Does Nirsevimab Help Prevent Severe RSV Infections?
Among 69 hospitalisations of infants for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–related lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in a Spanish study, 65.2% occurred despite the administration of nirsevimab. A large proportion of the hospitalised infants had high-risk conditions and needed oxygen support, with no significant differences observed between breakthrough and non-breakthrough cases.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers conducted NIRSE-GAL, a prospective observational study between 2023 and 2024 across 14 public hospitals in Galicia, Spain.
A total of 69 infants (median age at admission, 2.7 months; 56.5% boys) who received nirsevimab and were hospitalised for RSV-related LRTI were included.
Cases were classified as breakthrough (n = 45) or non-breakthrough (n = 24). Breakthrough cases were defined as those in which nirsevimab was administered at least 7 days before admission with no observation of clinical symptoms compatible with RSV infection within 7 days post-administration and no RSV-positive test result in the 15 days before immunisation.
Sociodemographic, clinical, and hospitalisation-related data were obtained and analysed.
TAKEAWAY:
The median length of hospital stay was 4 days among breakthrough cases.
Among all hospitalised infants, 23.2% had high-risk conditions, 63.8% required oxygen support, 21.7% needed admission to the intensive care unit, and 15.9% received non-invasive mechanical ventilation. No significant differences in terms of these characteristics were found between breakthrough and non-breakthrough cases.
The incidence of cases paralleled the RSV epidemic curve, suggesting that the efficacy of nirsevimab did not wane over time.
IN PRACTICE:
"During the first RSV season after the universal implementation of nirsevimab in Galicia (Spain), a large proportion of hospitalized infants had high-risk conditions, yet disease severity markers (oxygen need, ICU [intensive care unit] admission, NIVM [non-invasive mechanical ventilation]) were comparable between breakthrough and non-breakthrough cases," the authors wrote. "No signal of waning protection over time was observed among breakthrough cases, reinforcing the potential value of early, season-wide immunization," they added.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Angela Manzanares, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago and University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It was published online on May 02 in the European Journal of Pediatrics .
LIMITATIONS:
The study had a small sample size, which may have reduced the statistical power and limited the application of complex analyses. Data were obtained only from public hospitals.
DISCLOSURES:
The NIRSE-GAL study received funding from Sanofi/AstraZeneca (through a research grant to the Healthcare Research Institute of Santiago) and a Framework Partnership Agreement between Consellería de Sanidad de la Xunta de Galicia and GENVIP-IDIS-2021-2024. Additional funding came from ISCIII, GAIN, ACIS, Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias, the Galician Supercomputing Center, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Galician Government, and the European Regional Development Fund, the European Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Several authors reported acting as investigators in clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies, with honoraria paid to their institutions. Some also disclosed having consulting, advisory, or employment ties and possibly holding shares or stock options with various companies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Detroit schools will celebrate a serious commitment to STEM and the community is invited
The ability to 'write their own ticket' is a superpower that is often applied to bright, up-and-coming, future professionals that have acquired in-demand STEM skills that make today's employers take notice. In Detroit, at schools across the Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD), there are dedicated teachers, administrators and other community stakeholders that talk about a 'STEM Movement,' which continues to pick up steam. The importance of STEM education to the district will be on full display Thursday evening, June 5, during the sixth annual DPSCD STEM Awards gala that will take place within the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School auditorium. The community is invited to attend the festivities where more than300 honorees connected to K-12 schools will be celebrated for their high achievements in a variety of STEM-related activities, including the Science & Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit, Academic Games, Math Bee, robotics and chess. And no ticket is needed for admission to the free event, which is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm. 'You don't have to be a parent or a relative of one of the honorees to attend, if you're a part of the village and care about young people in Detroit, we hope you will show up at King High School's beautiful auditorium and cheer our young people on,' DPSCD School Board Member Angelique Peterson-Mayberry, who chairs the board's Curriculum/Academic committee and also will serve as master of ceremonies during the STEM Awards gala, stated as final preparation was being completed for Thursday's event. Many of the students — representing more than 50 schools — that will be receiving customized trophies and medals, created with special care by Livonia-based A.J. Bros. LLC, have already had an opportunity to compete with and against other top students from outside of Detroit. For example, Detroit students and teams that participate in robotics, chess and Academic Games — a unique collection of games including math contests (Equations and On-Sets) — have regularly participated in competitions on the state and national levels. 'Often public education doesn't get its due, but we want our parents and community to know that this is what public education looks like in its most holistic form,' said Peterson-Mayberry, who will be making another happy return to King High School, where she graduated in 1992 out of the MSAT (Mathematics, Science and Applied Technology) program. 'There is a prize at the end for all the students that will be recognized because they are gaining tools that they will use in life.' In addition to the awards presented to the students, special awards will be given to STEM coaches — representing DPSCD educators and community volunteers — that have gone above and beyond the call of duty. And then there are the Principal 3 for 3 Awards that will be awarded to principals that have made a special effort to promote STEM by providing robotics, Academic Games and chess programs at their schools. 'For our coaches and school principals that make our STEM programs successful, we just want to say thank you for dedicating their time and talent to our young people outside of the classroom,' said Peterson-Mayberry, who will be joined on the King auditorium stage throughout the program by her fellow Class of 1992 King classmate Carl Hollier, musically known as DJ Invisible, who is expected to supply doses of pulsating music and witty banter as he has done at previous DPSCD STEM Awards galas, where students make a red carpet entrance as they file into the auditorium. Another hat that Peterson-Mayberry wears in the community includes being a Global Diversity Equity Inclusion Manager for manufacturing employees at Ford Motor Company. And as it turns out, she also will be joined on Thursday evening by others from the automotive community that have taken a special interest in STEM education at DPSCD schools, including representatives from General Motors, the sponsor of this year's STEM Awards gala, through a generous contribution made to the Detroit Public Schools Community District Foundation. "Innovation is the heart of the automotive industry, and STEM education fuels that creativity,' General Motors' Rhonda Fields, Portfolio Lead for STEAM Education, said. 'By supporting the DPSCD STEM Awards, we're strengthening a culture of problem-solving, investing in the future workforce, and inspiring students to see the possibilities within STEM careers. 'We want young minds to know that their talents can lead to groundbreaking advancements — not just in automotive, but across many industries that shape our world." This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Special evening planned for shining STEM stars in Detroit
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
DISCO topline results: 64Cu-SARTATE is highly effective in detecting tumours in NET patients compared to SOC imaging. Phase III planning underway.
HIGHLIGHTS Topline data from Clarity's diagnostic Phase II trial, DISCO, confirms that 64Cu-SARTATE is safe and highly effective compared to standard-of-care (SOC) imaging at detecting lesions in patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). DISCO compared the diagnostic performance of 64Cu-SARTATE at an average of 4 hours (between 3 to 5 hours) and 20 hours post-administration (same-day and next-day imaging, respectively) to 68Ga-DOTATATE. 64Cu-SARTATE lesion detection substantially outperformed that of 68Ga-DOTATATE. 64Cu-SARTATE detected 393 to 488 lesions, and 68Ga-DOTATATE identified 186 to 265 lesions among 45 study participants across the readers. Out of all the lesions identified by the readers, 230-251 were deemed to be discordant (i.e. only present on one of the scans, 68Ga-DOTATATE or 64Cu-SARTATE positron emission tomography [PET] / computed tomography [CT]). Of these lesions, 93.5% (average across readers) were only detected on the 64Cu-SARTATE PET/CT scans. The number of discordant lesions detected by 64Cu-SARTATE on the same-day and next-day scans was comparable. Approximately half of all the discordant lesions had an available standard-of-truth (SOT), such as histopathology or conventional imaging. The identified discordant lesions yielded a lesion-level sensitivity of 93.4% to 95.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 65.1, 99.5) for 64Cu-SARTATE (across both timepoints) and only 4.4% to 6.6% (95%CI: 0.5, 34.9) for 68Ga-DOTATATE across both readers. 