As COVID cases continue to rise, Lowell General Hospital has joined many other Massachusetts medical centers in reinstating its masking requirement for employees. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
We may have learned to live with the coronavirus and its many offshoots, but that doesnt mean it can be written off as just another infectious nuisance.
Recent masking updates at our states hospitals indicate that COVID, though somewhat neutralized, hasnt released its grip entirely.
And as COVID cases continue to rise, Lowell General Hospital has joined many other Massachusetts medical centers in reinstating its masking requirement for employees to stem the coronavirus spread during the peak transmission months for several communicable diseases.
LGH spokesperson Robert Brogna stated that the hospital has recently experienced extremely high patient volumes, at its inpatient campuses.
And we are seeing an increase in respiratory illness activity in our community, including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, the statement from LGH indicated. This trend, along with review and evaluation of a number of critical local data elements including, but not limited to, staff absenteeism, patient infection rates, hospitalization numbers, as well as state and national data, including wastewater trends, have led us to shift to mandatory masking in all patient rooms and care spaces for all staff members beginning Friday, December 29, 2023 at 7:00 am.
The states data measuring COVID detected in wastewater used to track trends of the number of people with the illness has shown a spike since Thanksgiving. That measurement has proven to be a reliable early warning sign of increases, since the virus can show up in wastewater as much as a week before positive test results do.
A GBH report in late December confirmed the disturbing wastewater trend.
The concentration of COVID-19 in our local wastewater samples here in Boston is very high, and its continuing to increase, said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Bostons commissioner of public health and executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. Over the course of the last two weeks, weve noted about a 23% increase in our Boston samples.
Another key metric that public health officials focus on is hospitalization rates.
Our hospitals are at or above capacity and theres waiting times in emergency departments, said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Lab Sciences for the state Department of Public Health.
One week in late December, 16.7% of emergency room visits in the state were due to respiratory virus infections.
Thats as high as weve seen it this season, Madoff said.
The new Lowell General masking policy does not apply to visitors or patients for now, though the hospital strongly encourages visitors to wear a mask while on-site.
The return of the masking policy for staff follows similar announcements from other Massachusetts health-care systems, some of which have taken it a step further.
Worcester-based UMass Memorial Medical Center reinstated its mask mandate for caregivers in all patient and common areas, and in all patient encounters, on Tuesday.
Patients wont be required to wear masks, though theyll be encouraged to do so. At the discretion of hospital employees, visitors may be asked to wear a mask if they are exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness.
Beth Israel Lahey, Boston Medical Center and Dana Farber reintroduced mask requirements in December, while Mass General Brigham and UMass Memorial started mandating masks on Tuesday, followed by Tufts Medicine of which Lowell General is part on Wednesday.
At Mass General Brigham facilities, patients and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks, but they are still optional for those groups at most locations.
However, Boston Medical Center already requires patients and visitors in most settings to wear a mask.
Masks arent entirely directed at COVID containment. Theyre also in place to protect against an increase in a range of respiratory viruses, like RSV and various strains of influenza.
While not new, masking to prevent infectious disease transmission has taken on added importance and acceptance since the onset of the pandemic.
We have a tool that is not just specific to COVID, and these respiratory viruses do on their own have a significant level of morbidity, mortality, missed days from work, Dr. Cassandra Pierre, infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center, told GBH. Weve had this understanding from COVID that we can protect our health-care workers, our patients and our staff by using the same mask mandates that were helpful during the pandemic.
Pierre said that decision was especially important given the vulnerable and minority population at Boston Medical Center whove typically borne the brunt of COVID and other respiratory complications.
And if rising rates of COVID, influenza and RSV arent enough, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that another new COVID variant, JN.1, has emerged as a new dominant variant. The CDC estimates that JN.1 now accounts for 39-50% of all new cases in the United States.
Updated vaccines for COVID, the flu, and RSV remain available, so its not too late to arm yourself with some added protection during these viruses most active transmission periods.
By Alexa Lardieri U.S. Deputy Health Editor Dailymail.Com 18:46 03 Jan 2024, updated 19:43 03 Jan 2024
As flu and other respiratory viruses surge across the United States, the illness has taken the life of a healthy father-of-four and special education teacher from Tennessee.
Cody Capps from Robertson County, Tennessee died unexpectedly from the flu, highlighting how the typically mild to moderate illness can have severe health implications in some people, even sometimes proving deadly.
