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An experimental vaccine may one day offer an alternative to antibiotics for the prevention of chronic urinary tract infections in people with a history of this problem, according to preliminary results from a long-term study.
The study tested the pineapple-flavored oral MV140 vaccine, also called Uromune, thats designed to be sprayed under the tongue. For the study, scientists asked 89 men and women with a history of UTIs to take two sprays of the vaccine daily for three months.
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Before having the vaccine, all our participants suffered with recurrent UTIs, and for many women, these can be difficult to treat, said Bob Yang, MD, who co-led the study and serves as a consultant urologist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, in the statement.
None of the participants had UTIs when they initially started treatment with the vaccine. Two in five of them received additional doses of the vaccine one or two years after their initial course of treatment.
Researchers didnt report any side effects associated with the vaccine, according to the statement.
Overall, this vaccine is safe in the long term and our participants reported having fewer UTIs that were less severe, Dr. Yang said in the statement. Many of those who did get a UTI told us that simply drinking plenty of water was enough to treat it.
While the results are preliminary and will need to be verified by additional trials, Yang said its possible primary care providers might one day be able to prescribe a three-month course of the vaccine to prevent repeated UTIs in people who have a history of these infections.
It could be a game changer for UTI prevention if its offered widely, reducing the need for antibiotic treatments, Yang said in the statement.
But U.S. patients will have a long wait. The vaccine is still experimental, and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Even so, the results so far suggest the vaccine has the potential to dramatically transform care for the better, says J. Curtis Nickel, MD, a professor emeritus at Queens University and a urologist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Ontario.
Recurrent UTI causes significant patient burden in terms of pain, disability, urinary symptoms, antibiotic side effects, time off work and activities, psychological issues like depression and anxiety, and stress and increases personal and societal antibiotic resistance, Dr. Nickel says. MV140 is more effective and has fewer side effects than the present treatment and preventative modality, [which is] antibiotics.
With growing concern among biologists about the spread of the so-called bird flu to cattle in the U.S., the worry now is that more humans could catch the virus.
Author: kvue.com
Published: 10:15 PM CDT April 11, 2024
Updated: 10:15 PM CDT April 11, 2024
HPV routine vaccination at Cana Primary school.
Last year, Eswatini applied for the GAVI grant which is meant to assist the country scale up the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive that was launched in June 2023. Eswatini is one of the countries with a high cervical cancer burden in the Africa region with about 360 new cases recorded each year of which one in three succumb as a result of late detection. To counter this, Eswatini is currently making efforts to screen and treat all women with confirmed cervical cancer to initiate improved chances of survival. Currently, more than 2000 women are living with cervical cancer in the country, with more than 700 cancer-related deaths recorded in the past five years. Speaking during the launch, Dr Dalya Elziniy - GAVI representative appreciated Eswatinis efforts in the fight against cervical cancer.
It's effectiveness can't be overstated. GAVI are honoured to support countries to fight cancer . Eswatini is a champion among the middle income countries for making such strong steps and making commitment to fight cancer Dalya, GAVI.
In 2023, Eswatini launched the HPV campaign targeting girls between the ages of 9 and 14. HPV vaccines are both safe and highly effective in preventing HPV types 16 and 18, which are together responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancer cases globally. The vaccines are also highly efficacious in preventing precancerous cervical lesions caused by these virus types.
The aim of the partnership is to strengthen and sustain the HPV program to increase coverage. We appreciate the support by GAVI and hope it will be extended beyond the HPV vaccine. I would like to reiterate that all immunization services are free and accessible to all. I urge the public to visit the nearest health facility to receive vaccination including COVID-19 vaccine Minister of Health Mduduzi Matesebula
The HPV vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer if it is administered before girls or women are exposed to the virus.The incidence of HPV is fuelled by high HIV rates, driving up cervical cancer case numbers and deaths.
