Announcements

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Announcements
 
 
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group    [to 23 May 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
News
News from The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group: May 2020
May 20, 2020
Highlights include an important message for our research community, a face mask that detects coronavirus, our new video series #ScienceMatters, and more.
 
 
BARDA   [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/default.aspx
BARDA News​​
May 21, 2020: Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed Accelerates AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine to be Available Beginning in October
 
 
May 19, 2020: HHS, Industry Partners Expand U.S.-Based Pharmaceutical Manufacturing for COVID-19 Response
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
MAY 21, 2020
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Appoints Three New Members to Executive Leadership Team
SEATTLE, May 21, 2020 – Today the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation named three new members to its Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Ankur Vora will become Chief Strategy Officer, Gargee Ghosh will become President, Global Policy & Advocacy, and Susan Byrnes will become Chief Communications Officer. Each will assume their new roles effective June 1, 2020.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 23 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
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CARB-X   [to 23 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.
05.18.2020
CARB-X funds Facile Therapeutics to develop a new treatment to prevent recurring C. difficile bacterial infections
CARB-X is awarding Facile Therapeutics, based in Belmont, California, USA, up to $1.26 million to develop a new orally bioavailable drug to treat recurring infections caused by Clostridium difficile. Facile could receive up to $17 million more in additional funding from CARB-X if the project achieves certain development milestones, for a potential total of $18.26 million.
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 23 May 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)  [to 23 May 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 23 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
18 May 2020
World HIV Vaccine Day 2020
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
[Undated]
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
Press release: Global regulators commit to cooperate on observational research in the context of COVID-19
Last updated: 20/05/2020
News: Global regulators work towards alignment on policy approaches and regulatory flexibility during COVID-19 – update #2
Last updated: 18/05/2020
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
Latest News
No new digest content identified.
 
 
FDA [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
May 22, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 22, 2020
May 21, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 21, 2020
May 21, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Provides Promised Transparency for Antibody Tests
May 20, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 20, 2020
May 19, 2020 – USDA, FDA Strengthen U.S. Food Supply Chain Protections
May 19, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 19, 2020
May 19, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Collaborations Promote Rigorous Analyses of Real-World Data to Inform Pandemic Response

Today, we are announcing another step in our effort to harness diverse streams of data to understand and respond to COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has entered into an agreement with Aetion to collaborate on advanced analytical techniques to answer urgent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) research questions. The FDA and Aetion aim to answer questions about the use of diagnostics and medications in the pandemic, and risk factors for COVID-19-related complications in different patient populations. We believe that this work has the potential to contribute to the scientific evaluation of potential diagnostics and interventions for COVID-19…
May 18, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup May 18, 2020
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Gavi [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
News releases
Virtual Conference
4 June 2020
The UK government will host Gavi’s third donor pledging conference to mobilise at least US$ 7.4 billion in additional resources to protect the next generation with vaccines, reduce disease inequality and create a healthier, safer and more prosperous world.
22 May 2020
At least 80 million children at risk of disease as COVID-19 disrupts vaccination efforts, warn Gavi, WHO and UNICEF
[See Milestones above]
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 23 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 23 May 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
Sourcing & Management of Health Products
Voices
During COVID-19, HIV Medication in Ukraine Arrives by Post
19 May 2020
Video
Building Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health
19 May 2020
Updates
Resources for Community-Based Monitoring
18 May 2020
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 23 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 23 May 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
Africa, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
East Africa: Red Cross raises the alarm over a “triple menace” of floods, COVID-19 and locusts
Nairobi/Geneva, 20 May 2020—A series of mutually exacerbating disasters is unfolding in East Africa, on a scale rarely seen in decades, warned the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Ongoing heavy rain—which has kil …
20 May 2020
 
 
IVAC  [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
IVI to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa with support from Sweden
  IVI will leverage its network of infectious disease surveillance sites to conduct epidemiological studies of COVID-19 in Madagascar and Burkina Faso
   Sida’s contribution will significantly build in-country capacity to proactively respond to the pandemic
May 21, 2020 – SEOUL, South Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced today that the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has contributed an additional 6,200,000 SEK (approx. 630,000 USD) to IVI to support national responses to COVID-19 in Madagascar and Burkina Faso…
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Nigeria
MSF statement on inquiry in Borno, Nigeria
Statement 22 May 2020
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has taken note of the first public communication from the Committee set up by the Governor of Borno state, Nigeria, regarding the inquiry into the COVID-19 index case…
 
 
Yemen
Catastrophe unfolding in Aden’s only COVID-19 treatment centre
Press Release 21 May 2020
 
 
South Sudan
Renewed violence in Pieri kills and wounds dozens, including MSF staff
Press Release 19 May 2020
 
 
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
MSF opens a COVID-19 treatment centre in Haiti
Project Update 18 May 2020
 
 
Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
Five things we can do to protect people on the move during COVID-19
Project Update 18 May 2020
 
