Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

A study conducted by the UK Health Security Agency has recently estimated the rate of hospitalization and death due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among unvaccinated persons residing in England. The study finds that a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths may happen if these unvaccinated populations become infected with the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

About 80% of the adult population in the UK have received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines as of early 2022. In addition, about 67% of the population have received the third booster dose. Despite high vaccine coverage, a small but significant proportion of the UK population remains unvaccinated because of a lack of access or hesitancy to vaccination.

People's hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccines is associated with various factors, including uncertainty about vaccine safety and efficacy, disbelief in government policies, and socio-cultural and religious beliefs. In addition, misinformation spread by anti-vaccination campaigns strongly discourages people from receiving COVID-19 vaccines.

In the current study, the scientists estimated the mortality rate in 2021 among unvaccinated people in Englandwho have access to the COVID-19 vaccine but are hesitant to receive it. In addition, they have predicted the rates of hospitalization and mortality in the unvaccinated English population under two hypothetical situations. In one situation, they have assumed that no further vaccination has been done and unvaccinated people have become infected with SARS-CoV-2. In the other situation, they have assumed that most vaccine-resistant people have received full vaccination.

The study has focused on any deaths that occurred within 60 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. The analysis has been done by considering vaccination rates in five age groups, including 15-24 years, 25-44 years, 45-64 years, 65-74 years, and >75 years.

The mortality rate was calculated by considering the time when 90% of the two-dose vaccination administered by December 2021 was achieved. The analysis revealed that about 3500 deaths occurred in 2021 among unvaccinated people who had access to COVID-19 vaccination but refused to receive it because of vaccine hesitancy.

The study further estimated the number of deaths per day per million people in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations to adjust for the significant size variation between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. The findings revealed that the death rate is 2-8 times higher in the unvaccinated population compared to that in the vaccinated population.

The prediction analysis was conducted by considering that all of the remaining unvaccinated population in the UK got infected with SARS-CoV-2. The findings revealed that about 29,600 hospitalizations and 11,700 deaths could occur in the future if vaccine-hesitant people remain unvaccinated and contract SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially omicron infection.

Furthermore, the analysis predicted that the number of hospitalizations and deaths could be reduced to 19,500 and 5,300, respectively, if most vaccine-resistant people receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The study findings highlight that hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination can significantly increase the rate of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in England. Importantly, the study predicts that the observed severity of COVID-19 could be reduced significantly if the majority of unvaccinated people, who are resistant to COVID-19 vaccination, agree to receive full vaccination.

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

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The impact of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance on the population of England - News-Medical.Net

But while some countries of the region have the highest coverage in the world, others lag behind.

Washington D.C. 20 April 2022 (PAHO) Over two-thirds of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have now received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine while some countries have yet to reach even half of their populations, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne, urging those who have not yet done so to get vaccinated and ensure their loved ones are also protected.

COVID-19 vaccines work and are very safe, the Director said in a media briefing today. They are protecting most people in our region from the worst consequences of COVID-19 infection.

Thanking the efforts of healthcare workers, scientists, policymakers and individuals, Dr. Etienne highlighted that 14 countries and territories of the region have already reached the WHO goal of vaccinating 70% of their populations ahead of the June 30th target, and a further eight countries have reached over 60% coverage.

Dr. Etienne highlighted that as of this month, PAHOs Revolving Fund has delivered more than 141 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in partnership with COVAX and with the support of donors.

However, while there are now sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to meet demand everywhere in the Americas, some countries continue to lag behind.

In the Caribbean, less than 30% of people have received their first vaccine in Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia, and in Latin America, Guatemala, Guyana and Paraguay have yet to reach 50% coverage.

PAHO is now working with countries to provide technical assistance to vaccination campaigns, as well as planning and communications support to help close the gaps.

But individuals also have a role to play, urged the Director. Vaccination is a family affair, and its up to all of us to make sure our loved ones are protected, she said.

If you or a family member have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19, talk to your healthcare provider about your questions and doubts, she added.

Dr. Etienne also urged countries to integrate their COVID-19 vaccination efforts into routine immunization campaigns. This will enable pregnant women to get their COVID vaccine alongside their flu shot and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccines, and will also allow parents to get their shot while their children get protected against diseases like measles and polio.

Similarly, the emergency infrastructure that was set up to get COVID-19 vaccines into arms as quickly as possible should also be leveraged to improve routine vaccination uptake, making it more convenient and accessible for families to catch up on all their shots at once, said the Director.