The 37-year-old died from complications of the virus on December 28 after falling ill while in Indiana visiting family for Christmas. Mr Capps tested positive for influenza A and was admitted to the intensive care unit when his condition deteriorated.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to provide financial assistance to his wife and four sons. Surpassing the $75,000 goal, the Capps family has raised $78,400.
A family friend wrote on the fundraising page: 'Cody was a dedicated husband, father, a long time servant leader at Long Hollow Church, and was instrumental in the success of many students in Robertson county.
'It is without a doubt that Cody will be missed by every single life that he touched. This site is set up to help the family during this difficult time.'
Mr Capps is part of the rising trend of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from respiratory viruses during this year's cold season.
In a Facebook post, Danny Weeks, the superintendent of Robertson County Schools, where Mr Capps worked for 13 years as behavior coordinator, released a statement announcing his death.
The statement said: 'It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the passing of Cody Capps, Behavior Coordinator. Over the course of his 13 years of dedicated service, Cody's unwavering commitment to fostering positive change and his genuine compassion to the lives of countless individuals throughout the district is immeasurable.'
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows respiratory virus cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, with fluadmissions climbing 48 percent in the week ending December 23 compared to the previous seven-day spell.
The agency issued a warning after spotting an increase in respiratory illnesses
Admissions are up nearly 90 percent over the same time in 2019, before the pandemic.
And the CDCestimates there have been 4,500 flu-related deaths so far this season, compared to 2,100 at this time in 2019.
The latest data on the flu showed14,732 people were hospitalized with the virus in the week to December 23, compared to 9,930 in the previous seven-day stretch.
The positivity rate for flu tests the proportion that detect the virus rose from 10.5 percent in the week ending December 16 to 13.1 percent in the week to December 23.
Across the US, approximately a dozen states are now reporting 'very high' levels of respiratory activity and seven states Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina and Mr Capps home state of Tennessee are reporting the highest levels as measured by the CDC.
Just two weeks ago, only two states Louisiana and South Carolina were reporting the highest levels of flu-like illness.
Covid hospitalizations were also up 17 percent in a week, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, which the CDC director said had 'peaked' last month, were also rising again.
The overwhelming winter cold season has hospitalsfeeling the pressure, with doctors saying this is the 'worst' winter virus season they have seen.
And the figures are expected to continue increasing as they begin to reflect the impact of holiday gatherings.
This surging 'triple threat' of Covid, flu and RSVhas spurred the return of face masks in hospitals across the country.
In total, more than 30 hospital systems across 16 states have now brought back the restrictions recently.
A total of thirty clinically confirmed patients of molluscum were recruited for this trial from April 2022 to November 2022. Participants were recruited randomly from the outpatient clinic of the Dermatology and Venerology department et al.-Azhar University Hospital in New Damietta, Egypt. The study was approved by the Damietta Faculty of Medicine Al-Azhar University's Research Ethics Committee (00012367-21-02-002). All participants or their guardians gave their informed consent to participate in the trial6.
Patients of MC who were immune competent, with history of BCG vaccination, above 3years of age and under no concurrent systemic or topical treatment of MC within the past 6weeks was included. Those with history of asthma, febrile illness, immunosuppressive conditions or allergic skin disorders were not included. Moreover pregnant or lactating females were excluded from the study.
Demographic details including age and sex were recorded. Careful medical history and clinical examination as well as baseline characteristics of molluscum lesions, including number, size, and site involved, and duration were recorded at the start of the study and each follow-up visit. Appropriate digital photographs were taken before the start, at each visit and after completion of treatment.
The patients were divided randomly using sealed envelope method into three groups. In group (A) patients, 0.1ml of the MMR antigen was first injected into the forearm and only positive reactors (showing5mm induration at the injection site within 4872h of testing) were included in the study. Included subjects were then injected with 0.1ml (10IU) of MMR vaccine (Trimovax Merieux-Aventis, 0.5ml) in their biggest lesion using an insulin syringe held parallel to the skin surface, with the bevel facing upward. Group (B) included 15 patients who were injected intralesionally with 0.1ml (10IU) of PPD tuberculin (VACSERA, Egypt 2ml vial) in the largest lesion. Group (C) included 15 patients who were injected intralesionally with 0.1ml of normal saline (Otsuka, Egypt) in the largest lesion. Treatments were carried out every three weeks and for 3 treatments or until full clearance whichever was achieved first. Following each treatment patients were instructed to remain at the clinic for 30min for possible signs of immediate hypersensitivity. Patients were followed up for two months from the last treatment session for any sign of recurrence6.
