
<p><strong>Traditionally, Africa has been seen as a recipient of global health interventions rather than a leader in medical research, but Uganda’s Ebola vaccine trial is changing that narrative, and represents a major landmark for Africa’s scientific community.</strong></p>



<p>I<strong>n late January </strong>2025, a nurse at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda collapsed at work, showing symptoms that had been mistaken for malaria. Within days, he was dead. His diagnosis—confirmed only after his passing—was Ebola. His case became the first confirmed fatality in the outbreak, prompting health authorities in Kampala to declare an emergency and move swiftly to contain the virus before it spread further. It was the country’s first Ebola outbreak in two years.</p>



<p>The healthcare worker’s widow, a midwife named Afiya (<em>name changed to protect privacy</em>), was left to care for their two young children alone. She, too, tested positive for Ebola, along with the youngest child. “I was already in shock that my man had died. I thought, now the whole family is going to have Ebola, because I know how it spreads. I felt like God had betrayed me at that moment.” After several weeks in isolation and receiving treatment, Afiya and her one-year-old were discharged from hospital. But they returned to a community that no longer embraced them. Neighbors whispered, pointing at them in the streets, some actively avoided them. Sadly, so did family. “They turned against me,” she laments. “They sent away my people from the funeral, threatening them, telling them that I should never go back because I will get killed. I have not stepped there ever since. It’s been very traumatic.”</p>



<p>In Uganda, as in many parts of Africa, burial traditions involve washing and preparing the body—a practice that becomes particularly dangerous during an Ebola outbreak. The virus remains highly infectious—if not more so—after death, posing an extreme risk to those who come into contact with the body. To combat this, health officials have introduced “safe and dignified burials”, designed to allow families to grieve while minimizing contact with the deceased. However, implementing these measures has proven difficult, particularly in rural areas where traditional customs are deeply ingrained.</p>



<p>The outbreak that claimed the life of Afiya’s husband is now the focal point of a groundbreaking vaccine trial. The Sudan strain of Ebola, which has plagued Uganda for decades, is different from the better-known Zaire strain.</p>



<p>“Ebola has a number of strains. The major difference is in their genetic composition and immune response,” explains the Executive Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Prof Pontiano Kaleebu.</p>



<p>The vaccine that successfully controlled the Zaire strain does not work against the Sudan variant, making this new vaccine an urgent necessity. While it mimics its predecessor with regards to minimal side-effects like mild fever and soreness at the injection site, the new inoculation is more conducive for use in African settings, as Prof Joseph Okeibunor, a scientist in the Emergency Prevention and Response Program at the World Health Organization (WHO), explains.</p>



<p>“Previous vaccines required ultra-cold storage between-60 degrees to -80 degrees centigrade. The new vaccine is designed to be stored between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade, aligning it more to our environment.”</p>



<p>Beyond the logistical and medical hurdles, there are for- midable challenges such as misinformation and distrust, compounded by the global wave of vaccine skepticism during the Covid-19 pandemic that has created an atmosphere where many people fear being part of a clinical trial.</p>



<p>“People think they are being used as guinea pigs. Some believe that vaccines are used to depopulate African countries. But, of course, the whole idea is to gather knowledge that will help us to improve health security for one and all,” says Okeibunor.</p>



<p>An aggressive awareness campaign has been launched, making use of radio announcements, venturing into churches and mosques, and leveraging community leadership. “A trusted message comes from a trusted messenger,” explains Dr Mosoka Fallah, Acting Director for the Science and Innovation Directorate at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</p>



<p>“It’s about getting to the community, hearing from them, making them a part of the co-creation of the messages.”</p>



<p>In some areas, however, hesitancy remains. “Most Africans still believe in traditional healers, so they might go to them for the treatment of the virus,” Fallah notes. “Then by the time we pick it up in the healthcare facility, it’s already too late.” Even among those who understand the need for an Ebola vaccine, the idea of taking an experimental drug is daunting. “It’s difficult to get people to consent, especially in the middle of an outbreak when fear is high,” Kaleebu says. “We have to assure them that their safety is our top priority.”</p>



<p>Some healthcare workers have also been hesitant. “I encountered a doctor, a physician, who refused to be vaccinated in this very Ebola outbreak,” reveals Okeibunor. “He’s not actively telling others to avoid it, but he declined it himself.” Despite these challenges, the Ebola vaccine trial represents a major milestone for Africa’s scientific community. Traditionally, Africa has been seen as a recipient of global health interventions rather than a leader in medical research, but this trial is changing that narrative.</p>



<p>“This is an African-led initiative, with African researchers and institutions at the forefront,” Kaleebu declares. “If this vaccine proves effective, it could set the stage for Africa to take a leading role in dis- ease prevention, not just for Ebola but for other emerging diseases,” says Fallah. “We are devel- oping the expertise and infrastructure needed to respond to outbreaks quickly and effectively.” Uganda’s Ebola vaccine trial is more than just a response to the current outbreak—it is a sign of Africa’s growing capacity to tackle public health challenges on its own terms, as well as a testament to the resilience of communities like the one that Afiya and her children must nownavigate on their own. For her, the vaccine came too late to save her husband, but she hopes it will spare others the same pain. “I think about my loved one, I think about the responsibilities I was left with,” she says. “But if this vaccine can save lives, maybe his death won’t be in vain…”</p>


Stethoscope and syringe filled with drugs injecting the Ugandan flag

How Uganda’s Ebola Vaccine Trial Is Changing The Research Narrative


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Pfizer shares tumbled again Monday, continuing the pharmaceutical giant’s struggles tied to declining demand for its Covid-19 products<strong>&nbsp;</strong>and essentially wiping out the entirety of the firm’s peak pandemic gains.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Pfizer stock slipped 1.6% to $28.96, closing at its lowest share price since March 26, 2020.</p>



