Israel
Fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Israel
On Jan 2, 2022, Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett announced that the country would offer a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to health-care workers and people older than 60 years. A fourth dose has already been approved for Israelis in immunocompromised groups. Israel has recently seen a surge in SARS-CoV-2 infections. Hospitalisations are also increasing, though overall numbers remain low.Around two-thirds of Israelis have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 80% of the eligible population have received two doses plus a booster jab, including 90% of individuals over the age of 60 years. Israel began vaccinating 5–11-year-olds in November, 2021. The efficiency of the early vaccination campaign, which had delivered two doses to over half the Israeli population by April, 2021, meant that Israel was well-placed to observe how immunity waned over time. When the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 hit the country, it became apparent that individuals who had been vaccinated more than 6 months previously were not adequately protected against severe disease. In July, 2021, Israel began rolling out the world’s first booster campaign against COVID-19.
After the emergence of the omicron variant in November, 2021, Israel moved quickly to restrict international travel. It established a rigorous network of contact tracing targeting the new variant. “The first phase of our response to omicron was containment; the aim was to delay local transmission for as long as possible”, explains Ran Balicer, chair of Israel’s National Experts Advisory Panel on COVID-19. He reckons that the measures gained Israel several valuable weeks in which to prepare for the inevitable spike in cases.“We have now moved from a containment phase to a more generalised approach of mitigation”, Balicer told The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. “We know it is going to be very difficult to control the spread of the omicron variant, so we are concentrating on ensuring that the population at the highest risk of adverse outcomes is protected.” Jonathan Sterne, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Bristol (Bristol, UK) noted that there is good evidence that the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine reduces short-term rates of clinical events. Whether a fourth dose will perform similarly remains to be seen. “Fourth doses are mainly being done on a precautionary basis; we have very little evidence of their effect either from studies of immune function or from observational studies of clinical events”, said Sterne.
Heavy smokers cut down or quit after magnetic brain stimulation, study finds.
Heavy smokers who regularly puffed more than a packet of cigarettes a day cut down or quit for six months after their brains were stimulated with magnets, researchers say.
The apparent success of the simple procedure has led the scientists to organise a large-scale trial which will launch early next year at 15 medical centres worldwide.
Smokers in the pilot study had already tried anti-smoking drugs, nicotine gum and patches or psychotherapy to no avail, raising hopes that magnetic stimulation might offer an effective alternative for those who want to give up but have so far failed.
Nearly half of the smokers in one group, who received high-frequency magnetic pulses, quit after a three-week course of stimulation, with more than a third still abstaining six months on.
“This is a new approach to the problem,” said neuroscientist Abraham Zangen of Ben-Gurion University in Israel. “These are heavy smokers who could not stop smoking before.”
More trials will be needed to prove the value of the procedure, which scientists say should only be offered within a psychotherapy-based programme designed specifically for smokers.
For the pilot study, Zangen recruited 115 people aged 21-70 who smoked at least 20 a day. Only those who had tried to give up before using at least two methods were allowed to take part in the programme.
The smokers were divided into three groups. The first had 15 minutes of high-frequency magnetic stimulation every weekday for two weeks, followed by three sessions in the third week.
The second group had the same number of sessions of low-frequency magnetic stimulation. The third group thought they were having their brains stimulated, but the device was actually turned off to provide a control group.
Before each session, one of Zangen’s PhD students lit a cigarette and took a puff in front of half of the smokers in each group. This was designed to awaken their cravings for a smoke, and hopefully make them more susceptible to the treatment.
Zangen targeted brain regions called the prefrontal cortex and insula with a technique called deep repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS. Throughout the study, he asked the smokers to record how much they smoked up until six months later.
The results showed a placebo effect, or an improvement without any proper intervention, in the control group, and also in the smokers who received low frequency stimulation. In both of these groups, the smokers cut down on average from 26 to 20 cigarettes a day.
But the results were more impressive in the smokers who had high-frequency brain stimulation after witnessing one of the scientists have a drag on a cigarette: 44% quit after the three-week course and six months later, 36% said they were still not smoking.
To check that the smokers were telling the truth, Zangen tested their urine for a breakdown product of nicotine called cotinine. The results were in line with the smokers’ claims.
Though the findings are promising, the study was too small to be convincing. Zangen said a much larger trial, involving medical centres in several countries, was due to start in the next few months to test the stimulation on far more smokers.
More than a third of those treated with high frequency magnetic pulses stopped smoking for at least six months, researchers say.
