PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 14 May 2022]
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Indonesian urban communities regarding HPV infection, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccination
Hariyono Winarto, Muhammad Habiburrahman, Maya Dorothea, Andrew Wijaya, Kartiwa Hadi Nuryanto, Fitriyadi Kusuma, Tofan Widya Utami, Tricia Dewi Anggraeni
Research Article | published 12 May 2022 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266139
PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 14 May 2022]
COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria: A rapid review of vaccine acceptance rate and the associated factors
Oluwatosin Olu-Abiodun, Olumide Abiodun, Ngozi Okafor
Research Article | published 11 May 2022 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267691
PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
May 10, 2022 vol. 119 no. 19
https://www.pnas.org/toc/pnas/119/19
Research Article May 3, 2022
Determining containment policy impacts on public sentiment during the pandemic using social media data
Stringent containment and closure policies have been widely implemented by governments to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Yet, such policies have significant impacts on people’s emotions and mental well-being. Here, we study the effects of pandemic …
Prakash Chandra Sukhwal and Atreyi Kankanhalli
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 14 May 2022]
Original Research
Parental Willingness to Vaccinate Their Children Against SARS-CoV-2 in Jordan: An Explanatory Cross-Sectional Study
Alsulaiman JW, Mazin M, Al-Shatanawi TN, Kheirallah KA, Allouh MZ
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2022, 15:955-967
Published Date: 10 May 2022
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Short communication Open access
Vaccine-induced humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 dramatically declined but cellular immunity possibly remained at 6 months post BNT162b2 vaccination
Hideaki Kato, Kei Miyakawa, Norihisa Ohtake, Yutaro Yamaoka, … Akihide Ryo
Pages 2652-2655
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Review article Open access
Healthcare professional’s promotional strategies in improving Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake in adolescents: A systematic review
Margaret Efua Sackey, Kathleen Markey, Annmarie Grealish
Pages 2656-2666
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Review article Abstract only
Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination in girls living in Latin American countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Romina A. Tejada, Talía Malagón, Eduardo L. Franco
Pages 2667-2678
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Research article Open access
Vaccine effectiveness of the 7-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in Canada: An IMPACT study
Leah J. Ricketson, Julie A. Bettinger, Manish Sadarangani, Scott A. Halperin, … James D. Kellner
Pages 2733-2740
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Research article Open access
Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among health care workers
Wigdan Farah, Laura Breeher, Vishal Shah, Caitlin Hainy, … Melanie D. Swift
Pages 2749-2754
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Research article Open access
Understanding COVID-19 vaccine uptake during pregnancy: ‘Hesitance’, knowledge, and evidence-based decision-making
Leigh Ann Simmons, Mackenzie D.M. Whipps, Jennifer E. Phipps, Nikita S. Satish, Geeta K. Swamy
Pages 2755-2760
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Research article Full text access
Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines on social media in Canada
Bobbi Rotolo, Eve Dubé, Maryline Vivion, Shannon E. MacDonald, Samantha B. Meyer
Pages 2790-2796
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Research article Full text access
Why do Hong Kong parents have low intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19? testing health belief model and theory of planned behavior in a large-scale survey
Jian-Bin Li, Eva Yi Hung Lau, Derwin King Chung Chan
Pages 2772-2780
Vaccine
Volume 40, Issue 19 Pages 2647-2818 (26 April 2022)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/40/issue/19
Japanese Society for Vaccinology paper
Proposal for the revision of the guidelines for Non-clinical studies of vaccines for the prevention of infectious diseases in Japan
Yumiko Nomura, Kiyohito Noda, Yuusuke Oohashi, Shin Okuda, … Nobuhiko Okabe
Pages 2810-2818
Highlights
• We identified the current challenges in the development of vaccines and propose revision of the guidelines for the non-clinical studies of vaccines.
• The results of repeated-dose toxicity studies can be used to decide whether safety pharmacology studies are required.
• The studies to evaluate toxicity due to systemic effects may not be necessary for both intramuscular and subcutaneous administration.
• Women of childbearing potential could be included in clinical trials with appropriate pregnancy avoidance prior to the reproductive toxicity studies.
Pre-Print Servers
Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[No new digest content identified]
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…
Acceptability of a behavioural intervention to mitigate the psychological impacts of COVID-19 restrictions in older people with long-term conditions: a qualitative study
Leanne Shearsmith, Peter Coventry, Claire Sloan, Andrew Henry, Lauren Burke, Eloise Ryde, Elizabeth Newbronner, Della Bailey, Samantha Gascoyne, Rebecca Woodhouse, Dean McMillan, David Ekers, Simon Gilbody, Carolyn A. Chew-Graham
medRxiv 2022.05.10.22274892; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.10.22274892
Social clustering of unvaccinated children: measles-mumps-rubella vaccination coverage in schools in the Netherlands
Don Klinkenberg, Albert Jan Van Hoek, Irene Veldhuijzen, Susan Hahné, Jacco Wallinga
medRxiv 2022.05.12.22273875; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.12.22273875
The Proportion of Randomized Controlled Trials That Inform Clinical Practice: A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Trials Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov
Nora Hutchinson, Hannah Moyer, Deborah Zarin, Jonathan Kimmelman
medRxiv 2022.05.12.22275021; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.12.22275021
Early detection of fraudulent COVID-19 products from Twitter chatter
Abeed Sarker, Sahithi Lakamana, Ruqi Liao, Aamir Abbas, Yuan-Chi Yang, Mohammed Ali Al-Garadi
medRxiv 2022.05.09.22274776; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.09.22274776
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake Among Healthcare Workers in Trinidad & Tobago
Chavin D. Gopaul, Dale Ventour, Davlin Thomas
medRxiv 2022.05.09.22274854; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.09.22274854
Assessing the impacts of timing on the health benefits, cost-effectiveness and relative affordability of COVID-19 vaccination programmes in 27 African Countries
Yang Liu, Carl AB Pearson, Andrés Madriz Montero, Sergio Torres-Rueda, Elias Asfaw, Benjamin Uzochukwu, Tom Drake, Eleanor Bergren, Rosalind M Eggo, Francis Ruiz, Nicaise Ndembi, Justice Nonvignon, Mark Jit, Anna Vassall
medRxiv 2022.05.09.22274846; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.09.22274846
Unrealistic optimism in the eye of the storm: Positive bias towards the consequences of COVID-19 during the second and third waves of the pandemic
Ada Maksim, Sławomir Śpiewak, Natalia Lipp, Natalia Dużmańska-Misiarczyk, Grzegorz Gustaw, Krzysztof Rębilas, Paweł Strojny
medRxiv 2022.05.10.22274918; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.10.22274918
Too much to mask: determinants of sustained adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures among older Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Nisreen Salti, Stephen J. McCall, Berthe Abi Zeid, Noura El Salibi, Marwan Alawieh, Zeinab Ramadan, Hala Ghattas, Sawsan Abdulrahim
medRxiv 2022.05.10.22274919; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.10.22274919
10.4 Million Children Affected by COVID-19-associated Orphanhood and Caregiver Death: An Imperative for Action
Susan Hillis, Joel-Pascal Ntwali N’konzi, William Msemburi, Lucie Cluver, Andrés Villaveces, Seth Flaxman, H. Juliette T. Unwin
medRxiv 2022.05.08.22274788; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.08.22274788
Antibody responses to AZD1222 vaccination in West Africa
Adam Abdullahi, David Oladele, Steven A. Kemp, James Ayorinde, Abideen Salako, Fehintola Ige, Douglas Fink, Chika Onwuamah, Qosim Osuolale, Rufai Abubakar, Azuka Okuruawe, Gideon Liboro, Oluwatosin Odubela, Gregory Ohihoin, Oliver Ezechi, Olagoke Usman, Sunfay Mogaji, Adedamola Dada, Soraya Ebrahimi, Lourdes Ceron Gutierrez, Sani H. Aliyu, Rainer Doffinger, Rosemary Audu, Richard Adegbola, Petra Mlcochova, Babatunde Lawal Solako, Ravindra K. Gupta
medRxiv 2022.05.04.22274668; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.04.22274668 Revision
Wellcome Open Research [to 14 May 2022]
https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 14 May 2022]
Review metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Conceptualising and assessing health system resilience to shocks: a cross-disciplinary view [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Sharif A. Ismail, Sadie Bell, Zaid Chalabi, Fouad M. Fouad, Reinhard Mechler, Andrada Tomoaia-Cotisel, Karl Blanchet, Josephine Borghi
Peer Reviewers Invited
Funder
Wellcome
PUBLISHED 13 May 2022
Think Tanks
Brookings [to 14 May 2022]
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 14 May 2022
Latest Research
[No new digest content identified]
Center for Global Development [to 14 May 2022]
https://www.cgdev.org/
Research [Selected]
CGD NOTES
Rapid and Equitable Access to Medical Countermeasures: Lessons, Landscape, and Near-Term Recommendations
Amanda Glassman et al.
