anchor: awaiting a vexing approval but the coronavirus pandemic rips through the united states, putting more pressure on a struggling health care system. ♪ hello, i'm adrian finighan. this is al jazeera. also coming up. >> as we reach this extraordinary and historic moment in the life of our nation, let me urge every american to do our part.

adrian: vice president mike pence becomes the most senior member of the government to get the vaccine to demonstrate its safety. brazil's supreme court rules taking the event -- vaccine will be mandatory, at odds with the president's stance on immunization. the former governor of mexico becomes the latest victim of drug related violence spiraling out of control. ♪ we begin in the united states, where the food and drug administration is assessing whether to approve a second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. moderna is waiting for the green light to dispatch nearly 6 million doses nationwide. authorities worry that americans still need more reassurance to embrace an immunization campaign. that's why politicians are getting a chat on camera. the highest profile recipient yet, vice president mike pence

was injected with the pfizer vaccine on friday. >> karen and i are more than happy to step forward before this week was out to take the safe and effective coronavirus vaccine that we have secured and produced for the american people. as we reach this extraordinary and historic moment in the life of our nation, let me urge every american to continue to do your part for the health of your family and neighbors and your community first. practice good hygiene. wash your hands. practice social distancing or wear our mask whenever it's indicated. adrian: the top diseases expert expressed optimism life could return to normal within months. president-elect joe biden will receive a dose of the vaccine on monday. >> the sweetness is the light at the end of the tunnel, which i can tell you, as we get into january, february, march, and april, that light is going to get brighter and brighter.

in the bitterness is going to be replaced by the sweetness. and we all hope, and i think this is doable, that by the time we get to several months into this year, we will have enough people protected that we can start thinking seriously about the return to normality. adrian: this all comes as the u.s. reports more than 3000 deaths, with -- for the third straight day. the health care system is on the verge of buckling under pressure with the rising number of patients. let's go live to washington. kimberly how good is there. w'-- halkett is there. how soon before the moderna vaccine gets distributed? kimberly: if things go as planned and as expected, then we could see the moderna vaccine being distributed some time starting on monday. but there stir all or a few -- there still are a few hurdles.

the fda needs to sign off on it, as well as the cdc. but it doesn't appear, so far, that there are any glitches. what the goal in this is, one week into the pfizer vaccine, which is already been approved and being distributed, being inoculated in terms of americans getting it, is the goal that you heard dr. anthony fauci talking about just moments ago. and that is a return to people going to school and their businesses and going to restaurants. and that's going to take almost half of the population getting this vaccine. but there is a belief that this is doable with the moderna vaccine, in addition, roughly 150 million americans are expected to be vaccinated by the end of the spring or early summer here in the united states. so, people are really looking to and being hopeful for in the midst of record-breaking numbers of infections, deaths, and also the

feeling that the hospitals are just being overwhelmed. not only are the hospitals now for, bu -- full, but we're seeing pediatric wards being reconfigured to take care of intensive care patients, given the fact the hospitals are overwhelmed. we should also point out the staff, as well. they have been dealing with this since early march. they're exhausted. some of them have been sick. there really is a need for hope. adrian: in the middle of all of this, the u.s. congress may shut down. tell us more about that. kimberly: yeah, if things don't turn around in the next few hours, some in the government could be shut down temporarily because of a lack of funding. what's going on is something we've been reporting on for weeks, if not months, this idea that there needs to be another relief package that would help americans, as well as businesses, due to covid 19 and the economic devastation that's

been felt. let tucked in this legislation is also funding to keep the government open. so, what we've got right now is kind of a standoff, as usual, between democrats and republicans. and they agree to most of the package, but there are some sticking points, mainly money for state and local governments. democrats say let's push this through, and republicans are saying we want to see the price tag and we want to see where this money's going. so, if they don't work this out by midnight, not only will americans lose counting on another round of stimulus checks, but the government they count on could be affected when they need them the most. adrian: kimberly halkett reporting from washington. many thanks. sweden's government introduced its toughest coronavirus restrictions lesyet. face masks have been recommended on public transport. sweden has largely resisted

tough measures, but friday saw its highest number of new cases yet, of more than 9500. this week, the king criticized the failure to save lives there. in germany, temporary freezes are being used to store bodies after a spike in coronavirus. deaths overwhelmed hospitals. officials are preparing to roll out the pfizer vaccine after christmas in coordination with several other eu members. in france, a senior government scientist said a return to normal can't be expected until at least the second half of next year. reporter: in the german city of hanau, they run out of space for bodies in the hospital morgues. a shipping container is being used to temporarily handle the overflow. >> unfortunately, the situation and hannah has changed. we now need to make use of containers we have had here since april, initially as a precaution. since yesterday, two are here.

