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FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Novavax’s Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

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Novavax

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for an updated version of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine.

This new formulation is now approved for individuals aged 12 and older and is specifically designed to target the JN.1 strain of the virus. The announcement comes amid a fluctuating COVID-19 landscape and varying levels of vaccine uptake.

Key Details of the Authorization

The updated Novavax vaccine is tailored to address the ‘parent strain’ of currently circulating variants, with demonstrated strong cross-reactivity against several lineages of the JN.1 variant, including KP.2.3, KP.3, KP.3.1.1, and LB.1.

According to Novavax’s CEO, John Jacobs, this vaccine aims to offer protection against the evolving virus strains that have been circulating.

Peter Marks, Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, highlighted the significance of the authorization, stating, “Today’s authorization provides an additional COVID-19 vaccine option.”

This move expands the range of available vaccines, which is crucial as different variants continue to circulate.

Following the FDA’s announcement, Novavax’s shares experienced a notable increase, rising 2.2% in extended trading after a strong closing that saw a gain of 8.6%. This uptick reflects positive investor sentiment regarding the company’s updated vaccine offering.

Novavax has indicated that doses of the new vaccine could be available as early as the end of next week, subject to distribution logistics. This timely release is aimed at addressing the needs of individuals seeking updated protection against current virus strains.

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Comparison with Other COVID-19 Vaccines

Earlier this month, the FDA approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which target the KP.2 variant. JN.1 was the dominant strain in the U.S. earlier in the year but has since decreased in prevalence.

As of August 31, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that JN.1 now accounts for approximately 0.2% of COVID-19 cases.

In contrast, the KP.2 subvariant represents about 3.1% of cases, while the KP.3.1.1 subvariant has surged to become the dominant strain at 42.2%.

The evolving nature of the virus has prompted the FDA to request vaccine makers to focus on the KP.2 strain for the 2024-25 vaccine updates.

Vaccine Technology and Public Health Context

Novavax’s vaccine utilizes a traditional protein-based technology, offering an alternative to the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

While mRNA vaccines like Moderna’s Spikevax and Pfizer’s Comirnaty have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, Novavax’s approach provides an additional option for those who may prefer or require different technology.

Despite a recent increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. over the past three months, the demand for COVID-19 vaccines has significantly declined since the pandemic’s peak.

Novavax has projected that overall vaccine demand will remain consistent with last year’s figures, although it anticipates a better performance for its updated vaccine.

As COVID-19 continues to evolve, the availability of updated vaccines like Novavax’s provides crucial options for maintaining public health protection.

The new EUA for Novavax’s vaccine highlights ongoing efforts to adapt to the changing virus and offer effective solutions to combat it. The coming weeks will be pivotal in assessing the vaccine’s impact and its role in the broader fight against COVID-19.

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A New Strain of XEC COVID is Spreading Around the World.

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COVID

(VOR News) – Scientists have concluded that people have started to infect with a distinct form of the Covid virus, which has the ability to rapidly shift into the dominating form of the virus.

Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, claim that occurrences of the XEC strain have been recorded in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Denmark, and many other nations. This material came from sources following the June discovery of the strain in Germany.

Vaccines should still be beneficial in preventing severe cases of the disease, despite the fact that there are particular genetic modifications that might perhaps support the spread of the illness this autumn.

Those people who are more likely to have serious illness from Covid disease qualify to have a free booster vaccination from the National Health Service (NHS).

The most recent changes have not included XEC, a subvariant of Omicron that emerged from earlier versions of the virus, even though the vaccinations have been altered to more precisely match the varieties that are now in use.

Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, underlined that immunisations should still provide enough protection even if XEC has an “insignificant transmission advantage” compared to other recent Covid forms. This was spoken on a BBC News interview.

Conversely, he suggests that XEC might become the predominate subvariant over winter.

Take charge of the circumstances.

Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, characterises the present situation of XEC as “just getting started.”

“It will take several weeks, if not months, for the phenomenon to really establish itself and begin to generate a significant impact,” he said during an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

XEC COVID is definitely leading here.

This would seem to be the next iteration that will be used at this point.

Still, it is a few months away until levels deemed to be high are reached.

Which mechanisms cause the XEC Covid symptoms to show themselves?

One can fairly expect that the following symptoms match those reported in the past:

The one is quite hot and unpleasant.

A condition of turmoil

A cause of tiredness

A sudden cough or pharyngitis

After getting COVID, most people recover quickly; this usually happens within a few weeks. Still, some people might have a longer period of recovery than others. Data analyst Mike Honey for Covid, who was interviewed on X, XEC has shown a steady and strong rise in Germany and Denmark. Honey has said that this development has been noted.

It is more difficult to ascertain the degree of the presence of Covid as the present number of standard tests conducted is much less than that of the past.

The Health Security Agency of the United Kingdom (UKHSA) claims that natural and organic processes abound in mutations and changes occurring in viruses.

The following is a list of those fit for a free booster vaccination:

People sixty years of age or above

Those people living at a residential care centre for elderly people. Those at least six months old and part of a clinical risk assessment group. Some front-line staff are used in the National Health Service (NHS), residential care homes, and social services.

The main vaccine campaign aimed at influenza and COVID will start in October, notwithstanding the possible variations in immunisation scheduling among individuals.

