Category: Vaccine

Key points:

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) continues to meet regularly to assess the implications of SARS-CoV-2 evolution for COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition and advise WHO on whether changes are needed to the antigen composition of future COVID-19 vaccines. In May 2023, the TAG-CO-VAC recommended the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. Several manufacturers (using mRNA and protein-based and viral vector vaccine platforms) have updated COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition to monovalent XBB.1.5 formulations which have been approved for use by regulatory authorities.

The TAG-CO-VAC reconvened on 4-5 December 2023 to review the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2, the performance of currently approved vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the implications for COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition. The twice-yearly evidence review by the TAG-CO-VAC is based on the need for continued monitoring of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the kinetics of vaccine-derived immunity.

The published and unpublished evidence reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC included: (1) SARS-CoV-2 evolution, including genetic and antigenic characteristics of earlier and current SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on cross-neutralization and cross-protection following vaccination and/or infection; (2) Vaccine effectiveness (VE) of currently approved vaccines during periods of XBB descendent lineage circulation; (3) Antigenic cartography analyzing antigenic relationships of SARS-CoV-2 variants using nave animal sera and human sera following vaccination and/or infection; (4) Preliminary immunogenicity data on the performance of currently approved vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants using animal and human sera; and (5) Cellular (T and B cell) immune responses following vaccination and/or infection. Further details on the publicly available data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC can be found in the accompanying data annex. Unpublished and/or confidential data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC are not shown.

The TAG-CO-VAC acknowledges several limitations of the available data:

Given the current SARS-CoV-2 evolution and the breadth in immune responses demonstrated by monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccines against circulating variants, the TAG-CO-VAC advises retaining the current COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition, i.e. a monovalent XBB.1.5 (e.g., hCoV-19/USA/RI-CDC-2-6647173/2022, GenBank: OQ054680.1, GISAID: EPI_ISL_16134259 or WHO Biohub: 2023-WHO-LS-01, GenBank: OQ983940, GISAID EPI_ISL_16760602) as the COVID-19 vaccine antigen.

Other formulations and/or platforms that achieve robust neutralizing antibody responses against currently circulating variants, including XBB- and BA.2.86 descendent lineages, can also be considered. In accordance with WHO SAGE policy, vaccination programmes can continue to use any of the WHO emergency-use listed or prequalified COVID-19 vaccines.

Given the limitations of the evidence upon which the recommendations above are derived and the anticipated continued evolution of the virus, the TAG-CO-VAC strongly encourages generation of the following data:

As previously stated, the TAG-CO-VAC continues to encourage the further development of vaccines that may improve protection against infection and reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

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Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines - World Health Organization

An investigational mRNA vaccine used along with immunotherapy continues to show benefit for people with high-risk forms of the skin cancer melanoma, the drugmakers said Thursday.Related video above: New vaccine shows potential for lung cancer treatmentAt a three-year follow-up with trial participants who had had a stage III or IV melanoma fully removed but were at high risk of the cancer coming back, those who got the vaccine from Moderna along with Merck's Keytruda immunotherapy had a 49% lower risk of recurrence or death and a 62% lower risk of distant tumor cell spread or death compared with those who got Keytruda alone, the companies said in a news release.A two-year follow-up had found a 44% lower risk of recurrence or death and a 65% lower risk of distant metastasis or death in people who got Keytruda and the vaccine, called mRNA-4157/V940, compared with those who got Keytruda alone.About a quarter of the trial participants who got Keytruda plus the vaccine reported serious adverse events related to the treatment, compared with about 20% for those who got only Keytruda. The most common side effects attributed to the vaccine were fatigue, pain at the injection site and chills.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Keytruda, which boosts the immune system's ability to detect and fight cancer cells, for the treatment of certain cancers in 2014. The agency has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to mRNA-4157/V940 combined with Keytruda. This status expedites the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and that preliminary clinical evidence indicates may be a substantial improvement over available therapies.The data from the Phase 2b trial of the therapies has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal. Moderna and Merck say they have begun Phase 3 trials on stage IIB-IV melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer, and they plan to expand the research to include further types of tumors.According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for about 1% of all skin cancers, but it causes a majority of skin cancer deaths. The group estimated that in 2023, about 100,000 new melanomas would be diagnosed in the U.S., and almost 8,000 people would die from melanoma.CNN's Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this report.

An investigational mRNA vaccine used along with immunotherapy continues to show benefit for people with high-risk forms of the skin cancer melanoma, the drugmakers said Thursday.

Related video above: New vaccine shows potential for lung cancer treatment

At a three-year follow-up with trial participants who had had a stage III or IV melanoma fully removed but were at high risk of the cancer coming back, those who got the vaccine from Moderna along with Merck's Keytruda immunotherapy had a 49% lower risk of recurrence or death and a 62% lower risk of distant tumor cell spread or death compared with those who got Keytruda alone, the companies said in a news release.

A two-year follow-up had found a 44% lower risk of recurrence or death and a 65% lower risk of distant metastasis or death in people who got Keytruda and the vaccine, called mRNA-4157/V940, compared with those who got Keytruda alone.

About a quarter of the trial participants who got Keytruda plus the vaccine reported serious adverse events related to the treatment, compared with about 20% for those who got only Keytruda. The most common side effects attributed to the vaccine were fatigue, pain at the injection site and chills.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Keytruda, which boosts the immune system's ability to detect and fight cancer cells, for the treatment of certain cancers in 2014. The agency has granted a breakthrough therapy designation to mRNA-4157/V940 combined with Keytruda. This status expedites the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and that preliminary clinical evidence indicates may be a substantial improvement over available therapies.

The data from the Phase 2b trial of the therapies has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal. Moderna and Merck say they have begun Phase 3 trials on stage IIB-IV melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer, and they plan to expand the research to include further types of tumors.

According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma accounts for about 1% of all skin cancers, but it causes a majority of skin cancer deaths. The group estimated that in 2023, about 100,000 new melanomas would be diagnosed in the U.S., and almost 8,000 people would die from melanoma.

CNN's Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this report.

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Experimental cancer vaccine shows benefits against melanoma - WESH 2 Orlando

(Bloomberg) -- A personalized vaccine developed by Merck & Co. and Moderna Inc. helped prevent the recurrence of severe skin cancer for three years in promising new results from a study.

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Patients with severe melanomas who got the vaccine and Mercks cancer drug Keytruda were 49% less likely to die or have their cancer return than those who got Keytruda alone, the companies said Thursday.

The findings are especially important for Moderna, the Covid shot-maker whose post-pandemic strategy involves developing new uses for its messenger RNA technology to fight flu, RSV and cancer. Last month, Moderna said it expected revenue to fall sharply in 2024 to a level well below analysts expectations, sparking concerns about the companys ability to pay for its ambitious product pipeline.

Read More: Merck-Moderna Vaccine Helps Keep Patients Free From Skin Cancer

Melanoma accounts for only about 1% of US skin cancers, but causes most of the annual deaths from the disease. Making the cancer vaccine involves analyzing the genetic sequence of each patients tumor to create a personalized therapy that teaches the immune system to recognize markers of the abnormal growth. In the mid-stage study, patients received the drugs after the tumors were surgically removed.

Moderna shares gained as much as 21% on Thursday when the US markets opened, their biggest increase in a year. The companys stock had lost more than half its value this year through Wednesdays close. Mercks shares were down about 1%.

The three-year results are similar to those seen after two years, when the risk of death or recurrence was 44% lower among those who got the drug-vaccine combination than those getting Keytruda alone. Side effects remained generally mild, such as fatigue, pain at the injection site and chills, they said.

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Weve now answered the one remaining scientific question: Is this benefit short-lived or is it going to be durable? Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in an interview.

In July, Moderna and Merck began a late-stage trial of the combined treatment in melanoma patients. Such a trial may be necessary to confirm the results, and could take three or four years, Hoge said, though regulators may help make the treatment available to patients sooner.

