Despite the risk of flu and flu-related complications each year, millions of Americans still do not get their flu shot annually. ANA is urging everyone to follow the scientific evidence supporting flu vaccination and the guidance of nurses and health care professionals. All people eligible should get their flu vaccination and encourage their loved ones to do the same.
"The flu shot is more vital now than ever to help protect ourselves and our communities against the flu and its related complications. We are still working to manage COVID-19 while facing other emerging viral threats to public health," said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. "Each one of us has to do our own part. The best way to help reduce the burden of flu on the health care system7 is to get your flu vaccine as recommended by your nurses and the CDC.8 Everyone eligible, including nurses and health care professionals, should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible."
The United States may face a resurgence of the flu this upcoming season, and there is an unprecedented risk of possible severe COVID-19 and flu co-infections due to low immunity against influenza and the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.3,9 Flu can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, including pneumonia or serious heart conditions.8 Not Today, Flu is launching to drive awareness around the importance of flu vaccination and the urgency to vaccinate as many people as possible to help protect against flu and flu-related complications. Between 2010-2020, flu infections caused more hospitalizations and deaths annually than any other virus on the planet, with as many as 810,000 hospitalizations and 61,000 deaths during this 10-year period.10
"Every day, things come up that you have no control over, and they can really ruin your plans the flights getting cancelled, deliveries not arriving, your computer freezes, it rains. It can all make you just a little crazy. So, when there's something I can do to help take back control, I do. Like getting the flu shot," said Jason Alexander. "It can help protect people from getting sick with the flu and suffering from flu-related complications.9 That's why I'm delighted to be part of the Not Today, Flu campaign. It empowers people to help protect themselves and their loved ones by getting their flu shot. I've been getting it for over 20 years and I intend to keep getting it each year."
Visit NotTodayFlu.com to learn more about the importance of flu vaccination, especially for adults over age 50, underrepresented communities with historically lower rates of flu vaccination6, and those with chronic health conditions, and discover where you can schedule a flu shot where you work or live. Share your support by utilizing #NotTodayFlu on your social channels.
About The American Nurses AssociationThe American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation's 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on healthcare issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of healthcare for all. For more information, visit nursingworld.org.
About Sanofi We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.
About Jason AlexanderBest known for his award-winning role as George Costanza of television's Seinfeld, Jason Alexander has achieved international recognition for a career noted for its extraordinary diversity. He has worked extensively as a writer, composer, director, producer and teacher of acting. He has well-known roles in such shows as"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,""Two and a Half Men"and"Curb Your Enthusiasm,"and in films"Pretty Woman,""Jacob's Ladder"and"Love Valor Compassion."On Broadway, hewon aTony Awardfor hisperformance in"Jerome Robbin's Broadway,"and starred in "Fish in the Dark"and"The Portuguese Kid," among others.After moving to LA, Jason continued working in the theater, notably serving as the artistic director for the Reprise Theatre Companyand starring in "The Producers."
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm. Accessed September 2022.2Australian Government Department of Health. Australian Influenza Surveillance Report 2022 Influenza Season in Australia. Available at: https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-surveil-ozflu-flucurr.htm. Accessed September 2022.3 Dhanasekaran, V., Sullivan, S., Edwards, K.M. et al. Human seasonal influenza under COVID-19 and the potential consequences of influenza lineage elimination. Nat Commun 13, 1721 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29402-5. Accessed September 2022.4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimated Flu-Related Illnesses, Medical visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States 20192020 Flu Season. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2019-2020.html. Accessed September 2022.5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People at Higher Risk of Flu Complications. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/index.htm. Accessed September 2022.6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/disparities-racial-ethnic-minority-groups.html. Accessed September 2022.7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventive Steps. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/prevention.htm. Accessed September 2022.8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccination. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm. Accessed September 2022.9 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim Guidance for Routine and Influenza Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pandemic-guidance/index.html. Accessed September 2022.10 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Past Seasons Estimated Influenza Disease Burden. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/past-seasons.html. Accessed September 2022.