<p>After notching record overall revenue and profits in 2022, Pfizer’s luck has run out so far in 2023, reporting a 42% decline through the year’s first nine months and reporting its first quarterly loss since 2019 in its October 31 earnings report.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$170 billion. That’s how much market capitalization Pfizer has lost since December 2021.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Including dividends, Pfizer has posted a -40% return on investment this year, the 15th-steepest loss of any S&amp;P 500 company. Other pharmaceutical stocks which soared during early development and adoption of Covid treatments have also flailed, including Moderna (down about 80% from its 2021 peak), BioNTech (down about 70% from 2021 peak) and Johnson &amp; Johnson (down nearly 20% from 2021 high). Pfizer’s recent plunge came after the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/10/16/vaccine-stocks-including-pfizer-moderna-biontech-and-novavax-slide-amid-plummeting-demand/?sh=5cda962f7099">slashed</a>&nbsp;sales guidance for October 16, with sales for its vaccine down 70% year-over-year and Paxlovid revenues down 95%. Pfizer “finally threw in the towel on the potential for reinvigorated” demand for its two primary Covid products, UBS analyst Colin Bristow wrote in a note to clients last month.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>It’s not all doom and gloom for pharmaceutical stocks, though the balance of power has shifted. Drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have both climbed more than 70% over the last 12 months as their respective weight loss medications surge in popularity, and the two are now the most valuable pharmaceutical companies in the world by market cap. Pfizer, which was more valuable than both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk at the end of 2021, is now worth less than half of each firm.</p>


Vaccinations at Egoli Township as Omicron Cases Spread

Pfizer Stock Hits 3-Year Low—Down 50% From 2021 Peak


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Stocks of Pfizer and other Covid vaccine makers like BioNTech and Moderna fell in premarket trading Monday after the company slashed its revenue forecasts last week, a change in fortune for the sector as demand for the pandemic-related products that propelled them to record profits last year plummets.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Pfizer shares fell 3.11% during premarket trading on Monday.</p>



<p>Shares of Germany’s BioNTech, which jointly developed the Comirnaty coronavirus shot with Pfizer, were down 6.57% in Frankfurt, falling to a two-month low.</p>



<p>The German biotech’s U.S.-listed shares were also down 6.41% in premarket trading.</p>



<p>Shares of rival mRNA vaccine maker Moderna also fell 4.45% in premarket trading.</p>



<p>Shares of Novavax, which has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/2e10b2ab-7d0c-48a3-b49b-8de8dc302c6d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">setbacks</a>&nbsp;in getting its updated protein-based shot approved, were also down 4.54% on Monday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-lowers-full-year-revenue-forecast-shares-fall-2023-10-13/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slashed</a>&nbsp;its annual revenue&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78003/000007800323000099/ex99_pressrelease1013.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forecast</a>&nbsp;by 13% on Friday due to sliding demand for its Covid-19 products. Sales of the firm’s mRNA shot, produced jointly with BioNTech, and its antiviral drug Paxlovid helped it secure record profits last year but the firm has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/01/31/pfizer-expects-covid-vaccine-and-pill-revenues-will-fall-60-in-2023/?sh=2630a7787bee">long</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2022/02/08/pfizer-triggers-28-billion-stock-plunge-moderna-after-warning-covid-vaccine-sales-could-disappoint-this-year/?sh=651151e2e372">warned</a>&nbsp;about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/01/31/pfizer-expects-covid-vaccine-and-pill-revenues-will-fall-60-in-2023/?sh=2630a7787bee">sliding</a>&nbsp;demand as the world, and particularly the U.S., exits the pandemic this year. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78003/000007800323000099/ex99_pressrelease1013.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cut</a>&nbsp;its projections for Paxlovid by $7 billion and by around $2 billion for its Covid shots, which was greater than analysts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-will-likely-take-900-mln-eur-write-off-pfizer-partnered-vaccines-2023-10-16/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expected</a>. Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/13/pfizer-launches-35-billion-cost-cutting-program-amid-declining-covid-vaccine-sales/?sh=7e4fa27016a4">said</a>&nbsp;it was launching a $3.5 billion cost-cutting program covering jobs and expenses as it prepares for the hit to its revenues. Pfizer said it would take a write down of $5.5 billion in the third quarter due to shrinking demand for its Covid stock, most of which comes from inventory write-offs of Paxlovid worth $4.6 billion. The company also acknowledged a $900 million write off from Covid vaccine stock, a write-off BioNTech also&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/update-regarding-pfizers-statement-comirnaty-related-write-offs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flagged</a>&nbsp;on Monday on account of its profit sharing agreement with Pfizer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Moderna will report its <a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-to-Report-Third-Quarter-2023-Financial-Results-on-Thursday-November-2-2023/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quarterly earnings</a> on November 2. While Moderna is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/22/moderna-hopes-to-build-on-mrna-tech-used-in-its-covid-shots-by-targeting-genetic-diseases/?sh=6f1fdba02692">leveraging</a> its success during the pandemic to <a href="https://www.modernatx.com/research/product-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">develop</a> a wide array of medicines, treatments and vaccines for things including<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/04/11/vaccines-for-lyme-disease-and-norovirus-moderna-working-on-shots-targeting-tick-borne-infection-and-vomiting-bug/?sh=53602af72afe"> Lyme disease</a>, the flu, HIV, RSV, Zika, norovirus and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/22/moderna-hopes-to-build-on-mrna-tech-used-in-its-covid-shots-by-targeting-genetic-diseases/?sh=6f1fdba02692">genetic conditions, </a>its Covid-19 vaccines are its only commercial product and it is particularly vulnerable to sliding demand.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/13/pfizer-launches-35-billion-cost-cutting-program-amid-declining-covid-vaccine-sales/?sh=7e4fa27016a4">Pfizer Launches $3.5 Billion Cost-Cutting Program Amid Declining Covid Vaccine Sales</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Florida Volunteers Take Part In COVID-19 Vaccine Trials

Vaccine Stocks—Including Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech And Novavax—Slide Amid Plummeting Demand


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Food and Drug Administration gave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/coronavirus-covid-19-cber-regulated-biologics/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-adjuvanted#:~:text=Novavax%20COVID-19%20Vaccine%2C%20Adjuvanted%20is%20available%20under%20emergency%20use,years%20of%20age%20and%20older" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emergency use authorization</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday to Novavax’s new Covid vaccine designed to target the coronavirus’ dominant XBB sublineage, which is fueling a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/updated-covid-vaccine-who-should-get-it-and-when-it-will-be-available" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$130</a>&nbsp;a dose, the vaccine was approved for those 12 years and older—for those already vaccinated with any vaccine, one dose can be given at least two months after a person’s last Covid shot, and two doses administered three months apart can be given to the unvaccinated.</p>



<p>Novavax’s approval follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/09/11/fda-approves-new-covid-vaccines-to-target-latest-strains/?sh=1be38e906e09">approval</a>&nbsp;of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s monovalent vaccines targeting new coronavirus variant, which were also given emergency use authorization last month by the FDA for those six months and older.</p>



<p>This comes after the agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/169591/download?attachment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">encouraged</a>&nbsp;Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax to create new monovalent vaccines that target the XBB lineage, which makes up the majority of the variants circulating in the U.S.</p>



