Influenza and other respiratory viruses are starting to circulate but so far remain lower than this time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Oct. 7, CDC's FluView weekly report showed that the percent of flu cases were relatively unchanged, rising about 1% compared to the week prior.
In that same timeframe, 1,127 people were hospitalized with influenza, up from 1,050 people the week prior. About 35% of all flu hospitalizations were reported in the southeast of the U.S., which experts say is a typical trend at the start of the flu season.
Most of the flu cases detected were Influenza A and the most common subtype was Influenza A(H1N1), which is the strain of the virus that the flu vaccine usually offers better protection from, according to the CDC.
The percent of all reported respiratory viruses circulating over the past week have been relatively unchanged nationally, but there is regional variability. Region 9 -- made up of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada -- was the only region that saw an increase.
Still, the numbers in all regions of the U.S. remain below their baseline and outpatient respiratory illness activity is either minimal or low throughout most of the U.S., according to the CDC.
Alaska is the only state that is currently experiencing moderate respiratory illness activity. Influenza typically circulates this time of year and peaks between December and February for most of the U.S., according to the CDC.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) numbers are on the rise and are projected to increase further, according to the CDC's weekly surveillance. RSV typically circulates from October to April, according to the CDC.
This time last year, the U.S. was bracing for a "tripledemic" amid rising cases of COVID-19, influenza and RSV after the seasons became more unpredictable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said these early cases are behaving in a more predictable pattern.
"The data is pointing to something a little bit more par for the course. We're seeing the early rise of RSV and flu at a time when you'd expect it," Brownstein said.
Brownstein, however, cautioned that cases of respiratory viruses are expected to increase further and higher levels still have potential to strain health systems and cause severe illnesses, Brownstein said.
"I think there's still concern around the threat of all three respiratory viruses plus, of course, the rest of the seasonal mix [of viral illnesses], wreaking havoc on our health systems," he said.
Experts are hopeful that new and updated immunizations that protect against COVID-19, influenza and RSV will stave off the strain on health care systems.
These viruses may only cause mild illness for many people, but young babies, pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised and the elderly are at highest risk for severe disease.
Everyone 6 months and older is eligible for an updated COVID-19 shot and the annual flu vaccine.
The Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News that, so far, more than 7 million updated COVID-19 shots have been administered. The CDC recommends getting the COVID-19 and flu vaccines by the end of October and encourages both to be given at the same time.
Adults who are 60 years and older can get an RSV vaccine and pregnant women who are in their third trimester can get an RSV shot that provides protection against RSV to their baby for the first 6 months of life.
Babies less than 8 months old who are born to mothers who did not get an RSV vaccine during pregnancy can get a protective shot called nirsevimab that offers about five months of protection against RSV.
Nirsevimab is a one-dose shot made of monoclonal antibodies, which are proteins manufactured in a lab and mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection. This is different than a vaccine, which activates the immune system.
Brownstein said the pandemic has helped make many health systems better prepared for seasonal spikes in respiratory viruses and is hopeful that people are more motivated to stay up to date on shots that are available for protection and prevention this respiratory virus season.
"Now is really the time to get the protection advanced of the seasons really heating up," Brownstein said.
Dr. Jade A Cobern, M.D., M.P.H, a licensed and practicing physician, is a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Special to the Banner-News
At a two-day summit hosted in one of the nation's top poultry states, researchers and educators from across the Americas discussed efforts to find ways to manage the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a disease that has cost the poultry industry millions of birds across five continents.
The International Avian Influenza Summit was hosted Monday and Tuesday by the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The summit drew 1,842 registrations from 81 countries. The wide-ranging agenda featured presenters from Mexico, Chile, Scotland, the United States and other countries.
Since 2021, a very deadly strain of avian influenza called H5N1, has been circulating and affecting millions of birds and mammals around the world.
"We are experiencing one of the most deadly bird flu outbreaks ever," said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. "This outbreak has cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states. There was a tremendous economic impact from this outbreak. We saw extremely high egg prices and also turkey prices.
"It's important to come together now and be proactive in discussing the strategies that we can look to, to mitigate further spread of this terrible disease."
"We can make a global impact on avian influenza," organizer Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, a research professor at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, said on Monday. "Your contributions will mean a more resilient future."
Sampling to monitor spread
Among the first day's presenters was Julianna Lenoch, national coordinator wildlife services for National Wildlife Disease Program at APHIS -- the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Lenoch described efforts to monitor movement of the disease through migratory birds and other means.
The APHIS surveillance team restarted its efforts in May after a pause during the breeding period of the sampled birds.
"We're about four months into the surveillance right now. Our team, as of last week, had already collected about 13,000 samples," she said. "Our target this year will be to get to almost 42,000 samples."
She said that in the birds sampled in spring of 2022, "around 7 percent of them were coming positive. We were running just shy of 1.9 percent in the winter of 2023 so a pretty dramatic drop in the apparent prevalence.
She said that samples collected from May-August of 2022 showed a 3 percent prevalence of avian influenza. During the same period in 2023, she said there was a "much lower prevalence" despite getting more than 7,000 samples.
