Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-19 & Global Immunization

Geneva Palais briefing note on the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on vaccine supply and logistics
GENEVA, 1 May 2020 – “UNICEF is calling for support to unlock a massive backlog in vaccine shipments due to unprecedented logistical constraints related to COVID-19 mitigation measures including lockdowns in some countries.

“In 2019, UNICEF procured 2.43 billion doses of vaccines for 100 countries, to reach approximately 45 per cent of all children below five years old.

“Since the week of March 22, UNICEF has seen a 70 – 80 per cent reduction in planned vaccine shipments due to the dramatic decline in commercial flights and limited availability of charters.

“As of today, dozens of countries are at risk of stock-out due to delayed vaccine shipments. At most risk are 26 countries that are difficult to reach due to limited commercial and cargo options. Among these, at least five countries experienced measles outbreaks in 2019 and many more remain at risk. 

“Compounding the challenge is the exorbitant cost of securing flights, with freight rates at 100 – 200 per cent above normal and charter flights even more costly.

“Countries with limited resources will struggle to pay these higher prices, leaving children vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, measles, polio and other vaccines were out of reach for 20 million children below the age of one every year.

“Disruptions in routine immunization, particularly in countries with weak health systems, could lead to disastrous outbreaks in 2020 and well beyond.

“A substantial proportion of the vaccines that are not reaching countries as planned are for routine immunization programmes. Because of the delays, countries have been using buffer stocks, which typically consists of a three-month supply that is intended for unplanned and urgent needs including responding to sudden outbreaks. As transport challenges persist, countries are at increasing risk of a vaccine stock-out.

“The extended delays in shipments also pose a huge risk to manufacturers, who must store the excess vaccine stocks, and may be required to postpone future production if their warehouse storage space is exceeded.

“UNICEF is working to find solutions with manufacturers and partners, including WHO, GAVI, the vaccine alliance, PAHO and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some manufacturers have offered to support with their freight forwarding services, and GAVI has provided additional funding to support charter flights.  And we continue to work with governments to monitor their stock levels, prioritize the most critical vaccine shipments to avoid stockouts and respond to the needs of their immunization programmes.

“However, the logistical situation remains severely constrained. And many countries require additional funding support.

“UNICEF is appealing to governments, the private sector, the airline industry, and others, to free up freight space at an affordable cost for these life-saving vaccines. And to work with us to find ways around the transport disruptions we face. Children’s lives are at stake.”

Press release
Disruption of childhood vaccination in South Asia poses an urgent threat to children’s health – UNICEF
4.5 million of South Asia’s children miss out on routine immunization, even before COVID-19
28/04/2020
KATHMANDU, 28 April 2020 – South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region do not receive their life-saving vaccine shots, UNICEF warned today.

Almost a quarter of the world’s unimmunized or partially immunized children—about 4.5 million children—live in South Asia. Almost all of them, or 97 per cent, live in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. With lockdowns in place as a part of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response, routine immunizations have been severely disrupted, and parents are increasingly reluctant to take their children to health centers for routine jabs. Sporadic outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and diphtheria, have already been seen in parts of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

The South Asia region is also home to two of the last polio endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Vaccine stocks are running dangerously low in some countries of the region as supply chains have been disrupted with travel bans and cancelled flights. The manufacturing of the vaccines has also been disrupted, creating additional shortages,” says Paul Rutter, Regional Health Advisor for UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA).

Many of the health facilities throughout the region, where millions of children are normally vaccinated, have been closed and outreach sessions have been suspended, adding to the challenge.

“As long as frontline health workers take the appropriate precautions, particularly washing their hands, there is no reason not to vaccinate – in fact, it is crucial that vaccination continues,” says Paul Rutter.

Across the region, national mass vaccination campaigns have been postponed. Bangladesh and Nepal have postponed their national measles and rubella campaigns while Pakistan and Afghanistan have suspended their polio campaigns.

UNICEF strongly recommends that, where immunization campaigns are suspended, governments begin rigorous planning now to intensify immunization activities once the COVID -19 pandemic is under control.

“We are very concerned about the impact of not getting children vaccinated,” says Jean Gough, Director of UNICEF ROSA. “Many of these children are already vulnerable. While the COVID-19 virus does not appear to make many children seriously ill, the health of hundreds of thousands of children could be impacted by this disruption of regular immunization services. This is a very serious threat. Early action is key.”

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-19 R&D – Vaccine Manufacturing Scaling

Johnson & Johnson Announces Collaboration to Expand Manufacturing Capabilities For its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate in Support of the Company’s Goal to Supply More Than One Billion Vaccine Doses Globally
:: Company Signs Agreement with Emergent BioSolutions in the U.S. As Part of its Investment
:: First in Series of Anticipated Strategic Collaborations Designed to Further the Company’s Goal of Ensuring Global Supply of a Safe and Effective Vaccine for COVID-19
Apr 23, 2020

Moderna and Lonza Announce Worldwide Strategic Collaboration to Manufacture Moderna’s Vaccine (mRNA-1273) Against Novel Coronavirus
:: Collaboration goal to enable manufacturing of up to 1 billion doses per year
:: Technology transfer expected to begin in June 2020
:: First batches of mRNA-1273 expected to be manufactured at Lonza U.S. in July 2020
:: Collaboration leverages Lonza’s worldwide expertise in technology transfer and manufacturing
May 01, 2020

Featured Journal Content – JAMA Network: COVID-19 Update May 2, 2020

JAMA
Research
Variation in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs
Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil; Priya Wadhera, MD, MS; Prakriti Gaba, MD; et al

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Residents of a Large Homeless Shelter in Boston
Travis P. Baggett, MD, MPH; Harrison Keyes, MPAS, PA-C; Nora Sporn, MA, MPH; et al
Exposure to a Surrogate Measure of Contamination From Simulated Patients by Emergency Department Personnel Wearing Personal Protective Equipment
Oren Feldman, MD; Michal Meir, MD; Danielle Shavit, BSc; et al

Second-Trimester Miscarriage in a Pregnant Woman With SARS-CoV-2 Infection
David Baud, MD, PhD; Gilbert Greub, MD, PhD; Guillaume Favre, MD; et al

