Vaccine study shows safety for older adults
Biotech company Moderna announced that a small study of its potential vaccine shows it’s as safe and apparently effective in older adults as in younger ones.
The company had released data on 15 younger adults, showing a 100-microgram dose appeared safe and triggered an immune response similar to people who had been infected with the coronavirus. The new data, which has not yet been published or scientifically reviewed, shows similar results among 10 adults between the ages of 56 and 70 and another 10 older than 71.
There had been some question about whether Moderna’s vaccine technology, which has never been used for an approved vaccine, would be as effective in older people, who are far more vulnerable to serious cases of COVID-19.
The company is pursuing larger trials to examine safety and effectiveness of its candidate vaccine, now called mRNA-1273. In a Phase 2 trial, the company has tested 300 younger adults and 250 over age 50. It has not released those results. Moderna has also begun a Phase 3 trial, intending to give 15,000 people mRNA-1273 and another 15,000 a placebo.
The U.S. has more than 5.7 million confirmed infections and 178,000 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 820,000 deaths and 23.9 million cases, according to John Hopkins University data.
Two more reinfection cases in Europe
Two patients in Europe have been reinfected with COVID-19, further emphasizing the necessity of a vaccine as opposed to relying on herd immunity.
The cases in the Netherlands and Belgium were reported by state broadcasters and were proven to be different strains of the virus, reported Reuters. The Dutch woman had a weakened immune system, virologist Marion Koopmans told broadcasters. “That someone would pop up with a reinfection, it doesn’t make me nervous,” he said, per Reuters. “We have to see whether it happens often.” The news comes only days after researchers at the University of Hong Kong announced that a 33-year-old man was reinfected by a different strain of COVID-19 more than four months after his initial infection.
University of Alabama cases skyrocket
After one week of in-person instruction, the University of Alabama has amassed 531 cases, putting the upcoming fall semester “in serious jeopardy,” according to Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. “As mayor, my first responsibility is to protect the health, safety and welfare of this community and of every person that is living here, studying here or working here.”
Maddox ordered the shutdown of bars — both standalone and in restaurants — that went into effect Monday. The university is also limiting students’ activities on campus to address on-campus hot spots.
LA County reports decline in cases
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department confirmed 989 new infections Tuesday, marking the first time it has reported less than 1,000 daily cases since the beginning of June. The number of daily confirmed cases from mid to late July was about 3,200. But Los Angeles County remains on California’s coronavirus watchlist.
“Last week, we mentioned that we were showing progress on meeting the state’s benchmarks for getting off the watchlist, and we are grateful for everyone’s sacrifices that have resulted in slowing the spread,” the county’s public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
“Because of the lessons we learned from our explosion of cases in July, I need to ask that we continue to significantly modify our actions if we want to keep community transmission rates low,” Ferrer said.
California has the most COVID-19 cases of any state with 673,095 infections, according to the state’s department of public health.
Mont. suspends inmate transfers
Montana officials said they have suspended the transfer of state inmates out of three county jails because of outbreaks that have infected more than 90 inmates and staff. At least 34 inmates at the Yellowstone County Detention Center in Billings and 53 inmates at the Cascade County Detention Center in Great Falls have tested positive in recent days. The suspensions will remain until the jails see a “significant reduction in active virus cases,” said a Department of Corrections spokeswoman.
Pa. governor calls for legalizing weed
Gov. Tom Wolf is calling on the state legislature to legalize recreational marijuana and use the tax revenue to help small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. Although programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Paycheck Protection Program have helped some, Wolf said, more needs to be done.
He wants to see more money provided to frontline workers and working parents, as well as more grants created to support small businesses. These efforts could be funded, he said, with the $1.3 billion it has left from federal stimulus relief and the revenue from legalization of recreational marijuana.