Bioethics
WHO head calls for two-month vaccine booster moratorium.
24 Aug, 2021 | 10:02h | UTCWHO head calls for two-month vaccine booster moratorium – Associated Press
Health researchers report funder pressure to suppress results – “Small study hints that interference from bodies funding research into public-health issues such as nutrition and exercise might be more common than realized”.
22 Aug, 2021 | 22:41h | UTCHealth researchers report funder pressure to suppress results – Nature
Original study: “He who pays the piper calls the tune”: Researcher experiences of funder suppression of health behaviour intervention trial findings – PLOS One
Survey: Workplace mistreatment reported frequently by emergency medicine residents.
22 Aug, 2021 | 22:18h | UTCWorkplace Mistreatment Reported Frequently by Emergency Medicine Residents – HealthDay
Original study: Prevalence of Discrimination, Abuse, and Harassment in Emergency Medicine Residency Training in the US – JAMA Network Open
Commentary on Twitter
In this study, 45.1% of emergency medicine residents reported exposure to workplace mistreatment. Interventions should be developed to ensure resident wellness and career satisfaction. @ABEMCert @EmoryMedicine @NUFeinbergMed @Rutgers_NJMS @UWMedicine https://t.co/dTrUH14NxB
— JAMA Network Open (@JAMANetworkOpen) August 20, 2021
Health care for people who are incarcerated.
20 Aug, 2021 | 08:46h | UTCHealth care for people who are incarcerated – Nature Reviews Diseases Primers
Commentary on Twitter
This Comment highlights the high medical burden of individuals who are or have been in #prison or jail and discusses how to overcome barriers to #HealthCare through funding, community health systems and addressing stigma and discrimination.https://t.co/w0z0iGIKS5 pic.twitter.com/wRuAgCZ6i7
— Nature Reviews Disease Primers (@DiseasePrimers) August 19, 2021
Variations in end-of-life practices in intensive care units worldwide: a prospective observational study.
20 Aug, 2021 | 08:51h | UTCVariations in end-of-life practices in intensive care units worldwide (Ethicus-2): a prospective observational study – The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary on Twitter
Limitation of life-sustaining therapies is common worldwide with regional variability. Withholding treatment is more common than withdrawing treatment. Variations in type, frequency, and timing of end-of-life decisions were observed. https://t.co/skfjazyt7x @LancetRespirMed
— Martijn A. Spruit (@pulmonary_rehab) August 9, 2021
IDSA response to plan for supplemental vaccine doses for vaccinated individuals.
19 Aug, 2021 | 09:02h | UTC
Vaccine stockpiling by nations could lead to increase in COVID-19 cases, novel variant emergence.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:58h | UTCVaccine nationalism and the dynamics and control of SARS-CoV-2 – Science
Commentary on Twitter
Published at @sciencemagazine, a new @PrincetonEnviro study shows that stockpiling driven by vaccine 'nationalism' could increase #COVID19 cases and the potential emergence of novel variants, stressing the importance of rapid global vaccine equity. https://t.co/ziN5fX0u2X
— Princeton University (@Princeton) August 18, 2021
U.S. officials’ decision on Covid-19 booster shots baffles — and upsets — some scientists.
19 Aug, 2021 | 09:00h | UTCU.S. officials’ decision on Covid-19 booster shots baffles — and upsets — some scientists – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
Scientists I spoke to today had a lot of questions about the administration's decision to start giving Americans 3rd doses of the mRNA vaccines next month. “I’m not sure we had enough [data] to pull the trigger right now," one said. https://t.co/eHUndOrQL4
— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) August 18, 2021
As use of widely prescribed stimulants increases, experts see troubling parallels to opioid crisis.
19 Aug, 2021 | 08:46h | UTC
ANALYSIS- Here’s why there may be no need for boosters for everyone just yet.
18 Aug, 2021 | 09:00h | UTCANALYSIS- Here’s why there may be no need for boosters for everyone just yet – CNN
U.S. to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months.
18 Aug, 2021 | 09:02h | UTCSources: US to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months – Associated Press
See also: Biden administration expected to advise Covid booster shots for most Americans – CNN AND US experts expected to recommend Covid booster shots for all – The Guardian
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
This decision seems to reflect a common fallacy; trying to reason about whether we "need X" just based on what things are like without X, rather than how much X will do to help.
It's surprising to see it at play in a decision of such consequence.
— Wes Pegden (@WesPegden) August 17, 2021
Editorial: COVID-19 vaccine equity and booster doses – “by Aug 9, only 12·6 million of the 4·46 billion doses administered globally were in low-income countries”.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:58h | UTCCOVID-19 vaccine equity and booster doses – The Lancet Infectious Diseases
See also: New waves, new variants, old inequity: a continuing COVID-19 crisis – BMJ Global Health
Editorial: The WHO is right to call a temporary halt to COVID vaccine boosters.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:56h | UTCThe WHO is right to call a temporary halt to COVID vaccine boosters – Nature
Opinion | Go Ahead. Vaccinate the Kids. The risk of vaccinating children will never be zero, but the alternative is so much worse.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:50h | UTCGo Ahead. Vaccinate the Kids. – The Atlantic
U.S. Study: Nearly half of surveyed female surgeons experienced major pregnancy complications.
18 Aug, 2021 | 08:42h | UTCNews release: Nearly half of surveyed female surgeons experienced major pregnancy complications – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Original study: Incidence of Infertility and Pregnancy Complications in US Female Surgeons – JAMA Surgery
Commentary on Twitter
Challenges of pregnancy as a surgeon: Compared to male surgeons & their partners, female surgeons
•More likely to delay children & need assisted reproduction
•Have 1.7X ↑ risk pregnancy complications;long OR hrs ↑risk by 1.6x
•↑ risk postpart https://t.co/tJhz93newO— JAMA Surgery (@JAMASurgery) July 29, 2021
Study finds editorialists in top journals with industry-related conflicts of interest were more likely to author an unduly favorable editorial for cancer drugs.
