Review of the status and challenges associated with increasing influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women in China

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2020
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Review of the status and challenges associated with increasing influenza vaccination coverage among pregnant women in China
Suizan Zhou, Carolyn M. Greene, Ying Song, Ran Zhang, Lance E. Rodewald, Luzhao Feng & Alexander J. Millman
Pages: 602-611
Published online: 07 Oct 2019

Infant vaccination against malaria in Mozambique and in Togo: mapping parents’ willingness to get their children vaccinated

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2020
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Infant vaccination against malaria in Mozambique and in Togo: mapping parents’ willingness to get their children vaccinated
Germano Vera Cruz, Amélie Humeau, Lonzozou Kpanake, Paul Clay Sorum & Etienne Mullet
Pages: 539-547
Published online: 18 Oct 2019

Estimating population immunity to poliovirus in Jordan’s high-risk areas

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Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2020
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

 

Article
Estimating population immunity to poliovirus in Jordan’s high-risk areas
Noha H. Farag, Kathleen Wannemuehler, William Weldon, Ali Arbaji, Adel Belbaisi, Najwa Khuri-Bulos, Derek Ehrhardt, Mohammad Ratib Surour, Nabil Sabri ElhajQasem & Mohammad Mousa Al-Abdallat
Pages: 548-553
Published online: 05 Nov 2019

Preparation for Possible Sustained Transmission of 2019 Novel Coronavirus – Lessons From Previous Epidemics

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JAMA
March 24/31, 2020, Vol 323, No. 12, Pages 1111-1216
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Viewpoint
Preparation for Possible Sustained Transmission of 2019 Novel Coronavirus – Lessons From Previous Epidemics
David L. Swerdlow, MD; Lyn Finelli, DrPH, MS
free access has active quiz has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(12):1129-1130. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1960
This Viewpoint discusses the concepts of transmissibility and severity as the critical factors that determine the extent of an epidemic, drawing on the previous pandemic of influenza A(H1N1) and epidemics of SARS and MERS to consider what the scope, morbidity, and mortality of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic might be.
Audio Interview: COVID-19 Update From China

US Emergency Legal Responses to Novel Coronavirus – Balancing Public Health and Civil Liberties

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JAMA
March 24/31, 2020, Vol 323, No. 12, Pages 1111-1216
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

US Emergency Legal Responses to Novel Coronavirus – Balancing Public Health and Civil Liberties
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD; James G. Hodge Jr, JD, LLM
free access has active quiz has multimedia has audio
JAMA. 2020;323(12):1131-1132. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2025
This Viewpoint discusses the policy and legal ramifications of the national public health emergency declared by the US government in response the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, and examines the lawfulness of quarantine and other compulsory measures.

Enhancing Private Sector Health System Preparedness for 21st-Century Health Threats – Foundational Principles From a National Academies Initiative

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JAMA
March 24/31, 2020, Vol 323, No. 12, Pages 1111-1216
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

 

Enhancing Private Sector Health System Preparedness for 21st-Century Health Threats – Foundational Principles From a National Academies Initiative
Donald M. Berwick, MD; Kenneth Shine, MD
free access has active quiz
JAMA. 2020;323(12):1133-1134. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1310
This Viewpoint summarizes recommendations made by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) experts to address the US health system’s preparedness for major threats, highlighting 5 principles to help regions prepare for specific threats as a prelude to partnerships that would facilitate more comprehensive national preparedness.

The Costs of Drugs in Infectious Diseases: Branded, Generics, and Why We Should Care

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Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 221, Issue 5, 1 March 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jid/issue/221/5

 

Editor’s Choice
The Costs of Drugs in Infectious Diseases: Branded, Generics, and Why We Should Care
Sydney Costantini, Rochelle P Walensky
J Infect Dis, Volume 221, Issue 5, 1 March 2020, Pages 690–696, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz066

Long-term Immunogenicity of Measles Vaccine: An Italian Retrospective Cohort Study

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Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 221, Issue 5, 1 March 2020
https://academic.oup.com/jid/issue/221/5

 

Long-term Immunogenicity of Measles Vaccine: An Italian Retrospective Cohort Study
Francesco Paolo Bianchi, Pasquale Stefanizzi, Sara De Nitto, Angela Maria Vittoria Larocca, Cinzia Germinario …
J Infect Dis, Volume 221, Issue 5, 1 March 2020, Pages 721–728, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz508

Continue reading →

Public reporting on pharmaceutical industry-led access programs: alignment with the WHO medicine programs evaluation checklist

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Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
https://joppp.biomedcentral.com/
[Accessed 28 Mar 2020]

 

Public reporting on pharmaceutical industry-led access programs: alignment with the WHO medicine programs evaluation checklist
There has been increased demand for greater public accountability and transparency of private sector-led global health partnership programs. This study critically reviews and pilot tests the World Health Organization (WHO) medicine program checklist as a framework for public reporting and assessing of programs.
Authors: Chukwuemeka A. Umeh, Peter C. Rockers, Richard Laing, Ovi Wagh and Veronika J. Wirtz
Content type: Research
26 March 2020

COVID-19: learning from experience

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The Lancet
Mar 28, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10229 p1011-1088, e54-e61
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Editorial
COVID-19: learning from experience
The Lancet
Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic. Lockdowns that seemed draconian when instigated in Wuhan only 2 months ago are now becoming commonplace. However, many countries are still not following WHO’s clear recommendations on containment (widespread testing, quarantine of cases, contact tracing, and social distancing) and have instead implemented haphazard measures, with some attempting only to suppress deaths by shielding the elderly and those with certain health conditions.

The initial slow response in countries such as the UK, the USA, and Sweden now looks increasingly poorly judged. As leaders scramble to acquire diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment, and ventilators for overwhelmed hospitals, there is a growing sense of anger. The patchwork of harmful initial reactions from many leaders, from denial and misplaced optimism, to passive acceptance of large-scale deaths, was justified by words such as unprecedented. But this belies the damage wrought by SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Ebola virus, Zika virus, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and a widespread acceptance among scientists that a pandemic would one day occur. Hong Kong and South Korea were tested by these previous emerging infections, leaving them better able to scale up testing and contact tracing.
• View related content for this article

Globally, many people are afraid, angry, uncertain, and without confidence in their national leadership. But alongside these dark sentiments, images of solidarity have emerged. Health workers have shown an incredible commitment to their communities and responded with compassion and resolve to tackle the virus despite challenging and sometimes dangerous conditions. Neighbours have organised to support vulnerable people; businesses and national governments have stepped up to provide support for those who need it and strengthen social security and health services. The pandemic has also brought examples of international solidarity, with the sharing of resources, information, and expertise from countries further ahead in the epidemic, or with better results in controlling the spread. China’s experience will be crucial to understanding how to lift restrictions safely.

Inevitably, the next wave of infections will hit Africa and Latin America. The Africa CDC has reported cases in 41 countries; Brazil, Mexico, and Peru have all reported hundreds or thousands of cases. Most African or Latin American countries have only tens or hundreds of ventilators, and many health facilities do not have even basic therapies such as oxygen. Fragile health-care systems would soon be overwhelmed should infection spread widely. People living in poor, overcrowded, urban areas are especially vulnerable; many do not have basic sanitation, could not self-isolate, and have no paid sick leave or social security. In response to the threat, WHO has launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which has raised more than US$70 million, and some regional organisations have taken strong proactive action, sharing information and receiving donations of testing kits and medical supplies. Many national governments have responded swiftly, but many are yet to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously—eg, ignoring WHO’s recommendation on avoiding mass gatherings. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been strongly criticised by health experts and faces an intensifying public backlash for what is seen as his weak response.

