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Covid News Watch
Biden Administration Bypasses Vaccine Experts + More
The Biden Administration Has Been Sidelining Vaccine Experts
The U.S. government, over the past few weeks, has made three important decisions on vaccines without consulting independent panels of experts.
On Nov. 19, the Food and Drug Administration authorized boosters for all adults — regardless of their job or any underlying health conditions.
On Nov. 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that everyone 18 and above should get a booster shot, a revision of previous guidance that strongly recommended boosters only for those 50 and older.
Then, on Dec. 9, the FDA authorized booster shots (of Pfizer) for 16- and 17-year-olds, moving the age of eligibility down from 18.
Before last month, the standard practice was for the agencies to convene standing outside advisory committees, whose members inspect the relevant data, debate it and vote. That did not happen in these cases, meaning that the costs and benefits of these policy moves, from a medical perspective, were not fully aired publicly and discussed in advance.
48 Test Positive for COVID on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Four dozen passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of a weeklong Royal Caribbean cruise aboard Symphony of the Seas that sailed into Miami yesterday, reported the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
But breakthrough cases happen so routinely on cruise ships these days, it’s become something of a trend.
All of the ship’s passengers age 12 and older were required to be fully vaccinated and to test negative to board the cruise, which left Miami on Dec. 11. Children too young to be vaccinated were also required to test negative before sailing.
In response to rising infection rates due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean tightened its mask policy this week to require that all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in all indoor public areas unless actively eating or drinking.
Omicron Spreading and Infecting the Vaccinated — WHO
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
“There is now consistent evidence that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing for Geneva-based journalists, held at its new headquarters building.
New Zealand Says Man’s Death May Be Linked to Pfizer Vaccine
New Zealand health authorities said they believe a man’s death may be linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The 26-year-old man died within two weeks of his first dose of Pfizer and preliminary post-mortem information suggests the probable cause was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle wall that is a rare side effect of some COVID-19 vaccines, New Zealand’s COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board said in an emailed statement on Monday.
It is New Zealand’s second reported death linked to the vaccine after the board said in late August that a woman’s myocarditis was probably due to vaccination. It said today that another two people had died with potential myocarditis following vaccination. Further information was needed in the case of a 13-year-old child, while the death of a man in his 60s was unlikely related to the vaccine, it said.
Moderna Halts Patent Fight Over Coronavirus Vaccine With Federal Government
Moderna is pausing a patent dispute with the federal government over its groundbreaking coronavirus vaccine, saying it is “grateful” to government scientists who collaborated with the company and wants to “avoid any distraction” in the fight against the Omicron variant.
The decision could have implications for the Biden administration’s global vaccination strategy, as officials look for leverage to share mRNA vaccine discoveries with developing countries in an effort to ramp up worldwide supply.
It is also expected to turn down the heat on the Cambridge, Mass., vaccine maker, which projected as much as $18 billion in sales from its vaccine this year, and has received stinging criticism for doing too little to share its breakthroughs with poorer nations.
NBA Postpones 5 More Games; Young, Vogel Enter Protocols
The NBA on Sunday postponed a total of five games involving nine teams in response to rising coronavirus numbers, raising the number of contests that have been pushed back this season to seven.
Called off were three Sunday games: Cleveland at Atlanta, Denver at Brooklyn and New Orleans at Philadelphia. Also shelved were Orlando’s game at Toronto on Monday and Washington’s game at Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Leaguewide, through Sunday evening, there were at least 75 players from 20 teams who have either been ruled out to play — or in the case of the postponed games, would have been ruled out — because they are in the protocols.
U.S. officials are expecting a wave of breakthrough infections among the vaccinated given the surge of holiday travelers and gatherings expected in the coming days. The NBA has said 97% of players are fully vaccinated and somewhere around 60% had received boosters as of last week.
Claim Alleging Injury or Death From a COVID Countermeasure to Be Compensated
For the first time amid the pandemic, the U.S. government compensation program will pay out one of the 4,751 claims alleging injuries or death arising from the administration of a covered countermeasure used to diagnose, treat or prevent COVID-19.
Countermeasures may include emergency authorized or federally approved vaccines, drugs, and medical devices that the Food and Drug Administration allows for use during a public health emergency.
A total of 5,242 claims have been filed with the CICP from 2010 to Nov. 1, 2021, of which 4,751 claims are related to injuries or death from COVID-19 countermeasures, specifically 2,297 claims are for COVID-19 vaccines and 2,454 for other countermeasures.
‘It Is Embarrassing’: CDC Struggles to Track COVID Cases as Omicron Looms
As the world experiences new, more transmissible COVID-19 variants, scientists and health officials in the U.S. are still struggling to gather accurate and timely domestic data to help inform policy decisions to safeguard Americans.
Continuing gaps in the CDC’s data collection program, which almost two years into the pandemic still relies on state health departments who use a mix of often incompatible and outdated state systems to identify cases, impedes the nation’s understanding of where and how fast the virus is spreading, according to more than a dozen state and federal officials involved in tracking cases.
In interagency health and high-level White House meetings, health and White House COVID-19 officials have lamented that U.S. epidemiological data is lacking in speed and accuracy and have advocated that the administration use data collected by international allies while considering policies on vaccinations and booster shots, those sources said.
Moderna’s Third Dose Boosts Antibodies Against Omicron
A third dose of Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine increased antibody levels against the Omicron variant, results the company described as reassuring while it works on a shot tailored to the new strain.
A 50-microgram booster dose — the authorized amount, which is half the dose used for primary immunization — saw a 37-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies, the company said in a statement Monday. The company also tested a 100-microgram dose, which increased antibody levels 83-fold compared with the primary two-dose course.
The results add to a growing body of evidence that three shots will be needed to neutralize the fast-spreading Omicron.
The Pandemic Could Drive Another National Health Crisis, GAO Warns: Anxiety
“The pandemic is potentially driving another national crisis related to its effects on behavioral health, with people experiencing new or exacerbated behavioral health symptoms or conditions.” That’s the stark warning in the first paragraph of a letter to Congress in a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
The expansive impact of the pandemic is demonstrated by this statistic: More than four out of 10 adults, 43%, told a Census Bureau pulse survey in November 2020 they suffered from anxiety or depression.
Citing an August 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, the GAO said 13% of adults responding to a survey admitted “having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19.”
Therapists know “behavioral health problems are often under reported,” said Lynn Bufka, the American Psychological Association’s senior director of practice transformation and quality.
“We’re seeing a large increase in demand for anxiety and depression treatment” by mental health professionals who report long wait times for clients seeking care, Bufka said.
Omicron May Sideline Two Leading Drugs Against COVID
As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they’ve used to fight infections are unlikely to work against the new strain.
For more than a year antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly have been the go-to treatments for early COVID-19, thanks to their ability to head off severe disease and keep patients out of the hospital.
But both drugmakers recently warned that laboratory testing suggests their therapies will be much less potent against Omicron, which contains dozens of mutations that make it harder for antibodies to attack the virus. And while the companies say they can quickly develop new Omicron-targeting antibodies, those aren’t expected to launch for at least several months.
Children Receive Unapproved COVID Vaccine
Police in Germany are investigating after at least three children under 12 were “incorrectly” given the Moderna vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination center. Parents have reportedly sought assault charges against a staffer.
The incident occurred on Sunday at a center in the town of Attendorn in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The children who received the Moderna shot apparently exhibited no ill effects after they left the vaccination center. The incident was reported to the police at the parents’ request.
According to the district administration, it was not yet clear if the staff member was the only one at the center to have injected children with the wrong shot or if other employees had done the same. It was also not known whether the children administered the incorrect vaccine were given an adult dose.
The authorities noted that around 365 children had been vaccinated in general against COVID in the town, with parents being told to monitor them for any adverse effects. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been greenlighted by the agency for children aged between five and 11 in the bloc so far.
French Health Regulator Approves Pfizer Vaccine for 5- to 11-Year-Olds
France’s Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) health regulator approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for all children aged 5-11 on Monday.
Last week France started vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds with medical conditions that require special protection and ramped up logistics to roll out vaccination of all children in the age group once the HAS approves the move.
