| Today's Top Stories
The IOM has conducted an exhaustive survey of almost 1,000 research studies and concluded that vaccines are tied to very few and usually mild side effects. The expert panel examined 8 common vaccines: MMR, DTaP, varicella for chickenpox, influenza, hepatitis B, meningococcal, tetanus-containing vaccines and the HPV vaccine, according to Reuters.
The IOM determined the vaccines weren't tied to an increased risk of autism or Type 1 diabetes. Side effects did include high fevers, allergic reaction and seizures, but in most cases they subsided quickly. "Despite looking very hard, it was really hard to find that vaccines cause injuries and the injuries they do cause are generally pretty mild and self-contained," said committee chair Ellen Wright Clayton, director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, in an interview with Reuters.
An increasing number of parents are skipping their kids' vaccinations due to misguided fears about serious side effects. Lower vaccination levels have led to outbreaks of whooping cough and measles in recent years. The IOM may ease the concerns of some parents, but it's unlikely to sway the staunchest anti-vaccine crusaders.
"The big take-home message is that we found only a few cases in which vaccines can cause adverse side effects, and the vast majority of those are short-term and self-limiting," added Clayton.
- here's the full IOM report
- take a look at the Reuters story
Related Articles:
Report: Higher income parents increasingly forgoing kids' vaccinations
Study: No benefit to spreading out vaccines
| By Maureen Martino |  Comment |  Forward | < a href="http://links.mkt1985.com/ctt?kn=75&ms=MzYyNTk4MwS2&r=MjM2NzI3MjAzMjcS1&b=0&j=MTE0MTgwMjE1S0&mt=1&rt=0" name="api_addthis_com_oexchange_CVyTPw050bW0jgEfMIZBFw" > Twitter |  Facebook |  LinkedIn |
The CDC says HPV vaccination rates continue to lag those of other vaccines recommended for teenagers. Just 49% of teens got one dose of the HPV shot, and only 32% of girls got all three recommended injections. That's up just 5% from the previous year. Comparatively, 63% of kids got the meningitis shot, and 69% received the Tdap vaccine. Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to receive the third HPV dose compared with whites. Additionally, girls living in poverty were also less likely to complete the HPV series, according to the CDC release.
Each year, 6 million men and women are infected with HPV, which can eventually cause cervical cancer and other diseases. Gardasil and Cervarix prevent the most common strains of the virus, but all three doses must be given to achieve maximum protection.
"...[T]he HPV results are very concerning," noted Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "Our progress is stagnating, and if we don't make major changes, far too many girls in this generation will remain vulnerable to cervical cancer later in life. Now that we have the tools to prevent most cervical cancers, it is critical that we use them." The study was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- see the CDC release
- here's more from HealthDay
Related Articles:
Patient education needed for HPV vaccines, cancer screenings
Study: Support of mandatory HPV vaccine declines after negative news coverage
HPV shot provides sustained protection against pre-cancerous growths
Researchers have found that vaccinating infants against rotavirus may help protect the unvaccinated children and adults around them.
In a CDC study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, there were fewer rotavirus-related hospital admissions after the vaccine was introduced in 2008 than from 2000 to 2008. Ben Lopman, one of the scientists involved in the study, believes this is due to infant vaccinations.
"Our study showed that the burden of rotavirus--severe enough to require hospitalization--in older children and adults is larger than we were previously aware," Lopman said, according to Medical News Today. "And by vaccinating infants, we can indirectly prevent this burden of disease, thereby amplifying public health and economic benefits of infant vaccination."
In addition, fewer hospitalized rotavirus patients led to lower overall costs. "We estimate that 15% of the total 66,000 averted hospitalizations and 20% of the $204 million in averted direct medical costs attributable to the vaccination program were among unvaccinated 5-24 year-olds," according to the study, as quoted by CBC.
- read the CBC News article
- here's more from Medical News Today
Related Articles:
Rotavirus vax campaign would save millions of lives
Merck's rotavirus vaccine makes big impact
| By Erica Teichert | Comment | Forward | < a href="http://links.mkt1985.com/ctt?kn=138&ms=MzYyNTk4MwS2&r=MjM2NzI3MjAzMjcS1&b=0&j=MTE0MTgwMjE1S0&mt=1&rt=0" name="api_addthis_com_oexchange_JMSNUaD4pWtowK2ciPo4w" >Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |
Scientists have discovered a mutant strain of the bird flu, which has been observed in China and Vietnam, and the variant is different enough that current vaccines won't protect against it.
