New FDA proposal hopes to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates

Johnson&Johnson COVID-19 vaccines at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, N.Y., March 3, 2021. Photo by Army Sgt. Sebastian Rothwyn, Army National Guard.

By Lily Benn ’24 

Staff Writer

On Jan. 26, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States held a meeting to discuss future plans for public health and the administration of COVID-19 vaccines. According to PBS NewsHour, the committee of 21 FDA members voted unanimously to approve the strategy of implementing an annual COVID-19 vaccination, allowing for people of all vaccination statuses to be vaccinated every year. This new system would no longer be dependent on keeping track of the number of primary vaccinations and boosters an individual has received, an article from AP News explains. The online committee meeting included information from an immunologist, Matthew Woodruff, who studies and publishes research on immune responses to COVID-19.

The AP News article goes on to state that while over 80 percent of Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose, the newest Omicron variant booster approved in August 2022 has only reached about 16 percent of those eligible. As boosters become less popular among Americans, FDA scientists have supported a transition to an annual vaccination model, citing that many Americans have preexisting immunity from COVID-19 due to previous vaccination, infection or both. A news broadcast from WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando by Julie Broughton explains this news, but reports on counterpoints such as “critics” who believe that not enough data exists to sufficiently explain the higher immunity that the FDA has been using to back this new annual vaccination proposal.

This new system would go into effect once approved and backed by the Center for Disease Control, according to an article from PBS NewsHour. This new vaccine would likely be bivalent — or target multiple strains — as COVID-19 evolves. Thus, it would be able to target both the current dominant variant, Omicron, and further strains. Similar to the widely recognized influenza vaccine, it would be reevaluated each year and changed to target new mutations of the spike protein, the article explains.

According to a timeline put out by Mayo Clinic, vaccines targeting various influenza viruses have had a similar history, where pandemics and outbreaks led to widely recognized annual vaccines recommended for the general public. Influenza pandemics occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1958, 1968, the 1970s, and 2009, according to Mayo Clinic. The first introduction of an influenza vaccine recommendation was made in 1960 by the U.S. Public Health Service for people who were at high risk of influenza complications. By 1968, researchers began the development of specific influenza strain vaccines as a new pandemic spread. The article cites that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a part of the CDC, introduced a recommendation in 2010 that all people aged 6 months and older be vaccinated against influenza annually. By 2019 and 2020, Mayo Clinic reports that annual influenza vaccines have prevented about 7.5 million infections and illnesses. 

According to AP News, the FDA hopes that their new vaccine implementation strategy will increase vaccination rates worldwide, as this strategy would both simplify information and increase health for the general public.

Pharmaceutical Companies Release Coronavirus Vaccine Updates

By Lily Cao ’21

Staff Writer

As COVID-19 levels spike across the globe, many places around the world are heading into another round of lockdowns. Along with this growing second wave come announcements from companies working on possible coronavirus vaccinations. 

On Nov. 9, American pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer Inc. and German biotechnology company BioNTech SE shared that their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has shown record-breaking early results with over 90 percent efficacy against COVID-19. This finding from Phase 3 of their clinical trial was the first interim efficacy analysis, which tests the vaccine’s effectiveness under ideal circumstances. The vaccine was given in two doses with results collected seven days after the second dose. Even though it is unclear how strong the elicited immune response is and how long it will last in human bodies, this achievement marks a milestone in the vaccine development process and provides hope for the days ahead.

Pfizer and BioNTech SE launched the Phase 3 clinical trial of their vaccine candidate on July 27. As of Nov. 9, they have enrolled 43,538 participants worldwide. This is also the first American trial to have permission to enroll children as young as age 12. On Nov. 8, 94 trial participants had tested positive for COVID-19, enough to allow for the first analysis on all cases.

According to its Nov. 9 press release, Pfizer plans to present a submission for Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA in the third week of November. The FDA requires the safety and manufacturing data of the vaccine to obtain approval. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the safety and long-term protection conferred by the experimental vaccine, clinical trial participants will be monitored for an additional two years after receiving the second dose.

One of the challenges the companies face is the widespread distribution of the vaccine once it is approved. The vaccine requires that the single-stranded mRNA be kept below -80 C to preserve the structural integrity of the genetic material. Consequently, the transportation of the vaccine requires special storage boxes and precise techniques.

Similar to Pfizer and BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc.’s vaccine candidate also uses mRNA technology, and recent results from its trial indicate an efficacy of over 94 percent. Moderna’s vaccine, however, does not require storage at temperatures of -80 C and can be preserved at about -20 C, giving it a slight advantage. At the same time, there are currently 17 vaccine candidates that have entered the Phase 2 safety trials, and 12 have begun Phase 3 trials for large-scale efficacy tests.

