Indonesia speeds up new TB vaccine development to combat rising cases
Indonesia is developing a new Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine to strengthen the fight against TB, which has claimed an average of 150,000 lives annually.
The benefits of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine far outweigh its potential risks amid an ongoing review of reports of a rare neurological disorder, according to an advisory panel to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.
There have been 8.1 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome per 1 million doses, which is higher than expected in the general population and close to eight times the rate seen in Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots, according to data presented at a meeting of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday.
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Guillain-Barre is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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The data came after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new warning on July 12 for the Johnson & Johnson shot after preliminary reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome in some recipients, the Xinhua news agency reported.
About 100 preliminary reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome have been detected in vaccine recipients after the administration of 12.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the US, according to the FDA.
Of these reported cases, 95 were serious and required hospitalisation, and one was dead.
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