First Edition: May 20, 2021

KHN: Stark Racial Disparities Persist In Vaccinations, State-Level CDC Data Shows
Black Americans’ covid-19 vaccination rates are still lagging months into the nation’s campaign, while Hispanics are closing the gap and Native Americans show the highest rates overall, according to federal data obtained by KHN. The data, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to a public records request, gives a sweeping national look at the race and ethnicity of vaccinated people on a state-by-state basis. Yet nearly half of those vaccination records are missing race or ethnicity information. (Recht, Pradhan and Weber, 5/20)

KHN: Despite Pandemic, Newsom Declines To Boost Local Public Health Budgets — Again
In spite of a pandemic that has killed about 62,000 Californians — more than enough to pack Dodger Stadium — Gov. Gavin Newsom has again declined to boost the budgets of the state’s underfunded and understaffed local public health departments. Local public health officials, responsible for steering the state’s covid-19 response, had asked the Democratic governor for $200 million per year for the nuts and bolts of public health, starting in the 2021-22 budget year, which kicks off July 1. (Hart, 5/20)

KHN: Seed Money: Black Entrepreneurs Hope Pandemic Gardening Boom Will Grow Healthier Eating
Ietef Vita had planned to spend most of 2020 on the road, promoting “Biomimicz,” the album the rapper had released on his #plantbasedrecords label in January. Vita, known to his fans as “DJ Cavem Moetavation” and “Chef Ietef,” had those plans unexpectedly cut short. “We were in Berkeley, California, on Feb. 29, playing there and literally got out of town right before they shut the whole country down,” recalled Vita, 34, who has performed for the Obamas and is widely considered the father of what’s known as eco-hip-hop. “It was scary.” (Thomas Whitfield, 5/20)

Roll Call: Executives Defend Quality Control At Troubled COVID-19 Vaccine Plant 
Executives at a vaccine contractor responsible for contaminating millions of vaccine doses defended its manufacturing quality Wednesday, even as new revelations emerged about the company’s lapses in sanitation, the role of a top Trump administration official in its COVID-19 contracts and their own bonuses. Emergent BioSolutions, a pandemic preparedness company that received billions in federal investments over the years, was contracted by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca to make the active ingredient in their vaccines. But no COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the company has been distributed for use in the United States. (Kopp, 5/19)

Stat: Emergent Knew Of Vaccine Manufacturing Issues As It Collected Millions
Under a contract awarded by the Trump administration, Emergent BioSolutions was paid $27 million a month to make Covid-19 vaccines, but the company already knew of serious quality control problems at its Baltimore plant, but failed to take any action, according to documents released by two House committees. The manufacturing problems forced the company to destroy millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines earlier this year that were to have been made at the plant. In fact, a J&J audit conducted shortly after the contract was awarded found potential “weaknesses” and a “deficient” strategy for controlling contamination. (Silverman, 5/19)

Politico: J&J Vaccine Production Could Restart In U.S. 'Within Days,' Emergent Executive Testifies
Emergent BioSolutions could resume manufacturing Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine within days, CEO Robert Kramer told a House panel Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration ordered Emergent to pause production last month after a series of manufacturing problems at its Baltimore plant, one of which led to the contamination of 15 million J&J doses with ingredients from a Covid-19 vaccine made by AstraZeneca. The federal government directed AstraZeneca to find a new production partner after the mix-up. (Owermohle, 5/19)

The New York Times: Near-Complete Abortion Is Signed Into Law In Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law on Wednesday one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion measures, banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy and thrusting the state into the advancing national debate over reproductive rights. The legislation, also known as the “heartbeat law,” amounts to an outright ban on abortion, as many women are not aware they are pregnant at the six-week mark. It also would allow any private citizen to sue doctors or abortion clinic employees who would perform or help arrange for the procedure. (Sandoval and Montgomery, 5/19)

AP: Down Syndrome Abortion Bans Gain Traction After Court Ruling
It’s a ban that even supporters acknowledge will be hard to enforce. Yet 2021 has been a breakthrough year for legislation in several states seeking to prohibit abortions based solely on a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Governors in Arizona and South Dakota recently signed such bills into law, and similar measures are pending in North Carolina and Texas. Most significantly, a federal appellate court said Ohio could begin to implement a 2017 law that has been on hold. (Crary and Samuels, 5/19)