Media Contact:Keziah Proctor301-628-5197[emailprotected]
SOURCE American Nurses Association
The recent monkeypox outbreaks are a growing worldwide health concern. The illness can cause symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Some groups, such as children or people who are immunocompromised, are more at risk for complications.
A new study published in Viruses found that vaccines based on the vaccinia virus (VACV) will likely produce an effective response against the current monkeypox virus.
Two of these vaccines that are available are the MVA-BN and ACAM2000 vaccines.
Before 2022, monkeypox was very rare outside Africa, but there have been recent outbreaks of the illness worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note, monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus. This virus is similar to the virus that causes smallpox.
Monkeypox spreads through close or intimate contact with someone who has monkeypox. It can also spread through contact with surfaces used by someone with monkeypox.
People with monkeypox can experience several symptoms. For example, they may have a rash in the genital areas or other body parts, as recent research has found.
They can also experience flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches, fever, chills, and congestion. Most people are not at risk for severe illness from the monkeypox virus.
It typically takes a few weeks to recover fully. However, some people, such as those who are immunocompromised, may become more seriously ill.
Currently, there are a few vaccines that can be utilized to help protect those who are most at risk for developing monkeypox. However, the full effectiveness of these vaccines is unknown.
Researchers in the current study examined the potential effectiveness of a few vaccines that can be utilized against monkeypox. Specifically, these vaccines are based on the vaccinia virus and were first developed against smallpox.
They note that the current monkeypox virus has different genetic variations compared with variants that experts have observed in the past. These variations might impact the efficacy of available vaccines.
The researchers utilized 513 monkeypox complete genome sequences in their research as well as immunological data to predict the potential immune response and vaccine effectiveness against monkeypox.
The results suggest that currently available vaccines, including the MVA-BN and ACAM2000 vaccines, will likely produce an effective immune response to monkeypox.
In the study paper, the authors write that they report data that anticipates immune responses induced by VACV-based vaccines, including the currently available MVA-BN and ACAM2000 vaccines, to remain highly cross-reactive against the newly observed monkeypox viruses.
Dr. Arturo Casadevall, an infectious disease expert at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, who was not involved in this research, explained the study concept:
It is an analysis of 513 monkeypox sequences using computer algorithms to infer likely immunological cross-reactivity, and they deduce that the available vaccinia virus vaccine has a high likelihood of protecting against those strains. Overall the results are reassuring and consistent with what is known.
There were several limitations to the study. First, based on the methods used, there will need to be experimental studies that confirm the findings. Further data may also differ when it comes to the T-cell response.
Dr. Casadevall noted the following limitations of the study as well:
As the authors acknowledge in the paper, one limitation of this study is that it is all sequence analysis without concomitant immunological assays. Note that the authors use the word expected in the title. Hence, while the results are reassuring, one would need additional immunological studies and/ or clinical evidence to be more confident that vaccinia virus vaccines protect against all strains of monkeypox.
Currently, the CDC only recommends vaccination for certain at-risk people and groups rather than a broader vaccination rollout. For example, they suggest that those who have been in close contact with someone with monkeypox receive a vaccine.
These recommendations could change as more data emerge about vaccine effectiveness and who is at risk of infection. Vaccines may be available through local health departments, public clinics, and hospitals.
However, the data from this study are encouraging because they indicate that currently available vaccines will elicit an adequate response.
Study authors Prof. Matthew McKay and Dr. Ahmed Abdul Quadeer noted the following to Medical News Today:
Our data further supports the use of the vaccines that are being recommended globally for combatting the emerging monkeypox outbreak. Clinical evaluations that determine the precise efficacy are still required.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the impact of targeting intracellular Neu1 on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
There is an urgent need to develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatments and SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. Additionally, studies show that the novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations are less resistant to the current vaccinations. Therefore, to create therapeutic drugs, it is vital to comprehend the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity mechanisms and the host response.
In the present study, researchers demonstrated that host Neu1 controlled the sialylation of the coronavirus nucleocapsid protein, thus regulating coronavirus replication.
