Public Health
Volume 205 Pages e1-e30, 1-216 (April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/public-health/vol/205/suppl/C
Review article Full text access
Public attitudes and influencing factors toward COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents/children: a scoping review
Y. Liu, Q. Ma, H. Liu, Z. Guo
Pages 169-181
Public Health
Volume 205 Pages e1-e30, 1-216 (April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/public-health/vol/205/suppl/C
Research article Full text access
The Serbian COVID-19 Stress Scale and vaccine acceptance: is there a place for COVID-19-related distress in explaining attitudes towards vaccination?
L. Mihić, Z. Terzić-Šupić, J. Todorović, N.P. Marić
Pages 37-42
Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en
Selected Articles
8 Apr 2022
Management and impact of interventions to reduce COVID-19 cases in Costa Rica
Original research | Spanish |
Science
Volume 376| Issue 6589| 8 Apr 2022
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current
Editorial
New goals for science philanthropy
BY France A. Córdova
07 Apr 2022
Science Translational Medicine
Volume 14| Issue 638| 30 Mar 2022
https://www.science.org/toc/stm/current
Reviews
Point-of-care diagnostic tests for tuberculosis disease
BY Jia Mei Hong, et al.
06 Apr 2022
Advances in biomarkers and microfluidics technology facilitate the development of TB disease diagnostic point-of-care tests.
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Conference info Open access
Building the concept for WHO Evidence Considerations for Vaccine Policy (ECVP): Tuberculosis vaccines intended for adults and adolescents as a test case
Sonali Kochhar, Draurio Barreira, Pauline Beattie, Marco Cavaleri, … Birgitte Giersing
Pages 1681-1690
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Discussion Full text access
Mumps to COVID-19: Vaccinated persons remain vulnerable when community uptake is low
Kristin K. Gaffney, M. Jana Broadhurst, David M. Brett-Major
Pages 1691-1694
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Discussion Full text access
Vaccine supply chain: Resilience-by-design and resilience-by-intervention
Benjamin D. Trump, Maureen S. Golan, Jeffrey M. Keisler, Jeffrey C. Cegan, Igor Linkov
Pages 1695-1698
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Open access
Projecting the cost of introducing typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in the national immunization program in Malawi using a standardized costing framework
Frédéric Debellut, Rouden Mkisi, Vincent Masoo, Mike Chisema, … Clint Pecenka
Pages 1741-1746
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Full text access
Myocarditis following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination: A pooled analysis
Ioannis Bellos, Vasilios Karageorgiou, Dana Viskin
Pages 1768-1774
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Full text access
Towards a predictive model of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among American adults
Jack Mewhirter, Mustafa Sagir, Rebecca Sanders
Pages 1783-1789
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Open access
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine immunization coverage in children under 2 years old in Ontario, Canada: A retrospective cohort study
Catherine Ji, Pierre-Philippe Piché-Renaud, Jemisha Apajee, Ellen Stephenson, … Karen Tu
Pages 1790-1798
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Full text access
Exploring the attitudes, concerns, and knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccine by the parents of children with rheumatic disease: Cross-sectional online survey
Özlem Akgün, Gülşah Kavrul Kayaalp, Fatma Gül Demirkan, Figen Çakmak, … Nuray Aktay Ayaz
Pages 1829-1836
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Full text access
The role of perceived social norms in college student vaccine hesitancy: Implications for COVID-19 prevention strategies
Anna E. Jaffe, Scott Graupensperger, Jessica A. Blayney, Jennifer C. Duckworth, Cynthia A. Stappenbeck
Pages 1888-1895
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 12 Pages 1681-1912 (15 March 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/12
Research article Full text access
Conspiracy beliefs and distrust of science predicts reluctance of vaccine uptake of politically right-wing citizens
T. Winter, B.C. Riordan, D. Scarf, P.E. Jose
Pages 1896-1903
Pre-Print Servers
Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
Open Letter metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Enabling evidence to tackle everyday diseases to mitigate another pandemic [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Trudie Lang
Peer Reviewers Invited
Funders
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Wellcome
PUBLISHED 07 Apr 2022
Research Article metrics
Revised
Asymptomatic COVID-19 in the elderly: dementia and viral clearance as risk factors for disease progression. [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
Ignacio Esteban, Georgina Bergero, Camila Alves, Micaela Bronstein, Valeria Ziegler, Cristian Wood, Mauricio T. Caballero, Diego Wappner, Romina Libster, Gonzalo Perez Marc, Fernando P. Polack
Peer Reviewers Carlota Dobaño; Kirsten E. Wiens
Funder
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 04 Apr 2022
medRxiv
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/about-medrxiv
medRxiv is a free online archive and distribution server for complete but unpublished manuscripts (preprints) in the medical, clinical, and related health sciences. Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information. medRxiv is for the distribution of preprints – complete but unpublished manuscripts – that describe human health research conducted, analyzed, and interpreted according to scientific principles…
Reports of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review of spontaneously reported data from the UK, Europe, and the US and of the literature
Samantha Lane, Alison Yeomans, Saad Shakir
medRxiv 2021.09.09.21263342; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.09.21263342 Revision
Vaccine effectiveness of BNT162b2 against Omicron and Delta outcomes in adolescents
Sarah A. Buchan, Lena Nguyen, Sarah E. Wilson, Sophie A. Kitchen, Jeffrey C. Kwong
medRxiv 2022.04.07.22273319; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.07.22273319
COVID-19: Knowledge, Perception of Risk, Preparedness and Vaccine Acceptability among Healthcare Workers in Kenya
Hafso Mohamed Abdulle, Moses Muia Masika, Julius Otieno Oyugi
medRxiv 2021.10.19.21264712; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.19.21264712 Revision
COVID-19 vaccination coverage by company size and the effects of socioeconomic factors and workplace vaccination in Japan: a cohort study
Koji Mori, Takahiro Mori, Tomohisa Nagata, Hajime Ando, Ayako Hino, Seiichiro Tateishi, Mayumi Tsuji, Keiji Muramatsu, Yoshihisa Fujino, the CORoNa Work Project
medRxiv 2022.03.30.22273203; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.30.22273203 Revision
Trans-border transfer of human biological materials in collaborative biobanking research: Perceptions and experiences of researchers in Uganda
Erisa Sabakaki Mwaka, Ian Guyton Munabi
medRxiv 2022.04.01.22273073; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.01.22273073
Effectiveness of a nation-wide COVID-19 vaccination program in Mexico
Omar Yaxmehen Bello-Chavolla, Neftali Eduardo Antonio-Villa, Sergio Iván Valdés-Ferrer, Carlos A. Fermín-Martínez, Luisa Fernández-Chirino, Daniel Ramírez-García, Javier Mancilla-Galindo, Ashuin Kammar-García, José Alberto Ávila-Funes, Clemente Humberto Zúñiga-Gil, Miguel García-Grimshaw, Santa Elizabeth Ceballos-Liceaga, Guillermo Carbajal-Sandoval, José Antonio Montes-González, Christian Arturo Zaragoza-Jiménez, Gabriel García-Rodríguez, Ricardo Cortés-Alcalá, Gustavo Reyes-Terán, Hugo López-Gatell, Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-Robledo
medRxiv 2022.04.04.22273330; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.04.22273330
The trustworthiness and impact of trial preprints for COVID-19 decision-making: A methodological study
Dena Zeraatkar, Tyler Pitre, Gareth Leung, Ellen Cusano, Arnav Agarwal, Faran Khalid, Zaira Escamilla, Matthew Cooper, Maryam Ghadimi, Ying Wang, Francisca Verdugo, Gabriel Rada, Elena Kum, Anila Qasim, Jessica J Bartoszko, Reed Siemieniuk, Chirag J. Patel, Gordon Guyatt, Romina Brignardello-Petersen
medRxiv 2022.04.04.22273372; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.04.22273372
Wastewater sequencing uncovers early, cryptic SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission
Smruthi Karthikeyan, Joshua I Levy, Peter De Hoff, Greg Humphrey, Amanda Birmingham, Kristen Jepsen, Sawyer Farmer, Helena M. Tubb, Tommy Valles, Caitlin E Tribelhorn, Rebecca Tsai, Stefan Aigner, Shashank Sathe, Niema Moshiri, Benjamin Henson, Adam M. Mark, Abbas Hakim, Nathan A Baer, Tom Barber, Pedro Belda-Ferre, Marisol Chacón, Willi Cheung, Evelyn S Cresini, Emily R Eisner, Alma L Lastrella, Elijah S Lawrence, Clarisse A Marotz, Toan T Ngo, Tyler Ostrander, Ashley Plascencia, Rodolfo A Salido, Phoebe Seaver, Elizabeth W Smoot, Daniel McDonald, Robert M Neuhard, Angela L Scioscia, Alysson M. Satterlund, Elizabeth H Simmons, Dismas B. Abelman, David Brenner, Judith C. Bruner, Anne Buckley, Michael Ellison, Jeffrey Gattas, Steven L. Gonias, Matt Hale, Faith Hawkins, Lydia Ikeda, Hemlata Jhaveri, Ted Johnson, Vince Kellen, Brendan Kremer, Gary Matthews, Ronald W. McLawhon, Pierre Ouillet, Daniel Park, Allorah Pradenas, Sharon Reed, Lindsay Riggs, Alison Sanders, Bradley Sollenberger, Angela Song, Benjamin White, Terri Winbush, Christine M Aceves, Catelyn Anderson, Karthik Gangavarapu, Emory Hufbauer, Ezra Kurzban, Justin Lee, Nathaniel L Matteson, Edyth Parker, Sarah A Perkins, Karthik S Ramesh, Refugio Robles-Sikisaka, Madison A Schwab, Emily Spencer, Shirlee Wohl, Laura Nicholson, Ian H Mchardy, David P Dimmock, Charlotte A Hobbs, Omid Bakhtar, Aaron Harding, Art Mendoza, Alexandre Bolze, David Becker, Elizabeth T Cirulli, Magnus Isaksson, Kelly M Schiabor Barrett, Nicole L Washington, John D Malone, Ashleigh Murphy Schafer, Nikos Gurfield, Sarah Stous, Rebecca Fielding-Miller, Richard S. Garfein, Tommi Gaines, Cheryl Anderson, Natasha K. Martin, Robert Schooley, Brett Austin, Duncan R. MacCannell, Stephen F Kingsmore, William Lee, Seema Shah, Eric McDonald, Alexander T. Yu, Mark Zeller, Kathleen M Fisch, Christopher Longhurst, Patty Maysent, David Pride, Pradeep K. Khosla, Louise C. Laurent, Gene W Yeo, Kristian G Andersen, Rob Knight
medRxiv 2021.12.21.21268143; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.21.21268143 Revision
Wellcome Open Research [to 09 Apr 2022]
https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 09 Apr 2022]
Wellcome Open Research provides all Wellcome researchers with a place to rapidly publish any results they think are worth sharing. All articles benefit from rapid publication, transparent peer review and editorial guidance on making all source data openly available.
Research Article metrics
Revised
A survey to gather perspectives of DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance-funded researchers on public engagement with science [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]
Sarah Iqbal, Banya Kar
Peer Reviewers Marina Joubert; Mary Chambers and Han Dong Thai Tran
Funder
DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 08 Apr 2022
Systematic Review metrics
Revised
Incentivising research data sharing: a scoping review [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]
Helen Buckley Woods, Stephen Pinfield
Peer Reviewers Cameron Neylon; Carol Tenopir; Birgit Schmidt
Funder
Wellcome
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 06 Apr 2022
Study Protocol metrics
Revised
“AMR Dialogues”: a public engagement initiative to shape policies and solutions on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Thailand [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
Tassawan Poomchaichote, Anne Osterrieder, Ravikanya Prapharsavat, Bhensri Naemiratch, Supanat Ruangkajorn, Chaiwat Thirapantu, Karnjariya Sukrung, Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee, Nithima Sumpradit, Sirima Punnin, Direk Limmathurotsakul, Phaik Yeong Cheah
Peer Reviewers David Kaawa-Mafigiri; Papreen Nahar
Funder
Wellcome Trust
LATEST VERSION PUBLISHED 07 Apr 2022
Think Tanks
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 09 Apr 2022
[No new digest content identified]
Center for Global Development [to 09 Apr 2022]
https://www.cgdev.org/
Research [Selected]
CGD NOTES
Policy Actions for the US Government to Accelerate Access to Oral Antivirals for COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Javier Guzman et al.
April 07, 2022
While oral antivirals are not a substitute for vaccination, they are key to preventing severe illness, saving lives, and preserving health systems. Vaccination rates continue to be low in low-income countries; only 14 percent of the population in low-income countries has received one dose of the vac…
Chatham House [to 09 Apr 2022]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 09 Apr 2022
[No new digest content identified]
CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 09 Apr 2022
[No new digest content identified]
Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 09 Apr 2022
April 8, 2022 News Release
Ending COVID-19 Emergency Declarations Will Bring an End to Flexibilities that Aided Patients, Providers, Insurers, and Public Programs in Responding to the Pandemic
When the federal government ends COVID-19 emergency declarations that were declared in the early days of the pandemic, it will bring to a close several changes that were enacted temporarily to enable the U.S. health care system to better deal with the crisis. A new KFF resource details a number…
April 6, 2022 News Release
As the COVID-19 Pandemic Enters the Third Year Most Adults Say They Have Not Fully Returned to Pre-Pandemic ‘Normal’
People of Color, Lower Income Adults, and Those With Chronic Conditions Are More Vigilant About COVID-19 Precautions Like Masking, and Want Others to Continue Them as Well The Public Is Divided About Public Transportation Mask Requirement, With Half Wanting the Mandate Extended and the Other Half Wanting to Let it…
ODI [Overseas Development Institute] [to 09 Apr 2022]
https://odi.org/en/publications/
Publications
Monitoring G20 contributions to global Covid-19 vaccine equity: issues and options
28 March 2022
Briefing/policy papers
Key messages
A focus on the systematic monitoring of G20 country policy responses to Covid-19 facilitates better understanding of the extent to which they have supported health equity globally and where they fall short and highlights actions G20 countries can take to place equity at the front and centre of recovery efforts.
Any efforts to construct a composite index must consider carefully how to treat the indicators, weight indicators and dimensions, and aggregate the data; the brief outlines options and their implications.
Efforts to monitor G20’s Covid-19 response are beset by limitations, not least the absence of indicators on actions no member country has taken, such as compelling pharmaceutical companies to share vaccines, knowledge and patents with poorer countries.
The available data reveals huge variation in G20 country performance, irrespective of their incomes, and between what countries have done and what they could have done to advance equity.
Rand [to 09 Apr 2022]
https://www.rand.org/pubs.html
Reports, Selected Journal Articles
[No new digest content identified]
Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review is a weekly digest summarizing news, events, announcements, peer-reviewed articles and research in the global vaccine ethics and policy space. Content is aggregated from key governmental, NGO, international organization and industry sources, key peer-reviewed journals, and other media channels. This summary proceeds from the broad base of themes and issues monitored by the Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy in its work: it is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage. You are viewing the blog version of our weekly digest, typically comprised of between 30 and 40 posts below all dated with the current issue date
.– Request an Email Summary: Vaccines and Global Health : The Week in Review is published as a single email summary, scheduled for release each Saturday evening before midnight (EDT in the U.S.). If you would like to receive the email version, please send your request to david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org.
– pdf version: A pdf of the current issue is available here:
– blog edition: comprised of the approx. 35+ entries posted below.
– Twitter: Readers can also follow developments on twitter: @vaxethicspolicy.
.
– Links: We endeavor to test each link as we incorporate it into any post, but recognize that some links may become “stale” as publications and websites reorganize content over time. We apologize in advance for any links that may not be operative. We believe the contextual information in a given post should allow retrieval, but please contact us as above for assistance if necessary.
Support this knowledge-sharing service: Your financial support helps us cover our costs and to address a current shortfall in our annual operating budget. Click here to donate and thank you in advance for your contribution.
.
David R. Curry, MS
Executive Director
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy
WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) – April 2022
4 – 7 April 2022
:: Draft agenda [IA2030; Hepatitis A; COVID-19 Vaccines; Typhoid Update; HPV; Polio]
:: SAGE Yellow Book
Ukraine
Key updates
On 24 March WHO started the establishment of a logistics hub in the city of Dnipro in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other United Nations (UN) partners, to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies and humanitarian assistance to areas in eastern Ukraine most severely affected by the ongoing conflict.
