How can the public health impact of vaccination be estimated?

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BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 13 Nov 2021)

 

How can the public health impact of vaccination be estimated?
Deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases cause a notable proportion of mortality worldwide. To quantify the importance of vaccination, it is necessary to estimate the burden averted through vaccination. The …
Authors: Susy Echeverria-Londono, Xiang Li, Jaspreet Toor, Margaret J. de Villiers, Shevanthi Nayagam, Timothy B. Hallett, Kaja Abbas, Mark Jit, Petra Klepac, Kévin Jean, Tini Garske, Neil M. Ferguson and Katy A. M. Gaythorpe
Citation: BMC Public Health 2021 21:2049
Content type: Research
Published on: 9 November 2021

Immunogenicity of standard and extended dosing intervals of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine

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Cell
Nov 11, 2021 Volume 184 Issue 23 p5691-5838
https://www.cell.com/cell/current

 

Articles
Immunogenicity of standard and extended dosing intervals of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine
Rebecca P. Payne, et al. on behalf of the PITCH Consortium
Open Access
After giving a primary dose, delaying administration of a second dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine up to 6–14 weeks continues to provide strong protection and contributes to favorable antibody, B cell, and T cell responses.

Challenges and opportunities for conducting a vaccine trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

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Clinical Trials

Volume 18 Issue 6, December 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/18/6

 

Design
Challenges and opportunities for conducting a vaccine trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
M Estée Török, Benjamin R Underwood, Mark Toshner, Claire Waddington, Emad Sidhom, Katherine Sharrocks, Rachel Bousfield, Charlotte Summers, Caroline Saunders, Zoe McIntyre, Helen Morris, Jo Piper, Gloria Calderon, Sarah Dennis, Tracy Assari, Anita Marguerie de Rotrou, Ashley Shaw, John Bradley, John O’Brien, Robert C Rintoul, Ian Smith, Ed Bullmore, Krishna Chatterjeeon behalf of the Cambridge COVID Vaccine Trial Team
First Published June 22, 2021; pp. 615–621

Design and analysis of a 2-year parallel follow-up of repeated ivermectin mass drug administrations for control of malaria: Small sample considerations for cluster-randomized trials with count data

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Clinical Trials

Volume 18 Issue 6, December 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/18/6

Design and analysis of a 2-year parallel follow-up of repeated ivermectin mass drug administrations for control of malaria: Small sample considerations for cluster-randomized trials with count data
Conner L Jackson, Kathryn Colborn, Dexiang Gao, Sangeeta Rao, Hannah C Slater, Sunil Parikh, Brian D Foy, John Kittelson

 

First Published July 3, 2021; pp. 582–593

Characteristics of available studies and dissemination of research using major clinical data sharing platforms

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Clinical Trials

Volume 18 Issue 6, December 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ctja/18/6

Articles
Characteristics of available studies and dissemination of research using major clinical data sharing platforms
Enrique Vazquez, Henri Gouraud, Florian Naudet, Cary P Gross, Harlan M Krumholz, Joseph S Ross, Joshua D Wallach
First Published August 18, 2021; pp. 657–666

AI revolutions in biology: The joys and perils of AlphaFold

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EMBO Reports
Volume 22 Issue 11 4 November 2021
https://www.embopress.org/toc/14693178/current

 

Science & Society 20 October 2021 Open Access
AI revolutions in biology: The joys and perils of AlphaFold
Anastassis Perrakis, Titia K Sixma
AlphaFold is the most ground-breaking application of AI in science so far; it will revolutionize structural biology, but caution is warranted.

Involving society in science: Reflections on meaningful and impactful stakeholder engagement in fundamental research

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EMBO Reports
Volume 22 Issue 11 4 November 2021
https://www.embopress.org/toc/14693178/current

 

Science & Society 4 November 2021 Open Access
Involving society in science: Reflections on meaningful and impactful stakeholder engagement in fundamental research
Helen Garrison et al
Open Science calls for transparent science and involvement of various stakeholders. Here are examples of and advice for meaningful stakeholder engagement.

