2021
January
5 January 2021
o A virtual meeting was held (SAGE) to formulate and propose policies/recommendations for the use of vaccines in populations (Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine) [278]
o SAGE recommended that healthcare workers be prioritised for the vaccine, followed by older people [279]
7 January 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General stated that 42 countries had already starting vaccinating populations (36 high-income and 6 middle-income countries
Mainly high-risk populations [279]
o In addition to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the WHO issued EUL for two auto destruct syringes [279]
8 January 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO-Director General stated that 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been secured and were ready to be delivered/distributed - they also had the right of first refusal of an additional 1 billion vaccine doses (weekly situation report #22) [274, 280]
o The WHO published interim guidance on SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing (weekly situation report #22) [274]
9 January 2021
o WHO was notified of the B.1.1.28 variant (P.1 - Gamma variant) detected in travellers arriving to Japan from Brazil (there was also a similar variant with the E484K mutation in Brazil - P.2, Zeta variant) (weekly situation report #22) [274]
11 January 2021
o The Gamma variant was designated as a VOC [268]
12 January 2021
o A virtual meeting was held to identify knowledge gaps and strategies to combat the emerging variants - six thematic areas (mathematical modelling, evolutionary biology, animal models, assays and diagnostics, clinical management and therapeutics and vaccines) (weekly situation report #23) [281, 282]
o The 5th open meeting of the Review Committee was held - functioning of the International Health Regulations during the pandemic (weekly situation report #23) [281, 283]
14 January 2021
o The Emergency Committee met for the sixth time to provide updates about the COVID-19 pandemic (videoconference) (weekly situation report #23) [281]
The pandemic was found to still constitute a PHEIC [284, 285]
o In a speech, the WHO-Director General stated that over 90 million cases and 2 million deaths had been reported [286]
The international mission was discussed - experts planned to study the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and 13 members arrived in Wuhan (two were in Singapore, as they tested positive for antibodies but negative for PCR) (weekly situation report #23) [281]
Two prominent issues - emerging variants and the potential use of vaccination/testing certificates for international travel
15 January 2021
o The WHO hosted the Global R&D Forum - over 2,800 scientists from 130 countries discussed knowledge gaps and research priorities for vaccines + impact of emerging variants (weekly situation report #23) [281, 287]
18-26 January 2021
o The 148th session of the Executive Board was held [288]
The WHO-Director General stated that more than 39 million vaccine doses had been administered in at least 49 high-income countries –in comparison to just 25 doses in one low-income country (weekly situation report #24 and #25) [289, 290]
19 January 2021
o The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) subcommittee had a virtual meeting to review information on deaths reported in frail and elderly individuals who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (weekly situation report #24) [289]
Concluded that the benefits outweighed the risks and there were no revisions made to the recommendations – the results did not confirm a contributory role for the vaccine in the fatal events [291]
20 January 2021
o President Joe Biden was inaugurated - Dr. Rochelle Walensky became the director of the CDC [292]
21 January 2021
o The 2nd Extraordinary Meeting of SAGE on COVID-19 vaccines was held (weekly situation report #24) [289]
o The WHO-Director General acknowledged President Biden and Vice President Harris for maintaining the membership of the U.S. in the WHO - joined the ACT Accelerator and COVAX [293]
22 January 2021
o COVAX announced that they would receive up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (advanced purchase agreement) + 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from the Serum Institute of India agreement + at least 50 million further doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from the AstraZeneca agreement (weekly situation report #24) [289, 294]
25 January 2021
o Interim recommendations were issued for the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine - developed based on the advice provided at the SAGE meeting (weekly situation report #25) [290, 295]
27 January 2021
o Sanofi announced that it would make its manufacturing facilities available to produce the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (for the European region) [296, 297]
29 January 2021
o The latest edition of the Essential Diagnostics List was published by the WHO - published yearly and was updated to include WHO-recommended COVID-19 tests (weekly situation report #25) [290, 298]
February
1 February 2021
o The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) teamed up with the WHO to promote fair access to COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics, and encourage people to keep practicing public health measures (weekly situation report #26) [299]
o FIFA Club World Cup - held in Qatar from 4 to 11 February (important in promoting the ACT Accelerator) (weekly situation report #26) [299, 300]
o WHO SCORE Global Report - was the first global assessment of country health information systems
In terms of COVID-19 mortality impact, data revealed that 4 in 10 of the world’s deaths were unregistered – only 1 in 10 deaths were recorded in the African region (weekly situation report #26) [299, 301]
2 February 2021
o The WHO Virus Evolution Working Group had a meeting with GISAID, Nextstrain, and Pango to discuss the naming system of variants and how to establish variants of concern (nomenclature) (weekly situation report #26)[299]
3 February 2021
o The first interim distribution forecast of the COVAX initiative was published [302]
Collaboration with CEPI, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the WHO
Provided details about the early projected availability/delivery of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses in the first quarter of 2021 and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in the first half of 2021
4 February 2021
o In a briefing, the WHO Director-General reported that there was a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases reported globally - governments were encouraged to not rush the re-opening process and to continue implementing public health measures (weekly situation report #26) [299, 303]
5 February 2021
o In a briefing, the WHO-Director General acknowledged the death of Captain Sir Tom Moore - raised more than 30 million pounds (completed 100 laps of his garden) (weekly situation report #26) [299]
The WHO Director-General advised countries to share vaccines once health workers and older people had been vaccinated
o The WHO published an interim position paper on the proof of COVID-19 vaccination status for international travellers –proof of vaccination requirements for international travel should not be required (more evidence is needed for the efficacy of vaccination in reducing transmission + limited availability of vaccines) [304]
8 February 2021
o The WHO published a guide for countries to follow to prepare communities for vaccines, treatments, or new tests - “10 Steps to Community Readiness” (weekly situation report #27) [305]
o COVAX released a statement on vaccine effectiveness and the SARS-CoV-2 variants [306]
Preliminary data showed that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine was minimally effective in preventing mild to moderate disease (B.1.351 variant) but provided protection against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death (viral settings without the variant) - the effectiveness against severe disease caused by the B.1.351 variant requires further investigation
9 February 2021
o The WHO published the Global COVID-19 Clinical Platform Case Report Form for Post COVID condition
Created to gather clinical information of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (including pregnant women), multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents, and the medium- and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 (weekly situation report #27) [305]
o A media briefing was held in regards to the COVID-19 mission in Wuhan, China (field visit) [299]
o The FDA issued an EUA for a monoclonal antibody combination (bamlanivimab and etesevimab) - for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and paediatric patients who have tested positive or are at high risk of developing severe disease (aged 12 years or older + weighing at least 40 kg) [307]
10 February 2021
o The WHO and UNICEF Executive Director released a joint statement on scaling up vaccine production and the need to achieve vaccine equity (weekly situation report #27) [305, 308]
11 February 2021
o The WHO hosted a consultation on approaches to evaluate the effect of variants on vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and impact [309]
12 February 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General mentioned that the independent team of experts completed its trip to China [310]
Studied the origins of the virus (they were working on a summary report)
The WHO acknowledged the need to investigate long COVID
15 February 2021
o The WHO issued EULs to two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine (produced by AstraZeneca-SK Bioscience and the Serum Institute of India) (weekly situation report #28) [311, 312]
16 February 2021
o The WHO published a document on the importance of sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive materials (genomic sequencing) (weekly situation report #28) [311]
17 February 2021
o The WHO published interim guidance on managing blood donations during the pandemic (ie. shortage of blood supplies) [311, 313]
It was recommended that those who have COVID-19 or have been in contact with an infected person should be temporarily deferred from donating blood
Convalescent plasma can be investigated further (weekly situation report #28)
19 February 2021
o The G7 leaders meeting was held virtually [314]
New investments were made to the ACT Accelerator
A total of U.S. $10.3 billion had been committed (the funding gap was U.S. $22.9 billion)
20 February 2021
o The CoviVac vaccine was approved for use in Russia (Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune and Biological Products) [165, 315]
22-24 February 2021
o The 12th International Meeting of World Pharmacopoeias (organised by the WHO) was held [316]
The collaboration strengthens the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Support is provided to manufacturers, regulators, and stakeholders - resulted in a dashboard listing all COVID-19 investigated medicines
24 February 2021
o Ghana was the first country outside India to receive vaccines from the COVAX Facility (weekly situation report #29) [317]
o WHO published the updated COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (weekly situation report #29) [317]
25 February 2021
o The WHO published a special edition on the proposed working definitions of variants of interest and variants of concern [318]
o The COVID-19 Oxygen Emergency Taskforce was launched - in combination with therapeutics, having access to sustainable oxygen supplies is crucial for the treatment of COVID-19 (there is a demand for oxygen) (weekly situation report #29) [317, 319]
o The GACVS COVID-19 Subcommittee held a virtual meeting to review data from reports on influenza-like illness in vaccinated health workers (results discussed on the 8th of March) [320]
27 February 2021
o The FDA issued an EUA for the third COVID-19 vaccine - Janssen Biotech Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine (individuals aged 18 and older) [321]
March
1 March 2021
o As part of the COVAX initiative, the first COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire (weekly situation report #30) [322, 323]
o The WHO published a roadmap to improve ventilation indoors (to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19) (weekly situation report #30) [322]
o The Zifivax vaccine (ZF2001) was approved for use in Uzbekistan (Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) [165, 324]
2 March 2021
o The co-leads of the COVAX initiative published information about the first round of vaccine allocations (provision of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine doses manufactured by AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD – manufactured by Serum Institute of India) (weekly situation report #30) [322, 325]
o The WHO released an updated publication on the use of drugs to prevent COVID-19 - there is a separate document on the use of drugs to treat COVID-19 (weekly situation report #30) [322]
4 March 2021
o The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard began including vaccination data
o At the Member States Information Session, the WHO Director-General mentioned that the number of reported cases increased for the first time in seven weeks (may have been due to the relaxing of public health measures, the variants, and people being complacent) (weekly situation report #30) [322, 326]
5 March 2021
o A background document on the ChAdOx1-S recombinant vaccine (AZD1222) developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford University was published - provided evidence for the WHO interim recommendations (weekly situation report #30) [322]
o The FDA issued an EUA for the first molecular nucleic acid amplification test that could be used at home without a prescription (detects nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2) - nasal swab [327]
o The FDA issued an EUA for a next generation sequencing based test (T-Detect COVID Test) - analyses DNA from T cells to identify individuals that have an adaptive T cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (recent or prior infection) [328]
o The FDA warned against the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 [329]
o The Epsilon (CAL.20C/L452R, B.1.427 and B.1.429) variant was designated as a VOI [268]
8 March 2021
o As part of the WHO R&D Blueprint, a technical document was published on the use of trained dogs for detecting/screening COVID-19 cases [330]
o The GACVS COVID-19 Subcommittee released their report on influenza-like illness in vaccinated healthcare workers [331]
They concluded that these symptoms may be part of the immune response to vaccinations in general; the reports are consistent with the expected side-effects - the benefit vs risk balance remains favourable (weekly situation report #31) [320, 331]
12 March 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General noted the following: (weekly situation report #31) [331, 332]
Some countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca vaccines due to reports of blood clots – taken as a precaution while an investigation takes place
The European Medicines Agency stated there is no indication of a link between the vaccine and blood clots (recommended that the vaccine can be used during the ongoing investigation)
The WHO published its new plan (including budget) for the ACT Accelerator
The WHO issued an EUL to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine (Ad26.COV2.S) - single-dose regimen
This was the fourth vaccine to receive approval from the WHO
The European Medicines Agency provided authorisation the day before
15 March 2021
o It was the first anniversary of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund - nearly U.S. $250 million had been raised by more than 661,000 donors (weekly situation report #31) [331, 333]
o The WHO published a document on how to monitor/report vaccine side effects (weekly situation report #32)[334]
16 March 2021
o The WHO highlighted the findings from new research on the risks of separating newborns from their mothers during the pandemic (Lancet EclinicalMedicine) - importance of newborn babies having close contact with their parents after birth (weekly situation report #32) [334]
17 March 2021
