WHO Does About-Face on Whether Pregnant Women Should Get Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
In early January 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended against pregnant women receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccine due to insufficient scientific data for that vulnerable population.1 On Jan. 26, the WHO recommended against pregnant women receiving the Moderna experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, with WHO director of immunization Kate O’Brien being quoted by […]
Anal Swabs Used to Test for SARS-CoV-2 Virus in China
Health authorities in China have begun using anal swabs to test patients for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that can cause COVID-19.1 While COVID-19 outbreaks continue to increase in China as the Lunar New Year approaches, more than a million residents in Beijing have been administered anal swabs to test for the virus. Although anal swabs have […]
Health Care Worker in Orange County, California Dies Four Days After Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
A 60-year-old health care worker died on Jan. 9, 2021 in Orange, California just four days after having received the second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s experimental messenger RNA (mRNA) BNT162b2 vaccine for COVID-19. Tim Zook, who worked as a X-ray technician, began complaining of abdominal pain and trouble breathing about two and a half hours after […]
Minority Populations Targeted for Early COVID-19 Vaccination
Story Highlights Minority populations including Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in the U.S., with evidence indicating they have a higher risk of being infected and/or are at an increased risk of serious disease and death from the infection. Many agencies, public figures and states are advocating that such at-risk […]
Moderna, Pfizer Test mRNA Experimental Biologics on Children
On Dec. 10, 2020, American biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., which is pioneering the development of experimental messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, gave a 12-year old a dose of the company’s mRNA-1273 vaccine in a Phase 2/3 study of the new vaccine. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said, “Our goal is to generate data in the […]
Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Approved for Pregnant Women in Israel
Story Highlights The World Health Organization issued a Jan. 26, 2021 statement recommending that pregnant women should not be vaccinated with Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, approved for use under emergency authorization, citing a lack of data in pregnancy. Previously, most countries were in agreement with that opinion, but Israel is now recommending that pregnant women should […]