Complete response was considered if lesions had disappeared completely while partial response was considered if regression in lesion size or of more than 50% and no response was considered if lesions persisted as is during the full treatment period (9weeks). Side effects during the course of treatment as pain, itching erythema, edema, induration, ulceration and general systemic action as flu-like symptoms were recorded.
Data were fed to the computer and analyzed using IBM SPSS Corp. Released 2013. IBM SPSS for Windows version 22.0 Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Qualitative data were described using number and percent. Quantitative data were described using median (minimum and maximum) and mean, standard deviation for parametric data after testing normality using Kolmogrov-Smirnov test. Significance of the obtained results was judged at the (0.05) level.
To estimate the sample size, we used Open Epi program Version 3 and according to: MC response rate (outcome) with Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) 85%, and to investigate the preference of intralesional immunotherapy injection with Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine over Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) and placebo. Assuming alpha error is 5%, 95% confidence level and the study power is 80%. Sample size was established to be at least 7 patients for each study group. To compensate for possible 25% drop off or failure to follow up 15 subjects were selected for each group.
This study protocol was reviewed and approved by ethics committee on human research by Al Azhar faculty of medicine (IRB 00012367-21-02-002). All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Written informed consents were received from participants upon explanation of the study. Consent for publication was obtained from the participants for publishing the images in the manuscript.
Four days after Yemi Adetumobi gave birth to her daughter in June 2022 at Akure in Nigeria, she noticed the child's chest heaving. In panic, she took her to the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, where doctors diagnosed a case of severe pneumonia. "After two days, my daughter got better, and I was happy. But soon, I worried about her, because at times, I saw my daughter gasping, meaning she still had breathing problems," Adetumobi recalled.
But when the little girl turned nine months old, she received a measure of protection: the booster dose of the pneumococcal conjugate accine (PCV). Adetumobi remembers the relief.
Worldwide, 750,000 children died last year from severe pneumonia, brought on in many cases by pneumococcus bacteria. The bacteria can also induce meningitis, sepsis and other serious illnesses. "Thank God for the PCV vaccine," Adetumobi said. "My daughter overcame the pneumonia."
PCV was licensed for use in children aged under five in the year 2000. In December 2014, through the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Nigeria joined other nations to launch the PCV vaccine as part of its routine immunisation programme. In 2014, nearly 480 children per 100,000 in Nigeria died of pneumonia or other lower respiratory infections. By 2019, that number had declined to 386 per 100,000.
As of 2022, Nigeria has achieved 60% coverage with the final dose of the PCV vaccine, according to UNICEF and WHO data.
"We found that the proportion of hospitalized pneumonia cases decreased after three years of PCV introduction into the National Immunisation Programme in Nigeria," wrote Dr Jalo Iliya, Chief Paediatrician at the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, in a research paper published this month in the journal Human Vaccine Immunotherapy. Iliya's findings are consistent with studies, such as various pieces of Gavi-funded research on the impact of 10-valent PCV, including work published in the Lancet in 2022 and 2023. "The death rates during post-PCV introduction decreased at all sites chosen for the study," Iliya said in his study.
Another Nigerian study looked at the population-level effects of rising PCV coverage, by analysing carriage of vaccine-type pneumococcus bacteria, rather than episodes of illness. In that paper, published in Nature Communications in May 2023, the researchers wrote, "We documented carriage prevalence and vaccine coverage in two settings annually between 2016 and 2020, following PCV10 introduction. Among rural participants, VT carriage prevalence fell from 21 to 12 percent as vaccine coverage rose seven to 84 percent. The same trend took place in urban areas. Increasing PCV10 coverage reduced pneumococcal infection at all ages, implying at least a comparable reduction in IPD."
Speaking to VaccinesWork, Dr Francis Akanbiamu, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (OSPHCDA), said that PCV had been extremely effective as a means to protect children from pneumonia.
"There's been pneumonia reduction since 2014 due to [PCV] usage. Mothers have been accepting vaccination for their children, having been aware of its effectiveness. They know it protects children's organs against pneumonia. Findings in other places about reduction of hospitalised cases in relation to pneumonia due to the use of PCVs are in tandem with what is happening in Ondo State," Akanbiamu stated.
