Starting next week, Finland will become the first country to offer bird flu vaccinations. This year alone, 11 people have tested positive for bird flu across four countries.
Finland's proactive measures aim to prevent any human infections, especially after a recent outbreak in fur farms that led to the culling of 485,000 animals.
Finland is set to become the first country to offer bird flu vaccinations amid growing concerns over the spread of the H5N1 virus in humans. The government plans to administer 10,000 doses to high-risk workers, including those in poultry and fur farms.
Daily Mailreported that these workers will receive two vaccine doses, spaced at least a week apart. The vaccines will be distributed when they arrive from stockpiles in central Europe.
Thebird fluvirus is not currently well-adapted to infect people, and the CDC said the risk to humans is low. However, experts worry that new mutations could increase this risk, as each infection outside birds poses a potential danger.
This year, at least 11 people have tested positive for bird flu in four countries. So far, no human infections have been reported in Finland.
Read Also:As Bird Flu Threatens Cattle, Scientists Explore Cow-Free Milk Production Using Plants, Microorganisms
Finland decided to roll out bird fluvaccinationsafter an outbreak on 27 fur farms last year, affecting mink and foxes. While no humans were infected, the outbreak led to the culling of 485,000 animals to prevent further spread.
The vaccination campaign in Finland will use a vaccine targeting the H5 protein on the virus, which is expected to be effective against H5N1 infections. The vaccines, supplied by Australian company CSL Seqirus, are part of a European Union effort to procure 40 million doses across 15 countries.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced that the bird flu vaccine will be available to individuals aged 18 and over at higher risk of contracting the virus due to work or other situations.
This group includes workers on fur and poultry farms, lab technicians handling bird flu samples, and veterinarians in areas with fur farms. Additionally, those working in bird sanctuaries, on farms, or cleaning slaughterhouses and animal housing will also be eligible for the vaccine.
If a human infection is detected, the vaccine will also be given to the person's close contacts. Health officials expect the vaccine to produce enough antibodies against bird fluinfection.
A study with 3,400 participants revealed that 90% of individuals under 60 and 80% of those over 60 had sufficient antibody levels to protect against H5N1. The vaccine has also been confirmed safe.
In the US, 4.8 million doses of the bird flu vaccine are expected to arrive by late summer, but there are no plans for distribution yet. The US Department of Agriculture reported that 118 dairy cow herds across 12 states have confirmed H5N1 cases, and three human cases have been linked to direct contact with infected cattle.
These individuals experienced symptoms like eye swelling and respiratory issues. Despite the spread, the CDC maintained that the risk to humans remains low. However, the unprecedented outbreak in cattle has sparked worries that the virus might be getting closer to infecting people.
H5N1 has been causing a significant outbreak in the animal kingdom for months, affecting a wide range of species, including foxes, raccoons, dolphins, and seals.
Related Article:Vaccines in the Works: Scientists Prepare for Potential Human Bird Flu Pandemic
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By Luke Andrews Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com 19:02 25 Jun 2024, updated 21:21 25 Jun 2024
Finlandwill become the first nation to offer bird flu vaccinations as it plans to roll out the shots next week to high-risk workers amid rising concerns over the virus jumping from animals to people.
Officials in the Nordic nation say 10,000 doses will be administered to those working closely with animals, such as poultry and fur farm workers.
Patients will receive two doses of the shot at least a week apart, with vaccines to be distributed once they are delivered from stockpiles in central Europe.
The bird flu virus is currently not well-adapted to infect people, with the CDCsaying the risk to humans is 'low,' but experts fear this could change if it undergoes new mutations, saying every additional infection outside of birds poses a risk.
Globally, at least 11 humans have tested positive for bird flu across four countries so far this year. Cambodia has the most cases, with five, followed by three in the US, which is currently experiencing a major bird flu outbreak among cows.
No human infections have been recorded in Finland as of yet.
