Tag Archives: vaccination

disease, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals, Public health

Preparing for a Safer Respiratory Season: What You Need to Know About Flu Shots for Children is More Important Than Ever

Leave a comment

Fall traditionally heralds the return of pumpkin spice lattes, cozy sweaters, and colorful foliage. However, it also marks the onset of the flu season, and this year, as in the past couple of years, it includes a continued struggle with COVID-19 and the rise of another concerning virus, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). As we approach another potential “tripledemic,” there is new hope with updated vaccines for COVID-19, RSV, and the annual flu shot.

The Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

The COVID-19 situation remains fluid, with variants such as Omicron’s descendant, XBB.1.5, throwing new challenges at healthcare professionals and vaccine manufacturers alike. Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax have updated their COVID-19 vaccines to target this specific variant. With FDA approval expected soon, these shots are an integral part of the plan to avoid another catastrophic respiratory season.

Effectiveness

Recent lab tests indicate that the updated COVID-19 vaccines will offer crossover protection against the most prevalent coronavirus strains. While earlier vaccinations offered some defense, especially against severe disease and death, their efficacy waned. This warning makes the updated booster shots crucial for continued protection.

The Importance of the Flu Vaccine

Influenza is no minor adversary. It poses significant risks to the young, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is recommended that anyone aged six months and older get an annual influenza vaccine. Seniors can choose from three kinds of flu shots designed to ramp up an older adult’s immune system more effectively.

RSV Vaccines Finally Arrive

RSV is the least discussed but equally worrying virus. While generally manifesting as a cold-like ailment, it can be deadly for children under five and older adults. New RSV vaccines from GSK and Pfizer are now approved for adults 60 and older and recommended for pregnant women to protect their newborns.

For Babies

Another preventative measure against RSV for infants is a lab-made antibody injection, recently approved and known as Beyfortus. This one-dose drug is recommended for all infants younger than eight months before their first RSV season.

Can You Get All the shots at Once?

Yes, you can. The CDC advises that receiving a flu shot and a COVID-19 shot simultaneously has no detrimental effects on their efficacy or side effects. For those who are eligible, adding an RSV shot to the mix could be discussed with healthcare providers.

A Call to Action

Seriously, with hospitalizations due to COVID-19, flu, and RSV putting tremendous strain on healthcare systems, taking preventative measures is more important than ever. Updated vaccines are weapons in our arsenal that can make a real difference. As we await more detailed advice from health organizations on the most effective way to use these vaccines, one message is clear: the more people get vaccinated, the safer we will be. So, this fall, consider it your civic duty to get your shots—not just for your health but for the community’s collective well-being.

September Is National Food Safety Education Month. (2016). In FEW’s News (Vol. 48, Issue 5, p. 3). Federally Employed Women, Inc.

Flu Shots for Children are More Important Than Ever. https://www.familiesfightingflu.org/getting-your-child-their-flu-shot-now-is-more-important-than-ever/

disease, drugs, Health, Public health

What You Should Know Regarding Monkeypox?

Leave a comment

Thousands of people have contracted monkeypox throughout the United States. The spread has been designated as an epidemic, which naturally arouses public concern. Discover who is at danger and how we can protect ourselves, our community, and our loved ones.

How does monkeypox spread?

It is essential to realize that viruses are not selective. They want just a host. The same holds true for monkeypox as for any other virus. To help reduce the spread of monkeypox, we must first eliminate its stigma. Anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or sexual orientation, is vulnerable.

It is evident that monkeypox is transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact. Identifying and reducing high-risk behaviors and settings is the most effective method of disease prevention.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following behaviors enhance the likelihood of acquiring monkeypox:

  • Close contact with a person or individuals who have been diagnosed with monkeypox or with a person or persons who have a rash that resembles monkeypox.
  • Close or close personal contact with people infected with monkeypox in a social network. Social networks might include individuals met at pubs, parties, on websites or via apps.
  • Sexual contact or intimate behavior with several partners in places where monkeypox is known to occur.
  • Within 21 days after sickness start, travel outside the United States to a nation with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox is endemic.
  • Occupational exposure to monkeypox or other orthopoxviruses, such as testing laboratory personnel or some public health personnel. In these situations, the right use of personal protective equipment will aid in reducing danger.

How can I reduce my infection risk?

As with any infectious illness, the pillars of infection prevention and control may be applied: When you are unwell, you should wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, lips, and face, and avoid contact with others. Avoid prolonged physical contact, contact with respiratory secretions, and contact with products or textiles used by someone with monkeypox to reduce your chance of developing the disease.

Is a monkeypox vaccination available?

Kansas City has provided the University of Kansas Health System with a restricted amount of vaccination doses. The health care system administers vaccinations to people who fulfill the qualifying requirements. Currently, the CDC advises immunization against:

People who are aware that a sexual partner has been diagnosed with monkeypox during the preceding 14 days.

Individuals who have had several sexual partners in the preceding 14 days in an area where monkeypox is known to exist.

