Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

by: Tom Negovan and Nexstar Media Wire

NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) COVID-19 vaccines are on the way and so are the vaccine scams.

Security experts are warning Americans to be on their guard and avoid offers that sound too good to be true. It turns out there are a lot of them.

Investigators with the Department of Homeland Security have been working coronavirus-related cons since April, when they rolled out Operation Stolen Promise. Since then, theyve analyzed more than 70,000 websites suspected of being involved in COVID-19-related fraud.

Theyre now working with Pfizer, Moderna and dozens of other companies on the safe distribution of COVID-19 vaccines while preparing for the new schemes they know are on the way.

One surfaced this week: a robocall which proclaims, You have the chance to avoid anticipated long lines and get a single dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine sent to your home for a one-time payment of $79.99.

Thats a call to hang up on.

And while many people say they cant believe anyone would respond to an offer like that, countless people do. For those who suspend disbelief, unable to comprehend that anyone would stoop low enough to steal from the unsuspecting during a deadly pandemic, the message from cybersecurity experts is: believe it.

Tis the season of scams, Mike Stamas of GreyCastle Security told NewsNation affiliate WROC. Whatever criminals can do to hit that nerve that forces you to do something, theyll do it.

Most of us may only be obliquely aware of the problem, but the agencies that monitor this type of activity say they traditionally see a big uptick over the holidays. This year, with coronavirus vaccines in the pipeline, its like a double Christmas for cyberthieves.

The Food and Drug Administration has released a video about COVID-19 fraud and the Federal Trade Commission comes out with regular advisories.

The agency says complaints about scams on social media have more than tripled this year over last.

It has been sending warning letters to companies making unproven claims about coronavirus treatments since March.

The advice from the Better Business Bureau is simple: If you get any kind of offer, do your research, check with your doctor and ignore any claim that demands you take immediate action.

The federal government says with a real treatment on the horizon, frauds are spreading almost as quickly as the virus itself, but theyre watching.

Were working very closely with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure and protect that supply chain and to assure the American public is safe, said Steve Francis, Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, an Arlington, VA-based agency overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Since the launch of Operation Stolen Promise, agents have seized millions of fake or unapproved pieces of personal protective equipment and antiviral pharmaceuticals. At least 185 people have been arrested.

As busy as theyve been, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines promises to take their work to an entirely new level.

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Homeland Security investigating scams related to new COVID-19 vaccines - WATE 6 On Your Side

The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to Minnesota could be enough for only about 24,000 people, but more will be on the way.

Hundreds of thousands of Minnesota health care workers and long-term care residents have been designated as being the highest priority for getting the shot, leaving state officials with tough choices to make on who will be first in line.

Minnesota health officials declined to say Thursday how much the state would receive of the 6.4 million doses that vaccine maker Pfizer is shipping to the United States in the first round.

But several states, including New York and California, have disclosed their allotments, giving clues to the distribution formula tied to each states adult population.

Wisconsin health officials said this week they will be getting nearly 50,000 doses. Its adult population is roughly 5% higher than the 4.3 million adults in Minnesota.

Based on those numbers, as well as other state allocations, Minnesota is on track to receive about 47,000 doses. Like many of the COVID-19 vaccines being developed, each person needs two doses taken a few weeks apart to receive full protection.

The shipments are scheduled to start the week of Dec. 14, and more doses are expected to be delivered in subsequent weeks. Federal officials have said they hope to get 40 million doses from Pfizer and another drugmaker, Moderna, into the hands of the states, territories and six large cities by the end of the year.

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to receive an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 11, a step that would allow it to bypass normal approval protocols.

While the initial shipments will be small compared with the need, they will mark a significant turning point in the battle against the stealthy coronavirus.

Weve been talking about the light at the end of the tunnel, said state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann. It is there and it is getting closer.

Since late October, Minnesota has seen an unprecedented number of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

The Health Department on Thursday reported 92 new COVID-19 deaths the second-highest one-day total of the pandemic, which has taken 3,784 Minnesota lives.

Hospitals had 376 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, a slight decline from the previous day. Hospitals have freed up some space by delaying less urgent surgeries, but coronavirus patients accounted for 34% of all ICU beds.

Another 6,166 lab-confirmed infections were reported, bringing the total to 333,626 known cases, including 24,217 health care workers.

Health care workers are getting infected, often in nonmedical settings, but they are also required to quarantine if they have a high-risk exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Thats one reason a federal advisory panel this week recommended that health care workers be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Minnesota alone has 355,000 health care practitioners and support professionals, including 25,000 licensed physicians and 160,000 people licensed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.

Some have more direct contact with COVID-19 patients than others but any patient presents a risk because of asymptomatic spread of the virus.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent advisory group that makes recommendations to the federal government on vaccine distribution, addressed how limited supplies of the vaccine could be handled.

Jurisdictions might consider first offering vaccine to health care personnel whose duties require proximity [within 6 feet] to other persons, the group said in a report released Thursday.

Still, that leaves a fairly large group considering that health care workers include those in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, home health care, pharmacies, emergency medical services and public health.

I would make the plea that firefighters do deserve to be in that first phase, said Chris Parsons, president of Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters, a group that represents 1,800 firefighters and paramedics.

Many firefighters serve dual roles. Trained as paramedics and emergency medical technicians, they are often the first to arrive at a medical emergency.

We are absolutely the front of the front line, he said. We are the tip of the tip of the spear.

A St. Paul fire captain, Parsons recently went on a call to attend to a heart attack, only to find a house full of COVID-19-infected family members.

We are usually operating in tight quarters so our exposure is very high, he said. As cases in the state have gone up, we have seen a spike in cases among our members.

Among others being considered for the first doses are long-term care residents.

We were thrilled to see the recommendations, said Patti Cullen, CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota. Our best guess is the first limited batch of vaccines would be available toward the end of December but there will not be enough to go around to both [nursing homes] and assisted living.

Minnesota has about 78,000 long-term care residents. Priority could be given to the states 22,000 in nursing homes because they tend to be sicker and most at risk for COVID-19 complications, ACIP said.

With the rapid pace of COVID-19 vaccine development, states are grappling with how to best distribute the shots.

I give the states A for effort. They are really trying but they are all over the map though in terms of preparedness, said Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The biggest challenge for many will be a lack of funding.

Many states have been underfunding public health for years, she said. Now they are having to ramp up to an unprecedented level for a COVID vaccine.

The Health Department said it is not ready to release many details about the vaccine rollout, or supply, as it is still working with external agencies, including local public health agencies that will play a large role.

We plan to provide as much of that detail and context as we can in a briefing early next week, agency spokesman Doug Schultz said.

Staff writer Chris Serres contributed to this report.

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Minnesota will initially receive COVID-19 vaccine for 24000 residents - Minneapolis Star Tribune

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) Montgomery County leaders have been briefed on plans for how the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in Tennessee, with the first doses going out this month.

Pfizer is prepared to send the first 56,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine directly to hospitals for Tennessees healthcare workers beginning this month, according to a Montgomery County news release.

According to the state plan, the vaccines will go out in the following prioritized order, with the population of each group listed.

Phase 1a1, about 450,000 people:

Phase 1a2, about 100,000 people:

Phase 1b, about 1.2 million people:

Phase 2, about 2.55 million people:

Phase 3, about 2 million people:

Phase 4, all others, about 500,000 people:

We are working closely with the state and local health departments to ensure that those who wish to receive a vaccine can do so in an orderly fashion, said County Mayor Jim Durrett. There is still some uncertainty on when and how many vaccines will be available to Montgomery County. As we find out more information we will continue to let the public know.

Durrett, County Chief of Staff Kyle Johnson and County Emergency Services Director Jimmie Edwards, along with county mayors and leadership across Tennessee, joined Gov. Bill Lees office on a call this morning to discuss how the federal COVID-19 Immunization Distribution Plan would be implemented in the State of Tennessee.

Details of the report are available at the following link COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

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Who will get the COVID-19 vaccines first in Tennessee? Here's the list - Clarksville Now

The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to Minnesota could be enough for only about 24,000 people, but more will be on the way.

Hundreds of thousands of Minnesota health care workers and long-term care residents have been designated as being the highest priority for getting the shot, leaving state officials with tough choices to make on who will be first in line.

Minnesota health officials declined to say Thursday how much the state would receive of the 6.4 million doses that vaccine maker Pfizer is shipping to the United States in the first round.

But several states, including New York and California, have disclosed their allotments, giving clues to the distribution formula tied to each states adult population.

Wisconsin health officials said this week they will be getting nearly 50,000 doses. Its adult population is roughly 5% higher than the 4.3 million adults in Minnesota.

