Inhalable Measles Vaccine to Undergo Tests in India</h1> <article> <h1>Inhalable Measles Vaccine to Undergo Tests in India</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:18 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> India’s Health Ministry does not plan to approve the inhalable measles vaccine until separate clinical trials are conducted in India to “confirm its effectiveness here.” Robert Sievers from the University of Colorado developed the dry-powder vaccine, and he expects it to do away with needle infections and benefit countries like India that lack proper cold chain facilities and clean water.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-28/inhalable-measles-vaccine-undergo-tests-india" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Meningococcal Vaccination Urged for Summer Campers</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> As part of its Voices of Meningitis campaign, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is emphasizing the importance of children receiving the meningococcal vaccine before they go to summer camp, as meningitis quickly attacks the body and can cause death within hours of the first symptoms. College freshmen living in dormitories also should be immunized.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-28/meningococcal-vaccination-urged-summer-campers" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Educational Program Urges Parents to Immunize Kids</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The Protect Tomorrow campaign scheduled for National Infant Immunization Week, April 24-May 1, uses television, radio, and online announcements as a reminder to young parents that vaccinations are necessary to prevent the re-emergence of polio, measles, and other childhood diseases. “It is critical that parents talk with their pediatricians and ensure their children are up-to-date with vaccinations so that children are protected and history does not repeat itself,” says Dr. Alanna Levine of the American Academy of Pediatrics.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-27/educational-program-urges-parents-immunize-kids" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Bioject Announces Results From U.S. Navy Study for a Malaria Vaccine</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:17 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The U.S. Military Malaria Vaccine Program recently completed the first clinical trial of a DNA vaccine against malaria in over five years. The study used the Biojector 2000, a needle-free injection delivery technology developed by Bioject Medical Technologies Inc., with a recombinant DNA vaccine. Four of the 15 volunteers who received the DNA prime adenovirus boost vaccine were protected against malaria, apparently mediated by the cellular responses with contribution from antibodies.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-27/bioject-announces-results-us-navy-study-malaria-vaccine" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Tdap Cocooning Against Pertussis Was Well Accepted for High-Risk Population</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:16 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Researchers led by Dr. C. Mary Healy of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston determined that standing orders and on-site vaccinations of mothers and other infant contacts, a practice known as “cocooning,” could help protect infants from tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis. Household contact is responsible for more than three-quarters of pertussis infections in infants, according to research presented at the 44th National Immunization Conference. The study focused on cocooning among Hispanic, medically underserved, and uninsured patients at Houston’s Ben Taub General Hospital.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-26/tdap-cocooning-against-pertussis-was-well-accepted-high-risk-popula" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Australia Probes Seasonal Flu Vaccine Reactions in Children</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Australia’s drug regulatory agency, the Therapeutic Good Administration, is investigating reports of severe reactions to some flu vaccines in children from Western Australia. CSL Ltd. has agreed to provide samples of the vaccine for testing, although it is unknown if the reactions have been linked to the vaccine, and the reactions have not been seen in Australia’s other states. Children ages six months to five years in Western Australia are eligible for free seasonal flu vaccination.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-23/australia-probes-seasonal-flu-vaccine-reactions-children" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>UNICEF: Measles Hits Tens of Thousands in Africa</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:18 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Sixteen countries in West and Central Africa have had outbreaks of measles this year, according to the U.N. children’s agency. UNICEF reports more than 22,000 measles cases and 185 deaths, compared with more than 400 deaths from the disease in West Africa in 2009. According to UNICEF, less than 80 percent of the people in most countries in West and Central Africa have been immunized. UNICEF needs $16 million for its measles immunization campaign in Africa. </article> <article> <h1>WHO Urges Chinese Children's Vaccination Against Measles, Hepatitis B</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:20 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> China held this year’s National Immunization Day on April 25, focusing on eliminating measles and controlling hepatitis B. The World Health Organization (WHO) joined the Chinese Ministry of Health for a press briefing in Beijing, and it called on Chinese parents to have their children vaccinated against measles and hepatitis B. “China has made many efforts to increase the safety and quality of its vaccines,” said Dr. Lisa Cairns, head of the Expanded Program on Immunization at WHO China. The program provides free vaccines to children to prevent measles and 11 other diseases.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-22/who-urges-chinese-childrens-vaccination-against-measles-hepatitis-b" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Study: Ob/Gyns Offering Vaccines Effective</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:43 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Obstetricians/gynecologists offices appear to be a good place for women to receive vaccinations, new research shows. In a North Carolina pilot program, obstetricians and gynecologists offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis to non-pregnant and postpartum women. When postpartum women were offered the HPV vaccine, the vaccination rate rose from 0 percent to 44 percent. Nearly 600 women received the Tdap vaccine as well, and they would not have done so without the program, the researchers say. </article> <article> <h1>8th Annual Vaccination Week in the Americas Targets 42 Million</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> April 24-May 1 is the Pan American Health Organization’s 8th Annual Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA), with tens of thousands of health workers in 44 countries and territories in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean joining forces to provide vaccines to about 42 million children and adults. The Pan American region was the first to eradicate smallpox and polio, and it has also eliminated measles and lowered the number of cases of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis through vaccination.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-21/8th-annual-vaccination-week-americas-targets-42-million" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Merck Inks Deal on Tetanus, Diphtheria Vaccine</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:42 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Merck & Co. has made a deal with nonprofit vaccine maker MassBiologics to distribute its tetanus and diphtheria vaccine. Merck will begin distributing the Td vaccine in June throughout the United States, with the exception of Massachusetts. MassBiologics, which is now run by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, will continue to distribute the vaccine in that state. </article> <article> <h1>Chicken Pox in Schools Tripled in One Month</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:41 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> In Nevada County, Calif., cases of chickenpox in several area schools have risen three-fold in a month’s time, rising from 21 in March to 64 as of April 20. Dr. Karen Milman, county health officer, is encouraging parents to ensure their children receive the recommended two doses of chickenpox vaccine, as a single dose offers only 70 percent protection. “Chickenpox is contagious before you have the symptoms, so we need to tell the general public to get vaccinated.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-20/chicken-pox-schools-tripled-one-month" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Emergency Dispatch of Rabies Vaccine Arrives in Quake-Hit Zone</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:42 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Two hundred doses of rabies vaccine have been delivered to northwest China, which was recently hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Homeless Tibetan mastiffs have bitten more than 10 people, including seven or eight soldiers attempting to search and rescue survivors in the debris of collapsed homes, in the Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in Qinghai Province. The emergency doses of rabies vaccine that have arrived from the provincial capital of Xining will be made available to the injured for free, says the provincial disease prevention and control center.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-20/emergency-dispatch-rabies-vaccine-arrives-quake-hit-zone" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Emergence of New Diseases, Reemergence of Old Threats Highlights Importance of Vaccination</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:20:08 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> At the 44th National Immunization Conference in Atlanta, Dr. Jane Seward of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s division of viral diseases emphasized the importance of vaccination in light of the emergence of H1N1 and other new diseases and outbreaks of measles, mumps, and other illnesses for which vaccines have long been available. She noted that H1N1 caused the most pediatric deaths in a single flu season and that mumps outbreaks over the last four years have boosted the number of cases annually from 268 to more than 2,000.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-20/emergence-new-diseases-reemergence-old-threats-highlights-importanc" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Post-Vaccination Syncope Presents Problem for Adolescents</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:20:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers presented preliminary results of a survey on post-vaccination syncope during the 44th National Immunization Conference. The study includes a convenience sample of 114 cases in which 79 syncope episodes were witnessed, and associated symptoms included pale face, anxiety, nausea, sweating, vomiting, severe injection site pain and tonic-clonic movements. In addition, 31 patients fell and sustained various injuries, such as head lacerations, broken noses, or abrasions.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-20/post-vaccination-syncope-presents-problem-adolescents" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Sebelius: Health Workers Need Vaccination Too</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:41 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> A year after H1N1 first emerged, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told attendees of the National Immunization Conference in Atlanta that the nation engaged in “the most ambitious immunization campaign ever.” Although local and state public health workers, nurses, and immunization coordinators played important roles in administering mass vaccinations and educating the public, she said more health workers and residents of minority communities need to be immunized.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-19/sebelius-health-workers-need-vaccination-too" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Brazil Promotes Nationwide Vaccination Against A/H1N1 Flu</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:41 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Vaccination against A/H1N1 influenza has now risen from 12.9 million to 28.3 million Brazilians over the past 10 days, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Health. However, Gerson Penna, health surveillance secretary at the Health Ministry, says the nation needs to do a better job of improving vaccination access for pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses. Moreover, the vaccination rate among young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 years is low. “Young people believe they are immune to everything, but they are not,” according to Penna.