COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibodies
To the Editor:
I am confused and troubled by Supervisors Haff's and Kirk's recent positions on the MRNA vaccines and other SARS-COV-2 (Covid-19) mitigation measures, and have reached out to them for clarity.
The Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines have been shown to be highly effective and safe in preventing serious illness or death resulting from infection by the COVID-19 virus.
Pfizer has received full FDA approval for persons 12 and over, and emergency use authorization for children 5 to 11.
Moderna has received emergency use authorization (EUA) for their MRNA vaccine and has applied for full approval, which is expected shortly.
Johnson & Johnson has received EUA for their viral vector vaccine and expects full FDA authorization before year end.
Monoclonal antibody (mab) treatment has received FDA emergency use authorization for treatment after patients are diagnosed with COVID-19 but before hospitalization. However, it has not been shown to be more effective than MRNA or viral vector vaccines in preventing serious illness, especially after patients exhibit severe symptoms. No mab manufacturer has applied for full FDA approval because testing and safety evaluation is not complete.
Given the above, it is difficult to understand your quite different positions on a highly effective (and fully authorized) SARS-COV-2 vaccine vis-à-vis monoclonal antibody treatments.
I am also disturbed by your apparent support for unauthorized, potentially dangerous treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, neither of which has received authorization for prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
Questioning the safety and efficacy of a fully authorized vaccine and other protocols (masking, distancing) while promoting unauthorized treatments is questionable at best and, at worst, dangerous to your constituents.
COVID-19 is a public health issue, not a political issue, and must be treated as such, with science and critical thinking, not with social media “research” and anecdotes. John Dho
Sonora