 
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS  [to 23 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 23 May 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
Peer-reviewed data shows remdesivir for COVID-19 improves time to recovery
May 22, 2020 — Preliminary results from NIH clinical trial published.
NIH-funded study to investigate pregnancy outcomes resulting from COVID-19 pandemic
May 19, 2020 — Researchers to evaluate medical records of 21,000 pregnant women
NIH Director: Defeating COVID-19 requires unprecedented action and collaboration
May 18, 2020 — ever has a public-private biomedical research effort of this scope and scale come together with such speed and determination. Viewpoint published today in JAMA
[See Milestones above for detail]
 
 
PATH  [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
PATH and partners coordinate COVID-19 global respiratory care response
Seattle, WA, May 20, 2020 – PATH and a coalition of partners will support low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the development and execution of a comprehensive respiratory care plan to respond to COVID-19. The initiative will also pursue strategies to help prioritize and improve access to oxygen therapy and other essential equipment involved in respiratory care as an integral part of health systems strengthening, beyond the pandemic response.
Studies have shown that approximately 41 percent of confirmed COVID-19 patients—and in severe cases, more than 60 percent—received oxygen therapy to support breathing. In many health facilities across LMICs, oxygen therapy—including diagnosis, generation, and delivery equipment—is not reliably available, and, without careful planning and coordination, the rapid deployment of COVID-19 resources can quickly overwhelm existing health care systems.
A primary goal of the initiative is to coordinate tools, resources, and capabilities to ensure that those who need respiratory care due to COVID-19, or beyond, receive it. Immediate steps in that strategy will include supporting rapid respiratory care capacity assessments, supplier landscaping and outreach, global respiratory care response coordination, and informed decision-making on procurement and use of respiratory care products…
 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
22 May 2020
UNAIDS and civil society helping stranded people living with HIV
21 May 2020
Mapping community responses to COVID-19 and HIV in eastern Europe and central Asia
21 May 2020
Communities strengthening the AIDS response in Nepal
20 May 2020
Kenyan sex workers abandoned and vulnerable during COVID-19
19 May 2020
The high possible cost of COVID-19 on new HIV infections among children
19 May 2020
Gender-based violence and COVID-19—“When we are silent, we allow these crimes to multiply”
 
 
UNICEF  [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press releases/Announcements
Statement
Remarks by Henrietta Fore UNICEF Executive Director at joint press briefing on immunization with WHO and Gavi, 22 May
22/05/2020
Press release
At least 80 million children under one at risk of diseases such as diphtheria, measles and polio as COVID-19 disrupts routine vaccination efforts, warn Gavi, WHO and UNICEF
Agencies call for joint effort to safely deliver routine immunization and proceed with vaccination campaigns against deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.
22/05/2020
Press release
Surge in violent attacks during COVID-19 lockdown puts children’s lives at risk in eastern Ukraine
UN Children’s Agency calls for all parties to the conflict to join global ceasefire and end more than six years of fighting
22/05/2020
Press release
COVID-19: Dangers mount for migrant children forcibly returned to northern Central America and Mexico during pandemic
Virus fears compound existing discrimination and violence for returned migrant children, leaving them doubly at risk, UNICEF warns
21/05/2020
Press release
At least 19 million children at imminent risk as Cyclone Amphan makes landfall in Bangladesh and India
Cyclone and COVID-19 present dual threats to children and families in the region, warns UNICEF
20/05/2020
Press release
UNICEF and Airtel Africa announce partnership to support children and families affected by COVID-19
As millions of children are affected by school closures due to COVID-19, Airtel Africa will help provide access to online learning and better enable cash transfers for children and their families in sub-Saharan Africa
20/05/2020
Press release
Escalating violence in eastern DRC is straining humanitarian assistance to women and children
20/05/2020
Press release
Over quarter of a million children in Libya are at risk from vaccine-preventable diseases
Joint UNICEF & WHO Press Release
19/05/2020
 
 
Unitaid  [to 23 May 2020]
https://unitaid.org/
Featured News
20 May 2020
World Health Assembly puts multilateral cooperation and equity at heart of COVID-19 response
Unitaid welcomes the adoption of a key Resolution by the World Health Assembly that sets out its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, that places multilateral cooperation and equity at its heart.
The Resolution calls for universal, timely and equitable access to and fair distribution of all quality, safe, efficacious and affordable essential health technologies and products as a global priority.
In particular Unitaid notes the call for collaboration to develop, test, and scale-up production of safe, effective, quality, affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines for the COVID-19 response, including, existing mechanisms for voluntary pooling and licensing of patents to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access.
Speaking after the adoption of the Resolution, Dr Philippe Duneton, Unitaid Executive Director a.i. said, “Unitaid is committed to working with its partners in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative to ensure that innovations to detect, treat and prevent COVID-19 are adapted and available to the most vulnerable populations.”
He continues, “As highlighted in the Resolution, Unitaid encourages all partners to take advantage of existing mechanisms for voluntary pooling and licensing of intellectual property rights for these global public goods, in particular the Medicines Patent Pool. We also recognise the importance of involving civil society and communities in shaping and delivering the response.”
For the text of Resolution A73/CONF./1 Rev.1, adopted on 19 May 2020, please see here.
 
