Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (Feb 14) said scientists in his country were on the precipice of creating vaccines to cure cancer that could soon be available to patients.
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Speaking at a Moscow forum on future technologies,Putin made the rather remarkable claim that may have the potential to revolutionise the medical field.
"We have come very close to the creation of so-calledcancervaccines and immunomodulatory drugs of a new generation," said Putin in the televised address.
"I hope that soon they will be effectively used as methods of individual therapy," Putin added, although he did not specify which type pf cancer the proposed vaccines would target.
While a number of countries have been working to develop cancer vaccines, it is the first time that any state of head has made such a bold claim.
In the UK, the Tory government last year signed an agreement withGermany-based BioNTech to launch clinical trials providing "personalised cancer treatments", aiming to reach 10,000 patients by 2030.
Meanwhile, US pharma giants Moderna andMerck & Co, during the mid-stage study of a cancer vaccine said it cut thechance of recurrence or death from melanoma - the most deadly skin cancer - by half after three years of treatment.
Russia developing a vaccine for cancer should not come as a surprise. During the coronavirus pandemic, Moscow developed the Sputnik vaccine which showed encouraging efficacy results when administeredto the general public.
Putinhimself said he had taken Sputnik, in a bid to assure people of its efficacy and safety.Consequently, the vaccine was sold to a number of countries across the globe.
Watch |NY Post report: Putin to temporarily handover power to loyalist to undergo cancer treatment
For themajor part of last year, western media reports claimed that Putin had contracted cancer and that his health was deteriorating.
A video went viral on social media that showed Putin being unable to control his twitching feet during a conversation with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.
Also read |'I didn't get full satisfaction': Putin surprised by lack of 'sharp questions' during Tucker Carlson interview
However, putting the rumour mills to rest,Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, in October, denied the claims, adding that Putin was fit and well.
"I can tell you that he has no doubles, and with regards to work and so on, this is already an absurd informational hoax that is discussed by some media with vigorous tenacity. It makes me nothing but smile," Peskov said.
(With inputs from agencies)
BOSTON and LEXINGTON, Mass., Feb. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Program has awarded, through the Medical CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear] Defense Consortium (MCDC) requirement 22-05, "Adjuvant Activity to Vaccines Prototype," a 5-year contract totaling up to $31 million including program options to the team of Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and SaponiQx, Inc. (a subsidiary of Agenus Inc.,NASDAQ:AGEN) to discover and develop next-generation vaccine adjuvants. Partners in adjuvant discovery and development since 2021, Ginkgo, which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and SaponiQx, developing a visionary adjuvant development platform, will use a combination of high-throughput empirical and artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches, including Generative Molecular Design (GMD), to develop superior novel saponin-based adjuvants.
Adjuvants are components of vaccines that help to enhance the magnitude, breadth, and duration of the immune response to vaccination. Currently, only a handful of adjuvants are available for human use in licensed vaccines. SaponiQx's STIMULON QS-21 is a key adjuvant component in market-leading vaccines for shingles, malaria, and respiratory syncytial virus. Novel adjuvants with enhanced properties, including tailored humoral and cellular immune responses, could pave the way for a new wave of innovative vaccines against existing and emerging pathogens.
"The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the critical need for safe, effective, and accessible vaccines against emerging biothreat agents," said Jennifer Wipf, SVP, Head of Commercial Cell Engineering at Ginkgo Bioworks. "Imagine a future where vaccines are not only more affordable but also provide consistent protection in fewer doses, without causing discomfort or requiring refrigeration. We're very excited by this opportunity to strengthen and expand the SaponiQxGinkgo partnership and to work with DTRA to make that future a reality."
"Building on our achievements with STIMULON QS-21, SaponiQx is excited to realize our company's founding vision of harnessing the potential of Generative Molecular Design to dramatically increase access to lifesaving vaccines around the world," said Rebecca Kurnat, Head of Operations at SaponiQx.
