Vaccination News

A new strain of vaccine-resistant H5N1 bird flu virus has emerged in China and is spreading through southeast Asia, Hong Kong researchers report.

"The implications are that current control measures are ineffective with dealing with the evolutionary changes that H5N1 undergoes," warned Dr. Yi Guan, director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Diseases at the University of Hong Kong and lead author of a report in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new strain has become dominant throughout the region, replacing other variants of the virus, the report said.

Ugandan and American Aids researchers have begun the first ever clinical trial of a vaccine to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breast-feeding which, if successful, could prevent at least 25,000 infections in new-borns in East Africa alone.

In the first phase of the trials the researchers will be testing whether the vaccine, formally known as ALVAC-HIV, is safe for use in children, following which they will study whether it can stop the transmission of the Aids virus to a suckling baby through breastmilk. Preliminary results are expected in mid-2007.

According to the UNAids, breast-feeding by HIV-positive mothers accounts for more than a third of all infections in new-borns, translating to about 1,800 children each day around the world. In Uganda alone, at least 8,000 of the country's 22,000 infections in children each year occur as a result of breast-feeding.

New Delhi, Oct 31. (PTI): Resurgence of polio in parts of India could be attributed to faulty storage of vaccines, but an Indian scientist has invented a solar vaccine cooler for use in rural parts where electricity is in short supply.

SolarChill, a vaccine cooler developed by Rajendra Shende under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), promises to be viable eco-friendly solution, which replaces the lead batteries and the ozone depleting chloro-fluro-carbons used in conventional refrigerators.

Paris-based Shende, the head of UNEP's OzonAction Branch, is in the capital to deliver two units of SolarChill to its first Indian customer -- President A P J Abdul Kalam, who proposes to intall them at the clinic in the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex.

Scientists are working on a vaccine against drug-resistant staph bacteria such as MRSA.

MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It resists treatment with many antibiotics.

MRSA infections are rising worldwide. It often infects the skin but can also infect the blood, lungs, urinary tract, and other parts of the body.

by AUDREY ALFSON, Lacrosse Tribune

Help me understand: It’s OK to talk about drug studies that show thousands (700,000) are sent to the emergency room yearly for drug reactions to “common” over-the-counter and prescription drugs (Tribune Oct. 18). And it’s OK to highlight the dangers of the all- too-common ADHD drugs that send thousands to the ER (Tribune, spring 2006). Authors of the studies admit that thousands die from said drugs and that the numbers are probably higher because of lack of reporting.

Why is it, therefore, not OK to put vaccinations in the same category? Vaccinations, like all drugs, can have side effects (probably underreported); people can end up in the hospital; people can die. Instead we are given a warm fuzzy article in the Tribune with quotes from a local doctor telling us there is nothing to worry about.

The head of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), Hilary Penfold, says Comcare has accepted that a staff member's illness was associated with being given the vaccine in 2005.

Ms Penfold says there is at least one other case she is aware of that has been linked to that round of vaccinations.

At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Drs. Karen Slobod and Julia Hurwitz have been working for more than a decade on a vaccine to protect against the AIDS virus. Although medications have helped transform AIDS from a rapidly fatal to a chronic disease, there is still no vaccine or cure.

Human testing with the experimental vaccine began in the late 1990s. In a statement, Dr. Elaine Tuomanen, chairwoman of St. Jude's department of infectious disease, said a final round of safety testing is expected to begin early next year. She indicated the next step will be determined by those results along with the immune response the vaccine sparks.

About 24 percent of the nearly 1,700 Americans polled from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5 said they would not have anyone to take care of them if they were sick at home for seven to 10 days; 45 percent of respondents living alone said they would have no one to care for them if stricken with the disease; and 34 percent of black adults said the same thing.

An anthrax vaccine developed by three KU researchers is in its second stage of clinical testing.

The vaccine is a stabilized liquid form of the current anthrax vaccine, which is difficult to transport and store because its temperature must remain constant. Duane Brandau, Sangeeta Joshi and Laura Peek, KU research professors, developed a stabilized liquid form of the vaccine and sent it to a laboratory that converted their vaccine to a powder form. Then the vaccine went to its first of up to four stages of clinical testing. The powder vaccine doesn’t have such specific conditons for storage, making it easier to transport. It is administered through an inhaler or a nasal spray. The current vaccine is a liquid and administered by injection.

Research into a vaccine for Alzheimer's disease, which was stopped early on safety grounds, is to be resurrected.

It was designed to reverse the disease's progression by clearing the beta amyloid protein that causes the disease.

But the trial was halted in 2002 when 6% of patients in the second phase of the study developed brain inflammation.

The first article this fall which is asking a question - whether influenza vaccine is actually worth taking.