in total, 25 deceased can be stored in the container. sadly, we had to start using the container from yesterday. reporter: with a record of 34,000 new cases and 813 new deaths, germany lost its position as a role model for how to handle the pandemic well. though vaccinations are set to start up at christmas. >> the imminent probable of the first vaccine naturally gives us hope. it obviously won't solve the problem. and realistically, we need to be prepared for the months -- or the months of january and february will be the hardest months. reporter: several countries are in the grip of a second or third wave of coronavirus. french president emmanuel macron continued his isolation after@@ catching it. >> continue to be careful. on thursday, i tested positive, which shows the virus can really affect anyone because i am very

protected. i am very careful. i respect distance he. i wear a mask. i use hand sanitizer. and in spite of and everything, -- of everything, i caught the virus. reporter: the french government scientific advisor said vaccine rollout could take longer than thought. don't expect a return to normal before late last -- late next year. with more than 15,000 people in the u.k. currently hospitalized, the coronavirus, the country is approaching the first wave peak of hospitalizations. in a normal year, central lending would be -- central london would be teeming with christmas shopping. london is among the 38 million people in the united kingdom living under the toughest of the three coronavirus restrictions tiers. there's a temporary relaxation so famous can get

together, but the shutters are coming down again, and coming down harder. the cheer coming down has worn off already, stopping the national health service from being overwhelmed has become a top priority. adrian: it week after they were kidnapped, more than 300 students are being reunited with their families. parents in the northern state celebrated as they saw their sons for the first time since they were taken. 344 boys were kidnapped from their school last friday by armed men on motorbikes. details of the rescue are still not clear, including who was responsible and whether a ransom was paid. some of the boys said they were beaten daily by their captors. >> to be honest, there was no shelter, no brick. and the friday we were -- break. and the friday we were taken, we

spent two days without sleep. we were given potoes and groundnut cake. >> frankly speaking, i feel like god has granted me paradise because i'm so happy after spending two days without eating anything. my mother's more than 90 years old and i am her last board, and she too stopped eating and drinking. adrian: more from the city of katina. >> walking barefoot, some of them limping, the 344 schoolboys are led by nigerian security forces. after nearly a week in captivity. instead of joy, it's fear and exhaustion written on their young faces. >> physically, mentally, psychologically.

[inaudible] >> the government says all the students abducted in an armed ra id last week have now been freed. but it's yet to explain the circumstances leading to their release. >> a quick intervention prevented it from turning into another disaster. in 2014, secured experts say they failed to act quickly when boko haram took over 270 students. more than 100 of them are still unaccounted for. >> for six days, the students are forced to trek and hike until nigerian secured he forces pinned down their abductors. earlier, hundreds more either escaped on their own or were helped by the military.

in many in a cash and many in -- and many in a poor state of health. a punishing trek has left him fighting for his life. he is bedridden because of sickle-cell anemia. his father is desperately worried about his health. >> he said he was propped up and helped along by fellow students as they marched through a thick forest. when the group was arrested for a few minutes, he saw a chance to escape. he crawled away and hid behind a tree. later, he dragged himself to a village where he was brought home on a motorcycle. >> the calcutta secondary school, where the boys were taken, is now shut. they are taking no chances. nigeria's security forces are overstretched.

they are fighting many battles, including against boko haram. but eventually, the government will want the schools to reopen. adrian: a weather update next on al jazeera, and the new hope for those who can't afford to buy millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine. plus. state of qatar marks its national day with a special tribute to medical workers and their families. ♪ meteorologist: a good deal quieter across the eastern seaboard. you can see this massive cloud. that is what we make of the

northeastern, now pulling away from newfoundland, the eastern side of canada. things are quieting down nicely as we go through saturday. it will be a crisp day, one or two cells for new york and d.c. some very heavy rain from texas pushing into louisiana. that's going to make its way to the eastern seaboard. we go on through sunday, slowly but surely starting to pick up. we will see snow pushing up to that western side of canada, some wet weather there into washington state, across california into new mexico and indeed into mexico. a bit of wet weather across cuba for a time, but much of the caribbean looks good the next day or so. there will be a few showers into

the woodwards for a time -- windward's for a time. more sunshine than showers. ♪ >> i was raised in france. these are my grandparents. these are my parents. and this is me. fighting both isis and outside. -- assad. >> the second of a two-part epic tale of a remarkable family. the father, the son, and the jihad, part ii on al jazeera. ♪

