Organization Announcements
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-pr ess/
News
No new digest content identified.
BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
No new digest content identified.
BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 20 Mar 2021]
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 20 Mar 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: New session recording – Center for Informed Consent Integrity – Webinar Series 17 March 2021 available here
Invited speakers Dr. Beate Aurich of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in Paris, France, and Dr. Eric Vermeulen of the Dutch Patient Association for Rare and Genetic Diseases (VSOP) in Soest, Netherlands, discussed their work overall and specifically associated with their article:
BMJ Paediatrcis, 29 November 2020
Informed consent for neonatal trials: practical points to consider and a check list
Beate Aurich, Eric Vermeulen, Valéry Elie, Mariette H E Driessens, Christine Kubiak, Donato Bonifazi, Evelyne Jacqz-Aigrain
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
CEPI and University of Hong Kong expand partnership to develop intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate
SLO/ HONG KONG, 18 March 2021 – CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) today announced an expanded partnership to further the development of HKU’s intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate, based on a live-attenuated influenza virus.
This partnership builds on CEPI’s initial investment of $620,000 in March 2020 which supported preclinical testing o f the vaccine candidate. Under the expanded partnership, CEPI will invest an additional $4.8m to fund the production of clinical trial materials, and the investigation of mucosal immune responses during a Phase 1 trial of the vaccine candidate, which is being supported by the Government of Hong Kong…
DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 20 Mar 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/
News
No new digest content identified.
Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
No new digest content identified.
EDCTP [to 20 Mar 2021]
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
No new digest content identified.
Emory Vaccine Center [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.
European Commission [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Statement 18 March 2021
Statement following the European Medicines Agency review of the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca
[See COVID above for detail]
Press release 18 March 2021
Commission launches European Innovation Council to help turn scientific ideas into breakthrough innovations
The European Commission launched today, at an online event, the European Innovation Council (EIC) with a budget of over €10 billion (in current prices) for 2021-2027 to develop and expand breakthrough innovations.
Press release 17 March 2021
Coronavirus: Commission proposes a Digital Green Certificate
Today the European Commission is proposing to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions and answers 17 March 2021
Questions and Answers – Digital Green Certificate
Statement 16 March 2021
Commission Statement on BioNTech-Pfizer top-up for Quarter 2 deliveries
Statement 13 March 2021
Statement of the European Commission on the methodology used to determine the allocation of doses of vaccines under the Advance Purchase Agreements
European Medicines Agency [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
News: COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: benefits still outweigh the risks despite possible link to rare blood clots with low blood platelets (updated)
PRAC, Last updated: 19/03/2021
[See COVID above for detail]
News: Investigation of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and thromboembolic events continues (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 16/03/2021
News: EMA’s safety committee continues investigation of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and thromboembolic events – further update (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 15/03/2021
European Vaccine Initiative [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.
FDA [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
March 19, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 19, 2021
March 16, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 16, 2021
:: On March 15, 2021, the FDA launched the COVID-19 EUA FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard providing weekly updates of adverse event reports submitted to FAERS for drugs and therapeutic biological products used under an EUA during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
:: The FDA has posted translations of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheet for recipients and caregivers in languages including: Burmese, Chinese, French, Hindi and Russian. We will post additional language translations of the fact sheet for recipients and caregivers to this page as they become available.
FDA – COVID-19 Vaccines [to 20 Mar 2021]
www.fda.gov/covid19vaccines
News and Updates; Upcoming Events
House Subcommittee Hearing on COVID-19 Vaccinations
03/17/2021
FDA leadership will participate in the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing entitled, “Leading the Way Forward: Biden Administration Actions to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations.”
View livestream and written testimony
Fondation Merieux [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Mérieux Foundation event
Vaccine Acceptance webinars: COVAX introduction & acceptance
March 29, 2021 – Virtual Event
These webinars will bring together international experts to showcase examples of challenges and success stories reported in specific countries during the COVID-19 vaccine introduction, adoption and implementation and the related crisis management aspects.
Session 1: March 29, 2021, 8:00 am – 10:30 am (CEST – Paris time)
Session 2: March 29, 2021, 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm (CEST – Paris time)
(Two separate sessions have been set up to facilitate worldwide connection).
To register for the virtual event please contact Marianne Gojon-Gerbelot.
Gavi [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
18 March 2021
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and USAID announce innovative collaboration to support health supply chain leaders in low- and middle-income countries
GHIT Fund [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 212 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
Global Fund [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
Gavi, the Global Fund and USAID announce innovative collaboration to support supply chain leaders
18 March 2021
Recognizing the critical role that health supply chain leaders and managers play in ensuring the availability of critical vaccines and health commodities, three donor agencies – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have established a new partnership to jointly offer an updated version of the Strategic Training Executive Program, known as STEP 2.0.
