Author Archives: davidrcurry

The story behind COVID-19 vaccines

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Science
09 April 2021 Vol 372, Issue 6538
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

Editorial
The story behind COVID-19 vaccines
By Anthony S. Fauci
Science 09 Apr 2021 : 109
Amid the staggering amount of suffering and death during this historic pandemic of COVID-19, a remarkable success story stands out. The development of several highly efficacious vaccines against a previously unknown viral pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in less than 1 year from the identification of the virus is unprecedented in the history of vaccinology. A frequently asked question is how such an extraordinary accomplishment could have been realized in such a short time frame, when timelines for other vaccines are measured in years if not decades. In fact, concern about this truncated timeline has contributed in part to the hesitancy in accepting these vaccines. What is not fully appreciated is that the starting point of the timeline for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was not 10 January 2020, when the Chinese published the genetic sequence of the virus. Rather, it began decades earlier, out of the spotlight.

Two activities predate the successful COVID-19 vaccines: the utilization of highly adaptable vaccine platforms such as RNA (among others) and the adaptation of structural biology tools to design agents (immunogens) that powerfully stimulate the immune system. The RNA approach evolved over several years owing to the ingenuity of individual scientists, including Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó, and the concentrated efforts of several biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

The discovery of an immunogen adaptable to the multiple platforms (messenger RNA and others) used for COVID-19 vaccines resulted from collaboration across different scientific subspecialities. At the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a group led by Peter Kwong had for several years used tools of structure-based vaccine design to determine the optimal structural conformation of a trimeric protein on the surface of the virus (the envelope protein) that allows HIV to bind to cells and ultimately trigger the production of antibodies that neutralize many HIV viral strains. Although this sophisticated approach has not yet led to a successful HIV vaccine, it caught the attention of another VRC investigator, Barney Graham, who was interested in generating a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Graham joined Jason McLellan (of Kwong’s team) to adapt a structure-based approach to an RSV vaccine. They identified the prefusion conformation of the viral spike protein as highly immunogenic and created mutations to stabilize that conformation for successful use as an immunogen. This was a huge step toward the creation of a successful RSV vaccine.

VRC researchers and colleagues then built on the RSV advances. Graham’s team, including Kizzmekia Corbett, and collaborators in the laboratories of McLellan and Andrew Ward adopted this approach of mutational stabilization of prefusion proteins in their work on the spike protein of the coronaviruses that cause Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). So, when the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 became available, Graham’s team lost no time in joining their long-time collaborators at Moderna to develop an RNA vaccine using a stabilized, prefusion spike protein as the immunogen. Pfizer and BioNTech, where Karikó was working, also used the RNA platform that she and Weissman had perfected and the immunogen designed by Graham to develop an RNA vaccine. Additional companies also used Graham’s immunogen in other vaccine platforms that had been evolving for years, to make SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on the new immunogen rapidly moved to clinical trials. Several of these vaccines were tested in phase 3 efficacy trials at a time when the level of community spread of SARS-CoV-2 was extremely high, allowing vaccine efficacy endpoints of greater than 90% to be reached in a timely fashion. The speed and efficiency with which these highly efficacious vaccines were developed and their potential for saving millions of lives are due to an extraordinary multidisciplinary effort involving basic, preclinical, and clinical science that had been under way—out of the spotlight—for decades before the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the stories and recounting of this pandemic are written, it is important that this history not be forgotten, as we are reminded once again of the societal value of a sustained and robust support of our scientific enterprise.

The incubation period during the pandemic of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

 

Systematic review update
The incubation period during the pandemic of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The aim of our study was to determine through a systematic review and meta-analysis the incubation period of COVID-19. It was conducted based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-an…
Authors: Wafa Dhouib, Jihen Maatoug, Imen Ayouni, Nawel Zammit, Rim Ghammem, Sihem Ben Fredj and Hassen Ghannem
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2021 10:101
Published on: 8 April 2021

The informed consent process in health research with under-served populations: a realist review protocol

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Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

 

https://stm.sciencemag.org/
Protocol
The informed consent process in health research with under-served populations: a realist review protocol
The informed consent process aims to provide potential participants with information about health research that enables them to make an informed decision as to whether they choose to participate, or not. Howev…
Authors: Eleanor Hoverd, Sophie Staniszewska and Jeremy Dale
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2021 10:103
Published on: 9 April 2021

Meningococcal carriage among Hajj pilgrims, risk factors for carriage and records of vaccination: a study of pilgrims to Mecca

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Tropical Medicine & International Health
Volume 26, Issue 4 Pages: i-iv, 385-502 April 2021
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/13653156/current

 

Original Research Papers
Meningococcal carriage among Hajj pilgrims, risk factors for carriage and records of vaccination: a study of pilgrims to Mecca
Abrar Alasmari et al
Pages: 453-461
First Published: 08 January 2021

Workplace influenza vaccination to reduce employee absenteeism: An economic analysis from the employers’ perspective

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 14 Pages 1877-2016 (1 April 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/14

 

Research article Abstract only
Workplace influenza vaccination to reduce employee absenteeism: An economic analysis from the employers’ perspective
Frederik Verelst, Philippe Beutels, Niel Hens, Lander Willem

Impact of Media Coverage on Influenza Vaccine Coverage in Elderly Individuals from 2020 to 2021 in the Republic of Korea

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

 

Open Access Communication
Impact of Media Coverage on Influenza Vaccine Coverage in Elderly Individuals from 2020 to 2021 in the Republic of Korea
by Yunhyung Kwon et al
Vaccines 2021, 9(4), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040367 (registering DOI) – 10 Apr 2021
Abstract
Increased awareness of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) can disrupt vaccination programs. In South Korea, a report of alleged influenza vaccine-related deaths attracted significant media attention in 2020. We retrieved the vaccination coverage and AEFI data to determine their association with media coverage. […

Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

 

Open Access Article
Correcting HPV Vaccination Misinformation Online: Evaluating the HPV Vaccination NOW Social Media Campaign
by Beth Sundstrom et al
Vaccines 2021, 9(4), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040352 – 06 Apr 2021
Abstract
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides protection from six HPV-related cancers. Approximately half of South Carolina adolescents have not completed the vaccination series, representing a missed opportunity to prevent cancer. The HPV Vaccination NOW: This is Our Moment social media campaign is an [...]

What Is the State-of-the-Art in Clinical Trials on Vaccine Hesitancy 2015–2020?

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

 

Open Access Review
What Is the State-of-the-Art in Clinical Trials on Vaccine Hesitancy 2015–2020?
by Carla Pires
Vaccines 2021, 9(4), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040348 – 05 Apr 2021
Abstract
Background: Vaccine hesitancy is related to a delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination. Aim: to perform a systematic review of clinical trials on vaccine hesitancy (2015–2020). Methods: a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria (PRISMA). […]

Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews With Costs and Cost-Effectiveness Outcomes: An ISPOR Good Practices Task Force Report

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Value in Health
April 2021 Volume 24 Issue 4 p463-604
https://www.valueinhealthjournal.com/current

 

ISPOR REPORT
Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews With Costs and Cost-Effectiveness Outcomes: An ISPOR Good Practices Task Force Report
Olena (Lena) Mandrik, J.L. (Hans) Severens, Ariel Bardach,…Luke Vale, Torbjørn Wisløff, Jeremy D. Goldhaber-Fiebert
Published in issue: April 2021

Engaging the Voices of Children: A Scoping Review of How Children and Adolescents Are Involved in the Development of Quality-of-Life–Related Measures

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Value in Health
April 2021 Volume 24 Issue 4 p463-604
https://www.valueinhealthjournal.com/current

 

PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES
Engaging the Voices of Children: A Scoping Review of How Children and Adolescents Are Involved in the Development of Quality-of-Life–Related Measures
Jessica Willis, Dena Zeratkaar, Julia ten Hove, Peter Rosenbaum, Gabriel M. Ronen
Published online: December 28, 2020
Highlights
:: Children and adolescents should participate in content development of patient-reported outcomes about themselves.
:: Focus groups and interviews are the most frequently used qualitative methods to elicit the content of interest.
:: Play activities help children communicate their experiences and feelings.
:: There is limited consistency in how researchers undertake and report their methodologies.
:: This review highlights the value of dedicated qualitative papers to report development of patient-reported outcomes.
Conclusions
Researchers frequently involve children and adolescents in qualitative methods when developing QoL-related measures; however, there is little information about the methods used. Better reporting of methodology, improved dissemination of methods guidelines, and research into optimal ways of including children and adolescents in the process of instrument development would be useful.

Media/Policy Watch

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Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.
The sheer volume of vaccine and pandemic-related coverage is extraordinary. We will strive to present the most substantive analysis and commentary we encounter.

