Moderna has allowed its Covid-19 vaccine to be used in a World Health Organisation effort to develop mRNA shots that would increase production and access for poor countries.
Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines, a South African biotechnology company working with the WHO, has used the Moderna vaccine in comparison studies in mice to test the effectiveness of its own drugs, said Petro Terblanche, Afrigen’s managing director.
Demand for Covid vaccines has slowed across the world as more recent variants of the virus have caused milder illness, yet many people in low and middle-income countries like South Africa remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to the potentially lethal disease.
With Moderna’s help, Afrigen aims to develop a vaccine that may be manufactured at 15 production sites around the world under the aegis of the WHO’s mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub in Cape Town.
Moderna did not supply the vaccine directly. It allowed the vaccine to be provided by the French government after a request from the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool, according to Marie-Paule Kieny, the pool’s chairwoman. Pfizer refused a similar request because it didn’t regard the need as urgent, she said.
Moderna and the partnership of Pfizer and BioNTech have come under increased pressure to allow factories in poorer countries to produce their vaccines after the world’s richest nations raced to inoculate their populations while barely any vaccines were available in large parts of Africa.
“Since the start of the pandemic Pfizer has received many requests to collaborate on studies and other initiatives from many different worthy sources,” Pfizer said. “Unfortunately, it is impossible to support them all and our focus remains on delivering as per our existing supply agreements with governments.”
France has supported the mRNA hub, giving it €20 million ($20m) in assistance so far, said Ms Kieny. The WHO’s mRNA hub has a more ambitious plan, with the production of a vaccine designed by Afrigen to take place at factories in countries including South Africa, Argentina, Ukraine and Bangladesh.
The early-stage trials of Afrigen’s vaccine using mice produced “a strong immune response,” the company said. Moderna placed some conditions on the use of its vaccine in the studies, Mr Terblanche said.
Still, Afrigen may need further assistance from Moderna or Pfizer, including allowing the use of vaccine for comparative human trials that are expected to start by May. That request is expected in coming weeks, Ms Kieny said.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
