Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 10, 2021 -- SEVEN
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Traditional vaccine undergoing trials
To the editor;
Novavax Inc-NVX-
CoV2373 is being called a
“traditional vaccine” that is
undergoing trials in India
under the brand name of
Covovax. It requires two
doses and is stable at 2-8
degrees Celsius. It should
be available in the fourth
quarter of 2021 but is hav-
ing trouble getting approval
from the FDA. It is said to
give 70 percent protection
against the virus.
Why is it different from
the other covid-19 vac-
cines?
The other vaccines trick
the body into creating parts
of the virus that can trigger
the immune system. The
Novavax vaccine contains
spike proteins of the coro-
navirus itself but formulat-
ed as nanoparticles which
cannot cause disease. It is a
subunit. This vaccine uses a
piece of the coronavirus and
when the immune system
encounters it, it produces
antibodies against it.
This vaccine is in phase
three of clinical trials led
by Diana Florescu MD at
the University of Nebras-
ka Medical Center. The
phase three trial shows the
vaccine was 90.4 percent
effective against severe
disease. It used 30,000
participants from US and
Mexico with two doses
three weeks apart. Serious
adverse reactions were rare,
there was no incidence of
blood clotting or myocardi-
tis. It has not been approved
in any country yet but is
supposed to reach regula-
tory submissions in the UK,
Europe, Canada, Australia
and NZ in the next few
weeks. Moderna and Pifzer
use mRNA technology and
Johnson and Johnson vac-
cine uses more traditional
virus based technology.
Moderna and Pfizer contain
messenger RNA which is
genetic material. It contains
a synthetic piece of mRNA
that instructs cells in the
body to make the distinctive
“spike” protein of SARS-
Co-2 virus. It takes the
body about two weeks to
produce the antibodies for
protection. The say they are
fully vaccinated two weeks,
after their second dose and
two weeks after their one
J&J dose.
The virus vector being
used in the J&J and Astra-
Zeneca vaccines is an ade-
novirus, a common type of
virus that typically causes
mild cold symptoms. The
single dose of the J&J vac-
cine remains robust against
the variants of SARS-Co-2.
The mRNA vaccines (Mod-
erna and Pfizer) have shown
an increase in cases of myo-
carditis and pericarditis,
especially in young adults.
Also, Moderna and Pfiz-
er vaccines are not inter-
changeable. They need a
21-42 day interval between
shots. (CDC)
The vaccines work by
stimulating the immune
system to produce anti-
bodies. You then develop
immunity, but you can still
get Covid-19 after you have
been vaccinated; it is called
“breakthrough covid-19”
and you are able to spread
this disease. Inactive vac-
cines use the killed version
of the germ that causes
the disease and are not as
effective as live vaccines.
AstraZeneca vaccine is
not approved for use in the
USA. J&J vaccine was 66.3
percent effective in clinical
trials after two weeks. There
is a risk of rare but serious
adverse events; blood clots
with low platelets in women
under 50 yrs. People with a
history of heart disease are
at increased risk of severe
complications not only for
Covid-19 but also with the
vaccine. If you have been
vaccinated and you do get
a breakthrough covid-19
infection, you will have
strong protection and will
not need a booster dose.
(CDC)
Boosters are required
for people over 65 years
if their last shot was over
six months ago, those who
work in front line jobs like
teachers and medical work-
ers, those in nursing homes,
those with underlying med-
ical problems and the im-
munocompromised should
get three doses.
Whole virus live atten-
uated vaccines use a weak-
ened form of the virus that
can still replicate without
causing illness. There are
two inactivated vaccines in
adults over 18 years in one
to two trials and efficacy
has not been determined.
There are 380 candi-
date’s vaccines in devel-
opment worldwide, 23 are
already in phase three trials.
Among them are inactivat-
ed vaccines that are gener-
ally safe and widely used
for prevention of respirato-
ry infections like influenza,
hepatitis A, polio and rabies
and can be stored at 2C-8C
for years and is suitable
for low income countries
and those with limited cold
storage. Australia agreed
to purchases 51 million
doses of Novavax at the
beginning of 2021, but it
has not been approved in
any country yet.
The Delta variant
showed up in the US in
December 2020, after the
UK, and is accounting for
than 99 percent of the cas-
es. It is twice as contagious
as previous variants and
more likely to put people
in the hospital. It can be
transmitted by droplets and
aerosols. Covid-19 virus
can be detected in aerosols
for up to three hours and on
plastic and hard surfaces up
to three days.