64Cu-SARTATE was deemed safe and well tolerated. Only 7 (15.6%) participants experienced 64Cu-SARTATE-related adverse events (AEs). No serious treatment-emergent AEs were observed in the study. Based on the exciting preliminary results of the DISCO trial, Clarity will commence next steps to conduct a registrational Phase III study of 64Cu-SARTATE in NETs with the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) guidance. SYDNEY, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CU6) ("Clarity" or "Company"), a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop next-generation products that improve treatment outcomes for patients with cancer, is pleased to announce positive results from the diagnostic Phase II DISCO trial (NCT04438304)[1] with 64Cu-SARTATE in patients with known or suspected NETs. DISCO trial design DISCO is a "Diagnostic Imaging Study of 64COpper-SARTATE Using PET on Patients with Known or Suspected Neuroendocrine Tumours". It assessed the performance of Clarity's SARTATE imaging product as a potential new method to diagnose and manage NETs. The trial aimed to build on earlier clinical experience with 64Cu-SARTATE in patients with NETs, which demonstrated that the diagnostic has excellent imaging characteristics and suggested that 64Cu-SARTATE PET/CT provides comparable or superior lesion detection to 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in all patients, especially in the liver[2]. DISCO recruited participants with Gastroenteropancreatic NETs (GEP-NETs) across 4 sites in Australia, comparing the diagnostic performance of 64Cu-SARTATE PET at an average of 4 hours (between 3 and 5 hours) and approximately 20 hours post-administration (same-day and next-day imaging, respectively) to the current SOC, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET. Participants were required to have undergone a pre-study 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scan within 5 weeks, but not closer than 6 hours prior to the administration of 64Cu-SARTATE as part of their routine clinical care. The trial was initially designed to enrol up to 63 patients, based on the anticipated lesion-level discordance rate between 64Cu-SARTATE and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET. Following a pre-planned early analysis of the data collected during the study, the sample size was adjusted to 45 patients, allowing for an earlier enrolment completion. Study participants were dosed with 200 MBq of 64Cu-SARTATE. Both the 64Cu-SARTATE and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT scans were reviewed by 2 blinded central readers. Participants were followed for up to 12 months to complete additional investigations (e.g. biopsy and conventional imaging) and obtain the SOT used to verify discordant findings between the scan pairs. The verification of discordant findings against the SOT evidence (as true- or false-positive findings) was completed by an independent central assessor, distinct from the central readers evaluating the 64Cu-SARTATE and 68Ga-DOTATATE scans. Lesion-level sensitivity was calculated for the discordant lesions between the scan pairs, with each true-positive discordant lesion on one scan considered a false-negative lesion on the other scan, and each false-positive discordant lesion on one scan considered a true-negative lesion on the other scan. Topline results The results indicate that lesion detection by 64Cu-SARTATE (regardless of imaging timepoint) substantially outperformed that of 68Ga-DOTATATE. 64Cu-SARTATE detected 393 to 488 lesions, and 68Ga-DOTATATE identified 186 to 265 lesions among 45 participants across the readers (Figure 1). Out of all lesions identified by the readers, 230-251 were deemed to be discordant between 64Cu-SARTATE and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, with 93.5% (average across readers and imaging days) of these discordant lesions detected on the 64Cu-SARTATE scans only. A previously completed Phase I study demonstrated a 1.7 fold increase (median of 6.70 vs. 3.92, p=0.002) in contrast (i.e. lesion-to-background ratio) for 64Cu-SARTATE PET/CT performed at 4 hours post-administration compared to 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT2. This improvement in contrast may explain the detection of additional lesions observed in the DISCO trial. The average SUVmax, representing the highest concentration of 64Cu-SARTATE uptake in lesions, was notably high, ranging from 37.42 to 43.90 across both imaging days in the DISCO trial. Approximately half of all discordant lesions had an available SOT, which yielded a lesion-level sensitivity of 93.4% to 95.6% (95%CI: 65.1, 99.5) for 64Cu-SARTATE, including both timepoints, and only 4.4% to 6.6% (95%CI: 0.5, 34.9) for 68Ga-DOTATATE. 64Cu-SARTATE was deemed safe and well tolerated. Only 7 (15.6%) trial participants experienced 64Cu-SARTATE-related AEs, the majority of which were mild (Grade 1) gastrointestinal events, commonly observed in NET patients, and typically resolved within 2 days of onset. No serious treatment-emergent AEs were observed in the study. Based on the findings of the DISCO trial to date, Clarity will commence the next steps to conduct a registrational Phase III study of 64Cu-SARTATE in NETs with the US FDA's guidance. Clarity's Executive Chairperson, Dr Alan Taylor, commented, "We are very excited about the initial topline data from the DISCO trial as 64Cu-SARTATE was confirmed to be safe and very effective in detecting NET lesions in patients with known or suspected disease. The DISCO trial demonstrates a significant advantage of our diagnostic over 68Ga-DOTATATE. 