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-19/brazil-promotes-nationwide-vaccination-against-ah1n1-flu" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Reports Support Usefulness of School-Based Flu Vaccination</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:17 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Reports presented during the National Immunization Conference suggest that administering vaccines in schools helps immunize more children in a more timely manner. In New York, over 1,200 public and private elementary schools and 58 weekend clinics for middle and high school students distributed the pandemic H1N1 vaccine in the fall of last year, with more than 120,000 children receiving at least one dose. Immunizations in small elementary schools were handled by school nurses, while mid-size schools used contract nurses and larger schools employed nine-person teams.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-19/reports-support-usefulness-school-based-flu-vaccination" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles and Rubella a Threat to World Cup Travelers</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:40 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Individuals traveling to southern Africa, including those who plan to attend the FIFA 2010 World Cup, have been advised to receive vaccines against measles and rubella. The World Cup will be taking place from June 11 to July 11 of this year. Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe have all reported recent measles outbreaks. South Africa has reported 9,583 confirmed measles cases since January 2009, with all nine provinces affected by the ongoing outbreak. </article> <article> <h1>Pharmacists Seek OK to Administer More Vaccines</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:40 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Many states eased rules to allow pharmacists to administer seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. Wolters Kluwer reports a 36 percent jump in seasonal flu shots administered by pharmacists during the current flu season to 7.8 million, or 10 percent of all vaccines given out last year. The industry hopes such findings will help their push to permanently ease the rules, eliminate limits on the ages of patients immunized by pharmacists, and allow pharmacists to offer a wider variety of vaccines.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-15/pharmacists-seek-ok-administer-more-vaccines" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>They Should Know Better</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:39 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> This New York Times editorial expresses concern that health care workers shunned the swine flu vaccine in droves, noting the importance of their skills in the case of a dangerous flu outbreak. “They, of all people, should know how important it is for them to get vaccinated - and that the risk of serious side effects is negligible,” the editorial states. While the swine flu outbreak turned out to be comparatively mild, there are no guarantees for the next time, the editorial notes.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-14/they-should-know-better" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Incidence of Guillain-Barre Syndrome Was Low With H1N1 Vaccine, Researchers Report</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:39 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> A report presented by U.S. researchers at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto indicated that just 6.2 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) were reported for every 10 million H1N1 vaccinations administered last year. There were 10.6 cases of the rare neurological disorder for every 10 million seasonal flu vaccinations. Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada reports about one case for every one million vaccinations.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-14/incidence-guillain-barre-syndrome-was-low-h1n1-vaccine-researchers-" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>A Campaign Shows Signs of Progress Against Polio</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:38 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The number of new cases of polio so far this year is down 75 percent from the same period a year ago, and significant progress has been made in Nigeria and India, the two nations where the disease has persisted. The World Health Organization reports that 56 cases of polio have been registered globally. In Nigeria, where Muslim leaders in the north have begun to embrace polio vaccinations, only two children have been paralyzed by wild polio virus, compared with 123 during the same period a year ago.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-13/campaign-shows-signs-progress-against-polio" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Vaccine Has Led to Changes in Pneumococcal Infections</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:37 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The April issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal features two studies indicating shifts in the bacterial strains causing pneumococcal infections in children since the PCV7 vaccine was made available in 2000. Researchers led by Boston University’s Dr. Katherine K. Hsu looked at pneumococcal infection trends in Massachusetts children over the past decade and determined that 85 percent of serious infections reported from 2001 to 2007 were caused by strains not covered by the vaccine, particularly serotype 19A.