Covid News Watch
Very Few Kids Need to Shield From COVID, Large U.K. Study Finds + More
Very Few Kids Need to Shield From COVID, Large U.K. Study Finds
Most young people face an “extremely low” risk of illness and death from COVID-19 and have no need to shield from the virus, according to researchers behind a large U.K. study.
The analysis, which its authors say is the most comprehensive on the topic to date, backs up clinical reports that show children and teens are less likely to be hospitalized or face severe effects from the virus. COVID-19 does increase the chance of serious illness in the most vulnerable children — those with complex disabilities and severe existing medical conditions — but even in those cases the risks are smaller compared with adults.
Updated CDC Schools Guidance Prioritizes In-Person Learning, Even if All COVID Safety Measures Aren’t in Place
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its COVID-19 schools guidance to emphasize in-person schooling is a priority in the fall, regardless of whether all mitigation measures can be implemented.
As K-12 schools will have a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people, the agency says it’s still necessary to layer strategies such as masking and physical distancing, and most importantly, vaccinations for everyone eligible — people age 12 and older.
Number of Deaths Reported After COVID Vaccines Jumps by More Than 2,000 in One Week, According to VAERS
Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included 9,049 reports of deaths, across all age groups, following COVID vaccines — an increase of more than 2,000 compared with the previous week. The data comes directly from reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
VAERS is the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.
Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received as of a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date.
Pfizer to Seek Emergency Use Authorization for COVID Booster Shots — But CDC, FDA Say Science Is Lacking
Pfizer announced Thursday it will seek Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. The drugmaker predicted those who have been fully vaccinated will need a booster shot within six to 12 months of receiving their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
But hours later, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint statement by the FDA and Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) saying, “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time.”
The statement did not explicitly mention Pfizer, but said “a science-based, rigorous process” headed by the CDC, FDA and the National Institutes of Health would determine when or whether boosters were necessary.
New Zealand Children Falling Ill in High Numbers Due to COVID ‘Immunity Debt’
New Zealand hospitals are experiencing the payoff of “immunity debt” created by COVID-19 lockdowns, with wards flooded by babies with a potentially-deadly respiratory virus, doctors have warned.
Wellington has 46 children currently hospitalised for respiratory illnesses including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. A number are infants, and many are on oxygen. Other hospitals are also experiencing a rise in cases that are straining their resources – with some delaying surgeries or converting playrooms into clinical space.
EU Finds Potential Link Between Heart Inflammation and mRNA COVID Shots
Europe’s drug regulator has found a possible link between very rare heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) and Moderna (MRNA.O), it said on Friday, stressing that the benefits of the shots outweighed any risks.
The conditions, myocarditis and pericarditis, must be listed as side-effects of the two mRNA vaccines, the safety committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, adding that such cases primarily occurred within 14 days of inoculation.
El Paso Woman in Her 60s Dies of COVID Despite Vaccination
An El Pasoan who was fully vaccinated has died of a COVID-19 infection, the first such incident in the Sun City, officials confirmed Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the El Paso health department identified the victim as a woman in her 60s with underlying health issues. Out of 2,658 El Paso County deaths reported to date due to COVID, this was the only fatality involving a vaccinated person.
Moderna Plans Triple Vaccine Targeting Flu, COVID and RSV
Buoyed by the success of its COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna has started a phase 1/2 trials of its mRNA-based shot for seasonal influenza, targeting four different flu strains.
The first patents have now been enrolled into the study of the shot – codenamed mRNA-1010 – which is designed to generate antibodies against influenza A H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B Yamagata and Victoria – all of which are recommended by the World Health Organization.
Ultimately, the goal is to develop a shot that combines seasonal flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protection with a single vaccine, said the biotech. It is also looking at including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), another common cause of upper respiratory tract infections.
U.S. Swimmer Michael Andrew Is Biggest Olympic Name to Reveal They Have Not Received COVID Vaccine
Michael Andrew, a U.S. swimming star who will compete in multiple events in Tokyo later this month, became the biggest Olympic name yet to reveal that he has not been vaccinated, saying he didn’t want taking the vaccine to interfere with his training schedule.
