WHO & Regional Offices [to 31 Oct 2020]

30 October 2020 News release
As COVID-19 spread accelerates, IHR Emergency Committee urges focus on measures that work

30 October 2020 Statement
Statement on the fifth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

30 October 2020 Departmental news
Start of 1st WHO infodemic management training

29 October 2020 Departmental news
Young people and digital health interventions: working together to design better

29 October 2020 Country mission
Launch of the NCD Investment Case for the Russian Federation: Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases as a catalyst of economic growth and social well-being in Russia

27 October 2020 Departmental news
Beijing+25: where are we now, and where do we go next?

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 30 October 2020, vol. 95, 44 (pp. 525–544)
:: Antigenic and genetic characteristics of zoonotic influenza A viruses and development of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness
:: WHO seasonal influenza vaccination recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
No new digest content identified

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
:: The challenge of winter during COVID-19 for poor families 30-10-2020
:: Cities against COVID-19: citizens seek a “better normal” of urban life 30-10-2020
:: COVID-19: Taking stock and moving forward together 29-10-2020
:: Roadmap sets direction of Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development 29-10-2020
:: WHO delivers emergency medical supplies in response to conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh 27-10-2020

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO and partners affirm support to end polio in Pakistan 25 October 2020
:: Regional Director arrives in Syria, hands-over medical supplies during his visit to Syria
24 October 2020
:: Health workers celebrated on World Polio Day in Somalia 24 October 2020

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: Investing in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic 29 October 2020

CDC/ACIP [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases, Announcements
CDC Issues Framework for Resuming Safe and Responsible Cruise Ship Passenger Operations
Friday, October 30, 2020
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order that introduces a phased approach for the safe and responsible resumption of passenger cruises.  The Order establishes a framework of actionable items for the cruise line industry to follow so they can resume passenger operations with an emphasis on preventing the further spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships and from cruise ships into communities, and to protect public health and safety. The Order applies to passenger operations on cruise ships with the capacity to carry at least 250 passengers in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction…

CDC Opens New South America Regional Office in Brazil
Friday, October 30, 2020

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Selected Resources
:: Wear Face Masks on Public Transportation Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs Thursday, October 29, 2020
:: “Excess Death” Data Point to Pandemic’s True Toll Tuesday, October 27, 2020

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, October 30, 2020
:: COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility Employee Following Multiple Brief Exposures to Persons with COVID-19 — Vermont, July–August 2020 (Early release October 21, 2020)
:: Adoption of Strategies to Mitigate Transmission of COVID-19 During a Statewide Primary Election — Delaware, September 2020 (Early release October 23, 2020)
:: COVID-19–Associated Hospitalizations Among Health Care Personnel — COVID-NET, 13 States, March 1–May 31, 2020 (Early release October 26, 2020)
:: COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors by Age Group — United States, April–June 2020 (Early release October 27, 2020)
:: COVID-19 Outbreak Among a University’s Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams — Chicago, Illinois, July–August 2020 (Early release October 27, 2020)
:: Trends in the Use of Telehealth During the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January–March 2020
:: COVID-19 Outbreak at an Overnight Summer School Retreat ― Wisconsin, July–August 2020
:: SARS-CoV-2 Exposure and Infection Among Health Care Personnel — Minnesota, March 6–July 11, 2020

Africa CDC [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.africacdc.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

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

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
Oct 31: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On Oct 30, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 33 new cases of confirmed infections.

Vaccine makers might need insurance
2020-10-30
Experts have welcomed a draft regulation on compulsory insurance for Chinese vaccine manufacturers, saying it will better protect the legal rights of vaccine recipients and strengthen oversight of the industry.
The draft regulation, released by the National Medical Products Administration for a month’s public consultation earlier this month, includes mandatory liability insurance for all licensed vaccine suppliers on the Chinese mainland to ensure they can provide compensation for recipients injured or killed by substandard vaccines.
It mandates the establishment of a nationwide minimum liability limit, with at least 500,000 yuan ($74,800) in compensation for a death and indemnities for injuries determined by appraisal results.
“The overall safety and quality of domestic vaccines is well guaranteed. But vaccine products, from China or overseas, always carry inevitable risks, so devising an adequate compensation mechanism in advance is necessary,” said Du Yifang, a law professor at Fudan University in Shanghai.
By enlisting insurance firms’ mediation in disputes arising from inoculations, people will be able to obtain adequate compensation more quickly and cheaply, she added.
China’s Drug Administration Law, which also applies to vaccines, already stipulates that people harmed by substandard drugs are entitled to compensation. However, Yang Yue, a professor at Shenyang Pharmaceutical University in Shenyang, Liaoning province, who specializes in administration of the sector, said vaccine makers would likely struggle to afford such payouts.
“Vaccines are administered to a large number of healthy people, so defective products will result in severe harm and cause large-scale incidents,” she said. “In addition to seeking accountability, it is equally significant to deliver assistance to vaccine recipients and protect their legal rights.
“Compulsory insurance of vaccines is thus a crucial tool to spread risks traditionally borne by vaccine makers and add an additional layer of protection for consumers.”..

Announcements

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
BARDA News
October 28, 2020: HHS, DOD Collaborate on Plans to Purchase of Lilly Investigational Therapeutic to Treat COVID-19
…the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) today announced an agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to purchase the first doses of the company’s COVID-19 investigational antibody therapeutic bamlanivimab, also known as LY-CoV555. These doses will be available for patient care if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes use of the therapeutic, as outlined in agency guidance…

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 31 Oct 2020]
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 31 Oct 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
News
No new digest content identified.

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
COVAX welcomes appointment of civil society representatives
Those selected will provide valuable technical expertise and use their experiences in a number of key COVAX groups working to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
COVAX
30 Oct 2020
[See Milestones above for detail]

Italy pledges first EUR 5 million funding to CEPI to advance COVID-19 vaccine development efforts
Financial contribution is part of a larger donation to support CEPI’s work.
COVAX
28 Oct 2020

EDCTP [to 31 Oct 2020]
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
Latest news
No new digest content identified.

Emory Vaccine Center [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
No new digest content identified.

