[Thread] Glenda Gray, @MRCza: 1. The only way to bring the #COVID19 pandemic under control, is to vaccinate a large % of SA 2. Everyone needs to be vaccinated, not just 20%/30% of the population 3. Only 1.1% of people in low income countries have received one #CovidVaccine dose
2. Glenda Gray: 1. The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the occurrence of side effects 2. Severe side effects, such as rare/unique types of blood clots associated with #JnJ and heart inflammation associated with #Pfizer are very uncommon
3. Glenda Gray: How rare is rare? 1. For #JnJ, rare blood clots = 3 cases for every mil doses among adults 2. For JnJ, Guillain-Barre syndrome = 7.8 cases for every million doses among adults
For every 7-8 cases of Guillain-Barre:
* 11 800 hospitalisations
* 3 300 ICU admissions
* 2 300 deaths
will be prevented.
5. @sahpra has reported 28 deaths which are being investigated (4 associated with #Pfizer + 24 with #JnJ): 1. None of the deaths have yet been scientifically linked to #COVIDVaccines 2. Sahpra will investigate how, when + why those people died
6. Gray:
Sahpra and the SAMRC don't expect the occurrence of #CovidVaccine related side effects or deaths in SA to look any different from the patterns that occur in the rest of the world
7. Do we need to be concerned about long-term side effects of #CovidVaccines?
1. It's extremely unlikely — research shows vaccine-related side effects almost always happen within the first 6 weeks of receiving a jab 2. No long-term side effects have so far been detected
8. This slide shows how #CovidVaccines have prevented deaths in the UK (they've been vaccinating for much longer than SA, so they have more"real life" data than us):
Between Dec 2020 and March 2021 vaccinations prevented 10 400 deaths.
9. SA has some "real life" data from our #Sisonke study (it used #JnJ to vaccinate #HealthWorkers) that shows the jab works to prevent deaths + hospitalisations as a result of infection with the #DeltaVariant. Harvard data shows immune responses last for up to 8 months.
10. Gray: At this stage, a booster #JnJ shot is not needed (currently you only get one shot). In August data will, however, be released from a study which looks at how well two doses of #JnJ work (compared to the current one dose).
11. Gray: 1. #Pfizer: Data from countries where #Pfizer has been used shows = effective @ the #DeltaVariant (the variant that is dominant in SA). 2. In Aug, SA will release "real life" data on how well #Pfizer is working @ the #DeltaVariant (data = from medical schemes)
12. How well is #Pfizer working in SA? More data in Aug, but here's early Discovery data.
They compared 46 007 vaccinated (they had 1 #Pfizer shot) with unvaccinated members:
Unvaccinated group many (84) more hospitalisations than vaccinated (49) bit.ly/3eNV1Qi
13. In summary: 1. The #COVIDvaccines (#Pfizer and #JnJ) that SA uses, are safe and effective 2. Although you can still get infected with #SARSCoV2 after vaccination, our jabs specifically provide excellent protection @ hospitalisation and death as a result of the #DeltaVariant
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
🧵1. BREAKING: The peer-reviewed results of the study of a 6-monthly jab, #lenacapavir, in which not a single of the 2134 women between 16-25 years who received the jab contracted #HIV, were released at #Aids2024.
2. Women often find it hard to adhere to daily #oralPrEP. In the Purpose 1 trial, 91.5% of women returned on time for their next #lenacapavir jab at 26 weeks and 92.8% at week 52.
3. Only 4 women out of 2134 (0.2%) who received #lenacapavir dropped out of the trial because of injection-site reactions.
[Thread] 12 things to know about the the proportion of pregnant women infected with #HIV from SA’s latest antenatal HIV survey. The survey is conducted by the @nicd_sa.
(Analysis of our 95-95-95 goals in my next thread later in Jan).
1/12
2. What is the antenatal #HIV survey?
1. It measures the % of HIV+ pregnant women between the ages of 15 + 49. 2. Only women using state pregnancy clinics take part. 3. The survey has been conducted each year between 1990-2015, then in 2017, 2019 +2022.
3. How many pregnant women between 15-49’s blood was tested for #HIV? 37 828 out of 40 542 collected samples.
- 37 7171 = Black African women
- 37 541 didn’t live with the dad of their child
- 35,635 of dads were 5 years+ older than moms (this makes them more likely to get HIV)
JUST IN [Thread]:
1.@healthza's Lesley Broomberg:
An extra #COVID19 booster jab for people of 18+ in SA will become available towards the end of JANUARY
- People of 50+ qualify for a 5th dose
- People of 18+ qualify for a 4th dose
2. Lesley Broomberg: Can you mix and match with additional boosters? Yes. You can choose whether you want a #JnJ or #Pfizer booster.
3. Lesley Broomberg:
Will teens of 12-17 qualify for boosters? Not at this stage. Why not? The #VMAC = not recommended booster doses for 12-17, based on an understanding that the protection provided by 2 #Pfizer doses = adequate, as 12-17 = @ low risk of severe #COVID19 illness
[Thread] #JoePhaahla:
- Genomic surveillance Network reported the detection of the new subvariant XBB.1.5 in SA of a sample of a patient tested on 22 Dec
- Details of the patient = not known, it was a random sample taken for testing
- XBB.1.5 = also common in US
2. XBB.1.5 = common in US
#JoePhaahla:
- 97%+ of #COVID19 cases worldwide = still #Omicron
- XBB.1.5 cases = no major change in hospitalisations or deaths
- Immunity of SAs (vax and natural immunity) = still strong, so that is why we haven't seen much change in terms of hospital admissions/deaths
Which APIs will Aspen use?
India's Serum Institute's
2. Why is it NB that an African company makes these jabs?
#Africa imports almost all its jabs. #COVID19 showed us this results in Africa being last in line to get vaccines during pandemics. The grant to Aspen is 1 of the 1st steps to change that.
3. What's the goal?
By 2040, the African Union wants #Africa to make 60% of the jabs the continent uses.
Why?
So that Africa is better equipped 2 respond 2 outbreaks (by developing the ability to make jabs + have technology in place to also make new jabs during pandemics).
🧵1. BREAKING: @SAHPRA1 has confirmed the registration of the #HIV prevention jab, #CABLA in South Africa. On Thursday, #ViiVHealthcare issued their statement.
2. Who can use the jab? @SAHPRA1 didn't specify restrictions for use in their statement, only that it is "a highly effective option for people at substantial risk of #HIV infection."
3. How does the jab work? It uses an #ARV called cabotegravir that prevents #HIV from replicating and entering someone’s cells. It’s taken every two months. Read my latest story for more. bit.ly/3ER7ejq