The parallel economy anti-vaccine activists and the far right want to create : The Indicator from Planet Money Anti-vaccine activists, far-right groups and some religious conservatives convened in Las Vegas this spring to discuss the creation of a parallel economy. These are groups who believe their speech is threatened by big banks and big tech. On today's show, what is a "freedom economy," and how would it work?
Related episodes: A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media (Apple / Spotify)
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Attendees visit booths at the RePlatform conference in Las Vegas in March. The conference crowd was a hybrid of anti-vaccine activists, supporters of former President Donald Trump and Christian conservatives. Krystal Ramirez for NPR hide caption
Attendees visit booths at the RePlatform conference in Las Vegas in March. The conference crowd was a hybrid of anti-vaccine activists, supporters of former President Donald Trump and Christian conservatives.
Anti-vaccine activists, far-right groups and some religious conservatives convened in Las Vegas this spring to discuss the creation of a parallel economy. These are groups who believe their speech is threatened by big banks and big tech. On today's show, what is a "freedom economy" and how would it work?
Related episodes: A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
More than 1,000 people have succumbed to cholera, while tens of thousands across Africa have been infected in a series of deadly cholera outbreaks since the beginning of 2024.
The hardest hit nations are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Zimbabwe,Zambia in southern Africa, and Ethiopia furthernorth.
Zambia is being battered by its worst outbreak ever, with more than 740 cholera deaths recorded since the onset of seasonal rains in October 2023.
The highly contagious bacterial disease can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration within hours of infection. When people are quickly treated, less than 1% die. But the death rate in Zambia, one of the world's poorest countries, is more than 3%.
Cholera outbreaks often occur in disaster-hit areas or poorer communities lacking safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Those who depend on untreated water from rivers and ponds or live in slums and refugee camps are at particular risk.
Thisis because the Vibrio cholerae bacteria that causes cholera is shed in the fecesof theinfected host, with the bacteriaspreadingrapidly if it gets into food or water supplies.
"Just imagine one household where the toilet is pretty close to the place where people fetch their water, so there is a transmission of contamination between the toilets and the water that people drink," explained epidemiologist Yap Boum, the head of the Pasteur Institute of Bangui, a non-profit research foundation in the Central African Republic.
"And then in settings like refugee camps, where you have a concentration of people, the water that is being used is highly contaminated."
There are a host ofreasons forthe rash of simultaneous cholera outbreaks across somany southern African countries, saidepidemiologist Boum.
"Cholera is a marker of inequality, mostly affecting countries that are exposed to conflict, insecurity and poverty," he said.Those factorsare all present in each of the African nations currently battling cholera outbreaks.
Another factor is climate change.
"Increasingly frequent and more severe flooding linked to climate change has an impact [on cholera outbreaks] too," wrote water management expert Anja du Plessis, an associate professor at the University of South Africa, in response to DW questions. "Cholera occurs more in the rainy season, which the region is currently experiencing."
"Flooding results in more run-off containing more pathogens, increasing the risk of contamination."
To make matters worse, stockpiles of the only available cholera vaccine are empty as demand soars.
Only one manufacturer,based in South Korea, currently makes an oral cholera vaccine. It is churning out 700,000 doses a week, but demand is four times greater than it can supply, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
Thisdespite an October 2022 International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision recommendation to replacethe long-standing two-dose regimen witha single dose of the cholera vaccinein an effortto preserve stocks.
Unlike routine childhood vaccinations, cholera vaccines are produced on a "needs basis," said Edina Amponsah-Dacosta, a vaccine expert with the Vaccines for Africa Initiative based at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
"We tend to use cholera vaccines for mass vaccination programs whenever we have outbreaks to control the outbreak of the disease. Thatmeanswe tend to produce a limited amount for a limited number of countries."
The past decade has seen a massive increase in cholera vaccines produced,jumping from roughly 2 million doses in 2013 when the cholera stockpile was set up to 36 million in 2022.
