Category: Vaccine

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ixchiq, the worlds first licensed vaccine for the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.

The single-dose vaccine was developed by Valneva, a French biotech company, and fast-tracked by the FDA via the Accelerated Approval pathway.

Chikungunya which is spread by mosquito bites means to become contorted or that which bends up in the East African language of Kimakonde, referring to the position that infected persons frequently take.

While it is considered non-fatal, affected individuals typically experience fever and severe joint pain that typically lasts for weeks but can persist for years. Other symptoms include headache, rash, nausea, muscle soreness, and fatigue, making chikungunya difficult to differentiate from other mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue and Zika, both of which have also become increasingly concerning.

Chikungunya is an emerging global health threat, per the FDA, and at least 5 million cases have been reported since 2008. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there have been 440,000 cases of chikungunya reported just this year.

The areas most susceptible to the virus include the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South and Central America.

However, researchers have theorized that rising temperatures across the globe may increase the geological range of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, which could potentially expose the United States to the infection.

With the development and approval of Ixchiq, though, the cause for concern has been mitigated.

In Valnevas press release, the company noted that Ixchiq is geared toward the 60-plus million Americans who travel each year to locations where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic.

Valneva also said it hopes to commercialize the vaccine in the U.S. early next year while securing a vote of approval from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices by the end of next February. People over the age of 18 and at risk of exposure to chikungunya are eligible for the shot.

The approval is an important advancement in the prevention of a potentially debilitating disease with limited treatment options, said Peter Marks, the director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

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FDA approves world's first vaccine for 'emerging global health threat': 'Prevention of a potentially debilitating disease' - Yahoo News

Shipments of the worlds first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S, have begun with 331 200 doses landing last night in Yaound, Cameroon. The delivery is the first to a country not previously involved in the malaria vaccine pilot programme and signals that scale-up of vaccination against malaria across the highest-risk areas on the African continent will begin shortly.

Nearly every minute, a child under five dies of malaria. In 2021, there were 247 million malaria cases globally, which led to 619 000 deaths. Of these deaths, 77 per cent were children under 5 years of age, mostly in Africa. Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounts for approximately 95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021.

A further 1.7 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine are expected to arrive in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone in the coming weeks, with additional African countries set to receive doses in the months ahead. This reflects the fact that several countries are now in the final stage of preparations for malaria vaccine introduction into routine immunisation programmes, which should see first doses administered in Q1 2024.

Comprehensive preparations are needed to introduce any new vaccine into essential immunisation programmes such as training of healthcare workers, investing in infrastructure, technical capacity, vaccine storage, community engagement and demand, and sequencing and integrating rollout alongside the delivery of other vaccines and health interventions. Delivering the malaria vaccine has the added challenge of a four-dose schedule which requires careful planning to effectively deliver.

Since 2019, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have been administering the vaccine in a schedule of 4 doses from around 5 months of age in selected districts as part of the pilot programme, known as the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP). More than 2 million children have been reached with the malaria vaccine in the three African countries through MVIP resulting in a remarkable 13% drop in all-cause mortality in children age-eligible to receive the vaccine, and substantial reductions in severe malaria illness and hospitalizations. Other key findings from the pilot programme show that vaccine uptake is high, with no reduction in use of other malaria prevention measures or uptake of other vaccines.MVIP is coordinated by WHO in collaboration with PATH, UNICEF and other partners, and funded by Gavi, the Global Fund, and UNITAID, with donated doses from GSK, the manufacturer of the RTS,S vaccine.

The data from the pilot have shown the impact and safety of the RTS,S vaccine and provided important evidence on vaccine acceptability and uptake that helped inform the recent WHO recommendation of a second malaria vaccine R21, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). Results of a phase 3 trial for R21 showed that the vaccine has a good safety profile in the clinical trial setting and reduces malaria in children. It is expected that, like RTS,S, when R21 is implemented it will have similar high public health impact. The choice of which vaccine to be used in a country should be based on programmatic characteristics, vaccine supply, and affordability.

The R21 vaccine is currently under review by WHO for prequalification. The availability of two malaria vaccines is expected to increase supply to meet the high demand from African countries and result in sufficient vaccine doses to benefit all children living in areas where malaria is a public health risk. In preparation for scaled-up vaccination, Gavi, WHO, UNICEF and partners are working with countries that have expressed interest and/or have confirmed rollout plans on the next steps.

