Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Governments and religious leaders in Muslim-majority nations are talking to vaccine makers, investigating production processes and issuing guidance in an effort to make sure concerns about products prohibited by Islam dont interfere with Covid-19 inoculations.

On Friday, the high clerical council in Indonesia, with the worlds largest Muslim population, said that Chinas Sinovac vaccine is allowed by Islam, or halal. The decision came after council representatives visited Sinovacs factory in China last year and conducted a halal audit.

Part of the challenge of rolling out vaccines world-wide will be persuading enough people to take them to reach herd immunity. In many countries, Muslim and non-Muslim, the efforts must overcome safety concerns, suspicions and conspiracy theories, as well as religious and ethical objections.

Gelatin taken from pigs and cells created using tissue from human fetuses, which are both common in vaccine production, arent halal, Muslim scholars say.

Acceptance of vaccinations before the coronavirus pandemic varied widely among Muslim countries, with high trust in countries like Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, according to a study of opinion in 149 countries published in September 2020 in the Lancet medical journal. It found that of the 10 countries with the most marked drop in confidence in vaccines over the four years through 2019, seven were predominantly Muslim: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan. The other three were Japan, Georgia and Serbia.

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Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts in Muslim Nations Try to Overcome Halal Concerns - The Wall Street Journal

CLEVELAND (WJW) The first healthcare workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccination are getting their second doses.

Today makes a big difference, Cleveland VA nurse Fidelis Uzomah, who FOX 8 has followed through the vaccination process, told reporter Matt Wright earlier this week.

Uzomah said he was energized and elated.

I feel good! he said.

Wednesday, he received a second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine three weeks after his first, and he said hes had no side effects.

When I had the flu shot I had a little fever, he said. With this, I have no reaction so far.

Uzomah is among about 3,000 Cleveland VA workers and patients vaccinated through Wednesday, according to vaccine coordinator Brett Carroll.

So far, its been going pretty well for us, Carroll said, adding that the VA is pleased with the number of caregivers vaccinated.

Carroll said almost all VA healthcare workers who wanted to receive the vaccine have, totaling about 55% so far.

Weve had folks who have not wanted to receive it, Carroll said. Initially, when we first started, we had people that on Day 1 said no and the next week were asking if they could get scheduled. We continue to see that number grow.

He said the VA plans to start vaccinating more patients at a new clinic in Akron Monday.

I feel far more protected knowing I have this, [it] is like armor of protection around me, Uzomah said. I can do more to help the patients, residents, my colleagues.

The VA said it will proactively contact veterans enrolled in VA healthcare to schedule an appointment based on priority group.

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Cleveland healthcare workers receiving second doses of COVID-19 vaccine - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

The inoculations were administered by a household doctor at Windsor Castle, a royal source said.

To prevent inaccuracies and further speculation, Her Majesty, who 94, decided that she would let it be known that she has had the vaccination, the source added. Her husband is 99 years old.

The UK has recorded more than 3 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 80,000 deaths, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University on Saturday.

The UK reported 1,325 coronavirus-related fatalities on Friday -- its highest ever daily increase in deaths.

In the capital, London's mayor declared a "major incident" on Friday, warning that hospitals in the city were close to being overrun.

"The situation in London is now critical with the spread of the virus out of control," Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement.

"The number of cases in London has increased rapidly with more than a third more patients being treated in our hospitals now compared to the peak of the pandemic last April.

"We are declaring a major incident because the threat this virus poses to our city is at crisis point," Khan added. "If we do not take immediate action now, our [National Health Service] could be overwhelmed and more people will die."

CNN's Zamira Rahim and Amy Woodyatt contributed reporting.

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Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh receive Covid-19 vaccine - CNN

If a clinic has a no-show for a vaccine appointment that extra dose cannot be saved for the following day. Doses expire quickly after they're thawed.

SEATTLE While only 24% of the state's COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, were hearing some clinics are put in a tough spot with thawed vaccines and tight timelines.

The Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) said its not happening often, but in some cases, doses are being thrown out.

A tip was sent into KING 5 by an employee at a MultiCare facility.

They did not want to be part of the story, but said some doses of the vaccine were being thrown away at the end of the shifts because state guidelines made it hard to give doses to people who dont meet the 1A criteria.

Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer said if this happens, its only a few doses at a time.

If youre doing 500, 700 doses a day, to end up at the end of the day with three leftovers, you know, wed like there to be zero but thats a hard ratio to hit, Sauer said.

It has to do with the strict guidelines for storing COVID-19 vaccines to keep them effective. For example, each vial of the Moderna vaccines has 10 doses in it. If somebody doesnt show up for a scheduled appointment to get the vaccine, the clinic is left with an extra dose. And that dose cannot be saved for the following day because it expires quickly after its thawed.

Throwing vaccines away is terrible, giving someone an ineffective vaccine is worse. So, were trying to avoid all these problems, Sauer explained. We sought guidance from the Department of Health early on to say, 'What do you do in this circumstance?' And their guidance is to make every attempt not to waste a dose.

The governor recently expanded the states phase 1A of vaccine allocation. This has helped in preventing more doses from going to waste, Sauer said.

Before the governor expanded 1A we were interpreting that to mean, go to the engineering department, youve got three doses left, go to your engineering department and say, three of you come here now, we can vaccinate you right this minute. It also might mean finding patients who are in the 1B category.

The Department of Health sent this statement to KING 5 regarding the vaccine doses and ways to make sure they do not go to waste.

"We've seen a few cases of vaccine excursion, usually with it being out of temperature range. In those cases, they are referred to Moderna or Pfizer, and the manufacturer lets them know viability. There have also been a few cases when people didnt know to what to do with extra vaccine who to give vaccine to if they cant find a 1A person. Providers in that situation are asked to make a clinical judgment about who should receive the vaccine. One reason DOH expanded Phase 1A to add tier 2 was so that those who have vaccinated their tier 1 employees can begin vaccinating in tier 2."

MultiCare provided this statement to KING 5:

Every effort is made to ensure all doses are given and nothing is wasted from our vaccine allotment from the state. We minimize any vaccine waste by monitoring vaccine supplies against appointments scheduled, transferring doses to other sites as appropriate, and will be rolling out an on-call list to be utilized for any remaining open doses near the end of a clinics hours. We have been proud of the hard work and creative thinking our employees from nursing to logistics to information technology and more have shown as we undertake vaccine administration at this scale. We will no doubt have learnings along the way and need to make quick adjustments as we have throughout this pandemic but as a community health partner we are committed to doing the hard work to make as many vaccines available for our community as quickly and safely as possible.

I think to continue to have a backup list is probably the best plan, Sauer said, Were focusing on the big numbers to make sure that it all gets used. So, were making sure that 500 doses of Pfizer don't end up in the trash because theyre expired.

WSHA is working to facilitate the transfer of large amounts of vaccines from facilities that are having trouble administering them to other facilities that can administer them quickly, so they dont expire.

Were really concerned about making sure were moving any vaccine that is on the brink of, not even on the brink of expiration. We want to know two weeks in advance of when it could expire so what we can get that moved and get it used, she said.

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Some doses of COVID-19 vaccine going to waste in Washington, but officials say not many - KING5.com

WHOs Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE)has issued its policy recommendations for the rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

According to SAGE, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is safe and effective. Nevertheless, there are specific populations for whom vaccination is not recommended, either due to contraindications, lack of supply, or limited data. These populations currently include people with a history of severe allergies, most pregnant women, international travellers who are not part of a prioritized group, and children under 16.

The priority is to start vaccinating health workers at high risk of exposure, followed by older adults, before immunizing the rest of the population.

People with allergies

People with a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine should not take it.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Pregnant women are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 than non-pregnant women, and COVID-19 has been associated with an increased risk of pre-term birth.

However due to insufficient data, WHO does not recommend the vaccination of pregnant women at this time.

In case a pregnant woman has an unavoidable risk high of exposure (e.g. a health worker), vaccination may be considered in discussion with their healthcare provider.

It is recommended to avoid pregnancy for 2 to 3 months post-vaccination.

If a breastfeeding woman is part of a group (e.g. health workers) recommended for vaccination, vaccination can be offered. WHO does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding after vaccination.

Children

The vaccine has only been tested in children above 16 years of age.

Therefore, at this time, WHO does not recommend vaccination of children below 16 years of age, even if they belong to a high-risk group.

People with known medical conditions

The vaccine has been found to be safe and effective in people with various conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe disease.

This includes hypertension, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary, liver or kidney disease, as well as chronic infections that are stable and controlled.

Further studies are required for the impacts on immune-compromised persons. The interim recommendation is that immune-compromised persons who are part of a group recommended for vaccination may be vaccinated, though when possible, not before receiving information and counselling.

Persons living with HIV are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. Limited safety data exists on HIV-infected persons with well controlled disease from the clinical trials. Known HIV-positive vaccine recipients should be informed, and when possible, counselled in relation to the available data.

People who have or had COVID-19 already

Vaccination can be offered to people who have had COVID-19 in the past.

But given the limited vaccine supply, individuals may wish to defer their own COVID-19 vaccination for up to 6 months from the time of SARS-CoV-2 infection. As more data becomes available on duration of immunity after infection, this time period may be adjusted.

Testing for prior infection is not recommended for the purpose of vaccine decision-making.

Travellers

At present, WHO does not support the introduction of requirements for proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travelers as a condition for exiting or entering a country or for travelling internationally. See WHOs interim guidance on international travel during the pandemic.

