Yearly Archives: 2021

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

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

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

 

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

19.05.2021
Revised COVID-19 Clinical Management Protocol Algorithm (Adults)

 

Government of India – Press Information Bureau
Latest Press Releases
COVID-19 Vaccination Update- Day 127
:: Cumulative Vaccine Coverage exceeds 19.49 Crore
:: Nearly 1cr beneficiaries of age group 18-44 Vaccinated so far
:: More than 15.5 lakh Vaccine Doses administered today till 8 pm
Posted On: 22 MAY 2021

 

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

POLIO Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC); WHO/OCHA Emergencies

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 19 May 2021
:: Come and join the virtual launch of the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026, at an online event on Thursday 10 June 2021 (at 2pm, Central European Summer Time).  More information, including registration details, are available here, where you will find the ‘Save the Date’.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: five cVDPV2 cases
:: Pakistan: one cVDPV2 case
:: China: one cVDPV3 positive environmental sample
:: Liberia: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Mali: one cVDPV2 case
:: Nigeria: one cVDPV2 case and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample

Statement following the Twenty-Eighth IHR Emergency Committee for Polio
21 May 2021 Statement
The twenty-eighth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the WHO Director-General on 4 May 2021 with Committee members and advisers attending via video conference, supported by the WHO Secretariat.  The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  The following IHR States Parties provided an update at the video conference on the current situation in their respective countries: Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Senegal, South Sudan and Tajikistan…

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months.  The Committee recognizes the concerns regarding the lengthy duration of the polio PHEIC, but concludes that the current situation is extraordinary, with clear ongoing substantial risk of international spread and utmost need for coordinated international response. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:

Continued risk of WPV1 international spread
Based on the following factors, the risk of international spread of WPV1 appears to be currently very high:
:: Despite the reported drop in the number of WPV-1 cases, there is geographically widespread transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan as evidenced by positive environmental samples.
:: Isolation of long chain viruses in both countries indicates the possibility of missed transmission in the hard-to-reach population groups.
:: The ongoing inaccessibility in many provinces of Afghanistan has led to the increase in size of  highly susceptible populations which continues to drive higher transmission; to date about three million children were missed during all the nation-wide rounds in 2020 and 2021 (the highest in southern Afghanistan), and the cohort of missed children continues to rapidly grow (https://polioeradication.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Afghanistan_NEAP_2021.pdf).
:: Inconsistent vaccination campaigns quality in critical areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including Karachi, Quetta Block and accessible areas of southern Afghanistan.
:: Ongoing barriers to reach missed children in the core reservoirs of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including refusals to polio vaccination.
:: The complicated context of WPV eradication activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan created by the need to simultaneously respond to cVDPV2 and COVID-19.
:: The second wave of COVID-19 that appears to be currently underway in Pakistan, Afghanistan and many polio-affected countries, making the interventions more complex and difficult.

Rising risk of cVDPV2 international spread:
Based on the following factors, the risk of international spread of cVDPV2 appears to be currently very high:
:: Despite the reported decline in the number of cVDPV2 cases, the risk of international spread of cVDPV2 remains quite high as evidenced by recent importation in Senegal (never infected before) and Kenya (re-importation from Somalia).
:: The most updated analyses performed by the GPLN on international spread (Oct – Dec 2020), indicates cVDPV2 exportation from one country to another on 17 occasions.
:: The cVDPV2 transmission in Afghanistan has spread to areas that have been inaccessible for vaccination campaigns due to local bans for more than two years. This appears to be driving the intense transmission there, with continued high risk of national and international spread.
:: The ever-widening gap in population intestinal mucosal immunity in young children since the withdrawal of OPV2 in 2016.
:: The same factors regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as mentioned above…

…Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by affected countries, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment on 21 May 2021 and determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV…

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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 22 May 2021]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 May 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: 13 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 22 May 2021]
Burkina Faso –
:: Renforcer les capacités du personnel de santé dans la prise en charge des victimes d…
21 mai 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 March 2021]
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 04 July 2019]
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 March 2020]
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: 512 May 2021
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 April 2021
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 26-04-2021]
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: 29 March 2021]
Niger – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 avril 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]

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 22 May 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]
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 May 2021
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 2019]

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UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
Current Corporate Emergencies
Ethiopia
No new digest announcements identified

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 22 May 2021]

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.who.int/
21 May 2021
Statement
Statement following the Twenty-Eighth IHR Emergency Committee for Polio

21 May 2021
News release
G20 leaders boost support of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator but urgent and immediate action is needed to maintain momentum