These developments mean that broad implementation of malaria vaccination in endemic regions has the potential to be a gamechanger for malaria control efforts, and could save tens of thousands of lives each year. However, malaria vaccines are not a standalone solution. They should be introduced in the context of the WHO-recommended package of malaria control measures which include insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying, intermittent preventive treatment in pregnant women, antimalarials, effective case management, and treatment, all of which have helped to reduce malaria-related deaths since 2000. Importantly, the MVIP showed that delivering vaccines alongside non-vaccine interventions can reinforce the uptake of other vaccines and the use of insecticide treated nets, and overall boost access to malaria prevention measures.

The world needs good news and this a good news story, said David Marlow, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is proud that our Alliance of stakeholders, with African countries at the forefront, took the decision to invest in the malaria vaccine as a public health priority, and that this support has played a part in the availability of a new tool that can save the lives of thousands of children each year. We are excited to rollout this historic vaccine through Gavi programmes and work with partners to ensure it is delivered alongside other vital measures.

This could be a real gamechanger in our fight against malaria, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. Introducing vaccines is like adding a star player to the pitch. With this long-anticipated step, spearheaded by African leaders, we are entering a new era in immunization and malaria control, hopefully saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children every year.

This is another breakthrough moment for malaria vaccines and malaria control, and a ray of light in a dark time for so many vulnerable children in the world. The delivery of malaria vaccines to new countries across Africa will offer life-saving protection to millions of children at risk of malaria, said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.But we must not stop here. Together, we must find the will and the resources to bring malaria vaccines to scale, so more children can live longer, healthier lives.

This is a significant advancement towards scaling up malaria vaccination in the region. The vaccine, which protects children from the severe forms of the disease, is a vital addition to the existing set of malaria prevention tools and will help bolster our efforts to reverse the rising trend in cases and further reduce deaths, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Quotes from countries and stakeholders

"The arrival of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Burkina Faso marks a historic milestone in our efforts to combat malaria, which remains a major public health threat. Malaria is in fact the primary cause for consultations, hospitalization and death in our health facilities. Children under 5 pay the heaviest price. We are hopeful that the introduction of this vaccine into routine immunisation for children aged 0 to 23 months will have the potential to reduce the burden of this disease and save many lives," said Dr Robert Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, Burkina Faso's Minister of Health and Public Hygiene.

"We are committed to ensuring that the vaccine reaches eligible children, and we encourage all parents to take advantage of this life-saving intervention." "The government remains committed to strengthening other malaria prevention and control measures". The arrival of the vaccines marks a historic step in our efforts to control malaria, which remains a major public health threat in the country. Were grateful for the support of our partners with whom were committed to working to ensure that the vaccines reach the children and protect them from this deadly disease, saidHon Dr Malachie Manaouda, Minister of Public Health of Cameroon. As we vaccinate children, the government also remains committed to strengthening other prevention and control measures so that we can lower the huge burden of malaria.

"The introduction of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in Liberia marks a significant milestone in our efforts to combat malaria which is the leading cause of infant and under five mortality. This vaccine has the potential to save many lives and reduce the burden of this disease on our population, saidHon Dr Wilhemina Jallah, Minister of Health of Liberia. We are committed to ensuring that the vaccine reaches those who need it the most, and we encourage all parents of eligible children to take advantage of this life-saving intervention."

Todays announcement is welcome news given that malaria remains a primary cause of childhood illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa, said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. Using this vaccine, appropriately prioritized in the context of existing tools, could help prevent malaria and save tens of thousands of young lives each year.

I am thrilled that the RTS,S vaccine, which is the result of so many years of work by PATH, GSK, and African partners, has arrived in Cameroon and will soon reach even more children at risk of malaria, said Nikolaj Gilbert, President and CEO of PATH. All of us at PATH appreciate the efforts by Gavi, UNICEF, and WHO to accelerate access to this life-saving vaccine.

As the scale up of the worlds first malaria vaccine begins, the U.S. Presidents Malaria Initiative congratulates the Gavi Secretariat and Ministries of Health throughout Africa, saidDr DavidWalton, U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator. This moment has been decades in the making and the U.S. has supported malaria vaccine development for decades. To maximize the benefit of this lifesaving tool, we will enthusiastically continue our partnerships with Ministries of Health and national, regional, and global partners to achieve a world in which no child dies from a mosquito bite.

Notes to editors

Please explore links below for photos and multimedia content related to malaria vaccines, including photos and footage of the vaccines on the move from the GSK factory, and arriving in Cameroon. Additional content will continue to be added in the coming days and weeks.

For further information about these shipments, please see Frequently Asked Questions".

About Gavi,the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the worlds children against some of the worlds deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationand other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisationsthat fund Gavis workhere.

Since its inceptionin 2000, Gavi has helped to immunisea whole generation over 1 billion children and prevented more than 17.3 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower-income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems and outbreak response as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology from drones to biometrics to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency.

Learn more at http://www.gavi.org

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit http://www.unicef.org. Find out more about UNICEFs work on the COVID-19 vaccines here, or about UNICEFs work on immunization here.

About WHO

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations leading the worlds response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. http://www.who.int

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Shipments to African countries herald final steps toward broader vaccination against malaria: Gavi, WHO and UNICEF - World Health Organization

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) We could be in for a rough winter when it comes to illness. Doctors say there is a good chance COVID-19, the flu, and RSV will overlap in the coming months. However, doctors are excited because, for the first time, there is a new weapon against RSV.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a potentially dangerous, highly contagious virus that can cause respiratory disease. The last RSV season lasted longer and was more severe than usual. Signs of the illness include a fever, worsening cough, and restricted airways leading to trouble breathing.

RSV in small children, especially under 18 months, can land them in the hospital and even in the intensive care unit. It is extremely serious and it is for that reason we recommend the vaccine, said Dr. Jeremy Cauwels.

The RSV vaccine approved by the FDA in August is called Abrysvo.

Were hoping its going to really cut down in hospitalizations as well as complications like pneumonia or even death, said pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu.

There are three groups to consider when it comes to the new vaccine. Very young children, people over the age of 60, and expectant mothers. Doctors recommend pregnant women get the vaccine because they can pass that protection on to their baby.

Dr. Cauwels says there has been a tough rollout for the RSV vaccine which is creating a shortage.

I can tell you our pediatricians and the rest of our family doctors are absolutely giving this vaccine as fast as they can get it in, so just make sure you are checking in with your doctor to make sure it is available, said Cauwels.

He says if you have any questions please reach out to your doctor. With a potentially rough season for illnesses ahead, the more people who are vaccinated the fewer people doctors will see in the hospital. The typical RSV season is from October through March.

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Doctors recommend new RSV vaccine as winter approaches - KELOLAND.com

New Mexico is standing out in the Southwest with a high amount of flu cases.

Albuquerque, N.M. Nowadays when we talk about family gatherings like Thanksgiving, the thought of spreading illness can sometimes be part of the calculations especially since COVID-19 began. But its not just COVID-19 to keep in mind.

This is the latest flu map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It shows New Mexico is standing out in the Southwest with a high amount of cases.

But New Mexico isnt the only state seeing a high numberof flu cases. Its one reason why the CDC is urging people to get vaccinated.

Another map from the New Mexico Departmentof Health shows Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Lincoln and Curry County as the counties with the highest percentage of emergency visits with a flu, COVID-19, or RSV diagnosis.

The first flu cases of the year were reported in New Mexico late last month.

Right now, doctors are encouraging people to get the flu vaccine, especially because this years vaccine is showing some success.

This year the match is very good its between 60 and 65% which is excellent, so we definitely want to see, get in and get that vaccine, said Dr. John Zaso, a pediatrician with the Nassau University Medical Center.

Along with the flu vaccine, health officials are asking people to get their COVID-19 booster, too.

State health officials are also advising doctors to test patients not just for COVID-19 or the flu, but for both because its possible for people to be sick with both viruses at the same time.

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Health officials urge vaccination as flu activity increases in New Mexico - KOB 4

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A nurse administers the malaria vaccine to an infant at the Lumumba Sub-County hospital in Kisumu, Kenya, July 1, 2022. A new vaccine, known as RTS,S, is expected to be included in routine immunization programs in several African countries by early next year.BAZ RATNER/Reuters

Health agencies are launching the rollout of a new malaria vaccine across Africa, beginning in Cameroon this week, in a renewed effort to tackle the ancient disease that remains one of the continents biggest killers.

The new vaccine is expected to be included in routine immunization programs in several countries by early next year. It offers hope of easing the burden from a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of African children every year.

