Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Recent research indicates that COVID-19 vaccines offer moderate protection against long COVID in children, with greater effectiveness observed in adolescents.

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, reduces the risk of serious acute illness in children and adolescents. However, its role in protecting against persistent health problems in the months after COVID-19, or long COVID, was less clear.

Now, researchers from 17 health systems in the U.S., in work led by investigators at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), have found that vaccination provides moderate protection against long COVID. Vaccination also has a stronger effect in adolescents, who have a higher risk of developing long COVID than young children.

The findings of the large retrospective study, based on electronic health records analyzed as part of the National Institutes of Healths Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, were published today (January 16) in the journal Pediatrics.

While overall severity of COVID-19 has been lower in children than adults, the burden of long COVID has been difficult to accurately describe since the symptoms can vary widely and the exact ways the virus causes them are unknown. Some symptoms include brain fog, dyspnea, gastrointestinal dysfunction, generalized pain and fatigue, while others are more acute, like inflammatory reaction or heart problems.

To date, no studies have assessed clinical data for large, diverse groups of children to address this important question, said lead study author Hanieh Razzaghi, PhD, MPH, Director of Analytics in the PEDSnet and RECOVER/PCORnet EHR Coordinating Centers in the Applied Clinical Research Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Using clinical data from across health care networks allowed us to have a large enough sample of patients to identify rare effects of the virus and its impact on children.

The researchers analyzed results from a large-scale collaboration of health systems from PCORnet as part of the National Institutes of Healths Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, which was created to learn about the long-term effects of COVID-19. Data from 17 health systems were used to assess vaccine effectiveness against long COVID in two groups of patients between 5 and 11 years old and 12 and 17 years old, respectively, as well as the time period in which patients were impacted. The vaccination rate was 56% in the cohort of 1,037,936 children.

The incidence of probable long COVID was 4.5% among patients with COVID-19, though only 0.7% of patients were clinically diagnosed with long COVID. The study estimated effectiveness of the vaccine within 12 months of administration as 35.4% against probable long COVID and 41.7% against diagnosed long COVID. The estimate was higher in adolescents compared with younger children (50.3% vs. 23.8%), and higher at six months (61.4%) but decreased to 10.6% at 18 months. Children who were vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19 also appeared to benefit, with vaccine effectiveness of 46% against probable long COVID after a subsequent episode of COVID-19.

This study provides us with important data showing the protective effects of the vaccine against long-haul COVID and suggests that this protection is mostly from preventing visible infections. We hope this means that as vaccines are improved to be more effective against current strains of SARS-CoV-2, their protection against long COVID will get better, too, said senior study author Charles Bailey, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and co-principal investigator for the PEDSnet and RECOVER/PCORnet EHR Coordinating Centers in the Applied Clinical Research Center at CHOP.

These retrospective data provide guidance for additional research into the ways long COVID develops, and how we can better protect children and adolescents, Bailey concludes.

Reference: Vaccine Effectiveness Against Long COVID in Children by Hanieh Razzaghi, PhD, MPH; Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD; Kathryn Hirabayashi, MPH; Qiong Wu, PhD; Andrea Allen, MS; Suchitra Rao, MBBS, MSCS; Yong Chen, PhD; H. Timothy Bunnell, PhD; Elizabeth A. Chrischilles, PhD; Lindsay G. Cowell, PhD, MS; Mollie R. Cummins, PhD, RN; David A. Hanauer, MD, MS; Miranda Higginbotham, MSHA; Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MStat, MPH; Carol R. Horowitz, MD, MPH; Ravi Jhaveri, MD; Susan Kim, MD, MMSc; Aaron Mishkin, MD; Jennifer A. Muszynski, MD, MPH; Susanna Naggie, MD; Nathan M. Pajor, MD, MS; Anuradha Paranjape, MD, MPH; Hayden T. Schwenk, MD, MPH; Marion R. Sills, MD, MPH; Yacob G. Tedla, PhD; David A. Williams, PhD; Charles Bailey, MD, PhD on behalf of the RECOVER Consortium, 16 January 2024, Pediatrics. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-064446

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Agreement OT2HL161847-01 as part of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) program of research.