20 May 2021
Joint News Release
New international expert panel to address the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases
International organizations have come together to launch a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.
The panel will advise four international organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Health Organization (WHO) – on the development of a long-term global plan of action to avert outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza; MERS; Ebola; Zika, and, possibly, COVID-19. Three quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.
It will operate under the One Health Approach, which recognizes the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment and highlights the need for specialists in multiple sectors to address any health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems.
Key first steps will include systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about the factors that lead to transmission of a disease from animal to human and vice versa; development of risk assessment and surveillance frameworks; identification of capacity gaps as well as agreement on good practices to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks…

20 May 2021
Departmental news
Programmatic innovations to address challenges in tuberculosis prevention and care during the COVID-19 pandemic

20 May 2021
Departmental news
New report highlights global progress on reducing HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections and signals need for renewed efforts to reach 2030 targets

20 May 2021
Statement
Support to countries’ equitable and resilient recovery from the pandemic towards the health SDGs: The 2021 SDG3 GAP progress report

19 May 2021
News release
WHO issues new guidance for research on genetically modified mosquitoes to fight malaria and other vector-borne diseases

19 May 2021
News release
World Health Assembly to focus on ending COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for next one

19 May 2021
Statement
Statement of the COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) on safety signals related to the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine

19 May 2021
Departmental news
Developing global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for 2022-2030

18 May 2021
Departmental news
WHO and UNICEF launch new tools for the promotion of adolescent mental health

17 May 2021
Joint News Release
Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke: WHO, ILO

 

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Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol. 96, No. 20, pp. 164–175 21 May 2021
:: Evidence review – Public health measures in the aviation sector in the context of COVID-19: quarantine and isolation (21 May 2021)

 

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WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
No new digest content identified

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
:: Health in Europe podcast: tackling inequities to build fairer, healthier societies 21-05-2021
:: Integrated screening for infectious diseases: a success story from Georgia 21-05-2021
:: WHO/Europe’s governing board decides to hold virtual Regional Committee session 20-05-2021
:: COVID-19: A fragile progress 20-05-2021
:: Q&A: COVID-19 variants and what they mean for countries and individuals 20-05-2021

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: COVID-19 posing unprecedented threat on war-torn Yemen 20 May 2021

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Hong Kong SAR (China) eliminates rubella 21 May 2021

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, May 21, 2021

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MMWR News Synopsis Friday, May 21, 2021
:: Characteristics of COVID-19 Cases and Outbreaks at Child Care Facilities — District of Columbia, July–December 2020
:: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents Aged 12–15 years — United States, May 2021 (Early Release May 14, 2021)
:: Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Among Health Care Personnel — 33 U.S. Sites, January–March 2021 (Early Release May 14, 2021)
:: Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Between Urban and Rural Counties — United States, December 14, 2020–April 10, 2021 (Early Release May 18, 2021)

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)- CDC

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Selected Resources
5/21/21 Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 21 May 2021 06:00:00 EST

5/21/21 COVID Data Tracker Recent Updates – 2021-05-20 – The new COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Disease Severity tab shows trends in hospitalizations and disease severity among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a large subset of hospitals across the U.S.

5/20/21 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents Aged 12-15 Years – United States, May 2021

Africa CDC [to 22 May 2021]

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Africa CDC [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
African Ministers of Health Back AU’s New PMT and 4D Partnership Tech Strategies to fight COVID-19
ADDIS ABABA, 18 May 2021: African Ministers of Health have committed to support the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Africa CDC), new initiatives to double down on the ongoing continental recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic at an emergency virtual summit held on 8 th May…
In connection with the PMT strategy, ministers welcomed the proposal for waivers and exemptions to Intellectual Property (IP) rights tabled by the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the decision of the US to support the proposal, as part of the effort to globalise the manufacturing of vaccines and ensure equity in access and availability worldwide.
In addition to the PMT strategy, the new 4D Partnership was also announced – a platform for multi-disciplinary, multi-dimensional, multi-departmental and multi-directional collaboration in Africa, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, big data and home-grown innovation. The 4D Partnership is a collaboration of several AU organs including the Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology & Innovation; the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy & Sustainable Environment; the Department of Economic Development, Trade, Industry & Mining; the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat; and the Africa CDC.
The platform will strengthen harmonisation of use cases in health, research, education, climate response and trade, for example, the Africa CDC’s Trusted Travel and Trusted Vaccines platforms. Other programs, such the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI), will benefit from the multi-stakeholder networks of the AU Science and Technology Framework, and help to accelerate integrated diagnostic, socioeconomic, immunological and genomic data streams to better analyse patterns of disease mutations and variants spread in Africa…

China CDC

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China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
CCDC Weekly – Weekly Reports: Current Volume (3)
2021-05-21 / No. 21
PDF of this issue
:: Outbreak Reports: COVID-19 Outbreak Caused by Contaminated Packaging of Imported Cold-Chain Products — Liaoning Province, China, July 2020
:: Methods and Applications: Development of a PDRA Method for Detection of the D614G Mutation in COVID-19 Virus — Worldwide, 2021
:: Notes from the Field: The First Reported Case of COVID-19 and Plasmodium ovale Malaria Coinfection — Guangdong Province, China, January 2021
:: Notes from the Field: Two Imported Cases of New Variant COVID-19 First Emerging from Brazil — Guangdong Province, China, April 30, 2021

