Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

What does it mean if a COVID19 vaccine were to offer 80 percent efficacy? From Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Intervention, by Sarah M. Bartsch et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.011 Credit: PHICOR

This question as well as coronavirus-related discrimination, population vulnerability, anxiety, and depression are explored in recent articles in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, is committed to publishing the most robust, evidence-based research and commentary on COVID-19 as they unfold to keep readers up to date and aware of issues relevant to community and individual health during this continually evolving global outbreak. All articles featured here are freely available.

New computational model finds that a COVID-19 vaccine will have to be at least 80 percent effective to achieve a complete return to normal.

Researchers around the world are racing to find a COVID-19 vaccine to eliminate the need for social distancing, mask wearing, and limits on interpersonal gatherings. In a new study, a computer simulation model found that if 75 percent of the population gets vaccinated, the vaccine has to have an efficacy (ability to protect against infection) of at least 70 percent to prevent an epidemic and at least 80 percent to extinguish an ongoing epidemic.

If only 60 percent of the population gets vaccinated, the thresholds are even higher, around 80 percent to prevent an epidemic and 100 percent to extinguish an ongoing epidemic. Some are pushing for a vaccine to come out as quickly as possible so that life can return to normal.

However, we have to set appropriate expectations. Just because a vaccine comes out doesnt mean you can go back to life as it was before the pandemic, notes lead investigator Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, Public Health Informatics, Computational and Operations Research, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, USA. It is important to remember that a vaccine is like many other products what matters is not just that a product is available, but also how effective it is. The investigators say the results of their study can provide targets for vaccine developers as well as shape expectations for policy makers, business leaders, and the general public.

A coefficient map of social vulnerability to COVID-19 in the United States based on data collected through May 12, 2020. From The Impact of Social Vulnerability on COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships, by Ibraheem M. Karaye, MD, DrPH, and Jennifer A. Horney, PhD, MPH. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.006Credit: American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Vaccine Efficacy Needed for a COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine to Prevent or Stop an Epidemic as the Sole Intervention by Sarah M. Bartsch, MPH, Kelly J. OShea, BSFS, Marie C. Ferguson, MSPH, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Ph.D., Patrick T. Wedlock, MSPH, Ulrich Strych, PhD, James A. McKinnell, MD, Sheryl S. Siegmund, MS, Sarah N. Cox, MSPH, Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, and Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, 15 July 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.011

Like indoor smoking bans, mask wearing should be considered a fundamental occupational health protection.

Mask requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are often presented as an infringement on individual rights. In this article, the authors note that bans against indoor smoking were enacted to protect workers health on the basis that individual rights do not extend to the imposition of risk on others. Similarly, masks should be required to protect workers by limiting the diffusion of particulates that carry COVID-19. Clear and consistent government policies on indoor mask wearing would remove some of the burden from business owners, but in the absence of policy, business owners can also require masks, knowing that healthy workplaces have higher productivity. Much like stepping outside to smoke, wearing a mask until the pandemic is resolved may feel like a nuisance; however both pose a relatively small inconvenience when compared to workers rights to a healthy, safe work environment, observes lead author Mike Vuolo, PhD, Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

COVID-19 Mask Requirements as a Workers Rights Issue: Parallels to Smoking Bans by Mike Vuolo, PhD, Brian C. Kelly, PhD, and Vincent Roscigno, PhD, 16 July 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.07.001

Associations between social vulnerabilities and increased COVID-19 infection vary among US counties, suggesting need for different strategies to address the pandemic.

A new study confirms that social vulnerability is associated with increased prevalence of COVID-19 infection in the United States. However, the specific vulnerability factors most important in predicting infection minority status and language, household composition and disability, and transportation and housing vary among regions and counties. For example, in the Pacific Northwest, minority status and language and household composition and disability were more predictive of COVID-19 case counts. In the Gulf Coast states, housing and transportation were more predictive. Lead investigator Ibraheem M. Karaye, MD, DrPH, Epidemiology Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA, explains, In the US, social vulnerability to COVID-19 is highly local, so while a coordinated Federal response is needed to control COVID-19 nationally, local jurisdictions should, where possible given limited funding and staff, address specific vulnerable groups with interventions designed to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

The Impact of Social Vulnerability on COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships by Ibraheem M. Karaye, MD, DrPH, and Jennifer A. Horney, PhD, MPH, 26 June 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.006

Study identifies racial and socioeconomic disparities in testing and positive results for COVID-19 in New York City.

