New Zealand builds a "smoke-free country"! No smoking for life for 14 and under

Research on the results of children's vaccination Kexing Ministry of Health: 663 samples have been collected across the country

The Ministry of Health has collected 663 samples across the country to study whether the Kexing vaccine is suitable for children aged 3 to 11 to vaccinate against the new crown infection.

The Deputy Minister of Health Datuk Allen Dakkan pointed out that the study sponsored by China Kexing Zhongwei Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was carried out in 9 hospitals and involved 2,000 children, two of which were Sibu Hospital and Miri in Sarawak. hospital.

After inspecting the research conducted by the Clinical Research Center of Sibu Hospital today, he told reporters that based on the preliminary results of the six-month to one-year study, as many as 508 of the above samples were from Sarawak.

"The research goal is to require 2,000 samples. Although there are results of the same studies in other countries, Malaysia must start its own research. We will be very cautious before approving this vaccine for children aged 3 to 11."

He pointed out that the government had conducted similar research before approving the vaccination of 12 to 17-year-old teenagers.

Allen Dagan mentioned that every child participating in the above-mentioned study will first undergo a health assessment to determine their health. They will also be tested for antibody levels before and after vaccination.

In addition, Dr. Zhuo Defu, director of the Clinical Research Center of Sibu Hospital, said that the target number of samples collected by the hospital is 410. Preliminary results show that it can be achieved in about 6 months.

He pointed out that every child participating in the study will also be fully examined by a pediatrician.

He added that Sibu Hospital will continue to conduct research and these children will also be observed weekly.

Australian children aged 5 to 11 will be vaccinated next month

In response to the new crown epidemic, many countries have begun to vaccinate children against the new crown. The Australian Federal Government has formally approved a few days ago that children aged 5 to 11 will be vaccinated with Pfizer from January next year, and appointments will be made at the end of this month. Australian authorities stated that the number of eligible children reached 2.27 million.

According to foreign reports, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI) finally approved that children aged 5 to 11 can be vaccinated against Pfizer. The Australian Federal Government has also accepted ATAGI's recommendation that eligible children can be vaccinated from January 10 next year.

However, starting from the end of December, parents of eligible children can make appointments for their children, and children can be vaccinated at multiple locations such as family doctors’ clinics and community pharmacies.

Australian authorities need to prepare a number of measures before implementing the child vaccination plan, including providing medical staff with vaccination training for children, and the Australian Medical Supplies Administration (TGA) also needs to test the vaccination dose.

ATAGI recommends that the interval between the two doses of vaccination for children is 8 weeks, but in the event of an epidemic outbreak, it can be shortened to 3 weeks, and the vaccination dose is 3 points 1 of those of 12 years of age or older.

The Australian Federal Minister of Health (Greg Hunt) said that vaccinating children can help reduce the chance of the virus spreading in the community and encourage all parents to vaccinate their children.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that the measures will make 2.27 million children eligible for vaccinations and that the measures can provide parents with a sense of security.

According to official statistics, nearly 90% of Australians over the age of 16 have two doses of vaccine, and 70% of the population between 12 and 15 years old. The coverage of vaccines is among the best in the world.

Fight against Omicron! U.S. approves intensive injections for 16 and 17-year-olds

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved the expansion of Pfizer/BNT vaccine supplements to the age group that can be vaccinated to include 16 and 17-year-olds. On this occasion, people from all walks of life are worried that the Omicron variant may defeat the immunity conferred by the two vaccines.

Agence France-Presse reported that Pfizer and BioNTech just announced laboratory test results on Wednesday, showing that three doses of the vaccine are effective against the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus; two doses may not be enough to prevent infection, but may still prevent severe illness

Before the emergence of Omicron, people from all walks of life were worried that immunity would decline over time, and driven by the current major virus strain Delta, there was a wave of winter diagnoses in the United States and many other northern hemisphere countries.

The FDA’s expanded emergency use authorization (EUA) applies to 6 months after the first 2 doses of the vaccine. It is expected that another agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will also quickly review and approve the expansion of emergency use authorization.

FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock said: “Vaccines and supplements for qualified individuals, plus preventive measures such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and staying away from unventilated places, are still the most effective way for us to fight the new crown virus. "

The FDA stated in the statement that the evidence supporting the latest decision comes from the previously collected immune response data for people over 18 years old, and the FDA inferred that the relevant data can be extended to 16 and 17 years old.

