Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

One shot, two shot; red shot, blue shot. The vaccines might not have been successful in slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 one iota, but they were successful in earning profits for the manufacturers. Logically, they would like to repeat this pleasurable experience with other viruses safety, past failures, and common sense be damned.

If you like the success of the mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in stopping the virus, you will love the slate of new mRNA vaccines coming to a neighborhood near you, according to Modernas CEO. Once upon a time, we could rely on our government and even the pharmaceutical companies to abort efforts to pursue failed vaccines when they proved to be dangerous during clinical trials, such as with the attempted dengue fever and RSV vaccines. Now that they plan to develop more vaccines by 2023, do you really have the confidence that they will still act upon dangerous safety signals?

During a World Economic Forum panel discussion last week titled, COVID-19: Whats Next? Moderna CEO Stphane Bancel revealed (at 7:20) the next step of the vaccine wars:

When moderator Francine Lacqua asked Bancel how close the company is to achieving this goal, here was his response:

So the RSV program is now in Phase 3, the flu program is in Phase 2 and soon in Phase 3, I hope as soon as second quarter of this year. So the best-case scenario would be the fall of 2023, as a best-case scenario, I dont think it would be in every country, but we believe its possible to operate in some countries next year.

Judging by the past two years, this means that no number of negative safety signals will stop this shot. After all, they want to make sure there are no compliance issues.

The public needs to be aware of the fact that there is no effective vaccine against respiratory viruses. We now see that the COVID vaccines never stopped transmission and likely turned negative after a few months, which is why they pushed the boosters and Fauci is now floating a second booster. Flu shots as well are spotty at best. One could not possibly conjure up a worse collection of illnesses for which to pursue vaccines. Respiratory virus vaccines have always failed in the past, and now we know why. Both the RSV and dengue fever vaccines have failed because they created antibody-dependent disease enhancement (ADE), where they made the vaccinated sicker from the pathogen.

Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has a page on its website about ADE and its history with the failed RSV and dengue fever vaccines. ADE occurs when the antibodies generated during an immune response recognize and bind to a pathogen, but they are unable to prevent infection, writes CHOP. Instead, these antibodies act as a Trojan horse, allowing the pathogen to get into cells and exacerbate the immune response.

Sound familiar? What recent vaccine do we know failed to stop transmission and in fact, in later months, caused the vaccinated to get infected at higher rates? Oh, thats right, a coronavirus vaccine.

CHOP explains that this is exactly what happened with the failed RSV vaccine in 1967:

In clinical trials, children who were given the vaccine were more likely to develop or die from pneumonia after infection with RSV. As a result of this finding, the vaccine trials stopped, and the vaccine was never submitted for approval or released to the public.

Indeed, the RSV vaccine was an utter disaster, resulting in the hospitalization of 80% of the infants and toddlers in the clinical trial. There has not been a successful RSV vaccine since then.

This was back when we actually nixed dangerous vaccines. Do you have any confidence that the company would respond in kind and be transparent about it today were the trials to pick up inchoate signs of injuries, ADE, or leaky vaccine hypothesis?

More recently, in 2016, hundreds of thousands of children in the Philippines were injected with a vaccine that made some of them very sick. Fourteen children reportedly died. The concern at the time was that those without prior infection wound up getting more seriously ill from the pathogen after having had the vaccine, which is why the shot is only available today for those who, ironically, already had the disease.

In other words, ADE is a real concern with respiratory virus vaccines, especially one of them mentioned by Bancel. Lets not forget that on page 52 of the FDA's "Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for an Unapproved Product Review Memorandum," it states that there appears to be no concern of ADE in the short run (during the original strain), but "risk of vaccine-enhanced disease over time, potentially associated with waning immunity, remains unknown and needs to be evaluated further in ongoing clinical trials and in observational studies that could be conducted following authorization and/or licensure."

Well, why is this not revisited a year later, now that everyone agrees there is waning immunity?! We see record infections across the board, a higher rate of infection among the vaccinated, waning immunity, and a need for endless boosters, and we know they never ruled out ADE, by their own admission. Yet now they want to tether this vaccine to yet another respiratory virus that already had a proven manifestation of ADE in a failed vaccine candidate!

The other candidate for the mRNA deluxe triple combo is an annual influenza vaccine. But we already know that the flu vaccine is clearly non-sterilizing, and furthermore, there is already evidence of instances of negative efficacy. A Canadian study published in Euro Surveillance just days before the start of the coronavirus pandemic found a -346% vaccine efficacy rate of the flu shot for those ages 35-54 during the 2018-19 late-season influenza A(H3N2) epidemic. H3N2 is the predominant flu circulating this season. Clade 3C.3a VE showed a pronounced negative dip among 3554-year-olds in whom the odds of medically attended illness were>4-fold increased for vaccinated vs unvaccinated participants (p<0.005), concluded the authors.

Shouldnt we have an independent audit of consumer advocates studying these vaccines before we allow the government and the people who stand to make billions of dollars foist them upon us with liability protection?

Fauci himself was also a speaker at this forum with Bancel. Lets not forget that at the beginning of the pandemic, he warned that part of the safety concern of a rushed vaccine is that it might make the pathogen worse. Theres another element to safety, and that is: If you vaccinate someone and they make an antibody response, and then they get exposed and infected, does the response that you induced actually enhance the infection and make it worse? warned Fauci in an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in March 2020. In cautioning why you cant just produce a vaccine out of thin air, Fauci explained, The only way youll know that [if the vaccine makes the pathogen worse] is if you do an extended study, not in a normal volunteer who has no risk of infection, but in people who are out there in a risk situation. This would not be the first time, if it happened, that a vaccine that looked good in initial safety actually made people worse.

