TOPLINE Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines work well at preventing symptomatic cases of the delta coronavirus variant—which became the dominant strain in the U.S. this month—but the vaccines’ effectiveness drops significantly in patients who only have one of the two doses, according to a new study.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



A study of 19,000 people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Public Health England</a>&nbsp;published Wednesday found that both doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines help protect against symptoms from both the alpha (B.1.1.7, also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/04/07/uk-coronavirus-variant-is-now-the-dominant-strain-in-us-cdc-says/">the U.K. variant</a>) and delta variants at comparable rates.



Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had an effectiveness of 93.7% at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 88% for the delta variant.



Two doses of AstraZeneca were found to be 74.5% effective at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 67% for delta.



However, the effectiveness of the vaccines plummeted if a patient had only received one dose of either vaccine: the study found both to be just more than 48% effective against alpha and only about 30% effective against delta.



Researchers said their findings support the theory that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prioritizing second doses</a>, especially in vulnerable populations, is an effective way to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



The single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine only has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/07/20/johnson--johnson-vaccine-far-less-effective-against-delta-variant-study-suggests/?sh=44f5e2864299">a 33% efficacy rate</a>&nbsp;against the delta variant, a New York University study released Tuesday suggested, although it has not been peer reviewed.&nbsp;A small study from Moderna last month suggested their vaccine also&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offers protection</a>&nbsp;against the delta strain.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The delta variant, which experts believe is more transmissible than earlier forms of coronavirus, is thought to be the driving force behind <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/17/covid-hospitalizations-rise-nationwide-amid-delta-surge---especially-in-these-states/?sh=290e647e52a8">a new wave of infections</a> and a jump in hospitalizations across the U.S. Experts have warned about the danger delta could pose. Former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the “majority” of unvaccinated Americans would likely contract the delta mutation eventually, adding the disease “is going to be the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/18/former-fda-head-says-delta-will-infect-majority-of-unvaccinated-americans-and-may-be-most-serious-virus-in-their-lifetime/?sh=22ee15f06b17">most serious virus</a> they will get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital.” The surge of new cases has pushed some cities like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/07/15/los-angeles-reportedly-will-reinstate-mask-mandate-saturday/?sh=7b879fb45373">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/21/delta-fueled-covid-surge-spurs-new-mask-mandates---here-are-the-states-where-they-cant-legally-be-reimposed/?sh=6be7887c37b4">Las Vegas</a> to reintroduce mandatory masking in some indoor spaces.



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

A doctor’s hand with a syringe of covid-19 coronavirus vaccine.

Study Finds Pfizer And AstraZeneca Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant — As Long As You Get Both Doses

TOPLINE A new U.K. study has found that more than 95% of Britons vaccinated with just one shot of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine develop Covid-19 antibodies, a figure that rises to almost 100% after the second dose, adding to mounting evidence from the real-world deployment of the vaccines that show they are effective and useful tools in bringing the pandemic under control. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



In a study of more than 8,500 people from England and Wales, who did not have antibodies before their first shot and provided a total of 13,232 antibody samples, 96% developed antibodies 28 to 34 days after receiving their first dose, according to research from University College London (UCL).



The&nbsp;<a href="https://ucl-virus-watch.net/?page_id=913" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>, which is being prepared for peer review, found this figure to rise to 99% within seven and 14 days of their second shot for recipients of both vaccines, evidence that they provide protection against the coronavirus.&nbsp;



While those receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine developed antibodies faster than those receiving the AstraZeneca shot, rates were practically identical after a period of four weeks.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Many groups at a greater risk from Covid-19—including those with underlying conditions like diabetes and cancer, those taking immune system suppressing drugs and older adults—produced fewer antibodies after a single dose, a potential problem for countries like the U.K. where the second dose is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/14/study-finds-12-week-gap-between-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-dose-generates-35-times-higher-antibody-response/?sh=5fe5400da6a3">delayed</a>&nbsp;by several weeks in order to vaccinate more people.



However, a second shot boosted antibody levels to the standard high levels, something Professor Rob Aldridge, the chief investigator of the study,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;Guardian&nbsp;underscores the “importance of getting the second dose.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Aldridge described the findings as “reassuring &#8211; vaccines are our way out of the pandemic.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h3>



Dr. Maddie Shrotri, the paper’s lead author,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;the findings are from some of the earliest “real-world vaccine studies in the U.K.” Shrotri said the results are “fantastic news,” adding that it is “remarkable” how well the vaccines work given the speed at which they’ve been developed. “It’s a real feat of science in the face of the most devastating pandemic in a century.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



57 million. This is&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how many vaccines&nbsp;</a>have been given out in the U.K., the vast majority being the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca shots. Just over 20 million people have received their second dose.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/18/96-of-britons-develop-antibodies-after-one-covid-jab-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Covid vaccine: 96% of Britons develop antibodies after one jab, study finds</a>&nbsp;(Guardian)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2021/05/14/study-finds-12-week-gap-between-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-dose-generates-35-times-higher-antibody-response/?sh=5fe5400da6a3">12-Week Gap Between Pfizer Vaccine Doses Generates Higher Antibody Response, Study Finds</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)

Healthcare professional in protective gloves & workwear holding & organising a tray of COVID-19 vaccine vials

96% Of People Develop Covid Antibodies After Just One Shot Of Pfizer Or AstraZeneca Vaccine, U.K. Study Finds

As the pandemic began to rage a year ago, the biopharma industry responded in unprecedented fashion. Life sciences companies raced to find a solution to the nightmare virus, and promising vaccine efforts soon emerged. The stocks of the companies with the best vaccine candidates soared, and many of their executives rushed to sell shares with a fury that generated scrutiny.



