China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
No new digest content identified.

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

CARB-X [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
01.08.2020  |
CARB-X funds TAXIS Pharmaceuticals to accelerate development of innovative efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), a new drug class that would impair bacteria’s ability to fight antibiotics
CARB-X is awarding TAXIS Pharmaceuticals of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, USA, up to US$3.2 million in non-dilutive funding to develop efflux pump inhibitors (EPI), a new drug class designed to destroy a major mechanism of multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. TAXIS is eligible for additional funding of up to $11.4 million if the project achieves certain milestones. TAXIS’ EPIs are designed to disable the bacteria’s efflux pumps, which act like bilge pumps to flush out antibiotics from the bacterial cell in order to safeguard the superbug from the effects of antibiotics.

01.07.2020  |
CARB-X backs Centauri to advance a new platform that combines antibiotic power with the ability to boost the immune system to fight infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria
CARB-X is awarding Centauri Therapeutics of Sandwich, UK, up to $1.4 million in non-dilutive funding to develop a novel dual-acting immunotherapy to treat serious infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens, including drug-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, and A.baumannii.

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

EDCTP [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

European Vaccine Initiative [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Fondation Merieux [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
20 – 22 Jan 2020
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening strategies workshop
Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier-du-Lac (France)

Gavi [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
No new digest content identified.
GHIT Fund [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
Geneva, 7 January 2020
Hanan Sboul takes over the position of IGBA Chair
IGBA, the International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association (IGBA), representing global manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines, announced today that Hanan Sboul, Secretary General of the Jordanian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, is taking over the position of IGBA Chair for 2020 from Jim Keon, President of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association and Biosimilars Canada.
Key milestones were achieved for the IGBA during 2019, namely the signature of a memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote accessi and the adoption by the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) of a new topic proposal on bioequivalenceii…

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IFRC [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Asia Pacific
Red Cross releases funds in anticipation of extreme winter in Mongolia
Forecasts of an extreme winter in Mongolia have triggered the release of funding to reduce its impact on vulnerable herders. This is the first time this early action funding mechanism developed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has been used anywhere.
9 January 2020

IVAC [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
IVI to lead critical standard reagents availability for oral cholera vaccine manufacturing to ensure their uniform efficacy and help meet global demand
January 9, 2020 – SEOUL, South Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) received a $1.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to ensure critical standards and reagents are available to low-cost oral cholera vaccine (OCV) manufacturers in the global health market. International standardization in the manufacturing and release of OCV will ultimately ensure sufficient supply of low-cost prequalified vaccines in the 39 Gavi countries, where demand currently exceeds the supply.

There are currently no International Standards or reference reagents available to vaccine manufacturers to test the cholera vaccine antigens containing bulk drug substances or products. This lack of standardization led IVI to organize a meeting in May 2018 on “International Standards for Oral Whole Cell Killed Cholera Vaccines,” funded by the Gates Foundation. Representatives from leading research institutions and national regulatory agencies attended the meeting, as well as field experts in inactivated killed OCV from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), to outline consensus on the specification of reagents for LPS inhibition ELISA to be established as WHO International Standards.

“Making available reference reagents will ensure uniform efficacy and allow multiple manufacturers to scale up production of low-cost cholera vaccine, which currently can’t fulfill global demand,” says Dr. Ravi Ganapathy, Head of Vaccine Process Development at IVI…

JEE Alliance [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
No new digest content identified.

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
NVAC 2020 Meetings
February 13-14, 2020 NVAC Meeting
June 9-10, 2020 NVAC Meeting
September 23-24, 2020 Meeting (Virtual)

NIH [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
No new digest content identified.

PATH [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
9 January 2020
UNAIDS Executive Director urges Uganda to do more domestically

UNICEF [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
UNICEF calls on all stakeholders to put children first and ensure their safeguarding in these times of crisis in Lebanon
Statement by Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon
10/01/2020

Press release
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Liam Neeson joins the call to ramp up support to Venezuelan migrant children during visit to Brazil-Venezuela border
10/01/2020

Press release
Fighting in and around Tripoli shuts 210 schools, depriving over 115,000 children of their education
06/01/2020

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 9 January 2020
Katie Anastasi-Frankovics is Wellcome’s new Director of Innovations
We are making two new appointments to Wellcome’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) – Katie Anastasi-Frankovics is becoming Director of Innovations and Karen Chadwick is now Finance Director.

The Wistar Institute [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
January 10, 2020
New Report Demonstrates Potential for Cell and Gene Therapies to Provide Cost Savings
WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 10, 2020 – The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the leading international advocacy organization representing the cell and gene therapy and broader regenerative medicine sector, today announced the release of a report, “A Transformative Therapy Value Model for Rare Blood Diseases.” The report uses a refined value model to assess the impact of durable and potentially curative cell and gene therapies on health system costs.

Produced by the Marwood Group with support from ARM, the report calculates the potential cost savings that a durable cell or gene therapy could provide when treating patients with multiple myeloma, hemophilia A, or sickle cell disease. Under the current standard of care, these three disease states are projected to cost the United States healthcare system $163B per year by 2029.

Key findings from the report include:
:: The total potential savings of cell and gene therapies range from 18% to 30% in annual total disease costs and productivity. This represents an aggregate cost savings of more than $33B over ten years.
:: The modeled cost savings were highest in multiple myeloma patients ($27B in cumulative savings per year by 2029) due to the high cost of the current standard of care and to greater productivity losses experienced by the adult children caregivers of older patients.
:: Innovative financing models, such as subscription models, payment-over-time, and value-based payments, are needed to help payers offset the potentially high upfront costs of these therapies and realize longer term cost-savings…

BIO [to 11 Jan 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
DCVMN International welcomes newly formed Executive Committee 2020-23
Geneva, 02 January 2020 – At its 20th Annual General Meeting held in Rio, on October 22nd 2019, the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network international members elected, among its nominated membership, the new Executive Committee members, who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure the success of the Network.
We are pleased to announce the new Executive Committee, composed of seven voting members including Sai Prasad, from Bharat Biotech, India; Patrick Tippoo, from Biovac, South Africa; Tiago Rocca, from Butantan, Brazil; Lingjiang Yang, from CNBG, China; Fernando Lobos, from Sinergium, Argentina; Weidan (Wendy) Huang, from Innovax, China and Adriansjah Azhari, from Biofarma, Indonesia…

IFPMA [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 11 Jan 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Press Release
New Analysis Finds Nearly 50% of Brand Medicine Spending Goes to the Supply Chain and Others
The Share of Total Spending for Brand Medicines Retained by the Supply Chain and Others Increased from 33% in 2013 to 46% in 2018
January 9, 2020
Washington, D.C. (January 9, 2020) — Nearly half of total spending on brand medicines – the sum of all payments made at the pharmacy or paid on a claim to a health care provider – went to the supply chain and other entities in 2018, according to a new analysis from the Berkeley Research Group (BRG). Innovative biopharmaceutical companies that research, develop and manufacture medicines retained just 54% of total point-of-sale spending on brand medicines. The share of spending received by other stakeholders increased from 33% in 2013 to 46% in 2018.
“This data reaffirms that we need to look at the entire supply chain in order to solve patient affordability challenges,” said Stephen J. Ubl, president and chief executive officer of PhRMA. “We need to fix the misaligned incentives in the supply chain, including the broken rebate system, to ensure patients benefit at the pharmacy counter from the significant discounts and rebates.”…

Journal Watch
Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review continues its weekly scanning of key peer-reviewed journals to identify and cite articles, commentary and editorials, books reviews and other content supporting our focu-s on vaccine ethics and policy. Journal Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues the Center is actively tracking. We selectively provide full text of some editorial and comment articles that are specifically relevant to our work. Successful access to some of the links provided may require subscription or other access arrangement unique to the publisher.
If you would like to suggest other journal titles to include in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