May 11, 2022
This note takes a quick look at the lessons learned and the existing landscape of MCM manufacturing in the context of the current pandemic response and suggests eight areas for action along with near-term recommendations to the global community to both prepare and respond to future pandemic risks.
BRIEFS
A Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
Amanda Glassman et al.
May 11, 2022
As global health threats evolve, countries’ capacity to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks is increasingly a global imperative. Now is the time to take concrete steps toward establishing sustained financing for pandemic PPR to help bring an end to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, combat futu…
POLICY PAPERS
COVID-19, Long-Term Care, and Migration in Asia
Azusa Sato and Helen Dempster
May 09, 2022
Countries throughout Asia are experiencing rapidly aging populations and increasing life expectancy, leading to a large and growing demand for long-term care (LTC) services. Despite the shift to providing care within communities and at home, governments are struggling to provide enough LTC to meet d…
Chatham House [to 14 May 2022]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 14 May 2022
[No new digest content identified]
CSIS [to 14 May 2022]
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 14 May 2022
Upcoming Event
Book Event: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla’s “Moonshot: Inside Pfizer’s Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible”
May 17, 2022
Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 14 May 2022
May 10, 2022 News Release
KFF Analysts Find That Between 5.3 Million and 14.2 Million People Could Lose Medicaid Coverage Following the End of the Public Health Emergency and Continuous Enrollment Requirement, With an Unknown Number Able to Find New Coverage
The Enrollment Growth is Expected to Cost States Over $47 Billion Through FY 2022, But States Will Have Received $100 Billion to Cover New Medicaid Costs and Provide Additional General Fiscal Relief Between 5.3 million and 14.2 million low-income people could lose Medicaid coverage following the end of the public…
ODI [Overseas Development Institute] [to 14 May 2022]
https://odi.org/en/publications/
Publications
Accessed 14 May 2022
[No new digest content identified]
Rand [to 14 May 2022]
https://www.rand.org/pubs.html
Reports, Selected Journal Articles
[No new digest content identified]
Urban Institute [to 14 May 2022]
https://www.urban.org/publications
Research Publications
Brief Two Years into the Pandemic, Charitable Food Remains a Key Resource for One in Six Adults
May 10, 2022
Brief Estimating Health Coverage in 2023
May 10, 2022
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
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
UN Economic and Social Council Opens Multi-Stakeholder Forum amid Calls for Vaccine Equity, Efforts to Close Yawning Digital Gulf between Haves, Have-Nots
5 May 2022
ECOSOC/7082
The COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of variant viral strains underscore the importance of science, technology and innovation for the recovery and development of global populations, speakers said today as the Economic and Social Council opened its two-day forum on the topic amid calls to urgently address the widening digital gulf between developed and developing countries.
Opening the forum, Collen Vixen Kelapile (Botswana), President of the Economic and Social Council, stressed that science, technology and innovation can be a source of awe — but also fear. This year’s seventh Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals aims to alleviate fear, and instead harness that power for sustainable development. Noting a plethora of images in the media of the world’s natural disasters, famine, war and societal divides, he said it is particularly easy for young people to feel powerless.
Citing the fear of vaccines and frustration with the perceived unreliability of science, he noted the need to build trust in research, with Governments showing that they are listening to their citizens and addressing issues such as misinformation, potential and limits of artificial intelligence, and questions regarding privacy and access to data.
“We need to ensure checks and balances and consider suitable governance mechanisms around these issues,” he stressed. It is also crucial to increase the participation of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as historically, they make up only about a third of that workforce. “Every girl around the world should be able to find a suitable role model in these fields, whether she be a local schoolteacher or a Nobel laureate,” he said…
Covid – Excess Deaths
14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 – WHO
News release
5 May 2022
New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million).
“These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes.”
Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years.
Excess mortality includes deaths associated with COVID-19 directly (due to the disease) or indirectly (due to the pandemic’s impact on health systems and society). Deaths linked indirectly to COVID-19 are attributable to other health conditions for which people were unable to access prevention and treatment because health systems were overburdened by the pandemic. The estimated number of excess deaths can be influenced also by deaths averted during the pandemic due to lower risks of certain events, like motor-vehicle accidents or occupational injuries.
Most of the excess deaths (84%) are concentrated in South-East Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Some 68% of excess deaths are concentrated in just 10 countries globally. Middle-income countries account for 81% of the 14.9 million excess deaths (53% in lower-middle-income countries and 28% in upper-middle-income countries) over the 24-month period, with high-income and low-income countries each accounting for 15% and 4%, respectively.
The estimates for a 24-month period (2020 and 2021) include a breakdown of excess mortality by age and sex. They confirm that the global death toll was higher for men than for women (57% male, 43% female) and higher among older adults. The absolute count of the excess deaths is affected by the population size. The number of excess deaths per 100,000 gives a more objective picture of the pandemic than reported COVID-19 mortality data.
“Measurement of excess mortality is an essential component to understand the impact of the pandemic. Shifts in mortality trends provide decision-makers information to guide policies to reduce mortality and effectively prevent future crises. Because of limited investments in data systems in many countries, the true extent of excess mortality often remains hidden,” said Dr Samira Asma, Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics and Delivery at WHO. “These new estimates use the best available data and have been produced using a robust methodology and a completely transparent approach.”
“Data is the foundation of our work every day to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. We know where the data gaps are, and we must collectively intensify our support to countries, so that every country has the capability to track outbreaks in real-time, ensure delivery of essential health services, and safeguard population health,” said Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response.
The production of these estimates is a result of a global collaboration supported by the work of the Technical Advisory Group for COVID-19 Mortality Assessment and country consultations. ..
CEPI
Independent External Review of CEPI’s COVID-19 Vaccine Development Agreements Published
05 May 2022
…Despite the efforts of CEPI, our COVAX partners, and many other governments and agencies, the global inequity in vaccine distribution remains stark. Seventeen months after the first doses of vaccine were deployed, only about 16% of people living in low-income countries have received at least one dose, compared to 65% of the world’s population as a whole. Even though supplies of vaccines for LMICs have ramped up in recent months, this situation remains wholly unacceptable in human, epidemiological, and economic terms. It is therefore incumbent upon all of those involved in responding to COVID-19 to reflect upon the roles we have played so far so we can identify areas of improvement that can help hasten the end of this pandemic and leave the world better prepared for the emergence of the next ‘Disease X’ – an emerging pathogen with epidemic or pandemic potential.
Following advice from the CEPI Board’s Equitable Access Committee (EAC), which provides the Secretariat with strategic guidance on access, CEPI commissioned an independent external review of how equitable access has been achieved through our COVID-19 vaccine development agreements.
The review was carried out by the University of Georgetown’s O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law and aimed to generate learnings about how CEPI performed against its mission on equitable access; and how these learnings can contribute to enhancing CEPI’s agreements in future. We are publishing the review’s final report today so that our stakeholders, investors and partners can review the findings and recommendations.