The team employed mass spectrometry to study the N- and O-glycans on the nucleocapsid (N) protein from the human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), a beta coronavirus that causes mild respiratory symptoms. A lectin blot was performed using samples immunoprecipitated from the serum of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients and healthy controls, as well as cell lysates infected with HCoV-OC43 and treated with anti-N protein antibodies.
The lectin blot ascertained whether sialylation occurred on N protein corresponding to coronavirus HCoV-OC43 and SARS-CoV-2. The immunoprecipitated samples were either subjected or not to sialidase treatment before undergoing sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) separation.
The team investigated how the sialylation on the N protein might impact its capacity to bind ribonucleic acid (RNA). Nucleic acid-binding tests were performed with a 32-mer stem-loop II (32m) motif single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and its 32-mer ss-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mimic to evaluate the nucleic acid-binding affinity of N protein. The HEK293T cells were lysed 48 hours after the SARS-CoV-2 N protein expression vector was transfected.
Subsequently, cells were administered with or without sialidase for nucleic acid-binding experiments. Using THP-1 cell lines, the team assessed the role of endogenous sialidases in the sialylation of N protein.
The team assessed how sialylation might impact viral replication. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the viral infection using primers targeting the viral N gene's coding region. After the viral challenge, cell RNA was collected at the designated times, and viral transcripts were measured. Additionally, supernatants underwent processing for the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) assay, which was used to measure the virus titer.
The study results showed that while N- and O-link glycosylation were observed on the N protein in vitro overexpress system, it is unclear if the N protein from the virion is glycosylated or not. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), envelope (E), and membrane (M) proteins are all glycosylated. N protein was significantly sialylated in cells from both COVID-19- and HCoV-OC43-infected patients. Most of the sialic acid on N protein was attached in alpha-2, 6 links, while sialidase treatment verified N protein sialylation. A SARS-CoV-2 N protein expressed in HEK293T cells, HCoV-OC43-N protein expressed in THP-1 cells, and HCoV-OC43 virion were all found to be sialylated.
In the presence of anti-N protein antibodies, a SARS-CoV-2 N protein formed a potent complex with 32-mer ssRNA and 32-mer ssDNA that was supershifted, demonstrating that this complex was exclusive to N protein. As anticipated, lysates of HEK293T cells transfected with an empty vector failed to bind 32-mer ssRNA and ssDNA. Furthermore, the amount of 32-mer ssDNA and ssRNA bound to N protein after sialidase treatment rose significantly. These results corroborated the crucial function of N protein sialylation in RNA binding by showing a considerable increase in N protein RNA binding activity following sialidase treatment.
After being infected with HCoV-OC43 for 72 hours, Neu1 expression was considerably elevated, but not Neu2, Neu3, or Neu4, according to real-time PCR and western blot analyses. Notably, patients with COVID-19 had upregulated Neu1 as well. Additionally, in cells infected with HCoV-OC43, N protein was associated with Neu1.
Two days after the viral challenge, the replication of HCoV-OC43 was more than 10-fold greater in cell culture supernatants of cells that overexpressed Neu1 as compared to cells that expressed empty vectors at the level of viral transcripts and viral titers. In contrast, HCoV-OC43 replication was over 100-fold lower in cells that overexpressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for Neu1 than those that expressed scrambled shRNA, both in terms of viral transcripts and viral titers.
In line with the knockdown effectiveness of shRNA, Neu1sh3 dramatically reduced HCoV-OC43 replication more than Neu1sh1 and Neu1sh2 did. N protein levels were also noticeably higher in Neu1 overexpressing cells than in Neu1 knockdown cells. These findings suggested that host Neu1 controlled HCoV-OC43 replication in THP-1 cells. The most effective protection was provided by Neu5Ac2en-OAcOMe, while viral neuraminidase inhibitors Zanamivir and oseltamivir displayed little inhibitory activity. These results supported earlier reports that Zanamivir and oseltamivir have weak anti-human sialidases activity.