o The WHO published a background document on the Janssen Ad26.COV2.S vaccine - outlined the interim recommendations (weekly situation report #32) [334]
o The WHO released a statement emphasising that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks - the Subcommittee of the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is assessing the latest data (weekly situation report #32) [334]
o The FDA permitted marketing authorisation of a diagnostic test that simultaneously detects/identifies multiple viral and bacterial nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swabs taken from patients who may have COVID-19 or other respiratory tract infections [335]
o The Zeta and Eta variants were designated as variants of interest (VOIs) [268]
19 March 2021
o The GACVS COVID-19 subcommittee released a statement on safety signals related to the AstraZeneca vaccine (weekly situation report #32) [334, 336]
Over 120 million COVID-19 cases and more than 2 million deaths had been reported (as of 17 March, 2021)
The subcommittee met virtually on 16 and 19 March 2021 à reviewed data on thromboembolic events and thrombocytopenia after the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine
They concluded that:
The benefits continue to outweigh the risks
The data does not suggest an increase in clotting conditions – the reported rates of thromboembolic events are in line with the number of diagnoses expected to naturally and as a result of COVID-19
Thromboembolic events in combination with thrombocytopenia (eg. cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) have been reported however, it is unclear whether they have been caused by vaccination (very rare)
Healthcare professionals and patients being vaccinated should be educated on the signs/symptoms to look out for
Countries should continue to monitor the safety of vaccines and encourage individuals to report suspected adverse events
The European Medicines Agency will continue to investigate and monitor these events
o The WHO hosted a global workshop on the importance of enhancing sequencing to monitor the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 (weekly situation report #32) [334]
o The FDA issued an EUA for the first machine learning-based non-diagnostic screening device that can be used by trained personnel to detect biomarkers indicative of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other conditions (asymptomatic individuals) [337]
24 March 2021
o The Theta (B.1.1.28.3, P.2) and Iota (B.1.526) variants were designated as VOIs [268]
25 March 2021
o Due to a new wave of COVID-19 infections in India, the Serum Institute of India faced issues with the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines (AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine also known as COVISHIELD) to the COVAX facility (weekly situation report #33) [338, 339]
o The WHO called for seafarers and aircrew to be prioritised in national COVID-19 vaccination programmes – together with other essential workers (weekly situation report #33) [338]
26 March 2021
o In the media briefing, the WHO Director-General discussed the progress that had been made on vaccinations [340]
COVAX had distributed over 32 million vaccines to 61 countries + 177 countries/economies started vaccination
There were four more vaccines (at different stages) in the process of being assessed for EUL (weekly situation report #33) [338]
29 March 2021
o The WHO set up a consultation to propose an integrated approach to evaluating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on public health measures and outline a process to inform policy recommendations [341]
30 March 2021
o The WHO published the report of the Wuhan field visit (14 January – 10 February) [342]
The zoonotic transmission hypothesis was considered to be likely to very likely - transmission from an animal reservoir to an animal host may occur (spread within the intermediate host), followed by transmission to humans
The potential for cold/food chain products and their containers to be an entry pathway/source of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was considered possible
A laboratory origin of the pandemic (ie. laboratory accident) was found to be extremely unlikely
o There was a call for an international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response [343]
31 March 2021
o The WHO advised that ivermectin should only be used within clinical trials - current evidence is inconclusive [344]
o The FDA authorised several COVID-19 tests for serial screening programs - over-the-counter use without a prescription and for use in a point-of-care setting [345]
April
4 April 2021
o The Kappa (B.1.617.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and B.1.617.3 variants were designated as VOIs [268]
6 April 2021
o The FDA issued an EUA for the first antibody test that can be used at home with self-collected dried blood spot samples [346]
7 April 2021
o Alisson Becker collaborated with the WHO Foundation and WHO on the “Give a Breath for Health” campaign - aims to support the delivery of oxygen and medical supplies to health facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 (weekly situation report #35) [347] [348]
o World Health Day took place
The WHO called for five urgent actions to improve health - ensure that all countries have equal access to COVID-19 technologies; support health workers and invest in primary health care; tackle the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19; ensure that neighbourhoods are safe, healthy, and inclusive; invest in stronger data and health information systems (weekly situation report #35) [347, 349]
o The COVID-19 subcommittee of GACVS released an interim statement on the AstraZeneca vaccine - they reviewed data and found that a causal relationship between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots/low platelet count is possible but requires further investigation (weekly situation report #35) [347, 350]
8 April 2021
o Through the COVAX initiative, over 100 economic received COVID-19 vaccines and more than 38 million doses have been delivered (supplied by AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, and the Serum Institute of India) (weekly situation report #35) [347, 351]
9 April 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General mentioned that 194 out of 220 countries/economies started vaccinating their population - more than 700 million doses have been administered globally (weekly situation report #35) [347, 352]
10 April 2021
o The WHO reached 100 days of its vaccine equity challenge [353]
13 April 2021
o The FDA and CDC released a statement on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine - recommended a pause so that the six reported U.S. cases of blood clots could be investigated [354]
15 April 2021
o Under the IHR (2005), the seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee took place (videoconference) [355]
The WHO Director-General determined that the pandemic continues to constitute a PHEIC - discussed origins of the virus, SARS-CoV-2 variants, and vaccinations (weekly situation report #36) [356]
16 April 2021
o The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety issued a statement on a new type of rare adverse event called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) - reported after vaccination with Vaxzevria and Covishield (AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines) (weekly situation report #36) [356]
An investigation into the occurrence of TTS following the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was also occurring in the U.S. (not been linked to mRNA-based vaccines) [357]
o The FDA revoked the EUA for bamlanivimab (when administered alone) - variants have demonstrated resistance to the antibody and the benefits no longer outweigh the risks [358]
19 April 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General acknowledged the increase in the number of cases (more than 5.2 million cases reported and more than 3 million deaths) (weekly situation report #36) [356, 359]
Greta Thunberg donated 100,000 Euros from the Geta Thunberg Foundation to the WHO Foundation (to support COVAX)
