Vaccination Archives

The European Commission's denial of access to text messages between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla amounts to ‘maladministration’, the EU Ombudsman found.

Holders of a valid EU digital COVID certificate should not be subjected to additional restrictions such as quarantine when entering another member state, EU ministers agreed on Tuesday (25 January).

The building of the European External Action Service was damaged by violent demonstrators on Sunday (23 January) during protests against COVID-19 restrictions with participants from across the EU.

India's Gennova Biopharmaceuticals is working on an Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine candidate that could be ready in a month or two, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic flew out of Australia on Sunday (16 January) after a court upheld the government's decision to cancel his visa, capping days of drama over the country's COVID-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status.

Around 27% more people died in the European Union than usual during November, the biggest increase in a year as a fresh wave of COVID-19 swept the region, official data showed on Friday (14 January).

Lower-income countries refused to take around 100 million donated COVID-19 vaccine doses in December alone, chiefly due to their short shelf life, the United Nations said Thursday (13 January).

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has reminded us that the pandemic will not be over until all countries have vaccinated their people. The EU should focus its attention on vaccinating Africa, writes Professor Alberto Mantovani.

French opposition MPs have managed to suspend a parliamentary session meant to discuss a bill on the so-called "vaccine pass", throwing off course President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party's plans to quickly push it through

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said that elderly people who get a COVID-19 shot will be eligible for a cash reward as part of his government's drive to boost the vaccination rates, the lowest in the European Union.

Wealthy states were stuck at an impasse after failing at a meeting on Tuesday (December 21) to agree on new rules that would allow them to report the donation of surplus COVID-19 vaccines as aid.

Almost 100 Conservative lawmakers voted on Tuesday (14 December) against new coronavirus restrictions, dealing a major blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's authority and raising questions about his leadership.

Britain on Monday (13 December) confirmed what is thought to be the first confirmed death after infection with the Omicron variant, as the country launched an ambitious Covid booster shot programme to stop the virus spiralling out of control.

Germany on Thursday (2 December) unveiled strict curbs on public life for the unvaccinated as alarm fanned worldwide over the Omicron variant and the US readied to ramp up its winter battle against Covid-19.

The World Health Organization warned countries on Tuesday (30 November) not to impose blanket travel bans over the new Omicron coronavirus variant as governments and scientists try to determine how much protection current vaccines would offer against the strain.

The postponement of the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference this week all but guarantees months of deadlock on fishing subsidies and a bid to spread COVID-19 vaccines more widely.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued an urgent warning on pandemic management on Thursday (25 November) to the new government coming in to succeed her, imploring it to take quick, decisive measures as the country's total death toll passed 100,000.

European Union residents will need to have COVID-19 vaccine booster jabs if they want to travel to another country in the bloc next summer free of tests or quarantines, the European Commission proposed on Thursday (25 November).

Coronavirus infections broke records in parts of Europe, with the continent once again the epicentre of a pandemic that has prompted new curbs on movement and seen health experts push to widen the use of booster vaccination shots.

Europe remains "in the firm grip" of COVID and the continent's death toll could top 2.2 million this winter if current trends continue, the World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday (23 November).

The European Commission aims to harmonize the duration of the validity of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate, including the effects of booster shots, Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Monday (22 November), amid record infection numbers in some EU states.

Germans faced the stark warning Monday (22 November) that they would be either "vaccinated, cured or dead" from Covid by the end of winter, while Austria returned to a partial lockdown as Europe battles a fourth wave of the pandemic.

Employers in Latvia are allowed to dismiss employees who refuse to get vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday (15 November), under new rules aimed at taming the pandemic in the EU member state.