The HCoV-OC43 challenge resulted in the death of all vehicle-treated mice but only 50% of animals treated with Neu5Ac2en-OAcOMe survived the entire observation period. Compared to mice treated with Neu5Ac2en-OAcOMe, vehicle-treated mice had considerably lower body weight. Mice treated with Neu5Ac2en-OAcOMe also reduced HCoV-OC43 viral replication in the blood, brain, and lungs.
The study findings showed that a newly developed sialidase inhibitor, Neu5Ac2en-OAcOMe, targeted the intracellular host sialidase Neu1 selectively and suppressed coronavirus replication, accounting for the roles of the host as well as the pathogen in disease manifestation.
bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Marissa Leshnov / The Washington Post / Getty Images
When youve lived through two-plus years of a pandemic, it can feel weird to see disease and good news in the same sentence. But here we are, watching a disease decline, with cautious optimism. Two weeks ago, the World Health Organization announced that monkeypox cases in Europe had fallen so fast, the outbreak could be eliminated there. And while the U.S. recently experienced its first monkeypox death, cases here have fallen by 40 percent between the middle and end of August. In other words, its too early to declare victory and dust off our hands, but the situation is generally improving.
This news shows that public health officials and the public itself got some important stuff right in combating this serious illness. But monkeypox is also a reminder that humans will encounter many potentially dangerous new diseases. COVID wasnt the first, or the last. What stops most diseases from becoming pandemics is as much about luck as it is about human intervention.
This spring, many of us braced ourselves for the worst. Monkeypox seemed mysterious, and cases of it were soaring. But a positive outcome was not surprising to the scientists who study the disease. One of the difficulties Ive faced in public communication is trying to get people to understand that none of us who work in public health thought the sky was going to be falling from monkeypox, said Jay Varma, a professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College. We were just concerned that a lot of people were going to suffer needlessly because we had a diagnostic test, a drug to treat this and a vaccine to prevent it all stockpiled. Monkeypox was, in other words, a serious disease that needed attention to make sure vulnerable groups were protected, but it was never likely to become the same kind of massive problem as COVID-19.
In August, scientists surveyed more than 800 men who have sex with men, trying to find out how monkeypox and the education campaigns surrounding it had affected their lives. According to results published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of the men made some important changes to their behavior. Of the 824 surveyed, 48 percent reported reducing their overall number of sex partners, 50 percent said they had reduced their one-time sexual encounters and 50 percent said they had reduced sex with people they met on dating apps and in sex clubs. Those voluntary behavioral changes as well as the public health campaigns that inspired them have been particularly crucial to curbing monkeypox, said Varma and Rodney Rohde, a professor of clinical laboratory science at Texas State University.
Thats because other studies have shown that while one-night stands account for only a fraction of sex happening daily among men who have sex with men about 3 percent of daily sexual relationships those interactions are responsible for about half of daily monkeypox transmissions.
Vaccination campaigns have also been important, but the behavioral changes seem to be more widespread in the high-risk community than vaccination has been, Varma said. The original guidance from the CDC has been refreshingly frank and honest and transparent about what are the behaviors that put people at highest risk and what are the ways in which you can minimize your risk, without questioning whether sex is an essential activity to life, he said.
But had the monkeypox outbreak happened just a few years ago, it might not have been on the radar of anyone outside the most affected communities. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a Johns Hopkins University professor of genetic medicine who worked at the CDC for 20 years, remembers a former director at the agency often saying that when public health did its job well, we never heard about it.
New diseases are popping up and entering the U.S. all the time, according to Rasmussen and the other experts I spoke with. But SARS-CoV-2 aside, most of them are swiftly and effectively shut down by the hard work of public health. Remember that MERS outbreak when there were two cases in the U.S.? she asked, referring to the time in May 2014 when a particularly deadly cousin of COVID cropped up in unlinked cases in Indiana and Florida. People would say, I dont even remember that. And thats because we dealt with it.
