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Fight against Corona What speaks for and against child vaccinations

Status: 06/22/2021 8:57 a.m.

The debate about whether children should be vaccinated against Corona is in full swing. Companies are pressing ahead with their studies for the approval of a vaccine for young children as well. What is the current state of research?

From Axel John, SWR

Just a few steps from the magnificent Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is the rather inconspicuous Hausvogteiplatz. But what is sensational is what happens there in a sober office building. The Association of Research-Based Drug Manufacturers (VfA) has its headquarters here. The experts maintain contact with pharmaceutical companies all over the world – also when it comes to corona vaccine research, which is still under high pressure.

Particularly strict requirements for tests with minors

A team of specialists is constantly collecting the latest data from all over the world. Rolf Hömke is also there. The biochemist is an expert in research and drug safety. “When developing a new drug, it is standard that the preparation is initially only tested on adults. If these results are correspondingly good, studies with minors follow.” However, a prerequisite is a medical benefit in children and adolescents. Hömke gives an example: “A new antibiotic, for example, is also needed for children – but a preparation against prostate cancer is not.” Even higher requirements would apply to the tests in order to avoid stress in young people as far as possible. Both parents must have agreed together. The conditions also demanded that the children also say yes as soon as possible. “Money cannot be earned with such participation. The test subjects receive an expense allowance. The participants are mostly idealists or sick people who hope for an effective treatment.”

Intermediate results of the vaccine test series for children under twelve years of age BioNTech / Pfizer started a study in March 2021 with children aged six months and younger than twelve years. In the first phase, a small number of minors initially received different doses. In the current phase II, around 4500 young people are to be tested for the effectiveness of the vaccine in more than 90 facilities in the USA, Finland, Poland and Spain. Here researchers analyze the respective immune response. Results could be available from September.

Moderna reported the start of the phase II / III study in March. More than 6,700 children between six months and under twelve years of age in the United States and Canada are expected to participate. Here, too, it was initially about the best dosage. The effectiveness is then checked in the further course.

With the vaccine from AstraZeneca investigations began at Oxford University in February. Several hundred young people and children between the ages of six and under 18 should take part. The study has been temporarily stopped by the British authorities after reports of very rare side effects with thrombosis.

Janssen / Johnson & Johnson started testing his vaccine with adolescents aged twelve and over in April 2021. If the interim results are good, younger test persons should join the group. However, this study is also currently on hold.

Sinovac has been testing its CoronaVac vaccine in China since the beginning of May. In phase II, minors between the ages of three and 17 are to be tested here.

Source: VfA

STIKO sees no rush

Professor Dr. Fred Zepp follows vaccine development with great interest. On the one hand, Zepp is a member of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO). The committee drew up the recommendations for the sequence of corona vaccinations. Zepp was also director of the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Mainz University Hospital for many years. He believes it is imperative that vaccines be developed for minors as well. This is particularly important for high-risk patients such as children with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, emphasizes Zepp. “The mRNA vaccine process is an impressive development with excellent prospects. But we do not yet have any broad experience with children,” explains Zepp. For him it is important that the development of an adult’s organism is differentiated. The acute side effects can usually be recognized in the first twelve to 16 weeks. “With infants or children, on the other hand, I have an organism that is subject to constant development. That is why I say: We are currently under no time pressure in this group and should wait for further study results.” In addition, there are hardly any children in Europe who are seriously ill with Covid-19. Less than 80 children in Germany were being treated in an intensive care unit because of Corona. There have also been very few deaths that are even below the rate of flu. Zepp is also referring to a few cases in adolescents in the USA who developed heart muscle inflammation after the second vaccination with BioNTech. The authorities are currently investigating whether there is a connection. “The coronavirus will continue to change. I expect that the older population could also be affected here.”

“The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children”

In Munich, Matthias Kromayer leans over the latest results from corona vaccine research in children. The microbiologist recommends vaccinating minors according to the relevant studies and approvals – regardless of the vaccine. Kromayer works on the board of MIG AG. The company is currently investing in 30 start-ups. In 2008, BioNTech received a good 13 million euros as an initial investment from MIG.

For Kromayer, a vaccination rate of 70 to 80 percent in the population is the goal. “Then there is a good chance of paralyzing the spread of the virus and mutated variants. The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children. They are closer together and cannot yet adhere to the hygiene rules,” explains Kromayer. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are more than 8.5 million people under the age of twelve in Germany. For Kromayer, this group is so large that it should not be ignored in the fight against pandemics. At the same time, children have a much stronger immune system that can deal with Corona much better. In this way, fewer pathogens would presumably be transmitted: “The vaccine side effects in children are likely to be very limited, but the resulting protection for other population groups is high. That should be weighed up.”

