Africa CDC [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
No new digest content identified

China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
China CDC Weekly
Articles in Press [Selected]
Notes from the Field: Emerging Variants of B.1.617 Lineage Identified Among Returning Chinese Employees Working in India — Chongqing Municipality, China, April 2021

Technical Vaccination Recommendations for COVID-19 Vaccines in China (First Edition)
Online Date: March 31 2021

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 1 May 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
May 1: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On April 30, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 16 new cases of confirmed infections.

China continues measures to control imported COVID cases
Updated: 2021-04-30
China will continue to take strict measures to prevent imported COVID-19 infections via people or goods after several inbound travelers tested positive for novel coronavirus after finishing quarantine, a senior health official said on April 29.
Wang Bin, a senior official at the National Health Commission, said the commission requires all inbound travelers to take nucleic acid tests during quarantine.
At the end of the 14-day medical quarantine, they should receive nucleic acid tests from at least two institutions to increase the accuracy of the tests, she said at a news conference.
After they finish the 14-day medical quarantine, they should observe seven-day home health monitoring, take necessary epidemic containment measures when going out and avoid large gatherings, she said…

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 1 May 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
Vice-premier stresses production, supply of COVID-19 vaccines
2021-04-30
Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan on April 29 called for speeding up the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines, ensuring quality and safety and promoting vaccination among the public to build an immune barrier.

Over 243 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China
2021-04-30
More than 243.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on April 29.

China’s new recombinant COVID-19 vaccine starts human tests
2021-04-25
Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm has commenced phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials for its new recombinant vaccine against COVID-19 in Central China’s Henan province since April 24.

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 1 May 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
[Website not responding at inquiry]

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
News
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 1 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 1 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 1 May 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
04.27.2021  |
CARB-X is funding UK-biotech GenomeKey to develop a rapid diagnostic for sepsis, a leading cause of death in hospitals
CARB-X is awarding GenomeKey (Genomics Labs Ltd.) in Bristol, UK, up to $3.0 million in non-dilutive funding to develop an innovative rapid diagnostic for sepsis. GenomeKey is eligible for up to $6.5 million in additional awards if the project achieves certain milestones, subject to available funds.

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 1 May 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: [NEW] Webinar Recording – Posting of Informed Consent Content on Clinical Trials Registries Center for Informed Consent Integrity Webinar Series – 21 April 2021

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 1 May 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
UK support a vital first step in turning tide against future pandemics
The UK Government will host CEPI’s replenishment summit in 2022. This event will be the crucial moment for the world to take action to support our US$3.5 billion plan.
Blog 30 Apr 2021

UK to host global summit with CEPI to speed up new vaccine development
The UK will host a fundraising summit in 2022 to support the work of CEPI.
COVID-19 30 Apr 2021

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 1 May 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
No new digest content identified.

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 1 May 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
WEEKLY COVID VACCINE RESEARCH UPDATE
Last dated update: FRIDAY, April 16, 2021

EDCTP [to 1 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
25 April 2021
World Malaria Day 2021
On World Malaria Day 2021, EDCTP joins all partners in the ‘Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria’ campaign towards the goal of malaria…

Emory Vaccine Center [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

European Vaccine Initiative [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
European Immunization Week 2021
‘Vaccines bring us closer’ across the world, organisations and generations’

FDA [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
April 30, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 30, 2021

April 28, 2021 – FDA Takes Action For Failure to Submit Required Clinical Trial Results Information to ClinicalTrials.Gov

April 27, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 27, 2021
:: On April 23, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a press release lifting the recommended pause on the use of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine following a thorough safety review. The FDA added and updated some questions about resuming the use of this vaccine to the Janssen COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions webpage

Fondation Merieux [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.

Gavi [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
26 April 2021
Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases
[See COVAX above for detail]

GHIT Fund [to 1 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
No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
India’s devastating COVID-19 crisis
30 April 2021
…As part of the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism 2021, we have made available an initial base allocation of US$75 million to support India’s response to COVID-19. We are working closely with the Government of India and national partners to help them access the new emergency funding and identify solutions to the most critical needs.
The Global Fund is also working with international partners to support India. In February 2021, the COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce was launched by Unitaid and the Wellcome Trust as co-leaders of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-Accelerator) Therapeutics Pillar, to respond to the surging oxygen emergency in low- and middle-income countries. The taskforce brings together key organizations including Unitaid, the Wellcome Trust, the Global Fund, WHO, Unicef, World Bank, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), PATH, the Every Breath Counts coalition and Save the Children…

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
Website not responding at inquiry

Human Vaccines Project [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
[Website not fully loading at inquiry]

IAVI [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
No new digest content identified.