Localisation and local humanitarian action

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Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 79, May 2021
https://odihpn.org/magazine/localisation-and-local-humanitarian-action/

 

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

Effect of 12 mg vs 6 mg of Dexamethasone on the Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia The COVID STEROID 2 Randomized Trial

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JAMA
November 9, 2021, Vol 326, No. 18, Pages 1771-1880
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Original Investigation
Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
Effect of 12 mg vs 6 mg of Dexamethasone on the Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe HypoxemiaThe COVID STEROID 2 Randomized Trial
The COVID STEROID 2 Trial Group

COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Federal and State Prisons Compared With the US Population, April 5, 2020, to April 3, 2021

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JAMA
November 9, 2021, Vol 326, No. 18, Pages 1771-1880
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Research Letter
COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Federal and State Prisons Compared With the US Population, April 5, 2020, to April 3, 2021
Neal Marquez, MPH; Julie A. Ward, MN, RN; Kalind Parish, MA; et al.
free access
JAMA. 2021;326(18):1865-1867. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17575
This study examines COVID-19 cases and deaths among US federal and state prisoners from April 5, 2020, to April 3, 2021, compared with cases and deaths in the overall US population.

A Policy Prescription for Reducing Health Disparities—Achieving Pharmacoequity

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JAMA
November 9, 2021, Vol 326, No. 18, Pages 1771-1880
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Viewpoint
A Policy Prescription for Reducing Health Disparities—Achieving Pharmacoequity
Utibe R. Essien, MD, MPH; Stacie B. Dusetzina, PhD; Walid F. Gellad, MD, MPH
free access has audio
JAMA. 2021;326(18):1793-1794. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17764
This Viewpoint discusses pharmacoequity, which is the goal of ensuring that all individuals have access to the highest-quality medications required to manage their health needs, and ways in which this can be achieved.
Audio Author Interview: A Continued Focus on Equity Through Pharmacoequity and Digital Health Equity: Two Current Viewpoints

Focusing on Digital Health Equity

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JAMA
November 9, 2021, Vol 326, No. 18, Pages 1771-1880
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/currentissue

 

Focusing on Digital Health Equity
Courtney R. Lyles, PhD; Robert M. Wachter, MD; Urmimala Sarkar, MD, MPH
free access has audio
JAMA. 2021;326(18):1795-1796. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.18459
This Viewpoint describes ways in which health care digital tools and platforms can be designed and implemented to address long-standing health equity disparities.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions, vaccination, and the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant in England: a mathematical modelling study

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The Lancet
Nov 13, 2021 Volume 398 Number 10313 p1777-1850
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

 

Articles
Non-pharmaceutical interventions, vaccination, and the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant in England: a mathematical modelling study
Raphael Sonabend, et al.
Open Access
Findings
The roadmap policy was successful in offsetting the increased transmission resulting from lifting NPIs starting on March 8, 2021, with increasing population immunity through vaccination. However, because of the emergence of the delta variant, with an estimated transmission advantage of 76% (95% credible interval [95% CrI] 69–83) over alpha, fully lifting NPIs on June 21, 2021, as originally planned might have led to 3900 (95% CrI 1500–5700) peak daily hospital admissions under our central parameter scenario. Delaying until July 19, 2021, reduced peak hospital admissions by three fold to 1400 (95% CrI 700–1700) per day. There was substantial uncertainty in the epidemic trajectory, with particular sensitivity to the transmissibility of delta, level of mixing, and estimates of vaccine effectiveness.
Interpretation
Our findings show that the risk of a large wave of COVID-19 hospital admissions resulting from lifting NPIs can be substantially mitigated if the timing of NPI relaxation is carefully balanced against vaccination coverage. However, with the delta variant, it might not be possible to fully lift NPIs without a third wave of hospital admissions and deaths, even if vaccination coverage is high. Variants of concern, their transmissibility, vaccine uptake, and vaccine effectiveness must be carefully monitored as countries relax pandemic control measures.

