Category Archives: Uncategorized

China CDC http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/

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China CDC http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
Aug 7: Daily briefing on novel coronavirus cases in China
On Aug 6, 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 107 new cases of confirmed infections.

China to provide 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines globally this year: Xi
2021-08-06

China says latest COVID-19 resurgence more complicated but ‘controllable’
2021-08-06
BEIJING — The latest resurgence of COVID-19 in China, caused mainly by the Delta variant, is more complicated but the epidemic is generally controllable, Chinese officials said on Aug 5.
In the latest wave, 15 provincial-level regions — out of 31 — on the Chinese mainland have reported COVID-19 infections, said He Qinghua, a senior official with the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference organized by the State Council inter-agency task force.
“CONTROLLABLE”
“As long as local authorities strictly implement various prevention and control measures, I think the epidemic will be largely under control within two to three incubation periods,” he said…

China imposes massive travel restrictions to combat Delta outbreak
2021-08-04
— China has imposed massive travel restrictions to contain the spread of the Delta variant.
— All 31 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland have urged citizens not to go to medium and high-risk areas for COVID-19 or leave the provinces where they live unless it is necessary.
— Twenty-three railway stations have halted ticket sales for Beijing-bound passengers departing from these stations.

National Medical Products Administration – PRC [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://english.nmpa.gov.cn/news.html
News
Over 1.72b doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in China
2021-08-06
More than 1.72 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in China by Wednesday, the National Health Commission said on Aug 5.

CCDC Weekly – Weekly Reports: Current Volume (3)
2021-08-06 / No. 32
PDF of this issue
Preplanned Studies: Changes in Public Perception and Behaviors under Compound Heatwave in COVID-19 Epidemic — Beijing, China, 2020
Outbreak Reports: A COVID-19 Outbreak Emerging in a Food Processing Company — Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China, January–February 2021
Notes from Field: An Immunocompetent Patient with High Neutralizing Antibody Titers Who Shed COVID-19 Virus for 169 days — China, 2020

Organization Announcements

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

 

Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BARDA – U.S. Department of HHS [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
News
No new digest content identified.

 

BMGF – Gates Foundation [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center
Press Releases and Statements
No new digest content identified.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.

 

CARB-X [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://carb-x.org/
News
07.29.2021  |
CARB-X celebrates five years of progress in early-stage product development against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership led by Boston University, is celebrating five years of progress in funding and supporting the development of innovative products targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Since it was founded in July 2016, CARB-X has invested $361 million in non-dilutive funding to develop innovative therapeutics including new classes of antibiotics and non-traditional agents, vaccines and other preventatives such as CRISPR-phage, microbiome-modifying agents and antibodies, and rapid diagnostics.

 

Center for Vaccine Ethics and Policy – GE2P2 Global Foundation [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.net/
News/Analysis/Statements
:: Past weekly editions and posting of all segments of Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review are available here.
:: [NEW] Informed Consent: A Monthly Review – August 2021 is now posted here

 

CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
Efforts to advance Rift Valley fever vaccines progress with new CEPI partnership
Serum material donated from patients recovered from Rift Valley fever will support the development of a reference tool used to assess Rift Valley fever vaccines undergoing clinical trials.
End Pandemics
06 Aug 2021

CEPI and Universiti Malaya announce new collaboration to advance Nipah virus research
The research aims to characterize and better understand immune responses generated against the virus – one of the deadliest pathogens known to infect humans.
End Pandemics
29 Jul 2021

Largest ever Lassa fever study expands to more countries in West Africa
Up to 23,000 participants will be enrolled into the research programme in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well as Nigeria, which began collecting data in December 2020.
End Pandemics
28 Jul 2021

 

CIOMS – COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF MEDICAL SCIENCES [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://cioms.ch/
News; Publications
No new digest content identified.

 

DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [to 7 Aug 2021
https://www.darpa.mil/news
News
8/6/2021
DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Novel Therapeutics for Combating Multi-Drug Resistant Microbial Infections
DARPA today announced that it has selected three performer teams to support the Harnessing Enzymatic Activity for Lifesaving Remedies (HEALR) program. Groups from Yale University, University of Washington, and Broad Institute plan to utilize a new therapeutic approach and novel protein degradation strategies/modalities to permit a flexible and rapid response for targeting emerging microbial threats.

 

Duke Global Health Innovation Center [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://dukeghic.org/
Our Blog
No new digest content identified.

 

EDCTP [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
No new digest content identified.

 

Emory Vaccine Center [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
Vaccine Center News
COVID-19 survivors may possess wide-ranging resistance to the disease
Woodruff Health Sciences Center | July 22, 2021

 

European Vaccine Initiative [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/
Latest News
EVI to lead Inno4vac, a new European public-private partnership to innovate vaccine development
The Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI2) Joint Undertaking mobilised more than € 33 million to support Inno4vac, an innovative public-private partnership to accelerate vaccine R&D timelines. It will focus on the design and application of new and highly advanced predictive models to allow a faster development and manufacturing of novel vaccines.
July 29th, 2021

 

FDA [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
August 6, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: August 6, 2021

August 3, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: August 3, 2021
:: In mid-July, the FDA held a stakeholder call to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, including preliminary reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome following Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccination. Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. and the Director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. were featured speakers. The call can be found on the FDA’s YouTube pageExternal Link Disclaimer.

July 30, 2021 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: July 30, 2021
:: Today, the FDA revised the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together) to add an authorization of REGEN-COV for emergency use as post-exposure prophylaxis (prevention) for COVID-19 in adults and pediatric individuals (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms) who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
:: On Wednesday, the FDA authorized an extension for the shelf life of the refrigerated Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine, allowing the product to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for six months. This extension from four and a half months to six months was granted following a thorough review of data submitted by Janssen and applies to all refrigerated vials of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine that have been held in accordance with the manufacturer’s storage conditions. The concurrence letter can be read here.

 

Fondation Merieux [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.

