CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The federal government is investing in the development of antivirals designed to treat COVID-19, and Japan is easing some coronavirus restrictions ahead of next months Summer Olympics.
Cleveland.com is rounding up some of the most notable coronavirus news making headlines online. Heres what you need to know for Monday, June 21.
U.S. investing $3.2 billion in antiviral pill designed to combat COVID-19
The U.S. government announced Thursday that it will invest $3.2 billion in the development of an antiviral pill designed to treat COVID-19 in the early stages of infection.
The Department of Health and Human Services said it will use the money to help speed up clinical trials for a few promising drug candidates, with the goal of having a drug approved later this year, according to The New York Times.
The effort, known as the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, will also focus on researching drugs for other viruses.
The effort is similar to the U.S. governments backing of Operation Warp Speed, which focused on the development of COVID-19 vaccines. That effort helped three vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson obtain emergency use authorization in record time.
Japan easing coronavirus restrictions ahead of Olympics
Japan said Thursday that it will ease some COVID-19 restrictions before the Summer Olympics begin July 23.
Japan will keep some restrictions in place, including limiting spectators at large events like the Olympics. Japanese media has reported that the countrys government is considering a maximum of 10,000 spectators at stadiums, according to Reuters.
While the country is easing some restrictions, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged the Japanese public to watch the games on TV to avoid spreading the virus.
The Olympics were schedule to begin last summer, but they were postponed due to the pandemic. However, many experts have expressed concern over holding the games because Japan has vaccinated just 5% of its population.
Study links higher mortality of Black patients to unequal hospital quality
A new study estimates the COVID-19 death rate for Black patients would be 10% lower if they had access to the same hospitals as white patients.
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and OptumLabs based on the findings on data from 44,000 patients at 1,188 hospitals across the U.S. Roughly three-fourths of those patients were white.
The researchers found Black patients had a mortality rate of 13.5%, compared to 12.9% for white patients.
However, the researchers ran simulations to determine what would happen if the Black patients were admitted to the same hospitals as the white patients. That dropped the mortality rate for Black patients to 12.2%, the study found.
Eight infections delay one of first U.S. cruises since start of pandemic
A Royal Caribbean cruise scheduled to depart from Florida has been postponed nearly one month after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19.
The Odyssey of the Seas was set to be one of the first cruise ships to depart from the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. It will now leave July 31 instead of July 3, according to ABC News.
Royal Caribbeans CEO said all 1,400 crew members on the Odyssey of the Seas were vaccinated June 4. Eight were infected before another two weeks had passed; experts have said it takes up to two weeks for the body to build immunity to the virus.
Cruise ships were docked for nearly 15 months during the pandemic. Another Royal Caribbean cruise scheduled to depart June 26 will be the first to sail from the U.S. since the shutdown.
Your coronavirus vaccine questions answered:
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Read about ongoing fights in Washington over voting rights and infrastructure, get the latest coronavirus news from around the world and see more stories trending online today.
Voting rights bill poised for Senate action while Republicans remain opposed, Manchin offers compromise (USA Today)
Biden faces down McConnell in clash on voting rights (ABC News)
Graham calls voting rights biggest power grab in US history (Yahoo)
Weekend gun violence shakes gatherings in cities across U.S. (NBC News)
Biden risks break with progressives on infrastructure (The Hill)
Unvaccinated Americans are at risk of an aggressive and more dangerous Covid-19 variant. These are the most vulnerable states (CNN)
Models predict U.S. coronavirus infections could surge this fall if vaccination rates lag, former FDA chief says (Washington Post)
U.S extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through July 21 (Reuters)
How mRNA technology is altering vaccine treatments (CBS)
Covid: Brazil hits 500,000 deaths amid critical situation (BBC)
Tokyo Olympics will allow some domestic fans to attend events despite Covid fears (NBC)
Prime Day 2021 has arrivedevery heart-stopping Amazon deal you wont want to miss (USA Today)
2021 WWE Hell in a Cell results, recap, grades: Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre go to war in great main event (CBS Sports)
Jon Rahm rebounds from COVID-19 fiasco to win US Open (NY Post)
The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard hits top mark at box office (AP)
Mars, Venus And A Super Solstice Strawberry Moon Sparkle In Twilight: What You Can See In The Night Sky This Week (Forbes)
NORWOOD, Mass. Moderna Inc. is adding two new production lines at the rebuilt former Polaroid plant where it manufactures its Covid-19 vaccine, part of a push to prepare for making booster shots and the future of the pandemic.
