ST. JOHN The Stafford County Health Department will have a drive-through flu vaccine clinic from 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Health Department, located at 601 E. 1st Ave., St. John. People should drive up to the front parking lot of the building to get a form, then staff will provide the shots while people stay in their vehicles. Bring an insurance card, cash or check. The cost is $25 for a standard dose and $70 for a high dose. For more information call 620-549-3504.
Gay and bisexual men at high risk for mpox infection should get vaccinated for the virus even after the current outbreak ends, government health advisers said Wednesday.
The committees recommendation now goes to the director to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and if she signs off on it is sent out as guidance to U.S. doctors.
More than 30,000 U.S. mpox cases were reported last year. The numberdropped dramatically this year, to about 800. But because the virus doesnt naturally circulate in the U.S., any single case counts as an outbreak, according to the CDC.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus thats in the same family as the one that causes smallpox. It is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals.
The virus was not known to spread easily among people, but casesexplodedin Europe and the U.S. in the spring and summer of 2022, mostly among men who have sex with men. Deaths were rare, but many people suffered painful skin lesions for weeks.
A two-dose vaccine, Jynneos, became a primary weapon in the U.S. Itsrecommendedprimarily for men who have sex with men who have more than one sex partner, who have recently had a sexually transmitted disease, or who are at higher risk for infections through sexual contact for other reasons.
About 500,000 people in the U.S. have gotten the recommended two doses of the vaccine, about a quarter of the 2 million who are eligible, CDC officials said.
The new recommendation may serve to remind people the virus is still out there, and that people can be infected during international travel, CDC officials said.
The daily average of new U.S. cases is one to four per day, though some people likely arent being diagnosed, CDC officials said. Two deaths were reported in September, bringing the total to 54 in the U.S. since mpox hit last year.
San Francisco had more than 800 cases last year, but the count dropped to an average of only one per month in the first half this of year. The number of cases rose to seven in August, 20 last month and at least 10 so far this month.
Things are much better than they were last summer, said Dr. Stephanie Cohen, who oversees STD prevention work at San Franciscos health department. But there are (still) many more cases than there should be.
Topline
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee voted Wednesday to recommend the routine use of Bavarian Nordics mpox vaccine in at-risk adults, paving the way for commercialization and issuing people a reminder that the virus is still circulating after last years outbreak.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend adults at risk of mpox infection receive two shots of Bavarian Nordics Jynneos vaccine on a routine basis.
The panel had previously endorsed the vaccine for use in people at risk of mpox infection during outbreaks only.
Under the previous recommendation, mpox vaccine delivery was covered by the United States government and there were limited opportunities for Bavarian Nordic to commercialize Jynneos.
The recommendations will now be passed to CDC director Mandy Cohen for final approval.
Pending approval, Danish biotech Bavarian Nordic said it is aiming at a commercial launch for Jynneos in the U.S. in the first half of 2024.
Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin said the panels recommendation recognizes the significance of maintaining a high awareness of the disease among risk groups and the importance of ensuring broader access to the vaccine beyond an outbreak situation.
The ACIP vote, reportedly unanimous at 14-0, is not set to be the committees final word on Jynneos. If passed, the group said its recommendation will only provide interim guidance that will be revisited in two to three years. At that point, the virus spread will be evaluated and the costs and benefits of vaccination weighed, it said. The group also noted that clinical trials for Jynneos are underway for teens ages 12 to 17 years, as the shot is only authorized for use in adults.
Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, was known about for decades but rarely seen apart from sporadic outbreaks in some regions of Africa and occasional cases linked to peopleor wildlifethat had been there. The virus, a relative of the eradicated scourge smallpox, largely spreads through close contact with infected people and animals or with contaminated items and surfaces. It can cause painful skin lesions that can last for weeks and, in some cases, kill. It spread globally in the summer of 2022, primarily among men who have sex with men, which revealed a new mode of transmission and symptoms. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in July and as the virus had been ignored by much of the world for so long, there were few countermeasures to target mpox directly. Vaccines like Jynneos that were primarily designed with smallpox in mind were deployed to combat the outbreak, though access to these was not equally distributed and supplies were limited. Since the start of last year, there have been more than 30,000 mpox cases in the U.S. and 54 deaths, according to the CDC, with more than 91,000 cases and 166 confirmed deaths globally. While health agencies have rescinded emergency warnings for mpox, the virus still circulates, particularly in areas with limited access to vaccines and in parts of Africa where outbreaks are still a concern.