WHO has developed tools to estimate the need for antiviral treatment and burden of tuberculosis (TB) among refugees from Ukraine to other countries. Both these tools are meant to support resource planning for the refugee-hosting countries. Based on the preliminary estimates, more than 30 000 people living with HIV may need HIV services in refugee-hosting countries.
In Poland WHO conducted a joint mission to assess the availability and accessibility of health services in the border region of Lublin on 25–26 March.
In the Republic of Moldova, WHO and the MoH conducted a rapid assessment of the health services available to refugees on 27 March…
[Excerpts]
“…Vaccination for COVID-19 has been disrupted. Prior to the conflict at least 50 000 people per day were receiving vaccination. This number has dropped significantly, with only 175 000 people being vaccinated between 24 February and 15 March despite suboptimal vaccination coverage. Between 23 February and 30 March, the overall number of beds available and beds occupied by patients with COVID-19 has decreased by 29% and 85% respectively, reflecting potential challenges in accessing hospitals, limited data reporting, and a potential decrease in actual hospitalizations following the peak of the Omicron wave earlier in February…
“…Suboptimal vaccination coverage for routine and childhood immunizations, including measles and poliomyelitis (polio), increases the risk of re-emergence and transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases. Notably, two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) were reported in Ukraine in 2021. On 1 February 2022 a national supplemental polio immunization campaign targeting nearly 140 000 children was launched, but due to the current situation it has been deprioritized and significantly slowed down.3 …”
Featured Journal Content
Science
Volume 376| Issue 6588| 1 Apr 2022
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current
Special issue – Completing the human genome
Introduction to Special Issue
Filling the gaps
BY Laura M. Zahn
31 Mar 2022: 42-43
A fully sequenced human genome was triumphantly announced more than 20 years ago. However, owing to technological limitations, some genomic regions remained unresolved. Here, Science presents research by the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, reporting on the endeavor to complete a comprehensive human reference genome. Generated primarily by long-read sequencing of a hydatidiform mole, a doubly haploid growth, this effort adds ∼200 megabases of genetic information—a full chromosome’s worth—to the human genome.
Through the resolution of previously unsequenceable and unalignable regions, mostly composed of highly repetitive sequences, this reference genome allows for a detailed characterization of the centromeric satellite repeats, transposable elements, and segmental duplications. Mapping of genomic sequences, including those from previously published studies, resolves aspects of human genetic diversity, including evolutionary comparisons with our primate relatives. Furthermore, it allows for identification of how changes in methylation density differ within and among centromeres and how epigenetics can affect the transcription of repeat sequences.
These investigations have only begun to tease apart how the T2T reference genome influences the detection of biomedically relevant variants and the evolution of genomic regions that determine human traits. Although much remains to be discovered, the T2T reference genome provides another celebratory benchmark to observe as we continue to delve into the genetics that underlie our complete selves.//
The complete sequence of a human genome
BY Sergey Nurk et al [89 authors]
31 Mar 2022: 44-53
Abstract
Since its initial release in 2000, the human reference genome has covered only the euchromatic fraction of the genome, leaving important heterochromatic regions unfinished. Addressing the remaining 8% of the genome, the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium presents a complete 3.055 billion–base pair sequence of a human genome, T2T-CHM13, that includes gapless assemblies for all chromosomes except Y, corrects errors in the prior references, and introduces nearly 200 million base pairs of sequence containing 1956 gene predictions, 99 of which are predicted to be protein coding. The completed regions include all centromeric satellite arrays, recent segmental duplications, and the short arms of all five acrocentric chromosomes, unlocking these complex regions of the genome to variational and functional studies.
::::::
NIH – Researchers generate the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome –
Completion is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the genetic contributions to certain diseases.
March 31, 2022 — Scientists have published the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome, two decades after the Human Genome Project produced the first draft human genome sequence.
According to researchers, having a complete, gap-free sequence of the roughly 3 billion bases (or “letters”) in our DNA is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the genetic contributions to certain diseases.
The work was done by the Telomere to Telomere (T2T) consortium, which included leadership from researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health; University of California, Santa Cruz; and University of Washington, Seattle. NHGRI was the primary funder of the study.
Analyses of the complete genome sequence will significantly add to our knowledge of chromosomes, including more accurate maps for five chromosome arms, which opens new lines of research. This helps answer basic biology questions about how chromosomes properly segregate and divide. The T2T consortium used the now-complete genome sequence as a reference to discover more than 2 million additional variants in the human genome. These studies provide more accurate information about the genomic variants within 622 medically relevant genes.
“Generating a truly complete human genome sequence represents an incredible scientific achievement, providing the first comprehensive view of our DNA blueprint,” said Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of NHGRI. “This foundational information will strengthen the many ongoing efforts to understand all the functional nuances of the human genome, which in turn will empower genetic studies of human disease.”…
The full sequencing builds upon the work of the Human Genome Project, which mapped about 92% of the genome, and research undertaken since then. Thousands of researchers have developed better laboratory tools, computational methods and strategic approaches to decipher the complex sequence. Six papers encompassing the completed sequence appear in Science(link is external), along with companion papers in several other journals.
That last 8% includes numerous genes and repetitive DNA and is comparable in size to an entire chromosome. Researchers generated the complete genome sequence using a special cell line that has two identical copies of each chromosome, unlike most human cells, which carry two slightly different copies. The researchers noted that most of the newly added DNA sequences were near the repetitive telomeres (long, trailing ends of each chromosome) and centromeres (dense middle sections of each chromosome).
“Ever since we had the first draft human genome sequence, determining the exact sequence of complex genomic regions has been challenging,” said Evan Eichler, Ph.D., researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine and T2T consortium co-chair. “I am thrilled that we got the job done. The complete blueprint is going to revolutionize the way we think about human genomic variation, disease and evolution.”…
According to consortium co-chair Adam Phillippy, Ph.D., whose research group at NHGRI led the finishing effort, sequencing a person’s entire genome should get less expensive and more straightforward in the coming years.
“In the future, when someone has their genome sequenced, we will be able to identify all of the variants in their DNA and use that information to better guide their healthcare,” Phillippy said. “Truly finishing the human genome sequence was like putting on a new pair of glasses. Now that we can clearly see everything, we are one step closer to understanding what it all means.”
Many early-career researchers and trainees played pivotal roles, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; University of Connecticut, Storrs; University of California, Davis; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The package of six papers reporting this accomplishment appears in today’s issue of Science, along with companion papers in several other journals.
For more, visit Genome.gov/T2T(link is external) and follow @Genome_gov(link is external).
Featured Journal Content
WHO releases 10-year strategy for genomic surveillance of pathogens
One in three countries do not have the capacity to use this critical tool
30 March 2022 News release
…Genomic surveillance is the process of constantly monitoring pathogens and analyzing their genetic similarities and differences. It helps researchers, epidemiologists and public health officials to monitor the evolution of infectious diseases agents, alert on the spread of pathogens, and develop counter measures like vaccines.
The Global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential 2022–2032 is not specific to a single pathogen or disease threat. It provides a high-level unifying framework to leverage existing capacities, address barriers and strengthen the use of genomic surveillance worldwide.
Data collected by WHO show that in March 2021, 54% of countries had this capacity. By January 2022, thanks to the major investments made during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number had increased to 68%. Even greater gains were made in the public sharing of sequence data: in January 2022, 43% more countries published their sequence data compared to a year before.