 

Gavi [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.gavi.org/
News Releases
6 August 2021
China pledges US$ 100 million towards equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for lower-income countries
[See COVID above for detail]

5 August 2021
First doses donated by Spain through COVAX arrive to Peru, Guatemala, Paraguay and Nicaragua

4 August 2021
New financing agreement boost for malaria vaccine

30 July 2021
First Swedish doses delivered through COVAX

30 July 2021
First deliveries of Norway-donated COVID-19 vaccines to COVAX

26 July 2021
COVAX and World Bank to Accelerate Vaccine Access for Developing Countries

 

GHIT Fund [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 212 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that
No new digest content identified.

 

Global Fund [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
No new digest content identified.

 

Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness [GloPID-R] [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.glopid-r.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Hilleman Laboratories [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
Website reports “under maintenance” at inquiry

 

Human Vaccines Project [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/
News
News webpage not responding at inquiry

 

IAVI [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
Latest News
FEATURES
August 3, 2021
Europe-Africa research partnership launches HIV vaccine clinical trial in three African countries
Vaccine candidate targets vulnerabilities common across many HIV-1 variants.
The first volunteers have been vaccinated in Lusaka, Zambia, in a Phase I HIV vaccine trial led by a consortium of researchers in Africa and Europe. The trial, known as HIV-CORE 006, will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of an HIV vaccine candidate known as HIVconsvX. This novel vaccine construct comprises three immunogens that target vulnerable regions common across most HIV variants. Studies using an earlier version of HIVconsvX showed that the most vulnerable parts of HIV neglected by the immune system during natural infection can induce robust immune responses1.
HIV-CORE 006 builds on extensive research expertise, infrastructure, and community engagement programs within IAVI’s network of Africa clinical research center (CRC) partners. The following CRCs are GREAT consortium members and will participate in HIV-CORE 006:
Uganda: MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Kenya: KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research; KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme
Zambia: Center for Family Health Research Zambia
The trial is sponsored by the Globally Relevant AIDS Vaccine Europe-Africa Trials Partnership (GREAT)2 consortium and is supported by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), with co-funding from IAVI and Oxford University…

 

 

International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities [ICMRA]
http://www.icmra.info/drupal/en/news
Selected Statements, Press Releases, Research
Supply Chain Integrity
Recommendations on common technical denominators for track and trace systems to allow for interoperability
August 6, 2021
The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) published recommendations to facilitate the use of track and trace systems at global level. The paper identifies common technical denominators that allow different systems to exchange and use the available information on medicines and their supply chains in order to protect public health.
In this paper, international regulators emphasise that the interoperability of track and trace systems helps to protect public health by improving information sharing in case of quality defects, reducing shortages, contributing to the fight against falsified medicines and supporting pharmacovigilance activities. A common understanding of these potential benefits of interoperability is fundamental to promoting global planning and implementation of interoperable systems for medicines.
The ICMRA paper was open for public consultation from November 2020 to February 2021. The extensive and helpful feedback was carefully analysed and reviewed in order to refine and finalise the recommendations on common technical denominators for track and trace systems. More details on the comments received and the ICMRA analysis of these comments is available in a separate document.
Recommendations on common technical denominators for track and trace systems to allow for interoperability
Overview of responses to public consultation on track and trace recommendations

 

ICRC [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases, Statements, Reports
Health Situation in Yemen
Most of the population lack access to health care due to the destruction of the health facilities in their areas or due to lack of financial resources.
05-08-2021 | Article

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

IFRC [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Europe, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
IFRC: Delta variant a huge threat in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia
Budapest/Geneva, 6 August 2021 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling for more assistance and for vaccinations to be stepped up in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, where rising COVID-19 …
6 August 2021

Algeria, Libya, Middle East and North Africa, Morocco, Tunisia
IFRC: Inclusive vaccination and protection measures urgently needed to stop the new pandemic waves in North Africa
Beirut, 02 August 2021 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the Middle East and North Africa, is concerned that the increasing COVID-19 transmissions in the region could spark a domino effect with catastrophi …
2 August 2021

 

Institut Pasteur [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area
Press Documents
No new digest content identified.

 

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases
News
No new digest content identified.

 

IVAC [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates; Events
No new digest content identified.

 

IVI [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News, Announcements, Events
THECA consortium begins Vi-TT typhoid conjugate vaccine phase IV effectiveness study in Ghana
July 26, 2021

 

JEE Alliance [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/news/center-news/
Center News
New Addendum 2021 Report: COVID-19 Planning Guide and Self-Assessment Toolkit for Higher Education
July 30, 2021

 

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Central American Migration
COVID-19 forces thousands of migrants to cross perilous jungle from Colombia to Panama in search of saf…
Project Update 5 Aug 2021

 

 

Public health partnership launched to tackle silent epidemic of hepatitis C
Press Release 27 Jul 2021

 

National Academy of Medicine – USA [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://nam.edu/programs/
Selected News/Programs
Expert Papers from the NAM Identify Lessons Learned and Compelling Needs for Quality, Safety, and Standards Organizations and Biomedical Research after COVID-19
July 26, 2021
In response to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the American health system, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has convened experts in 9 sectors of health, health care, and biomedical research to review how each sector responded to COVID-19, identify challenges encountered in combating the pandemic, and outline what opportunities exist to reinforce, revitalize, and transform the health system. These insights are being released as 9 NAM Perspectives discussion papers between April and August of 2021, and then bundled into a NAM Special Publication titled Emerging Stronger After COVID-19: Priorities for Health System Transformation, scheduled to be released in Fall 2021…
[See COVID above for example]

 

National Academy of Sciences – USA [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.hhs.gov/vaccines/about/index.html
Upcoming Meetings/Latest Updates
No new digest content identified.

