Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Vaccine Donations Will Be Primarily Shared Through COVAX
Reuters: U.S. Will Donate Substantial Portion Of Vaccines Through COVAX -U.S. Official
The United States will donate a significant number of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization's COVAX scheme for distributing doses to poorer countries, the U.S. global coordinator on COVID Gayle Smith told a news conference. U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday that his administration will send by the end of June a total of 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE , Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries. (5/19)
CBS News: U.S. Lags Behind Russia And China In Sending COVID-19 Vaccines To Struggling Nations In Need
While about 37% of Americans are fully vaccinated, many nations struggle to get vaccines and have turned to other world powers like China and Russia to secure doses. President Biden on Monday announced the U.S. will send 20 million doses of federally authorized COVID-19 vaccines to other countries. That's in addition to the 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine the Biden administration committed to be sent to other nations by July. America ordered enough vaccines to vaccinate its population twice, while many other countries are still struggling to secure them. A United Nations program backed by the U.S. has so far delivered fewer than 70 million coronavirus vaccine doses worldwide when billions are needed. (5/18)
The Hill: G20 Leaders Commit To 'Patent-Pooling' For COVID-19 Vaccines: Report
Leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) are expected to commit to "patent-pooling" for COVID-19 vaccines, bucking the World Health Organization’s call for a waiver on patent rights, Reuters reports. According to a draft document seen by the news outlet, the leaders will back “voluntary licensing” of vaccine patents. The news outlet reported that it was the result of a compromise among experts from the various nations. A patent pool would allow drugmakers to voluntarily share licenses for manufacturing their products. (Williams, 5/18)
Other news on covid vaccines—
The Hill: Study Shows Nearly 100 Percent Develop COVID-19 Antibodies After Second Shot
A new study from the United Kingdom found that nearly 100 percent of people develop COVID-19 antibodies after receiving their second shot of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. “We found that 96.42% of Virus Watch participants were antibody positive 28-34 days after a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This increased to 99.08% 7-14 days after a second vaccine dose,” the study found. The study comes as the U.K. has been spacing the first and second dose of the coronavirus vaccine further apart in order to get more people vaccinated. (Lonas, 5/18)
The Oregonian: Is It A HIPAA Violation If A Business Asks For Proof Of Your COVID Vaccination? What The Experts Are Saying
Some businesses are lifting face mask requirements for customers who are vaccinated against COVID-19, raising questions about medical privacy. Since 1996, part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has required that some patients’ health information be protected. But many legal experts say non-health care businesses don’t violate HIPAA if they ask for proof of a COVID-19 vaccine, multiple news outlets reported. Here’s what to know about the law and what to expect at stores. (5/18)
The Washington Post: Millions Of Immunocompromised Americans May Not Be Fully Protected By Covid Vaccines
Hoffman, 39, is fully vaccinated and eager to rejoin the world. But as a kidney transplant patient, she is hesitant to participate for fear of becoming infected. “Risk is very different for people in my situation,” she said. “I am 100 percent acting like I am not immunized.” The state worker is among millions of immunocompromised Americans, about 3 to 4 percent of the U.S. population, for whom the shots may not work fully, or at all, and who are unsure of their place in a country that is increasingly opening up. Emerging research shows that 15 to 80 percent of those with certain conditions, such as specific blood cancers or who have had organ transplants, are generating few antibodies. (Eunjung Cha, 5/18)
The Oregonian: COVID-19 Vaccine Myth: The Truth About The False Claim Of ‘Virus Shedding’
There are various false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines floating around. One that appears to have gained some traction is the notion that people who have been vaccinated “shed” the novel coronavirus’ spike protein, causing women in proximity to the vaccinated person to suffer miscarriages or even become infertile. This myth apparently evolved from another false claim, which is that the COVID-19 vaccines home in on syncytin-1, a protein necessary for placental formation. As a result, goes this false belief, the vaccines can cause irregular periods in women or, far worse, upend women’s reproduction abilities and even make them infertile. (Perry, 5/18)