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Shots of Hope: COVID-19 Vaccine Reduces Long COVID in Children - SciTechDaily

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment | Image Credit: adipurnatama - adipurnatama - stock.adobe.com.

The increase in COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant people has brought on safety concerns for the unborn child and questions of neurodevelopment. Results of a prospective cohort study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggest that in utero vaccination was safe for the infant regarding neurodevelopment up to 18 months of age.

Pregnant individuals were excluded from early, large-scale clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines, leaving questions about the impact from vaccine exposure that the offspring could face.

Ranging genetic and environmental factors could underline neurodevelopmental disorders, with fetal exposure to maternal inflammation presenting a potential source for risk.

For example, the authors wrote. In utero exposures to other infections including influenza and rubella have been linked to subsequent increases in lifelong neurodevelopmental and psychiatric impairments including autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression."

To determine if in utero exposure to maternal COVID-19 vaccination was associated with risk for neurodevelopmental impairment in 12- and 18-month-old infants, investigators designed the prospective cohort Assessing the Safety of Pregnancy During the Coronavirus Pandemic (ASPIRE) study.

From May 2020 to August 2021, the study enrolled pregnant people aged 18 years and older at 10 weeks gestation or less. Completing study activities remotely, participants were followed up through pregnancy and for up to 2 years postpartum.

Completion of the baseline demographics questionnaire, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (3rd edition [ASQ-3]) at 12 and 18 months postpartum, and of the vaccine history questionnaire (monthly) were inclusion criteria.

An abnormal screen on the ASQ-3, which would indicate risk for developmental delay, was the primary outcome of the study. The investigators established that, An abnormal screen was defined as falling below the established threshold score (<2 SDs below the normative data average) on any of 5 subdomains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and social skills.

The ASQ-3 featured 30 questions to indicate the frequency in which their child performed expected milestones, as scores ranged from 0 to 60 (worst to best, respectively). According to authors, the screener is valid, reliable, and ubiquitous in clinical and research settings, with sensitivity of 86%, specificity 85%,and positive and negative predictive values of 54% and 78%, respectively.

Vaccination for COVID-19 during pregnancy was the primary exposure, which was indicated by self-report and confirmed by investigators using dates of vaccinations compared to estimated dates of conception and delivery. Any dose of a vaccine series qualified as exposure, with the majority being messenger RNA vaccines.

In all, 2487 pregnant individuals were enrolled at less than 10 weeks gestation. With completed research activities, a total of 2261 aged 12 months and 1940 aged 18 months with neurodevelopmental assessments were included.

At 12 months, the prevalence of abnormal screens for developmental delay (ASQ-3 scores below established cutoff on at least 1 domain) was 30.6% among exposed. The prevalence of abnormal screens for unexposed at 12 months was 23.2% (2= 2.35;P=.13).

No differences were observed in risk of abnormal screen on the ASQ-3 after in utero exposure to vaccination at 12 or 18 months after adjusting for baseline race, ethnicity, maternal age, education, household income, depression, and anxiety (12 months: aRR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.97-1.33; 18 months: aRR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.72-1.07).

Without regard to exposure status, investigators observed more abnormal screens for developmental delay among male infants at 12 and 18 months of age compared to female infants, respectively (12 months: 325 of 980 [33.2%] vs 278 of 984 [28.3%]; 2= 5.57;P=.02; 18 months: 210 of 872 [24.1%] vs 161 of 836 [19.3%]; 2= 5.84;P=.02).

For female infants, a divergent pattern was demonstrated, as at 12 months, there was no difference in risk of abnormal ASQ-3 screen among exposed vs unexposed (aRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.81-1.30), though a reduction of risk was observed for exposed female infants at age 18 months (aRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.51-0.93).

Findings from the cohort study suggest that, maternal vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy was safe from the perspective of offspring neurodevelopment through 18 months of age, the study authors concluded.

