Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Preterm infants born to people who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 had roughly the same levels of antibodies to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as term infants born to vaccinated people, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Moreover, in all infants, antibodies to the spike protein were higher among those born to individuals who had received three or more vaccine doses before delivery, compared to those who had only two prior vaccine doses. The findings may help allay concerns that fewer antibodies might pass to preterm infants than term infants.

The study was conducted by Alisa Kachikis, M.D., M.S., of the University of Washington, and colleagues. It appears in JAMA Network Open. NIH funding was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Office of Research on Womens Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

Pregnant individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19 have lower rates of severe COVID-19 illness and pregnancy complications than unvaccinated pregnant people. COVID-19 vaccines protect against the disease by stimulating production of antibodies to the spike protein, which SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect cells. Previous research has shown that anti-spike antibodies pass from pregnant individuals through the placenta to the fetus and may protect infants from severe COVID-19 illness. However, little is known about how well anti-spike antibodies are transferred to preterm infants.

For the current study, researchers compared levels of anti-spike antibodies in 1) the blood of pregnant individuals with no history of COVID-19 infection who received mRNA vaccines and then gave birth and 2) the umbilical cord blood of these infants, who were born at term and preterm. The team also compared anti-spike antibody levels from those who had been vaccinated twice before delivery (including before pregnancy) and those who were vaccinated three or more times before delivery.

Of the 220 participants, 184 delivered full-term infants and 36 delivered preterm, while 121 had been vaccinated twice and 99 had been vaccinated three or more times. For those receiving 2 vaccine doses, the average concentration of anti-spike antibodies was 674. The average concentration was 8,159 among those who received 3 or more doses. For cord blood samples, the average was 1,000 after 2 doses and 9,992 after 3 or more doses. The researchers did not find a significant difference in umbilical cord antibody levels between infants delivered at term and preterm.

The findings provide assurance that preterm infants receive similar levels of maternal antibody protection as term infants after maternal COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, compared to receiving two doses of a vaccine, receiving 3 or more doses resulted in 10 times the level of anti-spike antibodies in umbilical cord blood. The authors concluded that policies should be considered for the administration and timing of COVID-19 vaccines for those at risk of preterm delivery.

Given that the two-dose vaccine series is no longer available and the current recommendation is for a single vaccine dose, additional research is needed to determine the ideal number of doses for pregnant individuals with and without a history of COVID-19 infection.

Kachikis, A, et al. Timing of maternal COVID-19 vaccine and antibody concentrations in infants born preterm. JAMA Network Open. 2024.

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Science Update: Preterm infants protected by maternal COVID-19 vaccination, NIH-funded study suggests - National Institute of Child Health and Human...

A company that paid a $1.75 million settlement for allegedly selling COVID-19 vaccines to the wealthy, instead of administering them to the senior home residents in its care, was recently awarded $2 million by the state of Florida to develop an educational program for the states public schools.

It is unclear why the state is doing business with MorseLife Health System after it, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, purportedly targeted ineligible people for donations of $25,000 and more in exchange for vaccines meant for the most vulnerable in December 2020.

This specific vaccination program was designed to protect some of the nations most vulnerable individuals at a critical time when the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating that population, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Departments Civil Division, said in 2022 after the settlement was reached. The department will hold accountable those who misused vital pandemic relief programs for their own financial gain.

In a news release late last month, a nonprofit program developed by MorseLife Health System, a not-for-profit company that provides senior living residences and services in Palm Beach County, declared it was entrusted by Florida with a budget of just over $2 million for statewide Holocaust education across 67 districts.

The program was created in partnership with Next Generations of Holocaust Survivors, a nonprofit organization founded in 2004.

But Barbara Goldstein, the executive director of the Holocaust Education Resource Council, is concerned and says the announcement is misleading.

First, as a long-standing member of the Holocaust Education Task Force, whose core mission to promote Holocaust education in the state of Florida, Goldstein wanted to know why the task force wasnt consulted or included in any decision to enlist MorseLife.