Alongside the deep distress felt as many countries experience a peak in cases or brace for it, there is also a growing understanding about the importance of the collective and community. Europe and the USA have shown that putting off preparation, in either the hope of containment elsewhere or a mood of fatality, is not effective. It is imperative that the global community takes advantage of this spirit of cooperation to avoid repeating this error in more vulnerable countries. WHO has provided consistent, clear, and evidence-based recommendations; communicated effectively; and navigated difficult political situations shrewdly. The world is not lacking effective global leadership. The central role played by WHO in coordinating the global response must continue, and countries and donors need to support WHO in these efforts.

Health security capacities in the context of COVID-19 outbreak: an analysis of International Health Regulations annual report data from 182 countries

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The Lancet
Mar 28, 2020 Volume 395 Number 10229 p1011-1088, e54-e61
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Health security capacities in the context of COVID-19 outbreak: an analysis of International Health Regulations annual report data from 182 countries
Nirmal Kandel, et al

A multi-state model analysis of the time from ethical approval to publication of clinical research studies

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 28 Mar 2020]

 

A multi-state model analysis of the time from ethical approval to publication of clinical research studies
Anette Blümle, Tobias Haag, James Balmford, Gerta Rücker, Martin Schumacher, Nadine Binder
Research Article | published 27 Mar 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230797
Abstract
Background
Results of medical research should be made publicly available in a timely manner to enable patients and health professionals to make informed decisions about health issues. We aimed to apply a multi-state model to analyze the overall time needed to publish study results, and to examine predictors of the timing of transitions within the research process from study initiation through completion/discontinuation to eventual publication.
Methods
Using a newly developed multi-state model approach, we analysed the effect of different study-related factors on each of the transitions from study approval to eventual publication, using a data set of clinical studies approved by a German research ethics committee between 2000 and 2002.
Results
Of 917 approved studies, 806 were included in our analyses. About half of the clinical studies which began were subsequently published as full articles, and the median time from study approval to publication was 10 years. Differences across model states were apparent; several factors were predictive of the transition from study approval to completion, while funding source and collaboration were predictive of the transition from completion to publication.
Conclusions
The proposed multi-state model approach permits a more comprehensive analysis of time to publication than a simple examination of the transition from approval to publication, and thus the findings represent an advance on previous studies of this aspect of the research process.

Knowledge and remaining gaps on the role of animal and human movements in the poultry production and trade networks in the global spread of avian influenza viruses – A scoping review

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 28 Mar 2020]

 

Knowledge and remaining gaps on the role of animal and human movements in the poultry production and trade networks in the global spread of avian influenza viruses – A scoping review
Claire Hautefeuille, Gwenaëlle Dauphin, Marisa Peyre
Research Article | published 20 Mar 2020 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230567

 

The effects of communicating uncertainty on public trust in facts and numbers

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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 28 Mar 2020]

 

The effects of communicating uncertainty on public trust in facts and numbers
Anne Marthe van der Bles, Sander van der Linden, Alexandra L. J. Freeman, and David J. Spiegelhalter
PNAS first published March 23, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1913678117
Significance
Does openly communicating uncertainty around facts and numbers necessarily undermine audiences’ trust in the facts, or the communicators? Despite concerns among scientists, experts, and journalists, this has not been studied extensively. In four experiments and one field experiment on the BBC News website, words and numerical ranges were used to communicate uncertainty in news article-like texts. The texts included contested topics such as climate change and immigration statistics. While people’s prior beliefs about topics influenced their trust in the facts, they did not influence how people responded to the uncertainty being communicated. Communicating uncertainty numerically only exerted a minor effect on trust. Knowing this should allow academics and science communicators to be more transparent about the limits of human knowledge.
Abstract
Uncertainty is inherent to our knowledge about the state of the world yet often not communicated alongside scientific facts and numbers. In the “posttruth” era where facts are increasingly contested, a common assumption is that communicating uncertainty will reduce public trust. However, a lack of systematic research makes it difficult to evaluate such claims. We conducted five experiments—including one preregistered replication with a national sample and one field experiment on the BBC News website (total n = 5,780)—to examine whether communicating epistemic uncertainty about facts across different topics (e.g., global warming, immigration), formats (verbal vs. numeric), and magnitudes (high vs. low) influences public trust. Results show that whereas people do perceive greater uncertainty when it is communicated, we observed only a small decrease in trust in numbers and trustworthiness of the source, and mostly for verbal uncertainty communication. These results could help reassure all communicators of facts and science that they can be more open and transparent about the limits of human knowledge.

‘Should I vaccinate my child?’ comparing the displayed stances of vaccine information retrieved from Google, Facebook and YouTube

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 13 Pages 2749-2888 (17 March 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/12

 

Research article Abstract only
‘Should I vaccinate my child?’ comparing the displayed stances of vaccine information retrieved from Google, Facebook and YouTube
Lucy E Elkin, Susan R.H. Pullon, Maria H. Stubbe

The impact of new universal child influenza programs in Australia: Vaccine coverage, effectiveness and disease epidemiology in hospitalised children in 2018

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 13 Pages 2749-2888 (17 March 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/12

 

Research article Abstract only
The impact of new universal child influenza programs in Australia: Vaccine coverage, effectiveness and disease epidemiology in hospitalised children in 2018
Christopher C. Blyth, Allen C. Cheng, Nigel W. Crawford, Julia E. Clark, … Kristine K. Macartney

Are refugees arriving in Denmark an under-immunised group for measles? A cross-sectional serology study

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 13 Pages 2749-2888 (17 March 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/12

 

Research article Abstract only
Are refugees arriving in Denmark an under-immunised group for measles? A cross-sectional serology study
Anne Mette Fløe Hvass, Marie Norredam, Morten Sodemann, Marianne Kragh Thomsen, Wejse Christian

Quality and reliability of vaccination documentation in the routine childhood immunization program in Burkina Faso: Results from a cross-sectional survey

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Vaccine
Volume 38, Issue 13 Pages 2749-2888 (17 March 2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/38/issue/12

 

Research article Abstract only
Quality and reliability of vaccination documentation in the routine childhood immunization program in Burkina Faso: Results from a cross-sectional survey
Lassané Kaboré, Clément Z. Méda, François Sawadogo, Michèle M. Bengue, … Edouard Betsem

Healthcare Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices about Vaccinations: A Cross-Sectional Study in Italy

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Vaccines — Open Access Journal
http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
(Accessed 28 Mar 2020)

 

Open Access Article
Healthcare Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices about Vaccinations: A Cross-Sectional Study in Italy
by Concetta P. Pelullo , Giorgia Della Polla , Francesco Napolitano , Gabriella Di Giuseppe and Italo F. Angelillo
Vaccines 2020, 8(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines8020148 (registering DOI) – 26 Mar 2020
Abstract
The cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the recommended vaccinations and factors affecting such outcomes among a sample of healthcare workers (HCWs) in public hospitals in Italy. Only 14.1% knew all the recommended vaccinations for HCWs. Physicians and those who had received information about vaccinations from scientific journals, educational activities, or professional associations were more likely to have this knowledge, while those aged 36–45 were more likely to have less knowledge than those in the age group below 36 years. Only 57.3% agreed that the information received about vaccinations was reliable. Respondents who had children, who worked in pediatric/neonatal wards, who were more knowledgeable, or who did not need further information about vaccinations considered the available information to be reliable. Only 17.7% of respondents always recommended vaccinations to their patients. This behavior was more likely to occur in physicians, in HCWs, in pediatric/neonatal wards, in those who considered the information received about vaccinations reliable, and in those who considered themselves to be at high risk of transmitting an infectious disease to their patients. Health promotion programs and efforts are needed to improve the level of knowledge about vaccinations and immunization coverage among HCWs.

