Measles News and Research

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Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. It remains a leading cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. An estimated 197 000 people died from measles in 2007, mostly children under the age of five.

Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. The measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and the lungs. It is a human disease not known to occur in animals.

New polio vaccine is the first to work on mutated form of the virus

A new polio vaccine that could tackle mutated strains of the disease has passed phase II clinical trials, according to two studies published in medical journal The Lancet.

10 Dec 2020

COVID-19 herd immunity threshold far higher than previously thought, say researchers

Researchers in the US have re-analyzed the data on herd immunity from spring 2020 from Europe. Their study shows that the herd immunity threshold is much higher than earlier speculated.

4 Dec 2020

Feds look to pharmacists to boost childhood immunization rates

Torey Watson is trained as a pharmacist but aims to do more than simply fill prescriptions.

3 Dec 2020

Immune system differences, better blood vessel health could protect children from severe COVID-19

Differences in the immune systems and better blood vessel health were among the factors protecting children from severe COVID-19, according to a new review.

2 Dec 2020

COVID-19 Peer Hub program works to tackle vaccine hesitancy amid pandemic

UniSA researchers are evaluating a new vaccination education initiative - the COVID-19 Peer Hub - to help immunization and public health professionals to tackle the emerging dangers of vaccine hesitancy amid the pandemic.

30 Nov 2020

MMR vaccine could protect against COVID-19

The number of reported global infections of SARS-CoV-2 stands at 56.88 million as of 19 November 2020, and this number continues to rise.

20 Nov 2020

Existing UV light technology has potential to be effective against Covid-19

A recent study has shown that a UV light technology already used to prevent the spread of other airborne diseases in buildings has the potential to be effective against Covid-19.

17 Nov 2020

Measles outbreaks likely to occur as an unexpected consequence of COVID-19 pandemic

Major measles outbreaks will likely occur during 2021 as an unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new academic article.

16 Nov 2020

Strategizing pediatric healthcare preparedness for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The paper, put together by a team of scientists based in the United Kingdom and Italy, also underscored the need for healthcare policies to account for the very real possibility of inadequate protective personal equipment (PPE), staff and hospital capacity, aggravated by the increased number of pediatric infections.

15 Nov 2020

Global measles cases increase to 869,770 in 2019

Measles surged worldwide in 2019 reaching highest number of reported cases in 23 years. Highlighted in a publication by the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles cases worldwide increased to 869,770 in 2019, the highest number reported since 1996 with increases in all WHO regions.

12 Nov 2020

Mask wearing, social distancing considerably reduce incidence of many diseases

Measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as mask wearing and social distancing are a key tool in combatting the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

10 Nov 2020

UNICEF and WHO issue urgent call to action to avert measles, polio epidemics

UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued an urgent call to action to avert major measles and polio epidemics as COVID-19 continues to disrupt immunization services worldwide, leaving millions of vulnerable children at heightened risk of preventable childhood diseases.

6 Nov 2020

Majority of people infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount robust antibody response

The vast majority of individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response that is relatively stable for at least five months, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 28, in the journal Science.

29 Oct 2020

Readers and tweeters shed light on vaccine trials and bias in health care

In the piece about the AstraZeneca vaccine trial subject who suffered severe spinal cord inflammation, that person was repeatedly referred to as a "patient" ("NIH 'Very Concerned' About Serious Side Effect in Coronavirus Vaccine Trial," Sept. 14).

28 Oct 2020

Scientists warn Americans are expecting too much from a vaccine

The White House and many Americans have pinned their hopes for defeating the COVID-19 pandemic on a vaccine being developed at "warp speed." But some scientific experts warn they're all expecting too much, too soon.

28 Oct 2020

Researchers study the dynamics of airborne transmission

The continued increase in COVID-19 infection around the world has led scientists from many different fields, including biomedicine, epidemiology, virology, fluid dynamics, aerosol physics, and public policy, to study the dynamics of airborne transmission.

27 Oct 2020

Older males who have recovered from COVID-19 are best plasma donors for treatment

Sex, age, and severity of disease may be useful in identifying COVID-19 survivors who are likely to have high levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease, according to a new study co-led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

20 Oct 2020