Which example did he give? The very virus for which Moderna is now working on an mRNA vaccine. There was a history of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine in children which, paradoxically, made the children worse, continued Fauci. One of the HIV vaccines that we tested several years ago actually made individuals more likely to get infected. So, you cant just go out there and give it unless you feel that, in the field, when someone is getting infected and exposed, being vaccinated doesnt make them worse.

During the forum with Fauci, the Moderna CEO said he is collaborating with Dr. Faucis team on this proposed triple combo vaccine. He also said (at 44:01) that he would be working on targeting 20 other pathogens, including Nipah and Zika. All of these vaccines for respiratory viruses run the risk of causing some form of ADE and original antigenic sin, especially if the new modus operandi is to release them to the public before conducting studies that rule out these pernicious unintended consequences of imperfect vaccines.

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Horowitz: Moderna CEO promises triple combo corona/flu/RSV ...

CNN

Plummeting Covid-19 case counts across the United States are leading to lifted mask mandates and more conversations about steps toward normalcy but more people are dying of the coronavirus now than during most points of the pandemic.

More than 2,000 Covid-19 deaths have been reported in the United States each day for the past month. Average daily deaths are falling, but from a very high point. They dipped just below that mark in recent days, to about 1,900 on Monday; the federal holiday may have delayed reporting.

Before Omicron became the dominant coronavirus strain in the US, there were only about 100 other days when there were more than 2,000 Covid-19 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The only other time that deaths have been this high for this long was during the first winter surge, before vaccines were available. The Omicron wave has also been deadlier for longer than the Delta surge: In September, when Delta was dominant, average daily deaths topped 2,000 for half as long.

More than 120,000 people in the US have died of Covid-19 since Omicron became the dominant variant in December, and Covid-19 has accounted for more than 1 in 5 deaths reported in 2022.

A common refrain early in the pandemic was that Covid-19 was most deadly for the elderly and people with certain health conditions. The people dying from Covid-19 now tend to be younger than before, and theyre overwhelmingly unvaccinated, experts say.

Ive long since lost track of the number of people Ive seen die of the disease, but the reality is that almost everybody who is critically ill, in the ICU or dying now remains unvaccinated. That has been true since the beginning. But in the beginning, people didnt have the opportunity to be vaccinated, said Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, medical director of the infectious diseases program at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis.

None of us taking care of Covid patients need CDC statistics or anyone else to tell us that, because we simply see that reality play out every day and have for quite some time.

But the data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is clear. In December, the risk of dying from Covid-19 was 14 times higher for unvaccinated adults than it was for adults who were fully vaccinated with their initial series. The gap was even larger when looking at those who also got their booster shot: 51 times higher.

Throughout the pandemic, the majority of Covid-19 deaths have happened in hospitals. But that share is even larger now, as nursing homes have become less of a hotspot. In 2020, more than 1 in 5 Covid-19 deaths was in a nursing home. But in 2022, fewer than 1 in 10 deaths have been in nursing homes, according to provisional data from the CDC.

Vaccination rates are higher among older people in the US, leaving a larger share of younger, unvaccinated people at higher risk for severe outcomes.

Nearly 90% of seniors 65 and older are fully vaccinated with their initial vaccine series, and about two-thirds of those eligible have gotten their booster shot. But less than two-thirds of adults under the age of 40 and less than a third of children are fully vaccinated.

And the vaccines are working. Seniors accounted for 81% of Covid-19 deaths in 2020, a number that dropped to 69% in 2021 and has stayed at 76% so far in 2022, despite the increased risk for breakthrough infection amid exponential community spread.

The virus simply went to the fuel that it had remaining, Threlkeld said.

Racial disparities in Covid-19 deaths persist, but have decreased over time. Black, Hispanic and American Indian people are still about twice as likely to die of Covid-19 than White people, but that risk has fallen from about three times higher at the end of 2020.

And White people, who are less likely to be vaccinated than Hispanic people, have accounted for a growing share of deaths recently. An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that early in the Omicron surge, the death rate for Hispanic people remained lower than the rate for White people, but death rates among Black people rose.

And as the virus spread rapidly throughout the country, social determinants of health have started to play a larger role in who becomes seriously ill and dies from Covid-19.

Delta was much more deadly. But Omicron is so widespread, said Dr. Faisal Masud, director of the critical care center at Houston Methodist.

Extremely high transmission rates mean the virus is reaching everyone, but its hitting those from disadvantaged neighborhoods especially hard, he said. These are the people who are more likely to be uninsured and who may delay care, leaving chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension untreated.

Patients who start with poor health come at a disadvantage, he said.

Texas has reported more Covid-19 deaths than any other state in the past week and is on track to soon outpace California in terms of total Covid-19 deaths. Its important to note the significant differences in health insurance rates and vaccination rates in the two states, Masud said. More than 70% of Californians are fully vaccinated, compared with about 60% of Texans, according to CDC data.

Overall, the proportion of Omicron cases that have resulted in deaths appears to be lower than the case-mortality ratio for Delta.

But its a denominator phenomenon, Threlkeld said, meaning a lower percentage of a much larger number is still going to be large.

I think thats what people have forgotten: Just because something is a little less likely in a given person to cause severe disease, there are so many more people whove contracted this infection that youre going to have a lot of people who are ill, he said.

Weve certainly seen a lot of unvaccinated people whove done very poorly.