Annals of Internal Medicine
7 January 2020 Vol: 172, Issue 1
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Editorials
Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Through Age 45 Years in the United States
Jean-François Laprise, PhD; Harrell W. Chesson, PhD; Lauri E. Markowitz, MD; Mélanie Drolet, PhD; Dave Martin, PhD; Élodie Bénard, MSc; Marc Brisson, PhD
Results of Base-Case Analysis:
The model predicts that the current U.S. HPV vaccination program will reduce the number of diagnoses of anogenital warts and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or 3 and cases of cervical cancer and noncervical HPV-associated cancer by 82%, 80%, 59%, and 39%, respectively, over 100 years and is cost saving (vs. no vaccination). In contrast, extending vaccination to women and men aged 45 years is predicted to reduce these outcomes by an additional 0.4, 0.4, 0.2, and 0.2 percentage points, respectively. Vaccinating women and men up to age 30, 40, and 45 years is predicted to cost $830,000, $1,843,000, and $1,471,000, respectively, per quality-adjusted life-year gained (vs. current vaccination).

Genome Medicine
https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 11 Jan 2020]

Strains used in whole organism Plasmodium falciparum vaccine trials differ in genome structure, sequence, and immunogenic potential
Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) whole-organism sporozoite vaccines have been shown to provide significant protection against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) in clinical trials. Initial CHMI studies showed si…

Authors: Kara A. Moser, Elliott F. Drábek, Ankit Dwivedi, Emily M. Stucke, Jonathan Crabtree, Antoine Dara, Zalak Shah, Matthew Adams, Tao Li, Priscila T. Rodrigues, Sergey Koren, Adam M. Phillippy, James B. Munro, Amed Ouattara, Benjamin C. Sparklin, Julie C. Dunning Hotopp…
Citation: Genome Medicine 2020 12:6
Content type: Research
Published on: 8 January 2020

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 11 Jan 2020]

Understanding the implications of the Sustainable Development Goals for health policy and systems research: results of a research priority setting exercise
Given the paradigmatic shift represented by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as compared to the Millennium Development Goals – in particular their broad and interconnected nature – a new set of health …

Authors: Sara Bennett, Nasreen Jessani, Douglas Glandon, Mary Qiu, Kerry Scott, Ankita Meghani, Fadi El-Jardali, Daniel Maceira, Dena Javadi and Abdul Ghaffar
Citation: Globalization and Health 2020 16:5
Content type: Research
Published on: 9 January 2020

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2020 Volume 90, p1-242
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0019-3

Reviews
The challenges of tuberculosis control in protracted conflict: The case of Syria
Aula Abbara, Mohamed Almalla, Ibrahim AlMasri, Hussam AlKabbani, Nabil Karah, Wael El-Amin, Latha Rajan, Ibrahim Rahhal, Mohammad Alabbas, Zaher Sahloul, Ahmad Tarakji, Annie Sparrow
p53–59
Published online: October 19, 2019
Abstract
Objectives
Syria’s protracted conflict has resulted in ideal conditions for the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) and the cultivation of drug-resistant strains. This paper compares TB control in Syria before and after the conflict using available data, examines the barriers posed by protracted conflict and those specific to Syria, and discusses what measures can be taken to address the control of TB in Syria.
Results
Forced mass displacement and systematic violations of humanitarian law have resulted in overcrowding and the destruction of key infrastructure, leading to an increased risk of both drug-sensitive and resistant TB, while restricting the ability to diagnose, trace contacts, treat, and follow-up. Pre-conflict, TB in Syria was officially reported at 22 per 100 000 population; the official figure for 2017 of 19 per 100 000 is likely a vast underestimate given the challenges and barriers to case detection. Limited diagnostics also affect the diagnosis of multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant TB, reported as comprising 8.8% of new diagnoses in 2017.
Conclusions
The control of TB in Syria requires a multipronged, tailored, and pragmatic approach to improve timely diagnosis, increase detection, stop transmission, and mitigate the risk of drug resistance. Solutions must also consider vulnerable populations such as imprisoned and besieged communities where the risk of drug resistance is particularly high, and must recognize the limitations of national programming. Strengthening capacity to control TB in Syria with particular attention to these factors will positively impact other parallel conditions; this is key as attention turns to post-conflict reconstruction.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2020 Volume 90, p1-242
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0019-3

Reviews
The challenges of tuberculosis control in protracted conflict: The case of Syria
Aula Abbara, Mohamed Almalla, Ibrahim AlMasri, Hussam AlKabbani, Nabil Karah, Wael El-Amin, Latha Rajan, Ibrahim Rahhal, Mohammad Alabbas, Zaher Sahloul, Ahmad Tarakji, Annie Sparrow
p53–59
Published online: October 19, 2019
Abstract
Objectives
Syria’s protracted conflict has resulted in ideal conditions for the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) and the cultivation of drug-resistant strains. This paper compares TB control in Syria before and after the conflict using available data, examines the barriers posed by protracted conflict and those specific to Syria, and discusses what measures can be taken to address the control of TB in Syria.
Results
Forced mass displacement and systematic violations of humanitarian law have resulted in overcrowding and the destruction of key infrastructure, leading to an increased risk of both drug-sensitive and resistant TB, while restricting the ability to diagnose, trace contacts, treat, and follow-up. Pre-conflict, TB in Syria was officially reported at 22 per 100 000 population; the official figure for 2017 of 19 per 100 000 is likely a vast underestimate given the challenges and barriers to case detection. Limited diagnostics also affect the diagnosis of multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant TB, reported as comprising 8.8% of new diagnoses in 2017.
Conclusions
The control of TB in Syria requires a multipronged, tailored, and pragmatic approach to improve timely diagnosis, increase detection, stop transmission, and mitigate the risk of drug resistance. Solutions must also consider vulnerable populations such as imprisoned and besieged communities where the risk of drug resistance is particularly high, and must recognize the limitations of national programming. Strengthening capacity to control TB in Syria with particular attention to these factors will positively impact other parallel conditions; this is key as attention turns to post-conflict reconstruction.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2020 Volume 90, p1-242
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0019-3

Impact of vaccines on antimicrobial resistance
Philippe Buchy, Sibel Ascioglu, Yves Buisson, Sanjoy Datta, Michael Nissen, Paul Anantharajah Tambyah, Sirenda Vong
p188–196
Published online: October 14, 2019

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2020 Volume 90, p1-242
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(19)X0019-3

Original Reports
Were infections in migrants associated with the resurgence of measles epidemic during 2013–2014 in southern China? A retrospective data analysis
Ka Chun Chong, Pei Hu, See Yeung Chan, Wenjia Liang, Kirran N. Mohammad, Riyang Sun, Maggie Haitian Wang, Benny Chung Ying Zee, Duorui Shi, Huizhen Zheng
p77–83
Published online: October 18, 2019

JAMA
January 7, 2020, Vol 323, No. 1, Pages 11-100
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Viewpoint
Moving Toward Evidence-Based PolicyThe Value of Randomization for Program and Policy Implementation
Atheendar S. Venkataramani, MD, PhD; Kristen Underhill, JD, DPhil; Kevin G. Volpp, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2020;323(1):21-22. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.18061
This Viewpoint emphasizes the value of randomized evaluation of policies and programs designed to improve health behaviors, health outcomes, and health care delivery, and articulates preconditions that appear to be essential for the practice to become more of a standard in policy implementation.