At a site brimming with new steel production tanks and heavy equipment, construction workers in neon safety vests are working to get one new line up and running by fall and the other by early 2022.
The additions will help Moderna increase overall production capacity by 50% at its plant in the Boston suburb of Norwood, company officials said.
Moderna and its manufacturing partners also are expanding production capacity outside the U.S., with a goal to roughly triple the annual global output of Covid-19 vaccine doses to about 3 billion in 2022 from as many as 1 billion this year.
Our plan and our hope is that, as soon as the U.S. has enough doses, were allowed to export so we can help as many countries as we can around the world, Moderna Chief Executive Stphane Bancel said.
With new and varied information being distributed almost weekly, its no surprise that many parents have questions about the COVID vaccine as it pertains to their children no matter the age.
In early June Laura Bleill of chambanamoms.com sat down with Dr. Brent Reifsteck of Carle for a chat. The pediatric physician and medical director of childrens services at Carle in Urbana provides information to many commonly asked questions from parents regarding the vaccine including:
Is the COVID vaccine safe for children?
How much time is needed between the COVID-19 vaccine and the other vaccines children need for regular well-child booster/required school vaccinations?What can I expect when my child receives the vaccine? How should I prepare my child?
Where do children receive the vaccine?
He also shares tips and suggestions for immunizations, doctors appointments, and how to talk to your child about what to expect at an appointment involving pediatric vaccines.
While as of this writing the vaccine has only been approved by the FDA for children 12 and up, we discuss what the landscape looks like moving forward, for younger children as well as adolescents.
For more about childrens health resources in the Champaign-Urbana area, visit our comprehensive guide, presented by Carle.
Thank you to our friends at Carle for providing access to quality information during these uncertain times.
Do you have an idea for a future chat with a Carle physician or medical professional? Email it to us at editor@chambanamoms.com.
More than 85% of North Dakota children ages 12-17 had not yet gotten a first or second dose of the COVID-19 shot as of Monday, June 14, according to the latest data from the state Department of Health. Meanwhile, child vaccination rates in neighboring Minnesota and the nation at large are more than double North Dakota's rate.
State immunization coordinator Molly Howell said there are likely several reasons parents have taken their children in for the vaccine. Some simply might not have gotten around to making an appointment or don't see much of need to get their kid vaccinated until closer to the beginning of the school year, Howell said. Other parents may have reservations about the safety of the vaccine or don't believe COVID-19 is a serious illness sentiments Howell and a consensus of experts view as misguided.
Dr. Joan Connell, a Bismarck pediatrician who serves as the state's field medical officer, said the vaccination rate for children mirrors rates for adults since parents direct their kids' medical care. Close to half of North Dakota adults are fully vaccinated against the virus, but immunization rates have plateaued well below the 50% mark for residents 30-49, the most common ages of parents with children who are vaccine eligible.
At her practice, Connell said most vaccinated parents have opted for their kids to get the shots, while nearly all unvaccinated parents are turning down the shot for their kids.
Dr. Joan Connell is North Dakota's field medical officer and a pediatrician in Bismarck. Special to The Forum
Both Howell and Connell noted that North Dakota has more than enough Pfizer vaccines the only shot authorized for people under 18.
The two agreed getting children vaccinated should be a high priority for parents given the risks of COVID-19 and the disease's capacity to upend everyday life.
The latest national figures suggest coronavirus-related hospitalizations are on the rise among adolescents, and even though children are generally at a lower risk of serious illness than adults, kids can struggle with COVID-19, Connell said. She added that some children who catch the virus have trouble getting back to their baseline health, including high school athletes who performed at an elite level before their diagnosis.
Howell noted that more than 300 children have died from the respiratory disease across the nation, making COVID-19 more deadly for kids than influenza. North Dakota has reported the death of a 17-year-old from the illness.
North Dakota Immunization Program Manager Molly Howell speaks at a press conference on March 3, 2021. Screenshot via North Dakota Department of Health
Connell said children have sacrificed a lot since the pandemic began, and vaccinations present a safe and effective way to bring stability back to kids' lives. Having a COVID-19 outbreak at a summer camp or during fall football can be traumatic, and "we don't need more needless loss," Connell added.