News & Insight
Testing an Old Therapy Against a New Disease: Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19
Rita Rubin, MA

Public Health Measures and the Reproduction Number of SARS-CoV-2
Thomas V. Inglesby, MD

Twentieth-Century Lessons for a Modern Coronavirus Pandemic
Angel Desai, MD, MPH

Opinion
Moving Personal Protective Equipment Into the Community: Face Shields and Containment of COVID-19
Eli N. Perencevich, MD, MS; Daniel J. Diekema, MD, MS; Michael B. Edmond, MD, MPH, MPA

COVID-19 and Risks Posed to Personnel During Endotracheal Intubation
David N. Weissman, MD; Marie A. de Perio, MD; Lewis J. Radonovich Jr, MD

The Potential Effects of Coronavirus on National Health Expenditures
Sherry Glied, PhD; Helen Levy, PhD

The Business of Medicine in the Era of COVID-19
David M. Cutler, PhD; Sayeh Nikpay, PhD; Robert S. Huckman, PhD

Humanities
Lost Space
Renata Thronson, MD

JAMA Health Forum
Opinion
Hospital-at-Home to Support COVID-19 Surge—Time to Bring Down the Walls?
Shantanu Nundy, MD, MBA; Kavita K. Patel, MD, MSHS

COVID-19 Reveals Urgent Need to Strengthen the World Health Organization
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD

Data and Policy Solutions to Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH; Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD

JAMA Internal Medicine
Research
Internet Searches for Unproven COVID-19 Therapies in the United States
Michael Liu, AB; Theodore L. Caputi, MPH; Mark Dredze, PhD; et al

Contact Tracing Assessment of COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics in Taiwan and Risk at Different Exposure Periods Before and After Symptom Onset
Hao-Yuan Cheng, MD, MSc; Shu-Wan Jian, DVM, MPH; Ding-Ping Liu, PhD; et al

Opinion
The Risks of Prescribing Hydroxychloroquine for Treatment of COVID-19—First, Do No Harm
Colette DeJong, MD; Robert M. Wachter, MD

COVID-19 in Prisons and Jails in the United States
Laura Hawks, MD; Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH; Danny McCormick, MD, MPH

Contact Tracing, Testing, and Control of COVID-19—Learning From Taiwan
Robert Steinbrook, MD

JAMA Cardiology
Research
Risk of QT Interval Prolongation Associated With Use of Hydroxychloroquine With or Without Concomitant Azithromycin Among Hospitalized Patients Testing Positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Nicholas J. Mercuro, PharmD, BCIDP; Christina F. Yen, MD; David J. Shim, MD, PhD; et al

Assessment of QT Intervals in a Case Series of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection Treated With Hydroxychloroquine Alone or in Combination With Azithromycin in an Intensive Care Unit
Francis Bessière, MD, PhD; Hugo Roccia, MD; Antoine Delinière, MD; et al

Opinion
Hydroxychloroquine, Coronavirus Disease 2019, and QT Prolongation
Robert O. Bonow, MD, MS; Adrian F. Hernandez, MD, MHS; Mintu Turakhia, MD, MAS
JAMA Psychiatry

Clinical Review & Education
Mental Health in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Emergency—The Italian Response
Giovanni de Girolamo, MD; Giancarlo Cerveri, MD; Massimo Clerici, MD; et al

JAMA Surgery
Opinion
Rapid Development of Resident-Led Procedural Response Teams to Support Patient Care During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: A Surgical Workforce Activation Team
Barbara E. Coons, MD; Sophia F. Tam, MD; Shunpei Okochi, MD

To Face Coronavirus Disease 2019, Surgeons Must Embrace Palliative Care
Zara Cooper, MD, MSc; Rachelle E. Bernacki, MD, MS

JAMA Dermatology
Clinical Review & Education
Digitate Papulosquamous Eruption Associated With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
Adrien Sanchez, MD; Pierre Sohier, MD, PhD; Sarah Benghanem, MD; et al

Petechial Skin Rash Associated With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
Borja Diaz-Guimaraens, MD; Miguel Dominguez-Santas, MD; Ana Suarez-Valle, MD; et al

Opinion
How Dermatologists Can Learn and Contribute at the Leading Edge of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
Lauren M. Madigan, MD; Robert G. Micheletti, MD; Kanade Shinkai, MD, PhD
JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Leveraging COVID-19–Inspired Changes to Advance Otolaryngology—Here to Stay
Samir S. Khariwala, MD, MS; Heather M. Weinreich, MD, MPH; Edward D. McCoul, MD, MPH; et al

Research
Negative-Pressure Aerosol Cover for COVID-19 Tracheostomy
J. Tyler Bertroche, MD; Patrik Pipkorn, MD, MSCI; Paul Zolkind, MD; et al

Pediatric Microlaryngoscopy and Bronchoscopy in the COVID-19 Era
Katherine Pollaers, MBBS, MSurg; Hayley Herbert, MBchB; Shyan Vijayasekaran, MBBS

A Simple Technique for Droplet Control During Mastoid Surgery
Jeffrey D. Carron, MD; Lauren S. Buck, MD; Claude F. Harbarger, MD; et al
Opinion

EMERGENCIES

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

Statement on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
1 May 2020 Statement
Geneva, Switzerland
[Excerpts]
The third meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), took place on Thursday, 30 April 2020, from 12:00 to 17:45 Geneva time (CEST)…

The WHO Regional Emergency Directors and the Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) provided regional and the global situation overview. After ensuing discussion, the Committee unanimously agreed that the outbreak still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and offered advice to the Director-General.

The Director-General declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to constitute a PHEIC. He accepted the advice of the Committee to WHO and issued the Committee’s advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR.

