Featured Journal Content

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

EMA
News: Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) 6-9 April 2021 (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 09/04/2021
PRAC conclusion on very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets with Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine)
EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) has concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of Vaxzevria (previously COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca).
In reaching its conclusion, the committee took into consideration all currently available evidence, including the advice from an ad hoc expert group.
EMA is reminding healthcare professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring very rarely within 2 weeks of vaccination…
PRAC reviews signal of capillary leak syndrome with Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine)
PRAC has started a review of a safety signal to assess reports of capillary leak syndrome in people who were vaccinated with Vaxzevria (previously COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca).
Five cases of this very rare disorder, characterised by leakage of fluid from blood vessels causing tissue swelling and a drop in blood pressure, were reported in the EudraVigilance database.
At this stage, it is not yet clear whether there is a causal association between vaccination and the reports of capillary leak syndrome. These reports point to a ‘safety signal’ – information on new or changed adverse events that may potentially be associated with a medicine and that warrants further investigation…

::::::

European Commission

European Commission [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Press release 7 April 2021
Coronavirus: Commission mobilises €123 million for research and innovation to combat the threat of variants
The Commission is mobilising €123 million from Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme, for urgent research into coronavirus variants. This first emergency funding under Horizon Europe adds to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus and contributes to the Commission’s overall action to prevent, mitigate and respond to the impact of coronavirus variants, in line with the new European bio-defence preparedness plan HERA Incubator…

Featured Journal Content

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

Meeting
Virtual Conference: Expanding Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing
Date: 12 April 2021 – 13 April 2021
Organiser: Africa CDC
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Language: English, French
Sign Up

Featured Journal Content

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

Russia: Sputnik V – “the first registered COVID-19 vaccine”
https://sputnikvaccine.com/newsroom/pressreleases/
Press Releases
RDIF and Panacea Biotec agree to produce 100 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine in India per year
Moscow, April 5, 2021 – The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund), and Panacea Biotec, one of the leading vaccine and pharmaceutical producers in India, announce cooperation to produce 100 million doses per year of Sputnik V, the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus.
Production of Sputnik V at Panacea Biotec sites will help facilitate global supply of Sputnik V to international partners of RDIF…

Featured Journal Content

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

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

07.04.2021
Guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccination at WorkPlace
…, the prioritized group of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccination has been expanded to cover general population aged 45 years and above from 1st April 2021.b.Asubstantial proportion of population aged between 45-59 years (in some cases up to 65 years) are in the organized sector of the economy. They are involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private), in manufacturing and services etc…

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

Featured Journal Content

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

[See China CDC section below]

Featured Journal Content

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.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 07 April 2021
:: The GPEI has published a new document meant to provide guidance on tOPV temperature management procedures, which differ from those used in mOPV2 response to poliovirus type 2 events and outbreaks. The document is available here.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: five cVDPV2 cases and eight cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: two WPV1 and three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Burkina Faso: one cVDPV2 case
:: Côte d’Ivoire: four cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Liberia: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Sierra Leone: one cVDPV2 case

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::::::

WHO/OCHA Emergencies

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

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 10 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]

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 10 Apr 2021]
Malawi
:: The Malaria Vaccine Pilot Implementation Programme two years on in Malawi – Increasi… 07 April 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 March 2021]
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 01 avril 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]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 25 March 2021]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
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]
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 23 March 2021]
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 10 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]

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::::::

UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

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

WHO & Regional Offices [to 10 Apr 2021]
8 April 2021 News release
COVAX reaches over 100 economies, 42 days after first international delivery
[See Milestones above for detail]

8 April 2021 Departmental news
Meeting of the Guidelines Development Group (GDG) for the update and consolidation of guidelines for safe abortion care

7 April 2021 Departmental news
WHO launches Progress Indicators to measure access to assistive technology

7 April 2021 Statement
Interim statement of the COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety on AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
…Based on current information, a causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots with low platelets is considered plausible but is not confirmed. Specialised studies are needed to fully understand the potential relationship between vaccination and possible risk factors. The GACVS subcommittee will continue to gather and review further data, as it has done since the beginning of the COVID vaccine programme…

7 April 2021 Joint News Release
Alisson Becker and WHO Foundation launch campaign to raise resources and support treatment for COVID-19 patients starting in the Americas

6 April 2021 News release
WHO urges countries to build a fairer, healthier world post-COVID-19

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol. 96, No. 14, pp. 113–116 9 April 2021
:: 9th Meeting of the WHO Expert Working Group of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System for Surveillance of Antiviral Susceptibility
:: Executive summary of the 11th Meeting of the WHO Working Group for the Molecular Detection and Subtyping of Influenza Viruses and the use of next-generation sequencing in the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: 6 April 2021 News release Address inequities to build a fairer, healthier world: WHO

WHO European Region EURO
:: Uzbekistan strengthens its health system in the midst of COVID-19 crisis 07-04-2021
:: Ensuring safe schooling during COVID-19 07-04-2021
:: Strong chain of care links sectors to deliver essential health services and leave no one behind in Romania 07-04-2021
:: World Health Day: Putting equity at the heart of COVID-19 recovery 06-04-2021
:: Opportunity for improvement as new WHO report sheds light on promotion of unsuitable baby foods in Poland 06-04-2021

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Vaccines now effective weapon against COVID-19 in all countries of the Region 7 April 2021
:: Islamic Republic of Iran receives first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX Facility
6 April 2021

