Pharmaceutical companies were quick to create vaccines in response to the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease, with a high rate of transmissibility, and posed a major risk to senior citizens and those with underlying conditions.
Several pharmaceutical companies have developed innovative mRNA vaccines to counter the coronavirus. Pfizer, Biontech, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Sinopharm and others have produced vaccines, with different efficacy rates. Some vaccines required two shots before a person could be considered vaccinated.
The coronavirus is prone to mutations, and has already produced several well known variants, including the Delta and Lambda strains, and there was debate about their efficacy against new strains of the virus. Further, there was concern about breakthrough cases and waning antibodies. Some countries, such as Israel, advocated for the use of booster shots to increase efficacy, though WHO cautioned against the use of third jabs.
Vaccine rollouts varied from country to country, with Israel being one of the first countries to gain major percentages of its population being vaccinated. Countries like Israel rushed to domestically create vaccines or secure deals with pharmaceutical companies. In the United States of America, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided emergency-use provisions for the Pfizer vaccine.
In some countries, such as Israel, coronavirus passports have been created. Coronavirus passports like Israel’s Green Pass document the vaccination status of a citizen, allowing them to freely associate with the rest of the population. Critics assert that coronavirus passports represent an extreme violation of liberties.
Hospitals are now treating hundreds of infants and elderly with severe pneumonia.
The newly adapted vaccine, called mRNA-1273.214, showed much more protection against infection with all variants tested compared to the vaccines previously available.
The newly adapted vaccine called mRNA-1273.214 showed much more protection against infection with all variants tested.
The medicine prize kicks off this year's awards with the remaining five to be unveiled in the coming days.
Health Ministry recommends getting Moderna’s new Corona substrains’ vaccine as previous ones have lost much of their protective value
The FDA authorization comes after a late summer rise in cases, at a time the new EG.5 subvariant of Omicron — nicknamed "Eris" — has begun to rapidly spread in the United States
With a new Covid variant and Jewish High Holidays around the corner, Israelis are being reminded to head for their annual vaccinations.
About 37% of dog owners also believe that the shots could cause their dogs to develop autism, even though there is absolutely no scientific data that validates this risk for either animals or humans.
BA.2.86 may be more capable of causing infection in people who were previously infected with COVID-19 or received the COVID-19 vaccine.
If successful, the scheme – known as the global virtual pooled inventory (GVPI) – could be a pilot for other deadly diseases and wider pandemic preparedness.
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