Vaccine effectiveness of the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 against SARS-CoV-2 infection in residents of long-term care facilities in England (VIVALDI): a prospective cohort study

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Nov 2021 Volume 21 Number 11 p1471-1612, e341-e362
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Articles
Vaccine effectiveness of the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 against SARS-CoV-2 infection in residents of long-term care facilities in England (VIVALDI): a prospective cohort study
Madhumita Shrotri, et al.
Open Access

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 vaccination at preventing hospitalisations in people aged at least 80 years: a test-negative, case-control study

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Nov 2021 Volume 21 Number 11 p1471-1612, e341-e362
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 vaccination at preventing hospitalisations in people aged at least 80 years: a test-negative, case-control study
Catherine Hyams, et al.

The effect of BCG revaccination on all-cause mortality beyond infancy: 30-year follow-up of a population-based, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial in Malawi

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Nov 2021 Volume 21 Number 11 p1471-1612, e341-e362
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

The effect of BCG revaccination on all-cause mortality beyond infancy: 30-year follow-up of a population-based, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial in Malawi
Judith R Glynn, et al.
Open Access

Optimal human papillomavirus vaccination strategies to prevent cervical cancer in low-income and middle-income countries in the context of limited resources: a mathematical modelling analysis

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Lancet Infectious Diseases
Nov 2021 Volume 21 Number 11 p1471-1612, e341-e362
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

 

Optimal human papillomavirus vaccination strategies to prevent cervical cancer in low-income and middle-income countries in the context of limited resources: a mathematical modelling analysis
Mélanie Drolet, et al.
Open Access

Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of homologous and heterologous prime-boost immunisation with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2: a prospective cohort study

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Lancet Respiratory Medicine
Nov 2021 Volume 9 Number 11 p1203-1342, e104-e109
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/issue/current

 

Articles
Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of homologous and heterologous prime-boost immunisation with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2: a prospective cohort study
David Hillus, et al.

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant replication and immune evasion

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Nature
Volume 599 Issue 7883, 4 November 2021
https://www.nature.com/nature/volumes/599/issues/7883

 

Article | 06 September 2021 | Open Access
SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant replication and immune evasion
A study of SARS-CoV-2 variants examining their transmission, infectivity, and potential resistance to therapies provides insights into the biology of the Delta variant and its role in the global pandemic.
Petra Mlcochova, Steven A. Kemp, Ravindra K. Gupta

Misuse of the term ‘trans-ethnic’ in genomics research

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Nature Genetics
Volume 53 Issue 11, November 2021
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/53/issues/11

 

Comment | 05 November 2021
Misuse of the term ‘trans-ethnic’ in genomics research
A concerning trend in genetics is the common use of the term ‘trans-ethnic’ to describe analyses that combine or compare several ancestrally diverse populations. In this commentary, we discuss how this term is inaccurate and alienating. We propose that geneticists avoid using the term trans-ethnic entirely and that researchers across disciplines reach a new consensus about the best terms to use to describe the populations we study.
Mireille Kamariza, Lorin Crawford, Hilary Finucane

Negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunization: experience from Pakistan

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Nature Reviews Immunology
Volume 21 Issue 11, November 2021
https://www.nature.com/nri/volumes/21/issues/11

 

Comment | 14 September 2021
Negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunization: experience from Pakistan
Muhammad Suleman Rana and colleagues from the National Institute of Health in Pakistan discuss the urgent need to implement catch-up vaccination programmes for measles and polio to prevent resurgence of these deadly diseases.
Muhammad Suleman Rana, Aamer Ikram, Massab Umair

mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases: principles, delivery and clinical translation

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Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
Volume 20 Issue 11, November 2021
https://www.nature.com/nrd/volumes/20/issues/11

 

Review Article | 25 August 2021
mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases: principles, delivery and clinical translation
The COVID-19 pandemic has established mRNA vaccines as a rapid, effective and safe approach for the protection of individuals from infectious disease. Here, Whitehead and colleagues review the principles of mRNA vaccine design, synthesis and delivery, assessing recent progress and key issues in the development of mRNA vaccines for a range of infectious diseases.
Namit Chaudhary, Drew Weissman, Kathryn A. Whitehead

SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Breast Milk After Vaccination

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Pediatrics
Vol. 148, Issue 5 1 Nov 2021
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/

 

