Health

After experimenting with the COVID19 shot, Moderna is going to apply new mRNA technology to the influenza shot. The company has started an early phase clinical trial of a new flu shot that will be based on mRNA technology. As per the report, participants have been given the first doses of the experimental mRNA-based flu shot in the trial. Experts have said that Moderna is going to test the new flu shot on nearly 180 people in the phase 1/2 randomized, stratified, and observer-blind trial. Heath experts who are involved in the trial will look into the different doses of the shot, immune responses generated after vaccination, and safety. This flu shot will be known as mRNA-1010. It will be developed to target four lineages of influenza viruses that spread in the communities each year. It will be the same as the existing quadrivalent flu shots in the market. These four lineages of the flu viruses have been found by the World Health Organization to be targeted to mitigate the spread each year. These four lineages are seasonal influenza type A lineages H1N1 and H3N2 and influenza type B lineages Victoria and Yamagata. Health experts have said that if mRNA-1010 proves to be effective in late-stage trials, the company will package it with three other mRNA shots to develop one seasonal shot. Along with influenza, this new combination shot will cater for other two common respiratory viruses that spread along with flu, such as a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV). This shot will target the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well which leads to COVID19 disease. Many health experts expect that COVID19 will become seasonal flu in the future.

At present, there is no authorized shot for RSV and HMPV. It is uncertain if the SARS-CoV-2 virus will turn into seasonal flu or a booster shot will be needed to reduce the spread each year. The CEO of Moderna, Stephane Bancel has said that there are many benefits of mRNA-based vaccines as these shots have the ability to combine various antigens to offer protection from multiple viruses. These vaccines also have the ability to mitigate the evolution of various respiratory pathogens such as influenza, RSV, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He has said that with this combination shot, people can easily get just one shot for high-level immunity from almost all deadly respiratory pathogens. The influenza vaccine alone is expected to offer a major upgrade as compared to the existing flu shot. Currently available quadrivalent and trivalent flu shots are considered to have low efficiency. They offer around 40 to 60 percent protection from flu viruses. Health experts have claimed that during some years, these vaccines have even lower efficiency against flu viruses. Moderna expects to beat these figures. After the soaring success of its mRNA-based COVID19 shot that has been proved to be 94 percent effective in the late-stage trial, the company is aiming high with its superior technology to fight against influenza. At present, the company has three mRNA-based shots under development, mRNA-1010, mRNA-1020, and mRNA-1030.

Health experts have said that mRNA technology delivers a snippet of a virus’s genetic code into human cells. The snippet of the virus’s genetic code is in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA). This kind of RNA works as an intermediary that transports coded information from DNA to the molecular machinery of cells, which decodes the code into proteins. The mRNA snippets that are present in the shots transport the blueprint for viral proteins that are used by the immune system for target practice. Scientists have said that mRNA-based shots provide a highly precise way to target flu viruses HA and NA as compared to existing flu shots. Currently available flu shots depend on exposing whole viruses, weakened or inactivated viruses to the immune system. With the use of mRNA technology, it is easy to modify the shots. When many deadly strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have started circulating around the world, the co-developer of mRNA-based Pfizer shot, BioNtech has said that the company can easily tweak its mRNA shot in just a few weeks. It is the biggest benefit of the mRNA-based influenza shot over currently available flu shots. Existing flu shots are often developed using fertilized hen eggs, shot developers administer the virus into the eggs and aid the virus to make legions of clones. Then, experts harvest the viruses, purify them and later kill or weaken them. In the later stage, it is used in the shots. This method is quite inexpensive and has been in use for decades. The process is highly time-consuming and it may not produce high-efficiency vaccines. This method lacks the accuracy like other strategies such as mRNA or recombinant proteins, said the experts. In this method, at times viruses start to adapt to their fowl orders. This issue has taken place in the 2017 and 2018 flu seasons in the US when the H3N2 flu virus strain has begun to pick up a mutation in its HA during egg-based vaccine making. Health experts have said that the mutation might have enabled the virus to infect chicken eggs in a better way, but in the vaccine, the mutation has refrained people from generating antibodies to fight against the H3N2 flu virus strain, which has been spreading among humans.

People think that chest pain and uneasiness in the left arm are some common signs and symptoms of almost all types of heart attacks. However, over the years, many studies have shown it might not be true in all cases. Studies have revealed that only these symptoms are not the hallmarks for all patients. A new study has found that women go through a different set of heart attack symptoms than men. Experts who have been involved in the study have said that in many cases red flags of heart attack among women can start showing up weeks before the actual cardiac incident. The study has been done by experts from the American Heart Association (AHA). Experts have been analyzing symptoms of heart attack among women. They have found that around 95 percent of women start developing new symptoms of a heart attack a month prior to the cardiac event and these symptoms fade away after the incident. Around 71 percent of women have the same subtle symptoms before the heart attack, said the experts. The AHA has started a survey on 500 women who have recovered from a heart attack in 2003. The authors of the study have said that unexplained fatigue has been the most common symptom among 95 percent of women who have said that they have not been feeling well during the month or before the cardiac incident. The study has noted that around 71 percent of women have said that they have been experiencing tiredness for no logical reason weeks before they have suffered a heart attack. A cardiologist Leslie Cho has claimed that if people undergo new or unexplained fatigue or if they feel tired after their usual workout session or while resting, they should get in touch with their health care provider and consider the risk of a heart attack.