Individuals who have reported any of the following during the preceding 14 days:

  • Sex with numerous partners or multiple partners.
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue or in conjunction with an event, location, or specified geographic region where transmission of monkeypox has been recorded.
  • We are devoted to providing everyone with high-quality care. If you are a current patient of the health system and feel you fulfill any of the eligibility requirements, contact your primary care physician or provider (by phone, text message, or MyChart message) for further information.
  • We must collaborate to eliminate the stigma associated with this condition and prioritize wellness. We highly urge persons at high risk or who are worried to communicate honestly with their healthcare professionals.
disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals, Public health

Did you know that Pfizer is intending to publish data on the fourth Covid injection in the near future, while also working on a vaccination for all variants?

Leave a comment

According to Pfizer’s CEO, the business is developing a vaccine that will protect against all coronavirus types. In addition, Pfizer is preparing to submit data to the FDA for a fourth Covid injection and additional vaccinations. A Covid vaccination has been administered to about 81.4 percent of the US population aged five and above. According to Pfizer’s CEO, the business is developing a vaccine that will protect against all coronavirus types. Pfizer intends to submit data for a fourth Covid injection to the Food and Drug Administration shortly.

The statements came two years after the World Health Organization designated Covid a pandemic. Due to the omicron wave, the number of persons vaccinated against Covidroids in the United States has declined dramatically since peaking in January of this year. Since then, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have given at least one vaccination dose to 81.4 percent of the American population aged five and above. “I believe the most pressing challenge for all of us is how to keep ahead of the virus,” said Ian Bourla, CEO of Pfizer.

Reference
What’s new in coronavirus: Pfizer is preparing to submit …. https://newyorklatestnews.com/whats-new-in-coronavirus-pfizer-is-preparing-to-submit-data-to-the-fda-about-children-aged-5-11-years/291946/

disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals, Public health

Warning about the Johnson & Johnson

Leave a comment

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a fresh warning about the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccination. The majority of the instances are recorded within two weeks after vaccination, and the majority of the victims are males over the age of 50. The administration’s attempts to increase vaccinations in places where skepticism about coronavirus vaccines is strong and the vaccination rate is low might be hampered by the new warning.

According to a frequently asked question (FAQ), 60 to 120 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome occur at a rate of 60 to 120 cases each week. According to reports, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has been linked to a rare but “likely indicates a small possible risk” sickness. An early warning safety network established by the CDC and FDA was alerted to the syndrome after reports were filed with the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). A doctor warns that the United States’ immunization efforts have “hit a brick wall.”He argues that the government should force vaccinations.

Vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna are now required by the FDA to include a warning about the dangers of coronavirus. Due to the difficulties at Johnson & Johnson’s Baltimore factory, approximately 75 million doses of the vaccine were thrown away. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are recommended for people 12 and older since the benefits of immunization substantially exceed the risks. A Boston man who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccination was the subject of a similar instance recounted in an editorial that appeared with the article.

Flu vaccination doses have regularly resulted in one or two more illnesses per 1 million doses delivered when there was an elevated risk. According to the group, there were examples of significant facial paralysis in the patients from England and India. Vaccine safety experts in Europe have advised that the AstraZeneca vaccine include a warning for Guillain-Barré.

Reference

FDA adds new warning on Johnson & Johnson vaccine related to rare autoimmune disorder. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/12/johnson-and-johnson-warning/

disease, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals

The effectiveness of vaccinations against new variants

Leave a comment

The effectiveness of vaccinations against new variants would also dictate when, where, and how often additional shots are needed. According to Pfizer’s latest trial, the two-dose vaccine appears extremely successful for at least six months, and potentially longer. Additionally, six months after receiving the second requisite injection, those that received Moderna’s vaccine retained significant amounts of virus-fighting antibodies. Although the new COVID-19 vaccines are expected to last at least a year, they are unlikely to have lifetime immunity, like measles vaccinations do, according to Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, a vaccine specialist at the University of Maryland. Present vaccinations are targeted against a specific spike protein found in coronaviruses, according to Mehul Suthar of the Emory Vaccine Center. If the virus evolves sufficiently over time, vaccinations may need to be modified to maintain efficacy.The vaccinations tend to be protective against the prominent strains that have arisen, albeit somewhat less so against the one initially discovered in South Africa.

Reference

How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?,https://www.woodtv.com/covid-19-vaccine/how-long-does-protection-from-covid-19-vaccines-last/

disease, drugs, Health

Pfizer will only be able to deliver 2.9 million doses in the first few days

Leave a comment

It is expected that Pfizer will only be able to deliver 2.9 million doses in the first few days and only up to 6.4 million doses by 19 December, according to Operation Warp Speed, the government’s vaccine effort.

“As part of the discussion on who should qualify for phase 1b access to the vaccine, ACIP has so far discussed individuals with high-risk medical conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), immunocompromised organ transplant status, obesity, severe heart disease, sickle cell disease, and type 2 diabetes,” said the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

For example, last month, the head of the Hawaii Healthcare Association told CNN that not a single hospital in Hawaii had a freezer that could remain cold enough to store Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and that the state may not have enough access to dry ice to make proper use of the company’s distribution boxes.

