Employers in the UK are following the lead of their counterparts in the US by stepping up demands for staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, analysis of recruitment adverts reveals.
According to figures from the jobs website Adzuna, the number of ads explicitly requiring candidates to be vaccinated rose by 189% between August and October as more firms ask for workers to be jabbed before they start on the job.
Out of a total 1.2m job vacancies in the UK on its platform, the number of adverts requiring vaccination increased from 805 in August to 2,161 in September and 2,324 in October.
Employers specifying the need for vaccination include the outsourcing firm G4S, which has multiple vacancies where jabs are required they include school cleaner in London, administrator in Essex, and healthcare assistant in Bridgend. G4S said it was not its own policy to require vaccination, but that of the employers it was contracted to.
The sectors with the highest proportion of job adverts mandating vaccination are in social care, at 2% of all positions, followed by healthcare and nursing at 0.9%, charity jobs at 0.6%. Part-time roles, domestic help and cleaning jobs also featured.
Sajid Javid, the health secretary, announced this month that health service workers in England would need to be vaccinated by next April or risk being sacked. The rule built on a July announcement that all care home workers in England must be vaccinated by 11 November. Mandatory vaccination rules do not apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Unions have argued that no jab, no job policies risk the collapse of care companies, with the government expecting the loss of up to 70,000 care home staff. Civil liberty campaigners have also warned against mandatory vaccination rules, instead urging ministers to focus on educating people about vaccines and helping people to make informed consent.
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said the figures could illustrate the start of a wider trend in Britain. A taboo appears to be breaking where large corporations are putting a stake in the ground and saying, Right, you have to be vaccinated by certain date, he said.
He said the UK appeared to be following the lead of firms in the US and Canada, a trend that was not yet evident in European countries such as France, the Netherlands and Germany.
Earlier this year you could count the number of job adverts asking for vaccinations on one hand, but it seems to be growing exceptionally as the year goes on.
The development comes as growing numbers of US companies request that their staff are double-jabbed amid a push by the president, Joe Biden, to increase vaccination rates.
The White House announced this month that businesses with 100 or more workers would need to be vaccinated by 4 January or face mask requirements and weekly tests, although the rule has faced legal challenges and opposition in some states.
Some large US companies, including Facebook, Goldman Sachs and Google, have announced that they would require workers returning to their US offices to be vaccinated against Covid.
The investment bank Citigroup told its US staff last month either to get the Covid vaccine or get fired.
Adzuna said the proportion of US job adverts requiring a vaccine had risen to 0.9% by October, with about 69,000 positions on its website out of a total 7.9m vacancies, led by sectors such as healthcare and nursing, hospitality and catering, and social work.
In the US, the jobs website which is tracked by the Office for National Statistics for early warning signs from the employment market is also seeing employers offering vaccine bonuses as incentives. These are not currently trends in the British figures.
A spokesperson for the UK government said: While we welcome employers who support their staff to get vaccinated, those who propose to check the vaccination status of new or existing members of staff will need to consider how this fits with their legal obligations under employment, equalities and data protection law.
CLEVELAND With Thanksgiving a couple of days away, COVID-19 safety is on the minds of many as we prepare to get together with family and friends for the holiday.
Dr. David Margolius, division director of internal medicine at MetroHealth, said the number one thing you can do to stay safe is to get vaccinated if you havent already.
If you're over the age of 18, you now can get a third dose, if it's been greater than six months since your second dose, Margolius said. So if you want to be protected from severe COVID, getting the vaccine is the best thing.
If youre getting together with people, Margolius emphasized the importance of ventilation.
If it's a warm enough day on Thanksgiving, doing as much as you can outside. If you're inside, opening windows, keeping the fans on, if you can. If you're in close quarters and you're not eating, you can wear a mask. I don't suspect many people will if they're there with family, so ventilation will be a big part of that, Margolius said.
It all has to do with risk tolerance, according to Margolius.
If everybody at a family gathering is vaccinated, if everybody over 65 is booster-ed, then there is almost a zero chance that someone will get severely ill from that immediate gathering. But they might get cold symptoms, or, you know, they might lose their sense of smell or taste for a few weeks after getting COVID. And those things are possible with the Delta variant, even with the vaccine, Margolius said. What we're trying to do now is prevent people from being in the hospital, and that's why the vaccines are so important. If you're okay with the risk of getting cold-like symptoms, then absolutely spend time with your family over Thanksgiving.
For those who are risk-averse, such as those who are immunocompromised, the elderly, or children who arent fully vaccinated, Margolius recommended wearing a mask when youre with loved ones.
And for those who are unvaccinated and plan to take a test before a holiday gathering, Margolius recommended an at-home, rapid antigen test.
Those will show up positive if you're contagious. They'll show up negative if you're not contagious, Margolius said. And so they're really helpful, that's exactly what they're designed to do. So if you take one on Tuesday and you take one on Wednesday, if they're both negative, you can feel pretty confident that you're not going to bring COVID to your Thanksgiving dinner.
He contrasted that with PCR tests, where its possible you could be asymptomatic and get a positive result because you had COVID a couple months prior and have since recovered.
However, Margolius noted that up to one-half of people with COVID have no symptoms, so you cannot assume you dont have the virus just because you dont have symptoms.
I think the last year was really tough, and so even though the prevalence is nearly just as high this year, we're all going to spend time together, you know, and that's normal and we need that in our lives, and so, be as safe as you can. The risk is not going to be zero, but that's okay. And it should be a good holiday, Margolius said.
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View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
The global tally for the coronavirus-borne illness climbed above 258.3 million on Tuesday, while the death toll edged above 5.16 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. continues to lead the world with a total of 47.9 million cases and 772,344 deaths. The U.S. is still averaging more than 1,000 deaths a day, according to a New York Times tracker, and cases and hospitalizations are rising again, just as Americans prepare to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday. Michigan and Minnesota are leading the nation by new cases on a per capita basis and federal medical workers are traveling to Minnesota to support hospital staffing. German Health Minister Jens Spahn offered an ominous warning to unvaccinated Germans that by the end of winter, "pretty much everyone in Germany ... will be vaccinated, cured or dead." India is second by cases after the U.S. at 34.5 million and has suffered 466,147 deaths. Brazil has second highest death toll at 612,782 and 22 million cases. In Europe, Russia has the most fatalities at 261,526 deaths, followed by the U.K. at 144,414.
A man walks in front of a fire in a street of The Hague during a demonstration against the Dutch government's coronavirus measures on November 20, 2021. DANNY KEMP/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A man walks in front of a fire in a street of The Hague during a demonstration against the Dutch government's coronavirus measures on November 20, 2021.
A resurgence of COVID-19 restrictions in a number of countries has resulted in protests, with some demonstrations turning violent and leading to dozens of arrests.
On Saturday night, the Netherlands saw protests at The Hague, with demonstrators lighting fires throughout the area, defacing property and pelting officers with rocks and fireworks, according to police. The disruption went on until around 1 a.m., and police took 19 people into custody before the night was over.
That demonstration also ended with five officers injured, according to the Associated Press. One officer suffered a knee injury as well as a concussion, and others sustained hearing damage, police said on Twitter.
Other COVID-related protests also took place across the Netherlands on Saturday, including in the cities of Amsterdam, Breda, and Katwijk. In Alkmaar and Almelo, fans broke into two soccer games, defying recent lockdown orders, the AP reported.
The night before, protests broke out in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with hundreds attending. Protestors are alleged to have thrown rocks at officers patrolling the scene in addition to setting off fireworks, according to local authorities. As events spiraled into disarray, authorities issued an emergency order and tried to clear the area with the use of a water cannon, officials said. Some in attendance are also alleged to have set fire to police cars and damaged property.