There has been one huge exception. Uğur Şahin, the CEO and scientist behind the first Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S., has not sold a single share of his company’s booming stock during the pandemic, Securities and Exchange Commission filings show.



Şahin’s decision to not sell any of his BioNTech shares stands in stark contrast to the large stock sales of some of the most prominent scientists and entrepreneurs whose biotechnology companies developed vaccines against the virus, particularly Moderna Therapeutics. It also reflects Şahin’s general approach to life and business. He is a CEO who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/business/biontech-covid-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lives in a modest apartment</a>&nbsp;in the German town of Mainz, rides his bicycle to work and doesn’t own a car. He describes himself on his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ugur-sahin-65905917/?originalSubdomain=de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn page</a>&nbsp;first and foremost as a translational oncology professor at University Medical Center Mainz. Şahin accepts the financial edifice that surrounds biotechnology innovation—the venture fundraising, IPOs and merger deals. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6633221e-3b28-4a15-b02d-958854644c79" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;learned the business aspects of biotechnology from online videos and reading a&nbsp;Business Plans for Dummies&nbsp;book. But in the end, Şahin is in it for the science and the patients. &nbsp;



In its hour of greatest need, Şahin emerged from relative obscurity to provide the world with a game-changing vaccine that could save lives and tame the pandemic. As early as January 2020, Şahin became convinced Covid-19 would become a deadly pandemic and pivoted BioNTech to create a messenger RNA vaccine to combat it. He then partnered with U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFE</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/pfizer">+0.3%</a>&nbsp;to develop and supply 3 billion doses of the vaccine to the world by the end of 2021.



The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has radically changed Wall Street’s perception of BioNTech. In the months prior to the pandemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2020/06/01/ugur-sahin-becomes-a-billionaire-on-hopes-for-technology-behind-covid-19-vaccine/">Şahin had come to New York</a>&nbsp;to sell investors on BioNTech’s stock as the company launched its initial public offering by listing on Nasdaq&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nasdaq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NDAQ</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/nasdaq">+0.7%</a>. At the time, BioNTech was a decade-old company that had yet to develop a single approved product from its mRNA and immunotherapy technologies. Şahin received a cool reception in the stock market, which initially valued BioNTech at $3.4 billion. With the development of the vaccine, however, BioNTech’s stock has risen by 900% since its 2019 IPO and today the company is valued at $37 billion. BioNTech now expects to generate $11.5 billion of revenue under deals for the vaccine that have already been struck. On paper, Şahin’s BioNTech stake is worth $6.1 billion. &nbsp;MORE FOR YOU<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/04/02/how-troubled-trader-bill-hwang-quietly-amassed-10-billion/">How Troubled Trader Bill Hwang Quietly Amassed $10 Billion</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/04/08/how-indiana-university-bros-fueled-a-hollywood-actors-690-million-ponzi-scheme/">How Indiana University Bros Fueled A Hollywood Actor’s $690 Million Ponzi Scheme</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/03/12/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-helped-save-the-world-can-he-save-his-companys-stock/">Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Helped Save The World. Can He Save His Company’s Stock?</a>



Filings made to the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission in February and March show that Şahin controls 41.66 million BioNTech shares, a 17% stake, through Medine GmbH, a limited liability company he solely owns. Medine holds a relatively small number of shares for “a former colleague” and transferred 27,540 shares held for other colleagues to their beneficiaries under trust arrangements late last year. But amid this stock transfer, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001776985/000119312521044856/d329239dsc13ga.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">securities filing</a>&nbsp;in February made sure to point out that “Neither Medine GbmH nor Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D. has sold any ordinary shares since February 13, 2020,” the eve of the pandemic. Such worded disclosures are not common in securities filings. Şahin, who declined to comment, appears to have wanted people to understand he wasn’t selling any BioNTech stock.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Last year, executives and directors of companies like Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/novavax" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NVAX</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/companies/novavax">-6%</a>&nbsp;realized stock gains linked to investor enthusiasm around the vaccines by selling nearly $500 million of stock,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/insiders-at-covid-19-vaccine-makers-sold-nearly-500-million-of-stock-last-year-11613557801" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal&nbsp;reported</a>. The selling has continued this year. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has sold more than $150 million of Moderna stock since the start of the pandemic. He still owns just under 8% of Moderna. Tal Zaks has sold more than $100 million of Moderna stock, nearly all the shares he had accumulated since becoming Moderna’s chief medical officer in 2015.



Moderna has consistently explained that all executive stock sales are made through preset trading plans established under securities regulatory rule 10b5-1, which legally allows corporate insiders to periodically sell a predetermined number of shares, often tied to certain share price targets being attained.



