US equity futures and Asian shares declined while safe haven demand lifted US Treasuries
Pfizer Inc said on Monday it was starting a pilot program for Covid-19 immunization in four US states to help refine the plan for the delivery and deployment of its vaccine candidate.
The US drugmaker said it had selected Rhode Island, Texas, New Mexico, and Tennessee for the program because of their differences in overall size, diversity of populations and immunization infrastructure, as well as the states' need to reach individuals in varied urban and rural settings.
"The four states included in this pilot program will not receive vaccine doses earlier than other states by virtue of this pilot, nor will they receive any differential consideration," Pfizer said in a statement.
Pfizer last Monday released initial data on its vaccine developed with German partner BioNTech SE that showed it to be more than 90% effective.
Earlier on Monday, rival Moderna Inc said its experimental vaccine was 94.5 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 based on interim data from a late-stage trial, boosting hopes that vaccines against the disease may be ready for use soon.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a new technology called synthetic messenger RNA to activate the immune system against the virus.
Experts have raised concerns about the distribution challenges associated with Pfizer's vaccine due to its specialized storage requirements.
US equity futures and Asian shares declined while safe haven demand lifted US Treasuries
Passengers reaching their final destination without their baggage should contact the airport airline representative or contact their airline call centre, DXB said
Spot gold was trading at $2,384.14 per ounce at 9.25 am UAE time, up 0.17 per cent
Passengers already in Dubai and in transit will continue to be processed for their flights, the airlines said
The airline also suspended flights to Iran amid reports of an Israeli strike
Expect fair to partly cloudy conditions today with chances of fog and mist formation in some areas
Iran fired air defense batteries after reports of explosions near a major airbase at the city of Isfahan
Other requests include residents seeking assistance with cleaning mud accumulation, restoring damaged furniture