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: 7 April 2021 | Statement
Virtual press conference on World Health Day and COVID-19 in the Western Pacific
:: 07 April 2021 | Statement
Building a fairer, healthier world – Address by WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Takeshi Kasai, on the occasion of World Health Day 2021, the theme of which is “Building a fairer, healthier world”

CDC/ACIP [U.S.] [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements
CDC Awards $3 Billion to Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Programs
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Funding can be used for innovative partnerships with community-based organizations to increase vaccine uptake, including in underserved populations

Nearly 80 percent of teachers, school staff, and childcare workers receive at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine
Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)– CDC
Selected Resources
Overall US COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration Update as of Fri, 09 Apr 2021 06:00:00 EST

Africa CDC [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.africacdc.org/
Meeting
Virtual Conference: Expanding Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing
Date: 12 April 2021 – 13 April 2021
Organiser: Africa CDC
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Language: English, French
Sign Up

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

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
April 10: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On April 9, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 14 new cases of confirmed infections.

Recap of Xi’s remarks on China’s crucial battle against COVID-19 in Wuhan, Hubei
2021-04-09

WHO-convened Global Study of the Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part Press Briefing by China Experts Members
2021-04-07

70% of Chinese expected to get vaccinated by year-end
2021-04-09
Nearly 70 percent of Chinese are expected to receive COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this year, said Feng Duojia, president of the China Association for Vaccines.
China’s annual manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccines will reach about 5 billion doses in 2022, he said during an online forum held on Wednesday…

Beijing vaccination effort expands to students
2021-04-06

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
Over 149m COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China
2021-04-09
More than 149 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on April 9.

Sinovac, Sinopharm show safety, efficacy: WHO
2021-04-06
Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac have presented data on their COVID-19 vaccines demonstrating safety and good efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease, a vaccine expert from the World Health Organization (WHO) has said recently.

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 10 Apr 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
News
No new digest content identified.

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 10 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 10 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 10 Apr 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
04.06.2021
CARB-X is funding Novel Microdevices to develop a rapid and portable diagnostic for sexually transmitted diseases including antibiotic-resistant infections
CARB-X is awarding Novel Microdevices, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, up to $3.6 million in non-dilutive funding, and, subject to available funding, up to an additional $10.2 million if certain project milestones are met, to develop a new rapid molecular test to diagnose sexually-transmitted bacterial infections, including Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 10 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 10 Apr 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
Do we need to update our tools assessing COVID-19 vaccine performance to work against the novel variants?
CEPI, the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are on the search for partners to investigate.
09 Apr 2021

Covax reaches over 100 economies, 42 days after first international delivery
More than 38 million doses of vaccines from manufacturers AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Serum Institute of India (SII) have now been delivered.
08 Apr 2021
[See COVAX above for detail]

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 10 Apr 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
No new digest content identified.

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
WEEKLY COVID VACCINE RESEARCH UPDATE
FRIDAY, April 2, 2021

EDCTP [to 10 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 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

European Commission [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
Latest
Press release 7 April 2021
Coronavirus: Commission mobilises €123 million for research and innovation to combat the threat of variants
The Commission is mobilising €123 million from Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme, for urgent research into coronavirus variants. This first emergency funding under Horizon Europe adds to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus and contributes to the Commission’s overall action to prevent, mitigate and respond to the impact of coronavirus variants, in line with the new European bio-defence preparedness plan HERA Incubator…

European Medicines Agency [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
News: Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) 6-9 April 2021 (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 09/04/2021

News: AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine: EMA finds possible link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots with low blood platelets (new)
PRAC, Last updated: 07/04/2021

European Vaccine Initiative [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
April 9, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 9, 2021

April 6, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: April 6, 2021

April 6, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for the Symbiotica COVID-19 Self-Collected Antibody Test System

Fondation Merieux [to 10 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 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
8 April 2021
COVAX reaches over 100 economies, 42 days after first international deliver
[See COVAX above for detail]

GHIT Fund [to 10 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
No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
News
Global Fund Thanks Germany for EUR 140 million Contribution
08 April 2021
The Global Fund applauds Germany’s leadership in the global response to COVID-19 and warmly welcomes an additional contribution of EUR 140 million to support Global Fund efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries and mitigate the impact on HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programs, including through deploying diagnostic tests and protecting front-line health workers.

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
GloPID-R observer CEPI launches funding call to develop broadly protective coronavirus vaccines
09/04/2021
With the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and the threat of future coronavirus outbreaks, GLOPID-R observer the Coalition for Epidemic…

Call for comments on the Zika virus (ZIKV) Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap
08/04/2021
A call for comments has been launched on the draft Zika virus (ZIKV) Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap developed by…

Research priorities for Long Covid: BMC Medicine commentary highlights the need for global research coordination and stronger health systems
07/04/2021
To ensure that Long Covid does not become the lasting legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic, research must be based on…

Hilleman Laboratories [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
[Website not loading at inquiry]

IAVI [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES/FEATURES
No new digest content identified.

