US Food and Drug Administration staff said that Pfizer Inc.’s Covid shot was effective for kids ages 4 and under with no new safety concerns, in a report released ahead of a key meeting of FDA advisers later this week.
The advisers will meet starting Tuesday for two days to discuss mRNA vaccines in kids. Pfizer’s application for clearance in young kids from 6 months through 4 years will be discussed on Wednesday, in conjunction with Moderna’s application to have its shot cleared for kids ages 6 months through 5 years.
According to the staff report, which was posted on the FDA website on Sunday, the “available data support the effectiveness” of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine in kids ages 6 months to 4 years…
The FDA staff report for the Moderna vaccine in kids ages 6 months to 17 years old was posted on Friday and also said it was effective in these age groups without significant unexpected side effects.
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday to evaluate data for both vaccines in the youngest kids and hear presentations from the companies and health officials. The group, made up of outside scientific experts, will then make a recommendation on whether to grant authorization for the shots…
Covid vaccines for the youngest kids are expected to be rolled out as early as June 21, the Biden administration announced earlier this month. The government has a supply of 10 million doses of vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna ready to go as soon as the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention give the green light.
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Beijing has put school online in one of its major districts amid a new COVID-19 outbreak linked to a nightclub. A total of 166 cases have been linked to the Heaven Supermarket club in the downtown Gongti nightlife area of China's capital. https://t.co/pY1rBznjfE
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 13, 2022
Heartbreaking:
More than half a million people have officially died so far because of Covid-19 in India – the WHO reckons the actual toll could be nearly 10 times higher. More than two years since the pandemic began, many are still grappling with their losses, and a memorial to mourn people lost to the virus has met with a surprisingly underwhelming response. Is India in a haste to bury the memories of the pandemic?…
Ms Chaudhuri is writing a memoir about her three-decade-long marriage and how the virus upended her family. And she’s trying to raise interest in a memorial for the Indians who have officially died of the pandemic so far.
“People seem to be forgetting the horrors of the pandemic. They think what happened was destiny. A memorial for the victims is important. It offers a closure of sorts,” Ms Chaudhuri says.
In February, she contributed some memories of her husband to a virtual memorial, launched by a group of doctors and social workers and the only one of its sort in India.
“It feels like someone has plunged a knife in my throat, such that neither can I live with it, nor can I die,” she wrote.
A year on, only 300-odd Indians who died in the pandemic are listed in the memorial. In February, organisers sent Right to Information (RTI) requests to India’s 29 states to provides names of people for whom government compensation had been sought after death due to Covid-19. Only 11 states responded, providing just 182 names.
“Even getting the names of the dead is an ordeal. I think we want to forget quickly. It could be due to fatigue or an attitude of ‘what’s gone is gone’,” says Dr Abhijit Chowdhury, who initiated the memorial. “Are our memories short-lived or do we live in denial?”
It is difficult to say. Millions of Indians are still mourning the loss of loved ones, many of which were premature and sudden. The collapse of the health system – shortage of hospital beds, essential medicines, even oxygen – during the pandemic meant many deaths were preventable. People died in isolation; and families could not attend funerals because of lockdown protocols.
To many grieving kin, India appears to be in haste to move past the crisis by denying that there had been substantial undercounting of the dead. “Denial makes forgetting easier,” Dr Chowdhury says…
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Sharing is caring:
With so few places mandating masks, is there still a point in covering up?
The short answer, experts say, is a resounding yes. The Star breaks down your burning questions about how to navigate this barefaced new world.https://t.co/qOxskOug1u
— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) June 11, 2022
Many politicians, public health officials, and individuals are choosing simply to “move on.”
That’s not a plan, that’s the absence of a plan.https://t.co/syfUHChSU5
— Sandbird (@Sandbird_) June 7, 2022
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On The Road – Albatrossity – Spring 2022 in Flyover Country – Week 4
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY:
87 new cases reported by the NYSDOH. These are only PCR tests.
I wonder how many total people have had at least one case of the ‘Rona around here after two years.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reported 1,571 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, for a cumulative reported total of 4,526,298 cases. It also reported one death for an adjusted cumulative total of 35,712 deaths – 0.79% of the cumulative reported total, 0.79% of resolved cases.
There were 22,395 active cases yesterday, 317 fewer than the day before. 976 were in hospital. 26 confirmed cases were in ICU; of these patients, 15 confirmed cases cases were on ventilators. Meanwhile, 1,887 more patients have recovered, for a cumulative total of 4,468,191 patients recovered – 98.7% of the cumulative reported total.
1,570 new cases reported yesterday were local infections. One new cases was imported.
The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) administered 7,387 doses of vaccine on 12th June: 422 first doses, 6,320 second doses, and 645 booster doses. The cumulative total is 71,055,986 doses administered: 28,010,187 first doses, 27,142,837 second doses, and 16,117,584 booster doses. 85.8% of the population have received their first dose, 83.1% their second dose, and 49.4% their booster dose.
