Category: Vaccine

A review of global childhood vaccination coverage published today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that routine childhood immunization rates increased in 2022 compared to 2020, but they have yet to reach prepandemic levels in many countries.

The new review is an assessment of the World Health Assembly's Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), the 2021 to 2030 global strategy. A central target of IA2030 is reducing the number of children who have not received the first dose of a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussiscontaining vaccine (DTP) (zero-dose children) 50% by 2030, the authors said.

The initial IA2030 implementation was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and estimates show a 40% increase in the number of zero-dose children during 20192021, with fewer vaccinations administered in 2021 compared with 2020. In the current study, the authors used the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF's Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) at the national, regional, and global level to show immediate pre- and post-pandemic changes.

Estimates of global DTP vaccine coverage increased from 86% in 2021 to 89% in 2022, but it remained below 2019 coverage (90%). Among the 194 WHO countries, 73 (38%) experienced at least a 5% decline in DTP coverage from 2019 to 2021, and only 15 (21%) achieved DTP coverage in 2022 that equaled or exceeded that in 2019.

The number of zero-dose children (14.3 million) decreased 21%, from 18.1 million in 2021, but was still 11% higher than the 12.9 million in 2019.

For measles-containing vaccines, coverage increased from 81% to 83% in 2021 and 2022, but it remained below the 2019 coverage level (86%). Currently only the Eastern Mediterranean region has returned to prepandemic levels of coverage.

"Global distribution of zero-dose and incompletely vaccinated children in 2022 highlights equity issues in immunization coverage and ongoing challenges faced by many low- and lower-middleincome countries," the authors wrote.

Zero-dose and undervaccinated children tend to live predominantly in low- and lower-middleincome countries.

"Zero-dose and undervaccinated children tend to live predominantly in low- and lower-middleincome countries and underserved communities; this includes the urban poor and those living in remote rural or conflict-affected settings. WHO and UNICEF recommend that countries enhance their immunization programs to bolster resiliency against public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic."

Read more:

Global childhood vaccination rates increase, but not to prepandemic levels - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

CLAIM

The more COVID-19 vaccines doses people receive, the higher the risk of getting COVID-19; vaccines contain DNA fragments that modify the genome and cause cancer

DETAILS

Inadequate support: The claim that vaccinated people are more likely to get COVID-19 or aggressive cancers isnt supported by evidence. In fact, epidemiological studies show that additional doses of vaccines reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. Moreover, there is no data indicating that residual DNA contained in COVID-19 vaccines can modify the human genome. Factually inaccurate: Contrary to the claim, regulatory authorities were aware that vaccines could contain residual amounts of DNA. In fact, the amount of residual DNA is among the criteria assessed to ensure quality in the vaccine manufacturing process.

KEY TAKE AWAY

Epidemiological data show that additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines (boosters) reduce the risk of getting the disease. Residual DNA in mRNA vaccines, small fragments broken down by enzymes, are leftovers from the vaccine manufacturing process. The quantity of residual DNA in the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is within the acceptable range established by regulators, who were aware of residual DNA in the vaccines prior to authorization. Theres no scientific evidence suggesting that residual DNA poses a risk to health in the quantities present in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Once again, Malone made several unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 vaccine safety. This review will explain what those claims are and why they are unsubstantiated.

The data that is coming from all over the world is that the multiply vaccinated or inoculated are the ones at highest risks of becoming diseased with SARS-CoV-2. Its called negative effectiveness.

Malone claimed that COVID-19 vaccines showed negative effectiveness. It means that getting the vaccine would increase the risk of getting the disease, whereas the goal of a vaccine is supposed to be the opposite.

Malone didnt provide any evidence to support his claim. However, his mention of the multiply vaccinated, strongly hinted at a study by Cleveland Clinic researchers, which assessed the effectiveness of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in healthcare zorkers[1]. One of the key observations of their study was that the number of vaccine doses received showed a positive association with the risk of COVID-19. This means that people who received more doses also had a great risk of COVID-19.

Because of this observation, the study formed the basis for misinformation, specifically the claim that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 actually increased a persons risk of COVID-19. Health Feedback explained in a previous review that this claim is unsupported by scientific evidence.