The partners aim to demonstrate in the laboratory and in animal studies the ability of these novel adjuvants to protect against challenges from biothreat agents, such as the plague, and to provide lower cost, sustainable and scalable manufacturing processes by leveraging Ginkgo's leading platform for cell programming. The partners intend to design candidate adjuvants using SaponiQx's leading platform for adjuvant generation, and to identify additional candidates by screening natural extracts for previously uncharacterized saponins and creating non-natural saponins with enzyme-based techniques. Harnessing a first-of-its-kind "data lake" for adjuvants, they plan to use iterative GMD to propose and optimize adjuvant structures against eight functional parameters. Adjuvant candidates will be put through in-depth testing, first in the laboratory for immune and toxicity responses, and then in studies of their effectiveness in protecting vaccinated animals from pathogens; QS-21 and the related QS-7 will serve as benchmarks.
By leveraging Ginkgo's leading platform for cell programming, the partners also intend to develop more affordable, sustainable, and scalable adjuvant manufacturing processes. Ginkgo will develop a first-generation Adjuvant Development Candidate (ADC) production method, using a heterologous production strain such as brewers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ginkgo's platform powers iterative DesignBuildTestLearn-driven cell engineering to enable the rapid prototyping, optimization, and development of proteins, enzymes, metabolic pathways, and whole organisms under commercial-scale manufacturing conditions. Development of a first-generation ADC production method could facilitate further development of a sustainable mass-production manufacturing process for these complex adjuvants.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visitginkgobioworks.com andconcentricbyginkgo.com, read ourblog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (formerly known as Twitter) (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks and @ConcentricByGinkgo), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks) orLinkedIn.
About SaponiQx
Founded in 2021, SaponiQx, a subsidiary of Agenus Inc., stands at the forefront of saponin-based adjuvant discovery and manufacturing. Its mission is to provide scalable and affordable vaccine adjuvants to enhance global health. Its proprietary adjuvant, STIMULON QS-21, forms an integral part of the AS01 adjuvant used in several leading vaccines. STIMULON is a trademark of Agenus Inc., the parent company of SaponiQx Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the capabilities and potential success of Ginkgo's cell programming platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vi) our ability to realize the expected benefits of merger and acquisition transactions, (vii) the outcome of any legal proceedings against Ginkgo, including as a result of recent acquisitions, (viii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs, (ix) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, and (x) the product development or commercialization success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on November 8, 2023 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:
[emailprotected]
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:
[emailprotected]
Forward-Looking Statements of SaponiQx
This press release includes forward-looking statements, subject to risks and uncertainties, concerning the development of vaccines and adjuvants. Refer to the Risk Factors in Agenus' latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for a detailed discussion of these risks.
SAPONIQX MEDIA CONTACT:
communications@saponiqx.com
SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks
This article has been reviewed according to ScienceX's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
by Hackensack Meridian Health
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First-year Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) student Elizabeth Titova leveraged her background in phlebotomy and scientific research to publish a new clinical study around COVID-19 vaccination in Microbiology Spectrum.
In her study, Titova found that while naturally stronger in immunocompetent individuals, the immunocompromised population"especially cancer patients undergoing treatment"still received a "robust immune response" from the vaccine, indicating protection against SARS-CoV-2.
This response would impact both likelihood of infection, as well as the possibility of the disease's progression into its potentially-deadly complications, most prevalent in those with comorbidities including immune deficiency.
The study's importance in the medical community is in providing clinicians with new evidence that vaccinations are still of beneficial effect to immunocompromised patients. This is a notion often questioned by practitioners and patients, alike, since the vaccine's advent in December 2020.
"I was ecstatic to hear that all our efforts have finally come to fruition," said Titova. "These are important results that we collected and analyzed during a global health crisis. We have done our part to bolster the scientific literature."
Titova, of Fair Lawn, N.J., was a scientist and clinical research coordinator for two years at Hackensack Meridian Health's Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), completing her 2023 research study before beginning her med school career. She recruited more than 600 patients to assess T-cell and antibody responses in COVID-19 vaccinated patients with special focus on immunocompromised individuals.
Her research was completed in partnership with HMH's John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) and with clinical laboratory firm Quest Diagnostics.
"This was truly a team effort. I want to thank the JTCC clinical team for its help in patient recruitment," said Titova. "I also want to thank the Quest team for helping in every aspect of the process, from coordinating sample collection to assisting with analysis and moving the paper forward to publication."
Titova has been published as a research scientist since first beginning with the CDI, gaining publication and co-authorship in journals such as Viruses, reinforcing the theories of COVID-19 vaccination importance among today's commonly accepted best practices for stemming the tide of the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
"In her two years working at the CDI, I've personally witnessed so much potential already realized in her career path," said David Perlin, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive vice president of the CDI. "I know she'll be a phenomenal clinician through the same dedication and passion she demonstrated in the lab."
"Elizabeth's reputation in medical research preceded her as she chose to chart a path to becoming a physician," said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., president and dean of HMSOM. "We are lucky to have such an accomplished and dedicated student on campus, advancing medical science."
More information: Elizabeth Titova et al, Humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 post-vaccination in immunocompetent and immunocompromised cancer populations, Microbiology Spectrum (2024). DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02050-23
Provided by Hackensack Meridian Health
15 February 2024, 12:00 GMT
Image source, Science Photo Library
England is now seeing clusters of measles cases across a number of regions including London, the North West, Yorkshire, The Humber and the East Midlands, as well as the West Midlands.
There have been 166 cases in the last month, with 56 of those in the last week, latest figures reveal.
Measles is highly contagious and is likely to keep spreading unless more people are vaccinated, experts warn.
Symptoms include a rash and fever.
The West Midlands accounted for about half of the 166 cases seen since 15 January, mostly in Birmingham. Case numbers in that region now appear to be stabilising.
Incident Room: Measles Outbreak: Why now?
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Many of the infections have been in children and young people.
Measles is almost entirely preventable with vaccination using the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, from the UK Health Security Agency, said: "As expected, due to worryingly low MMR vaccine uptake in some areas across the country, we are now starting to see clusters of cases in other regions.
"While parents are coming forward to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine for their children, there are still hundreds of thousands of children who remain unprotected, and therefore remain at risk of serious complications or lifelong disability.
"I strongly urge parents to take up the offer of the MMR vaccine now to make sure their child is protected."
Measles is caused by a virus that is spread by coughs and sneezes.
Small white spots may appear inside the mouth
A blotchy red or brown rash usually appears after a few days, typically on the face and behind the ears, before spreading to the rest of the body.
It can be harder to see on brown and black skin.
You can catch it any age if you have not been vaccinated.
After both MMR vaccine doses, 99% of people are protected against measles and rubella, and 88% are protected against mumps.
The first MMR dose is usually given at 12 months old, while the second jab is administered at about three years and four months.
The number of young primary school children who have had both doses of the MMR vaccine is below World Health Organization targets.
Approximately 85% of children in England in 2022-23 had received two MMR doses by their fifth birthday, the lowest level since 2010-11. The recommended figure is 95%.
That means a few million children under the age of 16 have not had both doses and are potentially at risk.
Measles normally clears up within seven to 10 days. However, complications can include pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures. For some people, it is deadly.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A fiery debate over public health and personal rights gripped Puerto Rico this week, intensifying Wednesday when legislators clashed with medical experts.
The debate began earlier this month after the administrator of Puerto Ricos House of Representatives announced the mandatory use of face masks, following various COVID-19 cases reported in the seaside Capitol building.
One conservative legislator, Lisie Burgos, refused to wear a mask and was removed from a hearing last week, prompting her to file a lawsuit on Monday that has yet to be resolved. Later that day a judge ordered that, in the meantime, the islands House of Representatives should not prohibit, prevent or interfere with Burgos right to attend meetings.
Many were outraged by the ruling, noting that the island of 3.2 million people is reporting some 1,100 COVID-19 cases a day, with nearly 25% of tests returning a positive result. Last November, Puerto Ricos government also declared a flu epidemic.
Hours after the judges ruling on Monday, the president of the House of Representatives declared a state of emergency and announced that all sessions would be held virtually until the end of February.
Puerto Ricos Senate has said it is not considering similar measures.
As representatives gathered behind their computer screens this week, they tackled a proposed bill that would eliminate vaccine requirements for schoolchildren younger than 5, a proposal that further enflamed the ongoing health debate.
On Wednesday, medical experts condemned the bill.
This bill, in essence, inserts the state into an anti-science, ideological current that has been gaining followers in what has been described as a new age of obscurantism, said Dr. Carlos Daz Vlez, president of Puerto Ricos Association of Surgeons.
