Andy Slavitt will leave his position as senior adviser on President Biden’s COVID-19 response team in June. Slavitt says many of the administration’s vaccination goals have been achieved, but the “big job” of convincing vaccine-hesitant Americans to get shots still awaits. (CNBC Weekly)
U.S. diplomats are pushing for the Biden administration to deliver COVID-19 vaccines abroad. Both China and Russia have begun donating their own vaccines to foreign countries in exchange for political concessions. (Politico)
Biogen’s experimental treatment for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, a rare type of blindness, has failed in a mid-stage trial. The gene therapy, which Biogen acquired in a $800 million buyout, didn’t improve patients’ vision. (Endpoints News)
Some vaccinated cancer patients remain uncertain about the extent of protection the shots offer them. Due to cancer and treatments, some patients’ immune systems don’t produce as many antibodies as they normally would when vaccinated. (STAT)
Hispanic adults are twice as likely to say they want a COVID-19 vaccine as white adults, according to a new survey. The survey reveals a need to address access issues for Hispanic populations, including a lack of insurance, documentation status or missing work. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