Articles
SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Breast Milk After Vaccination
Dolores Sabina Romero Ramírez, María Magdalena Lara Pérez, Mercedes Carretero Pérez, María Isis Suárez Hernández, Saúl Martín Pulido, Lorena Pera Villacampa, Ana María Fernández Vilar, Mónica Rivero Falero, Paloma González Carretero, Beatriz Reyes Millán, Sabine Roper, Miguel Ángel García Bello
Pediatrics, Nov 2021, 148 (5) e2021052286

COVID-19 Vaccination–Associated Myocarditis in Adolescents

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Pediatrics
Vol. 148, Issue 5 1 Nov 2021
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/

 

COVID-19 Vaccination–Associated Myocarditis in Adolescents
Supriya S. Jain, Jeremy M. Steele, Brian Fonseca, Sihong Huang, Sanket Shah, Shiraz A. Maskatia, Sujatha Buddhe, Nilanjana Misra, Preeti Ramachandran, Lasya Gaur, Parham Eshtehardi, Shafkat Anwar, Neeru Kaushik, Frank Han, Nita Ray Chaudhuri, Lars Grosse-Wortmann
Pediatrics, Nov 2021, 148 (5) e2021053427

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among US Child Care Providers

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Pediatrics
Vol. 148, Issue 5 1 Nov 2021
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/

 

Open Access
COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among US Child Care Providers
Kavin M. Patel, Amyn A. Malik, Aiden Lee, Madeline Klotz, John Eric Humphries, Thomas Murray, David Wilkinson, Mehr Shafiq, Inci Yildirim, Jad A. Elharake, Rachel Diaz, Chin Reyes, Saad B. Omer, Walter S. Gilliam
Pediatrics, Nov 2021, 148 (5) e2021053813

Is the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine effective in elderly populations? Results from population data from Bavaria, Germany

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Research Article
Is the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine effective in elderly populations? Results from population data from Bavaria, Germany
Delphina Gomes, Andreas Beyerlein, Katharina Katz, Gabriele Hoelscher, Uta Nennstiel, Bernhard Liebl, Klaus Überla, Rüdiger von Kries
Research Article | published 05 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259370

National variability in Americans’ COVID-19 protective behaviors: Implications for vaccine roll-out

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

National variability in Americans’ COVID-19 protective behaviors: Implications for vaccine roll-out
John A. Schneider, Bruce G. Taylor, Anna L. Hotton, Phoebe A. Lamuda, Jonathan Ozik, Qinyun Lin, Elizabeth Flanagan, Mai Tuyet Pho, Marynia Kolak, Russell Brewer, Jade Pagkas-Bather, Harold A. Pollack
Research Article | published 05 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259257

Detecting and describing stability and change in COVID-19 vaccine receptibility in the United Kingdom and Ireland

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Detecting and describing stability and change in COVID-19 vaccine receptibility in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Philip Hyland, Frédérique Vallières, Todd K. Hartman, Ryan McKay, Sarah Butter, Richard P. Bentall, Orla McBride, Mark Shevlin, Kate Bennett, Liam Mason, Jilly Gibson-Miller, Liat Levita, Anton P. Martinez, Thomas V. A. Stocks, Thanos Karatzias, Jamie Murphy
Research Article | published 03 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258871

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in underserved communities of North Carolina

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PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in underserved communities of North Carolina
Irene A. Doherty, William Pilkington, Laurin Brown, Victoria Billings, Undi Hoffler, Lisa Paulin, K. Sean Kimbro, Brittany Baker, Tianduo Zhang, Tracie Locklear, Seronda Robinson, Deepak Kumar
Research Article | published 01 Nov 2021 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248542

Opinion: The importance of offering vaccine choice in the fight against COVID-19

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PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
October 26, 2021; vol. 118 no. 43
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/43

 

Front Matter
Opinion: The importance of offering vaccine choice in the fight against COVID-19
Mark T. Hughes, Paul G. Auwaerter, Michael R. Ehmann, Brian T. Garibaldi, Sherita H. Golden, Ting-Jia Lorigiano, Katie J. O’Conor, Allen Kachalia, and Jeffrey Kahn
PNAS October 26, 2021 118 (43) e2117185118;
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117185118

Disruption of health services for pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents, and women during the COVID-19 pandemic: ISLAC 2020 Project

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Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health (RPSP/PAJPH)
https://www.paho.org/journal/en

 