:: Recommendations: Technical Vaccination Recommendations for COVID-19 Vaccines in China (First Edition)
To date, five coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been conditionally approved for market authorization or granted emergency use authorization in China by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Three inactivated COVID-19 vaccines and one adenovirus-vectored vaccine were granted conditional approval, as phase Ⅲ clinical trial data for these four conditionally-approved vaccines have demonstrated protective efficacy levels that meet requirements of NMPA’s Guidelines for Clinical Evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine (interim version) and also meet requirements recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their COVID-19 Vaccines Target Product Profile. Adverse event surveillance data from clinical trials, emergency use, and large-scale vaccination of key populations have demonstrated that the approved COVID-19 vaccines have excellent safety profiles. One recombinant subunit COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use, as phase Ⅱ clinical trial results showed good immunogenicity and safety of the recombinant subunit COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cell).
Based on clinical trial data of the NMPA-approved domestic vaccines and the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19, the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Working Group of China CDC drafted technical vaccination recommendations. The National Immunization Advisory Committee reviewed, discussed, and refined the recommendations. The National Health Commission accepted and published these recommendations (1)…

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 22 May 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
May 22: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On May 21, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 10 new cases of confirmed infections.

Single-dose vaccine now available
2021-05-20
Several cities across China have recently started offering residents a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in addition to the two-dose inactivated vaccines that were already widely used in the country’s vaccination drive.
At the temporary vaccination station in Shanghai’s Xuhui district on Wednesday, a new CanSino sign was placed alongside the Sinovac and Sinopharm ones as vaccine providers of the day…

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 22 May 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
Over 449m doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in China
2021-05-21
More than 449.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in China as of May 19, the National Health Commission said on May 20.

Organization Announcements

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Organization Announcements
Editor’s Note:
Careful readers will note that the number and range of organizations now monitored in our Announcements section below has grown as the impacts of the pandemic have spread across global economies, supply chains and programmatic activity of multilateral agencies and INGOs.

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 22 May 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

 

CARB-X [to 22 May 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
05.19.2021  |
CARB-X is funding Basilea Pharmaceutica to develop a new class of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria
CARB-X is awarding Basilea Pharmaceutica International (SIX: BSLN), Basel, Switzerland, up to US $2.7 million to develop a novel class of antibiotics to treat Gram-negative bacterial infections. Gram-negative bacteria, often called ‘superbugs’ because they have developed resistance at an alarming pace to existing antibiotics, kill an estimated 700,000 people each year around the world.

05.18.2021  |
CARB-X is funding Summit Therapeutics to develop a new antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
CARB-X is awarding Summit Therapeutics, (NASDAQ: SMMT) headquartered in Cambridge, MA, USA, with its Discuva subsidiary located in Cambridgeshire, UK, up to US$4.1 million in non-dilutive funding to develop a first-in-class antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant infections, specifically carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections including those caused by serious human pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Under the award, Summit could receive additional funding of up to $3.7 million from CARB-X if project milestones are achieved, subject to available funds.  The award will help the company progress the SMT-738 antibiotic project through preclinical and Phase 1a clinical development.

 

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 22 May 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions and posting of all segments of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: [NEW] Informed Consent: A Monthly Review – May 2021 is now posted here

 

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 22 May 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
Former Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr Nicole Lurie appointed US Director at CEPI, the global partnership to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics
Dr Lurie to lead CEPI’s work in the US and strengthen CEPI’s collaboration with the USA
News 20 May 2021

Survey launched by CEPI to track multinational vaccine manufacturing capacity for use in future epidemics and pandemics
The landscaping exercise aims to build the first of-its-kind map tracking cross-regional vaccine production capabilities. 
News 19 May 20

 

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 22 May 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 22 May 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
WEEKLY COVID VACCINE RESEARCH UPDATE
Last dated update: FRIDAY, April 16, 2021

 

EDCTP [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
No new digest content identified.