If the procedure turns out to be effective, smokers might not need to have their brains stimulated regularly to avoid relapsing, he said.
“It’s quite easy to quit for a few days, or even for a few weeks, but if we can help people quit for more than three months, then they are actually quite unlikely to relapse later on,” he said.
Peter Eichhammer, who has studied brain stimulation at the University of Regensburg, said that while the procedure might be effective, it was important for smokers to receive treatment in a dedicated psychotherapy-based programme.
“rTMS may help people to reduce smoking, most likely by mimicking nicotine’s actions on the brain reward system,” he said. “But it does not substitute a special psychological therapy. In general, I would be very cautious to promote rTMS as a sole biologically-driven therapeutical strategy.
“rTMS may be helpful but should be embedded in a psychological therapeutical program. Moreover, we need replication from a variety of clinical studies which really treat people with this addiction,” he said.
Does Breastfeeding Help Prevent ADHD?
ADHD is thought to be hereditary; that means that it is passed from parent to child through genes. It would seem, therefore, that there wouldn’t be any way to prevent or reduce the chances that your child may develop ADHD. However, some studies show that breastfeeding may help prevent ADHD.
Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for babies – containing vitamins, protein and fat. It is more easily digested and contains antibodies to help fight viruses and infection. Children who are breastfed are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. They have fewer ear infections and respiratory illnesses than those fed with formula. It may lower the risk of diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. It has also been linked to higher IQs.
In 2005, a study completed in Poland compared children between the ages of 4 and 11 years old with ADHD to children without ADHD. Researchers found that children with ADHD were breastfed for shorter durations that those without ADHD. The study concluded “The short duration of breastfeeding as environmental factor may be considered a risk factor of ADHD symptoms.” [1] The scientists noted that further research was needed, however, to form firm conclusions about any link between not breastfeeding, or breastfeeding for shorter amounts of time, and ADHD.
This year (2013), two more studies were conducted:
- A study completed in Israel compared three different groups of children: 56 children with ADHD, 52 siblings without ADHD and 51 non-related children without ADHD. At three months, only 43 percent of the children with ADHD were breastfed. The other two groups were much higher: 69 percent for the siblings and 73 percent for the non-related group. At six months old, only 29 percent of those with ADHD were still being breast fed, while 50 percent of the siblings and 57 percent of the non-related children were still being breastfed.
- A second study, completed at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York found similar results. There study compared 54 preschoolers with ADHD to 54 preschoolers without ADHD. Researchers found that over one-half of children with ADHD were breastfed for one month or less while only one-fourth of the control group was breastfed for that short of a time. More than twice as many children without ADHD were breastfed for more than six months; 46 percent of non-ADHD children compared to only 22 percent of those with ADHD.
What the Studies Say
Without a doubt, all the studies showed that on average, children with ADHD were breastfed for shorter durations that those without ADHD. Scientists just aren’t sure what this means yet. Is it possible that breast milk has some properties that protect children against developing ADHD?
Dr. Andrew Adesman, the lead author of the study completed in New York, speculates that it may be the fatty acids in breast milk that help prevent ADHD. Other studies have shown that using omega 3 fatty acids have helped to reduce some symptoms of ADHD. It is possible then, that children receiving fatty acids from birth on, through breast milk, are given some type of ability to fend off ADHD symptoms.
Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine and Primary Ovarian Failure: Another Facet of the Autoimmune/Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants..
Source
Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialities, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Abstract
PROBLEM:
Post-vaccination autoimmune phenomena are a major facet of the autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) and different vaccines, including HPV, have been identified as possible causes.
METHOD OF STUDY:
The medical history of three young women who presented with secondary amenorrhea following HPV vaccination was collected. Data regarding type of vaccine, number of vaccination, personal, clinical and serological features, as well as response to treatments were analyzed.
RESULTS:
All three patients developed secondary amenorrhea following HPV vaccinations, which did not resolve upon treatment with hormone replacement therapies. In all three cases sexual development was normal and genetic screen revealed no pertinent abnormalities (i.e., Turner’s syndrome, Fragile X test were all negative). Serological evaluations showed low levels of estradiol and increased FSH and LH and in two cases, specific auto-antibodies were detected (antiovarian and anti thyroid), suggesting that the HPV vaccine triggered an autoimmune response. Pelvic ultrasound did not reveal any abnormalities in any of the three cases. All three patients experienced a range of common non-specific post-vaccine symptoms including nausea, headache, sleep disturbances, arthralgia and a range of cognitive and psychiatric disturbances. According to these clinical features, a diagnosis of primary ovarian failure (POF) was determined which also fulfilled the required criteria for the ASIA syndrome.