 
Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN)  [to 23 May 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Latest News & Archive
Child Vaccinations Plummet 63 Percent, a New Hurdle for New York City Schools
23 May 2020
 
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 23 May 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 21 May 2020
Open access: how COVID-19 will change the way research findings are shared
Robert Kiley, Head of Open Research Wellcome
During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and publishers have pulled together to publish their outputs at an unprecedented rate. So, how have they responded? And how will this change research culture and the way findings are disseminated in future?
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
May. 20, 2020
Positive Results from Preclinical Testing Support Clinical Development 
of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine
PHILADELPHIA — (May 20, 2020) — The Wistar Institute, an international biomedical research leader in cancer, immunology and infectious disease, announces a study reporting initial immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 developed in collaboration with Inovio Pharmaceutical, Inc., and other scientists. Published in Nature Communications, the report focuses on immune studies in animals, which show induction of functional antibody responses and T-cell responses following immunization. The vaccine, INO-4800, was advanced to phase 1 clinical testing in 10 weeks (clinicaltrials.gov NCT04336410).
 
 
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations  [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2020/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
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ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine]  [to 23 May 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
BIO    [to 23 May 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
Events
Webinar: A breakthrough high-performance viral vaccines bio-manufacturing platform to countermeasure epidemic threats
26 May 2020
 
 
IFPMA   [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications
Pharma and other innovative health groups tell World Health Assembly it stands united with governments
Geneva, May 19, 2020: At the Seventy-Third World Health Assembly, IFPMA, the industry body representing the innovative biopharmaceutical industry delivered a joint statement on behalf of the global interests of broad innovative health industries, reasserting that they stand united with governments and global health stakeholders worldwide to combat COVID-19. The biopharmaceutical industry is joined by biotech, self-medication, diagnostic, and medical technology industries committed to the goal of accelerating development, production and equitable global access to safe, quality, effective, and affordable COVID-19 medical products and to ensure that in the fight against COVID-19, no one is left behind.
According to BioCentury, there are nearly 400 potential treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 in development. Much of the current COVID-19 R&D that has been deployed at an unprecedented speed is built upon products, expertise and research capacity that has been refined and developed by the private sector over many years and thanks to an ecosystem that    supports innovation, which is underpinned by solid intellectual property rights.
Thomas Cueni, Director General of the IFPMA said: “We understand accelerated development and production of new COVID-19 tools is not enough: we must also ensure equitable global access to safe, quality, effective, and affordable COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines – making sure no-one is left behind. Biopharmaceutical companies have publicly committed to, and are actively working with, governments, insurers, foundations and international organizations to make future COVID-19 products available and affordable to those that need them”…
 
 
Joint Statement – Innovative Health Industries @ WHA73
Published on: 18 May 2020
This Statement is made by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, the Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT & Radiation Therapy Trade Association, the Global Self-Care Federation, the Global Medical Technology Alliance, and the International Council of Biotechnology Associations.
Our organizations believe that coordinated, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder action is the only possible solution to mitigate the impact of this unprecedented global health emergency, and believe the private sector must be an equal partner in coordination efforts. As WHO’s Director General has recently stated, “the private sector has an essential role to play in combating this public health crisis through their expertise, innovation, and resources.”…
 
 
ICBA – International Council of Biotechnology Associations   [to 23 May 2020]
https://internationalbiotech.org/
News
ICBA Joins Innovative Health Industries Network Statement on COVID-19 Ahead of World Health Assembly
May. 18 2020
 
 
PhRMA    [to 23 May 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
Clinical Trials Awareness Week: Recognizing unsung heroes in medical research
Richard Moscicki, M.D.   |     May 18, 2020
This week is Clinical Trials Awareness Week — an event to recognize the importance of clinical trials, raise public awareness of clinical research and honor clinical research professionals and importantly, volunteer participants for their roles in helping to develop safe and effective medicines.
The biopharmaceutical industry sponsors thousands of clinical trials each year to assess the safety and efficacy of medicines, vaccines and other therapies. Instrumental to these carefully designed studies is patient participation. According to most recent data, industry-sponsored clinical trials engage over 920,000 volunteers yearly to assess effectiveness for devastating conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease, rare diseases and cancers…
 
 
Industry Watch   [to 23 May 2020]
:: Sinovac Secures $15 Million in Funding to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccine Development
May 22, 2020
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (“Sinovac” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SVA), a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today announced a transaction in which Advantech Capital and Vivo Capital ha…
 
 
:: Moderna Announces Positive Interim Phase 1 Data for its mRNA Vaccine (mRNA-1273) Against Novel Coronavirus
May 18, 2020
Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, toda…
 

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

Community health workers and early detection of breast cancer in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic scoping review of the literature 

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BMJ Global Health
May 2020 – Volume 5 – 5
https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/5

 

Community health workers and early detection of breast cancer in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic scoping review of the literature (13 May, 2020)
James O’Donovan, Ashley Newcomb, MacKenzie Clark MacRae, Dorice Vieira, Chinelo Onyilofor, Ophira Ginsburg

Safe management of bodies of deceased persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19: a rapid systematic review 

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BMJ Global Health
May 2020 – Volume 5 – 5
https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/5

 