YY_Sima Qian
On 6/12 Mainland China reported 69 new domestic confirmed (2 previously asymptomatic), 74 new domestic asymptomatic cases, 0 new domestic suspect cases, & 0 new deaths.
At Guangdong Province there currently are 3 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Guangxi “Autonomous” Region reported 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases, both at Dongxing in Fangchenggang. There currently are 41 active domestic asymptomatic (40 at Fangchenggang & 1 at Chongzuo) cases remaining.
At Tianjin Municipality 2 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 4 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining.
At Shandong Province there currently 10 active asymptomatic (9 at Weihai & 1 at Dezhou) cases remaining.
Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region reported 27 new domestic confirmed & 13 domestic asymptomatic cases. 1 domestic asymptomatic case recovered. There currently are 272 active domestic confirmed & 248 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the region.
At Jiuquan in Gansu Province there currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case remaining.
Hebei Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. 5 active asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 5 active asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Liaoning Province reported 1 new domestic asymptomatic (at Dandong) case. 1 domestic confirmed & 8 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 27 active domestic confirmed & 97 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks. 2 residential compounds at Dandong are currently at Medium Risk.
Jilin Province reported 4 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 1 domestic confirmed & 10 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. As the province does not consistently break down recoveries by confirmed & asymptomatic cases or by jurisdictions, I can no longer track the count of active case counts in the different jurisdictions.
Beijing Municipality reported 29 new domestic confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic, 28 mild & 1 moderate) & 22 new domestic asymptomatic cases, 49 of the new positive cases are traced close contacts under centralized quarantine & 1 via community screening, all connected to the bar outbreak. 15 domestic confirmed & 2 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. The municipality is not publishing the count of active domestic positive cases there. 1 community remains at Medium Risk.
Shanghai Municipality reported 11 new domestic confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic) & 22 new domestic asymptomatic cases, 27 of the positive cases were already under centralized quarantine & 5 via community screening (at Chongming, Jing’an, Qingpu & Xuhui Districts). There were 0 new deaths. 28 domestic confirmed & 174 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 175 active domestic confirmed (8 serious & 9 critical) in the city. The city is no longer publishing the number of active asymptomatic cases. 35 sites are currently at Medium Risk.
At Hubei Province the last domestic confirmed case recovered.
At Jiangsu Province there currently are 3 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in each administrative division, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Zhejiang Province reported 1 new domestic asymptomatic case, at Taizhou, a person under centralized quarantine. 9 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. The province is not publishing the count of active domestic positive cases there.
Fujian Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently are 8 active domestic asymptomatic (5 at Zhangzhou & 3 at Fuzhou) cases remaining.
At Jiangxi Province 3 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 8 active domestic asymptomatic cases (7 at Yichun & 1 at Shangrao) remaining.
At Henan Province 2 domestic confirmed & 7 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 12 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Sichuan Province reported 1 new domestic asymptomatic case, at Luzhou, a person coming from elsewhere & under centralized quarantine. 1 domestic confirmed & 8 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. The province is not publishing the count of active domestic positive cases there.
Chongqing Municipality reported 2 new domestic confirmed & 1 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all quarantine hotel workers living in “closed loop”, all traced close contacts under centralized quarantine. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city.
Yunnan Province reported 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all at Menglian County in Pu’er. 1 domestic asymptomatic case recovered. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 14 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Imported Cases
On 6/12, Mainland China reported 20 new imported confirmed cases (4 previously asymptomatic), 57 imported asymptomatic cases, 0 imported suspect cases:
Overall in Mainland China, 66 confirmed cases recovered (17 imported), 286 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (71 imported) & 6 were reclassified as confirmed cases (4 imported), & 7,363 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 886 active confirmed cases in the country (196 imported), 19 in serious/critical condition (all domestic), 2,396 active asymptomatic cases (467 imported), 0 suspect cases. 114,850 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
As of 6/12, 3,389.454M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 550K doses in the past 24 hrs.
On 6/13 Hong Kong reported 737 new positive cases, 104 imported & 633 domestic (201 via RT-PCR & 432 from rapid antigen tests), 0 deaths.
On 6/13, Taiwan reported 45,110 new positive cases, 29 imported & 45,081 domestic (including 378 moderate or serious). There were 109 new deaths (ages ranging from 40+ y.o. to 90+ y.o., actual dates of death range from 5/19 – 6/10, 105 having a range of underlying conditions, 43 fully vaccinated & boosted).
Betty
@NeenerNeener: Twice for me with long term effects.
YY_Sima Qian
Fascinating article in WP about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on other virus that cause flu & the common cold.
