Is it True that Inactivated Vaccines are Safer with less Side Effects?

Many has the opinion that inactivated vaccines are safer. They claimed that unlike the other vaccines, Sinovac has lesser serious adverse side effects.  Let find out in this paper.

 
What is Inactivated Vaccine?

It is just another type of vaccine, mostly using dead viruses cultivated from some organs such as Monkey’s kidney cell or otherwise, just like how they cultivated Poliovaccine before

The production of inactivated poliovaccine on serially cultivated kidney cells from captive-bred monkeys 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6244995/

 

Any Proof about the Side Effects?

There are tons of report about side effects on many other types of vaccine especially mRNA vaccines but never much news about those inactivated vaccine for some unknown reasons.  There were much talks about vaccine manufacturers always have non-disclosure agreement signed with the countries before agreeing to supply the vaccines.   So,  not hearing much about the side effects does not mean the  vaccines are safer.  

Let’s examine the Sinovac’s reports submitted to WHO for approval in April 2021.  This is the copy. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/immunization/sage/2021/april/4_sage29apr2021_sinovac.pdf?sfvrsn=2d82605d_5

Inside the report, there are several report lodged by various testing institutions.  One the reports from Brazil has this chart (click picture to enlarge)

Misconception: Home, Safest Place away from Covid

The report said there were 77.1% of those vaccinated suffering from adverse reaction.  This figure is higher than the 66.37% in the unvaccinated group.  The type of adverse effect is tabulate here for comparison:

If we were to discount those common symptoms (colored blue) which is about 57% for both vaccinated and unvaccinated,  the more serious side effect will be 42.78% for vaccinated and 43% for the unvaccinated as shown in the table.

Other independent report published in Lancet also showing similar results in the Phase 2 trial test.  They showed Sinovac were having higher % in the common adverse effect but the % is lower than the report showed by the Brazilians.

  https://www.thelancet.com/article/S1473-3099(20)30843-4/fulltext 

Interesting Chart About Sinovac

The above chart shows that those vaccinated has a pyramid covering up the Grade 3.  On the other hand,  those unvaccinated has similar pyramid but covering up also grade 4 to grade 6.  This grade 4 to grade 6 is for those suffering moderate or severe hospitalization and ICU.  The chart showed that there were about 83.70% of those vaccinated and unvaccinated group had mild grade1 to grade3 symptom.  About  33% (83.7%-50.65%) of them requiring medical attention.

Second WHO submission

The first submission to WHO was also in April.  This was the submission report.

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/immunization/sage/2021/april/5_sage29apr2021_critical-evidence_sinovac.pdf

iWatch not updating the walkout or exercising results in Apple Health Apps

1 August 2021

iWatch is a common smart wrist watch many people are wearing today. This is because it has an application called "LumiHealth" that many people will like. LumiHealth is something like the "Apple Watch Connected" in the US where gyms used to reward their members based on performance. LumiHealth is an initiative by Apple and the Singapore Health Promotion Board to promote exercise in Singapore.

LumiHealth does not only offer advices on the various activities, it also records one’s exercising results. The results can earn points . These points can be converted into Health vouchers to be used in the Supermarkets or other designated stores. An amount up to SGD$380/= can be earned.

One problem some might have is that the iWatch does not always update their LumiHealth's walkout or exercising results. Like it wants to update the results only when it feels like to. This is very frustrating especially one has just finished a 10 km to find that his LumiHealth points not updated.

This can also happen when one is using iWatch together with other 3rd party apps like Health365 and thousand other Health & Exercise apps.

Discussions on the Web

There were many similar discussions found in the web. Much of it are blaming the OS updates causing the problem. Someone did an experiment by doing these

1. Wiping the iWatch apps from the iPhone;
2. Remove all devices in the iWatch using Setting-Health-Devices (there were two)
3. Remove the iWatch using iCloud services
4. Reset the iPhone completely
5. Then pair the iWatch again with the iPhone

He found that this did not solve his problem. The iWatch still showing 2 devices.

He then proceeded to rename the iWatch in the phone. He restarted the iPhone and iWatch, Only the only change is the iWatch's name of one of the device was changed.

