Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID Vaccines – Global Public Good

COVID-19 Vaccines Must Be Global Public Good, Secretary-General Says, Announcing ‘Only Together’ Campaign to Encourage Sharing of Technology, Doses
11 March 2021 SG/SM/20620
One full year into the COVID-19 pandemic, our world has faced a tsunami of suffering. So many lives have been lost. Economies have been upended and societies left reeling. The most vulnerable have suffered the most. Those left behind are being left even further behind.

It has been a year of empty office buildings, quiet streets and closed schools in much of the world. I commend women, men and young people everywhere for adapting to work, learn and live in new ways. I honour health workers for their dedication and sacrifice and all other essential workers who have kept societies running. I salute all those who have stood up to the deniers and disinformation, and have followed science and safety protocols. You have helped save lives.

The United Nations will continue mobilizing the international community to make vaccines affordable and available for all, to recover better, and to put a special focus on the needs of those who have borne the burden of this crisis on so many levels — women, minorities, older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees, migrants and indigenous peoples.

With the vaccine roll-out, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. COVAX —the global vaccine equity mechanism —  has started delivery around the world, including to some of the lowest-income countries.

Yet I am deeply concerned that many low-income countries have not yet received a single dose, while wealthier countries are on track to vaccinating their entire population. We see many examples of vaccine nationalism and vaccine hoarding in wealthier countries — as well as continued side deals with manufacturers that undermine access for all.

The global vaccination campaign represents the greatest moral test of our times.

It is also essential to restart the global economy — and help the world move from locking down societies to locking down the virus.

COVID-19 vaccines must be seen as a global public good. The world needs to unite to produce and distribute sufficient vaccines for all, which means at least doubling manufacturing capacity around the world.

That effort must start now. Only together can we end this pandemic and recover. Only together can we revive our economies. And then, together, we can all get back to the things we love.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID Vaccination – Equity/Integrity

Rwanda vaccinates refugees and asylum-seekers against COVID-19
12 Mar 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives and rights of refugees, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the Rwandan government’s vaccination this week of 416 refugees – one of the first countries in Africa to do so.
Nearly one year since the country’s first registered COVID-19 case and as part of Rwanda’s national vaccination drive, the Rwandan Ministry of Health inoculated 224 refugees residing in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) centre in Gashora and 192 refugees in six refugee settlements working on the front lines of the pandemic as community health workers and cleaners or security guards at health clinics in the refugee settlements.
Some 230,000 people in Rwanda have been vaccinated against COVID-19, one week after a countrywide campaign began.
“We commend Rwanda’s inclusion of refugees in its response to the pandemic,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR’s Regional Bureau Director Bureau for the East, Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes. “We appeal to all countries to include refugees in their vaccination programs on par with nationals to ensure that everyone is safe.”…

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement: “The Spirit of the Quad”
March 12, 2021 Statements and Releases
[Editor’s text bolding]
1. We have convened to reaffirm our commitment to quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. We bring diverse perspectives and are united in a shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion. We recall that our joint efforts toward this positive vision arose out of an international tragedy, the tsunami of 2004. Today, the global devastation wrought by COVID-19, the threat of climate change, and security challenges facing the region summon us with renewed purpose. On this historic occasion of March 12, 2021, the first-ever leader-level summit of the Quad, we pledge to strengthen our cooperation on the defining challenges of our time.

2. Together, we commit to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law to advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity. We commit to work together and with a range of partners. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Full of potential, the Quad looks forward to the future; it seeks to uphold peace and prosperity and strengthen democratic resilience, based on universal values.

3. Our common goals require us to reckon with the most urgent of global challenges. Today, we pledge to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, combat climate change, and address shared challenges, including in cyber space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief as well as maritime domains.

4. Building on the progress our countries have achieved on health security, we will join forces to expand safe, affordable, and effective vaccine production and equitable access, to speed economic recovery and benefit global health. With steadfast commitment to the health and safety of our own people, we also recognize that none of us can be safe as long as the pandemic continues to spread. We will, therefore, collaborate to strengthen equitable vaccine access for the Indo-Pacific, with close coordination with multilateral organizations including the World Health Organization and COVAX. We call for transparent and results-oriented reform at the World Health Organization. We are united in recognizing that climate change is a global priority and will work to strengthen the climate actions of all nations, including to keep a Paris-aligned temperature limit within reach. We look forward to a successful COP 26 in Glasgow. We will begin cooperation on the critical technologies of the future to ensure that innovation is consistent with a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific. We will continue to prioritize the role of international law in the maritime domain, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and also confirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees. As long-standing supporters of Myanmar and its people, we emphasize the urgent need to restore democracy and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience.

5. To advance these goals and others, we will redouble our commitment to Quad engagement. We will combine our nations’ medical, scientific, financing, manufacturing and delivery, and development capabilities and establish a vaccine expert working group to implement our path-breaking commitment to safe and effective vaccine distribution; we will launch a critical- and emerging-technology working group to facilitate cooperation on international standards and innovative technologies of the future; and we will establish a climate working group to strengthen climate actions globally on mitigation, adaptation, resilience, technology, capacity-building, and climate finance. Our experts and senior officials will continue to meet regularly; our Foreign Ministers will converse often and meet at least once a year. At the leader level, we will hold an in-person summit by the end of 2021. The ambition of these engagements is fit to the moment; we are committed to leveraging our partnership to help the world’s most dynamic region respond to historic crisis, so that it may be the free, open, accessible, diverse, and thriving Indo-Pacific we all seek.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-19: UN experts urge WTO cooperation on vaccines to protect global public health
1 March 2021
GENEVA (1 March 2021) – UN experts said today billions of people, especially in the Global South, risk being excluded from the benefits of COVID-19 immunisation until 2024 and urged rich States to end short-sighted vaccine nationalism that is fuelling a vaccine-divide and undermining worldwide recovery.
“Recovery from the pandemic is impossible unless it ends for everyone. New mutating forms of the virus that may emerge in largely unvaccinated populations can pose a threat to all, including those previously vaccinated,” said the independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council.

“Recovery requires all States to realise their duty to cooperate in global solidarity to ensure equitable access to the vaccines worldwide without discrimination,” the experts said.

They said the challenges of addressing the pandemic initially appeared to bring people and nations together in the face of an unknown disease.

“The collective global efforts of scientists, states and civil society organisations to find a vaccine had the promising signs of a new era of cooperation and equality, where nobody would in fact be left behind. However, as things stand, the supply of vaccines casts a long shadow on equitable access to the scientific achievement of several vaccines being produced,” the experts said.

Division, inequality, national and regional self-interest currently dictate access to COVID-19 vaccines, they said. “According to WHO, almost 95 percent of vaccines produced thus far have gone to 10 wealthy countries. This is an abject failure of the duty to cooperate inherent in the right to development, which all human persons and peoples enjoy.”

While the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Facility (COVAX) led by the World Health Organisation is an important step towards globally coordinated vaccine distribution, States are not engaging with it sufficiently.

The experts strongly urge WTO members to positively consider necessary waivers to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) during the March 2021 TRIPS Council meetings, in a manner conducive to the right to development for everyone.

The WTO’s sustainable development objective cannot be realised by undermining the ability of countries to interpret the TRIPS Agreement in a way supportive of their development needs and ways to deal with public health crisis, the experts said.

“The TRIPS Agreement can and should facilitate the protection of public health on a global scale, promote self-sufficiency of all members, and not be a barrier to accessibility of COVID-19-related medicines and vaccines.

“COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge which can only be effectively addressed through concerted global action. Lives cannot be saved and the vulnerable cannot be protected by mere rhetoric, without concrete commitment to universal and equitable vaccine access,” the experts said.

“We urge States to engage in meaningful international cooperation, as an obligation not an option, in order to avoid delaying distributions to the vulnerable population around the world, and not leave them further behind.”
ENDS

*Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
(Ms. Klentiana Mahmutaj (Chair), Mr. Koen de Feyter (Vice-Chair), Mr. Bonny Ibhawoh, , Mr. Armando Antonio de Negri Filho, Mr. Mihir Kanade);
** Special Procedures experts:
Mr. Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the right to development;
Mr. Obiora Okafor, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity;
Mr. Livingstone Sewanyana, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, and
Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Meeting discusses COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing bottlenecks that must be urgently tackled for C19 vaccine output
09 March 2021
Chatham House, in collaboration with COVAX, IFPMA, DVCMN, and BIO, convened a Global COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain & Manufacturing Summit on 8th and 9th March. The unprecedented scaling up of vaccine manufacturing, from zero to billions of doses in record time, has led to shortages that are impacting the entire vaccine supply chain. Open dialogue among manufacturers, suppliers, international organizations and governments is urgently needed to address these shortages so that they do not interrupt vaccine manufacturing. The meeting aimed to kick start the dialogue to identify, understand, and discuss potential solutions for these supply chain challenges.
Held under the Chatham House Rule, the meeting provided the opportunity for frank, open and problem-solving discussions while respecting anti-trust rules.

