| | | | | | | Presented By PhRMA | | | | Vitals | | By Caitlin Owens ·Apr 08, 2021 | | Good morning. Today's word count is 999, or a 4-minute read. | | | | | | 1 big thing: The world is watching the FDA's AstraZeneca decision |  | | | Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios | | | | AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine took yet another public relations hit yesterday, when the European Medicines Agency announced that the shot is linked to blood clots, and they should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of the vaccine. What we're watching: Even before the link was announced, the U.S. didn't need the AstraZeneca vaccine, based on its existing supply of other shots. But what the Food and Drug Administration decides to do about the vaccine — if the company seeks U.S. authorization — will likely have global ramifications. Driving the news: The EMA said the benefits of the vaccine still outweigh its risk, STAT reports. - The U.K., however, recommended that people under 30 receive other vaccines, and other European countries have already restricted use of the vaccine to older populations.
Why it matters: The AstraZeneca vaccine has already been plagued by a series of self-imposed mishaps throughout its rollout. Even if blood clots are an exceedingly rare side effect — which experts stress they are — there's risk of further damage to the shot's reputation. - "With the spotlight on COVID-19 vaccines, the public is going to hear 'very serious' and tune out 'very rare.' So, there are going to be major perceptional and confidence problems moving forward," said John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Cornell.
The big picture: The shot is relatively cheap and easy to make, and is the main shot being used by the COVAX initiative. It's particularly important for developing countries. - The U.S., on the other hand, doesn't need the vaccine; it has already purchased more than enough doses of other vaccines to cover its entire population.
Yes, but: What U.S. regulators say about the shot could still have global consequences, especially given its chaotic rollout. - "Confidence in the AZ vaccine, which will be informed by the US FDA position, will be critically important for global vaccine efforts," said Krishna Udayakumar, director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center.
Go deeper. |     | | | | | | 2. Coronavirus cases hold steady |  Data: CSSE Johns Hopkins University; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios Coronavirus cases are holding steady across the U.S. as vaccinations increase and states continue to loosen their safety measures, Axios' Sam Baker and Andrew Witherspoon report. By the numbers: The U.S. averaged about 65,000 new cases per day over the past week, essentially unchanged from the week before. - Daily case counts increased in 13 states and declined in nine.
- The biggest improvement was in Alabama, which saw a 33% drop in new cases. The biggest deterioration was in Nebraska, which saw a 52% jump. (Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts suggested the jump could be partly due to a data issue.)
- Michigan, which has emerged as a hotspot in the latest phase of the pandemic, recorded an average of about 6,700 new cases per day over the past week, up 24% from the week before.
- But things improved in New York, which has also emerged as a potential hotspot in the pandemic's burgeoning fourth wave. Daily cases there were down by about 7% over the past week.
What we're watching: The U.S. administered an average of 3 million vaccine doses per day over the past week, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker. Roughly 33% of American adults have gotten at least one shot, and 19% are fully vaccinated. The bottom line: The vaccines will ultimately be our way out of this pandemic, if Americans keep getting vaccinated at this rate. The big question is how quick and how clean that ending will be. | | | | | | | | 3. List of universities requiring vaccines grows |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | The list of universities requiring vaccinations to return to campus in the fall is growing longer by the day, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Marisa Fernandez report. Why it matters: With the mandates, universities are going where most corporations have not. The political and legal blowback is already taking shape. What's going on: Brown University is the latest to mandate a vaccine for students and faculty in the fall — joining Cornell, Nova Southeastern Florida and others. - New Jersey-based public university Rutgers was among the first to announce it would require shots for students, though not for faculty and staff.
Another caveat: Universities say students with religious or medical reasons can be exempt — a process that may be a logistical and legal nightmare, education trade group American Council on Education warns. - Even if mandates ultimately become permissible in schools and workplaces, policymakers will likely consider whether mandates are "the most effective means in accomplishing this goal" of mass vaccinations, a Wednesday policy brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation says.
Background: Colleges have historically required vaccines for other viruses. The big picture: Other universities are encouraging students to get vaccinated, even with incentives, but have stopped short of a mandate, saying there is an equity benefit to not excluding all those who can't or decide not to receive a shot. - Some lawmakers are pushing back on mandates overall, including for schools.
Go deeper. | | | | | | | | A message from PhRMA | | We are committed to being a part of the solution | | |  | | | | As we usher in a new Congress and new administration, we can all agree that people need quality, affordable health coverage that works when they need it. - We are focused on solutions that help patients better afford their medicines and protect access to innovation today and in the future.
| | | | | | 4. College students eager to get vaccinated |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | Speaking of colleges — nearly 90% of college students say they probably or absolutely will get vaccinated, according to a Generation Lab poll exclusive to Axios. Why it matters: College students have contributed to the nationwide spread of the virus, and their vaccination is necessary in bringing the pandemic under control before variants spread any further, Marisa writes. - More than 120,000 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to U.S. colleges and universities since the beginning of 2021, per a tracker from the New York Times.
The big picture: Several large state schools have erected mass COVID-19 vaccination sites on their campuses and incentivized its students to sign up. - As eligibility opens up, universities could become a crucial arm to increase vaccination rates.
What's happening: Students are eager to get vaccinated largely because they want to resume social activities. - 30% said their top reason to get vaccinated was to resume in-person relationships. And 23% said their top reason was to return to in-person events like sports, live performances or bars.
Yes, but: In a separate poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, the overall willingness to get vaccinated among young people was lower. - 60% of 18–29 year-olds said they would definitely or probably get vaccinated or have already have received their first dose, the lowest of any age group.
Methodology: The poll is based on a survey of 808 college students conducted on March 24–30. | | | | | | | | 5. Catch up quick |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | The B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant that originated in the U.K. is now the most common strain in the U.S., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday at a White House briefing. Asymptomatic viral infections are actually really common, even though they don't usually get our attention the way COVID has, The Atlantic reports. | | | | | | | | A message from PhRMA | | Biopharma is committed to being a part of the solution | | |  | | | | As we usher in a new administration and Congress, there are many things on which we can all agree, like building a more just, equitable society. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters.
Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201 | | | You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios.
Change your preferences or unsubscribe here. | | | Was this email forwarded to you?
Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox. | | | | Follow Axios on social media:    | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment