Sydney - Australia's medical regulator has formally approved the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered in late February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday.

Bras - Brazil's newly launched vaccination campaign against Covid-19 has gotten off to a late and rocky start -- as the country is hammered by a second wave of the disease, it is already close to running out of vaccine, syringes and other vital equipment, acc...

Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. However, there remains huge uncertainty around the numbers - and vaccines are still expected to work.

Apo - The number of people taking their own lives in Japan rose for the first time in over a decade last year, as the pandemic reversed years of progress combatting a stubbornly high suicide rate.

Apo - Japan's cabinet approved draft laws to toughen coronavirus restrictions on Friday, a move that could threaten rule-breakers with fines and prison sentences for the first time since the outbreak began.

Geneva - The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago.

Does nudge theory have a role to play in persuading or influencing the general populace to adhere to the societal rules relating to avoiding transmitting or contracting the novel coronavirus? The answer appears not.

Keeping fit makes sense in order to avoid certain illnesses like diabetes and to help the body respond to infections. Yet in the U.S., opportunities to do so have diminished although stark, national variations remain.

Atlanta - The highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first seen in the United Kingdom will become the dominant strain in the United States by March, its rapid spread heightening the urgency of getting people vaccinated, according to a new study by the CDC.

New Delhi - Hospitals were decked out with flowers and one politician planted a tree as India began Saturday its colossal coronavirus vaccine drive, desperately hoping to end a pandemic that has killed 150,000 of its people.

Life expectancy has shown a significant drop in the U.S. While the fall is across all ethnic groups, it is the Black and Latino community that shows the most marked decline.

Paris - Scientists have warned against taking an anti-parasite drug as a treatment for Covid-19 despite headlines that have touted it as a cure.

Bhopal - A homegrown coronavirus vaccine will be rolled out in India from Saturday even though clinical trials haven't been completed. But the government insists it will be safe and effective.

The distribution of the various coronavirus vaccines that becoming available will be challenging for most countries. Developing a sound, data-driven approach to distribution is set to be key. How the data is used with be pivotal.

Washington - A fourth Democratic member of Congress has tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering in a secure location during the Capitol riot with Republican colleagues who refused to put face masks on.

Two medical conditions of concern in relation to a COVID-19 infection have been outlined in recent science papers. These are the development of low blood oxygen and the formation of arterial thrombosis.

Ontario is considering “next steps” to limit the spread of COVID-19, Premier Doug Ford said on Twitter on Monday, amid calls to put Canada’s most populous province under more stringent lockdown as the pandemic overwhelms its hospitals.

After a frustratingly slow rollout, the U.S. is entering the second month of the biggest vaccination drive in history - with the aim of inoculating a larger and more diverse pool of people against the deadly coronavirus.

The much-criticized rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has laid the groundwork for a scenario in which the rich and the politically connected use their money and power to cut in line and get vaccinated before everyone else - a black market for the "haves."