::::::
REPORT – EQUITABLE ACCESS REVIEW OF CEPI’S COVID-19 VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS
O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law, University of Georgetown
May 2022 :: 28 pages
University of Georgetown’s O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law
KEY FINDINGS
CEPI’S STRONG COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE ACCESS
CEPI maintains a nuanced, robust commitment to equitable access, a commitment that manifested over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, although necessarily adapted to a context in which it worked with, and alongside, international partners and commercial partners of varying size, capital, and governance structure; did so on accelerated schedules; and, faced significant competition from government funders seeking or requiring bilateral arrangements.
THE CRITICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CEPI’S EQUITABLE ACCESS COMMITTEE AND SECRETARIAT STAFF
This commitment is explained by multiple factors, including a focused and efficient governance relationship between the CEO, the Secretariat Staff, and the CEPI Board’s Equitable Access Committee.
CEPI’S LEADERSHIP IN COVAX AND ACCESS TO THE OXFORD/ASTRAZENECA VACCINE
CEPI’s most visible and measurable success, other than its leadership in establishing COVAX, is its role in facilitating global access to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (the “Oxford/AstraZeneca” vaccine, “Vaxzevria”, “Covishield”, AZD1222, among other trade and regulatory classifications). That vaccine has reached more people, and saved more lives, than any other.
CEPI’S MOST SUCCESSFUL AGREEMENTS WERE WITH SMALLER AND NEWER COMPANIES AND UNIVERSITIES
With respect to its COVID-19 vaccine development, scale-up of manufacturing, and vaccine supply agreements, CEPI enjoyed the most favorable equitable access terms with newer and smaller biotechnology companies, including manufacturers, and universities.
COMPETITION FOR DISEASE X PLATFORMS, A FOCUS OF CEPI 2.0, WILL BE FIERCE AND CEPI WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WIDER BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM TO ENABLE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THOSE PLATFORMS
Disease X platforms that represent a priority for CEPI 2.0 planning, also represent complex and competitive assets where CEPI’s appeal as an investor will depend on multiple factors in the biomedical innovation ecosystem
CEPI SHOULD REVIEW COMMERCIAL BENEFITS
Related to competitiveness for Disease X technologies, CEPI’s approach to sharing commercial benefits should be comprehensively reviewed.
BASED ON REVIEWS OF 28 AGREEMENTS COVERING 17 PARTNERS AND INTERVIEWS WITH CEPI STAFF AND EQUITABLE ACCESS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AGREEMENT PROVISIONS ARE RECOMMENDED:
more frequent and robust monitoring of equitable access commitments at the JMAG level including a JMAG member specifically charged with addressing equitable access in JMAG meetings;
consideration of the appointment of a civil society representative and/or another LMIC representative to the Equitable Access Committee;
the designation of a CEPI “open access officer” or enhanced auditing and monitoring of partners’ open access obligations;
consistent dispute resolution clauses;
appropriate conditions or rights to information as to partners’ dealings with third parties;
the development and recommended/required use of template third-party or subawardee equitable access clauses;
adaptation of force majeure clauses; and,
adaptation of the CEPI Equitable Access Dashboard into a checklist for both the CEPI Equitable Access Committee and CEPI Secretariat staff
CEPI SHOULD REFLECT AND CONSTRUCT ITS ROLE IN THE GLOBAL HEALTH GOVERNANCE COMMUNITY
CEPI’s 2.0 role will unfold in the context of multiple private- , public- and international organizational- partners and CEPI should undertake a comprehensive review of how that context will affect its planning.
comprehensive review of how that context will affect its planning.
Second Global Covid-19 Summit
12 May 2022 – United States, Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal
Global Consortium of Leading Health Organizations Urges Shifts for Sustainable Post-Omicron Covid-19 Strategy
Apr 28 2022
Prioritize country-led efforts to vaccinate the most vulnerable, build resilient health systems
Durham, NC — Eleven leading health organizations from around the world released a joint declaration today highlighting urgent, actionable priorities to update the post-Omicron Covid-19 strategy for a more equitable and effective global pandemic response. These recommendations set clear expectations for global leaders coming together on May 12 for the Second Global Covid-19 Summit.
Covid GAP and Pandemic Action Network co-hosted a joint virtual convening, Global Call to Action: End the Covid-19 Crisis and Prevent the Next Pandemic, on March 29 along with Africa CDC; African Population and Health Research Center; Amref Health Africa; Andean Health Organization; Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives; College of Medicine, University of Ibadan; School of Public Health, Cayetano Heredia University; ONE Campaign; and WACI Health. The convening and report were supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The joint report, Seizing the Moment: Global Action to End the Covid-19 Crisis and Prevent the Next Pandemic, synthesizes the perspectives of diverse speakers — who were joined by over 400 participants from around the world — to identify top priorities to meet global needs at this stage of the pandemic and to build stronger, more resilient, and equitable systems for the future.
“The post-Omicron global strategy must evolve, and requires global solidarity, coordination, and commitment to address short- and long-term imperatives,” the report notes. “We can and must shift from an emergency crisis response to a strategy of sustainable pandemic control that strengthens resilient health systems and future preparedness.”
The report calls for four specific high-priority actions:
.01 Accelerate equitable access to and acceptance of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
The next phase of Covid-19 response requires accelerating vaccination — translating growing vaccine supply into shots in arms. Efforts must immediately prioritize fully vaccinating (including boosters) the most vulnerable and high-risk populations, including the elderly and health and other essential workers, to save the most lives, most quickly, as part of efforts to expand vaccination coverage. To complement vaccination, leaders must ensure equitable access to oral antivirals and diagnostics and prioritize the expansion of test-and-treat capabilities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
.02 Support country-led and community-driven goals and priorities, with global support strengthening national and regional systems and advancing equity. Global systems and coordination remain important, but global efforts should support national and regional goals and priorities, applying lessons from the past two years. Putting more power, authority, and design in the hands of communities will empower a more effective and equitable response — for Covid-19 and future health emergencies.
.03 Build and invest now to pandemic proof the future for everyone, everywhere.
Global leaders must continue to fight the current threat while simultaneously investing in systems and structures to be prepared for the next global health emergency. This will require urgently mobilizing new and diversified funding. The world also needs stronger, more robust and equitable health systems everywhere to respond to health security crises and other population health needs.
.04 Drive accountability at all levels and commit to global solidarity.
Leaders must be accountable for taking action — at all levels. But to drive accountability, governments and health institutions must disclose easy-to-access data and information, so the public can understand what is happening and follow up when leaders are falling behind.
The report further notes, “Above all, we must start thinking of the world as one. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to make clear that the health, well-being, and livelihoods of people around the world are interlinked.”
This consortium of global organizations will continue to collaborate to increase accountability for action and progress from key public and private stakeholders around the world…
WTO – COVID Vaccinees IP Waiver
Quad’s outcome document on IP COVID-19 response made public
3 May 2022
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala put forward on 3 May the outcome document that emerged from the informal process conducted with the Quad (the European Union, India, South Africa and the United States) for an intellectual property response to COVID-19.
The proposal was immediately shared by the new chair of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Ambassador Lansana Gberie of Sierra Leone, with the full membership, after an informal meeting of the Council held this morning where he introduced the highlights of the text.
After an impasse of more than one year in the TRIPS Council, DG Okonjo-Iweala, working with Deputy Director-General Anabel González, supported an informal group of ministers to come together around what could be a meaningful proposal, without prejudice to their respective positions, that could provide a platform to be built upon by the membership.
In their discussions, the Quad adopted a problem-solving approach aimed at identifying practical ways of clarifying, streamlining and simplifying how governments can override patent rights, under certain conditions, to enable diversification of production of COVID-19 vaccines. The proposal will now go for consideration of the 164 WTO members.
::::::
TRIPS Council hears initial reactions to Quad’s outcome document on IP COVID-19 response
6 May 2022
At a meeting of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on 6 May, WTO members discussed the outcome document that has recently emerged from the informal process conducted with the Quad (the European Union, India, South Africa and the United States) for an intellectual property (IP) response to COVID-19. Members also adopted the oral status report that will be submitted by the chair of the TRIPS Council, Ambassador Lansana Gberie of Sierra Leone, to the General Council scheduled for 9-10 May.
