Adult Vaccinations

By Michael Le Page A TB vaccine is good moos for cattle Stef Bennett/Alamy Stock Photo A modified version of the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis could allow cattle around the world to be vaccinated against the disease for the first time. At present, the disease is controlled by slaughtering infected cattle and other animals thought to spread it, such as badgers, which has been a source of controversy. The modified vaccine has been tested only in guinea pigs so far, but the team is confident it will work in cattle too. “We would expect it to work in cows,” says team leader Johnjoe McFadden at the University of Surrey, UK. Testing in large animals like cattle is expensive, he says, and the team hasn’t yet got the funding. Vaccinating cattle with the standard BCG vaccine used in people – which contains a live bacterium – is banned in most countries. The reason is that the vaccine protects only about 70 per cent of cattle and a standard test can’t distinguish between cattle tha...

By Dr. Bob Riggs For The Spokesman-Review According to the Spokane Regional Health District, Spokane is currently experiencing an outbreak of hepatitis A. Although this outbreak is primarily affecting people who are experiencing homelessness, it is still a good idea to be aware of how this infection is spread and its symptoms. It’s also a good time to talk about all the forms of viral hepatitis and how to prevent infection. Hepatitis A is mostly spread when undetectable amounts of the feces from an infected person contaminate objects, food or drinks and then get swallowed. It is easy to infect others living in the same household. Close personal contact, such as sex or caring for a person who is infected, can expose you to infection, too. Hepatitis B is more often spread by sex or contact with blood, and Hepatitis C is mostly spread now through contaminated needles that are used in drug abuse and home done tattoos. The symptoms of acute viral hepatitis – A, B or C – can include j...

By Michael Le Page A TB vaccine is good moos for cattle Stef Bennett/Alamy Stock Photo A modified version of the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis could allow cattle around the world to be vaccinated against the disease for the first time. At present, the disease is controlled by slaughtering infected cattle and other animals thought to spread it, such as badgers, which has been a source of controversy. The modified vaccine has been tested only in guinea pigs so far, but the team is confident it will work in cattle too. “We would expect it to work in cows,” says team leader Johnjoe McFadden at the University of Surrey, UK. Testing in large animals like cattle is expensive, he says, and the team hasn’t yet got the funding. Vaccinating cattle with the standard BCG vaccine used in people – which contains a live bacterium – is banned in most countries. The reason is that the vaccine protects only about 70 per cent of cattle and a standard test can’t distinguish between cattle tha...

BOSTON (WWLP) – The community immunity act’ aims to mandate and regulate the vaccination process, but some parents are saying they don’t need the state to tell them what’s best for their child. The bill, filed by Senator Becca Rausch attempts to standardize the immunization and exemption processes for all K-12 schools, summer camps, colleges and universities in Massachusetts. Under the plan, parents who want their children exempt from vaccinations for things like the chickenpox, Measles, and Polio would have to file their exemption request through the Department of Public Health. This is something that some parents say is infringing on their right to choose what’s best for their children. “We are normal, everyday people just like you and me who have children, who love our children, who know our children, and want what’s best for our children and for some of us that means they can’t have vaccinations or certain vaccinations,” Shandy Raposa said. Senator Rausch said she sponsored t...

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency issued a health advisory to the local medical community to be on the lookout for mumps given the unusually high number of cases being reported in the region. Sixty San Diego County residents have been reported with confirmed or probable mumps so far in 2019, the greatest number in over 25 years. In comparison, nine cases were reported in 2018 and 15 the year before that. “We’re asking providers to report suspected mumps cases to the County, and we’d like the public to know about the symptoms of mumps, so they seek care,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. 2019's mumps cases range in age from 9 months to 79 years of age—average age is 28 years and 37 cases (62%) were men. San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency There have been no deaths; however, six people were hospitalized. Two people had hearing loss and five men had swelling of the testicles. Neighboring counties...