Reference:

Jaswa EG,Cedars MI,Lindquist KJ, et al. In utero exposure to maternal COVID-19 vaccination and offspring neurodevelopment at 12 and 18 months.JAMA Pediatr.Published online January 22, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.5743

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COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment - Contemporary Pediatrics

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Winter usually brings its share of runny noses, and this season has been no exception. What has long been known as cold and flu season now typically includes a surge of COVID-19. But just how big of a surge are we dealing with?

Its a harder question to answer in 2024 than it was in the pandemics early years, when laboratory-confirmed tests for COVID were common. A glance at Austin Public Healths COVID-19 surveillance dashboard shows low numbers of positive tests in recent months compared to earlier stages of the pandemic. But now that many folks use home tests, laboratory testing data paints a limited picture of COVID activity.

Heather Cooks-Sinclair, the epidemiology and disease surveillance unit manager at APH, said she now uses a patchwork of data sources to assess COVID trends.

[COVID] isnt the only disease for which we have a limited amount of data thats coming in; flu has been with us for years and years, Cooks-Sinclair said. We have to have a variety of different metrics that kind of give us a picture of what the overall thing is.

One metric Cooks-Sinclair says is valuable is something called the influenza-like illness rate, or ILI. ILI is the percentage of patients seen by local health care providers who present with a fever of 100 degrees or higher and cough or sore throat symptoms that could indicate flu, COVID or other respiratory illnesses. In the Austin-Round Rock area, ILI activity is high, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control & Prevention report from Jan. 13, but on a downward trend from late December.

Another important tool is wastewater data, which represents the concentration of COVID found in wastewater samples from various sites. As of Jan. 11, aggregated CDC data shows very high viral activity in wastewater in Texas and many other states. On Jan. 5, the CDC said wastewater activity was 27% higher than it was a year prior, making it the highest activity measured since the initial Omicron surge of early 2022. The most common variant detected now is JN.1, a descendent of the original Omicron variant.

However, there have been challenges over the past couple of months getting useful data from local wastewater collection sites in Travis County. After the CDC contracted with a new wastewater data provider last fall, there was a lag in Travis County data. Several wastewater testing sites run by Austin Water are now active again, but show conflicting trends from the past month.

Cooks-Sinclair said APH needs to see a longer data history before she will consider it reliable.

I would love to be able to say that I have really great wastewater data and to be able to provide you with trends and what they mean but thats just not what we have right now, she said.

From a public health perspective, Cooks-Sinclair said hospital admission rates are still one of the most valuable metrics. Currently, the CDC considers Travis County hospital admission rates to be low, although Cooks-Sinclair pointed out that rates are rising. And while the CDC notes that deaths associated with COVID have increased in recent weeks, it also reports that COVID hospitalizations and deaths are substantially lower year-over-year.

Regardless of what the data show at a nitty-gritty level, Cooks-Sinclair said her advice is the same as it is during any winter respiratory season.

Our message for flu season is you stay home if you're sick, you cover your cough, you wash your hands, you get vaccinated for both COVID and flu, she said.

Updated COVID vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were released last fall and remain available. In addition to lowering the risk of severe disease from COVID, research suggests that vaccinated individuals are less likely to develop long-term effects from the virus such as long COVID.

Cooks-Sinclair also recommends following CDC guidance for masking and isolating if you are exposed to COVID or test positive for the virus.

A limited number of free tests per household are available for order at USPS.com.

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It has gotten harder to measure COVID in Austin. Here's what to know for 2024. - KUT

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences have revealed that COVID-19 vaccines were effective in reducing the risk of long COVID symptoms.

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) and supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, offers valuable insights to better inform public health strategies and worldwide vaccination campaigns.

Published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the study extensively analysed primary care electronic health records from the UK, Spain and Estonia, involving data from more than 20 million vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

The team also identified cases of long COVID based on the World Health Organizations (WHO) specific criteria, particularly focusing on adults who were registered for around 180 days in each country.