In November, Pfizer CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-ceo-joins-host-of-executives-at-covid-19-vaccine-makers-in-big-stock-sale-11605139164?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Albert Bourla sold</a>&nbsp;about 60% of his stock in the company for about $5.6 million under a preset 10b5-1 plan. The sale came on the same day that Pfizer announced key clinical results showing that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective. Bourla’s share sale had been authorized in February 2020 and updated in August. A few days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-chairman-urges-corporate-insiders-to-avoid-quick-stock-sales-11605637892?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jay Clayton, then chairman of the SEC, suggested</a>&nbsp;corporate executives not trade in their company’s stock immediately after preset trading plans are established. At a Senate hearing, Clayton called for a “cooling-off” period, but did not specify the length of such an interval. “Whether that’s four months so you cover a full quarter, or it’s six months—I can make arguments for either,” Clayton said. There was also some concern the insider stock sales by Moderna and Pfizer might undermine the public perception of their vaccines as crucial public health tools. &nbsp;



For his part, Şahin has not sold any BioNTech stock in the last 18 months. The post-IPO lockup of his BioNTech shares expired around the start of the pandemic, securities filings show, and he was free to sell. As a result of hanging on to all the shares, ironically, he is for now much richer—at least on paper—given the continued surge of BioNTech’s stock price. He certainly believes the company’s cutting-edge technology will lead to the development of therapies and vaccines for other diseases.



“Our way of developing our technologies is not based on the idea of a single-trick pony,” Şahin told investors on a Wall Street call in March. “Rather, our goal from the very beginning was to build a novel industrial approach for precision pharmaceuticals that can address medical need in multiple disease areas.”



By Nathan Vardi, Forbes Staff

Springer Award Goes To BioNTech Founders Özlem Türeci And Ugur Sahin

The Billionaire Scientist Behind The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Has Not Sold A Single Share Of His Booming Stock

TOPLINE: Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing the disease, preliminary data from large-scale phase three trials shows, the company announced in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-meets-its-primary-efficacy" target="_blank">press release</a> on Monday.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h3>



The preliminary data is based on an evaluation of 95 confirmed Covid-19 infections among the trial’s 30,000 participants.



According to the company, 90 of the participants who got infected with Covid-19 are from the placebo group while only 5 cases of infection were seen in the group that received two doses of the vaccine.



This is a developing story. Check back for updates.



-By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

In this photo illustration the medical syringe is seen with

Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine Is More Than 94% Effective, Preliminary Data Shows

Stay-at-home stocks, a pandemic-market favorite, are getting battered Monday after pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced promising vaccine results that could reopen and restore a troubled economy, but might negatively affect companies like Zoom and Peloton that have benefited from the stay-at-home environment—at least temporarily. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



Tech-heavy Nasdaq, which hosts stay-at-home staples like Zoom, Netflix and Amazon, is lagging the broader market on Monday, is up just 1% while the Dow Jones and S&amp;P 500 are up about 4% and 3%, respectively, as industries left reeling by the pandemic celebrate news regarding the possibility of a return to normalcy.



Among the day&#8217;s biggest stock losers is pandemic phenomenon Zoom, which late last month&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/10/29/zoom-is-now-worth-more-than-exxonmobil-and-founder-eric-yuans-net-worth-has-nearly-doubled-in-three-months/">surpassed ExxonMobil in market cap</a>; shares are down 15% on Monday but are still up more than 500% this year.Peloton Interactive–which is gearing up for what could easily be its best holiday season yet–is also tanking about 15%, pushing its year-to-date gains down to about 260%.



Netflix, meanwhile, is down about 5%–a slightly smaller decline for a firm that&#8217;s still up nearly 50% this year.



Though not as hard hit as others on Monday, cloud stocks like Twilio, Slack and Datadog are also falling–about 3%, 1.5% and 1%, respectively–despite the broader market gains.



Stocks like Zoom and Netflix should be &#8220;long-term winners, [but they&#8217;ll] lose in the short term, as their valuations ran ahead of actual earnings,&#8221; says James McDonald, the CEO of Los Angeles-based Hercules Investments, adding that such firms have &#8220;likely already seen peak levels of adoption and revenue&#8221; in the short term.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE&nbsp;</h4>



&#8220;The enormous moves witnessed in some areas of the market are certainly due to a fundamental reassessment after the vaccine news, but [they] also reflect a huge positioning adjustment as investors try and dial back tech exposures and&#8230; buy names closer to the epicenter of the pandemic,&#8221; says Vital Media Knowledge Founder Adam Crisafulli. &#8220;Even though tech has been in the midst of a consolidation phase since the start of September, the group is still very owned and should this pro-cyclical rotation continue (which seems likely), momentum will face steep headwinds in the near-term.&#8221;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CHIEF CRITIC</h4>



Experts aren&#8217;t totally convinced Monday&#8217;s stock gains–and losses–will be long-lived. &#8220;I suspect the markets, which are already in a bullish mood due to the incoming Biden administration, are overthinking the positive vaccine news,&#8221; says Nigel Green, the CEO of $10 billion advisory deVere Group. “There’s a long road ahead still,&#8221; he adds, noting that investors will have more clarity on the implications of Monday&#8217;s announcement by the third week of November, when Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">says it plans</a>&nbsp;to submit its vaccine candidate to the FDA for approval.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