On top of the benefits of the jab children, Howell said the younger age groups can contribute to the goal of herd immunity from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. More immunizations in kids translates to a lower likelihood of illness and death for their grandparents, she said.
Since the odds of schools requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for students are low, Howell and Connell said it may take time for the adolescent vaccination rate to climb up to the adult rate. Parents may want to consult with their children's pediatricians before vaccinating, which gives Howell hope that more will get on board this summer when kids go to the doctor for other vaccinations or sports physicals.
The way that COVID-19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, progresses is different for everyone.
Although some people experience no or only mild flu-like symptoms and emerge unscathed from the infection, some require hospitalization and intubation due to respiratory failure and varying levels of organ support. For other people, it is fatal.
Termed interindividual variation, health experts have largely attributed these differences in disease progression and outcome to differences in immune function.
Older adults, men, those with preexisting chronic health conditions, and people from minoritized communities are more likely to have severe COVID-19 and die.
When it comes to matters of immunity, however, there is another factor that comes into play: vaccination history.
Vaccines are key elements that train the immune system to fight a variety of pathogens that cause people to fall ill. They also stimulate the innate immune response, which is the bodys first line of defense against invaders.
This is the part that has spurred scientists to investigate whether or not previous vaccinations can provide protection against other diseases, including COVID-19.
The notion that old vaccines might help in the fight against COVID-19 has persisted in the scientific community since the early days of the pandemic.
So far, live attenuated vaccines such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis have dominated research and discussions on the matter.
For BCG, for example, some research has suggested that the vaccine can enhance the innate immune response to subsequent infections and reduce respiratory tract infections.
Newer studies, however, have looked into inactivated vaccines particularly the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccines to see if previous inoculations translate into less severe manifestations of COVID-19.
A 2020 study investigated the bacterial vaccines DTP and meningitis B and deduced that childrens likely protection against SARS-CoV-2 could be down to cross-reactivity prompted by these vaccinations.
Cross-reactivity is an important mechanism for heterologous immunity, which happens when one pathogen induces an immune response to an unrelated pathogen in the future.
Because immunity wanes over time, especially when people do not receive booster shots, the researchers concluded that this could explain why older adults have more susceptibility to COVID-19.
Despite diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis being caused by bacteria and COVID-19 by a virus, multiple studies have demonstrated heterologous immunity.
A 2021 study in the journal Medical Hypotheses suggested that with the aid of artificial intelligence, tetanus vaccination may be contributing to the reduced severity of COVID-19.
In line with that hypothesis, a recent study which has not yet undergone peer review added to existing research and suggested that older adults who have received a diphtheria or tetanus vaccine booster within the past 10 years may have a lower risk of severe COVID-19.
The researchers chose the 10-year timeframe to account for the waning of vaccine-induced antibodies over time. It is also the interval during which experts recommend booster shots.
As part of the study, the researchers analyzed the immunization records and COVID-19 testing data of 103,049 participants, with an average age of 71.5 years, using the UK Biobank cohort.
The researchers took into account age, sex, underlying respiratory diseases, and socioeconomic status.
Participants who had received any of the DTP vaccinations during the past 10 years were, on average, younger and had a higher socioeconomic status than those who had not been vaccinated against these diseases within the same timeframe.
It is important to note that having a lower socioeconomic status, along with a wide range of social determinants of health that contribute to health inequity, may be linked with a higher risk of COVID-19 and worse outcomes, according to previous research.
The results of the UK Biobank analysis showed that those who had received either a tetanus or diphtheria booster were less likely to receive a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. However, more importantly, the researchers found a statistically significant link between the boosters and the likelihood of having severe COVID-19.
Those who had received a tetanus booster were half as likely to develop severe COVID-19, and those who had received a diphtheria booster were 54% less likely.
The researchers found no significant differences in the likelihood to test positive or [have] a severe case with the pertussis vaccine, and they noted the small sample size.
The report is available on the medical website medRxiv ahead of peer review.
In most countries around the world, people receive vaccinations against tetanus in childhood, along with diphtheria and pertussis or polio. Some countries employ lifelong immunization programs to repeat booster shots every 10 years, while for other countries, health experts only recommend top-ups when traveling abroad or after injury.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to recommend booster vaccines every 10 years after 18 years of age. However, these are not mandatory.
Officials also recommend regular boosters for tetanus, diphtheria, and, in some cases, pertussis in many European countries, especially for older adults. However, in the United Kingdom, because nationwide and routine immunization against tetanus only began in 1961, those born before that date do not carry protective antibodies for tetanus nor diphtheria.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2019, African countries such as Congo, Cameroon, Angola, and Ethiopia where dropout rates for immunization are considerably high for vaccines that need repeating only around 60% or less of the population receive their third tetanus booster shots later in life.
In South America, particularly in countries such as Haiti, booster coverage falls under 80%.
Bar Iraq and Syria, DTP booster rates remain above 70% for most countries in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
Vaccination coverage also varies around Southeast Asia, with most achieving above 70% coverage for the third booster of the DTP vaccine. In addition, for matters of tourism, the National Travel Health Network and Centre of Vietnam and the WHO still recommend that backpackers and travelers receive a tetanus shot before their visit.
The immune system employs a complex set of protective mechanisms against various pathogens. When it comes to immunity to SARS-CoV-2, preexisting immunological memory to other viruses or bacteria may well give it a head start.
However, the authors of the study do acknowledge that their data cannot establish a causal link between vaccine boosters, in particular diphtheria and tetanus, and the severity of COVID-19 but instead suggest a strong correlation.
They attribute the effect of the booster shots to a degree of protection against severe symptoms by way of stimulating the immune system. The authors write:
One possible mechanism for this would be that these vaccines instill cross-reactive immunity, i.e., that they ready the immune response for a SARS-CoV-2 infection, perhaps through protein sequence similarities between the pathogens.
However, the possibility that these vaccinations may influence the severity of COVID-19 warrants follow-up investigations, the authors conclude.
Speaking to Medical News Today, David Cutler, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said that the data were not surprising considering previous evidence that unrelated vaccines, such as the measles, combined MMR, and BCG vaccines, could provide protection against COVID-19.
But it does raise more questions than it answers. There are areas of uncertainty which could not be addressed [in the study]. Were all vaccines accounted for? Were other social factors which led to people getting vaccinated responsible for the more favorable COVID-19 outcomes? What is the nature of the immunity which may have produced better outcomes?
Cutler noted that the notion that routine vaccines provided benefit against COVID-19 was nonetheless intriguing.
The clinical implication is that the benefits of vaccines may be even greater than previously realized. This is a potent reminder to receive not only a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, but other routine vaccines when they are due.
For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.
The karaoke party was the final straw for Dr. Eric Berger, the owner of Center City Pediatrics.
Berger had already started working on a mandatory coronavirus vaccine policy for his staff when two unvaccinated medical assistants came to work sick after attending a birthday party in April.
I felt burned, because we had really gone over and beyond through the entire epidemic to try to keep people safe, said Berger. That included offering incentives such as an extra vacation day for workers who received a vaccine. Four unvaccinated staffers who sang karaoke that night eventually tested positive for COVID-19, and administrators scrambled to figure out who might have been exposed.
The timing could not have been worse. After taking a financial hit during the pandemic, Center City Pediatrics was trying to encourage families to feel comfortable making appointments again. We had just sent out [an email] blast, a week or so before, explaining why we were a safe place for you to bring your child, said Berger.
Federal guidance supports employers right to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees who physically enter the workplace, allowing for religious and medical exemptions when possible. Some universities, nonprofits, and law firms in the Philadelphia region have implemented vaccine mandates. But doing so can be a tough decision, said employers and employment attorneys, and a gray area remains.
After consulting with attorneys, leadership at Center City Pediatrics gave all remaining unvaccinated staff two weeks to get a jab. Two people quit immediately according to David Bannett, practice administrator. Eventually, a total of seven staff members left.
Losing staff at a critical time for the practice gave Berger pause about his decision, but ultimately, he believes it was the right thing to do.
Its worth it, but it has been very difficult, said Berger.
Keystone Crossroads asked to be connected with the employees who left, but Berger and Bannett declined after they said their practice began receiving attention on an anti-vaccination website.
Medical assistant Brittany Kissling, 33, said she had initially been nervous but ultimately decided to get vaccinated, as the breadwinner in a family with four kids. Ultimately, I could not afford to take that risk, she said. Still, she understood the hesitancy of her peers.
Because it was so new, they were just not comfortable, she said.
Grand Forks Public Health will host more mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics this week in collaboration with Wall's Medicine Center and WelCore Personal Corporate Health.
