Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Makes A 'Great' Vaccine? Who Will Get One? Experts Say We Must Wrestle With These Questions Now
AP: Summer May Decide Fate Of Leading Shots In Vaccine Race
People on six continents already are getting jabs in the arm as the race for a COVID-19 vaccine enters a defining summer, with even bigger studies poised to prove if any shot really works -- and maybe offer a reality check. Already British and Chinese researchers are chasing the coronavirus beyond their borders, testing potential vaccines in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates because there are too few new infections at home to get clear answers. (Neergaard, 6/28)
CNN: Covid-19 Vaccine Might Not Get Us The Herd Immunity If Too Many People Refuse To Get It, Fauci Says
Dr. Anthony Fauci says he would "settle" for a Covid-19 vaccine that's 70% to 75% effective, but that this incomplete protection, coupled with the fact that many Americans say they won't get a coronavirus vaccine, makes it "unlikely" that the US will achieve sufficient levels of immunity to quell the outbreak. With government support, three coronavirus vaccines are expected to be studied in large-scale clinical trials in the next three months. (Cohen, 6/28)
Stat: WHO, Partners Unveil Ambitious Plan To Deliver 2 Billion Doses Of Covid-19 Vaccine To High-Risk Populations
The World Health Organization and key partners unveiled a plan Friday to purchase 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the highest risk populations of the world. The plan anticipates that by the end of 2021, the doses could be delivered to countries to vaccinate high risk individuals, likely including health care workers, people over the age of 65, and other adults who suffer from conditions like diabetes. (Branswell, 6/26)
Stat: U.S. Withdrawal From WHO Threatens To Leave It 'Flying Blind' On Flu Vaccines
Twice a year, influenza experts from 10 institutions around the world meet at the World Health Organization’s Geneva headquarters to pore over mounds of data. At the end of the weeklong meetings, they make decisions that affect people around the world: namely, which variants of the flu virus should be used for vaccinations the following season. (Branswell, 6/29)
Reuters: CanSino's COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Approved For Military Use In China
China’s military has received the greenlight to use a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by its research unit and CanSino Biologics (6185.HK) after clinical trials proved it was safe and showed some efficacy, the company said on Monday. The Ad5-nCoV is one of China’s eight vaccine candidates approved for human trials at home and abroad for the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. The shot also won approval for human testing in Canada. (6/29)