The studys lead author, infectious disease physician Nabin Shrestha, clarified in an email to Health Feedback that association is not causation, and that Any claim that our study shows a causal relationship between getting more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and higher risk of infection is false.

Interpreting the studys results requires taking into account a few of its limitations, as these could bias the results. Its important to keep in mind that there are several variables that can modify ones risk of infection; the number of vaccine doses a person received is only one of them.

One such variable is whether a person was previously infected. This is because a previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 provides some degree of immunity against reinfection, although this protection wanes over time. Therefore, whether participants had had a previous infection by SARS-CoV-2, and how long ago the infection took place, can influence the results of the study. In fact, this was discussed as one of the studys potential limitations by the studys authors in the Discussion section.

Another variable influencing a persons risk of infection is their level of exposure to the virus. For example, frontline healthcare workers, such as physicians and nurses, are more likely to be exposed to the virus compared to those who dont have patient-facing jobs, such as clerical staff. If people who receive more doses of the vaccine are also more likely to have patient-facing jobsand therefore more often exposed to COVID-19then the greater risk of COVID-19 seen in this group could be due to their greater exposure to the virus.

Consequently, the observed association between COVID-19 risk and the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses may simply reflect the fact that people at higher risk of COVID-19 due to their work are more likely to receive more vaccine doses. However, the study didnt report whether those who received more doses were also more likely to hold patient-facing jobs. As such, this is one potential caveat in the study that we cannot rule out.

Contrary to Malones claim, real-world data actually confirm that getting more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine doesnt increase the risk of getting the disease. Several studies reported a reduced risk of infection after a third dose compared to only two doses[2-4]. Additional doses were also associated with a reduced risk of severe disease and hospitalization[5,6].

These [vaccines] are delivering short fragments of DNA into your body and they will cause genetic changes and this may be one of the drivers behind the quote turbo cancers that were seeing arise.

This is simply a repetition of a claim that circulated on the internet in 2023 after the release of two preprints reporting the presence of DNA in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Much has been made of these findings, with individuals like entrepreneur Steve Kirsch and outlets like The Epoch Times claiming that this DNA could alter peoples DNA and cause cancer. Health Feedback already discussed this claim in two previous reviews and concluded that it was unsubstantiated.

As we explained before, the vaccine manufacturing process involves the use of DNA. Briefly, a circular of DNA molecule called a plasmid carrying the genetic material to produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, as well as other DNA sequences to improve efficiency, is introduced into the bacterium Escherichia coli. This plasmid is then replicated on a mass scale in the bacterium E. coli.

Next, the plasmid DNA is harvested from the bacteria and cut so that the segment containing the genetic material encoding the spike protein is isolated. This segment is then transcribed into mRNA and incorporated into the vaccine nanoparticles. The remaining DNA from the plasmid is digested by enzymes and broken into pieces. Thus, some amounts of DNA from the manufacturing process can remain in the final product, in the form of small fragments.

While there is residual DNA in the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, Malone didnt mention that the amount of DNA detected in the vaccine vials is well below the World Health Organization and U.S. Food and Drug Administrations recommended limit of 10 ng DNA/dose . In fact, as a previous Health Feedback review noted, this was acknowledged by the authors of one of the preprints that Malones claim relies on.

Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence or plausible mechanism suggesting that these DNA fragments would alter our genome.

Among the DNA sequences identified, the authors reported the presence of DNA derived from the simian virus 40 (SV40) in the Pfizer vaccine (but not Moderna). The SV40 virus has been found to cause cancer in some animals like hamsters[7,8] and had been the cause of a health scare when it was found to contaminate polio vaccine used in the fifties and sixties.

However, there is no evidence that SV40 increases the risk of cancer in humans, as we explained in one previous review. Furthermore, vaccine vials only contain fragments of one segment of the SV40 DNA, not the virus itself nor its full genetic sequence, which makes the risk of an interaction with our genome even less plausible.

As Health Canada, the Canadian health agency, said in a statement to Health Feedback:

The SV40 promoter enhancer sequence was found to be a residual DNA fragment in Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The fragment is inactive, has no functional role, and was measured to be consistently below the limit required by Health Canada and other international regulators.

