Tetanus News and Research

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Tetanus is a severe, frequently fatal disease caused by an exotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that is found in the environment. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, Clostridium tetani enters the body through an open wound, including lacerations, abrasions and puncture wounds. The toxin causes neuromuscular dysfunction, with rigidity and spasms of skeletal muscles. The muscle spasms usually start in the jaw (which is why the disease is sometimes called "lockjaw") and neck and may spread to many other muscles, leading to generalized paralysis.

MinuteClinic re-accredited and earns the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval

MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and the pioneer and largest provider of retail-based medical clinics in the United States, has become the first retail clinic to be re-accredited and earn the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval(TM) for consecutive evaluation periods by having demonstrated compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety.

9 Jan 2010

Rituximab treatment reduces patients' response to pneumonia vaccine

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University determined that immune responses to the tetanus vaccine were not changed when rituximab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) was compared with MTX alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Jan 2010

CDC and AAFP recommend whooping cough vaccine for adults and adolescents

Many people may think of whooping cough as a disease of the past -- something eradicated generations ago. However, the number of cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that whooping cough (pertussis) is still very much a public health concern; health experts estimate that up to 600,000 cases occur each year in adults alone. In fact, whooping cough cases are on the rise in San Diego

6 Jan 2010

Children’s vaccination coverage rises substantially in U.S.

About three-quarters of U.S. children received recommended vaccinations in 2008, up from about half in 2000, reports a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

5 Jan 2010

Akorn exits vaccine distribution business

Akorn, Inc. today announced that it failed to reach an amicable resolution to a longer term and strategic business arrangement with the supplier of its Tetanus Diphtheria (“Td”) vaccine and as a result will be exiting the business. The existing supply agreement will end on March 14, 2010. The company previously announced its intent to exit the distribution of flu vaccines.

19 Dec 2009

MinuteClinic medical clinics in select CVS/pharmacy stores offer H1N1 vaccinations

MinuteClinic medical clinics in select CVS/pharmacy stores throughout Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee are now offering H1N1 vaccinations on demand seven days a week with no appointment necessary.

19 Dec 2009

Several new vaccines require booster shots to remain effective during a lifetime: Study

Preventing disease is the goal of every health care provider and fortunately every year, new vaccines are being added to assist in disease prevention. But do all vaccines boost immunity for the same period of time? And, if not, when are additional 'booster shots' needed to keep immunity strong?

24 Nov 2009

GAVI Alliance drives down pentavalent vaccine costs, data shows

The "co-ordinated buying policy" of the GAVI Alliance has driven down "[t]he price of a vaccine that helps babies fight off killer diseases," according to data released by the group, Reuters reports. In 2010, the price of pentavalent vaccine, which protects against Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and hepatitis B, will fall "below $3.0 - a drop of almost $0.50 cents per dose on the 2009 price," according to the news services.

19 Nov 2009

Pentavalent price drops: the GAVI effect

Following the increasing impact of the GAVI Alliance on the vaccine market, the price of one of the major combination vaccines, the pentavalent, is falling considerably, enabling GAVI’s partners to vaccinate millions of more children in the developing world.

18 Nov 2009

MinuteClinic praises practitioners for providing affordable medical treatment and quality patient-centered care

In celebration of National Nurse Practitioner Week (Nov. 8-14), MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail health care centers in the United States, salutes practitioners across the country who deliver patient-centered care and help to increase access to high-quality, affordable medical treatment.

12 Nov 2009

Novel breakthrough may lead to new methods for sterilizing food and medical equipment

Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists. Spore-forming bacteria, present almost everywhere in our environment, can also cause serious infectious diseases, such as tetanus, anthrax, and botulism.

12 Nov 2009

Novartis to acquire 85% stake in Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical for US$125 million

Hard To Treat Diseases (HTDS.PK) www.htdsmedical.com, announced today that Novartis, a US$41 billion international healthcare company, is acquiring an 85% stake in HTDS' H1N1 Vaccine partner, Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., for US$125 million.

10 Nov 2009

Third quarter 2009 financial results announced by Akorn

Akorn, Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

10 Nov 2009

Walls Street journal examines big pharma's 'growing interest' in emerging-market vaccine development, production

The Wall Street Journal examines "big pharma's growing interest in a corner of healthcare - emerging-market inoculations," in light of a recent move by Novartis to purchase an 85 percent stake in the Chinese vaccine maker Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co. In the summer, drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SA made a similar move to acquire a majority stake in India's Shantha Biotechnics, the newspaper notes.

6 Nov 2009

WHO, UNICEF launch 6-year $39B plan to prevent, treat pneumonia; World Pneumonia Day coverage

To mark the first World Pneumonia Day on Monday, the WHO and UNICEF launched a $39 billion Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP) aimed at preventing 5.3 million child deaths from the disease by 2015, the Associated Press reports (Cheng, 11/1).

3 Nov 2009

Study indicates possibility of a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have completed a Phase II clinical study that indicates a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is possible. GBS is the most common cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can also cause severe illness in pregnant women, the elderly and adults with chronic illnesses.

31 Oct 2009

sanofi-aventis reports financial results for the third quarter of 2009

In the third quarter of 2009, sanofi-aventis generated net sales of euro 7,400 million, up 8.0% on a reported basis. Exchange rate movements had a favorable effect of 2.0 percentage points, with the appreciation of the U.S. dollar (and to a lesser extent the yen) against the euro more than offsetting the unfavorable effects of some other currencies.

30 Oct 2009

Vaccination rates need improvement; racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination coverage

More teenagers are being vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal meningitis and pertussis (whooping cough), though the rates are still too low, according to recently released government data and a panel of experts convened by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

27 Oct 2009

News outlets examine challenges with expanding global child immunization campaigns

Wednesday's release of the WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank joint report on childhood vaccines highlighted gains in recent global vaccination campaigns and also found that nearly 24 million infants worldwide don't get the recommended first-year vaccination.

23 Oct 2009

More infants are being immunized but funding gap leaves millions of children still at risk

Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are now at their highest ever and vaccine development worldwide is booming, according to a new assessment released today by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the World Bank.

22 Oct 2009