17 Aug, 2021 | 08:47h | UTC
Scientific medical conferences can be easily modified to improve female inclusion: a prospective study.
17 Aug, 2021 | 08:53h | UTCAuthor Interview: Victoria Salem on improving female inclusion in conferences
Commentaries:
Women participate less at conferences, even with gender-balanced delegates – Imperial College London
Women participate less at conferences, even if gender-balanced – study – The Guardian
Commentaries on Twitter
🗣conference organisers take note: female chairs and picking first questions from females are easy modifications for scientific medical conferences to improve female inclusion https://t.co/pt722RB6E8
— A/Prof Sharleen O’Reilly (@OReillySharleen) August 5, 2021
"If women are not visible at conferences, they cannot act as role models…creating a self-perpetuating cycle."
How scientific medical conferences can be easily modified to improve female inclusion. Read in @TheLancetEndo—https://t.co/3vK5KCdqco #GenerationEquality pic.twitter.com/YPaqnlcCZo
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/WiebkeArlt/status/1420976987049537538
Bioethics | Should we tell stories of vaccine sceptics who have died of COVID?
16 Aug, 2021 | 01:06h | UTCShould we tell stories of vaccine sceptics who have died of COVID? – The Conversation
Systematic review: Enteral tube feeding for people with severe dementia – “We found no evidence that tube feeding improves survival; improves quality of life; reduces pain; reduces mortality; decreases behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia”.
16 Aug, 2021 | 00:54h | UTCEnteral tube feeding for people with severe dementia – Cochrane Library
Summary: Enteral tube feeding for people with severe dementia – Cochrane Library
Related: Viewpoint: Tube Feeding and Deteriorating Patients (resources on the subject)
Commentary on Twitter
🚨🚨So happy our @CochraneUK review on enteral tube feeding in #dementia is now published – no evidence tube feeding improves #survival; improves quality of life; reduces #pain; reduces #mortality. But was evidence of increase risk of pressure ulcers https://t.co/uUHJEboNCd
— Nathan Davies (@NathanDavies50) August 13, 2021
Opinion: A call to revise the diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder—diagnoses are for helping, not harming.
16 Aug, 2021 | 00:48h | UTCA Call to Revise the Diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder—Diagnoses Are for Helping, Not Harming – JAMA Psychiatry (free for a limited period)
Commentary on Twitter
Can giving someone a diagnosis (more accurately, a diagnostic label) cause harm? Undoubtedly; an example is discussed in this article https://t.co/13RysG9Yxa In rehabilitation, the term 'functional disorder' often stigmatises, & many labels generate unfair expectations in others
— Derick Wade (@derickwaderehab) August 14, 2021
Opinion: Making vaccines available to other countries before offering domestic booster vaccinations.
13 Aug, 2021 | 09:48h | UTCMaking Vaccines Available to Other Countries Before Offering Domestic Booster Vaccinations – JAMA
A WHO expert explains why she believes the rush for Covid-19 boosters is premature.
10 Aug, 2021 | 09:56h | UTCA WHO expert explains why she believes the rush for Covid-19 boosters is premature – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
Must read interview on rich nations rushing into booster doses
Dr @Kate_L_OBrien by @HelenBranswell @statnews
"We really have huge inequity right now in just getting primary doses to people. Does a third dose need to be given?"https://t.co/pRhYwINuKf pic.twitter.com/YQS6Nj0Hyi
— Madhu Pai, MD, PhD (@paimadhu) August 9, 2021
Giving and taking: ethical treatment assignment in controlled trials.
10 Aug, 2021 | 08:52h | UTCGiving and taking: ethical treatment assignment in controlled trials. – The James Lindt Library
Commentary on Twitter
It was a pleasure and an honour to collaborate with @iainchalmersTTi in writing this piece https://t.co/TP66e4FAOd on ethical issue in treatment assignment in clinical trials. #clinicaltrials
— Stephen John Senn (@stephensenn) August 9, 2021
COVID: WHO calls for moratorium on booster shots – is it justifiable?
8 Aug, 2021 | 23:54h | UTCCOVID: WHO calls for moratorium on booster shots – is it justifiable? – The Conversation
Related: Covid: WHO calls for booster pause to vaccinate poorer nations.
Commentary on Twitter
The authors put it well: Even if affluent countries prioritize boosters for the vulnerable, 'the degree of additional benefit…is uncertain.' Yet we know 'vaccines could do a huge amount of good for the large number of vulnerable ppl who've not yet received a single dose.' https://t.co/6qNV6pzDDk
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 7, 2021
Covid: WHO calls for booster pause to vaccinate poorer nations.
5 Aug, 2021 | 08:59h | UTCCovid: WHO calls for booster pause to vaccinate poorer nations – BBC
See also:
Why WHO Is Calling For A Moratorium On COVID Vaccine Boosters – NPR
WHO calls for moratorium on COVID-19 boosters – CIDRAP
WHO asks wealthy nations to hold off on Covid vaccine boosters at least through September – CNBC
WHO calls for a temporary moratorium on administering booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines – STAT
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
NEW—The World Health Organization called for a moratorium on coronavirus booster vaccinations until the end of September, so that vaccine supplies can be focused on helping less wealthy countries to vaccinate at least ten percent of their populations,https://t.co/fwBl28fjWn
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) August 4, 2021