adrian: hello again. this is al jazeera. the u.s. food and drug administration is set to approve a second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. imminently, makers of the moderna vaccine are waiting for the green light to dispatch 6 million doses nationwide. u.s. vice president mike pence has been inoculated with the pfizer bun tech vaccine. in a televised event, president-elect joe biden will do the same on monday. politicians are getting their chance in public in order to boost american confidence in the vaccination process. the more than 300 students have been reunited with their families a week after being kidnapped from a school in northern nigeria. armed men on motorbikes stormed the school last friday. it's still not clear how the rescue was secured and whether a ransom was made. the global program aimed at

securing fair access to covid-19 vaccines for pollination's since roughly doubled it supply. arrangements for nearly 2 million doses have been made as part of the covid alliance, first deliveries do next year. it's an initiative between three global health players, including the world health organization. so for, 92 -- so far, 92 middle income and lower countries are set to receive it. dozens of higher countries are pooling their vaccine buying power. once the job gets regulatory approval, it will be aliquoted to -- allocated to all participate in countries at the same rate proportional to its total population. a virologist at lancaster university joins us now live via skype. under this scheme, who decides who gets what in terms of which vaccine of debt or the number of doses? -- or the number of doses?

>> in the facility, we have 11 participating vaccines. and for though and middle income countries, countries were given the choice to apply for this facility and to take part in this one. and out of all the 92 middle to low income countries, 87 have deposited their request and requirements. so, based on how much is the availability of the vaccine and who has applied what, it is decided, at least in the first quarter of 2021, 3% will be supplied with the vaccine and to start with, into the frontline health workers. adrian: which vaccines are we talking about? ones that haven't received regulatory approval yet, like astrazeneca and johnson & johnson's? >> yeah, so the success of the covid kovacs facility, if they are allowed a different part -- different vaccine, but the major

dependency is on astrazeneca, which we are another three to six months of additional trial. and also, johnson & johnson, which is also starting the phase three trial. we're talking about another 2, 3 months. gsk is another part of the facility has delayed their trial for the end of 2021. so there will be a few challenges that need to be tackled before we are hopeful for enough supplies of the vaccine. adrian: each country put in a request for the amount of vaccine it thinks it will need. is that going to be enough to make a difference to the infection rate? i think they won't be able to inoculate enough people. >> that is really something that i am not convinced that even 3% supply in the first quarter is sufficient enough to immunize the vulnerable communities or into the frontline health workers. so according to an estimation, 2

billion doses would even be not sufficient enough to provide on a limited number of countries, as well as. until we supply 20% to the publishing, -- the impact of this disease will still be remaining onto those countries, and the benefit of the vaccine in those countries cannot be envisaged until a certain number of doses are demonstrated. it's not really about the vaccine and the shipment. the problem is the failed health care system and the transportation within the countries. that infrastructure is one of the major stumbling blocks to a successful campaign. adrian: good to talk to you. thank you very much, indeed. >> thanks for having me. adrian: mexico city is suspending nonessential activities to control the latest spike in infections. there comes the day after mexico's president pleaded with

the residents to stay off the streets. only the sale of food, energy, and financial factory services will be allowed until january 10. the city's mayor says hospitals are at 75% capacity. in mexico city alone, there have been almost 20,000 deaths. brazil's president says he won't be getting a vaccine and nobody can be forced to take it. bolsonaro was speaking the day the supreme court ruled the vaccine could be made mandatory. the rate of infection has been increasing across brazil. on thursday, daily deaths succeeding 1000. bolsonaro warned brazilians about taking the vaccine. >> it's clear in the contract with pfizer, we are not responsible for any side effects. if you become an alligator, that's your problem. i'm not going to mention a number of and will because you'll think i'm talking

nonsense. if any woman grows a beard or any man starts singing soprano, then they have nothing to do with it. adrian: let's go live to rio de janeiro and other zeros monica and akia. what has been the reaction to what the president has been saying? monica: well, brazil, once again, is sending a double message. bolsonaro talked right after, like the day after the government said it would start a national campaign to make people aware of the importance of the vaccine. and he doesn't play along with what he said he would do. the reason he is contesting the vaccine is because the supreme court decided that governors and mayors, besides the federal government, can make the vaccine compulsory. and you can't force people to

take them, but you cannot allow them to enter places unless they can show proof that they have been vaccinated. adrian: monica, thank you very much indeed. a former government -- governor has been shot dead early on friday in a restaurant in the beach town of part of ir to. it's the latest in -- puerto v allarta. is the latest in a series of tax -- attacks. john holman reports. john: this records the moment big mexican governor was killed in a restaurant. sandoval was holidaying in the resort town. he was out with three other people and with a 15 strong bodyguard team that couldn't save him. >> the attack happened at 1:40 in the morning.