The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier, at the discretion of the Director-General. The Director-General thanked the Committee for its work…

::::::

Editor’s Note:
We certainly recognize the velocity of global developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have concentrated the most current key reports just below, COVID-19 announcements, analysis and commentary will be found throughout this issue, in all sections.
Beyond the considerable continuing coverage in the global general media, the WHO’s authoritative guidance is available here:
:: Daily WHO situation reports here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
:: WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) daily press briefings here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/press-briefings

Situation report – 103 [WHO]

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
2 May 2020
[Excerpts]
Situation in numbers (by WHO Region)
Total (new cases in last 24 hours)
Globally 3 267 184 cases (91 977) 229 971 deaths (5799)
Africa 27 973 cases (1310) 1013 deaths (40)
Americas 1 340 591 cases (48 674) 72 196 deaths (3109)
E Mediterranean 194 991 cases (6406) 7741 deaths (143)
Europe 1 492 024 cases (30 620) 140 586 deaths (2386)
South-East Asia 60 490 cases (3402) 2256 deaths (82)
Western Pacific 150 403 cases (1565) 6166 deaths (39)

HIGHLIGHTS
:: No new country/territory/area reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

:: WHO and the European Investment Bank yesterday signed a collaboration agreement to accelerate investment in health preparedness and primary healthcare in countries most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase will strengthen primary healthcare in ten African countries. The Director-General Dr. Tedros, in his regular media briefing yesterday said that, with the signing of the agreement, “We are deepening our relationship with the European Union”. He also reminded all that the European Commission will host a pledging conference on 4 May to raise funds for investment in vaccine research.

::::::

Ethics and COVID-19: resource allocation and priority-setting
WHO Working Group on Ethics and COVID-19
20 April 2020 :: 5 pages
Overview
Governments, international agencies and health systems have an obligation to ensure, to the best of their ability, adequate provision of health care for all. However, this may not be possible during a pandemic, when health resources are likely to be limited. Setting priorities and rationing resources in this context means making tragic choices, but these tragic choices can be ethically justified. This is why we have ethics. This policy brief answers a number of questions about the ethics of setting priorities for the allocation of resources during times of scarcity. Such decisions may include access to hospitals, ventilators, vaccines and medicines. It is essential that policies and practices are ethically justified in such contexts. The document provides a high-level ethical framework that can be used to guide decision-making, and complements WHO’s technical guidance.

::::::

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 90: 28 April 2020
[Excerpts]
Situation Update WHO Health Emergencies Programme Page 2
From 20 to 26 April 2020, there have been no new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the resurgence of the outbreak on 10 April 2020, six confirmed cases have been reported, all from the Kasanga Health Area in Beni Health Zone.

…Conclusion
The resurgence of EVD in Beni Health Zone highlights the importance of heightened vigilance for this disease in the face of significant challenges around community engagement, access to affected areas, ongoing insecurity, and limited response capacity due to other local and global emergencies. New cases are expected among contacts of recent cases. It is essential to detect, isolate, test and treat new suspected cases as early as possible in order to improve outcome of cases and break the chain of transmission. Strong coordination and communication among partners, the Ministry of Health, local authorities and the communities are essential to address these challenges. In addition, stronger advocacy for survivors is essential, such as mitigating rumours and stigmatization of EVD survivors.

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

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 28 April 2020
:: The Twenty-fourth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director General on 26 March 2020 with committee members only attending via teleconference, supported by the WHO Secretariat. Read the statement from the meeting.

Summary of new viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: one WPV1 case and one WPV1 positive environmental sample
:: Pakistan: six WPV1 positive environmental samples, two cVDPV2 cases and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Cote d’Ivoire: one cVDPV2 case and six cVDPV2 positive environmental sample

::::::

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 2 May 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 90: 28 April 2020
[See Ebola above for detail]

Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 2 May 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Iran – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 2 May 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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

UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syrian Arab Republic: COVID-19 Update No. 08 – 2 May 2020
:: Syrian Arab Republic: Whole of Syria COVID-19 Response Update No.01 (As of 29 April 2020)

Yemen
:: 30 April 2020 Yemen: Flash Floods Flash Update No. 3 (As of 30 April 2020)
::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth
:: 29 April 2020 Zimbabwe Situation Report, 29 Apr 2020

:: EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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

WHO & Regional Offices [to 2 May 2020]

1 May 2020 Statement
Statement on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

1 May 2020 News release
Billions worldwide living with herpes

1 May 2020 News release
WHO and European Investment Bank strengthen efforts to combat COVID-19 and build resilient health systems to face future pandemics
:: WHO and the European Investment Bank enhance cooperation to support countries in addressing the health impact of COVID-19
:: The first phase will address urgent needs and strengthen primary health care in ten African countries
:: Enhanced WHO-EIB partnership will scale up financing to assure the chain of essential supplies, including personal protective equipment, diagnostics and clinical management
:: New initiative will accelerate investment in health preparedness and primary health care with a focus on health work force, infrastructure, and water, sanitation and hygiene
:: The initiative involves measures to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance

27 April 2020 Statement
WHO Timeline – COVID-19

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 1 May 2020, vol. 95, 18 (pp. 173–184)
Progress towards maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination – worldwide, 2000–2018

::::::

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
:: 29 April 2020 News release
WHO convenes manufacturers, regulatory authorities meet on COVID-19 vaccines

WHO European Region EURO
:: COVID-19 pandemic remains public health emergency of international concern 02-05-2020
:: WHO/Europe COVID-19 mission on route to Tajikistan at Government’s request 01-05-2020
:: Vital health protection steps must be continued during COVID-19 30-04-2020
:: Through transparent knowledge-sharing, tailored support on the ground, and steadfast solidarity we will beat COVID-19 29-04-2020
:: COVID-19 exposes the critical importance of patient rehabilitation 28-04-2020

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Statement by WHO’s Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari on our collective fight against COVID-19 28 April 2020

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

CDC/ACIP [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.cdc.gov/media/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html
Latest News Releases
CDC launches national viral genomics consortium to better map SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Rapid release of open coronavirus sequence data will help guide COVID-19 public health response, drive innovation and discovery, and advance understanding of this and future pandemics
Friday, May 1, 2020
CDC has kicked off the SARS-CoV-2 Sequencing for Public Health Emergency Response, Epidemiology and Surveillance (SPHERES) consortium, which will greatly expand the use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the COVID-19 virus.
This national network of sequencing laboratories will speed the release of SARS-CoV-2 sequence data into the public domain.
SPHERES will provide consistent, real-time sequence data to the public health response teams investigating cases and clusters of COVID-19 across the country. It will help them better understand how the virus is spreading, both nationally and in their local communities. Better data, in turn, will help public health officials interrupt chains of transmission, prevent new cases of illness, and protect and save lives…

MMWR News Synopsis Friday, May 1, 2020
:: Progress Toward Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2018
:: Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevalence in Homeless Shelters — Four U.S. Cities, March 27–April 15, 2020 (Early Release April 22, 2020)
:: COVID-19 Outbreak Among Three Affiliated Homeless Service Sites — King County, Washington, 2020 (Early Release April 22, 2020)

Africa CDC [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.africacdc.org/
Press Releases
Outbreak Brief 15: COVID-19 Pandemic – 28 April 2020
28 April 2020

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
May 2: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On May 1, 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 1 new case of confirmed infections, 2 new cases of suspected infections, and no deaths.