o The WHO published a scientific brief on asthma and COVID-19 - further studies are needed to determine whether people who suffer from asthma are at an increased risk of infection or severe outcomes from COVID-19 (weekly situation report #37) [360] [361]
o The WHO published a policy brief with UNICEF on disability considerations for COVID-19 vaccination (weekly situation report #37) [360]
22 April 2021
o The WHO published the second round of results from the national pulse survey - health systems continue to be challenged around the world (weekly situation report #37) [360]
23 April 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General emphasised the need for U.S. $19 billion (ACT Accelerator) (weekly situation report #37) [360, 362]
o The FDA and CDC lifted the recommended pause on the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine (following a thorough safety review) [363]
24 April 2021
o The WHO published a report on post COVID-19 condition - the webinar was held on 9 February 2021 (weekly situation report #37) [360] [364]
26 April 2021
o The QazVac COVID-19 vaccine started being administered in Kazakhstan (Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems) [165, 365]
30 April 2021
o The WHO issued an EUL for the Moderna COVID-19 (mRNA 1273) vaccine - fifth vaccine (all age groups 18 and above) (weekly situation report #38) [366, 367]
May
3 May 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO-Director General stated: (weekly situation report #38) [366, 368]
Compared to the first six months of the pandemic, more cases of COVID-19 were reported globally over the past two weeks - mainly from India and Brazil
Sweden donated 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to COVAX - similar to France, New Zealand, and Norway
5 May 2021
o The U.S. President and Vice President announced their support of the temporary waiver of intellectual property on COVID-19 vaccines (weekly situation report #39) [369]
o The WHO announced the launch of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence [370]
7 May 2021
o A guidance document outlining methods on how to adapt hospital-based surveillance systems for SARI and evaluate vaccine effectiveness was published - based on the test negative design (weekly situation report #39) [369]
o The ICMRA and WHO called on the pharmaceutical industry to make clinical data for all new medicines and vaccines accessible - transparency is needed (weekly situation report #39) [369, 371]
o The WHO announced the EUL of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine (Beijing) - sixth vaccine (recommended for adults aged 18 years and over – two dose schedule) [372]
10 May 2021
o The WHO published a scientific brief on COVID-19 natural immunity (weekly situation report #39) [369, 373]
Following infection (within 4 weeks) with the virus, majority of individuals (90-99%) develop detectable levels of neutralising antibodies
Current evidence suggests that immune responses protect against reinfection for at least 6-8 months after
Variants may have a reduced susceptibility to neutralising antibodies
o The FDA expanded the EUA of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents aged 12 through to 15 [374]
11 May 2021
o The Delta variant was designated as a VOC [268]
14 May 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General highlighted how low-income countries were only receiving 0.3% of vaccine supplies - also mentioned that the Research and Innovation Roadmap was being updated (weekly situation report #40) [375, 376]
o The WHO published the COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) pillar achievements - part of the R&D Blueprint (weekly situation report #40) [375, 377]
o The KCONVAC vaccine was approved for emergency use in China (Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products/Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd) [165, 378]
19 May 2021
o The WHO released a policy brief on measures that can be taken to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at workplaces (weekly situation report #41) [379, 380]
o The COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO GACVS released a statement on the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine (weekly situation report #41) [379, 381]
As of 18 May 2021, there were 163,312,429 confirmed cases and 3,386,825 deaths
The subcommittee met on 11 May 2021 to review data on the issue of blood clots and low platelets after vaccination - TTS
Based on the information available, there was evidence of a plausible causal association between the vaccine and TTS - similar to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (both adenoviral vectored vaccines)
The benefits of the J&J vaccine continue to outweigh the risks (only a single dose vaccine has been approved to date)
o The FDA advised against the use of antibody test results to assess immunity or protection (even after vaccination) [382]
20 May 2021
o The WHO and 12 other agencies released the second progress report for the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All (SDG3 GAP) [383]
Provides a platform to support countries’ recovery from the pandemic
The first report was released on 15 September 2020 (weekly situation report #41) [379]
o It was announced that international organisations were forming a One Health High-Level Expert Panel to gain further insight into the emergence and spread of diseases that have the potential to trigger pandemics (zoonotic diseases) (weekly situation report #41) [379, 384]
21 May 2021
o The Global Health Summit was held - co-hosted by the European Commission and Italy (weekly situation report #41) [379]
The aims were to adopt an agenda and commit to actions that may bring the pandemic to an end sooner
The Rome Declaration was released at the end of the Summit
24 May 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General pointed out that the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths have been declining for three consecutive weeks - the funding gap for the ACT Accelerator is U.S. $18.5 billion (weekly situation report #41) [379, 385]
o A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to launch the first WHO BioHub Facility - the WHO and the Swiss Confederation
To enhance the sharing of pathogens between laboratories and partners globally (biological materials will be sequenced, storage and prepared) (weekly situation report #41) [379, 386]
24-31 May 2021
o The 74th World Health Assembly was held (weekly situation report #42) [387, 388]
26 May 2021
o The FDA issued an EUA for the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adult and paediatric patients aged 12 years or older (at least 40 kg) - tested positive and who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 [389]
28 May 2021
o The WHO Director-General called on leaders to vaccinate at least 10% of their population by September, and 30% by the end of the year (weekly situation report #42) [387, 390]
o An operational guide on contact tracing was published (weekly situation report #42) [387]
31 May 2021
o The International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff proposed a plan to speed up the response to the pandemic - vaccinating more people faster, scaling up genomic surveillance, monitoring supply-chains, and boosting testing + contact tracing + oxygen supplies + therapeutics + public health measures (estimated to cost U.S. $50 billion) [391]
June
1 June 2021
o The WHO issued an EUL to the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine (weekly situation report #43) [392, 393]
Inactivated vaccine
SAGE recommended that the vaccine be used in adults aged 18 years and older - two-dose schedule with a spacing of two to four weeks
o The WHO updated the guidance on developing a national deployment and vaccination plan - for use by countries [394]
2 June 2021
o The WHO updated the interim recommendations on vaccinating pregnant and lactating women (weekly situation report #44) [395]
o The 149th session of the Executive Board took place [396]
7 June 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following points: (weekly situation report #43) [392, 397]
Globally, the number of cases and deaths were declining - however, a number of countries were facing a dangerous situation (mixed picture)
