Doctors are recommending parents don't wait to get the state-required vaccinations. Some doctors hope parents will consider the COVID-19 vaccine.
Author: 13newsnow.com
Published: 6:29 PM EDT August 1, 2022
Updated: 6:29 PM EDT August 1, 2022
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For those with cancer, the threat of serious illness from COVID-19 is often a major concern. Cancer treatments can weaken your bodys immune system, increasing your risk of a serious infection.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that boosts and supports your immune system in responding against cancer. If you or a loved one is receiving immunotherapy treatment for cancer, you may have concerns about how the COVID vaccine may affect your immune system and your treatment.
This article will answer some common questions about immunotherapy cancer treatment and the COVID vaccines.
People with a weakened immune system due to cancer are at an increased risk for poor outcomes from COVID-19. No matter where you are in your treatment plan, vaccination can reduce your risk of developing severe COVID. Vaccination is important even for those with a robust immune system.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Cancer Society recommend that people with cancer, including those receiving treatment, get vaccinated as soon as possible. NCCN notes a few exceptions regarding immediacy:
Since they weaken the immune system, some cancer treatments reduce but dont eliminate vaccine effectiveness. Even if youre getting one or more of these treatments, you will gain some protection from the vaccine. Treatments include:
Vaccination combined with protective measures, such as wearing a mask and avoiding large crowds, provides you with more protection from COVID than you would have without them. For that reason, experts strongly recommend vaccination for people with cancer or a history of cancer.
But check with your oncologist first about when you should get vaccinated. If you are currently receiving treatment for cancer, it may be best to wait until your immune system recovers from treatment. This will give you the best chance of mounting a strong immune response.
Both the Pfizer BioNTech and the Moderna mRNA vaccines are appropriate for use in people who take immunotherapy drugs. Neither vaccine is known to be better than the other for this population.
A 2021 study found that the Moderna vaccine was safe for people with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or both. Their response to the vaccine was similar to those who did not have cancer. The groups also saw similar rates of side effects.
A separate 2021 study noted that people with solid tumors who had the Pfizer vaccine had similar antibody levels to those without cancer 6 months after vaccination. In the subgroup of people on immunotherapy, about 87% still had antibodies, compared to about 84% of the control group.
If you cannot get or do not want either of these vaccines, you can also get the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.
Having cancer or taking immunotherapy drugs does not increase the possibility of serious side effects, such as allergic reactions or myocarditis.
Swelling in the lymph nodes under the arm on the same side as the injection site is a potential side effect of vaccination. While temporary, this can be concerning for people with breast cancer and other cancers.
Tenderness and swollen lymph nodes caused by vaccination should subside within a few days to a few weeks. Let a healthcare professional know if the swelling increases or does not go away within this timeframe.
To date, researchers do not know definitively if immunotherapy drugs affect the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, either positively or negatively.
Scientific articles from 2021 and 2022 suggest that checkpoint inhibitors could theoretically boost your immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine. But both articles also state that no study has demonstrated such an effect.
Some immunotherapy drugs, such as CAR T-cells, may weaken the immune system temporarily. This may make the vaccine less effective. Other types of immunotherapy drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies, should not have this effect.
People with compromised immune systems may find it difficult to generate a robust response to the vaccine, no matter what type of cancer treatment they receive. This may be particularly true for people with blood cancers. For that reason, dosing protocols for people who are immunocompromised and have cancer differ from those used for the general public.
To date, no data indicate that the COVID vaccine reduces the effectiveness of immunotherapy medication. But there may be a 17% to 48% risk of side effects due to an overstimulated immune response, according to research.
A case report published in May 2021 suggests the potential for cytokine release syndrome after COVID vaccination in patients taking certain immunotherapy drugs. The study authors state that more data is needed and still favor vaccination for people with cancer.
A 2021 study involving 134 people found no adverse effects from immunotherapy drugs after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. The studys authors also stressed the need for larger studies and more data, but supported vaccination for people receiving immunotherapy.