The Relationship Between Household Microfinance Group Participation and Vaccine Adherence Among Children in Rural Western Kenya

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Maternal and Child Health Journal
Volume 25, issue 11, November 2021
https://link.springer.com/journal/10995/volumes-and-issues/25-11

 

The Relationship Between Household Microfinance Group Participation and Vaccine Adherence Among Children in Rural Western Kenya
Authors (first, second and last of 12) Jessica E. Deyoe, James Akiruga Amisi, Molly Rosenberg
Content type: Original Paper
Published: 18 August 2021
Pages: 1725 – 1734

Principles of Economic Evaluation in a Pandemic Setting: An Expert Panel Discussion on Value Assessment During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

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PharmacoEconomics
Volume 39, issue 11, November 2021
https://link.springer.com/journal/40273/volumes-and-issues/39-11

 

Current Opinion
Principles of Economic Evaluation in a Pandemic Setting: An Expert Panel Discussion on Value Assessment During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Authors (first, second and last of 6) Yumi Asukai, Andrew Briggs, Daniel A. Ollendorf
Open Access
Published: 24 September 2021

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal and associated factors in an adult population in Saskatchewan, Canada: Evidence from predictive modelling

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

 

Research Article
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal and associated factors in an adult population in Saskatchewan, Canada: Evidence from predictive modelling
Nazeem Muhajarine, Daniel A. Adeyinka, Jessica McCutcheon, Kathryn L. Green, Miles Fahlman, Natalie Kallio
Research Article | published 12 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259513

A social norms approach intervention to address misperceptions of anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs amongst UK parents

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

 

A social norms approach intervention to address misperceptions of anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs amongst UK parents
Darel Cookson, Daniel Jolley, Robert C. Dempsey, Rachel Povey
Research Article | published 12 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258985

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Refugees in the United States

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Public Health Reports
Volume 136 Issue 6, November/December 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/phrg/136/6

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Refugees in the United States
Mengxi Zhang, PhD, MPH, Ashok Gurung, MS, Philip Anglewicz, PhD, Parangkush Subedi, MPH, Colleen Payton, PhD, MPH, Ahmed Ali, PharmD, Anisa Ibrahim, MD, Mahri Haider, MD, MPH, Navid Hamidi, BS, Jacob Atem, PhD, MPH, Jenni Thang, BA, Siqin Wang, PhD, Curi Kim, MD, MPH, Sarah L. Kimball, MD, Fatima Karaki, MD, Najib Nazhat, BA, Mouammar Abouagila, BA, Katherine Yun, MD, MHS

 

First Published September 21, 2021; pp. 774–781

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Maternal Vaccine Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intentions

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Public Health Reports
Volume 136 Issue 6, November/December 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/phrg/136/6

 

Research
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Maternal Vaccine Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intentions
Matthew Z. Dudley, PhD, Rupali J. Limaye, PhD, Daniel A. Salmon, PhD, Saad B. Omer, MBBS, Sean T. O’Leary, MD, Mallory K. Ellingson, MPH, Christine I. Spina, MSPH, Sarah E. Brewer, PhD, Robert A. Bednarczyk, PhD, Fauzia Malik, PhD, Paula M. Frew, PhD, Allison T. Chamberlain, PhD
First Published January 28, 2021; pp. 699–709

Monetary incentives increase COVID-19 vaccinations

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Science
Volume 374| Issue 6569| 12 Nov 2021
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current

 

Reports
Monetary incentives increase COVID-19 vaccinations
BY Pol Campos-Mercade, Armando N. Meier, Florian H. Schneider, Stephan Meier, Devin Pope, Erik Wengström
07 Oct 2021: 879-882
Open Access
In Sweden, monetary incentives of US $24 increased vaccination rates from approximately 72% to approximately 76%.

A Research and Development (R&D) roadmap for influenza vaccines: Looking toward the future

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 45 Pages 6565-6712 (29 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/45

 

Review article Open access
A Research and Development (R&D) roadmap for influenza vaccines: Looking toward the future
Kristine A. Moore, Julia T. Ostrowsky, Alison M. Kraigsley, Angela J. Mehr, … Jerry Weir
Pages 6573-6584

Preferences for COVID-19 vaccination information and location: Associations with vaccine hesitancy, race and ethnicity

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 45 Pages 6565-6712 (29 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/45

 

Short communication Full text access
Preferences for COVID-19 vaccination information and location: Associations with vaccine hesitancy, race and ethnicity
Kimberly A. Fisher, Ngoc Nguyen, Sybil Crawford, Hassan Fouayzi, … Kathleen M. Mazor
Pages 6591-6594

