Pfizer, Moderna Accelerate Production Of Vaccines To Meet Global Demand

The Washington Post: Companies Scramble To Expand Coronavirus Vaccine Supply 
Production of the two coronavirus vaccines authorized in the United States is accelerating, even as companies with experimental vaccines nearing the end of trials struggle to meet ambitious manufacturing targets. That means the United States should have 200 million doses each from the companies with authorized shots, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — enough to guarantee that more than 70 percent of adults will be able to get the two-shot vaccination by the end of July. That is comparable to the share of adults some polls suggest will be willing to roll up their sleeves. (Johnson, 1/14)

Politico: Trump Wants Billions Cut From Global Covid Vaccine Distributor 
President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers a sweeping package of spending cuts to consider before he leaves office, including billions in funding for a global health and vaccine distribution program involved in the Covid fight, according to the package obtained by POLITICO. The $27.4 billion in proposed cuts is known as a rescission request — a largely symbolic package of spending claw-backs that the White House presents to Congress. There is no chance that Congress actually acts on the request. But the inclusion of $4 billion in funding for GAVI, a public-private partnership promoting vaccination in low-income countries, will likely fuel more criticism of the president’s approach to global health efforts in general and the Covid pandemic in particular. (Emma, Lippman and McGraw, 1/14)

In other vaccine news —

The Wall Street Journal: Israel Vaccine Data Suggests Decrease In Covid-19 Infection Rate After First Dose 
Early data from Israel suggests Covid-19 infection rates began to decrease among a group of vaccine recipients two weeks after they received the first shot of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s vaccine, offering important insights to other countries as they roll out their own campaigns. The small country—whose roughly nine million population is about the size of New York City’s—has vaccinated nearly a fourth of its population in just under a month, the first country to hit that mark as it fights an upsurge in new infections. (Schwartz and Lieber, 1/14)

NBC News and AP: Wisconsin Pharmacist Accused Of Spoiling Covid-19 Vaccine Has License Suspended
A state board on Wednesday suspended the license of a Wisconsin pharmacist accused of ruining more than 500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine because he thought it was unsafe.Steven Brandenburg was working at Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton, about 20 miles north of Milwaukee, when he was arrested last month following an investigation into the 57 spoiled vials of the Moderna vaccine. He has not been criminally charged. A status conference in the case is scheduled for Tuesday. (1/14)

The Hill: Gottlieb: Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Looks Like Promising 'Third Entrant' 
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that the new single-dose coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson “looks like a good profile for a vaccine.” "All in all this looks like a good profile for a vaccine," Gottlieb said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday after early data showed promising results for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “It's an indication we are probably going to have a third entrant here." (Lonas, 1/14)

KHN: 5 Reasons To Wear A Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated 
As an emergency physician, Dr. Eugenia South was in the first group of people to receive a covid vaccine. She received her second dose last week  — even before President-elect Joe Biden. Yet South said she’s in no rush to throw away her face mask. “I honestly don’t think I’ll ever go without a mask at work again,” said South, faculty director of the Urban Health Lab at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe doing that.” (Szabo, 1/15)