Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the first to need two doses to keep their jobs.
State and territory governments subsequently implemented employment and public space mandates which required people to show proof of vaccination to enter hospitality venues and events. A constellation of private companies also required vaccines for their workers or patrons.
Vaccine mandates receive considerable attention when theyre introduced. For COVID vaccine mandates, policymakers offered reasoning including protecting the vulnerable, safeguarding health systems, and making it possible to open state borders and lift internal restrictions. Experts and the public sometimes debated the merits of these policies, but the reasons behind them were relatively clear.
By contrast, the removal of vaccine mandates often appears haphazard. Less is known about how or why it happens, or how it should be done.
However, mandate removal may have just as much of an influence on peoples future attitudes and behaviour as mandate imposition. As New South Wales considers removing its COVID vaccine mandate for health-care workers, its pertinent to explore how to abolish a vaccine mandate in the right way.
Many COVID vaccine mandates terminated when state governments stopped classifying the pandemic as an emergency. The mandates which remained in place covered workers in high-risk settings, but even some of these have since ended.
Queensland and Western Australia removed their COVID vaccine requirements for health workers in 2023, and this week NSW announced its considering doing the same.
This is good news. Governments should treat vaccine mandates like other health policies and review them regularly in the context of changing evidence. Some criteria governments should think about when implementing or removing vaccine mandates include:
Disease burden in the community
Governments should consider the rate of severe illness and availability of treatment options and hospital resources. In the case of COVID, the general population has developed high levels of hybrid immunity from vaccination and infection.
Read more: Queensland ruling doesn't mean all COVID vaccine mandates were flawed. Here's why
Population vulnerability
Health-care workers are more likely to be exposed to disease, and they may transmit it to patients who are at high risk of serious outcomes. This is why NSW and some other states require staff in health or aged care to get flu vaccines each year.
Vaccine effectiveness
It matters how well the mandated vaccine prevents severe disease in people who are vaccinated, which COVID vaccines do well. But whether they reduce transmission to others is also relevant. Importantly, COVID vaccination reduces but does not prevent disease transmission. Outside an emergency situation, this weakens the argument for mandating vaccination.
Another good reason to revisit NSWs current two-dose mandate for health workers is the fact its obviously outdated. Although some other states and territories have required one booster, this did not have to be regular or recent.
Having received two or three doses of the vaccine, often much earlier in the pandemic, is unlikely to offer protection against infection today. Most people vaccinated or not have now also developed some immunity through infection.
Since these policies dont reflect current evidence or recommendations, leaving them in place could actually be damaging. It may erode trust and confidence in the health system and government, both for health-care workers and the public.
While its important to review these policies in changing contexts, theres a risk vaccine or mandate opponents will use this opportunity to claim mandates were never necessary.
No COVID decisions were perfect, and we should evaluate pandemic decision-making across a range of measures. But the circumstances and justifications for introducing mandates were very different from today. This distinction should be kept in mind when communicating changes in mandate policy.
For NSW and any other jurisdictions considering removing mandates, first, they should consult meaningfully with the community to drive decision-making and communication. This includes engaging with those who are subject to the mandate and those indirectly affected by it.
We applaud NSW Health for consulting with health workforce stakeholders. However, they havent described consulting with patients or vulnerable groups, who may worry mandate removal exposes them to untenable risk from their health-care providers. Its important to prepare a communication strategy for this group, too.
Transparency is key to maintaining trust in public health officials. When a decision is made to alter or remove a mandate, we recommend transparently explaining the decision and the data that informed it. For communicating about mandate removal, spokespeople could provide clear, simple data that compares the burden of disease or immunity rates at the time of implementation versus now.
Its also crucial any announcement about mandate removal makes clear that vaccination is still recommended. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant framed the early messaging well, saying NSW Health would continue to strongly recommend employees stay up-to-date with their COVID vaccinations.
Finally, governments should provide clear and accessible legal and health guidance to private companies. These employers may still have mandatory vaccination policies in place, and need support on how best to consider or announce their removal.
Read more: Unintended consequences of NZ's COVID vaccine mandates must inform future pandemic policy new research
The abolition of COVID vaccine mandates is an important milestone in our journey out of the pandemic. At the same time, it means governments need to ensure high voluntary vaccine uptake.
This requires funding, efficient service delivery, support for health-care workers who administer vaccines, and persuasive public health campaigns. When governments manage mandate removal well, they make it easier for themselves to continue to protect the public against disease.
W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice vetoes vaccine exemption bill
Organizations who put forth a petition for the veto that garnered more than 3,600 signatures. (WCHS){p}{/p}
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS)
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said it was the "overwhelming" opposition from medical professionals that convinced him to veto the controversial vaccine exemption bill Wednesday.
House Bill 5105, a bill passed both the House and Senate in the 2024 regular session, would have allowed private and parochial schools to create their own vaccine policies. It also would have exempted public virtual school students from state requirements for childhood immunizations.
Hours before the midnight deadline on Wednesday, Justice announced his veto.
"The overwhelming majority that have voiced their opinion believe that this legislation will do irreparable harm by crippling childhood immunity to diseases such as mumps and measles," Justice said in a statement. "West Virginia historically has seen very few instances of these diseases, specifically because the vaccination requirements in this state are so strong."
Justice received a wave of opposition to the bill including a petition that was delivered to him last week by several medical and educational groups that had more than 3,600 signatures.
Tiffany Gale heads the West Virginia Women's Alliance, which was one of the organizations who signed on.
"While yes, we absolutely support personal freedom, when that freedom can harm others especially young children, we really have to take into consideration the effect that it's going to have," Gale said.
Dr. Lisa Costello, a pediatrician in Morgantown and the immediate past president of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, praised the governor's veto Wednesday evening.
"As a pediatrician and a mother of a toddler who is going to be starting Catholic school this fall, I am so grateful that Gov. Justice vetoed House Bill 5105 because that means that our communities and children will be protected and we will able to remain a national leader in school immunization policies," Costello said.
Those who supported the bill, including the majority of senators and delegates and groups such as West Virginians for Health Freedom, argued that this was a matter of parental rights and freedom. West Virginians for Health Freedom sent in a letter to the governor to urge support.
In his release, Justice said he understood all opinions but must side with the medical experts on this.
West Virginia is way ahead of the pack in protecting our children from preventable diseases like the measles, and in this matter, I will defer to our licensed medical professionals who have come forward overwhelmingly to say this bill could and likely would result in reduced immunity and harm to West Virginias kids," he said.
The Legislature does have the power to override a veto, but House of Delegates spokesperson Ann Ali said once they adjourn the regular session, both bodies are limited on what they can do. Even if they are called back in for a special session, lawmakers would only be able to take up what is on the governor's call list.
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Kentucky bill would ban mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for work, study, or healthcare
by Christian Hauser, WKRC
(CBS Newspath, CNN Newsource, file)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKRC)- Kentucky Senate Bill 295 states that the Covid-19 vaccine cannot be required for anyone to be a student or participate in any extra-curricular activities, you can't be required to get the vaccine for a job or to maintain a professional license, and that you can't be required to get it to receive health care services.
For example, a doctor couldn't refuse to treat you if you didn't get a vaccine.
(WKRC,%20CBS%20Newspath,%20CNN%20Newsource,%20KET)
State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor (R)-Smithfield sponsored the bill. Tichenor said that people shouldn't be forced to get vaccinated if they don't want to. She said that an employer, for instance, shouldn't be able to dictate your health decisions.
However, the CDC and FDA stated that what Tichenor claims is misleading.
Hamilton County Medical Director Dr. Steve Feagins said that the reporting system is used to see if there's any correlation between an adverse event and the vaccine.
"It's for everybody, not just for clinicians, or pharmacists. It's for everybody, for anything that happens, that may or may not be related to a vaccine. It may not even be related in time to receiving a vaccine," Hamilton County Medical Director Dr. Steve Feagins said.
The VAERS website clearly states that just because there's a report of a bad reaction or death, doesn't mean the vaccine caused the event.
This bill doesn't just prohibit requirements around the current vaccine, it would ban any future Covid vaccine requirements in the future.
"We have no understanding guys, of what this virus is going to look like two years from now, what it's going to look like 10 years from now, and to say under no circumstances can we require even healthcare professionals [to be vaccinated?] It's a danger to our patients if we go in there with communicable diseases," State Sen. Karen Berg (D)-Louisville said.