3 Nov 2021
Disruption of health services for pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents, and women during the COVID-19 pandemic: ISLAC 2020 Project
Original research | Spanish |

Evidence Gaps and Challenges in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Africa: Scoping Review of the Ethiopian Experience

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Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Review
Evidence Gaps and Challenges in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Africa: Scoping Review of the Ethiopian Experience
Gudina EK, Siebeck M, Eshete MT
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2021, 14:4511-4521
Published Date: 4 November 2021

A new lane for science

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Science
Volume 374| Issue 6568| 5 Nov 2021
https://www.science.org/toc/science/current

 

Editorial
A new lane for science
Enola K. Proctor and Elvin Geng
A recent Science editorial on the social and political headwinds that have blunted, obfuscated, and confused public behavior in the United States’ COVID-19 response cautioned both politicians who appoint themselves scientists and scientists—including virologists and epidemiologists—to stay in their lanes. The warning raises an important question: Should science add another lane?

Despite the remarkable development of safe and effective vaccines, only about two-thirds of Americans have received their first dose. Even nonmedical actions (social distancing and masking) supported by rigorous evidence are met with widespread indifference, resistance, and rage. Unfortunately, this number is the rule rather than the exception. Broadly, Americans receive about 55% of clinical interventions known to benefit their health.

To address this failing, science needs to add another lane—one called implementation research. Implementation scientists move beyond medication and device development and study how to facilitate their use by clinics, front-line health care providers, patients, communities, and policy- makers. Public health failures that could have been avoided, as well as successes attributable to this science, illustrate the importance of this work. The use of beta-blockers after myocardial infarction was proven to reduce mortality in a 1982 trial, but 15 years later, only 34% of Americans hospitalized with a heart attack were discharged with a prescription for these drugs, and the practice was not universally adopted until 2007. In HIV prevention research, numerous randomized trials in Africa found that adult male circumcision reduces HIV transmission. However, its use remained low despite the World Health

Organization’s endorsement and massive donor-funded work to scale up surgical capacity. A recent randomized trial in Tanzania showed that the engagement of pastors—who are influential community opinion leaders—boosted the acceptability and uptake of circumcision in men, demonstrating the value of social influence in implementation.

Similar research on how to expand the use of proven COVID-19 interventions is underway but must be scaled up substantially to address pressing questions: What strategies lead to vaccine acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, equity, scale-up, and spread? What social marketing messages are most effective? Who are the best opinion leaders? How can health systems overcome delays in identifying mildly ill outpatients eligible for monoclonal antibodies? Data are emerging about how to equip vaccine champions with the resources necessary to train others, build coalitions, and optimize organizations to administer vaccines as widely as possible. But more must be done, especially given the current politicized pandemic response and frayed social fabric.

Society needs a lane of science that studies rapid uptake of proven interventions. Questions pursued in implementation research require cross-disciplinary collaborations among scientists who understand communication, marketing, anthropology, economics, and social psychology—disciplines that have not historically interacted with one another.

Three steps would contribute to a better pandemic response now and in the years ahead. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) should create an Office of Implementation Research with funding that institutes must compete for, modeled on the Office of AIDS Research. The office would study emerging interventions and address obstacles to their use. Insights would guide health delivery, making learning-while-doing a standard. The office should support innovations that track rates of intervention use (vaccination and effective therapeutics) and capture the strategies leading to their uptake. And the NIH should support networks for implementation research, similar to the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. At least 10% of the NIH budget should be dedicated to this work. If this seems expensive, consider the costs of not taking these steps: Effective interventions that are not used optimally will fail to reap value from existing investments.

COVID-19 has shown the world that “knowing what to do” does not ensure “doing what we know.” It demonstrates that intervention discovery is the start, not the end, of the scientific journey. There is no better time for science to establish a new lane, one devoted to ensuring that our nation’s health discoveries are used to improve population health. The headwinds demand nothing less.

