Early data from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center showed that an additional booster of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) led to a fivefold increase in antibodies one week after receipt of the vaccine. Pfizer had earlier announced that a third dose of the vaccine increased antibody levels 25-fold compared to a two-dose primary…
Israel plans to authorize fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose for high-risk populations
Mere months ago, health experts were divided on whether COVID-19 boosters were necessary for the broader public. Then came delta and then came omicron. Now, Israel is moving to become one of the first countries to offer a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to people at least 60 years old and those at high risk…
CDC’s ACIP deprioritizes Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 15 to 0 to prioritize the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s. One of the main reasons for the recommendation is a rare side effect associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that results in low blood clots and blood-platelet levels. CDC officials revealed…
UK ramps up booster program to confront surge in COVID-19 cases
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the country will accelerate its coronavirus vaccination booster initiative to fight a “tidal wave” of cases resulting from the infectious Omicron variant. Johnson acknowledged that two doses of vaccine were unlikely sufficient to fight off the recent surge in infections, which hit the second-highest level in the…
Why global vaccine equity concerns could prolong the COVID-19 pandemic
In May, the World Health Assembly set the goal of fully vaccinating 10% of each country’s population by September 30. A number of countries hit the goal, including 15 in Africa, but more than 50 didn’t. “It’s very concerning,” said Donna Patterson, a fellow at the Wilson Center, in a recent webinar from that organization. Uneven…
UK puts vaccine manufacturing plant up for auction
The U.K. government has put a manufacturing plant up for sale that was instrumental in the country’s plan to battle future pandemics. According to The Financial Times, the plant, dubbed the Vaccine Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VMIC), had received at least £215 million of public funding since it was launched in 2018. A handful of companies…
J&J joins Moderna and Pfizer in researching Omicron variant
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has announced that it is collaborating with academic institutions internationally to gauge the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. In particular, J&J said it is conducting research on blood serum from clinical trial volunteers who have received single or multiple doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The…
OSHA suspends enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate
The Biden administration will not proceed with enforcing its vaccine mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees given a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The administration had planned on putting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in charge of administering the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. While a statement…
California and Colorado to allow COVID-19 boosters for all adults
COVID-19 vaccine booster eligibility has gradually expanded, but a significant portion of adults don’t meet the current criteria set forth by FDA and CDC. California and Colorado have decided to sidestep the federal government by making all fully vaccinated adults in those states eligible for a booster. California will require that six months have elapsed…
J&J COVID-19 vaccine to find use in conflict zones
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reached an agreement with the U.S. government and the public–private health partnership Gavi to distribute the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine to conflict zones or humanitarian settings. New Brunswick, NJ–based Johnson & Johnson anticipates deliveries in such areas in the coming days. “We believe our single-shot COVID-19 vaccine has a critical role to…