Eight substances added to 15th Report on Carcinogens | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Our civilization produces and uses many compounds that do not exist natively, except for those trapped in underground  petroleum deposits.   Many have been identified in the past and identified as dangerous to humans, especially children.

Eight substances added to 15th Report on Carcinogens

A chronic bacterial infection, a flame retardant, and six water disinfection byproducts are listed in a new HHS cancer report.

Eight substances have been added to the Report on Carcinogens, bringing the total list to 256 substances that are known, or reasonably anticipated, to cause cancer in humans. This is the 15th Report on Carcinogens, which is a cumulative report, mandated by Congress and prepared by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The release of this report coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, which initiated the nation’s war on cancer.

In the new report, chronic infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is listed as known to be a human carcinogen. The flame-retardant chemical antimony trioxide, and six haloacetic acids (HAAs) found as water disinfection byproducts are listed as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

“Cancer affects almost everyone’s life, either directly or indirectly,” said Rick Woychik, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and NTP. “As the identification of carcinogens is a key step in cancer prevention, publication of the report represents an important government activity towards improving public health.”

The Report on Carcinogens identifies many different environmental factors, collectively called substances, including chemicals; infectious agents, such as viruses; physical agents, such as X-rays and ultraviolet radiation; and exposure scenarios. A substance is listed as either known to be a human carcinogen or reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, to indicate the potential hazard.

The report does not include estimates of cancer risk because many factors affect whether a person will or will not develop cancer. Those include the carcinogenic potency of the substance, the level and duration of exposure, and an individual’s susceptibility to the carcinogenic action of the substance.

Chronic infection with H. pylori

H. pylori is a bacterium that colonizes in the stomach and can cause gastritis and peptic ulcers. Most people do not show symptoms. Chronic infection may lead to stomach cancer and a rare type of stomach lymphoma. Infection primarily occurs from person-to-person contact, especially in crowded housing conditions, and may occur by drinking well water contaminated with H. pylori.

People living in poverty and certain racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups are disproportionately affected by H. pylori infection. Treatment of infected people who have stomach ulcers or signs of stomach infection can decrease their risk of cancer.  H.pylori can be treated with antibiotics orally.

There are natural treatments available.  One should consult with their physician before trying any treatments, natural or otherwise.  if you suspect you have H.Pylori there is a breathe test that detects the bacteria, which is also an oral disease.

Antimony trioxide

Antimony trioxide is primarily used as a component of flame-retardants in plastics, textiles, and other consumer products. Highest exposure occurs among workers who produce the substance or use it to make flame retardants.

Other people are potentially exposed to low levels of antimony trioxide from breathing contaminated outdoor air or dust from the wear and tear of flame-retardant-treated consumer products, such as carpets and furniture. State and federal agencies limit exposure to the substance in the workplace and the environment through regulation.

Six haloacetic acids (HAAs) found as water disinfection byproducts

Water treatment removes contaminants and disease-causing agents from drinking water. HAAs are formed during the disinfection of water from a reaction between the chlorine-based disinfection agents and organic matter in the source water.

Approximately 250 million U.S. residents use community water systems and are potentially exposed to HAAs in disinfected water. Municipal water systems monitor for some HAAs. Improvements in disinfection technology, such as filtration methods, can reduce the levels of HAAs in drinking water.

The following six HAAs are included in the report:

• Bromochloroacetic acid (BCA)
• Bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCA)
• Chlorodibromoacetic acid (CDBA)
• Dibromoacetic acid (DBA)
• Dichloroacetic acid (DCA)
• Tribromoacetic acid (TBA)

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is a federal inter-agency program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Three federal agencies comprise NTP: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health; the National Center for Toxicological Research(link is external), part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(link is external), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health, and it is part of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit https://www.niehs.nih.gov/ or subscribe to a news list.

Eight substances added to 15th Report on Carcinogens | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

If you developed serious complications from the Covid 19 Vaccine (Moderna, Johnson and Johnson or others you may be eligible for compensation.

Claim Alleging Injury or Death From a COVID-19 Countermeasure to Be Compensated

More than 4,000 other claims await decision by the U.S. government compensation program. For the first time amid the pandemic, the U.S. government compensation program will pay out one of the 4,751 claims alleging injuries or death arising from the administration of a covered countermeasure used to diagnose, treat, or prevent COVID-19.  Countermeasures may include emergency authorized or federally approved vaccines, drugs, and medical devices that the Food and Drug Administration allows for use during a public health emergency. 