Other doctors testified about the safety and need for vaccines. Waleska Crespo, president of an association of private high schools and universities, echoed their concerns.
Its the government that mainly has to protect the fundamental right to health, she said.
The bill was submitted by Burgos, member of a small conservative party, and four other legislators who represent Puerto Ricos two biggest political parties. They argue that parents or legal guardians who do not believe in vaccination for religious purposes or other reasons should be exempt.
Backing the bill was Carlos Prez Toro, a Catholic priest, who spoke at Wednesdays hearing.
The lack of informing parents, so they are the ones who ultimately decide what is best for the health of their children, led to government decisions on forced vaccination that were often not based on the need to protect the school community from contagious diseases, he said.
The hearings over the bill are ongoing, with several legislators vowing to fight its approval as well as the pending lawsuit filed by Burgos rejecting the face mask requirement.
Wyoming patients getting blood transfusions could soon have a choice whether or not to use blood from someone whos had a COVID-19 or messenger RNA vaccine. However, multiple blood transfusion groups and the FDA say there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines harm people via blood transfusions.
House Bill 115 Donated blood-mRNA disclosure dictates that this decision would only apply in non-emergency situations, but the bill is part of a movement in the U.S. to give patients opposed to COVID vaccines an option.
That includes a failed bill in Montana last year to ban blood donations from those vaccinated against COVID-19, and a failed bill to give individuals a choice to have a blood transfusion from an unvaccinated blood donor in Connecticut.
House Bill 115, sponsored by nurse practitioner Rep. Sarah Penn (R-Lander), would require people collecting blood donations to ask donors whether theyve ever had a COVID-19 vaccine or an mRNA vaccine. If donors say yes, their blood must be conspicuously marked.
After all that, when someone in need of blood is at the hospital in a non-emergency situation, theyd have the right to choose whether to use the marked blood or not as long as the requested blood is available.
The legislation came from concerns over new mRNA treatments, Penn said.
Many have strived to keep their bodies free of this technology, she wrote in an email. They have had family members and friends suffer complications from mRNA therapies. The adverse effects are being increasingly documented in the literature.
Penn went on to list complications of COVID-19 vaccines like myocarditis an inflammation of the heart tissue in explaining her reasoning behind blood labeling.
We cannot confidently say that there isnt risk, she wrote. The burden of proof is on those claiming its safety and we do not have the proof.
Alternately, organizations like the American Red Cross and Americas Blood Centers argue theres no proof of a risk from these transfusions.
Its impossible to prove a negative, Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies Chief Medical Officer Dr. Claudia Cohn told WyoFile. Nonetheless, if you look at a disproportionate number of people who have received this mRNA vaccine and have been given blood, and people who have received that blood, theres no evidence of harm. So my opinion on the scientific validity of [passing HB 115] is it does not exist.
Meanwhile, there is clear evidence of blood shortages from donors nationwide.
While rare, there have been documented cases around the country of people demanding blood from those who havent received COVID-19 vaccines.
These same [U.S.] patients, some of whom are likely to imminently require blood, have refused to consent to transfusion unless they can be assured that the blood donor did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of the risk of morbidity and mortality, researchers stated in a paper published in 2021 in the British Journal of Haematology.
Those same researchers said pandering to people demanding blood from unvaccinated donors could open the door to other unscientific demands like blood from a particular race or sex.
Wyomings proposed legislation is narrowly focused, Penn said, adding I simply want to make sure that mRNA is identified specifically.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends people whove been vaccinated against COVID-19 still donate blood, though it suggests a short waiting period for certain types of vaccines, excluding the mRNA vaccine.
Many have strived to keep their bodies free of this technology.
Meanwhile, the American Red Cross, Americas Blood Centers and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies issued a joint statement last year, stating transfusions from people whove been vaccinated are safe and that vaccine components dont replicate via transfusions or alter blood recipients DNA.
[T]here is no scientific evidence that demonstrates adverse outcomes from the transfusions of blood products collected from vaccinated donors and, therefore, no medical reason to distinguish or separate blood donations from individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccination, the group said.
AABB even published a flyer to help doctors who were hearing concerns from patients about getting blood from vaccinated donors something thats happening around the continent and the globe.
Theres also the issue of blood crossing state lines.
Blood is moved across states all the time, Dr. Cohn with AABB said. And so if Wyoming is to receive blood from neighboring states, then those bags will not be labeled.
Beyond that, Cohn said, items on labels attached to blood donations like the markings mentioned in HB 115 result from FDA confirmation tests. Labeling means that an FDA approved test has been run, Cohn said. And the results of that test are required on the blood bag label. And there is no FDA approved test to look for the vaccine in donor blood.
Even if that issue was overcome, Cohn said, people could lie on donation forms and theres no test to fact-check them.
People can already lie on blood donation forms, Penn said. But there are at least tests to check for proven dangers like HIV, Cohn noted.
We may not achieve perfection but we can begin the process to take one more step towards safety, Penn said in an email.
People can donate blood to their future selves or get direct donations from friends and family they trust, but Cohn noted that these requests are only granted when medically necessary in many institutions like if someone has a rare blood type.
Its a logistical nightmare, she said, pointing to her work at the University of Minnesota hospitals blood bank. We release hundreds of units [of blood] a day. And if we have to segregate a unit for a single patient [while shifts come and go], the chance that theres a mistake is greater.
The FDA has its own issues with direct donations used to avoid blood from vaccinated donors, saying they lack scientific support.
Blood donor supplies are already low, with only about 3% of eligible donors giving, Cohn added.
After the airplane industry, Ive been told that we are the most regulated industry in the United States, she said of blood donor organizations. Imposing additional levels of needless regulation will only hurt the blood supply.
Last month, the Red Cross even offered the chance to win Super Bowl tickets for those who donated in light of yet another emergency blood shortage, citing the lowest number of donors in 20 years.
The American Red Cross is also specifically opposing HB 115, writing in an email that it creates unnecessary barriers to accessing blood transfusions.
Blood is an essential, lifesaving medicine, the organization stated. Unlike other drugs, blood cannot be manufactured to meet demand.
There are multiple bills this legislative session aimed at those who dont trust vaccines and vaccine requirements. Below is a list of those WyoFile identified as of Wednesday.
For more legislative coverage click here.
Media Advisory
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Women who receive an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination or booster during pregnancy can provide their infants with strong protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infection for at least six months after birth, according to a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. These findings, published in Pediatrics, reinforce the importance of receiving both a COVID-19 vaccine and booster during pregnancy to ensure that infants are born with robust protection that lasts until they are old enough to be vaccinated.
COVID-19 is especially dangerous for newborns and young infants, and even healthy infants are vulnerable to COVID-19 and are at risk for severe disease. No COVID-19 vaccines currently are available for infants under six months old. Earlier results from the Multisite Observational Maternal and Infant COVID-19 Vaccine (MOMIv-Vax) study revealed that when pregnant volunteers received both doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, antibodies induced by the vaccine could be found in their newborns cord blood. This suggested that the infants likely had some protection against COVID-19 when they were still too young to receive a vaccine. However, researchers at the NIAID-funded Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC), which conducted the study, did not know how long these antibody levels would last or how well the infants would actually be protected. The research team hoped to gather this information by following the infants through their first six months of life.
In this portion of the study, researchers analyzed data from 475 infants born while their pregnant mothers were enrolled in the MOMI-Vax study. The study took place at nine sites across the United States. It included 271 infants whose mothers had received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. The remaining 204 infants in the study were born to mothers who had received both doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine as well as a COVID-19 booster. To supplement data gathered during pregnancy and at birth, the infants were evaluated during at least one follow-up visit during their first six months after birth. Parents also reported whether their infants had become infected or had demonstrated COVID-19 symptoms.
Based on blood samples from the infants, the researchers found that newborns with high antibody levels at birth also had greater protection from COVID-19 infection during their first six months. While infants of mothers who received two COVID-19 vaccine doses had a robust antibody response at birth, infants whose mothers had received an additional booster dose during pregnancy had both higher levels of antibodies at birth and greater protection from COVID-19 infection at their follow-up visits.
While older children and adults should continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, this study highlights how much maternal vaccination can benefit newborns too young to take advantage of the vaccine: During the course of this study, none of the infants examined required hospitalization for COVID-19. Researchers will continue to evaluate the data from the MOMI-Vax study for further insights concerning COVID-19 protection in infants.