He then suspected something wrong with the Health apps and not the iPhone or iWatch. He removed the Health apps and reinstall it. He paid particular attention to the reinstallation process. He found one device was invisible during the reinstallation. Then all of sudden, the other device appeared. So he was very sure that Health apps was the cause. He declared that iWatch was a crap.

What could have gone wrong?

He was correct to suspect it was the Apple Health apps that had caused the problem.

It could be because there was a glitch at first causing the iWatch’s apps to stop working or not working properly. The conventional wisdom is to erase the data stored in the iWatch and redo the pairing with the Phone.

This might be how the Health Data stored & backup

The Health Data are stored in the iPhone & there might be another copy stored in the server and also inthe iTune backup.

Most would not want to also remove any iWatch data stored in iPhone nor those in the iWatch for fear of losing the data. Users would usually go ahead and do the pairing to the iPhone. iPhone will just install another iWatch device, keeping the old ones intact. After the pairing, there would be one new device added. When iPhone are backed up or synchronized to the servers, copies of the Health Data are also being stored in PC and the servers

One shouldn't be surprised to find several iWatch/iPhone devices were added sometimes. These devices could be added when backing up iPhone to iTune or automatically refreshing the iPhone to the server in the background. The backup copies might contain some older devices. These old & deleted device will come back if these backup copies have not been updated.In one of the iPhone, we found as many as 10 iWatch devices were left in the Apple Health apps as a result. But, the owner did not experienced any problem as the rest of device were all not paired to the iPhone.

As for iWatch that has erratic performance, we found there were 3 iWatch devices installed. Two of them were active.

We also found that the external apps like LumiHealth were not at fault, they merely extra the data from Apple Health Apps and re-tabulate. These external apps has their own database storages.

How to Locate the Extra Device?

The extra devices are found in 2 locations; one set is in the iPhone’s Apply Health Apps and the other, in the iWatch’s Apps.

In the iPhone

Find and click the Apple Health apps icon . Then follow this Gif image

 

In the iWatch
Goto setting/Health/Devices, the next screen will show the various devices including the iPhone.

How to Remove the extra copy?

From the iPhone, check first what has been stored in each device by clicking each device. If the device page shows that the iWatch is not paired to the iPhone, just leave them alone or if one likes, delete them from the Apple Health Apps in iPhone. They will just disappear after the deletion.

But, if there are more than one iWatch are found to be active and paired to the iPhone, there will be a need to remove until one active iWatch is left behind. There is no mean to unpair each and every individual from the page.

Backing up iPhone Data including Health Data Using  iTune

Click Gif Picture for enlarged print

a) Before removal

1. Important: Backup the data of the Apple Health App and the iWatch to the iCloud. Here is how (click). (applicable only for IOS 11 onwards)

b) Stop auto synchronizing between iWatch and iPhone

1. iWatch: Goto settings/General/Background Apps Refresh, turn the button off;
2. Do likewise for the iWatch apps in the iPhone; note the status so that it can be returned to its original position.

c) Examine the Device storage

1. Note the sequential position of the iWatch device to be examined in the device main page;
2. Examine the content of each and every iWatch device by clicking them;
3. Note down their contents and the latest date; after which,
4. Choose carefully which iWatch device one will want to keep.

This is because once the iWatch device is deleted, the data stored in the device will go with it. One will have to do a backup using iTune to restore it.

d) Erase the contents inside the iWatch device first

1. In iWatch: Goto Settings/Health/Devices;
2. In the device page, tap the device to be deleted. The contents of the device will be shown;
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the button to delete the contents from iWatch and tap and confirm it;
4. Repeat the same for other devices to be deleted
5. Check if there is any content left undelete, repeat the same, this time an error message will show up. Dismiss it.

e) Erase the contents inside the Apple Health Apps in the iPhone

1. In the iPhone: Follow the Gif instruction in the How to Locate the Extra Device? to locate the device page. Repeat the same procedure as in iWatch.

f) Removing and updating the Databases of the Apple Health Apps

The deleted devices might return if the Databases of the Apple Health Apps is not updated. To force an update in the databases, one will have to erase the entire content of the iWatch and start another pairing work to restore iWatch. This time, iPhone will update its content to the databases without the rest of unwanted iWatch devices