"We only found H5N1 in a total of 10 birds during that period," Lenoch said. "So, either we were sampling in different regions, or there's simply not as much avian influenza circulating, or we may be looking at a little bit of a tipping point where some of our wild bird species -- at least the dabbling ducks -- may be developing some immunity."
"Unfortunately, we are starting to see pickup both in our surveillance samples and our domestic side," Lenoch said. "So avian influenza is starting to trickle in again here in the United States."
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed this year in commercial and/or small flocks in Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
AI in mammals
The sampling has found avian influenza in mammals as well, despite the U.S. lacking a national surveillance system for mammals. Currently, mammalian samples are "opportunistic," coming from wildlife rehabilitation centers or state wildlife and natural resource agencies.
"Many of these animals have been neurologically affected, and a good portion of them are juveniles or young of the year," Lenoch. "In the US we're approaching almost 200 individual detections and mammals we have had a wide breadth of species affected.
These include coyotes, foxes, skunks and raccoons. Avian influenza has also appeared in marine mammals such as seals and a bottlenose dolphin.
"The leading theory is that likely many of these terrestrial mammals are likely eating sick or dead birds in the environment," she said.
Vaccinating poultry for HPAI
Some countries, such as France, have begun vaccinating poultry against HPAI. On Sept. 29, APHIS placed restrictions on importation of poultry from France including ducks, duck eggs and other duck products.
"The restrictions are based on the World Organisation for Animal Health's definition of poultry and are the result of France's decision to vaccinate commercial meat ducks against HPAI," APHIS said. "France's decision to vaccinate presents a risk of introducing HPAI into the United States."
However, Brian Umberson of the microbial security company Ancera, said attitudes about HPAI vaccination may be changing.
"We're starting to see the development of a positive view of using vaccinations because of the size of these outbreaks and the shock to the food supply," he said.
Risk factors for HPAI on the farm
On Day 2, Alice Green, veterinary epidemiology officer for USDA, discussed a study that identified factors that increased the risk of infection on turkey farms.
Other factors "associated with increased odds of H5N1 HPI infection included having both brooder and grower turkey production on the farm," Green said. Having tom turkeys on the farm and "seeing wild waterfowl or shorebirds in the closest field was also associated with increased odds
"Proximity to water and wild bird habitat, as well as presence of high densities of migratory wild waterfowl, have been identified as risk factors in previous outbreaks concentrations of domestic poultry in combination with high densities of wild birds provides a potential interface for viral transmission and spillover events," Green said.
There are human factors as well. The study found that having a restroom -- even a portable one and having access to a shower -- were found to be protective factors.
Surveillance as an early warning system
Pedro Jimenez-Bluhm, assistant professor, Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Chile, discussed wild bird sampling efforts in Chile, at the southern end of the Pacific Flyway.
Starting in August 2022, "we discovered some low-pathogenic viruses, but then we had this huge peak at the end of the year," he said. "That's where we started seeing H5N1-positive samples.
"Through this environmental sampling, in this case, we were actually able to get the positive (confirmation) one week before people were announcing mortalities," Jimenez-Bluhm said, adding that this makes a lot of sense because "there needs to be a certain viral load in the environment for animals to actually efficiently transmit this virus. So, this is a very sensitive way to actually detect the pathogen in the environment."
Closing out the second day were presentations on strategies for developing vaccines for this virus strain, genome editing to examine avian influenza resistance in chickens and a presentation from Tellez-Isaias on "CRISPR and Quorum Sensing as strategic control measurements for Avian Influenza Virus."
Dr Hilary believes flu is 'more of a risk' than Covid this winter
While Covid seems to be getting all the spotlight, Dr Hilary Jones warned that flu is the real worry this winter.
Speaking on ITVs show Lorraine, the TV doctor shared he thinks that flu is "more of a risk" than Covid this winter.
While the respiratory illness can spell life-threatening complications for some, most people who get flu will recover in a few days.
However, that doesnt make the condition that causes high fever, sore throat, and aching body any more pleasant.
The good news is that an effective supplement could speed up your recovery from the culprit.
Packed with antioxidants with immunostimulant qualities, elderberry, sometimes known as Sambucus, is a flowering plant in the Adoxaceae family.
Supplements made out of this plant could help lessen the duration and severity of the symptoms brought on by the influenza virus, according to research, published in the journal Nutrients.
The research team decided to put the effects of the potent berries to a test by looking at 312 air traveller participants.
The study explained that theres an added risk of spreading respiratory diseases, like the flu, aboard commercial flights.
The study participants were instructed to take either 300-milligram elderberry extract capsules or a placebo.
The elderberry supplements also contained several minerals, trace elements and vitamins including relatively high levels of magnesium.
The travellers started taking the elderberry supplements or placebo from 10 days before travel and continued for four to five days after arriving at their destination.
Interestingly, the findings revealed that the participants on the supplement who got sick only experienced mild symptoms and recovered from their illness sooner than expected.
Travellers who took the elderberry pills 10 days before travel and until four to five days after arriving overseas on average experienced a two-day shorter duration of their illness.
Furthermore, the incidence of adverse side events was low with no adverse effects being directly attributed to the supplement.
However, its important to note that the study was funded by a company that produces elderberry supplements.
Plus, the researchers added that while physical health may stabilise during air travel due to elderberry, further studies are needed to confirm this.
Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers.