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Vaccination not only reduces the severity of TB in infected cattle, but reduces its spread in dairy herds by 89%, research finds. The research, led by the University of Cambridge and Penn State University, improves prospects for the elimination and control of bovine tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease of cattle that results in large economic costs and health impacts across the world. The study is published in the journal Science.
This is the first study to show that BCG-vaccinated cattle infected with TB are substantially less infectious to other cattle. This remarkable indirect effect of the vaccine beyond its direct protective effect has not been measured before.
The spillover of infection from livestock has been estimated to account for about 10% of human tuberculosis cases. While such zoonotic TB (zTB) infections are most commonly associated with gastrointestinal infections related to drinking contaminated milk, zTB can also cause chronic lung infections in humans. Lung disease caused by zTB can be indistinguishable from regular tuberculosis, but is more difficult to treat due to natural antibiotic resistance in the cattle bacteria.
TB remains endemic in many countries around the world, including in Europe and the Americas, where its control costs farmers and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
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In the study, carried out in Ethiopia, researchers examined the ability of the vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG), to directly protect cattle that receive it, as well as to indirectly protect both vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle by reducing TB transmission. Vaccinated and unvaccinated animals were put into enclosures with naturally infected animals, in a novel crossover design performed over two years.
"Our study found that BCG vaccination reduces TB transmission in cattle by almost 90%. Vaccinated cows also developed significantly fewer visible signs of TB than unvaccinated ones. This suggests that the vaccination not only reduces the progression of the disease, but that if vaccinated animals become infected, they are substantially less infectious to others," said Andrew Conlan, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine and a corresponding author of the study.
Using livestock census and movement data from Ethiopia, the team developed a transmission model to explore the potential for routine vaccination to control bovine tuberculosis.
"Results of the model suggest that vaccinating calves within the dairy sector of Ethiopia could reduce the reproduction number of the bacteriumthe R0to below 1, arresting the projected increase in the burden of disease and putting herds on a pathway towards elimination of TB," Conlan said.
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The team focused their studies in Ethiopia, a country with the largest cattle herd in Africa and a rapidly growing dairy sector that has a growing burden of bovine tuberculosis and no current control program, as a representative of similarly situated transitional economies.
"Bovine tuberculosis is largely uncontrolled in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia," said Abebe Fromsa, associate professor of agriculture and veterinary medicine at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the study's co-lead author. "Vaccination of cattle has the potential to provide significant benefits in these regions."
"For over a hundred years, programs to eliminate bovine tuberculosis have relied on intensive testing and slaughtering of infected animals," said Vivek Kapur, professor of microbiology and infectious diseases and Huck Distinguished Chair in Global Health at Penn State and a corresponding author of the study.
He added, "This approach is unimplementable in many parts of the world for economic and social reasons, resulting in considerable animal suffering and economic losses from lost productivity, alongside an increased risk of spillover of infection to humans. By vaccinating cattle, we hope to be able to protect both cattle and humans from the consequences of this devastating disease."
Professor James Wood, Alborada Professor of Equine and Farm Animal Science in the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine, noted that despite TB being more prevalent in lower-income countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand also experience considerable economic pressures from the disease which continues to persist despite intensive and costly control programs.
Wood said, "For over 20 years the UK government has pinned hopes on cattle vaccination for bovine tuberculosis as a solution to reduce the disease and the consequent costs of the controls. These results provide important support for the epidemiological benefit that cattle vaccination could have to reduce rates of transmission to and within herds."
More information: Abebe Fromsa et al, BCG vaccination reduces bovine tuberculosis transmission, improving prospects for elimination, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adl3962. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl3962
Journal information: Science
Getting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to protect against tuberculosis (TB) or having latent (inactive) TB in young adulthood arent linked to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a Norwegian study found.
The study, BCG vaccination and multiple sclerosis risk: A Norwegian cohort study, was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
MS is an automminue disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath, a protective coating around nerve fibers that helps them send signals more efficiently. The loss of myelin leads to progressive nerve fiber degeneration and a range of MS symptoms.
Although generally not recommended for use in the U.S., the BCG vaccine is one of the most widely used vaccines worldwide.
BCG, an attenuated strain of the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, has been reported to have persistent effects on the immune system that may be relevant to treating or preventing autoimmune diseases. In the U.S., its considered only for people who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website.
