The COVID-19 virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and spread globally, so far infecting more than 66 million people and killing some 1.5 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) called it a pandemic in March, a declaration that the United States and others said came too late.
“Given that the General Assembly has previously declared international days devoted to chess, yoga and toilets it only seems fair that epidemics should have their day too,” said International Crisis Group U.N. director Richard Gowan.

The discrepancy, reported for the first time by Reuters, centres on the regimen administered to a smaller group of volunteers in the late-stage trials, of half a dose followed by a full dose. This diverged from the original plan of two full doses, given to the majority of participants.

The half-dose pattern was found to be 90% effective, versus the 62% success rate of the two-full-dose main study, based on interim data

Some of the most famous figures in British life stepped forward to say that they would receive the vaccine to encourage the public to follow suit. That could include Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, who are likely to receive the vaccine within weeks, according to MailOnline reports on Sunday.