These clinics will offer the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so individuals will not need to return for second-dose shots, according to a release from GFPH. For more information about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, ask your healthcare provider or read about it on the CDC website.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will also be available for any individuals who prefer them to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, including people who need to complete their two-dose vaccine series and children ages 12 to 17. More information about the Pfizer vaccine can be found here, and information about Moderna vaccine can be found here.
To find a mobile vaccine clinic in Grand Forks County, visit www.grandforksgov.com/vaccine, or locate pharmacies and healthcare providers who offer the vaccine at www.vaccinefinder.org.
Mobile Vaccination Clinics in Grand Forks County June 21-26:
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) The Richmond and Henrico Health District as well as the Chesterfield Health District are giving residents lots of chances to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
In Richmond on June 22, you can go to the Department of Aging & Rehabilitative Services (2001 Maywill St. #202, Richmond, Va. 23230) and the Islamic Center of Henrico & Masjid Al-Falah (7705 Impala Dr., Richmond, Va. 23228) where you can get a dose of the Pfizer vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Maywill St. event is from 9-11 a.m., and the Islamic Center event runs from noon-5 p.m.
Those getting the second dose of the Moderna vaccine can go to Hillside Apartments Rec Center (1500 Harwood Street, Richmond, Va. 23224). That clinic will run from 2-3 p.m.
In Chesterfield, you can go to the Rockwood Vaccination Center at the former Big Lots store at 10161 Hull Street Rd., Midlothian, Va. 23112 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and get either the Pfizer shot or the J&J shot. The Rockwood center is also doing adolescent vaccines in addition to offering the Pfizer vaccine on Mondays from 3-7 p.m.
The latest numbers from the Virginia Department of Health show 8,833,655 doses of the vaccine have been administered across the state. Over 4.2 million people are fully vaccinated. Just over 60% (60.2%) of adults 18 and older in Virginia are fully vaccinated.
The state is averaging 25,924 doses administered per day.
Jun 21 2021
An international study, headed by Antonio Hernndez, Professor of the Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology of the University of Granada (UGR), has reviewed the assessment reports of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding the Coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
Antonio Hernandez Jerez. Image Credit: University of Granada
The UGR scientists paid particular attention to the safety information from pre-clinical (animal) and clinical (phase-3 trials) dosing studies. They also considered the results of the mass vaccination campaigns in Spain and the United Kingdom to date.
Should we be concerned about the on-going vaccination drive? The principal investigator of this study, Antonio Hernndez, clarifies the situation: For our part, as the researchers, the answer is that we should not worry because the risk/benefit balance of implementing COVID-19 vaccination on a mass scale in the European Union is favorable. The benefits far outweigh the potential complications and long-term effects of actually having the disease, he explains.
This conclusion is also valid even in light of the more serious incidents reported in the case of some vaccines, such as the blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which are extraordinarily rare, while similar thrombotic complications are much more frequent among those who contract the disease, he continues.
In general, the most commonly-reported adverse effects following the administration of the vaccines involved local reactions at the injection site (discomfort in the arm and erythema), followed by non-specific systemic effects that occurred shortly after vaccination and resolved themselves within a few days, such as myalgia, chills, fatigue, headache, and fever.
However, the study points to the continued paucity of information, on several fronts: long-term studies, interaction with other vaccines; the use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy or breastfeeding; and their use in immunocompromised patients, as well as in subjects with comorbidities or autoimmune or inflammatory disorders.
There is a need for detailed follow-up and monitoring assessments for continued vaccine safety surveillance, to determine the potential risks of the aforementioned adverse incidents or diseases.
Antonio Hernndez, Professor of the Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, UGR
It is important to bear in mind that the marketing authorization granted by the EMA is only conditional, as long-term studies have yet to be carried out on animals or humans due to the need to develop and administer the vaccines urgently, he notes.
Therefore, the EMA authorization has given the green light to use these vaccines for emergency use and rapid roll-out only, since the authorities understand the benefits to outweigh the possible long-term risks.
Under the terms of the conditional marketing authorization, long-term vaccine safety studies are mandatory, and these are currently in progress. Once finalized, the pharmaceutical companies must submit the results to the EMA for evaluation.
Source:
Journal reference:
Hernndez, A.F., et al. (2021) Safety of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the EU: Should we be concerned?. Toxicology Reports. doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.04.003.