A discussion document[1 see below] was prepared to help inform participants, giving an overview of the current landscape of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and emerging supply chain challenges. Vaccine manufacturers, and suppliers of vaccine components, are part of a global supply chain that is scaling up from zero to billions of doses in record time and tripling previous annual vaccine output. As founding partners of COVAX, vaccine manufacturers are playing their part in achieving fair and equitable access to vaccines. COVID-19 is an exceptional crisis of global magnitude with several unforeseen and shifting challenges and complexities.

Vaccine manufacturing processes (upstream, downstream, fill-and-finish) are highly complex and involve cutting-edge science and technologies. Effective manufacturing capacity expansion needs to overcome major challenges, including but not limited to the need for highly specialised equipment, qualified and trained personnel, difficult and time-consuming technology transfers, and, not least, managing complex international supply chains frequently involving more than 100 components.

All stakeholders agreed there is a need to expand capacity and in a way that promotes equitable access and leaves no one behind. Other approaches were discussed including:
:: Free flow of goods and workforce;
:: Continue technology transfer and manufacturing partnerships between innovators and manufacturers to scale up and scale out COVID19 vaccine capacity;
:: Better demand forecasting and inventory management of raw materials and critical consumables;
:: Support from the highest political level is needed;
:: Value of regulatory harmonization and streamlining to accelerate manufacturing capacity and supply;
:: Better production, demand and supply, forecast and visibility;
:: Give consideration to the potential impacts of COVID-19 production on non-COVID products…

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Towards Vaccinating The World :: Landscape of Current COVID-19 Supply Chain and Manufacturing Capacity, Potential Challenges, Initial Responses, and Possible “Solution Space” – a Discussion Document
Released March 9, 2021 :: 29 pages
Authors:
Richard Hatchett, Chief Executive Officer, CEPI
Melanie Saville, Director Vaccine R&D, CEPI
Matthew Downham, Sustainable Manufacturing Lead, CEPI
Thomas Cueni, Director General, IFPMA
Laetitia Bigger, Vaccines Policy Director, IFPMA
Phyllis Arthur, Vice President, Infectious Diseases & Diagnostics Policy, BIO
Rajinder Suri, Chief Executive Officer, DCVMN
Sai D. Prasad, President, DCVMN
Rasmus Bech Hansen, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Airfinity
[Excerpt]
5. Overview of Potential Solutions for Discussion [p.21]
Key insights
:: A broad range of potential solutions could be considered to mitigate acute supply challenges and enhance longer-term supply sustainability: o Three levers could be considered to directly scale input supply and manufacturing: (i) increasing efficiency of existing capacity; (ii) repurposing of existing capacity; (iii) adding new capacity.

:: Five enablers could be considered to support the scale up and enhance efficiency: (i) free flow of goods; (ii) regulatory; (iii) collaboration; (iv) financing; (v) visibility.

:: The solutions outlined under the scale-up levers and enablers aim to show the breadth of potential interventions and do not constitute recommendations. Potentially, a combination of solutions may need to be employed that carefully considers trade-offs and externalities.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Coronavirus [COVID-19] – WHO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 23 January 2021
Confirmed cases :: 118 754 336 [week ago: 115 653 459] [two weeks ago: 113 076 707]
Confirmed deaths :: 2 634 370 [week ago: 2 571 823] [two weeks ago: 2 512 272]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 223

9 March 2021
Weekly epidemiological update – 9 March 2021

8 March 2021
Weekly operational update on COVID-19 – 8 March 2021

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

WHO – COVID Vaccines EUAL, Prequalification

WHO adds Janssen vaccine to list of safe and effective emergency tools against COVID-19
12 March 2021 News release
The World Health Organization (WHO) today listed the COVID-19 vaccine Ad26.COV2.S, developed by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), for emergency use in all countries and for COVAX roll-out. The decision comes on the back of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorization, which was announced yesterday.
The vaccine from Janssen is the first to be listed by WHO as a single dose regimen, which should facilitate vaccination logistics in all countries. The ample data from large clinical trials shared by the company also shows that the vaccine is effective in older populations.
To expedite listing of the vaccine, WHO and a team of assessors from all regions adopted what is called an ‘abbreviated assessment’ based on outcomes of the EMA review, and evaluation of quality, safety and efficacy data focused on low- and middle-income country needs. The WHO assessment also considered suitability requirements such as cold chain storage and risk management plans to be implemented in countries…

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Draft landscape and tracker of COVID-19 candidate vaccines
12 March 2021  | Publication
The COVID-19 candidate vaccine landscape and tracker database compiles detailed information on COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development.
The landscape is updated regularly – twice a week (Tuesday and Friday, 17:00 CET).
Download: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/blue-print/12.03.2021-novel-coronavirus_landscape_covid-19.xlsx.zip?sfvrsn=c2a25511_3&download=true

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Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process 10 Mar 2021
For 16 vaccine candidates, the presents Manufacturer, Name of Vaccine, NRA of Record, Platform, EOI Accepted Status, Pre-submission Meeting Held Status, Dossier Accepted for Review, Status of Assessment; Anticipated/Completed Decision Date
[click on the link above for full scale view]

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard :: Agreements Table Accessed 13 Mar 2021
An overview of information collected from publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements [Agreements view from 2021-03-02 to date]

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations – Fully Vaccinated Population Percentage

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

U.S.: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

:: COVID Data Tracker Friday, March 6, 2021

White House [U.S.]
Briefing Room
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
March 12, 2021 • Press Briefings

Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Modi of India, Prime Minister Morrison of Australia, and Prime Minister Suga of Japan in the Virtual Quad Leaders Summit
March 12, 2021 • Speeches and Remarks

Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement: “The Spirit of the Quad”
March 12, 2021 • Statements and Releases
[See Milestones above for full text]

Fact Sheet: President Biden Expands Efforts to Recruit More Vaccinators
March 12, 2021 • Statements and Releases

Remarks by President Biden on the Anniversary of the COVID-19 Shutdown
March 11, 2021 • Speeches and Remarks

Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce All Americans to be Eligible for Vaccinations by May 1, Puts the Nation on a Path to Get Closer to Normal by July 4th
March 11, 2021 • Statements and Releases

Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the American Rescue Plan
March 11, 2021 • Statements and Releases

Remarks by President Biden at Event with the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck
March 10, 2021 • Speeches and Remarks

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Europe: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

EMA
EMA News: COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: PRAC investigating cases of thromboembolic events – vaccine’s benefits currently still outweigh risks – Update
PRAC, Last updated: 11/03/2021

EMA News: EMA recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen for authorisation in the EU
CHMP, Last updated: 11/03/2021
EMA has recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation for COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen to prevent COVID-19 in people from 18 years of age.
After a thorough evaluation, EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) concluded by consensus that the data on the vaccine were robust and met the criteria for efficacy, safety and quality. COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen is the fourth vaccine recommended in the EU for preventing COVID-19.
“With this latest positive opinion, authorities across the European Union will have another option to combat the pandemic and protect the lives and health of their citizens,” said Emer Cooke, EMA’s Executive Director, adding, “this is the first vaccine which can be used as a single dose”…

EMA News: EMA starts rolling review of Eli Lilly antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19
CHMP, Last updated: 11/03/2021

EMA News: COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: PRAC preliminary view suggests no specific issue with batch used in Austria
PRAC, Last updated: 10/03/2021

European Commission [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Press release 11 March 2021
Commission extends transparency and authorisation mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines
The Commission has today extended until end of June the transparency and authorisation mechanism for COVID-19 vaccine exports. This follows persistent delays in some of the deliveries of vaccines to the EU.
Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said: “The first weeks of the application of this instrument have shown that the trade disruption feared by many did not take place. Since the measure was introduced, shipments were authorised to more than 30 countries. This confirms that even during a very critical health situation, the EU has made a considerable effort to be a reliable and responsible trading partner.”
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: “We expect companies with which we have signed a contract to fulfil their obligations towards EU citizens. The EU exports very significant volumes of COVID-19 vaccines, true to our commitment to global solidarity. Yet, not all companies are honouring their agreements with the EU despite having received a down payment to enable sufficient production. We will insist that compliance is ensured and we will continue to work with companies to ramp up production in Europe as quickly as possible.”
EU number one supplier of COVID-19 vaccines to the world
The EU continues to be the leading provider of vaccines around the world. Six weeks into the existence of this mechanism, 249 export requests to 31 different countries* have been granted for a total of 34,090,267 doses, as they did not threaten the contractual engagements between the EU and the vaccine producers. Only one export request was not granted. The main export destinations include the United Kingdom (with approximately 9.1 million doses), Canada (3.9 million), Mexico (3.1 million), Japan (2.7 million), Saudi Arabia (1.4 million), Hong Kong (1.3 million), Singapore (1 million), United States (1 million), Chile (0.9 million) and Malaysia (0.8 million).
The export authorisation mechanism
This export authorisation mechanism only applies to exports from companies with which the EU has concluded Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs). These APAs commit the vaccine producers to deliver to EU Member States a pre-agreed number of vaccines. The mechanism provides for authorisations of exports of COVID-19 vaccines outside the EU…

Press release 11 March 2021
European Commission authorises fourth safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19
Today, the European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID19 vaccine developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and the fourth COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU.