The protests have come in response to a three-week partial lockdown announced last weekend following a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, said that police "felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves," according to an Associated Press report. Three protestors were shot and are currently being treated at a hospital, police said in a statement. Authorities also claimed that they fired warning shots initially and that officers were also injured; one had to be hospitalized for a leg injury and another needed to be treated by a paramedic.
Police arrested 51 people on Friday on charges that include public assault, incitement, and violation of the emergency order, and around half of those taken into custody were minors, authorities said.
Friday's activities prompted criticism from Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus.
"The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam are disgusting to see," he said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. He added, "Protesting is a great right in our society, but what we saw last night is simply criminal behavior. It has nothing to do with demonstrating."
Thousands of protesters opposing the Pandemic Legislation being tabled in the Victorian Parliament are seen with placards and flags in Flagstaff Gardens on November 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images hide caption
Thousands of protesters opposing the Pandemic Legislation being tabled in the Victorian Parliament are seen with placards and flags in Flagstaff Gardens on November 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia.
Protests in the Netherlands are reminiscent of what's occurring in numerous other countries across Europe in recent days. In Austria, citizens have been protesting the government's recent decision to impose a nation-wide lockdown beginning on Monday, as well as plans to make vaccinations compulsory in February.
Thousands joined a demonstration in Vienna on Saturday, with around 35,000 people gathering in the city's Heroes' Square, The Guardian reports.
Days earlier, hundreds of protestors had gathered outside the Austrian embassy in France, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, on the island of Guadeloupe, a French territory, rioters have set fires in the streets, shot at police, destroyed property, and looted places of business, prompting French officials to deploy around 50 members of their special forces to help restore order on the island, according to an Al Jazeera report.
In Belgium, police estimated that around 35,000 people gathered for a protest on Sunday near a train station in Brussels. Events turned hectic, however, with protestors throwing objects at officers and police resorting to using water cannons and tear gas on the crowd, Politico reports. Italy and Croatia have also been the site of demonstrations regarding COVID restrictions, and in Melbourne, Australia, heated protests against vaccine mandates are entering their second day.
Amid the backlash, some health officials are worried that many countries should brace themselves for even more COVID-related deaths. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, said earlier this month that Europe and central Asia are again "at the epicenter" of the COVID-19 pandemic. He warned that failure to act could result in half a million deaths by early next year.
"We are at another critical point of pandemic resurgence. Europe is back at the epicentre of the pandemic, where we were 1 year ago," Kluge warned. "The difference today is that we know more and we can do more. We have more tools and means to mitigate and reduce the damage to our communities and society."
COLUMBUS (WCMH) The Ohio Department of Healthhasreleasedthe latest number of COVID-19 casesin the state.
As of Monday, Nov. 22, ODH reports a total of 1,647,237 (+4,370) cases, leading to 84,319 (+187) hospitalizations and 10,577 (+24) admissions into the ICU. A total of 6,692,093 people or 57.25% of the states population have at least started the vaccination process, according to ODH data, an increase of 5,117 from the previous day.
From Monday-Sunday last week, ODH reported 38,379 cases, the third consecutive week-to-week increase after cases declined for six straight weeks coming off a peak in the Delta variant wave of 48,580 weekly cases.
ODH reported 250 deaths Friday, bringing the total to 26,063. The state is updating the number only after death certificates have been processed, usually twice a week.
The 21-day case average now sits at 4,645, up from 3,935 a week ago. Sunday was the 15th-straight day that average has increased, the longest streak since September.
November 17, 2021, marks two years since the first human case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was detected, essentially kicking off the pandemic that has spread worldwide and claimed millions of lives, according to local media reports.
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The origin of the pandemic is still hotly contested around the world by researchers and politicians. Indeed, the November 17 diagnosis has yet to be independently confirmed. However, a November-October origin seems likely, according to academic articles studying the SARS-CoV-2's sequenced cases.
Exactly how the virus spread and where it originated remains unclear, though it is widely accepted that it is a zoonotic disease originally found in bats, as are many coronaviruses.