Xi, two leaders discuss mankind’s shared future
2020-05-02
China stands ready to work with the international community, including the Czech Republic and Peru, to jointly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it supports international coordination on macroeconomic policies to offset the impact of the epidemic on the world economy, President Xi Jinping said on April 30.
Xi made the remarks in separate telephone conversations with Czech President Milos Zeman and Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra.

WHO reiterates novel coronavirus is “natural in origin”
2020-05-02

Announcements
 
 
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group    [to 2 May 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
Scientists are working on a face mask that detects coronavirus
April 23, 2020
Q&A with James Collins, Ph.D., a bioengineer who is developing a diagnostic face mask that signals if the wearer is infected with COVID-19
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
Website under maintenance at inquiry.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 2 May 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
InVivo Profiles Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute
 
 
CARB-X   [to 2 May 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 2 May 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
CEPI announces COVID-19 vaccine development partnership with Clover Biopharmaceuticals’ Australian Subsidiary
27 Apr 2020
CEPI establishes Representative Office in Shanghai, China
27 Apr 20
 
 
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)  [to 2 May 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
April 28, 2020
Unitaid and CHAI announce agreement with Omega Diagnostics to increase access to new, portable CD4 testing device for people living with HIV in over 130 low- and middle-income countries
Agreement with Omega Diagnostics will help deliver same-day CD4 testing for people living with HIV in over 130 low- and middle-income countries at just US$3.98 per test.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 2 May 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 2 May 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
[Undated]
EVC RESONDS TO COVID-19
EVC COVID-19 RESEARCH UPDATE
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases ·
Press release: EMA starts rolling review of remdesivir for COVID-19
Last updated: 30/04/2020
News: Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 28-30 April 2020
CHMP, Last updated: 30/04/2020
Press release: EU actions to support availability of medicines during COVID-19 pandemic – update #4
Last updated: 30/04/2020
News: International regulators pledge collective support to combat COVID-19 pandemic
Last updated: 28/04/2020
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
Latest News
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
May 1, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 1, 2020
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:
   :: Today, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir. The EUAExternal Link Disclaimer allows for remdesivir to be distributed in the :: U.S. and administered by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. Severe disease is defined as patients with low blood oxygen levels or needing oxygen therapy or more intensive breathing support such as a mechanical ventilator. Based on evaluation of the emergency use authorization criteria and the scientific evidence available, it was determined that it is reasonable to believe that remdesivir may be effective in treating COVID-19, and that, given there are no adequate, approved, or available alternative treatments, the known and potential benefits to treat this serious or life-threatening virus currently outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug’s use. For more information see: news release, Health Care Provider Fact Sheet and Patient Fact Sheet.

  :: Today, the FDA updated its guidance on convalescent plasma and associated web page. The updated guidance provides clarification for investigators on how to submit investigational applications for COVID-19 convalescent plasma. In addition, the guidance includes updated information regarding potential donors. Previously, the FDA’s guidance noted that to qualify, individuals should have complete resolution of symptoms for 28 days or resolution for 14 and a negative diagnostic test. The revised guidance recommends that individuals  have complete resolution of symptoms for at least 14 days prior to donation A negative lab test for COVID-19 disease is not necessary to qualify for donation. The revised guidance also clarifies that FDA does not recommend storing a retention sample from the convalescent plasma donation for single patient emergency INDs…
 
 
May 1, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Potential COVID-19 Treatment
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. While there is limited information known about the safety and effectiveness of using remdesivir to treat people in the hospital with COVID-19, the investigational drug was shown in a clinical trial to shorten the time to recovery in some patients.

“FDA’s emergency authorization of remdesivir, two days after the National Institutes of Health’s clinical trial showed promising results, is a significant step forward in battling COVID-19 and another example of the Trump Administration moving as quickly as possible to use science to save lives,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “NIH, FDA, and scientists across America and around the world have worked tirelessly with patients to get us this new potential treatment for COVID-19. The seamless cooperation between government and private industry under the President’s all-of-America approach to COVID-19 is getting treatment options to patients in record time.”

The emergency use authorization allows for remdesivir to be distributed in the U.S. and administered intravenously by health care providers, as appropriate, to treat suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. Severe disease is defined as patients with low blood oxygen levels or needing oxygen therapy or more intensive breathing support such as a mechanical ventilator…
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Gavi [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
Top Stories
1 May 2020
28 April 2020: Overview of the COVID-19 situation in Gavi-supported countries and Gavi’s response
 
 
1 May 2020
Keeping routine immunisation going during COVID-19 in Indonesia
 
 
30 April 2020
World Immunization Week: Eradicating cervical cancer through HPV vaccination
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 2 May 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 2 May 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
Updates
Ethics Resources for Country Coordinating Mechanisms
30 April 2020
Ethical, transparent and responsible decision-making by Country Coordinating Mechanisms is key for the success of programs in countries – and advancing the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide.
To support Country Coordinating Mechanisms in following the highest standards of ethics and integrity, the Global Fund has published new resources:
Translations of the Code of Ethical Conduct for Country Coordinating Mechanism Members
:: An e-learning course introducing the Code of Ethical Conduct
:: Guidelines for ethics focal points and ethics committees
To access these resources and for more information, see the Country Coordinating Mechanism Ethics page.
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
Global COVID Lab Meeting Will Bring Together the Worldwide Scientific Community to Accelerate Development of Vaccines and Immunotherapies
Apr 30, 2020
New York City (April 23, 2020). The Global COVID Lab Meeting will connect the worldwide scientific community working to develop vaccines and immunotherapies to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The Human Vaccines Project is starting this bi-weekly webinar to feature leading scientists from across the globe presenting their latest data, with ample time allowed for questions and discussion.
 
