Is intergroup discrimination triggered by vaccination status? Exploring some social aspects of vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has affected social relations in many ways, and even created new social groups through vaccination. The goal of this study was to explore whether intergroup discrimination regarding vaccination status can be observed in a resource allocation task. Participants (N = 818; Mage = 46.0 years) completed a resource allocation task. Results showed that the better-than-average effect was widespread among the participants as most of them perceived themselves more informed about the pandemic than others. The resource allocation task showed participants preferred to create maximum difference in favor of their group in intergroup situations, but decisions were fairer when targets' group membership was identical. Moreover, vaccinated people were more likely to use maximum difference strategies than non-vaccinated people. The results revealed that vaccination status changes the perception of intergroup situations, which may be important in planning future strategies to handle mass emergencies similar to the current pandemic.

Lessons Learned from the Impact of COVID-19 on NCI-sponsored Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials: Moving Toward Participant-centric Study Designs.

The COVID-19 pandemic overloaded health care systems around the globe and brought travel restrictions and other mandates. These effects critically impacted cancer care and conduct of clinical trials, and required medical and research communities to incorporate changes and novel flexible workflows within clinical trials and regulations to improve efficiency. We report the impact of the pandemic on cancer prevention clinical trials managed by the Division of Cancer Prevention within the NCI, focusing on participant-centric, study staff-centric and regulatory elements. Learning lessons from this challenging period, the cancer prevention community has the opportunity to incorporate many of these necessitated novel approaches to future design of clinical trials, to streamline and improve clinical trial efficiency and impact.

Tolerability of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines, BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273, in Patients With Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

INTRODUCTION: Defects in immunologic self-tolerance result in an increased risk for development of paraneoplastic autoimmune diseases (ADs) and immune-mediated toxicity in response to immune stimulation in individuals with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). We conducted a survey to evaluate the tolerability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines in patients with TETs, including individuals with preexisting AD. METHODS: After reviewing published data on adverse events associated with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer, Inc., and BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (ModernaTX, Inc.) mRNA vaccines, we designed and administered a questionnaire to participants at the following three time points: after each dose of vaccination and 1 month after the final dose. Questions related to AD and use of immunosuppressive drugs were included. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data, and results were compared with previously described results related to the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines. RESULTS: From February 26 to June 1, 2021, we administered the survey to 54 participants (median age = 58 y, thymoma = 33, preexisting AD = 19). Common adverse events included injection site pain, fatigue, and headaches. There were no vaccination-related hospitalizations or deaths. Autoimmune flares occurred in three patients (16%) after the first dose and three patients (17%) after the second dose. Most AD flares were mild and self-limited. One patient (2%) was diagnosed with having a new AD after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Tolerability of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with TETs is comparable to the general population. Most patients with preexisting AD did not experience disease flares, and the development of new AD was rare. Patients with TETs should be encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 owing to the documented benefits of vaccination and manageable risk profile.

Tolerability of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with thymic epithelial tumors

Background Widespread adoption of vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, is a crucial step towards controlling the ongoing pandemic. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines currently authorized for use (BNT162b2 manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech, and mRNA-1273 produced by ModernaTX, Inc., MA, USA) have demonstrated safety, even in individuals with pre-existing autoimmune diseases (AD). Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are associated with paraneoplastic AD due to defects in immunological self-tolerance. We conducted a survey to evaluate the tolerability of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with TETs, including individuals with paraneoplastic AD. Methods After reviewing published data on adverse events (AEs) associated with the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines, we designed a questionnaire to assess tolerability of these vaccines in individuals with TETs. The survey consisted of 13 questions that covered vaccine-related AEs that could be self-assessed by patients. Questions related to AD and use of immunosuppressive drugs were included. The survey was administered at three timepoints: after each dose of vaccination and one month following the final dose. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data;results were compared with those reported from phase II/III trials of the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines. Results From February 26th, 2021 to June 1st, 2021, 54 patients with TETs participated in the survey [median age: 58 years;females: 26 (48%);thymoma: 33 (61%), thymic carcinoma: 20 (37%);pre-existing AD: 19 (35%);concurrent immunosuppressant use: 12 (22%)]. Common AEs included injection-site pain (57% to 90%), fatigue (21% to 65%), and headaches (16% to 26%). The frequency of muscle- and joint-symptoms was not increased in patients with TETs compared with vaccine trial participants. There were no vaccination-related hospitalizations or deaths. Autoimmune flares occurred in 3 (16%) patients after the first dose and 3 (17%) patients after the second dose. One patient (2%) was diagnosed with a new AD following vaccination. Conclusions Tolerability of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with TETs is comparable to the general population. Development or flare of autoimmunity is uncommon and manageable. Patients with TETs should be encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to documented benefits of vaccination and manageable risks.