Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Rabies case in South-West France

The Health Protection Agency has today become aware of a case of confirmed rabies, diagnosed in a dog in South-West France. The dog, which has died, had been imported illegally into the European Union through Spain from Morocco and then onto France.

29 Aug 2004

U.S. plan for influenza pandemic response

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has unveiled the draft Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan, which outlines a coordinated national strategy to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic.

26 Aug 2004

Chiron delays Fluvirin influenza virus vaccine shipments

Chiron has announced that, in conducting final internal release procedures for its Fluvirin(R) influenza virus vaccine, the company's quality systems have identified a small number of lots that do not meet product sterility specifications.

26 Aug 2004

Powdered form of anthrax vaccine could eliminate needle injections

Researchers have developed a powdered form of an anthrax vaccine that could potentially be inhaled through the nose and eliminate the need for needle injections.

26 Aug 2004

West Nile Virus found in Alberta

Alberta's first West Nile virus positive bird of the 2004 season has been detected in Lethbridge. A mosquito pool and a horse in Southern Alberta have also tested positive for the virus.

25 Aug 2004

High-resolution images reveal the molecular rearrangements that rotavirus uses to break into cells

High-resolution images constructed by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School reveal the molecular rearrangements that rotavirus – the most common cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea and vomiting in children worldwide – uses to break into cells.

25 Aug 2004

Australian research giant begins trial of avian influenza vaccine

The trial vaccine utilises Imugene Limited's platform adenoviral vector technology to deliver the necessary genetic material to stimulate the birds' immune responses.

25 Aug 2004

Regular exercise boosts immune system in older men

As it turns out, judging by the reaction strength of their immune system to an unknown, but harmless, protein antigen, it’s possible for men over 70 to mount an immune response similar to that produced by much younger men -- if they get regular moderate physical activity of about six hours a week.

25 Aug 2004

Exposure to simian virus 40 (SV40) is not associated with cancer in humans

Two upcoming studies by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), provide further evidence that exposure to simian virus 40 (SV40) is not associated with cancer in humans.

23 Aug 2004

Diarrhea the leading cause of death among the developing world's children

To most people in the developed world, diarrhea is a nuisance. It means some discomfort and maybe a trip to the local pharmacy.

23 Aug 2004

Surprise finding could lead to hepatitis C vaccine

New research from the University of New South Wales shows some people may repeatedly be able to clear hepatitis C virus from their bodies, without any biological traces of the potentially serious infection.

23 Aug 2004

Development of plant-derived topical medications to prevent HIV/AIDS and other STD's

Researchers at the Biodesign Institute at ASU have been tapped to lead development of plant-derived topical medications that would prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases.

21 Aug 2004

Manitoba's first human case of West Nile virus infection

The first human case of West Nile virus infection this year has been identified in Manitoba. The individual, a Winnipeg resident in his sixties, is currently in hospital. The individual has been reported to Health Canada as a probable case of West Nile neurological syndrome.

20 Aug 2004

First probable human case of West Nile virus infection in Indiana

Indianpolis State health officials report that a Benton County resident is the first probable human case of West Nile virus infection in Indiana this year.

20 Aug 2004

Five-in-one vaccine is an important step forward in the UK's vaccination programme

The new five-in-one vaccine is an important step forward in the United Kingdom's vaccination programme, say child health experts in this week's BMJ.

20 Aug 2004

2004 AIDS Vaccine Conference has announced it's forthcoming programme

The Conference will examine the entire spectrum of issues in AIDS vaccine development and deployment, including the global effort in preventative and therapeutic vaccines, immunology, pediatric and adolescent vaccines, clinical trials in emerging countries and the need for strong political and financial commitment.

17 Aug 2004

Contract for the production of an investigational vaccine based on an H9N2 strain of avian influenza virus

In 1999 and 2003, an H9N2 influenza strain caused illness in three people in Hong Kong. Scientists are concerned about H9N2 and other emerging types of avian influenza viruses because as they spread—most commonly through poultry—they continually mutate, increasing chances that they may infect humans, evade the body’s immune response and become more lethal.

17 Aug 2004

Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are better cared for than managed care patients

Researchers have found that Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are more likely to receive recommended tests and have better outcomes than managed care patients.

17 Aug 2004

Immunotherapy and chemotherapy combined, slows tumor progression and extends survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy significantly slowed tumor progression and extended survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

17 Aug 2004

Drug company fights to keep toxin in vaccines

The UK announced Saturday they will remove the mercury preservative Thimerosal from their vaccines. The news comes days after an LA Times article reported that Aventis-Pasteur, a pharmaceutical giant, is pushing to keep the toxin in U.S. vaccines.

13 Aug 2004