All Rights Reserved.
By Melissa Delaney, Forbes Staff
Heart palpitations. Anxiety. Fatigue. Dizziness. Difficulty breathing. One in five American adults and more than 65 million people worldwide have spent months or even years suffering from the persistent, crippling symptoms of long Covid, and 155 Americans die each day from Covid-19-related conditions.
The only way to prevent long Covid is to not be infected, said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic and a Forbes contributor. That makes a new series of updated vaccines an essential tool in our ongoing fight against Covid-19, he wrote. They reduce the chance of getting Covid-19 and long Covid and can mitigate the impact of both. And shots are especially important heading into the winter months, when Covid-19, flu and RSV rates spike.
As transmission, hospitalizations and deaths from the virus rose this fall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September approved two updated vaccines for emergency use, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months gets a shot.
Developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, the vaccines are based on the messenger RNA technology in earlier versions, but the mRNA has been altered to trigger the production of antibodies that protect against the latest subvariants of the omicron strain, Dave Wessner, a biology professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, explained in a Forbes article.
For the foreseeable future, Wessner wrote, we probably can expect updated Covid-19 shots to be released periodically.
These new shots, along with the protein-based Novavax vaccine, which received approval earlier this month, should target the still-evolving omicron subvariants and can be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization, said Forbes contributor Dr. Omer Awan.
Covid-19 vaccines have been game-changers in a pandemic that shuttered businesses and schools, separated families and friends, overwhelmed hospitals and has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide. Yet vaccine rates have laggedfewer than 70% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated and only 17% had received updated boosters as of the CDCs final update in Maydespite the monumental accomplishments of developing, approving and rolling out the groundbreaking vaccines, said Dr. Stephen Thomas, director of the Institute for Global Health and Translational Sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
The development of mRNA vaccines was the result of years of work by Dr. Katalin Karik and Dr. Drew Weissman, despite the headwinds of skepticism by some who thought it wasnt a practical way to build a vaccine. Earlier this month, they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their decades-long research, which served as the foundation for the Covid-19 vaccines. Their approach offered hope for immunity without the need to inject patients with an actual virus.
Drs. Karik and Weissmans decades of perseverance paved the way for the technology needed to combat and pull the world out of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Dr. Mill Etienne, chief of neurology at WMCHealths Good Samaritan Hospital and associate professor of neurology and medicine at New York Medical College.
Forbes experts share what you need to know about the effects of long Covid and the updated vaccines essential in protecting yourself from the worst-case scenarios:
Business
By Ariel Zilber
Published Oct. 20, 2023, 11:45 a.m. ET
Pfizer plans to charge COVID patients around $1,400 for a five-day course of the antiviral drug Paxlovid nearly triple the amount the US government paid during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report.
The pharmaceutical giant sent a letter dated Wednesday to pharmacies and clinics announcing the $1,390 price tag for the drug, which was the first oral treatment for COVID approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The US government had been paying $529 to Pfizer for the five-day course.
Those with health insurance will likely pay much less than new, jacked-up price.
Pfizer is also expected to offer price discounts and help patients with out-of-pocket charges, according to The Journal.
Pfizer has reaped handsome profits from COVID-related treatments, including its mRNA vaccines.
But critics note that the company could not have brought the inoculation to market without significant funding of mRNA technology by taxpayers.
According to the Congressional Budget Office and other experts, the federal government has spent anywhere from $18 billion to $39.5 billion on developing the COVID vaccines.
While the US government directly gave funds to Johnson & Johnson and Moderna to develop their respective vaccines, Pfizers German partner, BioNTech, received a $445 million grant from its government.
The breakthroughs made in mRNA research is credited by many as the reason that Pfizer was able to bring its vaccine to market as quickly as it did, according to experts.
Pricing for Paxlovid is based on the value it provides to patients, providers, and health care systems due to its important role in helping reduce COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, a Pfizer spokeswoman told The Post.
The spokeswoman added that all Paxlovid doses marked with the emergency use authorization label will remain free of charge to all patients until the end of 2023.
In addition, Paxlovid will remain available free of charge through 2024 to Medicare, Medicaid, and uninsured patients through a US Government patient assistance program (PAP) operated by Pfizer, the company spokesperson said.
Critics, however, blasted the company for gouging the public.
Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist who made frequent media appearances during the pandemic, wrote on the X social media platform that Pfizer is getting too greedy and that the cost increase was shameful.
David Hoskins wrote on X: Pfizer made $31,400,000,000 in profits in 2022, so of course it needs to jack up the price of a lifesaving medication 2.6 times in 2023.
Shares of Pfizer were down by some 1.25% as of 10:40 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday.
In March, Moderna, the makers of one of the COVID vaccines, announced that it would price one dose of the shot at around $130 more than four times what the US government paid to make the vaccine available at no cost.
Last month, Pfizer BioNTech set the list price for their jointly manufactured COVID vaccine at $120 per dose.
By contrast, the US government paid $19.50 per dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the initial contract that was signed in 2020 and $30.50 per dose for the updated vaccine that was released by the company last year.
Earlier this week, Pfizer reduced its full-year forecast for sales of Paxlovid by about $7 billion, and for the vaccine it developed with BioNTech by about $2 billion due to a plunge in use of pandemic-related products.
