Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review is a weekly digest  summarizing news, events, announcements, peer-reviewed articles and research in the global vaccine ethics and policy space. Content is aggregated from key governmental, NGO, international organization and industry sources, key peer-reviewed journals, and other media channels. This summary proceeds from the broad base of themes and issues monitored by the Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy in its work: it is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage. You are viewing the blog version of our weekly digest, typically comprised of between 30 and 40 posts below all dated with the current issue date

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David R. Curry, MS
Executive Director
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy

Washington Post
Nov 19, 2021The Health 202
Analysis
NIH director: ‘Conspiracies are winning here’
Francis Collins wants online misinformation spreaders “brought to justice”

NIH Director Francis Collins has a stern message for the American public: The country has, what he called, an epidemic of misinformation and disinformation. And it’s fueling a dangerous distrust in science.

“Conspiracies are winning here. Truth is losing. That’s a really serious indictment of the way in which our society seems to be traveling,” said Collins, who will soon step down as the National Institutes of Health director after serving in both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Collins made his most forceful comments yet against the pervasive spread of falsehoods online… He was defending his own colleague, Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, against the biggest onslaught of angry messages and threats he’s received throughout the entire pandemic.

Those attacks stemmed in part from a viral and false claim that Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had funded a medical experiment that involved trapping beagles’ heads in mesh cages filled with diseased sand flies. Fauci received so many messages — 3,600 phone calls in 36 hours — that his assistant quit answering the phone, Yasmeen and Beth Reinhard report in a story out this morning...

…The rapid-fire spread of misinformation has altered public opinion of the pandemic and coronavirus vaccines. Some 6 in 10 Americans say they either believe the government is exaggerating the number of deaths from the virus or aren’t sure. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans believe covid-19 shots contain microchips or don’t know if the claim is true, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

“Truth is supposed to be truth,” Collins said, “and the fact that your truth would be so heavily modified by your social circle or where you get your news tells you we’re in real trouble.” He said he worries about a society where “somebody’s Facebook post carries as much weight as a statement from the director of the CDC about what is the truth of a public health crisis.”

He sees two ways of attempting to curb the spread of misinformation, though admits he’s unsure how successful either has been.
:: The first: Identify those who are purposefully spreading false information online and bring them to justice.
:: The second: Find a better way to counter false claims with real information. He didn’t specify what exactly either one would entail…

WHASS2: Special session of the World Health Assembly referred to in decision WHA74(16)
29 November – 1 December 2021
Geneva, Switzerland | Virtual event
Draft provisional agenda [dated 12 Oct 2021]: SSA2/1 (draft)

The World Health Assembly (WHA) will gather for a special session 29 November to 1 December to consider developing a WHO convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response.

The WHA normally meets each May. This special session (the second in the history of the WHO) was called for in a decision adopted by the Member States at the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly: Decision WHA74(16).

During the session, the Member States will consider the following single substantive agenda item:
Consideration of the benefits of developing a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response with a view towards the establishment of an intergovernmental process to draft and negotiate such a convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response, taking into account the report of the Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies.

The Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies, established after the WHA74, has met on four occasions and considered findings from several bodies in preparing its report. The sessions will be public and webcast on this page and other WHO channels.

ZERO DRAFT Report of the Member States Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness for and Response to Health Emergencies to the special session of the World Health Assembly
FOURTH MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP ON STRENGTHENING WHO PREPAREDNESS AND
RESPONSE TO HEALTH EMERGENCIES A/WGPR/4/3
Provisional agenda item 2
28 October 2021 :: 15 pages

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 20 Nov 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/media/news/
Press Releases, Statements
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) calls for increased surveillance of avian influenza as outbreaks in poultry and wild birds intensify
Press Release 19 November 2021
Various subtypes of high pathogenicity avian influenza have been reported by more than 40 countries over the last six months. 
During the high-risk period of this disease October to April, countries need to scale up surveillance efforts, implement strict biosecurity measures and ensure a timely reporting of outbreaks to curb its spread.

Paris, 19 November 2021 – Since 1 May 2021, outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in 41 countries from different regions in poultry and wild birds. Currently present in Africa, Asia and Europe, the disease is a threat to economic stability, food security and livelihoods. Commonly known as bird flu, avian influenza is a very contagious disease which affects several species of poultry, as well as pet birds and wild birds, and occasionally, humans. This complex disease is caused by viruses divided in multiple subtypes whose genetic characteristics rapidly evolve. Over recent years, numerous subtypes of the HPAI viruses have been circulating in diverse bird populations on a large geographical scale. In particular in 2021, an unprecedented genetic variability of subtypes has been reported in birds, thus creating an epidemiologically challenging landscape. H5N1, H5N3, H5N4, H5N5, H5N6 or H5N8 are the subtypes currently circulating in poultry and wild bird populations across the world…

Because of the disease impacts on the livelihoods of poultry farmers and on international trade, as well as the risks of transmission to humans, the animal health sector must implement strict biosecurity measures in farms, in commerce and in live bird markets to prevent it from spreading. For instance, isolating infected birds from healthy ones and cleaning and disinfecting poultry premises is highly recommended. Proper planning and the implementation of surveillance programmes in wild birds, as well as, avoiding direct or indirect contact between domestic and wild birds is equally critical in mitigating outbreaks in domestic poultry and preventing the introduction of the virus into flocks. Thus, the OIE urges countries to maintain their surveillance efforts and to continue timely reporting of avian influenza outbreaks in both poultry and non-poultry species including wild birds.