 

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
Ideas
What America’s Vaccination Campaign Proves to the World
The U.S. stumbled early in the pandemic, but the vaccine rollout could reboot the country’s image.
Apr 10. 2021
Anne Applebaum, Staff writer at The Atlantic

Politics
Vaccine Refusal Will Come at a Cost—For All of Us
People who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine will have higher health-care costs. The rest of us will foot the bill.
Edward-Isaac Dovere
Apr 10. 2021

Health
A Better Solution Than Laminating Your Vaccine Card
Political grandstanding about vaccine passports serves no one.
James Hamblin
April 9, 2021

 

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
The Americas
Cuba may become the smallest country to make covid-19 vaccines …
Whether they will be approved elsewhere remains to be seen
Apr 10th 2021 edition

 

Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
Coronavirus: Georgia pauses J&J vaccine at one site following adverse reactions — as it happened
India rejects vaccine shortage claims
April 9, 2021

 

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
Snapshot April 5, 2021
The New Age of Protectionism
Wealthy democratic governments have pushed liberal market principles aside in the face of vaccine shortages.
Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman

 

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
China Brief
China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Has Mixed Results
Concerns about the efficacy of Sinovac and Sinopharm has dented their reputation, even among allies of Beijing.
By James Palmer
| April 7, 2021, 5:59 PM

 

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
U.S.
Incarcerated and Infected: How the Virus Tore Through the U.S. Prison System
Since March 2020, New York Times reporters have tracked every known coronavirus case in every correctional setting in the nation. More than 2,700 inmates have died.
By Eddie Burkhalter, Izzy Colón, Brendon Derr, Lazaro Gamio, Rebecca Griesbach, Ann Hinga Klein, Danya Issawi, K.b. Mensah, Derek M. Norman, Savannah Redl, Chloe Reynolds, Emily Schwing, Libby Seline, Rachel Sherman, Maura Turcotte and Timothy Williams
April 10

Asia Pacific
Complacency and Missteps Deepen a Covid-19 Crisis in India
The new wave will hurt global efforts and vaccine supplies, experts say. Researchers are scrambling to assess whether new coronavirus variants are playing a role in India.
By Mujib Mashal and Hari Kumar
April 9

Economy
I.M.F. Seminar Stresses Importance of Global Vaccinations
Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, emphasized the economic need for worldwide vaccinations on Thursday.
By Reuters
April 9

 

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
J&J vaccine problems hamper US military vaccines overseas
WASHINGTON — U.S. military leaders said Thursday that recent problems with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have made it more difficult to provide shots for forces overseas, and that vaccines have been offered to service members’ families or other tier two beneficiaries in only 40% of the military sites outside the U.S.
Apr 8, 2021

Think Tanks et al

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Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new digest content identified]
 
 
Center for Global Development [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Publication
One Year Later: How Africa is Tackling the Pandemic and Preparing for a Post-COVID World
Event
4/7/21
While the COVID-19 pandemic has setback development outcomes across the globe, Africa has felt the economic effects of the pandemic strongly. COVID-19 pushed about 30 million Africans into extreme poverty, with vulnerable groups disproportionately impacted, and the continent experienced its first recession in half a century. Fiscal deficits have reached historic highs, and the debt-to-GDP ratio Africa is expected to increase significantly to over 70 percent in 2021 from 60 percent in 2019, raising concerns of debt sustainability. At the same time, outcomes in education, routine vaccination, and equality have suffered.

April 5, 2021
A New IMF Pandemic Window Could Provide $30 Billion to Finance Vaccines for Developing Countries
While those lucky enough to live in the United States or Europe fret about the extra weeks before their vaccine jab is scheduled, 6 billion people in developing countries will need to wait months, if not years. COVID-19 vaccine production lags far behind demand, and one reason why developing countries find themselves at the back of the queue is that they were unable collectively to make the firm financial offers for advance purchases when these vaccines were still in the making.
Masood Ahmed, John Hicklin and Hannah Brown

4/5/21
Vaccine Financing: How a Redesigned IMF Instrument Can Provide a Shot in the Arm for the Global Pandemic Response
Publication
A new IMF rapid credit window could provide some $30 billion to cover the vaccine financing needs for most developing countries through 2021-22. The mechanism would facilitate collective action to negotiate increased production, the main obstacle to achieving vaccine coverage and rectifying the gross inequities in current distribution. It would remain in place for future global pandemic responses.

April 5, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate: Will the US Catch Up with the Rest of the World?
As economies start opening up, the COVID Vaccine Certificate is increasingly becoming a ticket to return to normality, lifting restrictions on work, travel and leisure. Because of the formidable constraints, any US path to a CVC should start with a light touch.
Alan Gelb and Anit Mukherjee
 
 
Chatham House [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new digest content identified]

 
 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
On-Demand Event
Trusting a Covid-19 Vaccine: What’s Next?
April 9, 2021

 
 
Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
April 9, 2021 News Release
Vaccine Monitor: More than Half of Rural Residents Have Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine or Intend to Do So as Soon as Possible
More than half (54%) of rural adults say they have already gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or will do so as soon as possible, as rural residents report less issues with both supply and access than those living in urban and suburban areas, according to a…

April 7, 2021 News Release
Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
As the vaccine rollout continues across the country, a key question is whether and how far governments and employers can go to require the public and workers to get vaccinated. Our new issue brief explains the legal basis for vaccine mandates and what limitations might apply.

April 6, 2021 News Release
KFF/Post Survey Reveals the Serious Mental Health Challenges Facing Frontline Health Care Workers a Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic
About 1 in 6 Tested Positive for COVID-19, though Few Experienced Major Symptoms; Those Working in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities Most Likely to Report Testing Positive More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of frontline health care workers say the crisis is taking a toll…
 
 
World Economic Forum [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/
Media
Accessed 10 Apr 2021
[No new digest content identified]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 3 April 2021

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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: 

vaccines-and-global-health_the-week-in-review_3-apr-2021Download

– 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

Highlights from the Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization – 22-24 March 2021

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

Highlights from the Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization – 22-24 March 2021
(Full report will be published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record on 4 June 2021, and only the wording of the full report should be considered as final.)
Ebola Vaccines
:: Two Ebola vaccines have been licensed. One has been WHO prequalified (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GPvaccine) and the other is under review(Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccines administered as a heterologous prime boost 8 weeks apart).
:: In the context of an Ebola Vaccine Disease (EVD) outbreak response, SAGE made a recommendation for off-label use of the two Ebola vaccines to include infants and children from birth to 17 years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women.
:: SAGE reconfirmed its previous recommendation to use a ring vaccination strategy for EVD outbreak response.
:: Given current vaccine supply constraints and the unknown duration of protection, wide-spread preventive use of Ebola vaccines in the absence of an outbreak is currently not recommended.
:: SAGE requested the development of a learning agenda to more broadly examine the potential preventive role of Ebola vaccines and to provide more clarity on vaccine use and vaccine demand in the longer term.
:: SAGE urged manufacturers to increase production capacity to meet the expected vaccine demand resulting from the recommendations.

 

Polio
:: SAGE was pleased to note a significant drop in wild poliovirus detections in the endemic areas during the past 6 months. However, SAGE expressed concern about the inability of the program to effectively control outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Africa and Asia. SAGE noted that the first cVDPV2 outbreak response campaign with novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) was conducted in Nigeria in March 2021.
:: SAGE recommended that WHO prequalified Sabin-based IPV may be used interchangeably with the traditional Salk-based IPV.•SAGE agreed with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative plan for transition from initial to wider nOPV2 use for response to cVDPV2 outbreaks, contingent on safety and genetic stability reviews.
:: SAGE recommended that vigorous efforts be made to improve inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) coverage in locations at risk of cVDPV2 outbreaks to reduce the number of susceptible children before transmission or outbreaks can occur.
:: SAGE urged all countries at risk of cVDPV2 outbreaks to prepare to meet the criteria for use of nOPV2 and to complete a readiness assessment.
:: SAGE emphasized that the priority for countries experiencing cVDPV2 outbreaks is to conduct high quality outbreak responses without delay, with whichever oral polio vaccine is available to them.

 

COVID-19 Vaccines
Review of interim data on Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine products
:: Interim analyses of clinical trial data for two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, one from Sinovac and one from Sinopharm, were presented to SAGE. Both vaccines are already in use in many countries, but neither product has received authorization by a stringent regulatory authority. Both companies have submitted dossiers for their products to WHO for emergency use listing. SAGE will consider policy recommendations for each vaccine once emergency use listing by WHO is obtained. Vaccines demonstrated safety and good efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease but both vaccines lacked data in older age groups and in persons with comorbidities. Post-introduction vaccine effectiveness and safety studies will be needed to address the impact on those sub-populations.

 

Review of case definitions and clinical endpoints used in trials for COVID-19 vaccines
:: SAGE noted that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy results from different trials cannot be directly compared against each other. They must be interpreted in the context of study designs(including case definitions, clinical endpoints, access to testing), target populations, and COVID-19 epidemiologic conditions (including circulation of variants of concern).
:: SAGE therefore requested thatCOVID-19 vaccine communications avoid direct comparisons of vaccine efficacies between COVID-19 vaccine products and instead discuss vaccines in their totality, taking into consideration their characteristics with regards to vaccine logistics, programmatic ease and safety in addition to vaccine efficacy.

 

COVID-19 Variants
:: SAGE requested that data on performance against variants of concern (VOCs)be gathered for all COVID-19 vaccines.
:: Methods and approaches to collect data on vaccine performance against VOCs should be harmonized and laboratory, clinical and observational data should be triangulated.
:: If VOCs significantly change the performance of vaccines, implications for vaccination strategies will need to be considered.

 

COVID-19 Vaccination and Early Learning
:: SAGE noted that it was valuable for countries to share lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccine rollout in order to benefit from each other’s experiences.
:: Introduction of COVID-19 vaccination and reaching adults for vaccination is complex. This effort benefits from strong political will; comprehensive communication and community engagement; robust microplanning; interoperable digital tools which allow registration, safety monitoring, vaccine stock management, follow-up reminders, and vaccination certificates; and which engages partners and stakeholders, including the private sector.
:: Introduction of COVID-19 vaccination should be taken as an opportunity for strengthening broader immunization and health systems to resolve existing weaknesses and to meet future needs for robust essential health services.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine safety
:: To date, post-introduction safety data from COVID-19 vaccines give assurance that safety surveillance is performing well and that rare adverse events are being captured. The response to the global pandemic has contributed to the strengthening of safety monitoring systems at global, regional and national levels.
:: Safety signals for the four COVID-19 vaccines with WHO interim recommendations for use that were analysed by the Global Advisory Committee for Vaccine SafetyCOVID-19 subcommittee show that the overall benefits in preventing severe disease and deaths from SARS-COV-2 infection remain favourable and outweigh any identified risks with these vaccines.
:: Appropriate communication on the benefit-risk profile of COVID-19 vaccines remains crucial to maintain confidence in immunization programmes and to avoid vaccine hesitancy. Furthermore, there is a need to carefully consider the negative consequences of rigorously applying precautionary principles to suspend vaccinations while a safety signal is still being investigated.

 

Measles Rubella
:: SAGE recognized that measles control and elimination efforts need significant improvement. Current measles and rubella policies are appropriate, but there are major issues related to policy implementation and sub-national heterogeneity. Given the ongoing and increasing risk of measles outbreaks, SAGE supported urgent implementation of the Measles Outbreaks Strategic Response Plan. :: SAGE strongly advised WHO and partners to maintain resources for measles and rubella efforts and to restore those that have been redeployed to the COVID-19 response, given the growing immunity gaps and increasing risk of measles outbreaks.
:: SAGE strongly advocated more research and innovation on measles and rubella, including faster progress on subnational data science and the development of measles rubella microarray patch vaccines and Rapid Diagnostic Tests as potential game-changers.
:: SAGE recommends measles rubella andCOVID-19 vaccine co-administration studies be planned and executed to facilitate health worker immunization and eventually measles rubella vaccination catch-up as COVID-19 vaccination roll out extends to younger age groups.

 

Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake
:: SAGE was presented with an update on the field of work in relation to acceptance and uptake of vaccination, and a summary of work currently underway to develop tools and guidance to measure and address behavioural and social drivers of vaccination. Workout puts will include core indicators as well as corresponding interventions most likely to affect attitudes, intentions and uptake.
:: Much has been learned in recent years on how to equitably and sustainably drive vaccine acceptance and uptake for vaccination, particularly with regards to childhood vaccination.
:: The latest evidence and knowledge have enabled development of a framework to illustrate that uptake is affected by what people think and feel, social influences, motivation, and
44practical/logistical factors. This framework enables a holistic determination of the full range of possible drivers to enable comprehensiveness in the measures.
:: The current context (given the challenges and opportunities for both routine immunization and for COVID-19 vaccination) highlights the importance of supporting programmes to gather and use behavioural and social data to determine how different factors contribute to under-vaccination, and to identify evidence-based interventions that are prioritized and adapted locally.

Joint Statement – “International Pandemic Treaty”

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Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

 

Joint Statement – “International Pandemic Treaty”

COVID-19 shows why united action is needed for more robust international health architecture
30 March 2021
[Editor’s text bolding]
The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge to the global community since the 1940s. At that time, following the devastation of two world wars, political leaders came together to forge the multilateral system. The aims were clear: to bring countries together, to dispel the temptations of isolationism and nationalism, and to address the challenges that could only be achieved together in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, namely peace, prosperity, health and security.

Today, we hold the same hope that as we fight to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic together, we can build a more robust international health architecture that will protect future generations. There will be other pandemics and other major health emergencies. No single government or multilateral agency can address this threat alone. The question is not if, but when. Together, we must be better prepared to predict, prevent, detect, assess and effectively respond to pandemics in a highly coordinated fashion. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark and painful reminder that nobody is safe until everyone is safe.

We are, therefore, committed to ensuring universal and equitable access to safe, efficacious and affordable vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for this and future pandemics. Immunization is a global public good and we will need to be able to develop, manufacture and deploy vaccines as quickly as possible.

This is why the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) was set up in order to promote equal access to tests, treatments and vaccines and support health systems across the globe. ACT-A has delivered on many aspects but equitable access is not achieved yet. There is more we can do to promote global access.

 

To that end, we believe that nations should work together towards a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response.

Such a renewed collective commitment would be a milestone in stepping up pandemic preparedness at the highest political level. It would be rooted in the constitution of the World Health Organization, drawing in other relevant organizations key to this endeavour, in support of the principle of health for all.  Existing global health instruments, especially the International Health Regulations, would underpin such a treaty, ensuring a firm and tested foundation on which we can build and improve.

The main goal of this treaty would be to foster an all-of-government and all-of-society approach, strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience to future pandemics. This includes greatly enhancing international cooperation to improve, for example, alert systems, data-sharing, research, and local, regional and global production and distribution of medical and public health counter measures, such as vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and personal protective equipment.

It would also include recognition of a “One Health” approach that connects the health of humans, animals and our planet. And such a treaty should lead to more mutual accountability and shared responsibility, transparency and cooperation within the international system and with its rules and norms.

To achieve this, we will work with Heads of State and governments globally and all stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector. We are convinced that it is our responsibility, as leaders of nations and international institutions, to ensure that the world learns the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when COVID-19 has exploited our weaknesses and divisions, we must seize this opportunity and come together as a global community for peaceful cooperation that extends beyond this crisis. Building our capacities and systems to do this will take time and require a sustained political, financial and societal commitment over many years.

Our solidarity in ensuring that the world is better prepared will be our legacy that protects our children and grandchildren and minimizes the impact of future pandemics on our economies and our societies.

 

Pandemic preparedness needs global leadership for a global health system fit for this millennium. To make this commitment a reality, we must be guided by solidarity, fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and equity.

By:
J. V. Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji;
Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand;
António Luís Santos da Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal;
Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Italy;
Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania;
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom;
Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda;
Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya;
Emmanuel Macron, President of France;
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany;
Charles Michel, President of the European Council;
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece;
Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea;
Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile;
Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia;
Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica;
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania;
Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa;
Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago;
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands;
Kais Saied, President of Tunisia;
Macky Sall, President of Senegal;
Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain;
Erna Solberg, Prime Miniser of Norway;
Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia;
Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia;
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.

 

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COVID-19 vaccine and treatment innovators response to global leaders urgent call for international pandemic treaty – IFPMA
30 March 2021
[Editor’s text bolding]
In view of the social and economic impact of current COVID-19 crisis, political leadership in preparing for any eventual future pandemic is crucial. Over the last 12 months we have seen the importance of a strong innovation system and the successful development of several safe and highly effective vaccines in record time. The discussions around a possible International Pandemic Treaty need to take into account the important role played by the innovative biopharmaceutical industry and its supply chain in fighting the virus. It will be important to acknowledge the critical role played by the incentive system in developing tests, therapeutics, and vaccines to contain and defeat the coronavirus. We hope that the discussions on an International Pandemic Treaty will address enablers for future pandemic preparedness – the importance of incentives for future innovation, the immediate and unrestricted access to pathogens, and the importance of the free flow of goods and workforce during the pandemic – in addition to continuing the multi stakeholder approach undertaken in ACT-A and COVAX.
The biopharmaceutical industry and its supply chain is part of the solution for future pandemics and therefore should play a role in shaping an international Pandemic Treaty.
In the short term, in acknowledgement of the current coronavirus crisis, we hope politicians will support the free flow of goods and workforce, acknowledge the unprecedented efforts in collaboration and voluntary tech transfer across vaccine makers from developed and developing countries and show solidarity to ensure the highly effective COVID-19 vaccines reach people so that no one is left behind.

COVID – Europe

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COVID – Europe

WHO: Slow vaccine roll-out prolonging pandemic
Copenhagen, 31 March 2021
As variants of concern continue to spread and strain on hospitals grows, religious holidays are leading to increased mobility. Speeding up vaccination roll-out is crucial as new cases in the WHO European Region are increasing in every age group, apart from one.

Last week saw increasing transmission of COVID-19 in the majority of countries in the WHO European Region, with 1.6 million new cases and close to 24 000 deaths. The Region remains the second most affected by SARS-CoV-2 of all the world’s regions, with the total number of deaths fast approaching 1 million and the total number of cases about to surpass 45 million.

“Only 5 weeks ago, the weekly number of new cases in Europe had dipped to under 1 million, but now the Region’s situation is more worrying than we have seen in several months. There are risks associated with the increased mobility and gatherings over the religious holidays. Many countries are introducing new measures that are necessary and everyone should follow as much as they can,” said Dr Dorit Nitzan, Regional Emergency Director for the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Across the Region, 50 countries or territories have reported the variant of concern B.1.1.7, initially detected by the United Kingdom and now the predominant variant in the Region. As this variant is more transmissible and can increase the risk of hospitalization, it has a greater public health impact and additional actions are required to control it.

 

Early impact of vaccination
At the European regional level, new cases are increasing in every age group except in people 80 years and older. It is only in this most vulnerable population that we have seen a steady decline in cases and a decreasing proportion of COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of 2021, reflecting early signs of the impact of vaccination.

New data from Public Health England suggest that COVID-19 vaccines have saved, at the very least, over 6000 lives among people over 70 since vaccination started in December 2020. Similarly, data from Israel show that the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine is around 90% effective at preventing infection, severe disease and hospitalization after the second dose.

“Vaccines present our best way out of this pandemic. Not only do they work, they are also highly effective in preventing infection. However, the roll-out of these vaccines is unacceptably slow. And as long as coverage remains low, we need to apply the same public health and social measures as we have in the past, to compensate for delayed schedules. Let me be clear: we must speed up the process by ramping up manufacturing, reducing barriers to administering vaccines, and using every single vial we have in stock, now,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe…

 

Curbing spread
As the largest numbers of new COVID-19 cases are occurring in population groups that are not yet vaccinated, WHO continues to call for early action to implement public health and social measures on the basis of epidemiological and health system data while vaccination coverage continues to grow.
A total of 27 countries in the Region are in partial or full nationwide lockdown, with 21 imposing nighttime curfews. In the past 2 weeks, 23 countries have intensified restrictions while 13 have eased measures, with an additional 9 to follow suit.

Although so-called lockdowns should be avoided by timely and targeted public health interventions, they should be used when the disease overstretches the ability of health services to care for patients adequately, and to accelerate the readiness of local and national public health systems.

“The likelihood of new variants of concern occurring increases with the rate at which the virus is replicating and spreading, so curbing transmission through basic disease control actions is crucial. And today, as opposed to a year ago, we have better test and trace systems, faster information-sharing, and we know much more about how to care for the severely ill,” said Dr Nitzan.

Expanded testing, isolation, contact tracing, quarantine and genetic sequencing are the basic public health tools that must be used and continually strengthened.

 

Heed the danger
Vaccination together with continued public health and social measures will eventually bring an end to the pandemic. For that to happen, a scale-up of both vaccine production and vaccination is required, as well as continued adherence to public health and social measures.

“The greatest determinant of how many people get infected and how many people die in the coming weeks is what you as an individual do – or don’t do. We have seen it time and time again: virus spread can be stopped. My message to governments in the Region is therefore that now is not the time to relax measures. We can’t afford not to heed the danger. We have all made sacrifices, but we cannot let exhaustion win. We must keep reining in the virus,” Dr Kluge concluded.

 

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European Union: Commission Amends Authorization Mechanism for Exports of COVID-19 Vaccines
(Apr. 1, 2021) On March 26, 2021, the European Commission’s Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/521, which amends the authorization mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines adopted on January 30, 2021, entered into force. The regulation adds the principles of reciprocity and proportionality as new criteria to be considered when a European Union (EU) member state authorizes exports.
EU Regulations are binding in their entirety and directly applicable in all EU member states. (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union art. 288, para. 2.)
In announcing the new regulation, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, remarked: “[O]pen roads should run in both directions. . . . The EU has an excellent portfolio of different vaccines and we have secured more than enough doses for the entire population. But we have to ensure timely and sufficient vaccine deliveries to EU citizens. Every day counts.”…
Global Legal Monitor
Author: Jenny Gesley
Date: April 1, 2021

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/521 of 24 March 2021 …making specific arrangements to the mechanism making the exportation of certain products subject to the production of an export authorisation
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2015/479 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2015 on common rules for exports(1), and in particular Article 5 thereof,

Whereas:
(1) On 30 January 2021, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/111(2) making the exportation of COVID-19 vaccines as well as active substances, including master and working cell banks, used to manufacture these vaccines, subject to the production of an export authorisation, pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2015/479. At the end of the six weeks period following the date of entry into force of these measures, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442(3) making the exportation of the same products subject to an export authorisation until 30 June 2021, pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2015/479.

(2) The global shortage of supply of COVID-19 vaccine persists and is even increasing in view of the delays of production.

 

(3) In accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442, export authorisations are to be refused by the Member States where the exports concerned pose a threat to the execution of the Advanced Purchase Agreements (APAs) between the Union and vaccine manufacturers in view of their volume or other relevant circumstances, such as the volume of vaccines delivered to the Union at the time of the request.

(4) There is still a lack of transparency as well as persisting constraints on production of COVID 19 vaccines and delays in their delivery in the Union, which may pose a threat to the security of supply within the Union of the goods covered by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442. Additional elements should therefore also be considered in the decision to grant or refuse an export authorisation.

(5) The information collected by the Commission through the export authorisation mechanism put in place by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/111 and continued by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442 and through customs data has shown that exports which are subject to the authorisation mechanism may be channelled via countries so far exempted from the export authorisation requirement, thereby not allowing for the required level of transparency. These exemptions should therefore be temporarily suspended.

(6) The exemption should be maintained for some of the countries and territories mentioned Article 1(9)(a) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442, namely those which have a particular dependency on the metropolitan supply chains of the Member States to which they are attached or on the supply chains of neighbouring Member States, respectively.

(7) The information mentioned in recital (5) has also shown that Union manufacturers have exported large quantities of goods covered by the export authorisation mechanism to countries which have a large production capacity of their own, while those countries restrict their own exports to the Union, either by law or through contractual or other arrangements concluded with vaccine manufacturers established in their territory. This imbalance leads to shortages of supply within the Union. ENOfficial Journal of the European Union L 104/52 25.3.2021

(8) Furthermore, the same information has shown that Union manufacturers have exported large quantities of goods covered by the export authorisation mechanism to certain countries without production capacity, but which have a higher vaccination rate than the Union or where the current epidemiological situation is less serious than in the Union. Exports to those countries may thus threaten the security of supply within the Union.

 

(9) Member States should refuse export authorisations accordingly.

(10) The Commission should take the same additional elements into consideration when conducting its assessment of the draft decision notified by the competent authority of the Member State pursuant to Article 2(4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442.

(11) Due to the urgency of the situation, the measures provided for in this Regulation should be taken in accordance with Article 3(3) of Regulation (EU) 2015/479.

 

(12) This Regulation should enter into force immediately. Having regard to Article 5(5) of Regulation (EU) 2015/479, the measures provided for in this Regulation should apply for six weeks,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1 The application of point (a) of Article 1(9) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442 is suspended. However, the suspension shall not apply to the following countries and territories: — Andorra, — the Faroe Islands, — San Marino, — Vatican City, — the overseas countries and territories listed in Annex II to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, — Büsingen, — Helgoland, — Livigno, — Ceuta and Melilla.

Article 2 1.The competent authority of a Member State shall grant an export authorisation requested pursuant to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442 provided that:
(a) the export authorisation fulfils the condition of Article 1(7) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442;
(b) the authorisation does not otherwise pose a threat to the security of supply within the Union of the goods covered by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442.

2.To determine whether the condition in point (b) of paragraph 1 is fulfilled, the competent authority of the Member State shall assess the following factors:
(a) whether the country of destination of the export restricts its own exports to the Union of goods covered by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442, or of the raw materials from which they are made, either by law or by any other means, including through the conclusion of contractual arrangements with the manufacturers of those goods;
(b) the relevant conditions prevailing in the country of destination of the export, including the epidemiological situation, the vaccination rate and the existing availability of goods covered by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442. ENOfficial Journal of the European Union 25.3.2021 L 104/53

3.When the Commission assesses the draft decision notified by the competent authority of the Member State pursuant to Article 2(4) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442, it shall also evaluate whether the condition in point (b) of paragraph 1 of this Article is fulfilled, having regard to the factors listed in its paragraph 2.

Article 3 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply until six weeks from its entry into force.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 24 March 2021. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN EN Official Journal of the European Union L 104/54 25.3.2021

(1)OJ L 83, 27.3.2015, p. 34.(2)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/111 of 29 January 2021 making the exportation of certain products subject to the production of an export authorisation (OJ L 31 I, 30.1.2021, p. 1).(3)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/442 of 11 March 2021 making the exportation of certain products subject to the production of an export authorisation (OJ L 85, 12.3.2021, p. 190).

 

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COVID-19 Origins – WHO International Team Report

WHO calls for further studies, data on origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus, reiterates that all hypotheses remain open
30 March 2021 News release Geneva, Switzerland
The report of the international team on their Wuhan field visit, from 14 January -10 February 2021, was published today as WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for further studies.

The report stems from a Member State resolution adopted by consensus at the World Health Assembly in May 2020 and calling on WHO “to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts, including through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions.”

In remarks to Member States today, Dr Tedros, who received the full report on the weekend, thanked the team for their tireless work. He said it advances our understanding in important ways, while raising questions that will need to be addressed by further studies, as noted in the report. “As far as WHO is concerned, all hypotheses remain on the table. This report is a very important beginning, but it is not the end. We have not yet found the source of the virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do,” said Dr Tedros. “Finding the origin of a virus takes time and we owe it to the world to find the source so we can collectively take steps to reduce the risk of this happening again. No single research trip can provide all the answers.”

The report is available on this webpage:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus/origins-of-the-virus

Below is the full text of the Director-General’s remarks that can be found here:
https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-remarks-at-the-member-state-briefing-on-the-report-of-the-international-team-studying-the-origins-of-sars-cov-2

 

Background information
From the very beginning of the pandemic WHO has stressed the need to understand the origin of the virus in order to better understand the emergence of new pathogens and possible exposures.

Only a few weeks into the outbreak, the IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts recommended that WHO and China pursue efforts to identify the animal source of the virus.

Throughout 2020, WHO continued to discuss with China and other Member States the need to study and share information around the virus origins.

The World Health Assembly resolution of May 2020, which was adopted by all Member States, cited a need “to identify the zoonotic source”:
WHA73.1 from 19 May 2020: 9. (6) to continue to work closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and countries, as part of the One-Health Approach to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts, including through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions, which will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events occurring, as well as to provide guidance on how to prevent infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2) in animals and humans and prevent the establishment of new zoonotic reservoirs, as well as to reduce further risks of emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases;

In July 2020 WHO sent a small team to China to plan a joint study comprising Chinese and independent international scientists.

It was agreed that WHO would select the international scientists. The Terms of Reference for the Virus Origins Study were completed by fall 2020.
Terms of reference of the Global Study of the Origins of SARS-COV2

The team of scientists came from around the world: Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Qatar, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Viet Nam. The joint international team comprised 17 Chinese and 17 international experts from 10 other countries as well as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE); and WHO.  Find the list of the members of the international team here.

From the outset, this study was designed as one step on the path of understanding the origins of COVID-19 reflecting the specific scope and mandate as outlined by Member States in the World Health Assembly resolution and negotiated Terms of Reference.

UNICEF fund aims to raise US$2.5 billion for COVID-19 health supplies; low- and middle-income countries set to benefit

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UNICEF fund aims to raise US$2.5 billion for COVID-19 health supplies; low- and middle-income countries set to benefit
Denmark makes first donation to support the global equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines
NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN, 30 March 2021 – UNICEF has launched a fund to support low- and middle-income countries access to COVID-19 health supplies, including vital tests, treatments and vaccines. The fund, which leverages UNICEF’s Procurement Services to purchase supplies, provides an opportunity for donors to join the largest health and vaccines supply operation the world has ever seen.

The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator Supplies Financing Facility (“ACT-A SFF”) aims to initially raise US$2.5 billion by the end of 2021. Of this, US$1 billion is intended for vaccines and associated immunization campaign supplies including those not covered financially by the COVAX Facility, such as AMC92 country cost-sharing doses through COVAX and support for self-financing participants’ vaccine and delivery costs. Another US$1 billion is for diagnostics and US$500 million is for therapeutics.
Contributions to the facility will help bring the world closer to the global ACT-A goal of providing low- and middle-income countries with the health supplies they need to help bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end.

“An undertaking of this magnitude requires immediate support, which is why UNICEF has established the ACT-A Supplies Financing Facility,” said Etleva Kadilli, Director of UNICEF Supply Division. “The facility serves as one of the most efficient and most impactful vehicles for supporting the global COVID-19 response by making targeted interventions to get supplies to where they are needed at competitive prices.”

The Government of Denmark has contributed to the fund with a donation of US$4.8 million for immunization supplies to be used in Africa. These supplies will include cold chain and personal protective equipment (PPE) that are essential for carrying out safe COVID-19 immunization campaigns…

The launch of the SFF also complements UNICEF’s efforts to accelerate access to lifesaving supplies, including vaccines and other non-immunization commodities, through its Vaccine Independence Initiative (“VII”) financial mechanism. In 2020, VII supplied hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines for non-COVID-19 immunizations, as well as millions of gloves, masks and medical supplies, as well as other essential commodities.

See How Rich Countries Got to the Front of the Vaccine Line

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New York Times
March 31, 2021
See How Rich Countries Got to the Front of the Vaccine Line
By Keith Collins and Josh Holder
More than half a billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide so far, and well over three-quarters of them have been used by the world’s richest countries. The reason, experts say, lies in how — and when — deals for doses were struck…

 

…The result has been that, as of March 30, 86 percent of shots that have gone into arms worldwide have been administered in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Only 0.1 percent of doses have been administered in low-income countries…

…But even with that influx, poor countries may end up waiting years before their populations can be fully vaccinated. Kenya, for example, expects that by 2023 it will have just 30 percent of its population vaccinated, and that’s with Covax covering the first 20 percent. That long wait would give the virus more time to spread, and potentially give rise to new mutations.
The global race for doses has also affected which countries get which vaccines. With much of the supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already spoken for by wealthier countries, China, India and Russia have become important suppliers of vaccines to lower-income countries. And some experts believe those governments can use such relationships to gain sway…

Coronavirus [COVID-19] – WHO Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

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Coronavirus [COVID-19] – WHO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

 

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 23 January 2021
Confirmed cases :: 129 902 402 [week ago: 125 781 957] [two weeks ago: 121 969 223]
Confirmed deaths :: 2 831 815 [week ago: 2 759 432] [two weeks ago: 2 694 094]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 223

 

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29 March 2021
Weekly operational update on COVID-19 – 29 March 2021

30 March 2021
Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 30 March 2021
Overview
Globally, new COVID-19 cases rose for a fifth consecutive week, with just over 3.8 million new cases reported in the last week. The number of new deaths increased for the second consecutive week, increasing by 5% compared to last week, with over 64 000 new deaths reported. All regions reported an increase in the number of cases this week, and all regions, except for the African Region, reported an increase in the number of deaths. The European Region and the Region of the Americas continue to account for nearly 80% of all the cases and deaths.
In this edition, special focus updates are provided on:
:: COVID-19 and Health and Care Workers (HCWs)
:: SARS-CoV-2 variants

 

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WHO – Feature COVID stories from around the globe
31 March 2021
Zimbabwe: Data-driven decisions maintain availability and access to essential health services during the COVID-19 response

31 March 2021
WHO advises that ivermectin only be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials

30 March 2021
Uzbekistan strengthens its health system in the midst of COVID-19 crisis

29 March 2021
Caribbean countries boost the capacities of nurses in critical care during COVID-19

WHO – COVID Vaccines EUAL, Prequalification

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WHO – COVID Vaccines EUAL, Prequalification

Draft landscape and tracker of COVID-19 candidate vaccines
12 March 2021  | Publication
The COVID-19 candidate vaccine landscape and tracker database compiles detailed information on COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development.
The landscape is updated regularly – twice a week (Tuesday and Friday, 17:00 CET).
Download: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/blue-print/12.03.2021-novel-coronavirus_landscape_covid-19.xlsx.zip?sfvrsn=c2a25511_3&download=true

 

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Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process 01 April 2021
For 18 vaccine candidates, the presents Manufacturer, Name of Vaccine, NRA of Record, Platform, EOI Accepted Status, Pre-submission Meeting Held Status, Dossier Accepted for Review, Status of Assessment; Anticipated/Completed Decision Date
[click on the link above for full scale view]
*

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

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

FDA – COVID-19 Vaccines [to 3 Apr 2021]
www.fda.gov/covid19vaccines
News and Updates; Upcoming Events
04/01/2021
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Makes Two Revisions to Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization to Help Increase the Number of Vaccine Doses Available
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced two revisions regarding the number of doses per vial available for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

 

White House [U.S.]
Briefing Room
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
April 02, 2021 • Press Briefings

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
March 31, 2021 • Press Briefings

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
March 31, 2021 • Press Briefings

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces 90% of the Adult U.S. Population will be Eligible for Vaccination and 90% will have a Vaccination Site Within 5 Miles of Home by April 19
March 29, 2021 • Statements and Releases

Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
March 29, 2021 • Press Briefings

 

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COVID Data Tracker April 3, 2021

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

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

 

EMA
News: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: review of very rare cases of unusual blood clots continues (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 31/03/2021

 

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European Commission

European Union: Commission Amends Authorization Mechanism for Exports of COVID-19 Vaccines
(Apr. 1, 2021) On March 26, 2021, the European Commission’s Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/521, which amends the authorization mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines adopted on January 30, 2021, entered into force. The regulation adds the principles of reciprocity and proportionality as new criteria to be considered when a European Union (EU) member state authorizes exports.
[See Milestones above for detail]

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

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

 

Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
Sputnik V vaccine authorized in Panama
Press release, 01.04.2021

RDIF and TopRidge Pharma agree to produce over 100 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in China
Press release, 01.04.2021

Sputnik V vaccine authorized in Mali
Press release, 30.03.2021

RDIF and Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech agree to produce over 60 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine in China
Press release, 29.03.2021

COVID Vaccine Developer/Manufacturer Announcements [selected]

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COVID Vaccine Developer/Manufacturer Announcements [selected]

 

AstraZeneca
Press Releases – No new digest announcements identified

 

Janssen/JNJ
Johnson & Johnson Announces Advance Purchase Agreement with the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust for the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate
:: Up to 400 million doses of the Company’s single-shot vaccine candidate will be made available to African Union member states
:: Availability of the vaccine is subject to national regulatory approvals
:: Data have demonstrated vaccine candidate protects against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death in broad geographic regions, including those with variants of significant concern
Mar 29, 2021, 03:09 ET

 

Moderna
Press Releases
April 1, 2021
Moderna Provides Storage Update & Announces the U.S. FDA Authorizes Up To 15-Doses Per Vial of its COVID-19 Vaccine

March 31, 2021
Moderna to Host Second Annual Virtual Vaccines Day on April 14, 2021

March 29, 2021
Moderna Announces Shipment of 100 Millionth Dose of its COVID-19 Vaccine to the U.S. Government

 

Novavax
News
GSK to support manufacture of Novavax’ COVID-19 vaccine
– GSK to support manufacture of up to 60 million doses of Novavax’ COVID-19 vaccine
– Manufacturing to take place at GSK UK facility at Barnard Castle
Mar 29, 2021, 16:02 ET

 

Pfizer
Recent Press Releases
04.01.2021
Pfizer and BioNTech Confirm High Efficacy and No Serious Safety Concerns Through Up to Six Months Following Second Dose in Updated Topline Analysis of Landmark COVID-19 Vaccine Study

03.31.2021
Pfizer-BioNTech Announce Positive Topline Results of Pivotal COVID-19 Vaccine Study in Adolescents

 

Serum Institute
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS – No new digest announcements identified

 

Sinovac
Sinovac Announced Buildup of Two Billion Annual Capacity of Its COVID-19 Vaccine
April 01, 2021

COVID Vaccination: Incentives/Mandates/Certificates/Passports

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COVID Vaccination: Incentives/Mandates/Certificates/Passports

WHO – Call for public comments: Interim guidance for developing a Smart Vaccination Certificate – Release Candidate 1
19 March 2021 Call for consultation
Interim Guidance pdf: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/interim-guidance-svc_20210319_final.pdf?sfvrsn=b95db77d_11&download=true

In response to the Statement on the sixth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and the need for WHO to support Member States to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, at scale, with digital tools, WHO has developed this guidance and technical specifications document, in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary group of experts. The Guidance aims to support WHO Member States in adopting interoperability standards for digital documentation of vaccination status (i.e. Smart Vaccination Certificates). 

It is critical to reiterate that the Smart Vaccination Certificate (SVC) is not intended to serve as an “immunity passport”. Furthermore, as per the “Interim position paper: considerations regarding proof of COVID-19 vaccination for international travellers”, currently, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not recommended as a condition of departure or entry for international travel. Countries are advised to take a risk-based approach to international travel in the context of COVID-19. Additionally, along with the digital implementation of SVCs, it is recommended that the COVID-19 vaccination status should still be recorded through the paper-based International Certificate for Vaccination, and Prophylaxis based on the model presented in Annex 6 of the IHR.

Due to the constantly evolving context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this document is intended to have three releases prior to the release of the final version, with public feedback and input considered for all three releases. This document is the first of three releases. Release candidate 1 (this document) contains the key business requirements for an SVC for national adoption that includes the prioritized scenarios of use, use cases, key workflows, a core data set with preferred terminology code sets, and an initial FHIR Implementation Guide for the content in Release Candidate 1. This document will also begin to outline the international trust framework and a high-level overview of a governance mechanism.

As this is Release Candidate 1, which is an initial release of the technical specification for the Smart Vaccination Certificate, no digital solutions have met this specification yet.

As part of the public consultation, you can provide constructive feedback on this document by 12 April 2021. Please use the link to the feedback form to provide your comments. For any additional inquiries, please contact smartvaccination@who.int.

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

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 31 March 2021

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: five cVDPV2 cases and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: two WPV1 and one cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Côte d’Ivoire: 34 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Guinea: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Liberia: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Niger: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Senegal: two cVDPV2 cas es and one positive environmental sample
:: South Sudan: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples

::::::

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on killing of polio workers in Afghanistan
NEW YORK, 30 March 2021 – “Four polio vaccinators, three of them women, came under attack this morning, March 30, while carrying out their life-saving work for children in Nangarhar province, Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Tragically, the three women were killed.
“UNICEF is outraged by this attack.
“UNICEF expresses its deepest condolences to the families, colleagues and friends of the courageous vaccinators who were at the forefront of efforts to combat the spread of polio and keep Afghanistan’s children safe from this disabling disease.
“Frontline health workers should never be a target of violence. They must be able to carry out their life-saving activities in a safe and secure environment.
“UNICEF has been working for years with the Government, the World Health Organization, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and partners on polio vaccination campaigns in the country.
“We remain committed to supporting polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan.”

::::::
::::::

WHO/OCHA Emergencies

Editor’s Note:
Continuing with this edition, we include information about the last apparent update evident on the WHO emergency country webpages, recognizing almost universal and significant interims since last update regardless of the level of the emergency listed.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 3 Apr 2021]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements [Last apparent update: 12 Jan 2021]
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 November 2020]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 29 Jun 2020]
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 17 July 2020]
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 February 2020]
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 October 2020]
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2020]

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 3 Apr 2021]
Burkina Faso
:: Burkina Faso : visite du ministre de la santé et des Partenaires techniques financie… 01 avril 2021

Iraq
:: COVID Vaccines – Baghdad, 25 March 2021 – Amid a global shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, Iraq has received 336 000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility…The AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured by SK-Bio Institute of South Korea arrived on Thursday 25 March 2021

Myanmar
:: 23 March 2021 News release Building Bangladesh Capacity on Infection Prevention and Control

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 March 2021]
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 04 July 2019]
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 June 2018]
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 2 March 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update 05 March 2021]
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16-12-2020]
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 November 2020]
Niger– No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update:06 mars 2021]
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 September 2019]
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 27 August 2019]
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 June 2020]
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 1 May 2019]
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 10 May 2019]

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 3 Apr 2021]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2018]
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 25 novembre 2020]
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 06 March 2021]
Mali – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 May 2017]
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 20 July 2018]
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 October 2020]

::::::
::::::

UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

WHO & Regional Offices [to 3 Apr 2021]

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 3 Apr 2021]
1 April 2021 Departmental news
Living with the Times: new toolkit helps older adults maintain good mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

31 March 2021 News release
Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of Sweden, appointed WHO Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator

31 March 2021 Highlights
VSN membership

30 March 2021 Departmental news
New WHO-IUCN Expert Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions

30 March 2021 News release
WHO calls for further studies, data on origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus, reiterates that all hypotheses remain open
[See Milestones above for detail]

30 March 2021 News release
Global leaders unite in urgent call for international pandemic treaty
[See Milestones above for detail]

 

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol. 96, No. 13, pp. 105–112 2 April 2021
:: Pneumococcal vaccines: WHO position paper on their use in community outbreak settings
:: Monthly report on dracunculiasis cases, January-December 2020

 

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Bolstering community approach in Guinea’s Ebola fight 01 April 2021
A few days after he referred a patient from his clinic to the regional hospital, Emmanuel Goepogui, a private practitioner in N’Zerekore prefecture in south-eastern Guinea, received a visit by a community disease surveillance team. “They came to inform me that my patient had tested positive for Ebola and that I was a direct contact,” he says.
:: Genome sequencing in Ebola response 01 April 2021
Studies show that the Ebola virus can persist in bodily fluids – such as semen and breast milk – of survivors for months. The recent resurgence of Ebola in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been linked to bodily fluids of survivors.
Read more »
:: Better transport can save up 55 000 premature deaths in Accra, WHO report 01 April 2021

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified

WHO European Region EURO
:: Slow vaccine roll-out prolonging pandemic 01-04-2021
:: Minimizing COVID-19 risk around religious celebrations as European Region sees resurgence of cases 31-03-2021
:: Regional Director meets TB patients and policy-makers in Kyrgyzstan as COVID-19 continues to threaten health care across the Region 31-03-2021

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Yemen receives 360 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility 31 March 2021
:: WHO committed to ensuring fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccine in Syria 31 March 2021
:: WHO/KSrelief helping children to recover from malnutrition in Yemen 30 March 2021

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified

CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 3 Apr 2021]

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CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements
CDC Issues Next Phase of the Conditional Sail Order for Cruise Ship Operators
Friday, April 2, 2021

CDC Issues Updated Guidance on Travel for Fully Vaccinated People
Friday, April 2, 2021
… Given recent studies evaluating the real-world effects of vaccination, CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last recommended dose of vaccine.
Fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States and do not need COVID-19 testing or post-travel self-quarantine as long as they continue to take COVID-19 precautions while traveling – wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently…

CDC Real-World Study Confirms Protective Benefits of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines
Monday, March 29, 2021
A new CDC study provides strong evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections in real-world conditions among health care personnel, first responders, and other essential workers.  These groups are more likely than the general population to be exposed to the virus because of their occupations.
The study looked at the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections among 3,950 study participants in six states over a 13-week period from December 14, 2020 to March 13, 2021.
Results showed that following the second dose of vaccine (the recommended number of doses), risk of infection was reduced by 90 percent two or more weeks after vaccination. Following a single dose of either vaccine, the participants’ risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by 80 percent two or more weeks after vaccination…

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, April 2, 2021

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MMWR News Synopsis Friday, April 2, 2021
:: Use of Selected Recommended Clinical Preventive Services — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2018
:: Community-Associated Outbreak of COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility — Utah, September 2020–January 2021
:: Willingness to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccination Among Incarcerated or Detained Persons in Correctional and Detention Facilities — Four States, September–December 2020
:: Rapid Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a State Prison After Introduction by Newly Transferred Incarcerated Persons — Wisconsin, August 14–October 22, 2020
:: Counties with High COVID-19 Incidence and Relatively Large Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations — United States, April 1–December 22, 2020 (Early Release March 24, 2021)
:: Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder and Use of Mental Health Care Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, August 2020–February 2021 (Early Release March 26, 2021)
:: Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Personnel, First Responders, and Other Essential and Frontline Workers — Eight U.S. Locations, December 2020–March 2021 (Early Release March 29, 2021)

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)- CDC

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Selected Resources
:: Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 02 Apr 2021 06:00:00 EST

:: Science Brief: Background Rationale and Evidence for Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
Key Points
:: COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States are effective against COVID-19, including severe disease.
:: Preliminary evidence suggests that the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines may provide some protection against a variety of strains, including B.1.1.7 (originally identified in the United Kingdom). :: Reduced antibody neutralization and efficacy have been observed for the B.1.351 strain (originally identified in South Africa). However, across studies, antibody neutralizing activity of sera from vaccinated people was still generally higher than that observed for convalescent sera from people who have recovered from COVID-19.
:: A growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. However, further investigation is ongoing.
:: Modeling studies suggest that preventive measures such as mask use and social distancing will continue to be important during vaccine implementation. However, there are ways to take a balanced approach by allowing vaccinated people to resume some lower-risk activities.
:: Taking steps towards relaxing certain measures for vaccinated people may help improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake.
:: The risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus. Vaccinated people could potentially still get COVID-19 and spread it to others. However, the benefits of relaxing some measures such as testing and self-quarantine requirements for travelers, post-exposure quarantine requirements and reducing social isolation may outweigh the residual risk of fully vaccinated people becoming ill with COVID-19 or transmitting the virus to others.
:: At this time, there are limited data on vaccine protection in people who are immunocompromised. People with immunocompromising conditions, including those taking immunosuppressive medications, should discuss the need for personal protective measures after vaccination with their healthcare provider.
:: See updated guidance for fully vaccinated people including updated public health recommendations for domestic and international travel. This updated science brief reflects recent changes to the guidance document and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

Africa CDC [to 3 Apr 2021]

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Africa CDC [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
Statement of the Chairperson of the Africa CDC Governing Board on the Renewal of the Mandate of the Africa CDC Inaugural Director, Dr. John N. Nkengasong
29 March 2021
The Governing Board of Africa CDC held an Extraordinary meeting on February 20th, 2021 and deliberated on the renewal of the second four-year mandate of the Africa CDC’s Director, Dr. John N. Nkengasong.
The Board congratulated Dr. John N. Nkengasong for the tremendous work accomplished in his first term to build a respectable public health institution that is now well recognized globally.
The remarkable progress made by Africa CDC in supporting Member States to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ebola outbreaks in Africa were highlighted.
The Board decided by an overwhelming majority to recommend to the Commission the renewal of the mandate of Dr John N. Nkengasong for a second four-year term in line with the Statute
of Africa CDC..

China CDC

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China CDC
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
No new digest content identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
April 3: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On April 2, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 26 new cases of confirmed infections.

Data sharing thorough in WHO report, expert says
2021-04-01

Foreign, Chinese experts had same access to virus data: Leading expert
2021-04-01

No animal products sampled in Huanan market tested positive: expert
2021-04-01

China, WHO joint research to boost global cooperation in COVID-19 origin tracing: spokesperson
2021-03-31

China providing vaccine aid to 80 countries, 3 int’l organizations: FM spokesperson
2021-03-31

WHO highlights importance to investigate early COVID-19 cases in different countries
2021-03-31

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
Nearly 120m COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China
2021-04-02
A total of 119.82 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on April 1.

WHO: Animal-to-human virus transmission most likely
2021-03-31
The virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic is “extremely unlikely” to have originated in a lab, but most likely jumped from an animal to humans, according to a World Health Organization report released on March 30 by a joint international and Chinese team probing the virus’ origins.
[See COVID above for WHO statement]

Country working on vaccines for novel coronavirus variants
2021-03-29
China is advancing the development of COVID-19 vaccines against variants of the novel coronavirus, and experiments have shown the inactivated vaccines currently used in the country are effective against them.

Organization Announcements

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

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-pr ess/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
News
March 31, 2021: HHS launches $500,000 contest for design of new, effective, comfortable masks for general public use
…, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is collaborating with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the personal use mask design challenge. NIOSH administers the nation’s respirator approval program.
The first phase of the challenge, which opens today, invites new mask designs that meet specific criteria and asks the submitter to describe how that design idea fits the criteria and solves the hurdles to mask wearing. Up to 10 winning ideas will be selected to split $100,000. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. EDT April 21, 2021…

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

 

CARB-X [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
03.30.2021  |
CARB-X is funding University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute to develop a new vaccine to prevent gonorrhea
CARB-X is awarding up to US$2 million to the Jenner Institute, part of the University of Oxford, UK, to develop a novel vaccine to prevent gonorrhea, a common sexually-transmitted bacterial infection that has developed resistance to most antibiotics. Under the award, the Institute would be eligible for up to $5.3 million more if the project progresses through certain project milestones, subject to available funding.

 

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.

 

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
CEPI launches funding call to advance development of broadly protective coronavirus vaccines
:: Up to US$200 million in funding to be allocated for development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and betacoronaviruses.
:: R&D will focus on novel immunogens for use in vaccines that can elicit durable broadly protective immune responses.
:: Funding call forms part of CEPI’s longer term $3.5bn investment strategy, announced earlier in March, 2021, which is being activated now to mitigate the urgent threat posed by COVID-19.
31 Mar 2021

CEPI Board membership updates
30 Mar 2021
CEPI is pleased to announce that Professor Dr Veronika von Messling has been appointed to the Board where she will sit as an Investor representative. Dr von Messling replaces Dr Joachim Klein, who has stood down after 3 years of service.
Alongside her role on the Board, Dr von Messling will also join the Nominations, Compensation, Diversity and Inclusion committee.
Dr von Messling is Director General of the Life Science Division at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research…

 

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 3 Apr 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

EDCTP [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
No new digest content identified.

 

Emory Vaccine Center [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

 

European Commission [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Statement 31 March 2021
Statement of Commissioner Reynders on the referral of Poland to the European Court of Justice to protect independence of Polish judges and asks for interim measures

Press release 31 March 2021
Rule of Law: European Commission refers Poland to the European Court of Justice to protect independence of Polish judges and asks for interim measures
Today, the European Commission decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the law on the judiciary of 20 December 2019, which entered into force on 14 February 2020.

Press release 30 March 2021
Syrian crisis: €5.3 billion mobilised by donors for 2021 and beyond at 5th Brussels Conference
At the fifth Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the Region’ co-chaired today by the European Union and the United Nations, the international community pledged €5.3 billion for 2021 and beyond for Syria and the neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees.

 

European Medicines Agency [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
News: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: review of very rare cases of unusual blood clots continues (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 31/03/2021

News: EU recommendations for 2021-2022 seasonal flu vaccine composition (new)
Last updated: 30/03/2021

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

 

FDA [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
April 2, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 2, 2021

March 30, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: March 30, 2021

 

Fondation Merieux [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Vaccine Acceptance webinars: managing vaccine misinformation in the midst of a pandemic
April 15, 2021 – Virtual Event

 

Gavi [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
31 March 2021
Gavi and Save the Children form global partnership to immunise zero-dose and vulnerable children
:: The partnership will focus on reaching children who are currently receiving no routine vaccines and marginalised communities in line with Gavi’s vision to ‘leave no-one behind with immunisation’
:: In addition, the partnership will support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by engaging with community champions on joint activities
:: Anuradha Gupta: “A disproportionate number of children who are not receiving vaccines come from hard-to-reach areas including fragile and conflict settings which is why we’re delighted to partner with Save the Children whose worldwide network and deep expertise will enable us to reach them”

29 March 2021
United States to host launch event for Gavi COVAX AMC 2021 investment opportunity
:: The virtual event will bring together world leaders, the private sector, civil society, and key technical partners to galvanize resources and commitment to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC)
:: The event, featuring the Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator on behalf of the United States government, and Gavi Board Chair José Manuel Barroso, will take place on April 15
:: The Gavi COVAX AMC is a financing mechanism that supports access to COVID-19 vaccines for 92 lower-income economies

 

GHIT Fund [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 212 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that
March 31, 2021
GHIT Fund Announces New Investments: A Total of 2.3 Billion Yen in Drugs for Malaria, Tuberculosis, Chagas Disease and Visceral Leishmaniasis, Vaccine for Malaria and Diagnostics for Tuberculosis
… As of March 31, GHIT’s portfolio includes 57 ongoing projects, including 30 in discovery stages, 20 in preclinical and seven in clinical trials (Appendix 3). The total amount of investments since 2013 is 25.1 billion yen (US$236 million).

 

Global Fund [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
The Global Fund’s Sixth Partnership Forums Generate Recommendations for the Next Global Fund Strategy
01 April 2021
The Sixth Partnership Forums ended on 15 March, having convened approximately 350 representatives from across the Global Fund partnership in a series of engaging, inclusive and energetic discussions to contribute to the development of the next Global Fund Strategy…

 

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.

 

IAVI [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
FEATURES
April 2, 2021
Donor Spotlight: Government of India
IAVI recognizes the Government of India for their unwavering support of the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines and biomedical prevention products for use throughout the world.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

IFRC [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Global
Statement on International Treaty on Pandemics “We need bold new solutions – both in international and domestic laws – to avoid the same mistakes”
Geneva, 30 March 2021 In response to a common call for an International Treaty on Pandemics by the WHO and world leaders today, Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies, said: We are encouraged by this commitment from the WHO and world leaders today to develop a new treaty on pandemic prevention and response. The COVID-19 response has been hugely impaired by gaps in global cooperation and inequities affecting some of the most vulnerable of our societies. This treaty is an opportunity to address these for the next time.
“We need bold new solutions – both in international and domestic laws – to avoid the same mistakes. These must include a firm commitment to preparedness at all levels of society, including at the community level, and equitable access to testing, vaccines and treatment for all at greatest risk. We must also ensure that health and emergency staff and volunteers are supported to operate safely to provide life-saving aid, and access communities in need. And we must guard against the economic ruin of the poorest and most vulnerable as a result of pandemic responses.
“With our experience in supporting states to develop and implement disaster law and policy around the world, IFRC and its members stand ready to provide their expertise and advice to governments and to support such a treaty to not only be powerful on paper but transformative in reality.”

 

Institut Pasteur [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
No new digest content identified.

 

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
Statement from the International Rescue Committee on the Generation Equality Forum
April 1, 2021

Statement
Ethiopia: IRC statement on the killing of humanitarian aid workers
April 1, 2021

Press Release
Las continuas caravanas migrantes son síntomas de la emergencia en el norte de Centroamérica, advierte IRC
March 31, 2021

Press Release
Ongoing migrant caravans are symptoms of the emergencies in northern Central America, warns IRC
March 31, 2021

Press Release
México: Postura del IRC sobre la muerte de Victoria Salazar
March 30, 2021

 

IVAC [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
Improving the Health of Women and Children in India
March 2021 A Director’s Message
On New Year’s Day in 2021, approximately 68,000 babies were born across India. Their mothers would have traversed the arduous journey of pregnancy to reach the miraculous day of their birth. How many of these babies will be alive and thriving by the end of the year 2021? About five decades ago, […]

 

IVI [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
International Vaccine Institute and Institut Pasteur Korea Sign MOU for Research and Development of Infectious Disease Therapeutics and Vaccines
April 1, 2021, GYEONGDO-DO and SEOUL, Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for mutual collaboration in the research and development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases…
Towards the shared goal of improving public health, the IPK and IVI will promote research collaboration and information exchange, holding joint workshops and seminars to connect biomedical scientists and infectious disease experts of the two organizations and their partners worldwide.
In particular, the collaboration combines IPK’s research and technology in infectious disease and IVI’s capabilities and know-how in developing and designing new vaccines and in supporting clinical trials to accelerate new therapeutics and vaccine development. IPK and IVI have common fields of research interest in COVID-19, MERS, Dengue, TB, etc…

 

JEE Alliance [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements
Democratic Republic of Congo
In DRC, measles is spreading and killing again in what seems to be a never-ending fight
Project Update 31 Mar 2021

Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
“Only vaccination will end the ferocious spread of COVID-19 in Iraq”
Op-Ed 31 Mar 2021

Tuberculosis
Sustainable solutions for children and adolescents at risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis
Project Update 30 Mar 2021

 

National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Accessed 3 April 2021
Programs
Advancing Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Preparedness and Response
An International Committee will inform and facilitate efforts to advance global influenza pandemic preparedness. This International Committee will provide an iterative, interactive, multi-disciplinary, expert-informed process for assessing the global impact that capabilities, technologies, processes, and policies developed for COVID-19 could have on pandemic and seasonal influenza global preparedness and response, especially regarding vaccine development.
Upcoming Events:
:: Overview of Vaccine Science: Establishing Priorities to Improve Influenza Vaccines (April 15)
:: Major Barriers to Effective Global Coordination and Financing for Influenza Vaccination- Day 1 (April 9)
:: Major Barriers to Effective Global Coordination and Financing for Influenza Vaccination- Day 2 (April 16)
Past Events:
Overview of Vaccine Science: Existing Evidence and Lessons from COVID-19 (March 30)

 

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

NIH [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
NIH clinical trial evaluating Moderna COVID-19 variant vaccine begins
March 31, 2021 — Early-stage trial to evaluate safety and immunogenicity.

CDC and NIH bring COVID-19 self-testing to residents in two locales
March 31, 2021 — Participating households will receive free month-long supply of rapid tests aimed at reducing community transmission.

T cells recognize recent SARS-CoV-2 variants
March 30, 2021 — NIH research suggests protective effects of vaccination remain intact.

 

UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

PATH [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
1 April 2021
President of Afghanistan declares ‘unwavering support’ for a People’s Vaccine for COVID-19

1 April 2021
New study recommends strategies to serve the under-protected Caribbean transgender community

31 March 2021
UNAIDS joins human rights community in mourning Christof Heyns, legal academic and expert

31 March 2021
(Wo)man in the Mirror: seeing your true self

30 March 2021
Solidarity fund helping transgender people during the COVID-19 pandemic

30 March 2021
Fighting transphobia and violence one social media post at a time

30 March 2021
Transgender communities in Asia and the Pacific respond to COVID-19 through activism

 

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
UNDP releases SDG Impact Standards for Bond Issuers
SDG Impact Standards are already being piloted in the market with New Development Bank’s (NDB) SDG bond issuance in China Interbank Bond Market earlier this month.
Posted on April 1, 2021

New UNDP study reveals the magnitude of limited debt relief eligibility for developing economies
Two-thirds of external ‘debt service at risk’ is not covered by current relief initiatives, putting at risk years of progress on poverty and the future resources needed to deal with climate change
Posted on April 1, 2021

 

UNESCO [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Latest News
No new digest content identified.

 

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected Announcements
News Comment: Six refugees among 137 killed in Niger’s recent attack
This news comment is attributable to Gillian Triggs, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
1 Apr 2021

 

 

News comment: UNHCR calls on Myanmar’s neighbours to protect people fleeing violence
This news comment is attributable to Gillian Triggs, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
31 Mar 2021

 

 

UNHCR alarmed at brutal attacks by insurgent armed group in Mozambique
30 Mar 2021

 

 

UNHCR rushing support and aid to Rohingya refugees affected by last week’s massive fire
30 Mar 2021

 

 

United Nations Chiefs urge donors to support record appeals for Syrians and the region
Joint OCHA/UNHCR/UNDP Press Release
29 Mar 2021

 

UNICEF [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected press releases, news notes and statements
Press release 04/01/2021
Pre-pandemic data show 1 in 8 countries spends more on debt than on education, health and social protection combined – UNICEF
UNICEF is calling for the extension of debt service relief and debt restructuring so that countries – and their children – can bounce back

Press release 03/31/2021
Yemen receives 360,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility
… The AstraZeneca vaccines licensed and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India will enable health workers and other priority populations vulnerable to COVID-19 to be protected against the virus…

Statement 03/30/2021
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on killing of polio workers in Afghanistan
[See Polio above for detail]

Press release 03/30/2021
UNICEF fund aims to raise US$2.5 billion for COVID-19 health supplies; low- and middle-income countries set to benefit
Denmark makes first donation to support the global equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines
[See COVID above for detail]

Statement 03/29/2021
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore’s remarks at the World Immunisation & Logistics Summit, hosted by the HOPE Consortium

 

Unitaid [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
31 March 2021
Unitaid statement regarding Ivermectin as a potential COVID-19 treatment
Geneva – Ivermectin, as well as other repurposed and new products, has been under evaluation in clinical trials as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
After updating the independent living network meta-analysis, the WHO Guidelines Development Group has updated the WHO Living Guidelines: Therapeutics and COVID-19 (today March 31).  In this updated version, WHO recommends not to use ivermectin in patients with COVID-19 except in the context of clinical trials based on very low certainty of evidence.
Unitaid, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, has tracked the evidence available for ivermectin from randomised clinical studies from around the world, with various studies still to be completed.
In addition, to support the acquisition of the necessary remaining evidence as soon as possible, the ANTICOV consortium – coordinated by DNDi and partly funded by Unitaid – is preparing to add ivermectin in a combination therapy, as a new treatment arm to the clinical trial. This large platform trial aims to identify treatments that can be used to treat mild and moderate cases of COVID-19, preventing them from progressing to severe COVID-19, and is being conducted in 13 countries in Africa, nine of which are funded by Unitaid.”

 

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
Coronavirus global impact
Launched April 2, 2020 and recurring every 3 days, Premise Data is utilizing its global network of Contributors to assess economic, social, and health sentiment surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19).

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Wellcome Trust [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News and reports
Explainer
Why is a global Covid-19 vaccine rollout vital?
30 March 2021

Opinion
Our new funding will support bold and creative discovery research to improve health
29 March 2021
Michael Dunn shares more information about our new discovery research funding schemes, and the role of the Discovery Research team in Wellcome’s new strategy.

 

The Wistar Institute [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Apr. 1, 2021
Wistar Scientists Discover New Mechanism Through Which Senescent Cells Turn On Genes That Encode for Secreted Tumor-regulating Factors
New insights into expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype.

 

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
Stop Blocking the Scale-up of Vaccines and Put Health over Profit!
Mar 31, 2021
On the occasion of World Health Day, WFPHA has joined a broad coalition of civil society organisations across Europe urgently calling on governments and EU institutions to implement a COVID-19 response based on global solidarity and to act to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines and medical products are available to everyone, everywhere in the world by waiving intellectual property rights (IPR) and sharing know-how and technology widely.

 

World Bank [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
Event – COVID-19: Vaccines for Developing Countries
Friday, April 9th | 11:00 am ET
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries is critical to protecting lives, building human capital, and stimulating economic recovery. The current crisis is exacerbating inequalities throughout the world and, without access to vaccines, the gap will widen further. Ensuring developing countries can access, as well as safely distribute vaccines, calls for strong partnership and cooperation at the national, regional & global levels. This event will explore:
:: The work underway in developing countries to prepare for large scale vaccine rollouts; the strengths and gaps in country readiness; measures to ensure access and distribution; and the importance of partnerships and cooperation across all stakeholders for success.
:: The private sector’s essential role in driving innovation, production and manufacturing to meet the enormous needs for COVID-19 vaccines, tests and therapeutics.
:: Taking a broad view of COVID-19 to reflect on opportunities and challenges across research, finance and policy, as we work to build more resilient health and economic systems now –and in the future.

Government of Nepal and World Bank sign $75 million additional financing agreement for COVID-19 vaccines
KATHMANDU, April 2, 2021 – The Government of Nepal and the World Bank today signed an agreement for additional financing of $75 million to support access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for…
Date: April 02, 2021 Type: Press Release

WBG Vaccine Announcement– Key Facts
COVID-19 vaccines, alongside widespread testing, improved treatment and strong health systems are critical to save lives and strengthen the global economic recovery. To provide relief for vulnerable populations…
Date: March 30, 2021 Type: Factsheet

 

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
30 March 2021
COVID-19 vaccine awareness: WCO completes three series of webinars involving the private sector
The World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully carried out three series of webinars between late January and late March 2021, to raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccines. The first series of webinars was held from 21 to 28 January in collaboration with Pfizer, the second from 15 to 17 March with Moderna, and the third one on 24 and 25 March with AstraZeneca.
The 11 webinars, which brought together more than 1,300 participants in total, focused on the essential specifications of COVID-19 vaccines as well as details of their distribution patterns, the aim being to make Customs better equipped to identify counterfeit or sub-standard COVID-19 vaccines at borders and curb trafficking, notably during this important period of COVID-19 vaccine delivery to governments…

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2021/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
World trade primed for strong but uneven recovery after COVID-19 pandemic shock
31 March 2021
Prospects for a quick recovery in world trade have improved as merchandise trade expanded more rapidly than expected in the second half of last year. According to new estimates from the WTO, the volume of world merchandise trade is expected to increase by 8.0% in 2021 after having fallen 5.3% in 2020, continuing its rebound from the pandemic-induced collapse that bottomed out in the second quarter of last year.

 

 

::::::

 

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 3 Apr 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

BIO [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

 

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 3 Apr 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

IFPMA [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
COVID-19 vaccine and treatment innovators response to global leaders urgent call for international pandemic treaty
30 March 2021 –
[See Milestones above for detail]

Identification & Traceability of Medicinal Products – A tool towards strengthening health systems
30 March 2021

 

PhRMA [to 3 Apr 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Strengthening a culture dedicated to patients and equity: A conversation with Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis
March 31, 2021
Strengthening a culture dedicated to patients and equity: A conversation with Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis

Journal Watch

Posted on by

Journal Watch
Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review continues its weekly scanning of key peer-reviewed journals to identify and cite articles, commentary and editorials, books reviews and other content supporting our focu-s on vaccine ethics and policy. Journal Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues the Center is actively tracking. We selectively provide full text of some editorial and comment articles that are specifically relevant to our work. Successful access to some of the links provided may require subscription or other access arrangement unique to the publisher.
If you would like to suggest other journal titles to include in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

Compassionate Force

Posted on by

AMA Journal of Ethics
Volume 23, Number 3 Apr 2021
https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/issue/compassionate-force

 

Compassionate Force
Using force in caregiving is most often justified based on risk-benefit or best interest analyses. Careful, inclusive deliberation about whether force should be used in the course of a patient’s care is a rise-to-the minimum precursor of responsible force implementation, as is minimizing a patient’s risk of harm. Even when clinically indicated and ethically justifiable, force protocols drawing on physical, pharmaceutical, and legal means of restraint or seclusion can undermine therapeutic capacity in patient-clinician relationships, erode trust, and exacerbate emotional and moral distress for both patients and clinicians. These high stakes cum patients’ extreme vulnerability prompt us to consider how clinicians’ and organizations’ clinical and ethical obligations extend beyond harm minimization to compassion maximization. Although the words “compassion” and “force” rarely appear together, this issue investigates what their union could mean for and make possible in the enterprise of health care.

Determinants of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake by Adult Women Attending Cervical Cancer Screening in 9 European Countries

Posted on by

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
April 2021 Volume 60 Issue 4p453-594
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

 

Research Articles
Determinants of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake by Adult Women Attending Cervical Cancer Screening in 9 European Countries
Claudia Robles, Laia Bruni, Amelia Acera,… Christine Clavel, Silvia de Sanjosé, F. Xavier Bosch
Published online: December 24, 2020
p478-487
Open Access