logoCOVID-19 History

July 30, 2020

Politico reports that vaccine distribution will be run as a joint venture between the CDC and the Pentagon, breaking the longstanding practice of leaving the CDC to handle it through a centralized civilian ordering system. The Washington Post details how a secretive Pentagon research agency seeded the ground for a rapid cure, and the coverage presents the military’s deep involvement in a mass civilian medical campaign as reassuring logistics rather than a shift worth questioning.

The vaccine race keeps generating hopeful headlines: Johnson & Johnson reports strong protection from a single shot in monkeys, STAT News calls the effort “a huge experiment” that moved faster than experts thought possible, and ABC assures readers that a vaccine will save lives even if it is far short of 100% effective, lowering expectations before any product has crossed the finish line.

Away from the labs, the New York Times profiles $25,000 pod schools that let well-off families hire private teachers while public buildings stay shut, a glimpse of who absorbs the cost of closures and who buys their way around them.

‘A huge experiment’: How the world made so much progress on a Covid-19 vaccine so fast
‘A huge experiment’: How the w...
Experts warned a coronavirus vaccine could take years. So how are we moving so fast?
STAT News
Vaccine Candidate Delivers Protection In A Single Shot In Monkeys
Vaccine Candidate Delivers Pro...
Studies involving COVID-19 vaccine candidates in monkeys show promise of an effective vaccine, but it will take large-scale human trials to know for sure if they work.
NPR
A COVID-19 vaccine will still save lives even if it's not 100% effective, experts say
A COVID-19 vaccine will still ...
Experts stress that even if the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, it will still be a safe and important tool in the fight against the virus.
ABC
The First Coronavirus Vaccine Tested in Humans Shows Early Promise
The First Coronavirus Vaccine ...
New York Times
Single Dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Demonstrates Robust Protection in Pre-clinical Studies
Single Dose of Johnson & Johns...
Study published in Nature shows J&J’s investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine elicits a strong immune response that protects against subsequent infection First-in-human Phase 1/2a clinical trial now underway in United States and Belgium; Phase 3 clinical trial expected to commence in September
Johnson and Johnson
Vaccine distribution will be ‘joint venture’ between CDC and Pentagon
Vaccine distribution will be ‘...
The plan breaks with the longstanding precedent that CDC distributes vaccines during major outbreaks through a centralized ordering system.
Politico
How a secretive Pentagon agency seeded the ground for a rapid coronavirus cure
How a secretive Pentagon agenc...
Washington Post
Fauci urges Americans to wear goggles for added COVID-19 protection
Fauci urges Americans to wear ...
Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that people wear goggles or face shields as an added measure of protection against contracting the coronavirus, according to a report. “If you have goggles or an e…
New York Post
$25,000 Pod Schools: How Well-to-Do Children Will Weather the Pandemic
$25,000 Pod Schools: How Well-...
New York Times