 

NIH [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
News Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

PATH [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Press Releases
PATH welcomes landmark financing agreement for GSK’s malaria vaccine
Seattle, WA, August 4, 2021 — PATH congratulates Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, GSK, and MedAccess for joining forces to help ensure an ongoing supply of the first malaria vaccine, GSK’s RTS,S/AS01E. This is another important step toward ensuring access to the vaccine for every child that could benefit from it.
PATH has collaborated in the development of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine since 2001, first with GSK to advance the vaccine through Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in Africa, and, since 2017, with GSK and the World Health Organization (WHO) to support pilot implementation of the vaccine in areas of Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. At the same time, PATH continues efforts to accelerate development of next-generation vaccines and biologics, working with a wide range of academic, business, and governmental organizations.
“It is very encouraging to see leaders in the global health community step up to help ensure access to the RTS,S vaccine,” says Carla Botting, Director of Malaria Market Access and Strategy at PATH. “GSK took a bold step when they agreed to donate millions of doses of vaccine for use in the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Program (MVIP). That donation is helping to make it possible to generate data for a potential WHO recommendation for wider use of the vaccine. Now, Gavi and MedAccess are helping to share the risk so that GSK can continue manufacturing the RTS,S antigen, which will help enable early access to the vaccine and the ability to vaccinate millions more children.”…

 

Sabin Vaccine Institute [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

UNAIDS [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
UNAIDS report shows that people living with HIV face a double jeopardy, HIV and COVID-19, while key populations and children continue to be left behind in access to HIV services
People living with HIV are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death, yet the vast majority are denied access to COVID-19 vaccines. Key populations and their sexual partners account for 65% of new HIV infections but are largely left out of both HIV and COVID-19 responses—800 000 children living with HIV are not on the treatment they need to keep them alive

GENEVA, 14 July 2021—The UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2021, launched today, highlights evidence that people living with HIV are more vulnerable to COVID-19, but that widening inequalities are preventing them from accessing COVID-19 vaccines and HIV services.

Studies from England and South Africa have found that the risk of dying from COVID-19 among people living with HIV was double that of the general population. In sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to two thirds (67%) of people living with HIV, less than 3% had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 2021. At the same time, HIV prevention and treatment services are eluding key populations, as well as children and adolescents.

COVID-19 vaccines could save millions of lives in the developing world but are being kept out of reach as rich countries and corporations hold on tightly to the monopoly of production and delivery of supplies for profit. This is having a severe impact around the world as health systems in developing countries become overwhelmed, such as in Uganda, where football stadiums are being turned into makeshift hospitals.

“Rich countries in Europe are preparing to enjoy the summer as their populations have easy access to COVID-19 vaccines, while the global South is in crisis,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We have failed to learn the lessons of HIV, when millions were denied life-saving medicines and died because of inequalities in access. This is totally unacceptable.”

The new UNAIDS report shows how COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictions have badly disrupted HIV testing—in many countries this has led to steep drops in HIV diagnoses, referrals to care services and HIV treatment initiations. In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, for example, there was a 48% drop in HIV testing after the first national lockdown was imposed in April 2020. There were also fewer new HIV diagnoses and a marked drop in treatment initiation. This occurred as 28 000 HIV community health-care workers were shifted from HIV testing to COVID-19 symptom screening.

The report, Confronting inequalities, shows that in 2020 the 1.5 million new HIV infections were predominantly among key populations and their sexual partners. People who inject drugs, transgender women, sex workers and gay men and other men who have sex with men, and the sexual partners of these key populations, accounted for 65% of HIV infections globally in 2020. Key populations accounted for 93% of new HIV infections outside of sub-Saharan Africa, and 35% within sub-Saharan Africa. However, they remain marginalized and largely out of reach of HIV services in most countries…

 

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/media-centre.htmlS
Selected News Releases, Announcements
UNHCR welcomes U.S. continued efforts to implement measures that protect refugees and asylum-seekers
29 Jul 2021

 

 

The 1951 Refugee Convention: 70 years of life-saving protection
28 Jul 2021

 

 

UNHCR urges states to protect refugees’ rights, not to instrumentalize their plight
27 Jul 2021

UNICEF [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Press Releases, News Notes, Statements [Selected]
Press release
08/02/2021
AVAT to partner with UNICEF in scaling up vaccine deliveries to African Union Member States

News note
07/27/2021
Geneva Palais briefing note on the current COVID-19-induced education crisis
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

Press release
07/26/2021
UNICEF signs supply agreement for Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

 

Unitaid [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
04 August 2021
Research begins into new digital tools to support patients and healthcare workers through tuberculosis treatment

27 July 2021
Unitaid paving the way for hepatitis C elimination

26 July 2021
Innovative agreement launches affordable, optimal second-line HIV treatment in low- and middle-income countries

Vaccine Equity Initiative [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://vaccineequitycooperative.org/news/
News
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccination Acceptance & Demand Initiative [Sabin) [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.vaccineacceptance.org/
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Confidence Project [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
News, Research and Reports
Coronavirus global impact
Launched April 2, 2020 and recurring every 3 days, Premise Data is utilizing its global network of Contributors to assess economic, social, and health sentiment surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19).

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
News
Vaccine Update for Providers
July 2021
New animation! How mRNA vaccines work 

 

Wellcome Trust [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News and reports
Q&A
Charlie Weller
Why do we need a new generation of Covid-19 vaccines?
4 August 2021
The first Covid-19 vaccines have been very effective, but there’s plenty of room for improvement, especially for dealing with new variants. Charlie Weller talks about the potential benefits of new generations of Covid-19 vaccines.

Explainer
How can the world adapt to Covid-19 in the long term?
28 July 2021
As the acute phase of the pandemic passes, Covid-19 will remain with us as an endemic disease – still around, but a manageable threat. What does this mean, and what must we do to stop it from erupting again?