However, the impact of certain immunotherapy treatments on your immune system makes the timing of vaccination important. Talk with your oncologist about when you should schedule your vaccine.
People taking immunotherapy drugs should receive an additional primary dose of the vaccine if they have active cancer or are immunocompromised. You may fall into one of these categories if any of the following situations apply:
Yes. Getting COVID does not ensure you will not get it again. In fact, with ever-changing variants continually emerging, contracting the virus more than once has become commonplace.
If youre on cancer treatments that cause you to be immunocompromised, it is vital to get vaccinated, even if youve already had COVID. Talk with your oncologist about when you should get vaccinated after having COVID-19.
If you have cancer, you may be more likely to experience serious complications from COVID-19. Cancer treatments, including certain immunotherapy drugs, may affect your scheduling for vaccination. Talk with your oncologist about when you should schedule your vaccines and how many doses you should get.
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Immunotherapy and COVID Vaccine: Your Questions Answered - Healthline
Amref Health Africa selected as implementing partner to provide technical assistance for the new peer-to-peer learning network
NAIROBI, Kenya, August 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rockefeller Foundation announces the launch of the Vaccination Action Network (VAN), a USD$7.4 million locally-led, peer-to-peer learning initiative designed to engage public health decision-makers across sub-Saharan Africa and bolster their efforts to strengthen health systems while scaling up Covid-19 vaccine demand strategies. Sabin Vaccine Institute and Dalberg are the secretariat for the network, while Amref Health Africa(Amref) is playing a key role to guide and administer subgrants to local organizations in participating countries so that they can implement vaccine demand generation strategies discussed during the learning sessions.
The network is already connecting ministry of health officials, implementing partners, and other key actors across Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda through activities designed to take place within and between countries (intra- and cross-country), so participants can share lessons learned and best practices for boosting local demand for Covid-19 vaccines. Plans to expand to other countries in the region are underway as well.
"The Vaccination Action Network's community-based approach brings together our counterparts from across the region and country. This collaboration is the key to finding and implementing the right vaccination approach," said Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Uganda. In a recent VAN learning session focused on Wakiso district, Dr. Mathias Lugoloobi, District Health Officer in Uganda's central Wakiso District echoed this sentiment, saying that "for strategies to be successful, the community alone must have the final say."
While more than 60 percent of people have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 globally, just 20 percent of people in Africa have received full doses. Inconsistent and inequitable access to supplies initially hindered the continent's vaccination campaigns. However, uptake is now primarily impacted by complex delivery scenarios, limited access to vaccination centers, and other ongoing demand barriers, such as vaccine hesitancy and waning concerns about Covid-19 infection.
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VAN's objective is to help decision-makers understand the drivers behind vaccination and support initiatives that will increase Covid-19 vaccine uptake, while strengthening routine immunization so that health systems are better equipped to respond when the next pandemic strikes.This reflects The Rockefeller Foundation's regional commitment to support localized solutions, empower community representatives, and create more resilient health systems.
"The Vaccination Action Network is helping to establish new channels of communication that will consistently elevate regional learnings, solutions, and leadership," said William Asiko, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office. "By making these discussions country-led, we want to create a space where those directly involved in vaccination campaigns are able to voice what is working, what isn't, and what needs to change to improve vaccination rates."
Peer-to-peer learning is an important tool for officials who are working to address these challenges. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, this type of intra- and inter-country coordination has helped the continent scale up genomic sequencing and secure essential tools, including personal protective equipment and diagnostic tests.
"By encouraging officials to come together, the Vaccination Action Network is opening new dialogues that emphasize regional solutions to local challenges," said Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO at Amref. "This is essential to tackle vaccine equity issues, which are tied to national and regional contexts, but also offers countries an opportunity for longer-term coordination on other priorities."