Modupe Sipasi, a teacher from Akure in Ondo state, recalls, "It was a terrible time for me, when my second-born son, who came to the world in 2019, started to breathe in a way I didn't understand, as it was not normal.
"I rushed him to Oda Health Centre for a check-up. The nurse there told me to go to the Specialist Hospital in Akure. The doctor discovered that my son had pneumonia and admitted him."
Sipasi is convinced that having received a dose of PCV vaccination reduced the severity of her child's illness. "Only God saved my child from pneumonia through PCV, because the doctor told me he could have died," she says. "I would have had hypertension. The doctor even recommended the use of an inhaler. Thank God there was PCV. It also saved my friend's son from pneumonia. Mothers should listen to nurses and doctors. Children need to get the entire gamut of vaccines, not missing any."
Kemi Olowokere, a health worker in the State Specialist Hospital in Akure, echoes her. She told VaccinesWork, "So many deaths happened before the introduction of PCV. The hearts of many mothers were broken due to pneumonia. But after the introduction of PCV in Ondo State, the cases came down. Hospital admission decreased."
Gavi-funded studies reveal that nations such as Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Kenya show the efficacy of PCV in the reduction of hospitalised cases of pneumonia. The trend also extends to Mongolia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
Free vaccine clinics hope to prevent spread of parvovirus at Verona Street shelter following deadly outbreak
by Carleigh Minor
The first of three free parvovirus vaccine clinics was held Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, at the Rochester Community Sports Complex following a deadly parvovirus outbreak at the Verona Street animal shelter. (Photo by Carleigh Minor/WHAM, Dec. 29, 2023)
Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) Rochester Animal Services (RAS) is taking action to protect pets following a deadly parvovirus outbreak at the Verona Street animal shelter.
Friday, RAS held the first of three free vaccine clinics taking place over the next month at the Rochester Sports Complex, encouraging anyone with a dog to attend.
"It's just like a child," said local animal advocate Suzanne Nugent. "These diseases are contagious very contagious, and distemper and parvo (are) killers."
"Parvo, it can stay our in the environment for up to a year," explained Amy Bianchi, outreach coordinator & assistant supervisor of animal control for Rochester Animal Services.
The virus can be spread easily through direct contact with infected dogs, feces and contaminated surfaces.
"It can be passed very easily, and there's only certain things that will kill it," Bianchi said. "Bleach is one of the things that will kill it."
During the quarantine at Verona, we're told 14 asymptomatic dogs have been fostered in homes, and 29 remain in the shelter.
Vaccination and other measures including good hygiene help dogs avoid a parvovirus infection, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
"You could be walking in a park not even with your pet, step where there may be parvo, where you wouldn't be able to see it, go home, step on your floor, and your pet steps there and licks its paws. You could catch parvo (that way)," Bianchi explained. "It's pretty easy to catch. It's very hard to kill."
The virus is silent, but can be deadly. The AVMA said most deaths from parvovirus occur within 48 to 72 hours after signs first appear.
"Get here for your free vaccine. That is your number one preventative," Bianchi said. "When you have new puppies, they need a whole series (of vaccines). If they haven't had any of them, don't bring them around other dogs. Don't bring them to parks. Take off your shoes when you come in the house. (Things) like that."
The dog area at the Verona Street shelter is currently closed to the public until Jan. 2 to prevent any further spread.
If you missed Friday's clinic, there's still two more being held Friday, Jan. 5 and Jan. 19 at the Rochester Community Sports Complex on Smith Street.
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Like so many of us, I was thrilled when the COVID-19 vaccine came out. The months (or was it decades?) of isolation were draining, and cost me so much emotionally. So, it was with great anticipation and excitement that I got that first jab.
That night, I ran a fever and had the usual side effects people were noticing at the time. One of my ears also closed up for several hours, which struck me as strange, but it dissipated, and I forgot about it.
I got the second jab with no weird side effects, and started to enjoy life outside with my adult kids. My daughter and I made up a game called Two Vaccinated Ladies Go to The (fill in the blank). We referenced our silly new titles every time we went out to enjoy shopping, movies, and life in general.