So far, the strain is contained within poultry and birds, but H5N1-2.3.2.1--the name given to the new strain--could transfer to people. "There is a human H5N1 vaccine candidate that is a (WHO) recommended vaccine...But it doesn't confer full protection against the (new variant)," said virologist Malik Peiris of the University of Hong Kong, as quoted by Reuters. The news outlet noted 8 people have been infected with H5N1 in Cambodia this year, and all have died.
H5N1 previously made headlines when the virus spread to 63 countries from 2003 to its peak in 2006. Reported cases of the flu strain have risen consistently since 2008.
- check out the Reuters coverage
- and here's the Chron post
Related Articles:
Scientists easily create hybrid virus
Computing method offers shortcut to right flu vax
Smallpox vax highly effective against bird flu
|
Also Noted
The NIH has awarded Emory University a $26 million grant for its work on HIV/AIDS vaccines. The university will work to develop a vaccine in the next 5 years with the help of such partners as the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, University of Nebraska and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Item
Vaccine Research
Researchers have discovered a potential vaccine that would protect against rabies and Ebola in a single jab. According to Thomas Jefferson University scientists, the candidate has showed promising results in mouse trials and could make a significant impact in developing nations where both diseases put people at risk. Item | Piece
Israeli biotech BiondVax is beginning its Phase II universal flu vaccine trial for Multimeric-001. The trial will include 120 patients who are 65 years of age and older and will start in October. BiondVax release
HCM City Pasteur Institute is in the home stretch for its dengue fever vaccine in connection with Sanofi Pasteur. The vaccine will start its final clinical trial in Vietnam next month. Item
Vaccine has published the results of Emergent BioSolutions' ($EBS) Phase Ia anthrax vaccine trial, noting the good responses from BioThrax with 1 mg of CPG 7909 in the 69-person trial. Emergent release
Scientists have found a link between a bovine viral diarrhea virus and bleeding calf syndrome, which causes low blood cell counts and bone marrow depletion in newborn calves. The study was published in Veterinary Research. Release
Vaccine Market
Selecta Biosciences has garnered a malaria vaccine subcontract from Science Applications International with support from NIAID. In addition, the company has named Takashi Kei Kishimoto as its new chief scientific officer. Article
And Finally... Russia's chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko believes his country is being cast aside by UNICEF's polio vaccination efforts, and that possibility is dangerous for the nation's biotech industry. Item | Events
> Partnership Opportunities in Drug Delivery - October 5-6, 2011 - Boston, MAKeynoted by Dr Robert Langer of MIT, this is a strategic level event for pharma and biotech BD&L executives to meet a wide range of drug delivery companies with the latest technologies. Fierce readers receive 15% off with code FBEL. Register or learn more: click here
> Vaccine Development and Approval: Phase 2 and Beyond - November 7-8, 2011 - Philadelphia, PAThe unique demands of vaccine trials require discussion among all stakeholders with clarification of expectations and sharing of lessons learned. This conference will provide an opportunity to present key issues and case studies from industry and regulatory professionals on such topics as adaptive designs for vaccine trials, regulatory expectations, new pathways to approval and data challenges. Address Issues and Challenges of Vaccine Development from Phase 2 to Licensure. Register Today!Marketplace
> Capitalizing on the Outsourcing Option - New Fierce eBookRisk areas for many biotechs and pharmas in today's changing market include lack of expertise and infrastructure. This eBook addresses recalibration challenges and strategies to capitalize using the contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) option. Download now.
Jobs
> Associate Director/Director - Translational Medicine - Nonclinical Safety Assessment - Regulus TherapeuticsRegulus Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative new medicines based on microRNAs. Regulus seeks a motivated 6 plus years of drug development experience to join our efforts in translating microRNA biology into human therapeutics. The position requires proven ability to work in a fast-paced biotech environment. Read more.
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FiercePharma and Biotech Jobs50+ new jobs just posted. Employers now post to the web site free. Find the perfect job or post your openings at FiercePharma Jobs. |
|
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment