10.1056/NEJMoa2110475

BackgroundPreapproval trials showed that messenger RNA (mRNA)–based vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had a good safety profile, yet these trials were subject to size and patient-mix limitations. An evaluation of the safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine with respect to a broad range of potential adverse events is needed. MethodsWe used data from the largest health care organization in Israel to evaluate the safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. For each potential adverse event, in a population of persons with no previous diagnosis of that event, we individually matched vaccinated persons to unvaccinated persons according to sociodemographic and clinical variables. Risk ratios and risk differences at 42 days after vaccination were derived with the use of the Kaplan–Meier estimator. To place these results in context, we performed a similar analysis involving SARS-CoV-2–infected persons matched to uninfected persons. The same adverse events were studied in the vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection analyses. ResultsIn the vaccination analysis, the vaccinated and control groups each included a mean of 884,828 persons. Vaccination was most strongly associated with an elevated risk of myocarditis (risk ratio, 3.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 12.44; risk difference, 2.7 events per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 1.0 to 4.6), lymphadenopathy (risk ratio, 2.43; 95% CI, 2.05 to 2.78; risk difference, 78.4 events per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 64.1 to 89.3), appendicitis (risk ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.01; risk difference, 5.0 events per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 0.3 to 9.9), and herpes zoster infection (risk ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.73; risk difference, 15.8 events per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 8.2 to 24.2). SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a substantially increased risk of myocarditis (risk ratio, 18.28; 95% CI, 3.95 to 25.12; risk difference, 11.0 events per 100,000 persons; 95% CI, 5.6 to 15.8) and of additional serious adverse events, including pericarditis, arrhythmia, deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, and thrombocytopenia. ConclusionsIn this study in a nationwide mass vaccination setting, the BNT162b2 vaccine was not associated with an elevated risk of most of the adverse events examined. The vaccine was associated with an excess risk of myocarditis (1 to 5 events per 100,000 persons). The risk of this potentially serious adverse event and of many other serious adverse events was substantially increased after SARS-CoV-2 infection. (Funded by the Ivan and Francesca Berkowitz Family Living Laboratory Collaboration at Harvard Medical School and Clalit Research Institute.)

Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting

I don't know why Florida is such a crazy outlier. My guess is a combination of: 1) The vax share doesn't reflect current population: US snowbirds + Latin American vaccine tourists 2) Low-masking culture among young ppl pre-wave 3) Heat + air-conditioning, something something

Adult hospitalizations since July 1 vs. vaccinations, by state: 1) The relationship between more vaccines and less hospitalization is pretty straightforward. 2) Holy moly, Florida. Among states with more than one shot per person, FL really is on its own island of pain.

Move aimed at pushing employees to get COVID vaccinesUnited Airlines mandated shots for its employeesComes amid surge in Delta variant infections

Delta Air Lines to add $200 monthly health insurance charge for unvaccinated staff

10.1101/2021.08.22.457114

mRNA-based vaccines provide effective protection against most common SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, identifying likely breakthrough variants is critical for future vaccine development. Here, we found that the Delta variant completely escaped from anti-N-terminal domain (NTD) neutralizing antibodies, while increasing responsiveness to anti-NTD infectivity-enhancing antibodies. Although Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2-immune sera neutralized the Delta variant, when four common mutations were introduced into the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Delta variant (Delta 4+), some BNT162b2-immune sera lost neutralizing activity and enhanced the infectivity. Unique mutations in the Delta NTD were involved in the enhanced infectivity by the BNT162b2-immune sera. Sera of mice immunized by Delta spike, but not wild-type spike, consistently neutralized the Delta 4+ variant without enhancing infectivity. Given the fact that a Delta variant with three similar RBD mutations has already emerged according to the GISAID database, it is necessary to develop vaccines that protect against such complete breakthrough variants.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is poised to acquire complete resistance to wild-type spike vaccines

Moderna Completes Submission of Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its COVID-19 Vaccine

Final blinded analysis of Phase 3 COVE study of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shows 93% efficacy; efficacy remains durable through six months after second dose

10.1136/bmj.n2062

Wealthy countries, including the UK, have secured hundreds of millions of covid vaccines that they no longer need or cannot use. Now they stand accused of wasting lifesaving vaccines, reports Jane Feinmann

How the world is (not) handling surplus doses and expiring vaccines

10.1056/NEJMoa2104840

BackgroundSeveral cases of unusual thrombotic events and thrombocytopenia have developed after vaccination with the recombinant adenoviral vector encoding the spike protein antigen of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (ChAdOx1 nCov-19, AstraZeneca). More data were needed on the pathogenesis of this unusual clotting disorder. MethodsWe assessed the clinical and laboratory features of 11 patients in Germany and Austria in whom thrombosis or thrombocytopenia had developed after vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCov-19. We used a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect platelet factor 4 (PF4)–heparin antibodies and a modified (PF4-enhanced) platelet-activation test to detect platelet-activating antibodies under various reaction conditions. Included in this testing were samples from patients who had blood samples referred for investigation of vaccine-associated thrombotic events, with 28 testing positive on a screening PF4–heparin immunoassay. ResultsOf the 11 original patients, 9 were women, with a median age of 36 years (range, 22 to 49). Beginning 5 to 16 days after vaccination, the patients presented with one or more thrombotic events, with the exception of 1 patient, who presented with fatal intracranial hemorrhage. Of the patients with one or more thrombotic events, 9 had cerebral venous thrombosis, 3 had splanchnic-vein thrombosis, 3 had pulmonary embolism, and 4 had other thromboses; of these patients, 6 died. Five patients had disseminated intravascular coagulation. None of the patients had received heparin before symptom onset. All 28 patients who tested positive for antibodies against PF4–heparin tested positive on the platelet-activation assay in the presence of PF4 independent of heparin. Platelet activation was inhibited by high levels of heparin, Fc receptor–blocking monoclonal antibody, and immune globulin (10 mg per milliliter). Additional studies with PF4 or PF4–heparin affinity purified antibodies in 2 patients confirmed PF4-dependent platelet activation. ConclusionsVaccination with ChAdOx1 nCov-19 can result in the rare development of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia mediated by platelet-activating antibodies against PF4, which clinically mimics autoimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. (Funded by the German Research Foundation.)

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 Vaccination

Conversations about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 felt by racially minoritised communities in the UK have also highlighted the pervasive and longstanding health inequalities they experience.

Avoiding the blame game: Reframing conversations on racialised health inequalities

As there's a lot of "this is all EU politics" out there on AZ drug admission: some food for thought. I have deleted a lot of tweets on this. I will try to be brief, informative and neutral. (Thread)

“It's really important we don't situate vaccine hesitancy and low uptake of the vaccine as a problem of particular individuals or communities." @ProfKevinFenton joins the #DeepBreathIn podcast to talk covid vaccines and their uptake http://ow.ly/iIXf50DMtDE http://ow.ly/dAzS50DMtDF

Last night @SliderCuts & I discussed qq his 95k+ followers have about #COVID19 vaccines. Went on > 1.5 hrs in the end!! Pple have reasonable concerns that need to be heard and understood & happy to (hopefully) help address. Watch here https://instagram.com/tv/CLcu-UFB8Xy/?igshid=irvs1mlis0o9… @IndependentSage

NEW: B.1617.2 is fuelling a third wave in the UK, with not only cases but also hospital admissions rising. Vaccines will make this wave different to those that have come before, but it remains a concern, and one that other countries will soon face. Thread on everything we know:

JAKARTA -- Indonesia has overtaken India as Asia's new epicenter for the coronavirus pandemic, with daily infections exceeding 40,000 for two straight days and officials warning that the delta variant is spreading outside the most populous island of Java.

Indonesia overtakes India to become Asia's COVID epicenter

One reason the right-wing outrage machine is focused on attacking Biden’s plan for door-to door outreach isn’t because they actually fear confiscation of guns or Bibles. It’s because they don’t want poor people to have access to life-saving vaccinations

I continue to see a lot of judgment from folks who identify as liberal/progressive/leftist but who lack any awareness of what it is like to live as a poor person in the US. Stop judging people whose everyday lives require more fortitude and problem-solving than you can imagine.

The policy corollary is to make accessing critical services like vaccines as easy as possible for low income communities—to bring the service into the present moment and make vaccinations the answer to the “what is needed NOW” question. And make sure everyone knows they’re free.

When you’re poor, time is foreshortened. You take care of one emergency (“Okay, I got food and toilet paper…”) only to face another one just as pressing (“How am I going to pay this overdue utility bill?”). Out of necessity, you live in the present moment: what is needed NOW?

When you’re poor, simply keeping yourself and loved ones fed and sheltered involves constant high stakes juggling that can be hard to understand if you haven’t experienced it. Medical care often stays on the list of important things you mean to get to soon—and then months pass.

More than half of unvaccinated Americans live in households that make less than $50,000 annually. Two-thirds of those say they “definitely” or “probably” will get the vaccine.

Finally: we looked at rates of vaccination among depressed/non-depressed people. 13-point gap, but not because of resistance. Underappreciated opportunity to reach people who need more help accessing vaccines? @celinegounder @CDCDirector @ASlavitt @MDaware

And then there's this (not explained by obvious differences in media consumption, interestingly...)

Rates of depression had tended to be lowest among Asian American respondents, but are now increasing:

Not surprising to parents or twitter folks but... 10 point gap between parents with children at home and others.

Depression rates in 18-34 y.o. down a bit from December, but stable since March - and still very high (42%) vs historical norms. @dellavolpe

April-May 50-state survey data from http://covidstates.org (n~21,733): rates of depression remain elevated, especially among 18-34, increasing among Asian Americans, 10 point gap between parents/non-parents, and more including vaccines... quick recap: https://osf.io/cgfzt/

Also note that I and hundreds of other scientists have provided legitimate scientific information day in and day out through the pandemic for $0, while Tenpenny earned more than I will in several years' time for a short course full of misinformation.

""Rather than trying to convince [society] and bring them to your side, the best thing that we can do is plant the seed of doubt," said Sobolev." Literally the "doubt is their product" guide to getting people to doubt science, per the tobacco industry.

"What motivation could anti-vaxxers possibly have to spread misinformation?" Story: "Organizers of the course attended by CBC journalists said that 400 people had signed up, which at $623 per student, adds up to almost $250,000 in course fees" + tests & supplements she plugged.

Hesitancy towards the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, based on the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey covering the period 26 May to 20 June 2021.

Coronavirus and vaccine hesitancy, Great Britain: 26 May to 20 June 2021

10.31234/osf.io/ycbrd

Vaccinating the public against COVID-19 is critical for pandemic recovery, yet a large proportion of people remain unwilling to get vaccinated. Beyond known factors like perceived vaccine safety or COVID-19 risk, an overlooked sentiment contributing to vaccine hesitancy may rest in moral cognition. Specifically, we theorize that a factor fueling hesitancy is perceived moral reproach: the feeling, among unvaccinated people, that vaccinated people are judging them as immoral. Through a highly powered, preregistered study of unvaccinated U.S. adults (total N = 846), we found that greater perceived moral reproach independently predicted stronger refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, over and above other relevant variables. Of 22 predictors tested, perceived moral reproach was the fifth strongest—stronger than perceived risk of COVID-19, underlying health conditions status, and trust in scientists. These findings suggest that considering the intersections of morality and upward social comparison may help to explain vaccine hesitancy.

Jab My Arm, Not My Morality: Perceived Moral Reproach as a Barrier to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

10.31234/osf.io/89sj3

Purpose: To explore the conditions under which enforcement likely is, or is not, an effective strategy to increase adherence to recommended protective behaviours during COVID-19. Design/Methodology/Approach: Relevant search terms were entered into three key databases (Google Scholar, medXriv, psyArXiv) to identify both peer-reviewed and pre-publication articles that reported empirical data relating to the impact of enforcement on adherence with recommended public health behaviours. Findings: Enforcement is less effective when: it is applied inconsistently; rules are ambiguous; behaviours are unobservable. Providing food and financial support, creating social norms and increasing trust are more effective in addressing specific barriers and fostering voluntary adherence. Where enforcement forms part of the strategy for policing COVID-19 regulations, rules must be clear and local responders must be given time and opportunity to plan their response as new rules are implemented. Research limitations/implications: This narrative review was limited to papers published in English and available either via the databases searched, or via reference searching; some relevant studies may therefore not have been identified. Practical implications: Findings inform an understanding of the impact of enforcement on adherence and facilitate the development of recommendations for increasing adherence to protective behaviours during COVID-19. Given the importance of public adherence, these recommendations are not only useful in the context of COVID-19 but also for future public health emergencies. Originality/value: This narrative review is the first to explore the circumstances under which enforcement can increase or reduce adherence with COVID-19 guidelines, generating recommendations for improved public adherence.

Exploring the Role of Enforcement in Promoting Adherence with Protective Behaviours During COVID-19

10.31234/osf.io/59gwk

We investigated the subjective experience of loneliness during COVID-19 by analyzing social media postings from March 2020 to January 2021. We collected text data from loneliness-related subgroups of Reddit and sampled 12787 posts that were written in ten consecutive days from each month. The results suggest that when individuals express their loneliness, they show an internal focus of attention on their emotions, desires, and cognitive appraisals rather than an external focus of attention on situations or other people. Linguistic markers of emotions expressed by lonely individuals included depression, anxiety, anger, hate, helplessness, and sadness. Also, loneliness-related topics were generally about their internal states pertinent to various social relationships, interpersonal interaction deficits, and their own lives in broad time perspectives. COVID-19 related loneliness was associated with negative appraisal of one’s situation and reaching out for new relationships online.

Web-scraping the Expression of Loneliness during COVID-19

2104.10864v1

The COVID-19 pandemic has been damaging to the lives of people all around the world. Accompanied by the pandemic is an infodemic, an abundant and uncontrolled spreading of potentially harmful misinformation. The infodemic may severely change the pandemic's course by interfering with public health interventions such as wearing masks, social distancing, and vaccination. In particular, the impact of the infodemic on vaccination is critical because it holds the key to reverting to pre-pandemic normalcy. This paper presents findings from a global survey on the extent of worldwide exposure to the COVID-19 infodemic, assesses different populations' susceptibility to false claims, and analyzes its association with vaccine acceptance. Based on responses gathered from over 18,400 individuals from 40 countries, we find a strong association between perceived believability of misinformation and vaccination hesitancy. Additionally, our study shows that only half of the online users exposed to rumors might have seen the fact-checked information. Moreover, depending on the country, between 6% and 37% of individuals considered these rumors believable. Our survey also shows that poorer regions are more susceptible to encountering and believing COVID-19 misinformation. We discuss implications of our findings on public campaigns that proactively spread accurate information to countries that are more susceptible to the infodemic. We also highlight fact-checking platforms' role in better identifying and prioritizing claims that are perceived to be believable and have wide exposure. Our findings give insights into better handling of risk communication during the initial phase of a future pandemic.

Misinformation, Believability, and Vaccine Acceptance Over 40 Countries: Takeaways From the Initial Phase of The COVID-19 Infodemic

The New Zealand Defence Force is threatening to sack service members who do not get a Covid-19 vaccination.

Defence Force service members told to get vaccinated or face being fired

10.1002/ijgo.13328

160 maternal deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported worldwide, most of them in middle-income countries, representing a barrier to reducing maternal mortality.

Worldwide maternal deaths due to COVID-19: A brief review

Are you sick and tired of peeling forks off your head and car keys off your fingers? Are you suddenly a master of magnetism, capable of bending metal with your mind like the Marvel villain Magneto?Then you might be one of the imaginary “victims” of the coronavirus vaccine, according to an anti-vax doctor and known conspiracy theorist who testified in the Ohio House on Tuesday.

Anti-vax doctor mocked for claiming that shots will ‘magnetize’ people

Across whole of England, 76% [74-78%] of all newly diagnosed infections now B.1.617.2. We see familiar pattern of combination of declining B.1.1.7 epidemic with exponentially increase in B.1.617.2 infections. High vaccination coverage will hopefully help to prevent big hosp wave.

Organizers told me they found that date appropriate because the ending of slavery and resistance to vaccines are both about "liberation"

Fresh Off Twitter Ban, Naomi Wolf To Headline Anti-Vax "Juneteenth" Event

Reported yesterday: 1 new local case, 0 new cases acquired overseas. Got symptoms? Get tested. - 19,533 vaccine doses administered - 28,485 test results received More later: https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorian-coronavirus-covid-19-data… #COVID19VicData #COVID19Vic

10.1371/journal.pone.0252454

Background Though SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks have been documented in occupational settings and in-person essential work has been suspected as a risk factor for COVID-19, occupational differences in excess mortality have, to date, not been examined. Such information could point to opportunities for intervention, such as vaccine prioritization or regulations to enforce safer work environments. Methods and findings Using autoregressive integrated moving average models and California Department of Public Health data representing 356,188 decedents 18–65 years of age who died between January 1, 2016 and November 30, 2020, we estimated pandemic-related excess mortality by occupational sector and occupation, with additional stratification of the sector analysis by race/ethnicity. During these first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, working-age adults experienced 11,628 more deaths than expected, corresponding to 22% relative excess and 46 excess deaths per 100,000 living individuals. Sectors with the highest relative and per-capita excess mortality were food/agriculture (39% relative excess; 75 excess deaths per 100,000), transportation/logistics (31%; 91 per 100,000), manufacturing (24%; 61 per 100,000), and facilities (23%; 83 per 100,000). Across racial and ethnic groups, Latino working-age Californians experienced the highest relative excess mortality (37%) with the highest excess mortality among Latino workers in food and agriculture (59%; 97 per 100,000). Black working-age Californians had the highest per-capita excess mortality (110 per 100,000), with relative excess mortality highest among transportation/logistics workers (36%). Asian working-age Californians had lower excess mortality overall, but notable relative excess mortality among health/emergency workers (37%), while White Californians had high per-capita excess deaths among facilities workers (70 per 100,000). Conclusions Certain occupational sectors are associated with high excess mortality during the pandemic, particularly among racial and ethnic groups also disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In-person essential work is a likely venue of transmission of coronavirus infection and must be addressed through vaccination and strict enforcement of health orders in workplace settings.

Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among Californians 18–65 years of age, by occupational sector and occupation: March through November 2020

thanks to the person who pointed me towards this report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/988217/S1246_CO-CIN_Dynamic_Report_2nd_Wave.pdf… (you know who you are!) - lots of interesting data. In particular it does support the anecdotal evidence that average length of stay in hospital is shorter in recent admissions: see this chart 1/3

Includes patients admitted after 01 August 2020There are 106569 patients included in CO-CIN. Of these, 21625 patient(s) have died and 18419 required ICU. 64219 havebeen discharged home

Dynamic CO-CIN report to SAGE andNERVTAG (Recent cases)

Is it really easier to remember that the British variant is now named “Alpha” instead of B.1.1.7? And does Britain really need Geneva’s protection?

Sigma Phi-ing Monkeyshines at the W.H.O.

Estimated growth rate advantage of B.1.617.2 vs B.1.1.7 is 8.3%/day [7.9-8.8%] 95% CLs and 4%/day [3-5%] for B.1.617.1 vs B.1.1.7 or 1%/day [0.8-01.3%] for P.1. vs B.1.1.7. That's based on a model nnet::multinom(LINEAGE ~ ns(DATE, df=2)+STATE). A bit lower than in UK but not much

Each year, 3M’s State of Science Index explores global attitudes about science. In 2021, science has inspired a sense of optimism around the world.

State of Science Index Survey

Compare relationship between R and proportion of sequences consistent with the B.1.1.7 variant in autumn 2020 (below left, from https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6538/eabg3055…) with R vs proportion of B.1.1.7 (and hence not Delta) in spring 2021 (below right, from https://gov.uk/government/publications/spi-m-o-consensus-statement-on-covid-19-9-june-2021…)

Although the impact of the pandemic has been much smaller in Japan than in other industrialised countries, there have still been substantial difficulties with Japan’s COVID-19 response. A third state of emergency has had to be announced in Tokyo, Osaka, and other prefectures to curb transmission. The vaccine roll-out has also been slow compared to other industrialised nations. In this webinar, Dr Hitoshi Oshitani will analyse the Japanese response to COVID-19, and its current status and challenges.

Japan's Response to COVID-19

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Medical teams working to immunize Brazil’s remote indigenous villages against the coronavirus have encountered fierce resistance in some communities where evangelical missionaries are stoking fears of the vaccine, say tribal leaders and advocates.