<p>The Novavax vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/US-CDC-and-Advisory-Committee-Recommend-Use-of-Authorized-and-Approved-2023-2024-Monovalent-XBB-COVID-19-Vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">received approval</a>&nbsp;from an advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, though it still awaits approval from the agency’s director.</p>



<p>This is the first time since the shots were commercialized that they won’t be free, and both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-medicare-1a5d65356ebc7b5bc76524ae99deb55e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-expects-price-its-covid-vaccine-about-130-us-2023-03-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a>&nbsp;estimate their shots will cost between $110 and $130 a dose.</p>



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<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<p>Though most insurance companies are expected to cover the cost of Covid boosters, the CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/07/13/cdc-launch-bridge-access-program-fall-2023-provide-free-covid-19-vaccines-treatments-uninsured-underinsured-adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bridge Program</a>&nbsp;is set to launch this fall, providing Covid vaccine coverage to the uninsured.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations have increased since the start of the summer and are expected to keep rising as fall and winter kick into gear. Deaths increased by 8% between September 17 and September 23, and hospitalizations stood at 19,079 during this period, according to the CDC’s most recent data. EG.5, or the “Eris” variant—part of the XBB lineage—is the dominant strain in the U.S., making up 29.4% of all cases between September 17 and September 30. As of June, the XBB omicron subvariants made up 95% of all Covid cases in the U.S., according to an FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/169591/download?attachment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>. The existing bivalent boosters offer about 50% protection against XBB variants in most adults and about 33% protection in those 65 years and older, according to a January&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm?s_cid=mm7205e1_w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;conducted by the CDC. Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Clinical-Trial-Data-Confirm-Its-Updated-COVID-19-Vaccine-Generates-Robust-Immune-Response-in-Humans-Against-Widely-Circulating-Variants/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its new booster may be effective at protecting against the Eris variant, Novavax&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/22/covid-novavax-vaccine-eris-variant.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its shot provided a broad immune response against Eris in small animals and Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizers-updated-covid-shot-effective-against-eris-variant-mice-study-2023-08-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;its new shot protected against the variant when tested on mice. Because the current bivalent boosters don’t specifically protect against XBB, some experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=447d21af438b">recommend</a>&nbsp;waiting until the new monovalent boosters release before getting an updated shot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>An earlier round of updated Covid boosters provided additional protection against previous variants, but only&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-states-jurisdictions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">17%</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. has received at least one booster.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>A new Covid variant called BA.2.86, or “Pirola,” is a descendant of the BA sublineage and has begun circulating in the U.S. Although there aren’t enough cases for it to appear on the CDC’s variant tracker, the World Health Organization has&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1692255671687794902" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">labeled</a>&nbsp;it as a variant under monitoring. This is because Pirola has 36 more&nbsp;<a href="https://slides.com/jbloom/new_2nd_gen_ba2_variant?ftag=YHF4eb9d17#/3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mutation spikes</a>&nbsp;than XBB.1.5—the dominant strain in the U.S. earlier this year—and 34 additional mutations compared to BA.2. Pirola isn’t a descendant of the XBB sublineages, so there may be concern they won’t protect against Pirola. However, Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=3f334501a06c">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday its new booster provided an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against Pirola in its clinical trial.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-green-light-new-covid-boosters-early-friday-rcna103379" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA could green light new Covid boosters as early as Friday</a>&nbsp;(NBC)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=3f334501a06c">Moderna’s Updated Covid Vaccine Is Effective Against Pirola Variant—As Concern Over New Strain Grows</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=447d21af438b">New Covid Boosters Expected This Fall: Why Some Doctors Suggest Holding Off On Getting Your Next Booster Until Then</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/09/01/its-ok-to-get-your-covid-flu-and-rsv-shots-at-the-same-time-experts-say/?sh=486139df3099">It’s Okay To Get Your Covid, Flu And RSV Shots At The Same Time, Experts Say</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


FDA Approves Novavax’s New Covid Vaccine Designed To Protect Against The Latest Strain


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>High-profile collapses in bank stocks and losses for major healthcare and energy companies headlined the biggest names losing out on 2023’s broader market rally.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Banking turmoil was behind much of the market’s less fortunate spots; investors in&nbsp;<strong>First Republic, Signature&nbsp;</strong>and&nbsp;<strong>Silicon Valley Bank&nbsp;</strong>saw their investments turn to dust earlier this year after they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/05/01/first-republic-bank-failure-a-timeline-of-what-led-to-the-second-largest-bank-collapse-in-us-history/">became</a>&nbsp;three of the four largest American banks to ever fail, with each subsequently losing their spots on the S&amp;P 500<strong>.</strong></p>



<p>Still, 19 of the S&amp;P’s 50 worst performers year-to-date are financial services stocks, including slumping but still alive regional banks&nbsp;<strong>KeyCorp</strong>&nbsp;(down 45%) and&nbsp;<strong>Zions</strong>&nbsp;(down 43%), the second and third-worst performers on the S&amp;P, respectively.</p>



<p>Broadly, the S&amp;P’s financial sector is down 2% year-to-date, making it the worst-performing sector, followed by energy (down 8%), utilities (8%) and healthcare (3%).</p>



<p>Pharmaceutical giant&nbsp;<strong>Pfizer</strong>&nbsp;(down 27%) is the worst-performing stock with a market capitalization over $200 billion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/01/31/pfizer-expects-covid-vaccine-and-pill-revenues-will-fall-60-in-2023/">due in part</a>&nbsp;to a decline in Covid-19 vaccine sales; vaccine rival&nbsp;<strong>Moderna</strong>&nbsp;is similarly down 33%.</p>



<p>Overall, <strong>Advance Auto Parts</strong> (down 51%) is the S&amp;P’s worst performer of 2023 after it fell <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/05/31/retailer-stock-crash-signals-potential-price-wars-looming/?sh=7e3012546997">far short</a> on its first quarter earnings estimates as profits dwindled due to price cuts.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes-1024x451.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-58720" width="750" height="329" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes-1024x451.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes-300x132.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes-768x338.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes-1536x676.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/fornes.jpg 1897w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The slump in energy, healthcare and utility stocks follows a year in which the three sectors were the only positive returners on the S&amp;P. The energy sector gained 66% in 2022 as soaring oil and commodity prices led to record profits at oil and gas giants like Chevron and Exxon, whose shares each touched all-time highs last year. But the well’s run dry for the sector thus far this year as energy prices stabilized. Pfizer and Moderna’s combined market capitalization is down some $260 billion from September 2021 as each reported 30% and 70% annual declines in revenue during 2023’s first quarter and forecasted further pain as the pandemic subsides.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quotes">CRUCIAL QUOTES</h2>



