Sinovac cuts Covid-19 death risk by 84%, AZ and Pfizer by over 90%: Malaysia survey on 1.26m people

‘The Sinovac vaccine can reduce the risk of death among Covid-19 patients by up to 84%, the health ministry said today. Citing data from the real-world evaluation of Covid-19 vaccines under the Malaysia national Covid-19 immunisation programme (RECoVaM), the ministry said the Pfizer jab decreased the risk of death by 93%.

‘In a Twitter post, it said the AstraZeneca vaccine showed the best result, with the lowest rate of “breakthrough deaths”, with the study finding that the jab reduced the risk of deaths among Covid-19 patients by 96%. This was based on a survey led by the health ministry’s Institute for Clinical Research (ICR) on 1,261,270 individuals.’

Read here (Free Malaysia Today, Sept 24, 2021)

The AstraZeneca vaccination system must be scrapped – P Gunasegaram

‘The original proposal for Covid-19 vaccinations was a good one but concerns over the AstraZeneca vaccine have elicited a wrong response from the government, leading to a system that enabled jumping a queue that already exists.

‘The AstraZeneca vaccination system needs to be scrapped after its first roll-out and amalgamated into the existing one, especially since it was reported that Malaysia is soon to receive a million more doses of AstraZeneca under the Covax facility, which enables countries to get vaccines. It would be a major disaster if this is done through the alternative booking process because it seriously compromises the earlier queuing system.

‘Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is responsible for the coordination of vaccinations, erred when he allowed a parallel system of vaccination, which is unfair because it bypasses a system already in place which prioritises vaccinations according to need.’

Read here (The Vibes, May 13, 2021)

Is the first come first served vaccine rollout scientifically and ethically right? — Dr Musa Mohd Nordin

‘This narrative may not go down very well with the many young Malaysians who have successfully secured their AstraZeneca-University Oxford (AZ) doses. It was a frantic scrambling by the tech savvy for the 268,000 doses of the AZ vaccine. All vaccine doses were snapped within a space of four hours. Now that they have jumped the queue, some of them have even begun to rationalize the legitimacy of the first come first served vaccine roll out!...

‘The risk of being admitted to hospital and of dying from COVID in a 70 year old is 1786 and 906 times respectively, when compared to the risk of suffering from a blood clot.

‘Thus my suggestion to prioritize the AZ vaccine rollout in the high infection rate states, namely Sarawak, Kelantan, KL and Selangor, with the first right of refusal to the groups at the highest risk of severe COVID disease and deaths, i.e. those above 60 years old. Only when these high-risk elders have been protected, then the AZ vaccine can be offered to others. This makes medical sense and it is the ethically right response, within the context of limited vaccine supplies and the presently known risk benefit analysis.’

Read here (The Malay Mail, May 5, 2021)

The blood-clot problem is multiplying

‘Whether the blood issues are ultimately linked to only one vaccine, or two vaccines, or more, it’s absolutely crucial to remember the unrelenting death toll from the coronavirus itself—and the fact that COVID-19 can set off its own chaos in the circulatory system, with blood clots showing up in “almost every organ.” That effect of the disease is just one of many reasons the European Medicines Agency has emphasized that the “overall benefits of the [AstraZeneca] vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects.” The same is true of Johnson & Johnson’s. These vaccines are saving countless lives across multiple continents.

‘But it’s also crucial to determine the biological cause of any vaccine-related blood conditions. This global immunization project presents a lot of firsts: the first authorized use of mRNA vaccines like the ones from Pfizer and Moderna; the first worldwide use of adenovirus vectors for vaccines like AstraZeneca’s, Johnson & Johnson’s, and Sputnik V; and the first attempt to immunize against a coronavirus. Which, if any, of these new frontiers might be linked to serious side effects? Which, if any, of the other vaccines could be drawn into this story, too? How can a tiny but disturbing risk be mitigated as we fight our way out of this pandemic? And what might be the implications for vaccine design in the years to come?

‘To answer these questions, scientists will have to figure out the biology behind this rare blood condition: what exactly causes it; when and why it happens. This is not an easy task. While the evidence available so far is fairly limited, some useful theories have emerged...

• Theory 1: Platelet problems
• Theory 2: The spike’s the problem
• Theory 3: A suspect sequence
• Theory 4: The mixed bag

Read here (The Atlantic, Apr 17, 2021)

AstraZeneca: Is there a blood clot risk?

‘I have spoken to respected scientists some of whom are sceptical, others increasingly convinced. Some point to the highly unusual nature of the clots as a sign something could be going on. They are often appearing at the same time as low levels of blood platelets, which are one of the main components of a clot, and antibodies linked to other clotting disorders appearing in the blood. Others say there is not enough proof and the reported cases could plausibly be down to Covid, which itself is linked to abnormal clotting.’