As an unvaccinated athlete in the midst of a locked-down Olympic Games, Andrew’s status could present problems for the U.S. Olympic team in the event of a COVID-19 scare or contact tracing during the Games. Considerations are expected to be made for vaccinated Olympians in those cases – but not for the unvaccinated.
Awaited Ivermectin Review Is Out
Proponents of ivermectin for COVID-19 have long been talking about an expected review and meta-analysis led by Andrew Hill, PhD, of the University of Liverpool.
These results were finally published this week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, and they’re positive — but they haven’t escaped criticism, and most researchers still want results from a randomized controlled trial.
Amazon Joins Startup of Pop-Up COVID Vaccine Sites in NYC, LA + More
Amazon Joins Startup to Open Popup COVID Vaccine Sites in NYC, LA
Health tech startup Carbon Health and Amazon Studios opened a project on Thursday to vaccinate at-risk Americans against COVID-19 in New York City, and later Los Angeles.
The partners are opening popup vaccination sites in the United States’ two largest cities in an effort to serve people from “under-vaccinated” neighborhoods.
Hundreds Injured by COVID Vaccines Turn to GoFundMe for Help With Expenses
High school senior Emma Burkey received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine April 1. Within two weeks she was placed in an induced coma. She underwent three brain surgeries after experiencing seizures and developing blood clots in her brain.
When Burkey was well enough to be transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, her first round of bills totaled $513,000.
Friends of the 18-year-old’s family turned to GoFundMe to raise money to help cover Burkey’s mounting medical costs. As of July 7, more than $59,000 had been raised.
Number of Reported COVID Cases Among Fully Vaccinated Continues to Climb
Reports of COVID breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated people continue to rise — as of June 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 4,686 breakthrough cases resulting in death and hospitalization.
Nearly 30 people in Louisiana who were fully vaccinated against COVID died from the virus, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).
Dr. Joseph Kanter, LDH state health officer and medical director, said 27 people between the ages of 28 and 93 died with COVID more than two weeks after being fully vaccinated.
Maryland Offering Scholarships to Youth Who Get Vaccinated
Maryland officials are turning to another financial incentive to try to further boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in the state.
Starting Monday, state residents ages 12 to 17 who are vaccinated or get inoculated against COVID-19 will have a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday during a briefing at the University of Maryland’s flagship campus at College Park.
There will be 20 drawings through Labor Day using a random number generator to select winners for a total of $1 million in scholarship prizes.
Michigan Auditor to Review Accuracy of Nursing Home Deaths
State auditors will review the accuracy of the number of coronavirus deaths linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Michigan.
Auditor General Doug Ringler agreed last week to conduct a comprehensive study at the request of House Oversight Committee Chairman Steven Johnson of Wayland. Johnson is among Republican lawmakers who have questioned if there is an undercount and who have criticized Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for allowing hospitalized COVID-19 patients no longer needing acute care, but still in quarantine, to return to designated units in nursing homes as some hospitals faced surging cases.
With Delta Variant Spreading, Experts Split on Whether to Test Vaccinated People for COVID
The spread of the Delta coronavirus variant in the United States has some experts questioning whether it should be time to start testing even vaccinated people for the virus.
Although health officials have said evidence shows vaccinated people are unlikely to spread the virus to others, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says it may be important to watch to make sure the more transmissible Delta variant does not evade the effects of vaccines.
Dr. Fauci States a Big Frustration About People Not Receiving COVID Vaccine
Dr. Anthony Fauci called out the attempted politicization in some conservative circles of COVID-19 vaccines, telling people who are hesitant to receive the shot to just “get over this political statement.”
“This is not complicated,” the nation’s top infectious diseases expert told MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes on Thursday, as the United States continues to experience a slowdown in vaccination rates and the rise of the new, more transmissible, Delta variant of the virus.
“We’re not asking anybody to make any political statement one way or another,” Fauci explained. “We’re saying, ‘Try and save your life, and that of your family, and that of the community.’”