"We thank the Government of Eswatini for the strong political will and commitment in procuring 100% of vaccines including the HPV vaccine. We appreciate the leadership displayed by government in the introduction of new vaccines, including the recently introduced HPV vaccine which shows the strong commitment of the Government to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3, that seeks to promote good health and leaving no one behind. The introduction of HPV vaccine is an important step towards Eswatinis wider efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality in women from cervical cancer as you may be aware that cervical cancer is a leading cause of death among women in the region and globally Dr Susan Tembo- WHO Representative
GAVI and WHO also used the project launch opportunity to visit select schools to appreciate the vaccine drives that are currently ongoing all over the country.
The growing concern around meningitis and what you can do to prevent infection.
The brain has three layers that serve to cover and protect it from trauma and disease, collectively called the meninges. Meningitis is a preventable but serious infection resulting from inflammation of the fluid and meninges surrounding the brain. It is spread when people share prolonged contact with an infected persons throat or respiratory droplets such as saliva or spit when coughing or kissing, for example.
On March 28, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement warning healthcare professionals of a recent increase in meningococcal disease in the United States. As of March 2024, the CDC reported 143 cases of meningitis in the United States, compared to just 81 cases reported by this same time in 2023. The CDC also reports that the current dominant strain of meningitis disproportionately affects those 30-60 years old, those living with HIV, and Black or African American people. Those who live with an infected person, such as a roommate or family member, are also at an increased risk of contracting meningitis.
While meningitis is rare, it is a serious infection that can lead to death in 10-15% of cases, often within the first 24 to 48 hours after symptoms begin. The most common cause in the United States is from a viral infection, although meningitis can also be caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Common symptoms of meningitis include a high fever, photophobia, severe headache, neck stiffness, confusion, and vomiting. Timely medical care and antibiotic administration is central to treatment for yourself and those who have been around you for a prolonged period of time.
An important step to protect yourself and others from contracting meningitis is to get one of the three meningococcal vaccines that are available for use in the United States. The CDC recommends that meningococcal vaccines be given starting as early as two months or 10 years old, depending on the individual situation. Vaccines are also encouraged for adults, particularly for those living in close quarters with others, such as college dorms. To determine the exact age and what vaccine is right for you or your child, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your options.
If you need help finding a doctor, try searching for primary care physicians in your area that are highly recommended, search your insurance providers website for doctors in your network, or ask for recommendations from friends and neighbors. There are also search enginesthat can help you narrow your search based on region and specialty needed.
To find a vaccine, check with your primary care physician, local health departments, pharmacies, and clinics. You can also visit https://www.vaccines.gov to locate a vaccine clinic near you.
If you would like to learn more about vaccines, check out Michigan State University ExtensionsMichigan Vaccine Project to find links to event schedules, podcasts, publications, webinars, and videos relating to vaccine education.
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Pfizer Inc.s RSV shot produced immune reactions in young adults at higher risk of severe illness just as well as in older people, spurring the companys plans to apply for wider U.S. approval.
A single dose of the vaccine, called Abrysvo, produced a strong immune response in adults ages 18 to 59 with conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or chronic lung disease, Pfizer said. Based on the final-stage trial results, the company plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration to extend the shots approval to adults 18 and older.
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a flu-like illness that affects elderly adults and babies most severely. The market for adult vaccines alone could reach $11 billion by 2032, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, making it a lucrative target for drugmakers like Pfizer as sales of COVID-19 shots fade. Last year, Pfizer and GSK Plc were the first companies to reach the US market with RSV vaccines, and another made by Moderna is expected to gain U.S. approval next month.
Read More: How to Get RSV Vaccines to Those Who Need Them Most
Pfizers vaccine is now approved for adults 60 and up, as well as for use in pregnant women to protect newborns for up to six months after birth; sales were $890 million last year. Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in January that he was committed to stepping up efforts to take more market share for the vaccine in 2024.