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

ICRC [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases, Statements, Reports
Legislative Checklist: Protecting Health Care from Violence
The document presents a list of questions (a checklist or compatibility study) that cover some of the main challenges related to the protection of health care during armed conflict and other emergencies.
28-04-2021 | Publication

Without urgent action to protect essential services in conflict zones we face vast humanitarian disaster

Speech given by Mr Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, to the UNSC Open Debate on the Protection of Objects Indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.
27-04-2021 | Statement

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 1 May 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Americas, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay
IFRC calls for an urgent scale-up of vaccinations, health interventions and economic support as the pandemic continues to surge in the Americas
As the Americas region continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling for an urgent scaling up of public health interventions, vaccinations and economic support for the most vulnerable. With almost half of the cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the world, the continent continues to bear the brunt of this monumental crisis on various fronts.
28 April 2021

India
IFRC urges unity to vaccinate the world against COVID-19 as countries unite to help India
Kuala Lumpur/Delhi/Geneva, 28 April – The terrible toll of death and illness unfolding in India reinforces that this pandemic is far from over. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) urges the whole world to unify a …
28 April 2021

Philippines
Philippines: Red Cross eases burden on hospitals under siege as COVID-19 cases hit 1 million
Kuala Lumpur/Manila, 26 April – Record COVID-19 surges across the Philippines have placed hospitals under siege as total Coronavirus infections pass 1 million. Red Cross is urgently setting up field hospitals, quarantine facilities and scaling up exist …
26 April 2021

Institut Pasteur [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press release
No new digest content identified.

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
NE Syria: As COVID surges, hospitals face acute O2 shortage and testing is in jeopardy; IRC makes urgent call for more funding and support to boost COVID response
April 27, 2021

IVAC [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
No new digest content identified.

JEE Alliance [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
Responding to COVID-19: Global Accountability Report 3 – September to December 2020
Report = 29 Apr 2021
… From March to December 2020, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) responded to the pandemic through our existing programmes and dedicated COVID-19 interventions in more than 300 projects in 70 countries. Our global COVID-19 activities focused on delivering medical care and other assistance to vulnerable people at risk of being left behind, including remote communities, people on the move, homeless people, and elderly people living in long-term care facilities…

National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 1 May 2021]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Selected News/Programs
Upcoming Events:
Collaborating with Communities about COVID-19, Climate, and Community Concerns: A Roundtable Discussion
May 4, 2021 1:00PM – 2:30PM (ET)

COVID-19 Vaccines: Building Confidence and Explaining Efficacy, Webinar
May 4, 2021 3:00PM – 4:00PM (ET)

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

NIH [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
NIH to invest $29 million to address COVID-19 disparities
April 29, 2021 — Effort will foster community-engagement research in communities which have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

PATH [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
PATH welcomes Samantha Power as new USAID administrator
April 28, 2021 by PATH

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
30 April 2021
Joint mission supports the response to HIV in Gboklè/Nawa/San Pedro, Côte d’Ivoire

26 April 2021
High rates of hepatitis C and HIV coinfection among key populations

26 April 2021
Interactive multistakeholder hearing takes place ahead of United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
Pandemic and political crisis could result in half of Myanmar’s population living in poverty by 2022, UNDP says
The combined effects of the two crises could put over a decade of progress on poverty reduction in the country at risk.
Posted on April 30, 2021

UNESCO [to 1 May 2021]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Latest News
No new digest content identified.

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.

UNICEF [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases, Statements
News note
04/29/2021
UNICEF sends 3,000 oxygen concentrators and other critical supplies to India as country battles deadly COVID-19 surge

Press release
04/28/2021
Vaccination Demand Observatory launched to strengthen local communication programmes to address vaccine misinformation
UNICEF, Yale Institute for Global Health, and Public Good Projects team up to create the Vaccination Demand Observatory to equip country teams with tools to counter misinformation and mistrust related to all vaccines
…The Vaccine Acceptance Interventions Lab (VAIL) will draw upon behavioural and social research and insights from social listening to develop engaging, relevant content to fill information gaps. VAIL also will develop “inoculation” messages to vaccinate people against vaccine misinformation. The content and programs will be rapid field tested for tone, format and behavior change impact before being implemented…

Statement
04/26/2021
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore’s remarks at the special press briefing with WHO and Gavi on the impact of COVID-19 on immunization
As prepared for delivery
[See Milestones above for detail]

Press release
04/26/2021
Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases – WHO, UNICEF, Gavi
Ambitious new global strategy aims to save over 50 million lives through vaccination
[See Milestones above for detail]

Unitaid [to 1 May 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
28 April 2021
Unitaid and Wellcome statement regarding MSD’s global access plan for molnupiravir, a potential treatment for COVID-19 
Geneva – ACT-Accelerator Therapeutics co-leads Wellcome and Unitaid welcome MSD’s commitment to voluntary licensing agreements with five generic manufacturers to serve the needs of India and 100 other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is an important first step to accelerate and expand global access for molnupiravir, should upcoming clinical data prove it safe and effective.
Industry plays a central role in ensuring a rapid and effective COVID-19 response. Their commitment to the development of promising therapeutics for COVID-19 is critical in the race to end the pandemic and in meeting the continued need for treatments for COVID-19.
We also welcome MSD’s engagement with the Unitaid-supported Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to further broaden access to molnupiravir. In anticipation of a potential approval in the months to come, robust plans for affordable access in all low- and middle-income countries are required, including middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, given the trajectory of the pandemic.

