Omicron Vaccine Booster Plans Slowed, May Not Be Needed
Moderna says an omicron-specific booster may be ready by August, but it was still gathering data to see if the shots actually provide better protection for omicron. Pfizer and BioNTech said slow data-gathering delayed their plans for an omicron-specific shot and also said it may not be necessary.
Reuters:
Moderna Eyes COVID Booster By August, Not Clear Yet If Omicron-Specific Needed
An Omicron-specific booster could be ready by August, the CEO of U.S. biotech firm Moderna (MRNA.O) told Reuters, but the firm is still gathering clinical data to determine whether that vaccine would offer better protection than a new dose of the existing jab. Last month Moderna began clinical trials for a booster dose specifically designed to target Omicron but initial results from studies in monkeys show the Omicron-specific shot may not offer stronger protection than a new dose of the existing vaccine. (Guarascio, 2/17)
Reuters:
Pfizer And BioNTech Omicron-Targeted Vaccine Delayed - BioNTech CEO
Delivery of Pfizer and BioNTech SE's vaccine to combat the Omicron COVID-19 variant was delayed by several weeks due to a slower-than expected data gathering process, BionTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin told Germany's Bild on Thursday. Once the vaccine is ready, the company would assess whether it was still needed, Sahin said. (2/16)
In updates on the vaccine rollout —
The Baltimore Sun:
Federal, State Agencies Investigating Whether Maryland Department Of Health Retaliated Against Whistleblower
Federal and state agencies are investigating allegations that the Maryland Department of Health retaliated against a whistleblower after she pushed health officials to notify potentially more than 1,000 patients who may have received spoiled vaccine doses and insisted they remediate problems at vaccine clinics. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the state Department of Budget and Management’s whistleblower division have been conducting interviews, according to the whistleblower and her attorney, related to reports that health officials took punitive action against a deputy director overseeing vaccine and testing compliance by removing her from her position and instructing her not to communicate with colleagues involved in assessing the compliance of clinical operations. (Deville, 2/17)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
3 Milwaukee Police Officers Under Investigation For Fake Vaccine Cards
Three Milwaukee police officers are being investigated for allegedly creating fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to attend out of state training. The investigation was acknowledged by the Police Department in a press release Wednesday following the publication of a story about the probe by WTMJ-TV (Channel 4). The allegations are also being investigated by the city of Milwaukee Inspector General Ronda Kohlheim, who confirmed to the Journal Sentinel her investigation remains active. (Hughes, 2/16)
KHN:
Teen Traveled To Philly To Get Vaccinated Against His Parents’ Wishes
High school junior Nicolas Montero stays busy. He runs track, works night and weekend shifts at Burger King, and keeps on top of his schoolwork at Neshaminy High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. But Nicolas’ packed schedule is also strategic: It’s a way to stay out of the house. Nicolas and his parents are separated by a widening political and cultural rift: His parents are a part of a small but vocal minority who oppose covid-19 vaccinations and have refused to let him get the shots. (Feldman, 2/17)
NBC News:
Pregnant During Covid, Women Struggle To Reconcile Conflicting Advice
Ashley Mink, a physician assistant in Dayton, Ohio, became eligible for her Covid-19 vaccination in December 2020. Pregnant with her third child at the time, she had kept a close eye on the vaccine trials and knew that pregnant women hadn’t been included in them — a concern she took to her obstetrician. “You’re not supposed to eat turkey lunch meat,” Mink said of her feelings at the time, “but you’re recommending that I get a vaccine that hasn’t been studied yet.” (Hazlett, 2/16)
Also —
CIDRAP:
COVID Vax–Related Myocarditis May Be Milder Than That Of Other Causes
While cardiac imaging shows that COVID-19 vaccine–associated myocarditis has a similar pattern as that from other causes, the abnormalities are less severe and result in less functional impairment, suggests a study yesterday in Radiology. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) after vaccination is rare, but some cases have been reported after receipt of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. (2/16)
