Feature Channels: Vaccines

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In adults who had previously received a full regimen of any of three COVID-19 vaccines granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an additional booster dose of any of these vaccines was safe and prompted an immune response, according to preliminary clinical trial results reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

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A Zika virus vaccine candidate is effective at preventing the Zika virus passing from mother to fetus in preclinical animal studies, according to a new study in the journal npj Vaccines. The research is a collaboration between Trudeau Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute’s Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC), and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), where the vaccine was developed.

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Questions remain on which vaccine type to get, whether to mix and match types, and how soon after a breakthrough infection to get boosted. To untangle some of these uncertainties, Harvard Medicine News spoke with Jonathan Li, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

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Research shows T cells offer protection even against new SARS-CoV-2 variants T cells shield against serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 T cell-based vaccines may further boost protection from these critical immune players as the virus continues to shapeshift

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Already weary from two years of navigating parenthood during a pandemic, parents are facing a new stress: What to think about surging numbers of kids diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19.

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Seemingly less hazardous than Delta, but significantly more infectious: The spread of the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus raises the question of whether it can push the healthcare system to its breaking point. Empa researchers have worked with partners to model scenarios for both Switzerland and Germany – and conclude that this is an unlikely course of events. Nevertheless, some risks remain.

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The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 67 Centers of Excellence and 10 Affiliates in 36 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the Scientific Platform Pasteur-University of São Paulo (SPPU) announced the addition of the SPPU as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence.

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The Innovation Studio at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) on the VaxUp Challenge: a three-phase innovation challenge to generate, test and scale creative solutions that will increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among children and teens in LA County, particularly in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

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Watch the videos of the Sixth ChulaVRC Vaccine Research Forum 2022 at

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University of Delaware researchers have looked at how targeted and strategic messaging can cut through the confusion and misinformation about vaccines. The professors and graduate students investigated how age, education and attitudes influence behavior and affect public health during the pandemic.

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As a split return to school remains on the cards for South Australian families, early childhood experts are encouraging parents to focus on their child’s wellbeing, especially in the face of another potentially difficult year.

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Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that four COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, J&J/Janssen, and Novavax) prompt the body to make effective, long-lasting T cells against SARS-CoV-2. These T cells can recognize SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern, including Delta and Omicron.

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Welensky did not say 75% percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. had at least four comorbidities. The shared social media posts imply that deaths from COVID-19 are being over-counted. We find this claim to be misleading, having taken Walensky's interview out of context. It is clear from watching the full clip, Dr. Welensky was referring to the percentage of fully vaccinated people who died from COVID-19.

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As teams of researchers around the world race to piece together a picture of the Omicron variant, they’re fast-tracking discoveries and transforming the way science is done.

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Black Americans who were initially hesitant about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine were more likely than whites to warm up to the idea as the pandemic wore on and to view vaccines as necessary for protection, a new study has found. The research highlights the importance of not making assumptions about race-based viewpoints regarding health care, and illustrates the likelihood that access — not just distrust or skepticism — is a significant obstacle to higher levels of COVID-19 protection among Black Americans, the study authors said.

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A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine finds those who received the Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine are less likely to experience “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases, compared to recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine.

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The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 66 Centers of Excellence and 10 Affiliates in 35 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnologies at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) announced the addition of the Institute as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence.

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A study by researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has found that patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy ― and some targeted therapies, such as CDK4/6 inhibitors and therapies targeted at B cells ― may mount an inadequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. The findings are published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Children in sub-Saharan Africa who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are dying at a rate far greater than children in the U.S. and Europe, according to a new multicenter study published today in JAMA Pediatrics and led by a University of Pittsburgh infectious diseases epidemiologist.

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The goal of the course is to empower more people to communicate with parents in the U.S. who have concerns about vaccinating their children, despite the availability of safe, effective, and free COVID-19 vaccines for children ages five and up.

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A new study shows a major reduction in the most commonly-reported long-term symptoms of COVID-19 among individuals vaccinated with two doses and infected with the virus compared to non-vaccinated previously-infected individuals. Those vaccinated and infected individuals reported no more of these symptoms than individuals who were never infected with the virus.

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Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and three other institutions are seeking to develop a multi-pathogen vaccine that will protect against three bacterial biothreat pathogens.

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The event will be on 25 January 2022 at Bhumisiri Building 12th Floor, the KCMH & Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University or via Facebook live on MDCU's Facebook page.

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Loyola Medicine experts have concluded that COVID-19 vaccine requirements for lung transplant patients are an ethical and necessary practice. Daniel Dilling, MD, medical director of the lung transplantation program at Loyola Medicine, and Mark Kuczewski, PhD, a professor of medical ethics at the Stritch School of Medicine, shared their recommendation in a paper published by the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant.

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An interview with Pfizer CEO Bourla is being used as proof that the initial vaccinations were “a failure” or that the vaccine does not protect against COVID-19. We find claims that represent this interview as proof of vaccine failure are false and misleading. Bourla's comments were specific about Omicron.

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• Researchers have identified a set of receptors shared across human, mosquito, and other animal cells for the eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and two related viruses, a crucial first step for developing preventive and curative treatments. • In experiments with cells and mouse models with a related virus, the scientists were able to prevent infection and disease progression using decoy molecules to hamper viral entry into cells. • In a 2019 outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE, or triple E) in New England, 30 percent of infected people died and half of those who survived had long-term neurologic damage. • Done between major outbreaks, this type of research into highly pathogenic viruses with pandemic potential can help improve preparedness for future outbreaks.

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Some recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, like those made by Pfizer and Moderna, have experienced a wide variety of side effects, indicating their immune system is revving into gear. However, for those who have not had such reactions, this does not mean the vaccine failed to work as intended, according to a new collaborative study, “Adverse Effects and Antibody Titers in Response to the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in a Prospective Study of Healthcare Workers,” published Jan. 14 in Open Forum Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

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As COVID-19 continues to evolve and mutate quickly, so do treatment options. While the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are vaccinations and booster vaccinations, several authorized treatments and preventive drugs, including monoclonal antibody therapies, are used to treat patients at different stages.

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Michael Lin, MD, MPH, an infectious disease specialist, explains how risky some activities are now as the highly transmissible omicron variant surges through Chicago and the rest of the country.

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The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing challenges to a Biden administration vaccine mandate that requires eligible employees in Medicare or Medicaid-funded facilities to get vaccinated or receive an exemption.

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Researchers at Penn Medicine have discovered a new, more effective method of preventing the body’s own proteins from treating nanomedicines like foreign invaders, by covering the nanoparticles with a coating to suppress the immune response that dampens the therapy’s effectiveness.

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With the new coronavirus variant circulating widely, our expert urges people to get the vaccine and booster shots—and to wear a tight-fitting mask around people outside one’s household.

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Mayo Clinic experts are available to offer commentary and perspective on the "new normal" as COVID-19 transitions to an endemic disease. Among Mayo Clinic experts who are available

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There is growing evidence that the currently available MRNA vaccines provide some protection against the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of the SARS-COV-2 virus, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. According to the CDC, preliminary results for Omicron from South Africa showed that the Pfizer vaccine provided 70% protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and 33% against infection, during the current Omicron wave. Granted, the protection is reduced compared with the Delta variant (93% for hospitalization and 80% for infection).

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An experimental immunotherapy can temporarily reprogram patients’ immune cells to attack a specific target via only a single injection of messenger RNA (mRNA), similar to the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

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First on the list: Get vaccinated and get a booster shot if you qualify.