But thatstill isn't enough to keep up with the current unprecedented surge in global cholera cases.
"If cholera were similarly affecting Western countries, I believe we wouldhave the highest amount of vaccine available, but that is not the case," said Boum, who previously headed MSF's researcharm, Epicentre.
At the same time, every expertinterviewed for this article warned that vaccines wouldnever be thesilver bullet that will stem the spread of cholerain southern Africa.
Rather, a vaccine is just one of many tools to help fight disease. Others include improving community health messaging about boiling water and good hygiene practices, like washing one's hands, providing safe and reliable water sources, and increasing water quality testing and monitoring.
In 2022, the South African-based company Biovac signed a licensing contract to manufacture oral cholera vaccines in a deal heralded by international health experts. But Biovac's vaccines can't be used to curbcurrent outbreaks becauseproduction isn't slated to startuntil2026.
Having a regional manufacturer is an important step in the right direction though, say both Yap Boum and Edina Amponsah-Dacosta.
"Diseases are not prioritized the same way in all parts of the world," vaccinologist Amponsah-Dacosta told DW. "With cholera, we have just one manufacturer with limited global interest in a disease such as this one. It creates the situation that we're seeing now in terms of the dwindling stockpile."
"If you increasemanufacturing capacity in parts of the world that experience the disease the worst, it just means that they are able to take ownership and rely on their own resources and better support their health programs. "Thatis critical."
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu
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PENN YAN, N.Y. People who ate at the Main Deck restaurant in Penn Yan between March 27 and April 12 may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, according to a release from Yates County Public Health.
Yates County Public Health is advising anyone who ate food from the restaurant, at 301 Lake St., between April 4 and April 12 to receive a free hepatitis A vaccine on April 18 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Yates county Office Building, 417 Liberty St., Penn Yan. To register for an appointment, go to www.yatescountypublichealth.org. If unable to attend the clinic, or if you need help with scheduling an appointment, call (315) 536-5160.
Anyone who ate between March 27 and April 3 may have been exposed, but receiving the vaccine now will not prevent infection, according to Public Health, which encourages them to monitor themselves and their families for symptoms for 50 days since eating the food. Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark-colored urine, clay-colored stools, joint pain, or jaundice. If you have symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
The owner and staff at the restaurant have been very cooperative and have complied with all recommendations from state and local health departments, according to Public Health which added that the state Health Department has conducted a thorough inspection and has cleared the restaurant to open.
While most people do not get sick when an employee at a restaurant has hepatitis A, a risk remains, Public Health said.
Whooping cough is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, which is transmitted through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The common cold: how to treat it and how to know when youre not infectious
The bacteria attach to the cilia tiny hairlike extensions that line part of the upper respiratory system, where they release toxins that damage the cilia and cause airways to swell, says Dr Andrew Kong, a general practitioner in private practice in Hong Kong.
The illness is hard to definitively diagnose, says Dr Sarah Borwein, also a general practitioner in private practice in Hong Kong.
You can use PCR [polymerase chain reaction] testing of a nasopharyngeal specimen, like with the early Covid tests, but only during the first four weeks of infection, and in practice, doctors rarely consider the diagnosis of whooping cough until the cough has gone on longer than that, Borwein says.
After that, you have to rely on serology [antibody testing], which has relatively low sensitivity and can be complicated by antibodies from previous vaccination.
Whooping cough is associated with a number of symptoms, many of which are flu-like.
It is an intense cough that may last for up to 12 weeks, and between bouts of coughing you can be perfectly well, says Dr Lily Wong, a general practitioner in Hong Kong. This is different from most normal coughs, which clear up within three weeks.
There is a high-pitched whoop sound when youre finally able to inhale at the end of a coughing fit. This is the main difference between whooping cough and a regular cough.
You may also experience a runny nose, fever, vomiting and exhaustion after a coughing fit.
Borwein says that whooping cough is persistent and resistant to treatment, and is sometimes called the 100-day cough because no matter what you do, it can last more than three months.
