PRmoment's weekly 'The Healthcare News Review' column will look at the biggest healthcare news trends every week and analyse the communications implications of that.
By the end of this month, UK will do away will another major Covid regulation, the requirement for self isolation if you are positive. With this UK is among a group of countries which are trying to normalise living with Covid.
Nations like Denmark, Sweden and Norway have also eased a range of restrictions; these include waving aside administering booster shots to children, as well as fourth shots to adults, restrictions on gatherings and going back to office work.
Australia, too, recently opened its borders to double-vaccinated travellers and will also no longer impose lockdown for Omicron. Australia had some of the strictest lockdowns in the last 2 years.
India, too has recently removed the requirement to show a double-vaccinated certificate in public places in states such as Haryana.
This, in spite of Covid numbers remaining high through January.
There are many countries on the other side such as China and the special administrative region of Hong Kong who are still seeing strict restrictions in pursuit of a Zero Covid policy.
What does this mean for communicators?
1) The back to 'normal life' narrative will generate a fresh range os stories. Coming as it does at the end of the current financial year.
2) The back to office engagement requires special attention from communicators, given the adjustments, mental, physical and emotional employees are facing.
3) The opening up story is linked closely to the vaccination rates. Nations like Denmark have 84 percent of the population fully vaccinated, UK 72.8%. Continued vaccine hesitancy and equitable access to vaccines both need to be addressed by communicators supporting policy makers in behavior change.
4) The HIV/AIDS antiretroviral treatment is a an interesting template of how HIV/AIDS drugs were made affordable with home grown Indian firms such as Cipla leading the charge on this.
In other key health news:
1) Could Omicron be paving the way for herd immunity?
2) Bill Gates applauds the role of Indian manufacturers in cheaper vaccines.
News Curated for PRmoment India by:
Impact Research and Measurement
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