…At the meeting, delegations took the floor to welcome the proposal as a positive development and thanked DG Okonjo-Iweala and DDG González as well as the four members of the Quad for their efforts in trying to find a way forward in this process. The majority of delegations said they needed more time to review the document internally before they could engage in a substantive discussion. The chair said he will hold further consultations in different configurations after the General Council meeting on 9-10 May on how to structure substantive discussions going forward.
While acknowledging that the proposal sets a solid basis for further discussion and could lead to a long-awaited and urgently needed outcome, some delegations noted that further engagement is needed to assess specific issues that remain in brackets in the outcome document. These members mentioned the eligibility threshold for developing members who have exported more than 10 per cent of world vaccine doses in 2021 and the issuing of a single authorization for eligible members to use the subject matter of multiple patents necessary for the production or supply of a COVID-19 vaccine as elements of the proposal that would require further discussion.
Some members also noted that clear reference should be made to ensuring that a potential future arrangement shall apply without prejudice to existing flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement. The chair encouraged delegations to prepare for the upcoming discussions with a constructive and pragmatic attitude, particularly given the few weeks remaining before the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), to be held in Geneva on 12-15 June. He also asked members to reflect upon the fact that they have come a long way in a process that started in October 2020 and that only now has produced a text around which serious discussions, consultations and even negotiations can be held…
Members adopted the oral status report that will be submitted by Ambassador Gberie to the General Council. The text provides a factual overview of discussions held at the TRIPS Council since October 2020, both on the proposal by India and South Africa (IP/C/W/669/Rev.1) requesting a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 and the proposal by the European Union (IP/C/W/681) for a draft General Council declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health in the circumstances of a pandemic.
The report incorporates a reference to the communication containing the outcome of the informal Quad discussions, which was circulated in document IP/C/W/688 for discussion in the TRIPS Council.
This means that the TRIPS Council has not yet completed its consideration of the revised waiver request and will therefore continue its consideration and report back to the General Council as stipulated in Article IX:3 of the Marrakesh Agreement. In addition, the TRIPS Council will also continue in the same manner its consideration of the other related proposals by members.
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WTO Proposal – WTO IP/C/W/688 :: TRIPS COVID-19 03 May 2022
ICBA Statement on Tabled WTO TRIPS Waiver Text
International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA)
[Undated]
Steve Bates, Chair of ICBA said “Now that the text is open to public scrutiny after its formal proposal by the WTO Director-General, it is clear that what is proposed would do nothing to solve any of the challenges we face in 2022 and will only make it far harder for small companies pioneering in this space to develop future innovative solutions. A waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines would, if agreed, have a chilling impact on future equity investments into the small companies that have been at the heart of the solutions to COVID-19.”
“Small biotechs throughout ICBA member countries all depend on their intellectual property to deliver key innovations that underpin the current generation of COVID -19 vaccines. Alongside successful COVID vaccines, tests and therapeutics are many, many companies in our community that invested heavily but failed to make breakthroughs. This proposal directly threatens this innovative ecosystem’s ability to attract the capital needed to develop next generation of vaccines whilst doing nothing to solve the access challenges we have in 2022.”
“The proposal misguidedly casts IP as a barrier to COVID-19 vaccine access and distribution despite there already being an oversupply of COVID-19 vaccines in the developing world. COVID diagnostic testing rates are declining globally despite increased availability of affordable, accurate tests. And COVID therapeutics are already widely licensed to low-cost manufacturers in the global south. Weakening IP rights does nothing to combat stubbornly low vaccination rates in many developing countries, nor will it facilitate the distribution of these products to people around the world who most need them.”
“The most urgent tasks now involve improving vaccine utilization, healthcare infrastructure, distribution, and addressing vaccine hesitancy in the developing world. It is disappointing that the WTO, instead of tackling these real challenges, continues to debate a false solution that would only prove harmful in the future.”
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: 29 Apr 2022
Confirmed cases :: 513 955 910
Confirmed deaths :: 6 249 700
Vaccine doses administered: 11 562 157 794
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Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 4 May 2022
Overview
Globally, the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths has continued to decline since the end of March 2022.
During the week of 25 April through 1 May 2022, over 3.8 million cases and over 15 000 deaths were reported, decreases of 17% and 3% respectively, as compared to the previous week. However, an increase in the number of new weekly cases was reported from the African Region (+31%) and the Region of the Americas (+13%), and the number of new weekly deaths increased in the South-East Asia Region (+69%) largely due to a delay in the reporting of deaths from India.
As of 1 May 2022, over 500 million confirmed cases and over six million deaths have been reported globally.
In this edition, we provide updates on circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs).
Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process 02 April 2022
[New additions; Full scale view available at title link above]
[Updated on 02 Apr 2022]
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COVID Vaccines/Therapeutics – Developer/Manufacturer Announcements
[Selected press releases/announcements from organizations from WHO EUL/PQ listing above and other organizations]
AstraZeneca
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
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– No new digest announcements identified
CanSinoBIO
News – Website not responding at inquiry
CIGB
Latest News
Purity and efficacy of Mambisa, the first anti-covid nasal vaccine (Part II)
Interview
06 de mayo de 2022
Cinagen
Recent News– No new digest announcements identified
Clover Biopharmaceuticals – China
News
May 5, 2022
Clover’s Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Demonstrates Broad Neutralization Against Omicron and Other Variants of Concern
— Bivalent candidate (Prototype + Omicron) demonstrates broad neutralization against Omicron and all VoCs in both primary vaccination and booster settings in preclinical study
— Potential to pursue licensure pathway based on immuno-bridging to prototype vaccine candidate SCB-2019 (CpG 1018/Alum) which utilizes the validated Trimer-Tag™ technology platform
Curevac [Bayer Ag – Germany]
News – No new digest announcements identified
Gamaleya National Center
Latest News and Events – See Russia below.
IMBCAMS, China
Home – Website not responding at inquiry
Janssen/JNJ
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
Medicago
Media
May 5, 2022
Medicago announces publication of Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine study results in New England Journal of Medicine
Study results were included in the submission to Health Canada leading to Notice of Compliance
Moderna
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
Nanogen
News – No new digest announcements identified
Novavax
Press Releases
May 6, 2022
Statement
Novavax Submits Variations to Expand Australian and New Zealand Provisional Approval of Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 Vaccine to Adolescents aged 12 Through 17 Years
May 6, 2022
Statement
Novavax’ COVID-19 Vaccine Nuvaxovid™ Arrives in Singapore
May 4, 2022
Statement
Novavax Requests Expanded Authorization of Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 Vaccine to Adolescents Aged 12 through 17 Years in Great Britain*
Pfizer
Recent Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified
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
China NMPA approved SINOVAC Omicron-specific vaccine for clinical trial
2022/04/26
Vector State Research Centre of Viralogy and Biotechnology
Home – No new digest announcements identified [404 error]
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 – No new digest announcements identified
Valneva
Press Releases
Valneva Initiates Heterologous Booster Trial of Inactivated, COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate
Saint-Herblain (France), May 4, 2022 – Valneva SE, a specialty vaccine company, today announced the initiation of a heterologous booster trial of its inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001. The VLA2001-307 trial will be the Company’s first clinical trial to provide booster data following primary vaccination with an mRNA vaccine or natural COVID-19 infection…
UNICEF COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard :: Agreements Table Accessed 07 May 2022
An overview of information collected from publicly announced bilateral and multilateral supply agreements [no new agreements since 3/20/2022 reported]
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.
