Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Serum and breastmilk SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies following BNT162b2 vaccine: prolonged protection from SARS-CoV-2 in newborns and older children
Since December 2019, a novel SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 has been spreading worldwide (Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, 2020). The large number of patients requiring hospitalization and the high lethality rates of COVID-19 caused excessive stress on healthcare facilities. Because of the urgent need for preventive strategies, several vaccines have been speeding through the experimental phases. In December 2020, new mRNA vaccines were approved (Polack et al.Nucleocapsid as a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus exemplifies “evolution in action” as demonstrated by the continuous emergence of new genetic variants, including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529), with the latter seeming to outcompete the others. These new variants are defined by multiple spike (S) protein mutations that mediate increased transmissibility, replication efficiency, and immune evasion. The ongoing high frequency of mutations in various regions of the spike sequence essentially renders it a “moving target” and supports a rationale to replace or coexpress spike with the nucleocapsid (N) gene in the second generation of vaccine candidates.Changes in interferon-γ release assay readout after COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis led to 1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2020 (2021). As TB is curable and preventable, many public health interventions have tried eliminating this infectious disease. To achieve the WHO's goal of ending the TB epidemic by 2030, public health approaches are underway to find and treat latent TB infections and active TB disease (World Health Organization World Health Organization WHO, 2018). The tuberculin skin test (TST) has conventionally been used to screen for TB infection.Humoral and adaptive immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 prevent infection and adverse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 (Olliaro et al., 2021). Elicitation of high affinity and durable protective antibody responses is a hallmark of a successful humoral immune response to vaccination (Turner et al., 2021). Antibody responses decline sharply at six months, particularly after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines (Collier et al., 2021). A recent study showed that after 20 weeks or more, the vaccination with two doses is effective against COVID-19–related hospitalization and death with a waning of the clinical protection in older adults and fragile/co-morbid patients (Andrews et al., 2022).Humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination and booster effect in patients undergoing dialysis
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide and to be one of the main problems affecting public health around the world. In Spain, according to data published by the Ministry of Health on April 13, 2022, 92.5% of the population aged over 12 years residing in Spain has received a complete vaccination pattern, with 92.9% having received at least one dose, achieving a protective effect against transmission of the virus (Ministerio de Sanidad. Gobierno de España, 2022). The BNT162b2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine has shown optimal protection in the general population (Polack et al., 2020).Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines: a literature review and meta-analysis
Globally, as of October 15, 2021, there had been more than 239.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including over 4.8 million deaths (WHO, 2021b). Since the outbreak of COVID-19, several vaccines have been tested and granted emergency use authorization. Phase III trials reported high vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with these vaccines, such as 70.4% effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222; Oxford-AstraZeneca) (Voysey et al., 2021), 95% effectiveness of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) (Skowronski and De Serres, 2021), 94.1% effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Moderna) (Baden et al., 2021), and 50.7% effectiveness of an absorbed COVID-19 (inactivated) vaccine (CoronaVac) (Palacios et al., 2020).COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in South Asia: a multi-country study
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is wreaking havoc around the world. Originating from China, the virus quickly spread worldwide to infect more than 100 million people and has caused more than 2 million deaths as of January 31, 2021 (World Health Organization, 2021). South Asia is among the most densely populated and poverty-stricken regions of the world and comprises a significant portion of global cases of COVID-19 (Chalise, 2020).Impact of scaling up SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on COVID-19 hospitalizations in Spain
The recent global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in humans is unprecedented in medicine(Morens and Fauci, 2020). By the end of June 2021, over 180 million cases had been reported worldwide, with nearly 4 million deaths. In Spain, these figures were nearly 4 million confirmed cases and over 80 000 deaths. In the absence of effective antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2, the advent of vaccines has been eagerly awaited. The first vaccines achieved emergency approval in December 2020, after proving significant protection against the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in clinical trials (Polack et al., 2020; Baden et al., 2021).The strength of association between pre-and post-booster BNT162b2 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies levels depends on the immunoassay
