Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A COVID Vaccine Progress Report
Bloomberg: AstraZeneca Pressure Mounts Ahead Of Oxford Vaccine Data
Pressure is growing on AstraZeneca Plc to deliver positive results from early tests evaluating the coronavirus vaccine it’s developing with University of Oxford researchers as investors await data expected on Monday. The U.K. pharma company is staying quiet after British media reports said results of phase 1 tests to be published in The Lancet medical journal were promising, driving the shares up late Wednesday. A paper is undergoing final editing and preparation and is due to be published on July 20, The Lancet said in an email. (Paton and Ring, 7/16)
Boston Globe: Here’s What Comes Next For Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine — If Everything Goes Right
Moderna was the first drug maker to start testing an experimental COVID-19 vaccine on humans. It’s also poised to be the first to enter the final stage of a clinical trial in the United States, on July 27. But if you’re hoping to soon get the Cambridge biotech’s closely watched vaccine ― or any of nearly two dozen rival vaccine candidates being tested in clinical trials around the world ― don’t roll up your sleeve yet. (Saltzman, 7/15)
AP: Vanderbilt Recruiting Up To 1,000 For COVID-19 Vaccine Trial
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is looking for up to 1,000 volunteers to participate in the late-stage trial of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital says it will begin recruiting people at the end of the month. The vaccine is being developed by Moderna Inc. with the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. (7/16)
Kaiser Health News and Politifact: A Coronavirus Vaccine: Where Does It Stand?
More than four months into the coronavirus pandemic, how close are the U.S. and the world to a safe and effective vaccine? Scientists say they see steady progress and are expressing cautious optimism that a vaccine could be ready by spring.As of early July, roughly 160 vaccine projects were underway worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. (Jacobson, 7/16)
The New York Times: Nasal Coronavirus Vaccines May Work Better Than Injected Ones, Researchers Say
Of the 150-plus coronavirus vaccines in development around the world, the lion’s share will rely on a needle prick to make their way into the body. Most vaccines throughout history have been jabbed into the upper arm, often to great success. But when protecting people against pathogens that invade the airway — like the coronavirus — an intramuscular shot isn’t necessarily the best strategy, some experts say. (Wu, 7/14)
The Washington Post/The 19th: Some Researchers And Politicians Call For Pregnant Women To Be Included In Coronavirus Vaccine Testing
As Washington spends billions of dollars to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine, a number of medical researchers and Democrats are calling on Congress to guarantee that pregnant women are involved in federally supported trials — an inclusion that is not guaranteed though research shows they could be particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Of the six pharma companies with government contracts to develop a vaccine, four — Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Novavax — have not included or do not plan to include pregnant women in their early- or mid-stage (Phase 1 and 2) trials according to records published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Luthra, 7/15)
In related news —
AP: UN Warns COVID-19 Has Threatened Child Vaccination Programs
The United Nations warned Wednesday about an alarming decline in childhood vaccinations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the likelihood a child born today will have all recommended vaccines by the age of 5 is less than 20 percent. Most of the 82 countries surveyed in May reported vaccination campaigns being disrupted because of coronavirus, according to the study carried out by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Gavi, a public-private partnership started by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that buys vaccines for about 60% of the world’s children. (Petesch, 7/15)