Adolescent Health Series: HPV infection and vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa: 10 years of research in Tanzanian female adolescents – narrative review

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Tropical Medicine & International Health
Volume 26, Issue 11 Pages: i-iv, 1325-1525 November 2021
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/13653156/current

 

SERIES ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH
Adolescent Health Series: HPV infection and vaccination in sub-Saharan Africa: 10 years of research in Tanzanian female adolescents – narrative review
Hilary Whitworth, John Changalucha, Kathy Baisley, Deborah Watson-Jones
Pages: 1345-1355
First Published: 26 July 2021

Characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A nationwide survey of 1000 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Posted on by

Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 44 Pages 6451-6564 (22 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/44

 

Short communication Full text access
Characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A nationwide survey of 1000 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
Rodrigo Poubel Vieira Rezende, Alessandra S. Braz, Maria Fernanda B. Guimarães, Sandra Lúcia E. Ribeiro, … Marcelo M. Pinheiro
Pages 6454-6459

A phase III, observer-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine in healthy adults aged 18–59 years: An interim analysis in Indonesia

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 44 Pages 6451-6564 (22 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/44

 

Research article Open access
A phase III, observer-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine in healthy adults aged 18–59 years: An interim analysis in Indonesia
Eddy Fadlyana, Kusnandi Rusmil, Rodman Tarigan, Andri Reza Rahmadi, … Cissy B. Kartasasmita
Pages 6520-6528

Research priorities to increase vaccination coverage in Europe (EU joint action on vaccination)

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Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 44 Pages 6451-6564 (22 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/44

 

Research article Abstract only
Research priorities to increase vaccination coverage in Europe (EU joint action on vaccination)
Florence Francis-Oliviero, Sandor Bozoki, András Micsik, Marie Paule Kieny, Jean-Daniel Lelièvre
Pages 6539-6544

Factors affecting antibody responses to immunizations in infants born to women immunized against pertussis in pregnancy and unimmunized women: Individual-Participant Data Meta-analysis

Posted on by

Vaccine
Volume 39, Issue 44 Pages 6451-6564 (22 October 2021)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/39/issue/44

 

Research article Abstract only
Factors affecting antibody responses to immunizations in infants born to women immunized against pertussis in pregnancy and unimmunized women: Individual-Participant Data Meta-analysis
Bahaa Abu-Raya, Kirsten Maertens, Flor M. Munoz, Petra Zimmermann, … Manish Sadarangani
Pages 6545-6552

COVID-19 Vaccination Behavior of People Living with HIV: The Mediating Role of Perceived Risk and Vaccination Intention

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Article
COVID-19 Vaccination Behavior of People Living with HIV: The Mediating Role of Perceived Risk and Vaccination Intention
by Li Qi, Li Yang, Jie Ge, Lan Yu and Xiaomei Li
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111288 (registering DOI) – 06 Nov 2021
Abstract
The COVID-19 vaccination behavior of people living with HIV (PLWH) was examined via a cross-sectional web-based survey of PLWH aged 18 years and older. The survey was conducted from l May to 20 June 2021. The survey included social demographic information; vaccination behavior […

Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Article
Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland
by Piotr Rzymski, Barbara Poniedziałek and Andrzej Fal
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111286 (registering DOI) – 05 Nov 2021
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccinations are essential to mitigate the pandemic and prevent severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, the serum antibody levels in vaccinated individuals gradually decrease over time, while SARS-CoV-2 is undergoing an evolution toward more transmissible variants, such as B.1.617.2, ultimately increasing the risk of [..

COVID-19 and Historic Influenza Vaccinations in the United States: A Comparative Analysis

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Article
COVID-19 and Historic Influenza Vaccinations in the United States: A Comparative Analysis
by Pranav Mirpuri and Richard A. Rovin
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1284; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111284 (registering DOI) – 05 Nov 2021
Abstract
The COVID-19 vaccination effort is a monumental global challenge. Recognizing and addressing the causes of vaccine hesitancy will improve vaccine uptake. The primary objective of this study was to compare the COVID-19 vaccination rates in US counties to historical vaccination rates for influenza […]

Targeting COVID Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Communities in Tennessee: Implications for Extending the COVID-19 Pandemic in the South

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Vaccines
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines
[Accessed 06 Nov 2021]

 

Open Access Review
Targeting COVID Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Communities in Tennessee: Implications for Extending the COVID-19 Pandemic in the South
by Donald J. Alcendor
Vaccines 2021, 9(11), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9111279 – 04 Nov 2021
Abstract
Approximately 40% of Tennesseans are vaccinated fully, due mainly to higher vaccination levels within urban counties. Significantly lower rates are observed in rural counties. Surveys suggest COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is entrenched mostly among individuals identifying as white, rural, Republican, and evangelical Christian. Rural [..

