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Moderna Provides 25M Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine to Australia
Aside from the COVID-19 vaccine news, Abbott and United partner to boost access of Abbott’s COVID-19 test and Thermo Fisher will provide COVID-19 testing to schools in Ohio.
Moderna recently announced a supply agreement with the government of Australia for 25 million doses of its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and booster variant candidate.
Ten million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273, will be delivered in 2021 and 15 million doses of its variant booster vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273.51, will be delivered in 2022.
The agreement is subject to regulatory approval of mRNA-1273 and booster vaccine candidates by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia. Moderna will submit an application to the TGA in the coming weeks.
The company also plans to open a commercial subsidiary in Australia in 2021.
“We appreciate the partnership and support from the government of Australia with this first supply agreement for doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and our variant booster candidates,” Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in the announcement.
“As we seek to protect people around the world with our COVID-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities,” Bancel continued.
Data from Moderna’s Phase 2 study showed that a single 50-microgram dose of mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.351 given as a booster to previously vaccinated individuals increased neutralizing antibody titer responses against COVID-19 and two variants of concern, B.1.351 and P.1.
Additionally, a booster dose of mRNA-1273.351 achieved higher neutralizing antibody titers against the B.1.351 variant than a booster of mRNA-1273.
Abbott, United Enhance Travel Experience with Portable COVID-19 Home Test Kit
Abbott and United recently announced a collaboration to use Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Home Test and its NAVICA app to help make the travel experience more seamless for United customers.
United customers can depart the US with the BinaxNOW Home Test in their carry-on bag and administer the test through the eMed digital health platform. This avoids the need to find a testing center abroad.
CDC recently updated its guidelines permitting travelers to self-administer a rapid antigen test under the real-time supervision of a telehealth service. If the test is negative, individuals can use the verified result to board an international flight to the US.
“We appreciate the private sector proactively helping travelers have access to easy, reliable COVID-19 test options,” CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, said in the announcement.
“Comprehensive testing that is easy, rapid, accurate and trusted is a fundamental strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Walensky continued.
At the end of December, FDA issued an emergency use authorization for Abbott’s COVID-19 antigen test for use by patients 15 years of age and older with suspected COVID-19 and with prescriptions from their healthcare provider.
So far, United is the only airline to offer end-to-end integration between a digital platform and Abbott’s NAVICA app.
Since United’s Travel-Ready Center launched in January, customers have been able to easily access testing or vaccine requirements needed for travel destinations and upload completed testing results and vaccine records all in the United app, an Abbott spokesperson explained.
Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer at United, explained that the airline can now give customers greater peace of mind when they travel internationally by offering an easy testing option when customers are ready to return to the US.
Thermo Fisher, Color Health to Provide Testing in OH Schools
Thermo Fisher Scientific and Color Health recently partnered to provide testing to students, teachers, and staff for COVID-19 on a weekly basis to help ensure safer in-person learning.
The ReadyCheckGo program, initiated by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, is currently underway at the LEAP Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio School for the Deaf, and Ohio School for the Blind.
The program provides school districts with testing options that are turnkey, economical, highly sensitive, and accurate, a Thermo Fisher Scientific spokesperson explained. The first round of testing began earlier this week and will continue through the end of the school year.
ReadyCheckGo is being funded by DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health, with funding from the Biden Administration to help states administer screening testing programs.
Ohio is the first state to participate in this new nationwide program.
"It's time to get students back to in-person learning, but it must be done safely," Mark Stevenson, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific, said in the announcement.
"The ReadyCheckGo testing program is an important step in making this happen and we're pleased to once again partner with Governor DeWine and his team. He's recognized the need for broad-based testing and done a great job providing Ohioans access to it,” Stevenson continued.