JAMA Pediatrics
January 2020, Vol 174, No. 1, Pages 1-108
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Original Investigation
Factors Associated With Measles Transmission in the United States During the Postelimination Era
Paul A. Gastañaduy, MD, MPH; Sebastian Funk, PhD; Benjamin A. Lopman, PhD; et al.
open access
JAMA Pediatr. 2020;174(1):56-62. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4357
This cross-sectional study examines the factors associated with measles transmission in the United States after measles had been eliminated.

JAMA Pediatrics
January 2020, Vol 174, No. 1, Pages 1-108
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Research Letter
Association of Seasonal Severity and Vaccine Effectiveness With Influenza Vaccination Rates in Children
Claire Abraham, MD; Qixuan Chen, PhD; Weijia Fan, MS; et al.
JAMA Pediatr. 2020;174(1):86-88. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4221
This study examines the associations of seasonal influenza severity as well as current and prior year’s vaccine effectiveness with yearly influenza vaccination rates stratified by age groups.

JAMA Pediatrics
January 2020, Vol 174, No. 1, Pages 1-108
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Association of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Incidence With Proposed State Vaccine Exemption Legislation
Neal D. Goldstein, PhD, MBI; Jonathan Purtle, DrPH, MSc; Joanna S. Suder, JD
JAMA Pediatr. 2020;174(1):88-89. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4365
This study evaluates the association of vaccine-preventable disease incidence with trends in the introduction of state legislation that would alter vaccine exemption laws.

Journal of Adolescent Health
December 2019 Volume 65, Issue 6, Supplement, S1-S62
https://www.jahonline.org/issue/S1054-139X(19)X0005-1

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Progress in the 25 Years Since the International Conference on Population and Development and Prospects for the Next 25 years
Edited by Caroline W. Kabiru
Review Articles
The State of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
Mengjia Liang, Sandile Simelane, Guillem Fortuny Fillo, Satvika Chalasani, Katherine Weny, Pablo Salazar Canelos, Lorna Jenkins, Ann-Beth Moller, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Lale Say, Kristien Michielsen, Danielle Marie Claire Engel, Rachel Snow
S3–S15
Published in issue: December 2019

Journal of Adolescent Health
December 2019 Volume 65, Issue 6, Supplement, S1-S62
https://www.jahonline.org/issue/S1054-139X(19)X0005-1

The Political, Research, Programmatic, and Social Responses to Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the 25 Years Since the International Conference on Population and Development
Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, B. Jane Ferguson, Marina Plesons, Mandira Paul, Satvika Chalasani, Avni Amin, Christina Pallitto, Marni Sommers, Ruben Avila, Kalisito Va Eceéce Biaukula, Scheherazade Husain, Eglé Janušonytė, Aditi Mukherji, Ali Ihsan Nergiz, Gogontlejang Phaladi, Chelsey Porter, Josephine Sauvarin, Alma Virginia Camacho-Huber, Sunil Mehra, Sonja Caffe, Kristien Michielsen, David Anthony Ross, Ilya Zhukov, Linda Gail Bekker, Connie L. Celum, Robyn Dayton, Annabel Erulkar, Ellen Travers, Joar Svanemyr, Nankali Maksud, Lina Digolo-Nyagah, Nafissatou J. Diop, Pema Lhaki, Kamal Adhikari, Teresa Mahon, Maja Manzenski Hansen, Meghan Greeley, Joanna Herat, Danielle Marie Claire Engel
S16–S40
Published in issue: December 2019

Journal of Adolescent Health
December 2019 Volume 65, Issue 6, Supplement, S1-S62
https://www.jahonline.org/issue/S1054-139X(19)X0005-1

Forward, Together: A Collaborative Path to Comprehensive Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Our Time
Marina Plesons, Claire B. Cole, Gwyn Hainsworth, Ruben Avila, Kalisito Va Eceéce Biaukula, Scheherazade Husain, Eglė Janušonytė, Aditi Mukherji, Ali Ihsan Nergiz, Gogontlejang Phaladi, B. Jane Ferguson, Anandita Philipose, Bruce Dick, Cate Lane, Joanna Herat, Danielle Marie Claire Engel, Sally Beadle, Brendan Hayes, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli
S51–S62

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 1, February 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/1

Original Paper
Perceived Barriers and Trends in HPV Vaccination via Patient Survey Responses at Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Federally-Qualified Health Center
Nathan VanderVeen, Arika Wieneke, Samantha Tran, Amie Kim… Pages 48-54

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 1, February 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/1

Original Paper
Vaccine-Hesitant and Vaccine-Refusing Parents’ Reflections on the Way Parenthood Changed Their Attitudes to Vaccination
T. Rozbroj, A. Lyons, J. Lucke Pages 63-72

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 1, February 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/1

Original Paper
Cost-Effectiveness of Pneumococcal Vaccination and Uptake Improvement Programs in Underserved and General Population Adults Aged < 65 Years
Angela R. Wateska, Mary Patricia Nowalk, Chyongchiou J. Lin… Pages 111-120

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 1, February 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/1

Original Paper
The Impact of Michigan’s Nonmedical Vaccine Exemption Rule Change on Philosophical Exemption Rates
Duduzile P. Mashinini, Kieran J. Fogarty, Rachel C. Potter… Pages 148-153

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
January 2020 – Volume 74 – 1
https://jech.bmj.com/content/74/1

Reviews
Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in imprisoned women worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis
(23 October, 2019)
Nadia Escobar, Emma Plugge

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
January 2020 – Volume 74 – 1
https://jech.bmj.com/content/74/1

Other Topics
Does health plan type influence receipt of an annual influenza vaccination?
(19 October, 2019)
Ian W Watson, Sanda Cristina Oancea

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 22, Issue 1, February 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10903/22/1

Original Paper
Sexual Health, HIV Care and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the African Immigrant Population: A Needs Assessment
Olihe N. Okoro, Shanasha O. Whitson

The Lancet
Jan 11, 2020 Volume 395Number 10218p89-164, e2-e5
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
Join the Lancet 2020 Campaign on child and adolescent health
The Lancet
We started science-based advocacy with our first ever global health Series on child mortality in 2003. The 2003 Series pointed out that of the 10 million annual deaths of children younger than 5 years worldwide, two-thirds were preventable. The recommendations then were to reinvigorate the child survival revolution of the 1980s by ensuring equity in access to health care and preventive interventions; creating clear leadership for child survival; strengthening health systems; and providing adequate and targeted human and financial resources for child health. However, now in 2020, we see an urgent need to make child and adolescent health and wellbeing the focus of a special campaign across our journals as progress made is stalling or reversing and new political and environmental realities are emerging.

Much positive change has happened in the past 17 years in child and adolescent health, which might be seen as a beacon in achievements in global health overall. Under-5 mortality has more than halved since 1990, to about 5·3 million deaths in 2018. Maternal health and early child development have been recognised as important foundations for lifelong health and wellbeing. The adolescent years have been discovered as a time of unique opportunity to extend the gains made in early childhood and in some cases to provide a second chance to foster and strengthen health and wellbeing, with far-reaching consequences into adulthood and the next generation. Adolescents and young people have taken the initiative, joined global health discussions, and, in the past year in particular, have been vocal advocates for actions to address climate change and environmental degradation, and to protect planetary health.

The Millennium Development Goals agenda that concluded in 2015 provided clear targets and achieved measurable—albeit uneven—progress. The then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s focus on the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health, launched in 2015, was a welcome focus on the groups that arguably matter most for the subsequently agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But now, at the start of the fifth year into the SDGs, there is cause for concern. The UN’s leadership’s focus has moved away from health. WHO’s prioritisation of universal health coverage has weakened the attention given to maternal, child, newborn, and adolescent health.
In addition, the economic, political, commercial, and environmental determinants—so essential for child and adolescent health—have changed dramatically. A child growing up today faces an unprecedented threat to health and livelihood, let alone wellbeing, because of a climate emergency. Migration, increasing conflicts, political agendas moving away from provision of social safety nets and poverty reduction even in high-income countries, the continued commercial exploitation of children and young people leading to unhealthy diets, and exposure to alcohol and tobacco products mean that children and adolescents in 2020 need special attention if we are serious about a sustainable and healthy future for all.

