Psychological Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Healthcare Workers in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the 5C and Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scales

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines are critical for containing serious infections. However, as COVID-19 evolves toward more transmissible varieties and serum antibody levels in vaccinated persons steadily decline over time, the likelihood of breakthrough infections increases. This is a cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire for Jordanian adults (n = 915) to determine how individuals who have finished the current vaccination regimen feel about a prospective COVID-19 booster shot and what factors might influence their decision. Almost half of the participants (44.6%) intended to get the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The most frequently mentioned reasons for participants' reluctance to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose were "The benefits of booster dose have not been scientifically proven" (39.8%), followed by "I took the last dose a short time ago, and there will be no need to take the booster dose for at least a year" (24.6%). In turn, "I was infected with COVID-19; thus, I do not require the booster dose" was the least reported reason (13.1%). These findings highlight the considerable hesitancy toward COVID-19 booster immunization among Jordanians, as well as the variables associated with vaccine hesitancy and the most frequently mentioned reasons for hesitancy, which will aid in creating excellent campaigns regarding booster doses. 

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Willingness of the Jordanian Population to Receive a COVID-19 Booster Dose: A Cross-Sectional Study

Administration of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised patients.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic remains a global public health crisis, presenting a broad range of challenges. To help address some of the main problems, the scientific community has designed vaccines, diagnostic tools and therapeutics for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The rapid pace of technology development, especially with regard to vaccines, represents a stunning and historic scientific achievement. Nevertheless, many challenges remain to be overcome, such as improving vaccine and drug treatment efficacies for emergent mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2. Outbreaks of more infectious variants continue to diminish the utility of available vaccines and drugs. Thus, the effectiveness of vaccines and drugs against the most current variants is a primary consideration in the continual analyses of clinical data that supports updated regulatory decisions. The first two vaccines granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs), BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273, still show more than 60% protection efficacy against the most widespread current SARS-CoV-2 variant, Omicron. This variant carries more than 30 mutations in the spike protein, which has largely abrogated the neutralizing effects of therapeutic antibodies. Fortunately, some neutralizing antibodies and antiviral COVID-19 drugs treatments have shown continued clinical benefits. In this review, we provide a framework for understanding the ongoing development efforts for different types of vaccines and therapeutics, including small molecule and antibody drugs. The ripple effects of newly emergent variants, including updates to vaccines and drug repurposing efforts, are summarized. In addition, we summarize the clinical trials supporting the development and distribution of vaccines, small molecule drugs, and therapeutic antibodies with broad-spectrum activity against SARS-CoV-2 strains. 

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A critical overview of current progress for COVID-19: development of vaccines, antiviral drugs, and therapeutic antibodies

Anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is characterized by cognitive impairment or rapid progressive dementia, psychiatric disorders, faciobrachial dystonic seizures (FBDS) and refractory hyponatremia. Since December 2020, millions of people worldwide have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Several soft neurological symptoms like pain, headache, dizziness, or muscle spasms are common and self-limited adverse effects after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. However, several major neurological complications, despite the unproven causality, have been reported since the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. Herein, we describe a 48 years old man presenting with rapidly progressive cognitive decline and hyponatremia diagnosed with anti LGI1 AE, occurring shortly after the second dose of mRNA COVID -19 vaccine and possibly representing a severe adverse event related to the vaccination. Response to high dose steroid therapy was favorable. As millions of people worldwide are currently receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, this case should serve to increase the awareness for possible rare autoimmune reactions following this novel vaccination in general, and particularly of anti-LGI1 AE.

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Case Report: Anti-LGI1 Encephalitis Following COVID-19 Vaccination

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 100 million people globally within the first year of the pandemic. With a death toll surpassing 500,000 in the United States alone, containing the pandemic is predicated on achieving herd immunity on a global scale. This implies that at least 70-80 % of the population must achieve active immunity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), either as a result of a previous COVID-19 infection or by vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. In December 2020, the first two vaccines were approved by the FDA through emergency use authorization in the United States. These vaccines are based on the mRNA vaccine platform and were developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Published safety and efficacy trials reported high efficacy rates of 94-95 % after two interval doses, in conjunction with limited side effects and a low rate of adverse reactions. The rapid pace of vaccine development and the uncertainty of potential long-term adverse effects raised some level of hesitation against mRNA vaccines in the global community. A successful vaccination campaign is contingent on widespread access to the vaccine under appropriate storage conditions, deployment of a sufficient number of vaccinators, and the willingness of the population to be vaccinated. Thus, it is important to clarify the objective data related to vaccine safety, including known side effects and potential adverse reactions. The present review was designed to provide an update on the current state of science related to the safety and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.

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Review the safety of Covid-19 mRNA vaccines: a review

/pdf/correction-to-the-safety-of-covid-19-mrna-vaccines-a-review-mket6j60zk.pdf

Pratibha Anand

Papers

Review the safety of Covid-19 mRNA vaccines: a review

Correction to: The safety of Covid-19 mRNA vaccines: a review