The studys objective was to examine if BCG given in early adulthood decreases MS risk, the researchers wrote. A relationship between vaccinations and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been firmly established, they wrote.
The scientists analyzed data from a population-based Norwegian TB screening program that took place from 1963 to 1975. The program involved 791,369 individuals, 52% of them women, with a mean age at TB screening of 26.2 years. Some 89% had received the BCG vaccine, at a mean age of 15.6 years.
MS cases were found through the Norwegian MS Registry and Biobank, which started in 2001, and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.
A total of 2,862 MS cases, 65% of which were in women, were retrieved. The researchers found no association between MS risk and BCG vaccination, with no differences in the risk of developing MS between BCG-vaccinated individuals and nonvaccinated participants with no signs of TB infection.
The scientists then compared individuals born between 1920 and 1939 to those born between 1940 and 1959. Although the group born in the first period had a lower proportion of vaccinated individuals, fewer MS cases identified with symptom onset, and older age at vaccination, no clear association with MS risk was seen in any birth cohort category, the researchers wrote.
Because they wanted to exclude MS cases with disease onset before BCG vaccination, the team then restricted the vaccinated group to individuals who were vaccinated before age 18. Results were not substantially different.
Neither those BCG vaccinated nor those infected naturally with Mycobacterium tuberculosis differed from the non-vaccinated and uninfected population in terms of MS risk, the researchers wrote.
This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
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New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (2730 April) shows that even in men who receive two doses of mpox vaccine intradermally, their level of antibodies to the virus falls to low or zero within the first few months if they have not received a previous smallpox vaccine.
Previous smallpox vaccination contributes significantly to higher neutralizing antibodies following first MVA-BN dose.
The authors, who include Dr. Klara Sonden, deputy state epidemiologist of the of Public Health Agency of Sweden and affiliated to Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, says that their study shows that booster vaccination may be needed long-term for such individuals, and that scientific evidence is needed for the background to any decisions.
Since May 2022, an mpox outbreak has emerged globally, spreading mainly among men who have sex with men (MSM). It was classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
In Sweden, a vaccine against smallpox based on the live Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA-BN), has been offered intradermally to risk groups. Intradermal administration means 0.1 ml in the skin, one-fifth of the dose needed for subcutaneous administration. This was used as a dose-saving strategy as supplies were initially limited.
The vaccine has been shown to be efficacious in studies using real-world data from the 2022 and onward outbreak among MSM, with limited number of breakthrough infections and milder disease reported when breakthrough infections occur so far. The aim of this cohort study was to assess dynamics of, and factors affecting neutralizing antibodies against mpox virus (MPXV) following MVA-BN vaccination.
A total of 100 MSM attending the sexual health clinic "Venhlsan," Stockholm, Sweden, eligible to receive the vaccine MVA-BN were included in the study. Following the initial serum sample drawn before dose 1, serum samples were further collected before dose 2, and 28 days and three months after the second dose.
These samples were tested to establish titers (levels) of MPXV-neutralizing antibodies. Titers were compared in individuals with or without previous smallpox vaccination and patients with past natural infection were included as positive controls.
Ten individuals were of uncertain status regarding smallpox vaccination (due to being born in many different countries in the time period 1977-1980 when vaccination was de-escalated globally) and 23 individuals were previously smallpox vaccinated. The other 67 individuals had no history of smallpox vaccination.
A total of 312 samples from four time points from the 100 individuals included in the study were analyzed. In addition to the study population, anonymized age and sex matched controls from blood donors were included as negative controls (n=20) and previously MPXV-infected individuals as positive controls (n=20). The controls gave one blood sample each.
Within the study group, previous smallpox vaccination was associated with significantly higher antibody titers, and 15/23 of these individuals had pre-existing neutralizing antibodies (i.e., the B-cell memory was still present thanks to their previous smallpox vaccination).
Among those without prior smallpox vaccination, fewer than half of the group showed any detectable neutralizing antibodies at all 28 days after the second vaccination, with those who did exhibit responses having a median titer (standard unit of measurement of antibodies) of 20. In contrast, for previously vaccinated individuals, the median titer 28 days after a single dose of the MVA-BN vaccine was 40.