The authors of the study have said that unusual fatigue is not the only alarming symptom that can lead to a cardiac event. If people are not able to sleep properly, it might be a matter of concern. As per the survey done by the AHA, around 48 percent of women who have recovered from a heart attack have said that they have been facing difficulty in falling asleep a month prior to their heart attack incident. This is the reason; Dr. Leslie Cho has said that for people who feel exceptionally tired for no rational reason and have difficulty in falling asleep, then it might be an early sign of a heart attack. The survey has revealed that fewer than 1 in three women undergo chest pain during the onset of a heart attack. The survey has noted that only 31 percent of women experience chest pain before a cardiac event that is considered a hallmark sign of a heart attack. Nearly 43 percent of women have said that they have felt no chest pain during their cardiac events. The authors of the study have said that due to no chest pain prior to the onset of a heart attack, most heart attack cases are undiagnosed among women as compared to men. Experts have said that more often women are incorrectly diagnosed and discharged from emergency wards. Scientist Jean C. McSweeney who is a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has said that many health care providers still consider chest pain as the main sign of a heart attack.

Health experts from the AHA have said that unexplained fatigue is the most common and early sign of a heart attack among women, while women more often experience shortness of breath as compared to any other symptoms once their cardiac event starts. More than half of the participants of the survey, or around 58 percent of women have said that they have undergone shortness of breath during their cardiac arrest. At the same time, nearly 42 percent of women have said that they have been dealing with the symptom weeks before the heart attack. Experts from the AHA have said that if people feel unexplained shortness of breath with or without chest pain, they should immediately consult their health care providers. Dr. Nieca Goldberg has said that usually, women keep a record of their symptoms of heart attack to less life-altering health issues such as acid reflux or the flu. Still, there are many women who do not believe that they can suffer a heart attack. Dr. Goldberg works as the medical director for the Joan H Tisch Center for Women’s Health at the Langone Medical Center located at New York University. The authors of the new study have said that women, who are dealing with these symptoms, should not delay their treatment and immediately book an appointment with their health care providers. However, there are many past studies that have shown that men are two times more likely to suffer a heart attack as compared to women.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently said that surging cases of the COVID19 pandemic in several parts of the world might lead to the emergence of new and more deadly variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the next couple of months. Professor Didier Houssin, who is the chairperson of the WHO Emergency COVID19 Committee, has said that the pandemic is not going to be over soon. He has said that the global increase in the number of COVID19 cases has indicated the ongoing challenges inflicted by the pandemic. The officials from the WHO have said that COVID19 cases in Africa have beaten their second wave peak in the first week of July. The death toll linked to COVID19 as well has climbed up by 40 percent. During the early stage of the pandemic, there has been only one strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As the virus has started spreading across the world, it has kept on mutating and sprouting thousands of its other strains and some of these variants are more transmissible and contagious as compared to the original strain. The WHO has labeled four strains of the virus as variants of concern. The most recent variant of the virus known as the Delta variant that has been identified in India for the first time during the second wave has been spreading in more than 111 countries around the world.

Health experts have said that the Delta variant accounts for 60 percent of total COVID19 cases in the United States. The WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the strain is going to be the leading variant across the world very soon. Over the past week, COVID19 cases and deaths have increased across more than half of the states in the US due to the slow pace of vaccination and the continuous spread of the Delta variant. In the last week, 47 states have reported a rise in the cases as compared to two weeks earlier. The death toll has shot up in 30 states as compared to a week earlier. One of the counties in Missouri has asked for additional funding to set up an alternate care site as cases have been shooting up in the state. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expecting a rise in the number of hospitalization as well in the next four weeks. As per the forecast of the agency, the US might witness 11000 additional hospitalizations linked to COVID19 in the next 15 to 20 days. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that in the last week, COVID19 cases have seen a 10 percent increase worldwide. The death toll that has been reducing for nine consecutive weeks as well has shot up in the last 10 days across the world.

The officials from the WHO has said that as cases of coronavirus continue to rise around the world, new strains of the virus will continue to emerge in the future and the situation might be quite hard to control. They have said that vaccination remains the single most crucial weapon against the virus. Vaccines play an important role in disabling the virus from evolving into new variants. However, there are still many countries that do not have access to enough doses of vaccines. According to the University of Oxford’s Global Change Data Lab, only 25.8 percent of people around the world have been given one dose of a COVID19 shot. The WHO has pledged to get at least 10 percent of each country’s population vaccinated by September 2021. The global health agency has asked rich countries to share vaccine supplies with underdeveloped countries. Health experts have said that vaccination, well-informed public health, and social measures such as the use of facemasks, social distancing, and hand hygiene are the most effective strategies to fight against the virus.

The test positivity rate is rising in at least 42 states of the United States right now; it shows that the COVID19 pandemic is not yet over. Vaccine rollout program in the US is extensively going on in the country, but still, there are many people who have not been vaccinated yet. Many people are hesitant to book an appointment for vaccination due to the fear of initial side effects of the vaccine and many people have dodged their second doses. However, children are still at a higher risk of contracting the virus, as there is no shot for them at present. Although clinical trials are going on, children who are below 12 years are still not eligible to get the vaccine. The situation is less likely to change until schools start reopening next month, experts have said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that though kids are less likely to fall ill with severe COVID19 disease but they can be a potential reservoir of infection. They can easily be infected with the virus and transmit it to others. The rate of infection and death due to COVID19 has reduced in the US as compared to last year; however, the more deadly Delta variant has become dominant in the country and is spreading across many states. Dr. David Cennimo, who is an infectious disease expert from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, has said that it is critical to vaccinate children to put a stop to the spread of the virus.