AP: Medicare For 60-Year-Olds Not Guaranteed To Be A Better Deal
President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats have proposed to lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 60, to help older adults get affordable coverage. But a new study finds that Medicare can be more expensive than other options, particularly for many people of modest means. There are two reasons: Traditional Medicare has gaps in coverage that most people fill by purchasing supplemental plans, which means they pay added premiums. And premiums for the Obama-era Affordable Care Act have come way down recently due to Biden’s COVID relief bill. That’s made the ACA more attractive for older adults who haven’t reached Medicare’s eligibility age of 65. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 5/19)

Stat: Fewer State Medicaid Programs Are Restricting Access To Hepatitis C Drugs
Over the past few years, state Medicaid programs have done a better job of disclosing information about access to expensive hepatitis C medicines and fewer are restricting treatments to patients, according to a new analysis. For the first time, each state program has released treatment criteria. And since 2017, 32 states have either removed or eliminated restrictions based on a patient’s stage of liver disease, 21 have loosened rules that required patients to demonstrate they have not abused or drug or alcohol for a period of time before starting treatment, and 25 state scaled back prescribing restrictions for health care providers. (Silverman, 5/19)

The New York Times: Cuomo Investigation By U.S. Examines Coronavirus Tests For 'Specials'
Federal prosecutors have been looking into whether Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration granted special access to rapid coronavirus test results for the governor’s family and other influential people, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. Investigators from the Eastern District of New York had been looking into the handling of data on nursing home deaths by Mr. Cuomo’s office. More recently, their focus expanded, according to the people, to include questions surrounding a priority testing program that benefited Mr. Cuomo’s close family members, including his brother, Chris Cuomo, in the early weeks of the pandemic. (Goodman, 5/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Criminal Probe Of Andrew Cuomo Administration Broadens To Covid-19 Testing Issues
Federal investigators are examining whether New York state officials gave priority access to Covid-19 testing to some of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s close associates and his brother during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, according to people familiar with the matter. The review of the testing marks an expansion of the probe that the investigators, based in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, opened in February to look at how the Cuomo administration handled Covid-19 in nursing homes. (Vielkind, 5/19)

CBS News: Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Authorize Financial Support For "Havana Syndrome" Victims
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday that would authorize added financial support for U.S. officials who have suffered brain injuries resulting from "Havana Syndrome," a mysterious set of symptoms known to have afflicted scores of American personnel over several years. The measure would allow the CIA and State Department to provide financial assistance and other benefits to injured employees according to internally established, "fair and equitable" criteria, according to the legislation's text. (Gazis, 5/19)

Stat: Republicans Tell Biden To Reverse 'Disastrous' Covid-19 IP Waiver Decision
Amid a furious debate over boosting global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, more than a dozen Republican senators are urging the Biden administration to rescind its “disastrous decision” to support a controversial proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property rights. In a harshly worded letter, the lawmakers argued the proposal before the World Trade Organization could hurt the U.S economy and make it easier for other countries to steal intellectual property and medical technology. They also maintained that a waiver would foster vaccine nationalism and allow China to undercut American leadership in vaccine distribution in the developing world. (Silverman, 5/19)

Roll Call: Children Face Added Mental Health Struggles During Pandemic
Psychiatrist Tami Benton was recently called to the emergency department about a child whose family had concerns about the girl’s suicidal threats to run into traffic and end her life. The child was only 5 years old. Both of the child’s parents had lost their jobs. The mother was struggling with depression, stressed by the demands of the pandemic. (Raman, 5/19)

Good Morning America: How Chelsea Clinton Is Advocating For Others To Protect Their Mental Health
Activists, advocates and celebrities across the globe are recognizing the importance of mental health awareness on Mental Health Action Day.Chelsea Clinton -- daughter of former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- has been passionate about pushing public health efforts for the last two decades, including mental health awareness. "Self-care is so individual; the right answer is probably very different for me compared to anyone else," Clinton told "Good Morning America." "There are a few different dimensions. For me, spending time with my kids is a form of self-care. I'm a much happier person when I'm with my family. I try my hardest, while living in this virtual world, to preserve dinnertime, storytime and bathtime with my children. It's really important for my emotional well-being, too." (Anderson, 5/20)

