BERLIN: Germany does not expect a coronavirus vaccine to be available before the first quarter of 2021, according to a copy of its national vaccine strategy seen by Reuters on Monday.
The 15-page strategy paper from the health ministry sets out seven potential vaccines which are expected to complete testing this year or next and could be available in sufficient amounts to begin a nationwide vaccination campaign for priority groups.
These include shots from AstraZeneca, BioNTech and its partner Pfizer, Moderna and Novovax, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and CureVac.
“Assuming that a favorable risk-benefit ratio can be confirmed, first approvals are expected in Q1/2021 at the earliest,” the paper says.
Germany plans to set up centralized vaccination centers to inoculate priority groups in the first instance, which will be supported by mobile teams, Reuters reported last week.
The German government will cover the cost of the vaccines, while the cost of setting up the vaccination centers will be borne by the states and public and private health insurers where appropriate.
The paper says it expects manufacturers will deliver the shots to distribution centers in multi-dose vials without the syringes and cannulas as well as the required solvent that is needed for vaccination. It has therefore asked the states to procure these accessories.
To get an overview on the effectiveness of the vaccines, Germany will collect non-personal data including information on age, sex, place of residence, vaccination date, vaccine product and vaccination dose administered, the paper says.
Germany expects COVID-19 vaccine in Q1 2021 at the earliest
Germany expects COVID-19 vaccine in Q1 2021 at the earliest
- The 15-page strategy paper from the health ministry sets out seven potential vaccines
- Germany plans to set up centralized vaccination centers to inoculate priority groups in the first instance
Nine Nigerian troops killed, several missing in jihadist ambush
- “We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by Daesh-WAP terrorists and many others are still missing,” a military officer said
- The soldiers dispersed in all directions following sustained gunfire from the militants
KANO, Nigeria: At least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed and over a dozen are missing after Daesh-aligned militants ambushed a military patrol in northeast Borno state, military and militia sources told AFP Tuesday.
Fighters from Daesh West Africa Province (Daesh-WAP) on Friday used explosives and guns to attack a column of more than 30 troops on foot patrol outside the town of Damask near the border with Niger, the sources said.
“We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by Daesh-WAP terrorists and many others are still missing,” a military officer said.
The soldiers, who were 25 kilometers (15 miles) from their base, dispersed in all directions following sustained gunfire from the militants, said the officer who asked not to be identified.
“The terrorists detonated an explosive device they had planted on the road in advance, increasing the casualties and confusion among the soldiers,” he said.
Eight soldiers managed to return to base while the rest remain missing, including their commander with the rank of a major, the officer said.
“A man who identified himself as an Daesh-WAP terrorist keeps answering the call to the commander’s mobile phone, suggesting he is in the hands of the terrorists,” he added.
Ya-Mulam Kadai, a spokesman for government-funded anti-militant militia assisting the military in Damask, gave the same casualty toll.
The nine bodies of the slain soldiers were recovered by a military search team deployed at the scene of the attack, he said.
The military did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
The Nigerian military has in recent weeks intensified ground operations against Daesh-WAP, particularly in its Sambisa forest stronghold, with the military making regular claims of killing huge numbers of militant fighters.
Daesh-WAP and rival Boko Haram factions have been attacking military targets, raiding bases, laying ambush and planting explosives against patrols on highways.
Nigeria’s insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million in the northeast since it erupted in 2009, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has spilled into neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Chad, leading the region to launch a military coalition to fight the militant groups.