But the country ordered the roll out after an outbreak of the virus on 27 fur farms in the country last year, including those housing mink and foxes.
Although no humans were infected by the virus, the cases did lead to 485,000 animals being culled to stop the disease from spreading.
In its campaign, Finland will offer a vaccine targeting theH5 protein on the virus, which officials say will likely work well against H5N1 infections.
The vaccines will be shipped from the Australian company CSL Seqirus as part of a European Union campaign to procure 40million doses in 15 countries.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said in a statement: 'The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances.'
This includes those working on fur and poultry farms, as well as lab technicians who handle bird flu samples and veterinarians working in areas with fur farms.
People who work in sanctuaries caring for wild birds, on farms or those who clean slaughterhouses and animal housing will also be offered the vaccine.
If a human infection is detected, the shot would also be administered to the person's close contacts, officials added.
Health officials say the vaccine is expected to trigger sufficient antibodies to protect against a bird flu infection.
A previous study involving 3,400 people found 90 percent of those under 60 years old and 80 percent of those over 60 years old had antibody levels that 'would protect them against H5N1'. Studies have also shown the vaccine is safe to use.
In the US, a total of 4.8million doses of a bird flu vaccine are set to be delivered by late summer although there are currently no plans to distribute them.
EMAIL: Health@dailymail.com
America's department of agriculture reports 118 dairy cow herds across 12 states have confirmed H5N1 cases and the three human cases were in people with direct contact with infected cattle.
They experienced swelling of the eyes and respiratory symptoms.
Despite the spread, the CDC said the risk to humans is low.
The outbreak in cattle is unprecedented, and has raised concerns the virus could be a step closer to spreading to humans.
But H5N1 has been causing a major outbreak in the animal world for months infecting everything from foxes to raccoons and even dolphins and seals.
Finnish officials said they want to roll out the vaccine as soon as possible to minimize the risk of the bird flu spreading to humans.
They said the country faces a heightened risk because most of its fur farms are outdoors where animals kept in them can come into contact with wild animals raising their risk of contracting the virus and passing it onto humans.
Minks pose a particular risk because the animals carry similar receptors in their lungs to humans, meaning they could act as 'mixing vessels' for spreading the virus to humans.
The JYNNEOS vaccine. County News Center photo
The number of local Mpox cases are on the rise, prompting San Diego County public health officials Tuesday to encourage the public to get vaccinated for the virus before attending large summer events.
The county has recorded seven Mpox (formerly called Monkeypox) cases in May and June, mirroring 10 new cases reported in Los Angeles.
In 2024, San Diego County has recorded on average one or two new Mpox cases a month. Of the recent cases, four were among people who had not been vaccinated for it.
Its important for people to get both doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine to protect themselves against the Mpox virus, County Interim Public Health Officer Dr. Ankita Kadakia said. We know the summer brings more opportunities for events and festivals that could increase the spread of Mpox, so now is a great time to get the vaccine or finish both doses and encourage friends to do the same.
The county saw an outbreak of Mpox in 2022, mostly impacting people in the LGBTQ+ community, but anyone is susceptible to the illness, which can be passed through close physical contact.
Infections usually cause rashes or sores throughout the body that can last for two to four weeks. Rashes can happen in sensitive areas and can be extremely painful. Often, but not always, people with Mpox experience flu-like symptoms before the rash or sores appear, according to a statement from the county.
The JYNNEOS vaccine provides protection against Mpox and is available at county public health clinics. People can also talk to their health care provider, visit myturn.ca.gov or call 211 for help finding the vaccine.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, people who have received only one dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine should get their second dose 28 days later for maximum protection. If past the 28 days, officials recommend getting the second dose as soon as possible.
City News Service contributed to this article.
Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is a rare viral infection related to smallpox. It's much less severe, but can cause significant health issues.
Prior to 2022, it was not known to spread easily from person to person. Traditionally, people caught it from direct contact with infected animals, such as rodents or through bites from these animals.
How does Mpox spread?
The World Health Organization (WHO) identified a global outbreak of Mpox in 2022. This marked a change in how the virus spread.
For the first time, Mpox was seen spreading through sexual contact. It is important to note that while sexual contact has become a notable mode of transmission, the infectious disease can still be contracted through close physical contact, respiratory droplets and bites or scratches from infected animals.
A report from the WHO in August 2023 stated that there had been 186 Mpox deaths worldwide since the 2022 outbreak, with a fatality rate of less than 1%.
In South Africa, six new cases of Mpox have been confirmed, raising the total number from seven to 13 since the first reported case in May 2024. The new infections were detected in Gauteng and the Western Cape regions. The death toll remains at two.
Who is most affected?
Its important to note that Mpox does not exclusively affect men. Most of the cases in South Africa have been reported among men who have sex with other men.
These cases were typically identified through sexual health services or other healthcare visits in primary or secondary care facilities.
The initial case in South Africa this year was reported on May 9, involving a 35-year-old man from Gauteng.
Treatment
As of now, there is no registered treatment for Mpox in South Africa. However, the WHO recommends the use of Tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, particularly for severe cases.
This is especially recommended for individuals with low CD4 counts (below 350). The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has endorsed and approved this treatment for severe cases.
In the latest statement, the health department said it had received a batch of Mpox-specific treatment, Tecovirimat - also known as TPOXX or ST-246, for the treatment of patients who experienced severe health complications because of Mpox.
The process to secure more treatment, including vaccines, is underway in case the need arises, the department explained.
However, all mild cases will continue to be managed with supportive treatment used to manage complications like fever, pneumonia and skin infections.
Government urges people to seek help for Mpox symptoms
The government is asking everyone to go to a healthcare facility if they think they have Mpox symptoms or if they've been in close contact with someone who has it.
This applies to all people, regardless of gender, age or sexual orientation, because anyone can catch this disease, which is both preventable and treatable.
Officials highlighted that hand washing was one of the best ways to stay healthy and to stop the spread of the disease.
"People should always wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, especially before eating, touching your face, or after using the bathroom, the statement read.
Symptoms
Common signs of Mpox include a rash that can last from two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands.
"The painful rash looks like blisters or sores and can appear on the face, palms, soles of the feet, groin and other areas."
The department announced that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) was working hard to track and investigate Mpox cases.
They were also collecting and analysing data to better understand how widespread the outbreak was.
The department is also working with partner organisations to increase efforts in educating the public.
They are running targeted and general awareness campaigns to give people important information about Mpox.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2024) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (FSE: DTC) (OTCQB: DTCFF) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a Canadian biopharmaceutical company developing novel immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announce that its second-generation ARM-X anti-cancer vaccine is therapeutically effective against pre-established ovarian cancer (ID8 model) when combined with the anti-PD-1 immune-checkpoint inhibitor.
Figure 1
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8000/214171_cc2e2f8084a9e943_002full.jpg
Using Defence's Accum platform, the Company previously demonstrated that AccuTOX treatment of MSCs results in the induction of antigen cross-presentation capacity (ARM-X cells), which can mount potent anti-tumoral responses in animal pre-clinical models. This was previously achieved using various cancer models including solid T-cell lymphoma, melanoma and pancreatic cancer. Defence just completed an additional study where animals with pre-established ovarian cancer responded to a combination therapy including ARM-X and anti-PD-1. The latter group prolonged animal survival beyond 80 days post-vaccination, and it led to a complete response in almost all treated animals as shown in Figure 1.
"This is the 4th cancer model that we efficiently targeted using our ARM-X antic-cancer vaccine. The purpose of testing our vaccine in various models is to highlight how ARM-X can be adapted to the needs of any patient, no matter the type of cancer, given that we have access to a tumor biopsy," says Mr. Sebastien Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics.
One of the major advantages of Defence's ARM-X vaccine is the need of lower antigen amounts to manufacture the vaccine. This is important as it avoids the need of a big tumor sample in the vaccine generation. Defence is currently testing its ARM-X vaccine on colon as an additional indication. These results will set the target indication for the Phase I-IIa trials, and it also shows how versatile and adaptable can the ARM-X anti-cancer vaccine be.
About Defence:Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded clinical-stage biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.
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For further information: Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director P: (514) 947-2272 Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com www.defencetherapeutics.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/defence-therapeutics
Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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Donald Trump and his campaign are at odds over what he believes about school vaccination policies.
The former president has frequently said he will cut off federal funding for any school that mandates vaccinations. His campaign said in March that the policy would apply only to mandatory coronavirus vaccinations, but Trump has repeatedly declaimed against vaccine mandates without mentioning covid. I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate, he said at a May rally. He said it again this month.
The campaigns instinct to backtrack is sound. If voters were to take Trump at his repeated word, this reckless policy could become a serious political vulnerability.
Every state in the country, along with D.C., requires childhood vaccinations as a condition of schooling. Most colleges have vaccination requirements, too, and Trump has sometimes included them in his promise to withhold federal dollars. The possible outcomes of Trumps stated policy, then, would range from a radical reduction in federal support for K-12 and higher education to major changes in the policies of governments and educational institutions throughout the country.
And those changes would be senseless. We can debate how many and which vaccinations should be required, or the proper extent of religious exemptions. But the basic case for vaccine mandates is obvious: Its about stopping contagions.
The Supreme Court explained this rationale with respect to smallpox in 1905: Upon the principle of self-defense, of paramount necessity, a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members. Thats why, when Trump was president, he ditched his earlier crackpottery about the supposed link between vaccination and autism and, instead, urged Americans to get inoculated against measles.
The saving grace of Trumps proposal is that it probably would not happen. Executive branch attorneys, in administrations of both parties, are creative in finding new powers hidden in old statutes for their bosses. But even top-notch lawyers are not going to find a way for presidents to make unilateral decisions about the vaccination policies of states and private institutions. While his campaign has talked about strengthening the presidents power to ignore Congress on spending questions, the courts seem unlikely to go along.
Trump is not shy about making unkeepable promises at his rallies, such as his pledge to grant police immunity from prosecution for allegations of misconduct. His vaccine policy might be another of these.
But Democrats are under no obligation to minimize the threat of Trumps stated policy. They would be within their rights to say that its what he wants to do and blast him for it. If they decide to do so, they would have several lines of attack at hand.
One would be to highlight the impact on public health. Many suburban parents who are unhappy with President Biden because of inflation also make sure their kids are up to date on their shots and would rather not have an outbreak of meningitis on their schools campuses.
The prospect of funding cuts for education might also repel some swing voters. Even before he made his vaccine comments, Trump was promising to abolish the Education Department, as he did in the 2016 campaign. That would not be as consequential as it sounds, since ending the department as Republican legislators have often proposed over the years would not terminate the programs it oversees. But the idea is politically risky enough that many Republicans have backed away from it. The GOP platform has not explicitly called for it since 1996.
Abolishing the agency didnt really become an issue when Trump advocated it in 2016 because Hillary Clinton was denouncing him on so many other grounds. But removing federal funding from schools would be a more disruptive change than getting rid of the department. Most parents remain satisfied with their local school suburban parents have often invested serious money to live near good schools, since that is the form of school choice most widely practiced in the United States and are wary of threats to it.
One can only speculate why Trump is taking this politically risky position. Maybe he thinks he needs to make up ground among vaccine opponents who are disappointed by his record as president, when he sped up the production of coronavirus vaccines. Maybe he just likes having another surefire applause line at his rallies. Whatever his motive, though, he has made a mistake. Democrats will make their own if they dont make him pay for it.
