Immunization News and Research

RSS

Modified virus vaccine shows promise in mouse model of breast cancer

Researchers have shown that vaccinating mice with a modified form of a virus containing proteins from breast cancer cells can kill large breast cancer tumors and tumors that have spread to the lungs.

17 Mar 2008

Aerosol vaccine provides low-cost, needle-free TB treatment

A novel aerosol version of the most common tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, administered directly to the lungs as an oral mist, offers significantly better protection against the disease in experimental animals than a comparable dose of the traditional injected vaccine, researchers report this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

13 Mar 2008

Whooping cough cases on the rise on the North Coast, NSW

A dramatic increase in the number of whooping cough cases in the North Coast Area of New South Wales has concerned health officials.

11 Mar 2008

Hib meningitis eliminated in children under 5 in Uganda

Hib meningitis has been virtually eliminated in young children in Uganda just five years after the country introduced Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine nationwide, according to an independent study.

11 Mar 2008

Sanofi Pasteur helps tackle yellow fever in Latin America

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi-aventis Group, has announced that six million doses of Stamaril yellow fever vaccine have been shipped upon UNICEF's request to respond to the yellow fever epidemic in Latin America.

27 Feb 2008

Nasal vaccine for smallpox protects animals against 77 times the potentially lethal dose of smallpox

Scientists at NanoBio Corporation and the University of Michigan have demonstrated their nasally delivered vaccinia vaccine can protect animals against 77 times the potentially lethal dose of smallpox, and without the safety risks of current vaccines for smallpox.

27 Feb 2008

US advisory committee recommends approval of Rotarix

The US Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products issued a positive recommendation today on the use of rotavirus vaccines, potentially bringing greater protection to children in the US from this common and sometimes fatal cause of severe diarrhea.

21 Feb 2008

Mesothelin appears to play important role in promoting pancreatic cancer growth - clues to new treatments

New understanding of a protein that spurs the growth of pancreatic cancer could lead to a new vaccine against the deadly disease, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report appearing in the current edition of the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

17 Feb 2008

NSW bottom of the league when it comes to public health spending

Figures in the latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have revealed a few surprises.

13 Feb 2008

Reducing pain could lead to increased immunization rates

Studies have shown that some parents are reluctant to have their children immunized because they fear their children will experience significant pain during and after the injections.

4 Feb 2008

Cell signaling in cervical cancer; gene variant impairs glycogen synthesis

The March of Dimes and seven former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today urged parents not to be frightened of childhood vaccines by the suggestion in an upcoming episode of the ABC-TV drama, "Eli Stone" that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal -- which is no longer used in vaccines may lead to autism.

30 Jan 2008

Polymeric nanoparticles for tumor vaccines

The quest for an effective antitumor vaccine has received a boost from the results of work aimed at developing a nanoparticle that delivers tumor antigens to the immune system cells that trigger antibody production.

16 Jan 2008

Seasonal flu levels trigger use of antiviral drugs

The Health Protection Agency has confirmed that the rate at which influenza viruses are now circulating in England has reached the point which triggers the use of antiviral drugs.

11 Jan 2008

Newer meningitis vaccine MenACWY appears safe and effective for infants

A vaccine not yet licensed in the United States produces immunity against four strains of meningococcal disease and is well tolerated when administered to infants, according to a study in the January 9/16 issue of JAMA.

9 Jan 2008

Sanofi Pasteur enters agreement eith Crucell for next-generation biologicals against rabies

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that it has signed an exclusive collaboration and commercialization agreement with Crucell N.V. for Crucell's rabies monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), next-generation rabies biologicals to be used in association with rabies vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis against this fatal disease.

4 Jan 2008