Politicians do not want to commit themselves yet

In Berlin, too, the Federal Ministry of Health has long since registered the emerging debate. Whether and to what extent children should also be vaccinated in the fight against Corona is still silent. Upon request, the press office simply declares: “The results of studies and possible approval by the European authorities remain to be seen.”

According to BioNTech / Pfizer, reliable results from the currently ongoing study series can be expected from September onwards. By then, at the latest, the discussion about the best vaccination strategy will really start

China’s passenger jet C919 is lagging behind schedule

Status: 19.06.2021 07:29 a.m.

China’s domestic C919 passenger aircraft is set to compete with Airbus and Boeing. But the approval is still missing – and there is still no date for the first delivery.

From Steffen Wurzel, ARD studio Shanghai

China’s government has invested billions in developing and building its own passenger aircraft in recent years. There are great hopes for the C919. This medium-haul aircraft from the state manufacturer Comac should be able to carry up to 190 passengers in the future. In terms of size and equipment, the C919 is comparable to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. “Technically, the C919 is actually an international aircraft,” says David Yu, aviation analyst and economics professor at Shanghai’s New York University. Many individual parts of the machine come from the USA and Europe. “It will be assembled in Shanghai. Yes, the C919 is a Chinese aircraft, but with a significant proportion of foreign components,” says Yu.

Approval in China possible this year

Their Maiden flight had the C919 four years ago. It is still unclear when the machine will be delivered. The project is several years behind schedule, which is normal for all manufacturers around the world when they develop new aircraft models.

So far, the C919 does not even have official approval from the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC). If this approval is granted – and that could happen this year – the machine will probably only fly in China for the time being. It is still unclear whether the responsible aviation authorities in Europe (EASA) and the USA (FAA) will also approve the machine.

In 2017 the C919 took off on its maiden flight – the start of delivery is currently still open. Image: picture alliance / Andy Wong / AP / dpa

For the time being, probably only in Germany

Nevertheless: Even if the Chinese medium-haul jet is initially only allowed to fly on domestic routes in the People’s Republic, Airbus and Boeing will not be left without a trace, says aviation analyst Yu. “Asia and especially China are the largest growth markets for the aircraft industry. If you also look at who ordered the aircraft – especially Chinese airlines and leasing companies – it becomes clear that the C919 will take Airbus and Boeing’s market share in China reduce, “said Yu. In China, all airlines and even leasing companies belong to the state – or they are subject to the instructions of the communist leadership. Ultimately, this can decide which aircraft type is bought by whom. This is also a clear advantage for the state-owned Chinese manufacturer Comac

A fresh batch of baguettes From the countryside to the city, the long bread made by hand is a familiar image in the daily life of the French people. The baguette has also been a creative inspiration for many artists and has gone into many works of art. From a foreign perspective, when it comes to France, in terms of cuisine, the baguette is probably one of the most intimate and simple symbols, next to countless types of wine, champagne or cheese. So when did baguettes in France come from? According to historian Steven Kaplan, up to now, in France, there are usually three anecdotes about the origin of baguette bread. It is said by many that the long bread was invented by the bakers of Emperor Napoleon in the early 19th century. Lighter and less bulky than the earlier round loaf, the long loaves were easily carried by soldiers. people. In another anecdote, baguettes originated in Austria and were brought to France by a Viennese baker named August Zang in 1839, and were originally sold in Paris as ovals. And finally, the baguette was invented on the Paris subway site in the 1900s, a time when workers from all over France flocked here, and there were often fights between Brittany and regional workers. Auvergne. To prevent workers from stabbing each other with knives, contractors are said to have asked bakers to make loaves of bread that are easy to break by hand rather than using a knife. However, those are just oral anecdotes. Historian Steven Kaplan asserts that the traditional baguette originated in the 20th century, stemming from a change in the dietary needs of urban people. The affluent class living in urban areas wanted to eat fresh bread many times a day, while the big, round breads weighing 1.2-2kg at that time were too big, they had to eat a few meals to finish. Moreover, people also prefer to eat the crust rather than the inside. For centuries before that, bread was made with sourdough, obtained by the natural fermentation of bacteria found in wheat. For the workers, the process of making cakes is very hard work. Steven Kaplan recounted, the baker at that time was likened to a “white miner”, working all night. Many consider it inhumane to let bakers work in such conditions, leading to a movement to find ways to reduce their hardship. By 1919, France had a law banning bakers from working at night. Therefore, the craftsmen have come up with a simpler way to make bread and shape the long, thin baguette to bake the cake faster. And so the baguette was born. According to the National Federation of French Bakery and Pastry Shops, 32,000 artisan bakeries with 180,000 employees earn about 11 billion EUR/year in revenue. However, the French Ministry of Culture said that the number of bakeries has dropped sharply in the past five decades due to competition from supermarkets with industrial, frozen bread. Many people hope that the French Ministry of Culture’s selection of baguettes to submit to UNESCO for nominations for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will contribute to preserving France’s artisanal bread production from the competition of the industrial production methods.