A new study has found that in New York City COVID-19 testing has not been proportional to need. Researchers conducted a statistical analysis on the relationship between race and socioeconomic factors such as household income, gross rent, poverty, education, working class status, and the rate of testing for the virus, and the proportion of positive results. They found that, adjusted for population, the total number of tests performed significantly increased in neighborhoods with more white residents, while the highest proportion of positive tests were recorded in nonwhite neighborhoods and in areas defined by lower socioeconomic status. COVID-19 testing is a key component of public health efforts to contain the pandemic, says lead investigator Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, Director, Institute for Translational Epidemiology;, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Center for Disaster Health, Trauma, and Resilience, New York, NY, USA. Our findings show that in New York City, there is an urgent need for widespread testing and public health outreach for the most vulnerable communities.

Disparities in COVID-19 Testing and Positivity in New York City by Wil Lieberman-Cribbin, MPH, Stephanie Tuminello, MPH, Raja M. Flores, MD, and Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, 25 June 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.005

Increase in mental distress during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic associated with greater use of traditional and social media to learn about the disease.

In a nationally representative sample of US adults surveyed between March 10 and March 31, 2020, researchers found that individuals who reported spending more time on social media and consulting a greater number of traditional media sources to learn about the disease were more likely to report higher levels of mental distress than those with less media exposure. People who responded later in the survey, as a national emergency was declared and schools and businesses closed, reported greater media exposure and mental distress. A pandemic of this scale in the era of social media is unprecedented. We need to consider how exposure to social media, and other sources of media like television or newspapers, might affect mental health during this time, says first author Kira E. Riehm, MSc, Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. The researchers suggest that engaging with supportive friends and family online and seeking information only from evidence-based sources like the CDC or WHO could support mental health.

Associations Between Media Exposure and Mental Distress Among U.S. Adults at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic by Kira E. Riehm, MSc, Calliope Holingue, PhD, Luther G. Kalb, PhD, Daniel Bennett, PhD, Arie Kapteyn, PhD, Qin Jiang, MA, Cindy Veldhuis, PhD, Renee M. Johnson, PhD, M. Daniele Fallin, PhD, Frauke Kreuter, PhD, Elizabeth A. Stuart, PhD, and Johannes Thrul, PhD, 10 July 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.008

People thought to have COVID-19 can face discrimination, regardless of actual disease status, leading to increased anxiety and depression.

A national survey asked individuals if they were treated with less courtesy and respect than others; received poorer service at restaurants or stores; found people acted as if they were afraid of them; or felt threatened or harassed because they were suspected of having COVID-19. The rate of perceived discrimination, regardless of actual disease status, increased from March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, to April 2020. Asians and non-Hispanic blacks perceived more discrimination, as did individuals of any race or ethnicity who wore face masks. Perceiving discrimination was associated with increased anxiety and depression. Lead investigator Ying Liu, PhD, Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA, USA, comments, COVID-related discrimination is real and serious. It reflects social bias against racial and ethnic minorities and those who wear facemasks, and it disproportionately worsens mental despair in vulnerable populations. It is critical and timely for policy makers and the general public to become aware of this problem.

Perceived Discrimination and Mental Distress amid the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic: Evidence from the Understanding America Study by Ying Liu, PhD, Brian Karl Finch, PhD, Savannah G. Brenneke, MPH, Kyla Thomas, PhD, and PhuongThao D. Le, PhD, MPH, 6 July 2020, American Journal of Preventive Medicine.DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.007

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A COVID-19 Vaccine Doesnt Need to Be Perfect to Stop the Pandemic Heres How Effective It Needs to Be - SciTechDaily

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson says "this is not necessarily the time to take everything slowly" when it comes to the Trump administration's approach to getting vaccines and treatments to the public.

Why it matters: Carson's comments, made Wednesday during an Axios virtual event, came days after the Food and Drug Administration announced an emergency use authorization (EUA) for treating the coronavirus with convalescent plasma. President Trump accused the agency of slow-walking the development and approval of vaccines and therapeutics to hurt him politically.