No shots have yet been approved to prevent RSV in high-risk adults ages 18 and up, though Moderna is also running a trial in a similar population. Generally, these young adults dont get as seriously ill from the virus as older people and babies do. The company is also conducting a study in immunocompromised patients 18 and older and expects to share results later this year.
Read More: The New RSV Drug Keeps Babies Out of the Hospital
Usage in younger adults would ultimately depend on the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. If the vaccine were approved, the committee would have the flexibility to modify recommendations as appropriate, said Iona Munjal, executive director of clinical vaccines R&D at Pfizer.
GSK is exploring the possibility of running a clinical trial in patients younger than 50, but is currently focused on adult populations with the highest risk of RSV, according to a spokesperson. The companyhas already filedfor FDA approval to extend RSV vaccination to adults 50 to 59 years old who are at increased risk of disease.
Pfizers trial included 681 people, roughly two-thirds of whom got one dose of the vaccine while one-third received a placebo.
A rapid rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024 threatens the United States' elimination status, a situation the nation hasn't faced since 2019, when prolonged outbreaks posed a similar problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.
CDC scientists from the group spelled out the warning today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In their analysis of measles activity from January 1, 2020, to March 28, 2024, they said cases in the first quarter of 2024 have risen 17-fold compared to the mean first-quarter average from 2020 to 2023.
As of the March 28 data cutoff, 97 cases had been reported to the CDC. In its latest update, which includes infections reported through April 4, the CDC confirmed 113 cases from 18 jurisdictions. Of 20 outbreaks involving 3 or more cases reported since 2020, 7 have occurred in 2024.
Maintaining measles elimination statuswhich helps reduce cases, deaths, and costsmeans that no outbreaks have persisted for 12 months or more in a setting where the surveillance system is working well.
The last threat to US elimination status occurred in 2019, which saw two prolonged outbreaks in undervaccinated communities in New York City and elsewhere in New York state.
Because of the brisk pace in activity in 2024 so far, more activities are needed to increase measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage, especially in close-knit and undervaccinated communities, the CDC said. It said other steps are also needed to maintain measles elimination. "These activities include encouraging vaccination before international travel and rapidly investigating suspected measles cases."
Most cases are still considered imported; however, of those, 61% were in US residents who were eligible for vaccination but were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
The CDC is also seeing a shift this year in the overseas regions where people were likely exposed. During the study period, the two most common World Health Organization (WHO) regions were the Eastern Mediterranean (Middle East) and Africa. However, six of the 2024 cases were reported to have originated in the European and Southeast Asia regionsa 50% increase from earlier in the study period.
Along with undervaccination in some of the US population, a global gap in measles vaccination is also fueling the rise in cases, the CDC said. According to global estimates, first-dose coverage declined from 86% in 2019 to 83% in 2022, leaving nearly 22 million children younger than 1 year vulnerable to the virus.
In related developments, the Detroit Health Department yesterday reported a measles case involving a 4-year-old child, the fifth case reported in Michigan this year.
The announcement didn't say how the child was exposed. The child's family is following isolation protocols, and no related cases have been reported, so far. The health department warned of potential exposure at three locations where the child was taken for medical care.
Health officials identified the suspected infection on April 3, and tests confirmed the case on April 9.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported 3 more cases this week, raising the city's total to 61, most of them linked to an ongoing outbreak at a migrant shelter.
Congressman David Schweikert introduced a bill that would provide a prize for the successful development of a vaccine "to prevent, treat, or mitigate opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, or alcohol use disorder."
The draft legislation, H.R. 7827, referred to the committee on March 26, would also require the health and human services secretary to give "priority review" for regulatory approval to any anti-drug vaccine candidate and reward the first successful applicant with public funds.
While vaccines are usually associated with providing increased immunity against pathogens, researchers are already studying whether they could use the same biological mechanisms to stop intoxicants from having an effect on the brain.
The introduction of a bill that hopes to accelerate that work comes at a time when opioidsespecially synthetic ones like fentanylare creating a growing health crisis in the U.S. that lawmakers are struggling to find ways to deal with. According to official figures, there were nearly 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021, around 66 percent of which were attributed to fentanyl.
