Novavax developing vaccine that targets new COVID-19 variant – The Jerusalem Post

Novavax Inc said on Friday it had started working on a version of its COVID-19 vaccine to target the variant detected in South Africa and would have the shot ready for testing and manufacturing in the next few weeks.
The company’s COVID-19 shot contains an actual version of the virus’ spike protein that cannot cause disease but can trigger the immune system. The vaccine developer said it had started developing a spike protein specifically based on the known genetic sequence of the variant, B.1.1.529.

Source: Novavax developing vaccine that targets new COVID-19 variant – The Jerusalem Post

Omicron COVID variant fuels Joe Biden’s call for waivers on intellectual property protection for vaccines – ABC News

US President Joe Biden has called on nations meeting at the World Trade Organization next week to agree to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines in the wake of the discovery of the new Omicron COVID variant in South Africa.

“The news about this new variant should make it clearer than ever why this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations,” Mr Biden said in a statement.

“This news today reiterates the importance of moving on this [waiving intellectual property protections] quickly.”

Mr Biden confirmed restrictions on travellers from eight countries in southern Africa would be imposed.

All 27 European Union member states and the United Kingdom also temporarily suspended travel to and from southern Africa.

Source: Omicron COVID variant fuels Joe Biden’s call for waivers on intellectual property protection for vaccines – ABC News

On Channel crossings, France is sick of UK ‘outsourcing’ problems | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian (Me: Boris more boorish than usual and France is not having it!)

France has reacted furiously to what officials variously called a “mediocre, unacceptable and wholly inappropriate” letter from Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron about the migrant Channel crossings.

The French interior minister cancelled a planned top-level meeting with the home secretary, Priti Patel,, while government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said France was “sick and tired” of Britain’s “doubletalk and outsourcing of problems”.

The fact that Johnson chose to make the letter public has infuriated Paris at least as much as its content. Macron, who officials said had not seen the letter before Johnson tweeted it, described it as “surprising”, adding: “One does not communicate from one leader to another, on questions such as these, by tweet and by letters that one then makes public.”

Source: On Channel crossings, France is sick of UK ‘outsourcing’ problems | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln 2021

Vivaldi translation of introduction: Due to the Corona pandemic, the Christmas markets in Cologne had to be canceled in 2020, but they are open again this year. Since I had to do a lot in Cologne yesterday anyway, I took the opportunity to look at some of the Christmas markets in the afternoon. These included the Christmas markets on Rudolfplatz, Neumarkt and Cologne Cathedral. The 2G rule (vaccinated and recovered) applies to all Christmas markets in Cologne.

Senioren um die Welt

Aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie mussten die Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln im Jahr 2020 abgesagt werden, doch in diesem Jahr sind sie wieder geöffnet. Da ich gestern sowieso einiges in Köln erledigen musste, nutzte ich die Gelegenheit und sah mir nachmittags einige der Weihnachtsmärkte an. Dazu gehörten die Weihnachtsmärkte auf dem Rudolfplatz, auf dem Neumarkt und am Kölner Dom. Für alle Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln gilt die 2G-Regel (Geimpft und Genesen).


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From, not For victory

Inhale Peace; Exhale Love. Joy will Follow! - RUELHA

I know every dialogue from this movie by heart! This scene embedded below has some of the best dialogue deliveries. It’s epic if you understand the reference. And if you don’t, just marvel at Brad Pitt’s chiseled jawline. This movie compelled me to research a bit of Greek mythology. And then with Chris Hemsworth playing Thor later, Greek mythology became really fascinating.

From, not For victory – poem by Ruelha

I don't fight for victory I'm not a loser though, just hear me! I've not seen the end Sure, there'll be many curves and bends But I know how it ends Victorious I ascend! Somehow, anyhow, I'll be the last one standing Maybe my current performance ain't outstanding But, wait till the end Watch it all transcend I was born for victory Not in the lap of misery I won't let anyone tell me otherwise Because if I focus on…

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BioNTech says it could tweak Covid vaccine in 100 days if needed | Vaccines and immunisation | The Guardian

BioNTech says it could produce and ship an updated version of its vaccine within 100 days if the new Covid variant detected in southern Africa is found to evade existing immunity.

The German biotechnology company is already investigating whether the vaccine it developed with US drugmaker Pfizer works well against the variant, named Omicron, which has caused concern due to its high number of mutations and initial suggestions that it could be transmitting more quickly.

The company says it will know in two weeks whether its current vaccine is likely to be sufficiently effective against the B.1.1.529 variant, now named Omicron by the World Health Organization, based on lab-based experiments.

Source: BioNTech says it could tweak Covid vaccine in 100 days if needed | Vaccines and immunisation | The Guardian