 

The Wistar Institute [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

 

World Bank [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Selected News, Announcements
Africa announces the rollout of 400m vaccine doses to the African Union Member States and the Caribbean
ADDIS ABABA, 5 August, 2021 – His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and African Union (AU) COVID-19 Champion, is pleased to announce the start of monthly…
Date: August 05, 2021 Type: Press Release
[See COVID above for detail]

Gulf Economic Update: COVID-19 Pandemic and the Road to Diversification
In this issue of the Gulf Economic Update, the focus is on fiscal revenues and structural reforms including strategic investments in digitalization and telecommunications. Strategic investment in advanced…
Date: August 04, 2021 Type: Publication

World Bank Support to Bangladesh to Address Challenges Created by Influx of Displaced Rohingya Population (FAQs)
1. What is the World Bank’s position on the repatriation of the displaced Rohingya population? The World Bank is helping Bangladesh address the needs of the displaced Rohingya population until their…
Date: August 03, 2021 Type: Statement

World Bank Group Mobilizes Over $29 billion to Support Latin America and the Caribbean Region Respond to Pandemic
WASHINGTON, August 3, 2021—In response to COVID-19 severely damaging the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean countries, the World Bank Group deployed a record…
Date: August 02, 2021 Type: Press Release

Joint Statement of the Multilateral Leaders Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Diagnostics for Developing Countries following its Second Meeting
New Global Database to Enhance Transparency and Improve Delivery of COVID-19 Tools WASHINGTON, July 30, 2021 — The Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Developing Countries…
Date: July 30, 2021 Type: Statement
[See COVID above for detail]

COVAX and World Bank to Accelerate Vaccine Access for Developing Countries
New mechanism builds on Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) cost-sharing arrangement WASHINGTON, July 26, 2021 – COVAX and the World Bank will accelerate COVID-19 vaccine supply for developing…
Date: July 26, 2021 Type: Press Release

 

World Customs Organization – WCO [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.wcoomd.org/
Latest News – Selected Items
02 August 2021
WCO Secretary General addresses G20 Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Rome

 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2021/
Press Releases, Statements
Press Release
Urgent action needed to curb the spread of African swine fever in the Americas
30 July 2021

News
Global report indicates decreasing trend in antimicrobials intended for use in the animal sector
27 July 2021

 

WTO – World Trade Organisation [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
WTO News and Events
STDF Annual Report highlights efforts to boost SPS capacity despite pandemic challenges
2 August 2021
The latest annual report from the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), launched on 2 August, highlights the continued efforts by developing and least developed countries to strengthening their food safety, animal and plant health capacity despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IMF, World Bank, WHO, WTO launch joint vaccine information website
30 July 2021
The heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization launched a new website on 30 July which will serve as a platform for information on access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and on the activities of the organizations in tackling the pandemic.

WTO report: Full trade recovery at risk without equitable vaccine roll-out
29 July 2021
WTO economies from mid-October 2020 to mid-May 2021 exercised trade policy restraint and refrained from an acceleration of protectionism that would have further harmed a world economy reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Director-General’s mid-year report on trade-related developments presented to members on 29 July. The report calls on WTO members to ensure that markets remain open and predictable, and warns that failing to ensure wider access to COVID-19 vaccines could undermine the global economic and trade recovery.

 

 

::::::

 

ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine] [to 7 Aug 2021]
Press Releases – Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (alliancerm.org)
Selected Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 

BIO [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases, Letters, Testimony, Comments [Selected]
No new digest content identified.

 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News; Upcoming events
No new digest content identified.

 

ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://internationalbiotech.org/news/
News
ICBA Statement on WHO Recommendations on Human Genome Editing
Jul. 28 2021

 

IFPMA [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
R&D-based pharmaceutical industry’s innovative partnerships to meet urgent global supply needs
21 July 2021
IFPMA member companies are at the forefront of the global effort to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and scale up manufacturing to ensure equitable access to people around the world. In less than a year, several vaccines candidates have been approved or are in advanced Phase III clinical trials with encouraging results. An impressive and unprecedented manufacturing scale-up is also taking place. Most collaborations – if not all – involved some sort of licensing and transfer of technology, which would not be possible in the absence of a robust global IP system.

 

International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations – IAPO [to 7 Aug 2021]
https://www.iapo.org.uk/news/topic/6
Press and media [Selected]
No new digest content identified.

 

PhRMA [to 7 Aug 2021]
http://www.phrma.org/
Latest News [Selected]
Ensuring global vaccine equity requires eliminating trade and regulatory barriers
August 5, 2021
Trade barriers hamper the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing process and have direct consequences for global vaccine production and supply…
For example, tariffs and export restrictions on finished vaccines slow the global response to COVID-19 by limiting the ability of people in countries throughout the world to acquire life-saving vaccines. Tariffs and export restrictions on raw materials needed for the vaccine production also slow the global response to COVID-19 by disrupting vaccine manufacturing processes and undermining efforts to promote equitable global vaccine distribution.
The vaccine manufacturing process relies on a complex global network of suppliers that source the raw materials and equipment needed for vaccine production. One COVID-19 vaccine, for example, requires 280 components, relies on 86 suppliers in 19 different countries and utilizes three different manufacturing plants for production. Other industries also depend on many of these same raw materials and equipment, which means that vaccine manufacturers must compete for these essential supplies. The imposition of a tariff or export restriction on any one of these components impedes global vaccine production and distribution.
In addition to being dependent on a vast network of raw materials and equipment suppliers, the vaccine production process depends heavily on highly skilled technical workers, trained to execute specialized and critical functions across the vaccine manufacturing lifecycle. Currently, vaccines are being produced in approximately 70 countries, all of which are home to collaborative efforts to close the vaccine gap. A highly skilled workforce is required on the ground wherever vaccine production occurs, and governments should prioritize the movement of these necessary workers for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing.
These and other trade and regulatory barriers hamper the manufacturing process and have direct consequences for global vaccine production and supply. ..
Blog Pos

Setting the record straight: Addressing common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine
August 4, 2021
We all must do our part to keep our communities safe, and getting vaccinated is the best protection against COVID-19.
Blog Post

Increasing global access to vaccines by optimizing production
July 29, 2021
Companies have established an unprecedented number of new manufacturing partnerships, creating a global network to produce vaccines at unprecedented speed.
Blog Post

Journal Watch

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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

Lived experiences of frontline workers and leaders during COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care: A qualitative study

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American Journal of Infection Control
August 2021 Volume 49 Issue 8p973-1092
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current

 

Major Articles
Lived experiences of frontline workers and leaders during COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care: A qualitative study
Brandon Yau, Rohit Vijh, Jessica Prairie, Geoff McKee, Michael Schwandt
Published online: March 21, 2021

The role of mask mandates, stay at home orders and school closure in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic prior to vaccination