Indigenous leaders warn of missionaries turning Amazon villages against vaccines

10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00012-8

BackgroundOpinion polls on vaccination intentions suggest that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is increasing worldwide; however, the usefulness of opinion polls to prepare mass vaccination campaigns for specific new vaccines and to estimate acceptance in a country's population is limited. We therefore aimed to assess the effects of vaccine characteristics, information on herd immunity, and general practitioner (GP) recommendation on vaccine hesitancy in a representative working-age population in France.MethodsIn this survey experiment, adults aged 18–64 years residing in France, with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, were randomly selected from an online survey research panel in July, 2020, stratified by gender, age, education, household size, and region and area of residence to be representative of the French population. Participants completed an online questionnaire on their background and vaccination behaviour-related variables (including past vaccine compliance, risk factors for severe COVID-19, and COVID-19 perceptions and experience), and were then randomly assigned according to a full factorial design to one of three groups to receive differing information on herd immunity (>50% of adults aged 18–64 years must be immunised [either by vaccination or infection]; >50% of adults must be immunised [either by vaccination or infection]; or no information on herd immunity) and to one of two groups regarding GP recommendation of vaccination (GP recommends vaccination or expresses no opinion). Participants then completed a series of eight discrete choice tasks designed to assess vaccine acceptance or refusal based on hypothetical vaccine characteristics (efficacy [50%, 80%, 90%, or 100%], risk of serious side-effects [1 in 10 000 or 1 in 100 000], location of manufacture [EU, USA, or China], and place of administration [GP practice, local pharmacy, or mass vaccination centre]). Responses were analysed with a two-part model to disentangle outright vaccine refusal (irrespective of vaccine characteristics, defined as opting for no vaccination in all eight tasks) from vaccine hesitancy (acceptance depending on vaccine characteristics).FindingsSurvey responses were collected from 1942 working-age adults, of whom 560 (28·8%) opted for no vaccination in all eight tasks (outright vaccine refusal) and 1382 (71·2%) did not. In our model, outright vaccine refusal and vaccine hesitancy were both significantly associated with female gender, age (with an inverted U-shaped relationship), lower educational level, poor compliance with recommended vaccinations in the past, and no report of specified chronic conditions (ie, no hypertension [for vaccine hesitancy] or no chronic conditions other than hypertension [for outright vaccine refusal]). Outright vaccine refusal was also associated with a lower perceived severity of COVID-19, whereas vaccine hesitancy was lower when herd immunity benefits were communicated and in working versus non-working individuals, and those with experience of COVID-19 (had symptoms or knew someone with COVID-19). For a mass vaccination campaign involving mass vaccination centres and communication of herd immunity benefits, our model predicted outright vaccine refusal in 29·4% (95% CI 28·6–30·2) of the French working-age population. Predicted hesitancy was highest for vaccines manufactured in China with 50% efficacy and a 1 in 10 000 risk of serious side-effects (vaccine acceptance 27·4% [26·8–28·0]), and lowest for a vaccine manufactured in the EU with 90% efficacy and a 1 in 100 000 risk of serious side-effects (vaccine acceptance 61·3% [60·5–62·1]).InterpretationCOVID-19 vaccine acceptance depends on the characteristics of new vaccines and the national vaccination strategy, among various other factors, in the working-age population in France.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a representative working-age population in France: a survey experiment based on vaccine characteristics

NEW: a common response to reports of hospitals struggling this winter is "it’s no different to a bad flu season!" I’ve tracked down historical data on flu ICU admissions, including winter 2017-18, a record high. Here’s how England’s Covid winter compares to a bad flu season

A population fatality rate of ~0.5%.

Edouard Mathieu@redouadThe government of Peru just announced a huge reevaluation of the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in the country, from 69,000 to 180,000. This is by far the largest mortality correction in the pandemic until now.

10.1136/bmj.n1399

England is set to remove all legal limits on social contact from 21 June and allow nightclubs to reopen, although masks may still be required in some public spaces and the test and trace system will continue.However, the emergence of the B.1.617.2 variant, first detected in India, has led to concerns that further easing may need to be delayed. As cases of this variant spread across the country, The BMJ looks at what we know.

Covid-19: Is it safe to lift all restrictions in England from 21 June?

Some lucky vaxxed people in this state will win one of 10 custom-made rifles and shotguns in a Father’s Day drawing.

Free Guns Are Now a COVID-Vaccine Incentive in the US

Anti-vaxxer hospitalised with Covid after saying vaccines would wipe out ‘stupid people’

10.1126/science.abj7796

The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to put young men at elevated risk of developing a heart muscle inflammation called myocarditis, researchers in Israel say. In a report submitted today to the Israeli Ministry of Health, they conclude that between one in 3000 and one in 6000 men ages 16 to 24 who received the vaccine developed the rare condition.

Israel reports link between rare cases of heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccination in young men

Predictions from the second week of the UK Covid-19 Crowd Forecasting Challenge are in. https://crowdforecastr.org/2021/06/01/week-two/… On average, participants predicted cases to rise further over the next four weeks and deemed even a large increase to be plausible. 1/

The pandemic has been a huge challenge for people with lung disease – Dr Nick Hopkinson outlines what needs to change to provide them with the required support.

COVID and lung health: the patient experience and what comes next?

10.1136/bmj.n1408

The UK government could face legal proceedings unless it releases data on the spread of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2, first identified in India) of SARS-CoV-2 in England’s schools, which it has been accused of suppressing.

Covid-19: Government faces legal challenge over alleged suppression of school data