French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that he was in favor of vaccinating children, but added that this needed to remain the decision of parents.
Pfizer Expects Vaccine for Kids Under 5 in ‘First Half’ of Next Year + More
Pfizer Expects Vaccine for Kids Under 5 in ‘First Half’ of Next Year
Pfizer and BioNTech said Friday they expect to submit an application for the use of their COVID-19 vaccine in children under five years old in the “first half of 2022” as they test a third dose for the age group.
Pfizer said it is studying a third small dose of its vaccine for children under 5, given that the testing so far showed that the immune response with two small doses was not as high as desired in children 2 to 4 years old.
Pfizer also said Friday it is testing a third dose in children 5 to 12 and 12 to 17, as experts urge adults to get a booster shot.
Moderna COVID Shot Likelier to Cause Heart Inflammation Than Pfizer’s: Study
Moderna‘s (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine is up to four times more likely to cause inflammation of the heart muscle, a very rare side effect, than its rival vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), according to a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal late on Thursday.
The study, in which almost 85% of Danes, or 4.9 million individuals, aged 12 and older participated, investigated the link between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation, also known as myocarditis or myopericarditis.
Earlier studies from Israel and the United States have indicated an increased risk of heart inflammation after inoculation with the mRNA-vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine was only associated with a higher risk of heart inflammation among women, the study said, contrasting with the results of the studies from Israel and the United States.
COVID Hysteria Is Destroying the Lives of Disabled Children Like Mine
As the parent of a severely disabled and non-verbal child, I’ve spent his entire life as a caregiver looking out for his medical, educational, social and equipment needs and ensuring he leads the most meaningful, healthy and safe life possible.
And pandemic over-regulation has made the challenges of my son’s life infinitely harder — as it has the lives of countless other individuals with disabilities.
Throughout the pandemic, young children with autism and other special needs have been kicked off of flights, have been banned from flying, denied entry into museums, thrown out of bookstores and had their education stunted. They have been generally treated like loathsome vectors of disease, like contagiants.
Pfizer and BioNTech Ask FDA to Approve Their COVID Vaccine for Kids as Young as 12
Pfizer and BioNTech completed their request to the Food and Drug Administration to approve their COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12, the companies announced Friday.
The companies submitted Phase III clinical trial data to FDA as a supplemental application for their vaccine, which is already approved for adults and children as young as 16. In the new data, their vaccine was 100% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in children who received the vaccine up to four months after their second dose.
FDA will review the data and decide whether to update the vaccine’s approval.
The Tragedy of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID Vaccine
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine was going to be a shot for the world. Now, under the weight of a mountain of bad PR, one wonders if the world will want it.
On Thursday, a panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously that the shots developed by Pfizer and Moderna should be recommended over the J&J one.
In April, U.S. regulators announced a pause of the rollout of the J&J shot while they investigated a rare but serious side effect involving both blood clots and serious bleeding. When it was finally introduced, there were distribution problems that limited supply.
The vaccine’s popularity never recovered.
Rockettes Christmas Spectacular Cancels Shows Due to Breakthrough Infections
The Radio City Rockettes became the latest casualty of the sweeping COVID-19 surge to disrupt Manhattan’s bustling live performance industry.
Adding to the growing list of Broadway show cancelations, “The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” has announced the cancelations of all four of its Friday performances due to breakthrough infections among its crew.
American Parents Worrying Less About Kids Contracting COVID-19: Gallup Poll
Fewer parents report being worried about their child contracting COVID-19 compared to three months ago, according to a new Gallup poll.
The poll found that 45% of parents with children aged 18 and younger say they are “very” or “somewhat” worried that their child will be infected with COVID-19, a drop from 53% in September.
Gallup noted that vaccination status does not relieve parents’ worry about their child contracting the virus, with 63% of parents whose children have been vaccinated report being worried about them being infected, while only 17% of parents of unvaccinated children report the same.
