Precision Vaccinations

→ August 4th, 2020

Eliminating fake vaccine news with pharmacist, nurse, and physician review.

Vaccine Breaking News

Children At-Risk For Acute Flaccid Myelitis in 2020

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. CDC issued a warning on August 4, 2020, that children will likely be at increased risk this year for Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), a polio-like illness that seems to cause outbreaks in the USA every 2 years. Though rarely fatal, AFM can cause permanent paralysis in patients and requires prompt hospitalization.

A study published in Nature on October 21, 2019, offered evidence that AFM is caused by enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68) that invades and impairs the central nervous system.

The 2020-2021 Flu Season Starts Off Softly

The WHO reported on August 3, 2020, influenza activity was reported at lower levels than expected for this time of the year. As an example, in the temperate zones of the Southern Hemisphere, the influenza season has not commenced. And in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, influenza activity remained at interseasonal levels.

Various flu vaccines have already been shipped to healthcare providers in the USA.

Novavax’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Found 'Generally Well-Tolerated With a Reassuring Safety Profile

Late on August 4, 2020, Novavax announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 was found generally well-tolerated and had a reassuring safety profile, across 2 dose levels (5 and 25 µg) in 131 healthy adults ages 18-59 years. There were no severe (Grade 3) unsolicited adverse events, and the vast majority of adverse events were mild and deemed not related to vaccination.

Furthermore, this phase 1 study reported the NVX-CoV2373 vaccine did induce neutralization titers in 100% of participants.

Gregory M. Glenn, M.D., President, Research and Development at Novavax, stated in a press release, “Using a stringent wild-type virus assay performed by investigators at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, NVX‑CoV2373 elicited neutralizing antibody titers greater than those observed in a pool of COVID‑19 patients with clinically significant disease.”

Pneumonia, Influenza, and COVID-19 Fatalities Decreasing

In the USA, levels of influenza-like illness (ILI) were found below baseline but higher than typically seen at this time of year, announced the U.S. CDC on July 31, 2020. Indicators that track ILI and COVID-19-like illness (CLI) showed decreases nationally from Week #29 to Week #30.

And, weekly hospitalization rates and mortality attributed to COVID-19 disease declined during Week #30.

Furthermore, the CDC reported the percentage of deaths attributed to Pneumonia, Influenza, or COVID-19 (PIC) for Week #30 was (8.6%) and is currently lower than the percentage during Week #29 (12.0%).

These percentages will likely increase as more death certificates are processed, says the CDC.

Type 2 Diabetes Medication Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risks

Positive top-line results from the EMPEROR-Reduced phase III trial in adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, with and without diabetes, were announced on July 30, 2020, by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company. EMPEROR-Reduced met its primary endpoint, demonstrating superiority with Jardiance® (empagliflozin) 10 mg compared to placebo, in reducing the risk for the composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization due to heart failure, when added to standard of care.

Overall the safety profile was similar to the known safety profile of Jardiance, which is a prescription medicine used along with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.