According to documentation obtained by GulfLive.com, The Holocaust Learning Experience developed by MorseLife Health System submitted a project proposal to provide the service on Nov. 17, 2023, in paperwork signed by MorseLife CEO Keith A. Myers.

It was approved less than one month later on Dec. 13, 2023, with an allotted budget of $2,050,000.

This is the same organization that, in June 2022, agreed to pay the U.S. government $1.75 million as part of a settlement to resolve its potential liabilities under the False Claims Act for purportedly diverting a portion of its vaccine allotment, intended for vulnerable populations, to billionaires and millionaires for donations.

In December 2020, 40% of COVID-19 related deaths occurred in long-term health care facilities. With a limited vaccine supply, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a program prioritizing vaccines for residents and staff of these facilities, through on-site clinics.

MorseLife signed up for the program and scheduled a clinic at its senior living facility in West Palm Beach for Dec. 31, 2020.

In text messages obtained by the Justice Department, in anticipation of the upcoming vaccination clinic, the CEO of MorseLife Health Systems told the organizations fundraising arm, the MorseLife Foundation, Go after the billionaires first, adding, Hell, were taking care of their life.

While the DOJ did not name the CEO, he is identified on the organizations website as Keith A. Myers.

Myers stated he was disappointed with foundation members for not asking for bigger donations referring to them in the text message as, little boys and girls in the foundation only asking for $25,000.

Go for the 25,000 Ill go for the billions; Im a little disappointed in the foundations mentality; I have delivered you 350 of the richest people in the country and youre still thinking $25,000 gift, he wrote. Do not be weak be strong you have the opportunity to take advantage of everyone who needs the shot.

In all, the DOJ alleged that 567 of the 976 people vaccinated at MorseLifes clinic on Dec. 31, 2020, were ineligible to participate in the program.

The settlement today exemplifies my office and its law enforcement partners strong commitment to combatting all forms of health care fraud-related schemes, especially those that exploit government resources designed to assist individuals who were acutely affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic, U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida, said in a news release issued at the time of the settlement. We will not relent in holding accountable those in South Florida who exploit health care programs intended to assist vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The integration of Holocaust lessons into K-12 public schools has been mandated since the passage of the Holocaust Education Bill by the Florida Legislature in 1994. In the 2023-2024 legislative session, Florida allotted funding of about $27 million across approximately 47 Jewish community organizations to provide a variety of services, and Goldstein said there are dozens of Holocaust organizations throughout the state that provide teachers with free resources for their Holocaust curriculum, including books, downloadable lesson plans, videos and speakers.

In 1998, the Florida Department of Education commissioned the Holocaust Documentation & Education Center to write the first statewide resource manuals on Holocaust studies for grades K-12. In addition to being available for download online, they also were distributed to all private, public and parochial schools in the state of Florida.

Theyre not the only Holocaust educators in Florida, Goldstein said, referring to MorseLife.

And, she said, its been a joint effort with all the various organizations collaborating and communicating, except she says, for one outlier: MorseLifes Holocaust Learning Experience.

Despite Goldsteins request for the organization to share its lesson plan, she claims she was denied on the grounds that it was private.

Everybody is alarmed about this, Goldstein said. Because all of the other Holocaust education centers share everything; we work together.

Gulf Live reached out to Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. and MorseLife Health Systems CEO Myers for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Florida Holocaust Education Task Force Chair Michael Igel declined to comment.

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Company accused of selling COVID-19 vaccines to rich gets $2M from Florida for Holocaust education - gulflive.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The COVID-19 vaccine given to pregnant women does no harm to their unborn babies, and can actually lower the risk of serious complications in newborns, a new study finds.

Babies born to women who received the COVID vaccine had half the death rate of those born to unvaccinated moms, according to findings published Feb. 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Newborns of vaccinated mothers also had lower rates of two brain-related complications, cerebral hemorrhages and brain oxygen deprivation, the researchers said.