Press release 10 March 2021
Commission supports Member States in tackling coronavirus hotspots with offer of four million additional doses of BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine to be delivered this month
The European Commission has reached an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer for the supply of four million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Member States in the next two weeks in order to tackle coronavirus hotspots and to facilitate free border movement.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Africa: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

No new digest content identified.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Russia: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
Sputnik V approved for use in Azerbaijan
Press release, 12.03.2021

Namibia becomes the 50th country to authorize Sputnik V
Press release, 11.03.2021

Jordan authorizes Sputnik V
Press release, 10.03.2021

Sputnik V authorized in Morocco
Press release, 10.03.2021

Sputnik V authorized in Kenya
Press release, 10.03.2021

Sputnik V authorized in North Macedonia
Press release, 07.03.2021 13:06:00

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

India: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)
https://www.icmr.gov.in/media.html
No new digest content identified.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

China: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
China’s recombinant protein vaccine to aid global fight against COVID-19: Expert
2021-03-08
China’s homegrown recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine, recently approved for use in Uzbekistan, is expected to be another “powerful weapon” in fighting the global pandemic, a senior Chinese CDC official has said.

Scientists should bolster defense against COVID-19 strains, senior biomedical engineer says
2021-03-08
The country’s scientific community should continue its rigorous and intensive research on COVID-19, and bolster the nation’s preparedness by developing vaccines and diagnostic kits against mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2, a senior biomedical engineer said during the second plenary meeting of the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on March 7

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID Vaccine Developer Announcements

Sanofi and Translate Bio initiate Phase 1/2 clinical trial of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate
:: Clinical trial to assess safety, immune response and reactogenicity, after preclinical data showed high neutralizing antibody levels
:: Expected to enroll 415 participants; interim results expected in Q3 2021
:: In parallel, preclinical studies are underway to evaluate additional mRNA candidates against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants
Press releases March 12 2021

Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization
Mar 12, 2021,
:: Data have demonstrated vaccine protects against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death in broad geographic regions, including those with variants of significant concern(1)
:: Available on not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use
:: Compatible with standard vaccine storage, distribution channels, enabling delivery to remote areas

Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Conditional Marketing Authorization by European Commission
March 11, 2021
:: Data have demonstrated vaccine protects against COVID-19 related hospitalization in broad geographic regions, including those with emerging variants1
:: Decision follows the European Medicines Agency recommendation of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine2
:: The Company aims to begin delivery of its vaccine to the EU in the second half of April and is committed to supply 200 million doses in 20213

Novavax Confirms High Levels of Efficacy Against Original and Variant COVID-19 Strains in United Kingdom and South Africa Trials
Mar 11, 2021
:: 100% protection against severe disease
:: Final analysis in U.K. trial confirms 96% efficacy against original strain of COVID-19
:: Efficacy against variants confirmed in U.K. and South Africa

Moderna Announces First Participants Dosed in Study Evaluating COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Candidates
March 10, 2021
:: Study to enroll 60 participants previously vaccinated with mRNA-1273 in Phase 2, to evaluate booster vaccine candidates against the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID Vaccination: Incentives/Mandates/Passports

EU’s ‘vaccine passports’ will only be valid with EMA-approved COVID jabs
By Euronews   Updated: 12/03/2021
A proposal to introduce so-called “vaccine passports”, to be put forward on March 17th to aid free movement within the bloc, will only be valid with EMA-approved vaccinations.
Why? Because the vaccinations from unapproved companies will not be covered by the EU liability clause and quality control.
…The source reported that EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders made it clear that member states were free to get their citizens vaccinated by other products, but they would not be allocated a licensed travel certificate unless their jab had been from an approved company, of which there are currently four. Pfizer/BioNtech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson…

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.icao.int/
Latest News
ICAO Council approves new pandemic response and recovery measures
Montréal, 12 March 2021 – The ICAO Council approved six new COVID-19 recommendations today, and amended two others, as countries continue to address latest information and cooperate to optimize the role of international air transport in global pandemic recovery and ensure the speedy resumption of air travel.
The new and amended recommendations and updated guidelines are contained in the High-Level Cover Document and ‘Take-off’ Guidelines issued by the Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART), established shortly after the pandemic was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Following the emergence of new virus variants, the vaccine rollouts, and other innovations to battle COVID-19, the work of CART has targeted specific issues related to testing and vaccination of passengers as part of a State’s multilayer risk management strategy with the ultimate objective of restoring public confidence in air travel and getting passengers to fly again. After the 70% decrease in air traffic, international air transport can now see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks also to these new recommendations and guidelines” commented ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano.
“The Council has also taken into account the latest position of the WHO, which specifies that proof of COVID-19 vaccination should not be made a condition for international travel,” he noted…

Recommendation 19 
Vaccination should not be a prerequisite for international travel. At such time as evidence shows that vaccinated persons would not transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus or would present a reduced risk of transmitting the virus, Member States may exempt such individuals from testing and/or quarantine measures, in accordance with a State’s accepted risk threshold, national framework, the COVID-19 situation and the multilayered risk mitigation framework described in the Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 10 March 2021
:: In this special op-ed, Spanish Foreign Minister and Gender Champion for Polio Eradication Ms Arancha González Laya, reflects on the role of women in polio eradication following her recent visit to Chad.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: 14 cVDPV2 cases and 10 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: six WPV1 positive environmental samples
:: Côte d’Ivoire: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Dr Congo: three cVDPV2 cases
:: Mali: five cVDPV2 cases
:: Niger: four cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Sierra Leone: Five cVDPV2 cases
:: Sudan: one cVDPV2 case
:: Tajikistan: two cVDPV2 cases

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WHO/OCHA Emergencies

Editor’s Note:
Continuing with this edition, we include information about the last apparent update evident on the WHO emergency country webpages, recognizing almost universal and significant interims since last update regardless of the level of the emergency listed.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 13 Mar 2021]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements [Last apparent update: 12 Jan 2021]
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 November 2020]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 29 Jun 2020]
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 17 July 2020]
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 February 2020]
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 October 2020]
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2020]

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 13 Mar 2021]
Burkina Faso
:: Revue sectorielle de l’année 2020 du secteur de planification santé 10 mars 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 02 March 2021]Burundi –
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 June 2018]
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 2 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 February 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update 05 March 2021]
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16-12-2020]
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 November 2020]
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 11 février 2021]
Niger– No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update:06 mars 2021]occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 September 2019]
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 27 August 2019]
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 June 2020]
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 1 May 2019]
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 10 May 2019]

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 13 Mar 2021]

Kenya
:: Kenya receives COVID-19 vaccines and launches landmark national campaign 06 March 2021

Chad – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2018]
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 25 novembre 2020]
Mali – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 May 2017]
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 20 July 2018]
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 October 2020]

::::::
::::::

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. 
Yemen
:: 12 March 2021 Yemen: Ma’rib Situation Update No. 2, 12 March 2021

Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

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.
East Africa Locust Infestation – No new digest announcements identified
COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

WHO & Regional Offices [to 13 Mar 2021]
12 March 2021 News release
WHO adds Janssen vaccine to list of safe and effective emergency tools against COVID-19

12 March 2021 News release
ACT-Accelerator releases prioritised strategy and budget for 2021 to change the course of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic

10 March 2021 Medical product alert
Medical Product Alert N°1/2021: Falsified Vitamin A

10 March 2021 Departmental news
WHO signs MoU with Women in Global Health on International Women’s Day

9 March 2021 Joint News Release
Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence

8 March 2021 Statement
GACVS COVID-19 Vaccine Safety subcommittee meeting to review reports on influenza-like illness in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines
…Based on a careful scientific review of the information made available, the Subcommittee came to the following conclusions:
:: Symptoms of an influenza-like illness may be expected as immune responses following vaccinations in general.
:: The current reports with the COVID-19 vaccines are consistent with the expected side-effect profile of these vaccines, all of which were well tolerated.
In view of this, the committee considers that the benefit-risk balance of the COVID-19 vaccines (for which reports of the influenza-like reactions are available to date) remains favourable and does not suggest any revision, at present, to the recommendations around the safety of these vaccines…

8 March 2021 Departmental news
New global breast cancer initiative highlights renewed commitment to improve survival

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol. 96, No. 10, pp. 69–76, 12 March 2021
:: El Salvador certified as malaria-free by Who, 25 February 202172
:: COVAX publishes first round of allocations

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Countries gear-up to kick all forms of polio out of Africa, once and for all 13 March 2021

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified

WHO European Region EURO
:: Serbia’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign off to a strong start 11-03-2021
:: Republic of Moldova first country in Europe to receive COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX Facility 10-03-2021
:: Women at the forefront of the COVID-19 response in Albania: “We will keep fighting until this virus is defeated” 09-03-2021
:: One year of WHO/Europe’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic 09-03-2021

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: First shipment of European Union-funded COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX Facility arrived in Jordan
13 March 2021
:: COVID-19 vaccines shipped by COVAX arrive in Afghanistan 8 March 2021

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified

CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements
Media Statement from CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, In Observance of One-Year Pandemic Milestone Thursday, March 11, 2021

CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others Monday, March 8, 2021
The new guidance—which is based on the latest science — includes recommendations for how and when a fully vaccinated individual can visit with other people who are fully vaccinated and with other people who are not vaccinated. This guidance represents a first step toward returning to everyday activities in our communities. CDC will update these recommendations as more people are vaccinated, rates of COVID-19 in the community change, and additional scientific evidence becomes available.

“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in their own homes. Everyone – even those who are vaccinated – should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings. As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.”

:: Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart.
:: Visit with unvaccinated people from one other household indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart if everyone in the other household is at low risk for severe disease.
“” Refrain from quarantine and testing if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 after contact with someone who has COVID-19.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. Although vaccinations are accelerating, CDC estimates that just 9.2% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that the FDA has authorized for emergency use…

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, March 12, 2021
:: Screening for HIV Among Patients at Tuberculosis Clinics —Results from Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Surveys, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, 2015–2016
:: First Identified Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Variant P.1 in the United States — Minnesota, January 2021 (Early Release March 3, 2021)
:: Travel from the United Kingdom to the United States by a Symptomatic Patient Infected with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Variant — Texas, January 2021 (Early Release March 3, 2021)
:: Association of State-Issued Mask Mandates and Allowing On-Premises Restaurant Dining with County-Level COVID-19 Case and Death Growth Rates — United States, March 1–December 31, 2020 (Early Release March 5, 2021)
:: Body Mass Index and Risk for COVID-19–Related Hospitalization, Intensive Care Unit Admission, Invasive Mechanical Ventilation, and Death — United States, March–December 2020 (Early Release March 8, 2021)

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Selected Resources
:: Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 12 Mar 2021 06:00:00 EST
:: When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated March 09, 2021
:: How CDC is responding to SARS-CoV-2 variants globally March 09, 2021
:: Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People March 08, 2021

Africa CDC [to 13 Mar 2021]
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 [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
March 13: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On March 12, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 7 new cases of confirmed infections.

Li: China open, transparent, cooperative with WHO
2021-03-12
China has acted in a fact-based manner and with an open, transparent and cooperative approach to maintain communications with the World Health Organization concerning the origins of the COVID-19, and provided the WHO missions support during their work in China, Premier Li Keqiang said on March 11…

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
China’s recombinant protein vaccine to aid global fight against COVID-19: Expert
2021-03-08
[See China above for detail]

Scientists should bolster defense against COVID-19 strains, senior biomedical engineer says
2021-03-08
[See China above for detail]

Organization Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 13 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 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 13 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 13 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
NEWS RELEASE 3/8/21
THE LUNDQUIST INSTITUTE OUT-LICENSES DEVELOPMENT OF A SYNTHETIC LUNG SURFACTANT FORMULATION
LOS ANGELES (March 8, 2021) — The Lundquist Institute (TLI) and The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) executed a license agreement for TLI intellectual property covering a synthetic lung surfactant formulation to be developed for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) for premature infants in Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMIC). TLI already maintains patents on this invention in the United States, Canada and Europe…

CARB-X [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
03.09.2021  |
CARB-X is funding Affinivax to develop a novel vaccine to prevent Staphylococcus aureus bacterial infections
CARB-X is funding Affinivax, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, biotech, to develop a new vaccine that will prevent Staphylococcus aureus bacterial infections, healthcare-associated infections that are a major health threat particularly to high-risk and older patients.

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: A new edition of Informed Consent: A Monthly Digest is now posted here and via a PDF.

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
10 Mar 2021
Global leaders support CEPI plan to tackle risk of future pandemics
Support comes as CEPI launches case for $3.5 billion case for investment including an ‘all-in-one’ vaccine against coronaviruses, including SARS, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2

CEPI and SK bioscience expand partnership to develop vaccine against COVID-19 variants
Up to $14.2 million of funding will support development of a vaccine against COVID-19 variants of concern
COVAX
10 Mar 2021

CEPI and VBI Vaccines collaborate to advance vaccine candidates against COVID-19 variants
Up to $33m of funding will support development of VBI’s enveloped virus-like particle (eVLP) vaccine candidates against COVID-19 variants of concern.
COVAX
10 Mar 2021

Meeting discusses COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing bottlenecks that must be urgently tackled for COVID-19 vaccine output to reach its full potential
09 Mar 2021

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 13 Mar 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/
News
No new digest content identified.

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
Launch and Scale Speedometer
March 1, 2021

EDCTP [to 13 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
08 March 2021
International Women’s Day 2021: a challenge to inequality

Emory Vaccine Center [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

European Commission [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Press release 11 March 2021
Commission extends transparency and authorisation mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines
The Commission has today extended until end of June the transparency and authorisation mechanism for COVID-19 vaccine exports. This follows persistent delays in some of the deliveries of vaccines to the EU.
Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said: “The first weeks of the application of this instrument have shown that the trade disruption feared by many did not take place. Since the measure was introduced, shipments were authorised to more than 30 countries. This confirms that even during a very critical health situation, the EU has made a considerable effort to be a reliable and responsible trading partner.”
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: “We expect companies with which we have signed a contract to fulfil their obligations towards EU citizens. The EU exports very significant volumes of COVID-19 vaccines, true to our commitment to global solidarity. Yet, not all companies are honouring their agreements with the EU despite having received a down payment to enable sufficient production. We will insist that compliance is ensured and we will continue to work with companies to ramp up production in Europe as quickly as possible.”
EU number one supplier of COVID-19 vaccines to the world
The EU continues to be the leading provider of vaccines around the world. Six weeks into the existence of this mechanism, 249 export requests to 31 different countries* have been granted for a total of 34,090,267 doses, as they did not threaten the contractual engagements between the EU and the vaccine producers. Only one export request was not granted. The main export destinations include the United Kingdom (with approximately 9.1 million doses), Canada (3.9 million), Mexico (3.1 million), Japan (2.7 million), Saudi Arabia (1.4 million), Hong Kong (1.3 million), Singapore (1 million), United States (1 million), Chile (0.9 million) and Malaysia (0.8 million).
The export authorisation mechanism
This export authorisation mechanism only applies to exports from companies with which the EU has concluded Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs). These APAs commit the vaccine producers to deliver to EU Member States a pre-agreed number of vaccines. The mechanism provides for authorisations of exports of COVID-19 vaccines outside the EU…
[See COVID above for detail]

Press release 11 March 2021
European Commission authorises fourth safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19
Today, the European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID19 vaccine developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and the fourth COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU.
[See COVID above for detail]

Press release 10 March 2021
Commission supports Member States in tackling coronavirus hotspots with offer of four million additional doses of BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine to be delivered this month
The European Commission has reached an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer for the supply of four million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Member States in the next two weeks in order to tackle coronavirus hotspots and to facilitate free border movement.
[See COVID above for detail]

European Medicines Agency [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
News: COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: PRAC investigating cases of thromboembolic events – vaccine’s benefits currently still outweigh risks – Update
PRAC, Last updated: 11/03/2021

News: EMA recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen for authorisation in the EU
CHMP, Last updated: 11/03/2021
[See COVID above for detail]

News: EMA starts rolling review of Eli Lilly antibodies bamlanivimab and etesevimab for COVID-19
CHMP, Last updated: 11/03/2021

News: COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: PRAC preliminary view suggests no specific issue with batch used in Austria
PRAC, Last updated: 10/03/2021
[See COVID above for detail]

European Vaccine Initiative [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
EVI
Effective vaccine against placental malaria: Where we are and what does the future
Macrh 9, 2021
A new review article on Placental Malaria has been published in Frontiers in Immunology. The publication, entitled Progress and Insights Toward an Effective Placental Malaria Vaccine, results from long standing collaboration of over 15 years between European Vaccine Initiative and researchers at Inserm and University of Copenhagen…. Read the full article >>

FDA [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
March 12, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 12, 2021

March 9, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 9, 2021

FDA – COVID-19 Vaccines [to 13 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.”