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 07 May 2022]: https://data.undp.org/vaccine-equity/
See also visualization on Vaccine Access and Vaccine Affordability
Global COVID-19 Access Tracker
https://www.covid19globaltracker.org/
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
COVID Vaccines – OCHA:: HDX
COVID-19 Data Explorer: Global Humanitarian Operations
COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-out
07 May 2022 | COVAX (WHO,GAVI,CEPI), UNDESA, Press Reports | DATA
Global COVID-19 Figures: 514M total confirmed cases; 6.2M total confirmed deaths
Global vaccines administered: 11.6B
Number of Countries: 28
COVAX Allocations Round 4-9 (Number of Doses): 170M
COVAX Delivered (Number of Doses): 290M
Other Delivered (Number of Doses): 310M
Total Delivered (Number of Doses): 600M
Total Administered (Number of Doses): 410M
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 07 May 2022: https://data.covid19taskforce.com/data The global view below is complemented by country-specific dashboards here.
Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations [Accessed 07 May 2022]
:: 65.5% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
:: 11.64 billion doses have been administered globally, and 8.77 million are now administered each day.
:: Only 15.8% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
U.S.: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
HHS
News
No new digest content identified.
BARDA-ASPR – U.S. Department of HHS [to 07 May 2022]
https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsRoomHome.aspx
News
No new digest content identified.
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FDA
Press Announcements
May 5, 2022 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Limits Use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to Certain Individuals
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has limited the authorized use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older for whom other authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and to individuals 18 years of age and older who elect to receive the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine…
The Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine now reflects the revision of the authorized use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and includes a warning statement at the beginning of the fact sheet for prominence which summarizes information on the risk for TTS. Additionally, information on the revision to the authorized use of the vaccine and updated information on this risk of blood clots with low levels of blood platelets has been added to the Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers.
“We recognize that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community. Our action reflects our updated analysis of the risk of TTS following administration of this vaccine and limits the use of the vaccine to certain individuals,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Today’s action demonstrates the robustness of our safety surveillance systems and our commitment to ensuring that science and data guide our decisions. We’ve been closely monitoring the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and occurrence of TTS following its administration and have used updated information from our safety surveillance systems to revise the EUA. The agency will continue to monitor the safety of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and all other vaccines, and as has been the case throughout the pandemic, will thoroughly evaluate new safety information.”…
Regulatory Actions
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
April 29, 2022 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Announces Tentative Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule Regarding COVID- 19 Vaccines
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing its plans to hold virtual meetings of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) in anticipation of complete submissions of emergency use authorization (EUA) requests in the coming months that have been publicly announced by COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
It is important to note that the dates below are tentative as none of the submissions are complete. The agency understands the urgency to authorize a vaccine for age groups who are not currently eligible for vaccination and will work diligently to complete our evaluation of the data. Should any of the submissions be completed in a timely manner and the data support a clear path forward following our evaluation, the FDA will act quickly and anticipates convening the following VRBPAC meetings:
On June 7, FDA intends to convene VRBPAC to discuss an EUA request for a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Novavax to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.
On June 8, 21 and 22, the FDA has held dates for the VRBPAC to meet to discuss updates to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech EUAs for their COVID-19 vaccines to include younger populations. As the sponsors complete their submissions and the FDA reviews that data and information, it will provide additional details on scheduling of the VRBPAC meetings to discuss each EUA request.
On June 28, the FDA plans to convene the VRBPAC to discuss whether the SARS-CoV-2 strain composition of COVID-19 vaccines should be modified, and if so, which strain(s) should be selected for Fall 2022. This meeting is a follow-up to the April 6 VRBPAC meeting that discussed general considerations for future COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and the strain composition of COVID-19 vaccines to further meet public health needs.
“As we continue to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are a number of anticipated submissions and scientific questions that will benefit from discussion with our advisory committee members,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We are providing a tentative schedule for discussion of these submissions, as these meetings will cover a number of topics that are of great interest to the general public. The agency is committed to a thorough and transparent process that considers the input of our independent advisors and provides insight into our review of the COVID-19 vaccines. We intend to move quickly with any authorizations that are appropriate once our work is completed.”
Once the meeting dates are finalized, the FDA intends to make background materials available to the public, including the meeting agenda and committee roster, no later than two business days before each meeting…
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White House [U.S.] [to 07 May 2022]
Briefing Room – Selected Major COVID Announcements
No new digest content identified.
USAID [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Announcements
USAID Announces the Launch of its Updated Youth in Development Policy
May 6, 2022
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its updated Youth in Development Policy with a vision of a world in which young people have agency, rights, influence, and opportunities to pursue their life goals, and contribute to the development of their communities. The Policy aims to improve youth access, increase youth participation, and strengthen youth collective action to bring about change. Inclusive development is at the heart of this Policy, which promotes the inclusion of all youth, especially those with intersecting marginalized identities, to fully participate in decision-making as key partners.
The United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine
May 5, 2022
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing nearly $387 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine amid the Russian Federation’s war – an unprovoked aggression that has triggered staggering displacement and humanitarian need.
Europe: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
European Medicines Agency
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en
Latest Updates [Selected]
News
Joint statement: Ensuring high-quality viral hepatitis care for refugees from Ukraine
News – 3 May 2022
Accessed 07 May 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 5 May 2022
Standing with Ukraine: Commission announces new aid worth €200 million for displaced people
The Commission is announcing a new aid package of €200 million to support displaced people in Ukraine, in the context of the International Donor’s Conference convened jointly by Poland and Sweden.
Africa: COVID-19 – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/
Russia: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
Latest Updates [Selected]
[No new digest content identified; last announcement at 28.03.2022]
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
No new digest content identified.
Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)
https://www.icmr.gov.in/media.html
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
China: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment
Editor’s Note:
Given the context of COVID control strategies being employed in China, we include the full text of the commentary below. We also note this article from medRxiv
Assessing the feasibility of sustaining a ‘Zero-COVID’ policy in China in the era of highly transmissible variants
Yan Wang, Kaiyuan Sun, Zhaomin Feng, Lan Yi, Yanpeng Wu, Hengcong Liu, Quanyi Wang, Marco Ajelli, Cecile Viboud, Hongjie Yu
medRxiv 2022.05.07.22274792; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.07.22274792
CCDC Weekly Reports: Current Volume (4)
China CDC Weekly (Weekly) serves as a platform for China CDC, the national public health bulletin for China, and a platform to promote international collaboration for all issues related to global public health. The Weekly publishes authoritative professional information on national population health, disease and risk factor monitoring, investigation data, and important public health event investigation reports.
Commentary: Persevere in the Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategy in China to Gain a Precious Time Window for the Future
2022-05-06 / No. 18 COVID-19 ISSUE (26)
Jue Liu1; Min Liu1, Wannian Liang2,3, View author affiliations
According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), as of April 20, 2022, the cumulative number of confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the world had exceeded 500 million, with 6.20 million deaths and over 580,000 new confirmed cases on that day (1). As many countries have announced to relax quarantine policies, China is facing increasing pressure from overseas imports. All 31 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) of China have reported a total of 191,112 local confirmed cases, with 2,761 new confirmed cases, 17,166 new asymptomatic infections, and 7 new deaths (all in Shanghai Municipality) on April 19 (2). Recently, several local outbreaks in clusters have appeared in China, presenting a grim and complex situation with multiple spots, wide coverage, and frequent occurrence (3).
Omicron Spreads Quickly and Is Harmful to Those at Risk
The current epidemic was mainly caused by Omicron variant BA.2, which has a short incubation period, strong transmissibility, short serial interval, and a large ability of immune escape (4–5). It was found that the basic regeneration number (R0) of Omicron variant was about 9.5, and its maximum incubation period was about 9 days (4–5). The median incubation period was about 3 days, which was significantly shorter than that of the Delta variant (4.3 days) and other variants (5.0 days) (4–5). Its median serial interval was about 2.8 days (4–5).