A common belief of how the virus began spreading into humans was that it was the result of the Wuhan wet market, which sells live, exotic animals. Others have accused the Wuhan Institute of Virology of having been involved, though any concrete evidence supporting this claim has yet to be conclusively found.
What is clear is that by late December 2019, COVID-19 began spreading rapidly throughout China. Soon, it spread worldwide and was declared a global pandemic.
Two years later, the pandemic continues to circulate throughout the world, and has even mutated into several variants. A number of treatments and vaccines have been proposed, with some, like the Pfizer vaccine, seeing widespread use worldwide.
Over 254 million people have reportedly been infected with COVID-19, and the disease has also claimed over five million lives.
For Immediate Release: November 19, 2021
Espaol
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorizing use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet later today to discuss further clinical recommendations.
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked to make timely public health decisions as the pandemic evolves. COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be the best and highly effective defense against COVID-19. Authorizing the use of a single booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older helps to provide continued protection against COVID-19, including the serious consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death, said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.
Prior to todays authorizations, a single booster dose of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines was authorized for administration to individuals 65 years of age and older, individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19 and individuals 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Todays action expands the use of booster doses of both vaccines to include all individuals 18 years of age and older at least six months after completion of the primary vaccination series of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or at least two months after completion of primary vaccination with the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.
The FDA has determined that the currently available data support expanding the eligibility of a single booster dose of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 18 years of age and older, said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Streamlining the eligibility criteria and making booster doses available to all individuals 18 years of age and older will also help to eliminate confusion about who may receive a booster dose and ensure booster doses are available to all who may need one.
Data Supporting Effectiveness
The EUA for a single booster dose for individuals 18 years of age and older for the Moderna (administered as half of the dose of a primary series dose) and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines is based on the FDAs analysis of immune response data that supported use in the previously authorized populations for boosters.
For the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine booster dose, the FDA analyzed the immune response data from 149 participants 18 years of age and older from the original clinical studies who received a booster dose at least six months after their second dose and compared it to the immune responses of 1,055 study participants after completing their two-dose series. The antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus 29 days after a booster dose of the vaccine demonstrated a booster response.
For the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster dose, the FDA analyzed the immune response data from approximately 200 participants 18 through 55 years of age who received a single booster dose about six months after their second dose. The antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus one month after a booster dose of the vaccine when compared to the response one month after the two-dose primary series in the same individuals demonstrated a booster response.
FDA Evaluation of Benefits and Risks
Since Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech initially submitted safety and effectiveness data on a single booster dose following primary vaccination to the FDA, additional real-world data have become available on the recently increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and on the risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) following vaccination with these vaccines. These additional data enabled the FDA to reassess the benefits and risks of the use of these vaccines in the general adult population. The FDA has determined that the benefits of a single booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis in individuals age 18 years of age and older when used following completion of primary vaccination to provide continued protection against COVID-19 and the associated serious consequences that can occur including hospitalization and death.
Both Pfizer and Moderna are conducting post-authorization/post-marketing studies to assess known serious risks of myocarditis and pericarditis. In addition, the FDA and the CDC have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety concerns.
The fact sheets for both vaccines for recipients and caregivers and for healthcare providers contain information about the potential side effects, including the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis. The most commonly reported side effects by individuals who received a booster dose of the vaccines were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain and chills. Of note, swollen lymph nodes in the underarm were observed more frequently following the booster dose than after the primary two-dose series.
The FDA did not hold a meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on these actions as the agency previously convened the committee for extensive discussions regarding the use of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines and, after review of both Pfizers and Modernas EUA requests, the FDA concluded that the requests do not raise questions that would benefit from additional discussion by committee members.
The amendments to the EUAs were granted to ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.