Read here (BBC, Apr 3, 2021)

A complete timeline of what’s going on with the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

‘AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant based in Cambridge, England, has little track record in vaccines, but it managed to score a coup by partnering with scientists at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute to help bring its COVID-19 vaccine to market. The company penned deals to deliver billions of vaccines around the world.

‘Yet, of the major vaccine in the global market, AstraZeneca's has had the roughest ride. Between halted trials, confusing data, and communication mishaps, the company is now facing suspended vaccinations and a decrease in trust in its vaccine.’

Read here (Fortune, Apr 2, 2021)

Thromboembolism and the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: Side-effect or coincidence?

‘When making decisions on the use of drugs based on pharmacovigilance, it is important to take into account the natural incidence of illnesses, such as venous thromboembolisms, that might be interpreted as serious adverse events. Here, based on pre-pandemic incidence rates from the entire Danish population, we report that the number of venous thromboembolisms reported in relation to the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine does not seem to be increased beyond the expected incidence rate. Nevertheless, recent reports of thrombocytopenia-associated cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, multiple thrombosis, and bleeding within a short timeframe after receipt of the vaccine are concerning and are receiving due attention from health authorities. On March 18, 2021, with reference to the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the EMA concluded that “benefits still outweigh the risks despite possible link to rare blood clots with low blood platelets”.’

Read here (The Lancet, Mar 30, 2021) 

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is ‘haram’, but permissible due to urgent situation: Indonesia Islamic body

‘Indonesia’s most influential Islamic organisation said AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is “haram” or forbidden for Muslims, but its use can be temporarily permitted due to a lack of alternatives. The Indonesian Council of Ulema or MUI said it has conducted studies on the vaccine to see if it is “holy and halal” for Muslims to use.

‘The studies, said head of the council’s fatwa department Asorirun Niam Sholeh, showed that the AstraZeneca vaccine uses pork-derived trypsin – which is needed to break down proteins – in its production. Pork is considered unclean by Muslims.’  

Read here (Channel News Asia, Mar 19, 2021)

EU states to resume AstraZeneca vaccine rollout

‘The EU's leading states are to restart their roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after Europe's medicines regulator concluded it was "safe and effective". The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the jab after 13 EU states suspended use of the vaccine over fears of a link to blood clots. It found the jab was "not associated" with a higher risk of clots. Germany, France, Italy and Spain said they would resume using the jab.’

Read here (BBC, Mar 19, 2021)

Europe is lashing out like a wounded animal but its injuries are self-inflicted

‘As if banning the shipment of 250,000 AstraZeneca doses to Australia earlier this month didn’t set a bad enough precedent, the EU went even further on Wednesday by threatening to take over AstraZeneca’s factories and strip the company of its intellectual property rights unless the pharmaceutical giant delivered more doses over the coming months.

‘European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has grounds to be upset: while Pfizer and Moderna have delivered on their first quarter commitments and pledged to deliver a combined 235 million doses in the second, AstraZeneca is dragging the chain. The firm will give the bloc only 100 million doses over the first six months of 2021 when the EU was expecting 270 million...

‘AstraZeneca certainly bears no blame for the week’s other baffling decision by some EU members to suspend the jab over unfounded safety fears.’

Read here (Sydney Morning Herald, Mar 19, 2021)

Khairy welcomes private sector procuring approved Covid-19 vaccines

“With regards to the purchase of vaccines by the private sector, as I have mentioned yesterday, most of the vaccine manufacturers only carry out negotiations with governments,” Khairy responded to Najib in a comment on his Facebook post...

“But if there are private parties who are able to carry out negotiations with vaccine manufacturers, especially those that have received approval from the NPRA (National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency) (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac), please do so. I really welcome it,” added the science, technology and innovation minister. 

‘Previously, Malaysian-based pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga Bhd announced that it planned to sell some of its Sinovac vaccine doses to the private sector. Pharmaniaga is undertaking the fill-and-finish processing of Sinovac’s vaccine. Solution Biologics, the distributor of Chinese CanSino’s vaccine, has also expressed plans to supply private health care providers with the vaccine, on top of selling 3.5 million doses to the Malaysian government.’ 

Read here (Code Blue, Mar 10, 2021)

Coronavirus and the money behind vaccines

The FT explains how the vaccine market works – including the cost of a vaccine and the vaccine development process – and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This short documentary features global experts including Bill Gates, the CEOs of Moderna and Gavi, and the lead scientist behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. 

View here (Financial Times, Youtube, Mar 10, 2021)

India’s Covid vaccine rollout ‘rescued the world’: Top US scientist

‘Dr Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston during a recent webinar said that the two mRNA vaccines may not impact the world's low- and middle-income countries, but India's vaccines, made in collaboration with universities across the world such as BCM and the Oxford University, have "rescued the world" and its contributions must not be underestimated.