On Tuesday night, Cameroon received its first shipment under the rollout: a batch of 331,200 doses of the new vaccine, known as RTS,S and marketed under the brand name Mosquirix by the British manufacturer GSK. The delivery is a historic step toward a broader African vaccination campaign, the World Health Organization said.

Cameroon becomes the first country to receive the vaccine after an earlier pilot phase to assess its effectiveness as a public-health tool. The pilot phase began in 2019 in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, where the vaccine was given to more than two million children. It found a dramatic 13-per-cent drop in mortality among children who received it, along with an even bigger reduction in severe malaria illness and hospitalization.

In preparation for the broader immunization program, a further 1.7 million doses are scheduled for shipment to Liberia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone in the coming weeks. Other countries are expected to receive doses in the following months.

Malaria deaths jumped by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions, WHO says

Malaria is thousands of years old, with records of it in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt and in the writings of Homer and Plato in ancient Greece. It persisted in parts of Europe and the United States into the early 1900s, killing as many as 300 million people worldwide in the 20th century.

Over the past two decades, malaria-prevention programs have helped to reduce deaths by more than half, but progress has stalled in recent years, and nearly half of the worlds population remains at risk of the disease. There were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria in 2021, almost entirely on the African continent, and nearly 620,000 people died from the disease, mostly children, with 96 per cent of the deaths occurring in Africa.

The new vaccine could be a real gamechanger in our fight against malaria, said Catherine Russell, executive director of the United Nations childrens agency, Unicef, in a statement on Wednesday.

We are entering a new era in immunization and malaria control, hopefully saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of children every year, she said.

The WHOs director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called it another breakthrough moment for malaria vaccines and malaria control, and a ray of light in a dark time for so many vulnerable children in the world.

Under the vaccination program, three doses are given to children under the age of 2. A fourth dose extends the protection for a further one to two years.

Health agencies have secured 18 million doses of the vaccine for the period up to 2025, and the doses have been allocated to a dozen of the highest-risk African countries. But demand far exceeds the supply, since at least 30 countries on the continent are hoping to include a malaria vaccine in their health programs.

A second vaccine, known as R21, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, was recommended by the WHO last month and is now in a prequalification process, which leads to procurement and delivery. A decision is expected within months. It is likely to become available to African countries in the middle of next year.

As a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day when we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria, Dr. Tedros said last month. Now, we have two.

Advocates say Canada should commit $1.2-Billion to fight against AIDS, TB and malaria

Trials of R21 have found that it reduced malaria cases by 75 per cent in the year following a three-dose series of the vaccine.

The R21 vaccine is a vital additional tool to protect more children faster and to bring us closer to our vision of a malaria-free world, Dr. Tedros said.

The R21 vaccine costs about US$2 to US$4 per dose, while the RTS,S vaccine is somewhat more expensive. The cost for African countries, however, will be financed by Gavi, a program of public and private donors, including UN agencies, governments, the World Bank and others.

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Health agencies launch rollout of new 'breakthrough' malaria vaccine in Africa - The Globe and Mail

Key Takeaways

The shingles vaccine used in the United States, called Shingrix, is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles.Since its only been FDA-approved since 2017, theres not an extensive amount of information about how long that effectiveness lasts. But research on the duration is emerging every year.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful skin rash with blisters that can occur anywhere on the body, Sarath Nath, MD, an infectious disease expert and assistant professor at Stony Brook Medicine, told Verywell.

Its caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox, Nath said. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays inactive in their body, however, it can reactivate years later, causing shingles.

One of the best ways to prevent shingles is to get vaccinated. If you get the Shingrix vaccine, heres how long its expected to provide protection and the factors that can impact its effectiveness over time.

About one in three people in the U.S. will develop shingles. An estimated 1 million people get the infection each year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Shingrix offers about seven years of protection against shingles. A 2022 study with over 7,400 participants looked at vaccine recipients five to seven years after vaccination, demonstrating it was still about 91% effective.

A study published earlier this month in BMJ assessed the efficacy of an older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which used a weakened live varicella zoster virus. The results showed effectiveness of the live shingles vaccine is the highest in the first year after a person receives the shot, but declines over time. Vaccine effectiveness waned to 50% in the second year, 27% in the eighth year, and 15% after 10 years.Zostavax is no longer used in the U.S. precisely because of its lower efficacy.

