nivek
As Above So Below
I didn't know there was a pill form being developed, I like this...
...
nivek
As Above So Below
This is looks to be amazing technology, it should be mass produced and distributed asap, the federal government should cover school costs but to everyone they should subsidize the product heavily until the population is vaccinated...
Here's the entire article:
GC INK™ NEUTRALIZES 100 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN UNDER ONE MINUTE
A GAME CHANGER IN REOPENING SCHOOLS SAFELY AND QUICKLY
Providence RI --News Direct-- Graphene Composites
GC Ink™ has been independently tested by Brown University to show 100 percent effectiveness at neutralizing coronavirus and influenza viruses in under one minute, and the findings have been published on bioRxiv.
This fast-acting, extremely effective, and safe formulation of graphene and silver nanoparticles can be applied to masks and other PPE, and in particular, applied to filters in ventilation systems. When used in filters and masks, GC Ink™ is highly effective at trapping and neutralizing airborne coronaviruses and other viruses/bacteria for several weeks. When used in wipes, GC Ink also leaves a thin, highly effective, safe layer of protection against viruses and bacteria that lasts for 24 hours.
GC’s technology is highly effective because it has a dual-action mechanism: the negatively-charged surface of graphene oxide traps the positively-charged parts of water droplets and the protein spikes on coronavirus; the silver nanoparticles release ions that oxidize the lipid membrane protecting coronavirus RNA, thereby neutralizing it.
“Making the air that we breathe and the surfaces that we touch much safer could be a key enabler in the safe reopening of schools and other public spaces." said Sandy Chen, GC CEO & Co-Founder. "GC Ink™ is a powerful weapon against not only this pandemic, but against a broad range of viruses and bacteria. We are now moving into full commercialization of our GC Ink™ with several manufacturing partners in a wide variety of applications, from masks to filters to consumer goods.”
Brown’s top respiratory virologist, Amanda M. Jamieson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, who led the tests, said, “Our results show that this technology is very effective at preventing infection by two important respiratory viruses which clearly has important implications for this pandemic and the next one.”
As demand for GC Ink™ rises, Graphene Composites is well positioned to scale production to meet demand across the United States and worldwide, with the State of Rhode Island-funded Nanomaterials Center of Excellence at 401 Tech Bridge serving as a key production facility.
Brown is now in the process of testing the virus in a BSL3 facility in partnership with the Rhode Island Dept of Health (RIDOH). Because the tested Coronavirus OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19) have similar structures, it is expected that GC Ink™ will prove to be similarly effective against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
GC Ink™ formulations are protected by patents pending.
About Graphene Composites: Graphene Composites is a world leader in nanomaterials engineering. We are driven by our ethos – GC for Good – working with our partners to apply our expertise in graphene and other nanomaterials engineering to make truly life-enhancing products.
About Brown University: Brown’s Jamieson Lab conducted the tests in their Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL2) labs in Providence, Rhode Island, using a standard plaque assay approach, similar to the ISO international standards for anti-viral testing. Further tests are underway.
The negatively-charged surface of graphene oxide traps the positively-charged parts of water droplets and the protein spikes on coronavirus; the silver nanoparticles release ions that oxidize the lipid membrane protecting coronavirus RNA, thereby neutralizing it.
When used in filters and masks, GC Ink™ is highly effective at trapping and neutralizing airborne coronaviruses and other viruses/bacteria for several weeks.
.
About Graphene Composites: Graphene Composites is a world leader in nanomaterials engineering. We are driven by our ethos - GC for Good - working with our partners to apply our expertise in graphene and other nanomaterials engineering to make truly life-enhancing products.
About Brown University: Brown's Jamieson Lab conducted the tests in their Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL2) labs in Providence, Rhode Island, using a standard plaque assay approach, similar to the ISO international standards for anti-viral testing. Further tests are underway.
Company Website
https://graphenecomposites.com/
View source version on newsdirect.com: GC INK™ NEUTRALIZES 100 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN UNDER ONE MINUTE | News Direct
.