"I actually have a fascination with synthetic biology technology as a way to disrupt," Schweikert, a Republican representing Arizona, told Newsweek of his motivation for the bill.
"The price of the synthetic opioid has just crashed," he said, "and yet when you meet with the substance abuse counsellors [and] the rehab centers, they almost always start the conversation with that what they deal with today is so different... that these synthetic drugs are very, very different from the drugs we knew a decade ago, or two decades ago."
As such, he hopes the prize he is proposing will ask the question of whether there was "an opportunity to add a tool and bring sobriety back to someone who is truly being crushed by these synthetic drugs."
Experts say that anti-drug vaccines are not only possible, butdepending on the substance they are aiming to counteractare potentially quite promising.
Dr. Thomas Kosten, a professor of psychiatry, pharmacology, neuroscience and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, who specializes in addiction medication and vaccines, said that jabs were possible for any abused substance except alcohol, "because making antibodies using a vaccine against alcohol would not be possible due to the small size of this molecule."
"Any antibody against alcohol would damage many body organs and systems because alcohol occurs on many proteins within your body," he told Newsweek.
Dr. Scott Hadland, a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School, who specializes in addiction, said that while he could not speak on the possibility of an anti-alcohol vaccine being developed, if one was it would be "really powerful" for treating alcoholism.
However, he said any producer would need to ensure "it doesn't cross-react with other things that might sometimes be used in clinical practice, like other medications that might have similar properties to alcohol."
Asked why he included alcohol in the bill's text, Schweikert said there were "a couple of very credible labs still working on an alcohol version" and he was "not going to engage in my arrogance of thinking I know what the future looks like." He added: "If it's a breakthrough, it's a breakthrough."
Scientists at several American universities are currently working to develop vaccines against fentanyl, while a team in Brazil is working on a jab to curtail the effects of cocaine.
According to the National Institutes of Health, in the same way a traditional vaccine stimulates an immune response that produces antibodies capable of binding to proteins on a pathogen's cell wall, these vaccines aim to prompt the body to produce antibodies that stick to drug molecules, making them too big to pass through the blood-brain barrier. This means they cannot cause a high or an overdose, instead being excreted by the body.
Kosten said, though, that the different drugs being targeted had so far yielded different efficacies for the vaccines being trialed. As a general rule, he said, "the more potent the drug, then the less of it that is abused and the more readily can a sufficient amount of antibody be generated from a vaccine to be a competitive inhibitor and hold the drug in the bloodstream."
Vaccines against cocaine and nicotine have already been developed and tested on humans, but Kosten said the antibody response they produced was "not sufficiently high in many humans to be clinically useful."
Meanwhile, vaccines against a highly potent opioid like fentanyl "is quite possible," the addiction vaccine expert said, as "a much smaller about of antibody is needed to bind all of the fentanyl and prevent it from entering the brain."
However, he said that it was more difficult for candidate vaccines against heroin and other opioids to generate sufficient levels of antibodies to stop the drug overriding the blood-brain barrier "blockade" they create.
Asked to give a sense of how viable each of these potential jabs were, Kosten said one against fentanyl was "likely to be available within a few years," while ones counteracting the effects of cocaine and methamphetamines could be viable for at least half of the people who might be given them, who he noted "currently have no FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approved medications."
Hadland told Newsweek that even though vaccine acceptance "has been a bit of a challenge" since the coronavirus pandemic, who would want an anti-drug jab would depend partly on how long they worked for.
"Chances are the right patient is going to be somebody who is early in recovery and is at risk for relapse," he said, adding that families and teens with parents who have struggled with addiction may want to be vaccinated "as a way to insulate them against the potential that they do try opioids and have a problem with them."
The medical professor said that a vaccine for fentanyl would be "exceptionally helpful," but questioned whether it would also provide protection against other, similar synthetic opioids.
