Your questions answered: How MSD is responding to the global pandemic COVID-19

In March 2021, we announced an agreement with BARDA to adapt and make available a number of the company’s manufacturing facilities for production of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. Additionally, we announced agreements with Johnson & Johnson to support manufacturing and supply of Johnson & Johnson’s SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine.

MSD has been fully committed to developing an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic since it was first recognized, and we know that success will require global collaboration among countries and companies and more.
We are no longer developing our two early-phase vaccine candidates, but we are continuing to move with urgency to advance the development and manufacturing of two investigational therapeutics – a novel immune modulator candidate and, in collaboration with Ridgeback Bio, a novel oral antiviral candidate. We are also continuing to conduct SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research and pursue broader pandemic-response capabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for our company and our industry to continue to invest in research to address threats to health security.

Driven by our steadfast commitment to patients, we are making every effort to ensure that patients in affected areas who are enrolled in clinical trials are able to continue their treatment and receive appropriate care and monitoring.

We have taken extensive steps to ensure that any sites that are currently open, including our plants and labs around the world, are as safe as possible for our colleagues and to provide additional support to our colleagues who are working on our sites. Our other colleagues are working remotely – and, together, we are all focused on advancing MSD’s mission to save and improve lives. We are also asking all employees to follow global health recommendations on handwashing and social distancing. And, if any of our employees is experiencing symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, we’ve asked them to stay home – this applies during this outbreak – and is a good practice at any time.

We are committed to supporting our health care providers and our communities. Where possible, our employees around the world are helping, including contributing volunteer services and donations to support both local and global responses.

Protecting the safety of our employees and their families is key during the pandemic. We have prioritized the health, safety and well-being of our employees and developed specific new resources for the unique work-life integration challenges arising from extended working from home conditions, leveraged 20,000+ members of our Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) to foster greater employee engagement during COVID-19 and to address the unique needs of our globally diverse organization, and designed policies for ongoing business continuity to reinforce a sense of calm and familiarity for all.

Ensuring the Health and Safety of our Global Workforce

Protection

Very early in the pandemic, the company implemented previously developed Pandemic Guidelines aimed at reducing the risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus globally, whether our employees work on sites or in the field. Multi-layered protections including enhanced cleaning protocols, masks for all policies, social distancing by site population reduction, enhanced support for sick employees, and multiple other virus mitigation controls were implemented and adapted with advancing knowledge of the epidemiology and biology of the virus.

Health care

MSD remains committed to the highest standards of medical care for our employees and continues to implement measures to alleviate the financial burden that may be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S., COVID-19-related medical care, including testing, diagnosis and treatment, including prescription drugs, is covered 100% in the U.S. company medical plan.  We evaluated all of our health care programs globally and supported enhancements to provide this same comprehensive COVID-19-related coverage where possible.

Mental Health

We have a global employee assistance program that is available to all employees and their household members to offer resources and support for a broad range of issues that can create stress or disrupt life.

To further raise awareness of emotional well-being and support resources, our company promoted “R U OK? activities” to colleagues globally as they endure the global pandemic.

We know there’s a lot of information about COVID-19. We recommend visiting the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the latest information on COVID-19.