A supply gap of more than 1 billion autodisable syringes could impact COVID-19 immunization efforts in 100 countries
Global convening of syringe manufacturers and multilateral organizations held to help bolster supply.

Seattle, Washington, November 17, 2021—New PATH modeling estimates a global market supply gap of 1.2 billion autodisable (AD) syringe safe-injection devices for COVID-19 vaccine delivery. This supply gap risks becoming a bottleneck that could threaten the timely delivery of vaccines in half of the countries on Earth.

On November 11, PATH and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held a Global COVID-19 Vaccine Syringe Industry Convening bringing together more than two dozen of the world’s leading syringe manufacturers and multilateral organizations to facilitate increased transparency around the AD syringe market to help bolster supply for COVID-19 vaccines as well as routine immunization. Manufacturers confirmed critical global AD syringe supply challenges from the end of 2021 through mid-2022, despite tripling their production and efforts by multilateral organizations to secure additional AD syringes for low- and middle-income countries that need them.

The projected spike in demand for syringes for COVID-19 vaccines, estimated to total more than 4 billion from the end of 2021 to mid-2022, is due to the anticipated surge in COVID-19 vaccine dose deliveries to countries coming through COVAX, large donations from governments, and bilateral deals. Based on the global supply and demand data, the PATH modeling estimates a global gap of 1.2 billion AD syringes.

Risks to syringe supply such as country export restrictions, shipping delays, new manufacturing lines failing to receive World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification, or delays in completing planned manufacturing expansions could widen the cumulative gap to more than 2 billion during this period. Booster doses could create additional demand pressures on the market.

“Our gap analysis is designed to demystify the market and spur efforts in both public and private sectors to prioritize equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and syringes in every country as well as to safeguard syringe supplies for essential vaccines for children,” said Tara Herrick, Senior Market Analytics Officer, PATH. “While these future projections are not set in stone, collectively our actions could help curtail the size of future gaps to help reach the global COVID-19 vaccination target of 70 percent by 2022.”

Immunization is done exclusively with AD syringes in nearly 70 countries, and 30 countries use them for some immunizations. Since 1999, the WHO, UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund have recommended exclusive use of AD syringes globally for immunization as they “present the lowest risk of person-to-person transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis B or HIV” because AD syringe needles cannot be removed or reused…

Pfizer and The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Sign Licensing Agreement for COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatment Candidate to Expand Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
:: Agreement builds on Pfizer’s comprehensive strategy to work toward equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments for all people, particularly those living in the poorest parts of the world
:: Agreement will enable qualified sub-licensees to supply countries comprising approximately 53% of the world’s population
:: Interim data from the Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR study demonstrated an 89% reduction in risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death compared to placebo in non-hospitalized high-risk adults with COVID-19 within three days of symptom onset with similar results seen within five days of symptom onset

NEW YORK & GENEVA–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a United Nations-backed public health organization working to increase access to life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries, today announced the signing of a voluntary license agreement for Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment candidate PF-07321332, which is administered in combination with low dose ritonavir (PF-07321332; ritonavir). The agreement will enable MPP to facilitate additional production and distribution of the investigational antiviral, pending regulatory authorization or approval, by granting sub-licenses to qualified generic medicine manufacturers, with the goal of facilitating greater access to the global population.

Under the terms of the head license agreement between Pfizer and MPP, qualified generic medicine manufacturers worldwide that are granted sub-licenses will be able to supply PF-07321332 in combination with ritonavir to 95 countries, covering up to approximately 53% of the world’s population. This includes all low- and lower-middle-income countries and some upper-middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as countries that have transitioned from lower-middle to upper-middle-income status in the past five years. Pfizer will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will further waive royalties on sales in all countries covered by the agreement while COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.

“Pfizer remains committed to bringing forth scientific breakthroughs to help end this pandemic for all people. We believe oral antiviral treatments can play a vital role in reducing the severity of COVID-19 infections, decreasing the strain on our healthcare systems and saving lives,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. “We must work to ensure that all people – regardless of where they live or their circumstances – have access to these breakthroughs, and we are pleased to be able to work with MPP to further our commitment to equity.”

“This license is so important because, if authorized or approved, this oral drug is particularly well-suited for low- and middle-income countries and could play a critical role in saving lives, contributing to global efforts to fight the current pandemic,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of MPP. “PF-07321332 is to be taken together with ritonavir, an HIV medicine we know well, as we have had a license on it for many years, and we will be working with generic companies to ensure there is enough supply for both COVID-19 and HIV.”

“Unitaid, a global health agency, created MPP ten years ago for this exact purpose – to secure licenses that enable and accelerate access to affordable quality treatments for people in resource-limited settings,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid. “During a pandemic, saving time means saving lives. This agreement could help us to reach more people more quickly as soon as the medicine is approved and, when coupled with increased access to testing, bring benefits to millions.”

Members to continue discussion on a common COVID-19 IP response up until MC12
World Trade Organisation
18 November 2021
At a formal meeting of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on 18 November, WTO members agreed to keep actively engaging up until the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in order to find a common intellectual property (IP) response to COVID-19. The chair of the Council, Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli of Norway, said he will make sure no stone is left unturned to explore all available options towards a consensus-based outcome at the Ministerial Conference taking place from 30 November to 3 December.

Members adopted the oral status report that will be submitted by the chair of the TRIPS Council to the General Council scheduled for 22-23 November. The text provides a factual overview of discussions held at the TRIPS Council since October 2020, both on the proposal by India and South Africa (IP/C/W/669/Rev.1) requesting a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 and the proposal by the European Union (IP/C/W/681) for a draft General Council declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health in the circumstances of a pandemic.