Fully Vaccinated Is About to Mean Something Else
For nearly a year now, the phrase fully vaccinated has carried a cachet that it never did before. Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is a ticket for a slate of liberties — a pass to travel without testing and skip post-exposure quarantine, per the CDC, and in many parts of the country, a license to enter restaurants, gyms, and bars. For many employees, full vaccination is now a requirement to work; for many individuals, it’s a must for any socialization at all.
Sometime in the very, very near future, that status — and the perks that come with it — could evaporate in an instant for millions of Americans. Medical experts and public-health officials have for weeks been calling for the CDC to alter the definition of fully vaccinated to include another dose. Countries such as Israel have already done it; Anthony Fauci has been gunning for the switch.
Millions of people would be bumped back into “partially vaccinated” purgatory. Unvaccinated people would have one more hurdle to clear to achieve CDC-sanctioned status; some could be further disincentivized from getting the necessary shots
South Africa Hospitalization Rate Plunges in Omicron Wave
South Africa delivered some positive news on the Omicron coronavirus variant on Friday, reporting a much lower rate of hospital admissions and signs that the wave of infections may be peaking.
Only 1.7% of identified COVID-19 cases were admitted to hospital in the second week of infections in the fourth wave, compared with 19% in the same week of the third Delta-driven wave, South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said at a press conference.
Health officials presented evidence that the strain may be milder, and that infections may already be peaking in the country’s most populous province, Gauteng.
A COVID ‘Viral Blizzard’ Is About to Hit the U.S., Expert Says, With ‘Millions’ to Be Infected Soon
The coronavirus will hit millions of Americans in a “viral blizzard” within a few weeks as infections from the Omicron variant pile on top of Delta, an expert predicts.
The Delta variant remains a problem. And Omicron, with its high transmissibility, could strike millions more soon, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
Omicron will cause a serious strain on the healthcare system as more workers will likely get sick, Osterholm said, even though most cases from Omicron seem to be mild.
AstraZeneca Therapy Works Against Omicron; Results Mixed for Regeneron
AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Regeneron (REGN.O) on Thursday reported contrasting data on the effectiveness of their COVID-19 antibody therapies against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, underscoring the major challenges ahead for drugmakers.
U.S.-based Regeneron said its REGEN-COV therapy, also called Ronapreve, is less effective against Omicron, though it is still active against the Delta variant, confirming indications from lab tests and computer modelling late last month.
Anglo-Swedish rival AstraZeneca, however, said a lab study found that its antibody cocktail Evusheld retained neutralising activity against Omicron, the first such data for the treatment.
8 Heart Inflammation Cases Reported Among Young Kids Who Got COVID Shot + More
8 Heart Inflammation Cases Among Young Kids Who Got COVID Shot — U.S. CDC
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday it had received reports of eight cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, in children aged 5-11 years who received Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC did not say whether it believes there is a link between the myocarditis cases and the vaccine, or disclose the rate of myocarditis in the age group without vaccination.
The cases were reported in the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and presented by the CDC to a panel of its expert advisers.
CDC Panel Recommends Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Over J&J Shots for Adults Due to Rare Blood Clot Cases
An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s shot for adults 18 and over, after finding dozens of people developed a rare blood clot condition following J&J vaccination, all of whom were hospitalized and nine of whom died.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to recommend Pfizer and Moderna over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky still has to weigh in on the panel’s recommendation.
The CDC has confirmed 54 cases of people developing blood clots and showing low blood platelet levels, a new condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome that mostly affects younger women. All of the patients were hospitalized, nine people died and 36 were treated in intensive care.
Broadway Performances Canceled Due to Breakthrough COVID Cases
Several Broadway shows were forced to cancel performances this week due to positive COVID-19 tests among the cast or crew, a setback for the industry that comes just months after it raised the curtain on an 18-month shutdown due to the pandemic.
Since its return, Broadway has required eligible audiences, crews, performers and other staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This week, the Broadway League, a trade association for the industry, began enforcing a new vaccination and mask policy for children.
Here’s a look at the shows that canceled performances this week: “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s opus on the life of Alexander Hamilton, canceled its Wednesday night show less than an hour before it was set to begin due to breakthrough COVID-19 cases, according to a post on its Twitter page.