The company said that it had to take back 7.9 million unused Paxlovid doses from the US government.
It said it would make cuts this year and next and take a write-down.
In light of the forecast, Pfizer said it plans to embark on a $3.5 billion cost-cutting spree.
On an early Monday call with analysts, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said he expects around 17% of the US population will get updated COVID shots during the current vaccination campaign, in line with last year, but far below rates seen when vaccines first emerged in the spring of 2021.
The US is in the middle of COVID fatigue, where everyone wants to forget about the disease, he said.
Moderna, in a statement on Monday, maintained its current revenue forecast of $6 billion to $8 billion for its COVID vaccine for 2023.
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Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen in a cage at the CNEA (National Atomic Energy Commission), in Ezeiza, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina April 12, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File photo Acquire Licensing Rights
Oct 21 (Reuters) - Researchers in the United States have shown for the first time they can safely and effectively infect human volunteers with Zika virus, a step towards learning more about the disease and developing vaccines and treatments.
The study known as a "controlled human infection model" has previously been controversial for Zika because of the risks to participants and lack of treatments.
But U.S. regulators and the World Health Organization ruled the new model, developed by a team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was safe and scientifically important.
Zika is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes, which is usually mild or asymptomatic.
But a major outbreak in the Americas in 2015 and 2016 showed it can be dangerous for pregnant women and foetuses, causing devastating birth defects such as microcephaly, a disorder in which a child is born with an abnormally small head and brain.
There are no vaccines or treatments, and the outbreak in the Americas ended before new ones could be fully tested. Infections have dwindled worldwide since, with about 40,000 reported last year from that region.
But the WHO has warned that surveillance can be patchy, and transmission patterns for Zika are not well understood. Climate change is also likely to boost the spread, which is already established in 91 countries.
Anna Durbin, the Johns Hopkins professor who led the study, said developing countermeasures was essential because infections could re-surge.
Also significant, she added, was the mental health burden on pregnant women in endemic regions, who worry about the virus and their babies but have limited protection options.
Durbin and her colleagues used two strains of Zika to infect 20 female volunteers who were not pregnant or lactating. All developed laboratory confirmed infections, with mild illness. Eight others got a placebo.
To minimize the risks, the patients were admitted to an inpatient unit and monitored until they were free of the virus. They agreed to use birth control methods for two months.
The next step is evaluating the strains in male volunteers, in part to assess how long the virus, which can be sexually transmitted, stays infectious in semen.
Durbin said several vaccine manufacturers have already asked to use the strains to test experimental products.
The data was presented as an abstract at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Chicago.
Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Jen reports on health issues affecting people around the world, from malaria to malnutrition. Part of the Health & Pharma team, recent notable pieces include an investigation into healthcare for young transgender people in the UK as well as stories on the rise in measles after COVID hit routine vaccination, as well as efforts to prevent the next pandemic. She previously worked at the Telegraph newspaper and Channel 4 News in the UK, as well as freelance in Myanmar and the Czech Republic.
When 12-year-old Braden Fahey collapsed during football practice and died, it was just the beginning of his parents nightmare.
Deep in their grief a few months later, Gina and Padrig Fahey received news that shocked them to their core: A favorite photo of their beloved son was plastered on the cover of a book that falsely argues COVID-19 vaccines caused a spike of sudden deaths among healthy young people.
The book, called Cause Unknown, was co-published by an anti-vaccine group led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President John F. Kennedys nephew, who is now running for president. Kennedy wrote the foreword and promoted the book, tweeting that it details data showing COVID shots are a crime against humanity.
The Faheys couldnt understand how Bradens face appeared on the books cover, or why his name appeared inside it.
Braden never received the vaccine. His death in August 2022 was due to a malformed blood vessel in his brain. No one ever contacted them to ask about their sons death, or for permission to use the photo. No one asked to confirm the date of his death which the book misdated by a year. When the Faheys and residents of their town in California tried to contact the publisher and author to get Braden and his picture taken out of the book, no one responded.
We reached out in every way possible, Gina Fahey told The Associated Press in an emotional interview. We waited months and months to hear back, and nothing.
How could a member of one of the most influential political dynasties in American history be involved in such a shoddy, irresponsible project, the Faheys wondered?
Bradens story is just one example of how Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has used his famous name to disseminate false information about vaccines and other topics in a time when spreading conspiracy theories has become a powerful way to grow a constituency. An AP examination of his work and its impact found Kennedy has earned money, fame and political clout while leaving people like the Faheys suffering.
Now, Kennedys decision to drop his Democratic bid for president and run as an independent gives him a new spotlight in an election thats currently heading toward a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Theres concern in both parties that he could emerge as a spoiler who could affect the outcome of the campaign in unexpected ways. And at a time when Republicans in the 2024 race also are sowing doubt about vaccine effectiveness, it threatens to further promote harmful misinformation that already has cost lives.
One mom told AP about how she had delayed important care for her child because she believed Kennedys vaccine falsehoods. A former elected leader described being harassed by Kennedys followers. Doctors and nurses recounted how his work has hurt people in the U.S. and abroad.
