The MHRA Papers - Part 11

Ignorance

SUMMARY: Several statements taken at face value show the secret squirrels' considerable ignorance. Perhaps the minute taken has taken liberties, and no one bothered to check the text.

We continue reviewing the minutes of the 18 January 2021 meeting of the MHRA’s ​​Commission On Human Medicines (CHM) COVID-19 Vaccines Benefit Risk Expert Working Group. 

These are selected extracts (our emphasis)

“The EWG questioned the possibility that individuals are becoming infected in vaccination centres themselves. 

The EWG noted it is concerning that the dynamics in the first week post-vaccination follow what is known about infections with COVID-19.”

We do not know what to make of this, as two weeks was previously cited as the prep time for protection.

“PHE informed there are a group of people being tested as they developed symptoms post vaccination.”

and

“The EWG discussed the possibility that the apparent increase in risk of disease in the short time period immediately after vaccination could theoretically be due to an antibody sump which then dissipates when the vaccine takes effect.” 

We have never heard of an antibody sump and could not find any reference to it as a phenomenon. However, was the effect the EWG observed related to lymphopenia? This poses a further issue: Was the EWG aware that the antibody response was unsatisfactory?

“The EWG noted concern about deaths observed in the few days after vaccination in care home residents and heard there are specific studies set up to look at these.“

In January 2021, the BMJ reported that Doctors in Norway were told to conduct more thorough evaluations of very frail elderly patients following the deaths of 23 patients shortly after the vaccine.  When the MHRA was asked if any deaths had occurred in UK patients after vaccination, they replied: “that details of all suspected reactions reported in association with approved COVID-19 vaccines would be published along with its assessment of the data on a regular basis in the future.”

“The EWG discussed the potential adaptation of coronavirus vaccines to mutations. We do not have an example of another virus where there is escape from the vaccine apart from flu, which changes rapidly”. 

This statement shows surprising ignorance of the evidence base for viral vaccines. Studies showing the opposite, such as this one on hepatitis B, do not take long to find.

“The EWG heard that coronavirus mutates much more slowly than the flu virus. The number of transmissions drives the infection rate and what happens in people who are chronically infected. If transmission is stopped, then that would reduce the likelihood of escape mutants”.

Again, more ignorance of history and the evidence base: person-to-person mutations of CoV have been reported as early as 1984.  
Two old geezers wrote this post with oil sumps in their cars. They believe that public servants or those in the public service should study the evidence without being “told” or believing what they “heard.”