CV Cardemil et al. Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination and Prevention of Symptomatic Infection in Infants. Pediatrics DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-064252 (2024).
Cristina Cardemil, M.D., a medical officer in NIAIDs Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, is available to comment.
To schedule interviews, please contact Elizabeth Deatrick, (301) 402-1663, NIAIDNews@niaid.nih.gov.
NIAID conducts and supports researchat NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwideto study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIHTurning Discovery Into Health
###
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The coronavirus pandemic has caused many Americans to worry about side effects from vaccines. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says shes heard horror stories.
All kinds of injuries, miscarriages, heart attacks, myocarditis, permanent disabilities, neurological problems, Greene said.
Talk like that makes Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) angry.
Its shameful that members of Congress continue to put down vaccinations as an opportunity to get our communities healthier, Garcia said.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup insists, the vaccines were effective and safe, and the real problem is communication.
Public perception becomes reality. And because of that, words matter, Wenstrup said. So, now we have a society that thinks that the polio vaccine and the other vaccines arent necessarily safe and effective.
Experts with the FDA agree it is necessary to reassure the public of the safety of vaccines and ensure their effectiveness.
If we want to maintain confidence in the vaccines and the other medical products that we authorize or approve, we must have very robust safety surveillance systems in place, Peter Marks, FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) says the CDC and FDA need to avoid mistakes and shut down misinformation to save more lives.
Public health response of the federal government makes a huge difference in terms of health outcomes for the American people, Raskin said.
Russian scientists are close to creating vaccines for cancer which can soon be available to patients, said President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Putin stated during a televised address that we are on the verge of developing what are commonly referred to as cancer vaccines and next-generation immunomodulatory drugs.
Putin added that he hopes these methods will soon be effectively utilized as individual therapy options, speaking at a Moscow forum on future technologies.
Putin refrained from specifying the types of cancer that the proposed vaccines would target, as well as their mechanisms of action.
Multiple countries and corporations are actively engaged in the development of cancer vaccines. In the previous year, the UK government forged an agreement with Germany-based BioNTech to initiate clinical trials for delivering personalized cancer treatments, intending to reach 10,000 patients by 2030.
Moderna and Merck & Co, pharmaceutical giants, are in the process of developing an experimental cancer vaccine. A mid-stage study has revealed promising results, indicating that the vaccine reduced the likelihood of recurrence or mortality from melanomathe deadliest form of skin cancerby fifty percent after three years of treatment.
According to a report by news agency Reuters, the World Health Organization reports that there are presently six licensed vaccines targeting human papillomaviruses (HPV), which are responsible for numerous cancers such as cervical cancer. Additionally, vaccines against hepatitis B (HBV), a virus linked to liver cancer, are available.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Russia introduced its own COVID-19 vaccine called Sputnik V, which was exported to several countries. However, within Russia, there was notable public hesitancy towards vaccination.
To instill confidence in the vaccines effectiveness and safety, Putin himself disclosed that he had received the Sputnik V vaccine.
Over the last few years, the general assumption has been that a Covid infection or vaccination is likely to buy you a few months of protection. But any time we get a new variant that is especially adept at evading the immune system, like JN.1, that assumption gets thrown into question.
JN.1 currently accounts for about 93 percent of cases nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its unusual for a single variant to make up almost all cases, but JN.1s dominance gives us a unique window into the risk of reinfection for many people.
If you had Covid when cases rose over the summer, or if you received the updated vaccine in the fall, heres what to know.
You may be vulnerable to reinfection if you were infected over the summer, when earlier variants drove an uptick in cases.
That doesnt mean youll definitely get sick. You should have some protection, for sure, said Aubree Gordon, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. Immunity is an individual cocktail that stems from how many times youve been previously infected, your vaccination history, underlying medical conditions and more. People who are 65 and older, immunocompromised or who have underlying medical conditions are generally at greater risk of reinfection, said Fikadu Tafesse, a virologist at Oregon Health & Science University.
If a person is exposed to the same variant or a very similar one in the months that follow a bout of Covid, their body is often equipped to recognize and combat it before it can cause an infection. Scientists disagree on exactly how long that protection lasts, but estimates range from around two to six months.
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