With this editorial we start our Lancet 2020 Campaign on child and adolescent health. Throughout the year there will be milestone publications and events. In February, a new WHO–UNICEF Lancet Commission will put children firmly at the centre of the SDGs in the hope to kick-start a new global movement. Global Burden of Disease papers will provide new data to monitor progress. A Commission on Women, Children, and Adolescent Health in China will place a spotlight on a country where many children and adolescents live and a rapid transition of determinants of health and the health-care system is happening. A Series on physical activity will include new findings and recommendations for adolescents and further Series will aim to unify the fields of maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health around the goal of a lifelong attention to health and equity achieved through intersectoral collaboration. At the Tokyo Global Nutrition Summit, we aim to launch a Series on adolescent nutrition. Our specialty journals have plans to publish Commissions on institutionalised children, paediatric cancer care, youth mental health services, and pain control in children.

A special communications strategy will be developed to support the campaign and facilitate partnerships with as many other communities as possible. We aim to engage and galvanise political leaders, policy makers, civil society and non-governmental organisations, researchers and clinicians, funders and responsible commercial organisations, and children and young people themselves. Please join us to make a difference with our 2020 Campaign.

Nature
Volume 577 Issue 7789, 9 January 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Editorial | 07 January 2020
The trick that could inject new life into an old tuberculosis vaccine
The BCG vaccine is nearing its centenary. A new delivery method could protect more people from one of the world’s biggest killers.

Nature
Volume 577 Issue 7789, 9 January 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Review Article | 08 January 2020
A brief history of human disease genetics
This Review describes progress in the study of human genetics, in which rapid advances in technology, foundational genomic resources and analytical tools have contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for many rare and common diseases and to preventative and therapeutic strategies for many of these conditions.
Melina Claussnitzer, Judy H. Cho[…] & Mark I. McCarthy

Pediatrics
January 01, 2020; Volume 145,Issue 1
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/145/1

Quality Reports
Previsit Planning Improves Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates in Childhood-Onset SLE
Vidya Sivaraman, Kelly A. Wise, William Cotton, Fatima Barbar-Smiley, Ohoud AlAhmed, Darby MacDonald, Stephanie Lemle, Cagri Yildirim-Toruner, Stacy P. Ardoin, Monica I. Ardura
Pediatrics, Jan 2020, 145 (1) e20183141

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 11 Jan 2020)

Infectious disease pandemic planning and response: Incorporating decision analysis
Freya M. Shearer, Robert Moss, Jodie McVernon, Joshua V. Ross, James M. McCaw
Policy Forum | published 09 Jan 2020 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003018
Summary points
:: Planning is critical to mitigating the sudden and potentially catastrophic impact of an infectious disease pandemic on society. National pandemic policy documents cover a wide variety of control options, often with nonspecific recommendations for action.
:: Despite advances in analytical methods for gaining early situational awareness (i.e., of a disease’s transmissibility and severity) and for predicting the likely effectiveness of interventions, a major gap exists globally in terms of integrating these outputs with the advice contained in policy documents.
:: Decision models (and decision science as a field, more broadly) provide an approach to defining and evaluating alternative policy options under complex and changing conditions.
:: A decision model for infectious disease pandemics is an appropriate method for integrating evidence from situational and intervention analysis tools, along with the information in policy documents, to provide robust advice on possible response options (including uncertainty).
:: A decision model for pandemic response cannot capture all of the social, political, and ethical considerations that impact decision-making. Such a model should therefore be embedded in a decision support system that emphasizes this broader context.

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en

Latest articles
6 Jan 2020
Comparative analysis of policies regulating clinical trials
Original research | Portuguese |
The present article compares clinical trial regulations in Brazil, India, Canada, and the European Union with the aim of providing evidence for an evaluation of the Brazilian regulatory policy. For that, a document analysis approach was used, in four steps: preliminary exploratory analysis; descriptive study; categorization of information; contrasting contents. Noteworthy differences between the Brazilian regulatory framework as compared to the other regions studied include the existence of several laws and regulations in Brazil vs. a single rule in the other countries; the absence of requirements regarding drug traceability and collection and disposal of unused drugs if a study is interrupted or cancelled; and a higher time of 180 days for approval of clinical trials (vs. 30 days in the European Union or Canada, for example). This suggests opportunities for improvement and update of the Brazilian regulations vis-à-vis the international scenario.

Science
10 January 2020 Vol 367, Issue 6474
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Policy Forum
Waiting for data: Barriers to executing data use agreements
By Michelle M. Mello, George Triantis, Robyn Stanton, Erik Blumenkranz, David M. Studdert
Science10 Jan 2020 : 150-152 Full Access
Delays stem from institutional factors and negotiating challenges, some of which appear amenable to reform
Summary
Many academic researchers who use preexisting data to conduct research describe a common experience: waiting for university officials to finalize and sign contracts necessary to transfer the data. These data use agreements (DUAs) detail the terms under which data will be disclosed, transferred, stored, and used, specifying rights and obligations for both the data supplier and the recipient (1). Faculty members often struggle to understand why DUAs for transfers of seemingly low-risk data take so long to conclude. To understand reasons for delays and explore what might be done to streamline the process, we interviewed a sample of university officials responsible for negotiating DUAs. This first empirical investigation of the DUA process found that procedural inefficiencies, incomplete information, data suppliers’ lack of incentives and familiarity with academic practices, and faculty unresponsiveness may be more important contributors to delays than the lawyers being at loggerheads over their respective positions. Although researchers may view DUAs as another symptom that research has become “overlawyered,” our study suggests that they may underappreciate the importance of these contracts and the complexity of negotiating them.

Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 11 Jan 2020]

Mapping the evidence on health equity considerations in economic evaluations of health interventions: a scoping review protocol
Equity in health has become an important policy agenda around the world, prompting health economists to advance methods to enable the inclusion of equity in economic evaluations. Among the methods that have been proposed to explicitly include equity are the weighting analysis, equity impact analysis, and equity trade-off analysis. This is a new development and a comprehensive overview of trends and concepts of health equity in economic evaluations is lacking. Thus, our objective is to map the current state of the literature with respect to how health equity is considered in economic evaluations of health interventions reported in the academic and gray literature.

Authors: Hafizah Besar Sa’aid, Sharon Mathew, Marina Richardson, Joanna M. Bielecki and Beate Sander
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2020 9:6
Content type: Protocol
Published on: 8 January 2020

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Abstract only
Effectiveness of email-based reminders to increase vaccine uptake: a systematic review
Beatrice Frascella, Aurea Oradini-Alacreu, Federica Balzarini, Carlo Signorelli, … Anna Odone
Pages 433-443

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Open access
Barriers to vaccination in Latin America: A systematic literature review
Adriana Guzman-Holst, Rodrigo DeAntonio, David Prado-Cohrs, Patricia Juliao
Pages 470-481
Highlights
:: Individual/group influence is the main vaccination barrier in Latin America.
:: Low socio-economic group, less educated and age contribute to low vaccine uptake.
:: Education and trust in healthcare professionals enhances vaccine acceptance.
:: More data is needed within target population subgroups, countries and vaccine type.