What Carson's saying: "That is the time to maximize your resourcesnot to skips stepsbut to move expeditiously. And if you have something that you know is safe or relatively safe and you have evidence that it's very effective, it would behoove you to move forward with testing."

Go deeper: What it's like to give convalescent plasma

Watch the event.

Read more from the original source:

Carson: It would "behoove" us to move forward with COVID-19 vaccine and treatment testing - Axios

We just want to make sure that Hispanics and other minorities were being taken into consideration as we did these trials, says Laredo Congressman Henry Cuellar.

By Mara Mndez August 26, 20209:42 amBorder & Immigration, Coronavirus, Health & Science, Partner Organizations, Race & Identity, Texas Newsroom, Texas Public Radio

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COVID-19 Vaccine Trials On The Texas Border Bring Latino Representation, Questions For Residents - Texas Standard

Around the world, research is ongoing to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. Lufthansa Cargo and Frankfurt Airport are working together to prepare to ship the vaccine around the world once the time comes, according to the airport today.

COVID-19 has brought the aviation industry to its knees. However, it looks as though the industry will play a key role in fighting back. Once a COVID-19 vaccine hits the market, temperature-controlled flights will be required to move it around the globe to innoculate patients. As such, while researchers are busy developing the vaccine, airlines and airports are busy preparing to transport it.

Stay informed:Sign up for ourdaily aviation news digest.

Frankfurt Airport is one of Europes major cargo hubs. As a result, it remained one of the busiest airports per number of flight movements at the height of the crisis on the continent. Alongside two dedicated cargo areas, Cargo City North and Cargo City South, the airport also handles cargo found in the bellies of passenger aircraft.

The airports position as a cargo hub meant that while Heathrow saw passenger and cargo figures plummet, cargo figures at Germanys aviation capital remained relatively stable. Of course, passenger figures for the airport still dropped.

Today Frankfurt Airport revealed that it already has 12,000 square meters of temperature-controlled handling capacity available. This storage has direct apron access, meaning that vaccines would find the journey from the temperature-controlled environment of the aircraft as short as possible. Additionally, Frankfurt Airport has 20 temperature-controlled transporters, meaning that critical temperatures can be maintained on the airside journey too.

But it doesnt stop there. The airport is about to open a further 2,000sqm of space, bringing the total to 14,000sqm. Commenting, Max Philipp Conrady, Head of Central Cargo Infrastructure at Fraport said,

We are closely monitoring the current research for a corona vaccine Already during the handling of urgently needed protective equipment and partly vital pharmaceutical goods at the beginning of the year, we showed that we, as a cargo community, make an essential contribution to supplying the population

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to kick in, Lufthansa was one of the first airlines to start dedicating passenger aircraft to keeping cargo moving. It therefore comes as no surprise that the German flag carrier is also hard at work preparing for the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine.

One of Lufthansa Cargos key offerings is that it has a focus on transporting temperature-sensitive goods. In particular, the airline has many years worth of experience transporting pharmaceuticals. It aims to have all of its 31 pharmaceutical stations in far-reaching destinations CEIV-certified by 2021.

Are you pleased to see that Frankfurt Airport is preparing to handle a COVID-19 vaccine? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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Frankfurt Airport Is Preparing To Distribute The COVID Vaccine - Simple Flying

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Krystal Doucet, associate site director at Benchmark Research in San Angelo, prepares lab samples Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Colin Murphey / San Angelo Standard-Times)

SAN ANGELOMark Lacy believes a vaccine for COVID-19 will be produced within the next 12 months, and San Angelo will have played a crucial rolein its development and possibly in its discovery.

Lacy, who was born and raised in San Angelo and who graduated from Central High School in 1978, is now the CEO of Benchmark Research, a clinical research companybased in Austin, Texas. The company has five locationsacross the United States, which include Fort Worth, San Angelo, New Orleans, and Sacramento.

In July, Benchmark Research began clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in the Concho Valley, in which up to 300 residents have so far participated. Lacy hopes to eventually have 10,000 participants from the San Angelo area to help researchers develop a vaccine to the coronavirus.