The authors say, "Our findings corroborate other studies showing that mpox vaccination results in neutralizing antibodies only in a proportion of vaccinees, and that a significant decline occurs already during the first month post-vaccination Immunity after previous MPXV infection mounts a higher and more robust neutralizing response. In conclusion, the findings merits the study of booster doses."
They continue: "Our results indicate a rapid decline in neutralizing antibodies after two doses and are in line with other recent studies. These results, together with the continued spread of mpox in MSM populations in Europe has prompted the consideration of a booster dose. Such a recommendation needs to be based on scientific evidence.
"However, as far as we know, no clinical trial has studied or is studying a 3rd MVA-BN dose (from an analysis of clinicaltrials.gov March 2024), but a booster dose is common practice for inactivated vaccines. The MVA-BN is a live, non-replicating vaccine and therefore likely equivalent to an inactivated vaccine.
"Studies are essential to inform public health policy, and the largest STI clinic in Sweden is planning to perform a randomized clinical trial of a booster dose with immunological parameters as the primary outcome in the comparison with those who have had the two doses of the regular full 0.5 subcutaneous dose (sc) (0.5ml), two doses of the dose-saving intradermal dose (id) (0.1ml), or one dose sc/one dose id, and those with no booster dose."
They add that despite this, the mpox cases in Sweden have been few and mostly imported during 2023 (12 cases) and 2024 (5 cases) and the vast majority have been among unvaccinated individuals.
Data collection is ongoing regarding the occurrence of breakthrough infections in Sweden. Breakthrough cases have been reported in the scientific literature among individuals that have received different vaccination strategies (i.e. sc/sc, id/sc, id/id).
Dr. Sonden concludes, "The results presented here indicate that long-term protective immunity might need a booster dose for its maintenance. Since the current situation regarding mpox in Sweden is stable with minimal transmission any change in policy should be backed by results from clinical trials.
"Currently we will focus on finding unvaccinated individuals who are at risk of getting mpox and offer them vaccination, and we believe that this as well as the previously administered vaccinations will contribute to lowering the risk for new outbreaks of mpox in Sweden in future."
Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Since the pandemic began, some Republican Kentucky lawmakers have repeated common misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines that greatly reduce peoples risk of getting seriously sick or dying from it.
This week, that happened again when Republican state Sen. Lindsey Tichenor of Smithfield said inaccurately that the vaccines are ineffective and dangerous during a public debate in the Kentucky Legislature, and again in a news release sent by the Senate Republican caucus.
That news release originally cited two medical journal articles one retracted and the other disputed by doctors with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support a bill Tichenor sponsored that would bar employers and schools from requiring workers and students to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Senate approved the legislation, Senate Bill 295, Tuesday in a 25-11 vote. Most Republican senators voted in favor of it, but four voted against it, as did all Democratic senators.
The Senate GOP caucus backtracked on the inclusion of the retracted and disputed reports Wednesday after an inquiry from LPM News. An updated version of the news release removed both reports but kept other misinformation in.
The original news release sent out Tuesday by the Senate Republican caucus linked to three reports that they claimed supported the need for SB 295.
Near the top of one of those reports are two notices that say it was retracted by the medical journal that published it.
Another paper cited in the news release was disputed by professionals with the CDC.
The third link led to a fact sheet for health care providers regarding a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Its available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations website and includes information on the vaccine and related clinical studies.
LPM contacted the Republican caucus communications team about the inclusion of the retracted and disputed papers Wednesday morning. A few hours later, the caucus sent out an updated version of the news release that removed all three reports.
It included a notice at the top of the announcement that read, The previous version of this press release cited studies that have since been redacted. This source should have been removed from this updated release.
A wide body of research conducted since COVID-19 vaccines were developed in 2020 confirms they are safe and effective, and it shows significant side effects rarely happen.
Yet the retracted report initially cited in the GOPs news release claimed otherwise and suggested governments should endorse a global moratorium on the vaccines.
The authors of the article include people who repeatedly have spread misinformation about vaccines. A medical journal published the paper in January and then retracted it in late February due to the concerns with the validity of some of the cited references that support the conclusions and a misrepresentation of the cited references and available data.
Tichenor called the inclusion of the retracted paper in the news release a simple error in a statement to LPM. But she also cast doubt on the journals given reasons for retracting the paper and said the authors are filing a lawsuit for unethical retraction.
