11th Mar 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=229 lockdown_exit

Vaccine economics: how Covid-19 will disrupt the vaccine market

The Financial Times The FT explains the business models behind vaccines and asks if the Covid19 pandemic will fundamentally change the vaccine market. This short documentary features global experts including Bill Gates the CEOs of Moderna and Gavi and the lead scientist behind the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine https://www.ft.com/video/e6f487f4-a7d9-4e90-b9cb-ef8d25803bec?playlist-name=editors-picks&ampplaylist-offset=0 10th Mar 2021

Developing nations demand equal access to coronavirus vaccines

AlJazeera South Africa India and more than 100 other nations have called on the World Trade Organization WTO to temporarily waive patents for COVID19 vaccines saying they are being prevented from immunising their people. The two countries first made the appeal in October last year calling on the WTO to waive provisions in a trade agreement governing intellectual property rights so medical products can be more easily accessed by developing nations. More than 100 nations have since joined the calls. Endorsing requests for a waiver WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month If a temporary waiver to patents cannot be issued now during these unprecedented times when will be the right time https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/10/countries-continue-push-for-equal-access-to-coronavirus-vaccines 10th Mar 2021

Developing nations demand equal access to coronavirus vaccines

Reuters The United Nations childrens fund on Wednesday urged countries to contribute more money to help poor countries access coronavirus vaccines saying around 1 billion was needed. UNICEF the worlds single largest vaccine buyer is part of the World Health Organizationbacked COVAX programme to supply COVID19 shots to emerging economies. We have been asking the world for more funding ... for UNICEF and our distribution to countries we still need about 1 billion UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said at a virtual event organised by Dubais World Government Summit. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-unicef/unicef-chief-1-bln-more-needed-for-covax-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-idUSS8N2I402G 10th Mar 2021

European Commission says Pfizer and BioNTech to supply 4 million more coronavirus vaccine doses

MarketWatch The European Commission said Wednesday that Pfizer and BioNTech will provide 4 million more doses of their coronavirus vaccine in the next two weeks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the doses are on top of planned dose deliveries. Regions like Tyrol in Austria Nice and Moselle in France Bolzano in Italy and some parts of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany have seen rising infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks the European Commission said. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-commission-says-pfizer-and-biontech-to-supply-4-million-more-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-2021-03-10 10th Mar 2021

Germany sees up to 10 million coronavirus vaccine doses per week in June

Reuters Germany expects up to 10 million doses of coronavirus vaccine per week in June a government spokesman said on Wednesday but not as soon as next month. In this first quarter we will get the expected and agreed deliveries even a little more. For the second quarter the delivery volumes will then grow steadily and it is important to have realistic expectations said spokesman Steffen Seibert. A figure of 10 million doses per week which is sometimes discussed is certainly not something we will reach in April but rather in June he added. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-germany-vaccine/germany-sees-up-to-10-mln-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-per-week-in-june-idUSS8N2HZ00O 10th Mar 2021

Biden to buy more COVID vaccine doses as stimulus bill passes

CIDRAP President Joe Biden is expected to announce that he is procuring an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson Johnson JJ vaccine for the second half of 2021 during a meeting today with JJ and Merck executives. Last week the two pharmaceutical giants formed a partnership to ramp up distribution of the singledose JJ vaccine. This is war time the extra doses gives us maximum flexibility for the upcoming months said Andy Slavitt White House senior advisor for COVID response during a White House press briefing. The increase in doses comes as the president closes in on his first 50 days in office. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/03/biden-buy-more-covid-vaccine-doses-stimulus-bill-passes 10th Mar 2021