Media/Policy Watch

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Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.

 

The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

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

 

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Editors’ Pick  
WHO Must Push For Lower Speed Limits To Ease Pressure On Virus-Impacted Hospitals, Urge Experts
3/28/2020
Medics and other experts are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend that national governments should lower speed limits on their roads as a means of reducing hospital admissions during the coronavirus outbreak.
By Carlton Reid Senior Contributor

Mar 27, 2020
AI Can Help Us Fight Infectious Diseases In A More Effective Way
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sense of urgency to improve current approaches for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Fortunately, currently available AI and data science approaches can help us fight infectious diseases in a more effective way and improve human healthcare.
By Margaretta Colangelo Contributor

 

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
Health   Mar 28, 2020 Snapshot
Ebola Should Have Immunized the United States to the Coronavirus
What Washington failed to learn from the National Security Council’s Ebola report.
Christopher Kirchhoff

China   Mar 27, 2020 Response
Past Pandemics Exposed China’s Weaknesses
From the bubonic plague at the end of the nineteenth century to HIV/AIDS in the 1990s to SARS in 2002–3, China’s ability to contain diseases has been crucial to…
Robert Peckham

China   Mar 24, 2020 Snapshot
The U.S. and China Could Cooperate to Defeat the Pandemic
U.S.-Chinese antagonism could make the coronavirus pandemic worse.
Yanzhong Huang

 

Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020 Accessed 28 Mar 2020
Amid Coronavirus Spread, Host Countries Ignore Refugee Health at Their Own Peril
Refugees are particularly vulnerable to a pandemic—which is why their needs must be taken into account.
Argument | March 27, 2020,
Sanjana Ravi

 

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

 

New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
Elements
The Evolution of a Coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2, which honed its viral genome for thousands of years, behaves like a monstrous mutant hybrid of all the coronaviruses that came before it.
March 27, 2020, By Carolyn Kormann

 

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
Europe

UN Health Agency Settles In for Long Fight With Virus
The World Health Organization’s emergencies chief said Friday that widespread testing for the new coronavirus is crucial and countries should not be faulted for reporting higher numbers of cases.
By The Associated Press

 

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new, unique, relevant content]

Think Tanks et al

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Think Tanks et al

Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
Future Development
Awakening in the post-pandemic world
Dennis J. Snower
Friday, March 27, 2020

Order from Chaos
Now is the time to revisit the Global Health Security Agenda
Bonnie Jenkins
Friday, March 27, 2020

Center for Global Development [to 28 Mar 2020]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Publications, News and Events
[No new relevant content]

 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new relevant content]

 

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new relevant content]

 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 28 Mar 2020
[No new relevant content]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 21 March 2020

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Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review is a weekly digest  summarizing news, events, announcements, peer-reviewed articles and research in the global vaccine ethics and policy space. Content is aggregated from key governmental, NGO, international organization and industry sources, key peer-reviewed journals, and other media channels. This summary proceeds from the broad base of themes and issues monitored by the Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy in its work: it is not intended to be exhaustive in its coverage. You are viewing the blog version of our weekly digest, typically comprised of between 30 and 40 posts below all dated with the current issue date

.– Request an Email Summary: Vaccines and Global Health : The Week in Review is published as a single email summary, scheduled for release each Saturday evening before midnight (EDT in the U.S.). If you would like to receive the email version, please send your request to david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org.

– pdf version:  A pdf of the current issue is available here: Vaccines and Global Health_The Week in Review_21 Mar 2020

– blog edition: comprised of the approx. 35+ entries posted below.

– Twitter:  Readers can also follow developments on twitter: @vaxethicspolicy.
.
– Links:  We endeavor to test each link as we incorporate it into any post, but recognize that some links may become “stale” as publications and websites reorganize content over time. We apologize in advance for any links that may not be operative. We believe the contextual information in a given post should allow retrieval, but please contact us as above for assistance if necessary.

Support this knowledge-sharing service: Your financial support helps us cover our costs and to address a current shortfall in our annual operating budget. Click here to donate and thank you in advance for your contribution.

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

EMERGENCIES Coronavirus [COVID-19]

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EMERGENCIES

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

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

::::::

Situation report – 60 [WHO]

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
20 March 2020
[Excerpts]
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
Globally
234,073 confirmed (24 247)
9840 deaths (1061)

Western Pacific Region
93,349 confirmed (1016)
3405 deaths (28)

European Region
104,591 confirmed (17 506)
4899 deaths (816)

South-East Asia Region
918 confirmed (261)
31 deaths (8)

Eastern Mediterranean Region
20,759 confirmed (1254)
1312 deaths (151)

Region of the Americas
13,271 confirmed (4104)
178 deaths (57)

African Region
473 confirmed (106)
8 deaths (1)

WHO RISK ASSESSMENT
Global Level – Very High

HIGHLIGHTS
:: Six new countries/territories/areas (African Region [2], and Region of the Americas [2], and Western Pacific Region [2]) have reported cases of COVID-19.

:: To increase access to reliable information, WHO has partnered with WhatsApp and Facebook to launch a WHO Health Alert messaging service. This service will provide the latest news and information on COVID-19, including details on symptoms and how people can protect themselves. The Health Alert service is now available in English and will be introduced in other languages next week. To access it, send the word “hi” to the following number on WhatsApp: +41 798 931 892.

:: The first vaccine trial has begun just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the virus was shared by China. This is an incredible achievement. To ensure clear evidence of which treatments are most effective, WHO and its partners are organizing a large international study, called the Solidarity Trial, in many countries to compare different treatments.

:: WHO and Global Citizen launched #TogetherAtHome, a virtual, no-contact concert series to promote physical distancing and action for global health. Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay, kicked it off earlier this week with a performance from his home. More Solidarity Sessions are planned to promote health, show support for people who are staying at home to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, and encourage donations to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

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

NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begins
March 16, 2020 — Study enrolling Seattle-based healthy adult volunteers.
A Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating an investigational vaccine designed to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has begun at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) in Seattle. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding the trial. KPWHRI is part of NIAID’s Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium. The open-label trial will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately 6 weeks. The first participant received the investigational vaccine today.

The study is evaluating different doses of the experimental vaccine for safety and its ability to induce an immune response in participants. This is the first of multiple steps in the clinical trial process for evaluating the potential benefit of the vaccine.

The vaccine is called mRNA-1273 and was developed by NIAID scientists and their collaborators at the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) supported the manufacturing of the vaccine candidate for the Phase 1 clinical trial.