Should Healthy, Vaccinated Pro-Athletes Who Test Positive Play On? Not yet, Experts Say.
Coronavirus cases have spiked this week across North American professional sports despite sky-high vaccination rates among players and staffs.
Sidelined stars, postponed games and disrupted seasons have doused any promise that vaccines would restore normalcy to the sports world. One month away from the NFL playoffs and barely a week out from the NBA’s annual Christmas Day showcase, both leagues are again mired in COVID-related obstacles.
Among the rash of players unavailable to play after testing positive, the vast majority are vaccinated and many are asymptomatic. So in a time of widely available vaccines and booster shots, would it be safe for sports leagues to allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players who test positive for the coronavirus to play in games?
Vaccine Watchdog Committee Makes Pregnant Women Priority Group for COVID Vaccination
Pregnant women have been made a priority group for vaccination following research showing they are vulnerable to more serious illness and pregnancy complications if they are infected with COVID-19.
The vaccines watchdog, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), announced on Thursday that pregnant women would be moved into priority group 6 alongside adults under the age of 65 who have long-term health conditions, and urged pregnant women to get first and second doses and booster jabs as soon as possible.
Fauci Pushes for Universal Coronavirus Vaccine
The scientific quest for a universal coronavirus vaccine received a boost Wednesday, as three top federal researchers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, outlined a path to develop new vaccines that could tackle a variety of ailments including COVID-19, some common colds and future viruses.
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Fauci and two colleagues said the virus that causes COVID-19 is unlikely to be eliminated, and current vaccines are too limited to prevent the emergence of new variants. Other coronaviruses are also likely to spill over from animals to become future pandemic threats, they wrote.
Refugees Lack COVID Shots Because Drugmakers Fear Lawsuits — Documents
Tens of millions of migrants may be denied COVID-19 vaccines from a global program because some major manufacturers are worried about legal risks from harmful side effects, according to officials and internal documents from Gavi, the charity operating the programme, reviewed by Reuters.
Many COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have required that countries indemnify them for any adverse events suffered by individuals as a result of the vaccines, the United Nations says.
Where governments are not in control, that is not possible. The concerns affect people, such as those displaced by the Myanmar, Afghanistan and Ethiopian crises, who are beyond the reach of national governments’ vaccination schemes.
Cleveland Browns Coronavirus Outbreak Leaves Over 90 NFL Players on COVID Reserve
A COVID-19 outbreak has left over a dozen Cleveland Browns players infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Even Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive for the virus. As a result, over 90 players across the league are now on the NFL’s COVID reserve list.
This may leave the Browns rather undermanned when they play against the Las Vegas Raiders this Saturday. Nevertheless, it looks like this game will still go on, even though the NFL ended up rescheduling 15 games last season due to the pandemic. According to the following tweet on Thursday from Judy Battista, a reporter for the NFL Network, the NFL doesn’t plan on postponing or canceling the game.
It’s been an outbreak season for other teams as well. Over the past week, there’s been a recent surge in positive COVID-19 tests around the NFL.
Omicron Variant May Hasten Pace for COVID to Become Endemic, ‘Ideal Situation for a Virus’
Some health officials have expressed reserved optimism that the coronavirus Omicron strain could be a significant step in the pandemic‘s transition to becoming endemic, with one expert calling initial studies “the ideal situation for a virus.”
Dr. Adam Koppel, the managing director of Bain Capital Life Sciences, told the Massachusetts High Technology panel on Tuesday that if the projections are true and Omicron becomes the dominant global strain, it will “enable us to more quickly get to an endemic state as opposed to a pandemic state where we can live more regularly with the virus more similar to the flu than what COVID has looked like,” the Boston Herald reported.
Small South Africa Patient Study Shows Omicron Breaking Through Booster Shots
A small study of seven COVID-19 cases in South Africa shows the Omicron variant can break through booster vaccine shots, one of the scientists involved said on Thursday.
A group of seven German visitors to Cape Town, aged between 25 and 39, were infected at some point in late November or early December with confirmed cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. A copy of the study seen by Reuters said they all suffered only mild to moderate symptoms and none required hospitalization.
