>> you're watching france 24 "live from paris." in the race for a covert vaccine, britain has jumped ahead of other western countries, planning to roll at the first shots to health care workers by next week. the ceo of pfizer is calling it a historic moment in the fight against coronavirus. russia says it is rolling out widespread distribution of sputnik five -- sputnik-v vaccine as well. it is still in the final stage of clinical trial. and it's being described as a breakthrough by the united nations -- the united nations

says it has reached a deal with the ethiopian government to allow unfettered access to help millions of people suffering from lack of food and health care. ♪ hello, everyone. thanks for joining us. britain has given emergency authorization to a covid vaccine ahead of the united states, becoming the first western country to do so. the government says 800,000 doses of vaccine from pfizer would be available next week, beginning with health-care workers. britain has preordered 40 million doses of the shot, which was 95% effective in a late stage clinical trial. in spite of the news, the british prime minister cautioned that it will take time for the vaccine to reach the general public.

>> the first phase will include care home residents, health and care staff, and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable. there are logistical challenges. the virus has to be stored at -70 degrees, and each person needs two injections three weeks apart, so it will inevitably take some months before our most vulnerable are protected. >> for more, we are joined by a global health expert at the university of oxford. thank you for joining us. as we said, britain is rolling out this starting next week, and polls show people have doubts about taking the vaccine. what is your advice to people who doubt? >> it is understanble tan extent. weave to just take a step back and realize what an extraordinary achievement this is that a virus that did not even exist to our knowledge a year ago, that within 10 months, we developed from scratch

effective vaccines. normally, the process takes 10 years or more. the fact that it happened so quickly, of course, is going to make people wonder. what i can say is all the steps were followed in regular clinical trial process. regulators have been doing ruling reviews of the data from these trials for months now -- regulators have been doing rolling reviews. i feel confident about the safety and efficacy data and certainly would encourage people to take the vaccine when they are eligible. >> the pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at extremely cold temperatures and requires two doses per person. will that slow the rollout of the shot? >> it is a significant challenge that we should not underestimate. vaccines on the shelf do not do any of us any good.

the manufacturing scala, the supply chain with the ultracold storage, and safely administering it is going to be a challenge. it means you cannot safely have it at every gp's ofce or every local pharmacy. this is all going to take some time. it's going to be a mass vaccination campaign, the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetimes. ihink it is ambitious and portant, but it will n meaning the change most people's lives, even here in the u.k., for several months. we do have to remember we are in a winter period when the virus is still circulating at high levels, and we need to be cautious because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. >> how much time is between those two doses, and will that present adjustable problems for those implementing this? >> for this -- will that present logistical problems? >> for this particular vaccine, they are meant to be given 21 days apart.

the 91% effective was after the second dose, so it is important. you only get partial protection after the first dose, so that is another complication. you cannot just ve people turning up for one dose. you have to make sure they have an appointment and that they come back and get that second dose on time. >> richer countries appear to be getting in line before poorer countries because they can afford to preorder millions of doses. what is being done to prevent richer countries from monopolizing the supply? >> it is predictable and unfortunate. some countries have preordered more vaccines than they would need to vcinate their entire countries because they are betting on different horses, if you will. e main thing is something called the kovacs facility -- the covax facility, which has

been a multilateral effort among many countries, allowing for manufacturing guarantees. the goal is that through the facility that all countries participating could receive enough vaccines to cover 20% of their vaccines by the end of 2021. that is significant. what we do know is none of us are safe from the virus until all of us are safe, so equitable global distribution of the vaccine would save far more lives than vaccine nationalism or wealthy countries hoarding it. >> thanks so much. a global health expert at the university of oxford. president vladimir putin has ordered widespread vaccinations to start next week. the country's sputnik-v is still

in its third and final clinical trial and said to be almost ready. russia times the shot is almost 95% effective in that it has almost produced 2 million doses -- pressure claims the shot is almost 95% effective and that it has almost produced 2 million doses. our moscow correspondent tells us there is some skepticism from the russian public about the vaccine. >> i did a straw poll of russian friends and colleagues over the past few days. one said they would take it. the other said let's see how it goes. russia doesn't see this as kind of a competitive issue. -- russia does see this as kind of a competitive issue.

a poll done across 11 countries found that three quarters of people are ready to take a vaccine. the russians claim that means they will have faith in the russian process. this news about the vaccine comes just a few days after the peak last week -- i think it was 27,500 new cases last friday. today it is about 25,300 as well as 538 deaths. there have been more than 2 million cases in russia and 41,000 deaths. early on, they had quite a low death rate. that has doubled over recent months. the russians are betting on this vaccine and also hoping to sell it to about 41 other countries around the world.