Technology stocks have massively outperformed the broader market this year, with the Nasdaq composite up nearly 30% since January while the S&amp;P 500 and Dow Jones are up about 11% and 2%, respectively. Monday marked a reversal of fortune between firms doing well during the pandemic and those that have been hardest hit. While stay-at-home stocks sink, shares of banks, energy firms, cruiseliners and movie-theater operators are surging.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h4>



Shares of Clorox, a pandemic breakout stock, are also slumping–down 7%–on Wednesday, though they&#8217;re still up 34% for the year.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h4>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/11/09/stocks-surge-worldwide-to-new-all-time-highs-after-pfizer-says-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-90-effective/">Stocks Surge Worldwide To New All-Time Highs After Pfizer Says Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate 90% Effective</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2020/11/09/pfizer-says-covid-19-vaccine-is-90-effective-although-trials-are-ongoing/">Pfizer Says Covid-19 Vaccine Is 90% Effective, Although Trials Are Ongoing</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/11/06/billionaire-leon-cooperman-knows-for-sure-election-results-will-be-challengedheres-his-outlook-on-stocks-and-the-economy/">Billionaire Leon Cooperman Knows ‘For Sure’ Election Results Will Be Challenged—Here’s His Outlook On Stocks And The Economy</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/11/06/stocks-end-week-with-biggest-post-election-day-rally-in-over-a-century/">Stocks End Week With Biggest Post-Election Day Rally In Over A Century</a> (Forbes)



-By Jonathan Ponciano, Forbes Staff

Key Speakers At The BoxWorks 2019 Conference

Zoom, Peloton, Netflix: Stay-At-Home Stocks Are Getting Smoked By Pfizer’s Latest Vaccine Prospects

As a Biden win becomes increasingly likely, investors on Wall Street are turning their focus to the possibility of another round of fiscal stimulus, vaccine data for phase-three candidates and potential central bank measures to boost economic activity and keep inflation in line with targets.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



Vaccination is &#8220;essential for the normalization of the economy,&#8221; Goldman Sachs said in a recent note, and wealth advisory Glenmede doesn’t expect earnings will reach new highs until the second half of 2021, which lines up with estimates for widespread vaccine delivery.



A slew of vaccine data is expected in the coming days and weeks from drug-makers such as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZenaca and Johnson &amp; Johnson–all of which have said they expect clinical trial results before the end of the year.&nbsp;



Central bank easing from the Federal Reserve is perhaps &#8220;the biggest macro topic not receiving enough attention,&#8221; notes Vital Knowledge Media Founder Adam Crisafulli notes, but that should start to change domestically on Thursday, as the Federal Reserve concludes one of its eight annual Federal Open Market Committee meetings, during which it often makes key monetary policy decisions.



Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), &#8220;an erstwhile obstacle&#8221; to the package, per Crisafulli,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/11/04/mcconnell-changes-his-tune-on-stimulus-we-need-to-do-it-before-the-end-of-the-year/?sh=30c0b0056e41">changed his tune on stimulus</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, saying Congress should pass another bill by year&#8217;s end and suggested assistance be given to state and local governments–a sticking point for the Democrats&#8217; lead negotiator, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).



Fiscal stimulus to state and local governments is now expected to be less generous than under a Blue Wave scenario, UBS noted on Wednesday.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



The election outcome that Wall Street thinks is now most likely–a Biden victory and a split Congress–&#8221;couldn’t have been better for stocks,&#8221; Crisafulli noted on Thursday–a sentiment echoed by many Wall Street experts since Wednesday given that a split Congress makes it unlikely Biden&#8217;s proposed corporate tax hike becomes law. The economic recovery, on the other hand, remains sluggish and awash with disparities such as continued job losses despite better-than-expected corporate earnings (especially in tech). Meanwhile, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/11/05/day-after-election-us-records-all-time-high-of-103000-new-covid-19-cases/">ongoing surge</a>&nbsp;in new Covid-19 cases further stains the economic outlook, fueling discussions about the need for a coronavirus vaccine and further fiscal relief.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h4>



Top vaccine candidate AstraZeneca PLC anticipates results from its late-stage trials later this year, the British drug-maker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/dam/az/PDF/2020/q3/Year-to-date_and_Q3_2020_results_announcement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Thursday</a>&nbsp;when it reported third-quarter earnings. It&#8217;s unclear, however, how soon it could roll those out, and the firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/05/astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-drugmaker-under-pressure-to-deliver.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously missed</a>&nbsp;a September target to deliver 30 million vaccines in the United Kingdom. &#8220;Even if the vaccine numbers are spectacular,&#8221; Crisafulli says, &#8220;it still won’t be until the spring or summer when these will be made available to the general population.&#8221;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h4>



$1.9 trillion. That’s the largest amount Mnuchin offered for the stimulus package before the election, much higher than the amount Senate Republicans have been eyeing (they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/27/politics/stimulus-negotiations-republican-plan/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proposed</a>&nbsp;a $1 trillion bill in July), but still below the $2.2 trillion proposal House Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/10/01/house-passes-22-trillion-stimulus-bill-but-that-doesnt-mean-1200-checks-and-more-unemployment-benefits-are-on-the-way/">passed</a>&nbsp;in October.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h4>



Morgan Stanley said in a weekend note that it’s unlikely Federal Reserve policymakers will “soften their call for additional fiscal support”, adding that despite a better-than-expected recovery, and a return to pre-Covid economic levels that could happen in the second quarter, “Policymakers have not let this economic momentum distract from the deep structural problems, particularly in the labor market, that could unfold over the longer run in the absence of further fiscal support.”