"We're one of the only companies in the United States that are involved in all of the trials that the Federal government has considered to have the best promise to produce a (COVID-19) vaccine," Lacy said. "It makes me very proud that San Angelo can participate in possibly changing the world."

Helping to change the world through medical research is something San Angelo residents have already done, whether they're aware of it or not.

In its 20-plus years of operation, Benchmark Research's past studies have investigated vaccines for the H1N1 influenza during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, as well asthe Ebola virus during the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic.

"San Angelo is helping to find medicine to keep people healthier, longer," Lacy said. "San Angelo (residents) have participated in at least 20 groundbreaking studies that are saving millions and millions of lives."

Other studies Benchmark Research is conducting include combating bio-terrorism.

Lacy said San Angelo is one of 3,200 cities in the United States that have participated in ways to counteract small pox and other deadly pathogens that could be released during a terrorist attack.

To do this kind of research, and to find a vaccine for COVID-19, Lacy stressed the need to have volunteers who are willing to participate in clinical trials.

"It's critical we have volunteers," Lacy said. "It's very likely thatwithin the next 12 months, we will find a vaccine, and San Angelo has an opportunity to be part of the solution."

Lacy said residents living inSan Angelo have participated in more than 200 vaccine studies, and those whodo are paid for their time.

Compensation variesaccording to the level of participation, but Lacy said the maximum amountis up to $1,500 for each participant.

Krystal Doucet, associate site director at Benchmark Research in San Angelo, works with samples in a lab on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Colin Murphey / San Angelo Standard-Times)

While researchers are getting closer to discovering a vaccine for COVID, its too soon to presume victory that a vaccine is imminent, according to a group of USA TODAY panelistswho work in medicine, virology, immunology, logistics and supply chain issues.

Theres a possibility none of the current vaccine candidates will pan out. The typical success rate for vaccine development is 6%, according toThe Lancet, a British medical journal.

We simply cannot assume the outcome at this stage, said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education with the Immunization Action Coalition.

With at least10 possible vaccines now in the final Phase 3clinical testing stage, two looming questions remain: Will they work and will they work long enough?

There's no data to show that any of the candidate vaccines provides immunity to COVID-19. Thats what Phase 3 clinical trials test for, which are only now starting.

This is a new virus and we are just beginning to unravel the protective immunity, said Prakash Nagarkatti,an immunologist andvice president for research at theUniversity of South Carolina.

Krystal Doucet, associate site director at Benchmark Research in San Angelo, prepares lab samples Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Colin Murphey / San Angelo Standard-Times)

Officials with Benchmark Research said that before joining a clinical trial, a participant must qualify for the study. Some research studies seek participants with illnesses or conditions to be studied in the clinical trial, while others need healthy participants.

For COVID-19 vaccine studies, Benchmark Research officials said they are looking for participants who are highly likely to be or have been exposed to COVID-19, including those at risk for severe illness.

This includes peoplewho work in occupations that put them in regular contact with the public, such as nurses, doctors, construction workers, teachers, retail staff, delivery drivers and other essential workers.

High-risk individuals including those above age 65, and those who suffer from health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and asthma, are also eligible to participate, officials said.

Those interested in volunteering can visit Benchmark Research online and fill out a pre-screening form here:benchmarkresearch.net/participate/

For more information: call1-888-902-9605 or visit Benchmark Research at their San Angelo location at 3605 Executive Drive.

Krystal Doucet, associate site director at Benchmark Research in San Angelo, works with samples in a lab on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Colin Murphey / San Angelo Standard-Times)

Lacy stressed clinical trials pose little risk for volunteers developing COVID-19.

"The vaccine is made of dead, attenuated viruses so there is zero chance of getting COVID," Lacy said. "We've enrolled 28,000 patients over the last 15 years for vaccine studies and we have yet to have one serious adverse health effect related to the drug."

There are benefits and potential risks for participating in clinical trials, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Officials say it's possible you may get a new treatment for a disease before it's available to the public, but the new treatment could cause serious side effects or be uncomfortable.

"The history of clinical research is not perfect. Based on many years of experience and learning, Congress has passed laws to protect study participants. Today,everyclinical investigator is required to monitor and make sure thateveryparticipant is safe," according to a statement made by U.S. health officials.