"Previous papers published by Jefferson found that the flu vaccine is only mildly effective in the population for which it is supposedly most critical, the elderly. He also concluded that there is no good science to back new American and Canadian policies of vaccinating children under the age of 2."

"Overall, Jefferson concluded, influenza vaccines have little or no effect on many influenza campaign objectives, such as hospital stay, time off work, or death from influenza and its complications."

Of course, this article wouldn't see the light unless this opinion wouldn't be opposed by another doctor. Read the article below.

One of the few vaccines to prevent a sexually transmitted disease - and the only one to possibly prevent cancer - is opening debate in homes and doctors' offices across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

At issue: Should preteen girls be given a shot against the human papilloma virus, or HPV? Or, are 11- and 12-year-olds too young? And if parents want the vaccine for their young daughters, as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee recommends, how much detail do they need to get into?

Questions have been raised nationwide since June, when the government recommended that physicians begin immunizing girls "before the onset of sexual activity." The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against the four most common types of HPV, which are known to cause 70 percent of cervical cancers.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck and Co. on Wednesday said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has unanimously recommended that Americans aged 60 and older receive the company's Zostavax vaccine to prevent shingles.

Merck said the recommendation for its product, which won U.S. marketing approval in May and costs about $150, will encourage doctors to use it and insurers to provide coverage for it.

Clinical trials have shown Zostavax reduces the risk of developing shingles by 51% and moderates symptoms in patients who do have outbreaks.

by Andrew Bridges, AP, 24 Oct 2006

WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials won't put new restrictions on the use of a mercury-based preservative in vaccines and other medicines, denying a petition that sought the limits because of health concerns.

A group called the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 seeking the restrictions on thimerosal, citing concerns that the preservative is linked to autism. In a reply dated Sept. 26 but made public only Tuesday, the FDA rejected the petition.

News about effectiveness or rather non-effectiveness of vaccines and serious adverse effects are keep on coming. I don't know what's causing it. Either it's really getting worse, or news media is starting to look into these cases. In any case, here's another report of how vaccines are "effective" and "safe".

A 1-year-old girl has been diagnosed with polio in spite of receiving 9 doses of the polio vaccine. According to an official statement, polio can be prevented by 4-10 doses of the vaccine. However, this does not hold true for this girl called Jannat.

“Earlier she used to roam around the house. Now she can't even stand properly,” Jannat's Mother, Akhbari Khatun says. Jannat was diagnosed with polio just a few days back.

According to the state health department records, Jannat has had 9 doses of the vaccine, 2 under the routine immunisation programme and 7 booster doses under the pulse polio programme.

An eight-year-old girl has developed a rare bleeding disorder after being injected with the meningococcal vaccine.

Chelsea Ferris' mother thought she was doing the right thing by vaccinating her daughter against the deadly meningococcal bug.

But the reaction to the second vaccination was devastating.

"She had a wonderful immune system and she was a very active child, and through that now we have not such an active child and we have a child that's immune system is very wrecked and ruined," says Louise Blaire-Ferris.

Maputo - The first vaccine against malaria could be on the market by 2010 following trials in Mozambique, the southern African country's deputy health minister told an international conference on Tuesday.

"We think the first malaria vaccine will be available by 2010 if the tests in Manhica (north of the capital Maputo) are effective," Aida Libombo told the gathering of health professionals.

It seems that this subdomain is turning into pure vaccine safety news digest. Unfortunately there are not so many vaccine news nowdays. Except, of course, the mass hysteria about flu vaccine for the coming winter.

So, 15 youngster are paralyzed after being vaccinated with Menactra, meningitis vaccine.

The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public statement yesterday through their Medwatch monitoring system saying Menactra may be associated with "a small increased risk" of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

According to the CDC, Guillain-Barre causes loss of reflexes and temporary paralysis. Recovery usually begins within two to four weeks, although it may persist in some patients.

The whole article is below

Another article about vaccination, now about the risks for pregnant women to get some adverse effects after getting flu shots.

"..some doctors fear the expanding the season flu vaccine programme could place mothers-to-be at risk of rare but fatal side-effects of the jab."

"To introduce a vaccine without proper trials into both effectiveness and safety is irresponsible."

There's also an interesting comment to this article:

"If the NHS realised that millions of people are already burdend with toxins that affect their immune systems, they would be more interested in helping educate people to that effect and helping them remove the toxins not adding to them!! Vaccinations have very toxic additives and 'fillers' that are sometimes beyond belief, such as mercury for example and so many children are born with inherited heavy metal body burden from their parents' dental amalgam restorations, that it doesn't take much more to 'tip them over the top' and cause real damage.

We need less chemical and heavy metal damage and a genuine belief that our own immune systems are capable of looking after us, if they are not damaged in any way. Most people need de-tox. therapies and not more toxins being introduced into their often aleady overburdended bodily systems. The trouble here of course is that none of the truths which I have described add to the pharmaceutical companies huge profits!"

LONDON (AFX) - Bavarian Nordic AS said it has started a Phase I and a Phase I/II clinical study in Europe with MVA-BN polytope vaccine against HIV.

The vaccine was recently released from the company's facility in Berlin for use in clinical trials.

Results from both studies are expected in the second half of 2007.

MVA-BN polytope is the second of the company's three vaccine candidates to enter clinical trials.

source

Right. Let's see the death rate from bird-flu disease:

Since it re-emerged in 2003, H5N1 bird flu has infected 256 people, killing 151, mainly in southeast Asia. Although it has been difficult for humans to catch, health authorities fear it could evolve into a form more easily passed between people and trigger a pandemic.

Do you know that only in South Africa there are more people dying from AIDS DAILY? Shouldn't there be more emphasis in this direction?

Anyways, the article is below. Read the "breaking news from WHO", if you feel like.

Health officials rule out suspicions death of four patients was caused by flu vaccine.

The Health Ministry ruled out on Monday any link between vaccination against flu and the deaths of four patients who died within eight days of receiving the same flu vaccine.

Another website that expresses anti-vaccination point of view.

Anyways, the link to the summary is here - http://www.whale.to/vaccines/note.html.

ISRAEL - The Health Ministry ordered a halt of all flu vaccinations across the country after three people died on Sunday, days after being injected with the same flu vaccine.

The Ministry said an investigation has been launched.

The victims, aged 52, 70, and 72, were vaccinated at a Kiryat Gat Leumi clinic where they have been receiving the same vaccine for three years. They also suffered unnamed health problems.

Recently I came across website related to Vaccination Liberation.

As much as I hate its design and understand that many visitors may and will be repulsed by site layout, fonts size, etc, I have to admit that the information presented there is relevant and absolutely worth reading. If you are not afraid to break your eyes for 5 minutes, proceed to the overview at http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/overview.htm

TAMPA, FL -- October 20, 2006 -- The search for effective anti-cancer therapies increasingly leads medical scientists to immune-based agents like anti-vaccines, or a "personalized" approach based on a patient's unique disease status. A new study reported by Tampa-based Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, achieves promising treatment objectives by exploiting both therapeutic approaches simultaneously.

Results from an ongoing clinical trial suggest that patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the lymphatic system, can benefit from treatment with a novel anti-cancer vaccine based on the patient's specific tumor. The study results, published September 20 in the prestigious Journal of the National Cancer Institute, demonstrated that administration of the BiovaxID™ anti-cancer vaccine formulation resulted in long-lasting remission in NHL patients.

No, I am not going to write anything either about how flu vaccine will be available for US citizens, or that there are delays in its delievery.

Think.

VIENNA, Austria, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) today announced that a single injection of the company's lead avian influenza (flu) DNA vaccine candidate provided 100% protection in ferrets against lethal challenge with a highly virulent H5N1 virus (Vietnam/1203/2004). Conventional vaccines under development for avian flu typically have required two or more doses in humans, even with novel adjuvants, to produce the immunogenicity levels expected to provide protection.

ATLANTA - Young people who get a new meningitis shot may have a slightly higher risk of developing a paralyzing side effect, federal researchers said Thursday.

Even so, federal health officials said the benefits far outweigh the risk of the rare condition, Guillain-Barre syndrome. They are not backing off their recommendation that most students be vaccinated.

The researchers cautioned that they are uncertain about their risk estimate and a larger study is being planned.

HIV/AIDS vaccine trials to prevent mother-to-child transmission through breast-feeding have started at Mulago Hospital, writes Hillary Kiirya.

The trail, the first in Africa, started on Thursday on the first-born baby out of the 50 mothers screened.

"Making breastfeeding safe is possibly the most important challenge for those involved in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Prof. Francis Mmiro, the lead investigator of the study.

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a late stage developer of therapies for cancer and applications using electroporation to deliver gene-based treatments, announced today that it will receive an appropriation of $1.1 million from the United States Department of Defense to develop applications of its electroporation-based gene delivery technology for vaccination against infectious diseases including potential bioterrorism agents.

The United States Congress appropriated the funding in the Defense Appropriations Bill for 2007. The appropriation is a continuation of prior funding from the United States Army to Inovio focused on the development of a more effective gene delivery system for gene-based vaccines. Inovio is working closely on this project with Dr. Connie Schmaljohn, a world-renowned virologist and chief of the Department of Molecular Virology at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, USAMRIID, at Ft. Detrick, Maryland.