Based on those numbers, as well as other state allocations, Minnesota is on track to receive about 47,000 doses. Like many of the COVID-19 vaccines being developed, each person needs two doses taken a few weeks apart to receive full protection.

The shipments are scheduled to start the week of Dec. 14, and more doses are expected to be delivered in subsequent weeks. Federal officials have said they hope to get 40 million doses from Pfizer and another drugmaker, Moderna, into the hands of the states, territories and six large cities by the end of the year.

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to receive an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 11, a step that would allow it to bypass normal approval protocols.

While the initial shipments will be small compared with the need, they will mark a significant turning point in the battle against the stealthy coronavirus.

Weve been talking about the light at the end of the tunnel, said state infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann. It is there and it is getting closer.

Since late October, Minnesota has seen an unprecedented number of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

The Health Department on Thursday reported 92 new COVID-19 deaths the second-highest one-day total of the pandemic, which has taken 3,784 Minnesota lives.

Hospitals had 376 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, a slight decline from the previous day. Hospitals have freed up some space by delaying less urgent surgeries, but coronavirus patients accounted for 34% of all ICU beds.

Another 6,166 lab-confirmed infections were reported, bringing the total to 333,626 known cases, including 24,217 health care workers.

Health care workers are getting infected, often in nonmedical settings, but they are also required to quarantine if they have a high-risk exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Thats one reason a federal advisory panel this week recommended that health care workers be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Minnesota alone has 355,000 health care practitioners and support professionals, including 25,000 licensed physicians and 160,000 people licensed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.

Some have more direct contact with COVID-19 patients than others but any patient presents a risk because of asymptomatic spread of the virus.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent advisory group that makes recommendations to the federal government on vaccine distribution, addressed how limited supplies of the vaccine could be handled.

Jurisdictions might consider first offering vaccine to health care personnel whose duties require proximity [within 6 feet] to other persons, the group said in a report released Thursday.

Still, that leaves a fairly large group considering that health care workers include those in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, home health care, pharmacies, emergency medical services and public health.

I would make the plea that firefighters do deserve to be in that first phase, said Chris Parsons, president of Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters, a group that represents 1,800 firefighters and paramedics.

Many firefighters serve dual roles. Trained as paramedics and emergency medical technicians, they are often the first to arrive at a medical emergency.

We are absolutely the front of the front line, he said. We are the tip of the tip of the spear.

A St. Paul fire captain, Parsons recently went on a call to attend to a heart attack, only to find a house full of COVID-19-infected family members.

We are usually operating in tight quarters so our exposure is very high, he said. As cases in the state have gone up, we have seen a spike in cases among our members.

Among others being considered for the first doses are long-term care residents.

We were thrilled to see the recommendations, said Patti Cullen, CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota. Our best guess is the first limited batch of vaccines would be available toward the end of December but there will not be enough to go around to both [nursing homes] and assisted living.

Minnesota has about 78,000 long-term care residents. Priority could be given to the states 22,000 in nursing homes because they tend to be sicker and most at risk for COVID-19 complications, ACIP said.

With the rapid pace of COVID-19 vaccine development, states are grappling with how to best distribute the shots.

I give the states A for effort. They are really trying but they are all over the map though in terms of preparedness, said Jennifer Kates, senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The biggest challenge for many will be a lack of funding.

Many states have been underfunding public health for years, she said. Now they are having to ramp up to an unprecedented level for a COVID vaccine.

The Health Department said it is not ready to release many details about the vaccine rollout, or supply, as it is still working with external agencies, including local public health agencies that will play a large role.

We plan to provide as much of that detail and context as we can in a briefing early next week, agency spokesman Doug Schultz said.

Staff writer Chris Serres contributed to this report.

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Minnesota will initially receive COVID-19 vaccine for 24000 residents - Minneapolis Star Tribune

A video shared over 27,100 times on Facebook implies that the COVID-19 vaccine will contain a tracking microchip that will be injected in the individuals that receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it is ready. This is false.

Reuters Fact Check. REUTERS

The3:49-minutevideovisible here (archived version archive.vn/CNhct ) is a compilation of out of context or manipulatedfootage,that includesnews reports andcommentary from Bill and Melinda Gates and Jack Mathat havebeen selectively combined.

Some comments on the video include Say no to being tracked with a chip, I will cut off my arm before I let them microchip me or my kids and Scary! I dont want anyones microchip implanted in my body!!

