Tracking the Mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus
As is the nature of viruses, the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease symptoms continues to mutate. Some scientists estimate it evolves at a rate of two new mutations every month, although most changes are minor and considered clinically unimportant.1 2 Depending on the type of genetic changes that occur, mutations can affect disease symptoms, […]
CDC Recommends Four COVID-19 Shots for Immunocompromised People
On Oct. 25, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 vaccine guidance for moderately to severely immunocompromised people over the age of 18 years to include a total of four doses of a COVID-19 biologic.1 Moderate to Severely Immune Compromised People Can Get A Fourth COVID Shot Six Months […]
Why Aren’t We Celebrating the Naturally Immune?
Opinion | At the beginning of this pandemic, I heard the term herd immunity a lot. Scientists and news anchors used to theorize about what percentage of society would have to come in contact with the virus in order to obtain herd immunity. We know that 40 million people have tested positive for COVID in […]
The “Natural Immunity Is Real Act” Introduced in Congress
In an effort to get the U.S. government to recognize the value of natural immunity in providing effective protection against COVID-19, U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee introduced the Natural Immunity Is Real Act in the House of Representatives on Oct. 18, 2021. The bill, H.R. 5590, requires U.S. federal agencies to take into account […]
Moderna, Novavax Developing Combined Single-Dose COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccine
American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., which partnered with the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine being distributed in the United States under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) announced that it is developing a combined single-dose booster vaccine for COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.1 In a […]
Universities Face Lawsuits Over Policies That Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine
Michigan State college has to answer in court for its new COVID-19 vaccination mandate that does not exempt individuals who have acquired natural immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus after recovering from the infection. The federal class action lawsuit filed by New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) on behalf of a school employee, who was subject to […]