We found no increased risks, said lead researcher Dr. Mikael Norman, a professor of pediatrics and neonatology at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. If anything, infants to vaccinated women had lower risks for some severe outcomes.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of nearly 200,000 newborns in Sweden and Norway -- 98% of all babies born in those countries between June 2021 and January 2023.

About half (48%) of their moms had received one or more doses of an mRNA COVID vaccine.

The babies were studied for 15 different complications and conditions typically suffered by newborns. They were tracked for at least one month, or as long as they were kept in the hospital following birth.

Infants of vaccinated mothers had the same risk for most complications, and lower risk for the two brain-related conditions. They also had a dramatically lower death rate.

The incidence of other bleedings, blood clots or inflammation in various organ systems did not differ between the groups, Norman said

Researchers could not explain the vaccines benefit to newborns.

A direct vaccine effect is unlikely, Norman said. Previous studies have shown that the vaccine does not cross the placenta and that it cannot be found in umbilical cord blood.

Based on these results, expecting mothers should strongly consider getting the COVID vaccine, Norman said.

COVID-19 is still present in society and is probably something we will have to deal with for a long time, Norman said. It is therefore very important for the one hundred thousand women who become pregnant every year in Sweden, and the 130 million in the world, to know that vaccination with mRNA-vaccines against COVID-19 is safe for their babies.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more about COVID vaccines in pregnancy.

SOURCE: Karolinska Institute, news release, Feb. 6, 2024

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More Evidence COVID Shot in Pregnancy Is Safe, Healthy for Babies - HealthDay

Trust in Medical Profession Influences Vaccine Uptake

A new study spearheaded by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health has shed light on the central role of trust in the medical profession in determining whether Americans choose to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Published in Preventive Medicine Reports, the study reveals that even among those who were initially hesitant or disinclined towards getting a COVID-19 vaccine, trust in the medical profession played a pivotal role in their decision to get vaccinated. Conversely, trust in public officials did not seem to influence vaccination behaviours to the same extent.

The study involved a detailed analysis of data from 1,967 U.S. adults who were surveyed on two separate occasions. The findings highlight the extent to which the COVID-19 vaccines have been politicized, and underscore the need for increased engagement of the medical profession in communicating the benefits of vaccination in the event of future pandemics.

The study also delved into the differences in trust levels among various demographics. It revealed that trust in the vaccine varied significantly among different demographic groups. This was particularly evident among Black and Hispanic individuals, among whom lower levels of trust were reported. The study further discovered that factors such as political affiliation and exposure to information about vaccines on social media also had a significant impact on trust in the vaccine.

One of the most striking findings of the study was the clear politicization of the COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals identifying as Republicans and Independents were found to be less likely than Democrats to opt for vaccination or to seek booster shots. This revelation underscores the need to separate public health issues from politics, in order to ensure that decisions regarding health and wellbeing are based on accurate and unbiased information.

The findings of the study emphasize the importance of engaging the medical profession in communicating the benefits of vaccines, particularly in the face of future pandicemics. This engagement is crucial not only in promoting vaccination, but also in building trust in the vaccine among different demographic groups. Given the significant influence of the medical profession on vaccination behaviors, it is clear that their involvement is key in ensuring widespread vaccination and mitigating the impact of future pandemics.

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Trust in Medical Profession Influences Vaccine Uptake - Study Reveals - Medriva