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Boilerplate
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nations food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
11/19/2021
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's 6-year-old son received his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.Wu and her son, Blaise, made a visit to the family vaccination clinic at Prince Hall Grand Lodge. The clinic is being run by the Boston Public Health Commission and the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center.Blaise got his shot 18 days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the use of Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Nov. 2."The vaccine is the most important tool we have to keep schools open and keep everyone safe in our communities," Wu said in a statement. "Now that children ages five and older are eligible for the vaccine, even more families have the chance to do our part to end this pandemic. As we head into the winter months and the holiday season, lets all move quickly to get our kids vaccinated and get our boosters so everyone can enjoy the holidays. According to city officials, 14% of children ages 5 to 11 in Boston have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since Nov. 2, and nearly 67% of all Boston residents are fully vaccinated.Officials say, however, that Boston continues to see disparities by neighborhood and race, and that they are supporting community-based organizations across the city's neighborhoods to close those gaps.We have noted a recent increase in COVID-19 cases community-wide. Though very rare, COVID-19 in children can result in severe complications, including hospitalization and death. Research has shown that vaccination in kids is more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection, Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the BPHC, said in a statement. As a doctor and a mother of a 5-year-old who has received her first dose of vaccine, I strongly encourage parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated. The Boston Public Health Commission is supporting seven family COVID-19 vaccination clinics across the city, including the site at Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Dorchester. The other sites, which offer both pediatric vaccines and adult boosters, include the following:Immigrant Family Services Institute in MattapanGallivan Community Center in MattapanMorningstar Baptist Church in MattapanGreater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center in RoslindaleHyde Park YMCA in Hyde ParkCodman Square Health Center in DorchesterThe BPHC is also working with Boston Public Schools and health care providers to ensure that the vaccine is accessible to all of Boston's children, including at school-based vaccination clinics. Click here for dates and times of school vaccine clinics.Every Boston resident aged 18 and older who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago, is now eligible to receive any booster after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the move on Friday.Visit Boston.gov to view a list of COVID-19 vaccination sites in the city. Residents can also call the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 to learn more.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's 6-year-old son received his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.
Wu and her son, Blaise, made a visit to the family vaccination clinic at Prince Hall Grand Lodge. The clinic is being run by the Boston Public Health Commission and the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center.
Blaise got his shot 18 days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the use of Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Nov. 2.
"The vaccine is the most important tool we have to keep schools open and keep everyone safe in our communities," Wu said in a statement. "Now that children ages five and older are eligible for the vaccine, even more families have the chance to do our part to end this pandemic. As we head into the winter months and the holiday season, lets all move quickly to get our kids vaccinated and get our boosters so everyone can enjoy the holidays.
According to city officials, 14% of children ages 5 to 11 in Boston have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since Nov. 2, and nearly 67% of all Boston residents are fully vaccinated.
Officials say, however, that Boston continues to see disparities by neighborhood and race, and that they are supporting community-based organizations across the city's neighborhoods to close those gaps.
We have noted a recent increase in COVID-19 cases community-wide. Though very rare, COVID-19 in children can result in severe complications, including hospitalization and death. Research has shown that vaccination in kids is more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection, Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the BPHC, said in a statement. As a doctor and a mother of a 5-year-old who has received her first dose of vaccine, I strongly encourage parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated.
The Boston Public Health Commission is supporting seven family COVID-19 vaccination clinics across the city, including the site at Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Dorchester. The other sites, which offer both pediatric vaccines and adult boosters, include the following:
The BPHC is also working with Boston Public Schools and health care providers to ensure that the vaccine is accessible to all of Boston's children, including at school-based vaccination clinics. Click here for dates and times of school vaccine clinics.
Every Boston resident aged 18 and older who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago, is now eligible to receive any booster after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the move on Friday.
Visit Boston.gov to view a list of COVID-19 vaccination sites in the city. Residents can also call the Mayor's Health Line at 617-534-5050 to learn more.
(THE CONVERSATION) A quietmonthslong legal fightbetween the U.S. National Institutes of Health and drugmaker Moderna over COVID-19 vaccine patents recently burst into public view. The outcome of the battle has important implications, not only for efforts to contain the pandemic but more broadly for drugs and vaccines that could be critical for future public health crises.