According to WHO, long COVID is the continuation or development of new symptoms up to three months after the initial COVID-19 infection, with symptoms lasting for at least two months.

Affecting around one in ten people, persistent symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, exercise intolerance and cognitive dysfunction.

After testing eight different COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer/BioNTechs BNT162b2 vaccine and Oxford/AstraZenecas (AZ) ChAdOx1 vaccine, researchers were able to demonstrate how the vaccines prevented the development of persistent COVID symptoms, said Dr Annika Jodicke, senior pharmacoepidemiologist, University of Oxford.

Results from the study demonstrated a significant decrease in the occurrence of long COVID among vaccinated individuals in comparison to those who were unvaccinated.

Dr Marti Catala, senior data scientist, University of Oxford, explained: Our findings were consistent across the three countries and many different populations, emphasising the critical role that vaccination plays in protecting individuals from the long-term consequences of COVID-19.

Furthermore, after comparing different vaccinations, the team found that Pfizer/BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine provided better protection against long COVID in comparison to Oxford/AZs, added Jodicke.

The study was funded 19.6m by the NIHR through a call to research long COVID prevention and treatment in 2021.

Last November, WHO and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at Kings College London identified a Core Outcome Measure Set, to accelerate the understanding and development of treatments for long COVID with major global impacts.

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Study finds vaccination against COVID-19 reduces long COVID symptoms - PMLiVE

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal COVID-19 vaccination is associated with reduced frequency of neonatal respiratory distress (RD), according to a study published online Jan. 24 in Nature Communications.

Olivia M. Man, from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the association between maternal COVID-19 vaccination and neonatal RD using a longitudinal cohort of mother-infant pairs. The study included 221 mothers with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during pregnancy and 227 exposed fetuses.

The researchers found that SARS-CoV-2-exposed uninfected (SEU) infants had unusually high rates of RD (17 percent), with an odds ratio of 3.06 for RD in term neonates born to unvaccinated individuals compared with those born to individuals vaccinated before maternal infection. A robust inflammatory response associated with ciliary dysregulation and enhanced immunoglobulin E production was seen in a proteomic analysis among SEU infants with RD.

"Maternal vaccination against COVID-19 reduced maternal disease severity and the frequency of neonatal RD. Pregnant persons should be encouraged to receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, regardless of history of prior COVID-19 infection," the authors write. "More research is needed to understand the impact of maternal COVID-19 vaccination on long-term infant health and development, including chronic pulmonary conditions."

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Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination May Reduce Neonatal Respiratory Distress - HealthDay

A new paper in the journalJAMA Neurology examines whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines cause or exacerbate autoimmune and neurological diseases.

Study:SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Neuroimmunological Disease: A Review. Image Credit:Tirachard Kumtanom/ Shutterstock.com

The COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020 and was subsequently accompanied by restrictions on public interactions and travel in an attempt to limit the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Many different vaccine platforms were developed to combat COVID-19, including adenovirus vector- and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based vaccines to introduce the viral spike protein, the primary immunogen, into the human body. The novelty of mRNA vaccines led to many concerns about the possibility of unforeseen neurological sequelae, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which is an acute autoimmune disease affecting multiple nerve roots causing sudden paralysis.

Most epidemiological studies have failed to provide evidence of the role of vaccines in neuroimmunological disease. Nevertheless, vaccine-associated immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT), characterized by cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, have been identified to be caused specifically by the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Janssen adenovirus vector COVID-19 vaccines. These rare side effects have been reported in up to 15 people for every one million after the first dose of an adenovirus vaccine.

The researchers used data from multiple international studies to examine the potential for a link between COVID-19 vaccines and the incidence of GBS. To this end, adenovirus vector vaccines were associated with an increased risk of GBS.

One United Kingdom study reported a three-times greater risk of admission or death from GBS following Oxford adenovirus vaccine administration. Moreover, the risk of developing GBS within one to 1.5 months of vaccination was increased to about 30 cases for every one million vaccination doses. Most cases occurred after the first dose.