DuBose Miller, LLC 01/23/2024 Daily Report

TO: ALL MEMBERS OF THE BAR AND ALL CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA The Atlanta Judicial Commission is now accepting nominations for the position of Municipal Court Judge for the City of Atlanta Municipal Court. Members of the bar may nominate themselves or others, and the public is invited to submit nominations. Nominations in writing must be received by February 10, 2024, and should be addressed to: The Atlanta Judicial Commission c/o Von A. DuBose, Esq. 75 14th Street, NE, Suite 2110, Atlanta, GA 30309 A nominee must be at least 25 years of age, a resident of the City of Atlanta for one year prior to appointment and shall have been admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia for at least five years. The Commission will send an application and letter outlining its schedules and procedures to each nominee. The list of nominees is public information and is available upon request. The Commission welcomes communications from organizations or persons familiar with the specific qualifications, experience and ability of any nominee but discourages general endorsement letter-writing campaigns in support of a nominee. A copy of any communication regarding a nominee should be sent to all members of the Commission. FOR THE COMMISSION Von A. DuBose, Esq. Chair Members of The Commission Von A. DuBose, Esq. 75 14th Street NE, Suite 2110 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 [emailprotected] (404) 720 -8111 William A. Morrison, Esq. 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1110 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 [emailprotected] (404) 290-4628 Seth David Kirschenbaum, Esq. 918 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, Georgia 30306 [emailprotected] (404) 471-3177 David Coleman [emailprotected] (404) 626-1726 Cheryl Turner, Esq. 83 Richmond Street Atlanta, Georgia 30312 [emailprotected] Jeffery E. Tompkins, Esq. 3355 Main Street Atlanta, Georgia 30337 [emailprotected] (404) 688-4503 Steven K. Weiner, Esq. 730 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 600 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 [emailprotected] (404) 525-0992 Jan Bryson [emailprotected] (404) 944-0034

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Oregon Governor is Immune From Liability in COVID Vaccine Suit - Law.com

Last week, the United Kingdoms Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced it has granted marketing authorization for Novavaxs NVX-CoV2601 (Nuvaxovid) XBB15 COVID-19 vaccine for prevention of COVID-19 in individuals aged 12 years and older.1

Todays MHRA authorization is recognition of the role our vaccine can have in protecting the British public against COVID-19 this year, Novavax CEO John C. Jacobs, said in a statement last week. We are in ongoing conversations with additional UK partners to identify potential opportunities to offer our protein-based non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible individuals who want one. We believe this is critical to supporting long-term, broad uptake of a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine in the UK.1

According to the company, this authorization was based on non-clinical data showing the updated COVID-19 vaccine induced functional immune responses for XBB15, XBB116 and XBB23 variants. Additional non-clinical data demonstrated the vaccine induced neutralizing antibody responses to subvariants JN1which is the dominant strain in the United StatesBA286, EG51, FL151 and XBB1166 as well as CD4+ polyfunctional cellular (T-cell) responses against EG51 and XBB1166. These data indicate Novavaxs vaccine can stimulate both arms of the immune system and induce a broad response against circulating variants.1

Back in late November, the WHO granted Novavax an emergency use listing (EUL) for the same vaccine. The EUL was also based on non-clinical data.2

Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2601 (Nuvaxovid), is distinct from many other COVID-19 vaccines as it does not utilize the mRNA platform.

The vaccine incorporates a patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant. The Matrix-M adjuvant enhances both the cellular and humoral arms of the immune system.

The NVX-CoV2601 vaccine has practical advantages in terms of storage and shelf life. It can be stored at temperatures between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, making distribution and administration more straightforward.

The Vaccines Novelty

This vaccine does not use the m-RNA technology, but the companys patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant platform. The vaccine can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius and has a 12-month shelf life, simplifying delivery, decreasing the carbon footprint and reducing wastage. And as previously mentioned, it has demonstrated efficacy against multiple variants. 2

Contagion spoke to Seth Toback, MD, senior vice president, Medical Affairs, Novavax, at last falls IDWeek about the novelty of the vaccine.

Our vaccine is a protein based vaccine; it's really unique in that it uses the entire full length spike protein. It takes that spike protein and arranges it as a three-dimensional shape, which puts it in a very similar shape to the natural wild type SARS-CoV-2, said Toback. "So when we make antibodies towards that vaccine, the antibodies are more accurately reflecting the wild type virus and gives us a neutralization response. We then take that fully-spiked protein and we add it to our novel adjuvant, which is called matrix Mit enhances both the cellular and humoral arms of the immune system.2

References

1. Novavaxs Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized in the United Kingdom. Novavax press release. January 24, 2024. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/Novavaxs-Updated-COVID-19-Vaccine-Authorized-in-the-United-Kingdom

2. Parkinson J. Novavaxs Updated COVID-19 Vaccine is Granted EUL by WHO. ContagionLive. December 2, 2023. Accessed January 31, 2024 Novavaxs Updated COVID-19 Vaccine is Granted EUL by WHO. https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/Novavaxs-Updated-COVID-19-Vaccine-Authorized-in-the-United-Kingdom

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Novavax Granted Authorization in United Kingdom for its COVID-19 Vaccine - Contagionlive.com

Newborn babies whose mothers are vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to die or suffer complications, according to new research.

The study involving almost 200,000 Scandinavian moms found that babies whose mothers were vaccinated fared better than those whose mothers were not.

The study, published in the journal JAMA, serves as proof that vaccines are not only safe for pregnant women but could even potentially offer some health benefits to their babies.

The results showed babies born by women who chose to be vaccinated were less likely to suffer serious complications including death.

However, the research team admitted they couldnt explain the benefits to the babies of vaccinated mothers and said its unlikely to be a direct result of vaccination.

The study used national registers in Norway and Sweden to observe 196,470 newborns across the two nations accounting for nearly all newborn babies of women who became pregnant after the vaccines became available.

The first baby was born in June 2021 and the last in January 2023.

All babies were followed up for at least one month or as long as they were admitted to a neonatal unit.

Nearly half (48 percent) of the mothers had been vaccinated with one or more doses of a vaccine against COVID-19.

The majority (80 percent) received the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine whilst a fifth (20 percent) received the Moderna vaccine.

In addition to lower infant mortality, the researchers also found a lower risk of two other serious complications in infants born to mothers who had been vaccinated.

Looking at a total of 15 neonatal complications after birth, the researchers found there was a rate of 0.9 infant deaths per 1,000 births in vaccinated mothers, whereas this rate was 1.8 per 100,000 in unvaccinated mothers.

Babies who suffered bleeds to the brain were also more prevalent in unvaccinated mothers at 3.2 per 1,000 compared with 1.7 per 1,000 in vaccinated mothers.

Those who suffered brain hypoxia/ischemia a type of brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain before or shortly after birth were also more likely to come from unvaccinated mothers (2.7 in 1,000 births vs 1.8 in 1,000 births of vaccinated mothers).

Mikael Norman, a professor of pediatrics and neonatology at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and first author of the study, explained that there was no explanation as to why babies from vaccinated mothers fared better than those from unvaccinated mothers.

We made several attempts to explain this finding, Dr Norman explained. A direct vaccine effect is unlikely.

Previous studies have shown that the vaccine does not cross the placenta and that it cannot be found in umbilical cord blood.

The researchers instead adjusted for several background factors that were unevenly distributed in the two groups of women and conducted seven different subgroup analyses of women and newborns.

No matter how we look at it, the finding remains and, therefore, we cannot say what the lower risk of death among infants of vaccinated women relates to, Dr Norman said.

We saw lower rates of cerebral hemorrhages and hypoxia-ischemic conditions of the brain in the newborns of vaccinated than in babies of unvaccinated in pregnancy.

The incidence of other bleedings, blood clots or inflammation in various organ systems did not differ between the groups.

Although the pandemic is over, Dr. Norman emphasized that the results of the study are of great importance for healthcare professionals offering counseling, authorities issuing recommendations and, above all, for anyone who will become pregnant in the future.

COVID-19 is still present in society and is probably something we will have to deal with for a long time, he said.

It is therefore very important for the one hundred thousand women who become pregnant every year in Sweden, and the 130 million in the world, to know that vaccination with mRNA-vaccines against COVID-19 is safe for their babies.

We found no increased risks. If anything, infants to vaccinated women had lower risks for some severe outcomes.