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

ICRC [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases, Statements, Reports
The Potential Human Cost of the Use of Weapons in Outer Space and the Protection Afforded by International Humanitarian Law
While space objects have been employed for military purposes since the dawn of the space era, the weaponization of outer space would increase the likelihood of hostilities in outer space, with potentially significant impacts for civilians on earth.
09 April 2021

The international community must redouble its efforts to address the challenges facing mine action
Statement of the ICRC to the UNSC about mine action and sustaining peace: Stronger partnerships for better delivery.
08-04-2021 | Statement

International Humanitarian Law Bibliography
The ICRC International Humanitarian Law Bibliography lists references to English and French publications on international humanitarian law.
06-04-2021 | Article

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 10 Apr 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Middle East and North Africa
New Red Cross Red Crescent analysis shows deep inequalities in COVID-19 response across Middle East and North Africa
Beirut, 8 April 2021 (IFRC) – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is seeking “urgent and sizeable investment” to ensure the region’s pandemic response leaves no one behind
… New analysis released today by the IFRC highlights significant inequalities in COVID-19 vaccination rates across the MENA region. According to this analysis:
:: Less than 5 per cent of vaccine doses administered in MENA Region have been administered in the eight countries facing severe or very severe humanitarian crises.
:: Only a third (37 per cent) of doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in MENA Region have been reported administered in countries experiencing any type of humanitarian crisis, whether conflict, complex emergencies, displacement, or others.
:: Among MENA countries that have administered any vaccine doses, the country reporting the most doses per capita, UAE, reports having administered 510 times more doses per capita than Algeria.
Hossam Khalil Elsharkawi, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said: “The Middle East and North Africa hosts some of the world’s most protracted humanitarian crises. This analysis shows that people in these settings are more likely than the general population to be infected, are more likely to die once infected, and are least likely to be appropriately supported through the response, including through vaccination campaigns.
“While there is clearly a growing recognition of the importance of equitable vaccine access, this is not yet translating into investment in all the systems that are needed to turn this ambition into a reality. The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement plan focuses on reaching the last mile and ensuring that no one is left behind. To continue to play this role, we need urgent and sizeable investment.”…

Institut Pasteur [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press release
06.04.2021
Light shed on the coordination of neural stem cell activation
In all adult vertebrates, neural stem cells can be recruited to produce new neurons in the brain.

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
As wealthy countries look toward a return to normalcy, many impacted by conflict and crisis are experiencing significant increases in COVID-19 cases and deaths with little hope for a vaccine this year
April 7, 2021
:: With the emergence of more contagious and more deadly variants, many crisis-affected countries are experiencing significant upticks in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
:: Places like Kenya, Venezuela, Yemen, Ethiopia, and northeast Syria seeing average daily case increases of 322%, 91%, 379%, 289%, and 529% respectively between early and late March.
:: This World Health Day, we call on the international community to focus their investments on strengthening health systems in crisis-affected countries and to donate excess vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility.

IVAC [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
World Immunization Week 2021 Webinar
April 2021
Immunization Agenda 2030: Equitable Health Access for All During World Immunization Week 2021, the International Vaccine Access Center will co-host a panel event with Shot@Life to highlight how COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated global health inequities, and how the new Immunization Agenda 2030 Framework for Action charts a path to equitable immunization coverage for everyone.

IVI [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
No new digest content identified.

JEE Alliance [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements
DRC Ebola outbreaks
DRC’s twelfth Ebola outbreak
Crisis Update 8 Apr 2021

National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Accessed 3 April 2021
Selected News/Programs
Expert Papers from the National Academy of Medicine Identify Lessons Learned and Compelling Needs for Public Health and Care Systems after COVID-19
April 7, 2021
In response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the American health system, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) convened experts in nine sectors of health, health care, and biomedical research to review how each sector was impacted by COVID-19, identify challenges encountered in combating the pandemic, and outline what opportunities exist to reinforce, revitalize, […]

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 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

NIH [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
NIH experts call for accelerated research to address concurrent HIV and COVID-19 pandemics
April 8, 2021 — The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people with or at risk for HIV indirectly and directly.

NIH begins study of allergic reactions to Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines
April 7, 2021 — A clinical trial is underway to determine whether people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder are at increased risk for an immediate, systemic allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines…

UN OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.unocha.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

PATH [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
6 April 2021
Keeping girls in school reduces new HIV infections

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
Latest from News Centre
UN calls for urgent action on debt, vaccines, around the world
Posted on April 10, 2021
Washington —The United Nations called this week for expanded debt relief to all developing countries that request it and faster, more equitable COVID-19 vaccinations to tackle “unprecedented” fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“To avoid a development crisis, the world must avoid a debt crisis,” UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said on behalf of the United Nations in statements to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Development Committee and to the International Monetary and Financial Committee Board of Governors, gathered virtually for their yearly Spring Meetings. “This is no time for austerity.”
Speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General,  Steiner also noted that that 84 percent of COVID-19 vaccines administered so far have gone to wealthier countries and urged swift measures to close major gaps in vaccine funding and production for poor countries.
While the world’s largest economies have mobilized an historic US$18 trillion in fiscal support, keeping people and economies afloat amid surging poverty, joblessness, and hunger, many developing countries cannot invest in recovery and resilience because of financing constraints, Steiner said.
“The least developed countries have spent 580 times less in per capita terms on their COVID-19 response than advanced economies. This division is starkly reflected in global access to vaccines. The work is not done until vaccines are in arms around the world and until the divergent paths of recovery correct course.”…

UNESCO [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://en.unesco.org/news
Selected Latest News
Let’s discuss the ethical considerations of COVID-19 vaccination rollout: Making the COVID-19 vaccine a global public good
08/04/2021
UNESCO, in partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the South African National Bioethics Committee, the Coalition of African National Medical Associations and World Health Organisation (WHO), will host a series of online workshops to discuss the equitable and timely allocation of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.
The first workshop will take place on 14 April 2021 and will present the UNESCO Statement on Global Equity and Solidarity, and the Africa CDC’s Framework for the Fair, Equitable and Timely Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccines in Africa. How can ethical principles such as Global Solidarity, Equity, or Ubuntu be translated into Immunisation Policies and Plans in Africa?… Join the discussion. Register here.