Health Canada also told to The Epoch Times that:

The DNA plasmid used for the Pfizer vaccine production is linearised, degraded, and reduced in quantity through additional steps. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that linearised or fragmented DNA is capable of translocating to the nucleus of cells.

Furthermore, even if residual DNA were to make it into our cells, theres also no evidence indicating this would lead to its integration into our DNA, causing mutations. Indeed, cells have mechanisms to recognize and target DNA entering the cells, as the presence of foreign DNA is interpreted as a signal of infection.

In fact, there are already a number of vaccines in use that contain DNA, such as the COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccines, as well as the chickenpox vaccine (the virus for chickenpox is a DNA virus). Yet they arent associated with genome modification or cancer.

It is also inaccurate to claim that regulators were unaware of residual DNA in the vaccines. Monitoring the presence of residual DNA in biological products and assessing its potential health concerns isnt new to regulatory agencies[9].

A document submitted by BioNTech to the European Medicines Agency, dated 19 February 2021, indicated that residual DNA was among the impurities that were quantified during the process of developing and validating the vaccine manufacturing process(Process- and product-related impurities including host cell genomic DNA, RNA, proteins, endotoxins, bioburden and plasmid isoforms, for the plasmid DNA, are routinely quantified).

Emails released by The Epoch Times also show that Health Canada was aware of the presence of residual plasmid DNA as a process-related impurity during review and prior to the authorisation of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Finally, Malone also mentioned turbo cancers, that we are allegedly seeing arise. While there is no official definition of what turbo cancer is, the name implies that this is a rapidly progressing, aggressive form of cancer.

Yet, the National Cancer Institute explained that There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, lead to recurrence, or lead to disease progression. In fact, cases of alleged turbo cancers are merely a narrative built on anecdotal accounts and have no basis in fact.

Excerpt from:

Residual DNA in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is documented, isnt associated with genome modification or cancer ... - Health Feedback

Pfizers plunging COVID-19 product demand has spurred a companywide cost-cutting campaign, with nearly 200 jobs now on the chopping block in Michigan.

The New York drug giant is cutting roughly 200 positions at its Kalamazoo, Michigan, site following a review of demand for its COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and antiviral Paxlovid, a spokesperson saidFriday.

Pfizer blamed the job cuts on lower-than-expected utilization for COVID-19 products." The companydoes not take these changes lightly," the Pfizer representative added.

All decisions that impact people, processes and initiatives will be made with transparency, compassion and respect, Pfizers spokesperson said over email. We also remain committed to our patients and will continue to produce the COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand."

The move comes after the Big Pharma unveiled a COVID cost-cutting campaign designed to achieve $3.5 billion in savings by the end of 2024.

Earlier this month, Pfizer slashed its 2023 revenue projection by $9 million, which the company blamed on a $7 billion decrease in its projection for sales of oral antiviral Paxlovid plus a $2 billion cut for its BioNTech-partnered COVID vaccine Comirnaty.

Meanwhile, Pfizer recently confirmed plans to shutter its Peapack, New Jersey, facility in early 2024. Of the roughly 791 positions affected, the "vast majority" of workers will be reassigned to Pfizer's New York headquarters, a company spokesperson said earlier this week.

The latest move in Kalamazoo comes after Pfizer threw down $750 million to upgrade that site late in 2022.

Aside from coronavirus vaccines, Pfizer also uses its Kalamazoo plant to make its oral COVID antiviral Paxlovid. As part of a production push for the med, Pfizer last summersaidit would create hundreds of highly skilled jobs at the site, which is among the companys largest.

In June 2022, the company formally unveiled a $120 million investment at the Kalamazoo campus alongside plans to create 250 new jobs, with the aim tobolsterproduction of Paxlovid.

Read this article:

Pfizer axes 200 jobs in Michigan amid COVID cost-cutting spree - FiercePharma

AstraZeneca in partnership with the University of Oxford developed one of the first vaccines against Covid-19. The vaccine, which used an adenovirus to smuggle instructions into human cells to make antibodies against the novel coronavirus, saved countless lives. But a problem soon emerged. A tiny proportion about one in 50,000 of those vaccinated developed blood clots.

This blood clot syndrome is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT. In people with this condition, something goes wrong with the immune response and people make antibodies that can stick to one of the bodys own proteins.

