Halting the Oxford vaccine trial doesn't mean it's not safe- it shows they're following the right process
Due to a single event of an unexplained illness, the AstraZeneca Oxford group have announced a voluntary pause on all vaccinations across all sites of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trial. This pause will allow an independent committee to review the safety data and investigate the incident.
The following article, published in The Conversation, outlines how this halt doesn't necessarily indicate that the vaccine is not safe, but reflects the robust processes for clinical trials. It is important to recognise that whilst these clinical trials are moving at pandemic speed, safety is not being compromised.
COVID19 Road to a vaccine episode 12: Professor Heidi Larson
In this episode of COVID19 Road to a vaccine, our host, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford speaks to Professor Heidi Larson. Heidi is an anthropologist and Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project and Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The Vaccine Confidence Project is a WHO centre of excellence on addressing vaccine hesitancy. Heidi is the previous head of Global Immunisation Communication at UNICEF, chaired GAVI’s advocacy taskforce and served on the WHO SAGE working group on vaccine hesitancy. In this episode they discuss:
- How and why Heidi founded The Vaccine Confidence Project
- Why vaccine confidence is already proving to be so important in relation to a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine when there is not yet a vaccine that has gone through all the phases of a clinical trial
- Whether or not vaccine confidence is impacted by the way in which different countries are handling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
- The importance of health care workers modelling vaccine uptake to promote vaccine confidence
- Positive ways we can use social media to promote vaccine preparedness
- Resistance to mandatory vaccination and the importance of community vs herd immunity
लिंक:
- The Vaccine Confidence Project
- WHO: Denmark campaign rebuilds confidence in HPV vaccination
- Japan’s HPV crisis: act now to avert cervical cancer cases and deaths
Listen to the episode here:
2020 influenza vaccines- it's not too late to get vaccinated
Influenza disease can occur at any time of year and vaccination is recommended for everyone over 6-months of age. Certain patient groups are eligible for funded influenza vaccines on the National Immunisation Program (NIP). It is also available to purchase for those who do not meet funding criteria.
For further information on influenza vaccination in 2020 please refer to the following resources:
Australian Government Department of Health: 2020 influenza vaccines- it's not too late to get vaccinated
एमवीईसी: इन्फ्लुएंजा वैक्सीन सिफारिशें
MVEC: Influenza vaccine- Frequently asked questions
New immunisation reference page: Melbourne immunisation drive-through clinics
Staying up to date with scheduled and additional vaccinations, remains essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerning results from the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) National Child Health Poll, indicate the impact that the pandemic has had on immunisation, with data showing 1 in 5 children have had those vaccinations delayed since the beginning of the pandemic.
Families are reminded that it is safe and recommended to attend local immunisation providers (GP or local council) for vaccinations, however drive-through clinics are also available at Monash Health in Clayton and the RCH in Parkville.
For more information please refer to the following:
MVEC: Melbourne immunisation drive-through clinics
Check your knowledge on the July 2020 NIP changes
Developed in conjunction with the Victorian DHHS Immunisation section, MVEC is excited to share the new "July 2020 National Immunisation Program changes" quiz. This quiz aims to check the knowledge of immunisation providers on the recent changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP). It can be found via our एमवीईसी शिक्षा पोर्टल or by following the link below:
Africa declared free of wild polio
After 4 years without a case of wild polio, the African region has been declared free of wild poliovirus. MVEC congratulates the efforts of everyone involved in accomplishing such a tremendous achievement which has been described by WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as "one of the greatest public health achievements of our time". This milestone means that Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only 2 countries worldwide who continue to see wild poliovirus transmission.
To read more on this remarkable effort please follow the links:
Africa kicks out wild polio
WHO: Global polio eradication initiative applauds WHO African region for wild polio-free certification
Zostavax safety advice: not to be administered to people with compromised immune function
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have issued a reminder that Zostavax® vaccine should not be administered to people with compromised immune function. Vaccination in this patient group is contraindicated and can result in infection with the vaccine virus causing mild to severe complications (including death).
Further details on the alert can be seen here: TGA: Zostavax® vaccine
For more information on Zostavax® and access to the Zostavax® GP decision aid please review the MVEC pages below:
एमवीईसी: ज़ोस्टर
MVEC: Zoster vaccine (Zostavax®) FAQ's
COVID19 Road to a vaccine episode 11: Associate Professor Margie Danchin and Professor Julie Leask
In episode 11 of our COVID19 Road to a vaccine series, our host, Nigel Crawford, speaks to experts in vaccine confidence, Associate Professor Margie Danchin and Professor Julie Leask. Margie is a consultant paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital, an Associate Professor within the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, where she is the leader of the Vaccine Uptake Group. Julie is a social scientist and professor in the Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney and a visiting Professorial Fellow at NCIRS (the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance). In this episode they discuss:
- Responses to vaccine hesitancy and promoting vaccine confidence from an Australian perspective
- The importance of language and definitions when it comes to vaccine confidence, hesitancy and uptake
- (5) important ways to prepare the public for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
- The role of social media platforms in communicating this information
- The importance of measuring vaccine confidence in the community
- Ways of communicating well around adverse events in gaining community trust and maintaining vaccine programs, including utilising expertise from specialist immunisation clinics (SICs)
लिंक:
- Vaccine: Words matter: Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine demand, vaccine confidence, herd immunity and mandatory vaccination
- COSSI Network
- Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation
Listen to the episode here:
New immunisation reference page: Foetal embryonic cells- utilised in vaccine development platforms
Foetal embryonic cell lines isolated in the early 1960's have been used to develop a number of various vaccines. As scientists work to produce an effective vaccine against SARS CoV-2 it is important to explore as many technologies as possible. Addressing ethical and religious concerns is an essential part of COVID-19 vaccine readiness planning. Our new reference page details the background behind the use of foetal embryonic cells and the role they play in the development of vaccines, the reasons why they are used, as well as addressing any religious and ethical implications.
To access our reference page follow the link to MVEC: Foetal embryonic cells- utilised in vaccine development platforms.
The use of foetal tissue in vaccine development
There has been attention in the media recently regarding the use of foetal cell lines by the Oxford Vaccine Group to develop their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Cell lines are currently used to manufacture many vaccines including varicella, hepatitis A, rabies and MMR vaccines.
The below information from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP) discusses the background behind using these cell lines in vaccine development as well as any potential ethical or religious concerns surrounding this.
Vaccine ingredients- Fetal tissues