Whooping cough in young infants can also cause life-threatening pauses in breathing (apnoea spells), seizures and brain damage.
About one-third of infants younger than one year old with whooping cough need hospital care to clear their airways of mucus using suction. They may also need oxygen support, says Wong.
Watch out for complications such as pneumonia, which can be more severe, and ensure that an ill child is adequately nourished and hydrated, she adds, stressing that the most effective way to prevent whooping cough is through vaccination.
Wong adds that elderly patients have the second-highest hospitalisation rate from whooping cough, probably due to fading immunity.
Whooping cough can cause complications in adolescents and healthy adults too, but is far less serious, especially in those who have been vaccinated, Borwein says.
Complications can include broken ribs from coughing, loss of bladder control and fainting.
Do you wet yourself uncontrollably? Its likely a pelvic floor muscle issue
There is an effective vaccine for whooping cough. In adults, it is about 80 per cent effective at preventing whooping cough; however, this wanes relatively quickly and is probably only about 50 per cent effective five years after vaccination, Borwein says.
Infants are given the pertussis vaccine as part of their routine immunisation programme. They need three doses, however, and are not well protected until six months of age, Borwein says. This leaves them poorly protected at the time they are most vulnerable to severe complications.
For this reason, the vaccine is now administered routinely to pregnant women in every pregnancy. This has been shown to give passive immunity to their babies in the first few months of life and has been a major advance in reducing the toll of whooping cough in infants, she adds.
In adolescents and adults, the vaccine is included as part of a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (Tdap, or tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine). The recommendation is to have one dose every 10 years.
According to Borwein, some experts think this period should be shortened because efficacy wanes significantly after about five years. Even after natural infection, immunity wanes over the years and there is a possibility of reinfection.
The bacteria that cause whooping cough can be eliminated with antibiotics that are typically prescribed if the diagnosis is made within the first three weeks of the illness.
Specific antibiotics, such as azithromycin, can reduce the likelihood of infected individuals transmitting the illness to others but they do not alleviate symptoms.
Unfortunately, there are limited effective medicines to control the cough itself, although some medications can alleviate fever and runny nose.
There is no quick fix for the coughing fits; Kong says to be patient as the symptoms tend to resolve with time.
Avoid exposure to other respiratory infections, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and avoid contact with irritants like smoke, dust and chemical fumes, he says.
A cool-mist humidifier may help to loosen mucus and soothe the cough.
Most people try all kinds of things, including cough medicines and inhalers, but no medications have been shown to help significantly, Borwein says.
Youre best advised to stay up to date with vaccination to prevent or mitigate whooping cough in the first place.
In updates to its frequently-asked-question backgrounder on the H5N1 avian flu situation in dairy cows yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provided several updates on the investigation and response, including that its Agricultural Research Service has started to assess the potential to develop an H5N1 vaccine for cows.
The agency added that it's difficult to say how long development might take, because there are still questions about transmission to cattle and characteristics of infection in cows. APHIS said manufacturers have expressed interest in producing vaccines for both poultry and cows.
"We will continue to engage with these developers to better understand their vaccine development, the efficacy of potential vaccines, as well as the cost of development and production," it said.
Among other updates, APHIS said wild migratory birds are still thought to be the original source of the virus, though the investigations have found instances of virus spread linked to cattle movements between herds.
APHIS also noted that there is similar evidence that the virus has spread from dairy herds back into poultry flocks through an unknown route.
In other developments, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) said yesterday that tests have confirmed highly pathogenic avian flu in a commercial poultry facility in Newaygo County, which is located in the west central region not far where outbreaks recently struck dairy facilities and poultry operations.
MDARD urged producers to protect their animals from wild birds and viruses they may be carrying as the wild birds complete their spring migration.