The protein is called platelet factor 4 (PF4). We know that in the course of infection, many people make antibodies that stick to PF4 as part of the immune response, but these antibodies usually stick weakly. In VITT, antibodies form that can stick to PF4 like superglue.

The antibodies in VITT glue PF4 molecules together, forming large structures known as immune complexes. These complexes bind to and activate small cells called platelets that are vital for blood clotting. Normally, platelets float around in the blood in an inactive state, but once activated they spread out, get very sticky, and spew out hundreds of different chemicals.

In VITT, platelets are strongly activated and this causes blood clots. The blood clots commonly affect the veins surrounding the brain, which is a very unusual and rare site for clots. Many people with VITT reported excruciating headaches, which continue to affect survivors.

Billions of platelets get used up in these clots, leading to low numbers of platelets in the blood. In some patients, this led to serious bleeding and nearly one in four died. Many survivors are also have life-long, disabling symptoms.

In just two and a half years, doctors and scientists around the world have begun to unravel the secrets of VITT. How VITT causes clots and why some people get it is a main area of work. Through understanding this, potential treatments are also being discovered.

So far, there is only one genetic clue as to why some people get VITT. A variation of a gene that makes parts of antibodies is linked to VITT and this is more common in people of European descent Europeans seem to be at higher risk of VITT. There must be other genes involved, but they are tricky to find. In the UK, scientists have done DNA sequencing on over 200 patients with VITT and results are expected soon.

In our lab, we work on how platelets get activated in VITT. In 2021, our team showed the main mechanism for platelet activation and have recently discovered another mechanism. In a test tube, we can block this activation with commonly used medicines.

We also see a lot of variation in how platelets from healthy people respond to PF4 and VITT antibodies. We think that this variation in responses is a reason why some people get VITT. We are doing more work to find out the differences between platelets of high and low responders.

Another major puzzle with VITT is why so many people have clots in the brain. To put this into perspective, spontaneous clots in the brain are very rare. They only affect around three or four people in a million a year, yet over half of the patients with VITT had these clots.

There are some theories about why clots in the brain happen more in patients with VITT. These include the speed of blood flow, and the stickiness of PF4 and antibodies to the blood vessels. Recently, Canadian scientists showed that patients whose antibodies stick to PF4 the strongest are most likely to get clots in the brain.

Although adenoviral vaccines have saved millions of lives, they have fallen out of favour in developed countries because of the risk of VITT. However, these vaccines are still widely used in low-income countries. They are highly effective, cheap, and much easier to store and transport than mRNA vaccines such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs.

Improving the knowledge of VITT has also prompted scientists to look more closely at other patients with unexplained blood clots. Remarkably, more and more patients with clots, low platelets, and VITT-like antibodies are being found. These cases are unrelated to vaccination.

Recently, a VITT-like syndrome was reported in two patients after adenovirus infection rather than vaccination. Testing for these antibodies will probably become routine for patients with unexplained blood clots.

Most importantly, imagine a new pandemic that is a lot more dangerous than Covid-19 perhaps a third of people who catch it die. There would be panic and chaos. We would desperately need adenoviral vaccines despite the risk of VITT. Thats why its important to understand VITT inside and out.

Richard Buka is Haematology Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow, University of Birmingham.

Samantha Montague is Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham.

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New research has clues about why Covid vaccine led to blood clots in some people - Scroll.in

Vials containing Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are displayed after being used during the second booster vaccination program held at a church, in Santiago, Chile, February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado Acquire Licensing Rights

NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Its hard to imagine Pfizer (PFE.N), which invented one of the main vaccines that protect against Covid-19, is worth less now than it was before the pandemic. Yet thats what the pharmaceutical companys $170 billion market capitalization suggests, with year-long fears about declining vaccine demand coming to fruition in third-quarter results. Its an over-reaction, even if Pfizers Covid therapies were to prove worthless.

Pfizer reported plummeting demand for its Covid vaccines and treatments, with an overall revenue decline of over 40% compared to last year, and a $2.4 billion loss that included a $5.6 billion charge for Covid inventory write-offs. Pfizer now thinks 2023 revenue from shots and pills for the disease will total about $12.5 billion, over a 75% decrease from last year.