UNESCO launches 2021 survey on public access to information
07/04/2021
UNESCO has kicked off a global survey on public access to information, putting into practice its status as the custodian agency in the UN for monitoring the right to access to information.
Using Sustainable development indicator 16.10.2, the new survey will track progress on how states are adopting and implementing legally binding guarantees for public access to information.
The 2021 survey on Access to Information will be launched during the World Bank online consultation for the next “World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives”.
Previous surveys by UNESCO have raised awareness that states as the duty-bearers responsible for ensuring access to information and data are often themselves in a position of having very limited data about performance of the very institutions charged with this duty.
The launch of the new survey will help to generate new data and further pinpoint where progress is needed. It will also be an opportunity to share concrete examples on how data on the monitoring of SDG 16.10.2 can improve lives and links to other SDGs…

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected Announcements
UNHCR calls for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for refugees
7 Apr 2021
On World Health Day, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for concerted international action and solidarity to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations, including for refugees and other forcibly displaced and stateless people.
UNHCR is encouraged by the fact that 153 States have adopted vaccination strategies that include refugees. Yet, in many parts of the world, actual immunization remains a challenge, largely due to the unequal availability of vaccines and the capacity of health systems.
“The blatant imbalances observed in vaccine-sharing among States are counter-productive and shortsighted. A ‘my country first’ approach just cannot work in a pandemic that knows no borders,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
To date, some 20 countries are known to have begun inoculating refugees on an equal footing to citizens. Recent examples include Serbia and Nepal, which came on the heels of other States, such as Rwanda and Jordan.
“We commend these countries for their exemplary dedication and leadership. By including refugees in their vaccine distribution, they mitigate the risks associated with exclusion and discrimination,” Grandi said. Such risks range from consequences for the overall public health situation to limited access to services or curtailed freedom of movement…

UNICEF [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected press releases, news notes and statements
Press release 04/08/2021
COVAX reaches over 100 economies, 42 days after first international delivery
[See COVAX above for detail]

Statement 04/06/2021
We need speed and simplicity to remove barriers to the acquisition, manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
[See COVAX above for detail]

Unitaid [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
No new digest content identified.

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 10 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).
[Data arrays do noy seem to loading]

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
No new digest content identified.

Wellcome Trust [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News and reports
Explainer
What are ‘adverse events’ and ’emergency use authorisation’ in relation to vaccination?
8 April 2021

Explainer
What drugs are working as treatments for Covid-19?
6 April 2021

The Wistar Institute [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

World Bank [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
World Bank’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in Africa
… The World Bank has taken fast action to help African countries strengthen their pandemic response and health care systems and is now stepping up its support on vaccine purchase and deployment.
With the vaccine roll-out underway in many African countries, ensuring an adequate supply of vaccines is a priority for the region. Th e World Bank estimates that every month of delay costs the African continent $13.8 billion in lost gross domestic product.
Currently, the World Bank is preparing emergency vaccine financing projects in more than 30 African countries including Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, and Senegal – amounting to a total of $1.85 billion. These projects focus on ensuring countries have available financial resources to equitably access vaccines; conducting readiness assessments to identify gaps and take measures to make sure vaccines reach as many people as possible; reinforcing infrastructure including cold chain equipment, trained human resources, and transport; establishing data collection systems to monitor the impact of vaccination efforts; as well as supporting behavior change campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy and increase demand.
The emergency vaccine financing follows the development of COVID-19 emergency projects in 36 countries (amounting to $988 million) which focus on strengthening prevention, expanding testing and providing medical equipment such as portable ventilators, personal protective equipment and masks, as well as building healthcare facilities, and strengthening community engagement, health systems and coordination. Additional resources (about $190 million) are being leveraged through project restructuring and existing health operations…

Date: April 08, 2021 Type: Factsheet

The World Bank Approves US$150 Million to Support COVID-19 Vaccination in Ecuador
WASHINGTON D.C., April 5, 2021 – The World Bank Board of Directors approved US$150 million in additional financing for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project in Ecuador. This is the first World Bank- financed operation in Latin America and the Caribbean for COVID-19 vaccine procurement. The new resources will be used to purchase and distribute vaccines and to support pandemic management in the country…
Date: April 05, 2021 Type: Press Release Language: English

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 10 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 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
No new digest content identified.

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 10 Apr 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 10 Apr 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

IFPMA [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
BIO-IFPMA Comment on COVAX No-Fault Compensation Program for COVAX Advance Market Commitment Eligible Economies
Geneva, 9 April 2021 – We commend COVAX on the launch of its Web Portal for the no-fault compensation program (NFC) for the 92 low- and middle-income countries eligible for support under the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).  The development of this international NFC system is a historic achievement, and the program will play a crucial role in advancing the prompt, equitable, and responsible administration of COVID-19 vaccines.  We recognize the immense challenges the World Health Organization (WHO) faced in designing this first-of-its-kind international system, and we appreciate that the program incorporates many of the critical design elements associated with highly-effective NFC systems.  We recommend two refinements that will maximize the effectiveness and success of this impressive program.

First, we support the WHO’s decision to limit compensation to serious adverse events but suggest that the COVAX NFC program cover all serious adverse events, not just permanent serious adverse events.  Doing so would align with successful national NFC systems, and would also align with the definition of “serious adverse event” adopted by International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH).

Why is this refinement important to the effectiveness and success of the program?  Serious adverse events of any kind have only rarely been associated with vaccines, but those few that do occur even more seldom result in permanent injuries.  For example, anaphylaxis is a very rare but serious event that, with proper treatment, is normally resolved within a relatively short time.  It clearly fits the standard ICH definition of a serious adverse event, yet it would not always be eligible for compensation under the WHO program as currently designed.  Excluding people who experience such events would deprive them of fair compensation and could undercut public confidence in the NFC program.

