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 20 Mar 2021
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Covid: Rich states ‘block’ vaccine plans for developing nations
March 19, 2021
Wealthy countries – including the UK – are blocking proposals to help developing nations increase their vaccine manufacturing capabilities, documents leaked to BBC Newsnight show.
Several poorer countries have asked the World Health Organization to help them.
But richer nations are pushing back on provisions in international law that would enable them to achieve this.
This is according to a leaked copy of the negotiating text of a WHO resolution on the issue.
Among those richer nations are the UK, the US, as well as the European Union…
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]
Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Olympic Games
Japan bans foreign spectators from Tokyo Olympics
March 20, 2021
The Big Read
‘Everyone’s scrambling and hoarding’: Europe’s vaccine blunders
The faltering immunisation campaign has created a picture of rattled leaders losing their nerve as the pandemic worsens
March 19, 2021
…The EU’s faltering vaccination campaign has been hamstrung by a botched central procurement process, supply shortfalls, logistical hurdles and excessive risk aversion from some national medical regulators. The suspension of the jab, albeit only for three days in most EU nations, was another hammer blow, with experts warning it would undermine public confidence and feed conspiracy theories about vaccine risks…
Coronavirus Business Update
AstraZeneca jabs resume but vaccination tensions deepen
March 19, 2021
Covid-19 vaccines
Scandinavian countries keep AstraZeneca vaccine on hold
France recommends use only for those aged 55 and over as other European nations resume rollout
Norway, Denmark and Sweden have continued to pause the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine while France recommended not to use it on people under 55, as other European nations slowly resumed the rollout of the jab amid questions over its side effects.
The countries said they wanted to further analyse the vaccine’s possible role in a number of unusual deaths involving blood clots, despite an assessment from the European Medicines Agency on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “effective and safe”.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said it would take a decision on whether to restart the vaccine next week as it needed a “fuller picture of the situation”…
Bottom of Form
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Mar 19, 2021
U.S. Meets Major Vaccine Milestone On Friday, But Vaccine Hesitancy Is High
Over 115 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S., including 100 million since January 20.
By Melissa Holzberg Forbes Staff
Mar 18, 2021
Can Employers Force Employees To Get Vaccinated Or Return To The Office?
Some 69% of Americans believe employees should decide for themselves whether to get vaccinated instead of employers imposing vaccine mandates.
By Kristin Stoller Forbes Staff
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
America Can—and Should—Vaccinate the World
The Case for an All-Out Global Approach to Ending the Pandemic
By Helene Gayle, Gordon LaForge, and Anne-Marie Slaughter
March 19, 2021
After a virtual “Quad summit” last Friday, the leaders of the United States, India, Japan, and Australia announced that they would cooperate to deliver one billion vaccine doses in the Indo-Pacific, directly countering China’s lead in distributing vaccines to the region. The agreement brings together Indian manufacturing and U.S., Japanese, and Australian financing, logistics, and technical assistance to help immunize hundreds of millions of people by the end of 2022. Headlines over the weekend proclaimed that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden was preparing to catch up in global vaccine diplomacy. Yesterday the administration took a further step in this direction, leaking to reporters that it would lend four million AstraZeneca doses to Mexico and Canada.
These initiatives come not a moment too soon…
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]
New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Asia Pacific
Spectators From Overseas Are Barred From Tokyo Olympics
The move, announced Saturday, is a significant concession to the realities of the pandemic, even as organizers remain determined to hold the Games this summer.
By Motoko Rich and Ben Dooley
PRINT EDITION March 21, 2021
Europe
Europe Begins Administering AstraZeneca Vaccines Again
On Friday, governments across Europe raced to restart use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine after the announcement from the European Union’s top drug regulator on Thursday that the shots were safe and effective.
By The Associated Press March 19, 2021
Europe
Europe’s Vaccine Ethics Call: Do No Harm and Let More Die?
Ethicists are worried about the gamble Germany took to halt AstraZeneca doses over seven cases of blood clots. It will not be the last time hard decisions are made in this pandemic.
By Max Fisher
PRINT EDITION March 20, 2021, Page A6
Technology
Walmart becomes largest U.S. vaccine provider to join push for digital vaccination credentials.
The retail giant joined an international push to provide standardized digital vaccination credentials.
By Natasha Singer March 17
World
On vaccines, Trump tells his hesitant supporters, ‘I would recommend it.’
A third of Republicans said in a recent poll that they would not be vaccinated, compared with 10 percent of Democrats, and another 20 percent of Republicans said they were unsure.
By Bryan Pietsch and Annie Karni
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Egypt receives 2nd shipment of vaccine as gift from China
The 300,000-dose shipment of the vaccine manufactured by China…
Mar 20, 2021
Mexico: 2.7M U.S. vaccine doses to arrive next week
Mar 19, 2021
Indonesia clears use of AstraZeneca vaccine to resume after European Union’s drug regulator said
Associated Press · Mar 19, 2021
Video
Laurie Garrett says vaccine hesitancy is biggest threat from AstraZeneca fallout
Journalist and author Laurie Garrett says one of the biggest threats from the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in several European countries is increased vaccine hesitancy. “The biggest risk here — and it is huge — is this is in some of the very same countries… where there was a huge amount of vaccine hesitancy.”
Washington Post Live · Mar 17, 2021
How Chile’s vaccination push outpaced the rest of the Western Hemisphere
…have delayed vaccine rollouts in other countries. It has secured enough doses to vaccinate its entire adult…
Antonia Noori Farzan · Americas · Mar 17, 2021
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 