Vaccines in the News
Vaccines in the News
Vaccination reduces severe herpes zoster complications in seniors
March 9, 2017
An FDA study examining the efficacy of the currently available herpes zoster vaccine in Medicare beneficiaries showed that the vaccine was most effective against severe cases of herpes zoster, or shingles, that require hospitalization. The vaccine’s effectiveness and duration of protection, however, waned over time.
Zostavax (Merck), the live-attenuated herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine, was licensed in the U.S. in 2006 following the results of a clinical trial involving more than 38,000 participants that showed the vaccine reduced the incidence of HZ by 51%, according to Hector S. Izurieta, MD, MPH, of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and colleagues. However, there are limited post-marketing data on the vaccine, and questions regarding its value remain.
An FDA study examining the efficacy of the currently available herpes zoster vaccine in Medicare beneficiaries showed that the vaccine was most effective against severe cases of herpes zoster, or shingles, that require hospitalization. The vaccine’s effectiveness and duration of protection, however, waned over time.
Zostavax (Merck), the live-attenuated herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine, was licensed in the U.S. in 2006 following the results of a clinical trial involving more than 38,000 participants that showed the vaccine reduced the incidence of HZ by 51%, according to Hector S. Izurieta, MD, MPH, of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and colleagues. However, there are limited post-marketing data on the vaccine, and questions regarding its value remain. [+] more
Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
March 8, 2017
The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs, including for the prevention of bioterrorism and disease outbreaks, as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-disease screenings.
As part of the ACA, or Obamacare, the Prevention and Public Health Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2010, the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC programs, today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDC’s total budget.
The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs, including for the prevention of bioterrorism and disease outbreaks, as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-disease screenings.
As part of the ACA, or Obamacare, the Prevention and Public Health Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2010, the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC programs, today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDC’s total budget. [+] more
Oral delivery system could make vaccinations needle-free
March 8, 2017
The study did not test vaccine delivery in people, but demonstrated that the technology, called MucoJet, is capable of delivering vaccine-sized molecules to immune cells in the mouths of animals. The technology is a step toward improved oral vaccine delivery, which holds the promise of building immunity in the mouth’s buccal region of cells, where many infections enter the body. When patients hold the MucoJet against the inside of their cheek, the device releases a jet stream that directly targets the buccal region. This region is rich in immune cells but underutilized in immunology because of the challenge of efficiently penetrating the thick mucosal layer in this part of the oral cavity with existing technologies, such as the oral spray often used for influenza vaccination. [+] more
Patients could one day self-administer vaccines using a needleless, pill-sized technology that jet-releases a stream of vaccine inside the mouth, according to a proof-of-concept study conducted at UC Berkeley.
The study did not test vaccine delivery in people, but demonstrated that the technology, called MucoJet, is capable of delivering vaccine-sized molecules to immune cells in the mouths of animals. The technology is a step toward improved oral vaccine delivery, which holds the promise of building immunity in the mouth’s buccal region of cells, where many infections enter the body. When patients hold the MucoJet against the inside of their cheek, the device releases a jet stream that directly targets the buccal region. This region is rich in immune cells but underutilized in immunology because of the challenge of efficiently penetrating the thick mucosal layer in this part of the oral cavity with existing technologies, such as the oral spray often used for influenza vaccination.
Patients could one day self-administer vaccines using a needleless, pill-sized technology that jet-releases a stream of vaccine inside the mouth, according to a proof-of-concept study conducted at UC Berkeley.
The study did not test vaccine delivery in people, but demonstrated that the technology, called MucoJet, is capable of delivering vaccine-sized molecules to immune cells in the mouths of animals. The technology is a step toward improved oral vaccine delivery, which holds the promise of building immunity in the mouth’s buccal region of cells, where many infections enter the body. When patients hold the MucoJet against the inside of their cheek, the device releases a jet stream that directly targets the buccal region. This region is rich in immune cells but underutilized in immunology because of the challenge of efficiently penetrating the thick mucosal layer in this part of the oral cavity with existing technologies, such as the oral spray often used for influenza vaccination. [+] more
Cases of mumps in Colorado climbing, nearly 150 Steamboat students not immunized
March 5, 2017
Steamboat Springs — A Colorado mumps outbreak focused on the Front Range reached 49 cases last week, though the contagious disease has yet to reach the Yampa Valley this year.
The 49 cases reported in the first two months of 2017 are high compared to only 17 cases reported in all of 2016 in the state, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Steamboat Springs — A Colorado mumps outbreak focused on the Front Range reached 49 cases last week, though the contagious disease has yet to reach the Yampa Valley this year.
The 49 cases reported in the first two months of 2017 are high compared to only 17 cases reported in all of 2016 in the state, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. [+] more
