Doctors and healthcare professionals across the world have signed a petition calling for the immediate suspension of all COVID-19 mRNA products due to concerns that the vaccines may be contributing to an alarming rise in excess deaths.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that the widespread rollout of the novel Covid-19 mRNA vaccine products is contributing to an alarming rise in disability and excess deaths,” reads the Hope Accord petition.

The petition, known as the HOPE Accord, has attracted signatures from several healthcare professionals and highlights the need for a comprehensive re-evaluation of the vaccines.

The vaccines use “gene-based technology” and were given emergency medical authorisation to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This new technology was granted emergency use authorisation to address a situation that no longer exists. Going forward, the burden of proof falls on those still advocating for these products to compellingly demonstrate that they aren’t resulting in net harm. Until such evidence is presented, regulators should suspend their use as a matter of standard medical precaution,” the petition mentions.

It demands full transparency from government bodies and the pharmaceutical industry, including access to previously undisclosed anonymised patient-level data from clinical trials and surveillance programs.

It also highlights the need to mitigate publication bias, where unfavourable results are often rejected or withheld due to fears of reputational damage.

Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a British Indian Consultant Cardiologist, has written an open letter to the General Medical Council (GMC) of the UK, stating that the vaccines cause greater harm than benefit.

“Serious harms from the vaccine have been confirmed from a combination of clinical, mechanistic, randomised controlled trials, observational, pharmacovigilance, and autopsy data. In these studies, the majority of deaths that occurred within two weeks of taking the vaccine died as a result of the mRNA product,” he writes.

According to the petition, calls for independent investigations should be properly resourced to allow a comprehensive re-evaluation of all COVID-19 vaccine products.

“There must be a full exploration of mechanisms of harm to provide insight into their impact on the human body, both short and long term”, the petition states.

It also urges for a comprehensive review of the actual clinical impact on illness and mortality, rather than relying on synthetic results based on modeled assumptions.
 

More than four years since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO (World Health Organization) in March 2020, fear of another mass outbreak looms large. The WHO, on August 14, declared the current upsurge of Mpox or Monkeypox in Central Africa as a global emergency requiring urgent action. The global concern for the virus grew as it spread to other African countries, and, within no time, the deadly strain of Mpox – Clade 1b – crossed the African continent to reach Sweden, Pakistan, and other countries.

The virus has killed more than 500 people so far, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease has been spreading since last year. The country saw more than 96% of the world’s roughly 17,000 recorded cases of Mpox this year.

Though India has not reported any cases yet, the Central government is keeping a close eye on the situation. Our healthcare infrastructure faced severe challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in thousands of deaths. One wouldn’t wish to be caught unawares this time.

Is Mpox As Dangerous As Covid-19 Or Swine Flu?

Mpox is a zoonotic infection that causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Fatal in some cases, the WHO first declared it a global emergency in 2022. 

Mpox virus can be categorised into two clades: Clade 1 and Clade 2. The first, which is found mainly in Central African countries, is more severe and has a high mortality rate. Clade 2 has milder symptoms and is found in western Africa. The latter caused a public health emergency in 2022, wherein some 300 cases — though mild — were reported from Sweden. This time, it’s the newer and more serious Clade 1b, identified in September last year, that has been driving the current outbreak.

Though experts worry that Mpox may be as dangerous as Covid-19 or the swine flu, there is a difference in the nature of transmission. Both Covid-19 and swine flu were highly infectious because they were airborne. In contrast, Mpox is transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact, talking or breathing close to an infected person, or using their soiled clothes or bedsheets. “Mpox is unlikely to become a pandemic like Covid-19 primarily due to its mode of spread. It requires very close and physical contact, unlike the airborne SARS-CoV-2. Also, symptoms like blisters on the skin are more visible indicators and therefore, it’s easier to identify the disease and isolate a person to contain the spread,” says Rakesh K. Mishra, former director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

India’s first Mpox case was recorded in Kerala in 2022, from a traveller from the UAE. Soon, the virus spread within the country, with cases emerging in Delhi even from individuals who had no recent international travel. India reported 27 confirmed cases and one death that year, according to WHO. The last case in the country was in March this year, in Kerala, and since then, no new cases have been recorded.

How To Stay Safe

In response to the WHO’s warning, both Central and state governments have sprung into action. There are monkeypox advisories in place and public health measures are being taken. Both the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are closely monitoring the situation and reviewing international trends.

In Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has already issued alerts. Reports say that passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries are being tracked by airport health officers and port health personnel. Both Hyderabad and New Delhi — cities popular among African students pursuing higher education — have also been placed on high alert.

The Need For Vaccines

The first Mpox strain was isolated by ICMR researchers in 2022. Pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers are being called upon to develop vaccines and testing kits for the virus. Existing vaccines for smallpox and chickenpox might also offer protection in India. 

About other prevention strategies, Mishra says, “It is important to closely monitor the spread of the disease in different countries and be ready for screening by already available methods of DNA-based diagnostics. There is an effective vaccine already available but supply of that may not be easy to ensure.”  