With the increased transmission of variants, including Delta, ending restrictions too early would potentially be disastrous for unvaccinated individuals
Almost 44% of the world’s doses had been administered by high-income countries, while low-income countries administered 0.4%
9 June 2021
o The IMBCAMS COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in China (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Biology) [165, 398, 399]
10 June 2021
o The second global consultation on SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern was held – assessed the impact on public health interventions (weekly situation report #43) [392]
11 June 2021
o A joint statement from the ICMR and WHO was released - to help healthcare professionals answer questions on the process/role of regulators evaluating COVID-19 vaccines (oversight) - safety, efficacy, quality etc. [400]
12 June 2021
o Leaders of G7 countries convened for the annual summit (weekly situation report #43) [392, 401]
14 June 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General noted that the number of cases had been declining for seven weeks in a row - deaths were not falling as quickly (weekly situation report #44) [395, 402]
A steep increase had been observed in Africa
The transmission of new variants increased
G7 countries made the commitment to donate 870 million vaccine doses through COVAX
With the support of Norway, a new WHO working group was established
o An update to the interim guidance on considerations for implementing/adjusting public health measures was published [403]
o The Lambda (C.37) variant was designated as a VOI [268]
o At a press conference, Iran’s Health Minister stated that the COVIran Barekat (BIV1-CovIran) vaccine had been given EUA - permission was issued the previous day (Shifa Pharmed Industrial Group) [165, 404]
15 June 2021
o The interim recommendations for the use of the Moderna, Janssen, and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines were updated (weekly situation report #45) [405]
17 June 2021
o A scientific brief on hypertension and COVID-19 was published (weekly situation report #45) [405]
21 June 2021
o Media briefing: Despite the decline in newly reported cases and deaths, the levels remained high globally – the rate of decline in most regions also slowed
The rapid increase in cases and deaths may have been due to a variety of reasons including emerging variants and ineffective public health/social measures (weekly situation report #45) [405, 406]
In the media briefing, the WHO Director-General also announced that a technology transfer hub would be established in South Africa to manufacture mRNA vaccines and provide training to manufacturers [406]
o The World Local Production Forum was held (enhancing access to medicines and other health technologies) (weekly situation report #45) [405, 407]
22 June 2021
o A high-level event was held – The role of primary health care in the COVID-19 pandemic response and leading equitable recovery (weekly situation report #46) [408, 409]
24 June 2021
o The Directors General of the WHO, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and World Trade Organization (WTO) met to discuss strategies to tackle the pandemic and the challenges of public health, intellectual property, and trade (weekly situation report #46) [408, 410]
o The FDA issued an EUA for the drug tocilizumab (Actemra) - for use in adult and paediatric patients (aged 2 years or above) hospitalised with COVID-19 [411]
The patients must be receiving systemic corticosteroids + require supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation (non-invasive or invasive), or ECMO
25 June 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General highlighted the transmissibility of the Delta variant - compared to other variants, Delta was identified to be the most transmissible (weekly situation report #46) [408, 412]
o The WHO published interim guidance/recommendations for national testing strategies and diagnostic capacities (weekly situation report #46) [408, 413]
o The WHO also published an indicator framework the use and effectiveness of digital proximity tracing solutions (ie. apps) (weekly situation report #46) [408, 414]
o The FDA made modifications to the patient/provider fact sheets for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines à myocarditis and pericarditis [412]
July
1 July 2021
o The WHO published a protocol template that can be used for sentinel surveillance studies of COVID-19 vaccines (in hospital settings) - monitor and evaluate adverse events (weekly situation report #47) [415, 416]
o The WHO also published implementation guidance for assessing/monitoring healthcare systems during the pandemic (response of frontline services) [417]
2 July 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General spoke about the two-day Summit (the focus was on building resilient health systems) - leaders discussed the climate crisis, the impact of the pandemic on lives/livelihoods, vaccine inequity, and the burden of noncommunicable diseases (weekly situation report #47) [415, 418]
The threat of the Delta variant was also highlighted
o The WHO published technical considerations/interim guidance/policy considerations for implementing/calibrating international travel-related measures (weekly situation report #47) [415, 419, 420]
o Under the EUA for the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA authorised an additional batch of the vaccine to be manufactured at the Emergent facility - more batches were authorised later on [418]
6 July 2021
o The WHO updated patient care guidelines to include interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blockers (for patients who are severely or critically ill) - first drugs to be effective since corticosteroids were recommended (weekly situation report #48) [421, 422]
o The therapeutics and COVID-19 guideline was updated (weekly situation report #48) [421, 423]
o Zeta, Theta, and Epsilon were reclassified as previous VOIs [268]
7 July 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following points: (weekly situation report #48) [421, 424]
The number of deaths exceeded 4 million
Due to fast moving variants and vaccine inequity, many countries reported sharp spikes in cases and hospitalisation - “variants are currently winning the race”
o The WHO published a statistical analysis plan for the clinical characterisation of COVID-19 (weekly situation report #48) [421, 425]
o Interim guidance on COVID-19 case management capacities (diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccine readiness, and other health products) was published (weekly situation report #48) [421, 426]
9 July 2021
o The first module on epidemiological modelling of the impacts of disruptions to essential health services during the pandemic was published (weekly situation report #48) [421, 427]
o The Cuban regulatory agency issued an EUA for the Abdala COVID-19 vaccine (The Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Cuba) [165, 428]
12 July 2021
o The WHO published interim guidance on infection prevention and control measures that can be implemented when COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed - in a healthcare setting (weekly situation report #48) [421, 429]
o The safety surveillance manual of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women was published by the WHO (weekly situation report #48) [421, 430]
13 July 2021
o The FDA made revisions to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipient and vaccination provider fact sheets - preliminary reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome [431]
14 July 2021
o The eighth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee was held: (weekly situation report #49) [432, 433]
The WHO Director-General stated that the world was in the early stages of a third wave
The cases had been increasing globally for four consecutive weeks (increases recorded in all but one of WHO’s six regions) – deaths were also increasing after 10 weeks of decline - Delta was the main driving force
The WHO Director-General called for each country to vaccinate at least 10% of the population by the end of September, at least 40% by the end of 2021, and 70% by the middle of 2022 (11 billion doses are needed to meet these targets)