In an interview on Bloomberg TV, Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stphane Bancel said the companies want to talk to regulators about getting the skin cancer vaccine approved on a faster timeline. The cancer vaccine could launch as early as 2025, Bancel said in an interview with CNBC.

If you look at the next 24 months, its going to be very dense news flow, very dense product launches, he said.

Merck and Moderna are testing the combination in other cancers where Keytruda is already used. Earlier this week, the companies said they began a late-stage trial of the combination in lung cancer patients.

--With assistance from Fiona Rutherford.

(Updates with shares in fifth paragraph.)

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Merck-Moderna Vaccine Cuts Return of Skin Cancer by Half - Yahoo Finance

Using Tuesday to announce good newsthat its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen would be finalized on ThursdayPfizer sandwiched its bad news, which came on Wednesday with its 2024 guidance.

The company expects (PDF) revenue to reach between $58.5 billion and $61.5 billion next year, coming up short of the analyst consensus of $63.2 billion, largely because of the plummeting demand for its COVID-19 products.

With the update, Pfizers shares had fallen by 9% by mid-morning. Other COVID product manufacturers saw a slide as well. Shares for Pfizers vaccine partner BioNTech dropped by 5%, while the price for Modernas stock also fell by 5%.

The new figures for Pfizer continue a trend. This year, the company twice had to slash its revenue forecast for 2023, largely because it didnt foresee COVID-19 product demand falling so precipitously. In reporting its third-quarter revenue in October, Pfizer slashed its 2023 revenue forecast by a whopping $9 billion.

Pfizer now estimates combined sales of its COVID Comirnaty vaccine and Paxlovid pill to reach $8 billion in 2024. In 2022, the products combined for sales of $57 billion. This year, they are projected to reach $12.5 billion, Pfizer said in October.

Pfizer is deliberately shooting low on its COVID product estimate, even though CEO Albert Bourla said during a conference call on Wednesday that the company expects vaccination and treatment rates next year to match those of this year.

We want to be conservative and are giving a good floor, Bourla said. We want to be reliable so that we will not create again uncertainty, which was the case early this year when our estimates were way higher than in reality.

Pfizer also said that Seagen will contribute an estimated $3.1 billion to the top line in 2024. Propelled by its leadership in antibody-drug conjugate R&D, the Seattle biotech is rapidly growing, evidenced by its revenue figure in 2022 of $2.0 billion. The company stopped providing guidance this year, following its deal with Pfizer, which was revealed in March.

Pfizer also said that it is expanding its cost-realignment program, from $3.5 billion to $4 billion in 2024. CFO Dave Denton said that 70% of the program will impact R&D investment, while 30% will come from SIA (selling, information and administrative) costs.

Aside from its COVID products, Pfizer has in the past projected its non-COVID compound annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025 to be 6%. But Denton admitted that the figure would be very challenging to meet, given the 2024 guidance.

We still feel very strongly about the products that we have in the marketplace. They continue to grow nicely. Our launches continue to grow well, Denton said But I think that 6, excluding (business development), is a more aggressive target at this time given what has happened.

So far this year, Pfizer's share price has dropped by nearly 49%. The company's shares are now trading at a price lower than before the pandemic elevated Pfizer to a global biopharma star.

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Pfizer's 2024 revenue forecast triggers a drop in share price - FiercePharma

This story is part of Natures 10, an annual list compiled by Natures editors exploring key developments in science and the individuals who contributed to them.

In October, work and life collided for Halidou Tinto when his six-year-old daughter caught malaria. A director of clinical trials for malaria drugs and vaccines for more than a decade, Tinto knew how severe the disease could be. His daughter was hospitalized for four days with a fever, headaches and vomiting. She recovered, but it was really serious, he says.

Natures 10: read the 2023 list

That same month, a vaccine called R21 that he had been testing was recommended for use by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is only the second malaria vaccine to be approved and many think it could prevent millions of deaths in Africa, where the vast majority of malaria infections occur. Every year there are more than 200 million cases and 500,000 deaths on the continent, predominantly in children younger than 5 years old.

The institute that Tinto directs, the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) in Burkina Faso, is a key test site for R21, its predecessor RTS,S and several other drugs. Many scientists credit Tintos diligence for the institutes success.

Tinto earned a PhD at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, studying how malaria becomes resistant to various drugs. His adviser at the time, Umberto DAlessandro, a clinical epidemiologist now at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and based in Fajara, the Gambia, says that he has always been struck by both Tintos rigour as a scientist and his dedication. He truly wants to advance science and research in Africa, says DAlessandro.

Tinto had an opportunity to do a postdoc at a US university, but turned it down to return to Burkina Faso in 2006. There, he helped to establish the CRUN with local scientists and clinicians.

In 2007, pharmaceutical company GSK and its partners were gearing up to do late-stage clinical trials of RTS,S a vaccine that had been in development for years. For Tintos new clinic, with just ten employees, becoming part of the trial seemed like a long shot. They were surprised that we applied, he says, because there was no electricity, no cars, nothing. Nevertheless, Tinto convinced the coordinators that he could make it work.

He met with the king of the village, and together they persuaded the Burkina Faso government to connect Nanoro to the national grid. The CRUN produced data that helped to get RTS,S approved in Africa.

That vaccine has been associated with a significant reduction in child mortality. But GSK can produce only a few million doses a year. Even if Burkina Faso got one million of those, Tinto says, that would vaccinate only 250,000 children a year. We still have millions of children lagging behind, he says. Thats why people are excited about R21: the Serum Institute of India in Pune can currently produce 100 million doses a year. R21 should also be more affordable than RTS,S, and some researchers expect it to be more effective.

Tinto ran an influential early study of the vaccine, starting in 2019 (M. S. Datoo et al. Lancet 397, 18091818; 2021). He led the trial that really, to people in the field, showed that this vaccine was going to be different, says Adrian Hill, a vaccinologist at the University of Oxford, UK, who oversaw the development of R21.

The WHO has said that R21 will be available across Africa as early as mid-2024. Meanwhile, Tinto is working on more than 30 clinical trials, including two further malaria vaccines and more studies on R21.

CRUN has expanded beyond Nanoro, and now has more than 400 staff members and associates, including dozens of graduate students from all over Africa. DAlessandro, with whom Tinto still collaborates, says that it is a good example of how research can stimulate development in Africa. But what inspires Tinto the most is the opportunity to save lives. You cannot have really any other satisfaction beyond that; because life, for me, is the most important thing.

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Malaria fighter: this researcher paved the way for a game-changing vaccine - Nature.com

Topline

Most parents plan to get their children vaccinated against the flu and RSV, but less than half will seek out coronavirus vaccines, according to a new surveyas more parents than ever opt out of vaccinations and the updated Covid shots face weak demand.

A young boy gets a vaccine from his doctor.

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The study surveyed 5,035 parents across the country between September 27 and 28 about their intentions to vaccinate their children against the tripledemica simultaneous rise in Covid, flu and RSV cases that has caused hospitals to become overwhelmed.

Around 41% of parents intended to get their children vaccinated against Covid, 63% against the flu and 71% against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to the study published in Vaccine.

Trust in health institutions, concerns about the disease and good outcomes with previous vaccines were the top reasons parents planned to vaccinate their children.

Some of the main concerns cited by parents who said they wouldnt vaccinate their kids include worries about side effects, vaccine efficacy and safety, hesitancy because the kid already had the disease and belief their kids dont need to be vaccinated.

Almost 8% of children in the U.S. have an updated Covid vaccine, and about 42% of kids have received an updated flu vaccine, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data on RSV vaccination rates in children is not yet available, but a shortage of infant RSV shots due to high demand and a hefty out-of-pocket cost of $500 has made it difficult for kids to get vaccinated.