While the report indicates that delegations remain committed to the common goal of providing timely and secure access to high-quality, safe, efficacious and affordable vaccines and medicines for all, it also acknowledges that differences remain on significant questions.

On the waiver request proposal, the report indicates that disagreement persists on the fundamental question of whether a waiver is the appropriate and most effective way to address the shortage and inequitable distribution of, and access to, vaccines and other COVID-19-related products. On the EU proposal, the report notes that disagreement persists on the fundamental question of whether this initiative is the appropriate and most effective way to address the shortage and inequitable distribution of, and access to, vaccines and other COVID-19-related products.

This means that the TRIPS Council will remain in session beyond the General Council and potentially all the way to the Ministerial Conference. Therefore, the Council will continue to provide a forum for delegations to provide transparency on their ongoing talks and to adopt any elements or solutions they may have found so that they can be recommended to ministers before MC12 starts.

Ambassador Sørli encouraged members to remain seriously engaged, flexible and focused on an outcome, which in his view still remains within reach. The role of IP in the context of the pandemic has become the centre of attention in the run-up to MC12, and a pragmatic and tangible outcome of these discussions would be a strong and positive signal to the Ministerial Conference and the global community as a whole, he said…

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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: 19 Nov 2021
Confirmed cases :: 255 324 963 [251 788 329 week ago]
Confirmed deaths :: 5 127 696 5 077 907 week ago]
Vaccine doses administered: 7 370 902 499 [7 160 396 495 week ago]

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Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 16 November 2021
WHO
Overview
During the week 8 to 14 November 2021, the increasing trend in new global weekly cases continued, with over 3.3 million new cases reported – a 6% increase as compared to the previous week. The Region of the Americas, the European and the Western Pacific Regions all reported increases in new weekly cases as compared to the previous week, while all other regions reported stable or declining trends. Similarly, the European Region reported a 5% increase in new deaths, while the other regions reported stable or declining trends. Globally, just under 50 000 new deaths were reported, similar to the previous week. As of 14 November, over 252 million confirmed cases and over 5 million deaths have been reported.
In this edition, we provide updates on the geographic distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs), and summarise phenotypic characteristics (transmissibility, disease severity, risk of reinfection, and impacts on diagnostics and vaccine performance) of VOCs based on available studies.

WHO Director General Speeches [selected]
https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches
Selected
No new digest content identified

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Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process 11 November 2021
For 24 vaccine candidates, 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
[Full scale view available at title link above]

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COVID Vaccine Developer/Manufacturer Announcements
[relevant press releases/announcement from organizations from WHO EUL/PQ listing above]

AstraZeneca
Press Releases
New analyses of two AZD7442 COVID-19 Phase III trials in high-risk populations confirm robust efficacy and long-term prevention
18 November 2021

Two billion doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine supplied to countries across the world less than 12 months after first approval
16 November 2021

Bharat Biotech
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified

BioCubaFarma – Cuba
Últimas Noticias – [Website not responding at inquiry; receiving 403-Forbidden]

CanSinoBIO
News – [Website not responding at inquiry]

Clover Biopharmaceuticals – China
News
Nov 18,2021
Clover and CEPI Expand Partnership for COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate to Include Evaluation as a Booster
:: CEPI commits up to an additional US$36.9 million for a total investment of up to $397.4 million to support the development of Clover’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, SCB-2019 (CpG 1018/Alum)
:: CEPI funding supports development of SCB-2019 (CpG 1018/Alum) for primary vaccination across all age groups (pediatric, adolescent, adults, and elderly) and development as a potential booster

Curevac [Bayer Ag – Germany]
News
November 18, 2021
CureVac Publishes in Nature Preclinical Data of Second-Generation COVID-19 Candidate, CV2CoV, Demonstrating Comparable Antibody Levels to Licensed mRNA Vaccine

Gamaleya National Center
Latest News and Events – No new digest announcements identified [See Russia/RFID below]

IMBCAMS, China
Home – No new digest announcements identified

Janssen/JNJ
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified

Moderna
Press Releases
November 19, 2021
U.S. CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommends Booster Vaccination with Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine

November 19, 2021
Moderna Announces FDA Authorization of Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. for Adults 18 Years and Older

November 18, 2021
Moderna Announces First Participant Dosed in Phase 2/3 Study of its mRNA Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

November 17, 2021
Moderna Files for Authorization of its COVID-19 Vaccine with Health Canada to Include Children Ages 6-11 Years

November 16, 2021
Moderna Announces European Union and European Economic Area Countries to Donate More than 70 Million Doses of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to COVAX in 2021 to Help End COVID-19 Pandemic in Low Income Countries

November 15, 2021
Health Canada Authorizes Booster Dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine in Individuals 18 Years of Age and Older

Novavax
Press Releases
Novavax Statement on Publication of Positive Results from First Study of Co-administered COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccines Nov 18, 2021

Novavax Confirms European Medicines Agency Review of COVID-19 Vaccine Filing for Conditional Marketing Authorization Nov 17, 2021

Novavax and Serum Institute of India Receive Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccine in the Philippines Nov 17, 2021

Novavax Announces Submission of Biologics License Application in South Korea for Approval of NVX-CoV2373 Nov 15, 2021

Pfizer
Recent Press Releases
11.19.2021
Pfizer and BioNTech Receive Expanded U.S. FDA Emergency Use Authorization of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster to Include Individuals 18 and Older

11.16.2021
Pfizer Seeks Emergency Use Authorization for Novel COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Candidate

