The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that 105,703,501 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country and distributed 135,846,665 doses as of Saturday.
According to the CDC, it had vaccinated 101,128,005 people and distributed 133,337,525 doses till March 12.
It said 68,884,011 people had given at least one dose, while 36,929,777 people were fully vaccinated.
A total of 7,538,985 vaccine doses have been administered in long-term care facilities, the agency said.
WHO ON ASTRAZENCA: Meanwhile,the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that it sees no reason to stop the use of the AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
A number of countries suspended the rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 for fears of clotting.
The WHO, which said its vaccines advisory committee was examining the safety data coming in, stressed that no causal link has been established between the vaccine and clotting.
WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris stressed that the use of AstraZeneca vaccine should continue, saying that any concerns over safety must be investigated.
The makers of AstraZeneca, meanwhile, insisted that it’s safe and that there is “no evidence” of higher blood clot risks.
Denmark, Norway and Iceland stopped use of the vaccine as a precaution after isolated reports of recipients developing blood clots.
Italy and Austria have, however, banned the use of jabs from separate batches of AstraZeneca, and Thailand and Bulgaria said this week they would delay rollout.
ITALY LOCKDOWN: One of the worst-hit countries in Europe, Italy has announced tough new restrictions in much of the country.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi warned that the country faced “a new wave” of infections.
Schools, restaurants, shops were ordered to close across the country, including Rome and Milan from next week.
Meanwhile, Disneyland Paris, one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions, said it will not be able to reopen as planned on April 2 as infections continue to rise in France.
MONTREAL PROTEST: Ten people were arrested during a large protest in Montreal against Quebec’s coronavirus pandemic public health measures on Saturday afternoon.
It was the largest protest in Canada since the outbreak of pandemic as thousands of people marched on roads.
Police said many people in the crowd were not wearing masks, a violation of the province’s rules aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The crowd gathered at around midday near the intersection of McGill College Avenue and Sherbrooke, near the Montreal office of Premier Francois Legault.
The march ended at the same spot where it began at 5:30 pm.
