The Vaccine

[Julian]

Will be getting my Pfizer or Moderna booster this weekend. Got my flu shot couple of weeks ago. Probably need a shingles shot....not sure why my doc didn't suggest that at my annual check up. And joy of joys.....a colonoscopy.....

@Jim_in_Delaware we are under 10,000 a week dying! Equivalent to ~5 jumbo jets a day crashing - and this is good news.

@tabbibus are things still improving greatly in your ICU?

 

[tabbibus]

Will be getting my Pfizer or Moderna booster this weekend. Got my flu shot couple of weeks ago. Probably need a shingles shot....not sure why my doc didn't suggest that at my annual check up. And joy of joys.....a colonoscopy.....

@Jim_in_Delaware we are under 10,000 a week dying! Equivalent to ~5 jumbo jets a day crashing - and this is good news.

@tabbibus are things still improving greatly in your ICU?

Yeah, numbers are low. I don't have specific numbers but things have quieted down. Fortunately.

 

[Bruce]

Expecting a new variation every year ?

There are combination influenza and coronavirus vaccinations in development. I expect that these will become a more effective and safer alternative to current chicken egg flu vaccines.

From a perspective of coronavirus, vaccine(s) developed for SARS-CoV-2 have shown efficacy against older coronavirus strains in preclinical study. It is possible that vaccines developed for SARS-CoV-2 will convey protection against future strains or variants. Hopefully severe coronavirus outbreaks will remain infrequent but if influenza vaccines that are effective against future strains and variants are widely accepted that could significantly reduce the annual flu burden.

 

[Bruce]

Excellent news, the FDA has authorized Pfizer for 5 to 11 year olds. Hopefully the CDC will provide their recommendation next week.

FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids

The Food and Drug Administration has paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The agency authorized the kid-size doses on Friday.

apnews.com

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Don't get a lot of good news about Puerto Rico, but here is some, How Puerto Rico became the most vaccinated place in the US. It's an ABC news article that notes that more than 73% of the island's 3.3 million citizens are fully vaccinated.

When we were there a couple of weeks ago, everyone over 2 years old who was not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Moderna, Pfizer or Janssen vaccines, needed to provide evidence of a negative molecular or antigen test for COVID-19 performed within the 72-hour period prior to their arrival to Puerto Rico. Any passenger arriving without a test for COVID-19 was subject to a $300 fine that was waived if the traveler presented the test or evidence that a test was performed within 48 hours of arrival.

Jim

 

[Evil Sports]

It is possible that vaccines developed for SARS-CoV-2 will convey protection against future strains or variants.

Thats not what we have seen from todays results and variants

 

[Bruce]

There is evidence that the current mRNA vaccines designed using the SARS-CoV-2 alpha spike have lesser efficacy against variants of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the original SARS and coronaviruses that cause the common cold. I believe that I have posted about this in recent weeks. There also is ongoing development of vaccines with wider target profiles.

These are relevant articles;

One Vaccine to Rule Them All

What if a single vaccine could protect us against SARS, MERS, COVID-19, and every other coronavirus-related disease, forever and ever?

www.theatlantic.com

Science | AAAS

www.science.org

‘Universal Vaccine’ Could Protect Against Future Coronaviruses | HHMI

Mice that received a vaccine made from a hybrid spike protein resisted infection from several coronaviruses, researchers report.

www.hhmi.org

This ‘super antibody’ for COVID fights off multiple coronaviruses

An newly identified immune molecule raises hopes for a vaccine against a range of viruses related to SARS-CoV-2.

www.nature.com

Experimental vaccine protects against multiple coronaviruses

By combining parts of spike proteins from different coronaviruses, researchers developed an mRNA vaccine that protected mice against a range of coronaviruses.

www.nih.gov

COVID-19 Story Tip: Researchers Expect Viral Transmission of COVID-19 May Increase as Temperatures Drop

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

 

[Bruce]

Here is another relevant publication

“we observed a 3-fold increase in the CD4+ T cell responses to HCoV-NL63 spike peptides after vaccination. Our results suggest that T cell responses elicited or enhanced by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines may be able to control SARS-CoV-2 variants and lead to cross-protection against some endemic coronaviruses.”

JCI - SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines induce broad CD4+ T cell responses that recognize SARS-CoV-2 variants and HCoV-NL63

www.jci.org

 

[Evil Sports]

Publications vs whats happening in the population today? So far variants are the reason people are still infected after being fully vaxd or at least thats what we were being told.

 

[Bruce]

Publications vs whats happening in the population today? So far variants are the reason people are still infected after being fully vaxd or at least thats what we were being told.

You misunderstand how vaccines work. Vaccines are not a shield. They teach the body to fight a virus after it is infected. The goal of vaccination is to reduce occurrence of the disease caused by the targeted virus. The potential of a vaccinated person to develop disease or spread the virus depends on the amount of viral exposure, the strength of the person’s immune system and the efficacy of the vaccine.

The journal publications document actual observation in preclinical and clinical studies. They are far more objective than media reporting and are peer reviewed. There are many more relevant publications than what I have linked to.

The evidence is clear that the authorized or approved mRNA vaccines provide substantial protection against current variants of SARS-CoV-2 and some protection against past coronavirus strains. It is likely that they will provide some protection against future coronavirus strains however I do expect the current mRNA vaccines to be replaced by vaccines with wider targeting using revised dosing protocols that better balance efficacy to adverse effects.

Study(s) of combined influenza and coronavirus vaccines are already occurring. The likely outcome is a more effective and safer annual vaccine with less side effects compared to current influenza vaccines. That is where pharma needs to arrive to reach optimal sales and mRNA technology has the ability to get there.

