Sweden: Researchers note fading vaccine effect as 7 fully inoculated people die in 1 month

Researchers in Sweden have noted fading vaccine effect amid huge inoculation rate in the country. This comes after the country witnessed a few COVID-related death who were fully vaccinated. Last month, 7 out of 10 COVID-related deaths in Sweden were fully vaccinated people, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency.

Meanwhile, Farshid Jalalvand, a clinical microbiology researcher at Lund University, stated that there are various reasons why the number of fully vaccinated among the deceased has increased. He said that relaxation in restrictions, as well as, the spread of the Delta variant could be the primary reason. He further stated that the Delta variant of coronavirus is known to spread more easily than the Alpha strain among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. However, fully vaccinated people "usually have good protection," reported news agency, Sputnik, citing newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. 

According to Gunilla Karlsson Hedestam, a professor of vaccine immunology at the Karolinska Institute, it is not surprising that vaccine protection diminishes over time. She stated that the mRNA vaccines are great since they can be created quickly and significantly lower the risk of serious illness. However, they do not create as many antibodies as protein-based vaccinations. The higher the antibody concentration in the blood after vaccination, the more powerful and long-lasting the protection will be, she claimed. It should be mentioned here that there are currently no protein-based COVID-19 vaccines on the global market, although Novavax and Sanofi Pasteur have submitted applications for approval to the WHO and the European Commission, respectively.

Sweden halts use of Moderna's COVID vaccine for younger population

Meanwhile, on October 5, Sweden's health officials halted the use of Moderna's COVID vaccine for people aged 30 and below. According to Sweden's Public Health Agency, the decision was taken after an elevated risk of heart inflammation, a rare side effect connected with the shot was noted. The country's chief epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, stressed that they will closely monitor the situation and respond quickly to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are always as safe as possible while still offering excellent disease protection. It should be noted here that Sweden, a country of over 10 million people, has witnessed 1.16 million cases and approximately 15,000 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Besides, over 65% of the population is fully vaccinated in the country, reported Sputnik. 

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