Posts

HPV vaccine

New Study Emphasizes The Importance Of Men And Boys Getting The HPV Vaccine 

/in , /by

The HPV vaccine is widely known, and has been historically framed, as protection against cervical cancer in women. Now, according to a large new study published in JAMA Oncology, young men and boys who received the human papilloma virus, HPV, vaccine had around half the risk of developing related cancers compared to those who were unvaccinated. 

Embed from Getty Images

The study wants parents of both young men and women to do the research to learn more about what HPV is in general, the cancers it’s linked to, and the benefits of the vaccine. 

CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University who was previously Baltimore’s health commissioner, recently spoke to the publication regarding this new study. 

“HPV is an extremely common virus transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact. The vast majority of those who are sexually active will be exposed to it at some point in their lives.”

“This applies to both men and women. According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly all sexually active people are infected with HPV within months to a few years of starting sexual activity,” Dr. Wen explained to CNN. 

“About half of these infections are with a high-risk HPV type that increases the likelihood of developing cancers. Most infections go away on their own as the immune system clears them, but some persist and can cause cellular changes that can become cancerous over time.”

Wen explained that HPV is linked to a range of cancers in both men and women. In women, it’s most commonly linked to cervical cancer, but it can also cause other cancers in the vagina and vulva. In men, HPV is linked to cancers of the penis, anus, head, and neck. 

“Over 90% of anal cancer is caused by HPV. Oropharyngeal cancer, also called throat cancer, is highly associated with HPV as well, with about 70% attributed to HPV. And more than 60% of penile cancer is caused by HPV,” Wen pointed out. 

The study that Wen is citing utilized a global database of over 615,000 men aged 9 to 26 who received the nonvalent HPV vaccine and over 2 million who did not. The researchers analyzed about half a million individuals from each group that were concluded to be comparable. 

Embed from Getty Images

“They found that men who were vaccinated had a significantly lower risk of developing HPV-related cancers. Overall, vaccination was associated with about a 46% reduction in risk, meaning those who received the vaccine had roughly half the risk compared with those who were unvaccinated,” Wen said. 

“The benefit was seen across different groups studied. Those vaccinated between ages 9 and 14 had about a 42% lower risk, while those vaccinated between 15 and 26 had about a 50% lower risk.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine vaccination of preteens at 11 or 12-years-old. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends routine HPV vaccination for all adolescents starting between 9 and 12-years-old. Getting your children vaccinated during their earlier years “focuses on the goal to vaccinate before any exposure to HPV occurs.

According to the AAP, there is no known downside to starting HPV vaccinations early. The immune response is strong at younger ages, and there has not been evidence of significant waning protection,” Wen cited. 

To parents who may be skeptical, Wen emphasized the importance of speaking with their medical provider, but also that the main component of this vaccine is its ability to prevent cancer later in life. 

“This vaccine is about preventing cancer. It protects against infections that can lead to serious disease many years later. We now have strong evidence that it benefits everyone. The safety profile of the vaccine is well-established, and the effectiveness in preventing HPV-related disease is very high. As a mom of two children, choosing vaccination is an opportunity to reduce the risk of serious illness for our children in the future.”

beer

Immunization In A Pint Glass? The Vaccine Beer Experiment 

/in , /by

“The idea really is to just take living yeast, which are what makes beer, and put a vaccine inside the living yeast. And by doing that, you can actually get the yeast to cause an immune response,” Dr. Chris Buck stated.

Read more
measles

World Health Organization Says Measles Cases Are Concerningly Surging

/in , /by

Between 2000 and 2024, deaths caused by measles dropped 88% thanks to vaccination, according to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s estimated that 58 million lives were saved from the success of the vaccine worldwide. 

Now, however, the WHO has released a new report that states vaccine coverage is now well below the level needed to stop transmission, with cases surging globally. 59 nations have reported large/disruptive measles outbreaks within the last year. This marks almost three times the number reported in 2021. 

Embed from Getty Images

About 25% of these outbreaks are occurring in nations that were previously declared to be measles-free, including the United States. 

“Global measles elimination remains a distant goal.”