28 April 2021
Access to HIV self-tests significantly expanded and costs halved thanks to Unitaid agreement
:: Self-testing vital tool to help people know HIV status – but market has been dominated by single oral-based self-test
:: New Unitaid-led agreement with Viatris (through its subsidiary Mylan) reduces price of blood-based HIV self-test by 50%, significantly expanding market and giving countries more options
:: New test will be available for less than $2 in 135 countries
:: Self tests key factor in achieving SDG target of 90% of people infected with HIV knowing their status

27 April 2021
ANTICOV: largest clinical trial in Africa for people with mild COVID-19 to test new drug combination
Need for effective COVID-19 treatments remains particularly acute, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where access to vaccines is still extremely limited
Geneva – The ANTICOV clinical trial, conducted in 13 African countries, has started the recruitment of participants to test a new drug combination, nitazoxanide + ciclesonide, to treat people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 before their cases become severe.
The ANTICOV study is being carried out by a consortium of 26 partners which include leading African research institutions and international health organizations, coordinated by the non-profit research and development (R&D) organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). It is the largest trial in Africa to identify early COVID-19 treatments that can prevent progression to severe disease and potentially limit transmission.
“In many African countries our worst fears are being realised, as already-strained intensive care units are beginning to fill up with COVID-19 patients,” said Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). “Yet the number of vaccine doses that are reaching the African continent is too limited. The rapid spread of new variants also threatens to reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines, which is another major cause for concern. We need urgently to identify affordable and easy-to-administer treatments that can prevent the evolution to a severe form of the disease and slow the rate of infection.”…

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 1 May 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 1 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).

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 1 May 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News and reports
Explainer
Why we need to share vaccine doses now and why COVAX is the right way to do it
26 April 2021
We need urgent international action to achieve more equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines. Countries that have ordered more vaccine doses than they need are best placed to take the lead, by sharing doses now, through COVAX.

The Wistar Institute [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Apr. 27, 2021
Wistar Expands International Training of the Next Generation of Scientists With the University of Bologna
Second international training program offers mentorship under top cancer research scientists.

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
COVID-19 a Springboard for Immunization for All Ages
News Apr 29, 2021
The WFPHA has used World Immunisation Week to call for greater coordination in the vaccination of people of all ages.

World Bank [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
World Bank Expands Colombia Amazon Conservation Project with US$18.4 Million Grant
Washington, D.C., April 30, 2021 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved an additional grant of US$18.4 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the Forest Conservation…
Date: April 30, 2021 Type: Press Release

Lebanon Financing Facility Approves $55 million Recovery Program Targeting Vulnerable Households and Small Businesses to Respond to the Port of Beirut Explosion
Beirut, April 30, 2021 – The World Bank convened yesterday the first meeting of the Partnership Council for the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF) to discuss the priorities, proposed funding allocations…
Date: April 29, 2021 Type: Press Release L

Lebanon Financing Facility for Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction (LFF)- Questions and Answers
Following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, the World Bank Group, the European Union and the United Nations developed the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) in order to address…
Date: April 29, 2021 Type: Brief

Living with Debt: How Institutions Can Chart a Path to Recovery in the Middle East and North Africa
Authors: Gatti, Roberta; Lederman, Daniel; Nguyen, Ha M.; Alturki, Sultan Abdulaziz.; Fan, Rachel Yuting; Islam, Asif M.; Rojas, Claudio More than a year after the World Health Organization declared…
Date: April 28, 2021 Type: Brief

Supporting teachers using technology: 400 solutions from 80 countries
The World Bank Group and HundrED teamed up, supported with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), to launch the Teachers for a Changing World: Transforming Teacher Professional Development…
Date: April 28, 2021 Type: Feature Story

What is learning poverty?
All children should be able to read by age 10. Reading is a gateway for learning as the child progresses through school—and conversely, an inability to read slams that gate shut. Beyond this, when children…
Date: April 28, 2021 Type: Brief

Moldova’s Vaccination System to be Strengthened, with World Bank Support
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2021 – The World Bank has approved Additional Financing for the Moldova COVID-19 Emergency Response Project in the amount of EUR 24.8 million, which will support the Government of…
Date: April 27, 2021 Type: Press Release

World Bank Supports Fair and Effective Deployment of COVID-19 Vaccines in Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2021—The World Bank today approved $80.5 million additional financing to help Sri Lanka access and distribute COVID-19 vaccines and to strengthen the country’s vaccination system…
Date: April 27, 2021 Type: Press Release

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 1 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 1 May 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
No new digest content identified.

