Boosters may prolong Covid WHO warns, France jabs kids as Omicron surges

Scientists warn Omicron could cause more excess mortality if soaring infection numbers overwhelm health systems

The WHO warned Wednesday that rich countries cannot use boosters to escape the coronavirus and France became one of the first nations to vaccinate children over five, as nations scrambled to contain Omicron surges.

- Moves towards vaccinating children - France on Wednesday opened vaccinations to children aged between five and 11, warning that daily infections rates could hit 100,000 by the end of the year, up from a weekly average of 54,000 daily cases.