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AstraZeneca's data misstep is just the latest example in a series of blunders by the company that could affect people's willingness to take the vaccine. Meg Tirrell has the details. Noah Higgins-Dunn reports on Moncef Slaoui, the Trump administration's former Covid vaccine chief, who was fired this week after a sexual harassment claim.
Note: The Healthy Returns newsletter is on hiatus next week, returning April 9.
| | AstraZeneca's vaccine is 76% effective, its communication strategy, less so | Better-than-expected results for AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine Monday morning were quickly overshadowed by a mysterious statement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued just after midnight Monday. It said the oversight board for the trial accused the drugmaker of using outdated efficacy data. AstraZeneca issued newer results Thursday, showing efficacy that was three percentage points lower against symptomatic disease – but still 100% protection against severe disease and hospitalization. The public health reaction may be best summed up by Brown University's Dr Ashish Jha, who tweeted: "My takeaway? Great vaccine, awful communication!"
-Meg Tirrell | | | | Pfizer begins two crucial Covid trials for kids, newly infected patients | Pfizer this week announced the start of two important clinical trials: one evaluating its Covid-19 vaccine in young children and the other testing an antiviral drug that could be used at the first sign of infection. The former will test healthy 6-month to 11-year old children, a crucial step in obtaining regulatory clearance and controlling the pandemic, public health officials and infectious disease experts say. The trial on the antiviral drug, part of a class of medicines called protease inhibitors, will see whether it can keep the disease from getting worse. Protease inhibitors work by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells.
–Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | | | | Ex-Trump vaccine czar fired, departs drug companies after sexual harassment claim | Moncef Slaoui, the Trump administration's former Covid vaccine chief, was fired from the board of a company operated by GlaxoSmithKline this week after a woman sent GSK a letter saying he sexually harassed her several years ago while she was working there. GSK said the allegations were "substantiated" and that Slaoui's actions "represent an abuse of his leadership position." After issuing an apology, the former Operation Warp Speed chief also stepped down from his positions at two other drug companies — Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Vaxcyte — to focus on his family.
-Noah Higgins-Dunn | | | | Amazon begins vaccinations at warehouses | In January, Amazon retail chief Dave Clark appealed to the Biden administration for access to vaccine supply to immunize its 1.4 million workers. But like every other national employer, the retail and tech giant has had to work with state and local health officials to gain access. So far, communities in 25 states have provided supply for manufacturers, food producers and automakers to conduct onsite clinics for workers. With more supply coming online, the pace of worksite vaccinations could pick up considerably over the next few weeks.
-Bertha Coombs | | | | Covid cases, hospitalizations continue to plateau | Daily new cases of Covid-19 have ceased to fall and, at times, have ticked upward in recent weeks. Hospitalizations related to Covid-19 have plateaued recently, as well, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "We are at a critical point in this pandemic, a fork in the road," Walensky said earlier this week. Her concerns have been echoed by other federal officials, including White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has pointed to recent surges of the virus in Europe as a warning sign to the U.S.
-Will Feuer | |
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