Five Priorities For Global Pandemic Preparedness - Health Policy Watch On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially Health Policy Watch

On 27 February, World Health Organization member states will meet to commence formal negotiations on a global pandemic preparedness agreement – unofficially turning the page from responding to COVID-19 to readying ourselves for future health emergencies.

A rare Marburg outbreak sparks a race against time to test vaccines and drugs Finding out if Marburg vaccine candidates actually work in people requires an outbreak, and outbreaks are blessedly rare. But now there are cases in Equatorial Guinea. Helen Branswell STAT

A Marburg fever outbreak in Equatorial Guinea is galvanizing efforts to test drugs and vaccines for a virus that currently has none. But every day counts, warned experts who gathered virtually on Tuesday to try to chart a course for the work.

COVID vaccine uptake low among older people, especially in poorer nations The global vaccination rate in 2022 for people older than 60 was 76%, but it was only 33% in low-income countries. CIDRAP

COVID-19 Mortality and Progress Toward Vaccinating Older Adults — World Health Organization, Worldwide, 2020–2022

Paxlovid may help prevent hospitalization, death in COVID outpatients CIDRAP

Two new studies, one from the United States and one from Canada, suggest that the oral antiviral drug Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) is effective in lowering the odds of hospitalization or death from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant.

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