Here's the entire article:
GC INK™ NEUTRALIZES 100 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN UNDER ONE MINUTE
A GAME CHANGER IN REOPENING SCHOOLS SAFELY AND QUICKLY
Providence RI --News Direct-- Graphene Composites
- GC Ink™ neutralizes 100 PERCENT of Coronavirus OC43 and Influenza A virus H1N1 in under one minute
- Deployed in PPE, air filters and cleaning products to neutralize viruses and bacteria
- Supports the safe reopening of schools and public buildings
- Independent tests conducted by Brown University, published recently
- GC is working with several partners to apply GC Ink™ across a broad range of products
GC Ink™ has been independently tested by Brown University to show 100 percent effectiveness at neutralizing coronavirus and influenza viruses in under one minute, and the findings have been published on bioRxiv.
This fast-acting, extremely effective, and safe formulation of graphene and silver nanoparticles can be applied to masks and other PPE, and in particular, applied to filters in ventilation systems. When used in filters and masks, GC Ink™ is highly effective at trapping and neutralizing airborne coronaviruses and other viruses/bacteria for several weeks. When used in wipes, GC Ink also leaves a thin, highly effective, safe layer of protection against viruses and bacteria that lasts for 24 hours.
GC’s technology is highly effective because it has a dual-action mechanism: the negatively-charged surface of graphene oxide traps the positively-charged parts of water droplets and the protein spikes on coronavirus; the silver nanoparticles release ions that oxidize the lipid membrane protecting coronavirus RNA, thereby neutralizing it.
“Making the air that we breathe and the surfaces that we touch much safer could be a key enabler in the safe reopening of schools and other public spaces." said Sandy Chen, GC CEO & Co-Founder. "GC Ink™ is a powerful weapon against not only this pandemic, but against a broad range of viruses and bacteria. We are now moving into full commercialization of our GC Ink™ with several manufacturing partners in a wide variety of applications, from masks to filters to consumer goods.”
Brown’s top respiratory virologist, Amanda M. Jamieson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, who led the tests, said, “Our results show that this technology is very effective at preventing infection by two important respiratory viruses which clearly has important implications for this pandemic and the next one.”
As demand for GC Ink™ rises, Graphene Composites is well positioned to scale production to meet demand across the United States and worldwide, with the State of Rhode Island-funded Nanomaterials Center of Excellence at 401 Tech Bridge serving as a key production facility.
Brown is now in the process of testing the virus in a BSL3 facility in partnership with the Rhode Island Dept of Health (RIDOH). Because the tested Coronavirus OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19) have similar structures, it is expected that GC Ink™ will prove to be similarly effective against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
GC Ink™ formulations are protected by patents pending.
About Graphene Composites: Graphene Composites is a world leader in nanomaterials engineering. We are driven by our ethos – GC for Good – working with our partners to apply our expertise in graphene and other nanomaterials engineering to make truly life-enhancing products.
About Brown University: Brown’s Jamieson Lab conducted the tests in their Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL2) labs in Providence, Rhode Island, using a standard plaque assay approach, similar to the ISO international standards for anti-viral testing. Further tests are underway.
The negatively-charged surface of graphene oxide traps the positively-charged parts of water droplets and the protein spikes on coronavirus; the silver nanoparticles release ions that oxidize the lipid membrane protecting coronavirus RNA, thereby neutralizing it.
When used in filters and masks, GC Ink™ is highly effective at trapping and neutralizing airborne coronaviruses and other viruses/bacteria for several weeks.
.
About Graphene Composites: Graphene Composites is a world leader in nanomaterials engineering. We are driven by our ethos - GC for Good - working with our partners to apply our expertise in graphene and other nanomaterials engineering to make truly life-enhancing products.
About Brown University: Brown's Jamieson Lab conducted the tests in their Bio Safety Level 2 (BSL2) labs in Providence, Rhode Island, using a standard plaque assay approach, similar to the ISO international standards for anti-viral testing. Further tests are underway.
