DR DOUG QUARRY
In this edition:
1. Vaccine Development, Efficacy and SafetyΒ
1.1 CDC reassures about the safety of Pfizer and Moderna vaccinesΒ
1.2 Update on Pfizer vaccine trials in children
1.3 COVID vaccine reducing risk of hospitalisations
1.4 UK data shows 70% decline in COVID infections after first Pfizer shot
1.5 Pfizer studying effect of third dose and preparing for an updated vaccine
1.6 Pfizer asks FDA to approve storage of COVID vaccine in standard freezers
1.7 New Data Boost Calls for Single COVID-19 Vaccine Dose
1.8 We donβt know if the AstraZeneca vaccine prevents serious illness
1.9 Cuban Government on the brink of a successful COVID-19 vaccine
2. Vaccine DistributionΒ
2.1 Jab but no tab: Israeli bar offers free drinks with vaccine shots
2.2 President Biden to pledge $4 billion to COVAX vaccine program at G7 meeting
2.3 Wealthy nations stockpiling a billion more COVID-19 shots than neededΒ
2.4 US health officials urge countries to share COVID-19 vaccines
2.5 Forty-three million doses of Chinaβs Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine administered
2.6 Air New Zealand to trial digital coronavirus vaccination passportΒ Β
1. Vaccine Development, Efficacy & Safety
1.1 CDC reassures about safety of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
Reuters reports that the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has released a report for adverse events recorded with the use of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
During the period 14 December 2020 to 13 January 2021, 6,994 reports of adverse events after vaccination were recorded with 90.8% of them classified as non-serious and 9.2% as serious.
βRare cases of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction requiring medical attention, were reported with bothΒ vaccines at a rate of 4.5 cases per million doses administered, down from the agencyβs previouslyΒ reported rate of 5 per million doses administered.Β
ββHealthcare providers and vaccine recipients can be reassured about the safety of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines,β the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.β
1.2 Update on Pfizer vaccine trials in children
CNBC reports that: βPfizer said it had fully enrolled its COVID-19 vaccine trial in children aged 12 to 15, aΒ key step before the vaccine could be used in that age group.Β
βPfizer declined to say when it expected results from the trial, which are dependent on the rate of infections observed to be able to compare the rates in the placebo group to those receiving the vaccine.β
In addition, in an interview on PBS, Dr Fauci said that Pfizer is extending the trial for their COVID-19 vaccine to children from ages five years and up. He said that, if it goes well, children five years and up could beΒ vaccinated in Fall of 2021.Β
1.3 COVID vaccine reducing risk of hospitalisations
Reuters reports that Scotlandβs vaccination drive suggests that both the Pfizer-BioNtech and Oxford AstraZeneca shots are highly effective in preventing severe infections.
Results of the study, which covered the entire Scottish population of 5.4 million people, showed that by the fourth week after the initial dose:Β
β’ The Pfizer vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by 85%, and
β’ The AstraZeneca vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by 94%
International SOS comment: As these are the comments of the lead researcher and have not been peerΒ reviewed, cognitive bias may be present.Β
BBC reports that researchers did not look at the impact on transmission – whether people who wereΒ vaccinated passed it on – or whether immunity waned over time.Β
1.4 UK data shows 70% decline in COVID infections after first Pfizer shot
Reuters reports that βEnglandβs coronavirus vaccine campaign is significantly reducing cases of COVID-19, with a drop of around 70% in infections among healthcare workers who have had a first dose of theΒ Pfizer-BioNTech shot.Β
Single dose prevents hospitalisation,Β
βData analysed by Public Health England (PHE) showed the Pfizer vaccine provided high levels of protection against infection and symptomatic disease from a single dose, and that hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 will be reduced by more than 75% in elderly people who have had a first dose.β
1.5 Pfizer studying effect of third dose and preparing for an updated vaccine
CNN reports that Pfizer is beginning a study to investigate if a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine makes it more effective against variants.
“βWe have seen no real-world evidence to date that suggests a significant reduction in protection providedΒ by our current vaccine. However, we are preparing to respond quickly and initiating a study to investigateΒ the effectiveness of a third-dose booster of our current vaccine in trial participants who have alreadyΒ received two doses,β John Young, the company’s Chief Business Officer, said in written testimony ahead ofΒ a House Sub Committee hearing.
