November Newsletter

As many of you may have heard, one of the vaccine candidates came out this past week with a preliminary announcement of efficacy.  At some point, there will be vaccine options and we will need to decide if we are going to get the vaccine and if so which one.  To that point, we should learn about each of the candidates. 

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is different than other vaccines.  It utilizes new technology with mRNA.  Think of mRNA (Messenger RiboNucleic Acid) as instructions for protein building.   The mRNA that is being used for the vaccine basically codes for instructions to the cell to build the “spike protein” that binds to the ACE-2 receptor found on cells in our body.   For this unique vaccine, the mRNA is packaged into a lipid (fat) membrane and it fuses with our cells delivering the mRNA into the cell.  The cell then starts to make the spike protein.  Of course, if the cell was infected with SARS-COV2, it would make many other proteins for replication – not just the spike protein.  The adaptive immune system then starts to make antibodies against the spike protein.   This would allow for our body to target the SARS-COV2 virus if it is exposed and mount an immune response to hopefully prevent infection. 

Is it safe?  So far the article from the New England Journal of Medicine outlining the two candidates in the Phase I trials suggested it is but more data is needed of course.   Two doses are required at 21 days apart.   The initial study looking at safety took 195 participants for two different versions of mRNA vaccine. The one reported this week was one of those versions “BNT162b-2” as it is referred to in that article.  92% had mild – moderate pain at the injection site for the first dose and 75% had mild – moderate pain at the injection site for the second dose. No recipients had swelling or redness.  As far as systemic reactions, 17% in the 18-55 age group experienced a fever up to 102.2 F and 8% experienced a fever in the 65-85 year old age group.  There were no serious adverse events in either group.  A “small number” of those people in the younger group experienced fatigue, headache, chills, muscle and joint pain.

What about efficacy?  Well that was the news this past week of the Phase 3 clinical trial.  The preliminary results which enrolled 43,538 participants show this vaccine was 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 seven days after the second dose.  This was after 94 people from the study group came down with COVID-19 and then they looked to see if who out of that group had the vaccine and who had placebo.  The final analysis will come once there are 164 confirmed cases occur.  Clearly these numbers are small but promising.

They project 50 million doses by the end of the year and 1.3 billion doses by next year.  They predict the cost will be $19.50 cents per injection and they are working with the US government and may be free.  The complicating factor is that the vaccine needs to be stored at negative 70 degrees C ( – 94 F). 

Of course, as with any vaccine, there will be risks and benefits and this is what I can find out so far! I think the technology with this one is new and interesting and different from all the other vaccines we have. 

Upcoming Seminars

We have several seminars coming up working up to our New Year’s 6 Day Detox which will be virtual this year.  Please visit the website to sign up.