VAN will host monthly intra-country sessions and multiple cross-country discussions before the end of the calendar year, with the goal of turning learnings from these sessions into actionable solutions. To facilitate this, VAN is supporting Amref through a USD$5 million grant to design and implement tailored strategies that better reflect local needs and address demand barriers for increased vaccine uptake.
Prior to the launch, VAN hosted two cross-country and five intra-country discussions, which have already yielded results. Following a May VAN session focused on improving vaccine understanding and uptake, the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda is now working to train "vaccination champions" in the Wakiso district. The goal is for champions to connect with communities about the benefits of vaccines, address their questions and concerns, and ultimately encourage vaccination through community-based strategies that have proved successful in past epidemic control settings in Uganda.
"One of our biggest takeaways from the VAN conversation was that we needed to do more to engage communities with accurate and approachable information on Covid-19 vaccines, leaning on lessons learned from other health challenges such as HIV and Ebola," said Mohammed Lamorde, Head of Global Health Security at IDI. "That's why our program focuses on working with trusted community members and leaders to equip them with the tools they need to encourage greater uptake of vaccines within their communities."
VAN represents the Global Vaccination Initiative (GVI)'s first major investment in overcoming low vaccine demand in Africa. Launched in April 2022, GVI is The Rockefeller Foundation's USD$55 million effort to support country-led efforts to fully vaccinate 90% of the most at-risk populations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean over the next two years.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation to enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to healthy and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.organd follow us on Twitter@RockefellerFdn.
AboutAmref Health Africa
Amref Health Africa, headquartered in Kenya, is the largest Africa-based International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO). With a focus on increasing sustainable health access, Amref runs programmes in over 35 countries in Africa, with lessons learnt over 60 years of engagement with governments, communities, and partners. Amref Health Africa also engages in programme development, fundraising, partnership, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, and has offices in Europe and North America as well as subsidiaries:Amref Flying Doctors,Amref Enterprisesand theAmref International University.
About Dalberg
Dalberg is a leading social impact advisory group that brings together strategy consulting, design thinking, big data analytics, and research to address complex social and environmental challenges. It works collaboratively with communities, institutions, governments, and corporations to develop solutions that create impact at scale. The Dalberg Group is comprised of six businesses:Dalberg Advisors,Dalberg Data Insights, Dalberg Design, Dalberg Implement, Dalberg Media, and Dalberg Research, and a not-for-profit, Dalberg Catalyst. For more information, visitwww.dalberg.com.
About the Sabin Vaccine Institute
The Sabin Vaccine Instituteis a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with more than two decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visitwww.sabin.organd follow us on Twitter,@SabinVaccine.
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SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation
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The Biden administration is expecting the FDA to approve a new vaccine in September. The new vaccine will protect against the omicron variant. According to ABC news, the government now has the option to buy 600 million new vaccines that are targeted toward the omicron variant, with plans to deliver 171 million this fall. The Biden administration says it's moved $10 billion to cover the cost of these vaccines. The vaccine is a bivalent meaning it protects against the alpha, delta and omicron variants. KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo suggests if you're eligible to get a booster now you should get it, instead of waiting for the new shot. Right now, the idea of waiting for the new vaccine may be a mistake because we don't know what the dominant viral strain will be at the time that the vaccine is released," said Dr. Ramo. Dr. Ramo said it is proven the current vaccine still prevents serious illness hospitalization, and death, even when it comes to the omicron variant which is making up about 90% of U.S. cases. The variant is in high concentration now. People are getting sick with it. They're not getting seriously ill if they've been boosted, he said. If authorized and recommended, Dr Ramo said this is good news. I think what is encouraging is the ability to change the vaccine on a dime. So the idea that we have the technology to make a new vaccine so quickly is very important, Dr. Ramo said.
The Biden administration is expecting the FDA to approve a new vaccine in September. The new vaccine will protect against the omicron variant.
According to ABC news, the government now has the option to buy 600 million new vaccines that are targeted toward the omicron variant, with plans to deliver 171 million this fall.