Supporting National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups in the WHO European Region in developing national COVID-19 vaccination recommendations through online communication platform

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 45 Pages 6565-6712 (29 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/45

 

Short communication Open access
Supporting National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups in the WHO European Region in developing national COVID-19 vaccination recommendations through online communication platform
Liudmila Mosina, Wiebe Külper-Schiek, Lisa Jacques-Carroll, Andrew Earnshaw, … Siddhartha Sankar Datta
Pages 6595-6600

Anti-COVID Vaccination for Adolescents: A Survey on Determinants of Vaccine Parental Hesitancy

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Feature Paper Article
Anti-COVID Vaccination for Adolescents: A Survey on Determinants of Vaccine Parental Hesitancy
by Stefano Zona et al.
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1309; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111309 – 10 Nov 2021
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy has been considered one of the most severe threats to global health, as it represents an obstacle to achieving adequate vaccination coverage. Recent research studies aimed at investigating the propensity for anti-COVID vaccination among adults have found a high prevalence of […]

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Parents’ Non-Intention to Vaccinate Their Children and Adolescents against COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Article
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Parents’ Non-Intention to Vaccinate Their Children and Adolescents against COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean
by Diego Urrunaga-Pastor, et a.
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111303 – 09 Nov 2021
Abstract
We aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with parents’ non-intention to vaccinate their children and adolescents against COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We performed a secondary analysis using a database generated by the University of Maryland and Facebook […]

Pre-Print Servers

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Pre-Print Servers

 
 
bioRxiv
https://www.biorxiv.org/
bioRxiv (pronounced “bio-archive”) is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. It is operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a not-for-profit research and educational institution. By posting preprints on bioRxiv, authors are able to make their findings immediately available to the scientific community and receive feedback on draft manuscripts before they are submitted to journals.
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]
Potent antibody immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants elicited by a third dose of inactivated vaccine
Bin Ju, Bing Zhou, Shuo Song, Qing Fan, Xiangyang Ge, Haiyan Wang, Lin Cheng, Huimin Guo, Dan Shu, Lei Liu, Zheng Zhang
bioRxiv 2021.11.10.468037; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.10.468037

Serum from COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic shows limited evidence of cross-neutralization against variants of concern
Marzi, A., Griffin, A., O’Donnell, K. L., Shifflett, K., Lavik, J.-P., Russell, P. M., Zimmerman, M. K., Relich, R. F.
10.1101/2021.11.10.468174 — Posted: 2021-11-12

 
 

Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

[No new digest content identified]

 
 

medRxiv
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/about-medrxiv
medRxiv is a free online archive and distribution server for complete but unpublished manuscripts (preprints) in the medical, clinical, and related health sciences. Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information. medRxiv is for the distribution of preprints – complete but unpublished manuscripts – that describe human health research conducted, analyzed, and interpreted according to scientific principles…
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]
Selected Content
Protection offered by mRNA-1273 versus BNT162b2 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Qatar
Abu-Raddad, L. J., Chemaitelly, H., Ayoub, H. H., Tang, P. J., Hasan, M. R., Coyle, P., YASSINE, H. M., Benslimane, F., Al-Khatib, H. A., Al-Kanaani, Z., Al Kuwari, E., Jeremijenko, A., Kaleeckal, A. H., Latif, A. N., Shaik, R. M., Abdul Rahim, H. F., Nasrallah, G., Al Kuwari, M. G., Butt, A. A., Al Romaihi, H. E., Al-Thani, M. H., Al Khal, A., Bertollini, R.
10.1101/2021.11.12.21266250 — Posted: 2021-11-13

Age and product dependent vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among adults in Norway: a national cohort study, January to September 2021.
Starrfelt, J., Buanes, E. A., Juvet, L. K., Lyngstad, T. M., Ro, G. O. I., Veneti, L., Meijerink, H.
10.1101/2021.11.12.21266222 — Posted: 2021-11-12

