“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope.”
Helen Keller
“If you're going to preach dedication, work ethic, teamwork, unselfishness, and being part of a team to accomplish a common goal, you have to live it - you can't just talk about it.” Chris Mullin
COVID -19 Updates:
As we move into the next phase of the COVID 19 pandemic with more people getting vaccinated and as we are understanding more about this virus and see the reality of placing this pandemic in the rear view mirror in the not too distant future, these newsletters will begin to focus more on updates in terms of vaccine development, efficacy of the vaccines and any possible concerns that may arise from either the vaccines or COVID-19 virus and the associated variants.
There is a lot of “COVID FATIGUE” out there that is going to worsen as the weather gets warmer. But we must maintain our guard. Even if you are vaccinated you can still catch the virus. You can still spread the virus even if vaccinated. If you catch COVID 19 once vaccinated, the likelihood of you getting very sick to the point of requiring hospitalization or dying is very, very low.
Immunity against COVID -19 once fully vaccinated is only 3 to 6 months. Why? Because that is all that we have data for. Could immunity last longer? Do we need booster shots? Will we need to get a COVID vaccine on an annual basis? There are no clear answers at this point.
We all therefore need to keep our guard up because the vast majority of us are still not vaccinated. In Pennsylvania with a population of 18.2 million, 1.6 million people are fully vaccinated as of March 24, 2021 and 3.0 million are partially vaccinated.
In the United States with a population of 330 million for the same time frame, 43 million are fully vaccinated and 79 million have received one dose. As you can see we still have a long way to go.
My goal of these newsletter is to present the facts so you can make informed intelligent decisions going forward. All of us are accountable for creating a peaceful, safe and just society. Let’s work together and not against each other to achieve this goal.
5 myths about the COVID-19 vaccine
1. This vaccine was created too quickly, so safety must have been compromised. The speed that enabled this vaccine to be in use in less than one year is due to several factors: a). No part of the virus is used in the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, this time consuming (months long) process was avoided. Instead, the mRNA can be made synthetically, and mass produced quickly. b). the genetic code of the virus was known in January 2020, manufacturing of the mRNA was able to begin then. This enabled clinical trials to start quickly and both the Pfizer and Moderna trials had 30,000 to 40,000 participants. Due to the continued spread and high infection rates of COVID-19, the clinical trials were finished much more quickly than normal. c). The Food and Drug Administration review was as thorough as for any vaccine but was expedited due to the urgent need. d). vaccine production would typically not start until after FDA approval. But because the government ordered and paid for hundreds of millions of doses in advance, pharmaceutical companies began producing them even before clinical testing was started.
2. The mRNA vaccine can change or enter your DNA. mRNA cannot alter your DNA. It can only enter your cells, not your DNA. It then instructs your DNA to make the spike protein of the coronavirus that your body recognizes as foreign and develops immunity against. After that the mRNA dissolves.
3. This is new technology so it may not be safe. mRNA technology has been around for more than 10 years.
4. This vaccine could cause infertility in women. The placenta has a protein with a short sequence of amino acids (the building blocks of all proteins) in common with the spike protein of coronavirus. It is said that this could lead to antibodies in the spike protein attacking the placenta. Many proteins have common amino acid sequences, and this sequence is so short it is meaningless. Additionally, nearly 45,000 pregnant women have been infected with COVID-19, causing antibody development to the spike protein, and they have had no greater miscarriage rates than women not infected with COVID-19. However, the COVID-19 infection has led to pregnancy complications in some women, including higher risk of preterm delivery, preeclampsia, ICU admission, and death. Over 10,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated with no adverse consequences.
5. There are many side effects to these vaccines. These vaccines have had no more side effects than most vaccines. They include a day or two of a sore arm, fatigue or malaise, possible fever, and other mild symptoms. These symptoms are not of infection, but of an active immune response, which is a good thing.
Conclusion: These vaccines are likely the safest, most tested, and scrutinized vaccines ever developed because multiple pharmaceutical companies are working on them and sharing information. Clinical testing of the vaccines was the same as for all vaccines in the past. There is no risk of the vaccine altering your DNA. There is no risk of it causing COVID-19. It has minimal and typical side effects. It is far more effective than most vaccines (94%-95% effective versus 40%-50% effective for influenza vaccines).
Fourth Vaccine Receive EUA Approval: AstraZeneca's vaccine is based on a chimpanzee adenovirus vector platform. It was given in two doses (5 × 1010 viral particles) at 4 weeks apart in the current trial. Analysis of AstraZeneca's phase III U.S. trial for its COVID-19 vaccine showed 79% efficacy against symptomatic illness, the company announced Monday morning.
No diminution in effectiveness was seen among participants 65 and older, with an efficacy value of 80%. Efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization was 100%.
Johnson & Johnson Update: (J&J) is continuing to develop new COVID-19 vaccines to provide protection against a host of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Currently on the pharmaceutical giant’s agenda is creating a vaccine to combat the South African variant, B1351, which is more frequently found among young, healthy people and can cause more serious illness than the original strain of the novel coronavirus. A two-shot COVID-19 vaccine and booster to its current one-shot immunization are also in the works.
Cancer Patients Respond Poorly to COVID Vaccines: Barely one-quarter of patients with cancer obtained protection against COVID-19 after one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, a prospective study showed.
The data found a "strikingly low" 28% immune efficacy rate in patients with cancer, including 13% in patients with blood cancers. In contrast, first-dose seroconversion occurred in 97% of a healthy control group, Adrian Hayday, PhD, of King's College London, and co-authors concluded in a report.
A second dose at day 21, however, brought adequate immunity to nearly all the cancer patients, they said. British health officials changed the interval between the first and second dose to 12 weeks to maximize population coverage. Whether that interval is appropriate for patients with cancer, however, particularly those on systemic anti-cancer therapy, remains unclear, the authors continued. The patients with cancer had a median age of 73, and two thirds had one or more comorbid conditions.
So until next time, Stay Safe, Stay Well, Stay Distant, Avoid crowds for a while longer, and Wear Your Mask.
James A Vito, D.M.D.