Vol.22 (2021/07/26) Antibody positivity rate at our clinic / Latest trends in Japan and the world / Infection trends in advanced vaccination countries / Fake news and safety information about vaccines / Vaccine passports, etc.

[1] Antibody positivity rate at our clinic

From May 2021 to July 5, 15, antibody positivity rates have risen again.
With the current fifth wave, there is a possibility that numbers will rise further in the future.
Although the above antibodies indicate SARS-CoV-2 infection, they are not neutralizing antibodies that respond to COVID19 vaccines.
In the future, we would like to check this together with neutralizing antibodies.

Figure 2021: Positive rate of antibody tests at Tokyo Midtown Clinic (as of July 7, 14)

[2] Situation in Japan

The fifth wave is coming.

Figure 2021: Number of new positive cases in Japan, number of people requiring hospitalization or other treatment, and number of serious cases (as of July 7, 25)

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare "Domestic outbreak situation, etc."
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/kokunainohasseijoukyou.html#h2_1

[3] Monitoring data from Tokyo Metropolitan Government

The number of new infections in Tokyo continues to increase.

Figure 2021: Number of new infections (as of July 7, 25)

Source: Yahoo! Japan News "Tokyo COVID-19 related information"
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pages/article/covid19tokyo

Data by age group.
As expected, the number of infected people and hospitalized people over 60 years old is decreasing.

Figure 2021: Tokyo Metropolitan Government monitoring item "Number of new positive cases (by age group)" Monitoring meeting materials for July 7, 21

Figure 2021: Tokyo Metropolitan Government monitoring item "Proportion of hospitalized patients by age group" Monitoring meeting materials for July 7, 21

Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health, "Analysis and Summary Comments on the Latest Monitoring Items"
(Figures 4,5, XNUMX) https://www.fukushihoken.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/iryo/kansen/corona_portal/info/monitoring.html

[4] Global situation

A comparison of the US, UK, EU and Japan.
The number of infected people in the UK is increasing, but the decline in the EU and the US is notable.
The number of deaths in Japan is almost the same.

Figure 2021: Comparison of deaths in the EU, US, UK, and Japan (as of July 7, 25)

Source: FINANCIAL TIMES Coronavirus tracked: see how your country compares
https://bit.ly/2TDgjZy

Figure 2021: Comparison of new infection numbers in the EU, US, UK, and Japan (as of July 7, 25)

FINANCIAL TIMES Coronavirus tracked: see how your country compares
https://bit.ly/2WfRQdz

Next are Asian countries: India, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
The number of cases in India was increasing rapidly, but it is decreasing rapidly. I would like to know what measures are being taken. Instead, the number of cases in Thailand is increasing rapidly.
Japan is worried about what will happen with the Olympics.

Figure 8: Comparison of deaths in Japan, India, Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan (as of July 2021, 7)

Source: FINANCIAL TIMES Coronavirus tracked: see how your country compares
https://bit.ly/3iQhP2P

Figure 9: Comparison of new infection numbers in Japan, India, Thailand, South Korea, and Taiwan (as of July 2021, 7)

Source: FINANCIAL TIMES Coronavirus tracked: see how your country compares
https://bit.ly/2UMUwPD

Finally, vaccination rates.
Japan is also beginning to grow, but China's progress is catching up with the United States.
The UK's achievement rate is the reason why they have embarked on such extensive deregulation.
The benchmark for deregulation may be one vaccination per citizen.

Figure 10: Vaccination rates in the UK, Israel, US, EU, China, India and Japan (as of July 2021, 7)

Source: FINANCIAL TIMES Covid-19 vaccine tracker: the global race to vaccinate
https://bit.ly/3BJG3V9

[5] Infection among younger generations

On July 7th, Nature published an article titled “Will COVID become a disease of the young?”
The graph below shows the number of infected people in Israel, and there are warnings that non-vaccination among young people could be the cause of a pandemic.

