Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

The Haverhill Public Health Department plans a flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinic next Tuesday.

Shots are administered Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 1-6 p.m., at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., Haverhill. The clinic is open only to Haverhill residents and walk-in space is limited. Pre-registration takes place online here.

Those with questions may call 978-374-2390, ext. 3900.

Like Loading...

See the rest here:

Haverhill Public Health Department Offers Flu and COVID-19 ... - WHAV News

Key Takeaways

Since the pandemic began, researchers have used several metrics to try to track the infectiousness of COVID-19. One mainstay is viral shedding, which is the subject of a new study that aims to determine just how long kids are infectious after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The study, which was published in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at data from 76 children between the ages of 7 and 18 who tested positive for COVID-19. The researchers took throat swabs during five home visits over 10 days to track viral shedding over time. They determined that most kids were infectious up through day three of their infection, although 18.4% of kids were still infectious on day five. Three kids (or 3.9% of participants) were still infectious on day 10.

The results raise a lot of questions about viral shedding and where things stand with going back to school or work after having a positive COVID-19 test result. Infectious disease experts explain.

Viral shedding means that a live virus is still detectable for a period of time after someone is infected with an illness, William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Verywell.

Viral shedding suggests that, during the period of time that someone is shedding the live virus, that they might be contagious or able to spread the virus to others, he said. Over time, the amount of virus that people shed drops.

The way viruses work is that they invade our cells, multiply and then can spread to other cells in the body or to other individuals, Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Verywell. People use the term viral shedding to talk about when an individual is expelling a virus into the air.

In general, viral shedding indicates how potentially infectious someone isbut not all viral shedding can make people around you sick.

If you shed the virus at low levels, you might not be infectious, Russo said.

Study coauthor Eran Bendavid, MD, associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, told Verywell that he and his colleagues wanted to help determine how long kids are infectious with COVID-19 after they get sick. But he also said that viral shedding alone is a poor measure of how infectious someone isthats why his study also looked at viral shedding that also caused evidence of infection in cell cultures.

Viral shedding is what a PCR test would pick up, and it does not tell you, in isolation, if the virus is capable of causing disease, Bendavid said. Why do researchers continue to look at it? Because its easy to measure. Infectivity is much more informative but hard to measure. Thats why our study was important.

Other data has been collected on different aspects of viral shedding. A study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases in August 2020 found that people with COVID-19 with higher levels of viral shedding were more likely to be older, have pre-existing chronic conditions, and have more severe forms of the illness than those who shed less of the virus. But it didnt track the length of time people were infectious.

Another study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2022 found that adults who had the Omicron COVID-19 variant shed the most virus between days two and five after they were diagnosed. The researchers also found that infectious virus was detected up to nine days after people were diagnosed.

But Schaffner said that theres no clear information on how viral shedding has changed over the course of the pandemic, given that studies on the virusincluding viral sheddingwerent as robust early on.

Early in the pandemic, we were using PCR tests, which could detect pieces of the virus, he said. Those could have been dead soldiers. Some studies showed that people could be PCR positive for a week, two weeks, and sometimes even longer after they recovered, even though its unlikely they were infectious then.

Bendavid agrees that its hard to know how viral shedding has changed over time with the pandemic.

There are some reasonable implicationsfor example, that as the disease has become more mild, that shedding has decreasedbut we do not actually know that, Bendavid said. He also pointed out that his study found that children who were unvaccinatedand likely had a more intense illnessshed virus for the same amount of time as those who were vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently suggests that people who test positive for COVID-19 isolate until five days after their symptoms started, with isolation ending after someone has been fever-free for 24 hours without the help of medication. However, the CDC also recommends wearing a mask around others through day 10.

Despite the latest studys findings, Schaffner said that the CDC is unlikely to shorten isolation recommendations around COVID-19.

Russo agrees. With these findings, nearly one out of five kids going back to school could infect othersbut its also important to get kids back in school, he said. What protocols are we willing to maintain as a functioning society as the risk of COVID goes down, but isnt zero? We still need to figure that out, he said.

