Wuhan (Novel) Corona Virus -looming pandemy of deadly pneumonia? - Pandemy ongoing!

(February 18, 2021) Gates, Merck and Novartis-backed Adjuvant Capital raises $300M for neglected diseases
A major group of pharma and charitable groups have joined forces to raise a $300 million venture round for Adjuvant Capital
as it goes after forgotten diseases across the globe. Those big names include Merck, Novartis, IFC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Dalio Philanthropies, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, ELMA Investments Ltd., the Ford Foundation,
the MacArthur Foundation, Global Health Investment Corporation, CDC Group, Anthos Fund & Asset Management and others.
First launched back 2019, Adjuvant has already backed 14 companies developing technologies for high-impact
indications ranging from rare conditions such as melioidosis, a tropical flu-like illness, to widespread global emergencies such as COVID-19.
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/gates-merck-and-novartis-backed-adjuvant-capital-raises-300m-for-neglected-diseases

(February 18, 2021) South Africa starts administering Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to health workers
South Africa has started administering the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine to health workers this week after the first doses arrived in the country.
Meanwhile, J&J has submitted an application for Conditional Marketing Authorisation in the EU, following its application for EUA in the US.
The first batch of 80,000 doses of the J&J vaccine is being administered to health workers,
having been approved by the SA Health Productions Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under the Sinsonke protocol.
The first vaccine was administered yesterday at Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town.
This authorization is for the ‘open label, pragmatic, real world Phase 3b clinical trial’ of the vaccine,
which will investigate the effectiveness of the single-dose vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths among vaccinated health workers.
biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2021/02/18/South-Africa-starts-administering-Janssen-COVID-19-vaccine-to-health-workers

(February 19, 2021) Gavi signs memorandum of understanding with Novavax on behalf of COVAX Facility
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance announced today that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Novavax that,
combined with a separate existing agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII), will provide a total of 1.1 billion doses
of the company’s NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccine candidate to the COVAX Facility.
The MoU lays the foundation for agreement on final terms via an advance purchase agreement
and is a critical step toward making sure doses of the vaccine,
if approved and licensed, will be made available to all countries and economies participating in the COVAX Facility.
biospectrumasia.com/news/37/17639/gavi-signs-memorandum-of-understanding-with-novavax-on-behalf-of-covax-facility.html

(February 19, 2021) Superdrug launches Covid-19 PCR saliva testing
Superdrug has become the first high street retailer to offer a Chronomics Covid-19 PCR testing service that uses a patient’s saliva.
The price covers the test as well 24 hour tracked return delivery of the test,
analysis of the sample and the results being processed and eventually being returned to the customer.
You should get your results within 36 hours of taking the test.
At a recent Downing Street press conference the PM hinted mass deployment of saliva tests
will play a fundamental part in rolling back lockdown restrictions on large events.
pharmacy.biz/superdrug-launches-covid-19-pcr-saliva-testing/
the-sun.com/news/2365935/superdrug-offering-covid-tests-saliva-sample-today/

(February 20, 2021) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CSIR sign MoU to promote health research
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to support the development, conduct and promotion of health research in India.
As per the MoU, areas of research collaboration would include genetic diseases that impact infant and neonatal mortality;
new diagnostics and devices for infectious disease and environmental surveillance; development of cost-effective processes for drug, vaccines,
biologics, and diagnostics manufacturing; novel microbiome-directed foods; socio-economic impact of science and technological tools; and other areas of health and development.
The MoU was signed by Hari Menon, Director, India Country Office on behalf of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr G N Dayananda, Head, Technology Management Directorate – Industry Interface, CSIR.
pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=135641&sid=2

(February 20, 2021) Schwab Family Values

Is the real Klaus Schwab a kindly old uncle figure wishing
to do good for humanity, or is he really the son of a Nazi collaborator
who used slave labour and aided Nazi efforts to obtain the first atomic bomb?