It is reported that the proportion of asymptomatic infections of Omicron variant was relatively high (4). There are some reasons for this phenomenon. First, the characteristics of Omicron variant caused a higher proportion of asymptomatic infections than that of other variants. Second, some people did not develop symptoms even after being infected because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. Third, early detection can find infections at early stages when symptoms have not yet appeared. In addition, the training of medical staff to improve their ability to correctly conduct diagnosis and treatment, scientifically and reasonably determinate the asymptomatic and confirmed cases, also needed to be strengthened. According to the Statistics on the 5th Wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, the population-wide mortality rate caused by Omicron variant was 799 per million and for people over 80 years old was 10,408 per million ((6–7). According to the real-world data in Hong Kong, the fatality rate of the Omicron variant (0.76%) was significantly higher than that of influenza (0.1%), and it reached 10.4% among people over 80 years old (6–7). The elderly, people with underlying diseases, and those who had not been vaccinated were at high risk of severe illness and death. Of the 8,973 patients who died (0–112 years old) in Hong Kong, 96% were the elderly, and 88% were not fully vaccinated. Fortunately, a large real-world study in Hong Kong showed that three doses of either vaccination against COVID-19 offered very high levels of protection against severe illness and death caused by the Omicron variant (vaccine effectiveness 98.1%, 95% confidence interval: 97.1%, 98.8%) (8). Although the total vaccine coverage in the mainland of China is high, compared with adults, the two-dose or booster vaccination rate of the elderly and children was relatively low. In Shanghai, for example, the two-dose vaccination rate for people over 80 years old is only about 15% (9). There are still a large proportion of susceptible people.
The Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategy Is Still Required
China should still persevere in the Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategy. Putting people’s lives and health first is the fundamental starting point and goal of all prevention and control measures in China. Because of the large population, unbalanced regional development, and insufficient total medical resources, China will face the risk of serious runs of medical and health resources if the “lying flat” strategy is adopted (10). The health of many patients with underlying diseases, the elderly, children, and pregnant women will be seriously threatened, and the steady economic and social development will be seriously affected (10).
Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategy is the general guideline for China’s fight against COVID-19, which is also a summary of previous experiences in fighting against dozens of domestic clusters of outbreaks since 2020. The multiple rounds of COVID-19 have proved that the Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategy is in line with China’s national conditions and is the best option for China to fight the epidemic, which is based on the concept of “people first, life first.” China has the capability, the foundation, the conditions, and the toolkits to implement this strategy. Also, China has strong institutional advantages, professional teams, and the support of the public, which will form the greatest protection for life.
The core of the dynamic zero strategy lies in early detection, rapid containment, and cutting off transmission to prevent continuous spread and large-scale rebound of the epidemic (11). This is not about “zero infection” or “zero tolerance” of COVID-19, but about science and precision. The premise of precision is to be effective. In the face of the virus, we need to stay ahead. Zero community transmission refers to newly discovered infected persons being comprehensively found in quarantined and controlled populations without the possibility of spreading to the rest of society. The temporary inconveniences in some areas are for longer-term normal life and socioeconomic development of the population more broadly. We need to take a systematic approach and a long-term view to do the best to strike a better balance between epidemic prevention and control with socioeconomic development.
Seize the Opportunities to Gain Precious Time Window for the Future
At present, China has entered the fourth stage of comprehensive epidemic prevention and control, namely, “scientific, accurate, and dynamic COVID-zero” (10). Facing the rapidly spreading Omicron, in order to stop the spread of the epidemic in the community as soon as possible, we are supposed to make coordinated efforts to control the outbreak at early stages, including control of at-risk populations, detection, epidemiological investigation, transport, isolation, treatment, and other aspects (10). The Dynamic COVID-Zero Strategies adopted by China have won a precious time window for the future. China should seize this opportunity to speed up research and development of specific drugs and vaccines, accelerate the two or three-dose vaccination of the population, especially for the elderly and children, and strengthen the preparedness of resources for the future to finally defeat the virus at a minimal cost.
[Citations at title link above]
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[We did not identify official announcements about COVID response in Shanghai, Beijing or other China locations confirming the reports below; See China CDC below for additional announcements]
Beijing kicks off fresh round of COVID tests as Shanghai postpones crucial exams
Reuters, May 7, 202210:27 AM EDT
By Brenda Goh
SHANGHAI, May 7 (Reuters) – China’s capital Beijing kicked off a fresh round of mass testing for COVID-19 on Saturday and shut more bus routes and metro stations, as it seeks to avert the fate of Shanghai, where millions of residents have been locked down for over a month.
The draconian movement curbs on Shanghai, an economic and financial hub, have caused frustration among its 25 million residents and triggered rare protests over issues such as access to food and medical care, loss of income and crowded as well as unsanitary conditions at central quarantine centres.
While some people have been let out for light and air in recent weeks, residents for the most part say they still cannot leave their housing compounds.
Beijing is striving to avoid an explosion in cases like that of Shanghai, China’s largest city, by conducting rounds of mass testing, banning restaurant dining-in services in multiple districts and shutting more than 60 subway stations, about 15% of the network.
Shanghai cases have fallen for eight days and the city says its outbreak is under effective control, allowing it to shut some of the makeshift hospitals it raced to build as case numbers ballooned.
But authorities have also indicated that a full easing is still far off, warning against complacency to stick to China’s zero-COVID goal.
Underscoring that expectation, Shanghai officials on Saturday postponed the city’s “gaokao” university entrance exam by a month to early July. The last time that happened was in 2020, during the initial coronavirus outbreak.
The city’s top Communist Party official, Li Qiang, a close ally of President Xi Jinping, told a Friday government meeting that it was “necessary to issue military orders at all levels, and take more resolute and powerful actions to overcome the great war and great tests,” according to an official statement.
The number of infections in Shanghai outside areas under lockdown – a gauge of whether the city can further reopen – fell to 18 on Friday from 23 the day before. Total new cases declined slightly to around 4,000, data released on Saturday showed.
Shanghai is also building thousands of permanent PCR testing stations, in line with other cities, as China looks to make regular testing a feature of everyday life…
…But Chinese leaders this week reiterated their resolve to battle the virus, threatening action against critics of their strict measures. Beyond Shanghai, dozens of cities have imposed full or partial lockdowns, relaxing and tightening curbs at various times.
The measures are exacting a mounting economic toll that has fuelled complaints from global industry groups and businesses at home…
GPEI Polio
Polio this week as of 04 April 2022
Headlines
:: In a newly published article by Global Citizen, Senior Polio Epidemiologist Dr. Zubair Mufti Wadood discusses the impact of COVID-19 has had on polio vaccination campaigns. Read the article here.
Summary of new polioviruses this week:
– Pakistan: one WPV1 case
– Nigeria: three cVDPV2 cases and 11 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
Current Corporate Emergencies
Afghanistan
No new updates identified.
Northern Ethiopia
Ethiopia – Northern Ethiopia Humanitarian Update Situation Report, 7 May 2022
HIGHLIGHTS
Seeds and fertilizers need to urgently be availed for farmers across conflict-affected northern Ethiopia to support the Meher planting season which is just weeks away.
More than 11,000 displaced people and returnees received emergency shelter and non-food items in Amhara during the reporting period.
More than 28,000 people were reached with different health services in Tigray during the reporting week. 11 health partners are operating in 26 of the 88 woredas across six zones.
More than 58,000 people across Fanti Rasu and Kilbati Rasu zones in Afar received food assistance
Ukraine
Ukraine: Situation Report – Last updated: 6 May 2022
Intense fighting and bombardments are ongoing in eastern and southern Ukraine while missile attacks continue across the country.
The UN, in coordination with ICRC, supported the evacuation of civilians sheltering at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and nearby areas
WHO warns that the negative impacts of first the COVID-19 pandemic and now the conflict on health care and vaccination rates increase the risk of outbreaks of diseases.
As of 5 May, the UN and humanitarian partners have reached over 5.4 million people across Ukraine.
As of 1 May, WFP has reached nearly 920,000 people with food through the distribution of rapid response rations.