 

Emory Vaccine Center [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

 

FDA [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
May 21, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: May 21, 2021

May 20, 2021 – FDA In Brief: FDA Solicits Public Feedback on Discussion Paper as Part of its Ongoing Commitment to Patient Safety

May 19, 2021 – FDA In Brief: FDA Authorizes Longer Time for Refrigerator Storage of Thawed Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Prior to Dilution, Making Vaccine More Widely Available

May 19, 2021 – FDA In Brief: FDA Advises Against Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test Results to Evaluate Immunity or Protection From COVID-19, Including After Vaccination

May 18, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: May 18, 2021

May 18, 2021 – FDA In Brief: Science Forum Highlights Regulatory Science Advancements in Protecting and Promoting Public Health
[See U.S. COVID Actions above for detail]

 

Fondation Merieux [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
AMR in times of COVID-19 webinar
May 28, 2021 – Virtual Event

 

Gavi [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
21 May 2021
Global leaders renew their commitment to address urgency of COVID-19 pandemic
:: At today’s Global Health Summit, hosted by the European Commission and Italy as chair of the G20, leaders pledged their support to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC)
:: Italy committed EUR 300 million to the Gavi COVAX AMC, which will count towards COVAX’s goal of procuring 1.8 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses for lower-income economies in 2021.
:: In addition, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland – as part of Team Europe – pledged to share a combined total of over 100 million vaccine doses with middle- and low-income economies, boosting short term supplies.

21 May 2021
Gavi signs agreement with Johnson & Johnson for supply of its COVID-19 vaccine to COVAX
:: The signed advance purchase agreement (APA) is for a commitment to purchase 200 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, with the goal of them being made available to the COVAX Facility in 2021
:: Doses will be delivered to self-financing participants of the COVAX Facility as well as lower-income economies eligible to be supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC)
:: Gavi CEO Seth Berkley: “This agreement means the COVAX Facility is able to offer participants yet another safe and effective tool against the pandemic. I welcome Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to equitable access and to expanding global manufacturing. As a one dose vaccine, the J&J vaccine has particular relevance for places with difficult infrastructure, making it a very important addition to the portfolio.”

18 May 2021
Go Give One campaign gives public the opportunity to support access to COVID-19 vaccines for lower-income countries
:: Individuals can now directly fund vaccines for lower-income countries via the Gavi COVAX AMC to help end the pandemic
:: The platform will give businesses a chance to match employee and customer contributions

 

GHIT Fund [to 22 May 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
May 18, 2021
GHIT Fund Announces New Investments: A Total of 960 Million Yen in Drugs for Leishmaniasis and Diagnostics for Buruli Ulcer and Chagas Disease

 

Global Fund [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
G20 Reaffirms Commitment to ACT-A to Fight COVID-19
21 May 2021
G20 leaders and heads of international and regional organizations reaffirmed their commitment to fight pandemics and support the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator –a ground breaking collaboration of global partners to accelerate the development, production and equitable delivery of new tests, treatments, vaccines and health supplies worldwide.

 

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
Website not responding at inquiry

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

 

IAVI [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
May 21, 2021
In Memoriam: Dr. Deepak Gaur

May 19, 2021
We need to prioritize African women in HIV vaccine research — its future success depends on it
This HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, we join the call for women to be at the center of the HIV response to lead their own solutions.

 

 

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
No new digest content identified.

 

ICRC [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases, Statements, Reports
No new digest content identified.

 

 

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

 

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
Press Releases/Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

IFRC [to 22 May 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Asia Pacific, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines
Asia: Vaccines run dry as COVID surges in Asia to new record death levels
Kuala Lumpur/Kathmandu/Delhi/Geneva, 21 May 2021 – Instant action is needed by governments and pharmaceutical companies to fix a COVID-19 vaccine supply crisis in Asia as countries run out of stocks while suffering grim record daily death tolls.  Nepal …
21 May 2021

Global
Red Cross Red Crescent: We need new extraordinary steps to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines and we need them now
The following statement can be attributed to the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Francesco Rocca, and to the President of the International Committee of Red Cross, Peter Maurer: The Internationa …
18 May 2021

India
India: Red Cross helps as cyclone strikes double blow in world COVID hotspot
Kuala Lumpur/Delhi, 17 May – Red Cross is urgently responding to keep people safe as a major cyclone sweeps up the west coast of India, threatening millions already reeling from a world-record COVID-19 surge. In recent days, India has seen a slight red …
17 May 2021

 

Institut Pasteur [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press Info
21.05.2021
ART Plus Combination Immunotherapy Expands Natural Killer Cells That Facilitate Control of HIV
Yerkes National Primate Research Center researchers in collaboration with Institut Pasteur have determined a…

 

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
News
Despite Positive Efforts, Too Many Migrants Face Challenges Accessing COVID-19 Vaccines
2021-05-18 09:33
Geneva – Government policies, operational realities and administrative requirements like identification cards and residency permits may be impeding access to national vaccination efforts for some migrants in 53 of the more than 160 countries where the International Organization…
[See COVID above for detail]

 

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
No new digest content identified.

 

IVAC [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
No new digest content identified.

