Tag: vaccine
IBD patients show effective COVID-19 vaccine response, despite fears
Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more susceptible to infection than the general population because of their treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Nevertheless, these patients have been encouraged to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which has proven safe and effective according to recent research by Rutgers University in New Jersey. IBD is fairly common: the […]
Fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose authorised for Americans over 50
The Head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Peter Marks, has encouraged getting a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for increased protection for high-risk persons. The FDA has already approved a second booster shot or fourth mRNA vaccine dose for American […]
“Immune system-on-a-chip” helps predict vaccine response
Scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering (Wyss), Harvard University, have successfully modelled the human immune system on microfluidic chips. Most medical innovations such as vaccines sometimes fall short of expectations in live human experiments – instead of relying on lab cultures and animal studies, cells on chips mimic the physical conditions as […]
‘Pan-coronavirus’ vaccine in development by US Army
A massive project aimed at developing a coronavirus vaccine that can provide protection against all SARS-CoV-2 variants is underway at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). Instead of focusing on a single permutation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, as most first-wave COVID-19 vaccines have, WRAIR scientists chose to harness the unique structure of […]
Two doses of Sinovac vaccine found insufficient against coronavirus variant
The Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine will remain as part of Singapore’s national vaccination programme as a three-dose regime, inspite of recent findings by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and the Ministry of Health (MOH). The joint study has found that people who received two doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine have lower protection against severe […]
Intranasal vaccination more effective against respiratory viruses, study finds
New preclinical research at Yale University suggests intranasal vaccines (delivered through the nose) may generate stronger immunity against air-borne viruses compared to more conventional injection-delivered vaccines. Not only is an inhalable nasal spray a much easier vaccine delivery system to administer but may even promote immunity against more than just the single viral strain in […]
FDA approves booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for US citizens
This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved of a booster shot for the Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine for at-risk individuals in the US. The FDA has amended the prior emergency use authorisation for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to now include a third booster dose to be given at least six months after the […]
WHO Director-General “appalled” over global COVID-19 vaccine inequity
Global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX – launched in 2020 to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for low-income nations – is reportedly falling short of its vaccine distribution milestones for this year. COVAX initially aimed to deliver two billion COVID-19 doses to 92 low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2021. A new supply forecast […]
AztraZeneca’s Vaxzevria, highly effective after one dose vs Delta variants – Study
Vaxzevria, formerly AZD1222, was the Covid-19 vaccine co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 80 countries across six continents. According to biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, over 700 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine have been supplied to 170 countries worldwide, including […]
Slow vaccine campaign in Mexico vs. driven vaccine development in Malaysia
Following the ambitious re-opening of schools and other public areas , COVID -19 cases have sky-rocketed in some parts of Mexico City – health ministry data showed a 64% spike in infections in just three weeks, such that daily cases during the month of June exceeded the numbers recorded at the height of the pandemic […]