“Simple practices like avoiding close physical contact with suspected/potentially infected person, maintaining distance from people with symptoms, and wearing a mask, should be effective in containing the spread of the infection,” Mishra adds. 

Developed nations, mostly those in Europe, already have vaccines available for those at greater risk of monkeypox. And given the high quality of healthcare there, containing the disease will be less challenging. It’s underdeveloped African countries, which have neither vaccines nor the resources to buy them, that remain at most risk and which need the most help. 

(Bharti Mishra Nath is Contributing Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Reminders that Covid-19 has not gone away pop up from time to time, even if the world seems to have moved on. More than 40 athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris have tested positive, highlighting a new global rise in cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on August 6. And now, the subgenus Sarbecovirus, of which SARS-CoV-2 is a member, is on the list of ‘priority pathogens’ in the WHO’s recently-released ‘Pathogens Prioritization’ report.

The report, which is a framework for epidemic and pandemic research preparedness, is the result of work that began in late 2022, involving over 200 scientists from 54 countries who evaluated the evidence related to 28 viral families and one core group of bacteria, encompassing 1,652 pathogens. The final list comprises over 30 ‘priority pathogens’.

Sarbecovirus is classified as ‘high’ in the WHO list, for its risk of causing a Public Health Emergency of International Concern or PHEIC. The list also includes Subgenus Merbecovirus, which includes the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Both MERS-CoV and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus were also listed in the 2017 and 2018 WHO reports, but not their entire subgenuses.

On the list of priority pathogens, but not a new addition, is another virus that India has been dealing with of late: Nipah, a 14-year-old boy died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, Kerala, after contracting it. Both Ebola and Zika virus too, feature on the list, as they did in 2018, with both classified as ‘high’ for a Publuc Health Emergency of International Concern or PHEIC risk. Maharashtra is currently grappling with a Zika virus outbreak – reports indicate there have been over 70 cases of Zika in Pune in the past two months and these include 26 pregnant women.

The list of priority pathogens, says Chennai-based infectious diseases specialist Subramanian Swaminathan, is a pointer towards the pathogens that governments could allocate resources towards, for surveillance and medical countermeasures. This does not mean all of them are currently a problem, he says, but it means that countries have to monitor these pathogens as they have the potential to turn into a problem. 

“Surveillance of these pathogens has to involve multiple aspects – is the pathogen spreading beyond a geographical area, is it becoming more virulent, is its transmissibility increasing, is the clinical manifestation of the disease it causes changing, is it becoming more resistant to known treatment and does it have vaccine escape properties – all of these aspects have to be monitored,” he says.

What else is new on the list? The dengue virus and the influenza A viruses, including the H5 subtype, which caused an avian influenza outbreak in India and which even affected cattle in the United States are now on the list, along with mpox, which has currently erupted in parts of Africa.

Among bacteria added to the list are those that cause plague, cholera, pneumonia, dysentery and non-typhoidal salmonella, a key cause of diarrhoeal diseases. 

It may be recalled that early this year, the WHO had updated the Bacterial Pathogens Priority List (BPPL) and this had included gram-negative bacteria resistant to last resort antibiotics, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the antibiotic Rifampicin. The list had featured 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In the Southeast Asia region, the report notes, bacterial pathogens are priorities including Vibrio cholera O139 (cholera) and Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 (dysentery). Priority pathogens Henipavirus nipahense (Nipah) and Bandavirus dabieense (causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome) are endemic it said, as are the mosquito-borne Orthoflavivirus denguei (dengue) and Zikaense (Zika virus disease), and Alphavirus chikungunya.

Resources, says Priscilla Rupali, senior professor & head, Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, need to be focussed on diseases of high mortality that have pandemic potential such cholera, Nipah, dengue and Zika. For other diseases that cause a fair bit of morbidity such as chikungunya, and shigella etc., surveillance to predict epidemics is important, Prof Rupali notes.

The report, says Abdul Ghafur, consultant infectious diseases, Apollo hospitals, Chennai, has on its list some diseases that India is already aware of and grappling with including Nipah, Zika and dengue. “What we need is more data and more research, but crucially, more low-cost diagnostics for priority pathogens. The Indian government needs to support start-ups to develop such diagnostics for these pathogens,” he says.

Prototype pathogens

The 2024 report, incorporates for the first time, the concept of the ‘Family approach’ and the ‘Prototype Pathogen’. The family approach, says Dr. Swaminathan, is important, as pathogens within a family have a lot of similarities, and even share genetic material, meaning an existing treatment option or vaccine for one strain of the pathogen family could potentially be repurposed for another. “By prioritizing research on entire pathogen Families as opposed to a handful of individual pathogens, this strategy bolsters the capability to respond efficiently to unforeseen variants, emerging pathogens, zoonotic transmissions, and unknown threats such as ‘Pathogen X,’ the report states.

The ‘prototype pathogens’, the report says, are “representative pathogens within a family selected to serve as a model for fundamental research” to develop medical countermeasures that can be applied to other members of the family.