This rise in outbreaks and decline in resources for immunization and disease surveillance is contributing as well, the report noted.

In order for “elimination” to occur, the virus needs to stop circulating within a country. Canada, for example, recently lost their elimination status, and WHO is concerned about the US losing its status next, according to Dr. Kate O’Brien, director of the WHO’s Department of Immunization. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports “1,798 confirmed measles cases in the US this year, the highest number of cases since the country reached elimination status in 2000.”

“Measles remains the world’s most contagious virus,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. 

“Even though there’s a highly effective low-cost vaccine, the disease exploits gaps in immunization coverage.”

In 2024, there were more than 30 million children globally that were considered to be under-protected against measles. 

Embed from Getty Images

“We have made measurable progress towards measles elimination,” said Diana Chang Blanc, head of WHO’s Essential Program on Immunization. 

“But progress toward elimination is still too slow. Cases and deaths are still unacceptably high.”

A few nations have yet to give out the second dose of a measles vaccine as standard practice, which is essential because the second dose “increases vaccine effectiveness to 95%, providing most individuals with long-lasting immunity,” Chang Blanc stated. 

In 2024, the reports noted that only 84% of children received the first dose with only 76% receiving the second dose around the world. 

“This means that 30 million children remained underprotected from measles in 2024. Children living in fragile, vulnerable conflict-afflicted settings are the most adversely affected.” 

Chang Blanc stated that progress is not being accomplished due to the fact that there has been lower global immunization rates and a “backsliding of vaccination” since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Measles acts as a fire alarm for immunization programs. When the disease resurfaces, it warns that there are gaps in immunization coverage and health care access inequities,” O’Brien stated. 

Misinformation and disinformation are notable factors in slowed vaccination rates, WHO stated. 

Chang Blanc said that “the breakdown or lack of a strong foundation in the routine immunization system is the No. 1 reason for high measles case counts and outbreaks.

Although it sounds simple, those routine systems require trained health workforces, logistic systems, transport, surveillance systems and other resources that many countries do not have.

The major barrier to reaching 95% measles vaccine coverage is access to populations that need it most.”

Loss Of Top Officials In CDC Could Harm US Health, Experts Say 

/in , , , /by

Many top officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have left the agency under Robert F Kennedy Jr’s leadership. Now, many of those leaders and healthcare officials are saying that “Americans should be alarmed” about the future and rising public health threats.

Read more
covid

Covid-19 Vaccine Accessibility: What You Need To Know About New Restrictions For Receiving Immunizations 

/in , , , /by

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it has removed the emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines. Now, only certain populations in the US will have access to the new shot starting this fall.

Read more
vaccine

Vaccine In Development That Protects Against Swine, Human, And Bird Flu Could Eliminate Annual Shots 

/in , /by

New vaccine research and development from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln could remove the need for an annual flu shot with a new vaccine strategy that would protect humans from not only influenza, but the H1N1 swine flu, as well as the bird flu. 

The research entitled “Epitope-Optimized Vaccine Elicits Cross-Species Immunity Against Influenza A Virus,” was recently published in Nature Communications.

Embed from Getty Images

“This research sets the stage for developing universal influenza vaccines so people won’t have to go to the doctor and get a flu shot every year,” said Virologist Eric Weaver, who worked with his team to develop this research. 

“This vaccine will protect you against the different strains that are out there.”

The research showed that swine that were vaccinated with the immunogens designed by Weaver and his team showed no signs of sickness after being exposed to their commonly circulating flu strain. The swine maintained their immune response throughout study, and Weaver said that post-experiment analysis showed the immunity would be maintained for a decade. 

The team named their new immunization the Epigraph Vaccine after the computer software they used to design it. The Epigraph vaccine was shown to outperform commercial vaccines used throughout the pork industry to protect swine from influenza. 

The vaccine was shown to protect against both H1 and H3 swine flu variants. The H1 variant is detected twice as often as the H3 variant, according to Weaver, and they contain nearly three times more genetic diversity. 

“This H1 subtype is the largest and most genetically diverse subtype in pigs. It’s also among the viruses that jumped from swine to humans to cause the 2009 swine flu pandemic. It’s a big target and one of the harder targets to hit,” Weaver said.

