Comissão conclui conversações exploratórias com a Novavax

Comissão conclui conversações exploratórias com a Novavax: A Comissão Europeia concluiu hoje conversações exploratórias com a empresa farmacêutica Novavax com vista à aquisição de uma potencial vacina contra a COVID-19. O contrato previsto com a Novavax daria a todos os Estados-Membros da UE a possibilidade de adquirirem 100 milhões de doses, com uma opção de 100 milhões de doses suplementares.

Vaccination policy in times of Covid-19

Vaccination policy in times of Covid-19: As multiple COVID-19 vaccines are emerging, what can be done to tackle vaccination hesitancy and ensure rapid and equitable deployment?

Useful link:
• European Vaccination Information Portal : an initiative of the European Union
• Coronavirus: Commission unveils EU vaccines strategy
• European joint action on vaccination
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• COVID-19 vaccines: development, evaluation, approval and monitoring
• Authorising COVID-19 vaccines: MEPs to debate with European Medicines Agency
• WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Vaccines
• Safe COVID-19 vaccines for Europeans ( information in all EU languages)

 

Deaths due to coronavirus (COVID-19) compared with deaths from influenza and pneumonia, England and Wales

Deaths due to coronavirus (COVID-19) compared with deaths from influenza and pneumonia, England and Wales

1. Main points

• Of all death occurrences between January and August 2020, there were 48,168 deaths due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) compared with 13,619 deaths due to pneumonia and 394 deaths due to influenza.
• Influenza and pneumonia was mentioned on more death certificates than COVID-19, however COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death in over three times as many deaths between January and August 2020.
• The highest number of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia occurred in January 2020, however influenza and pneumonia deaths were below the five-year average (2015 to 2019) in every month.
• Deaths due to COVID-19 were higher than deaths due to influenza and pneumonia between March and June.
• Age-standardised and age-specific mortality rates for deaths due to COVID-19 were statistically significantly higher than mortality rates due to influenza and pneumonia when compared with the five-year average and 2020 rates.
• The proportion of deaths occurring in care homes due to COVID-19 was almost double the proportion of deaths due to influenza and pneumonia (30.0% and 15.2% respectively).
• In comparison with the deaths due to influenza and pneumonia occurring in the year to 31 August 2020, deaths due to COVID-19 have been higher than every year monthly data are available (1959 to 2020).
  

Verification of Death (VoD), Completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD) and Cremation Forms in the Community in England and Wales 

When is a Covid Death Not a Covid Death? 

 

2.7 billion people have had no social protection to cope with Covid-19 economic crisis

2.7 billion people have had no social protection to cope with Covid-19 economic crisis: New Oxfam research shows that over a third of the world’s population has had no public money to cope with the effects of the pandemic. 

A new report “Shelter from the Storm”, done in partnership with Development Pathways, reviewed government programs used to inject additional money to help people, such as disability, unemployment, child, and elderly benefits, for 126 low and middle-income countries. It found none of them were adequate to meet everyone’s needs.

A Vaccine Auction

A Vaccine Auction, by Romans Pancs: Suppose  the  government  has  bought  forward  vaccines  from  pharmaceutical  companies. How should the government allocate these vaccines?

Recomendações para a época festiva - DGS e OMS

Minimizing the COVID-19 risk: advice to individuals, communities and governments for the winter holidays

DGS apresentou 10 recomendações para a época festiva - COVID-19:

1. Cumprir todas as regras em vigor no seu concelho, em relação à mobilidade e aos ajuntamentos de pessoas;
2.  Quem estiver doente, com sintomas ou em isolamento profilático, tem de cumprir o que as autoridades de saúde determinaram;
3. Reduzir os contactos antes e durante esta quadra;
4. Reduzir o tempo de exposição em todos os momentos e, se possível, usar os espaços exteriores;
5. Não mudar de agregados familiares durante a quadra festiva;
6. Limitar as celebrações do agregado familiar com quem habita, mantendo contacto com outros membros ou grupos por via digital ou telefonemas;
7. Manter o distanciamento físico em todos os momentos: transporte, preparação das refeições, convívios, etc. Evitar os cumprimentos tradicionais;
8. Garantir o arejamento dos espaços e a desinfeção das superfícies, bem como dos objetos de partilha comum;
9.  Lavar ou desinfetar as mãos frequentemente, usar a máscara de forma adequada e manter etiqueta respiratória;
10. Evitar a partilha de objetos.
    

FDA review confirms Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective

FDA review confirms Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective: The Food and Drug Administration released detailed data on Tuesday showing Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and "highly effective" in preventing cases of the virus in adults.

• The review confirmed Moderna's claim that the vaccine had a 94.1% efficacy rate in a trial of 30,000 people, with the FDA describing the recommended two-dose regimen as "highly effective" in preventing infection 14 days after the second dose.
• The most common side effects included fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue and joint pain — but none were deemed dangerous, per the agency.