NBC News: Salma Hayek On Her Near-Fatal Covid Battle: Refusing To Go To Hospital, 7 Weeks In Isolation
Salma Hayek has spent the better part of the past year recovering from a near-fatal case of Covid-19, a fact she chose to keep quiet until now. She battled the virus in the early days of the pandemic and spent about seven weeks isolated in a room of the London mansion she shares with her husband, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, and their 13-year-old daughter, Valentina. At one point, she was put on oxygen. "My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad," Hayek, 54. "I said, 'No, thank you. I'd rather die at home.'" (5/20)

CNN: Uneven Vaccination Rates Across The US Linked To Covid-19 Case Trends, Worry Experts 
Tuesday was a "landmark day," as the United States reached a new Covid-19 vaccine milestone: 60% of adults have now received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the US Centers and Disease Control and Prevention. But vaccination rates across the United States are uneven -- a worrisome trend that could obstruct efforts to end the Covid-19 pandemic. Rates range from more than 78% of adults in Vermont with at least one vaccine to less than 45% of adults in Mississippi. (McPhillips and Cohen, 5/19)

Axios: New Coronavirus Cases Fall By 20% 
Coronavirus infections continue to plummet across the U.S. Experts have warned many times over the past year that it wouldn’t be safe to rush back into pre-pandemic life without containing the virus. Now, though, the U.S. is finally containing the virus. (Baker and Witherspoon, 5/20)

The New York Times: New Covid-19 Cases Dramatically Fell In Nursing Homes After Vaccination
Nursing home residents, considered among the most vulnerable to Covid-19, appear to receive significant protection from vaccination, according to new research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. In a letter to the editor, the researchers said that the use of vaccinations also appeared to protect nursing home residents who did not get the immunization. That finding suggests, researchers said, that unvaccinated residents benefit when others around them receive the shot. (Richtel, 5/19)

The Hill: US-Canadian Border Restrictions To Be Extended Through June: Report
Restrictions on nonessential travel across the U.S.-Canadian border will be extended through June, Canadian news outlet CTV News reported Tuesday. The report comes two days before the most recent extension is set to expire. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on April 20 that the restrictions will continue through May 21. (Williams, 5/19)

NBC News: Confusing Rules, Loopholes And Legal Issues: College Vaccination Plans Are A Mess
In Texas, public universities can’t require a vaccination, but private ones can. In Massachusetts, where colleges and universities can mandate Covid-19 vaccinations, 43 of more than 100 had agreed to do so by mid-May. In New York, public universities cannot allow for religious exemptions, while a majority of the state’s private universities can. That patchwork approach is reflected across the country. An NBC News analysis of nearly 400 colleges and universities that are requiring the Covid-19 vaccination found that the vast majority have unclear directives, loopholes or legal complications that are leaving professors frustrated, students unmotivated and a potential public health crisis come fall. To add to the confusion, among all states and jurisdictions, 19 have statewide regulations for public colleges: Seven require vaccinations for students and 12 do not. (Kesslen, Watkins and Syed, 5/20)

Reuters: Fauci Expects COVID-19 Vaccines For Kids In Late-2021, Sees Need For Booster Shot
Kids in the United States will likely be able to get COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of this year or the first quarter of 2022, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said at an event on Wednesday. The United States earlier this month cleared the way for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and partner BioNTech SE in adolescents aged 12 and above. Fauci also noted the need for a COVID-19 booster shot within a year or so after getting the primary shot. (Khandekar and Roy, 5/19)

CNN: Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout For Ages 12 To 15 Is 'Better Than Expected,' Health Officials Say 
Appointment slots are quick to fill. Excited grins are hidden behind masks. Syringes are filled and shots are ready to go into arms. The rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 in the United States has been reminiscent of when those very first Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered late last year, said Dr. Lisa Costello, a pediatrician at West Virginia University Medicine Children's Hospital and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on State Government Affairs. (Howard, 5/19)