Pfizer and BioNTech have got their vaccine authorized from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use on children who are in the age range of 12 to 15 years. The companies have started testing their shot in a large group of kids who are under 12 years. The age range of children has been divided into five categories, 5 to 11 years, 2 to below 5 years, and 6 months to below 2 years, said the experts. Johnson & Johnson as well as asked for emergency use expansion for its shot to include kids who are in the age group of 12 to 17 years. The company has declared that it is enrolling kids who are in the age range of 12 to 17 years in its ongoing 2a phase clinical trial. Many experts are doubtful whether a COVID19 shot will be ready before schools reopen next month. Dr. Reynold Panettieri, the vice chancellor for translational medicine and science at Rutgers University, has said that many schools are up for reopening in the third week of August, and it is uncertain whether a vaccine will be ready and approved by that time. He hopes that a vaccine might be authorized and ready for emergency use by Thanksgiving. However, it is unclear whether there will be a vaccine for babies who are under 2 years. Pfizer as well is uncertain about a definitive date for when a shot will be ready for children below 12 years. The company has claimed that the data for kids in the age group of 5 to 11 years will be available by September 2021 and they can go ahead and apply for approval for emergency use. Dr. David Cennimo has noted that it is important to prioritize the age group first. He has said that school-going kids have more social interaction as compared to young kids and toddlers; therefore it is necessary to protect them as soon as possible.

Pfizer and BioNTech have said that the data for kids below 5 years will be available soon after they apply for emergency use authorization for a vaccine for kids in the age group of 5 to 11 years. The data for kids in the age group of 6 months to 2 years will be available around October and November and the company will file for authorization. Health experts have said that children contribute to a huge portion of the population. They can be potential spreaders or carriers of the virus. They have said that by vaccinating children, it will be easy to achieve herd immunity. As per the latest, kids who are below 15 years of age account for 26 percent of the global population. Health authorities claim that inoculating will lead to full protection against COVID19 only if the shots prove to be efficient against different variants of the virus. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been proved to be highly efficient among adolescents so far. The CDC has said that the Pfizer-BioNTech shot has been proved to be 95 percent effective against lab-confirmed COVID19 infection among people who are 16 years and above. The vaccine has been similarly effective among the younger population as well. Pfizer shot has been able to produce a robust immune response among children who are in the age range of 12 to 15 years. However, there have been many concerns regarding mRNA vaccines. There have been more than 1000 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis linked to mRNA shots. The CDC has said that these health conditions lead to inflammation of the heart. Cases of heart inflammation have been reported among adolescents particularly after vaccination. However, the advantages of getting the vaccine still outweigh the potential risk.

The COVID-19 Delta Variant is rapidly proving to become a far worse obstacle to manage than previously imagined, particularly among younger generations of individuals who are yet to be vaccinated, and that the rate of contagion has now surpassed any of their neighboring EU countries. For example, the 7-day rate of infection has nearly tripled, from 58/100,000 on the 29th of June, to now indexing 156 cases per 100,000 individuals.

Although Spanish authorities did-away with a majority of national COVID-19 restrictions in May 2021, they state that a surge in both public and private gatherings above predetermined capacity levels, as well as an increase in the number of excessive outdoor drinking festivities being organized by mostly younger individuals who do not practice safe alcohol consumption habits, as well as the increased mobility of individuals across the country during the country’s tourism season, are some of the primary factors that further contribute to this increase in contagion levels.

This is a matter of great concern for authorities here, as Spain’s economy is highly dependent on tourism, particularly during the months of July and August. While Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto states that over 41% of its nation’s population have been vaccinated, Spain now remains a country that is a “safe tourist destination”. However, as per EU guidelines, Spain has been flagged as red, which implies that travel to-and-fro either of these countries are discouraged. Additionally, both Spain and Portugal are now repeatedly emphasizing that British tourists visiting either country are not physically responsible for this Delta Variant spike, despite the fact that the number of positive cases in the United Kingdom has also been on the rise as of late.

What Spanish authorities have been requesting their visiting British and other European counterparts to kindly share is, either a negative COVID-19 test or to furnish valid vaccination certification or documentation upon arrival for a less hassle-free entry process.

In 2020, amid the devastating COVID19 pandemic, the death rate in the US due to heart disease and diabetes has seen its highest increase in the last two decades. A report has shown that the rate of death due to heart disease that has been reducing for a long time has shot up by more than 3 percent in the US during the pandemic. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the average death rate has been nearly 161.5 deaths per 100000 people in 2019. Now it has increased to 167 deaths per 100000 people in the US. As per the data, 32000 more people have lost their lives due to heart disease in 2020 in the United States as compared to 2019. The new report has shown that the rate of death due to diabetes has seen a 14 percent increase in the US during the pandemic. Experts have said that the death rate has increased from 21.6 deaths per 100000 people in 2019 to 24.6 deaths in the same population people in last year. They have claimed that the increase is equivalent to 13000 more deaths due to diabetes in 2020 as compared to before the pandemic.

