Seven days in medicine: 7-13 June 2023
BMJ 2023; 381 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1339 (Published 15 June 2023) Cite this as: BMJ 2023;381:p1339
Covid-19
mRNA vaccines are safe for children, study finds
No indication of myocarditis was seen from 245 000 doses of the mRNA covid-19 vaccines given to young children, mostly under 5 years old, showed US research published in Pediatrics.1 The study, conducted by Kaiser Permanente in partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. “Parents can be assured that this large study found no serious side effects from the mRNA vaccines,” said Nicola Klein, senior author.
Metformin may reduce long covid risk
Metformin—a cheap, safe, and widely available diabetes drug—could reduce the incidence of long covid if given during the acute phase, a study in Lancet Infectious Diseases found. When compared with people who had taken a placebo, a two week course given within three days of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 led to 40% fewer long covid diagnoses over a 10 month study period. However, the authors warned that the trial did not look at whether metformin would be effective as a treatment for people who already have long covid.2
“Lessons are needed” from digital tech in pandemic
An evidence review from 34 countries by the Ada Lovelace Institute concluded that there was a lack of understanding about how to define and evaluate …
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