CDC stopped counting
county cases that do not
result in hospitalizations in
May 2021. They have also
mandated masks for all
teachers, staff and students
and visitors at all K-12
schools.
“Some of these vac-
cines have been approved
only under the EUA- Emer-
gency Use Authority, and
they should not be man-
dated on any American.
Even if they get approval
from the FDA, Americans
should have the right to
assess their own risk and
make informed decisions
as to whether they want to
be vaccinated. There are
risks involved and we need
to access those risk and act
accordingly. They should
not be forced in either di-
rection by their governor
and become another class
of citizens based on the de-
cision they make.” (pji.org)
This last Monday,
11/2/21, the Australian
prime minister Morrison
reversed his government
policy to eradicate the virus
by shutdowns and conced-
ed that suppressive efforts
are futile and with high
vaccinations rates now of
about 80 percent of the pop-
ulation, he is opening the
borders and international
travel, which was banned
for 20 months. There will
be no more quarantine for
vaccinated travelers. They
only had 1600 deaths main-
ly from Victoria and NSW.
Conclusion: This virus
is not easily contained as
the last two years have
taught us. The scientists
have tried to contain it
with mask wearing and
sanitizing efforts, isolation,
quarantine, using PPE’s
and restrictions from the
CDC. However, now the
government has added
their version of how they
think it should he stopped
by shutdowns and now a
mandate that all workers
in businesses that employ
over 100 persons must be
all vaccinated. They now
want to force businesses
to fire those who will not
comply. People who are
fully vaccinated are having
breakthrough infections
and are spreading them, but
they want to single out the
people who refuse to have
a vaccine that has not be
proven for its safety.
On top of all that, they
want to force parents to
have their young children,
who are just developing, to
receive an untested vaccine.
There are Pfizer results for
a 2/3 trial for those of the
six months-11 age group
done in the last nine months
of about 2,268 children
receiving a low dose in a
two dose regimen, but it is
not concluded and has not
even been submitted for
peer review or publication,
let alone getting approval
for EUA from the FDA
(Pfizer.com) yet the gov-
ernment is talking about
mandating those parents
who are scared to have their
children vaccinated as they
do not know what long term
effects could show up at a
later date. Children usually
do not contract covid-19
so to subject them to this
untested vaccine is abu-
sive. It certainly does not
have the best interest of the
children or family in mind
like they say they do. As
a Registered Nurse I am
against vaccinating this age
group with an untested vac-
cine. Also, the wearing of
a mask in this age group is
not necessary and it affects
their learning ability with
watching the teacher sound
words, their interaction
with other children and cuts
down their oxygen intake
by 21 percent. These masks
will stunt their emotional
and physical growth and put
them at risk for respiratory
infections from inhalation
of bacteria into their lungs
from their mouths.
Julie Dick, Irrigon
Duck bites the dust
The Oregon Duck put on top
of an old tree in the backyard
of Bob Kilkenny’s former
home on Hager Street, fell
victim to the windstorm last
night. Current homeowner
Laurel Laney said she got up
this morning and saw Duck
laying toppled over in the
yard. “A lot of people would
come by and comment on that
duck.” Laurel told the Hep-
pner Gazette-Times. “It was
pretty popular.” As anyone
who knew Bob can attest, he
was a “big” Oregon Duck fan.
Veteran’s Day celebration
moved to Gilliam Bisbee
Heppner High School’s Veterans Day celebration will now be held indoors at the
Gilliam Bisbee building due to expected inclement weather on Thursday, November
11. This event is for veterans only and will not be open to the public. Social distancing
and masks will be enforced to ensure safety of all participants. Event starts at 2 PM.
Please contact HJSHS with any questions at 541-676-9138.
Thank You!
As we celebrate National Cooperative
Month we wanted to first say thank
you to our membership and to our
community partners. We are shaped
by the people we serve. As a member-
owned utility, we are driven to be more
than a business, we are your energy
partner.
Learn more about how
UEC is helping to power communities at:
All COVID-19 Immunizations, Flu and any booster
Now offering Pfizer pediatric immunizations for kids 5-11
Drive Through - Wednesday, November 10, 2021 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Hermiston Office
Boardman Office
750 W. Elm Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541) 567-6414
400 N.E. Eldrige Drive
Boardman, OR 97818
(541) 481-2220
Servicio al carro Miercoles 10 de Noviembre de 2021
Morrow County Fairgrounds, Heppner, OR
Friday, November 12, 2021 2:00 - 7:00 PM
Viernes 12 de Noviembre de 2021
A.C. Houghton Elementary School, Irrigon, OR