Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Variant Spreads, England Starts Door-To-Door Testing
Reuters: UK Begins Door-To-Door Testing Of 80,000 People As New COVID Variants Spread
Britain begins a door-to-door COVID-19 testing of 80,000 people on Tuesday in a bid to stem the spread of a new highly infectious so called South African variant of the novel coronavirus. Public Health England said it had identified a total of 105 cases of the South African variant since Dec. 22, and to contain new outbreaks, residents in eight areas of the country will now be tested whether or not they are showing symptoms, a process known as “surge testing”. (McKay, 2/2)
The Washington Post: Dozens Of Countries Have No Plan To Vaccinate Refugees Against The Coronavirus. That Could Be A Fatal Flaw, Experts Warn
With a few clicks, Rowi Alomur, 38, a Syrian refugee and mother of two living in northwestern Jordan, signed up for a free coronavirus vaccine this month through a national online platform. With the priority set for those 65 and older, or with certain underlying conditions, Alomur told The Washington Post that she is awaiting a text message that will tell her when and where to go for her shot when her turn comes up. Among the world’s millions of refugees, her experience stands out. Jordan is one of the few countries to have begun vaccinating refugees as inoculation programs begin. Millions of others have been excluded from their host countries’ national vaccine programs or face added barriers to access. That could ultimately leave everyone at risk. (Berger, 2/1)
AP: Tanzania Says No Plans In Place To Accept COVID-19 Vaccines
Tanzania’s health ministry says it has no plans in place to accept COVID-19 vaccines, just days after the president of the country of 60 million people expressed doubt about the vaccines without offering evidence. Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima told a press conference in the capital, Dodoma, on Monday that “the ministry has no plans to receive vaccines for COVID-19.” Any vaccines must receive ministry approval. It is not clear when any vaccines might arrive, though Tanzania is eligible for the COVAX global effort aimed at delivering doses to low- and middle-income countries. (2/2)
AP: South Africa Welcomes First Delivery Of COVID-19 Vaccines
South Africa gave a hero’s welcome Monday to the delivery of its first COVID-19 vaccines — 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa greeted the crates of vaccine that arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport. The shipment will be followed up later this month by another 500,000 doses. (Meldrum, 2/1)
AP: WHO Team Visits Animal Disease Center In Wuhan, China
World Health Organization experts visited an animal disease center in the Chinese city of Wuhan on Tuesday as part of their investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Team member Peter Daszak told reporters later they had “excellent facilities, very informative meeting,” and he tweeted the team met with staff in charge of the health of livestock in Hubei province, toured laboratories and had an “in-depth” discussion along with questions and answers. (2/2)
