Germany prepares to roll out vaccines soon, as cases hit 1 million

Man-sized freezers such as those manufactured by family-owned firm Binder GmbH could become a key part of the vast immunisation program the German government is preparing to roll out when the first vaccines become available next month

Hulking gray boxes are rolling off the production line at a factory in Tuttlingen, ready to be shipped to the front in the next phase of Germany's battle against the coronavirus as it became the latest nation to hit the milestone of 1 million cases on Friday.

Man-sized freezers such as those manufactured by family-owned firm Binder GmbH could become a key part of the vast immunisation program the German government is preparing to roll out when the first vaccines become available next month.

That's because one of the front-runners in the race for a vaccine is BioNTech, a German company that together with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has developed a shot it says is up to 96 per cent effective in trials but comes with a small hitch: it needs to be cooled to minus 70 degrees Celsius for shipping and storage. Ensuring such temperatures, colder even than an Antarctic winter, is just one of the many challenges that countries face in trying to get their populations immunised.

Germany has benefited from the market power that comes with being a member of the European Union. The bloc's executive Commission — led by former German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen — has spearheaded negotiations with vaccine makers, ordering more than a billion doses so far.

Officials have said Germany hopes to secure up to 300 million doses from the EU orders and bilateral deals with three manufacturers in Germany. That would be more than enough to immunise its population of 83 million.

Thailand signs deal for Oxford shots

Thailand on Friday signed a non-refundable advance market commitment contract worth $79 million with AstraZeneca to procure 26 million doses of the trial Oxford vaccine being developed. It is expected to be delivered in mid-2021. The doses would cover 13 million people in the nation of 69 million.

Here, students fear extremists more than virus

Children returning to school in Burkina Faso's volatile Sahel region have to practice safety drills to prepare for potential jihadist attacks that have ravaged the West African nation, killing more than 2,000 people this year.

"I'm afraid of being chased away from school," said Balkissa Barro, 10. In Burkina Faso, worries over the pandemic come second to threats of attacks by extremists from al-Qaida and ISIS. Over 5 million kids have been affected by school closures in the country due to COVID-19 and violence, according to the UN. Even as schools began to reopen in October, many remained shut due to insecurity. Some 65% of the region's over 1,000 schools are closed, says the UN.

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