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Many US families face food challenges, poll shows

Sep 24, 2021 | , , ,

Black and Hispanic Americans, Americans living below the federal poverty line and younger adults are especially likely to face food challenges, according to the poll.
Most of those facing food challenges enrolled in a government or nonprofit food assistance program in the past year, but 58per cent still had difficulty accessing at least one service.

And 21 per cent of adults facing challenges meeting their food needs were unable to access any assistance at all. The most common challenge to those in need was a basic lack of awareness of eligibility for both government and nonprofit services.

UK’s £800 million Reinsurance Scheme officially opens, to help providing covers to festivals, conferences and live events

Sep 24, 2021 | , , , ,

The government has partnered with Lloyd’s Market Association to deliver the scheme as part of the Plan for Jobs. The scheme will see the government act as a ‘reinsurer’ – stepping in with a guarantee to make sure insurers can offer the products events companies need. Insurers Munich Re, Beazley, Arch, Dale, and Ark are carriers of the scheme with more firms coming on board in the weeks to come.

Tata in talks to launch Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in India

Jan 25, 2021 | , , , ,

Tata Medical & Diagnostics could team up with the India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to carry out clinical trials of Moderna’s vaccine candidate in India,
Data released in November from Moderna’s late-stage study showed it was 94.1% effective with no serious safety concerns. The shot was approved for use in the United States in December and in Europe earlier this month.

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Google opening up its spaces in US to serve as mass COVID-19 vaccination sites: Sundar Pichai

Jan 25, 2021 | , , , ,

“Today we’re announcing that we’ll be opening up Google spaces to serve as mass vaccination sites, committing more than USD 150 million to promote vaccine education and equitable distribution, and making it easier for you to find where and when to get a vaccine,” Pichai announced in a blog post on Monday.
“Searches for ‘vaccines near me’ have increased 5x since the beginning of the year and we want to make sure we’re providing timely and locally relevant answers,” he said.

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Airlifted COVID vaccines to 9 countries, will gradually supply to WHO’s COVAX facility: India at UN

Jan 25, 2021 | , , , ,

“We have already airlifted more than 6 million doses to nine countries in Phase-I as grant assistance. Contractual supplies to various countries are also being undertaken in a phased manner. We will also gradually supply to the COVAX facility of the WHO,” Naidu said, adding that India has also provided training to several partner countries to strengthen their clinical capabilities, as well as to enhance their capacities for vaccine administration.
“As the largest vaccine-producing country of the world, we are fulfilling our commitment to make our vaccine production and delivery capacity available for the benefit of the entire humanity,” Naidu said.

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Vaccinated people may still transmit COVID-19, warns England’s chief medic

Jan 24, 2021 | , , , , ,

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, also warned that there is no clear evidence yet to show that vaccinated people cannot transmit the deadly virus on to others.

“Regardless of whether someone has had their vaccination or not, it is vital that everyone follows the national restrictions and public health advice, as protection takes up to three weeks to kick in and we don’t yet know the impact of vaccines on transmission,” said Van-Tam.

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Aviation sector workers be vaccinated on priority after health workers: MoCA to MoHFW

Jan 24, 2021 | , , , ,

“Considering that the frontline workers of airlines and airports are also involved in movement of vaccines, this MoCA recognizes the merit in the proposal and requests the MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) to include frontline workers of airlines and airports along with frontline workers mentioned in the operational guidelines released on December 28, 2020,” Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Pradeep Singh Kharola said.
As per the guidelines issued by the health ministry on December 28 last year, initially around 30 crore Indians will be vaccinated, including around three crore healthcare and frontline workers, and approximately 27 crore people of over the age of 50 years.

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COVID-19 pandemic underlined need for higher budget allocation for healthcare sector

Jan 24, 2021 | , , , ,

The pandemic has completely changed the dynamics of the Indian healthcare ecosystem, NATHEALTH President and Apollo Hospitals Executive Vice-Chairperson Preetha Reddy told PTI.

‘It has reiterated the need for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, national level programmes for skill development and training of healthcare staff, increase in number of medical colleges, effective PPP models and further boost for local manufacturing,’ she added.

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Cash for Covid? UK says no decision on reported plan for positive tests

Jan 23, 2021 | , , , ,

Currently, only some people receiving welfare benefits receive a 500 pound payment if they are told to self-isolate, but according to an official policy paper seen by the Guardian newspaper and others, ministers were looking at making this a universal payment to all who tested positive.

This would cost up to 453 million pounds a week, 12 times the cost of the current system, the Guardian said.

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