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 06 Nov 2021]
SARS-CoV-2 mechanistic correlates of protection: insight from modelling response to vaccines
Marie Alexandre, Romain Marlin, Mélanie Prague, Séverin Coleon, Nidhal Kahlaoui, Sylvain Cardinaud, Thibaut Naninck, Benoit Delache, Mathieu Surenaud, Mathilde Galhaut, Nathalie Dereuddre-Bosquet, Mariangela Cavarelli, Pauline Maisonnasse, Mireille Centlivre, Christine Lacabaratz, Aurelie Wiedemann, Sandra Zurawski, Gerard Zurawski, Olivier Schwartz, Rogier W Sanders, Roger Le Grand, Yves Levy, Rodolphe Thiébaut
bioRxiv 2021.10.29.466418; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.29.466418

 
 

Gates Open Research
https://gatesopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 06 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 06 Nov 2021]
Selected Content
Shedding of Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Despite Vaccination
Kasen K Riemersma, Brittany E Grogan, Amanda Kita-Yarbro, Peter Halfmann, Anna Kocharian, Kelsey R Florek, Ryan Westergaard, Allen Bateman, Gunnar E Jeppson, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, David H O’Connor, Thomas C Friedrich, Katarina M Grande
medRxiv 2021.07.31.21261387; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.31.21261387

Efficacy and safety of SOBERANA 02, a COVID-19 conjugate vaccine in heterologous three-dose combination
Maria Eugenia Toledo-Romani, Mayra Garcia-Carmenate, Carmen Valenzuela Silva, Waldemar Baldoquin-Rodriguez, Marisel Martinez Perez, Meiby C Rodriguez Gonzalez, Beatriz Paredes Moreno, Ivis Mendoza Hernandez, Raul Gonzalez-Mujica Romero, Oscar Samon Tabio, Pablo Velazco Villares, Juan Pablo Bacallao Castillo, Ernesto Licea Martin, Misladys Rodriguez Ortega,, Nuris Liem Herrera Marrero, Esperanza Caballero Gonzalez, Liudmila Ibelin Egues Torres, Reinaldo Duarte Gonzalez, Serguey Garcia Blanco, Suzette Perez Cabrera, Santos Huete Ferreira, Kirenia Idalmis Idalmis Cisnero, Omaida Fonte Galindo, Dania Melia Perez, Ivonne Rojas Remedios, Sonsire Fernandez Castillo, Yanet Climent Ruiz, Yury Valdes Balbin, Dagmar Garcia Rivera, vicente Verez-Bencomo
medRxiv 2021.10.31.21265703; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.31.21265703

Safety and immunogenicity of heterologous and homologous inactivated and adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccines in healthy adults
Nasamon Wanlapakorn, Nungruthai Suntronwong, Harit Phowatthanasathian, Ritthideach Yorsaeng, Preeyaporn Vichaiwattana, Thanunrat Thongmee, Chompoonut Auphimai, Donchida Srimuan, Thaksaporn Thatsanatorn, Suvichada Assawakosri, Sitthichai Kanokudom, Yong Poovorawan
medRxiv 2021.11.04.21265908; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.04.21265908

Third doses of COVID-19 vaccines reduce infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and could prevent future surges in some populations
Billy J Gardner, A. Marm Kilpatrick
medRxiv 2021.10.25.21265500; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.25.21265500

Third doses of COVID-19 vaccines reduce infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and could prevent future surges in some populations
Billy J Gardner, A. Marm Kilpatrick
medRxiv 2021.10.25.21265500; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.25.21265500

The basic reproduction number of COVID-19 across Africa
Sarafa A. Iyaniwura, Musa Rabiu, Jummy F. David, Jude D. Kong
medRxiv 2021.11.02.21265826; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.02.21265826

Assessing the Burden of COVID-19 in Developing Countries: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Public Policy Implications
Andrew Levin, Nana Owusu-Boaitey, Sierra Pugh, Bailey K. Fosdick, Anthony B. Zwi, Anup Malani, Satej Soman, Lonni Besançon, Ilya Kashnitsky, Sachin Ganesh, Aloysius McLaughlin, Gayeong Song, Rine Uhm, Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz
medRxiv 2021.09.29.21264325; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.29.21264325

Examining the Unit Costs of COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery in Kenya
Stacey Orangi, Angela Kairu, Anthony Ngatia, John Ojal, Edwine Barasa
medRxiv 2021.11.01.21265742; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.01.21265742