βYoung said Pfizer is also discussing clinical study designs with the US Food and Drug Administration toΒ βinvestigate the safety and immunogenicity of an updated vaccineβ that involves a change to its vaccine to target an emerging variant.βΒ
1.6 Pfizer asks FDA to approve storage of COVID vaccine in standard freezers
A Pfizer press release reports that Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted data to the US Food and DrugΒ Administration (FDA) demonstrating that their COVID-19 vaccine can be safely stored at temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators.Β
1.7 New data boost calls for single COVID-19 vaccine dose
A single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers 92.6% efficacy in new calculations based on dataΒ submitted to the FDA, researchers report in Medscape (password protected site).Β
Together with previous findings that a single Moderna vaccine dose provides 92.1% efficacy againstΒ SARS-CoV-2 infection, investigators propose it is time to defer the second dose to extend protection to more people through single-dose mRNA vaccinations.Β
1.8 We donβt know if the AstraZeneca vaccine prevents serious illness
The New York Times reports analyses the finding that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine-producedΒ antibodies had a reduced neutralisation of the B.1.135 βSouth Africanβ variant.Β Β
βThe findings were far from conclusive: they came from a small clinical trial that enrolled fewer than 2,000Β people. And they did not preclude what some scientists say is the likelihood that the vaccine protects against severe disease from the variant β a key indicator of whether the virus will overwhelm hospitalsΒ and kill people.Β
βBecause the trial participants in South Africa were relatively young and unlikely to become severely ill, itΒ was impossible for the scientists to determine if the vaccine protected people from hospitalisation orΒ death.βΒ
1.9 Cuban Government on the brink of a successful COVID-19 vaccine
The New York Times reports that the Cuban Government says it is on the brink of a successful COVID-19 vaccine invented in Cuba. It is planning mass production for export. The first of four vaccines – βSovereign 2β – developed by Cuban scientists will enter Phase 3 trials in March.
Cuba is already floating the idea of enticing tourists with the cocktail of sun, sand and a shot of βSovereign!β
2. Vaccine Distribution
2.1 Jab but no tab: Israeli bar offers free drinks with vaccine shots
Reuters reports that an Israeli bar doubled as a COVID-19Β vaccination clinic on Thursday, with free drinks given to those whoΒ got the shots.Β
2.2 President Biden to pledge $4 billion to COVAX vaccine program at G7 meeting
Reuters reports that: βThe Biden administration will pledge $4 billion to a vaccination program for poorerΒ countries at a global economic summit on 26 February in hopes that other countries will follow suit andΒ contribute additional funds”, US officials said on a Thursday press call.Β
2.3 Rich nations stockpiling a billion more COVID-19 shots than needed
Reuters reports that: βRich countries are on course to have over a billion more doses of COVID-19Β vaccines than they need, leaving poorer nations scrambling for leftover supplies as the world seeks toΒ curb the coronavirus pandemic, a report by anti-poverty campaigners found on 19 February.βΒ
2.4 US health officials urge countries to share COVID-19 vaccines
CNN reports that: βTop US public health officials backed the World Health Organizationβs (WHO) call for more attention to equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine during a WHO briefing on 22 February.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the US should not only focus on equitable production and distribution of vaccines domestically, but should also prioritize global accessibility to vaccines.
βWe (must) realize that this is a global pandemic, requiring a global response,β Fauci said. βAn outbreak in any part of the world is an outbreak for the entire world.β
2.5 Forty-three million doses of Chinaβs Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine administered
The Global Times reports that: βForty-three million shots of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by ChineseΒ company Sinopharm have been administrated; 34 million in China and nine million in other countries.Β Β
βThe annual production could reach four billion by the end of 2022, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
βChina has clinical trials for 16 COVID-19 vaccine candidates with six in Phase 3, according to the National Medical Products Administration.
βEighteen production lines for COVID-19 vaccines have been established.
βThe nation’s annual COVID-19 vaccines production capacity is expected to reach 2 billion doses by the end of 2021 and 4 billion by the end of 2022, Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association told CCTV.β
2.6 Air New Zealand to trial digital coronavirus vaccination passport
Air New Zealand has announced it will trial a digital vaccination passport on flights between Auckland and Sydney from April.
The trial of the βTravel Passβ app, developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), will allow travellers to create a ‘digital health wallet’ that is linked to their passport.
Once they have been tested or vaccinated, the lab can securely send that information to the app, which is then cross-checked against the travel requirements for the country they hoped to visit.
βTravel Passβ is one of four leading contenders which would allow passengers to share their vaccination or testing records.
The airline says the app should speed up the check-in process and give travellers confidence everyone else on board has met government requirements.