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Covid-19 is killing more people now than during most of the pandemic. Here's who's still at risk - CNN

Think back to late June 2021, when there was containment of the American COVID-19 pandemic with fewer than 12,000 new cases a day and a total of 15,000 patients in the hospital. There was a declaration of independence from the virus on July 4, just as the Delta variant was starting its exponential growth. A major surge ensued, which was followed by yet another one with the Omicron variant, peaking with nearly 160,000 people hospitalized and almost 2,700 deaths per day the most deaths since vaccinations became widely available.

Even now, as we are descending from the Omicron wave, we still have more than 60,000 patients in the hospital and more than 2,000 deaths per day.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still with us and is adroit at finding new ways to infect us at scale. As it evolved from the original strain in late 2019, and progressed to the Alpha and Delta variants, it became more virulent and infectious, not less. There is a misconception that the virus is destined to evolve to a more benign form. If weve learned anything from the pandemic, its that the virus has an extraordinary ability to adapt and it is unpredictable.

You can just look at the more than 50 new mutations present in Omicron to know there are seemingly infinite ways for it to further mutate and rearrange the 30,000 base pairs in its genome. Although wed be fortunate for it to morph into a common cold coronavirus cousin, we certainly cant count on that. There are just too many vulnerable hosts out there for more evolution of the virus to take place, including a wide variety of animals, with potential to spill over to humans.

There are more than 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised, who are not only highly vulnerable to infections, but also may provide an opportunity for the virus to evolve inside a person and then infect others. That path may indeed be the way Omicron was created and spread.

Around the world, there are billions of people unvaccinated and likely without any protection from prior infection. In the U.S., there are more than 19 million children under the age 5 for whom there is no vaccine approved, and tens of millions of people have not been vaccinated. We currently rank 67th in the world for being fully vaccinated and 54th for having its population get an all-important booster shot that preserves a high level of protection against hospitalizations and deaths. When the virus is not contained, as is the case in the world now, its spread creates the potential for new variants.

In these new hosts, the virus could possibly evolve to a new, more deleterious version that attaches better and infects other organs, like the heart or gastrointestinal tract, instead of the lungs. We have already seen people with simultaneous co-infections of two different variants, which enables the swapping of RNA between them and generating a hybrid, potentially worse version of the virus. That swap could also be between an animal and human source, akin to human and bird flu recombination.

The result would be much more difficult for humans to recognize, overriding protection from our spike-protein vaccines or infection-induced immunity. While unlikely, full immune escape by a new variant would put us back to square one of the pandemic.

Even if these scenarios dont materialize, lets remember that Omicron, despite being characterized as a milder form of the virus, can still be deadly for people without immunity. The original Omicron known as BA.1 has sister variants, including BA.2 and BA.3, each with many new and different mutations. A recent study in a lab using an animal model suggested that BA.2 is more disease-causing and more immune-evasive than BA.1.

BA.2 has spread rapidly in some countries such as Denmark, South Africa, India and Sweden. However, all the data to date for BA.2 in people do not support any sign of worse disease or lack of protection from vaccines. BA.2 is not gaining legs in the U.S., but the explanations for this and for the rapid decline of Omicron in many countries remain elusive. At this moment, it does not look like BA.2 poses a threat as a major new variant, but it would not be surprising if we see another variant in future months that deserves a separate Greek letter designation.

The good news is that were probably moving to a relatively quiescent phase, with low numbers of cases and limited severe disease, representing containment of the virus. That is not the same as the pandemic being over. Unfortunately, when states or countries proclaim that we just need to live with the virus and end all restrictions, many people interpret that message as meaning the pandemic is actually over for good. That would be a fantasy given the myriad opportunities for the virus to haunt us in the months and years ahead.

We have been extraordinarily lucky to date getting such highly effective vaccines into the arms of billions of people in a time frame that would never have been considered possible before. These vaccines, with boosters, have held up solidly, protecting vaccinated people against severe disease even though they are directed toward the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Lets hope our luck does not run out. Getting prepared for worst-case scenarios is our best defense, with better genomic, wastewater and digital tracking of the virus, and bolstering protection with everything from better air filtration to accelerating efforts for a variant-proof, pan-coronavirus vaccine. Better to be smart against this formidable virus than lucky.

Eric J. Topol is a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and author of the newsletter Ground Truths.

Read more from the original source:

Op-Ed: Omicron won't be the last coronavirus variant to haunt us - Los Angeles Times

If you suspect you or someone else has the coronavirus, you can call the following numbers and find out what steps to take next:

Germany has initiated a series of measures to slow down the spread of the virus and alleviate its effects on the economy. Find out more here:

The following measures are especially important for slowing down the spread of the virus:

Social distancing is crucial. This means: if you can, stay at home. Above all, events involving large numbers of people should be avoided. When it comes to interaction with older people, as little contact as possible is also best however hard that may be. They are especially vulnerable.

According to our current state of knowledge, the first patients presented symptoms of a respiratory infection caused by a new kind of coronavirus in Wuhan, a city in China with 11 million inhabitants. Its exact origin is unclear; many of the early cases involved people who worked at a market in Wuhan. However, the initial infection could have occurred at another location.

SARS-CoV-2 is the correct designation for what is often known simply as coronavirus. SARS is the acronym for severe acute respiratory syndrome.The virus causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a lung disease for which there is currently no vaccine. The infection is spread by human-to-human transmission.

Numbers are increasing dramatically. You will find the respective totals for Germany and the world on the website of the Robert Koch Institute.

Companies and research institutes in Germany are working at full steam to gain a better understanding of the virus and find a vaccine. Important actors in this field include the Robert Koch Institute and several German biotech enterprises, such as CureVac in Tbingen.