Six Vaccinated Countries Have High COVID Infection Rates. Five of Them Rely On Chinese Vaccines
Among countries with both high vaccination rates and high rates of COVID-19 infection, most rely on vaccines made in China, a CNBC analysis shows.
The findings come as the efficacy of Chinese vaccines faces growing scrutiny, compounded by a lack of data on their protection against the more transmissible delta variant. CNBC found that weekly COVID cases, adjusted for population, have remained elevated in at least six of the world’s most inoculated countries — and five of them rely on vaccines from China.
UK Man Left Paralyzed, Fighting for Life After Getting AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine
International Business Times reported:
A family man in the United Kingdom was left paralyzed and is now fighting for his life in what is believed to be a side effect of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Anthony Shingler, a 57-year-old dad of two who worked as a security manager, is currently confined in the hospital and hooked on a ventilator three months after receiving the AstraZeneca jab.
The 57-year-old was “fit and healthy” before receiving the jab. But Nicola, his wife, said he deteriorated quickly after getting the first dose. “I’m adamant it was the vaccine, he was fine until he had it. They’ve found no other trigger,” Nicola told StokeonTrent Live. “It’s a nightmare to watch him. I can’t stand seeing my husband in so much pain every day.”
Nine in 10 Adults in Most of UK Likely to Have COVID Antibodies
A round nine in 10 adults in most parts of the UK are now likely to have COVID-19 antibodies, new figures suggest.
The estimates range from 87.2% in Northern Ireland to 89.8% in England and 91.8% in Wales. In Scotland the estimate is lower and is closer to eight in 10 adults, or 84.7%.
The presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated.
Biden’s COVID Vaccine Push Crashes Into Reality + More
Biden’s COVID Vaccine Push Crashes Into Reality
Buzzing razors collided with roaring laughter that collectively rose and fell as James Brown screeched in the backdrop. It’s so loud at the “It’s Official Barbershop” that it’s hard to hear the reply from Mark Harmon, a soft-spoken 17-year-old wearing a McDonald’s sweatshirt, when asked if he had gotten the COVID vaccine.
“No,” he said. And there was little that would persuade him. “I don’t know what they’re putting in it … They gotta tell me every ingredient.”
Biden’s Plan to Deploy Federal Teams in Door-to-Door COVID Vaccine Campaign Sparks Backlash
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to ramp up the federal government’s efforts to get more Americans vaccinated against COVID under a new program that includes “literally knocking on doors,” as Biden puts it.
Speaking from the White House two days after the federal government fell short of its goal of having 70% of adults get their first COVID shot by July 4, Biden said:
“So, please get vaccinated now. It works. It’s free. And it’s never been easier, and it’s never been more important. Do it now — for yourself and the people you care about; for your neighborhood; for your country. It sounds corny, but it’s a patriotic thing to do.”
COVID Vaccine-Related Blood Clots Linked to Amino Acids in New Study
The Wall Street Journal reported:
Canadian researchers say they have pinpointed a handful of amino acids targeted by key antibodies in the blood of some people who received AstraZeneca PLC’s COVID-19 vaccine, offering fresh clues to what causes rare blood clots associated with the shot.
The peer-reviewed findings, by a team of researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, were published online Wednesday by the science journal Nature. They could help doctors rapidly test for and treat the unusual clotting, arising from an immune-driven mix of coagulation and loss of platelets that stop bleeding.
Lead Sinovac Vaccine Scientist in Indonesia Dies of Suspected COVID, Media Say
The lead scientist on China’s Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected COVID-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media said.
The death of Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar comes as fatalities from the coronavirus reach record highs in Indonesia, one of the countries where the Sinovac vaccine has been most widely used.
Pfizer COVID Vaccine Now in Phase-Two Testing at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are starting phase-two testing of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to help determine the efficacy of the vaccine in children younger than 12 years old.
Phase one of testing helped establish how much of the vaccine is needed by different age groups, and now researchers are working to establish how much immunity from the virus each dose provides.
