Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine gains emergency approvals in US, Canada and beyond
by Anthony King, 14th December 2020
UK begins vaccinating vulnerable populations after early authorisation
The UK has begun vaccinating vulnerable populations, following emergency approval of Pfizer–BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine on 2 December. But the move has prompted political clashes in Europe and the US. Meanwhile, the vaccine has also been approved for emergency use in Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the US. Read more here.
The Confederation supports SwissCollNet and its digital platform of natural science collections for research
The federal government is promoting an improved access to natural science collections with a total amount of CHF 12.37 million until 2024. The digitised collections provide unique data for climate, biodiversity or agricultural research, for example. To this end, the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) has launched the Swiss Natural History Collections Network, SwissCollNet, to collaborate with museums, universities, and botanical gardens in laying the foundations for the digitisation and long-term management and use of the collections. Read more here