Company Website
https://graphenecomposites.com/
View source version on newsdirect.com: GC INK™ NEUTRALIZES 100 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS AND INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN UNDER ONE MINUTE | News Direct
.
nivek
As Above So Below
WHO to Shelve Report on COVID Origins after Calls for Greater Transparency
(Excerpt)
“Based on our analysis…there is as yet no evidence demonstrating a fully natural origin of this virus,” the scientists wrote in an open letter. The group called to investigate whether the pandemic began as a result of a “Lab Acquired Infection (LAI) in one of the laboratories in Wuhan” or “Lab-escape without LAI, for instance via waste handling or animals that escaped or were disposed of inappropriately.”
Wuhan is home to two laboratories that study infectious diseases, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan Center for Disease Control. WHO investigators were not permitted access to either of those institutions.
(More on the link)
.
(Excerpt)
“Based on our analysis…there is as yet no evidence demonstrating a fully natural origin of this virus,” the scientists wrote in an open letter. The group called to investigate whether the pandemic began as a result of a “Lab Acquired Infection (LAI) in one of the laboratories in Wuhan” or “Lab-escape without LAI, for instance via waste handling or animals that escaped or were disposed of inappropriately.”
Wuhan is home to two laboratories that study infectious diseases, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan Center for Disease Control. WHO investigators were not permitted access to either of those institutions.
(More on the link)
.
Sheltie
Fratty and out of touch.
UVA withdraws from ACC tournament due to positive COVID test; NCAA tournament in jeopardy for Cavs
Looking more and more like the NCAA Tournament may be canceled again this year.
Looking more and more like the NCAA Tournament may be canceled again this year.
nivek
As Above So Below
Europe and Brazil are getting slammed by COVID-19 again. The U.S. is in better shape but not immune.
"Optimism is spreading in the U.S. as COVID-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults," The Associated Press reports. "But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections that is closing schools and cafes and bringing new lockdowns."
"Each of these countries has had nadirs like we are having now, and each took an upward trend after they disregarded known mitigation strategies," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday. "They simply took their eye off the ball." Health experts say America's much more successful vaccination campaign could blunt a Europe-like resurgence, but the U.S. should also view Europe as a cautionary tale.
Brazil is also being roiled by its worst COVID-19 outbreak yet, CNN reports.
And the U.S. isn't immune — yet. "After weeks of declining coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations, new hot spots of infection have emerged" in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states, The Washington Post reports. A majority of Americans 65 and over have been vaccinated, which should keep the hospitalization and fatality numbers down, but the variants — especially the more contagious, deadlier B.1.1.7 strain first found in Britain — are a worrisome wild card.
Europe didn't get slammed until more than half of new cases were from the U.K. variant, University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm tells the Post. "What Europe is telling us is that we haven't yet begun to see the impact of B.1.1.7 here." America's best option, health experts say, is combining mitigation measures — masks, social distancing, vigilance — with an urgent vaccination effort.
"I think it is a race against time," Dr. Stephen Thomas at Upstate Medical University tells The New York Times. "Every single person that we can get vaccinated or every single person that we can get a mask on is one less opportunity that a variant has." Dr. Amesh Adalja at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security agrees. "Vaccination with no speed limit, 24/7, that's what's going to protect us from what's happening in Europe," he told AP.
.
"Optimism is spreading in the U.S. as COVID-19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults," The Associated Press reports. "But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections that is closing schools and cafes and bringing new lockdowns."
"Each of these countries has had nadirs like we are having now, and each took an upward trend after they disregarded known mitigation strategies," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday. "They simply took their eye off the ball." Health experts say America's much more successful vaccination campaign could blunt a Europe-like resurgence, but the U.S. should also view Europe as a cautionary tale.
Brazil is also being roiled by its worst COVID-19 outbreak yet, CNN reports.
And the U.S. isn't immune — yet. "After weeks of declining coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations, new hot spots of infection have emerged" in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states, The Washington Post reports. A majority of Americans 65 and over have been vaccinated, which should keep the hospitalization and fatality numbers down, but the variants — especially the more contagious, deadlier B.1.1.7 strain first found in Britain — are a worrisome wild card.