Were more likely to hear about these diseases now because everyone is much more primed to pay attention after a couple of years of COVID. But the reality is that thousands of people nationwide are working to ensure those diseases dont spread unnoticed, that the highest-risk populations are treated, and that we dont end up constantly marinating in preventable pandemics. Thats the good news.
The bad news: Not every pandemic is a preventable one. We did get a little lucky [with monkeypox], Rohde said. Yes, theres pain involved and some risk of death, but if and when this disease is nipped in the bud, that will be in part because the virus makes itself relatively easy to prune. Its not a respiratory virus that people can easily spread to strangers at the bus stop. The mode of transmission, primarily through sex, limits who can spread to whom. The transmission rate is also different from that of COVID, he said. And the mode of transmission means the virus affects primarily a high-risk group rather than all of society, so its easier to change behavior and administer pharmaceutical treatments. Monkeypox is also a DNA virus, not an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2, so it mutates less than COVID and can be prevented with older, existing vaccines. Those are the kinds of outbreaks humans can stop from turning into pandemics. Of course, both scientists and the public have to take action when they pop up, but its relatively easy to manage.
Most new or new-to-us diseases that appear will have more in common with monkeypox than with COVID. Theyll be dealt with. And youll forget you ever saw them on the news. But, eventually, another pathogen will come along thats more challenging just by its nature another fast-spreading, fast-mutating respiratory virus that hits everybody all at once. I am concerned as we move away from COVID that were going to say, Thats our pandemic. We dont need to fund [public health infrastructure] anymore, Rasmussen said.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest takeaways from this monkeypox outbreak and how it was handled is a paradox. You dont need to assume that every new disease you hear about will be another uncontrollable pandemic, so you can let that tension go. But, at the same time, that doesnt mean another pandemic wont happen in your lifetime. Somebody needs to be on the job, paying attention.
It doesnt matter if youre tired, if youre fatigued, if youre done with it, Rohde said. Those [infectious diseases] dont care. They never get tired.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children age 6 months through 17 years get vaccinated against COVID-19.
COVID-19 illness is typically not serious in children, but there is a chance of severe complications, and children can still spread the disease, says Mini Kamboj, MSKs Chief Medical Epidemiologist.
Mini Kamboj
Dr. Kamboj has answers to your questions about getting your child vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rigorous clinical trials found that COVID-19 vaccines were safe and effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Since then, tens of millions of children have been vaccinated. The FDA, CDC, and vaccine manufacturers will continue to monitor new data as more children get vaccinated to ensure that the vaccines are safe.
The side effects are mostly the same for children. Your child could experience soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, body aches, and fever. These symptoms dont last long about 1 to 3 days.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a rare complication in children infected with COVID-19. The vaccines do not cause MIS-C, and by preventing COVID-19 infection, they actually prevent MIS-C.
Research has shown that there is a greater risk of heart problems from being infected with COVID-19 than from being vaccinated.
The group that is most likely to develop this condition after getting the COVID-19 vaccine is young men aged 12 to 39. Because of this, this group can wait longer between their first and second dose (of their primary vaccine series) to reduce their risk of myocarditis or pericarditis. They should wait 8 weeks between shots.
Read more aboutmyocarditis, a rare COVID-19 vaccine side effect
Yes. Children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should get vaccinated. Just like immunocompromised adults, children with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for people who have had cancer
You can schedule a vaccination by talking to your childs primary doctor at MSK.
At this time, MSK is not vaccinating caregivers or family members of patients.
No. A parent or guardian must be on-site to consent to their child getting the vaccine. They are not permitted to give consent over the phone or electronically.
Yes. The COVID-19 vaccines remain effective and safe when given with other vaccines. There is no specific time interval that is recommended between routine vaccinations and the COVID-19 vaccine for children.
However, many vaccinations come with a risk of mild side effects. You may want to schedule your childs COVID-19 vaccination at a different time from other vaccinations, to reduce the chance that they experience several side effects all at once.
The CDCs website has resources to guide you on the timing of COVID-19 shots:
COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters
Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19 Vaccines for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
Its true that children are at a lower risk overall of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults. However, children can stillbecome very sick. Like adults, children can also experience symptoms of long COVID that can affect their quality of life and daily activities. These symptoms are prevented by the vaccine.
Most importantly, children are at least as likely to be infected as adults and spread COVID-19 to others, including in the household and at school.
Yes, its recommended that children who have been infected with COVID-19 should still get vaccinated and boosted. Primary vaccination and booster doses after infection increases protection against future infection and severe disease.
September 14, 2022
Kevin Snow is a Bennington resident and retired Energizer employee who received an updated booster for COVID-19 at the COVID Resource Center on Tuesday, September 13. SVHC photo.
Vermont Business Magazine More than 200 people were vaccinated with updated bivalent boosters for COVID-19 at Southwestern Vermont Health Cares (SVHC) COVID-19 Resource Center this morning. The clinic exhausted its supply of Moderna and will be offering Pfizer boosters only in the coming days.
In addition, a limited number of Pfizer shots available for Thursdays clinic has caused the health system to reduce clinic hours to 8 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 15.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna bivalent vaccines are equally effective, said Trey Dobson, MD, Southwestern Vermont Medical Centers chief medical officer. The most important step is to get one as soon as you can.
The COVID-19 Resource Center is located on the former campus of Southern Vermont College at 982 Mansion Drive in Bennington. The Center expects to resume normal hours8 a.m. noon Tuesdays and Thursdaysstarting Tuesday, September 20, though only Pfizer shots are expected to be available for the next few weeks. Service is provided on a walk-in basis during operating hours. No appointment is needed.
To be eligible, you must:
More information about bivalent boosters is available athttps://svhealthcare.org/Wellness-Connection/bivalent-boosters. The primary series of COVID-19 vaccines are also available.
Southwestern Vermont Health Care will run walk-in flu shot clinics on Saturdays throughout the month of October. The clinics will offer both traditional and high-dose flu vaccine. High-dose vaccine is available to those 65 or older. Additional details will be posted atsvhealthcare.organdfacebook.com/svmedicalcenter. Note that insurances will be billed and patients may receive a bill for the remaining cost.
About SVHC:Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, healthcare system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.
BENNINGTON, VTSeptember 13, 2022Southwestern Vermont Health Care
BUFFALO, N.Y. As public health experts cautiously anticipate how COVID-19 will play out this fall, a University at Buffalo scientist is reiterating that substantial immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus will only happen with a vaccine that can be delivered through the nose.
The best protection against initial infection with the coronavirus, as well as transmission of it, as opposed to the development of COVID-19 disease, will be most effectively achieved by intranasal vaccines, said Michael Russell, PhD, professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and first author on a paper published last month in Frontiers in Immunology.
The reason, he said, is that the most robust immunity against COVID-19 comes about as a result of infection that takes place in the upper respiratory tract and the mouth, and gives rise to mucosal immunity through the secretion of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies.
That kind of immunity is not induced to any great extent by the existing injectable vaccines, said Russell. But, he said mucosal immunity is exactly the kind of immunity that would protect against initial infection, instead of protecting against severe disease after infection, the goal of the current COVID-19 vaccines.
It all results from a widespread lack of understanding of the operation of the mucosal immune system, said Russell, despite the fact that this has been known about for at least 40 years, but is poorly covered in most medical curricula.
He said that evidence is accumulating that shows that mucosal IgA antibodies have a significant impact on acquisition of SARS-CoV-2, the subsequent course of disease, and further transmission of the virus.
Vaccines delivered through the nose would not only induce mucosal immunity and thus prevent individuals from becoming infected, but they could also suppress community spread, which results from the circulation of aerosol particles and droplets generated by these upper respiratory and oral secretions.
A better route to herd immunity
Our main point, therefore, is that protection against initial infection (rather than protection against the development of COVID-19) and the onwards transmission of the virus will be more effectively achieved by intranasal vaccines, said Russell.In other words, the much-discussed and elusive accomplishment of herd immunity, which is not effectively generated by the existing injected vaccines, will be more likely to be achieved with mucosal immunity induced by intranasal vaccines.