Public opinion on a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in France: a cross sectional survey
Amandine Gagneux-Brunon, Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers, Marion Bonneton, Patrick Peretti-Watel, Pierre Verger, Odile Launay, Jeremy K. Ward
medRxiv 2021.07.05.21260017; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.05.21260017

Underlying factors that influence the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in a country with a high vaccination rate
Daniela Toro-Ascuy, Nicolás Cifuentes-Muñoz, Andrea Avaria, Camila Pereira-Montecinos, Gilena Cruzat, Francisco Zorondo-Rodriguez, Loreto F Fuenzalida
medRxiv 2021.10.31.21265676; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.31.21265676

COVID-19 vaccine brand hesitancy and other challenges to vaccination in the Philippines
Arianna Maever L. Amit, Veincent Christian F. Pepito, Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco, Manuel M. Dayrit
medRxiv 2021.10.14.21264837; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.14.21264837
 
 
Wellcome Open Research [to 06 Nov 2021]
https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/browse/articles
[Accessed 06 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.
[No new digest content identified]

Think Tanks

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Think Tanks
 
 
Brookings [to 06 Nov 2021]
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 06 Nov 2021
[No new digest content identified]
 
 
Center for Global Development [to 06 Nov 2021]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Accessed 06 Nov 2021
What We Know (and Don’t) about US Funding to End the Global Pandemic
November 1, 2021
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill extended a lifeline to US global response efforts with the provision of supplemental funding. Early on, sums dedicated to the overseas fight were modest, but last year’s end-of-year spending package included $4 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance—to support the multilateral vaccine procurement platform COVAX. And the spring 2021 reconciliation package, known as the American Rescue Plan, included close to $11 billion for international pandemic response.
Erin Collinson and Jocilyn Estes
 
 
Chatham House [to 06 Nov 2021]
https://www.chathamhouse.org/
Accessed 06 Nov 2021
[No new digest content identified]

 
 

CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 06 Nov 2021
Upcoming Event
An Armchair Discussion with David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group
November 8, 2021

 
 

Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 06 Nov 2021
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Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review :: 30 October 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:

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

– Twitter:  Readers can also follow developments on twitter: @vaxethicspolicy.
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– 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.

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

The G20 established a joint Finance-Health Task Force to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

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

The G20 established a joint Finance-Health Task Force to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response
October 29th, 2021
G20 Finance and Health Ministers met for their first joint meeting under the Italian G20 Presidency. The meeting took place on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and it was co-chaired by Daniele Franco, Italian Minister for Economy and Finance, and Roberto Speranza, Italian Minister of Health. Finance and Health Ministers agreed on a joint communiqué.

 

Under the Italian G20 Presidency, the membership committed to bringing the pandemic under control everywhere as soon as possible, and strengthening collective efforts to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics. In this sense, the G20 will take all necessary steps needed to advance on 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 WHO.

Finance and Health Ministers have also committed to helping boost the supply of vaccines, medical countermeasures and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints. To this end, the G20 will continue to support the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and the extension of its mandate into 2022, advancing collaboration with global and regional initiatives.

They have acknowledged that financing for PPR has to become more adequate, more sustainable and better coordinated and requires a continuous cooperation between health and finance decision-makers, including to address potential financing gaps, mobilising an appropriate mix of existing multilateral financing mechanisms and explore setting up new financing mechanisms.

In particular, to further strengthening a crucial coordination between Finance and Health Ministries, G20 members agreed to establish a Joint Finance-Health Task Force. Such Task Force will enhance the collaboration and global cooperation on issues relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, thus leaving the international community better prepared in the eventual case of future health threats outbreaks. The Task Force will also promote the exchange of experiences and best practices, developing coordination arrangements between Finance and Health Ministries, promoting collective action and encouraging effective stewardship of resources to address the existing financing gaps in pandemic preparedness and response.

The Task Force is initially jointly chaired by the 2021 and 2022 G20 Presidencies. It will report to Health and Finance Ministers in early 2022 and will be assisted by a secretariat housed at the WHO, with the support of the World Bank.

 

::::::

Italian G20 Presidency
Joint G20 Finance and Health Ministers meeting
Communiqué – 29 October 2021 :: 4 pages
[Excerpt; Editor’s text bolding and spacing]
…We reiterate our commitment to bring the pandemic under control everywhere as soon as possible, put people at the center of preparedness and to strengthen our collective efforts to prepare for, prevent, detect, report, and respond to health emergencies, notably promoting resilience of health systems and communities.