European Medicines Agency [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
Extra transparency measures for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics
News 30/10/2020
Today the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has implemented two further extra transparency measures for COVID-19 medicines, by publishing both the clinical data in support of the authorisation of Veklury (remdesivir) and information on the COVID-19 treatments and vaccines that have received scientific advice or informal guidance from EMA’s pandemic Task Force (COVID-ETF).
These are the latest measures in EMA’s drive to maximise the transparency of its regulatory activities on treatments and vaccines for COVID-19…

Meeting highlights from the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) 26-29 October 2020
News 30/10/2020
PRAC reviews EMA guidance on risk management plan requirements for COVID-19 vaccines
EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) has reviewed the guidance developed by EMA for pharmaceutical companies on how to prepare risk management plans (RMPs) for COVID-19 vaccines.
As for any medicine, companies are required to submit an RMP for COVID-19 vaccines when they apply for a marketing authorisation. Such a plan explains how the company that markets the vaccine must monitor and report on its safety, and what measures they must put in place to manage any risks. Importantly, RMPs are continually updated throughout the lifetime of the vaccine as new information becomes available.
The guidance is for COVID-19 vaccines only and complements the already existing guidelines on the RMP format in the EU, which apply to all medicines.
The guidance will now be sent for adoption to EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) and will be made public once it is adopted by the CHMP…

European Vaccine Initiative [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

FDA [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements /Selected Details
October 30, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: October 30, 2020

October 30, 2020 – FDA Publishes List of Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, Critical Inputs Required by Executive Order
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues our work to address the current pandemic, we are also looking ahead to prepare for the next potential public health emergency. A recent executive order directed the agency, in consultation with federal partners, to identify a list of essential medicines, medical countermeasures and critical inputs that are medically necessary to have available at all times in an amount adequate to serve patient needs and in the appropriate dosage forms.
The goal of this work is to ensure the American public is protected against outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, as well as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. To accomplish this goal, the executive order seeks to ensure sufficient and reliable, long-term domestic production of these products, and to minimize potential shortages by reducing our dependence on foreign manufacturers of these products…

October 28, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: October 28, 2020

October 26, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup October 26, 2020

FDA – COVID-19 Vaccines [to 31 Oct 2020]
www.fda.gov/covid19vaccines
Upcoming Events
10/27/2020
I’m the FDA point person on COVID-19 vaccines. We’ll make sure they’re safe and effective.
FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Dr. Peter Marks
10/27/2020

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn on the Radio: COVID-19 & FDA
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn joins a radio morning show to discuss the FDA’s role in the fight against COVID-19.
10/27/2020

Fondation Merieux [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
Project
The REDISSE project in West Africa, for the improvement of disease surveillance in ECOWAS countries continues with a second phase
October 29, 2020, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and Mauritania
The Mérieux Foundation starts the second phase of its mandate as part of the REDISSE project aiming at strengthening disease …

Publication
HINTT project team publishes results of its multicentered cohort study on tuberculosis
October 26, 2020, Lyon (France)
High white blood cell counts and low lymphocyte proportions before treatment are significantly associated with the risk of tuberculosis treatment …

Gavi [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
News releases
30 October 2020
COVAX welcomes appointment of civil society representatives
[See Milestones above for detail]

28 October 2020
Gavi signs statement of intent to procure 200 million doses of Sanofi-GSK COVID-19 vaccine candidate for the COVAX Facility
Geneva, 28 October 2020 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced today that it had signed a Statement of Intent with Sanofi and GSK to provide 200 million doses of the companies’ adjuvanted recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine to the COVAX Facility. The non-binding statement is a critical step toward making sure doses of the vaccine, if approved and licensed, will be made available to all countries and economies participating in the COVAX Facility.
“The signing of this statement of intent is an important step forward in our partnership, and I welcome Sanofi and GSK’s commitment to the COVAX goal of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines,” said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “Gavi is seeking to secure doses of the most promising vaccine candidates – so that the 184 participants involved in the COVAX Facility can make sure their most at-risk groups, such as healthcare workers, have rapid access to doses of a safe and effective vaccine. That is the world’s best chance to end the acute stage of this pandemic, and we encourage other vaccine manufacturers to work with us towards that shared global goal.”…

27 October 2020
Myanmar introduces cervical cancer vaccine nationally, despite COVID-19 challenges
:: Around 450,000 girls aged 9-101 will receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against the leading cause of cervical cancer
:: Myanmar currently has the second-highest incidence of cervical cancer in Southeast Asia
:: The vaccine will be rolled out with stringent COVID-19 safety measures in place, including physical distancing and catch-up immunisations for the 73 “stay-at-home townships” currently under tighter restrictions

GHIT Fund [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that No new digest content identified.

Global Fund [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News/Updates
Strategy Development Open Consultation: First Round of Input
30 October 2020
Approximately 250 individuals and groups have contributed to the first round of input into the Open Consultation on the development of the next Global Fund Strategy, a multiyear road map for our partnership’s future. Input is synthesized in a new presentation:
Strategy Development Open Consultation Synthesis of First Round of Input
download in Français | English
This synthesis covers the responses contributed as of 1 September 2020, which comes from civil society, communities, technical experts, County Coordinating Mechanisms, multilateral partners, bilateral partners, implementers and a range of other stakeholders across regions globally…

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

Hilleman Laboratories [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

Human Vaccines Project [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

IAVI [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
PRESS RELEASES
October 27, 2020
Support from the U.S. Department of Defense Will Accelerate Progress on Vaccine Candidate for COVID-19, IAVI Says
NEW YORK — OCTOBER 27, 2020 — IAVI announced today the award of US$26.7M from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to support IAVI’s recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. DTRA’s commitment will enable critical nonclinical development on the vaccine candidate that IAVI is developing in partnership with Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada).
DTRA’s award will facilitate the vaccine candidate’s clinical development path to licensure by supporting work at IAVI’s Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory (DDL) in Brooklyn, New York, to characterize immune responses in animals and demonstrate the safety and efficacy profile of rVSVΔG-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in animals. These nonclinical data will be essential to supplement the clinical data package and to inform the most effective use of the vaccine in an ongoing pandemic. The award from DTRA comes from its Science and Technology New Initiatives, under the topic area Chemical/Biological…

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
No new digest content identified.

IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
Announcements
IFFIm Appoints Kenneth Lay as Chair of its Board of Directors
29 Oct 2020
Lay succeeds Cyrus Ardalan, who introduced CEPI programme and led successful replenishment raising over US$ 926 million London, 29 October 2020 – The Board of Directors of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) has selected Kenneth Lay, a former World Bank executive with extensive capital markets experience, as its next Chair….

IFFIm Prices US$500 Million 3-year Benchmark Vaccine Bonds
29 Oct 2020
IFFIm today priced US$ 500 million, 3-year fixed rate benchmark Vaccine Bonds that will provide Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, flexible funding for its core immunisation programmes and efforts to develop and distribute eventual COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world, particularly the poorest.
[See Milestones above for detail]

IFRC [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and IFRC mourn death of volunteer
The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and IFRC have today condemned the death of a Red Crescent volunteer who was providing humanitarian assistance in the town of Barda, Azerbaijan.
29 October 2020

Vietnam
Major typhoon devastates areas of central Viet Nam
Kuala Lumpur/Hanoi/Geneva, 29 October 2020 – A major typhoon has devastated areas of central Vietnam, with dozens of people feared dead in tragic landslides in Quang Nam.  There are 53 people buried and feared dead in two landslides caused by the storm …
29 October 2020

Vietnam
Homes of 1 million people in ruin as major typhoon hits Viet Nam
Kuala Lumpur/Hanoi/Geneva, 28 October, 2020 – Catastrophic floods across central Vietnam have already ruined the homes of more than one million people as yet another major storm takes aim for the battered region. In excess of 310,000 homes have been da …
28 October 2020

Global
Nuclear ban: “Today is an historic day. We call on world leaders to act with courage and join the right side of history”
Geneva/New York, 24 October 2020 – The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement welcomes the coming into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Fifty States have now ratified the Treaty, meaning that it will enter …
24 October 2020

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
Media highlights [Selected]
Press Release
The Trump Administration sets new all-time low number for refugee admissions at 15,000 for fiscal year 2021
October 28, 2020

Press Release
The International Rescue Committee warns against worrying rise of misinformation in crisis-affected states, imperiling fight against COVID-19
October 28, 2020

IVAC [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
No new digest content identified.

IVI [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
International Vaccine Institute honored with Minister of Health and Welfare Award for achievements in biosafety
October 28, 2020, SEOUL, Korea —  The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) received an award by the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea for achievements in biosafety management…

JEE Alliance [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
MSF responds as COVID-19 arrives in Jordan’s largest refugee camp
Project Update 28 Oct 2020

Mali
Prevention is better than cure – vaccinating against measles in Timbuktu
Project Update 27 Oct 2020
… Despite the official end of the war in 2015, Timbuktu region in northern Mali remains tense, and security incidents and criminality have had a significant impact on people’s ability to access healthcare. This in turn has led to low rates of vaccination coverage, especially among children.
Since February, a number of measles cases have been reported in the area and in September Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), alongside the Ministry of Health, decided to launch a vaccination campaign. The campaign reached over 50,000 children aged between six months and 14 years…

Greece
Negligent and dangerous COVID-19 response in Vathy camp, Samos
Project Update 26 Oct 2020
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is urging the Greek authorities to immediately scale up their response to COVID-19 in Vathy camp on Samos island and transfer people at high risk to safe accommodation on Greece’s mainland or in other EU states.
Vathy camp, which hosts 4,300 people, has registered more than 100 positive cases of COVID-19, yet the authorities have so far failed to put an appropriate medical response in place. Forty asylum seekers in the camp are at risk of developing severe symptoms and at least 10 people have serious medical conditions that cannot be addressed at Samos hospital. Only one army doctor and three nurses are available at the camp…

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
No new digest content identified.

NIH [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
NIH scientists discover key pathway in lysosomes that coronaviruses use to exit cells
October 28, 2020 — Targeting cells’ ‘trash compactor’ could lead to new antiviral strategy to fight COVID-19.

Scientists use clues in the human genome to discover new inflammatory syndrome
October 27, 2020 — Study used a “search the genome” approach to reveal how mutations in a gene called UBA1 are associated with inflammatory diseases.

PATH [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Release
South American countries meet to discuss rollout of new innovations for malaria elimination
October 30, 2020
Experts and policymakers met to review research and plan for the pilot introduction of a new treatment protocol for P. vivax malaria in the Americas, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
…“The new tools open a new horizon to eliminate malaria in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. The feasibility study will be conducted to inform if health services can implement the new treatment scheme. If the results are as expected then we will be able to expand radical cure through these new tools,” said Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas, professor at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Brazil, Colombia, and Peru have embraced PAHO’s malaria elimination goals but face the challenges of advancing malaria control among ​hard-to-reach populations in the Amazon and other territories with limited coverage of services. In light of these challenges, there is a desire to explore new tools that may help to increase treatment effectiveness.
As of October 2020, tafenoquine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration; Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration; the Thai Food and Drug Administration; and the Brazilian Regulatory agency (ANVISA). The SD Biosensor STANDARD™ G6PD Test has already been approved in Brazil…

Press Release
PATH and Wondfo partner to develop a point-of-care rapid diagnostic test for G6PD deficiency
Point-of-care diagnostics for G6PD deficiency, a common hereditary condition, play a critical role in supporting the appropriate treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
Skoll Foundation Funds Sabin Vaccine Institute, Dalberg and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. to Establish COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project
October 28, 2020
As COVID-19 vaccine developers generate clinical evidence of safety and effectiveness needed for vaccine approval, this project will help prepare for the efficient and equitable distribution of vaccines globally by ensuring that national immunization programs have the resources and health systems in place to achieve sustainable global protection from COVID-19 by 2022 and strengthen capacity for vaccination across the life span…
The COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project will comprise three phases designed to rapidly assess vaccine distribution landscape, maximize learnings and scale a successful pilot to enable equitable global delivery of vaccines. The Skoll Foundation is funding Phases 1 and 2. In Phase 1 (“Plan”), the group will collaborate with Sabin’s Boost Community members to coordinate with ACT-A and select the four countries in which to pilot the project. In Phase 2 (“Pilot”), all three partners will work hand-in-hand with national and subnational immunization professionals to analyze the pilot countries’ needs regarding vaccine financing, procurement and distribution; leading to the creation of tailored action plans for equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. As additional funders join the project, these action plans will serve as a blueprint for Phase 3, in which a successful pilot will be scaled to more than 40 countries and expanded beyond COVID-19 vaccines to strengthen life-course immunization; an approach that prioritizes timely and effective vaccination throughout the lifespan…

UNAIDS [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
30 October 2020
UNAIDS saddened by the death of Valentin Pokrovsky, a Russian leader on HIV, medicine and pandemic preparedness

30 October 2020
Bringing HIV and COVID-19 testing services to hard-to-reach areas in Uzbekistan

29 October 2020
Working with allies to keep comprehensive sexuality education alive

27 October 2020
COVID-19’s impact on HIV vertical transmission services reversed

26 October 2020
Key populations have suboptimal knowledge of their HIV status

UNICEF [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press releases, Statements
Statement
10/29/2020
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore’s remarks at Indiana University on “Access to Learning for the World’s Children: Reimagining Education for the Post-COVID World”
Checked against delivery

Press release
10/28/2020
Children in the poorest countries have lost nearly four months of schooling since start of pandemic – UNESCO, UNICEF and World Bank report finds
New report looks at national education responses to COVID-19 including lost learning; remote learning support for students, parents and teachers; school reopening plans; health protocols; and financing

Statement
10/27/2020
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore’s remarks at the World Health Summit Panel “Accelerating the SDG-3 Global Action Plan for Health and Wellbeing”
As prepared for delivery

Press release
10/27/2020
Malnutrition surges among young children in Yemen as conditions worsen
One in five children under the age of five in parts of Yemen are estimated to be acutely malnourished and in urgent need of treatment as malnutrition cases increase across the south, UN agencies warn

Unitaid [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
27 October 2020
Delivering innovation for children
A technology landscape by Unitaid and WHO
Children continue to suffer disproportionately from preventable and treatable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and co-morbidities in low- and middle-income countries.
One of the reasons behind this is the lack of availability of child-friendly health products, despite recent progress in tackling these diseases.
The new technology landscape released by Unitaid, in collaboration with WHO, provides an overview of existing and pipeline technologies that could better allow for more effective administration of essential medicines to children.  The report highlights potential opportunities to apply innovation to critical formulations that meet the unique needs of children.
“The landscape shows the untapped potential to innovate and tackle the challenges facing millions of children needing to take medicine and affected by the deadliest infectious diseases,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Unitaid Executive Director. “Unitaid, WHO and its partners are exploring which innovative delivery systems could enable faster access to better-tailored treatments for children”.

26 October 2020
UnitaidExplore keeps seeking!
26 October 2020
UnitaidExplore is looking to improve child health outcomes by developing better delivery systems for children’s medicines for use in low resource settings. Delivery and formulation solutions of interest may include—but are not limited to! —micro-needles, supportive technologies such as taste-masking, enhancement of bioavailability, and others described in the Unitaid landscape Innovative Delivery Systems for Paediatrics Medicines. UnitaidExplore aims to support transformative solutions and we are open to diverse technologies; surprise us!

Press Release on the appointment of Dr Philippe Duneton as Unitaid’s new Executive Director
26 October 2020
Geneva – The Unitaid Executive Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Philippe Duneton as Executive Director.
Dr Duneton played an essential role in the founding of Unitaid as well as in the numerous successes achieved by the organization since then. He has been acting Executive Director since March 2020 and has been instrumental in leading Unitaid’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic…

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Research and Reports
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
Vaccine Update for Providers
October 2020
:: December 2020 event Registration is now open for the Dec. 9, 2020, Current Issues in Vaccines webinar. Dr. Offit’s presentation will be an Update on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines
The event will start at noon ET, and free continuing education credits will be offered for the live and archived event (CME, CEU, and CPE).

Wellcome Trust [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 29 October 2020
A look inside the global partnership that’s working to find and deliver Covid-19 treatments
Paul Schreier, Chief Operating Officer, Wellcome
Finding and delivering Covid-19 treatments worldwide requires global collaboration at an unprecedented scale. Paul Schreier describes how the ACT-Accelerator Therapeutics Partnership works and what it needs to achieve its mission.

The Wistar Institute [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Oct. 29, 2020
Wistar Creates a New Synthetic DNA Vaccine Against Powassan Virus
Vaccine protects animals against tick-borne Powassan virus, an emerging infectious disease.

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2020/
Press Releases
26/10/20
OIE and FAO kickstart global initiative to stop spread of deadly pig disease

::::::

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

BIO [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
New Strategic Vision for Biotechnology Innovation Organization
October 27, 2020
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today announced a new, strategic direction that will help guide it to achieving long-term goals while maintaining responsiveness to changing political headwinds…

After at least 106 one-on-one conversations with member companies, extensive strategic planning sessions, a broad membership survey and several focus groups, BIO outlined the new direction through
:: a new mission – to drive a bio revolution through education, collaboration, and advocacy,
:: a new purpose – to cure patients, protect our climate and to nourish humanity; and
:: a new vision – a world of rapid biotech innovation that is equitably harnessed for health, sustainability and justice.

BIO plans to execute on the strategic direction though five different pillars:
[1] Be a voice of science and for science.
[2] Unite and empower biotech innovators and their ecosystem to improve lives.
[3] Remove barriers to innovation.
[4] Champion broad access to biotech breakthroughs and scientific quality.
[5] Catalyze resilient and sustainable bio-based economies.

The Board and staff of the nearly 1000-member organization plan to operationalize the five pillars beginning immediately. For more information on BIO’s new strategic direction, visit www.bio.org/strategic-vision.

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
DCVMN Annual General Meeting (Virtual): Vaccines, a healthy future
3 November 2020 to 5 November 2020

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

IFPMA [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
No new digest content identified.

PhRMA [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Press Release
The latest: What they are saying: Intellectual property protections vital to incentivize ongoing COVID-19 research and development
Tom Wilbur   |     October 28, 2020

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

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 31 Oct 2020)

Ethics and the marketing authorization of pharmaceuticals: what happens to ethical issues discovered post-trial and pre-marketing authorization?
In the EU, clinical assessors, rapporteurs and the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are obliged to assess the ethical aspects of a clinical development program and include major ethical flaws in the marketing authorization deliberation processes. To this date, we know very little about the manner that these regulators put this obligation into action. In this paper, we intend to look into the manner and the extent that ethical issues discovered during inspection have reached the deliberation processes.
Authors: Rosemarie D. L. C. Bernabe, Ghislaine J. M. W. van Thiel, Nancy S. Breekveldt, Christine C. Gispen and Johannes J. M. van Delden
Content type: Research article
27 October 2020

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5

Viewpoints
The first 10 000 COVID-19 papers in perspective: are we publishing what we should be publishing?
Anna Odone, Sandro Galea, David Stuckler, Carlo Signorelli, the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele COVID-19 literature monitoring working group
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020, Pages 849–850, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa170

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5

In search of the relevant COVID research
Peter Allebeck, Alma Sörberg Wallin
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020, Pages 850–851, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa169

