Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
WHO Director Urges Nations To Share Vaccine Resources
The Hill: WHO Warns Against 'Nationalism' In Coronavirus Fight
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning countries that hoarding supplies and an eventual coronavirus vaccine will prolong the epidemic at a steep cost to poor and developing nations. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his agency is developing plans to distribute the vaccine equitably across the globe, once the science shows that a potential candidate is both effective at generating an immune response and safe in humans. (Wilson, 8/18)
CIDRAP: WHO Urges Global Coordination Of Vaccine Rollout, Notes COVID In Caribbean
As the global COVID-19 total today neared 22 million cases, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned about "vaccine nationalism" and previewed a basic strategy for deploying vaccine, once available, that not only protects those at greatest risk, but also helps reduce the threat for all countries. In another development, the WHO's Americas regional office said Caribbean countries are now reporting case rises. The current pandemic total is at 21,974,393 cases, with 776,154 deaths according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard. (Schnirring, 8/18)
In other global vaccine news —
Reuters: Australia Hails Vaccine Deal As Virus Surge Abates
A fresh outbreak of infections in Australia’s coronavirus hot zone of Victoria eased further on Wednesday, while the country agreed a deal to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine that it plans to roll out cost-free to citizens. Australia has signed a deal with British drugmaker AstraZeneca to produce and distribute enough doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine for its population of 25 million, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said late on Tuesday. (Jose and Paul, 8/18)
Reuters: German Institute Says Coronavirus Vaccinations Could Start In Early 2021
The head of Germany’s vaccines regulator said some groups of people living in Germany could be vaccinated early next year against the coronavirus that has killed almost 800,000 worldwide and wreaked havoc on the global economy. More than half a dozen drugmakers around the world are conducting advanced clinical trials, each with tens of thousands of participants, and several expect to know if their COVID-19 vaccines work and are safe by the end of this year. (8/19)
CNN: Getting Vaccinated For The Flu This Year Is Particularly Important, WHO Officials Say
Getting the flu vaccine this year is important, experts at the World Health Organization said during a news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. It appears that the circulation of flu in the Southern Hemisphere -- which includes Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Zimbabwe -- is low. However, making assessments of what will happen in the Northern Hemisphere -- which includes North America, Europe and much of Asia -- needs to be done carefully. (Thomas and Hetter, 8/18)