After losing round one of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine bout with GSK, Pfizer is rallying. And what better way to do it than to win a major contract in your rivals home country?
The U.K. government has selected Pfizer to supply 5 million doses of its RSV shot Abrysvo over the next two years. The notice was posted earlier this month on the U.K. government's "Find a Tender" website, with the contract value withheld so as not to prejudice the legitimate commercial interest of the supplier, it explained.
On Monday morning, the U.K. introduced its RSV immunization program, with instructions on how patients can receive their shots of Abrysvo. The vaccine is expected to become available in early August, the U.K. said.
Its a big win for the U.S. company which has been playing catch-up against its rival since GSK became the first drugmaker to score an FDA approval in the indication in May of last year for its shot Arexvy. Four weeks later, Pfizer gained its nod.
The head-start gave GSK a key edge in commercializing its shot last year as it reported revenue of Arexvy at 1.238 billion pounds ($1.5 billion), compared to $890 million for Abrysvo, with most of the sales for both companies coming in the U.S.
In the fourth quarter of last year, however, Pfizer showed its was making progress as its sales of Abrysvo increased sequentially from $375 million to $515 million. The boost was aided by an FDA approval of Abrysvo in August to vaccinate pregnant mothers.
Arexvys approval was limited to adults ages 60 and older before it was expanded earlier this month to at-risk adults ages 50 and older.
In July of last year, Sanofi and AstraZenecascoreda green light for Beyfortus to protect babies up to 24 months of age.
In the U.S., Pfizer lists Abrysvos price at $280 per shot compared to $295 for Arexvy.
The performance of the vaccines is comparable. In year one, while Arexvy has shown 94% effectiveness at protecting against severe disease, Abrysvo's trial result came in at 89%.
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Yunusa Bawa spends a lot of time talking about the vaccine for the human papillomavirus that is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. But on most days, only two or three people allow their daughters to be vaccinated in the rural part of Nigeria where he works.
The challenge in Sabo community, on the outskirts of the capital of Abuja, is the unfounded rumor that the HPV vaccine will later keep young girls from giving birth.
The rumor is too much, said Bawa, 42.
As more African countries strive to administer more HPV vaccines, Bawa and other health workers tackle challenges that slow progress, particularly misinformation about the vaccine. The World Health Organization's Africa office estimates that about 25% of the population still has doubts about it reflecting concerns seen in some other parts of the world in early campaigns for the vaccine.
A common sexually transmitted virus, HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts. In most cases, the virus doesnt cause any problems, but some infections persist and eventually lead to cancer.
Across Africa, an average of 190 women died daily from cervical cancer in 2020, accounting for 23% of the deaths globally and making it the leading cancer killer among women in the WHO Africa region of 47 countries. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the highest rate of cervical cancer cases in the world are in Africa. Yet the region's HPV vaccination rate has been low.
More than half of Africa's 54 nations 28 have introduced the vaccine in their immunization programs, but only five have reached the 90% coverage that the continent hopes to achieve by 2030. Across the region, 33% of young girls have been vaccinated with HPV.
It's a stark contrast to most European countries, where both girls and boys have been receiving HPV shots.
Part of why Africa has a high burden of cervical cancer is because of limited access to screening for women, said Emily Kobayashi, head of the HPV Program at the vaccines alliance Gavi.
The elimination strategy is a long game ... but we know that vaccination is the strongest pillar and one of the easiest to implement, Kobayashi said.
But it is one thing to introduce the vaccine, but if the vaccine remains in the fridge, it doesnt prevent cervical cancer, said Charles Shey Wiysonge, head of the vaccine-preventable diseases program in the WHOs Africa region. He said information must be provided by people who are trusted, people who are close to the communities."
There is a long history of vaccine hesitancy in many African countries that is sometimes linked to a lack of trust in government, as one study published in the Nature science journal in May found, giving room for conspiracy theories and misinformation from social media influencers and religious leaders.