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 1 May 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 1 May 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 1 May 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

IFPMA [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
IFPMA statement at the close of the 3rd Fair Pricing Forum 13 to 22 April
Published on: 23 April 2021
We thank the organizers, World Health Organization and Ministry of Health of Argentina for convening this meeting and for inviting representatives from the innovative biopharmaceutical industry to share our experience and perspectives on how we can work collectively toward improved access to medicines worldwide.

It is with this mindset that we engaged in a constructive and open dialogue, aimed at co-creating solutions to our common objective of bringing innovative medicines to more patients around the world. We remain committed to maintaining the course in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals health targets, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The innovative biopharmaceutical industry is sensitive to the debate about affordability and access.  We are making progress through new partnerships in reaching many more patients and supporting health systems for sustainable and longstanding improvements to patient health outcomes.  There is still work to be done; and there is no room for complacency.

The coronavirus pandemic has shown how the innovative biopharmaceutical industry has risen to the occasion and to meet societal expectations in developing and scaling up manufacturing of tests, treatments, and vaccines, driven by a strong belief that in the end science will win and help us to overcome the pandemic. There are challenges to overcome in meeting the goal of “no one is safe until everyone is safe”, but we have also seen the power of public-private partnerships, such as Covax, and the critical role of vaccine manufacturers from industrialized as well as developing countries in scaling up production from zero to billions of doses in record time.

As discussed in prior editions of the Fair Pricing Forum, “fair pricing and fair access” should be achieved while ensuring continued support for an innovation ecosystem that allows future discoveries for today and tomorrow’s unmet medical needs. The COVID-19 innovations and roll out that have been achieved for the pandemic as a response to the biggest public health crisis of our age, cannot be assumed to be the norm.  The unprecedented actions industry has taken for the coronavirus public health pandemic IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL.  We have been able to respond in the manner that we have by leaning on the knowledge, know-how and pillars of a functioning innovation eco-system, built on decades of on-going investment.

We want to be better-prepared for future pandemics. To enable this, the fundamentals that have enabled our industry’s readiness to swiftly take on the COVID challenge should not be compromised.

PhRMA [to 1 May 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
New PhRMA report shows nearly 90 medicines in development to fight drug-resistant infections, but future pipeline remains challenging
April 29, 2021
New PhRMA report shows nearly 90 medicines in development to fight drug-resistant infections, but future pipeline remains challenging
Blog Post

Patient safety is at the heart of COVID-19 vaccine R&D
April 26, 2021
Patient safety is at the heart of COVID-19 vaccine R&D. Robust clinical research standards, safety monitoring, expert guidance, and genomic surveillance efforts all contribute to a robust safety practice surrounding our vaccine manufacturing and distribution ecosystem.
Blog Post

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

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.

American Journal of Infection Control
May 2021 Volume 49 Issue 5 p533-656
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current

Major Articles
Trends in place of early-season influenza vaccination among adults, 2014-15 through 2018-19 influenza seasons—The importance of medical and nonmedical settings for vaccination
Peng-jun Lu, Anup Srivastav, Tammy A. Santibanez,…Jessica Roycroft, Marshica Stanley Kurtz, Walter W. Williams
Published online: October 07, 2020
p555-562

American Journal of Infection Control
May 2021 Volume 49 Issue 5 p533-656
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current

State of the Science Review
Paediatric nurses’, children’s and parents’ adherence to infection prevention and control and knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship: A systematic review
Mataya Kilpatrick, Ana Hutchinson, Elizabeth Manias, Stéphane L. Bouchoucha
Published online: December 04, 2020
p622-639
Open Access
Highlights
:: This review provides compelling evidence that there is a lack of understanding of infection prevention and control precautions and appropriate antimicrobial use by parents, children, and nurses in paediatric settings.
:: Identified practice gaps highlight health care workers’, parents’ and children’s vulnerability to pathogen exposure in the context of pandemic spread of highly contagious pathogens.
:: Parents and children had limited knowledge in relation to antimicrobials, and thus were making poor decisions on antibiotic use.
:: Nurses were unaware of their leadership role in antimicrobial stewardship but they nevertheless had a good understanding of antimicrobial stewardship principles and the barriers to good antimicrobial stewardship.