Around timestamp 00:24, the videoincludesfragments ofa CBN interview here withJay Walker,executive chairman ofpre-filled syringe makerApiject,which got a $590 million U.S. loan to produce injectors for the eventual COVID-19 vaccineon Nov. 19( here ).

Inthisinterviewfrom May2020 ( youtu.be/WllUZVwQBZ8?t=209 )Walker is asked abouthow theoptional RFID chip would work, in referencetotheRadio Frequency Identification chip that could be part of the syringes label, not the injectable substanceitself(as explained in detail here on page 13).

In his full response, Walker compares the technology to a bar code and assures that it doesnt carry any personal information. He also explains that the microchip is purely optional, however, and the U.S. government hasnt even decided if theyre going to use it.

Steve Hofman, a spokesman of Apiject confirmed to Reuters via phone that this optional microchip will not be injected into the individual who receives the vaccine.

Hofman reassured that this technology is optional and that so far it hasnt been requested. He also added that the microchip cannot gather any personal information.

The microchip, he explained, is designed for two purposes: to allow the healthcare provider to confirm that the actual injectable and the vaccine in it has not expired and that it is not counterfeit. It would also confirm that that particular injection has been used. The health provider, Hofman added, would use a cellphone app to capture and revise this information.

Aroundthe timestamp2:10, the video in this claim itself includes footagefroma fact-check by Verify here in which theydebunkthis false allegation.

The video starts withacommentary from Bill Gatesthat has beenedited tomisleadinglycombine twopartsofhisspeech during a 2013 financial inclusion forum here . Thevideo on social mediamakes itlooklike Gates said that innovations like vaccines, we need a measuring system that tracks the vaccine.This has been clearly edited.

The original segments are visible youtu.be/6xkwAL3jwJs and youtu.be/6xkwAL3jwJs?t=173 .

The full footage shows that Gates referred to vaccines as an example of breakthrough innovations that have changed the future for billions of people (he also lists holding crops as another example for this). Later, Gates refers to a measurement system, but he is talking about the need for a system to track the progress of financial inclusion, not vaccines.

Reuters previously debunked the claim that Bill Gates planned to launch microchip skin implants to fight the coronavirus ( here ) and that a microchip implant would come with COVID-19 vaccines ( here ). Other fact checks on false claims regarding Gates and COVID-19 are visible here and here .

Around timestamp 1:32, the video includes footage from the launch ofa United Nations (UN)reporton digital cooperation youtu.be/UcB_aIq1OwA in 2019, which was developed by a panel co-chaired byMelinda Gates and Jack Ma, executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

The video includesauthenticcommentary ofMelindaGates andJackMa, executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, who co-chaired the panel that developed the report in question here . However,when paired up within news reports of microchips,these commentsmay look misleading.

For example, the video shows that Melinda Gates says that technology gives incredible opportunities to create the world that we want. Some users commenting on the video appear to have misrepresented this as a reference to a surveilled world. A comment in the video reads: The world they want not the one we want as free citizens living in a democracy! Are they going to implant themselves?????

The full footage of her response visible youtu.be/UcB_aIq1OwA?t=205 shows that by the world we want,Gateswas referring to a more just and humane world.

Jack Mas commentary ( youtu.be/UcB_aIq1OwA?t=250 ) on the digital era also does not appear to be in reference to vaccines, but rather about how technological advances will shape the future. Ma later says: Nobody is the expert of future we should learn, we should embrace it and we should change our mentality, you know, to embrace this revolution.

The video also misleadingly includes other clips from old news reports about the microchip technology in humans, that are unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Around timestamp 3:00 it includes footage from an authentic PBS NewsHour, the comment by anchor Judy Woodruff however has been edited and is therefore missing context.

In theedited Facebookvideo, Woodruffswords have beenselectively cropped to make it look like shesaidthat people who support the implantation of microchipsdoittotake back control. The original footage here shows that Woodruffwasactually referring to take back control of their personal data.

Another segmentfeaturedaroundtimestamp 3:13from the PBS NewsHour is visible youtu.be/hLc_7CnWkxw?t=543

The video alsofeatures imagesfromthis report here from 2007,around timestamp 1:06 and2:31. The reportweighed into the possibilityof implanting children with microchipsfor security purposesand addressed the concernsfrom parents about using this technology.The audio paired up with theseimagesaround 1:06,however, appearsto be from a different video. Reuters was unable to identifythe sourceof thisaudio.

