A coronavirus vaccine isn’t coming very quickly

An expert panel has just given the green light to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11 in Israel — the first country to offer booster shots. It has also tightened its green pass system to keep the economy and schools open.

Children between the ages of 5 to 11 are now eligible for a vaccine. Meanwhile, Japan's economy contracted for the first time in two quarters because of infections over summer. DW has the latest.

Pharma giants are earning millions every day with COVID vaccines, but leaving poorer nations in the lurch, an activist alliance says. The WHO reports that the delta variant has "outcompeted" others. DW has the latest.

German officers have detained 12 individuals suspected of involvement in the manufacture and sale of falsified COVID-19 vaccine passports. The counterfeits are believed to have been sold for up to €400 each.

The lockdown starting Monday is expected to last 10 days and a vaccine mandate is set to start in February. Data shows the seven-day incidence rate in the country at around 1,000 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Antibodies tend to decrease about six months after the second shot of a vaccine. Many doctors think that booster shots are the solution, but some researchers are also looking into whether T-cells can help.

Austrians went back into lockdown after fierce protests over the weekend, for a period of at least 10 days and potentially 20. Elswhere, German logged its highest seven-day incidence of the pandemic. DW has the latest.

Germany is deep in the midst of its fourth wave, and many of its European neighbors are no better off. Only in southern Europe is the virus still under control.

The UN health body has given the new variant a name and said it is a variant of concern. The WHO urged against hasty travel curbs while it gathers more data.

Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK are the latest countries to confirm cases of the omicron variant. The new strain that was first detected in South Africa has prompted governments around the world to re-introduce travel restrictions.

Vaccine equity campaigners have long warned the EU that sharing doses was essential to prevent new variants emerging. EU countries made big promises on vaccine donations, but have so far struggled to deliver. Why?

Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan does not think that his son will compete at the Australian Open because of COVID-19 vaccination rules in Australia.