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT WE DON&#8217;T KNOW</h4>



Election results. Razor thin margins remain a theme across pending state vote counts. As of early Thursday afternoon, former vice president Joe Biden was leading President Trump in the electoral college,<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/11/04/electoral-college-2020-biden-takes-wisconsin-bringing-him-close-to-electoral-win/?sh=724504634448">&nbsp;with 264 votes</a>, as called by AP, compared with Trump&#8217;s 214. The Senate race, on the other hand, was leaning<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/11/04/6-senate-seats-yet-to-be-called---heres-where-the-race-stands/">&nbsp;solidly Republican</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/11/04/mcconnell-changes-his-tune-on-stimulus-we-need-to-do-it-before-the-end-of-the-year/">McConnell Changes His Tune On Stimulus: ‘We Need To Do It Before The End Of The Year’</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/11/05/stocks-election-results-dow-unemployment/">Stocks Keep Surging As Election Results Appear To Clear Up, But Unemployment Data Is Still Ugly</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2020/11/05/unemployment-claims-remain-above-pre-pandemic-highs-with-no-more-federal-aid-in-sight/">Unemployment Claims Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Highs With No More Federal Aid In Sight</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2020/11/04/election-stocks-that-are-surging-and-tanking/">Here Are The Stocks That Are Surging–And Tanking–As Blue Wave Hopes Fade</a> (Forbes)



-By Jonathan Ponciano,Forbes Staff

Genetic test

A Biden Win And Split Congress Is Wall Street’s Best-Case Scenario, Now Investors Turn Focus To These 3 Big Issues

Pharmaceutical company Moderna, one of the companies in the lead pack in the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, won&#8217;t be in a position to widely distribute it until at least next spring, CEO Stéphane Bancel told the Financial Times, echoing public health experts who predict a similar timeline for other vaccine candidates.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h4>



&#8220;November 25 is the time we will have enough safety data to be able to put into an emergency use authorization file that we would send to the FDA,&#8221; Bancel said, adding that an approval wouldn&#8217;t be expected until late first quarter or early second quarter of 2021.



The timeline matches up with what public health experts have previously laid out, which is that a vaccine could be found to be safe and effective by the end of the year at the earliest but widespread distribution wouldn&#8217;t occur until further into 2021.



One of the frontrunners to develop a safe vaccine first, Moderna earlier in the month said it was slowing its trial enrollment to ensure it was representing disproportionately affected minority groups but later added it could have enough data by November to know if its vaccine candidate works.



The comments follow President Trump’s claim during Tuesday&#8217;s U.S. presidential debate that, &#8220;We&#8217;re weeks away from a vaccine,&#8221; citing Moderna as well as Pfizer and Johnson &amp; Johnson.



Pfizer is another frontrunner—Johnson &amp; Johnson are further behind their late-stage clinical trials—and while its CEO Albert Bourla said it will have an &#8220;answer&#8221; by the end of October on its candidate&#8217;s efficacy, a spokesperson for the company later told the&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;that Pfizer wouldn&#8217;t be close to the completion of its clinical trial by then.



There are currently 11 vaccines in expansive Phase 3 clinical trials, according to data from the&nbsp;Times.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CHIEF CRITIC</h4>



Trump has pushed the notion that a vaccine will be ready before the November election, fueling fear in the U.S. that anything approved could have been rushed. Even with wide distribution of a vaccine, the upwards of 60% to 70% will need to be immunized to put an end to the pandemic. That could take until 2022, according to billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates and Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization&#8217;s chief science officer.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h4>



A Covid-19 vaccine is being developed at an unprecedented speed, with a typical immunization taking 10 years to develop, test, approve, and distribute. The U.S. leads the world in confirmed cases of the coronavirus with 7,221,278, as well as reported deaths with 206,693. In total, there are 33,802,841 global infections and 1,010,477 deaths.



-By Matt Perez, Forbes Staff

Coronavirus Covid-19 vaccine concept –  three glass vials on black table, hypodermic syringe needle near, closeup detail (label own design – dummy data and barcode, not real product)

Covid Vaccine Frontrunner Moderna Says Vaccine Won’t Be Approved Until Spring 2021

With only four months to go this year, what is the inevitable uncertainty that awaits us? With a still-increasing Covid caseload, how must Africa and its battered economies learn to co-exist with the virus? A half-year report. 



With the world attempting to return to normalcy in the second half of the year, global experts suggest the worst is not over yet.



Mid-year, globally, there had been over 15 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 with more than 600,000 deaths. 



Speaking from Geneva, in June, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted we’re not out of the woods yet.



“Although the situation in Europe is improving, globally, it is worsening,” he warned.



With North America having, cumulatively, the highest incidence of Covid-19, globally, with over six million infections mid-year, Africa was at the bottom of the ranks, comparatively, with almost 600,000 confirmed cases as of July. But with fast-surging figures, the impact of the virus on the continent continues to have dire effects.



