The World Health Organization says the global health emergency brought on by COVID-19 was responsible for between 13.3-16.6 million ‘excess deaths’ in 2020-21 – almost 3 times more than has been reported in the past. ‘Excess deaths’ are those reported in a crisis compared to normal conditions. And in the WHO’s estimate published in the science journal Nature, deaths directly related to COVID and those from indirect impacts, like disrupted/overrun health services, have been counted. And with a bit more number crunching, it’s expected that COVID will be one of the leading causes of death in 2020 and the leading cause of death in 2021. Meanwhile, Moderna – the mRNA vaccine geniuses – has moved onto new endeavours. It’s reported progress in developing a preventive vaccine for melanoma. The deadly form of skin cancer affects almost 17,000 Aussies each year and kills 1,300, so how good would a vaccine be…