TheCable

Nigeria on Sunday recorded 301 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Monday.

INDIAN COMPANY WORKING ON OMICRON VACCINE

India’s Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is reportedly working on an Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Times of India, sources said the vaccine is already being manufactured and could be rolled out once it receives regulatory approval.

If given emergency-use approval, it will be the country’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the ones developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

The Omicron-targeted vaccine will reportedly be tested for human use soon.

NEW ZEALAND BEGINS VACCINATING CHILDREN AGED 5 TO 11

New Zealand will begin vaccinating children aged five to 11 from Monday.

According to the health ministry, in a statement, over 120,000 doses of the child Pfizer vaccine have been delivered and are available at 500 sites throughout the country, including walk-ins, drive-throughs, pharmacies, and general practices.

Anthony Jordan, Auckland’s COVID-19 vaccination clinical director, said communities in Tamaki Makaurau are well prepared.

”We’re looking forward to welcoming families along to our vaccination centres, and will have activities available to help make children feel more comfortable and keep them busy, like word finders, colouring in, stickers and certificates,” he said.

“All our staff have been specially trained in childhood immunisations and are ready to answer any questions from parents or kids.”

IRAN REPORTS FIRST OMICRON DEATH

Three people are reported to have died from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Iran.

Speaking to state broadcaster, Mohammad Hashemi, the health ministry’s spokesman, said the number of patients with Omicron in the country has reached 1,162.

“One death has been reported due to Omicron in each of the cities of Tabriz, Yazd and Shahrekord, and one critically ill patient is hospitalised in Ahvaz,” he added.

COVAX DELIVERS ONE BILLION COVID VACCINE DOSES

COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing programme, has delivered one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to 144 countries.

A shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda in Sunday summed up the billionth dose supplied via COVAX.

“Together with our partners, COVAX is leading the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history, with deliveries to 144 countries to date, WHO said in a statement.

“But the work that has gone into this milestone is only a reminder of the work that remains.”

The global health body said as of 13 January 2022, out of 194 member states, 36 WHO member states have vaccinated less than 10 percent of their population, and 88 less than 40 percent.

NIGERIA RECORDS 301 CASES

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 301 new cases of COVID-19.

According to the agency’s update for January 16, the new cases were recorded in 16 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

A breakdown of the cases is shown as follows:

Lagos-175

Ondo-42

Osun-23

Rivers-21

Nasarawa-16

Oyo-8

Gombe-7

Kaduna-7

FCT-1

Kano-1

The agency said 287 people were discharged after they recovered from the infection.

Eight persons died on Sunday, raising the fatality toll to 3,103.

According to the NCDC, the report include 175 additional cases reported from Lagos state for January 1 to January 15.

It also includes a backlog of eight deaths reported from Lagos.

With the new confirmed cases, Nigeria has now recorded a total of 250,929 infections and 224,052 recoveries.