More Concerns About J&J COVID-10 Vaccine – United States
One of humanity’s biggest weapons against the novel coronavirus is facing yet another alarming issue.
On July 12, news came out that Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine could cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack part of the peripheral nervous system. In response, Johnson & Johnson issued the following statement:
“Rare cases of the neurological disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome have been reported following vaccination with the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Most occurred within 42 days after vaccination. While the chance of having this occur is very low, Johnson & Johnson has updated its COVID-19 Vaccine Factsheet to include important information about these rare cases and on the signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Updates with this new information will be implemented in other regions of the world according to local regulatory procedures.
“Any adverse event report about individuals receiving Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, as well as our own assessment of the report, is shared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, the World Health Organization and other health authorities around the world where our vaccine is authorized. We strongly support raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of rare events to ensure they can be quickly identified and effectively treated.
“Evidence has demonstrated that Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against COVID-19 disease and prevents hospitalization and death, including in countries where viral variants are highly prevalent. A single-shot vaccine that provides this level of protection represents an important tool in the global fight against COVID-19, as we strive to help end this deadly pandemic.”
In other vaccine news, Pfizer and Moderna are currently looking into making a third vaccine shot, or “vaccine booster” available. In response to that, the CDC and FDA issued this joint statement:
“The United States is fortunate to have highly effective vaccines that are widely available for those aged 12 and up. People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta.
People who are not vaccinated remain at risk. Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated. We encourage Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community.
“Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. FDA, CDC, and NIH are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary.
“This process takes into account laboratory data, clinical trial data, and cohort data – which can include data from specific pharmaceutical companies, but does not rely on those data exclusively.
We continue to review any new data as it becomes available and will keep the public informed. We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.”
Arrests Made in Moise Assassination – Haiti
After the gruesome July 7 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, authorities in more than one country got to work on bringing suspects to justice.
Since Moïse’s death, authorities have either killed or arrested several people believed to be involved in the act. One person of interest taken into custody by the Haitian National Police is 62-year-old Florida resident Christian Emmanuel Sanon. According to reports, Sanon was under the impression that he would be installed as Haiti’s new president after Moïse was out of the way. However, it is believed that he was expecting the slain president to be arrested, not murdered.
So far, authorities have arrested 26 people and are looking for at least five others. Three suspects have been killed.
In providing support to Haiti in its quest to catch the culprits, the United States department of Justice issued this statement:
“At the request of the Haitian government, the Department of Justice, along with its U.S. government partners, is assisting the Haitian National Police in the investigation of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
“An initial assessment has been conducted in Haiti by senior U.S. officials. The department will continue to support the Haitian government in its review of the facts and circumstances surrounding this heinous attack.
“The department will also investigate whether there were any violations of U.S. criminal law in connection with this matter.”
Meanwhile, the UN Special Representative for Haiti has acknowledged the legitimacy of Prime Minister Claude Joseph to lead the Caribbean nation, following the “cowardly” assassination of President Moïse, and welcomed his government’s commitment to hold national elections later this year.
Helen La Lime, who also heads the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) said the prime minister, who now leads the government in line with the country’s constitution in the event of a sitting president’s death, was committed “to dialogue, and to continuing with a process to hold elections according to the electoral calendar that was released just last week.”
She said that would mean a first round of elections on Sept. 26, with a second round, set for November.
Speaking via video link to reporters in New York, Ms. La Lime said that “all efforts must be made” to bring those responsible for the assassination of the president to justice, and that a national investigation led by Haitian police, was now underway, following a number of arrests.
“It is too early for me to comment on exactly what went on and the circumstances surrounding this abhorrent act of violence…We will continue to wait for further developments, and to assist as we can.”
Cubans Protest: for Better Conditions Cuba
The lack of basic resources has sparked unrest one country, and support beyond its borders.
Over the past few days, people have taken to the streets in Cuba to decry the lack of food, medicine, and outright economic distress. Additionally, they requested the resignation of President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
So far, over 100 people have been detained during the protests, with at least one person dead. Support for the protests have spread around the globe, including in Florida, which has a large Cuban population. Protesters there were allowed to stand ground on a highway, although this was frowned upon when it came to previous protests that were focused on “Black Lives Matter.”
In response to the protests, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. issued the following statement:
“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime. The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights. Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”
Meanwhile, Diaz-Canel blamed the 60-year U.S. embargo for the declining conditions in his country, and that the protests were an American operation, which was denied by the Biden administration. Diaz-Canel also dubbed the protesters as “mercenaries.”
A Ban on Weapons: Europe
On July 14, the UK issued a tough ban on a wide range of knives, weapons, and firearms as part of government action to tackle violent crime and serious violence.
Cyclone knives, spiral knives and ‘rapid-fire’ rifles are among those covered by the ban, all of which have been associated with serious violence in communities across the country. A new legal definition of flick knives, banned since 1959, also takes effect, resulting in more of these bladed weapons being outlawed.
All weapons banned in public by the Criminal Justice Act 1988, including zombie knives, shuriken or death stars and knuckledusters, will now also be banned in private, meaning people can no longer keep them at home.
Anyone unlawfully possessing a firearm covered by the ban will face up to 10 years in prison and those possessing one of the other weapons can be sentenced to up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine or both.
From December 2020 to March 2021, the government ran a scheme allowing members of the public to surrender to the police any items that fell within the new ban and claim compensation from the Home Office.
During the period, 14,965 knives and offensive weapons, 1,133 ‘rapid fire’ firearms (as defined within the Offensive Weapons Act) and more than 32,000 items of ancillary equipment were surrendered, with the Home Office receiving and processing 829 claims for compensation.
The government is also reminding members of the public about forthcoming changes to the law around antique firearms.
The Antique Firearms Regulations 2021, introduced in March this year, provides for the first time a legal definition of ‘antique firearm’ to prevent criminals exploiting a lack of clarity in law to gain possession of such a weapon for use in crime.
Owners of firearms which have ceased to be antiques as a result of the 2021 regulations have until Sept. 22 this year to apply to the police for a firearms certificate, which allows them to own these weapons legally. Alternatively, they can surrender, sell or otherwise dispose of the firearm before Sept. 22.