 
“The engines of science are the weekly or bi-weekly lab meetings held across the globe by individual laboratory directors, enabling faculty, post-docs and graduate students to present their latest findings and catalyze new ideas,” says Wayne C. Koff, president and CEO of the Human Vaccines Project. “The urgency of the pandemic, coupled with technological advances of distance learning, now enables us to bring the global scientific community together to accelerate the development of vaccines and immunotherapies for prevention and control of COVID-19. The Global COVID Lab Meeting will provide researchers with a neutral forum to share their findings and innovative ideas with scientists from across the world on a regular basis, thereby increasing the probability for identifying solutions towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic.”
 
 
The webinar will be held every first and third Thursday of the month at 10 am EST. The first session is on May 7th. Dr. James E. Crowe Jr., Director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, will talk about his studies on identification and development of human monoclonal antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 – a treatment that could provide immediate immunity to first responders. Dr. Crowe’s lab is one of the leading groups globally working on antibody identification and is targeting starting clinical studies early this summer for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. You can register for the webinar here.
 
 
IAVI  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
Press Releases
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.
 
 
International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association [IGBA]
https://www.igbamedicines.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFRC   [to 2 May 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVAC  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
Vaccination Services Must Continue Even as We Fight COVID-19
April 2020
By Dr. Chizoba Wonodi, Immunization Technical Lead, USAID’s MOMENTUM 2A: Global Technical Leadership and Targeted Technical Assistance
Nigeria, like all other countries in the world, is grappling with the devasting public health, social, and economic fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 27, 2020, Nigeria has 1273 confirmed cases, a dramatic increase since February […]
 
 
IVI   [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
INOVIO and GeneOne Life Science Report Positive Phase 1/2a Clinical Data With DNA Vaccine INO-4700 for MERS Coronavirus at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Conference
:: INO-4700 (GLS-5300) DNA vaccine demonstrates 100% binding and 92% neutralizing antibody responses against MERS-CoV
:: INO-4800 DNA vaccine for COVID-19 currently in Phase 1 trial utilizes identical strategy targeting Spike protein and CELLECTRA intradermal delivery
April 28, 2020
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Vaccination
Overcoming barriers so vaccines can save lives
Project Update 29 Apr 2020
 
 
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
Overwhelming, lonely, stressful – life in a COVID-19 unit in Geneva
Voices from the Field 27 Apr 2020
 
 
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
NVAC 2020 Meetings
June 9-10, 2020 NVAC Meeting
September 23-24, 2020 Meeting (Virtual)
 
 
NIH  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
NIH clinical trial shows Remdesivir accelerates recovery from advanced COVID-19
April 29, 2020 — Preliminary results indicate that patients who received remdesivir had a 31% faster time to recovery than those who received placebo.
 
 
NIH mobilizes national innovation initiative for COVID-19 diagnostics
April 29, 2020 — Initiative aims to speed delivery of accurate, easy-to-use, scalable tests to all Americans.
 
 
PATH  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
April 24, 2020
PATH establishes Representative Office in Shanghai, China
Registration will enable PATH to implement health projects directly with partners
 
 
PATH partners with Ukraine to develop a national response to COVID-19
Seattle, WA, April 24, 2020 – PATH is partnering with the Ukraine government to develop and implement a comprehensive national response to COVID-19. PATH’S country office program will use the expertise acquired from leading infectious disease surveillance, pandemic flue emergency preparedness, and tuberculosis control in Ukraine since 1994 to address four important areas of the national response…
 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
1 May 2020
Paying tribute to care workers during an online Labour Day event

1 May 2020
“The concern did not just come from the community, but also the health workers”

29 April 2020
“We must ensure that HIV treatment adherence is not compromised”—keeping people in Pakistan on HIV treatment

28 April 2020
“I’ve saved lives on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in China”

28 April 2020
Women are more likely to be on HIV treatment
 
 
UNICEF  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Press release
Geneva Palais briefing note on the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on vaccine supply and logistics
01/05/2020
[See COVID-19 above for detail]

Statement
COVID-19 & Immigration Detention: What Can Governments and Other Stakeholders Do?
Statement by the United Nations Network on Migration
29/04/2020

Press release
Over 5 million children face threat of cholera and acute water diarrhea in the midst of COVID-19 as Yemen gets heavy rains
29/04/2020

Press release
Disruption of childhood vaccination in South Asia poses an urgent threat to children’s health – UNICEF
4.5 million of South Asia’s children miss out on routine immunization, even before COVID-19
28/04/2020
[See COVID-19 above for detail]

Press release
COVID-19: Gavi and UNICEF to secure equipment and diagnostics for lower-income countries
28/04/2020
 
 
Unitaid  [to 2 May 2020]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
27 April 2020
Unitaid congratulates Ellen ‘t Hoen on national honour recognising her efforts on access and equity
Geneva — Unitaid congratulates Ellen ‘t Hoen on the announcement that H.M. King Alexander of the Netherlands has conferred on her the title of ‘Officier in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau’, in recognition of her important contribution on global health and access to medicines at the international level.
Amongst her many achievements, Ellen ‘t Hoen was instrumental in setting up the Medicines Patent Pool ten years ago in 2010, which Unitaid has funded since its creation. She also was its first Executive Director…
 
 
Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN)  [to 2 May 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Latest News & Archive
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 2 May 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 29 April 2020
COVID-19: how researchers around the world are racing to understand the virus and prevent future outbreaks
by Josie Golding

News | 27 April 2020
The future of vaccines: three innovations from around the world
World Immunisation Week is an opportunity to celebrate some of the most cutting-edge vaccination projects and technologies from around the world, which have the potential to improve health for millions of people.
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
Press Release  May. 1, 2020
The Wistar Institute Appoints Bin Tian, Ph.D., 
as Professor in the Cancer Center and 
Co-director of the Center for Systems & Computational Biology
PHILADELPHIA — (May, 1, 2020) — The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology and infectious diseases, announces the appointment of molecular systems biologist Bin Tian, Ph.D., as professor in the Cancer Center.