Safe management of bodies of deceased persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19: a rapid systematic review (14 May, 2020)
Sally Yaacoub, Holger J Schünemann, Joanne Khabsa, Amena El-Harakeh, Assem M Khamis, Fatimah Chamseddine, Rayane El Khoury, Zahra Saad, Layal Hneiny, Carlos Cuello Garcia, Giovanna Elsa Ute Muti-Schünemann, Antonio Bognanni, Chen Chen, Guang Chen, Yuan Zhang, Hong Zhao, Pierre Abi Hanna, Mark Loeb, Thomas Piggott, Marge Reinap, Nesrine Rizk, Rosa Stalteri, Stephanie Duda, Karla Solo, Derek K Chu, Elie A Akl

How to prevent and address safeguarding concerns in global health research programmes: practice, process and positionality in marginalised spaces 

Posted on by

BMJ Global Health
May 2020 – Volume 5 – 5
https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/5
Practice
How to prevent and address safeguarding concerns in global health research programmes: practice, process and positionality in marginalised spaces (13 May, 2020)
Bachera Aktar, Wafa Alam, Samiha Ali, Abdul Awal, Margaret Bayoh, Ivy Chumo, Yirah Contay, Abu Conteh, Laura Dean, Skye Dobson, Jerker Edstrom, Helen Elsey, Nadia Farnaz, Surekha Garimella, Linsay Gray, Jaideep Gupte, Kate Hawkins, Beth Hollihead, Kunhi Lakshmi Josyula, Caroline Kabaria, Robinson Karuga, Joseph Kimani, Alastair H Leyland, Dolf te Lintelo, Bintu Mansaray, Joseph MacCarthy, Hayley MacGregor, Blessing Mberu, Nelly Muturi, Linet Okoth, Lilian Otiso, Kim Ozano, Ateeb Parray, Penny Phillips-Howard, Vinodkumar Rao, Sabina Rashid, Joanna Raven, Francis Refell, Samuel Saidu, Shafinaz Sobhan, Prasanna Subramanya Saligram, Samira Sesay, Sally Theobald, Rachel Tolhurst, Phil Tubb, Linda Waldman, Jane Wariutu, Lana Whittaker, Haja Wurie
Summary box
:: Safeguarding challenges in global health research are shaped by power relations (eg, gender, age) and context (eg, informal urban spaces) and include sexual abuse and exploitation, physical and psychological abuse, exploitation and neglect.
:: The literature on safeguarding in global health research is very limited; documented participatory processes that capture the situated knowledge, experience, difficulties and practice of different actors is required across varied contexts and health issues.
:: Safeguarding processes need to be committed to changing power relations through the use of approaches that build trust and are centred around the needs of survivors.

Africa’s response to COVID-19

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BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 23 May 2020)

 

Africa’s response to COVID-19
Authors: Chikwe Ihekweazu and Emmanuel Agogo
Citation: BMC Medicine 2020 18:151
Content type: Commentary
Published on: 22 May 2020
…Conclusions
Despite the resilience of the people and some progress in public health systems, African countries will still be stretched as the pandemic spreads across the continent and as the containment measures succumb to the pressures of time, limited resources, and increased rate of infections. In the meantime, African countries are leveraging investments in syndromic surveillance and case-finding through IDSR; scaling molecular testing capacity developed for other diseases; deploying trainees in field epidemiology training programs to lead the field response; and using her most precious resource—her young people—to undertake contact tracing, staff isolation centers and provide the supportive care that is available. The management of these resources has shown to be the best fit in national public health institutes, which have been rapidly established and strengthened in the last decade in Africa.
So far, the response in Africa has been marked by innovation and resilience in the face of almost insurmountable odds and in the resounding collapse of multilateralism. However, as always, Africa will survive.

A cross-sectional analysis of falsified, counterfeit and substandard medicines in a low-middle income country

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 23 May 2020)

 

A cross-sectional analysis of falsified, counterfeit and substandard medicines in a low-middle income country
High prevalence of falsified, counterfeit and substandard medicines pose a threat to public health and treatment failure. This study aimed to investigate the quality of selected essential medicines available i…
Authors: Daariimaa Khurelbat, Gereltuya Dorj, Bruce Sunderland, Tsetsegmaa Sanjjav, Enkhtuul Bayarsaikhan, Davaadagva Damdinjav, Gantuya Dorj, Altantuya Jigjidsuren, Oyun Lkhagvasuren and Baasandorj Erdenetsetseg
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:743
Content type: Research article
Published on: 20 May 2020

Compliance with the guidelines on recommended immunization schedule in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: implications on public health policies

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 23 May 2020)

 

Compliance with the guidelines on recommended immunization schedule in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: implications on public health policies
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of developing opportunistic infections due to either the disease itself or to treatment with immunosuppressants. This risk can be reduced throu…
Authors: Cristina García-Serrano, Glòria Mirada, Josep R Marsal, Marta Ortega, Joaquim Sol, Rubén Solano, Eva M Artigues and Pepi Estany
Citation: BMC Public Health 2020 20:713
Content type: Research article
Published on: 19 May 2020

The Importance of Engaging Children in Research Decision‐Making: A Preliminary Mixed‐Methods Study

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Ethics & Human Research
Volume 42, Issue 3 Pages: 1-44 May–June 2020
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/25782363/current