Researchers will use a process called “immunobridging” to compare the immune response among children to the immune response seen in adults and teenagers.
Should People With Immune Problems Get Third Vaccine Doses?
New York Times via Economic Times reported:
When it came to coronavirus vaccination, the third time was the charm for Esther Jones, a dialysis nurse in rural Oregon. After two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine failed to jolt her immune system into producing antibodies, she sought out a third, this time the Moderna shot.
When it came to coronavirus vaccination, the third time was the charm for Esther Jones, a dialysis nurse in rural Oregon. After two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine failed to jolt her immune system into producing antibodies, she sought out a third, this time the Moderna shot.
WHO Advises 2 Monoclonal Antibodies for Severe COVID
The World Health Organization (WHO) today recommended the use of anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibodies—tocilizumab and sarilumab—alongside corticosteroids for treating patients who have severe or critical COVID-19 infections.
The WHO’s treatment recommendation comes in the wake of a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in which researchers analyzed 27 randomized trials that involved nearly 11,000 patients. They found that the interleukin-6 antagonists tocilizumab and sarilumab reduced the risk of death and the need for mechanical ventilation.
WHO Recommends Roche, Sanofi Drugs for COVID to Cut Death Risk
The World Health Organization on Tuesday recommended using arthritis drugs Actemra from Roche (ROG.S) and Kevzara from Sanofi (SASY.PA) with corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients after data from some 11,000 patients showed they cut the risk of death.
A WHO group evaluating therapies concluded treating severe and critical COVID patients with these so-called interleukin-6 antagonists that block inflammation “reduces the risk of death and the need for mechanical ventilation.”
COVID Drug Recommended By WHO Remains Unaffordable and Inaccessible for Most People
Doctors Without Borders reported:
As the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended today the drug tocilizumab for people with severe COVID-19, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called on the Swiss pharmaceutical corporation Roche—the world’s sole producer of the drug—to lower the price and make it accessible for everyone who needs it. Additionally, Roche must end its monopoly and urgently share the know-how, technology, and additional information necessary for other manufacturers across the world to produce the medicine as well, which would ensure adequate supply and access for people everywhere, said MSF.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb Says People Who Had COVID Get ‘Best of Both Worlds’ if They Get Vaccinated
Dr. Scott Gottlieb believes people who have previously been infected with the coronavirus would still benefit from receiving COVID vaccines.
In Tuesday’s interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner acknowledged that some individuals may think that antibodies generated from having the disease offer enough protection against future infection or illness and, as a result, forgo getting a COVID inoculation. The reason to still receive a vaccine is “twofold,” contended Gottlieb, who serves on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer.
Is Moderna’s Vaccine Breakthrough Really Worth $100 Billion?
Just 18 months ago, Moderna Inc. was an early-stage biotechnology company working on a new way of making vaccines worth $6.5 billion. Today, after it developed and delivered one of the fastest-arriving and most effective shots against COVID-19, Moderna’s market value is approaching $100 billion.
Why Some Vaccinated People Are Dying of COVID + More
Why Some Vaccinated People Are Dying of COVID
The Wall Street Journal via Fox News reported:
As the Delta variant of the coronavirus surges through the U.K., almost half of the country’s recent COVID-19 deaths are of people who have been vaccinated. But doctors and scientists aren’t sounding the alarm about the apparently high proportion of deaths among the vaccinated population.
On the contrary, they say the figures so far offer reassurance that vaccines offer substantial protection against the variant, particularly after two doses. Delta, first identified in India, has since spread to at least 85 countries, including the U.S., where it is now estimated to be the most common variant.
Dad: My Son’s School Made Him Get COVID Vaccine, Now He Has Heart Condition
A 17-year-old student developed symptoms of a heart condition about one week after his first dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine and was subsequently diagnosed with a heart condition, his father said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.”
The teen already had COVID and recovered, but was required to get the vaccine in order to play soccer.
