Our Scans · (FS.10.00) Covid-19 · Weekly Summary

• [New] The US is to cut funding for mRNA vaccine development - a move that health experts say is dangerous and could make the US much more vulnerable to future outbreaks of respiratory viruses like COVID-19. Al Jazeera
• [New] The COVID-19 vaccine distribution issue further strengthened the US's intention to increase containment against China and enhance the Indo-Pacific strategy, while providing Korea an opportunity to pursue its political and economic interests. BioMed Central
• [New] The federal government will cut $500 million in funding for vaccine research using mRNA technology in COVID-19 and flu vaccines. KSAT San Antonio
• [New] False stories about COVID-19 have become so common that it has become difficult to distinguish fake news from the truth The World Health Organization has in fact warned the public that the world is in battle over another type of epidemic called infodemics which it defines as the spread of fake news. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Science Foundation Ireland has supported a Rapid COVID-19 Response Initiative that funded 26 of 350 applications to address health service readiness, medical countermeasures along with social and policy countermeasures with potential for disruption. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Given the devastating impact of COVID-19 on minorities, students and recent graduates, low-skilled labour, and other groups, companies will work independently and with governments to promote re-skilling, joining initiatives such as the World Economic Forum's Re-skilling Revolution. Kearney
• [New] An eye will be on the World Health Organization, which in late 2025 plans to release a framework for global pandemic preparedness and pathogen surveillance - a policy outcome of COVID that could drive investment in diagnostic networks and mRNA vaccine capacity worldwide. TS2 Space
• [New] While large Canadian airports have rebounded strongly since the COVID-19 pandemic, some face development pressure that could imperil needed growth. Yahoo Finance
• [New] In a troubling shift, recent policy changes under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including the removal of the CDC's entire advisory panel and restrictions on COVID-19 vaccine access for certain groups, could undermine public health efforts and erode trust in health institutions. This Week In Public Health
• [New] Kennedy and the Trump administration have impeded the development of newer, possibly more effective vaccines for both flu and covid-19, and are attempting to place testing roadblocks that will make future vaccine approvals harder to secure. Gizmodo
• [New] The WHO assesses the additional risk to the global public as currently low, and existing Covid-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease. The Independent
• [New] Amid unprecedented attacks on public health and health research in the U.S., restricting access to COVID-19 vaccines will put the public at increased risk for COVID-19 transmission, hospitalization, death, and Long COVID. The Sick Times - Chronicling the Long Covid crisis
• [New] 2025 is expected to mirror 2024 in terms of COVID-19 risks, with new variants, vaccine efforts, and public health challenges shaping the year ahead. ASSURE Rapid Tests - Spread Aloha, Not COVID.
• [New] Despite the recent federal policy change on COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, Blue Shield of California will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccines for all eligible members. Los Angeles Times
• [New] Even though the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in general can be considered as one of the most successful public health campaigns in the history of medicine, general vaccination hesitancy has remained an issue of concern throughout the world, even within high risk groups such as pregnant women. BioMed Central
• [New] With the right policy mix, dedicated implementation, and private sector collaboration, SMEs could become the engine that powers Ghana's post-COVID recovery and long-term economic transformation. CitiNewsroom.com
• [New] During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries without sufficient Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and well-resourced digital learning systems suffered the greatest education disruptions and learning losses. SABEN
• [New] The post-COVID surge in digital payments has created opportunities for both financial innovation and criminal activity, with authorised push payment (APP) fraud emerging as a particular challenge for regulators and payment service providers across global markets. Bizclik Media Ltd
• [New] The COVID-19 pandemic's lingering effects will continue to shape economic recovery trajectories in various parts of the world. 2025 Aksi -
• [New] The World Economic Forum has warned of a double-disruption scenario: workers faced not only with the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic (the first disruption), but also the rapid adoption of AI and automation (the second disruption). / USA Winssolutions
• [New] The global supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19 and the demand for local infrastructure development created rapid growth in the modular construction industry. Building Performance Association
• [New] The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated technology adoption across UK schools whilst revealing both the potential and challenges of digital learning. Classroom Direct
• The looming tariffs are sparking anxiety across European industries already battered by inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the lingering economic aftershocks of the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war. TRT Global

Last updated: 15 August 2025