The US is the most affected country, with over 32.7 million cases, while the coronavirus death toll there stands at 582,800.
Next comes India, which is experiencing a record-high surge and lack of medical equipment, with 23.3 million cases and over 254,000 deaths. Brazil has confirmed over 15 million infected and around 425,500 fatalities from the pandemic.
Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The head of the World Health Organization received a shot of a coronavirus vaccine at a university hospital in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday.
"Today it was my turn to get vaccinated [at] Hopitaux_unige against #COVID19. Vaccines save lives," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted.
He did not name the vaccine brand. Switzerland uses Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in its immunization program.
The 56-year-old Ethiopian went on to call on those who live in a country where coronavirus vaccines are available to "please get vaccinated when it’s your turn."
BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Ecuador intends to sign an agreement on the supply of the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, President-elect Guillermo Lasso said on Wednesday.
"Vaccination is a priority. We are going to sign an agreement on the supply of Sputnik V vaccine with Russia to strengthen our [vaccination] plan. We thank the Russian authorities for their willingness and openness," Lasso tweeted.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Norwegian authorities on Wednesday officially removed the UK-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine from the country's COVID-19 immunization program, The Local newspaper reported, citing the prime minister.
An expert group on Monday recommended that the government stop administering AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
According to the media outlet, the use of the J&J vaccine in Norway is still suspended, but citizens have the option of getting vaccinated on a voluntary basis.
"The government has considered whether people can take the vaccines voluntarily. The government concluded that only the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be offered voluntarily," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told reporters, as quoted by The Local.
The decision was made due to the adenovirus-based vaccines' "rare but serious" side effects, the media outlet added.
"We would very much welcome the Sputnik [V] vaccine being recognised by the WHO. And I know that the process, the dialogue is taking place. I am very grateful for the fact that the Russian Federation has made available the Sputnik [V] vaccine to UN staff. And we believe that the Sputnik [V vaccine] is one of the key elements in being able to address this challenge", Guterres said following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
"The good clinical practice inspections of the Sputnik clinical trials in Russia have recently completed. EU inspectors are just commencing the good manufacturing practice inspections. The results of both of these sets of inspections are then integrated into the assessment process as it goes on", Fergus Sweeney, the head of the EMA's Clinical Studies and Manufacturing Task Force, said.
MOSCOW, May 12 (Sputnik) - Russian vaccines are effective against the coronavirus strain originating in India, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova assured on Wednesday.
"Research shows that we are protected", she told reporters.
