Moderna shares new vaccine data

4 years ago 396

2 hr 52 min ago

Moderna says vaccine data shows it is well tolerated across all age groups

From CNN Health’s Naomi Thomas

A syringe containing either the vaccine or a placebo is prepared for a participant in a Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial sponsored by Moderna at Accel Research Sites on August 4 in DeLand, Florida. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine appears to be safe and elicits an immune response in all age groups, including the elderly, a company official said Wednesday.

Data from the phase one safety trial of the vaccine showed only mild adverse effects, and generated an immune response in volunteers aged 18 to 71, Dr. Jacqueline Miller, therapeutic area head for infectious diseases at Moderna, told a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The phase one trial was conducted in three age groups: 18 to 55, 56 to 70 and 71 plus years of age. Participants received two 100mg doses of the vaccine 28 days apart.

Neutralizing antibodies – which inactivate the virus — were detected in all participants, including the upper age range, she told the meeting. All age groups also seemed to produce the same immune response – a good sign, as older people often have weaker responses to vaccines.

The most common adverse reactions were fatigue, chills, headache and myalgia. More reports of adverse symptoms observed after the second dose of the vaccine, but the majority of symptoms resolved within two days.

ACIP advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how vaccines should be used in the population.

3 hr 35 min ago

Florida reports more than 3,200 new Covid-19 cases and 153 additional deaths

From CNN's Dan Shepherd

A State Emergency Response Team member administers a COVID-19 test at the Maingate Complex at Walt Disney World on August 14 in Kissimmee, Florida. Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Florida health officials reported 3,220 new Covid-19 cases and 153 additional resident deaths on Wednesday, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The state is reporting a total of 602,113 coronavirus cases among Florida residents and 608,722 cases across the state since the pandemic began.

The Florida Department of Health shows the total Covid-19 death toll in the state standing at 10,733 Florida residents. There were 153 new deaths reported, 30 less than yesterday’s count.

There have been more than 4.4 million Covid-19 tests given in Florida, with 86% of them testing as negative. There are 4,430 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalized throughout Florida

Remember: These numbers were released by Florida’s public health agency, and may not line up exactly in real time with CNN’s database, which is drawn from Johns Hopkins University and the Covid Tracking Project

3 hr 34 min ago

20% of new Covid-19 cases in New York City are from travelers from states on quarantine list, mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a press conference in New York City on August 26. NYC Media

About 20% of the new Covid-19 cases across New York City are coming from people traveling from the 31 states on New York’s quarantine list, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.

The sheriff’s office has completed more than 3,000 vehicle stops, issued two citations and handed out more than 12,000 face coverings, the mayor said.

The mayor urged people coming in from one of these places to quarantine, saying in part, “You really have to quarantine, it’s the law.”

“If you don’t need to travel to one of those affected states, just don’t,” de Blasio added.

4 hr 39 min ago

Kenya eases Covid-19 restrictions as hotspots begin to "stabilize"

From CNN's Bethlehem Feleke in Nairobi

A woman walks in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, on July 15. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images

In a televised national address on Wednesday, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions as the country's infections have reached a “manageable level.”

Kenyatta lifted a ban on alcohol sales in hotels and restaurants saying, "hotspots like Nairobi and Mombasa have begun to stabilize," as a result of the majority of Kenyans adequately observing Covid-19 guidelines. The national positivity rate has fallen from 13% in June to 8% in August, the president noted, adding “we are reporting more recoveries than infections in some instances”.

Bars and nightclubs will remain closed, and a nationwide curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time will remain in place for another 30 days.

Despite the progress in major cities, Kenyatta warned the crisis is shifting to other counties with weaker health systems. “The new frontier of this invisible enemy is increasingly shifting to the counties and rural areas,” he said.

“We note the good progress we have made so far in fighting this enemy, but, this positive news is no license for us to drop guard and backslide from our path of responsibility.”

At least 213 people tested positive on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to at least 33,016 with 564 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

4 hr 53 min ago

Airbnb will let employees work from home through August 2021

From CNN’s Brian Fung

The Airbnb logo is seen displayed on a smartphone on May 24, 2019. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Airbnb is the latest company to signal that it is bracing for a long pandemic, telling employees they can work from home through next summer, even if their offices reopen before then.

The hospitality company said in a statement that it wants to give its workers “flexibility and choice.”

"We are offering this remote working extension to give employees the ability to plan further ahead and make the choices they need around school calendars, being closer to family, caring for vulnerable family members, and other personal decisions,” Airbnb said. "We are fortunate that our employees are able to perform their jobs from home, and we are supporting them as they do so."

4 hr 23 min ago

Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers viewer questions on the updated CDC guidelines

From CNN's Melissa Mahtani

In a shift that perplexed some doctors, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its Covid-19 testing guidelines to say some people without symptoms may not need to be tested, even if they've been in close contact with someone known to have the virus.

Previously, the CDC said viral testing was appropriate for people with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is answering viewer questions on this latest guidance and the virus in general.

Watch here:

4 hr 58 min ago

Georgia state legislators "urge" Gov. Kemp to issue a statewide mask mandate

From CNN’s Lindsay Benson

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks at a press conference on August 10 in Atlanta. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Democratic State Legislators in Georgia issued a press release Wednesday morning to "urge Gov. Brian Kemp to issue a statewide mandate requiring masks or face coverings in public."

“If we can prevent just one person from contracting COVID-19 or even one person from dying by mandating the wearing of masks statewide, why wouldn’t we do so? Perhaps doing so will help us get this pandemic under control," State Representative Rhonda Burnough said in the statement.

State Representative Shelly Hutchinson also said in the statement, “we now know that President Donald Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force has called for our governor to show leadership and implement a statewide mask mandate. This should not be controversial.”

5 hr 25 min ago

World Economic Forum in Davos rescheduled to summer 2021 due to coronavirus

From CNN's Rob North

Participants sit near a window during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, on January 23. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

The World Economic Forum in Davos will be rescheduled next year due to coronavirus. The meeting, which is normally held in January, will now be held in the summer.

In a statement WEF said, “The decision was not taken easily, since the need for global leaders to come together to design a common recovery path and shape the “Great Reset” in the post-COVID-19 era is so urgent. However, the advice from experts is that we cannot do so safely in January.”

WEF will now hold a series of Davos Dialogues in the week of Jan. 25, where key global leaders can share their views on the state of the world in 2021.

5 hr 33 min ago