Considering the amount of censorship imposed on those who questioned the narrative during the past four years, I am not surprised to see this study retracted, she said. While the source data has been retracted, I believe it has been done so because the report may include evidence to support the concerns of countless people.
Tichenor did not specifically address the news releases initial inclusion of another article, published in 2022 by a different medical journal, that doctors with the CDC criticized.
That article concerned the deaths of two teenage boys soon after they received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Several professionals with the CDC disputed the article in a letter to the editor.
They cited the CDCs own evaluations, including its determination that one of the patients died of a bacterial infection a conclusion with which the original articles authors disagreed.
While the Senate GOPs updated news release no longer included that disputed article or the retracted paper, it still included a quote from Tichenor in which she falsely calls COVID-19 vaccines ineffective and dangerous.
The original and updated Senate GOP news releases also reference data from the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS.
Anybody can report an adverse event to the system, but such reports arent proof that a health problem was caused by a vaccine, according to the CDC. VAERS is an early warning system that could lead to further investigation by the CDC and FDA.
Some people have used VAERS data to fuel misinformation about the vaccines safety during the pandemic.
Tichenor cited VAERS data while making inaccurate claims about the COVID-19 vaccines during a Tuesday debate in the Kentucky Senate.
The reason the Senate GOP originally sent out Tuesdays news release was to highlight the Senates approval of SB 295, of which Tichenor is the lead sponsor.
The bill would bar any COVID-19 vaccine from being required for someone to enroll in school, to work for an employer, to obtain a professional license, or to receive a health care service.
Students in Kentucky arent required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to go to school. Major medical providers, including Norton Healthcare, required COVID-19 vaccines for workers earlier in the pandemic but dropped them after the federal government ended its vaccine mandate for various health care facilities last year.
Past ethics guidance on the American Medical Associations website reads, In general, no, a physician should not refuse a patient simply because the individual is not vaccinated or declines to be vaccinated.
During Tuesdays debate and vote on SB 295, multiple Republican senators publicly cast doubt on the vaccines efficacy and safety, despite the established research showing they are safe and effective.
Proponents of the bill also said it supports personal freedom.
A few Republican and Democratic senators spoke against the bill, raising concerns about how it would affect elderly or otherwise vulnerable patients at nursing homes or other health care facilities. They also argued against restricting businesses freedom to impose a vaccine requirement on workers.
SB 295 still needs approval from the House. And it's late enough in the legislative session that it could be vulnerable to a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear.
This story was updated.
State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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Receipt of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine was not associated with an increased stroke risk in the first 6 weeks after vaccination with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, a new study of Medicare beneficiaries showed.
"The clinical significance of the risk of stroke after vaccination must be carefully considered together with the significant benefits of receiving an influenza vaccination," the authors wrote. "Because the framework of the current self-controlled case series study does not compare the populations who were vaccinated vs those who were unvaccinated, it does not account for the reduced rate of severe influenza after vaccination. More studies are needed to better understand the association between high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccination and stroke."
Yun Lu, PhD, of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, was the lead and corresponding author of the study. It was published online on March 19 in JAMA.
Some stroke cases may have been missed or misclassified. Additionally, the study included only vaccinated individuals a population considered to have health-seeking behaviors which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The study was conducted using COVID-19 bivalent vaccines, which are no longer available.
This work was funded by the US Food and Drug Administration through an interagency agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Lu reported no relevant financial relationships. The other authors' disclosures are listed in the original paper.
A nurse fills a syringe with Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
Fred Tanneau | Afp | Getty Images
Moderna on Tuesday said a new version of its Covid vaccine triggered a stronger immune response against the virus than its current shot in a late-stage trial.
The results come as Moderna competes with rival Pfizer for more share of the Covid vaccine market and tries to diversify its revenue streams after the world saw a plunge in demand for Covid products last year. Moderna's current Covid vaccine, known as Spikevax, is its only commercially available product.
The biotech company's new shot could offer a longer shelf life and easier storage than its Covid vaccine.
Moderna's new shot is designed to last longer when refrigerated. That could make the jab easier to distribute around the world, especially in developing countries that may not have freezer capabilities. The company will accomplish that by shortening the length of the mRNA strand in the vaccine, Moderna previously told CNBC.
