>> An ancient plague’s modern influence
>> First booster only: another EUA
>> Rationing vaccines against deadly illness
The Med & Mic™ 10.20.22
MED NEWS blog post from Dr. Maria ON Speaking, LLC
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The Plague Shaped Modern Day Genetics
In the 1300s, about half the people died of the Plague or the Black Death when it swept through Europe. By studying the DNA in skeletons before, during, and after the plague, researchers analyzed the genes that helped people survive. Those with a gene called ERAP2 were 40% more likely to survive. The gene codes for proteins that chop microbes into bits for the immune system to recognize. Survivors passed this DNA on to progeny. Samples of blood from people with the helpful gene are more resistant to infection with Yersinia pestis, the plague’s causative bacterium. However, the gene is also linked to autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s. This example of natural selection shows how an enormous infectious disease event can shape human evolution. COVID won’t do the same thing, though, since mostly the elderly succumbed to the illness, and they have already completed their reproduction. (Source: BBC, J. Gallagher, 10.19.22)
Another Booster EUA
The FDA has authorized the Novavax COVID booster for people 18 and older who cannot take one of the bivalent boosters or who would not otherwise take a booster. It is only available as a first booster shot six months after the initial series. The Novavax shot targets the original COVID strain only. (Source: STAT News, H. Branswell, 10.19.22)
Cholera Vaccine in Short Supply
The WHO is temporarily suspending the two-dose cholera vaccine and replacing it with a single dose due to shortages and rising outbreaks. The duration of protection is limited with one dose of vaccine. In serious cases, cholera can cause acute diarrhea and can be rapidly fatal. It spreads through contaminated water and food. Haiti, Syria, and Malawi are battling outbreaks of the deadly disease. (Source: Reuters, A Sharma and J. Rigby, 10.19.22)
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