The BA.2 sub-strain spread causing a new wave of epidemics, many countries deployed the 4th dose of vaccine

America is still the country most severely affected by the COVID-19 epidemic with over 81.57 million cases and more than 1 million deaths. In the past day, the US recorded more than 10,300 more people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine used each day in the US has dropped to the lowest level since the early days of the vaccination campaign in 2020, even though many Americans still have not received a booster shot. Figures from Our World in Data show that the average number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine used in the past 7 days in the US has fallen to 127,000 doses / day, marking a decline since January 2022. , when more than 1 million injections per day are performed. According to data from the Washington Post, the number of people being vaccinated has dropped to 182,000 per day. While the number of Americans getting two doses of the vaccine rose to 75% in adult subjects, the number of booster shots was lower.

At the world’s second largest COVID-19 epidemic center Indiaon March 25, the country recorded a total of over 43 million people with COVID-19, including more than 516,700 deaths from COVID-19.

Brazil currently the world’s third largest epidemic hotspot with more than 658,300 COVID-19 patients out of a total of over 29.76 million infected people in this country.

Experts warn that the BA.2 stealth variant is causing a wave of epidemics in Europe and may soon spread globally. There are a number of reasons for this, but the most notable one is the widespread misconception that “the epidemic is over”.

According to professor of epidemiology Ralf Reintjes of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), the number of COVID-19 cases across Europe, from the UK, France, Italy to Austria is increasing due to a number of factors: the country decided to remove most, even all, of the restrictive measures against COVID-19; weakened immunity from vaccines and booster shots; along with the spread of the sub-variant BA.2 (“stealth Omicron”).

Health officials Brother is urging people over 75 to get a fourth shot of the COVID-19 vaccine after the latest figures showed an increase in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19.

According to the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) weekly COVID and Influenza Surveillance Report, the number of older adults hospitalized with COVID-19 is now higher than the peak of the wave of disease associated with the Omicron variant. . This shows the importance of getting a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for people over 75 years of age.

The latest figures show that the hospital admission rate among over-85s in England for the week ending March 20 was 178.29 per 100,000 people, up from 158.43 at the start of the year. now on. The proportion of people hospitalized between the ages of 75-84 was 74.34 per 100,000 people, compared with 70.3 in early January. Although the hospitalization rate of younger patients is also increasing, it is still below the level recorded during the epidemic wave caused by the Omicron variant.

Australia will relax rules for international arrivals. (Photo: AP)

Since April 17, Australia will loosen regulations applicable to international arrivals. Specifically, the country will abolish the requirement that travelers take a COVID-19 screening test before flying to Australia. However, travelers still need to ensure some other requirements such as presenting a certificate of having had two full shots of the COVID-19 vaccine and wearing a mask on all domestic and international flights.

After more than two years of applying strict regulations to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic, the Australian Minister of Health said that it is time for the country to return to the “new normal”.

Two Australian-made COVID-19 vaccines will be tested in humans in the hope that they can provide better targeted protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Australian Technical Advisory Council on Immunization (ATAGI) on March 25 recommended that four groups of people at high health risk should receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, in the context that Australia is about to enter the country. winter with severe flu epidemics often appear during this period. These target groups include people aged 65 and over, Indigenous Australians over 50, people in aged and disability care facilities, and people over 16 years of age identified as impaired. the immune system will be eligible for a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ministry of Health Laos The country has begun to deploy the fourth dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 for priority groups and people 18 years of age and older. This is the dose that will be given to people who have had their third dose (booster) 3 months or more before. Priority groups will be ranked in order of frontline workers, people over 60 years old and people with underlying medical conditions.

The announcement also said that two vaccines for booster shots (those 3 and 4 are vaccines from AstraZeneca and Pfizer. The Lao Ministry of Health aims to complete booster shots for people in March and May). 4, before the vaccine expires. People who have been infected with COVID-19 can receive the first, second or booster dose (3rd dose) 2 months after being cured, depending on the injection schedule of each person.

Regarding the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Lao Ministry of Health on March 25 said that in the past 24 hours, the country recorded 2,212 infections, a decrease of 707 cases compared to the previous day. Up to now, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Laos is 164,078 cases.

From April 1 to, Philippines will restore the entry regulations as before the COVID-19 outbreak for citizens of countries that require visas and have received basic doses of vaccines. Speaking at a press conference on March 25, deputy spokesman for the President of the Philippines, Kristian Ablan, said that foreign nationals can enter the Philippines provided that they comply with the current visa regulations as well as the current regulations. as entry and exit procedures.

The new entry policy marks the next step in the Philippines’ efforts to reopen to all arrivals, including tourists.

Japan will give its people a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo: AP)

Japan decided to give the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to strengthen the immunity of the people. However, up to this point, the Japanese Ministry of Health has not yet decided when to deploy and who will receive the fourth injection as well as the interval between the third and fourth injections. It is likely that Japan will use the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna for the fourth injection. On the other hand, unlike the first three injections, there may be a fee for the fourth injection.

In addition to Japan, Israel and the UK have recommended a fourth dose of the vaccine, but it is limited to healthcare workers and those at risk of severe symptoms.

The Beijing Auto Show, scheduled for the end of April, has been postponed due to the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in China.National shake continent.

China is dealing with the largest wave of COVID-19 infections in the community since the country brought the first wave under control in 2020. Currently, many provinces in the country have deployed implement strict measures to control movement.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy is not associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications. This is the result of a new study conducted by the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The team analyzed data from more than 157,000 women who gave birth between January 2021 and January 2022, of whom nearly 20 percent had a COVID-19 shot.

The researchers found no increased risk of preterm birth, developmental delay, or need for neonatal care in women who received the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. The results of this study hope to help pregnant women be more prepared for the COVID-19 vaccination.

The booster shot may reduce the risk of hospitalization for the elderly nearly 4 months after the third dose of vaccine. These are the first data published by the UK health agency to show a longer-lasting effect of the booster vaccine. The data are given based on the results of the study of 2 groups of patients over 65 years old and under 65 years old.

Accordingly, in the group of patients over 65 years of age, the effectiveness of the vaccine to reduce the risk of hospitalization 15 weeks after booster vaccination is 85%. For the group of patients aged 18 to 64 years, the effectiveness of the booster shot was 67% after 15 weeks of injection.

Currently, the UK and some countries such as Israel are deploying the fourth dose of the vaccine (the second booster) for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, in the context that the Omicron variant is still present. is spreading fast. According to the protocol, the fourth dose of vaccine will be given about 6 months after the third dose. Currently, the UK Government is also considering launching an expanded vaccination campaign to other age groups this autumn.

According to Quynh Chi (According to Worldometers)