When it was time for boosters, I was more than ready. I had to wait a bit, because I got an ear infection for the first time in my adult life before I was scheduled for the shot. A round of antibiotics cleared up the infection completely, and off I went for my third jab. Within hours, my ears clogged up to the point where hearing became challenging. I thought the ear infection had returned, and dashed off to urgent care for another round of antibiotics. No infection could be found, but I was prescribed meds anyway. They didnt help, and the clogged, thick feeling remained. No matter what I tried, the stuffiness refused to dissipate, especially in one ear. I felt like I was underwater, and sinking fast.
Two weeks to the day after getting the booster, I came down with the COVID-19 virus. I only got mildly sick, thanks to the shot. But my ears refused to unclog. And about a week later, the unrelenting ringing in my bad ear started.
This was my worst nightmare. A friend of mine with tinnitus didnt leave her home for a year. My symptoms werent as bad as hers, but I couldnt pull my attention away from the unending ringing that wouldnt let me sleep or watch TV.
Along with that were the questions that plagued me: could it have been the vaccine? Was the virus at fault? Did the early ear infection have something to do with my new, constant companion? Theres no real way to know. And herein may lie the problem.
As weve reported in the past, approximately 16,000 people reported getting tinnitus after receiving a COVID-19 shot to VAERS, the official Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, run by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Im not part of that statistic. I was unsure of the underlying cause of my condition, and I didnt want to skew the data.
I found out after talking to friends, neighbors, and other assorted Brooklyn, NY types that tinnitus after vaccination often goes unreported. So, the VAERS data may be low. It may also be high. VAERS does not require people to receive a medical diagnosis, prior to reporting an adverse event. So, theres no way to know from these numbers what the actual impact of COVID-19 vaccination on hearing health is.
Scientific research is also lacking on the connection between COVID vaccines and tinnitus. What we do know is where theres smoke, theres fire. We just dont know for sure whats causing those flames to spark.
The flu, Tdap, and pneumococcal vaccines have all been shown to cause tinnitus in very small numbers. These underlying causes are rare.
Tinnitus has a wide range of much more common causes, including age-related hearing loss, ototoxic medications, and loud noise exposure. Thats one of the reasons why scientific data hasnt been able to tweeze out a direct, causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccines and tinnitus, or any other hearing-related condition.
In my case, Ill probably never know if it was the vaccine, virus, ear infection, or all of the above that gave me tinnitus.
Francisca Yao, M.D., my wonderfully pragmatic ENT doctor, gently steered me away from obsessing about the root cause of my condition. That let me breathe. It may sound counterintuitive, but not having to worry about the whys was very freeing. It eliminated blame (how could they?) and self-blame (why did I?), which isnt helpful. That being said, research on the links between vaccines and vaccine reactions of all kinds is urgently needed and must be ongoing, in order to achieve the highest possible levels of public safety.
So now, believe it or not, Im about to get my next round of COVID shots. Yes, Im nervous that theyll exacerbate my symptoms. But I also know that the COVID virus can cause or worsen tinnitus. Not getting vaccinated doesnt shield me from this possibility. Most importantly, I dont want to go back to the dark ages of huddling isolated at home, because COVID and other viruses are running rampant out there.
You do you, but if it was up to me, Id ask you to get and stay vaccinated, too. Billions of people over 81% of the total U.S. population have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. Less than 1% have reported tinnitus as a possible side effect. So, if you havent gotten the shot and are avoiding it for fear of tinnitus, please dont let my story sway you against vaccination.
Life is full of calculated risks. Theres just no way to ever make sure were completely safe from everything. If only! Ive learned to live with tinnitus. Its not the first thing I think of when I wake up anymore. And, I have learned to sleep with it. Tinnitus is a small part of my life, but its not the defining part anymore.
What I know I cant live with is being stuck at home without people, the outdoor sounds of nature, special events, and travel. I want to stay in the game of life. So, despite the soft, intermittent ringing that sometimes haunts my left ear, I know what my next step will be.
In a recent study published in the journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology, scientists from University College London reviewed the current achievements in the development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine and the challenges involved in limiting the transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and four other human coronaviruses.
Study:In search of a pan-coronavirus vaccine: next-generation vaccine design and immune mechanisms. Image Credit:LookerStudio/Shutterstock.com
Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been one of the biggest global public health crises in the last few decades, the concerted efforts worldwide in developing effective vaccines have highlighted the importance of understanding the immunological basis of developing resistance against respiratory viruses.