Moderna recentlyoffered to share ownershipof its main patent with the government to resolve the dispute. Whether or not this is enough to satisfy the governments claims, I believe the dispute points to serious problems in the ways U.S. companies bring drugs and vaccines to market.
US was a major funder of the Moderna vaccine
Vaccines haveplayed a crucial rolein the response to the pandemic.
In December 2020, Moderna became the second pharmaceutical company after Pfizer toobtain authorizationfrom the Food and Drug Administration to market a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. People have since grown so used to talking about the Moderna vaccine that a crucial element in the history of how it was developed risks being overshadowed: Moderna wasnot the sole developerof the vaccine.
Unlike many of the other pharmaceutical companies involved in theCOVID-19 vaccine race, Moderna is a newcomer to drug and vaccine commercialization. Founded in Massachusetts in 2010, the company hadnever brought a product to marketuntil the FDA authorized its COVID-19 vaccine last year.
Throughout the 2010s, Moderna focused on the development ofmRNA technology, attracting overUS$2 billion in fundingfrom pharmaceutical companies and other investors.It went publicin 2018.
Evenbefore the pandemic, research on both coronaviruses and vaccine candidates against emerging pathogens was a priority for agencies operating in the public health space. In 2015, theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an institute within the NIH,signed a cooperative R&D agreementwith Moderna on basic research, including the development of new vaccines. The agreement resulted in anundisclosed amount of fundingand assistance with research.
In addition, after the COVID-19 outbreak began Moderna alsoreceived almost $1 billioninfundingfrom theBiomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which operates within the Department of Health and Human Services. This funding was specifically targeted to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Researchers have calculated that, collectively, the U.S. governmenthas provided $2.5 billiontoward the development and commercialization of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine.
US, Moderna scientists working side by side
In addition to providing financial support, the federal government was instrumental in the development of Modernas vaccine for other reasons. Namely, federal scientists worked alongside Moderna scientists on different components of the vaccine.
These contributions includedworking on dosing mechanisms, and the NIH said federal scientists created thestabilized spike proteinsthat are a key component of the vaccine made by Moderna.
The importance of the role played by federal scientists in their work with Moderna would soon become apparent. A2019 agreementwith a third party explicitly acknowledged this, alluding to mRNA vaccine candidates developed and jointly owned by NIAID and Moderna. And by late 2020, the U.S. government was calling it the NIH-Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
While the U.S. government has spent money onCOVID-19 vaccinesmade by other companies, its close involvement in the R&D stages of Modernas sets it apart.
How it became a patent dispute
As development of the vaccine progressed, Moderna applied forseveral patents, each one covering different components of the vaccine. U.S. law allows inventors to apply for patents on products or methods that arenew, not obvious and useful. While some early modern vaccines like thepolio vaccinedeveloped by Jonas Salks team werenot coveredby patents, from the late 20th century onwardit became very commonfor one or multiple patents to cover a newly developed vaccine.
In applying for some patents related to its vaccine, Moderna named National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases scientists as co-inventors alongside Moderna scientists. This was the case, for example, in apatent applicationdated May 2020 for a relatively minor component of the vaccine.
However, in July 2021, Moderna made it clear that it would not name government scientists as co-inventors in apatent applicationcovering a much more significant component of the vaccine: the mRNA sequence used to produce the vaccine, known as mRNA-1273.
Modernas position was thatModerna scientists alonehad selected the sequence. Thecompany informedthe Patent and Trademark Office of its position in a 2020 statement.
In November 2021, government officials publicly challenged the companys decision after months offailed negotiationswith the company. Moderna thentook to social mediato defend its position, tweeting:
Just because someone is an inventor on one patent application relating to our COVID-19 vaccine does not mean they are an inventor on every patent application relating to the vaccine.
By contrast, the National Institutes of Healthargued that three NIAID scientists Kizzmekia Corbett, Barney Graham and John Mascola had meaningfully contributed to the invention, thoughtheyve declinedtopublicly specify how. If true, patent law says theyshould be named co-inventors.