Fondation Merieux [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Advanced Course on Diagnostics (ACDx): Special Edition on COVID-19
March 15 – 17, 2021 – Virtual

Gavi [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
No new digest content identified.

GHIT Fund [to 13 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 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
Global Fund Thanks the United States for US$3.5 Billion Emergency Investment to Fight COVID-19
11 March 2021
The Global Fund applauds the U.S. government for approving US$3.5 billion in emergency funding for the Global Fund’s effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries.

News
Global Fund Gets Top Marks in New Report on Gender Equality in Global Health
08 March 2021
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is honored to be ranked as one of the “12 very high-scoring” organizations on gender equality in the Global Health 50/50 Report, released today. The report, entitled Gender equality: Flying Blind in A Time of Crisis, surveyed 201 global health organizations to assess how gender equality is being advanced both within the organizations and in the health programs they run. The report identified 45 high scorers in 2021, including 12 very high-scoring organizations and 33 high-scoring organizations.

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
FEATURE
March 12, 2021
Innovative bio-therapeutics for COVID-19: How can monoclonal antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 be made accessible in LMICs?
On February 24, 2021, IAVI co-organized a webinar with the Department of Biotechnology (Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India), and Wellcome to understand the challenges and opportunities for research and development of innovative biotherapeutic treatments for COVID-19, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and raise awareness about the necessity of ensuring access to these products for patients across the world. The webinar was organized as three panel discussions with an impressive and diverse group of panelists from global and regional health organizations, regulatory organizations, academic institutions, and private industry, including product developers and manufacturers.
See IAVI and Wellcome call to action, you can access the full recording of the webinar here.
A recording of the previous webinar in this series, co-convened by IAVI, Wellcome, and Unitaid, on how COVID-19 may pave the way for global access to monoclonal antibodies can be found via Wellcome. To read a summary of the convening, follow this link.

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 13 Mar 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Global
COVID-19: IFRC warns of “deadly gap” in global efforts to distribute vaccines
Geneva, 10 March 2021 – Nascent efforts to ensure fair and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will fail unless a “deadly gap” in global immunization policy and funding is quickly filled. This is the stark warning issued today by the Internatio …
10 March 2021

New report: Migrants hit an “invisible wall” in accessing COVID-19 care and vaccines
Geneva, 9 March 2021 – A new report released today documents an “invisible wall” which has blocked migrants from accessing basic services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now preventing them from accessing vaccines. The report – Locked down and left out? Why access to basic services for migrants is critical to our COVID-19 response and recovery – draws on research carried out across all regions by the newly established Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab, hosted by Australian Red Cross and supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General said: “Our research reveals what we are calling an ‘invisible wall’ that has blocked migrants – particularly those undocumented or in an irregular situation – from accessing basic services. Interestingly, this wall isn’t built mainly of policies designed to exclude migrants. Instead, it is made up of inadvertent exclusions, as well as the unintended consequences of efforts to contain and control the pandemic.”…

Institut Pasteur [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
No new digest content identified.

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
New IRC analysis: Excess COVID-19 vaccines secured by US, UK and EU sufficient to vaccinate 20+ countries facing worst humanitarian crises 
March 10, 2021
:: The US, UK and the EU have each pre-purchased enough approved COVID-19 doses to vaccinate their populations more than twice over. These excess doses could vaccinate people aged 16 and over of all 20 of IRC’s 2021 Emergency Watchlist countries.
:: 46 million people over the age of 60 living in these countries are at immediate risk and most have little hope for a vaccine in 2021.

IVAC [to 13 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 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
IVI signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Nepal Health Research Council
March 12, 2021 – SEOUL, South Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today during a virtual ceremony, laying the foundation for the two organizations to build research and development capacity in Nepal and jointly pursue opportunities to improve public health in the region…

IVI welcomes Bangladesh’s accession to IVI
March 9, 2021 – SEOUL, South Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) welcomes the Cabinet of Bangladesh’s decision to ratify the IVI Establishment Agreement on February 22, 2021, completing the full accession process to IVI and becoming its 19th State Party…

JEE Alliance [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
Center for Health Security hosts the Seventh United States–India Strategic Dialogue on Biosecurity
March 10, 2021
… The virtual session focused on COVID-19 responses in India and the United States. The session explored lessons learned thus far and the path forward for both nations in responding to the pandemic…

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Yemen
Health needs grow for people in former safe haven of Marib
Project Update 11 Mar 2021

Photo Story
A year of a pandemic: our response to COVID-19 in pictures
11 Mar 2021

Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
One year of a pandemic
Opinion 11 Mar 2021

Access to medicines
Countries obstructing COVID-19 patent waiver must allow negotiations to start
Press Release 9 Mar 2021
:: Ahead of talks at the WTO on patents on COVID-19 tools, a small number of countries continue to block a waiver that would open up access to these tools during the pandemic.
:: Should the waiver be agreed, countries could produce COVID-19 vaccines and drugs on a larger scale, at lower prices.
:: MSF urges these countries to immediately stop blocking the proposal to allow lives to be saved.

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

NIH [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
Statement on NIH starting enrollment for third trial of blood clotting treatments for COVID-19
March 8, 2021 — Trial explores the use of the Eliquis® in patients who have been discharged from the hospital following a diagnosis of moderate-to-severe COVID-19.

UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Selected Research, Announcement
No new digest content identified.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.oas.org/en/
Press Releases
Statement by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States on Equitable Distribution of Vaccines
March 9, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is the worst public health crisis the modern world has ever faced. It is deeply troubling that the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) now account for almost half of the number of persons infected with the novel coronavirus globally, and a similar proportion of the people who have died worldwide.

The pandemic has also devastated the economies of the member states, particularly those that are highly dependent on external sources of income, such as tourism.

Unemployment has skyrocketed, poverty and inequality have increased, and investment has declined. The economic outlook is especially gloomy for Small Island Developing States which, by virtue of their size, produce a narrow range of goods and services that are also highly vulnerable to external shocks and natural disasters.

COVID-19 vaccines offer the prospect of supressing the virus and setting every nation on a path to both health and economic recovery. However, access to and distribution of the vaccines is not equal. Based on the current levels of limited vaccine availability and distribution, the pandemic will continue even longer for most of the world’s population, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean, depriving them of their right to life, health and livelihoods.

While I welcome the COVAX facility, led by the World Health Organization, which was designed to help developing countries to secure access to vaccines at affordable prices, I believe that COVAX needs more than pledges of financial support; it urgently needs delivery of the necessary funds to facilitate a fair supply and distribution of vaccines.

No country is safe until every country is safe. Therefore, I join the call for a massive scaling-up of vaccine production and for more affordable pricing to allow developing countries to secure vaccines and inoculate their people.

I also call on all States to facilitate the export, equal access, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, in accordance with international human rights obligations and the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.

The global pandemic requires a global response based on unity, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation, to ensure that all States have access to vaccines. The Americas, too, need a hemispheric response.

In this regard, I commit the OAS General Secretariat to work with our member states, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and international partners to formulate and implement solutions in the shortest possible time.

Increasing access to the Covid-19 vaccine in the Americas means increasing access to different rights in the Hemisphere such as the right to life, right to health, right to education, and right to sustainable livelihoods.

A hemispheric commitment is necessary to ensure the Americas actively embarks on the road towards post-Covid recovery and growth.