New research shows that children who are infected with COVID-19 are typically infectious through day three of their illness. However, nearly 20% are infectious through day five of their illness. If you test positive for COVID-19, doctors say its safest to follow CDC guidance and isolate for five days to lower your risk of infecting someone else.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

Kumar N, Bendavid E, Sood N. Duration of SARS-CoV-2 culturable virus shedding in children. JAMA Pediatr. Published online October 23, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.4511

Tingting Liao, Zhengrong Yin, Juanjuan Xu, Zhilei Lv, Sufei Wang, Limin Duan, Jinshuo Fan, Yang Jin. The correlation between clinical features and viral RNA shedding in outpatients with COVID-19. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. August 2020, doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaa331

Takahashi K, Ishikane M, Ujiie M, et al. Duration of infectious virus shedding by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected vaccinees. Emerg Infect Dis. 2022;28(5):998-1001. doi:10.3201/eid2805.220197

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19.

By Korin Miller Korin Miller is a health and lifestyle journalist who has been published in The Washington Post, Prevention, SELF, Women's Health, The Bump, and Yahoo, among other outlets.

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?

Follow this link:

How Has COVID Viral Shedding Changed Over Time? - Verywell Health

gorodenkoff / iStock

Maintenance immunosuppressive drugs, including steroids, used for organ transplant patients are associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization in solid-organ transplant recipients, according to new findings.

The study, published yesterday in JAMA Network Open, was based on findings among a cohort of 60,456 solid-organ transplant recipients in France. The average age of participants was 59, and 63.7% were male. Patients were tracked from February 15, 2020, to July 31, 2022.

Among participants found in the French National Health Data System, 41,463 (68.6%) had kidney transplants, 14,464 (23.9%) had liver transplants, 5,327 (8.8%) had heart transplants, and 2,823 (4.6%) had lung transplants. Overall, 11.4% were hospitalized for COVID-19, including 12.7% of kidney transplant recipients, 6.4% of liver transplant recipients, 12.9% of heart transplant recipients, and 18.0% of lung transplant recipients.

In kidney transplant recipients, steroids (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 1.73) and mycophenolic acid (AOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.51) were associated with a high risk of hospitalization.

Steroids were also associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for COVID-19.

"We observed an increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization associated with using sirolimus in heart transplant recipients and using mycophenolic acid in kidney and liver transplant recipients independent of other drugs," the authors wrote. "Steroids were also associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 in each transplant subgroup."

Tacrolimus and cyclosporine were the only two maintenance therapies associated with a low risk of hospitalization in liver and heart transplant recipients, respectively.

Among all participants, heart transplant recipients treated with sirolimus were at the greatest increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (AOR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.20 to 6.09).

The rest is here:

Organ transplant patients on maintenance drugs at increased risk for ... - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

MODERN ECONOMIC statistics are best thought of as a work in progress. As new information becomes available to national statistics offices they update and revise previously published numbers. The picture of the economy comes into focus only slowly, more like an old-fashioned polaroid than a snap on a modern smartphone. Revisions of older data are part and parcel of the process and rarely make the headlines. But in the past two months revisions in Britain and Italy have come close to rewriting recent economic history. What happened?

Data published in Britain during 2022 and early 2023 had depicted the country as the only G7 economy that by the end of 2021 had still not recovered its pre-pandemic output levels. But after revisions to the 2020 and 2021 figures, in September GDP was found to be 0.6% above its pre-covid size rather than 1.2% below it. The Office for National Statistics added almost 2% to its estimate of national income and transformed Britains economic performance from that of a global laggard to something more respectable. Also in September Italys statistics office upgraded its estimate of growth in 2021, at current prices, from 7% to 8.3%. That was not enough to offer the government the room it hoped for to justify tax cuts, but was still a significant revision.

In both countries the absolute size of the revisions is partially explained by the magnitude of the swings in GDP in nearly all economies in 2020 and 2021. The lockdowns of 2020 caused output to plummet at a pace not seen in decades and the unwinding of restrictions in 2021 prompted a strong bounce-back in most places. Proportionally normal revisions to large swings in GDP add up to big numbers.

These revisions are driven by what the statisticians call input-output tables (IOT). The initial estimates are based on partial data and on headline revenue figures reported by companies. As more detailed data become available, statisticians are able to use IOT to measure the inputs and outputs of each sector more minutely. That allows them to get a better look at how profit margins evolved over time. Margins, it is now thought, held up better than once believed, leading to higher estimates of profits, income and hence total GDP.

