EU and Pfizer strike deal for over 1.8 billion vaccine doses

May 9 2021

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Twitter that the European Union agreed on Saturday to a massive contract extension with pharmaceutical Pfizer-BioNTech. The new contract could garner a potential 1.8 billion COVID-19 doses through 2023 for the EU. Backed up by EU member states, the contract also ensures that all essential components should be sourced from the EU.

Happy to announce that @EU_Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options) with @BioNTech_Group @Pfizer for 2021-2023.

Other contracts and other vaccine technologies will follow.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 8, 2021

With a portfolio of 2.3 billion doses from half a dozen companies, von der Leyen said that other contracts and vaccine technologies will follow for the EU. America’s Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech had already stated that the EU would be provided with an extra 50 million doses in the 2nd quarter of 2021, to make up for Astra-Zeneca’s lack in deliveries.

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Photo Source: BioPharma Reporter, Ursula von der Leyen Twitter

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launch a YouTube channel

May 9 2021

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate have released a teaser for their new YouTube channel. Giggling on a sofa in a vlog style video, William tells his wife ‘Be careful what you say now because these guys are filming it’, as the video continues on to a montage of a series of tours, events and behind the scene bloopers. The couple have also changed their Instagram handle from Kensington Royal to ‘Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.’

With each heir in direct line of succession expected to reflect and represent their generation to keep the monarch relevant, the couple have smartly adapted to the defining platform of this generation which is social media. YouTube also allows them to create long form content. The transition seems to have paid off as the channel has already amassed over 249,000 subscribers in 24 hours and their first video racking up 1.3 million views.

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Bill Gates gives $1.8 Billion stocks to Melinda following divorce announcement

May 9 2021

Following the news that Bill and Melinda gates will be undergoing divorce, the former has gifted around $1.8 billion in stocks to his soon to be ex-wife. Cascade Investment, Bill’s investment vehicle, transferred the $1.8 billion worth of stocks to Melissa on the same day the divorce was announced – that is, 3rd May 2021.

Melinda is therefore now worth at least that amount, with Bill’s worth falling slightly to $128.6 billion. Despite the transfer, the co-founder of Microsoft is still the fourth richest person in the world. The news comes after 27 years of marriage, with Bill saying that he is proud of what the couple achieved together over nearly three decades.

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Photo Source: BBC

Two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses grant 95% protection against the virus

May 9 2021

Studies in Israel have shown that two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have proven to grant more than 95% protection against the COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation and even death. Israel is the country with the highest proportion of its population to be vaccinated, with one shot from the vaccine proving 58% effective against infection, 76% against hospitalisation and 77% against death. This only reinforced the need for the second dose to be administered.

The Lancet medical journal stated that this study remonstrates the vaccines’ power to end the heavy impacts of COVID-19. They added; ‘These findings suggest that high vaccine uptake can meaningfully stem the pandemic and offers hope for eventual control of the Sars-CoV-2 outbreak as vaccination programmes ramp up across the rest of the world.’

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Photo Source: Financial Times