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Abstract only
The emergence of vaccine hesitancy among upper-class Brazilians: Results from four birth cohorts, 1982–2015
Mariangela F. Silveira, Romina Buffarini, Andrea D. Bertoldi, Iná S. Santos, … Cesar G. Victora
Pages 482-488

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Abstract only
Image of the new vaccination obligation through the media
Eva Mitilian, Fady Malli, Pierre Verger
Pages 498-511

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Research articleOpen access
Effect of donor funding for immunization from Gavi and other development assistance channels on vaccine coverage: Evidence from 120 low and middle income recipient countries
Gloria Ikilezi, Orvalho J. Augusto, Joseph L. Dieleman, Kenneth Sherr, Stephen S. Lim
Pages 588-596

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Abstract only
Applying a governance barometer to vaccine delivery systems: Lessons from a rural district of Pakistan
Shehla Zaidi, Atif Riaz, Syed Shahzad Hussain, Saad B. Omer, Asad Ali
Pages 627-634

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 3 Pages 411-708 (16 January 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/2

Review article Abstract only
School-based delivery of routinely recommended vaccines and opportunities to check vaccination status at school, a global summary, 2008–2017
Leora R. Feldstein, Garrett Fox, Abigail Shefer, Laura M. Conklin, Kirsten Ward
Pages 680-689

From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary

No new digest content identified.

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Volume 88, May 2020, 103947
Case Report
Donald Trump and vaccination: The effect of political identity, conspiracist ideation and presidential tweets on vaccine hesitancy
MJ Hornsey, M Finlayson, G Chatwood, CT Begeny…
Highlights
:: Trump voters are more concerned about vaccines than other Americans.
:: This effect emerges via Trump voters’ greater willingness to believe conspiracies.
:: Reading Trump’s antivaxx tweets increases vaccination concern among Trump voters.
:: Trump’s antivaxx tweets did not polarize liberal voters into being more provaxx.
Abstract
Donald Trump is the first U.S. President to be on the record as having anti-vaccination attitudes. Given his enormous reach and influence, it is worthwhile examining the extent to which allegiance to Trump is associated with the public’s perceptions of vaccine safety and efficacy. In both Study 1 (N = 518) and Study 2 (N = 316), Trump voters were significantly more concerned about vaccines than other Americans. This tendency was reduced to non-significance after controlling for conspiracist ideation (i.e., general willingness to believe conspiracy theories) and, to a lesser degree, political conservatism. In Study 2, participants were later exposed to real Trump tweets that either focused on his anti-vaccination views, or focused on golf (the control condition). Compared to when the same respondents were sampled a week earlier, there was a significant increase in vaccine concern, but only among Trump voters who were exposed to the anti-vaccination tweets. The effects were exclusively negative: there was no evidence that anti-vaccination Trump tweets polarized liberal voters into becoming more pro-vaccination. In line with the social identity model of leadership, Study 2 indicates that some leaders do not simply represent the attitudes and opinions of the group, but can also change group members’ opinions.

Cancer Control
Volume 27: 1-16 2020
Original Research Paper
Mining HPV Vaccine Knowledge Structures of Young Adults From Reddit Using Distributional Semantics and Pathfinder Networks
M Amith, T Cohen, R Cunningham, LS Savas, N Smith… –
Abstract
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects adolescents and young adults from 9 high-risk HPV virus types that cause 90% of cervical and anal cancers and 70% of oropharyngeal cancers. This study extends our previous research analyzing online content concerning the HPV vaccination in social media platforms used by young adults, in which we used Pathfinder network scaling and methods of distributional semantics to characterize differences in knowledge organization reflected in consumer- and expert-generated online content. The current study extends this approach to evaluate HPV vaccine perceptions among young adults who populate Reddit, a major social media platform. We derived Pathfinder networks from estimates of semantic relatedness obtained by learning word embeddings from Reddit posts and compared these to networks derived from human expert estimation of the relationship between key concepts. Results revealed that users of Reddit, predominantly comprising young adults in the vaccine catch up age-group 18 through 26 years of age, perceived the HPV vaccine domain from a virus-framed perspective that could impact their lifestyle choices and that their awareness of the HPV vaccine for cancer prevention is also lacking. Further differences in knowledge structures were elucidated, with implications for future health communication initiatives.

Annals of Oncology
Articles in Press
Reduced seroprevalence against vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) in adult patients with cancer: necessity of routine vaccination as part of the therapeutic concept
A Guzek, AS Berghoff, J Jasinska, E Garner-Spitzer… –
Abstract
Cancer patients are immunocompromised and thus have an increased risk for infections, such as vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).1,2 Studies in children with cancer showed impaired antibody (Ab) titers to various VPDs, yet data in adults are scarce.3,4 Hence, we evaluated the seroprevalence of Abs against the most common VPDs, namely measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (VZV), hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in 478 adult patients with solid malignancies or hematological malignancies (HM) and in 117 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (supplementary Methods, supplementary Table S1, and supplementary Figure S1, available at Annals of Oncology online).

Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
Science
The Virus Buried in a 100-Year-Old Lung
Scientists have managed to sequence the genome of a measles virus that infected a 2-year-old girl who died in 1912.
Sarah Zhang January 9, 2020

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
Sick days
A rare outbreak of polio reflects the Philippines’ poor health care
Distributing vaccines to 7,000 islands is not easy
Jan 9th 2020
MANILA
FOR NINETEEN years the Philippines was free from polio. But in September the announcement came that two children living in provinces 900 miles apart had been paralysed by a vaccine-derived strain of the disease. The strain was also found in sewage and in a waterway. Foreign and domestic health authorities have since jumped into action. The next in a series of immunisation drives starts on January 20th on the southern island of Mindanao…

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
Jan 10, 2020,
Vaccination Rates Rise In California After Personal Belief Exemptions Curbed
Clary Estes Contributor

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
Opinion
You Are Unvaccinated and Got Sick. These Are Your Odds.
Comparing the dangerous effects of three diseases with the minimal side effects of their corresponding vaccines.
By Peter J. Hotez and Bill Marsh Jan. 9

U.S.
After a Measles Scare, Seattle Cracks Down on Vaccine Compliance
At a time when states and school districts are trying to increase vaccination rates, an aggressive strategy in Seattle appears to be paying off.
By Mike Baker

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new relevant content]

Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new relevant content]

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new relevant content]

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new relevant content]

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 11 Jan 2020
[No new relevant content]

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Volume 20, ISSUE 1, P1, January 01, 2020
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current
Personal View
The public health crisis of underimmunisation: a global plan of action
Lawrence O Gostin, James G Hodge Jr, Barry R Bloom, Ayman El-Mohandes, Jonathan Fielding,
Peter Hotez, Ann Kurth, Heidi J Larson, Walter A Orenstein, Kenneth Rabin, Scott C Ratzan, Daniel Salmon
[Excerpts]
Summary
Vaccination is one of public health’s greatest achievements, responsible for saving billions of lives. Yet, 20% of children worldwide are not fully protected, leading to 1·5 million child deaths annually from vaccine-preventable diseases. Millions more people have severe disabling illnesses, cancers, and disabilities stemming from underimmunisation. Reasons for falling vaccination rates globally include low public trust in vaccines, constraints on affordability or access, and insufficient governmental vaccine investments. Consequently, an emerging crisis in vaccine hesitancy ranges from hyperlocal to national and worldwide. Outbreaks often originate in small, insular communities with low immunisation rates. Local outbreaks can spread rapidly, however, transcending borders. Following an assessment of underlying determinants of low vaccination rates, we offer an action based on scientific evidence, ethics, and human rights that spans multiple governments, organisations, disciplines, and sectors.