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American Journal of Infection Control
August 2021 Volume 49 Issue 8p973-1092
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current

 

The role of mask mandates, stay at home orders and school closure in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic prior to vaccination
Bhuma Krishnamachari, Alexander Morris, Diane Zastrow, Andrew Dsida, Brian Harper, Anthony J. Santella
Published online: February 09, 2021
p1036-1042

When Dying Really Counts

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American Journal of Public Health
July 2021 111(52)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

 

Supplement 2 2021
When Dying Really Counts
This new fully Open Access supplement issue looks at the urgent need to improve the quality of mortality data and routine surveillance in the context of COVID-19 and beyond. Consequences of inaccuracies in mortality data threaten the mission of public health, while challenges facing the professions of those who encounter and study death are facing unprecedented pressures

Rebooting consent in the digital age: a governance framework for health data exchange

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BMJ Global Health
August 2021 – Volume 6 – Suppl 5
https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/Suppl_5

 

Digital Innovations for Community and Primary Health in India
Analysis
Rebooting consent in the digital age: a governance framework for health data exchange (22 July, 2021)
Nivedita Saksena, Rahul Matthan, Anant Bhan, Satchit Balsari
Abstract
In August 2020, India announced its vision for the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), a federated national digital health exchange where digitised data generated by healthcare providers will be exported via application programme interfaces to the patient’s electronic personal health record. The NDHM architecture is initially expected to be a claims platform for the national health insurance programme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ that serves 500 million people. Such large-scale digitisation and mobility of health data will have significant ramifications on care delivery, population health planning, as well as on the rights and privacy of individuals. Traditional mechanisms that seek to protect individual autonomy through patient consent will be inadequate in a digitised ecosystem where processed data can travel near instantaneously across various nodes in the system and be combined, aggregated, or even re-identified. In this paper we explore the limitations of ‘informed’ consent that is sought either when data are collected or when they are ported across the system. We examine the merits and limitations of proposed alternatives like the fiduciary framework that imposes accountability on those that use the data; privacy by design principles that rely on technological safeguards against abuse; or regulations. Our recommendations combine complementary approaches in light of the evolving jurisprudence in India and provide a generalisable framework for health data exchange that balances individual rights with advances in data science.

Quantifying Covid19-vaccine location strategies for Germany

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BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Quantifying Covid19-vaccine location strategies for Germany
Vaccines are an important tool to limit the health and economic damage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Several vaccine candidates already provided promising effectiveness data, but it is crucial for an effective vac…
Authors: Neele Leithäuser, Johanna Schneider, Sebastian Johann, Sven O. Krumke, Eva Schmidt, Manuel Streicher and Stefan Scholz
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2021 21:780
Content type: Research
Published on: 7 August 2021

Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Egyptian healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

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BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Egyptian healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy in general and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in particular. Understanding the factors driving the uncertainty regarding …
Authors: Rehab H. El-Sokkary, Omnia S. El Seifi, Hebatallah M. Hassan, Eman M. Mortada, Maiada K. Hashem, Mohamed Rabie Mohamed Ali Gadelrab and Rehab M. Elsaid Tash
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2021 21:762
Content type: Research
Published on: 5 August 2021

School-based surveillance of acute infectious disease in children: a systematic review

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BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

School-based surveillance of acute infectious disease in children: a systematic review
Syndromic surveillance systems are an essential component of public health surveillance and can provide timely detection of infectious disease cases and outbreaks. Whilst surveillance systems are generally emb…
Authors: A. L. Donaldson, J. L. Hardstaff, J. P. Harris, R. Vivancos and S. J. O’Brien
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2021 21:744
Content type: Research article
Published on: 3 August 2021

School-based surveillance of acute infectious disease in children: a systematic review

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BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

School-based surveillance of acute infectious disease in children: a systematic review
Syndromic surveillance systems are an essential component of public health surveillance and can provide timely detection of infectious disease cases and outbreaks. Whilst surveillance systems are generally emb…
Authors: A. L. Donaldson, J. L. Hardstaff, J. P. Harris, R. Vivancos and S. J. O’Brien
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2021 21:744
Content type: Research article
Published on: 3 August 2021

Personalized and long-term electronic informed consent in clinical research: stakeholder views

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BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Personalized and long-term electronic informed consent in clinical research: stakeholder views
The landscape of clinical research has evolved over the past decade. With technological advances, the practice of using electronic informed consent (eIC) has emerged. However, a number of challenges hinder the…
Authors: Evelien De Sutter, Pascal Borry, David Geerts and Isabelle Huys
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:108
Content type: Research
Published on: 31 July 2021

Motivation to participate and experiences of the informed consent process for randomized clinical trials in emergency obstetric care in Uganda

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BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Motivation to participate and experiences of the informed consent process for randomized clinical trials in emergency obstetric care in Uganda
Informed consent, whose goal is to assure that participants enter research voluntarily after disclosure of potential risks and benefits, may be impossible or impractical in emergency research. In low resource …
Authors: Dan Kabonge Kaye
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:104
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 July 2021

A scoping review of considerations and practices for benefit sharing in biobanking

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BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

A scoping review of considerations and practices for benefit sharing in biobanking
Despite the rapid global growth of biobanking over the last few decades, and their potential for the advancement of health research, considerations specific to the sharing of benefits that accrue from biobanks…
Authors: Allan Sudoi, Jantina De Vries and Dorcas Kamuya
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics 2021 22:102
Content type: Research
Published on: 27 July 2021

Evaluation of the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines: a rapid review

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BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Evaluation of the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines: a rapid review
The rapid process of research and development and lack of follow-up time post-vaccination aroused great public concern about the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. To provide comprehensive overview…
Authors: Qianhui Wu, Matthew Z. Dudley, Xinghui Chen, Xufang Bai, Kaige Dong, Tingyu Zhuang, Daniel Salmon and Hongjie Yu
Citation: BMC Medicine 2021 19:173
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 July 2021

Onset of effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 infection rates in 176 countries

