Brazil Says No To Russia’s Sputnik V; Russians Say No To Vaccines
Regulators in Brazil officially rejected Russia's Sputnik V covid vaccine over concerns about its development and production, which may impact uptake elsewhere. Meanwhile, reports say vaccine hesitancy is hampering Russia's own vaccination program.
The Washington Post:
Brazil Rejects Russia’s Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine In Blow To Moscow’s Soft Power Efforts
Brazilian health regulators have issued a scathing rebuke of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, rejecting the shot’s approval in a decision late Monday that could affect its use elsewhere in the world. The ruling from Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency, or Anvisa, cited a range of concerns with the vaccine’s development and production, including what it said was a lack of quality control and efficacy data, as well as little if any information on the shot’s adverse effects. (Cunningham and Dixon, 4/27)
Bloomberg:
Russians Reject Vaccines As Kremlin Fears Third Wave Of Covid-19
Facing a rising wave of Covid-19 infections and a vaccination rate that isn’t keeping up, the Kremlin is trying to contain the epidemic without alarming Russians. Even insiders worry it won’t succeed. Unofficial government statistics show the third wave has begun, according to two officials with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified in order to speak candidly. Months of upbeat assessments from the Kremlin that the situation is under control have depressed demand for vaccines, as much of the population no longer fears the virus, the officials said. (Pismennaya and Rudnitsky, 4/28)
In other vaccine news from around the globe —
AP:
Mexico Passes 345,000 Dead, To Start Vaccinating Ages 50-59
Mexico’s pandemic death toll passed 345,000 Tuesday, though most states have not seen any rebound in coronavirus cases, officials said. There have been over 215,500 test-confirmed deaths related to COVID-19, but Mexico does so little testing that many people die without having been tested. (4/28)
The Guardian:
Japan’s Slow Covid Vaccine Rollout Casts Cloud Over Olympics
More than two months after it began its vaccine rollout, Japan still lags behind the rest of the developed world, raising questions about its preparedness and doubts about the wisdom of holding the Olympics in Tokyo in less than three months’ time. To date, 1.3% of Japan’s population have received at least one of two doses, compared with 40% in the US, 49% in the UK and 20% in France, according to Our World in Data. (McCurry, 4/26)
AP:
Australian Olympians To Be Given COVID-19 Vaccine Priority
Australian athletes and support staff preparing for the Tokyo Olympics will be given priority for vaccines. The Australian government announced after a special National Cabinet meeting that Olympic participants would be vaccinated under a priority group which includes health-care workers, Indigenous people aged over 55 and people older than 70. (4/28)
AP:
Chinese Companies Considers Mixing Vaccines, Booster Shots
Chinese vaccine makers are looking at mixing their jabs and whether a booster shot could help better protect against COVID-19.Sinovac and Sinopharm, the two Chinese manufacturers that combined have exported hundreds of millions of doses all over the world, say they’re are considering combining their vaccines with those from other companies. (Wu, 4/28)
The New York Times:
How Europe Sealed A Pfizer Vaccine Deal With Texts And Calls
It was February and things were going from bad to worse for the European Union’s vaccination campaign, and for its top executive, Ursula von der Leyen. Much of Europe was in lockdown, people were dying and the bloc was running low on doses of vaccines after its biggest supplier, AstraZeneca, announced production problems. Critics inside and outside the European Union questioned Ms. von der Leyen’s leadership and accused her of mishandling the crisis. It was at that low point that she caught a break. (Stevis-Gridneff, 4/28)
In other news —
Stat:
Will India Issue Sidestep Patents On A Pair Of Pricey TB Drugs?
A widely anticipated court hearing will be held in India on Wednesday over the cost of a pair of tuberculosis drugs and whether the Indian government will side with activists and sidestep the patents. At issue are two medicines — Sirutro and Deltyba — that are among the newest treatments for tuberculosis and offer 80% cure rates, which are substantially higher than older medications used for drug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB. But prices have become a flashpoint, since the medicines are often used in combination with other treatments, which raises the overall costs of treatment even higher. (Silverman, 4/27)