Recent outbreaks were reported at two massive Ionia County layer facilities, and the latest poultry outbreak updates from USDA APHIS reflect a third outbreak in Ionia County, at a farm that has 2.4 million birds. APHIS also reported a second outbreak at a hatchery in New Mexico's Roosevelt County and infections at a live-bird sales operation in Florida's Miami-Dade County.
Cavities are a communicable disease, and if youre among the 90 percent of Americans whos ever had one, you probably got them from your mother.
So begins The Rise and Impending Fall of the Dental Cavity, a remarkably engrossing and, for me, genuinely eye-opening survey of the history and science of tooth decay, published last week by the pseudonymous Cremieux Recueil on his Substack. The bacterium Streptococcus mutans might not seem like the likeliest subject for a 7,600-word general-interest deep-dive, but Cremieux takes detours into the immaculate teeth of dinosaurs, the practice of Neolithic dentistry, the agricultural and industrial revolutions and their effect on our diets, and the dental agony of Americas founding fathers.
His essay is a kind of masterpiece of an emergent form of internet argumentation one with roots in the blogosphere and the message-board culture of an earlier era but which really flowered in the pandemic years: extremely long, exhaustively researched, often compiled by obsessive nonexperts and aimed at a contrarian lesson about public health, say, or educational achievement, or the origins of the pandemic. For me, the archetypal example is probably the 10-part investigation, with nine interludes, into the causes of American obesity published in 2021 by a pair of anonymous researchers, calling themselves Slime Mold Time Mold, who proposed environmental contamination of our water table by the runoff of the mood stabilizer lithium as the driver of the countrys skyrocketing body mass index and have since undertaken the staging of a large-scale, self-supervised community trial of what they call the potato diet.
In this case, the lesson was about what is going on in the bacteria pools we call mouths and what we could do to clean them up. Probably, you remember admonitions from childhood that eating candy will rot your teeth, but that story turns out to be a bit simplistic the problem isnt that your teeth hate sugar but that Streptococcus mutans loves it. And when it consumes sugar, the byproduct is lactic acid, which is what really starts to eat away at your dental enamel. Not everyone has an oral microbiome dominated by Streptococcus mutans, but chances are if you do, it was passed to you by your parents, very early on and if you eat any sugar, youre very likely to suffer tooth decay.
In places like the United States where drugs are advertised directly to consumers, pharmacies are lined with whitening toothpaste and yuppie dentists hawk Invisalign between fillings you might have come to see oral health as primarily a cosmetic matter. (Perhaps, given the costs, even a scam.) But probably a quarter of Americans and more than a third of the world have untreated cavities or tooth decay, and there is an awful lot of science linking oral hygiene with overall health and well-being. The connections are both direct (untreated cavities can host infections, which can spread elsewhere in the body, causing cellulitis and osteomyelitis, among other infections, and other forms of oral bacteria have been linked to colon and colorectal cancers) and indirect (Tooth loss is correlated with higher all-cause mortality, with studies of large-scale tooth loss finding large increases in all-cause mortality risk.) Thats one reason, over the past few decades, there have been periodic efforts to develop a vaccine for tooth decay, focused on Streptococcus mutans.
But Impending Fall was not prompted by an F.D.A. approval of such a vaccine, a successful large-scale clinical trial or even news of such a trial getting underway. It wasnt even occasioned by the publication of new academic research or a new book. Instead, it referred to the rollout of a new product called Lumina, conceived by the startup Lantern Bioworks and sold to customers directly as a probiotic supplement and an opportunity to participate in something more like a health-care version of a beta-test soft launch.
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MANILA, Philippines House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st Dist. Rep. Jannette Garin is urging parents to have their children inoculated and free themselves from vaccine hesitancy, which she claimed seemed to be the cause of the increasing cases of pertussis (whooping cough) nationwide.
Garin made the call after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,477 cases of pertussis from January 1 to April 6, with 63 deaths.
Bakit sa buong mundo ang Pilipinas lang nagkaroon ng pertussis outbreak? At bakit yung polio bumalik? Bakit noong mga nakaraang taon grabe ang mga namamatay sa measles. This is all because of vaccine hesitancy, Garin, a doctor and former health secretary, said.