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
May 2021 Volume 60 Issue 5 p595-736
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Research Articles
The Benefits of Vaccinating With the First Available COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine
Sarah M. Bartsch, Kelly J. O’Shea, Patrick T. Wedlock, …Sarah N. Cox, Peter J. Hotez, Bruce Y. Lee
Published online: January 18, 2021
p605-613

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
May 2021 Volume 60 Issue 5 p595-736
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Availability of Adult Vaccination Services by Provider Type and Setting
Charleigh J. Granade,
Russell F. McCord,
Alexandra A. Bhatti,
Megan C. Lindley
Published online: February 22, 2021
p692-700

American Journal of Public Health
May 2021 111(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

EDITORIALS
Partisan and Other Gaps in Support for COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies Require Substantial Attention
Immunization/Vaccines, Health Promotion, Media
Sarah E. Gollust
111(5), pp. 765–767

American Journal of Public Health
May 2021 111(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

Essential Strategies to Curb COVID-19 Transmission in Prisons and Jails
Community Health, Health Policy, Epidemiology
Alexandria Macmadu and Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein
111(5), pp. 776–777

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Correction to: Predictors of willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Authors: Bridget J. Kelly, Brian G. Southwell, Lauren A. McCormack, Carla M. Bann, Pia D. M. MacDonald, Alicia M. Frasier, Christine A. Bevc, Noel T. Brewer and Linda B. Squiers
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2021 21:383
Content type: Correction
Published on: 26 April 2021

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Normative framework of informed consent in clinical research in Germany, Poland, and Russia
Biomedical research nowadays is increasingly carried out in multinational and multicenter settings. Due to disparate national regulations on various ethical aspects, such as informed consent, there is the risk…
Authors: Marcin Orzechowski, Katarzyna Woniak, Cristian Timmermann and Florian Steger
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:53
Content type: Research
Published on: 1 May 2021

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Ethics review of big data research: What should stay and what should be reformed?
Ethics review is the process of assessing the ethics of research involving humans. The Ethics Review Committee (ERC) is the key oversight mechanism designated to ensure ethics review. Whether or not this gover…
Authors: Agata Ferretti, Marcello Ienca, Mark Sheehan, Alessandro Blasimme, Edward S. Dove, Bobbie Farsides, Phoebe Friesen, Jeff Kahn, Walter Karlen, Peter Kleist, S. Matthew Liao, Camille Nebeker, Gabrielle Samuel, Mahsa Shabani, Minerva Rivas Velarde and Effy Vayena
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:51
Content type: Debate
Published on: 30 April 2021

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

A scoping review of the literature featuring research ethics and research integrity cases
The areas of Research Ethics (RE) and Research Integrity (RI) are rapidly evolving. Cases of research misconduct, other transgressions related to RE and RI, and forms of ethically questionable behaviors have b…
Authors: Anna Catharina Vieira Armond, Bert Gordijn, Jonathan Lewis, Mohammad Hosseini, János Kristóf Bodnár, Soren Holm and Péter Kakuk
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:50
Content type: Research article
Published on: 30 April 2021

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Recognising values and engaging communities across cultures: towards developing a cultural protocol for researchers
Efforts to build research capacity and capability in low and middle income countries (LMIC) has progressed over the last three decades, yet it confronts many challenges including issues with communicating or e…
Authors: Rakhshi Memon, Muqaddas Asif, Ameer B. Khoso, Sehrish Tofique, Tayyaba Kiran, Nasim Chaudhry, Nusrat Husain and Sarah J. L. Edwards
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:47
Content type: Debate
Published on: 26 April 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Change in full immunization inequalities in Indian children 12–23 months: an analysis of household survey data
India has made substantial progress in improving child health in recent years. However, the country continues to account for a large number of vaccine preventable child deaths. We estimated wealth-related full…
Authors: Brian Wahl, Madhu Gupta, Daniel J. Erchick, Bryan N. Patenaude, Taylor A. Holroyd, Molly Sauer, Madeleine Blunt, Mathuram Santosham and Rupali Jayant Limaye
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:841
Content type: Research article
Published on: 1 May 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Individual and social determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake
COVID-19 has had a devastating impact and efforts are being made to speed up vaccinations. The growing problem of vaccine hesitancy may affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine. We examined the individual, commun…
Authors: K. Viswanath, Mesfin Bekalu, Dhriti Dhawan, Ramya Pinnamaneni, Jenna Lang and Rachel McLoud
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:818
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 April 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 1 May 2021)

Predicting intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine among the general population using the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior model
This study aim to explore the intentions, motivators and barriers of the general public to vaccinate against COVID-19, using both the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model.
Authors: Liora Shmueli
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:804
Content type: Research
Published on: 26 April 2021

Cell
Apr 29, 2021 Volume 184 Issue 9p2259-2524
https://www.cell.com/cell/current

Commentary
Creating collaboration by breaking down scientific barriers
Jacqueline M. Fabius, Nevan J. Krogan
The scientific world rewards the individual while often discouraging collaboration. However, times of crisis show us how much more we can accomplish when we work together. Here, we describe our approach to breaking down silos and fostering global collaborations and share the lessons we have learned, especially pertaining to research on SARS-CoV-2.

