Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Who Gets The Vaccine First? Depends On Who You Ask; Lessons On Hoarding Virus Therapies
Stat: Include Public Opinion When Making Medical Rationing Frameworks
When a vaccine for Covid-19 becomes available — and the supply is sure to be limited — who should get it? That depends on who you ask. The Harris Poll released survey data in August that showed how the public believes a future Covid-19 vaccine should be administered. The results were relatively intuitive. Citizens wanted health care workers (73%), people over age 55 (71%), essential workers (60%), and first responders (56%) to receive the first doses. (Mark Dornauer, 11/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Teachers Should Get The Covid Vaccine First
Two vaccine trials reported highly encouraging results in the past week, with both versions looking to be 95% effective or better. If one or both are approved for emergency use, the U.S. might have enough doses for 20 million people in early 2021. How should the initial supply be allocated? Should it be given to populations with a higher mortality risk, or to people who are most likely to spread disease at higher rates? Most agree that America’s 18 million health-care workers should top the list. The 3.3 million teachers should come next. (Aaron Strong and Jonathan Welburn, 11/19)
The Wall Street Journal: A Global Covid Vaccine Heist
Breakthroughs on vaccines and new treatments are finally offering the world a path to end the Covid-19 pandemic. They’re a tribute to private U.S. corporate innovation, but now developing countries led by India and South Africa are making a damaging bid to waive patent protections for these life-saving advances. The attempt will surface Friday when these countries offer a resolution at the World Trade Organization meeting to waive patent protections for Covid vaccines, therapies and other technologies. They say this is needed to ensure poor countries have equal access, but their effort would harm everyone, including the poor. (11/19)
JAMA: How To Leverage The Medicare Program For A COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign
Once a safe and effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is developed, Medicare data could be used to support a COVID-19 vaccination campaign. This support may include operationalizing the prioritization of vaccine distribution, allocating vaccine to states and local jurisdictions based on the number of individuals at high risk of severe disease, monitoring vaccine uptake, supporting pharmacovigilance once licensed vaccines start to be administered, and identifying waning immunity and potential severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and adverse events following vaccination. The analytic support could come from CMS or from external entities with access to comprehensive, up-to-date Medicare data. (Nicole Lurie and Bettina Experton, 11/19)
The Washington Post: Every Day Spent Obstructing The Transition Means More Covid-19 Deaths
The unprecedented obstruction of the transition process by the outgoing Trump administration represents a serious, significant and urgent danger to the American people. As covid-19 cases continue to surge, the incoming Biden administration must immediately be given access to all necessary information and all government departments. Both of us have served as part of the federal government’s response to public health threats, such as H1N1, Ebola and Zika. (Leslie Dach and Nicole Lurie, 11/19)
Stat: A Shortage Of Doctors With Experience Treating Hospitalized Patients Looms
As Covid-19 cases reach a record high in the U.S., models project that this third wave of the pandemic may be the worst yet. The confluence of weather patterns, pandemic fatigue, loose social distancing guidelines, and the upcoming flu season have led to a surge of hospitalizations that will continue to rise over the next few months. (Anjali Bhatla and Kira L. Ryskina, 11/20)