Over the coming months more rich countries will be able to update their data in light of better information. More revisions will follow. Changes of 1-2% in the estimated level of national output can grab the headlines, but the fundamental economic picture remains unchanged. The broad story is that 2020, though still dreadful, was not quite as economically disastrous as once thought and the recovery in 2021 was a touch stronger than it first seemed.

More here:

Why covid-19 did not harm rich economies as badly as first thought - The Economist

November 08, 2023

3 min read

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Back to Healio

VANCOUVER, British Columbia With alcohol-related disease still on the rise after surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, an expert here discussed treatment options, including liver transplantation, for patients with alcoholic hepatitis.

You have to realize alcoholic liver disease, especially alcoholic hepatitis, is increasing, Stanley M. Cohen, MD, FACG, professor of medicine and medical director of hepatology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, said during his presentation at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting. Keep it in your mind as part of your history.

Cohen attributed the recent jump in alcoholic hepatitis and subsequent mortality to a rise in drinking among younger individuals, specifically women aged 25 to 34 years, and the impact of COVID-19.

Citing the Explorys database study, which grouped individuals in pre-COVID and COVID cohorts, Cohen noted that findings should be of no surprise to anybody here.

What we saw with regard to alcoholic liver disease was almost three times increased risk of alcoholic hepatitis, he said. We saw varices, alcoholic pancreatitis. So bottom line, were not just seeing more alcohol were seeing more downstream effects.

According to Cohen, alcoholic hepatitis is a specific syndrome with mortality ranging from 35% to 45% in 1 month. We see it commonly in hospitalized patients with alcoholic liver disease, he said. Theyre usually hospitalized because of alcoholic hepatitis, and most of them have cirrhosis by the time we see them.

In addition to clinical indicators, Cohen noted that Maddrey discriminant function or MELD are the most commonly used prognostic scores, with Maddrey over 32 and MELD higher than 20 indicative of severe alcoholic hepatitis.

Why do we care? Because thats the group that were going to use therapy on and again probably steroids. Also, it translates to about a 20% 90-day mortality, he said.

Cohen reviewed options for treatment, although many are unsuccessful, including absolute alcohol abstinence, nutritional therapy, corticosteroids and LT.

Although other treatments such as pentoxifylline have been studied, Cohen said corticosteroids remain the first-line treatment in patients with no contraindications. When treating with steroids, he recommended using Lille score to gauge effect.

It allows us to look at them on day 0 and day 7 of steroids and we see if theyre having a response, he said. What were going to look for is a Lille score of less than 0.45: Less than 0.45, the survival is dramatically better. If its greater than 0.45, its essentially futility and we stop the steroids.

Cohen also noted that IV N-acetylcysteine can be used as an adjunct to steroids, and that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor warrants further study.

Lastly, Cohen discussed how LT may be considered in a select group of patients, noting that the traditional 6-month sobriety rule has no scientific basis.

Were starting to see a paradigm shift that we can now evaluate people with a psychologist or a social worker, he said. We can really get an idea of whos at higher risk for recidivism, who isnt and who would be good candidate.

Cohen highlighted a 2011 French study, which showed that a very select group of patients without previous alcoholic liver disease, among other factors underwent transplant for alcoholic hepatitis and had a 6-month survival of 77%; only 10% resumed drinking alcohol afterward. In a U.S. study of 147 similarly chosen patients, the 3-year survival was 84%.

One predictor to consider is the Sustained Alcohol use after Liver Transplant (SALT) score, which basically looks at the amount of alcohol, how many failed prior rehabs, any legal issues, and if [a patients] score was less than five, they had a 95% negative predictive value for sustained alcohol use after transplant, Cohen said.

I dont want you leaving thinking transplant is great for all these patients, but there is a subset that you want to think about, he added.

Collapse

Cohen SM. Updates in the treatment approach for alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH). Presented at: ACG Annual Scientific Meeting; Oct. 20-25, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia (hybrid meeting).

Disclosures: Cohen reports serving on the advisory committee, board or speakers bureau for AbbVie, Gilead and Intercept.

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Back to Healio

Originally posted here:

'Downstream effects' of alcohol use disorder swell in wake of COVID ... - Healio

November 08, 2023

3 min read

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Back to Healio

Pediatric ED visits for firearm injuries nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with earlier trends, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

Last year, the AAP issued a policy statement recommending that firearms which remain the leading cause of death for children and young adults in the United States be regulated on the level of motor vehicles, with requirements for training, licensing, insurance coverage and registration.