 

IVI [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
International Vaccine Institute and FII Institute sign MOU to cooperate on scientific research and publication
The agreement is an effort to further scientific research in infectious diseases and make knowledge more accessible through advocacy and joint publications.
May 19, 2021 – SEOUL, South Korea, RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII-I) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to increase awareness and muster support to tackle infectious diseases. IVI and FII-I will endeavor to pursue strategic collaborations with each other, working together on topics that create value for both organizations within healthcare, more specifically within the field of infectious diseases…

 

JEE Alliance [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 22 May 2021]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Selected News/Programs
Upcoming Events:
May 25, 2021
International Workshop on COVID-19 Lessons to Inform Pandemic Influenza Response, Day 3: Lessons Learned Across Fields
Time: 8:00 AM
This global public workshop will convene international experts, thought-leaders, and other stakeholders to discuss the emerging evidence on these unprecedented actions related to COVID-19 that could inform and advance pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine preparedness efforts and subsequent response.

News
G20 Scientific Expert Panel, Co-Chaired by NAM President, Identifies Key Recommendations to Address Global Health Crises
May 21, 2021
[See Milestones above for detail]

 

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

NIH [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

PATH [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
21 May 2021
Support to countries’ equitable and resilient recovery from the pandemic towards the health SDGs: The 2021 SDG3 GAP progress report

21 May 2021
The world can only beat AIDS by ending the inequalities that drive the epidemic

20 May 2021
A grandmother’s transformative love for her transgender grandchild

19 May 2021
Integrated services and inclusion key to eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission in Dominica

19 May 2021
UNAIDS Executive Director engages with women leaders and young women in Namibia

18 May 2021
UNAIDS and its partners implement Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing in Madagascar

 

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
No new digest content identified.

 

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
Statement attributable to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the need to end US COVID-19 asylum restrictions
20 May 2021
I appeal to the government of the United States to swiftly lift the public health-related asylum restrictions that remain in effect at the border and to restore access to asylum for the people whose lives depend on it, in line with international legal and human rights obligations…

 

UNICEF [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Press release 05/20/2021
As deadly surge of COVID-19 sweeps across South Asia, UNICEF calls for US$164 million to help save lives
KATHMANDU, 21 May 2021 – UNICEF urgently requires US$164 million to procure oxygen and testing supplies, medical equipment, personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control material to help save lives amid a deadly wave of COVID-19 across South Asia.
The region, home to almost 2 billion people, accounts for half of known new infections globally. Over three new COVID-19 infections are being recorded every second. Mortality in the region is rising sharply, with more than three people dying every minute due to COVID-19.
“The sheer scale and speed of this new surge of COVID-19 is outstripping countries’ abilities to provide life-saving treatment,” said George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. “Hospitals are overwhelmed, there is an acute lack of oxygen and other critical medical supplies, and there is a real risk of fragile health systems collapsing.”…

Statement 05/17/2021
The COVAX Facility will deliver its 65 millionth vaccine dose this week. It should’ve been at least its 170 millionth. The time to donate excess doses is now
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, as G7 countries gear up for June summit
[See COVID above for detail]

 

Unitaid [to 22 May 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 22 May 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 22 May 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).

Social media conversations and attitudes in the UK towards COVID-19
12 May 2021
These reports provide insights on key topics of conversation around coronavirus in the UK with a focus on five preventive behaviours (social distancing, self-isolation, lockdown, wearing masks, and a coronavirus vaccine).

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Wellcome Trust [to 22 May 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News and reports
No new digest content identified.

 

The Wistar Institute [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
May. 20, 2021
The Wistar Institute and Other Top U.S. Cancer Centers Call for Urgent Action to Get Cancer-Preventing HPV Vaccination Back on Track
PHILADELPHIA – May 20, 2021 – The Wistar Institute has partnered with doctors and scientists across America at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers to issue a joint statement urging the nation’s physicians, parents and young adults to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination back on track.
“Vaccination is critical to preventing human papillomavirus infection that can lead to cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and other preventable, HPV-related cancers. Yet pandemic-related safety concerns are discouraging people across the country from receiving these important, safe and effective HPV vaccines,” said Dario Altieri, M.D., Wistar president and CEO, Cancer Center director, and the Robert & Penny Fox Distinguished Professor. “It is vital that we remain vigilant against these preventable cancers and ensure HPV vaccination of our children and young adults and continue to schedule routine cancer screenings and check-ups each year.”
Dramatic drops in annual well visits and immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a significant vaccination gap and lag in vital preventive services among U.S. children and adolescents—especially for the HPV vaccine…

 

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
2020-2021 Annual Report Is Now Available!
May 20, 2021
2020-2021 Annual Report Is Now Available!Here, review our major initiatives and activities from the past 12 months, explore our achievements and have an insight of our plan for the next year.