Press Release  Apr. 30, 2020
The Wistar Institute Appoints Virology Expert Italo Tempera, Ph.D., as Associate Professor in Its Cancer Center
PHILADELPHIA — (April 30, 2020) — The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology and infectious diseases, announces the appointment of Italo Tempera, Ph.D., as associate professor in the Gene Expression & Regulation Program of The Wistar Institute Cancer Center.

Press Release   Apr. 29, 2020
The Wistar Institute and Batavia Biosciences Launch Collaboration to Manufacture and Distribute Wistar’s Rubella Vaccine Globally
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports international collaboration to expand global access to life-saving vaccines
 
 
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations  [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
Open Letter to The United Nations: Call for The Establishment of a Multi-sector “Global Health Equity Task Force” to Confront The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
Monday, 27 April 2020
Global Health Inquity is a fact. The present crisis renders visible these inequities. The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has signed an open letter to the United Nations proposing that the UN Secretary General provide the necessary support to the World Health Organization (WHO), by creating a multi-sector “Global Health Equity Task Force” to confront the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its full health, socio-demographic and economic dimensions.

As the unique international non-governmental body representing the interests of the global public health community through national and regional public health associations and associated organizations, WFPHA is concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among already vulnerable and marginalized populations worldwide. Disadvantaged and marginalized populations are more at risk to become infected. When infected, marginalized people are more likely to evolve to severe cases as they suffer disproportionately higher rates of chronic diseases, obesity and malnutrition.

The “Global Health Equity Task Force”, housed within WHO, would be charged with taking the necessary steps to exert needed global leadership for a comprehensive, equity-focused response to the pandemic, guided by the ethical principles of justice, beneficence and nonmaleficence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It would encourage international cooperation towards fair allocation of resources to all countries according to need.

Full Letter with List of Institutions is Available Here.

List of Individual Signing the Letter is Available Here.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2020/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

::::::

 
 
ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine]  [to 2 May 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
BIO    [to 2 May 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
DCVMN joined Global leaders call for a new collaboration to accelerate equitable access to Covid-19 Health technologies

Geneva, 24th April 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic requires a strong united front to turn the tide of this global public health burden. Recognizing the April 20th United Nations General Assembly resolution [1], calling for rapid development, scale-up, manufacturing and supply of vaccines to confront the pandemic, the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) stands ready to fully collaborate with the Access to COVID Tools (ACT) Accelerator initiative, launched on 24th April 2020…
 
 
IFPMA   [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Global Pharma update on unprecedented efforts to collaborate in speeding up the search for safe
30 April 2020
 
 
PhRMA    [to 2 May 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
The continued imperative to protect U.S. innovation worldwide
Chris Moore   |     April 29, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is further demonstrating that the world needs biopharmaceutical innovation to address pressing global health challenges – both now and in the future. PhRMA members are collaborating with others and working around the clock to research and develop vaccines and treatments to beat the virus.
The 2020 Special 301 Report released today by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) highlights just how essential open markets and effective intellectual property protections and enforcement are to meeting today’s challenges and to delivering tomorrow’s new treatments and cures. The report confirms the U.S. government’s strong commitment to defend and promote fair market access for American inventions, including biopharmaceuticals, in countries around the world.

Thanks to its domestic intellectual property and market-based policy environment, the United States leads the world in the research and development of new medicines. With the right policies in place, the new treatments and cures pioneered here can continue to benefit patients everywhere. There are notable examples from the 2020 Special 301 Report of how USTR is defending American innovators:

:: Ensuring transparency and fairness of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies in Canada, Japan and South Korea so trading partners appropriately recognize the value of innovative medicines and contribute their fair share to research and development of new treatments and cures.

:: Combating the negative impact of compulsory licensing actions in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and other regions.

:: Condemning weak intellectual property protection and other policies in Argentina, India, Malaysia, and enhancing engagement with Saudi Arabia by conducting an out-of-cycle review to resolve longstanding concerns…

Guest Post: Preserving clinical research sites during the coronavirus pandemic

April 29, 2020

Jim Kremidas, executive director of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals

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

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
May 2020 Volume 58, Issue 5, p613-756
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Current Issues
Reducing Health Disparities Through Prevention: Role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Matthew J. O’Brien, Kate A. Kirley, Ronald T. Ackermann
p724–727
Published online: February 23, 2020

American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

VACCINES
Vaccine Communication as Weaponized Identity Politics
Media, Immunization/Vaccines, Social Science
David A. Broniatowski, Sandra C. Quinn, Mark Dredze and Amelia M. Jamison
110(5), pp. 617–618

American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine Discourse, 2015–2017
Global Health, Media, Immunization/Vaccines, Social Science
Dror Walter, Yotam Ophir and Kathleen Hall Jamieson
110(5), pp. 718–724

American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

CORONAVIRUS
Straining the System: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Preparedness for Concomitant Disasters
Global Health, Government, Infections, Public Health Practice, Other Infections
Nathaniel Smith and Michael Fraser
110(5), pp. 648–649

American Journal of Public Health
May 2020 110(5)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

FLU SHOT
Influenza Vaccination Coverage of Health Care Personnel in Los Angeles County Hospitals, 2016–2017
Health Care Facilities/Services, Immunization/Vaccines, Infections, Prevention, Public Health Practice, Public Health Workers
Talar Kamali, Chelsea Foo, Kelsey OYong and Dawn Terashita
110(5), pp. 693–695

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 2 May 2020)

Assessment of a novel scanner-supported system for processing of child health and immunization data in Uganda
Electronic data capturing has the potential to improve data quality and user-friendliness compared to manually processed, paper-based documentation systems. The MyChild system uses an innovative approach to pr…
Authors: Annika Äijö, Ina Schäffner, Peter Waiswa, Rornald Muhumuza Kananura, Mesfin Kassaye Tessma and Claudia Hanson
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2020 20:367
Content type: Research article
Published on: 29 April 2020

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 2 May 2020)