Thefootagefeaturedaround3:20is visible here .This piece from 2017 also reported on the debate around how microchips might bring benefits on daily tasks and weighs into the privacy concerns around this issue. The particular segment that is included in the video youtu.be/0Ixr4SzoVJA?t=97 , mentions the Seattle-based company Dangerous Things ( dangerousthings.com/ ) which sells a variety of chip implants.

Altered. COVID-19 vaccine syringes could contain RFID microchips on labels, but they wouldnt be injected into the individual that receives the vaccine. A video containing this claim features altered and out of context footage.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .

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Fact check: RFID microchips will not be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine, altered video features Bill and Melinda Gates and Jack Ma - Reuters

The latest Gallup poll shows only 58% of Americans are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

HOUSTON COVID-19 vaccines may be less than two weeks away now in Texas, but vaccine expert Dr. Peter Hotez and other health experts worry a bigger problem lies ahead. The vaccine won't do any good if too many people choose not to get it.

"We need a really high acceptance rate," Hotez said. "We have a tough job ahead of us."

Here's why officials are concerned: The latest Gallup poll shows only 58% of Americans are willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. It's better than a few months ago, but still not good enough.

"You have to get 75% of the population vaccinated in order to stop transmission of this virus," Hotez said. "If you only have half the people taking it you're not going to get there."

Hotez says rejecting the vaccine would drag the pandemic on longer. The problem is bigger in Texas, a state already hard hit by COVID-19 where misinformation is spreading rampantly.

Only 43% of Texas adults get a flu shot every year, according to the CDC. That's already a big warning sign.

"Texas is one of the epicenters of the anti-vax movement and that's going to slow down the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines," Hotez said.

Just this week, anti-vax groups hung anti-COVID-19 vaccine signs off Texas highways, including in Houston. The anti-vax movement has energized and increased their efforts as more promising COVID-19 vaccine news has started to come out.

"This is terrible," Hotez said. "We're not going to achieve success in public health unless we can figure something out about all this."

Hotez says all health officials need to do a better job of communicating the importance of vaccines and shutting down misinformation in real-time.

There are side effects of the vaccine, mainly 24-36 hours of just feeling cruddy. But the data shows they're safe, effective and the best way to get us all back to normal, Hotez says.

"95% efficacy, so they work, and they're going to induce viral antibodies that will keep you out of the hospital and the ICU and will save your life," Hotez said.

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Anti-vax movement threatens success of COVID-19 vaccine in Texas - KHOU.com

As the state expects vaccines to start being distributed in mid-December, many are left wondering who will get the vaccine first and how many doses will be given to the state?

The number of vaccinations distributed in Connecticut, along with when they will be distributed, are listed in the chart below.

It is predicted that during the week of Dec. 14, 31,000 vaccines will be distributed.

The following week, an additional 94,000 vaccines will be given out. During the week of Dec. 28, an additional 51,000 vaccinations will be distributed.

In the weeks leading up to January 2021, a total of 176,000 COVID-19 vaccinations will be distributed, Gov. Ned Lamont said during a press conference on Thursday. Starting in January, 51,000 vaccinations are expected to be distributed each week and by the end of January, a total of 380,000 first-time vaccinations are expected to have been given out.

Second doses of vaccines will not be available until the beginning of 2021, according to Lamont. By the end of January, 212,000 second-dose vaccinations will be distributed in the state.

These numbers are subject to change.Pfizer is now expected to ship half of the COVID-19 vaccine doses for this year than it had previously plannedafter finding raw materials in early production that didn't meet its standard, Dow Jones reported.

The first people to receive COVID-19 vaccinations will be healthcare workers, nursing home residents, and medical first responders.

Vaccines to these groups will be given in phase 1a. This phase will be effective from the start of vaccine distribution through mid-January, the governor said.

As of now, a total of 204,000 vaccines will be distributed to healthcare workers, nursing home residents will be given 22,000 total vaccines, and medical first responders will get 6,000 vaccines during phase 1a.

"We are looking to get our doses to the nursing homes at the earliest possible time," Acting Commissioner of the Department of Public Health Deidre Gifford said during Thursday's press conference.

The governor said phase 1b will represent critical workforce and other congregate settings, adults over 65, and those who are high-risk under the age of 65. People who fall under this group will be able to get vaccinated from mid-January to late May.