Personally I would be happy to live in a world where influenza and coronavirus infections were nearly eliminated.

 

[Julian]

Publications vs whats happening in the population today? So far variants are the reason people are still infected after being fully vaxd or at least thats what we were being told.

Not researched this, but I was under the impression that break through cases are being attributed to waning efficacy of the vaccine over time, not failure against a particular variant. But frankly since this is so new, I wonder if they have enough data to know.

 

[Julian]

This Hopkins article suggests both....
Delta variant causing break throughs and boosters helping to prevent them.

COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are authorized, here are the facts you need now.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

 

[Bruce]

Not researched this, but I was under the impression that break through cases are being attributed to waning efficacy of the vaccine over time, not failure against a particular variant. But frankly since this is so new, I wonder if they have enough data to know.

It was always expected that breakthrough cases would occur. They happen with every vaccine and virus combination. Even in the vaccine studies, even when the alpha variant was dominant there were breakthrough cases that reduced efficacy below 100%.

Waning efficacy certainly increases the rate of breakthrough cases however they are mostly concentrated among those with the weakest immune systems.

 

[Tgen2013]

Will be getting my Pfizer or Moderna booster this weekend. Got my flu shot couple of weeks ago. Probably need a shingles shot....not sure why my doc didn't suggest that at my annual check up. And joy of joys.....a colonoscopy.....

@Jim_in_Delaware we are under 10,000 a week dying! Equivalent to ~5 jumbo jets a day crashing - and this is good news.

@tabbibus are things still improving greatly in your ICU?

If they give you the option, use the anesthetic that will allow you to be conscious. Its pretty cool, you will be able to see your innards on screen as they do this. I did.
Did mine at 50, they told me "see you when your 65 !"

The best summation of VAX I have seen was on a Doc OZ show yesterday. He had a Brown University economist who specializes in data and mathematics.
The ULTIMATE arbiter of true risk. Pure numbers, no narrative, no politics.

2 of the great takeaways I got from the show.

1. "My 5-11 year old UN-vaccinated youth is exactly like your VACCINATED grandma."
2. Delta while being quite more contagious, is waaay less virulent. That means its significantly less deadly.

She clearly and irrefutably proved this using CDC data. Pretty cool lady.

 

[Evil Sports]

It would be interesting to see how many of these deaths were obese people. Again today in the local paper they showed a girl that passed from covid and she was visibly obese. As far as colonoscopy goes Im on the 5 year plan due to significant family history. Prep day is Monday....Fun times

 

[Troch1]

If they give you the option, use the anesthetic that will allow you to be conscious. Its pretty cool, you will be able to see your innards on screen as they do this. I did.
Did mine at 50, they told me "see you when your 65 !"

The best summation of VAX I have seen was on a Doc OZ show yesterday. He had a Brown University economist who specializes in data and mathematics.
The ULTIMATE arbiter of true risk. Pure numbers, no narrative, no politics.

2 of the great takeaways I got from the show.

1. "My 5-11 year old UN-vaccinated youth is exactly like your VACCINATED grandma."
2. Delta while being quite more contagious, is waaay less virulent. That means its significantly less deadly.

She clearly and irrefutably proved this using CDC data. Pretty cool lady.

Unrelated to the vaccine, but [HASH=6382]#Tgen2013[/HASH], that 15 year interval you heard about your colonoscopy was simply not correct. There is no major medical body that recommends more than a 10 year interval between normal colonoscopies. Might want to recheck your paperwork or ask your doctor.

 

[Tgen2013]

Unrelated to the vaccine, but [HASH=6382]#Tgen2013[/HASH], that 15 year interval you heard about your colonoscopy was simply not correct. There is no major medical body that recommends more than a 10 year interval between normal colonoscopies. Might want to recheck your paperwork or ask your doctor.

I saw what looked like Carlsbad carverns,...........LOL. He said it was so clear, no biopsies were taken, without any family histories he said 65 was fine unless other things were encountered.

That was the MD who did the scope, he did share it with my Primary who I have had since 1990. He was in agreement.
My Primary teaches at IU med school now. He sees patients only every third week.
When I get my annual done he coordinates it with his interns/students. He has them sit in, uses me as a 1% example for them.

 

[Troch1]

I saw what looked like Carlsbad carverns,...........LOL. He said it was so clear, no biopsies were taken, without any family histories he said 65 was fine unless other things were encountered.

That was the MD who did the scope, he did share it with my Primary who I have had since 1990. He was in agreement.
My Primary teaches at IU med school now. He sees patients only every third week.
When I get my annual done he coordinates it with his interns/students. He has them sit in, uses me as a 1% example for them.

Just trying to help. No current guidelines would agree with what you were told. I also teach medical students, but still practice full time, if that makes the news any more substantial for you.

 

[Tgen2013]

I imagine my doc is tailoring what he sees and knows specific to me.

Because of my work, I get an "Astronaut quality physical assessment" every year which has tons more blood tests etc. I imagine that its included in the calculus. He gets those results as well.

 

[Troch1]

I imagine my doc is tailoring what he sees and knows specific to me.

Because of my work, I get an "Astronaut quality physical assessment" every year which has tons more blood tests etc. I imagine that its included in the calculus. He gets those results as well.

As the cool kids say these days, your body, your choice. I’d encourage you to do 3 minutes of research on colonoscopy screening guidelines and ask your doc why his/her recommendations differ from standard of care.

For EVERYONE else reading this thread, please get colonoscopies AT LEAST every ten years after age 45 unless you choose an alternative method of colon cancer screening (intervals vary for other screening methods). Public service announcement over.