CNN: Covid-19 Booster Shot Will Likely Be Needed Within A Year Of Vaccination, Fauci Says 
While the world may be opening up because of the increase in Covid-19 vaccinations, top medical experts say there may be another round of shots needed within about a year. A booster Covid-19 vaccine for people who have already been vaccinated may be needed as soon as eight to 12 months after their second shot, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Langmaid and Vera, 5/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots Raise Tough Issues For Health Authorities
While most countries are still cranking up their vaccination drives, some are already making plans to deliver millions of booster shots into arms later this year. Concerns that Covid-19 may morph into a seasonal menace are driving preparations in the U.S., the European Union and the U.K. for a winter vaccine booster program. The plans are precautionary, according to public-health officials, and it isn’t yet certain they will be put into operation or at what scale. Disease experts say the need for a winter vaccine drive will depend on whether vaccine-induced immunity fades over time and if the current crop of vaccines are effective against virus variants. (Douglas, 5/20)

The Washington Post: FDA Allows Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines To Be Stored In Ordinary Refrigerators For Up To A Month
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has eased the cold storage rules for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine so that the doses can be kept longer at normal refrigerator temperatures. The move will simplify the transport and delivery of this highly effective vaccine that has to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures in special freezer units. Previously once the vials had been thawed, they could only be stored in a normal refrigerator for five days — that time period has now been extended to a month.“ (Schemm and Ang, 5/20)

CIDRAP: COVID-Related Inflammatory Syndrome Looks Different In Adults
The postinfectious COVID-19–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) first characterized in children has a different presentation in adults that may lead to underrecognition, according to a small, single-center study today in JAMA Network Open. Conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the retrospective study involved 15 patients 21 years and older who met the working definition for MIS in adults (MIS-A) from Mar 1 to Sep 30, 2020, and were hospitalized 14 to 84 days after testing positive for COVID-19 or 15 days before or after SARS-CoV-2 antibody test results identified them as at risk for the syndrome. (Van Beusekom, 5/19)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Long-Haul COVID-19 Common, In Even Those With Mild Disease
Long-haul COVID-19 was associated with severe or very severe symptoms, low income, and some age-groups, but was common even in those with mild symptoms, with a quarter of patients in that group having symptoms after 60 days, according to a Clinical Infectious Diseases study today that looked at adult Michigan patients. The researchers surveyed 593 Michigan adults who had a symptomatic COVID-19 diagnosis through mid-April 2020. Most were female (56.1%), older than 45 years (68.2%), and either White (46.3%) or Black (34.8%). More than half reported 30-day COVID-19 symptoms (52.5%), and 35.0% said they had symptoms 60 days post-diagnosis. The most common symptoms among 60-day COVID-19 patients were fatigue (52.9%) and shortness of breath (43.9%). (5/19)

AP: US Cervical Cancers Fall But Other Sex-Related Cancers Rise
Screening and the HPV vaccine have led to drops in cervical cancers over the last two decades in the U.S., a new study finds, but the gains are offset by a rise in other tumors caused by the virus. Oral sex is helping fuel more cases of mouth and throat cancers in men. For older women, anal cancer and a rare type of rectal cancer caused by HPV may be more common than cervical cancers by 2025. “A common misperception is the HPV vaccine has solved the problem of HPV-associated cancers. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Dr. Maura Gillison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who was not involved in the study. (Johnson, 5/19)

Reuters: New Bristol Myers Immunotherapy Combo Better Than Opdivo Alone In Melanoma Study
An experimental Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N) drug from a new class of immunotherapy used in combination with its big-selling cancer medicine Opdivo significantly extended the time it took for advanced melanoma to worsen compared with Opdivo alone, according to early data from a study released on Wednesday. Patients with previously untreated melanoma that had spread or could not be removed by surgery who received relatlimab plus Opdivo on average went 10.1 months before the deadly skin cancer began to progress, a measure known as median progression-free survival (PFS). That compared with PFS of 4.6 months for those who received Opdivo alone in the study of more than 700 patients. (Erman, 5/19)

Stat: J&J's CAR-T Drug Benefits Myeloma Patients With Less Advanced Disease
When doctors prescribe a personalized cell therapy today, the patient they’re trying to help has blood cancer so advanced other medicines no longer work. In the future, these so-called CAR-T treatments might be used earlier, for greater benefit, when cancer patients aren’t so desperately sick. Toward that goal, a CAR-T therapy called cilta-cel from Johnson & Johnson was more effective and better tolerated when used to treat patients with less advanced multiple myeloma, according to preliminary study results released Wednesday. (Feuerstein, 5/19)

