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Countries cautioned on rush to vaccinate children
24 Nov, 2021 17:39
Adults and those with more risk factors remain the number one priority for vaccination, not children, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged, saying wealthy nations should share those extra vaccine supplies with poorer ones.
In guidance issued on Wednesday, the WHO noted that since children are at lower risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms than adults, wealthy countries should be sharing their vaccines with poorer ones, rather than prioritizing vaccinating the youngest population. Older people and high-risk groups remain the greatest burden of Covid-19.
"As children and adolescents tend to have milder disease compared to adults, unless they are in a group at higher risk of severe COVID-19, it is less urgent to vaccinate them than older people, those with chronic health conditions and health workers," the guidance said.
It also noted that many parts of the world “face extreme vaccine shortages” and countries that have vaccinated their highest-risk citizens should “prioritize global sharing” instead of giving jabs to kids.
Wealthy countries were urged to share their vaccines with the COVAX initiative, which is aiming for a fair and equitable distribution of vaccines across the world.
The WHO acknowledged that even though children can experience ‘long COVID-19,’ which includes long-term symptoms, this was still under investigation. The same risk factors that apply to adults – such as obesity, asthma, and heart disease – also apply to children.
The advice is in contrast with recent developments around the world and comes as many countries have begun authorizing vaccines for children in hopes of keeping infections down as we head into winter. Countries already vaccinating children include the US, UK, EU, Canada, China, India, and Israel.
Of course, there is no need for the drugs in most African countries because most people are immune to Covid-19 because of an absence of the Neanderthal gene.
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WHO warns about unintended effect of vaccines
24 Nov, 2021 16:29
The World Health Organisation (WHO) chief has warned vaccinated people to remain cautious when it comes to catching Covid-19 and not fall into a “false sense of security.”
“In many countries and communities, we are concerned about the false sense of security that vaccines have ended the pandemic and that people who are vaccinated do not need to take any other precautions,” the WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Wednesday at a press conference on the Covid-19 crisis in Europe.
Tedros warned that “no country or region is out of the woods” and underlined the importance of making sure that the “right measures are in place to avert the worst consequences of any future waves.” He also called for proper sharing of the “fruits of science.”
On Tuesday, the WHO starkly predicted that more than 2 million people might die of Covid-19 in Europe over the coming winter and that most of the countries could see their health systems overwhelmed by the surge.
In light of coronavirus numbers spiraling across the region, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) made the decision to change its previous stance on booster vaccines, now recommending them for all adults.
Austria has already entered a new national 10-day lockdown while other countries, including Germany, are mulling new restrictive measures and even mandatory vaccination. This week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued travel advisories telling Americans to avoid travel to Germany and Denmark due to the high-risk Covid situation.
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Western study with sample size of 3.7 million people suggests Sputnik V
best Covid-19 vaccine for preventing deaths
25 Nov, 2021 18:37
The Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has shown the best result in preventing Covid-19 mortality, compared to the other leading formulas, according to a comprehensive study based on Hungary’s mass-vaccination drive.
The comparative analysis of the performance of different jabs used in the central European country was unveiled, on Thursday, by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the sovereign wealth fund that bankrolled the jab's development.
“With 98% efficacy in preventing COVID-related mortality and 85.7% efficacy against coronavirus infection Sputnik V has demonstrated the best results among five vaccines (Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca) administered in EU member state Hungary as part of an independent study based on data from 3.7 million people,” the CEO of the RDIF, Kirill Dmitriev, said in a statement on Thursday.
While beating all the competitors in terms of protecting against coronavirus-related mortality, Sputnik V came second in Hungary in preventing the disease itself. The best result, in this category, was delivered by the US-made Moderna shot, which demonstrated 89% efficacy compared to 86% shown by Sputnik V.
The Russian-made shot also turned out to be “100% effective against COVID related deaths in individuals aged 16–44 years” according to the findings.
The new study comes a day after the RDIF presented the general public with an analysis of the long-term results of a mass-vaccination campaign in San Marino, which primarily used Sputnik V. Some 70% of the European microstate’s 34,000-strong population received the Russian-made jab.
The vaccine showed extremely high efficacy in San Marino, with “only 0.75 per 1,000 people” who were vaccinated with it ending up hospitalized. The jab also retained high efficacy over long periods, remaining some 80% effective against the disease from six to eight months after administering the second dose.
Sputnik V’s long-term efficacy “is much higher than officially published efficacy of mRNA vaccines,” the RDIF noted.
Recently, multiple studies sounded the alarm over a steep decline in efficacy demonstrated by these vaccines, with the issue affecting the shots by Pfizer and, to a lesser extent, Moderna.
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EU regulator approves Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11
25 Nov, 2021 12:20
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of the Pfizer Covid vaccine on 5- to 11-year-olds on Thursday, marking the first time the EU regulator has approved a Covid jab for use in young children.
In a statement released by the EMA, the drug regulator stated that it has “recommended granting an extension of indication for the [Pfizer] Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty to include use in children aged five to 11.”
This is the first time the EU regulator has given the green light to a Covid jab for this age group, allowing governments across Europe to begin vaccinating millions of school children, as nations seek to limit the impact of a new spate of infections on the continent.
Ahead of the EMA’s decision, several countries have already instructed their national drug regulators to explore giving the Pfizer vaccine to children as young as five. French Health Minister Olivier Veran has asked the nation’s medical ethics committee to explore expanding the rollout, while Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin differed to the country’s advisory committee, stating that the government is ready and waiting to vaccinate children.
The EMA’s ruling comes after Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a request to the EMA to expand the delivery of its mRNA jab to young children, having conducted a study back in September that showed a strong immune response in 5- to 11-year-olds.
While some nations have waited for EMA approval and a decision from their national regulator, Austria has already begun inoculating young children among a spike in Covid cases that forced the country back into a national lockdown.
The ability to roll out the Pfizer vaccine to young children follows a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) that over 2 million people could die from Covid across Europe during the winter.
Covid strain ‘worse than Delta’ found in 3 countries
25 Nov, 2021 11:49
Scientists are sounding the alarm, as what could be the most highly-evolved strain of the coronavirus has been discovered in patients in different parts of the world. Its resistance to vaccines adds to the concerns.
The latest known variant of Covid-19 has significant changes in its spikes, which could make it invincible to vaccination. It could be the most highly-evolved coronavirus strain yet, as 32 mutations have apparently been detected in it. The currently dominant, highly transmissible Delta strain, which has contributed to this year’s surge in cases globally, has at least 11 spike mutations.
Originally spotted in three patients in Botswana – and thus known as the Botswana variant – it has already been found in three countries since the first infections on November 11. Six cases have been detected in South Africa, and one more was later registered in Hong Kong, according to British media.
The Hong Kong patient recently traveled to China from South Africa – putting scientists on high alert, as the new variant could have spread anywhere through international travel. The patient is also said to be double vaccinated.
News of the mutated strain, known as B.1.1.529 and which could end up being named ‘Nu’, was shared by Tom Peacock, a virologist at London’s Imperial College Department of Infectious Disease. Describing the Botswana variant’s spike profile as “horrific,” he tweeted that it could be “worse antigenically than nearly anything else about.”
Warning that the new variant has a “very long branch length and really awful spike mutation profile,” the virologist said it “very, very much should be monitored.” On the bright side, according to researchers, the high number of mutations could mean the variant is unstable, which might prevent it from becoming widespread.
So far, Covid-19 has killed more than five million people globally, with over 259.5 million infected.
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