Britain: UK Covid Booster Vaccine Shots for Vulnerable Groups May Start From September - by Katharine Gemmell

The country’s independent vaccination committee recommended that the government plan to offer boosters in a two-stage program alongside the annual flu vaccination drive. The rollout will depend on further data and the guidance could change, according to the Department of Health & Social Care.

“We want to be on the front foot for Covid-19 booster vaccination,” Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said in a statement. The goal is to “keep the probability of loss of vaccine protection due to waning immunity or variants as low as possible, especially over the coming autumn and winter.”

The shots would first be made available to extremely vulnerable and immunosuppressed adults, those ages 70 or older, residents of elderly care homes and front-line health workers, the health department said. Those eligible in the second stage would include people over 50 and household contacts of the immunosuppressed.

The benefits of vaccinating other groups, including young adults who may not have had a second dose yet, will be evaluated at a later date.

Final recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization will be published before September, the statement said. It will consider data from a government-funded trial that is evaluating the effectiveness of different Covid-19 vaccines as booster shots, as well as any new information on the immunity levels from the current inoculation program.

Read more at: UK Covid Booster Vaccine Shots for Vulnerable Groups May Start From September - Bloomberg

Italian US Relations -Tariffs: US duties on oil, wine and pasta put exports at risk

A bottle of prosecco that costs €5-6 a bottle in Italy can cost up to the equivalent of €10-15 at large retailers in the United States. With the application of 100% duty, that price would go up to €20-30. Prosecco exports

Read more at: US duties on oil, wine and pasta put exports at risk - Corriere.it

Coronavirus patents: India, South Africa bid to ban COVID vaccine patents finds few takers in Latin America

In May, India and South Africa called on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily waive intellectual property (IP) rules related to COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other technologies.

The draft was co-sponsored by more than 60 countries that had warmed up to the idea. It was initially proposed in October last year amid snail-paced vaccine deliveries during the pandemic as rich countries cornered the bulk of the supplies.

Read more at: India, South Africa bid to ban COVID vaccine patents finds few takers in Latin America | Business| Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 28.06.2021

The Netherlands to welcome back Americans today, with little restriction-by Caroline Tanner

As of Thursday, June 24, Americans can travel freely to the Netherlands: no vaccine, negative COVID-19 test or quarantine required upon arrival.

The Dutch government’s decision to expand entry options follows the June 18 announcement by the Council of the European Union to open EU borders to visitors from additional “safe” countries, including the United States, given the low risk of contracting COVID-19.

Read more at: The Netherlands to welcome back Americans today, with little restriction

Delta Plus Coronavirus: As U.S. grapples with Delta variant, India raises alarm over a new COVID strain mutated from it - by Arshad R. Zargar

Doctors and epidemiologists are closely monitoring the rise of yet another coronavirus variant that has been detected in almost a dozen countries, including the U.S. Concern that the so-called Delta Plus variant — a mutation of the now-widespread Delta strain first detected in India — could be more infectious and cause more significant health problems than other variants prompted Indian officials this week to label it a "variant of concern."

Read more at: Delta Plus: As U.S. grapples with Delta variant, India raises alarm over a new COVID strain mutated from it - CBS News

USA: Warren Buffett resigns from Gates Foundation

Warren Buffett is resigning as a trustee from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The announcement comes weeks after the couple announced that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage but would continue to jointly run the foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. Gates was formerly the world's richest person and his fortune is estimated at well over $100 billion.

Read more at Warren Buffett resigns from Gates Foundation | CBC News

Netherlands to Offer Free-of-Charge COVID-19 Tests for Travellers During July & August

The Dutch Government has announced that 3.5 million COVID-19 tests have been set aside to be made available for everyone planning to travel to the country during July and August.

Read more at: Netherlands to Offer Free-of-Charge COVID-19 Tests for Travellers During July & August - SchengenVisaInfo.com