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 109, Issue 5 Pages: 1159-1362 May 2021
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15326535/current

Perspective
Balancing Safety and Efficacy With Early Availability in the Regulation of Regenerative Medicine Product
Yasuhiro Fujiwara, Yoshiaki Maruyama, Futaba Honda
First published: 26 September 2020
https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.2034

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 109, Issue 5 Pages: 1159-1362 May 2021
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15326535/current

Reviews – White Paper
The Certainty Framework for Assessing Real‐World Data in Studies of Medical Product Safety and Effectiveness
Noelle M. Cocoros, Peter Arlett, Nancy A. Dreyer, Chieko Ishiguro, Solomon Iyasu, Miriam Sturkenboom, Wei Zhou, Sengwee Toh
Pages: 1189-1196
First Published:10 September 2020
Abstract
A fundamental question in using real‐world data for clinical and regulatory decision making is: How certain must we be that the algorithm used to capture an exposure, outcome, cohort‐defining characteristic, or confounder is what we intend it to be? We provide a practical framework to help researchers and regulators assess and classify the fit‐for‐purposefulness of real‐world data by study variable for a range of data sources. The three levels of certainty (optimal, sufficient, and probable) must be considered in the context of each study variable, the specific question being studied, the study design, and the decision at hand.

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 109, Issue 5 Pages: 1159-1362 May 2021
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15326535/current

Review – Open Access
Randomized Controlled Trials Versus Real World Evidence: Neither Magic Nor Myth
Hans‐Georg Eichler, Francesco Pignatti, Brigitte Schwarzer‐Daum, Ana Hidalgo‐Simon, Irmgard Eichler
Peter Arlett. Anthony Humphreys, Spiros Vamvakas, Nikolai Brun, Guido Rasi
Pages: 1212-1218
First Published:16 October 2020
Abstract
Compared with drugs from the blockbuster era, recently authorized drugs and those expected in the future present a heterogenous mix of chemicals, biologicals, and cell and gene therapies, a sizable fraction being for rare diseases, and even individualized treatments or individualized combinations. The shift in the nature of products entails secular trends for the definitions of “drugs” and “target population” and for clinical use and evidence generation. We discuss that the lessons learned from evidence generation for 20th century medicines may have limited relevance for 21st century medicines. We explain why the future is not about randomized controlled trials (RCTs) vs. real‐world evidence (RWE) but RCTs and RWE—not just for the assessment of safety but also of effectiveness. Finally, we highlight that, in the era of precision medicine, we may not be able to reliably describe some small treatment effects—either by way of RCTs or RWE.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume 27, Number 5—May 2021
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/

Research
Herd Immunity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in 10 Communities, Qatar [PDF – 1.44 MB – 10 pages]
A. Jeremijenko et al.

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2021
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/31/2

Health services research
Public support for European cooperation in the procurement, stockpiling and distribution of medicines
Roel Beetsma, Brian Burgoon, Francesco Nicoli, Anniek de Ruijter, Frank Vandenbroucke
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2021, Pages 253–258, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa201
Conclusion
Joint procurement raises delicate questions with regard to its scope, the inclusion of cross-border solidarity and the delegation of decision-making, that explain reluctance toward joint procurement among political decision-makers. This research shows that there is considerable public support across different countries in favor of centralization, i.e. a large scope and solidarity in the allocation and delegation of decision-making.

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2021
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/31/2

Infectious disease
Coverage rates against vaccine-preventable diseases among healthcare workers in Sicily (Italy)
Caterina Ledda, Venerando Rapisarda, Helena C Maltezou, Eleonora Contrino, Arianna Conforto …
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 31, Issue 1, February 2021, Page 56, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa179

Global Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 5 (2021)
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

Special Issue: The Contested Global Politics of Pleasure and Danger: Sexuality, Gender, Health and Human Rights; Guest Editors: Carmen H. Logie, Amaya Perez-Brumer and Richard Parker
Article
Intersex care in the United States and international standards of human rights
Juan Carlos Jorge, Leidy Valerio-Pérez, Caleb Esteban & Ana Irma Rivera-Lassen
Pages: 679-691
Published online: 24 Dec 2019

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 36, Issue 3, April 2021
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/36/3

ORIGINAL ARTICLES
The role of government agencies and other actors in influencing access to medicines in three East African countries
Walter Denis Odoch, Yoswa Dambisya, Elizabeth Peacocke, Kristin Ingstad Sandberg, Berit Sofie Hustad Hembre
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 36, Issue 3, April 2021, Pages 312–321, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa189

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 36, Issue 3, April 2021
https://academic.oup.com/heapol/issue/36/3

COMMENTARIES
Remote data collection for public health research in a COVID-19 era: ethical implications, challenges and opportunities
B Hensen, C R S Mackworth-Young, M Simwinga, N Abdelmagid, J Banda …
Health Policy and Planning, Volume 36, Issue 3, April 2021, Pages 360–368, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa158

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

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

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

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

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 1 May 2021]

Demand for longer quarantine period among common and uncommon COVID-19 infections: a scoping review
Authors: Zhi-Yao Li, Yu Zhang, Liu-Qing Peng, Rong-Rong Gao, Jia-Rui Jing, Jia-Le Wang, Bin-Zhi Ren, Jian-Guo Xu and Tong Wang
Content type: Scoping Review
26 April 2021

International Health
Volume 13, Issue 3, May 2021
https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/issue/13/3

EDITORIAL
Disrupting vaccine logistics
Eric R James
International Health, Volume 13, Issue 3, May 2021, Pages 211–214, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihab010

International Health
Volume 13, Issue 3, May 2021
https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/issue/13/3

REVIEW ARTICLES
Rethinking disease eradication: putting countries first
Teshome Gebre
International Health, Volume 13, Issue 3, May 2021, Pages 215–221, https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihab011

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 8, No 5 (2021) May 2021
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/76

Original Research Articles
Predictors of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among patients at a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria
Dennis O. Allagoa, Peter Chibuzor Oriji, Ebiye S. Tekenah, Lukman Obagah, Chidiebere Njoku, Adeniyi Stephen Afolabi, Gordon Atemie
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211733

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 8, No 5 (2021) May 2021
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/76

Editorial
Continuing COVID vaccination will break the chain of virus transmission: myth or reality
Achhelal R. Pasi

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 105 p1-784
https://www.ijidonline.com/current

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Prioritizing second-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines through low-dosage challenge studies
Bastian Steuwer, Euzebiusz Jamrozik, Nir Eyal
Published online: February 12, 2021
p307-311

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 105 p1-784
https://www.ijidonline.com/current

COVID-19 vaccines: Global challenges and prospects forum recommendations
Mohamed Boudjelal, Faisal Almajed, Ahmed M. Salman,…Mariwan Baker, Adrian V.S. Hill, Ahmed Alaskar
Published online: February 26, 2021
p448-451

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 105 p1-784
https://www.ijidonline.com/current

Original Reports
Increasing vaccine acceptance using evidence-based approaches and policies: Insights from research on behavioural and social determinants presented at the 7th Annual Vaccine Acceptance Meeting
Katie Attwell, Cornelia Betsch, Eve Dubé, …L. Suzanne Suggs, Valentina Picot, Angus Thomson
Published online: February 09, 2021
p188-193

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 105 p1-784
https://www.ijidonline.com/current

Rotavirus genotype trends from 2013 to 2018 and vaccine effectiveness in southern Vietnam
Dung Thi Thuy Truong, Ji-Man Kang, Ngoc Thi Hong Tran,…Sangchul Yoon, Thuong Vu Nguyen, Joon-Sup Yeom
Published online: February 14, 2021
p277-285

JAMA
April 27, 2021, Vol 325, No. 16, Pages 1593-1688
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Research Letter
HPV Vaccination Among Young Adults in the US
Michelle M. Chen, MD, MHS; Nicole Mott, BS; Sarah J. Clark, MPH; et al.
JAMA. 2021;325(16):1673-1674. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0725
This study uses data from the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Survey to characterize trends in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates, ages at vaccination, and numbers of doses received among young adults in the US between 2010 and 2018.

JAMA
April 27, 2021, Vol 325, No. 16, Pages 1593-1688
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

JAMA Insights
First-Dose COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents and Staff
Radhika Gharpure, DVM, MPH; Anita Patel, PharmD, MS; Ruth Link-Gelles, PhD, MPH
has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2021;325(16):1670-1671. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.2352
This JAMA Insights review from CDC COVID-19 Response team members presents data on the number of long-term care facilities and the numbers of residents and staff of those facilities who received first-dose vaccination through mid-January 2021 under the agency’s public-private partnership with CVS, Walgreens, and Managed Health Care Associates.