11.16.2021
Pfizer and The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Sign Licensing Agreement for COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatment Candidate to Expand Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
[See COVID above for detail]

Sanofi Pasteur
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified

Serum Institute of India
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Novavax and Serum Institute of India Receive Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 Vaccine in the Philippines

Sinopharm/WIBPBIBP
News – No new digest announcements identified

Sinovac
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified

Vector State Research Centre of Viralogy and Biotechnology
Home – No new digest announcements identified

Zhifei Longcom, China
[Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biologic Pharmacy Co., Ltd.]
[No website identified]

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GSK
Press releases for media
17 November 2021 GSK and Vir Biotechnology announce United States government agreements to purchase sotrovimab, a COVID-19 treatment

Merck
News releases – No new digest announcements identified

Novartis
News – No new digest announcements identified

SK Biosciences
Press releases
SK bioscience Submits Biologics License Application to the KMFDS for Novavax Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate
The first submission of a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Korea…
2021. 11. 15

Valneva
Press Releases
November 15, 2021
Valneva to Present its Chikungunya Vaccine Candidate at the ASTMH 2021 Annual Meeting

UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard :: Agreements Table Accessed 20 Nov 2021
An overview of information collected from publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements [no new agreements since 10/22/2021 reported]

IMF-WHO Vaccine Supply Forecast Dashboard
Updated on 19 November 2021
Many countries are not on track to meet the 40% vaccine coverage target. To make progress towards this target, we must identify: (1) Where and in which countries are the gaps?, and (2) How can gaps the be addressed?
The IMF-WHO COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Forecast Dashboard estimates expected month vaccine supply until the end of 2021 by country, product and channel. The tracker builds on the work of the IMF Staff Discussion Note – A Proposal to End the COVID-19 Pandemic (Agarwal and Gopinath, 2021).

Duke – Launch and Scale Speedometer
The Race for Global COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
A flurry of nearly 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are moving forward through the development and clinical trials processes at unprecedented speed; more than ten candidates are already in Phase 3 large-scale trials and several have received emergency or limited authorization. Our team has aggregated and analyzed publicly available data to track the flow of procurement and manufacturing and better understand global equity challenges. We developed a data framework of relevant variables and conducted desk research of publicly available information to identify COVID vaccine candidates and status, deals and ongoing negotiations for procurement and manufacturing, COVID burden by country, and allocation and distribution plans. We have also conducted interviews with public officials in key countries to better understand the context and challenges facing vaccine allocation and distribution
[accessed 24 July 2021]
See our COVID Vaccine Purchases research
See our COVID Vaccine Manufacturing research
See our COVID Vaccine Donations & Exports research

Global Dashboard on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
The Dashboard is a joint initiative of UNDP, WHO and the University of Oxford with cooperation across the UN system, anchored in the SDG 3 Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All.

Dashboard on Vaccine Equity [accessed 20 Nov 2021]: https://data.undp.org/vaccine-equity/
See also visualization on Vaccine Access and Vaccine Affordability

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COVID Vaccines – OCHA:: HDX

COVID-19 Data Explorer: Global Humanitarian Operations
COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out
20 Nov 2021 | COVAX (WHO,GAVI,CEPI), UNDESA, Press Reports | DATA
Global COVID-19 Figures: 255M total confirmed cases; 5.1M total confirmed deaths
Global vaccines administered: 7.62B
Number of Countries: 30 [30 week ago]
COVAX Allocations Round 4-9 (Number of Doses): 220M
COVAX Delivered (Number of Doses): 160M [140M week ago]
Other Delivered (Number of Doses): 260M [250M week ago]
Total Delivered (Number of Doses): 410M [390M week ago]
Total Administered (Number of Doses): 330M [310M week ago]

Multilateral Leaders Task Force on COVID-19 [IMF, World Bank Group, WHO, WTO]
https://data.covid19taskforce.com/data
A global effort to help developing countries access and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and therapeutics, as they work to end the pandemic and boost economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization have joined forces to accelerate access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics by leveraging multilateral finance and trade solutions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Website accessed 20 Nov 2021: https://data.covid19taskforce.com/data The global view below is complemented by country-specific dashboards here.

Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations [Accessed 20 Nov 2021]
:: 53.1% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
:: 7.66 billion doses have been administered globally, and 27.25 million are now administered each day.
:: Only 5% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.

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

FDA
Press Announcements
November 19, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorizing use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet later today to discuss further clinical recommendations.

“Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked to make timely public health decisions as the pandemic evolves. COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be the best and highly effective defense against COVID-19. Authorizing the use of a single booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older helps to provide continued protection against COVID-19, including the serious consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D…

…“The FDA has determined that the currently available data support expanding the eligibility of a single booster dose of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 18 years of age and older,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Streamlining the eligibility criteria and making booster doses available to all individuals 18 years of age and older will also help to eliminate confusion about who may receive a booster dose and ensure booster doses are available to all who may need one.”…

November 16, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: November 16, 2021

Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee– FDA
https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/blood-vaccines-and-other-biologics/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee
No meetings on calendar

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White House [U.S.]
Briefing Room – Selected Major COVID Announcements
Statement of President Joe Biden on Pfizer’s COVID-⁠19 Antiviral Treatment
November 18, 2021 • Statements and Releases

U.S. Department of State
https://www.state.gov/coronavirus/releases/
Media Note
Department of State Announces COVID-19 Private Sector Engagement and Partnership Fund Awardees
November 12, 2021

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

European Medicines Agency
News & Press Releases 
News: EMA issues advice on use of Lagevrio (molnupiravir) for the treatment of COVID-19 (new)
CHMP, Last updated: 19/11/2021

News: EMA starts review of Paxlovid for treating patients with COVID-19 (new)
CHMP, Last updated: 19/11/2021

News: European Antibiotic Awareness Day: Fighting the silent pandemic (new)
Last updated: 18/11/2021

News: EMA receives application for marketing authorisation for Xevudy (sotrovimab) for treating patients with COVID-19 (new)
CHMP, PDCO, PRAC, Last updated: 18/11/2021

News: EMA receives application for conditional marketing authorisation of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid (new)
CHMP, Last updated: 17/11/2021

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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en
Latest Updates
Publication
Assessment of electronic health records for infectious disease surveillance
Technical report – 19 Nov 2021

News
Reported decrease in antibiotic consumption across EU/EEA during COVID-19 pandemic
Press release – 18 Nov 2021

Publication
Antimicrobial consumption in the EU/EEA (ESAC-Net) – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2020
Surveillance report – 18 Nov 2021

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Accessed 20 Nov 2021
https://vaccinetracker.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/vaccine-tracker.html#uptake-tab

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European Commission
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en
No new digest content identified.

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

Accesses 20 Nov 2021. Full scale, interactive dashboard available at:
https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/

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

Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
A study in Belarus on Sputnik V shows high safety profile and 96.3% efficacy against COVID after vaccination of over 1.2 million people
Press release, 17.11.2021

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

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/

Government of India – Press Information Bureau
Latest Press Releases
COVID-19 Vaccination Update – Day 309
:: India’s cumulative vaccination coverage crosses 116 crore landmark milestone
:: More than 60 lakh Vaccine doses administered today till 7 pm
Posted On: 20 NOV 2021

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

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

China helps international vaccine drive
2021-11-19
…During an online discussion attended by foreign ministers and leaders of international organizations on Nov 11, China’s ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, said China has provided more than 1.7 billion doses of vaccines to more than 100 countries. By the end of the year, the country is aiming to provide a total of 2 billion doses, he said.
Qin said China has also supplied over 70 million vaccine doses and donated $100 million to the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX.
More than 99 percent of vaccines provided by China for global use have been shipped to developing countries…

Shanghai to launch COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 3 to 5
2021-11-19

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/

Polio this week as of 17 November 2021
:: In Afghanistan, advance notification was received of two new wild polioviruses type 1 (WPV1) cases in the country.  These cases will officially be reflected in next week’s data.  The cases had onset of paralysis on 20 and 29 October 2021, from Kunduz province.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
– Nigeria: six cVDPV2 cases and 26 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples

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WHO/OCHA Emergencies

Health emergencies list – WHO
“The health emergencies list details the disease outbreaks, disasters and humanitarian crises where WHO plays an essential role in supporting countries to respond to and recover from emergencies with public health consequences.”
Afghanistan crisis [Last apparent update: 5 Aug 2021]

Crisis in Northern Ethiopia [Last apparent update: 18 Oct 2021]

Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2021 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Ebola outbreak outbreak, N’Zerekore, Guinea, 2021 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic [See COVID above]

Ebola outbreak, Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2020
[Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Ebola outbreak, North Kivu, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 – 2020
[Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 [Last apparent update: 24 July 2018]

Yemen crisis [Last apparent update: 12 February 2021]

Syria crisis [Last apparent update: 18 June 2021]

Somalia crisis [Last apparent update: 24 March 2018]

Nigeria crisis [Last apparent update: 1 Oct 2021]

Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Zika virus disease outbreak, 2015-2016 [Last apparent update: 24 Jan 2020]

Ebola outbreak: West Africa, 2014-2016 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]

Iraq crisis [Last apparent update: 9 Jan 2008]

South Sudan crisis [Last apparent update: 23 Sep 2020]

Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus outbreak [Last apparent update: 13 September 2021]

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) outbreak [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]

Influenza A (H1N1) virus, 2009-2010 pandemic [Last apparent update: 10 Aug 2010]

::::::

UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
Current Corporate Emergencies
Afghanistan
No new updates identified

Northern Ethiopia
Ethiopia – Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 18 Nov 2021
HIGHLIGHTS
About 8 million people in northern Ethiopia are targeted to receive humanitarian assistance until the end of the year. In Amhara, tens of thousands of people are reportedly displaced from South Wello, North Wello & Wag Hemra zones to Debre Berhan City in North Shewa Zone because of active fighting
More than 16,000 displaced people were evicted from primary schools in Tigray since beginning of November.
No humanitarian supplies, including cash, have arrived in Tigray for almost a month. Fuel has not arrived since beginning of August.
Humanitarian partners in Afar and Amhara are scaling up the response in accessible areas, assisting more than 150,000 people with food in both regions during the reporting period.

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 20 Nov 2021]
https://www.who.int/
Selected News, Statements
17 November 2021
News release
Global leaders call for cervical cancer elimination on Day of Action

17 November 2021
Departmental news
Global individual patient data platform for drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment

16 November 2021
Departmental news
Leadership in Emergencies: Building competencies for effective leadership in all-hazards emergency response

16 November 2021
Joint News Release
UN Agencies Back Bold Plan To Ensure Every Child In Need Gets A Regular Healthy Meal In School By 2030

16 November 2021
Departmental news
No research about us without us: why research capacity strengthening is essential to health for all

16 November 2021
Departmental news
WHO releases new toolkit to support quality HIV testing services

15 November 2021
Departmental news
WHO and Bayer renew longstanding collaboration to accelerate control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases

15 November 2021
Departmental news
New reduced costs of dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests to accelerate progress toward elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis

13 November 2021
Departmental news
WHO Global Evidence-to-Policy (E2P) Summit: Evidence as a catalyst for policy and societal change.

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol. 96, No. 46, pp. 557–568 19 November 2021
557 Elimination of human onchocerciasis: progress report, 2020
567 Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January-September 2021

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Diabetes prevention, care challenges in Africa 17 November 2021
:: On the frontlines of diabetes fight in Senegal 15 November 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
:: Knowledge, funding and action needed to keep antimicrobials working 18-11-2021
:: “Consult your doctor about antibiotics first”: using digital marketing to tackle antimicrobial resistance in Ukraine 18-11-2021
:: One Health and the fight against antimicrobial resistance in Italy 18-11-2021

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Regulating the use of antimicrobials in a fragile context 17 November 2021
:: Building capacity of frontline health care workforce on latest COVID-19 clinical management practices priority for WHO 17 November 2021
:: COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Islamic Republic of Iran to increase protection of Afghan refugees
16 November 2021
:: Medical supplies airlifted to Afghanistan save lives 14 November 2021

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified

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New WHO Publications [Selected]
https://www.who.int/publications/i
Selected Titles
17 November 2021
Strategic toolkit for assessing risks: a a comprehensive toolkit for all-hazards health emergency risk assessment

17 November 2021
Generating Evidence for Artificial Intelligence Based Medical Devices: A Framework for Training Validation…
Download (1.4 MB)
Overview
This first-of-its-kind publication from the WHO is a framework targeted at developers and researchers of AI-based software as a medical device, as well as policy-makers and implementers. It is intended to guide those seeking to understand the evidence generation requirements from development to post-market surveillance of these devices.
The publication uses cervical cancer screening as a use-case to support the goals of the WHO strategy on cervical cancer elimination and set the foundations for WHO to be able to usher in new and emerging technologies in cancer screening and beyond.
To allow acceleration in the global effort in cancer screening and clinical decision support, WHO will begin to facilitate building the enabling environments so that the benefits of innovative technologies reaches all populations and use-cases of high disease burden globally.

16 November 2021
Guidance on operational microplanning for COVID-19 vaccination
Overview
https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1390309/retrieve
This publication is a companion document to the NDVP National Deployment and Vaccination Plans guidance, which provides a  framework for countries to develop their national strategies. As countries face challenges with erratic vaccine supplies, use of multiple vaccine products with different characteristics, and the size of populations and their diversity, this document provides operational guidance and information to support planners and immunization programme managers at the national and sub-national levels on microplanning for COVID-19 vaccination implementation.
This publication was developed through a consultative process that included all six WHO Regional Offices, as well as partner agencies supporting the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination.

16 November 2021
Hepatitis B Control: Country Profile 2020

15 November 2021
Case study: development of the national road map for enhancing health sector engagement/contribution…

15 November 2021
Optimizing HIV testing algorithms: a generic verification protocol for selecting appropriate HIV serology…

14 November 2021
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework: 18-month progress report, 1 January 2020–30 June 2021

CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 20 Nov 2021]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements [Selected]
CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to All Adults
Friday, November 19, 2021
[See U.S. COVID Response above for detail]

ACIP Meetings
:: Agenda – November 19, 2021 pdf [COVID Boosters/Adults]
:: Presentations

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, November 19, 2021
Selected Content
:: Health Care Access and Use Among Adults with Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, February–March 2021
:: Automated Digital Notification of COVID-19 Diagnoses Through Text and Email Messaging — North Carolina, December 2020–January 2021
:: Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Emergency Department Visits, and Hospitalizations Because of COVID-19 Among Persons Aged ≥12 Years, by COVID-19 Vaccination Status — Oregon and Washington, July 4–September 25, 2021
:: Impact of Hospital Strain on Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, July 2020–July 2021

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Approximately 25 announcements/reports/data summaries.
11/19/21
CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to All Adults

11/19/21
Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 19 Nov 2021 06:00:00 EST

Africa CDC [to 20 Nov 2021]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
Press Releases
Africa CDC and CDDEP release African Antibiotic Treatment Guidelines for Common Bacterial Infections and Syndromes
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 19 November 2021– An interdisciplinary panel of infectious disease clinicians and public health experts led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) have released a first edition of the African Antibiotic Treatment Guidelines for Common Bacterial Infections and Syndromes…
The week also marks two years since a unique partnership of six regional organizations was formed to push ahead on fighting AMR in Africa, involving the Tripartite Partners (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO)), with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) ,  the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)..

Press Releases
Stronger governance needed to fight superbugs in Africa Antimicrobial Resistance threatens Africa’s development
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17 November 2021– The leaders of six regional organizations in Africa are calling for stronger governance to fight antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, on the eve of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18-24 November)…
The week also marks two years since a unique partnership of six regional organizations was formed to push ahead on fighting AMR in Africa, involving the Tripartite Partners (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO)), with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) ,  the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)..

China CDC http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 20 Nov 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
Nov 20: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
2021-11-20
On Nov 19, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 23 new cases of confirmed infections (20 imported cases, 6 in Shanghai municipality, 5 in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, 4 in Shandong province, 2 in Guangdong province, 2 in Yunnan province and 1 in Fujian province, including 1 confirmed case converting from an asymptomatic case in Guangdong; 3 indigenous cases, 2 in Dalian, Liaoning province and 1 in Jilin, Jilin province), no new cases of suspected infections, and no deaths…

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 20 Nov 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/
News
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland hit 2.4b milestone
2021-11-18
More than 2.4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered on the Chinese mainland as of Nov 16, data from the National Health Commission showed on Nov 17.