One of the authors of the new study said the investigation was prompted by her own experiences as a pediatric emergency medicine physician.

What I've seen on the ground is that more children are coming into my own emergency department with firearm injuries over the last few years, Jennifer Hoffmann, MD, MS, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago and assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Healio. We wanted to see if this trend was occurring across the country.

Hoffman and colleagues studied ED visits by children for firearm injuries from 2017 through November 2022.

This [was] captured a few years before and a few years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoffmann said. We looked at health record data from nine children's hospitals across the country.

They identified 1,904 ED visits by children for firearm injuries during the study period 694 before the pandemic and 1,210 during it. Just over 52% involved older adolescents aged 15 to 17 years old, 63.5% involved Black youth, and two out of three firearm injury visits were by youth from under-resourced neighborhoods.

Increases beyond expected rates were seen for 10- to 14-year-old children (RR = 2.61; 95% CI, 1.69-5.71), females (RR = 2.46; 95% CI, 1.55-6), males (RR = 2; 95% CI, 1.53-2.86), Hispanic children (RR = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3-9.91), and Black non-Hispanic children (RR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.34-3.1).

Unfortunately, we found that emergency visits for firearm injuries by Black and Hispanic youth increased after the pandemic, while visits by white youth remained steady, Hoffmann said. This showed widening disparity and injury rates, which is troubling. We also found that two out of three firearm injuries visits were by children from under-resourced neighborhoods.

Visits increased in multiple different neighborhood types, including both poor and wealthy neighborhoods, Hoffman added.

This shows that no child is immune to the growing risks of firearm violence in our society, Hoffman said.

She noted the worsening of U.S. teens mental health during the pandemic.

Other studies have shown increases in suicide attempts among teenagers, Hoffmann said. We know that firearms are the leading means for teens to die by suicide, and so it's important to understand how much that's contributing to the increases.

Hoffman said the data show a need to do more to protect children and keep them safe from guns.

Overall, these data should serve as a wake-up call, Hoffmann said. It doesn't have to be this way. Children deserve to be safe, and the fact is that we already know some evidence-based strategies that work.

A second study exploring firearm homicides among American children precipitated by intimate partner violence (IPV) found that, from 2003 to 2020, among a total of 11,594 child homicides captured by the National Violent Death Reporting System, 49.3% were firearm homicides, and 12% of those were related to IPV.

Additionally, 86% of the homicides involved children who were in a home where ongoing conflict was occurring between current or former partners, and the remaining 14% of homicides involved adolescents whose death was caused by a current or former dating partner.

In an accompanying commentary, Maya I. Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS, and Alison J. Culyba, MD, PhD, MPH, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, wrote that a public health approach focused on evidence-based policies and practices is urgently needed.

There must be a significant investment in evidenced-based prevention programming focused on strength-based approaches to prevent youth violence, they wrote. Health care, community, and policy-level solutions are critical to protect IPV survivors and their children and promote family-centered thriving.

Hoffman JA, et al. Pediatrics. 2023;doi:10.1542/peds.2023-063129.

Ragavan MI, Culyba AJ. Pediatrics. 2023;doi:10.1542/peds.2023-063805.

Wilson RF, et al. Pediatrics. 2023;doi:10.1542/peds.2023-063004.

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Back to Healio

Follow this link:

ED visits for pediatric firearm injuries nearly doubled during COVID ... - Healio

WASHINGTON Current and former government officials proffered a clear-eyed, and often depressing, take Tuesday on the state of clinical trials, the pharmaceutical industry, and biotech investors coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The officials, including the Food and Drug Administrations second-in-command Janet Woodcock, acknowledged the drug industrys persistent lack of interest in collaborating on clinical trials, the ways hypercompetition pervades academic research and slows progress, and biotech investors taking the wrong lessons from pandemic.

The tenor Tuesday was a far cry from the optimism often shared during the heat of the pandemic, which saw vaccines and therapeutics developed at record rates thanks in large part to massive collaboration and investment between government and industry.

Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.

