
The coronavirus pandemic can only be considered beaten once everyone in the world has been immunized against Covid-19, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said, after she'd met with the G7 leaders at a virtual summit on Friday.

Pfizer and BioNtech have started an international study with 4,000 volunteers to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their COVID-19 vaccine in healthy pregnant women, the companies said on Thursday.

A remote UK overseas territory in the South Atlantic could become the first whole island vaccinated against coronavirus, after the Royal Air Force flew 4,000 miles to deliver doses from RAF Brize Norton.

Rio de Janeiro's police launched an investigation into reports that doses of the coronavirus vaccine may have been diverted after images emerged of healthcare workers sticking needles into elderly people without injecting them.

Brazil surpassed 10 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. With 10,030,626 confirmed cases to date, the country has the third-highest number of infections after the US and India. Brazil recorded more than 49,000 new cases on Thursday.

Britain which holds the presidency of the Group 7 will challenge fellow members to help speed up the development of future vaccines to 100-days. On Friday Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a virtual meeting of leaders including US President Joe Biden.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged nations producing Covid-19 vaccines not to distribute them unilaterally but to donate them to the global Covax scheme to ensure fairness.

United States will pledge US$4 billion to a vaccination program for poorer countries at a global economic summit this Friday and hopes other countries will follow and contribute additional funds, the White House anticipated.

With COVAX delivery of new vaccines expected soon in the Americas, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne called for overcoming barriers to ensure “fair and equitable access.”

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard during a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council called on rich countries to stop hoarding vaccines against Covid-19 impeding the poor from being inoculated.