Stat: Merus Drug Shows Potential As Treatment For Rare Type Of Pancreatic Cancer
A drug from the Dutch biotech Merus designed to disrupt a rare genetic alteration is showing early but promising anti-tumor responses in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer — a disease with few effective treatment options available. When treated with infusions of the Merus drug, called zenocutuzumab, four of 10 patients with pancreatic cancer showed partial responses, for a confirmed overall response rate of 40%. Another three patients had minor tumor responses. (Feuerstein, 5/19)

Stat: Iovance CEO Abruptly Resigns After FDA Setback For Its Cancer Drug 
Hours after the biotech company Iovance announced yet another regulatory delay for its investigational cancer treatment, the firm disclosed Wednesday that its CEO had abruptly tendered her resignation, sending its share price plummeting. Maria Fardis, who has run Iovance since 2016, informed the company on Tuesday that she “will be resigning” from her roles as CEO, president, and board member, the firm said in a two-sentence filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Iovance did not specify whether Fardis’s resignation was effective immediately, and the company did not immediately respond to an inquiry. (Garde, 5/19)

Stat: Health Tech Companies Form Coalition To Advance The Role Of Real-World Data
On Wednesday, five health data analytics companies announced they have banded together to form an industry consortium that aims to transform the way new drugs and devices make their way to patients. The digitization of medical records has opened up access to reams of data about patient outcomes in the past decade, but not all of it has found a use. “Real-world data, in and of itself, is not that interesting, right?” said Michael Vasconcelles, chief medical officer of Flatiron Health, the initiator of the new alliance. “It’s really the insights that one gleans from asking important scientific questions that then can be answered or informed by those data.” (Palmer, 5/19)

The New York Times: Healthcare Start-Up Ro To Acquire Modern Fertility
Ro, the parent company of Roman, the brand that is best known for delivering erectile dysfunction and hair loss medication to consumers, announced on Wednesday that it would acquire Modern Fertility, a start-up that offers at-home fertility tests for women. The deal is priced at more than $225 million, according to people with knowledge of the acquisition who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was not public. It is one of the largest investments in the women’s health care technology space, known as femtech, which attracted $592 million in venture capital in 2019, according to an analysis by PitchBook. (Haridasani Gupta, 5/19)

Stat: Spark Therapeutics Sues Bluebird Bio Over The Use Of The Word 'Spark'
A promotional campaign has sparked a legal dispute between Spark Therapeutics and Bluebird Bio (BLUE) over the use of a single word: spark. As Bluebird works toward winning U.S. regulatory approval for a gene therapy to combat sickle cell disease, the company created a website and videos designed to provide greater awareness of the illness. And its effort uses such slogans as “Let’s Spark Change in Sickle Cell” and “Be the Spark.” The company is also seeking four trademarks for “I AM THE SPARK” and “SPARK CHANGE,” among other phrases. (Silverman, 5/19)

The New York Times: How Do You Persuade New Yorkers To Be Vaccinated? Knock On Their Doors
On a recent morning, Tomas Ramos, a community organizer, and two colleagues rode the elevator to the 21st floor of a tower in the Webster Houses, a public-housing project in the Bronx. Working their way down, one floor at a time, they knocked on every door. Sometimes a voice from inside an apartment called out, “I’m not getting vaccinated.” Other times the person behind the door simply went silent after Mr. Ramos, 34, explained he was signing people up for vaccinations. But on the 13th floor, Biency Paulino answered the door, flanked by her mother and her 5-year-old son, Christopher, who giggled at the sight of strangers during such a lonely year. (Goldstein, 5/20)

The Hill: Utah Legislature Passes Prohibition On Mask Mandates In Schools
The Utah legislature has passed a bill prohibiting schools from requiring masks. The legislation “prohibits a face covering requirement to participate in or attend instruction, activities or any other place on the school campus or facilities in the system of public education after the end of the 2020-2021 school year,” according to its text. It further prevents higher education institutions and the Utah Board of Higher Education from requiring face coverings after the end of the spring semester of 2021. (Williams, 5/19)

The Hill: Michigan Health Officials Urging Schools To Maintain Mask Requirements
Michigan health officials are telling schools that students, teachers and other faculty should still wear masks for the rest of the school year regardless of vaccination status. Bob Wheaton, a spokesman for the state health department, told The Associated Press that the new guidelines will be announced Wednesday. Most students have less than a month of school left for the academic year, but mask mandates throughout the country are beginning to shift due to increased vaccination rates. (Lonas, 5/19)