More:

FDA's Woodcock, other experts highlight persistent issues plaguing ... - STAT

According to GlobalDatas Technology Foresights, which uses over 668,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the pharmaceutical industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

COVID recombinant spike proteins is a key innovation area in Covid-19

COVID recombinant spike protein is a glycoprotein that mediates membrane fusion and viral entry. The full-length S protein consists of an extracellular domain (ECD), divided into a S1 and S2 subunit, a transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic domain. Recombinant spike-based proteins were developed by immunization of animal models to evaluate these subunit-based antigens for potential use as vaccine candidates.

GlobalDatas analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 260+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established pharmaceutical companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of COVID recombinant spike proteins.

Key players in COVID recombinant spike proteins a disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry

Application diversity measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either niche or diversified innovators.

Geographic reach refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from global to local.

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Sanofi is one of the leading patent filers in COVID recombinant spike proteins. Sanofi is a major pharmaceutical company, which is engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of a wide range of medicines and vaccines. Its portfolio includes medicines for the treatment of cancer, rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, human vaccines for protection against various bacterial and viral diseases, and other diseases. VidPrevtyn Beta is one of its approved Covid-19 vaccines, which acts by targeting 2019 Novel corona Virus Spike Glycoprotein (E2 or Peplomer Protein or S). C. H. Boehringer Sohn and Takeda Pharmaceutical are some of the other key patent filers in COVID recombinant spike proteins.

In terms of application diversity, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals leads the pack, while Akston Biosciences and Excivion stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, S Curevac held the top position, followed by Excivion and Theravectys.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the pharmaceutical industry, access GlobalDatas latest thematic research report on Pharmaceutical.

From

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalDatas unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode whats happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

Be better informed

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalDatas Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the worlds largest industries.

Read more from the original source:

Who are the leading innovators in COVID recombinant spike ... - Pharmaceutical Technology

This study systematically investigated the impact of sex and age on the side effects following the third vaccine dose in a cohort of COVID-19 mRNA vaccinated adults. Here, using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, we identified significantly higher frequency of several vaccine-related adverse symptoms and prolonged recovery rate in females and younger adults following the third vs second vaccine doses. Additionally, we found several individual side effects that significantly contributed to the duration of side effects.

Our findings of higher frequencies of COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects among females and younger adults compared to males and elderly adults were consistent with previous reports6,7,11,12,13. Additionally, our longitudinal analyses revealed worse outcomes with longer recovery from side effects in females and younger adults compared to those in males and elderly adults. Other studies reported sex differences in vaccine response and higher vaccine efficacy but worse adverse reactions in females vs males, including vaccines against influenza, hepatitis B and yellow fever14,15,16. Higher number of B cells resulting in greater antibody production in females17 and increased stimulation of immune cells by female sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone), as well as suppression by male sex hormones (testosterone) may be considered a plausible mechanism of sex differences in responses to vaccines18,19.

In terms of adverse age-related impact on the frequency and duration of side effects following vaccine, decline in immune function with age, referred to as immunosenescence, should be considered20,21. Effect of immunosenescence on decline of vaccine efficacy was reported with other vaccines such as influenza, varicella zoster, and the combination vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis22,23,24. Our findings of higher number and longer duration of side effects among younger adults support these data.

Axillary pain is a side effect that occurred at a significantly higher frequency following the third vaccine dose compared to the first or second vaccine doses. After the first and second doses in the BNT162b2 trial, axillary swelling was recorded as an unsolicited reaction only25. In the mRNA-1273 trial, axillary swelling and tenderness were reported in 11.6% patients after the first vaccine dose and in 16% after the second vaccine dose26. In our previous study of BNT162b2 and related side effects, frequency of axillary lymph node swelling or axillary pain was 0% (0/262) after the first vaccine dose, 3.9% (10/257) of lymph node swelling after the second vaccine dose27, and 15% (41/272) of axillary pain in this third vaccine dose study. Ipsilateral vaccine-related reactive axillary lymphadenopathy was demonstrated in multiple radiologic studies, such as screening mammograms28,29,30 or cancer surveillance PET CT studies. Asymmetric axillary lymphadenopathy is a concerning imaging finding for radiologists since the differential diagnosis includes nodal metastatic disease31. These notions underscore the importance of obtaining COVID-19 vaccination history prior to image examinations.