COVID-19: where is the national ethical guidance?
Authors: Richard Huxtable
Content type: Editorial
1 May 2020
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic poses numerous – and substantial – ethical challenges to health and healthcare. Debate continues about whether there is adequate protective equipment, testing and monitoring, and about when a vaccine might become available and social restrictions might be lifted. The thorny dilemmas posed by triage and resource allocation also attract considerable attention, particularly access to intensive care resources, should demand outstrip supply.
But the “COVID fog” clouds more than the intensive care unit [¹]. The provision and uptake of non-COVID related treatment is declining, due to the de-prioritisation of some services and interventions, alongside non-COVID patients’ fears of contracting the virus; difficult conversations are being held in suboptimal circumstances; and final farewells and death rituals have been disrupted. Healthcare personnel, meanwhile, are facing moral distress and, for some, difficulties arising from undertaking new roles in unfamiliar settings.
Whilst patients and the public require support, health and social care professionals also need guidance to help navigate the ethical challenges. A pandemic (by definition) respects no geographical boundaries, so co-ordinated international efforts will be important [²]. But guidance will also be needed to inform decision-making in health and social care within and throughout countries…

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 2 May 2020)

Barriers and facilitators to dissemination and adoption of precision medicine among Hispanics/Latinos
With the rapid advances in gene technologies in recent years, the potential benefits of precision medicine (PM) may spread unevenly to disadvantaged populations, such as Hispanics/Latinos.
The objective of this study was to explore patient-level barriers and facilitators to dissemination and adoption of PM among Hispanics/Latinos, including knowledge and awareness.
Authors: Juan R. Canedo, Consuelo H. Wilkins, Nicole Senft, Araceli Romero, Kemberlee Bonnet and David Schlundt
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:603
Content type: Research article
Published on: 1 May 2020

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 2 May 2020)

The social value of investing in public health across the life course: a systematic scoping review
Making the case for investing in public health by illustrating the social, economic and environmental value of public health interventions is imperative. Economic methodologies to help capture the social value…
Authors: Kathryn Ashton, Peter Schröder-Bäck, Timo Clemens, Mariana Dyakova, Anna Stielke and Mark A. Bellis
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:597
Content type: Research article
Published on: 1 May 2020

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 5, May 2020
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/5/en/

EDITORIALS
Simulation of the effects of COVID-19 testing rates on hospitalizations
— Bernardo Sousa-Pinto, João Almeida Fonseca, Bruno Oliveira, Ricardo Cruz-Correia, Pedro Pereira Rodrigues, Altamiro Costa-Pereira & Francisco Nuno Rocha-Gonçalves
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.258186

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 98, Number 5, May 2020
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/98/5/en/

RESEARCH
Evidence of behaviour change during an Ebola virus disease outbreak, Sierra Leone
— F Jalloh, Paul Sengeh, Rebecca E Bunnell, Mohammad B Jalloh, Roeland Monasch, Wenshu Li, Jonathan Mermin, Nickolas DeLuca, Vance Brown, Sophia A Nur, Euna M August, Ray L Ransom, Apophia Namageyo-Funa, Sara A Clements, Meredith Dyson, Kathy Hageman, Samuel Abu Pratt, Azizeh Nuriddin, Dianna D Carroll, Nicole Hawk, Craig Manning, Sara Hersey, Barbara J Marston, Peter H Kilmarx, Lansana Conteh, Anna Mia Ekström, Zangin Zeebari, John T Redd, Helena Nordenstedt & Oliver Morgan
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.245803

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2

Editorials
How can evidence and strategies influence policies?
Pekka Puska
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Page 205, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz226

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2

Vaccination
The Dutch influenza vaccination policy and medication use, outpatient visits, hospitalization and mortality at age 65
Tom Van Ourti, Nicolas Bouckaert
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 275–280, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa016

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2

Rotavirus vaccination impact, Ireland, implications for vaccine confidence and screening
Heather E Burns, Abigail M Collins, Una B Fallon, Paul V Marsden, Caitlin M Ni Shuilleabhain
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 281–285, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz238

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/2

Knowledge and beliefs on vaccines among a sample of Italian pregnant women: results from the NAVIDAD study
Fabrizio Bert, Elena Olivero, Paola Rossello, Maria R Gualano, Silvana Castaldi …
European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 286–292, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz209

Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 2 May 2020]

Research Article metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Tetanus vaccine coverage in recommended and more than recommended doses among mothers in a West Cameroon health district: a cross sectional study
[version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Igor Nguemouo Nguegang, Martin Nguestop, Linda Evans Eba Ze, Trevor Anyambod Mboh, Dominique Majoric Omokolo, Ruth Noutakdie Fossi, Etienne Guenou, Jerome Ateudjieu

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 2 May 2020]

Understanding China’s growing involvement in global health and managing processes of change
Authors: Lewis Husain and Gerald Bloom
Content type: Review
1 May 2020

Health and Human Rights
https://www.hhrjournal.org
[Accessed 2 May 2020]

Viewpoints
Upholding Rights Under COVID-19: The Respectful Maternity Care Charter
R. Rima Jolivet, Charlotte E Warren, Pooja Sripad, Elena Ateva, Jewel Gausman, Kate Mitchell, Hagar Palgi Hacker, Emma Sacks, and Ana Langer, 1 May 2020
[Excerpt]
…Human rights are indivisible and universal. Rights frameworks provide a firm legal and ethical foundation to guide policy and practice in a pandemic. Solutions that uphold fundamental human rights and best clinical practices, including infection control, contribute to stronger health and human rights outcomes overall. The Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Charter, published in 2011 and updated in 2019, articulates 10 fundamental rights of childbearing women and newborns based on widely accepted human rights instruments, and provides a framework for high-quality care that supports and upholds the dignity of all parties…

Health and Human Rights
https://www.hhrjournal.org
[Accessed 2 May 2020]

Contact Tracing Apps: Extra Risks for Women and Marginalized Groups
Sara L.M. Davis, 29 April 2020
[Excerpt]
…Groups that have historically experienced discrimination, stigma, and abuse may be exposed to greater risk of persecution as data on coronavirus transmission circulates and is discussed in the public sphere. Much of the public debate over digital contact tracing apps, rapidly unfolding in Europe, has so far focused on individual privacy, and on whether it can be protected with technical solutions.[1] These are important questions, but it sidesteps the harder problems linked to widespread stigma and blame. In some countries, states now impose criminal sanctions on transmission of the coronavirus, though UNAIDS warns, based on experience in the HIV epidemic, that criminal sanctions will undermine, not help the response.[2] Even anonymized data raises the risk of persecution once it circulates in a climate of fear and stigma…