o The WHO published a technical consultation on oxygen access scale-up for COVID-19 (weekly situation report #49) [432, 434]
15 July 2021
o Germany donated 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and signed a funding agreement of 260 million euros to the ACT Accelerator (weekly situation report #49) [432, 435]
o The effects of the pandemic on childhood vaccination were highlighted in a news release – 23 million children missed out on vaccines in 2020 (data published by the WHO and UNICEF) [436]
16 July 2021
o There was a special briefing on the identification of the origins of SARS-CoV-2: (weekly situation report #49) [432, 437]
Member States received a letter detailing the next steps that the Secretariat will take to advance studies into the origin of the virus
A permanent International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) was established
19 July 2021
o Taiwan issued an EUA for the MVC-COV1901 vaccine (Medigen) [165, 438]
21 July 2021
o The WHO Director-General spoke at the WTO – WHO High Level Dialogue on expanding the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to promote equitable access (weekly situation report #50) [439, 440]
More than 3.5 billion vaccines had been distributed globally however, vaccine inequity remained a major concern
o The WHO Director-General also spoke at the 138th International Olympic Committee Session - Japan was hosting the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (weekly situation report #50) [439, 441]
o In an article published by the BBC, the “black fungus” epidemic in India was discussed - 45,374 cases of mucormycosis had been reported and over 4,300 people had died [442-446]
Mucormycosis was mainly affecting COVID-19 patients
22 July 2021
o The WHO published interim guidance on conducting vaccine effectiveness evaluations in the setting of new SARS-CoV-2 variants (weekly situation report #51) [447, 448]
28 July 2021
o The FDA revised the EUA for baricitinib - no longer a requirement to be used with remdesivir (can be used alone) [449]
30 July 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General stated: (weekly situation report #51) [447, 450]
With the exception of one WHO region, infections increased by 80% on average, or nearly doubled, over a four week period - mostly driven by Delta (detected in at least 132 countries) + inadequate public health measures
The increase in the number of cases limited the supply of oxygen that was available as a treatment
The testing rates in low-income countries were less than 2% of what they were in high-income countries
The WHO launched the Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response (RADAR) - U.S $7.7 billion was required for tests, treatments, and vaccines
o A joint statement was released by the Task Force on COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics - highlighted the urgency of providing access to vaccines, tests, and treatment to developing countries [451]
o Several organisations signed a letter of intent to establish the South African mRNA transfer hub [452]
o The FDA revised the EUA for REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) – as post-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 in adult and paediatric patients who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 (aged 12 years and above, weighing at least 40 kg) [449]
August
2 August 2021
o The WHO released a policy brief on holding gatherings during the pandemic (weekly situation report #51) [447, 453]
4 August 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO called for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September – to allow for at least 10% of every country to be vaccinated (weekly situation report #52) [454, 455]
o The WHO published a training guide on the handling, storing, and transportation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (weekly situation report #52) [454]
5 August 2021
o The 1st International Forum on Vaccine Cooperation was held (weekly situation report #52) [454, 456]
In order to reach the vaccination targets, over 11 billion doses were needed - more than 4 billion had been administered, with majority going to high-income countries
President Xi announced that China would contribute U.S. $100 million to COVAX
o At the Member State Information Session, the WHO Director-General raised the following key points: [457]
The Delta variant had been detected in at least 132 countries
The demand for oxygen supplies increased in several countries - in many countries, supplies of equipment were inadequate
The WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan required a further U.S. $900 million, RADAR needed U.S. $7.7 billion, and COVAX required another $3.8 billion of financing
6 August 2021
o Although the AstraZeneca vaccine was not authorised for use in the U.S., the FDA found that certain vaccine lots manufactured at the Baltimore facility were acceptable for export [458]
10 August 2021
o The WHO (with support of SAGE) released an interim statement on heterologous priming for COVID-19 vaccines - “mix and match” schedules for the vaccines – the second dose can be a different vaccine product than the first dose (weekly situation report #53) [459, 460]
o The WHO (with support of SAGE) released an interim statement on fractionated vaccine doses (as a dose-sparing strategy) (weekly situation report #53) [459, 461]
o The WHO (with support of SAGE) released an interim statement on COVID-19 booster doses ie. need and timing for the booster (weekly situation report #53) [459, 462]
11 August 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following points: (weekly situation report #53) [459, 463]
The number of cases surpassed 200 million (six months after 100 million cases were reported)
The next phase of the Solidarity trial (Solidarity PLUS) was announced and three drugs were being tested - artesunate (treatment of severe malaria), imatinib (cancer drugs), and infliximab (treatment for immune system disorders)
12 August 2021
o The WHO released a statement on the next series of studies and steps that need to be taken to determine the origins of SARS-CoV-2 (weekly situation report #53)[459, 464]
o The FDA authorised additional vaccine doses (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) for use in immunocompromised individuals, those who have had a solid organ transplant, or those who have a condition of equivalent level [465]
18 August 2021
o Unitaid and the WHO released a joint statement about their concerns of a global shortage of tocilizumab (IL-6 inhibitor) - WHO recommended for use in June (weekly situation report #54) [466, 467]
19 August 2021
o At the Member State Information Session, the WHO Director-General discussed how SAGO will play an important role in investigating new pathogens, including the origins of SARS-CoV-2 (long-term initiative for studying emerging pathogens) (weekly situation report #54) [466, 468]
20 August 2021
o The WHO issued an open call for experts to join SAGO (weekly situation report #54) [466, 469]
o The Cuban regulatory agency issued an EUA for the SOBERANA-02 and SOBERANA PLUS COVID-19 vaccines (Instituto Finlay De Vacunas) [165, 470]
o The ZyCoV-D vaccine received EUA from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) [165, 471]
23 August 2021
o The FDA approved the first vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals aged 16 and over - marketed as COMIRNATY [472]
25 August 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following key points: [473]
The global number of cases and deaths remained stable for the week (at a high level) - over 4.5 million cases and 68 thousand deaths
The experts who join SAGO will act in their own capacity and will not represent Member States
27 August 2021
o At the Member State Information Session, the WHO Director-General stated that 140 countries had vaccinated at least 10% of their population [474]
The Secretariat launched guidance on the Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates - to help with universally-readable documentation of vaccination status (they do not recommend proof of vaccination certificates for international travel)
