The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has brought a "tidal wave" of new cases, according to the WHO. France has seen record numbers of positive cases – as have several other EU states. This week, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinated, limiting their access to certain social spaces like restaurants and cinemas as a means of convincing more of them to get their jabs. Meanwhile, more and more EU member states seem to be moving towards making vaccination mandatory. Austria is set to become the first EU country to make the jabs obligatory, as of February – with the measure valid until 2024.

There are currently far fewer cases of COVID-19 in Africa than in Europe but experts fear that the tide could turn if inoculation programs are not sped up. They say richer countries should not stockpile vaccine doses.

In Africa, poorer nations are fighting a double-edged sword: The rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant and lack of immunizations. Inequalities worldwide are being exposed as richer countries take the lion's share, poorer nations are struggling to get jabs into arms.

Ivorian medical staff are receiving the first doses of the Ebola virus vaccine as the country records its first case in nearly 30 years.

People demonstrate in Athens against plans to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all health workers and retirement home employees, with police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse some protesters.

Thousands of people gathered at a vaccination centre in the Indonesian city of Tangerang on Tuesday, though many had not registered in advance and were blocked from entering the centre.

Hong Kongers reluctant to get the coronavirus jab have been given a million-dollar reason to roll up their sleeves after property tycoons donated a brand new flat to a vaccine lottery.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he supports the idea of a waiver on patent protections for coronavirus vaccines and urges his government to consider lifting them for Russia's jabs, during a televised meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova. A campaign to lift patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines is picking up steam, with French, German and EU leadership saying they are ready to discuss a proposal by US President Joe Biden.