 

Perspectives of minors and parents • Non‐English speakers • Covid‐19 and other infectious diseases
Articles
The Importance of Engaging Children in Research Decision‐Making: A Preliminary Mixed‐Methods Study
Erin Talati Paquette, Hannah Palac, Elizabeth Bair, Blake Schultz, Nicole Stenquist, Steven Joffe
Avani Shukla
Pages: 12-20 First Published: 18 May 2020

Genomics and Infectious Diseases: Expert Perspectives on Public Health Considerations regarding Actionability and Privacy

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Ethics & Human Research
Volume 42, Issue 3 Pages: 1-44 May–June 2020
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/25782363/current

Genomics and Infectious Diseases: Expert Perspectives on Public Health Considerations regarding Actionability and Privacy
Alexis Walker, Angie Boyce, Priya Duggal, Chloe L. Thio, Gail Geller

 

Pages: 30-40
First Published: 18 May 2020

Association of Public Health Interventions With the Epidemiology of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan, China

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JAMA
May 19, 2020, Vol 323, No. 19, Pages 1873-1982
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Original Investigation
Association of Public Health Interventions With the Epidemiology of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan, China
An Pan, PhD; Li Liu, MD, PhD; Chaolong Wang, PhD; et al.
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(19):1915-1923. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6130
This population epidemiology study examines associations between phases of nonpharmaceutical public health interventions (social distancing, centralized quarantine, home confinement, and others) and rates of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in Wuhan, China, between December 2019 and early March 2020.

From Mitigation to Containment of the COVID-19 PandemicPutting the SARS-CoV-2 Genie Back in the Bottle

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JAMA
May 19, 2020, Vol 323, No. 19, Pages 1873-1982
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

From Mitigation to Containment of the COVID-19 PandemicPutting the SARS-CoV-2 Genie Back in the Bottle
Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH; Carlos del Rio, MD
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(19):1889-1890. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6572
This Viewpoint discusses public health strategies necessary for the US to relax its mitigation strategies—most notably expanded testing, isolation, and contact-tracing in ways that avoid stigmatization of vulnerable populations—and proposes investing returns from a reopened economy to finance testing and public health infrastructure.
Audio Interview: COVID-19: From Mitigation to Containment

Treating COVID-19—Off-Label Drug Use, Compassionate Use, and Randomized Clinical Trials During Pandemics

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JAMA
May 19, 2020, Vol 323, No. 19, Pages 1873-1982
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Treating COVID-19—Off-Label Drug Use, Compassionate Use, and Randomized Clinical Trials During Pandemics
Andre C. Kalil, MD, MPH
free access has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(19):1897-1898. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4742
This Viewpoint uses the absence of known effective treatment for Ebola virus disease to emphasize the costs of off-label and compassionate drug use during an infectious disease outbreak and the importance of establishing the efficacy and safety of promising drug leads in randomized trials to inform their clinical use.
Clinical Review Audio: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin
Audio Interview: Coronavirus in New York – Report From the Front Lines

Finding Effective Treatments for COVID-19Scientific Integrity and Public Confidence in a Time of Crisis

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JAMA
May 19, 2020, Vol 323, No. 19, Pages 1873-1982
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Finding Effective Treatments for COVID-19Scientific Integrity and Public Confidence in a Time of Crisis
Jesse L. Goodman, MD, MPH; Luciana Borio, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(19):1899-1900. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6434
This Viewpoint discusses the risks to patients and public health posed by the FDA’s politically pressured Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment, and proposes principles to follow to ensure new therapies are studied properly and quickly to maximize benefits and minimize risks to patients.

Increasing Access to FDA Inspection Reports on Irregularities and Misconduct in Clinical Trials

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JAMA
May 19, 2020, Vol 323, No. 19, Pages 1873-1982
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Increasing Access to FDA Inspection Reports on Irregularities and Misconduct in Clinical Trials
Rafael Dal-Ré, MD, PhD, MPH; Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH; Florence T. Bourgeois, MD, MPH
has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(19):1903-1904. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1631
This Viewpoint reviews notable examples of clinical trial misconduct identified by routine US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clinical trial site inspections and argues that making inspection reports publicly available on the agency’s and trial registry websites is important to maintaining the integrity of clinical research.

Effects of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the United Kingdom: Success of Vaccine Policy and Remaining Opportunities for Prevention

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Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 221, Issue 8, 15 April 2020,
https://academic.oup.com/jid/issue/221/8

 

Editor’s Choice
Effects of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in the United Kingdom: Success of Vaccine Policy and Remaining Opportunities for Prevention
Tamara Pilishvili
The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 221, Issue 8, 15 April 2020, Pages 1235–1237, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz182

Bivalent Vaccine Effectiveness Against Anal Human Papillomavirus Positivity Among Female Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic Visitors in the Netherlands

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Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 221, Issue 8, 15 April 2020,
https://academic.oup.com/jid/issue/221/8

 

Editor’s Choice
Bivalent Vaccine Effectiveness Against Anal Human Papillomavirus Positivity Among Female Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic Visitors in the Netherlands
Petra J Woestenberg, Audrey J King, Birgit H B Van Benthem, Suzan Leussink, Marianne A B Van der Sande …

Interrupting transmission of COVID-19: lessons from containment efforts in Singapore

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Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/27/3

 

Perspectives
Interrupting transmission of COVID-19: lessons from containment efforts in Singapore
Vernon J Lee, PhD, Calvin J Chiew, MPH, Wei Xin Khong, PhD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020, taaa039, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa039
Despite multiple importations resulting in local chains of transmission, Singapore has been able to control the COVID-19 outbreak without major disruption to daily living. In this article, we describe the combination of measures taken by Singapore to contain COVID-19 and share some early lessons learnt from the experience.