Johnny Vedmore investigates.
unlimitedhangout.com/2021/02/investigative-reports/schwab-family-values/

zerohedge
@zerohedge
·
1m
Merkel: "No End In Sight Until World Is Vaccinated"

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/merkel-warns-no-end-until-world-vaccinated-despite-collapsing-global-covid-cases-imminent

KneelB4Zod! wrote:zerohedge
@zerohedge
·
1m
Merkel: "No End In Sight Until World Is Vaccinated"

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/merkel-warns-no-end-until-world-vaccinated-despite-collapsing-global-covid-cases-imminent

Clearly this is not about a "Virus"

Even a blind man could see that.

(February 22, 2021) G7 leaders commit US$ 4.3 billion to finance global equitable access to tests, treatments and vaccines in 2021
Commitments made at Virtual G7 leaders meeting hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and at the Munich Security Conference later in the day,
signaled significant progress in the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic with an important underscoring
of the need for global equity in access to test, treatments, and vaccines. Leaders recognised that no country can be safe
until every country is safe and collectively committed over US$ 4.3 billion to the ACT Accelerator
partnership to develop and distribute effective tests, treatments, and vaccines around the world.
Contributions were made up as follows:

- The USA committed initial $2 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment and a further $2 billion
through 2021 and 2022, of which the first $500 million will be made available when existing donor pledges are fulfilled and initial doses are delivered to AMC countries.

- Germany committed US$ 1.8 billion with contributions to all pillars and partners of the ACT Accelerator across tests, treatments, vaccines, and health systems strengthening.

- The European Commission committed US$ 363 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment.

- Japan committed US$ 79 million for the COVAX Advance Market Commitment and UNITAID.

- Canada committed US$ 59 million to the ACT Accelerator.

- In addition, the European Investment Bank is providing a further US$ 242 million[iv] in loan guarantees
which will help the ACT Accelerator partnership to frontload future payments to speed up the response.
pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=135656&sid=2

(February 22, 2021) Air France to pilot ICC’s blockchain Covid-19 credentials app
Air France will begin a four-week pilot of a new health passport, the blockchain-powered ICC AOKpass starting March 11.
The app enables passengers to present their Covid-19 negative test on their mobile phones and is supported by MedAire / International SOS.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has more than 45 million corporate members worldwide.
The app was co-developed by Perlin, ICC’s blockchain partner, and startup AOKpass.
App usage will be carried out on a voluntary basis, and Air France will share the results with other airlines in the Skyteam alliance,
including Delta, KLM, Aeroflot, Air Italia, Korean Air, and others.
Meanwhile, various other blockchain-based health credentialing initiatives are being trialed by airlines.
Emirates Airlines, for example, is trialing GE Digital and TE-FOOD’s TrustOne app.
British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and others are trialing IATA’s Travel Pass platform.
ledgerinsights.com/air-france-to-pilot-iccs-blockchain-covid-19-credentials-app/

(February 22, 2021) Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel
Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia
in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system for travellers to prove they have been immunised against COVID-19.
Travel industry leaders expect COVID-19 immunisation will become mandatory
for international flights once vaccines have been widely distributed, with Qantas
chief executive Alan Joyce saying in November it would be a requirement to fly on his airline.
Incoming travellers to Australia already have to provide evidence they tested negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure.
smh.com.au/business/companies/air-nz-trials-vaccine-passport-a-glimpse-of-post-covid-travel-20210222-p574m9.html

The Vaccine (Dis)Information War https://t.co/c2toQk7IP7

— OffGuardian (@OffGuardian0) February 23, 2021

(February 23, 2021) If you die from the COVID-19 vaccine in Japan, the government will give your family over ¥44 mil
Japan began distributing the COVID-19 vaccine on Feb 17. While a little behind other developed countries, they seem to be trying
to do it in as organized fashion as possible, staggering vaccinations to medical staff, the elderly, people with health conditions,
and everyone else in that order. It’s not without its challenges, however, and one of them remains the Japanese people’s general skittishness when it comes to vaccines.
However, some who fear that the prevention might be worse than the disease may be swayed by a recent report that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare will award a lump sum of 44,200,000 yen
to the surviving family of any person who dies as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine and even cover funeral costs up to 209,000 yen.
It doesn’t even matter if there was negligence on the part of medical staff or the vaccine producer. In other words, there’s no strings attached.
japantoday.com/category/features/health/If-you-die-from-the-COVID-19-vaccine-in-Japan-the-government-will-give-your-family-over-%C2%A544-mil

(February 18, 2021) Duterte certifies indemnity fund bills for Covid-19 vaccines as urgent
President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the proposed measures seeking to ensure availability of funds to compensate Filipinos
in case they die or suffer from severe side effects after receiving Covid-19 vaccines.
An indemnification law is expected to hasten the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines in the country,
since it is among the requirements of vaccine manufacturers to exempt them from liability
should their products cause serious adverse effects to vaccine takers.
tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/02/18/duterte-certifies-indemnity-fund-bills-for-covid-19-vaccines-as-urgent/

(February 23, 2021) Federal law prohibits employers and others from requiring vaccination with a Covid-19 vaccine distributed under an EUA
Even though the FDA granted emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in December 2020,
the clinical trials the FDA will rely upon to ultimately decide whether to license these vaccines
are still underway and are designed to last for approximately two years to collect adequate data
to establish if these vaccines are safe and effective enough for the FDA to license.

This means that an organization will likely be at odds with federal law if it requires its employees,
students or other members to get a Covid-19 vaccine that is being distributed under emergency use authorization.
State law often prohibits retaliating against an employee for refusing to participate in a violation of federal law.
Organizations that require Covid-19 vaccination in violation of federal law may face lawsuits

under these state laws not only to block the policy but also for damages and attorneys’ fees.
Such potentially costly lawsuits can be avoided by refraining from adopting policies
that require vaccination or penalize members for choosing not to be vaccinated.
statnews.com/2021/02/23/federal-law-prohibits-employers-and-others-from-requiring-vaccination-with-a-covid-19-vaccine-distributed-under-an-eua/

(February 24, 2021) UCB taps Microsoft to accelerate drug discovery, clinical trials
UCB and Microsoft have entered into a multiyear strategic collaboration.
The deal will see Microsoft use its capabilities in computational services,
cloud computing and artificial intelligence to support drug discovery and development at UCB.
Belgium’s UCB is also looking to identify other areas of its operation that could benefit from AI and additional computing power.
UCB is yet to name areas it is exploring, saying only that the work will span “every part of the drug discovery and delivery value chain”
and is intended to accelerate the development of life-changing treatments in immunology and neurology.
The partners have set four strategic objectives for the alliance. As well as improving the overall patient journey,
UCB and Microsoft want to better understand the causes of disease, speed discovery using data-driven insights
and accelerate clinical development timelines. The collaboration expands on an existing relationship
between UCB and Microsoft that is focused on COVID-19.
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/ucb-taps-microsoft-to-accelerate-drug-discovery-clinical-trials

(February 24, 2021) Rwanda becomes first in Africa to Trial Air Travel Digital Health Passport
RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel pass,
a digial health pass currently being trialled around the world.
The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers travelling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.
The IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform to help passengers easily and securely verify that they comply
with Covid-19 test or vaccine travel requirements, in turn giving governments the confidence to reopen borders.
gulf-times.com/story/685397/Rwanda-becomes-first-in-Africa-to-Trial-Air-Travel

(February 24, 2021) Malaysia Airlines to introduce Digital Travel Health Pass
National carrier Malaysia Airlines plans to introduce a Digital Travel Health Pass to enable
safer air travel in a post-pandemic era. In a statement today, the airline said the health pass will integrate modules
from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass,
enabling passengers to create a digital passport on the Malaysia Airlines mobile app.
malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/02/24/malaysia-airlines-to-introduce-digital-travel-health-pass/1952609

(February 24, 2021) Why we’re suing over the £23m NHS data deal with Palantir
We’ve just issued a lawsuit over their £23m NHS data deal with controversial ‘spy tech’ company Palantir.
We’re taking the government to court because, right before Christmas, they quietly gave this CIA-backed firm a major, long-term role
in handling our personal health information, and in England’s cherished National Health Service.
The government claimed the initial Palantir ‘datastore’ deal, signed last March, was a short-term, emergency response to the pandemic.
But December's new, two-year contract reaches far beyond COVID: to Brexit, general business planning and much more.
And, as the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveals today, it comes after years of Palantir lobbying top UK and NHS officials,
courting them in London, San Francisco and Davos – over dinner and watermelon cocktails.
opendemocracy.net/en/ournhs/why-were-suing-over-the-23m-nhs-data-deal-with-palantir/