The new shot is also a "critical component" of Moderna's combination vaccine targeting Covid and the flu, the company said in a release.Both Moderna and Pfizer have said that the convenience of receiving protection against two viruses at once could encourage more people to get vaccinated against Covid.
The phase three trial followed roughly 11,400 people ages 12 and older in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
Moderna's new shot specifically triggered a higher immune response against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 and the original strain of the virus than the company's bivalent vaccine targeting those variants. The benefits were "most acutely" seen in patients over the age of 65, who are also at highest risk of severe illness from Covid.
The most common side effects were injection site pain, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and chills, according to the company's release. Overall, Moderna said the safety profile is similar to the approved vaccine Spikevax.
A detailed analysis of the late-stage trial results will be presented at Moderna's vaccines event for investors Wednesday. At the event, the company will highlight other parts of its pipeline.
Moderna is working to develop shots against the flu, cancer and other disease. The company's shot against respiratory syncytial virus is expected to win Food and Drug Administration approval in May.
Moderna has also said it plans to launch up to 15 products in the next five years a goal it first outlined during its annual research and development day in September.
KYIV, 28 March 2024 The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has delivered to Ukraine 254,000 doses of the Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer for children aged five and over, as well as for adults. This critical delivery was organized with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
In particular, the shipment includes 52,800 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years (Orange Cap Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5) and over 201,600 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for adults and teenagers over 12 (Dark Grey Cap Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5).
Vaccination can protect against severe COVID-19 outcomes and complications, says Veera Mendonca, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Ukraine. This delivery includes vaccines intended for the youngest children aged 5 to 11, as well as for adults and teenagers aged 12 and above. The vaccine is already available in Ukraine, so we encourage you to check whether you, your children and elderly relatives received the necessary doses, and to take the opportunity to protect their health.
Since the beginning of the influenza season in October 2023, over 3.7 million Ukrainians have fallen ill with SARS, flu and COVID-19, with 839 deaths registered due to COVID-19 complications.
According to the Ministry of Health, from 11 March to 17 March, 150,422 people fell ill with colds, flu and COVID-19, including 88,829 children. A total of 4,198 Ukrainians needed treatment for SARS in medical facilities, while 597 people, including 94 children, were hospitalised in the country's hospitals due to COVID-19 complications. A total of 24 deaths were registered among the patients who tested positive for COVID-19. All of the deceased had not had preventive vaccinations against COVID-19 within the last 12 months.
"The global COVID-19 trend indicates that the virus is finally moving into the category of seasonal diseases, like flu, says Ihor Kuzin, Deputy Minister, Chief State Sanitary Doctor. Every year, people are going to face the coronavirus, which will keep mutating. More than 250,000 doses of the Omicron-specific vaccine, delivered by UNICEF, are specially adapted to protect against the Omicron strain of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus circulating in the country. Previously, this vaccine was used for booster vaccinations. After the recommendations were updated (order No. 346 of the Ministry of Health as of 29 February 2024), it could also be used for the primary vaccination course. That is, Ukrainians who have not received vaccinations against COVID-19, not completed the primary vaccination or been recommended by a doctor to receive a booster vaccination will be eligible to receive an Omicron-specific vaccine. It will be available in all regions.
COVID-19 poses a particular threat to people over 60, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses, such as bronchial asthma, diabetes, hypertension and oncological diseases. If you have elderly family members or friends at risk, please make sure they get vaccinated against COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccinations are free for all Ukrainians.
Background
UNICEF has been working with the World Bank, Gavi and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to update and enhance the cold-chain infrastructure in Ukraine. Almost 6,600 vaccine refrigerators and freezers have already been procured and delivered, supporting effective vaccine storage at nearly 80 per cent of vaccination points. UNICEF, with its own funds and USAID funds, has also procured 36 refrigerator vans for vaccine transportation from national and regional levels to vaccination points.
In 2023 and early 2024, UNICEF delivered nearly 3 million doses of vaccines (polio, diphtheria-tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), COVID-19, hepatitis A) procured with support from USAID, the governments of Japan, the Netherlands and France, and the international COVAX initiative. In addition, UNICEF provided nearly 6.2 million syringes for vaccination.
Media contacts
Damian Rance Chief Advocacy and Communications UNICEF Ukraine Email: drance@unicef.org