This link was not observable with the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

The U.K. National Immunoglobulin Database/NHSE IVIG identified a maximum of 140 cases of GBS in excess of the expected number, peaking 24 days from the first dose of the Oxford vaccine. The excess risk was about 0.6 cases for every 100,000 vaccine doses. However, a prospective study covering many centers in the U.K. failed to identify any GBS cases post-vaccination.

German researchers showed a three to four-times rise in GBS cases with adenovirus vector vaccines. In France, there were six additional cases reported for every one million first doses of either adenoviral vaccines, all above 50 years of age, and including only hospitalized cases.

Small studies conducted in the United States suggest an increase in GBS rates by over 30 times. Comparatively, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) identified an increase in incidence by 6.4 cases for every 100,000, with another study indicating an increase in GBS risk by 3.8 times.

Only one study, a large population-based cohort study from Mexico, showed a link between the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and GBS incidence, which was increased two-fold at 1.9 cases for every 100,000 doses as compared to 3.9 cases for the Oxford vaccine.

India reported an increase of up to tenfold between mid-March to mid-April 2021 in three districts of Kerala; however, the study size was small as compared to the overall vaccinated population. Another report suggested a three- to four-fold rise in GBS incidence with adenovirus vaccines as compared to mRNA vaccines after the first dose.

A potential association between mRNA vaccines and Bells palsy has been reported. This potential increased risk was initially reported during phase III clinical trials, during which the risk was found to be equivalent to that following the administration of other vaccines.

Other illnesses affecting the nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or demyelinating disease of the brain or spinal cord, have not been associated with these vaccines.

It is possible that vaccination may rarely trigger a relapse or worsen symptoms or first presentation in already-diagnosed or susceptible individuals.

Current evidence indicates that there is a small increased risk of GBS following adenovirus vaccination against COVID-19. It is difficult to identify the putative autoimmune trigger; however, the spike protein does not appear to be responsible.

Mouse models have not shown autoimmunity induced by repeated injections of the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Thus, some other component in the adenovirus vaccine may be responsible for this autoimmune response.

Further investigation is essential to understand whether adenovirus vaccines lead to specific T-cell receptor and antibody responses in GBS cases as compared to other individuals who receive the adenovirus vaccine.

Considering the small associations observed between the COVID-19 vaccines, GBS, and Bells palsy, there is no reason to modify current vaccination recommendations or change guidelines for vaccinating those with pre-existing neurological disease due to autoimmune causes.

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Study shows slight increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome risk with adenovirus COVID vaccines - News-Medical.Net

A study of six US cities found a high prevalence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in transgender women (TGW), particularly those with HIV, researchers reported today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Using baseline data from the Leading Innovation for Transgender Women's Health and Empowerment study, which examined HIV incidence and other health outcomes in TGW in six southeastern and eastern US cities (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Miami, New York, and Washington, DC), a team led by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed bacterial STI test results from 1,018 participants. The primary outcome was the prevalence of at least one bacterial STI (gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis) at any anatomic site.

The median age of participants was 29 years, 29% were Black, 27% were Hispanic, and 27% had HIV. The overall prevalence of any bacterial STI was 16% but was threefold higher in TGW with HIV (32% vs 11% among those without HIV). After adjustments for age, race and ethnicity, and region, HIV infection remained significantly associated with any bacterial STI (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 2.62).

Among TGW without HIV, bacterial STI prevalence differed by geographic region, race and ethnicity, and gender identity, and was positively associated with reporting more than 1 sexual partner, hazardous alcohol use, homelessness, having safety concerns regarding transit to healthcare, and no prior receipt of gender-affirming health services. Among TGW with HIV, older age was inversely associated with bacterial STI.

...the variation in bacterial STI prevalence and correlates seen between TGW with and without HIV highlights the differential burden and needs of these two populations

The study authors say the findings underscore the need to develop interventions that are tailored to the unique needs and risks of each population.