 

g) Check if another iWatch Device has been created

Apple Health Apps might create another iWatch Device. Check and delete if necessary. The additional device might be because the automatic synchronised check button has not been uncheck and applied.

h) Don't forget to turn back the Background Apps Refresh to their original position

i) Remember, there is still an old copy left in the backup and that copy must also be updated or else the problem will return when doing another backup. Try uncheck the checkbox of "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected". If the synchronization has already started. Stop it by clicking "Apply" at the bottom and do a backup immediately. After that check if any extra device added and then turn on the checkbox and click "Apply" again.

Risk: One would not lose any data except those data in the device that one has deleted. No display in the Apple Health Apps and the external Health apps will be affected, One can always do a iTune restore to get back the deleted devices if the backup copy is still around.

Backing up iPhone Personal Data including Health Data Using iTune

31 July 2021

iPhone allows Apple Health Apps data to be stored in the iCloud for restoration work in iOS 11 onwards.

In the iPhone, goto Settings > Apple ID > iCloud and this page will appear.

If one has enough iCloud storage, one can keep all the items toggled on as shown. One can then use the iPhone internal OS to erase and replace iPhone's data at a later stage. But if one does not have enough iCloud storage, one should use iTune. iTune will be able to backup not only all the data but also Apple Health Apps data.

How to Backup iPhone including the Apple Health App Data?

Usually, iTunes will not backup one’s personal data in iTunes backup process. But it will do so if one allows the iPhone data to be encryptedduring backup. Therefore,  one should select "This Computer" and tick the check box to select "Encrypt local backup" as shown attached.

Remember to uncheck the checkbox and click "apply" at the bottom of the page.  This check box is for automatic synchronization of the iPhone.  It should remain off  unless one wants to update the Health Apps and iWatch with the old iWatch devices and other personal data still left in the backup copy.

After supplying the protective passwords, the iTune will start the backup process straightaway. This backup could take several minutes depending on the iPhone storage and the amount of data stored.

iWatch not updating walkout or exercising results in Apple Health Apps

Restore Health data from iTunes backup:

To restore the iPhone including all the Apple Health Data, one can use the iTune as per normal. The iPhone will be restoredonce the restore button is pressed and correct backup file is selected.

The restoration process may take some time to complete.

 

One Useful Chart for Tracking Covid Infection

Singapore's Health Ministry (MOH) used to give this kind of details about Covid infection since 2020.

It announced that it would stop publishing these details in June 2021. When this news was first announced, Singapore Netizens blasted the Singapore Government. They claimed that the Government wants to hide the sensitive information from its people

Reasons

The ministry explained that it wanted to concentrate in giving other updates. This includes the progress of nationwide vaccination status and daily case numbers. Also included will be the breakdown of people suffering from Covid infections and other details. It hopes to send a message to the population at large to get vaccinations to fight against Covid-19.

It might have anticipated someone will be offering a better reporting system.

The covid.viz

This Covid.viz is one of them.  

(click the chart below to go to the website)

This Covid.viz is supported by a group of young people as described in this webpage of their https://better.sg/

(added Note: Correction. This covid.viz site is no longer updating because MOH has stopped publishing the data as explained in its webpage.  It is a real pity)

What's in There?

It has a dotted graphical chart showing the various clusters existing in Singapore. Beside the chart is a table showing the information of various of each dots which represents an infection. The information includes also the age, gender & nationality. It even gives where these people are from and whether they have been vaccinated etc.

What's the use?

It all depends on what you are looking for. It would be a good information site for those who are doing research about Covid. If read together with other information provided by MOH, one should be well informed about what happened or will happen in Singapore.

Example?

If one wants to find where is the biggest cluster of vaccinated people getting infected for example. One needs only to push the button using the mouse and the chart will highlight it in green. In the above chart, one can easily identify that the cluster is MINDSville@Napiri with 32 cases. The reason is obvious. This is a care centre for the disables. It houses mainly adults many of whom must have been vaccinated. They will always mingle together and spread Covid if there is no special afford taken to control them. Discounting this cluster with better control will reduce the infection rate in Singapore