Reliable evidence suggests that anticipating a humoral response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is essential for predicting their clinical effectiveness. Bergwerk et al. conducted a study in the largest medical center in Israel, where healthcare workers who received the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine were followed up with molecular or antigen testing, serologic assays, and genomic sequencing (Bergwerk et al., 2021). Notably, the levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) neutralizing antibody and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG were found to be nearly 64% and 49% lower in infected subjects than in matched uninfected controls.Immunological changes after COVID-19 vaccination in an HIV-positive patient
Concerns regarding the safety of vaccination in people living with HIV (PLWH) remain. Although no unusual adverse effects have been found after vaccination in PLWH, there are still not enough data to definitively prove whether or not infection with HIV raises the risk of adverse events after vaccination (Su et al., 2018). More than a year into the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several vaccines based on different platforms have been developed, although no effective vaccine for HIV has yet been employed, probably due to the different mechanisms of infection (Haynes, 2021) [Au?1].An analysis of COVID-19 vaccine sentiments and opinions on Twitter
There has been a concerted global effort to develop and test COVID-19 vaccines since the pandemic was declared in March 2020. Although public health prevention measures have proven to be somewhat effective in limiting the spread of COVID-19, protective and sustained immunity through vaccination will be of great importance in ending the pandemic. It is estimated that at least over 70% of the population will need to be vaccinated (Orenstein and Ahmed, 2017; Aguas et al., 2020) to reach some level of herd immunity.The initial impact of a national BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine rollout
A two-dose regimen of BNT162b2, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, was shown to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 by around 95% in a randomized clinical trial and in a mass national vaccination program (Dagan et al., 2021; Polack et al., 2020). On 23 December 2020, Qatar started a national BNT162b2 rollout programme, in addition to existing COVID-19 public health control measures. The rollout initially prioritised healthcare workers, individuals aged ≥50 years, and those with chronic or immunosuppressive medical conditions.Impact of COVID-19 on immunization of Brazilian infants
The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Brazil, a country of 212 million inhabitants, was diagnosed on 26 February 2020. As of 2 March 2021, 10.65 million cases have been registered and 257,562 people have died ( https://covid.saude.gov.br/ ). In addition to the profound economic impact of the social isolation measures adopted to face infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection, COVID-19 affected the entire healthcare network. Decreased vaccination coverage and the emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) have been reported, particularly in poor and developing countries (Adamu et al., 2020; McDonald et al., 2020; Zhong et al., 2021).First case of postmortem study in a patient vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2
We report on an 86-year-old male resident of a retirement home who received vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Past medical history included systemic arterial hypertension, chronic venous insufficiency, dementia and prostate carcinoma. On January 9, 2021, the man received lipid nanoparticle-formulated, nucleoside-modified RNA vaccine BNT162b2 in a 30 μg dose. On that day and in the following 2 weeks, he presented with no clinical symptoms (Table 1). On day 18, he was admitted to hospital for worsening diarrhea.Interim estimates in null models of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness
In the international race for vaccines against COVID-19 significant progress has been claimed recently, with Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY, USA) reporting an interim analysis from their current phase 3 clinical trials of an RNA-based vaccine candidate (Pfizer, 2020; Polack et al., 2020). From this placebo-controlled, randomized and observer-blind study, vaccine effectiveness (VE) of >90% has been reported based on a preliminary number of 94 confirmed cases of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections accrued over 104 days (between July 27 and November 8, 2020).COVID-19 vaccines: Global challenges and prospects forum recommendations
On November 4 and 5, 2020 the 11th Annual KAIMRC Global Forum was organized as a G20 related event entitled COVID-19 Vaccines: Global Challenges and Prospects, https://globalcovid19vaccines.com . It was a vital event that provided a hub for leading COVID-19 scientists, regulators, pharmaceutical representative, funders and charities to learn about COVID-19 vaccines in development, discuss different vaccine candidates, make recommendations, highlight lessons learned and address appropriate plans for global distribution and pricing.A short discussion about the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-1273 vaccine
SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global health crisis that is second in severity to the 1918 influenza pandemic (Taubenberger and Morens, 2006). Development efforts to contain its wildfire-like spread with a safe and effective vaccine are of dire necessity and have called for immediate action. While success with one or more of the vaccine candidates is assumed and anxiously anticipated, it is not guaranteed due to compressed development timelines, the likely lack of results from long-term testing, the inchoateness of knowledge regarding betacoronavirus immunology, and the correctness of current vaccine strategies, most of which are based on presentation of the mutation-prone Spike protein with the reported potential to lead to exacerbation of disease through antibody dependent enhancement (ADE).