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Onset of effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 infection rates in 176 countries
During the initial phase of the global COVID-19 outbreak, most countries responded with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). In this study we investigate the general effectiveness of these NPIs, how long d…
Authors: Ingo W. Nader, Elisabeth L. Zeilinger, Dana Jomar and Clemens Zauchner
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:1472
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 July 2021

Sexual behaviour, human papillomavirus and its vaccine: a qualitative study of adolescents and parents in Andalusia

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Sexual behaviour, human papillomavirus and its vaccine: a qualitative study of adolescents and parents in Andalusia
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and can be prevented by vaccination. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding, by analysing interview res…
Authors: María González-Cano, Francisco Garrido-Peña, Eugenia Gil-Garcia, Marta Lima-Serrano and María Dolores Cano-Caballero
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:1476
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 July 2021

Factors influencing childhood immunisation uptake in Africa: a systematic review

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Factors influencing childhood immunisation uptake in Africa: a systematic review
Vaccine preventable diseases are still the most common cause of childhood mortality, with an estimated 3 million deaths every year, mainly in Africa and Asia. An estimate of 29% deaths among children aged 1–59…
Authors: Abubakar Nasiru Galadima, Nor Afiah Mohd Zulkefli, Salmiah Md Said and Norliza Ahmad
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:1475
Content type: Research article
Published on: 28 July 2021

An evidence map of randomised controlled trials evaluating genetic therapies

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BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
August 2021 – Volume 26 – 4
https://ebm.bmj.com/content/26/4

 

Evidence synthesis
An evidence map of randomised controlled trials evaluating genetic therapies (10 November, 2020)
Genetic therapies replace or inactivate disease-causing genes or introduce new or modified genes. These therapies have the potential to cure in a single application rather than treating symptoms through repeated administrations. This evidence map provides a broad overview of the genetic therapies that have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for efficacy and safety.
Eric A. Apaydin, Andrea S. Richardson, Sangita Baxi, Jerry Vockley, Olamigoke Akinniranye, Rachel Ross, Jody Larkin, Aneesa Motala, Gulrez Azhar, Susanne Hempel

Original research: Correlates of intended COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across time and countries: results from a series of cross-sectional surveys

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BMJ Open
August 2021 – Volume 11 – 8
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8

 

Original research: Correlates of intended COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across time and countries: results from a series of cross-sectional surveys (2 August, 2021)
John R Kerr, Claudia R Schneider, Gabriel Recchia, Sarah Dryhurst, Ullrika Sahlin, Carole Dufouil, Pierre Arwidson, Alexandra LJ Freeman, Sander van der Linden

Collaborative Platform Trials to Fight COVID-19: Methodological and Regulatory Considerations for a Better Societal Outcome

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Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 110, Issue 2 Pages: 263-518 August 2021
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15326535/current

 

Reviews
Free Access
Collaborative Platform Trials to Fight COVID-19: Methodological and Regulatory Considerations for a Better Societal Outcome
Olivier Collignon, Carl-Fredrik Burman, Martin Posch, Anja Schiel
Pages: 311-320
First Published:28 January 2021
Abstract
For the development of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) drugs during the ongoing pandemic, speed is of essence whereas quality of evidence is of paramount importance. Although thousands of COVID-19 trials were rapidly started, many are unlikely to provide robust statistical evidence and meet regulatory standards (e.g., because of lack of randomization or insufficient power). This has led to an inefficient use of time and resources. With more coordination, the sheer number of patients in these trials might have generated convincing data for several investigational treatments. Collaborative platform trials, comparing several drugs to a shared control arm, are an attractive solution. Those trials can utilize a variety of adaptive design features in order to accelerate the finding of life-saving treatments. In this paper, we discuss several possible designs, illustrate them via simulations, and also discuss challenges, such as the heterogeneity of the target population, time-varying standard of care, and the potentially high number of false hypothesis rejections in phase II and phase III trials. We provide corresponding regulatory perspectives on approval and reimbursement, and note that the optimal design of a platform trial will differ with our societal objective and by stakeholder. Hasty approvals may delay the development of better alternatives, whereas searching relentlessly for the single most efficacious treatment may indirectly diminish the number of lives saved as time is lost. We point out the need for incentivizing developers to participate in collaborative evidence-generation initiatives when a positive return on investment is not met.

Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination in transplant recipients

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Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
August 2021 – Volume 34 – Issue 4
https://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/pages/currenttoc.aspx

 

INFECTIONS OF THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HOST
Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination in transplant recipients
Eberhardt, Christiane S.; Balletto, Elisa; Cornberg, Markus; More
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 34(4):275-287, August 2021.

Supplement: E-Mental-Health: Exploring the Evidence Base and Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Internet-Based Interventions for the Prevention of Mental Health Conditions

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The European Journal of Public Health
SUPPLEMENT – Volume 31, Issue Supplement_1, July 2021
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/31/Supplement_1

 

Supplement: E-Mental-Health: Exploring the Evidence Base and Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Internet-Based Interventions for the Prevention of Mental Health Conditions
Mental illness represents an enormous personal, social and societal burden for European citizens1 calling for the need to expand existing models of mental healthcare delivery. In Europe, the Internet is a key source of health information,2 and technology-enhanced (psychological) interventions such as Internet- and mobile-delivered applications (‘eHealth’3 and ‘m-Health’4) have become increasingly popular and studied. There is already strong evidence of the efficacy of online interventions for the prevention and treatment of several psychological disorders5,6 and meta-analyses show effect sizes similar to face-to-face interventions.7

Looking in the medicine cabinet: methods for using real-world data to assess the impact of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and recombinant adjuvanted varicella-zoster vaccines on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and case fatality

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Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 7 Aug 2021]

 

Method Article metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
Looking in the medicine cabinet: methods for using real-world data to assess the impact of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and recombinant adjuvanted varicella-zoster vaccines on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and case fatality [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Douglas McNair, Hao Hu, Casey Selwyn
Peer Reviewers Invited
PUBLISHED 30 Jul 2021

How modelling can help steer the course set by the World Health Organization 2021-2030 roadmap on neglected tropical diseases

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Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 7 Aug 2021]