The COVID vaccination effort has shown us that success is possible when countries and people work together to embrace vaccines, she said.

Ahead of Vaccination Week in the Americas, which begins April 23, Dr. Etienne also called on countries to step up efforts to reach at least 70% of their populations with COVID-19 vaccines.

Elderly people, those with preexisting conditions, health care workers and pregnant women should be the primary focus of these campaigns as they are most at risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID.

Lets use our knowledge and perseverance to protect as many people, and save as many lives as possible, she said.

Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, while the number of COVID-19 infections reported in the Americas dropped by 2.3% this week and continue to decline, cases did increase by 11.2% in North America and have also spiked in the Caribbean.

The number of deaths has decreased by 15.2% (to 4,797), showing that vaccines are working well to protect people from hospitalization and death, Dr. Etienne noted.

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Two-thirds of people in Latin America and the Caribbean now vaccinated against COVID-19 - Pan American Health Organization

Apr 20, 2022 12:57 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) If you still havent gotten your coronavirus vaccine or booster dose, the Richland County Library has you covered.

The library will host a vaccine clinic Thursday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at its St. Andrews location on Broad River Road. Officials say Cooperative Health will offer the Moderna vaccine for those 18 and up, as well as booster shots for those eligible.

Appointments are encouraged, but organizers say walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, call 803-722-1822.

Original post:

Richland Library offering COVID-19 vaccines at St. Andrews location Thursday - Abccolumbia.com

Posted on: April 19, 2022; Updated on: April 19, 2022By Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti, prakash@mailbox.sc.edu

As mRNA vaccines used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been successful at preventing hospitalization and death, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on the COVID-19 booster and retooling existing vaccines to increase the duration of protection.

With yet another COVID-19 booster available for vulnerable populations in the U.S., many people find themselves wondering what the end game will be.

The mRNA vaccines currently used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been highly successful at preventing hospitalization and death. The Commonwealth Fund recently reported that in the U.S. alone, the vaccines have prevented over 2 million people from dying and over 17 million from hospitalization.

However, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections cases of COVID-19 infection that occur in people who are fully vaccinated.

Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently endorsed a second booster shot for individuals 50 years of age and older and people who are immunocompromised. Other countries including Israel, the U.K. and South Korea have also approved a second booster.

However, it has become increasingly clear that the second booster does not provide long-lasting protection against breakthrough infections. As a result, it will be necessary to retool the existing vaccines to increase the duration of protection in order to help bring the pandemic to an end.

As immunologists studying immune response to infections and other threats, we are trying to better understand the vaccine booster-induced immunity against COVID-19.

Its a bit of a medical mystery: Why are mRNA vaccines so successful in preventing the serious form of COVID-19 but not so great at protecting against breakthrough infections? Understanding this concept is critical for stopping new infections and controlling the pandemic.

COVID-19 infection is unique in that the majority of people who get it recover with mild to moderate symptoms, while a small percentage get the severe disease that can lead to hospitalization and death.

Understanding how our immune system works during the mild versus severe forms of COVID-19 is also important to the process of developing more targeted vaccines.

When people are first exposed to SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes COVID-19 or to a vaccine against COVID-19, the immune system activates two key types of immune cells, called B and T cells. The B cells produce Y-shaped protein molecules called antibodies. The antibodies bind to the protruding spike protein on the surface of the virus. This blocks the virus from entering a cell and ultimately prevents it from causing an infection.

However, if not enough antibodies are produced, the virus can escape and infect the host cells. When this happens, the immune system activates what are known as killer T cells. These cells can recognize virus-infected cells immediately after infection and destroy them, thereby preventing the virus from replicating and causing widespread infection.

Thus, there is increasing evidence that antibodies may help prevent breakthrough infections while the killer T cells provide protection against the severe form of the disease.

The B cells and T cells are unique in that after they mount an initial immune response, they get converted into memory cells. Unlike antibodies, memory cells can stay in a persons body for several decades and can mount a rapid response when they encounter the same infectious agent. It is because of such memory cells that some vaccines against diseases such as smallpox provide protection for decades.

But with certain vaccines, such as hepatitis, it is necessary to give multiple doses of a vaccine to boost the immune response. This is because the first or second dose is not sufficient to induce robust antibodies or to sustain the memory B and T cell response.

This boosting, or amplifying of the immune response, helps to increase the number of B cells and T cells that can respond to the infectious agent. Boosting also triggers the memory response, thereby providing prolonged immunity against reinfection.