"Although participants with and without HIV had a high prevalence of bacterial STIs, the variation in bacterial STI prevalence and correlates seen between TGW with and without HIV highlights the differential burden and needs of these two populations," they wrote. "Elucidating the ways in which situated vulnerabilities are associated with STI risk may help inform more tailored intervention strategies for each population."

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Experts estimate 1.4 million lives saved by COVID vaccines in Europe through March 2023 - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Vaccinations are one of the most important public health efforts for preventing serious illness, avoiding hospitalizations and saving lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine technology made a huge leap forward with the introduction of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines developed by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA instead of weakened viruses or virus fragments to teach the bodys immune system how to respond when presented with an infection.

Innovation in the vaccine area continues. In 2023, the FDA approved six vaccines, including several important firsts. (See list below.)

In the area of respiratory diseases, the first two vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were approved for older adults and a separate vaccine was approved to prevent RSV infections in infants. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can lead to serious respiratory illness and increased hospitalizations. It results in 14,000 deaths annually among those over the age 65 and about 58,000 hospitalizations of infant younger than 1, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. GSKs Arexvy, approved for adults in early May 2023, is an adjuvanted vaccine, which means it contains an ingredient to increase immune response. The second adult vaccine was approved a few weeks later. Pfizers Abrysvo is a bivalent RSV prefusion F (preF) vaccine that is composed of two preF proteins selected to optimize protection against RSV A and B strains.The FDA also approved Abrysvo to prevent RSV in infants.

Separately, the FDA approved Sanofi and AstraZenecas Beyfortus (nirsevimab-alip), which prevents RSV in newborns and infants. Beyfortus is the first monoclonal antibody to protect infants through their first RSV season. Although designed to prevent disease like a vaccine, it is not a vaccine because it does not stimulate the immune system.

The FDA also granted accelerated approval in November 2023 to Ixchiq, the first vaccine to prevent the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya. It was approved for use in adults aged 18 years and older. Infection with chikungunya virus can lead to severe disease and prolonged health problems, particularly for older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions.

It is administered as a single dose injected intramuscularly. The manufacturer, Valneva, has begun a phase 2 trial of the vaccine in children one to seven years of age. Once available, the phase 2 pediatric data are intended to support a phase 3 pivotal study in children to extend the label. A clinical study in adolescents is also ongoing in Brazil.

This year the FDA could approve additional vaccines, including the first self-administered flu vaccine. AstraZenecas has submitted a supplemental biologics license application (sBLA) for a self-administered option for FluMist Quadrivalent, which is a needle-free nasal spray. Researchers said this would provide another option for flu vaccination and potentially increase access and use of flu vaccine,The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date for a regulatory decision during the first quarter of 2024. If approved, Astra Zeneca has said it to be available for the 2024-2025 flu season.

Regulators are also currently reviewing Mercks BLA for a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine specifically designed to help prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. The vaccine was developed using the serotypes responsible for about 80% of pneumococcal disease in those over the age of 65. The PDUFDA action date is June 17, 2024.

Even though advances have been made in the area of vaccines, the question remains whether people in the United States and elsewhere will accept and get these vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy, which ranges from misgiving to outright resistance, took hold during the COVID-19 pandemic because of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, and it has shown staying power. The proportion of U.S. adults who have received COVID-19 vaccines, flu and RSV remains low, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just 21.4% of adults over the age of 18 have received the COVD-19 vaccine, while 41.5% have gotten a flu vaccine.

Vaccine hesitancy is not just about COVID-19 vaccines. Cases of measles have surged in the Washington, D.C., area, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Washington state, partly because children have not been vaccinated.

In a recent study, researchers from University of Colorado School of Medicine found while the COVID-19 pandemic did not overall impact parent vaccine hesitancy, some misinformation about COVID-19 may be impacting parental trust in childhood vaccines.

In a survey by researchers from University of Michigan School of Public Health found that some parents (12%) believe that childhood vaccines are less important compared with before the pandemic and that some (13%) believe that childhood vaccines are less effective now. They also found that negative beliefs about childhood vaccines were clustered in places with low COVID-19 vaccination rates.

