Vaccination Campaigns Threatened by Side-Effects

Immunization campaigns are likely to slow down globally as countries suspended the distribution of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In Mexico, COVID-19 cases slowed down but spring break might shift this reality once its effects start to reflect.

Here is the Week in Health!

 NATIONAL

-Mexican COVID-19 vaccine Patria will reach clinical trials by the end of this month. Here is what you should know about the vaccine.

-Mexico City reached a historical minimum of COVID-19 cases since May 2020 and is very close to move to yellow in the traffic light system, informed Eduardo Clark, Director of Digital Government at Mexico City. Governor Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that "we must wait to know the impact of spring break.”

-Mexico could have prevented 190,000 deaths in 2020, according to a report from the University of California, commissioned by WHO. The document points out the errors in the management of the pandemic, which generated an excess of mortality in the country.

-Health workers were first on the list for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Mexico. However, this first phase mainly considered public workers, leaving out health professionals from the private sector who are now protesting for their vaccines. Read our article on how the private sector is moving forward to be considered in the government’s vaccination plan.

-Local consumption of medical devices is rather low compared to the country’s manufacturing capacity. Reverting this scenario could generate a better healthcare offering, promoting more investment. Read our interview with Ana Riquelme, Executive Director of AMID, where she highlighted Mexico’s relevant position in syringe production during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

-Globally, tech giants have been accessing different industries and health is no exception. In Mexico, these companies have been permeating hospitals and even insurance companies. In this article, industry leaders explain how Big Tech is contributing to the health sector.  

-Hospital leadership brings significant improvements for the sector. One example is CMPH’s efforts on minimal invasive cardiac surgery through its center equipped with the most advanced technology in Latin America. Read MBN’s interview with Alejandro Gil, Director General of CMPH, to know more about the hospital’s advances.

INTERNTIONAL

-Regeneron and Roche developed a combination of antiviral antibodies that could provide a treatment option for those manifesting COVID-19 symptoms. This could also be a preventive solution for those exposed to the virus. REGN-COV2 is the name of this development, which is currently undergoing Phase 2 and 3 of clinical trials. Phase 3 will test its ability to prevent infection among people living with a COVID-19 patient. According to the companies’ official announcement, so far, this Phase 3 exercise has proven to be 81 percent effective.

-In the US, the FDA, together with the CDC, recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “out of an abundance of caution.” They explained that the US has reported six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in people receiving the vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48 and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination.

-Denmark has officially suspended the application of the AstraZeneca vaccine. the announcement came after the temporary pause on its application due to the presence of blood clots on some people who received the vaccine. EMA is still studying the case to find if there is a direct relation between the blood clots and the AstraZeneca vaccine.

-Morderna’s vaccine has shown a 90 percent efficiency after six months of vaccination campaigns. According to its official statement, after the preliminary data regarding follow-up application, two weeks after the second dose, the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective overall and more than 95 percent effective in preventing severe cases.

-Several media outlets have reported a low efficacy rate among Chinese COVID-19 vaccines. Geo Fu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that these vaccines have a low efficacy rate and that mixing these vaccines with other developments might be an effective way to boost their efficacy. According to a BBC report, “China has developed four different vaccines approved for public use, though some trials abroad had suggested efficacy as low as 50 percent.”