The Biden administration says it's moved $10 billion to cover the cost of these vaccines.
The vaccine is a bivalent meaning it protects against the alpha, delta and omicron variants.
KOAT health expert Dr. Barry Ramo suggests if you're eligible to get a booster now you should get it, instead of waiting for the new shot.
Right now, the idea of waiting for the new vaccine may be a mistake because we don't know what the dominant viral strain will be at the time that the vaccine is released," said Dr. Ramo.
Dr. Ramo said it is proven the current vaccine still prevents serious illness hospitalization, and death, even when it comes to the omicron variant which is making up about 90% of U.S. cases.
The variant is in high concentration now. People are getting sick with it. They're not getting seriously ill if they've been boosted, he said.
If authorized and recommended, Dr Ramo said this is good news.
I think what is encouraging is the ability to change the vaccine on a dime. So the idea that we have the technology to make a new vaccine so quickly is very important, Dr. Ramo said.
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A research team at St. Mary's Hospital has discovered that T cell, which causes autoimmune liver disease, appears after a liver biopsy on patients who received the Covid-19 vaccine.
The research, conducted by Professors Sung Pil-soo at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Lee Sun-kyu at Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, supports the research result by research at Germany's University Medical Center Freiburg in April that "specific CD8+ T cells induced by Covid-19 vaccination can cause liver damage, which can cause autoimmune liver disease."
The St. Mary's Hospital research is the world's first to report a hepatic overlap syndrome, in which autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis co-occur after Covid-19 vaccination.
According to Professor Sung, the patient was a 57-year-old woman with no history of taking drugs for underlying diseases, alcohol, or liver disease. Still, she was referred to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital for general weakness.
The patient visited the hospital two weeks after receiving the first dose of the vaccine as she felt tired and weak in general. However, an initial physical examination showed that everything was normal. However, as a result of a blood test performed at the next visit, the hospital confirmed that the patient's liver scores related to the diagnosis of liver disease were elevated.
The team tested to determine the cause and confirmed that the results of hepatitis A, B, C, and E and viral hepatitis, such as cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, were negative. There were no specific findings in liver ultrasound.
In contrast, the autoantibody test showed positive antinuclear antibody and anti-mitochondrial antibodies, confirming the high possibility of autoimmune liver disease, including hepatic overlap syndrome.
Therefore, the team performed a liver tissue biopsy for diagnosis and confirmed that T cells were concentrated in the portal vein, causing infiltration and necrosis of the liver tissue.
The team also observed interfacial hepatitis and non-purulent cholangitis, in which plasma cell infiltration, fragmentary necrosis, and inflammation and necrosis of the portal vein were extended to the periphery of the portal vein.
In conclusion, the research team confirmed that the patient had hepatic overlap syndrome.
Combining these findings, the team treated the patient with high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), and the patient recovered back to normal within two weeks.
"This study clarifies the mechanism that can cause liver damage and liver function abnormalities due to immune response after vaccination." Professor Lee said. "It is also important to identify and treat such symptoms through detailed questionnaires and examinations during patient treatment."
Professor Sung also said, "This paper is the first report on hepatic overlap syndrome after vaccination, and careful observation and confirmation of immune response and liver disease is required."
Sung added that his team would continue to study such liver diseases to help patients, Sung added.
Journal of Hepatology published the result of the research.
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St. Mary's researchers find clue to liver dysfunction after Covid-19 vaccination - KBR
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The Walker Odette Annable, 37, took to Instagram on Friday to share photos of herself getting ready to welcome her second child with husband and former Brothers & Sisters co-star Dave Annable. She captioned the photos, which revealed her pregnant stomach, The very hot, very pregnant Summer.
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This week, the White House held a summit on the future of Covid-19 vaccines that brought together scientists and vaccine manufacturers to discuss new vaccine technologies. Officials said that new vaccines are an urgent priority as US Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising once again, vaccination rates are hitting a plateau, Covid-19 funding is running low, and the virus itself is continuing to mutate.
