Vaccini Moderna, IBM also takes the field
Vaccini Moderna
The Moderna vaccine will be distributed under the watchful eye of IBM technologies: the parties will in fact collaborate in this critical phase of serum distribution on which European hopes of exiting the pandemic tunnel hang. The approach is experimental, a pilot project aimed at "verifying how technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and hybrid cloud, can support smarter management in the distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine".IBM: AI and blockchain for Moderna vaccines
Thanks to this collaboration, the aim is to improve the collection and circulation of information, so that not only delivery procedures can be optimized, but also the involvement of institutions and individuals maximizing confidence in the vaccination effort.According to what has been explained, the project will come to life starting from the United States with solutions that will allow:
Vaccine management based on end-to-end traceability, to address potential supply chain disruptions, through the rapid and secure sharing of data relating to individual vaccine batches between institutions and service providers healthcare along every stage of the complex supply chain, from manufacturing facilities to delivery sites. Sharing of health information by individuals via the Digital Health Pass. Built on blockchain technology, the solution allows you to keep control of your personal data and share them in a secure, traceable and reliable way. Digital Health Pass can be used by any type of organization that decides to request health credentials to ensure access or movement of people within their facility. Employees, customers or passengers can share molecular test results, vaccination certificates and temperature checks if requested by the organization and based on specific criteria established by the organization itself. "Institutions, health organizations, research organizations are growing and collaborating more and more for an effective solution against the pandemic, and as this collaboration grows and new actors join the mission, at every stage of the supply chain, open technology becomes indispensable. to ensure transparency of processes and increase the trust of end users in the vaccine, ensuring accessibility and fairness in the process ": Jason Kelley, Managing Partner, Global Strategic Alliances Leader for IBM, explains with these words the role of IBM in the project.
But this is just another piece of a commitment that has been consolidated over the months through various initiatives already in place: the collaboration with the White House, the involvement in the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium and other steps have already demonstrated how much technology can become important in the efficiency processes necessary to speed up studies, research and development in such a delicate phase.
Some Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recipients have experienced delayed skin reactions following jab, doctors say
Some receipts of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have developed a delayed skin reaction to the jab days after receiving it, several doctors wrote in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week.
Doctors in the letter detailed 12 cases of delayed skin reactions that appeared some four to 11 days following the first dose of the Moderna jab, with an average of eight days. About half of the patients also developed a skin reaction following the second dose, though it was less severe.
The doctors noted that all vaccine recipients went on to receive the second dose. (iStock)
Most were treated with antihistamines and ice, but some patients required steroid treatments that were prescribed either in a topical or pill form. Most skin rashes resolved after four to five days.
The rashes were harmless but could be confused for an infection, which resulted in the unnecessary use of antibiotics in at least one patient they developed this reaction, they wrote in the letter.
CDC DELAYS GUIDANCE FOR COVID-19 VACCINATED POPULATION
'Clinicians may not be prepared to address delayed local reactions to the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Given the scale-up of mass vaccination campaigns across the world, these reactions are likely to generate concerns among patients and requests for evaluation. These reactions have not been consistently recognized, guidance regarding the second dose of vaccine has varied, and many patients have unnecessarily received antibiotic agents,' they wrote. 'We hope this letter encourages additional reporting and communication regarding the epidemiologic characteristics, causes, and implications of these delayed cutaneous reactions, since this information might allay the concerns of patients, encourage completion of vaccination, and minimize the unnecessary use of antibiotic agents.'
Delayed skin reactions were noted in Moderna’s large clinical trial on its vaccine, occurring in less than 1% of receipts following the first dose and only in 0.2% after they received the second dose.
The doctors noted that all vaccine recipients went on to receive the second dose.
'Given that neither local injection-site reactions nor delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions are contraindications to subsequent vaccination, all 12 patients were encouraged to receive the second dose and completed their mRNA-1273 vaccination course,' they wrote.
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Speaking to Bloomberg, Kimberly Blumenthal, the lead author of the paper and co-director of the clinical epidemiology program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, urged those who may experience a delayed skin reaction following the first dose to ensure they receive the second, as this specific reaction is not a danger, she said.
'Our aim was to show how dramatic they can be, while at the same time no one had it more severe with dose 2,' she said. 'So many of the patients I cared for with this were concerned about them. Is this an infection? (No!) Does this mean I cannot have dose 2? (No!) Will it happen with dose 2? (Not necessarily!),' she said.
'This is a nuisance, but it is not dangerous,' added Blumenthal.
Madeline Farber is a Reporter for Fox News. You can follow her on Twitter @MaddieFarberUDK.