Europe didn't get slammed until more than half of new cases were from the U.K. variant, University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm tells the Post. "What Europe is telling us is that we haven't yet begun to see the impact of B.1.1.7 here." America's best option, health experts say, is combining mitigation measures — masks, social distancing, vigilance — with an urgent vaccination effort.
"I think it is a race against time," Dr. Stephen Thomas at Upstate Medical University tells The New York Times. "Every single person that we can get vaccinated or every single person that we can get a mask on is one less opportunity that a variant has." Dr. Amesh Adalja at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security agrees. "Vaccination with no speed limit, 24/7, that's what's going to protect us from what's happening in Europe," he told AP.
.
nivek
As Above So Below
CDC corona vaccine death report: 31,079 adverse events, including 1,524 deaths, 5,507 serious injuries and 390 reports of Bell’s Palsy
Between Dec. 14, 2020, and Mar. 5, 2021, 31,079 reports of adverse events were submitted to VAERS, including 1,524 deaths, 5,507 serious injuries and 390 reports of Bell’s Palsy.
Data released a few days ago by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the number of injuries and deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following COVID vaccines remain consistent with previous weeks, with the exception of a 31% spike in reports of Bell’s Palsy.
Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received by the system as of Friday of the previous week. Today’s data show that between Dec. 14, 2020, and March 5, a total of 31,079 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 1,524 deaths — an increase of 259 over the previous 7 days — and 5,507 serious injuries, up 1,083 over the same time period. In the U.S., 85.01 million COVID vaccine doses had been administered as of March 5.
VAERS is the primary mechanism for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.
This week’s 31% increase in reports of Bell’s Palsy marks a break with past trends. Otherwise, today’s data reflect trends that have emerged since The Defender first began tracking VAERS reports related to COVID vaccines.
This week’s VAERS data show
(More on the link)
.
Between Dec. 14, 2020, and Mar. 5, 2021, 31,079 reports of adverse events were submitted to VAERS, including 1,524 deaths, 5,507 serious injuries and 390 reports of Bell’s Palsy.
Data released a few days ago by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the number of injuries and deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following COVID vaccines remain consistent with previous weeks, with the exception of a 31% spike in reports of Bell’s Palsy.
Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received by the system as of Friday of the previous week. Today’s data show that between Dec. 14, 2020, and March 5, a total of 31,079 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 1,524 deaths — an increase of 259 over the previous 7 days — and 5,507 serious injuries, up 1,083 over the same time period. In the U.S., 85.01 million COVID vaccine doses had been administered as of March 5.
VAERS is the primary mechanism for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.
This week’s 31% increase in reports of Bell’s Palsy marks a break with past trends. Otherwise, today’s data reflect trends that have emerged since The Defender first began tracking VAERS reports related to COVID vaccines.
This week’s VAERS data show
- Of the 1,524 deaths reported as of March 6, 30% occurred within 48 hours of vaccination, and 46% occurred in people who became ill within 48 hours of being vaccinated.
- Nineteen percent of deaths were related to cardiac disorders.
- Fifty-three percent of those who died were male, 45% were female and the remaining death reports did not include gender of the deceased.
- The average age of those who died was 77.9 and the youngest death confirmed was a 23-year-old.
- As of March 5, 265 pregnant women had reported adverse events related to COVID vaccines, including 85 reports of miscarriage or premature birth. None of the COVID vaccines approved for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) have been tested for safety or efficacy in pregnant women.
- There were 1,689 reports of anaphylaxis, with 59% of cases attributed to the Pfizer-Bio-N-Tech vaccine and 41% to Moderna.
(More on the link)
.
August
Metanoia
nivek
As Above So Below
Why Europe's AstraZeneca vaccine fumble could be bad news for the U.S.
Forget herd immunity. In Europe this week it appeared “herd mentality” was the dominating force in the battle against COVID-19.