But in recent months, scientists have also learned that the immune cells that provide lasting protection known as memory B cells and T cells can keep the worst effects of the most recent versions of the virus at bay, even if they were trained to corral older strains of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine researchers are expanding their focus from antibodies to these memory immune cells as the new discoveries open a path toward universal coronavirus vaccines.
Universal vaccines, however, are still a long way off possibly years drawing on approaches never used before. Thats a scientific challenge, said Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president, during the summit.
The good news is that far fewer people are dying from the disease compared to the wave of cases this past winter spurred by the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The first round of Covid-19 vaccines is still holding death rates down to around 360 per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, health officials want to do better.
While the vaccines are terrific, hundreds of Americans, thousands of people around the world are still dying every day, Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said Tuesday. Building a new generation of vaccines will make an enormous difference to bringing this pandemic to an end.
The National Institutes of Health is already funding several research teams developing Covid-19 vaccines that elicit protection against many different versions of the virus, shield against future changes to the virus before they arise, and protect against other coronaviruses.
From there, health officials are aiming not just to develop vaccines that provide more durable protection against a wider array of threats, but also rethinking the vaccination strategy overall. With a better understanding of long-term immunity, more robust vaccines, and a comprehensive public health approach, health officials say they have a better shot at restoring normalcy.
Much of the discussion around vaccines and immunity to Covid-19 centers on antibodies, proteins produced by the immune system that attach to the virus. And indeed, they are important.
Antibodies that prevent the virus from causing an infection in the first place are called neutralizing antibodies. A high concentration of antibodies in the body that blocks SARS-CoV-2 is a key indicator of good protection against reinfection. Antibodies can also serve as a way to mark intruders so that other immune system cells can dispose of them.
But making large quantities of antibodies takes a lot of resources from the body, so their production tapers off with time after an infection or a vaccination. Another concern is that antibodies are very particular about where they attach to the virus. If the virus has a mutation at that attachment site called an epitope antibodies have a harder time recognizing the pathogen. Thats why some antibody-based treatments for Covid-19 are a lot less effective at stopping the omicron subvariants.
Fortunately, the immune system has other tools in its chest. Inside bone marrow lie stem cells that differentiate to become B cells and T cells. Together, they form the core of the adaptive immune system, which creates a tailored response to threats. After a virus invades a cell, it hijacks its machinery to make copies of itself. White blood cells known as cytotoxic T cells, a.k.a. killer T cells, can identify the wayward cell and make it self-destruct. This mechanism doesnt prevent infections, but it stops them from growing out of control.
Another type of T cell, called a helper T cell, acts as an on switch for B cells, which are the cells that manufacture antibodies. After an infection is extinguished, some T cells and B cells turn into memory cells that stick around in parts of the body, ready to rev up if a virus dares to show up again.
So far, the adaptive immune system seems to hold up pretty well. The first round of Covid-19 vaccines was targeted against the earliest versions of the virus, so plenty of vaccinated people have had breakthrough infections, especially from the newer variants. But only a tiny fraction of those immunized have fallen severely ill or have died.
That likely means that their immune systems couldnt keep the virus out entirely, but their immune cells were able to spool up once an infection took root.
Someones neutralizing antibodies may not be up to the task, but if they have the T cell response, that may make all the difference with severe disease, said Stephen Jameson, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Minnesota.
In just the past year, many studies have borne out the significance of memory B cells and T cells for long-term Covid-19 immunity and answered critical questions about whether they can respond to new variants.
Researchers have found that lower levels of memory B cells were associated with a greater risk of breakthrough infections from the delta variant. On the other hand, B cells induced by Covid-19 vaccines could reactivate months out from the initial vaccine doses to churn out antibodies.