The Shingrix vaccine is a recombinant vaccine and doesnt use the live virus.

The recombinant vaccine has been here only for a few years, Nath said. It is likely that the Shingrix vaccine is effective for even longer than seven years, but we will need time to know.

Although the vaccines effectiveness may wane over time, Linda Yancey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, said that the vaccine does continue to provide protection against shingles.

All vaccines are most effective just after they have been given, Yancey told Verywell. There is no one answer to the question of how long a vaccine is effective. It is going to vary from person to person. Every patient is unique.

The CDC recommends adults aged 50 and older receive two doses of the Shingrix vaccine spaced two to six months apart. Those who are 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or medication should also get two doses of the Shingrix vaccine.

If someone misses the second shot, they should start the two-shot series over again.

Vaccine effectiveness can decline over time for various reasons, Nath said. One of those factors is waning immunity, where the bodys initial response to the vaccine weakens over the years. In addition, certain viruses and bacteria might change or mutate over time, potentially making the vaccine less effective against newer strains.

Other factors like age, health conditions, and individual immune responses may also contribute to the gradual decrease in vaccine effectiveness, Yancey said. For instance, treatments like chemotherapy and immunosuppressants can weaken the immune system and lessen how much protection a vaccine can offer.

The biggest impediment to effectiveness, however, is age.

Vaccines work best in people with strong immune systems, Yancey said. A healthy 50-year-old will get good robust protection for a long time, an ill 89-year-old, less so. However, some protection is better than no protection, so there is no age cap on the vaccine.

At this time, there is no booster shot available or used for shingles.

This could change over time as we get more information on the duration of protection, Yancey said. Science is always moving forward.

While it is possible to contract shingles after getting vaccinated, Nath said the risk of getting shingles is much lower in people who have already been vaccinated.

If you experience any symptoms associated with shingles, including skin sensitivity, itching, tingling, rash, or blisters, contact your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis. Your provider may prescribe antivirals like acyclovir to speed recovery, and analgesics to help alleviate symptoms.

Analgesics (pain killers) are often needed in patients with shingles and rarely we use steroids to decrease inflammation, Nath said.

Other treatment options may include:

The shingles vaccine has been found to be effective for seven to 10 years after the two-dose administration. There is no booster shot available for the shingles vaccine, but experts say that might change in the future. Contact your healthcare provider to see if youre eligible to receive the shingles vaccine.

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How Long Does The Shingles Vaccine Protect You For? - Verywell Health

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Receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before the first infection is strongly associated with a reduced risk of developing post-COVID-19 condition, commonly known as long COVID, finds a study published by The BMJ today (Nov. 22).

The findings, based on data for more than half a million Swedish adults, show that unvaccinated individuals were almost four times as likely to be diagnosed with long COVID than those who were vaccinated before first infection.

The researchers stress that causality cannot be directly inferred from this observational evidence, but say their results "highlight the importance of primary vaccination against COVID-19 to reduce the burden of post-COVID-19 condition in the population."

The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe complications of acute COVID-19 are already known, but their effectiveness against long COVID is less clear because most previous studies have relied on self-reported symptoms.

To address this, researchers investigated the effectiveness of primary COVID-19 vaccination (the first two doses and the first booster dose within the recommended schedule) against post-COVID-19 conditions using data from the SCIFI-PEARL project, a register-based study of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

Their findings are based on 589,722 adults (aged 18 and over) from the two largest regions of Sweden with a first COVID-19 infection registered between 27 December 2020 and 9 February 2022.

Individuals were followed from a first COVID-19 infection until a diagnosis of post-COVID-19 condition, vaccination, reinfection, death, emigration or end of follow-up (30 November 2022), whichever came first. The average follow-up was 129 days in the total study population (vaccinated: 197 days, not vaccinated: 112 days).

Individuals who had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose before infection were considered vaccinated.

A range of factors including age, sex, existing conditions, number of health care contacts during 2019, education level, employment status, and dominant virus variant at time of infection were also accounted for in the analysis.

Of 299,692 vaccinated individuals with COVID-19, 1,201 (0.4%) were diagnosed with post-COVID-19 condition during follow-up, compared with 4,118 (1.4%) of 290,030 unvaccinated individuals.

