COVID-19 back in the news for a while. In Delhi earlier this week, in addition to the Supreme Court, seemed every 2nd person knows someone who has recently tested positive. XBB.1.16 & its emerging sublineages are infecting the vaccinated & infected quite easily. 1/19
Yet, it appears that besides highlighting the numbers of cases and advising caution and preparedness exercises for hospitals, no other measures are being taken. Why? Restrict movement? Should we not mask? Give booster doses? 2/19
Dec 23, 2022 • 31 tweets • 5 min read
So many calls about China, about what that means for India, about XBB, about 3rd waves, about new mandates, about travel bans, about vaccine boosters- thought best to get views out to summarise the current situation. Long thread, be warned 🙂 1/n
Let's start with China. China is opening up fast at a time when their population has low levels of exposure to natural infection. The current circulating variants are Omicron, which have evolved in vaccinated populations and are therefore very infectious. 2/n
Jan 23, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
A call from a 90 year diabetic uncle in Chennai who said he was advised admission to hospital and antibody treatment because he was in contact with someone who tested positive for SARS-CoV2 sparked this thread. 1/6
We know that 90% or greater infections are currently omicron in Indian cities. We know that the licensed monoclonal antibody products in India do not neutralise omicron. Yet doctors in private hospitals are prescribing monoclonal antibody therapy (and admission). 2/6
Aug 17, 2021 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Thread in response to many questions about when we should start with booster doses.
Yes, some countries that have used inactivated, vectored vaccines or mRNA vaccines have begun to offer booster doses to selected populations, like the elderly. 1/9
In India (and elsewhere), we DO NOT have any data showing that anyone who has received two doses of vaccine needs booster vaccines at this time. 2/9
May 26, 2021 • 17 tweets • 3 min read
Bear with me.. About Luc Montagnier’s statements-
Well, apparently he did not say all vaccinated people will die in two years (Given human variation why 2? Not 1 or 6??). But he did say
New variants are created through selection imposed by antibodies made through vaccination 1/n
And he said
2.There will be much stronger infection by variants in vaccinated individuals due to antibody dependent enhancement
3.Massive vaccination is an enormous error, a medical mistake
NOT TRUE. Read on. 2/n
Apr 15, 2021 • 6 tweets • 8 min read
@ajayhisar@IMAIndiaOrg@MoHFW_INDIA@AnantBhan@RemaNagarajan This is an important question. We know that most vaccines there is at least short-term pretty good protection. So if someone tests positive post-1st dose, it is more likely to be in the first 2-3 weeks before the protective immune response kicks in. 1/6@ajayhisar@IMAIndiaOrg@MoHFW_INDIA@AnantBhan@RemaNagarajan The US CDC says to wait until you are no longer symptomatic or have completed isolation requirements and then take the second dose. 2/6
Jan 23, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
There is now more safety data on Pfizer and new data on Moderna. The risk of anaphylaxis with Pfizer's vaccine is less than originally calculated (earlier 11.1 now 6.2 per million). Moderna risk 2.1 per million.
Women still predominate. Most had history of anaphylaxis or very severe allergies. Median time 7.5 minutes, well within time people are asked to wait. CDC analysis comes after accumulating a fair amount of data (Jan 19, 15 Moderna and 45 Pfizer cases)
Jan 9, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Tracking safety: what do the data show? About 2 million vaccines doses given for mRNA vaccines in the US, 21 cases of anaphylaxis. That's 1 in 90,000 vaccinated. Could this have been picked up in vaccine trials of sizes of 30 K or 44K where half got vaccine. Unlikely, right? 1/5
18/21 had symptoms in 30 min. 17/21 had a history of alergy (food, medicines, bee/wasp stings, other vaccines). 7 had history of anaphylaxis. Almost all responded to epinephrine. 4 needed hospitalization. Half were in 20 to 40 year olds. 2/5
Dec 6, 2020 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
1.5 billion children have been out of schools with consequences from nutrition to mental health and social development. A thread on SARS-CoV2, children and school in India in response to FAQs from many journalists. Incomplete, but helpful (I hope). 1/14
Younger children are less likely to get infected than adolescents. 2/14
COVID-19 Trends Among School-Aged Children ... cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6… via @CDCgov
Dec 4, 2020 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
Received 4th forward of a show, where host states vaccines that prevent disease are *medicine* not vaccines because they do not prevent infection. Let us get this straight, vaccines primarily prevent DISEASE. They stop you getting badly sick or sick when you encounter the bug.1/6
3 preventive outcomes to look for 1. Disease/illness, many but not all vaccines completely prevent illness when infected, but those that do not completely prevent will modify to make us less sick, converting life-threatening to manageable. 2/6
Nov 29, 2020 • 21 tweets • 4 min read
A thread on vaccine safety, adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and assessments that happen when vaccines are tested before licensure. WHO has a great course at vaccine-safety-training.org/home.html from which a couple of figures are taken. 1/21
No vaccine (or drug from aspirin to zinc) is absolutely risk free. BUT no vaccine is licensed where benefits don't hugely outweigh any risk. To know risk is rare is no consolation when AEFIs occur, but important as a society to understand risks exist & are measured. 2/21
Nov 25, 2020 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
An update on yesterday's thread on the Oxford vaccine, and on the Gamleya vaccine. And address follow up questions as best I can. 1/10
It turns out that the low dose was an error on the part of Astra Zeneca. Serendipity has its uses, but would be good to know more about what happened and why. Evaluating dosing and intervals is a key part of vaccine development, should not be by accident. 2/10
Nov 24, 2020 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
Lots of questions about the Astra Zeneca results. Why different results for the sub-sets? How does it work to have a lower dose protect better? My understanding as below, could have imperfect numbers. 1/11
The 1st vaccine trial COV002 is in the UK. Single blind, multi-site phase II/III study in 12390 adults who got 1 or 2 intramuscular doses of a half dose (~2.5 x1010 viral particles) or full dose (~5x1010 viral particles) of AZD1222 or comparator, meningococcal vaccine. 2/11
Nov 9, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Covid-19 vaccine candidate is 90% effective, says manufacturer theguardian.com/world/2020/nov…
So what do the outstanding Pfizer BioNTech results mean? Unexpected really good news, 90% is better than most people expected. But plenty to learn. This is clinical efficacy, but we do not know about preventing severe disease. 1/6
Mar 21, 2020 • 15 tweets • 2 min read
Thank you, Office of the PSA. This is a huge boost to R&D efforts and we will do our best. DBT/BIRAC, CSIR, others have RFPs out but reagents and samples have been limiting. Now with cases rising, much to be done on health and research fronts. Thread follows.
