A 90-year-old grandmother became the world's first person to receive a fully-tested Covid-19 shot yesterday, as Britain began mass-vaccinating its people in a global drive that poses one of the biggest logistical challenges in peacetime history.
Health workers started inoculating the most vulnerable with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, with the country a test case for the world as it contends with distributing a compound that must be stored at -70°C.
Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 in a week, was the first to receive the shot, at a hospital in Coventry, central England.
"It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year," she said.
The launch of the vaccine, one of three shots that have reported successful results from large trials, will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people.
Britain, the worst-hit in Europe with over 61,000 deaths, is the first Western nation to begin mass-vaccinations and the first globally to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.
But despite the relief of people receiving the first dose of the two-dose regimen, they will have to wait three weeks for their second shot, and there is no evidence immunization will reduce transmission of the virus.
"It will gradually make a huge, huge difference. But I stress gradually, because we're not there yet. We haven't defeated this virus yet," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
France far from freedom
France is 'far' from its goal of reducing the number of new infections to under 5,000 a day, the level at which the government has promised to lift a lockdown.
Italy minister positive
Italy's Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese tests positive. Two ministers who sat next to her at a recent meeting put themselves into self-isolation after learning of her diagnosis.
Israel curfew
Israeli authorities announce a nationwide night-time curfew starting December 9 aimed at curbing a steep increase in cases over recent weeks.
Over 1.54 million dead
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 1,545,320 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP yesterday.
The US is the worst-affected country with 283,746 deaths.
After the US, the hardest-hit countries are Brazil with 177,317 deaths, India with 140,958, Mexico with 110,074, and the UK with 61,434 deaths.
Medical retailer soars
The medical arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com soars 75 percent on its debut in Hong Kong, valuing the company at $50 billion as investors bank on the pandemic boom in digital health services.
New Hong Kong restrictions
Hong Kong will ban evening dining at restaurants and close fitness centres as part of new measures aimed at stemming a fourth wave of infections.