<p>Small and mid-sized banks “will have a very difficult time moving forward,” Wells Fargo Investment Institute Sameer Samana said on a conference call last month, putting a sell rating for the regional banking stocks even after they plunged following prior failures. “It’s not just a 30-day flash in the pan and you go merrily into the night, this crisis could take 12-18 months to play out” and possibly claim more banks, Samana’s colleague Darrell Cronk added.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Outside the S&amp;P, retailer&nbsp;<strong>Walgreens</strong>&nbsp;(down 24%) is the worst performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average as the pharmacy&nbsp;<a href="https://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2023/Walgreens-Boots-Alliance-Reports-Fiscal-2023-Third-Quarter-Results/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;a steep decline in Covid-related revenues, and Chinese retailer&nbsp;<strong>JD.com</strong>&nbsp;(down 39%) is the Nasdaq’s biggest loser as concerns about China’s economic recovery mounted.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/06/30/best-stocks-of-2023s-first-half-nvidia-leads-big-tech-renaissance/">Best Stocks Of 2023’s First Half: Nvidia Leads Big Tech Renaissance</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/"></a></p>


Citigroup Inc. Plots New Trading Floor With Plans to Double Staff in Paris

Worst Stocks Of 2023’s First Half: Battered Banks And Vaccine Makers


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Moderna on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Announces-Clinical-and-Program-Updates-at-4th-Vaccines-Day/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unveiled</a>&nbsp;plans to develop vaccines against tick-borne Lyme disease and norovirus, a notorious stomach bug, the Massachusetts-based biotech’s latest efforts to bolster its pipeline and expand its offerings ahead of a steep drop in demand for its Covid-19 vaccines.</p>



<p>Moderna announced plans to develop a Lyme vaccine.&nbsp;<small>GETTY IMAGES</small></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Moderna said it is developing multiple vaccines targeting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyme disease</a>, a serious infection spread by tick bites that can cause a range of symptoms including fever, facial paralysis, arthritis and rash.</p>



<p>There is no vaccine for Lyme disease on the market in the U.S.—the only approved shot was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/vaccine.html#:~:text=A%20vaccine%20for%20Lyme%20disease,2002%2C%20citing%20insufficient%20consumer%20demand." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulled</a>&nbsp;in 2002—and infections are rising, largely spurred on by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/14-percent-world-population-lyme-disease-rcna33279" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a>&nbsp;change&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/lyme-disease-climate-crisis-ticks-b2136409.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expanding</a>&nbsp;the range of the ticks that carry it.</p>



<p>There are around 120,000 Lyme disease cases reported in the U.S. and Europe each year and Moderna said the proposed vaccines target key species of the tick-borne bacteria responsible for most infections in the regions.</p>



<p>Vaccinating against bacterial infections like Lyme is generally more complicated than protecting against viral infections like Covid, and the effort marks the first time Moderna has applied its mRNA technology to bacterial threats.</p>



<p>Moderna also announced plans to develop mRNA vaccines targeting norovirus, which is highly contagious and the leading cause of diarrheal disease globally.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/13/moderna-therapeutics-biotech-mrna/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">struggled</a>&nbsp;for years to commercialize its mRNA technology before achieving stellar success with its Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic. With demand for those shots waning, it is under intense pressure to diversify its offerings. In addition to respiratory diseases like Covid, flu and RSV, Moderna has shots targeting various cancers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/22/moderna-hopes-to-build-on-mrna-tech-used-in-its-covid-shots-by-targeting-genetic-diseases/?sh=76b4f6452692">genetic&nbsp;</a>conditions and infectious diseases like HIV, herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus in the pipeline.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Moderna said it expects six “major vaccine” launches in the “next few years.” On Tuesday, Moderna said it plans to seek regulatory approval for its latest RSV vaccine this quarter. The company pushed back its timeline for its flu shot, however, citing the need to gather more data.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$15 billion. That’s how much Moderna estimates the annual global market for Covid booster shots is worth. The company said it expects to make up to $9 billion in profit from sales of respiratory products, which include its Covid booster shots and possible upcoming shots for illnesses like RSV.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/22/moderna-hopes-to-build-on-mrna-tech-used-in-its-covid-shots-by-targeting-genetic-diseases/?sh=76b4f6452692">Moderna Hopes To Build On mRNA Tech Used In Its Covid Shots—By Targeting Genetic Diseases</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/04/06/first-fda-approved-rsv-vaccines-expected-later-this-year-the-top-vaccines-and-their-effectiveness/?sh=7cb25dd65f81">First FDA-Approved RSV Vaccines Expected Later This Year: The Top Vaccines And Their Effectiveness</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/"></a><em><strong>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


COVID-19 Vaccination in Colombia

Vaccines For Lyme Disease And Norovirus? Moderna Working On Shots Targeting Tick-Borne Infection And Vomiting Bug


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Pfizer and BioNTech asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize their jointly-developed Covid-19 shot for children under five, the companies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-initiate-rolling-submission-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, paving the way for the first vaccine roll out among young children to begin in a matter of weeks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Pfizer and BioNTech said the companies had initiated a “rolling submission” to the FDA asking it to expand its current Emergency Use Authorization for the companies’ Covid-19 vaccine to include children six months to four years old, and it expects to complete its submission in the coming days.</p>



<p>The companies submitted the data at the FDA’s request, Pfizer and BioNTech said.</p>



<p>The vaccine series for young children is expected to consist of three shots, but data on the third shot’s effectiveness isn’t available yet and will be submitted in the “coming months.”</p>



<p>The FDA could first authorize two shots, which Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla noted would let parents “begin a Covid-19 vaccination series for their children while awaiting potential authorization of a third dose.”</p>



<p>The FDA said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-advisory-committee-meeting-discuss-request-authorization-pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;it will meet February 15 to discuss the shots, meaning authorization could come soon after that.</p>