The compensation program is run by the HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Established in 2010 through the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005, the CICP not only provides benefits to people who’ve suffered serious injuries or death as a result of being given a countermeasure, but it also protects individuals and companies involved in producing or administering the countermeasures from lawsuits, unless it can be shown that there was willful misconduct.

In the past the CCIP program covered vaccine complications from HN1 vaccinations and others. Complete medical records must be submitted.  To be considered for benefits, people must file a claim within one year of the date they received a countermeasure, or their claim will be rejected. All three COVID-19 vaccines—Pfizer, Takeda/Moderna, and AstraZeneca—administered in Japan are covered in the compensation program

But in the event that the CICP develops a COVID-19 Countermeasures Injury Table and the HHS Secretary publishes it on the Federal Register, people have one year from the effective date of the injury table to file a claim even though their previous claim was denied.  Because of the rapidly evolving Coronavirus these tables may not be available in a timely fashion. 

The CICP is the payer of last resort and can only reimburse or pay for medical expenses or lost employment income that are not covered by other third-party payers. To date, the CICP has paid compensation for 29 CICP claims, totaling more than $6 million. An additional 10 CICP claims were eligible for compensation after a review of the required medical records and documentation; however, in these cases there were no eligible reported medical expenses or lost employment income for the CICP to compensate.

How to electronically file a CICP Request for Benefits

By US Postal Mail:

Your petition must be filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Submit your petition, one original and two copies, including cover sheet, medical records, and other documentation plus the appropriate filing fee to:

Clerk

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

717 Madison Place NW

Washington, DC 20439

Electronic Filing

Claim Alleging Injury or Death From a COVID-19 Countermeasure to Be Compensated

Even before COVID, Dr. Michael Greiwe, knew that telemedicine technology would help his orthopedic practice, OrthoCincy, grow as well as increase his patient’s satisfaction and engagement. So he developed the OrthoLive telemedicine platform because there was nothing that met his needs as an orthopedic provider.In this episode, hosts John Ellis and Jennifer Thompson chat with Dr. Greiwe, Founder of Ortholive, which provides convenient, secure access to care while increasing efficiency, revenue, and user satisfaction without a steep or unnecessary learning curve. Listen as we discuss how telemedicine has affected the healthcare industry, the challenges, and the opportunities and what it may look like a few years from now.

Post Covid demand for healthcare continues as the cycle continues to be a seasonal one.  The latest iteration of Covid 19 is now called "Omicron". It is even more easily transmitted and highly infections.  Current rates of growth are double daily.

Even in non related medical specialties physicians are finding it helpful if not necessary to use telehealth to improve patient access, decrease transportation and diminish exposure especially to elderly patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, or immun-compromise. The key ingredient for prevention was and always will be vaccination.  The third jab is recommended for all those who are eligible.

 

Tune in to discover:

 

• The process and the challenges of implementing telemedicine
• The evolution and role of improved technology
• What happens to telemedicine post-COVID?
• Is there data that correlates to increased revenue for practices?
• Is telemedicine a sustainable model where healthcare clinics use telemedicine to fill empty appointment slots?
• The accessibility of telemedicine for rural communities and healthcare practices

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) continues to reshape the globe.

New York's COVID Surge Is Back and So Is Its Mask Mandate.

The resurgence of Covid 19 appears to have become regional, and appears in waves. The earliest cases in the United States were easily found to be near and around international airports originating from airline traffic from South Africa.  It did not take long for community outbreaks to occur.  Twenty-first Century travel and transportation makes case tracking very difficult, since public health resources are already strained.

Mask fatigue and vaccine resistance by the public add a troublesome component to the war on COVID. Facing a winter surge in COVID-19 infections, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday that masks will be required in all indoor public places unless the businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.  Though supported by many, mask mandates also have become a hot-button issue. Republican elected officials reacting to Hochul's announcement called it an unnecessary burden on businesses.

"This newest mask mandate is government overreach at its worst," said Republican Assemblyman Mike Lawler of suburban Rockland County. "Across New York state, we are getting shots in arms and our vaccination rate is one of the highest in the nation."

COVID disinformation has also affected good judgment amongs caregivers. The Federated Board of State Medical Boards of Medical Examiners and the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners have issued warnings and reprimands to those M.D. issuing false information about COVID vaccinations and treatments.

12 State Boards Have Disciplined Docs for COVID Misinformation

The FSMB board of directors warned physicians in July that they risked disciplinary action if they spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation.

“Physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license. Due to their specialized knowledge and training, licensed physicians possess a high degree of public trust and therefore have a powerful platform in society, whether they recognize it or not. They also have an ethical and professional responsibility to practice medicine in the best interests of their patients and must share information that is factual, scientifically grounded and consensus-driven for the betterment of public health. Spreading inaccurate COVID-19 vaccine information contradicts that responsibility, threatens to further erode public trust in the medical profession and puts all patients at risk.”

The organization said 15 state boards have now adopted similar statements.

Chaudhry said the FSMB was "encouraged by the number of boards that have already taken action to combat COVID-19 disinformation by disciplining physicians who engage in that behavior and by reminding all physicians that their words and actions matter, and they should think twice before spreading disinformation that may harm patients."

Only 12 state medical boards have taken action against physicians who have spread false or misleading information about COVID-19, according to a new survey from the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

The FSMB reports that in its 2021 annual survey two-thirds of its 71 member boards (which includes the United States, its territories, and Washington, DC) reported an increase in complaints about doctors spreading false or misleading information.

"The staggering number of state medical boards that have seen an increase in COVID-19 disinformation complaints is a sign of how widespread the issue has become," said Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP, president and CEO of the FSMB, in a statement.

COVID-19 Infections Among Vaccinated More Common and Severe in Immunocompromised: Study

Breakthrough COVID-19 cases are more common and severe in people with weakened immune systems, according to a new study.

Breakthrough infections are those that occur in vaccinated people.

Immunocompromised vaccinated people were three times more likely to contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, according to researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Medical Economics.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

The study found that just 0.08 percent of fully vaccinated people had a breakthrough case, but that 0.18 percent of immunocompromised people had a breakthrough infection. While immunocompromised people represented 18 percent of those studied, they accounted for over 38 percent of infections, nearly six in 10 hospitalizations, and all the deaths.

Researchers analyzed nearly 1.2 million U.S. HealthVerity database records between Dec. 10, 2020, and July 8.

The study was conducted by Pfizer scientists and funded by the company, which makes one of the three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.

“The results supplement other real-world studies, and support the introduction of a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to increase protection among the immunocompromised individuals,” Manuela Di Fusco, the lead author and a part of Pfizer’s health economics and outcomes research team, said in a statement.

The cutoff date means researchers excluded records from the time period when other research indicates vaccine effectiveness against infection waned significantly, as many Americans were vaccinated in late 2020 or early 2021. Breakthrough infections, hospitalizations, and deaths have risen over time.

Booster doses, or third doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, were cleared by U.S. drug regulators in recent weeks because of the waning effectiveness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initially recommended the additional shots for those 50 and older, announced on Nov. 29 that its now advising all individuals 18 and older to get one.

The agency cited the emergence of the Omicron CCP virus variant, although many scientists say it’s too soon to tell if the variant evades immunity better than other strains.

The new study was published after researchers in the Netherlands reported that an examination of 378 breakthrough infections identified in the country between January and July signaled the emergence of the CCP virus Delta variant and “a strong increase in breakthrough infections,” with more seen in people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson jabs than people who got a Pfizer or Moderna shot.

Researchers said in the pre-print paper that they saw many severe breakthrough cases among the elderly, although symptomatic cases were recorded in a number of younger people.

“Altogether, these results indicate that the emergence of the Delta variant might have lowered the efficiency of particular vaccine types to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections and that, although rare, the elderly are particularly at risk of becoming severely infected as the consequence of a breakthrough infection,” they said.

COVID-19 Infections Among Vaccinated More Common and Severe in Immunocompromised: Study

What went wrong in December 2019 ?

From the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has been on the front lines of analyzing, studying, and even personally fighting the pandemic. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr. Bhattacharya takes us through how it started, how it spread throughout the world, the efficacy of lockdowns, the development and distribution of the vaccines, and the rise of the Delta variant. He delves into what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we got really wrong. Finally, Dr. Bhattacharya looks to the future and how we will learn to live with COVID rather than trying to extinguish it, and how we might be prepared to deal with another inevitable pandemic that we know will arrive at some point.

Omicron, where did it come from?

 

First Case of Omicron Virus Variant Detected in US: Officials

The first case of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus Omicron variant was detected in California, officials said Wednesday.

Genomic sequencing conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, and confirmed by scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the case was caused by the variant.

The patient traveled from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive for COVID-19 a week later.

The person, who has not been publicly identified, is self-isolating, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters in Washington.

All of the person’s close contacts have been contacted and, thus far, all have tested negative for COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP virus.

The person is fully vaccinated. He or she is experiencing mild symptoms that are improving.

“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of Omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.

He urged people to get a COVID-19 vaccine if they have not and to get a booster if they already have.

Health authorities have not identified any additional potential cases at this point.

The United States restricted travel from South Africa and seven other African counties on Monday under an order from President Joe Biden. Passengers from other countries entering America will soon face stricter rules.

Officials around the world have imposed similar measures, citing the emergence of the variant in Africa.

The earliest known cases were identified in South Africa and Botswana in November, though testing of samples showed a patient with Omicron was in Nigeria in October, officials announced there earlier Wednesday.

Experts aren’t sure whether Omicron is more transmissible or whether it causes more severe disease. They have also expressed uncertainty on whether the variant evades immunity, including the protection bestowed by vaccines, better than other strains.

The omicron variant appears to be highly transmissible and less virulent.  There is still some doubt about the effectiveness of the original covid vaccines against Omicron Covid. 

Serologic tests and sampling is being performed on current cases of   Omicron.  Laboratory analysis will take several weeks to yield data.

The revolution in manufacturing , using mRNA technique will allow rapid manufacturing of a new vaccine can be accomplished in about one month. Approval by the FDA, EC and WHO will take several additional months for clinical trials.  If safety margins are good an emergency usage authorization EUA could be granted by the FDA.

First Case of Omicron Virus Variant Detected in US: Officials

Black Friday and Cyber-Monday bring more surprises from COVID

The news this weekend about a new variant "Omicron" has fueled speculation about up coming events in the world of pandemics.  Truly, no one knows much about it yet.  It will require about two weeks to gather meaningful data about Covid Omicron.

Fortunately the WHO and the nations of the world are not taking any chances, based upon the original outbreak in December 2019.  Poor communications, delays in lockdowns and the unavailability of a vaccine contributed to the fiasco in early 2020. Viral immunologists are already making plans to develop a new vaccine based upon early samples from already infected patients.  The affected countries, U.K. South Africa, Botswana and other countrie have been quarantined until these issues are determined.

The World Health Organization reports

Much of the previous tests, and treatments probably will be unchanged

Current knowledge about Omicron 

Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.  

Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.  

Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta.  Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.  There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants.  Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks.  All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key. 

Effectiveness of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection 

Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern, but information is limited. More information on this will become available in the coming days and weeks. 

Effectiveness of vaccines: WHO is working with technical partners to understand the potential impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines. Vaccines remain critical to reducing severe disease and death, including against the dominant circulating variant, Delta. Current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death.   

Effectiveness of current tests: The widely used PCR tests continue to detect infection, including infection with Omicron, as we have seen with other variants as well. Studies are ongoing to determine whether there is any impact on other types of tests, including rapid antigen detection tests.  

Effectiveness of current treatments:   Corticosteroids and IL6 Receptor Blockers will still be effective for managing patients with severe COVID-19. Other treatments will be assessed to see if they are still as effective given the changes to parts of the virus in the Omicron variant.  

 China has not reported cases of the Omicron variant, nor have Brazil, or Russia.

Expert Newsletters - MashupMD: A Tribute to Omicron

SARS-COVID 2 is not the same as Inluenza.

Lung autopsies of COVID-19 patients reveal treatment clues

SARS-CoV-2 prevents lung tissue repair, regeneration.

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell infected with a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (blue), isolated from a patient sample. NIAID

What

Lung autopsy and plasma samples from people who died of COVID-19 have provided a clearer picture of how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads and damages lung tissue. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators say the information, published in Science Translational Medicine, could help predict severe and prolonged COVID-19 cases, particularly among high-risk people, and inform effective treatments.

Although the study was small—lung samples from 18 cases and plasma samples from six of those cases—the scientists say their data revealed trends that could help develop new COVID-19 therapeutics and fine-tune when to use existing therapeutics at different stages of disease progression. The findings include details about how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads in the lungs, manipulates the immune system, causes widespread thrombosis that does not resolve, and targets signaling pathways that promote lung failure, fibrosis and impair tissue repair. The researchers say the data are particularly relevant to caring for COVID-19 patients who are elderly, obese, or have diabetes—all considered high-risk populations for severe cases. Study samples were from patients who had at least one high-risk condition.

