Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Study: Side Effects Of Covid Far More Dangerous Than Any Of Vaccines
Bay Area News Group: COVID-19 Far Riskier Than Vaccines, New CDC Study Says
How risky are the COVID-19 vaccines? A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the risk of illness, hospitalization and death following the shots is far lower than the danger from becoming infected with the highly contagious and often deadly virus. Three health threats have surfaced among some vaccinated people: Blood clots and the Guillain-Barre Syndrome neurologic disorder after the Johnson & Johnson shot, and heart inflammation after the Pfizer or Moderna shots, which use a messenger-RNA technology. But the CDC analysis found that the risk in adults from the vaccines to be minimal compared to the virus that causes COVID-19, which has infected 35 million Americans and killed more than 614,000. (Woolfolk, 8/10)
San Francisco Chronicle: Devastating Impact Of COVID On Pregnancy Highlighted By Large UCSF Study
Pregnant women infected with the coronavirus are at significantly higher risk for adverse complications, including preterm birth, according to a University of California San Francisco analysis of all documented births in the state between July 2020 and January 2021. In the largest study of its kind, researchers found the risk of very preterm birth, which occurs at less than 32 weeks of gestation, was 60% higher for people infected with the coronavirus during their pregnancy. The risk of giving birth at less than 37 weeks — which is any preterm birth — was 40% higher. (Vaziri, 8/10)
USA Today: Study Showing Antibody Levels Protecting Against COVID-19 Could Speed Creation Of New Vaccines, Boosters
Eagerly anticipated new research pinpoints antibodies scientists can test for to see if a COVID-19 vaccine is effective. These "correlates of protection" could speed the development of new vaccines or boosters without requiring the enormous clinical trials used to create the first COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, researchers could vaccinate people with a new vaccine or booster, measure their antibodies over the course of several months, and know if it worked. This is "the Holy Grail" in terms of vaccines, and one that hasn't yet been set for the virus that causes COVID-19, said Peter Gilbert, co-author of the study posted Tuesday to medRxiv, a preprint site where scientific articles can be published prior to being accepted by peer-reviewed journals. (Weise, 8/10)
Reuters: Moderna May Be Superior To Pfizer Against Delta; Breakthrough Odds Rise With Time
The mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech may be less effective than Moderna's against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to two reports posted on medRxiv on Sunday ahead of peer review. In a study of more than 50,000 patients in the Mayo Clinic Health System, researchers found the effectiveness of Moderna's vaccine against infection had dropped to 76% in July - when the Delta variant was predominant - from 86% in early 2021. Over the same period, the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had fallen to 42% from 76%, researchers said. While both vaccines remain effective at preventing COVID hospitalization, a Moderna booster shot may be necessary soon for anyone who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines earlier this year, said Dr. Venky Soundararajan of Massachusetts data analytics company nference, who led the Mayo study. (Aug. 9)
Also —
The Washington Post: Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine Recipients Worry They Chose The Wrong Brand
New research offers encouraging evidence about how the Johnson & Johnson vaccine stacks up against its competitors — and the delta variant — according to infectious-disease specialists. However, there are still lingering questions about booster shots. Earlier clinical trials showed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66 percent effective overall in preventing moderate to severe disease four weeks after the shot, with effectiveness varying depending on location. Its competitors from Pfizer and Moderna, on the other hand, recorded 90 percent-plus effectiveness against the coronavirus. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious-disease expert, has said all three vaccines are effective. (Beachum, Bever and Iati, 8/10)
CIDRAP: Viral COVID-19 Detected In Singing, Talking, Breathing
Between breathing, singing, and talking, researchers detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies mostly from talking and singing (94%), and 85% of all viral particles were detected in fine aerosols, according to a small study late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The researchers had 22 COVID-19 patients at Singapore's National Centre for Infectious Diseases breathe for 30 minutes, talk for 15 minutes, or sing for 15 minutes into a G-II exhaled breath collector. Thirteen patients (59%) had detectable SARS-CoV-2 levels, of whom three were asymptomatic and one was presymptomatic. Variables such as age, sex, virus variant, and clinical symptoms were not significantly associated with detectable viral RNA in aerosols, but median day of illness was, with a higher likelihood earlier on in a patient’s illness (median, 3 vs 5 days after illness onset). (8/9)