64Cu-SARTATE detected almost double the number of lesions compared to the SOC, and, where SOT was available, a very high lesion-level sensitivity of 93.4% - 95.6% in comparison to just 4.4% - 6.6% for 68Ga-DOTATATE for these discordant findings. In addition to identifying more lesions with our product, lesions detected by 64Cu-SARTATE also exhibited high uptake with low background on the PET scans, making it easier to identify those lesions by readers. Excellent lesion visualisation was also supported by substantial clearance from the liver. The favourable biodistribution of 64Cu-SARTATE PET enabled high-contrast diagnostic imaging for up to approximately 24 hours post-injection (Figure 1), offering greater flexibility in the scheduling of PET/CT scans. "In the DISCO trial, we continue to observe the substantial limitations of the current-generation of short half-life isotope products, what we call isotope-centric medicine. This is clearly illustrated by 68Ga-DOTATATE with imaging timepoints solely dictated by the very short isotope half-life (approximately 1 hour for gallium-68) as opposed to good science and medicine. In contrast, 64Cu-SARTATE highlights the extraordinary benefits of next-generation patient-centric medicine, where imaging is guided by the optimal timepoint to scan and detect lesions, focusing on the needs of the patients and their treating professionals. "We believe that the flexibility of imaging with 64Cu-SARTATE, in comparison to approximately 1 hour with 68Ga-DOTATATE, plays an important role in the detection benefits seen in the DISCO study. We have known this for many years and have demonstrated these advantages of optimal timepoint imaging with different products in our Targeted Copper Theranostic (TCT) platform, including SARTATE. We have seen first-hand in a number of clinical trials that once radiopharmaceutical products are administered, they take time to find the lesion whilst also needing to clear from non-target organs, providing greater contrast. This is known as signal-to-noise ratio or, in our case, tumour-to-background ratio. Having greater contrast is especially important to identify smaller or more difficult to find cancers. "The longer half-life of copper-64, combined with Clarity's proprietary SAR Technology, sets up a strong foundation for next-generation diagnostics, which could be unmatched in the radiopharmaceutical sector. In addition to clinical benefits, the opportunity for high-volume centralised manufacturing and broad, on-demand distribution of ready-to-use diagnostics translates into flexibility and reliability for patients and their treating staff, meaning that every patient with access to PET imaging, including those in underserved and broad geographic areas, may access improved cancer diagnostics. "Patients with NETs are often misdiagnosed and experience delays in receiving the correct diagnosis, which may lead to disease progression and identification of their cancer at later stages. Visualising NET lesions earlier and more accurately may have a significant impact on patient outcomes as it equips clinicians with crucial information on disease burden, helping to determine an optimal treatment plan. As such, the SSTR2 imaging market is an important focus for Clarity. We estimate the NET diagnostic market in the US alone to be around 100,000 scans per year, growing to approximately 120,000 scans per year by 2029. "Importantly, the positive results of the DISCO trial open broader opportunities for the development of 64Cu-SARTATE in additional SSTR2-expressing malignancies beyond NETs, such as certain types of breast and lung cancers, where unmet clinical needs remain high. We believe the SSTR2 market is set to grow substantially with a number of therapies in development for this target, which include large indications such as breast and lung cancers. Subject to the successful completion of these studies, we believe that the imaging market for 64Cu-SARTATE could be as large, if not larger, than the very lucrative prostate cancer imaging market where radiopharmaceuticals currently dominate the diagnostic paradigm. "We look forward to sharing additional data readouts from the trial and presenting the results at future international medical conferences. We plan to rapidly progress discussions with the FDA to initiate a diagnostic registrational Phase III study, as a first key step in expanding SARTATE into the theranostic field of NETs, as well as other SSTR2-expressing cancers, with the copper-64/copper-67 pair. If the findings from the DISCO trial are substantiated in a registrational Phase III study and lead to regulatory approval by the US FDA, 64Cu-SARTATE may play an important role in improving diagnostic accuracy, lesion detection and staging of patients with NETs. These factors could improve clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes, potentially positioning 64Cu-SARTATE as a best-in-class agent for the diagnosis of NETs." About SARTATE SARTATE is a next generation, highly targeted theranostic radiopharmaceutical. It is being developed for diagnosing, staging and subsequently treating cancers that express SSTR2, such as NETs. Like all Clarity products, the SARTATE product can be used with copper-64 (64Cu) for imaging (64Cu-SARTATE) or copper-67 (67Cu) for therapy (67Cu-SARTATE). Disclaimer 64Cu-SARTATE is an unregistered product. The safety and efficacy of 64Cu-SARTATE has not been assessed by health authorities such as the US FDA or the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). There is no guarantee that this product will become commercially available. About NETs NETs, also known as well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms or carcinoids, represent a heterogeneous group of malignant transformations of cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system[3]. They most commonly occur in the gastrointestinal tract (48%), lung (25%), and pancreas (9%), but may also originate in other areas, including the breast, prostate, thymus and skin[4]. NETs can either be benign or malignant, as well as non-functional and functional[5]. NETs traditionally have been considered uncommon; however, the incidence has been increasing as a worldwide phenomenon[6]. Overall, it is estimated that more than 20,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a NET each year[7], and approximately 190,000 people are living with this diagnosis[8]. Patients with NETs present with subtle clinical symptoms, which can lead to a delay in diagnosis of more than 4 years[9]. As such, about 30-75% of NET patients have distant metastases at the time of diagnosis[10]. A 10-year relative survival rate for patients with metastatic GEP-NETs is 3–36%[11]. About Clarity Pharmaceuticals Clarity is a clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases. The Company is a leader in innovative radiopharmaceuticals, developing Targeted Copper Theranostics based on its SAR Technology Platform for the treatment of cancers. For more information, please contact: Clarity Pharmaceuticals Dr Alan Taylor Lisa SadetskayaExecutive Chairperson Director, Corporate Communicationsataylor@ lisa@ References [1] Identifier: NCT04438304 [2] Hicks R et al. First-in-human trial of 64Cu-SARTATE PET imaging of patients with neuroendocrine tumours demonstrates high tumor uptake and retention, potentially allowing prospective dosimetry for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 2019. [3] Cheung VTF, Khan MS. A guide to midgut neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and carcinoid syndrome. Frontline gastroenterology. 2015;6(4):264-269. [4] Hallet J, Law CH, Cukier M, Saskin R, Liu N, Singh S. Exploring the rising incidence of neuroendocrine tumors: a population-based analysis of epidemiology, metastatic presentation, and outcomes. Cancer. 2015;121(4):589-597. [5] Yau H, Kinaan M, Quinn SL, Moraitis AG. Octreotide long-acting repeatable in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors: patient selection and perspectives. Biologics : targets & therapy. 2017;11:115-122. [6] Leoncini E, Boffetta P, Shafir M, Aleksovska K, Boccia S, Rindi G. Increased incidence trend of low-grade and high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms. Endocrine. 2017 Nov;58(2):368-379. doi: 10.1007/s12020-017 1273-x. Epub 2017 Mar 16. PMID: 28303513; PMCID: PMC5671554. [7] Wu C, Song Z, Balachandra S, Dream S, Chen H, Rose JB, Bhatia S, Gillis A. Charting the Course: Insights into Neuroendocrine Tumor Dynamics in the United States. Ann Surg. 2025 Jun 1;281(6):968-975. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006331. Epub 2024 May 6. PMID: 38708616; PMCID: PMC11538379. [8] Dasari A, Shen C, Halperin D, Zhao B, Zhou S, Xu Y, Shih T, Yao JC. Trends in the Incidence, Prevalence, and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors in the United States. JAMA Oncol. 2017 Oct 1;3(10):1335-1342. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.0589. PMID: 28448665; PMCID: PMC5824320. [9] Basuroy R, Bouvier C, Ramage JK, Sissons M, Srirajaskanthan R. Delays and routes to diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours. BMC Cancer. 2018 Nov 16;18(1):1122. doi: 10.1186/s12885-018-5057-3. PMID: 30445941; PMCID: PMC6240263. [10] Aluri V. and Dillion, J.S. 2017, "Biochemical Testing in Neuroendocrine Tumors", Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinics of North America, [11] Polee, I.N. et al. 2022, "Long-term survival in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: A population-based study", European Journal of Cancer, Volume 172, 2022, Pages 252-263, ISSN 0959-8049, • Krasnovskaya et al. Recent Advances in 64Cu/67Cu-Based Radiopharmaceuticals. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 May 23;24(11):9154. doi: 10.3390/ijms24119154. This announcement has been authorised for release by the Executive Chairperson. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Clarity Pharmaceuticals Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
COVID isn't over. RFK Jr.'s vaccine recommendation is a terrible choice.
The recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' announcement to no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women and children may be one of the worst public health decisions in the history of the United States, having a long-lasting detrimental impact on the future of our society, our children. The logic behind this decision is obscure at best, which may be why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention referred questions regarding this policy to the U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. For women and children, COVID-19 can be a serious disease, and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters help protect the pregnant mother, newborns and children. Pregnancy is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. The British Medical Journal published a large review of studies and concluded that COVID-19 increases the risk of maternal death and severe maternal morbidities (e.g., mechanical ventilation, thromboembolic disease). On one hand, the federal government recommends a COVID-19 booster for those over the age of 65 and for younger adults and children who have at least one risk factor, but then not recommend for those who are at risk because they are pregnant. COVID-19 vaccinations have been observed to effectively increase antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19) and reduce the chances of a premature delivery. COVID-19 boosters are also safe during pregnancy and have not been found to be associated with spontaneous abortions. The decision to withhold COVID-19 vaccinations for children demonstrates a myopic approach to science and a lack of critical thinking. It appears policymakers are only focused on the prevention of death and hospitalization, defining this outcome as severe disease and assuming everything else is mild. This approach ignores the severe and chronic disabling effects of long COVID in children. It is true that on average children have milder COVID-19 infections and develop long COVID less commonly than adults. However, milder does not mean mild, and less common does not mean uncommon. It is estimated that approximately 4% of children will develop long COVID, compared to 10% to 26% for adults. This is way too high of an incidence for children, especially when re-infections are all too common. Long COVID in children can be serious. COVID-19 increases the chances of a child developing diabetes, other seemingly unrelated infections (for example respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infections) and cognitive, mental health problems. Vaccinations have been found to reduce the chances of children developing long COVID. So maybe we should recommend and not discourage their use. Children can also spread the disease and place others at risk. This was known early on in the pandemic. I'm not sure how the public began to believe children did not pose a risk to others. Children are germ magnets, a life principle held by many parents and grandparents. Children readily spread every respiratory disease that I can think of. Why would COVID be any different? Opinion: Measles misinformation is hurting our kids while Trump government self-destructs How does our nation confront these public health risks? Simple, blame problems on lockdowns, ignore epidemiological evidence and quit counting cases. Then recommend against pregnant mothers and children receiving the vaccine. Clinical studies, medical record data and data from the V-Safe program have documented the vaccine's safety. VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) is not intended or designed to determine the risks of complications, only to identify potential complications to be investigated. Similar to Facebook, inaccurate or malicious reports can also be entered by AI bots and foreign adversaries to stir social discontent. In general, vaccines are watered-down infections. They boost your immunity while markedly decreasing, but not completely eliminating, severe complications. The mRNA vaccine does not change one's DNA, and the dosage of the spike protein is much smaller than one receives from an infection. If vaccines are as dangerous as social media disinformation says, then multiply these dangers by several magnitudes when an infection develops. If one is worried about mRNA, then obtain the protein-based vaccine, Novavax, which may have lower side effects and should have better standardization of the delivery dosage. Opinion: We have money to fight Kentucky's opioid crisis. Let's not waste it. We soon will be at risk of facing another wave of COVID from the Nb.1.8.1 variant, which is currently spreading across Southeast Asia and just landed in the United States. This variant has increased infectivity and immune-evasive properties. Everyone should become vaccinated and up to date with their COVID-19 boosters, including pregnant women and children. COVID is not over, it is still dangerous, and can cause serious long-term sequelae that may not be evident for months or years after the acute infection. We need to update our nation's vaccination policy, not based on political populism, but to reflect the realities of the world we are living in. Agree or disagree? Submit a letter to the editor. Kevin Kavanagh is a retired physician from Somerset, Kentucky and chairman of Health Watch USA. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: I'm a retired doctor. Kennedy's COVID policy will hurt US. | Opinion