o The FDA reissued the EUA for bamlanivimab and etesevimab (combination) - for use in states, territories, and U.S. jurisdictions where data shows that the combined frequency of variants resistant to the treatment is less than or equal to 5% [475]
30 August 2021
o The FDA issued a letter to veterinarians and retailers about the misuse of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 [475]
o The Mu (B.1.621) variant was designated as a VOI [268]
September
1 September 2021
o The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence was launched in Berlin [476]
5-6 September 2021
o The G20 Health Ministers Meeting was held in Rome, Italy - the WHO Director-General called for countries to strengthen their response to the pandemic and provide support to low-income countries [477-479]
7 September 2021
o The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association announced that the stocks of vaccine doses was sufficient in G7 countries for adults and teenagers, as well booster doses for at-risk groups - manufacturers were encouraged to scale-up production for dose sharing [480]
8 September 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General stated the following key points: [480]
Since October 2020, over 50,000 people died with COVID-19 each week - over the past month, almost 70,000 people died each week
Unvaccinated and immunocompromised individuals were at risk – several countries were prematurely relaxing public health and social measures
Some countries were also refusing entry to people who had been vaccinated with a vaccine that had WHO EUL but hadn’t been approved by their own national regulators
5.5 billion vaccines had been administered
The WHO-Director General called for the global moratorium on booster doses to be extended until at least the end of the year - third booster doses may be needed for those who are at-risk
14 September 2021
o The African COVID-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVAT) was set up in November 2020 to help AU Member States acquire vaccines [481]
The WHO Director-General called on manufacturers to support/prioritise COVAX and AVAT + called on countries/manufacturers to share technology, know-how, intellectual property, information on bilateral deals, information on supply and delivery projects, and recognise vaccines with WHO EUL
16 September 2021
o The FDA revised the EUA for the use of bamlanivimab and etesevimab antibody therapy (administered together) - includes post-exposure prophylaxis in adults and paediatric patients (aged 12 years and older – at least 40 kg) who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, hospitalisation, or death [482]
20 September 2021
o The Eta (B.1.525), Iota (B.1.526), and Kappa (B.1.617.1) variants were reclassified as previous VOIs [268]
22 September 2021
o The Global COVID-19 Summit was held [483]
Almost 90% of wealthier countries had reached the 10% target
Although 1 billion doses were pledged, only 120 million had been shipped (two-thirds are from the U.S)
President Biden announced the donation of a further 500 million doses of vaccines to COVAX
o The FDA modified the EUA for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to allow for the use of a single booster dose (at least six months after the primary series) in individuals aged 65 years and older; 18 through to 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19 + whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure puts them at high risk of developing serious complications [484]
· *In September 2021, the FAKHRAVAC (MIVAC) COVID-19 vaccine was made available for use in Iran (Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research) [165, 485]
October
4-8 October 2021
o Members of SAGE met to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccine equity [486, 487]
They also were asked to provide advice on the first human vaccine to target a parasite (for malaria) - RTS, S vaccine (examine the results from pilot studies that have been performed in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi)
6 October 2021
o WHO recommended the use of the world’s first malaria vaccine [488]
o A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition was published [489]
“Post COVID-19 condition occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms and that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction but also others and generally have an impact on everyday functioning. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate or relapse over time.”
o The SpikoGen/COVAX-19 vaccine was issued an EUA in Iran (Vaxine Pty Ltd./Cinnagen Co) [165, 490, 491]
7 October 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General stated that more than 6.4 billion vaccines had been administered - almost one-third of the world’s population had been fully vaccinated [489]
High- and upper-middle countries mainly had access to vaccines
The WHO launched the Strategy to Achieve Global COVID-19 Vaccination - outlined the targets of vaccinating 40% of the population of each country by the end of 2021 and 70% by the middle of 2022 (would require at least 11 billion doses)
13 October 2021
o In a media briefing, the following points were raised: [492]
The number of reported deaths continued to decline and reached the lowest level in almost a year (~50,000 a week) - several countries in Europe were entering new waves
The WHO announced the proposed members of SAGO (26 experts with world-class expertise and experience)
18 October 2021
o The WHO, FIFA, and Qatar released a high-level statement on the World Cup for 2022 à to create a healthy and safe space [493]
19 October 2021
o The WO released a position paper on building the resilience of health systems during the pandemic and beyond [494]
20 October 2021
o The FDA expanded the use of booster doses of vaccines (single booster dose): [484]
Moderna - may be administered at least 6 months after the primary series to those who are aged 65 years and older; 18-64 and at high risk of severe COVID-19; 18-64 and have frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus
Janssen - at least 2 months after the administration of a single-dose primary regimen (18 years and older)
Vaccines can be used as a heterologous (mix and match) booster dose in those who have completed primary vaccinations
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series (to those aged 18-64 with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus)
21 October 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General called on countries to improve the monitoring and reporting of infections and deaths of health care workers; ensure that all health care workers have adequate protection and fair working conditions; ensure that they are prioritised for vaccines, alongside at-risk groups [495]
22 October 2021
o The ninth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee was held [496]
24-26 October 2021
o The World Health Summit was held [497]
28 October 2021
o In a media briefing, the following points were raised: [498]
For the first time in two months, the global number of cases and deaths were increasing
The new plan and budget for the ACT Accelerator was released à an ask of U.S. $23.4 billion
29 October 2021
o The FDA authorised the emergency use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be used in children aged 5 to 11 [499]
30-31 October 2021
o The G20 Summit was held in Rome - several sessions took place and the pandemic/global health was a major focus [500, 501]
November
3 November 2021
o At the meeting of the Member States Working Group on Strengthening WHO Preparedness, the following points were raised [502]:
The number of reported deaths from COVID-19 reached 5 million and the need to investigate long-COVID was highlighted
The WHO Director-General stated that health systems around the world were overwhelmed and millions of children had missed out on routine vaccinations + months of education, millions of people lost their jobs and misinformation remained an ongoing challenge
o The WHO issued an EUL to the eighth vaccine - Covaxin [503]
4 November 2021
o At the Member States Information Session, the following points were raised [504]:
The number of cases and deaths increased in the last two weeks – mainly from Europe
