American Journal of Preventive Medicine
May 2020 Volume 58, Issue 5, p613-756
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current
Current Issues
Reducing Health Disparities Through Prevention: Role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Matthew J. O’Brien, Kate A. Kirley, Ronald T. Ackermann
p724–727
Published online: February 23, 2020
American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current
VACCINES
Vaccine Communication as Weaponized Identity Politics
Media, Immunization/Vaccines, Social Science
David A. Broniatowski, Sandra C. Quinn, Mark Dredze and Amelia M. Jamison
110(5), pp. 617–618
American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current
Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine Discourse, 2015–2017
Global Health, Media, Immunization/Vaccines, Social Science
Dror Walter, Yotam Ophir and Kathleen Hall Jamieson
110(5), pp. 718–724
American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current
CORONAVIRUS
Straining the System: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Preparedness for Concomitant Disasters
Global Health, Government, Infections, Public Health Practice, Other Infections
Nathaniel Smith and Michael Fraser
110(5), pp. 648–649
American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current
FLU SHOT
Influenza Vaccination Coverage of Health Care Personnel in Los Angeles County Hospitals, 2016–2017
Health Care Facilities/Services, Immunization/Vaccines, Infections, Prevention, Public Health Practice, Public Health Workers
Talar Kamali, Chelsea Foo, Kelsey OYong and Dawn Terashita
110(5), pp. 693–695
BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 2 May 2020)
Assessment of a novel scanner-supported system for processing of child health and immunization data in Uganda
Electronic data capturing has the potential to improve data quality and user-friendliness compared to manually processed, paper-based documentation systems. The MyChild system uses an innovative approach to pr…
Authors: Annika Äijö, Ina Schäffner, Peter Waiswa, Rornald Muhumuza Kananura, Mesfin Kassaye Tessma and Claudia Hanson
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2020 20:367
Content type: Research article
Published on: 29 April 2020
BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 2 May 2020)
COVID-19: where is the national ethical guidance?
Authors: Richard Huxtable
Content type: Editorial
1 May 2020
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic poses numerous – and substantial – ethical challenges to health and healthcare. Debate continues about whether there is adequate protective equipment, testing and monitoring, and about when a vaccine might become available and social restrictions might be lifted. The thorny dilemmas posed by triage and resource allocation also attract considerable attention, particularly access to intensive care resources, should demand outstrip supply.
But the “COVID fog” clouds more than the intensive care unit [1]. The provision and uptake of non-COVID related treatment is declining, due to the de-prioritisation of some services and interventions, alongside non-COVID patients’ fears of contracting the virus; difficult conversations are being held in suboptimal circumstances; and final farewells and death rituals have been disrupted. Healthcare personnel, meanwhile, are facing moral distress and, for some, difficulties arising from undertaking new roles in unfamiliar settings.
Whilst patients and the public require support, health and social care professionals also need guidance to help navigate the ethical challenges. A pandemic (by definition) respects no geographical boundaries, so co-ordinated international efforts will be important [2]. But guidance will also be needed to inform decision-making in health and social care within and throughout countries…
BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 2 May 2020)
Barriers and facilitators to dissemination and adoption of precision medicine among Hispanics/Latinos
With the rapid advances in gene technologies in recent years, the potential benefits of precision medicine (PM) may spread unevenly to disadvantaged populations, such as Hispanics/Latinos.
The objective of this study was to explore patient-level barriers and facilitators to dissemination and adoption of PM among Hispanics/Latinos, including knowledge and awareness.
