Israel approves a third dose of Pfizer vaccine for older adults

Israel has approved a third shot of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for citizens over 60 years of age, reports the Times of Israel (July 29, 2021). Booster doses of the vaccine will be given starting next week to those over age 60 who are more than five months after their second shot.

EMA approves use of the COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax for children aged 12 to 17

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended granting an extension of indication for the COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax (previously COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna) to include use in children aged 12 to 17 years. The vaccine is already authorised for use in people aged ≥ 18years... (Source: EMA)

The case for a vaccine booster in kidney transplant patients

A JAMA research letter (published online July 23, 2021. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12339) has suggested that a third dose of vaccine may be considered in kidney transplant recipients who show minimal serologic response to two doses of the Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine.

• The third dose generated a serologic response in 49% of kidney transplant recipients who did not respond after 2 doses of the vaccine.
• Patients who had a weak response after the second dose, were more likely to develop an antibody response after the third dose vs those did not have antibody response (81.3% vs 27.4%, respectively.
• Patients on tacrolimus, mycophenolate and steroids were 35% less likely to develop antibodies vis à vis other treatment regimens.

Delta variant as contagious as chickenpox

Internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents support the high transmission rate of the Delta variant and put the risk in easier to understand terms. A new MMWR report also shows high prevalence of delta variant and that Delta variant likely causes more severe COVID-19 illness. In July 2021, following multiple large public events in a Barnstable County, Massachusetts, town, 469 COVID-19 cases were identified among Massachusetts residents who had traveled to the town during July 3–17; 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated persons. Testing identified the Delta variant in 90% of specimens from 133 patients (Source: Medscape, MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 30 July 2021)

Safety of vaccine in pregnancy

As per a pre-proof in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, over 128,306 pregnant patients have received the vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna) and registered with the CDC V-safe program. In 827 completed pregnancies, there were no adverse outcomes miscarriage, preterm birth, small for gestational age and neonatal death when compared to data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefits of these vaccines may outweigh the risks of COVID-19 disease in pregnancy and in the postpartum period (Source:  Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2021), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2021.07.013)

CanSinoBIOs Inhaled Covid vaccine produces similar immune response as the injectable vaccine

The Lancet Infectious Disease reports that an inhaled version of CanSino Biologics (CanSinoBIO) Covid-19 vaccine triggered immune responses without serious side effects. Two inhaled doses of the Ad5-nCoV vaccine, given 28 days apart, induced a similar level of antibodies to those of a single injection, but lower titers of neutralizing antibodies at day 28. This vaccine requires lower dosages than the injected version and could help CanSinoBIO boost its production capacity... (Source: Reuters, July 28, 2021)

(With inputs from Dr Monica Vasudev)

Dr Veena Aggarwal

Consultant Womens’ Health

MD and Chairperson, IJCP Group & Medtalks

Trustee, Dr KK’s Heart Care Foundation of India