“Looks like the month of August will be the most devastating in terms of new cases and deaths,” says Dr Titus Divala, a medical doctor and epidemiologist based in Malawi.



This spike in cases will no doubt worsen the current burden on Africa’s already ailing public health systems, and in particular, will limit the attention on all other diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.



As a result, this may lead to an unprecedented increase in preventable death, which Divala calls “Covid-19 collateral damage”.



In July, WHO acknowledged there was evidence emerging that Covid-19 is airborne. However, the organization emphasized that more research was “urgently needed”. Airborne transmission means that new infections could accelerate farther and faster.



“Until now, airborne transmission has never been on the cards. Our understanding from Chinese Covid-19 transmission dynamics data, supported by a body [of] evidence from SARS, MERS, and [previous] coronaviruses has always been that the virus spreads [via] droplets which are way bigger than aerosols [necessary for airborne transmission],” Divala says.



Experts like him caution that the emerging evidence must be taken seriously to re-orient prevention messaging before it’s too late. Particularly in Africa, where many socio-economic issues exist.



The Africa Covid-19 Community Vulnerability Index (Africa CCVI), developed by American development body, Surgo Foundation, outlines the 10 most vulnerable regions across the continent, identifying hotspots in six countries. They include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has four of Africa’s most vulnerable regions, and then, Malawi, with two, along with Ethiopia, Uganda, Cameroon, and Madagascar. 



South Africa has emerged as one of the world’s top hotspots for the virus.



By the third week of July, the country recorded well over 350,000 cases and 5,000 deaths with 180,000 recoveries. The continent’s second biggest economy is currently on Level 2 of lockdown restrictions.



And then, there are the myriad unanswered questions: how long before a vaccine is developed?



At the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Shabir Madhi, Professor of Vaccinology, says Africa may likely see a Covid-19 vaccine in the first quarter of 2021.



In July, Madhi, who is also leading a vaccine trial at the university, told Reuters that the ‘ChAdOx1 nCoV-19’ experimental vaccine is one of 19 currently being tested on humans, globally. The vaccine is also being trial-ed in Brazil by scientists from Oxford University in the United Kingdom.



While trials are still in the early stages, business must go on. The second half of 2020 may see more firms attempting to return to normal operations. In terms of the education sector, South Africa has decided to continue with the academic year with some pupils going back to school as others continue classes online.



In July, via Presidential Address, Kenya announced that the 2020 academic year has been completely lost. Schools are expected to resume only in early 2021.



In terms of industry, the challenge that remains is how to rebuild business over the next few months. All businesses will need to become more agile while adopting new technology and online marketplaces. But there are opportunities in the chaos and Covid-19 has accelerated change in building a new reality and navigating the risks as the pandemic rages on.



Undoubtedly, Covid-19 may be with us longer than we anticipate. However, there is hope that African experts will offer new solutions on how to co-exist with the virus, minimize transmissions, and keep our economies and societies running. For now, corporate Africa is preparing itself.



Tshandu Ramusetheli, a Senior Specialized Finance Transactor at Investec in Johannesburg, reiterates that to co-exist with the virus, businesses will need to re-engineer their offerings and adapt to new ways of doing work.



“Most companies (in the services sector) are realizing that their employees can work effectively from home. The downtime that employees would have spent traveling to and from work, coffee breaks in the office, lunches, and general ‘chats around the floor’ have all been replaced by employees spending more uninterrupted time in front of their computers in the comfort of their homes,” he says. “The effect of this is that employees tend to be more productive working from home. Smart employers will capitalize on this and introduce employee incentives for productivity, such as flexi-work where employees work four business days out of five.”



With more focus on the home, hospitals are also now gearing towards the home-based model of treatment for milder cases. FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 entrepreneur and list-maker Ogutu Okudo from Kenya resorted to exercising and making her own home-based treatments when she tested positive for Covid-19. She ate foods such as onion soup, wasabi, fruits, and took Vitamin C. In five days, she had fully recovered and got tested again with negative results.



“They say corona isn’t ‘real’ until you know someone who has gone through it, and in my case, that person happened to be me,” she tells FORBES AFRICA. With nations exiting lockdowns and lifting restrictions around the world and Covid-19 continuing on its unwavering rampage, the second wave of the pandemic may soon be upon us. The question is: how much longer before a well-conceived tested cure that is available to all?



&#8211; By Karen Mwendera

IMG_7010

The Corona Conundrum

The debate on why convalescent plasma therapy could be key for treating critical Covid-19 patients.&nbsp;



The race to create a vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic is underway, but the likelihood of developing, manufacturing and scaling-up a successful vaccine could take a number of months to years. Experts say that Covid-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), on the other hand, is a treatment option that could be rapidly scaled and widely available throughout South Africa.



“The biggest possibility at the moment is Covid-19 convalescent plasma because if we can get plasma from those people who have already had the virus and have got the antibodies, we can then use it in our severe patients,” explains Dr Anton Meyberg, a pulmonologist physician at Netcare Linksfield Hospital in Johannesburg. He adds that CCP will be used to treat patients who are not responding to baseline medication, especially those who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, a severe lung condition and require mechanical assistance (like a ventilator) to breathe.