(February 25, 2021) Tony Blair’s anti-freedom project continues, but ‘War on Terror’ is replaced by ‘War on Covid’
The ‘War on Terror’ seems to have morphed into a ‘War on Covid’. And guess what? Serial warmonger Tony Blair is a key figure in both,
seeking to curtail our civil liberties with the excuse that it’s all for the “greater good.”
The date: Monday November 6, 2006. The place: Downing Street news conference.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair dismisses the civil rights argument against ID cards,
which his government is keen to introduce. He says it is an issue of “modernity” and “modern life.”

Fast forward fourteen years, and the same Tony Blair is saying much the same thing about Covid vaccine passports.
There’s been no more zealous British advocate of vaccine passports than the man the anti-lockdown journalist Peter Hitchens calls ‘The Blair Creature’.
“Prepare for a health passport now,” he said in December. “I know all the objections,
but it will happen. It’s the only way the world will function and for lockdowns to no longer be the sole course of action.”
Last week it was reported that ´The Blair Creature’ had been lobbying hard for vaccine passports to be included in Boris Johnson’s so-called ‘road map’ out of lockdown. And they were.
Back in 2006, ID cards were promoted as a way of tackling the ‘terrorism’ threat and keeping us all ‘safe’. Vaccine passports are presented today in the same reassuring manner.
The War on Terror and the War on Covid have so much in common. They both have five level ‘alert’ systems. ´The Blair Creature’ is the key linking figure.
rt.com/op-ed/516591-tony-blair-war-terror-covid/

(February 25, 2021) Bahrain becomes first nation to grant J&J COVID-19 shot emergency use
Bahrain became the first nation to authorize Johnson & Johnson’s new single-dose coronavirus vaccine for emergency use
on Thursday, the government announced, just a day after US regulators concluded the shot offers strong protection against severe COVID-19.
The island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia said it would dole out J&J’s shot
to the most vulnerable people, including older adults and those with chronic conditions, without specifying when.
It was also unclear when doses would be delivered to the country, which already offers vaccines
by state-backed Chinese firm Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNtech and Oxford-AstraZeneca, as well as Russia’s Sputnik V to its roughly 2 million residents.
arabnews.com/node/1815821/middle-east

(February 27, 2021) FDA authorizes Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday issued an emergency authorization
for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, the third vaccine to be cleared
for use in the United States and the first that requires only one dose.
The vaccine, which has not yet been tested in children or adolescents, was cleared for use in adults aged 18 and older.

The addition of J&J’s vaccine to the arsenal could offer a distinct advantage in the effort to vaccinate large swaths of the American public
as quickly as possible. The single-shot vaccine doesn’t have the same onerous cold-chain requirements
as the two vaccines developed by Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech partnership.

The approval for all adults comes despite the fact that the data on elderly adults from the company’s Phase 3 study were limited.
Some of J&J’s data also raised questions about how well the vaccine works in adults 60 and older who have comorbidities,
or underlying medical conditions. The committee ultimately voted unanimously to recommend the vaccine
be used in those 18 or older, without any restrictions on age.
statnews.com/2021/02/27/fda-authorizes-jnj-covid19-vaccine/

Anna interviews three professionals about Ivermectin

(December 2, 2020) Drugmaker Merck divests stake in vaccine-maker Moderna
U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co said on Wednesday it has sold its equity investment in Moderna Inc,
after benefiting from a surge in the stock price of the vaccine developer this year.
Merck did not disclose the details of the sale proceeds,
but said it expects to record a small gain from the sale in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Moderna's shares have risen more than seven-fold this year,
valuing the company at US$55.80 billion as of Tuesday's closing price.
channelnewsasia.com/news/business/drugmaker-merck-divests-stake-in-vaccine-maker-moderna-13685736

(March 1, 2021) AstraZeneca sells stake in vaccine maker Moderna for nearly US$1 billion
AstraZeneca sold its stake in rival COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna for roughly US$1 billion over the course of last year
as the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker cashed in on the meteoric rise in the U.S. company's shares.
London-listed AstraZeneca recorded US$1.38 billion in equity portfolio sales last year,
with "a large proportion" of it coming from the Moderna sale, according its latest annual report.
AstraZeneca began investing in Moderna in 2013, paying US$240 million upfront and by the end of 2019 had built up its stake to 7.65per cent.
That would be worth about US$3.2 billion based on Moderna's 2020 closing stock price of US$104.47, Reuters calculation showed.
channelnewsasia.com/news/business/astrazeneca-sells-stake-in-vaccine-maker-moderna-for-nearly-us-1-billion-14304732

(March 2, 2021) Pressured European officials are trying to drum up support for the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine
LONDON — European officials are coming under increasing pressure to reverse restrictions
on who can receive the AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine, and to drum up support for the shot.
On Monday, France performed a U-turn on previous guidance over who can receive the vaccine,
now recommending the AstraZeneca shot to anyone between 65 and 74 with preexisting health problems.
It had initially said the vaccine was only suitable for the under-65s.
cnbc.com/2021/03/02/eu-tries-to-drum-up-support-for-unpopular-astrazeneca-shot.html

amin dada
@kambrone64
·
6m
COVID tragedy in the U.S.: 11-year-old girl finds quarantined parents dead at home https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-02/COVID-tragedy-Girl-finds-quarantined-parents-dead-at-home-in-U-S--YiQd13HDvG/index.html via @cgtnofficial

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-02/COVID-tragedy-Girl-finds-quarantined-parents-dead-at-home-in-U-S--YiQd13HDvG/index.html

(This article was removed, now available on webarchive)
(January 6, 2021) Merck to repurpose four U.S. facilities for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing
Under a new agreement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Merck,
the company will expand domestic manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccines by repurposing four of its existing facilities.
“This collaboration with Merck will help to ensure that the U.S. is prepared to scale up production not just for this pandemic but also for future pandemics and other public health emergencies.”
A $340 million agreement reached with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a part of HHS, makes this possible.
In return, Merck will renovate and modify infrastructure to meet large-scale vaccine and therapeutic candidate manufacturing demands.
The new capacity should be operational within the first quarter of this year.

(March 3, 2021) Merck to support manufacturing of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine
Merck (MSD) has signed an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals (JPI),
one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson,
to support the manufacturing and supply of its Covid-19 vaccine.
Merck’s US facilities will be utilised for the production of the drug substance,
as well as the formulation and filling of vaccine vials for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Merck became the ninth manufacturer to be part of Johnson & Johnson’s global network,
with the latest manufacturing arrangement encouraging increase in the vaccine production capacity.
The company also entered an agreement with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/merck-manufacturing-covid-19-vaccine/?utm_source=Army%20Technology&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Must%20Read&utm_content=Image

(March 3, 2021) New York State trialing IBM Covid-19 blockchain app
This week, the State of New York announced it is piloting a blockchain health certificate app with IBM
to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test results. Named the Excelsior Pass,
the tool confirms vaccine and testing information via confidential data transfer. It is hoped
the app can help with the swift re-opening of venues and businesses.
Like a mobile airline boarding pass, the Pass provides participants with a QR code,
which venues can scan to confirm health status. First trialed at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game
at the Barclays Center in New York City, the Excelsior Pass was again piloted
at Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers ice hockey game yesterday.
The results will be used to develop the user experience before being submitted to the Apple and Google app stores.
ledgerinsights.com/new-york-state-ibm-blockchain-covid-19-app-excelsior-pass/

(March 4, 2021) Novartis Signs 250 Million-Dose Vaccine Pact With CureVac
Novartis AG agreed to produce CureVac NV’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate
in a deal that will boost the potential supply of the shot by as much as 250 million doses over the course of this year and next.
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant could make as many as 50 million doses this year and 200 million doses in 2022,
the partners said in a statement. Once the final agreement is signed, Novartis plans to start production in the second quarter
and ship the first deliveries to CureVac this summer. Unlike Novartis’s previous agreement with BioNTech SE,
which covered putting vaccines into vials, the CureVac deal is for producing and formulating the messenger RNA necessary to make the shot.
It’s an important boost in capacity for CureVac, which is relying on a network of partners to make up to 300 million doses this year.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-04/novartis-to-make-up-to-50-million-curevac-covid-shots-this-year

(March 4, 2021) Germany says AstraZeneca vaccine OK for over-65's after all
Germany's independent Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko)
said on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine can be administered to older people.
Germany had originally balked at approving the vaccine for those aged 65 and over due to efficacy concerns.
However, new data — and quite possibly the faltering national attempts to start vaccinating
— caused German health authorities to change their minds.
Stiko also advised waiting 12 weeks between administering the first and second AstraZeneca shots,
after studies showed a longer gap increased the vaccine's efficacy.
France, Belgium and Italy loosened age restrictions for the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this week.
dw.com/en/germany-says-astrazeneca-vaccine-ok-for-over-65s-after-all/a-56771381

(March 2, 2021) Los Angeles School District partners with Microsoft to introduce COVID-19 “Daily Pass” app for kids
The Los Angeles Unified School District has partnered with tech giant Microsoft to introduce a COVID-19 “Daily Pass” app
which requires students as young as 13 to complete daily in-app health checks in order to gain access to the school.
Students that pass the health checks will be given a scannable QR code “entrance ticket”
which gives them access to the school for the day as long as they have a negative test result for COVID-19,
show no symptoms, and have a temperature of under 100 degrees. Even after obtaining this entrance ticket
and being granted access to the school, students will still be required to wear masks and social distance.
reclaimthenet.org/la-unified-school-district-microsoft-covid-19-daily-pass/

(March 5, 2021) Moderna to explore blockchain vaccine traceability with IBM
Yesterday Moderna and IBM said they plan to explore using blockchain, AI, and other technologies for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
The pharmaceutical company is planning a blockchain pilot to provide vaccine traceability
so that government and healthcare providers can see the current status of specific vaccine
batches as they go through the supply chain from the manufacturer to the destination.

One of IBM’s in-house enterprise blockchain offerings is IBM Food Trust
which provides similar results in a different sector. IBM also previously participated in an FDA pharmaceutical pilot
and launched a blockchain consortium, the Pharmaceutical Utility Network (PhUN), with Walmart, Merck, and KPMG.

Another collaboration area between Moderna and IBM is for the Digital Health Pass,
an IBM solution that leverages blockchain to enable vaccine or test credentials to be verified.
It recently unveiled a pilot with the State of New York, including for events at Madison Square Garden.
ledgerinsights.com/moderna-to-explore-blockchain-vaccine-traceability-with-ibm/

(March 5, 2021) American Airlines offers incentives for employees who get the vaccine
American Airlines is offering a couple of perks for employees who get a COVID-19 vaccine,
according to a letter American management sent to employees Friday.
U.S.-based employees who get the vaccine will receive an extra vacation day in 2022 and $50 in recognition points.
American Airlines Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) has over 102,000 employees as of Dec. 31, 2020.
American's move to incentive vaccinations follows a trend set by other major employers.
Companies running the gamut from fast-food chains like McDonald's to gig economy companies like Instacart
are offering varying levels of incentives for employees to get the vaccine.
bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2021/03/05/american-airlines-employees-vaccines.html

(March 8, 2021) New Zealand to buy enough Pfizer doses to vaccinate entire population
The government has signed an agreement to buy an extra 8.5 million doses, enough to vaccinate over 4 million people,
Ardern said, adding the vaccines were expected to reach the country in the second half of the year.
New Zealand started its national rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine last month
and expects to inoculate its entire population by the end of the year.
Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, emerged on Sunday from a strict week long lockdown
imposed after a community cluster of the more contagious British coronavirus variant. It reported no new cases on Monday.
france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210308-new-zealand-to-buy-enough-pfizer-doses-to-vaccinate-entire-population

(March 8, 2021) Health Canada authorises J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use
Health Canada has authorised an Interim Order (IO) to the Janssen Pharmaceutical (JPI)
Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single-shot vaccine preventing Covid-19 for people aged 18 above.
The company expects to deliver the ten million doses
included in the Advance Purchase Agreement (APA)
with the Government of Canada by the end of the third quarter this year.
pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/company-news/health-canada-jj-vaccine/