Of the group, six were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N) vaccine, of whom five had also had a booster Pfizer shot while the sixth had received a booster dose of the Moderna (MRNA.O) vaccine.
A seventh had received an initial dose of AstraZeneca‘s vaccine (AZN.L), followed by a second and then third booster dose of Pfizer. None had reported past infection with COVID-19.
mRNA Vaccine Efficacy Against Delta Plummeted in Veterans — Large Cohort of Older Veterans Shows Potential Waning Efficacy, Less Protection Against Infection
Effectiveness of a two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine was estimated to be substantially lower during the summer months in older male veterans, a case-control study found.
Moreover, estimated vaccine effectiveness dropped to around 20% during months 5 to 7 of the “high Delta” period, the authors wrote in a JAMA Network Open research letter.
Brazil Health Regulator Approves Pfizer COVID Shot for Ages 5 to 11
Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa said on Thursday it has approved the use of Pfizer’s (PFE.N)COVID-19 vaccine for children aged from 5 to 11 years old.
The regulator said the benefits of mass-immunization far outweigh the risks associated with the vaccine. It remains unclear, however, as to when Brazil might roll out doses to this age group.
Cornell Reports Many of 900+ COVID Cases Are Omicron in Fully Vaxxed Students + More
Cornell University Reports More Than 900 COVID Cases This Week. Many Are Omicron Variant Cases in Fully Vaccinated Students
Cornell University reported 903 cases of COVID-19 among students between December 7-13, and a “very high percentage” of them are Omicron variant cases in fully vaccinated individuals, according to university officials.
“Virtually every case of the Omicron variant to date has been found in fully vaccinated students, a portion of whom had also received a booster shot,” said Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina in a statement.
As of result, the school has decided to shut down its Ithaca, New York, campus, where it has about 25,600 students. The university will move final exams for the semester online, cancel all activities and athletics and close the libraries, President Martha Pollack wrote in a letter to the student body posted Tuesday.
CDC Vaccine Advisers to Revisit Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine Recommendation
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisers will meet on Thursday to revisit the benefits and risks for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to vote on “updated recommendations for use,” according to an agenda for the meeting posted online Wednesday.
According to the agenda, the CDC’s vaccine advisers will hear presentations about thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome, known as TTS, a rare, serious type of blood clotting condition that has been linked to the J&J vaccine, but not to the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
Wuhan Lab Leak More Likely Origin of COVID, UK Parliament Panel Told
A Canadian molecular biologist on Wednesday told cross-party members of Parliament (MPs) on the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee that a leak from a laboratory in Wuhan region of China is now the more likely origin of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Dr Alina Chan, specialising in gene therapy and cell engineering and co-author of Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19′, told the Parliament panel’s evidence session on scientific research that the pandemic was being caused by the unique feature of the coronavirus called furin cleavage site, which has been linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
On whether the virus was modified in the lab before a leak, Chan said: We have heard from many top virologists that a genetically engineered origin of this virus is reasonable…and this includes virologists who themselves have made modifications to the first SARS virus.
Judge Rules Hospital Can’t Block Treatment of COVID With Ivermectin
A Virginia hospital can’t stand in the way of a family’s preference to be treated for COVID-19 with the drug ivermectin, which is not approved for treating the virus, a judge ruled.
Kathy and Don Davies were rushed to Fauquier Hospital Oct. 9 suffering serious COVID-19 symptoms. Their son, Chris Davies, is an X-ray technician at the hospital. He’d heard about some people finding help in the drug ivermectin, typically used as an anti-parasitic, often for animals. He asked the hospital to try it as a treatment, but the doctors refused.
Judge James Fisher sided with the Davies family, ordering the hospital to allow them to have ivermectin given to Kathy Davies or face a $10,000-a-day fine. She got the first dose on Monday night.
The Fears of Five-Year-Olds: How Young Children Cope With COVID Anxiety
Let me introduce you to a little girl called Miriam. She’s five years old and attends a primary school in north-east London. The adults who know her describe her as a confident, outgoing child.
