What We're Reading: Joint Pledge on Vaccine Safety; COVID-19 Symptoms in Children; Vaping, Risk of Infection

Drug Companies Issue Vaccine Safety Pledge

Amid concerns of intermingled political influence in the pursuit of a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 9 pharmaceutical companies issued a rare joint pledge that seeks to reassure the public about the safety, efficacy of their potential vaccines. Reported by The Hill, the joint pledge, which was signed by top drug companies such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna, states that each signee’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate will not seek FDA approval until a comprehensive phase 3 clinical trial is conducted and data exhibits positive results.

Fatigue, Headache Cited as Common COVID-19 Symptoms in Children

Fatigue, headache, and fever were indicated as the most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children, with cough and loss of taste or smell shown to occur as well. Reported by The Guardian, symptom risk was assessed by a group of researchers behind the COVID-19 symptom study app in the United Kingdom. Of the COVID-19 positive children in the study, 55% had fatigue, 54% had headache, and almost half had a fever.

Examining How Vaping Connects to Higher COVID-19 Risk

Reported by The New York Times, the link between vaping use and risk of COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes were spotlighted, with 1 study reporting that young adults who vape are 5 times more likely to receive a diagnosis. While doctors remain unsure of why vaping makes some people severely sick and spares others, similar negative trends to that of cigarettes have been noted for vape users as vaping has been shown in mice to increase vulnerability to bacteria and viruses, as well as send surges of inflammation throughout the body.