We recognise the role of extensive COVID-19 immunisation as a global public good. We reaffirm our support to all collaborative efforts to ensure a timely and equitable access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

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 reiterate our support to strengthen the resilience of supply chains, to increase vaccine distribution, administration, as well as local and regional manufacturing capacity in LMICs, including through voluntary 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 continue to support the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and the extension of its mandate into 2022, and we will advance collaboration with global and regional initiatives, including ACT-A’s COVAX Pillar, the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization, and the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism. We will work to increase transparency and predictability of deliveries of vaccines and to foster responsible public-private partnerships.

We thank the Multilateral Leaders Task Force for its efforts and encourage it to work to identify gaps
and accelerate access to and on-the-ground delivery of COVID-19 tools. Not only will these actions
help save countless lives, accelerating vaccinations across the globe also remains the cornerstone
of the economic recovery. We call on Multilateral Development Banks working together with
COVAX to continue to support procurement and delivery of vaccines…

WHO Director-General’s remarks at Session 1- Global Economy and Global Health at the G20 Summit – 30 October 2021

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WHO Director-General’s remarks at Session 1- Global Economy and Global Health at the G20 Summit – 30 October 2021
30 October 2021 Speech
Excellencies,
I have five requests. 

 

First, solve the vaccine crisis and end the pandemic. 
Since you met virtually in Riyadh last year, 7 billion vaccine doses have been administered.
Low-income countries, most of them in Africa, have received just 0.4% of those vaccines; more than 80% have gone to G20 countries. We understand and support every government’s responsibility to protect its own people. But vaccine equity is not charity; it’s in every country’s best interests.

We welcome your support for WHO’s targets to vaccinate 40% of the population of all countries by the end of this year, and 70% by mid-2022. 82 countries are at risk of missing that target. For most, the barrier is not absorptive capacity, it’s insufficient supply. We call on those countries that have already reached 40% to swap your vaccine delivery schedules with COVAX and AVAT. We ask you to support local vaccine production in Africa. We call on those countries that have promised to donate vaccines to make good on those promises, as urgently as possible.

 

Second, fully fund the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which needs 23.4 billion U.S. dollars over the next 12 months to get tests, treatments and vaccines to where they are needed most. 

Third, support an ambitious G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force, linked to a financial intermediary fund for additional financing of pandemic preparedness and response, with clear linkages to WHO as Chancellor Merkel outlined earlier.

 

Fourth, adopt a treaty or international agreement rooted in the constitution of WHO. 

And fifth, invest in a strengthened, empowered and sustainably financed WHO, at the centre of the global health architecture.

When we met less than a year ago, 1.5 million people had lost their lives to COVID-19. A year later, the toll is 5 million.  How many more will die, in this and future epidemics? The answer is in your hands.

 

Solve the vaccine crisis; Fully fund the ACT Accelerator; Establish the task force and the fund; Adopt a treaty or international agreement; And strengthen WHO. 

I thank you Prime Minister.

Open letter to G20 Heads of State and Government – UNHCR, IOM & WHO

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Open letter to G20 Heads of State and Government – UNHCR, IOM & WHO
An appeal to G20 leaders to make vaccines accessible to people on the move
29 Oct 2021

 

We are writing to you on behalf of the millions around the world struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic far from home. Some have been forced to flee wars, conflict, persecution and human rights violations. Others are on the move to escape socioeconomic hardship or the consequences of climate change.

As strangers far from home, many are at risk of exclusion or neglect. Owing to their living situation, many face barriers accessing vaccinations, testing, treatment, care, and even reliable information.

It is a stark reality that some of the world’s poorest countries shoulder the greatest responsibility for supporting displaced people and other people on the move. They need a reliable and adequate supply of vaccines and other critical supplies to stabilize their fragile and over-burdened health systems, to help save the lives of their citizens, migrants, as well as refugees and other displaced people they host.

 

Yet the current vaccine equity gap between wealthier and low resource countries demonstrates a disregard for the lives of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. For every 100 people in high-income countries, 133 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, while in low-income countries, only 4 doses per 100 people have been administered.

Vaccine inequity is costing lives every day, and continues to place everyone at risk. History and science make it clear: coordinated action with equitable access to public health resources is the only way to face down a global public health scourge like COVID-19. We need a strong, collective push to save lives, reduce suffering and ensure a sustainable global recovery.