The use of CCP as passive immunization to treat viral infections is not new – it was first (and successfully) used over 100 years ago during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic when there were no other treatment options available.



“Plasma therapy is essentially the passive immunization by providing antibodies passively to the patient – as opposed to a vaccine which is active immunization. With a vaccine, you give somebody a small amount of dead virus and their body builds an immune response to fight back. Those antibodies become their immune mechanism. In passive immunization, you give someone else’s antibodies to a person to fight the virus,” explains Marion Vermeulen, a South African National Blood Service (SANBS) biomedical technologist who is also co-principal investigator for the South African PROTECT Covid-19 convalescent plasma trial.



The SANBS collect non-Covid-19 plasma routinely as part of their transfusion service for the National Bioproducts Institute, South Africa’s fractionator. The process is identical for when a patient has recovered (or convalesced) from Covid-19, who have Covid-19 antibodies in their blood – antibodies contain proteins the body uses to fight off infections. After being symptom-free for 28 days, they can donate plasma via a procedure called apheresis. Each CCP donation has sufficient volume to be split into two products, so two Covid-19 patients can be treated with each CCP.



“We want to see that if we give these antibodies to patients, whether those antibodies will block the receptor that the virus uses to enter the cells and will therefore truncate the illness and hopefully give a milder disease,” says Vermeulen. “During plasmapheresis, blood is collected from the donor into an instrument that can centrifuge the blood. The white and red cells are returned to the donor during the procedure and only the plasma component is collected. Because red cells are not collected, a plasma donor can donate every two weeks. We’re also pathogen-reducing the product to further minimize the risk of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.”



All blood products have a small risk of transfusion transmissible infections even with the state-of-the-art testing performed, which means not everyone is eligible to donate CCP – people who have recovered from Covid-19 need to be between the ages of 18 and 65 and weigh at least 55kg and must have lived a safe lifestyle in the past three months. Unfortunately, women who have been pregnant before can’t enrol in the study: “When pregnant, women can develop human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and human neutrophil antigen (HNA) antibodies. With plasma transfusion, these antibodies have a small risk of causing a transfusion-related acute lung injury, or TRALI. Because Covid-19 is a lung disease, we don’t want to exacerbate an illness in someone who’s already got a lung disease,” she explains.



Currently, the SANBS has put the call-out for CCP plasma donors. They do not even have 1% of all the recoveries recorded on various South African Covid-19 statistic dashboards donating plasma. But as Covid-19 infection rates increase, they’re hoping to see an increase in the number of those willing to donate and potentially save many lives.



“The big worry at the moment is what happened in Europe and Latin America – they started the clinical trials too late. And they’re now at the tail end of the epidemic and they can’t get their numbers into the clinical trials and so they can’t determine if it actually works. In South Africa, we have a really unique situation because the pandemic started later here. We have the opportunity to enrol many patients… but we need to have sufficient product before we start the clinical arm of the study,” says Vermeulen.



&nbsp;– By Tiana Cline

Blood and plasma donation in Halle

A Shot Of Hope?

South Africa is very much in the early phase of the pandemic, says expert.



South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) announced on Tuesday during a virtual press conference that it will begin the continent’s first clinical trial for a Covid-19 vaccine. Leading the South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial is Shabir Madhi, Professor of Vaccinology at Wits University and Director of the South Africa Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (VIDA).



“This is a landmark moment for South Africa and Africa at this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. As we enter winter in South Africa and pressure increases on public hospitals, now more than ever, we need a vaccine to prevent infection by Covid-19,” said Madhi at the launch.



“We began screening participants for the South African Oxford 1 Covid-19 vaccine trial last week and the first participants will be vaccinated this week,” he added.



Speaking to FORBES AFRICA, Martin Veller, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits, believes South Africa is very much in the early phase of the pandemic.



“We will be seeing a lot more cases. And that is already reflected in the significant increase of the numbers that we’ve seen in the country.”



South Africa’s total number of cases has surpassed 100,000 with the death toll reaching 1,991.



The South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial will start tomorrow, June 24.



“2,000 people will be entered into the trial. It’s important to note that the trial is largely going to be a placebo-controlled trial. One needs to see firstly what the safety of the vaccine is but much more importantly whether it’s effective,” says Veller.



He further stated that the participants will be followed for a whole year and the results will be analysed intermittently.



The institution is also collaborating with other institutions on the vaccine trial.



“Because of the expertise that Professor Madhi, his colleagues at Oxford University very early on contacted him to take part in the development and the trials of this vaccine,” says Veller.



Wits will also be collaborating with the Jenner Institute at Oxford University on the trial.

gettyimages-1215274453-170667a

2,000 Participants To Be Entered Into South Africa’s First Covid-19 Vaccine Trial

The Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $1.6 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for life-saving vaccines.



The Seattle-based Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a five-year, $1.6 billion commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to deliver life-saving vaccines to the world’s poorest countries.



This was announced at the Global Vaccine Summit 2020, hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom. It will help Gavi reach an additional 300 million children in the world’s most vulnerable communities and save up to eight million lives.