Second, COVAX should ensure that the COVAX program is agile enough to respond to rapidly-changing global developments—such as the rise of new COVID-19 variants—including through potential extensions of the program’s coverage term.  We understand that the COVAX NFC program currently has an eligibility cutoff date of June 30, 2022 and includes additional coverage limitations tied to the date upon which vaccines receive initial regulatory authorization and the date upon which countries first receive vaccine doses.

Why is this refinement important to the effectiveness and success of the program?   While these coverage term restrictions may currently be appropriate, the rise of new variants and other global developments could require the introduction of new and/or modified vaccines and may significantly alter the timelines for global vaccine distribution.  Given the unpredictability of these developments, we request that the COVAX acknowledge its willingness to extend the program’s coverage term as necessary in the coming months and years.

Effective NFC systems should advance two core goals:
:: They should provide vaccine recipients with access to prompt, fair, and transparent compensation for any serious adverse events associated with vaccinations.  By achieving this goal, well-designed systems can greatly enhance vaccine confidence and expedite vaccine uptake.
:: NFC systems should mitigate the risks of time-consuming and resource-intensive vaccine liability litigation.  Reducing costly litigation provides governments and other stakeholders with the financial security necessary to carry out robust vaccination programs, while still providing vaccine recipients with timely access to compensation.  This goal is particularly important in low- and middle-income countries, were the financial risks posed by liability litigation can severely limit the implementation of vaccination programs.  By implementing the above refinements, COVAX will best be able to ensure that its program advances both of these goals.

We again commend COVAX on the announcement of its historic NFC program.  By implementing the above recommendations, the COVAX will be able to best ensure that this program plays an effective role in enhancing global vaccination efforts for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.  We look forward to further collaborating with the COVAX partners to advance our shared public health goals, and we welcome any opportunity to further discuss these recommendations.

PhRMA [to 10 Apr 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Key excerpts: PhRMA submits comments to NIST in effort to safeguard intellectual property protections
April 9, 2021
PhRMA submits comments to NIST in effort to safeguard Intellectual Property protections
Earlier this week PhRMA submitted comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) regarding the proposed rulemaking on implementing regulations of the Bayh-Dole Act. Passed in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act was a landmark piece of bipartisan legislation that established a uniform framework across the federal government to encourage technology transfer between universities and the private sector that has facilitated timely and efficient commercialization of early-stage research. Since its passage, it has fueled unprecedented innovation across the United States…

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

AMA Journal of Ethics
Volume 23, Number 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.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

Collaborating to offer HPV vaccinations in jails: results from a pre-implementation study in four states
Correctional facilities are an underutilized venue for reaching young adults who have not vaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV). The objective of this study was to identify factors that are associated with jail and local health department (LHD) interest in partnering to offer HPV vaccinations to young adults in jail.
Authors: Amanda Emerson, Molly Allison, Lisa Saldana, Patricia J. Kelly and Megha Ramaswamy
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2021 21:309
Content type: Research article
Published on: 7 April 2021

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

Research article
Under consent: participation of people with HIV in an Ebola vaccine trial in Canada
Little is known about volunteers from Northern research settings who participate in vaccine trials of highly infectious diseases with no approved treatments. This article explores the motivations of HIV immunocompromised study participants in Canada who volunteered in a Phase II clinical trial that evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of an Ebola vaccine candidate.
Authors: Pierre-Marie David, Benjamin Mathiot, Oumy Thiongane and Janice E. Graham
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:42
Content type: Research article
Published on: 9 April 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

Public health practitioner perspectives on dealing with measles outbreaks if high anti-vaccination sentiment is present
Communities with low vaccination rates are at greater risk during outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases. Most Australian parents support vaccines, but some refuse and are often judged harshly by their comm…
Authors: Penelope Robinson, Kerrie Wiley and Chris Degeling
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:578
Content type: Research article
Published on: 9 April 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

Unwillingness to engage in behaviors that protect against COVID-19: the role of conspiracy beliefs, trust, and endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine
We investigated if people’s response to the official recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with conspiracy beliefs related to COVID-19, a distrust in the sources providing information on C…
Authors: Anna Soveri, Linda C. Karlsson, Jan Antfolk, Mikael Lindfelt and Stephan Lewandowsky
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:684
Content type: Research article
Published on: 8 April 2021

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 10 Apr 2021)

Measles vaccine coverage among children born to Somali immigrants in Norway
Despite overall good vaccination coverage in many countries, vaccine hesitancy has hindered full coverage and exposed groups to the risk of outbreaks. Somali immigrant groups have been known to have low measle…
Authors: Sherin Marie Jenness, Preben Aavitsland, Richard Aubrey White and Brita Askeland Winje
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:668
Content type: Research article
Published on: 7 April 2021

EMBO Reports
Volume 22 Issue 4 7 April 2021
https://www.embopress.org/toc/14693178/current

Opinion 1 March 2021 Free Access
Mismatched expectations
Frank Gannon
Public funding for basic research rests on a delicate balance between scientists, governments and the public. COVID could further shift this equilibrium towards translation and application.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume 27, Number 4—April 2021
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/

Dispatches
Postvaccination COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers, Israel [PDF – 1004 KB – 3 pages]
S. Amit et al.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) symptoms can be mistaken for vaccine-related side effects during initial days after immunization. Among 4,081 vaccinated healthcare workers in Israel, 22 (0.54%) developed COVID-19 from 1–10 days (median 3.5 days) after immunization. Clinicians should not dismiss postvaccination symptoms as vaccine-related and should promptly test for COVID-19.

