Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna CEO Says People Will Likely Need A Fourth Covid Shot By This Fall
The Washington Post: Fourth Vaccine Dose Could Be Needed In Fall, Moderna CEO Says
The chief executive of coronavirus vaccine-maker Moderna said Thursday that people are likely to need a second booster dose in the fall, with front-line workers and those 50 and older a particular priority as antibody levels wane. People who received booster shots this past fall are likely to have significant protection through winter, Stéphane Bancel said at a health-care conference hosted by Goldman Sachs. But he said the efficacy of boosters could dip by next fall: “I will be surprised when we get that data in the coming weeks that it’s holding nicely over time — I would expect that it’s not going to hold great.” (Jeong and Suliman, 1/7)
And West Virginia wants to give out fourth doses now —
Charleston Gazette Mail: Marsh: WV 'Not Even Close To The Peak' As State Requests CDC Approval For 4th Dose
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that the state will request permission from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to administer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to people who are older than age 50, immunocompromised or essential workers. The request is believed to be the first of its kind in the country, Justice said. Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s COVID-19 czar and vice president of health sciences at West Virginia University, said the fourth dose could help alleviate further illness and infection among the most vulnerable population. (Coyne, 1/6)
In other news about vaccine development —
USA Today: COVID Pfizer Vaccine Won't Be Ready For Youngest Children For Months
Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine won't be available anytime soon for kids younger than 5. In early tests, the lower dose given to 2- to 5-year-olds didn't produce as much immune protection as did shots given to other age groups, a Pfizer scientist said at a federal advisory committee meeting Wednesday, expanding on information provided late last year. The company hopes a third dose of vaccine eight weeks after the first two shots will provide the desired effectiveness, Dr. Alejandra Gurtman, vice president of vaccine clinical research and development for Pfizer said at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. (Weintraub, 1/6)
Fox News: FDA Ordered To Speed Up Release Of Approval Data For COVID-19 Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration was ordered by a federal judge Thursday to release tens of thousands of more pages a month about the data used in its approval process for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Public Health and Medical Professionals sued the FDA under a Freedom of Information Act that demanded more transparency, Reuters reported last month. The FDA—citing staffing issues—agreed to release 12,000 pages by the end of January and a "minimum" of 500 pages a month going forward, the report said. The group found that number unacceptable and said there are more than 400,000 pages of data needed, which could mean it may be 2097 before all the documents are made public. (DeMarche, 1/7)
Stat: Pharma Boards Urged To Tie Exec Compensation To Covid-19 Vaccine Equity
More than 65 institutional investors are urging the directors of companies making Covid-19 vaccines to tie executive compensation to vaccine equity in hopes of holding management “accountable” for contributing to a global health problem. In a series of letters, the investors asked the heads of the board compensation committees at Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Moderna (MRNA), and AstraZeneca (AZN) to adopt goals outlined recently by the World Health Organization to ensure 70% of the global population is vaccinated by the end of 2022. (Silverman, 1/6)
