Immunization News and Research

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Encouraging results from KAEL-GemVax GV1001 Phase II trial on NSCLC

KAEL-GemVax, a leading oncology biopharmaceutical company, today announced that results from a Phase II trial (CTN-2006) in Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients vaccinated with the telomerase peptide GV1001 after chemoradiotherapy and an 8-year update from a phase I/II trial have been published in the November issue of Clinical Cancer, the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

15 Nov 2011

Pregnant women, new mothers benefit from text4baby mobile service

Researchers at UC San Diego Health System's Department of Reproductive Medicine and the National Latino Research Center (NLRC) at Cal State San Marcos University recently presented data at the American Public Health Association Conference in Washington D.C., demonstrating the impact of text4baby, a free mobile service that provides pregnant women and new mothers in San Diego with maternal, fetal and newborn health information via text messages and connects them to national health resources.

15 Nov 2011

IVI receives WHO prequalification for new oral cholera vaccine

Shanchol-, a new oral cholera vaccine developed through the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), an international organization established by the United Nations and based in Seoul, recently received prequalification from the World Health Organization.

13 Nov 2011

Third annual World Pneumonia Day to be observed on Saturday

The third annual World Pneumonia Day will be observed on Saturday.

11 Nov 2011

UC Santa Barbara's ImmuNet project focuses on targeted immunizations for infants, children

The University of California, Santa Barbara announced today that it will receive funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that enables researchers worldwide to test unorthodox ideas that address persistent health and development challenges. Professors Elizabeth Belding and Amr El Abbadi in the Computer Science Department will pursue an innovative global health research project, titled "ImmuNet: Targeted Immunizations for Infants and Children".

8 Nov 2011

Private sector companies should contribute to GAVI Matching Fund

The GAVI Alliance has "announced a major new initiative aimed at engaging private sector leaders: the GAVI Matching Fund," through which "the British Government's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide a 100 percent match of contributions to GAVI from corporations and foundations as well as their customers, members and employees," Bill Roedy, former CEO of MTV Networks and a GAVI Alliance envoy, writes in a post on the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

8 Nov 2011

Live virus used in polio vaccine can evolve and infect, warns TAU researcher

Health professionals and researchers across the globe believe they are on the verge of eradicating polio, a devastating virus which can lead to paralysis and death. Despite successful eradication in most countries, there are still four countries where the virus is considered endemic -- and many more in which the virus still lurks.

8 Nov 2011

Georgia Tech/CDC project focuses on microneedle patches for polio vaccination

Mark Prausnitz, Regents' professor in Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will pursue an innovative global health research project focused on using microneedle patches for the low-cost administration of polio vaccine through the skin in collaboration with researchers Steve Oberste and Mark Pallansch of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 Nov 2011

MRSA co-infection increases risk of flu-related mortality among children

During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, many previously healthy children became critically ill, developing severe pneumonia and respiratory failure, sometimes fatal. The largest nationwide investigation to date of influenza in critically ill children, led by Children's Hospital Boston, found one key risk factor: Simultaneous infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) increased the risk for flu-related mortality 8-fold among previously healthy children.

7 Nov 2011

IFNa-kinoid shows promise against lupus

The first study to show results using active immunotherapy against the signaling protein interferon alpha in the treatment of lupus will be presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.

7 Nov 2011

Human Genome Sciences to present abstracts regarding BENLYSTA, SLE at ACR/ARHP meeting

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced today that several abstracts related to BENLYSTA (belimumab) and systemic lupus erythematosus will be presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/ Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, being held in Chicago, IL from November 4 to November 9, 2011.

5 Nov 2011

Supplemental dose of pneumonia vaccine recommended for age-eligible patients

In a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare providers are being urged to administer a supplemental dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to age-eligible patients as they come in for visits.

5 Nov 2011

Angolan health officials on high alert after polio case confirmed

Health officials in the northern Angolan province of Uige are on high alert "after a 14-month-old boy tested positive for polio, which has made a resurgence in the country, UNICEF said Thursday," Agence France-Presse reports (11/3).

5 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Romney's plan to cut the debt; congressional squabbles on spending; spurning insurers' concerns about new labels

First, eliminate every government program that is not absolutely essential. There are many things government does that we may like but that we do not need. … For example: Repeal ObamaCare, which would save $95 billion in 2016. …Eliminate Title X family planning programs benefiting abortion groups like Planned Parenthood. … Second, return federal programs to the states where innovation, cost management and reduction of fraud and abuse can far exceed what Washington achieves. I will block grant Medicaid and workforce training, saving well over $100 billion in 2016.

5 Nov 2011

Investment in USAID has saved millions of lives, is critical for U.S. security

In this Politico opinion piece, Brian Atwood and colleagues, all former USAID administrators in previous Democratic or Republican administrations and current advisers to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, write, "Over the last half-century, USAID has had an extraordinary record of accomplishment. Using less than one percent of the U.S. budget annually, the American people have demonstrated their deepest values through USAID programs, saving tens of millions of lives worldwide with immunization programs, oral rehydration therapy, treatment for HIV/AIDS and work on other diseases."

4 Nov 2011

GSK, Alnylam collaborate to apply VaxiRNA technology for influenza vaccine production

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today it has formed a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) focused on Alnylam's VaxiRNATM technology for certain GSK vaccine products, including influenza. VaxiRNA is a new RNAi technology for the enhanced production of viruses used in the manufacture of vaccine products. GSK, a leading vaccine manufacturer, is the first company to form a collaboration accessing this new platform.

2 Nov 2011

Thyroid researcher to receive ATA's John B. Stanbury Pathophysiology Medal

Each year, the American Thyroid Association (ATA) recognizes the outstanding research contributions of one of its members to a greater understanding of thyroid physiology or the pathophysiology of thyroid disease, with its presentation of the John B. Stanbury Pathophysiology Medal at its Annual Meeting.

29 Oct 2011

Number of polio cases in Pakistan exceeds total number reported in three other endemic countries, report says

According to a report published earlier this month in Virology Journal by a team at the bioinformatics laboratory of the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) in Lahore, Pakistan, that country is reporting more polio cases than Nigeria, India and Afghanistan -- the three other countries where the disease is endemic -- combined, SciDev.Net reports.

29 Oct 2011

GAVI Alliance brings life-saving pneumococcal vaccine to Nicaragua

In this post in PBS NewsHour's blog "The Rundown," senior correspondent Ray Suarez reports on his time in Nicaragua with the NewsHour's global health unit for the national rollout of a pneumococcal pneumonia immunization campaign.

28 Oct 2011

TEDMED 2012 conference to take place in Washington, DC

TEDMED, the world's leading multi-disciplinary conference on the future of health and medicine, today announced that the 2012 edition of the conference will take place in Washington, DC at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from April 11-13, 2012.

28 Oct 2011