Those who received one or more COVID-19 vaccines before the first infection were 58% less likely to receive a diagnosis of post-COVID-19 condition than unvaccinated individuals.

And vaccine effectiveness increased with each successive dose before infection (a dose-response effect). For example, the first dose reduced the risk of post-COVID-19 condition by 21%, two doses by 59%, and three or more doses by 73%.

This is an observational study, which provides less conclusive evidence of causality, and the researchers point to several limitations such as limited data on post-COVID-19 condition symptoms and that the diagnosis code is not yet validated, the potential impact of reinfections on vaccine effectiveness, and expectations about the protective effect of vaccination.

However, this was a large, well-designed study based on high-quality, individual-level registry data with a low risk of self-reporting bias, suggesting that the results are robust.

As such, the authors conclude, "The results from this study highlight the importance of complete primary vaccination coverage against COVID-19, not only to reduce the risk of severe acute COVID-19 infection but also the burden of post-COVID-19 condition in the population."

These findings, combined with evidence from other studies, highlight the association between the immune system and the development of post-viral conditions, and underline the importance of timely vaccination during pandemics, say researchers in a linked editorial.

They call for continued investigation into the evolution of long-term residual symptoms of COVID-19 and other viral illnesses as well as steps to "improve the accuracy of recording both recovery and continued illness after infection, and in quantifying key family, social, financial, and economic outcomes."

"Such estimates are fundamental to unlocking the funding required for future research and increased investment in specialist clinical services offering treatment and rehabilitation to support patients with post-viral conditions," they conclude.

More information: COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post-COVID-19 condition among 589,722 individuals in Sweden: population based cohort study, The BMJ (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076990

Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ)

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COVID-19 vaccination before infection strongly linked to reduced risk of developing long COVID - Medical Xpress

A video on Facebook contains claims about the death rate from myocarditis after the Covid-19 vaccines. The claim is misleading and not backed up by the data.

Myocarditis is very rare after Covid vaccination, as we have written about before, and the rate after Covid infection itself is higher. False information about the Covid vaccines is common, and may lead to people making bad decisions about their health. We have written many times before on this issue, and specifically about myocarditis risk.

Honesty in public debate matters

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The video has circulated on social media recently, with the oldest we could find being posted to YouTube over a year ago. It features audio apparently of a man talking to a pharmacist about his son, who he says has been admitted to hospital with myocarditis after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. The audio contains a number of general claims about the vaccines and children.

The man says: So you know what the prognosis is? You know what it is? Possible death within five years. 20% of people with myocarditis die. It is a permanent damaged heart.

Claims about high death rates from myocarditis are common, with widely shared posts stating: Myocarditis has a 20% fatality rate after 2 years and a 50% fatality rate after 5 years.

A US healthcare education company StatPearls also gave a mortality rate of viral myocarditis of up to 20% at 1 year and 50% at 5 years, while acknowledging this varies depending on how severe the disease was at the time, among other factors. Full Fact contacted StatPearls for their source on this, and they told us the statement was incorrect and will be removed from the article.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscular wall of the heart (the myocardium), most often caused by viral infection. Common symptoms include chest pain, fever and tiredness.

This may occur very rarely after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, although the risk of myocarditis following a Covid infection appears to be higher when looking at people of all ages. The benefits of vaccination for Covid-19 generally outweigh the risks for most people.

Official myocarditis incidence figuresthe number of cases over a given time period, usually a yearare hard to come by, as many cases are mild and so not reported.

This also complicates assessing the proportion of cases which are fatal (the mortality rate), as only more serious cases are known about. As a result this could lead to overestimates. Studies typically look at patients who have been admitted to hospital, which will be the more severe cases that cause enough symptoms that people seek help.

For example, a 2019 study of admissions to hospital in the NHS in England found a 4% all-cause mortality (death from any cause) for patients who were admitted to hospital with myocarditis between 1998 and 2017.

It can cause permanent damage but the majority of cases do not lead to this, so it would be wrong to suggest that all cases of myocarditis lead to a permanent damaged heart as the video does.

The UK Health Security Agency says that: myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination is usually mild or stable and patients typically recover fully without medical treatment, and that the long-term impacts arent yet known.

The general rollout of the Covid vaccines in the UK was extended to children aged 12 and over in September 2021 and to younger children in April 2022, so its too early to have any reliable data on possible consequences of post-vaccine myocarditis. But early indications dont support the videos claim.

