Covid-19: Treatments, Cures, and Vaccines

FDA makes it official and grants Johnson and Johnson Emergency Use Authorization for their SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. J&J has only 4 million doses on hand to ship but are committed to 100 million by the end of Q2 I believe. With some of the first evidence that indicates that the worst of the variants may be linked to those with waning natural immunity leading to mutations in the virus....the race is on to convince everyone to be vaccinated.

U.S. authorizes Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine

 

Colorado Infection Prevention Expert Calls Dr. Marty Makary's Herd Immunity Prediction 'A Little Overly Optimistic'

 

Listening to The Jab, a podcast from The Economist on vaccine production, and they just mentioned a fact in passing that I found rather unbelievable but which appears to be the truth. The current CEO of Astro Zeneca grew up a street fighter on the streets of Paris

The onetime Parisian street fighter who gave his company purpose

 

he fought with local teenagers against teenagers from other blocks. Not exactly what I would term a street fighter. He was a horse vet before moving into research. Good story though.

 

I stand corrected. It's probably the European version of the garage startup, a really important element of corporate mythology

 

New Orleans Archdiocese Asks Catholics to Avoid Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine

While a number of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have used cells originally derived from an aborted fetus in the 1970s, the archdiocese argues that Johnson & Johnson “extensive use” is worse than that of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which used the cells lines only to test their vaccines, according to Religion News Service. This makes the “connection to abortion … extremely remote,” in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the statement argues, recommending that Catholics choose one of those instead, if provided a choice.
New Orleans Archdiocese Asks Catholics to Avoid Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine (yahoo.com)


SMH

 

I just picked up a prescription at my Publix pharmacy and asked about the governor’s executive order concerning teachers, LEOs, and firefighters. I was told that Publix would not be complying with the order

 

What the frick....you should report them.

 

They said it was their corporate policy. So while there is an executive order, there is no plan for its implementation.

 

Sounds about right honestly. A grocery store's corporate policy dictates who gets medical care. What a time to be alive!

 

At least we don't have death panels.

 

You were given incorrect information. I work for Publix as a pharmacist and we have been given the okay to vaccinate teachers and all of the above, but they have to be 50 or older. How old are you?

 

Thanks for the info. I’m 62 with hypertension.

 

No problem! We are also expecting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine soon and when that hits I fully expect us to start taking walk ins since it requires only one vaccine and that should open it up more to the public. Now, if they’d only stop double booking us too many appointments.

 

Do you have to have doctors note if over 50 and publix pharmacy dispenses your diabetes medication

 

Meanwhile, I rarely use the word hate.....but really LOATHE ignorance. To me, this is someone too stupid, lazy or willfully ignorant to take 20 minutes to read and understand the study findings if they can make such statements. I wonder how they feel about using somehting that has 0 initial data against the worst variants vs a vaccine that was actually tried against said variants and is already adapting to have future improvements? BTW....they can send it to me any time......

COVID-19 tracker: Pfizer CEO postpones Israel trip; Australia contests Italy vaccine blockade

 

Probably not a lot of new information here, but an actual study that confirms what has been commonly believed. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is highly effective against the UK (B.1.1.7) and Brazilian (P1) variants. It is was less effective against the South African variant (B.1.351). The data has not been peer reviewed yet and NEJM has not published therefore. Pfizer/BioNTech is already working on a Boost-2, or 3rd shot which will show greater efficacy against the B.1.351 variant (as is Moderna and J&J is similarly working on their boost shot).

Lab Study Suggests Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Effective Against Variants After Second Dose

 

Makes sense, and it's important as it will increase vaccination dose availaibilty...

One dose of Pfizer’s vaccine protects those who got COVID-19, research finds

The New York Times reports that two studies published in The Lancet, a prominent medical journal, found that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine offers enough protection against the coronavirus for those who have had COVID-19.

• One of the studies — done by the University College London and Public Health England — followed 51 health workers in London who submitted results of antibody tests. About half had been infected with COVID-19. Those who got a single dose of Pfizer’s vaccine had a more than 140-fold protection against the virus.
• The second study — published from Imperial College London — followed 72 health workers who got the vaccine in December 2020. One dose of the Pfizer vaccine created a strong antibody response as well.

 

If one has taken both Pfizer or moderna shots, is it safe or potentially helpful to later also get the J&J shot ?