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May 13, 2021 - Brief Issue 197
The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.
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Top Headlines
CDC Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for Adolescents (Health & Science)
U.N. Report Discusses Delayed International Response At Start of Covid-19 Pandemic (Health & Science)
CDC Says Coronavirus Vaccines, Other Shots Can Be Administered Simultaneously (Health & Science)
States Will Not Receive J&J Supply Next Week, Insiders Suggest (Health & Science)
WHO Issues Warning About Indian Coronavirus Variant’s Transmissibility (Health & Science)
Turkey’s Shop Owners Revolt Against New National Lockdown (Around the World)
Covid-19 Spike in Seychelles Has Experts Worried About Efficacy of Sinopharm Vaccine (Around the World)
Oxygen Tanks from Everest Could be Used to Treat Covid-19 Patients (Around the World)
Moderna Signs Deal with Australia (Around the World)
Senate Democrats Express Skepticism Over Renewing $300 Unemployment Benefit (U.S. Government & Politics)
Executives of Emergent, Company Which Botched Vaccine Manufacturing to Testify Before Congress (U.S. Government & Politics)
Consumer Prices Increased in April (U.S. Economy)
Cheap Houses See Increased Prices and Interest Amid Housing Market Boom (U.S. Society)
Health & Science
There have been 32,815,400 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 583,690 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 264,680,844 vaccine doses, with 46.4% of Americans having received their first vaccine dose and 35.4% fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). Worldwide, there have been 160,513,476 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 3,333,245 deaths.
CDC Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for Adolescents
Following the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended Wednesday that kids in this age group receive the shot (WSJ, WaPo, NYT). The panel, which reviewed data finding the shot to be safe and 100% protective against symptomatic Covid-19 in younger teens, voted 14-0, with one member recusing. Most vaccination providers were waiting on this decision to start administering the Pfizer shot to younger Americans, though some began as soon as Tuesday morning (CNN). The CDC’s recommendation will become official once signed into effect by CDC director Rochelle Walensky. Not only are children at risk of developing severe cases of Covid-19, but experts say vaccinating younger populations is an important step in preventing community spread. “It is very important to vaccinate the pediatric population so that they do not continue to be a reservoir for infections and mutations, which would potentially lead to variants,” said Jason Terk, a pediatrician collaborating with the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Pediatric Society on coronavirus vaccine clinics. President Biden called the CDC’s vote “one more giant step in our fight against the pandemic” (WaPo). Still, about a third of U.S. parents are hesitant to get their children vaccinated, many citing concerns about side effects or how the vaccine might impact fertility (NYT).
U.N. Report Discusses Delayed International Response At Start of Covid-19 Pandemic
The United Nations’ Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response − a board formed after Australia called for an investigation into the early Covid-19 pandemic, citing concerns about China’s transparency − published a report Wednesday that, to the dismay of officials in countries like the U.S., did not directly criticize China (WSJ). Instead, the report centered around the World Health Organization, claiming the WHO didn’t have the legal sway or international support to investigate the pandemic as early as it should have. The WHO suspected human-to-human transmission in early January 2020, but wasn’t allowed to visit China until later that month, and then waited another week before declaring a global public-health emergency. The panel behind the report recommended specific steps to boost international collaboration in the event of future disease outbreaks, and outlined a plan for a WHO-headed infectious disease surveillance system. The panel also criticized countries that delayed their pandemic responses or hoarded vaccine doses. Meanwhile, the WHO published reports Wednesday describing the pandemic as a “preventable disaster” and urging governments to act far more quickly and effectively next time the world faces a potential pandemic (NYT, NPR).
CDC Says Coronavirus Vaccines, Other Shots Can Be Administered Simultaneously
Although medical practitioners had previously advised patients to avoid other vaccines within two weeks of receiving the Covid-19 shot, Dr. Kate Woodworth of the CDC’s birth defects division said Wednesday that the coronavirus vaccine can be administered alongside others (CNN). Dr. Woodworth told the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that “extensive experience with non-Covid-19 vaccines” suggests that efficacy and adverse reactions are not likely to change whether shots are administered together or individually. The American Academy of Pediatrics backed up this announcement. Many children in the U.S. are behind on non-coronavirus vaccines, as the pandemic has limited access to routine pediatric checkups.
States Will Not Receive J&J Supply Next Week, Insiders Suggest
According to White House officials, the most recent supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses isn’t immediately available for purchase, meaning states may not receive J&J doses next week (Politico). The J&J rollout in the U.S. has been sluggish thus far. Use of the shot was temporarily suspended in April over concerns about a rare blood clotting reaction. The company is also grappling with production issues identified at an Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore. Due to delays associated with Emergent, J&J has been importing doses from abroad, but its domestic rollout has been stunted.