TL;DR Due to interruption in regular infections (& their effect in boosting immunity) by flu & common cold viruses, these viruses are now surging in summer “out of season”, & some may be more virulent.
jonas
@NeenerNeener: I’m also in upstate NY and I’d wager that about 60-70% of the population has had covid at one point, the vast majority having caught some version of omicron earlier this winter/spring. I had it in February. The wave in our county peaked in early May and cases have been heading down since. Hospitals are doing ok, from what I hear. I don’t know anyone who’s been reinfected with omicron (who had omicron earlier).
Soprano2
I found out yesterday that you can no longer get a booster at Walgreens as a walk-in. They told us we have to make an appointment. So I’m going to look on the 417vaccine web site today to figure out when we can both go.
ant
My sister (49yo, vaxed but not boosted) has been sick with covid for a month now. Her unvaxed husband just had a tickled throat for a few days, and none of the kids got sick.
A good friends family, (none vaxed) are all currently going through round two with covid. They seem to be pulling through it same as round 1.
My aunt and uncle (older, late 60’s) are both double vaxed, but got sick with covid like symptoms despite multiple negitive test results. He has as issue with a blood clot in his leg that is not going away. It’s been almost two months now with him on blood thinners.
I got sick about 6-7 weeks ago, but it didn’t amount to much (vaxed/boosted/ but 6 months since last shoot). I tested negative 4 days after the cough started. The cough has been lingering, but I’m a decades long smoker, so, yeah.
It seems to me that the virus has evolved evasion from being detected by tests. It also seems to not really care much about vaccines. A lot of people are getting covid that I know, including my other sister and her family, who were also all vaxed.
Matt McIrvin
@ant:
The clinical evidence is pretty consistent that for a lot of these people, being vaccinated is the difference between a nasty cold- or flu-like illness and ending up in the hospital on a respirator. But the level of protection you get against having an infection isn’t great with the Omicron-derived variants.
ant
@Matt McIrvin: being vaccinated is the difference between a nasty cold- or flu-like illness and ending up in the hospital on a respirator.
Yeah, sure.
But I suspect that a previous covid infection does the same thing, and that at this point, there just simply isn’t anyone left who hasn’t had one or the other, or both.
smith
@ant: The vaccines do still reduce the chances of getting symptomatic disease, with both omicron BA.1 and BA.2, and are quite effective if you’ve been recently boosted. They also greatly reduce the chance of hospitalization or death.
However, the longer it’s been since you’ve been vaccinated the less effective it will be. I notice in your list of people you know who’ve gotten covid, you seem to be the only one who’s been boosted, and that 6 months ago. This is entirely consistent with what we know about vaccine effectiveness. Less than a third of the population in the US has been boosted. Many “fully vaccinated” people completed the first course of vaccination as much as a year ago. It’s not in any way surprising that a lot of these people are getting covid. The problem is more with people refusing to get boosted than with deficiencies in the vaccine.
Redshift
@ant:
There’s plenty of evidence it doesn’t. If I recall correctly, an unvaccinated person who was infected with a pre-omicron variant has almost no protection against omicron and its descendents, and am unvaccinated person who catches it now can catch it again in six weeks or less.
VOR
The leading Republican candidate for Governor in Minnesota is a practicing MD who is anti-vax. He claims to have gotten COVID in 2020 and believes he has lingering protection from the anti-bodies generated by the infection.
VFX Lurker
@Soprano2:
On April 1, 2022, my age 50+ husband walked into an empty Rite Aid for his second booster. The Rite Aid pharmacist turned him down, vaguely citing that they didn’t have enough vaccines to meet demand.
The next day he walked into Walgreens, with his online appointment documentation in hand. He promptly got vaccinated. The Walgreen pharmacist mentioned a “vaccine shortage” — that Walgreens pharmacists only had enough vials to accommodate appointments. Walk-ins could get vaccinated only if that Walgreens had leftover doses available for that day.
This was a Walgreens in Glendale, CA on April 2 of this year.
Another Scott
@VOR: Yeah, too many people don’t understand or refuse to accept that human coronavirus immunity wears off fairly quickly.
Repost: MedrXiv from May 2020:
It’s not over. Keep masking, keep getting boosters regularly.
Cheers,
Scott.
sab
Husband is due for serious back surgery six weeks from now, but he has decided to stop Covid prevention measures ( masks etc) for family members. If either of us gets Covid breakthrough then his surgery gets bumped to the back of the line, four or five months off. I am beside myself. His family claims they are all “careful” but I have seen no signs of it, and they have had a lot of breakthrough cases.
Bill Arnold
@sab:
Yeah. “Careful” is wearing N95/KN95 masks, avoiding indoor crowds and especially avoiding indoor unmasked interactions, especially with people who are obviously not “careful”.
Bill Arnold
Might be nothing. Roll the dice, or wear a mask:
Neurotoxic amyloidogenic peptides in the proteome of SARS-COV2: potential implications for neurological symptoms in COVID-19 (Open Access, 13 June 2022, Nature Communications)