News
Nigeria and Global Fund Launch New Grants to Fight HIV, TB and Malaria
18 March 2021
Nigeria and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have launched three new grants to strengthen the fight against HIV, TB and malaria and build resilient and sustainable systems for health.
Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
Hilleman Laboratories [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
Human Vaccines Project [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
HVP COVID Report
Issue 28: COVAX Aims to Provide Equitable Access to COVID Vaccines
Mar 18, 2021
IAVI [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
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/
*News
Press Releases/Announcements
No new digest content identified.
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
Press Releases/Announcements
No new digest content identified.
IFRC [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Asia Pacific, Philippines, Vietnam
New report: Alarming levels of climate-related displacement
Kuala Lumpur, 16 March 2021 – A new report reveals 12.6 million people have been internally displaced around the world in the last six months mainly due to climate and weather-related disasters, according to data available through the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) report, Responding to Disasters and Displacement in a Changing Climate, comes hot on the heels of a record-breaking 26 climate-related disaster response operations launched across Asia and the Pacific in 2020…
Institut Pasteur [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
No new digest content identified.
IRC International Rescue Committee [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
IVAC [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
Webinar: SARS-CoV-2 Variants and the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S.
The International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) will host a webinar on March 23, 2021 at 11am ET, “SARS-CoV-2 Variants and the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S.”
Register Here
Description: Join us for a special webinar presentation about COVID-19 vaccine safety in the U.S., and the potential impact new variants will have on vaccine effectiveness. The speed and coordination of the response against COVID-19 and development of vaccines is unprecedented, but there are still unknowns and issues to overcome. In a moderated conversation hear from experts on safety monitoring, reporting, and challenges with emerging variants.
IVI [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
IVI remembers Bagrey Ngwira
… As the Principal Investigator of IVI’s cholera surveillance study in Malawi since 2016, we knew Bagrey as an energetic leader and a sharp, thoughtful, and warm-hearted researcher who dedicated his life’s work to improving public health. His compassion for others shone through in his research priorities—which has included the prevention and control of cholera, HPV, Group B Strep, and more—and his relationships with everyone around him. We will miss him and continue our work to end cholera and other infectious diseases in his honor.
JEE Alliance [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements
Rohingya refugee crisis
Three questions on life for the Rohingya in Bangladesh
Interview 18 Mar 2021
Nigeria
Pulka, where water is the source of life… and disease
Project Update 16 Mar 2021
Ethiopia Tigray crisis
People left with few healthcare options in Tigray as facilities looted, destroyed
Press Release 15 Mar 2021
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.
NIH [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
NIH leaders on the future of precision medicine, healthcare transformation
March 18, 2021 — Authors explain seven opportunities to accelerate tailored medicine efforts and create a more equitable health landscape in the future… The commentary covers key areas including huge cohorts, artificial intelligence, routine inclusion of genomics as part of clinical testing, deeper investigation of the role of phenomics and environment in health and disease, and returning value across diverse populations.
The authors highlight the role of large cohorts, like the All of Us Research Program, and the immense potential of such resources that aim to bring together diverse streams of information spanning genomics, social determinants of health, environmental exposures, electronic health record data, and wearable device data. They note that these resources offer tremendous opportunities for discovery across every area of medicine, but that an “open science” approach is needed for researchers to combine data across cohorts to maximize their impact on a global scale.
UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Selected Research, Announcement
No new digest content identified.
PATH [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
Launching the PHC Tech Challenge – A global hunt for innovations to address primary health care challenges in India
March 22, 2021
Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
UNAIDS [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
19 March 2021
Education Plus—gender justice for adolescent girls and young women in Africa
17 March 2021
In Your Hands: Caribbean partners call for HIV self-testing during COVID-19
17 March 2021
UNAIDS renews partnership with the African Union for a stronger and more resilient AIDS response in Africa
17 March 2021
Global Partnership members commemorate Zero Discrimination Day around the world
16 March 2021
Monitoring HIV/TB services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
15 March 2021
Towards 10–10–10 in eastern Europe and central Asia
15 March 2021
Stranded in Nepal without HIV medicine
15 March 2021
Addressing inequalities can decrease HIV prevalence
UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
No new digest content identified.
UNESCO [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Latest News
Global partnership offers course on journalistic coverage of COVID-19 vaccine
News 03/19/2021
Journalists, communicators and fact-checkers from around the world will be able to take a specialized Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Covering the COVID-19 Vaccine: what journalists need to know” from 29 March to 25 April.
The interactive course which initially will be offered free of charge in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish is a joint collaboration between the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin, co-funded by the European Union. Upon completion, the course will also be made available in a self-directed format in additional languages…
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected Announcements
High Commissioner’s Message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Statement by Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
21 Mar 2021
UNICEF [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press releases, Statements
Press release
03/17/2021
One in five children globally does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs – UNICEF
UNICEF launches new initiative, Water Security for All, to mobilize global support and resources to reach children in water vulnerable hotspots
Press release
03/17/2021
Disruptions in health services due to COVID-19 “may have contributed to an additional 239,000 child and maternal deaths in South Asia” – UN report
Health services must urgently be restored and strengthened to contain the pandemic’s impact on the most vulnerable families
Unitaid [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Confidence Project [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
Coronavirus global impact
Launched April 2, 2020 and recurring every 3 days, Premise Data is utilizing its global network of Contributors to assess economic, social, and health sentiment surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.
Wellcome Trust [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion
What can we learn from Covid-19 to address the climate crisis?
There are many lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic that can guide our response to the climate crisis, including the importance of science and leadership, and the cost of inaction.
Madeleine Thomson, Acting Head, Our Planet, Our Health
16 March 2021
The Wistar Institute [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
Equity: COVID-19 Vaccines as a Global Public Good?
Mar 18, 2021
The outstanding scientific achievement of 2020 was the rapid development of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19. 2021’s challenge is to produce sufficient doses and immunize a planet of nearly 8 billion people. The global rollout has been called a “catastrophic moral failure” by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus for its glaring inequities, as rich countries snap up supply and poorer nations are forced to wait at the back of the queue.
This fifth and final instalment of Operation Vaccination focuses on equity in the global vaccination race. The post includes discussions about hoarding doses and vaccine nationalism, the role of COVAX in striving for a level playing field, the TRIPS waiver proposal to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights to improve manufacturing capacity, and the risks to all of us if current trends continue and the imbalance of access to COVID vaccines is not redressed.
WHO’s Response to WFPHA and SHEM Open Letter on Inequitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines
Mar 15, 2021
World Bank [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
Strengthening the Role of Regional Public Health Institutions to Improve Cross-Border Disease Surveillance and Response in Eastern and Southern Africa
WASHINGTON, March 18, 2021 – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and its partners, including the World Bank, today launched a new report to help strengthen the role of public health institutions in mitigating transnational threats of infectious diseases in Africa in general, and in Eastern and Southern Africa in particular.
Titled “Disease Surveillance, Emergency Preparedness and Response in Eastern and Southern Africa,” the new report financed by the Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility notes that while Africa’s integration efforts have created new economic opportunities, they have also heightened the risk posed by communicable diseases. Thus the need for strengthening regional disease surveillance systems and emergency-response capabilities across the continent. The report underscores the indispensable role of regional coordination in ensuring that outbreaks can be identified and addressed in every corner of the continent. To safeguard the health of Africa and the world, continental institutions must be able to swiftly detect and effectively address disease outbreaks anywhere before they become a threat everywhere…
Bangladesh: $500 Million World Bank Financing for COVID-19 Vaccination for 54 Million People
WASHINGTON, March 18, 2021 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $500 million in financing from the International Development Association (IDA) to help Bangladesh vaccinate…
Date: March 18, 2021 Type: Press Release
Gaps Remain in Countries Readiness to Deploy COVID-19 Vaccines
Assessments by World Bank and partners provide insights into more than 120 countries’ readiness to safely distribute vaccines WASHINGTON, March 18, 2021 – As countries undertake the largest vaccination…
Date: March 18, 2021 Type: Press Release
[See COVID above for detail]
New Grants to Spur Afghanistan COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
$113 million financing will help vaccinate more than 17 percent of Afghans Washington, D.C., March 18, 2021— The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved $60 million from the International…
Date: March 18, 2021 Type: Press Release
Nepal Receives $75 million for COVID-19 Vaccines and Stronger Response to Pandemic
WASHINGTON, March 18, 2021 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $75 million from the International Development Association (IDA) to support access to safe and effective COVID-19…
Date: March 18, 2021 Type: Press Release
World Customs Organization – WCO [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
No new digest content identified.
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2021/
Press Releases
OIE-WAHIS: A new era for animal health data
At a time when the world is facing an unprecedented pandemic, the importance of animal disease surveillance has become evident. To support countries maintaining global transparency and reporting matters of animal and public health, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) launches the leading most technologically advanced reference platform for animal disease and veterinary capacities reporting – the World Animal Health Information System (OIE-WAHIS).
Paris, 18 March 2021 – Since its creation in 1924, the OIE is the mandated international organisation collecting data on, observing and analysing animal diseases throughout the world. Through its current World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), the Organisation ensures the prompt dissemination of information on potentially devastating outbreaks and facilitates decision making in terms of international trade of animals and animal products by collecting, verifying and publishing official animal health information, following a standardised process, thus providing high quality, reliable data…
Website: https://wahis.oie.int/#/home
WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
No new digest content identified.
::::::
ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 20 Mar 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
BIO [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.
ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 20 Mar 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
IFPMA [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.
PhRMA [to 20 Mar 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 