Embed from Getty Images

The influenza A virus consistently infects around 15% of the human population and causes thousands of deaths each year. While current vaccines don’t provide long term protection due to the virus’s rapid mutations and genetic diversity, getting the annual flu shot does offer elevated protection. 

Influenza also impacts a multitude of species which allows the virus to mutate and can more easily be transmitted to humans. Swine, for example, are vulnerable to both human and bird flu viruses, which led to the 2009 swine flu pandemic. 

“If we can prevent influenza in swine, we can also prevent zoonotic jumps from avians to swine to humans, or from swine directly to humans. We could basically cut off this evolutionary arsenal or advantage that the virus has. The ultimate goal is to eliminate or eradicate influenza,” Weaver explained.

Weaver’s new patented vaccine strategy utilized the Epigraph software to analyze the genetic codes of more than 6,000 strains of influenza that occurred from 1920 to 2021. The team then created a vaccine cocktail representing their most common regions on the virus that triggers the immune response. 

Data analysis then showed the vaccines provided protection for human influenza varieties that appeared throughout the past 20 years as well as swine influenza varieties. 

“That’s an incredibly powerful thing. The ultimate goal would be to have a significant impact on the disease burden in our society,” Weaver stated. 

“Our ability to understand how viruses evolve has increased exponentially in the past 20 years. What I see on the horizon is a third wave, where we go from good vaccines to universal lifelong vaccines.”

For Weaver and his team, the next steps for continuing to develop this vaccine is to test it for protection against both H1 and H3 strains of influenza, and gain a partnership with a biotechnology company to pursue a human vaccine. 

“We do the most stringent controls that we can possibly do, because we want to be absolutely certain—and I have no doubt that this vaccine is better than the current vaccines,” he said.

measles

NY Officials Urging Parents To Vaccinate Their Kids Among Rising Measles Cases 

/in , /by

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is cautioning citizens about a rise in measles cases across the nation and now in the state. 

New York has now reported four cases of the measles this year, three of which are in New York City, and one in Suffolk County. None of the four individuals were vaccinated, so Hochul and James V. McDonald, the state department of Health Commissioner, emphasized that vaccines are highly effective when it comes to preventing potential infection and spreading of the virus. 

Embed from Getty Images

McDonald mentioned that 81% of children under the age of 2 are vaccinated in New York, and he’s trying to raise that rate to 95%, despite the ongoing battle that public health officials are having with individuals that are reluctant to be vaccinated. 

“We know how to handle this. We do not have another pandemic on our hands,” said Hochul during the briefing at Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that measles was initially declared eliminated from the nation back in 2000. Now, however, there have been recent outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico, and the Canadian province of Ontario, which is in close proximity with New York, so experts are concerned. 

Hochul is urging New Yorkers to listen to public health experts when it comes to vaccines and the protections they provide. Hochul also spoke out against the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been vocal about his skepticism towards vaccines. 

Embed from Getty Images

“He’s had a lifetime of spewing these lies and I don’t think telling him he’s wrong is going to change that. I have to be the truth-teller to the people of this state and that’s the role I’m playing right now.”

Earlier this month, Kennedy did issue a statement in support of measles vaccinations specifically, citing that 116 of the 146 cases in Texas were in kids under the age of 18. 

“[Those] efforts include offering technical assistance, laboratory support, vaccines, and therapeutic medications as needed,” he said. 

“Prior to the introduction of the vaccine in the 1960s, virtually every child in the United States contracted measles,” Kennedy said. 

“As health care providers, community leaders, and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to protect public health. This includes ensuring that accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated. We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them.”

Kansas Battles Major Tuberculosis Outbreak

/in /by

Kansas is battling one of its largest tuberculosis outbreaks since the 1950s, state health officials say. Dozens of infections and at least two deaths have been reported in the Kansas City, Kansas, metropolitan area.

The outbreak, which has drawn a federal response, began last January when it led to two deaths across Wyandotte and Johnson Counties. State officials have not released a statement addressing the origin of the outbreak. The state’s health agency, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), stated that the risk to the general public is still very low.

