Vaccination News

Although health authorities have provided free flu vaccinations for targeted groups and repeatedly urged the public to get the shots, many respondents to a recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) survey think that such vaccination is unnecessary.

Fifty-six percent of respondents who did not receive the vaccination said that the flu is only a "minor illness" and that there is no need to get a flu shot.

Commenting on the results, CDC Deputy Director-General Shih Wen-yi (施文儀) said the public should not think lightly of the threat of flu, which can lead to serious complications and, in some cases, death.

Shih said risk of death from complications rises with age.

source - Taipei Times 

The first human trial of a DNA vaccine designed to prevent H5N1 avian influenza infection began late last month, when the vaccine was administered to the first volunteer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Maryland in the US.

Scientists from the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the NIH Institutes, designed the vaccine.

The study will involve 45 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60. Fifteen will receive placebo injections and 30 will receive three injections of the trial vaccine over 2 months and will be followed for 1 year. NIAID researchers will measure immune responses to the vaccine, assess its safety, and compare its potency to more traditional vaccine approaches.

Continue reading "Human trials for bird flu vaccine" »

COPENHAGEN, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic (BAVA.CO) said on Wednesday that its U.S. subsidiary BN ImmunoTherapeutics received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start clinical trials with the breast cancer vaccine MVA-BN-HER-2.

Patient enrolment in a Phase I/II study in the United States will start as soon as possible, Bavarian said.

BN ImmunoTherapeutics also plans to start a Phase I/II study with the vaccine in Europe.

Continue reading "Bavarian Nordic arm to start cancer vaccine trials" »

A law requiring students in sixth through ninth grades to provide records of chickenpox and hepatitis B vaccinations took effect with the new year.

The only exceptions were for those who had proof with proof of appointments to get the shots by January 22nd.

Continue reading "6,000 Md. students without vaccine records kept out of school" »

Another vaccination breakthrough. Let's hope, these 2 shots will be fully tested and the side-effects will be very minimal. So we will be immune to existing influenza viruses. Ok. What do you think will happen to the virus and to us? The virus will mutate and reappear in more dangerous form. As for us, our immune system will have one less exercise to perform. I don't believe a human can be immune to every diseases. Diseases are keeping our immune system fit. Drugs and vaccinations won't hold for newer variations of viral diseases. This is a vicious circle...

Scientists are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease.

Described as the "holy grail" of flu protection, it would fight off all strains of influenza A, the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu.

Two injections could give long-lasting immunity, unlike the current vaccine which has to be administered every year.

Continue reading "'Holy grail' of flu vaccine injections to be tested" »

Let's see, Sanofi invests  €160 million last year, then produces 170 million influenza shots this year. The price of a single shot varies between $10 and $15 (according to CDC). Gross profit would make $1.7 billion, at least. 800% ROI? Not bad.  What was the key factor of this outcome? A fear. Consumers' fear.

Don't forget that some pharma companies were doubling the price (Some Suppliers Jack Up Flu Vaccine Price, The Washington Post, Oct.14, 2006). And now there's a huge surplus of influenza vaccines stocked in clinics. Will we see another warning about some new virus, dangerous and deadly, for sure?

Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group (NYSE: SNY; EURONEXT: SAN), announced that it completed production of more than 170 million doses of influenza vaccine in 2006. Sanofi pasteur confirmed its leadership as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of seasonal influenza vaccine, supplying a very significant portion of the estimated global production of about 350 million doses.

As the global influenza vaccine leader, Sanofi pasteur has been steadily increasing its manufacturing capacity. Since 2003, capacity has increased by more than 40% in line with the company’s commitment to serve a central role in the fight against a disease that causes between three and five million cases of severe illness and between 300,000 and 500,000 estimated deaths every year around the world according to the Word Health Organization. In addition, sanofi pasteur’s leadership position in developing and producing influenza vaccines places the company at the forefront of readiness against the threat of pandemic influenza. The company is committed to producing as many doses of sanofi pasteur’s most advanced vaccine in the shortest possible timeframe, should a pandemic be declared by the world’s health authorities.

Continue reading "Sanofi Pasteur Influenza Vaccine Production Tops 170 Million Doses In 2006" »

Another vaccine for newborns and infants? Sounds like a plan. A plan to fulfill another plan. Such as Pfizer's plan to increases the global vaccine sales to 30+ billion USD by 2015.

I can only hope that vaccinations won't be made obligatory worldwide. Though this hope may die by the time 2015 will arrive.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Doctors said rotavirus is a contagious, gastrointestinal illness that is especially dangerous to infants.

Experts at Children's Mercy Hospital are encouraging parents to make sure their babies receive a new rotavirus vaccine as part of their immunization schedule.

Rotavirus is a common childhood illness, characterized by fever, vomiting and watery diarrhea. It can cause severe dehydration in infants and toddlers.

Continue reading "Doctors Suggest Infants Get Rotavirus Vaccine" »

AMSTERDAM, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Dutch biotechnology firm Crucell (CRCL.AS, CRXL.O) said on Wednesday it has signed a cross-licensing agreement with U.S. drugmaker Merck (MRK.N) on its vaccine production technology.

"This agreement will make it possible to speed up the delivery of our malaria and TB vaccines to the people in need, and makes it realistic to do so on the mass scale required," Jaap Goudsmit, chief scientific officer at Crucell, said in a statement.

© Reuters 2006