While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that the XBB. The US media extensively reported that Pfizer Inc.'s revitalized vaccine shot specially designed to target Omicron could cause a blood clot in people over 65 years of age. Although federal health officials stressed that this information did not result from extensive scientific investigation, and that this "is unlikely to be a real risk," and that Americans six months of age and older should hurry to get the updated booster dose; The American media, including the press and television, varied in their presentation of this news, to the point of confusion! Okaz noticed that discrepancy yesterday as follows:
• The New York Times: "Federal officials say no increased risk of stroke from Pfizer's booster dose."
• Reuters: “The US Centers for Disease Control and Control is investigating “safety concerns” regarding Pfizer's Covid vaccine.
• The Washington Post: "Extensive review confirms that the Covid booster dose is safe… after the system indicates danger."
• CNN: The US Centers for Disease Control identifies an issue regarding the safety of Pfizer's updated dose…but says people should get it.
In detail, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced (Friday) that its system for monitoring the safety of vaccines, called “Vaccine Safety Data”, sensed a possible increase in the possibility of a certain type of stroke for people aged 65 and over, who finally got on the updated Pfizer Activator Dose. The type referred to is ischemic stroke. Scientists say that about 87% of strokes are ischemic, in which an artery that supplies blood to the brain becomes blocked, often because of a blood clot. The alert in the said monitoring system indicated that this risk was likely to occur within the first three weeks of receiving the upgraded booster dose. This data monitoring system derives its information from the electronic records of people across the United States. The system indicated that among the approximately 550,000 who received the updated Pfizer stimulus, 130 of them had a stroke within three weeks of undergoing the vaccination; According to health officials who spoke to CNN. And the US Centers said yesterday that it does not recommend any change in current vaccination practices, and that the risks of Covid-19 to elderly adults outweigh any potential safety concerns. The American Centers for Food and Drug Administration stated, in a statement, that it decided to publish this information in order to achieve transparency. She said she would continue to evaluate more data from all vaccine monitoring systems. She added that these data and any additional data will be discussed during a meeting to be held by a committee of the Food and Drug Authority on January 26. Pfizer said, in a statement Friday, that none of the concerned parties, namely Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, the US Centers for Disease Control, and the Food and Drug Authority, have noticed similar data from other vaccine monitoring systems in the United States and the world. It concluded that there is no evidence that the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is linked to ischemic strokes.
Britain dispenses “statin” medication to anyone who wants it!
The National Health Service in Britain announced that it has directed biologists and general practitioners to dispense "Statin" medication to anyone who wants it. It is one of the most common drugs to combat cholesterol and protect people from heart disease, especially heart attacks and strokes. The British Health Service canceled all conditions for obtaining this drug, after concluding that a comprehensive study concluded that it is safe and does not cause side effects, except very rarely. Previous directives oblige doctors not to dispense this drug except for patients whose chances of having a heart attack or stroke within a decade reach 10% or more. It is expected that the health service's decision will lead to millions of Britons receiving statins, which come under different names. Although dozens of large studies have proven that statins are safe and effective; There are those who claim that it carries risks. And the Japanese pharmacist Akira Endo succeeded in the year 1976 in extracting “mevastatin” – which is the first drug from statins – from a parasite. Laboratory studies on animals have shown that it has the ability to lower cholesterol in dogs, rabbits, and monkeys. But mevastatin was not marketed because a laboratory experiment on mice showed that it could be toxic. In 1978, researcher Alfred Alberts discovered iovastatin while working in the research laboratories of the American pharmaceutical company Merck. It was also discovered a year later by Dr. Endo in a laboratory of the Japanese company Sankyo. Merck began clinical trials on this drug in 1980, but the trials stopped after the Japanese company Sankyo research concluded that it might be toxic to animals, but the experiments conducted on ivastatin did not find a toxic effect. In 1982, Merck began resuming its clinical trials. In 1987, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first astatin product, called lovastatin. Its sales revenue during the first year of its production amounted to one billion dollars! In 1997, another drug was approved, called Atrovastatin, and Pfizer sells it under the name "Lipitor". It is the most common astatin in the world today. And in 2012, the Food and Drug Authority decided to add an alert to the drug’s packaging, stating that there is a small possibility that its use will lead to a rise in blood sugar, and the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes. The warning noted that some people are likely to experience muscle aches, headaches and stomach upsets. The state's opponents were quick to denounce the health service's decision to disburse it to anyone who wanted it, saying that it would open the door to infecting millions of people with its side complications. Some of them argued that since it is estimated that statins can prevent one in every 50 heart attacks or strokes, statistically speaking, those who take them can see little benefit from them. However, health charities and leading consultants insisted that the decision to distribute statins more widely was the right step, given the proven effectiveness of these drugs in preventing heart disease, which is one of the biggest killers in the world. Oxford University scientists said that the allegations about aches and muscle pain attributed to statins are in fact caused by advanced age, or the frequent activity of its abusers. It is reported that statins are a family of drugs designed to lower the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood. The digestive system absorbs the tablets, as they reduce the production of harmful cholesterol in the liver. A statin costs only about two pence (1 pound sterling equals 100 pence).
Okaz (Washington, London) @OKAZ_online @Yassin Ahmed (London)
