Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Russia's First Shipment Of Sputnik V Vaccine Arrives In Mexico
AP: Mexico Receives Shipment Of Sputnik V Vaccine
Mexico has received its first shipment of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. Some 200,000 doses arrived to Mexico City’s international airport late Monday night aboard a British Airways flight from Moscow. Officials plan to use the doses to begin vaccinating seniors in the capital’s most marginalized boroughs on Wednesday. Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard confirmed their arrival via Twitter. (2/23)
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Pfizer Plays Hardball In Covid-19 Vaccine Negotiations
Pfizer has been accused of “bullying” Latin American governments during negotiations to acquire its Covid-19 vaccine, and the company has asked some countries to put up sovereign assets, such as embassy buildings and military bases, as a guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases, according to an investigation by the U.K.-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. (Madlen Davies, Ivan Ruiz, Jill Langois and Rosa Furneaux, 2/23)
AP: Guatemalans Outraged By Fake COVID-19 Tests
Lawmakers and rights official in Guatemala called Monday for an investigation into 30,000 fake COVID-19 tests that were bought by public health officials. The 30,000 tests and testing materials cost the Central American country’s Health Ministry almost $1 million, but were found to be unreliable. (2/22)
Stat: New Pledges Boost A Global Vaccine Access, But Critics Say More Is Needed
After months of uncertainty and frustration, a World Health Organization program designed to ensure access to Covid-19 vaccines in dozens of low-income countries late last week received a spate of good news. (Silverman, 2/22)
The Washington Examiner: Sweden Moves To Strengthen Academic Freedom After Researcher Harassed For Pandemic Study
Sweden has vowed better protections for academic freedom after a leading Swedish researcher quit his work on COVID-19 after facing an onslaught of attacks for his research being too optimistic about the virus. “It is deeply concerning when academics are threatened to the extent that they don’t have the courage to keep on doing their job. This is not a new phenomenon, but we have seen an increase of threats against academics related to research on the coronavirus. When people are silenced, it’s a threat against the freedom of speech and our democracy,” said Matilda Ernkrans, Sweden’s minister for higher education and research. (Lee, 2/20)
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Stat: Avoiding Light Due To Migraines, Woman Develops A Centuries-Old Condition
In 2017, Karen Porter mentioned something unusual at a routine neurology appointment: Everything she saw appeared to be vibrating. The 57-year-old U.K. resident has chronic migraines, and over the past few years had become increasingly sensitive to light; her house was almost completely blacked out, except for a dim camping light. In low light, she’d noticed the startling change in her vision. (Sohn, 2/22)