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”

…Currently, no approved vaccines exist to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2.
The investigational vaccine was developed using a genetic platform called mRNA (messenger RNA). The investigational vaccine directs the body’s cells to express a virus protein that it is hoped will elicit a robust immune response. The mRNA-1273 vaccine has shown promise in animal models, and this is the first trial to examine it in humans…

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

Milken Institute launches COVID-19 treatment and vaccine tracker
Publicly available resource monitors development of therapies to treat and prevent disease
March 19, 2020 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time
WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Milken Institute is launching a resource to help the public and policymakers track progress in the development of treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.
The tracker is available online at https://milkeninstitute.org/covid-19-tracker. It is developed and maintained by FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute, with an Advisory Council comprised of a Nobel Laureate researcher, former FDA chiefs, and industry leaders..
The Milken Institute COVID-19 vaccine development and treatment tracker is compiled from publicly available sources. It will grow to include FDA-approved indications where applicable, as well as basic information about the focus of each clinical trial…

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

ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19
16 March 2020 Statement
In a coordinated effort to combat the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to work closely to ensure the latest and most reliable information and tailored guidance reaches the global business community.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and societal emergency that requires effective immediate action by governments, individuals and businesses. All businesses have a key role to play in minimising the likelihood of transmission and impact on society. Early, bold and effective action will reduce short- term risks to employees and long-term costs to businesses and the economy.

To aid this collective effort, ICC will regularly send updated advice to its network of over 45 million businesses so that businesses everywhere can take informed and effective action to protect their workers, customers and local communities and contribute to the production and distribution of essential supplies.

ICC will also contribute to enhancing information flows on the coronavirus outbreak by surveying its global private sector network to map the global business response. This will both encourage businesses to adopt appropriate precautionary approaches and generate new data and insights to support national and international government efforts.

As an immediate priority, businesses should be developing or updating, readying or implementing business continuity plans. Business continuity plans should aim to reduce transmission, including by: promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate behavior among employees; setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts; preparing essentials; limiting travel and physical connectivity; and planning for measures such as teleworking when necessary.

Calls to Action
:: ICC strongly endorses WHO’s call on national governments everywhere to adopt a whole-of- government and whole-of-society approach in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the further spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact should be a top priority for Heads of State and Government. Political action should be coordinated with actors in the private sector and civil society to maximize reach of messaging and effectiveness.

:: Governments should commit to making available all necessary resources to combat COVID-19 with the minimum of delay and to ensure that cross-border medical and other essential goods supply chains are able to function effectively and efficiently

:: ICC and the WHO encourage national chambers of commerce to work closely with UN country teams, including WHO country offices where they exist, and to designate mutual focal points to coordinate this collaboration.

:: ICC encourages its members to support their country’s national response efforts and to contribute to the global response efforts coordinated by the WHO through http://www.covid19responsefund.org.

As the pandemic evolves, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will continue to coordinate their efforts.

Essential information on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO’s dedicated site.

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Emergencies – Ebola

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Emergencies

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

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 84: 17 March 2020
[Excerpts]
Situation Update
There have been no new cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported since 17 February 2020. On 3 March 2020, the only person confirmed to have EVD in the last 21 days (Figure 1) was discharged from an Ebola Treatment Centre after recovering and testing negative twice for the virus. On 9 March, the last 46 contacts finished their follow-up. These are important milestones in the outbreak. However, there is still a high risk of re-emergence of EVD, and a critical need to maintain response operations to rapidly detect and respond to any new cases, to prioritize ongoing support and health monitoring for survivors – as outlined in the WHO recommended criteria for declaring the end of the EVD outbreak….

…Conclusion
Given the long duration and large magnitude of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is a high risk of re-emergence of the virus during the lead up to the declaration of the end of the outbreak, and for several months following that declaration. These risks are exacerbated by potential limitations (e.g. shortages funding, access to communities, competing health emergencies) imposed on the response. To mitigate the risk of re-emergence, it is critical to maintain surveillance and rapid response capacities, and to prioritize survivor care and the maintenance of cooperative relationships with survivors’ associations during and well beyond the 42 days lead up to the end of outbreak declaration.

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Emergencies – Polio-WHO-OCHA

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 18 March 2020
:: The COVID -19 pandemic response requires worldwide solidarity and an urgent global effort. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), with thousands of polio workers, and an extensive laboratory and surveillance network, has a moral imperative to ensure that these resources are used to support countries in their preparedness and response. [See below]

 

Summary of new viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Pakistan: five WPV1 cases, three WPV1 positive environmental samples and 13 cVDPV2 cases
:: Angola: one cVDPV2 case
:: Chad: two cVDPV2 cases
:: Côte d’Ivoire: one cVDPV2 case and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Malaysia: one cVDPV1 case

::::::

GPEI statement on COVID-19
A moral imperative to stand together
18/03/2020
The COVID -19 pandemic response requires worldwide solidarity and an urgent global effort. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), with thousands of polio workers, and an extensive laboratory and surveillance network, has a moral imperative to ensure that these resources are used to support countries in their preparedness and response.

In Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where polio personnel and assets have a significant footprint, workers from all GPEI partners are pitching in with COVID-19 surveillance, health worker training, contact tracing, risk communications and more. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a core GPEI partner, has deployed Stop Transmission of Polio programme (STOP) volunteers already working on polio eradication in 13 countries, to COVID-19 preparations and response.

We recognise that the COVID-19 emergency means that some aspects of polio eradication programme will be affected. GPEI is currently finalising operational guidelines and contingency plans for the polio eradication programme to determine what assets can be deployed to COVID-19 preparedness and response and to identify which critical activities must continue if polio eradication is not to lose ground.  We will continue to communicate on plans as they evolve.

In solidarity with the most vulnerable, the polio programme will share its assets to ensure this new epidemic is defeated as quickly as possible. Our commitment to eradication is firm; our commitment to stand together against COVID-19 is now.

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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 21 Mar 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 84: 17 March 2020
[See Ebola above for detail]

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

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 21 Mar 2020]
Iraq
:: WHO technical mission visits Iraq to step up COVID-19 detection and response activities
Baghdad, Iraq, 15 March 2020 – A high-level technical mission from the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded a visit to Iraq to support the Iraqi Ministry of Health response to COVID-19 prevention and containment measures.

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iran – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 21 Mar 2020]

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

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth
14 Mar 2020
Mozambique: One year after Cyclone Idai, humanitarian assistance is still urgent

EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO & Regional Offices [to 21 Mar 2020]

Posted on by

WHO & Regional Offices [to 21 Mar 2020]
16 March 2020 Statement
ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19
[See Milestones above for detail]

 

::::::

Weekly Epidemiological Record, 20 March 2020, vol. 95, 12 (pp. 105–116)
105 Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2020–2021 northern hemisphere influenza season
116 COVID-19 update

 

::::::

WHO Regional Offices
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Borno closes Lassa fever outbreak, briefs Media on COVID-19
Maiduguri, 21 March, 2020 – Following concerted partners’ response, led by the World Health Organization, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Salihu Kwayabura has declared an end of Lassa fever outbreak in Borno State. The current outbreak, which was the second in almost five decades, was isolated from a 30-year old man from Garba Buzu settlement in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council on 23 January 2020.
:: More than 600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Africa 19 March 2020
More than 600 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 34 countries in Africa as of 19 March, compared with 147 cases one week ago. Although the region has seen a significant increase in confirmed cases recently, there are still fewer cases than in other parts of the world.