Similarly, scientists found that T cells generated by vaccines were able to recognize SARS-CoV-2 variants like omicron months later. These data provide reasons for optimism, as most vaccine-elicited T cell responses remain capable of recognizing all known SARS-CoV-2 variants, scientists wrote in a March paper in the journal Cell.
Another study showed that Covid-19 vaccines generated strong T cell memory that protected against the virus even without neutralizing antibodies. I think the immunological memory which is induced by vaccines is pretty good and is actually sustained, said Marulasiddappa Suresh, a professor of immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who co-authored the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May.
Whether this protection will hold up over the course of years remains to be seen. Experiences with past coronaviruses like MERS showed that antibodies to the virus can last for four years. Covid-19, however, is spreading at much higher levels and mutating more than MERS did during its initial outbreak. Future protection against the disease hinges on the immune system as well as how much the virus itself will change, and scientists are closely watching both.
Most vaccines to date are designed to counter one or a handful of versions of a given virus. They present the immune system with a target that allows it to prepare its defenses should the actual virus ever invade.
In the case of Covid-19, most vaccines coach the immune system to target the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which it uses to start the infection process. This helps the immune system generate strong neutralizing antibodies. But the spike protein is one of the fastest mutating parts of the virus, making it a moving target.
The fact that B cells and T cells have managed to hold off newer variants hints that it may be possible to target the virus in other ways. Rather than just making neutralizing antibodies that attach to the spike, the adaptive immune system could also produce non-neutralizing antibodies that bind to other regions of the virus that mutate very little, if at all. While these antibodies may not block an infection from taking root, they may be able to provide more durable protection against severe illness that holds up against future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Another approach is to present the immune system with a variety of different potential mutations of a virus, allowing white blood cells to prepare a response to a spectrum of threats and fill in the blanks.
Universal vaccines have not been deployed before, so researchers are in uncharted territory, and the shots likely wont be ready ahead of a potential fall spike in Covid-19 cases. But developing such a vaccine could eventually reduce the need for boosters and give health officials a head start on countering future outbreaks.
In the meantime, US health officials are planning to distribute vaccines reformulated to target newer Covid-19 variants by September, but its not clear yet what the optimal strategy will be to deploy them given the wide range of immune protection across the population. Between infections and vaccinations, the majority of people in the country have had some exposure to the virus, granting some degree of protection. And since the adaptive immune response to Covid-19 seems to be robust in most people, it may not be necessary for everyone to get an additional shot.
One option is to seek out those with weaker immune systems for boosters. Researchers have now developed a rapid test to measure T cell responses to Covid-19 that could identify people who are more vulnerable to reinfections or breakthrough infections.
Though vaccines are absorbing the most severe consequences from Covid-19, infections are still proving disruptive. Covid-19 outbreaks are contributing to staffing shortages at hospitals, schools, and airlines, leading to delays and cancellations. And the more the virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to mutate in dangerous ways. Stopping this threat requires limiting infections, which in turn still demands measures like social distancing and wearing face masks.
So as good as the next generation of vaccines may prove to be, they are only one element of a comprehensive public health strategy for containing a disease.
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How long-term Covid-19 immunity paves the way for universal Covid-19 vaccines - Vox.com
How are monkeypox cases, COVID-19 vaccines and shingles infections connected? They are not.
But if you believe claims circulating online, they are linked to a group of global elites who are using the coronavirus "as a tool to reorganize global societies and economies to their benefit at the expense of ordinary people, with the ultimate goal of a global totalitarian regime," according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Those claims are part of "The Great Reset" conspiracy theory, which PolitiFact has repeatedly debunked. Other news outlets have also dismissed the idea as unsubstantiated.
One article pushing the narrative that monkeypox is tied to this conspiracy theory appeared on The Expos, a U.K.-focused blog that has repeatedly spread misinformation about the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine.
"Monkeypox is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset," read a July 24 Expos headline.
The article claimed that the monkeypox outbreak is actually shingles cases caused by Pfizers COVID-19 vaccines.