If Pfizer and BioNTech SE’s vaccine candidate is approved, the companies expect to manufacture globally up to 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Quarantine Continues To Impact the Environment in Unprecedented Ways

by Dnyaneshwari Haware ’24

Staff Writer

In March, when most of the world effectively shut down their industries and economies in response to the global pandemic, there was a sense of panic along with a sense of hope as pollution levels across the globe decreased. Many publications and researchers predicted an improvement in air quality, and videos of aquatic life thriving in the canals of Venice, Italy, went viral, alluding to the presence of cleaner water. However, upon closer observation, these positive environmental effects are more complex than they initially appear. 

A modern person’s lifestyle has been designed for consumption. Consumerism has become an integral part of our lifestyles, festivals, celebrations, sorrows and all other displays of emotion. We have personified things to represent factors like class, comfort and luxury. As a species, humans have limited needs. However, under extreme circumstances like the current pandemic, our needs have increased, swallowing some of our previous wants. According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 42 percent of the U.S. labor force was working full-time from home at the end of June, making internet access and other such amenities a necessity. Because of this, the average consumption of electricity has increased. Commercial and industrial sectors were both found to have experienced decreases of 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively. The consumer electronics industry in particular has major environmental implications as electronic waste is often shipped to developing and less developed countries where limited environmental safety regulations are in place for disposal. Although a growth of about 4 percent was predicted from 2019 through 2020, a report found that COVID-19 has hampered the market and slowed consumerism in this sector. 

Consumption isn’t just restricted to the final goods we consume, but also includes waste generated in the production process. As a result of the pandemic, most of the goods people use are now being delivered, and takeout-only options have increased waste products. Environmental consciousness has largely been sidelined in the decision-making process as many prioritize safety, convenience and affordability. 

Katherine Schmeiser, associate professor of economics at Mount Holyoke, shared her experience of having to choose between the environment and her personal safety. She highlighted that, before the pandemic, many stores had tried to establish a way of reducing waste by placing recycling bins in stores. Now, as in-store populations have drastically reduced, most of them have established delivery services in which they are left with no option but to use more packaging, especially for frozen items. There are still some efforts being made on a small scale in many communities to find effective solutions to this problem. Schmeiser mentioned an organization with local Facebook groups called “Buy Nothing” where people collect leftover packaging as one of the few environmentally friendly options left. Apart from this, a few e-commerce businesses are choosing biodegradable or plant-based packaging, but that makes up a very small percentage of the entire industry. 

This increase in the consumption of electricity, protective gear and essential items is further burdening an already sensitive ecosystem. Large corporations partaking in the encouragement and supply of this consumerism — as well as the lack of enforcement when it comes to policies regarding the conservation and preservation of the environment — are also to blame for the changes climate scientists are beginning to observe.

Researchers Say Hallucinations May Be a COVID-19 Symptom

By Nancy Jiang ’23

Staff Writer

Content Warning: This article contains mention of suicide. 

As of Sept. 22, there are 7.4 million active COVID-19 cases worldwide, with 2.5 million confirmed in the United States. In addition to symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, headache and respiratory issues, neurologists have discovered that the virus can seriously impact patients’ mental health. 

Neurologists wondered what impact, if any, the virus had on brains. Apart from the drastic increase in the appearance of stress-driven psychological disorders during quarantine, life-threatening neurological symptoms have also emerged for COVID-19 patients. A case study published in the journal Psychosomatics reported a patient who experienced command suicidal hallucination, driven to drink bleach from the kitchen. (This was before President Donald Trump suggested drinking bleach as a potential cure for COVID-19.) According to the patient, he was compelled by a loud and forceful command from an unrecognizable voice, not suicidal intentions. This patient had no prior history of medical or psychiatric illnesses. However, after being saved from ingesting bleach, he remained uncooperative toward the medical team and did not admit to having auditory hallucinations until his 12th day in the hospital. Moreover, his COVID-19 infection developed soon after. Neurologists considered his auditory hallucination to be the first symptom of the virus.          

Other patients have also developed delirium (similar to hallucination, patients develop confused thinking and reduced awareness toward their surroundings) and other neurological manifestations after their coronavirus infections. In another case study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, two days after a patient was hospitalized for COVID-19, she started to become overly alert toward her surroundings and manifested multiple signs of hallucination, saying that the nurses and staff were trying to kill her and regarding her cat as a lion. She behaved abnormally, constantly washing her phone in the sink or brushing her teeth with soap and water. Deficiency in fluency and memory was recorded 10 days after she was hospitalized. She recovered after 52 days with no more ongoing symptoms.

Looking back at one of the first case series from Wuhan, China, published in the journal of JAMA Neurology at the start of 2020, out of 214 people, 36.4 percent had experienced neurological symptoms. According to a study design published in the journal Neurocritical Care, evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can affect the human brain, possibly by passing through the brain-blood barrier (part of the neuroimmune system that prevents foreign solutes in the blood — in this case, the virus from entering the central nervous system) and further cause neuropsychiatric problems. 

Although not as common as the respiratory symptoms, the neuropsychiatric impact of COVID-19 has become a new point of study for some medical professionals, and something to be aware of for those monitoring symptoms. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is providing funding for continued research into the neurological symptoms of COVID-19.

Climate Activism Takes an Online Shape During COVID-19

by Helen Gloege ’23

Staff Writer

Staying home as a result of the pandemic does not mean staying silent about injustices. It has been nearly a year since the youth-led global climate strikes on Sept. 20 and much has changed. Climate strikes planned throughout the pandemic have been canceled, but the movement hasn’t disappeared.

With the upcoming Nov. 3 election in the United States, networks of youth climate activists have been regrouping with a focus on election campaigning through socially distanced methods including phone banks, social media and organizing. The larger youth-led Sunrise Movement in particular has been training young activists to canvass for candidates who are proponents of renewable energy.

For some activist groups, there has been a step back from demonstrations, strikes and protests and toward education on climate and those involved in climate activism. Website and Instagram account 1 Million Activist Stories showcases stories of various climate activists from around the world. On Sept. 22, the book “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis” will be released. The book is a collection of women climate leaders from 60 contributors including youth climate activist Xiye Bastida and Hadley-based researcher Susanne C. Moser. 

The Re-Earth Initiative is an international youth-led organization that aims to make the climate movement more accessible. The organization’s first action was a global digital protest that occurred on Earth Day of this year and asked participants to make two climate pledges, one individual and one systemic. They then presented activities, toolkits, webinars and more to allow people to accomplish their goals. 

The Initiative’s most recent action has involved launching an open letter urging Latin American and Caribbean governments to sign and/or ratify the Escazú Agreement, which is the first legally binding environmental human rights treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean. The agreement secures rights including access to information and participation and provides legal provisions to protect the rights of defenders of the environment who face persecution and murder.

The #FridaysForFuture movement began in August 2018 after Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. Soon the movement went viral and now it is a worldwide phenomenon. The movement was partly digital before the pandemic and has continued in that direction. The #ClimateStrikeOnline action is another online movement where people are asked to post selfies from home with protest signs. Additional actions have included joining others across the world in mass calls, tweets and mass email campaigns. 

This semester, Mount Holyoke students are scattered across the world. However, similar to global movements, this hasn’t stopped the organizing and activism of various environmental student organizations. Sunrise South Hadley and the Climate Justice Coalition are attempting to get around the hurdles and difficulties of online activism while the Student Government Association works toward the establishment of a sustainability commission.   

“There is not a lot we can do collectively when we are so far apart,” Emma Sullivan ’22, a Sunrise South Hadley organizer, said. However, they are still finding ways to be active while online. Sunrise South Hadley hasn’t yet gotten into the swing of normal meetings but some of the members are currently focused on phone banking in tandem with the national Sunrise Movement for various supporters of the Green New Deal.

 Sunrise Movement and Sunrise South Hadley are currently putting all efforts into getting as many Green New Deal champions and progressives into Congress and voting President Donald Trump out of office. Sunrise Movement is also supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and has partnered with The Movement For Black Lives. Sunrise Movement has encouraged its members to follow Black organizers and leaders, to address white supremacy and support Black-led groups.

The Climate Justice Coalition has kicked off the semester with a goal for action despite the restrictions of COVID-19 and the need to work on a virtual platform. The CJC hopes to continue creating a welcoming and supportive environment for new and returning members to foster a sense of community. 

“We hope to make actions this semester accessible to everyone,” said Kayla Fennel ’22, a CJC member. These actions include continuing to push for divestment through outreach to students and alums on social media and other platforms. They intend to turn theory into practice with various ideas, goals and tangible steps to support environmental justice. As an organization, they hope to make this semester one of the continued actions despite being apart. The CJC is listed on Embark, the virtual platform for student organizations this semester.

Also at Mount Holyoke, SGA is in the midst of their annual recruitment process and is working on a restructuring of student senate as part of last year's constitutional review. As part of their reconfiguration, they will be exchanging working groups for commissions, which will research various courses of action for SGA. While the commissions are not yet in effect, one focusing on environmental issues and the College’s pledge for sustainability is expected to be formed.