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5

COVID-19 and human rights—why should the public health community be concerned?
David Patterson, Dineke Zeegers Paget
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020, Pages 852–853, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa174

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5

Vaccination
Measles outbreak in Romania: understanding factors related to suboptimal vaccination uptake
Katrine Bach Habersaat, Adriana Pistol, Aurora Stanescu, Catherine Hewitt, Miljana Grbic …
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020, Pages 986–992, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa079

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5

Examining vaccination coverage in Germany: spatiotemporal clustering of MMR coverage, 2008–14
Cory N Spencer, Paul L Delamater
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 5, October 2020, Pages 993–995, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa120

Children’s Health

Health Affairs
Vol. 39, No. 10 October 2020
https://www.healthaffairs.org/toc/hlthaff/current

Children’s Health

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

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

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

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

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 31 Oct 2020]

Moving from rhetoric to action: how Africa can use scientific evidence to halt the COVID-19 pandemic
The ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 has spread rapidly to all countries of the world. Africa is particularly predisposed to an escalation of the pandemic and its negative impact given its weak economy and health systems. In addition, inadequate access to the social determinants of health such as water and sanitation and socio-cultural attributes may constrain the implementation of critical preventive measures such as hand washing and social distancing on the continent.
Authors: Olushayo Oluseun Olu, Joy Luba Lomole Waya, Sylvester Maleghemi, John Rumunu, David Ameh and Joseph Francis Wamala
Content type: Commentary
28 October 2020

JAMA
October 27, 2020, Vol 324, No. 16, Pages 1589-1690
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

Viewpoint September 10, 2020
Fairly Prioritizing Groups for Access to COVID-19 Vaccines
Govind Persad, JD, PhD; Monica E. Peek, MD, MPH, MS; Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2020;324(16):1601-1602. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.18513
This Viewpoint proposes that ethical principles of preventing harm, helping disadvantaged populations, and achieving equal treatment should guide COVID-19 vaccine distribution, supporting initial allocation to health care workers, people in high-risk occupations and housing, and those with high-risk medical conditions.

JAMA Network
COVID-19 Update October 31, 2020

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

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

African diversity
Although Africa is regarded as the cradle of modern humans, only a fraction of the genetic diversity among African individuals has been surveyed. In this week’s issue, Zané Lombard, Adebowale Adeyemo, Neil Hanchard and their colleagues from the H3Africa Consortium help to redress this imbalance by presenting whole-genome sequence analyses of 426 individuals covering 50 ethnolinguistic groups. The researchers uncovered more than three million new variants, mostly among newly sampled groups, and identified 62 previously unreported genes associated with viral immunity, DNA repair and metabolism. They also observed complex patterns of ancestral mixing within and between populations, and found evidence that Zambia was a likely intermediate site along the routes of expansion for Bantu-speaking populations. The findings help to refine understanding of migration across the African continent and identify gene flow and response to disease as strong drivers of genome-level population variation. The cover shows a subset of the genetic data collected in the study translated into hand-loomed beaded necklaces by the Marigold beadwork cooperative in Zimbabwe.

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Editorial | 28 October 2020
Africa’s people must be able to write their own genomics agenda
Genomics on the continent is finally getting the attention it deserves from international donors — but more funding needs to come from national and regional sources, too.

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Perspective | 28 October 2020
Strategic vision for improving human health at The Forefront of Genomics
In this Perspective, authors from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) present a vision for human genomics research for the coming decade.
Eric D. Green, Chris Gunter[…] & Teri A. Manolio

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Article | 28 October 2020
High-depth African genomes inform human migration and health
Whole-genome sequencing analyses of African populations provide insights into continental migration, gene flow and the response to human disease, highlighting the importance of including diverse populations in genomic analyses to understand human ancestry and improve health.
Ananyo Choudhury, Shaun Aron[…] & Neil A. Hanchard

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Article | 21 October 2020
Exome sequencing and characterization of 49,960 individuals in the UK Biobank
Exome sequences from the first 49,960 participants in the UK Biobank highlight the promise of genome sequencing in large population-based studies and are now accessible to the scientific community.
Cristopher V. Van Hout, Ioanna Tachmazidou[…] & Aris Baras

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Article | 14 October 2020
Evidence for 28 genetic disorders discovered by combining healthcare and research data
By integrating healthcare and exome-sequencing data from parent–offspring trios of patients with developmental disorders, 28 genes that had not previously been associated with developmental disorders were identified.
Joanna Kaplanis, Kaitlin E. Samocha[…] & Kyle Retterer

Nature
Volume 586 Issue 7831, 29 October 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

Article | 14 October 2020
Inherited causes of clonal haematopoiesis in 97,691 whole genomes
Analysis of 97,691 high-coverage human blood DNA-derived whole-genome sequences enabled simultaneous identification of germline and somatic mutations that predispose individuals to clonal expansion of haematopoietic stem cells, indicating that both inherited and acquired mutations are linked to age-related cancers and coronary heart disease.
Alexander G. Bick, Joshua S. Weinstock[…] & Pradeep Natarajan

New England Journal of Medicine
October 29, 2020 Vol. 383 No. 18
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Developing Safe and Effective Covid Vaccines — Operation Warp Speed’s Strategy and Approach
Moncef Slaoui, Ph.D., and Matthew Hepburn, M.D.

New England Journal of Medicine
October 29, 2020 Vol. 383 No. 18
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Up Is Down — Pharmaceutical Industry Caution vs. Federal Acceleration of Covid-19 Vaccine Approval
Jerry Avorn, M.D., and Aaron S. Kesselheim, M.D., J.D., M.P.H.

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 31 Oct 2020)

Collection Review
The intersection of genomics and big data with public health: Opportunities for precision public health
Muin J. Khoury, Gregory L. Armstrong, Rebecca E. Bunnell, Juliana Cyril, Michael F. Iademarco
| published 29 Oct 2020 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003373
Summary points
:: The field of precision public health (PPH) has emerged as a response to the increasing availability of genomics, biobanks, and other sources of big data in healthcare and public health.
:: The field has evolved starting with genomics to include multiple practical applications such as pathogen genomics that address population health.
:: PPH can expand understanding of health disparities, advance strategic public health science, and demonstrate the need for innovation and workforce development.
:: In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, rapidly evolving scientific innovation can have a long-lasting impact on PPH beyond the pandemic.
:: Further developments in PPH will require global, national, and local leadership and stakeholder engagement.

