Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Indonesian Sinovac Vaccine Trials Scientist Dies Of Suspected Covid
Reuters: Lead Sinovac Vaccine Scientist In Indonesia Dies Of Suspected COVID-19, Media Say
The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected COVID-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media said. The death of Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar comes as fatalities from the coronavirus reach record highs in Indonesia, one of the countries where the Sinovac vaccine has been most widely used. (Widianot, Christina, 7/7)
Bloomberg: Sinovac’s CoronaVac Inferior To Pfizer Covid Vaccine In Chile Study
Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine was less potent than Pfizer Inc.’s shot at stopping Covid-19 in Chile where the two shots were used simultaneously, the first real-world analysis comparing a China-made inoculation against an mRNA has found. Researchers found CoronaVac was 66% effective in preventing Covid-19 among fully vaccinated adults, versus 93% for the jab made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech SE. (Gale, 7/8)
Reuters: Two Weeks Into Lockdown, Sydney Has Its Worst Day For Virus Cases This Year
Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state on Thursday reported its biggest daily rise in locally acquired cases of COVID-19 this year as officials struggle to stamp out a growing cluster of the highly infectious Delta variant. The spike in cases after two weeks of a hard lockdown in Sydney, Australia's largest city, raised the prospect of a further extension in restrictions, with officials blaming illegal family visits for a continuing rise in infections. (Jose, 7/8)
Reuters: UK PM Johnson's New COVID Gamble Worries Some Scientists
Anne Cori, an Imperial College epidemiologist behind one of the models that informed Johnson's initial decision to delay "freedom day", said it was premature to declare that the country can live with rising cases. Another delay to removing restrictions would be beneficial, she told Reuters. "I think delaying buys time, and we have interventions in the pipeline that may help reduce transmissibility," Cori said, referring to booster shots and the possible vaccination of children, a step Britain has yet to decide to take. (Smout, 7/8)
In other global developments —
CIDRAP: WHO: Few Global Flu Detections, Mainly Influenza B
Global flu activity in the middle 2 weeks of June remained below expected levels in both hemispheres, with little activity except for a slight increase in influenza B, especially in China, the WHO said in its latest global update. Sporadic detections were reported in western and eastern Africa, as well as in India. (7/7)
The Washington Post: Syrian Civilians At Grave Risk If U.N. Aid Deliveries Are Halted
Parts of northern Syria will quickly face a massive and deadly humanitarian crisis if the U.N. Security Council fails this week to extend a resolution allowing the United Nations to deliver aid across the Turkish-Syrian border, according to relief workers, Syrian civilians and the Biden administration. The resolution, which allows the United Nations to coordinate aid shipments to Syria through only one border crossing, is set to expire Saturday. Millions of Syrians dependent on the U.N.-led relief effort would immediately be put at risk if it lapses, aid workers say. (Fahim and DeYoung, 7/7)