Those under 18 years old and the remaining population will fall under phase 2 of vaccine distribution. People who fall under this category will be capable of being vaccinated in early June, Lamont said.

Peter J. Pitts, a former Food and Drug Administration associate commissioner, and current president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest joined NBCLX and debunked many of the fears people have expressed about taking a COVID-19 vaccine.

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When Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Available in Connecticut? - NBC Connecticut

The U.K. has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

The U.K. has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The United Kingdom gave emergency approval this week to a COVID-19 vaccine, and plans to begin rolling it out next week. Though Russia had previously approved a vaccine, the U.K. is the first country where regulators approved a vaccine that is backed by transparent science. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider granting its regulatory approval next week.

Pfizer and BioNTech, a German firm, which developed the vaccine, say it is 95% effective based on the latest clinical trial involving 43,000 subjects.

To learn more about the vaccine and what the U.K.'s fast approval of it means, NPR spoke with Dr. Richard Hatchett, the chief executive officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which develops vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What do you think of the news and how do you feel about it?

I'm pretty excited. I think the delivery of vaccines at this speed and with this degree of success is a tremendous testimonial to the power of science, and to the power of the scientific community, and industry and governments to come together to address a threat to the world. I hope it will inspire people and I hope it will give people hope.

By traditional standards of vaccine development, this is fast. Put that in perspective?

It's extraordinary. We're three hundred and twenty-three days, if I'm counting correctly, since the release of the viral sequences. We've gone from release of viral sequences to a brand new, previously unknown disease to the delivery of a product that now has this conditional licensure in the United Kingdom. That's never been done before. Previously, the fastest time from initiation of a vaccine development effort to an approved product was four years.

Does the speed of development of this vaccine and others give you any pause?

They have done the early stage trials, and then moved very rapidly into the later stage trials, but in a way that ensures that the later stage trials are large scale. They have sped up the development largely by, in parallel, making investments in manufacturing processes that ordinarily you might delay until you had data from your early stage clinical trials. They've taken the risks in the manufacturing process, but not taken risks with the clinical development. I think it's really important for people to understand that while the timelines have been compressed, they haven't cut corners with respect to proving safety or efficacy.

In the latest trial of this vaccine, 162 people injected with a placebo contracted the virus, while only eight injected with the vaccine contracted it. Are those good numbers?

Having a vaccine that shows 95% effectiveness, which is in the range of vaccines like the measles vaccine, is as good an outcome as we possibly could have expected.

What are the implications of the UK approving this vaccine before the U.S.? Does this put pressure on the U.S.?

Each national regulatory agency may come to different conclusionswhich is normalbecause each must make their own benefitrisk assessments. The FDA will meet on Dec 10 to discuss Emergency Use Authorization of the vaccine. It's important that each regulator follow its own processes, and make sound decisions that they can defend in the light of day.

How does the UK plan to roll out the vaccine?

The government has ordered enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people over time. The first priority group to receive the vaccine next week will be nursing home residents and their carers. Once this group has been vaccinated, subsequent groups will be prioritized by age and by underlying health conditions.

Unlike some other vaccines, this one has to be stored at -94 degree F. What are the implications of that?

Once you thaw it out and put it into a refrigerator, it has to be used essentially within five days or so, and that is going to be challenging in many environments. It may be possible to deliver that vaccine in the United States and the United Kingdom and other developed countries, but delivering a vaccine with those cold-chain requirements is going to present tremendous challenges in middle- and lower-income countries where it's desperately needed as well.

A YouGov poll Wednesday found one in five respondents weren't confident about the safety of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Do you think public compliance with vaccination will be a problem and, if so, what should the government do about it?

The increase in recent years of what is known as "vaccine hesitancy" is a major concern. Everybody in the scientific and public health communities has a role to play in building public trust and confidence in vaccines. That's why open and transparent communication about the rigorous clinical development processes that generate safety and efficacy data for these new vaccines is crucial. No corners are being cut.

Is there anything else that causes you concern here?

We still need to manufacture these vaccines at scale and we need to deliver them. That is a huge mountain to climb, and that will take time. You may have challenges on the manufacturing side that have nothing to do with the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. So, we do still have a long way to go before this pandemic is behind us. People are going to need to continue to protect themselves from disease, protect their loved ones from disease, and try to comply with public health recommendations.

