(2021-12-18). [World Report] Russia—Ukraine tensions hampering health-care access. thelancet.com Humanitarian groups warn that medical care for civilians is being jeopardised amid a military standoff. Sharmila Devi reports…
(2021-12-18). Australian governments ramp up "reopening drive" amid record COVID-19 infections. wsws.org As Labor and Coalition governments alike scrap public health measures, to satisfy the demands of the corporate elite, there are signs of mounting public concern and hostility.
(2021-12-18). Close schools and nonessential businesses! Workers must act to stop Omicron! wsws.org In just two weeks, all of the lies of the government and media have been exposed. Omicron is not "mild," and it is not "manageable." The irresponsible policies being carried out today will result in a wave of deaths in January and beyond.
(2021-12-18). Democrats allow child tax credit to lapse as Omicron surges. wsws.org The elimination of the last social support measures implemented during the pandemic threaten destitution to working class families facing dislocation as a new, deadly wave of the virus gathers force.
(2021-12-18). [Comment] COV-BOOST: evidence to support rapid booster deployment. thelancet.com With accruing evidence that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time,1—4 and the recent emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant,5 some countries are rapidly deploying vaccine boosters.6 In the UK, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in December, 2020, and began with prioritised population groups, including people most likely to be at higher risk for severe outcomes or those providing health services or care for these individuals. With emerging evidence from Israel and the UK of vaccine waning, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in September, 2021, recommende…
(2021-12-18). Scientists warn Canada's health care system could collapse within weeks as Omicron infections explode in Ontario and Quebec. wsws.org Amid dire warnings of a surging toll of mass infection and death over the coming weeks and months, Canada's official pandemic death toll surpassed the horrendous figure of 30,000 Thursday.
(2021-12-18). Retail chain pharmacy staff to stage walkout over unsafe working conditions, low pay. wsws.org Thousands of CVS and other retail pharmacy staff organize to protest abhorrent working conditions and chronic understaffing.
(2021-12-18). [Correspondence] The global oral health workforce — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In response to our Comment,1 Gargi Sarode and Sachin Sarode point out the crucial role of human resources for oral health as well as the predominance of the private practitioner model to deliver oral health care. Frank Lobbezoo and Ghizlane Aarab suggest strengthening dental—medical integration as an additional strategy to address oral diseases. These are notable aspects to consider in the context of a future WHO global oral health strategy and country-level reforms of health-care systems towards universal oral health coverage.
(2021-12-18). WW Commentary: Drug users need unions, compassion clubs. workers.org 
Drug users and abusers, as a group of people, are among the most oppressed of our class. Because of this, we are in need of an organization or organizations that protect us and our human rights. We also need an organization that helps to combat the overdose epidemic, often caused . . . |
(2021-12-18). The Sociopolitical and Economic Impact of the Pandemic. journal-neo.org 
Two years of the coronavirus pandemic have seriously changed the world around us economically and politically. The pandemic demonstrated that any mass epidemic is as much a generic challenge to society as war, a change in geological epochs, or economic stages. At this challenging time for everybody, all power structures and public institutions have faced …
(2021-12-18). Attacks on Brazilian scientists grow amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The Brazilian and international working class must oppose attacks on scientists whose work has helped educate the public and expose the criminal politics of the world's ruling elite during the greatest global health crisis in a century.
(2021-12-18). [World Report] 2021: a year in review. thelancet.com COVID-19, climate, conflict, and good news for malaria. Farhat Yaqub looks back at the major stories in health and medicine in 2021.
(2021-12-18). [Perspectives] Highlights 2021: line of sight. thelancet.com Earlier this year The Lancet invited readers to submit arresting images that illuminate health stories for our annual photography competition, Highlights. We wanted to see what was in your line of sight and we were delighted by the rich variety of images submitted. 17 winning images are published in this issue.
(2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Another public health catastrophe. thelancet.com The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is considering prescription of e-cigarettes on the National Health Service.1 This consideration heralds the next big revenue stream for big tobacco, whose lobbyists have campaigned for the prescription of e-cigarettes as UK smoking rates dwindle. We absolutely disagree that "doctors, medical leaders and health campaigners welcomed the move".2…
(2021-12-18). Mental health workers speak out about pandemic challenges. greenleft.org.au Mental health workers Dr Nikola Leka and Sarah Ellyard spoke to Green Left about the mental health crisis exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-12-18). [World Report] WHO and World Bank urge spending for UHC. thelancet.com Governments have been urged to strengthen public spending on health as COVID-19 stalls progress towards universal health coverage. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.
(2021-12-18). Public health sacrificed for business as usual. greenleft.org.au The COVID-19 catastrophe presents a challenge of planetary proportions. You would expect it would elicit a response drawing on all our skills, compassion and collective resources. But, as Andrew Smart, argues, we are seeing the opposite.
(2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Mental and physical exhaustion of health-care practitioners. thelancet.com Health-care workers are experiencing mental and physical exhaustion after coping with 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dedicated staff members are retiring from the field and leaving their jobs. This occurrence is now widespread. A recent study by The Physicians Foundation found that doctors were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: 61% reported often experiencing feelings of burnout; 57% had experienced inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety; 46% had isolated themselves from others; and more than 55% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide.
(2021-12-18). Pandemic inequalities and the mental health crisis. greenleft.org.au The harrowing global effects of COVID-19 have been accompanied by a crisis in mental health, with levels of psychological distress and demand for mental health services growing exponentially. Tom Eccles reports that young people are especially at risk.
(2021-12-18). 100+ Firms in Africa, Asia & Latin America Can Make mRNA Vaccine If Tech Shared. zcomm.org If mRNA technology could be shared with the listed companies, "we could vaccinate the world in as close to six months from now"
(2021-12-18). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Munro APS, Janani L, Cornelius V, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third dose (booster) following two doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 or BNT162b2 in the UK (COV-BOOST): a blinded, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet 2021; 398: 2258—76—In this Article, Prof Teresa Lambe should have been included in the author list, and her affiliations should have been Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
(2021-12-18). As COVID-19 cases skyrocket in New York City, schools, offices remain open. wsws.org The rapid growth in infections this week have not deterred the Democratic mayor and governor of New York from keeping schools, government offices and other public institutions open.
(2021-12-18). Michigan educators call for immediate end to in-person schooling as COVID-19 infections surge. wsws.org At an urgent meeting of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee Friday afternoon, educators passed a resolution calling for the immediate end to in-person to stop the transmission of the virus and protect lives.
(2021-12-18). Committee for Public Education (Australia) holds successful online meeting on the COVID crisis. wsws.org The event, titled "COVID-19 spreads through Australian schools: Lives before profit! Stop the pandemic!" featured a report from Evan Blake, a member of the US SEP and a leading WSWS writer.
(2021-12-18). [Editorial] COVID-19: where do we go from here? thelancet.com The end of 2021 brings a sense of uncertainty. Parts of the world are approaching a transition or a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The window for pursuing the elimination of SARS-CoV-2 has closed. Moving towards a so-called post-pandemic world will be far more complicated than scenarios such as "Zero COVID". The challenge now is to determine the level of COVID-19 that is acceptable for individual nations in a fundamentally interconnected world. In the first Lancet Editorial of 2021, we noted: "Countries might justifiably start to look inward to repair the damage after COVID-19.
(2021-12-18). EU summit threatens Russia. wsws.org The escalating coronavirus pandemic and threats against Russia were the focus of the EU summit that met on Thursday in Brussels.