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-12/vaccine-has-led-changes-pneumococcal-infections" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>H1N1 Spike in Georgia Raises Concerns of Possible Third Wave</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:38 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Georgia has been seeing a resurgence of the H1N1 flu, raising concerns about a possible third wave of the virus after those of spring and fall of 2009. As of April 1, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina were reporting regional activity. In March, about 40 Georgia residents were hospitalized each week from H1N1, the state’s highest mark of H1N1-confirmed hospitalizations since October 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alabama’s H1N1 cases peaked in October, but between 4 percent and 5 percent of physician visits are still related to H1N1 illnesses.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-12/h1n1-spike-georgia-raises-concerns-possible-third-wave" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Inovio, Drexel, Penn and Cheyney Get Grant to Develop Hepatitis C Vaccine</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:37 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program (CURE) in Pennsylvania has awarded a $2.8 million grant to Inovio Biomedical Corp. and its university research partners to develop a DNA vaccine to treat hepatitis C. Inovio is working with Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cheyney University on the project to test the safety and effect on the immune system of Inovio’s novel vaccines. They are designed to treat people who are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus and have not responded to available therapies.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-09/inovio-drexel-penn-and-cheyney-get-grant-develop-hepatitis-c-vaccin" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Brazil to Accelerate Vaccination Against A/H1N1 Flu</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:37 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Brazil will speed up vaccination against the A/H1N1 flu by installing tens of thousands of vaccination points across the nation. The government launched a vaccination campaign on March 8, but only 13.5 million people of the targeted 90 million people have been vaccinated in the first four weeks of the 10-week campaign. Last year, the flu killed 1,705 people and sickened nearly 40,000 others in Brazil. </article> <article> <h1>More Adults With Diabetes Are Getting Flu Shots</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:36 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> More than 50 percent of Americans with diabetes reported that they had received flu shots in 2007, up from 40 percent in 2000. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported these numbers, for individuals 18 to 64 years, in its latest News and Numbers report. During the same period of 2000 to 2007, the proportion of seniors ages 65 and older with diabetes who reported receiving a flu shot in the previous year remained stable, at about 70 percent. The immunization rate for uninsured diabetes patients in the same age group did not change, resting at around 33 percent.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-08/more-adults-diabetes-are-getting-flu-shots" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Crucell and Glaxo Will Combine Malaria Vaccines</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:34 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Crucell and GlaxoSmithKline plan to combine the malaria vaccines they are developing separately, after preclinical studies showed the new drugs were likely to work better together. GlaxoSmithKline assisted Crucell in its preclinical research on a malaria vaccine. Crucell uses AdVac technology, which places a section of genetic material from a virus or parasite into a larger “vehicle” particle similar to the virus that causes the common cold. The experimental vaccine would include GlaxoSmithKline’s RTS,S/AS vaccine, which is undergoing late stage clinical tests. </article> <article> <h1>Universal Flu Vaccine Program Cost-Effective: Study</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:34 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> A study of Ontario’s 10-year-old program offering free flu shots to its entire population at a cost of C$40 million per year indicates that it may not offer cost savings but is cost-effective. The universal flu campaign boosted Ontario’s vaccination rate to 42 percent in 2005 from 18 percent in 1996 and prevented over 34,000 flu cases, 111 deaths, 780 hospitalizations, 7,745 emergency room visits, and 30,000 visits to the doctor’s office.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-07/universal-flu-vaccine-program-cost-effective-study" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Three More Cases of Measles Diagnosed in B.C.</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:35 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The Interior Health Authority in British Columbia has confirmed three cases of measles in Vernon, Lillooet, and Williams Lake. Only one case involves overseas exposure, while the other two individuals say they have not left their communities. A measles outbreak was reported in Metro Vancouver in March; none of the patients were fully immunized. </article> <article> <h1>Measles Jabs Offered</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:35 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Health officials in the Hokianga area of New Zealand say no additional cases of the measles were reported over Easter, following a recent outbreak of the disease. Most of the 28 people who contracted measles were under the age of 20 years. The Northland District Health Board has offered measles shots to nearly 300 people in the wake of the outbreak. </article> <article> <h1>School Emails Shed Light on Oologah School Meningitis Outbreak</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:36 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> March saw a meningitis outbreak at an Oklahoma elementary school that infected seven students and resulted in two deaths. Emails between teachers and nurses with Oologah-Talala Public Schools have revealed details about the school’s response. On March 9, one teacher informed a nurse that she had a student admitted to the hospital for meningitis, but a diagnosis was not determined until the next day. Superintendent Rick Thomas was not informed of the outbreak until March 11, but he shut down the school and opened a vaccination clinic on March 12.