If and when a vaccine for the coronavirus is eventually found, officials say it might take some convincing for residents wary of vaccines in general.

The agencies that decide if a vaccine isready and who gets it first are the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is vital that the U.S. government communicate clearly with the American people about the data and science behind any new COVID-19 vaccine, said Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, presidentandCEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

Lacy appeared to agree and encouragedpeople to proportion their opinions about vaccines based upon the available science.

"Everybody has a right to their own beliefs, but ...I believe what you should go by are the facts and the science, and not by rumors or innuendo," Lacy said.

Mark Lacy, CEO of Benchmark Research. Photo sent Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Contributed by Mark Lacy, Benchmark Research)

Lacy said he comes from a long line of San Angelo and Miles area businessmen his grandfather owned several businesses in San Angelo including a funeral home, and his father owned Harvester and Deere dealerships.

"I have a degree from The University of Texas and I attended school in Germany for a year as an exchange student," Lacy said. "Iwas also a special assistant to the secretary of transportation under Ronald Reagan."

Officials with Benchmark Research said Lacy has worked in commercial real estate in Manhattan and he later founded a company that performed communications audits.

Eventually he teamed up with a business partner with a background in clinical research, and suggested they start a company focused on clinical research trials.

In 1997, Benchmark Research opened a location in Fort Worth. Two years later, Lacy opened a branch in San Angelo, his hometown.

"I wanted to bring back jobs to San Angelo," Lacy said. "It makes me proud that San Angelo has representation in the international research industry."

More: Here's how COVID-19 survivors can donate plasma and help current San Angelo patients

John Tufts covers enterprise and investigative topics in West Texas. Send him a news tip atJTufts@Gannett.com. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with asubscription toGoSanAngelo.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2020/08/25/former-san-angelo-resident-now-ceo-looks-covid-19-vaccine/3430940001/

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San Angelo is on the front lines for a coronavirus vaccine thanks to a former resident - Standard-Times

With scientists around the world racing to develop coronavirus vaccines, a new report says the Trump administration is considering emergency use authorization of a vaccine being developed at Oxford University. Charlie D'Agata takes a look at the lab developing the vaccine, which has yet to reach the final phase of testing.

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A look at the biotech facility producing Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine - CBS News

As fall approaches rapidly, many are wondering if the race for a vaccine will bear fruit as early as January 2021.

I am a physician-scientist and infectious diseases specialist at the University of Virginia, where I care for patients and conduct research into COVID-19.

I am occasionally asked how I can be sure that researchers will develop a successful vaccine to prevent COVID-19. After all, we still don't have one for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Here is where the current research stands, where I think we will be in five months and why you can be optimistic about the delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In as many as 99 percent of all COVID-19 cases, the patient recovers from the infection, and the virus is cleared from the body.

Some of those who have had COVID-19 may have low levels of virus in the body for up to three months after infection. But in most cases these individuals can no longer transmit the virus to other people 10 days after first becoming sick.

It should therefore be much easier to make a vaccine for the new coronavirus than for infections such as HIV where the immune system fails to cure it naturally. SARS-CoV-2 doesn't mutate the way that HIV does, making it a much easier target for the immune system to subdue or for a vaccine to control.

A vaccine will protect, in part, by inducing the production of antibodies against the spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The virus needs the spike protein to attach to and enter human cells to reproduce. Researchers have shown that antibodies, like those made by the human immune system, bind to the spike protein, neutralize it and prevent the coronavirus from infecting cells in laboratory culture.

Vaccines in clinical trials have been shown to raise anti-spike antibodies that block virus infection in cells in the lab.

At least seven companies have developed monoclonal antibodies, laboratory-manufactured antibodies that recognize the spike protein. These antibodies are entering clinical trials to test their ability to prevent infection in those who are exposed, for example, through a household contact.

Monoclonal antibodies may also be effective for treatment. During an infection, a dose of these monoclonal antibodies could neutralize virus, giving the immune system a chance to catch up and manufacture its own antibodies to combat the pathogen.

The spike protein has many locations where antibodies can bind to and neutralize the virus. That's good news because with so many vulnerable spots, it will be difficult for the virus to mutate to avoid a vaccine.

Multiple parts of the spike would need to mutate to evade neutralizing anti-spike antibodies. Too many mutations to the spike protein would change its structure and render it incapable of binding to ACE2, which is key to infecting human cells.