Vaccine effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca to prevent severe COVID-19 in Costa Rica by September and October 2021: A nationwide, observational study of hospitalisations prevalence.
Rosero-Bixby, L.
10.1101/2021.11.08.21266087 — Posted: 2021-11-09

Parents intention to vaccinate their 5-11 years old children with the COVID-19: vaccine rates, predictors and the role of incentives
Shmueli, L.
10.1101/2021.11.05.21265900 — Posted: 2021-11-09

Third dose vaccine With BNT162b2 and its response on Long COVID after Breakthrough infections
hoque, a., Rahman, M., Imam, H., Nahar, N., Hasan Chowdhury, F. U.
10.1101/2021.11.08.21266037 — Posted: 2021-11-09

Surveillance of COVID-19 in a Vaccinated Population: A Rapid Literature Review
Egunsola, O., Farkas, B., Flanagan, J., Salmon, C., Mastikhina, L., Clement, F.
10.1101/2021.11.05.21265763 — Posted: 2021-11-08

A need of COVID19 vaccination for children aged <12 years: Comparative evidence from the clinical characteristics in patients during a recent Delta surge (B.1.617.2)
Li, H., Lin, H., Chen, X., Li, H., Li, H., Lin, S., Huang, L., Chen, G., Zheng, G., Wang, S., Hu, X., Huang, H., Tu, H., Li, X., Ji, Y., Zhong, W., Li, Q., Fang, J., Lin, Q., Yu, R., Xie, B.
10.1101/2021.11.05.21265712 — Posted: 2021-11-08

Defining the determinants of under-vaccination in migrant populations in Europe to improve routine and COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a systematic review
Crawshaw, A. F., Farah, Y., Deal, A., Rustage, K., Hayward, S. E., Carter, J., Knights, F., Goldsmith, L. P., Campos-Matos, I., Wurie, F., Majeed, A., Bedford, H., Forster, A. S., Hargreaves, S.
10.1101/2021.11.08.21266058 — Posted: 2021-11-08
 
 
Wellcome Open Research [to 13 Nov 2021]
https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 13 Nov 2021]

Wellcome Open Research provides all Wellcome researchers with a place to rapidly publish any results they think are worth sharing. All articles benefit from rapid publication, transparent peer review and editorial guidance on making all source data openly available.
Systematic Review metrics AWAITING PEER REVIEW
The hidden financial burden of healthcare: a systematic literature review of informal payments in Sub-Saharan Africa [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
Evelyn Kabia, Catherine Goodman, Dina Balabanova, Kui Muraya, Sassy Molyneux, Edwine Barasa
Peer Reviewers Invited
Funder: Wellcome
PUBLISHED 08 Nov 2021

Think Tanks

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Think Tanks
 
 
Brookings [to 13 Nov 2021]
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 13 Nov 2021
[No new digest content identified]
 
 
Center for Global Development [to 13 Nov 2021]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 13 Nov 2021
Why I’m Embarrassed to Receive a COVID Booster
November 12, 2021
Obviously, an ethical vaccine distribution would start with a far more equitable sharing of vaccines between rich and less-rich nations. More pragmatically, the current huge imbalance in the global distribution of shots invites another outbreak of a new variant, against which the US and other high-income countries cannot insulate themselves.
Nancy Birdsall

Staffing Shortages in the UK’s Care Sector: A Sign of Things to Come
November 11, 2021
Today the UK government’s new policy of mandatory vaccination for care home workers takes effect. By the government’s own reckoning this could result in up to 12 percent  of workers in residential care settings leaving their jobs. How worried should we be about staff shortages in the care sector? In short, very.
Claire Kumar and Helen Dempster

Financing our Global Health Commons
Event
11/10/21
COVID-19 will likely be a forerunner of future catastrophic pandemics, fueled by global warming and biodiversity losses, unless significant new investments and reforms are urgently made to bolster capacities and resilient adaptative systems for pandemic preparedness and rapid response. This session will present the conclusions and recommendations of the G20 High Level Independent panel on financing the global commons for pandemic preparedness and control, highlighting the interconnectedness of the pandemic preparedness and the climate change agenda
 
 
Chatham House [to 13 Nov 2021]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 13 Nov 2021
[No new digest content identified]

 
 
CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 13 Nov 2021
Upcoming Event
COVAX Past, Present, and Future: A Conversation with Dr. Seth Berkley
November 15, 2021

Report
Adapting Covid-19 Innovations to Accelerate Progress toward Meeting Global Tuberculosis Goals
November 12, 2021 | By Katherine E. Bliss
 
 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 13 Nov 2021
November 8, 2021 News Release
COVID-19 Misinformation is Ubiquitous: 78% of the Public Believes or is Unsure About At Least One False Statement, and Nearly a Third Believe At Least Four of Eight False Statements Tested
Most People Who Trust Network and Local Television, CNN, MSNBC and NPR on COVID-19 Believe Little or No Misinformation; Larger Shares Who Trust Newsmax, One American News, and Fox News Hold Many Misconceptions More than three quarters (78%) of U.S. adults either believe or aren’t sure about at least one…
 
 
ODI [Overseas Development Institute] [to 13 Nov 2021]
https://odi.org/en/publications/
Publications
[No new digest content identified]

Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 6 November 2021

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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_06-nov-2021Download

– 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

Joint Statement by AMATA [African Medicines Agency Treaty Alliance] welcoming the African Medicines Agency coming into force

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Joint Statement by AMATA [African Medicines Agency Treaty Alliance] welcoming the African Medicines Agency coming into force
November 5, 2021
We, as founding members of the African Medicines Agency Treaty Alliance (AMATA), representing patients, academia, civil society, and industry, welcome the official ratification of the AMA Treaty, which has enabled the African Medicines Agency to effectively enter into force today.

We now call on the African Union to build on the current momentum gained with the legal deposition of instrument of ratification of the Treaty by the minimum required 15 AU Member States, to prepare for the practical implementation of the Agency, ensuring the following critical elements:
The African Medicines Agency Governing Board to recognise patients as key partners in the management structures and development of the Agency.
A solid governance structure is put in place and a seamless transition from the AMRH to the AMA is ensured.
Robust regulatory infrastructures continue to be strengthened in all African Union Member States and at regional level.
A Secretariat is formed, and its location is decided without undue delay.
The African Medicines Agency is equipped with adequate human resource capacity to operationalise its mandate.

The African Medicines Agency Governing Board to set up a framework of engagement with non-state actors and to draw upon all available expertise from academia, research bodies, private sector and community and patient groups to provide technical guidance on specific areas. A sustainable funding model is implemented to ensure short and long term stability of the Agency at the time of its inception.

 

We congratulate the 15 Member States of the African Union that completed the process of ratification and invite all remaining AU Member States to follow in their footsteps.

COVID-19 has demonstrated that health security will only be achieved through concerted efforts and cross-border collaboration.

We thus call on all AU Heads of State to seize this historic opportunity to have one regulatory affairs oversight across the Continent to enhance national, regional and continental regulation of medical products and oversee rapid and effective market authorization of safe, quality, effective and accessible medical products, for the good of all African people.
Download the statement

CEPI announces first funding awards in quest to develop ‘variant-proof’ COVID-19 vaccines

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CEPI announces first funding awards in quest to develop ‘variant-proof’ COVID-19 vaccines
OSLO, Norway, 4 November 2021: CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, today announced the first funding awards under its $200m programme to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacoronaviruses [1]. CEPI will support researchers at two institutions, MigVax Ltd, Israel, and the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Canada, as they seek to establish preclinical proof of concept for novel vaccines suitable for use in low-and middle-income countries that are broadly protective against COVID-19 variants.

 

Under the first awards made in response to a Call for Proposals issued in March 2021:
– CEPI will provide funding of US$4.3m to MigVax Ltd to support the initial development of a new orally administered subunit vaccine tablet.
-CEPI will provide funding of US$5m to the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization to support the initial development of a new vaccine based on VIDO’s novel protein subunit technology.

