Moderna says its coronavirus vaccine works

Hello,

Another Monday, another dispatch of positive vaccine results. This time: Moderna said its coronavirus vaccine works.

Moderna’s vaccine is 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19, the drugmaker said, and it doesn’t need to be stored at super-cold temperatures, which could become critical when distributing the shots. 

Also today in healthcare news: 20 million Americans could get a coronavirus vaccine next month, and why Haven’s former COO joined Eden Health.

Moderna says its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective against COVID-19, a crucial victory in the fight against the pandemic

• Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine was highly effective at preventing COVID-19, the Massachusetts biotech company said on Monday.
• The vaccine was shown to be 94.5% effective in a preliminary analysis.
• The announcement closely follows similar news from a rival vaccine program by Pfizer and BioNTech, which touted late-stage success a week ago.
• The impact from these scientific successes won’t be immediate. Both vaccine candidates still need to secure regulatory approval, and initial supply will be extremely limited.
• Still, it’s undeniably encouraging news in society’s fight against the pandemic. 

Read the full story from Andrew Dunn here>> 

20 million Americans could get a coronavirus vaccine next month, according to the head of Operation Warp Speed

• 20 million Americans could receive a coronavirus vaccine in December, the top scientist involved in the US government's vaccine initiative said Friday.
• Moncef Slaoui said 25 million to 30 million Americans could be immunized each month after that.
• That timeline is based on success for the two leading vaccine candidates, made by Moderna and Pfizer, and speedy clearance by US regulators. Neither of the vaccines is approved to be given widely.

Read the full story from Andrew Dunn here>>

A former top exec at the JPMorgan-Amazon-Berkshire Hathaway healthcare venture shares the 3 reasons he joined a primary-care

• Jack Stoddard joined primary-care startup Eden Health as its executive chairman.
• Before Eden, Stoddard served as the chief operating officer at Haven, the joint health venture created by JPMorgan, Berkshire Hathaway, and Amazon, and he was previously a top exec at the care navigation company Accolade.
• He explained the reasons he joined Eden, which works with employers to offer healthcare virtually or in-person. 

Read the full story here>>

More stories we're reading:

• Healthcare workers are enraged by the deja vu of the third surge in COVID-19 cases (ProPublica)
• More than 200 incarcerated people and staff at Texas prisons and jails have died from coronavirus, report shows (Business Insider)
• Hospitals across the US are filling with coronavirus patients, breaking healthcare workers (The Atlantic)
• One alarming chart shows virus cases spiked soon after initial stimulus efforts were exhausted (Business Insider)

- Lydia