Introduction
Vaccination is among public health’s greatest achievements, saving billions of lives. Global scourges such as smallpox have been eradicated, with polio nearing eradication. Childhood diseases (such as measles, mumps, and pertussis) have substantially diminished through modern vaccination practices. Yet, one in five children worldwide are not fully protected, resulting in 1·5 million child deaths annually from diseases that are preventable by vaccination, including diarrhoea and pneumonia, equating to one death every 20 s.¹ Millions more people have severe disabling illnesses, cancers, and disabilities from infections caused by underimmunisation. Ten highly populous countries with suboptimal immunisation systems account for over 70% of the world’s unvaccinated children.¹

Despite vast benefits, immunisation levels are falling among specific populations in countries at all wealth levels. Reasons vary, ranging from low public trust in vaccines to constraints on affordability or access. The WHO rates vaccine hesitancy—reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite vaccine availability—as among the top ten global health threats for 2019.² Overall, both WHO and UNICEF report in 2019 that global immunisation rates for common childhood vaccines have flat-lined at 86% over the past decade.², ³ Country rates vary widely, from 25% in Equatorial Guinea to 96% in Norway.³ Vaccinations in many countries are falling below levels needed for so-called herd immunity, or community protection, resulting in outbreaks. The global incidence of measles increased by 30% over the previous year in 2017 alone, with major diphtheria outbreaks in multiple regions.⁴

The vaccination crisis ranges from hyperlocal to national and worldwide. Outbreaks often originate in small, insular communities with low vaccination rates. Yet, local outbreaks can spread rapidly, transcending borders. Mass migration and international travel propel infectious diseases across the globe. Anti-vaccine messaging targets local communities, but is also disseminated widely on internet platforms and social media. Multiple forces driving the resurgence of childhood diseases also threaten immunisation campaigns, such as for polio and malaria.

The remarkable promise of immunisation has stubbornly stalled, with losses measured in deaths and human suffering.⁵ In 2018, 20 million children missed out on lifesaving measles, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccines.³ Underlying this public health crisis is a striking paradox—vaccines are victims of their own success. Immunisations are remarkably effective, closely monitored, and very safe. Consequently, many clinicians and parents have not seen the consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases and underestimate their harms. Governments also fail to adequately invest in vaccines, from research to cold storage and delivery.

There are no simple solutions to this problem, but innovative policies and programmes working in concert would substantially increase vaccination rates. We offer an action plan based on scientific evidence, ethics, and human rights. Crucially, an effective response must be multidisciplinary and multisectoral, spanning governments, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society. Our plan begins with an examination of underlying determinants of low vaccination rates…

Generating sustainable solutions
Underimmunisation is a global crisis requiring sustainable solutions. We offer a three-pronged strategy: innovative financing for vaccine affordability, accessibility, and availability; evidence-based health communication campaigns at local, national, and global levels; and law reform that has public acceptance and is fairly implemented.

:: Vaccine affordability, accessibility, and availability
Projected global funding shortfalls of $7·2 billion (between 2016 and 2020) undermine immunisation goals.³⁶
WHO’s 2013 Global Vaccine Action Plan estimated $60 billion needed for 94 LMICs from 2011 to 2020,³⁷ nearly half of which is unsecured through government or philanthropic sources. WHO also seeks an additional $10 billion for its own operations by 2023, including $667 million to “strengthen routine vaccination and health systems” and $1·6 billion for polio eradication.³⁸
Most costs focus on immunisation services, including management, training, social mobilisation, and surveillance. Rapid deployment of vaccines in response to emerging threats is also essential to save lives and reduce costs.

WHO’s Action Plan partners focus on the entire vaccine pipeline—from research, price, storage, and delivery to robust health systems. Dedicated funding for national immunisation programmes is an essential driver for national and global initiatives. Gavi, for example, generates long-term resources through the international finance facility for immunisation and advanced market commitments to support pneumococcal vaccines. A global campaign to raise financing to scale should be a major priority, especially for low-income countries that are unable to pay for or administer vaccines across their populations. Solidarity for universal vaccine availability is warranted because deficiencies in any country threaten populations worldwide. Each government must assure robust national immunisation systems, but the international community also shares responsibility to fill gaps in capacity through enhanced coordination, forecasting, and manufacturer incentives. Global partnerships like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) align public and private actors to fund, develop, and equitably distribute vaccines.

:: Trustworthy information environment
Resources alone, of course, cannot ensure high immunisation rates if the public distrusts the quality, safety, or effectiveness of vaccines. Gaining trust has become difficult with the rise of nationalist populism, which often questions science and casts doubt on expert opinions. The public cannot rely on the media to provide unbiased or accurate messages. Although some parents remain vehemently opposed to vaccinations, most are open to non-judgmental messages and want the best for their children. Altering the informational environment to afford greater salience to accurate, science-based messages could assuage parental concerns. WHO, governments, and partners (eg, philanthropists, industry, and civil society) should sustainably fund evidence-based engagement and health communication strategies that are proactive, timely, and credible, and tailored to specific audiences. WHO is generating a hub for vaccination acceptance and demand to provide reliable information and tools. Governments should similarly develop national and regional campaigns, including an emphasis on behavioural changes. Key components of effective communication campaigns include objective messaging in traditional and social media designed to assuage fears and promote accurate health information and immunisation outcomes. Campaigns should recruit well trusted spokespeople such as leaders in sport, entertainment, and religion. Health engagement is often the most effective at the community level through local leaders, teachers, and religious figures.

Governments should also adopt transparent, lawful, and measured regulations to correct or remove disinformation from the internet and social media. In the same way that states limit malicious hate speech and violent images, they can sensibly regulate patently false or misleading vaccine information. Social media enterprises should be held accountable for rooting out irresponsible vaccine rumours pervading their platforms. For example, searches for vaccine-related terms on Pinterest are automatically diverted to trustworthy vaccine sources like WHO and CDC.³⁹ Furthermore, internet search engines should prioritise reliable scientific sources over anti-vaccine websites.

Traditional and social media play a special role in open and free societies, and their independence is highly valued. Encouraging self-regulation and ethical corporate responsibility could avoid formal regulation. Governments at the 2019 G20 Summit, for example, asked social media companies to remove violent, terrorism-related messages and images. Facebook agreed to assess its policies governing anti-vaccination information and advertising on its site. YouTube has begun taking down misleading videos and images. Moreover, Amazon is removing anti-vaccination videos, books, and documentaries.

:: National or regional law reform
Governments can use legal tools successfully to increase vaccination rates. Efficacious vaccination laws can lead to higher immunisation coverage.³⁰ Vaccination mandates passed in France and Italy are associated with increased vaccine rates.⁴⁰ A meta-analysis of European laws, however, did not find a strong link between vaccination laws and coverage.²⁴ These disparate findings might suggest that legal approaches tailored to local cultures work best.

Vaccination laws must exempt people for legitimate medical reasons, such as infants and immunosuppressed individuals. Yet, overzealous reliance on non-medical exemptions can result in preventable outbreaks.²⁷ Multiple US studies conclude that school vaccination laws with fewer exemptions lowered the incidence of childhood diseases. Governments should consider repealing or restricting permissive religious and philosophical exceptions. Such reforms are consistent with freedoms of religion and conscience because they do not target particular religious or other communities, but are applied fairly and equally throughout society. Parents are responsible for not placing their own, and other, children at risk of serious infections. Well tailored laws can also help reduce the number of people objecting to vaccinations due to misinformation.

Conclusion
The global crises of underimmunisation risks hard-won gains in preventing infectious diseases. Resurging childhood diseases and fragile global vaccination campaigns necessitate concerted action. Our action plan focuses on the prime causes of underimmunisation: vaccine availability, public distrust, and lax immunisation laws. Immunisation is a potent public health tool. Finding the political will and holding governments accountable are essential. Countless lives can be saved if the international community sustainably funds vaccination systems, assures reliable information, and safeguards the common good through meaningful law reform.