"Were seeing the consequences of injecting millions of people with an experimental mRNA injection that causes untold damage to the immune system," the article said. "And public health authorities are now scrambling to cover up COVID-19 vaccine-induced shingles and using it as an opportunity to advance their technocratic agenda of implementing The Great Reset."
The article was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Available evidence directly refutes the articles claims.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective
Pfizers mRNA vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty, in August 2021 became the first COVID-19 vaccine to achieve full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Millions of people have received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, which is a safe and effective way to prevent COVID-19.
A nurse gives a child, aged 5, the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Nov. 6, 2021. This was the first time children aged 5 to 11 across the United States had the opportunity to get immunized against COVID-19. (AP)
In the seven days after vaccination, it is common to experience mild side effects including fever, chills, fatigue or headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More severe side effects including severe allergic reactions or myocarditis and pericarditis (especially for males ages 12 to 39) are rare but can happen.
Some countries reporting monkeypox cases arent using the Pfizer vaccine
Pfizer told PolitiFact it had agreements to provide its vaccine to more than 140 countries.
As of July 28, cases of monkeypox have been reported in 77 countries, including 71 countries that have not historically reported monkeypox, the CDC reported.
A map on Pfizers website shows where it has shipped vaccines, and a map on the CDCs site also shows monkeypox cases around the world.
Comparing these maps shows that the articles claim that monkeypox is "only circulating" where the Pfizer vaccine was distributed is false.
Venezuela reported one case of monkeypox as of July 28, but Pfizers map does not show any shipments of COVID-19 vaccines. Venezuela has approved the use of Russian COVID-19 vaccines Sputnik V and Sputnik Light, Cubas Abdala and Soberana COVID-19 vaccines and the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines from China, according to the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela.
India reported four cases of monkeypox as of July 28. Pfizer has not sent COVID-19 vaccines to India, according to its map last updated July 3.
India is currently distributing four vaccines, per the BBC: the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Corbevax, Covaxin and Sputnik V.
Also, not all the countries that received Pfizer vaccines have reported monkeypox cases. As of July 28, for example, Indonesia has not reported any monkeypox cases, but Pfizer has shipped nearly 69 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine there.
A medical worker shows vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination campaign at the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 8, 2022. (AP)
Monkeypox and shingles differ in many ways
The CDC tracks adverse events reported after COVID-19 vaccinations, and has not indicated that the vaccines cause shingles.
Nearly 10,000 cases of shingles have been reported to the CDC and FDAs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System after doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This does not mean the vaccines caused shingles.
VAERS is an open system, meaning anyone can submit a report to the database, "regardless of seriousness, and regardless of how likely the vaccine may have been to have caused the adverse event," per the CDC. On one occasion, a doctor said hed submitted a report that a flu vaccine had turned him into the Hulk; that report was accepted and remained in the database for some time, he said.
Pfizer said it has not seen data that suggests its COVID-19 vaccine causes shingles.
Monkeypox and shingles cause skin rashes, but they look different on the body.
Shingles causes a painful rash that typically "occurs in a single stripe around either the left or the right side of the body" or on one side of the face, according to the CDC. In contrast, monkeypox causes "a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus."
This image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue). (NIAID via AP)
The diseases are also caused by different viruses: Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus; shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus that also causes chickenpox.
Our ruling
A blog post claimed that monkeypox "is only circulating in countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been distributed and is being used to advance a Technocratic Great Reset."
"The Great Reset" is an unsubstantiated and widely debunked conspiracy theory. Monkeypox has been reported in countries that dont have Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine. And there are countries that received Pfizers vaccine that have not yet reported monkeypox cases.
We rate this claim False.
RELATED: Shingles-monkeypox claim misleads with false flu-COVID-19 theory
RELATED: No, the COVID-19 vaccines are not weapons of mass destruction
RELATED: Federal VAERS database is a critical tool for researchers, but a breeding ground for misinformation
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Theres no evidence the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is connected to the monkeypox outbreak - PolitiFact
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I would rather get COVID than get the Vaccine.
One week later I changed my mind.
My mother, my daughter, and I were driving back from Wyoming last August after two weeks of vacation fun. The highlight of the trip was a huge country and western concert featuring Blake Shelton. We shared the event with tens of thousands of his loyal fans, and even though COVID was still on the rampage, we werent worried the concert was outdoors.
It was during that trip that I was asked if I was vaccinated against COVID and answered with the statement I soon regretted. Its just that I was more scared of the Vaccine than I was of COVID. At the time I didnt know enough about either.
Soon into our return trip my daughter developed symptoms fatigue, fever, nausea. Three days later it hit me.
At first, we thought we both had food poisoning. By the third day of my illness, my husband insisted I test and, although testing positive, the symptoms werent bad, just some stomach issues, chills, fever, a cough. But on day five things really ramped up.
I had lots of pain all over, especially in my lungs. The fever got worse and I know this sounds strange, but I had psychological symptoms. I couldnt swallow or drink. I would put water in my mouth but couldnt swallow, like my throat was blocked, I became very thirsty and got dehydrated quickly. By day ten I was hospitalized.
During my five-day hospitalization I responded quickly to treatment and was able to eat and drink on my own. A health care provider told me I was experiencing PTSD labeled COVID Psychosis. And for good reason.
I came home on oxygen, extremely weak, fatigued and feeling incredible pain. I couldnt stand on my own, and my husband whom I incidentally infected with COVID, literally had to take care of my most basic needs while sick with the virus himself. Fortunately for both of us his symptoms, though similar to mine initially, were not severe.
During my recovery I had a lot of nerve pain, especially in my legs. I was so weak when I got home from the hospital, I couldnt coordinate my legs for weeks. Using stairs was beyond my ability. My doctor advised me not to sleep all day long, and it took all my husband and I could do to achieve that even marginally. I had no bladder control, lost hair by the handfuls, and experienced cognitive and memory changes.
Now, almost one year later, COVID still has its grip on me and its impact may be with me for life.
It took six months before I could even begin to feel normal. Going out in public was initially terrifying, but I gradually became less nervous. I often lose words in everyday conversation, and the writing that used to come easily to me does not. Because my lung capacity is restricted, the long weekend hikes with the family remain on hold; I am just not physically up to it. To say getting COVID was a game changer is putting it mildly.
Before all this happened, I never got sick. I am a younger adult, and according to the statistics I should have been fine. I believed I was not at risk because of my age and because I didnt have any underlying conditions. It seemed those people I knew who resisted getting the Vax already had COVID and were fine. It just didnt seem to be a threat.
But the effects of COVID went beyond me. My young daughter was scared, and as the infection lingered, was disappointed that her mom missed several events that were important to us.
How my husband was able to take care of me and our daughter and his own infection is truly amazing I could not have gotten through without his tireless support.
Yet, in spite of my horrific experience with COVID and the continuing challenges I face on a daily basis, I have friends and family who are still hesitant to get the vaccine. I want them to understand how close I felt to not making it, that being a Vax nonbeliever doesnt prevent the virus from infecting you. Just because you had COVID doesnt mean you wont get it again. And again. And the immunity that comes from having COVID is short-lived.
It almost cost me my life, but it may have helped me save others, as several members of my immediate and extended family have taken the shot, and yes, myself included.
During my first post COVID grocery store stop, an irate woman saw my mask and snapped You are the Problem!
I prefer to think of myself as the solution.
Lora Powell as told to Chris Smith of Muncy who was a prevention education/highway safety specialist for over 35 years and is a member of Lets End COVID!, a group of people in Northcentral PA working to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic through education, outreach and mitigation.
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See the article here:
A week that changed one woman's mind about the COVID-19 vaccine - Williamsport Sun-Gazette