China, US need to initiate global public health, infectious disease response cooperation mechanism: Xi
2021-11-17
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that China and the United States need to call for the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for global public health and communicable disease prevention and control, and promote further international exchanges and cooperation. Xi made the remarks in a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden…

CCDC Weekly – Weekly Reports: Current Volume (3)
2021-11-19 / No. 47 WORLD ANTIBIOTIC AWARENESS WEEK ISSUE
View  PDF of this issue
:: Foreword: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 — Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance
:: Preplanned Studies: Genomic Insight into the Antimicrobial Resistance of Streptococcus Suis — Six Countries, 2011–2019
:: Preplanned Studies: Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Antibiotic Resistance in Animal-Derived Food Samples — Six Districts, Beijing, China, 2020
:: Vital Surveillances: Surveillance of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections in Non-Adult Patients — Zhejiang Province, China, 2014–2019

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

American Journal of Public Health
November 2021 111(11)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

EDITORIALS
An Unnecessary Gift for COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics: The Medical Countermeasure Priority Review Voucher
Government, Immunization/Vaccines, Health Law
Reshma Ramachandran, Ravi Gupta and Jing Luo
111(11), pp. 1923–1926

American Journal of Public Health
November 2021 111(11)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

OPEN-THEMED RESEARCH
Vaccine Coverage Across the Life Course in Michigan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: January‒September 2020
Immunization/Vaccines, Epidemiology
Angela K. Shen, Cristi A. Bramer, Lynsey M. Kimmins, Robert Swanson, Patricia Vranesich and Walter Orenstein
111(11), pp. 2027–2035

Annals of Internal Medicine
November 2021 Volume 174, Issue 11
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Original Research
The Safety and Immunologic Effectiveness of the Live Varicella-Zoster Vaccine in Patients Receiving Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Therapy – A Randomized Controlled Trial
Jeffrey R. Curtis, MD, MS, MPH, Stacey S. Cofield, PhD, S. Louis Bridges Jr., MD, PhD, John Bassler, MS, … et al.

Annals of Internal Medicine
November 2021 Volume 174, Issue 11
http://annals.org/aim/issue

What Will It Take to End HIV in the United States? A Comprehensive, Local-Level Modeling Study
Anthony Todd Fojo, MD, MHS, Melissa Schnure, ScM, Parastu Kasaie, PhD, … et al.

Pages:1542–1553

Annals of Internal Medicine
November 2021 Volume 174, Issue 11
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Effect of Immunosuppression on the Immunogenicity of mRNA Vaccines to SARS-CoV-2
A Prospective Cohort Study

FREE
Parakkal Deepak, MBBS, MS, Wooseob Kim, PhD, Michael A. Paley, MD, PhD, Monica Yang, MD, … et al.
Pages:1572–1585

Annals of Internal Medicine
November 2021 Volume 174, Issue 11
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Population Immunity Against COVID-19 in the United States
FREE

Seyed M. Moghadas, PhD, Pratha Sah, PhD, Affan Shoukat, PhD, Lauren Ancel Meyers, PhD, … et al.
Pages:1586–1591

BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

Effect of evidence updates on key determinants of measles vaccination impact: a DynaMICE modelling study in ten high-burden countries
Model-based estimates of measles burden and the impact of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) are crucial for global health priority setting. Recently, evidence from systematic reviews and database analyses have …
Authors: Han Fu, Kaja Abbas, Petra Klepac, Kevin van Zandvoort, Hira Tanvir, Allison Portnoy and Mark Jit
Citation: BMC Medicine 2021 19:281
Content type: Research article
Published on: 17 November 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

Community perceptions of vaccination among influential stakeholders: qualitative research in rural India
In India and other low- and middle-income countries, multiple family and community members are influential in caregivers’ perceptions of vaccination. Existing literature indicates the primary caregiver, typica…
Authors: Baldeep K. Dhaliwal, Riti Chandrashekhar, Ananya Rattani, Rajeev Seth, Svea Closser, Anika Jain, David E. Bloom and Anita Shet
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2122
Content type: Research article
Published on: 18 November 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

Knowledge of mothers regarding children’s vaccinations in Greece: an online cross-sectional study
One of the main reasons that influence parental choice to postpone or avoid children’s vaccination is insufficient knowledge. Mothers’ knowledge can be considered as an important factor when determining childc…
Authors: Konstantinos Giannakou, Maria Kyprianidou, Andria Hadjikou, Georgia Fakonti, Galatia Photiou, Eleana Tzira and Alexandros Heraclides
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2119
Content type: Research
Published on: 18 November 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among Syrian population: a nationwide cross-sectional study
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 continues to spread globally and in the absence of an effective treatment, the vaccine remains the best hope for controlling this disease. In this study, we seek…
Authors: Mosa Shibani, Mhd Amin Alzabibi, Abd El-Fattah Mouhandes, Tamim Alsuliman, Angie Mouki, Hlma Ismail, Shahd Alhayk, Ahmad Abdulateef Rmman, Marah Mansour, Marah Marrawi, Nawras Alhalabi, Mhd Baraa Habib, Mhd Kutaiba Albuni, Ahmad Al-Moujahed and Bisher Sawaf
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2117
Content type: Research
Published on: 18 November 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

