Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Who Gets The COVID Vaccine And When?
Stat: ‘A Huge Experiment’: How The World Made So Much Progress On A Covid-19 Vaccine So Fast
Never before have prospective vaccines for a pathogen entered final-stage clinical trials as rapidly as candidates for Covid-19. Just six months ago, when the death toll from the coronavirus stood at one and neither it nor the disease it caused had a name, a team of Chinese scientists uploaded its genetic sequence to a public site. That kicked off the record-breaking rush to develop vaccines — the salve that experts say could ultimately quell the pandemic. (Joseph, 7/30)
The Hill: Most In Poll Say They're Willing To Wait For COVID-19 Vaccine To Be Fully Tested
More than 6 in 10 voters say a coronavirus vaccine should be fully tested, even if doing so delays its release and potentially allows the virus to spread further, according to a new poll. The Politico/Morning Consult poll released Wednesday found that 64 percent favor fully testing any potential vaccine, while 22 percent said it should be made available as early as possible. (Deese, 7/29)
The Hill: COVID-19 Vaccines Must Go To Rich And Poor Countries, Warns Advocate
The world will not return to normal until a vaccine against the coronavirus is distributed widely and not just to developed nations, one of the leading vaccine experts said in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday. Seth Berkley, who heads the vaccine alliance Gavi, said he was encouraged by the pace of scientific progress toward a vaccine, but that he is concerned that wealthy nations may snap up all the available supply, leaving poorer and developing nations to struggle through the pandemic without the proper aid. (Wilson, 7/29)
In other vaccine developments —
Boston Globe: COVID-19 Vaccine Developed By Beth Israel, Johnson & Johnson, Enters Early-Stage Trials
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by health care giant Johnson & Johnson and researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has shown promise in a study with rhesus macaque monkeys and has entered an early-stage clinical trial in people. Dr. Dan Barouch, head of Beth Israel’s Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, said researchers were encouraged by the results of the monkey study, and he hoped the vaccine would prove effective in humans. (Saltzman, 7/30)