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62

Original Research Articles
Awareness, perceived risk and protective behaviours of Myanmar adults on COVID-19
Kyaw S. Mya, Aye S. M., Win A. Hlaing, Su S. Hlaing, Thida Aung, Swe M. M. Lwin, Ei S. U., Thandar Tun, Kyawt S. Lwin, Hla H. Win
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20201530

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62

Coverage evaluation of the universal immunization program in Imphal-East district of Manipur: a cross-sectional study
Dayananda Ingudam, Heisnam Kulabidhu Singh, Longjam Usharani Devi
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20201984

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62

Knowledge, attitude and practice of fathers about childhood immunization: a tertiary care hospital based cross sectional study
Swetha E. Jose, Navya C. Joseph, Soorya Sheela, Vidhu M. Joshy
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20202008

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Vol 7, No 5 (2020) May 2020
https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/issue/view/62

Editorial
Introduction of newer vaccines in national immunization programme in India: a challenge
Ramesh Verma, Vinod Chayal, Meenakshi Kalhan, Rohit Dhaka, Suraj Chawla, Kapil Bhalla
DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20202021

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
March 2020 Volume 92, Supplement, p1-12, S1-S102
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(20)X0004-X

Commemorating World Tuberculosis Day March 24th, 2020 : “IT’S TIME TO FIND, TREAT ALL and END TUBERCULOSIS!”
Precision and personalized medicine and anti-TB treatment: Is TDM feasible for programmatic use?
Jan-Willem C. Alffenaar, Onno W. Akkerman, Hannah Yejin Kim, Simon Tiberi, Giovanni Battista Migliori
S5–S9
Published online: January 26, 2020

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Original Investigation
Baseline Characteristics and Outcomes of 1591 Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy
Giacomo Grasselli, MD; Alberto Zangrillo, MD; Alberto Zanella, MD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1574-1581. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5394
This case series describes the demographics, comorbidities, ventilation requirements, dispositions, and mortality of patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to northern Italy ICUs in February-March 2020..

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Preliminary Communication
Treatment of 5 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 With Convalescent Plasma
Chenguang Shen, PhD; Zhaoqin Wang, PhD; Fang Zhao, PhD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1582-1589. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4783
This case series describes clinical outcomes in 5 Chinese patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, ARDS, and high viral loads despite antiviral treatment who were given human plasma with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies obtained from previously infected and recovered patients.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Research Letter
Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) From a Symptomatic Patient
Sean Wei Xiang Ong, MBBS; Yian Kim Tan, PhD; Po Ying Chia, MBBS; et al.
free access has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1610-1612. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3227
This study documents results of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of environmental surfaces and personal protective equipment surrounding 3 COVID-19 patients in isolation rooms in a Singapore hospital.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Characteristics and Outcomes of 21 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 in Washington State
Matt Arentz, MD; Eric Yim, MD; Lindy Klaff, MD; et al.
free access has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1612-1614. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4326
This case series describes the clinical presentation, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to the intensive care unit at a public hospital in Washington State in February 2020, including initial reports of cardiomyopathy in one-third of the patients.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Viewpoint
Critical Care Utilization for the COVID-19 Outbreak in Lombardy, ItalyEarly Experience and Forecast During an Emergency Response
Giacomo Grasselli, MD; Antonio Pesenti, MD; Maurizio Cecconi, MD
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1545-1546. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4031
This Viewpoint describes the organization of a regional ICU network in Lombardy, Italy, to handle the surge in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who require intensive care and uses demand experience in the first 2 weeks of the outbreak to estimate resources required in coming weeks.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Presidential Powers and Response to COVID-19
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD; James G. Hodge Jr, JD, LLM; Lindsay F. Wiley, JD, MPH
free access
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1547-1548. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4335
This Viewpoint reviews legal powers the US president and state governors have to implement travel and other restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus, and discusses the need to balance rights to privacy and liberty with public health in ways that do not disadvantage already vulnerable populations.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Managing COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Joost Hopman, MD, PhD, DTMH; Benedetta Allegranzi, MD, DTMH; Shaheen Mehtar, MBBS, MD (Lon)
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1549-1550. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4169
This Viewpoint discusses challenges to managing a COVID-19 outbreak in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), reviewing how absence of testing, critical care capacity, climate, war, distrust, and large refugee populations could complicate implementation of proven infection prevention and control measures.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

A Piece of My Mind
Personal Risk and Societal Obligation Amidst COVID-19
Cynthia Tsai, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1555-1556. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5450
In this narrative medicine essay, a resident physician with asthma describes her internal deliberations about public vs private good after a decision to retreat from direct-patient care to telemedicine to protect her health during the coronavirus pandemic.

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Editorial
Critical Illness in Patients With COVID-19Mounting an Effective Clinical and Research Response
Deborah J. Cook, MD, MSc; John C. Marshall, MD; Robert A. Fowler, MDCM, MS
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1559-1560. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5775

JAMA
April 28, 2020, Vol 323, No. 16, Pages 1529-1626
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

Convalescent Plasma to Treat COVID-19Possibilities and Challenges
John D. Roback, MD, PhD; Jeannette Guarner, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(16):1561-1562. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4940

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3

Commentary
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Haiti: A Call for Action
James Louis-Jean, Kenney Cenat, Debbie Sanon, Ruthonce Stvil

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3

Original Paper
Success of an EMR-Driven Postpartum Intervention to Improve HPV Vaccination Rates
Susan K. Park, Christine H. Holschneider, Judy Chen…

Journal of Community Health
Volume 45, Issue 3, June 2020
https://link.springer.com/journal/10900/45/3

Original Paper
Missed Opportunities for Hepatitis A Vaccination Among MSM Initiating PrEP
Alwyn Cohall, Jason Zucker, Rachel Krieger, Charlotte Scott…