CONCLUSION:
We documented here the evidence of the potential of the HPV vaccine to trigger a life-disabling autoimmune condition. The increasing number of similar reports of post HPV vaccine-linked autoimmunity and the uncertainty of long-term clinical benefits of HPV vaccination are a matter of public health that warrants further rigorous inquiry.
Source: Pubmed
Israeli Teenager Wins Gold Medal in Computer Science Olympics.
Israeli teenagers took home medals, including the gold, from a prestigious computer science competition held this year in Australia.
Israeli teenagers participating in the International Olympiad in Informatics, a yearly computer science competition, took home multiple medals from this years event held in Australia. Daniel Hadas, age 18, from Ayalon High School in Holon won the gold medal. Tom Kalvaria, 17, of Kfar Hayarok High School in Ramat Hasharon and Ohad Klein, 17, from Amit Yeshiva in Kfar Ganim won silver medals, and Ron Ryvchin, 18, from the Samaria ORT School in Binyamina, won a bronze medal.
According to its official website, the International Olympiad in Informatics “is one of the most recognized computer science competitions in the world. The contestants have to show basic IT skills as problem analysis, design of algorithms and data structures, programming and testing. The winners of the IOI belong to the best young computer scientists in the world.”
Education Minister Shai Piron congratulated the young Israelis, emphasizing, “This is an impressive and exciting accomplishment; this is a great proof of the skills among Israeli youth. I have no doubt that with our talent in science; the state of Israel will continue to lead the world in quality of scientific research, entrepreneurship and innovation.” Ofer Rimon, head of science and technology in the Ministry of Education, claimed that Israel in recent times has placed great emphasis on training youngsters to excel in the field of computer science and to have the necessary skills to thrive in this competition.
According to Rimon, in the International Olympiad in Informatics, “The students are presented with problems in the field and are asked to find a solution. They are measured based on the method of thinking they present, the manner in which they build the solution and reach it, and all this within a limited time frame. In this situation, one of the difficulties is working under time pressure. We must understand that the larger the country, the more it has a comparative advantage. For small countries it is very difficult to succeed and the fact that Israel ranks among the first ten countries is a very serious achievement.” Israel ranks eighth place in this international competition that had 80 participating countries, with the top three countries being China, Russia and South Korea.
Speaking upon his victory, gold medalist Hadas said: “It’s a great feeling. I can’t say I expected a gold medal. I was lucky and am very happy with the achievement.” His silver medal winning teammate Kalvaria added, “We worked very hard in preparing for this competition. On the first day it seemed for a moment that we would not succeed, but on the second day we took ourselves in hand, we struggled and managed to get to a very respectable place.”
Source: unitedwithisrael.org
Refaeinu’: Helping Israeli Cancer Patients and Kids.
An Israeli organization, Refaeinu, works to make the best medical care possible for critically ill patients and offers summer camps to cheer up children with cancer and their families.
Many critically ill patients within Israel face numerous difficulties. They are deeply concerned about their health, but are unsure who to turn to in order to treat their condition, especially if their treatment is very costly and not fully covered under their health plan. “Many cancer-stricken people, including children, cannot receive the proper medications to treat and perhaps cure their disease because the country’s ‘health basket’ doesn’t include it,” says Rabbi Chaim Shapira, founder of Refaeinu.
Rabbi Shapira when asked, “What does this mean?”, explained: “It means that even if the cancer-stricken patient belongs to an HMO, they still might not be able to receive the newest and most potent form of medicine to treat their illness because the Israeli government might deem the medication too expensive and refuse to pay the costs of the treatment. People become so desperate that they’ll do almost anything to buy these medicines, including selling their homes, cars and furniture. We want to fight through this bureaucracy by creating a fund that will be used to underwrite the costs of such expensive medications that are not covered.”
This is where Refaeinu steps in to help. According to Shapira, “Many people don’t know where to go in these cases, as they seek both the best doctor available to treat their illness, as well as financial advice on how to pay the bill. This is exactly why Refaeinu exists.” Shapira, along with Refaeinu’s manager, Reuven Basseches, works with each individual or family to gather all of the information that they need in order to find the best doctors available for as affordable a price as possible. “Once I have an understanding of what I’m dealing with, then I’ll contact the best available doctor in his/her field of expertise and refer the patient for immediate treatment,” Shapira explained.
Refaeinu has hundreds of volunteers working across Israel to help critically ill patients, by either donating blood, delivering food to needy families, or driving patients to a nearby hospital when needed. “Some of our volunteers literally sit for hours with sick people at hospitals in Nahariyya, Tiberias and Safed because there was no one else around to help them,” Shapira stated. “There are also many people who don’t have access to proper transportation when they need to purchase medications. We want to provide them with a service that will take the worry out of their lives.”
However, Refaeinu doesn’t only help the critically ill. They help children who are suffering from shock and other emotional traumas as a result of rocket bombardments. The staff includes child psychologists, who create programs which will allow the youngsters to forget about the past and focus on fun activities. Additionally, Refaeinu has set up a fund to help young couples faced with fertility problems to be able to have children of their own.
SUMMER CAMPS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER
While anyone who is stricken with malignant diseases suffers significantly, the fate of children with cancer is especially tragic. As a child sits in his or her hospital bed for months on end, his or her emotions alternate between hope, despair, confusion, and fear. They are deeply worried about what the future has in store. Each round of chemotherapy is painful and often causes the patient to suffer deep depression. Under such circumstances, it is critical to do what it takes to help these kids smile, even if for a brief period of time, providing them with renewed strength to continue their fight for life and recovery, and ultimately succeed in most cases.
During Refaeinu’s summer camp program, children with cancer are able to forget their difficult illness while having fun with their brothers, sisters, parents and members of their extended family. While in these summer camps, the child cancer patients and their families are able to enjoy a festive atmosphere full of music, dancing, parachuting, and beach activities surrounded by lush vegetation and the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea.
The main goal is to keep the children so busy with fun, fascinating programs that they do not have the time to think about their illness or pain. While such camps are costly, especially when close to 300 participants are involved, Rabbi Shapira emphasized that “the very moment it brings a smile to the face of a tormented child, it is worth every dollar.”
Source: http://unitedwithisrael.org
EU Confirms Ban on Marketing of Animal Tested Cosmetics and Ingredients.
The European Union has confirmed that—taking effect March 11, 2013—the marketing, import, and sale of animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients will no longer be legal in the EU. Congratulations to Kristie Sullivan, M.P.H., PCRM’s director of regulatory testing issues, and Aryenish Birdie, PCRM’s regulatory testing policy coordinator, who have spent years rallying support for the ban that will save the lives of countless rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, and rats who suffer and die each year for cosmetics testing.
Last year, PCRM delivered nearly 25,000 letters from EU residents and people around the world to the European Commission. The letters called on the EC to maintain its 2013 deadline for a ban on the marketing of cosmetic products tested on animals. PCRM supporters Alicia Silverstone and True Blood’s Kristin Bauer also wrote letters calling for the ban.
This ban follows Israel’s Jan. 1 ban that no longer allows the import and marketing of cosmetics, toiletries, or detergents that were tested on animals.
But we’re not resting until the United States joins the EU and Israel. We’re talking with U.S. lawmakers and working cosmetics manufacturers. Our new Come Clean campaign is working to end excruciating skin irritation and corrosion tests on animals. Come Clean asks cosmetics companies to reveal whether they perform these tests, so PCRM scientists can help them transition to superior, cruelty-free test methods.
Source: PCRM ( Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine)
Meet the Fearsome New Tool in Airport Security.
If an Israeli company has its way, mice will be the new frontier in airport security. BioExplorers has trained its little critters to sniff out telltale signs of explosives and narcotics, reports AFP. Under its system, travelers would pass through a small booth, and mice in a nearby chamber would be able to sniff the air to detect possible trouble. Preliminary experiments have had good results, and the program will be tested in a larger pilot program next year. “They have a very developed sense of smell, more than that of dogs,” says the company founder.
Source: http://www.newser.com
Israeli Athlete’s Donated Organs Save Six Lives.
Sixteen year old Gilad Veturi collapsed during running practice and died two days later. He had just completed a 60-meter sprint. Gilad was an excellent athlete in perfect health. Doctors are unsure if he died from a brain aneurysm or an irregular heartbeat.
Gilad’s parents decided to donate his organs to save the lives of others. His heart was given to a 56-year-old man, his lungs were transplanted into two men ages 63 and 67, his liver was given to a 64-year-old woman, one kidney and his pancreas were given to a 36-year-old woman, and the other kidney went to a 24-year-old woman. The surgeries took place at the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva and Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center.
Israel Transplant director Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi said: “Gilad’s parents represent the beautiful Israel. They are people who give, who are ready to help others and who, at a time of
Source: http://unitedwithisrael.org
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