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

A review of prospective pathways and impacts of COVID-19 on the accessibility, safety, quality, and affordability of essential medicines and vaccines for universal health coverage in Africa
The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has the potential to reverse progress towards global targets. This study examines the risks that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to equitable access to e…
Authors: Floriano Amimo, Ben Lambert, Anthony Magit and Masahiro Hashizume
Citation: Globalization and Health 2021 17:42
Content type: Review
Published on: 8 April 2021

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

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

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

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

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 8, No 4 (2021) April 2021
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/75

Original Research Articles
Community perception and determinants of willingness to uptake COVID-19 vaccines among residents of Osun State, South-West Nigeria
Patrick A. Akinyemi, Olusola Fajobi, Israel A. Owoade, Olanrewaju T. Elugbaju, Funmilola O. Wuraola

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 8, No 4 (2021) April 2021
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/75

Knowledge and practices towards cervical cancer prevention and HPV vaccination among MBBS graduates
Kanika Bansal, Ravish Ranjan, Meena Rajput, Shiba .

JAMA
April 6, 2021, Vol 325, No. 13, Pages 1239-1356
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Research Letter
Emergence of a Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variant in Southern California
Wenjuan Zhang, PhD; Brian D. Davis, BSc; Stephanie S. Chen, BSc; et al.
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2021;325(13):1324-1326. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1612
This research describes findings of sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from symptomatic patients cared for at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in November-December 2020 during a regional surge in cases and hospitalizations.

JAMA
April 6, 2021, Vol 325, No. 13, Pages 1239-1356
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Editorial
SARS-CoV-2 Viral Variants—Tackling a Moving Target
John R. Mascola, MD; Barney S. Graham, MD, PhD; Anthony S. Fauci, MD

JAMA
April 6, 2021, Vol 325, No. 13, Pages 1239-1356
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

COVID-19: Beyond Tomorrow
The Potential Future of the COVID-19 PandemicWill SARS-CoV-2 Become a Recurrent Seasonal Infection?
Christopher J. L. Murray, MD; Peter Piot, MD
has audio
JAMA. 2021;325(13):1249-1250. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.2828
This Viewpoint discusses the prospect that COVID-19 could become a recurrent seasonal disease like influenza and proposes strategies to mitigate the consequences for communities and health systems, including changes in surveillance, medical and public health response, and socioeconomic programs.

JAMA
April 6, 2021, Vol 325, No. 13, Pages 1239-1356
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Approaches for Optimal Use of Different COVID-19 VaccinesIssues of Viral Variants and Vaccine Efficacy
John P. Moore, PhD
has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2021;325(13):1251-1252. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.3465
This Viewpoint proposes ways to maximize vaccine efficacy and allocation given the rise of coronavirus variants and authorization of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, including reserving the latter for younger healthier populations, boosting it with a single-dose messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination, and single mRNA immunization of people with prior documented SARS-CoV-2 infection.

JAMA
April 6, 2021, Vol 325, No. 13, Pages 1239-1356
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

JAMA Insights
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines
C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH; Shannon C. Walker, MD; Robert J. Samuels, MBChB
free access has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2021;325(13):1318-1320. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.3199
This JAMA Insights clinical review explains different approaches to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development, including inactivated and protein subunit, viral vector, and mRNA immunization strategies, and summarizes safety and efficacy data for global products authorized for use or in later-stage clinical trials.

JAMA Network
COVID-19 Update April 10, 2021

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

JAMA Pediatrics
April 2021, Vol 175, No. 4, Pages 339-440
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/currentissue

Viewpoint
The Complicated Legacy of Cassandra CallenderEthics, Decision-making, and the Role of Adolescents
Jonathan M. Marron, MD, MPH; Elaine C. Meyer, PhD, RN, MBE; Kerri O. Kennedy, MA, BSN, RN
JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(4):343-344. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.4812
This Viewpoint discusses the role of adolescents in decisions about their health care, particularly potentially life-saving interventions.

JAMA Pediatrics
April 2021, Vol 175, No. 4, Pages 339-440
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/currentissue

Research Letter
A Survey of Camp Leadership to Assess Immunization Requirements, Policies, and Practices in a National Cohort of Summer Camps
Carissa Bunke, MD; Natalie Schellpfeffer, MD; Barry Garst, PhD; et al.
JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(4):421-423. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.5342
This study surveys a national cohort of summer camp leadership to assess camps’ immunization requirements, policies, and practices.

The Lancet
Apr 10, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10282 p1325-1418
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
China’s response to COVID-19: a chance for collaboration
The Lancet

The Lancet
Apr 10, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10282 p1325-1418
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Comment
Pandemic moves and countermoves: vaccines and viral variants
Rogier W Sanders, Menno D de Jong

The Lancet
Apr 10, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10282 p1325-1418
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Articles
Efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/01 (B.1.1.7): an exploratory analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Katherine R W Emary, et al on behalf of the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, the AMPHEUS Project,
and the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Group
Open Access

The Lancet
Apr 10, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10282 p1325-1418
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Series
Maternal and Child Undernutrition Progress
Revisiting maternal and child undernutrition in low-income and middle-income countries: variable progress towards an unfinished agenda
Cesar G Victora, Parul Christian, Luis Paulo Vidaletti, Giovanna Gatica-Domínguez, Purnima Menon, Robert E Black