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Zhengzhou University, China, have developed a personalized vaccine system that could ultimately delay the onset of pancreatic cancer, they believe. Newly-published research provides strong proof-of-concept for the creation of a vaccine for cancer prevention in individuals at high risk of developing this disease and to slow down tumor growth in patients who are affected by it. Survival time doubled The study reports the team's work with a pre-clinical model using mice. The research was published in  Clinical Cancer Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Researchers created a vaccine system that doubled the survival time of mice with pancreatic cancer. Importantly, the vaccine system can be personalized for the individual receiving it and could potentially be tailored to work against other types of cancer. 'Could be a platform for developing personalized and powerful cancer vaccines' Yao...

Although the vast majority of pediatricians recommend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine starting at age 11 to 12 years, there is a lag among family physicians who recommend vaccination starting at that age, according to survey results published in Pediatrics. 1 The survey results suggest, however, that physicians believe the new 2-dose HPV vaccine schedule is raising HPV completion rates. Routine HPV vaccination has been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for girls and boys starting at age 11 to 12 years. Until 2016, HPV vaccination required 3 doses given over 6 months. In 2016, ACIP recommended a 2-dose regimen , scheduled 6 to 12 months apart for children as young as age 9 years. 2 To determine the delivery practices, delivery experiences, and overall attitude toward the new 2-dose HPV vaccination schedule, investigators conducted a survey of nationally representative networks of family physicians and pediatricians. A total of 302 pedia...

The Independent State of Samoa issued an update regarding the extensive measles outbreak rapidly spreading in this Pacific Island country. In a Tweet published late on November 26, 2019, the Samoa Ministry of Health reported 2,686 measles cases since the outbreak began in October 2019. Furthermore, 249 additional measles cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.  To alert the international community, the Government of Samoa officially declared a state of emergency on November 15th.  To date, 33 measles-related fatalities have been recorded. Most of these deaths were children under 4 years of age. Samoa has attributed the 1st case of measles to someone who traveled from New Zealand to Samoa in late August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to Stuff.  In response to this serious situation, an extensive vaccination campaign was launched on November 20th. According to the Samoan government, this effort has successfully vaccinated 33,085 individuals ...

At the 2019 IDWeek conference , a session on influenza vaccines highlighted two studies -- one that determined whether outcomes were less severe among vaccinated adults, and one that assessed the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing hospitalization in children. In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Shikha Garg, MD, MPH, and Angela Campbell, MD, MPH, both medical officers with the Influenza Division of the CDC in Atlanta, described their respective studies. Following is a transcript of their remarks: Garg: We looked at adults hospitalized with influenza in the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network or FluSurv-NET. We analyzed data from over 40,000 adults hospitalized with flu over 5 seasons from 2013-14 to 2017-18 across over 250 acute-care hospitals, over 13 states. What we did was look at severe outcomes like death, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and pneumonia in those who were vaccinated compared to those who were not vaccinated prior to their hospitaliza...

Samoa's measles outbreak rages on, with the ministry of health reporting 32 deaths as of Tuesday, almost all of which have been among children aged 4 and younger. The island nation of fewer than 200,000 has tallied 2,427 measles cases in the outbreak thus far, with more than 10% of those recently reported over a single 24-hour period, according to the ministry of health. In an effort to stem the infectious disease's transmission, the government declared a state of emergency on Nov. 15 and initiated a mandatory vaccination program for priority groups, including children and women of childbearing age who aren't pregnant. The best protection against measles is getting the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . It typically takes about 10 to 14 days for the vaccine to become effective. Since Samoa's mass vaccination campaign started on Nov. 20, at least 24,000 people have been immunized against measles. ...