>> the french government is making an effort to stop people from hitting the slopes this winter. the prime minister said today there will be random checks at the borders to prevent the spread of covid-19, but for many, the lure remains. switzerland and austria have refused to close resource for the holidays. >> no ski holidays in france or abroad, a message on which the prime minister insisted again on wednesday. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> french authorities announced last week that ski resorts would

open for christmas but that lifts would remain closed until january at least. a position mirrored the likes of germany and italy, but not by all european countries. switzerland, for instance, said it's ski resorts will remain open, despite pressure to come up with an agreement on the issue. others like austria have opted for middle ground, opening resorts but closing hotels and restaurants, in order to limit the flow of tourists. ski resorts are seen as breeding grounds for covid-19, and french authorities fear vacation goers could bring the virus back with them. the decision to conduct random checks at the border also came amid growing pressure by french ski resort operators who worry they will lose out on business to foreign competition. >> germany has decided to extend its partial lockdown until january 10. that announcement from chancellor merkel tonight. residents will get a bit of a reprieve around christmas. members of one household can

read with -- can meet with 10 people. otherwise gatherings will be limited, and bars, restaurants, and museums will remn closed. in this era of coronavirus, social isolation is taking a toll on many people's mental health. some have even developed psychological conditions as a result. in france, for many, this second lockdown was even more difficult than the first. >> 2020 may have been one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory, but also one of the loneliest. rance's lockdown saved lives -- france's lockdown saved lives but left many feeling socially isolated. this psychologist says people are left emotionally exhausted. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> this professor sets up a therapy service designed to help patients deal with the mental health impact of covid-19. she offers online socially distance consultations. this patient was so afraid of the virus she developed compulsive behavior. >> [speaking foreign language] >> her symptoms are easing after several sessions. fear of the virus is a common concern among patients. >> [speaking foreign language] >> while the vaccine may help life get back to normal, without proper support, the

psychological scars of the pandemic could stay for some time to come. >> it's being described as a breakthrough by the united nations. the you and says it has reached a deal with the ethiopian government to allow unfettered access to food and health care -- the united nations says it has reached a deal with the ethiopian government. the nation of some 6 million people has seen rising hunger during the fighting over the last months. >> it is actually very difficult to assess the extent of this crisis, but humanitarian organizations and ngo's had been pushing for weeks for humanitarian access to be allowed in the region. they say stocks of food, medicine, and other supplies are running dangerously low, including for the nearly 100,000 eritrean refugees.

thousands were internally displaced, and it's likely thousands have been killed and injured with facilities running very low on supplies. it's a very difficult humanitarian situation. and this coupled with the heavy violence since the situation began has forced thousands of ethiopians into neighboring sudan. now with an agreement signed between the united nations and the government, it grants humanitarian access into the region but only in areas that are controlled by the government. it is also unclear who exactly is included in the agreement with major ngo's such as the red cross or doctors without borders still not part of the deal. we will have to see how this humanitarian access is actually implemented in coming weeks. >> the fate of a swedish-iranian scientist remains unclear

tonight. he was found guilty for espionage and sentenced to death. he was expected to be transferred from one prison to another, which would have been a prelude to an execution, but apparently, that transfer did not happen. there has been intense public pressure on iran to re-examine the case. tonight, the french president called on lebanon to form a new government. he said if it does not, it could risk losing international support and assistance. the comments came during a virtual aid conference to help lebanon's flailing economy. macr said he would return to the country to pressure the lebanese political class sometime this month. -- some time this month. >> this second conference, which will complement the emergency response and provide an emergency recovery response, cannot replace the commitment of lebanese institutions to form a government as soon as possible and implement the roadmap for reform, without which - economic

assistance could not be triggered. we will not let go of our commitments, if they concern reforms or the investigation into the explosion of the ports. >> the country's economy was already really before that explosion at beirut's port back in august, but since then, the financial situation has only worsened. >> france has always made its conditions for bailing lebanon out clear, and four months after a deadly port blast that rocked the country, its position has not changed. france refuses to provide financial assistance if reforms are not put in place. lebanon is still involved -- is still in a difficult crisis. the prime minister of the country was appointed in october, but he has yet to form a new government.