The paper also argues that despite the fact that antibody responses to COVID-19 have almost entirely focused on serum, it turns out the level of antibodies that are circulating in the blood doesnt reflect the antibody level in mucosal secretions. Meanwhile, mucosal IgA antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 antigens have been detected in the saliva, nasal fluids, tears, tracheo-bronchial secretions and even breast milk in infected individuals.
The authors conceded that while there have been numerous animal model trials launched to develop intranasal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, many havent continued past the preclinical stage. In part, they explained, this might be due to inadequate understanding of how the human and animal mucosal immune systems differ. Mucosal IgA antibodies found in secretions are much more effective at viral neutralization than circulating IgG antibodies, which are found in serum, said Russell.
The authors noted that the success of the influenza vaccines delivered through the nose indicate that this is a feasible delivery method for a vaccine. A recent article in Nature reports that approximately 100 intranasal COVID-19 vaccines are in development worldwide, two of which were approved last week in China and India. However, details of the trials supporting these approvals have not yet been released.
Russell concluded: If even a fraction of the time, effort and resources that were applied to the development of the first generation of COVID vaccines was applied to intranasal vaccines, the world might be benefiting from a widely available intranasal COVID-19 vaccine right now.
Jiri Mestecky, MD, PhD, professor of microbiology in the Heersink School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is co-author.
The global impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has been immense, especially for the healthcare sector and economy. To date, the pandemic has claimed more than 6.5 million lives worldwide.
Several COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from global regulatory bodies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with vaccination programs having commenced in most countries.
Study:A third SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose in people receiving hemodialysis overcomes B cell defects but elicits a skewed CD4+ T cell profile. Image Credit: pics five / Shutterstock.com
Vaccination against COVID-19 vaccines has significantly reduced the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. COVID-19 vaccines based on the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology elicit a robust humoral and cellular immune response, especially in their ability to recruit T helper (TH) and B-cells.However, mRNA vaccines induce a weak CD8+ T-cell response.
Initially, two mRNA vaccine doses were recommended; however, this vaccination regimen was revised to three doses to improve their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). A longer interval between the first two COVID-19 vaccine doses has been shown to enhance humoral responses, as well as increase specific B-cell responses and maturation among low-risk populations. However, an increase in the interval did not have any significant effect impact on T-cell responses.
Patients at a mature stage of kidney disease and subjected tohemodialysis (HD) are susceptible to COVID-19. Previously, research has shown that this group exhibits a suboptimal response to the standard vaccination protocol for hepatitis B virus (HBV), diphtheria, and influenza immunizations.
A delayed immune response affecting B and T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, monocytes, and neutrophils has been observed due to uremia toxins and blood-membrane interactions during dialysis. Importantly, higher or multiple vaccine doses are effective strategies against influenza and HBV in this patient population.
Due to the high risk that HD patients will contract COVID-19 and experience severe disease, this group is considered to be a high priority for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Following vaccination against COVID-19, HD patients often exhibit reduced anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody production as compared to the general population. In addition, an earlier decline, even after three doses of vaccines, has been observed.
In a recent study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists define the quantitative and qualitative trajectories of vaccine-induced antibody responses, such as B, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells, against COVID-19 in HD patients who received three mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses. These findings were compared to antigen-specific responses in the healthy control group.
A third COVID-19 vaccine dose is crucial for HD patients to induce B-cell expansion and maturation equal to that of the control group. Previous high-dimensional functional assays have shown that TH responses in patients undergoing HD are phenotypically and functionally skewed; however, no changes in quantitative levels were observed in the current study.
The cellular analysis findings are consistent with previous studies that have reported that multiple or higher vaccination dosage can counterbalance their low responses to immunization. When the time between the first two vaccine doses was increased in COVID-19-vaccinated individuals also subjected to HD treatment, a weaker humoral and cellular immune response occurred. Nevertheless, the third vaccine dose enhanced antibody levels in the HD cohort as compared to the control group.