 

Open Letter metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
How modelling can help steer the course set by the World Health Organization 2021-2030 roadmap on neglected tropical diseases [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Jessica Clark, Wilma A. Stolk, María-Gloria Basáñez, Luc E. Coffeng, Zulma M. Cucunubá, Matthew A. Dixon, Louise Dyson, Katie Hampson, Michael Marks, Graham F. Medley, Timothy M. Pollington, Joaquin M. Prada, Kat S. Rock, Henrik Salje, Jaspreet Toor, T. Déirdre Hollingsworth
Peer Reviewers Invited
Funders
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2) programme
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis
UK Department for International Development
UK Medical Research Council
PUBLISHED 27 Jul 2021

Politics and pandemics

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Global Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 8-9 (2021)
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

 

Politics and pandemics
This Special Issue of Global Public Health on Politics & Pandemics brings together 26 articles and commentaries that address diverse aspects of the politics of COVID-19 and related issues. These papers are grouped together in six topical areas: theories and politics of global health, health systems and policies, country responses, social inequalities, social responses, and the politics of science and technology. The goal of the Special Issue is to give readers a sense of the range of topics that have been a focus for research in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide diverse examples of how research and analysis on the political dimensions of the pandemic can contribute to confronting the COVID-19 crisis.

Global justice and the COVID-19 vaccine: Limitations of the public goods framework

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Global Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 8-9 (2021)
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

 

Article
Global justice and the COVID-19 vaccine: Limitations of the public goods framework
Nivedita Saksena
Pages: 1512-1521
Published online: 25 Mar 2021
ABSTRACT
As vaccines for COVID-19 were first being approved for use, there were widespread calls for it to be assigned a ‘global public good’. However, allocating the COVID-19 vaccine globally poses a novel challenge of redistribution, one that cannot be effectively undertaken using current mechanisms for the dispensation of aid. An examination of the origins and implicit logic of global public goods theory shows that it would not be effective as a framework in this context. I argue that while it is a useful rhetorical tool to underscore the need for global access, it fails to account for concerns arising out of structural inequities between countries in the Global South and North. In addition to being ill-defined, the phrase encodes a neoliberal logic – one that prioritises the protection of private capital over democratic claims of redistribution and social justice. To ensure global access, our attention must be focussed instead on explicitly accounting for inequities, securing access for countries in the Global South and addressing the norm-setting powers of pharmaceutical companies.

Global infectious disease research collaborations in crises: building capacity and inclusivity through cooperation

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Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 7 Aug 2021]

 

Global infectious disease research collaborations in crises: building capacity and inclusivity through cooperation
The initial research requirements in pandemics are predictable. But how is it possible to study a disease that is so quickly spreading and to rapidly use that research to inform control and treatment?
Authors: Jonathon P. Fanning, Srinivas Murthy, Nchafatso G. Obonyo, J. Kenneth Baillie, Steve Webb, Heidi J. Dalton and John F. Fraser
Citation: Globalization and Health 2021 17:84
Content type: Commentary
Published on: 26 July 2021

July 2021 | Borders, Immigrants & Health

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Health Affairs
Vol. 40, No. 7 July 2021
https://www.healthaffairs.org/toc/hlthaff/current

 

July 2021 | Borders, Immigrants & Health
About one in seven residents of the US is an immigrant, and about fifteen million people live within 100 kilometers of the US-Mexico border. Disparities in health status exist between people born in the US and those who have immigrated. Immigration policy has been contentious throughout US history, and current policies in the US and Mexico have significant effects on the health and well-being of tens of millions of people. This thematic issue of Health Affairs focuses on immigrants and borders. The overview article by Arturo Vargas Bustamante and coauthors describes a range of health policy issues raised by the continuously shifting demography of US immigrants.

Localisation and local humanitarian action

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Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 79, May 2021
https://odihpn.org/magazine/inclusion-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-humanitarian-action-what-now/

 

Localisation and local humanitarian action
by HPN October 2020
The theme of this edition of Humanitarian Exchange is localisation+ and local humanitarian action. Five years ago this week, donors, United Nations (UN) agencies,  non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) committed within the Grand Bargain to increase multi-year investments in the institutional capacities of local and national responders, and to provide at least 25% of humanitarian funding to them as directly as possible. Since then, there is increasing consensus at policy and normative level, underscored by the Covid-19 pandemic, that local leadership should be supported.  Localisation has gone from a fringe conversation among policy-makers and aid agencies in 2016 to a formal priority under the Grand Bargain. Wider global movements on anti-racism and decolonisation have also brought new momentum to critical reflections on where power, knowledge and capacity reside in the humanitarian system. Yet progress has been slow and major gaps remain between the rhetoric around humanitarian partnerships, funding and coordination and practices on the ground.

Potential Benefits of Expanded COVID-19 Surveillance in the US

Posted on by

JAMA
August 3, 2021, Vol 326, No. 5, Pages 373-450
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
Potential Benefits of Expanded COVID-19 Surveillance in the US
David R. Holtgrave, PhD; Sten H. Vermund, MD, PhD; Leana S. Wen, MD, MSc
free access
JAMA. 2021;326(5):381-382. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.11211
This Viewpoint proposes several important areas of surveillance expansion by US public health agencies and other institutions for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, infection, and mortality rates.