In addition to supporting the continuation of routine immunization services during the current Covid-19 crisis, Gavi will deploy potential Covid-19 vaccines to low-income countries when they become available.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;To beat the Covid-19 pandemic, the world needs more than breakthrough science. It needs breakthrough generosity.&#8221; – Bill Gates</blockquote>



“And that’s what we’re seeing today as leaders across the public and private sectors are stepping up to support Gavi – especially Prime Minister Johnson,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, in a press statement. “When Covid-19 vaccines are ready, this funding and global coordination will ensure that people all over the world will be able to access them.”



Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of the Gavi Board, a Nigerian-born economist and former FORBES WOMAN AFRICA cover star, added: “As we enter one of the toughest periods in our history, with the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting vaccine programs across the globe and causing huge economic damage, this pledge will play a vital role in supporting countries’ efforts to prevent the resurgence of other deadly, vaccine-preventable diseases.”&nbsp;

ga11864635 jpg-312245-original

Billionaire Backing For Global Vaccines

There’s been a recent&nbsp;increase&nbsp;globally in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. This can be seen in recent&nbsp;measles outbreaks&nbsp;in parts of the world where it was thought to have been&nbsp;eradicated.



This has prompted the World Health Organisation to list “vaccine hesitancy” (the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines) as one of 10&nbsp;global health threats&nbsp;in 2019.



While there are many&nbsp;complex reasons&nbsp;why people choose not to vaccinate, changes in the way that information is accessed may provide one explanation for the rise in vaccine hesitancy.



We are involved in projects at the&nbsp;South African Research Chair in Science Communication at Stellenbosch University&nbsp;which explores vaccine communication. In a world where people are increasingly&nbsp;encountering science information online, particularly on social media, it’s important to understand why people are vulnerable to anti-vaccination messages and why this kind of information spreads so easily.



Effective communication strategies will be crucial if scientists want to counter the worrying trend of increases in vaccine hesitancy.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">New media change the way people process science</h4>



In recently completed&nbsp;research, author Francois shed some light on how the anti-vaccination movement uses social media to amplify doubt and fuel hesitancy. The research found that “anti-vaxxers” select and share scientific information from open access journal articles on social media to escalate uncertainty in the broader population.



Anybody, including activists with specific agendas, can produce and share information online. This is heightened on social media, where people are connected in real time on a global scale.



Most online media don’t benefit from the quality control of journalists and editors that shapes the content of traditional mass media. Consequently, content is generated by experts and quacks alike, and opinion and facts become blurred. This makes it hard to judge if information is credible or not.



To complicate matters, people are able to create virtual communities of like-minded individuals who seek out information sources that they feel comfortable with. So people get more information they already agree with and few (if any) alternative views in online&nbsp;“echo chambers”. This results in anti- and pro-vaccine messages being shared and replicated in isolated groups, which polarises the contesting views even further.



So how can false information about vaccines shared on social media be countered? Scientists may think that sharing peer-reviewed, factual evidence about the safety of vaccines could&nbsp;change people’s views. Sadly, this is not the case.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Facts alone are not enough</h4>



One-way, top-down communication simply does not work. This is especially true when communicating about a controversial topic rooted in science.



That’s because a lack of information is not the problem. The issue is the way people process that information. Sometimes, people simply “refuse to know” what scientists are trying to tell them. This is what may cause vaccine opponents to reject years of research proving that vaccines don’t increase the&nbsp;risk of autism, even in vulnerable children.



Facts may even backfire. Research&nbsp;shows&nbsp;that bombarding vaccine-hesitant parents with evidence about the safety of vaccines may make them more vaccine-resistant. These studies confirm that it’s particularly difficult to dislodge incorrect information from someone’s memory. And it’s possibly even harder to change a person’s mind if they hold strong beliefs about a contested issue.



People’s views about contested issues in science are&nbsp;polarised&nbsp;by “cognitive bias” and “motivated reasoning” that result from their&nbsp;personal beliefs&nbsp;and values. If they are inclined to like new scientific information, they will view it more positively. But if new information dispels preexisting views, they won’t be receptive.



The so-called&nbsp;“negativity effect”&nbsp;also comes into play. People are more likely to share stories and images about harm and tragedy, than neutral or positive content. This explains why messages about the alleged dangers of vaccines, often accompanied by emotive images of sick children, are amplified more powerfully via social media compared with pro-vaccine messages.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">New research</h4>



To address these issues,&nbsp;two new research projects&nbsp;are underway at the South African Research Chair in Science Communication at Stellenbosch University.



The first focuses on two public pages on Facebook that are specifically aimed at South African audiences. One is opposed to vaccines; the other is in favour.



The objective is to understand the nature and origins of anti- and pro-vaccination claims and images, as well as to explore the evidence provided in support of these claims. It’s hoped that a better understanding of claims made by these opposing groups via social media may provide a starting point for constructive dialogue between these groups.



A second study will examine how scientific information about vaccines and other contested issues is fed into online social networks by ideologically-motivated social movements to advance their cause. A better understanding of how scientific information flows from the formal science communication system to online communication networks will provide important insights about how to protect scientific information from strategic abuse.



&#8211;Marina Joubert; Science Communication Researcher, Stellenbosch University



-Francois van Schalkwyk; Research Fellow, Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST), Stellenbosch University



-The Conversation

Tag: vaccine

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA