of doses administered to 2.612 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed on Monday. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

KABUL (Reuters) – The head of the Kabul Passport Office has asked for patience from thousands of Afghans waiting for documents that would let them leave the country as large crowds continue to gather outside, a month after the office suspended operations. As winter closes in and economic crisis deepens in the wake of the …

Kabul passport office head urges patience as anxious crowds keep gathering Read More »

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia will start administering COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged between 6-11 on Tuesday, a health ministry official said, as the Southeast Asian country becomes one of the first in the region to immunise the very young. Indonesia approved China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine for the age group last month and about 26.5 million …

Indonesia to start vaccinating children aged 6-11 against COVID-19 Read More »

By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) – The U.S. ambassador to the Solomon Islands has warned Pacific Islands against “aid that benefits one person, one party and one bank account” – remarks that come after the Solomons were beset with riots last month blamed in part on discontent with China. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare …

U.S. ambassador to Solomons warns of aid that goes to ‘one bank account’ Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Brii Biosciences said on Sunday lab studies showed that its COVID-19 antibody cocktail retained activity against the Omicron variant, although one of the antibodies showed a substantial drop in activity when tested alone. Test details for the dual-antibody treatment, which last week became the first approved COVID-19 antibody cocktail in China, …

China’s Brii says its COVID-19 antibody cocktail retains activity against Omicron Read More »