‘During the webinar, "Covid-19: Vaccination and Potential Return to Normalcy - If and When", Dr Hotez, an internationally-recognised physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, said that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is "India's gift'' to the world in combating the virus.

‘India's drugs regulator gave emergency use authorisation to Covishield, produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India after securing licence from British pharma company AstraZeneca, and Covaxin, indigenously developed jointly by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research scientists.’

Read here (India Today, Mar 7, 2021)

The antibody deception

‘Virtually every study and piece of marketing material related to Covid is premised on scientists having positively and correctly identified the presence of the novel coronavirus (also known as SARS-CoV-2) in the material they’re working with.

‘The job of that identification is usually given to antibodies that are said to bind to the novel coronavirus. The assumption is these antibodies are able to pick out the virus and only the virus from among every other organism and substance surrounding it.

‘Unfortunately it turns out that the antibodies rarely (if ever) do that. This is because of, among other things, inadequate verification of the antibodies’ accuracy in targeting the virus by the companies that manufacture and sell them. And there’s even less verification by government regulators.’

Read here (OffGuardian, Mar 6, 2021)

From Pfizer to Moderna: Who's making billions from Covid-19 vaccines?

‘Among the biggest winners will be Moderna and Pfizer – two very different US pharma firms which are both charging more than $30 per person for the protection of their two-dose vaccines. While Moderna was founded just 11 years ago, has never made a profit and employed just 830 staff pre-pandemic, Pfizer traces its roots back to 1849, made a net profit of $9.6bn last year and employs nearly 80,000 staff.

‘But other drugmakers, such as the British-Swedish AstraZeneca and the US pharma Johnson & Johnson, have pledged to provide their vaccines on a not-for-profit basis until the pandemic comes to an end.’

Also carried in this story are: Sinovac, Sputnik V, Novavax, CureVac 

Read here (The Guardian, Mar 6, 2021)

Germany approves AstraZeneca vaccine for over-65s

‘Germany's vaccine commission has approved the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab in people aged over 65. The country previously approved it for under-65s only, citing insufficient data on its effects on older people. That led to public scepticism about its effectiveness, with some Germans spurning it and leaving many doses unused.

‘But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said recent studies had now provided enough data to approve it for all ages. Announcing the commission's decision on Thursday, Health Minister Jens Spahn said the move was "good news for older people who are waiting for an injection".’

Read here (BBC, Mar 5, 2021) 

Malaysia approves Sinovac, AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines for use

‘Malaysia on Tuesday (Mar 2) granted conditional approval for the use of vaccines made by UK firm AstraZeneca and China's Sinovac, just days after launching its nationwide COVID-19 inoculation programme. Malaysia began its vaccination drive on Feb 24 using a shot developed by US drugmaker Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, as it tries to rein in a spike in infections and help revive an economy that recorded its worst slump in more than two decades last year.’

Read here (Channel News Asia, Mar 2, 2021)

Why Covid vaccines are so difficult to compare

‘Given the demand for speed amid limited supplies, any effort to rank the vaccines must take into account not only their reported effectiveness, but also supplies, costs, the logistics of deploying them, the durability of the protection they offer and their ability to fend off emerging viral variants. Even so, many people might find it hard to look away from clinical-trial results that suggest an efficacy gap. So far, more than 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been delivered, and data have been rolling in from clinical trials in several countries. The top-line results from those studies suggest a range of protection: from 95% efficacy for a vaccine made by Pfizer of New York City and BioNTech of Mainz, Germany, to about 70% suggested by initial results on a vaccine made by AstraZeneca of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, both in the United Kingdom.’

Read here (Nature, Feb 23, 2021)

Oxford University to test Covid-19 vaccine response among children for first time

‘The University of Oxford has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the Covid-19 vaccine it has developed with AstraZeneca in children for the first time, it said on Saturday (Feb 13).

‘The new mid-stage trial will determine whether the vaccine is effective on people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to an emailed statement from the university. Around 300 volunteers will be enrolled and first inoculations are expected this month, Oxford said.’

Read here (Straits Times, Feb 13, 2021)

Common asthma drug cuts Covid-19 hospitalisation risk, recovery time: Oxford study

‘A commonly used asthma treatment appears to reduce the need for hospitalisations as well as recovery time for COVID-19 patients if given within seven days of symptoms appearing, researchers at the University of Oxford said on Tuesday (Feb 9).

‘The findings were made following a mid-stage study of the steroid budesonide, sold as Pulmicort by AstraZeneca and also used for treating smoker's lung.

‘The 28-day study of 146 patients suggested that inhaled budesonide reduced the risk of urgent care or hospitalisation by 90 per cent when compared with usual care, Oxford University said.’

Read here (Channel News Asia, Feb 10, 2021)