CEO Tim Cook speaks at WWDC 2018 (Image: Getty Images) This is the first time Apple publish this data. It is a sign of “defective apple” becoming more transparent in the process of approving and rejecting iPhone applications under pressure from many countries. Thanks to the application review system, comparing with the App Store regulatory list, the company can keep iPhone users safe from fraud, malware or poor experience. Apple also published some notable figures for 2020. Accordingly, the manufacturer Iphone rejected nearly 1 million applications submitted for the first time; deny nearly 1 million application updates. 48,000 applications removed due to use of “hidden or unreported features”; 150,000 applications removed for spam or other application copying; 215,000 apps removed for collecting too much user data or violating privacy; 95,000 applications were removed due to phishing, usually they change to other types of applications such as gambling, porn. 470,000 accounts disabled from the developer program for phishing. Additionally, last month, Apple declined 3.2 million app downloads using an enterprise license. This is how large businesses often use to circumvent the App Store law to install internal apps on employees’ iPhones. Currently, the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games is taking place. Game maker Fortnite denounces the App Store as a “closed garden”, hurting developers, and Apple discriminates against many. Epic Games also confirmed that Apple’s process is not perfect, sometimes approving malware. Apple employees themselves have admitted their process is not good enough to prevent scams. At the trial, Apple said, combining 500 automated reviewers and testers to review nearly 5 million applications per year, from 2017 to 2019 (updates included), the rate from declined from 33% to 36%. The flaws are too small for the size of the App Store. Apple sees the App Store as a fundamental, irreplaceable part of its business. This is the only way for users to install software on the iPhone. Apple’s attorney argued that if users let users download apps from outside the App Store the way Android is doing, they would be at risk of security. Apple doesn’t want to be Android. Du Lam (According to CNBC)

From Kerstin Anabah and Gigi Deppe, ARD legal editors The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations sued Postbank. He considers certain clauses with which the bank can change its general terms and conditions to be ineffective. The background: Many customers do not even notice when their bank changes the fine print. You only feel that, for example, fees are suddenly being debited for a free account or that other services of the financial institution are becoming more expensive. Although they have received an announcement from the bank that the contract should be changed, very few delve into the small print. Most of the customer’s contracts say: We will send you an announcement two months in advance. And if you do not object, then that counts as consent. Then our contract is changed.

Clauses not transparent enough

However, the Federal Association for Consumer Centers does not consider such clauses to be transparent enough. They did not reveal the reason for the change in the general terms and conditions, nor did they indicate the limits. The association therefore demands that the clauses may no longer be used. “What bothers us about the clauses is that they are simply far too intransparent for the customer,” explains David Bode from the federal association. “When the contract is concluded, he cannot foresee where the journey will go for him.” Ultimately, these clauses could also be misused to turn them into a completely different contract, says Bode: “I can turn a free account into a paid account, I can force certain software on the customer to use online banking.”

Decision of the lower courts

However, the Cologne Regional Court initially dismissed the consumer advocate’s complaint. The federal association was also unsuccessful at the Cologne Higher Regional Court. In the opinion of the judges of the OLG, the clauses correspond to the legal requirements. The relevant European legal regulations provide for the possibility of such tacit consent by customers. Therefore, banks may also agree on these in general terms and conditions. Because of its fundamental importance, however, the judges allowed the appeal to the Federal Court of Justice. In addition, there was a legal hint from Luxembourg. The European Court of Justice, the highest court in the EU, decided a case from Austria last November and gave the general direction: The small print of the banks can certainly be checked by the courts to see whether it disadvantages customers. That was the reason for the Federal Court of Justice, Germany’s highest civil court, to take a closer look at whether it is okay for the bank to change a contract without the express consent of the customer.