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-07/school-emails-shed-light-oologah-school-meningitis-outbreak" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>New Law Saves Immunization Program for Kids</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:33 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed into law House Bill 2551, which establishes a nonprofit consortium called the Washington Vaccine Association to buy discounted vaccines. This bill had been introduced to rescue a statewide childhood vaccination program that was set to expire in May. “The cheapest, most effective thing we can do in health care is make sure children get their shots, and this bill keeps that program going despite the worst economy since the Great Depression,” said Rep.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-06/new-law-saves-immunization-program-kids" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>SLU Researchers Aim to Add Strains to Influenza Vaccine</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:32 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Dr. Robert Belshe, director of Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development, believes flu vaccines should include two strains of influenza B instead of one. Belshe says vaccine developers typically include the strain they believe will circulate, but he notes that they have been wrong half the time over the last decade. A vaccine containing both influenza B strains could enter the clinical trial phase in the near future. </article> <article> <h1>Whooping Cough in Iowa</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:33 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> In Scott County, Iowa, six cases of whooping cough have been reported. In response, health officials will launch a vaccination campaign on April 13, providing free vaccines to all children in grades six through 12. A $9,000 federal stimulus grant will pay for the vaccines. </article> <article> <h1>Research From University of Washington Yields New Findings on Public Health</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:13:18 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Local public health agencies (LPHAs) that are led by nurses tend to have more comprehensive immunization activities, according to a new study by B. Bekemeier and colleagues at the University of Washington. The team reviewed data from the 2005 National Profile of Local Health Departments to find connections between the nursing workforce of LPHAs and their specific activities. The United States needs to understand the relationship between specific staffing and leadership characteristics and public health programs in order to address a shortage of nurses and other public health workers.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-06/research-university-washington-yields-new-findings-public-health" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Risk of New Virus Probed</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Scientists are looking into the possible danger of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), though there is not yet evidence that it spreads infection. Preliminary research suggests that XMRV is transmitted similarly to HIV, and health officials are beginning to determine if the blood supply needs to be protected. XMRV was discovered in 2006, when scientists found it in tumor samples from men with a rare form of prostate cancer, and it has also been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-05/risk-new-virus-probed" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Flu Shot Safe for Most Egg Allergic Kids: Study</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The common flu shot is safe for most children with egg allergies, researchers say. Although flu vaccines are made in chicken eggs, study co-author Dr. Lynda Schneider of Children’s Hospital in Boston said, “You’re talking about a very small amount, I’d say on the order of a millionth of an egg, in the current vaccines.” Schneider and her research team studied the results of 171 children who had received the flu vaccine.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-05/flu-shot-safe-most-egg-allergic-kids-study" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Resurgence Tied to Parents' Vaccine Fears</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:31 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> In the April issue of Pediatrics, Karen Waters-Montijo, chief of immunization at the San Diego County health agency, and colleagues discuss the challenges posed by the “intentionally unvaccinated.” The article focuses on a seven-year-old boy who contracted measles on a family trip to Switzerland and attended a school where nearly 10 percent of students were intentionally unvaccinated. They point out that the boy went undiagnosed for a week, during which time he infected his siblings and exposed many other people to the virus.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-05/measles-resurgence-tied-parents-vaccine-fears" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Selecta Raises $15M to Advance Potential Vaccine</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:32 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Selecta Biosciences hopes to begin the first of three phases of trials on a synthetic nanoparticle vaccine in 2011, now that the Watertown, Mass.-based startup has received another $15 million in venture capital funding. Launched about two years ago, Selecta Biosciences has raised more than $30 million. The company says the use of nanotechnology will allow it to develop safer and more effective vaccines. Selecta Biosciences is developing nanoparticles that mimic viruses and trigger the body’s immune response to disease.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-05/selecta-raises-15m-advance-potential-vaccine" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Maybe Your Kid Is Vaccinated - But What About Their Classmates?</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The state of California requires children to be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including measles and polio, before attending school in the state. Parents are permitted, however, to sign a personal belief exemption that allows their children to attend school without receiving a vaccine. School nurse Sharon Cole of the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District, said that vaccine exemption may occur because students are not up-to-date when they are enrolled but will be at a later time.