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization says cases of measles are continuing to spike globally, with multiple large outbreaks being reported across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. In an update on Wednesday, the U.N. health agency said Congo has reported more than 250,000 suspected cases this year, including 5,110 deaths. In Europe, there have been more than 56,000 cases in Ukraine. Sizeable outbreaks have also been reported in Brazil, Bangladesh and elsewhere. https://ift.tt/2OQZeVt

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated pneumococcal vaccine recommendations, based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP’s) evaluation of their 2014 recommendation for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) use among adults aged ≥65 years. The update was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) . The committee found that PCV13 use among children has indirectly helped reduce incidence of PCV13-type disease to historic lows among adults. As a result, they have removed the recommendation for routine PCV13 vaccination among adults aged ≥65 years. ACIP now recommends PCV13 administration in the aged ≥65 years population based on shared clinical decision-making which incorporates risk for exposure to PCV13 serotypes. The committee continues to recommend PCV13 in series with Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) for adults ≥19 years of age who have an immunocompromising condition, cochlear implant...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Chickenpox vaccine reactivates in two boys, causing rare meningitis more commonly seen in unvaccinated kids    CNN https://ift.tt/34qFTkE

Samoa's measles outbreak rages on, with the ministry of health reporting 32 deaths as of Tuesday, almost all of which have been among children aged 4 and younger. The island nation of fewer than 200,000 has tallied 2,427 measles cases in the outbreak thus far, with more than 10% of those recently reported over a single 24-hour period, according to the ministry of health. In an effort to stem the infectious disease's transmission, the government declared a state of emergency on Nov. 15 and initiated a mandatory vaccination program for priority groups, including children and women of childbearing age who aren't pregnant. The best protection against measles is getting the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . It typically takes about 10 to 14 days for the vaccine to become effective. Since Samoa's mass vaccination campaign started on Nov. 20, at least 24,000 people have been immunized against measles. ...

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Zhengzhou University have developed a personalized vaccine system that could ultimately delay the onset of pancreatic cancer. The study provides strong proof-of-concept for the creation of a vaccine for cancer prevention in individuals at high risk of developing this disease and to slow down tumour growth in patients who are affected by it. The study reports the team’s work with a pre-clinical model using mice. The research was published today in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Although vaccines do exist for some cancers caused by known pathogens, such as the human papilloma   virus in cervical cancer, vaccination against non-viral cancers has remained a challenge. In the study, researchers created a vaccine system that doubled the survival time of mice with pancreatic cancer. Importantly, the vaccine system can be personalised for the individual receiving it and ...

Researchers from Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health found that social media campaigns aimed at increasing human papillomavirus vacations saw more engagement when they are driven by narrative. According to a study published in the journal Health Education and Behavior, researchers took 360 randomized Instagram posts from nearly 3,300 posts about the HPV vaccination, and analyzed which ones received the most success. It was determined that posts providing information and evidence while communicating the message through a more narrative structure showed to have more engagement. The majority of posts analyzed were pro-vaccine, at 56 percent. Of that number, 72 percent shared “actionable” information about the vaccine, according to a report from Drexel, while only 28 percent featured personal narratives — or elements of a story. Data also showed that while the minority of the posts analyzed were anti-vaccine, at 44 percent, they experienced a much high engagement, which inclu...

Having secured a €2.785m grant from the EU and €4.55m from a Series B round, MaxiVAX is going full steam ahead with its Phase II cancer vaccine programmes. Private clinical-stage biotech MaxiVAX announced that it has been awarded a European Commission grant of €2,785,000, thanks to the Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator Programme. In addition, the company successfully closed a Series B2 round of CHF5m (€4.55m). Founded by the father and son team Bernard and Nicholas Mach, the Geneva-based biotech is focused on developing personalized anti-cancer vaccination. MaxiVAX will use the funds to support the clinical development programmes which include the multi-centric efficacy Phase II trial for advanced, refractory head and neck cancers that is currently ongoing in Switzerland. The company will also start preparations for an international Phase II clinical study in a yet to be disclosed rare cancer indication, for which the FDA accepted the Investigational New Drug application in July 2018....

Mumps has been in the news across the Lowcountry since an outbreak began at the College of Charleston in late September. The college announced Tuesday the total of confirmed cases on campus now sits at 56.  A student at Summerville High School on Monday presented a case of mumps — bringing the state's total of confirmed cases to 79, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. After Dorchester District 2 officials were notified that a student had been diagnosed with mumps, it was immediately reported to DHEC, said district spokeswoman Pat Raynor. District parents were notified late Monday evening that a single case of mumps had been reported, Raynor said. DHEC also sent a letter to around 100 students who were in classes with the affected student informing them to keep a watchful eye out for symptoms in the coming weeks.  "We certainly don't want parents to be unnecessarily alarmed," Raynor said. "This is one case that...