They resolve quickly, but CDC and other officials are worried that they might scare some people away from getting a second dose of vaccine and are preparing educational materials to let people know the symptoms are a sign that the vaccine is working to reactivate the body’s immune response and is harmless.

Vaccine counselors have already broken down priority groups into subgroups, and only the first people to receive vaccines have been identified.

Operation Warp Speed Chief Counselor Moncef Slaoui has projected that Pfizer and Moderna can make and deliver between 60 million and 70 million vaccines in January and hopes that two other vaccine makers, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, will join the vaccine mix in the coming months.

Moderna and Pfizer each claim that they can take up to a billion doses by the end of 2021, but Moderna say that it could be half that—a product that has never been sold before—and Pfizer has already severely adjusted its timeline for delivery of vaccines after unspecified manufacturing problems.

Slaoui said that up to 15% of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine participants had quite noticeable side effects,” including nausea, body aches, headaches, and chills.

Pfizer’s vaccine had its first scare in the US with a health worker in Juneau, Alaska, suffering from an allergic reaction.

“Around one in every million people who get a vaccine can have a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine,” Dr.

And what about the essential workers? ACIP’s expert bodies, including Johns Hopkins University and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, suggest it will be prudent to vaccinate those who work in food processing, emergency responders, and service workers before the general public.

The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine on Friday, and it is widely expected that EUA will give a similar vaccine to Moderna next week.

Reference

Trump says he is ‘not scheduled’ to take Covid-19 vaccine …. https://www.rt.com/usa/509567-trump-white-house-vaccine-later/

disease, Health

Resistance to Covid-19 infection remains for at least five months

Leave a comment

Resistance to Covid-19 infection remains for at least five months, investigators reported — and probably lengthier than that.

While the study may seem perplexing and contradictory to a comparable report out of Britain this week, it is not. People’s bodies generate an army of immune substances in response to an infection, and many are complicated at first, succumbing off quickly, while others develop more gradually.

The new account out Wednesday reveals 90% of men and women who recover from #Covid-19 infections maintain a stable antibody reaction.

British study demonstrates proof of subsiding immunity to Covid-19.

Although some researchers have suggested antibodies to this virus go away rapidly, experts have found just the reverse — that more than 90% of individuals who were moderately or averagely ill produce an antibody response strong adequate to counteract the virus, and the response is preserved for countless months.
This is important for successful vaccine improvement.

Can one get infected with Covid-19 two times? It is challenging
The team examined the antibody responses of more than 30,000 people who tested positive for Covid-19 at Mount Sinai’s Health System between March and October. They characterized their antibody reactions as minimal, moderate, or high. At least 90% had moderate to high amounts, or titers, of antibodies to the virus’s surge protein — the structure it uses to grip the cells it infects.

They then accurately studied 121 individuals who restored and contributed their plasma — once three months after they first produced signs, and again five months later.
Reference
Immunity to coronavirus lingers for months, study finds. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/29/health/covid-immunity-lingers-months-wellness/index.html

disease, Health

Do you believe that Fauci said: ‘We’re Nowhere Near Herd Immunity’ In The U.S.?

Leave a comment

In a now-viral change at a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday, Paul interrupted Fauci wanting to state New York City possessed a low Covid-19 illness rate as it has achieved herd resistance.Dr. Anthony Fauci elaborated on his reviews to Sen. Rand Paul Wednesday night, saying the U.S. features a “long way to go” to achieve herd resistance against Covid-19.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

But Fauci said Wednesday evening in a conversation using the star Alan Alda at a live-streamed Smithsonian Associates event that the U.S. is a long way from any herd resistance, which may need to have significantly more than 70% regarding the U.S. population either vaccinated against Covid-19 or infected using the virus.

“We are nowhere near herd immunity yet,” Fauci, who’s the director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Alda during the digital occasion. “The suggestion in the united kingdom is just about two to three%.”

Fauci said herd immunity happens when a particular percentage of this population is immune or protected against infection by either vaccination or infection. Vaccines against Covid-19 being manufactured by Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca come in final-stage medical trials; therefore, herd immunity from vaccination is a long distance off. Americans might not get vaccines until later on in 2010 or well into 2021.

Reference:

Fauci: ‘We’re Nowhere Near Herd Immunity’ In The U.S.https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2020/09/23/fauci-were-nowhere-near-herd-immunityin-the-us/#4002c01a79f3
Health

As an adult you may need one more measles vaccine

Leave a comment

 

close up of white syringe
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

The measles outbreak has hit people staying in 22 states, including California, where students at two Los Angeles colleges are coping with quarantines.

Now doctors are stating that if perhaps the individual was born between 1957 and 1989, the vaccination the individual had might not guarantee protection against the measles.

Dr. Daniel Lichtmann, a pediatrician with Scripps, told NBC7 most people age 62 and older are immune since they already had the measles. 1957 was the entire year when doctors in the U.S. began immunizing children with an individual measles vaccine. It was not until 1989 that doctors realized getting two shots associated with the vaccine provided a more powerful immunity.

The thing is, most adults do not have their vaccination records. For them, Lichtmann recommends they either get a blood test to check on for immunity or get another shot associated with the vaccine.