In the HD group, reduced production of receptor binding domain (RBD)+ B-cells was observed after the first two COVID-19 vaccine doses. HD patients vaccinated against COVID-19 with mRNA vaccines exhibited a delay in the maturation of B-cells, along with immature and unswitched immunoglobulin M (IgM)+ and IgD+ RBD+B cells. Similar conditions were observed in kidney transplant recipients and dialysis patients due to chronic inflammation as a result of the presence of uremia toxins, as well as anomalies in innate and T-cell immunity.
Strong antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell responses were observed in HD patients vaccinated against COVID-19. However, a quantitative difference was found between HD and control groups. Receipt of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was characterized by the regularization of the effector function profile as compared to controls.
The current study reports that a twelve-week interval between the first two COVID-19 vaccine doses was not beneficial for HD patients. A weak B-cell response was observed after the second vaccine dose in the HD cohort. Although the optimal vaccination regimen in this group has not been determined, a marginally longer interval was recommended for stronger humoral responses.
Many alterations in adaptive immunity were found to be induced by COVID-19 vaccination in HD patients. Therefore, more research is needed to elucidate the factors associated with this heterogeneity and determine the underlying mechanism responsible for this immune defect. Further research is also needed to understand how prior SARS-CoV-2 infection affects hybrid immunity in HD patients upon vaccination.
bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Journal reference:
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The state has set up eight community sites for Coloradans to get newly-approved COVID-19 vaccines tailored to be more effective against the Omicron variant, with two additional locations opening this week.
Driving the news: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the booster shots last week, recommending the new booster for people ages 12 and older who got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and individuals 18 years and up who received the Moderna shot.
Details: The following sites are now open, with varied hours, and appointments available for scheduling online:
What's next: These sites will open tomorrow:
Of note: The sites will provide primary vaccine doses for children 6 months and older, and third doses for kids between the ages of 5-11.
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The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of September 13, 2022, there are currently 2,654 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 10 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,344 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 92-year old female from Raleigh County, a 54-year old male from Raleigh County, a 97-year old female from Wood County, an 83-year old male from Mercer County, a 95-year old female from Raleigh County, a 74-year old male from Lincoln County, an 85-year old female from Wayne County, an 87-year old male from Mercer County, an 81-year old male from Kanawha County, and a 79-year old male from Kanawha County.
Every life lost is one too many, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Protect your loved ones by scheduling your vaccine or booster today.
CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (22), Berkeley (139), Boone (45), Braxton (4), Brooke (24), Cabell (135), Calhoun (6), Clay (8), Doddridge (2), Fayette (60), Gilmer (11), Grant (20), Greenbrier (87), Hampshire (21), Hancock (37), Hardy (35), Harrison (119), Jackson (13), Jefferson (74), Kanawha (177), Lewis (20), Lincoln (19), Logan (83), Marion (107), Marshall (38), Mason (39), McDowell (34), Mercer (204), Mineral (43), Mingo (36), Monongalia (131), Monroe (36), Morgan (13), Nicholas (42), Ohio (54), Pendleton (9), Pleasants (3), Pocahontas (10), Preston (47), Putnam (72), Raleigh (147), Randolph (50), Ritchie (3), Roane (39), Summers (33), Taylor (29), Tucker (16), Tyler (15), Upshur (62), Wayne (17), Webster (9), Wetzel (26), Wirt (4), Wood (66), Wyoming (59). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.
West Virginians ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. All individuals ages 6 months and older should receive a primary series of vaccination, the initial set of shots that teaches the body to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Those ages 5-11 years are recommended to get an original (monovalent) booster shot when due, and those ages 12 years and older are recommended to get an Omicron booster shot (bivalent) at least two months after completing their primary series.
Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine, visit vaccines.gov, vaccinate.wv.gov, or call 1-833-734-0965. Please visit the COVID-19 testing locations page to locate COVID-19 testing near you.