Saudi Arabia’s drastic measures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak: temporary suspension of the Umrah pilgrimage

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Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/27/3

 

Rapid Communications
Saudi Arabia’s drastic measures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak: temporary suspension of the Umrah pilgrimage
Shahul H Ebrahim, MD, PhD, Ziad A Memish, MD, FRCPC
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020, taaa029, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa029
With the global spread of COVID-19, concerns arise about mass gathering events which will further facilitate disease spread. This report welcomes KSA decision to suspend uma

A single mass gathering resulted in massive transmission of COVID-19 infections in Malaysia with further international spread

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Journal of Travel Medicine
Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jtm/issue/27/3

 

A single mass gathering resulted in massive transmission of COVID-19 infections in Malaysia with further international spread
Nor Fazila Che Mat, PhD, Hisham Atan Edinur, PhD, Mohammad Khairul Azhar Abdul Razab, PhD, Sabreena Safuan, PhD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 27, Issue 3, April 2020, taaa059, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa059
Malaysia has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 35% of new COVID-19 cases linked to the Sri Petaling gathering, a Moslem missionary movement attended by more than 19 000 people of different nationalities, in March 2020 in Kuala Lumpur. From this cluster, 1701 samples have been tested positive out of 21 920 tests carried out. Thus, mass gathering during COVID-19 pandemic period should be banned to curb disease transmission.

COVID-19 immunity passports and vaccination certificates: scientific, equitable, and legal challenges

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The Lancet
May 23, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10237 p1587-1668, e90-e97
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Comment
COVID-19 immunity passports and vaccination certificates: scientific, equitable, and legal challenges
Alexandra L Phelan
… When larger scale international travel recommences, countries might require travellers to provide evidence of immunity as a condition of entry. Under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), states can implement health measures that “achieve the same or greater level of health protection than WHO recommendations”; however, such measures must have a health rationale, be non-discriminatory, consider the human rights of travellers, and not be more restrictive of international traffic than reasonably available alternatives.11 Given current uncertainties about the accuracy and interpretation of individual serology testing, immunity passports are unlikely to satisfy this health rationale evidentiary burden 12 and are inconsistent with the WHO recommendations against interference with international travel that were issued when the WHO Director-General declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 13 Given the discriminatory impact of immunity passports, any changes to WHO’s recommendations should be considered in the context of the IHR’s human rights protections.
Immunity passports have been compared to international certificates of vaccination, such as the “Carte Jaune” for yellow fever.14 However, there are significant differences between the two types of documents, occasioning fundamentally different burdens on individuals’ health risk and bodily integrity, the public health risk, and an individual’s capacity to consent and control. The main distinction between the two is the nature of the incentive. Vaccination certificates incentivise individuals to obtain vaccination against the virus, which is a social good. By contrast, immunity passports incentivise infection. Under the IHR, states can require travellers to provide vaccination certificates, but this is limited to specific diseases expressly listed in Annex 7, which currently only includes yellow fever, and if included in WHO recommendations, such as those issued following the declaration of a PHEIC as is the case for polio.11 Once, and if, a vaccine is developed, COVID-19 vaccination certificates could be included in revised WHO recommendations for the COVID-19 PHEIC, while member states could consider requesting standing recommendations or revising the IHR’s Annex 7 for the longer term…

What Helps People Make Values-Congruent Medical Decisions? Eleven Strategies Tested across 6 Studies

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Medical Decision Making (MDM)
Volume 40 Issue 3, April 2020
http://mdm.sagepub.com/content/current

 

Original Articles
What Helps People Make Values-Congruent Medical Decisions? Eleven Strategies Tested across 6 Studies
Holly O. Witteman, Anne-Sophie Julien, Ruth Ndjaboue, Nicole L. Exe, Valerie C. Kahn, Angela (Angie) Fagerlin, Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
First Published May 19, 2020; pp. 266–278

Remdesivir for Covid-19 — Preliminary Report

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New England Journal of Medicine
May 21, 2020 Vol. 382 No. 21
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

 

Original Article
Remdesivir for Covid-19 — Preliminary Report
J.H. Beigel and Others
Conclusions
Remdesivir was superior to placebo in shortening the time to recovery in adults hospitalized with Covid-19 and evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others; ACCT-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04280705. opens in new tab.)