But the pandemic that continues to spread fear and uncertainty across all our lives has made her scared of the world around her. Getting to sleep is difficult for Miriam because she has nightmares. Especially on Sundays. Coming into school is hard, because she doesn’t want to leave her mother.
Concerns about the devastating impact of the pandemic on mental health have been well aired since COVID-19 first swept the globe. But what of our youngest pupils, who have missed school without knowing what they’re missing and shouldn’t have a care in the world?
Fauci Says COVID Boosters Work Against Omicron, No Need for Variant-Specific Third Shot
White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that currently available booster shots work against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and do not need to be adjusted to fight the new, highly contagious strain of the virus at this time.
Fauci said the primary two-dose vaccination series from Pfizer and BioNTech is significantly compromised by Omicron, but still offers considerable protection against severe disease. Protection from the two-dose vaccine against infection dropped to 33% compared with 80% before the emergence of Omicron. However, two doses are still 70% effective at preventing hospitalization in Omicron patients in South Africa, Fauci said.
A booster dose increases protection against symptomatic disease to 75%, Fauci said, citing data from the U.K. Health Security Agency.
U.S. Study Suggests Vaccines May Be Ineffective Against Omicron Without Booster
All three U.S.-authorized COVID-19 vaccines appear to be significantly less protective against the newly-detected Omicron variant of the coronavirus in laboratory testing, but a booster dose likely restores most of the protection, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard and MIT that has not yet been peer reviewed tested blood from people who received the Moderna (MRNA.O), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech vaccines against a pseudovirus engineered to resemble the Omicron variant.
The researchers found “low to absent” antibody neutralization of the variant from the regular regimens of all three vaccines — two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines or one of J&J‘s single-dose vaccine. But the blood from recent recipients of an additional booster dose exhibited potent neutralization of the variant, the study found.
São Paulo Says It Has Fully Vaccinated 100% of Its Adults. Will It Be Enough to Stop Omicron?
In a world struggling to convince people to take the coronavirus vaccine, the news was striking.
São Paulo, the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, announced late last month that it had succeeded where others had failed. One hundred percent of its adult population had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Then there is the biggest uncertainty of them all: Omicron.
The extraordinary success of São Paulo’s vaccination campaign has laid the groundwork for what amounts to a large-scale experiment. The coming weeks will help show how the new variant will behave in a massive urban environment where virtually everyone has been vaccinated, and whether its spread will be slowed by São Paulo’s vaccination firewall.
Londoners With Cold Symptoms More Likely to Have COVID, Says Expert
People who have cold-like symptoms in London are more likely to have COVID than a cold, according to the scientist behind the Zoe coronavirus symptom tracker app.
Prof Tim Spector told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that most of the symptoms of Omicron were the same as those of a common cold, including headaches, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue and sneezing.
Spector urged people with cold symptoms — and not just the classic COVID symptoms — to take a test.
Pfizer Set to Oust AstraZeneca as Top Supplier of COVID Shots to Poor Nations
Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNtech (22UAy.DE) are set to displace AstraZeneca (AZN.L) as the main suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines to the global COVAX programme at the start of 2022, a shift that shows the increasing importance of their shot for poorer states.
The expected change comes with headaches for receiving countries that lack sufficient cold storage capacity to handle the Pfizer vaccine, and amid risks of a shortage of syringes needed to administer that shot.
Why UK Has Been Less Keen Than U.S. to Give COVID Jab to Children
The UK and U.S. may have many things in common, but when it comes to vaccinating children against COVID, the approach has been markedly different.
The UK has shown significantly less speed in expanding its COVID vaccination programmes to children despite a successful rollout among adults, with almost 70% of the population having had two jabs.
EU Regulator Backs J&J COVID Booster Dose for Adults
The European Union’s drug regulator on Wednesday recommended that a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson‘s (JNJ.N) COVID-19 shot may be given at least two months after a first dose in people aged 18 years and older, as the bloc battles surging infections.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said its recommendation to allow J&J booster doses follows data which showed the additional shot led to a rise in antibodies against the COVID-causing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The EMA said that a J&J booster dose may also be given after two doses of one of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) or Moderna (MRNA.O), in line with its recommendation on mixing vaccines.