Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of meetings, online calls, and deadlines has predictably returned. This can only mean one thing — it is time to fire up the coffee kettle and quaff a few cups of stimulation. We are starting out with gingerbread spice. And of course, feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest to stimulate your own neurons. We hope you have a smashing day and, as always, urge you to keep in touch. We enjoy your postcards and telegrams. …
The prospects for would-be Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to prove their shots are protective are becoming ever slimmer, STAT explains. The world can now produce more Covid-19 vaccine than it needs or can administer — more than 12 billion doses a year. For a number of existing manufacturers, purchases have plateaued. Some are already scaling back production. A company hoping to enter the market with yet another vaccine that targets the original SARS-CoV-2 strain or that offers no advantages over existing products will be hard-pressed to find buyers. And demand for newer vaccines — products that are not as difficult to use as the mRNA vaccines — is either modest or stagnant.