Vaccine Proselytizing in Burkina Faso
Vaccine hesitancy challenges our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and around the world. I recently had a chance to address this issue first-hand while visiting my research collaborators in Burkina Faso. COVID-19 vaccines have been in short supply in Africa. But, things have improved, and the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines […]
COVID Prevention Tx Safe, Shows Efficacy in High-Risk Groups
A monoclonal antibody cocktail designed for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis was safe, and appeared to be effective across populations at risk of severe COVID and who may have a subpar response to vaccination, a researcher said. AZD7442 (tixagevimab/cilgavimab) met its primary endpoint, reducing the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 among high-risk populations by 77% (95% CI 46%-90%), […]
COVID Risk in T1D; Lilly to Drop Some Insulin Prices; New ADA/EASD T1D Guideline
Adults over age 40 with type 1 diabetes (T1D) faced more severe COVID-19 outcomes, including a higher risk of hospitalization and death, compared with children and young adults with the condition. “These findings indicate the need for age-tailored treatments, immunization, and clinical management of individuals affected by type 1 diabetes and COVID-19,” said the study’s […]
Third COVID Vaccine Dose Boosts Protection in Solid Tumor Patients
A third dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2; Comirnaty) could offer increased protection for cancer patients on active treatment, a new study suggested, as these patients typically don’t produce antibody responses on par with healthy individuals. One week after the administration of a third vaccine dose, neutralizing antibody responses improved in 80% of solid tumor […]
COVID-19 hospitalizations increase among unvaccinated pregnant women: Cases at major public hospital show role of Delta variant in severe illnesses
Unvaccinated pregnant women are increasingly being hospitalized with COVID-19 during a nationwide surge of the Delta variant, according to research from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study — which covers more than 1,500 cases in the Dallas area since May 2020 — offers a snapshot of what doctors believe is happening in communities across the […]
Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Giving COVID Vaccine to Kids Under 12
A Puerto Rico pharmacist has pleaded guilty to administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) to children younger than 12, the Justice Department announced. Liz Ann Banchs, the owner and president of Farmacia Gabriela, a pharmacy in Juana Díaz, pled guilty last week to “participating in a felony conspiracy to convert government property and to commit healthcare […]
FDA Authorizes One More Dose of Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine for Some
A third dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) was authorized for use in older adults and high-risk populations, the FDA announced late on Wednesday. The agency amended Pfizer’s emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine to include a third dose at least 6 months following the primary series in adults 65 and older, adults ages […]
Common IBD Meds Acquitted in Severe COVID Outcomes
Both biologics and mesalamine/sulfasalazine were not linked to severe COVID-19 outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, according to findings from the ongoing global SECURE-IBD trial. There was no association between mesalamine/sulfasalazine and adverse COVID outcomes. And when examining biologic-treated patients, there was no link between mesalamine/sulfasalazine use and either severe COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio […]
COVID Deaths Surpass 1918 Flu Deaths
U.S. COVID-19 deaths have now surpassed the 675,000 estimated deaths that occurred during the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1918, but SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t exacted as heavy a toll as that pandemic. With a national population of around 103 million people at that time — about a third of the current total of 330 million Americans — […]
FDA Panel Backs Pfizer Booster for Select Groups
An FDA advisory panel recommended emergency use authorization (EUA) of a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) for individuals 65 and older, and those judged to be at high risk of severe COVID-19. On Friday, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 18-0 that the known and potential benefits […]