Dr Matt Oster, a paediatric cardiologist and medical officer at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told fact checkers at Reuters that Myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccine has less occurrence of heart failure and has a milder acute clinical course and that short-term outcomes of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccine are much better than those of typical viral myocarditis, with long-term outcomes being researched.

The general Covid vaccination scheme has been wound down in the UK, but seasonal boosters are available to those at increased risk.

Featured image courtesy of Alaa Najjar

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Myocarditis after Covid vaccines doesnt kill one in five - Full Fact

NEW DELHI: Amid reports of challenges in Army recruitment, former service members of US Army, who were removed from the service after they refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine have now received letters from the US Army. The letter informs them that they have the option to request corrections to their discharge records. The letter has been circulating on social media notified former members of "new Army guidance regarding the correction of military records for former members of the Army following the rescission of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement." It is signed by Brigadier General Hope C Rampy, of the U. Army Director of the Military Personnel Management Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff The letter states, "as a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccination requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records from either or both the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) or the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR)." As per the letter, "individuals can request a correction to military personnel records, including regarding the characterization of discharge." It further stated, "Individuals who desire to apply to return to service should contact their local Army, US Army Reserve (USAR) or Army National Guard (ARNG) recruiter for more information." However, an Army spokesperson clarified that the letter, dated November 1, does not specifically request former Army members, who were dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, to return to service. Additional information on this matter was provided by the Army on Monday. Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Castro, Army spokesperson in an email to Fox News Digital wrote, "As part of the overall COVID mandate recession process mandated by Congress, the Army mailed the letters following Veterans Day weekend to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated for refusal to obey the mandatory COVID vaccination order. The letter provides information to former service members on how to request a correction of their military records." On October 3, the US Army unveiled a comprehensive transformation of its recruiting approach, highlighting the formidable challenges posed by "the most challenging recruiting environment in a generation" for the armed forces. During a press conference at the Pentagon, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff of the Army Randy George outlined significant changes in how the Army plans to identify and recruit talent. This involves expanding the focus beyond high schoolers to encompass a broader segment of the youth labor market and establishing "an increasingly permanent and specialized talent acquisition workforce." The officials revealed that the Army anticipates concluding fiscal year 2023 with nearly 55,000 recruiting contracts, including approximately 4,600 for the Armys Delayed Entry Program, covering recruits slated to ship in the 2024 fiscal year. Consequently, the Army asserted that it will achieve its end-strength goal of 452,000 for active-duty soldiers.

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Amid recruitment challenges, US Army sends letters to members dismissed for vaccine refusal - IndiaTimes

MEXICO CITY (AP) Four out of five people in Mexico who got influenza shots so far this year turned down the governments recommendation that they get Russian or Cuban COVID-19 boosters at the same time, officials said Tuesday.

Assistant Health Secretary Ruy Lpez Ridaura attributed the high refusal rate to people being reluctant to get two vaccines at the same time.

People have a certain reluctance to get simultaneous vaccinations, Lpez Ridaura said.

But the population eligible for flu and COVID-19 shots people over 60 and people with underlying health problems are considered high-risk, and Mexicans in those groups had extremely high take-up rates for Covid vaccines in 2021 and 2022, according to the Health Department.

Some people appear to simply distrust the Russian Sputnik and Cuban Abdala vaccines, both designed in 2020 for variants prevalent at the time.

It is an old antigen, it's as if they were going to give me an influenza vaccine from 2020, said Andreu Comas, a professor of medicine at the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi. There are no studies regarding the effectiveness of both of these vaccines against the (current) variants.

Mexico has bought millions of doses of the Russian and Cuban vaccines. The original plan was to administer around 20 million shots, but only about 1.9 million people, or 9.5% of those eligible, have agreed to take them since the vaccination campaign started in mid-October.

In contrast, 10 million people got the influenza shot in the same period.

President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has been a big supporter of Cuba, hiring Cuban doctors, buying vaccines and construction materials from Cuba and supplying oil to the island.

Meanwhile, Mexico has held up approval for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters, both of which were designed to work against the COVID variants currently circulating. While those shots have been approved for use in the United States since September, they may not be available for Mexicans until 2024.

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Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

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4 out of 5 Mexicans who got a flu shot this year turned down Cuban and Russian COVID-19 vaccines - Yahoo News