Jill Bronaugh, a spokeswoman for KDHE, wrote in an email on Tuesday that state officials were working with and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “This outbreak is still ongoing, which means there could be more cases,” Bronaugh said.

“TB is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, speak, or sing. While there is a very low risk of infection to the general public in these communities, KDHE is working to ensure that patients are receiving appropriate treatment, which will limit the ability to spread this disease and prevent additional cases from occurring.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. In 2023, 1.25 million people died due to the disease, while 10.8 million fell ill.

Embed from Getty Images

The airborne disease, which can be cured, is transmitted when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or spit. If left untreated, it poses a significant risk of fatality, typically requiring antibiotics for effective management. Common symptoms include a persistent cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss. A tuberculosis vaccine exists and is used in countries where tuberculosis is common. Since the United States has one of the lowest rates of tuberculosis in the world, it is not commonly administered.

As of last Friday, the latest data from health officials indicates that 67 individuals are currently receiving treatment for active tuberculosis cases linked to the ongoing outbreak in Kansas. Wyandotte County reported 60 cases, while Johnson County recorded seven cases.

In the two counties, an additional 79 individuals were found to be carrying dormant tuberculosis, often identified as latent cases. The WHO states that individuals infected with tuberculosis bacteria but not exhibiting the disease are not contagious. Approximately a quarter of the global population is infected, but only 5 to 10 percent of those individuals will develop the disease and its symptoms.

Lori Tremmel Freeman, the CEO of The National Association of Country and City Health Officials, told CNN that the Trump administration’s pause on federal health agency communications has impacted public awareness of the outbreak.

“Information exchange really matters and helps to shape and guide these outbreaks, and we’re having a lull in that right now, which makes it concerning if we’re missing out on any important updates or things that could impact how people are addressing disease, the spread of it, what to look for and how to stop it.”

Embed from Getty Images

In a proactive move, local health departments are collaborating with patients to pinpoint potential close contacts and offer TB testing free of charge, according to the state agency’s website. Additionally, the CDC sent four employees to the state to aid with contact investigations, testing and screening, according to The New York Times. The team is also actively engaging with community leaders to raise awareness and educate the public about tuberculosis.

“Patients who test positive will be further screened to determine if they have active TB disease or latent TB infection, which will help determine the best treatment. Treatment will be provided through the patient’s local health department, and it will be provided for free if the person is uninsured or the treatment isn’t covered by health insurance.”

Missouri is also experiencing an outbreak. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 97 cases in January. Among the reported cases, 33 were located in the state’s northwest region, encompassing areas within the Kansas City metropolitan vicinity.

The outbreak in Kansas has garnered significant attention; however, it does not rank as the largest in recent U.S. history, The New York Times reported.

Between 2015 and 2017, homeless shelters in Georgia experienced an outbreak that resulted in over 170 confirmed cases of tuberculosis, alongside more than 400 instances of latent infection. In 2021, a total of 113 individuals in the United States contracted the disease following the receipt of contaminated bone allograft tissue sourced from an infected donor.

During a budget presentation to the Kansas Legislature on January 14, Ashley Goss, the state’s deputy secretary for public health, reported that individuals receiving treatment for tuberculosis seemed to be on the path to recovery.

covid

What Experts Want You To Know About The New Covid-19 Vaccine As Cases Continue To Surge In The US

/in , /by

As Covid-19 continues its summer surge throughout the United States, new vaccines have been made available for individuals looking to get another level of protection as we enter autumn and the back-to-school season; when cases in the past few years have been known to surge. 

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are “high to very high” levels of Covid-19 in the wastewater in nearly every state, reported Politico. A recent report from the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative estimated that about 2.5% of the US population is currently infected with Covid. 

Embed from Getty Images

Even with this increase in infections, the US population hasn’t been keeping up with their Covid-19 vaccinations to protect themselves from getting sick and spreading the virus further. 

“One of the challenges of today is just that people aren’t going to get vaccinated. Most people are confused. They don’t really understand what’s happening or what the risk to them is when it comes to Covid,” said Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. 

Politico reported on a recent poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center that revealed more than 20% of Americans think it’s safer to get sick from Covid-19 than to get a vaccine. This percentage has increased by 10% within the past three years. 

