The head of Pfizer said in an interview aired Thursday that  people will "likely" need a third dose of his company's Covid-19 shot within six to 12 months of vaccination, while elsewhere defending the relatively higher cost of the jab.

Israelis will no longer have to wear masks outdoors starting from Sunday as the number of virus infections plummets, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said.

"The rate of infection in Israel is very low thanks to the successful vaccine campaign in Israel, and therefore it is possible to ease (restrictions)," Edelstein said in a statement Thursday.

Trials using permanent concussion substitutes in English football have sometimes "fallen short of their objective" and "jeopardized player health", putting unfair pressure on medical staff, the global players' union FIFPRO and England's Professional Footballers' Association have said.

Lebanese doctor Riad Sarkis says he can help curb Covid-19 globally. As he speaks inside Beirut airport, one of his secret weapons is wagging its tail next to him.

India's daily coronavirus caseload has doubled in ten days, with more than 200,000 new infections logged Thursday as authorities grapple with shortages of vaccines, treatments and hospital beds.

Opening windows and ventilating spaces should be at the heart of efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a group of experts said Thursday, arguing that confusion over airborne transmission meant this simple measure was being overlooked.  

The European Union said Wednesday that it is expecting 50 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses earlier than expected, as the United States said it would continue a pause in vaccinations using the Johnson & Johnson shot for at least another week so regulators can assess possible blood clot links.

People aged under 60 who have been given a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in Germany will receive a different jab for their second dose, federal and regional health ministers agreed Tuesday. 

Britain said late Monday it had hit a target to offer a coronavirus vaccine first dose to all over-50s by mid-April, as England's lockdown-weary population toasted a significant easing of restrictions with pints and much-needed haircuts.

India has authorised Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, a leading local drugmaker said Tuesday, in a boost for the nation's inoculation drive as virus cases mount.