The SMC’s mission is to improve the public understanding of science by ensuring that the news media has easy access to the very best experts and evidence when science hits the headlines.
Five studies published in Nature look at the effectiveness of vaccines and antibody treatments against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
A study published in the Lancet looks at protection of two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 hospital admissions and deaths over time.
Modelling by Imperial College London looks at booster vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The press release from Pfizer and BioNTech provides an update on the omicron variant from preliminary laboratory studies.
A preprint, an unpublished non-peer reviewed study, suggests that the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has extensive but incomplete escape of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine elicited neutralization and requires ACE2 for infection.
A study published in The Lancet looks at immunogenicity, safety, and reactogenicity of heterologous COVID-19 primary vaccination incorporating mRNA, viral-vector, and protein-adjuvant vaccines in the UK (Com-COV2).
A study published in the Lancet looks at the safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third (booster) dose following two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the UK.
A study published in Science Advances looks at a possible mechanism for vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) associated with adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccines.
Two papers published on Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) look at rates of spontaneous abortion in women who had and hadn’t received COVID-19 vaccines.
The press release from Valneva reports positive phase 3 results for inactivated, adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate VLA2001.
A study published in JAMA Paediatrics looks at breastmilk antibody induction, persistence, and neutralizing capacity after SARS-CoV-2 infection vs after mRNA vaccination.
The press release from AstraZeneca suggests six-month follow-up of their prevention trial showed 83% reduced risk of symptomatic COVID-19 and no severe disease or deaths with their long-acting antibody (LAAB) combination, AZD7442.
A study published in The BMJ looks at time since receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A study published in Nature Medicine looks at neurological complications after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Pfizer and BioNTech have announced in a press release the results from a Phase 2/3 trial looking at the safety profile and antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age. The trial used a two-dose regimen of 10 µg administered 21 days apart, a smaller dose than the 30 µg dose used for people 12 and older.
The UK Science Media Centre has its roots in the influential House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee third report on Science and Society, which sought to renew public trust in science after media frenzies on GM Crops and MMR. Established in 2002, it is an independent press office with a database of 3000 top quality scientists prepared to engage with journalists.
The Centre proactively makes the best scientists available to:
-Answer journalists questions on topical controversies
-Comment on breaking news and challenge misleading claims
- Assess new scientific findings, highlighting caveats and limitations
-Publicise new science in a measured and accurate way
The SMC’s philosophy is:
“The media will DO science better when scientists DO the media better.”
The UK Science Media Centre has its roots in the influential House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee third report on Science and Society, which sought to renew public trust in science after media frenzies on GM Crops and MMR. Established in 2002, it is an independent press office with a database of 3000 top quality scientists prepared to engage with journalists.
The Centre proactively makes the best scientists available to:
-Answer journalists questions on topical controversies
-Comment on breaking news and challenge misleading claims
- Assess new scientific findings, highlighting caveats and limitations
-Publicise new science in a measured and accurate way
The SMC’s philosophy is:
“The media will DO science better when scientists DO the media better.”