While the third dose or first booster of COVID-19 vaccines was highly effective in preventing the severe form of COVID-19, the protection afforded against infection lasted for less than four to six months.

That diminished protection even after the third dose is what led the CDC to endorse the fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine called the second booster for people who are immunocompromised and those aged 50 and older.

However, a recent preliminary study from Israel that has not yet been peer-reviewed showed that the second booster did not further boost the immune response but merely restored the waning immune response seen during the third dose. Also, the second booster provided little extra protection against COVID-19 when compared to the initial three doses.

So while the second booster certainly provides a small benefit to the most vulnerable people by extending immune protection by a few months, there has been considerable confusion over what the availability of the fourth shot means for the general population.

In addition to the inability of the current COVID-19 vaccines to provide long-term immunity, some researchers believe that frequent or constant exposure to foreign molecules found in an infectious agent may cause immune exhaustion.

Such a phenomenon has been widely reported with HIV infection and cancer. In those cases, because the T cells see the foreign molecules all the time, they can get worn down and fail to rid the body of the cancer or HIV.

Evidence also suggests that in severe cases of COVID-19, the killer T cells may be exhibiting immune exhaustion and therefore be unable to mount a strong immune response. Whether repeated COVID-19 vaccine boosters can cause similar T cell exhaustion is a possibility that needs further study.

Another reason why the mRNA vaccines have failed to induce sustained antibody and memory response may be related to ingredients called adjuvants. Traditional vaccines such as those for diphtheria and tetanus use adjuvants to boost the immune response. These are compounds that activate the innate immunity that consists of cells known as macrophages. These are specialized cells that help the T cells and B cells, ultimately inducing a stronger antibody response.

Because mRNA-based vaccines are a relatively new class of vaccines, they do not include the traditional adjuvants. The current mRNA vaccines used in the U.S. rely on small balls of fat called lipid nanoparticles to deliver the mRNA. These lipid molecules can act as adjuvants, but how precisely these molecules affect the long-term immune response remains to be seen. And whether the current COVID-19 vaccines failure to trigger strong long-lived antibody response is related to the adjuvants in the existing formulations remains to be explored.

While the current vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe disease, the next phase of vaccine development will need to focus on how to trigger a long-lived antibody response that would last for at least a year, making it likely that COVID-19 vaccines will become an annual shot.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

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Why we can't 'boost' our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the long term - SC.edu

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of April 20, 2022, there are currently 459 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been 3 deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,807 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 62-year old female from Braxton County, a 66-year old female from Wyoming County, and a 73-year old male from Kanawha County.

We are deeply saddened to report the deaths of three more West Virginians due to COVID-19, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. I urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated or boosted to help save lives.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (3), Berkeley (33), Boone (8), Braxton (3), Brooke (4), Cabell (23), Calhoun (2), Clay (0), Doddridge (0), Fayette (10), Gilmer (1), Grant (3), Greenbrier (13), Hampshire (6), Hancock (4), Hardy (1), Harrison (12), Jackson (1), Jefferson (20), Kanawha (32), Lewis (3), Lincoln (6), Logan (10), Marion (15), Marshall (18), Mason (6), McDowell (3), Mercer (19), Mineral (9), Mingo (1), Monongalia (37), Monroe (2), Morgan (2), Nicholas (4), Ohio (16), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (0), Pocahontas (0), Preston (12), Putnam (25), Raleigh (20), Randolph (14), Ritchie (1), Roane (2), Summers (1), Taylor (9), Tucker (1), Tyler (1), Upshur (5), Wayne (5), Webster (0), Wetzel (1), Wirt (0), Wood (18), Wyoming (12). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Please visit http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.

West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination; after the primary series, first booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over that are 4 months or greater from their first booster have been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.

Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Mason, Mineral, Mingo, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler/Wetzel, Upshur, Wayne, and Wood counties.

Barbour County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Community Market, 107 South Main Street (across the street from Walgreens), Philippi, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVBBC)

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Berkeley County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Airborne Church, 172 Creative Place, Martinsburg, WV

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Shenandoah Community Health, 99 Tavern Road, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Braxton County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Braxton County Memorial Hospital (parking lot), 100 Hoylman Drive, Gassaway, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=Braxton)

Cabell County

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Marshall University Campus (parking lot), 1801 6th Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department (parking lot), 703 Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Clay County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department, 452 Main Street, Clay, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVClayCounty)

Doddridge County

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Doddridge County Health Department, 60 Pennsylvania Street, West Union, WV

Fayette County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Fayette County Health Department, 5495 Maple Lane, Fayetteville, WV

Gilmer County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Minnie Hamilton Health System (parking lot), 921 Mineral Road, Glenville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMHCT11)

Greenbrier County

9:30 AM - 3:00 PM, State Fair of WV, 891 Maplewood Avenue, Lewisburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVGBC)

Jefferson County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Lewis County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, City Parking Lot, 95 West Second Street, Weston, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavLewis1)

Lincoln County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Logan County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Old 84 Lumber Building, 100 Recovery Road, Peach Creek, WV

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Town of Man Fire Department, Administration Building, 110 North Bridge Street, Man, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Marion County

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Dunbar School Foundation, 101 High Street, Fairmont, WV

Mason County

8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Krodel Park, 1186 Charleston Road, Point Pleasant, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavCOUNTY12)

Mineral County

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Mineral County Health Department, 541 Harley O. Staggers Drive, Keyser, WV

Mingo County

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department, 8 Firefighter Avenue, Chattaroy, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMGC)

Morgan County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, The Blue (of First United Methodist Church), 440 Fearnow Road, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavMorgan1)

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, War Memorial Hospital, 1 Health Way, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Nicholas County

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Summersville Regional Medical Center, 400 Fairview Heights Road, Summersville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVNL)

Ohio County

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Ohio Valley Medical Center (back parking lot at the top of 22nd Street), 2000 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV (optional pre-registration: https://roxbylabs.dendisoftware.com/patient_registration/)

Putnam County

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Putnam County Health Department (behind Liberty Square), 316 Putnam Village Drive, Hurricane, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Raleigh County

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department, 1602 Harper Road, Beckley, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=MavBeckleyRaleigh)

Randolph County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Davis Health Center, 812 Gorman Avenue, Elkins, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVRDC)

Ritchie County

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional, 135 South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV

Taylor County

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Grafton-Taylor Health Department, 718 West Main Street (parking lot at Operations Trailer), Grafton, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)

Tyler/Wetzel Counties

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department, 121 Maple Lane, Sistersville, WV

Upshur County

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Buckhannon Fire Department (parking lot), 22 South Florida Street, Buckhannon, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVUSC)

Wayne County

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)

Wood County

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Vienna Baptist Church, 3401 Grand Central Avenue, Vienna, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavWood1)

Please check with the testing site, DHHRs social media pages and the COVID-19 website https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for any last minute cancellations, and to find other free testing opportunities across West Virginia.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 4-20-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

As of Monday, the NET Health COVID Vaccine Clinic will relocate to NET Healths Immunizations Clinic located at 815 North Broadway Avenue, directly next to the Tyler Municipal Court.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 until 11 a.m., and from 1 until 4 p.m.; on Wednesdays, the clinic remains open until 6 p.m.

Booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed booster doses for anyone age 12 years and older to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least 5 months after their second dose, as well as secondary booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for anyone age 50 and above who received their first booster dose at least 4 months ago.

If anyone has questions about their risks from COVID-19 and whether a booster dose is beneficial, it is advised that you consult your primary healthcare provider.

First and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Vaccination remains the best strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, said George Roberts, NET Health CEO. All COVID-19 vaccines may be co-administered with other vaccines, including the seasonal influenza vaccine, during the same visit.

NET Health encourages everyone who has yet to become vaccinated to start their COVID vaccine series to protect themselves and loved ones. Eligibility is open to the following ages:

Parents and guardians of children who are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should consult a healthcare provider if they have questions about the benefits and risks of their children receiving the COVID vaccine.

For more details about the NET Health COVID vaccine clinics, visit NETHealthCOVID19.org.

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COVID vaccine clinic moves to NET Health's main immunizations clinic - Tyler Morning Telegraph

COVID vaccines are not meant to prevent all infections, experts say. Americans need to reset their expectations.  USA TODAY

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COVID vaccines are not meant to prevent all infections, experts say. Americans need to reset their expectations. - USA TODAY

Upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Lowell

LOWELL There will be free COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Nibbana Cafe and the Khmer New Year celebration this weekend hosted by the Greater Lowell Health Alliance and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Vaccines will be available at Nibbana Cafe at 12 Cardinal OConnell Parkway from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, there will be a clinic at the Khmer New Year celebration from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Clemente Park, 803 Middlesex St.