Scientific groups and global health authorities who continue to monitor the vaccine assert that it is safe and does not cause chronic pain, heart arrhythmias, autoimmune diseases, life-threatening allergic reactions, stroke, neurological disorders, premature ovarian failure, miscarriages, or other health problems. https://ift.tt/37Rlvvc

WASHINGTON , Nov. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the newly-released letter to Congress that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection ignored recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to vaccinate detained migrants again the flu, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) released the following statement: "ACEP strongly supports the vaccination of anyone detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or ICE contracted facilities. Insufficient sanitation, close confinement and poor nutrition could lead to a severe outbreak of the flu, which is potentially life-threatening, especially for children and elderly individuals." www.emergencyphysicians.org @emergencydocs The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, ...

Adoption fees are also waived for certain adoptable dogs that have been in the shelter sixty days or longer. The Long Stay Champions program also provides wellness checks and vaccinations for three years, a three year canine license, leash, harness, collar, large crate, and seven days of free daycare. https://ift.tt/2qGl3PJ

Tulane National Primate Research Center Director Jay Rappaport (right) and Skip Bohm, associate director and chief veterinary medical officer, will lead the research effort to help find a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis. Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano. The Tulane National Primate Research Center was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help researchers find a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis. The grant will fund efforts to establish a nonhuman primate colony that more closely mimics the way people are currently vaccinated against the disease. Tuberculosis, the world’s leading infectious disease killer, claims millions of lives every year. Although much of the world’s population is vaccinated against tuberculosis at birth, an estimated one third of the world’s population is infected with  Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Despite nearly a century of use with limited effectiveness, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (B...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida had 47 newly reported hepatitis A cases last week, bringing the total this year to 3,125 as of Saturday. Volusia County led the state in newly reported cases last week with five, followed by Polk County with four, according to a News Service of Florida analysis of state data. Pasco and Pinellas counties continue to lead the state in the number of infections, with 408 and 377, respectively. However, there were no new infections reported last week in Pinellas County and only one new case in Pasco. The 47 new cases were spread across 28 counties. Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver and can be deadly. It is spread through such things as food or drinks that have been contaminated with fecal matter from people with hepatitis A, or from close contact with infected people. It also can be spread through sex and intravenous drug use. State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, who doubles as secretary of the Department of Health, issued a public-health emerg...

The measles outbreak was declared Oct. 16 and is spreading rapidly throughout the island with unprecedented severity, CDC officials said. Children under 5 account for nearly half of cases. In late November, the Pacific nation closed schools nationwide and indefinitely banned children younger than 17 from public gatherings. The number of measles cases represents more than 1 percent of the population of nearly 200,000. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known . It can cause serious health complications, such as pneumonia or encephalitis, and death. Two doses of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella are 97 percent effective in preventing measles. The high number of recent infections indicates that the Samoan crisis is far from over: The Health Ministry said 243 cases were reported in the previous 24 hours. “It does not appear, from the numbers we’ve been seeing, that it has peaked yet,” Helen Petousis-Harris , a vaccine safety expert at the University of Auc...

Families will get reminders by text from their GP to get their children vaccinated in an attempt to reverse a decline in some immunisations, the Conservatives have announced. A fall in the number of children getting their second dose of the MMR jab has resulted in a series of measles outbreaks that prompted the World Health Organization to strip the UK of its measles-free status. If the Tories win a majority at the general election, they pledge that every family will receive a reminder from their doctor, most likely via text, when it is time for their child’s next vaccination. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said: “The science is clear: vaccines save lives, and ensuring that children are properly immunised is one of the most important things any parent can do for their children. “So we will introduce a national vaccination reminder system, to make sure as many children as possible are vaccinated.” Uptake exceeds 90% for most childhood immunisations, according to the governm...