Dosage

A protective effect starts to develop 12 days after the first dose, but full protection requires two doses which WHO recommends be administered with a 21 to 28-day interval. Additional research is needed to understand longer-term potential protection after a single dose.

Vaccines will not end COVID-19 alone

Safe and effective vaccines will be a gamechanger: but for the foreseeable future we must continue to wear masks, physically distance, avoid crowds and apply other health measures. Being vaccinated doesn't mean that we can throw caution to the wind and put ourselves and others at risk, particularly because it is still not clear the degree to which the vaccines can protect not only against disease but also against infection and transmission.

What about other vaccines being developed to fight COVID-19

WHO does not usually make vaccine specific recommendations, issuing instead one recommendation that covers all vaccines for a given disease, unless the evidence suggests a different approach is required.

Due to the large variety of COVID-19 vaccines based on very different platform technologies, WHO is looking at vaccines as they are authorized by highly competent national regulatory authorities and that are available in sufficient supply to address the needs of many countries.

WHO has no preferred product, and the variety of products, including their specific attributes and handling requirements, allow for countries to find the products that are most suitable for their circumstances.

WHOs SAGE is expected to review other vaccines in the coming months.

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Who can take the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine? - World Health Organization

Launched at the beginning of the pandemic, PFC is a local nonprofit made up of volunteers, engineers, and scientists. The organization started making PPE for health care workers, which led to a partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to provide free, COVID-19 testing now available at four city clinics.

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How to sign up for a Philly COVID-19 vaccine alert that will tell you its your turn - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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What are the COVID-19 vaccine phases or groups in Texas? - KXAN.com

Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen said 500,000 people have already been prioritized in group 1a.

PORTLAND, Ore. Gov. Kate Brown and the director of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Patrick Allen, defended the states slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout to reporters Friday and said things will improve.

"OHA is working with health care providers, pharmacies, and local public health partners to make steady progress toward achieving our goal of 12,000 vaccines administered per day," said Brown.

According to federal and state data, Oregon is still one of the slowest states when it comes to the percentage of vaccines used. Brown and Allen said the process is going too slowly.

OHA is working with health care providers, pharmacies, and local public health partners to achieve that goal," Brown said. "For example, hospitals like OHSU, have stepped up to help vaccinate harder-to-reach front-line workers, such as our home health care workers, behavioral health and other local providers, and first responders."

500,000 healthcare workers in Oregons 1a category are first in line to get vaccinated. Brown said teachers will make up part of the group 1b.

Allen was asked in Fridays news conference about Oregons 27-member COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee. The committee will help the state decide on who else will be in group 1b.

The committee, made of people from marginalized and underrepresented communities, met for the first time on Thursday. It took an hour and a half to introduce themselves and no decisions were made on the status of who to officially include in the rest of groups 1b or 1c.

Allen was asked during the news conference why the committee didnt meet until now.

Weve already prioritized half a million Oregonians that were working our way through now in phase 1a and then moving on through education and early learning employees," he said. "Information about the vaccines at a detailed level has been in serious flux. We elected to do the advisory committee a little later so it could do its work based on better information."

Oregon Health Authority spokesman Jonathan Modie said in an email to KGW, in part:

"We need the input of these committee members to help us identify and properly communicate with communities they servecommunities that have been so hard hit by this pandemic and have sadly carried the burden of disease and death from COVID-19. We cannot and should not do that on our ownwe are not the experts on those communities; our community partners serving on the committee are, and thats why weve asked them for this commitment to be a part of the VAC."

Allen said the committee will recommend the rest of the priority groups by the end of January.

Do you have a story for Cristin? Email her atCallCristin@KGW.com.

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27-person committee to help decide who gets the COVID-19 vaccine next in Oregon - KGW.com

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a $7 million allocation toward creating high volume COVID-19 vaccination sites as well as mobile vaccination units.

Public Health officials in Seattle and King County estimate that it will be necessary to vaccinate at least 70 percent of all adults, or approximately 1.26 million people, to effectively control the virus and its spread.

To get this pandemic under control, 16,000 adults must be vaccinated every day for six months, said Constantine. Thats why we need everyone behind this effort.

Constantine said the county is moving to roll out the vaccination efforts despite a solid vaccine supply chain or federal funding due to the time sensitive nature of the pandemic. He said he expects the county to be reimbursed by either the state or federal government.

King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski emphasized the need to make the countywide vaccination process equitable, efficient and accessible. He explained that the goal was for people to not require appointments or documentation.

Dembowski encouraged cooperation and support for this vaccination effort from the private sector, explaining that vaccine infrastructure in the county has increasingly relied on private partners.

Patty Hayes, director of Public Health for Seattle and King County, said uninsured residents should be able to get the vaccine for free.

She said there will first be two high volume vaccination sites in South King County where the need for the vaccine is the greatest. It is currently unclear exactly where those sites will be and when they will be there, she said.

Hayes said the county is waiting on the expanded supply of the vaccine before ramping up efforts to vaccinate the population.

We see that light at the end of the tunnel, she said.

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King County to expand COVID-19 vaccination... - Kent Reporter

UKRAINE - 2020/11/24: In this photo illustration a medical syringe and a vial with fake coronavirus ... [+] vaccine seen in front of the Johnson & Johnson logo. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is expected to report interim data from the phase 3 trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate this month, providing insight into its safety and efficacy. The company has completed enrollment on the trial, with 45,000 people for the trial, below its initial target of 60,000, although this is unlikely to make a difference as higher rates of Coronavirus infections in the U.S. are likely to allow it to gather the data it needs with fewer volunteers. If all goes well, J&J could apply for emergency use approval from the U.S. FDA as early as February. Although J&J is at least two months behind Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) who have already started to roll out their vaccines, J&Js shot could be much sought after if it proves as safe and effective as rivals, considering that it likely requires only a single dose, unlike rival vaccines which require two shots to be given a few weeks apart.

Overall, the vaccine isnt expected to really move the needle for J&J financially, as it intends to sell the vaccine at cost through the pandemic. However, the vaccine should help the company rebuild its brand image after it faced setbacks amid lawsuits relating to contamination of its baby and other talc products. Secondly, the end of Covid-19 should bode well for diversified healthcare companies like Johnson and Johnson JNJ , as hospital visits and elective procedures rise. The focus could also shift back to the companys blockbuster drugs, including Stelara, Imbruvica, and Darzalex, which posted about 22% y-o-y growth over the first nine months of 2020.

See our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines.

[Updated 12/7/2020] Covid-19 Vaccine stocks

Johnson & Johnson is seen as a key player in the Covid-19 vaccine race. The company started phase 3 trials in September and expects to file for emergency approval by early 2021 if the vaccine is safe and effective. While rivals Pfizer PFE and Modernas vaccines will have a head start, given that they have completed phase 3 trials with exceptionally strong results and are likely to start shipping their vaccines in the coming weeks, Johnson & Johnsons candidate remains promising for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the company is targeting a single-dose regimen for the vaccine, unlike most of the other players which require two doses (although it also started a two-dose regimen to evaluate incremental benefits). This should make it much easier to administer at the time of a pandemic, putting less stress on the healthcare infrastructure. Secondly, the distribution could also be relatively seamless as the vaccine is expected to remain stable for at least three months at refrigerator-like temperatures, unlike some other vaccines (such as Pfizers) that need specialized freezers. The vaccine is also likely to be relatively affordable. Per a deal with the U.S. government, Johnson & Johnson has priced its vaccine at about $10 per dose. Thats well below Pfizers ($19 per dose) and Moderna ($25 to $37 per dose). Although the vaccine is unlikely to move the needle for the company in the near-term, as it will provide the shots for a not-for-profit basis through the pandemic, it could have an incremental impact post that.

See our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines.

[Updated 11/4/2020] Covid-19 Vaccine stocks

Our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines is up by about 560% year-to-date, on an equally weighted basis, compared to the S&P 500 which has gained just about 4% over the same period. While most vaccine stocks declined last week, amid a broader sell-off in the markets, they are likely to come back into the spotlight as efficacy data from late-stage trials is expected from frontrunners Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ NDAQ : MRNA) in the coming weeks. Below is a bit more on the companies in our theme of Coronavirus Vaccine stocks and their relative performance.

Novavax NVAX , a vaccine development company, began late-stage trials of its Covid vaccine in the U.K in September, and large-scale phase 3 trials are due to begin in the U.S. and Mexico this month. While the company doesnt have any other products on the market yet, its flu vaccine NanoFlu could be ready for potential FDA approval. The company has received about $1.6 billion in funding from the Federal government. The stock has soared 2,000% year-to-date.

NVAX

Moderna , a clinical-stage biotech company, is carrying out phase 3 trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, completing enrollment of 30,000 participants. The company is likely to have data on whether its vaccine works or not by this month, and has noted that it would seek emergency approval from the FDA if the vaccine is at least 70% effective. The stock is up 253% this year.

Johnson & Johnson: Unlike most other vaccine candidates, which are likely to require two shots, J&J is targeting a single-dose vaccine. While the company had to pause trials in mid-October after an illness was reported in a volunteer, the company is now preparing to resume trials. The stock is down by -5.1% this year.

Pfizer is working with German partner BioNTech on a Covid-19 vaccine. The company is likely to have efficacy data from late-stage trials available shortly. The company could supply about 40 million doses in the United States in 2020 if the data is positive and regulators approve the vaccine. The stock is down by about -7.6% this year.

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Excerpt from:

Whats Happening With Johnson & Johnsons Covid-19 Vaccine? - Forbes