More parents than ever before are opting out of childhood vaccinations for measles, polio, tetanus and other diseases, according to a report by the CDC. There was an uptick in exemptions for school-aged children in 40 states, and 3% of kids entering kindergarten had one for the 2022 to 2023 school year, which is the highest rate ever recorded in the U.S. Around 90% of all exemptions were for nonmedical reasons like religion and philosophy, according to the CDC, though it didnt specify any further. Idaho had the most kindergarten exemptions of any state (12.1%), followed by Oregon (8.2%) and Utah (8.1%). Around 30% of people in 2022 thought parents should be able to decide whether to vaccinate their school-aged children, up from 16% in 2019, a survey by health policy research organization KFF found. Experts believe the uptick of vaccine exemptions among children is related to skepticism of the updated Covid vaccines approved for use earlier this yearthough health agencies have found the coronavirus vaccines to be safe and effective. Public perception of the importance of childhood vaccines declined in 52 out of 55 countries studied during the Covid pandemic, UNICEF reports.

From a public health perspective, vaccine hesitancy has a ripple effect that extends beyond the individuals involved, even though they might tragically become ill or even die from a preventable disease, Simon Haeder, the studys author and an associate professor of health policy and management at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, said in a statement.

22,513. Thats how many Covid-related hospitalizations were reported the week of December 2, up almost 18% from previous weeks, according to data from the CDC. There were 9,746 recorded RSV casesdown about 350 from the previous week of Thanksgivingand there was a 6.8% increase in flu cases.

Childhood Vaccine Exemptions Reach Highest Level Ever Upping Risk For Outbreaks Of Polio, Measles And More (Forbes)

Heres Where Vaccination Rates Stand Among Covid, Flu, RSV Shots Ahead Of The HolidaysAnd Why Experts Say You Should Get Yours Soon (Forbes)

New Covid Boosters Expected This Fall: Why Some Doctors Suggest Holding Off On Getting Your Next Booster Until Then (Forbes)

Infant RSV Antibody Shortage: Here Are The CDC Recommended Alternatives (Forbes)

I'm a Texas native covering the latest trends in tech, science and healthcare through explainer pieces on the breaking news team. Previously, I was a Forbes HBCU Scholar writing under the innovation and health and science teams. In 2022, I graduated from Clark Atlanta University where I was the fashion editor for CAU's official newspaper, the Panther, and the managing editor of Her Campus CAU. During my matriculation, I interned with top companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery and The Walt Disney Company. Got a tip? Don't hesitate to reach out to me via email (ajohnson@forbes.com), or dm me on any social media platform.

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Heres How Many Parents Will Vaccinate Their Kids Against The TripledemicCovid, Flu And RSV - Forbes

Pfizer heads into 2024 with a lower-than-expected sales forecast for its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment after weaker demand had already forced it to trim 2023 projections.

The drugmaker announced on Wednesday initial expectations for the new year that include about $8 billion in combined sales from its Comirnaty vaccine and the treatment Paxlovid. That falls more than $5 billion short of estimates on Wall Street.

The companys forecast for overall earnings and revenue next year also missed consensus. Pfizer shares continued their largely year-long slide in midday trading.

Pfizer leaders told analysts Wednesday that they expect vaccination and treatment rates to be about the same next year as they were in 2023. But they wanted to be conservative and offer a good floor for expectations to avoid creating any more uncertainty, CEO Albert Bourla said.

In mid-October, Pfizer said sales of both the vaccine and treatment were turning out weaker than expected. The company cut revenue projections for this year by $9 billion. Two weeks later, Pfizer said sales of the treatment and vaccine had slid 97% and 70%, respectively, in the third quarter.

Comirnaty and Paxlovid combined to rake in more than $56 billion in sales last year, easily making them Pfizer's two top-selling products.

But a down year for both was widely expected as demand slid and drugmakers switched to selling on the commercial market instead relying on the more stable payout of bulk government contracts.

Bourla also noted Wednesday in a call with analysts that the virus that triggered a global pandemic in 2020 is no longer top of mind, and that theres some COVID-19 fatigue and anti-vaccine rhetoric in the market.