Safety of a new COVID-19 vaccine is improved by researchers' understanding of potential vaccine side effects and how to avoid them.

One side effect seen in the past was antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. This occurs when antibodies don't neutralize the virus but instead allow it to enter into cells via a receptor intended for antibodies.

Researchers have found that by immunizing with the spike protein, high levels of neutralizing antibodies can be produced. This lessens the risk of enhancement.

A second potential problem posed by some vaccines is an allergic reaction that causes inflammation in the lung, as was seen in individuals who received a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine in the 1960s.

This is dangerous because inflammation in the lung air spaces can make it difficult to breathe. However, researchers have now learned how to design vaccines to avoid this allergic response.

The US government is supporting the development of several different vaccines via Operation Warp Speed.

The goal of Operation Warp Speed is to deliver 300 million doses of a safe and effective vaccine by January 2021.

The US government is making a major investment, committing US$8 billion to seven different COVID-19 vaccines.

By supporting multiple COVID-19 vaccines, the government is hedging its bets. Only one of these vaccines needs to prove safe and effective in clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine to be made available to Americans in 2021.

Phase I and phase II trials test if a vaccine is safe and induces an immune response. Already the results to date from three different vaccine trials are promising, triggering the production of anti-spike neutralizing antibodies levels that are two- to four-fold higher than those seen in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Moderna, Oxford, and Chinese company CanSino have all demonstrated the safety of their vaccines in phase I and phase II trials.

During a phase III trial, the final step in vaccine development process, the vaccine is tested on tens of thousands of individuals to determine if it works to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, and that it is safe.

The vaccine produced by Moderna and NIH and the vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca began phase III trials in July. Other COVID-19 vaccines will be starting phase III within weeks.

Operation Warp Speed is paying for the production of millions of doses of vaccines and supporting vaccine manufacturing at an industrial scale even before researchers have demonstrated vaccine efficacy and safety.

The advantage of this strategy is that once a vaccine is proven safe in phase III trials, a stockpile of it will already exist and it can be distributed immediately without compromising full assessment of safety and efficacy.

This is a more prudent approach than that of Russia, which is vaccinating the public with a vaccine before it has been shown to be safe and effective in phase III.

McKesson Corp., the largest vaccine distributor in the US, has already been contracted by the CDC to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to sites including clinics and hospitals where the vaccine will be administered.

I believe that it is realistic that we will know sometime in late 2020 whether some COVID-19 vaccines are safe, exactly how effective they are and which ones should be used to vaccinate the US population in 2021.

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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9 Reasons Why You Should Be Optimistic a COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Available in 2021 - ScienceAlert

China has been giving doses of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate to "high risk" groups, including medical personnel, since late July, even though the clinical trials of the vaccine that would show whether it works have not been completed, according to news reports.

Over the weekend, Chinese health officials said the country had approved the emergency use of the vaccine, developed by the Beijing-based drug company Sinopharm, on July 22, according to CNN. Medical workers, customs and border officials and others at high risk of COVID-19 exposure are eligible to receive the vaccine, CNN reported.

Officials added that they hope to expand the use of this vaccine to other essential workers in the fall and winter.

Related: Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

"Once we build up an immune barrier for medical staff, personnel involved in basic operation of the city, such as those in the farmers market, transportation, and in some service industries" might receive the vaccine, said Zheng Zhongwei, director of the Science and Technology Development Center of China's National Health Commission, according to CNN.

The announcement follows the news from mid-August that Russia approved its COVID-19 vaccine for use in certain groups, including medical workers, Live Science previously reported.

China has already approved a different vaccine candidate, developed, in part, by the Tianjin, China-based company CanSino Biologics, for use in military personnel. Doses of that vaccine have been given to military personnel since June.

However, no COVID-19 vaccine candidates have completed phase 3 clinical trials. Only phase 3 trials, which often include tens of thousands of people, can determine whether a vaccine actually prevents COVID-19 infection, Live Science previously reported. Such trials are a critical step in vaccine development, and longstanding U.S. regulations would require a completed phase 3 trial before a COVID-19 vaccine could be approved here. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that a COVID-19 vaccine should reduce the chances of infection by at least 50%, compared with a placebo.