Kennedys campaign did not respond to several emails seeking comment for this article, but after AP contacted Kennedy and others involved in the book last week, the president of Skyhorse Publishing, which co-published it, texted the Faheys, offering to talk. Gina Fahey told AP she felt he reached out only after it became clear the situation could harm his reputation.
Theres still that lack of compassion that was always there from the beginning, she said, adding that she is hesitant to engage with them now because she doesnt trust their intentions. Its only now that theyre reaching out, days prior to knowing this story is going to be released.
Bradens parents have read vicious comments from people who falsely blame vaccines for their sons death. They say seeing Bradens memory being misrepresented by Kennedy and others has been deeply painful.
When you barely feel like you can even come up for air, you just get smacked back down again by this, Gina Fahey said.
Its very manipulative. And you know, hes making money off of our tragedies, she said, adding, How could you want somebody running our country that operates like that?
Many years before anti-vaccine activists exploited the pandemic to bring their ideas to the American mainstream, Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, was among the most influential spreaders of fear and distrust around vaccines. He has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. He has said vaccines had caused a holocaust, and has traveled the world spreading false information about the pandemic.
In recent years, Kennedy has used his name and rhetorical skills to build his anti-vaccine group, Childrens Health Defense, or CHD, into an influential force that spreads false and misleading information. An AP investigation previously revealed how Kennedy had capitalized on the pandemic to build CHD into a multimillion-dollar misinformation engine.
One of the ways Kennedy and CHD have made money is through the sale of books. Kennedys longtime publisher, Skyhorse, joined with CHD to create a book series that has published titles including Vax-Unvax, Profiles of the Vaccine Injured, and the book that included Braden Fahey, Cause Unknown.
Written by Edward Dowd, a former executive at BlackRock, that book is built on the false premise that sudden deaths of young, healthy people are spiking. Experts say these rare medical emergencies are not new and have not become more prevalent.
We are just not seeing anything that suggests that, said Dr. Matthew Martinez, of Atlantic Health System in Morristown Medical Center, who researches cardiac events among professional athletes.
The AP found dozens of individuals included in the book died of known causes not related to vaccines, including suicide, choking while intoxicated, overdose and allergic reaction. One person died in 2019.
AP asked Kennedys campaign, CHD, Dowd and Skyhorse president Tony Lyons several questions about the book, including why they chose to feature Braden, why they didnt speak to his family first and what steps they took to fact check.
The only person to respond was Lyons, who also co-chairs the Kennedy Super PAC American Values 2024.
In emails, Lyons did not address why Braden specifically was chosen for the cover but defended his inclusion by saying that news stories and his obituary did not mention his cause of death.
Hundreds of deaths are cited in the book, though Lyons said it only attributes nine of them to the vaccine. Lyons said Bradens death and others are never explicitly attributed to the vaccine, and that the book explores many possible reasons for deaths that have appeared in headlines since 2021.
Still, the book several times refers to its thesis that mass administration of COVID-19 vaccines caused a spike in deaths. Bradens parents said his appearance in the context of the book implies he died of the vaccine, putting his death in a false light.
Lyons said he was unaware of the Faheys efforts to contact his company and asked AP to share with them his contact information. He said he would make some corrections in future editions, including to Bradens date of death, but said they were studying whether to remove him from the book or the cover.
Lyons told the AP that Childrens Health Defense has a publishing deal with Skyhorse, though he would not say how much money CHD has received through it.
Kennedy also has a consulting deal with Skyhorse that personally paid him $125,000 since August 2022 for scouting out books for the company, according to a financial disclosure he filed. Lyons said that deal has so far resulted in 27 books of different genres including childrens books, mysteries and cookbooks, but declined to name them.
Lyons also praised Kennedys record of environmental work, such as protecting New Yorks Hudson River, and other work hes done to take on powerful corporate interests and what Kennedy sees as government corruption. Those are also topics Kennedy has focused on during his presidential campaign.
The platform Kennedy built for himself has an impact. In a study of verified Twitter accounts from 2021, researchers Francesco Pierri, Matthew DeVerna and others working with Indiana Universitys Observatory on Social Media found Kennedys personal Twitter account was the top superspreader of vaccine misinformation on Twitter, responsible for 13 percent of all reshares of misinformation, more than three times the second most-retweeted account.
The messages Kennedy shares have convinced a significant slice of the public, some of whom attend his campaign events proudly wearing pins with crossed-out syringes or repeating Kennedys talking points about vaccine ingredients.
Kennedys anti-vaccine organization has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
Many people have staked their lives and the lives of their families on the views espoused by Kennedy and others who oppose vaccines.
The AP spoke to mothers who once identified as anti-vaccine and counted themselves among Kennedys most devoted followers.
I thought he was heroic, because he was saying the things publicly that other people were too afraid to say, said Lydia Greene.
Greene, who lives in the Canadian province of Alberta, declined all vaccines for her son after buying into the claims by Kennedy and other anti-vaccine gurus that vaccines cause autism. When her son started to show signs of autism, Greene discounted it out of hand.
I couldnt even see his autism because in the anti-vax movement, autism is the worst outcome that can happen to a child. And when they talk about their vaccinated autistic kids, its often with a tone of resentment and how they talk about how their life is ruined, their marriage is ruined, and its just this kid is damaged, Greene said. And so when my son was different, I couldnt see that stuff about him.