Vaccines are free for everyone age 5 and older. No ID or health insurance is required. Everyone who gets vaccinated at Nibbana Cafe will receive a $25 gift card to the cafe and everyone who gets vaccinated at the Khmer New Year celebration will receive a $25 Market Basket gift card.

The COVID-19 vaccine is the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization, said Lowell Health and Human Services Director Lisa Golden. Positive COVID numbers are down, but that is due to our high vaccine rate.

The DPH has planned family-friendly vaccine clinics during April vacation week at fun locations like zoos, bowling alleys and Six Flags to encourage everyone to get vaccinated.

We thank our many businesses and local partners for joining us in making vaccination available at these family-friendly locations, said DPH Commissioner Margret Cooke. These events are a convenient way for the whole family to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination and have some fun at the same time.

For more information, visit mass.gov/KidsClinic.

Pelham Police to participate in National Drug Take Back Day on April 30

PELHAM, N.H. The Pelham Police Department, in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is participating in National Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at the station headquarters at 14 Village Green.

National Drug Take Back Day is a free, no-questions-asked event that gives the community a chance to aid in the fight against substance use disorder by disposing of expired, unwanted or unused prescription drugs.

As part of the event, residents can drop off unwanted pills or patches, but not liquids, needles or sharps. All drugs that are turned in are given to the DEA for safe destruction.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or to find collection sites, visit DEATakeBack.com.

Dunstable Fire Department completes training

DUNSTABLE The Fire Department successfully completed brush fire training behind the station, at 28 Pleasant St., on April 10.

Training was led by Lt. Patrick Bue with five firefighters in attendance.

Participants completed two hours of training, which included running water pumps on the Forestry 1 vehicle; practicing extinguishing brush fires in a safe and effective way; and drafting water out of the an adjacent pond, the Shaw Conservation Area, to simulate a crisis where an alternate water supply would be needed.

The Dunstable Fire Department holds training programs for its staff every month in an effort to maintain the safest firefighting policies and practices. Each months training addresses a different topic, such as smoke ventilation or ice rescues.

For a list of the training programs, visit http://www.dunstablefire.com/training. Anyone interested in learning more about the Dunstable Fire Department or about becoming a member should call 978-649-6661 or fill out a preapplication at https://bit.ly/3vpqsrv.

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The Five Minute Read - Lowell Sun

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) is the causative virus of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020.

By April 2022, there was an estimated global number of infections of 500 million and a total of over 6.1 million COVID-19-associated deaths recorded.

Although effective COVID-19 vaccinations were rapidly produced and implemented, the rate of new variants has increased the demand for updates to vaccine formulas.

The production of substantial amounts of stable and high-quality SARS-CoV-2 S proteins is essential for the development of virosomal-based vaccines. Full-length S protein production has been reported using a variety of expression systems, the bulk of which are based on mammalian cells. The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) is a viable option since it is widely considered a low-cost, scalable manufacturing platform.

In a recent study published in Pharmaceutics, different signal peptides, baculovirus transfer vectors, cell lines, infection techniques, and formulation buffers were investigated with the purpose ofbuildinga scalable bioprocess to generatehigh-quality S protein for incorporation in a virosome-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The stability, oligomeric state, and binding capability of the generated protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)receptor and selected neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were all evaluated in depth. The S protein was also covalently linked to a click chemistry lipid in the virosomal membrane through its polyhistidine- (His)-tag.

The most adequate method of infection was identified via the infection of sf-9 cells at cell concentration at infection (CCI) of 1 and 2 x 106 cell/mL with recombinant baculovirus rBac with a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 and 1 pfu/cell, and small-scale shake flasks (SF) were utilized to examine the growth and S protein expression kinetics. Following infection, traditional profiles of insect cell viability and growth were seen. CCI = 2 x 106 cell/mL and MOI = 1 pfu/cell produced the highest S protein titers and specific production rates.

The authors explored three different signal peptides, which included the insect honeybee melittin (BVM) (rBac 1), the rBac gp67 (rBac 2), and the S protein signal peptide from the original SARS-CoV-2 strain (rBac 3). Insect Sf-9 cells were infected at CCI = 2 106 cell/mL with each rBac at MOI = 1 pfu/cell, and small-scale SF was utilized to examine S protein expression kinetics and growth.

Following infection, the authors discovered traditional profiles of insect cell viability and growth, with samples infected with rBac 1 being the only ones to have S protein detected via Western blot, therefore, baculovirus constructs containing the BVM signal sequence were used in future analyses.

For all N-linked glycan sites already identified in currentliterature, purified S protein was analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to determine site-specific glycosylation and glycan composition. At glycosylation sites N 68_81, N172, N241, and N1081, a combination of high mannose and complex/paucimannose-type glycans were discovered; the remaining 15 sites were dominated by processed, complex-type glycans.

High-performance liquid chromatography size-exclusion chromatography (HPLC-SEC) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DFS)were used to examine the isolated S protein's mid-term storage durability. When kept at 80 C and 4 C or after 5 freeze-thaw cycles, HPLC-SEC analysis showed a single peak in all conditions tested, implying that S protein trimer structure is sustained for up to 90 days. The durability of S protein was further corroborated by DSF data, which revealed a minor difference in S protein melting temperatures across all circumstances investigated.

Dibenzocyclooctyne- (DBCO-) azide click chemistry was used to covalently link virosomes to purified S protein, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect S protein on the virosomes through exposed epitopes and ACE2 binding. The S protein on the exterior of the virosomes has the capacitytoattachto the ACE2 receptor and is also recognized by CR3022 and all of the tested neutralizing antibodies against diverse epitope clusters, according to the results.

This research shows that an insect cells-baculovirus expression vector system can be used to create high-quality SARS-CoV-2 S protein for the implementationin a virosome-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The authors claim that the bioprocessing engineering approach used here permitted them to produce 4 mg/L of full-length S protein, which is the greatest value achieved to date utilizing insect cells.

Furthermore, the S protein produced from insect Sf-9 cells showed glycan processing identical to mammalian cells and mid-term storage durability. Moreover, even after a month of storage at 4 C, the S protein on the exterior of the virosomes had the capacity tobindto the ACE2 receptor and was recognized by a wide range of neutralizing antibodies. Immunogenicity and safety-toxicology investigations in appropriate animal models should be carried out to verify these particles as COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

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Study investigates the production of a virosome-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate - News-Medical.Net

The White House announced on Monday that it would co-host the second global Covid-19 summit next month, a gathering intended to build momentum for vaccine donations and for ending what the White House called the acute phase of the pandemic.

The meeting, which was originally expected to be held in March, is now scheduled to take place virtually on May 12.

Efforts to subsidize more global vaccinations stalled in the United States after lawmakers stripped $5 billion from a pandemic relief package that could come up for a Senate vote in the next few weeks.

When lawmakers announced an agreement earlier this month on the $10 billion coronavirus aid package, which is centered on domestic coronavirus testing, vaccination and treatment, they turned away a push from the Biden administration and from some members of Congress to reinforce the nations global Covid-19 commitments, which some public health experts said were already lacking. Republicans had demanded that any new aid be financed in part by repurposing previously approved but unspent Covid-19 relief.

The emergence and spread of new variants like Omicron have reinforced the need for a strategy aimed at controlling Covid-19 worldwide, the White House said on Monday in a statement announcing the May summit, which will also be hosted by Belize, Germany, Indonesia and Senegal.

Global health experts are worried that the United States commitment to addressing the global pandemic is waning as President Bidens attention has been consumed by other matters, notably the war in Ukraine.

Peter Maybarduk, director for access to medicines at the advocacy group Public Citizen, called the summit late and necessary, and criticized the Biden White House for not fighting harder to get money from Congress for the global effort. He said the effort must go beyond vaccination, to expand access to testing and therapeutics in low- and middle-income nations.

If you are going to solve a global pandemic, you need the wealthiest governments to really commit to it, Mr. Maybarduk said. And if you dont have a highly prioritized U.S. leadership, the world is going to stumble through it.

About 16 percent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose of a vaccine, compared to 80 percent of people in high-income and upper-middle-income countries, according to the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. Production problems, export bans and vaccine hoarding by wealthy nations have helped widen the gap.

The May summit will carry over themes from the first meeting, held in September, the White House said. Those themes include the logistical work of getting shots into arms, reaching high-risk groups with virus tests and treatments, building up more local and regional vaccine manufacturing capacity and increasing the number of public health workers.

The lowest-income countries are getting more vaccine supplies than before, but health officials say that the doses may arrive on irregular schedules, making it difficult to organize vaccination campaigns, particularly when local health systems are short of staff, transportation and storage facilities.

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a Democrat who helped negotiate the pandemic relief package, said on Sunday that the United States had millions of vaccine doses on hand that could be sent abroad before they expire.

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A Second Global Covid-19 Summit Led By the White House Is Set for May - The New York Times