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 73: 24 December 2019
Situation Update
In the week of 16 to 22 December 2019, 14 new confirmed Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases were reported from four health areas within two health zones in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The new confirmed cases in the past week are from Mabalako Health Zone (12/14; 86%) and Butembo Health Zone (2/14; 14%)…

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DRC Ebola outbreaks
Military presence leads MSF to stop activities in Ebola-affected Biakato
Press Release 24 Dec 2019
Following security incidents in Biakato, Democratic Republic of Congo, an increase in security – including armed military forces – have been deployed around and within health structures. The presence of arms and weapons in hospitals and clinics has resulted in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) taking the difficult decision to stop medical activities – including those related to Ebola – in Biakato.
“We are no longer able to work in accordance with our principles of neutrality and impartiality,” said Ewenn Chenard, Emergency Coordinator for MSF. “We regret this decision, but the presence of armed forces around and within the health structures of Biakato goes against our principles.”
MSF has been working with the people of Biakato, located in DRC’s northeastern Ituri province, since 2016, supporting the Ministry of Health. Initially, our activities were dedicated to assisting victims of sexual violence…

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POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Statement of the Twenty-Third IHR Emergency Committee Regarding the International Spread of Poliovirus
20 December 2019
[Excerpts; Editor’s text bolding]
The twenty-third meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director General on 11 December 2019 at WHO headquarters with members, advisers and invited Member States attending via teleconference, supported by the WHO secretariat.

The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  The Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations.  The following IHR States Parties provided an update on the current situation and the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations since the Committee last met on 16 September 2019: Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Togo and Zambia…

Wild poliovirus
The Committee remains gravely concerned by the significant increase in WPV1 cases globally to 113 as at 11 December 2019, compared to 28 for the same period in 2018, with no significant success yet in reversing this trend. 

In Pakistan transmission continues to be widespread, as indicated by both AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) surveillance and environmental sampling. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province continues to be of particular concern.  The issues noted previously by the committee, including refusal by individuals and communities to accept vaccination, and problems with politicization of the national polio program are still being addressed.  Added pressure is now on the program due to confirmation of detection of cVDPV2 in several provinces (see below).
In Afghanistan, the security situation remains very challenging.  Inaccessible and missed children particularly in the Southern Region represent a large cohort of susceptible children in this part of Afghanistan.  The risk of a major upsurge of cases is growing, with other parts of the country that have been free of WPV1 for some time now at risk of outbreaks. This would again increase the risk of international spread.  Major efforts must be made to improve access if eradication efforts are going to progress.

The committee noted that based on sequencing of viruses, there were recent instances of international spread of viruses from Pakistan to Afghanistan and also from Afghanistan to Pakistan.  The recent increased frequency of WPV1 international spread between the two countries suggests that rising transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan correlates with increasing risk of WPV1 exportation beyond the single epidemiological block formed by the two countries…

Vaccine derived poliovirus
The multiple cVDPV outbreaks in four WHO regions (African, Eastern Mediterranean, South-east Asian and Western Pacific Regions) are very concerning, with seven new countries reporting outbreaks since the last meeting (Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Togo and Zambia).  Since the last meeting, cVDPV2 has spread through West Africa and the Lake Chad area, reaching Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Chad, and cVDPV1 has spread from the Philippines to Malaysia.

The rapid emergence of multiple cVDPV2 strains in several countries is unprecedented and very concerning, and not yet fully understood. 

The committee noted that the GPEI was developing a strategy to address cVDPV2 outbreaks but was extremely concerned that the monovalent OPV2 stockpile was becoming depleted.  The committee strongly supports the development and proposed Emergency Use Listing of the novel OPV2 vaccine which should become available mid-2020, and which it is hoped will result in no or very little seeding of further outbreaks.

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months.  The committee recognizes the concerns regarding the lengthy duration of the polio PHEIC, but concludes that the current situation is extraordinary, with clear ongoing risk of international spread and ongoing need for coordinated international response…

Additional considerations  
Preparedness – The committee urged all countries, particularly those in Africa, be on high alert for the possibility of cVDPV2 importation and respond to such importations as a national public health emergency.  This means countries should ensure polio surveillance can rapidly detect cVDPV2, and plans are in place to respond rapidly with well planned and executed mOPV2 campaigns, and with strict procedures to ensure unused vials are returned and managed so that inappropriate or accidental use is avoided.

International Coordination – Unprecedented levels of international spread of cVDPV require urgent coordinated control measures at regional and sub-regional levels.  The committee strongly encourages countries to do more in support of cross border actions, such as sharing of surveillance and other data, synchronizing campaigns and where possible ensure vaccination of international travelers.

Emergency Response – The committee noted the endorsement of SAGE for the accelerated clinical development of novel OPV2 and its assessment under the WHO Emergency Use and Listing (EUL) procedure, which can be used in a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), and added its support to ensure the supply of monovalent OPV2.

Financing – The number of outbreaks is proving to be costly to manage, and the committee urged affected countries to prioritize polio control as a public health emergency and ensure adequate domestic funding is available for an effective response.  The committee urged affected countries to mobilize domestic funding to complement the GPEI resources which are being stretched by the large number of outbreaks being fought globally.

Communication – Vaccine hesitancy is a significant factor in the spread of these outbreaks particularly certain countries including Pakistan and Angola.  The committee urged countries to invest time and resources into pro-actively circumventing and countering myths and misinformation regarding vaccination is general, and rumors that arise during the course of campaigns in particular.  Campaign communications need to address issues around avoiding spreading excreted Sabin-like viruses through good hygiene.

Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by affected countries, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 19 December 2019 determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV.  The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s recommendations for countries meeting the definition for ‘States infected with WPV1, cVDPV1 or cVDPV3 with potential risk for international spread’, ‘States infected with cVDPV2 with potential risk for international spread’ and for ‘States no longer infected by WPV1 or cVDPV, but which remain vulnerable to re-infection by WPV or cVDPV’ and extended the Temporary Recommendations under the IHR to reduce the risk of the international spread of poliovirus, effective 19 December 2019.

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Three African countries halt polio outbreaks
Kenya, Mozambique and Niger have curbed polio outbreaks that erupted in different episodes over the past 24 months, allowing them to regain their polio-free status, World Health Organization (WHO) announced
Brazzaville, 19 December 2019 – Kenya, Mozambique and Niger have curbed polio outbreaks that erupted in different episodes over the past 24 months, allowing them to regain their polio-free status, World Health Organization (WHO) announced.
Transmission of vaccine-derived poliovirus was detected in the three countries in 2018, affecting 12 children. No other cases have since been detected.
“Ending outbreaks in the three countries is proof that the implementation of response activities and ensuring that three rounds of high-quality immunization campaigns are conducted can stop the remaining outbreaks in the region,” said Dr Modjirom Ndoutabe, Coordinator of the WHO-led polio outbreaks Rapid Response Team for the African Region.
“We are strongly encouraged by this achievement and determined in our efforts to see polio eradicated from the continent. It is a demonstration of the commitment by Governments, WHO and our partners to ensure that future generations live free of this debilitating virus,” added Dr Ndoutabe…

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Editor’s Note:
WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 4 Jan 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 73: 24 December 2019

Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO deeply concerned about deteriorating health conditions in northwest Syria
25 December 2019, Geneva-Cairo-Copenhagen –  The World Health Organization today expressed its deepening concern about the situation in northwest Syria and the impact hostilities are having on the health of a population that has endured sustained hardships, in what is now harsh weather conditions.
“The recent military escalation in this area has resulted in loss of lives, injuries and exacerbated suffering of civilians, displacing more than 130,000, including women, children and elderly,” said Dr Richard Brennan, Director of Health Emergencies for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. “Some have been displaced three times during the nine years of the Syrian conflict,” he added.
Among the 12 million people in need of health services in Syria, over 2.7 million are in the northwest and half 0.5 million live in the areas south of Idleb, where disruption of fragile health services continues…

Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 4 Jan 2020]
Myanmar
:: Bi‐weekly Situation Report 25 – 19 December 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
:: Tuberculosis(TB) performance for the third quarter for Cox’s Bazar District was reviewed at a meeting held with a view to strengthening TB programme activities in the district.
:: Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV)campaign in Rohingya camps has ended on 14 December. However, the campaign for the host community will continue for the period of 8 to 31 December 2019.
:: A total of 127 Community Health Worker(CHW) supervisors have received a two-day training on risk factors of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and behavioral interventionsin Cox’s Bazar.
:: The government of Bangladesh through National Expanded Program on Immunization(EPI), is going to conduct a month-long Measles Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) activity from 12 January to 12 February 2020 in the Rohingya camps.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
As per Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG)report of September 2019, there are 914,998 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. This includes 34,172 refugees from Myanmar who registered before 31st August 2017. All refugees, including new arrivals, face compounding vulnerabilities, including in health. WHO has been responding to this crisis since September 2017. A summary of response actions from epidemiological weeks 49 and 50 of 2019 is presented below…

Niger
:: L’OMS offre un important lot de médicaments et matériels médicaux au Gouvernement du…
27 décembre 2019
Le Niger fait régulièrement face à des urgences de plus en plus complexes avec un impact négatif sur la santé des populations. Parmi ces urgences « les maladies à potentiel épidémique », telles que le choléra, la méningite, entre autres, mais aussi « les conséquences sanitaires liées à l’activisme de groupes armées non étatiques (GANE) » le long du périmètre des quatre frontières Mali-Burkina Faso-Nigéria-Niger impliquant dix (10) districts sanitaires (DS) dans la région de Tillabéry, 2 dans celle de Tahoua, cinq (5) dans celle de Diffa et 2 dans celle de Maradi, engendrant de grands mouvements de populations.

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 4 Jan 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syrian Arab Republic: Recent Developments in Northwestern Syria Situation Report No. 4 – As of 2 January 2020

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Editor’s Note:
Ebola in the DRC has bene added as a OCHA “Corporate Emergency” this week:
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth – No new digest announcements identified
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 4 Jan 2020]

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros, video message for new year 2020
2 January 2020
In his new year’s message for 2020, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pays tribute to the tireless work of health workers around the world. Dr Tedros highlights the critical contribution these people make to all our lives and flags the urgent need for an additional 18 million more.

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020 
Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services. These are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children; giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice; looking after older people and generally meeting everyday essential health needs. They are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. The world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
That’s why the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife…

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Three African countries halt polio outbreaks 20 December 2019

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: 26 December 2019 News release
15 years of Indian Ocean tsunami – WHO South-East Asia Region continues to prioritize preparedness to respond to public health emergencies

WHO European Region EURO
:: WHO project wins the Global Aesthetic Achievement of the Year award 03-01-2020

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Regional Summit of National Ethics and Bioethics Committees 24 December 2019
:: WHO doctor awarded for helping the mothers and babies of Gaza 22 December 2019

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

CDC/ACIP [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
No new digest content identified.

Africa CDC [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
Updated: 2019-12-19
Law protecting medical staff implemented
2019-12-30
China’s top legislature and health commission condemned the fatal stabbing of a doctor at a Beijing hospital by a patient’s relative when the country’s law on promotion of basic medical and healthcare was adopted on Dec 28…
In a bid to deter illegal acts targeting medical staff and institutions, the law stipulates that the personal safety and dignity of medical workers must not be infringed upon and that their legitimate rights are protected by law…

Infectious disease situation stable in China: official
2019-12-27
A Chinese health official said on Dec 26 China’s current infectious disease situation is generally stable despite that the country is in the peak of the flu season.
According to the latest surveillance statistics, some provincial-level regions have already entered the flu season, with influenza virus A subtype H3N2 and B virus lineage Victoria were detected as the main viruses, Wang Bin, an official with the National Health Commission, said at a press conference.
Li Zhongjie, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that vaccination is the most effective and economical way to prevent infectious diseases.
In addition, Li stressed the importance of developing good personal hygiene habits to reduce the risk of exposure to viruses.

China’s flu vaccine supply can meet demand
2019-12-27

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

CARB-X [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

EDCTP [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

European Vaccine Initiative [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Fondation Merieux [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
20 – 22 Jan 2020
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening strategies workshop
Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier-du-Lac (France)

Gavi [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
No new digest content identified.
GHIT Fund [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
No new digest content identified.

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IFRC [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

IVAC [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.

JEE Alliance [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Syria
“There are no safe places for people in Idlib”
Interview 27 Dec 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Crisis update – December 2019
Crisis Update 27 Dec 2019

DRC Ebola outbreaks
Military presence leads MSF to stop activities in Ebola-affected Biakato
Press Release 24 Dec 2019
Following security incidents in Biakato, Democratic Republic of Congo, an increase in security – including armed military forces – have been deployed around and within health structures. The presence of arms and weapons in hospitals and clinics has resulted in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) taking the difficult decision to stop medical activities – including those related to Ebola – in Biakato.
“We are no longer able to work in accordance with our principles of neutrality and impartiality,” said Ewenn Chenard, Emergency Coordinator for MSF. “We regret this decision, but the presence of armed forces around and within the health structures of Biakato goes against our principles.”
MSF has been working with the people of Biakato, located in DRC’s northeastern Ituri province, since 2016, supporting the Ministry of Health. Initially, our activities were dedicated to assisting victims of sexual violence…

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
NVAC 2020 Meetings
February 13-14, 2020 NVAC Meeting
June 9-10, 2020 NVAC Meeting
September 23-24, 2020 Meeting (Virtual)

NIH [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
Changed route of immunization dramatically improves efficacy of TB vaccine
January 2, 2020 — NIH scientists report results from animal study.
… Now, researchers from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and their colleagues have shown that simply changing the dose and route of administration from intradermal (ID) to intravenous (IV) greatly increases the vaccine’s ability to protect rhesus macaques from infection following exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB. The findings provide a new understanding of the mechanisms of BCG-elicited protection against tuberculosis infection and disease. In addition, the findings support investigation of IV BCG administration in clinical trials to determine whether this route improves its effectiveness in teens and adults.
Study investigators at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center were led by Robert A. Seder, M.D., and Mario Roederer, Ph.D. Their collaborators included JoAnne L. Flynn, Ph.D., of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine…

PATH [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
26 December 2019
Treating HIV-positive children with speed and skill

UNICEF [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Reports
Statement
UNICEF’s New Year appeal for Syria: Cease fighting in the northwest and end the nine-year war
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
02/01/2020

Press release
New Year’s babies: Over 392,000 children will be born worldwide on New Year’s Day
In 2020, UNICEF is calling for world leaders and nations to invest in health workers with the know-how and equipment to save every newborn
01/01/2020

Press release
2019 concludes a ‘deadly decade’ for children in conflict, with more than 170,000 grave violations verified since 2010
Three-fold rise in verified attacks on children since 2010, an average of 45 violations a day
29/12/2019

Statement
Children bear the brunt of intensifying violence in northwest Syria
Statement from Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
24/12/2019

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 28 December 2019
MBE for Nicola Perrin in Queen’s New Year Honours
Nicola Perrin, former Head of Policy at Wellcome and latterly Head of Understanding Patient Data, has been awarded an MBE for her work on championing the responsible use of patient data.

The Wistar Institute [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/
No new digest content identified.

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ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 4 Jan 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

IFPMA [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 4 Jan 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.