Outdoor accessibility in urban spaces during social distancing

by Cayley Delancy ’21

Since Mount Holyoke closed its campus in March, students have returned to homes in locations ranging from the rural mountains to major urban hubs. Despite social distancing recommendations, many municipalities have accommodated and even encouraged the need to go outdoors for exercise and sunlight. For example, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York stated on Thursday March 19, “If you have to get outside of the house to exercise, to get some fresh air, which is 100 percent necessary for a lot of people in a lot of circumstances, then do it." Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts said on Monday March 23, “I do not believe I can or should order U.S. citizens to be confined to their homes for days on end. It doesn’t make sense from a public health point of view, and it’s not realistic.” However, access and limitations to outdoor spaces plays out differently in urban areas than it might in the Pioneer Valley.

Jackie Park ’21 is at home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Park said it's been challenging for her to go outdoors during social distancing because, “there are some days where there are a lot of people outside, and some aren’t wearing masks or seem very nonchalant about the idea of social distancing and how precautions should still be implemented even during short walks.” Park said she wished she could spend more time outside, but is afraid to venture outside on nice days since there tend to be a lot of people.

Although Sidney Boker ’21 lives in the suburbs of Long Island, New York, she has experienced similar complacency among other pedestrians. “There are people who don’t seem to care and don’t make room when you pass by and that is upsetting, but it’s also really annoying when people get aggressive about social distancing. Sometimes, instead of both passers-by moving away from each other while they pass, I’ve been yelled at to stay 6 feet away even when they have room to move over on their end and I’d have to step into traffic.”

“The lakefront paths and parks have been closed because the first nice day outside during social distancing, the parks were overcrowded with people exercising,” said Hope Rogers, ’22 who lives in Chicago. “This has made it slightly more challenging to find open spaces that are empty enough on warm days, but my family is in a privileged position because there are still large, well-maintained parks in our neighborhood that we can spend time in, which is not the case across the city.”

Trinity Kendrick ’21 has also experienced difficulties in Houston, Texas. “I have a large backyard area that I can hang out in but I can’t really walk around my neighborhood because there’s no sidewalks and my area’s not the safest,” she said. “If my family and I want to walk long distances we would have to drive to a park, but the parks have been closed for the time being, so being outdoors besides my backyard hasn’t been very accessible to me.” 

Beata Garrett ’20, of Mill Basin, Brooklyn, New York, spoke about different accessibility concerns that have been highlighted by the virus. Garrett said that they’re lucky enough to live in a less crowded neighborhood and have access to a park next door and a backyard. “Even on busy days, the park [doesn’t] have a lot of people. So I haven't felt the strain of accessibility as others have and have felt pretty safe going out, leaving aside the fact that I'm Chinese.” However, Garrett underscored that doing things like buying groceries has become more challenging for those with  disabilities who have to wait in line or who have to take transportation to get to the nearest grocery store.  “I haven't really seen measures addressing this,” said Garrett. “If anything the virus has shown us the necessity of funding more public places like public libraries where people can stay there for free.”

In addition to accessibility concerns, environmental inequalities in cities have been exacerbated with COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders. Rogers highlighted negative environmental factors like pollution in Chicago which disproportionately affects people of color and people from low-income backgrounds, making it harder for them to spend time outside safely. “[Chicago] recently made the decision to begin the demolition process on an old coal plant and air pollution spread throughout the surrounding area, which is a neighborhood of predominantly people of color,” said Rogers. “A local organization fought back and the demolition process stopped after a day, but particles remained in the air, making breathing conditions worse at a time when a disease that affects the lungs is already spreading.” Rogers highlights how environmental injustice and unequal access to outdoor spaces doesn’t stop being a problem when the brunt of the pandemic is over. “[In Chicago], access to outdoor spaces was already a privilege rather than a universal right in many parts of the city before the pandemic started, so the shelter-in-place order has brought to the surface issues that were already there.” 

Despite difficulties, outdoor spaces can provide positive mental relief during social distancing. “I've actually been spending way more time outdoors than I usually do when I'm home because it's the only thing to do,” said Olivia Marble ’21. “I live in a suburban area so I have space to go outside but I’ve never appreciated it before now.” Boker said that she would like to spend more time outdoors, but the constant flow of depressing news, school work and poor weather has made it challenging for her to find the motivation to go outside. Rogers also said that, “Being able to walk to the lakefront or a park really helps my mental health when I start to feel closed-in.”

These experiences certainly do not begin to encompass the range of experiences Mount Holyoke students have faced outdoors in urban environments during social distancing. However, it is apparent that while outdoor spaces can serve as a place of peace during an otherwise stressful time period, pedestrians not abiding by social distancing guidelines and crowding in public spaces can limit accessibility to safe time outdoors.