PATH [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
11 March 2021
Accelerating and expanding HIV services in the Central African Republic

10 March 2021
Rich nations vaccinating one person every second while majority of the poorest nations are yet to give a single dose
US, UK and EU blocking proposals at WTO to help poorer countries get vaccines more quickly
One year on from the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the People’s Vaccine Alliance is warning that developing countries are facing critical shortages of oxygen and medical supplies to cope with COVID-19 cases yet the majority have been unable to administer a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In contrast rich nations have vaccinated their citizens at a rate of one person per second over the last month.
Many of these rich nations, including the US, UK and EU, are blocking a proposal by over 100 developing countries to be discussed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) today, which would override the monopolies held by pharmaceutical companies and allow an urgently needed scale up in the production of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to ensure poorer countries get access to the doses they desperately need.
While more poor countries will see the arrival of doses in the coming days from the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility, the amounts available mean only three per cent of people in those countries can hope to be vaccinated by mid-year, and only one fifth at best by the end of 2021.
Almost one million people worldwide have signed a call by the People’s Vaccine Alliance – a group of campaigning organisations including Oxfam, Frontline AIDS, UNAIDS, Global Justice Now and the Yunus Centre – for rich nations to stop protecting big pharma monopolies and profits over people’s lives. On 11 March protests will take place outside pharmaceutical headquarters as part of a global day of action by activists across the world…

8 March 2021
Tackling gender inequalities and gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the Pacific

8 March 2021
Children living with HIV lagging behind adults in access to treatment

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
COVID-19 and crisis contexts one year on: What have we learnt? How can we fast-track recovery?
Statement delivered by Haoliang Xu as part of UNDP’s Development Dialogues: Rethinking solutions to crisis in the Decade of Action series
Posted on March 11, 2021

UNESCO [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Latest News
No new digest content identified.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected Announcements
Rwanda vaccinates refugees and asylum-seekers against COVID-19
12 Mar 2021
[See COVID above for detail]

UNICEF [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press releases, Statements
Press release 03/10/2021
Across virtually every key measure of childhood, progress has gone backward, UNICEF says as pandemic declaration hits one-year mark
Spokespeople available for interview

Press release 03/10/2021
Syria conflict 10 years on: 90 per cent of children need support as violence, economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic push families to the brink
Almost 12,000 children killed or injured in the past decade, according to verified data – an average of more than three children a day

Press release 03/07/2021
10 million additional girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19
With 25 million child marriages averted in the last decade, UNICEF issues warning on International Women’s Day that these gains are now under serious threat

Unitaid [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
08 March 2021
Improving outcomes for women and children – Unitaid publishes its RMNCH Thematic Narrative

08 March 2021
Unitaid achieves top rating for promoting gender equality in Global Health 50/50 report

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 13 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 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
No new digest content identified.

The Wistar Institute [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Mar. 12, 2021
RNA Editing Protein ADAR1 Protects Telomeres and Supports Proliferation in Cancer Cells
Isoform preserves telomere stability by preventing accumulation of R-loops, emerging as a new cancer cell vulnerability that could be therapeutically targeted.

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
Now Is the Time for Effective Collaboration!
Mar 8, 2021
Now Is the Time for Effective Collaboration! The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic frailties and shortcomings throughout health systems worldwide. Recently, the crisis surpassed a devastating milestone, with over 2.3 million people having died…

World Bank [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
Cabo Verde Received the First Batch of COVID-19 Vaccines
United Nations, Praia, March 12, 2021 – Cabo Verde received Friday, March 12, its first batch of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, sent through the COVAX Initiative, a partnership between the Government…
Date: March 12, 2021 Type: Press Release

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
09 March 2021
Launch of a new WCO project on Customs control of fake vaccines and other illicit goods linked to COVID-19
The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is of primary importance to every nation, and the transportation of vaccines across borders is becoming the world’s largest and fastest operation ever. Consequently, there is a risk that criminal syndicates may attempt to exploit the situation.

In response to this risk, and to address the threat posed by illegal products such as dangerous, sub-standard or counterfeit medicines and vaccines, the World Customs Organization (WCO) has just launched a new initiative entitled “Project on the urgent need for facilitation and coordinated Customs control of cross-border consignments linked to COVID-19”.

The aim of this project, which is funded by Japan Customs, is to stop cross-border consignments of fake vaccines and other illicit goods linked to COVID-19, while ensuring the smooth movement of the corresponding, legitimate shipments.

“In the context of the pandemic, it is crucial that Customs facilitates, to the greatest extent possible, legitimate trade in vaccines, medicines and medical supplies linked to COVID-19. However, Customs also has a determinant role to play in the fight against the illicit trade in similar sub-standard or counterfeit goods to protect societies,” said WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya.

This project is part of the actions referred to in the WCO Council Resolution adopted in December 2020 on the Role of Customs in Facilitating the Cross-Border Movement of Situationally Critical Medicines and Vaccines.

Its objectives include the application of a coordinated Customs approach, in close cooperation with vaccine-producing companies and the transport industry as well as with other international organizations, to the control of international trade flows of these goods.

Also envisaged under this initiative is the use of updated versions of CEN applications to analyse new trends in illicit trade, as well as capacity building activities to raise awareness on trade in fake vaccines and other illicit goods…

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2021/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
DG calls on COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to increase production in developing countries
9 March 2021
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 9 March called on COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to do more to ramp up production in developing countries to combat the vaccine supply shortage that is excluding many lower-income nations from access. In remarks to an event hosted by the UK think tank Chatham House, she said cooperation on trade, and action at the WTO, would help accelerate vaccine scale-up.

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 13 Mar 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
BIO responds to Congress’ Covid-19 relief package
March 10, 2021
Today, Congress passed the “American Rescue Plan” – a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package aimed at alleviating some of the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon passage of the bill, Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president…

Letter to President Biden Discusses Collaboration To Boost Access to COVID-19 Treatments
March 8, 2021
Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), sent a letter to President Biden outlining ways the public and private sectors can best work with global partners to ensure that patients around the…

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 13 Mar 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

IFPMA [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Meeting discusses COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing bottlenecks that must be urgently tackled for C19 vaccine output
09 March 2021
[See COVID above for detail]

ICC innovation Principles for Policymakers – Creating and nurturing innovation ecosystems
Position Paper
10 March 2021

PhRMA [to 13 Mar 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
ICYMI: WSJ showcases breakthrough science of COVID-19 vaccines and implications for future medicines
March 8, 2021 Andrew Powaleny
Building on deep scientific knowledge gained from decades of experience with viruses such as MERS, SARS, influenza, HIV and Hepatitis C, biopharmaceutical companies have made unprecedented progress in advancing treatments and vaccines to help fight COVID-19. At this time, three vaccines and several treatments have received emergency use authorizations (EUAs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with one treatment receiving FDA approval. Additional candidates under investigation have also shown promise.

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

Artificial Intelligence – An International Journal
Volume 292 March 2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/artificial-intelligence/vol/292/suppl/C

BMC Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
http://resource-allocation.biomedcentral.com/
(Accessed 13 Mar 2021)
Cost-effectiveness of a reactive oral cholera immunization campaign using Shanchol™ in Malawi
Oral cholera vaccines (OCV) have been recommended as additional measures for the prevention of cholera. However, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of OCV use in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in reactive outbreak contexts. This study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of the use of OCV Shanchol in response to a cholera outbreak in the Lake Chilwa area, Malawi…Relative to the Malawi gross domestic product per capita, the reactive OCV campaign represented a cost-effective intervention, particularly when considering indirect vaccine effects. Results will need to be assessed in other settings, e.g., during campaigns implemented directly by the Ministry of Health rather than by international partners.
Authors: Patrick G. Ilboudo, Martin A. Mengel, Bradford D. Gessner, Bagrey Ngwira, Philippe Cavailler and Jean-Bernard Le Gargasson
Content type: Research
10 March 2021

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 13 Mar 2021)

Improving access to healthcare for paediatric sickle cell disease patients: a qualitative study on healthcare professionals’ views
In well-resourced countries, comprehensive care programs have increased life expectancy of patients with sickle cell disease, with almost all infants surviving into adulthood. However, families affected by sic…
Authors: Maite E. Houwing, Marit Buddenbaum, Thijs C. J. Verheul, Anne P. J. de Pagter, Jacobus N. J. Philipsen, Jan A. Hazelzet and Marjon H. Cnossen
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2021 21:229
Content type: Research article
Published on: 12 March 2021

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 13 Mar 2021)

Clinical outcomes and healthcare costs of inpatients with tetanus in Korea, 2011–2019
Tetanus is a rare, vaccine-preventable but extremely serious disease. We investigated the recent trend of the clinical outcomes and medical costs for inpatients with tetanus in South Korea over 10 years.
Authors: Sohyun Bae, Minsik Go, Yoonjung Kim, Soyoon Hwang, Shin-Woo Kim, Ki Tae Kwon, Sook-In Jung and Hyun-Ha Chang
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2021 21:247
Content type: Research article
Published on: 9 March 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 13 Mar 2021)