"Stay home!" is the motto during the Corona crisis. We put together lots of good ideas to discover Germany from home.

Imagine it is April 12, 2021 what does our world look like? How have our society, economy and politics changed as a result of the corona crisis? In our new series "Our world after corona" we talk to renowned researchers about our future after the corona pandemic. None of them have a crystal ball, but they do have some very concrete ideas about how corona will change us all.

See the article here:

Coronavirus in Germany - DE magazine Deutschland

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) There is no link between vaccines against Covid-19 and a decrease in the possibility of pregnancy, according to a study published Thursday, in the scientific journal America Journal of Epidemiology.

This study revealed that the chances of pregnancy decline for the couple, if the man is infected with the Corona virus within 60 days, which gives an additional argument for receiving the anti-Covid-19 vaccine, as long as the disease may affect the fertility of the man in the short term.

The researchers participating in the study from the School of Public Health at Boston University and other institutes in the United States wrote, These discoveries indicate that the infection of men with the emerging coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, can be linked to a short-term decline in fertility, while the vaccine against Covid does not affect them. 19 on the fertility of men and women.

The researchers added, This discovery is in addition to the evidence found by previous studies conducted on animals, and others that have been ongoing, about fertility treatments and tests for the anti-Covid-19 vaccine, and none of them found a link between the anti-Covid-19 vaccine and reduced fertility. . They added that, as well, several studies have documented no association between the COVID-19 vaccine and the risk of miscarriage.

The study was based on the data of 2,126 women between the ages of 21 and 45 years, in the United States of America and Canada. The women participated in the study between December 2020 and September 2021, and the researchers followed up with them through November 2021.

During the study, women filled out online forms every 8 weeks, addressing reproductive issues, health history, and other factors. They were also given the option to invite their male partner to fill out the form. Among the participants, 73% of women and 74% of men received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The researchers analyzed the answers and found that there was no link between receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and the possibility of pregnancy during one menstrual cycle. Also, previous infection with Covid-19 does not affect the possibility of pregnancy among women, while there is a link between men who were infected with Covid-19, and a transient decline in their fertility.

And the National Institutes of Health announced, in a press statement, Thursday, that the discoveries noted a decrease of 18% in the man who was infected with Covid-19 within 60 days, compared to another who did not have corona.

More research is needed to determine the reason behind this decline, but what is known, according to the institutes, is that the temperature reduces the number of semen, which is one of the symptoms of Covid-19.

These findings confirm that there is no link between a couple getting the vaccine and fertility, said Dr. Diana Bianchi, director of the National Institutes of Healths Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study. And she continued, It broadens the horizon of knowledge for doctors who see patients who aspire to have children.

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What affects fertility in women or men: the vaccine or ...

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 397.7 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.75 million. More than 10.24 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

India has approved Russia's one-shot Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine for people who have not yet received a vaccine, the shot's Indian manufacturer said on Monday. India currently uses AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in tandem with local firm Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and has inoculated more than 75% of its 950 million adult population.

Australia's COVID-19 hospital cases and people admitted to intensive care continued to trend lower on Tuesday as authorities urged people to get their vaccine boosters to prevent serious illness and deaths from the coronavirus.

Hong Kong SAR will limit public gatherings to two people and close sites such as churches and hair salons, leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday, as the Asian financial hub battles a growing coronavirus outbreak that has caused record infections.

Nigeria has received 2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine from Finland, Greece and Slovenia, with more EU donations set to arrive. The delivery is part of a donation pledge by the European Union to African countries via the COVAX initiative launched by the World Health Organization in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic will not end with the Omicron variant and New Zealand will have to prepare for more variants of the virus this year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday in her first parliamentary speech for 2022.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised against travel to six countries including Japan, Cuba, Libya, Armenia, Oman and the Democratic Republic of Congo over COVID-19 cases. The CDC now lists more than 130 countries and territories with COVID-19 cases as 'Level Four: Very High'.

Malaysia's coronavirus recovery council on Tuesday said it has recommended a full reopening of borders as early as 1 March without mandatory quarantine for travellers, as part of plans to accelerate economic recovery.

Disruptions in basic health services such as vaccination programmes and treatment of diseases like AIDS were reported in 92% of 129 countries, a World Health Organization (WHO) survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic showed on Monday.

The survey, conducted in November to December 2021, showed services were "severely impacted" with "little or no improvement" from the previous survey in early 2021, the WHO said in a statement sent to journalists.

"The results of this survey highlight the importance of urgent action to address major health system challenges, recover services and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," the WHO said.

Emergency care, which includes ambulance and ER services, actually worsened, with 36% of countries reporting disruptions versus 29% in early 2021 and 21% in the first survey in 2020.

Elective operations such as hip and knee replacements were disrupted in 59% of the countries and gaps to rehabilitative and palliative care were reported in about half of them.

The survey's timing coincided with surging COVID-19 cases in many countries in late 2021 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, piling additional strain on hospitals.

The first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered this week.

CEPI, launched at the World Economic Forum, provided funding support for the Phase 1 study. The organization this week announced their seventh COVID-19 vaccine project in the fight against the pandemic.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched in 2017 at the Forum's Annual Meeting bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and to enable access to these vaccines during outbreaks.

Coalitions like CEPI are made possible through public-private partnerships. The World Economic Forum is the trusted global platform for stakeholder engagement, bringing together a range of multistakeholders from business, government and civil society to improve the state of the world.

Organizations can partner with the Forum to contribute to global health solutions. Contact us to find out how.

Ironman, Captain America, puppeteers and performers on stilts entertained children at a vaccination centre in the Philippines on Monday, part of a drive to boost its COVID-19 inoculation campaign among its youngest citizens.

Artists made swords and models from balloons as 'superheroes' posed for pictures with children age 5 to 11 after they received their shots in the capital Manila.

The Philippines has vaccinated about half of its 110-million population, but many areas outside urban centres are still lagging far behind, complicating efforts to suppress fresh outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.

Children have been particularly affected by containment measures in the Philippines, which kept schools closed for nearly two years and required young people to stay indoors under some of the world's strictest lockdown rules.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

See the rest here:

COVID-19: Top news stories about the pandemic on 8 February - World Economic Forum

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 397.7 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.75 million. More than 10.24 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

India has approved Russia's one-shot Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine for people who have not yet received a vaccine, the shot's Indian manufacturer said on Monday. India currently uses AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in tandem with local firm Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and has inoculated more than 75% of its 950 million adult population.

Australia's COVID-19 hospital cases and people admitted to intensive care continued to trend lower on Tuesday as authorities urged people to get their vaccine boosters to prevent serious illness and deaths from the coronavirus.

Hong Kong SAR will limit public gatherings to two people and close sites such as churches and hair salons, leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday, as the Asian financial hub battles a growing coronavirus outbreak that has caused record infections.

Nigeria has received 2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine from Finland, Greece and Slovenia, with more EU donations set to arrive. The delivery is part of a donation pledge by the European Union to African countries via the COVAX initiative launched by the World Health Organization in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic will not end with the Omicron variant and New Zealand will have to prepare for more variants of the virus this year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday in her first parliamentary speech for 2022.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised against travel to six countries including Japan, Cuba, Libya, Armenia, Oman and the Democratic Republic of Congo over COVID-19 cases. The CDC now lists more than 130 countries and territories with COVID-19 cases as 'Level Four: Very High'.

Malaysia's coronavirus recovery council on Tuesday said it has recommended a full reopening of borders as early as 1 March without mandatory quarantine for travellers, as part of plans to accelerate economic recovery.

Disruptions in basic health services such as vaccination programmes and treatment of diseases like AIDS were reported in 92% of 129 countries, a World Health Organization (WHO) survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic showed on Monday.

The survey, conducted in November to December 2021, showed services were "severely impacted" with "little or no improvement" from the previous survey in early 2021, the WHO said in a statement sent to journalists.

"The results of this survey highlight the importance of urgent action to address major health system challenges, recover services and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," the WHO said.

Emergency care, which includes ambulance and ER services, actually worsened, with 36% of countries reporting disruptions versus 29% in early 2021 and 21% in the first survey in 2020.

Elective operations such as hip and knee replacements were disrupted in 59% of the countries and gaps to rehabilitative and palliative care were reported in about half of them.

The survey's timing coincided with surging COVID-19 cases in many countries in late 2021 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, piling additional strain on hospitals.

The first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered this week.

CEPI, launched at the World Economic Forum, provided funding support for the Phase 1 study. The organization this week announced their seventh COVID-19 vaccine project in the fight against the pandemic.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched in 2017 at the Forum's Annual Meeting bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and to enable access to these vaccines during outbreaks.

Coalitions like CEPI are made possible through public-private partnerships. The World Economic Forum is the trusted global platform for stakeholder engagement, bringing together a range of multistakeholders from business, government and civil society to improve the state of the world.

Organizations can partner with the Forum to contribute to global health solutions. Contact us to find out how.

Ironman, Captain America, puppeteers and performers on stilts entertained children at a vaccination centre in the Philippines on Monday, part of a drive to boost its COVID-19 inoculation campaign among its youngest citizens.

Artists made swords and models from balloons as 'superheroes' posed for pictures with children age 5 to 11 after they received their shots in the capital Manila.

The Philippines has vaccinated about half of its 110-million population, but many areas outside urban centres are still lagging far behind, complicating efforts to suppress fresh outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.

Children have been particularly affected by containment measures in the Philippines, which kept schools closed for nearly two years and required young people to stay indoors under some of the world's strictest lockdown rules.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Go here to read the rest:

COVID-19: Top news stories about the pandemic on 8 February - World Economic Forum

Background

In January 2020, the Government of India based on the recommendation of the Drugs Controller General ofIndia(DCGI) and National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) started the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country. Two vaccines, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (recombinant), i.e., COVISHIELD produced by Serum Institute of India and COVAXIN developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech, were given emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the DCGI.

In this cohort study, we assessed the incidence, pattern and severity of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) observed among the healthcare workers of a large tertiary care institute in eastern U.P., India vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) within 30 minutes of vaccination by direct observation.

Out of the total 834 healthcare workers who were vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine, around 10% experienced any AEFI within the directly observed period. The most common AEFI was pain/tenderness at the injection site experienced by 59.3% of those who experienced any AEFI followed by headache/dizziness (35.3%), itching/rashes at the injection site (8.1%), nausea/vomiting (5.8%) and fever/chills (4.7%). The majority (95.3%) of the AEFIs observed were of minor severity with no serious AEFIs observed as per the WHO severity classification.

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) is proven to be safe based on our findings as the majority of AEFIs observed were of minor grade only. However, the vaccine beneficiaries should be strictly observed for a minimum of 30 minutes at the vaccination site to look for any serious AEFI with arrangements to manage the same.

As of June 30th, 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported in more than 180 million individuals, and there have been more than 3 million deaths worldwide [1]. Various strategies such as tracking, tracing, testing, quarantine, and lockdown were implemented to combat the pandemic in many countries [2]. Currently, the strategy of mass vaccination against COVID-19 is being implemented in most of the countries across the globe to overcome this global catastrophe. In the absence of any definitive anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, mass vaccination against the viral disease may be the only mean for containing this ongoing pandemic.

In India, the COVID-19 vaccination drive was initiated on January 16th, 2021 after approval of two COVID-19 vaccines by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use in the country [3]. The priority populations to be vaccinated in the first phase of this drive were the healthcare workers (HCWs) and the frontline workers (FLWs). In the first quarter of the vaccination, HCWs were administered the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine/COVISHIELD (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) or BBV152 vaccine/COVAXIN (Bharat Biotech). COVISHIELD is based on a replication-deficient simian adenoviral vector coding the whole length spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 while COVAXIN is based on the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 platform [4]. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported an acceptable safety profile for both the vaccines [5, 6]. It is very important to improve the vaccination coverage of the COVID-19 vaccines to achieve the national goal of herd immunity. However, several adverse events associated with COVID-19 vaccines have been reported, including anaphylaxis, transverse myelitis, and deep vein thrombosis [6-8]. Misinformation through the mass media has been the basis of substantial anxiety among people about the safety of the vaccine since the initiation of the vaccination drive [9]. Moreover, there have been very few large-scale research studies on monitoring the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) associated with the COVID-19 vaccines in the Indian population.

We aimed to evaluate the incidence, pattern and severity of AEFIs associated with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) among the HCWs vaccinated at a single center situated in a tertiary care institute of North India during the first phase of vaccination so as to provide a basis to ensure safety of this vaccine during the future national vaccination against COVID-19.

A prospective, single-center cohort study using complete enumeration method was conducted from February 1st, 2021 to April 30th, 2021 at the COVID-19 Vaccination Centre, SSL Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P., North India. The study subjects were all the HCWs who were taking the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCov-19/COVISHIELD vaccine during the time period. As per the government policy, adult HCWsof any age were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. Among those who received the vaccination, HCWs who did not give consent for participation in the study were excluded.

Information about the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine and vaccination was notified to all the HCWs of the institute through the head of respective departments by asking the list of HCWs from them for uploading on the COWIN website. Written informed consent was obtained from the HCWs priorly while screening for the vaccination at the vaccination centre before the actual vaccination. For those who consented to undergo vaccination, the vaccination schedules were set from 10 AM to 4 PM daily except Sundays. The vaccination was conducted by dividing the space of the vaccination centre into three sections so that preliminary screening and registration, vaccinations, and AEFI monitoring could be performed simultaneously. The HCWs were asked to fill a preliminary form before vaccination that captured their previous history of vaccination, history of COVID-19 infection, and any known allergies. The vaccine was administered in the deltoid region by the well-trained auxiliary nurse midwife (ANMs)/nurses, and adverse events were directly observed and monitored for 30 minutes at the vaccination centre. Definition of adverse event was considered as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), i.e., any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization, and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine. Theevent may be any unfavorable or unintended sign, abnormal laboratory finding, symptom or disease [10]. Every HCWwas directly observed for at least 30 minutes by one of the investigators who are specialized in identifying the adverse events and thosedeveloping any severe or serious AEFI were kept till they were stabilized. After discharge from the vaccination centre, vaccinated HCWs were advised to report any further AEFI in the WhatsApp groups created by the investigators for monitoring the AEFIs on day-to-day basis.If any of the HCW reported any AEFI in the group, he/she was given appropriate advice by the investigators. In case of any emergency arising subsequent to vaccination after the period of direct observation, they were advised to directly call one of the investigators whose number was displayed at the vaccination centre who counselledthem regarding the AEFI including prescribing Paracetamol and Ibuprofen for fever and/or body aches. The HCWs were also advised appropriately regarding whether to visit the outpatient clinic of the department of internal medicineor the emergency room (ER) if the adverse events persisted.

The study questionnaire, developed by the investigators, captured the basic socio-demographic characteristics, history of COVID-19 infection in past, drug and medical history and 10 common adverse events following vaccination. If the HCW did not report any severe/serious AEFI within the direct observation period, he was discharged from the vaccination centre. The questionnaire was pilot tested on 20 HCWs, data of whom were excluded from the actual study,to assess its validity and reliability and suitable changes were made in it based on findings of the pilot study before administering it to the actual study participants.

The AEFI surveillance survey comprised questions about 10 common adverse events and a provision of free-text reporting for any other adverse events not listed in the questionnaire. Solicited local AEFIs included tenderness, pain at rest, redness, and swelling at the injection site. Solicited systemic AEFIs included fatigue, headache, malaise, arthralgia, chills, fever and nausea or vomiting. The severity of the local and systemic AEFIs was graded as per WHO guidelines for classifying AEFIs based on severity [11].Ifany of the HCWs visited the outpatient clinics or ERs due to AEFIs, the adverse event was reported to the national COVID-19 vaccination management system on the COWIN portal according to the government's policy.

The data were entered into excel sheets and analyzedusing SPSS software version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The categorical variables were summarized using absolute frequencies and proportions and the quantitative variables were summarized by their means with the standard deviations.

This study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC) of the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi (Approval letter No. Dean/2021/EC/2524 dated 12-02-21). All participants provided their written consent prior to taking part in the study. Participation was completely voluntary, and participants were able to withdraw from the study anytime without any consequence. Confidentiality of data was maintained.

A total of 836 HCWs, out of the 840 HCWswho received the first dose of COVISHIELD vaccine during the study period, gaveconsent for participation in thestudy andwere monitored for AEFIs at the vaccination center of SS Lal Hospital, BHU, Varanasi, UP.Their background characteristics are mentioned in Table 1.

A total of 86 (10.3%) out of the 836 HCWs reported to experience one or more AEFIs within 30 minutes of vaccination with COVISHIELD vaccine (Figure 1). Out of the 836 HCWs vaccinated with the first dose of COVISHIELD, one (0.12%) developed anaphylaxis.

The most common AEFI was pain/tenderness at the injection site experienced by about two-thirds (59.3%) of the HCWs who reported to have any AEFI followed by headache/dizziness in one third (34.9%), itching/rashes at the injection site (8.1%), nausea/vomiting (5.8%) and fever/chills (4.7%) and the least common AEFIs were increased lacrimation (1.1%) and altered sensorium (1.1%) (Table 2).

Out of the 86 HCWs experiencing any AEFI, 82 (95.3%) had minor grade AEFIs, 4 (4.7%) had severe AEFIs and none had any serious AEFI as per WHOs severity classification for AEFIs (Figure 2).

Since the beginning of the development of vaccines against COVID-19, concerns have been raised and apprehensions were observed in the populations and sub-groups globally over the adverse events and risks associated with these vaccines. Some adverse events may not have been reported in the clinical trials due to their lower frequency, smaller number of people participating in the trials and other restrictions in the trials. Thus, post-vaccination monitoring of the adverse reactions is important to inform the public and policymakers of the safety and possible severe reactions of the vaccine.

In the present study, we have presented the incidence, pattern and severity of AEFIs within 30 minutes of vaccination observed among the healthcare workers (HCWs) of a tertiary care institute of Northern India vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/COVISHIELD vaccine. As per WHOs safety surveillance module manual for COVID-19 vaccines, in the context of COVID-19 vaccination, surveillance systems need to be prepared for identifying and responding to both adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) and adverse events of special interest (AESIs) as well as other safety events that may cause public concern, including incidents of substandard or counterfeit vaccines [12].

The incidence of AEFI was found to be 10.3% within the directly observed period among the studied population. We found that the most commonly reported AEFIs after the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/COVISHIELD vaccine were pain/tenderness at the injection site, headache and itching/rashes at the injection site. As per severity, most of the AEFIs were of minor grade (95.3%), only four healthcare workers experienced a severe AEFI. There were no serious events observed requiring hospitalization, and most AEFIs improved before discharging from the vaccination centre.

In an interim analysis of four clinical trials on the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the most frequently reported adverse reactions were tenderness at the injection site (63.7%), pain at the injection site (54.2%), headache (52.6%), and fatigue (53.1%). The majority of the adverse reactions were mild-to-moderate in severity and usually resolved within a few days of vaccination [6, 13]. Compared to this report, a lower incidence and severity of local and systemic AEFIs were observed in our study.

In a study by Joshi et al. [14]conducted among 1634 Armed Forces Medical Services healthcare workers (HCWs) deployed in Northern India, who took the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (Recombinant) voluntarilyin January-February 2021, 105 vaccine recipients reported at least one AEFI symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination (incidence proportion 6.4%, 95% CI: 5.3%, 7.7%). All AEFIs reported were of minor grade which were managed by tablet paracetamol and subsided after 1-2 days with no severe or serious AEFI being reported among the vaccine recipients.

In a study by Menni et al. [15] from Kings College, London, U.K., systemic side-effects were reported by 33.7% of the participants and local side-effects were reported by 58.7% of the participants after the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, both figures much higher than that observed in our study.

Huh et al. [16] reported that the incidence of anaphylaxis associated with vaccination tended to increase with time in Korea. As of March 26, 2021, according to the reports of adverse reactions after vaccination against COVID-19 in Korea, 96 suspected cases of anaphylaxis were reported among 771,284 individuals (0.01%) receiving the first dose of the vaccine [17]. However, in our study, only one HCW presented with an acute allergic reaction with breathlessness and hypotension, which was resolvedspontaneously. Moreover, no serious AEFIs requiring hospitalization or death were reported. These results also are consistent with the results of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination among HCWs inNepal, Afghanistan and South Korea [18-20]. Such mild-to-moderate AEFIs are acceptable during immunization against COVID-19.Results of our study would be helpful in addressing the vaccine hesitancy caused by the concerns about severe adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

The main strength of the study was the very little chances of non-response bias as all the healthcare workers who received the COISHIELD vaccine were directly observed. However, the current studyonly reports after administration of the first dose of the vaccine, which limits the information about the incidence, pattern and severity of side effects reported after the second dose of vaccine and the information after the second dose of the vaccine is yet to be explored in the population under study. Being a single-center study, it also makes it difficult to generalize the findings; however, the findings of this study could provide a useful insight into the situation and may play an important role in reducing vaccine hesitancy among the public.

In conclusion, only 10.3% of the health care workers (HCWs) from a tertiary care institute of U.P., North Indiareceiving the first dose ofChAdOx1 nCoV-19/COVISHIELD experienced any AEFI. Mild-to-moderate pain or tenderness at the injection site and headache or dizziness were the most frequently reported AEFIs. Among the healthcare workers who experienced any AEFI, the majority (95.3%)hadminor AEFIs and there were no serious AEFIs that required hospitalization or resulted in death. To develop a novel vaccination strategy againstCOVID-19 and to improve its coverage, the sharing of accurate and abundant information regarding vaccine safety through post-vaccination surveillance of AEFIs is of utmost importance.

