Easy to store and cheaper, Oxford's Covid shot may be vaccine for the world

Astra vaccine accounts for more than 40% of supplies going to low- and middle-income nations

AstraZeneca and Oxford’s vaccine developed against Covid-19 can be stored, transported, and handled at normal refrigerator temperatures, making it an attractive option for countries around the world vis-a-vis its counterparts Pfizer and Moderna. 

It is for these reasons that the vaccine proves to be cheaper and easier to administer. 

UK’s approval may soon be followed by other countries, including India, though the European Union and the US are not expected to act on the vaccine anytime soon. AstraZeneca said Wednesday it is seeking an emergency-use listing from the World Health Organization so that the shot can be made available to low- and middle-income countries as quickly as possible. Developing countries have been counting on the shot due to its comparatively easy storage conditions and lower price. The vaccine, which the partners have committed to provide at cost during the pandemic, accounts for more than 40 per cent of supplies going to low- and middle-income countries, based on agreements tracked by London-based research firm Airfinity. 

Sinopharm says shot 79% effective  

Chinese drugmaker Sinopharm said Wednesday its vaccine was found to be 79.3 per cent effective at preventing infection in preliminary data from the final round of testing, moving Beijing closer to possibly being able to fulfill its pledge to supply other developing countries.

Singapore begins vaccinations

Singapore began vaccinating healthcare workers with Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, kicking off one of Asia's first inoculation programmes against a pandemic that has killed more than 1.7 million people globally.

Some Britons receive second shot, UK imposes more lockdowns

Some people in Britain have received their second and final dose of  vaccine as the country's immunisation program rolls on. The British government said more areas of England would be placed under the strictest restrictions as the variant is spreading.