- Johnson & Johnson said a second dose of its COVID-19 vaccine was 94 percent effective at preventing symptomatic disease when given two months after the first shot in a late-stage trial in the U.S. A second study found the extra dose prompted a 12-fold uptick in antibody production when it was given six months after the first shot. The company said it shared the data with the FDA and plans to submit it to those elsewhere and the World Health Organization. (Article here, here, here, here, here, and here)
- The White House’s plan to distribute hundreds of millions of COVID-19 shots to lower-income countries has been hampered by a lack of infrastructure and resources and insufficient planning in the countries. The challenges come ahead of a summit connected to the United Nations General Assembly, where Biden is expected to urge world leaders to shore up global vaccine distribution. The president is facing criticism for pushing booster vaccines in the U.S. while international leaders have pleased for the U.S. to do more to help lower-and middle-income countries secure initial doses. (Articles here, here, and here)
September 21, 2021
Life Sciences