<p>If approved, the shot will be the first authorized for use in children under the age of five in the U.S.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“As hospitalizations of children under five due to Covid-19 have soared, our mutual goal with the FDA is to prepare for future variant surges and provide parents with an option to help protect their children from this virus,” Bourla said in a statement. “Ultimately, we believe that three doses of the vaccine will be needed for children six months through four years of age to achieve high levels of protection against current and potential future variants.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Though children are less likely to get seriously unwell from the coronavirus, they play an important role in spreading the virus to more vulnerable people and can, in rare cases, develop life-threatening&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/06/whats-driving-record-covid-hospitalizations-among-us-kids/?sh=7af1a75243c0">illness</a>&nbsp;from Covid-19. The FDA has already given Pfizer emergency approval for its shot in children ages five and up—including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/01/03/fda-authorizes-pfizer-booster-shot-for-children-ages-12-to-15/?sh=1daaee077e38">boosters</a>&nbsp;in those aged 12 to 15 in January—but the company encountered setbacks for its shot in younger age groups after clinical trials showed lower levels of immunity compared to that given to older age groups. The&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/17/health/pfizer-vaccine-children/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">company</a>&nbsp;had reduced the amount of vaccine given to children to stave off any potential safety issues (it is standard practice to try and use the smallest dose possible) and amended the trial to add a third dose.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Moderna. The Massachusetts-based biotech&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/01/12/moderna-expects-vaccine-data-for-kids-ages-2-5-by-march/?sh=326461ad5a54">said</a>&nbsp;it hopes to report data on its Covid-19 vaccine for children ages two to five by March. If results are promising, the company said it will seek regulatory approval from the FDA. Moderna, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/01/31/moderna-receives-fda-approval-for-its-coronavirus-vaccine/?sh=49eef363203b">granted</a>&nbsp;full FDA approval for its shot in adults on Monday, has not yet secured authorization for teens in the U.S. after the regulator said it needed more time to examine a rare risk of heart inflammation after vaccination. This investigation is ongoing, though the European Medicines Agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-vaccine-spikevax-approved-children-aged-12-17-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenlit</a>&nbsp;the shot for use in children aged 12 to 17 in July.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>How many parents will let their young child get the shot. A Kaiser Family Foundation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-january-2022-parents-and-kids-update/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poll</a>&nbsp;conducted in January found only 31% of parents of children under five will get them vaccinated right away, while another 29% said they’ll “wait and see.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Novavax&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/01/31/novavax-asks-fda-to-authorize-its-non-mrna-covid-vaccine/?sh=49b274834183">asked</a>&nbsp;the FDA to grant it emergency authorization for its protein-based Covid-19 vaccine on Monday. The shot is already endorsed by the World Health Organization and regulators in Australia, South Korea and Europe.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/29/us-parents-kids-under-five-covid-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘We are so tired’: US parents and doctors say kids under five left behind in Covid vaccine race</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/11/03/kids-ages-5-11-are-now-eligible-for-covid-vaccines-but-polls-suggest-many-parents-wont-let-their-child-get-the-shot/?sh=6e24794d5f76">Kids Ages 5-11 Are Now Eligible For Covid Vaccines—But Polls Suggest Many Parents Won’t Let Their Child Get The Shot</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/06/whats-driving-record-covid-hospitalizations-among-us-kids/?sh=7af1a75243c0">What’s Driving Record Covid Hospitalizations Among U.S. Kids</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff </em></strong></p>



<p><strong><em>By Alison Durkee, Forbes Staff </em></strong></p>


A doctor is injecting a vaccine to a baby boy

Pfizer Asks FDA To Authorize Its Covid Shot For Kids Under 5


<p><strong>As the fear of the new Omicron variant spreads along with the virus itself, many countries and businesses worldwide have implemented or begun to discuss implementing vaccine mandates, restricting access to services or work to only those who have received their jabs.  </strong></p>



<p>Are you vaccinated against COVID-19? Depending on where you are in the world, you may not have access to certain government services&nbsp;or be able to continue employment&nbsp;without proof of vaccination as vaccine mandates are deliberated and&nbsp;potentially&nbsp;rolled out around the world.&nbsp;</p>



<p>As the Omicron variant sparks&nbsp;fears around the possibility of increased mortality and transmissibility, some nations&nbsp;and businesses&nbsp;have made&nbsp;COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory, with more nation states considering their implementation.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>“I think it is understandable and appropriate to lead this discussion now…. how we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European&nbsp;Union,” said&nbsp;Ursula von der Leyen,&nbsp;European Commission President,&nbsp;during a press conference yesterday.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Some European&nbsp;Union&nbsp;nations have already implemented&nbsp;their own form of&nbsp;mandates, with Italy and France requiring all healthcare workers to provide proof of vaccination, and many other countries implementing fines and restricting&nbsp;interprovincial and international&nbsp;movement for the unvaccinated.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Similar&nbsp;actions are underway on the African continent, with Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa considering&nbsp;or implementing&nbsp;mandates, with&nbsp;South African President Cyril Ramaphosa&nbsp;announcing deliberations during a national address on November&nbsp;28:&nbsp;&#8220;Government has set up a task team that will undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations.&#8221;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Despite&nbsp;having previously&nbsp;stated&nbsp;that&nbsp;“nobody will be forced to take this vaccine. Nobody will be forbidden from traveling, from enrolling at school, or from taking part in any public activity if they have not been vaccinated” in an earlier address, the President seems to have adjusted the&nbsp;government’s&nbsp;position due to economic pressure as a result of increased travel restrictions due to the Omicron variant, which has seen much of the world implement a travel&nbsp;ban on&nbsp;southern Africa in the run-up to the holiday period.&nbsp;The South African Rand dropped to&nbsp;its&nbsp;weakest level in over a year with the discovery of the&nbsp;new variant.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Other countries on&nbsp;the continent have already made the move to implement.&nbsp;Kenya, which has seen over a quarter of a million cases of COVID-19, will require&nbsp;people to provide proof of vaccination to enter businesses, restaurants, schools and transport services as of 21 December 2021 – a move which has seen both praise and criticism, as business associations and civil society say that a nation with an 8.8% vaccination rate will not be able to meet sufficient targets&nbsp;and will cause further economic damage.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Nigeria has recently extended the vaccination deadline for civil servants to&nbsp;31 December 2021, after which the unvaccinated will see themselves barred access from any public buildings or offices.&nbsp;</p>