Thats more than accounted for in the stock. Pfizers non-Covid revenue this year should be around $47 billion and is growing around 7% a year. Peers trade at around 5 times sales, and if Pfizer did too its enterprise value would be about $235 billion. Instead its almost 20% less, and the stock is worth one-fifth less than it was at the end of 2019. Whats more, Pfizer has made a string of cashacquisitions totaling about $70 billion since 2020, suggesting the pandemic should have left it stronger, even if its line-up of Covid defenses is getting only weaker. (By Robert Cyran)

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Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

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Breakingviews - Pfizer can recover from its post-Covid fatigue - Reuters

10 minutes ago

Liz from Marlborough lives in a state of anxiety because of frequent shingles attacks

People are being invited to take part in a new research study looking at providing a shingles vaccine combined with the Covid-19 or flu jab.

Researchers at the University of Bristol are seeing if giving protection against shingles at the same time as the other vaccines can boost immunity.

One in three people will get shingles in their lifetime. It occurs when an old chickenpox infection is reactivated and causes a painful rash.

The trial is open to people over 50.

Liz, from Marlborough, said her life has been blighted by shingles since her first attack six years ago.

The retired mother-of-three, who has had five separate infections, said: "It actually attacked the sciatic nerve. I already have a spine problem.

"I went back to see my back specialist. He said there's nothing we can do until you are through the shingles and it was about six months before I was really clear of it."

She added: "I am nervous and a worrier by nature. But shingles has made it 100 times worse.

"It's anxiety, about everything, about meeting new people, going to new places, travelling, even something as simple as going for a coffee morning."

With the body's immune system keeping it in check, the virus can remain inactive in the nervous system for decades and flare up later in life.

Researchers at the University of Bristol are now testing the safety and immune responses of giving the shingles vaccine at the same time as the flu or Covid vaccine and are welcoming volunteers to take part in the study, sponsored by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW).

The 'ZosterFluCOV' study is coordinated by the Bristol Trials Centre and similar trials are taking place across the UK, including at North Bristol NHS Trust.

Dr Rajeka Lazarus is chief investigator for the trial

Dr Rajeka Lazarus, consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at UHBW is chief investigator for the trial.

She said: "The number of vaccines available to prevent infection in older adults has increased over the past ten years and is likely to increase further.

"We hope this study will provide evidence to improve how we offer vaccines to older adults."

In the UK, a shingles vaccine is offered to people when they reach 65-years-old with flu and Covid jabs also offered to people in this age group.

If the shingles vaccine could be offered during the same appointment, it would save having to make several trips to the GP.

The vaccine stops most people getting shingles but those that still get it will have a milder and shorter illness. People who have suffered with shingles in the past can still take the vaccine as it will boost immunity.

Meanwhile, another trial in the West Country is trying to find out if patients newly-diagnosed with shingles can be helped with anti-depressants.

Researchers from the University of Bristol want to see amitriptyline can prevent post-herpetic neuralgia, a condition which causes intermittent or continuous nerve pain in an area of skin previously affected by shingles.

Read more:

Shingles patients in West Country needed for vaccine trial - BBC.com

Besides Pfizers fast-declining COVID-19 sales, vaccine rival GSK is giving the New York drugmaker another reason to worry.

In the first round of their RSV vaccine showdown, GSKs Arexvy pulled down709 million pounds ($860 million) in the third quarter, more than doubling the $375 millionhaul from Pfizers Abrysvo during the same period.

In what GSK CEO Emma Walmsley called an outstanding U.S. launch, Arexvy sales came in nearly 100% above Wall Street analysts expectations.

The key point here for GSK is this pivot to the prevention agenda, which is just better for everybodyburdened healthcare systems, budgets, patients [and general practitioners], GSK CEO Emma Walmsley said Wednesday during a press call.

After approvals earlier this year, both vaccines are being launched into their first RSV season. The FDA cleared the two shots to prevent RSV in individuals 60 years of age and older in May, with GSK 28 days ahead of Pfizer.

At retail sites, which comprisethe majority of the older-adultRSV market, Arexvy is getting two-thirds of the share in the U.S., Walmsley said.

For Arexvys launch, GSK chose to highlight the vaccines 94.6% efficacy in older adults with some underlying medical conditions, a message that seems to resonate well with strong [healthcare provider] recognition, GSKs chief commercial officer Luke Miels said on an investor call.

