Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged between 5 and 11 will start in Poland on 13 December. Deputy health minister Waldemar Kraska told parliament yesterday that the first batch of vaccines approved for this age group will arrive by this date.
The Comirnaty jab, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, has been approved by the European Medicines Agency, and involves two injections three weeks apart.
The dose in the 5 to 11s age group is one third of that given to children aged over 12.
The deputy minister also announced that free Covid testing will become available for all, without the possible consequence of being sent directly to quarantine on a positive result.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Ambassadors agree new Belarus sanctions
New sanctions against Belarus are one step closer after being agreed by the ambassadors of member states to the EU.
The list of sanctions – understood to cover 30 people and entities – is likely to be approved by Council of the European Union tomorrow.
Those being sanctioned are accused of bringing migrants into Belarus and repressing civil society. They face a ban on entering the EU, and a freeze on their assets held in the bloc. One of the entities covered is Belavia, the Belarusian state airline.
Work is also underway on a further package of sanctions. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, previously said that it is important for Lukashenko’s regime to understand that his behaviour comes at a price.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Mental health problems for 25 percent of adult Poles
A major study has shown that a quarter of adults in Poland experience mental health issues at some point in their lives.
The nationwide survey, carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, found that only 16 percent of those with mental disorders used any kind of psychiatric or psychological help.
The coordinator of the project, Dr Jacek Moskalewicz, said that this low treatment rate is due both to the poor availability of specialists, and the prejudices of other people towards the mentally ill.
The survey showed that more than seven percent of adults have experienced an alcohol-related disorder at some time, with this figure reaching 35 percent among unemployed men.
Dr Moskalewicz said that the death rates due to alcohol are increasing, despite better treatment methods.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Gdańsk scientists shine in global ranking
Gdańsk university researchers have been named in a prestigious group of the top 2 percent of scientists in the world.
34 scientists from the Gdańsk University of Technology, and 15 from the University of Gdańsk, are included in the Top 2% list, compiled by Stanford University.
The criteria for the list include how often a researcher’s work is cited by other scientists. In total more than 700 Polish scientists are recognised in the list.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Weather
Strong winds today in Gdańsk will make it feel much colder than the air temperature of 2°C or 35°F. Weather warnings are in place for strong winds until this evening. It will stay cloudy and there could be some sleet later on. The temperature will touch freezing overnight, and rain is expected from tomorrow and throughout the weekend.
Andrew Carter/MarWer
