The AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Withdrawn From Use

 

The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has been withdrawn from use. The reason is that its vaccine can cause the side effect of blood clots. Some reports reveal that it can also cause low blood platelet counts. Blood platelets are also known as thrombocytes. These cell fragments do repairs to the body when injured to stop bleeding. After three years of saying side effects were minimal the evidence shows otherwise. Defective vaccines were put out into the market. Vaccinations should not cause other health issues. The lack of business regulation is to blame for the negligence of  pharmaceutical corporations. Class action lawsuits have been filed in the UK against AstraZeneca. The fact that people can get vaccine injured brings into question the policy of vaccine mandates. If employees get sick from a vaccine they are required to take, then that company is liable. The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was distributed to 150 countries. The exact number of people who were vaccine injured is not known. There is no indication that it cause long term permanent health damage. Although getting thrombosis or thrombocytopenia should not be deemed insignificant. The World Health Organization also confirmed in 2021 that there could be adverse side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine. This was not a condemnation, rather they claimed it was rare and not a serious concern. It becomes apparent that excuses were being made for egregious errors. Mainly it could be to protect Oxford University, which was a collaborator in developing the vaccine. Along with the Serum Institute, they made it possible for to exist. The side effects cannot be dismissed if the company is now ending production of the vaccine. The AstraZeneca highlights the need for more regulation of pharmaceutical corporations.   

The Global Rise In Excess Deaths

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike in excess deaths. Even when the vaccines were made available the morality rate did not go back to pre-pandemic levels. Excess morality is a public health concern, but is not discussed. Excess morality was high in 2023. This was a time when COVID-19 vaccines were available and the World Health Organization declared the emergency over. The people who are dying from the virus are those with comorbidities and the elderly. The excess death  pattern has been seen in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, UK, Israel,  the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland,   and Iceland. The  excess death are not a product of the COVID-19 virus in 2023. Some speculate that the portion of those deaths occurred due to unanticipated side effects of particular vaccines. Blood clots and myocarditis occurred in some people who were vaccinated. There is not enough data to support certain brands of the COVID-19 vaccines were responsible.  Another  probable explanation is that global healthcare systems are not equipped for a large world population. Fewer hospitals and a large population increases the likelihood of more excess deaths. Countries with aging populations should make sure that healthcare and hospitals are able to handle demographic changes. Governments refuse to do any investigation into the 2023 spike of excess deaths. The main reason is that it would show that most governments failed to produce effective public health policy. If excess deaths  do not decrease in 2024, then it is a concern governments cannot ignore. 

The Use of Paxlovid For COVID-19

 

The anti-viral drug Paxlovid is available for use. There are tight controls of the medication. The intent of its creation was to help people with severe COVID-19. Some patients may have extreme reactions to particular vaccines and a pill could be a solution. The debate comes with what was stated previously. The vaccines produced were safe and effective, so Paxlovid is unnecessary. Booster shots exist for fighting new variants. Pfizer has been producing mRNA vaccines to fight COVID-19. If the mRNA technology is truly effective, Paxlovid  would not be needed. The only time for such a drug would be in emergency situations. Paxlovid is two drugs which contains nimatreviler and ritonavir. The complication comes with individuals on multiple medications. All of them are going to interact in the body. A patient would have to tell their doctor of  all the medications they take. They would then have to determine a way to avoid  harmful effects from the interactions between medications. The recommendation for Paxlovid is that anyone 12 and up can be given the drug. Those who are 50 or with comorbidities can be given Paxlovid. What Pfizer appears to be doing is putting a product out on the market for the sake of profit. No reports of adverse effects have appeared. Considering Pfizer did not test their vaccines for transmission, distrust from the public remains. A person who was vaccinated could still spread the virus. The CDC reported that COVID-19 deaths spiked in December of 2023. This was not due to the lack of medications or treatment. The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Medicine price remains too high for a population with stagnant wages. Pharmaceutical corporations need more regulation to prevent unethical business practices. The long term effects of Paxlovid are not known. The fact the drug got FDA approval demonstrates that it is pharmaceutical  corporations dictating public health policy. 

Ebola Detected In Uganda

 

Uganda has detected the Ebola virus in its borders. The information brings fears of the outbreak  in Liberia around 2014. The outbreak then spread throughout West Africa.  The Democratic Republic of  the Congo also experienced an outbreak in 2018. The recent outbreak is believed to be a new strain. That makes it difficult to develop a vaccine to prevent further infections. The COVID-19 pandemic has not ended. Even though there are enough vaccines to fight the disease, the healthcare systems might not be ready to handle another major crisis. The World Health Organization is tracking developments. Some virologists are debating whether or not this is another type of virus. The strains detected in the DRC and Sudan are classified as Ebola virus. It has not been confirmed that this is a new type of virus different from Ebola. Outbreaks of Ebola have ended without vaccines. Quarantines, surveillance, strict hygiene practices, and well equipped healthcare teams have contained outbreaks. Uganda did have a 2012 outbreak  of Ebola virus, but this did not become a pandemic. Isolating and providing quality medical treatment to the infected is the best way to prevent further spread. These techniques will have to be used if vaccines cannot be produced fast enough. The new virus might still be classified as part of the arterivirus group.