The world this week: Right person, right time

New Beginning

Inauguration ceremonyPresident Joe Biden's inauguration took place in the midst of a crisis for the United States, but his 11-word "unity" speech conveyed a message of a new beginning full of renewal and determination. "This is a day of democracy, a day of history and hope." At the same time, he said that America had been tested once again and had risen to overcome it. The message of unity and stability was even subtly expressed in the inauguration outfit with the main colors of purple and blue. Importantly, the new President said that the cause of democracy was honored and the will of the people was heard and heeded.

President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony took place at the US Capitol building. Photo: Reuters

Contrary to public opinion about an inauguration ceremony taking place in a chaotic atmosphere due to concerns after the riot at Capitol Hill, which always put Washington on high alert, the atmosphere was peaceful. The moment the new President Joe Biden completed the oath of office was described as a moment of relief for the world.

Meanwhile, his predecessor Donald Trump wrote a letter to President Biden and left it at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The content of the letter was not disclosed, however, President Biden revealed that "it was a nice letter". Three hours before the new President's inauguration, Donald Trump left the White House, becoming the first US President in more than 150 years not to attend the inauguration of his successor.

Immediately after taking over the White House, President Biden began to "untangle" by signing 17 executive orders.

Not just the letter, what the public is most looking forward to is what will happen inside the Oval Office, what deals will be made, what policies will be announced. Immediately after taking over the White House, President Biden began to "untangle" bysigned 17 executive ordersto address issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and racial inequality. Among them, the most prominent decisions are to bring the US back into the Paris Agreement on climate change, stop construction of the border wall with Mexico and reverse the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), which was implemented by his predecessor Donald Trump. Cancel the construction permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, order masks and social distancing in all federal buildings and federal grounds, require immediate quarantine for people entering the US, and will end the declaration of a national emergency.

President Joe Biden takes the oath of office at his inauguration. Photo: AP

Remember, President Biden entered the election campaign with the slogan “Build Back Better”, aiming to revive America after the economic disaster. This revitalization plan is expected to include more than 6,000 billion USD over a decade. However, the urgent priority of the Joe Biden administration is stillresponding to the Covid-19 pandemicHe has unveiled a $1.9 trillion plan to address the crisis, boosting financial support for Americans and businesses, and pledging to vaccinate 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.

Focusing first on national issues, however, the new president has not neglected foreign policy. Repairing relationships with allies weakened under his predecessor, especially with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU), is the core of Mr. Biden's foreign policy.

The task of “rebuilding” America puts President Biden in front of no small challenges. However, with expectations of a politician known for his calmness and empathy, and for “the right person, the right time”, experts and senators all agree that Mr. Biden will become “the most progressive president”.

On his first day in office, President-elect Joe Biden signed several executive orders, reversing Donald Trump's progress. Photo: Reuters

Speed ​​warning

In the momentum of accelerating all progress in implementing the Covid-19 vaccine, a development that makes the world need to pause to consider, not that fast is good, even, everything seems not optimistic. That is since Norway started the campaign.vaccinationBy the end of December 2020, the country had seen 33 deaths among those who had received their first doses of the vaccine. The age group considered at risk had been lowered from 80 to 75.

Norway has given at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to about 42,000 people, with priority given to those considered at high risk, including the elderly. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is the only one licensed in Norway, and all deaths have been linked to it.

After assessing 13 cases, the Norwegian medicines agency said the deaths all involved “elderly people with serious underlying disorders” and “most experienced expected vaccine side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, fever, local reactions at the injection site and worsening of their underlying medical conditions.”

Elderly Norwegians are among the first to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: AFP

Norwegian officials recommend that doctors consider a patient's health condition before deciding who to vaccinate, especially since the vaccine can pose risks to the very elderly or those with terminal illnesses.

However, Norwegian leaders are not concerned, because they believe that this vaccine has very little risk, with only a small exception for patients with serious underlying diseases. Norwegian officials also recommend that doctors consider the health status of patients before choosing who to vaccinate, especially because the vaccine can pose risks to the very elderly or those with incurable diseases. Bloomberg assessed that this is the most cautious statement ever from a European health agency. According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, for people with severely weakened immune systems, even mild side effects of the vaccine can cause serious consequences. Therefore, "for people with a very short remaining life expectancy,vaccine effectivenessmay be insignificant”.

The question is whether the problem that happened in Norway should surprise the world. Experts say no. After all, a mass vaccination campaign involves a large number of participants, and as a general rule, some side effects, including deaths, are expected. Pfizer and BioNTech are currently working with Norwegian authorities to investigate the causes of the deaths. Pfizer said that Norwegian authorities believe that the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and is in line with expectations.

Norway’s experience doesn’t mean younger, healthier people should avoid getting vaccinated. But it’s an early sign of what to watch for as countries begin reporting safety monitoring for vaccines. Norway is no exception, with deaths from side effects also reported in the UK and the US.

A doctor takes care of a Covid-19 patient at a hospital in Oslo, Norway. Photo: Reuters

The Norwegian reports are being viewed with caution. In Europe, although two Covid-19 vaccines have been approved and tested on tens of thousands of people, including volunteers in their 80s and 90s, the average age of the participants was only about 50. Therefore, the new Norwegian findings raise the alarm that Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the elderly and those with incurable diseases.

A smooth vaccine rollout will be crucial for any economy, and it is a major challenge for leaders who are well aware of the importance of their Covid-19 vaccination programmes.