Both projects aim to establish preclinical proof of concept for ‘variant-proof’ vaccines that protect against new COVID-19 variants of concern. The vaccine platforms may also be applicable for developing vaccines which are protective against a broad range of betacoronaviruses, as well as other pathogens in the CEPI portfolio, including ‘Disease X’ – unknown pathogens with pandemic potential that have yet to emerge. CEPI’s investments in MigVax Ltd and USask’s VIDO will fund antigen and candidate selection, vaccine formulation, manufacturing process development, and preclinical testing against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

CEPI is committed to the principle of equitable access to the vaccines it funds. Under the terms of the funding agreements, MigVax Ltd and USask’s VIDO have committed to achieving equitable access to the outputs of these projects, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy.

[Excerpt]
CEPI’s Policy Regarding Equitable Access
CEPI is committed to achieving equitable access to the outputs of all CEPI-supported programmes
including vaccines, platforms, data, results, and materials.
Equitable access to epidemic vaccines in the context of an outbreak means that appropriate vaccines are first available to populations when and where they are needed to end an outbreak or curtail an epidemic, regardless of ability to pay.
CEPI will facilitate equitable access to epidemic vaccines by:
1. Funding the development of vaccines and maintaining investigational stockpiles, to be used
free of charge when an outbreak occurs
2. Coordinating with others in the global health community to enable licensure of vaccines
funded by CEPI, including by securing resources for pivotal clinical trials
3. Collaborating with others in the global health community to ensure the procurement,
allocation, deployment and administration of licensed vaccines to protect global health, at a
price that does not limit equitable access and is sustainable to the manufacturer
CEPI will also ensure open access to data, results and publications arising from its funding and
facilitate access to materials to accelerate vaccine development.
The commitment to equitable access guides all CEPI investments and funding agreements

G20 Rome Leaders’ Declaration

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G20 – Rome
30-31 October 2021
https://www.g20.org/

 

G20 Rome Leaders’ Declaration
31 October 2021 :: 20 pages
PDF: https://www.g20.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/G20-ROME-LEADERS-DECLARATION.pdf
[Excerpt on COVID Vaccines; Editor’s text bolding, paragraph formatting for readability]

 

4. Health.
Recognizing that vaccines are among the most important tools against the pandemic, and reaffirming that extensive COVID-19 immunization is a global public good, we will advance our efforts to ensure timely, equitable and universal access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, with particular regard to the needs of low- and middle-income countries.

To help advance toward the global goals of vaccinating at least 40 percent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and 70 percent by mid-2022, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s global vaccination strategy, we will take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints. We ask our Health Ministers to monitor progress toward this end and to explore ways to accelerate global vaccination as necessary.

5. We will reinforce global strategies to support research and development as well as to ensure their production and swift and equitable distribution worldwide, also by strengthening supply chains and by expanding and diversifying global vaccine manufacturing capacity at local and regional level, while promoting vaccine acceptance, confidence and fighting disinformation.

To this end, we commit to refrain from WTO inconsistent export restrictions and to increase transparency and predictability in the delivery of vaccines. We reiterate our support to all pillars of the ACT-Accelerator, including COVAX, and will continue to improve its effectiveness. We support the extension of ACT-A’s mandate throughout 2022 and acknowledge the formation of the Multilateral Leaders Task Force on COVID-19. We welcome the work undertaken by the COVAX ACT-A Facilitation Council Vaccine Manufacturing Working Group and its report aimed at creating a broader base for vaccine manufacturing.

In particular, we will support increasing vaccine distribution, administration and local manufacturing capacity in LMICs, including through technology transfer hubs in various regions, such as the newly established mRNA Hubs in South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, and through joint production and processing arrangements.

We will work together towards the recognition of COVID-19 vaccines deemed safe and efficacious by the WHO and in accordance with national legislation and circumstances, and to strengthen the organization’s ability regarding approval of vaccines, including optimizing procedures and processes, with the aim of broadening the list of vaccines authorized for emergency use (EUL), while continuing to protect public health and ensuring privacy and data protection.

As a collective G20 effort, and in light of the enduring vaccination gaps, we commit to substantially increase the provision of and access to vaccines, as well as to therapeutics and diagnostics. We will enhance our efforts to ensure the transparent, rapid and predictable delivery and uptake of vaccines where they are needed.

We call on the private sector and on multilateral financial institutions to contribute to this endeavor. We acknowledge the work of the World Bank Group in this respect and of the IMF and the WHO through the vaccine supply forecast dashboard…