Despite this fast progress, much remains to be done. Any new technology comes with the risk of increasing inequity, which is one of the gaps this strategy targets. Various public health programmes – from Ebola to cholera – use genomic surveillance to understand a pathogen at its molecular level, but COVID-19 has highlighted the challenges of bringing genomics to scale.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, “The complexities of genomics and the challenges of sustaining capacities in different settings, including workforce needs, means that most countries cannot develop these capabilities on their own. The global strategy helps keep our eyes on the horizon and provides a unifying framework for action. WHO looks forward to working with countries and partners in this important and highly dynamic field,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We will do best if we work together.”…
Global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential, 2022–2032 [WHO]
28 March 2022 32 pages
The Strategy provides a high-level unifying framework to leverage existing capacities, address barriers and strengthen the use of genomic surveillance in the detection, monitoring and response to public health threats. Genomic surveillance is part of the broader surveillance and laboratory system, and its implementation should reinforce end-to-end capacities including sample collection, diagnostics, data sharing and analysis. The strategy aims to facilitate the connectivity between different disease control programs and surveillance networks. This interoperability will strengthen the cross-cutting essential public health laboratory functions underpinning genomics holistically. The strategy articulates the overarching goal, objectives and strategic actions needed. These are dependent on commitments from countries, partners and WHO for their implementation.
Featured Journal Content
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
Accepted manuscript
The Concept of Classical Herd Immunity May Not Apply to COVID-19
David M Morens, Gregory K Folkers, Anthony S Fauci
jiac109, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiac109
Published: 31 March 2022
PDF only: https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiac109/43207935/jiac109.pdf
[Opening Paragraphs]
There has been speculation about when in the COVID-19 pandemic we will be able to live with the virus in a manner that does not disrupt most peoples’ lives. Much of this discussion has focused on herd immunity thresholds:
A herd immunity threshold is the proportion of a population with immunity against a communicable disease agent (resulting from innate immunity, natural infection, or vaccination) above which transmission of the agent is largely prevented, except for sporadic outbreaks in under-vaccinated or otherwise incompletely protected subsets of individuals.
As commonly understood [1-7], herd immunity thresholds are reached when a sufficient proportion of the population is vaccinated or has recovered from natural infection with a pathogen such that its community circulation is reduced below the level of significant public health threat. For example, this threshold has been met with polio and measles circulation in the United States.
However, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is so different from polio and measles that classical herd immunity may not readily apply to it. Important differences include the phenotypic stability of polio and measles viruses, and their ability to elicit long-term protective immunity, compared to SARS-CoV-2. For these and other reasons, controlling COVID-19 by increasing herd immunity may be an elusive goal…
[Closing Section]
HERD IMMUNITY AND COVID-19.
There are significant obstacles to achieving complete herd immunity with COVID-19. “Classical” herd immunity, leading to disease eradication or elimination, almost certainly is an unattainable goal. As noted, mass vaccination and aggressive public health approaches have struggled to control other (seemingly more controllable) respiratory infectious diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and rubella, all caused by viruses with limited phenotypic evolution. Controlling SARS-CoV-2 and its cycles of new variants presents a much more formidable challenge *23+. Like influenza, SARS-CoV-2 mutates continually into new variants that can escape immunity derived from infections and vaccines. It also can be transmitted asymptomatically and without pathognomonic signs, impeding public health control. SARS-CoV-2 appears not to substantially engage the systemic immune system, as do viruses such as smallpox, measles, and rubella that consistently have a pronounced viremic phase. Moreover, neither infection nor vaccination appears to induce prolonged protection against SARS-CoV-2 in many or most people. Finally, the public health community has encountered substantial resistance to efforts to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by vaccination, mask wearing, and other interventions.
If vaccine- or infection-induced immunity to SARS-CoV-2 indeed proves to be short-lived, or if escape mutants continue to emerge, viral spread may continue indefinitely, albeit hopefully at a low endemic level. This notably has occurred with the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, whose viral descendants still are causing seasonal outbreaks and occasional pandemics 104 years later (pandemic H2N2 in 1957, H3N2 in 1968, and H1N1 in 2009) (24), and which we have been unable, after more than 80 years of trying, to fully control with vaccines. Such factors probably make SARS-CoV-2 impossible to eradicate (only one human virus – smallpox — has ever been eradicated), difficult to eliminate over long periods within large geographic areas, and difficult to satisfactorily control even with good vaccines.
Thus, COVID-19 is likely to be with us, even if at a very low level of endemic community spread and with lower severity, for the foreseeable future. Like influenza, any level of herd protection against SARS-CoV-2 potentially can be overcome by ever-changing levels of immunity among countless sub-populations, by human movement, crowding, changes in social or prevention behaviors, by demographics, by vaccination levels, by variations in durability of infection- or vaccine-induced immunity, and by evolution of viral variants, among many other variables.
But encouragingly, after more than two years of viral circulation, and more than a year of vaccines with boosters, we now have a high degree of background population immunity to SARS-CoV-2, as well as medical countermeasures such as antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies to prevent progression of disease, and widely available diagnostic tests. With these interventions we can aspire to, and very likely will succeed in achieving, substantial control of community spread without the disruptions of society caused by COVID-19 over the past 2 years. We no longer need the elusive concept of “herd immunity” as an aspirational goal: COVID-19 control is already within our grasp.
Looking forward, more broadly protective vaccines could play important roles in controlling SARS-CoV-2 and its inevitable variants. Developing “universal” coronavirus vaccines (or at least universal SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that elicit durable and broadly protective immunity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants) is an important goal for the immediate future (23). Meanwhile, optimal COVID-19 control will require both classic, non-pharmacologic public health approaches and vaccination of many more people globally with the SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccines we already have, with booster shots and with updates to vaccine antigens if needed.
Living with COVID is best considered not as reaching a numerical threshold of immunity, but as optimizing population protection without prohibitive restrictions on our daily lives. Effective tools for prevention and control of COVID-19 (vaccines, prevention measures) are available; if utilized, the road back to normality is achievable even without achieving classical herd immunity.
Featured Journal Content
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Coronavirus [COVID-19] – WHO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 01 Apr 2022
Confirmed cases :: 486 761 597
Confirmed deaths :: 6 142 735
Vaccine doses administered: 11 054 362 790
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Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 29 March 2022
Overview
Between the end of January and early March 2022, there was a consistent decreasing trend in the number of new COVID-19 cases, which was followed by two consecutive weeks of increase in cases. During the week of 21 through 27 March 2022, the number of new cases declined again with a 14% decrease as compared to the previous week. On the other hand, during the same period, the number of new weekly deaths has increased by 43%, driven by changes in the definition of COVID-19 deaths in countries in the Region of the Americas (Chile and the United States of America) and retrospective adjustments reported from India in the South-East Asia Region.
Across the six WHO regions, over 10 million new cases and over 45 000 new deaths were reported. All regions reported decreasing trends in the number of new weekly cases and four regions reported a decreasing trend in new weekly deaths. As of 27 March 2022, over 479 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths have been reported globally.
In this edition, we provide updates on the geographic distribution of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), including information on recombinant variants.
Featured Journal Content
Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process 02 March 2022
[New additions; Full scale view available at title link above]
[Updated on 02 Apr 2022]
Featured Journal Content
COVID Vaccines/Therapeutics – Developer/Manufacturer Announcements
[Selected press releases/announcements from organizations from WHO EUL/PQ listing above and other organizations]
AstraZeneca
Press Releases
Evusheld long-acting antibody combination approved in the EU for pre-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) of COVID-19 in a broad population
28 March 2022
Bharat Biotech
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
BioCubaFarma – Cuba
Últimas Noticias – Website not leading at inquiry
Biological E
News – No new digest announcements identified
Biontech
Press Releases
Pfizer and BioNTech Receive Expanded U.S. Emergency Use Authorization for an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Booster in Individuals Aged 50 Years and Older
29 Mar 2022
CanSinoBIO
News – Website not responding at inquiry
CIGB
Latest News
Purity and efficacy of Mambisa, the first anti-covid nasal vaccine (Part I)
09 Mar 2022
Cinagen
Recent News – No new digest announcements identified
Clover Biopharmaceuticals – China
News – No new digest announcements identified
Curevac [Bayer Ag – Germany]
News
March 30, 2022
CureVac and GSK Start Clinical Development of Second-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CV2CoV
Phase 1 dose-escalation study started at clinical sites in the U.S.
Milestone demonstrates CureVac’s and GSK’s continued execution on comprehensive clinical program of second-generation vaccine candidates for infectious diseases
Gamaleya National Center
Latest News and Events – See Russia below.