The teen’s father, Fabio Berlingieri, said his son was vaccinated on June 15, and about a week later started complaining that “his heart was hurting every time he had a heartbeat.”
Boy, 16, Had Cardiac Arrest After Exercise Following 1st Pfizer Vaccine Dose
The Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (5 July) that it is investigating an incident involving a 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after lifting weights six days into receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
The ministry on Monday (5 July) said it was alerted to the incident on Saturday by the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), where he had been treated at its emergency department following his collapse at home on the same morning.
Texas Man in ICU After Getting J&J COVID Vaccine in Rare Breakthrough Case
Texas man vaccinated against COVID with the Johnson & Johnson shot is in intensive care after he caught the Delta variant of the virus.
Isaac Cary, a 64-year-old Uber driver, received the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine in March, and started feeling ill in June, CBS Austin reported. At first, he thought he had allergies, and later said he has been in contact with a positive case, his friend Lisa Bovee told the news outlet. He is now on a ventilator.
Three in 10 U.S. Adults Say They Haven’t Had COVID Vaccine and Likely Won’t Get It, Poll Shows
As the Biden administration seeks to propel its vaccination programme forward, vaccine hesitancy appears to remain a lingering issue, with more than a quarter of U.S. adults saying in a new survey that they have not yet had a COVID jab and are unlikely to do so in the future.
In the new ABC News/Washington Post poll, three in 10 adults said they had not yet had a dose of a coronavirus vaccine and “definitely” or “probably will not” get one.
Thousands Thought They Were Getting the COVID Vaccine. They Were Injected With Salt Water Instead
Thousands of people have fallen prey to an elaborate wide-ranging scam selling fake coronavirus vaccines in India, with doctors and medical workers among those arrested for their involvement, authorities say.
At least 12 fake vaccination drives were held in or near the financial hub Mumbai, in the country’s western Maharashtra state, said Vishal Thakur, a senior official of the Mumbai police department.
“They were using saline water and injecting it,” Thakur said. “Every fake vaccination camp that they held, they were doing this.” An estimated 2,500 people were given fake shots, he said. The organizers charged their victims fees for the shots, earning up to $28,000 in total.
Animals at Oakland Zoo Receive Experimental COVID Vaccine
A California zoo has administered some of the first doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine to its animals, according to a statement posted by the zoo Friday. Northern California’s Oakland Zoo administered the jab to tigers, bears, mountain lions and ferrets, the zoo announced in a press release Friday.
The vaccines, which have been distributed across the country, will “protect the health and well-being of more than 100 mammalian species living in nearly 70 zoos, as well as more than a dozen conservatories, sanctuaries, academic institutions and government organizations located in 27 states,” according to the Oakland Zoo.
Israeli Study Finds Pfizer Vaccine Only 64 Percent Effective Against Delta Variant
Israel’s health ministry said Monday that the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine appears to be just 64 percent effective against preventing symptoms from the fast-spreading Delta COVID-19 variant, but remains highly effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalizations.
According to data released by the ministry, the vaccine’s ability to prevent symptomatic has dropped by roughly 30 percent over the past two months.
Previous studies in May showed the Pfizer vaccine to be over 94 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, while new data shows that number dropping to just 64 percent from June to July, The Times of Israel reported.
Experts Question if WHO Should Lead Pandemic Origins Probe
As the World Health Organization draws up plans for the next phase of its probe of how the coronavirus pandemic started, an increasing number of scientists say the U.N. agency isn’t up to the task and shouldn’t be the one to investigate.
Numerous experts, some with strong ties to WHO, say that political tensions between the U.S. and China make it impossible for an investigation by the agency to find credible answers. They say what’s needed is a broad, independent analysis closer to what happened in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
COVID Vaccine Patch in the Works, Won’t Require Injections
International Business Times reported:
Scientists are now working on a needle-free vaccine patch against COVID-19. Instead of getting injected, recipients would need only to place the patch on their skin.
A group of global researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia have teamed up with a company called Vaxxas to test their newly developed COVID-19 vaccine patch, KXAN reported.
