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The fallout for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca is growing. Meanwhile, production is ramping p for the Pfizer vaccine.
The JNJ and AstraZeneca vaccines have been possibly linked to blood clots. That raises a red flag for safety.
The CDC has prolonged the pause on J&J’s vaccine. An advisory committee for the CDC said it needed more time to assess the Covid-19 shot’s safety. It won’t vote on a recommendation for at least a week.
Concerns about the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines is pushing the European Union to increasingly rely on the Pfizer vaccine for its inoculation plans.
The EU said it will not make any more purchases of vaccines from AstraZeneca and J&J. Denmark became the first European country to totally end use of the AstraZeneca shot.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said 50 million doses of the Pfizer shot originally intended for the fourth quarter of 2021 would be delivered between April and June. This raises the EU’s anticipated supply of the vaccine in the second quarter to 250 million doses.
Von der Leyen also said she had opened negotiations with BioNTech and Pfizer to supply a mammoth 1.8 billion additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine for 2022-2023.
This is great news for Pfizer and BioNTech shareholders. Meanwhile JNJ and AZN shareholders are not feeling so well as they fear massive lawsuits ahead for the companies.
The Big News
Pfizer Vaccine: Big Production Ramp-Up
Pfizer has ramped up production of its Covid-19 vaccine. It expects to have delivered a total of 300 million Pfizer vaccine doses to the U.S. two weeks early, in July. Pfizer expects to deliver 10% more Pfizer vaccine doses to the U.S. by the end of May than it had previously agreed to — up to 220 million from 200 million. This is good news on the Pfizer vaccine following the announcement from Johnson & Johnson.
Moderna Vaccine Antibodies Last for Months
The two-dose vaccine from Moderna has been shown to be 94% effective at preventing Covid-19. To learn whether the vaccine provides lasting protection, researchers tested antibodies collected from 33 people who received the vaccine during an early phase of trials. Three types of lab test showed that participants still had antibodies against the coronavirus six months after receiving their second dose of the vaccine.
Quick Tests Slow Covid Spread
Researchers estimate that “lateral-flow” Covid-19 tests can detect most coronavirus infections that will lead to further transmission. The tests are less effective at detecting infections than are gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, but they are faster. Researchers in the UK looked at data from about one million people with positive coronavirus PCR tests and about 2.5 million others who had come into contact with them. Their simulation, based on the performance of lateral-flow devices, suggests that the most sensitive rapid tests could have detected nearly 90% of cases that led to an infected contact.
Europe Going With mRNA Vaccines
The European Commission has decided not to renew Covid-19 vaccine contracts next year with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The EC would rather focus on vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. These include Pfizer vaccine and Moderna vaccine. A spokesman for the EC said all options are being kept open to be prepared for the next stages of the pandemic, for 2022 and beyond.
Novavax Pushes Back Vaccine Timeline
Novavax (NVAX) pushed back the timeline for hitting its production target of 150 million Covid-19 vaccine doses per month until the third quarter. The reason is supply shortages, including bags used to grow cells. The company had previously said full-scale production could be achieved by mid-year. Novavax is one of several Covid-19 vaccine makers that have had to push back production timelines due to industry-wide shortages of raw materials.
The Coronavirus Numbers
Here are the numbers from Thursday at 8 a.m. ET from Johns Hopkins University:
- 138,347,824 Infected Worldwide
- 825,140,526 Vaccines Given Globally
- 2,974,915 Deaths
- 31,422,228 Infected in the U.S.
- 194,791,836 U.S. Vaccine Doses Administered
- 564,405 Deaths in the U.S.
#1 Crypto IPO for 2021 – NOT Coinbase
One global crypto exchange is preparing to IPO. Top venture funds and hedge funds are investing +$500 million. The stock could surge 352% after the IPO. Go here for urgent crypto Pre-IPO details.
What’s Next
Market news yesterday was dominated by the direct listing of Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN).
Coinbase’s market valuation soared north of $75 billion on its first day of trading. It marked a landmark inflection point for cryptocurrency and the broader digital asset sector.
The largest crypto platform in the U.S. has ridden the crest of the crypto-craze in recent months. Its fortunes have been closely tied with two of the largest cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin and Ethereum. Both have surged to record highs in recent days.
This morning, the Euro Stoxx 600 are at a record high. The S&P 500 is expected to follow.
Real Treasury yields — returns adjusted for inflation — are running below zero. That means investors have no alternative for making money outside of stocks . . . especially since stock market investors know the Fed has their backs.
Meanwhile, one global crypto exchange is preparing to IPO.. The stock could surge 352% after the IPO. Go here for urgent crypto Pre-IPO details.
Yours in Health & Wealth,
Tony Daltorio