As the report notes, the global health landscape is subject to constant evolution, with the potential emergence of new pathogens and evolution in the threat levels posed by existing ones: it emphasises the critical necessity for investments in research, development, and innovation on an international scale.

For the full report, click here.

(Zubeda.h@thehindu.co.in)

Geneva:

Negotiations on a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics ended Friday without a deal — though countries said they wanted to keep pushing for an accord.

Scarred by the devastation caused by Covid-19 — which killed millions of people, shredded economies and crippled health systems — countries have spent two years trying to hammer out binding commitments on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The talks gathered momentum in the final weeks, but failed to meet a final deadline before next week’s World Health Assembly — the annual gathering of the World Health Organization’s 194 member states.

“This is not a failure,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted as the talks ended at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva.

He urged countries to see it as a “good opportunity to re-energise”.

“The world still needs a pandemic treaty and the world needs to be prepared,” he commented.

‘We’re not finished’

The assembly, which runs from Monday until June 1, will take stock and decide what to do next.

The talks co-chairs Roland Driece and Precious Matsoso told AFP that countries clearly wanted to reach a final agreement.

“It’s not the end,” stressed Matsoso, noting that the same ministers who decided they wanted a pandemic agreement would be the ones deciding on the next steps.

“They are the ones who are going to say, ‘OK, you haven’t finished this. Please go back, finalise it’,” she said.

Driece said the draft they would send to the assembly was “not an agreed document, but it is a document — and we started with a blank sheet of paper. With nothing.”

“I would think it would be very stupid if they would not finish this,” he said.

After arm-twisting, horse-trading and 3:00 am finishes as the talks ramped up, Matsoso said 17 pages out of 32 had been fully agreed by countries.

Sticking points

“It’s clearly a pause. Most member states want to carry on and lock in the gains,” an Asian diplomat in the talks told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We’re not yet there with the text we have on the table. The big question is, what will it take for the north and the south to get to convergence? It needs time.”

The main disputes revolved around access to pathogens detected within countries, and to pandemic-fighting products such as vaccines derived from that knowledge.

Other tricky topics were sustainable financing, pathogen surveillance, supply chains, and the equitable distribution of tests, treatments and jabs but also the means to produce them.

“The best thing is to have a good, inclusive text. Whether that is now or later doesn’t matter,” one African negotiator told AFP. 

“We want to continue the process. We really want this text.”

Steadfast commitment

As the talks closed, countries who took the floor stressed their commitment.

US negotiator Pamela Hamamoto said: “I’m glad that we have the draft text to show for the work that we have done together.”

Ethiopia said African countries “remain steadfast”; Britain said there was “real progress”, while the European Union remained “entirely committed” to bringing the talks to fruition.

Bangladesh still wants to deliver a “successful result that will serve humanity”, while Indonesia said “we should continue until it finishes”.

Parallel talks took place on revising the International Health Regulations, which were first adopted in 1969 and last updated in 2005.

The IHR talks outcome will also be presented at next week’s assembly.

The regulations provide a legal framework defining countries’ rights and obligations in handling public health events and emergencies that could cross borders.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The world’s deadliest cave Kitum, located in Mount Elgon National Park in Kenya, could cause the next pandemic, as per a report in Science Times. The cave turned out to be home to some of the deadliest viruses in human history. Ebola virus and Marburg virus were reported to have started there. Now, experts worry that it may be home to the next pandemic- the Marburg virus, The World Health Organisation issued a warning, stating that the Marburg virus was “epidemic prone.”

According to the report, Marburg is a “highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever.” The illness lowers the body’s functional capacity and harms the cardiovascular system. With a mortality rate of up to 88 per cent, the virus is related to the virus that causes Ebola. Fruit bats, which are widespread throughout central Africa, can also spread the virus from person to person by contact with an infected person’s body fluids. Additionally, the disease can be transmitted to other people by touching towels or other objects that have come into contact with an infected individual.

Notably, the virus takes at least three weeks to “incubate” before a patient starts showing symptoms. However, the warning signs mostly resemble those of malaria and Ebola. Several people infected with the virus develop deep-set eyes and expressionless faces. It can also cause bleeding from the vagina, eyes, nose, and gums, in later stages. Unfortunately, no vaccines are available for the virus and doctors treat symptoms by medications and fluids.

Meanwhile, in 1980, while investigating Kitum Cave, a French engineer employed at a nearby sugar mill came into touch with the body-melting Marburg virus. He soon died at a Nairobi hospital. The man’s fast decline from viral hemorrhagic or blood-letting fever was described in a book about the case as “as if the face is detaching itself from the skull,” with his face seeming to hang from the underlying bone as the connective tissue dissolved. Years later, a Danish boy on vacation with his family became the victim of the deadly caves. He also died from a similar hemorrhagic virus called Ravn.

The important salty minerals discovered in the cave have drawn not just elephants but also buffaloes, antelope, leopards, and hyenas from western Kenya, making Kitum a breeding ground for zoonotic infections, the researchers said. The 600-foot-deep cave has been continuously dug and expanded by elephants, only to have disease-carrying bats make it their home, the Science Times report added.