The Lancet
Apr 10, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10282 p1325-1418
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Maternal and Child Undernutrition Progress
Mobilising evidence, data, and resources to achieve global maternal and child undernutrition targets and the Sustainable Development Goals: an agenda for action
Rebecca A Heidkamp, et al

Nature
Volume 592 Issue 7853, 8 April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/592/issues/7853

Editorial | 06 April 2021
The world must learn from COVID before diving into a pandemic treaty
A treaty might help countries to prepare for the next pandemic — but first they must study what went wrong during this one.
[See Milestones above for full text]

Nature
Volume 592 Issue 7853, 8 April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/592/issues/7853

Perspective | 07 April 2021 | Open Access
The NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing program
This Perspective discusses how the Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium aims to accelerate the implementation of safe and effective genome-editing therapies in the clinic.
Krishanu Saha, Erik J. Sontheimer & Jiangbing Zhou
Abstract
The move from reading to writing the human genome offers new opportunities to improve human health. The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) Consortium aims to accelerate the development of safer and more-effective methods to edit the genomes of disease-relevant somatic cells in patients, even in tissues that are difficult to reach. Here we discuss the consortium’s plans to develop and benchmark approaches to induce and measure genome modifications, and to define downstream functional consequences of genome editing within human cells. Central to this effort is a rigorous and innovative approach that requires validation of the technology through third-party testing in small and large animals. New genome editors, delivery technologies and methods for tracking edited cells in vivo, as well as newly developed animal models and human biological systems, will be assembled—along with validated datasets—into an SCGE Toolkit, which will be disseminated widely to the biomedical research community. We visualize this toolkit—and the knowledge generated by its applications—as a means to accelerate the clinical development of new therapies for a wide range of conditions.

Nature
Volume 592 Issue 7853, 8 April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/592/issues/7853

Article | 01 February 2021
BNT162b vaccines protect rhesus macaques from SARS-CoV-2
BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 are two candidate mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 that elicit high virus-entry inhibition titres in mice, elicit high virus-neutralizing titres in rhesus macaques and protect macaques from SARS-CoV-2 challenge.
Annette B. Vogel, Isis Kanevsky & Ugur Sahin

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
Volume 20 Issue 4, April 2021
https://www.nature.com/nrd/volumes/20/issues/4

Comment | 23 November 2020
Advancing development of medicines by academia and non-profit research organizations in the European Union
Providing support for medicine development by academics and clinical researchers is a priority for the European Medicines Agency. The recent launch of free scientific advice to academia and non-profit research organizations developing orphan medicines can help align research with regulatory requirements early during medicine development and enhance the chances of success.
Rosa Gonzalez-Quevedo, Constantinos Ziogas  & Anthony Humphreys

New England Journal of Medicine
April 8, 2021 Vol. 384 No. 14
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
From Vaccine Nationalism to Vaccine Equity — Finding a Path Forward
I.T. Katz, R. Weintraub, L.-G. Bekker, and A.M. Brandt
The global effort to develop safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines has yielded remarkable results, owing in part to early, decisive investments in clinical discovery through efforts such as Operation Warp Speed. These achievements highlight the payoff of stable, long-term support of basic research and immunology: our scientific community was prepared to act. Now, as the global community faces scarce supply, we confront a distressing reality: our current global vaccination rates of roughly 6.7 million doses per day translate to achieving herd immunity (70 to 85% of the population having received a two-dose vaccine) in approximately 4.6 years. Vaccine distribution remains nonexistent in many of the poorest countries, and experts anticipate that 80% of the population in low-resource settings will not receive a vaccine this year. Although investment in discovery is critical, the long-term neglect of public health and global delivery strategies has left us poorly equipped to end this pandemic.

The complex bottlenecks in allocating and disseminating newly approved vaccines require urgent attention. They include ensuring production capacity, supply chains, human resources, and health infrastructures to deliver vaccines safely, effectively, and quickly. Barriers to vaccine uptake are augmented by mistrust, misinformation, and historical legacies affecting vaccine confidence.¹ Even wealthy countries have faced formidable obstacles and made critical missteps in implementing mass-vaccination programs.

Furthermore, the early competitive procurement of vaccines by the United States and purchases by other high-resource countries have fed a widespread assumption that each country will be solely responsible for its own population. Such vaccine nationalism perpetuates the long history of powerful countries securing vaccines and therapeutics at the expense of less-wealthy countries; it is short-sighted, ineffective, and deadly. Ultimately, wealthy countries have a critical interest in assisting global vaccination, especially in countries that will need supportive partnerships to ensure supply and delivery. Moreover, an uncoordinated patchwork of immunity could exacerbate the rise of escape variants that could alter vaccines’ effectiveness.

These inequalities reveal a fundamentally flawed view of global health, and our global economy more broadly, in which vaccines and essential medications are treated as a market commodity rather than as a public good. We have seen similar policies enacted during past pandemics. During the height of the HIV epidemic, for example, most low-resource countries could not access lifesaving antiretroviral therapy because of the prohibitively high prices set by the pharmaceutical industry and the belief within United Nations agencies and among major donors that the focus in these settings should be on prevention instead of treatment. The commodification of global public goods reinforces widespread inequities in access and exacerbates vast disparities in health and economic well-being. Ultimately, addressing critical constraints is both a moral issue and one of national security that requires bold, decisive action to ensure expansion of supply, distribution, and delivery of Covid-19 vaccines.

The United States, under the Biden administration, and the G7 nations have committed support for global vaccine procurement through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) program, which supplies vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, but this funding alone remains inadequate. Currently, COVAX plans to vaccinate at least 20% of the population of participating countries by the end of 2021.² Though this would be a substantial achievement, it falls far short of the goal of securing global herd immunity in a timely fashion.

The United States has an opportunity to lead by building on past effective efforts and investing in strategies with proven success. The challenges of delivering costly HIV therapeutics to low-resource settings inspired the creation of programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which have been critical to ensuring global scale-up of antiretroviral therapy for populations that previously lacked access. Reflecting on the impact of PEPFAR, which was approved with bipartisan congressional support in 2003, Anthony Fauci noted on the program’s 15th anniversary that “PEPFAR has done as much as or more than any other program in enhancing the humanitarian image of the United States and has firmly established it as a key player in the response to a historic global health crisis.”³

The United States could build on PEPFAR’s success by committing to what some experts have dubbed a President’s Emergency Plan for Vaccine Access and Relief (PEPVAR).⁴ Such a program could integrate global health needs into ongoing funding priorities, augment funding for vaccine production and delivery, and assist in building critical health infrastructures, while providing the Biden administration an opportunity to rejoin the global diplomatic community.

PEPVAR could use strategic lessons from the global responses to HIV, H1N1 influenza, and Ebola by engaging with multinational organizations such as the World Health Organization, as well as governments, ministries of health, and affected communities. The program could help accelerate distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, working with national governments and multilateral organizations. Unlike COVAX, whose mission is primarily to increase and improve vaccine delivery to countries that are most in need, PEPVAR could partner with, support, and accelerate existing institutional mechanisms for ensuring vaccine access. Like PEPFAR, it could focus attention on data and analytics, equitable distribution, workforce development, and future pandemic preparedness, while accelerating development of additional necessary vaccines to address potential viral variants.

The success of such programs rests on immediate expansion of the supply of approved Covid-19 vaccines. India, for example, has secured substantially more vaccine than other low- and middle-income countries thanks to a partnership between AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India, one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers. The agreement allowed AstraZeneca to leverage the Serum Institute’s manufacturing capacity in exchange for vaccine doses for Indian citizens. Other pharmaceutical companies have also entered into agreements to expand global production by means of horizontal cooperation. Novartis, for example, has announced an initial agreement to help manufacture the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine.

Though pharmaceutical companies have preferred to use voluntary licensing agreements to control who can produce a patented good, pressure has mounted on the World Trade Organization to consider a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver for Covid-19 vaccines. This proposal, put forward by India and South Africa and supported by more than 90 countries, would temporarily waive pharmaceutical patent protection, and substantially reduce the costs of manufacturing vaccines globally. Opponents of a TRIPS waiver argue that intellectual property protection is key to vaccine discovery and that without it, future innovation will be limited. While recognizing that patents provide essential incentives for companies to invest in drug and vaccine discovery, we believe the context of a pandemic, combined with the $18 billion in public funding that has already supported the development of Covid-19 vaccines, may argue against patent protection at this time.

Even with patent waivers, we may simply lack sufficiently consistent manufacturing capacity globally to develop and produce the current generation of vaccines. Long-term investment strategies are critical if we are to withstand the current pandemic and be prepared for future ones. Beyond expanding short-term supply, fostering global cooperation will better situate the global economy to rapidly supply vaccines and therapeutics in the future. Such cooperation is not only a matter of social justice, it is also a sound pragmatic response to ending a pandemic in which a virus and its variants easily cross borders. With a globally coordinated strategy, epidemiology, efficacy, and ethics can be fully aligned.

Covid-19 vaccines provide a pathway out of this pandemic, but bold, innovative policies that ensure fast and fair distribution are also critical. The United States has an unusual and urgent opportunity to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines are available to all. As Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, recently explained: “A global pandemic requires a world effort to end it — none of us will be safe until everyone is safe.” The Biden administration is well positioned to take a leadership role in this next critical phase.

Vaccinating the world is not only a moral obligation to protect our neighbors, it also serves our self-interest by protecting our security, health, and economy. These goals will not be accomplished by making the world wait for wealthy countries to be vaccinated first. By investing in multilateral partnerships with a sense of shared commitment and employing a global allocation strategy that increases supply and manufacturing, we can meet the urgent challenge of Covid-19, while creating sustainable infrastructures and health systems for the future. Getting the world vaccinated may well be the critical test of our time.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

The impact and cost-effectiveness of introducing the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the paediatric immunisation programme in Iceland—A population-based time series analysis
Elias Eythorsson, Tinna L. Ásgeirsdóttir, Helga Erlendsdóttir, Birgir Hrafnkelsson, Karl G. Kristinsson, Ásgeir Haraldsson
Research Article | published 08 Apr 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249497

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

Investigating the procurement system for understanding seasonal influenza vaccine brand availability in Europe
Anke L. Stuurman, Caterina Rizzo, Mendel Haag
Research Article | published 08 Apr 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248943

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en

5 Apr 2021
Patient- and provider-related factors in the success of multidrug tuberculosis treatment in Colombia
Original research | Spanish |

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en

Selected Articles
9 Apr 2021
Regulatory reliance to approve new medicinal products in Latin American and Caribbean countries
Original research | English

|

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

Original Research
Relationship Between Public Mental Health and Immune Status During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Data from Saudi Arabia
Alghamdi BS, Alatawi Y, Alshehri FS, Tayeb HO, Tarazi FI
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy ²⁰²¹, 14:1439-1447

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 10 Apr 2021]

Original Research
Monitoring COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Kuwait During the Pandemic: Results from a National Serial Study
AlAwadhi E, Zein D, Mallallah F, Bin Haider N, Hossain A
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy ²⁰²¹, 14:1413-1429
Published Date: 8 April 2021