And while vaccines are a very powerful tool, they’re not the only tool. Tests are needed to know where the virus is, treatments including dexamethasone and medical oxygen are needed to save lives, and tailored public health measures are needed to prevent transmission.

As the leaders of the world’s largest economies, you have the power and responsibility to help stem the pandemic by expanding access to vaccines and other tools for the people and places where these are in shortest supply.

We welcome the fact that this weekend’s summit in Rome will call for “courage and ambition” to tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time, and specifically the need to recover from the pandemic and overcome inequality. We collectively call on you, G20 leaders, to commit to:

[1] Increase vaccine supplies for the world’s poorest: We call on the world’s leading economies to fully fund and implement the Strategic Plan and Budget for the ACT Accelerator, and to distribute vaccines, tests and treatments where they are needed most. If we are to recover from the pandemic, we must — at a minimum — meet the targets to vaccinate 40 per cent of the world’s population by year-end – and 70 per cent globally by mid-2022.

[2] Ensure access to vaccines for all people on the move: We call on every country to ensure that everyone on its territory regardless of legal status – including refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, asylum-seekers, and others on the move – have access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatment for COVID-19. They should adopt concrete measures to remove barriers to vaccination for everyone on their territory — for example the need for specific documents, geographical barriers,  the requirement in some settings that health care seekers are reported to immigration authorities, high fees — and fight misinformation that fuels vaccine hesitancy.

[3] Support low- and middle-income countries to combat COVID-19 with all available means: Low- and middle-income countries need comprehensive support – financial, political, technical, logistical – to vaccinate people quickly and effectively to expand access to tests and treatments, to implement tailored public health measures, and to build more resilient health systems to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond rapidly to future health emergencies.

We urge you to take swift action to ease the pandemic’s devastating human toll.

Yours faithfully,
Filippo Grandi
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
António Vitorino
IOM Director General
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
WHO Director-General

Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass to the G20 Leaders’ Summit – Session I: Global Economy and Health

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Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass to the G20 Leaders’ Summit – Session I: Global Economy and Health
Date: October 30, 2021 Type: Speeches and Transcripts

“…The developing world faces multiple severe problems. The pandemic and the scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines are the most immediate. In addition, the recovery is being undercut by inflation, energy shortages, and the breakdown of the supply chain.

“These multiple problems are causing devastating reversals in development. Poverty rates are rising, and literacy rates have dropped due to school closures. Progress on gender equality and education of girls have also reversed. Fragility and insecurity have become more common in dozens of countries, including in Sudan…

COVID-19 vaccines are the highest priority and the most achievable. Our Multilateral Leaders Task Force – WHO, WTO, IMF, and the World Bank – is working well together. Following our meeting last night, we issued a joint statement urging G20 members to fulfill all donation pledges in ways that deliver vaccines to arms. We noted that many pledges still do not specify a timeframe for delivery or even the type of vaccine that the donor expects to send. It’s vital for countries with high vaccination rates to swap their near-term delivery schedules, particularly those in November and December, with low-income countries. The World Bank is standing by and will actively finance these vaccines and their deployment.

Progress on debt has stalled. Debt for low-income countries rose 12% during the pandemic. This leaves no fiscal space for vaccines, education, safety nets, or climate. I urge you to explicitly accelerate the implementation of the Common Framework, request transparency and reconciliation of debt, and require the participation of private creditors. I join Kristalina in urging a debt payment standstill in the context of strengthening the Common Framework. Looking forward, steps need to be taken to balance the legal relationship between creditors and sovereign debtors. The current relationship heavily favors creditors, disadvantaging people in low-income countries.

Climate impacts and costs hit the poor the most. I’ve strongly advocated climate actions that integrate climate and development. We can’t approach the climate problem in a way that punishes the poor. The World Bank is spending more than ever on climate. The core of our Climate Change Action Plan is to bring multiple funding sources to bear on priority projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve adaptation.

Let me conclude by urging all of you to support IDA. Concessional finance and grants are critical for the poorest countries. IDA provides 4 to 1 leverage for your contributions. It has been a main source of funding and preparedness for vulnerable countries and explicitly supports health, education, nutrition, and climate adaptation. We count on your support for an ambitious IDA20 replenishment in December as we tackle all these challenges together.