Originally published on Live Science.

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China started giving experimental COVID-19 vaccine to medical workers in July - Live Science

The presence of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 could make daily life closer to the pre-pandemic normal than it is for most Americans right now. But the obstacles of getting Americans to accept COVID-19 vaccinations may be even greater than those in getting one developed in record time to fight this novel, contagious and deadly virus.

For one, Americans' distrust in scientific experts and institutions was percolating long before COVID-19 was a global issue and the strong anti-vaccine movement is one of the starkest symptoms of that growing distrust. The refusal to take vaccines had already been spreading across the country over the past decade; that movement has not missed its moment during the pandemic. Wild, unfounded allegations that the pandemic was in fact a plandemic were spearheaded by an organized group of anti-vaxxers online, determined to sow misinformation about the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, skepticism and political division plagued the countrys initial response to the pandemic; those same issues, plus uncertainty about how successful a vaccine may actually be, promises to be an uphill battle in vaccinating against COVID-19.

There are some signs that a COVID-19 vaccine is already politicized and partisanship significantly colors people's trustin any vaccine: Fifty-two percent of Democrats would be very interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA, while only 38 percent of Republicans and 28 percent of independents hold that same level of interest.

That same survey found that 1 in 5 Republicans and the same percentage of independents are not at all interested in receiving any vaccine.

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Distrust outside of the confines of partisan politics among anti-vaxxers core demographic mothers is borne out in data as well. Gender brings out stark differences among parents in their enthusiasm for a COVID-19 vaccine. Half of fathers would be very interested in getting an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Only a third of mothers with children under 17 feel the same way.

Either poses potential problems for the efficacy of any potential vaccines roll-out because, ultimately, how many people get vaccinated could be a crucial step in ending social distancing. New studies show that herd immunity is a function of the efficacy of a vaccine and how many people take it are intertwined; if a vaccine is less effective, then more people need to take it in order to contain the virus. Many experts, including Dr. Fauci, believe the research community will likely end up developing a vaccine with lower efficacy levels due to the nature of the coronavirus.

Beyond that, preventative strategies mask wearing, contact tracing and vaccines rely on the trust between officials and the public. But Americans' response to the pandemic is clearly being stymied by their lack of faith in the information they get from public officials.

For instance, a recent Axios-Ipsos poll shows that only 11 percent of Democrats believe the information they get from the administration is accurate, while 63 percent of Republicans have a "great deal" or a "fair" amount of trust in information they receive from the White House.

Scientific institutions are also subject to large gaps in trust from the American public: Forty-four percent of Democrats trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "a great deal" to provide them with accurate information, while only 17 percent of Republicans feel the same way.

The World Health Organization a body that the president threatened to terminate the United States' relationship with in May sees similar trust gaps between Democrats and Republicans.

The president, of course, is a powerful political communicator to his base, but he is a divisive figure outside of that core group of supporters, which poses a unique problem for rallying the country around singular action.

For instance, Republican mask wearing trailed the rate of mask use among Democrats for the better part of the spring , as the issue became subsumed in the culture war. Mask use only began increasing among Republicans once the president wore a mask in public.

A partisan repeat of this same pattern for a vaccine could put the country further behind in its quest to get COVID-19 under control.

Finally, it is clear that who develops and champions a vaccine could be just as important as the science behind it in convincing people to inoculate themselves.

Currently, over 30 vaccines are in human trials. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already claimed vaccine victory with one he's calling Sputnik-V a Cold War nod to the former Soviet Unions success with satellites that supercharged the space race. The U.S. has, in the meantime, signed a $1.5 billion deal for a vaccine with Moderna, a U.S. health care company.

Who is ultimately able to produce an effective vaccine at scale and distribute it to wide swaths of the public and how that gets read into Americas culture wars will be a major driver in how the public chooses to trust a vaccine.

All to say, there is no silver bullet for solving a pandemic, even when a vaccine is developed.

But as we wait, half of Americans now already know someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and 1 in every 4 COVID-19 patients around the world today is American. Our skepticism of science has already proven dangerous once; we have perhaps yet to see how dangerous it will truly end up being.

Chris Jacksonis a senior vice president and lead for the Ipsos Public Polling practice in the United States. His research specialties include public opinion trends, election polling, strategic communications and reputation research. He works with a wide variety of public and private sector clients, including Thomson Reuters, USA Today and ABC News, and is a spokesperson for Ipsos Public Affairs in the U.S.

Sarah Feldman

Sarah Feldman is a data journalist for the Ipsos Public Polling team in the United States, where she covers trends in public opinion, elections, and American politics.

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Getting a COVID-19 vaccine to market will be hard. Getting Americans to use it will be, too. - NBC News

The stock markets rally back to all-time highs might not have been possible without optimism over a COVID-19 vaccine. And that means progress and setbacks toward that goal could continue to drive the market in the weeks and months ahead.

Analysts at UBS rolled back the market tape to take a look at how stocks have reacted to positive and negative vaccine-related news since the coronavirus pandemic hit. They concluded that optimism around vaccine developments added around 6.5 percentage points to the S&P 500s return since May.

If so, that certainly helped the S&P 500 SPX, +1.00% to take back the ground it lost during the stock markets pandemic-inspired plunge. The U.S. benchmark closed at record highs this past week, including in Fridays session, returning to trade above levels seen before falling nearly 34% from a Feb. 19 record to its March 23 low as the spread of COVID-19 forced the near-shutdown of the U.S. and global economy.

The UBS analysts calculated the impact by measuring the number of shock days, in which the S&P 500 moved up or down by at least one standard deviation versus its average daily movement in reaction to positive or negative vaccine-related news. Using their model, which gauges how much positive vaccine news contributed to a fall in a closely followed economic policy uncertainty index, they concluded that investors had priced in a 33% to 40% probability of a vaccine.

On an industry level, however, it appears prospects for a vaccine are less priced in, the analysts said. They noted that shares of companies with the most to gain such as hard-hit hospitality and leisure stocks from a vaccine have barely outperformed the S&P 500 since May, suggesting a vaccine isnt really priced in across industries, they wrote.

Several companies are working toward a vaccine. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +0.26% plans to launch what could be the largest clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine seen so far, enlisting up to 60,000 people world-wide. That would be double the size of other pivotal studies that have started or are expected to begin soon for vaccines developed by Moderna Inc. MRNA, -2.36%, Pfizer Inc. PFE, -0.10% and AstraZeneca PLC AZN, +1.88%.

The markets sensitivity to news on the treatment front in general was on display Monday, with the S&P 500 climbing to another all-time high as global equities rallied following the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approval of convalescent plasma the antibody-rich blood component harvested from people who have recovered from COVID-19 for emergency use.

Meanwhile, it might be small- and midcap stocks that would stand to benefit most from a vaccine breakthrough. The UBS analysts noted that small caps outperformed large-caps by around 2 percentage points on days when there was major vaccine news. If market participants currently see a 33% to 40% probability priced in for a vaccine, potential outperformance for small versus large-cap stocks stands at around 13 percentage points or more, they said.

The relative performance of value stocks relative to growth stocks, however, has been subdued, they said.

Cyclical stocks, which are more sensitive to the economic cycle, have solidly outperformed defensive stocks on days with big vaccine news, with even more variation at the industry and sub-industry level. UBS said that would indicate the potential for around 10 percentage points or more of outperformance by cyclicals over defensives if a vaccine is fully priced and implemented.

Analysts and investors have pointed to optimism over a vaccine as insulating the market from disappointment on other fronts, including the inability of congressional Democrats and Republicans and the White House to come up with a plan for another round of coronavirus aid. Economists warned that concerns about the economic damage caused by the pandemic could overshadow those hopes.

Long-term optimism regarding a vaccine is secondary to near-term economic and health concerns: a jobs deficit of 13 million relative to pre-COVID, states facing budget crises, and still more than 50,000 daily COVID-19 infections, said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, in a Friday note.

The S&P 500 rose 0.7% over the last week, with Fridays close at a record 3,397.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +1.35% was virtually flat on the week, finishing at 27,930.33, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.60% saw a weekly advance of 2.7%, closing Friday at 11,311.80, its 36th record finish of 2020.

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COVID-19 vaccine hopes are driving the stock-market rally heres how much - MarketWatch