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Tuberculosis and COVID-19: What health workers and authorities need to know (03/20/2020)
:: PAHO Director to Health Ministers- “Reorganize health services to care for COVID-19 patients and save lives” (03/18/2020)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO calls for urgent, aggressive actions to combat COVID-19, as cases soar in South-East Asia Region 17 March 2020 News release

WHO European Region EURO
:: World Water Day 2020 highlights the essential role of handwashing 20-03-2020
:: Global solidarity across countries and continents needed to fight COVID-19 19-03-2020
:: Moving towards a multisectoral approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance 19-03-2020
:: Every country needs to take boldest actions to stop COVID-19 17-03-2020
:: SCRC statement on COVID-19 situation in Europe 13-03-2020

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Djibouti joins global action to prevent COVID-19 as first case is confirmed in the country
Djibouti City, 18 March 2020 – The Ministry of Health of Djibouti has confirmed the country’s first case of COVID-19. Health authorities reported the patient as a Spanish national who arrived on a military flight and was directly put in quarantine with no contact with the Djiboutian population. Other Spanish military passengers are being quarantined with support from the French…
:: Statement by the Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari on COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Press conference, 18 March 2020 Dear colleagues and friends, Thank you for joining us here again today for the latest updates on COVID-19, as well as updates on some the work that has been happening on a regional level to help countries manage this pandemic. In the past weeks since many of you were last here, there has been many developments in terms…

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

Outbreak: Update on the ongoing Novel Coronavirus Global Epidemic (Issue 9, 17 March 2020)

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Africa CDC [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.africacdc.org/
News
Outbreak: Update on the ongoing Novel Coronavirus Global Epidemic (Issue 9, 17 March 2020)
…As of 17 March 2020, 443 total COVID-19 cases have been reported in 30 African countries. A total of 10 deaths have been reported from four African countries.  Africa CDC is working with all affected countries and is mobilizing laboratory, surveillance, and other response support where requested…

Africa CDC Response: [Excerpt]
General activities
Africa CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center and its Incident Management System (IMS) for the COVID-19 outbreak on 27 January 2020. Africa CDC has developed its third Incident Action Plan that covers the period between 16 March to 15 April 2020.
The Africa Union Ministers of Health gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 22 February for an emergency COVID-19 meeting where they agreed upon a joint continental strategy and guidance for assessment, movement restrictions, and monitoring of people at risk for COVID-19, including people being repatriated from China.
Africa CDC is holding weekly updates with national public health institutes in Member States and has formed working groups for high priority areas of coronavirus control, including: surveillance; laboratory diagnosis; infection prevention and control; clinical care; and risk communication.
Three experts each have been deployed to Cameroon and Nigeria and to support COVID-19 outbreak response efforts.
Response simulation exercises (i.e., ‘table top’ exercises for high-level coordination) are being initiated, including an initial simulation conducted with a group of ~10 West African Countries in partnership with WAHO.
Africa CDC is working to procure emergency medical equipment stockpiles including diagnostics (over 6,000 test kits), PPE, thermal scanners and other critical equipment that can be used to rapidly equip countries in the event of rapid onset of cases.
Twenty-four volunteers have been recruited to support various response activities with more in-process of recruitment.
Africa CDC gave an orientation to the African Union Commission staff on the epidemiological situation, Africa CDC efforts, and the precautions that staff members should take to prevent themselves and others from getting infected by COVID-19. A social distancing police was issued by AUC to avoid big gatherings and meetings in the AUC facilities…

Continue reading →

China CDC

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

 

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhc.gov.cn/
News
Xi vows more cooperation internationally to control rapid spread of disease
2020-03-21
China vows closer international cooperation with Russia and other countries to control the novel coronavirus pneumonia pandemic, which experts say further demonstrates its vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind…

No new local virus infections for 3 straight days in mainland
2020-03-21
The Chinese mainland has seen no homegrown infections of COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel coronavirus, for three straight days, as the latest data of the National Health Commission showed.
Imported cases, however, keep increasing and are on a generally upward trend in the past week despite fluctuations.
The daily increase of imported cases reached a record high of 41, bringing up the caseload on the Chinese mainland to 81,008, the commission said.
To date, 269 imported cases have been counted…

China returns solidarity with Europe in COVID-19 battle
2020-03-21

China ready to help Britain in COVID-19 fight: Chinese FM
2020-03-21

Beijing: 149 designated medical observation sites for inbound travelers from overseas
2020-03-21

Chinese health experts provide guidance and medical assistance to contain COVID-19 outbreak in Iraq
2020-03-21

Announcements

Posted on by

Announcements
 
Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group    [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/frontiers-group/news-press/
Press Release
No new digest content identified.
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 21 Mar 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 21 Mar 2020]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://cepi.net/
Latest News
CEPI collaborates with the Institut Pasteur in a consortium to develop COVID-19 vaccine
Led by the Institut Pasteur and including Themis and the University of Pittsburgh, the consortium becomes CEPI’s eighth COVID-19 vaccine development programme.
News  19 Mar 2020
CEPI partners with University of Hong Kong to develop COVID-19 vaccine
Partnership becomes seventh COVID-19 vaccine development project that CEPI has signed since Jan 23, 2020.
 
 
News   18 Mar 2020
Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI)  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://clintonhealthaccess.org/
News & Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News & Press Releases
Guidance to sponsors on how to manage clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic
Press release 20/03/2020
The European Commission, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and national Head of Medicines Agencies (HMA) have published new recommendations for sponsors on how to manage the conduct of clinical trials in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on European health systems and more broadly on society, will make it necessary for sponsors to adjust how they manage clinical trials and the people who participate in these trials.

The guidance provides concrete information on changes and protocol deviations which may be needed in the conduct of clinical trials to deal with extraordinary situations, e.g. if trial participants need to be in self-isolation or quarantine, access to public places (including hospitals) is limited due to the risk of spreading infections, and healthcare professionals are being reallocated…

Press release:
Call to pool research resources into large multi-centre, multi-arm clinical trials to generate sound evidence on COVID-19 treatments

Last updated: 19/03/2020
EMA’s Human Medicines Committee (CHMP) has published a statement urging the EU research community to prioritise large randomised controlled studies because they are most likely to generate the conclusive evidence needed to enable rapid development and approval of potential treatments of COVID-19. The statement promotes a harmonised approach to data collection and a robust methodology for COVID-19 clinical trials across the EU to make best use of the available supply of investigational agents. It emphasises the need to include all EU countries in these trials.

