2/26—UK variant surge: reassessing vaccine deployment?
Reassessing COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment in Anticipation of a US B.1.1.7 Surge: Stay the Course or Pivot?
[CIDRAP viewpoint.] The more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 [UK] variant could lead to a significant surge in US cases in the next 4 to 12 weeks, causing immense strain on an already burdened healthcare system. [The FDA and CDC] should consider whether existing data support age-based allocation with highest priority given to adults 65 and older, deferring second doses of mRNA vaccines to after the surge, deferring the second dose of mRNA vaccines in individuals with confirmed previous COVID-19 infections, and/or the authorization and use of a half-dose regimen for the Moderna vaccine.
FDA Allows More Flexible Storage, Transportation Conditions for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is allowing undiluted frozen vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks.
Development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines for those most vulnerable
Immune senescence and comorbidities in aging populations and immune dysregulation in populations living in low-resource settings may impede vaccine effectiveness. Distribution of vaccines among these populations where vaccine access is historically low remains challenging. In this review, we address these challenges and provide strategies for ensuring that vaccines are developed and deployed for those most vulnerable.
Assessment of Suicide in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic vs Previous Years
Analyses included 90 048 individuals (68.1% men) who died of suicide from 2016 to 2020. Compared with previous years, suicide rates in Japan in 2020 increased in October and November for men and in July through November for women.
Assessing mandatory stay‐at‐home and business closure effects on the spread of COVID‐19
[See also 1-hour presentation and review by co-author Ioannidis.] We estimate COVID‐19 case growth in relation to any NPI implementation in 10 countries. We use case growth in Sweden and South Korea, 2 countries that did not implement mandatory stay‐at‐home and business closures, as comparison countries. Implementing any NPIs was associated with significant reductions in case growth in 9 out of 10 study countries, including South Korea and Sweden that implemented only less‐restrictive NPIs. After subtracting the epidemic and less‐restrictive NPIs effects, we find no clear, significant beneficial effect of more restrictive NPIs on case growth in any country. Similar reductions in case growth may be achievable with less‐restrictive interventions.
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