Millions Of Vaccines In US Stockpiles Are Sitting Unused
Falling demand for covid shots is blamed for unused vaccines stored across the country, including in both highly- and poorly-vaccinated states. Other vaccine news relates to worries of parents of younger children who can't get shots yet, and Moderna's plans to open a hub in Atlanta.
AP:
As Vaccine Demand Falls, States Are Left With Huge Stockpile
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines collapses in many areas of the U.S., states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire and have to be added to the millions that have already gone to waste. From some of the least vaccinated states, like Indiana and North Dakota, to some of the most vaccinated states, like New Jersey and Vermont, public health departments are shuffling doses around in the hopes of finding providers that can use them. (McDermott, 3/3)
ABC News:
With Millions Still Unboosted Against COVID, Public Health Experts Face Tricky Messaging Around Potential 4th Shot
The number of Americans who are receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine now stands at a pandemic low, with fewer than 80,000 Americans initiating vaccination each day. Further, since December, the rate of people getting boosted has also fallen significantly, dropping from 1 million booster shots administered a day to less than 140,000. ... Amid the declining interest, some scientists and health officials say it is possible Americans could need an additional booster this fall, or seasonal boosters in the future, to address waning vaccine immunity or new coronavirus variants. (Mitropoulos, 3/3)
ABC News:
Without COVID-19 Vaccines For Youngest Children, Families Feel Left Behind By 'Next Phase'
While much of the country is relieved to move into a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of families with young, unvaccinated children have looked on with frustration, feeling forced to now raise their guard even higher. "Just going to the grocery store is less safe now, because we can't rely on other people protecting him by wearing a mask," said Rebecca Sanghvi, the mother of a 2-year-old son. (Haslett, 3/3)
KHN:
When Teens Blow Off Parents’ Pleas To Get Vaccinated, The Consequences Can Be Deadly
Kennedy Stonum, a high school junior, deflected repeated entreaties from her father to please just get vaccinated against covid-19. “I would send her articles. I would send her studies. I would send her whatever I thought might either scare her enough about covid to get the vaccine or allay her concerns enough about the vaccine,” said Lee Stonum, 41, a public defender in Orange County, California. His mother, who lives in Cleveland, also sent emails to her granddaughter urging her to get the shots. (Wolfson, 3/4)
In other vaccine-development news —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
COVID Vaccine Maker Moderna To Open Hub In Atlanta
A biotech firm that has been a leader in making COVID-19 vaccines has announced plans to locate a 150-job office in Atlanta, officials said Thursday. Moderna Inc., a 12-year-old, Massachusetts-based company, expects to start operations in the second quarter of this year, according to a statement from the company and government officials. The company specializes in messenger RNA products – mRNA – which are used in therapies and vaccines, most notably the shots made widely available last year to immunize people against the coronavirus that has now killed more than 900,000 Americans. (Kanell, 3/3)
Bloomberg:
Moderna, WHO Set For Vaccine Clash As Patents Threaten MRNA Use
Moderna Inc. is heading for a clash with the South African government and the World Health Organization over patent claims that vaccine advocates say could threaten the continent’s access to Covid-19 shots. Medecins Sans Frontiers and other health and relief groups are calling on the vaccine-maker to abandon three patent applications filed years ago in South Africa, saying they could impede a WHO-backed effort to make messenger RNA shots for low-income countries at a hub in Cape Town. (Sguazzin, 3/4)
Bloomberg:
Shionogi Says Study Found Covid-19 Shot Effective And Safe
Japanese drugmaker Shionogi & Co. said its experimental Covid-19 vaccine was found safe and effective in a study, creating an indigenous supply source for the Asian nation that is racing to complete a booster drive in hopes of curbing future outbreaks. The recombinant protein-based vaccine that was being tested as a booster shot met its primary endpoint in the Phase 2/3 trials, Osaka-based Shionogi said in a statement Friday announcing the interim report’s findings. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events, deaths or adverse events of special interest, it said. (Matsuyama and Huang, 3/4)
CIDRAP:
Third Vaccine Dose Boosts Omicron Protection, With Some Waning
Two doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford, Pfizer/BioNTech, or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine offered limited protection against symptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and although a third dose with any of the three vaccines boosted effectiveness substantially, it waned a bit over time. These findings, from a study by UK Health Security Agency researchers, were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Van Beusekom, 3/3)
