booster

Nearly 61% of the Philippines' 110 million population have been vaccinated, while nearly 13 million people have received first booster doses, government data shows.

Blood serum analysis of 30 paediatric participants who received a booster dose in a study showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron neutralising antibodies, the drugmakers say.

The Omicron-induced surge in cases appears to have peaked, with the daily infections falling to a third of the record figures marked in mid-March.

But they recommend a second booster for people aged 80 and above.

The second booster's protection against infection dwindled after four weeks, Israeli researchers say.

The request comes days after Pfizer-BioNTech, makers of the other Covid mRNA vaccine, also requested emergency approval for a second booster shot, but their request was limited to adults aged 65 and older.

Australia battled record cases and hospitalisation rates during the initial Omicron wave, but they have steadied over the past six weeks.

High-risk groups will be the first to get the fourth dose, in effect a second booster shot, Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol says in a Covid-19 response meeting.

The data is the first released by the company from its trials into boosters of its vaccine.

Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh berkata, perkara penting yang perlu dilakukan adalah meneruskan pematuhan SOP bagi mengelak dijangkiti wabak.

India has reported a swift rise in Omicron cases, with the number reaching 415 overall across 17 Indian states.

The study shows that booster shots help generate a broad T-cell response against the Beta and Delta variants, which may play a key role in longer-term protection.