(2021-12-17). Super immunity against coronavirus wanes with time, suggests new research. peoplesdispatch.org Fighting off COVID-19 is centered around gathering immunity, whether from vaccines or previous bouts of infections. When people get both, that is, previous infection as well as vaccine shots, then naturally immunity gets bolstered. This amplified immunity is known as super immunity or hybrid immunity. | Even this double immunity may not be so effective in protecting against COVID-19, new research has reportedly found. According to it, immunity against COVID-19 withers away with time even in people who have received the double immunity. This research was conducted before the emergence of the Omicron variant and wa…
(2021-12-17). COVID-19: Los países de bajos ingresos han administrado la mitad de dosis totales que las dosis de refuerzo administradas en las naciones ricas. cubadebate.cu Un año desde que se administraron las primeras vacunas COVID-19, muchas partes del mundo permanecen peligrosamente desprotegidas. La propagación de la variante Omicron del coronavirus ha significado que muchos países están intensificando sus campañas de refuerzo. El aumento ha sido tan rápido que el análisis de Sky News ha encontrado que el número de dosis de refuerzo administradas por persona en los países ricos es el doble del número total de todas las dosis de la vacuna COVID administradas en los países de bajos ingresos.
(2021-12-17). COVID-19 infections in France explode to over 60,000 per day. wsws.org As the vaccine-resistant Omicron variant spreads across Europe, daily new cases in France are exploding, rising from 5,940 cases to over 60,000 in just one month.
(2021-12-17). Boosters vital to mitigate impact of Omicron, but may lose some effectiveness. imperial.ac.uk Levels of neutralizing antibody to prevent Omicron infection reduced and vaccine efficacy against severe disease predicted to drop says new report.
(2021-12-17). Infectious Disease Researcher: A Covid Viral Blizzard Is Headed For America, Millions Will Be Infected With Omicron. moguldom.com With covid-19 infections sharply on the rise due to the omicron variant, one infectious disease researcher has predicted a "viral blizzard" is going to hit millions in America. "We're really just about to experience a viral blizzard," Michael Osterholm told CNN on Thursday, Dec. 16. "In the next three to eight weeks, we're going to …
(2021-12-17). Pennsylvania educators call for immediate closure of schools to stop the spread of COVID-19. wsws.org Our committee demands the immediate closure of all schools and non-essential workplaces as part of a massive public health measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the highly infectious Omicron variant.
(2021-12-17). Only a COVID-19 elimination strategy can protect educators, students, and their families from the Omicron tsunami! wsws.org The nearly two years of the pandemic have conclusively demonstrated that a science-based strategy that prioritizes saving workers' lives over corporate profits and investor wealth will only be imposed through the independent intervention of the working class.
(2021-12-17). The Omicron Fraud Used to Justify the "Christmas Covid Lockdown" globalresearch.ca The alleged spread of the "deadly" Omicron variant has now become the pretext and justification for implementing partial lockdowns, restrictions on travel as well as confinement and stay at home mandates. | Anthony Fauci is leading the disinformation campaign, intimating that …
(2021-12-17). Omicron case identified in New Zealand. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government claims that it is "very well-prepared" to keep Omicron out of New Zealand, when in reality it has ditched its elimination strategy and is allowing the Delta variant to spread nationwide.
(2021-12-17). Scientists warn of looming catastrophe as Omicron spreads globally. wsws.org The most serious and principled scientists are issuing increasingly stark warnings of the coming tidal wave of infections, hospitalizations and deaths as winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere.
(2021-12-17). Omicron largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses. imperial.ac.uk The Omicron variant largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses according to the latest Imperial modelling.
(2021-12-17). Reports point to the rapid spread of cases in US auto plants amid an explosion of Omicron. wsws.org While official case numbers are for the most part being tightly guarded by management and the UAW, available information points to a continuing surge of COVID cases in auto plants.
(2021-12-17). Modelling suggests rapid spread of Omicron in England but same severity as Delta. imperial.ac.uk Omicron largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses according to Imperial's latest report.