WHO & Regional Offices [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.who.int/news
6 May 2022
News release
WHO launches first ever global report on infection prevention and control
Reveals that good IPC programmes can reduce health care infections by 70%
5 May 2022
News release
14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021
[See COVID above for detail]
2 May 2022
Departmental news
WHO issues rapid communication on updated guidance for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis
2 May 2022
Departmental news
At your fingertip: New WHO Guide and online Repository of WHO tools for Evidence-informed Decision-making
2 May 2022
Departmental news
Integrating HIV and mental health services for better overall health
::::::
WHO Director General Speeches [selected]
https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches
Selected
5 May 2022
Speech
WHO Director-General’s remarks at the High-Level International Donors’ Conference for Ukraine
4 May 2022
Speech
WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the ninth meeting of the Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies – 4 May 2022
4 May 2022
Speech
WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the WHO press conference – 4 May 2022
::::::
WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region
:: East Africa steps up health emergency readiness, response 06 May 2022
Arusha, Tanzania – Five East African countries have held their first simulation exercise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to improve preparedness and bolster response to health emergencies.
WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: 6 May 2022 PAHO Establishes High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19
Commissioners will prepare recommendations to accelerate action on mental health in the Region, following the devastating effects of the pandemic Washington, DC, 6 May 2022 (PAHO) – Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), today launched the High-level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19. The…
:: 5 May 2022 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021
Geneva, 5 May 2022 – New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (described as “excess mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). “These sobering data not…
:: 4 May 2022 Brazil, PAHO and WHO share experiences to improve diagnosis and genomic surveillance of the COVID-19 virus
Brasilia, 4 May 2022 (PAHO) – Health authorities, managers, experts, and technical health surveillance teams have shared today (4) in the city of Brasilia, Brazil, experiences of 27 central public health laboratories of all Brazilian states, 13 laboratories located in border areas and 3 National Influenza Centres. The 1st National Exhibition of…
:: 4 May 2022 More must be done to protect nursing workforce as COVID cases rise in the Americas, says PAHO Director
Nurses play a central role in vaccination programs and in caring for those that fall ill. Countries must double investments and improve policies to support “backbone” of health care systems. Washington D.C., 4 May 2022 (PAHO) – As COVID cases and hospitalizations once again rise in the Americas – by 12.7% since last week – the Pan American Health…
WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Countries in WHO South-East Asia Region renew commitment to eliminate malaria by 2030
New Delhi | 5 May 2022 The WHO South-East Asia Region today renewed its commitment to eliminate malaria by 2030, with countries pledging accelerated action and greater efforts at the sub-national and community levels.
WHO European Region EURO
:: 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 05-05-2022
WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Statement by the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in the context of COVID-19 Cairo, Egypt, 1 May 2022
WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.
::::::
Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
Latest WHO Disease Outbreak News (DONs), providing information on confirmed acute public health events or potential events of concern.
6 May 2022 | Avian Influenza A (H5N1) – United States of America
::::::
WHO Events
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/1
[Selected]
Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly WHA 75
22-28 May 2022
:: Provisional agenda A75/1 Rev.1
::::::
New WHO Publications
https://www.who.int/publications/i
Selected Titles
5 May 2022
Emergency in Ukraine: external situation report #10, published 5 May 2022: reporting period: 28 April…
2 May 2022
Rapid communication: Key changes to the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis
2 May 2022
Evidence. Knowledge Translation. Impact.
CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Media Statement
CDC Recommendation for Masks and Travel
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
At this time, CDC recommends that everyone aged 2 and older – including passengers and workers – properly wear a well-fitting mask or respirator over the nose and mouth in indoor areas of public transportation (such as airplanes, trains, etc.) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, etc.). When people properly wear a well-fitting mask or respirator, they protect themselves and those around them, and help keep travel and public transportation safer for everyone. Wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator is most beneficial in crowded or poorly ventilated locations, such as airport jetways. We also encourage operators of public transportation and transportation hubs to support mask wearing by all people, including employees.
This public health recommendation is based on the currently available data, including an understanding of domestic and global epidemiology, circulating variants and their impact on disease severity and vaccine effectiveness, current trends in COVID-19 Community Levels within the United States, and projections of COVID-19 trends in the coming months…
ACIP Meetings
Next ACIP Meeting
June 22-23
No Agenda posted at inquiry
MMWR Weekly: Current Volume (71) May 6, 2022 / No. 18
PDF of this issuepdf icon
Use of a Modified Preexposure Prophylaxis Vaccination Schedule to Prevent Human Rabies: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2022
West Nile Virus and Other Domestic Nationally Notifiable Arboviral Diseases — United States, 2020
Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Additional Primary or Booster Vaccine Dose in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Nursing Home Residents During Widespread Circulation of the Omicron Variant — United States, February 14–March 27, 2022
Acute Hepatitis and Adenovirus Infection Among Children — Alabama, October 2021−February 2022
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Approximately 25 announcements/reports/data summaries.
:: 5/6/22 Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 06 May 2022 06:00:00 EST
Africa CDC [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
Announcements
Africa CDC Announces 2nd Annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2022), 13-15 December 2022, Kigali, Rwanda
5 May 2022
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 07 May 2022]
https://www.airfinity.com/insights
INSIGHTS & COMPANY NEWS
No new digest content identified.
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 07 May 2022]
https://alleninstitute.org/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.
BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 07 May 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 07 May 2022]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
:: Past weekly editions of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: Informed Consent: A Monthly Review – MAY 2022is now posted here
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 07 May 2022]
New expert appointments to CEPI’s Board and Scientific Advisory Committee
New appointments to CEPI Board and SAC along with announcement of CEPI’s first Global Goodwill Ambassador
News 06 May 2022
Independent External Review of CEPI’s COVID-19 Vaccine Development Agreements Published
The review was carried out by the University of Georgetown’s O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law.
05 May 2022
[See COVID above for detail]
DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [U.S.] [to 07 May 2022
News
No new digest content identified.
Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 07 May 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 07 May 2022]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.
European Vaccine Initiative [to 07 May 2022]
Latest News, Events
No new digest content identified.
Evidence Aid [to 07 May 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.
Vaccination status of migrants and refugees in Europe Added May 3, 2022 Citation: Mipatrini D, Stefanelli P, Severoni S, et al. Vaccinations in migrants and refugees: a challenge for European health systems. A systematic review of current scientific evidence. Pathogens and Global Health. 2017;111(2):59-68.
Fondation Merieux [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Mérieux Foundation & University of Geneva co-organized event
22nd Advanced Vaccinology Course (ADVAC)
May 9 – 20, 2022 – Les Pensières Center for Global Health, Veyrier-du-Lac (France)
Gavi [to 07 May 2022]
News Releases
No new digest content identified.
GHIT Fund [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
Global Fund [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
04 May 2022
COVID-19 Clinical Therapeutics
In this operational update, we would like to give you an update on COVID-19 testing and therapeutics that can be currently supported through the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM), following WHO guidelines.
03 May 2022
Global Fund Appoints Susie Rhee as General Counsel and Head of the Legal & Governance Department
The Global Fund is pleased to announce the appointment of Susie Rhee as the new General Counsel and Head of the Legal & Governance Department.
Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 07 May 2022]
News
No new digest content identified
Hilleman Laboratories [to 07 May 2022]
News & Insights
No new digest content identified
HHMI – Howard Hughes Medical Institute [to 07 May 2022]
Press Room
Research May 05 2022
Cutting Calories and Eating at the Right Time of Day Leads to Longer Life in Mice
In a study that followed hundreds of mice over their lifespans, calorie restriction combined with time-restricted eating boosted longevity.
Human Vaccines Project [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/
News
HVP COVID Report
Apr 28, 2022
Neil M. Vora: Protecting Nature, Preventing Pandemics
IAVI [to 07 May 2022]
Latest News
May 6, 2022
IAVI salutes the confirmation of John Nkengasong as head of PEPFAR
Nkengasong was a founding leader of PEPFAR and has served on IAVI’s board of directors.
ICRC [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
What’s New [Selected]
Message on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2022
“Tutti Fratelli!” We are brothers and sisters, exclaimed the women of Castiglione after the devastating battle of Solferino in 1859.