JAMA Network
COVID-19 Update May 1, 2021

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

Journal of Medical Ethics
May 2021 – Volume 47 – 5
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

COVID-19 current controversies
Vaccine ethics: an ethical framework for global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines (16 February, 2021) Free
Nancy S Jecker, Aaron G Wightman, Douglas S Diekema

Journal of Medical Ethics
May 2021 – Volume 47 – 5
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Original research
Process of risk assessment by research ethics committees: foundations, shortcomings and open questions (10 January, 2020)
Pranab Rudra, Christian Lenk

Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 1 May 2021]

Online medication purchasing during the Covid-19 pandemic: potential risks to patient safety and the urgent need to develop more rigorous controls for purchasing online medications, a pilot study from the United Arab Emirates
Since the WHO announced that Covid-19 had become a global pandemic, online pharmacies have emerged as an extremely popular way to purchase medication due to the quarantine measures introduced by numerous count…
Authors: Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun, Sabaa Saleh Al-Hemyari, Naseem Mohammed Abdulla, Faris El-Dahiyat, Maimona Jairoun, Saleh Karamah AL-Tamimi and Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
Citation: Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice 2021 14:38
Content type: Research
Published on: 30 April 2021

Journal of Public Health Management & Practice
May/June 2021 – Volume 27 – Issue 3
https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/pages/currenttoc.aspx

Editorials
An Ace Up Our Sleeves: The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Revealed Our Strengths and Our Neglected Public Health Infrastructure
Pierce, Heather H.
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 27(3):223-225, May/June 2021.

Journal of Public Health Management & Practice
May/June 2021 – Volume 27 – Issue 3
https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/pages/currenttoc.aspx

Commentary
Maintaining a Focus on Health Equity During the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Martin, Erika G.; Birkhead, Guthrie S.; Holtgrave, David R.
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 27(3):226-228, May/June 2021.

The Lancet
May 01, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10285 p1597-1682, e11
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Articles
Interim findings from first-dose mass COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and COVID-19 hospital admissions in Scotland: a national prospective cohort study
Eleftheria Vasileiou, et al
Open Access
Summary
Background
The BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer–BioNTech) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford–AstraZeneca) COVID-19 vaccines have shown high efficacy against disease in phase 3 clinical trials and are now being used in national vaccination programmes in the UK and several other countries. Studying the real-world effects of these vaccines is an urgent requirement. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between the mass roll-out of the first doses of these COVID-19 vaccines and hospital admissions for COVID-19.
Findings
Between Dec 8, 2020, and Feb 22, 2021, a total of 1 331 993 people were vaccinated over the study period. The mean age of those vaccinated was 65·0 years (SD 16·2). The first dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine was associated with a vaccine effect of 91% (95% CI 85–94) for reduced COVID-19 hospital admission at 28–34 days post-vaccination. Vaccine effect at the same time interval for the ChAdOx1 vaccine was 88% (95% CI 75–94). Results of combined vaccine effects against hospital admission due to COVID-19 were similar when restricting the analysis to those aged 80 years and older (83%, 95% CI 72–89 at 28–34 days post-vaccination).
Interpretation
Mass roll-out of the first doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA and ChAdOx1 vaccines was associated with substantial reductions in the risk of hospital admission due to COVID-19 in Scotland. There remains the possibility that some of the observed effects might have been due to residual confounding.
Funding
UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council), Research and Innovation Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Health Data Research UK.

The Lancet
May 01, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10285 p1597-1682, e11
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Clinical Picture
Bilateral superior ophthalmic vein thrombosis, ischaemic stroke, and immune thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination
Antonios Bayas, Martina Menacher, Monika Christ, Lars Behrens, Andreas Rank, Markus Naumann

Lancet Digital Health
Apr 2021 Volume 3 Number 4 e204-e273
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/issue/current

Editorial
Can technology increase COVID-19 vaccination rates?
The Lancet Digital Health
… To manage the wealth of data from adverse events tracking, the MHRA have awarded £1·5 million to develop AI that can identify genuine COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects. While experts have applauded the MHRA’s forward thinking approach, development of AI based on limited self-reported public data and electronic health records that are subject to historic and systemic bias must be validated on data from minority and other at risk populations to maintain trust within these communities.
To combat bias in datasets and algorithms, transparent auditing of clinical AI tools is essential to accurately communicate results to the public for greater vaccine uptake. As the UK and the USA pass the milestones of 20 million and 100 million people (respectively) vaccinated against COVID-19, associated data must be made transparent and accessible. Datasets such as the England and Wales COVID-19 vaccination datasets, which are available upon request to researchers, are critical to communicate real-world effectiveness of the vaccine to the public.
President Biden has recently pledged over $500 million in additional funds to address vaccine uptake in the USA. This funding must be spent on establishing transparent COVID-19 vaccine data to aid informed public decisions. Technology can help monitor progress of vaccine programmes, but it will not be enough to establish trust among the public, especially among those most at risk.