The Winners & the Losers in COVID-19 Immunization
May 19, 2021
The Winners & the Losers in COVID-19 ImmunizationCOVID-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in our society. To fight the virus, the global public health workforce must advocate for vulnerable communities who are disproportionately harmed in this…

 

World Bank [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Global Health Summit Co-Hosted by the European Commission and Italy, as Chair of the G20
Excellencies, Thank you, Prime Minister Draghi, and President von der Leyen. I share the intensity and deep emotions of previous speakers in combatting the pandemic. Together, we need to find faster and…
Date: May 21, 2021 Type: Speeches and Transcripts

Remarks of Mamta Murthi, Vice President for Human Development, at an Event on Vaccine Supply Chain and Manufacturing
Thank you for giving me this opportunity and organizing this very informative and valuable summit. I was asked to give a perspective from the World Bank on the COVID-19 vaccine supply chain challenges…
Date: May 19, 2021 Type: Statement
[See COVID above for detail]

 

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
No new digest content identified.

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2021/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
DG Okonjo-Iweala calls on WTO members to tackle vaccine inequity
Speaking to G20 leaders and the heads of international organizations on 21 May, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said WTO members could contribute to greater equity in the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by lowering supply chain barriers, fully using existing production capacity, and addressing issues related to intellectual property, access and innovation.
[See COVID above for detail]

Webinar to address delivery of medical technologies, vaccines to their final destination
21 May 2021
A panel of experts will explore on 26 May 2021 the factors determining the successful delivery of medical technologies and vaccines to their final destination. The webinar will discuss the lessons learned so far and will consider how to undertake a practical and forward-looking approach. The event forms part of a series of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)…
The webinar is an integral part of the “Virtual Course on Trade and Public Health with a Special Focus on the COVID-19 Pandemic” and is open to the public. It will take place on 26 May 2021, from 13:00 to 15:00 (CET).
Registration for the webinar is available here.
The full programme of the event is available here.
The event will be live streamed through the WTO YouTube channel.

 

 

::::::

 

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 22 May 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

BIO [to 22 May 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
BIO Cheers Biden Announcement to Share 20 Million Doses of Vaccines with Developing Nations
May 18, 2021
“The White House’s decision to send Covid-19 vaccines to countries in need is an important step to ensuring people around the globe have access to lifesaving shots and ending this global pandemic. “As part of BIO’s recently-proposed Global “SHARE”…

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

 

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 22 May 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
EU Healthcare Biotech Policy Priorities for SMEs
3 JUN. 2021 — 03 Jun. 2021
Join the EuropaBio Healthcare Biotechnology Team for a dive into EU policies that impact your current operations and will shape your future strategies.  With EU-level strategies within Pharmaceuticals, Intellectual Property, Orphan Medicines and the proposed ‘European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)’…

 

IFPMA [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Five steps to urgently advance COVID-19 vaccine equity
19 May 2021
[See COVID above for detail]

 

PhRMA [to 22 May 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
ICYMI: PhRMA president and CEO Stephen J. Ubl joins other industry leaders for a conversation on COVID-19 vaccines with Axios
May 21, 2021
On May 19, Axios hosted an event discussing the unprecedented development of COVID-19 vaccines and the road ahead.

Five Steps to Urgently Advance COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
May 19, 2021
Released jointly by PhRMA, ABPI, BIO, EFPIA, ICBA, IFPMA and Vaccines Europe.
[See COVID above for detail]

Journal Watch

Posted on by

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

Ending the HIV Epidemic

Posted on by

AMA Journal of Ethics
Volume 23, Number 5: E371-433 May 2021
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/issue/ending-hiv-epidemic

 

Ending the HIV Epidemic
A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic began in the United States in the 1970s. “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” was launched in October 2019 by the US Department of Health and Human Services, with the goal of stopping the spread of HIV by 2030. Accomplishing this goal demands not only expanding existing programs, but recognizing and responding to clinically, ethically, socially, and culturally relevant features of contemporary patients’ experiences of stigma, oppression, and living with HIV. This issue considers ethical and clinical complexities patients and clinicians encounter in HIV care today.

Contact Tracing and the COVID-19 Response in Africa: Best Practices, Key Challenges, and Lessons Learned from Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda

Posted on by

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Articles Open access
Contact Tracing and the COVID-19 Response in Africa: Best Practices, Key Challenges, and Lessons Learned from Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda
Jean B. Nachega, Rhoda Atteh, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, Prisca Adejumo, Sabin Nsanzimana, Edson Rwagasore, Jeanine Condo, Masudah Paleker, Hassan Mahomed, Fatima Suleman, Alex Riolexus Ario, Elsie Kiguli-Malwadde, Francis G. Omaswa, Nelson K. Sewankambo, Cecile Viboud, Michael J. A. Reid, Alimuddin Zumla, and Peter H. Kilmarx
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0033

Refugee Settlements and Cholera Risks in Uganda, 2016–2019

Posted on by

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Refugee Settlements and Cholera Risks in Uganda, 2016–2019
Godfrey Bwire, Christopher Garimoi Orach, Freda Loy Aceng, Sam Emmanuel Arianitwe, David Matseketse, Edson Tumusherure, Issa Makumbi, Allan Muruta, Rebecca D. Merrill, Amanda Debes, Mohammad Ali, and David A. Sack
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0741