WHO Issues Warning About Indian Coronavirus Variant’s Transmissibility
India’s homegrown coronavirus variant, B.1.617, had spread to almost 50 countries worldwide as of May 9, according to a WHO report published Wednesday. The variant is spreading rapidly in India, which reported 360,000 new cases Wednesday, with 28% of new positive cases attributed to B.1.617. It isn’t quite clear how much the variant is to blame for India’s surge, or whether it causes more severe symptoms, but the WHO report cautioned that B.1.617 may be more infectious than other strains (NYT). Stacia Wyman, a genomics scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, agreed with this warning: “[B.1.617] appears to be posing the biggest threat right now in terms of transmissibility, with many countries reporting increasing trajectories of the B.1.617 variant.” The double-mutant variant was first identified in October 2020 and contains mutations known to make other strains more virulent. Preliminary evidence from a small-scale study at Emory University showed the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be effective in neutralizing B.1.617, though potency was reduced seven-fold (NPR).
Bonus Read: “How COVID Broke the Evidence Pipeline,” (Nature).
Around the World
Turkey’s Shop Owners Revolt Against New National Lockdown
Turkey announced a sweeping national lockdown 13 days ago, setting off soaring economic anxiety and public irritation (WaPo). Infections and deaths from Covid-19 were at new highs, and even as many admitted the measures were necessary, they complained that the way they were imposed, using official edicts, were confusing and ineffective. Small business owners have been dealing with on-again-off-again lockdowns and rocketing inflation and many cannot afford to close. Many people are baffled that the government built in a glaring exception to the lockdown when it said foreign tourists would be allowed to travel the country freely but Turkish citizens would have to stay home. Pictures of tourists sunning themselves on the beaches while Turks remain sequestered in their homes have sparked outrage, as has the alcohol ban that was imposed for vague “health” reasons without any official elaboration. But the biggest issue is the sense of economic insecurity sparked by the lockdown: Twenty-seven percent of respondents to a survey released Sunday by MetroPOLL said they “cannot meet” basic needs. That was up from 24% a year ago, as the pandemic took hold. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the goal of the lockdown is to bring infection rates to under 5,000 a day, in part to salvage what remained of the tourist season.
Covid-19 Spike in Seychelles Has Experts Worried About Efficacy of Sinopharm Vaccine
Although the island nation of Seychelles is the world’s most vaccinated nation, with more than 60% of the population vaccinated, the country is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases, raising questions about vaccine efficacy (NYT). About 57% of the vaccinated population was given China’s Sinopharm vaccine, while 43% received AstraZeneca; more than a third of the country’s new cases have occurred among fully vaccinated people. Some experts are concerned that the Sinopharm vaccine − which is being used in 56 countries − isn’t effective enough to ward off the adverse impacts of Covid-19, especially because the vaccine has played a larger role in less resourced nations. “You really need to use high-efficacy vaccines to get that economic benefit because otherwise they’re going to be living with the disease long term,” said Raina MacIntyre of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. “The choice of vaccine matters.” Dr. Kim Mulholland, a pediatrician at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said although Sinopharm champions its efficacy rate as 78.1%, the actual figure is probably closer to 50%. The WHO is investigating the timing and severity of new reported Covid-19 cases in Seychelles, as well as the variants circulating the country. “Only by doing that kind of evaluation can we make an assessment of whether or not these are vaccine failures,” said Dr. Kate O’Brien, the WHO’s director of immunizations. Seychelles president Wavel Ramkalawan claimed the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines have been effective in preventing hospitalization and serious symptoms.
Oxygen Tanks from Everest Could be Used to Treat Covid-19 Patients
Hospitals in Nepal are straining to cope with one of the world’s fastest growing coronavirus outbreaks and aid groups in the country are asking mountain climbers to hand over their used oxygen cylinders so they can be refilled and used for Covid-19 patients. Expedition operators are preparing to airlift thousands of cylinders from the Himalayas as expeditions finish this month (NYT). Kul Bahadur Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, estimated that tour companies would be able to provide at least 4,000 cylinders by the first week of June. “We are asking them not to leave even a single oxygen cylinder in the mountains,” Mr. Gurung said. Nepal’s case numbers keep climbing; on Tuesday the official death toll was 225, up from 26 deaths on May 1.
Moderna Signs Deal with Australia
In a statement released on Wednesday, Moderna announced that it could supply 10 million doses to Australia by the end of the year and a further 15 million arriving in 2022 (Guardian). The vaccine has not yet won regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration but Moderna says it will submit for approval shortly. On Thursday, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said “it’s true” that Australia has bought 25 million Moderna vaccines. “That will support the [rollout in the] back end of the year,” Morrison told the Perth radio station 6PR. “We [have already bought an additional] 20m Pfizer vaccines, we’re trying to bring as many of those as we can into the third quarter.” The remaining 15m Moderna doses were boosters that would tackle variants, he said.