2 million. Thats how many people Bavarian Nordic say are eligible for mpox vaccination under the panels recommendations, citing CDC estimates. Bavarian Nordic said only 23% of this group has received the recommended regimen of two shots during the 2022/2023 outbreak, leaving a significant number of people vulnerable to infection with mpox.
Guidelines for who is considered at risk of infection are in line with previous advice. Those considered at risk are people who are gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men or transgender or nonbinary people. Additionally, in the past six months, at-risk people should have had either a new diagnosis for a sexually transmitted infection, more than one sex partner, sex at a commercial sex venue or sex linked to a large public event in a geographic area where mpox transmission is occurring. Sexual partners of people who meet these criteria and people who anticipate meeting them are also considered at risk of infection and eligible for vaccination, according to documents from the CDC meeting.
As Monkeypox Spreads, Heres Who Should Get A VaccineAnd How (Forbes)
The doctor who warned the world of the mpox outbreak of 2022 is still worried (NPR)
I am a senior reporter for the Forbes breaking news team, covering health and science from the London office. Previously I worked as a reporter for a trade publication covering big data and law and as a freelance journalist and policy analyst covering science, tech and health. I have masters degrees in Biological Natural Sciences and the History and Philosophy of Science from Downing College, Cambridge University. Follow me on Twitter @theroberthart or get in touch at rhart@forbes.com
In an attempt to expand its portfolio, Moderna (MRNA) is developing an updated COVID-19 vaccine that could also provide protection against the seasonal flu. Piper Sandler Managing Director and Senior Biotechnology Analyst Ted Tenthoff joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the value this new vaccine presents for Moderna as a company and patients worldwide.
"We're clearly seeing that vaccination rates are low," Tenthoff says. "So, it could be... our current guidance is they've recently said within the low end of that $6 to $8 [billion] range. That's still positive, bringing in $6 billion a year for a company that before the pandemic was bringing in... a couple hundred million. This is still a meaningful product for Moderna."
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.
- --an updated COVID-19 shot they introduced in September, what do you think the financial impact is going to be there for the company? What do you expect demand to be like there?
TED TENTHOFF: Yeah. So, again, they originally guided 6 to 8 billion this year really contingent on somewhere around $2 billion of US vaccination revenues. We're clearly seeing that vaccination rates are low. So it could be, you know, our current guidance is, they've recently said, within the low end of that 6 to 8 range.
That's still positive, you know, bringing in $6 billion a year for a company that before the pandemic was bringing in a couple hundred million. This is still a meaningful product for Moderna and will be an important vaccine for the company and for, really, the world, especially if we face heightened or worse COVID seasons.
You know, it's going to be kind of like the flu vaccine, where especially people who are at risk, whether they're immunocompromised or elderly, still should be getting their COVID vaccine. So we really do project that out at a couple billion, probably below this year's guidance, for the next several years.
Story continues
- And, Ted, sort of more broadly as well, when you look at the attention on respiratory diseases that came as a result of the pandemic, of course, Moderna was only one of the companies that was trying to address that. So when you look at the attempt to treat respiratory diseases like COVID, like RSV, you know-- let's throw the flu in there as well, how do you view the space there and sort of that competitive landscape?
TED TENTHOFF: Yeah, well, it's-- these are really important products. So RSV, for example, really impacts the elderly, you know, typically, people in their 70-plus years of age. Obviously, flu is still a huge burden. And as many as 30,000-- 25,000 to 30,000 people die every year from flu. There's also other vaccines that could be-- like, for example, RSV impacts younger kids too and is actually one of the primary reasons for young children to go to the doctors and even 200-some thousand hospitalizations a year and can cause wheezing.
So these are very important vaccines. I think one of the interesting things that Moderna is doing is starting to combine these vaccines. One of the really exciting things about mRNA is you can fit a lot of different antigens within a single vaccine. So, for example, they can have your one or two COVID antigens plus the four or more flu vaccines.
So actually, in 2025, rather than getting a COVID vaccine and a flu vaccine, you'll be able to get a single shot. And I really do think that moves the ball-- you know, moves the ball forward in terms of improving compliance and vaccination rates, especially, again, in these at-risk populations like the elderly.
The vaccine is designed to help produce anti-cocaine antibodies in the body of a person who is chemically dependent on the substance.
Scientists in Brazil have announced the development of an innovative new vaccine to treat addiction to cocaine and its powerful derivative, crack.
Dubbed "Calixcoca," the treatment, which has shown promising results in trials on animals, triggers an immune response that blocks cocaine and crack from reaching the brain. In simple terms, the vaccine would work by preventing addicts from getting high from the drug.
Researchers involved in the project hope it will help users break the cycle of addiction.
According to Frederico Garcia, a psychiatrist and coordinator of the project at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, if the treatment gets regulatory approval, it would mark the first time cocaine addiction is treated using a vaccine.
Last week, the project won the top prize of 500,000 at the Euro Health Innovation Awards for Latin American medicine which was sponsored by pharmaceutical firm Eurofarma.
The vaccine works by triggering patients' immune systems to produce antibodies that bind to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream, making them too large to pass into the brain's mesolimbic system, or "reward centre," where the drug normally stimulates high levels of pleasure-inducing dopamine.
Similar studies have been carried out in the United States which is the world's top cocaine consumer according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
But these efforts stalled when clinical trials did not demonstrate sufficient results, among other reasons, Garcia said.
Calixcoca has so far proven effective in testing on animals, producing significant levels of antibodies against cocaine and few side effects.
Researchers also found that it protected rat fetuses against cocaine suggesting that it could be used in humans to protect the unborn babies of pregnant addicts.
The vaccine is now set to enter the final stage of trials: testing on humans.
Garcia says Calixcoca could reshape addiction treatment.
"There's no specific registered treatment for cocaine and crack addiction. We currently use a combination of psychological counseling, social assistance and rehabilitation, when necessary," he said.
Garcia believes Calixcoca could add an important tool to that regimen by helping patients at critical stages of recovery, such as when they leave rehab.
The vaccine is made with chemical compounds designed in the lab, rather than biological ingredients, meaning it would be less expensive to produce than many vaccines and would not have to be stored at cold temperatures.
Still Garcia warns that it won't be a "panacea" that can be administered to anyone.
The exact target group will depend on the outcome of clinical trials, but is theoretically meant to be recovering addicts "who are off (cocaine) and want to stay that way," he said.
The goal is to change what Garcia calls a "sad statistic".
According to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four regular cocaine users becomes addicted.
And just one in four addicts manages to quit after five years of treatment.
Given the stakes, anticipation around the vaccine is high. More than 3,000 people have contacted Garcia's team to volunteer to take part in the clinical trials.
For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
Video editor Aisling N Chlin
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Moderna's (MRNA) stock has fallen off in the post-pandemic period as demand for its COVID-19 vaccine the company's primary commercial product decreased significantly. Pfizer (PFE) recently lowered guidance on declining vaccine revenue, which Moderna shares took a hit correlatively. Moderna shares face heavy volatility because its business is tied heavily to the COVID shot, however the vaccine maker is looking to introduce new products to stabilize growth.
Yahoo Finance's Health Reporter Anjalee Khemlani discusses the fall of Moderna post-COVID, giving insights on the company's plan to introduce new products moving forward.
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
- Just days before Halloween, we are looking at stocks that have spooked investors of late. We're wrapping up the week with pharmaceutical and biotech company Moderna. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani has the story. Anjalee.
ANJALEE KHEMLANI: That's right. The specter of pandemic profits is causing jitters among investors and their outlooks for companies like Moderna, whose outsized windfall from the pandemic has investors thirsting for more. Moderna is known to most as a company that makes one of a few COVID-19 vaccines. But what you may not know is that the vaccine is Moderna's single most commercially available product, which makes the stock extremely susceptible when demand for that slips.
Moderna peaked at nearly $450 per share in late 2021. And by comparison, it's been exsanguinated to about $75 per share today near late 2020 levels but not enough to be buried underground. BioNTech, which partnered with Pfizer to produce its COVID-19 vaccine, has been on a similar trajectory. But Pfizer itself hasn't necessarily enjoyed the same volatility since and during the pandemic.