<p>However, with only 1.7% of the country’s population vaccinated, it seems unlikely to reach the Federal Government’s earlier set goal of 50% of the population vaccinated by January 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Some South African businesses have already begun implementing mandates of their own, with health and finance conglomerate Discovery&nbsp;making vaccination mandatory for staff&nbsp;by early 2022, the announcement of which caused a surge in uptake of the vaccines within the&nbsp;organization, rising from barely 20% to 94%.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>“Ultimately, as a science-led organization,&nbsp;we feel a strong moral imperative to do this, given the need to curb the loss of life and the indisputable proof that vaccines work in doing so,” said Discovery CEO Adrian Gore in an op-ed published in South Africa’s&nbsp;<em>Business Day</em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Universities and other large businesses in South Africa have followed suit.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Worldwide, the implementation&nbsp;or announcement of mandates&nbsp;have&nbsp;seen backlash and protests.&nbsp;The Biden administration in the United States has seen setbacks recently, with federal courts halting attempts to roll&nbsp;out vaccine mandates for healthcare workers and federal government contractors.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>In Australia, thousands in Melbourne protested outside Parliament House yesterday as a wide-reaching vaccine mandate was implemented, with many workers in public service leaving their uniforms on the steps of the House in protest against the mandate. <br> <br>Similar protests have occurred throughout the globe, including South Africa, which has seen anti-vaccination protestors demonstrate outside healthcare and government facilities over the last year. <br> <br>With COVID-19 cases growing globally and uncertainty around the impact of the Omicron variant, it remains to be seen whether vaccine mandates will be able to be successfully implemented, and if they will contribute successfully to the fight against the pandemic. <br> <br></p>


Vaccination centers in South Africa continue administering Covid-19 vaccines

Vaccine Mandates – ‘No Jab, No Work’ May Become Reality Amid Omicron Fears


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Pfizer is suing one of its employees after she allegedly stole thousands of the company’s files with the intent to take a job with one of its competitors, with some of the files including information about the Covid-19 vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/PfizerIncvLietalDocketNo321cv01980SDCalNov232021CourtDocket?1637769860" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complaint</a>&nbsp;filed Tuesday in San Diego federal court, Pfizer alleged one of its associate directors of statistics, Chun Xiao Li, uploaded over 12,000 files to her personal devices from a company issued laptop without permission.</p>



<p>Pfizer said it believes Li was offered a job at one of its competitors—Xencor Inc., a biopharmaceutical company.</p>



<p>Pfizer claims Li is still in possession of a laptop containing documents “potentially related to numerous Pfizer vaccines, drugs, and other innovations,” with the complaint specifically focusing on information she allegedly has pertaining to the Covid-19 vaccine and monoclonal antibodies.</p>



<p>The drug company claimed Li tried to mislead it by providing a “decoy” laptop when they confronted her about the issue.</p>



<p>A U.S. district judge ordered a temporary block on Tuesday, halting Li from using any of Pfizer’s trade secrets,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-sues-departing-employee-it-says-stole-covid-19-vaccine-secrets-2021-11-24/?taid=619ec19e838dea0001e11dc2&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Reuters.</p>



<p>Li did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Had Ms. Li left Pfizer honorably, she would not be named in this Complaint. But she made a different choice,” Pfizer wrote.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Pfizer noted in the complaint that competitors have been trying “relentlessly” to recruit its employees, particularly in 2021.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>On Monday, the company <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/follow-data-phase-3-trial-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> its Covid-19 vaccine demonstrated 100% efficacy in adolescents ages 12-15. It plans to submit the vaccine for full regulatory approval in the age group in the U.S. and internationally.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/"></a><strong><em>By Mason Bissada, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Pfizer logo seen on the facade of an office building in

Pfizer Sues Employee, Alleging She Stole Covid-19 Vaccine Documents

Noubar Afeyan

The Billionaire Chairman Of Vaccine Maker Moderna Wants To Reinvent Scientific Entrepreneurship


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Despite the deadly wave of delta variant coronavirus that overwhelmed hospitals and sent death rates soaring, high numbers of Americans are still refusing Covid-19 vaccines, according to a new <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-october-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poll</a> by the Kaiser Family Foundation, underscoring the challenges officials face as they try to move beyond the pandemic.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>One in five Americans said they would never get a Covid-19 shot (16%) or would only do so if required (4%), according to the Kaiser poll, conducted October 14-24 among 1,519 U.S. adults.</p>



<p>Around a third of Republicans (31%) and rural residents (33%)—the groups most opposed to vaccination—said they would definitely not get the shot, the poll found, with a further 3% and 2%, respectively, saying they would only do so if required.</p>



<p>The poll also found strong vaccine opposition among uninsured people under 65 (28% said they would definitely not get the jab or only do so if required), white evangelical Christians (26%), those aged 30-49 (25%), men (24%) and adults without a college degree (23%).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Partisan divides persisted among vaccinated adults, Kaiser found, with nearly four in 10 (38%) fully vaccinated Republicans saying they probably or definitely would not get a booster shot if one was made available to them, nearly four times the number of like-minded Democrats (9%).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>A quarter (25%) of workers said their employer has required them to get vaccinated, Kaiser found. Just over half (51%) of workers not subject to a vaccine mandate at work said they did not want their employer to do so (vs 21% who do). Unsurprisingly, these figures change when split by vaccination status, with nearly three times as many (90%) unvaccinated adults saying they do not want their employer to require vaccination as vaccinated adults (35%).&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>More than a third (37%) of unvaccinated workers said they would leave their jobs if their employer required vaccination even if they offered a testing alternative, Kaiser found. If no testing option was available, this rose to 72%. A third (32%) of Republicans polled said they already know someone who has left a job over a vaccine mandate.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/09/21/half-of-vaccinated-americans-might-not-spend-the-holidays-with-unvaccinated-family-and-friends-poll-finds/?sh=4b7532dd349a">Patience</a>&nbsp;with the unvaccinated is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3kxtPHVHZE&amp;ab_channel=ForbesBreakingNews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wearing thin</a>&nbsp;at many levels of government, in corporate America and among vaccinated Americans. Despite an abundant vaccine supply and every adult (and many children) having been eligible for months, a significant portion of the U.S. population remains unvaccinated. Resistance to vaccines has remained steady for months, according to polls by Kaiser and other firms, despite material changes to the pandemic and the spread of the delta variant. The surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths seen over the summer was driven almost entirely by unvaccinated people,&nbsp; Employers have been implementing their own policies to encourage vaccination among workers and in early September, President Biden announced sweeping new mandates covering all businesses with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/09/us/politics/biden-mandates-vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 100 employees</a>&nbsp;to require their workers get vaccinated or be tested weekly. The policies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/10/04/covid-19-vaccine-mandates-are-working-heres-the-proof/?sh=2e0aa65f2305">appear</a>&nbsp;to be working, with vaccination rates shooting up among workforces after requirements were announced.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/05/by-the-numbers-whos-refusing-covid-vaccinations-and-why/?sh=66b5e62552ea">By The Numbers: Who’s Refusing Covid Vaccinations—And Why</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/03/most-unvaccinated-americans-dont-feel-responsible-for-surging-covid-cases-poll-suggests---heres-who-they-blame/?sh=35850d41c8e0">Most Unvaccinated Americans Don’t Feel Responsible For Surging Covid Cases, Poll Suggests — Here’s Who They Blame</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/08/19/the-cost-of-being-unvaccinated-just-went-up---most-insurers-are-passing-costs-back-to-patients-as-covid-hospitalizations-soar/?sh=79abb26ebd9a">The Cost Of Being Unvaccinated Just Went Up — Most Insurers Are Passing Costs Back To Patients As Covid Hospitalizations Soar</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/08/delta-has-changed-pandemic-endgame/619726/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How The Pandemic Now Ends</a>&nbsp;(The Atlantic)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/11/here-are-the-biggest-groups-that-are-still-refusing-the-covid-19-vaccine-poll-finds/?sh=4b17342242cc">Here Are The Biggest Groups That Are Still Refusing The Covid-19 Vaccine, Poll Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/10/04/covid-19-vaccine-mandates-are-working-heres-the-proof/?sh=2e0aa65f2305">Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates Are Working—Here’s The Proof</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Robert Hart, Forbes Sta</strong></em><strong><em>ff</em></strong></p>


Kenya Vaccinates Elderly Against Covid-19

1 In 5 Adults Still Reject Covid Vaccines, Poll Finds — Here Are The Biggest Groups Still Holding Out


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong> The World Health Organization <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/06-10-2021-who-recommends-groundbreaking-malaria-vaccine-for-children-at-risk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorsed</a> the safety and efficacy of the world’s first malaria vaccine on Wednesday, clearing the way for it to be rolled out to treat children in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions that are hard-hit by the disease, which is one of the leading killers in low-income countries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>WHO expert advisory groups on vaccines and malaria said the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, also known as Mosquirix, which was developed by GlaxoSmithKline, was recommended based off the results of a pilot program involving more than 800,000 children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.</p>



<p>The pilot program showed the vaccine was cost-effective and helped to reduce the incidence of life-threatening severe cases of malaria by 30% in areas where other preventative measures were being taken.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>More than 260,000. That is approximately how many children under the age of 5 die of malaria in Africa annually, according to the WHO.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease, and we expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR</h2>



<p>The WHO said it will make funding decisions for a broader rollout of the vaccine, and countries will need to decide whether they want to adopt the vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>GlaxoSmithKline, <a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/improving-health-globally/using-our-science-for-global-health/guardian-article-the-30-year-quest-for-a-malaria-vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> it has been working to create a vaccine that would help protect against malaria for 30 years. The company first made a breakthrough in 1996 with the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, which protected six out of seven volunteers in an initial trial. Additional studies in 1999 on adults in Gambia and in 2004 on Mozambique children also proved that the vaccine was effective. Based on various trials, the company submitted a regulatory application with the European Medicines Agency last year, taking the first step to getting the vaccine approved for widespread use.</p>



<p><strong><em>By Kimberlee Speakman, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


GHANA-HEALTH-VACCINES-MALARIA

WHO Backs Widespread Use Of First Malaria Vaccine


<p id="h-topline"><strong>TOPLINE</strong> Pfizer plans to imminently submit its data on Covid-19 vaccinations for five- to 11-year-olds for governmental approval, CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday, which means the shots could potentially be available for kids later this fall after initial data <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/20/pfizer-prepares-to-seek-us-eu-approval-for-its-covid-vaccine-in-kids-as-young-as-five/?sh=91f3a3b2f154">suggested</a> the vaccine produces a “strong immune response” in children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Bourla&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1442132591855951873" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;on ABC’s&nbsp;<em>This Week</em>&nbsp;that the company intends to submit its trial data for five to 11 year olds for approval “pretty soon,” adding it is “a question of days, not weeks.”</p>



<p>Once they submit the data, it will be “up to the [Food and Drug Administration]” to determine whether the vaccine should be approved, Bourla said, but Pfizer “will be ready with our manufacturing to provide this new formulation of the vaccine” if it is.</p>



<p>Pfizer released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/20/pfizer-prepares-to-seek-us-eu-approval-for-its-covid-vaccine-in-kids-as-young-as-five/?sh=91f3a3b2f154">initial trial data</a>&nbsp;earlier this week, which has not yet been peer reviewed, that found the child Covid-19 vaccine—which is one-third the dose that’s given to adults—is “safe” and “well tolerated” among five- to 11-year-olds.</p>



<p>The data suggested the vaccine provokes an immune response in children similar to that of fully vaccinated 16- to 25-year-olds despite the smaller dose, and also similar mild side effects like pain at the site of the injection, fever, fatigue and chills.</p>



<p>Former FDA head Dr. Scott Gottleib, who serves on Pfizer’s board,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transcript-dr-scott-gottlieb-covid-19-booster-09-26-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;on CBS Sunday he expects the agency’s review of the Pfizer data to take approximately four to six weeks, putting the timeline for potential approval somewhere between Halloween and mid-November.</p>