U.S. Government & Politics
Senate Democrats Express Skepticism Over Renewing $300 Unemployment Benefit
Senate Democrats are expressing skepticism about the wisdom of extending the extra $300 unemployment benefit provided as part of the pandemic stimulus package (Politico). On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, there is “overwhelming support” for an extension. However, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has already said he will not support an extension beyond September 6, saying, “I'll never vote for another extension as long as I know that with the vaccines, there's not an excuse for no one to be vaccinated.” He added, “I understand there's millions of jobs in America that we can't fill right now. So we need people back to work. There's more and more people understanding they're in trouble.” In addition to Manchin, Politico writes, “In interviews Tuesday, several Senate Democrats said they were taking a wait-and-see strategy on the issue, adding they’d need to assess the economic situation this summer and noting potential regional differences.” Montana Senator Jon Tester, said that he doesn’t consider Montana’s Republican Governor’s decision to end the extra benefit for the state in June to be “unreasonable” though he said the issue may be different in other states. Similarly, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) said that in New Hampshire, “the unemployment rate is pretty low at this point,” adding, “if that continues it probably should not be extended.” Republicans are not expected to support an extension. As we covered in briefs earlier this week, this skepticism about renewal comes amid data showing slowing job growth but a record number of job listings, a factor that weighs in some Senators’ thoughts on the issue. The divergence could be due to many factors, one of which could be that current wages in some industries are not competitive with the extended unemployment benefit. Other factors could include a lack of caregiving support for parents with children at home, skill deficits, and interest on the part of workers in shifting job types. Bonus Read: “What Does a Labor Shortage Mean for Unemployment Benefits?” (WSJ).
Executives of Emergent, Company Which Botched Vaccine Manufacturing to Testify Before Congress
Two executives for Emergent, a Maryland Biotech company whose Baltimore factory botched the manufacturing of millions of vaccine doses will testify before Congress next week (NYT). The New York Times writes, “Fuad El-Hibri, the company’s founder and executive chairman, and Robert Kramer, its chief executive officer, will appear on May 19 before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus, committee officials said on Wednesday morning. The panel has opened a sprawling inquiry into Emergent’s manufacturing failures, and whether the company used its contacts with the Trump administration to land hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus vaccine contracts.” Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC), who chairs the subcommittee stated, “Emergent’s actions wasted American taxpayer dollars and reduced the number of doses available for global vaccination efforts.”
Biden Administration Promises Global Vaccination Plan Soon
Biden administration officials told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the administration will provide a plan for international distribution of vaccines “very soon” (WaPo). Gayle Smith, who runs the State Department’s coordinated Covid response, said regarding the lack of further detail, “I’m not trying to be clever. I am trying to honor a system of deliberation.” The promise comes as some Senators point to the efforts of other countries like China and Russia to suggest the U.S. is not doing as much as it should in distributing vaccines globally.
U.S. Economy
Consumer Prices Increased in April
The Consumer Price Index, which tracks the cost of consumer goods and services surged in April (WSJ, NYT). The Wall Street Journal writes, “Consumer prices surged in April by the most in any 12-month period since 2008 as the recovery picked up, reflecting both rising demand as the Covid-19 pandemic eases and supply bottlenecks. The Labor Department reported its consumer-price index jumped 4.2% in April from a year earlier, up from 2.6% for the year ended in March. Consumer prices increased a seasonally adjusted 0.8% in April from March.” Increases were particularly high for used autos, which saw a record 10% increase from March to April, accounting for a third of the overall increase in the index. The information comes as concerns about inflation are circulating, resulting in a dip in the stock market.
U.S. Society
Cheap Houses See Increased Prices and Interest Amid Housing Market Boom
The pandemic housing market boom is raising interest in cheap houses, often in neighborhoods that have lacked investment (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal reports, “U.S. ZIP Codes where the median home cost less than $100,000 in early 2018 have had a 42% rise in prices in the three years since then, according to a CoreLogic Inc. analysis for The Wall Street Journal. That is about double the rise for ZIP Codes where the median was between $150,000 and $200,000, and triple the rise in locales with $300,000-plus price tags.” The Journal notes that the increases are expanding investment in cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Youngstown, Ohio. The interest may be driven by a mix of the wealthy buying vacation homes, people moving to the suburbs as a result of the pandemic, and people buying their first homes. The increased prices and interest in cheaper homes is also sparking concerns. The Journal writes, “While prices in many low-cost areas remain far below national averages, some worry that the price appreciation either won’t last or won’t reach the residents who stand to benefit most. The rising prices could also lock some families out of homeownership, especially young people and first-time buyers.”
Bonus Read: “In Reversal, Retirements Increased During the Pandemic,” (NYT).
Analysis & Arguments
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