Another vaccine approaches FDA review
Novavax says its COVID-19 shots overall are 90% effective - and don't need freezers; Judge tosses nurses' lawsuit against vaccinations, and CDC's transparency also empowers disinformation
Perspective: Worldwide, there have been more than 3.8 million deaths due to COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. The USA has recorded nearly 598,000 deaths — and the rate of decline of new cases has slowed. In the United Kingdom, new cases are up - likely due to the highly infectious “delta” variant, forcing a four-week delay in England’s reopening.
Early Monday, Novavax announced results from its Phase 3 clinical trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. The shots were 100% effective at stopping severe illness, and those who got the shots and got sick only had mild symptoms, the company said.
The Novavax vaccine uses a reproduced version of coronavirus spike protein that cannot replicate or cause COVID-19 plus a plant-derived compound that stimulates the immune response. It can be stored at ordinary refrigerator temperatures.
The Kaiser Family Foundation tracking surveys reveal the wide range of characteristics among those who are shunning COVID-19 vaccines. This chart is based on polling done May 18-25:
Nurses and other staff members of a Houston hospital who were fired because they refused COVID-19 shots had their case rejected by a federal judge over the weekend. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes pointed to Texas law that allows employers to fire workers for any reason. He also disagreed with the workers’ claim that they were being used as involuntary experimental subjects.
Some who make false claims about vaccine safety attribute their “facts” to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS. While citing VAERS data sounds legit, many people are unaware that VAERS is the “raw” report of possible adverse reactions — unverified. Experts say that many or most of the reports turn out to be coincidental or otherwise unrelated to the vaccines. NPR reports on how anti-vaccine activists have been using VAERS data to spread baseless concerns.
And there are others that are just plain baseless.
STATNews has an interesting profile of Dr. Vin Gupta, an infectious disease expert you may have seen on MSNBC. His “day job” is steering Amazon Care, the tech and retail giant’s virtual medical services division.