(2021-12-17). UN warns of vaccine hoarding by rich countries, again. peoplesworld.org 
(2021-12-17). Cornell University shuts down in the face of a massive surge of Omicron infections. wsws.org A massive surge of Omicron infections at Cornell University's Ithaca campus forced the university president to shut down and raise the threat level to "red."
(2021-12-17). Anthony Fauci Suppressed Effective Treatments against COVID-19 to Benefit Big Pharma. globalresearch.ca White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci This prevented Big Pharma from being challenged …
(2021-12-17). Headlines for December 17, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Warns of "Winter of Severe Illness and Death" for Unvaccinated Americans, CDC Recommends Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines Over Johnson & Johnson, Citing Rare Blood Clots, Thousands of ICE Prisoners Denied Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters, FDA Relaxes Restrictions on Access to Abortion Pills , Federal Judge Throws Out Opioid Settlement That Shielded Sackler Family from Lawsuits, Lucía Hiriart, Widow of Chilean Dictator Pinochet, Dies on Eve of Presidential Election, At Least Seven Die as Super Typhoon Rai Slams Philippines with 160 MPH Winds, Workers at Candle Factory Destroyed by Tornado Sue Company over "Fla…
(2021-12-17). 'Virus hunters' race against time in East China. ecns.cn Medical workers at Zhenhai District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, have been devoted to the fight against COVID-19 since the first local case of a new surge was reported on Dec. 5, 2021.
(2021-12-17). 141 million suffering from food shortages in Arab world: FAO report. peoplesdispatch.org Out of the 420 million total population in the region, 69 million are currently severely malnourished due to extreme food scarcity, war-related famines and COVID-19, with Yemen and Somalia the worst-affected…
(2021-12-17). Can Quitters be Winners? Lessons from the Great Resignation. cepr.net The Washington Post had an interesting piece that looked at the lives of several people who quit low-paying jobs in a restaurant in Arkansas since the pandemic began. There are three interesting points that come out of this story. The first is the headline item (actually, subhead) that although the quitters' mental health improved, their …
(2021-12-17). Want to Know How to Beat COVID? Look at China. libya360.wordpress.com Scott Scheffer Guangzhou International Health Station, a complex built for accommodating international travelers, in southern China's Guangdong province. The world is now nearing the end of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has the highest death toll in the world — 823,390 as of Dec. 16. With all the scientific resources…
(2021-12-17). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Continuing strike wave of French transport workers over pay and conditions joined by waste collection workers and extracurricular school staff; national one-day strike across Italy against government's budget joined by teachers demanding more resources; strike by teachers across 100 Iranian cities over pay and conditions attacked by police; municipal and health workers strike in Free State, South Africa over pay and conditions…
(2021-12-17). Nurses protest in Tbilisi for better pay and working conditions. peoplesdispatch.org 
A group of nurses and trade union organizers staged a protest in front of Georgia's government headquarters in Tbilisi on December 10, calling for fairer pay and measures to ease the extreme workload they have faced for years. | "Nurses in Georgia are very low in the health system hierarchy, maybe just a bit ahead of orderlies," says Sopo Japaridze from Tbilisi-based trade union Solidarity Network. "Because of this, they don't really have a voice at work, few people consider them to be professionals like doctors are perceived to be professionals," she adds. | Although they do not enjoy the same position in the hi…
(2021-12-17). The pandemic response in Martinique and Guadeloupe: the looming shadow of colonialism. peoplesdispatch.org 
Since November 15 this year, a coalition of unions and professional associations in Guadeloupe, a group of islands that is one of the "French overseas departments", have been partaking in a strike action. This action, led by the health personnel of the Pointe-à -Pitre University Hospital and firefighters, was extended on November 22 to the neighboring island of Martinique at the call of 17 unions and people's organizations. | In response to the protests, the prefect of Guadeloupe introduced a curfew on November 19 and mobilized around 200 police officers to ensure it is respected. In spite of the curfew, proteste…