On Monday, Germany raised a red flag, temporarily suspending use of the AstraZeneca vaccine so that it could investigate possible links to blood clots after seven cases of thrombosis occurred in the 1.6 million patients inoculated with that vaccine in Germany; three cases proved fatal. In response, another dozen European countries marched behind Berlin, dropping that vaccine to further investigate and effectively halting already anemic COVID immunization programs.
To date, less than 5 percent of citizens in Europe have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, compared to 13 percent in the U.S. Hampered by a shortage of doses, “the vaccine rollout in Europe appears more like a crawl-out,” Roland Freudenstein, policy director of Martens Centre, a Brussels-based think tank, told Yahoo News. He says the United States, where 23 percent of citizens have had at least one shot, appears in contrast to be “a glowing example” of how the COVID crisis can be rapidly turned around. Halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine further muddied the waters for some Americans, a surprising number of whom have ambivalent feelings about being inoculated.
On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency, the European Union’s regulatory arm, after investigating the matter, again green-lit the AstraZeneca shot, which was co-created by the Swedish-British pharmaceutical company and Oxford University, saying, “This is a safe and effective vaccine.” That assurance prompted most countries to reverse course. French Prime Minister Jean Castex and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among those publicly rolling up their sleeves Friday for the AstraZeneca shot. But the damage to public confidence, for the moment at least, had been done.
“The population is scared that this vaccine could be dangerous,” Dr. José Martín Moreno, an epidemiologist and professor of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Valencia in Spain, told El Pais. Europeans, he said, “don’t know what they should believe.” And this comes at the very moment the Continent is being slammed by a third COVID wave: Italy as well as Paris and Hamburg are again under lockdown, a threat looming for all of Germany, France and beyond.
The confusing episode over AstraZeneca inoculations may have a ripple effect, clouding the vaccination issue not just for EU citizens but for at least some Americans. Still awaiting FDA approval, the AstraZeneca vaccine isn’t yet being used in the U.S., although the Trump administration ordered 300 million doses, millions of which have been stockpiled.
Richard Carpiano, a professor of public policy and sociology at the University of California, Riverside said the European flap “poisons the vaccine well” for the many Americans who are already “vaccine-hesitant.” According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll of Americans released last Friday, 30 percent of respondents said they didn’t plan to be vaccinated for COVID-19, while 3 percent said they were still unsure.
Carpiano said those who are skeptical about vaccines are a diverse group, some influenced by disinformation and misinformation campaigns, some conspiracy-minded, some members of ethnic groups historically distrustful of medical care, and some worried about taking the vaccine while pregnant. “We see lots of little groups with different reasons that really do add up to become a kind of hesitancy ecosystem,” he said.
“Just the fact that this question mark has been raised will feed into conspiracy theories about the state and pharmaceutical companies hiding evidence of the dangerous side effects of vaccines, which seems to be the root of a lot of anti-vaxxer messages,” said sociologist Jonathan Kennedy, a lecturer in global public health at Queen Mary University of London. Kennedy’s research has led him to believe “most people are either pro-vaccines or simply don’t know — and want to do what’s best for their family. They just need some persuading.” They also need “clear and consistent messages,” he said, which hasn’t been the strong suit of European or American officials throughout the pandemic.
Shobita Parthasarathy, a professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the University of Michigan, believes European countries were acting responsibly when they halted the vaccine’s use to investigate the handful of cases of patients who developed blood clots after receiving an AstraZeneca shot, three of whom died. “Taking it seriously and looking into it was the only path they could take — and a demonstration of them doing their job,” she said. Had they not done so, they would have fed the public’s growing mistrust in agencies that they don’t believe reflect their concerns, Parthasarathy added.
Nevertheless, the about-face did mirror the messaging reversals that have characterized the entire pandemic, which Parthasarathy believes underscores the need for honesty. In talking with the public, she’s heard continual references to the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force’s initial advice that the general public should not wear masks, a message initially put forth by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
“The reason that it was so devastating is that was in mid-March of 2020. The NBA had shut down. Tom Hanks had COVID, everybody was listening and the first thing that Fauci is saying is, ‘You don’t need to wear a mask,’” Parthasarathy said. “What he didn’t say was, ‘We have a scarcity of PPE. We’re reserving masks for health care workers.’” She believes that had the reality been spelled out, it would have made all the difference and spared Americans the confusion that resulted when the message changed to “Wear a mask any time you go out.”
Parthasarathy believes the messaging in the U.S. is on track now, as is the American vaccination program. “We’re managing. We’ll muddle through this. Europe is in a much more dire situation when it comes to vaccine hesitancy than we are,” she said.
A recent Wellcome Trust poll showed that only 47 percent of the French population believed that vaccines are safe, and according to an Ipsos-World Economic Forum survey from last December, only 40 percent of the French planned to get vaccinated, followed by 62 percent of Italians and Spaniards, and 65 percent of Germans. If those same percentages forgo getting vaccinated for COVID-19, not only will Europe not meets its summer goal of having 70 percent of its population vaccinated — the percentage believed needed to achieve herd immunity — but the virus will continue to mutate, possibly into strains that will threaten other parts of the world.
Despite the current bumps in vaccine rollouts, Freudenstein, for one, is optimistic that situations can change for the better, and quickly. He points to the state of the U.S. only 10 weeks ago, when COVID rates were soaring and the country seemed at its most divided in decades. “After [the Capitol attack on] January 6, the ‘conventional wisdom’ in Europe was that the U.S. was going to implode,” being incapable of meeting challenges caused by the pandemic as well as societal upheaval. “Lo and behold, a little more than two months later, the U.S. looks fantastic. And now Europeans are looking like we’re complete nincompoops.”
.
Forget herd immunity. In Europe this week it appeared “herd mentality” was the dominating force in the battle against COVID-19.
On Monday, Germany raised a red flag, temporarily suspending use of the AstraZeneca vaccine so that it could investigate possible links to blood clots after seven cases of thrombosis occurred in the 1.6 million patients inoculated with that vaccine in Germany; three cases proved fatal. In response, another dozen European countries marched behind Berlin, dropping that vaccine to further investigate and effectively halting already anemic COVID immunization programs.
To date, less than 5 percent of citizens in Europe have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, compared to 13 percent in the U.S. Hampered by a shortage of doses, “the vaccine rollout in Europe appears more like a crawl-out,” Roland Freudenstein, policy director of Martens Centre, a Brussels-based think tank, told Yahoo News. He says the United States, where 23 percent of citizens have had at least one shot, appears in contrast to be “a glowing example” of how the COVID crisis can be rapidly turned around. Halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine further muddied the waters for some Americans, a surprising number of whom have ambivalent feelings about being inoculated.
On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency, the European Union’s regulatory arm, after investigating the matter, again green-lit the AstraZeneca shot, which was co-created by the Swedish-British pharmaceutical company and Oxford University, saying, “This is a safe and effective vaccine.” That assurance prompted most countries to reverse course. French Prime Minister Jean Castex and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among those publicly rolling up their sleeves Friday for the AstraZeneca shot. But the damage to public confidence, for the moment at least, had been done.
“The population is scared that this vaccine could be dangerous,” Dr. José Martín Moreno, an epidemiologist and professor of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Valencia in Spain, told El Pais. Europeans, he said, “don’t know what they should believe.” And this comes at the very moment the Continent is being slammed by a third COVID wave: Italy as well as Paris and Hamburg are again under lockdown, a threat looming for all of Germany, France and beyond.
The confusing episode over AstraZeneca inoculations may have a ripple effect, clouding the vaccination issue not just for EU citizens but for at least some Americans. Still awaiting FDA approval, the AstraZeneca vaccine isn’t yet being used in the U.S., although the Trump administration ordered 300 million doses, millions of which have been stockpiled.
Richard Carpiano, a professor of public policy and sociology at the University of California, Riverside said the European flap “poisons the vaccine well” for the many Americans who are already “vaccine-hesitant.” According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll of Americans released last Friday, 30 percent of respondents said they didn’t plan to be vaccinated for COVID-19, while 3 percent said they were still unsure.