These people are the most vulnerable to RSV and represent 95% of RSV infection-related hospitalizations, Walmsley noted. In a more general older-adult population, Arexvy reduced the risk of developing RSV-related respiratory diseases by 82.6% in a clinical trial.

GSK expects Arexvy will slow down somewhat in the fourth quarter, given the seasonality of RSV and the preventative nature of the vaccine. Still, Arexvy is set to reach blockbuster status in its first year of launch, GSK figures.

The company projects full-year sales will land above 900 million pounds ($1.1 billion) but below 1 billion pounds ($1.22 billion).

As Walmsley repeatedly stressed during the press briefing and a separate call with investors, its the first season for any RSV vaccine, and much remains unknown.

For now, GSK is modeling an uptake pattern for Arexvy thats similar to a flu shot, Miels said. More than 90% the immunizations for older adults are going through the retail setting, rather than in doctors offices. And GSK doesnt expect that to materially change, he said.

Well just see what peoples enthusiasm is over the next couple of weeks, Miels said. Clearly, awareness is very high, [and] intention to recommend is very high.

But to GSK, the uncertainty only lies in the short-term prediction for Arexvy. In the long term, GSK is very certain that Arexvywill reach more than 3 billion pounds in peak sales, Miles said.

According to a chart Miels presented during the investor call, Arexvy reached about 1.4 million people in the U.S. during the third quarter, while Pfizers Abrysvo reached fewerthan 800,000. The total population of older adults at risk for RSV is 83 million people in the U.S., Walmsley pointed out.

Meanwhile, Pfizer has one notable advantage over GSK in their RSV battle. Besides the older-adultlabel, Abrysvo in August won FDA approval as a maternal vaccine to prevent RSV in infants. But the Pfizer shot also needs to compete with Sanofi and AstraZenecas antibody Beyfortus, which is given directly to infants.

In contrast to Arexvys market-beating performance, GSKs flagship product, shingles vaccine Shingrix, missed analysts consensus by 5% despite a 15% increase at constant currencies over the same period last year.

GSK attributed Shingrixs underperformance to a decline in the U.S. thanks to a challenging comparator period in which there was higher non-retail purchasing.

Miels pointed to a recentcommercialization collaboration GSKsigned in China with local vaccine giant Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products as a future growth driver for Shingrix. The deal materially expands the number of Chinese adults who can benefit from Shingrixand willaccelerate our expectations for Shingrix sales to reach more than 4 billion pounds by 2026, he said.

Thanks in part to Arexvys outstanding showing, GSK raised its full-year revenue guidance. The drugmaker now expects 2023 sales to grow between 12% and 13%, versus 8% to 10% previously. In the vaccines department specifically, GSK expects sales to jumparound 20% for 2023.

GSKs total sales came in at 22.3 billion pounds in the first nine months of the year, including 8.1 billion from the third quarter.

Read more:

GSK crushed Pfizer in first round of RSV vaccine showdown - FiercePharma

First flu deaths of 2023-24 season reported in North Carolina, health officials urge vaccination

FILE - The flu vaccine. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)

WLOS

Two adults in the western part of North Carolina died due to complications of influenza in October, marking the first flu deaths of the 2023-24 flu season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS] announced Wednesday.

First%20flu%20deaths%20of%202023-24%20season%20reported%20in%20North%20Carolina,%20health%20officials%20urge%20vaccination

Officials say one person had tested positive for both influenza and COVID-19. To protect the privacy of both families, additional information will not be released.

We know both flu and COVID-19 can lead to severe complications and even death in some cases, said State Epidemiologist Zack Moore, M.D., MPH. As flu season ramps up and COVID-19 is still circulating, it is very important for people to get their annual vaccines, practice good hand hygiene and stay home when sick.

Influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all circulating now and are expected to increase over the coming months.

Officials say vaccinations are the best way to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from these infections. Vaccinations are especially important for those at higher risk of severe viral respiratory disease, including people 65 years and older, children younger than 5, pregnant women, those with a weakened immune system and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all people aged 6 months and older receive a fall COVID-19 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine. RSV vaccinations are also available to protect older adults and for pregnant women during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy to protect infants. Parents should talk with their health care provider about other options to protect infants from severe RSV disease.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at pharmacies, private medical offices, some federally qualified health care centers and local health departments. To find flu or COVID-19 vaccines near you, click HERE.