(Why did the Philippines have an outbreak of pertussis? And why did polio come back? Last year, many people also died due to measles. This is all because of vaccine hesitancy.)
Ngayon, measles outbreak ulit sa ibang panig ng Pilipinas at patuloy na may mga namamatay at yung iba naman ay nagkakaroon permanent injury like encephalopathy and blindness, Garin added.
(Many people in various parts of the Philippines are dying due to measles others are having permanent injuries like encephalopathy and blindness.)
Pertussis is a respiratory illness caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. It causes rapid, violent, and uncontrolled coughing fits, which can go on for up to 10 weeks or more.
According to the DOH, it affects people of all ages but is especially dangerous and even fatal for young children and infants.
To combat the increasing cases in the country, reports said the Philippines expects three million pentavalent or 5-in-1 vaccine doses by June.
GSK plc GSK announced that the FDA has accepted its biologics license application (BLA)seeking approval of its 5-in-1 meningococcal ABCWY vaccine candidate, MenABCWY. The FDA has granted a standard review to the BLA and is expected to give its decision on Feb 14, 2025.
The MenABCWY vaccine candidate combines the antigenic components of GSKs two popular licensed meningococcal vaccines, Bexsero (MenB) and Menveo (MenACWY). The MenABCWY combination targets the five serogroups of the bacteria Neisseria meningitides (A, B, C, W, and Y), which is primarily responsible for most invasive meningococcal disease cases globally.
Per GSK, a potential approval of this 5-in-1 vaccine candidate could provide the broadest meningococcal serogroup coverage and lead to a simplified immunization schedule. The 5-in-1meningitis vaccine candidate has the potential to reduce the number of injections compared to current FDA-approved meningitis vaccines, as it has been designed to protect against all five vaccine-preventable serogroups with one combined product.
The BLA was based on data from a pivotal phase III study. The study met all its primary endpoints, including the non-inferiority of the vaccine candidate for all five Neisseria meningitides serogroups compared to Bexsero and Menveo in terms of an immune response.
GSKs stock has risen 6.9% in the past year against a decline of 17.6% for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
GSK boasts a broad vaccine portfolio that targets infectious diseases like meningitis, shingles, flu, polio and many more. GSK has more than 20 marketed vaccines in its portfolio. The company achieved strong vaccine growth of 25% at CER in 2023, driven by strong sales for its shingles vaccine, Shingrix and meningitis portfolio and exceptional contribution from the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, Arexvy.
The company expects continued strong sales of Shingrix in 2024, primarily driven by outside U.S. markets. The vaccine is now approved in 39 countries. Arexvy sales are expected to be strong in 2024, driven by further penetration in the U.S. market as well as early adoption from international launches. Over time, GSK expects Arexvy to generate more than 3 billion in annual sales.
GSK is also focusing on accelerating the vaccines pipeline, particularly the expanded use of the RSV vaccine, pentavalent vaccine and MenABCWY to drive long-term growth. It has a leading suite of vaccine platform technologies, including next-generation mRNA, multiple antigens presenting systems, as well as adjuvant systems.
Story continues
GSK currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
GSK PLC Sponsored ADR price-consensus-chart | GSK PLC Sponsored ADR Quote
Some better-ranked stocks in the healthcare sector are ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP), Entera Bio (ENTX) and ADMA Biologics (ADMA), sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each. You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
In the past 60 days, 2024 estimates for ANI Pharmaceuticals have improved from $4.06 per share to $4.43 per share. For 2025, earnings estimates have improved from $4.80 per share to $5.04 per share in the past 60 days. In the past year, shares of ANIP have risen 69.4%.
Earnings of ANI Pharmaceuticals beat estimates in each of the last four quarters, delivering a four-quarter average earnings surprise of 109.06 %.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Entera Bios 2024 loss has narrowed from 75 cents per share to 25 cents per share. In the past year, shares of ENTX have risen 168.5%.