<p>U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/09/12/covid-vaccines-for-kids-could-be-approved-by-halloween-under-best-case-scenario-gottlieb-suggests/?sh=4b3f5832378a">said</a>&nbsp;earlier in September the government is ready to “process that [data] quickly” as soon as Pfizer submits it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>5.5 million. That’s the approximate number of Covid-19 cases that have been reported in children as of September 16,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the most recent&nbsp; date for which data is available. Children make up 15.7% of all U.S. Covid-19 cases, but cases have been particularly on the rise among kids in recent months amid the highly infectious delta variant’s spread. The AAP reports child cases made up 25.7% of the cases reported the week of September 9-16, and the total number of Covid-19 cases in children since the start of the pandemic increased by 9% just in the span of two weeks, between September 2 and September 16.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Moderna is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/03/16/moderna-starts-covid-19-vaccine-trial-in-kids-younger-than-12-years-old/?sh=2ef4fd411d5b">testing</a>&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccines in children but has not yet released any of its findings, and Pfizer is also undergoing trials of its shot in children under five years old. That trial data is expected to come by the end of the year, Pfizer said earlier this week. Johnson &amp; Johnson is so far only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/how-pfizer-moderna-j-j-are-testing-their-vaccines-in-children.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">testing</a>&nbsp;its vaccine among adolescents, and AstraZeneca has also started trials of its vaccine in children as young as six, though it was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/06/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paused</a>&nbsp;in April pending a safety review due to concerns about blood clots.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Bourla’s comments Sunday are in line with previous estimates on the FDA approval process for child vaccines, with Gottleib&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/09/12/covid-vaccines-for-kids-could-be-approved-by-halloween-under-best-case-scenario-gottlieb-suggests/?sh=4b3f5832378a">predicting</a>&nbsp;earlier in September the shots could be approved by Halloween under a “best-case scenario,” which he reiterated Sunday. Leaders at BioNTech, which developed the vaccine with Pfizer, also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/09/10/pfizer-biontech-to-seek-approval-for-first-covid-vaccine-for-young-children-in-next-few-weeks/?sh=384f8eba2337">said</a>&nbsp;September 10 they planned to seek approval for their vaccine “in the next few weeks.” Covid-19 vaccines in children have become a particularly urgent issue in light of the delta variant, which has fueled numerous outbreaks of the coronavirus in schools—particularly those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2021/09/24/students-in-schools-with-masking-requirements-less-likely-to-get-covid-cdc-studies-show/?sh=786b6e4a8381">without</a>&nbsp;mask mandates and other mitigation measures—and left unvaccinated populations like children particularly vulnerable. Studies have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">indicated</a>&nbsp;children are less susceptible to severe illness and death from Covid-19, but pediatric&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/08/20/alabama-sets-new-record-for-kids-hospitalized-with-covid/?sh=3f88ae3173f1">hospitalizations</a>&nbsp;have nevertheless been on the rise, and children are also at risk of developing “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/09/heres-what-we-know-about-long-covid-the-debilitating-lingering-illness-that-could-affect-millions/">long Covid</a>,” in which debilitating symptoms may persist for months. (Recent research&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/17/long-covid-less-common-than-feared-as-studies-suggest-many-confuse-other-symptoms-with-condition/?sh=6428dc2a64b4">suggests</a>&nbsp;the incidence of long Covid may be lower than previously thought, but the data remains inconclusive.) Parents have pushed for more information on the FDA approval process and for the vaccine to be available to kids as soon as possible as a result, with more than 100 lawmakers sending a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RepKatiePorter/status/1427687260305063937" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">letter</a>&nbsp;to the FDA in August seeking answers about the timeline for the shot.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Bourla also&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1442135576111636485" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;Sunday he believed “within a year,” people will be able to “come back to within normal lives” despite Covid-19, echoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-chief-executive-sees-pandemic-over-year-newspaper-2021-09-23/v" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comments</a>&nbsp;made earlier this week by Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, though he believes new variants of the coronavirus will continue to emerge. While Bourla acknowledged “we don’t know really” what the future of the pandemic will look like, the CEO suggested future Covid-19 vaccines designed to combat emerging variants could “last at least a year” and predicted people will have annual Covid-19 vaccinations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/09/20/pfizer-prepares-to-seek-us-eu-approval-for-its-covid-vaccine-in-kids-as-young-as-five/?sh=91f3a3b2f154">Pfizer Prepares To Seek U.S., EU Approval After Study Shows Vaccine Is Safe For Five To 11-Year-Olds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/09/12/covid-vaccines-for-kids-could-be-approved-by-halloween-under-best-case-scenario-gottlieb-suggests/?sh=4b3f5832378a">Covid Vaccines For Kids Could Be Approved By Halloween Under ‘Best Case Scenario,’ Gottlieb Suggests</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/09/10/pfizer-biontech-to-seek-approval-for-first-covid-vaccine-for-young-children-in-next-few-weeks/?sh=384f8eba2337">Pfizer-BioNTech To Seek Approval For First Covid Vaccine For Young Children ‘In Next Few Weeks’</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Alison Durkee, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Female doctor giving covid-19 vaccine to a boy

Child Covid-19 Vaccine Data Will Be Submitted To FDA Within ‘Days,’ Pfizer CEO Says

Thailand Rolls Out Pfizer Vaccine

Covid’s Forgotten Hero: The Untold Story Of The Scientist Whose Breakthrough Made The Vaccines Possible


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>: The U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration has extended the shelf life of the Johnson &amp; Johnson single-dose Covid-19 vaccine from four-and-a-half months to six months, the drugmaker announced on Thursday, a decision that comes at a time when several health officials expressed concerns about vaccine doses expiring and going to waste.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-statement-on-u-s-fda-approval-of-shelf-life-extension-for-companys-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">press release</a>&nbsp;by Johnson &amp; Johnson, the FDA’s decision was based on data from ongoing studies that showed the vaccine remains stable when refrigerated at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.</p>



<p>In a letter sent to the company, the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/3zRuTMB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">noted</a>&nbsp;that the extension will apply to batches that might have expired prior to the issuance of the order as long as they were stored at the requisite temperature.</p>



<p>The company will update the expiry dates of its batches on its&nbsp;<a href="https://vaxcheck.jnj/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>, which vaccine providers can use as a reference.</p>



<p>The move will provide health workers six additional weeks to administer millions of doses of the single-shot vaccine.</p>



<p>The FDA had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-coronavirus-vaccine-science-coronavirus-pandemic-business-6d04574617b35c56e7ca2c711cc5585f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously extended</a>&nbsp;the J&amp;J vaccine’s shelf life from three months to four-and-half months in June.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



<p>49.3%. That’s the total percentage of people in the U.S. who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. Among U.S. adults, 69.3% of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



<p>Unlike the two mRNA Covid-19 vaccines—made by Moderna and Pfizer—J&amp;J’s vaccine is administered as a single shot and can be stored in normal refrigeration temperatures. This means that the vaccine can be easily transported and administered in rural and isolated parts of the country where healthcare infrastructure may be limited.&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According to</a>&nbsp;the CDC, more than 13 million people in the U.S. have received the one-shot vaccine. In comparison, more than 87 million people have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 63 million have received two jabs of the Moderna vaccine.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-8126286b2c8bc65970117a08c77af075" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US extends expiration dates on J&amp;J COVID vaccine to 6 months</a>&nbsp;(Associated Press)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-agrees-extend-jj-covid-19-vaccines-shelf-life-6-months-2021-07-28/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">J&amp;J says U.S. FDA agrees to extend shelf life of its COVID-19 vaccine</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/world/johnson-vaccine-shelf-life.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">J&amp;J vaccine shelf life extended to six months by F.D.A.</a> (New York Times)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Tag: vaccine

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