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Oxford Vaccine Group launches a pioneering study into human immunity

This study will test the responses of cells in lymph nodes before and after immunization with flu and COVID-19 vaccines and compare reactions in older and younger adults.

25 Oct 2023

New insights into why obesity puts individuals at risk for severe influenza

The mechanisms underpinning severe cases of influenza among the obese population.

23 Oct 2023

CDC report highlights disparities in flu outcomes and vaccination coverage

Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults in the United States are more likely to be hospitalized with flu, as well as less likely to be vaccinated against flu, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report.

22 Oct 2023

Global surge of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1

A recent study published in Nature sheds light on the complex dynamics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 since 2021, uncovering critical shifts in the virus's behavior and providing insights for more effective mitigation strategies. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding the ecological and virological factors driving the intensified global activity of HPAI H5N1 to better prepare for and manage future outbreaks.

22 Oct 2023

Medicare enrollees can switch coverage now. Here’s what’s new and what to consider.

Consumers know it's fall when stores start offering Halloween candy and flu shots — and airwaves and mailboxes are filled with advertisements for Medicare options.

16 Oct 2023

New mRNA flu vaccine shows promise: Faster to produce, highly effective in mice

The study evaluates the efficacy of a new quadrivalent mRNA influenza vaccine, finding it to be highly immunogenic and protective in a mouse model. Compared to traditional vaccines, the mRNA-based option offers advantages like reduced production time and elimination of the risk of growth-promoting mutations.

15 Oct 2023

Early and severe: Kids hit hard by 2022-23 flu season, vaccination rates drop

The 2022-23 influenza season saw a highly severe impact on U.S. adolescents and children, with early peaks in hospitalization rates and outpatient visits. The study underscores the importance of flu vaccination and antiviral treatment, especially as fewer hospitalized children were vaccinated compared to previous seasons.

15 Oct 2023

The new vaccines and you: Americans better armed than ever against the winter blechs

Last year's "triple-demic" marked the beginning of what may be a new normal: a confluence of respiratory infections — RSV, influenza, and covid-19 — will surge as the weather cools each year.

13 Oct 2023

1918 flu's true victims were not the fittest, but the most stressed

Analyzing remains of 1918 influenza pandemic victims, researchers from McMaster University and the University of Colorado Boulder found that the flu's most susceptible victims showed signs of prior environmental, nutritional, and social stress. Contrary to historical beliefs, the study, published in PNAS, revealed that those in poor health were more likely to succumb to the pandemic than healthy individuals.

9 Oct 2023

Compound found to inhibit influenza virus replication by targeting host enzyme

How can the propagation of influenza viruses be stopped? For a new approach in the therapy of influenza infections, Prof. Hiroki Kato from the Institute of Cardiovascular Immunology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 of the University of Bonn receives an Open Philanthropy grant of 2.2 million US dollars.

9 Oct 2023

BIOVECTRA signs service agreement with Acuitas Therapeutics for unique lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system used in manufacturing mRNA-based therapies

BIOVECTRA and Acuitas Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a technology transfer service.

From BIOVECTRA 6 Oct 2023

Trump misplaced blame when he said drug shortages were Biden’s fault

"Under 'Crooked Joe' Biden, there has been a catastrophic increase in shortages of essential medicines."

6 Oct 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': An encore: 3 HHS secretaries reveal what the job is really like

This week, while KFF Health News' "What the Health?" takes a break, here’s an encore of a favorite episode this year: Host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former secretaries of Health and Human Services.

5 Oct 2023

Record uptake of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

2022 saw the highest ever uptake of HIV testing among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with diagnoses in this group continuing to fall, according to the latest HIV surveillance update for the UK.

3 Oct 2023

New meningitis vaccine safe and effective for infants in Africa

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, as part of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC), provided an interim analysis showing that the pentavalent (NmCV-5) meningitis vaccine is safe for use in 9-month-old infants in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa.

3 Oct 2023

Pharmacists can play key role in boosting HPV vaccination rates

HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted infection. It is also the leading cause of cervical cancer.

3 Oct 2023

Researchers develop an improved way to test potential vaccines against bird flu

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Vaccine Research Center have developed an improved way to test potential vaccines against bird flu. The report was published this week in the journal iScience.

29 Sep 2023

As covid infections rise, nursing homes are still waiting for vaccines

"Covid is not pretty in a nursing home," said Deb Wityk, a 70-year-old retired massage therapist who lives in one called Spurgeon Manor, in rural Iowa. She twice contracted the disease and is eager to get the newly approved vaccine because she has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which weakens her immune system.

27 Sep 2023

UKHSA launches centralized source for infectious disease data

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched the first iteration of its new dashboard, which will serve as a centralized source for infectious disease and outbreak data this winter, making it publicly available in a timely and transparent way.

26 Sep 2023

UKHSA agrees a deal to produce life-saving vaccines in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has agreed a deal for millions of life-saving vaccines to be produced in the UK if a future influenza pandemic is ever declared.

26 Sep 2023