According to figures released by the Robert Koch Institute for disease control (RKI), some 1.1 million Germans have received their third COVID-19 vaccine since the summer. At this point, some 20% of Germans are fully vaccinated with a booster. Meanwhile, Germany's chief of doctors has said that a fourth booster vaccination campaign would likely be needed later next year for the country to manage the pandemic. Ulrich Weigeldt, the head of Germany's general practitioners' association, said that he expected the boosters to mirror the yearly flu vaccine. He added that they expect that by summer, or fall at the latest, a fourth vaccination will be necessary.
EU steps up vaccination for children aged 5-11
At Hospital Principe de Asturias in Alcala de Henares near Madrid, nurses wearing Christmas antler headbands welcomed children and gave them stickers after their shots. Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Spain were among those opening up their inoculation drives to younger kids, with other nations still weighing their approach.Even as children lined up to get jabs, the EU health agency ECDC said measures like mask-wearing, distance working and the prevention of crowds were essential to reduce the burden on healthcare systems in the time available, with vaccines alone taking too long. Doctors across Europe are reporting strong initial demand from parents.
UAE will not censor films anymore
Censors in the UAE, like elsewhere in the Middle East, have long removed scenes in cinematic releases that show nudity, homosexuality, sex and other content deemed inappropriate, sometimes leading to plot holes.
The UAE has now announced that it will no longer censor films released in cinemas, the country's latest effort to boost its brand as a liberal hub attractive to foreigners as the nation promotes its socially liberal environment to lure international workers.
The Emirati Media Regulatory Authority has said that instead of cutting sensitive scenes that could offend traditional Islamic sensibilities, that it will introduce a new 21+ age category for viewers.
Brawl breaks out in Ghana parliament over transaction tax
Ghana Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Artta has said electronic transaction tax including that for mobile payments is necessary to widen the tax net, arguing that it could raise an extra 6.9bn Ghanaian cedi ($1.15bn; £870m) next year. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected the proposed levy saying it will hit low-income people and those outside the formal banking sector. The deputy speaker was seen as crucial as parliament has been heavily divided over the proposed tax.
However, opposition MPs rushed forward to prevent Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu from leaving his seat to vote creating a huge chaos. MPs shoved, pushed and threw punches at each other, while others tried to stop the fighting. The session was adjourned because of the disorder.