(Bloomberg) — Pfizer Inc. is developing a hybrid vaccine that combines its original shot with a formulation that shields against the omicron variant. A new study showed high levels of protective immune cells that fight some common colds also made people less likely to contract Covid-19.
China tightened restrictions on vehicles entering Shenzhen as new cases triggered mass testing of residents and truckers. The Association of Tennis Professionals said Novak Djokovic’s case highlights the need for clearer rules on vaccine requirements for travel.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its Covid travel advisory for Canada by one step to Level 4, the highest possible, and advised against travel to the country. New York’s infections may have reached a peak, about a month after the first case of the omicron variant was identified there.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases exceed 309 million; deaths pass 5.49 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 9.48 billion shots administered
- Tiny masks are scarce as unboosted kids return to classrooms
- Hong Kong political elite get taste of their own Covid policies
- Covid test makers struggle to cope with whiplash from omicron
Tennis Body Says Vaccine Rules Need Clarity (5:20 p.m. NY)
The court battle over the cancellation of tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa to play in the Australian Open Tournament highlights the need for “clearer understanding, communication and application of the rules” on Covid-19 vaccine requirements for travel, the Association of Tennis Professionals said in a statement.
The ATP said it welcomed an Australian court decision to allow Djokovic to remain in the country for the competition despite being unvaccinated, saying that it was “clear” the Serbian player had traveled to Melbourne believing that he had a medical exemption to do so.
Meta to Require Boosters for Office Workers (5:10 p.m. NY)
Meta Platforms Inc. will require its staff to have received Covid-19 booster shots before they can enter its offices, Dow Jones reported, citing a company spokesman. The company formerly known as Facebook also delayed its full office reopening until late March, Dow Jones said.
CDC Updates Singapore Travel Advisory (4:55 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reclassified its travel advisory for Singapore to high level of Covid-19, less than a week after the agency declared the level of the disease in a country that publishes detailed data every day was unknown.
The agency raised eyebrows on Jan. 4, when it classified the country’s Covid-19 situation as “Unknown” from “Very High” because of a lack of testing data updates for the country on third party platform Our World in Data since Nov. 8.
Pfizer Working on Hybrid Vaccine (4:10 p.m. NY)
Pfizer Inc. is developing a hybrid vaccine that combines its original shot with a formulation that shields against the highly transmissible omicron variant, the drug giant’s top executive said.
While research continues, Pfizer will evaluate the new hybrid formulation against an omicron-specific shot, and determine which is best suited to move forward by March, Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Monday. Pfizer will be ready in March to approach U.S. regulators for clearance of the modified vaccine and bring it to market, and it has already begun production, Bourla said.
CDC Raises Travel Alert for Canada (3:23 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its Covid-19 travel advisory for Canada by one step to Level 4, the highest possible, and advised against travel to the country.
The new guidance and the threat of the omicron variant underscore the notion that normal travel will likely not resume for some time, even between close politically and economically allied countries.
The CDC also recommends against travel to France, Spain and Sweden. The omicron outbreak led the agency last month to discourage Americans from getting on cruise ships, regardless of the vaccination status.
N.J. Now Expects Smaller Peak (2:10 p.m. NY)
New Jersey may have 8,000 Covid-related hospitalizations, nearing the state’s pandemic peak, in the third week of January, according to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
“We do believe we are going to have high levels for a couple of weeks,” Persichilli said Monday during a virus briefing. She said daily cases were expected to hit 20,000 to 30,000 through January.
An earlier prediction, based on modeling, suggested as many as 9,000 hospitalizations by Jan. 14. New Jersey had more than 8,000 virus-infected inpatients in April 2020.
Gilead Says 10 Million Received Its Treatment (1:05 p.m. NY)
More than 10 million Covid patients worldwide have now received Gilead Sciences Inc.’s Veklury treatment, Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day said in a presentation. The infused drug, better known by its generic name, remdesivir, is a standard five-day treatment for hospitalized Covid patients.
In the U.S., more than 3 of 5 hospitalized Covid patients are receiving it, O’Day said in a presentation at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Monday.
Gilead is also working on a three-day course of the drug that can help patients outside of the hospital. Last year, it was shown in a big trial to lower risk of hospitalization by 87% when given to to high-risk patients. The data have been submitted to U.S. regulators.
“It is effective against all variants so far,” O’Day said. In the future, the shorter course “will be one more piece of the armamentarium” for people who get Covid outside the hospital.
Merck Delivers 900,000 Pill Courses (1 p.m. NY)
Merck & Co. delivered 900,000 courses of its antiviral pill to the U.S. in December and is set to provide 3 million courses ordered by the government by the end of January, Chief Executive Officer Rob Davis said.
Despite the supply-chain issues that have plagued companies around the world, Davis said Merck was able to make 10 million courses of the drug, molnupiravir, as expected last year. They just need to be labeled and shipped, he said.
“We’re confident we’re going to deliver the product,” Davis said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Monday. “We’re not seeing issues.”
Molnupiravir, which Merck makes in partnership with biotech Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in high-risk adults in late December. Merck has said it will make at least 20 million courses of molnupiravir in 2022.
U.S. School Closings Hit Record (11:35 a.m. NY)
U.S. school closures reached a record high for the academic year last week as omicron-fueled coronavirus cases caused staff shortages and disrupted classes, but the shutdowns are about to ease as more schools are set to reopen in-person.
At least 5,409 schools had canceled class or switched to virtual learning as of the end of last week, more than triple the count at the end of December, according to data from Burbio, which tracks closures.
Broadway Extends Vaccine, Mask Policy (11 a.m. NY)
New York’s Broadway theaters will extend their mask and vaccine requirements through April 30, according to a statement posted on the website of the Broadway League.
The 41 theaters will also require full vaccination for children ages 5 to 11 starting Jan. 29, in accordance with New York City guidelines.
Moderna Has $18.5 Billion in 2022 Orders (10:40 a.m. NY)
Moderna Inc. said it has signed vaccine purchase agreements worth $18.5 billion for this year, along with options for another $3.5 billion, including booster shots.
In a statement on Monday, the company also said 2021 product sales would be $17.5 billion, slightly higher than the average analyst estimate of $17 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Additionally, the company said that it shipped 807 million vaccine doses in 2021. Previously, it had said it would deliver between 700 million and 800 million doses.
Djokovic ‘Grateful’ for Australia Visa Ruling (10 a.m. NY)
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who refuses to get vaccinated against Covid-19, reacts after an Australian court quashed the cancellation of his visa and ordered his immediate release from detention in a hotel.
Novavax Says Vaccine Shipments to EU Started (10 a.m. NY)
Novavax Inc. has shipped the first doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to Europe, marking the drug company’s entry into a potentially large new market.
Chief Executive Officer Stanley Erck announced the shipments during a presentation on Monday at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference. The company also said in a statement that it and its partner Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. had filed for an emergency-use authorization for the shot in South Africa.
India’s Capital Shuts Restaurants, Bars (9:32 a.m. NY)
Only one weekly market will be allowed per day per zone in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal tweeted Monday. The capital’s health department has been advised to beef up manpower at hospitals and scale up the vaccination drive, even among the 15-18 year age bracket.
Bangladesh Introduces New Restrictions (8:15 a.m. NY)
The Bangladesh government has ordered people to show vaccine certificates to dine in restaurants and stay in hotels, starting Jan. 13, as virus cases surge. Buses and trains must operate at half capacity, according to a notice issued by the Cabinet Division on Monday. The government also banned all open-air social, political and religious events and made it compulsory to wear masks outdoors. Covid-19 cases rose by 2,231 in a day to about 1.6 million on Monday.
Japan PM May Extend Ban on Foreign Arrivals (7:47 a.m. NY)
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce an extension to the ban on foreign arrivals this week, Nikkei reported, without saying how it obtained the information.
Cold-Triggered T Cells Fend Off Covid (6:01 a.m. NY)
Researchers found higher levels of T cells against certain colds in people who didn’t develop Covid while living with someone who had the disease, according to a study led by the U.K.’s Imperial College London. The prior illnesses were caused by other coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2.
The findings provide further evidence of the protective effects of T cells, an arm of the immune system that’s gaining attention as the pandemic stretches into its third year and new variants like omicron erode vaccine protection.
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