It-- ironically, the spirit of Pfizer stock is the only one possessing Moderna and Pfizer's partner BioNTech as seen in recent weeks when Pfizer lowered its guidance to-- due to decreased vaccine sales. It was Moderna stock that took a hit. And it's now nearly $25-- 25%, sorry, down in the past month alone. So will Moderna's ghost haunt us only in the pandemic memory? Or will it come back to life with a new product, validating the hype around mRNA?
Moderna recently shared ambitions to launch 15 products across oncology, respiratory, rare, and latent diseases by 2028. And due to-- do investors need to see the improved products to believe it? That's the question that remains to be answered. And that being said, there is some optimism among analysts. Moderna does currently have 12 buy ratings, 10 holds, and 2 sells.
- Anjalee Khemlani, some excellent spooky wordplay there to talk about a very interesting stock to round out our Spooky Stock series. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
Oct. 27Right as flu season begins, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced it's seeking FDA approval for a nasal spray flu vaccine that could be administered by yourself from the comfort of your home.
If given the thumbs-up by the Food and Drug Administration, the drug could be ready to go up nostrils as soon as next year's flu season.
In a news release announcing the application, AstraZeneca vice president Iskra Reic said the vaccine would provide an "innovative, more accessible option for individuals, families and communities," and could "revolutionize flu vaccination."
Known as FluMist Quadrivalent, the technology behind the nasal spray flu vaccine is not new. It was first approved for use in the United States in 2003, and nearly 200 million doses have been administered across the globe. But before now, the spray had to be administered by a medical provider just like the shot form of the vaccine.
Based on a usability study conducted by the company, AstraZeneca now believes the spray can be self-administered "when given instructions for use without any additional guidance," according to the news release.
The drug is approved for use in those aged 2 to 49. It is commonly used in doctor's offices as an alternatives for children who are afraid of needles. A dose of the vaccine must be sprayed into each nostril.
Though side effects from the vaccine may not occur, the most common are a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat or a light fever.
The FDA must now decide whether the average person can be trusted to administer the vaccine to themselves. Based on its regulations, the FDA is expected to make a ruling on the nasal spray some time in the first four months of 2024.
If approved, the vaccine could be ordered online and shipped directly to homes.
(Reuters) - Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said on Thursday that their vaccine to prevent flu and COVID-19 generated a strong immune response against strains of the viruses in an early- to mid-stage trial.
The companies said they plan to start a late-stage trial in the coming months.
"This vaccine has the potential to lessen the impact of two respiratory diseases with a single injection and may simplify immunization practices," Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer's head of vaccine research and development, said in a statement.
In the trial, the vaccine candidates were compared to a licensed influenza vaccine and the companies' updated COVID-19 vaccine given at the same visit.
The data from the trial showed that the flu-COVID vaccine demonstrated robust immune responses to influenza A, influenza B and SARS-CoV-2 strains, the companies said.
(This story has been refiled to fix syntax in the headline)
(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
Men who have sex with men and others who are at high risk of mpox infection should get two doses of the Jynneos vaccine, even now that the recent public health emergency in the United States has passed, according to an independent panel of experts that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its vaccine decisions.
CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend that certain individuals ages 18 and older who are at high risk for getting mpox continue to get the vaccine as a routine part of their sexual health care. Previously, the CDC had recommended vaccination of high-risk individuals during the outbreak.
The recommendations now move to CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, who must sign off.
More than 31,000 Americans were diagnosed with mpox in the 2022-2023 outbreak, including 55 who died, according to CDC data. Most of those who were infected were gay men.
According to the CDC, people at high risk for catching mpox include gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, transgender and non-binary people who in the past six months have had at least one of the following: a new diagnosis of at least one sexually transmitted disease; more than one sex partner; sex at a commercial sex venue or in conjunction with a large public event in an area where mpox is spreading; sexual partners of people who have those risks; and people who plan to participate in any of the previous activities.
More than 2 million people in the United States are eligible for vaccination against mpox under the new recommendations, according to the CDC. To date, approximately 23% of this group has received the recommended two doses of Jynneos.
Bavarian Nordic, the manufacturer of the vaccine, says its preparing for a commercial launch of Jynneos in the United States in the first half of 2024.
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