Coverage dated November 25, 2021 to November 29, 2021
'The Virus Is a Ruthless Opportunist': Global Vaccine Inequality Linked to Omicron
Headline from NBC 6 South Florida, on the newest of 3 developments
The emergence of the new omicron variant and the world’s desperate and likely futile attempts to keep it at bay are reminders of what scientists have warned for months: The coronavirus will thrive as long as vast parts of the world lack vaccines
NBC 6 South Florida's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.
Developments in this update
3 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.
Omicron variant poses ‘high to very high’ risk to Europe — EU health agency
Headline from The Times of Israel ·
Vaccine inequity and hesitancy made the Omicron variant more likely, scientists say
Headline from Local News 8 ·
Newest
'The Virus Is a Ruthless Opportunist': Global Vaccine Inequality Linked to Omicron
By Christina Maxouris, CNN A new and potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has prompted a fresh round of travel restrictions across the world and raised concern about what may be next in the pandemic.
By Aya Elamroussi, CNN As a new Omicron variant spurs global travel bans, experts said that concerns over its impact should spur the millions of unvaccinated Americans to get their Covid-19 shots — and for those who are eligible to get boosters — as it will offer at least a degree of protection.
A World Health Organization panel named the variant “omicron” and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category of the delta variant.
The US, European Union and other major destinations have moved to block flights from African countries following the discovery of an aggressive mutation of the Covid-19 virus. Follow for the latest news updates.
By Ivana Kottasová, CNN Many of the world’s richest countries have spent the past year hoarding coronavirus vaccines, buying up enough doses to vaccinate their populations several times over and consistently failing to deliver on their promises to share doses with the developing world.
Omicron bears a troubling number of mutations that researchers believe could make it more contagious and possibly even evade vaccines and therapeutics.
African Union officials have complained about the lack of vaccines since the U.S., U.K. and EU pre-purchased the bulk of available supplies at the end of 2020.
"It does make you worry, therefore, that it's a sufficiently different virus, that it might not respond as well to protection from the vaccines. But we don't know that," Francis Collins said.
Scientists are racing to assess the threat from the new coronavirus variant omicron. Cases have now surfaced in several countries. Questions still remain over how infectious omicron might be, and whether current vaccines will be effective.
The emergence of the new omicron variant and the world’s desperate and likely futile attempts to keep it at bay are reminders of what scientists have warned for months: The coronavirus will thrive as long as vast parts of the world lack vaccines
Rich nations like France and Japan have given at least one dose to over 75 percent of their populations; in South Africa, only a quarter of population has been vaccinated.