the x governor got up from the table and went to the bathroom. that's when our man shot him in the back. john: killings have become common, but the murder of an governor is still unusual. the investigation to who is behind the attack is just beginning, but it's not going to be easy. that's because the state attorney said the staff from the restaurant cleaned up the crime scene, took away evidence, and even removed security cameras. the southwest of the country is the heartland of one of mexico's most powerful criminal groups, the new generation cartel. this is one of the videos they released showing their firepower. they have not been afraid to turn on authorities before. this assassination could mark the start of a season of political violence in mexico. that's because next july, the country is holding its biggest ever elections. and in the run-up to elections in the country, there's usually

the point where criminal groups try to position their own candidates. and they often do that by murdering rival ones. sandoval, former governor of jalisco, would likely not be the last to die. john holman, al jazeera, mexico city. adrian: if eop is government is offering a reward for information that can help locate the region of the tigre ruling party. the region's leaders went into hiding after federal troops captured the local capital nearly two weeks ago. meanwhile, ethiopia talked to the saudi ambassador to talk about trespassing and rates on its territory -- raids on its territory. joe biden has been called upon to release a classified approach -- he says the move would greatly exist in finding out

what. the saudi crown prince is assumed to have ordered the killing. qatar has celebrated its national day. crowds were limited due to the pandemic. but a military air show went as planned. it also honored frontline health or -- health workers. reporter: this is the highlight of qatar national day celebrations. it's an event marked by a military parade, merges, and air show -- marches, and air show. this is held under extraordinary measures because of covid-19. this explains the distancing measures put into place by authorities, and explains why one of the key moments of the parades is a tribute to the caretakers, health-care workers,

doctors, nurses, all of those at the forefront at the fight against coke -- against covid-19. they have spent days, weeks, months raising awareness and providing crucial assistance to those in serious condition. the authorities say that basically all the measures that were taken by the government since march, where the first cases were reported in qatar, managed to a greater extent to contain the virus. we're talking here about social distancing measures, contact tracing, and also the top-notch services provided at hospitals across the country. now, what is next for qatar? for the time being, they're confident in doing their work. this explains why the mortality rate is one of the lowest in the world. at the end of this month, they expect the first batches of covid-19 vaccines to arrive in doha.

and by january, 20 between one, -- 2021, the elderly and was vulnerable will be the first to be vaccinated. this is giving hope to the qatari government, the international community that the moment it explodes -- it spreads globally, the disease that has shattered lives, her economies, changed our lives beyond recognition will be defeated one day. adrian: another qatari stadium set to host matches during the 2022 football world cup has held its first ever game. the stadium staged the america final exactly two years before the world cup final will be kicking off. it will have seven matches in 2022. it has a capacity of 40,000. numbers were limited in line with covid safety protocols. electronics giant sony has pulled one of the most anticipated video games from

sale a week after it was released. "cyberpunk 2077" took 10 years to make at a reported cost of $100 million. but many gamers complained about serious glitches. sony's price has plunged by 20%. plenty will more video for you, news, analysis, and comment at the website, al jazeera.com. ♪ it is good to have you with us, adrian finighan indo law with the headlines -- in doha with the headlines. a second vaccine used imminently. others are waiting for the green light. u.s. vice president mike pence was in ocular did with the pfizer bun tech vaccine in a

televised event. president-elect joe biden will do the same on monday. the top diseases expert expressed optimism that it could return life to normal within months. >> the sweetness is the light at the end of the tunnel, which i can tell you, as we get into january, february, march, and april, that light is going to get brighter and brighter. in the bitterness is going to be replaced by the sweetness. and we all hope, and i think this is doable, that by the time we get to several months into this year, we will have enough people protected that we can

start thinking seriously about the return to normality. adrian: i week after they were kidnapped, more than 300 students are being reunited with their families. parents in the northern state celebrated as they saw their sons for the first time since they were taken. 344 boys were kidnapped from their school last friday by armed men on motorbikes. the fiance of jamarcus oggi has called on u.s. president-elect joe biden to release the classified -- jamarcus oggi has called on u.s. present lecture biden to release the classified reports. sony pulled one of the most anticipated video games of all time from sale for the most

anticipated video games from sale a week after itas reased. "cyberpunk 2077" took 10 years to make at a reported cost of $100 million. but many gamers complained about serious glitches. ú 1ú1xkfvfvg

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