Chief Financial Officer David Denton also called the virus unpredictable and said it was hard to model its performance. Even so, he said Pfizer expects both the market-leading treatment and vaccine to remain significant products.

They meet a very large and high unmet need of the patient population around the globe, he said.

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The company said that it expects full-year revenue in 2024 of between $58.5 billion and $61.5 billion, short of the $62.7 billion that Wall Street was expecting, according to a survey of industry analysts by FactSet.

The New York drugmaker expects to post per-share earnings of between $2.05 and $2.25 next year. Wall Street was projecting earnings of around $3.17 per share.

Pfizer also said that it was expanding its cost-cutting program by $500 million. Company leaders noted that recently acquired cancer treatment developer Seagen will start contributing revenue in the new year.

The company said it had no plans to cut its quarterly dividend which now totals 41 cents per share.

Shares of Pfizer Inc. slid more than 8% to $26.12 in late-morning trading while broader indexes climbed.

The stock had already already shed more than 44% of its value so far this year.

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Switch from selling COVID-19 drugs on market rather than to governments continues to sting at Pfizer - Yahoo Finance

You may have read recent alarming reports of a cough that lasts 100 days is quickly spreading across the UK and can fracture ribs. If you didnt look beyond the headlines, you might have missed the fact that the reports are about whooping cough.

So, what is going on?

Whooping cough (or pertussis) is what is known in the UK as a notifiable infectious disease, which means any doctor who diagnoses a case has a legal duty to report the infection to the local authority. Notifications of whooping cough are indeed much higher this year, particularly in the five months since July than at any time during the previous three years.

In the 21 weeks to November 27, there were 716 notifications compared with just 217 in the same period in 2022, 213 in 2021 and just 72 in 2020. That is more than a threefold rise this year compared with the previous year.

Like most respiratory infections, whooping cough was suppressed during the COVID years. Notifications for whooping cough this year are still markedly down on 2019 where there were 1,842 notifications over the same 21-week period.

What we are seeing now is a partial return to the pre-COVID situation and not an unprecedented surge in infections. (Although the reported cases represent only a fraction of all cases in the community.)

The fact that whooping cough notifications are still relatively low should not distract from the fact that infections in the 2010s were still much higher than in the previous decade. Since the mid-1950s and the introduction of a vaccine, whooping cough was generally in decline until this most recent decade.

Whooping cough is a chest infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis although another bacterium Bordetella parapertussis can also cause it.

The illness lasts for about six weeks or more and progresses through three stages. The first stage is very similar to a bad cold with a runny nose, sneezing and sore eyes.

The second phase, which starts after about two weeks, is characterised by bouts of intense coughing. Each bout can last several minutes and is occasionally followed by the loud whoop that gives the disease its name. Afterwards, a chronic cough can remain for several weeks.

Most people eventually make a full recovery, but in babies under three months old 1% to 3% may die. And most children under six months will require hospitalisation.

About one in 50 babies under one year will suffer convulsions and one in 150 (0.6%) will have encephalopathy (swelling of the brain).

Other even more serious neurological problems, such as paralysis and blindness, have been reported but are rare. In older children and adults, fainting, rib fractures, pneumonia and urinary incontinence can occur.

Antibiotics have limited value in treating whooping cough. They can reduce the time that the patient is infectious to others, but they have limited effect on preventing symptoms.

There is an effective vaccine for whooping cough that in the UK is given in combination with other vaccines at eight, 12 and 16 weeks old. Then there is a booster shot given when the child is three years and four months.

The vaccine is also now recommended for pregnant women. This is not to protect the mother but to protect their baby during the first weeks of the childs life before the first course of vaccine when the infant would be at the highest risk of death.

Concerns about the safety of the vaccine, particularly during the 1970s, led to a significant fall in vaccine coverage and a re-emergence of whooping cough.

A committee of the US Institute of Medicine concluded that the evidence was consistent with a causal relationship between the vaccine and acute encephalopathy, with a risk estimated at between zero and ten cases per million jabs administered.

