Month: April 2023

April 19, 2023: COVID GAP Accountability Report Issue 24 Key Changes and Insights Since Previous Report: On April 17th, India reported over 9,000 new COVID-19 cases prompting some parts of the country to reintroduce mask mandates. The XBB.1.16 variant now accounts for roughly 7.2% of sequenced COVID-19 cases in the United States. The World Health Organization’s technical advisory group on COVID vaccine composition met in March to review the performance of updated COVID-19 vaccines. The group released a statement saying that the updated vaccines that contain either BA.1 or BA.4/5 provide better protection than vaccines that contain only the original virus. The FDA authorized a second bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for seniors ages 65+ and those with compromised immune systems. The Duke Global Health Innovation Center is a proud partner of the COVID…

April 5, 2023: COVID GAP Accountability Report Issue 23 Key Changes and Insights Since Previous Report: India reported over 3,600 new COVID-19 cases on April 3rd. This represents the largest single day increase in new cases in over 6 months. The World Health Organization is monitoring the XBB.1.16 subvariant that is currently circulating in India. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) have authorized the use of Bimervax as a COVID-19 booster vaccine. Bimervax is a bivalent, recombinant protein vaccine. South Korea plans to start using wastewater surveillance to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The health systems and response pillar of ACT-A has received $10 million in additional funding, and is now 35.9% funded. Botswana has achieved 70% vaccination…