Produced in association with SWNS Talker

Continued here:

New Research Suggests COVID-19 Vaccination In Mothers Reduces Infant Mortality And Complications - Zenger.News

This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

by Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute

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In December, the journal Vaccines published an analysis of COVID-19 vaccination coverage among people with HIV in Catalonia between December 2020 and July 2022. The study led by the Center for Epidemiological Studies on HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), a group from the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), in collaboration with researchers from the PISCIS Cohort group, evaluated the primary, monovalent, and booster doses.

The research aims to develop concrete action plans tailored to specific profiles to facilitate and promote vaccination. The study included a sample of over 200,000 individuals, 18,330 of whom have HIV and were vaccinated against COVID-19.

The researchers observed a lower rate of complete primary vaccination schedule in people living with HIV (78.2%) compared to those without this condition (81.8%), with the difference being more pronounced among migrant populations. However, people living with HIV received more booster doses than the rest.

The authors identified several factors that may contribute to the lower complete vaccination rates: having a previous diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the status of HIV infection, being a migrant, or having a complicated socioeconomic situation. These factors reflect barriers to vaccine access and health care.

The analysis has helped identify patterns and contexts that encourage vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 among people living with HIV, as well as determining the need to improve vaccine access and address the hesitancy of vulnerable populations in taking the doses, highlighting their efficacy and safety.

The same group of researchers has published another article in the Open Forum Infectious Diseases journal, this time focusing on migrant individuals with HIV. The findings indicate that these individuals (over 3,000 in the sample) have undergone fewer SARS-CoV-2 tests, yet they have a similar cumulative diagnosis rate as local natives.

Their vaccination rate, both in terms of the complete schedule and booster doses, is lower compared to those born in Catalonia. In contrast, there were more hospitalizations and admissions to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) among migrants, even with similar durations of stays and mortality rates. Moreover, having two or more comorbidities in migrant individuals has been associated as a risk factor for severe COVID-19.

The study suggests possible impediments that could justify these results, such as economic inequalities, lack of information, structural discrimination, language barriers, or distrust in the health care system. With this data, strategies are expected to be developed to reach the migrant population and promote vaccination, as it is crucial for protecting the individual and curbing future epidemics at a social level.

More information: Daniel Kwakye Nomah et al, Comparative Analysis of Primary and Monovalent Booster SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Coverage in Adults with and without HIV in Catalonia, Spain, Vaccines (2023). DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010044

Daniel K Nomah et al, Disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Clinical Outcomes and Vaccination Coverage Among Migrants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the PISCIS Cohort: A Population-Based Propensity ScoreMatched Analysis, Open Forum Infectious Diseases (2024). DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad693

Provided by Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute

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Studies find that people living with HIV have been less vaccinated with the full initial regimen against COVID-19 - Medical Xpress

CLAIM

Official CDC data: 143,233% surge in fatal cancers among Vaxxed Americans

DETAILS

Inadequate support: No reliable scientific study shows an association between COVID-19 vaccines and cancer. VAERS reports record any adverse events occurring following vaccination, regardless of whether the vaccine caused the event. Therefore, cancer-related reports to VAERS alone cant demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer. Misleading: Reporting requirements for COVID-19 vaccines are more stringent than for earlier vaccines, so simply comparing the number of reports for COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccines can lead to erroneous conclusions.

KEY TAKE AWAY

Safety data and multiple studies show that COVID-19 vaccines effectively reduce the risk of severe or fatal COVID-19 cases, while the risk of serious side effects from vaccination is very small. But COVID-19 vaccines come with tighter reporting requirements than earlier vaccines, which results in more adverse event reports to vaccine safety databases compared to other vaccines. This doesn't indicate any safety issues but instead reflects an increased reporting rate.

The figure most likely originated from an article published on The Expos on 8 December 2023 titled, U.S. Government Data Reveals a Staggering 143,233% Surge in Fatal Cancer Cases. The article explicitly attributed this increase to the experimental Covid-19 injections.

The Expos is an outlet created in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic that has since published misinformation and conspiracy theories, often based on distorted or misinterpreted data. The article discussed here is another example of such.