The study included patients who died between March and July 2020, with time of death ranging from three to 47 days after symptoms began. This varied timeframe allowed the scientists to compare short, intermediate, and long-term cases. Every case showed findings consistent with diffuse alveolar damage, which prevents proper oxygen flow to the blood and eventually makes lungs thickened and stiff.

They also found that SARS-CoV-2 directly infected basal epithelial cells within the lungs, impeding their essential function of repairing damaged airways and lungs and generating healthy tissue. The process is different from the way influenza viruses attack cells in the lungs. This provides scientists with additional information to use when evaluating or developing antiviral therapeutics.

Israeli Study Shows How COVID-19 Immunity Wanes over Time – NIH Director's Blog

The winter holidays are approaching, and among the many things to be grateful for this year is that nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. That will make it safer to spend time with friends and family, though everyone should remain vigilant just to be on the safe side. Though relatively uncommon, breakthrough infections are possible. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends booster shots for several at-risk groups, including folks 65 years and older, those with underlying medical conditions, and people whose occupations place them at high risk of exposure.

One of the main studies providing the evidence for CDC’s recommendation was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine [1]. It found that vaccine-induced immunity, while still quite protective against infection and severe illness from COVID-19, can wane after several months.

The study is yet another highly informative report from Israel, where public health officials launched a particularly vigorous national vaccination campaign in December 2020. More than half of adult Israelis received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the first three months of the campaign. By May 2021, Israel had extremely small numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases—just a few dozen per day.

But the numbers crept back up in June 2021. The rise also included a substantial number of breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals. The vast majority of those cases in June—98 percent—were caused by the emerging Delta variant.

Researchers led by Yair Goldberg, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, wondered whether this resurgence of COVID-19 could be fully explained by the rise of the more infectious Delta variant. Or, they wondered, did the waning of immunity over time also play a role?

To find out, the researchers looked to over 4.7 million fully vaccinated Israeli adults, more than 13,000 of whom had breakthrough infections from July 11 to 31, 2021 with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers looked for an association between the rate of confirmed infections and the time that had passed since vaccination. Without any significant waning of immunity, one shouldn’t see any difference in infection rates among people who were fully vaccinated at the earliest opportunity versus those vaccinated later.

The results were clear: the rate of confirmed COVID-19 infection revealed a slow but steady waning of immunity over time. Among individuals 60 years or older who were fully vaccinated last January, the number of confirmed breakthrough infections was 3.3 per 1,000 people during the three weeks of the study. Those who were vaccinated in February and March had lower infection rates of 2.2 per 1,000 and 1.7 per 1,000, respectively. The data revealed a similar pattern in those aged 40 to 59 and those aged 16 to 39.

An important question is whether these breakthrough infections were serious enough to require hospitalization. While such cases were much less common, more than 400 of those with confirmed COVID-19 breakthroughs went on to develop severe illness. And, again, the data show a similar pattern of waning immunity. The rate of severe COVID-19 among adults 60 years of age or older who were fully vaccinated in January was 0.34 cases per 1,000 persons. The rate of severe illness dropped to 0.26 cases per 1,000 among those vaccinated in February and 0.15 cases per 1,000 for those vaccinated in March. The researchers report that the number of severe COVID-19 cases among the younger fully vaccinated groups were too small to draw any conclusions.

While the Delta variant surely has played a role in the resurgence of COVID-19 in recent months, these findings suggest that waning immunity also is an important factor. Understanding these dynamics is essential for making critical policy decisions. In fact, these data were a key factor in the decision by the Israeli Ministry of Health in July 2021 to approve administration of COVID-19 booster shots for individuals who’d been vaccinated at least 5 months before.

Back in the U.S., if you were among those who got your vaccine on the early side—good for you. If it’s been more than six months since your original shots, and if you are in one of the risk groups, you should consider a COVID-19 booster shot to remain optimally protected in the months ahead. I’ll be getting my Moderna booster this week. While you’re at it, consider getting your annual flu shot taken care of, too. The CDC guidelines state that it’s perfectly OK to get your COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time.

What about it?  WAI

Steve White says:

November 9, 2021 at 11:04 am

I am not against the vaccines or boosters, but I think the numbers the Director is citing from this study indicate the media and CDC have given out very misleading information. Instead of saying “In Israel, 1 in 300 people who got vaccinated in January have gotten infected” – a number which I think CDC knows will not scare people enough – and indeed, their own experts believed was not scary enough (they may not have had all the data available now but they certainly knew breakthroughs were rare when they advised on boosters) – to really push boosters, we are given horror stories about significantly reduced protection.