Several symptoms were identified as the culprit symptoms contributing to the prolonged duration of side effects following the third vs second vaccine doses, specifically joint pain after the third vaccine dose, and asthma, ear fullness, and bleeding at the injection site after the second vaccine dose. A possible mechanism could be related to previous studies of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine32 and influenza vaccines33,34,35, which reported an increase of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF- and IL-6, and a decrease of extracellular vesicle immune-regulatory microRNA levels following vaccination. Levels of these proinflammatory cytokines and extracellular vesicle microRNA may stimulate systemic side effects following the third vaccine dose mRNA vaccine, which we describe in this study.

On the other hand, asthma and ear fullness after the second vaccine dose were identified as significant symptoms prolonging the duration of side effects after the second vs third vaccine doses. Notably, asthma and ear fullness are allergic symptoms which had already been present in the individuals prior to vaccination and were exacerbated by the vaccine. Previously reported systemic immune response syndrome (SIRS)36,37 and its association with upregulation of genes involved in neutrophil degranulation and cytokine signaling38 may be considered as a potential mechanism of our findings. These notions underscore the importance of obtaining a thorough history about an individuals past medical diagnoses or treatments prior to vaccination.

Bleeding at the injection site after the second vaccine dose was also identified as one of culprit symptoms prolonging the duration of side effects following the second vaccine dose. This local dermatological symptom is known as COVID arm8,27. Delayed hypersensitivity reaction by type IV allergic response was proposed as the mechanism9,10.

Our findings about the different individual symptoms affecting the duration and severity of the vaccine-related side effects suggest that immune responses that generate the side effects differ between the third vaccine dose (systemic inflammation) and second vaccine dose (type I and IV allergic responses). Further immunological studies including cytokine and antibody level measurements would be warranted, and these findings would contribute for the understanding of mechanism of mRNA vaccine-related side effects.

As a limitation of this study, a small number of subjects for the vaccine-related side effect study, with discrepancies in sex and age distribution, were considered. Since the subjects in this study were derived from healthcare workers, distribution discrepancies with more females and younger adults occurred. For further analyses, a larger number of subjects with an equal distribution of sex and age should be considered. With regard to the subjects, while all of the subjects in this study had no history of COVID-19 diagnosis prior to vaccination, the inclusion of asymptomatic cases among them was considered another limitation of this study. In a study involving the Japanese population, the frequency of asymptomatic cases was 0.33% out of one million tested individuals in 202139, and 1.1% (23 out of 2185) among healthcare workers40. Considering the higher frequency of vaccine-related side effects among subjects with a past history of COVID-19 infection compared to those without such a history41,42, the detection and exclusion of asymptomatic cases through anti-COVID-19 IgG measurement would be warranted for further analyses.

In conclusion, this study investigated the impact of sex and age on mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects in booster-vaccinated adults (i.e. adults who received the third vaccine dose). We found that vaccine-related side effects are more frequent among females and younger adults, and that these two groups have a prolonged recovery compared to males and elderly adults. We also identified the individual culprit side effects that influence the duration of vaccine-related adverse effects following the third vs second dose. Specifically, we identified the significant negative contribution of systemic symptoms such as joint pain and headache after the third vaccine dose, and exacerbation of an underlying allergic condition and type IV allergic response after the second vaccine dose. Identification of the unique sex- and age-specific adverse symptoms, as well specific side effects characteristic of third and second COVID-19 vaccine doses will provide an opportunity to better understand the nature of sex- and age-associated immunological differences and develop safer and more efficacious vaccines.

The rest is here:

Impact of sex and age on vaccine-related side effects and their ... - Nature.com

From: Hokie Wellness

Hokie Wellness will offer two COVID vaccination clinics on Nov. 15, from 12-6 p.m., and Nov. 16, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at the North End Center.

The vaccine being provided at the clinic is Moderna. The FDA has authorized the use of mix-and-match booster doses for currently available COVID-19 vaccines based on the results of a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-supported study. Learn more here.

Insurance covers the cost of the vaccine for benefitted employees and dependents on their insurance. The cost of the vaccine for those without insurance is $145, payable by the exact amount in cash, check, or debit/credit cards. Those with Kaiser Permanente insurance must pay, and then submit a manual claim to their insurance.

Registration is required. Employees may bring dependents to the clinic but must register each individual. Please complete the form attached to the registration prior to arriving at the clinic. The vaccine is only for children 12 and older.

For more information or questions, contact Hokie Wellness at hokiewellness@vt.edu.

Here is the original post:

Hokie Wellness to offer COVID vaccination clinics - Virginia Tech