Dr. Fauci: US could control Covid by early next year August 25, 2021 The United States could get Covid-19 under control by early next year if vaccinations ramp up, Dr. Anthony Fauci said last night, with more potential approvals coming in the weeks ahead. Watch the full report.
Vaccinated mothers: Breast milk ‘contains antibodies that help to protect babies’ August 24, 2021 When babies are born, their underdeveloped immune systems make it hard for them to fight infections on their own. They are also often too young to respond adequately to certain types of vaccines, experts say. However, the breast milk of mothers who have had Covid-19 vaccines contains a significant level of antibodies that may help [...]
Third dose of Pfizer vaccine: Covid-19 booster shots ‘are working’ August 24, 2021 A third dose of Pfizer ‘s Covid-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel, compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the Health Ministry. Watch the full report.
WHO boss: Halt Covid vaccine booster programmes now to prevent new coronavirus variants August 23, 2021 In order to prevent the emergence of new coronavirus variants, the boss of the World Health Organisation has called for a two-month moratorium on administering Covid-19 booster jabs. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told media in Hungary’s capital Budapest today that he was “really disappointed” with the scope of vaccine donations worldwide as many countries [...]
Pfizer to buy blood cancer drugmaker for $2.3bn August 23, 2021 Pfizer has announced it will buy all the shares of Trillium Therapeutics, an oncology biotech, for $2.3bn (£1.7bn), as the pharmaceutical invests in blood cancer therapies. The US drugmaker, which acquired a $25m stake in the Canadian oncology biotech last year, has agreed to purchase the remaining shares at $18.50 per share, representing a 203.8 [...]
Critically-ill Covid patients far less likely to die when lying on stomach while receiving oxygen August 22, 2021 Critically-ill Covid-19 patients are far less likely to pass away or to require invasive ventilation if they are lying on their stomachs while receiving oxygen, according to a new global study. The impact of the technique, known as awake prone positioning, was assessed in hospitals in six countries and involved more than 1,000 coronavirus patients [...]
National Covid-19 antibody surveillance programme launched by government August 22, 2021 A nation-wide antibody surveillance programme for the public has been launched by the UK Health Security Agency to collect data to build the government’s understanding of immunity against Covid-19. The government today announced that free home antibody tests kits will be offered to adults in the UK who test positive for the virus from Tuesday. [...]
Astrazeneca’s non-vaccine therapy cuts chance of getting symptomatic Covid by 77 per cent, trial finds August 20, 2021 FTSE-listed Astrazeneca this morning said its Covid-19 antibody therapy met the main goal of preventing coronavirus symptoms in a late-stage study. It means the Anglo-Swedish pharma is on track to potentially offer an alternative to vaccines for people with weakened immune systems. Astrazeneca said it will now submit data to try and get emergency authorisation [...]
Covid research suggests Coronavirus antibody levels fall rapidly in older people August 19, 2021 While most adults in the UK are likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, levels are dropping rapidly among older age groups, new figures suggest. The presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated. It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body [...]
Third vaccine looming as JVCI fear two doses are not enough August 19, 2021 The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) are discussing a potential booster campaign amidst concerns that two doses are not effective enough. In a JVCI meeting this morning, a government scientific adviser claimed there may be people who “really need” a third dose of the Coronavirus vaccine. JVCI member Professor Adam Finn spoke of [...]