COVID19 vaccine intentions in South Africa: health communication strategy to address vaccine hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy is emerging as a significant challenge in many parts of the world in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic. The continued infection amongst the unvaccinated can lead to a heightened risk of …
Authors: Umakrishnan Kollamparambil, Adeola Oyenubi and Chijioke Nwosu
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2113
Content type: Research
Published on: 17 November 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 20 Nov 2021)

Racial differences in institutional trust and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal
Previous research has indicated that demographic differences affect COVID-19 vaccination rates. Trust, in both the vaccine itself and institutional trust, is one possible factor. The present study examines rac…
Authors: Anisah B. Bagasra, Sara Doan and Christopher T. Allen
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2104
Content type: Research
Published on: 16 November 2021

Clinical Therapeutics
October 2021 Volume 43 Issue 10 p1627-1808
http://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/current

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EDITORS
Conversations With the Editors: The Emergence of Variants Amid Population-Wide SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Efforts: How Much Should We Worry?
Egon Ozer, Larry K. Kociolek, Ravi Jhaveri
Published online: July 25, 2021
p1630-1635

Clinical Therapeutics
October 2021 Volume 43 Issue 10 p1627-1808
http://www.clinicaltherapeutics.com/current

Commentary
Behavioral Economics as a Model to Improve Adolescent and Adult Vaccination
Rachel Caskey
Published online: August 03, 2021
p1649-1653
Despite that fact that the first scientifically based smallpox vaccine was developed in the late 1700s, in 2021 we struggle to fully vaccinate adolescents and adults in the United States. Decades of scientific data support the efficacy and tolerability of vaccines in general, yet vaccine hesitancy remains common. Fear sits much deeper than logic within the human psyche, especially when it comes to vaccine decision making. The complexities of human psychology and decision making are the footings of vaccine hesitancy and yet may also provide an opportunity to shift vaccination behavior.

Ethics & Human Research
Volume 43, Issue 6 Pages: 1-48 November–December 2021
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/25782363/current

Articles
Physician Perspectives on Including Pregnant Women in Covid-19 Clinical Trials: Time for a Paradigm Change
Marie-Julie Trahan, Annabelle Cumyn, Matthew P. Cheng, Emily G. McDonald, Stephen E. Lapinsky, Nick Daneman, Haim A. Abenhaim, Isabelle Malhamé
Pages: 19-27
First Published: 26 October 2021

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 79, May 2021
https://odihpn.org/magazine/localisation-and-local-humanitarian-action/

Localisation and local humanitarian action
by HPN October 2020
The theme of this edition of Humanitarian Exchange is localisation+ and local humanitarian action. Five years ago this week, donors, United Nations (UN) agencies,  non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) committed within the Grand Bargain to increase multi-year investments in the institutional capacities of local and national responders, and to provide at least 25% of humanitarian funding to them as directly as possible. Since then, there is increasing consensus at policy and normative level, underscored by the Covid-19 pandemic, that local leadership should be supported.  Localisation has gone from a fringe conversation among policy-makers and aid agencies in 2016 to a formal priority under the Grand Bargain. Wider global movements on anti-racism and decolonisation have also brought new momentum to critical reflections on where power, knowledge and capacity reside in the humanitarian system. Yet progress has been slow and major gaps remain between the rhetoric around humanitarian partnerships, funding and coordination and practices on the ground.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 20 Nov 2021]

Scoping Review
Effectiveness and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in real-world studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis
To date, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) becomes increasingly fierce due to the emergence of variants. Rapid herd immunity through vaccination is needed to block the mutation and prevent the emergence of variants that can completely escape the immune surveillance. We aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the real world and to establish a reliable evidence-based basis for the actual protective effect of the COVID-19 vaccines, especially in the ensuing waves of infections dominated by variants.
Authors: Qiao Liu, Chenyuan Qin, Min Liu and Jue Liu
14 November 2021

JAMA
November 16, 2021, Vol 326, No. 19, Pages 1891-1983
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Original Investigation
Association of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection With Risk of Breakthrough Infection Following mRNA Vaccination in Qatar
Laith J. Abu-Raddad, PhD; Hiam Chemaitelly, MSc; Houssein H. Ayoub, PhD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;326(19):1930-1939. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.19623
This cohort study assesses protection from SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection after mRNA vaccination among persons with vs without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

JAMA
November 16, 2021, Vol 326, No. 19, Pages 1891-1983
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Changes in COVID-19 Vaccine Intent From April/May to June/July 2021
Peter G. Szilagyi, MD, MPH; Kyla Thomas, PhD; Megha D. Shah, MD, MPH, MS; et al.
free access
JAMA. 2021;326(19):1971-1974. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.18761
This study uses data from a nationally representative longitudinal study of adults in the US to examine individual-level change in vaccine intent and uptake between April and July 2021.

JAMA Network
COVID-19 Update November 20, 2021

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

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
November 2021 – Volume 75 – 11
https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/11

Social deprivation as a risk factor for COVID-19 mortality among women and men in the UK Biobank: nature of risk and context suggests that social interventions are essential to mitigate the effects of future pandemics (27 April, 2021)
Mark Woodward, Sanne A E Peters, Katie Harris

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
November 2021 – Volume 75 – 11
https://jech.bmj.com/content/75/11

Social inequalities
Indigenous Peoples, concentrated disadvantage, and income inequality in New Mexico: a ZIP code-level investigation of spatially varying associations between socioeconomic disadvantages and confirmed COVID-19 cases (23 March, 2021) Free
Kimberly R Huyser, Tse-Chuan Yang, Aggie J Yellow Horse