The CDC revealed that last year, 22.5% of adults and 14.4% of children received an updated Covid-19 vaccine. The risk of hospitalization and death is not close to what it was back in 2021, however, that doesn’t mean that the public shouldn’t still view the virus as a threat. Immunocompromised individuals and the elderly are still those at the most risk should they be infected. 

Embed from Getty Images

In June, the FDA and vaccine manufacturers worked to incorporate the KP.2 Covid strain into vaccine formulas, as that particular variant was the most prevalent in the beginning of the summer. 

However, the KP.3 and KP.3.1.1 subvariants of KP.2 are currently the most prevalent strains of Covid, and account for more than half of the cases in the US, said the CDC. 

Public health experts are still urging the population to get their updated vaccines due to the consistent surges of cases, as getting vaccinated before you’re exposed or infected is your best chance at avoiding the virus or having a less severe reaction to becoming infected. 

In fact, a CDC study showed that last year’s vaccine provided 54% protection against symptomatic Covid-19 infections. 

If an individual was recently sick with Covid, however, the CDC recommends waiting to get an updated dose until three months after the symptoms first appeared or from when they received their first positive test.

Crystal La Tour Rambaund manages the vaccine program at the Pima County Health Department in Arizona, and stated that the US is experiencing a “Covid fatigue,” meaning citizens aren’t as concerned about the virus and its spreading, despite the surges. 

“The population we are concerned about are the people on the fence. They are not completely anti-[vaccine], and they are not completely all about it. And for those groups of people, it’s a very small thing that could tip the scale in the direction of not being vaccinated,” she said. 

moderna

Moderna And Merck Say New Experimental Vaccine Is Improving Survival Rates In Patients With Severe Skin Cancer 

/in , /by

Biopharmaceutical company Merck and mRNA vaccine developer Moderna are currently creating a new vaccine to help improve the quality of life and survival rates in individuals dealing with the most deadly form of skin cancer. The vaccine is showing positive results when combined with the therapy treatment known as Keytruda. 

Moderna and Merck will be presenting the current data they’ve collected over the past three years at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. The newer data showed that around 75% of patients with deadly skin care who took the combination regimen were alive without any signs or symptoms of their cancer returning at the 2.5 year mark. 

Embed from Getty Images

55.6% of patients had the same results when they just received the Keytruda therapy alone. 

“That benefit was observed across different subgroups of patients, regardless of whether they had tumors with a large number of mutations or whether they had enough of a protein — called PD-L1 — that helps keep the body’s immune responses in check,” wrote Annika Constantino for CNBC. 

“The data reflects the potential for the shot to help treat a broad range of melanoma patients,” Dr. Kyle Holen, Moderna’s head of development, therapeutics and oncology, said.

Patients who took the vaccine with Keytruda showed an overall survival rate that hit 96% after 2.5 years, those who just took Keytruda had a rate of 90.2%. 

“Patients with severe forms of the cancer, known as melanoma, who received the combination were 49% less likely to die or have their cancer return than those who took Keytruda alone after roughly three years. The combination also slashed the risk of melanoma spreading to other parts of the body, or death, by 62%,” Constantino wrote. 

Embed from Getty Images

Fatigue, injection site pain, and chills were the most common side effects associated with the vaccine, and the majority of those side effects were mild, according to the data. 

The vaccine uses the same mRNA technology that Moderna utilized for their Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine is custom-built utilizing the patient’s tumors after surgical removal. The shot is like many other vaccines in that it works to train the immune system to identify and attack specific mutations within cancer cells. 

“Moderna is excited about working to reduce the time between the initial analysis of a tumor and when a patient gets injected with the shot,” CEO Stephane Bancel said in an interview with CNBC.   

“Moderna also plans to file for accelerated approval with the FDA. The process allows for expedited approvals of drugs for serious conditions that fill an unmet medical need,” Bancel said. 

“Melanoma is responsible for the large majority of skin cancer deaths, and the rate of melanoma has increased rapidly over the past few decades” according to the American Cancer Society.

The organization states “about 100,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma in the U.S. this year and nearly 8,000 people are expected to die from the disease.”