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Ailments in covid-19 trials raise questions about vaccine method
Two Covid-19 vaccines stalled by potential side effects have one key feature in common: Both are based on adenoviruses, cold germs that researchers have used in experimental therapies for decades with varying results.
Johnson & Johnson said late Monday it would pause its trial to investigate an illness, which it didn’t specify, in a study participant. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca Plc’s U.S. trial of the vaccine it’s developing with the University of Oxford has been halted by regulators for more than a month after neurological symptoms arose in two volunteers.
With AstraZeneca in a pit stop, vaccines from Moderna Inc. and the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE partnership have taken the lead in the race to be first out with a shot. Meanwhile, the two paused trials are reviving questions about adenoviral vectors, which have been used in laboratory, animal and human experiments for years. In some cases, the experiments have succeeded, but not always.
And this year, with Covid-19 vaccines entering strongly into the politics of the hour, transparency and trust are key to fighting a virus that’s hit more than 39 million people globally and hamstrung economies. If concerns about side effects in experimental vaccines in trials using adenoviruses are validated, it could boost skepticism in the general public and raise questions for other drugmakers.
“While it could be a coincidence,” said Sam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, in a research note, “there’s still the possibility that adenoviral vector vaccines run a higher risk of rare side effects – such as autoimmune attacks like transverse myelitis – than those of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax.”
Pauses to investigate side effects aren’t unusual in vaccine trials, which require a high safety bar because they’re taken by healthy people. Oxford has said there’s insufficient evidence to connect the participants’ illnesses to their vaccine. Its human tests in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil resumed weeks ago.
Adenoviral vectors are well studied, versatile, and shown to be well tolerated, making them good candidates for Covid vaccines, AstraZeneca said in an email. Reactions to the Astra/Oxford vaccine in early studies were comparable to those seen in previous trials of other vaccines using adenoviruses, the company said. Oxford researchers declined to comment.
If adenoviruses are associated with the side effects that have appeared in Covid vaccines, it may set back development of numerous projects, as it did with HIV and gene therapy. There are more than a dozen Covid vaccines in development based on adenoviruses, according to the World Health Organization.
Should investigators in the current trials determine the cause of the episodes is related to the vaccines, they would look for potential links to the adenovirus approach as well as to the spike protein the vaccine is designed to make to prepare the immune system for a real infection, according to Washington University’s Kinch.
At this point, he said, there’s not enough information to know. “Is this just random chance?” Kinch said. “First and foremost, there’s bad luck. If it turns out there’s a correlation and a causation, then the conversation very quickly turns.”
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Haryana
Delhi Weather and AQI Today: Warm start at 22.05 °C, check weather forecast for October 22, 2024
Check the weather forecast and air quality updates for Delhi on October 22, 2024 here.
The temperature in Delhi today, on October 22, 2024, is 32.93 °C. The day’s forecast indicates a minimum and maximum temperature of 22.05 °C and 35.04 °C, respectively. The relative humidity is 26% and the wind speed is 26 km/h. The sun rose at 06:26 AM and will set at 05:44 PM.
Tomorrow, on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, Delhi is predicted to experience a minimum and maximum temperature of 27.42 °C and 34.91 °C, respectively. Tomorrow humidity levels will be at 20%.
With temperatures ranging between 22.05 °C and 35.04 °C, prepare for a hot day and plan outdoor activities accordingly. If you are sensitive to heat, take note of the weather forecast and consider appropriate attire and activities suitable for the prevailing weather.
The AQI in Delhi today stands at 334.0, falling in the very poor category. Everyone should be cautious. Children and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should stay indoors and others should also limit their outdoor activities. Usage of masks and air purifying devices is advised. Being aware of the AQI helps one make informed decisions regarding one’s overall well-being while planning the day’s activities.
Weather and AQI predictions in Delhi for next 7 days:
Date Temperature Sky October 23, 2024 32.93 °C Sky is clear October 24, 2024 32.69 °C Sky is clear October 25, 2024 32.5 °C Sky is clear October 26, 2024 32.07 °C Sky is clear October 27, 2024 30.69 °C Sky is clear October 28, 2024 31.29 °C Sky is clear October 29, 2024 32.09 °C Sky is clear
Weather in other cities on October 22, 2024
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