Judgment of the Federal Court of Justice

The BGH today announced a judgment in favor of consumers. In the opinion of the federal judges, such clauses are generally ineffective. The banks could introduce extensive changes to contracts, for example also in savings contracts, without the customers having to give their express consent. That would contradict the basic idea of ​​the law. Such clauses would unduly disadvantage consumers. As a result of the ruling, numerous credit institutions will now have to change their clauses. The lawyer of the defendant financial institution, Postbank, had pointed out that it was a mass business for the financial institutions and raised the question of how it should be implemented in practice if every individual customer had to give his consent to changed conditions. The Federal Court of Justice pointed out, however, that the previous rule gave the banks too much power. They could completely change contracts in this way: “For example, the bank could recruit customers with free current accounts or free custody accounts and, after they have concluded a contract with it, introduce account management fees or custody fees using the disputed clause,” said the presiding judge Jürgen Ellenberger . In the future, most bank customers will certainly get more mail from their financial institution. However, it has not yet been determined whether many customers will really say no to a contract change when asked. Because the bank may then try to terminate the contract.

According to experts in the field of advertising on digital media platforms, the advertisements “divine medicine” or “My three generations of medicine …” appear on a dense frequency, over the past time because take advantage of the automatic review mechanism of online advertising plus the ease of censorship and the defiance of some agents (Agency).

According to experts in the advertising industry, unlike conventional forms of advertising, most of the advertisements on the online environment cannot be reviewed by anyone because of the nature of technology companies. overseas office. That is why the management of the local Agency is also being likened to “holding the bald” so it is difficult to bring the desired results.

Phenomenon “self-proclaimed god” is showing signs of cooling down?

Spending money strongly due to super profit

Through research, a course of treatment according to the method of “gods” is not low at an average cost of about 3 million VND for a course lasting 2-3 months with the same cost. medical examination, diagnosis and monitoring of the patient’s drug use completely … by phone. It can be seen that with such a high cost, just every day the “physicians” carry out treatment for a few dozen or a few hundred patients everywhere, the profit is not a small number, so the “medical healers” “Also extremely generous to spend money on advertising content.

According to advertising experts, with advertisements on the Youtube platform, Google implements a “bidding” feature to choose the preferred display in advertising services. This is a feature that allows advertisers to choose how much they will pay Google when YouTube viewers “click” on the promotional video or watch the specified time. Usually, companies and individuals running professional ads will know how to “bid” with the least amount of money but with the highest efficiency. The usual cost is in the range of 100-200 VND for a time when a viewer visits or watches YouTube for the specified time for the promotional video. However, the video advertising “god of medicine”, the medicine mentioned above has “bid” many times higher, maybe from 500 VND, even 900 VND. Therefore, priority is given to these videos to be rampant.

And the stars are helping?

When the “self-proclaimed gods” receive a negative reaction from the public and have signs of slowing down, the appearance of stars, celebrities, influencers participating in advertising products. “Absolutely effective”, “complete treatment” … are also asking many questionable questions.

Tracking a page promoting a product introduced is a comprehensive solution to “cure” the problem of body odor with the consultation of male singer Đ.T, which is famous for his nourishing hair and nickname ” Not old singer “. Appearing in the sharing video, the male singer said that the X series (including oral tablets and a rolling bottle) with dual effects will “eliminate” the problem of body odor; and X is also the first and only product in the world (!?) containing silver Nano ingredient that acts both inside and out to help reduce more than 90% of sweat and body odor after 1 course. It is not clear how the “special treatment” of the product is, whether it really cures armpit disease as shared by the male artist, but according to the above information, it is confirmed that the advertising content No. 2301/2020 / XNQC-ATTP dated 23 / 07/2020 is issued by the Food Safety Department to the product with the content and function: “Support to improve sweating situation”.

Male singer Đ.T in the product video is said to be able to cure the “wing inflammation” problem.

The 58-year-old NTM shared with a reporter related to the fact that artists participating in online advertising for “drugs” said that she recently encountered many advertisements with different contents from “diabetes pills”, “Stomach effervescent”, … with the appearance of a famous comedian, director of a famous theater and familiar with the audience through his audacious roles on television from 2005 to now on. In common of these videos, the actor shared about his own medical problems and how the product was effective during use; and in many cases the actor mentions the effectiveness of the product in a “miraculous” way. In an introduction video about the product “effervescent Y”, the actor said, this is “the No. 01 effervescent tablet in Vietnam, for sure” and the technology application from Japan has the effect of “folding 300 times ”compared to conventional products.

The comedian shared that a product was “300 times more” useful than a conventional product.

The advertising of selling drugs and functional foods with the promise of “cure”, “the perfect solution”, “farewell to the disease”, “root treatment” … has not been verified in terms of quality. The amount, which has not been licensed by the competent agency for advertising, is a violation of the law. So are the stars and celebrities who are participating in the ads with the above content are responsible for the content they have participated in advertising?