Vaccine

Moderna said neutralising antibodies were found in the first eight people who took part in their safety trials.

It also said the immune response was similar to that in people infected with the actual virus.

Larger trials to see whether the jab protects against infection are expected to start in July.

Work on a coronavirus vaccine has been taking place at unprecedented speed, with around 80 groups around the world working on them.

Moderna was the first to test an experimental vaccine, called mRNA-1273, in people.

Two babies died at a clinic on Savai'i soon after they received their MMR vaccine, prompting the cancellation of the country's vaccination programme.

Two nurses have since been charged with manslaughter and will appear in court on Monday.

The health minister, Tuitama Dr Talalelei Tuitama, told TV1 officials are still awaiting the results of an autopsy which was performed by an Australian expert.

The government has for a while controversially planned to merge the National Health Service and the Ministry of Health, which recently went to a Commission of Inquiry.

The figures, released during World Immunization Week, make UNICEF the largest buyer of vaccines for children in the world.

Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the three remaining polio-endemic countries, each received more doses of vaccines than any other country, with almost 450 million doses of vaccines procured to children in Nigeria, 395 million in Pakistan and over 150 million in Afghanistan. UNICEF is the lead procurement agency for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.