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 31 Oct 2020)

Effectiveness of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine against vaccine serotype pneumococcal pneumonia in adults: A case-control test-negative design study
Hannah Lawrence, Harry Pick, Vadsala Baskaran, Priya Daniel, Chamira Rodrigo, Deborah Ashton, Rochelle C. Edwards-Pritchard, Carmen Sheppard, Seyi D. Eletu, David Litt, Norman K. Fry, Samuel Rose, Caroline Trotter, Tricia M. McKeever, Wei Shen Lim
Research Article | published 23 Oct 2020 PLOS Medicine
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003326

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/

Research Article
Common childhood vaccines do not elicit a cross-reactive antibody response against SARS-CoV-2
Ahmed Kandeil, Mokhtar R. Gomaa, Ahmed El Taweel, Ahmed Mostafa, Mahmoud Shehata, Ahmed E. Kayed, Omnia Kutkat, Yassmin Moatasim, Sara H. Mahmoud, Mina Nabil Kamel, Noura M. Abo Shama, Mohamed El Sayes, Rabeh El-Shesheny, Mahmoud A. Yassien, Richard J. Webby, Ghazi Kayali, Mohamed A. Ali
Research Article | published 28 Oct 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241471

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/

Country-level pandemic risk and preparedness classification based on COVID-19 data: A machine learning approach
Jordan J. Bird, Chloe M. Barnes, Cristiano Premebida, Anikó Ekárt, Diego R. Faria
Research Article | published 28 Oct 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241332

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/

Front Matter
Opinion: For now, it’s unethical to use human challenge studies for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development
Jeffrey P. Kahn, Leslie Meltzer Henry, Anna C. Mastroianni, Wilbur H. Chen, and Ruth Macklin
PNAS first published October 29, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2021189117

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/

Fine-scale spatial clustering of measles nonvaccination that increases outbreak potential is obscured by aggregated reporting data
Nina B. Masters, Marisa C. Eisenberg, Paul L. Delamater, Matthew Kay, Matthew L. Boulton, and Jon Zelner
PNAS first published October 26, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011529117

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

28 Oct 2020
Civil society promoting government accountability for health equity in the Caribbean: The Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Special report | English |

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

28 Oct 2020
Theoretical and practical challenges of proportionate universalism: a review
Review | English |

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

29 Oct 2020
Prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 according to socioeconomic and ethnic status in a nationwide Brazilian survey
Original research | English |

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

29 Oct 2020
The Health Equity Network of the Americas: inclusion, commitment, and action
Current topic | Spanish |

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

Latest articles
29 Oct 2020
Just societies: A new vision for health equity in the Americas after COVID-19
Editorial | English |

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 31 Oct 2020]

Perspectives
Guaranteeing the Health Rights of People with Disabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from China
Qi F, Wang Q
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy ²⁰²⁰, 13:2357-2363
Published Date: 30 October 2020

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 47 Pages 7409-7568 (3 November 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/47

Research article Abstract only
The determinants of vaccine hesitancy in China: A cross-sectional study following the Changchun Changsheng vaccine incident
Fanxing Du, Tracey Chantler, Mark R. Francis, Fiona Yueqian Sun, … Zhiyuan Hou
Pages 7464-7471

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 47 Pages 7409-7568 (3 November 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/47

Research article Open access
How acceptable is adolescent self-consent for the HPV vaccination: Findings from a qualitative study in south-west England
Suzanne Audrey, Michelle Farr, Marion Roderick, Karen Evans, Harriet Fisher
Pages 7472-7478

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 47 Pages 7409-7568 (3 November 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/47

Research article Abstract only
Utility of the Tétanos Quick Stick® in the vaccine catch-up of adult migrants without proof of prior vaccination
Sandrine Adeikalam, Hélène de Champs Léger, Nicolas Vignier, Sophie Grabar, Dominique Salmon
Pages 7517-7525

Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 47 Pages 7409-7568 (3 November 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/47

Research article Abstract only
Immunogenicity of seasonal inactivated influenza and inactivated polio vaccines among children in Senegal: Results from a cluster-randomized trial
Mbayame Niang, Meagan E. Deming, Deborah Goudiaby, Ousmane M. Diop, … Kathleen M. Neuzil
Pages 7526-7532

Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 31 Oct 2020)

Open Access Review
Vaccine Prices: A Systematic Review of Literature
by Rabia Hussain, Nadeem Irfan Bukhari, Anees ur Rehman, Mohamed Azmi Hassali and Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
Vaccines 2020, 8(4), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8040629 – 29 Oct 2020
Abstract
Vaccines are among the most vital interventions to control and reduce the morbidity and mortality worldwide. In accessing vaccines, pricing is usually the single most important deciding element. However, there is a scarcity of the literature on the vaccines pricing. The current study aims to review vaccine prices from the published literature and to evaluate factors that impact the pricing of vaccines. The literature (from 2015–2020) was reviewed to identify the original research articles. Systematic searches were conducted across the five databases including, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Springer Link. Literature search yielded 23,626 articles, of which 7351 were screened and 7310 articles were excluded based on title and abstracts relevance. The 41 studies were selected for full text review and 4 studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria. The included studies discussed vaccine prices for childhood vaccines, for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in US, China and in Europe. One study detailed the various scenarios of the HPV vaccines pricing. It was found that recently introduced vaccines have higher prices owing to the involvement of technology and research for their manufacture. However, prices tended to decrease over some maturation in price and by the involvement of Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) and other allies. The prices of vaccines in China were much lower than the other high-income countries and the prices offered through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), mainly due to the large scale of demand in China. The affordable prices of vaccines were related to delicate procedures involving multiple stakeholders and a shorter duration of contract. This review systematically evaluated the literature and identified key factors that could impact vaccines pricing. The prices were higher for the newly introduced vaccines into the market. However, with the price maturation, there was a decline in the pricing and affordable prices could be achieved through tender pricing and involvement of GAVI and other allies

Open Access Article
Value Frameworks for Vaccines: Which Dimensions Are Most Relevant?
by Jeroen Luyten, Roselinde Kessels, Corinne Vandermeulen and Philippe Beutels
Vaccines 2020, 8(4), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8040628 – 28 Oct 2020
Viewed by 197
Abstract
In addition to more narrow criteria such as safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, vaccines can also be evaluated based on broader criteria such as their economic impact, contribution to disease eradication objectives, caregiver aspects, financial protection offered, equity or social acceptability. We summarize a survey executed in a sample of the population (n = 1000) in Flanders, Belgium, in which we investigated support for using these broader criteria to evaluate vaccines for funding decisions. By means of both favourable and unfavourable framings of a hypothetical vaccine across 40 value dimensions, we find support for the view that people indeed consider a broad range of medical and socio-economic criteria relevant. Several of these are not incorporated in standard evaluation frameworks for vaccines. The different results we find for different framings highlight the importance of developing a consistent a priori value framework for vaccine evaluation, rather than evaluating vaccines on an ad hoc basis.

Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 31 Oct 2020)

Open Access Article
Value Frameworks for Vaccines: Which Dimensions Are Most Relevant?
by Jeroen Luyten, Roselinde Kessels, Corinne Vandermeulen and Philippe Beutels
Vaccines 2020, 8(4), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8040628 – 28 Oct 2020
Viewed by 197
Abstract
In addition to more narrow criteria such as safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, vaccines can also be evaluated based on broader criteria such as their economic impact, contribution to disease eradication objectives, caregiver aspects, financial protection offered, equity or social acceptability. We summarize a survey executed in a sample of the population (n = 1000) in Flanders, Belgium, in which we investigated support for using these broader criteria to evaluate vaccines for funding decisions. By means of both favourable and unfavourable framings of a hypothetical vaccine across 40 value dimensions, we find support for the view that people indeed consider a broad range of medical and socio-economic criteria relevant. Several of these are not incorporated in standard evaluation frameworks for vaccines. The different results we find for different framings highlight the importance of developing a consistent a priori value framework for vaccine evaluation, rather than evaluating vaccines on an ad hoc basis.

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 Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
Moderna rakes in over $1bn in deposits for potential Covid vaccine
…Moderna has received more than $1bn in deposits from governments for its potential Covid-19 vaccine, highlighting how the pandemic has transformed the fortunes of the lossmaking US biotech.
October 29, 2020

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
Oct 30, 2020
Report Details ‘Shocking’ Outbreaks Of Mumps, Influenza, And Chickenpox In ICE Detention Centers
Rare infections are spreading in ICE centers that have crowded conditions and poor access to healthcare.
By Robert Hart Forbes Staff

Oct 29, 2020
The FDA Will Not Inspect Vaccine Production Plants
Approval of a vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) typically requires inspection of the vaccine’s manufacturing plants. In a Covid-19 world, this will not be the case. Covid-19 vaccine candidates will get a pass on FDA plant inspections, according to Bloomberg.
By William A. Haseltine Contributor

Oct 29, 2020
Fauci Endorses National Mask Mandate But Concedes It’s Unlikely Under Trump
The nation’s top infectious disease official says he hasn’t spoken about the outbreak with President Trump in ‘quite a while.’
By Andrew Solender Forbes Staff

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
Asia Pacific
U.S. Says Virus Can’t Be Controlled. China Aims to Prove It Wrong.
China’s approach to keep Covid-19 at bay has helped restore confidence and allowed businesses to reopen. But it is a strategy steeped in authoritarianism.
By Javier C. Hernández Oct. 30

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
States say they lack federal funds to distribute coronavirus vaccine as CDC tells them to be ready
Lena H. Sun · Health · Oct 30, 2020

Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
TechStream
Will Americans trust a COVID-19 vaccine? Not if politicians tell them to.
Sarah Kreps and Douglas L. Kriner
Friday, October 30, 2020
…In a study of American attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination, just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, we found that Americans’ support for vaccination declines in the face of political involvement in the vaccine process…
 
 
Center for Global Development [to 31 Oct 2020]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Event
COVID-19 Vaccine Predictions Part 2: Estimating the Time Before We Approve Efficacious
11/10/20
Much of the discussion around society’s ability to return to “normality” after the COVID-19 pandemic has centered on the development of a vaccine. This has led to unprecedented collaboration and investment.

Chatham House [to 31 Oct 2020]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
[No new relevant content]

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
Podcast Episode
Delivering Vaccines to Americans: Cause for Alarm?
October 28, 2020 | By J. Stephen Morrison, H. Andrew Schwartz

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new relevant content]

 
 
Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 31 Oct 2020
[No new relevant content]

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

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David R. Curry, MS
Executive Director
Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-19 Vaccines – Regulatory Milestones

Editor’s Note
Among the critical milestones in the development and regulatory review of candidate COVID-19 vaccines was the meeting earlier this week of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. We are not aware that any summary report or notes have been released on this meeting but the webcast is now available at the link below. While the meeting runs 08:50 it is critical to appreciating what will come next in the COVID-19 vaccines journey.

FDA – Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee 
10/22/2020
The Committee met in open session to discuss, in general, the development, authorization and/or licensure of vaccines to prevent COVID-19. No specific application was discussed at this meeting. View webcast

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-19 Vaccines – Access/Guiding Principles

Editor’s Note
The “guiding principles” below take their place in a long line of formulations of access principles, various forms of “guidance”, ethical imperatives, and normative frameworks around distribution of and access to COVID-19 vaccines [as they become available] We cannot report seeing an orderly aggregation and analysis of these contributions to a very complex and evolving challenge. Readers are invited to alert us if they have encountered such an analysis or if they are working to development one!

Pharmaceutical Supply and Payment Chain Coalition Announces Guiding Principles for Safe, Efficacious Access to COVID-19 Vaccine
Washington, D.C. (October 22, 2020) — Today, representative organizations of America’s pharmaceutical supply and payment chain, including prescription and over-the-counter brand and generic manufacturers; pharmacies and pharmacists across all practice settings, including health systems and hospitals, community, specialty, and managed care; supermarkets; wholesalers; pharmaceutical quality standard developers; employers and other health plan sponsors; health insurance providers; and pharmacy benefit managers, released guiding principles for the safe efficacious development, distribution, and allocation of vaccine(s) to achieve mass immunization against the coronavirus (COVID-19)

The guiding principles represent the commitment of the private sector to the efficient, well-coordinated distribution, allocation, and mass immunization against COVID-19 as a necessary countermeasure to the current pandemic.

The strong and ongoing collaboration demonstrated by the pharmaceutical supply and payment chain has been essential for a host of issues important to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition looks forward to continuing to work together in the best interest of the individuals and families that we serve.

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (https://www.amcp.org/disease-state-resources/COVID-19-resources-managed-care-pharmacy)
America’s Health Insurance Plans (https://www.ahip.org/issues/coronavirus-COVID-19/)
American Pharmacists Association (http://www.pharmacist.com/coronavirus)
ASHP – American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (https://www.ashp.org/COVID-19)
Association for Accessible Medicines (https://accessiblemeds.org/COVID-19-FAQs)
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (https://www.bio.org/policy/human-health/vaccines-biodefense/coronavirus)
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (https://www.bcbsprogresshealth.com/issues/addressing-the-covid-19-pandemic-with-care-and-compassion)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (https://www.uschamber.com/coronavirus)
FMI – the Food Industry Association (https://www.fmi.org/coronavirus)
Healthcare Distribution Alliance (https://www.hda.org/issues/COVID19-response)
National Association of Chain Drug Stores, “Flu Shots, Regular Vaccine Schedules, Preparation for COVID-19 Vaccines” (https://www.nacds.org/COVID-19/)
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (https://naspnet.org/COVID-19-resources/)
National Community Pharmacists Association, “Coronavirus Information” (https://ncpa.org/coronavirus-information)
National Grocers Association (https://www.nationalgrocers.org/news/national-grocers-association-coronavirus/)
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association  (https://www.pcmanet.org/COVID-19-how-pbms-are-helping-patients-and-health-plans/)
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (https://phrma.org/coronavirus)
U.S. Pharmacopeia (https://www.usp.org/COVID-19)

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Guiding Principles for Safe and Efficacious COVID-19 Vaccine Development, Distribution, Allocation, and Mass Immunization
The efficient, well-coordinated distribution, allocation, and mass vaccination activities against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) will help ensure vaccination is an effective countermeasure tothe current pandemic. High COVID-19 vaccination rates with an effective vaccine are essential to mitigating the pandemic now and protecting against future outbreaks.

The Pharmaceutical Supply and Payment Chain Coalition offers the following guiding principles
for the safe and efficacious development, distribution, and allocation of a vaccine(s) to achieve
coordinated mass vaccination against COVID-19:

:: COVID-19 vaccine development, approval, and post-marketing surveillance must adhere to transparent and scientifically rigorous processes that engender public trust in the safety and efficacy of these products. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is the global “gold standard” for the safety and efficacy of medical products. In addition to FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has unparalleled experience and expertise in defining use considerations and guidelines for vaccines so they are used safely and effectively by hundreds of millions of people. Widespread confidence in all licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines is critical for individuals to choose to be vaccinated and to overcome vaccine hesitancy. In furtherance of this trust, the FDA should continue to facilitate timely access to vaccine pharmacovigilance data and other relevant safety
information as the vaccination process unfolds.

:: Equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccine is paramount, and priority should be given to achieving the greatest public health impact. Decision-making about who should be granted priority access to the initial supply of COVID-19 vaccine(s) must be transparent, comprehensive, inclusive, and adhere to the highest possible ethical standards. Timely national dialogue, through multiple forms of community engagement, will encourage public trust in fair vaccine allocation and distribution strategies.

:: Consistent public engagement and clear communication on initial and subsequent prioritization decisions by ACIP will be needed. Public health officials recognize that initial supply and subsequent availability may be insufficient for the vaccination of all priority groups. Decision-making processes for subsequent prioritization by ACIP must adhere to the same high standards and transparent processes as initial decisions. Vaccine selection and immunization decisions should continue to be made based on updated evidence of vaccine effectiveness, including evidence demonstrating relative effectiveness for specific patient populations (e.g., pediatrics, pregnancy, older adults, patients with complex health conditions, and other sub-groups).

:: Distribution must be guided by a well-coordinated national strategy that is aligned with existing strategies for the distribution of routine vaccines. Deliberate planning at all levels of government and in collaboration with state and local public health stakeholders, and the private sector, will be necessary for appropriately executing national guidelines to the unique and changing needs of local communities. Distribution should leverage existing mechanisms and infrastructure; this includes ensuring equitable access and availability across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

:: Vaccination program policies and deployment strategies must account for the readiness of local vaccination infrastructure and safety of the immunizer workforce. Policies and deployment strategies must ensure vaccinations are conducted under safe conditions, with the immunizer workforce and other essential health care workers prepared and protected from associated risk. As front-line health care workers, the immunizer workforce – consisting of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, pharmacy technicians, and other health care professionals – requires priority access to the initial vaccine supply. Those responsible for local vaccine infrastructure will need to adhere to the FDA-approved labeling instructions for each respective vaccine for proper storage and handling of vaccines throughout the supply chain. Strategies must also account for specific instructions for storage, handling, and administration of vaccines, including proper handling of sharps.

:: Vaccination for the prevention and management of infectious disease, including COVID-19, is a core health service that should be prioritized and promoted. Achieving high COVID-19 vaccinations rates will require minimizing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and ensuring vaccines are administered properly and in accordance with national clinical guidance. Health care professionals, including pharmacists, will be relied on to provide patient education about vaccine options and safety, and manage patients with complex health care conditions. National clinical guidance for immunization providers should be issued and should include considerations for differing clinical application of various COVID-19 vaccines and where booster doses are needed to maintain efficacy. There also needs to be clear communication regarding how long the vaccine is effective and when individuals may need booster doses. A coordinated vaccine registry approach and record-keeping guidance, particularly to track vaccines requiring booster doses, also may be needed.

:: Ensuring affordability and access, including by preventing and removing financial barriers, will be critical to a successful public health response to COVID-19. Upon FDA licensure or authorization, and once recommendations are issued by ACIP, manufacturers, payors, physicians, pharmacists, and other critical stakeholders, such as community health centers, should promote broad access and affordability following national clinical guidance. ACIP should ensure that its recommendations are made immediately available so there is not a lag between the licensure or authorization decision and the ACIP recommendation. Reimbursement of immunization providers for reasonable administration fees is essential to maximizing access.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID 19 Vaccine Programs Update

Moderna Completes Enrollment of Phase 3 COVE Study of mRNA Vaccine Against COVID-19 (mRNA-1273)
October 22, 2020
:: Moderna to make statement at today’s FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting
:: Moderna thanks PPD, its CRO partner, for the successful execution of COVE Study enrollment

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Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, Announced Today Precision NanoSystems Will Receive $18.2 Million from the Government of Canada to Develop an RNA Vaccine for COVID-19
:: PNI will use the investment to advance a cost-effective Made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine
:: PNI offers expertise in self-amplifying mRNA vectors, lipid-based drug delivery systems and nanomedicine manufacturing
:: PNI will contribute to Canada’s ability to secure an effective COVID-19 vaccine and build technologies towards enabling rapid response against future pandemics
Oct 23, 2020, 14:00 ET