From trivalent to quadrivalent influenza vaccines: Public health and economic burden for different immunization strategies in Spain

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 23 May 2020]

 

From trivalent to quadrivalent influenza vaccines: Public health and economic burden for different immunization strategies in Spain
Pascal Crépey, Esther Redondo, Javier Díez-Domingo, Raúl Ortiz de Lejarazu, Federico Martinón-Torres, Ángel Gil de Miguel, Juan Luis López-Belmonte, Fabián P. Alvarez, Hélène Bricout, Míriam Solozabal
Research Article | published 21 May 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233526

Global landscape analysis of no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries: A review and survey of implementing countries

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 23 May 2020]

 

Global landscape analysis of no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries: A review and survey of implementing countries
Randy G. Mungwira, Christine Guillard, Adiela Saldaña, Nobuhiko Okabe, Helen Petousis-Harris, Edinam Agbenu, Lance Rodewald, Patrick L. F. Zuber
Research Article | published 21 May 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233334
Abstract
To update the landscape analysis of vaccine injuries no-fault compensation programmes, we conducted a scoping review and a survey of World Health Organization Member States. We describe the characteristics of existing no-fault compensation systems during 2018 based on six common programme elements. No-fault compensation systems for vaccine injuries have been developed in a few high-income countries for more than 50 years. Twenty-five jurisdictions were identified with no-fault compensation programmes, of which two were recently implemented in a low- and a lower-middle-income country. The no-fault compensation programmes in most jurisdictions are implemented at the central or federal government level and are government funded. Eligibility criteria for vaccine injury compensation vary considerably across the evaluated programmes. Notably, most programmes cover injuries arising from vaccines that are registered in the country and are recommended by authorities for routine use in children, pregnant women, adults (e.g. influenza vaccines) and for special indications. A claim process is initiated once the injured party or their legal representative files for compensation with a special administrative body in most programmes. All no-fault compensation programmes reviewed require standard of proof showing a causal association between vaccination and injury. Once a final decision has been reached, claimants are compensated with either: lump-sums; amounts calculated based on medical care costs and expenses, loss of earnings or earning capacity; or monetary compensation calculated based on pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent impairment or loss of function; or combination of those. In most jurisdictions, vaccine injury claimants have the right to seek damages either through civil litigation or from a compensation scheme but not both simultaneously. Data from this report provide an empirical basis on which global guidance for implementing such schemes could be developed.

NIH funding and the pursuit of edge science

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PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 23 May 2020]

 

NIH funding and the pursuit of edge science
Mikko Packalen and Jay Bhattacharya
PNAS first published May 19, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910160117
Significance
Innovative research is critical to the advancement of biomedicine. The NIH plays a crucial role in fostering innovation. An empirical assessment of the success of the NIH in this role is an essential step in identifying ways to encourage novel research. This research introduces a measure of the age of the ideas used in published biomedical research papers and comprehensively evaluates the performance of NIH-supported research relative to non-NIH-supported research, using this measure.
Abstract
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays a critical role in funding scientific endeavors in biomedicine. Funding innovative science is an essential element of the NIH’s mission, but many have questioned the NIH’s ability to fulfill this aim. Based on an analysis of a comprehensive corpus of published biomedical research articles, we measure whether the NIH succeeds in funding work with novel ideas, which we term edge science. We find that edge science is more often NIH funded than less novel science, but with a delay. Papers that build on very recent ideas are NIH funded less often than are papers that build on ideas that have had a chance to mature for at least 7 y. We have three further findings. First, the tendency to fund edge science is mostly limited to basic science. Papers that build on novel clinical ideas are not more often NIH funded than are papers that build on well-established clinical knowledge. Second, novel papers tend to be NIH funded more often because there are more NIH-funded papers in innovative areas of investigation, rather than because the NIH funds innovative papers within research areas. Third, the NIH’s tendency to have funded papers that build on the most recent advances has declined over time. In this regard, NIH funding has become more conservative despite initiatives to increase funding for innovative projects. Given our focus on published papers, the results reflect both the funding preferences of the NIH and the composition of the applications it receives.

Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

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PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
[Accessed 23 May 2020]

 

Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
Ethan J. Raker, Meghan Zacher, and Sarah R. Lowe
PNAS first published May 18, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006706117

Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination After Pharmacist-Led Intervention: A Pilot Project in an Ambulatory Clinic at a Large Academic Urban Medical Center

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Public Health Reports
Volume 135 Issue 3, May/June 2020
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/phrg/135/3

 

Public Health Evaluation
Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination After Pharmacist-Led Intervention: A Pilot Project in an Ambulatory Clinic at a Large Academic Urban Medical Center
Julianna Cebollero, PharmD, Suzanne M. Walton, PharmD, Laurie Cavendish, PharmD, Kristi Quairoli, PharmD, Carrie Cwiak, MD, MPH, Melissa J. Kottke, MD, MPH, MBA
First Published March 30, 2020; pp. 313–321

Ethics of controlled human infection to address COVID-19

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Science
22 May 2020 Vol 368, Issue 6493
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