Authors: Juan R. Canedo, Consuelo H. Wilkins, Nicole Senft, Araceli Romero, Kemberlee Bonnet and David Schlundt
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:603
Content type: Research article
Published on: 1 May 2020
BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 2 May 2020)
The social value of investing in public health across the life course: a systematic scoping review
Making the case for investing in public health by illustrating the social, economic and environmental value of public health interventions is imperative. Economic methodologies to help capture the social value…
Authors: Kathryn Ashton, Peter Schröder-Bäck, Timo Clemens, Mariana Dyakova, Anna Stielke and Mark A. Bellis
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:597
Content type: Research article
Published on: 1 May 2020
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 5, May 2020
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/5/en/
EDITORIALS
Simulation of the effects of COVID-19 testing rates on hospitalizations
— Bernardo Sousa-Pinto, João Almeida Fonseca, Bruno Oliveira, Ricardo Cruz-Correia, Pedro Pereira Rodrigues, Altamiro Costa-Pereira & Francisco Nuno Rocha-Gonçalves
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.258186
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 5, May 2020
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/5/en/
RESEARCH
Evidence of behaviour change during an Ebola virus disease outbreak, Sierra Leone
— F Jalloh, Paul Sengeh, Rebecca E Bunnell, Mohammad B Jalloh, Roeland Monasch, Wenshu Li, Jonathan Mermin, Nickolas DeLuca, Vance Brown, Sophia A Nur, Euna M August, Ray L Ransom, Apophia Namageyo-Funa, Sara A Clements, Meredith Dyson, Kathy Hageman, Samuel Abu Pratt, Azizeh Nuriddin, Dianna D Carroll, Nicole Hawk, Craig Manning, Sara Hersey, Barbara J Marston, Peter H Kilmarx, Lansana Conteh, Anna Mia Ekström, Zangin Zeebari, John T Redd, Helena Nordenstedt & Oliver Morgan
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.245803
The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2
Editorials
How can evidence and strategies influence policies?
Pekka Puska
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Page 205, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz226
The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2
Vaccination
The Dutch influenza vaccination policy and medication use, outpatient visits, hospitalization and mortality at age 65
Tom Van Ourti, Nicolas Bouckaert
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 275–280, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa016
The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2
Rotavirus vaccination impact, Ireland, implications for vaccine confidence and screening
Heather E Burns, Abigail M Collins, Una B Fallon, Paul V Marsden, Caitlin M Ni Shuilleabhain
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 281–285, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz238
The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2
Knowledge and beliefs on vaccines among a sample of Italian pregnant women: results from the NAVIDAD study
Fabrizio Bert, Elena Olivero, Paola Rossello, Maria R Gualano, Silvana Castaldi …
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 286–292, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz209
Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 2 May 2020]
Research Article metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Tetanus vaccine coverage in recommended and more than recommended doses among mothers in a West Cameroon health district: a cross sectional study
[version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Igor Nguemouo Nguegang, Martin Nguestop, Linda Evans Eba Ze, Trevor Anyambod Mboh, Dominique Majoric Omokolo, Ruth Noutakdie Fossi, Etienne Guenou, Jerome Ateudjieu
Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 2 May 2020]
Understanding China’s growing involvement in global health and managing processes of change
Authors: Lewis Husain and Gerald Bloom
Content type: Review
1 May 2020
Health and Human Rights
https://www.hhrjournal.org
[Accessed 2 May 2020]
Viewpoints
Upholding Rights Under COVID-19: The Respectful Maternity Care Charter
R. Rima Jolivet, Charlotte E Warren, Pooja Sripad, Elena Ateva, Jewel Gausman, Kate Mitchell, Hagar Palgi Hacker, Emma Sacks, and Ana Langer, 1 May 2020
[Excerpt]
…Human rights are indivisible and universal. Rights frameworks provide a firm legal and ethical foundation to guide policy and practice in a pandemic. Solutions that uphold fundamental human rights and best clinical practices, including infection control, contribute to stronger health and human rights outcomes overall. The Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Charter, published in 2011 and updated in 2019, articulates 10 fundamental rights of childbearing women and newborns based on widely accepted human rights instruments, and provides a framework for high-quality care that supports and upholds the dignity of all parties…
Health and Human Rights
https://www.hhrjournal.org
[Accessed 2 May 2020]
Contact Tracing Apps: Extra Risks for Women and Marginalized Groups
Sara L.M. Davis, 29 April 2020
[Excerpt]
…Groups that have historically experienced discrimination, stigma, and abuse may be exposed to greater risk of persecution as data on coronavirus transmission circulates and is discussed in the public sphere. Much of the public debate over digital contact tracing apps, rapidly unfolding in Europe, has so far focused on individual privacy, and on whether it can be protected with technical solutions.[1] These are important questions, but it sidesteps the harder problems linked to widespread stigma and blame. In some countries, states now impose criminal sanctions on transmission of the coronavirus, though UNAIDS warns, based on experience in the HIV epidemic, that criminal sanctions will undermine, not help the response.[2] Even anonymized data raises the risk of persecution once it circulates in a climate of fear and stigma…
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62
Original Research Articles
Awareness, perceived risk and protective behaviours of Myanmar adults on COVID-19
Kyaw S. Mya, Aye S. M., Win A. Hlaing, Su S. Hlaing, Thida Aung, Swe M. M. Lwin, Ei S. U., Thandar Tun, Kyawt S. Lwin, Hla H. Win
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20201530
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62
Coverage evaluation of the universal immunization program in Imphal-East district of Manipur: a cross-sectional study
Dayananda Ingudam, Heisnam Kulabidhu Singh, Longjam Usharani Devi
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20201984
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62
Knowledge, attitude and practice of fathers about childhood immunization: a tertiary care hospital based cross sectional study
Swetha E. Jose, Navya C. Joseph, Soorya Sheela, Vidhu M. Joshy
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20202008
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62
Editorial
Introduction of newer vaccines in national immunization programme in India: a challenge
Ramesh Verma, Vinod Chayal, Meenakshi Kalhan, Rohit Dhaka, Suraj Chawla, Kapil Bhalla
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20202021
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
March 2020 Volume 92, Supplement, p1-12, S1-S102
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(20)X0004-X
Commemorating World Tuberculosis Day March 24th, 2020 : “IT’S TIME TO FIND, TREAT ALL and END TUBERCULOSIS!”
Precision and personalized medicine and anti-TB treatment: Is TDM feasible for programmatic use?
Jan-Willem C. Alffenaar, Onno W. Akkerman, Hannah Yejin Kim, Simon Tiberi, Giovanni Battista Migliori
S5–S9
Published online: January 26, 2020
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Original Investigation
Baseline Characteristics and Outcomes of 1591 Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy
Giacomo Grasselli, MD; Alberto Zangrillo, MD; Alberto Zanella, MD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1574-1581. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5394
This case series describes the demographics, comorbidities, ventilation requirements, dispositions, and mortality of patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to northern Italy ICUs in February-March 2020..
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Preliminary Communication
Treatment of 5 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 With Convalescent Plasma
Chenguang Shen, PhD; Zhaoqin Wang, PhD; Fang Zhao, PhD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1582-1589. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4783
This case series describes clinical outcomes in 5 Chinese patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, ARDS, and high viral loads despite antiviral treatment who were given human plasma with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies obtained from previously infected and recovered patients.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Research Letter
Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient
Sean Wei Xiang Ong, MBBS; Yian Kim Tan, PhD; Po Ying Chia, MBBS; et al.
free access has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1610-1612. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3227
This study documents results of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of environmental surfaces and personal protective equipment surrounding 3 COVID-19 patients in isolation rooms in a Singapore hospital.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Characteristics and Outcomes of 21 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 in Washington State
Matt Arentz, MD; Eric Yim, MD; Lindy Klaff, MD; et al.
free access has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1612-1614. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4326
This case series describes the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to the intensive care unit at a public hospital in Washington State in February 2020, including initial reports of cardiomyopathy in one-third of the patients.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Viewpoint
Critical Care Utilization for the COVID-19 Outbreak in Lombardy, ItalyEarly Experience and Forecast During an Emergency Response
Giacomo Grasselli, MD; Antonio Pesenti, MD; Maurizio Cecconi, MD
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1545-1546. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4031
This Viewpoint describes the organization of a regional ICU network in Lombardy, Italy, to handle the surge in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who require intensive care and uses demand experience in the first 2 weeks of the outbreak to estimate resources required in coming weeks.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Presidential Powers and Response to COVID-19
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD; James G. Hodge Jr, JD, LLM; Lindsay F. Wiley, JD, MPH
free access
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1547-1548. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4335
This Viewpoint reviews legal powers the US president and state governors have to implement travel and other restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus, and discusses the need to balance rights to privacy and liberty with public health in ways that do not disadvantage already vulnerable populations.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Managing COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Joost Hopman, MD, PhD, DTMH; Benedetta Allegranzi, MD, DTMH; Shaheen Mehtar, MBBS, MD (Lon)
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1549-1550. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4169
This Viewpoint discusses challenges to managing a COVID-19 outbreak in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), reviewing how absence of testing, critical care capacity, climate, war, distrust, and large refugee populations could complicate implementation of proven infection prevention and control measures.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
A Piece of My Mind
Personal Risk and Societal Obligation Amidst COVID-19
Cynthia Tsai, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1555-1556. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5450
In this narrative medicine essay, a resident physician with asthma describes her internal deliberations about public vs private good after a decision to retreat from direct-patient care to telemedicine to protect her health during the coronavirus pandemic.
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Editorial
Critical Illness in Patients With COVID-19Mounting an Effective Clinical and Research Response
Deborah J. Cook, MD, MSc; John C. Marshall, MD; Robert A. Fowler, MDCM, MS
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1559-1560. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5775
JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
Convalescent Plasma to Treat COVID-19Possibilities and Challenges
John D. Roback, MD, PhD; Jeannette Guarner, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1561-1562. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4940
Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3
Commentary
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Haiti: A Call for Action
James Louis-Jean, Kenney Cenat, Debbie Sanon, Ruthonce Stvil
Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3
Original Paper
Success of an EMR-Driven Postpartum Intervention to Improve HPV Vaccination Rates
Susan K. Park, Christine H. Holschneider, Judy Chen…
Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3
Original Paper
Missed Opportunities for Hepatitis A Vaccination Among MSM Initiating PrEP
Alwyn Cohall, Jason Zucker, Rachel Krieger, Charlotte Scott…
Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3
Original Paper
Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Awareness Among Married Bhutanese Refugee and Nepali Women in Eastern Nepal
Madhav P. Bhatta, Derek C. Johnson, Mingma Lama…
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 2 May 2020]
Articles
A simplified checklist for the visual inspection of finished pharmaceutical products: a way to empower frontline health workers in the fight against poor-quality medicines
Authors: B. Schiavetti, E. Wynendaele, V. Melotte, J. Van der Elst, B. De Spiegeleer and R. Ravinetto
Content type: Short report
1 May 2020
The Lancet
May 02, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10234 p1401-1460, e75-e82
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Editorial
COVID-19: remaking the social contract
The Lancet
“Allegiance, after all, has to work two ways; and one can grow weary of an allegiance which is not reciprocal.” The British playwright David Hare quoted this line by the American writer James Baldwin in his recent reflections on the UK Government’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Baldwin’s reminder and warning in the context of civil rights in the mid-20th century USA speak now in the pandemic to communities the world over who are unsure of their governments’ allegiances to them. The give-and-take relationship between the state and the individual—perhaps best viewed through the lens of what Enlightenment philosophers termed the social contract—is being strained, its inadequacy exposed, and must surely be remade in the midst of this global health and economic crisis.
Governments now ask heavy sacrifices from their people, with around a third of the global population under some form of lockdown. But demonstration that governments are in fact acting to protect the public, for example, through adequately preparing the health system and giving clear advice aimed at saving lives, has been highly variable. Although international comparisons are not straightforward, there are nonetheless encouraging examples of where strong and swift action has succeeded in staving off the worst effects of the virus, be they Germany’s quick escalation of testing, New Zealand’s elimination strategy, or South Korea’s aggressive pursuit of a test-and-trace approach. By contrast, the UK, USA, and Brazil, among others, have been slow to react and haphazard when they did. The serious deficiencies in pandemic planning and response have sparked protests and condemnation and call into question commitment to the most vital interests of the public.
Such failures have too often been accompanied by poor transparency and an ingrained resistance to all forms of accountability. In March, when US President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter if he takes responsibility for the delay in making test kits available, he replied “No, I don’t take responsibility at all.” And in April, at a daily COVID-19 briefing when UK Home Secretary Priti Patel was asked twice if she would apologise about the shortage of personal protective equipment for front-line health-care workers, she responded, “I’m sorry if people feel that there have been failings”, in what seemed to be indifference to the sacrifices being made by health-care workers on behalf of the country and its people.
Beyond immediate responses, this pandemic is revealing how a longer-term increase in inequalities and neglect of public services have weakened the ability of societies to deal with external shocks and created new vulnerabilities in a crisis. Racial and ethnic minorities, those with weak employment protections, including migrant workers, and populations without adequate access to affordable health care are among the hardest hit.
However, at the same time, COVID-19 is also overturning core values, norms, and rules that sit at the heart of long-standing market-oriented political agendas. The willingness with which nations have put the brakes on their economies to protect lives, coupled with massive increases in public spending and government debt, particularly by conservative administrations, was inconceivable a few months ago. According to one analysis, as of April 23, a staggering 151 countries have planned, introduced, or adapted a total of 684 social protection measures in response to the pandemic.
Despite important deficiencies in some responses, in many ways the world is witnessing the setting aside of ideology to address the urgent and fundamental need common to all people—the protection of health. So far, the measures taken have been uneven, short-term, and reactive. But it is hard to imagine that when this pandemic is over, the public will be content to go back to the way things were. That it has taken a crisis of this scale to force the recognition that the basic role of a government is to serve and protect its people—that wellbeing has a higher value than gross domestic product—is a shocking demonstration of how the reciprocal rights and responsibilities that form the basis of so many democratic systems have been hollowed out. The kind of societies that are set to emerge from this pandemic is far from clear, but our interconnectedness and interdependence at local, national, and global levels have never been more undeniable. Nor can the importance of well resourced and well prepared health systems continue to be ignored. A renewed and expanded social contract, one with health at the centre, could well be one legacy of COVID-19.
The Lancet
May 02, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10234 p1401-1460, e75-e82
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Comment
Evaluation of a tetravalent dengue vaccine by serostatus and serotype
Annelies Wilder-Smith
The Lancet
May 02, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10234 p1401-1460, e75-e82
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Comment
Ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines
Gavin Yamey, Marco Schäferhoff, Richard Hatchett, Muhammad Pate, Feng Zhao, Kaci Kennedy McDade
The current response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic involves aggressive implementation of suppression strategies, such as case identification, quarantine and isolation, contact tracing, and social distancing. However, models developed by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team suggest that “transmission will quickly rebound if interventions are relaxed”.1 WHO warns of multiple simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19 worldwide.2 The development of COVID-19 vaccines that can be used globally is therefore a priority for ending the pandemic.
This vaccine effort should be guided by three imperatives: speed, manufacture and deployment at scale, and global access. In February, 2020, the World Bank and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which funds development of epidemic vaccines, co-hosted a global consultation on these goals.3 This consultation led to the launch of a COVID-19 Vaccine Development Taskforce that is now working on how to finance and manufacture vaccines for global access.
