2021 began with the promise of vaccines to the rescue. But as one variant begets another, rich nations talk of boosters and jabs for kids while much of the developing world still waits for first doses.

2021 began with the promise of vaccines to the rescue. But as one variant begets another, rich nations talk of boosters and jabs for kids while much of the developing world still waits for first doses.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expresses his concern that the Covid-19 pandemic has been "mischaracterised as coming to an end when it's nowhere near finished", and warns of the "strong likelihood" of new and possibly more dangerous variants. Countries across the world are struggling to quash surges in Covid-19 cases propelled by the highly infectious Delta variant.

The World Health Organization has said it will rename COVID-19 variants to avoid stigmatization of countries where new strains of the virus are first reported.

Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's director for Europe, tells a press conference that international travel should continue to be avoided due to the risk of the pandemic resurging in the region, but he stresses that authorised vaccines do work against variants of concern.

Vaccines are being put to the test. But how effective are they against new strains of COVID-19? A study from Israel offers hope and caution.

A lab study has found the vaccine effective against UK and South Africa variants. German Health Minister Jens Spahn has voiced his confidence in the EU's three approved vaccines.

American biotechnology company Moderna firm says its Covid-19 vaccine is effective against the UK and South Africa variants.