Home Administration of CVD 103-HgR: A Live Attenuated Oral Cholera Vaccine

Posted on by

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 104 (2021): Issue 4 (Apr 2021)
https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/104/4/tpmd.104.issue-4.xml

 

Home Administration of CVD 103-HgR: A Live Attenuated Oral Cholera Vaccine
R. Paul Duffin, Michael Delbuono, Lawrence Chew, James Johnstone, Volker Niedan, Pascal Schwarz, Paul Shabram, and Amish A. Patel
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-1223

A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study of Ad26.ZIKV.001, an Ad26-Vectored Anti–Zika Virus Vaccine

Posted on by

Annals of Internal Medicine
May 2021 Volume 174, Issue 5
http://annals.org/aim/issue

 

Original Research
A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study of Ad26.ZIKV.001, an Ad26-Vectored Anti–Zika Virus Vaccine
Nadine C. Salisch, PhD, Kathryn E. Stephenson, MD, MPH, Kristi Williams, BSN, PhD, Freek Cox, PhD, … et al.
Pages:585–594

Major Update: Remdesivir for Adults With COVID-19 – A Living Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for the American College of Physicians Practice Points

Posted on by

Annals of Internal Medicine
May 2021 Volume 174, Issue 5
http://annals.org/aim/issue

Major Update: Remdesivir for Adults With COVID-19 – A Living Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for the American College of Physicians Practice Points
FREE

 

Anjum S. Kaka, MD, Roderick MacDonald, MS, Nancy Greer, PhD, Kathryn Vela, MLIS, … et al.

Methodological frontiers in vaccine safety: qualifying available evidence for rare events, use of distributed data networks to monitor vaccine safety issues, and monitoring the safety of pregnancy interventions

Posted on by

BMJ Global Health
May 2021 – Volume 6 – Suppl 2
https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/Suppl_2

 

Methodological frontiers in vaccine safety: qualifying available evidence for rare events, use of distributed data networks to monitor vaccine safety issues, and monitoring the safety of pregnancy interventions (19 May, 2021)
Caitlin Dodd, Nick Andrews, Helen Petousis-Harris, Miriam Sturkenboom, Saad B Omer, Steven Black

Novel vaccine safety issues and areas that would benefit from further research

Posted on by

BMJ Global Health
May 2021 – Volume 6 – Suppl 2
https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/Suppl_2

 

Novel vaccine safety issues and areas that would benefit from further research (19 May, 2021)
Daniel A Salmon, Paul Henri Lambert, Hanna M Nohynek, Julianne Gee, Umesh D Parashar, Jacqueline E Tate, Annelies Wilder-Smith, Kenneth Y Hartigan-Go, Peter G Smith, Patrick Louis F Zuber

Knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of healthcare workers and the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: a cross-sectional study

Posted on by

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 22 May 2021)

 

Knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of healthcare workers and the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: a cross-sectional study
This study determined the knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding COVID-19 and assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers and the general population.
Authors: Muhammed Elhadi, Ahmed Alsoufi, Abdulmueti Alhadi, Amel Hmeida, Entisar Alshareea, Mawadda Dokali, Sanabel Abodabos, Omaymah Alsadiq, Mohammed Abdelkabir, Aimen Ashini, Abdulhamid Shaban, Saja Mohammed, Nehal Alghudban, Eman Bureziza, Qasi Najah, Khawla Abdulrahman…
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:955
Content type: Research
Published on: 20 May 2021

Primary care: Building capacity in evidence-based medicine in low-income and middle-income countries: problems and potential solutions

Posted on by

BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
June 2021 – Volume 26 – 3
https://ebm.bmj.com/content/26/3

 

EBM opinion and debate
Primary care: Building capacity in evidence-based medicine in low-income and middle-income countries: problems and potential solutions (22 November, 2019)
Peter J Gill, Shabana M Ali, Yasmin Elsobky, Raymond C Okechukwu, Tatiane B Ribeiro, Augusto Cesar Soares dos Santos Junior, Daniel Umpierre, Georgia C Richards

Global genomic pathogen surveillance to inform vaccine strategies: a decade-long expedition in pneumococcal genomics

Posted on by

Genome Medicine
https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 22 May 2021]

 

Global genomic pathogen surveillance to inform vaccine strategies: a decade-long expedition in pneumococcal genomics
Vaccines are powerful agents in infectious disease prevention but often designed to protect against some strains that are most likely to spread and cause diseases. Most vaccines do not succeed in eradicating t…
Authors: Stephen D. Bentley and Stephanie W. Lo
Citation: Genome Medicine 2021 13:84
Content type: Review
Published on: 17 May 2021

COVID-19 and future pandemics: a global systems approach and relevance to SDGs

Posted on by

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 22 May 2021]

 

COVID-19 and future pandemics: a global systems approach and relevance to SDGs
The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting modern human civilization. A global view using a systems science approach is necessary to recognize the close interactions between health of animals, humans and the…
Authors: Tharanga Thoradeniya and Saroj Jayasinghe
Citation: Globalization and Health 2021 17:59
Content type: Debate
Published on: 21 May 2021

How does globalization affect COVID-19 responses?