In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, a group of mostly women known as Village Health Workers have been trained to raise awareness about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine in rural areas. But they fight a high level of hesitancy among religious sects that discourage followers from modern medicines, asking them to rely instead on prayers and anointed water and stones.
The women who eventually agree to be screened for cervical cancer do so in secret, said Zanele Ndlovu, one of the health workers on the outskirts of Bulawayo city.
For a deeply religious country like Zimbabwe, the spiritual leaders have so much influence that a lot of our time is taken trying to educate people about the safety of vaccines, or that they are not ungodly, Ndlovu said.
There are also success stories in Africa where authorities have achieved up to a 90% vaccination rate. One example is Ethiopia, which relies heavily on religious leaders, teachers and hotline workers.
In Rwanda, the first African country to implement a national HPV vaccination program in 2011, the coverage rate has reached 90%. Hesitancy is less of an issue due to vigorous awareness work that has relied on school-based campaigns and community outreach programs, said Dr. Theoneste Maniragaba, director of the cancer program at Rwanda Biomedical Center.
Mozambique has deployed school-based programs, a door-to-door approach and mobile outreach for girls in hard-to-reach areas that has helped it reach 80% coverage rate with the first of two doses. In Tanzania, where the HPV vaccine has been in use since at least 2018, authorities in April launched a campaign to target over 5 million girls and further raise coverage, which has reached 79% of girls with the first dose.
One of Africas largest HPV vaccination drives targeting girls recently kicked off in Nigeria, which has procured nearly 15 million doses with the help of the U.N. childrens agency. It will target girls aged 914 with single doses that the WHO's African immunization advisory group has said is as effective as the regular two doses.
One challenge is explaining the HPV vaccination to girls ahead of the onset of sexual activity, especially in conservative societies, said Dr. Aisha Mustapha, a gynecologist in northern Kaduna state.
Mustapha has been successfully treated for cervical cancer. She said the experience helps in her meetings with religious leaders and in community outreach programs in Kaduna, where she leads the Medical Women Association of Nigeria.
They try to make the girls feel comfortable and understand why the vaccine is important, she said. That sometimes requires comic books and lots of singing.
The (cervical) cancer is no respecter of any identity, she said. The vaccine is available, it is free, it is safe and effective.
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Associated Press writers Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The state of Kansas filed an explosive consumer-protection lawsuit against Pfizer last week full of accusations that the pharmaceutical giant misled the public on the safety and efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine.
Kansas is accusing Pfizer of knowingly misleading the public about the adverse effects of its coronavirus vaccine and manipulating its vaccine-safety trials in violation of state consumer-protection law and previous consent judgements. The lawsuit cites interviews, press releases, internal documents, scientific research, government research, news reporting, and other sources of information to back up its incendiary claims.
Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was safe even though it knew its COVID-19 vaccine was connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths. Pfizer concealed this critical safety information from the public, the lawsuit asserts.
Pfizers government contract appears to have given the company influence over Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosures and contained confidentiality agreements with the U.S. government. Kansas alleges the confidentiality agreements allowed the company to hide material facts and mislead consumers.
Kansass lawsuit alleges Pfizer intentionally destroyed the control group in its coronavirus vaccine trial by giving participants access to the coronavirus vaccine, citing a New England Journal of Medicine paper and an FDA memo. By destroying the control group, Kansass lawsuit asserts that the safety of Pfizers vaccine cannot be fairly evaluated by comparing the vaccinated group to an unvaccinated group.
Likewise, Kansas is claiming Pfizer intentionally delayed the release of data from its vaccine trials, citing two articles in the British Medical Journal about scientists waiting for Pfizer and Moderna to turn over patient-level data. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Pfizer only tested healthy patients during its vaccine trials, a departure from standard protocol Pfizer allegedly failed to disclose.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourlas media interviews and the companys press releases touting the vaccine and its safety are featured prominently throughout the lawsuit as evidence Pfizer supposedly misled Kansans.
The Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency in America, a watchdog organization, filed a FOIA request with the Food and Drug Administration and eventually obtained information related to Pfizers coronavirus vaccine, according to the lawsuit.
As part of its FOIA lawsuit, the group obtained an internal Pfizer database of adverse events not disclosed to the public, with more incidents than the publicly available VAERS reporting system. Pfizers internal database reported 158,893 adverse events and 1,223 fatalities from the millions of individuals who took the Pfizer vaccine as of February 2021.
The lawsuit further accuses Pfizer of publicly insisting that the vaccine posed little to no risk to pregnant women while in possession of data proving otherwise. A study Pfizer commissioned on rats concluded there were no adverse effects on weight, food consumption, the injection site, or mating. But, the study found that the rat fetuses suffered malformations, rats had issues getting pregnant, and failed to implant embryos, the lawsuit asserts. The rat study was only made publicly available thanks to a FOIA lawsuit filed by the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency in America.
The information that I find especially troubling that Pfizer didnt share was the information about the effect of Pfizers covid-19 vaccine on pregnant women, Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach told National Review in an interview, citing the rat study and other information contained in the lawsuit.
I think that information needed to be presented to any pregnant woman who was even thinking of taking the Pfizer vaccine.
Moreover, the lawsuit cites Pfizer data showing tens of thousands of women had menstrual issues linked to its coronavirus vaccine, as of spring 2022.
Myocarditis is another adverse effect the lawsuit explores in detail, citing U.S. military cases and an FDA advisory issued in 2021 that call into question Bourlas statement in January 2023 denying any safety signals concerning potential adverse effects caused by Pfizers coronavirus vaccine.
Myocarditis occurs when the middle layer of the hearts wall becomes inflamed, weakening the heart and potentially leading to heart failure.
While some studies suggest elevated levels of myocarditis among the vaccinated, an analysis of nearly 43 million people published in 2022 found the risk of contracting myocarditis is notably higher from coronavirus than from the vaccines. Symptoms of myocarditis overlap with Covid-19, making it difficult to diagnose, according to a paper published last year.
The lawsuit cites additional evidence of increased myocarditis cases in adolescent males, including an internal document from February 2022 allegedly showing Pfizer was aware of the correlation between vaccination and myocarditis. The company began disclosing the myocarditis risks in press releases about the vaccine as early as November 2021, according to an Agence France-Presse fact-check.
Kansas similarly accuses Pfizer of misleading its consumers about the vaccines effectiveness by comparing public statements in early 2021 touting its strength six months after its administered, despite allegedly possessing data showing efficacy waned over time. A Pfizer preprint study found the coronavirus vaccine was 96.2 percent effective at preventing coronavirus two months after the second dosage and 83.7 percent six months later.
The lawsuit goes on to accuse Pfizer of misrepresenting the vaccines ability to halt coronavirus transmission by presenting contrasting statements from Bourla and other company executives.
They had extraordinary success marketing their vaccine in the state of Kansas and more generally across the globe, and I think that had consumers had this information, many of them might have made a different choice, Kobach added.
The [Kansas] Consumer Protection Act is all about preventing companies from misleading or deceiving consumers.
Pfizer told NR it will be responding shortly and scoffed at the claims in Kansass lawsuit.
We are proud to have developed the COVID-19 vaccine in record time in the midst of a global pandemic and saved countless lives. The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based. The Company believes that the states case has no merit and will respond to the suit in due course, Pifzer said in a statement.
Pfizer is deeply committed to the well-being of the patients it serves and has no higher priority than ensuring the safety and effectiveness of its treatments and vaccines. Since its initial authorization by FDA in December 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to more than 1.5 billion people, demonstrated a favorable safety profile in all age groups, and helped protect against severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death.
Scientific research has shown the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be an effective deterrent against serious coronavirus symptoms, helping save potentially millions of lives because of its rapid development.
Kansass lawsuit seems to portray Pfizers government contract and exorbitant vaccine profits as unjustified because of their alleged misrepresentations, although the federal government, under both Trump and Biden, actively sought and incentivized the cooperation of pharmaceutical companies to develop and distribute the coronavirus vaccines.
The side effects described throughout Kansass lawsuit appear to be rare and not representative of a vast majority of vaccine cases. However, the actions from public-health officials have weakened public trust in the scientific community, leading to increased interest in the apparent issues some people have had with the coronavirus vaccines.
Former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci recently admitted school closures throughout the coronavirus pandemic lasted too long, and when pressed on child-masking guidelines during his congressional testimony earlier this year, could not cite any evidence justifying the policy. His old boss, former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, similarly admitted earlier this year that no evidence existed to support the six-feet social distancing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, as NR first reported.
Congressional investigators continue to probe the federal governments handling of the pandemic.
Americas reputation has been bruised in many parts of the world due to its actions, from destabilising uncooperative governments, overruling the mandate of newly elected foreign leaders and, in extreme cases, invading other countries.
The actions of Russia and China, for instance, help to show that while Americas reach and means may be unique among so-called global powers, its inability to mind its own business is sadly typical.
According to the June 14 Reuters report, the secretive initiative, launched in the waning days of the Trump administration, intended to erode confidence among the Philippine public towards vaccines not just Chinese-made Sinovac jabs but vaccines in general. COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, dont trust China! one such tweet read in Tagalog.
01:30
WHO approves Sinovac Biotechs coronavirus vaccine for emergency use
WHO approves Sinovac Biotechs coronavirus vaccine for emergency use
They may also argue that the efficacy of Chinese-made vaccines was less than worthy of confidence, and that China is in no position to decry others use of disinformation campaigns.
Furthermore, there are real concerns about how useful the Sinovac jab was, with Singapores National Centre for Infectious Diseases, for instance, saying its efficacy trailed far behind that of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
But the issues related to Chinese-made vaccines and efforts to misinform the public in the Philippines are among the reasons the alleged US covert campaign was a mistake.
15:04
Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte
Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte
Also, the US could have placed its trust in the ingenuity of its scientists to produce a better vaccine than Chinas the Singaporean centres report evaluated the Sinovac vaccines efficacy against severe disease at just 60 per cent, compared to Modernas 97 per cent and Pfizers 90 per cent.
A realist argument for efforts to undermine China and its vaccines in the Philippines therefore fails due to a lack of, well, realism, as Beijings actions and methods would have accomplished that on its own.
02:26
Philippines seeks expulsion of Beijing diplomats over South China Sea wiretapping controversy
Philippines seeks expulsion of Beijing diplomats over South China Sea wiretapping controversy
Furthermore, whatever one thinks of the Sinovac jab, it is simply unconscionable for a US administration to undermine public confidence in a partner country towards vaccination. Even a 60-per-cent-effective vaccine would have constituted an improvement in 2020 and 2021, when Covid-19 infections were claiming thousands of lives daily. In the Philippines alone, more than 60,000 would die of the disease before the worst had passed.
Unfortunately, its alleged covert campaign might also have contributed to a vaccine hesitancy in Philippines that is higher than its neighbours. The bad press will probably outlive Trump, while attempts to paint it as a Trump-era policy will probably count for little, given the overarching continuity in US policy towards China, with tariffs, prohibitions on tech cooperation and expansions of security partnerships designed to rein in Chinas ambitions.
Those of us who still support a US-led world order should encourage better from our leaders, including a possible second Trump administration. US-led efforts to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific depend on Washingtons ability to build partnerships in the region a willingness to put lives in other countries at risk is poison for such partnerships.
Rob York is programme director for regional affairs at the Pacific Forum