The importance of public and social health measures was emphasised – must complement vaccines à physical distancing, crowd limits, masks, ventilation, and hand hygiene
80 times more tests and 30 times more vaccines had been distributed in high-income countries compared to low-income countries
ACT Accelerator - 433 million vaccine doses had been delivered to 144 countries through COVAX + more than 128 million tests + increased the supply of oxygen, PPE, and treatments (nearly 3 million doses of dexamethasone)
o In the media briefing, the following points were raised [505]:
From all regions, 56 countries reported an increase in deaths last week
ICU beds and supplies were limited + health workers were overwhelmed
12 November 2021
o In a media briefing, the following points were raised [506]:
European region - almost 2 million cases and 27 thousand deaths were reported in the past week
Vaccines were found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation, severe disease, and death - should be used in combination with other public health/social measures to reduce transmission
19 November 2021
o The FDA made changes to the EUA for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines - authorised single booster doses for individuals aged 18 and older [507]
23 November 2021
o The 2021 Southern African Development Community (SADC) seminar on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver was held [508]:
The imbalance in the distribution of vaccines was highlighted - nearly 70% of 7.3 billion vaccines had gone to ten countries
In Africa, only 6% of the population were fully vaccinated
It was recommended that all barriers to scaling up production should be removed – eg. a waiver of IP rights under the TRIPS agreement (proposed by South Africa and India + supported by more than 100 countries)
As part of C-TAP, the first licensing and technology transfer agreement was announced (for the production of an antibody test - worldwide, transparent, and non-exclusive voluntary license)
o The first meeting of SAGO was held [509]:
The aims included providing a comprehensive framework that outlines studies that are needed in organisms, the environment, and biosafety/biosecurity
The need to shift away from the politicisation of the origin of the virus back to the science was highlighted
24 November 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following points [510]:
Over 60% of all cases and deaths were reported from Europe – epicentre
Prior to Delta, vaccines reduced transmission by 60% - with Delta, this has dropped to 40%
Vaccinated individuals are still at risk of being infected and infecting others
o The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was designated as a variant under monitoring (VUM) [268]
25 November 2021
o Member States Information Session:
The WHO Secretariat expressed their concern of populations becoming complacent – due to an increase in cases and deaths [511]
26 November 2021
o The Omicron variant was designated as a VOC [268]
29 November- 1 December 2021
o A Special Session of the World Health Assembly took place [512]:
A new wave of the pandemic emerged
The Omicron variant was discussed à highly mutated variant (not sure about the effects on transmission, disease severity, vaccine evasion)
103 countries had not reached the 40% vaccination target– could not access vaccines
Progress against other diseases had stalled or gone backwards
Better governance, better financing, and better prediction/prevention/detection/response systems were needed
30 November 2021
o At the Member State Information Session on the Omicron variant, the following points were raised [513]:
Omicron consists of a large number of mutations
Botswana and South Africa detected, sequenced, and reported this variant
In addition to Omicron, the Delta variant was still circulating
December
1 December 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General raised the following points [514]:
The WHO Member States started the process of drafting/negotiating a new agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response - the aims were to foster international cooperation and provide the foundations for strengthening health security
At least 23 countries from five WHO regions reported Omicron + Delta still accounted for almost all cases globally
3 December 2021
o The FDA revised the EUA for bamlanivimab and etesevimab – expanded to include the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in paediatric patients, including newborns, who tested positive and are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation or death) - also includes post-exposure prophylaxis (prevention of COVID-19) [515]
8 December 2021
o In a media briefing, the WHO Director-General discussed the following points [516]:
Omicron had been reported in 57 countries
Based on its global spread and large number of mutated residues, it was predicted to have a major impact on the course of the pandemic
Some evidence showed that it caused milder disease compared to Delta
Countries were called to increase surveillance, testing, and sequencing
o The FDA issued an EUA for Evusheld (AstraZeneca – tixagevimab + cilgavimab) for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults and paediatric individuals (aged 12 years and older – at least 40 kg) [517]
9 December 2021
o The eighth meeting of the ACT Accelerator Facilitation Council was held [518]
Two essential issues were discussed - fast-tracking the progress on addressing COVID-19 equity gaps; funding the new strategic plan
The WHO published its ACT Accelerator Appeal for U.S $1.57 billion
o The FDA expanded the EUA for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - authorised the use of a single booster for those aged 16 and 17, at least 6 months after completing the primary vaccination course [519]
14 December 2021
o In a media briefing, the following points were raised [520]:
Omicron had been reported in 77 countries – the variant was spreading at a rate that had not been seen before (vaccines, masks, distancing, ventilation, and hand hygiene)
Some countries had rolled out booster programmes, despite the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of boosters against Omicron à there were also concerns for vaccine hoarding
22 December 2021
o The WHO Director-General raised the following points at a media briefing [521]:
3.5 million people died from COVID-19 in 2021 - continues to claim 50,000 lives each week
Omicron was becoming the dominant variant in many countries
The WHO issued updated guidance for healthcare workers – a respirator or medical mask should be used, in addition to other PPE, when entering a space where a patient has suspected or confirmed COVID-19 - manufacturers should also scale up the production of this equipment
An interim statement on booster doses was issued by SAGE - the focus of immunisation must continue to be on decreasing death and severe disease (blanket booster doses will worsen vaccine inequity)
o The FDA issued an EUA for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) - treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and paediatric patients (aged 12 years and older – at least 40 kg) who tested positive and are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation or death) [522]
23 December 2021
o The FDA issued an EUA for Molnupiravir (Merck) – for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults - tested positive and are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation or death) + for those who are unable to access authorised treatment options (or may not be clinically appropriate) [523]
29 December 2021
o In a media briefing, the following points were raised [524]:
Misinformation had put unvaccinated individuals at risk (vaccine hesitancy)
Delta and Omicron were twin threats - resulted in spikes in hospitalisations and deaths (put pressure on health systems)
Out of 194 Member States, 92 had missed the 40% vaccination target
30 December 2021
o In Israel, authorities confirmed the first case of Flurona - a pregnant woman had been coinfected with the flu and COVID-19 [525-527]
o *Reports of coinfected emerged in the U.S. in 2020 - evidence of earlier cases [527]