08-05-2022 | Statement
Ukraine: “Level of death, destruction and misery abhorrent and unacceptable”
05-05-2022 | Statement
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 07 May 2022]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Press Releases [Selected]
Horn of Africa: IFRC Secretary General visits Kenya as worst drought in 40 years looms for millions
06/05/2022 | Press release
Institut Pasteur [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press Documents
Press release
04.05.2022
HIV: bestowing CD8+ T cells with properties observed in natural controllers
HIV controllers are rare individuals able to control infection naturally without treatment. CD8+ T immune cells play a…
IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
News – Selected
No new digest content identified.
ISC / International Science Council [to 07 May 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.
Press Documents
No new digest content identified.
International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS)
News/Events [Selected]
2022 International Day of Immunology
April 26, 2022
IVAC [to 07 May 2022]
Updates; Events
Originally published on ImmunizationEconomics.org (April 27, 2022)
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new standardized toolkit to assess equity in vaccine coverage. The VERSE Equity Toolkit compares the level of vaccine coverage against the level of equity and quantifies the influence of key sociodemographic factors to inequity.
IVI [to 07 May 2022]
IVI News & Announcements
IVI, SmileGate, partners team up to vaccinate 28,000 people in Nepal
May 4, 2022, SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), in collaboration with SmileGate in Korea and Nepalese partners, will vaccinate 28,000 people against cholera to help prevent and control outbreaks in Nepal in May 2022…
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 07 May 2022]
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Tuberculosis
WHO approves MSF MDR-TB trial regimen, but prices must come down
Press Release 4 May 2022
National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 07 May 2022]
News [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
National Academy of Sciences – USA [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/
News
No new digest content identified.
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.
NIH [to 07 May 2022]
News Releases
No new digest content identified.
OECD [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
Newsroom/Library
Growth and economic well-being: Fourth quarter 2021, OECD
Household income falls slightly in OECD area in Q4 2021, despite continuing GDP growth
5 May 2022
OXFAM [to 07 May 2022]
Reaction to WTO TRIP’s waiver “outcome”
4 May 2022
Responding to the WTO’s published ‘outcome’ of negotiations over a waiver of Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS), Max Lawson, Head of Inequality Policy for Oxfam and co-chair of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said:
“This text is a recognition that WTO rules on intellectual property are a clear barrier to ensuring people get the vaccines, tests, and treatments they need. It is a tragedy that it has taken almost two years and millions of deaths to reach this point and a travesty that the action proposed today falls well short of what is needed.
“The text as it stands continues to place pharmaceutical corporate interests over the needs of global health. It adds more unnecessary barriers than existed before negotiations began and failure to act now on treatments and tests is inexcusable.
“This is not the TRIPS waiver supported by over 100 governments. It is not endorsed by any member other than the EU. And it is utterly insufficient for a pandemic that has killed an estimated 20 million people and rising.
“WTO member states must urgently deliver a genuine intellectual property waiver that will turn the tide on global vaccine, test, and treatment inequality and make a difference to controlling this virus. If WTO negotiations cannot deliver that after two years of a deadly pandemic, then we must admit that the institution is not fit for purpose.”
PATH [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
Hanoi, Vietnam, May 3, 2022—A new article published in the Clinical Liver Disease journal presents impactful results from a novel community-based and HIV integrated hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing model in Vietnam, a country where 8.8 million people are estimated to be living with HBV and HCV infection, yet 80 to 90 percent are undiagnosed and untreated. These findings are drawn from HepLINK, a PATH-led initiative in partnership with The Hepatitis Fund that seeks to provide learning in ways to best increase access to viral hepatitis screening, diagnosis, and treatment within primary and community health care…
Rockefeller Foundation [to 07 May 2022]
Selected Reports/Press Releases
Apr 28 2022
Press Releases
[See COVID above for detail]
Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
UNAIDS [to 07 May 2022]
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
5 May 2022
Jamaica commits to improving social protection
3 May 2022
“A litmus test of civilization” – How the war in Ukraine has impacted LGBTI people
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
UNHCR and TikTok launch campaign in solidarity with refugees from Ukraine and beyond
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and TikTok launch a hashtag challenge and live concert series #TheWorldNeeds, using music to bring people together and promote solidarity with refugees
04 May 2022
UNICEF [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Press Releases, News Notes, Statements [Selected]
Every day that the war in Ukraine continues is a nightmare for millions of children.
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/every-day-war-ukraine-continues-nightmare-millions-children
Unitaid [to 07 May 2022]
Featured News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Equity Cooperative [nee Initiative] [to 07 May 2022]
News
No new digest content identified.
Vaccination Acceptance & Demand Initiative [Sabin) [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.vaccineacceptance.org/
Announcements, Blog
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Confidence Project [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
No new digest content identified.
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.
Wellcome Trust [to 07 May 2022]
News. Opinion, Reports
No new digest content identified.
The Wistar Institute [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 07 May 2022]
Latest News – Blog
No new digest content identified.
World Bank [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
World Bank Increases its COVID-19 Assistance to Solomon Islands
Additional US$8 million to provide immediate support to COVID-19 emergency response, vaccine access and health system strengthening HONIARA, May 2, 2022 – With Solomon Islands’ COVID-19 situation having…
Date: May 02, 2022 Type: Press Release
World Customs Organization – WCO [to 07 May 2022]
Latest News
03 May 2022
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.oie.int/en/media/news/
Press Releases, Statements
No new digest content identified.
WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 07 May 2022]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events [Selected]
TRIPS Council hears initial reactions to Quad’s outcome document on IP COVID-19 response
6 May 2022
At a meeting of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on 6 May, WTO members discussed the outcome document that has recently emerged from the informal process conducted with the Quad (the European Union, India, South Africa and the United States) for an intellectual property (IP) response to COVID-19. Members also adopted the oral status report that will be submitted by the chair of the TRIPS Council, Ambassador Lansana Gberie of Sierra Leone, to the General Council scheduled for 9-10 May.
[See Milestones above for detail]
WTO, generic drug makers explore cooperation for increased access to therapeutics
2 May 2022
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the CEO Advisory Committee of the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) held on 2 May a virtual meeting to discuss how to promote international health equity and access to therapeutics. The meeting marked the initial step towards a continuing dialogue aimed at contributing to the fight against the pandemic and securing global public health beyond the current health crisis.
Quad’s outcome document on IP COVID-19 response made public
3 May 2022
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala put forward on 3 May the outcome document that emerged from the informal process conducted with the Quad (the European Union, India, South Africa and the United States) for an intellectual property response to COVID-19.
[See Milestones above for detail]
::::::
ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 07 May 2022]
Selected Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
BIO [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Release
No new digest content identified.
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 07 May 2022]
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.
ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 07 May 2022]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
ICBA Statement on Tabled WTO TRIPS Waiver Text
[Undated]
Steve Bates, Chair of ICBA said “Now that the text is open to public scrutiny after its formal proposal by the WTO Director-General, it is clear that what is proposed would do nothing to solve
[See Milestones above for detail]
IFPMA [to 07 May 2022]
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
May 3, 2022
The newly established IGBA CEO Advisory Committee, a forum for generic and biosimilar medicines industry leaders to discuss broad, strategic issues, and to engage and position the industry on a range of critical policy matters, held its inaugural meeting on Monday, May 2 and launched initial discussions with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“During the discussions with Dr. Ngozi, members of IGBA’s new CEO Advisory Committee outlined the essential role of generic and biosimilar medicines in global patient care and the significant contribution of the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented Vivian Frittelli, Chair of the IGBA Management Committee.
“Members of the Advisory Committee welcomed the WTO’s efforts to promote barrier-free trade and protect a resilient global supply chain for medicines, and the importance of promoting a balanced approach to competition and innovation to enable patients to benefit from a competitive pharmaceutical marketplace” Frittelli said. “Achieving greater predictability is a critical underpinning of improved access to medicines, and this will be one area of focus for ongoing discussions and action with the WTO moving forward,” Vivian Frittelli concluded.
International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations – IAPO [to 07 May 2022]
https://www.iapo.org.uk/news/topic/6
Press and media [Selected]
No new digest content identified.
PhRMA [to 07 May 2022]
Latest News [Selected]
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.
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 