She said she did not recognize his condition until she came out of the rabbit hole of anti-vax.
I realized I had wasted so much valuable time where he should have been in occupational therapy, speech therapy, evidence-based therapy for autism, Greene said.
Kennedys Childrens Health Defense produces articles, newsletters, books, podcasts, even TV shows on its own CHD.TV. Greene said those articles often validate anxious parents fears no matter how irrational while making them feel like someone powerful is listening.
Today, Greene believes the group exploited her.
Thats what CHD does, Greene said. They find parents when theyre vulnerable. And hack into that.
Because of his national profile, Kennedys work has ripple effects beyond the most devoted anti-vaccine activists.
Medical professionals told the AP that vaccine disinformation spread by Kennedy and other influencers makes the patients they serve wary about lifesaving vaccinations.
Sharon Goldfarb, is a family nurse practitioner in Berkeley, California, who spent the worst of the pandemic caring for people on societys margins: people with no homes; people who were living in the country illegally; people with serious mental health needs. She has seen firsthand the consequences of vaccine misinformation and refusal.
Its disturbing because he has a huge family name, Goldfarb said. When youre a trusted public figure and you have a trusted family name, you have to answer to a higher authority. I just dont get it.
Dr. Todd Wolynn, a Pittsburgh pediatrician who works to clarify the facts about vaccines on social media, said despite Kennedys lack of clinical experience, he has an outsized influence on his followers.
He uses a very big platform to amplify disinformation that leads people down a path to make a decision thats not evidence based, Wolynn said. And as a result, it puts their own lives, the lives of their children, the lives of their family, in harms way.
Though Kennedy did not respond for this story, he has long said that he is not anti-vaccine, and only wants vaccines to be rigorously tested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that vaccines undergo thorough testing before they are authorized or approved in the U.S. and they are monitored for safety after they are introduced to the public.
COVID-19 vaccines were initially developed under the Trump administration, through the program Operation Warp Speed. But what his Republican-led administration viewed at the time as a point of pride has since become a topic of criticism in Republican circles, including among GOP presidential candidates who have expressed skepticism about the immunizations.
The Republican candidate and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said in a July podcast interview that if hed had the facts he would not have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. The administration of fellow GOP candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has broken with CDC guidance to advise Floridians under 65 not to get the latest COVID-19 booster.
That kind of rhetoric, along with the conspiracy beliefs that Kennedy has shared about other subjects, like 5G, can impact the smooth running of societies, said Daniel Jolley, a University of Nottingham social psychology professor, who has published several papers on conspiracy thinking and its impacts.
While skepticism is important, proper evaluation of the evidence is key, Jolley said. Anyone pushing conspiracy theories while running for president makes the theories seem normal.
Its that kind of rhetoric that I think is really damaging, Jolley said. You worry when you think about the next pandemic or the next event or the next issue thats going to come our way.
Jolley wonders: Will people listen to doctors or experts next time?
Kennedys role in legitimizing anti-vaccine activism has not been limited to the U.S. Perhaps the most well-known example was in 2019 on the Pacific island nation of Samoa.
That year, dozens of children died of measles. Many factors led to the wave of deaths, including medical mistakes and poor decisions by government authorities. But people involved in the response who spoke to AP said Kennedy and the anti-vaccine activists he supported made things worse.
In June 2019, Kennedy and his wife, the actress Cheryl Hines, visited Samoa, a trip Kennedy later wrote was arranged by Edwin Tamasese, a Samoan local anti-vaccine influencer.
Vaccine rates had plummeted after two children died in 2018 from a measles vaccine that a nurse had incorrectly mixed with a muscle relaxant. The government suspended the vaccine program for months. By the time Kennedy arrived, health authorities were trying to get back on track.
He was treated as a distinguished guest, traveling in a government vehicle, meeting with the prime minister and, according to Kennedy, many health officials and the health minister.
He also met with anti-vaccine activists, including Tamasese and another well-known influencer, Taylor Winterstein, who posted a photograph of herself and Kennedy on her Instagram.
The past few days have been profoundly monumental for me, my family and for this movement to date, she wrote, adding hashtags including #investigatebeforeyouvaccinate.
A few months later, a measles epidemic broke out in Samoa, killing 83 people, mostly infants and children in a population of about 200,000.
Public health officials said at the time that anti-vaccine misinformation had made the nation vulnerable.
The crisis of low vaccination rates and skepticism created an environment that was ripe for the picking for someone like RFK to come in and in assist with the promotion of those views, said Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccinologist from New Zealand who worked on the effort to build back trust in the measles vaccine in Samoa.
Petousis-Harris recalled that local and regional anti-vaccine activists took their cues from Kennedy, whom she said sits at the top of the food chain as a disinformation source.
They amplified the fear and mistrust, which resulted in the amplification of the epidemic and an increased number of children dying. Children were being brought for care too late, she said.
Kennedys campaign did not respond to emails seeking comment about Samoa, though he says on his campaign website that he had no role in the outbreak. He also said in an interview for a forthcoming documentary, Shot in the Arm, that he bears no responsibility for the outcome.
I had nothing to do with people not vaccinating in Samoa. I never told anybody not to vaccinate. I didnt, you know, go there for any reason to do with that.
But people who worked on the Samoan measles response told AP the credibility he gave to anti-vaccine forces when he met with them had an impact.
Moelagi Leilani Jackson, a Samoan nurse who worked on the vaccination campaign to stem the scourge of measles, said she remembered that after Kennedys visit, the anti-vaccine influencers got louder.
I feel like they felt they had the support of Kennedy. But I also think that Kennedy was very well, he came in and he left, she recalled. And other people picked up the pieces.
A few weeks after his trip to Samoa, Kennedy appeared in Sacramento, California, where lawmakers were debating a bill to make it more difficult to get a vaccine exemption. The bill was sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician.
As a crowd gathered outside the capitol, Kennedy stood to speak. Two large posters behind him featured Pans image, with the word LIAR stamped across his face in blood-red paint. Pan told AP he felt the staging was intended to incite the crowd against him.
So hes rallying to have people attack me, essentially, personally, said Pan, who is no longer in office.
Within months, one anti-vaccine extremist assaulted Pan, streaming it live on Facebook. Another threw blood at Pan and other lawmakers.
Kennedy has repeatedly brought up the Holocaust when discussing vaccines and public health mandates, comparisons that Pan said amount to an indirect call to violence against health advocates.
Who creates an atmosphere where they think whats appropriate is to actually physically assault a legislator? Its people like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Pan said.
Pan said its one of many instances when Kennedy has whipped people up against public health advocates. Kennedy also wrote a bestselling book attacking infectious disease expert and former top government scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has received death threats.
Those attacks have prompted criticism from Kennedys sister Kerry Kennedy, who invoked the Kennedy family history of political violence their father and uncle were both assassinated when she told the AP in 2021: Attacking doctors and scientists is irresponsible because many have received death threats. This can deter people from those professions. Our family knows that a death threat should be taken seriously.
Kerry Kennedy and three other siblings on Oct. 9 issued a statement denouncing Kennedys independent candidacy, calling it dangerous and perilous to the country.
Pan said that Kennedys rhetoric, which often demonizes scientists and health care professionals, is part of a strategy to intimidate and silence them.
When you call something a holocaust, it is incitement to violence, Pan said.
The real consequence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is we have dead children, and we have people who are in good faith doing their best to try to protect people, including children, who are basically being threatened and even assaulted because of his rhetoric and his lies, said Pan, who is now running for mayor of Sacramento, a nonpartisan position. That harms America.
Associated Press video journalist Terry Chea contributed to this report.
The Associated Pressreceives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
(CBS NEWS) - John Legendisnt taking chances when it comes to keeping his family healthy.
In aninterview with CBS MorningsWednesday, the singer andfather of four, 44, shared why he thinks its important to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
I believe in making sure everyone in my family is protected, he said. The thing about the virus is, it changes, it mutates, and so its good to have vaccines that are updated.
Legend partnered with vaccine maker Pfizerearlier this yearto promote booster shots against Omicron variants. Now, just a month after the FDA and CDC signed off onupdated COVID vaccinesfrom Moderna and Pfizer, Legend is using his voice to encourage others to get the shots, which are retargeted for newer variants ahead of thefall virus season.
I think whats gonna happen in the future is were gonna have updates every year, just like we get a flu shot every year, Legend added. If you care about keeping your family healthy and keeping your family protected, I think getting the vaccine update is a great way to help do that.
The new shots are similar to previously approved formulas, but were updated to target the XBB variants of the virus, which became dominant last winter.
Updated COVID booster shots still provide the best protection we have against the disease, especially the most severe forms of COVID, Emily Smith, a global health expert and author of The Science of the Good Samaritan,told CBS Newsin an email last month. Even though we continue to have new variants of COVID pop up, the good news is that the updated booster shots still work against the current variants circulating, including the newest variants.
The new COVID-19 shots come as health authorities are also promoting other new vaccinesnow available for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, in addition to the annual seasonal flu vaccine.
Alexander Tin contributed reporting.
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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PENBRAYA (meningococcal groups A, B, C, W and Y vaccine), the first and only pentavalent vaccine that provides coverage against the most common serogroups causing meningococcal disease in adolescents and young adults 10 through 25 years of age. PENBRAYA combines the components from two meningococcal vaccines, Trumenba (meningococcal group B vaccine) and Nimenrix (meningococcal groups A, C, W-135, and Y conjugate vaccine) to help protect against the five most common meningococcal serogroups that cause the majority of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) globally.1
As a pioneer in vaccines, one of our goals is to deliver vaccines that evolve the paradigm and help simplify the standard of care in the U.S., said Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head, Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer. Today marks an important step forward in the prevention of meningococcal disease in the U.S. In a single vaccine, PENBRAYA has the potential to protect more adolescents and young adults from this severe and unpredictable disease by providing the broadest meningococcal coverage in the fewest shots.
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious illness that can lead to death within 24 hours and, for survivors, can result in life-altering, significant long-term disabilities.2 PENBRAYA reduces the total number of doses needed for individuals to be fully vaccinated against the five most common serogroups, thereby streamlining the standard of care and potentially increasing the number of adolescents and young adults vaccinated.3 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), combining vaccines into fewer shots may mean that more adolescents and young adults get their recommended vaccines on time, resulting in fewer delays in protection against serious diseases.4 Routine use of PENBRAYA could also reduce IMD cases and associated mortality, the rate of long-term consequences of infection (sequelae) in survivors and costs associated with controlling outbreaks.5
Nearly 9 out of 10 adolescents have incomplete protection against invasive meningococcal disease caused by the leading serogroups6, said Jana Shaw, MD, Pediatrics Infectious Disease Specialist, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, NY. For the first time, we have a single vaccine that helps protect against the five most common serogroups and has the potential to improve coverage and increase protection among adolescents and young adults.
The FDAs decision is based on the positive results from the Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, including a randomized, active-controlled and observer-blinded Phase 3 trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the pentavalent vaccine candidate compared to currently U.S. licensed meningococcal vaccines, with the goal of determining immunologic noninferiority. The Phase 3 trial (NCT04440163) evaluated more than 2,400 patients from the U.S. and Europe.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on October 25, 2023, to discuss recommendations for the appropriate use of PENBRAYA in adolescents and young adults.
About PENBRAYA Regulatory Review
In September 2022, Pfizer announced positive results from a randomized, active-controlled and observer-blinded Phase 3 trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the PENBRAYA compared to currently licensed meningococcal vaccines, with the goal of determining immunologic noninferiority. The Phase 3 trial (NCT04440163) evaluated more than 2,400 patients from the U.S. and Europe. This trial was followed by the FDAs acceptance of PENBRAYAs Biologics License Application (BLA) in December 2022.
Indication for PENBRAYA
PENBRAYA is indicated for active immunization to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y. PENBRAYA is approved for use in individuals 10 through 25 years of age.
PENBRAYA is administered as a two-dose series given six months apart.
Important Safety Information for PENBRAYA
View the full Prescribing Information. There may be a delay as the document is updated with the latest information. It will be available as soon as possible. Please check back for the updated full information shortly.
U.S. Indication for TRUMENBA (meningococcal group B vaccine)
TRUMENBA (meningococcal group B vaccine) is indicated for active immunization to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in individuals aged 10 through 25 years of age. Approval of TRUMENBA is based on the demonstration of immune response, as measured by serum bactericidal activity against four serogroup B strains representative of prevalent strains in the United States. The effectiveness of TRUMENBA against diverse serogroup B strains has not been confirmed.
Important Safety Information
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Visit www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967.
For the full prescribing information for TRUMENBA, please visit www.pfizer.com.
Indication for Nimenrix in the European Union
Nimenrix is indicated for active immunization of individuals from the age of six weeks and above against invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis group A, C, W-135, and Y. Nimenrix is not licensed in the U.S.
Important Safety Information
Nimenrix (meningococcal group A, C, W-135, and Y conjugate vaccine) should not be given to anyone with a history of a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of Nimenrix.
Individuals with weakened immune systems may have a reduced immune response. The most common adverse reactions were loss of appetite, irritability, drowsiness, pain at the injection site, fatigue, redness at the injection site, and swelling at injection site.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant.
Ask your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of Nimenrix. Only a healthcare provider can decide if Nimenrix is right for you or your child.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to Pfizer. In the United States, to report suspected adverse reactions, contact Pfizer Inc. at 1-800-438-1985 or VAERS at 1-800-822-7967 or http://vaers.hhs.gov
About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients Lives
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 170 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.
Disclosure Notice
The information contained in this release is as of October 20, 2023. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.
This release contains forward-looking information about PENBRAYA, including its potential benefits, an approval in the U.S. for active immunization to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y in individuals 10 through 25 years of age, and its potential recommendation, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties regarding the commercial success of PENBRAYA; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for our clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when any biologic license applications may be filed in particular jurisdictions for PENBRAYA; whether and when any such applications that may be pending or filed for PENBRAYA may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether such product candidate will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of PENBRAYA; uncertainties regarding the ability to obtain recommendations from vaccine advisory or technical committees and other public health authorities regarding PENBRAYA and uncertainties regarding the commercial impact of any such recommendations; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19 on Pfizers business, operations and financial results; and competitive developments.
A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizers Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned Risk Factors and Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results, as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com.
Category: Prescription Medicines
1Pardo de Santayana, C.et al.(2023)Epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease worldwide from 2010-2019: A literature review, Epidemiology and infection. Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10126893/. Accessed August 2023. 2 Borg J, Christie D, Coen PG, Pooy R, Viner RM. Outcomes of Meningococcal disease in adolescence: prospective, matched-cohort study. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e502-e509. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19254985/. Accessed August 2023. 3 National Library of Medicine. Rationale for the Development of a Pentavalent Meningococcal Vaccine: A US-Focused Review. 2022. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35357651/. Accessed August 2023 4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Combination Vaccines. Available at: www/cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/why-vaccinate/combination-vaccines.html. Accessed September 2023. 5 National Library of Medicine. Potential Public Health Impact of a Neisseria Meningitidis A, B, C, W, and Y Pentavalent Vaccine in the United States. 2022. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33615973/. Accessed August 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/rr/rr6909a1.htmhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19254985/ 6 Vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13-17 years national Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7234a3-H.pdf. Accessed September 2023.
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Source: Pfizer Inc.