Biden to buy more COVID vaccine doses as stimulus bill passes

Aljazeera.com President Joe Biden will double the U.S. order of Johnson Johnsons oneshot vaccine seeking another 100 million doses bringing the countrys supply to enough for 500 million people an official familiar with the plans says. Biden will make the announcement Wednesday during an event with the chief executives of JJ and Merck Co. who struck a collaboration to boost production of the JJ vaccine. The U.S. had previously ordered 100 million doses which the company has said will be delivered before the end of June. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/3/10/biden-to-double-us-order-of-jj-one-shot-vaccine 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Reuters South Korea will extend vaccination for people aged 65 years and older with AstraZenecas coronavirus vaccine to ramp up its immunisation drive Prime Minister Chung Syekyun told a government meeting on Thursday. The country has been rolling out the vaccine since the last week of February beginning with the elderly and health workers but had excluded more than 370000 over65s in nursing homes citing a lack of clinical trial data on the age group. Realworld data from Britain has now shown AstraZeneca and Pfizer and BioNTechs vaccines are both more than 80 effective in preventing hospitalisations in over80s after one shot. Vaccination had been postponed to those aged 65 and over due to lack of evidence to determine the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine but recently data to prove its efficacy for the elderly has been released in the UK Chung said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-southkorea/south-korea-extends-use-of-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-to-people-aged-65-and-over-idUSKBN2B303I?il=0 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Reuters Morocco and Kenya have approved Russias Sputnik V vaccine for use against the new coronavirus Russias RDIF sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday. The fund which is promoting the vaccine globally said that 48 countries had now approved Sputnik V for use. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-vaccine-russia-ken/morocco-kenya-approve-russian-coronavirus-vaccine-for-use-rdif-idUSKBN2B2130 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

U.S. News & World Report South Korea will prioritize vaccinating Olympic athletes before they travel to Japan for the Tokyo Games this summer. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee confirmed to CNN on Wednesday that South Korea is making an exception for the athletes and allowing them to skip vaccine priority. Currently the COVID19 vaccine is available to health care workers and staff and residents of nursing facilities. The general public will not be able to receive the vaccine until July. https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2021-03-10/south-korea-to-prioritize-coronavirus-vaccines-for-olympic-athletes 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Daily Echo Pakistan has started vaccinating people who are 60 years old or above to protect them from Covid19 amid a steady increase in cases and fatalities from the disease. Pakistan is currently using Chinas Sinopharm vaccine which was donated to it by Beijing last month. Pakistan hopes to start receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine this month under the World Health Organisations Covax Facility. Authorities say Pakistan will receive 17 million doses of coronavirus vaccines under the scheme from March to June https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/national/19149258.pakistan-begins-vaccine-campaign-protect-over-60s-coronavirus/ 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Sky News Homeless people in Wales will be prioritised for a coronavirus vaccine as they are more likely to have an underlying health problem the Welsh government has said. Health Minister Vaughan Gething said this includes rough sleepers those in emergency accommodation and people who were recently homeless and are now in supported accommodation. Mr Gething who was speaking during a Welsh government coronavirus briefing on Wednesday said those people will now be part of priority group six in the countrys vaccine rollout. https://news.sky.com/story/no-one-will-be-left-behind-wales-to-prioritise-homeless-for-coronavirus-jab-12241793 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Reuters Portugals health authority said on Wednesday it had approved the use of AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine for those aged over 65 as new studies revealed its effectiveness in preventing infection and lowering hospitalisations among elderly people. The decision means that all people aged over 18 can now receive the shot the DGS authority said after it was approved for those under 65 in late January. Portugal a nation of just over 10 million people faced a tough battle against the pandemic in January but the number of daily infections and fatalities has dropped sharply since then. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-portugal/portugal-approves-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-for-over-65s-idUSKBN2B21C9 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine approvals and prioritisation