However, subsequent studies suggested that many of the cases in the biggest study had a particular genetic abnormality known as Dravet syndrome and the whooping cough vaccine was merely bringing forward the date of onset of problems that would have happened anyway.

In any event, the studies reported above were of a time when whole-cell vaccines were being used (made from killed whole bacteria). Since 2004, whooping cough vaccines made with just parts of the bacterium (so-called acellular vaccine) have been used in the UK and these are associated with a lower risk of side-effects.

The recent increase in notifications of whooping cough, as mentioned above, is due to COVID suppression measures lockdowns, mask-wearing and hand hygiene coming to an end. But why there were more whooping cough cases during the years 2010 to 2019 compared with the previous decade is far from clear.

Vaccine coverage in the years before COVID up to 2019 was no lower than ten years previously. Possible explanations include waning immunity, greater awareness of whooping cough among doctors (so more diagnoses), and improved laboratory diagnosis.

My take on the evidence is that the increasing infections in the years before COVID was down to the shift from whole-cell to acellular vaccine. Although the acellular vaccines cause fewer side-effects, they also generate less powerful immunity.

While both vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease, the acellular vaccine does not prevent mild infections that can be infectious for others for as long, so allowing the infection to continue to spread in the community.

The whole-cell pertussis vaccines were able to achieve herd immunity, which the acellular ones probably cannot. So the chance that young babies come into contact with an infectious older child or adult is now greater.

With the falling vaccination coverage in pregnant women this puts babies at risk in their most vulnerable first weeks of life.

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Whooping cough cases increasing in the UK what you need to know - The Conversation

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A large international research collaboration, led by an academic from Royal Holloway, University of London, found that blood groups could help predict the risk of venous strokes associated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The research was led by Professor Pankaj Sharma from the Institute of Cardiovascular Research at Royal Holloway and the Department of Clinical Neurology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, along with a collaborative group of researchers from across the globe.

The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, set out to determine whether a patient's blood group influences the development of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT)otherwise known as a venous strokefollowing administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Previous research had found that patients with blood group A, were at a greater risk of severe COVID-19, as they constituted the majority of patients in intensive care. Any occurrence of CVT within 28 days of receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is defined internationally as being a result of the injection.

A total of 523 CVT patients were used in the study and recruited from two study groups investigating venous strokes. Of the total, 82 patients had suffered from CVT after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, while the remaining 441 were unvaccinated CVT patients. Participants in the study had their blood group tested, and the results were compared to determine the distribution of blood groups in the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.

The study found that blood group O was more prevalent in patients who had experienced a venous stroke after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (43%) than it was in those patients who were unvaccinated venous stroke sufferers (17%). The researchers found that patients with blood group A were the most common by percentage among those in the unvaccinated group (71%).

The findings of the research suggest that those with blood group O have an increased risk of CVT, or venous stroke, following administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, regardless of well-established venous stroke risk factorssuch as gender.

Further studies could help researchers understand more about the relationship between patients from the O blood group and the apparent elevated risk of CVT after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Professor Pankaj Sharma, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, said, "Our work suggests that it may be possible to predict those most at risk of cerebral venous thrombosis stroke following COVID-19 vaccination using a simple test for blood group.

"The AstraZeneca vaccine is 10 times cheaper than mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer, yet many countries have paused its use because of this associated risk of stroke, despite the vaccine being highly effective and easily transportable.

"Those with blood group O, seem two-and-a-half times more likely to be in the post-vaccine risk group. Predicting who is more likely to suffer from stroke after vaccination may provide confidence to governments for using this vaccineparticularly in low- and middle-income countries, where cheaper and more easily transportable vaccines could prove more effective."

More information: Gie Ken-Dror et al, ABO blood group associated with cerebral venous thrombosis after Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination: a casecontrol study, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1177/01410768231214341

Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

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Blood group may predict risk of stroke when receiving COVID-19 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - Medical Xpress