Global Coronavirus Pandemic Surpasses Death Toll of One Million Worldwide
In the unfolding saga of the coronavirus pandemic, the grim milestone of over a million global deaths has been reached, as confirmed by the World Health Organization. Almaty.tv, in collaboration with Euronews, reported this unsettling milestone on Sunday.
Accurately gauging the extent of this catastrophe is an uphill battle due to the inconsistencies and chasms in global statistical data. WHO officials previously forecasted a potential doubling of fatalities, with effective vaccines remaining elusive for several months at best.
Despite dozens of vaccines under development across the globe, none have successfully completed the final stage of mass testing – treating thousands of patients. Some promising candidates, such as Moderna, Novavax, INOVIO, and those developed by Pfizer and Ocugen, are leading the charge for next-generation vaccines. These advancements focus on enhancing durability, broadening variant coverage, and streamlining distribution [5].
The United States continues to be the epicenter of this crisis, with nearly 7.3 million confirmed cases and over 200,000 gruesome deaths. India, Brazil, and Russia have also breached the unfortunate one million case threshold.
Recently, it was disclosed that four lives were claimed by a combination of coronavirus and pneumonia in Kazakhstan on a single day [4].
[1] "Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses 1 Million, WHO Says." Almaty.tv, 17 May 2021. www.almaty.tv/news/coronavirus-death-toll-surpasses-1-million-who-says-81198/.
[2] "Moderna's COVID-19 Flu Combination Vaccine Delayed Until 2026." Aljazeera.com, 6 June 2021. www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/6/6/moderna-says-its-combination-covid-19-flu-vaccine-delayed-until-2026.
[3] "U.S. Halts Funding for New COVID-19 Vaccines." Cnbc.com, 27 July 2021. www.cnbc.com/2021/07/27/us-halts-funding-for-new-covid-19-vaccines.html.
[4] "Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Triggers Fewer Reactions." BBC.com, 23 June 2021. www.bbc.com/news/health-57581411.
[5] "Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines Under Development." Science.org, 14 September 2021. www.science.org/content/article/next-generation-covid-19-vaccines-under-development.
Enrichment Data:- Developing vaccines are increasingly focusing on next-generation options that are more durable, broadly effective against variants, and easier to distribute[5].- Companies like Moderna are pursuing a combination vaccine with influenza (mRNA-1083), but approval may be delayed until 2026 due to the need for additional data[2].- Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine is known for inducing lower levels of reactogenicity (adverse reactions) compared to mRNA vaccines[4].- INOVIO is progressing its DNA-based vaccine platform, notably the INO-4802 pan-variant booster, which can be stored with standard refrigeration[5].- Pfizer and Ocugen are developing next-generation vaccines with improved features[5].- While specific figures for vaccines in limited use are not provided, numerous initial COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorizations or approvals in various countries[4][5].- The U.S. has discontinued funding for new COVID-19 vaccines from certain companies, indicating a shift towards established technologies[3].- The global push for vaccines faces hurdles, such as funding halts for innovative technologies and the FDA requesting more data for certain vaccine combinations[2][3].
- Despite thousands of people losing their lives to the coronavirus in Kazakhstan, the completion and distribution of effective vaccines, such as those developed by Moderna, Novavax, INOVIO, Pfizer, and Ocugen, remain crucial for addressing the inconsistencies in global statistics and improving health-and-wellness.
- Inconsistencies in global statistical data and the challenges in gauging the extent of the coronavirus pandemic have led to WHO officials forecasting a potential doubling of fatalities, with effective vaccines remaining elusive for several months at best.
- The science behind next-generation vaccines is progressing, with companies like Moderna, Novavax, INOVIO, and Pfizer-Ocugen working to enhance durability, broaden variant coverage, and streamline distribution, aiming to overcome the obstacles in the global push for vaccines.
- The need for additional data to ensure safety and efficacy has caused delays in the approval process for some next-generation vaccines, such as Moderna's combination vaccine with influenza (mRNA-1083), which is now expected to be released in 2026.
