The US is the largest financial donor for the global COVAX vaccine sharing scheme, but the country has been squeezed with the actual vaccines it has in large quantities, while many others do not. Three-quarters of the world’s vaccines are actually administered in just 10 countries, which together make up less than half of the world’s population.
“The richest nations in the world have blocked much of their short-term supply. At the current rate of vaccines, 92 of the world’s poorest countries will not vaccinate 60% of their populations by 2023 or later,” he said. written by Dr. Krishna Udayakumar and Dr. Mark McClellan, health experts at Duke.
The report set out a three-part plan in which the US should increase funding for COVAX, make overdoses available through the same scheme, and create bilateral programs modeled on the president’s emergency plan to help AIDS – or PEPFAR – to provide support fires for countries in need. It could also provide support and materials for countries to produce safe and effective vaccines on their own.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, which the US has shared, has been discontinued in many age groups in Europe after regulators said the vaccine was linked to dozens of rare but serious blood clotting events, some of them fatal. The United States suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday, after reports of the same rare coagulation event in six people. The incidence remains extremely rare, around 1 in a million.
Duke University’s estimate of 300 million overdoses assumed that the US would use the J&J vaccine, but given the break, their projections may be overestimated. But it won’t change the big picture, as J&J currently accounts for less than 5% of the approximately 190 million photos currently in the United States.
YOU ASKED. I ANSWERED.
Q. Officials say the J&J break will not slow the US vaccination program. It’s true?
A. The break in the launch of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine could have a significant impact on the US – but not in the way you might think. Basically, the effect is likely to be minimal. Even though the suspension is extended, the US has not relied heavily on the J&J vaccine, and the government has said the US can meet its vaccination targets without a hitch.
The biggest concern is that the J&J break could deal a serious psychological blow to confidence in vaccines in general. But it is important to remember that these events are extremely rare. Of the nearly 7 million people who received the J&J vaccine, only six cases of people with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis have been reported in combination with low blood platelet levels, the US Centers for Disease Control and the US Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday. One of those people died.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Keeping average seats empty on airplanes can significantly reduce Covid-19 exposure
The researchers used laboratory models to simulate how much exposure to virus particles can be reduced when the middle seats are kept vacant in an aircraft cabin. The models were based on the spread of bacteriophage aerosols used as a surrogate to estimate the spread of coronavirus in the air. Bacteriophages are viruses that can infect bacteria.
The analysis did not measure the impact of wearing masks, which is currently required on flights, but the researchers noted that a certain virus aerosol can be emitted from an infectious masked passenger and so distancing could still be useful.
Denmark is giving up AstraZeneca from its vaccination program
The UK has limited the use of the vaccine to people over the age of 30, while other European nations have taken a more cautious approach, offering only the vaccine to people in much older age groups. Younger adults appear to be experiencing more blood clotting events. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not recommended any change in the way photography is used, saying that cases are very rare and that the benefits still outweigh the risks.
“In principle, we agree with the EMA’s assessment of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” said Søren Brostrøm, director general of the Danish Health Authority, adding that the shooting was not necessary because the country had already reached “an advanced point” in launching the vaccine.
“If Denmark were in a completely different situation and in the middle of a third violent outbreak, for example, and a health system under pressure – and if we had not reached such an advanced point in the launch of vaccines – then I would not would be reluctant to use the vaccine, even if there are rare but severe complications associated with its use. “
1 in 5 Americans will “probably” never choose to receive a Covid-19 vaccine
The United States, along with the rest of the world, is relying on large-scale vaccination to get out of the pandemic. But the latest figures from a national Monmouth University survey on vaccination suggest that hesitation over the vaccine will be a major obstacle to achieving this.
ON OUR RADAR
- Banquet halls and hotels in the Indian capital’s Delhi region are being turned into “extended Covid hospitals” as cases continue to rise during the country’s second wave.
- A senior Japanese government official has not ruled out the possibility that the July Tokyo Olympics could be canceled if the country’s outbreak worsens.
- Many evangelicals say they will not be vaccinated against Covid-19. Here is what a pastor says to his congregation.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci wants you to know that the J&J vaccine is just discontinued – not canceled. Here’s how long a final decision can take.
- More than 5,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States have had Covid-19 infections, but this is not a cause for panic. Here’s why.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“We have been very slow in our agreements and we are also slow in vaccination. And I can’t even explain this. We should get better. We should be able to vaccinate faster because I have a lot of expertise in this regard. ” – Natalia Pasternak, Brazilian microbiologist