Figure 2021: Number of new infections in Israel (recent trends as of July 7, 5)

Source: Nature Will COVID become a disease of the young?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01862-7

[6] The results of easing restrictions on people’s movements in Israel, a country with a strong vaccination record

In Israel, restrictions on movement have been relaxed and the number of variants has increased, reducing the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing infection. However, the rate of severe illness has been suppressed.
It has been reported that vaccination of young people will be important in the future.

The Middle Eastern country of Israel's Ministry of Health announced on the 5th that the effectiveness of the COVID-64 vaccine in preventing the disease has dropped to 5%. As of May, the vaccine's effectiveness was over 94%, and it has been pointed out that this is related to the spread of the mutant virus confirmed in India.

In Israel, more than 16% of the population over the age of 8 have received the vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and others, and until mid-June, there were days when the number of new daily infections was in the single digits.
However, since late last month, the spread of infections caused by the "Delta strain" mutated virus, which was identified in India, has increased the average number of new infections per day to about 1, with 260 cases confirmed on the 5th.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced the results of an investigation into the infection situation since June 6th, and said that the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing the disease had dropped to 6%.
According to local media, as of May this year, the figure was 5%.
The Ministry of Health said, "This decline was observed at the same time as the spread of the Delta strain," and pointed out its connection to the mutant virus. On the other hand, the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing severe symptoms is estimated to be 93%, the same as the previous time.

In Israel, the requirement to wear masks indoors was once lifted, but has been made mandatory again since June 6th. The Israeli government is calling for thorough infection control measures at airports and for vaccination of 25 to 12 year olds.

Source: NHK News "Israel vaccine effectiveness falls to 64%; link to mutant strains pointed out" (July 2021, 7, 6:18)
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210706/k10013122651000.html

[7] Dr. Miyasaka also got the vaccine: Information on vaccine safety and effectiveness

We would like to introduce an article about Professor Masayuki Miyasaka, Emeritus Professor at Osaka University, who we have featured previously.

Last fall, Miyasaka Masayuki (73), a leading immunologist and professor emeritus at Osaka University, publicly declared as an expert witness before the House of Representatives Health, Labor and Welfare Committee to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations, but has now completely reversed his stance and recently completed his second vaccination. He is also cooperating with pre-vaccination tests at a large-scale vaccination site in Osaka. Even now that vaccinations have begun in earnest, many people remain unsure about safety, but Miyasaka asserts that "there is no choice not to get vaccinated." (Tsurumi Shinichiro)

■ Three Arrows

"At the time I attended the Health, Labor and Welfare Committee in November last year, there was very little data on safety, but it has since become clear that the side effects are roughly the same as those of conventional vaccines."
In an interview with the Kobe Shimbun, Miyasaka explained his change of heart regarding the vaccination. After receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on the 17th of this month, he felt pain in his arm and swelling in his armpit, and on the night of the 18th, he had a fever of 38 degrees, but by the 19th, his temperature had returned to normal, and he was once again in charge of pre-vaccination at the large-scale vaccination site.

Initially, it was thought that Pfizer and Moderna's messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were effective in preventing onset, but it was unclear whether they were effective in preventing infection. However, Miyasaka emphasized that data has been accumulated, saying, "In Israel, where vaccinations have progressed, the number of deaths and hospitalizations has decreased by more than 90% from the peak, and PCR tests of vaccinated people have shown a huge drop in the number of positive cases." He explained, "The 'three arrows' of infection prevention, onset prevention, and prevention of severe symptoms are all in place, and similar data has been obtained in the United States and the United Kingdom, where vaccinations are also progressing."

■ Herd immunity

"Regarding the argument that herd immunity can be achieved through the progression of natural infections, he said, "It's highly likely that this won't be possible." He added, "Some infectious diseases confer lasting immunity, while others do not. COVID-19 is similar in nature to influenza, in that the immune effect halves in about four months."
On the other hand, this vaccine, unlike natural infection, provides long-lasting immunity. Miyasaka gives three reasons why mRNA vaccines are effective in generating strong immune responses.
The first is that the artificial modifications made it less likely to break down, making it easier to produce antibodies. The second is that the double-stranded RNA, which has a strong inflammatory effect, has been removed, avoiding excessive side effects. The third is that because it has been made into small particles wrapped in a lipid membrane, it is efficiently transported to the local lymph nodes, which can be thought of as the "immune fortress." Miyasaka says that the swelling in his armpit after his second vaccination is proof that the local lymph nodes are reacting strongly.

■ Genetic information

Some people worry that because mRNA vaccines use genetic information, they may affect human genes, but Miyasaka says this is not the case. In principle, the human body has a one-way flow from DNA to RNA to protein, and nothing goes in the opposite direction. Miyasaka said, "An American research group published a paper stating that if a special mechanism (expression of reverse transcriptase) is placed in human cells, RNA will enter the human genes when infected with COVID-19, but this is a phenomenon that does not occur in healthy people."

Miyasaka also pointed out that another American research group had reported that spike proteins appeared in the blood of people who had received the vaccine. Large amounts of spike protein can cause pneumonia, sparking debate over whether the vaccine was a poison, but Miyasaka said, "The amount that appears in the blood after vaccination is so small that it is far from causing inflammation, so this assertion is incorrect."

■ Two vaccinations

While infection with mutant strains that are thought to be less effective against vaccines has been viewed as a problem, Miyasaka pointed out, "It has been reported that the markers that antibodies use to recognize the coronavirus are 50 to 100 spike proteins that bind to bodily cells. Even if a few of them become unusable, it's no problem, and there are not only neutralizing antibodies (that eliminate infectivity), but also antibodies that dissolve the virus and feed it to phagocytes, so I think two vaccinations will provide almost complete protection."

In the UK, where vaccination is progressing, the number of new infections, which had been falling sharply, is currently increasing again. However, analysis of the data shows that most of the infections are in people who have not been vaccinated, and that there has been no increase in infections among those who have received two doses.
"Looking at the progress of vaccinations in other countries, the number of new infections drops sharply once more than 50% of the population has completed two doses of the vaccine," Miyasaka said. "I think whether the number of infections in Japan will decrease in the future will depend on how widely vaccinations progress."

■ Mortality rate

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which has a different mechanism than mRNA vaccines, has been pointed out as having the potential to cause thrombosis.
Miyasaka also points out, "The incidence of thrombosis was about 10 times per 1 million vaccinations.With previous vaccines, it was accepted that a few life-threatening side effects were unavoidable, but the rate is a little higher."
However, he said, "The chances of being involved in a fatal accident while driving a car in one's lifetime are several tens of times out of a million, so it is lower than that," and added, "If for some reason an mRNA vaccine cannot be used, I think it would be fine to choose to get vaccinated." The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge. Citizens are required to make an effort to get vaccinated, but it is not compulsory.

Source: Kobe Shimbun NEXT "Vaccine: 'No choice but to get vaccinated' - Leading immunologist reverses cautious stance, confident in safety based on data" (2021/6/26 08:44)
https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sougou/202106/0014447762.shtml

[8] Regarding vaccine fake news

On the website of Minister Kono, who promotes vaccination, there is an article supervised by Kobinavi, which aims to provide accurate information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.

Reference: Kobinavi
http://covnavi.jp/

False rumors about the COVID-19 vaccine have begun to spread. Why is there so much inaccurate information about vaccines in the first place?

According to a report published in April by the EU's External Action Service (the EU's equivalent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), China and Russia have been disseminating information in multiple languages ​​using social media and other means to discredit Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines.
Additionally, a group that monitors vaccine misinformation and disinformation has found that just 12 individuals and groups are responsible for 65% of the vaccine-related misinformation on Twitter and Facebook.
Some people spread rumours even though they have medical licenses.

The purpose of spreading vaccine rumors is
First, they criticize vaccines to draw attention to their publications and original products and make money.
2) They base their claims on their ideology rather than on science.
3) You are stuck in a situation where you made a mistake in the past.
4. You want to draw attention to yourself.
It is said that this is a major factor.
Many of the rumors circulating in Japan are initially sent overseas and then reach Japan after some time.

Here are some specific points about the current coronavirus vaccine:
"All vaccinated laboratory mice died within two years"
Given that the lifespan of laboratory mice is only about two years, this is equivalent to saying that all humans who received the vaccine would have died within 100 years.

This has since been replaced by the false claim that all vaccinated experimental cats died, even though cats are not commonly used in animal testing prior to human research.
In fact, cats have never been used in studies of the Pfizer vaccine.

"Vaccination causes infertility"
This is one of the hoaxes that is spread not only about the coronavirus vaccine, but about any vaccine.
No vaccines to date have caused infertility.
There is absolutely no scientific evidence that the current coronavirus vaccine will cause infertility.

Michael Eadon, a former vice president of Pfizer, claimed that "the spike protein is similar to a protein called syncytin-1, which forms the placenta, and therefore the antibodies to the spike protein also attack syncytin-1." However, in reality, there are few similarities between the amino acid sequences that are important for antibody reaction, and such a reaction has not been confirmed.
A study of 3,958 pregnant women conducted in the United States also confirmed that it did not increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, or congenital malformations.

"Large amounts of coronavirus vaccine components accumulate in the ovaries"
To investigate how vaccine components are distributed within the body, mice were administered a vaccine conjugated with a radioactive isotope. The total radioactivity recovery rate was highest in the liver at 18%, while it was significantly lower in the spleen (less than 1.0%), the adrenal glands (less than 0.11%), and the ovaries (less than 0.095%), and peaked at 48 hours.
This simply means that a very small amount is temporarily distributed in the ovaries, and it is clearly a mistake to say that it accumulates.

"Vaccination alters genes"
There is no chance that an mRNA vaccine will be genetically integrated.
Human genetic information is stored in the nucleus of cells in the form of DNA.
The mRNA cannot enter the cell's nucleus.
Even if the mRNA enters the cell's nucleus, it cannot be converted into DNA or incorporated into human DNA.

"The clinical trials have not been completed, so safety has not been confirmed."
mRNA vaccines undergo thorough basic research, animal testing, and clinical trials, and clinically meaningful benefits that outweigh the risks have been confirmed. Clinical trials are ongoing to confirm the long-term effectiveness of the vaccine, i.e., how long the effect lasts.

"Long-term safety unknown"
The mRNA breaks down within half a day to a few days, and the spike protein produced by the vaccine is mostly gone within about two weeks.
mRNA vaccines are not genetically engineered.
Anaphylaxis can also occur with mRNA vaccines, but symptoms only appear within two days of vaccination.
With previous vaccines, it is known that most side effects occur within 6-8 weeks.
Based on the above, there are no particular concerns about the long-term safety of the coronavirus vaccine.

"ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement) occurs."
ADE occurs when antibodies produced by vaccines or previous infections enhance the virus's ability to infect people.
This has happened with the dengue and SARS vaccines.
However, with the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines,
Highly neutralizing antibodies and well-balanced lymphocyte movement were confirmed.
ADE has not been observed in animal studies.
No ADEs have been reported in large-scale clinical trials
For this reason, the possibility of ADE with the COVID-19 vaccine is considered unlikely.
This section is supervised by Covnavi (covnavi.jp, @covnavi).

Source: Official website of House of Representatives member Taro Kono, "About vaccine rumors" (June 2021.06.24, XNUMX)
https://www.taro.org/2021/06/%e3%83%af%e3%82%af%e3%83%81%e3%83%b3%e3%83%87%e3%83%9e%e3%81%ab%e3%81%a4%e3%81%84%e3%81%a6.php

[9] Vaccination certificates will begin.

For the time being, vaccines will be issued in writing, but applications for so-called "vaccine passports" began being accepted in each city, town and village from July 7th.

When entering a foreign country, a vaccination certificate will be issued to officially certify that you have been vaccinated against COVID-26, so that the destination country can use it to decide whether to relax quarantine measures. Applications for this vaccination certificate will be accepted by each city, town, and village (including special wards; the same applies below) from Monday, July XNUMX, XNUMX.

This vaccination certificate will be issued to those who need it when traveling abroad.This vaccination certificate will be issued to those who need it when traveling abroad.

Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website: "COVID-19 Vaccine Vaccination Certificate for Overseas Travel"
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/vaccine_certificate.html
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000807368.pdf