1/25—Moderna vaccine less effective against South African variant
Moderna says its Covid-19 vaccine is less effective against one coronavirus variant
[News report. See also Moderna’s press release.] In lab research that involved testing whether blood from people who had received the vaccine could still fend off different coronavirus variants, scientists found that there was a sixfold reduction in the vaccine’s neutralizing power against the [South African] variant, called B.1.351, than against earlier forms of the coronavirus, Moderna reported. There was no loss in neutralization levels against a different variant, called B.1.1.7, that was first identified in the United Kingdom.
Interim Results of a Phase 1–2a Trial of Ad26.COV2.S Covid-19 Vaccine [Johnson & Johnson]
After the administration of the first vaccine dose in 805 participants in cohorts 1 and 3 and after the second dose in cohort 1, the most frequent solicited adverse events were fatigue, headache, myalgia, and injection-site pain. The most frequent systemic adverse event was fever. Neutralizing-antibody titers against wild-type virus were detected in 90% or more of all participants on day 29 after the first vaccine dose (geometric mean titer [GMT], 224 to 354), regardless of vaccine dose or age group, and reached 100% by day 57 with a further increase in titers (GMT, 288 to 488) in cohort 1a. Titers remained stable until at least day 71.
Phase 1–2 Trial of a SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine [Novovax]
After randomization, 83 participants were assigned to receive the vaccine with adjuvant and 25 without adjuvant, and 23 participants were assigned to receive placebo. No serious adverse events were noted. One participant had mild fever that lasted 1 day. The two-dose 5-μg adjuvanted regimen induced geometric mean anti-spike IgG (63,160 ELISA units) and neutralization (3906) responses that exceeded geometric mean responses in convalescent serum from mostly symptomatic Covid-19 patients (8344 and 983, respectively). Conclusion: At 35 days, NVX-CoV2373 appeared to be safe, and it elicited immune responses that exceeded levels in Covid-19 convalescent serum.
Maintaining Safety with SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines
In response to the two cases of anaphylaxis in the United Kingdom, the MHRA issued a pause on vaccination with the Pfizer–BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, to exclude any person with a history of anaphylactic reaction to any food, drug, or vaccine. Although the technology behind mRNA vaccines is not new, there are no licensed mRNA vaccines, and the Pfizer–BioNtech and Moderna vaccines are the first to receive an EUA. There is therefore no prior experience that informs the likelihood or explains the mechanism of allergic reactions associated with mRNA vaccines. It is possible that some populations are at higher risk for non–IgE-mediated mast-cell activation or complement activation related to either the lipid or the PEG-lipid component of the vaccine.
Vaccinating Children against Covid-19 — The Lessons of Measles
Measles and measles vaccination campaigns may offer relevant insights about parents’ decisions regarding vaccinating children they don’t believe are at serious risk; about trust, access, and equity; about using education campaigns and vaccination mandates to advance public health goals; and about how targeted disinformation about a safe and effective vaccine can endanger public health.
Beyond Politics — Promoting Covid-19 Vaccination in the United States
Despite widespread suffering from Covid-19, credible surveys indicate that the proportion of the U.S. population willing to be vaccinated has fluctuated from 72% in May to 51% in September and 60% in November; of the 39% of respondents who indicated that they probably or definitely would not get the vaccine, only 46% said they might be open to vaccination once others start getting it and more information becomes available. So how should we promote vaccination? Any successful marketing strategy will be multifaceted. Consumer research and behavioral economics suggest 12 key strategies for an effective vaccine-promotion effort.
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