Yahoo News Alaska is leading the U.S. in the distribution of the COVID19 vaccine with anyone age 16 or older that lives or works in the state now able to get vaccinated. This historic step is yet another nationwide first for Alaska but it should come as no surprise Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement on Tuesday. Since day one your response to the pandemic has been handsdown the best in the nation. I couldnt be prouder of Alaskas response. There are currently three COVID vaccines that have been FDA approved Pfizer and Moderna which each require two doses and Johnson Johnson a singledose vaccine that is currently being rolled out. Pfizer is available to anyone 16 and older in Alaska while Moderna and J J are available to anyone 18 and older in the state. https://www.yahoo.com/now/alaska-becomes-first-u-state-142342666.html 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine passports, Mask mandates

CTV News As vaccines continue to roll out across the globe conversations surrounding vaccine passports or any other kind of governmentissued papers used to show a person has been inoculated against COVID19 are ramping up. Israel has already rolled out a vaccine passport and while questions remain about its security several European countries have followed suit and expressed they are considering implementing their own. Canada has also mulled the prospect of vaccine passports with federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu saying conversations are very live with G7 partners. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/vaccine-passports-long-complex-global-dialogue-expert-says-1.5339610 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine passports, Mask mandates

9News International travel could resume in October once the Australian adult population has been vaccinated against COVID19. The recommencement of international travel would depend on a number of factors including the countrys progress on the vaccine rollout. The government would also need to monitor whether the COVID19 vaccines are successful at preventing transmission of the virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed today Australia was on track to reopening its borders by the October target however there were no guarantees. https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-international-travel-could-resume-by-october-australia-vaccine-rollout-plan/f8735248-bca0-4b7e-8c8b-3a651deb6fc6 10th Mar 2021