IMBCAMS, China
Home – Website not responding at inquiry
Janssen/JNJ
Press Releases
Mar 29, 2022 United States
U.S. FDA Approves CABENUVA (cabotegravir and rilpivirine) for Adolescents, Expanding the Indication of the First and Only Complete Long-Acting Injectable HIV Regimen
Medicago
Media
February 24, 2022
Medicago and GSK announce the approval by Health Canada of COVIFENZ®, an Adjuvanted Plant-Based COVID-19 Vaccine
Moderna
Press Releases
March 29, 2022
Moderna Receives FDA Approval for Emergency Use Authorization of 2nd Booster Dose of Its COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA-1273
Nanogen
News – No new digest announcements identified
Novavax
Press Releases
Novavax Statement on Arrival of its COVID-19 Vaccine in Canada
Mar 31, 2022
Pfizer
Recent Press Releases
03.29.2022
Pfizer and BioNTech Receive Expanded U.S. Emergency Use Authorization for an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Booster in Individuals Aged 50 Years and Older
R-Pharm
https://rpharm-us.com/index.php
[No news or media page identified]
Sanofi Pasteur
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
Serum Institute of India
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS – No new digest announcements identified
Shifa Pharmed [Iran]
http://shafapharmed.com/
No news page identified.
Sinopharm/WIBPBIBP
News – No new digest announcements identified
Sinovac
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
Vector State Research Centre of Viralogy and Biotechnology
Home – No new digest announcements identified
WestVac Biopharma
Media – No new digest announcements identified
Zhifei Longcom, China
[Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biologic Pharmacy Co., Ltd.]
[No website identified]
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GSK
Press releases for media – No new digest announcements identified
Merck
News releases – No new digest announcements identified
Novartis
News – No new digest announcements identified
SK Biosciences
Press releases – Website not responding at inquiry
Valneva
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
Featured Journal Content
UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard :: Agreements Table Accessed 02 Apr 2022
An overview of information collected from publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements [no new agreements since 10/22/2021 reported]
Featured Journal Content
COVID-19 Global Targets and Progress Tracker – IMF
The COVID-19 Global Targets and Progress Tracker presents a consolidated view of the progress towards global COVID-19 targets, barriers in access to COVID-19 tools, and delivery of donor pledges.
The global targets presented in the Tracker are based on an alignment of the targets identified in the IMF Pandemic Proposal, ACT-A Strategic Plan & Budget, and the US-hosted Global C19 Summit, and as such have been reaffirmed by multilateral institutions and global leaders. We will continue to enhance the tracker as we improve our data collection efforts.
Featured Journal Content
Global Dashboard on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
The Dashboard is a joint initiative of UNDP, WHO and the University of Oxford with cooperation across the UN system, anchored in the SDG 3 Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All.
Dashboard on Vaccine Equity [accessed 02 Apr 2022]: https://data.undp.org/vaccine-equity/
See also visualization on Vaccine Access and Vaccine Affordability
Featured Journal Content
Duke – Launch and Scale Speedometer
The Race for Global COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
A flurry of nearly 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are moving forward through the development and clinical trials processes at unprecedented speed; more than ten candidates are already in Phase 3 large-scale trials and several have received emergency or limited authorization. Our team has aggregated and analyzed publicly available data to track the flow of procurement and manufacturing and better understand global equity challenges. We developed a data framework of relevant variables and conducted desk research of publicly available information to identify COVID vaccine candidates and status, deals and ongoing negotiations for procurement and manufacturing, COVID burden by country, and allocation and distribution plans. We have also conducted interviews with public officials in key countries to better understand the context and challenges facing vaccine allocation and distribution
[accessed 24 July 2021]
See our COVID Vaccine Purchases research
See our COVID Vaccine Manufacturing research
See our COVID Vaccine Donations & Exports research
Featured Journal Content
Multilateral Leaders Task Force on COVID-19 [IMF, World Bank Group, WHO, WTO]
https://data.covid19taskforce.com/data
A global effort to help developing countries access and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and therapeutics, as they work to end the pandemic and boost economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization have joined forces to accelerate access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics by leveraging multilateral finance and trade solutions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Website accessed 02 Apr 2022: https://data.covid19taskforce.com/data The global view below is complemented by country-specific dashboards here.
Featured Journal Content
Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations [Accessed 02 Apr 2022]
64.5% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
11.29 billion doses have been administered globally, and 18.7 million are now administered each day.
Only 14.5% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
Featured Journal Content
U.S.: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
HHS
News
Statement from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on FDA and CDC Expanding Booster Eligibility for the Most Vulnerable
March 29, 2022 | News Release
BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsRoomHome.aspx
News
ASPR Announcement – New COVID-19 Treatment Locator Now Available!
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
::::::
FDA
Press Announcements
March 29, 2022 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Second Booster Dose of Two COVID-19 Vaccines for Older and Immunocompromised Individuals
Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee– FDA
https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/blood-vaccines-and-other-biologics/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee
Calendar
Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting April 6, 2022 Announcement – 04/06/2022
The committee will meet in open session to discuss considerations for use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and the process for COVID-19 vaccine strain selection to address current and emerging variants.
::::::
White House [U.S.] [to 02 Apr 2022]
Briefing Room – Selected Major COVID Announcements
Remarks by President Biden on the Status of the Country’s Fight Against COVID-19
March 30, 2022 • Speeches and Remarks
Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Launches COVID.gov, a New One-Stop Shop Website for Vaccines, Tests, Treatments, Masks, and the Latest COVID-19 Information
March 30, 2022 • Statements and Releases
U.S. Department of State [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.state.gov/coronavirus/releases/
Press Statement – COVID Context
No new digest content identified.
USAID [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Announcements
Humanitarian Convoys Transport Emergency Food Aid for More Than 100,000 People in Tigray and Afar
April 1, 2022
This week, two humanitarian convoys from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partner UN World Food Program (WFP) transported emergency food aid to the Tigray and Afar regions of northern Ethiopia, including the first convoy to Tigray in more than three and a half months. This emergency food aid will support more than 100,000 people in northern Ethiopia. The arrival of the convoys is an important development in the effort to provide life-saving assistance to the people of Tigray and Afar, as only road transport can deliver the scale of assistance needed across northern Ethiopia. USAID commends the federal and regional Ethiopian authorities, as well as local communities, which worked together to make this first step possible. USAID urges all parties to ensure sustained and significant access for the delivery of life-saving assistance in these regions, as well as the neighboring Amhara region.
The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability: Priority Countries and Region
April 1, 2022
The U.S. government is moving forward in the spirit of partnership with four countries and a regional grouping of countries to implement the ten-year U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. This represents an important milestone and next step in the realization of the goals of the landmark Global Fragility Act, which continues to enjoy strong bipartisan Congressional support for innovative efforts to foster a more peaceful and stable world. In light of the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine caused by Putin’s unprovoked and brutal war, the United States reaffirms its commitment to strengthen global resiliency and democratic renewal, and promote peaceful, self-reliant nations that become U.S. economic and security partners.
The United States Provides Nearly $204 Million in New Funding to Address the Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
March 31, 2022
Today at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar-hosted virtual pledging conference, the United States announced it is providing nearly $204 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan. This funding includes over $70 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and continues America’s enduring support of the Afghan people, bringing the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan to more than $4.6 billion since 2002, the largest amount of assistance from any country.
The United States Announces More Than $152 Million in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the People of Burma and Bangladesh
March 29, 2022
Today, the United States announced more than $152 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, including support for those affected by ongoing violence in Burma, refugees from Burma in Bangladesh, and Bangladeshi host communities. This funding includes more than $101 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and nearly $51 million from the U.S. Department of State. It brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance to the crisis to more than $1.7 billion since August 2017.
Featured Journal Content
Europe: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
European Medicines Agency
News & Press Releases
Press Releases
News: Advice to sponsors on managing the impact of the war in Ukraine on clinical trials (new)
Last updated: 30/03/2022
News: EU recommendations for 2022-2023 seasonal flu vaccine composition (new)
CHMP, Last updated: 29/03/2022
News: EMA starts rolling review of COVID-19 Vaccine HIPRA (PHH-1V) (new)
CHMP, Last updated: 29/03/2022
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European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en
Latest Updates [Selected]
[No new digest content identified]
::::::
Accessed 02 Apr 2022
https://vaccinetracker.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/vaccine-tracker.html#uptake-tab
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European Commission
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en
Latest [Selected]
Press release 31 March 2022
Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan: EU releases €113 million in humanitarian support
During the Afghanistan Pledging Conference today, the Commission will announce €113 million in EU humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people, addressing the urgent needs in Afghanistan and the region.