CEPI estimates that developing up to three vaccines in the next 12–18 months will require an investment of at least US$2 billion.4 This estimate includes phase 1 clinical trials of eight vaccine candidates, progression of up to six candidates through phase 2 and 3 trials, completion of regulatory and quality requirements for at least three vaccines, and enhancing global manufacturing capacity for three vaccines. This estimate does not include the costs of manufacture or delivery. Progress has been rapid. A phase 1 trial of a vaccine candidate, supported by the US National Institutes of Health and CEPI, began on March 16, 2020,5
and 2 days later a clinical trial began in China.6 Clinical trials for other candidates will start soon.
Use of existing financing systems to support this work offers the benefits of speed and lower transaction costs than for new financing approaches. CEPI is supported by a World Bank financial intermediary fund that brings together public, philanthropic, and private funding to respond to global priorities.7 Through this fund, CEPI can act as a global mechanism for funding vaccine development until vaccines can be licensed or used under emergency use provisions. Mobilising $2 billion in funding will require funding from all sources. Given the enormous health, social, and economic consequences of COVID-19, there is a strong case for all governments to invest in vaccines.
In addition to direct government contributions, innovative finance mechanisms have been successful in raising funds for vaccines in the past and should be used to fund the development of COVID-19 vaccines.8, 9 The International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) raises funds with vaccine bonds, which turn long-term contributions by donors into available cash.8
IFFIm was created to support Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, but could be used to finance CEPI’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts. With advanced market commitments, donors make funding commitments to vaccine manufacturers and, in exchange, companies sign a legally binding commitment to provide the vaccines at a price affordable to low-income and middle-income countries. Gavi’s board expressed support for the use of Gavi’s IFFIm and advanced market commitments to improve COVID-19 vaccine development and access.10
The need for COVID-19 vaccines is global, although the need is differentially distributed within populations. Vaccines would likely be prioritised for health-care workers and people at greatest risk of severe illness and death. High-income countries must not monopolise the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines. This risk is real: during the 2009 influenza A/H1N1 pandemic, rich countries negotiated large advance orders for the vaccine, crowding out poor countries.11
Such an outcome would result in a suboptimal allocation of an initially scarce resource.
The Lancet
May 02, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10234 p1401-1460, e75-e82
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Articles
Efficacy of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 4–16 years: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
Shibadas Biswal, et al for the TIDES study group
A substantial unmet need remains for safe and effective vaccines against dengue virus disease, particularly for individuals who are dengue-naive and those younger than 9 years. We aimed to assess the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) in healthy children aged 4–16 years.
The Lancet
May 02, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10234 p1401-1460, e75-e82
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in children aged 2–17 years: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial
Vianney Tricou,et al
An unmet clinical need remains for an effective tetravalent dengue vaccine suitable for all age groups, regardless of serostatus. We assessed the immunogenicity and safety of three different dose schedules of a tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) over a 48-month period in children living in dengue-endemic countries.
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
May 2020 Volume 4 Number 5 p341-406, e10-e11
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/issue/current
Comment
Prioritisation of the human papillomavirus vaccine in a time of constrained supply
Aimée R Kreimer, Tania Cernuschi, Helen Rees, Debbie Saslow, Carolina Porras, John Schiller
Lancet Global Health
May 2020 Volume 8 Number 5 e612-e736
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current
Editorial
Decolonising COVID-19
The Lancet Global Health
Lancet Infectious Diseases
May 2020 Volume 20 Number 5 p511-628, e79-e115
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current
Editorial
COVID-19: endgames
The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Lancet Infectious Diseases
May 2020 Volume 20 Number 5 p511-628, e79-e115
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current
Articles
Early dynamics of transmission and control of COVID-19: a mathematical modelling study
Adam J Kucharski, et al. on behalf of the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 working group
Open Access
Lancet Infectious Diseases
May 2020 Volume 20 Number 5 p511-628, e79-e115
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current
Lancet Infectious Diseases
May 2020 Volume 20 Number 5 p511-628, e79-e115
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current
Temporal profiles of viral load in posterior oropharyngeal saliva samples and serum antibody responses during infection by SARS-CoV-2: an observational cohort study
Kelvin Kai-Wang To, et al.
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 