The new report has also mentioned that the death rates linked to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, chronic liver disease, stroke, and high blood pressure as well have seen a major increase during the pandemic. The new report has noted that the rate of death due to Alzheimer’s disease has shot up by 8 percent last year. The death rate for Parkinson’s disease has seen an increase of 11 percent during the pandemic in 2020. The rate of mortality has shot up by 12 percent for high blood pressure amid the COVID19 pandemic. While the rate of death linked to stroke has increased by 4 percent in 2020 when the US has been struggling with the brunt of the pandemic. Health experts have said that the increase in the rates of death linked to non-COVID19 issues might be attributed to people who have been afraid to visit hospitals during the pandemic despite having severe symptoms of the specific disease. Experts have said that people have not been able to take care of them properly during lockdowns that have been put in place to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. People have been living a sedentary lifestyle during lockdown that has led them to gain more weight. Many people have skipped their blood pressure medications during the nationwide lockdowns.

The new statistics support the belief that the actual number of death during the pandemic directly or indirectly that is attributed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus might be far higher than what has been reported by the authorities. As per the CDC record, around 595000 people have lost their lives due to the COVID19 disease. On the other hand, the rate of mortality due to cancer has reduced during the pandemic. The rate of death due to cancer has reduced by 2 percent approximately last year, even though cancer screening and care have been disrupted due to the pandemic in 2020. This decline has been similar to the declines that have been reported from 2018 to 2019.

American pharmaceutical major Pfizer has announced to test a Covid-19 booster shot. The company said that it will explore the possibility of coadministration of its pneumococcal vaccine along with a jab of Covid vaccine. It will be the third dose of the Covid drug. The study will be conducted on older adults. Pfizer along with BioNTech has developed a vaccine that provides protection against Covid-19 infection. BioNTech is a German biotechnology company. The vaccine is being widely used in the US for inoculation exercise. Several other countries have also approved the vaccine. During the clinical trial, the vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 95 percent. The decision to explore pneumococcal jab with a booster shot of Covid vaccine comes amid reports that fully people vaccinated could require a third booster. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is a two-dose drug.

Pfizer said that those above 65 years and who have already taken the two doses of the Covid vaccine will be part of the study. Participants should have taken the second dose at least six months before joining the coadministration study. They will be given the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. This will be followed by a booster dose of the Covid vaccine. The objective is to study the safety of both vaccines when co-administered in a person. A follow-up study will be done after six months of vaccination. The firm will measure the immune responses of each of the vaccines in the recipients. Pfizer will divide the participants into three groups. The first group will be given 20vPnC and Covid booster shot. The second group will be given 20vPnC plus placebo. The third group will be administered the Covid booster plus placebo. 20vPnC is used for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia.

Pfizer said that the company is ready to explore the boosters and new versions of Covid vaccine candidates against the variants. Its CEO Albert Bourla has already announced that vaccine recipients will probably require a third dose anytime between six and 12 months after receiving the two doses. It is also conducting tests on a third booster on people who are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, another pharmaceutical major Moderna has said that a third dose rapidly increases the level of antibodies and prepares the body to fight off the infection. Moderna is also an American pharmaceutical firm. Its Covid vaccine is also being used to inoculate Americans.

In San Diego County, increased overdose deaths linked to the COVID19 pandemic have triggered a behavioral health crisis. The county has seen around 457 fentanyl-linked drug overdose deaths last year during the COVID19 pandemic. Experts have said that there has been around a 202 percent increase in just one year. While only 151 overdose deaths have been reported in 2019. The County Health Department has recently decided to start providing nasal Naloxone to the public to save more people from dying due to drug overdose. Health officials have said that nasal Naloxone will be available at many community-based clinics and locations across the region. Naloxone is a drug that is used to reverse a condition of an opioid overdose. The medication can rapidly reinstate normal breathing and alertness among people who suffer from overdose. Public Health Officer of the County, Dr. Wilma Wooten has joined hands with Supervisor of San Diego’s Fourth District Nathan Fletcher and County Director of Behavior Health, Luke Bergmann to sign a Naloxone standing order that will allow community groups to make the drug available for general people.

Health experts have said that the overdose reversal drug will be available free of cost and without prescription. Any person who is at risk of an overdose or a family member or a friend, who is willing to administer the medicine can avail the drug. The officials from the county have said that the expanded distribution of this drug is a part of a harm reduction strategy. Soon it will be presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting that will take place next month. Health officials from San Diego County have said that the county has made Naloxone accessible to law enforcement several years ago. However, like CPR, the drug is quite critical for this time, as many patients who deal with drug overdose require immediate intervention to enhance their chances of survival. Experts have said that in some cases, patients struggling with overdose need such interventions immediately to survive. As per the report, an overdose due to opioids might take several hours to cause deaths but other drugs such as fentanyl can lead to death in a just few minutes. Health experts have said that nasal Naloxone is a prefilled, needleless device, which does not need assembly. It is quite easy to use as well. It needs to be sprayed into one of the nostrils of the patients who are dealing with drug overdose while they lay on their back.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specified some of the symptoms of drug overdose to spot if someone is dealing with overdose from heroin or any prescription opioid pain drugs. The agency has said that limp body, pale or clammy skin, Bluish fingernails or lips, small or pinpoint pupils, vomiting or gurgling sound, unconsciousness, difficulty in speech, and slow breathing are some of the symptoms of overdose. Health experts have said that San Diego County provides multiple prevention and treatment programs for patients who are dealing with substance abuse across the region. The authorities have set up helpline numbers to make resources available for people, who are dealing with drug abuse round the clock. Since the COVID19 pandemic has hit the US, the rate of drug overdose deaths as well has shot up. People have been reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental issues while being socially disconnected during nationwide lockdowns that have been imposed last year due to the pandemic. People have been consuming high amounts of alcohol and other drugs during the COVID crisis, said the experts.