Carpiano said those who are skeptical about vaccines are a diverse group, some influenced by disinformation and misinformation campaigns, some conspiracy-minded, some members of ethnic groups historically distrustful of medical care, and some worried about taking the vaccine while pregnant. “We see lots of little groups with different reasons that really do add up to become a kind of hesitancy ecosystem,” he said.
“Just the fact that this question mark has been raised will feed into conspiracy theories about the state and pharmaceutical companies hiding evidence of the dangerous side effects of vaccines, which seems to be the root of a lot of anti-vaxxer messages,” said sociologist Jonathan Kennedy, a lecturer in global public health at Queen Mary University of London. Kennedy’s research has led him to believe “most people are either pro-vaccines or simply don’t know — and want to do what’s best for their family. They just need some persuading.” They also need “clear and consistent messages,” he said, which hasn’t been the strong suit of European or American officials throughout the pandemic.
Shobita Parthasarathy, a professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the University of Michigan, believes European countries were acting responsibly when they halted the vaccine’s use to investigate the handful of cases of patients who developed blood clots after receiving an AstraZeneca shot, three of whom died. “Taking it seriously and looking into it was the only path they could take — and a demonstration of them doing their job,” she said. Had they not done so, they would have fed the public’s growing mistrust in agencies that they don’t believe reflect their concerns, Parthasarathy added.
Nevertheless, the about-face did mirror the messaging reversals that have characterized the entire pandemic, which Parthasarathy believes underscores the need for honesty. In talking with the public, she’s heard continual references to the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force’s initial advice that the general public should not wear masks, a message initially put forth by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
“The reason that it was so devastating is that was in mid-March of 2020. The NBA had shut down. Tom Hanks had COVID, everybody was listening and the first thing that Fauci is saying is, ‘You don’t need to wear a mask,’” Parthasarathy said. “What he didn’t say was, ‘We have a scarcity of PPE. We’re reserving masks for health care workers.’” She believes that had the reality been spelled out, it would have made all the difference and spared Americans the confusion that resulted when the message changed to “Wear a mask any time you go out.”
Parthasarathy believes the messaging in the U.S. is on track now, as is the American vaccination program. “We’re managing. We’ll muddle through this. Europe is in a much more dire situation when it comes to vaccine hesitancy than we are,” she said.
A recent Wellcome Trust poll showed that only 47 percent of the French population believed that vaccines are safe, and according to an Ipsos-World Economic Forum survey from last December, only 40 percent of the French planned to get vaccinated, followed by 62 percent of Italians and Spaniards, and 65 percent of Germans. If those same percentages forgo getting vaccinated for COVID-19, not only will Europe not meets its summer goal of having 70 percent of its population vaccinated — the percentage believed needed to achieve herd immunity — but the virus will continue to mutate, possibly into strains that will threaten other parts of the world.
Despite the current bumps in vaccine rollouts, Freudenstein, for one, is optimistic that situations can change for the better, and quickly. He points to the state of the U.S. only 10 weeks ago, when COVID rates were soaring and the country seemed at its most divided in decades. “After [the Capitol attack on] January 6, the ‘conventional wisdom’ in Europe was that the U.S. was going to implode,” being incapable of meeting challenges caused by the pandemic as well as societal upheaval. “Lo and behold, a little more than two months later, the U.S. looks fantastic. And now Europeans are looking like we’re complete nincompoops.”
.
August
Metanoia
Better check what your next Flu jab is made out of . Flu vaccine made from mans best friends kidneys .
This Flu Shot Is Not Like the Others
This Flu Shot Is Not Like the Others
AD1184
Celestial
The vaccines have a demonstrated effectiveness of up to around 90%, so at least 10% are susceptible to infection after being vaccinated. However, their outcomes are likely to be better than if they had not had the vaccine, and as the proportion of people who are vaccinated increases, the likelihood of any individual becoming infected shall decrease.
JahaRa
Noble
Where did you get that 90% from? The numbers I have seen are just over 60% no matter which vaccine it is. And really, the vaccines have not been used long enough to even have an accurate estimation of effectiveness.