Using a hybrid agent-based and equation based model to test school closure policies during a measles outbreak
In order to be prepared for an infectious disease outbreak it is important to know what interventions will or will not have an impact on reducing the outbreak. While some interventions might have a greater effect in mitigating an outbreak, others might only have a minor effect but all interventions will have a cost in implementation. Estimating the effectiveness of an intervention can be done using computational modelling. In particular, comparing the results of model runs with an intervention in place to control runs where no interventions were used can help to determine what interventions will have the greatest effect on an outbreak.
Authors: Elizabeth Hunter and John D. Kelleher
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:499
Content type: Research article
Published on: 12 March 2021

Contemporary Clinical Trials
Volume 101 February 2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/contemporary-clinical-trials/vol/101/suppl/C

Clinical Trial Management and Optimization
Review article Full text access
Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Ahmad Al-Abdouh, Anas Bizanti, Mahmoud Barbarawi, Ahmad Jabri, … Erin D. Michos
Article 106272

Contemporary Clinical Trials
Volume 101 February 2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/contemporary-clinical-trials/vol/101/suppl/C

Study Design, Statistical Design, Study Protocols
Research articl eFull text access
Reporting and design of randomized controlled trials for COVID-19: A systematic review
Alison Dillman, Jay J.H. Park, Michael J. Zoratti, Noor-E Zannat, … Edward J. Mills
Article 106239

EMBO Reports
Volume 22 Issue 3 3 March 2021
https://www.embopress.org/toc/14693178/current

Science & Society 21 February 2021 Free Access
A CRISPR response to pandemics?: Exploring the ethics of genetically engineering the human immune system
Federico Germani, Sebastian Wäscher, Nikola Biller‐Andorno
Ethical challenges should be addressed before gene editing is made available to improve the immune response against emerging viruses.
… It would therefore be extremely helpful from a public health perspective—and indeed lifesaving for those with elevated risk of developing severe course of the disease—if we could boost the human immune system by other means to better fight off SARS‐CoV‐2 and possibly other viruses. Recent studies showing that some individuals may be less susceptible to contract severe COVID‐19 depending on their genetic status support such visions (COVID‐¹⁹ Host Genetics Initiative, ²⁰²⁰). This could eventually inspire research projects on gene therapy with the aim of generally enhancing immunity against viral infections….

Expert Review of Vaccines
Vol 20 (1) 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ierv20/current

Article
Quadrivalent influenza vaccine (Sinovac Biotech) for seasonal influenza prophylaxis
Yan-Yang Tao, Jing-Xin Li, Yue-Mei Hu, Yuan-Sheng Hu, Gang Zeng & Feng-Cai Zhu
Pages: 1-11
Published online: 01 Feb 2021

Expert Review of Vaccines
Vol 20 (1) 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ierv20/current

Article
Multi-criteria decision analysis to prioritize the introduction of new vaccines in Indonesia by using the framework of the strategic multi-attribute ranking tool for vaccines (SMART vaccines)
Auliya A. Suwantika, Febby V. Purwadi, Neily Zakiyah, Irma M. Puspitasari, Rizky Abdulah, Ajeng Diantini, Cornelis Boersma & Maarten J. Postma
Pages: 83-91
Published online: 21 Jan 2021

Expert Review of Vaccines
Vol 20 (1) 2021
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ierv20/current

Review
COVID-19 vaccine: where are we now and where should we go?
Saman Soleimanpour & Atieh Yaghoubi
Pages: 23-44
Published online: 17 Feb 2021

Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 13 Mar 2021]

Research Article metrics
Revised
Tetanus vaccine coverage in recommended and more than recommended doses among mothers in a West Cameroon health district: a cross sectional study [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]
Igor Nguemouo Nguegang, Martin Nguetsop, Linda Evans Eba Ze, Trevor Anyambod Mboh, Dominique Majoric Omokolo, Ruth Noutakdie Fossi, Etienne Guenou, Jerome Ateudjieu
Peer Reviewers Jayani Pathirana; Ghose Bishwajt
Funder: Gates Foundation
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 10 Mar 2021

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 78, October 2020
https://odihpn.org/magazine/inclusion-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-humanitarian-action-what-now/

Disability inclusion in humanitarian action
by HPN October 2020
The theme of this edition of Humanitarian Exchange, co-edited with Sherin Alsheikh Ahmed from Islamic Relief Worldwide, is disability inclusion in humanitarian action. Persons with disabilities are not only disproportionately impacted by conflicts, disasters and other emergencies, but also face barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance. At the same time, global commitments and standards and the IASC Guidelines on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action all emphasise how persons with disabilities are also active agents of change. Disability and age-focused organisations have led on testing and demonstrating how inclusion can be done better. Yet despite this progress, challenges to effective inclusion remain.

As Kirstin Lange notes in the lead article, chief among these challenges is humanitarian agencies’ lack of engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities. Simione Bula, Elizabeth Morgan and Teresa Thomson look at disability inclusion in humanitarian response in the Pacific, and Kathy Al Jubeh and Alradi Abdalla argue for a ‘participation revolution’, building on learning from the gender movement. Tchaurea Fleury and Sulayman AbdulMumuni Ujah outline how the Bridge Article 11 training initiative is encouraging constructive exchange between humanitarian and disability actors. The lack of good, disaggregated data is highlighted by Sarah Collinson; Frances Hill, Jim Cranshaw and Carys Hughes emphasise the need for training resources in local languages and accessible formats; and Sophie Van Eetvelt and colleagues report on a review of the evidence on inclusion of people with disabilities and older people.

Rebecca Molyneux and co-authors analyse the findings of a review of a DFID programme in north-east Nigeria, while Carolin Funke highlights the importance of strategic partnerships between disability-focused organisations, drawing on her research in Cox’s Bazar. Sherin Alsheikh Ahmed describes Islamic Relief Worldwide’s approach to mainstreaming protection and inclusion, while Pauline Thivillier and Valentina Shafina outline IRC’s Client Responsive Programming. The edition ends with reflections by Mirela Turcanu and Yves Ngunzi Kahashi on CAFOD’s SADI approach.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 13 Mar 2021]

The application of social innovation in healthcare: a scoping review
Social innovation has been applied increasingly to achieve social goals, including improved healthcare delivery, despite a lack of conceptual clarity and consensus on its definition. Beyond its tangible artefacts to address societal and structural needs, social innovation can best be understood as innovation in social relations, in power dynamics and in governance transformations, and may include institutional and systems transformations.
Authors: Lindi van Niekerk, Lenore Manderson and Dina Balabanova
Citation: Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2021 10:26
Content type: Scoping Review
Published on: 8 March 2021

JAMA
March 9, 2021, Vol 325, No. 10, Pages 907-1016
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Research Letter
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Karnataka, India
Manoj Mohanan, PhD; Anup Malani, PhD; Kaushik Krishnan, PhD; et al.
free access
JAMA. 2021;325(10):1001-1003. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0332
In the context of large numbers of workers moving from urban to rural areas with less strict lockdown policies in low- and middle-income countries, this study describes community-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevalence in urban vs rural areas of Karnataka state, India.

JAMA
March 9, 2021, Vol 325, No. 10, Pages 907-1016
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Viewpoint
Rapid Implementation of a Vaccination Superstation
Christopher A. Longhurst, MD, MS; Brendan Kremer, MHA; Patricia S. Maysent, MBA, MHA
free access
JAMA. 2021;325(10):931-932. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0801
This Viewpoint details lessons learned from a county-private-university collaboration in San Diego to stand up a coronavirus vaccine superstation to immunize 4500-5000 people daily, detailing optimization of patient throughput and ways to monitor adverse events and document vaccine administration at scale.

JAMA
March 9, 2021, Vol 325, No. 10, Pages 907-1016
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Medical News & Perspectives
The Price of Success—How to Evaluate COVID-19 Vaccines When They’re Available Outside of Clinical Trials
Rita Rubin, MA
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(10):918-921. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0641
This Medical News feature examines the challenge of continuing or launching placebo-controlled trials of COVID-19 vaccines now that some have been authorized for use in the community.

