On June 11th, the New York Times reported federal regulators told Johnson & Johnson that they needed to destroy 60 million doses of its Coronavirus vaccine produced at a Baltimore factory. The factory in question had mixed ingredients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with ingredients of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The federal government says it has enough of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
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Larry Brilliant, the man whose work helped eliminate the Smallpox virus, says that the Coronavirus is here to stay. He told the Daily Beast in a recent interview that a virus that can infect multiple animals along with humans, and a virus that can mutate is not a candidate for herd immunity. On the other hand, he was optimistic that we can get a handle on this disease, that we can build vaccine manufacturing plants around the world, and that we can give booster shots as needed.
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Dr. Sherri Tenpenny claimed before the Ohio legislature that the Coronavirus vaccine would make you magnetic, meaning objects like keys, forks, and spoons would stick all over you. Having been vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, we attempted this experiment by placing a fork on our head. It dropped to the ground. We also attempted to stick a set of keys against our forehead. They fell off.
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USA Today recently debunked false claims that the Coronavirus vaccine is somehow loaded with toxins. The Coronavirus is loaded with spike proteins, which is used by the virus to enter human cells. Coronavirus vaccines teach the body how to make antibodies against the spike proteins, creating an immune response. Spike proteins do stay in the body for some time. But they are eventually broken down, meaning they don’t become toxic.
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CBS News reported on June 11th, that the CDC will convene an emergency meeting on the 18th regarding reports of heart inflammation following doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not included. There are 226 reports which might meet the agency’s definition of myocarditis and pericarditis following the shots, out of 130 million who have been fully vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna doses. The vast majority of these 226 people have recovered, but 41 had ongoing symptoms, 15 are still hospitalized, and 3 are in intensive care. The CDC says that not all these cases will turn out to be true myocarditis or pericarditis reports.
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Most of these cases occur among younger people. CNN interviewed Dr. Kevin Hall of the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Stuart Berger at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Both, along with the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for young people.
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By way of comparison, the CDC reports that 2,637 people under 30 have died of the Coronavirus as of June 9th. Some who have recovered have had long-term illnesses.
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The Washington Post reported on June 10th that two vaccinated people who were onboard the Celebrity Millennium, a cruise ship, tested positive for the Coronavirus. All guests on the ship were required to show proof of vaccination and take a negative test within 72 hours of boarding. Crew members are fully vaccinated. As of April 30th, the CDC reported that there were 10,262 breakthrough cases of the virus out of 101 million who were vaccinated at the time.
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On June 6th, the New York Times reported that The National Institutes of Health begun a new clinical trial of patients who have been fully vaccinated, to see whether a booster of the Moderna shot would increase their antibodies and prolong protection against getting infected with the virus.
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On May 26th, the New York Times reported that two studies showed that immunity to the Coronavirus lasts at least a year, improving over time. The journal Nature published a study showing that cells located in the bone marrow retain a memory of the Coronavirus and can churn out antibodies when needed. Another study, posted on BioRxiv, found that memory B cells continue to strengthen and mature for at least 12 months after the initial infection. These memory cells are also able to thwart variants of the virus, reducing or negating the need for boosters.
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