Stories about breakthroughs, which probably get some people running for their boosters, and others saying :Heck with it, what is the point?” Or other rationalizations.

Maybe they should have said, “breakthrough are so rare, and so unlikely to be severe, that we do not think boosters are really needed for most healthy people” -or something similar to that. Oh, wait …

Or, how about “while there is extra protection from getting a booster, for those who were already infected, the rate of reinfection is very low in either case” ?

I am not even going into the extremely low rate of severe illness among children, and the strong possibility they are better off with natural immunity – remember, the human race, and for that matter, all our ancestor mammalian races, presumably, have dealt with viruses from other species for millions of years. Think about this deeply – maybe we’ve evolved so that children strongly tend to not get severely ill, and tend to get lifelong protection, when exposed to novel viruses. Old folks who are no longer breeding – anything can happen to them – just what we see with this thing so far – and maybe giving kids vaccines, which will protect against one variant (the one they were designed to stop) very well, closely related variants less effectively, and other variants maybe not at all, will set them up to be more vulnerable for the coming variants, than kids who caught the first, apparently least virulent, variant, and now have some immunity to every vulnerable part of it.

Israeli Study Shows How COVID-19 Immunity Wanes over Time – NIH Director's Blog

Novavax has been granted its first emergency use authorisation in Indonesia for COVID-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2373, and expects other regulators in India, the Philippines and other countries to follow suit in the coming weeks.

Third world nations have been short changed during the 4 months that the pandemic spread throughout the world.  Many nations have even donated millions of doses of vaccines produced in their own countries. Canada recently agreed to donate several million dollars to the United Nations fund for distributing covid vaccines to those less developed nations.

Indonesia has applied for an emergency authorization for it's vaccine, NVX-COV2373. Nations in their own regional market place, including India. and the Phillipines will also join their effort.  These three nations may pool their resources to produce vacccines for many millions of people.  Local sources for vacccine will eliminate the challenges of distribution,  such a refrigeration, spoilage, and transportation.

Indonesia falls into that category as it has a fragmented healthcare system, despite universal access,  which is amplified by the geographical hurdles associated with being an archipelago with 275 million people spread across 6,000 islands. Initial shipments into the country are expected to begin “imminently,” said Novavax.

The vaccine is the first based on recombinant protein to be approved anywhere in the world, and has the key advantage over many of the currently approved jabs as it can be stored at regular refrigeration temperatures. That makes it well suited to distribution in countries where healthcare delivery is more challenging.

Recombinant protein is produced by recombinant DNA using bacteria (E.Coli) as a manufacturing process. E.coli  is the manufacturing plant for recombinant DNA and in turn. recombinant proteins

Why is E. coli used for transformation?

Other cell types including mammalian cells,  yeast, insect cells, or other eukaryocytic cells could be used. E. coli is a preferred host for protein production due to its rapid growth and the ability to express proteins at very high levels. Bacterial conjugation can be used to transfer large DNA fragments from one bacterium to another.

The following references explain in further the use of recombinant DNA/Protein for the manufacture of other Covid 19 vaccines.

Rather than using messenger RNA (m-RNA) to produce a 'spike protein' from the corona virus, the Indian Covid vaccine is manufactured as an inactive viral particle.

Covax information

1. Center for Systems Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University. COVID-19 Dashboard. [Accessed 15 Nov 2020.]

2. World Health Organization. DRAFT landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines, 12 November, 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines.

3. World Health Organization. WHO Concept for fair access and equitable allocation of COVID-19 health products. Final working version 9 September 2020. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/fair-allocation-mechanism-for-covid-19-vaccines-through-the-covax-facility.

4. Emanuel EJ, Persad G, Kern A, et al. An ethical framework for global vaccine allocation. Science 2020;369:1309-12. 10.1126/science.abe2803  [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

5. COVAX. Commitment Agreements, September 30, 2020. https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/covid/pr/COVAX_CA_COIP_List_COVAX_PR_30-09.pdf.

6. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. COVAX, the ACT-Accelerator Vaccines Pillar: Insuring Accelerated Vaccine Development and Manufacture, 2020. https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/covid/COVAX-Pillar-background.pdf.

7. Gavi COVAX Facility. Over US$ 2 billion raised to support equitable access to COVID vaccines with additional US$ 5 billion needed in 2021. Press release, 13 November 2020. https://www.gavi.org/news/media-room/over-us-2-billion-raised-suppor

Novavax gets first authorisation for its COVID-19 jab -