There is a clear need for effective treatments for drug addiction, and a number of anti-drug vaccine candidates in development that pharmaceutical producers could capitalize onso why is a cash prize for creating one necessary?
Schweikert said some of the laboratories working on these vaccines were not particularly well funded, but added that the "primary focus of the legislation is to speed up adoption through the FDA."
"If there is a breakthrough, if it has the efficacy, what are the tools that a policymaker in Congress has to help it get to the market, to get to the publicto get to those who need itas quickly and as efficiently as possible?" he explained. "So it's a combination of change in the priority stack at the FDA and then also the additional focus I think you get when you offer a prize."
The bill text says the prize money should be a billion dollars, subject to funding availability, but Schweikert said this was a "blank that is to be filled in." He said he was currently speaking to vaccine researchers, potential investors and addiction non-profits about how much they think is needed to give a potentially successful jab the boost it needs.
A critic might argue, though, that whatever amount of public funds it turns out to be would be better spent on existing prevention and treatment programs, which stakeholders have said are vastly underfunded.
But Schweikert argued access to resources "isn't a key issue." Rather, the problem was that "the tools we have right now are from a previous era; they were not ready for this world of synthetic opioids."
Hadland suggested the "devil was in the detail" in terms of where this funding came from. "Vaccines are exceptionally expensive to produce, and so I think we would not want to take those resources away from those other service we know are critical," he said. "If there's a way to have both, then absolutely both would be valuable."
From a practical standpoint, because of their potential limitations, anti-drug vaccines were "not a solution that is going to work for everybody, but there is going to be a subset of patients for whom this is a good option," Hadland said. "It's a tool in the toolbelt; it's not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution, but I think it's going to be something that some people absolutely will want."
"This is a big deal in society, and this [bill] is hopeful," Schweikert said. "When was the last time we had something around addiction that was actually hopeful? And that's one of the reasons for doing this: is we can't keep approaching addition [in] the same way."
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
A COVID-19 vaccine is prepped at an OHSU clinic. New research from OHSU reveals a strong immune response to an updated vaccine in the fall of 2023, suggesting a clear benefit for people receiving updated vaccinations regularly, especially older adults and those with underlying medical conditions. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)
New research using live SARS-CoV-2 virus reveals an updated vaccine provides a strong immune response against previous strains and emerging variants.
The findings by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, published as a preprint in medRxiv, suggest a clear benefit in receiving updated vaccinations on a regular basis, especially among older people or those with underlying medical conditions.
Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D. (OHSU)
"The virus is still circulating, it's continuing to evolve, and it remains dangerous," said co-senior author Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine. "Sooner or later, there will be another variant that evades the immunity we have already built up. Our study demonstrates that it's worthwhile to update our immune repertoire."
As the pandemic has receded from public consciousness, vaccine uptake has waned in the U.S., according to federal data.
The new study is the latest in laboratory research at OHSU testing variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The project relies upon more than 2,000 university employees who have volunteered to have their blood drawn before, during and after vaccination. The research project began early in the pandemic with antibody testing.
In the latest study, researchers isolated blood drawn from 55 people before and after they received an updated vaccine beginning last fall that targets the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the omicron variant of the virus.
They found a strong response in terms of the levels of antibodies generated, and their ability to neutralize the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 plus new variants that have emerged since the novel coronavirus arrived in late 2019. Importantly, the vaccine appeared to generate a strong response against the JN.1 variant that is now circulating broadly worldwide suggesting regularly updating the vaccine will be useful in confronting emerging variants.
The study marks another milepost in the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Marcel Curlin, M.D. (OHSU)
"Overall, this work strongly supports use of the updated vaccine," said co-senior author Marcel Curlin, M.D., associate professor of medicine (infectious diseases) in the OHSU School of Medicine and medical director of OHSU Occupational Health. "In the big picture, COVID-19 is not going away but lining up alongside the other common respiratory illnesses such as flu and RSV, which cause relatively mild disease for most people and a lot of harm to a few."