Policy Forum
Ethics of controlled human infection to address COVID-19
By Seema K. Shah, Franklin G. Miller, Thomas C. Darton, Devan Duenas, Claudia Emerson, Holly Fernandez Lynch, Euzebiusz Jamrozik, Nancy S. Jecker, Dorcas Kamuya, Melissa Kapulu, Jonathan Kimmelman, Douglas MacKay, Matthew J. Memoli, Sean C. Murphy, Ricardo Palacios, Thomas L. Richie, Meta Roestenberg, Abha Saxena, Katherine Saylor, Michael J. Selgelid, Vina Vaswani, Annette Rid
Science22 May 2020 : 832-834 Full Access
High social value is fundamental to justifying these studies
Summary
Development of an effective vaccine is the clearest path to controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To accelerate vaccine development, some researchers are pursuing, and thousands of people have expressed interest in participating in, controlled human infection studies (CHIs) with severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (1, 2). In CHIs, a small number of participants are deliberately exposed to a pathogen to study infection and gather preliminary efficacy data on experimental vaccines or treatments. We have been developing a comprehensive, state-of-the-art ethical framework for CHIs that emphasizes their social value as fundamental to justifying these studies. The ethics of CHIs in general are underexplored (3, 4), and ethical examinations of SARS-CoV-2 CHIs have largely focused on whether the risks are acceptable and participants could give valid informed consent (1). The high social value of such CHIs has generally been assumed. Based on our framework, we agree on the ethical conditions for conducting SARS-CoV-2 CHIs (see the table). We differ on whether the social value of such CHIs is sufficient to justify the risks at present, given uncertainty about both in a rapidly evolving situation; yet we see none of our disagreements as insurmountable. We provide ethical guidance for research sponsors, communities, participants, and the essential independent reviewers considering SARS-CoV-2 CHIs.

Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals

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Science
22 May 2020 Vol 368, Issue 6493
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

 

Review
Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals
By Noah Snyder-Mackler, Joseph Robert Burger, Lauren Gaydosh, Daniel W. Belsky, Grace A. Noppert, Fernando A. Campos, Alessandro Bartolomucci, Yang Claire Yang, Allison E. Aiello, Angela O’Rand, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Carol A. Shively, Susan C. Alberts, Jenny Tung
Science22 May 2020
Social animals need connection
Much research over the past decade or so has revealed that health and lifespan in humans, highly social animals, are reduced with social adversity. We humans are not the only animals that are social, however, and similar research has shown that other social mammals are similarly influenced by isolation and adversity. Snyder-Mackler et al. reviewed the relationships between social environment and many aspects of health and well-being across nonhuman mammals and investigated the similarities between these and patterns in humans. They found many of the same threats and responses across social mammals.
Abstract
The social environment, both in early life and adulthood, is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality risk in humans. Evidence from long-term studies of other social mammals indicates that this relationship is similar across many species. In addition, experimental studies show that social interactions can causally alter animal physiology, disease risk, and life span itself. These findings highlight the importance of the social environment to health and mortality as well as Darwinian fitness—outcomes of interest to social scientists and biologists alike. They thus emphasize the utility of cross-species analysis for understanding the predictors of, and mechanisms underlying, social gradients in health.

An open-label phase 1/2a trial of a genetically modified rodent malaria parasite for immunization against Plasmodium falciparum malaria

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Science Translational Medicine
20 May 2020 Vol 12, Issue 544
https://stm.sciencemag.org/

 

Research Articles
An open-label phase 1/2a trial of a genetically modified rodent malaria parasite for immunization against Plasmodium falciparum malaria
By Isaie J. Reuling, António M. Mendes, Gerdie M. de Jong, Amanda Fabra-García, Helena Nunes-Cabaço, Geert-Jan van Gemert, Wouter Graumans, Luc E. Coffeng, Sake J. de Vlas, Annie S. P. Yang, Cynthia Lee, Yimin Wu, Ashley J. Birkett, Christian F. Ockenhouse, Rob Koelewijn, Jaap J. van Hellemond, Perry J. J. van Genderen, Robert W. Sauerwein, Miguel Prudêncio
Science Translational Medicine20 May 2020 Full Access
Clinical evaluation of genetically modified rodent malaria parasites for whole-sporozoite immunization against P. falciparum in healthy volunteers.

 A double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2a trial of the genetically attenuated malaria vaccine PfSPZ-GA1

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Science Translational Medicine
20 May 2020 Vol 12, Issue 544
https://stm.sciencemag.org/

A double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2a trial of the genetically attenuated malaria vaccine PfSPZ-GA1
By Meta Roestenberg, Jona Walk, Saskia C. van der Boor, Marijke C. C. Langenberg, Marie-Astrid Hoogerwerf, Jacqueline J. Janse, Mikhael Manurung, X. Zen Yap, Amanda Fabra García, Jan Pieter R. Koopman, Pauline Meij, Els Wessels, Karina Teelen, Youri M. van Waardenburg, Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer, Geert Jan van Gemert, Leo G. Visser, André J. A. M. van der Ven, Quirijn de Mast, K. C. Natasha, Yonas Abebe, Tooba Murshedkar, Peter F. Billingsley, Tom L. Richie, B. Kim Lee Sim, Chris J. Janse, Stephen L. Hoffman, Shahid M. Khan, Robert W. Sauerwein

 

Science Translational Medicine20 May 2020 Full Access
The genetically attenuated malaria vaccine PfSPZ-GA1 is safe, immunogenic, and has suboptimal protective efficacy in people.