In addition to vaccines, the following precautions should be taken to protect against the spread of respiratory viruses:

Detailed information about actions you can take to protect yourself and others can be found HERE.

You cannot tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 by the symptoms alone. Early testing and treatment with an antiviral drug can help prevent flu and COVID-19 infections from becoming more serious. Treatment is especially important for those who are at high risk of serious complications based on their age or medical conditions.

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First flu deaths of 2023-24 season reported in North Carolina, health officials urge vaccination - WLOS

There are shortages of an RSV vaccine for infants due to supply issues.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a notice last week citing "limited availability" of the long-acting monoclonal antibody immunization Beyfortus (nirsevimab).

The product is recommended by the CDC for preventing disease from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children up to 24 months of age.

FLU PREVENTION TIPS FROM FLORIDA'S SURGEON GENERAL: A DAY-TO-DAY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS KEY

Beyfortus maker Sanofi said in a statement to Fox News Digital that "unprecedented demand" has been higher than anticipated, leading to limited supply.

The shortage primarily affects 100mg-dose prefilled syringes used for infants weighing less than 11 pounds.

The logo of Sanofi is seen at the French drugmaker's vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur plant in Marcy-l'Etoile, near Lyon, France, on Sept. 30, 2023. Sanofi makes the monoclonal antibody immunization Beyfortus (nirsevimab). (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)

"For the first time in history, health care providers are able to help protect an extraordinary number of infants against RSV disease," a Sanofi spokesperson said.

"Despite an aggressive supply plan built to outperform past pediatric immunization launches, demand for this product, especially for the 100-mg doses used primarily for babies born before the RSV season, has been higher than anticipated," the spokesperson also said.

NEW COVID VACCINE PUSH IS ANTI-HUMAN, SAYS FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL: MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN

Sanofi is working in "close collaboration" with the CDC and its partner, AstraZeneca, to ensure "equitable distribution" of available doses through the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), the spokesperson added.

This illustration provided by AstraZeneca depicts packaging for the medication Beyfortus. (AstraZeneca/AP)

As supply is short, the CDC recommended prioritizing available 100-mg injections for those who are at the highest risk of severe infection, including infants who are younger than 6 months or who have underlying conditions.

Health care providers should avoid using two 50-mg doses for infants weighing more than 11 pounds to preserve that supply for the babies who weigh less, the agency stated.

ILLINOIS REPORTS FIRST MEASLES CASE SINCE 2019: ONE OF THE MOST CONTAGIOUS DISEASE KNOWN

The CDC also encouraged suspending the use of nirsevimab in children aged 8 months to 19 months who are eligible to receive the alternative immunization Synagis (palivizumab), which is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The antibodies in injections like nirsevimab last five months, according to a pediatrician. (iStock)

Prenatal care physicians should also inform pregnant patients about the supply concerns and discuss options for them to receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, the CDC noted.

Families should be "aware of everyday preventive measures to limit the spread of RSV and other respiratory illnesses" which includes washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when symptoms occur, the agency said.

In very young infants, the symptoms of RSV may be lethargy, trouble breathing and irritability, per the CDC.

Other signs include runny nose, coughing, sneezing, decreased appetite, fever and wheezing.

RSV is common in the fall and winter, Dr. Denise Scott, a JustAnswer expert pediatrician based in Oklahoma, told Fox News Digital.

"As a pediatrician, I have always dreaded RSV season, knowing how much illness it creates in babies and how many hospitalizations."

For patients who are under 6 months old or who have an underlying heart or lung condition, it can potentially be "very serious, even fatal," she said.

"Because it is a viral infection, there is no specific treatment or cure, only supportive therapy," the doctor said.

"The body does not develop immunity to it; however, subsequent infections are usually not as severe as a first-time infection."

Injections are recommended for infants under 8 months or infants from 8 to 19 months with an underlying condition that puts them at risk for more severe complications, a pediatrician said. (iStock)

RSV infection during infancy can increase the child's risk for the development of asthma, the pediatrician added.