25 people have been arrested in connection with the explosion, but the investigation has made little progress. there's has -- there's been increasing public outcry for change. >> this is not a state. this is not a government. lebanese people want to know the truth. we want investigation, and we want the truth. >> lebanon's economy has been in shambles for more than a year. the situation is so dire the world bank said the country faces an arduous and prolonged depression, grackle -- grappling with hyperinflation and the effects of coronavirus. small businesses are struggling to stay open. >> we hope the economic situation gets better and that people from abroad come to visit during this holiday season. we hope for the best, but it's a very small hope. >> in order for lebanon to access financial aid, international donors are

demanding that an audit of the central bank be carried out, but it remains defiant and refuses to give access to its accounts. >> 24-year-old joshua wong was sentenced to 13 months in prison in connection to a rally last year. his jailing along with that of another activist comes amid a crackdown from the chinese government. >> leading dissident joshua wong arrived in court. the 24-year-old, who is perhaps the most prominent face of hong kong's pro-democracy movement, is handcuffed. the 26 -- another activist, 26 years old, pleaded guilty. the two young men along with

23-year-old agnes chow were sentenced on wednesday. it is her first time behind bars. the three activists cut their teeth in politics as teenagers. wong began protesting in 2012 against a push to make hong kong's education system more vitriolic. the 79-day largely peaceful protest for universal suffrage. joshua wong emerged as a david against goliath figure in the fit against the chinese party crackdown, and agnes chow was >> it is even more important for us to not surrender and to continue to believe in universal values.

>> although they shut down their political party, the trio remains steadfast, even if it means being sent to jail, with joshua wong saying, "cages cannot lock up souls." >> time for business. two weeks after getting the green light from regulators, boeing's 737 max plane has returned to the skies. >> it has undoubtedly been a publicity, but it's also a key step towards regaining trust in that model. it is planning a first commercial flight on december nine. boeing's 737 max fleet was grounded march 17 after a second deadly crash involving that model. 346 people died in the accident in indonesia and ethiopia. since then, boeing has

introduced software changes and new pilot training programs aimed at making the plane safer. the agreement was given two weeks ago, though safety officials in other countries have yet to follow suit -- the green light was given two weeks ago, though safety officials in other countries have yet to follow suit. >> people are not going to flock to the 737 max by choice until they are made to feel confident about it. there have been hundreds of thousands of hours spe including the software. pilots are now ruired to go through flight simulator training, which was not required before. they have a lot more control over the plane, including the software, and other improvements have been made. i think the plane is safe. >> the u.s. congress stalemate continues. legislators said they would support a bipartisan compromise proposal put forth by moderate

lawmakers yesterday. the 908 billion dollar package was billed as a short-term relief package to tide over struggling businesses and households. donald trump, however, has signaled support for a leaner proposal put forth by republicans. millions of out of work americans could lose emergency support by the end of december if congress does not act before then. u.s. markets rose after those democratic leaders spoke earlier on. wall street continued its record-breaking start to december after a relatively muted session that saw stocks climbing towards the end of trade. the nasdaq -- just the nasdaq ending below the flat line. s&p 500 managing another record close. shares of salesforce declined after it announced it would purchase slack for $27 billion -- 20 $7 million. the ftse 100 up about 1.25%. -pfizer and biontech say they ae

beginning to transport doses of dire vaccine. other pharmaceutical giants hope to follow suit soon, but with many vaccines requiring special storage facilities, transporting enough doses around the world requires a huge logistical challenge. -- poses a huge logistical challenge. >> a new front line in the fight against coronavirus. several of the prospective vaccines need to be kept cold in order to remain effective. pfizer's vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees celsius, colder than antarctic. moderna's is -20, similar to a domestic freezer. transporting them is a huge challenge with governments around the world scrambling to safeguard their citizens, demand for special transportation units has shot up. >> orders have massively

increased so that the vaccines can be safely distributed. >> the airline industry would also play a key role. pharmaceutical cargo demands specialist handling equipment. usually, dry ice is used to keep vials of vaccine at super low temperatures, but there are restrictions on its use. as a gas, it produces interference with breathable air on board aircraft. airlines are also looking into other ways to maintain ultra low temperatures. the global rollout of the vaccine is expected to generate 65 tons of airfreight. >> the pharmaceutical giants that have been researching those coronavirus vaccines insist they are committed to getting the vaccine to all corners of the globe, not just to advanced economies. we spoke to the oecd's chief

economist about the need for international cooperation amid what she described as a clearly global problem. >> there was a global response. this time, it's a very global crisis. i think the best response to this is to organize at the countries.el vaccination for all we must make sure that those vaccines and the treatment against coronavirus -- that we reach out at about the same speed. >> you can watch the rest of

that interview at 4:45 p.m. paris time tomorrow. >> thanks so much. that's it for now.

122/20 12/02/20 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> the pandemic and economic fallout, together have caused so had damage for so many that a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable among us. amy: president-elect biden's proposed economic team has addressed the nation for the first time, vowing to combat growing inequality and the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.