Press release 29 March 2022
Humanitarian aid: EU releases €48.4 million to support people in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the region
The European Commission has announced today €48.4 million in humanitarian aid to address the most pressing needs of people in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the region facing displacement, the consequences of protracted conflict and the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.
::::::
European Union funding boosts COVID-19 vaccination in Africa
29 March 2022
A contribution of €16 million from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) will help the World Health Organization (WHO) boost COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and increase coverage in 15 African countries, where only 15 percent of the population is vaccinated.
The funding is part of the European Union’s (EU) humanitarian initiative for COVID-19 vaccination in Africa, which aims to ensure increased access for the most vulnerable and those living in hard-to-reach, remote and conflict-affected areas.
The EU also supports the COVAX Facility, the vaccines part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator created to develop and deliver tools to fight the pandemic…
Featured Journal Content
Africa: COVID-19 – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/
[Website not responding at inquiry]
Featured Journal Content
Russia: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
Sputnik V becomes the world’s first COVID vaccine with proven efficacy for people living with HIV as demonstrated by a joint study between the Gamaleya Center and Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control published in The Lancet
Press release, 28.03.2022
Featured Journal Content
India: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/
Government of India – Press Information Bureau
Latest Press Releases
COVID – 19 Vaccination Update – Day 442
:: India’s cumulative vaccination coverage crosses 184.64 Crore
:: More than 11 lakh Vaccine doses administered today till 7 pm
:: More than 1.84 Crore Vaccine Doses administered to 12-14 age group so far
Posted On: 02 APR 2022 8:06PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)
https://www.icmr.gov.in/media.html
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
Featured Journal Content
China: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
[We did not identify official announcement about Shanghai confirming the reports below; See China CDC below for additional announcements]
Shanghai separates COVID-positive children from parents in virus fight
By Brenda Goh and Engen Tham
Reuters, April 2, 20229:32 AM EDT
Entire Shanghai Placed Under Lockdown
City reported more than 6,300 new Covid infections Friday
Eastern half of city remains under tight restrictions
Bloomberg News. April 1, 2022, 10:43 PM EDT Updated onApril 2, 2022, 6:44 AM EDT
Shanghai’s 25 million residents are almost all under some form of lockdown as the financial hub struggles to contain the coronavirus’s highly contagious omicron variant.
The eastern half of the mega Chinese city remains under tight movement restrictions despite the end of a four-day sweeping lockdown Friday morning, according to a government statement Saturday. That means the entire population of the metropolis is currently under some form of quarantine as the two-part lockdown shifted to the western half of Shanghai on Friday.
Residents in the western part of the city, where about two-thirds of its population live, began their four-day lockdown at 3 a.m. local time on Friday as the program approached an end in the east. During the restrictions, residents are barred from leaving home except for mandatory mass Covid tests…
“At present, the epidemic situation is severe and complex, and the task of prevention and control is extremely arduous,” Wu Qianyu, an official at the Shanghai municipal health commission, said at a media briefing…
Emergencies
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/
Polio this week as of 30 March 2022
:: On 21 March, the Federal Government of Somalia, World Health Organization (WHO) and members of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recommitted to stopping the ongoing outbreak of circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Somalia at a three-day meeting convened in Nairobi, Kenya. Details of the summit are available here.
:: Revised containment guidance (GAPIII) available for public consultation: On recommendation from the Containment Advisory Group (CAG), and through wide engagement of stakeholders, WHO’s Global Action Plan for Poliovirus Containment (GAPIII, 2015) has been revised. Following a period of critical review by the CAG, the document draft is now available for public consultation until 1 May 2022. Revisions to the guidance have been made based on CAG recommendations, review of relevant bio-risk management documents to determine alignment, scientific evidence and solicited stakeholder comments on various sections. WHO encourages feedback from containment stakeholders. For queries, please email: containment@who.int
Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
– DR Congo: six cVDPV2 cases
– Egypt: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
– Nigeria: three cVDPV2 cases and two positive environmental samples
– Yemen: 16 cVDPV2 cases
::::::
::::::
Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
Latest WHO Disease Outbreak News (DONs), providing information on confirmed acute public health events or potential events of concern.
No new DONs reported.
::::::
::::::
WHO/OCHA Emergencies
Health emergencies list – WHO
“The health emergencies list details the disease outbreaks, disasters and humanitarian crises where WHO plays an essential role in supporting countries to respond to and recover from emergencies with public health consequences.”
Afghanistan crisis
:: WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the meeting on Interim Priorities for Health Sector in Afghanistan – 29 March 2022
Crisis in Northern Ethiopia [Last apparent update: 1 June 2021]
Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2021 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Ebola outbreak outbreak, N’Zerekore, Guinea, 2021 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic [See COVID above]
Ebola outbreak, Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2020
[Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Ebola outbreak, North Kivu, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 – 2020
[Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 [Last apparent update: 24 July 2018]
Yemen crisis [Last apparent update: 12 February 2021]
Syria crisis [Last apparent update: 18 June 2021]
Somalia crisis [Last apparent update: 24 March 2018]
Nigeria crisis [Last apparent update: 1 Oct 2021]
Ebola outbreak, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Zika virus disease outbreak, 2015-2016 [Last apparent update: 24 Jan 2020]
Ebola outbreak: West Africa, 2014-2016 [Last apparent update: 17 Aug 2021]
Iraq crisis [Last apparent update: 9 Jan 2008]
South Sudan crisis [Last apparent update: 23 Sep 2020]
Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus outbreak [Last apparent update: 13 September 2021]
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) outbreak [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, 2009-2010 pandemic [Last apparent update: 10 Aug 2010]
::::::
UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
Current Corporate Emergencies
Afghanistan
No new updates identified.
Northern Ethiopia
Ethiopia – Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 31 March 2022
HIGHLIGHTS
In Amhara, the regional Government authorities continued with the relocation of internally displaced people.
The number scabies cases in Tigray increased eight-fold from about 400 cases since the start of the year to more than 3,100 cases during the reporting week.
Partners provided health services to only more than 26,500 people in Tigray during the reporting week. 3.9 million people are estimated to need health care in the region.
Humanitarian partners reached more than 62,000 people with food assistance in Afar and more than 7,700 people with medical consultations during the reporting week.
Humanitarian partners reached more than 726,000 people with food assistance in Amhara during the reporting period.
Ukraine
Ukraine: Humanitarian Impact Situation Report (As of 12:00 p.m. (EET) on 1 April 2022)
::::::
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WHO & Regional Offices [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.who.int/news
News [Selected]
1 April 2022
Departmental news
Parliaments promote women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health in the time of COVID-19
31 March 2022
Departmental news
Letter to malaria partners (March 2022)
31 March 2022
Departmental news
WHO launches guidance on digitally documenting SARS-CoV-2 test results
31 March 2022
News release
Indian manufacturer new recipient of mRNA technology through the mRNA technology transfer hub
30 March 2022
News release
Egypt and Nigeria medicines regulators achieve high maturity level in WHO classification and WHO launches list of regulatory authorities that meet international standards
30 March 2022
Departmental news
WHO urges quality care for women and newborns in critical first weeks after childbirth
30 March 2022
News release
WHO releases 10-year strategy for genomic surveillance of pathogens
29 March 2022
Departmental news
European Union funding boosts COVID-19 vaccination in Africa
28 March 2022
Departmental news
The Netherlands and WHO: Partners for health and human rights around the world
::::::
WHO Director General Speeches [selected]
https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches
Selected
30 March 2022
Speech
WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the WHO press conference – 30 March 2022
::::::
WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region
:: 29 March 2022 European Union funding boosts COVID-19 vaccination in Africa
:: 29 March 2022 What is impeding Africa’s TB fight?
:: 28 March 2022 Kenyan lab boosting Africa’s genome surveillance
WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: 31 Mar 2022 New WHO 10-year strategy aims to scale up genomic surveillance
PAHO regional network forms part of worldwide effort to track pathogens Washington, D.C., 31 March 2022 (PAHO) – The World Health Organization (WHO) released a strategy this week to strengthen genomic surveillance around the world. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Regional Network, created at the…
:: 30 Mar 2022 WHO urges quality care for women and newborns in critical first weeks after childbirth
New recommendations stress urgency of both physical and mental health support in postnatal period Geneva, 30 March 2022- The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched its first ever global guidelines to support women and newborns in the postnatal period – the first six weeks after birth. This is a critical time for ensuring newborn and…
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.
WHO European Region EURO
:: Battling to protect their patients: how health workers from three Ukrainian hospitals have adapted to working in wartime 01-04-2022
:: WHO urges quality care for women and newborns in critical first weeks after childbirth 31-03-2022
:: Fighting COVID-19 in prisons: WHO report presents best practices from countries 31-03-2022
WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Djibouti conducts round two of nationwide polio vaccination campaign 28 March 2022
:: Training workshop on medical journalism and countering misinformation concludes in Iraq
28 March 2022
:: World TB Day 2022: Getting back on track to diagnose and report TB cases, to save lives
27 March 2022
WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.
::::::
WHO Events
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/1
[Selected]
Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) – April 2022
4 – 7 April 2022
Public hearings regarding a new international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response
12 – 13 April 2022
In a consensus decision aimed at protecting the world from future infectious diseases crises, in December 2021 the World Health Assembly agreed to kickstart a global process by establishing an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the Constitution of the World Health Organization to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the decision by the World Health Assembly was historic in nature, vital in its mission, and represented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the global health architecture to protect and promote the well-being of all people.
As part of this historic decision, the World Health Assembly requested the Director-General to hold public hearings, in line with standard WHO practice, to support the work of the INB.
[Registration link not yet available]
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New WHO Publications
https://www.who.int/publications/i
Selected Titles
31 March 2022
31 March 2022
Digital documentation of COVID-19 certificates: test result: web annex: DDCC:TR core data dictionary,…
31 March 2022
Digital documentation of COVID-19 certificates: test result: technical specifications and implementation…
31 March 2022
Emergency in Ukraine: external situation report #5, published 31 March 2022: reporting period: 24–30…
30 March 2022
WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience
28 March 2022
Weekly epidemiological record, 2022, vol. 97, 10 (full issue)
28 March 2022
Global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential, 2022–2032 [WHO]
Overview
The Strategy provides a high-level unifying framework to leverage existing capacities, address barriers and strengthen the use of genomic surveillance in the detection, monitoring and response to public health threats. Genomic surveillance is part of the broader surveillance and laboratory system, and its implementation should reinforce end-to-end capacities including sample collection, diagnostics, data sharing and analysis. The strategy aims to facilitate the connectivity between different disease control programs and surveillance networks. This interoperability will strengthen the cross-cutting essential public health laboratory functions underpinning genomics holistically. The strategy articulates the overarching goal, objectives and strategic actions needed. These are dependent on commitments from countries, partners and WHO for their implementation.
CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements [Selected]
CDC Media Telebriefing: New CDC data illuminate youth mental health threats During the COVID-19 pandemic
Thursday, March 31, 2022
CDC Recommends Additional Boosters for Certain Individuals
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
… CDC is updating its recommendations to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago to be eligible for another mRNA booster to increase their protection against severe disease from COVID-19. Separately and in addition, based on newly published data, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine….
ACIP Meetings
Next meeting scheduled for June 22-23, 2022
MMWR Weekly: Current Volume (71) April 1, 2022 / No. 13
PDF of this issuepdf icon
Universal Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults Aged 19–59 Years: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2022
Assessment of Epidemiology Capacity in State Health Departments — United States, 2021
Use of At-Home COVID-19 Tests — United States, August 23, 2021–March 12, 2022
Effectiveness of Homologous and Heterologous COVID-19 Booster Doses Following 1 Ad.26.COV2.S (Janssen [Johnson & Johnson]) Vaccine Dose Against COVID-19–Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults — VISION Network, 10 States, December 2021–March 2022
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Approximately 25 announcements/reports/data summaries.
:: 3/29/22 Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Tue, 29 Mar 2022 06:00:00 EST
:: 3/29/22 COVID-19 Vaccine Equity for Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
…
Africa CDC [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
[Website not responding at inquiry]
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.
Airfinity [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.airfinity.com/insights
INSIGHTS & COMPANY NEWS
No new digest content identified.
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://alleninstitute.org/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.
BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
Qatar Fund for Development and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Jointly Pledge up to US$200 Million in New Partnership to Help Smallholder Farmers Adapt to Climate Change
Mar 27, 2022
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 02 Apr 2022]
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.
News
No new digest content identified.
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
:: Past weekly editions and posting of all segments of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: Informed Consent: A Monthly Review – April 2022is now posted here
:: Patients, Politics, Pressure :: Pharma Stays Steady [Mostly] In Russia Sanctions Context
Observations at 30 March 2022 David R Curry
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 02 Apr 2022]
The Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit: On the road to 100-Day vaccines
Catch-up on the key highlights from the Summit.
Blog 29 Mar 2022
[Excerpt]
…International policymakers, scientists, and representatives of industry, philanthropy and civil society were united at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit—co-hosted in London by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the UK Government on March 7-8, 2022—in endorsing the ambition to have safe, effective, and globally accessible vaccines against the next pandemic threat ready in just 100 days.
But the devil will be in the detail in realizing this goal—from raising the US$3.5 billion required by CEPI to deliver on its pandemic-busting plan over the next five years, to realigning global regulatory systems, to scaling up manufacturing and ensuring supplies of everything down to rubber stoppers for vials….
DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [U.S.] [to 02 Apr 2022
News
No new digest content identified.
Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 02 Apr 2022]
No new digest content identified.
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
News
No new digest content identified.
Emory Vaccine Center [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.
European Vaccine Initiative [to 02 Apr 2022]
Latest News, Events
No new digest content identified.
Evidence Aid [to 02 Apr 2022]
Evidence Aid aims to save lives and livelihoods in disasters by providing decision-makers with the best available evidence and by championing its use.
Humanitarian migrant women’s experiences of maternity care in Nordic countries Added April 1, 2022
Social prescribing for migrants in the United Kingdom Added March 29, 2022
Fondation Merieux [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
No new digest content identified.
News Releases
No new digest content identified.
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
Press Releases
March 31, 2022
GHIT Fund Announces New Investments: A Total of 740 Million Yen for Malaria Drugs and Vaccine
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
28 March 2022
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria enthusiastically welcomes President Joe Biden’s request to the United States Congress for a commitment of US$2 billion for the Global Fund for fiscal year 2023, the first year of the Global Fund…
Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 02 Apr 2022]
News
No new digest content identified
Hilleman Laboratories [to 02 Apr 2022]
News & Insights
No new digest content identified
HHMI – Howard Hughes Medical Institute [to 02 Apr 2022]
Press Room
Research Mar 31 2022
Complete Human Genome Deciphered for the First Time
Twenty years after scientists first reported reading the human genome, the Telomere-to-Telomere consortium has now unveiled a complete version. Their work uncovered hundreds of new genes and opens the door to new insights into evolution and disease.
Research Mar 30 2022
Discovery of How Hyaluronic Acid Is Made Could Spur New Therapeutics
For over two decades, scientists have puzzled over how vertebrates make the essential polysaccharide hyaluronic acid, which has broad medical applications. One team took a different tack and solved the mystery.
Human Vaccines Project [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/
News
Apr 01, 2022
Marc Lipsitch: What Comes Next? Getting Better at Predicting Pandemics
IAVI [to 02 Apr 2022]
Home
No new digest content identified
ICRC [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
What’s New [Selected]
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.
IFFIm
Press Releases/Announcements
No new digest content identified.
IFRC [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Press Releases [Selected]
Launch of ambitious partnership between IFRC and EU: a new model for the humanitarian sector
30/03/2022
Brussels/Geneva, 30 March 2022 – An ambitious partnership between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) launched today aims to be a new model for the humanitarian sector.
In response to the increasing number of crises arising worldwide, the pilot Programmatic Partnership “Accelerating Local Action in Humanitarian and Health Crises” aims to support local action in addressing humanitarian and health crises across at least 25 countries with a multi-year EU funding allocation…
Institut Pasteur [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
No new digest content identified.
IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
News – Selected
News 31 Mar 2022
The People of Afghanistan Must Not be Forgotten: IOM Director General António Vitorino
News 30 Mar 2022
Funding Needed to Assist Over 100,000 Ethiopian Migrants Returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
News 30 Mar 2022
IOM Appeals for USD 128 Million to Support Rohingya Refugees and Local Communities in Cox’s Bazar
News 29 Mar 2022
Number of Venezuelans Crossing the Darien Gap Soars
ISC / International Science Council [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://council.science/current/
ISC is a non-governmental organization with a unique global membership that brings together 40 international scientific Unions and Associations and over 140 national and regional scientific organizations including Academies and Research Councils.
Blogs
01.04.2022
The ISC co-signs the Joint Statement of Intent on Digital Transformation in the International Scientific and Quality infrastructure. As the world enters the era of digitalization, it is important to establish a world-wide uniform and secure data exchange format based on the International System of Units.
Ukrainian academics face exile, harassment and censorship in ongoing war
What are the principles and structures of science advice?
The need for science advice in policymaking is on the rise. While the processes by which science advice is provided to governments and within the multilateral system were made apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, the interest for scientific evidence precedes it. This ISC-INGSA Occasional Paper is intended to explain key structures and processes in a clear and straightforward manner, so the essential elements of science advice are understood.
The African Open Science Platform begins to take shape
The African Open Science Platform (AOSP), which has been hosted by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa since 2020, aims to position scientists and science systems in Africa at the cutting edge of data-intensive open science. The Platform was first initiated in 2017, and is now ramping up its activities following the appointments of Tshiamo Motshegwa as Director and Nokuthula Mchunu as Deputy-Director.
IVAC [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Webinar: Reaching Zero-dose Children and Supporting Immunization Equity in Humanitarian Contexts
[March 28 : Recording]
IVI [to 02 Apr 2022]
April 1, 2022, SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), Republic of Korea, have agreed to strengthen cooperation to promote the development and delivery of vaccines and bio manufacturing workforce training for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to help advance global health.
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 02 Apr 2022]
Latest [Selected Announcements]
No new digest content identified.
National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 02 Apr 2022]
News
No new digest content identified.
National Academy of Sciences – USA [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/
News
No new digest content identified.
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Drug use severity in adolescence affects substance use disorder risk in adulthood
April 1, 2022 — NIH-funded study shows screening for substance use disorder in teens may help predict adult prescription drug use and misuse and prevent overdose.
NIH experts discuss controlling COVID-19 in commentary on herd immunity
March 31, 2022 — Achieving herd immunity thresholds have been less successful with respiratory viruses which continually mutate. … DM Morens et al. The Concept of Classical Herd Immunity May Not Apply to COVID-19. The Journal of Infectious Diseases DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac109(link is external) (2022).
Researchers generate the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome
March 31, 2022 — Completion is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the genetic contributions to certain diseases.
[See Perspectives above for detail]
NIH begins clinical trial evaluating second COVID-19 booster shots in adults
March 31, 2022 — Study includes multiple variant vaccines.
OECD [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
Newsroom/Library
A new OECD report, “Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2022: An OECD Scoreboard” shows that outstanding SME loans increased significantly during the first year of the pandemic. The median stock of SME loans increased by 4.9%, the highest upturn registered since the OECD Scoreboard was created 10 years ago.
PATH [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
Catalytic funding from Bayer Foundation to accelerate digital health entrepreneurship in LMICs
The project aims to create an equitable entrepreneurial environment for digital health developers in the places where PATH works by advancing the broad use of common open-source platforms that speed uptake and ensure sustainability.
Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
UNAIDS [to 02 Apr 2022]
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
31 March 2022
Helping to break stigma and discrimination against transgender people in Brazil
30 March 2022
30 March 2022
Training health-care workers in Indonesia to improve HIV services for young key populations
29 March 2022
Transgender sex workers face frequent abuse
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
Thousands flee into Uganda following clashes in DR Congo
UNHCR and partners call for sustained funding and support for Rohingya refugees
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Press Releases, News Notes, Statements [Selected]
Two million refugee children flee war in Ukraine in search of safety across borders
Featured News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Equity Cooperative [nee Initiative] [to 02 Apr 2022]
News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccination Acceptance & Demand Initiative [Sabin) [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.vaccineacceptance.org/
Announcements, Blog
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Confidence Project [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
Wellcome Trust [to 02 Apr 2022]
News. Opinion, Reports
No new digest content identified.
The Wistar Institute [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 02 Apr 2022]
Latest News – Blog
No new digest content identified.
World Bank [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
South Sudan Receives $200 Million to Strengthen Health Systems and Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccination
JUBA, March 31, 2022—Today the World Bank approved $200 million in additional financing to support South Sudan’s continued efforts to improve its capacity to respond to COVID-19. This International Development…
Date: March 31, 2022 Type: Press Release
Statement by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini; UNICEF Director of Education Robert Jenkins; World Bank Global Director for Education Jaime Saavedra NEW YORK/PARIS/WASHINGTON…
Date: March 30, 2022 Type: Press Release
Nearly two years after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be an ongoing challenge for countries. Following early evidence of increased risks of GBV in the first…
Date: March 30, 2022 Type: Publication
Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Gender-Based Violence: An Ongoing Challenge for 2022
Date: March 30, 2022 Type: Infographic
Additional Financing for the Panama COVID-19 Emergency Response will enable access to vaccines and help ensure effective vaccine deployment. WASHINGTON, D.C., March 28, 2022 – The World Bank approved today…
Date: March 28, 2022 Type: Press Release
World Customs Organization – WCO [to 02 Apr 2022]
Latest News
30 March 2022
WCO and WTO launch a joint publication on Customs use of advanced technologies
29 March – The WCO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) held a webinar to launch their joint publication on Customs use of advance technologies. The event attracted more than 700 attendees and provided insights into how advanced technologies can help Customs administrations facilitate the flow of goods across borders. The publication titled, “The role of advanced technologies in cross-border trade: A customs perspective” provides the current state of play and sheds light on the opportunities and challenges Customs face when deploying these technologies.
:: The full publication can be accessed here.
:: The recording of the webinar is available here.
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.oie.int/en/media/news/
Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.
WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 02 Apr 2022]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events [Selected]
WTO issues inventory of COVID-19 information resources
30 March 2022
The WTO has published a compilation of information resources, such as databases and reports, that provide information and data on a wide range of issues relating to COVID-19. The inventory provides a useful tool for government officials and other stakeholders wishing to access information about the latest developments regarding COVID-19.
::::::
ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 02 Apr 2022]
Selected Press Releases
Cell and Gene Therapies Poised to Disrupt Health Care Status Quo with Wave of New Treatments
March 31, 2022 Washington, DC
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the leading international advocacy organization dedicated to realizing the promise of regenerative medicines and advanced therapies, today released its 2021 Annual Report, showcasing a year of significant advances and forecasting continued growth ahead.
BIO [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases, Letters, Testimony, Comments [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 02 Apr 2022]
No new digest content identified.
ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.
International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations – IAPO [to 02 Apr 2022]
https://www.iapo.org.uk/news/topic/6
Press and media [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
PhRMA [to 02 Apr 2022]
Latest News [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
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 24, Number 4: E249-341 Apr 2022
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/issue/health-equity-us-latinx-communities
Health Equity in US Latinx Communities
Latinx communities in the US include over 60 million people with a plurality of political beliefs, cultural practices, and wealth. This diversity is also expressed in population health data: some health indicators suggest advantages of Latinx community membership while other data demonstrate inequitable disease burden and maldistribution of environmental and occupational risk. Legacies of colonial conquest of the Americas persist in discrimination and marginalization today and are embodied by members of our Latinx communities.
American Journal of Infection Control
April 2022 Volume 50 Issue 4 p367-476
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current
Major Articles
Influenza vaccination of home health care staff and the impact on patient hospitalizations
Jingjing Shang, Jordan M. Harrison, Ashley M. Chastain,…Elizabeth A. Madigan, Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz, Andrew W. Dick
Published in issue: April 2022
p369-374
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 