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COVID-19 vaccination of lactating mothers elicits specific IgA antibodies in breast milk

A new study, released on the medRxiv* preprint server, examines the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA in human milk and its association with the protection of breastfed infants against the disease.

16 Apr 2021

Male fetuses impair the maternal and placental immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, finds study

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is now established to be more likely to lead to symptomatic and serious illness in males relative to females. This may extend as far back as pregnancy, suggests a recent study.

31 Mar 2021

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine elicits antibodies in blood and breastmilk simultaneously, finds study

A new study adds to the sum of knowledge around this issue, showing a highly synchronized and rapid development of an antibody response in breast milk and serum, which reached stable levels around two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine was administered.

10 Mar 2021

Could laser-facilitated epicutaneous vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 be an alternative to intramuscular injection?

Scientists at the University of Salzburg and Pantec Biosolutions AG have developed a laser-facilitated epicutaneous immunization against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein. The model has induced angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) blocking antibodies in mice.

23 Feb 2021

Zambia study casts doubt on the assumption that COVID-19 skipped Africa

A new study concluding out of Lusaka, Zambia last summer has found that as many as 19% (almost 1 in 5) of recently-deceased people tested positive for COVID-19.

18 Feb 2021

Vaccinated mothers may pass on SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to newborns

A new study describes the first case of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected in the cord blood of an infant born to a mother immunized with the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine three weeks earlier.

9 Feb 2021

History of vaccines offers guidance on COVID-19 prevention in pregnant women

Pregnant women, who are at increased risk of preterm birth or pregnancy loss if they develop a severe case of COVID-19, need the best possible guidance on whether they should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to an article by two UT Southwestern obstetricians published today in JAMA.

8 Feb 2021

Routine vaccinations in India disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

A team of researchers studied the disruptions in the vaccinations across India during the current pandemic.

1 Feb 2021

Researchers receive NIH grant to develop more effective flu vaccines

To build better vaccines, scientists want to know more about how our bodies make adequate numbers of effective, durable antibodies against the influenza virus.

11 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection increases risk of severe COVID-19 in pregnant women, newborns

Recent analyses indicate that pregnant women and newborns may face elevated risks of developing more severe cases of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Dec 2020

Research explores the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs

Immunizing children against chickenpox would save money, but offering shingles vaccinations to all 65-year-olds would not. These are examples of findings in a University of Gothenburg thesis exploring the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs.

23 Dec 2020

Researchers develop new method to evaluate vaccine safety

A research group at the University of Turku, Finland, has led the development of a new method to evaluate vaccine safety. The new method may significantly reduce the use of animal testing in the vaccine industry.

8 Dec 2020

Children's DTP vaccine may provide cross-immunity for COVID-19

He found that the viruses subject to pediatric vaccinations do not have cross-reactive epitopes for SARS-CoV-2, showing they cannot provide protection against COVID-19.

17 Nov 2020

Five important questions about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer's announcement on Monday that its COVID-19 shot appears to keep nine in 10 people from getting the disease sent its stock price rocketing. Many news reports described the vaccine as if it were our deliverance from the pandemic, even though few details were released.

11 Nov 2020

Azelastine antihistamine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasal tissue in vitro

In a study published on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers from the University of Pécs, University of Vienna, and CEBINA GmbH, Vienna, show the ability of the antihistamine azelastine to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in human nasal tissue in vitro.

16 Sep 2020

Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 risk

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv, researchers from Laval University and McGill University in Canada reviewed evidence from 18 relevant studies on a possible interaction between influenza vaccines on non-influenza respiratory disease (NIRD).

6 Sep 2020

Researchers develop vaccine for human herpesvirus 6B

A research group led by Professor MORI Yasuko (of the Division of Clinical Virology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine) has revealed that the HHV-6B glycoprotein complex gH/gL/gQ1/gQ2 is an effective vaccine candidate for human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B).

20 Aug 2020

Why you should get your flu shots amid the coronavirus pandemic

Health experts from the National Public Health Organization, the Andreas Sygros Hospital, and the Kapodistrian University in Greece say that influenza shots to reduce the risk of flu are crucial, particularly this coming fall or winter when the flu season usually kick starts. Their work is published in the journal Vaccine.

12 Aug 2020

Benefits of routine childhood immunizations far outweigh the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

The health benefits of maintaining routine childhood vaccination programmes in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic far outweigh the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission that might be associated with clinic visits, according to a modelling study published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

19 Jul 2020

New clinical trial to assess safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma to prevent COVID-19

There is only one approved, specific treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, albeit with modest efficacy.

10 Jul 2020