Reuters Health News Summary

The 8.6 million doses injected on Monday represented a record two-fold jump as India kicked off free inoculation for all adults, reversing a policy for individual states and hospitals to buy vaccines for those aged 18 to 44. Philippines community raffles off bags of rice to boost vaccine drive A community in the Philippines has been raffling off huge sacks of rice in exchange for getting vaccinated against COVID-19, after finding it hard to persuade people to get their shots.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Kremlin says people without vaccine or immunity in Russia will have limited work options

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that people who were not vaccinated against COVID-19 or did not have immunity would be unable to work in all workplaces in Russia and that those people could be discriminated against. "The reality is such that discrimination will inevitably set in. People without vaccination or immunity will not be able to work everywhere. It is not possible. It will pose a threat to those around them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Philippines' Duterte threatens those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine with jail

President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as the Philippines battles one of Asia's worst outbreaks, with over 1.3 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths. "You choose, vaccine or I will have you jailed," Duterte said in a televised address on Monday following reports of low turnouts at several vaccination sites in the capital Manila.

Abu Dhabi opens up free COVID-19 vaccines to tourists

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is offering tourists free COVID-19 vaccinations that were previously restricted to UAE citizens and residency visa holders. There is no indication that the change applies to Dubai, the most populous emirate, or the other five emirates that make up the UAE.

School COVID-19 cases spur Israeli parents to vaccinate kids

A weak link in Israel's world-beating COVID-19 vaccination rollout until now, adolescents have found themselves on the frontline of the campaign with fears of the Delta variant prompting reluctant parents to get their children vaccinated. About three-quarters of Israelis in eligible age groups have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. But that includes just 2-4% of 12-15 year-olds since they were made eligible this month, according to health ministry data.

Study testing Moderna vaccine in transmission prevention to include young adults

U.S. scientists are expanding a government-funded study that aims to directly answer the question of whether Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine curbs the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The study, backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was launched in March to determine if Moderna's vaccine can prevent coronavirus infection, limit the amount of virus present in the nose and reduce transmission from vaccinated individuals to their close contacts.

Kazakhstan detects Delta variant as Central Asia braces for third COVID wave

Kazakhstan warned on Tuesday that the more infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus had reached its capital as other Central Asian countries saw fresh spikes in COVID-19 cases. . The number of fresh cases in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, jumped 40% last week compared to the previous week, healthcare minister Alexei Tsoi told a government meeting on Tuesday.

EU takes up option to buy 150 million more Moderna COVID-19 shots

The European Union has decided to take up an option under a supply contract with drugmaker Moderna that allows the bloc to order 150 million additional COVID-19 vaccines produced by the U.S. biotech firm, the EU Commission said on Tuesday. The announcement comes a week after CureVac, a German biotech firm, said its COVID-19 vaccine was only 47% effective in a late-stage trial, missing the study's main goal and casting doubt on the potential delivery of hundreds of millions of doses to the EU.

Volunteers spread word on vaccines to India's poor after deadly COVID-19 surge

Volunteer groups are spreading the word about getting COVID-19 shots to India's poor and elderly, and ferrying some to vaccination centres in rickshaws and cabs following a surge in infections that killed hundreds of thousands. SEEDS, an organisation that does relief work during natural disasters, has focused its efforts on poorer communities, where it says many lack even basic information about the vaccines.

India's vaccination pace expected to dwindle from first day record

India's vaccinations over the next few weeks could fall short of the pace set on the first day of a federal campaign unless it makes inroads in its vast hinterland and bridges a shortage of doses, experts said on Tuesday. The 8.6 million doses injected on Monday represented a record two-fold jump as India kicked off free inoculation for all adults, reversing a policy for individual states and hospitals to buy vaccines for those aged 18 to 44.

Philippines community raffles off bags of rice to boost vaccine drive

A community in the Philippines has been raffling off huge sacks of rice in exchange for getting vaccinated against COVID-19, after finding it hard to persuade people to get their shots. Twenty weekly winners who get their shots in Sucat on the outskirts of the capital Manila have been taking home a 25 kg (55 pound) sack of rice each.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)