Stat: California Could Be First To Mandate Biosecurity For Mail-Order DNA 
California lawmakers on Thursday will vote on a bill that would require the state’s growing gene synthesis industry to adopt screening protocols to keep dangerous DNA out of the hands of the wrong people. The proposed legislation would be the first in the nation to tackle the biosecurity risks that accompany cheap and easy DNA writing technologies. (Molteni, 5/20)

The Hill: Alaska Health Department Website Targeted In Cyberattack
Alaska's health department on Tuesday reported a malware attack that disrupted its website's services. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services' (DHSS) website was taken offline on Monday evening and remained unavailable on Tuesday evening due to the cyberattack. “At this time, there are no details about who initiated the attack, why they targeted DHSS, whether this attack is related to any other recent attacks, or how long the website may be down,” the state health department wrote in news release. (Jenkins, 5/19)

The Wall Street Journal: When Can Americans Travel To Europe? EU Announces They Are Opening Their Borders
On Wednesday, ambassadors from the 27 European Union member states agreed to a proposal that would re-open their borders to fully vaccinated travelers from countries deemed safe, if the final shots were taken two weeks before travel and were from providers approved by the World Health Organization or the EU’s medicines regulator. EU officials have indicated the U.S. will soon be added to the safe list. Vaccines from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are all allowed. The proposal still needs to be approved by national leaders. Once approved, the EU-wide agreement is expected to come into effect very soon, according to an EU spokesperson. (Sylvers and Kronsberg, 5/19)

CIDRAP: COVID Hot Spots Persist In Latin American Countries
Brazil's decline in cases has stopped, and cases and deaths doubled last week in parts of Argentina and Uruguay, a sign that the Americas region is still in the heat of battle with COVID, officials from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said today during a briefing. Though the world's cases declined last week, four of the five highest burden countries are in the Americas region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly snapshot of the pandemic. They include the Brazil, the United States, Argentina, and Colombia. (Schnirring, 5/19)

The Wall Street Journal: India’s Covid-19 Daily Death Toll Hits World’s High
India recorded the world’s highest number of deaths from Covid-19 in a single day, as the country suffers through one of the most ferocious surges of the pandemic. On Wednesday, India reported 4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, topping the previous high set by the U.S. on Jan. 12, when it recorded 4,475 deaths. It was the ninth time this month that India has recorded more than 4,000 deaths in a single day. The rising death toll comes following a surge in cases that rose faster than any the world had previously seen, overwhelming the country’s healthcare system, with hospitals turning patients away and running short of beds, oxygen and Covid-19 medications. (Agarwal and Pokharel, 5/19)

Politico: Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Trial Begins In UK
A study looking at coronavirus vaccine boosters has launched in the U.K. to test the effects of an extra dose. The trial, hailed by the British government as a world-first for the COVID-19 jab, will assess Oxford/AstraZeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Johnson & Johnson and CureVac vaccines as potential booster shots that would be given 10 to 12 weeks after a second dose is given as part of the country’s ongoing vaccination campaign. The booster shot could be a different brand from the one originally used. Drugmakers are already carrying out studies on the response to booster shots but the U.K. trial will specifically examine the immune response of different brands of vaccine side-by-side. (Furlong, 5/19)

AP: China Says Providing Vaccines To Almost 40 African States
China said Thursday it is providing COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 40 African countries, describing its actions as purely altruistic in an apparent intensification of what has been described as “vaccine diplomacy.” The vaccines were donated or sold at “favorable prices,” Foreign Ministry official Wu Peng told reporters. Wu compared China’s outreach to the actions of “some countries that have said they have to wait for their own people to finish the vaccination before they could supply the vaccines to foreign countries,” in an apparent dig at the United States. (5/20)

Reuters: European Commission Signs Third Contract With BioNTech-Pfizer For 1.8 Bln Vaccine Doses
The European Commission said on Thursday that it signed a third contract with pharmaceutical companies BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) and Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) for an additional 1.8 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine. The contract reserves the doses on behalf of all European Union member states, between end 2021 to 2023, the statement added. The contract requires that the vaccine production is based in the EU and that essential components are sourced from the EU. (5/20)