But this dispute is not merely about scientific principles or technical aspects of the law. While patents are also regarded as proxies for measuring scientific reputation, their most immediate and powerful effect is to give patent holders asignificant amount of controlover the covered technology in this case, the main component of the vaccine made by Moderna.
From a practical perspective, excluding federal scientists from the application means that Moderna alone gets to decide how to use the vaccine, whether to license it and to whom. If, by contrast, the government co-owns the vaccine,federal patent law allowseach of the joint owners to engage in a variety of actions from making and selling the vaccine to licensing it without the consent of the other owners.
This is especially relevant in cases of product scarcity or potential pricing issues in connection with the commercialization of the vaccine. For instance, the U.S.would have the abilityto allow more manufacturers to produce vaccines using the mRNA-1273 technology. In addition, it could direct vaccine doses wherever it likes, including tolower-income countries that have received few vaccines so far.
Broader implications
The ongoing battle between the government and an emerging star in the pharmaceutical industry is yet another episode in a complicated relationship between actors with complementary yet distinct roles in the production of drugs and vaccines.
On the one hand, the federal governmenthas long played a critical rolein both performing and funding basic research. On the other, it does not have the resources and capacity to bring most types of new drugs and vaccines to market on its own.
The pharmaceutical industry thus plays an important and necessary role in drug innovation, which I believe should be rewarded although not boundlessly.
If the NIH is correct about co-ownership of the vaccine, then Moderna is unduly using a legal tool to achieve a position of market control a reward it does not deserve. This position of sole control becomes even more problematic in light of the significant amounts of public money that funded the development of this vaccine. This offset some of Modernas financial risk, even as thecompany projectsto make $15 billion to $18 billion in revenue from vaccine sales in 2021 alone, with much more expected in 2022.
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However, even if the NIH prevails in the patent dispute, it is important to understand the limitations of such a win. The U.S. would be in a position to license the vaccine, for example, and could do so by requiring that licensees agree to equitable distribution of vaccine doses.
But co-ownership would not enable the government to fix any of theother problemsthat currently affect the manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, such as scaling up production or building infrastructure to deliver vaccine doses.
In my view, the dispute is a reminder of themanyproblemsembedded in how vaccines are made and delivered in the U.S. And it shows that when taxpayers fund basic research of a drug, they deserve more of the control and rewards when that drug succeeds.
As has been true throughout Americas COVID-19 history, every stateand every county thereinhas its own COVID-19 story, driven by local policies and behaviors. The United States as of Nov. 19 had reached 768,836 COVID-19-related deaths and nearly 47.5 million COVID-19 cases,according to Johns Hopkins University.
As of Feb. 2,more Americans had been vaccinated for COVID-19 than had been infected,and though breakthrough infections are continuing to be studied by the CDC and other health organizations, vaccines have reduced the number of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.
Stackercompiled a list of the counties with highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in California using data from theU.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Counties are ranked by the highest vaccination rate as of Nov. 18, 2021.
Keep reading to see whether your county ranks among the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the state.