In a another study, researchers from University of Colorado School of Medicine found that misinformation about COVID-19 may be impacting parental trust in childhood vaccines.

Vaccine Approvals in 2023

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Important Vaccines Approved in 2023. More on the Way in 2024. But Vaccine Hesitancy Persists - Managed Healthcare Executive

In Bermuda, the government is celebrating the triumph of its coronavirus (COVID-19) and influenza vaccination campaign as slots for vaccinations were swiftly booked up after their release last week.

The Ministry of Health received a substantial allocation of vaccines, including 5,760 adult doses and 2,880 pediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This ample supply has allowed for a robust vaccination drive, ensuring that a large portion of the population can be covered.

Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, expressed her satisfaction with the campaigns success.

She acknowledged the extraordinary demand for vaccinations and extended her gratitude to the dedicated team at the Hamilton Health Clinic for their tireless efforts in accommodating all those who sought vaccination opportunities.

Minister Wilson revealed that the Department of Health is actively working to open up additional appointment slots, further increasing accessibility to the vaccines for the community.

During his recent visit to the Hamilton Health Clinic, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shaun Ramroop, praised the clinics operational efficiency.

He shared that the clinic vaccinated over 200 individuals by 1 pm, exceeding the number of scheduled appointments.

He commended the team for their outstanding performance.

The COVID-19 vaccine is available free of charge to residents, with priority given to those at an increased risk of severe illness.

In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine, the influenza vaccine is also being offered. Individuals aged 65 and older can receive it for free, while those aged 12 to 64 may obtain it for a nominal fee of $20.

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Vaccination campaign in Bermuda sees high demand for COVID-19, influenza vaccine - caribbeannationalweekly.com

COVID-19 vaccination showed a moderate protective effect against long COVID in children, new research published in the journal Pediatrics found.1 The study also found the effect was stronger in adolescents, who are typically at a higher risk for the condition.

Long COVID impacts roughly 1 in 5 adults and includes symptoms such as muscle pain, memory loss, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating. While not as much is known about long COVID in children and adolescents, research has found that around 4% of children experience lingering symptoms.2 Vaccination is known to have a positive impact on long COVID in adults, but there has so far been little data in children and adolescents.

To date, no studies have assessed clinical data for large, diverse groups of children to address this important question, Hanieh Razzaghi, lead author on the study, said in a release.3 Using clinical data from across health care networks allowed us to have a large enough sample of patients to identify rare effects of the virus and its impact on children.

Investigators from the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, in collaboration with 17 other health systems throughout the United States, conducted a retrospective cohort study to estimate vaccine effectiveness against long COVID in children ages 5 to 17 years. Data was gathered from the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record program, a collection of data aiming to generate evidence around long COVID in adults and children.

The study cohort included 1037936 children and adolescents, with 480489 in the 5 to 11 year old group and 719519 in the 12 to 17 year old group. The main study outcomes were diagnosed or probable long COVID. Diagnosed long COVID was defined as 2 or more visits with diagnosis codes specific for long COVID, while probable long COVID was defined as 1 diagnosis code.

The vaccination rate amongst the entire cohort was 56%. Investigators found the incidence of diagnosed long COVID among patients with COVID-19 was 0.7% and probable long COVID was 4.5%. Within a 12-month time frame, adjusted vaccine effectiveness against diagnosed long and probable long COVID was 41.7% and 35.4%, respectively.

Vaccine effectiveness was demonstrated to be 61.4% at 6 months, but decreased to 10.6% at 18 months. Additionally, vaccine effectiveness was higher among adolescents at 50.3% compared to children at 23.8%.

This study provides us with important data showing the protective effects of the vaccine against long-haul COVID and suggests that this protection is mostly from preventing visible infections, Charles Bailey, senior author on the study, said in a release.3We hope this means that as vaccines are improved to be more effective against current strains of SARS-CoV-2, their protection against long COVID will get better, too.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Effective at Preventing Long COVID in Children, Adolescents - Drug Topics