While the global morbidity and mortality rates associated with the pandemic have been staggering, the COVID-19 vaccines have also significantly reduced the spread of the virus and prevented a substantial number of deaths.
Since coronaviruses have been responsible for the three major pandemics in the last twenty years, developing a pan-coronavirus is essential.
The current vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses that largely consist of the antigenically variant spike glycoprotein are specific to species and sometimes even to variants and elicit minimal cross-reactive immune responses against the coronavirus family's other variants or viral species.
A pan-coronavirus approach aims to develop a vaccine that effectively protects against infections or severe disease caused by any coronavirus family viruses.
The four seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) OC43, 229E, NL63, HKU1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 are responsible for a significant portion of the economic health burden worldwide.
COVID-19 continues to present long-term health burdens due to long coronavirus disease (long COVID), which affects multiple organ systems and results in persistent fatigue, myalgia, dyspnea, and neurological impairments that further impact the individuals life.
Many of these coronaviruses also have animal reservoirs, presenting the constant danger of emergent variants with higher virulence.
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 with novel mutations that help evade existing vaccine-induced immunity also highlighted the need for a pan-coronavirus vaccine that circumvents the requirement of updated vaccines that can only combat each emergent variant, reducing development costs and providing wide-scale protection against coronaviruses.
The review addressed a comprehensive list of the limitations of the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that need to be discussed during the development of pan-coronavirus vaccines. Some of these challenges include limitations in blocking asymptomatic infections that continue to cause viral transmission, inadequate mounting of immune responses in non-seroconverters such as those with inborn immunological errors, lack of durability of the immune response, absence of mucosal administrative routes that can increase vaccine uptake in the population, and the limited cross-reactive immunity of existing vaccines.
The scientists believe that the ideal pan-coronavirus vaccine should address these limitations by offering durable immunity against a wide range of Coronaviridae viruses in people of all age groups and prevent viral shedding, infection, or onward transmission of the virus.
The ideal vaccine would also provide lifelong immunity after a specific number of doses. Furthermore, vaccine design and development also need to involve a thorough understanding of the complex immunological responses that contribute to the most effective protection against coronaviruses, such as the contributions of non-neutralizing antibodies, natural killer cells, and T-cell responses.
Additionally, the researchers discussed in detail some pan-coronavirus vaccine approaches that are either in the preclinical stages or being clinically tested.
Numerous vaccines that use ferritin or mosaic nanoparticles for vaccine delivery and target either the receptor binding domain or the spike protein region of -coronavirus or sarbecovirus are in the preclinical stages of development.
Another approach involves using vaccine antigens consisting of either a consensus sequence or a string of conserved B and T-cell epitopes.
Other approaches to pan-coronavirus vaccine development include the use of computationally designed antigens using bioinformatics methods, the inclusion of antigens for eliciting antibody and T-cell responses in the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine, the use of the S2 subunit alone to elicit a stronger vaccine response, and many more vaccine types.
The broadly reactive vaccines that are currently in the clinical trial stage include a ferritin nanoparticle platform, an enveloped vaccine with a virus-like particle, a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine, and a live-attenuated vaccine against parainfluenza viruses.
Overall, the scientists provided a detailed overview of the current state of pan-coronavirus vaccine development.
They also discussed many of the shortcomings of the currently used coronavirus vaccines that need to be addressed in the pursuit of developing a pan-coronavirus vaccine that can provide broad protection against a wide range of human coronaviruses.
Published: Jan 03, 2024, 08:10 IST,
Nepal got Sinovac vaccines in April 2021 as a grant from China. China refused to take the vaccines back. The vaccines were in storage for over two years. W.H.O recommended Pfizer, Moderna, Covishield over SINOVAC. Watch to know more!
Oppenheimer & Co Analyst, Hartaj Singh, recently upgraded Moderna (MRNA) shares to "Outperform," with a price target of $142 per share. News of the upgrade has caused shares of the stock to trade over 13% higher on Tuesday. Hartaj Singh joins the Live show to discuss why he upgraded the stock and take a deeper dive into Moderna's performance going forward.
Singh explains that with he expects Covid-19 demand to be bottoming, adding that "if you believe that Covid-19 vaccine sales have... hit a bottom going forward, that essentially funds their pipeline and that pipeline is very important... there are some material catalysts that are coming."
Click here to watch the full interview on the Yahoo Finance YouTube page or you can watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live here.
- Moderna may have seen shares slide nearly 45% in 2023, but it is kicking off the new year in positive territory. The stock surging today after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to outperform. The move comes in part due to the biotech company's COVID-19 vaccine sales expected to rise in 2025. Joining us now is Oppenheimer analyst Hartaj Singh. Hartaj, it is good to see you. So you're a believer now, Hartaj. Moderna, you go to outperform. Your target is 142. How come, Hartaj? Explain to us why you think Moderna is now a buy at these levels?
HARTAJ SINGH: Great. Thank you, Josh and Julie. Thanks for having me. And happy new year to everyone, the best in 2024. I mean, look. When we downgraded the stock in 2021, we actually pointed to a few things that we thought were worrisome. We've been checking those boxes, especially over the last six to nine months, starting with COVID-19 vaccine revenues.
There were about 100 million shots given in the US last year and this year, looks more like 50 million. And we expect that trend to be the bottom going into 2024 and moving forward. So if you believe that COVID-19 vaccines sales have hit a bottom going forward, that essentially funds their pipeline. And that pipeline is very important to us. There are some material catalysts that are coming.
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This in 2024, more catalysts than the companies had in a while. Catalyst with RSV vaccine phase 3 in flu and next generation kind of flu vaccine using the mRNA technology. Cancer vaccines, et cetera. And then lastly, operating expenditures. Their CFO who has been in the seat for about a year and a half has clearly outlined how OpEx now going forward will be tied to sales. So we expect OpEx to go down in 2024 and 2025 and then start slowly growing as sales start growing in 2025. So you check these three boxes, and the company sets up really well, which is why we upgraded.
- Hartaj, it's Julie here. It's good to see you. Thanks for being here. I want to dig a little bit more into this idea that vaccine uptake might have seen a bottom. Now does that imply not just that it's not going to get worse? Does it also imply that we're actually going to see an increase? And if so, what would catalyze that? What would drive that?
HARTAJ SINGH: So you know, Julie, we were in the thick of COVID-19 pandemic as a team that covered Moderna in 2020. But not just Moderna. Regeneron also and Gilead, which had products to help us deal with the pandemic. And it was pretty clear to us by 2021 how politicized the issue had gotten. And that created a lot of fatigue.
There were competing stories back and forth, and that polarized people a lot. So it got away from being a health issue and to a sociopolitical issue. So you combine that vaccine fatigue with a lot of people, especially on the margins, which is the vast majority of people also with flu who get their vaccine shots.
And then secondly, we transitioned into a commercial market this year, meaning that the government wasn't just taking orders in the United States. You had to go to 300, 400 commercial payers, 50 plus state organizations, and sell to them. And both these things actually led, we believe, to the market sort of hitting this low this year.
I think that with more education, more awareness, more spending, marketing spend, we should start seeing an uptick. It happened with flu. It happens with flu all the time. As the season goes on, more people get the shot. We expect the same thing to happen with COVID-19 going forward.
- And Hartaj, you also mentioned the company's pipeline. What in that pipeline, Hartaj, should investors do you think be especially optimistic and excited about? Is it RSV? Is it is it flu, CMV?
HARTAJ SINGH: You know, it's interesting, Josh. I would say it's all of the above, and I'll tell you why. One of the things we as analysts look for when we talk about a platform company, you know, quote unquote, like a Moderna, and not every biotech is a platform company, in fact, they are very few and far between, is can the platform help the company get better clinical and regulatory success rates?
If you go to Moderna's R&D presentation for a couple of months ago, they actually have very interesting slides where they show that their clinical and regulatory success rates are actually higher than historical norms by a decent bit. So this is a company that's using the speed and the scalability of their platform, and great science, and great clinical trials to bring products to market.
So we think all those three products you've mentioned are great. I think the one in oncology is especially important because what we're going to see is not just a company that can use its mRNA technology in infectious diseases like COVID-19, like RSV, like flu, but now can go into cancer, completely different area, and have a really, really significant effect on patients' lives and especially if it gets approved earlier. We'll know this year if they can file for an early approval.
- Hartaj, finally, I want to ask you about something that doesn't have to do with drug development but rather selling the drugs. And that's that the company doesn't have a chief commercial officer right now. The person stepped down. Stephane Bancel is effectively doing that job in addition to being CEO. Is that a good thing? Is that something that's going to help Moderna? How should investors be thinking about that?
HARTAJ SINGH: Yeah. We dug around that a little bit before the holidays with the company. I've known the company since the IPO. And we spent some time talking to them. Moderna is a very high performance culture. It really is. It's a company again, like I said, I've known through the IPO. It is a company where the pedal is to the metal, which is why they got COVID-19 vaccine approved in one year. Took a much larger organization like a Pfizer to do the same thing.
So there's a very high performance culture where if you're not performing, usually there's change. So I think that's happening right now in the commercial team. I think the reason why Stephane is probably taking it over is because he understands how important this year and next year is. And he actually came from a commercial background himself, commercial and marketing.
So while they're looking for a chief commercial officer, probably take them a few months to find the right person, I think Stephane will be very much hands on to make sure that there's no hiccups on the commercial side.
- Interesting stuff. Thanks as always for your perspective. I appreciate it, Hartaj, and happy new year to you.
HARTAJ SINGH: Great. Thank you for having me.
RCBJ-Audible (Listen For Free)
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer filed notice with New York State announcing the nearly 30 percent reduction of its workforce at its Pearl River campus in Orangetown.
The cut of 285 of its 1,012 workers was necessitated by economic conditions, according to the filing. Layoffs will begin February 12th.
The Pearl River location is Pfizers primary location for its global vaccine research and development work.
Pfizers origins in Pearl River date back to 1907, when Dr. Ernst Lederle established the Pearl River site to produce antiserum to treat children with diphtheria in New York City. Since then, the facility has developed vaccines to prevent diseases like smallpox and polio, and most recently COVID-19.
In 2015, Pfizer, Inc sold the 207-acre campus for $40 million to Industrial Realty Group, LLC, a California-based real estate development and investment firm. The former IRG campus later rebranded to the Hudson Valley iCampus. Nearly 60 percent of the 2-million-square-foot mixed use, multi-tenanted campus remains vacant.
Amid the layoffs, Pfizer has also announced plans to invest $470 million to renovate its existing facilities on its original Pearl River campus site and construct a new building. The expansion is anticipated by 2026 and will add 260,000 square feet of operations, including 55,000 square feet of laboratory space. In August, a division of pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. signed a renewal for its leased premises and expansion totaling more than 151,000 square feet of space at the Hudson Valley iCampus. Pfizer is calling the expansion plan Project Vitality.
According to a representative at the Hudson Valley iCampus, the space will house manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse and office functions in multiple buildings throughout the 207 acre, 2 million-square-foot campus. The combined rents have a value in excess of $16 million.
In August, Pfizer filed a lawsuit against the Town of Orangetown challenging the assessed value of its existing Pearl River holdings. Pfizer argued that its property, currently assessed at $64.6 million, should be assessed down to $3.56 million, a reduction in assessed value of 94.5 percent.
Rockland County was once a thriving hub for pharmaceutical companies. The former Novartis campus in Suffern is slated to become a warehouse distribution center. The Avon facility, also in Suffern, has been sold to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which will be used for research, development, and cold storage.
Last month, Pfizer announced plans to shutter its campus in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, impacting nearly 800 jobs, according to a filing with the New Jersey Labor Department. Those layoffs will also begin in February.
Pfizer also announced plans to sell the 595,000 square-foot campus on 71 acres in Somerset County, NJ. Pfizer was the boroughs largest taxpayer.
And more job cuts are expected at Pfizers Groton, Connecticut facility, though Pfizer has yet to announce how many of the 2,600 people employed at that site will be affected by the layoffs.
These and other layoffs in Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, and North Carolina, are part of what the company is calling an enterprise-wide cost realignment program.
The cost-cutting campaign is a result of plunging demand for the companys COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty and antiviral Paxlovid as well as COVID-related inventory write-offs and $4.2 billion in lost revenue from the planned return of millions of Paxlovid doses from the U.S. government. Pfizer played a major role in developing the COVID vaccine. The Pearl River campus was a vaccine research and development hub; it did not manufacture vaccine there. In 2020, Pfizer told RCBJ it expected to manufacture up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, subject to the final dose selection from its clinical trial.
In other news, Pfizer last year completed its acquisition of biotech giant Seagen for $43 billion. Pfizers stock, traded on the NYSE, is trading at about 50% off its 52-week high.
