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State and federal health officials have asked older Sydneysiders who have had their first AstraZeneca jabs to come back early for a second dose in response to the circulation of the Delta variant of COVID-19. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has said people should consider shortening the interval between first and second jabs from 12 weeks to six. “We might sacrifice a bit of long-term protection but we’re making sure you’re protected earlier and, at this time, that’s the strategy we’d suggest,” she said. The call was backed by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly – but only for people living in Greater Sydney. Why?
But as researchers looked at the results, they found that the delay turned out to have another major benefit. “The bigger the gap you can leave between vaccines the better the immune response”, Cambridge University consultant clinical virologist Dr Chris Smith told RNZ. “Twelve weeks was de rigueur.” Same message from a June 2021 study from the University of Birmingham and Public Health England: “Antibody response in people aged over 80 is three-and-a-half times greater in those who have the second dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine after 12 weeks compared to those who have it at a three-week interval.” “Data from clinical trials shows that the efficacy was higher when the second dose was given at, or after 12 weeks.”
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Research shows nasal spray that protects against COVID-19 is also effective against common cold
Research into a new drug which primes the immune system in the respiratory tract and is in development for COVID-19 shows it is also effective against rhinovirus.
Rhinovirus is the most common respiratory virus, the main cause of the common cold and is responsible for exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In a study recently published in the European Respiratory Journal, the drug, known as INNA-X, is shown to be effective in a pre-clinical infection model and in human airway cells.
Vaccine appointment proposal has âcapacity for failureâ A single digital platform for Australians to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at their nearest available location is being considered.
Politics by Clare Armstrong, Amy Ziniak 2nd Feb 2021 7:17 PM
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Subscriber only A SINGLE digital platform for Australians to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at their nearest available location is being considered for the federal government s rollout strategy. The system would determine if the person was eligible to receive a jab at that time, and then direct them to the closest GP, pharmacy or other health facility providing the vaccine. Several MPs and staff members have been briefed on the possibility of a government-run app or online portal, likely operated by Services Australia, but the idea is yet to be approved by ministers or taken to the Expenditure Review Committee.
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IMAGE: Researchers were able to use cells from human donors and re-grow the structure of the airway surface, the epithelium, to recreate the first line of defense against respiratory viruses. This. view more
Credit: Hunter Medical Research Institute
Research into a new drug which primes the immune system in the respiratory tract and is in development for COVID-19 shows it is also effective against rhinovirus. Rhinovirus is the most common respiratory virus, the main cause of the common cold and is responsible for exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In a study recently published in the