UK surges in 131 Omicron diagnoses! Johnson: Wear a mask indoors and work at home

The new crown variant virus Omicron has spread to at least 57 countries around the world. Among them, the number of related infections in the UK has risen sharply. On Wednesday, 131 new cases of Omicron were diagnosed in one breath. The government urgently launched strict "Plan B" epidemic prevention measures to respond. In addition to strengthening the regulations on indoor masks and expanding the occasions for the implementation of vaccination certificates, the people are also urged to resume work at home.

According to foreign reports, British Prime Minister Johnson announced that from next Wednesday (15th), England will be mandatory to show the new crown vaccine passport when entering nightclubs and places with large crowds, that is, indoor places without seats where more than 500 people gather. He also said that anyone who has received two doses of the vaccine will get a vaccine passport.

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Agence France-Presse reported that the governments of Scotland and Wales, which have certain powers, have implemented similar measures.

Johnson also said that any venue where more than 10,000 people attend, such as stadiums, will also require vaccine passports. There will be 4 Premier League matches on the 15th.

At that time, the public must show proof that they have received 2 doses of the vaccine, or show that the antigen screening result is negative.

Johnson said that the government will also formulate legal requirements that require masks to be worn in most public indoor places, including movie theaters. In England, there are laws expressly stipulating that people must wear masks when taking public transportation and in shops.

He emphasized the importance of people's vaccination and booster shots of vaccines now available. At present, nearly 21 million people in the UK have been vaccinated with booster shots.

In addition, as part of a series of new measures, the government will resume recommending that people in England work from home.

Johnson said: "From Monday (13th), if you can, you should work from home and you have to go to work."

Omicron may have a higher risk of re-infection! WHO calls on letting go

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out on Wednesday that preliminary data shows that compared to previous variants, Omicron variants may be more likely to reinfect people who have been infected or vaccinated. , But the condition may be mild.

Agence France-Presse reported that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that new data from South Africa showed that the new coronavirus Omicron variant caused a higher risk of re-infection.

Tan Desai also pointed out that there is also some evidence that, compared with the Delta variant, the Omicron variant causes a milder disease. But he also emphasized that more data is needed before reaching a definitive conclusion.

He warned that even if it turns out that Omicron caused a mild illness, he should not relax his vigilance against the epidemic. He warned that complacency will pay the price in life.

The Executive Director of the WHO Emergency Plan, Ryan, also said that the data so far show that Omicron is not only “effectively spreading”, it may even be more powerful than Delta, which means that the virus spreads faster from person to person, even if the new variant is less dangerous, it may still cause More people have been infected with the epidemic, burdened the medical system, and more people have died. Therefore, we must redouble our efforts to break the chain of transmission in order to protect ourselves and others.

The report pointed out that WHO experts also mentioned the importance of vaccination. Even if the vaccine is less effective for Omicron, some data show that it is still expected to help prevent severe illness and provide significant protection. There is no need to make a conclusion too early.

New Zealand builds a "smoke-free country"! No smoking for life for 14 and under

The New Zealand government said on Thursday that it will try to create a “smoke-free generation” by gradually increasing the age to buy tobacco.

According to foreign reports, Ayesha Verrall, the Deputy Minister of Health of New Zealand, said that the government will introduce new legislation to increase the legal smoking age by one year each year.

The new bill will come into effect at the end of next year, when people aged 14 and under will be banned from buying tobacco products.

Velar pointed out that since the bill was launched, the rate of increase in age of New Zealanders under the age of 14 will never catch up with the increase in the statutory age for smoking ban, even if they become adults or even middle-aged and elderly people in the future, the country will ban smoking. The number of years is still ahead of them, and the meaning of this practice will be essentially a lifelong smoking ban.

She said the new law will also mean that only tobacco products with very low nicotine content can be sold, and retailers will be regulated, which will greatly reduce the number of stores that can sell these products.

The creation of a smoke-free generation is part of the New Zealand government plan, which aims to reduce the smoking rate of all ethnic groups in New Zealand to less than 5% by 2025. Officials estimate that there are currently as many as 5,000 smoking deaths in New Zealand each year, accounting for 15% of all deaths.