Global COVID-19 tracker

The total coronavirus cases across the world are more than 8,77,13,519 and the virus has killed over 18,92,913 people so far.

Hyderabad:The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 8,77,13,519 and killed over 18,92,913 people across the world. More than 6,31,91,222 people have recovered so far.

Global COVID-19 tracker

The US is the worst-hit nation with cases more than 2,18,57,616 and fatalities over 3,69,990.

Nearly 2.13 million children in the US have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic early last year, according to the latest data.

Data by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association issued on Wednesday revealed that about 128,000 new child Covid-19 cases were reported in the week ending December 31, 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.

Over the two weeks from December 17 to 31, there were 306,841 new child Covid-19 cases reported across the country, a 17 per cent increase, according to the AAP.

Children accounted for 12.4 per cent of all confirmed coronavirus cases in the US.

Nearly 4,400 adverse events were reported after people received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the US, with 21 cases determined to be anaphylaxis, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The US Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on December 11, 2020, administered as two doses separated by 21 days, reports Xinhua news agency.

As of December 23, 2020, a total of 1,893,360 first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the US, according to the CDC report.

Australia is advancing the start of its coronavirus vaccination program to mid-February, with plans to inoculate 15% of the population by late March.

The government had argued there was no reason for an emergency rollout that cut short usual regulatory processes as has occurred in the United States and elsewhere because local transmission rates in Australia are much lower.

It had planned to start vaccinating in March.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday he expects the Pfizer vaccine will be delivered two weeks after the Australian regulator approves it in late January.