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Understanding The UK's Fast Approval Of The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine : Shots - Health News - NPR

A flu vaccine is administered at a walk-up COVID-19 testing sit in San Fernando, Calif. A COVID-19 vaccine could soon win emergency use authorization from the FDA. Robyn Beck /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A flu vaccine is administered at a walk-up COVID-19 testing sit in San Fernando, Calif. A COVID-19 vaccine could soon win emergency use authorization from the FDA.

Two COVID-19 vaccines are moving toward an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, and both have been found to be more than 94% effective. Yet despite progress on the vaccine front, misinformation continues to spread, fueling doubts among skeptics who may decide not to take the vaccine at all.

Heidi Larson, the director of the Vaccine Confidence Project and author of the book Stuck: How Vaccine Rumors Start and Why They Don't Go Away, has seen this before. As an anthropologist who has spent years traveling the globe studying vaccine misinformation, she says "any news about vaccines always raises questions."

"One of the things I've learned is [to] never assume what's in the minds of people and the reasons that people question or refuse vaccines," Larson said in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered on Wednesday.

There are any number of factors that feed into distrust around vaccines, says Larson. For example, fear that freedom of choice is being restricted.

"That's something that has resurged in a big way in the context of COVID," she said. Wanting choice is "understandable," she said, but it sits on the line "between individual rights and public health rights."

Some people might believe a vaccine is "not natural," while others fear the "newness."

"For something new and unfamiliar, particularly in this hyper uncertain environment where every day you wake up and you're not sure what the guidance is going to be, that creates anxiety," she said.

Larson spoke with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly about what's driving this anxiety, why the speed of the development process for a COVID-19 vaccine should not be taken to mean its unsafe and how she counsels talking to someone who is hesitant about vaccination.

On the message she wants people to hear about the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine

I think the message I'd like them to hear is the shortness of the vaccine development process, it's not the safety that has been compromised or shortened. There are many steps in the process of development, and in this case we had new funding mechanisms that made it possible to start quicker. We've shortened some of the administrative processes. We have new technologies, but the steps involving safety have not been shortened. They have not been compromised. And no vaccine will be delivered to the public before it really has enough confidence. And most importantly on the safety, no company wants a bad vaccine. No government wants a bad vaccine. No individual wants a bad vaccine. It's not in anyone's interest.

On how to have a conversation with someone who is hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine

The most important thing is to hear them out, to listen. You may not agree with them, but I think that one of the reasons that I see that the anti- and questioning and skeptical voices have gotten louder is they feel like they've been shut down when they tried to express a concern or have their view. And it has kind of hardened the views because people feel cut out. And I think just listening and saying, "OK, I understand your side."

I always try to find some point where we can agree. Find some common ground. And there's usually something. It's very rare you don't find something you could talk about and start the conversation in a place you agree.

Kat Lonsdorf and Courtney Dorning produced and edited the audio version of this story.

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A COVID-19 Vaccine Has Come Quick, But Expert Says That's No Reason To Fear It - NPR

As world leaders gather virtually at the Special Session of the General Assembly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new data published today finds that leaving low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) without access to vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic will cause significant economic damage that puts decades of economic progress at risk for both LLMICs and advanced economies alike.

The report by the Eurasia Group analyses ten major economies Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States to assess the economic benefits to advanced economies of contributing to the work of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

The ACT Accelerator, led by WHO and partnering with the worlds leading international health organizations, is a unique global collaboration which supports the development and equitable distribution of the tests, treatments and vaccines the world needs to fight COVID-19. However, the programme still has a significant funding gap of US$ 28.2 billion with US$ 4.3 billion needed urgently to fast-track critical areas of work. If that shortfall isnt met, low- and low-middle income countries will have delayed access to these vital tools in 2021, which will result in a protracted pandemic, with severe economic consequences, not just for these countries by also for the wider global economy.

The report, which was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, finds that the economic benefits of a global equitable vaccine solution alone for the 10 countries included in the analysis would be at least US$ 153 billion in 2020-21, rising to US$ 466 billion by 2025. This is more than 12 times the US$ 38 billion estimated total cost of the ACT Accelerator. This figure was compiled using the expected negative effects of sustained coronavirus outbreaks in LLMICs, based on the downside and baseline scenarios of the IMFs October 2020 World Economic Outlook forecasts.

So far, the 10 countries featured in the report have contributed $2.4 billion to the work of the ACT Accelerator, with the United Kingdom committing just over US$ 1 billion, and Germany, Canada, Japan and France committing US$ 618 million, US$ 290 million, US$ 229 million and US$ 147 million respectively.