Overview of the Issue

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Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU)
Volume 32, Number 2, May 2021 Supplement
https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/44396

 

Table of Contents
Overview of the Issue
Kevin B. Johnson, Tiffani J. Bright, Cheryl R. Clark
…The importance of techquity—defined as the strategic development and deployment of technology in health care and health to advance health equity—was even more apparent after the events of 2020. COVID-19 upended access to care and illuminated the impact of structural racism as a cause for a widening gap of access during the pandemic. Black Lives Matter became more than a trending hashtag on Twitter, or a movement resulting in peaceful protests and calls for policy reform: it put additional focus on the issue of race as a social and not a biological construct and called into question the rationale for common practices in health care that were triggered by race. A notable example was the emerging realization that kidney function assessment was tied to race and hardwired into many of our electronic health records. The real-world evidence around our lack of techquity was incontrovertible.
This Supplemental Issue of JHCPU provides articles that describe challenges to techquity, frameworks to improve the role of technology in care, and examples of how technology can transform health, public health, and health care…

Articles of Significant Interest In This Issue

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Journal of Virology
Volume 95 Number 16 July 2021
http://jvi.asm.org/content/current

 

Spotlight
Articles of Significant Interest In This Issue
Poxviruses are exceptional in having a multicomponent entry-fusion complex (EFC) that is comprised of eleven conserved proteins embedded in the membrane of mature virions. Schin et al. (e00852-21) adapted the tripartite split green fluorescent protein complementation system to determine individual EFC protein contacts by proximity analysis within living cells. Previous EFC protein interactions were confirmed and new ones discovered and corroborated by additional methods. Most remarkable was the finding that the small, hydrophobic O3 protein interacted with each of the other EFC proteins, suggesting that multiple copies stabilize the complex within the viral membrane

Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

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The Lancet
Aug 07, 2021 Volume 398 Number 10299 p465-558, e9
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Articles
Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1
GBD 2020, Release 1, Vaccine Coverage Collaborators
Open Access
Summary
Background
Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time.
Methods
For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dose-specific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in country-reported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development.
Findings
By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81·6% [95% uncertainty interval 80·4–82·7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39·9% [37·5–42·1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38·5% [35·4–41·3] in 1980 to 83·6% [82·3–84·8] in 2019). Third-dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42·6% (41·4–44·1) in 1980 to 79·8% (78·4–81·1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56·8 million (52·6–60·9) to 14·5 million (13·4–15·9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019.
Interpretation
After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines.
Funding
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Estimating global and regional disruptions to routine childhood vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: a modelling study

Posted on by

The Lancet
Aug 07, 2021 Volume 398 Number 10299 p465-558, e9
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Estimating global and regional disruptions to routine childhood vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: a modelling study
Kate Causey, et al
Open Access
Summary
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission substantially affected health services worldwide. To better understand the impact of the pandemic on childhood routine immunisation, we estimated disruptions in vaccine coverage associated with the pandemic in 2020, globally and by Global Burden of Disease (GBD) super-region.
Methods
For this analysis we used a two-step hierarchical random spline modelling approach to estimate global and regional disruptions to routine immunisation using administrative data and reports from electronic immunisation systems, with mobility data as a model input. Paired with estimates of vaccine coverage expected in the absence of COVID-19, which were derived from vaccine coverage models from GBD 2020, Release 1 (GBD 2020 R1), we estimated the number of children who missed routinely delivered doses of the third-dose diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine and first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) in 2020.
Findings
Globally, in 2020, estimated vaccine coverage was 76·7% (95% uncertainty interval 74·3–78·6) for DTP3 and 78·9% (74·8–81·9) for MCV1, representing relative reductions of 7·7% (6·0–10·1) for DTP3 and 7·9% (5·2–11·7) for MCV1, compared to expected doses delivered in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to December, 2020, we estimated that 30·0 million (27·6–33·1) children missed doses of DTP3 and 27·2 million (23·4–32·5) children missed MCV1 doses. Compared to expected gaps in coverage for eligible children in 2020, these estimates represented an additional 8·5 million (6·5–11·6) children not routinely vaccinated with DTP3 and an additional 8·9 million (5·7–13·7) children not routinely vaccinated with MCV1 attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, monthly disruptions were highest in April, 2020, across all GBD super-regions, with 4·6 million (4·0–5·4) children missing doses of DTP3 and 4·4 million (3·7–5·2) children missing doses of MCV1. Every GBD super-region saw reductions in vaccine coverage in March and April, with the most severe annual impacts in north Africa and the Middle East, south Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. We estimated the lowest annual reductions in vaccine delivery in sub-Saharan Africa, where disruptions remained minimal throughout the year. For some super-regions, including southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania for both DTP3 and MCV1, the high-income super-region for DTP3, and south Asia for MCV1, estimates suggest that monthly doses were delivered at or above expected levels during the second half of 2020.
Interpretation
Routine immunisation services faced stark challenges in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing the most widespread and largest global disruption in recent history. Although the latest coverage trajectories point towards recovery in some regions, a combination of lagging catch-up immunisation services, continued SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and persistent gaps in vaccine coverage before the pandemic still left millions of children under-vaccinated or unvaccinated against preventable diseases at the end of 2020, and these gaps are likely to extend throughout 2021. Strengthening routine immunisation data systems and efforts to target resources and outreach will be essential to minimise the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, reach children who missed routine vaccine doses during the pandemic, and accelerate progress towards higher and more equitable vaccination coverage over the next decade.
Funding
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Patient Portal Reminders for Pediatric Influenza Vaccinations: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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Pediatrics
August 01, 2021; Volume 148,Issue 2
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/

 

Articles
Patient Portal Reminders for Pediatric Influenza Vaccinations: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Carlos Lerner, Christina Albertin, Alejandra Casillas, O. Kenrik Duru, Michael K. Ong, Sitaram Vangala, Sharon Humiston, Sharon Evans, Michael Sloyan, Craig R. Fox, Jonathan E. Bogard, Sarah Friedman, Peter G. Szilagyi
Pediatrics, Aug 2021, 148 (2) e2020048413

Educating the future generation of researchers: A cross-disciplinary survey of trends in analysis methods

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PLoS Biology
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Educating the future generation of researchers: A cross-disciplinary survey of trends in analysis methods
Taylor Bolt, Jason S. Nomi, Danilo Bzdok, Lucina Q. Uddin
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Levels of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coverage and indirect protection against invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia hospitalisations in Australia: An observational study

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PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 7 Aug 2021)

 

Levels of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coverage and indirect protection against invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia hospitalisations in Australia: An observational study
Jocelyn Chan, Heather F. Gidding, Christopher C. Blyth, Parveen Fathima, Sanjay Jayasinghe, Peter B. McIntyre, Hannah C. Moore, Kim Mulholland, Cattram D. Nguyen, Ross Andrews, Fiona M. Russell
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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003733