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Incidence, Pattern and Severity of Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) Associated With Chadox1 nCOV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine (Recombinant)...

Erdogan said on Twitter that the couple had contracted the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and were experiencing mild symptoms.

"We will continue our work at home. We look forward to your prayers," he said.

Erdogan had traveled to Ukraine on Thursday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the ongoing tensions with Russia in the area, before returning home to Turkey.

The Turkish President said he was willing to serve as a mediator and host a summit between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan had his third dose of the coronavirus vaccine in June, he said in an interview last year.

Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Turkey since the Omicron variant become the dominant strain in the country in January.

More than 100,000 new cases were reported Tuesday, a new record, according to government data.

CNN's Maija Ehlinger contributed to this report

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Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and wife test positive for Covid-19 - CNN

In the bustling corridor outside Northeast High Schools gymnasium, a 15-year-old told one of Philadelphias best-known COVID-19 vaccination advocates he had doubts about what she was promoting.

I dont know, the boy said. I dont know about the vaccine.

His grandfather didnt want him to get it, he told Ala Stanford, pediatric surgeon and founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, dedicated to ensuring equity in the vaccination effort. If he did, he said, he might have his video games taken away.

Its up to you whether you get it or not, Stanford replied, but I will listen to you.

There were several interactions like that Wednesday morning, at the beginning of a two-day vaccination clinic hosted at the school by Stanford and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who have been visiting city schools and will continue to do so through much of February. About 54% of the citys 12- to 17-year-olds and 47% of 5- to 11-year-olds are vaccinated, and thats not nearly enough, Stanford said.

In Philadelphia, anyone 11 or older may be vaccinated with or without parental consent, according to a health department spokesperson. The city School District has its own consent policy, Stanford said, requiring parental permission for shots administered to children in eighth grade or below, regardless of age. Allowing teens old enough to understand the need for vaccination to make their own decision, she said.

Students could check out of their lunch period and get the shots immediately. Staff hoped to vaccinate between 200 to 300 by the end of Thursday.

It was also a chance to ask questions of Stanford, who was treated as a visiting celebrity by staff and students.

We were so glad you were coming here, really, said Amy Leaness, a school nurse who described months of struggle managing COVID-19 at the school.

READ MORE: These doctors and nurses share COVID-19 falsehoods. They can become misinformation superspreaders.

Keeping track of student vaccinations, which determine whether a child needs to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure, has been a logistical nightmare. Efforts to keep the virus out of the school hit a wall shortly after the holidays, when as many as 10 to 20 students a day were testing positive for COVID-19. Things have gotten better since.

Yet the vaccine refusals continue.

Weve had kids come in and say their parents arent allowing them to get it, said Margaret Beyer, another nurse.

Stanford said repeatedly Wednesday that students in ninth grade and up dont need parental permission to get vaccinated. Whether its to protect older family members who are more vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus, or to stay involved in youth sports, she kept the focus on the benefits of getting vaccinated.

After a morning assembly that introduced Stanford and the rules of the clinic to students, student Janiah Burris told Stanford she had gotten her second shot two months ago but was reluctant to get a booster when she became eligible. The 16-year-old later said she was worried it would make her sick. But instead of quizzing her on her motives, the doctor initially validated Burris concerns, telling her it was possible by the time she could get a booster in a few months COVID-19 might be less prevalent. If it wasnt, though, the booster would provide a big benefit.

Stanford described her own experience with a COVID-19 infection, told the girl how sick she got, and said being able to keep attending school and her job at Honeygrow would be easier if she was boosted.

You can even reach out to me in three months, Stanford said. Once Easter happens, think about reaching out to me.

Burris said later that the conversation clarified why boosters are helpful, but she still wasnt sure how much the shots mattered.

Im not sure its actually protecting me, she said.

Kaher Abuali, 16, said vaccination is not a big topic in his group.

READ MORE: Omicrons toughest foe is a booster shot, yet many in the Philly region are skipping theirs

They think corona wont affect us because were young, he said.

Abuali got his first dose Wednesday after being convinced by a friend and distant relative, Ayham Muhanna, 15. All morning, Muhanna worked his phone, calling friends and family within the schools Palestinian community to persuade them to get their shots.

He motivated me, bro, said Abuali, slapping hands with Muhanna. It was all him.

Muhanna didnt have plans to get his booster shot Wednesday, and didnt start the day intending to rally classmates around vaccination, but a presentation from Stanford at the beginning of the day inspired him.

Maybe Ill get my vaccine today, he described his thinking, and maybe Ill bring my friends along with me.

Many have young children in their families, he said, something he used to encourage them to go to the clinic.

Later, Muhanna strode across Northeast High Schools gymnasium toward a table where federal medical workers signed students up for vaccination.

I brought another family member! he shouted.

In a school where less than half of the roughly 3,200 students are vaccinated, a new proselytizer for vaccination was more than welcome.

He was the first to call me up right here, said the new kid Muhanna brought to the clinic, Ahmad Abuali, Kahers cousin.

As the morning passed, the boy whose grandfather didnt want him vaccinated didnt reappear. Stanford said she wished she had more time to talk to him. During their brief interaction, she emphasized that getting vaccinated was a confidential medical decision the boy was old enough to make.

I dont have to tell him, she told the boy, referring to his grandfather. You dont have to tell him.

The boy looked away from her as she spoke, considering. Then a distraction from security staff broke their conversation, and without a word the boy walked away, vanishing into the crush of students bustling through the hallway.

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Philly teens greet COVID-19 vaccination efforts with interest and skepticism - The Philadelphia Inquirer