ENTX beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the mark once, delivering an average earnings surprise of 10.66%.
In the past 60 days, estimates for ADMA Biologics 2024 earnings per share have improved from 22 cents to 30 cents. Estimates for 2025 have increased from 32 cents to 50 cents. In the past year, shares of ADMA Biologics have risen 84.5%.
Earnings of ADMA Biologics beat estimates in three of the last four quarters while meeting the same once. ADMA delivered a four-quarter average earnings surprise of 85.0%.
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Blog Article
Published April 16, 2024
By Syra Madad, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., MCP, CHEP and Jason Kindrachuk, PhD
Avian influenza H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection that affects both domestic and wild birds, along with a wide array of other animals. First identified in 1996, H5N1 has recently re-emerged in a significant panzootic form, specifically clade 2.3.4.4.b, impacting a broad spectrum of wildlife and domestic animals, including more than 200 mammal species.
Concerningly, this has included confirmed infections among numerous species not previously known to be susceptible to H5N1, including marine mammals, as well as in agricultural mammalian species such as cattle and goats. The rapid geographic expansion to all continents except Australia is also concerning. This notable spread across species is particularly alarming due to the potential for severe illness and death in humans as well as economic and food security impacts. This includes both within the agriculture industry as well as among communities reliant on wild game as a food source.
In March, the CDC confirmed a human case of HPAI A(H5N1) in Texas, related to contact with infected dairy cattle, marking the first recorded instance of probable mammal-to-human transmission in the U.S., and the second human case since 2022. Although human infections are rare and no sustained human-to-human transmission has been reported in the U.S., this event underlines the real risk H5N1 poses to individuals in close proximity to infected animals or contaminated environments.
Of note, a single mutation previously found to be associated with adaptation to mammalian hosts was identified within the viral genome sequence isolated from the recent U.S. case (PB2 E627K). However, while this demonstrates the need for continued surveillance and analysis of H5N1 genome sequences, there is no current evidence suggestive of altered human-to-human transmission for the virus or increased antiviral resistance. The CDC currently deems the risk to the broader U.S. populace as low; nevertheless, people with unprotected, extended exposure to infected birds or animals, or to contaminated areas, are at an elevated risk of contracting the virus.
The table below outlines recommended preventive measures for both the general public and those at heightened risk due to their work or recreational activities, aiming to reduce the likelihood of H5N1 infection.
Syra Madad, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., MCP, CHEP is an internationally renowned epidemiologist in special pathogens preparedness and response, biosecurity advisor and science communicator. She serves as the Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at NYC Health + Hospitals, the U.S.s largest municipal healthcare delivery system. Dr. Madad is a fellow at Harvard Universitys Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs where she leads the Women in STEM and Diversity in STEM series; shes Core Faculty at the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), and affiliate faculty at Boston Universitys Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Her work focuses on the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery from infectious disease outbreaks with an emphasis on healthcare and public health biopreparedness. She is known for her innovative strategies, which integrate emergency management principles with epidemiological methods, contributing significantly to the development of robust healthcare systems that can respond to emerging disease threats. You can follow her on X (twitter) and Instagram: @syramadad
Read more from Dr. Madad on the Academy blog: The COVID-19 Pandemic at Year Four: The Imperative for Global Health Solidarity
Jason Kindrachuk, PhD is an Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair, Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
The bird flu keeps catching the world off guard by finding new ways to spread this time finding an unexpected host in cows.
As of April 4, the virus had been confirmed in more than a dozen herds across six states, with Kansas, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas all reporting infected cows. An infected dairy farm worker in Texas is just the second person in the U.S. to have ever contracted bird flu.
By now, the public could be getting worried. Bird flu in our dairy supply? A human infection? The situation needs careful monitoring and coordination between agencies to ensure the spread is contained. It is also a reminder that viruses excel at catching us by surprise and we must remain vigilant when they start to do new and surprising things.