Contrary to what the headline and the Instagram post might suggest, the 143,233% figure doesnt come from an official report from the CDC or other public health agency. Instead, it was calculated by The Expos based on data from the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

In this review, we will show that these calculations are incorrect and misleading in multiple ways and dont support the claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause or increase the risk of cancer. This claim is also inconsistent with published studies showing that people who received a COVID-19 vaccine arent more likely to develop cancer compared to unvaccinated people.

The Expos based its calculations on the number of cancer-related adverse events reported to VAERS after COVID-19 vaccination and after vaccination with the flu vaccines. Between December 2020 and August 2022, VAERS registered a total of 2,579 cancer-related adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. The number of reports for flu vaccines was 64 between 2008 and 2020.

The article didnt specify whether the search for cancer-related adverse events included all events or only fatal, life-threatening and/or serious adverse events.

Considering the total number of COVID-19 and flu vaccine doses administered in the U.S. during those periods, The Expos calculated the rate of cancer-related reports per 100,000 doses administered. The result was 0.43 for COVID-19 vaccines (2,579 reports x 100,000 divided by 606 million doses administered) and 0.0003 for flu vaccines (64 reports x 100,000 divided by 1,720,400,000 doses administered).

The article claimed that the higher reporting rate following COVID-19 vaccination compared to flu vaccination was evidence that COVID-19 vaccines caused cancer, whereas flu vaccines didnt. Specifically, the article calculated that COVID-19 vaccination was 1,433 times (0.43/0.0003) or 143,233% (0.0003100/0.43) more likely to cause cancer than flu vaccination. But this isnt true.

The first hint that these figures are unreliable lies in the fact that The Expos made a mathematical error in calculating the rate of cancer reports per 100,000 flu vaccine doses. The result should be 0.003, not 0.0003 as the article claimed. This means that the alleged increase in cancer reporting is actually ten times lower than claimed: 143 times (or 14,323%) instead of 1,433 times (or 143,233%).

And the second and most important is that VAERS reports alone are inadequate to establish associations between a vaccine (in this case, the COVID-19 vaccine) and a health problem (in this case, cancer), although they can provide useful signals for further investigation that may establish a causal association. Therefore, the entire reasoning behind the calculations is flawed and doesnt support the claim.

VAERS is a national vaccine surveillance system co-managed by the U.S. CDC and the Food and Drug Administration. VAERS collects reports on any adverse events that occurred following vaccination, regardless of what caused them. This system is useful for rapidly detecting unusual patterns of adverse events that might be early signs of a safety problem with a vaccine. However, VAERS reports alone cant determine whether a vaccine caused an adverse event.

Furthermore, anyone can submit a report to VAERS, which means the database may also contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable.

A disclaimer on the site notifies users about these limitations, clearly stating:

The number of reports alone cannot be interpreted as evidence of a causal association between a vaccine and an adverse event, or as evidence about the existence, severity, frequency, or rates of problems associated with vaccines.

In brief, The Exposs calculations are based on a misuse of VAERS reports, and therefore dont provide any reliable evidence of a link between COVID-19 vaccines and cancer.

COVID-19 vaccines require stricter VAERS reporting compared to earlier vaccines, as Health Feedback explained in multiple reviews. Simply comparing the number of VAERS reports for different vaccines doesnt take into account these differences and can therefore be highly misleading.

In the case of COVID-19 vaccines, healthcare providers are required by law to report all serious adverse events that occur following vaccination regardless of causality. These include death, life-threatening adverse events, hospitalization, congenital anomalies, heart inflammation, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, serious COVID-19 cases, and any other important medical event that may require medical or surgical intervention. Cancer-related events likely fall within these categories.

In contrast, for flu vaccines healthcare providers are only required to report certain adverse events. These include anaphylaxis, shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, vasovagal syncope, Guillain-Barr Syndrome, and events described as contraindications in the manufacturers package insert. In general, only those serious adverse events, including deaths, that are linked to known side effects of the vaccine require reporting. It is doubtful that any flu vaccine lists cancer as a side effect.

In other words, while cancer and cancer-related adverse events that occur after COVID-19 vaccination must be reported to VAERS, reporting these events after flu vaccination is voluntary. Therefore, the higher rate of cancer-related reports following COVID-19 vaccination compared to flu vaccination most likely reflects differences in reporting rather than an actual increase in cancer rates among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Determining whether a vaccine is causally associated with an adverse event requires an investigation that goes far beyond the number of VAERS reports. One critical step is to assess whether the vaccine is a plausible cause for the observed event. This isnt the case with COVID-19 vaccines and cancer.

As we explained above, The Expos didnt clarify whether the VAERS search for cancer-related adverse events involved new diagnoses, deaths, or other types of adverse events. Yet, the headline mentioned fatal cancers, conveying the message that at least some of these events were indeed fatal. However, this message is at odds with available scientific evidence.

The 2024 report by the American Cancer Society on cancer trends shows that, while some common cancers have been on the rise for the last three decades, the risk of dying from cancer has actually declined. This trend continued through 2021[1], which is inconsistent with COVID-19 vaccines leading to cancer deaths.

Published studies also show that people vaccinated against COVID-19 arent more likely to die from any cause compared to unvaccinated people[2,3].

After being extensively studied, no reliable evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines cause or increase cancer risk. Claims stating otherwise are usually founded on misinterpreted data and have no basis in fact.

The American Cancer Society and the U.S. National Cancer Institute state that no evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines cause or make the cancer grow or recur. In fact, cancer patients are at a high risk for severe complications from COVID-19. Therefore, both institutions recommend that people with cancer and cancer survivors, as well as caregivers and close contacts, get the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Incorrect claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused a 143,233% surge in cancer results from flawed calculations that ... - Health Feedback

In a recent development, the latest COVID-19 vaccine is found to offer significantly higher protection against the symptoms of the virus compared to those who are unvaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccine provides an increased protection of 54% against the virus, a promising development in the fight against the pandemic.

According to the CDCs updated information, the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine shows enhanced protection against the variants responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. The vaccine has shown to be effective against many variants of the virus, reducing the likelihood of getting COVID-19 by 54%. The CDC recommends everyone aged six months or older to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from respiratory diseases.

The latest COVID-19 vaccines offer robust protection against symptomatic infection, including from the JN.1 variant, as shown by early CDC data. The vaccines provided a significant 54% protection against symptomatic infection among immunocompetent adults who were recently vaccinated. The US COVID-19 vaccination program aims to prevent severe disease, and tracking vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection provides an early look at how well the vaccines are working.

Data suggests that COVID-19 continues to circulate at high levels in the US, with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths each week. Unfortunately, only about 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 9 children have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine, compared to nearly half who have received the flu vaccine this season.

The updated 2023-2024 monovalent XBB 1.5 COVID-19 vaccine has shown increased protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in relation to the co-circulating Omicron variants. The vaccine provided approximately 54% increased protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to those who did not receive the updated vaccine. Vaccination provides protection against JN.1 and other circulating lineages. The CDC recommends all persons aged six months and older should receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Despite the promising effectiveness of the updated vaccine, the vaccination coverage in the U.S. remains low. According to the latest data from the CDC, only 22% of U.S. adults and 11% children have received the new shots. The CDC urges everyone over six months to get the new shots for protection against COVID and evolving variants. Experts emphasize that vaccine effectiveness is known to wane over time, but getting the vaccine remains crucial even if cases are declining in a community.

In conclusion, the latest COVID-19 vaccine offers a compelling defense against the virus, particularly regarding symptomatic infections. As the virus continues to evolve, it is vital to stay updated with your vaccination status and adhere to CDC guidelines for maximum protection.

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Latest COVID-19 Vaccine Offers 54% Increased Protection, CDC Reports - Medriva