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One RSV injection will suffice for the whole season and can reduce hospitalizations by 80%, according to the CDC.

"As a pediatrician, I have always dreaded RSV season, knowing how much illness it creates in babies and how many hospitalizations," Scott said.

One RSV injection will suffice for the whole season and can reduce hospitalizations by 80%, according to the CDC. (iStock)

"It is exciting to see that this disease, like many others with preventive measures, may soon be diminished in frequency and severity."

For adults looking to protect themselves against RSV, there are multiple vaccine options available.

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Walgreens confirmed to Fox News Digital in an email that both Pfizer and GSK vaccines for RSV are available, with "plenty of supply to meet demand."

For more Health articles, visit http://www.foxnews.com/health.

Read the original:

RSV vaccine shortage for babies: What parents need to know to keep infants safe - Fox News

By LINDA BOYLE

It doesnt seem to matter that even the Centers for Disease Control has stated the new Covid vaccine isnt effective except for 3% of the current strain, even at the time when the vaccine hit the streets.

There are newer Covid strains around today; so how good is this vaccine at stopping anything?

But never fear. The Alaska Department of Health wants you to know they have the vaccine and if you cant afford it, they have grants to get this into your arm.

This mRNA technology has not yet been proven safe and has had very limited studies before approving it for human use. Some of the Covid boosters were only tested on nine mice.

There have been no Covid deaths in Alaska since April 15, 2023, per the State of Alaska web page:

Yet the Boys and Girls Club of Alaska has these vaccine clinics available for the most vulnerable among usour children.

So how vulnerable to Covid are our children? One would think Covid deaths among children must be rampant to cause the government to push these vaccinations.

Here is a chart from the State of Alaska web page showing the number of deaths from Covid vs. age demographics:

Note that the very small death rate for the ages less than 20 years is less than one percentbarely visible on the left chart.And 27% of the Alaska population is less than 20 years old.

There have been minimal deaths from Covid since March, 2022.

Additionally, there have been no deaths in children under the age of 18 for the entire Northwest Region 10, which includes Alaska for the entire year 2023.

This hardly seems like a vaccine we should be pushing on Alaskas children.

Perhaps we should instead be educating Alaskans about the importance of taking vitamin D, especially as we watch winter set in, and the hours of sunlight continue to shrink.

Rather than push an ineffective vaccine, which can have many bad side-effects, why doesnt the State push vitamin D?

Vitamin D is critical to a robust immune system. Studies show high levels of this vitamin in the body were found to prevent fatalities caused by the Covid-19 infection.

A study based on data from Israels first two waves of Covid showed people with a vitamin D deficiency were 14 times more likely to have a severe or critical case of Covid-19. Additionally, the mortality rate for those with insufficient vitamin D levels was 25.6%, compared with 2.3% among those with adequate levels.

In 2013, former State Rep. Paul Seaton recommended a program to get more vitamin D to all Alaskans.People were appalled that this was even a topic of legislation.

Perhaps vitamin D should have been strongly recommended by the Alaska Department of Health and may have saved Alaskan lives.You can find vitamin D on their web page, but only if you scroll down many pages to find it.

Buried among the recommendations, it notes that theAlaska Vitamin D Work Group recommends supplementing vitamin D above the national recommendations for Alaska infants and pregnant women.

The State also acknowledges that forpeople with low vitamin D levels, getting more vitamin D can help improve health outcomes.

One would have thought the Alaska Department of Health would have seen this as a higher priority for the State as we head into further winter darkness.

Maybe the State should be buying vitamin D supplements for its population instead of pushing a vax that doesnt work.It could even make the vitamin free.

More could be gained by that strategy, to include assisting with other infectious diseases and building ones immunity.

The goal of Public Health, after all ,is to keep its citizens safe and protected.Yet that approach doesnt fit the current narrative pushed by the Centers for Disease Control.A lot of money was spent to manufacture and buy these vaccines.

The State has a priority it seems: to deplete its vaccine stockpile.Thankfully, only 2% of the American population is even interested in getting it.

So, which is it? Vitamin D supplements or endless Covid vaccines? Its your body, and your choice.

The rest is here:

Linda Boyle: Why is Alaska pushing Covid vaccine instead of focusing on vitamin D? - Must Read Alaska