In contrast to most other research studies, OHSU is among the first to test the ability of vaccine-elicited antibodies in blood serum to block infection of a live virus in a biosafety level 3 laboratory.
In addition to Tafesse and Curlin, co-authors include Xammy Huu Nguyenla, Mastura Wahedi, Timothy Bates and Mila Trank-Greene of OHSU.
The work was supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, award R01AI141549. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
In a recent study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, a team of researchers from the United States (U.S.) attempted to understand whether individuals experienced any economic benefits in getting an annual coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, given that the morbidity and mortality rates associated with the disease have decreased and the government no longer covers the vaccine costs.
Study: What is the economic benefit of annual COVID-19 vaccination from the adult individual perspective? Image Credit:eamesBot/ Shutterstock
The rapid development of vaccines to combat the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has helped significantly reduce the disease's severity and limit the transmission of the virus. Although subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge and circulate, the virus's virulence and transmissibility seem to have reduced due to the protection afforded by large-scale vaccination efforts worldwide.
With the drop in hospitalization and mortality rates, COVID-19 is no longer considered a significant public health risk, leading to a substantial decrease in vaccination rates across the U.S. Furthermore, employment organizations and businesses are no longer mandating booster COVID-19 vaccination shots. With the government no longer funding the cost of the vaccine, individuals have to pay for the COVID-19 booster shots either out-of-pocket or through their insurance. However, the gradual decrease in vaccination coverage and waning of infection-induced immunity could influence the control of viral transmission and disease severity.
In the present study, the researchers examined the benefits of getting annual COVID-19 vaccines, similar to the influenza vaccine, from an individual perspective instead of from the perspective of a third-party payer or society, which has already been examined in previous studies. The researchers believe that while the findings might not contribute to recommendations and decisions made by governments or insurance companies, they will help individuals assess the merits of an annual COVID-19 vaccination from their perspective.
The study developed and used a Markov computational simulation model to assess the values and trade-offs of getting the annual vaccine. This model used eight mutually exclusive states of SARS-CoV-2 infections and the economic and clinical outcomes for each state.
The state at which an individual begins is the state of no infection with pre-existing protection from previous vaccinations or infections. Based on factors such as risk of infection, probability of clinical outcomes based on age, and pre-existing protection levels, the model calculates the probability of an individual moving to a COVID-19 state. The model also calculates the probabilities of returning to the non-infected state or developing long COVID based on various levels of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to severe.
These probabilities are calculated twice for each individual, once with and once without the annual COVID-19 vaccination. Minor to severe adverse effects, as well as changing vaccine efficacy, are also factors that are incorporated into the model. The economic measures are calculated based on factors such as loss of productivity due to vaccination absenteeism, mortality, out-of-pocket costs, presenteeism, healthcare visits, and medications. The cost-benefits were calculated for each scenario. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted for varying disease severity based on different SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The results suggested that an individual stood to benefit clinically and economically by getting vaccinated annually against COVID-19. The model showed that adults between the ages of 18 and 49 saved an average of $30 to $603 if they did not have health insurance, while insured individuals of the same age group saved $4 to $437.
These estimates were on the assumption that the efficacy of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 started at greater than or equal to 50%, the individuals interacted with about nine people a day, the infection probability was more significant than or equal to 0.2%, the infection prevalence was 10%, and the conditions were for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 during the winter of 2023-2024.
For individuals between the ages of 50 and 64, the average economic benefits were even higher, with savings of $119 to $1706 and $111 to $1278 for individuals with and without insurance, respectively. Furthermore, in cases where the previous vaccination was nine months ago, and 13.4% of the pre-existing protection remained, the model showed that the risk threshold was greater than or equal to 0.4%.
Overall, the study found that the annual COVID-19 vaccine was economically and clinically beneficial to individuals with or without health insurance. The economic value of getting the COVID-19 vaccine was higher for individuals between 50 and 64 years of age.
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