In just seven months, the ACT Accelerators progress has been significant: over 50 diagnostic tests have been evaluated and new rapid antigen diagnostics have been developed and being made available for LMICs; life-saving Dexamethasone treatments are being rolled out, research into monoclonal antibody treatments is advancing; and through the Health Systems Connector, the health system requirements for delivery of COVID-19 tools have been mapped in 4 out of 6 world regions.

COVAX, the Vaccines Pillar of the ACT Accelerator, has the worlds largest and most diverse portfolio of vaccines. It aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every participating country. Working with 189 countries, COVAX is supporting the development of 9 vaccine candidates through CEPI, 8 of which are in clinical trials. COVAX has secured hundreds of millions of doses of three promising candidates, including at least 200 million doses for LICs, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This new report emphasizes the funding urgency and the return on investment for donor countries of the work of the ACT Accelerator, which published its Urgent Priorities and Financing Requirements on 10 November.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, called on countries to commit to the work of the ACT Accelerator, stating that, The ACT Accelerator is the global solution to ending the acute phase of the pandemic as quickly as possible by ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 tools. Contributing to the ACT Accelerator it is not just the right thing to do its the smart thing for all countries socially, economically and politically.

Alexander Kazan, Managing Director for Global Strategy at Eurasia Group and one of the authors of the report said, There is a clear humanitarian and ethical case for supporting the ACT Accelerator and the Covax facility, along with the obvious economic gains it would bring to developing countries; doing nothing risks reversing years if not decades of economic progress. But our analysis shows that the program is likely to yield economic and other returns for major donor countries as well. The ACT Accelerator is a unique opportunity to save lives, repair the global economy, and build diplomatic capital that will last a generation.

Hassan Damluji, Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, commenting on the reports findings said, The moral case for an equitable global solution to the COVID-19 crisis has always been clear, but with high-income countries reeling from a huge shock, their governments are increasingly focusing on investments that can help their own economies to rebound. This report adds to the body of evidence that shows that the ACT Accelerator is precisely one of those investments. It is both the right thing to do, and an investment that will pay dividends by bringing the global economy back from the brink, benefiting all nations.

Eurasia Group is the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm. By providing information and insight on how political developments move markets, we help clients anticipate and respond to instability and opportunities everywhere they invest or do business. Our expertise includes developed and developing countries in every region of the world, specific economic sectors, and the business and investment playing fields of the future. With our best-in-class advisory and consulting offerings and GZERO Media, the Eurasia Group umbrella provides the marketplace with a complete political risk solution. Headquartered in New York, we have offices in Washington DC, London, San Francisco, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as on-the-ground experts and resources in more than a hundred countries. "Politics first grounds our work: Politics is the lens through which we view the world, and we are committed to analysis that is free of political bias and the influence of private interests.

The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT Accelerator), is the proven, up-and-running global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO, European Commission, France and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020.

The ACT Accelerator is not a decision-making body or a new organization, but works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organizations to end the pandemic. It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development, equitable allocation, and scaled up delivery of tests, treatments and vaccines, thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term. It draws on the experience of leading global health organizations which are tackling the worlds toughest health challenges, and who, by working together, are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID-19. Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID-19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it.

The diagnosticspillar, co-convened by the Global Fund and FIND is focused on bringing to market 23 high-quality rapid tests, training 10,000 healthcare professionals across 50 countries and establishing testing for 500 million people in Low and Middle-Income countries by mid-2021.

The therapeutics pillar is led by Unitaid and Wellcome. Therapeutics can play a role in all stages of COVID-19 disease: to prevent infection; suppress symptoms and spread of infection to others; treat or prevent symptoms; as a life-saving treatment for severe symptoms; and as a treatment that can speed up recovery. The aim in the next 12 months is to develop, manufacture and distribute 245 million treatments, helping COVID-19 sufferers to recover from the disease.

The COVAX vaccinespillar, convened by CEPI, Gavi and WHO,is speeding up the search for an effective vaccine for all countries. At the same time, it is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities, and buying supply, ahead of time so that 2 billion doses can befairly distributed by the end of 2021.

The health systems connector, led by the WHO, World Bank and the Global Fund,is working to ensure that these tools can reach the people who need them.

Cross-cutting all of these is the workstream on Access & Allocation, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines estimated to generate economic benefits of at least US$ 153 billion in 202021, and US$ 466 billion by...