Vaccine passports, Mask mandates

Associated Press A Vermont business owner is in court arguing the states mandate that people wear masks in his store to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID19 is unconstitutional. Andre Desautels the owner of Derby Port Press in Newport was sued by the state after he refused to wear masks in his store. The store offers printing services and until recently was also a pickup spot for packages. Last month United Parcel Service Inc. severed its relationship with the store saying it refused to comply with the companys uniform policy which includes wearing masks. The CaledonianRecord reported that during a Tuesday court hearing Assistant Attorney General Rachel Smith said Desautels admits he has not worn a mask since Gov. Phil Scott issued the mandate last year he still isnt wearing one and he has no intent of doing. https://apnews.com/article/vermont-newport-coronavirus-pandemic-944dfd075a55e428cb5020ad7636fdb0 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Al Jazeera English Brazil has once again recorded a singleday record for deaths linked to the novel coronavirus as the head of the Pan American Health Organization PAHO warned that nearly all states across the country are seeing a rise in infections. The Brazilian Health Ministry said on Wednesday that 2286 people had died in the previous 24 hours up from 1972 deaths reported a day earlier. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/10/brazil-hits-new-daily-covid-deaths-record-as-crisis-escalates 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Associated Press The European Unions executive arm has secured an agreement with PfizerBioNTech for an extra 4 million COVID19 vaccine doses to fight a worrying surge of coronavirus clusters that are prompting the blocs nations to impose border restrictions. The European Commission said Wednesday that the deal will help tackle coronavirus hot spots and facilitate free border movement. The extra doses to be delivered in the next two weeks come in addition to previously planned vaccine deliveries. https://apnews.com/article/world-news-europe-coronavirus-pandemic-ursula-von-der-leyen-coronavirus-vaccine-ca590ab5a7a7a32f5b1af3306857922f 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Al Jazeera English A year on from the first recorded case of COVID19 Turkey is seeing a resurgence in infections as it begins to take tentative steps towards normalisation. Last week businesses such as cafs and restaurants were able to fully open for the first time since they were closed at the start of December when daily cases of about 30000 saw the government impose evening and weekend lockdowns. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/10/questions-loom-over-turkeys-covid-strategy-as-cases-surge 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Reuters New COVID19 cases continue to decline in North America but in Latin America infections are still rising particularly in Brazil where a resurgence has caused record daily deaths the Pan American Health Organization PAHO warned on Wednesday. We are concerned about the situation in Brazil. It provides a sober reminder of the threat of resurgence areas hit hard by the virus in the past are still vulnerable to infection today PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said in a briefing. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-americas/north-america-sees-drop-in-covid-19-cases-brazil-surge-worrying-says-paho-idUSKBN2B224I?il=0 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Daily Mail Brazils P1 variant is now dominant there has caused a second wave even worse than the hardhit countrys first and has put the health care system on the brink The variant is thought to be 1.4 to 2.2 times more transmissible than older variants and has reinfected people who already had COVID19 in Brazil. Control measures and vaccinations are shoddy in Brazil where 2000 people died of COVID19 yesterday. Experts compare the outofcontrol situation in Brazil to an atomic bomb As long Brazil or other countries have uncontrolled spread variants could keep emerging and triggering new Covid waves around the world https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9344201/Brazils-Covid-catastrophe-atomic-bomb-pandemic-drag-out.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Reuters The number of people in intensive care in France who have COVID19 is at the highest level since the end of November health officials said on Tuesday as new infections rose slightly to 23302 from 22857 a week ago. The new cases pushed the cumulative total since the start of the pandemic a year ago to 3.93 million the health ministry reported and the sevenday moving average of new cases was virtually steady at 21333. While France has been registering over 20000 new cases per day since late January weekonweek increases have slowed from nearly five percent in midJanuary when a tighter curfew at 6 p.m. was imposed to less than four percent over the past five days. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-casualties/french-coronavirus-patients-in-intensive-care-highest-since-end-november-idUSKBN2B12AL?il=0 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Reuters COVID19 admissions are putting Hungarys hospital system under increasing strain and infections are expected to rise further in coming days as the variant first identified in Britain spreads the surgeon general said on Tuesday. Cecilia Muller said numbers of hospitalised COVID19 patients reached 8270 on Tuesday to exceed a December secondwave peak. The pandemic situation is very serious in Hungary she told a briefing adding that 833 people were on ventilators also more than Decembers high. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-hungary-hospitals/refile-update-1-hungarian-hospitals-under-strain-from-covid-19-surge-surgeon-general-idUSL1N2L70QB 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Reuters Montenegro appealed to the European Union and NATO to send it medical workers to help exhausted health services battle a surge in the COVID19 pandemic in the tiny Adriatic nation its leading newspaper reported on Wednesday. So far 1902 people in the exYugoslav republic of 620000 have died from COVID19 while 80803 have contracted the respiratory disease. On Tuesday it reported 612 new infections bringing the total of those currently ill to 9063. Montenegro a member of NATO and candidate to join the EU began inoculating its population with Russias Sputnik V vaccine on Feb. 20 but has struggled to contain COVID19 contagion https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-montenegro/montenegro-appeals-to-eu-nato-for-medical-staff-to-help-it-fight-covid-19-idUSL8N2L83E6 10th Mar 2021

Countries under strain, virus surging

Reuters France is not planning to put the Paris region into lockdown even though the number of people with COVID19 in intensive care is at its highest since November public health director Jerome Salomon said on Tuesday. Medical authorities in the Paris region which accounts for about onesixth of Frances population ordered hospitals on Monday to cancel 40 of their regular activities to make space for critical COVID19 patients. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-paris/no-lockdown-planned-for-paris-as-severe-covid-19-cases-hit-three-month-high-idUSKBN2B10NH 9th Mar 2021

We got rid of Covid-19 in the Faroe Islands through competence – and luck

The Guardian The government decided early on that rather than influencing behaviour by making laws we would instead issue recommendations says Barour a Steig Nielsen prime minister of the Faroe Islands. In some ways our response to Covid19 followed the same map as other countries testing contact tracing lockdowns public health campaigns and a reorganisation of our health sector. But in other respects our approach was unique. Unlike most other governments we decided early on that we wanted to influence the behaviour of our citizens by issuing recommendations not by making laws. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/10/got-rid-covid-19-faroe-islands-competence-luck 10th Mar 2021