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-03/maybe-your-kid-vaccinated-what-about-their-classmates" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Elderly's Protection From H1N1 Studied</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:28 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Two different research papers have examined the reason why older people seem to be better protected from the H1N1 swine flu virus. In one study, published in the March issue of the Journal of Virology, scientists from Vanderbilt University found that antibodies isolated from elderly survivors of the 1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic also may inhibit the 2007 H1N1 virus. The envelope protein hemagglutinin, a principal surface antigen used by the virus to infect its host, mutates rapidly in most flu viruses and requires new flu shots every season.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-02/elderlys-protection-h1n1-studied" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>New England Tops the Nation in Swine Flu Shots</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:29 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Between 72 million and 81 million Americans, about 24 percent, have received swine flu vaccines since October, and rates vary widely by region, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rhode Island had the highest rate, at about 39 percent, while Mississippi had the lowest rate, at 13 percent. Investigators conducted two telephone surveys to calculate state rates, including about 140,000 adults and 75,000 children. The CDC also found that 62 percent of healthcare workers received seasonal flu vaccinations and 37 percent received swine flu vaccinations. </article> <article> <h1>Child-Friendly Breakthrough in Needle Pain Management</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:29 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Buzzy, a handheld device created by pediatric emergency physician Dr. Amy Baxter, uses a combination of vibration and cold to eliminate pain in children from vaccines and IV catheter insertion. A study of 81 children presented at the International Symposium on Pediatric Pain in March shows that children who were given Buzzy instead of cold sprays and other standard pain relievers reported less pain using a Faces pain rating scale.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-02/child-friendly-breakthrough-needle-pain-management" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Millions of H1N1 Vaccine Doses May Be Discarded</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:28 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Of the 229 million doses of H1N1 vaccine purchased by the U.S. government, 138 million remain. While 60 million doses will be sent to poor countries or stored for future use, approximately 71.5 million doses already in vials or syringes could be discarded as their expiration dates draw near. The government is satisfied with its response to the pandemic, given that 72 million to 81 million people were vaccinated, and officials insist that they wanted to have enough vaccine on hand.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-04-01/millions-h1n1-vaccine-doses-may-be-discarded" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Alert Issued After Dozen Cases Diagnosed</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:26 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> Nearly a dozen people in Vancouver, British Columbia, have been diagnosed with the measles over the past two weeks. According to the B.C. Center for Disease Control (BCCDC), there have been 10 laboratory-confirmed and four suspected cases of measles, including one involving an out-of-province visitor. Eight of the cases are connected to a single household that had unvaccinated members. “It is suspected that at least two out-of-country visitors brought measles into Vancouver sometime in February or early March, as two separate strains of the virus have been identified,” says the BCCDC.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-03-31/measles-alert-issued-after-dozen-cases-diagnosed" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Measles Outbreak Spreads to Wellington</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:27 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> About 30 members of an extended family in New Zealand’s Hokianga community that does not believe in vaccination have contracted measles. The community is home to about 50 unvaccinated children, and Dr. Jonathan Jarman, Northland medical officer of heath, expects more people to report symptoms after coming in contact with the family at a recent party. Jarman says at least one probable case of measles in Wellington could be connected to the family, with one member traveling to the capital recently.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-03-31/measles-outbreak-spreads-wellington" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Canada Cuts Off Funding to International AIDS Vaccine Project</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:27 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) once was one of the biggest contributors to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), donating almost C$80 million to the program from 2001 to 2008. However, no funding was set aside for IAVI in the federal budgets for 2009 or 2010, and it remains uncertain whether the nation will support the initiative in the future. “CIDA’s ongoing support is critical in sustaining the momentum in the search for an AIDS vaccine,” says IAVI President Dr.<p><a href="http://dev.immunizationinfo.org/pressroom/news-briefs/2010-03-31/canada-cuts-funding-international-aids-vaccine-project" target="_blank">read more</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Georgia Flu Cases Prompt Call for Vaccinations</h1> <p>jbetts — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:02:25 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type- field-"> <div class="field-items"> </div> </div> U.S. health officials are once again pushing for vaccinations against swine flu after Georgia began to see a rise in hospital cases. Overall swine flu illnesses and deaths have been down for months, with Georgia the only state to see such an uptick. In the past two weeks, 70 to 80 people in the state have been hospitalized with swine flu, the most since September. These hospitalized patients are generally unvaccinated adults, many of whom also had pre-existing conditions that made them especially susceptible to the H1N1 flu. </article> </main></body></html>