News:
First regulatory workshop on COVID-19 facilitates global collaboration on vaccine development
Last updated: 18/03/2020
Today, the first global regulatory workshop on COVID-19 was convened under the umbrella of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA). The virtual meeting brought together delegates from 17 different countries, representing more than 20 medicines regulatory authorities globally, as well as experts from the World Health Organization and the European Commission, to discuss the development of vaccines against COVID-19. The event was co-chaired by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
Latest News
Vaccine development services: COVID19 vaccine projects encouraged to apply
16 March 2020
Researchers developing vaccine candidates against COVID19 can benefit from TRANSVAC2 services
 
 
FDA [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
Press Announcements
March 20, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Alerts Consumers About Unauthorized Fraudulent COVID-19 Test Kits
 
March 20, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA allows expanded use of devices to monitor patients’ vital signs remotely
 
March 20, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA provides guidance on production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to help boost supply, protect public health
 
March 19, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Continues to Facilitate Development of Treatments
 
March 19, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Blood Donations
 
March 19, 2020 – FDA Approves New Treatment for Pediatric Patients with Any Strain of Hepatitis C
 
March 18, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Focuses on Safety of Regulated Products While Scaling Back Domestic Inspections
 
March 18, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Issues Guidance for Conducting Clinical Trials
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a guidance for industry, investigators and institutional review boards conducting clinical trials during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic…
 
March 17, 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Issues Temporary Policy for FSMA Onsite Audit Requirements

 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
News, Events
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Gavi [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.gavi.org/
Stories
21 March 2020
Gavi Board calls for bold engagement to respond to COVID-19
Geneva, 21 March 2020 – With the COVID-19 pandemic already affecting 47 Gavi-supported countries, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has already taken new steps to help strengthen the preparedness of health systems in lower-income countries with the full support of its Board.
Gavi will also be working closely with WHO, CEPI, World Bank, UNICEF and other partners to create the optimal conditions for the acceleration of priority candidate vaccines with a focus on access including assuring adequate scale up of production and delivery to be sure the vaccine gets to where it is needed to stem the pandemic.
“We have already seen the impact COVID-19 can have on health systems in wealthier countries; in countries with already fragile health systems it could be catastrophic,” said Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of the Gavi Board during a meeting on Thursday. “As has become brutally clear in recent months, this disease doesn’t respect borders, which is why it will take a truly global response to defeat it. Gavi is making funding immediately available for lower-income countries to respond to the crisis. Routine immunisation against other deadly diseases like measles, yellow fever and diphtheria also must continue – we cannot have two global outbreaks on our hands.”…
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 21 Mar 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 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
News & Stories
Funding Model
Building High-Quality Grants
20 March 2020
News
Global Fund Supports 11 Countries in Response to COVID-19
20 March 2020
GENEVA – The Global Fund announced today that 11 countries have so far used financial assistance from the Global Fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working within its mandate to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and to strengthen systems for health, the Global Fund issued new guidelines earlier this month to provide flexibility for countries to use up to 5% of approved grants to fight COVID-19 and to mitigate the potential consequences of the pandemic on existing programs to fight HIV, TB and malaria…
Sourcing & Management of Health Products
COVID-19 Procurement and Supply Update for Global Fund Principal Recipients
19 March 2020
Video
COVID-19 Pandemic: Statement from Executive Director Peter Sands
19 March 2020
 

 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.

 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
Press Releases
March 5, 2020
IAVI and Batavia Biosciences Announce Collaboration on VSV-vector Based Epidemic Preparedness Vaccines
Mutual expertise drives innovations to address supply issues for vaccines for outbreak pathogens
 
 
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
COVID-19: Critical to keep the supply chain of essential medicines manufacturing operating at full capacity (March 2020)
IGBA, the International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association (IGBA), representing global manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines, today calls upon the global policy leaders and governments to do everything in their power to keep the manufacturing operations and the supply chain of essential medicines operating at full capacity. This will allow our companies to continue to produce much needed critical medicines. While we support the need to protect healthcare workers and to provide hospitals with essential materials, putting unreasonable restrictions on exports of essential medical supplies or medicines will do more harm than good at this time of urgent need.
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFRC   [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/news/press-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVAC  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
Updates
COVID-19 Questions Answered: IVAC-Affiliated Experts Give Their Take on the Challenges with Infection Control
March 2020
As coronavirus-related facts change by the day or hour, International Vaccine Access Center experts in epidemiology, vaccine development, economics, policy, and behavioral science are called upon to analyze current events and predict what’s ahead.  Here is a round robin on the latest with the pandemic and what our people are doing to support a rapid […]

 
 

IVI   [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.ivi.int/
Selected IVI News & Announcements
IVI at work on COVID-19
[undated]
As COVID-19 continues to disrupt communities around the world, IVI remains committed to our mission to protect the world’s most vulnerable people from vaccine-preventable diseases by developing safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health. We do this for diseases like cholera and typhoid, as well as emerging infectious diseases.

Here’s how we’re accelerating vaccines against COVID-19:
:: Development of an international standard laboratory vaccine effectiveness evaluation platform for multiple vaccine development groups:
. VSV-receptor binding domain vaccine with Sumagen, a Korean biotech company
. COVID DNA vaccine in a consortium of 6 organizations led by Genexine with IVI, Binex, GenNBio, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology) with plans to start clinical trials in July 2020
:: Progress with CEPI for IVI as a clinical partner for CEPI-supported vaccine candidates
:: In the process of obtaining funding for enhanced COVID-19 surveillance at existing IVI work sites that conduct febrile surveillance for typhoid in Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Ethiopia.
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
Selected News and Events
No new digest content identified.

 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.msf.org/
Latest [Selected Announcements]
Burkina Faso
Four questions on the unprecedented humanitarian emergency…
Interview 20 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disease COVID-19
“Our priority is to protect hospital staff” where COVID-19 began in Italy
Project Update 20 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disease COVID-19
Vulnerable communities are bracing for impact of COVID-19
Op-Ed 20 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disease COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to spread, MSF prepares for action in France
Press Release 18 Mar 2020
Syria
People in northwest Syria continue to struggle despite truce
Project Update 17 Mar 2020
South Sudan
Huge numbers of wounded and displaced as violence continues in J…
Press Release 17 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disease COVID-19
Help and solidarity needed in Europe to protect medical staff fr…
Press Release 16 Mar 2020
Coronavirus disease COVID-19
Challenges in supporting COVID-19 response
Interview 16 Mar 2020
National Vaccine Program Office – U.S. HHS  [to 21 Mar 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 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
Selected News Releases
NIH shifts non-mission-critical laboratory operations to minimal maintenance phase
March 20, 2020 — Only mission-critical functions within NIH research laboratories will be supported.
New coronavirus stable for hours on surfaces
March 17, 2020 — SARS-CoV-2 stability similar to original SARS virus.
NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begins
March 16, 2020 — Study enrolling Seattle-based healthy adult volunteers.
[See Milestones above for detail]
NIH Reports First Known Employee with COVID-19 Infection
March 15, 2020 — Individual is self-quarantined and staff who work in close proximity have been notified, asked to self-quarantine, and will be screened for COVID-19.

 
 
PATH  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
Selected Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
Statements and Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

UNAIDS [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
20 March 2020
Chains of solidarity and kindness during the COVID-19 outbreak

UNICEF  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases

Press release
World Poetry Day: Young people in war zones across the world share heart-wrenching poems calling for peace
As the world battles COVID-19, peace in countries affected by conflict is critical, warns UNICEF

21/03/2020
Statement
COVID-19 does not discriminate; nor should our response

Statement by the United Nations Network on Migration
20/03/2020
Press release
COVID-19: Children at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence amidst intensifying containment measures

Newly released technical guidance aims to help authorities strengthen protection measures for children during pandemic

NEW YORK, 20 March 2020 – Hundreds of millions of children around the world will likely face increasing threats to their safety and wellbeing – including mistreatment, gender-based violence, exploitation, social exclusion and separation from caregivers – because of actions taken to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNICEF is urging governments to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children amidst the intensifying socioeconomic fallout from the disease. The UN children’s agency, together with its partners at the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, has released a set of guidance to support authorities and organizations involved in the response.

In a matter of months, COVID-19 has upended the lives of children and families across the globe. School closures and movement restrictions are disrupting children’s routines and support systems. They are also adding new stressors on caregivers who may have to forgo work.

Stigma related to COVID-19 has left some children more vulnerable to violence and psychosocial distress. At the same time, control measures that do not account for the gender-specific needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls may also increase their risk of sexual exploitation, abuse and child marriage. Recent anecdotal evidence from China, for instance, points to a significant rise in cases of domestic violence against women and girls.

“In many ways, the disease is now reaching children and families far beyond those it directly infects,” said Cornelius Williams, UNICEF Chief of Child Protection. “Schools are closing. Parents are struggling to care for their children and make ends meet. The protection risks for children are mounting. This guidance provides governments and protection authorities with an outline of practical measures that can be taken to keep children safe during these uncertain times.”

Increased rates of abuse and exploitation of children have occurred during previous public health emergencies. School closures during the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, for example, contributed to spikes in child labor, neglect, sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies. In Sierra Leone, cases of teenage pregnancy more than doubled to 14,000 from before the outbreak.
As part of the guidance, the Alliance is recommending that governments and protection authorities take concrete steps to ensure protection of children is integral to all COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including:
:: Train health, education and child services staff on COVID-19 related child protection risks, including on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and how to safely report concerns;
:: Train first responders on how to manage disclosure of gender-based violence (GBV Pocket Guide), and collaborate with healthcare services to support GBV survivors;

Increase information sharing on referral and other support services available for children;
:: Engage children, particularly adolescents, in assessing how COVID-19 affects them differently to inform programming and advocacy;
:: Provide targeted support to interim care centres and families, including child-headed households and foster families, to emotionally support children and engage in appropriate self-care;
:: Provide financial and material assistance to families whose income generating opportunities have been affected; and
:: Put in place concrete measures to prevent child-family separation, and ensure support for children left alone without adequate care due to the hospitalization or death of a parent or caregiver; and
:: Ensure the protection of all children is given the utmost consideration in disease control measures.

Statement
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on the COVID-19 pandemic
NEW YORK, 18 March 2020 – “One week since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the number of cases continues to soar around the world. Hundreds of millions of children are not in school. Parents and caregivers are working remotely whenever they can. Borders have been closed. Lives have been upended.
“These are uncharted waters for all of us. At UNICEF, we are fighting a new virus, debunking myths and battling misinformation, all while looking after the well-being of our staff and our own families.
“Our life-saving work to provide children with health, education, nutrition and protection has never been more critical. With millions of children uprooted, affected by wars, dying from preventable causes, out of school, or missing out on essential vaccines, the need for support has never been greater.
“UNICEF is working to help prevent the spread of the virus among communities in the affected countries. We are sharing accurate information on how to keep families safe, providing hygiene and medical kits to schools and health clinics, and mitigating the impact of the outbreak on children’s access to health, education and social services.
“Now more than ever, we count on our donors to continue supporting our mission for those with nothing and no one – despite these difficult times.
Press release
One year after Cyclone Idai, 2.5 million people in Mozambique remain in need of humanitarian assistance
UNICEF prepares for more frequent and ferocious disasters as a result of the climate crisis

17/03/2020
Press release
Almost 5 million children born into war in Syria, 1 million born as refugees in neighbouring countries
Over 9,000 children killed or injured in the conflict, according to verified data, with an average of one child killed every 10 hours since monitoring began
15/03/2020
 
Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN)  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://vaccineacceptance.org/news.html#header1-2r
Announcements
No new digest content identified.

Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Latest News & Archive
No new digest content identified.

 

Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
Coronavirus Updates
Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Last Updated: March 19, 2020
Get some fast facts about the coronavirus from CHOP and the CDC. The CDC will provide updated information as it becomes available.

 

Wellcome Trust  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
Opinion | 18 March 2020
Urgent investment needed for diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to end the COVID-19 pandemic
Alex Harris, Head of Global Policy Policy and Advocacy team, Wellcome
Now is not the time to make cautious investments: now is the time for courageous action to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.wfpha.org/
Latest News
No new digest content identified.

 
 

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2020/

Press Releases
COVID-19 and veterinary activities designated as essential

OIE/WVA Joint Statement
In the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA) jointly draw attention to the roles and responsibilities of the veterinary profession for public health. They highlight the specific veterinary activities which are key to ensure a continuum in food safety, disease prevention and emergency management.
Paris, 18 March 2020 – To effectively tackle the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments around the world have taken restrictive measures to close non-essential businesses. These decisions raise questions regarding potential adaptations that need to be implemented by the veterinary profession.
In this context, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA) advocate for the specific activities of Veterinary Services to be considered as essential businesses.

Maintaining the activities that are crucial to public health
Veterinarians are an integral part of the global health community. Beyond the activities linked to the health and welfare of animals, they have a key role in disease prevention and management, including those transmissible to humans, and to ensure food safety for the populations.
In the current situation, it is crucial that, amongst their numerous activities, they can sustain those necessary to ensure that:
:: national and regional veterinary regulatory and inspection services can oversee the integrity of public health
:: only healthy animals and their by-products enter the food supply to guarantee food safety for the populations,
:: emergency situations can be addressed,
:: preventative measures, such as vaccination against diseases with a significant public health or economic impact, are maintained.
:: priority research activities continue.
Supporting veterinary activities in the current context
When conducting their work, veterinarians have the responsibility to safeguard their health, the health of those they work with, and their clients’ health. Hence, they must ensure that appropriate levels of biosecurity are implemented, that their personnel are protected with the necessary equipment, and that animal owners are informed of precautionary measures in place. It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that appropriate behaviours are respected in the framework of these activities, to avoid further spread of COVID-19.

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ARM [Alliance for Regenerative Medicine]  [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://alliancerm.org/press-releases/
Press Releases
No new digest content identified.

 
 
BIO    [to 21 Mar 2020]
https://www.bio.org/press-releases

Press Releases
America’s Biopharmaceutical Companies Working Around the Clock to Beat Coronavirus

March 20, 2020
Companies are Coming Together to Achieve Shared Goal of Eradicating the Virus 
Press Release
Media Advisory: World’s Largest Biopharmaceutical Organization to Host Two-Day Virtual Summit on Coronavirus

March 19, 2020
The two-day summit will take place on Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25, and will be led by BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood and Dr. George Scangos, President and CEO of Vir Biotechnology. BIO Board Chairman Dr. Jeremy Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics, appointed Dr. Scangos to oversee the BIO Coronavirus Collaboration Initiative, which is intended to help connect innovators with partners across both the industry and inside the federal government to combat the coronavirus.
The summit will include leaders from biotech and pharmaceutical companies, global academic experts in virology and immunology, and non-governmental organizations. Those invited to participate include Ambassador Deborah Birx, Dr. Robert Kadlec, and other senior leaders from key government offices, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. Information regarding confirmed guests will be provided at a later date….

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

WHO: BIO, Industry Leaders, Senior Government Officials, and Scientific Experts
WHAT: Virtual Summit to Foster Public-Private Collaboration to Address the Coronavirus
WHEN: Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25
WHERE: Virtual Meeting, registration required
 

DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
News
No new digest content identified.
 
 

IFPMA   [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
Selected Press Releases, Statements, Publications

Global Biopharmaceutical Industry pulling out all the stops to address Coronavirus public health crisis

19 March 2020, Geneva – The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), representing the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, today confirmed that having already mobilized on an unprecedented scale to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, they commit to do more. The biopharmaceutical industry commits to accelerate its effort to use its skills, technology and resources to bring safe, effective diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to patients around the world as a matter of urgency…

…Among the commitments are to:
:: use industry’s expertise and know-how to speed up the development of safe and effective vaccines, partnering with others to make it possible;
:: use industry’s medical expertise to support global healthcare systems to manage the unprecedented increase in pressure they face;
:: share tools and insights to test potential therapies and vaccines as well as developing and scaling up capacity ofdiagnostics for testing for COVID-19 patients as much as possible;
:: increase industry’s manufacturing capabilities and willingly share available capacity to ramp up production once a successful vaccine or treatment is developed;
:: work to secure continuity of supply for all essential medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for patients with other life-threatening diseases, calling on governments to implement policies and decisions that facilitate access for those in need…
Pharma industry and patient groups collaborate on a NEW guidance note on best practices for interaction
16 March 2020
…The Note for Guidance aims to complement the 2019 IFPMA Code of Practice which covers the promotion of pharmaceutical products and interactions with Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), medical institutions and patient organizations.  The new advisory note sets out principles of interaction on how to protect the independence, privacy and integrity of patients, caregivers and patient organizations when they receive financial and non-financial support from companies and associations.  It provides best practice on what should be included in agreements and puts great emphasis on advising pharmaceutical companies and associations to carefully consider how and when to engage with patients and caregivers as individuals, as advisors, or as guest speakers at events and congresses…
 
 
PhRMA    [to 21 Mar 2020]
http://www.phrma.org/
Selected Press Releases, Statements
America’s Biopharmaceutical Companies Working Around the Clock to Beat Coronavirus

Companies are Coming Together to Achieve Shared Goal of Eradicating the Virus
March 20, 2020
Washington, D.C. (March 20, 2020) — Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) underscored the industry’s commitment to finding solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat those with COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus. The decades-long investments biopharmaceutical companies have made in new technologies, research and treatments have prepared the industry to act swiftly to respond to the public health crisis.
America’s biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to:
:: Work with government agencies and diagnostic partners to increase COVID-19 testing capability and capacity.
:: Screen vast global libraries of medicines to identify potential treatments and have numerous clinical trials underway to test existing therapies.
:: Research and develop new therapies and treatments for those infected with the virus.
:: Use investments in new technologies to speed the development of safe and effective vaccines.

“I’m confident our industry will achieve its shared goal to beat coronavirus, and our commitment underscores how we are uniquely positioned to do so,” said Stephen J. Ubl, president and chief executive officer of PhRMA. “We have deep scientific knowledge gained from decades of experience with similar viruses; the industry has invested billions in technologies that have dramatically shortened the time it takes to decode viruses and develop a potential vaccine; and our companies alone have the ability to manufacture and broadly disseminate vaccines or treatments.”…

Industry Watch  [to 21 Mar 2020]
:: Pfizer Announces Top-Line Results from Phase 3 Study of 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Pneumococcal Vaccine-Naïve Adults Aged 18 Years or Older
20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine demonstrated comparable safety and immunogenicity profile to licensed pneumococcal vaccines
March 18, 2020
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced top-line results from one of its Phase 3 studies (NCT03760146), which evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate in adults 18 years of age or older not previously vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. The primary immunogenicity objectives of non-inferiority for the 20 serotypes included in 20vPnC in adults 60 years of age and older at one month after vaccination were met for all serotypes in common with licensed Prevnar 13® (pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]) and six of the seven additional serotypes when compared to a licensed pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23); one of the new seven serotypes missed noninferiority criteria by a small margin.1 Secondary immunogenicity objectives for adults 18-59 years old compared to those 60-64 years old met non-inferiority for all 20 serotypes. The safety objectives were met in adults 18 years of age or older demonstrating that the safety and tolerability of 20vPnC were comparable to licensed pneumococcal vaccines. Based on prior discussions with regulators, these data are expected to meet licensure criteria…

 

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

Costs and benefits of early response in the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone

Posted on by

Artificial Intelligence – An International Journal
Volume 281 April 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/artificial-intelligence/vol/281/suppl/C

 


BMC Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
http://resource-allocation.biomedcentral.com/
(Accessed 21 Mar 2020)
Costs and benefits of early response in the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone
The 2014–2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa was the largest EVD outbreak recorded, which has triggered calls for investments that would facilitate an even earlier response. This study aims to estimate the costs and health effects of earlier interventions in Sierra Leone.
Authors: Klas Kellerborg, Werner Brouwer and Pieter van Baal
Content type: Research
16 March 2020

Influenza in the school-aged population in Mexico: burden of disease and cost-effectiveness of vaccination in children

Posted on by

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 21 Mar 2020)

 

Influenza in the school-aged population in Mexico: burden of disease and cost-effectiveness of vaccination in children
The current national influenza vaccination schedule in Mexico does not recommend vaccination in the school-aged population (5–11 years). Currently, there are limited data from middle-income countries analysing…
Authors: Jorge Abelardo Falcón-Lezama, Rodrigo Saucedo-Martínez, Miguel Betancourt-Cravioto, Myrna María Alfaro-Cortes, Roberto Isaac Bahena-González and Roberto Tapia-Conyer
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2020 20:240
Content type: Research article
Published on: 20 March 2020

Dishonesty and research misconduct within the medical profession

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BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 21 Mar 2020)

Dishonesty and research misconduct within the medical profession
Authors: Habib Rahman and Stephen Ankier
Content type: Review
18 March 2020
Abstract
While there has been much discussion of how the scientific establishment’s culture can engender research misconduct and scientific irreproducibility, this has been discussed much less frequently with respect to the medical profession. Here the authors posit that a lack of self-criticism, an encouragement of novel scientific research generated by the recruitment policies of the UK Royal Training Colleges along with insufficient training in the sciences are core reasons as to why research misconduct and dishonesty prevail within the medical community. Furthermore, the UK General Medical Council’s own data demonstrates a historic inattentiveness to the ease with which doctors can engage in research misconduct. Suggestions are made as to how these issues can be investigated and alternative incentives for career advancement are adumbrated.

Clarifying how to deploy the public interest criterion in consent waivers for health data and tissue research

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BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 21 Mar 2020)

 

Clarifying how to deploy the public interest criterion in consent waivers for health data and tissue research
Several jurisdictions, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and most recently Ireland, have a public interest or public good criterion for granting waivers of consent in biomedical research using secondary health data or tissue. However, the concept of the public interest is not well defined in this context, which creates difficulties for institutions, institutional review boards (IRBs) and regulators trying to implement the criterion.
Authors: G. Owen Schaefer, Graeme Laurie, Sumytra Menon, Alastair V. Campbell and Teck Chuan Voo
Content type: Debate
20 March 2020