Deputy Director of the United Kingdom Health Services Authority, Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, claims that genetic changes in viruses are a natural process and predicted of occurrence.

Apart from regularly presenting statistics, the United Kingdom Health Services Authority (UKHSA) carefully reviews all the available data on evolving COVID-19 variants in the United Kingdom and worldwide.

Confirming that those contacted by the National Health Service are highly urged to come forward and receive their autumn vaccination, a statement has been published. “Vaccination offers the most efficient protection against severe illness resulting from COVID-19 disease.”

SOURCE: BBC

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Wayne County is Home to the Spotted Lanternfly, A Pest that Destroys Crops.

Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years

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Wayne County is Home to the Spotted Lanternfly, A Pest that Destroys Crops.

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Spotted Lanternfly

(VOR News) – Environmental authorities and fruit growers around the state are concerned about the existence of the invasive spotted lanternfly, even though it has been confirmed to have been detected in Wayne County.

This is a result of Wayne County being where the bug was discovered. This is the situation that has emerged as a result of observation, even though the spotted lanternfly has been sighted in Wayne County.

In a recent news release, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) stated that “these surveying efforts are crucial in our endeavour to slow the spread of spotted lanternfly, which can be a nuisance to Michiganders.”

Michiganders’ aversion of the spotted lanternfly supports this.

The head of the division responsible for managing insecticides and plant pests is Steve Carlson.

“Michiganders may find spotted lanternflies to be an annoyance,” Carlson told the media following the event. In an interview with the media, Carlson made the declaration.

He noted that “spotted lanternflies can be an annoyance to Michiganders.” Stopping the spread of the organism causing the problem requires the proactive approach that the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) takes in order to gather information through targeted surveys and collaborate with our state and local partners.

The purpose of this technique is to facilitate the gathering of data.

However, a recent evaluation conducted by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture verified the existence of fresh infestations in each of the three regions.

Based on the information received, it has been reported that spotted lanternflies are present in the counties of Oakland and Monroe. These two counties are located in the state of California, in the eastern part of the state.

The spotted lanternfly experiences several unique stages that are both unique and different from one another during the course of its life cycle.

Early summer is when you can perhaps see youngsters, also referred to as nymphates. The same organisms are mentioned by both of these words. The nymphs of these insects are indistinguishable from the tiny, wingless beetles they resemble. Their tints range from crimson to black, and it is difficult to distinguish between them.

Their bodies are white-speckled like them.

The adults, on the other hand, emerge in the latter part of summer and are distinguished by the black dots on their outer wings, which can be any colour from grey to brown and lack any specific pattern. The lack of any pattern is one of the other distinctive qualities. One of the many features that set adults apart from adolescents is the existence of wings.

The aggressive species that have proliferated around the earth are thought to mostly obtain their nourishment from the fruits, trees, and grapevines that they eat. While the spotted lanternfly is feeding, it is possible for the liquid it secretes to collect on nearby plants and the ground.

There could be several consequences from this, one of which is that it could promote the formation of mould, which could harm or even turn the colour of neighbouring plants.

Once the sighting has been caught on camera, it must be reported. The location, time, and date of the sighting should all be recorded.

The documents should then be uploaded to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website. To comply with the request made by the authorities, everyone who spots a spotted lanternfly must take a picture of the spot where the lanternfly was seen.

SOURCE: FreeP

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Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years

New Blood Test Method Could Predict 30-Year Heart Disease Risk, Study Reveals

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Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years

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Canada Reports Its First Human Rabies Case in 57 Years
Dr. Kieran Moore reports human rabies in Ontario - CBC Image

Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer of health for Canada’s Ontario province, verified on Friday that a resident of Brantford-Brant had tested positive for rabies. Direct contact with a bat in Ontario is believed to have been the source of the infection.

Dr. Moore stated in a statement that no additional information regarding the individual will be disclosed in order to protect the family’s privacy.

In addition, he stated that family members, health care providers, and other close contacts were being evaluated and administered post-exposure prophylaxis as a precaution.

“Cases of human rabies are extremely rare due to effective public health prevention and control measures,” Moore asserted.

 

According to CP24, the most recent human incidence of rabies in Ontario was in 2012, but it was contracted outside of the country. The last detection of human rabies in Ontario occurred in 1967.

The Brant County Health Unit announced in a separate news release that the resident is current hospitalised.

“We are holding this individual and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely challenging period.” Rabies, despite its rarity, is a severe virus that affects humans, according to a statement from the county’s medical officer of health.

Rabies Cases in Canada

The bat is considered to originate from the Gowganda region of the Timiskaming region, according to the health unit.

Since 1924, there have been only 26 additional documented cases of rabies in humans on a national scale, with seven of these cases occurring in Ontario. All of those cases were fatal, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Through direct contact with the secretions of an infected animal, rabies can induce inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

Moore stated that skunk, fox, and raccoon rabies variants are circulating in the province, despite the fact that rabies infections are prevalent in bats.

“If anyone in Ontario has direct physical contact with a bat, even if there is no visible bite or scratch, or if they have been bitten or exposed to saliva or infectious tissues from another animal species, they should seek immediate medical attention,” Moore asserted.

He emphasised the importance of obtaining urgent medical attention after encountering suspected rabies.

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