A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that the rate of hospitalization and death due to COVID19 is much higher in rural areas of the US. The vaccine coverage in the countryside as well is lagging behind cities. The director of the CDC Rochelle Walensky has said that nearly 60 percent of people who are 18 years or above have been vaccinated at least with the first dose of the vaccine in the US. She has said that it is a landmark achievement for the country. On the other hand, health experts have said that the country requires vaccinating at least 70 to 85 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity. In such a case, rural America is far behind, said the experts. As per the report, in the first week of April, the vaccine coverage in rural areas of the US has been around 39 percent as compared to 46 percent vaccine coverage in urban areas of the US. The data has been taken from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Experts have said that COVID cases in rural counties have been quite higher as compared to urban cities in September 2020. The officials of the CDC have said that making vaccine available to people who are living in rural areas of the US is quite hard. They have said that around 80 percent of such people from rural America reside in regions that are nominated as medically underserved by the US government. Experts have said that easy access to health care is quite hard for people living in these areas.

Health experts have said that vaccine hesitancy as well is a big problem in rural counties of the US. A survey that has been done by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that there has been a persistent resistance to the COVID19 vaccine in rural areas of the US. In the survey, around 3 out of 10 people have said that they will not take the COVID19 vaccine. The percentage of vaccine hesitancy is greater in rural areas as compared to urban or suburban areas, said the experts. The officials from the agency have said that people who are living in rural areas are more susceptible to COVID19 due to lack of access to health care than people who reside in urban areas. Experts have said that people who are living in rural areas are identified with more underlying health issues as well. A handful of people living in rural counties have medical insurance. Over the last century, people have been moving from rural areas to big cities but still, around 60 million people reside in rural areas of the US. It constitutes around a fifth of the US population. Many health experts have said that if low vaccine coverage in rural areas remains like this, it will surely derail the country’s effort to put an end to the COVID19 pandemic. The report has clearly said that as people from rural areas are at a higher risk of severe COVID19 disease and death, the disparity between the vaccine coverage in urban and rural areas of the country might have a negative impact on efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

The officials from the CDC have said that public health leaders need to join forces with doctors and health influencers in rural areas to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy and equal vaccine access. It will motivate people to take the COVID19 vaccine. The CDC director Rochelle Walensky has said that the agency is committed to reaching out to every corner of the US and will work towards bridging these gaps. Walensky has said that crucial to make efforts to make vaccine coverage equal regardless of where people live in rural areas or urban areas. She has said that the government’s vaccination and testing effort in association with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama National Guard at Talladega Superspeedway is the latest example of such efforts. The senior advisor from the White House COVID19 Response Team, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith has said that such efforts are known to make a difference. Around 51 percent of people from black and other ethnic groups have been vaccinated in the past two weeks in the US. These communities account for 40 percent of the general population of the US. The Biden government has been pushing through to get more federal vaccination sites online that are run by Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and to make vaccines available in the community health centers of the federal government. With this effort, many people of color have been able to get the COVID19 vaccine.

Since the COVID19 pandemic has hit the world, many scientists have been putting their best foot forward to discover effective treatment and vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The SARS-CoV-2 virus leads to COVID19 illness. Many COVID19 shots such as Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna have been authorized for emergency use by drug regulators around the world. Recently, a team of experts in the UK has found that delaying the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines further than the suggested gap of three weeks in the clinical trials of the vaccines might induce a more robust antibody response in elderly people. Soon after these shots have been authorized for emergency use, health officials from the UK have advised that the second dose of the vaccines should be given 12 weeks after the first dose. This decision has been taken in order to protect more people with the first dose of the vaccine. At that time, the UK has been reeling through the wrath of the COVID19 pandemic. A study has looked at 175 elderly people who have been in the age range of 80 to 99 years. These people have been given the second dose of the vaccine 12 weeks after the first jab instead of the recommended gap of three weeks as recommended by the companies. Experts have said that these people have been found to have 3.5 times greater antibody response as compared to people who have been given the second dose of the vaccine after a gap of three weeks.

Scientists have said that antibodies are just one part of the immune system that fights against foreign pathogens. Experts have said that the peak of T cell responses has been found to be higher in the people who have been given the second dose three weeks after the first dose of the vaccine. Experts who have been involved in the study have compared immune responses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine from the three weeks dosing schedule that has been tested in clinical trials and the extended 12 weeks gap that has been suggested by the British authorities. The British officials have extended the dosing schedule to quickly provide some protection to people who are more susceptible to the virus. However, the companies Pfizer and BioNtech have said that there is no data available to prove that extending the dosing schedule will be able to provide enough immunity to people. The authors of the study have said that the study has observed how a delay impact COVID19 antibody levels and it will be beneficial for other countries to take a decision on vaccine scheduling that are facing vaccine shortages right now. One of the authors of the study, Helen Parry has said that there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the decision taken by the UK government to delay the second dose has been beneficial. Most COVID19 vaccines are given to people in two doses, the first dose triggers an immune response, and the second one strengthens it further, said the experts.

There are currently three vaccines in the UK that are being used in the vaccine rollout program. Most of these vaccines feature a three to four weeks gap between both doses. However, in some vaccines, a longer gap between the first and second doses might result in a stronger immune response. The authors of the study have said that halting the COVID19 booster shot might shoot up partial immunity in a larger population as compared to a shorter dosing schedule. In the study, experts have calculated the levels of antibodies of the participants against the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They as well have assessed how immune cells that are known as T cells can help maintain the same antibody levels over time. The authors of the study have said that though the T cell response in the people who have been given the second dose 12 weeks after the first dose has been lower but it has not reduced the antibody levels more quickly over the nine weeks. The findings of the study are more specific to the Pfizer vaccine that is not available in low-income countries as of now. Therefore, countries need to find out whether variants spreading in their specific region might increase the rate of infection due to the extended gap between the first and the second dose.  The study has not been peer-reviewed yet. The authors of the study have said that people should not draw any conclusions on how much protection they have based on which dosing schedule they have been given the vaccine.

There have been talks about the mixing of Covid-19 vaccinations. A new study carried in Lancet has said that mixing Covid doses is absolutely safe. It, however, warned of frequent side effects. Mixing doses mean taking the second dose from a manufacturer than the first. It added this could raise the risk of serious side effects. Side effects like fever or chill, a headache could be severe in those taking doses of two different vaccines. Researchers from the University of Oxford conducted a study on the effects of mixing doses. The preliminary findings suggest that mixing doses will not cause serious trouble or lead to death. The study was conducted at a time when questions are being asked whether it is safe to mix vaccine doses.

The study involved investigating the effects of different doses of two Covid-19 vaccines. This included Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccines. These two are among other vaccines that are being currently given to people to develop an antibody against the virus. Researchers examined the effect on more than 800 adults. All were above 50 years. The participants had received mixed vaccine doses. The doses were given at an interval of four weeks. They observed that participants experienced frequent reactions after the second dose. The mixing schedule involved giving Pfizer’s dose followed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and vice-versa. They said that side effects were more frequent in mixed doses than vaccines given in non-mixed schedules.

The study noted that adverse reactions were short-lived. There were no other safety concerns seen in the participants. Researchers didn’t tell if the immune response will be affected by mixing doses. The findings suggest it is important to consider before planning inoculating healthcare professionals. The final data related to the efficacy of vaccines will be released in June. Researchers will also assess if taking paracetamol early or regularly can help in reducing reactions. They said that since the participants were above 50 years of age, chances are high that reactions could be more prevalent in younger people.

The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax is one of the many drugs that have raised hopes during the difficult times. The vaccine has suggested 100 percent result during the clinical trial. The drug is effective against the South African variant of the virus. Novavax is a biotechnology firm. It is based in Maryland in the US. It has developed a vaccine that is effective against the B1351 variant. The variant in the question was identified in the African continent. According to the findings of the Phase 2b trial, the vaccine protects against severe infection caused by the African variant. The placebo-controlled trial was conducted by Wits VIDA in South Africa itself. The vaccine develops immunity in healthy adults to fight against the virus.

During the initial phase, Novavax vaccine showed an overall efficacy of 49 percent. In healthy adults without HIV, its efficacy was found to be 60 percent. In the subsequent complete analysis, it showed an efficacy of 55 percent. According to the guidelines set by the WHO, vaccine that shows an efficacy rate of minimum 50 percent can be allowed for use. The drug regulators of respective countries can grant approval. At 90 days of follow-up among placebo recipients, it was found that the illness rate in seronegative participants was 8 percent. The same was found to be 5.9 percent in seropositive participants. The findings make a compelling case for using Novavax in areas where the B1351 variant is dominant. The variant is mostly found in the southern region of Africa.

Novavax’s Covid vaccine also cuts the risk of mild infection by the virus. Besides, it also guards against severe infection. Novavax’s vaccine candidate is called NVX-CoV2373. It gives protection against SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 causes Covid infection. It is a protein-based vaccine. The biotechnology firm said that NVX-CoV2373 is engineered from the genetic sequence of the first strain of the virus. It is one of two vaccines that are undergoing trials in South Africa. The company said that it will soon apply with the FDA seeking emergency use authorization in America. Meanwhile, the phase-3 trial being conducted in the UK indicated that the vaccine is 96.4 percent effective against the original Covid strain.

On one front, the US government has been trying hard to get as many people vaccinated against COVID19 as possible. On the other front, scientists have been working hard on the form of the next-generation vaccines that should be introduced. As per the latest, they are trying to blend the next-generation vaccines with the seasonal flu vaccine. They might introduce these COVID boosters in the form of a pill or a patch. Scientists are hopeful that these vaccines might protect people from many other viruses that can lead to many other pandemics in the future other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus. At present, experts have been evaluating whether or not people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID19 will require these booster shots. These booster shots will be nearly identical to the first doses of the first generation of vaccines. These additional shots will be given to protect people against the risk of waning immunity and other mutants of the virus. Some new variants of the virus have been a huge matter of concern for many health experts. Three companies that already have vaccines approved by the US government, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are planning to develop such booster shots. As per the report, these companies have already started testing a booster shot. The booster shots will be quite similar to the first-generation vaccines but they might come in smaller doses.

Dr. David Kessler, who is a chief science officer for the COVID19 Response team of the administration, has said that experts have seen over the years that many vaccines need a boost after a certain time period like after 9 months or 12 months. Moderna is planning to test booster shots that will be combined with the seasonal flu shots. The company has informed that it has started the trial of these boosters. Many other combinations of vaccines are used to protect children against many diseases. However, the officials from the administration have said that they have not decided on how these booster shots will be used or if they will be even required. Health experts have said that though booster shots restore the body’s immunity to the virus by imitating parts of the original strain that has been first found in China, scientists have been working hard to modify the doses to target new variants of the virus as well. Experts have claimed that some new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been spreading quite fast and they might lead to severe infection. They have assured that this phenomenon is not an uncommon thing, seasonal flu vaccines are regularly modified to target mutations that are found in viruses across the world. Dr. John Mascola, who is the head of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases, has said that federal scientists are trying to understand multiple mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has said that some experts are trying to study the effects of these mutations on the efficiency of vaccines. A couple of scientists are trying to understand and track the epitope spots of the virus.

Moderna and Pfizer are planning to develop their booster shots that will be adjusted for the strain that has been identified in South Africa known as B.1.351. However, research has shown that their first-generation vaccines might be most effective against this mutant. A study has found that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine that has not been approved in the US offers very little protection against the South African variant. Dr. John Mascola has said that drug makers are focusing on this strain as among all the variants of concern (VOCs) in the world, the South African strain has been found to be the most antigenically diverse. He has said that developing a booster shot with the South African strain might offer more immunity. Scientists are planning to come up with booster shots that do not require needles and syringes. As per the report, the record demand for such equipment has exhausted the global supply chain during various vaccination programs. A booster shot that does not rely on needles and syringes will be more cost-effective, said the experts. For example, an inhaler booster shot will be convenient to store.

Experts from the US have done a study to understand the efficiency of the first generation vaccines in preventing different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They have enrolled people who have been infected with the virus in the past in their study. The SARS-CoV-2 virus leads to COVID19 disease. The virus has claimed the lives of around 3.91 million people across the world. The virus continues to be a threat to global health. The team of experts has tested the levels of neutralizing antibodies against different strains of the virus before and after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in ten people who have been diagnosed with the disease before vaccination. Experts have compared neutralizing titers with the neutralizing titers of people who have not been infected with the virus before vaccination. Scientists from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland have shown that vaccination has been able to shoot up pre-existing levels of antibodies by 10 fold in people who have been infected earlier as compared to people who have not been diagnosed with the disease. The spike protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus helps it to infect host cells. The spike protein attaches to the human host cell receptor angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its receptor-binding domain (RBD). RBD is the main target point of neutralizing antibodies that are developed after an infection or vaccination.

The study has shown that vaccination has shot up the level of neutralizing antibodies in people who have been infected earlier against the original strain and three other strains of the virus. Experts have seen that neutralizing titers in people with past infection have been five times higher against the B.1.1.7 strain that has been found in the UK for the first time. Neutralizing titers in people with past infection have been more than six times higher against the B.1.351 strain that has been found in South Africa. It has been more than four times potent against the strain that has been found in Brazil known as P.1. Since the COVID19 pandemic has started in 2019, many experts have come up with a wide range of vaccines that can protect people against the deadly virus. These vaccines have been proven to be effective in their clinical trials. These vaccines have been approved for emergency use in many countries.

With the large fraction of many communities gaining natural immunity against the virus via prior infection, the vaccination plans have raised the odds that a high level of herd immunity might be achieved soon. However, the surfacing of various strains of concern (VOCs) of the virus has created a doubt in experts’ minds. These strains have spike mutations that can shoot up the binding ability of the virus to host cells and its ability to spread. Experts have noted that there has been no major change between the post-vaccination neutralizing antibody titers against the B.1.351 variant of the virus in people who have been diagnosed with the disease earlier and those against the original strain in people who have not been infected ever. The study has shown that the first generation COVID19 vaccines have been quite effective against some deadly strains of the virus when it has been given after the first infection.

Health officials in Florida are going to release thousands of genetically altered mosquitoes to fight against some disease-spreading species of bugs. The project is a part of an initiative to reduce those species of insects that spread harmful pathogens and germs. This program is called the buzzy project. It is sponsored by a British biotech company called Oxitec. Experts have said that the project has been designed to curb the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that are responsible for spreading ailments such as Zika and dengue fever. Health officials have genetically alerted male mosquitoes to mate with non-modified female mosquitoes that bite to infect humans. Experts have used a death mechanism that will prevent the survival of any resulting female mosquito offspring.

The company has said that the project will curb the survival of female mosquito offspring born out of genetically modified male and non-modified female mosquitoes. Therefore, the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will stay in control. The officials of the company have said that altered pests will be released from six locations in the Florida Keys. Around 12000 modified pests will be released each week for the next 12 weeks. This project has been authorized by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Sunshine State, and the local mosquito control district’s board, said the company officials.

There are some local environmentalists who are not in favor of this initiative.  They have been protesting against the project for many years. They have said that such a project will harm people and the environment. Mara Daly, who is a resident of Key Largo, has said that the company should perform a simple test to convince locals who are going to be a part of the project trial that the project will not harm the environment and human beings. This project has been approved after years of debates and reviews. The modified pests are expected to be released from six location locations, two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key, and three on Vaca Key. Ultimately, the plan is to release hundreds of millions of genetically modified pests. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that genetically altered mosquitoes will carry two types of genes a fluorescent marker gene and a self-limiting gene.

The fluorescent marker gene is the one that shines in red color light and the self-limiting gene prevents female mosquito offspring from surviving further. Experts have said that later, mosquitoes at the target location will be compared with the ones at untreated sites under an Environmental Protection Agency-Approved Project. The evaluation of the project will be done by the CDC and the University of Florida’s Medical Entomology Laboratory. The company Oxitec has said that the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes contribute to 4 percent of the mosquito population in the Keys. The class of mosquitoes is virtually responsible for all mosquito-borne ailments that can be transmitted to humans.

‘The officials have said that mosquitoes have developed a resistance to other control methods; therefore there is a need for new tools to fight against such deadly species of mosquitoes. The executive director of the Mosquito Control District in the Florida Keys, Andrea Leal has said that these tools need to be safe, target-specific, and environment friendly. Nearly more than 7300 cases of dengue have been reported in the US from 2010 to 2020. The CDC has said that largely the transmission has occurred outside the US for most cases. The agency has said during the summer of 2016, around 29 people have been diagnosed with Zika virus within a six-block that has forced officials to aerially spray to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The EPA has approved the project of the company in 2019 stating that there will be no major effects on humans and the atmosphere.

The company has claimed that a trial of their tool in Brazil has been quite successful. The officials have said that the findings have shown that the tool has not caused any harm to beneficial insects. A similar trial in the Cayman Islands has been delayed in 2016 as many people have protested against the project. Some ecologists are still skeptical about the efficiency of the new tool developed by Oxitec. They have said that the project looks like Jurassic Park Experiment. A non-profit digital science magazine has claimed that Oxitec has been trying to push a trial in Key haven and Key West but the authorities have rejected the plea due to the lack of more safety data. Experts from Oxitec have said that altered gene makes female pests dependent on the antibiotic called tetracycline. Later, they die in the early larval stages due to the lack of this antibiotic.

On the other hand, the EPA has said that the trial will not take place within 500 meters of commercial citrus growing fields or wastewater treatment sites.  Contrary to the company’s claim, some experts from Yale University have said that Oxitec’s Brazil trial has shown that some female mosquito offspring of the genetically altered pests have been able to survive to adulthood. However, the officials of the firm have refuted such claims.

A report has revealed that women are at a higher risk of having side effects after being immunized with COVID19 vaccines. Allen Country Health Commissioner, Dr. Matthew Sutter as well has confirmed the report that women have been seen having more side effects as compared to men after being vaccinated for COVID19. He has said that women have a stronger immune system response to the vaccine as compared to men. Dr. Matthew Sutter has noted that as women tend to have a more robust stronger immune response to the vaccine, they might be at a greater risk of developing autoimmune diseases. Women who are in the age range of 18 to 50 years are more likely to have such autoimmune diseases. Health experts have said that side effects start to show up as the immune system starts reacting to the vaccine. Sutter has said that it is beneficial for the immune system to trigger a robust response to vaccines, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus is quite risky for the human system. He has said that a stronger immune response helps the body to fight against the infection in the future. As per the experts, the majority of people who have been having side effects after vaccination will have minor issues only.

Scientists have said that many people might have a sore arm after vaccination. Many people might suffer from fatigue or body aches. Some people feel low-level fever as well the day after being vaccinated. They have said that these side effects typically last for a day or two and then completely fade away. In some cases, there have been severe reactions to COVID19 vaccines. Some people have suffered rare blood clotting disorders after being vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson vaccine; however, these cases are quite rare. As per the report, this side effect is found in one in 200000 doses. Experts have said that it is risky but not as big as not getting the vaccine at all. Dr. Matthew Sutter has said that COVID19 is a severe disease even for the people who have survived the disease.

The death risk not zero percent, even for those people who are at low risk or under 40 years of age. The death rate is much higher than the risk of side effects from COVID19 vaccines. Experts have said that if people are trying to adjust for risk, it is much safer to get the vaccine than getting the infection. While women are at a higher risk of having side effects from the vaccines, men are at a greater risk of death due to viral infection. This happens because women are less nervous about taking the shots. Dr. Matthew Sutter has said that statistics of other vaccines have not been assessed as much as COVID19 vaccines; therefore, there is no real model for women having side effects from other vaccines.

The silent transmission of Covid-19 has made the situation worse. The virus is wreaking havoc globally. According to a new assessment carried in the popular medical journal The Lancet, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is predominantly transmitted through the air. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes Covid-19 disease. It said that strong evidence and data are available that show that the virus is transmitted through the air. Several past studies suggested that Covid-19 infection may spread through the air. However, it could not be confirmed as studies were inconclusive. The latest claim is based on an analysis made by six experts from the US, Canada, and Britain. They said that measures failing to treat the infection are only leaving people unprotected and allowing the virus to spread.

Back in July 2020, more than 200 scientists from 32 nations had written to the World Health Organization that there is evidence available suggesting Covid-19 is airborne. They submitted that smaller particles too pose a serious threat and can infect people. It noted that WHO and other world agencies should urgently take note of scientific evidence and focus on mitigation. It called for tough measures to reduce airborne transmission. The assessment added that transmission of virus multiplies indoors than outdoors. It said that transmission from people not showing symptoms like sneezing and coughing accounts for 40 percent of all transmission. This makes the infection a serious threat for healthy people and affects mass.

Researchers find no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads easily through large droplets. They said that large droplets fall through the air quickly and make the surface contaminated. They cited long-range transmission between people in adjacent rooms in hotels. They said that the virus even affects people who were never in touch. Researchers said that robust measures should be implemented without any delay to check the airborne transmission. They said that hand hygiene and surface cleaning are important but the emphasis should be on airborne measures because inhalation of the virus will only give a rise to infection. They added that covering the face with a mask can prevent droplets from traveling through air, but not all masks are effective.