Population that is fully vaccinated: 59.2% (80,314 fully vaccinated) 5.1% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 84.6% (21,313 fully vaccinated) 0.1% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 86 (117 total deaths) 53.3% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,283 (9,873 total cases) 42.5% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 59.3% (920,304 fully vaccinated) 5.0% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 86.7% (194,922 fully vaccinated) 2.6% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 154 (2,394 total deaths) 16.3% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 10,702 (166,101 total cases) 15.5% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 60.3% (240,104 fully vaccinated) 3.4% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 86.8% (68,906 fully vaccinated) 2.7% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 115 (459 total deaths) 37.5% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 10,417 (41,494 total cases) 17.7% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 61.1% (52,995 fully vaccinated) 2.1% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 82.5% (16,519 fully vaccinated) 2.4% lower vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 108 (94 total deaths) 41.3% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 9,582 (8,312 total cases) 24.3% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 61.5% (266,733 fully vaccinated) 1.4% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 81.7% (49,638 fully vaccinated) 3.3% lower vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 140 (609 total deaths) 23.9% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 11,980 (51,999 total cases) 5.4% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 61.6% (135,723 fully vaccinated) 1.3% lower vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 92.1% (26,270 fully vaccinated) 9.0% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 117 (257 total deaths) 36.4% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 9,649 (21,276 total cases) 23.8% less cases per 100k residents than California
14. Santa Barbara County
Population that is fully vaccinated: 62.8% (280,355 fully vaccinated) 0.6% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 87.2% (61,148 fully vaccinated) 3.2% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 121 (539 total deaths) 34.2% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 10,445 (46,639 total cases) 17.5% less cases per 100k residents than California
13. Los Angeles County
Population that is fully vaccinated: 63.2% (6,344,786 fully vaccinated) 1.3% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 80.7% (1,140,463 fully vaccinated) 4.5% lower vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 268 (26,923 total deaths) 45.7% more deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 15,084 (1,514,282 total cases) 19.2% more cases per 100k residents than California
12. Orange County
Population that is fully vaccinated: 64.2% (2,038,620 fully vaccinated) 2.9% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 86.0% (417,743 fully vaccinated) 1.8% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 178 (5,653 total deaths) 3.3% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 10,433 (331,322 total cases) 17.6% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 64.3% (543,621 fully vaccinated) 3.0% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 88.2% (120,568 fully vaccinated) 4.4% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 140 (1,183 total deaths) 23.9% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 12,197 (103,187 total cases) 3.6% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 68.9% (94,843 fully vaccinated) 10.4% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 87.7% (23,825 fully vaccinated) 3.8% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 75 (103 total deaths) 59.2% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 9,632 (13,268 total cases) 23.9% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 69.6% (343,851 fully vaccinated) 11.5% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 87.1% (89,171 fully vaccinated) 3.1% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 83 (412 total deaths) 54.9% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 8,617 (42,596 total cases) 31.9% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 70.5% (192,562 fully vaccinated) 13.0% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 93.0% (43,921 fully vaccinated) 10.1% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 82 (223 total deaths) 55.4% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,971 (21,777 total cases) 37.0% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 71.2% (128,939 fully vaccinated) 14.1% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 86.5% (20,875 fully vaccinated) 2.4% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 423 (766 total deaths) 129.9% more deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 20,741 (37,585 total cases) 63.9% more cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 72.1% (1,204,312 fully vaccinated) 15.5% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 90.4% (215,850 fully vaccinated) 7.0% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 89 (1,486 total deaths) 51.6% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,408 (123,814 total cases) 41.5% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 72.6% (837,826 fully vaccinated) 16.3% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 92.9% (174,349 fully vaccinated) 9.9% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 90 (1,038 total deaths) 51.1% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 8,897 (102,625 total cases) 29.7% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 74.0% (567,516 fully vaccinated) 18.6% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 89.7% (113,858 fully vaccinated) 6.2% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 82 (626 total deaths) 55.4% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,263 (55,676 total cases) 42.6% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 75.7% (666,937 fully vaccinated) 21.3% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 86.4% (122,430 fully vaccinated) 2.2% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 76 (667 total deaths) 58.7% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 6,372 (56,176 total cases) 49.7% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 76.5% (1,474,563 fully vaccinated) 22.6% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 92.3% (247,667 fully vaccinated) 9.2% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 99 (1,916 total deaths) 46.2% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,775 (149,882 total cases) 38.6% less cases per 100k residents than California
Population that is fully vaccinated: 79.0% (204,441 fully vaccinated) 26.6% higher vaccination rate than California
Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 90.7% (53,907 fully vaccinated) 7.3% higher vaccination rate than California
Cumulative deaths per 100k: 96 (248 total deaths) 47.8% less deaths per 100k residents than California
Cumulative cases per 100k: 7,036 (18,210 total cases) 44.4% less cases per 100k residents than California
