Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Shot Works in Kids as Young as 12 + More

Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Shot Works in Kids as Young as 12

ABC News reported:

Moderna said Tuesday its COVID-19 vaccine strongly protects kids as young as 12, a step that could put the shot on track to become the second option for that age group in the U.S.

With global vaccine supplies still tight, much of the world is struggling to vaccinate adults in the quest to end the pandemic. But earlier this month, the U.S. and Canada authorized another vaccine — the shot made by Pfizer and BioNTech — to be used starting at age 12.

Vaccines’ Success Could Undercut Biden’s Multibillion-Dollar School Testing Plans

Politica reported:

President Joe Biden took office pledging to help curb the pandemic by supporting regular COVID-19 testing in schools and other group settings like homeless shelters and workplaces — but the future of those multibillion-dollar plans is murky amid dramatic drops in infection rates nationwide.

The administration has struggled to launch a $650 million program it announced in February to set up regional Covid-19 testing hubs for schools and facilities like homeless shelters. Federal officials had hoped to have the first hub open and coordinating 150,000 tests per week by late April, but have not yet awarded any contracts.

39-Year-Old Model, Malaysian Olympic Archer Die Days After COVID Vaccines

The Defender reported:

British fashion model Stephanie Dubois died from a blood clot days after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine in Cyprus, a health official said Monday.

Dubois, 39, suffered a “serious thrombotic episode” after receiving her first dose of the vaccine on May 6, Newsweek reported. She had no underlying health conditions according to health officials at the hospital in Nicosia, where she was hospitalized May 14, after experiencing breathing issues.

The fashion model later suffered a brain hemorrhage and was in a coma before she passed away May 21.

9 New ‘Vaccine Billionaires’ Amass Combined Net Worth of $19.3 Billion During Pandemic

The Defender reported:

A new report shows the global push to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 has spawned nine new “vaccine billionaires” who have amassed a combined net wealth of $19.3 billion.

The author of the report, People’s Vaccine Alliance, said the pharmaceutical industry’s monopoly on COVID vaccines has generated a massive increase in wealth for a handful of people.

In addition to the nine new “vaccine billionaires,” the coalition of health and humanitarian organizations, world leaders and economists said “eight existing billionaires — who have extensive portfolios in the COVID-19 vaccine pharma corporations — have seen their combined wealth increase by $32.2 billion.”

Young Americans Are Lagging With COVID-19 Vaccines. These Threats Have Experts Pushing Them to Get Shots

CNN reported:

Experts are turning their focus in the fight against COVID-19 to vaccinating young Americans — warning that even though they don’t face a high chance of serious illness, they still risk long-term symptoms if they get coronavirus.

The United States has so far made significant progress in vaccinating adults and a new milestone was achieved Tuesday.

Good News: Mild COVID-19 Induces Lasting Antibody Protection

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported:

Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.

The findings, published May 24 in the journal Nature, suggest that mild cases of COVID-19 leave those infected with lasting antibody protection and that repeated bouts of illness are likely to be uncommon.

Health Official: Unvaccinated Adults May Pose COVID-19 Risk to Children Under 12

The Petoskey News-Review reported:

Those who delay getting a COVID-19 vaccine should understand that they can pose a risk to those who haven’t been vaccinated yet including children under 12 years of age, a Health Department of Northwest Michigan official said.

Lisa Peacock, the department’s health officer, said unvaccinated adults could potentially spread the disease.

“Adults who delay getting vaccinated present a risk to those who have not been vaccinated and to those who have been vaccinated but have a compromised immune system, like the elderly,” Peacock said. “Those are reasons why we are aiming for 70% of the population being vaccinated because we need that level of immunity to protect the whole population.”