JAMA Network
COVID-19 Update March 13, 2021

These articles on COVID-19 were published across the JAMA Network in the last week.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 13 Mar 2021]

Establishment of the African Medicines Agency: progress, challenges and regulatory readiness
Authors: Bakani Mark Ncube, Admire Dube and Kim Ward
Content type: Commentary
8 March 2021
Abstract
Insufficient access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products in Africa has posed a significant challenge to public health for decades. In part, this is attributed to weak or absent policies and regulatory systems, a lack of competent regulatory professionals in National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) and ineffective regional collaborations among NMRAs. In response to national regulatory challenges in Africa, a number of regional harmonisation efforts were introduced through the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) initiative to, among others, expedite market authorisation of medical products and to facilitate the alignment of national legislative frameworks with the AU Model Law on Medical Products Regulation. The goals of the model law include to increase collaboration across countries and to facilitate the overall regional harmonisation process. The AMRH initiative is proposed to serve as the foundation for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA). The AMA will, as one of its mandates, coordinate the regional harmonisation systems that are enabled by AU Model Law domestication and implementation. In this paper, we review the key entities involved in regional and continental harmonisation of medicines regulation, the milestones achieved in establishing the AMA as well as the implementation targets and anticipated challenges related to the AU Model Law domestication and the AMA’s establishment…

The Lancet
Mar 13, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10278 p941-1034, e8
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
Access to COVID-19 vaccines: looking beyond COVAX
The Lancet
Global health leaders have been in a congratulatory mood. On March 1, they celebrated the first vaccinations against COVID-19 in Africa delivered through COVAX—the scheme led by GAVI, CEPI, and WHO to support research and development, raise funding, and negotiate the bulk purchase and equitable global distribution of vaccines for COVID-19. As of March 9, 12 million doses have been shipped to 29 countries, marking the beginning of the largest vaccine roll-out in history. This is an unprecedented achievement. Yet COVAX is wholly unequipped to resolve many of the most pressing threats to its mission. Global vaccination is central to ending the pandemic, yet it has been dealt with at far too low a political level. Too many obstacles are going unchallenged. A high-level individual or group with political acumen, technical competency, and the ability to advocate for justice is needed to galvanise the effort.

There is a startling lack of solidarity between countries. As outlined in a Health Policy paper, the many bilateral deals struck between governments and vaccine manufacturers, independently of COVAX, threaten the supply of doses. Rich nations have given money to COVAX and paid lip service to the idea of vaccines for all while scrambling to buy up all the doses they can. Olivier Wouters and colleagues report that polities representing only 16% of the global population have secured 70% of the available doses for the five leading vaccines in 2021. As a result, dozens of countries have yet to administer a single dose, whereas others have already immunised large proportions of their populations. COVAX will continue to face competition for purchasing doses and risks being outbid; it can only bemoan such agreements. No one may be able to persuade countries to cease these deals entirely. But a well respected and dedicated former head of state with the ability to encourage and cajole prime ministers and presidents might have more success in encouraging countries to behave more equitably. It would be far better for countries that have made bilateral deals to donate a fixed proportion of their acquired doses to COVAX, for example, than simply promise to share their surpluses. An authoritative voice with moral credentials is needed to support global access to vaccines, to intervene when that goal is under threat, and to call out unfair practices.

Clearer leadership and oversight are also needed to bring greater cohesion to the complex patchwork of national governments, technical organisations (including GAVI, CEPI, WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank), the private sector, and civil society that is aiming to ensure global access to vaccines. The list of well meaning but varied vaccination targets is growing. COVAX’s current conservative aim is to immunise 20% of people in each country, which it estimates is enough to cover high-risk groups and health workers. Most high-income countries seem set on a policy of mass vaccination. The African Union has set a target of 60% coverage, whereas Nigeria, for example, is aiming for 40%. Some order needs to be brought to these disparate goals.

A dedicated envoy or tsar could also help moderate disagreements between countries, which are hampering global COVID-19 vaccination. Last year, South Africa and India called on the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property protections on COVID-19 drugs and vaccines to boost manufacturing. Despite support from the WHO Director-General, the proposal has languished under opposition from the UK, the USA, Canada, Norway, and the EU. Meanwhile, on March 4, the Italian Government blocked the export of 250 000 doses of the AstraZeneca–Oxford vaccine bound for Australia following disagreements between the manufacturer and the EU. These issues require political and diplomatic solutions. They cannot be solved by technical agencies.

Who should take on this role? If a UN Special Envoy, they must be more than a symbolic appointee, flying around the world to shake hands with political leaders and getting little done. Their tasks must be actionable. The Elders, a group of varied political leaders formed by Nelson Mandela to use public and private diplomacy to advance justice and human rights, have successfully championed causes such as universal health coverage, and have the requisite experience.

Whoever it is, they must above all be able to drive a worldwide movement. Although the roll-out of vaccines brings hope, case numbers are increasing again globally and there is a grave risk of complacency. Progress has been capricious and there are still many uncertainties about COVID-19, not least the impact of new variants. Global vaccination is essential to ending the pandemic but this fact has still not prompted the unity required to deliver it. Far more vision and ambition are needed. They must come from the highest political levels.

The Lancet
Mar 13, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10278 p941-1034, e8
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Comment
Priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2021: statement of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission
Commissioners of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission,
Task Force Chairs and members of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission,
Commission Secretariat and Staff of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission
The Lancet COVID-19 Commission calls for three urgent actions in the COVID-19 response. First, all regions with high rates of new COVID-19 cases, including the USA and the European Union (EU), should intensify measures to minimise community transmission alongside rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. Second, governments should urgently and fully fund WHO and the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator,¹ including COVAX. Third, the G20 countries should empower the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and multilateral development banks to increase the scale of financing and debt relief. Success on all three priorities—containment of transmission, rapid vaccination, and emergency finance—will require improved global cooperation.

The Lancet
Mar 13, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10278 p941-1034, e8
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

SARS-CoV-2 variants and ending the COVID-19 pandemic
Arnaud Fontanet, Brigitte Autran, Bruno Lina, Marie Paule Kieny, Salim S Abdool Karim, Devi Sridhar

The Lancet
Mar 13, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10278 p941-1034, e8
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Health Policy
Challenges in ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines: production, affordability, allocation, and deployment
Olivier J Wouters, Kenneth C Shadlen, Maximilian Salcher-Konrad, Andrew J Pollard, Heidi J Larson, Yot Teerawattananon, Mark Jit
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to end until there is global roll-out of vaccines that protect against severe disease and preferably drive herd immunity. Regulators in numerous countries have authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccines for human use, with more expected to be licensed in 2021. Yet having licensed vaccines is not enough to achieve global control of COVID-19: they also need to be produced at scale, priced affordably, allocated globally so that they are available where needed, and widely deployed in local communities. In this Health Policy paper, we review potential challenges to success in each of these dimensions and discuss policy implications. To guide our review, we developed a dashboard to highlight key characteristics of 26 leading vaccine candidates, including efficacy levels, dosing regimens, storage requirements, prices, production capacities in 2021, and stocks reserved for low-income and middle-income countries. We use a traffic-light system to signal the potential contributions of each candidate to achieving global vaccine immunity, highlighting important trade-offs that policy makers need to consider when developing and implementing vaccination programmes. Although specific datapoints are subject to change as the pandemic response progresses, the dashboard will continue to provide a useful lens through which to analyse the key issues affecting the use of COVID-19 vaccines. We also present original data from a 32-country survey (n=26 758) on potential acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines, conducted from October to December, 2020. Vaccine acceptance was highest in Vietnam (98%), India (91%), China (91%), Denmark (87%), and South Korea (87%), and lowest in Serbia (38%), Croatia (41%), France (44%), Lebanon (44%), and Paraguay (51%).

Nature
Volume 591 Issue 7849, 11 March 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/591/issues/7849

World View | 03 March 2021
COVID vaccination studies: plan now to pool data, or be bogged down in confusion
Incompatible research designs will obscure essential answers about vaccine effectiveness. It’s time to plan together.
Natalie Dean

Nature Genetics
Volume 53 Issue 3, March 2021
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/53/issues/3

World View | 08 March 2021
Genes do not operate in a vacuum, and neither should our research
It’s time for a paradigm shift in the scientific enterprise. Our social responsibilities, especially as stakeholders in a field such as genetics, are central to the responsible conduct of research.
Daphne Oluwaseun Martschenko & Markia Smith

Nature Genetics
Volume 53 Issue 3, March 2021
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/53/issues/3

Comment | 22 February 2021
The NCI Genomic Data Commons
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Genomic Data Commons (GDC) contains more than 2.9 petabytes of genomic and associated clinical data from more than 60 NCI-funded and other contributed cancer genomics research projects. The GDC consists of five applications over a common data model and a common application programming interface.
Allison P. Heath, Vincent Ferretti & Robert L. Grossman