Posted on by

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 22 May 2021]

 

How does globalization affect COVID-19 responses?
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vast differences in approaches to the control and containment of coronavirus across the world and has demonstrated the varied success of such approaches in min…
Authors: Steve J. Bickley, Ho Fai Chan, Ahmed Skali, David Stadelmann and Benno Torgler
Citation: Globalization and Health 2021 17:57
Content type: Research
Published on: 20 May 2021

Disability inclusion in humanitarian action

Posted on by

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.

An Asia-Pacific study on healthcare workers’ perceptions of, and willingness to receive, the COVID-19 vaccination

Posted on by

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 106 p1-430
https://www.ijidonline.com/current

 

An Asia-Pacific study on healthcare workers’ perceptions of, and willingness to receive, the COVID-19 vaccination
Nicholas W.S. Chew, Clare Cheong, Gwyneth Kong, …Arvind K. Sharma, Roger C. Ho, Vijay K. Sharma
Published online: March 26, 2021
p52-60

SARS-CoV-2–Specific Antibodies in Breast Milk After COVID-19 Vaccination of Breastfeeding Women

Posted on by

JAMA
May 11, 2021, Vol 325, No. 18, Pages 1813-1912
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Research Letter
SARS-CoV-2–Specific Antibodies in Breast Milk After COVID-19 Vaccination of Breastfeeding Women
Sivan Haia Perl, MD; Atara Uzan-Yulzari, MSc; Hodaya Klainer, BSc; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2021;325(19):2013-2014. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5782
This prospective study investigated whether antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 immunization of nursing mothers transferred to infants as a potentially protective effect.

Digital Health Passes in the Age of COVID-19Are “Vaccine Passports” Lawful and Ethical?

Posted on by

JAMA
May 11, 2021, Vol 325, No. 18, Pages 1813-1912
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
Digital Health Passes in the Age of COVID-19Are “Vaccine Passports” Lawful and Ethical?
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD; I. Glenn Cohen, JD; Jana Shaw, MD, MPH
free access
JAMA. 2021;325(19):1933-1934. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.5283
This Viewpoint discusses digital health passes (DHPs) that would grant access to work, entertainment, shopping, and travel with confirmation of COVID-19 immunity, and the scientific, legal, ethical, and equity considerations that must be worked through for DHPs to be considered effective and fair.

Incorporating Adult Evidence Into Pediatric Research and PracticeBayesian Designs to Expedite Obtaining Child-Specific Evidence

Posted on by

JAMA
May 11, 2021, Vol 325, No. 18, Pages 1813-1912
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
Incorporating Adult Evidence Into Pediatric Research and PracticeBayesian Designs to Expedite Obtaining Child-Specific Evidence
Srinivas Murthy, MD, CM, MHSc; Patricia Fontela, MD; Scott Berry, PhD
free access
JAMA. 2021;325(19):1937-1938. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.25007
This Viewpoint proposes ways to use bayesian methods to integrate evidence from adult clinical trials into the conduct, interpretation, and application of pediatric trials to generate scientifically robust and clinically actionable data for the care of children at a pace comparable with that for adults

The value of evidence synthesis

Posted on by

Nature Human Behaviour
Volume 5 Issue 5, May 2021
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/volumes/5/issues/5

 

Editorial | 20 May 2021
The value of evidence synthesis
Science is a cumulative enterprise, and systematic evidence synthesis is invaluable for appraising what is known and what is not known on a specific research question. We strongly encourage the submission of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to Nature Human Behaviour.

Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in low-income countries

Posted on by

Nature Human Behaviour
Volume 5 Issue 5, May 2021
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/volumes/5/issues/5

 

Article | 30 March 2021
Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in low-income countries
Recent phone survey data from Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda reveals the breadth of the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and households.
Anna Josephson, Talip Kilic, Jeffrey D. Michler

Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant

Posted on by

New England Journal of Medicine
May 20, 2021 Vol. 384 No. 20
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

 

Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant
Vivek Shinde, M.D., M.P.H., et al for the 2019nCoV-501 Study Group*
Conclusions
The NVX-CoV2373 vaccine was efficacious in preventing Covid-19, with higher vaccine efficacy observed among HIV-negative participants. Most infections were caused by the B.1.351 variant. (Funded by Novavax and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04533399. opens in new tab.)